WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. military forces boarded a sanctioned tanker in the Indian Ocean after tracking the ship from the Caribbean Sea as part of an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-maduro-trump-military-operation-85041a1ec03bafe839b785a95169d694">oil quarantine meant to squeeze Venezuela</a>, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday.

Venezuela had faced U.S. sanctions on its oil and relied on a shadow fleet of falsely flagged tankers to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-oil-trump-sanctions-maduro-a2ef5b45b48365861e0a724d8c27dce3">smuggle crude into global supply chains</a>. Following the U.S. raid to apprehend&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-us-maduro-what-to-know-a57528ff315a7f70ed51a1721f5e0bc2">then-President Nicolás Maduro</a>&nbsp;in early January, several tankers fled the Venezuelan coast, including the ship that was boarded in the Indian Ocean overnight.

Hegseth vowed to eventually capture all those ships, telling a group of shipyard workers in Maine on Monday that “the only guidance I gave to my military commanders is none of those are getting away.”

“I don’t care if we got to go around the globe to get them; we’re going to get them,” he added.

Later Monday, the U.S. military said it had carried out another&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-military-death-toll-venezuela-20cef307b035c386f390df846b6056b7">deadly strike on a vessel</a>&nbsp;accused of trafficking drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

U.S. Southern Command said the strike killed two people, while one person survived. Southern Command said it had notified the U.S. Coast Guard to activate its search and rescue system for the survivor. A video linked to the post shows a boat moving through the water before exploding in flames.

Monday’s attack raises the death toll from the Trump administration’s strikes on alleged drug boats to 130 people.

The Trump administration has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-oil-tanker-us-military-trump-086d42db3d56f0e952014f97fa30faaf">seized seven tankers</a>&nbsp;as part of its broader efforts&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-venezuela-oil-tanker-77f2c1441dda8217b37f9e38c3ae9131">to take control</a>&nbsp;of the South American country’s oil. Unlike those previous actions, the Aquila II has not been formally seized and placed under U.S. control, a defense official said.

Instead, the ship is being held while its ultimate fate is decided by the U.S., according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing decision-making.

The Aquila II is a Panamanian-flagged tanker under U.S. sanctions related to the shipment of illicit Russian oil. Owned by a company with a listed address in Hong Kong, ship tracking data shows it has spent much of the last year with its radio transponder turned off, a practice known as “running dark” commonly employed by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-middle-east-iran-shipping-44d5cdc52e589c44a7bb0fc5be59d156">smugglers to hide their location</a>.

It was one of at least 16 tankers that fled the Venezuelan coast last month, according to Samir Madani, co-founder of TankerTrackers.com, who said his organization used satellite imagery and surface-level photos to document the ship’s movements. According to data transmitted from the ship Monday, it is not currently laden with a cargo of crude oil.

The Pentagon’s post on X said the military “conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction” on the ship.

“The Aquila II was operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean,” the Pentagon said. “It ran, and we followed.”

A Navy official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations, would not say what forces were used in the operation but confirmed the destroyers USS Pinckney and USS John Finn as well as the mobile base ship USS Miguel Keith were operating in the Indian Ocean.

In videos the Pentagon posted to social media, uniformed forces can be seen boarding a Navy helicopter that takes off from a ship that matches the profile of the Miguel Keith. Video and photos of the tanker shot from inside a helicopter also show a Navy destroyer sailing alongside the ship.

Since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-us-explosions-caracas-ca712a67aaefc30b1831f5bf0b50665e">U.S. ouster of Maduro</a>&nbsp;in a surprise nighttime raid on Jan. 3, the Trump administration has set out to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-trump-oil-sales-rubio-maduro-rodriguez-61ad64e8a983db7faaa80beb71ba1aa4">control the production</a>, refining and global distribution of Venezuela’s petroleum products. Officials in President Donald Trump’s Republican administration have made it clear they see seizing the tankers as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-venezuela-oil-tanker-77f2c1441dda8217b37f9e38c3ae9131">way to generate cash</a>&nbsp;as they seek to rebuild Venezuela’s battered oil industry and restore its economy.

Trump also has been trying to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cuba-economy-oil-crisis-us-6b2b44a4818616bbc542b7b63159a47b">restrict the flow of oil to Cuba</a>, which faces strict economic sanctions by the U.S. and relies heavily on oil shipments from allies like Mexico, Russia and Venezuela.

Since the Venezuela operation, Trump has said that no more Venezuelan oil will go to Cuba and that the Cuban government is ready to fall. Trump also recently signed an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oil-cuba-tariffs-trump-mexico-30f1d74a766fee23001684a5bb8079d9">executive order that would impose a tariff</a>&nbsp;on any goods from countries that sell or provide oil to Cuba, primarily pressuring Mexico because it has acted as an oil lifeline for Cuba.

<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. military forces boarded a sanctioned tanker in the Indian Ocean after tracking the ship from the Caribbean Sea as part of an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-maduro-trump-military-operation-85041a1ec03bafe839b785a95169d694">oil quarantine meant to squeeze Venezuela</a>, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">When the <a href="https://twitter.com/DeptofWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DeptofWar</a> says quarantine, we mean it. Nothing will stop DoW from defending our Homeland — even in oceans halfway around the world.<br><br>Overnight, U.S. military forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding on the Aquila II without incident in the… <a href="https://t.co/kYVAQC5io9">pic.twitter.com/kYVAQC5io9</a></p>&mdash; Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeptofWar/status/2020833550488965503?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Venezuela had faced U.S. sanctions on its oil and relied on a shadow fleet of falsely flagged tankers to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-oil-trump-sanctions-maduro-a2ef5b45b48365861e0a724d8c27dce3">smuggle crude into global supply chains</a>. Following the U.S. raid to apprehend&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-us-maduro-what-to-know-a57528ff315a7f70ed51a1721f5e0bc2">then-President Nicolás Maduro</a>&nbsp;in early January, several tankers fled the Venezuelan coast, including the ship that was boarded in the Indian Ocean overnight.</p><p>Hegseth vowed to eventually capture all those ships, telling a group of shipyard workers in Maine on Monday that “the only guidance I gave to my military commanders is none of those are getting away.”</p><p>“I don’t care if we got to go around the globe to get them; we’re going to get them,” he added.</p><p>Later Monday, the U.S. military said it had carried out another&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-military-death-toll-venezuela-20cef307b035c386f390df846b6056b7">deadly strike on a vessel</a>&nbsp;accused of trafficking drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean.</p><p>U.S. Southern Command said the strike killed two people, while one person survived. Southern Command said it had notified the U.S. Coast Guard to activate its search and rescue system for the survivor. A video linked to the post shows a boat moving through the water before exploding in flames.</p><p>Monday’s attack raises the death toll from the Trump administration’s strikes on alleged drug boats to 130 people.</p><p>The Trump administration has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-oil-tanker-us-military-trump-086d42db3d56f0e952014f97fa30faaf">seized seven tankers</a>&nbsp;as part of its broader efforts&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-venezuela-oil-tanker-77f2c1441dda8217b37f9e38c3ae9131">to take control</a>&nbsp;of the South American country’s oil. Unlike those previous actions, the Aquila II has not been formally seized and placed under U.S. control, a defense official said.</p><p>Instead, the ship is being held while its ultimate fate is decided by the U.S., according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing decision-making.</p><p>The Aquila II is a Panamanian-flagged tanker under U.S. sanctions related to the shipment of illicit Russian oil. Owned by a company with a listed address in Hong Kong, ship tracking data shows it has spent much of the last year with its radio transponder turned off, a practice known as “running dark” commonly employed by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-middle-east-iran-shipping-44d5cdc52e589c44a7bb0fc5be59d156">smugglers to hide their location</a>.</p><p>It was one of at least 16 tankers that fled the Venezuelan coast last month, according to Samir Madani, co-founder of TankerTrackers.com, who said his organization used satellite imagery and surface-level photos to document the ship’s movements. According to data transmitted from the ship Monday, it is not currently laden with a cargo of crude oil.</p><p>The Pentagon’s post on X said the military “conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction” on the ship.</p><p>“The Aquila II was operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean,” the Pentagon said. “It ran, and we followed.”</p><p>A Navy official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations, would not say what forces were used in the operation but confirmed the destroyers USS Pinckney and USS John Finn as well as the mobile base ship USS Miguel Keith were operating in the Indian Ocean.</p><p>In videos the Pentagon posted to social media, uniformed forces can be seen boarding a Navy helicopter that takes off from a ship that matches the profile of the Miguel Keith. Video and photos of the tanker shot from inside a helicopter also show a Navy destroyer sailing alongside the ship.</p><p>Since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-us-explosions-caracas-ca712a67aaefc30b1831f5bf0b50665e">U.S. ouster of Maduro</a>&nbsp;in a surprise nighttime raid on Jan. 3, the Trump administration has set out to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-trump-oil-sales-rubio-maduro-rodriguez-61ad64e8a983db7faaa80beb71ba1aa4">control the production</a>, refining and global distribution of Venezuela’s petroleum products. Officials in President Donald Trump’s Republican administration have made it clear they see seizing the tankers as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-venezuela-oil-tanker-77f2c1441dda8217b37f9e38c3ae9131">way to generate cash</a>&nbsp;as they seek to rebuild Venezuela’s battered oil industry and restore its economy.</p><p>Trump also has been trying to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cuba-economy-oil-crisis-us-6b2b44a4818616bbc542b7b63159a47b">restrict the flow of oil to Cuba</a>, which faces strict economic sanctions by the U.S. and relies heavily on oil shipments from allies like Mexico, Russia and Venezuela.</p><p>Since the Venezuela operation, Trump has said that no more Venezuelan oil will go to Cuba and that the Cuban government is ready to fall. Trump also recently signed an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oil-cuba-tariffs-trump-mexico-30f1d74a766fee23001684a5bb8079d9">executive order that would impose a tariff</a>&nbsp;on any goods from countries that sell or provide oil to Cuba, primarily pressuring Mexico because it has acted as an oil lifeline for Cuba.</p>

🎥US military boards sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean after pursuit

DOUGLAS COUNTY – Lawrence Douglas County Fire Medical (LDCFM) investigators and Lawrence Police Department (LKPD) detectives have arrested a suspect in connection with multiple aggravated arsons and burglaries that occurred between December 2025 and February 2026, according to a statement from Lawrence Police.

