By LINDSAY WHITEHURST &nbsp;Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — An appeals court on Friday lifted a block on executive orders seeking to end government support for diversity, equity and inclusion programs, handing the Trump administration a win after a string of setbacks defending President Donald Trump's agenda from dozens of lawsuits.

The decision from a three-judge panel allows the orders to be enforced as a lawsuit challenging them plays out. The appeals court judges halted a nationwide injunction from U.S. District Judge Adam Abelson in Baltimore.

Two of the judges on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals wrote that Trump's anti-DEI push could eventually raise concerns about First Amendment rights but said the judge's sweeping block went too far.

"My vote should not be understood as agreement with the orders' attack on efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion," Judge Pamela Harris wrote. Two of the panel's members were appointed by President Barack Obama, while the third was appointed by Trump.

Abelson had found the orders likely violated free-speech rights and are unconstitutionally vague since they don't have a specific definition of DEI.

Trump signed an order his first day in office directing federal agencies to terminate all "equity-related" grants or contracts. He signed a follow-up order requiring federal contractors to certify that they don't promote DEI.

The city of Baltimore and other groups sued the Trump administration, arguing the executive orders are an unconstitutional overreach of presidential authority.

The Justice Department has argued that the president was targeting only DEI programs that violate federal civil rights laws. Government attorneys said the administration should be able to align federal spending with the president's priorities.

Abelson, who was nominated by Democratic President Joe Biden, agreed with the plaintiffs that the executive orders discourage businesses, organizations and public entities from openly supporting diversity, equity and inclusion.

Efforts to increase diversity long have been under attack by Republicans who contend the measures threaten merit-based hiring, promotion and educational opportunities for white people. Supporters say the programs help institutions meet the needs of increasingly diverse populations while addressing the lasting impacts of systemic racism.

Their purpose was to foster equitable environments in businesses and schools, especially for historically marginalized communities. Researchers say DEI initiatives date back to the 1960s but they expanded in 2020 during increased calls for racial justice.

In addition to the mayor and the Baltimore City Council, the plaintiffs include the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, the American Association of University Professors and the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, which represents restaurant workers across the country.

Associated Press writer Lea Skene contributed to this story.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742003336478.png" alt="President Trump boards Air Force One on Friday-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Trump boards Air Force One on Friday-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>By LINDSAY WHITEHURST &nbsp;Associated PressWASHINGTON (AP) — An appeals court on Friday lifted a block on executive orders seeking to end government support for diversity, equity and inclusion programs, handing the Trump administration a win after a string of setbacks defending President Donald Trump's agenda from dozens of lawsuits.The decision from a three-judge panel allows the orders to be enforced as a lawsuit challenging them plays out. The appeals court judges halted a nationwide injunction from U.S. District Judge Adam Abelson in Baltimore.Two of the judges on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals wrote that Trump's anti-DEI push could eventually raise concerns about First Amendment rights but said the judge's sweeping block went too far."My vote should not be understood as agreement with the orders' attack on efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion," Judge Pamela Harris wrote. Two of the panel's members were appointed by President Barack Obama, while the third was appointed by Trump.Abelson had found the orders likely violated free-speech rights and are unconstitutionally vague since they don't have a specific definition of DEI.Trump signed an order his first day in office directing federal agencies to terminate all "equity-related" grants or contracts. He signed a follow-up order requiring federal contractors to certify that they don't promote DEI.The city of Baltimore and other groups sued the Trump administration, arguing the executive orders are an unconstitutional overreach of presidential authority.The Justice Department has argued that the president was targeting only DEI programs that violate federal civil rights laws. Government attorneys said the administration should be able to align federal spending with the president's priorities.Abelson, who was nominated by Democratic President Joe Biden, agreed with the plaintiffs that the executive orders discourage businesses, organizations and public entities from openly supporting diversity, equity and inclusion.Efforts to increase diversity long have been under attack by Republicans who contend the measures threaten merit-based hiring, promotion and educational opportunities for white people. Supporters say the programs help institutions meet the needs of increasingly diverse populations while addressing the lasting impacts of systemic racism.Their purpose was to foster equitable environments in businesses and schools, especially for historically marginalized communities. Researchers say DEI initiatives date back to the 1960s but they expanded in 2020 during increased calls for racial justice.In addition to the mayor and the Baltimore City Council, the plaintiffs include the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, the American Association of University Professors and the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, which represents restaurant workers across the country.___Associated Press writer Lea Skene contributed to this story.

Court lifts blocks on Trump's orders restricting DEI programs

&nbsp;KANSAS CITY —A Jackson County judge sentenced a Kansas City man to 22 years in prison for the fatal shooting of another man that took place in 2023, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2531/Derek-Jones---Deferred-Sentencing_Redacted_FINAL_Redacted_FINAL">Derek Jones, 24, pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;last year to 2nd Degree Murder, Armed Criminal Action, Violating an Order of Protection, and 1st Degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child. With a 22-year total sentence cap, the judge sentenced the defendant to the total number of years requested by the state, which was the maximum authorized under the terms of the plea agreement: 19 years on 2nd Degree Murder, three years on Armed Criminal Action, one year on Violating an Order of Protection, and seven years on Endangering the Welfare of a Child.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2530/JONES-PC-Statement-RED">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police responded to a shooting at the 8300 block of Highland Avenue on March 12, 2023. They encountered a male victim just inside the front door of a residence who was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp;

Witnesses identified Jones as the shooter, stating he forced his way into the residence after a witness unlocked the door. The defendant then discharged his firearm multiple times at the victim before fleeing the scene. Six children, including the victim’s child and the Jones' children, witnessed the entire incident.

Police located Jones and took him into custody within roughly an hour of the shooting.&nbsp;

While the defendant had no prior felony convictions, he had a history of domestic violence and violating orders of protection. The witnesses had orders of protection against the defendant at the time of the fatal shooting.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678905755457.png" alt="Jones photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Jones photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;KANSAS CITY —A Jackson County judge sentenced a Kansas City man to 22 years in prison for the fatal shooting of another man that took place in 2023, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2531/Derek-Jones---Deferred-Sentencing_Redacted_FINAL_Redacted_FINAL">Derek Jones, 24, pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;last year to 2nd Degree Murder, Armed Criminal Action, Violating an Order of Protection, and 1st Degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child. With a 22-year total sentence cap, the judge sentenced the defendant to the total number of years requested by the state, which was the maximum authorized under the terms of the plea agreement: 19 years on 2nd Degree Murder, three years on Armed Criminal Action, one year on Violating an Order of Protection, and seven years on Endangering the Welfare of a Child.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2530/JONES-PC-Statement-RED">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police responded to a shooting at the 8300 block of Highland Avenue on March 12, 2023. They encountered a male victim just inside the front door of a residence who was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp;Witnesses identified Jones as the shooter, stating he forced his way into the residence after a witness unlocked the door. The defendant then discharged his firearm multiple times at the victim before fleeing the scene. Six children, including the victim’s child and the Jones' children, witnessed the entire incident.Police located Jones and took him into custody within roughly an hour of the shooting.&nbsp;While the defendant had no prior felony convictions, he had a history of domestic violence and violating orders of protection. The witnesses had orders of protection against the defendant at the time of the fatal shooting.

6 children witnessed murder of Kansas City man in their home

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;said he ordered a series of airstrikes on Yemen's capital, Sanaa, on Saturday, promising to use “overwhelming lethal force” until Iranian-backed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/houthis">Houthi rebels</a>&nbsp;cease their attacks on shipping along a vital maritime corridor. The Houthis said 13 civilians were killed.

“Our brave Warfighters are right now carrying out aerial attacks on the terrorists’ bases, leaders, and missile defenses to protect American shipping, air, and naval assets, and to restore Navigational Freedom,” Trump said in a social media post. “No terrorist force will stop American commercial and naval vessels from freely sailing the Waterways of the World.”

He also warned Iran to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-navy-houthi-attacks-red-sea-shipping-iran-8e55669e4d18cbc7007654640fa5fdc1">stop supporting the rebel group</a>, promising to hold the country “fully accountable” for the actions of its proxy. It comes two weeks after the U.S leader sent a letter to Iranian leaders offering a path to restarting bilateral talks between the countries on Iran’s advancing nuclear weapons program. Trump has said he will not allow it to become operational.

The Houthis reported&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-yemen-houthis-airstrikes-iran-explainer-06e5676098543ebab53a0cdeefd83731">explosions in their territory</a>&nbsp;Saturday evening, in Sanaa and in the northern province of Saada, the rebels’ stronghold on the border with Saudi Arabia. Images online showed plumes of black smoke over the area of the Sanaa airport complex, which includes a sprawling military facility.

At least 13 people were killed, said Anees al-Asbahi, spokesman for the Houthi-run health ministry. In a statement on social media, he said another nine were wounded.

A U.S. official said this was the beginning of air strikes on Houthi targets that are expected to continue. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the press.

