BY&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/tara-copp">TARA COPP</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/aamer-madhani">AAMER MADHANI</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/eric-tucker">ERIC TUCKER</a>

WASHINGTON (AP) — Top national security officials for President Donald Trump, including his defense secretary, texted war plans for upcoming military strikes in Yemen to a group chat in a secure messaging app that included the editor-in-chief for The Atlantic, the magazine reported in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/03/trump-administration-accidentally-texted-me-its-war-plans/682151/" target="_blank">story posted online</a>&nbsp;Monday. The National Security Council said the text chain “appears to be authentic.”

Trump told reporters he was not aware that the sensitive information had been shared, 2 1/2 hours after it was reported.

The material in the text chain “contained operational details of forthcoming strikes on Iran-backed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-yemen-houthis-rebels-attack-airstrike-11b0e080b3982542dd621338a7b18afd">Houthi-rebels in Yemen,</a>&nbsp;including information about targets, weapons the U.S. would be deploying, and attack sequencing,” editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg reported.

It was not immediately clear if the specifics of the military operation were classified, but they often are and at the least are kept secure to protect service members and operational security. The U.S. has conducted airstrikes against the Houthis since the militant group began targeting commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea in November 2023.

Just two hours after Goldberg received the details of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-us-airstrikes-israel-hamas-war-911e99729c71e3c59420f8b511afa2e9">attack on March 15</a>, the U.S. began launching a series of airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.

In response to the report, Senator Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran, said on social media that Pete Hegseth, “the most unqualified Secretary of Defense in history, is demonstrating his incompetence by literally leaking classified war plans in the group chat.”Duckworth said, “Hegseth and Trump are making our country less safe.”

The National Security Council is looking into the matter

The National Security Council said in a statement that it was looking into how a journalist’s number was added to the chain in the Signal group chat, which included Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's director of national intelligence, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Goldberg said he received the Signal invitation from Mike Waltz, Trump's national security adviser, who was also in the group chat.

In a statement late Monday, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said the president still has the “utmost confidence” in Waltz and the national security team.

Trump told reporters, “I don’t know anything about it. You’re telling me about it for the first time.” He added that The Atlantic was “not much of a magazine.”

Government officials have used Signal for organizational correspondence, but it is not classified and can be hacked. Privacy and tech experts say the popular end-to-end encrypted messaging and voice call app is more secure than conventional texting.

The sharing of sensitive information comes as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's office has just announced a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/leaks-pentagon-polygraph-trump-investigation-685b08e14d813050a722cec89eb5c323">crackdown on leaks</a>&nbsp;of sensitive information, including the potential use of polygraphs on defense personnel to determine how reporters have received information.

Sean Parnell, a spokesman for Hegseth, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on why the defense secretary posted war operational plans on an unclassified app.

The breach in protocol was swiftly condemned by Democratic lawmakers. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called for a full investigation.

“This is one of the most stunning breaches of military intelligence I have read about in a very, very long time,” Schumer, a New York Democrat, said in a floor speech Monday afternoon.

“If true, this story represents one of the most egregious failures of operational security and common sense I have ever seen,” said Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, in a statement.

He said American lives are “on the line. The carelessness shown by Trump’s Cabinet is stunning and dangerous. I will be seeking answers from the Administration immediately.”

Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that he was “horrified” by the reports.

Himes said if a lower-ranking official “did what is described here, they would likely lose their clearance and be subject to criminal investigation. The American people deserve answers,” which he said he planned to get at Wednesday’s previously scheduled committee hearing.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he wants to learn more about what happened.

“Obviously, we got to to run it to the ground, figure out what went on there,” said Thune, a South Dakota Republican.

There are strict laws around handling defense information

The handling of national defense information is strictly governed by law under the century-old Espionage Act, including provisions that make it a crime to remove such information from its “proper place of custody” even through an act of gross negligence.

The Justice Department in 2015 and 2016 investigated whether former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton broke the law by communicating about classified information with her aides on a private email server she set up, though the FBI ultimately recommended against charges and none were brought.

In the Biden administration, some officials were given permission to download Signal on their White House-issued phones, but were instructed to use the app sparingly, according to a former national security official who served in the Democratic administration.

The official, who requested anonymity to speak about methods used to share sensitive information, said Signal was most commonly used to communicate what they internally referred to as “tippers” to notify someone when they were away from the office or traveling overseas that they should check their “high side” inbox for a classified message.

The app was sometimes also used by officials during the Biden administration to communicate about scheduling of sensitive meetings or classified phone calls when they were outside the office, the official said.

The use of Signal became more prevalent during the last year of the Biden administration after federal law enforcement officials warned that China and Iran were hacking the White House as well as officials in the first Trump administration, according to the official.

The official was unaware of top Biden administration officials — such as Vice President Kamala Harris, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and national security adviser Jake Sullivan — using Signal to discuss sensitive plans as the Trump administration officials did.

Some of the toughest criticism targeted Hegseth, a former Fox News Channel weekend host. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran, said on social media that Hegseth, “the most unqualified Secretary of Defense in history, is demonstrating his incompetence by literally leaking classified war plans in the group chat.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736385717405.png" alt="Image U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Image U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/tara-copp">TARA COPP</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/aamer-madhani">AAMER MADHANI</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/eric-tucker">ERIC TUCKER</a>WASHINGTON (AP) — Top national security officials for President Donald Trump, including his defense secretary, texted war plans for upcoming military strikes in Yemen to a group chat in a secure messaging app that included the editor-in-chief for The Atlantic, the magazine reported in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/03/trump-administration-accidentally-texted-me-its-war-plans/682151/" target="_blank">story posted online</a>&nbsp;Monday. The National Security Council said the text chain “appears to be authentic.”Trump told reporters he was not aware that the sensitive information had been shared, 2 1/2 hours after it was reported.The material in the text chain “contained operational details of forthcoming strikes on Iran-backed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-yemen-houthis-rebels-attack-airstrike-11b0e080b3982542dd621338a7b18afd">Houthi-rebels in Yemen,</a>&nbsp;including information about targets, weapons the U.S. would be deploying, and attack sequencing,” editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg reported.It was not immediately clear if the specifics of the military operation were classified, but they often are and at the least are kept secure to protect service members and operational security. The U.S. has conducted airstrikes against the Houthis since the militant group began targeting commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea in November 2023.Just two hours after Goldberg received the details of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-us-airstrikes-israel-hamas-war-911e99729c71e3c59420f8b511afa2e9">attack on March 15</a>, the U.S. began launching a series of airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Pete Hegseth, the most unqualified Secretary of Defense in history, is demonstrating his incompetence by literally leaking classified war plans in the group chat... Hegseth and Trump are making our country less safe.<a href="https://t.co/aamNQGjZeo">https://t.co/aamNQGjZeo</a>&mdash; Tammy Duckworth (@SenDuckworth) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenDuckworth/status/1904232684425261286?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In response to the report, Senator Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran, said on social media that Pete Hegseth, “the most unqualified Secretary of Defense in history, is demonstrating his incompetence by literally leaking classified war plans in the group chat.”Duckworth said, “Hegseth and Trump are making our country less safe.”<h2>The National Security Council is looking into the matter</h2>The National Security Council said in a statement that it was looking into how a journalist’s number was added to the chain in the Signal group chat, which included Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's director of national intelligence, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Goldberg said he received the Signal invitation from Mike Waltz, Trump's national security adviser, who was also in the group chat.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenSchumer</a>: This is one of the most stunning breaches of military intelligence I have read about in a very, very long time...It&#39;s bad enough that a private citizen was added to this chain...it&#39;s far worse that sensitive military information was exchanged on an unauthorized app. <a href="https://t.co/bafUvKFZdy">pic.twitter.com/bafUvKFZdy</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1904261892329079255?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In a statement late Monday, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said the president still has the “utmost confidence” in Waltz and the national security team.Trump told reporters, “I don’t know anything about it. You’re telling me about it for the first time.” He added that The Atlantic was “not much of a magazine.”Government officials have used Signal for organizational correspondence, but it is not classified and can be hacked. Privacy and tech experts say the popular end-to-end encrypted messaging and voice call app is more secure than conventional texting.The sharing of sensitive information comes as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's office has just announced a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/leaks-pentagon-polygraph-trump-investigation-685b08e14d813050a722cec89eb5c323">crackdown on leaks</a>&nbsp;of sensitive information, including the potential use of polygraphs on defense personnel to determine how reporters have received information.Sean Parnell, a spokesman for Hegseth, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on why the defense secretary posted war operational plans on an unclassified app.The breach in protocol was swiftly condemned by Democratic lawmakers. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called for a full investigation.“This is one of the most stunning breaches of military intelligence I have read about in a very, very long time,” Schumer, a New York Democrat, said in a floor speech Monday afternoon.“If true, this story represents one of the most egregious failures of operational security and common sense I have ever seen,” said Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, in a statement.He said American lives are “on the line. The carelessness shown by Trump’s Cabinet is stunning and dangerous. I will be seeking answers from the Administration immediately.”Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that he was “horrified” by the reports.Himes said if a lower-ranking official “did what is described here, they would likely lose their clearance and be subject to criminal investigation. The American people deserve answers,” which he said he planned to get at Wednesday’s previously scheduled committee hearing.Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he wants to learn more about what happened.“Obviously, we got to to run it to the ground, figure out what went on there,” said Thune, a South Dakota Republican.<h2>There are strict laws around handling defense information</h2>The handling of national defense information is strictly governed by law under the century-old Espionage Act, including provisions that make it a crime to remove such information from its “proper place of custody” even through an act of gross negligence.The Justice Department in 2015 and 2016 investigated whether former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton broke the law by communicating about classified information with her aides on a private email server she set up, though the FBI ultimately recommended against charges and none were brought.In the Biden administration, some officials were given permission to download Signal on their White House-issued phones, but were instructed to use the app sparingly, according to a former national security official who served in the Democratic administration.The official, who requested anonymity to speak about methods used to share sensitive information, said Signal was most commonly used to communicate what they internally referred to as “tippers” to notify someone when they were away from the office or traveling overseas that they should check their “high side” inbox for a classified message.The app was sometimes also used by officials during the Biden administration to communicate about scheduling of sensitive meetings or classified phone calls when they were outside the office, the official said.The use of Signal became more prevalent during the last year of the Biden administration after federal law enforcement officials warned that China and Iran were hacking the White House as well as officials in the first Trump administration, according to the official.The official was unaware of top Biden administration officials — such as Vice President Kamala Harris, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and national security adviser Jake Sullivan — using Signal to discuss sensitive plans as the Trump administration officials did.Some of the toughest criticism targeted Hegseth, a former Fox News Channel weekend host. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran, said on social media that Hegseth, “the most unqualified Secretary of Defense in history, is demonstrating his incompetence by literally leaking classified war plans in the group chat.”