The suspect was taken into custody on February 7, following a joint investigation by investigators and police detectives. The investigators have identified the crimes took place at three separate apartment complexes involving four vacant dwelling units and two laundry rooms. Damage estimates are not available at this time.&nbsp; Police did not release the name of the suspect.

<p>DOUGLAS COUNTY – Lawrence Douglas County Fire Medical (LDCFM) investigators and Lawrence Police Department (LKPD) detectives have arrested a suspect in connection with multiple aggravated arsons and burglaries that occurred between December 2025 and February 2026, according to a statement from Lawrence Police.</p><p>The suspect was taken into custody on February 7, following a joint investigation by investigators and police detectives. The investigators have identified the crimes took place at three separate apartment complexes involving four vacant dwelling units and two laundry rooms. Damage estimates are not available at this time.&nbsp; Police did not release the name of the suspect.</p>

Police arrest suspect in multiple Kan. arson and burglaries

By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mayasmith/">Maya Smith</a><br><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/"><i>Kansas Reflector</i></a>

TOPEKA — Parents, first responders and educators are urging lawmakers to require schools to stock naloxone and provide fentanyl prevention education to prevent overdoses and deaths.

<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2489/" target="_blank">House Bill 2489</a>&nbsp;would combine education and resources with the goal of preventing youth fentanyl-related deaths. Schools would be required to maintain a stock supply of naloxone, as well as being responsible for storage, adequate quantity and administering as needed.

The bill would allow school personnel to administer naloxone on a “voluntary basis” outside of the scope of employment.

Josh Magaha, a Kansas City firefighter, said he has given 15,000 children and adults overdose prevention education across eastern Kansas since 2018. Magaha’s first presentation was in Basehor. Five days later, someone overdosed on the school’s campus.

“Every single school I’ve presented in has had an overdose. Every single school I’ve presented in has Narcan now,” Magaha said. “I see it first hand. The fact that the deaths are going down is being blanketed because we have so much Narcan in the community.”

Narcan is a brand name for naloxone as a nasal spray.

Education on fentanyl abuse prevention would be for grades 9-12 and can be provided alongside other drug prevention programs. The State Board of Education would be responsible for creating guidance to ensure the curriculum is age appropriate.

Tim Graham, of the Kansas National Education Association, said he worried the language in the bill regarding staff and personnel was broad, and should be changed since those handling the naloxone would be nonmedical professionals.

“The bill requires nonmedical employees and volunteers who’d be asked to administer naloxone outside of their employment,” Graham said. “This raises practical concerns about expectations placed on staff who are not trained as medical professionals.”

Between 2020 and 2023,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ag.ks.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/24650/638947359763000000" target="_blank">48 children died</a>&nbsp;because of fentanyl, according to the Kansas State Child Death Review Board, with 74% of child drug-related deaths caused by fentanyl.

Rep. Pat Proctor, a Leavenworth Republican, testified in favor of the bill, saying roughly 30 to 50 people overdose per year in Leavenworth. Proctor, who has served in the House since 2021, said roughly a dozen of those are overdose deaths.

“I didn’t understand the scope of this problem when I came here. This is happening to our kids and in our schools, too,” Proctor said. “The problem isn’t getting worse, but it ain’t getting better.”

Amber Saale-Burger testified to the committee about losing her daughter and grandson’s father to pills laced with fentanyl. She said the concept of stocking naloxone is the same as automated external defibrillators or fire extinguishers in schools.

“Naloxone needs to be as readily available as possible,” she said. “We keep fire extinguishers in the house not because we plan to start a fire, but because if it happens we can put it out. Naloxone should be treated no different.”

Saale-Burger said prevention education can save lives and break the cycle for drug-endangered children.

“The only way to make this problem go away is to talk to our kids about it,” Saale said. “Kids don’t know until it’s too late.”

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770730893829.png" alt=" Proposed legislation in the House would require schools to stock naloxone and administer it as needed. The product is seen here in a vending machine outside of a Lawrence Transit station near the University of Kansas campus. (Maya Smith for Kansas Reflector)" />
                        <figcaption> Proposed legislation in the House would require schools to stock naloxone and administer it as needed. The product is seen here in a vending machine outside of a Lawrence Transit station near the University of Kansas campus. (Maya Smith for Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mayasmith/">Maya Smith</a><br><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/"><i>Kansas Reflector</i></a></p><p>TOPEKA — Parents, first responders and educators are urging lawmakers to require schools to stock naloxone and provide fentanyl prevention education to prevent overdoses and deaths.</p><p><a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2489/" target="_blank">House Bill 2489</a>&nbsp;would combine education and resources with the goal of preventing youth fentanyl-related deaths. Schools would be required to maintain a stock supply of naloxone, as well as being responsible for storage, adequate quantity and administering as needed.</p><p>The bill would allow school personnel to administer naloxone on a “voluntary basis” outside of the scope of employment.</p><p>Josh Magaha, a Kansas City firefighter, said he has given 15,000 children and adults overdose prevention education across eastern Kansas since 2018. Magaha’s first presentation was in Basehor. Five days later, someone overdosed on the school’s campus.</p><p>“Every single school I’ve presented in has had an overdose. Every single school I’ve presented in has Narcan now,” Magaha said. “I see it first hand. The fact that the deaths are going down is being blanketed because we have so much Narcan in the community.”</p><p>Narcan is a brand name for naloxone as a nasal spray.</p><p>Education on fentanyl abuse prevention would be for grades 9-12 and can be provided alongside other drug prevention programs. The State Board of Education would be responsible for creating guidance to ensure the curriculum is age appropriate.</p><p>Tim Graham, of the Kansas National Education Association, said he worried the language in the bill regarding staff and personnel was broad, and should be changed since those handling the naloxone would be nonmedical professionals.</p><p>“The bill requires nonmedical employees and volunteers who’d be asked to administer naloxone outside of their employment,” Graham said. “This raises practical concerns about expectations placed on staff who are not trained as medical professionals.”</p><p>Between 2020 and 2023,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ag.ks.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/24650/638947359763000000" target="_blank">48 children died</a>&nbsp;because of fentanyl, according to the Kansas State Child Death Review Board, with 74% of child drug-related deaths caused by fentanyl.</p><p>Rep. Pat Proctor, a Leavenworth Republican, testified in favor of the bill, saying roughly 30 to 50 people overdose per year in Leavenworth. Proctor, who has served in the House since 2021, said roughly a dozen of those are overdose deaths.</p><p>“I didn’t understand the scope of this problem when I came here. This is happening to our kids and in our schools, too,” Proctor said. “The problem isn’t getting worse, but it ain’t getting better.”</p><p>Amber Saale-Burger testified to the committee about losing her daughter and grandson’s father to pills laced with fentanyl. She said the concept of stocking naloxone is the same as automated external defibrillators or fire extinguishers in schools.</p><p>“Naloxone needs to be as readily available as possible,” she said. “We keep fire extinguishers in the house not because we plan to start a fire, but because if it happens we can put it out. Naloxone should be treated no different.”</p><p>Saale-Burger said prevention education can save lives and break the cycle for drug-endangered children.</p><p>“The only way to make this problem go away is to talk to our kids about it,” Saale said. “Kids don’t know until it’s too late.”</p>

Bill would require schools to stock naloxone, provide fentanyl education

JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —After a two-day search, law enforcement captured a stolen vehicle suspect.

Just before 10 p.m. Sunday, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office received a report from a caller who observed a pickup truck that had been reported stolen out of St. Mary’s, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

 The caller observed the vehicle in western Jackson County.&nbsp; Jackson County Deputies located the vehicle near N. Road on 158th&nbsp;Road.&nbsp; A pursuit ensued eastbound.&nbsp; The vehicle turned into a driveway of a residence located at 15505 158th&nbsp;Road and crashed through a fence.&nbsp; The vehicle caught fire, deputies and fire crews extinguished the fire as the driver escaped into a thickly wooded area. Deputies and troopers searched the area with K-9s and drones and were not able to locate the suspect.

Just after 10 a.m. Monday, the Sheriff’s Office received a call from a citizen who reported finding a man wearing a brown Carhartt Jacket with blue jeans in his chicken house. Sheriff’s Office personnel quickly came on scene.&nbsp; Deputies, State Troopers and K.B.I. agents assisted with the search including K-9s, drones and aircraft.&nbsp; As of 2 p.m. today, the subject has not been located.

The Sheriff’s Office identified William Joseph Goetz, 43, of Saint George. Goetz as the suspect and reported he believed that Goetz was without a phone and would access buildings or vehicles to stay warm at night.&nbsp; Deputies continued to canvass the area.

Late Monday afternoon, the suspect allegedly stole a 2005 Ford F-250 pickup truck from a residence on U. Road.&nbsp; The suspect headed south on U. Road and only after 1/8th of a mile rolled the truck and fled again on foot.&nbsp; Law enforcement continued pursuing the suspect southeast to a lake located east of U. Road on 150th.&nbsp; Law enforcement finally apprehended Goetz who was hiding in another pickup truck.&nbsp; Goetz will be booked into the Jackson County Jail for numerous requested charges.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770686387795.png" alt="Goetz photo Jackson Co. Sheriff" />
                        <figcaption>Goetz photo Jackson Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —After a two-day search, law enforcement captured a stolen vehicle suspect.</p><p>Just before 10 p.m. Sunday, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office received a report from a caller who observed a pickup truck that had been reported stolen out of St. Mary’s, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.</p><p> The caller observed the vehicle in western Jackson County.&nbsp; Jackson County Deputies located the vehicle near N. Road on 158th&nbsp;Road.&nbsp; A pursuit ensued eastbound.&nbsp; The vehicle turned into a driveway of a residence located at 15505 158th&nbsp;Road and crashed through a fence.&nbsp; The vehicle caught fire, deputies and fire crews extinguished the fire as the driver escaped into a thickly wooded area. Deputies and troopers searched the area with K-9s and drones and were not able to locate the suspect.</p><p>Just after 10 a.m. Monday, the Sheriff’s Office received a call from a citizen who reported finding a man wearing a brown Carhartt Jacket with blue jeans in his chicken house. Sheriff’s Office personnel quickly came on scene.&nbsp; Deputies, State Troopers and K.B.I. agents assisted with the search including K-9s, drones and aircraft.&nbsp; As of 2 p.m. today, the subject has not been located.</p><p>The Sheriff’s Office identified William Joseph Goetz, 43, of Saint George. Goetz as the suspect and reported he believed that Goetz was without a phone and would access buildings or vehicles to stay warm at night.&nbsp; Deputies continued to canvass the area.</p><p>Late Monday afternoon, the suspect allegedly stole a 2005 Ford F-250 pickup truck from a residence on U. Road.&nbsp; The suspect headed south on U. Road and only after 1/8th of a mile rolled the truck and fled again on foot.&nbsp; Law enforcement continued pursuing the suspect southeast to a lake located east of U. Road on 150th.&nbsp; Law enforcement finally apprehended Goetz who was hiding in another pickup truck.&nbsp; Goetz will be booked into the Jackson County Jail for numerous requested charges.</p>

Kansas stolen vehicle suspect captured after 2-day search

HAMILTON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a violent incident in southwest Kansas.