Nasruddin Amer, deputy head of the Houthi media office, said the airstrikes won’t deter them and they would retaliate against the U.S. “Sanaa will remain Gaza’s shield and support and will not abandon it no matter the challenges,” he added on social media.

Another spokesman, Mohamed Abdulsalam, on X, called Trump’s claims that the Houthis threaten international shipping routes “false and misleading.”

The airstrikes come a few days after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-israel-hamas-war-gaza-aid-ship-attacks-0da6c2453fe2c4e5f81923c84c7d3f3a">Houthis said they would resume attacks</a>&nbsp;on Israeli vessels sailing off Yemen in response to Israel’s latest blockade on Gaza. They described the warning as affecting the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Arabian Sea.

There have been no Houthi attacks reported since then.

Earlier this month, Israel halted all aid coming into Gaza and warned of “additional consequences” for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hamas">Hamas</a>&nbsp;if their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">fragile ceasefire</a>&nbsp;in the war isn’t extended as negotiations continue over starting a second phase.

The Houthis had targeted over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houthi-rebels-ship-attack-red-sea-yemen-bfa7d321e55c5bb59b268b82ef3c56ba">sinking two vessels</a>&nbsp;and killing four sailors, during their campaign targeting military and civilian ships between the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in late 2023 and January of this year, when this ceasefire in Gaza took effect.

The attacks raised the Houthis’ profile as they faced economic and other problems at home amid Yemen’s decade-long stalemated war that’s torn apart the Arab world’s poorest nation.

The Houthi media office said the U.S. strikes hit a residential neighborhood in Sanaa’s northern district of Shouab. Residents said at least four airstrikes rocked the Eastern Geraf neighborhood there, terrifying women and children.

“The explosions were very strong,” said Abdallah al-Alffi. “It was like an earthquake.”

The Eastern Geraf is home to Houthi-held military facilities and a headquarters for the rebels' political bureau, located in a densely populated area.

The Houthis reported fresh strikes on the southwestern Dhamar province late Saturday. They said the strikes hit the outskirts of the provincial capital, also named Dhamar, and the district of Abs.

The United States, Israel and Britain have previously hit Houthi-held areas in Yemen. Israel’s military declined to comment.

However, Saturday's operation was conducted solely by the U.S., according to a U.S. official. It was the first strike on the Yemen-based Houthis under the second Trump administration.

Such broad-based missile strikes against the Houthis were carried out multiple times by the Biden administration in response to frequent attacks by the Houthis against commercial and military vessels in the region.

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

Trump announced the strikes as he spent the day at his Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.

“These relentless assaults have cost the U.S. and World Economy many BILLIONS of Dollars while, at the same time, putting innocent lives at risk,” Trump said.

Baldor reported from Washington and Magdy reported from Cairo. AP White House Correspondent Zeke Miller and AP writer Tara Copp contributed from Washington.

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">CENTCOM Forces Launch Large Scale Operation Against Iran-Backed Houthis in Yemen On March 15, U.S. Central Command initiated a series of operations consisting of precision strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets across Yemen to defend American interests, deter enemies, and… <a href="https://t.co/u5yx8WneoG">pic.twitter.com/u5yx8WneoG</a>&mdash; U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) <a href="https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/1901001417831150000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;said he ordered a series of airstrikes on Yemen's capital, Sanaa, on Saturday, promising to use “overwhelming lethal force” until Iranian-backed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/houthis">Houthi rebels</a>&nbsp;cease their attacks on shipping along a vital maritime corridor. The Houthis said 13 civilians were killed.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742067087417.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742067133086.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>“Our brave Warfighters are right now carrying out aerial attacks on the terrorists’ bases, leaders, and missile defenses to protect American shipping, air, and naval assets, and to restore Navigational Freedom,” Trump said in a social media post. “No terrorist force will stop American commercial and naval vessels from freely sailing the Waterways of the World.”He also warned Iran to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-navy-houthi-attacks-red-sea-shipping-iran-8e55669e4d18cbc7007654640fa5fdc1">stop supporting the rebel group</a>, promising to hold the country “fully accountable” for the actions of its proxy. It comes two weeks after the U.S leader sent a letter to Iranian leaders offering a path to restarting bilateral talks between the countries on Iran’s advancing nuclear weapons program. Trump has said he will not allow it to become operational.The Houthis reported&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-yemen-houthis-airstrikes-iran-explainer-06e5676098543ebab53a0cdeefd83731">explosions in their territory</a>&nbsp;Saturday evening, in Sanaa and in the northern province of Saada, the rebels’ stronghold on the border with Saudi Arabia. Images online showed plumes of black smoke over the area of the Sanaa airport complex, which includes a sprawling military facility.At least 13 people were killed, said Anees al-Asbahi, spokesman for the Houthi-run health ministry. In a statement on social media, he said another nine were wounded.A U.S. official said this was the beginning of air strikes on Houthi targets that are expected to continue. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the press.Nasruddin Amer, deputy head of the Houthi media office, said the airstrikes won’t deter them and they would retaliate against the U.S. “Sanaa will remain Gaza’s shield and support and will not abandon it no matter the challenges,” he added on social media.Another spokesman, Mohamed Abdulsalam, on X, called Trump’s claims that the Houthis threaten international shipping routes “false and misleading.”The airstrikes come a few days after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-israel-hamas-war-gaza-aid-ship-attacks-0da6c2453fe2c4e5f81923c84c7d3f3a">Houthis said they would resume attacks</a>&nbsp;on Israeli vessels sailing off Yemen in response to Israel’s latest blockade on Gaza. They described the warning as affecting the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Arabian Sea.There have been no Houthi attacks reported since then.Earlier this month, Israel halted all aid coming into Gaza and warned of “additional consequences” for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hamas">Hamas</a>&nbsp;if their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">fragile ceasefire</a>&nbsp;in the war isn’t extended as negotiations continue over starting a second phase.The Houthis had targeted over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houthi-rebels-ship-attack-red-sea-yemen-bfa7d321e55c5bb59b268b82ef3c56ba">sinking two vessels</a>&nbsp;and killing four sailors, during their campaign targeting military and civilian ships between the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in late 2023 and January of this year, when this ceasefire in Gaza took effect.The attacks raised the Houthis’ profile as they faced economic and other problems at home amid Yemen’s decade-long stalemated war that’s torn apart the Arab world’s poorest nation.The Houthi media office said the U.S. strikes hit a residential neighborhood in Sanaa’s northern district of Shouab. Residents said at least four airstrikes rocked the Eastern Geraf neighborhood there, terrifying women and children.“The explosions were very strong,” said Abdallah al-Alffi. “It was like an earthquake.”The Eastern Geraf is home to Houthi-held military facilities and a headquarters for the rebels' political bureau, located in a densely populated area.The Houthis reported fresh strikes on the southwestern Dhamar province late Saturday. They said the strikes hit the outskirts of the provincial capital, also named Dhamar, and the district of Abs.The United States, Israel and Britain have previously hit Houthi-held areas in Yemen. Israel’s military declined to comment.However, Saturday's operation was conducted solely by the U.S., according to a U.S. official. It was the first strike on the Yemen-based Houthis under the second Trump administration.Such broad-based missile strikes against the Houthis were carried out multiple times by the Biden administration in response to frequent attacks by the Houthis against commercial and military vessels in the region.The USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group, which includes the carrier, three Navy destroyers and one cruiser, are in the Red Sea and were part of Saturday's mission. The USS Georgia cruise missile submarine has also been operating in the region.Trump announced the strikes as he spent the day at his Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.“These relentless assaults have cost the U.S. and World Economy many BILLIONS of Dollars while, at the same time, putting innocent lives at risk,” Trump said.___Baldor reported from Washington and Magdy reported from Cairo. AP White House Correspondent Zeke Miller and AP writer Tara Copp contributed from Washington.

Trump orders strikes on Iran-backed terrorists, issues new warning

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas, returned an indictment charging a Nebraska contractor for allegedly defrauding customers across multiple states by failing to construct buildings after being paid, according to the United State's Attorney.

According to court documents, Bobby Bates Sr., 42, of Grand Island, Nebraska, is charged with two counts of wire fraud.

Bates, as the owner of Built Rite Construction, is accused of accepting deposits for construction projects and not starting or completing the work. Between February 2023 and October 2023, he allegedly defrauded customers in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Nebraska, South Dakota, Illinois, Georgia, Alabama, and Texas resulting in total losses of more than $700,000.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are investigating the case

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas, returned an indictment charging a Nebraska contractor for allegedly defrauding customers across multiple states by failing to construct buildings after being paid, according to the United State's Attorney.According to court documents, Bobby Bates Sr., 42, of Grand Island, Nebraska, is charged with two counts of wire fraud.Bates, as the owner of Built Rite Construction, is accused of accepting deposits for construction projects and not starting or completing the work. Between February 2023 and October 2023, he allegedly defrauded customers in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Nebraska, South Dakota, Illinois, Georgia, Alabama, and Texas resulting in total losses of more than $700,000.The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are investigating the case

Contractor accused of defrauding customers in Kansas, 9 other states

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has signed into law legislation funding the government through the end of September, ending the threat of a partial government shutdown and capping off a struggle in Congress that deeply divided Democrats.