Trump officials texted war plans to a group chat that included a journalist

&nbsp;DECATUR COUNTY —Law enforcement across the state continue to find drivers traveling far above the posted speed limit.

On his department's social media page, Decatur County Sheriff David&nbsp;Wachendorfer wrote, " I figured my post a few days ago about the high-speed driver I stopped would be a one-off, because we don't see those high speeds out here that often."

"However, now I'm wondering if there is a "Hold My Beer" button on Facebook, because yesterday, I stopped two more drivers on our local two-lane highways for excessive(!) speed."

"It seems that the speeds on our highways are edging higher and higher on average. So, real talk here for a minute...This Sheriff's Office certainly writes fewer citations than the average <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kshighwayPatrol?__cft__[0]=AZUxBwYqpafDwg054yBbBTqa5SzCKsNxA4g0pf-y1geQV1n8vTQRYPx5V8FlmavMvObty_9v7dbdLrXFL3mhbPwZ9D-D_1zRkR8a7lp3GU2ZXt5z6QIqFFtuUm1YzWywvQYfzBo3Qv64199dwRMUQb1Zg2bloFi8sN4Fh8rQYSycEg&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Kansas Highway Patrol</a> trooper, and we generally try to use education over enforcement if given a reasonable opportunity. However, sometimes, you just need to write a ticket, or as my good friend over at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wabaunseesheriff?__cft__[0]=AZUxBwYqpafDwg054yBbBTqa5SzCKsNxA4g0pf-y1geQV1n8vTQRYPx5V8FlmavMvObty_9v7dbdLrXFL3mhbPwZ9D-D_1zRkR8a7lp3GU2ZXt5z6QIqFFtuUm1YzWywvQYfzBo3Qv64199dwRMUQb1Zg2bloFi8sN4Fh8rQYSycEg&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Wabaunsee County Sheriff's Office</a> says, some people just gotta be law enforced. "

"I don't want to change that policy, but I am certainly willing to reevaluate a lenient policy that is not getting results.There's been a lot of publicity on Facebook about Troopers over in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KHPTroopC?__cft__[0]=AZUxBwYqpafDwg054yBbBTqa5SzCKsNxA4g0pf-y1geQV1n8vTQRYPx5V8FlmavMvObty_9v7dbdLrXFL3mhbPwZ9D-D_1zRkR8a7lp3GU2ZXt5z6QIqFFtuUm1YzWywvQYfzBo3Qv64199dwRMUQb1Zg2bloFi8sN4Fh8rQYSycEg&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Kansas Highway Patrol Troop C</a> and around the state stopping people for speeds in excess of 100 mph."

"That's bad enough but now consider this knowledge:  The majority of those stops are on the interstate, which as anyone who has attended a Kansas Driver's Education class knows is a four (or more)-lane controlled access highway designed for higher speeds.  The people your Sheriff's Office are stopping are doing these same speeds on TWO-LANE country highways, with gentle rolling hills, curves, draws, and cross traffic at least every mile.  Come over a hill or out of a draw at 102 mph to a tractor pulling onto the highway, and there is almost no way that outcome is going to be pretty."

"And to add to my indigestion, one of these citations I ended up handing out was to a local resident who drives these roads all the time.  Not who I expected to have to "law enforce" in this manner. So, one more time, spoken loudly for those in the back:  PLEASE SLOW DOWN!!!  YOU ARE NOT ON THE AUTOBAHN.  Driving 90's and 100's+ on our local highways will get you nothing but a ride in an ambulance or blue lights in your rearview mirror.  Oh, and our local judge won't be very happy to see you either.  He drives on these highways too."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742835276178.png" alt="Photos Decatur Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photos Decatur Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;DECATUR COUNTY —Law enforcement across the state continue to find drivers traveling far above the posted speed limit.On his department's social media page, Decatur County Sheriff David&nbsp;Wachendorfer wrote, " I figured my post a few days ago about the high-speed driver I stopped would be a one-off, because we don't see those high speeds out here that often."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742834951882.png" alt="Photo Decatur Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Decatur Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>"However, now I'm wondering if there is a "Hold My Beer" button on Facebook, because yesterday, I stopped two more drivers on our local two-lane highways for excessive(!) speed."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742834908883.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>"It seems that the speeds on our highways are edging higher and higher on average. So, real talk here for a minute...This Sheriff's Office certainly writes fewer citations than the average <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kshighwayPatrol?__cft__[0]=AZUxBwYqpafDwg054yBbBTqa5SzCKsNxA4g0pf-y1geQV1n8vTQRYPx5V8FlmavMvObty_9v7dbdLrXFL3mhbPwZ9D-D_1zRkR8a7lp3GU2ZXt5z6QIqFFtuUm1YzWywvQYfzBo3Qv64199dwRMUQb1Zg2bloFi8sN4Fh8rQYSycEg&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Kansas Highway Patrol</a> trooper, and we generally try to use education over enforcement if given a reasonable opportunity. However, sometimes, you just need to write a ticket, or as my good friend over at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wabaunseesheriff?__cft__[0]=AZUxBwYqpafDwg054yBbBTqa5SzCKsNxA4g0pf-y1geQV1n8vTQRYPx5V8FlmavMvObty_9v7dbdLrXFL3mhbPwZ9D-D_1zRkR8a7lp3GU2ZXt5z6QIqFFtuUm1YzWywvQYfzBo3Qv64199dwRMUQb1Zg2bloFi8sN4Fh8rQYSycEg&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Wabaunsee County Sheriff's Office</a> says, some people just gotta be law enforced. ""I don't want to change that policy, but I am certainly willing to reevaluate a lenient policy that is not getting results.There's been a lot of publicity on Facebook about Troopers over in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KHPTroopC?__cft__[0]=AZUxBwYqpafDwg054yBbBTqa5SzCKsNxA4g0pf-y1geQV1n8vTQRYPx5V8FlmavMvObty_9v7dbdLrXFL3mhbPwZ9D-D_1zRkR8a7lp3GU2ZXt5z6QIqFFtuUm1YzWywvQYfzBo3Qv64199dwRMUQb1Zg2bloFi8sN4Fh8rQYSycEg&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Kansas Highway Patrol Troop C</a> and around the state stopping people for speeds in excess of 100 mph.""That's bad enough but now consider this knowledge: The majority of those stops are on the interstate, which as anyone who has attended a Kansas Driver's Education class knows is a four (or more)-lane controlled access highway designed for higher speeds. The people your Sheriff's Office are stopping are doing these same speeds on TWO-LANE country highways, with gentle rolling hills, curves, draws, and cross traffic at least every mile. Come over a hill or out of a draw at 102 mph to a tractor pulling onto the highway, and there is almost no way that outcome is going to be pretty.""And to add to my indigestion, one of these citations I ended up handing out was to a local resident who drives these roads all the time. Not who I expected to have to "law enforce" in this manner. So, one more time, spoken loudly for those in the back: PLEASE SLOW DOWN!!! YOU ARE NOT ON THE AUTOBAHN. Driving 90's and 100's+ on our local highways will get you nothing but a ride in an ambulance or blue lights in your rearview mirror. Oh, and our local judge won't be very happy to see you either. He drives on these highways too."

NW Kan. sheriff issues more excessive speeding tickets

SALINE COUNTY —Police are investigating a series of graffiti vandalism incidents that occurred in downtown Salina on Saturday night.

Just after 9:30p.m., police were dispatched to the 100 block of S. Santa Fe in Salina after a caller reported seeing three individuals spray painting a detached garage belonging to Compro Realty, 157 S. Santa Fe, according to Salina Police Captain James Feldman.

Officers found more graffiti spray painted on the alley wall of Martinelli’s Little Italy, 158 S. Santa Fe, the south wall of the AT&amp;T building, 137 S. Santa Fe, and a nearby garbage dumpster. Many of the spray paintings were vulgar, according to Feldman.

The suspects were described as three individuals wearing hoodies. They were seen leaving the area in what was possibly a black Mini-Cooper.

The estimated damage from the vandalism is approximately $600.

Police are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact the Salina Police Department at (785) 826-7210 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (785) 825-TIPS.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742826525227.jpeg" alt="-Police responded to a report of vandalism on Saturday night in downtown Salina.&nbsp;&nbsp;Photo by NATE KING" />
 <figcaption>-Police responded to a report of vandalism on Saturday night in downtown Salina.&nbsp;&nbsp;Photo by NATE KING</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —Police are investigating a series of graffiti vandalism incidents that occurred in downtown Salina on Saturday night.Just after 9:30p.m., police were dispatched to the 100 block of S. Santa Fe in Salina after a caller reported seeing three individuals spray painting a detached garage belonging to Compro Realty, 157 S. Santa Fe, according to Salina Police Captain James Feldman.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742826554462.jpeg" alt="-SPD responded to a report of vandalism on Saturday night in downtown Salina.&nbsp; The recent trash corral mural painted by Cody Sanders of Subvert Studios was also vandalized. According to Salina Downtown INC.'s Leslie Bishop, the mural will be fixed and restored to its original look.&nbsp;Photo by NATE KING" />
 <figcaption>-SPD responded to a report of vandalism on Saturday night in downtown Salina.&nbsp; The recent trash corral mural painted by Cody Sanders of Subvert Studios was also vandalized. According to Salina Downtown INC.'s Leslie Bishop, the mural will be fixed and restored to its original look.&nbsp;Photo by NATE KING</figcaption>
 </figure>Officers found more graffiti spray painted on the alley wall of Martinelli’s Little Italy, 158 S. Santa Fe, the south wall of the AT&amp;T building, 137 S. Santa Fe, and a nearby garbage dumpster. Many of the spray paintings were vulgar, according to Feldman.The suspects were described as three individuals wearing hoodies. They were seen leaving the area in what was possibly a black Mini-Cooper.The estimated damage from the vandalism is approximately $600.Police are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact the Salina Police Department at (785) 826-7210 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (785) 825-TIPS.

Vandals spray paint vulgar graffiti on businesses in Salina

WASHINGTON (AP) —Tiger Woods has confirmed his relationship with the former daughter-in-law of President Donald Trump,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/TigerWoods/status/1903951000781701415">publishing two images to social media</a>&nbsp;in a post that said, “Love is in the air.”