Just before 9:30p.m. Sunday, the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office received a report of an aggravated battery and assault in progress involving a machete and a firearm in the area of Grant Street, according to a media release.

Deputies located a man inside a small camper who was holding another individual hostage. After issuing verbal commands, deputies deployed a Taser, and the subject was safely taken into custody without further incident.

Deputies also located an additional victim at the scene who sustained a cut to the shoulder consistent with a machete-related injury. The suspect was identified as Jose Alfredo Miranda Dubon, who was taken into custody and transported to the Hamilton County Jail. The sheriff's office did not release details on possible charges.

<p>HAMILTON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a violent incident in southwest Kansas.</p><p>Just before 9:30p.m. Sunday, the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office received a report of an aggravated battery and assault in progress involving a machete and a firearm in the area of Grant Street, according to a media release.</p><p>Deputies located a man inside a small camper who was holding another individual hostage. After issuing verbal commands, deputies deployed a Taser, and the subject was safely taken into custody without further incident.</p><p>Deputies also located an additional victim at the scene who sustained a cut to the shoulder consistent with a machete-related injury. The suspect was identified as Jose Alfredo Miranda Dubon, who was taken into custody and transported to the Hamilton County Jail. The sheriff's office did not release details on possible charges.</p>

Man jailed after machete attack in southwest Kansas

KANSAS CITY —Authorities are investigating the cause of house fire in Kansas City, Missouri.

Just before 3p.m. Monday, crews&nbsp;were dispatched to a reported house fire in the 300 block of Benton Blvd., according to Battalion Chief Riley Nolan.

On arrival, crews reported smoke showing from a 2-story house. An offensive fire attack was initiated and 2 hose lines advanced into the structure.&nbsp;

Searches throughout were performed and reported all clear. The fire was brought under controlat 3:19 p.m.. No injuries have been reported from this incident.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770676439726.png" alt="Photo KCFD" />
                        <figcaption>Photo KCFD</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>KANSAS CITY —Authorities are investigating the cause of house fire in Kansas City, Missouri.</p><p>Just before 3p.m. Monday, crews&nbsp;were dispatched to a reported house fire in the 300 block of Benton Blvd., according to Battalion Chief Riley Nolan.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770676267543.png" alt="" />
                        <figcaption></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>On arrival, crews reported smoke showing from a 2-story house. An offensive fire attack was initiated and 2 hose lines advanced into the structure.&nbsp;</p><p>Searches throughout were performed and reported all clear. The fire was brought under controlat 3:19 p.m.. No injuries have been reported from this incident.</p>

Crews battle fire at 2-story Kansas City home

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — The FBI said Monday it is unaware of any continued communication between Savannah Guthrie’s family and suspected kidnappers more than a week after the “Today” show host’s mom went missing.

The FBI has still not identified any suspects or persons of interest in the mysterious disappearance of 84-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-nancy-042abd04a6d87e14eecb22f0bc2893d1">Nancy Guthrie</a>, said Connor Hagan, a spokesperson for the FBI.

Savannah Guthrie said the family was “at an hour of desperation” in a video released Monday, just hours before a purported ransom deadline apparently set by her mom's abductors.

She didn’t mention the deadline in the video, saying her family in Arizona continues to believe her mother is out there and hearing everyone’s prayers.

“She was taken and we don’t know where, and we need your help,” Guthrie said in the video posted on Instagram, urging people nationwide to be on the lookout. “No matter where you are, even if you’re far from Tucson, if you see anything, if you hear anything.”

The mysterious disappearance and search has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-guthrie-famous-kidnappings-4c4ac60734ea43d6e4edb3261a0d1732">riveted the country</a>&nbsp;— from President Donald Trump, who spoke with Savannah Guthrie last week, to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/search-nancy-guthrie-social-media-posts-e176abcc670af3844416946fb3bb5619">online sleuths</a>&nbsp;who’ve flooded social media with tips, theories and rumors.

The FBI is now asking for the public’s help on digital billboards up in several major cities in Texas, California, Arizona and New Mexico. The FBI has offered a $50,000 reward for information.

Multiple news outlets received alleged ransom letters during the past week. At least one letter made monetary demands and set deadlines for receiving the money. The first deadline passed last Thursday but a second one was set for Monday evening.

Law enforcement officials declined to affirm that the letters were credible but said all tips were being investigated seriously. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Monday that law enforcement tip lines have received thousands of calls.

Authorities say they have growing concerns about Nancy Guthrie’s health because she needs daily medication. She is said to have a pacemaker and has dealt with high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriff’s dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com.

Savannah Guthrie expressed hope on Monday that her mom was still alive.

“We believe that somehow, some way, she is feeling these prayers,” she said, “and that God is lifting her even in this moment and in this darkest place.”

In a video Saturday, she said the family was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-92dff046a91f2c5c0093f17cd3b7ad42">prepared to pay</a>&nbsp;for her mother’s return. “This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”

Authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-arizona-tucson-6c7b78d17d7b647c64f71f64ecaecf8b">taken against her will</a>&nbsp;from her home just outside Tucson. She was last seen there Jan. 31 and reported missing the next day after not attending church. DNA tests showed blood on Guthrie’s front porch was a match to her, and her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-nancy-adaa8af43efe04c252a52616d9037a05">doorbell camera was disconnected</a>&nbsp;in the early hours of Sunday morning, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said.

Outside the home on Monday, neighbors strolled by on their morning jogs and walks, while a county sheriff's deputy remained stationed out front.

Law enforcement's work at Guthrie residences will continue Tuesday “as part of the ongoing investigative process, including the expansion of the search and follow-up on new leads,” the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement Monday.

Detectives and agents carried out follow-up work in the neighborhood and other locations over the weekend as part of the investigation, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Sunday.

“Investigators have not identified any suspects, persons of interest, or vehicles connected to this case,” the department said.

Investigators on Saturday were inside daughter Annie Guthrie’s home, about 4 miles (6 kilometers) from Nancy Guthrie's house. On Sunday, an investigator was seen using a pole to search an underground tank behind Nancy Guthrie’s home.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770317606483.png" alt="<br>" />
                        <figcaption><br></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — The FBI said Monday it is unaware of any continued communication between Savannah Guthrie’s family and suspected kidnappers more than a week after the “Today” show host’s mom went missing.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Investigators have not identified any suspects, persons of interest, or vehicles connected to Nancy Guthrie. Anyone who believes they have information that may assist investigators is asked to contact 1-800-CALL-FBI or the PCSD non-emergency line at 520-351-4900, or 88-CRIME.</p>&mdash; Pima County Sheriff&#39;s Department (@PimaSheriff) <a href="https://twitter.com/PimaSheriff/status/2021009531174891608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>The FBI has still not identified any suspects or persons of interest in the mysterious disappearance of 84-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-nancy-042abd04a6d87e14eecb22f0bc2893d1">Nancy Guthrie</a>, said Connor Hagan, a spokesperson for the FBI.</p><div><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUjPVoYEpci/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUjPVoYEpci/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; 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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUjPVoYEpci/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Savannah Guthrie (@savannahguthrie)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div><p>Savannah Guthrie said the family was “at an hour of desperation” in a video released Monday, just hours before a purported ransom deadline apparently set by her mom's abductors.</p><p>She didn’t mention the deadline in the video, saying her family in Arizona continues to believe her mother is out there and hearing everyone’s prayers.</p><p>“She was taken and we don’t know where, and we need your help,” Guthrie said in the video posted on Instagram, urging people nationwide to be on the lookout. “No matter where you are, even if you’re far from Tucson, if you see anything, if you hear anything.”</p><p>The mysterious disappearance and search has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-guthrie-famous-kidnappings-4c4ac60734ea43d6e4edb3261a0d1732">riveted the country</a>&nbsp;— from President Donald Trump, who spoke with Savannah Guthrie last week, to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/search-nancy-guthrie-social-media-posts-e176abcc670af3844416946fb3bb5619">online sleuths</a>&nbsp;who’ve flooded social media with tips, theories and rumors.</p><p>The FBI is now asking for the public’s help on digital billboards up in several major cities in Texas, California, Arizona and New Mexico. The FBI has offered a $50,000 reward for information.</p><p>Multiple news outlets received alleged ransom letters during the past week. At least one letter made monetary demands and set deadlines for receiving the money. The first deadline passed last Thursday but a second one was set for Monday evening.</p><p>Law enforcement officials declined to affirm that the letters were credible but said all tips were being investigated seriously. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Monday that law enforcement tip lines have received thousands of calls.</p><p>Authorities say they have growing concerns about Nancy Guthrie’s health because she needs daily medication. She is said to have a pacemaker and has dealt with high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriff’s dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com.</p><p>Savannah Guthrie expressed hope on Monday that her mom was still alive.</p><p>“We believe that somehow, some way, she is feeling these prayers,” she said, “and that God is lifting her even in this moment and in this darkest place.”</p><p>In a video Saturday, she said the family was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-92dff046a91f2c5c0093f17cd3b7ad42">prepared to pay</a>&nbsp;for her mother’s return. “This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”</p><p>Authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-arizona-tucson-6c7b78d17d7b647c64f71f64ecaecf8b">taken against her will</a>&nbsp;from her home just outside Tucson. She was last seen there Jan. 31 and reported missing the next day after not attending church. DNA tests showed blood on Guthrie’s front porch was a match to her, and her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-nancy-adaa8af43efe04c252a52616d9037a05">doorbell camera was disconnected</a>&nbsp;in the early hours of Sunday morning, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said.</p><p>Outside the home on Monday, neighbors strolled by on their morning jogs and walks, while a county sheriff's deputy remained stationed out front.</p><p>Law enforcement's work at Guthrie residences will continue Tuesday “as part of the ongoing investigative process, including the expansion of the search and follow-up on new leads,” the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement Monday.</p><p>Detectives and agents carried out follow-up work in the neighborhood and other locations over the weekend as part of the investigation, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Sunday.</p><p>“Investigators have not identified any suspects, persons of interest, or vehicles connected to this case,” the department said.</p><p>Investigators on Saturday were inside daughter Annie Guthrie’s home, about 4 miles (6 kilometers) from Nancy Guthrie's house. On Sunday, an investigator was seen using a pole to search an underground tank behind Nancy Guthrie’s home.</p>

FBI unaware of 'Today' show host talking with her mom's suspected kidnappers

On Monday at the direction of U.S. Southern Command commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations, according to a social media report from the U.S. Southern Command.

 Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. 

Two narco-terrorists were killed and one survived the strike. Following the engagement, USSOUTHCOM immediately notified U.S. Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivor.&nbsp;

<p>On Monday at the direction of U.S. Southern Command commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations, according to a social media report from the U.S. Southern Command.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">On Feb. 9, at the direction of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SOUTHCOM?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SOUTHCOM</a> commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking… <a href="https://t.co/fa5vppjcCy">pic.twitter.com/fa5vppjcCy</a></p>&mdash; U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/Southcom/status/2021023735881564262?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p> Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. </p><p>Two narco-terrorists were killed and one survived the strike. Following the engagement, USSOUTHCOM immediately notified U.S. Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivor.&nbsp;</p>

🎥Two dead after another US strike on a drug boat

SEDGWICK COUNTY<b>—</b>Law enforcement authorities have&nbsp;arrested two suspects including a teen in connection with an aggravated assault with a firearm that occurred at a home in Garden Plain.

Just before 10 p.m., deputies and the Garden Plain Police Department responded to reports of shots fired into an occupied home in the 300 block of West Lavern Lane, according to Sedgwick County Sheriff's office spokesman Branden Stitt.

 The Garden Plain Police Department requested the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office take over the investigation.

Four people were inside the home at the time of the shooting. No one was struck by gunfire, and no injuries were reported.

Detectives believe one of the victims, who was also the intended target, was involved in a drug transaction with the suspects that involved the use of counterfeit currency. Detectives believe the suspects then followed the victim back to his home and fired shots into the occupied house.&nbsp;

The investigation continued into the early morning hours of Saturday, Feb. 7, when deputies, detectives and forensic investigators identified and arrested the suspects. Detectives booked 20-year-old Cristian Yair Garcia and a 16-year-old male juvenile, both of Cheney, on charges of criminal discharge of a firearm into an occupied dwelling.

The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770673396405.png" alt="Garcia photo Sedgwick County" />
                        <figcaption>Garcia photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SEDGWICK COUNTY<b>—</b>Law enforcement authorities have&nbsp;arrested two suspects including a teen in connection with an aggravated assault with a firearm that occurred at a home in Garden Plain.</p><p>Just before 10 p.m., deputies and the Garden Plain Police Department responded to reports of shots fired into an occupied home in the 300 block of West Lavern Lane, according to Sedgwick County Sheriff's office spokesman Branden Stitt.</p><p> The Garden Plain Police Department requested the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office take over the investigation.</p><p>Four people were inside the home at the time of the shooting. No one was struck by gunfire, and no injuries were reported.</p><p>Detectives believe one of the victims, who was also the intended target, was involved in a drug transaction with the suspects that involved the use of counterfeit currency. Detectives believe the suspects then followed the victim back to his home and fired shots into the occupied house.&nbsp;</p><p>The investigation continued into the early morning hours of Saturday, Feb. 7, when deputies, detectives and forensic investigators identified and arrested the suspects. Detectives booked 20-year-old Cristian Yair Garcia and a 16-year-old male juvenile, both of Cheney, on charges of criminal discharge of a firearm into an occupied dwelling.</p><p>The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.</p>

Counterfeit cash drug deal led to gunfire at Kansas home

JASPER COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 6:30p.m. Sunday in Jasper County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Harley Davidson Sportster 1200 Custom driven by a 24-year-old Joplin man was westbound on MO 66 one mile west of Joplin. The motorcycle struck a northbound 2017 Lexus RX 350 driven by a 25-year-old Overland Park, Kansas woman was northbound&nbsp; on MO. 66 one mile west of Joplin. After impact, the motorcycle traveled off the right side of the road, overturned and&nbsp; the driver was ejected. 

He was transported to Cox South in Springfield where he was pronounced deceased on Monday.&nbsp; The SUV driver was not injured and properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The motorcyclist was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, according to the patrol. The MSHP no longer releases names of accident victims.

<p>JASPER COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 6:30p.m. Sunday in Jasper County.</p><p>The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Harley Davidson Sportster 1200 Custom driven by a 24-year-old Joplin man was westbound on MO 66 one mile west of Joplin. The motorcycle struck a northbound 2017 Lexus RX 350 driven by a 25-year-old Overland Park, Kansas woman was northbound&nbsp; on MO. 66 one mile west of Joplin. After impact, the motorcycle traveled off the right side of the road, overturned and&nbsp; the driver was ejected. </p><p>He was transported to Cox South in Springfield where he was pronounced deceased on Monday.&nbsp; The SUV driver was not injured and properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The motorcyclist was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, according to the patrol. The MSHP no longer releases names of accident victims.</p>

Motorcyclist killed after crash with an SUV driven by Kan. woman

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas felon on new allegations after a weekend arrest.&nbsp;

On Sunday morning, Horton police notified police in Atchison that a suspect wanted on an outstanding Brown County warrant was at a residence in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

Police officers located 29-year-old Thomas Pahmahmie at a residence in the 500 block Park Street and he was taken into custody on a Brown County warrant for aggravated kidnapping, attempted murder in the second degree, aggravated battery, aggravated domestic battery, and criminal threat.&nbsp; Pahmahmie has previous convictions for aggravated battery and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770646350849.png" alt="Pahmahmie photo Atchison County" />
                        <figcaption>Pahmahmie photo Atchison County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas felon on new allegations after a weekend arrest.&nbsp;</p><p>On Sunday morning, Horton police notified police in Atchison that a suspect wanted on an outstanding Brown County warrant was at a residence in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.</p><p>Police officers located 29-year-old Thomas Pahmahmie at a residence in the 500 block Park Street and he was taken into custody on a Brown County warrant for aggravated kidnapping, attempted murder in the second degree, aggravated battery, aggravated domestic battery, and criminal threat.&nbsp; Pahmahmie has previous convictions for aggravated battery and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.</p>

Kansas felon jailed for alleged kidnapping, attempted murder

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The world's biggest social media companies face several landmark trials this year that seek to hold them responsible for harms to children who use their platforms. Opening statements for the first, in Los Angeles County Superior Court, began on Monday.

Instagram's parent company Meta and Google's YouTube face claims that their platforms deliberately addict and harm children. TikTok and Snap, which were originally named in the lawsuit,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-media-trial-kids-addiction-meta-tiktok-youtube-d3a6bf617f2d11521675412ffb275031">settled for undisclosed sums</a>.

Jurors got their first glimpse into what will be a lengthy trial characterized by dueling narratives from the plaintiffs and the two remaining social media companies named as defendants. Opening arguments in the landmark case began Monday at the Spring Street Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles.

Mark Lanier delivered the opening statement for the plaintiffs first, in a lively display where he said the case is as “easy as ABC,” which he said stands for “addicting the brains of children.” He called Meta and Google “two of the richest corporations in history” who have “engineered addiction in children’s brains.”

At the core of the Los Angeles case is a 19-year-old identified only by the initials “KGM,” whose case could determine how thousands of other, similar lawsuits against social media companies will play out. She and two other plaintiffs have been selected for bellwether trials — essentially test cases for both sides to see how their arguments play out before a jury and what damages, if any, may be awarded, said Clay Calvert, a nonresident senior fellow of technology policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute.

It’s the first time the companies are arguing their case before a jury, and the outcome could have profound effects on their businesses and how they will handle children using their platforms.

Lanier said the companies’ lawyers will “try to blame the little girl and her parents for the trap they built,” referencing the plaintiff. She was a minor when she said she became addicted to social media platforms, which she claims had a detrimental impact on her mental health.

Lanier said that despite the public position of Meta and YouTube being that they work to protect children and implement safeguards for their use of the platforms, their internal documents show an entirely different position, with explicit references to young children being listed as their target audiences.

Lanier also drew comparisons between the social media companies and tobacco firms, citing internal communication between Meta employees who were concerned about the company’s lack of proactive action about the potential harm their platforms can have on children and teens.

“For a teenager, social validation is survival,” Lanier said. The defendants “engineered a feature that caters to a minor’s craving for social validation,” he added, speaking about “like” buttons and similar features.

The court broke for lunch before Lanier concluded his opening statement and before attorneys for Meta and Google delivered their opening statements.

“This was only the first case — there are hundreds of parents and school districts in the social media addiction trials that start today, and sadly, new families every day who are speaking out and bringing Big Tech to court for its deliberately harmful products,” said Sacha Haworth, executive director of the nonprofit Tech Oversight Project.

Jurors are not being asked to stop using Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or any other forms of social media throughout the course of the trial — which is expected to last about eight weeks — but Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl emphasized that they should not make any changes to the way they interact with the platforms, including changing their settings or creating new accounts.

