FRANKLIN COUNTY, Mo. —The pilot and three passengers were injured after a helicopter crash into the Meramec River Thursday.

According to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the helicopter carrying Missouri State Parks employees, may have struck a power line while the team was conducting an aerial survey.

Sullivan Fire Protection District crews rescued the four people on board&nbsp; and transported them to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769772156979.png" alt="Photo Sullivan FIre Protection District" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sullivan FIre Protection District</figcaption>
 </figure>FRANKLIN COUNTY, Mo. —The pilot and three passengers were injured after a helicopter crash into the Meramec River Thursday.According to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the helicopter carrying Missouri State Parks employees, may have struck a power line while the team was conducting an aerial survey.Sullivan Fire Protection District crews rescued the four people on board&nbsp; and transported them to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries.The crash remains under investigation.

Pilot, passengers rescued after helicopter crash into river in Missouri

What started as sharp criticism of the Homeland Security Secretary has morphed into a move by Democratic lawmakers signing onto&nbsp;impeachment legislation&nbsp;in the Republican-controlled House.

Democrat U.S. Representative Emmanuel Cleaver, II, who represents Missouri's 5th Congressional District, that covers a large part of Kansas City, is calling for the impeachment of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

“Following the second killing of an American citizen and numerous violations of court orders under her leadership, I signed onto H.Res. 996 and am calling for the impeachment of Secretary Kristi Noem. This moment demands moral clarity, not political convenience. When those entrusted with immense power abuse it, showing contempt for the rule of law, human dignity, and constitutional liberties, Congress has not just the authority, but the obligation to act.”

“In my theology of government, impeachment is not a step I take lightly. It is a grave constitutional mechanism meant for moments exactly like this – when misconduct is not incidental, but systemic; when harm is not abstract, but real; and when officials are not only failing to uphold the Constitution, but actively undermining it. Our democracy cannot endure if those at the highest levels of government are allowed to operate above the law or beyond consequence.”

““My decision is consistent with the stand I took just last week. I voted against funding the Department of Homeland Security because I refuse to endorse an agency that has lost their moral compass, leaving them only guided by a desire to inflict suffering without due process. Oversight without accountability is meaningless, and funding without reform is surrendering to injustice.”

“At its core, this is about right and wrong. It is about whether we are willing to meet the moment with integrity, or whether we will avert our eyes while power is misused and lives are diminished. I choose to stand on the side of accountability, justice, and the enduring promise of our Republic – if we can keep it.”

President Donald Trump continues to support Noem.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769741602366.png" alt="-Homeland Security Kristi Noem made no comments during Thursday's Cabinet meeting at the White House.- image from White House video" />
 <figcaption>-Homeland Security Kristi Noem made no comments during Thursday's Cabinet meeting at the White House.- image from White House video</figcaption>
 </figure>What started as sharp criticism of the Homeland Security Secretary has morphed into a move by Democratic lawmakers signing onto&nbsp;impeachment legislation&nbsp;in the Republican-controlled House.Democrat U.S. Representative Emmanuel Cleaver, II, who represents Missouri's 5th Congressional District, that covers a large part of Kansas City, is calling for the impeachment of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F1463170405472529%2F&show_text=true&width=267&t=0" width="267" height="591" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>A text of Cleaver's statement is below.“Following the second killing of an American citizen and numerous violations of court orders under her leadership, I signed onto H.Res. 996 and am calling for the impeachment of Secretary Kristi Noem. This moment demands moral clarity, not political convenience. When those entrusted with immense power abuse it, showing contempt for the rule of law, human dignity, and constitutional liberties, Congress has not just the authority, but the obligation to act.”“In my theology of government, impeachment is not a step I take lightly. It is a grave constitutional mechanism meant for moments exactly like this – when misconduct is not incidental, but systemic; when harm is not abstract, but real; and when officials are not only failing to uphold the Constitution, but actively undermining it. Our democracy cannot endure if those at the highest levels of government are allowed to operate above the law or beyond consequence.”““My decision is consistent with the stand I took just last week. I voted against funding the Department of Homeland Security because I refuse to endorse an agency that has lost their moral compass, leaving them only guided by a desire to inflict suffering without due process. Oversight without accountability is meaningless, and funding without reform is surrendering to injustice.”“At its core, this is about right and wrong. It is about whether we are willing to meet the moment with integrity, or whether we will avert our eyes while power is misused and lives are diminished. I choose to stand on the side of accountability, justice, and the enduring promise of our Republic – if we can keep it.”President Donald Trump continues to support Noem.

🎥:KC area Congressman calls for impeachment of DHS Secretary

ATCHISON COUNTY —One&nbsp; person died in an accident just after 10:30p.m. Thursday in Atchison County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Ford F150 driven by Dustin B.&nbsp;Saunders, 32, Troy, was northbound on Kansas 7 Highway just north of 318th. The pickup traveled off&nbsp; the roadway to the right and struck a tree. After impact, the pickup spun around and came to a rest in the East ditch of the highway.

Saunders was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Frontier Forensics. He was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

ATCHISON COUNTY —One&nbsp; person died in an accident just after 10:30p.m. Thursday in Atchison County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Ford F150 driven by Dustin B.&nbsp;Saunders, 32, Troy, was northbound on Kansas 7 Highway just north of 318th. The pickup traveled off&nbsp; the roadway to the right and struck a tree. After impact, the pickup spun around and came to a rest in the East ditch of the highway.Saunders was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Frontier Forensics. He was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

Kansas man dies after pickup strikes a tree

WASHINGTON (AP) — Melania Trump is capping her first year back as first lady with the global release of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/melania-trump-documentary-amazon-ratner-bezos-fc36fc99e3eff0a18ef8b72335af88f6">a documentary</a>&nbsp;she produced about the 20 days leading up to husband Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

A private person, Melania Trump remains a bit of a mystery to the public in her husband’s second term. “Melania” premiered Thursday at the Kennedy Center before it is released on Friday in more than 1,500 theaters in the U.S. and around the world.

“I want to show the audience my life, what it takes to be a first lady again and (the) transition from private citizen back to the White House,” Melania Trump told reporters as she and the president moved along a charcoal-colored walkway at the event attended by Cabinet members, members of Congress and conservative commentators.

She said viewers will see how she conducts her businesses and philanthropy, cares for her family and builds her White House team.

“It’s beautiful, it’s emotional, it’s fashionable, it’s cinematic and I’m very proud of it,” she said.

The documentary was produced by AmazonMGM Studios and is said to have cost $40 million. It will stream exclusively on the Amazon Prime Video streaming service after its theatrical run.

Director Brett Ratner said his measure of success would not be box-office performance.

“It’s a documentary and documentaries historically have not been huge box office smashes,” he told reporters on his way into the premiere. “You can’t expect a documentary to play in theaters.”

The Republican president saw the nearly two-hour film for the first time at a private White House screening over the weekend. He said Thursday that he thought it was “really great.”

“It really brings back a glamour that you just don’t see anymore,” Trump said. “Our country can use a little bit of that, right?”

‘Melania’ more than a year in the making

It was unclear how much money Melania Trump stands to earn or what her plans are for any film proceeds. Experts said it was unusual for a first lady to pursue a project of this kind from the White House — but not unusual for the Trumps.

“As far as I know, she’s the first first lady to be paid a lot of money to have a documentary made about her and it is unprecedented in terms of the Trumps because they are always breaking precedent,” said Katherine Jellison, professor emerita of history at Ohio University.

Asked about the sum, Trump mentioned the book deal for Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, that the publisher announced in 2017, shortly after he left office.

Presidents and first ladies generally refrain from pursuing outside business ventures while in office to avoid potential conflicts of interest or raising ethical concerns.

Both Trumps participate in numerous business ventures, selling everything from watches, fragrances and Bibles for him to jewelry, Christmas ornaments and digital collectibles for her.

Marc Beckman, the first lady’s longtime senior adviser, defended the financial arrangement, which Amazon has declined to comment on. He noted that she was a private citizen when Amazon announced the film in January 2025 and that she is unelected and receives no salary as first lady. “So why should we limit her?” he said Thursday.

The movie also marks another link between the Trumps and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who has worked to improve a once-tense relationship with the president.

Melania Trump said Thursday that a bidding process was conducted and that Amazon “was the best because they agreed to do theatrical releases.”

The movie is the first project by Ratner since he was accused of sexual misconduct in the early days of the #MeToo reckoning. Ratner’s lawyer has denied the allegations.

In a scene from a teaser for the movie, it is Inauguration Day and Melania Trump is inside the Capitol, waiting to be escorted into the Rotunda for the ceremony. She turns her head, looks directly into the camera and says, “Here we go again.”