Woods and Vanessa Trump, who was married to Donald Trump Jr., had been seen at Torrey Pines in San Diego along with her daughter, Kai, when Woods arrived for the final round to hand out the trophy to the winner of the Genesis Invitational. He is the tournament host.

Kai Trump goes to the Benjamin School with Woods' two children, Sam and Charlie. She and Charlie competed on an invitation at a high-profile junior golf tournament this week.

“Love is in the air and life is better with you by my side! We look forward to our journey through life together,” Woods said on X, where he has 6.4 million followers.

He added: “At this time we would appreciate privacy for all those close to our hearts.”

One photo shows Woods and Vanessa Trump posing together, another with them lying in a hammock with her arm draped across his chest as he gazes skyward.

Woods and Vanessa Trump had been featured in gossip outlets for the last several weeks. She was married to Donald Trump Jr. for 12 years. They had five children together.

Woods announced March 11 that he ruptured his left Achilles tendon, knocking him out of the Masters and likely for the rest of the year.

It was not clear what prompted Woods, who keeps his personal life fiercely private, to publish photos confirming the relationship.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-ab00c74ea79940e28e2a23f19adda3e2">It was reminiscent of 2013, when he and Lindsey Vonn both posted photos of them together to confirm they were dating</a>.

Woods said at the time he and Vonn “wanted to limit the 'stalkarazzi’ and all those sleazy websites that are out there following us,” saying it could lead to dangerous situations involving his children. He also said their photos would devalue anything the paparazzi had.

Woods has two children from his marriage to Elin Nordegren, who divorced him 2010 after he had been exposed for multiple extramarital affairs.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742822406810.png" alt="President Trump and Tiger Woods during a White House ceremony Feb. 20-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Trump and Tiger Woods during a White House ceremony Feb. 20-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —Tiger Woods has confirmed his relationship with the former daughter-in-law of President Donald Trump,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/TigerWoods/status/1903951000781701415">publishing two images to social media</a>&nbsp;in a post that said, “Love is in the air.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Love is in the air and life is better with you by my side! We look forward to our journey through life together. At this time we would appreciate privacy for all those close to our hearts. <a href="https://t.co/ETONf1pUmI">pic.twitter.com/ETONf1pUmI</a>&mdash; Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) <a href="https://twitter.com/TigerWoods/status/1903951000781701415?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Woods and Vanessa Trump, who was married to Donald Trump Jr., had been seen at Torrey Pines in San Diego along with her daughter, Kai, when Woods arrived for the final round to hand out the trophy to the winner of the Genesis Invitational. He is the tournament host.Kai Trump goes to the Benjamin School with Woods' two children, Sam and Charlie. She and Charlie competed on an invitation at a high-profile junior golf tournament this week.“Love is in the air and life is better with you by my side! We look forward to our journey through life together,” Woods said on X, where he has 6.4 million followers.He added: “At this time we would appreciate privacy for all those close to our hearts.”One photo shows Woods and Vanessa Trump posing together, another with them lying in a hammock with her arm draped across his chest as he gazes skyward.Woods and Vanessa Trump had been featured in gossip outlets for the last several weeks. She was married to Donald Trump Jr. for 12 years. They had five children together.Woods announced March 11 that he ruptured his left Achilles tendon, knocking him out of the Masters and likely for the rest of the year.It was not clear what prompted Woods, who keeps his personal life fiercely private, to publish photos confirming the relationship.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-ab00c74ea79940e28e2a23f19adda3e2">It was reminiscent of 2013, when he and Lindsey Vonn both posted photos of them together to confirm they were dating</a>.Woods said at the time he and Vonn “wanted to limit the 'stalkarazzi’ and all those sleazy websites that are out there following us,” saying it could lead to dangerous situations involving his children. He also said their photos would devalue anything the paparazzi had.Woods has two children from his marriage to Elin Nordegren, who divorced him 2010 after he had been exposed for multiple extramarital affairs.

Tiger Woods asks for privacy for dating Vanessa Trump

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. airstrikes targeting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-us-strikes-iran-447f4abb39cc12c7f2f5596f0e33407b">Yemen’s Houthi rebels</a>&nbsp;pounded sites across the country into Monday, with the group saying the one attack in the capital killed at least one person and wounded more than a dozen others.

The American strikes entered its 10th day without a sign of stopping, part of a campaign by U.S. President Donald Trump targeting the rebel group that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-navy-yemen-houthis-israel-war-7a9997f9d84ac669fae69ecf819913fb">threatens maritime trade</a>&nbsp;and Israel while also trying to pressure&nbsp;<a href="https://8ebfa6a4ab41/" target="_blank">Iran</a>, the Houthis’ main benefactor.

So far, the U.S. has not offered any specifics on the sites it is striking, though Trump’s national security adviser Mike Waltz claimed the attacks have “taken out key Houthi leadership, including their head missileer.” That’s something so far that’s not been acknowledged by the Houthis, though the rebels have downplayed their losses in the past and exaggerated their attacks attempting to target American warships.

“We’ve hit their headquarters,” Waltz told CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “We’ve hit communications nodes, weapons factories and even some of their over-the-water drone production facilities.”

An apparent U.S. strike Sunday hit a building in a western neighborhood of Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, killing at least one person and wounding 13 others, the rebel-controlled SABA news agency said, citing health officials. Footage released by the rebels showed the rubble of a collapsed building and pools of blood staining the gray dust covering the ground.

A building next to the collapsed structure still stood, suggesting American forces likely used a lower-yield warhead in the strike.

The Houthis also described American airstrikes targeting sites around the city of Saada, a Houthi stronghold, the Red Sea port city of Hodeida and Marib province, home to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-dubai-iran-iran-nuclear-united-arab-emirates-f81982b0ce4a4c65b8c94f6ff2517594">oil and gas fields</a>&nbsp;still under the control of allies to Yemen’s exiled central government.

The campaign of airstrikes targeting the rebels,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-us-strikes-iran-447f4abb39cc12c7f2f5596f0e33407b">which killed at least 53 people immediately after they began March 15</a>, started after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-israel-hamas-war-gaza-aid-ship-attacks-0da6c2453fe2c4e5f81923c84c7d3f3a">the Houthis threatened to begin targeting “Israeli” ships</a>&nbsp;again over Israel blocking aid entering the Gaza Strip. The rebels in the past have had a loose definition of what constitutes an Israeli ship, meaning other vessels could be targeted as well.

The Houthis had targeted over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houthi-rebels-ship-attack-red-sea-yemen-bfa7d321e55c5bb59b268b82ef3c56ba">sinking two vessels</a>&nbsp;and killing four sailors during their campaign targeting ships from November 2023 until January of this year. They also launched attacks targeting American warships, though none have been hit so far.

The attacks greatly raised the Houthis’ profile as they faced economic problems and launched a crackdown targeting any dissent and aid workers at home amid Yemen’s decadelong stalemated war that’s torn apart the Arab world’s poorest nation.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. airstrikes targeting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-us-strikes-iran-447f4abb39cc12c7f2f5596f0e33407b">Yemen’s Houthi rebels</a>&nbsp;pounded sites across the country into Monday, with the group saying the one attack in the capital killed at least one person and wounded more than a dozen others.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Restoring freedom of navigation<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HouthisAreTerrorists?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HouthisAreTerrorists</a> <a href="https://t.co/lq6oU0rE6o">pic.twitter.com/lq6oU0rE6o</a>&mdash; U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) <a href="https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/1903931554893562026?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The American strikes entered its 10th day without a sign of stopping, part of a campaign by U.S. President Donald Trump targeting the rebel group that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-navy-yemen-houthis-israel-war-7a9997f9d84ac669fae69ecf819913fb">threatens maritime trade</a>&nbsp;and Israel while also trying to pressure&nbsp;<a href="https://8ebfa6a4ab41/" target="_blank">Iran</a>, the Houthis’ main benefactor.So far, the U.S. has not offered any specifics on the sites it is striking, though Trump’s national security adviser Mike Waltz claimed the attacks have “taken out key Houthi leadership, including their head missileer.” That’s something so far that’s not been acknowledged by the Houthis, though the rebels have downplayed their losses in the past and exaggerated their attacks attempting to target American warships.“We’ve hit their headquarters,” Waltz told CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “We’ve hit communications nodes, weapons factories and even some of their over-the-water drone production facilities.”An apparent U.S. strike Sunday hit a building in a western neighborhood of Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, killing at least one person and wounding 13 others, the rebel-controlled SABA news agency said, citing health officials. Footage released by the rebels showed the rubble of a collapsed building and pools of blood staining the gray dust covering the ground.A building next to the collapsed structure still stood, suggesting American forces likely used a lower-yield warhead in the strike.The Houthis also described American airstrikes targeting sites around the city of Saada, a Houthi stronghold, the Red Sea port city of Hodeida and Marib province, home to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-dubai-iran-iran-nuclear-united-arab-emirates-f81982b0ce4a4c65b8c94f6ff2517594">oil and gas fields</a>&nbsp;still under the control of allies to Yemen’s exiled central government.The campaign of airstrikes targeting the rebels,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-us-strikes-iran-447f4abb39cc12c7f2f5596f0e33407b">which killed at least 53 people immediately after they began March 15</a>, started after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-israel-hamas-war-gaza-aid-ship-attacks-0da6c2453fe2c4e5f81923c84c7d3f3a">the Houthis threatened to begin targeting “Israeli” ships</a>&nbsp;again over Israel blocking aid entering the Gaza Strip. The rebels in the past have had a loose definition of what constitutes an Israeli ship, meaning other vessels could be targeted as well.The Houthis had targeted over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houthi-rebels-ship-attack-red-sea-yemen-bfa7d321e55c5bb59b268b82ef3c56ba">sinking two vessels</a>&nbsp;and killing four sailors during their campaign targeting ships from November 2023 until January of this year. They also launched attacks targeting American warships, though none have been hit so far.The attacks greatly raised the Houthis’ profile as they faced economic problems and launched a crackdown targeting any dissent and aid workers at home amid Yemen’s decadelong stalemated war that’s torn apart the Arab world’s poorest nation.

🎥Deadly US airstrikes continue against Houthi rebels 

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A man accused in the domestic violence murder of a Wichita woman will return to court Monday.

A bench trial is scheduled to begin for Carlos Anderson-Honeycutt, 26 of Wichita in Judge Jeffrey Goering's courtroom, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. He is charged with 1st degree murder.

On November, 19, 2023 police were dispatched to a shooting at a home in the 2300 block of S. Belmont in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.&nbsp;

First responders located 24-year-old Brittnee Wicker inside her home with a fatal gunshot wound. She would be pronounced deceased on the scene.

