JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating the murder of two women at a home in Lenexa have identified the victims as 71-year-old Joyce E. Austin and 63-year-old Valerie A. Howard both of Lenexa, according to a statement from police.

Just after 5a.m. Wednesday,&nbsp; police responded to a residence in the 15400 block of W. 90th Street in Lenexa to conduct a welfare check after receiving information that individuals inside may have been shot.

Upon entering the home, officers located the two women who were deceased.&nbsp; Police took a man identified as 34-year-old Luke Howard into custody.

Luke is the son of Valerie Howard. Valerie Howard and Joyce Austin are former sisters-in-law, and both lived at the home, according to a statement from Lenexa Police.

The Johnson County District Attorney’s Office has charged Luke Howard with two counts of First-Degree Murder.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739559186747.png" alt="Howard is being held in Clay County, Missouri" />
 <figcaption>Howard is being held in Clay County, Missouri</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating the murder of two women at a home in Lenexa have identified the victims as 71-year-old Joyce E. Austin and 63-year-old Valerie A. Howard both of Lenexa, according to a statement from police.Just after 5a.m. Wednesday,&nbsp; police responded to a residence in the 15400 block of W. 90th Street in Lenexa to conduct a welfare check after receiving information that individuals inside may have been shot.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739394112183.png" alt="Photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>Upon entering the home, officers located the two women who were deceased.&nbsp; Police took a man identified as 34-year-old Luke Howard into custody.Luke is the son of Valerie Howard. Valerie Howard and Joyce Austin are former sisters-in-law, and both lived at the home, according to a statement from Lenexa Police.The Johnson County District Attorney’s Office has charged Luke Howard with two counts of First-Degree Murder.

Police: Son of one of the victims accused in Kan. double murder

JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas woman is going to prison for a teen's deadly overdose death.

On February 10, Judge Christina Dunn Gyllenborg sentenced 48-year-old Trina L. Golden to 186 months for distribution of drugs causing death, and 9 months each for two counts for use of a communication facility during a drug felony.&nbsp; All counts are to run consecutive to each other for a controlling sentence of 204 months in prison, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.

In July, a jury convicted Golden of distribution of drugs causing death and use of a communication facility during a drug felony, according to Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe.

The victim was 19-year-old Maddelyn Miller who died of an overdose in July of 2020 at her home in Overland Park.

According to her obituary,&nbsp;Miller attended Olathe East High School, graduated in 2019 and&nbsp; planned to study at Johnson County Community College.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721483651727.png" alt="Golden photo Johnson County" />
 <figcaption>Golden photo Johnson County</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas woman is going to prison for a teen's deadly overdose death.On February 10, Judge Christina Dunn Gyllenborg sentenced 48-year-old Trina L. Golden to 186 months for distribution of drugs causing death, and 9 months each for two counts for use of a communication facility during a drug felony.&nbsp; All counts are to run consecutive to each other for a controlling sentence of 204 months in prison, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.In July, a jury convicted Golden of distribution of drugs causing death and use of a communication facility during a drug felony, according to Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721484305174.png" alt="Maddelyn Miller courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Maddelyn Miller courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>The victim was 19-year-old Maddelyn Miller who died of an overdose in July of 2020 at her home in Overland Park.According to her obituary,&nbsp;Miller attended Olathe East High School, graduated in 2019 and&nbsp; planned to study at Johnson County Community College.&nbsp;

 Prison for drug overdose death of Kansas teen

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump administration</a>&nbsp;on Thursday intensified its sweeping efforts&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-buyouts-to-all-federal-employees-f67f5751a0fd5ad8471806a5a1067b5e">to shrink the size</a>&nbsp;of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-workforce-employees-trump-cuts-buyouts-86d7a1bc5b3968aa92e0657a7e15bee1">federal workforce</a>, the nation's largest employer, by ordering agencies to lay off nearly all probationary employees who had not yet gained civil service protection — potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of workers.

In addition, workers at some agencies were warned that large workplace cuts would be coming.

The decision on probationary workers, who generally have less than a year on the job, came from the Office of Personnel Management, which serves as a human resources department for the federal government. The notification was confirmed by a person familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly.

Even workers in the personnel office itself were not immune: Dozens of probationary employees at OPM were told on a Thursday afternoon group call that they were being dismissed and then instructed to leave the building within a half-hour, according to another person who likewise spoke on condition of anonymity.

It’s expected to be the first step in sweeping layoffs. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday that told agency leaders to plan for “large-scale reductions in force.”

Elon Musk, whom President Trump has given wide leeway to slash government spending with his Department of Government Efficiency,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-doge-us-uae-6f7c0e5b43adfb4ec3c1f14a964f573c">called Thursday for the elimination of whole agencies.</a>

“I think we do need to delete entire agencies as opposed to leave a lot of them behind,” Musk said via a videocall to the World Governments Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. “If we don’t remove the roots of the weed, then it’s easy for the weed to grow back.”

Everett Kelley, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees representing federal workers, said the administration “abused” the probation status of workers “to conduct a politically driven mass firing spree, targeting employees not because of performance, but because they were hired before Trump took office.”

Thursday's order was an expansion of previous directions from OPM, which told agencies earlier this week that probationary employees should be fired if they weren’t meeting high standards. It’s not clear how many workers are currently in a probationary period. According to government data maintained by OPM, as of March 2024, 220,000 workers had less than a year on the job — the most recent data available.

The firing of probationary employees began earlier this week and has included the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Department of Education workers.

At least 39 were fired from the Education Department on Wednesday, according to a union that represents agency workers, including civil rights workers, special education specialists and student aid officials.

The layoffs also hit Department of Veterans Affairs researchers working on cancer treatment, opioid addiction, prosthetics and burn pit exposure, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat, said Thursday.

Murray said in a statement that she heard from VA researchers in her state who were told to stop their research immediately, “not because their work isn’t desperately needed, but because Trump and Elon have decided to fire these researchers on a whim.”

Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a group that defends government workers, said the Agriculture Department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service would be hit especially hard by laying off probationary employees because it has trouble recruiting inspectors required to be present at all times at most slaughterhouses.

The civilian federal workforce&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-workforce-employees-trump-cuts-buyouts-86d7a1bc5b3968aa92e0657a7e15bee1">,</a>&nbsp;not including military personnel and postal workers, is made up of about 2.4 million people. While about 20% of the workers are in Washington D.C., and the neighboring states of Maryland and Virginia, more than 80% live outside the Capitol region.

Layoffs are unlikely to yield significant deficit savings. When the Congressional Budget Office looked at the issue, it found the government spent $271 billion annually compensating civilian federal workers, with about 60% of that total going to workers employed by the departments of Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs.

The government could, in theory, cut all those workers and still run a deficit of over $1 trillion that would continue to grow as tax revenues are needed to keep up with the growing costs of Social Security and Medicare.

Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said firing employees on probation is flawed because it targets younger workers.

“Baby Boomers are retiring right and left, so actually the people you want to keep are probably most of the people who are right now on probation," said Kamarck, who worked in former President Bill Clinton’s Democratic administration when about 426,000 federal jobs were cut over more than eight years in a deliberative effort aimed at reinventing government. "They’re younger and presumably have better skills, and that’s who you want."

Trump’s initial attempt to downsize the workforce was the deferred resignation program, commonly described as a buyout, which offered to pay people until Sept. 30 if they agreed to quit. The White House said 75,000 people signed up, and a federal judge cleared a legal roadblock for the program Wednesday.

However, the number of workers who took the offer was less than the administration’s target, and Trump has made it clear he would take further steps.

Employees at the National Science Foundation and Housing and Urban Development Department were told this week that large reductions, in some cases a halving of the workforce, would be coming, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it.

The order Trump signed Tuesday stipulated that government functions not required by law would be prioritized for cuts and hiring will be restricted. With exceptions for functions such as public safety, only one employee can be added for every four that leave. In addition, new hires would generally need approval from a representative of the DOGE, expanding the influence of Musk’s team.

Trump has praised Musk’s work to slash federal spending.

The Republican president has also been sharply critical of federal workers, especially those who want to keep working remotely, though his administration is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-gsa-terminate-office-leases-f8faac5e2038722f705587c8dd21ab26">simultaneously working to cut federal office space</a>&nbsp;and ordering the termination of worksite leases throughout the government.

“Nobody is gonna work from home,” Trump said Monday. “They are gonna be going out, they’re gonna play tennis, they’re gonna play golf, they’re gonna do a lot of things. They’re not working.”