She wrote in her self-titled memoir published in 2024 about how much she values her privacy. She is not seen or heard from as often as some of her recent predecessors, which may be influencing the public’s perceptions of her. But she also likes to do things her way.

She said she did the film to show people what goes into becoming first lady.

The U.S. public is divided on their views of her, but a significant number — about 4 in 10 adults — had no opinion or had not heard of her, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/25493738/cnn-poll-on-trump.pdf" target="_blank">CNN poll from January 2025</a>. About 3 in 10 adults saw her favorably while roughly the same share had an unfavorable opinion.

Her standing among Republicans was higher, with about 7 in 10 saying in the poll that they viewed her favorably, but around one-quarter had no opinion.

“I think it’s an attempt, in a way, to really augment or tailor or really refine her image for the American public,” said Katherine Sibley, who teaches history at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. “She’s a mystery to the American people.”

First lady cites impactful first year of second Trump term

Melania Trump, 55, said she’s honored to execute the traditional duties of first lady, such as planning state dinners, hosting the annual&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-melania-easter-egg-roll-lawn-04b318bdb89097e2c9f9f3fda45ac1be">Easter Egg Roll</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/melania-trump-holiday-decorations-white-house-378c18c3adbd2484149135b96f4e276b">decorating for Christmas</a>. But she also has said she wants to leave her mark in other ways, too.

She spent chunks of time away from Washington last year working on the documentary and was deeply involved in every aspect of its development, according to Beckman.

Her first-year record centers on the well-being and safety of children.

She used her influence to lobby Congress to pass the “Take It Down Act,” making it a federal crime to publish intimate images online without consent. The president signed the bill into law and had her sign it, too.

Her advocacy for foster children was enshrined in an executive order&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/melania-trump-white-house-foster-care-5301987e676786c793b2b9fba0eb4c2f">creating a “Fostering the Future” program</a>. It’s part of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/parenting-united-states-government-2aefddc6f11044d4ac340809f9e75bb3">the “Be Best” child-focused initiative</a>&nbsp;she launched in the first term.

She&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/melania-trump-russia-ukraine-children-fe324a08a9a957f05995dac0d95a66c3">wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin</a>&nbsp;for help reuniting children who had been separated from their families because of his war against Ukraine. She had her husband hand-deliver the letter when the leaders met in Alaska, and she later announced that eight children had been reunited with their families.

The first lady has a prominent role in the administration’s efforts on artificial intelligence and education and recently launched a global version of the foster child program.

She told guests at a White House Christmas reception that she is working on a new legislative effort for 2026, but has not yet shared details.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Melania Trump is capping her first year back as first lady with the global release of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/melania-trump-documentary-amazon-ratner-bezos-fc36fc99e3eff0a18ef8b72335af88f6">a documentary</a>&nbsp;she produced about the 20 days leading up to husband Donald Trump’s return to the White House.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> and First Lady <a href="https://twitter.com/MELANIATRUMP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MELANIATRUMP</a> are en route to watch the MELANIA movie at the Kennedy Center ❤️🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/1EYP8atXmw">pic.twitter.com/1EYP8atXmw</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/2017023245459796262?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a> arrive at the Trump Kennedy Center (<a href="https://twitter.com/kencen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kencen</a>) for the premiere of &#39;Melania&#39; <a href="https://t.co/ZglkQWrciG">pic.twitter.com/ZglkQWrciG</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2017029122199801954?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">President Trump and the First Lady arrive to the red carpet of the MELANIA movie screening 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/SX88VRITIa">pic.twitter.com/SX88VRITIa</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/2017028825863921746?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>A private person, Melania Trump remains a bit of a mystery to the public in her husband’s second term. “Melania” premiered Thursday at the Kennedy Center before it is released on Friday in more than 1,500 theaters in the U.S. and around the world.“I want to show the audience my life, what it takes to be a first lady again and (the) transition from private citizen back to the White House,” Melania Trump told reporters as she and the president moved along a charcoal-colored walkway at the event attended by Cabinet members, members of Congress and conservative commentators.She said viewers will see how she conducts her businesses and philanthropy, cares for her family and builds her White House team.“It’s beautiful, it’s emotional, it’s fashionable, it’s cinematic and I’m very proud of it,” she said.The documentary was produced by AmazonMGM Studios and is said to have cost $40 million. It will stream exclusively on the Amazon Prime Video streaming service after its theatrical run.Director Brett Ratner said his measure of success would not be box-office performance.“It’s a documentary and documentaries historically have not been huge box office smashes,” he told reporters on his way into the premiere. “You can’t expect a documentary to play in theaters.”The Republican president saw the nearly two-hour film for the first time at a private White House screening over the weekend. He said Thursday that he thought it was “really great.”“It really brings back a glamour that you just don’t see anymore,” Trump said. “Our country can use a little bit of that, right?”<h2>‘Melania’ more than a year in the making</h2>It was unclear how much money Melania Trump stands to earn or what her plans are for any film proceeds. Experts said it was unusual for a first lady to pursue a project of this kind from the White House — but not unusual for the Trumps.“As far as I know, she’s the first first lady to be paid a lot of money to have a documentary made about her and it is unprecedented in terms of the Trumps because they are always breaking precedent,” said Katherine Jellison, professor emerita of history at Ohio University.Asked about the sum, Trump mentioned the book deal for Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, that the publisher announced in 2017, shortly after he left office.Presidents and first ladies generally refrain from pursuing outside business ventures while in office to avoid potential conflicts of interest or raising ethical concerns.Both Trumps participate in numerous business ventures, selling everything from watches, fragrances and Bibles for him to jewelry, Christmas ornaments and digital collectibles for her.Marc Beckman, the first lady’s longtime senior adviser, defended the financial arrangement, which Amazon has declined to comment on. He noted that she was a private citizen when Amazon announced the film in January 2025 and that she is unelected and receives no salary as first lady. “So why should we limit her?” he said Thursday.The movie also marks another link between the Trumps and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who has worked to improve a once-tense relationship with the president.Melania Trump said Thursday that a bidding process was conducted and that Amazon “was the best because they agreed to do theatrical releases.”The movie is the first project by Ratner since he was accused of sexual misconduct in the early days of the #MeToo reckoning. Ratner’s lawyer has denied the allegations.<h2>‘Here we go again’</h2>In a scene from a teaser for the movie, it is Inauguration Day and Melania Trump is inside the Capitol, waiting to be escorted into the Rotunda for the ceremony. She turns her head, looks directly into the camera and says, “Here we go again.”She wrote in her self-titled memoir published in 2024 about how much she values her privacy. She is not seen or heard from as often as some of her recent predecessors, which may be influencing the public’s perceptions of her. But she also likes to do things her way.She said she did the film to show people what goes into becoming first lady.The U.S. public is divided on their views of her, but a significant number — about 4 in 10 adults — had no opinion or had not heard of her, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/25493738/cnn-poll-on-trump.pdf" target="_blank">CNN poll from January 2025</a>. About 3 in 10 adults saw her favorably while roughly the same share had an unfavorable opinion.Her standing among Republicans was higher, with about 7 in 10 saying in the poll that they viewed her favorably, but around one-quarter had no opinion.“I think it’s an attempt, in a way, to really augment or tailor or really refine her image for the American public,” said Katherine Sibley, who teaches history at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. “She’s a mystery to the American people.”<h2>First lady cites impactful first year of second Trump term</h2>Melania Trump, 55, said she’s honored to execute the traditional duties of first lady, such as planning state dinners, hosting the annual&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-melania-easter-egg-roll-lawn-04b318bdb89097e2c9f9f3fda45ac1be">Easter Egg Roll</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/melania-trump-holiday-decorations-white-house-378c18c3adbd2484149135b96f4e276b">decorating for Christmas</a>. But she also has said she wants to leave her mark in other ways, too.She spent chunks of time away from Washington last year working on the documentary and was deeply involved in every aspect of its development, according to Beckman.Her first-year record centers on the well-being and safety of children.She used her influence to lobby Congress to pass the “Take It Down Act,” making it a federal crime to publish intimate images online without consent. The president signed the bill into law and had her sign it, too.Her advocacy for foster children was enshrined in an executive order&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/melania-trump-white-house-foster-care-5301987e676786c793b2b9fba0eb4c2f">creating a “Fostering the Future” program</a>. It’s part of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/parenting-united-states-government-2aefddc6f11044d4ac340809f9e75bb3">the “Be Best” child-focused initiative</a>&nbsp;she launched in the first term.She&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/melania-trump-russia-ukraine-children-fe324a08a9a957f05995dac0d95a66c3">wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin</a>&nbsp;for help reuniting children who had been separated from their families because of his war against Ukraine. She had her husband hand-deliver the letter when the leaders met in Alaska, and she later announced that eight children had been reunited with their families.The first lady has a prominent role in the administration’s efforts on artificial intelligence and education and recently launched a global version of the foster child program.She told guests at a White House Christmas reception that she is working on a new legislative effort for 2026, but has not yet shared details.___

🎥Melania Trump's documentary premieres at the Kennedy Center ahead of global release

SEDGWICK COUNTY – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with&nbsp;threatening violence against federal law enforcement..

