KANSAS CITY —While working on a fire at the Batliner Recycling facility on Saturday, the Kansas City, Missouri Fire Department placed its remote-controlled tracked robot into service for the first time.

Just before 7a.m., crews responded to a reported fire at 2501 Front Street&nbsp; crews reported a large fire on the east end of the property, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins. The fire involved several semi trailers along with large piles of recyclable materials. Multiple companies were dispatched to get the fire under control.

 The railroad lines had to be shut down in order to run water supply lines across the tracks. 

In a historical moment for KCFD, a remote operated tracked robot capable of supplying 2500 gallons of water per minute was placed in service for the first time. The fire was brought under control around 9:00 a.m. 

The robot apparatus is equipped with multiple cameras, including thermal imaging, a front mounted blade for debris, tracked mobility for ease of operation and accessibility, and is supplied by multiple supply lines producing upwards of 2500 gallons per minute of water for fire suppression.

The apparatus can be used in various applications in both offensive and defensive operations to include large commercial structures, subterranean operations such as commercial caves, which Kansas City has many. It can also be used in defensive operations where placing firefighters would come at great risk, along with other various suppression activities.

This technology continues to keep the Kansas City Fire Department on the cutting edge of the fire&nbsp;service and adds to our storied history of leading the way in the industry.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742050660259.png" alt="Image KCFD" />
 <figcaption>Image KCFD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —While working on a fire at the Batliner Recycling facility on Saturday, the Kansas City, Missouri Fire Department placed its remote-controlled tracked robot into service for the first time.Just before 7a.m., crews responded to a reported fire at 2501 Front Street&nbsp; crews reported a large fire on the east end of the property, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins. The fire involved several semi trailers along with large piles of recyclable materials. Multiple companies were dispatched to get the fire under control. The railroad lines had to be shut down in order to run water supply lines across the tracks. In a historical moment for KCFD, a remote operated tracked robot capable of supplying 2500 gallons of water per minute was placed in service for the first time. The fire was brought under control around 9:00 a.m. The robot apparatus is equipped with multiple cameras, including thermal imaging, a front mounted blade for debris, tracked mobility for ease of operation and accessibility, and is supplied by multiple supply lines producing upwards of 2500 gallons per minute of water for fire suppression.The apparatus can be used in various applications in both offensive and defensive operations to include large commercial structures, subterranean operations such as commercial caves, which Kansas City has many. It can also be used in defensive operations where placing firefighters would come at great risk, along with other various suppression activities.This technology continues to keep the Kansas City Fire Department on the cutting edge of the fire&nbsp;service and adds to our storied history of leading the way in the industry.

Historic: KCMO Fire Department used robot to fight fire

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement have arrested a 25-year-old Wichita identified as&nbsp; woman identified as Tasha Diane Dillard, according to Sedgwick County booking records in connection with the death of seven-year-old Davion Gunter.

Just before 12:30 a.m. Sunday, police responded to a call of a shooting at an apartment in the 3700 block of E Ross Parkway, according to Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses. The caller reported that someone had been shot and that a child was bleeding.

When officers arrived, they found Davion suffering from a gunshot wound to his torso. Davion was transported to a local hospital, where he was&nbsp; pronounced deceased.

At the scene, officers found seven other children and multiple adults. Wichita Police homicide investigators and the Exploited and Missing Children’s Unit responded immediately, conducting interviews and gathered evidence.

As a result, police took Dillard into custody, and the children were placed in protective care. 

Dillard has been booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges of Aggravated Child Endangerment and Felony Murder. The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for formal charging consideration.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742206494454.png" alt="&nbsp;Dillard-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Dillard-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement have arrested a 25-year-old Wichita identified as&nbsp; woman identified as Tasha Diane Dillard, according to Sedgwick County booking records in connection with the death of seven-year-old Davion Gunter.Just before 12:30 a.m. Sunday, police responded to a call of a shooting at an apartment in the 3700 block of E Ross Parkway, according to Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses. The caller reported that someone had been shot and that a child was bleeding.When officers arrived, they found Davion suffering from a gunshot wound to his torso. Davion was transported to a local hospital, where he was&nbsp; pronounced deceased.At the scene, officers found seven other children and multiple adults. Wichita Police homicide investigators and the Exploited and Missing Children’s Unit responded immediately, conducting interviews and gathered evidence.As a result, police took Dillard into custody, and the children were placed in protective care. Dillard has been booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges of Aggravated Child Endangerment and Felony Murder. The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for formal charging consideration.

Kansas woman arrested for shooting death of 7-year-old

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating vandalism to a church in Wichita arrested a 23-year-old Saline County man identified as Michael Angel Gonzalez, according to Sedgwick County booking records.

Just after 8:30 Saturday, police responded to a reported burglary at St. Patrick Catholic Church, located in the 2000 block of N. Arkansas Street in Wichita, according to Wichita Police spokesman Brad Wright.

Officers discovered significant vandalism, including hate speech and damage to items such as statues, candles, and glass. Notably, a United States flag had been burned.

Recognizing the severity of this crime, Wichita Police and investigators—alongside federal law enforcement partners including the FBI and ATF—immediately launched a full-scale investigation. The Wichita Police dedicated Crime Scene Investigation team worked diligently to analyze evidence, leading to the swift identification of a suspect.

Officers from the Wichita Police Field Community Response Teams were provided with critical intelligence and began searching for the suspect. At approximately 2:20 a.m. Sunday, officers located and arrested Gonzalez in the 2800 block of N. Hillside in Wichita without incident.

Gonzalez is being held in the Sedgwick County Jail on a bond of over $500,000 on requested charges of Burglary, Criminal Desecration, and Criminal Damage to Property. The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney and federal prosecutors for formal charging considerations.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742206082557.png" alt="GONZALEZ-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>GONZALEZ-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating vandalism to a church in Wichita arrested a 23-year-old Saline County man identified as Michael Angel Gonzalez, according to Sedgwick County booking records.Just after 8:30 Saturday, police responded to a reported burglary at St. Patrick Catholic Church, located in the 2000 block of N. Arkansas Street in Wichita, according to Wichita Police spokesman Brad Wright.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fkscathconf%2Fposts%2Fpfbid03K6MPVPobWdcWxwwUJbtQRuYJv37sNFgHhrkCGHx5UoTEEHu5dkKvgbgmPVsre97l&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="819" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>Officers discovered significant vandalism, including hate speech and damage to items such as statues, candles, and glass. Notably, a United States flag had been burned.Recognizing the severity of this crime, Wichita Police and investigators—alongside federal law enforcement partners including the FBI and ATF—immediately launched a full-scale investigation. The Wichita Police dedicated Crime Scene Investigation team worked diligently to analyze evidence, leading to the swift identification of a suspect.Officers from the Wichita Police Field Community Response Teams were provided with critical intelligence and began searching for the suspect. At approximately 2:20 a.m. Sunday, officers located and arrested Gonzalez in the 2800 block of N. Hillside in Wichita without incident.Gonzalez is being held in the Sedgwick County Jail on a bond of over $500,000 on requested charges of Burglary, Criminal Desecration, and Criminal Damage to Property. The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney and federal prosecutors for formal charging considerations.

Kan. man held on $500,000 bond for vandalism at Catholic church

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a dog attack that critically injured a baby.

Just after 9:30p.m. March 13, the Prairie Village Police Department was notified by Children’s Mercy Hospital that an infant was in critical condition as a result of a dog bite, according to a statement from Prairie Village Police.

 The responding officers, along with the Investigations Unit, determined the incident occurred earlier in the evening in the 4900 block of W. 72nd Terrace in Prairie Village while the infant was being cared for by a non-parent caregiver.

The dog, a pit bull, was seized and impounded and, at the owner’s request, was euthanized .

All parties are cooperating with the investigation.The infant remains hospitalized and in critical condition.

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a dog attack that critically injured a baby.Just after 9:30p.m. March 13, the Prairie Village Police Department was notified by Children’s Mercy Hospital that an infant was in critical condition as a result of a dog bite, according to a statement from Prairie Village Police. The responding officers, along with the Investigations Unit, determined the incident occurred earlier in the evening in the 4900 block of W. 72nd Terrace in Prairie Village while the infant was being cared for by a non-parent caregiver.The dog, a pit bull, was seized and impounded and, at the owner’s request, was euthanized .All parties are cooperating with the investigation.The infant remains hospitalized and in critical condition.

Infant critically injured after dog attack at Kansas home

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement investigating a fatal weekend crash that occurred just after 1p.m. Saturday in Shawnee County have identified the driver as&nbsp;Christopher A. Frye, 19, of Silver Lake, according to Sheriff's Deputy Abigail Christian.&nbsp; &nbsp; He was a senior at Silver Lake High School, according to USD 372.