Harrison Fields, White House principal deputy press secretary, said in a post on X that Trump signed the continuing resolution Saturday.

The bill largely keeps government funding at levels set during Joe Biden's presidency, though with changes. It trims non-defense spending by about $13 billion from the previous year and increases defense spending by about $6 billion, which are marginal changes when talking about a topline spending level of nearly $1.7 trillion.

The Senate cleared the legislation on Friday in a 54-46 party line vote, with 10 members of the Senate Democratic caucus helping the bill advance to passage despite opposition from within their party —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-congress-chuck-schumer-government-funding-shutdown-43d1acea20c34ad28d848edc08ad6375">most vocally</a>&nbsp;from colleagues in the House, who exhorted them to reject the bill out of hand.

Senate Democrats argued for days over whether to force a shutdown, livid that Republicans in the House had drafted and passed the spending measure without their input. Democrats said the legislation shortchanges health care, housing and other priorities and gives Trump wide leeway to redirect federal spending even as his administration and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-government-trump-executive-order-1a2fb7235b9d6f178c764cf6c78d3317">Department of Government Efficiency</a>&nbsp;rapidly dismantle congressionally approved agencies and programs.

In the end, enough of the Democratic senators decided a government shutdown would be even worse than letting the funding bill pass.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said a shutdown would have given the Trump administration the ability to deem whole agencies, programs and personnel non-essential,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-trump-elon-musk-johnson-schumer-jeffries-cf75ae3c5f04207980cb96b286e70c09">furloughing staff</a>&nbsp;with no promise they would ever be rehired.

“A shutdown will allow DOGE to shift into overdrive,” Schumer said. “Donald Trump and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>&nbsp;would be free to destroy vital government services at a much faster rate.”

Passage of the funding bill through the House earlier in the week was a victory for Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, who managed to hold Republicans together and muscle the bill to passage without support from Democrats — something they've&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-doge-musk-speaker-johnson-budget-funding-ccc539ae6298ab205f36babbaf71a232">rarely been able to achieve</a>&nbsp;in the past.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742060863888.png" alt="President Trump arrived in Florida Friday night-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Trump arrived in Florida Friday night-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has signed into law legislation funding the government through the end of September, ending the threat of a partial government shutdown and capping off a struggle in Congress that deeply divided Democrats.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> signed the CR. Thank you, <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerJohnson</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/LeaderJohnThune?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LeaderJohnThune</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenSchumer</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/HouseGOP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HouseGOP</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SenateGOP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenateGOP</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SenFettermanPA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenFettermanPA</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SenCortezMasto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenCortezMasto</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SenBrianSchatz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenBrianSchatz</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorDurbin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenatorDurbin</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SenGillibrand?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenGillibrand</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SenGaryPeters?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenGaryPeters</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorHassan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenatorHassan</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorShaheen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenatorShaheen</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/SenAngusKing?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenAngusKing</a>. <a href="https://t.co/HQiZY4t65T">https://t.co/HQiZY4t65T</a>&mdash; Harrison Fields (@HFields47) <a href="https://twitter.com/HFields47/status/1900956504443822092?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Harrison Fields, White House principal deputy press secretary, said in a post on X that Trump signed the continuing resolution Saturday.The bill largely keeps government funding at levels set during Joe Biden's presidency, though with changes. It trims non-defense spending by about $13 billion from the previous year and increases defense spending by about $6 billion, which are marginal changes when talking about a topline spending level of nearly $1.7 trillion.The Senate cleared the legislation on Friday in a 54-46 party line vote, with 10 members of the Senate Democratic caucus helping the bill advance to passage despite opposition from within their party —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-congress-chuck-schumer-government-funding-shutdown-43d1acea20c34ad28d848edc08ad6375">most vocally</a>&nbsp;from colleagues in the House, who exhorted them to reject the bill out of hand.Senate Democrats argued for days over whether to force a shutdown, livid that Republicans in the House had drafted and passed the spending measure without their input. Democrats said the legislation shortchanges health care, housing and other priorities and gives Trump wide leeway to redirect federal spending even as his administration and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-government-trump-executive-order-1a2fb7235b9d6f178c764cf6c78d3317">Department of Government Efficiency</a>&nbsp;rapidly dismantle congressionally approved agencies and programs.In the end, enough of the Democratic senators decided a government shutdown would be even worse than letting the funding bill pass.Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said a shutdown would have given the Trump administration the ability to deem whole agencies, programs and personnel non-essential,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-trump-elon-musk-johnson-schumer-jeffries-cf75ae3c5f04207980cb96b286e70c09">furloughing staff</a>&nbsp;with no promise they would ever be rehired.“A shutdown will allow DOGE to shift into overdrive,” Schumer said. “Donald Trump and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>&nbsp;would be free to destroy vital government services at a much faster rate.”Passage of the funding bill through the House earlier in the week was a victory for Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, who managed to hold Republicans together and muscle the bill to passage without support from Democrats — something they've&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-doge-musk-speaker-johnson-budget-funding-ccc539ae6298ab205f36babbaf71a232">rarely been able to achieve</a>&nbsp;in the past.

President signs bill funding government for 6 months, avoiding a shutdown

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The threat of violent tornadoes in parts of the U.S. proved deadly as well as destructive as whipping winds moved east into the Mississippi Valley and Deep South on Saturday, with at least 16 people killed and scores of homes decimated.

The most fatalities as of Saturday morning were in Missouri, authorities said, with 10 people killed. The Missouri State Highway Patrol also reported that multiple people were injured.

The deaths included a man who was killed after a tornado ripped apart his home,

“It was unrecognizable as a home. Just a debris field," said Coroner Jim Akers of Butler County, describing the scene that confronted rescuers when they arrived. “The floor was upside down. We were walking on walls."

Rescuers managed to save a woman in the home, Akers said.

Officials in Arkansas said on Saturday morning that three people died in Independence County and 29 others were injured across eight counties as storms passed through the state overnight.

On Friday, meanwhile, authorities said three people were killed in car crashes during a dust storm in Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle.

The deaths come as a massive storm system moving across the country unleashed winds that triggered deadly dust storms and fanned more than 100 wildfires.

Extreme weather conditions — including hurricane-force winds — are forecast to affect an area home to more than 100 million people. Winds gusting up to 80 mph (130 kph) were predicted from the Canadian border to Texas, threatening blizzard conditions in colder northern areas and wildfire risk in warmer, drier areas to the south.

Evacuations were ordered in some Oklahoma communities as more than 130 fires were reported across the state. The State Patrol said winds were so strong that they toppled several tractor-trailers.

“This is terrible out here,” said Charles Daniel, a truck driver hauling a 48-foot (14.6-meter) trailer along Interstate 40 in western Oklahoma. “There’s a lot of sand and dirt in the air. I’m not pushing it over 55 mph. I’m scared it will blow over if I do.”

Experts say it's not unusual to see such&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/severe-weather-storm-system-tornados-warnings-ac27e11b1414d56fd6937af8227bea42">weather extremes in March</a>.

“What’s unique about this one is its large size and intensity,” said Bill Bunting of the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma. “And so what that is doing is producing really substantial impacts over a very large area.”

The weather service said at least five tornadoes were reported in Missouri on Friday, including one in the Saint Louis area. Several buildings were damaged.

The Storm Prediction Center said fast-moving storms could spawn twisters and hail as large as baseballs, but the greatest threat would come from straight-line winds near or exceeding hurricane force, with gusts of 100 mph (160 kph) possible.

“Potentially violent” tornadoes were expected Saturday in parts of the central Gulf Coast and Deep South into the Tennessee Valley, according to the National Weather Service.

The Storm Prediction Center said parts of Mississippi including Jackson and Hattiesburg and areas of Alabama including Birmingham and Tuscaloosa would be at a high risk. Severe storms and tornadoes were also possible across eastern Louisiana, western Georgia, central Tennessee and the western Florida Panhandle.

Wildfires break out amid dry, gusty conditions

Wildfires in the Southern Plains threatened to spread rapidly amid warm, dry weather and strong winds, and evacuations were ordered Friday for some communities in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and New Mexico.

A blaze in Roberts County, Texas, northeast of Amarillo, quickly blew up from less than a square mile (about 2 square kilometers) to an estimated 32.8 square miles (85 square kilometers), the Texas A&amp;M University Forest Service said on X. Crews stopped its advance by Friday evening.

About 60 miles (90 kilometers) to the south, another fire grew to about 3.9 square miles (10 square kilometers) before its advance was halted in the afternoon.

High winds also knocked out power to more than 300,000 homes and businesses in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana, according the website poweroutage.us.

The National Weather Service issued blizzard warnings for parts of far western Minnesota and far eastern South Dakota starting early Saturday. Snow accumulations of 3 to 6 inches (7.6 to 15.2 centimeters) were expected, with up to a foot (30 centimeters) possible.

Winds gusting to 60 mph (97 kph) were expected to cause whiteout conditions.

Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia, and Golden from Seattle. Associated Press journalists from across the U.S. contributed.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The threat of violent tornadoes in parts of the U.S. proved deadly as well as destructive as whipping winds moved east into the Mississippi Valley and Deep South on Saturday, with at least 16 people killed and scores of homes decimated.The most fatalities as of Saturday morning were in Missouri, authorities said, with 10 people killed. The Missouri State Highway Patrol also reported that multiple people were injured.The deaths included a man who was killed after a tornado ripped apart his home,“It was unrecognizable as a home. Just a debris field," said Coroner Jim Akers of Butler County, describing the scene that confronted rescuers when they arrived. “The floor was upside down. We were walking on walls."Rescuers managed to save a woman in the home, Akers said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Tornado Aftermath Update Information is becoming more accurate as the morning progresses. We currently have reports of 10 storm related fatalities. ▪️ Two fatalities, Ozark County ▪️ One fatality, Butler County ▪️ Six fatalities, Wayne County ▪️ One fatality, Jefferson County… <a href="https://t.co/vINGuYPNXq">pic.twitter.com/vINGuYPNXq</a>&mdash; MSHP General HQ (@MSHPTrooperGHQ) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSHPTrooperGHQ/status/1900912135992987851?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Tornado leads to fatalities in the Bakersfield area. Troop G has been severely impacted by tornados, thunderstorms, and large hail. The Bakersfield area in Ozark County reports multiple injuries and two confirmed fatalities: an adult male and an adult female. <a href="https://t.co/W9Pvdktbc6">pic.twitter.com/W9Pvdktbc6</a>&mdash; MSHP Troop G (@MSHPTrooperG) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSHPTrooperG/status/1900818903955042703?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Severe storms caused significant damage in Rolla, MO. Buildings are destroyed, and power outages continue to affect the community. Stay safe and allow first responders and utility workers to do their critical work. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RollaStrong?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RollaStrong</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StormDamage?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StormDamage</a> <a href="https://t.co/jzwoRHmlwq">pic.twitter.com/jzwoRHmlwq</a>&mdash; MSHP Troop I (@MSHPTrooperI) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSHPTrooperI/status/1900790451927416874?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">In the aftermath of the storms across Missouri, we’re on duty all night. 🚨 Rescue Efforts – We are currently trying to locate &amp; assist those in need. Call 911 or *55 for help. 🚧 Keep Safe – Avoid downed power lines, pay attention to road closures, and check on your… <a href="https://t.co/9mTHTRrsXB">pic.twitter.com/9mTHTRrsXB</a>&mdash; MSHP General HQ (@MSHPTrooperGHQ) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSHPTrooperGHQ/status/1900776010687054024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Troopers are working weather related calls across Troop A. Please remain weather aware and heed any necessary warnings!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MSHP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MSHP</a> 📸Cpl. Fletcher, Ray County MO-210 and Pendleton Road <a href="https://t.co/Sz2YRXr3K0">pic.twitter.com/Sz2YRXr3K0</a>&mdash; MSHP Troop A (@MSHPTrooperA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSHPTrooperA/status/1900659184435167712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Officials in Arkansas said on Saturday morning that three people died in Independence County and 29 others were injured across eight counties as storms passed through the state overnight.On Friday, meanwhile, authorities said three people were killed in car crashes during a dust storm in Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle.The deaths come as a massive storm system moving across the country unleashed winds that triggered deadly dust storms and fanned more than 100 wildfires.Extreme weather conditions — including hurricane-force winds — are forecast to affect an area home to more than 100 million people. Winds gusting up to 80 mph (130 kph) were predicted from the Canadian border to Texas, threatening blizzard conditions in colder northern areas and wildfire risk in warmer, drier areas to the south.Evacuations were ordered in some Oklahoma communities as more than 130 fires were reported across the state. The State Patrol said winds were so strong that they toppled several tractor-trailers.“This is terrible out here,” said Charles Daniel, a truck driver hauling a 48-foot (14.6-meter) trailer along Interstate 40 in western Oklahoma. “There’s a lot of sand and dirt in the air. I’m not pushing it over 55 mph. I’m scared it will blow over if I do.”Experts say it's not unusual to see such&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/severe-weather-storm-system-tornados-warnings-ac27e11b1414d56fd6937af8227bea42">weather extremes in March</a>.“What’s unique about this one is its large size and intensity,” said Bill Bunting of the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma. “And so what that is doing is producing really substantial impacts over a very large area.”<h2>Tornadoes hit amid storm outbreak</h2>The weather service said at least five tornadoes were reported in Missouri on Friday, including one in the Saint Louis area. Several buildings were damaged.The Storm Prediction Center said fast-moving storms could spawn twisters and hail as large as baseballs, but the greatest threat would come from straight-line winds near or exceeding hurricane force, with gusts of 100 mph (160 kph) possible.“Potentially violent” tornadoes were expected Saturday in parts of the central Gulf Coast and Deep South into the Tennessee Valley, according to the National Weather Service.The Storm Prediction Center said parts of Mississippi including Jackson and Hattiesburg and areas of Alabama including Birmingham and Tuscaloosa would be at a high risk. Severe storms and tornadoes were also possible across eastern Louisiana, western Georgia, central Tennessee and the western Florida Panhandle.<h2>Wildfires break out amid dry, gusty conditions</h2>Wildfires in the Southern Plains threatened to spread rapidly amid warm, dry weather and strong winds, and evacuations were ordered Friday for some communities in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and New Mexico.A blaze in Roberts County, Texas, northeast of Amarillo, quickly blew up from less than a square mile (about 2 square kilometers) to an estimated 32.8 square miles (85 square kilometers), the Texas A&amp;M University Forest Service said on X. Crews stopped its advance by Friday evening.About 60 miles (90 kilometers) to the south, another fire grew to about 3.9 square miles (10 square kilometers) before its advance was halted in the afternoon.High winds also knocked out power to more than 300,000 homes and businesses in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana, according the website poweroutage.us.<h2>Blizzard warnings in Northern Plains</h2>The National Weather Service issued blizzard warnings for parts of far western Minnesota and far eastern South Dakota starting early Saturday. Snow accumulations of 3 to 6 inches (7.6 to 15.2 centimeters) were expected, with up to a foot (30 centimeters) possible.Winds gusting to 60 mph (97 kph) were expected to cause whiteout conditions.___Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia, and Golden from Seattle. Associated Press journalists from across the U.S. contributed.

Multiple fatalities after monster storm rolls across the US

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

When Congress pushed ahead last year with adding 10 new daily flights to Washington D.C.’s Reagan National Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration had data showing an unnerving number of near misses in the already-crowded skies — something lawmakers apparently did not know.

The FAA, which manages the nation's airspace and oversees aviation safety, had data on dozens of incidents that experts said documented a safety concern. That data didn't prompt any action before January's&nbsp;<a href="https://between%20an%20airliner%20and%20military%20helicopter%20that%20killed%2067%20people/">deadly midair collision</a>&nbsp;between an American Airlines jetliner and a military helicopter that killed 67 people.

“Why someone was not paying attention to those numbers and those events are questions yet to be answered,” said James Hall, a former National Transportation Safety Board chair during the Clinton administration. “What not to do is to ignore that many incidents."

Data collected by the FAA shows close calls were far more frequent than travelers and outside aviation experts knew at Reagan National, which was built to handle 15 million passengers a year, not the 25 million traveling through it annually.

Now, safety experts and family members who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-helicopter-jet-crash-figure-skaters-079cca60567e6929f4b84a8e9d6c330d">lost loved ones</a>&nbsp;in the Jan. 29 crash are asking why action wasn't taken earlier.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-crash-investigation-american-airlines-helicopter-ntsb-b78bce07efa055aa6f9c04e580ffe24e">NTSB</a>&nbsp;said airplane pilots were alerted to take evasive action to avoid hitting helicopters at least once a month from 2011 through 2024, citing data compiled by the FAA, and that there were 85 near misses when aircraft were within a few hundred feet (meters) of each other during recent years.

“How does that happen in this day and age and somebody doesn’t do something about it?” asked Doug Lane, whose wife, Christine Conrad Lane, and their 16-year-old son, Spencer, died in the crash.

Pilots have long worried about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/american-airlines-5342-blackhawk-reagan-national-airport-81a43f2ba5cc59cbe9273fa593f1e9cf">congested and complex airspace</a>&nbsp;around Reagan National, near the heart of the capital, where flights must maneuver around military aircraft and restricted areas. It was no secret there had been previous close calls, but the numbers found by the NTSB were alarming.

FAA officials have not yet addressed who inside the agency saw the data and whether it prompted discussions about possible changes. Messages seeking comment were not immediately returned Thursday.

Current NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who oversees the FAA, both said they were angry that the number of close calls were not recognized earlier by the FAA.

“If someone was paying attention, someone was on the job, they would have seen this,” Duffy said. He also announced he will move forward with banning some helicopter flights around the airport,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-crash-investigation-american-airlines-helicopter-ntsb-b78bce07efa055aa6f9c04e580ffe24e">a move that was temporarily made</a>&nbsp;after the crash.