Joaquin Hernandez, 23, of Wichita was indicted on one count of interstate communications with threat to injure and one count of retaliating against a federal official by threatening, according to the United State's Attorney.

On January 22, 2026, Hernandez is accused of posting a video on TikTok threatening to assault and murder federal law enforcement agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) carrying out their duties in Wichita.&nbsp; On the he threatened to shoot ICE agents “point blank” in Wichita, according to criminal complaint filed in connection with the case.

“If I see ICE activity in Wichita, Kansas, there’s gonna be hell to pay,” he said in the video, according to the complaint.

On January 23, Law enforcement arrested Hernendez and he was transferred from the Sedgwick County Jail to another federal holding facility, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769719600425.png" alt="Hernandez photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Hernandez photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with&nbsp;threatening violence against federal law enforcement..Joaquin Hernandez, 23, of Wichita was indicted on one count of interstate communications with threat to injure and one count of retaliating against a federal official by threatening, according to the United State's Attorney.On January 22, 2026, Hernandez is accused of posting a video on TikTok threatening to assault and murder federal law enforcement agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) carrying out their duties in Wichita.&nbsp; On the he threatened to shoot ICE agents “point blank” in Wichita, according to criminal complaint filed in connection with the case.“If I see ICE activity in Wichita, Kansas, there’s gonna be hell to pay,” he said in the video, according to the complaint.On January 23, Law enforcement arrested Hernendez and he was transferred from the Sedgwick County Jail to another federal holding facility, according to online jail records.

Indictment: Kansas man on TikTok threatened to shoot ICE agents 

JACKSON COUNTY–Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on multiple allegations

On Tuesday, Sheriff’s Deputies and Detectives served a search warrant at 17839 W. Road in rural Jackson County, according to Sheriff Tim Morse&nbsp; The search warrant was issued as a result of a drug investigation.

The Sheriff’s Office arrested 50-year-old Rachel Deanne Butts, of Mayetta and 47-year-old Jim Bob Jeffries, of Silver Lake.  Butts and Jeffries were both booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and interference with law enforcement.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769652746375.png" alt="Jeffries photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Jeffries photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY–Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on multiple allegationsOn Tuesday, Sheriff’s Deputies and Detectives served a search warrant at 17839 W. Road in rural Jackson County, according to Sheriff Tim Morse&nbsp; The search warrant was issued as a result of a drug investigation.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769652727176.png" alt="Butts photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Butts photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>The Sheriff’s Office arrested 50-year-old Rachel Deanne Butts, of Mayetta and 47-year-old Jim Bob Jeffries, of Silver Lake. Butts and Jeffries were both booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and interference with law enforcement.&nbsp;

Sheriff: Couple jailed after drug bust at Kansas home 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats and White House have struck a deal to avert a partial government shutdown and temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security as they negotiate new restrictions for President Donald Trump’s surge of immigration enforcement.

As the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/no-kings-protest-alex-pretti-minneapolis-immigration-0b34386da0bb3eeac939d9f934680b6c">country reels</a>&nbsp;from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-ice-b0cec9d1c5bae4b62469011775082300">deaths of two protesters</a>&nbsp;at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis, the two sides have agreed to separate homeland security funding from the rest of the legislation and fund DHS for two weeks while they debate Democratic demands for curbs on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. The potential deal comes after Democrats voted to block legislation to fund DHS on Thursday.

Trump said in a social media post that “Republicans and Democrats have come together to get the vast majority of the government funded until September,” while extending current funding for Homeland Security. He encouraged members of both parties to cast a “much needed Bipartisan ‘YES’ vote.”

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told The Associated Press on Thursday that he had been “vehemently opposed” to breaking up the funding package, but “if it is broken up, we will have to move it as quickly as possible. We can’t have the government shut down.”

Democrats have requested a short extension—two weeks or less—and say they are prepared to block the wide-ranging spending bill if their demands aren’t met,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/democrats-vow-to-oppose-homeland-security-money-increasing-shutdown-chance-7a801adfdd27455082fa9e26e612795d">denying Republicans the votes they need to pass it</a>&nbsp;and potentially triggering a shutdown.

Republicans were pushing for a longer extension of the Homeland Security funding, but the two sides were “getting closer,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.

The rare bipartisan talks between Trump and his frequent adversary, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, came after the fatal shooting of 37-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-protester-alex-pretti-15ade7de6e19cb0291734e85dac763dc">Alex Pretti</a>&nbsp;in Minnesota over the weekend and calls by senators in both parties for a full investigation. Schumer called it “a moment of truth.”

“The American people support law enforcement. They support border security. They do not support ICE terrorizing our streets and killing American citizens,” Schumer said.

With no final agreement yet and an uncertain path ahead, the standoff threatened to plunge the country into another shutdown, just two months after Democrats blocked a spending bill over expiring federal health care subsidies. That dispute closed the government for 43 days as Republicans refused to negotiate.

The fall shutdown ended when a small group of moderate Democrats broke away to strike a deal with Republicans, but Democrats are more unified this time after the fatal shootings of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-protester-alex-pretti-15ade7de6e19cb0291734e85dac763dc">Pretti</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-shooting-minneapolis-minnesota-9aa822670b705c89906f2c699f1d16c5">Renee Good</a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-administration-alex-pretti-their-own-words-27b7233380c68306a64317b3bf2aa4a3">federal agents</a>.

Democrats have laid out several demands, asking the White House to “end roving patrols” in cities and coordinate with local law enforcement on immigration arrests, including requiring tighter rules for warrants.

They also want an enforceable code of conduct so agents are held accountable when they violate rules. Schumer said agents should be required to have “masks off, body cameras on” and carry proper identification, as is common practice in most law enforcement agencies.

The Democratic caucus is united in those “common sense reforms,” and the burden is on Republicans to accept them, Schumer said.

“Boil it all down, what we are talking about is that these lawless ICE agents should be following the same rules that your local police department does,” said Democratic Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota. “There has to be accountability.”

Earlier on Thursday, Tom Homan, the president’s border czar, stated during a press conference in Minneapolis that federal immigration officials are developing a plan to reduce the number of agents in Minnesota, but this would depend on cooperation from state authorities.

As the two sides narrowed in on a spending deal, the length of a temporary extension for Homeland Security funding emerged as a sticking point. Thune said Thursday that two weeks wasn’t enough time to negotiate a final compromise.

“We’ll see where discussions are going between (Democrats) and the White House on that,” Thune said.

Even if the two sides strike a deal, negotiations down the road on a final agreement on the Homeland Security bill are likely to be difficult.

Democrats want Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown to end. “If the Trump administration resists reforms, we shut down the agency,” said Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal.

But Republicans are unlikely to agree to all of the Democrats' demands.

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis said he is opposed to requiring immigration enforcement officers to show their faces, even as he blamed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for decisions that he said are “tarnishing” the agency’s reputation.

“You know, there’s a lot of vicious people out there, and they’ll take a picture of your face, and the next thing you know, your children or your wife or your husband are being threatened at home,” Tillis said.

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said some of the Democratic proposals “make sense,” such as better training and body cameras. Still, he said he was putting his Senate colleagues “on notice” that if Democrats try to make changes to the funding bill, he would insist on new language preventing local governments from resisting the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

“I think the best legislative solution for our country would be to adopt some of these reforms to ICE and Border Patrol,” Graham posted on X, but also end so-called “sanctuary city” policies.

Across the Capitol, House Republicans have said they do not want any changes to the bill they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/homeland-security-government-funding-bills-d7ca791c2d1aa81d2982239f81bc86be">passed last week</a>. In a letter to Trump on Tuesday, the conservative House Freedom Caucus wrote that its members stand with the Republican president and ICE.

“The package will not come back through the House without funding for the Department of Homeland Security,” they wrote.

Speaker Johnson appeared open to the changes, albeit reluctantly, and told the AP he would want to approve the bills “as quickly as possible” once the Senate acts.

“The American people will be hanging in the balance over this,” Johnson said. “A shutdown doesn’t help anybody.”

Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Stephen Groves, Joey Cappelletti, and Michelle L. Price contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759315687610.png" alt="Photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats and White House have struck a deal to avert a partial government shutdown and temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security as they negotiate new restrictions for President Donald Trump’s surge of immigration enforcement.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/9dbuKSbncT">pic.twitter.com/9dbuKSbncT</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2017013245102432511?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>As the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/no-kings-protest-alex-pretti-minneapolis-immigration-0b34386da0bb3eeac939d9f934680b6c">country reels</a>&nbsp;from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-ice-b0cec9d1c5bae4b62469011775082300">deaths of two protesters</a>&nbsp;at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis, the two sides have agreed to separate homeland security funding from the rest of the legislation and fund DHS for two weeks while they debate Democratic demands for curbs on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. The potential deal comes after Democrats voted to block legislation to fund DHS on Thursday.Trump said in a social media post that “Republicans and Democrats have come together to get the vast majority of the government funded until September,” while extending current funding for Homeland Security. He encouraged members of both parties to cast a “much needed Bipartisan ‘YES’ vote.”Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told The Associated Press on Thursday that he had been “vehemently opposed” to breaking up the funding package, but “if it is broken up, we will have to move it as quickly as possible. We can’t have the government shut down.”Democrats have requested a short extension—two weeks or less—and say they are prepared to block the wide-ranging spending bill if their demands aren’t met,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/democrats-vow-to-oppose-homeland-security-money-increasing-shutdown-chance-7a801adfdd27455082fa9e26e612795d">denying Republicans the votes they need to pass it</a>&nbsp;and potentially triggering a shutdown.Republicans were pushing for a longer extension of the Homeland Security funding, but the two sides were “getting closer,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.<h2>Rare bipartisan talks</h2>The rare bipartisan talks between Trump and his frequent adversary, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, came after the fatal shooting of 37-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-protester-alex-pretti-15ade7de6e19cb0291734e85dac763dc">Alex Pretti</a>&nbsp;in Minnesota over the weekend and calls by senators in both parties for a full investigation. Schumer called it “a moment of truth.”“The American people support law enforcement. They support border security. They do not support ICE terrorizing our streets and killing American citizens,” Schumer said.With no final agreement yet and an uncertain path ahead, the standoff threatened to plunge the country into another shutdown, just two months after Democrats blocked a spending bill over expiring federal health care subsidies. That dispute closed the government for 43 days as Republicans refused to negotiate.The fall shutdown ended when a small group of moderate Democrats broke away to strike a deal with Republicans, but Democrats are more unified this time after the fatal shootings of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-protester-alex-pretti-15ade7de6e19cb0291734e85dac763dc">Pretti</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-shooting-minneapolis-minnesota-9aa822670b705c89906f2c699f1d16c5">Renee Good</a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-administration-alex-pretti-their-own-words-27b7233380c68306a64317b3bf2aa4a3">federal agents</a>.<h2>Democrats lay out demands</h2>Democrats have laid out several demands, asking the White House to “end roving patrols” in cities and coordinate with local law enforcement on immigration arrests, including requiring tighter rules for warrants.They also want an enforceable code of conduct so agents are held accountable when they violate rules. Schumer said agents should be required to have “masks off, body cameras on” and carry proper identification, as is common practice in most law enforcement agencies.The Democratic caucus is united in those “common sense reforms,” and the burden is on Republicans to accept them, Schumer said.“Boil it all down, what we are talking about is that these lawless ICE agents should be following the same rules that your local police department does,” said Democratic Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota. “There has to be accountability.”Earlier on Thursday, Tom Homan, the president’s border czar, stated during a press conference in Minneapolis that federal immigration officials are developing a plan to reduce the number of agents in Minnesota, but this would depend on cooperation from state authorities.<h2>Still far apart on policy</h2>As the two sides narrowed in on a spending deal, the length of a temporary extension for Homeland Security funding emerged as a sticking point. Thune said Thursday that two weeks wasn’t enough time to negotiate a final compromise.“We’ll see where discussions are going between (Democrats) and the White House on that,” Thune said.Even if the two sides strike a deal, negotiations down the road on a final agreement on the Homeland Security bill are likely to be difficult.Democrats want Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown to end. “If the Trump administration resists reforms, we shut down the agency,” said Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal.“We need to take a stand,” he said.But Republicans are unlikely to agree to all of the Democrats' demands.North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis said he is opposed to requiring immigration enforcement officers to show their faces, even as he blamed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for decisions that he said are “tarnishing” the agency’s reputation.“You know, there’s a lot of vicious people out there, and they’ll take a picture of your face, and the next thing you know, your children or your wife or your husband are being threatened at home,” Tillis said.South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said some of the Democratic proposals “make sense,” such as better training and body cameras. Still, he said he was putting his Senate colleagues “on notice” that if Democrats try to make changes to the funding bill, he would insist on new language preventing local governments from resisting the Trump administration’s immigration policies.“I think the best legislative solution for our country would be to adopt some of these reforms to ICE and Border Patrol,” Graham posted on X, but also end so-called “sanctuary city” policies.<h2>Uncertainty in the House</h2>Across the Capitol, House Republicans have said they do not want any changes to the bill they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/homeland-security-government-funding-bills-d7ca791c2d1aa81d2982239f81bc86be">passed last week</a>. In a letter to Trump on Tuesday, the conservative House Freedom Caucus wrote that its members stand with the Republican president and ICE.“The package will not come back through the House without funding for the Department of Homeland Security,” they wrote.Speaker Johnson appeared open to the changes, albeit reluctantly, and told the AP he would want to approve the bills “as quickly as possible” once the Senate acts.“The American people will be hanging in the balance over this,” Johnson said. “A shutdown doesn’t help anybody.”___Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Stephen Groves, Joey Cappelletti, and Michelle L. Price contributed to this report.

Dems, White House strike spending deal to avert government shutdown

WASHINGTON (AP) — For some, it was the children’s luggage and small ice skates that became indelible memories of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-crash-investigation-american-airlines-helicopter-ntsb-acc8bf751427eb6824d9d1fad30895b8">the night a passenger plane and a helicopter collided</a>&nbsp;over the murky Potomac River. Others remember boats navigating debris and shallow water to bring victims’ bodies ashore. And there was the suddenness: people seconds from landing, gone.

Families of those on board American Airlines Flight 5342 and an Army Black Hawk helicopter are marking Thursday as the one-year anniversary of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-crashes-history-washington-ee55776ea0c5f9e322fc77ea1ea452d1">the deadliest plane crash on U.S. soil</a>&nbsp;in more than 20 years. Another group is reliving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-plane-crash-army-helicopter-ntsb-cause-c2ebc159a163068b782dd4824097b00b">that night</a>&nbsp;and the days, weeks and months that followed: the emergency responders who dove repeatedly into the river with nearly zero visibility, braving cold water, jet fuel and jagged wreckage in the hope of rescuing survivors.

But there were no miracles, just the bodies of daughters, sons, wives, husbands, mothers and fathers to pull from the water, identify and return to their families.

Sixty-four passengers and crew of the airliner traveling from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington were moments from touchdown when the plane collided with the Black Hawk helicopter and its crew of three. All 67 died in the crash on Jan. 29, 2025.

“We knew at the one-hour mark there weren’t going to be any survivors,” said the District of Columbia's Fire and EMS chief, John Donnelly. The priority became recovering the bodies and the personal belongings and returning them to their families while gathering evidence for crash investigators.

Over nearly a week, divers and other emergency personnel recovered all of the victims from about 8 feet (2.5 meters) of water and undertook the painstaking task of identification. Others spent months scouring the river for personal effects.

“If you’ve ever been out on the Potomac, it’s not a pleasant place to dive under the best conditions,” said Tim Lilley, whose son Sam, 28, was the co-pilot of the American flight. “But on that night, the fact that they’re getting in the water and doing everything that they could was amazing.”

Tim Lilley, a former Black Hawk pilot, said that later in the spring, first responders took him and his wife, Sheri, out on the river so they could lay flowers at the places where the two aircraft came to rest.

"We were able to talk to the actual person that helped pull my son out of the water. It was a huge emotional experience, and it was so healing.”

Hundreds of responders raced to the scene

The first call — “crash crash crash” — came from the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport control tower at 8:48 p.m.

That and subsequent alerts triggered the region’s largest emergency response since hijackers flew a plane into the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. By midnight, about 350 responders from dozens of agencies were on scene, including 20 to 30 divers from harbor patrol units.

“The first time you hear it, like anything else, your stomach drops,” said Metropolitan Police Department scuba diver Robert Varga, a 16-year member of the department who was at home when the call came and was in the water within the hour. "We know it’s going to be a serious scene if they’re going to call us.”

The last major crash on the Potomac had been in January 1982, when an Air Florida flight clipped a bridge on takeoff and plunged into the river, killing 78.