Price reported from New York. Associated Press writers Will Weissert, Lisa Mascaro, Josh Boak and Collin Binkley in Washington; Carla Johnson in Seattle; Brian Witte in Annapolis, Maryland; and JoNel Aleccia in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump administration</a>&nbsp;on Thursday intensified its sweeping efforts&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-buyouts-to-all-federal-employees-f67f5751a0fd5ad8471806a5a1067b5e">to shrink the size</a>&nbsp;of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-workforce-employees-trump-cuts-buyouts-86d7a1bc5b3968aa92e0657a7e15bee1">federal workforce</a>, the nation's largest employer, by ordering agencies to lay off nearly all probationary employees who had not yet gained civil service protection — potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of workers.In addition, workers at some agencies were warned that large workplace cuts would be coming.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739496149081.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739496171531.png" alt="Page 2" />
 <figcaption>Page 2</figcaption>
 </figure>The decision on probationary workers, who generally have less than a year on the job, came from the Office of Personnel Management, which serves as a human resources department for the federal government. The notification was confirmed by a person familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly.Even workers in the personnel office itself were not immune: Dozens of probationary employees at OPM were told on a Thursday afternoon group call that they were being dismissed and then instructed to leave the building within a half-hour, according to another person who likewise spoke on condition of anonymity.It’s expected to be the first step in sweeping layoffs. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday that told agency leaders to plan for “large-scale reductions in force.”Elon Musk, whom President Trump has given wide leeway to slash government spending with his Department of Government Efficiency,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-doge-us-uae-6f7c0e5b43adfb4ec3c1f14a964f573c">called Thursday for the elimination of whole agencies.</a>“I think we do need to delete entire agencies as opposed to leave a lot of them behind,” Musk said via a videocall to the World Governments Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. “If we don’t remove the roots of the weed, then it’s easy for the weed to grow back.”Everett Kelley, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees representing federal workers, said the administration “abused” the probation status of workers “to conduct a politically driven mass firing spree, targeting employees not because of performance, but because they were hired before Trump took office.”Thursday's order was an expansion of previous directions from OPM, which told agencies earlier this week that probationary employees should be fired if they weren’t meeting high standards. It’s not clear how many workers are currently in a probationary period. According to government data maintained by OPM, as of March 2024, 220,000 workers had less than a year on the job — the most recent data available.The firing of probationary employees began earlier this week and has included the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Department of Education workers.At least 39 were fired from the Education Department on Wednesday, according to a union that represents agency workers, including civil rights workers, special education specialists and student aid officials.The layoffs also hit Department of Veterans Affairs researchers working on cancer treatment, opioid addiction, prosthetics and burn pit exposure, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat, said Thursday.Murray said in a statement that she heard from VA researchers in her state who were told to stop their research immediately, “not because their work isn’t desperately needed, but because Trump and Elon have decided to fire these researchers on a whim.”Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a group that defends government workers, said the Agriculture Department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service would be hit especially hard by laying off probationary employees because it has trouble recruiting inspectors required to be present at all times at most slaughterhouses.The civilian federal workforce&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-workforce-employees-trump-cuts-buyouts-86d7a1bc5b3968aa92e0657a7e15bee1">,</a>&nbsp;not including military personnel and postal workers, is made up of about 2.4 million people. While about 20% of the workers are in Washington D.C., and the neighboring states of Maryland and Virginia, more than 80% live outside the Capitol region.Layoffs are unlikely to yield significant deficit savings. When the Congressional Budget Office looked at the issue, it found the government spent $271 billion annually compensating civilian federal workers, with about 60% of that total going to workers employed by the departments of Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs.The government could, in theory, cut all those workers and still run a deficit of over $1 trillion that would continue to grow as tax revenues are needed to keep up with the growing costs of Social Security and Medicare.Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said firing employees on probation is flawed because it targets younger workers.“Baby Boomers are retiring right and left, so actually the people you want to keep are probably most of the people who are right now on probation," said Kamarck, who worked in former President Bill Clinton’s Democratic administration when about 426,000 federal jobs were cut over more than eight years in a deliberative effort aimed at reinventing government. "They’re younger and presumably have better skills, and that’s who you want."Trump’s initial attempt to downsize the workforce was the deferred resignation program, commonly described as a buyout, which offered to pay people until Sept. 30 if they agreed to quit. The White House said 75,000 people signed up, and a federal judge cleared a legal roadblock for the program Wednesday.However, the number of workers who took the offer was less than the administration’s target, and Trump has made it clear he would take further steps.Employees at the National Science Foundation and Housing and Urban Development Department were told this week that large reductions, in some cases a halving of the workforce, would be coming, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it.The order Trump signed Tuesday stipulated that government functions not required by law would be prioritized for cuts and hiring will be restricted. With exceptions for functions such as public safety, only one employee can be added for every four that leave. In addition, new hires would generally need approval from a representative of the DOGE, expanding the influence of Musk’s team.Trump has praised Musk’s work to slash federal spending.The Republican president has also been sharply critical of federal workers, especially those who want to keep working remotely, though his administration is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-gsa-terminate-office-leases-f8faac5e2038722f705587c8dd21ab26">simultaneously working to cut federal office space</a>&nbsp;and ordering the termination of worksite leases throughout the government.“Nobody is gonna work from home,” Trump said Monday. “They are gonna be going out, they’re gonna play tennis, they’re gonna play golf, they’re gonna do a lot of things. They’re not working.”___Price reported from New York. Associated Press writers Will Weissert, Lisa Mascaro, Josh Boak and Collin Binkley in Washington; Carla Johnson in Seattle; Brian Witte in Annapolis, Maryland; and JoNel Aleccia in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Read the email: Trump admin. begins sweeping layoffs with probationary workers

By KIA BREAUX and HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — An 86-year-old Kansas City man will plead guilty Friday to the 2023 shooting of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ralph-yarl-kansas-city-wrong-door-b27aaabdb132fcb1544c97f7161f0027">Ralph Yarl</a>, a Black honor student who rang the man’s doorbell by mistake, two people familiar with the case told The Associated Press.

Andrew Lester was scheduled to stand trial next week on charges of first-degree assault and armed criminal action in the shooting of the then 16-year-old, who survived the shooting and has since graduated from high school.

On Thursday, prosecutors said Lester would appear in court Friday, but they did not say why or provide additional detail. Two people familiar with the case who requested anonymity to speak in advance of Friday’s hearing told AP that Lester will plead guilty. One of those people said he will plead to a lesser charge of second-degree assault.

Yarl showed up on Lester’s doorstep in April 2023 after he mixed up the streets where he was supposed to pick up his twin siblings.

Lester’s attorney, Steve Salmon, has long argued that Lester was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ralph-yarl-shooting-stand-your-ground-69f91b0a09b25f9758219897f5890278">acting in self-defense</a>&nbsp;and that he was terrified by the stranger who knocked on his door as he settled into bed for the night. He didn’t immediately respond to a phone message from The Associated Press on Thursday.

The shooting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-guns-kansas-city-yarl-695a103f9fcbb6b441a7f021cf424c1a">shocked the country</a>&nbsp;and renewed national debate about gun policies and race in the U.S.

Yarl showed up on Lester’s doorstep after he mixed up the streets where he was supposed to pick up his twin siblings. Yarl testified at an earlier hearing that he he rang the bell and the wait for someone to answer for what seemed “longer than normal.” As the inner door opened, Yarl said he reached out to grab the storm door.

“I assume these are my brothers’ friends’ parents,” he said.

He said Lester, who is white, shot him in the head and uttered, “Don’t come here ever again.” Although the bullet didn’t penetrate Yarl’s brain, the impact knocked him to the ground. Yarl said Lester then shot him in the arm. The teen was taken to the hospital and released three days later.

His family said the shooting took a big emotional toll and they have filed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ralph-yarl-wrong-house-missouri-lawsuit-d97c54d302212b002351bb72bd7e2562">lawsuit</a>&nbsp;against the retired aircraft mechanic.

Lester has pleaded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ralph-yarl-shooting-court-hearing-not-guilty-e7d992123cc9e1ea4a5237bb08345d12">not guilty</a>&nbsp;to charges of first-degree assault and armed criminal action.

As the trial date approached, the court shut down access to online records in the case, so prospective jurors couldn’t see or read any of the documents available to the public. A spokeswoman in the prosecutor’s office said there have been no new filings in the case this month.

Last year, Salmon said that Lester’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ralph-yarl-wrong-house-missouri-mental-competence-8fa61b24a186e9923fd12ae831b071b0">physical and mental condition had deteriorated</a>. He said Lester has had heart issues, a broken hip and hospitalizations. Lester also has lost 50 pounds (23 kilograms), which Salmon blamed on the stress of intense media coverage and death threats he subsequently received.

A judge ordered a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ralph-yarl-wrong-house-missouri-mental-competence-0b1fbf93520507011305c40787d482ac">mental evaluation</a>&nbsp;of Lester but allowed for the trial to proceed after its completion. The results of that evaluation were not released publicly.

Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kan.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681726215314.png" alt="Yarl photo GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>Yarl photo GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure>By KIA BREAUX and HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH Associated PressKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — An 86-year-old Kansas City man will plead guilty Friday to the 2023 shooting of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ralph-yarl-kansas-city-wrong-door-b27aaabdb132fcb1544c97f7161f0027">Ralph Yarl</a>, a Black honor student who rang the man’s doorbell by mistake, two people familiar with the case told The Associated Press.Andrew Lester was scheduled to stand trial next week on charges of first-degree assault and armed criminal action in the shooting of the then 16-year-old, who survived the shooting and has since graduated from high school.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681844207619.png" alt="Lester photo Clay Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Lester photo Clay Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>On Thursday, prosecutors said Lester would appear in court Friday, but they did not say why or provide additional detail. Two people familiar with the case who requested anonymity to speak in advance of Friday’s hearing told AP that Lester will plead guilty. One of those people said he will plead to a lesser charge of second-degree assault.Yarl showed up on Lester’s doorstep in April 2023 after he mixed up the streets where he was supposed to pick up his twin siblings.Lester’s attorney, Steve Salmon, has long argued that Lester was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ralph-yarl-shooting-stand-your-ground-69f91b0a09b25f9758219897f5890278">acting in self-defense</a>&nbsp;and that he was terrified by the stranger who knocked on his door as he settled into bed for the night. He didn’t immediately respond to a phone message from The Associated Press on Thursday.The shooting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-guns-kansas-city-yarl-695a103f9fcbb6b441a7f021cf424c1a">shocked the country</a>&nbsp;and renewed national debate about gun policies and race in the U.S.Yarl showed up on Lester’s doorstep after he mixed up the streets where he was supposed to pick up his twin siblings. Yarl testified at an earlier hearing that he he rang the bell and the wait for someone to answer for what seemed “longer than normal.” As the inner door opened, Yarl said he reached out to grab the storm door.“I assume these are my brothers’ friends’ parents,” he said.He said Lester, who is white, shot him in the head and uttered, “Don’t come here ever again.” Although the bullet didn’t penetrate Yarl’s brain, the impact knocked him to the ground. Yarl said Lester then shot him in the arm. The teen was taken to the hospital and released three days later.His family said the shooting took a big emotional toll and they have filed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ralph-yarl-wrong-house-missouri-lawsuit-d97c54d302212b002351bb72bd7e2562">lawsuit</a>&nbsp;against the retired aircraft mechanic.Lester has pleaded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ralph-yarl-shooting-court-hearing-not-guilty-e7d992123cc9e1ea4a5237bb08345d12">not guilty</a>&nbsp;to charges of first-degree assault and armed criminal action.As the trial date approached, the court shut down access to online records in the case, so prospective jurors couldn’t see or read any of the documents available to the public. A spokeswoman in the prosecutor’s office said there have been no new filings in the case this month.Last year, Salmon said that Lester’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ralph-yarl-wrong-house-missouri-mental-competence-8fa61b24a186e9923fd12ae831b071b0">physical and mental condition had deteriorated</a>. He said Lester has had heart issues, a broken hip and hospitalizations. Lester also has lost 50 pounds (23 kilograms), which Salmon blamed on the stress of intense media coverage and death threats he subsequently received.A judge ordered a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ralph-yarl-wrong-house-missouri-mental-competence-0b1fbf93520507011305c40787d482ac">mental evaluation</a>&nbsp;of Lester but allowed for the trial to proceed after its completion. The results of that evaluation were not released publicly.___Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kan.