On Tuesday, the Wichita Police Department made significant progress in the investigation into the homicide.

On Monday the Sedgwick County District Attorney was presented with evidence, leading to the charging Anderson-Honeycutt with 1st Degree Murder in the case, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

Following a thorough collaborative effort with law enforcement agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Wichita Police Department discovered that&nbsp;Anderson-Honeycutt was in the State of Texas. Coordinating with partners in Texas, particularly the United States Customs and Border Patrol, an arrest was successfully made near Brownsville, Texas.&nbsp;

On Nov. 15, 2023 authorities booked Anderson-Honeycutt into the Sedgwick County Jail.&nbsp; Preliminary findings from the investigation suggest that this tragic incident was a result of Domestic Violence.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700924495261.png" alt="Anderson-Honeycutt photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Anderson-Honeycutt photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A man accused in the domestic violence murder of a Wichita woman will return to court Monday.A bench trial is scheduled to begin for Carlos Anderson-Honeycutt, 26 of Wichita in Judge Jeffrey Goering's courtroom, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. He is charged with 1st degree murder.On November, 19, 2023 police were dispatched to a shooting at a home in the 2300 block of S. Belmont in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700926072292.png" alt="Britnee Wicker-photo Affinity Mortuary" />
 <figcaption>Britnee Wicker-photo Affinity Mortuary</figcaption>
 </figure>First responders located 24-year-old Brittnee Wicker inside her home with a fatal gunshot wound. She would be pronounced deceased on the scene.On Tuesday, the Wichita Police Department made significant progress in the investigation into the homicide.On Monday the Sedgwick County District Attorney was presented with evidence, leading to the charging Anderson-Honeycutt with 1st Degree Murder in the case, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.Following a thorough collaborative effort with law enforcement agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Wichita Police Department discovered that&nbsp;Anderson-Honeycutt was in the State of Texas. Coordinating with partners in Texas, particularly the United States Customs and Border Patrol, an arrest was successfully made near Brownsville, Texas.&nbsp;On Nov. 15, 2023 authorities booked Anderson-Honeycutt into the Sedgwick County Jail.&nbsp; Preliminary findings from the investigation suggest that this tragic incident was a result of Domestic Violence.

Man captured at the Mexico border faces trial for Kan. woman's murder

KANSAS CITY—Search crews recovered the body of a missing boater from Truman Lake.

&nbsp;At approximately 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Troopers from the Marine Division of the Missouri State Highway Patrol located and recovered the body of 40-year-old Christopher David Salmons. 

Since March 14, Water Patrol and Dive Team members had been&nbsp; searching the Clear Creek Cove area of the lake&nbsp; for Salmons, according to a statement from the patrol.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742773903313.png" alt="Photo MSHP" />
 <figcaption>Photo MSHP</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Search crews recovered the body of a missing boater from Truman Lake.&nbsp;At approximately 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Troopers from the Marine Division of the Missouri State Highway Patrol located and recovered the body of 40-year-old Christopher David Salmons. Since March 14, Water Patrol and Dive Team members had been&nbsp; searching the Clear Creek Cove area of the lake&nbsp; for Salmons, according to a statement from the patrol.&nbsp;

Body of missing boater recovered from KC area lake

Wichita State University served as the host for 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship First and Second Rounds at Intrust Bank Arena, in partnership with Visit Wichita, Sedgwick County and the City of Wichita. Mayor Lilly Wu was pleased with the results.

Houston and Texas Tech won Saturday night's games in Wichita and advance to the Sweet-16.

The NCAA has not released official attendance figures for the first and second round games played in Wichita. The attendance was approximately 14,000 for each session.

Wichita State University served as the host for 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship First and Second Rounds at Intrust Bank Arena, in partnership with Visit Wichita, Sedgwick County and the City of Wichita. Mayor Lilly Wu was pleased with the results.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Congrats, Wichita! You showed well during the 1st &amp; 2nd rounds of <a href="https://twitter.com/MarchMadnessMBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarchMadnessMBB</a>. Thank you, first responders, multiple fan fest hosts, <a href="https://twitter.com/WichitaState?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WichitaState</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/VisitWichita?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VisitWichita</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/INTRUSTarena?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@INTRUSTarena</a>, and every Wichitan who made this a very successful event.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ilovewichita?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ilovewichita</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/allforwichita?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#allforwichita</a> <a href="https://t.co/j8I1XkcfTe">pic.twitter.com/j8I1XkcfTe</a>&mdash; Lily Wu (@LilyWuKansas) <a href="https://twitter.com/LilyWuKansas/status/1903961129455362106?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Houston and Texas Tech won Saturday night's games in Wichita and advance to the Sweet-16.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The NCAA March Madness tournament was a tremendous success, providing an excellent opportunity for WPD officers to engage with the local community and visitors from around the country. Our primary goal was to maintain a safe and enjoyable environment for all attendees, and we… <a href="https://t.co/cXa2FCJfy6">pic.twitter.com/cXa2FCJfy6</a>&mdash; Wichita Police (@WichitaPolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/WichitaPolice/status/1904187568809271611?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The NCAA has not released official attendance figures for the first and second round games played in Wichita. The attendance was approximately 14,000 for each session.

Mayor: Congrats, Wichita! You showed well during MarchMadness

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democratic leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/charles-schumer">Chuck Schumer</a>&nbsp;says he won’t resign his post, despite pressure from some in his party after he voted to move forward with a Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-trump-gop-chuck-schumer-86385e644239a3dc1558b37d13094234">spending bill</a>&nbsp;that avoided a government shutdown.

“Look, I’m not stepping down,” Schumer said in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday. The New York senator said he knew voting for the bill backed by Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;would spark “a lot of controversy.”

“I did it out of pure conviction as to what a leader should do and what the right thing for America and my party was,” he said. “People disagree.”

Democrats last week were confronted with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-trump-gop-chuck-schumer-86385e644239a3dc1558b37d13094234">two painful options</a>: allowing passage of a bill they believe gave Trump vast discretion on spending decisions or letting funding lapse. After Schumer said he’d vote to advance the spending measure, 10 Democrats supported breaking the party’s filibuster and allowing the bill to pass.

Schumer’s move has sparked outrage from some Democrats and progressive activists who protested at his office and called on him to resign his position. They said they’d like to see him face a primary challenge — perhaps from New York Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/alexandria-ocasio-cortez">Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez</a>.

The uproar prompted Schumer last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-schumer-senate-democrat-book-tour-spending-vote-afbfed35d906f9ad6c8e6e9114f8a431">to postpone</a>&nbsp;his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chuck-schumer-book-antisemitism-america-676fb58a6529429a88726a7233e85047">book tour</a>&nbsp;amid a series of planned progressive demonstrations.

Schumer isn’t up for reelection until 2028. He told NBC that the spending bill that funds the government through September was “certainly bad.”

But he argued that not voting to provide the funding would have been “15 or 20 times worse.” He called his action “a vote of principle,” arguing that “sometimes when you’re a leader, you have to do things to avoid a real danger that might come down the curve.”

In an interview that also aired Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” Vermont Democratic Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bernie-sanders-democrats-trump-c213d5ae42737c956d46f6f7f17e5abd">Bernie Sanders</a>&nbsp;criticized Schumer and other members of Democratic Senate leadership. But he abruptly ended the interview when asked about Ocasio-Cortez potentially being elected to the Senate.

“I don’t want to talk about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-bernie-sanders-democrats-trump-cbc249cc4de978acb1333adae5735404">inside-the-beltway</a>&nbsp;stuff,” Sanders said.

Another outspoken progressive, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said on CNN’s “State of the Union” that “There is no doubt that there is anger there, and people were very, very disappointed in the Senate.”

Khanna said the anger stemmed from Senate Democrats not seeking concessions for their support of the GOP-backed spending package — including possible limits on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-trump-administration-acfdd0d7a53b7e5a1b5105baa456c5d0">government spending and job cutting efforts</a>&nbsp;being led on Trump’s behalf by billionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>.

Asked if he’d support Ocasio-Cortez challenging Schumer during a 2028 Democratic Senate primary in New York, Khanna said the decision to run was up to the congresswoman.

“I haven’t talked to her directly,” Khanna said.

He added: “But here’s what I will say: The American people are fed up with the old guard. There needs to be a renewal.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668518697058.png" alt="Senate Democrat leader Chuck Schumer-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Senate Democrat leader Chuck Schumer-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democratic leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/charles-schumer">Chuck Schumer</a>&nbsp;says he won’t resign his post, despite pressure from some in his party after he voted to move forward with a Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-trump-gop-chuck-schumer-86385e644239a3dc1558b37d13094234">spending bill</a>&nbsp;that avoided a government shutdown.“Look, I’m not stepping down,” Schumer said in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday. The New York senator said he knew voting for the bill backed by Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;would spark “a lot of controversy.”“I did it out of pure conviction as to what a leader should do and what the right thing for America and my party was,” he said. “People disagree.”Democrats last week were confronted with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-trump-gop-chuck-schumer-86385e644239a3dc1558b37d13094234">two painful options</a>: allowing passage of a bill they believe gave Trump vast discretion on spending decisions or letting funding lapse. After Schumer said he’d vote to advance the spending measure, 10 Democrats supported breaking the party’s filibuster and allowing the bill to pass.Schumer’s move has sparked outrage from some Democrats and progressive activists who protested at his office and called on him to resign his position. They said they’d like to see him face a primary challenge — perhaps from New York Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/alexandria-ocasio-cortez">Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez</a>.The uproar prompted Schumer last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-schumer-senate-democrat-book-tour-spending-vote-afbfed35d906f9ad6c8e6e9114f8a431">to postpone</a>&nbsp;his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chuck-schumer-book-antisemitism-america-676fb58a6529429a88726a7233e85047">book tour</a>&nbsp;amid a series of planned progressive demonstrations.Schumer isn’t up for reelection until 2028. He told NBC that the spending bill that funds the government through September was “certainly bad.”But he argued that not voting to provide the funding would have been “15 or 20 times worse.” He called his action “a vote of principle,” arguing that “sometimes when you’re a leader, you have to do things to avoid a real danger that might come down the curve.”In an interview that also aired Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” Vermont Democratic Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bernie-sanders-democrats-trump-c213d5ae42737c956d46f6f7f17e5abd">Bernie Sanders</a>&nbsp;criticized Schumer and other members of Democratic Senate leadership. But he abruptly ended the interview when asked about Ocasio-Cortez potentially being elected to the Senate.“I don’t want to talk about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-bernie-sanders-democrats-trump-cbc249cc4de978acb1333adae5735404">inside-the-beltway</a>&nbsp;stuff,” Sanders said.Another outspoken progressive, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said on CNN’s “State of the Union” that “There is no doubt that there is anger there, and people were very, very disappointed in the Senate.”Khanna said the anger stemmed from Senate Democrats not seeking concessions for their support of the GOP-backed spending package — including possible limits on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-trump-administration-acfdd0d7a53b7e5a1b5105baa456c5d0">government spending and job cutting efforts</a>&nbsp;being led on Trump’s behalf by billionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>.Asked if he’d support Ocasio-Cortez challenging Schumer during a 2028 Democratic Senate primary in New York, Khanna said the decision to run was up to the congresswoman.“I haven’t talked to her directly,” Khanna said.He added: “But here’s what I will say: The American people are fed up with the old guard. There needs to be a renewal.”