A Ford F150 driven by Frye was eastbound on NW 35th from NW Hoch Road. The pickup left the road and flipped into a ditch.

Frye, the sole occupant of the pickup was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp; The accident remains under investigation.

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement investigating a fatal weekend crash that occurred just after 1p.m. Saturday in Shawnee County have identified the driver as&nbsp;Christopher A. Frye, 19, of Silver Lake, according to Sheriff's Deputy Abigail Christian.&nbsp; &nbsp; He was a senior at Silver Lake High School, according to USD 372.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FSLEagles372%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02wYUJyJj83dQwWo3Gs8uUV4dgUmFkXBtXnBbFdmHKHUchRcE8HjDRuHp3kDszJCiPl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="596" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>A Ford F150 driven by Frye was eastbound on NW 35th from NW Hoch Road. The pickup left the road and flipped into a ditch.Frye, the sole occupant of the pickup was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp; The accident remains under investigation.

Sheriff IDs Kan. high school student who died after pickup flipped into ditch

CAIRO (AP) — The United States and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen are both vowing escalation after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-yemen-houthis-rebels-attack-airstrike-11b0e080b3982542dd621338a7b18afd">the U.S. launched airstrikes</a>&nbsp;to deter the rebels from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-yemen-houthis-airstrikes-iran-explainer-06e5676098543ebab53a0cdeefd83731">attacking military and commercial vessels</a>&nbsp;on one of the world's busiest shipping corridors.

The Houthi-run Health Ministry said the U.S. strikes on Saturday killed at least 53 people, including five women and two children, and wounded almost 100 in the capital of Sanaa and other provinces, including Saada, the rebels’ stronghold on the border with Saudi Arabia.

“We’re not going to have these people controlling which ships can go through and which ones cannot. And so your question is, how long will this go on? It will go on until they no longer have the capability to do that," Secretary of State Marco Rubio told CBS on Sunday. He said these are not the one-off retaliation strikes the Biden administration carried out after Houthi attacks.

President Donald Trump on Saturday vowed to use “overwhelming lethal force” until the Houthis cease their attacks, and warned that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/iran">Tehran</a>&nbsp;would be held “fully accountable” for their actions.

The Houthis have repeatedly targeted international shipping in the Red Sea,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houthi-rebels-ship-attack-red-sea-yemen-bfa7d321e55c5bb59b268b82ef3c56ba">sinking two vessels</a>, in what they call acts of solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel has been at war with Hamas, another Iranian ally.

The attacks stopped when a Israel-Hamas ceasefire took hold in January — a day before Trump took office — but last week the Houthis said they would renew attacks against Israeli vessels after Israel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-hamas-palestinians-aid-explainer-ecc0e70d5ff1120a04bf36626dfd96f4">cut off the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza</a>&nbsp;this month.

There have been no Houthi attacks reported since then.

The overnight airstrikes were one of the most extensive attacks against the Houthis since the war in Gaza began in October 2023.

Trump’s national security adviser, Michael Waltz, on Sunday told ABC that the strikes “actually targeted multiple Houthi leaders and took them out.” He didn't identify them or give evidence. Rubio said some Houthi facilities had been destroyed.

The Houthis’ political bureau has said the rebels will respond to the U.S. strikes and “meet escalation with escalation.”

The rebels on Sunday claimed to have targeted the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/truman-aircraft-carrier-collision-merchant-vessel-50e039f339c4658d246a08ca496a21d9">USS Harry S. Truman</a>&nbsp;carrier strike group with missiles and a drone.

According to a U.S. official, the Houthis did fire drones and at least one missile in response to the U.S. attack. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide updated information on operations, said that beginning at about midnight local time in Yemen, the Houthis fired 11 drones and at least one missile over a period of about 12 hours. Ten of the drones were intercepted by U.S. Air Force fighter jets and one was intercepted by a Navy F/A-18 fighter jet. The missile fell into the water far from the ship, and nothing came close to hitting either the carrier or the warships in its strike group.

Initially officials said they had no information on Houthi launches, but the official said they were able to get updated information.

The spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a statement called for “utmost restraint and a cessation of all military activities,” while warning of the “grave risks” to the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen, the Arab world’s poorest nation.

Rubio said that over the past 18 months the Houthis had attacked the U.S. Navy “directly” 174 times and targeted commercial shipping 145 times using “guided precision anti-ship weaponry.”

The attacks sparked the most serious combat the U.S. Navy had seen since World War II.

On Sunday, the head of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Hossein Salami, denied his country was involved in the Houthis' attacks, saying it “plays no role in setting the national or operational policies” of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hamas-hezbollah-houthis-iran-militant-groups-745bfc36e23997ee3f0bc499a9f5c16d">the militant groups it is allied with</a>&nbsp;across the region, according to state-run TV.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, writing on X, urged the U.S. to halt its airstrikes and said Washington cannot dictate Iran's foreign policy.

The U.S. and others have long accused Iran of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-yemen-houthis-rebels-attack-airstrike-11b0e080b3982542dd621338a7b18afd">providing military aid</a>&nbsp;to the rebels. The U.S. Navy has seized Iranian-made missile parts and other weaponry it said was bound for the Houthis.

The United States, Israel and Britain previously hit Houthi-held areas in Yemen, but the new operation was conducted solely by the U.S. It was the first strike on the Houthis under the second Trump administration.

The USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group, which includes the carrier, three Navy destroyers and one cruiser, is in the Red Sea and was part of the mission. The USS Georgia cruise missile submarine has also been operating in the region.

Associated Press writers Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, and Tara Copp and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed to this report.

CAIRO (AP) — The United States and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen are both vowing escalation after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-yemen-houthis-rebels-attack-airstrike-11b0e080b3982542dd621338a7b18afd">the U.S. launched airstrikes</a>&nbsp;to deter the rebels from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-yemen-houthis-airstrikes-iran-explainer-06e5676098543ebab53a0cdeefd83731">attacking military and commercial vessels</a>&nbsp;on one of the world's busiest shipping corridors.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">CENTCOM forces continue operations against Iran-backed Houthi terrorists... <a href="https://t.co/zEWykoDKQR">pic.twitter.com/zEWykoDKQR</a>&mdash; U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) <a href="https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/1901428374486089974?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Houthi-run Health Ministry said the U.S. strikes on Saturday killed at least 53 people, including five women and two children, and wounded almost 100 in the capital of Sanaa and other provinces, including Saada, the rebels’ stronghold on the border with Saudi Arabia.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">CENTCOM operations against Iran-backed Houthis continue... <a href="https://t.co/DYvc3gREN8">pic.twitter.com/DYvc3gREN8</a>&mdash; U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) <a href="https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/1901043879496876459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“We’re not going to have these people controlling which ships can go through and which ones cannot. And so your question is, how long will this go on? It will go on until they no longer have the capability to do that," Secretary of State Marco Rubio told CBS on Sunday. He said these are not the one-off retaliation strikes the Biden administration carried out after Houthi attacks.President Donald Trump on Saturday vowed to use “overwhelming lethal force” until the Houthis cease their attacks, and warned that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/iran">Tehran</a>&nbsp;would be held “fully accountable” for their actions.The Houthis have repeatedly targeted international shipping in the Red Sea,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houthi-rebels-ship-attack-red-sea-yemen-bfa7d321e55c5bb59b268b82ef3c56ba">sinking two vessels</a>, in what they call acts of solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel has been at war with Hamas, another Iranian ally.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">USS Gettysburg (CG 64) delivered lethal precision March 15 on Houthi targets in Yemen. America&#39;s Navy is ready and fully committed to defending freedom of navigation around the world. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NavyReady?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NavyReady</a> <a href="https://t.co/GNqPEaZgtj">pic.twitter.com/GNqPEaZgtj</a>&mdash; U.S. Navy (@USNavy) <a href="https://twitter.com/USNavy/status/1901329292333580305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The attacks stopped when a Israel-Hamas ceasefire took hold in January — a day before Trump took office — but last week the Houthis said they would renew attacks against Israeli vessels after Israel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-hamas-palestinians-aid-explainer-ecc0e70d5ff1120a04bf36626dfd96f4">cut off the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza</a>&nbsp;this month.There have been no Houthi attacks reported since then.The overnight airstrikes were one of the most extensive attacks against the Houthis since the war in Gaza began in October 2023.Trump’s national security adviser, Michael Waltz, on Sunday told ABC that the strikes “actually targeted multiple Houthi leaders and took them out.” He didn't identify them or give evidence. Rubio said some Houthi facilities had been destroyed.The Houthis’ political bureau has said the rebels will respond to the U.S. strikes and “meet escalation with escalation.”The rebels on Sunday claimed to have targeted the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/truman-aircraft-carrier-collision-merchant-vessel-50e039f339c4658d246a08ca496a21d9">USS Harry S. Truman</a>&nbsp;carrier strike group with missiles and a drone.According to a U.S. official, the Houthis did fire drones and at least one missile in response to the U.S. attack. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide updated information on operations, said that beginning at about midnight local time in Yemen, the Houthis fired 11 drones and at least one missile over a period of about 12 hours. Ten of the drones were intercepted by U.S. Air Force fighter jets and one was intercepted by a Navy F/A-18 fighter jet. The missile fell into the water far from the ship, and nothing came close to hitting either the carrier or the warships in its strike group.Initially officials said they had no information on Houthi launches, but the official said they were able to get updated information.The spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a statement called for “utmost restraint and a cessation of all military activities,” while warning of the “grave risks” to the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen, the Arab world’s poorest nation.Rubio said that over the past 18 months the Houthis had attacked the U.S. Navy “directly” 174 times and targeted commercial shipping 145 times using “guided precision anti-ship weaponry.”The attacks sparked the most serious combat the U.S. Navy had seen since World War II.On Sunday, the head of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Hossein Salami, denied his country was involved in the Houthis' attacks, saying it “plays no role in setting the national or operational policies” of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hamas-hezbollah-houthis-iran-militant-groups-745bfc36e23997ee3f0bc499a9f5c16d">the militant groups it is allied with</a>&nbsp;across the region, according to state-run TV.Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, writing on X, urged the U.S. to halt its airstrikes and said Washington cannot dictate Iran's foreign policy.The U.S. and others have long accused Iran of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-yemen-houthis-rebels-attack-airstrike-11b0e080b3982542dd621338a7b18afd">providing military aid</a>&nbsp;to the rebels. The U.S. Navy has seized Iranian-made missile parts and other weaponry it said was bound for the Houthis.The United States, Israel and Britain previously hit Houthi-held areas in Yemen, but the new operation was conducted solely by the U.S. It was the first strike on the Houthis under the second Trump administration.The USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group, which includes the carrier, three Navy destroyers and one cruiser, is in the Red Sea and was part of the mission. The USS Georgia cruise missile submarine has also been operating in the region.___Associated Press writers Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, and Tara Copp and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed to this report.