KC homeowner to plead guilty in shooting of teen at wrong address

WASHINGTON (AP)— The 72-28 vote for Brooke Rollins puts a close ally of President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-spending-freeze-judge-federal-grants-loans-df756135aa9015457b6d14d59435cb89">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;into a key Cabinet position as mass deportation plans could lead to farm labor shortages and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-reciprocal-imports-tax-trade-economy-54c0a26687dc96157d96229068894720">tariffs could hit agricultural exports</a>.

Rollins served as chief for domestic policy during Trump’s first administration. Now she must oversee nearly all aspects of the nation’s food system, including standards on farming practices and livestock rearing, federal subsidies to farmers or agribusinesses and setting nutrition standards for schools and public health officials nationwide.

She acknowledged that deporting people could lead to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unemployment-benefits-jobless-claims-layoffs-labor-3d5f43e513f28b510c64a3fcc0a63cd2">labor shortages</a>&nbsp;on farms that count on migrants to harvest crops. But she said “the president’s vision of a secure border and a mass deportation at a scale that matters is something I support.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739466218531.png" alt="Senator Moran met with Rollins in December --courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Senator Moran met with Rollins in December --courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP)— The 72-28 vote for Brooke Rollins puts a close ally of President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-spending-freeze-judge-federal-grants-loans-df756135aa9015457b6d14d59435cb89">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;into a key Cabinet position as mass deportation plans could lead to farm labor shortages and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-reciprocal-imports-tax-trade-economy-54c0a26687dc96157d96229068894720">tariffs could hit agricultural exports</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Congrats to <a href="https://twitter.com/BrookeLRollins?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BrookeLRollins</a> on her confirmation as Secretary of Agriculture! Looking forward to working with you to provide certainty for farmers, ranchers &amp; producers in Kansas and across the country. <a href="https://t.co/ZbNuO7BCBR">pic.twitter.com/ZbNuO7BCBR</a>&mdash; Senator Jerry Moran (@JerryMoran) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryMoran/status/1890083904574616022?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Congratulations, <a href="https://twitter.com/BrookeLRollins?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BrookeLRollins</a> on your confirmation as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture! As the representative of one of the largest agricultural producing districts in the country, I look forward to working with you to advance policies that benefit our farmers, ranchers, and… <a href="https://t.co/CtAMfN3dFz">https://t.co/CtAMfN3dFz</a>&mdash; Tracey Mann (@RepMann) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMann/status/1890123391752958002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Congratulations to <a href="https://twitter.com/BrookeLRollins?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BrookeLRollins</a> on becoming our new Secretary of Agriculture! Brooke will be a fighter for Kansas farmers and our nation’s agriculture. I look forward to working with her and President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> to put American farmers and ranchers first. <a href="https://t.co/XOKTtpjFN0">pic.twitter.com/XOKTtpjFN0</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1890085967018832091?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Rollins served as chief for domestic policy during Trump’s first administration. Now she must oversee nearly all aspects of the nation’s food system, including standards on farming practices and livestock rearing, federal subsidies to farmers or agribusinesses and setting nutrition standards for schools and public health officials nationwide.She acknowledged that deporting people could lead to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unemployment-benefits-jobless-claims-layoffs-labor-3d5f43e513f28b510c64a3fcc0a63cd2">labor shortages</a>&nbsp;on farms that count on migrants to harvest crops. But she said “the president’s vision of a secure border and a mass deportation at a scale that matters is something I support.”

Kan. lawmakers celebrate confirmation of new Ag secretary 

No proponents of Senate-passed measure offer testimony at committee hearing

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Sister Therese Bangert stood alone before the House Federal and State Affairs Committee to denounce a resolution urging Gov. Laura Kelly to do everything in her power to support the immigration enforcement agenda of President Donald Trump.

Bangert, who has been with the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth for more than 60 years, said the nation’s immigration system had been broken for decades. By default, she said, the federal government had allowed migrant laborers to fill jobs in the United States without extending to those individuals an accessible path to legal residency or citizenship.

She said people targeted by the Kansas Senate-approved resolution were Kansans in every way except for possession of U.S. immigration documents.

“I suspect these are the immigrant women who are milking cows in the western Kansas dairy industry, the men and women on the killing floors of Kansas slaughterhouses and those roofing the homes in my neighborhood,” said Bangert, who was worried they were all vulnerable to deportation. “I find troubling the heated rhetoric when speaking about our sisters and brothers who are immigrants.”

No one showed up at the House hearing to argue in favor of Senate Concurrent Resolution 1602. Likewise, there was no one present to articulate a neutral position. Wichita Republican Rep. Tom Kessler, chairman of the House committee, said written testimony lauding the resolution had been submitted, but it wasn’t publicly available.

When the Senate conducted its hearing in January on the resolution, Bangert wasn’t given the opportunity to speak to lawmakers. Sen. Mike Thompson, chairman of the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee and sponsor of the resolution, said Bangert needed to notify the committee 24 hours in advance to be granted permission to testify. Proponents of the measure, including Attorney General Kris Kobach, were permitted to address Thompson’s committee.

The Senate went on to approve the resolution on a party-line vote of 31-9. It was expected to pass the House by a wide margin.

During the House committee hearing, Rep. Susan Ruiz, D-Shawnee, noted the absence of a throng of in-person witnesses to argue on behalf of the Senate resolution.

“There is no one here as a proponent, which I find really odd,” Ruiz said.

The void was partially filled by Republicans on the House committee who offered commentary demonstrating their sense that Kansas governors ought to authorize use of state resources to help patrol the national border, including deploying Kansas National Guard troops, and to assist with Trump’s strategy of detaining and deporting thousands or millions of people. There was no evidence of support for a concurrent crackdown on Kansas businesses hiring people without proper documentation.

Rep. Brian Bergkamp, R-Wichita, said the state and nation needed a higher standard of border security to address immigration among people without permission to remain temporarily or permanently in the United States. The security concept mirrored justification for a metal-detector at the main entrance to the Capitol instead of relying on an antiquated open-door policy for visitors, he said.

“I definitely stand for immigration,” Bergkamp said, “but in a more orderly fashion.”

GOP Rep. Kyle McNorton of Topeka said it was wrong for anyone to view people in the country without permission as law-abiding individuals.

“They broke the number one law coming across our border without permission and are still here,” McNorton said.

In response, Wichita Democratic Rep. Angela Martinez said the majority of people in the United States without authorization had overstayed a Visa rather than enter by sneaking across the border in defiance of immigration authorities.

“I support the deportation of criminals,” said Martinez, who was temporarily placed on the committee to coincide with debate on the resolution. “I ask this committee to sit and be honest with yourself. If you were subject to violence and tyranny and you couldn’t support your children and there was an opportunity for a better life … would you go?”

Rep. John Alcala, a Topeka Democrat among temporary appointments to the committee, said proponents of the resolution hadn’t taken into account economic harm that would fall on Kansas if full deportation occurred.

He said the National Immigration Law Center estimated Kansas’ workforce was comprised of thousands of people without documents to stay in the United States. He said an NILC study indicated there were 25,000 in manufacturing, 17,000 in food service and 16,000 in construction. In 2020, he said, NILC estimated those workers paid more than $600 million in state and federal taxes.

“I don’t think people realize what the impact will be on businesses that are struggling with labor shortages,” Alcala said. “How are we going to offset that economic loss? Can Kansas afford that loss of revenue? I don’t think so.”

Lawrence Rep. Brooklynne Mosley, a Democrat, said issues of human dignity and moral injury might not have been considered by champions of the resolution.