Safety advocate Mary Schiavo, a former inspector general of the U.S. Transportation Department, said that while there was plenty of blame to go around for the midair collision, the FAA was shockingly complacent.

“They literally wait for a disaster,” she said. ”I can’t even fathom how the families of those lost in this crash can even deal with this. I mean this would be so maddening to hear.”

In Kansas, some officials also argue the FAA's data should have been readily accessible to the public. State Rep. John Carmichael, from Wichita, where the airliner's flight started, said Thursday that it's not enough for people to get data through Freedom of Information Act requests when that can take months.

“The public absolutely needs to know about statistics like that because we all put our lives in the hands of pilots and air traffic controllers every time we get on a plane,” said Kris Kobach, the state's attorney general. “I’m hopeful that the Trump administration will make this kind of information available to the traveling public.”

Commercial passenger airlines are authorized to make a total of 864 landings and departures from Reagan National from 6 a.m. to midnight each day, or 48 an hour, according to the airport’s website. Of those, 64 have been added by Congress since 2000. Local airport authorities have objected to the increases.

The crowded airspace around Washington drew attention last year when Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/airline-safety-flight-refunds-faa-deadline-b67530d5342c8203490e2a22ba7e2243">debated an aviation safety bill</a>&nbsp;that allowed 10 more flights a day at Reagan National, despite strong objections from Virginia’s Democratic senators, Tim Kaine and Mark Warner.

Squeezing in more flights would only increase the risks, they warned, calling a near miss between two planes on a runway last April a “flashing red warning light.”

While Congress did OK the extra flights, they had not started as of the deadly January collision.

Kaine told reporters Thursday he was troubled by the number of near misses and the lack of action by the FAA. “What were they doing with the information if they weren’t making the changes that needed to be made?” he said.

The FAA limits arrival and departure slots at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ato/service_units/systemops/perf_analysis/slot_administration/slot_administration_schedule_facilitation/level-3-airports">three of the nation’s busiest airports</a>&nbsp;where demand exceeds the airport’s capacity: Reagan National and New York City's LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International airports.

But Congress has a history of directing the FAA to add slots at Reagan, even though Washington’s other international airport, Dulles, has capacity to handle them. Reagan is closer to the capital and most federal departments and therefore more convenient, particularly for lawmakers.

Mike McCormick, coordinator of the Air Traffic Management program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, said the congestion at Reagan National clearly contributed to the midair collision because the American Airlines jetliner, which was on a newly added route from Wichita, Kansas, was diverted to a different runway closer to the helicopter flights.

“In this instance, the sole reason for doing it was because they were too busy,” McCormick said. “This is something that controller has probably done thousands of times.”

The flight from Wichita to Washington began operating in early 2024, the first direct flight from Kansas' largest city to Reagan National. It was not among the 10 added last year, but announced by American Airlines and Kansas Republican Sen. Jerry Moran separate of any congressional action in July 2023. Moran&nbsp;<a href="https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2023/7/sen-moran-announces-new-daily-flight-destination-for-wichita-airport">said it was “vital”</a>&nbsp;to link the nation’s capital with the city, which has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/plane-crash-wichita-kansas-a14e1e2acde7a058afa0b4fd3422313f">a long history</a>&nbsp;as an aircraft manufacturing hub.

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, a Kansas Democrat who serves on an aviation subcommittee, said the cause of the accident and the congestion at Reagan National are for now, “two different conversations.”

“I understand, the desire for us all to be able to connect these dots,” she said. “Right now that is not a connection that has been made by the NTSB.”

Associated Press reporters Michael Casey in Boston; Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas; and Maryclaire Dale in Philadelphia contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738703092495.png" alt="The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District, working with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/USCGMidAtlantic?__cft__[0]=AZVaKqPNSiwSuKRH01L03JB8k_89iOrQZOlRWtfzOBsAJCt3z8QQvEYQa8XpseNu6lXA2LDrRWcHbQW3Fa1vXPGXU-T_5Dh2wbhpnKG7qo382L0qE0fMgmG5jv5Z_FFWJHRL1dX62558wBmmNSH_sOYY5t0GOUldAsRj2QW9WelwbsHdhaP3oE4VMMl2yUaEBbw&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">U.S. Coast Guard Mid-Atlantic</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/USNavy?__cft__[0]=AZVaKqPNSiwSuKRH01L03JB8k_89iOrQZOlRWtfzOBsAJCt3z8QQvEYQa8XpseNu6lXA2LDrRWcHbQW3Fa1vXPGXU-T_5Dh2wbhpnKG7qo382L0qE0fMgmG5jv5Z_FFWJHRL1dX62558wBmmNSH_sOYY5t0GOUldAsRj2QW9WelwbsHdhaP3oE4VMMl2yUaEBbw&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">U.S. Navy</a>&nbsp;Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV), began wreckage removal operations at the site of the Potomac River Aviation Incident near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Phoso U.S. Army Corps of Engineers" />
 <figcaption>The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District, working with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/USCGMidAtlantic?__cft__[0]=AZVaKqPNSiwSuKRH01L03JB8k_89iOrQZOlRWtfzOBsAJCt3z8QQvEYQa8XpseNu6lXA2LDrRWcHbQW3Fa1vXPGXU-T_5Dh2wbhpnKG7qo382L0qE0fMgmG5jv5Z_FFWJHRL1dX62558wBmmNSH_sOYY5t0GOUldAsRj2QW9WelwbsHdhaP3oE4VMMl2yUaEBbw&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">U.S. Coast Guard Mid-Atlantic</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/USNavy?__cft__[0]=AZVaKqPNSiwSuKRH01L03JB8k_89iOrQZOlRWtfzOBsAJCt3z8QQvEYQa8XpseNu6lXA2LDrRWcHbQW3Fa1vXPGXU-T_5Dh2wbhpnKG7qo382L0qE0fMgmG5jv5Z_FFWJHRL1dX62558wBmmNSH_sOYY5t0GOUldAsRj2QW9WelwbsHdhaP3oE4VMMl2yUaEBbw&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">U.S. Navy</a>&nbsp;Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV), began wreckage removal operations at the site of the Potomac River Aviation Incident near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Phoso U.S. Army Corps of Engineers</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JOHN%20HANNA%20and%20JOHN%20SEEWER%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JOHN HANNA and JOHN SEEWER Associated Press</a>When Congress pushed ahead last year with adding 10 new daily flights to Washington D.C.’s Reagan National Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration had data showing an unnerving number of near misses in the already-crowded skies — something lawmakers apparently did not know.The FAA, which manages the nation's airspace and oversees aviation safety, had data on dozens of incidents that experts said documented a safety concern. That data didn't prompt any action before January's&nbsp;<a href="https://between%20an%20airliner%20and%20military%20helicopter%20that%20killed%2067%20people/">deadly midair collision</a>&nbsp;between an American Airlines jetliner and a military helicopter that killed 67 people.“Why someone was not paying attention to those numbers and those events are questions yet to be answered,” said James Hall, a former National Transportation Safety Board chair during the Clinton administration. “What not to do is to ignore that many incidents."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738235840631.png" alt="Departure signs display an "Emergency Alert" in the terminal at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Wednesday night, Jan. 29, 2025, in Arlington, Va. A jet with 60 passengers and four crew members aboard collided with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, prompting a large search-and-rescue operation in the nearby Potomac River. (AP Photo/Jeannie Ohm)" />
 <figcaption>Departure signs display an "Emergency Alert" in the terminal at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Wednesday night, Jan. 29, 2025, in Arlington, Va. A jet with 60 passengers and four crew members aboard collided with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, prompting a large search-and-rescue operation in the nearby Potomac River. (AP Photo/Jeannie Ohm)</figcaption>
 </figure>Data collected by the FAA shows close calls were far more frequent than travelers and outside aviation experts knew at Reagan National, which was built to handle 15 million passengers a year, not the 25 million traveling through it annually.Now, safety experts and family members who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-helicopter-jet-crash-figure-skaters-079cca60567e6929f4b84a8e9d6c330d">lost loved ones</a>&nbsp;in the Jan. 29 crash are asking why action wasn't taken earlier.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-crash-investigation-american-airlines-helicopter-ntsb-b78bce07efa055aa6f9c04e580ffe24e">NTSB</a>&nbsp;said airplane pilots were alerted to take evasive action to avoid hitting helicopters at least once a month from 2011 through 2024, citing data compiled by the FAA, and that there were 85 near misses when aircraft were within a few hundred feet (meters) of each other during recent years.“How does that happen in this day and age and somebody doesn’t do something about it?” asked Doug Lane, whose wife, Christine Conrad Lane, and their 16-year-old son, Spencer, died in the crash.Pilots have long worried about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/american-airlines-5342-blackhawk-reagan-national-airport-81a43f2ba5cc59cbe9273fa593f1e9cf">congested and complex airspace</a>&nbsp;around Reagan National, near the heart of the capital, where flights must maneuver around military aircraft and restricted areas. It was no secret there had been previous close calls, but the numbers found by the NTSB were alarming.FAA officials have not yet addressed who inside the agency saw the data and whether it prompted discussions about possible changes. Messages seeking comment were not immediately returned Thursday.Current NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who oversees the FAA, both said they were angry that the number of close calls were not recognized earlier by the FAA.“If someone was paying attention, someone was on the job, they would have seen this,” Duffy said. He also announced he will move forward with banning some helicopter flights around the airport,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-crash-investigation-american-airlines-helicopter-ntsb-b78bce07efa055aa6f9c04e580ffe24e">a move that was temporarily made</a>&nbsp;after the crash.Safety advocate Mary Schiavo, a former inspector general of the U.S. Transportation Department, said that while there was plenty of blame to go around for the midair collision, the FAA was shockingly complacent.“They literally wait for a disaster,” she said. ”I can’t even fathom how the families of those lost in this crash can even deal with this. I mean this would be so maddening to hear.”In Kansas, some officials also argue the FAA's data should have been readily accessible to the public. State Rep. John Carmichael, from Wichita, where the airliner's flight started, said Thursday that it's not enough for people to get data through Freedom of Information Act requests when that can take months.“The public absolutely needs to know about statistics like that because we all put our lives in the hands of pilots and air traffic controllers every time we get on a plane,” said Kris Kobach, the state's attorney general. “I’m hopeful that the Trump administration will make this kind of information available to the traveling public.”Commercial passenger airlines are authorized to make a total of 864 landings and departures from Reagan National from 6 a.m. to midnight each day, or 48 an hour, according to the airport’s website. Of those, 64 have been added by Congress since 2000. Local airport authorities have objected to the increases.The crowded airspace around Washington drew attention last year when Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/airline-safety-flight-refunds-faa-deadline-b67530d5342c8203490e2a22ba7e2243">debated an aviation safety bill</a>&nbsp;that allowed 10 more flights a day at Reagan National, despite strong objections from Virginia’s Democratic senators, Tim Kaine and Mark Warner.Squeezing in more flights would only increase the risks, they warned, calling a near miss between two planes on a runway last April a “flashing red warning light.”While Congress did OK the extra flights, they had not started as of the deadly January collision.Kaine told reporters Thursday he was troubled by the number of near misses and the lack of action by the FAA. “What were they doing with the information if they weren’t making the changes that needed to be made?” he said.The FAA limits arrival and departure slots at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ato/service_units/systemops/perf_analysis/slot_administration/slot_administration_schedule_facilitation/level-3-airports">three of the nation’s busiest airports</a>&nbsp;where demand exceeds the airport’s capacity: Reagan National and New York City's LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International airports.But Congress has a history of directing the FAA to add slots at Reagan, even though Washington’s other international airport, Dulles, has capacity to handle them. Reagan is closer to the capital and most federal departments and therefore more convenient, particularly for lawmakers.Mike McCormick, coordinator of the Air Traffic Management program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, said the congestion at Reagan National clearly contributed to the midair collision because the American Airlines jetliner, which was on a newly added route from Wichita, Kansas, was diverted to a different runway closer to the helicopter flights.“In this instance, the sole reason for doing it was because they were too busy,” McCormick said. “This is something that controller has probably done thousands of times.”The flight from Wichita to Washington began operating in early 2024, the first direct flight from Kansas' largest city to Reagan National. It was not among the 10 added last year, but announced by American Airlines and Kansas Republican Sen. Jerry Moran separate of any congressional action in July 2023. Moran&nbsp;<a href="https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2023/7/sen-moran-announces-new-daily-flight-destination-for-wichita-airport">said it was “vital”</a>&nbsp;to link the nation’s capital with the city, which has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/plane-crash-wichita-kansas-a14e1e2acde7a058afa0b4fd3422313f">a long history</a>&nbsp;as an aircraft manufacturing hub.U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, a Kansas Democrat who serves on an aviation subcommittee, said the cause of the accident and the congestion at Reagan National are for now, “two different conversations.”“I understand, the desire for us all to be able to connect these dots,” she said. “Right now that is not a connection that has been made by the NTSB.”___Associated Press reporters Michael Casey in Boston; Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas; and Maryclaire Dale in Philadelphia contributed to this report.