🎥U.S. continues attack against Iran-backed terrorists in Yemen

RENO COUNTY —Two people have been arrested in connection with the June 2024 drug death of Kevin Rodriguez.

Reno County booking records show that Karisa Dion Tipton and Michael O. Thompson II are being held in the Reno County Detention Center, each with a $250,000 bond.&nbsp; Thompson was booked in on March 12 and Tipton on March 13.

District Court records show that between June 16 and June 17, 2024, that Tipton and Thompson distributed methamphetamine to Rodriguez who later died.

Tipton has been charged with one count of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death, one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance resulting in death, and one count of unlawful use of a communication facility.&nbsp;

Thompson has been charged with one count of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death, one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance resulting in death, and one count of unlawful use of a communication facility. He has also been charged with one count of possession of tetrahydrocannabinol.&nbsp; Both have previous drug convictions, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

District court records show that Tipton’s next court appearance is on April 9, and Thompson’s next court appearance is set for April 16.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742083464362.png" alt="Thompson-Reno Co." />
 <figcaption>Thompson-Reno Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>RENO COUNTY —Two people have been arrested in connection with the June 2024 drug death of Kevin Rodriguez.Reno County booking records show that Karisa Dion Tipton and Michael O. Thompson II are being held in the Reno County Detention Center, each with a $250,000 bond.&nbsp; Thompson was booked in on March 12 and Tipton on March 13.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742083435697.png" alt="Tipton photo Reno Co." />
 <figcaption>Tipton photo Reno Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>District Court records show that between June 16 and June 17, 2024, that Tipton and Thompson distributed methamphetamine to Rodriguez who later died.Tipton has been charged with one count of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death, one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance resulting in death, and one count of unlawful use of a communication facility.&nbsp;Thompson has been charged with one count of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death, one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance resulting in death, and one count of unlawful use of a communication facility. He has also been charged with one count of possession of tetrahydrocannabinol.&nbsp; Both have previous drug convictions, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.District court records show that Tipton’s next court appearance is on April 9, and Thompson’s next court appearance is set for April 16.

Two accused in Kansas man's drug overdose death

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Authorities investigating a fatal pedestrian accident that occurred just after 12:30a.m. Saturday in Wyandotte County have identified the victim as Jacqueline&nbsp;Herrera Cruz, 18, Kansas City, Kansas.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2010 Ford F150 driven by Robert Miguel&nbsp;Pendleton, 17, Kansas City, Kansas,&nbsp;was northbound on Interstate 635 one mile south of Interstate 70.

The pickup struck Cruz who was walking in lane one of the Interstate.&nbsp; She was pronounce dead at the scene and was transported to Forensic Medical.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Authorities investigating a fatal pedestrian accident that occurred just after 12:30a.m. Saturday in Wyandotte County have identified the victim as Jacqueline&nbsp;Herrera Cruz, 18, Kansas City, Kansas.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2010 Ford F150 driven by Robert Miguel&nbsp;Pendleton, 17, Kansas City, Kansas,&nbsp;was northbound on Interstate 635 one mile south of Interstate 70.The pickup struck Cruz who was walking in lane one of the Interstate.&nbsp; She was pronounce dead at the scene and was transported to Forensic Medical.

Kansas teen struck and killed by 17-year-old pickup driver

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22NICHOLAS%20RICCARDI%20and%20REGINA%20GARCIA%20CANO%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By NICHOLAS RICCARDI and REGINA GARCIA CANO Associated Press</a>

The Trump administration has transferred hundreds of immigrants to El Salvador even as a federal judge issued an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-aclu-deportations-venezuelans-b2566f05b10bf1cde1caf467a3b001cc">order</a>&nbsp;temporarily barring the deportations under an 18th century wartime declaration targeting Venezuelan gang members, officials said Sunday. Flights were in the air at the time of the ruling.

U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg issued an order Saturday blocking the deportations, but lawyers told him there were already two planes with immigrants in the air — one headed for El Salvador, the other for Honduras. Boasberg verbally ordered the planes be turned around, but they apparently were not and he did not include the directive in his written order.

In a court filing Sunday, the Department of Justice, which has appealed Boasberg's decision, said the immigrants “had already been removed from U.S. territory” when the written order was issued at 7:26 pm.

Trump's allies were gleeful over the results.

“Oopsie…Too late,” Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, who agreed to house about 300 immigrants for a year at a cost of $6 million in his country’s prisons, wrote on the social media site X above an article about Boasberg’s ruling. That post was recirculated by White House communications director Steven Cheung.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who negotiated an earlier deal with Bukele to house immigrants, posted on the site: “We sent over 250 alien enemy members of Tren de Aragua which El Salvador has agreed to hold in their very good jails at a fair price that will also save our taxpayer dollars.”

Steve Vladeck, a professor at the Georgetown University Law Center, said that Boasberg's verbal directive to turn around the planes was not technically part of his final order but that the Trump administration clearly violated the “spirit” of it.

“This just incentivizes future courts to be hyper specific in their orders and not give the government any wiggle room,” Vladeck said.

The immigrants were deported after Trump’s declaration of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-mass-deportations-immigration-844f3050ba99552b900ed9f3a1dec22d">Alien Enemies Act</a>&nbsp;of 1798, which has been used only&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alien-enemies-trump-immigration-deportations-21a62ede23b8c493b60d00a9c125722f">three times</a>&nbsp;in U.S. history.

The law, invoked during the War of 1812 and World Wars I and II, requires a president to declare the United States is at war, giving him extraordinary powers to detain or remove foreigners who otherwise would have protections under immigration or criminal laws. It was last used to justify the detention of Japanese-American civilians during World War II.

A Justice Department spokesperson on Sunday referred to an earlier statement from Attorney General Pam Bondi blasting Boasberg’s ruling and didn’t immediately answer questions about whether the administration ignored the court’s order.

Venezuela’s government in a statement Sunday rejected the use of Trump’s declaration of the law, characterizing it as evocative of “the darkest episodes in human history, from slavery to the horror of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/germany-far-right-democracy-protests-afd-nazis-2dce0ea7ed40fccd3f0ec1c46edcfd42">Nazi concentration camps</a>.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tren-de-aragua-venezuela-guns-nypd-trafficking-50c6483916569a685daf55c2eb6d299f">Tren de Aragua</a>&nbsp;originated in an infamously lawless prison in the central state of Aragua and accompanied an exodus of millions of Venezuelans, the overwhelming majority of whom were seeking better living conditions after their nation’s economy came undone during the past decade. Trump seized on the gang during his campaign to paint&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-trump-aurora-colorado-crime-immigration-c76df9f1dcda7e06a983105e5e970aeb">misleading</a>&nbsp;pictures of communities that he contended were “taken over” by what were actually a handful of lawbreakers.