Kuhl said that jurors should decide the liability of Meta and YouTube independently when they deliberate.

A separate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/meta-new-mexico-child-exploitation-trial-19195fc680dba782fb971d68082e11a4">trial in New Mexico</a>, meanwhile, was also set to kick off with opening arguments on Monday.

KGM claims that her use of social media from an early age addicted her to the technology and exacerbated depression and suicidal thoughts. Importantly, the lawsuit claims that this was done through deliberate design choices made by companies that sought to make their platforms more addictive to children to boost profits. This argument, if successful, could sidestep the companies' First Amendment shield and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-technology-social-media-business-internet-eb89baf1fa30e245c030992b48a8a0ff">Section 230</a>, which protects tech companies from liability for material posted on their platforms.

“Borrowing heavily from the behavioral and neurobiological techniques used by slot machines and exploited by the cigarette industry, Defendants deliberately embedded in their products an array of design features aimed at maximizing youth engagement to drive advertising revenue,” the lawsuit says.

Executives, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, are expected to testify at the trial, which will last six to eight weeks. Experts have drawn similarities to the Big Tobacco trials that led to a 1998 settlement requiring cigarette companies to pay billions in health care costs and restrict marketing targeting minors.

The tech companies dispute the claims that their products deliberately harm children, citing a bevy of safeguards they have added over the years and arguing that they are not liable for content posted on their sites by third parties.

A Meta spokesperson said in a recent statement that the company strongly disagrees with the allegations outlined in the lawsuit and that it's “confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people.”

José Castañeda, a Google Spokesperson, said that the allegations against YouTube are “simply not true.” In a statement, he said, “Providing young people with a safer, healthier experience has always been core to our work.”

The case will be the first in a slew of cases beginning this year that seek to hold social media companies responsible for harming children's mental well-being.

In New Mexico,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/meta-new-mexico-child-exploitation-trial-19195fc680dba782fb971d68082e11a4">opening statements begin Monday</a>&nbsp;for trial on allegations that Meta and its social media platforms have failed to protect young users from sexual exploitation, following an undercover online investigation. Attorney General Raúl Torrez in late 2023 sued Meta and Zuckerberg, who was later dropped from the suit.

A federal bellwether trial beginning in June in Oakland, California, will be the first to represent school districts that have sued social media platforms over harms to children.

In addition, more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/instagram-facebook-children-teens-harms-lawsuit-attorney-general-1805492a38f7cee111cbb865cc786c28">40 state attorneys general have filed lawsuits</a>&nbsp;against Meta, claiming it is harming young people and contributing to the youth mental health crisis by deliberately designing features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms. The majority of cases filed their lawsuits in federal court, but some sued in their respective states.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-lawsuit-youth-mental-health-2993f8e70d2e3d4eab9988df168fb948">TikTok</a>&nbsp;also faces similar lawsuits in more than a dozen states.

Other countries, meanwhile, are enacting new laws to limit social media for children. In January,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/france-social-media-ban-children-d3c4010741dd1a39f61c1f6d5bb3c85b">French lawmakers approved a bill</a>&nbsp;banning social media for children under 15, paving the way for the measure to enter into force at the start of the next school year in September, as the idea of setting a minimum age for use of the platforms&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-social-media-ban-australia-teen-harm-c59c76db73a8c1cfac28c8264738e395">gains momentum across Europe.</a>

In Australia, social media companies have revoked access to about 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-social-media-ban-under-16-children-8b992efa5138704bc02ee9fc974f6987">the country banned use of the platforms</a>&nbsp;by those under 16, officials said. The law&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-social-media-ban-children-1abadf5445418c8c14f5f68cf76b38d0">provoked fraught debates</a>&nbsp;in Australia about technology use, privacy, child safety and mental health and has prompted other countries to consider similar measures.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-social-media-ban-australia-teen-harm-c59c76db73a8c1cfac28c8264738e395">British government</a>&nbsp;also said last month it will consider&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-social-media-ban-children-2ae8c00402098db69797eb64c52e3d56">banning young teenagers from social media</a>&nbsp;as it tightens laws designed to protect children from harmful content and excessive screen time.

Ortutay reported from Oakland, California. Associated Press Writer Morgan Lee in Santa Fe, New Mexico, contributed to this story.

<p>LOS ANGELES (AP) — The world's biggest social media companies face several landmark trials this year that seek to hold them responsible for harms to children who use their platforms. Opening statements for the first, in Los Angeles County Superior Court, began on Monday.</p><p>Instagram's parent company Meta and Google's YouTube face claims that their platforms deliberately addict and harm children. TikTok and Snap, which were originally named in the lawsuit,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-media-trial-kids-addiction-meta-tiktok-youtube-d3a6bf617f2d11521675412ffb275031">settled for undisclosed sums</a>.</p><p>Jurors got their first glimpse into what will be a lengthy trial characterized by dueling narratives from the plaintiffs and the two remaining social media companies named as defendants. Opening arguments in the landmark case began Monday at the Spring Street Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles.</p><p>Mark Lanier delivered the opening statement for the plaintiffs first, in a lively display where he said the case is as “easy as ABC,” which he said stands for “addicting the brains of children.” He called Meta and Google “two of the richest corporations in history” who have “engineered addiction in children’s brains.”</p><p>At the core of the Los Angeles case is a 19-year-old identified only by the initials “KGM,” whose case could determine how thousands of other, similar lawsuits against social media companies will play out. She and two other plaintiffs have been selected for bellwether trials — essentially test cases for both sides to see how their arguments play out before a jury and what damages, if any, may be awarded, said Clay Calvert, a nonresident senior fellow of technology policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute.</p><p>It’s the first time the companies are arguing their case before a jury, and the outcome could have profound effects on their businesses and how they will handle children using their platforms.</p><p>Lanier said the companies’ lawyers will “try to blame the little girl and her parents for the trap they built,” referencing the plaintiff. She was a minor when she said she became addicted to social media platforms, which she claims had a detrimental impact on her mental health.</p><p>Lanier said that despite the public position of Meta and YouTube being that they work to protect children and implement safeguards for their use of the platforms, their internal documents show an entirely different position, with explicit references to young children being listed as their target audiences.</p><p>Lanier also drew comparisons between the social media companies and tobacco firms, citing internal communication between Meta employees who were concerned about the company’s lack of proactive action about the potential harm their platforms can have on children and teens.</p><p>“For a teenager, social validation is survival,” Lanier said. The defendants “engineered a feature that caters to a minor’s craving for social validation,” he added, speaking about “like” buttons and similar features.</p><p>The court broke for lunch before Lanier concluded his opening statement and before attorneys for Meta and Google delivered their opening statements.</p><p>“This was only the first case — there are hundreds of parents and school districts in the social media addiction trials that start today, and sadly, new families every day who are speaking out and bringing Big Tech to court for its deliberately harmful products,” said Sacha Haworth, executive director of the nonprofit Tech Oversight Project.</p><p>Jurors are not being asked to stop using Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or any other forms of social media throughout the course of the trial — which is expected to last about eight weeks — but Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl emphasized that they should not make any changes to the way they interact with the platforms, including changing their settings or creating new accounts.</p><p>Kuhl said that jurors should decide the liability of Meta and YouTube independently when they deliberate.</p><p>A separate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/meta-new-mexico-child-exploitation-trial-19195fc680dba782fb971d68082e11a4">trial in New Mexico</a>, meanwhile, was also set to kick off with opening arguments on Monday.</p><p>KGM claims that her use of social media from an early age addicted her to the technology and exacerbated depression and suicidal thoughts. Importantly, the lawsuit claims that this was done through deliberate design choices made by companies that sought to make their platforms more addictive to children to boost profits. This argument, if successful, could sidestep the companies' First Amendment shield and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-technology-social-media-business-internet-eb89baf1fa30e245c030992b48a8a0ff">Section 230</a>, which protects tech companies from liability for material posted on their platforms.</p><p>“Borrowing heavily from the behavioral and neurobiological techniques used by slot machines and exploited by the cigarette industry, Defendants deliberately embedded in their products an array of design features aimed at maximizing youth engagement to drive advertising revenue,” the lawsuit says.</p><p>Executives, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, are expected to testify at the trial, which will last six to eight weeks. Experts have drawn similarities to the Big Tobacco trials that led to a 1998 settlement requiring cigarette companies to pay billions in health care costs and restrict marketing targeting minors.</p><p>The tech companies dispute the claims that their products deliberately harm children, citing a bevy of safeguards they have added over the years and arguing that they are not liable for content posted on their sites by third parties.</p><p>A Meta spokesperson said in a recent statement that the company strongly disagrees with the allegations outlined in the lawsuit and that it's “confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people.”</p><p>José Castañeda, a Google Spokesperson, said that the allegations against YouTube are “simply not true.” In a statement, he said, “Providing young people with a safer, healthier experience has always been core to our work.”</p><p>The case will be the first in a slew of cases beginning this year that seek to hold social media companies responsible for harming children's mental well-being.</p><p>In New Mexico,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/meta-new-mexico-child-exploitation-trial-19195fc680dba782fb971d68082e11a4">opening statements begin Monday</a>&nbsp;for trial on allegations that Meta and its social media platforms have failed to protect young users from sexual exploitation, following an undercover online investigation. Attorney General Raúl Torrez in late 2023 sued Meta and Zuckerberg, who was later dropped from the suit.</p><p>A federal bellwether trial beginning in June in Oakland, California, will be the first to represent school districts that have sued social media platforms over harms to children.</p><p>In addition, more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/instagram-facebook-children-teens-harms-lawsuit-attorney-general-1805492a38f7cee111cbb865cc786c28">40 state attorneys general have filed lawsuits</a>&nbsp;against Meta, claiming it is harming young people and contributing to the youth mental health crisis by deliberately designing features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms. The majority of cases filed their lawsuits in federal court, but some sued in their respective states.</p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-lawsuit-youth-mental-health-2993f8e70d2e3d4eab9988df168fb948">TikTok</a>&nbsp;also faces similar lawsuits in more than a dozen states.</p><p>Other countries, meanwhile, are enacting new laws to limit social media for children. In January,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/france-social-media-ban-children-d3c4010741dd1a39f61c1f6d5bb3c85b">French lawmakers approved a bill</a>&nbsp;banning social media for children under 15, paving the way for the measure to enter into force at the start of the next school year in September, as the idea of setting a minimum age for use of the platforms&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-social-media-ban-australia-teen-harm-c59c76db73a8c1cfac28c8264738e395">gains momentum across Europe.</a></p><p>In Australia, social media companies have revoked access to about 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-social-media-ban-under-16-children-8b992efa5138704bc02ee9fc974f6987">the country banned use of the platforms</a>&nbsp;by those under 16, officials said. The law&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-social-media-ban-children-1abadf5445418c8c14f5f68cf76b38d0">provoked fraught debates</a>&nbsp;in Australia about technology use, privacy, child safety and mental health and has prompted other countries to consider similar measures.</p><p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-social-media-ban-australia-teen-harm-c59c76db73a8c1cfac28c8264738e395">British government</a>&nbsp;also said last month it will consider&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-social-media-ban-children-2ae8c00402098db69797eb64c52e3d56">banning young teenagers from social media</a>&nbsp;as it tightens laws designed to protect children from harmful content and excessive screen time.</p><p>—</p><p>Ortutay reported from Oakland, California. Associated Press Writer Morgan Lee in Santa Fe, New Mexico, contributed to this story.</p><p>—</p>