“What does that do to the cloth of a community when they start to see families being ripped apart?” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739483100220.png" alt=" Sister Therese Bangert of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth offered the only in-person testimony during a Kansas House committee hearing on a resolution directed Gov. Laura Kelly to support President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement agenda. No one spoke in favor of the resolution. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Sister Therese Bangert of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth offered the only in-person testimony during a Kansas House committee hearing on a resolution directed Gov. Laura Kelly to support President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement agenda. No one spoke in favor of the resolution. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>No proponents of Senate-passed measure offer testimony at committee hearing</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Sister Therese Bangert stood alone before the House Federal and State Affairs Committee to denounce a resolution urging Gov. Laura Kelly to do everything in her power to support the immigration enforcement agenda of President Donald Trump.Bangert, who has been with the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth for more than 60 years, said the nation’s immigration system had been broken for decades. By default, she said, the federal government had allowed migrant laborers to fill jobs in the United States without extending to those individuals an accessible path to legal residency or citizenship.She said people targeted by the Kansas Senate-approved resolution were Kansans in every way except for possession of U.S. immigration documents.“I suspect these are the immigrant women who are milking cows in the western Kansas dairy industry, the men and women on the killing floors of Kansas slaughterhouses and those roofing the homes in my neighborhood,” said Bangert, who was worried they were all vulnerable to deportation. “I find troubling the heated rhetoric when speaking about our sisters and brothers who are immigrants.”No one showed up at the House hearing to argue in favor of Senate Concurrent Resolution 1602. Likewise, there was no one present to articulate a neutral position. Wichita Republican Rep. Tom Kessler, chairman of the House committee, said written testimony lauding the resolution had been submitted, but it wasn’t publicly available.When the Senate conducted its hearing in January on the resolution, Bangert wasn’t given the opportunity to speak to lawmakers. Sen. Mike Thompson, chairman of the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee and sponsor of the resolution, said Bangert needed to notify the committee 24 hours in advance to be granted permission to testify. Proponents of the measure, including Attorney General Kris Kobach, were permitted to address Thompson’s committee.The Senate went on to approve the resolution on a party-line vote of 31-9. It was expected to pass the House by a wide margin.During the House committee hearing, Rep. Susan Ruiz, D-Shawnee, noted the absence of a throng of in-person witnesses to argue on behalf of the Senate resolution.“There is no one here as a proponent, which I find really odd,” Ruiz said.The void was partially filled by Republicans on the House committee who offered commentary demonstrating their sense that Kansas governors ought to authorize use of state resources to help patrol the national border, including deploying Kansas National Guard troops, and to assist with Trump’s strategy of detaining and deporting thousands or millions of people. There was no evidence of support for a concurrent crackdown on Kansas businesses hiring people without proper documentation.Rep. Brian Bergkamp, R-Wichita, said the state and nation needed a higher standard of border security to address immigration among people without permission to remain temporarily or permanently in the United States. The security concept mirrored justification for a metal-detector at the main entrance to the Capitol instead of relying on an antiquated open-door policy for visitors, he said.“I definitely stand for immigration,” Bergkamp said, “but in a more orderly fashion.”GOP Rep. Kyle McNorton of Topeka said it was wrong for anyone to view people in the country without permission as law-abiding individuals.“They broke the number one law coming across our border without permission and are still here,” McNorton said.In response, Wichita Democratic Rep. Angela Martinez said the majority of people in the United States without authorization had overstayed a Visa rather than enter by sneaking across the border in defiance of immigration authorities.“I support the deportation of criminals,” said Martinez, who was temporarily placed on the committee to coincide with debate on the resolution. “I ask this committee to sit and be honest with yourself. If you were subject to violence and tyranny and you couldn’t support your children and there was an opportunity for a better life … would you go?”Rep. John Alcala, a Topeka Democrat among temporary appointments to the committee, said proponents of the resolution hadn’t taken into account economic harm that would fall on Kansas if full deportation occurred.He said the National Immigration Law Center estimated Kansas’ workforce was comprised of thousands of people without documents to stay in the United States. He said an NILC study indicated there were 25,000 in manufacturing, 17,000 in food service and 16,000 in construction. In 2020, he said, NILC estimated those workers paid more than $600 million in state and federal taxes.“I don’t think people realize what the impact will be on businesses that are struggling with labor shortages,” Alcala said. “How are we going to offset that economic loss? Can Kansas afford that loss of revenue? I don’t think so.”Lawrence Rep. Brooklynne Mosley, a Democrat, said issues of human dignity and moral injury might not have been considered by champions of the resolution.“What does that do to the cloth of a community when they start to see families being ripped apart?” she said.

Lone Catholic nun stands before Kansas House to oppose immigration enforcement resolution

WASHINGTON (AP) — A court order halting Trump administration plans to pull all but a fraction of USAID staffers off the job worldwide will stay in place for at least another week.

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols ordered the extension after a nearly three-hour hearing Thursday, much of it focused on how employees were affected by abrupt orders by the Trump administration and ally Elon Musk to put thousands of USAID workers on leave and freeze foreign aid funding.

The judge said he plans to issue a written ruling in the coming days on whether the pause will continue.

Nichols, a Trump appointee, closely questioned the government about keeping employees on leave safe in high-risk overseas areas. When a Justice Department attorney could not provide detailed plans, the judge asked him to file court documents after the hearing.

USAID staffers who until recently were posted in Congo had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-usaid-court-lawsuit-constitutional-crisis-2ee3374100720d093588e2234e8be601">filed affidavits</a>&nbsp;for the lawsuit describing the aid agency all but abandoning them when looting and political violence exploded in Congo’s capital last month, leaving them to evacuate with their families.

The funding freeze and purge of top USAID officials meant agency staffers are now stranded in Washington, without homes or agency funding, and facing the loss of their jobs, staffers said in the affidavits.

The judge handed the administration a setback last week by temporarily halting the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-usaid-musk-doge-7ec0a2b4032d4782d41c00164003b5de">plans that would have put thousands of workers on leave</a>&nbsp;and given those abroad only 30 days to return to the United States at government expense. His order was set to expire by the end of Thursday.

Two associations representing federal employees asked him to continue his stay, as well as suspend Trump’s freeze on almost all foreign assistance. The president’s pause has shut down almost all of the thousands of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usaid-christian-nonprofits-funding-freeze-bbb000ea0e232765db1280c093301a8a">U.S.-funded aid and development programs</a>&nbsp;around the globe, USAID workers and humanitarian groups say.

Nichols grilled lawyers for USAID unions in Thursday’s hearing, probing how workers were being affected by the stoppage of funding for the agency’s work.

The judge’s questions probed the concept of legal standing — whether the unions can show the kind of legal harm that would justify a continued block on the Trump administration’s plans.

Standing is a legal technicality, but an important one. A different judge cited it when he sided with the Trump administration and allowed a Musk-backed plan to cut the federal workforce through deferred resignations, often known as buyouts.

While the administration and Musk’s cost-cutting initiative, the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, have taken aim at other agencies, they have moved most destructively against USAID,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usaid-funding-trump-musk-misinformation-c544a5fa1fe788da10ec714f462883d1">asserting without evidence that its work is wasteful</a>&nbsp;and out of line with Trump’s agenda.

In a court filing, deputy USAID head Pete Marocco argued that “insubordination” made it impossible for the new administration to undertake a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-foreign-assistance-freeze-684ff394662986eb38e0c84d3e73350b">close review of aid programs</a>&nbsp;without first pushing almost all USAID staffers off the job and halting aid and development work. He did not provide evidence for his assertion.

USAID staffers, in court filings, have denied being insubordinate. They said they were doing their best to carry out what they describe as vague and confusing orders, some of which were said to come from a Musk associate and other outsiders.

Agency supporters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-usaid-court-lawsuit-constitutional-crisis-2ee3374100720d093588e2234e8be601">told Democratic senators</a>&nbsp;earlier this week that the shutdown — along with other administration steps, including revoking USAID’s lease on its Washington headquarters — was really about eradicating USAID before lawmakers or the courts could stop it.

The employee groups, the Democratic lawmakers and others argue that without congressional approval, Trump lacks the power to shut USAID or end its programs. His team says the power of courts or lawmakers to stand in the way is limited at best.