The Trump administration has not identified the immigrants deported, provided any evidence they are in fact members of Tren de Aragua or that they committed any crimes in the United States. It also sent two top members of the Salvadoran MS-13 gang to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/el-salvador-trump-prison-immigrants-4ab3fc3c0474efb308084604b61f8a37">El Salvador</a>&nbsp;who had been arrested in the United States.

Video released by El Salvador’s government Sunday showed men exiting airplanes onto an airport tarmac lined by officers in riot gear. The men, who had their hands and ankles shackled, struggled to walk as officers pushed their heads down to have them bend down at the waist.

The video also showed the men being transported to prison in a large convoy of buses guarded by police and military vehicles and at least one helicopter. The men were shown kneeling on the ground as their heads were shaved before they changed into the prison’s all-white uniform — knee-length shorts, T-shirt, socks and rubber clogs — and placed in cells.

The immigrants were taken to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/el-salvador-us-rubio-prison-de912f6a8199aaa7c8490585dcaa3b87">notorious</a>&nbsp;CECOT facility, the centerpiece of Bukele's push to pacify his once violence-wracked country through tough police measures and limits on basic rights

The Trump administration said the president actually signed the proclamation contending Tren de Aragua was invading the United States on Friday night but didn't announce it until Saturday afternoon. Immigration lawyers said that, late Friday, they noticed Venezuelans who otherwise couldn't be deported under immigration law being moved to Texas for deportation flights. They began to file lawsuits to halt the transfers.

“Basically any Venezuelan citizen in the US may be removed on pretext of belonging to Tren de Aragua, with no chance at defense,” Adam Isacson of the Washington Office for Latin America, a human rights group, warned on X.

The litigation that led to the hold on deportations was filed on behalf of five Venezuelans held in Texas who lawyers said were concerned they'd be falsely accused of being members of the gang. Once the act is invoked, they warned, Trump could simply declare anyone a Tren de Aragua member and remove them from the country.

Boasberg barred those Venezuelans' deportations Saturday morning when the suit was filed, but only broadened it to all people in federal custody who could be targeted by the act after his afternoon hearing. He noted that the law has never before been used outside of a congressionally declared war and that plaintiffs may successfully argue Trump exceeded his legal authority in invoking it.

The bar on deportations stands for up to 14 days and the immigrants will remain in federal custody during that time. Boasberg has scheduled a hearing Friday to hear additional arguments in the case.

He said he had to act because the immigrants whose deportations may actually violate the U.S. Constitution deserved a chance to have their pleas heard in court.

“Once they’re out of the country," Boasberg said, "there’s little I could do."

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22NICHOLAS%20RICCARDI%20and%20REGINA%20GARCIA%20CANO%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By NICHOLAS RICCARDI and REGINA GARCIA CANO Associated Press</a>The Trump administration has transferred hundreds of immigrants to El Salvador even as a federal judge issued an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-aclu-deportations-venezuelans-b2566f05b10bf1cde1caf467a3b001cc">order</a>&nbsp;temporarily barring the deportations under an 18th century wartime declaration targeting Venezuelan gang members, officials said Sunday. Flights were in the air at the time of the ruling.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">While you slept, your government sent three planes full of Tren de Aragua and MS-13 thugs to the beautiful prisons of El Salvador. Thanks to the leadership of this administration—and our friend <a href="https://twitter.com/nayibbukele?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nayibbukele</a>—America is safer today than it was yesterday. <a href="https://t.co/eO76KRqOuG">pic.twitter.com/eO76KRqOuG</a>&mdash; Eric Schmitt (@Eric_Schmitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/Eric_Schmitt/status/1901344554000793658?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg issued an order Saturday blocking the deportations, but lawyers told him there were already two planes with immigrants in the air — one headed for El Salvador, the other for Honduras. Boasberg verbally ordered the planes be turned around, but they apparently were not and he did not include the directive in his written order.In a court filing Sunday, the Department of Justice, which has appealed Boasberg's decision, said the immigrants “had already been removed from U.S. territory” when the written order was issued at 7:26 pm.Trump's allies were gleeful over the results.“Oopsie…Too late,” Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, who agreed to house about 300 immigrants for a year at a cost of $6 million in his country’s prisons, wrote on the social media site X above an article about Boasberg’s ruling. That post was recirculated by White House communications director Steven Cheung.Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who negotiated an earlier deal with Bukele to house immigrants, posted on the site: “We sent over 250 alien enemy members of Tren de Aragua which El Salvador has agreed to hold in their very good jails at a fair price that will also save our taxpayer dollars.”Steve Vladeck, a professor at the Georgetown University Law Center, said that Boasberg's verbal directive to turn around the planes was not technically part of his final order but that the Trump administration clearly violated the “spirit” of it.“This just incentivizes future courts to be hyper specific in their orders and not give the government any wiggle room,” Vladeck said.The immigrants were deported after Trump’s declaration of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-mass-deportations-immigration-844f3050ba99552b900ed9f3a1dec22d">Alien Enemies Act</a>&nbsp;of 1798, which has been used only&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alien-enemies-trump-immigration-deportations-21a62ede23b8c493b60d00a9c125722f">three times</a>&nbsp;in U.S. history.The law, invoked during the War of 1812 and World Wars I and II, requires a president to declare the United States is at war, giving him extraordinary powers to detain or remove foreigners who otherwise would have protections under immigration or criminal laws. It was last used to justify the detention of Japanese-American civilians during World War II.A Justice Department spokesperson on Sunday referred to an earlier statement from Attorney General Pam Bondi blasting Boasberg’s ruling and didn’t immediately answer questions about whether the administration ignored the court’s order.Venezuela’s government in a statement Sunday rejected the use of Trump’s declaration of the law, characterizing it as evocative of “the darkest episodes in human history, from slavery to the horror of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/germany-far-right-democracy-protests-afd-nazis-2dce0ea7ed40fccd3f0ec1c46edcfd42">Nazi concentration camps</a>.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tren-de-aragua-venezuela-guns-nypd-trafficking-50c6483916569a685daf55c2eb6d299f">Tren de Aragua</a>&nbsp;originated in an infamously lawless prison in the central state of Aragua and accompanied an exodus of millions of Venezuelans, the overwhelming majority of whom were seeking better living conditions after their nation’s economy came undone during the past decade. Trump seized on the gang during his campaign to paint&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-trump-aurora-colorado-crime-immigration-c76df9f1dcda7e06a983105e5e970aeb">misleading</a>&nbsp;pictures of communities that he contended were “taken over” by what were actually a handful of lawbreakers.The Trump administration has not identified the immigrants deported, provided any evidence they are in fact members of Tren de Aragua or that they committed any crimes in the United States. It also sent two top members of the Salvadoran MS-13 gang to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/el-salvador-trump-prison-immigrants-4ab3fc3c0474efb308084604b61f8a37">El Salvador</a>&nbsp;who had been arrested in the United States.Video released by El Salvador’s government Sunday showed men exiting airplanes onto an airport tarmac lined by officers in riot gear. The men, who had their hands and ankles shackled, struggled to walk as officers pushed their heads down to have them bend down at the waist.The video also showed the men being transported to prison in a large convoy of buses guarded by police and military vehicles and at least one helicopter. The men were shown kneeling on the ground as their heads were shaved before they changed into the prison’s all-white uniform — knee-length shorts, T-shirt, socks and rubber clogs — and placed in cells.The immigrants were taken to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/el-salvador-us-rubio-prison-de912f6a8199aaa7c8490585dcaa3b87">notorious</a>&nbsp;CECOT facility, the centerpiece of Bukele's push to pacify his once violence-wracked country through tough police measures and limits on basic rightsThe Trump administration said the president actually signed the proclamation contending Tren de Aragua was invading the United States on Friday night but didn't announce it until Saturday afternoon. Immigration lawyers said that, late Friday, they noticed Venezuelans who otherwise couldn't be deported under immigration law being moved to Texas for deportation flights. They began to file lawsuits to halt the transfers.“Basically any Venezuelan citizen in the US may be removed on pretext of belonging to Tren de Aragua, with no chance at defense,” Adam Isacson of the Washington Office for Latin America, a human rights group, warned on X.The litigation that led to the hold on deportations was filed on behalf of five Venezuelans held in Texas who lawyers said were concerned they'd be falsely accused of being members of the gang. Once the act is invoked, they warned, Trump could simply declare anyone a Tren de Aragua member and remove them from the country.Boasberg barred those Venezuelans' deportations Saturday morning when the suit was filed, but only broadened it to all people in federal custody who could be targeted by the act after his afternoon hearing. He noted that the law has never before been used outside of a congressionally declared war and that plaintiffs may successfully argue Trump exceeded his legal authority in invoking it.The bar on deportations stands for up to 14 days and the immigrants will remain in federal custody during that time. Boasberg has scheduled a hearing Friday to hear additional arguments in the case.He said he had to act because the immigrants whose deportations may actually violate the U.S. Constitution deserved a chance to have their pleas heard in court.“Once they’re out of the country," Boasberg said, "there’s little I could do."_____Cano reported from Caracas, Venezuela.