Landmark trial on social media addicting children to their platforms begins

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/andrew-dalton">ANDREW DALTON</a>

LOS ANGELES (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/catherine-ohara-dies-9fdc89411b4961c1d599f836503a6203">Catherine O’Hara died</a>&nbsp;from a pulmonary embolism, with cancer as the underlying cause.

A Los Angeles County death certificate issued Monday lists the pulmonary embolism, which occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery in the lungs, as the immediate cause of the actor’s Jan. 30 death at age 71. Rectal cancer was the long-term cause.

The oncologist who signed off on the certificate indicated that he had been treating O’Hara since March of last year, and last saw her on Jan. 27. She died at a hospital in Santa Monica, California.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/catherine-ohara-appreciation-5b1d5a80bbc1882616f0e60335861746">beloved Canadian-born comic actor</a>&nbsp;and “SCTV” alum starred as Macaulay Culkin’s mother in two “Home Alone” movies and won an Emmy as the dramatically oblivious wealthy matriarch Moira Rose in “Schitt’s Creek.”

Her death was a surprise to most, and an initial statement from her representatives said only that she died “following a brief illness.”

Collaborators including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/catherine-ohara-dies-reaction-tributes-e097fcda898098f22055ad55ecec656b">Culkin, Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy</a>&nbsp;and Pedro Pascal paid her loving tribute after her death.

The document said she was cremated. It lists her profession as “actress” and her business as movies. It said she practiced her trade for 50 years.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769804880169.png" alt="FILE - Eugene Levy, left, and Catherine O'Hara appear at the 76th annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles. on Feb. 29, 2004. (AP Photo/Laura Rauch, File)" />
                        <figcaption>FILE - Eugene Levy, left, and Catherine O'Hara appear at the 76th annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles. on Feb. 29, 2004. (AP Photo/Laura Rauch, File)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/andrew-dalton">ANDREW DALTON</a></p><p>LOS ANGELES (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/catherine-ohara-dies-9fdc89411b4961c1d599f836503a6203">Catherine O’Hara died</a>&nbsp;from a pulmonary embolism, with cancer as the underlying cause.</p><p>A Los Angeles County death certificate issued Monday lists the pulmonary embolism, which occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery in the lungs, as the immediate cause of the actor’s Jan. 30 death at age 71. Rectal cancer was the long-term cause.</p><p>The oncologist who signed off on the certificate indicated that he had been treating O’Hara since March of last year, and last saw her on Jan. 27. She died at a hospital in Santa Monica, California.</p><p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/catherine-ohara-appreciation-5b1d5a80bbc1882616f0e60335861746">beloved Canadian-born comic actor</a>&nbsp;and “SCTV” alum starred as Macaulay Culkin’s mother in two “Home Alone” movies and won an Emmy as the dramatically oblivious wealthy matriarch Moira Rose in “Schitt’s Creek.”</p><p>Her death was a surprise to most, and an initial statement from her representatives said only that she died “following a brief illness.”</p><p>Collaborators including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/catherine-ohara-dies-reaction-tributes-e097fcda898098f22055ad55ecec656b">Culkin, Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy</a>&nbsp;and Pedro Pascal paid her loving tribute after her death.</p><p>The document said she was cremated. It lists her profession as “actress” and her business as movies. It said she practiced her trade for 50 years.</p>

Cause of death of award-winning 'Home Alone,' 'Schitt's Creek' star revealed

BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSK<br>I</a><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/12/29/kansan-returns-to-the-catholic-church-as-the-states-first-woman-priest/"><i>Kansas Reflector</i></a>

TOPEKA — Kansas Republicans preliminarily approved a symbolic resolution honoring the late conservative figure Charlie Kirk following an hourlong debate with Democrats on the House floor in a war of words over free speech and Kirk’s legacy.

<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/scr1615/" target="_blank">Senate Concurrent Resolution 1615</a>&nbsp;seeks to establish Charlie Kirk Free Speech Day on Oct. 14, 2026, Kirk’s birthday, and every Oct. 14 thereafter in Kansas. It was sponsored by Senate Republicans,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2026/01/28/kansas-senate-president-denounces-democrats-for-out-of-context-bs-comments-on-charlie-kirk/">passing that chamber</a>&nbsp;on Jan. 28 in a 30-9 vote along party lines.

Republican Rep. Megan Steele of Manhattan championed the resolution Monday in the House, praising Kirk’s unflinching commitment to free speech, open debate and family values. Democrats saw Kirk’s legacy differently, and they took Monday’s debate as an opportunity to question Republicans’ support for a controversial figure who was known for publicly making racist, sexist and bigoted remarks.

Since Kirk was&nbsp;<a href="https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2025/09/10/charlie-kirk-shot-during-event-at-utah-valley-university/" target="_blank">shot and killed on Sep. 10</a>&nbsp;while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, his reputation has become more complicated with Americans disagreeing over how he should be remembered. The debate in the Kansas House was only the latest example. Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA, a conservative nonprofit that hosts debates, which are often fodder for viral videos.

“His movement and his passion for truth and faith, family and liberty does not stop here,” Steele said.

Rep. Emil Bergquist, a Park City Republican, said Kirk represented the values of respectful discourse and debate. He said he was proud to vote in favor of the resolution, not because it idolized any one person but because it reminded him of his close-held belief of speaking up for what is right.

Democrats spent the hourlong debate illustrating their opposition to the resolution. They took particular issue with Kirk’s history of comments denigrating racial and religious groups, specifically Black people and Catholics.

Rep. Mari-Lynn Poskin, a Leawood Democrat, twice attempted to amend the resolution, modifying language to specify that Charlie Kirk Free Speech Day will only be commemorated in 2026 and adding language to bolster the definition of free speech. Both amendments failed.

Rep. Brooklynne Mosley, a Lawrence Democrat, rattled off income, hunger and health care statistics. She criticized Republicans for spending time on such a resolution instead of passing legislation to help their constituents.

Rep. Ford Carr, a Wichita Democrat, attempted to add Malcolm X as an honoree on Oct. 14.

Carr noted the irony in Republicans honoring free speech when&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/05/31/kansas-republicans-admonish-black-lawmaker-his-response-not-my-job-to-protect-your-feelings/">leadership formally reprimanded him</a>&nbsp;three years earlier for remarks on the House floor.

Carr, who is Black, used the term “house Negro” during a debate, indirectly referring to a fellow Black Democrat.

“Where was the freedom of speech on that day?” he asked.

The Legislature hasn’t historically embraced open discussions of racism within the body. Carr also was&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/25/at-tense-hearing-kansas-house-panel-reviews-evidence-in-complaint-against-outspoken-lawmaker/">formally investigated last year</a>&nbsp;after Republican Rep. Leah Howell of Derby filed a complaint against him for indecorous behavior. The&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/04/09/kansas-house-committee-punts-punishment-for-democratic-rep-ford-carr-opting-for-admonishment/">results of the investigation</a>&nbsp;were inconclusive. In 2015, Republicans filed a complaint against Kansas City, Kansas, Democratic Rep. Valdenia Winn, who is also Black, after she called a bill racist and sexist.

While Carr presented his amendment Monday, Steele refused his request to stand for a question from him. She had previously answered questions about the resolution’s format and contents from a white Democrat.

“That should tell you all you need to know,” Carr said. “Freedom of speech, yet she doesn’t want to speak.”

After that comment, Rep. Steven Howe, a Salina Republican, accused Carr of impugning Steele’s motives, an approach used by Republicans to halt perceived discordant comments, largely from Democrats.

Steele then challenged the germaneness of Carr’s amendment, questioning its relevance.

A rules committee made up of a handful of legislators from both parties decided it was, indeed, germane.

But that didn’t guarantee Carr’s amendment would make headway.

“I think this fits perfectly,” Carr said.

Both Malcom X and Kirk challenged the world with their speech, he said.

“They stretched and pushed the barrier with the things that they said, and, in the end, their lives were both ended with a gunshot,” he said.

The amendment failed in an 82-33 vote along party lines.

“I think that vote clearly represents the driving force behind this, and it has absolutely nothing to do with freedom of speech. I would exercise my freedom of speech and use terms like ‘racists’ and ‘bigots,’ ” Carr said, taking a pause, “but I digress.”