“The President’s powers in the realm of foreign affairs are generally vast and unreviewable,” government lawyers said in court documents.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738896794184.jpeg" alt="Democrat members of Congress protest outside USAID headquarters-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Democrat members of Congress protest outside USAID headquarters-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A court order halting Trump administration plans to pull all but a fraction of USAID staffers off the job worldwide will stay in place for at least another week.U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols ordered the extension after a nearly three-hour hearing Thursday, much of it focused on how employees were affected by abrupt orders by the Trump administration and ally Elon Musk to put thousands of USAID workers on leave and freeze foreign aid funding.The judge said he plans to issue a written ruling in the coming days on whether the pause will continue.Nichols, a Trump appointee, closely questioned the government about keeping employees on leave safe in high-risk overseas areas. When a Justice Department attorney could not provide detailed plans, the judge asked him to file court documents after the hearing.USAID staffers who until recently were posted in Congo had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-usaid-court-lawsuit-constitutional-crisis-2ee3374100720d093588e2234e8be601">filed affidavits</a>&nbsp;for the lawsuit describing the aid agency all but abandoning them when looting and political violence exploded in Congo’s capital last month, leaving them to evacuate with their families.The funding freeze and purge of top USAID officials meant agency staffers are now stranded in Washington, without homes or agency funding, and facing the loss of their jobs, staffers said in the affidavits.The judge handed the administration a setback last week by temporarily halting the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-usaid-musk-doge-7ec0a2b4032d4782d41c00164003b5de">plans that would have put thousands of workers on leave</a>&nbsp;and given those abroad only 30 days to return to the United States at government expense. His order was set to expire by the end of Thursday.Two associations representing federal employees asked him to continue his stay, as well as suspend Trump’s freeze on almost all foreign assistance. The president’s pause has shut down almost all of the thousands of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usaid-christian-nonprofits-funding-freeze-bbb000ea0e232765db1280c093301a8a">U.S.-funded aid and development programs</a>&nbsp;around the globe, USAID workers and humanitarian groups say.Nichols grilled lawyers for USAID unions in Thursday’s hearing, probing how workers were being affected by the stoppage of funding for the agency’s work.The judge’s questions probed the concept of legal standing — whether the unions can show the kind of legal harm that would justify a continued block on the Trump administration’s plans.Standing is a legal technicality, but an important one. A different judge cited it when he sided with the Trump administration and allowed a Musk-backed plan to cut the federal workforce through deferred resignations, often known as buyouts.While the administration and Musk’s cost-cutting initiative, the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, have taken aim at other agencies, they have moved most destructively against USAID,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usaid-funding-trump-musk-misinformation-c544a5fa1fe788da10ec714f462883d1">asserting without evidence that its work is wasteful</a>&nbsp;and out of line with Trump’s agenda.In a court filing, deputy USAID head Pete Marocco argued that “insubordination” made it impossible for the new administration to undertake a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-foreign-assistance-freeze-684ff394662986eb38e0c84d3e73350b">close review of aid programs</a>&nbsp;without first pushing almost all USAID staffers off the job and halting aid and development work. He did not provide evidence for his assertion.USAID staffers, in court filings, have denied being insubordinate. They said they were doing their best to carry out what they describe as vague and confusing orders, some of which were said to come from a Musk associate and other outsiders.Agency supporters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-usaid-court-lawsuit-constitutional-crisis-2ee3374100720d093588e2234e8be601">told Democratic senators</a>&nbsp;earlier this week that the shutdown — along with other administration steps, including revoking USAID’s lease on its Washington headquarters — was really about eradicating USAID before lawmakers or the courts could stop it.The employee groups, the Democratic lawmakers and others argue that without congressional approval, Trump lacks the power to shut USAID or end its programs. His team says the power of courts or lawmakers to stand in the way is limited at best.“The President’s powers in the realm of foreign affairs are generally vast and unreviewable,” government lawyers said in court documents.

Judge extends stay on Trump order pulling most USAID staffers off the job

The Salina Airport Authority (SAA) is proud to announce that Amazon has purchased 20 acres in the Airport Industrial Center Subdivision No. 3 and will construct a 90,000+/- square foot last-mile distribution facility at&nbsp;1850 W. Water Well Rd.&nbsp;The new facility, expected to generate at least 100 new jobs, will serve as a critical component of Amazon’s regional logistics network, further strengthening Salina’s role as a major economic hub in Kansas.&nbsp;

The new facility will help power the last mile of Amazon’s fulfillment process by enabling fast, everyday delivery directly to customers’ doorstep. Packages are transported to delivery stations from Amazon fulfillment and sortation centers and then employees process customer packages for last-mile delivery, helping to speed up delivery for customers in more rural communities. Employees in customer fulfillment and transportation earn at least $17 per hour.

This facility will anchor the 80-acre industrial subdivision, which is currently undergoing infrastructure development, including new internal roads and utilities. The Salina Airport Authority has already commenced construction to support Amazon’s site and the future expansion of the industrial park.

Strategic Location &amp; Economic Impact

Salina’s central location, skilled workforce, and strong transportation network were key factors in Amazon’s decision to expand here. The Salina Regional Airport, adjacent to the development, offers daily nonstop flights to Chicago, Houston, and Denver, connecting businesses to major national and international markets.

The Salina Regional Airport and Airport Industrial Center is home to over 125 businesses and industries, employing more than 7,000 workers, and contributing an annual Gross Regional Product (GRP) of $1.3 billion to the Kansas economy. Amazon’s presence will further enhance the region’s growth, innovation, and logistics capabilities.

Salina’s Growing Role as a Business Hub

“This is an exciting milestone for Salina and the entire state of Kansas,” said Pieter Miller, C.M., Executive Director of the Salina Airport Authority. “Amazon’s investment in our industrial center will not only create jobs but will also drive additional development, positioning Salina as a leading regional hub for logistics and advanced industries. The Salina Airport Authority Board of Directors has played a crucial role in guiding the strategic development of the Airport Industrial Center, ensuring that Salina remains a competitive and attractive location for businesses like Amazon."

Amazon’s selection of Salina’s Airport Industrial Center highlights the region’s strong infrastructure, business-friendly environment, and connectivity to national supply chains.

"Amazon is excited to expand with a new last-mile facility in Salina, Kansas, and as a good employer, bring new job opportunities to Saline County,” said Jason Vangalis, Amazon economic development manager. “The region’s strategic location, talented workforce, and strong transportation infrastructure make it an ideal location for our operations. We appreciate the partnership with local officials and look forward to serving our customers throughout north central Kansas."

City Leadership Praises Collaboration &amp; Rapid Development

Salina officials worked in close partnership with Amazon, their development partner Ambrose, the Salina Airport Authority, and other key stakeholders to ensure the rapid and seamless development of infrastructure needed to meet Amazon’s fast-tracked timeline.

City of Salina Mayor Greg Lenkiewicz emphasized the importance of collaboration in making this project a priority.

“It was incredible to see our city staff, development teams, and community partners come together to deliver this project within a tight timeline. The coordination between multiple agencies ensured that the street and utility network would be in place to support Amazon’s new facility and future growth at the Airport Industrial Center. This project is a testament to what we can achieve when we work together toward a common goal—bringing new jobs and opportunities to Salina.”

A Collaborative Effort for Economic Growth

The Salina Airport Authority extends its gratitude to the City of Salina, Saline County, the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Salina Community Economic Development Organization for their unwavering support in making this project a reality. Their collaboration was instrumental in attracting Amazon and ensuring the continued expansion of the Salina Airport Industrial Center.

Salina Airport AuthorityThe Salina Airport Authority (SAA) is proud to announce that Amazon has purchased 20 acres in the Airport Industrial Center Subdivision No. 3 and will construct a 90,000+/- square foot last-mile distribution facility at&nbsp;1850 W. Water Well Rd.&nbsp;The new facility, expected to generate at least 100 new jobs, will serve as a critical component of Amazon’s regional logistics network, further strengthening Salina’s role as a major economic hub in Kansas.&nbsp;The new facility will help power the last mile of Amazon’s fulfillment process by enabling fast, everyday delivery directly to customers’ doorstep. Packages are transported to delivery stations from Amazon fulfillment and sortation centers and then employees process customer packages for last-mile delivery, helping to speed up delivery for customers in more rural communities. Employees in customer fulfillment and transportation earn at least $17 per hour.This facility will anchor the 80-acre industrial subdivision, which is currently undergoing infrastructure development, including new internal roads and utilities. The Salina Airport Authority has already commenced construction to support Amazon’s site and the future expansion of the industrial park.Strategic Location &amp; Economic ImpactSalina’s central location, skilled workforce, and strong transportation network were key factors in Amazon’s decision to expand here. The Salina Regional Airport, adjacent to the development, offers daily nonstop flights to Chicago, Houston, and Denver, connecting businesses to major national and international markets.The Salina Regional Airport and Airport Industrial Center is home to over 125 businesses and industries, employing more than 7,000 workers, and contributing an annual Gross Regional Product (GRP) of $1.3 billion to the Kansas economy. Amazon’s presence will further enhance the region’s growth, innovation, and logistics capabilities.Salina’s Growing Role as a Business Hub“This is an exciting milestone for Salina and the entire state of Kansas,” said Pieter Miller, C.M., Executive Director of the Salina Airport Authority. “Amazon’s investment in our industrial center will not only create jobs but will also drive additional development, positioning Salina as a leading regional hub for logistics and advanced industries. The Salina Airport Authority Board of Directors has played a crucial role in guiding the strategic development of the Airport Industrial Center, ensuring that Salina remains a competitive and attractive location for businesses like Amazon."Amazon’s selection of Salina’s Airport Industrial Center highlights the region’s strong infrastructure, business-friendly environment, and connectivity to national supply chains."Amazon is excited to expand with a new last-mile facility in Salina, Kansas, and as a good employer, bring new job opportunities to Saline County,” said Jason Vangalis, Amazon economic development manager. “The region’s strategic location, talented workforce, and strong transportation infrastructure make it an ideal location for our operations. We appreciate the partnership with local officials and look forward to serving our customers throughout north central Kansas."City Leadership Praises Collaboration &amp; Rapid DevelopmentSalina officials worked in close partnership with Amazon, their development partner Ambrose, the Salina Airport Authority, and other key stakeholders to ensure the rapid and seamless development of infrastructure needed to meet Amazon’s fast-tracked timeline.City of Salina Mayor Greg Lenkiewicz emphasized the importance of collaboration in making this project a priority.“It was incredible to see our city staff, development teams, and community partners come together to deliver this project within a tight timeline. The coordination between multiple agencies ensured that the street and utility network would be in place to support Amazon’s new facility and future growth at the Airport Industrial Center. This project is a testament to what we can achieve when we work together toward a common goal—bringing new jobs and opportunities to Salina.”A Collaborative Effort for Economic GrowthThe Salina Airport Authority extends its gratitude to the City of Salina, Saline County, the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Salina Community Economic Development Organization for their unwavering support in making this project a reality. Their collaboration was instrumental in attracting Amazon and ensuring the continued expansion of the Salina Airport Industrial Center.

 Amazon expansion to Salina will provide 100 jobs

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>&nbsp;called on Thursday for the United States to “delete entire agencies” from the federal government as part of his push under&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;to radically cut spending and restructure its priorities.

(Click below to listen to Musk's statement on deleting agencies)

Musk offered a wide-ranging survey via a videocall to the World Governments Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, of what he described as the priorities of the Trump administration interspersed with multiple references to “thermonuclear warfare” and the possible dangers of artificial intelligence.