🎥While you slept, the U.S. deported Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador

KANSAS CITY—A man accused in a string of business burglaries is facing new felony charges.

Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson announced 10 more felony charges against 24-year-old Javaune Tucker of Kansas City in connection with a string of business burglaries that occurred over the past month.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Tucker was initially charged with Property Damage in the 1st Degree. He is now being&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2533/Javaune-Tucker---Amended-Complaint-Redacted">charged</a>&nbsp;with two counts of Felon in Possession, Possession of an Unlawful Machine Gun, 1st Degree Tampering with a Motor Vehicle, and six counts of Burglary in the Second Degree.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2532/Javaune-Tucker---Amended-PC-Redacted">According to court records</a>, a burglary was reported to Kansas City police on Feb. 26. Surveillance footage revealed the suspects arrived in a dark colored Jeep Grand Cherokee, which was documented as stolen.&nbsp;

Detectives connected the vehicle to five burglaries that took place in the early morning hours of March 1. Based on surveillance footage from the area of the burglaries, detectives were able to identify Tucker. When they took him into custody, they found stolen firearms, including a Glock modified with a switch, which converts firearms from semiautomatic to fully automatic, allowing for continuous fire and increased lethality. He also had the key fob to the stolen Jeep, which had a stolen cash register inside. The defendant admitted to stealing the Jeep and committing the burglaries.&nbsp;

The defendant has a history of felony convictions, prohibiting him from possessing firearms.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741706787257.png" alt="Tucker-photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Tucker-photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—A man accused in a string of business burglaries is facing new felony charges.Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson announced 10 more felony charges against 24-year-old Javaune Tucker of Kansas City in connection with a string of business burglaries that occurred over the past month.&nbsp;&nbsp;Tucker was initially charged with Property Damage in the 1st Degree. He is now being&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2533/Javaune-Tucker---Amended-Complaint-Redacted">charged</a>&nbsp;with two counts of Felon in Possession, Possession of an Unlawful Machine Gun, 1st Degree Tampering with a Motor Vehicle, and six counts of Burglary in the Second Degree.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2532/Javaune-Tucker---Amended-PC-Redacted">According to court records</a>, a burglary was reported to Kansas City police on Feb. 26. Surveillance footage revealed the suspects arrived in a dark colored Jeep Grand Cherokee, which was documented as stolen.&nbsp;Detectives connected the vehicle to five burglaries that took place in the early morning hours of March 1. Based on surveillance footage from the area of the burglaries, detectives were able to identify Tucker. When they took him into custody, they found stolen firearms, including a Glock modified with a switch, which converts firearms from semiautomatic to fully automatic, allowing for continuous fire and increased lethality. He also had the key fob to the stolen Jeep, which had a stolen cash register inside. The defendant admitted to stealing the Jeep and committing the burglaries.&nbsp;The defendant has a history of felony convictions, prohibiting him from possessing firearms.&nbsp;

KC man with a history of crime caught with stolen firearms, cash register

WASHINGTON (AP) — Dr. Mehmet Oz promised Senate Finance committee members including Kansas Senator Roger Marshall on Friday to fight health care fraud and push to make Americans healthier if he becomes the next leader of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

But the former heart surgeon and TV personality dodged several opportunities to say broadly whether he would oppose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medicaid-cuts-work-requirements-congress-republicans-90ec1119f1d95de067c76f79eec7fa87">cuts to Medicaid</a>, the government-funded program for people with low incomes.

Oz, President Donald Trump’s pick to be the next CMS administrator, also said technology like artificial intelligence and telemedicine could be a key in making care more efficient and accessible.

“We have a generational opportunity to fix our health care system and help people stay healthy for longer,” he said.

The 64-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dr-oz-mehmet-things-to-know-trump-be62594d66e07b9544e48ddf9febf7bf">was a respected heart surgeon</a>&nbsp;who turned into a popular TV pitchman. He hawked everything from supplements to private health insurance plans on “The Dr. Oz Show,” which ran for 13 seasons and helped him amass a fortune.

Now he has his sights on overseeing health insurance for about 150 million Americans enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid or Affordable Care Act coverage. As CMS administrator, he could wield significant power over most health companies operating in the U.S. because he can make decisions about who and what are covered by Medicare and Medicaid.

Oz faced over two and a half hours of questioning Friday before the Republican-controlled Senate Finance Committee, which will vote later on whether to forward his nomination to the full Senate for consideration.

Leading the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services presents a “monumental opportunity” to make the country healthier, Oz told senators. He talked about how a healthy population cuts down on expensive chronic diseases, and he offered suggestions of ways to help with that.

He noted, for instance, that most Medicare Advantage plans — privately run versions of the federally funded Medicare program — provide an allowance for food purchases. But they give no “real advice” on how to use it wisely.

“We don’t have to order people to eat healthy, we have to make it easier for people to be healthy,” adding that he considered maintaining good health a “patriotic duty.”

Republicans, who have coalesced around Trump's nominees for the health agencies, asked Oz about his plans for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medicaid-cuts-budget-republicans-health-care-4a13fc3528d7bf20ea52db4a5551c8bf">eliminating fraud</a>&nbsp;from the $1 trillion programs. He talked about going after insurers that bill for diagnoses that never lead to treatment.

He also said technology like telemedicine can be used to help close gaps in care access, particularly in rural areas. Several senators mentioned concerns about the closure of rural hospitals in their states.

He said rural hospitals could form partnerships with bigger institutions in nearby cities.

“We have to revisit how we deliver rural care in America,” he said. “We can’t depend on 100-bed hospitals that do one delivery a day to provide state-of-the-art care.”

In response to a question about whether he would support Medicaid cuts if they lead to rural hospital closures, Oz said he didn't want those hospitals to close “unless we have a better option.”

Oz also would like to see limits on insurer care pre-approvals in Medicare Advantage. He called that practice, known as prior authorization, “a pox on the system” that hikes administrative costs.

Oz also told senators that he favored work requirements for Medicaid recipients, but paperwork shouldn’t be used to reaffirm that they are working or to block people from staying enrolled.

Democrats tried to pin down Oz on potential cuts to the state- and federally funded Medicaid program that Republicans are considering. Oz did note that doctors dislike the program for its relatively low payments and some don't want to take those patients.

He said that when Medicaid eligibility was expanded without improving resources for doctors, that made care options even thinner for the program's core patients, which include children, pregnant women and people with disabilities.

“We have to make some important decisions to improve the quality of care,” he said.

Oz's hearing came as the Trump administration seeks to finalize leadership posts for the nation’s top health agencies.

On Thursday, Senate committees voted to advance the nominations of Marty Makary, poised to lead the Food and Drug Administration, and Jay Bhattacharya, set to helm the National Institutes for Health, for a full Senate vote. The nomination of Dave Weldon to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dave-weldon-cdc-director-9a3d061832e2f0f644f2c58fbae36965">was abruptly withdrawn</a>&nbsp;Thursday.