Schumer rejects calls to step down as Senate Democratic leader

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man is facing charges in connection with a fatal stabbing that occurred last week.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2554/SAVAGE-COMPLAINT-Redacted">Theron Savage, 22, faces</a>&nbsp;2nd Degree Murder, two counts of Armed Criminal Action, and 1st Degree Assault.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2553/Savage-PC-RED">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police arrived at a residence on the 600 block of East Minor Drive on a reported disturbance. As officers moved toward the front door of the residence, the defendant opened the door holding a sharp-edged object and then shut the door on the officers. When the defendant opened the door again, officers deployed a less lethal bean bag round at the defendant, who then fled the scene from the back balcony.&nbsp;

Officers found two female victims inside the residence, one suffering from a stab wound and the other with a laceration to her chest, who died at an area hospital. The defendant was later located and taken into custody.&nbsp;

It’s reported that Savage is the boyfriend of the deceased victim.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742779749628.png" alt="Savage photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Savage photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man is facing charges in connection with a fatal stabbing that occurred last week.<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2554/SAVAGE-COMPLAINT-Redacted">Theron Savage, 22, faces</a>&nbsp;2nd Degree Murder, two counts of Armed Criminal Action, and 1st Degree Assault.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2553/Savage-PC-RED">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police arrived at a residence on the 600 block of East Minor Drive on a reported disturbance. As officers moved toward the front door of the residence, the defendant opened the door holding a sharp-edged object and then shut the door on the officers. When the defendant opened the door again, officers deployed a less lethal bean bag round at the defendant, who then fled the scene from the back balcony.&nbsp;Officers found two female victims inside the residence, one suffering from a stab wound and the other with a laceration to her chest, who died at an area hospital. The defendant was later located and taken into custody.&nbsp;It’s reported that Savage is the boyfriend of the deceased victim.&nbsp;

Kansas City man accused in knife attack that killed his girlfriend 

Sensitive personal information including Social Security numbers was unveiled in the newly unredacted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-51224feebb8742a8a4e604da845c7fa8">John F. Kennedy assassination</a>&nbsp;documents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kennedy-assassination-documents-release-trump-c56ed5075b38af809f36a6388797d4ca">released this week</a>, and that is not sitting well with the people affected.

<a href="https://www.archives.gov/research/jfk/available-online">Click here to read the files</a>&nbsp;from the National Archives

Joseph diGenova, a former campaign lawyer for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>, was among those whose personal information was disclosed. He said he is planning to sue the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration for violating privacy laws and is concerned about identity theft.

“It should not have happened,” diGenova said in a phone interview Thursday. “I think it’s the result of incompetent people doing the reviewing. I don’t believe it had anything to do with rushing the process. The people who reviewed these documents did not do their job.”

His personal information was on documents relating to his work for a U.S. Senate select committee that investigated abuses of power by government officials in the 1970s, including the surveillance of U.S. citizens.

Officials at the White House said Thursday that a plan was in place to help those whose personal information was disclosed, including credit monitoring offered by the National Archives and a screening of the records that began Wednesday to identify all the Social Security numbers that were released. Officials also said new Social Security numbers will be issued to those affected.

The White House did not respond to questions about why the personal information was unredacted.

“President Trump delivered on his promise of maximum transparency by fully releasing the files related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. “At the request of the White House, the National Archives and the Social Security Administration immediately put together an action plan to proactively help individuals whose personal information was released in the files.”

The National Archives did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-files-trump-release-381cd547e10e4f41d27a8e020bb6a435">Trump ordered</a>&nbsp;the release of the remaining classified files relating to the 1963 assassination shortly after being sworn into office in January.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-assassination-files-release-trump-3e8f31e18468d96b53210572e0992c07">About 2,200 files</a>&nbsp;consisting of over 63,000 pages were posted on the National Archive’s website on Tuesday evening. Many of those pages revealed what had previously been redacted.

The vast majority of the National Archives’ more than 6 million pages of records, photographs, motion pictures, sound recordings and artifacts related to the assassination had previously been released.

The National Archives posted assessments of the newly released documents on its website, but noted that there wasn’t enough time as of Wednesday to review more than a small fraction of them. The documents released this week provided&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-assassination-files-released-trump-4e82e40715312f68b4f1f0d0592a8c42">more details of Cold War-era covert U.S. operations</a>&nbsp;in other nations, but they didn’t initially lend credence to conspiracy theories about who killed Kennedy.

One of the newly unredacted documents, for example, discloses the Social Security numbers of more than two dozen people seeking security clearances in the 1990s to review JFK-related documents for the Assassination Records Review Board.

The National Archives began screening the documents on Wednesday to identify all the Social Security numbers in the assassination records, the White House said.

The National Archives will share those numbers with the Social Security Administration, which will identify the people who are living and issue them new numbers, according to the White House. The National Archive also will offer creditor monitoring services for affected people until they receive their new Social Security numbers, officials said.

Kennedy was killed on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-298388ef0d6e41d98a47c70c86c64788">visit to Dallas</a>, when his motorcade was finishing its parade route downtown and shots rang out from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/travel-and-tourism-e9f33c5e647d45149c1738d64ea0e3c5">Texas School Book Depository</a>&nbsp;building. Police arrested&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/national-national-general-news-808c313725d849fd884794fe49b6fd39">24-year-old Lee Harvey Oswald,</a>&nbsp;a former Marine who had positioned himself from a sniper’s perch on the sixth floor. Two days later, Jack Ruby, a nightclub owner, fatally shot Oswald during a jail transfer broadcast live on television.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700660678254.png" alt="FILE - In this Nov. 22, 1963 file photo, President John F. Kennedy waves from his car in a motorcade approximately one minute before he was shot in Dallas. Riding with Kennedy are First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, right, Nellie Connally, second from left, and her husband, Texas Gov. John Connally, far left. (AP Photo/Jim Altgens, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - In this Nov. 22, 1963 file photo, President John F. Kennedy waves from his car in a motorcade approximately one minute before he was shot in Dallas. Riding with Kennedy are First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, right, Nellie Connally, second from left, and her husband, Texas Gov. John Connally, far left. (AP Photo/Jim Altgens, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;DAVE COLLINSSensitive personal information including Social Security numbers was unveiled in the newly unredacted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-51224feebb8742a8a4e604da845c7fa8">John F. Kennedy assassination</a>&nbsp;documents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kennedy-assassination-documents-release-trump-c56ed5075b38af809f36a6388797d4ca">released this week</a>, and that is not sitting well with the people affected.<a href="https://www.archives.gov/research/jfk/available-online">Click here to read the files</a>&nbsp;from the National ArchivesJoseph diGenova, a former campaign lawyer for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>, was among those whose personal information was disclosed. He said he is planning to sue the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration for violating privacy laws and is concerned about identity theft.“It should not have happened,” diGenova said in a phone interview Thursday. “I think it’s the result of incompetent people doing the reviewing. I don’t believe it had anything to do with rushing the process. The people who reviewed these documents did not do their job.”His personal information was on documents relating to his work for a U.S. Senate select committee that investigated abuses of power by government officials in the 1970s, including the surveillance of U.S. citizens.Officials at the White House said Thursday that a plan was in place to help those whose personal information was disclosed, including credit monitoring offered by the National Archives and a screening of the records that began Wednesday to identify all the Social Security numbers that were released. Officials also said new Social Security numbers will be issued to those affected.The White House did not respond to questions about why the personal information was unredacted.“President Trump delivered on his promise of maximum transparency by fully releasing the files related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. “At the request of the White House, the National Archives and the Social Security Administration immediately put together an action plan to proactively help individuals whose personal information was released in the files.”The National Archives did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-files-trump-release-381cd547e10e4f41d27a8e020bb6a435">Trump ordered</a>&nbsp;the release of the remaining classified files relating to the 1963 assassination shortly after being sworn into office in January.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-assassination-files-release-trump-3e8f31e18468d96b53210572e0992c07">About 2,200 files</a>&nbsp;consisting of over 63,000 pages were posted on the National Archive’s website on Tuesday evening. Many of those pages revealed what had previously been redacted.The vast majority of the National Archives’ more than 6 million pages of records, photographs, motion pictures, sound recordings and artifacts related to the assassination had previously been released.The National Archives posted assessments of the newly released documents on its website, but noted that there wasn’t enough time as of Wednesday to review more than a small fraction of them. The documents released this week provided&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-assassination-files-released-trump-4e82e40715312f68b4f1f0d0592a8c42">more details of Cold War-era covert U.S. operations</a>&nbsp;in other nations, but they didn’t initially lend credence to conspiracy theories about who killed Kennedy.One of the newly unredacted documents, for example, discloses the Social Security numbers of more than two dozen people seeking security clearances in the 1990s to review JFK-related documents for the Assassination Records Review Board.The National Archives began screening the documents on Wednesday to identify all the Social Security numbers in the assassination records, the White House said.The National Archives will share those numbers with the Social Security Administration, which will identify the people who are living and issue them new numbers, according to the White House. The National Archive also will offer creditor monitoring services for affected people until they receive their new Social Security numbers, officials said.Kennedy was killed on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-298388ef0d6e41d98a47c70c86c64788">visit to Dallas</a>, when his motorcade was finishing its parade route downtown and shots rang out from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/travel-and-tourism-e9f33c5e647d45149c1738d64ea0e3c5">Texas School Book Depository</a>&nbsp;building. Police arrested&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/national-national-general-news-808c313725d849fd884794fe49b6fd39">24-year-old Lee Harvey Oswald,</a>&nbsp;a former Marine who had positioned himself from a sniper’s perch on the sixth floor. Two days later, Jack Ruby, a nightclub owner, fatally shot Oswald during a jail transfer broadcast live on television.

People named in JFK assassination docs not happy their personal info released

OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an arrest in Osage County.