(click below to listen to the full interview with Musk)

“We really have here rule of the bureaucracy as opposed to rule of the people — democracy,” Musk said, wearing a black T-shirt that read: “Tech Support.” He also joked that he was the “White House’s tech support,” borrowing from his profile on the social platform X, which he owns.

“I think we do need to delete entire agencies as opposed to leave a lot of them behind,” Musk said. “If we don’t remove the roots of the weed, then it’s easy for the weed to grow back.”

While Musk has spoken to the summit in the past, his appearance on Thursday comes as he has consolidated control over large swaths of the government with Trump’s blessing since assuming leadership of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-vivek-ramaswamy-doge-ce55aa7ca8c921511d18e837c2a2db64">Department of Government Efficiency</a>. That’s included sidelining career officials, gaining access to sensitive databases and inviting a constitutional clash over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-executive-orders-power-border-tiktok-history-e77458bc0312c60f3f2b0eeb131d0056">the limits of presidential authority</a>.

Musk's new role imbued his comments with more weight beyond being the world’s wealthiest person through his investments in SpaceX and electric carmaker Tesla.

His remarks also offered a more-isolationist view of American power in the Middle East, where the U.S. has fought wars in both Afghanistan and Iraq since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

“A lot of attention has been on USAID for example,” Musk said, referring to Trump's dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development. “There's like the National Endowment for Democracy. But I’m like, ‘Okay, well, how much democracy have they achieved lately?’”

He added that the U.S. under Trump is “less interested in interfering with the affairs of other countries.”

There are “times the United States has been kind of pushy in international affairs, which may resonate with some members of the audience,” Musk said, speaking to the crowd in the UAE, an autocratically ruled nation of seven sheikhdoms.

"Basically, America should mind its own business, rather than push for regime change all over the place,” he said.

He also noted the Trump administration's focus on eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion work, at one point linking it to AI.

“If hypothetically, AI is designed for DEI, you know, diversity at all costs, it could decide that there’s too many men in power and execute them,” Musk said.

On AI, Musk said he believed X's newly updated AI chatbot, Grok 3, would be ready in about two weeks, calling it at one point “kind of scary.”

He criticized Sam Altman's management of OpenAI,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-sam-altman-openai-bid-chatgpt-58d9bc3d59497468d7b37ecd5d9ff5e6">which Musk just led a $97.4 billion takeover bid for</a>, describing it as akin to a nonprofit aimed at saving the Amazon rainforest becoming a "lumber company that chops down the trees.” A court filing Wednesday on Musk's behalf in the OpenAI dispute said he'd withdraw his bid if&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-sam-altman-openai-chatgpt-ai-f024aca265ad8ee9f30b699a0c74066c">the ChatGPT maker drops its plan to convert into a for-profit company</a>.

Musk also announced plans for a “Dubai Loop” project in line with his work in the Boring Company — which is digging tunnels in Las Vegas to speed transit.

A later statement from Dubai's crown prince, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, said the city-state and the Boring Company “will explore the development” of a 17-kilometer (10.5-mile) underground network with 11 stations that could transport over 20,000 passengers an hour. He offered no financial terms for the deal.

“It’s going to be like a wormhole," Musk promised. "You just wormhole from one part of the city — boom — and you're out in another part of the city.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739454902556.png" alt="Musk spoke Thursday to the&nbsp;World Governments Summit-image from the video" />
 <figcaption>Musk spoke Thursday to the&nbsp;World Governments Summit-image from the video</figcaption>
 </figure>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>&nbsp;called on Thursday for the United States to “delete entire agencies” from the federal government as part of his push under&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;to radically cut spending and restructure its priorities.(Click below to listen to Musk's statement on deleting agencies)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1IoygzQ9xi0?si=EB8kkNk9JvCGPBXK&amp;start=2106" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Musk offered a wide-ranging survey via a videocall to the World Governments Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, of what he described as the priorities of the Trump administration interspersed with multiple references to “thermonuclear warfare” and the possible dangers of artificial intelligence.(click below to listen to the full interview with Musk)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1IoygzQ9xi0?si=XObFE3TebT-gQLGH&amp;start=1687" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>“We really have here rule of the bureaucracy as opposed to rule of the people — democracy,” Musk said, wearing a black T-shirt that read: “Tech Support.” He also joked that he was the “White House’s tech support,” borrowing from his profile on the social platform X, which he owns.“I think we do need to delete entire agencies as opposed to leave a lot of them behind,” Musk said. “If we don’t remove the roots of the weed, then it’s easy for the weed to grow back.”While Musk has spoken to the summit in the past, his appearance on Thursday comes as he has consolidated control over large swaths of the government with Trump’s blessing since assuming leadership of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-vivek-ramaswamy-doge-ce55aa7ca8c921511d18e837c2a2db64">Department of Government Efficiency</a>. That’s included sidelining career officials, gaining access to sensitive databases and inviting a constitutional clash over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-executive-orders-power-border-tiktok-history-e77458bc0312c60f3f2b0eeb131d0056">the limits of presidential authority</a>.Musk's new role imbued his comments with more weight beyond being the world’s wealthiest person through his investments in SpaceX and electric carmaker Tesla.His remarks also offered a more-isolationist view of American power in the Middle East, where the U.S. has fought wars in both Afghanistan and Iraq since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.“A lot of attention has been on USAID for example,” Musk said, referring to Trump's dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development. “There's like the National Endowment for Democracy. But I’m like, ‘Okay, well, how much democracy have they achieved lately?’”He added that the U.S. under Trump is “less interested in interfering with the affairs of other countries.”There are “times the United States has been kind of pushy in international affairs, which may resonate with some members of the audience,” Musk said, speaking to the crowd in the UAE, an autocratically ruled nation of seven sheikhdoms."Basically, America should mind its own business, rather than push for regime change all over the place,” he said.He also noted the Trump administration's focus on eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion work, at one point linking it to AI.“If hypothetically, AI is designed for DEI, you know, diversity at all costs, it could decide that there’s too many men in power and execute them,” Musk said.On AI, Musk said he believed X's newly updated AI chatbot, Grok 3, would be ready in about two weeks, calling it at one point “kind of scary.”He criticized Sam Altman's management of OpenAI,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-sam-altman-openai-bid-chatgpt-58d9bc3d59497468d7b37ecd5d9ff5e6">which Musk just led a $97.4 billion takeover bid for</a>, describing it as akin to a nonprofit aimed at saving the Amazon rainforest becoming a "lumber company that chops down the trees.” A court filing Wednesday on Musk's behalf in the OpenAI dispute said he'd withdraw his bid if&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-sam-altman-openai-chatgpt-ai-f024aca265ad8ee9f30b699a0c74066c">the ChatGPT maker drops its plan to convert into a for-profit company</a>.Musk also announced plans for a “Dubai Loop” project in line with his work in the Boring Company — which is digging tunnels in Las Vegas to speed transit.A later statement from Dubai's crown prince, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, said the city-state and the Boring Company “will explore the development” of a 17-kilometer (10.5-mile) underground network with 11 stations that could transport over 20,000 passengers an hour. He offered no financial terms for the deal.“It’s going to be like a wormhole," Musk promised. "You just wormhole from one part of the city — boom — and you're out in another part of the city.”

🎥 Musk to world leaders: U.S. gov't needs to delete entire agencies

WASHINGTON (AP) — The aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman was involved in a collision at sea with a merchant vessel near Port Said, Egypt, the Navy said Thursday.

The collision occurred late Wednesday while both ships were moving. It did not result in flooding or injuries aboard the carrier, and there was no damage to the ship's propulsion systems, the Navy said in a statement.

None of the crew on the merchant ship, the Besiktas-M, were injured either, according to a defense official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details that had not yet been made public.

The Truman, which is based in Norfolk, Virginia,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-violence-war-hezbollah-63a15fa390a94acf46ef886cc5fb88db">deployed in September</a>&nbsp;to the Mediterranean and the Middle East. It had just completed a port call in Souda Bay, Greece.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739469104603.png" alt="USS Harry S. Truman -photo courtesy U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>USS Harry S. Truman -photo courtesy U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman was involved in a collision at sea with a merchant vessel near Port Said, Egypt, the Navy said Thursday.The collision occurred late Wednesday while both ships were moving. It did not result in flooding or injuries aboard the carrier, and there was no damage to the ship's propulsion systems, the Navy said in a statement.None of the crew on the merchant ship, the Besiktas-M, were injured either, according to a defense official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details that had not yet been made public.The Truman, which is based in Norfolk, Virginia,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-violence-war-hezbollah-63a15fa390a94acf46ef886cc5fb88db">deployed in September</a>&nbsp;to the Mediterranean and the Middle East. It had just completed a port call in Souda Bay, Greece.

US aircraft carrier collides with merchant ship near Egypt

JOANN Inc., the nation’s category leader in sewing and fabrics with one of the largest arts and crafts offerings announced on Wednesday they will be closing hundreds of locations across 40 states, according to a statement on the company web site.

The stores that will close include the locations at 2259 S 9th Street Ste 38, Salina; 2108 W 27Th Street, Lawrence and 3665 North Rock Road in Wichita. The store at 6930 West Kellogg will remain open for now.

"This was a very difficult decision to make, given the major impact we know it will have on our Team Members, our customers and all of the communities we serve. A careful analysis of store performance and future strategic fit for the Company determined which stores should remain operating as usual at this time. Right-sizing our store footprint is a critical part of our efforts to ensure the best path forward for JOANN."

In January the company commenced voluntary Chapter 11 proceedings in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware to facilitate a sale process to maximize the value of its business, according to a statement on the company web site.&nbsp; &nbsp;

<a href="https://www.joannrestructuring.com/">Click here for more information </a>on the restructuring.