“It was total chaos," said Washington fire rescue squad Lt. Sam Short who, along with two divers from his team, were among the first on the scene. He said he witnessed gruesome sights.

"There’s a lot of different things that we saw and did that night. You just can’t describe it to people,” he said.

When the responders arrived at the frozen river, the plane's fuselage was partially submerged and suitcases and other possessions were strewn about. The heavy smell of jet fuel wafted in the air.

Police officer and diver Jeffrey Leslie was getting his elementary school-age kids to bed when he got a text.

On a visit to the area last week, Leslie navigated one of the unit’s boats to the crash site almost on instinct as planes took off and landed in the background. He steered to the end of Runway 33, where Flight 5342 was supposed to land but instead became one of the areas where they brought victims.

Leslie, who spent hours at the crash site last year and returned multiple times over the following months, said his memory of that night can be triggered by cold weather and sometimes by the white ice skates in his daughter’s closet. Young figure skaters returning from a meet were among the plane's passengers.

Personal effects recovered offered some closure

Donnelly, the fire chief, said his priorities were the families, the investigation and the safety of the responders who were braving dangerous temperatures and jet fuel.

His emotions hit him when he met with families hoping for some positive news, to give them updates on the recovery efforts. "Then it becomes very personal and you can feel other people’s grief and pain,” he said.

A memorial in Washington on Wednesday honored the families and the responders. Some family members attending a National Transportation Safety Board hearing on the crash this week wore shirts with the names of responder units.

Lt. Andrew Horos, the harbor master for district's police department, said mental health is tantamount for the responders. “You can’t really prepare your members or anyone for that," he said.

Edward Kelly, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, said the union sent 12 peer support personnel to the city in the aftermath and they met with 75% of the firefighters and paramedics who responded to the crash. One goal was “to let them know what to look for in themselves, how to see if traumatic stress is manifested in them and where to go if they need help,” he said.

That is particularly important in an incident involving so many children, he said. “A lot of those people that respond, firefighters, the paramedics, the police officers, a lot us are parents. We have young kids.”

“It’s been a struggle," said the rescue squad's Short, who also responded to the 2001 attack on the Pentagon and lost a close colleague days before the crash. “A couple of our guys have been out numerous months over the last year because of this.”

Donnelly said the department also is monitoring the divers’ health because of hazardous materials they may have encountered.

Leslie, the police diver, said recovering earrings, wedding bands and children’s skates and returning them to the grieving families provided a therapy of sorts.

"They appreciated every single thing we could get back,” Horos said.

Varga, the scuba diver, said if he could say anything to the families it would be that emergency personnel did their best to save, then return the passengers to their families.

“And then in the months after that, we were out there as often as we could trying to recover personal effects for the families, because each thing that we did find, we knew was important to the family members,” he said.

“We hope that we were able to provide just a sliver of closure to them.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738235840631.png" alt="File photo Departure signs display an "Emergency Alert" in the terminal at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Wednesday night, Jan. 29, 2025, in Arlington, Va. A jet with 60 passengers and four crew members aboard collided with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, prompting a large search-and-rescue operation in the nearby Potomac River. (AP Photo/Jeannie Ohm)" />
 <figcaption>File photo Departure signs display an "Emergency Alert" in the terminal at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Wednesday night, Jan. 29, 2025, in Arlington, Va. A jet with 60 passengers and four crew members aboard collided with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, prompting a large search-and-rescue operation in the nearby Potomac River. (AP Photo/Jeannie Ohm)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — For some, it was the children’s luggage and small ice skates that became indelible memories of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-crash-investigation-american-airlines-helicopter-ntsb-acc8bf751427eb6824d9d1fad30895b8">the night a passenger plane and a helicopter collided</a>&nbsp;over the murky Potomac River. Others remember boats navigating debris and shallow water to bring victims’ bodies ashore. And there was the suddenness: people seconds from landing, gone.Families of those on board American Airlines Flight 5342 and an Army Black Hawk helicopter are marking Thursday as the one-year anniversary of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-crashes-history-washington-ee55776ea0c5f9e322fc77ea1ea452d1">the deadliest plane crash on U.S. soil</a>&nbsp;in more than 20 years. Another group is reliving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-plane-crash-army-helicopter-ntsb-cause-c2ebc159a163068b782dd4824097b00b">that night</a>&nbsp;and the days, weeks and months that followed: the emergency responders who dove repeatedly into the river with nearly zero visibility, braving cold water, jet fuel and jagged wreckage in the hope of rescuing survivors.But there were no miracles, just the bodies of daughters, sons, wives, husbands, mothers and fathers to pull from the water, identify and return to their families.Sixty-four passengers and crew of the airliner traveling from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington were moments from touchdown when the plane collided with the Black Hawk helicopter and its crew of three. All 67 died in the crash on Jan. 29, 2025.“We knew at the one-hour mark there weren’t going to be any survivors,” said the District of Columbia's Fire and EMS chief, John Donnelly. The priority became recovering the bodies and the personal belongings and returning them to their families while gathering evidence for crash investigators.Over nearly a week, divers and other emergency personnel recovered all of the victims from about 8 feet (2.5 meters) of water and undertook the painstaking task of identification. Others spent months scouring the river for personal effects.“If you’ve ever been out on the Potomac, it’s not a pleasant place to dive under the best conditions,” said Tim Lilley, whose son Sam, 28, was the co-pilot of the American flight. “But on that night, the fact that they’re getting in the water and doing everything that they could was amazing.”Tim Lilley, a former Black Hawk pilot, said that later in the spring, first responders took him and his wife, Sheri, out on the river so they could lay flowers at the places where the two aircraft came to rest."We were able to talk to the actual person that helped pull my son out of the water. It was a huge emotional experience, and it was so healing.”<h2>Hundreds of responders raced to the scene</h2>The first call — “crash crash crash” — came from the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport control tower at 8:48 p.m.That and subsequent alerts triggered the region’s largest emergency response since hijackers flew a plane into the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. By midnight, about 350 responders from dozens of agencies were on scene, including 20 to 30 divers from harbor patrol units.“The first time you hear it, like anything else, your stomach drops,” said Metropolitan Police Department scuba diver Robert Varga, a 16-year member of the department who was at home when the call came and was in the water within the hour. "We know it’s going to be a serious scene if they’re going to call us.”The last major crash on the Potomac had been in January 1982, when an Air Florida flight clipped a bridge on takeoff and plunged into the river, killing 78.“It was total chaos," said Washington fire rescue squad Lt. Sam Short who, along with two divers from his team, were among the first on the scene. He said he witnessed gruesome sights."There’s a lot of different things that we saw and did that night. You just can’t describe it to people,” he said.When the responders arrived at the frozen river, the plane's fuselage was partially submerged and suitcases and other possessions were strewn about. The heavy smell of jet fuel wafted in the air.Police officer and diver Jeffrey Leslie was getting his elementary school-age kids to bed when he got a text.On a visit to the area last week, Leslie navigated one of the unit’s boats to the crash site almost on instinct as planes took off and landed in the background. He steered to the end of Runway 33, where Flight 5342 was supposed to land but instead became one of the areas where they brought victims.Leslie, who spent hours at the crash site last year and returned multiple times over the following months, said his memory of that night can be triggered by cold weather and sometimes by the white ice skates in his daughter’s closet. Young figure skaters returning from a meet were among the plane's passengers.<h2>Personal effects recovered offered some closure</h2>Donnelly, the fire chief, said his priorities were the families, the investigation and the safety of the responders who were braving dangerous temperatures and jet fuel.His emotions hit him when he met with families hoping for some positive news, to give them updates on the recovery efforts. "Then it becomes very personal and you can feel other people’s grief and pain,” he said.A memorial in Washington on Wednesday honored the families and the responders. Some family members attending a National Transportation Safety Board hearing on the crash this week wore shirts with the names of responder units.Lt. Andrew Horos, the harbor master for district's police department, said mental health is tantamount for the responders. “You can’t really prepare your members or anyone for that," he said.Edward Kelly, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, said the union sent 12 peer support personnel to the city in the aftermath and they met with 75% of the firefighters and paramedics who responded to the crash. One goal was “to let them know what to look for in themselves, how to see if traumatic stress is manifested in them and where to go if they need help,” he said.That is particularly important in an incident involving so many children, he said. “A lot of those people that respond, firefighters, the paramedics, the police officers, a lot us are parents. We have young kids.”“It’s been a struggle," said the rescue squad's Short, who also responded to the 2001 attack on the Pentagon and lost a close colleague days before the crash. “A couple of our guys have been out numerous months over the last year because of this.”Donnelly said the department also is monitoring the divers’ health because of hazardous materials they may have encountered.Leslie, the police diver, said recovering earrings, wedding bands and children’s skates and returning them to the grieving families provided a therapy of sorts."They appreciated every single thing we could get back,” Horos said.Varga, the scuba diver, said if he could say anything to the families it would be that emergency personnel did their best to save, then return the passengers to their families.“And then in the months after that, we were out there as often as we could trying to recover personal effects for the families, because each thing that we did find, we knew was important to the family members,” he said.“We hope that we were able to provide just a sliver of closure to them.”___Funk reported from Omaha, Nebraska.