A majority of the House gave first-round approval to the Charlie Kirk Free Speech Day resolution, but final action is pending.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770677731727.png" alt=" Rep. Ford Carr, a Wichita Democrat, attempts to insert Malcolm X's name into a Republican-driven resolution honoring conservative activist Charlie Kirk. He appears here on the House floor on Jan. 28, 2026, in Topeka, Kansas. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
                        <figcaption> Rep. Ford Carr, a Wichita Democrat, attempts to insert Malcolm X's name into a Republican-driven resolution honoring conservative activist Charlie Kirk. He appears here on the House floor on Jan. 28, 2026, in Topeka, Kansas. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSK<br>I</a><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/12/29/kansan-returns-to-the-catholic-church-as-the-states-first-woman-priest/"><i>Kansas Reflector</i></a></p><p>TOPEKA — Kansas Republicans preliminarily approved a symbolic resolution honoring the late conservative figure Charlie Kirk following an hourlong debate with Democrats on the House floor in a war of words over free speech and Kirk’s legacy.</p><p><a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/scr1615/" target="_blank">Senate Concurrent Resolution 1615</a>&nbsp;seeks to establish Charlie Kirk Free Speech Day on Oct. 14, 2026, Kirk’s birthday, and every Oct. 14 thereafter in Kansas. It was sponsored by Senate Republicans,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2026/01/28/kansas-senate-president-denounces-democrats-for-out-of-context-bs-comments-on-charlie-kirk/">passing that chamber</a>&nbsp;on Jan. 28 in a 30-9 vote along party lines.</p><p>Republican Rep. Megan Steele of Manhattan championed the resolution Monday in the House, praising Kirk’s unflinching commitment to free speech, open debate and family values. Democrats saw Kirk’s legacy differently, and they took Monday’s debate as an opportunity to question Republicans’ support for a controversial figure who was known for publicly making racist, sexist and bigoted remarks.</p><p>Since Kirk was&nbsp;<a href="https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2025/09/10/charlie-kirk-shot-during-event-at-utah-valley-university/" target="_blank">shot and killed on Sep. 10</a>&nbsp;while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, his reputation has become more complicated with Americans disagreeing over how he should be remembered. The debate in the Kansas House was only the latest example. Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA, a conservative nonprofit that hosts debates, which are often fodder for viral videos.</p><p>“His movement and his passion for truth and faith, family and liberty does not stop here,” Steele said.</p><p>Rep. Emil Bergquist, a Park City Republican, said Kirk represented the values of respectful discourse and debate. He said he was proud to vote in favor of the resolution, not because it idolized any one person but because it reminded him of his close-held belief of speaking up for what is right.</p><p>Democrats spent the hourlong debate illustrating their opposition to the resolution. They took particular issue with Kirk’s history of comments denigrating racial and religious groups, specifically Black people and Catholics.</p><p>Rep. Mari-Lynn Poskin, a Leawood Democrat, twice attempted to amend the resolution, modifying language to specify that Charlie Kirk Free Speech Day will only be commemorated in 2026 and adding language to bolster the definition of free speech. Both amendments failed.</p><p>Rep. Brooklynne Mosley, a Lawrence Democrat, rattled off income, hunger and health care statistics. She criticized Republicans for spending time on such a resolution instead of passing legislation to help their constituents.</p><p>Rep. Ford Carr, a Wichita Democrat, attempted to add Malcolm X as an honoree on Oct. 14.</p><p>Carr noted the irony in Republicans honoring free speech when&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/05/31/kansas-republicans-admonish-black-lawmaker-his-response-not-my-job-to-protect-your-feelings/">leadership formally reprimanded him</a>&nbsp;three years earlier for remarks on the House floor.</p><p>Carr, who is Black, used the term “house Negro” during a debate, indirectly referring to a fellow Black Democrat.</p><p>“Where was the freedom of speech on that day?” he asked.</p><p>The Legislature hasn’t historically embraced open discussions of racism within the body. Carr also was&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/25/at-tense-hearing-kansas-house-panel-reviews-evidence-in-complaint-against-outspoken-lawmaker/">formally investigated last year</a>&nbsp;after Republican Rep. Leah Howell of Derby filed a complaint against him for indecorous behavior. The&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/04/09/kansas-house-committee-punts-punishment-for-democratic-rep-ford-carr-opting-for-admonishment/">results of the investigation</a>&nbsp;were inconclusive. In 2015, Republicans filed a complaint against Kansas City, Kansas, Democratic Rep. Valdenia Winn, who is also Black, after she called a bill racist and sexist.</p><p>While Carr presented his amendment Monday, Steele refused his request to stand for a question from him. She had previously answered questions about the resolution’s format and contents from a white Democrat.</p><p>“That should tell you all you need to know,” Carr said. “Freedom of speech, yet she doesn’t want to speak.”</p><p>After that comment, Rep. Steven Howe, a Salina Republican, accused Carr of impugning Steele’s motives, an approach used by Republicans to halt perceived discordant comments, largely from Democrats.</p><p>Steele then challenged the germaneness of Carr’s amendment, questioning its relevance.</p><p>A rules committee made up of a handful of legislators from both parties decided it was, indeed, germane.</p><p>But that didn’t guarantee Carr’s amendment would make headway.</p><p>“I think this fits perfectly,” Carr said.</p><p>Both Malcom X and Kirk challenged the world with their speech, he said.</p><p>“They stretched and pushed the barrier with the things that they said, and, in the end, their lives were both ended with a gunshot,” he said.</p><p>The amendment failed in an 82-33 vote along party lines.</p><p>“I think that vote clearly represents the driving force behind this, and it has absolutely nothing to do with freedom of speech. I would exercise my freedom of speech and use terms like ‘racists’ and ‘bigots,’ ” Carr said, taking a pause, “but I digress.”</p><p>A majority of the House gave first-round approval to the Charlie Kirk Free Speech Day resolution, but final action is pending.</p>

Kan. lawmakers debate right-wing activist’s legacy as Charlie Kirk day resolution advances

RILEY COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating an alleged drive by shooting in Riley County.

Just before 9p.m. Saturday, officers filed a report of aggravated assault that occurred near mile marker 187 of Fort Riley Blvd., according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

A 23-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman reported an unknown suspect shot at their vehicle while driving on Fort Riley Blvd.

<p>RILEY COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating an alleged drive by shooting in Riley County.</p><p>Just before 9p.m. Saturday, officers filed a report of aggravated assault that occurred near mile marker 187 of Fort Riley Blvd., according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.</p><p>A 23-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman reported an unknown suspect shot at their vehicle while driving on Fort Riley Blvd.</p>

Police investigating Manhattan area drive by shooting

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/savannah-guthrie">Savannah Guthrie</a>&nbsp;said in a video released Monday that her family is “at an hour of desperation” is the search for the “Today” show host's missing mother, ahead of Monday evening's looming ransom deadline set by the purported abductors.

She didn’t mention the deadline in the video, saying her family still believes 84-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-nancy-042abd04a6d87e14eecb22f0bc2893d1">Nancy Guthrie</a>&nbsp;is out there as the search is now in its second week. There's still no word on whether the 84-year-old is still alive, authorities have said.

The mysterious disappearance and search has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-guthrie-famous-kidnappings-4c4ac60734ea43d6e4edb3261a0d1732">riveted the U.S.</a>&nbsp;— from President Donald Trump who spoke with Savannah Guthrie last week to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/search-nancy-guthrie-social-media-posts-e176abcc670af3844416946fb3bb5619">online sleuths</a>&nbsp;who’ve flooded social media with tips, theories and rumors.

Multiple press outlets have received alleged ransom letters during the past week. At least one letter made monetary demands and set deadlines for receiving the money. The first deadline passed last Thursday but a second one was set for Monday.

Law enforcement officials declined to affirm that the letters were credible but said all tips were being investigated seriously.

Investigators returned to Nancy Guthrie's Arizona neighborhood several times over the weekend, ahead of a Monday evening deadline set by her purported abductors who sent ransom notes demanding money for her return.

Savannah Guthrie said over the weekend that the family was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-92dff046a91f2c5c0093f17cd3b7ad42">prepared to pay</a>&nbsp;for her mother’s return.

“We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her,” she said in a video posted Saturday. “This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”

Authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-arizona-tucson-6c7b78d17d7b647c64f71f64ecaecf8b">taken against her will</a>&nbsp;from her home just outside Tucson. She was last seen there on Jan. 31 and reported missing the next day after not attending church services. DNA tests showed blood on Guthrie’s front porch was a match to her and her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-nancy-adaa8af43efe04c252a52616d9037a05">doorbell camera was disconnected</a>&nbsp;in the early hours of Sunday morning, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said.

Detectives and agents carried out follow-up work at multiple locations over the weekend as part of the investigation, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Sunday. “Investigators have not identified any suspects, persons of interest, or vehicles connected to this case,” the department said.

<p>TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/savannah-guthrie">Savannah Guthrie</a>&nbsp;said in a video released Monday that her family is “at an hour of desperation” is the search for the “Today” show host's missing mother, ahead of Monday evening's looming ransom deadline set by the purported abductors.</p><div><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUjPVoYEpci/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUjPVoYEpci/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUjPVoYEpci/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Savannah Guthrie (@savannahguthrie)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div><p>She didn’t mention the deadline in the video, saying her family still believes 84-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-nancy-042abd04a6d87e14eecb22f0bc2893d1">Nancy Guthrie</a>&nbsp;is out there as the search is now in its second week. There's still no word on whether the 84-year-old is still alive, authorities have said.</p><p>The mysterious disappearance and search has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-guthrie-famous-kidnappings-4c4ac60734ea43d6e4edb3261a0d1732">riveted the U.S.</a>&nbsp;— from President Donald Trump who spoke with Savannah Guthrie last week to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/search-nancy-guthrie-social-media-posts-e176abcc670af3844416946fb3bb5619">online sleuths</a>&nbsp;who’ve flooded social media with tips, theories and rumors.</p><p>Multiple press outlets have received alleged ransom letters during the past week. At least one letter made monetary demands and set deadlines for receiving the money. The first deadline passed last Thursday but a second one was set for Monday.</p><p>Law enforcement officials declined to affirm that the letters were credible but said all tips were being investigated seriously.</p><p>Investigators returned to Nancy Guthrie's Arizona neighborhood several times over the weekend, ahead of a Monday evening deadline set by her purported abductors who sent ransom notes demanding money for her return.</p><p>Savannah Guthrie said over the weekend that the family was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-92dff046a91f2c5c0093f17cd3b7ad42">prepared to pay</a>&nbsp;for her mother’s return.</p><p>“We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her,” she said in a video posted Saturday. “This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”</p><p>Authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-arizona-tucson-6c7b78d17d7b647c64f71f64ecaecf8b">taken against her will</a>&nbsp;from her home just outside Tucson. She was last seen there on Jan. 31 and reported missing the next day after not attending church services. DNA tests showed blood on Guthrie’s front porch was a match to her and her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-nancy-adaa8af43efe04c252a52616d9037a05">doorbell camera was disconnected</a>&nbsp;in the early hours of Sunday morning, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said.</p><p>Outside the home on Monday, neighbors strolled by on their morning jogs and walks, while a county sheriff's deputy remained stationed out front.</p><p>Detectives and agents carried out follow-up work at multiple locations over the weekend as part of the investigation, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Sunday. “Investigators have not identified any suspects, persons of interest, or vehicles connected to this case,” the department said.</p><p>Investigators on Saturday were inside daughter Annie Guthrie’s home, about 4 miles (6 kilometers) from Nancy Guthrie's house. On Sunday, an investigator was seen using a pole to search an underground tank behind Nancy Guthrie’s home.</p><p>Authorities say they have growing concerns about Nancy Guthrie’s health because she needs daily medication. She is said to have a pacemaker and has dealt with high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriff’s dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com.</p>

🎥'Today' show host's new video plea: Hour of desperation

WASHINGTON (AP) — A leading U.S. health official on Sunday urged people to get inoculated against the measles at a time of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-south-carolina-utah-arizona-845643cd1342f1ce2ea01d11b74ee77b">outbreaks across several states</a>&nbsp;and as the United States is at risk of losing its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-measles-elimination-mexico-6f0bc8f7ef31d5ef82492e42ccb38e47">measles elimination status</a>.