"JOANN stores are open, joann.com is shipping orders, and Team Members are receiving pay and benefits as we evaluate our best path forward."

<a href="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/67817680c8de2134544a40b6/67acb1fd7e85b6e6bb57cfe4_Store%20Closure%20List.pdf">Click here to see </a>the full list of stores set to close. The company did not release official date when stores will close.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739470367752.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>JOANN Inc., the nation’s category leader in sewing and fabrics with one of the largest arts and crafts offerings announced on Wednesday they will be closing hundreds of locations across 40 states, according to a statement on the company web site.The stores that will close include the locations at 2259 S 9th Street Ste 38, Salina; 2108 W 27Th Street, Lawrence and 3665 North Rock Road in Wichita. The store at 6930 West Kellogg will remain open for now."This was a very difficult decision to make, given the major impact we know it will have on our Team Members, our customers and all of the communities we serve. A careful analysis of store performance and future strategic fit for the Company determined which stores should remain operating as usual at this time. Right-sizing our store footprint is a critical part of our efforts to ensure the best path forward for JOANN."In January the company commenced voluntary Chapter 11 proceedings in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware to facilitate a sale process to maximize the value of its business, according to a statement on the company web site.&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://www.joannrestructuring.com/">Click here for more information </a>on the restructuring."JOANN stores are open, joann.com is shipping orders, and Team Members are receiving pay and benefits as we evaluate our best path forward."<a href="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/67817680c8de2134544a40b6/67acb1fd7e85b6e6bb57cfe4_Store%20Closure%20List.pdf">Click here to see </a>the full list of stores set to close. The company did not release official date when stores will close.

Fabric stores in Kansas are among 100s to close nationwide

WASHINGTON (AP) —The Senate has confirmed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-f-kennedy-jr">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.&nbsp;</a>as President Donald Trump’s health secretary, putting the prominent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-vaccine-trump-science-autism-9b99621b01f11b7f0bdc81e5a0b82d2b">vaccine skeptic</a>&nbsp;in control of $1.7 trillion in federal spending,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-f-kennedy-vaccines-trump-rfkjr-7f8dcb25de76a5a70710d22bbc63f6fa">vaccine recommendations</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-vaccines-food-additives-pharmaceuticals-trump-797750f5f141161778792e84602b57c8">food safety</a>&nbsp;as well as health insurance programs for roughly half the country. The final vote 52-48.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-vaccines-mcconnell-polio-f7b7ffbc4ea2b274df658c85374a7a7f">Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell</a>, who had polio as a child, was the only “no” vote among Republicans, mirroring his stands against Trump’s picks for the Pentagon chief and director of national intelligence.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734461763733.png" alt="Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall will help lead the Make America Health Again Committee" />
 <figcaption>Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall will help lead the Make America Health Again Committee</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —The Senate has confirmed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-f-kennedy-jr">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.&nbsp;</a>as President Donald Trump’s health secretary, putting the prominent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-vaccine-trump-science-autism-9b99621b01f11b7f0bdc81e5a0b82d2b">vaccine skeptic</a>&nbsp;in control of $1.7 trillion in federal spending,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-f-kennedy-vaccines-trump-rfkjr-7f8dcb25de76a5a70710d22bbc63f6fa">vaccine recommendations</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-vaccines-food-additives-pharmaceuticals-trump-797750f5f141161778792e84602b57c8">food safety</a>&nbsp;as well as health insurance programs for roughly half the country. The final vote 52-48.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739461653845.png" alt="Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, (center) gives the thumbs up vote for Kennedy on Thursday morning-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, (center) gives the thumbs up vote for Kennedy on Thursday morning-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Congratulations to my good friend, <a href="https://twitter.com/RobertKennedyJr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RobertKennedyJr</a>, on his confirmation as our new Secretary of HHS! For over 40 years — 25 of them as a doctor — I’ve been committed to Making America Healthy Again. I look forward to working alongside such an incredible visionary to achieve… <a href="https://t.co/GpJ3L0NCox">pic.twitter.com/GpJ3L0NCox</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1890077008870223953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🇺🇸 Robert F. Kennedy Jr.&#39;s confirmation as HHS Secretary underscores President Trump’s dedication to empowering Americans with healthier lives, restoring trust in public health institutions, and championing medical freedom for all. MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN! <a href="https://twitter.com/RobertKennedyJr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RobertKennedyJr</a> <a href="https://t.co/3W7ajE36DZ">pic.twitter.com/3W7ajE36DZ</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1890076997046661533?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-vaccines-mcconnell-polio-f7b7ffbc4ea2b274df658c85374a7a7f">Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell</a>, who had polio as a child, was the only “no” vote among Republicans, mirroring his stands against Trump’s picks for the Pentagon chief and director of national intelligence.

Kan. U.S. Senator celebrates RFK Jr. confirmation as health secretary 

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man who admitted guilt for killing his wife and her boyfriend in 2023 was supposed to learn his fate Wednesday.&nbsp; He changed his mind and surprised the judge.

Prior to sentencing, 63-year-old Charles Crawford of Wichita,&nbsp; told Judge Jeffrey Goering he wanted to withdraw his plea, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. In December, Crawford pled no contest to two counts of 1st&nbsp;degree murder for&nbsp;the deaths of his 50-year-old wife Vanessa Crawford and her 58-year-old boyfriend Donald Eckert.

Judge Goering appointed new attorneys to represent Crawford and scheduled a status hearing on his motion to withdraw his plea. The hearing is scheduled for February 26.

In July of 2023, a woman dropping off her child at an in-home daycare saw the two homicide victims through a window of a home in the 1100 Block of North Woodrow in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan. The victims were identified as Vanessa Crawford and Donald Eckert both of Wichita.

While the investigation was taking place on the scene, Charles Crawford arrived with a gun pointed at his own head. Officers took cover for safety and immediately requested the assistance of SWAT and Crisis Negotiators. A standoff ensued with Crawford but it ended peacefully when he surrendered and was taken into custody

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690372152213.png" alt="Crawford -photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Crawford -photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man who admitted guilt for killing his wife and her boyfriend in 2023 was supposed to learn his fate Wednesday.&nbsp; He changed his mind and surprised the judge.Prior to sentencing, 63-year-old Charles Crawford of Wichita,&nbsp; told Judge Jeffrey Goering he wanted to withdraw his plea, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. In December, Crawford pled no contest to two counts of 1st&nbsp;degree murder for&nbsp;the deaths of his 50-year-old wife Vanessa Crawford and her 58-year-old boyfriend Donald Eckert.Judge Goering appointed new attorneys to represent Crawford and scheduled a status hearing on his motion to withdraw his plea. The hearing is scheduled for February 26.In July of 2023, a woman dropping off her child at an in-home daycare saw the two homicide victims through a window of a home in the 1100 Block of North Woodrow in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan. The victims were identified as Vanessa Crawford and Donald Eckert both of Wichita.While the investigation was taking place on the scene, Charles Crawford arrived with a gun pointed at his own head. Officers took cover for safety and immediately requested the assistance of SWAT and Crisis Negotiators. A standoff ensued with Crawford but it ended peacefully when he surrendered and was taken into custody

Suspect in double-homicide at Kan. home day care surprised judge

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DAVID%20CRARY%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DAVID CRARY AP National Writer</a>

More than two-dozen Christian and Jewish groups representing millions of Americans — ranging from the Episcopal Church and the Union for Reform Judaism to the Mennonites and Unitarian Universalists — filed a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.law.georgetown.edu/icap/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2025/02/Mennonite-Church-USA-v.-U.S.-Department-of-Homeland-Security-Complaint.pdf">federal court lawsuit</a>&nbsp;Tuesday challenging a Trump administration move giving immigration agents more leeway to make arrests at houses of worship.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, contends that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-sensitive-locations-trump-ab0d2d2652e9df696f14410ebb52a1fc">the new policy</a>&nbsp;is spreading fear of raids, thus lowering attendance at worship services and other valuable church programs. The result, says the suit, infringes on the groups’ religious freedom — namely&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-churches-trump-immigration-crackdown-sanctuary-2746fa5c80aa8e2ce6db878e0d6e1c24">their ability to minister to migrants</a>, including those in the United States illegally.

“We have immigrants, refugees, people who are documented and undocumented,” said the Most Rev. Sean Rowe, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church.

“We cannot worship freely if some of us are living in fear,” he told The Associated Press. “By joining this lawsuit, we’re seeking the ability to gather and fully practice our faith, to follow Jesus’ command to love our neighbors as ourselves.”

The new lawsuit echoes and expands on some of the arguments made in a similar lawsuit filed Jan. 27 by five Quaker congregations and later joined by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and a Sikh temple. It is currently pending in U.S. District Court in Maryland.

There was no immediate Trump administration response to the new lawsuit, which names the Department of Homeland Security and its immigration enforcement agencies as defendants. However, a memorandum filed Friday by the Department of Justice, opposing the thrust of the Quaker lawsuit, outlined arguments that may also apply to the new lawsuit.

In essence, the memo contended that the plaintiffs’ request to block the new enforcement policy is based on speculation of hypothetical future harm — and thus is insufficient grounds for issuing an injunction.

The memo said that immigration enforcement affecting houses of worship had been permitted for decades, and the new policy announced in January simply said that field agents — using “common sense” and “discretion” — could now conduct such operations without pre-approval from a supervisor.

One part of that memo might not apply to the new lawsuit, as it argued the Quakers and their fellow plaintiffs have no basis for seeking a nationwide injunction against the revised enforcement policy.