Close calls at DC airport raise questions about why changes weren't made before crash

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;pledged to “expose” his enemies during a norm-breaking political speech Friday at the Justice Department in which he aired a litany of grievances about the criminal cases he faced and vowed retribution for what he described as the “lies and abuses that have occurred within these walls.”

The speech was meant to rally support for Trump administration policies on violent crime, drugs and illegal immigration. But it also functioned as a triumphant forum for the president to boast about having&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-federal-court-classified-documents-2020-election-302f87960dbd84d7be5daedaf03328d8">emerged legally and politically unscathed from two federal prosecutions</a>&nbsp;that one year ago had threatened to torpedo his presidential prospects but were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-capitol-riot-justice-department-jack-smith-d6172cf98d8e03e099571c908267456c">dismissed after his election win last fall</a>.

Though other presidents have spoken from the Justice Department's ceremonial Great Hall, Trump’s address amounted to an extraordinary display of partisan politics and personal grievance inside an institution that is meant to be blind to both. Casting himself as the country's “chief law enforcement officer,” a title ordinarily reserved for the attorney general, he promised to target his perceived enemies even as he claimed to be ending what he called the weaponization of the department.

The speech marked the latest manifestation of Trump’s unparalleled takeover of the department and came amid a brazen campaign of retribution already undertaken under his watch, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-special-counsel-trump-046ce32dbad712e72e500c32ecc20f2f">firing of prosecutors who investigated him</a>&nbsp;during the Biden administration and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-justice-department-jan-6-ff003e46ea48c4e8be710d1ba2eb2d02">scrutiny of thousands of FBI agents</a>&nbsp;who investigated the president's supporters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/january-6-cases/">who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.</a>

“Our predecessors turned this Department of Justice into the Department of Injustice. But I stand before you today to declare that those days are over, and they are never going to come back and never coming back," Trump said to cheers from a crowd that included local law enforcement officials, political allies and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kash-patel">FBI Director Kash Patel</a>. “So now, as the chief law enforcement officer in our country, I will insist upon and demand full and complete accountability for the wrongs and abuses that have occurred.”

The visit to the Justice Department, the first by Trump and the first by any president in a decade, brought him into the belly of an institution he has disparaged in searing terms for years but one that he has sought to reshape by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/todd-blanche-trump-lawyer-deputy-attorney-general-5d526fd4c5919bc2e9522e4f7bfbf758">installing loyalists</a>&nbsp;and members of his personal defense team in top leadership positions.

The event was reminiscent of a campaign rally, with upbeat music blaring from loudspeakers before Trump entered the Great Hall. Justice Department and White House officials mingled while members of the crowd posed for selfies. The podium was flanked by large signs that read “Fighting Fentanyl in America.” Also on the stage was a cardboard box that read “DEA evidence.”

Trump's unique status as a onetime criminal defendant indicted by the department he was now addressing hung over the speech as he vented, in profane and personal terms, about investigations as far back as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-politics-russia-48f9d5132d7a4e2d823edad8fc407979">Russian election interference investigation</a>&nbsp;to the more recent inquiries into his efforts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-indictment-classified-documents-miami-8315a5b23c18f27083ed64eef21efff3">hoarding of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate.</a>

He mentioned by name prosecutors who investigated him, calling them “scum," and called the classified documents case against him “bulls—-." He claimed that “a corrupt group of hacks and radicals within the ranks of the American government obliterated the trust and goodwill built up over generations," and said that before the department could turn the page, “we must be honest about the lies and abuses that have occurred within these walls,"

“We will expel the rogue actors and corrupt forces from our government. We will expose, very much expose their egregious crimes and severe misconduct," Trump said in a wide-ranging speech that touched on everything from Russia's war against Ukraine, the 2020 election to the price of eggs.

"It’s going to be legendary. And going to also be legendary for the people that are able to seek it out and bring justice. We will restore the scales of justice in America, and we will ensure that such abuses never happen again in our country.”

His claim that the Justice Department had been weaponized during the Biden administration overlooked that there were investigations during that time into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/classified-documents-biden-hur-special-counsel-122526da6d89d7bf4d6ccfc54590312b">Biden’s mishandling of classified information</a>&nbsp;and into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-gun-trial-federal-charges-delaware-5dd8a9380235c6360a1ddb691ef24a06">the firearms and tax affairs</a>&nbsp;of his son Hunter. And his recounting of the recent investigations into him did not mention that prosecutors had amassed what they said was substantial evidence, including that he had sought to obstruct the classified documents inquiry.

When it comes to setting its agenda, the Justice Department historically takes a cue from the White House but looks to maintain its independence on individual criminal investigations.