“Take the vaccine, please,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dr-oz-mehmet-things-to-know-trump-be62594d66e07b9544e48ddf9febf7bf">Dr. Mehmet Oz</a>, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator whose boss has raised&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-rfk-jr-messaging-criticism-vaccine-1a2cbdc14eb0c256695fdfac00cbfb6d?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">suspicion about the safety and importance of vaccines</a>. “We have a solution for our problem.”

Oz, a heart surgeon, defended some recently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/childhood-vaccine-schedule-trump-rfk-measles-flu-b31b4d6815d4395d72745f3a18f2263c">revised federal vaccine recommendations</a>&nbsp;as well as past comments from President Donald Trump and the nation's health chief, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., about the efficacy of vaccines. From Oz, there was a clear message on the measles.

“Not all illnesses are equally dangerous and not all people are equally susceptible to those illnesses,” he told CNN’s “State of the Union.” “But measles is one you should get your vaccine.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-south-carolina-utah-arizona-845643cd1342f1ce2ea01d11b74ee77b">An outbreak</a>&nbsp;in South Carolina in the hundreds has surpassed the recorded case count in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-vaccine-outbreak-texas-mmr-0744a165cfb354022092a1f158c698b0">Texas’ 2025 outbreak</a>, and there is also one on the Utah-Arizona border. Multiple other states have had confirmed cases this year. The outbreaks have mostly impacted children and have come as infectious disease experts warn that rising public distrust of vaccines generally may be contributing to the spread of a disease once declared eradicated by public health officials.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741908251964.png" alt="<br>" />
                        <figcaption><br></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>WASHINGTON (AP) — A leading U.S. health official on Sunday urged people to get inoculated against the measles at a time of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-south-carolina-utah-arizona-845643cd1342f1ce2ea01d11b74ee77b">outbreaks across several states</a>&nbsp;and as the United States is at risk of losing its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-measles-elimination-mexico-6f0bc8f7ef31d5ef82492e42ccb38e47">measles elimination status</a>.</p><p>“Take the vaccine, please,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dr-oz-mehmet-things-to-know-trump-be62594d66e07b9544e48ddf9febf7bf">Dr. Mehmet Oz</a>, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator whose boss has raised&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-rfk-jr-messaging-criticism-vaccine-1a2cbdc14eb0c256695fdfac00cbfb6d?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">suspicion about the safety and importance of vaccines</a>. “We have a solution for our problem.”</p><p>Oz, a heart surgeon, defended some recently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/childhood-vaccine-schedule-trump-rfk-measles-flu-b31b4d6815d4395d72745f3a18f2263c">revised federal vaccine recommendations</a>&nbsp;as well as past comments from President Donald Trump and the nation's health chief, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., about the efficacy of vaccines. From Oz, there was a clear message on the measles.</p><p>“Not all illnesses are equally dangerous and not all people are equally susceptible to those illnesses,” he told CNN’s “State of the Union.” “But measles is one you should get your vaccine.”</p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-south-carolina-utah-arizona-845643cd1342f1ce2ea01d11b74ee77b">An outbreak</a>&nbsp;in South Carolina in the hundreds has surpassed the recorded case count in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-vaccine-outbreak-texas-mmr-0744a165cfb354022092a1f158c698b0">Texas’ 2025 outbreak</a>, and there is also one on the Utah-Arizona border. Multiple other states have had confirmed cases this year. The outbreaks have mostly impacted children and have come as infectious disease experts warn that rising public distrust of vaccines generally may be contributing to the spread of a disease once declared eradicated by public health officials.</p><p>Asked in the television interview whether people should fear the measles, Oz replied, “Oh, for sure.” He said Medicare and Medicaid will continue to cover the measles vaccine as part of the insurance programs.</p><p>“There will never be a barrier to Americans get access to the measles vaccine. And it is part of the core schedule,” Oz said.</p><p>But Oz also said “we have advocated for measles vaccines all along” and that Kennedy “has been on the very front of this.”</p><p>Questions about vaccines did not come up later in a Kennedy interview on Fox News Channel's “The Sunday Briefing,” where he was asked about what kind of Super Bowl snack he might have (probably yogurt). He also he eats steak with sauerkraut in the mornings.</p><p>Critics of Kennedy have argued that the health secretary's longtime skepticism of U.S. vaccine recommendations and past sympathy for the unfounded claim that vaccines may cause autism may influence official public health guidance in ways contrary to the medical consensus.</p><p>Oz argued that Kennedy's stance was supportive of the measles vaccine despite Kennedy's general comments about the recommended vaccine schedule.</p><p>“When the first outbreak happened in Texas, he said, get your vaccines for measles, because that’s an example of an ailment that you should get vaccinated against,” Oz said.</p><p>The Republican administration last month dropped some vaccine recommendations for children, an overhaul of the traditional vaccine schedule that the Department of Health and Human Services said was in response to a request from Trump.</p><p>Trump asked the agency to review how peer nations approach vaccine recommendations and consider revising U.S. guidance accordingly.</p><p>States, not the federal government, have the authority to require vaccinations for schoolchildren. While federal requirements often influence those state regulations, some states have begun&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cdc-west-coast-vaccines-trump-fd5ce557532a3c9f37b77ff9f14b07b9">creating their own alliances</a>&nbsp;to counter the administration’s guidance on vaccines.</p><p>U.S. vaccination rates&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vaccination-rates-cdc-kindergarten-0d261546a130dc256735d7b1ff8c6a5f">have dropped</a>&nbsp;and the share of children with exemptions has reached an all-time high, according to federal data. At the same time, rates of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vaccines-measles-polio-whooping-cough-rubella-af4cd1aef8f408a960601df6372f9c32">diseases</a>&nbsp;that can be protected against with vaccines, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vaccination-rates-cdc-kindergarten-0d261546a130dc256735d7b1ff8c6a5f">measles</a>&nbsp;and whooping cough, are rising across the country.</p><h2>Kennedy's past anti-vaccine activism</h2><p>Kennedy's past skepticism of vaccines has come under scrutiny since Trump first nominated him to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.</p><p>During his Senate confirmation testimony last year, Kennedy told lawmakers that a closely scrutinized 2019 trip he took to Samoa, which came before a devastating measles outbreak, had&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7s-NnWUZwE&amp;t=8456s">“nothing to do with vaccines.”</a></p><p>But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-measles-outbreak-samoa-emails-e04686f052e8c78b5a52be1e4fbcf62f">documents obtained by The Guardian and The Associated Press undermine that testimony</a>. Emails sent by staffers at the U.S. Embassy and the United Nations said that Kennedy sought to meet with top Samoan officials during his trip to the Pacific island nation.</p><p>Samoan officials later said Kennedy’s trip bolstered the credibility of anti-vaccine activists before the measles outbreak, which sickened thousands of people and killed 83, mostly children under age 5.</p><h2>Mixed messaging on autism, vaccines</h2><p>Oz's comments mark a broader pattern among administration officials of voicing discordant and at times contradictory statements about the efficacy of vaccines amid an overhaul of U.S. public health policy.</p><p>Officials have walked a fine line in criticizing past U.S. vaccine policy, often at times appearing to express sympathy for unfounded conspiracy theories from anti-vaccine activists, while also not straying too far from established science.</p><p>During a Senate hearing Tuesday, Jay Bhattacharya, the director of the National Institutes of Health, said no single vaccine causes autism, but he did not rule out the possibility that research may find some combination of vaccines could have negative health side effects.</p><p>But Kennedy, in Senate testimony, has argued that a link between vaccines and autism has not been disproved.</p><p>He has previously claimed that some components of vaccines, like the mercury-containing preservative thimerosal, may cause childhood neurological disorders such as autism. Most vaccines for measles, mumps and rubella do not contain thimerosal. A federal vaccine advisory board overhauled by Kennedy last year voted to no longer recommend thimerosal-containing vaccines.</p><p>Administration public health officials often cite the need to restore trust in public health systems after the coronavirus pandemic, when vaccine policy and the general public health response to the deadly pandemic became a highly polarizing topic in American politics.</p><p>Misinformation and conspiracy theories about the public health system also spread during the pandemic, and longtime anti-vaccine activist groups saw a swell in interest from the wider public.</p><p>Kennedy, who for years led the anti-vaccine activist group Children's Health Defense, has been criticized for ordering reviews of vaccines and public health guidelines that leading medical research groups have deemed settled science.</p><p>Public health experts also criticized the president for making unfounded claims about highly politicized health issues. During a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tylenol-cause-autism-trump-kennedy-0847ee76eedecbd5e9baa6888b567d66">September Oval Office event</a>, Trump asserted without evidence that Tylenol and vaccines are linked to a rise in the incidence of autism in the United States.</p>