Early March 19, deputies were investigating the report of a stolen camper trailer at 12544 S. Topeka Avenue, near Carbondale, according to Osage County Sheriff Chris Wells. During the investigation, a woman was taken into custody on a Shawnee County arrest warrant. She was also in possession of Illegal narcotics, according to Wells.

Deputies transported Melinda J. Stafford, 44, of Topeka to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of&nbsp; Possession of methamphetamine, Possession of drug paraphernalia and a Shawnee County warrant.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742568674891.png" alt="Stafford photo Osage Co." />
 <figcaption>Stafford photo Osage Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an arrest in Osage County.Early March 19, deputies were investigating the report of a stolen camper trailer at 12544 S. Topeka Avenue, near Carbondale, according to Osage County Sheriff Chris Wells. During the investigation, a woman was taken into custody on a Shawnee County arrest warrant. She was also in possession of Illegal narcotics, according to Wells.Deputies transported Melinda J. Stafford, 44, of Topeka to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of&nbsp; Possession of methamphetamine, Possession of drug paraphernalia and a Shawnee County warrant.

Stolen vehicle investigation led to Kan. woman's arrest

More are dying from flu as the Trump administration postpones planning for next fall.

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/thenderson/">TIM HENDERSON</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>

Americans are facing the highest death toll from influenza since 2018, just as more people become vulnerable because of growing vaccine skepticism taking hold in statehouses and the Trump administration.

Flu-related deaths hit a seven-year high in January and February, the two months that usually account for the height of flu season, according to a Stateline analysis of preliminary federal statistics. There were about 9,800 deaths across the country, up from 5,000 in the same period last year and the most since 2018, when there were about 10,800.

Despite that, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has canceled or postponed meetings to prepare for next fall’s flu vaccine, when experts talk about what influenza strains they expect they’ll be battling.

The cancellations raised protests from medical professionals and state and federal officials. U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/news/press/release/amid-the-worst-influenza-season-in-a-decade-gillibrand-demands-answers-on-cancellation-and-postponement-of-advisory-committee-meetings-on-vaccinations/" target="_blank">said in a statement</a>&nbsp;that her state is having its worst flu season in at least 15 years, with more deaths from flu and other causes as the state’s health care system struggles under the strain of flu patients.

Some experts say putting off vaccine planning will only feed false narratives that discourage lifesaving vaccinations.

“These delays not only weaken pandemic preparedness but also undermine public confidence in vaccination efforts,” said Dr. Akram Khan, an Oregon pulmonologist and associate professor at Oregon Health &amp; Science University who has studied attitudes toward vaccines.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/28/health/rfk-jr-vaccines-autism-video.html?unlocked_article_code=1.s04.B7NS.rhrHUA_r4ZKf&amp;smid=url-share" target="_blank">expressed doubt</a>&nbsp;about the need for vaccines, including flu vaccines, despite evidence that they reduce deaths and hospitalizations.

Deaths fluctuate naturally from year to year depending on the severity of current flu strains and the effectiveness of that year’s vaccines. But some see a hesitancy to use any vaccine, fed by misinformation and political mistrust of government, already taking a toll on lives.

“It’s been a bad winter for viral respiratory infections, not just in the United States but across the Northern Hemisphere,” said Mark Doherty, a vaccine scholar and former manager for GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, a vaccine manufacturer.

“The U.S. does appear to be hit a bit harder, and it’s possible lower vaccination coverage is contributing to that,” Doherty said.

Flu vaccine distribution in the United States has been declining in recent years, and as of the first week of 2025 was down 16% from 2022, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/fluvaxview/dashboard/vaccine-doses-distributed.html" target="_blank">federal statistics</a>.

The flu was a factor in 9,800 deaths in January and February, according to the analysis, using provisional data collected by states and compiled by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The highest death rates were in Oklahoma, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Kentucky, all at about four deaths per 100,000 population so far this year. Some counties in Florida, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, as well as Oklahoma and Kentucky, were even higher — at about six deaths per 100,000.

The highest rates have been among older people. Statistics show the deaths hit white people and American Indians especially hard.

Tragedies are happening across the country to people of all ages and races, however. A 43-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/jeff-gregorys-family?attribution_id=sl:b469a277-193c-47ae-92b7-1f10b7b2f863&amp;lang=en_US&amp;utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&amp;utm_content=amp13_c-amp14_t1&amp;utm_medium=customer&amp;utm_source=twitter" target="_blank">Indiana father</a>&nbsp;died after a brief bout of the flu, according to family members. After two 10-year-olds died in Prince George’s County, Maryland, area schools&nbsp;<a href="https://wjla.com/news/local/flu-shot-student-deaths-prince-georges-county-madison-middle-school-hospitalized-fever-henos-eskender-public-schools-minka-greene" target="_blank">drew crowds</a>&nbsp;to vaccine clinics.

Doug Sides, a pastor at Yulee Baptist Church in northern Florida, has held funerals for three congregation members who died from flu — all within one month, all of them over 70 years old. That compares with only one victim of COVID-19 from his congregation during the pandemic, he said.

“Flu death is a reality,” Sides told Stateline on a phone call from a Jacksonville hospital, where he was visiting another 84-year-old congregation member who was rescued from her home with severe pneumonia from an unknown cause.

“I encourage my church members to keep their hands clean, use hand sanitizer and to stay home if they’re feeling sick,” he said. He said he hasn’t personally gotten a flu vaccine recently because he gets conflicting advice about it — some doctors tell him to avoid them because he and some family members have cancer, while another “rides me all the time about getting a flu shot.”

“We’re all getting conflicting advice. We’re living in strange-o times,” he said. (The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/side-effects/infections/vaccination-during-cancer-treatment.html" target="_blank">American Cancer Society</a>&nbsp;says vaccination for people with cancer may or may not be recommended depending on individual circumstances.)

Many states are&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2025/02/28/vaccination-rates-are-declining-they-might-get-worse-as-states-relax-rules/">relaxing vaccine requirements</a>&nbsp;as public skepticism rises. But many are taking action to warn residents and reassure them that vaccinations are safe and can help prevent deaths, despite misinformation to the contrary.

Burlington County, New Jersey, has had the highest flu-associated death rate of any county this year, according to the analysis, with 31 deaths among fewer than 500,000 people. The county held 30 free vaccine clinics from September to January, then extended them into February because of the severity of the flu season, said Dave Levinsky, a spokesperson for the county health department.

In Oklahoma, death rates are&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahoma.gov/health/health-education/acute-disease-service/viral-view/influenza.html" target="_blank">highest in the eastern part of the state</a>&nbsp;where the Cherokee Nation is centered. A&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahoma.gov/health/services/personal-health/immunizations/fight-flu.html" target="_blank">state publicity campaign</a>&nbsp;stresses that flu shots are safe, effective and free at many community health centers. However, vaccination rates in the state are low compared with other states as of December, according to federal statistics: Only about 16% of Oklahoma residents had gotten flu vaccinations by then. Rates were even lower in Louisiana (just under 16%), Mississippi (12%) and Texas (10%).

States with the highest flu vaccination rates by December were Maine (37%), Connecticut and Vermont (33%), and Wisconsin and Minnesota (31%). But even those were down since 2022.

People have become less likely to get vaccinated in recent years, a phenomenon researchers call “vaccine hesitancy.”

A&nbsp;<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39569234/" target="_blank">report</a>&nbsp;published last year in the medical journal Cureus found three-quarters of patients in a rural New York state community refused flu vaccine with comments such as “I do not trust vaccines” or “I do not believe in vaccines.” The most common reasons cited were that earlier vaccinations made them feel sick, that they got the flu anyway, or that they thought they shouldn’t need a new shot every year. (Doctors recommend flu vaccinations annually and note that even vaccinated patients who get the flu usually face less severe forms.)

And in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0264410X25001033" target="_blank">paper</a>&nbsp;published in February in the journal Vaccine, researchers found that people refuse flu vaccinations for many of the same reasons they refused COVID-19 shots: a feeling of “social vulnerability” that leads to distrust of government and medical guidance. One hopeful sign, the report noted, is that vaccine recommendations from trusted health care professionals can turn around such attitudes.