He encouraged specific investigations during his first term and tried to engineer the firing of Robert Mueller, the special counsel assigned to investigate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f109a539220b41218860fa68176a9c98">ties between Russia and Trump's 2016 campaign.</a>&nbsp;He also endured difficult relationships with his first two handpicked attorneys general —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bf2d24bc798e42409d5ef66f484361da">Jeff Sessions was fired</a>&nbsp;immediately after the 2018 midterm election, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barr-no-widespread-election-fraud-b1f1488796c9a98c4b1a9061a6c7f49d">William Barr resigned</a>&nbsp;weeks after publicly disputing Trump's bogus claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election.

Arriving for a second term in January fresh off&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/elections/2024/supreme-court-rules-ex-presidents-have-broad-immunity-dimming-chance-of-a-pre-election-trump-trial/">a landmark Supreme Court opinion</a>&nbsp;that reaffirmed a president's unshakable control of the Justice Department, Trump has appeared determined to clear from his path any potential obstacles, including by appointing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-bondi-garland-01edf039f8102271943da4fb85d56fa7">Pam Bondi</a>&nbsp;— a former Florida attorney general who was part of Trump’s defense team at his first impeachment trial — and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/patel-fbi-trump-maralago-january-6-2db2b3a27adb295df30a9ffa72208688">Patel</a>, another close ally, to serve as FBI director.

“We all work for the greatest president in the history of our country,” Bondi said Friday in introducing Trump. “We are so proud to work at the directive of Donald Trump. He will never stop fighting for us and we will never stop fighting for him and for our country.”

Even before Bondi had been confirmed, the Justice Department&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-special-counsel-trump-046ce32dbad712e72e500c32ecc20f2f">fired department employees</a>&nbsp;who served on special counsel Jack Smith's team, which brought the election interference and classified documents cases against Trump. Both cases were dismissed last November in line with longstanding Justice Department policy against indicting sitting presidents.

Senior Justice Department officials also demanded from the FBI&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-justice-department-jan-6-ff003e46ea48c4e8be710d1ba2eb2d02">lists of thousands of employees</a>&nbsp;who worked on investigations into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/january-6-cases/">the Jan 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol</a>, when a mob of Trump's supporters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-confirm-joe-biden-78104aea082995bbd7412a6e6cd13818">stormed the building</a>&nbsp;in an effort to halt the certification of the electoral vote, and fired prosecutors who had participated in the cases. And they've ordered the dismissal of a criminal case&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-city-us-attorney-0395055315864924a3a5cc9a808f76fd">against New York Mayor Eric Adams</a>&nbsp;by saying the charges had handicapped the Democrat’s ability to partner in the Republican administration’s fight against illegal immigration.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;pledged to “expose” his enemies during a norm-breaking political speech Friday at the Justice Department in which he aired a litany of grievances about the criminal cases he faced and vowed retribution for what he described as the “lies and abuses that have occurred within these walls.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;As we begin a proud new chapter in the chronicles of American justice, we&#39;re turning the page on four long years of corruption, weaponization, and surrender to violent criminals. We&#39;re restoring fair, equal, and impartial justice under the constitution rule of law.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/v6PkoGCivS">pic.twitter.com/v6PkoGCivS</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1900634634289021072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: For generations, the federal Department of Justice was one of America&#39;s most revered institutions... This department commanded the respect and admiration of the entire world. With Pam and Kash leading the way, it will soon be the most admired and most respected of all. <a href="https://t.co/SfRMxBFdHN">pic.twitter.com/SfRMxBFdHN</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1900635670843978130?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;Our predecessors turned the Department of Justice into the Department of INJUSTICE,&quot; says <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> at the DOJ. &quot;I stand before you today to declare that those days are OVER — and they are never going to come back.&quot; 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/a3K3FwFB2U">pic.twitter.com/a3K3FwFB2U</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1900636102760738843?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;But first, we must be honest about the lies and abuses that have occurred within these walls. Unfortunately, in recent years, a corrupt group of hacks and radicals within the ranks of the American government obliterated the trust and goodwill built up over generations.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/LB2lobIZcM">pic.twitter.com/LB2lobIZcM</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1900636403945640398?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741999308216.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The speech was meant to rally support for Trump administration policies on violent crime, drugs and illegal immigration. But it also functioned as a triumphant forum for the president to boast about having&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-federal-court-classified-documents-2020-election-302f87960dbd84d7be5daedaf03328d8">emerged legally and politically unscathed from two federal prosecutions</a>&nbsp;that one year ago had threatened to torpedo his presidential prospects but were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-capitol-riot-justice-department-jack-smith-d6172cf98d8e03e099571c908267456c">dismissed after his election win last fall</a>.Though other presidents have spoken from the Justice Department's ceremonial Great Hall, Trump’s address amounted to an extraordinary display of partisan politics and personal grievance inside an institution that is meant to be blind to both. Casting himself as the country's “chief law enforcement officer,” a title ordinarily reserved for the attorney general, he promised to target his perceived enemies even as he claimed to be ending what he called the weaponization of the department.The speech marked the latest manifestation of Trump’s unparalleled takeover of the department and came amid a brazen campaign of retribution already undertaken under his watch, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-special-counsel-trump-046ce32dbad712e72e500c32ecc20f2f">firing of prosecutors who investigated him</a>&nbsp;during the Biden administration and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-justice-department-jan-6-ff003e46ea48c4e8be710d1ba2eb2d02">scrutiny of thousands of FBI agents</a>&nbsp;who investigated the president's supporters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/january-6-cases/">who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.</a>“Our predecessors turned this Department of Justice into the Department of Injustice. But I stand before you today to declare that those days are over, and they are never going to come back and never coming back," Trump said to cheers from a crowd that included local law enforcement officials, political allies and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kash-patel">FBI Director Kash Patel</a>. “So now, as the chief law enforcement officer in our country, I will insist upon and demand full and complete accountability for the wrongs and abuses that have occurred.”The visit to the Justice Department, the first by Trump and the first by any president in a decade, brought him into the belly of an institution he has disparaged in searing terms for years but one that he has sought to reshape by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/todd-blanche-trump-lawyer-deputy-attorney-general-5d526fd4c5919bc2e9522e4f7bfbf758">installing loyalists</a>&nbsp;and members of his personal defense team in top leadership positions.The event was reminiscent of a campaign rally, with upbeat music blaring from loudspeakers before Trump entered the Great Hall. Justice Department and White House officials mingled while members of the crowd posed for selfies. The podium was flanked by large signs that read “Fighting Fentanyl in America.” Also on the stage was a cardboard box that read “DEA evidence.”Trump's unique status as a onetime criminal defendant indicted by the department he was now addressing hung over the speech as he vented, in profane and personal terms, about investigations as far back as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-politics-russia-48f9d5132d7a4e2d823edad8fc407979">Russian election interference investigation</a>&nbsp;to the more recent inquiries into his efforts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-indictment-classified-documents-miami-8315a5b23c18f27083ed64eef21efff3">hoarding of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate.</a>He mentioned by name prosecutors who investigated him, calling them “scum," and called the classified documents case against him “bulls—-." He claimed that “a corrupt group of hacks and radicals within the ranks of the American government obliterated the trust and goodwill built up over generations," and said that before the department could turn the page, “we must be honest about the lies and abuses that have occurred within these walls,"“We will expel the rogue actors and corrupt forces from our government. We will expose, very much expose their egregious crimes and severe misconduct," Trump said in a wide-ranging speech that touched on everything from Russia's war against Ukraine, the 2020 election to the price of eggs."It’s going to be legendary. And going to also be legendary for the people that are able to seek it out and bring justice. We will restore the scales of justice in America, and we will ensure that such abuses never happen again in our country.”His claim that the Justice Department had been weaponized during the Biden administration overlooked that there were investigations during that time into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/classified-documents-biden-hur-special-counsel-122526da6d89d7bf4d6ccfc54590312b">Biden’s mishandling of classified information</a>&nbsp;and into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-gun-trial-federal-charges-delaware-5dd8a9380235c6360a1ddb691ef24a06">the firearms and tax affairs</a>&nbsp;of his son Hunter. And his recounting of the recent investigations into him did not mention that prosecutors had amassed what they said was substantial evidence, including that he had sought to obstruct the classified documents inquiry.When it comes to setting its agenda, the Justice Department historically takes a cue from the White House but looks to maintain its independence on individual criminal investigations.Trump has upended such norms.He encouraged specific investigations during his first term and tried to engineer the firing of Robert Mueller, the special counsel assigned to investigate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f109a539220b41218860fa68176a9c98">ties between Russia and Trump's 2016 campaign.</a>&nbsp;He also endured difficult relationships with his first two handpicked attorneys general —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bf2d24bc798e42409d5ef66f484361da">Jeff Sessions was fired</a>&nbsp;immediately after the 2018 midterm election, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barr-no-widespread-election-fraud-b1f1488796c9a98c4b1a9061a6c7f49d">William Barr resigned</a>&nbsp;weeks after publicly disputing Trump's bogus claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election.Arriving for a second term in January fresh off&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/elections/2024/supreme-court-rules-ex-presidents-have-broad-immunity-dimming-chance-of-a-pre-election-trump-trial/">a landmark Supreme Court opinion</a>&nbsp;that reaffirmed a president's unshakable control of the Justice Department, Trump has appeared determined to clear from his path any potential obstacles, including by appointing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-bondi-garland-01edf039f8102271943da4fb85d56fa7">Pam Bondi</a>&nbsp;— a former Florida attorney general who was part of Trump’s defense team at his first impeachment trial — and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/patel-fbi-trump-maralago-january-6-2db2b3a27adb295df30a9ffa72208688">Patel</a>, another close ally, to serve as FBI director.“We all work for the greatest president in the history of our country,” Bondi said Friday in introducing Trump. “We are so proud to work at the directive of Donald Trump. He will never stop fighting for us and we will never stop fighting for him and for our country.”Even before Bondi had been confirmed, the Justice Department&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-special-counsel-trump-046ce32dbad712e72e500c32ecc20f2f">fired department employees</a>&nbsp;who served on special counsel Jack Smith's team, which brought the election interference and classified documents cases against Trump. Both cases were dismissed last November in line with longstanding Justice Department policy against indicting sitting presidents.Senior Justice Department officials also demanded from the FBI&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-justice-department-jan-6-ff003e46ea48c4e8be710d1ba2eb2d02">lists of thousands of employees</a>&nbsp;who worked on investigations into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/january-6-cases/">the Jan 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol</a>, when a mob of Trump's supporters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-confirm-joe-biden-78104aea082995bbd7412a6e6cd13818">stormed the building</a>&nbsp;in an effort to halt the certification of the electoral vote, and fired prosecutors who had participated in the cases. And they've ordered the dismissal of a criminal case&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-city-us-attorney-0395055315864924a3a5cc9a808f76fd">against New York Mayor Eric Adams</a>&nbsp;by saying the charges had handicapped the Democrat’s ability to partner in the Republican administration’s fight against illegal immigration.___