“Any relief in this case should be tailored solely to the named plaintiffs,” said the DOJ memo, contending that any injunction should not apply to other religious organizations.

The plaintiffs in the new lawsuit represent a vastly larger swath of American worshippers — including more than 1 million followers of Reform Judaism, the estimated 1.5 million Episcopalians in 6,700 congregations nationwide, nearly 1.1 million members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the estimated 1.5 million active members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church — the country’s oldest predominantly Black denomination.

Among the other plaintiffs are the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), with more than 3,000 congregations; the Church of the Brethren, with more than 780 congregations; the Convención Bautista Hispana de Texas, encompassing about 1,100 Hispanic Baptist churches; the Friends General Conference, an association of regional Quaker organizations; the Mennonite Church USA, with about 50,000 members; the Unitarian Universalist Association, with more than 1,000 congregations; the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, with more than 500 U.S. congregations; and regional branches of the United Methodist Church and the United Church of Christ.

“The massive scale of the suit will be hard for them to ignore,” said Kelsi Corkran, a lawyer with the Georgetown University Law Center’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.law.georgetown.edu/icap/">Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection</a>&nbsp;who is lead counsel for the lawsuit.

The plaintiffs joined the suit, she said, “because their scripture, teaching, and traditions offer irrefutable unanimity on their religious obligation to embrace and serve the refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants in their midst without regard to documentation or legal status.”

Prior to the recent Trump administration change, Corkran said immigration agents generally needed a judicial warrant or other special authorization to conduct operations at houses of worship and other “sensitive locations" such as schools and hospitals.

“Now it’s go anywhere, any time,” she told the AP. “Now they have broad authority to swoop in — they’ve made it very clear they’ll get every undocumented person.”

She cited a recent incident in which a Honduran man was arrested outside his family’s Atlanta-area church while a service was being held inside.

The lawsuit includes details from some of the plaintiffs as to how their operations might be affected. The Union for Reform Judaism and the Mennonites, among others, said many of their synagogues and churches host on-site foodbanks, meal programs, homeless shelters and other support services for undocumented people who might now be fearful of participating.

One of the plaintiffs is the Latino Christian National Network, which seeks to bring together&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/latino-evangelical-voters-presidential-election-fc7f1e76fafcddf929973709bccfcbf4">Latino leaders with different traditions</a>&nbsp;and values to collaborate on pressing social issues. The network’s president is the Rev. Carlos Malavé, a pastor of two churches in Virginia, who described to the AP what network members are observing.

“There is deep-seated fear and distrust of our government,” he said. “People fear going to the store, they are avoiding going to church. ... The churches are increasingly doing online services because people fear for the well-being of their families.”

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which leads the nation's largest denomination, did not join the lawsuit, though it has criticized Trump's migration crackdown. On Tuesday, Pope Francis issued a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-trump-migration-09a89091f8e7dc3270099f0947d04e90">major rebuke</a>&nbsp;of the deportation plan, warning that the forceful removal of people purely because of their illegal status deprives them of their inherent dignity and “will end badly.”

Many conservative faith leaders and legal experts across the U.S. do not share concerns about the new arrest policy.

“Places of worship are for worship and are not sanctuaries for illegal activity or for harboring people engaged in illegal activity,” said Mat Staver, founder of the conservative Christian legal organization Liberty Counsel.

“Fugitives or criminals are not immune from the law merely because they enter a place of worship,” he said via email. “This is not a matter of religious freedom. There is no right to openly violate the law and disobey law enforcement.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738002670796.png" alt="Photo Homeland Security-Ice" />
 <figcaption>Photo Homeland Security-Ice</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DAVID%20CRARY%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DAVID CRARY AP National Writer</a>More than two-dozen Christian and Jewish groups representing millions of Americans — ranging from the Episcopal Church and the Union for Reform Judaism to the Mennonites and Unitarian Universalists — filed a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.law.georgetown.edu/icap/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2025/02/Mennonite-Church-USA-v.-U.S.-Department-of-Homeland-Security-Complaint.pdf">federal court lawsuit</a>&nbsp;Tuesday challenging a Trump administration move giving immigration agents more leeway to make arrests at houses of worship.The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, contends that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-sensitive-locations-trump-ab0d2d2652e9df696f14410ebb52a1fc">the new policy</a>&nbsp;is spreading fear of raids, thus lowering attendance at worship services and other valuable church programs. The result, says the suit, infringes on the groups’ religious freedom — namely&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-churches-trump-immigration-crackdown-sanctuary-2746fa5c80aa8e2ce6db878e0d6e1c24">their ability to minister to migrants</a>, including those in the United States illegally.“We have immigrants, refugees, people who are documented and undocumented,” said the Most Rev. Sean Rowe, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church.“We cannot worship freely if some of us are living in fear,” he told The Associated Press. “By joining this lawsuit, we’re seeking the ability to gather and fully practice our faith, to follow Jesus’ command to love our neighbors as ourselves.”The new lawsuit echoes and expands on some of the arguments made in a similar lawsuit filed Jan. 27 by five Quaker congregations and later joined by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and a Sikh temple. It is currently pending in U.S. District Court in Maryland.There was no immediate Trump administration response to the new lawsuit, which names the Department of Homeland Security and its immigration enforcement agencies as defendants. However, a memorandum filed Friday by the Department of Justice, opposing the thrust of the Quaker lawsuit, outlined arguments that may also apply to the new lawsuit.In essence, the memo contended that the plaintiffs’ request to block the new enforcement policy is based on speculation of hypothetical future harm — and thus is insufficient grounds for issuing an injunction.The memo said that immigration enforcement affecting houses of worship had been permitted for decades, and the new policy announced in January simply said that field agents — using “common sense” and “discretion” — could now conduct such operations without pre-approval from a supervisor.One part of that memo might not apply to the new lawsuit, as it argued the Quakers and their fellow plaintiffs have no basis for seeking a nationwide injunction against the revised enforcement policy.“Any relief in this case should be tailored solely to the named plaintiffs,” said the DOJ memo, contending that any injunction should not apply to other religious organizations.The plaintiffs in the new lawsuit represent a vastly larger swath of American worshippers — including more than 1 million followers of Reform Judaism, the estimated 1.5 million Episcopalians in 6,700 congregations nationwide, nearly 1.1 million members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the estimated 1.5 million active members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church — the country’s oldest predominantly Black denomination.Among the other plaintiffs are the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), with more than 3,000 congregations; the Church of the Brethren, with more than 780 congregations; the Convención Bautista Hispana de Texas, encompassing about 1,100 Hispanic Baptist churches; the Friends General Conference, an association of regional Quaker organizations; the Mennonite Church USA, with about 50,000 members; the Unitarian Universalist Association, with more than 1,000 congregations; the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, with more than 500 U.S. congregations; and regional branches of the United Methodist Church and the United Church of Christ.“The massive scale of the suit will be hard for them to ignore,” said Kelsi Corkran, a lawyer with the Georgetown University Law Center’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.law.georgetown.edu/icap/">Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection</a>&nbsp;who is lead counsel for the lawsuit.The plaintiffs joined the suit, she said, “because their scripture, teaching, and traditions offer irrefutable unanimity on their religious obligation to embrace and serve the refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants in their midst without regard to documentation or legal status.”Prior to the recent Trump administration change, Corkran said immigration agents generally needed a judicial warrant or other special authorization to conduct operations at houses of worship and other “sensitive locations" such as schools and hospitals.“Now it’s go anywhere, any time,” she told the AP. “Now they have broad authority to swoop in — they’ve made it very clear they’ll get every undocumented person.”She cited a recent incident in which a Honduran man was arrested outside his family’s Atlanta-area church while a service was being held inside.The lawsuit includes details from some of the plaintiffs as to how their operations might be affected. The Union for Reform Judaism and the Mennonites, among others, said many of their synagogues and churches host on-site foodbanks, meal programs, homeless shelters and other support services for undocumented people who might now be fearful of participating.One of the plaintiffs is the Latino Christian National Network, which seeks to bring together&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/latino-evangelical-voters-presidential-election-fc7f1e76fafcddf929973709bccfcbf4">Latino leaders with different traditions</a>&nbsp;and values to collaborate on pressing social issues. The network’s president is the Rev. Carlos Malavé, a pastor of two churches in Virginia, who described to the AP what network members are observing.“There is deep-seated fear and distrust of our government,” he said. “People fear going to the store, they are avoiding going to church. ... The churches are increasingly doing online services because people fear for the well-being of their families.”The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which leads the nation's largest denomination, did not join the lawsuit, though it has criticized Trump's migration crackdown. On Tuesday, Pope Francis issued a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-trump-migration-09a89091f8e7dc3270099f0947d04e90">major rebuke</a>&nbsp;of the deportation plan, warning that the forceful removal of people purely because of their illegal status deprives them of their inherent dignity and “will end badly.”Many conservative faith leaders and legal experts across the U.S. do not share concerns about the new arrest policy.“Places of worship are for worship and are not sanctuaries for illegal activity or for harboring people engaged in illegal activity,” said Mat Staver, founder of the conservative Christian legal organization Liberty Counsel.“Fugitives or criminals are not immune from the law merely because they enter a place of worship,” he said via email. “This is not a matter of religious freedom. There is no right to openly violate the law and disobey law enforcement.”Professor Cathleen Kaveny, who teaches in the theology department and law school at Boston College, questioned whether the plaintiffs would prevail with the religious freedom argument, but suggested the Trump administration might be unwise to disregard a traditional view of houses of worship as places of sanctuary for vulnerable people.“These buildings are different — almost like embassies,” she said. “I think of churches as belonging to an eternal country.”___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/ap-twir">collaboration</a>&nbsp;with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.