Those men have all leaned into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-robert-kennedy-vaccines-measles-steak-shake-9c970a1f6bdfd6ac4b4160480e996ac0">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;'s call to “Make America Healthy Again,” an effort to redesign the nation's food supply, reject vaccine mandates and cast doubt on some long-established scientific research.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741973233694.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Dr. Mehmet Oz promised Senate Finance committee members including Kansas Senator Roger Marshall on Friday to fight health care fraud and push to make Americans healthier if he becomes the next leader of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.But the former heart surgeon and TV personality dodged several opportunities to say broadly whether he would oppose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medicaid-cuts-work-requirements-congress-republicans-90ec1119f1d95de067c76f79eec7fa87">cuts to Medicaid</a>, the government-funded program for people with low incomes.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/DrOz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrOz</a> delivers his opening statement at his Senate confirmation hearing to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). <a href="https://t.co/LHRXNXzzUj">pic.twitter.com/LHRXNXzzUj</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1900590807565885864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Oz, President Donald Trump’s pick to be the next CMS administrator, also said technology like artificial intelligence and telemedicine could be a key in making care more efficient and accessible.“We have a generational opportunity to fix our health care system and help people stay healthy for longer,” he said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">My grandma always said, “If you have your health, you have everything.” It’s time to Make America Healthy Again. President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>’s pick to be CMS Administrator, Dr. Mehmet Oz, is an excellent choice to help America achieve this goal. <a href="https://t.co/BXUniO2Szk">pic.twitter.com/BXUniO2Szk</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1900600702881128885?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The 64-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dr-oz-mehmet-things-to-know-trump-be62594d66e07b9544e48ddf9febf7bf">was a respected heart surgeon</a>&nbsp;who turned into a popular TV pitchman. He hawked everything from supplements to private health insurance plans on “The Dr. Oz Show,” which ran for 13 seasons and helped him amass a fortune.Now he has his sights on overseeing health insurance for about 150 million Americans enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid or Affordable Care Act coverage. As CMS administrator, he could wield significant power over most health companies operating in the U.S. because he can make decisions about who and what are covered by Medicare and Medicaid.Oz faced over two and a half hours of questioning Friday before the Republican-controlled Senate Finance Committee, which will vote later on whether to forward his nomination to the full Senate for consideration.Leading the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services presents a “monumental opportunity” to make the country healthier, Oz told senators. He talked about how a healthy population cuts down on expensive chronic diseases, and he offered suggestions of ways to help with that.He noted, for instance, that most Medicare Advantage plans — privately run versions of the federally funded Medicare program — provide an allowance for food purchases. But they give no “real advice” on how to use it wisely.“We don’t have to order people to eat healthy, we have to make it easier for people to be healthy,” adding that he considered maintaining good health a “patriotic duty.”Republicans, who have coalesced around Trump's nominees for the health agencies, asked Oz about his plans for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medicaid-cuts-budget-republicans-health-care-4a13fc3528d7bf20ea52db4a5551c8bf">eliminating fraud</a>&nbsp;from the $1 trillion programs. He talked about going after insurers that bill for diagnoses that never lead to treatment.He also said technology like telemedicine can be used to help close gaps in care access, particularly in rural areas. Several senators mentioned concerns about the closure of rural hospitals in their states.He said rural hospitals could form partnerships with bigger institutions in nearby cities.“We have to revisit how we deliver rural care in America,” he said. “We can’t depend on 100-bed hospitals that do one delivery a day to provide state-of-the-art care.”In response to a question about whether he would support Medicaid cuts if they lead to rural hospital closures, Oz said he didn't want those hospitals to close “unless we have a better option.”Oz also would like to see limits on insurer care pre-approvals in Medicare Advantage. He called that practice, known as prior authorization, “a pox on the system” that hikes administrative costs.Oz also told senators that he favored work requirements for Medicaid recipients, but paperwork shouldn’t be used to reaffirm that they are working or to block people from staying enrolled.Democrats tried to pin down Oz on potential cuts to the state- and federally funded Medicaid program that Republicans are considering. Oz did note that doctors dislike the program for its relatively low payments and some don't want to take those patients.He said that when Medicaid eligibility was expanded without improving resources for doctors, that made care options even thinner for the program's core patients, which include children, pregnant women and people with disabilities.“We have to make some important decisions to improve the quality of care,” he said.Oz's hearing came as the Trump administration seeks to finalize leadership posts for the nation’s top health agencies.On Thursday, Senate committees voted to advance the nominations of Marty Makary, poised to lead the Food and Drug Administration, and Jay Bhattacharya, set to helm the National Institutes for Health, for a full Senate vote. The nomination of Dave Weldon to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dave-weldon-cdc-director-9a3d061832e2f0f644f2c58fbae36965">was abruptly withdrawn</a>&nbsp;Thursday.Those men have all leaned into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-robert-kennedy-vaccines-measles-steak-shake-9c970a1f6bdfd6ac4b4160480e996ac0">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;'s call to “Make America Healthy Again,” an effort to redesign the nation's food supply, reject vaccine mandates and cast doubt on some long-established scientific research.___Murphy reported from Indianapolis.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

🎥 Kan. U.S. Senator meets Dr. Oz, Trump's pick to lead CMS

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22PETER%20SMITH%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By PETER SMITH Associated Press</a>

When the Episcopal Church recently announced cuts to its national staff, it was the latest in a long-running cycle among historic U.S. Protestant denominations — declines in members leading to declines in funding and thus in staff.

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) also announced recent cuts to staff at its headquarters and in its global missions program. The United Methodist Church, after undergoing a major schism, has settled into a historically low budget, having cut its numbers of bishops and other positions.

While the circumstances vary from one denomination to another, there are some common threads. Several Protestant denominations are losing members, particularly the Episcopal, Presbyterian, Methodist and other historic mainline groups that have not only been aging and shrinking but have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/methodist-lutheran-episcopal-presbyterian-lgbtq-samesex-marriage-ef5755c84d49896c520b5835e6169317">suffered schisms as they moved in more progressive directions.</a>

At the same time, the number of nondenominational churches has grown over the past decade, as have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pew-survey-american-christian-religious-decline-nones-1f1ac0da0577cfcb50f3c48e7014a070">the ranks of the religiously unaffiliated</a>.

As a result, denominations have had to do less with less — not only cutting budgets to balance the bottom line, but making strategic changes and trying out new ideas.

Despite their different structures, “every one of these national bodies really have to deal with changing social contexts and ethos,” said Scott Thumma, co-director of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. “A lot of that has to do with the skepticism around national organizations and institutions.”

In their heyday, denominational offices oversaw mission organizations that sent large numbers of church workers to far corners of the world. They put out officially sanctioned hymnals, devotional guides, magazines and Sunday School materials. They organized big national conventions that set — and fiercely debated — policy and doctrine. They set standards for how ministers were trained, credentialed and disciplined. They ran historical societies and pension funds for ministers.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southern-baptist-annual-meeting-indianapolis-women-pastors-politics-f1f43f93947fda83119c761c06ea18f0">Southern Baptist Convention</a>&nbsp;'s Cooperative Program, marking its 100th anniversary this year, is a testament to the traditional idea that it's more efficient to pool everyone's money and trust leaders to allocate it wisely. The convention still runs a large missions program. But its churches aren't sending as much as they used to. The SBC has also declined in membership. and it faces unique challenges such as litigation following a report on sexual misconduct. Its Executive Committee, which trimmed its staff in 2023, is putting its Nashville office up for sale.

Nowadays, not only has trust in centralized leadership faded, but there often are fewer church members to support programs and activities. Many denominational churches are acting more like nondenominational ones — downloading music or Sunday School lessons from independent rather than official sources.

In the United Methodist Church, giving to denomination-wide ministries fell by about 13% to $91 million in 2024, according to its General Council on Finance and Administration. That didn't cause an immediate shock because the denomination has been preparing for such declines in recent years.

It underwent a years-long schism in which a quarter of its churches left by the end of 2023. Many joined a more conservative denomination before the UMC's General Convention in 2024 removed its longstanding bans on ordaining and marrying LGBTQ people, while continuing to allow church conferences in other countries to set their own rules.

United Methodist denominational agencies currently have 503 full-time employees, down 36% since 2016, according to the council.

Thumma said that even though “organized religion” gets a bad name these days, that's not the full story.

“You have people who are still interested in spirituality, some sort of gathering around something higher than themselves, but not in these particular forms,” he said.

“There are a lot of religious and denominational leaders who realize that, but the question is what forms or structures are going to resonate with those folks.”

Last month, the Episcopal Church announced the layoff of 14 workers, with another 16 retiring this year under an incentive program. Another 13 vacant positions are being eliminated. Other staffers are being trained to take on new roles, and the denomination projects it will have a net total of about 110 full-time workers by next year.

“Our goal was to meet the emerging financial reality but also to determine how we can continue to serve the church as it’s becoming something different than it was,” Episcopal Church&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/episcopal-church-presiding-bishop-michael-curry-ea10f967d5f7e8464bce149a0da9bcb5">Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe</a>&nbsp;said in an interview.

“It’s creating networks on the ground," he said. "It’s paying attention to what is new and working, and lifting that up.”

Some of the shift in strategy will involve looking at ways to support local dioceses and parishes, which are “better equipped to know what their needs are," Rowe said.

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) cut 12 positions from its central offices late last year. It also enacted a major change in its approach to global missions earlier this year, eliminating the position of mission co-worker, or those who worked directly in other countries in schools, churches or other ministries. The church will retain workers who will maintain regular contacts with Presbyterian and other churches overseas, as well as interfaith contacts, while also working with diaspora communities in the United States. The world mission staff reduced from 79 to 44, according to a church announcement last month.

The changes are difficult, acknowledged the Rev. Jihyun Oh, executive director of the PC (U.S.A.)'s Interim Unified Agency, a recently consolidated office overseeing a range of denominational work.

The denomination is roughly a third of its size when it took its current form in the 1980s, following a reunification of northern and southern branches. And while many members had increased their giving to missions over the past two decades, the net effect of fewer members was a decline in funds. It was important, Oh said, to reorganize now, before a financial crisis required a more drastic cut. Meanwhile, some of the countries where mission workers once were assigned now have well-established Presbyterian churches, she said.

“The church’s witness and ministry is not coming to an end,” she said. “There can be resurrection and renewal in a different sort of way." That renewal might be measured not so much by numbers but "in terms of impact, in terms of partnerships, in terms of other ways that we will actually be called to live out faith in this time.”