“Unfortunately, vaccine hesitancy is deeply entangled with misinformation, political rhetoric and public distrust,” said Khan, the Oregon pulmonologist and the study’s author. “Scientific data alone may not be enough to shift public perceptions, as many vaccine decisions are driven by gut feelings and external influences rather than evidence.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742732863479.png" alt=" A woman receives a flu vaccination at a recent clinic in Cambridge, Mass., conducted by health care providers from the Cambridge Health Alliance. Flu-related deaths are at a seven-year high as vaccination levels fall, according to a Stateline analysis. (Courtesy of the City of Cambridge)" />
 <figcaption> A woman receives a flu vaccination at a recent clinic in Cambridge, Mass., conducted by health care providers from the Cambridge Health Alliance. Flu-related deaths are at a seven-year high as vaccination levels fall, according to a Stateline analysis. (Courtesy of the City of Cambridge)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>More are dying from flu as the Trump administration postpones planning for next fall.</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/thenderson/">TIM HENDERSON</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>Americans are facing the highest death toll from influenza since 2018, just as more people become vulnerable because of growing vaccine skepticism taking hold in statehouses and the Trump administration.Flu-related deaths hit a seven-year high in January and February, the two months that usually account for the height of flu season, according to a Stateline analysis of preliminary federal statistics. There were about 9,800 deaths across the country, up from 5,000 in the same period last year and the most since 2018, when there were about 10,800.Despite that, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has canceled or postponed meetings to prepare for next fall’s flu vaccine, when experts talk about what influenza strains they expect they’ll be battling.The cancellations raised protests from medical professionals and state and federal officials. U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/news/press/release/amid-the-worst-influenza-season-in-a-decade-gillibrand-demands-answers-on-cancellation-and-postponement-of-advisory-committee-meetings-on-vaccinations/" target="_blank">said in a statement</a>&nbsp;that her state is having its worst flu season in at least 15 years, with more deaths from flu and other causes as the state’s health care system struggles under the strain of flu patients.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742732798762.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Some experts say putting off vaccine planning will only feed false narratives that discourage lifesaving vaccinations.“These delays not only weaken pandemic preparedness but also undermine public confidence in vaccination efforts,” said Dr. Akram Khan, an Oregon pulmonologist and associate professor at Oregon Health &amp; Science University who has studied attitudes toward vaccines.U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/28/health/rfk-jr-vaccines-autism-video.html?unlocked_article_code=1.s04.B7NS.rhrHUA_r4ZKf&amp;smid=url-share" target="_blank">expressed doubt</a>&nbsp;about the need for vaccines, including flu vaccines, despite evidence that they reduce deaths and hospitalizations.Deaths fluctuate naturally from year to year depending on the severity of current flu strains and the effectiveness of that year’s vaccines. But some see a hesitancy to use any vaccine, fed by misinformation and political mistrust of government, already taking a toll on lives.“It’s been a bad winter for viral respiratory infections, not just in the United States but across the Northern Hemisphere,” said Mark Doherty, a vaccine scholar and former manager for GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, a vaccine manufacturer.“The U.S. does appear to be hit a bit harder, and it’s possible lower vaccination coverage is contributing to that,” Doherty said.Flu vaccine distribution in the United States has been declining in recent years, and as of the first week of 2025 was down 16% from 2022, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/fluvaxview/dashboard/vaccine-doses-distributed.html" target="_blank">federal statistics</a>.The flu was a factor in 9,800 deaths in January and February, according to the analysis, using provisional data collected by states and compiled by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The highest death rates were in Oklahoma, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Kentucky, all at about four deaths per 100,000 population so far this year. Some counties in Florida, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, as well as Oklahoma and Kentucky, were even higher — at about six deaths per 100,000.The highest rates have been among older people. Statistics show the deaths hit white people and American Indians especially hard.Tragedies are happening across the country to people of all ages and races, however. A 43-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/jeff-gregorys-family?attribution_id=sl:b469a277-193c-47ae-92b7-1f10b7b2f863&amp;lang=en_US&amp;utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&amp;utm_content=amp13_c-amp14_t1&amp;utm_medium=customer&amp;utm_source=twitter" target="_blank">Indiana father</a>&nbsp;died after a brief bout of the flu, according to family members. After two 10-year-olds died in Prince George’s County, Maryland, area schools&nbsp;<a href="https://wjla.com/news/local/flu-shot-student-deaths-prince-georges-county-madison-middle-school-hospitalized-fever-henos-eskender-public-schools-minka-greene" target="_blank">drew crowds</a>&nbsp;to vaccine clinics.Doug Sides, a pastor at Yulee Baptist Church in northern Florida, has held funerals for three congregation members who died from flu — all within one month, all of them over 70 years old. That compares with only one victim of COVID-19 from his congregation during the pandemic, he said.“Flu death is a reality,” Sides told Stateline on a phone call from a Jacksonville hospital, where he was visiting another 84-year-old congregation member who was rescued from her home with severe pneumonia from an unknown cause.“I encourage my church members to keep their hands clean, use hand sanitizer and to stay home if they’re feeling sick,” he said. He said he hasn’t personally gotten a flu vaccine recently because he gets conflicting advice about it — some doctors tell him to avoid them because he and some family members have cancer, while another “rides me all the time about getting a flu shot.”“We’re all getting conflicting advice. We’re living in strange-o times,” he said. (The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/side-effects/infections/vaccination-during-cancer-treatment.html" target="_blank">American Cancer Society</a>&nbsp;says vaccination for people with cancer may or may not be recommended depending on individual circumstances.)Many states are&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2025/02/28/vaccination-rates-are-declining-they-might-get-worse-as-states-relax-rules/">relaxing vaccine requirements</a>&nbsp;as public skepticism rises. But many are taking action to warn residents and reassure them that vaccinations are safe and can help prevent deaths, despite misinformation to the contrary.Burlington County, New Jersey, has had the highest flu-associated death rate of any county this year, according to the analysis, with 31 deaths among fewer than 500,000 people. The county held 30 free vaccine clinics from September to January, then extended them into February because of the severity of the flu season, said Dave Levinsky, a spokesperson for the county health department.In Oklahoma, death rates are&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahoma.gov/health/health-education/acute-disease-service/viral-view/influenza.html" target="_blank">highest in the eastern part of the state</a>&nbsp;where the Cherokee Nation is centered. A&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahoma.gov/health/services/personal-health/immunizations/fight-flu.html" target="_blank">state publicity campaign</a>&nbsp;stresses that flu shots are safe, effective and free at many community health centers. However, vaccination rates in the state are low compared with other states as of December, according to federal statistics: Only about 16% of Oklahoma residents had gotten flu vaccinations by then. Rates were even lower in Louisiana (just under 16%), Mississippi (12%) and Texas (10%).States with the highest flu vaccination rates by December were Maine (37%), Connecticut and Vermont (33%), and Wisconsin and Minnesota (31%). But even those were down since 2022.People have become less likely to get vaccinated in recent years, a phenomenon researchers call “vaccine hesitancy.”A&nbsp;<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39569234/" target="_blank">report</a>&nbsp;published last year in the medical journal Cureus found three-quarters of patients in a rural New York state community refused flu vaccine with comments such as “I do not trust vaccines” or “I do not believe in vaccines.” The most common reasons cited were that earlier vaccinations made them feel sick, that they got the flu anyway, or that they thought they shouldn’t need a new shot every year. (Doctors recommend flu vaccinations annually and note that even vaccinated patients who get the flu usually face less severe forms.)And in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0264410X25001033" target="_blank">paper</a>&nbsp;published in February in the journal Vaccine, researchers found that people refuse flu vaccinations for many of the same reasons they refused COVID-19 shots: a feeling of “social vulnerability” that leads to distrust of government and medical guidance. One hopeful sign, the report noted, is that vaccine recommendations from trusted health care professionals can turn around such attitudes.“Unfortunately, vaccine hesitancy is deeply entangled with misinformation, political rhetoric and public distrust,” said Khan, the Oregon pulmonologist and the study’s author. “Scientific data alone may not be enough to shift public perceptions, as many vaccine decisions are driven by gut feelings and external influences rather than evidence.”

Flu deaths rise as anti-vaccine disinformation takes root

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Cybertrucks set ablaze. Bullets and Molotov cocktails aimed at Tesla showrooms.

Attacks on property carrying the logo of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elon-musk">Elon Musk's</a>&nbsp;electric-car company are cropping up across the U.S. and overseas. While no injuries have been reported, Tesla showrooms, vehicle lots, charging stations and privately owned cars have been targeted.

There's been a clear uptick since President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;took office and empowered Musk to oversee a new Department of Government Efficiency that's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-firings-layoffs-federal-government-workers-musk-d33cdd7872d64d2bdd8fe70c28652654">slashing government spending</a>. Experts on domestic extremism say it's impossible to know yet if the spate of incidents will balloon into a long-term pattern.

In Trump’s first term, his properties in New York, Washington and elsewhere became a natural place for protest. In the early days of his second term, Tesla is filling that role.

“Tesla is an easy target,” said Randy Blazak, a sociologist who studies political violence. “They’re rolling down our streets. They have dealerships in our neighborhoods.”

Musk critics have organized&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-tesla-protests-doge-3b3eba9313074ccf8e959a92486d900f">dozens of peaceful demonstrations</a>&nbsp;at Tesla dealerships and factories across North America and Europe. Some Tesla owners,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/CaptMarkKelly/status/1900574148906086817">including a U.S. senator</a>&nbsp;who feuded with Musk, have vowed to sell their vehicles.

But the attacks are keeping law enforcement busy.

Prosecutors in Colorado&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tesla-colorado-dealership-vandalized-federal-charges-musk-d6aefe246624592ceff0b4e6ce6e57a1">charged a woman</a>&nbsp;last month in connection with attacks on Tesla dealerships, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tesla-vandalism-arrest-colorado-musk-9b8019281d60825af8bac4a9c1df6255">Molotov cocktails thrown at vehicles</a>&nbsp;and the words “Nazi cars” spray-painted on a building.

And federal agents in South Carolina last week arrested a man they say set fire to Tesla charging stations near Charleston. An agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives wrote in an affidavit that authorities found writings critical of the government and DOGE in his bedroom and wallet.

“The statement made mention of sending a message based on these beliefs,” the agent wrote.

Some of the most prominent incidents have been reported in left-leaning cities in the Pacific Northwest, like&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-ap-top-news-race-and-ethnicity-id-state-wire-or-state-wire-b57315d97dd2146c4a89b4636faa7b70">Portland, Oregon</a>, and Seattle, where anti-Trump and anti-Musk sentiment runs high.

An Oregon man faces charges after allegedly throwing several Molotov cocktails at a Tesla store in Salem, then returning another day and shooting out windows. In the Portland suburb of Tigard, more than a dozen bullets were fired at a Tesla showroom last week, damaging vehicles and windows, the second time in a week that the store was targeted.

Four Cybertrucks were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tesla-cybertruck-fire-seattle-7cd720096694b8455684db31159ed666">set on fire</a>&nbsp;in a Tesla lot&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/authorities-investigate-after-tesla-cybertrucks-burn-in-seattle-5cc5926aad8741cabad6f4a908e5106d">in Seattle</a>&nbsp;earlier this month. On Friday, witnesses reported a man poured gasoline on an unoccupied Tesla Model S and started a fire on a Seattle street.

In Las Vegas, several Tesla vehicles were set ablaze early Tuesday outside a Tesla service center where the word “resist” was also painted in red across the building’s front doors. Authorities said at least one person threw Molotov cocktails — crude bombs filled with gasoline or another flammable liquid — and fired several rounds from a weapon into the vehicles.

“Was this terrorism? Was it something else? It certainly has some of the hallmarks that we might think — the writing on the wall, potential political agenda, an act of violence,” Spencer Evans, the special agent in charge of the Las Vegas FBI office, said at a news conference. “None of those factors are lost on us.”

Tesla was once the darling of the left. Helped to viability by a $465 million federal loan during the Obama administration, the company popularized electric vehicles and proved, despite their early reputation, that they didn’t have to be small, stodgy, underpowered and limited in range.

More recently, though, Musk has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-congress-bipartisan-deal-320a3487d596ae0d2e1ffdc1e62054b3">allied himself</a>&nbsp;with the right. He bought the social network Twitter, renamed it X and erased restrictions that had infuriated conservatives. He spent an estimated $250 million to boost Trump’s 2024 Republican campaign, becoming by far his biggest benefactor.

Musk continues to run Tesla —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/x-cyber-attack-musk-trump-77f48ea813482de03272136121ea2f5c">as well as X</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/spacex-starship-elon-musk-0c260a324f597a172300315c6486b9df">the rocket manufacturer SpaceX</a>&nbsp;— while also serving as Trump’s adviser.

Tesla stock doubled in value in the weeks after Trump’s election but has since shed all those gains.