Responders recall a mission of recovery, grief a year after the midair collision near DC

ATCHISON COUNTY —The Benedictine sisters in Atchison, Kansas announced they will discontinue active sponsorship of and governing responsibilities over Benedictine College.

In a statement on their website, the Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica, who co-founded Benedictine College more than 50 years ago, said they "discerned a call to focus on their “growing ministries” and care for their “aging community.” The sisters are also continuing to sponsor other local schools."

"We are grateful for the wise women who preceded us and founded Mount St. Scholastica College in 1923 to fulfill our mission to educate women in our Catholic faith and take leadership positions in our society. In 1971, St. Benedict’s College and Mount St. Scholastica College merged and became Benedictine College. The college has continued our legacy of providing a strong academic program and an environment for students to live out their faith."

"We believe that God continues to call our community to educate; to provide spiritual enrichment; and to serve the poor and advocate for them, especially women. Today that call is being manifested through our growing ministries at Keeler Women’s Center and Sophia Spirituality Center. It is also lived out through our care for the sick and elderly in our community and our care for creation."

"We are proud to call ourselves co-founders of Benedictine College, and we will continue to pray for its continued success. Although we are withdrawing from the governing responsibilities related to sponsorship, we will continue to support the college with hospitality at our monastery, collaboration in various college-related programs and activities, and in further developing relationships with students, faculty and staff. We continue to hold our alumni in our hearts and in our prayer as we listen to God’s call."

The school responded saying, 'It is with heavy hearts but with grateful understanding, that we accept the decision of the Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica Monastery to withdraw from the governing responsibilities related to sponsorship of Benedictine College."

"It is not easy to part with an institution that has been so integral to the college’s history for more than a century. The Sisters of the Mount are our courageous co-founders and the authors of some of the most dynamic and impressive chapters in our shared history. Thanks to the sisters, the alumnae that Benedictine College counts as its own include a Nobel Peace Prize laureate in Wangari Maathai; authors, professors, and administrators; generations of inspiring teachers; remarkable musicians and music instructors; and a legacy of leadership in corporal and spiritual works of mercy that has attracted national attention."

":It is impossible to summarize a relationship that has been so rich and multi-dimensional, but the successes of Benedictine College would be unthinkable without the Mount. While the formal, juridical connection between us will end, our close relationship and our friendship in Christ will not. Our message to the Mount St. Scholastica community is this:

"You have prayed and worked side by side with us through wars, pandemics, economic downturns and cultural turmoil as together, with God’s grace, we made this “school in the Lord’s service” a reality in Kansas. You have been our colleagues, our counsellors, our co-workers and our trusted friends, in good times and bad. But above all, you have been our beloved sisters, our family, and nothing will change that. Thank you for your inspiration, and may God bless you on your new chapter."

ATCHISON COUNTY —The Benedictine sisters in Atchison, Kansas announced they will discontinue active sponsorship of and governing responsibilities over Benedictine College.In a statement on their website, the Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica, who co-founded Benedictine College more than 50 years ago, said they "discerned a call to focus on their “growing ministries” and care for their “aging community.” The sisters are also continuing to sponsor other local schools.""We are grateful for the wise women who preceded us and founded Mount St. Scholastica College in 1923 to fulfill our mission to educate women in our Catholic faith and take leadership positions in our society. In 1971, St. Benedict’s College and Mount St. Scholastica College merged and became Benedictine College. The college has continued our legacy of providing a strong academic program and an environment for students to live out their faith.""We believe that God continues to call our community to educate; to provide spiritual enrichment; and to serve the poor and advocate for them, especially women. Today that call is being manifested through our growing ministries at Keeler Women’s Center and Sophia Spirituality Center. It is also lived out through our care for the sick and elderly in our community and our care for creation.""We are proud to call ourselves co-founders of Benedictine College, and we will continue to pray for its continued success. Although we are withdrawing from the governing responsibilities related to sponsorship, we will continue to support the college with hospitality at our monastery, collaboration in various college-related programs and activities, and in further developing relationships with students, faculty and staff. We continue to hold our alumni in our hearts and in our prayer as we listen to God’s call."The school responded saying, 'It is with heavy hearts but with grateful understanding, that we accept the decision of the Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica Monastery to withdraw from the governing responsibilities related to sponsorship of Benedictine College.""It is not easy to part with an institution that has been so integral to the college’s history for more than a century. The Sisters of the Mount are our courageous co-founders and the authors of some of the most dynamic and impressive chapters in our shared history. Thanks to the sisters, the alumnae that Benedictine College counts as its own include a Nobel Peace Prize laureate in Wangari Maathai; authors, professors, and administrators; generations of inspiring teachers; remarkable musicians and music instructors; and a legacy of leadership in corporal and spiritual works of mercy that has attracted national attention."":It is impossible to summarize a relationship that has been so rich and multi-dimensional, but the successes of Benedictine College would be unthinkable without the Mount. While the formal, juridical connection between us will end, our close relationship and our friendship in Christ will not. Our message to the Mount St. Scholastica community is this:"You have prayed and worked side by side with us through wars, pandemics, economic downturns and cultural turmoil as together, with God’s grace, we made this “school in the Lord’s service” a reality in Kansas. You have been our colleagues, our counsellors, our co-workers and our trusted friends, in good times and bad. But above all, you have been our beloved sisters, our family, and nothing will change that. Thank you for your inspiration, and may God bless you on your new chapter."

Benedictine sisters end governing responsibility of Kan. college

WASHINGTON (AP)—Secretary of War Pete Hegseth warns Iran, saying U.S. military is 'prepared to deliver whatever the president expects,” just a day after Trump warned Iran to “make a deal” on its nuclear program.

Hegseth cited this month’s U.S. military raid to capture then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in his warning to Iran.

“They have all the options to make a deal,” Hegseth said at a Cabinet meeting, referring to Iran. “They should not pursue nuclear capabilities.”

Hegseth said the military was ready to deliver what Trump wants “just like we did this month.”

An aircraft carrier and accompanying warships arrived in the Middle East this week.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian officials reached out to the wider Middle East on Wednesday over the threat of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-trump-mural-protests-military-4b2ceb8aff9dc448036341e86023b6c8">possible U.S. military strike</a>&nbsp;on the country, while the value of Iran's currency reached a new low a month since the start of protests that spread nationwide and sparked a bloody crackdown.

Two nations, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have signaled they won't allow their airspace to be used for any attack. But America has moved&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-carrier-iran-protests-us-military-58e6da912f9167df94f913d7dafe5af4">the USS Abraham Lincoln and several guided missile destroyers</a>&nbsp;into the region, which can be used to launch attacks from the sea.

Iran’s currency, the rial, fell to a record low of 1.6 million to $1, according to local currency traders. Its value has been plunging since late last year, and is down from about 32,000 to $1 a decade ago. Economic woes had sparked the protests that broadened into challenging the theocracy.

It remains unclear what U.S. President Donald Trump will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-military-middle-east-iran-protests-b7a56659d708f2f11f66a18135f44c40">decide about using force,</a>&nbsp;though he has threatened to use it in response to the killing of peaceful demonstrators and over possible mass executions. At least 6,373 people have been killed in the protests, activists said.

Trump also indicated Wednesday that he wants movement toward a deal that his administration has been seeking with Tehran over its nuclear program.

“Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal - NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS - one that is good for all parties,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!”

Mentioning the June strikes on Iran as the U.S. inserted itself in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-explosions-israel-tehran-00234a06e5128a8aceb406b140297299">Israel's 12-day war</a>&nbsp;on the Islamic Republic, Trump wrote: “The next attack will be far worse!”

Iran's mission to the United Nations was quick to respond to Trump, posting on X that “Iran stands ready for dialogue based on mutual respect and interests—BUT IF PUSHED, IT WILL DEFEND ITSELF AND RESPOND LIKE NEVER BEFORE!”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the increasing military presence in the Middle East has been put in place “to defend against what could be an Iranian threat against our personnel” -- a message that stands in contrast to Trump’s continuing threats to strike Iran if it does not yield to his demands.

“I think it’s wise and prudent to have a force posture within the region that could respond and ... if necessary, preemptively prevent the attack against thousands of American servicemen and other facilities in the region and our allies,” Rubio told Congress.