She hopes church members understand that “God’s not done with us."

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/ap-twir">collaboration</a>&nbsp;with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741965631739.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22PETER%20SMITH%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By PETER SMITH Associated Press</a>When the Episcopal Church recently announced cuts to its national staff, it was the latest in a long-running cycle among historic U.S. Protestant denominations — declines in members leading to declines in funding and thus in staff.And it wasn't alone.The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) also announced recent cuts to staff at its headquarters and in its global missions program. The United Methodist Church, after undergoing a major schism, has settled into a historically low budget, having cut its numbers of bishops and other positions.While the circumstances vary from one denomination to another, there are some common threads. Several Protestant denominations are losing members, particularly the Episcopal, Presbyterian, Methodist and other historic mainline groups that have not only been aging and shrinking but have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/methodist-lutheran-episcopal-presbyterian-lgbtq-samesex-marriage-ef5755c84d49896c520b5835e6169317">suffered schisms as they moved in more progressive directions.</a>At the same time, the number of nondenominational churches has grown over the past decade, as have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pew-survey-american-christian-religious-decline-nones-1f1ac0da0577cfcb50f3c48e7014a070">the ranks of the religiously unaffiliated</a>.As a result, denominations have had to do less with less — not only cutting budgets to balance the bottom line, but making strategic changes and trying out new ideas.<h2>Widespread skepticism of institutions</h2>Despite their different structures, “every one of these national bodies really have to deal with changing social contexts and ethos,” said Scott Thumma, co-director of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. “A lot of that has to do with the skepticism around national organizations and institutions.”In their heyday, denominational offices oversaw mission organizations that sent large numbers of church workers to far corners of the world. They put out officially sanctioned hymnals, devotional guides, magazines and Sunday School materials. They organized big national conventions that set — and fiercely debated — policy and doctrine. They set standards for how ministers were trained, credentialed and disciplined. They ran historical societies and pension funds for ministers.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southern-baptist-annual-meeting-indianapolis-women-pastors-politics-f1f43f93947fda83119c761c06ea18f0">Southern Baptist Convention</a>&nbsp;'s Cooperative Program, marking its 100th anniversary this year, is a testament to the traditional idea that it's more efficient to pool everyone's money and trust leaders to allocate it wisely. The convention still runs a large missions program. But its churches aren't sending as much as they used to. The SBC has also declined in membership. and it faces unique challenges such as litigation following a report on sexual misconduct. Its Executive Committee, which trimmed its staff in 2023, is putting its Nashville office up for sale.Nowadays, not only has trust in centralized leadership faded, but there often are fewer church members to support programs and activities. Many denominational churches are acting more like nondenominational ones — downloading music or Sunday School lessons from independent rather than official sources.<h2>United Methodist Church cuts</h2>In the United Methodist Church, giving to denomination-wide ministries fell by about 13% to $91 million in 2024, according to its General Council on Finance and Administration. That didn't cause an immediate shock because the denomination has been preparing for such declines in recent years.It underwent a years-long schism in which a quarter of its churches left by the end of 2023. Many joined a more conservative denomination before the UMC's General Convention in 2024 removed its longstanding bans on ordaining and marrying LGBTQ people, while continuing to allow church conferences in other countries to set their own rules.United Methodist denominational agencies currently have 503 full-time employees, down 36% since 2016, according to the council.Thumma said that even though “organized religion” gets a bad name these days, that's not the full story.“You have people who are still interested in spirituality, some sort of gathering around something higher than themselves, but not in these particular forms,” he said.“There are a lot of religious and denominational leaders who realize that, but the question is what forms or structures are going to resonate with those folks.”<h2>Episcopal Church cuts</h2>Last month, the Episcopal Church announced the layoff of 14 workers, with another 16 retiring this year under an incentive program. Another 13 vacant positions are being eliminated. Other staffers are being trained to take on new roles, and the denomination projects it will have a net total of about 110 full-time workers by next year.“Our goal was to meet the emerging financial reality but also to determine how we can continue to serve the church as it’s becoming something different than it was,” Episcopal Church&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/episcopal-church-presiding-bishop-michael-curry-ea10f967d5f7e8464bce149a0da9bcb5">Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe</a>&nbsp;said in an interview.“It’s creating networks on the ground," he said. "It’s paying attention to what is new and working, and lifting that up.”Some of the shift in strategy will involve looking at ways to support local dioceses and parishes, which are “better equipped to know what their needs are," Rowe said.<h2>Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) cuts</h2>The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) cut 12 positions from its central offices late last year. It also enacted a major change in its approach to global missions earlier this year, eliminating the position of mission co-worker, or those who worked directly in other countries in schools, churches or other ministries. The church will retain workers who will maintain regular contacts with Presbyterian and other churches overseas, as well as interfaith contacts, while also working with diaspora communities in the United States. The world mission staff reduced from 79 to 44, according to a church announcement last month.The changes are difficult, acknowledged the Rev. Jihyun Oh, executive director of the PC (U.S.A.)'s Interim Unified Agency, a recently consolidated office overseeing a range of denominational work.The denomination is roughly a third of its size when it took its current form in the 1980s, following a reunification of northern and southern branches. And while many members had increased their giving to missions over the past two decades, the net effect of fewer members was a decline in funds. It was important, Oh said, to reorganize now, before a financial crisis required a more drastic cut. Meanwhile, some of the countries where mission workers once were assigned now have well-established Presbyterian churches, she said.“The church’s witness and ministry is not coming to an end,” she said. “There can be resurrection and renewal in a different sort of way." That renewal might be measured not so much by numbers but "in terms of impact, in terms of partnerships, in terms of other ways that we will actually be called to live out faith in this time.”She hopes church members understand that “God’s not done with us."___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/ap-twir">collaboration</a>&nbsp;with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Protestant denominations cutting staff, trying new ideas amid declines in members and money

BY&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/jesse-bedayn">JESSE BEDAYN</a> Associated Press

The Trump administration is halting a $1 billion program that helps preserve affordable housing, threatening projects that keep tens of thousands of units livable for low-income Americans, according to a document obtained by The Associated Press.

The action is part of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-doge-housing-crisis-cuts-discrimination-d0c6e3b4b030787a1f60a7dc153153dd">slew of cuts</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-doge-housing-crisis-cuts-discrimination-d0c6e3b4b030787a1f60a7dc153153dd">funding freezes</a>&nbsp;at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, largely&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/affordable-housing-trump-doge-hud-funding-af0cadf5238f1654d723350cc2e8e0f7">at the direction of President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, that have rattled the affordable-housing industry.

Preserving these units gets less attention than ribbon-cuttings, but it’s a centerpiece of efforts to address the nation’s housing crisis. Hundreds of thousands of low-rent apartments, many of them aging and in need of urgent repair, are at risk of being yanked out from under poor Americans.

The program has already awarded the money to projects that would upgrade at least 25,000 affordable units across the country, and details of how it will be wound down remain unclear.

A spokesperson for HUD did not respond to repeated requests for comment. But an internal document reviewed by the AP said that the program is being “terminated” at the direction of DOGE. Two HUD workers, who have knowledge of the program and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, confirmed the directive to shutter it.

On its face, the over $1 billion Green and Resilient Retrofit Program, passed by Congress in 2022, is intended for energy-efficiency improvements. It is distributed in grants and loans to owners of affordable housing in need of updating, including replacing or repairing heating and cooling systems, leaky roofs, aging insulation or windows, or undertaking floodproofing.

But the money plays a much larger role in preserving affordable units.

Projects that use the funds are required to keep their buildings affordable for up to 25 years. The money is also leveraged to pull in other investments for major repairs and renovations needed to keep the buildings livable.

It’s like building a Jenga tower, where one of the program’s grants or loans — which range from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars — is a bottom block and each new block is another investment, experts said.

This money “was essential in order for the project to come together,” said Mike Essian, vice president at American Community Developers, Inc., which received funding for several affordable housing projects. “Projects will fail and these are projects that are already difficult to finance.”

The news has been a jolt to Al Hase and Joan Starr, tenants in an apartment building in Vancouver, Washington, full of other low-income seniors with few or no other options — most of whom live on less than $33,000 a year.

The 170-unit Smith Tower Apartments, built in the 1960s, is in need of updates, including its first building-wide sprinkler system. The $10 million award was a financial kickstart for its nearly $100 million project, and is cited in applications for other investments.

The potential loss “seriously jeopardizes our ability to be able to provide an upgrade to the current systems,” said Greg Franks, president of the property’s management company, adding that the work is “needed to sustain the livability of this building based on its age, and to keep it viable for another 60 years.”

“We are depending on that $10 million,” he said.

So, too, are Hase and Starr, a retired couple in their 70s who have lived there for 16 years.

They fill their balcony with geraniums and petunias, count the eagles at a nearby park and live off meager Social Security incomes. They learned about the potential funding loss in a letter from the apartment’s management company.