Trump gave a boost to the company when he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-tesla-9a43c57a0591a4c7ed8d3f1b2c7ef8d9">turned the White House driveway</a>&nbsp;into an electric-vehicle showroom. He promoted the vehicles and said he would purchase an $80,000 Model S, eschewing his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-electric-vehicles-past-criticism-hoax-d58758e990f13482e0c6e3a79150abbe">fierce past criticism</a>&nbsp;of electric vehicles.

Tesla didn't respond to a request for comment. Musk briefly addressed the vandalism Monday during an appearance on Sen. Ted Cruz’s podcast, saying “at least some of it is organized and paid for” by “left-wing organizations in America, funded by left-wing billionaires, essentially.”

“This level of violence is insane and deeply wrong,” Musk&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1902025957646508355">wrote Tuesday</a>&nbsp;on X, sharing a video of burning Teslas in Las Vegas. “Tesla just makes electric cars and has done nothing to deserve these evil attacks.”

The progressive group Indivisible, which published a guide for supporters to organize “Musk Or Us” protests around the country, said in a statement that all of its guidance is publicly available and “it explicitly encourages peaceful protest and condemns any acts of violence or vandalism.”

Some Tesla owners have resorted to cheeky bumper stickers to distance themselves from their vehicle’s new stigma and perhaps deter would-be vandals. They say things like “I bought this before we knew Elon was crazy” or “I just wanted an electric car. Sorry guys.”

Prices for used Cybertrucks, Tesla’s most distinctive product, have dropped nearly 8% since Trump took office, according to CarGurus, which aggregates used-car vehicle listings. The market as a whole remained steady over the period.

The White House has thrown its weight behind Musk, the highest-profile member of Trump's administration and a key donor to committees promoting Trump's political interests. Trump has said Tesla vandalism amounts to “domestic terror,” and Trump has threatened retribution, warning that those who target the company are “going to go through hell.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi said she’d opened an investigation “to see how is this being funded, who is behind this.”

“If you’re going to touch a Tesla, go to a dealership, do anything, you better watch out because we’re coming after you,” Bondi said Friday on Fox Business Network. In a statement Tuesday, she vowed to “continue investigations that impose severe consequences,” including for “those operating behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742305766866.png" alt="-The cause of a fire at a Tesla dealership in Kansas City is under federal investigation- Photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>-The cause of a fire at a Tesla dealership in Kansas City is under federal investigation- Photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Cybertrucks set ablaze. Bullets and Molotov cocktails aimed at Tesla showrooms.Attacks on property carrying the logo of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elon-musk">Elon Musk's</a>&nbsp;electric-car company are cropping up across the U.S. and overseas. While no injuries have been reported, Tesla showrooms, vehicle lots, charging stations and privately owned cars have been targeted.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">FBI Kansas City has released the following statement alongside <a href="https://twitter.com/ATFKansasCity?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ATFKansasCity</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/kcpolice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kcpolice</a> regarding an overnight incident in South Kansas City. <a href="https://t.co/M2SZS6iWeQ">pic.twitter.com/M2SZS6iWeQ</a>&mdash; FBI Kansas City (@FBIKansasCity) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIKansasCity/status/1902048654795432263?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>There's been a clear uptick since President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;took office and empowered Musk to oversee a new Department of Government Efficiency that's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-firings-layoffs-federal-government-workers-musk-d33cdd7872d64d2bdd8fe70c28652654">slashing government spending</a>. Experts on domestic extremism say it's impossible to know yet if the spate of incidents will balloon into a long-term pattern.In Trump’s first term, his properties in New York, Washington and elsewhere became a natural place for protest. In the early days of his second term, Tesla is filling that role.“Tesla is an easy target,” said Randy Blazak, a sociologist who studies political violence. “They’re rolling down our streets. They have dealerships in our neighborhoods.”Musk critics have organized&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-tesla-protests-doge-3b3eba9313074ccf8e959a92486d900f">dozens of peaceful demonstrations</a>&nbsp;at Tesla dealerships and factories across North America and Europe. Some Tesla owners,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/CaptMarkKelly/status/1900574148906086817">including a U.S. senator</a>&nbsp;who feuded with Musk, have vowed to sell their vehicles.But the attacks are keeping law enforcement busy.Prosecutors in Colorado&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tesla-colorado-dealership-vandalized-federal-charges-musk-d6aefe246624592ceff0b4e6ce6e57a1">charged a woman</a>&nbsp;last month in connection with attacks on Tesla dealerships, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tesla-vandalism-arrest-colorado-musk-9b8019281d60825af8bac4a9c1df6255">Molotov cocktails thrown at vehicles</a>&nbsp;and the words “Nazi cars” spray-painted on a building.And federal agents in South Carolina last week arrested a man they say set fire to Tesla charging stations near Charleston. An agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives wrote in an affidavit that authorities found writings critical of the government and DOGE in his bedroom and wallet.“The statement made mention of sending a message based on these beliefs,” the agent wrote.Some of the most prominent incidents have been reported in left-leaning cities in the Pacific Northwest, like&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-ap-top-news-race-and-ethnicity-id-state-wire-or-state-wire-b57315d97dd2146c4a89b4636faa7b70">Portland, Oregon</a>, and Seattle, where anti-Trump and anti-Musk sentiment runs high.An Oregon man faces charges after allegedly throwing several Molotov cocktails at a Tesla store in Salem, then returning another day and shooting out windows. In the Portland suburb of Tigard, more than a dozen bullets were fired at a Tesla showroom last week, damaging vehicles and windows, the second time in a week that the store was targeted.Four Cybertrucks were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tesla-cybertruck-fire-seattle-7cd720096694b8455684db31159ed666">set on fire</a>&nbsp;in a Tesla lot&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/authorities-investigate-after-tesla-cybertrucks-burn-in-seattle-5cc5926aad8741cabad6f4a908e5106d">in Seattle</a>&nbsp;earlier this month. On Friday, witnesses reported a man poured gasoline on an unoccupied Tesla Model S and started a fire on a Seattle street.In Las Vegas, several Tesla vehicles were set ablaze early Tuesday outside a Tesla service center where the word “resist” was also painted in red across the building’s front doors. Authorities said at least one person threw Molotov cocktails — crude bombs filled with gasoline or another flammable liquid — and fired several rounds from a weapon into the vehicles.“Was this terrorism? Was it something else? It certainly has some of the hallmarks that we might think — the writing on the wall, potential political agenda, an act of violence,” Spencer Evans, the special agent in charge of the Las Vegas FBI office, said at a news conference. “None of those factors are lost on us.”<h2>Tesla becomes a target for the left</h2>Tesla was once the darling of the left. Helped to viability by a $465 million federal loan during the Obama administration, the company popularized electric vehicles and proved, despite their early reputation, that they didn’t have to be small, stodgy, underpowered and limited in range.More recently, though, Musk has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-congress-bipartisan-deal-320a3487d596ae0d2e1ffdc1e62054b3">allied himself</a>&nbsp;with the right. He bought the social network Twitter, renamed it X and erased restrictions that had infuriated conservatives. He spent an estimated $250 million to boost Trump’s 2024 Republican campaign, becoming by far his biggest benefactor.Musk continues to run Tesla —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/x-cyber-attack-musk-trump-77f48ea813482de03272136121ea2f5c">as well as X</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/spacex-starship-elon-musk-0c260a324f597a172300315c6486b9df">the rocket manufacturer SpaceX</a>&nbsp;— while also serving as Trump’s adviser.Tesla stock doubled in value in the weeks after Trump’s election but has since shed all those gains.Trump gave a boost to the company when he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-tesla-9a43c57a0591a4c7ed8d3f1b2c7ef8d9">turned the White House driveway</a>&nbsp;into an electric-vehicle showroom. He promoted the vehicles and said he would purchase an $80,000 Model S, eschewing his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-electric-vehicles-past-criticism-hoax-d58758e990f13482e0c6e3a79150abbe">fierce past criticism</a>&nbsp;of electric vehicles.Tesla didn't respond to a request for comment. Musk briefly addressed the vandalism Monday during an appearance on Sen. Ted Cruz’s podcast, saying “at least some of it is organized and paid for” by “left-wing organizations in America, funded by left-wing billionaires, essentially.”“This level of violence is insane and deeply wrong,” Musk&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1902025957646508355">wrote Tuesday</a>&nbsp;on X, sharing a video of burning Teslas in Las Vegas. “Tesla just makes electric cars and has done nothing to deserve these evil attacks.”The progressive group Indivisible, which published a guide for supporters to organize “Musk Or Us” protests around the country, said in a statement that all of its guidance is publicly available and “it explicitly encourages peaceful protest and condemns any acts of violence or vandalism.”Some Tesla owners have resorted to cheeky bumper stickers to distance themselves from their vehicle’s new stigma and perhaps deter would-be vandals. They say things like “I bought this before we knew Elon was crazy” or “I just wanted an electric car. Sorry guys.”Prices for used Cybertrucks, Tesla’s most distinctive product, have dropped nearly 8% since Trump took office, according to CarGurus, which aggregates used-car vehicle listings. The market as a whole remained steady over the period.<h2>The White House vows a crackdown</h2>The White House has thrown its weight behind Musk, the highest-profile member of Trump's administration and a key donor to committees promoting Trump's political interests. Trump has said Tesla vandalism amounts to “domestic terror,” and Trump has threatened retribution, warning that those who target the company are “going to go through hell.”Attorney General Pam Bondi said she’d opened an investigation “to see how is this being funded, who is behind this.”“If you’re going to touch a Tesla, go to a dealership, do anything, you better watch out because we’re coming after you,” Bondi said Friday on Fox Business Network. In a statement Tuesday, she vowed to “continue investigations that impose severe consequences,” including for “those operating behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes.”Colin Clarke, a senior research fellow at the Soufan Center, said left-wing political violence tends to target property rather than people. He views the rise of neo-Nazi groups as a bigger security threat at this point.“It’s not the type of act that I would prioritize,” Clarke said. “Not right now compared to all the other threats that are out there.”Theresa Ramsdell is the president of the Tesla Owners of Washington state, a club for Tesla enthusiasts, and she and her husband own three of them.“Hate on Elon and Trump all you want — that’s fine and dandy, it’s your choice,” she said. “It doesn’t justify ruining somebody’s property, vandalizing it, destroying it, setting it on fire. There’s other ways to get your voice heard that’s more effective.”Someone recently slapped a “no Elon” sticker on the tailgate of her Cybertruck, but she said she doesn’t intend to stop driving her Teslas. Other club members have taken a similar view, she said.“I love my car. It’s the safest car,” Ramsdell said. “I’m not going to let somebody else judge me for the car I drive.”___Cooper reported from Phoenix.