He was cautious regarding the prospect of a change in government, though he described the theocracy as “probably weaker than it has ever been.”

Iran's state-run media, which now only refers to protesters as “terrorists,” remains the sole source of news for many as Tehran cut off access to the global internet some three weeks ago. But Iranians have become angry and anxious, seeing footage of protesters shot and killed while worrying about what may happen next as the economy sinks further.

“I feel that my generation failed to give a better lesson to younger ones," said Mohammad Heidari, a 59-year-old teacher in Tehran. “The result of decades of teaching by my colleagues and me led to death of thousands, and maybe more injured and prisoners.”

Rapid diplomacy between Iran, Arab nations

Egypt's Foreign Ministry said its top diplomat, Badr Abdelatty, separately spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff to “work toward achieving calm, in order to avoid the region slipping into new cycles of instability.”

Witkoff, a billionaire real estate developer and Trump's friend, had earlier negotiated over Iran's nuclear program.

The Turkish foreign minister also spoke by phone with Araghchi about reducing regional tensions. Turkish officials have expressed concern that intervention in Iran could spark instability or trigger a refugee influx.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, saying the kingdom would “not allow its airspace or territory to be used for any military actions against Iran or for any attacks from any party, regardless of their origin.” That follows a similar pledge by the UAE.

Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE host U.S. air assets and troops. Iranian officials also called Qatar, which hosts a major U.S. base in the Mideast.

“Our position is exactly this: Applying diplomacy through military threats cannot be effective or constructive,” Araghchi told journalists Wednesday outside of a Cabinet meeting. “If they want negotiations to take shape, they must abandon threats, excessive demands and the raising of illogical issues.”

While the protests have been halted for weeks after the crackdown, information trickling out of Iran via Starlink satellite dishes is reaching activists, who have been trying to tally the carnage.

On Wednesday, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in multiple rounds of unrest in Iran, said the at least 6,373 dead it counted included at least 5,993 protesters, 214 government-affiliated forces, 113 children and 53 civilians who weren’t demonstrating. More than 42,450 have been arrested, it added.

The group verifies each death and arrest with a network of activists on the ground in Iran. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the death toll given that authorities cut off the internet and disrupted calls into the Islamic Republic.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-araghchi-trump-threat-crackdown-299375ebfd004dd6098c77a6bb8079a5">Iran’s government</a>&nbsp;has put the death toll at a far lower 3,117, saying 2,427 were civilians and security forces, and labeled the rest “terrorists.” In the past, Iran’s theocracy has undercounted or not reported fatalities from unrest.

That death toll exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades, and recalls the chaos surrounding the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The protests began on Dec. 28, sparked by the fall of the Iranian currency, the rial, and quickly spread. The country has faced nearly three weeks of an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-crackdown-internet-business-costs-a0bd2df1d13355dcc28f46e5b5b3c893">internet blackout</a>&nbsp;— the most comprehensive in its history.

WASHINGTON (AP)—Secretary of War Pete Hegseth warns Iran, saying U.S. military is 'prepared to deliver whatever the president expects,” just a day after Trump warned Iran to “make a deal” on its nuclear program.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth spoke about Iran and Venezuela during today’s Cabinet Meeting alongside President Donald J. Trump and other senior members of the Trump Administration: “Same thing with Iran right now, ensuring that they have all the options to make a… <a href="https://t.co/HNq11Dcjof">pic.twitter.com/HNq11Dcjof</a>&mdash; OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) <a href="https://twitter.com/sentdefender/status/2016943067253919996?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Hegseth cited this month’s U.S. military raid to capture then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in his warning to Iran.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">“…Hopefully Iran will quickly “Come to the Table” and negotiate a fair and equitable deal - NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS - one that is good for all parties. Time is running out, it is truly of the essence! As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL…” - President DONALD J. TRUMP <a href="https://t.co/H6qLbw3Ndi">pic.twitter.com/H6qLbw3Ndi</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/2016485714930569524?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“They have all the options to make a deal,” Hegseth said at a Cabinet meeting, referring to Iran. “They should not pursue nuclear capabilities.”Hegseth said the military was ready to deliver what Trump wants “just like we did this month.”An aircraft carrier and accompanying warships arrived in the Middle East this week.DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian officials reached out to the wider Middle East on Wednesday over the threat of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-trump-mural-protests-military-4b2ceb8aff9dc448036341e86023b6c8">possible U.S. military strike</a>&nbsp;on the country, while the value of Iran's currency reached a new low a month since the start of protests that spread nationwide and sparked a bloody crackdown.Two nations, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have signaled they won't allow their airspace to be used for any attack. But America has moved&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-carrier-iran-protests-us-military-58e6da912f9167df94f913d7dafe5af4">the USS Abraham Lincoln and several guided missile destroyers</a>&nbsp;into the region, which can be used to launch attacks from the sea.Iran’s currency, the rial, fell to a record low of 1.6 million to $1, according to local currency traders. Its value has been plunging since late last year, and is down from about 32,000 to $1 a decade ago. Economic woes had sparked the protests that broadened into challenging the theocracy.It remains unclear what U.S. President Donald Trump will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-military-middle-east-iran-protests-b7a56659d708f2f11f66a18135f44c40">decide about using force,</a>&nbsp;though he has threatened to use it in response to the killing of peaceful demonstrators and over possible mass executions. At least 6,373 people have been killed in the protests, activists said.Trump also indicated Wednesday that he wants movement toward a deal that his administration has been seeking with Tehran over its nuclear program.“Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal - NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS - one that is good for all parties,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!”Mentioning the June strikes on Iran as the U.S. inserted itself in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-explosions-israel-tehran-00234a06e5128a8aceb406b140297299">Israel's 12-day war</a>&nbsp;on the Islamic Republic, Trump wrote: “The next attack will be far worse!”Iran's mission to the United Nations was quick to respond to Trump, posting on X that “Iran stands ready for dialogue based on mutual respect and interests—BUT IF PUSHED, IT WILL DEFEND ITSELF AND RESPOND LIKE NEVER BEFORE!”<h2>Rubio comments on Iran</h2>U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the increasing military presence in the Middle East has been put in place “to defend against what could be an Iranian threat against our personnel” -- a message that stands in contrast to Trump’s continuing threats to strike Iran if it does not yield to his demands.“I think it’s wise and prudent to have a force posture within the region that could respond and ... if necessary, preemptively prevent the attack against thousands of American servicemen and other facilities in the region and our allies,” Rubio told Congress.He was cautious regarding the prospect of a change in government, though he described the theocracy as “probably weaker than it has ever been.”Iran's state-run media, which now only refers to protesters as “terrorists,” remains the sole source of news for many as Tehran cut off access to the global internet some three weeks ago. But Iranians have become angry and anxious, seeing footage of protesters shot and killed while worrying about what may happen next as the economy sinks further.“I feel that my generation failed to give a better lesson to younger ones," said Mohammad Heidari, a 59-year-old teacher in Tehran. “The result of decades of teaching by my colleagues and me led to death of thousands, and maybe more injured and prisoners.”<h2>Rapid diplomacy between Iran, Arab nations</h2>Egypt's Foreign Ministry said its top diplomat, Badr Abdelatty, separately spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff to “work toward achieving calm, in order to avoid the region slipping into new cycles of instability.”Witkoff, a billionaire real estate developer and Trump's friend, had earlier negotiated over Iran's nuclear program.The Turkish foreign minister also spoke by phone with Araghchi about reducing regional tensions. Turkish officials have expressed concern that intervention in Iran could spark instability or trigger a refugee influx.Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, saying the kingdom would “not allow its airspace or territory to be used for any military actions against Iran or for any attacks from any party, regardless of their origin.” That follows a similar pledge by the UAE.Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE host U.S. air assets and troops. Iranian officials also called Qatar, which hosts a major U.S. base in the Mideast.“Our position is exactly this: Applying diplomacy through military threats cannot be effective or constructive,” Araghchi told journalists Wednesday outside of a Cabinet meeting. “If they want negotiations to take shape, they must abandon threats, excessive demands and the raising of illogical issues.”<h2>Activists offer new death toll</h2>While the protests have been halted for weeks after the crackdown, information trickling out of Iran via Starlink satellite dishes is reaching activists, who have been trying to tally the carnage.On Wednesday, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in multiple rounds of unrest in Iran, said the at least 6,373 dead it counted included at least 5,993 protesters, 214 government-affiliated forces, 113 children and 53 civilians who weren’t demonstrating. More than 42,450 have been arrested, it added.The group verifies each death and arrest with a network of activists on the ground in Iran. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the death toll given that authorities cut off the internet and disrupted calls into the Islamic Republic.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-araghchi-trump-threat-crackdown-299375ebfd004dd6098c77a6bb8079a5">Iran’s government</a>&nbsp;has put the death toll at a far lower 3,117, saying 2,427 were civilians and security forces, and labeled the rest “terrorists.” In the past, Iran’s theocracy has undercounted or not reported fatalities from unrest.That death toll exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades, and recalls the chaos surrounding the 1979 Islamic Revolution.The protests began on Dec. 28, sparked by the fall of the Iranian currency, the rial, and quickly spread. The country has faced nearly three weeks of an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-crackdown-internet-business-costs-a0bd2df1d13355dcc28f46e5b5b3c893">internet blackout</a>&nbsp;— the most comprehensive in its history.___

🎥: Hegseth: We are ready to deliver what Trump expects on Iran

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">Tim Carpenter</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids says she’s embarking on a four-city sweep — all locations outside her congressional district — to learn more about Kansans’ priorities for the federal government.