“It’s kinda terrifying, it’s almost like getting news from a doctor that something’s going to take your life in six months or a year,” Hase told the AP in a phone call.

“We’re from an era where the wages weren’t there, so our Social Security ...” he said, pausing. “Sucks,” pitched in Starr.

“If I’d been born a rich man,” he said. Starr added: “We’re just regular people.”

“And we’re the lucky ones because we’ve got two social securities coming in,” she said.

But being lucky ones still doesn’t count for much in today’s rental market. “Prices keep going up, I’ve looked, and there’s no way,” she said.

“It’s the difference between living and not being able to live,” he said.

HUD’s lack of communication about the program’s future sent organizations in search of contingency plans, though roughly two dozen projects will still get funding, one HUD employee told the AP. The rest are in limbo.

“If these funds aren’t reinstated, we will certainly seek other funding to fill that gap. The reality is that will take time and will inevitably make the project more expensive,” Travis Phillips of the Housing Development Center said of funding for Smith Tower.

It’s the position several hundred other affordable-housing projects now find themselves in across 42 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

“In all honesty,” said Michelle Arevalos, Smith Tower’s administrator, “if this building were not here, a lot of our folks actually probably would be homeless.”

Bedayn is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741793986103.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/jesse-bedayn">JESSE BEDAYN</a> Associated PressThe Trump administration is halting a $1 billion program that helps preserve affordable housing, threatening projects that keep tens of thousands of units livable for low-income Americans, according to a document obtained by The Associated Press.The action is part of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-doge-housing-crisis-cuts-discrimination-d0c6e3b4b030787a1f60a7dc153153dd">slew of cuts</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-doge-housing-crisis-cuts-discrimination-d0c6e3b4b030787a1f60a7dc153153dd">funding freezes</a>&nbsp;at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, largely&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/affordable-housing-trump-doge-hud-funding-af0cadf5238f1654d723350cc2e8e0f7">at the direction of President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, that have rattled the affordable-housing industry.Preserving these units gets less attention than ribbon-cuttings, but it’s a centerpiece of efforts to address the nation’s housing crisis. Hundreds of thousands of low-rent apartments, many of them aging and in need of urgent repair, are at risk of being yanked out from under poor Americans.The program has already awarded the money to projects that would upgrade at least 25,000 affordable units across the country, and details of how it will be wound down remain unclear.A spokesperson for HUD did not respond to repeated requests for comment. But an internal document reviewed by the AP said that the program is being “terminated” at the direction of DOGE. Two HUD workers, who have knowledge of the program and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, confirmed the directive to shutter it.On its face, the over $1 billion Green and Resilient Retrofit Program, passed by Congress in 2022, is intended for energy-efficiency improvements. It is distributed in grants and loans to owners of affordable housing in need of updating, including replacing or repairing heating and cooling systems, leaky roofs, aging insulation or windows, or undertaking floodproofing.But the money plays a much larger role in preserving affordable units.Projects that use the funds are required to keep their buildings affordable for up to 25 years. The money is also leveraged to pull in other investments for major repairs and renovations needed to keep the buildings livable.It’s like building a Jenga tower, where one of the program’s grants or loans — which range from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars — is a bottom block and each new block is another investment, experts said.This money “was essential in order for the project to come together,” said Mike Essian, vice president at American Community Developers, Inc., which received funding for several affordable housing projects. “Projects will fail and these are projects that are already difficult to finance.”The news has been a jolt to Al Hase and Joan Starr, tenants in an apartment building in Vancouver, Washington, full of other low-income seniors with few or no other options — most of whom live on less than $33,000 a year.The 170-unit Smith Tower Apartments, built in the 1960s, is in need of updates, including its first building-wide sprinkler system. The $10 million award was a financial kickstart for its nearly $100 million project, and is cited in applications for other investments.The potential loss “seriously jeopardizes our ability to be able to provide an upgrade to the current systems,” said Greg Franks, president of the property’s management company, adding that the work is “needed to sustain the livability of this building based on its age, and to keep it viable for another 60 years.”“We are depending on that $10 million,” he said.So, too, are Hase and Starr, a retired couple in their 70s who have lived there for 16 years.They fill their balcony with geraniums and petunias, count the eagles at a nearby park and live off meager Social Security incomes. They learned about the potential funding loss in a letter from the apartment’s management company.“It’s kinda terrifying, it’s almost like getting news from a doctor that something’s going to take your life in six months or a year,” Hase told the AP in a phone call.“We’re from an era where the wages weren’t there, so our Social Security ...” he said, pausing. “Sucks,” pitched in Starr.“If I’d been born a rich man,” he said. Starr added: “We’re just regular people.”“And we’re the lucky ones because we’ve got two social securities coming in,” she said.But being lucky ones still doesn’t count for much in today’s rental market. “Prices keep going up, I’ve looked, and there’s no way,” she said.“It’s the difference between living and not being able to live,” he said.HUD’s lack of communication about the program’s future sent organizations in search of contingency plans, though roughly two dozen projects will still get funding, one HUD employee told the AP. The rest are in limbo.“If these funds aren’t reinstated, we will certainly seek other funding to fill that gap. The reality is that will take time and will inevitably make the project more expensive,” Travis Phillips of the Housing Development Center said of funding for Smith Tower.It’s the position several hundred other affordable-housing projects now find themselves in across 42 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.“In all honesty,” said Michelle Arevalos, Smith Tower’s administrator, “if this building were not here, a lot of our folks actually probably would be homeless.”Bedayn is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

Trump admin. halts $1 billion program that keeps affordable housing livable

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (AP) — A prosecutor has declined to file criminal charges against a Missouri police officer who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/police-shooting-woman-child-dead-8e82ad6979e3963708f1cf3e14af6a8d">shot and killed</a>&nbsp;a woman and her infant child last year.

Independence police officers had responded to a reported assault in November at an apartment building. They were figuring out how to arrest the woman, who was nonverbal and communicating with nods and gestures, when she abruptly grabbed a butcher knife from a bedside table and moved toward the officers while holding the child, Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1651">office said Friday.</a>

One officer backed away, but the other was against a closet and couldn't escape, Johnson's office said. He fired four shots as the woman moved toward him with the knife, the office said. The shots struck and killed the woman and her child, identified by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2025-03-15/independence-police-officer-no-criminal-charges-fatal-shooting-of-mother-baby-maria-pike-destinii">KCUR news</a>&nbsp;as 34-year-old Maria Pike and her 3-month-old daughter, Destinii.

Johnson's office said the officer's use of deadly force “falls within the protection of the law.”

Her office also noted there wasn't enough evidence to conclusively prove the officer intentionally shot the infant.

“The evidence shows that the shooting officer shot the civilian who was holding the infant,” prosecutors said in a statement.

“We did not arrive at this decision lightly. The loss of a young mother and her infant are devastating and tragic,” Johnson said. “However, as prosecutors, we are bound by an oath to apply the law and analyze facts without being guided by the sympathy we feel for all those impacted. Our purpose is to determine if what was done was reasonable, defined by Missouri law, and not whether it was the best course of action.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742070477364.png" alt="Independence Police body camera image of the Oval Springs apartment comples on the day of the officer-shooting" />
 <figcaption>Independence Police body camera image of the Oval Springs apartment comples on the day of the officer-shooting</figcaption>
 </figure>INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (AP) — A prosecutor has declined to file criminal charges against a Missouri police officer who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/police-shooting-woman-child-dead-8e82ad6979e3963708f1cf3e14af6a8d">shot and killed</a>&nbsp;a woman and her infant child last year.Independence police officers had responded to a reported assault in November at an apartment building. They were figuring out how to arrest the woman, who was nonverbal and communicating with nods and gestures, when she abruptly grabbed a butcher knife from a bedside table and moved toward the officers while holding the child, Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1651">office said Friday.</a>One officer backed away, but the other was against a closet and couldn't escape, Johnson's office said. He fired four shots as the woman moved toward him with the knife, the office said. The shots struck and killed the woman and her child, identified by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2025-03-15/independence-police-officer-no-criminal-charges-fatal-shooting-of-mother-baby-maria-pike-destinii">KCUR news</a>&nbsp;as 34-year-old Maria Pike and her 3-month-old daughter, Destinii.Johnson's office said the officer's use of deadly force “falls within the protection of the law.”Her office also noted there wasn't enough evidence to conclusively prove the officer intentionally shot the infant.“The evidence shows that the shooting officer shot the civilian who was holding the infant,” prosecutors said in a statement.“We did not arrive at this decision lightly. The loss of a young mother and her infant are devastating and tragic,” Johnson said. “However, as prosecutors, we are bound by an oath to apply the law and analyze facts without being guided by the sympathy we feel for all those impacted. Our purpose is to determine if what was done was reasonable, defined by Missouri law, and not whether it was the best course of action.”