In an interview, the Kansas Democrat said she planned to be in the Statehouse on Thursday with Gov. Laura Kelly and Academy Award-winning filmmaker Kevin Willmott. She has scheduled a Friday tour of aerospace research facilities at Wichita State University before visiting small businesses Saturday in Dodge City and a dairy Sunday in Colby.

“I’m just looking forward to showing up, meeting people and making sure that folks’ voices continue to shape the work we’re doing,” Davids said. “I’m looking at this tour as really a chance to go a bit deeper on certain topics, connect with more communities and really listen to folks.”

In addition to opportunities for lowering consumer costs, Davids said she expected to discuss ideas for protecting jobs, strengthening health care and keeping families safe because “strong communities make a strong Kansas.”

“Groceries, health care, gas — I mean everything is so expensive right now,” she said. “There’s too many policies coming out of D.C. that are causing more chaos. It’s not that they’re not making life easier, they’re actually making life harder for some people.”

Davids represents the state’s 3rd Congressional District, which is centered on Johnson County. It also covers Anderson, Franklin and Miami counties and half of Wyandotte County.

So far, Kansas Republicans have failed to gather sufficient support in the Legislature for redrawing boundaries of the four U.S. House districts in a bid to make it difficult for Davids to win reelection in November. Redistricting has been part of a White House strategy to gerrymander Democrats out of Congress. If the tactic worked as President Donald Trump sought, it could result in the GOP retaining control of the U.S. House through the remainder of Trump’s term.

Davids opposed plans by the Legislature to change Kansas’ congressional districts ahead of 2026 elections. She has considered running for reelection to the U.S. House or campaigning for the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Roger Marshall.

“I can say this tour isn’t about some kind of announcement for something different,” she said. “With the conversations around the extreme mid-decade redistricting, I’ve said this before, that no options are off the table. Right now, my focus really is on doing the best job I can by showing up, listening and delivering real results.”

It has been unclear whether the Legislature would redraw maps this session, but several GOP candidates for Kansas governor have endorsed pursuit of a new map.

“I’m going to continue to watch closely,” Davids said. “I didn’t get here by taking anything for granted.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769713482593.png" alt="U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas, plans to visit with voters outside her 3rd congressional district anchored by Johnson County to talk about their priorities for addressing affordability issues, including health care and jobs, (Kansas Reflector screen capture from U.S. House YouTube channel)" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas, plans to visit with voters outside her 3rd congressional district anchored by Johnson County to talk about their priorities for addressing affordability issues, including health care and jobs, (Kansas Reflector screen capture from U.S. House YouTube channel)</figcaption>
 </figure>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">Tim Carpenter</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids says she’s embarking on a four-city sweep — all locations outside her congressional district — to learn more about Kansans’ priorities for the federal government.In an interview, the Kansas Democrat said she planned to be in the Statehouse on Thursday with Gov. Laura Kelly and Academy Award-winning filmmaker Kevin Willmott. She has scheduled a Friday tour of aerospace research facilities at Wichita State University before visiting small businesses Saturday in Dodge City and a dairy Sunday in Colby.“I’m just looking forward to showing up, meeting people and making sure that folks’ voices continue to shape the work we’re doing,” Davids said. “I’m looking at this tour as really a chance to go a bit deeper on certain topics, connect with more communities and really listen to folks.”In addition to opportunities for lowering consumer costs, Davids said she expected to discuss ideas for protecting jobs, strengthening health care and keeping families safe because “strong communities make a strong Kansas.”“Groceries, health care, gas — I mean everything is so expensive right now,” she said. “There’s too many policies coming out of D.C. that are causing more chaos. It’s not that they’re not making life easier, they’re actually making life harder for some people.”Davids represents the state’s 3rd Congressional District, which is centered on Johnson County. It also covers Anderson, Franklin and Miami counties and half of Wyandotte County.So far, Kansas Republicans have failed to gather sufficient support in the Legislature for redrawing boundaries of the four U.S. House districts in a bid to make it difficult for Davids to win reelection in November. Redistricting has been part of a White House strategy to gerrymander Democrats out of Congress. If the tactic worked as President Donald Trump sought, it could result in the GOP retaining control of the U.S. House through the remainder of Trump’s term.Davids opposed plans by the Legislature to change Kansas’ congressional districts ahead of 2026 elections. She has considered running for reelection to the U.S. House or campaigning for the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Roger Marshall.“I can say this tour isn’t about some kind of announcement for something different,” she said. “With the conversations around the extreme mid-decade redistricting, I’ve said this before, that no options are off the table. Right now, my focus really is on doing the best job I can by showing up, listening and delivering real results.”It has been unclear whether the Legislature would redraw maps this session, but several GOP candidates for Kansas governor have endorsed pursuit of a new map.“I’m going to continue to watch closely,” Davids said. “I didn’t get here by taking anything for granted.”

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids prepares to tour areas of Kansas far beyond her House district

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A registered Kansas sex offender is going back to prison for sex crimes committed in 2020 and two other crimes.

Judge Kathleen Watson sentenced 39-year-old Darrius Johnson to&nbsp;serve 308 months in the custody to the Kansas Department of Corrections, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. 

He pleaded guilty to charge of&nbsp;rape and kidnapping in connection with a September 2020 attack on a woman in Wichita, according to the District Attorney's office.&nbsp;&nbsp;

On September 22, 2020, police were dispatched to a sexual assault case in the 800 block of South Sylvan in Wichita, according to officer Paul Cruz.

Upon arrival, a 48-year-old female victim, told police she was walking in the area of Lincoln and Oliver when a suspect later identified Johnson approached and grabbed her, forcing her into his Toyota Camry.

Johnson drove the victim to a separate location and sexually assaulted her. Johnson then drove the victim back to Lincoln and Oliver where she was released. Through the investigation and examination of evidence, Johnson was determined to have been involved in the attack.

Police arrested Johnson October 1, 2020 in the 2100 block of South White Oak in Wichita without incident.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Johnson has a previous felony conviction in 2010 for attempted aggravated sexual battery where victim is overcome by force or fear, according to the KBI offender registry.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1601904705441.png" alt="Johnson-photo KBI Offender Registry" />
 <figcaption>Johnson-photo KBI Offender Registry</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A registered Kansas sex offender is going back to prison for sex crimes committed in 2020 and two other crimes.Judge Kathleen Watson sentenced 39-year-old Darrius Johnson to&nbsp;serve 308 months in the custody to the Kansas Department of Corrections, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. He pleaded guilty to charge of&nbsp;rape and kidnapping in connection with a September 2020 attack on a woman in Wichita, according to the District Attorney's office.&nbsp;&nbsp;On September 22, 2020, police were dispatched to a sexual assault case in the 800 block of South Sylvan in Wichita, according to officer Paul Cruz.Upon arrival, a 48-year-old female victim, told police she was walking in the area of Lincoln and Oliver when a suspect later identified Johnson approached and grabbed her, forcing her into his Toyota Camry.Johnson drove the victim to a separate location and sexually assaulted her. Johnson then drove the victim back to Lincoln and Oliver where she was released. Through the investigation and examination of evidence, Johnson was determined to have been involved in the attack.Police arrested Johnson October 1, 2020 in the 2100 block of South White Oak in Wichita without incident.&nbsp;&nbsp;Johnson has a previous felony conviction in 2010 for attempted aggravated sexual battery where victim is overcome by force or fear, according to the KBI offender registry.At the time of his arrest, Johnson was out on bond for a separate alleged sex crime, according to Cruz.In addition to the 55 months for the crime in 2020, Johnson was sentenced to 253 months for two counts of rape, attempted rape, and attempted aggravated criminal sodomy for crimes that occurred in December 2018.Johnson was also sentenced to 18 months for violating the Offender Registration Act for the crime that occurred in 2018, according to the district attorney's office.