🎥Trump pledges to 'expose' his enemies in speech at Justice Dept.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 12:30a.m. Saturday in Wyandotte County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a vehicle 1 was northbound on Interstate 635 one mile south of Interstate 70. 

The vehicle struck a pedestrian walking in lane one of the Interstate.&nbsp; The Patrol released no additional details early Saturday. Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 12:30a.m. Saturday in Wyandotte County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a vehicle 1 was northbound on Interstate 635 one mile south of Interstate 70. The vehicle struck a pedestrian walking in lane one of the Interstate.&nbsp; The Patrol released no additional details early Saturday. Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

One dead after pedestrian accident on Kansas highway

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A father in Missouri was sentenced to 13 years in prison on Thursday for shooting and wounding a St. Louis youth football coach over his son’s playing time while 9- and 10-year-olds practiced nearby.

A jury found Daryl Clemmons, 45, guilty last month of assault and armed criminal action in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/youth-football-coach-shot-st-louis-6aa076fc0e6fb659ae0cdc6003984498">October 2023</a>&nbsp;shooting of Shaquille Latimore, a volunteer coach for the City Rec Legends Football League. He was hospitalized in critical condition but survived.

Both men were armed. According to prosecutors, the coach handed his gun to a friend and told Clemmons they should fight with fists. Clemmons rejected that idea and shot Latimore five times. The father fled but turned himself in to police later that evening.

The team was then&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/st-louis-youth-football-coach-shot-629410ce31c5633c3ba06b7459215b35">suspended</a>&nbsp;over what St. Louis officials described as “a series of incidents perpetuated by adults” that culminated in the shooting near a practice field in Sherman Park. Latimore said at the time that he was upset about the decision, calling it “not fair” that the team should suffer.

The defense argued that the shooting was in self defense and filed a motion for a new trial.

St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office said the two men were at odds over the amount of playing time Clemmons’s son had been getting.

“Violence, especially in youth sports, is completely unacceptable and undermines the purpose of these programs — teaching teamwork, discipline, and respect,” said Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore in a news release after the jury returned the guilty verdict.

After the shooting, the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis partnered with the city to offer counseling to the players and others who witnessed the shooting.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697123209562.png" alt="Clemmons-photo St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department" />
 <figcaption>Clemmons-photo St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department</figcaption>
 </figure>ST. LOUIS (AP) — A father in Missouri was sentenced to 13 years in prison on Thursday for shooting and wounding a St. Louis youth football coach over his son’s playing time while 9- and 10-year-olds practiced nearby.A jury found Daryl Clemmons, 45, guilty last month of assault and armed criminal action in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/youth-football-coach-shot-st-louis-6aa076fc0e6fb659ae0cdc6003984498">October 2023</a>&nbsp;shooting of Shaquille Latimore, a volunteer coach for the City Rec Legends Football League. He was hospitalized in critical condition but survived.Both men were armed. According to prosecutors, the coach handed his gun to a friend and told Clemmons they should fight with fists. Clemmons rejected that idea and shot Latimore five times. The father fled but turned himself in to police later that evening.The team was then&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/st-louis-youth-football-coach-shot-629410ce31c5633c3ba06b7459215b35">suspended</a>&nbsp;over what St. Louis officials described as “a series of incidents perpetuated by adults” that culminated in the shooting near a practice field in Sherman Park. Latimore said at the time that he was upset about the decision, calling it “not fair” that the team should suffer.The defense argued that the shooting was in self defense and filed a motion for a new trial.St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office said the two men were at odds over the amount of playing time Clemmons’s son had been getting.“Violence, especially in youth sports, is completely unacceptable and undermines the purpose of these programs — teaching teamwork, discipline, and respect,” said Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore in a news release after the jury returned the guilty verdict.After the shooting, the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis partnered with the city to offer counseling to the players and others who witnessed the shooting.

Prison for shooting youth football coach over son’s playing time

HARPER COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 11:30a.m. Friday in Harper County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2020 Freightliner M2 106&nbsp; driven by Ronald&nbsp;Tracy, 77, Harper, was westbound on Kansas 44 just east of NE 70th Avenue. The truck traveled&nbsp; off the road to the right. The driver overcorrected and rolled into the southbound ditch.

Tracy was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to&nbsp;Prairie Rose Funeral Home. He was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, according to the KHP

HARPER COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 11:30a.m. Friday in Harper County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2020 Freightliner M2 106&nbsp; driven by Ronald&nbsp;Tracy, 77, Harper, was westbound on Kansas 44 just east of NE 70th Avenue. The truck traveled&nbsp; off the road to the right. The driver overcorrected and rolled into the southbound ditch.Tracy was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to&nbsp;Prairie Rose Funeral Home. He was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, according to the KHP

Kansas man dies after truck overturns into ditch

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate passed a six-month spending bill on Friday hours before a government shutdown, overcoming sharp Democratic opposition to the measure and sending it to President Donald Trump to be signed into law.

The vote was 54-46. Both Kansas U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted for the bill.&nbsp; Only one Republican, Senator Rand Paul, voted against the measure.

In a statement from his office Moran wrote,&nbsp; “This continuing resolution will make certain our troops and critical government workers, like air traffic controllers, continue to receive a paycheck and veterans continue to have access to the benefits they have earned.

“As an appropriator, I have long been a supporter of funding the government through regular process, including 12 individual appropriations bills that are debated, amended and passed. Last year, the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced 11 of the 12 Senate appropriations bills, yet Sen. Schumer chose to not bring a single one to the Senate floor for a vote.

“Congress must move on from Biden-era budgets and introduce appropriations bills which adequately fund the Department of Defense to address new and emerging threats, provide the government with the resources necessary to secure the border and put public resources to work in communities across Kansas. Congress has a constitutional obligation to make certain public funds are used in a manner consistent with the principles of public safety, national security and fiscal responsibility. I commit to working with the White House and my colleagues to produce legislation which accomplishes these goals for fiscal year 2026.”

 Democrats voiced frustration that Republicans went ahead with a measure they said included little input from them, and one they viewed as shortchanging key priorities such as health care and housing assistance. But in the end, some of them viewed a shutdown as a worse outcome and supported Democratic leader Chuck Schumer's effort to allow the bill to come to a final vote.

Democrats were confronted with two painful options: allowing passage of a bill they believe gives&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;vast discretion on spending decisions or voting no and letting a funding lapse ensue.

Schumer gave members of his caucus days to vent their frustration about the options before them, but abruptly switched course and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-trump-musk-doge-democrats-1aa4edf64103b0cf49dd26a0487ea9e6">made clear</a>&nbsp;on the eve of voting that he will not allow a government shutdown. His move outraged many in the party who want to fight the Trump agenda, but gave senators room to side with Republicans and allow the continuing resolution, often described as a CR, to advance.

Democrats from all corners looked to pressure senators to kill the bill. House members wrote letters, posted on social media and held press conferences in the hours before the vote.

“The American people sent Democrats to Congress to fight against Republican dysfunction and chaos,” said a letter from 66 House Democrats to Schumer.

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries and his team dashed back to the Capitol urging senators to block the bill and negotiate a true compromise with Republicans.

Some Democrats also argued that Republicans would take the blame for a shutdown, given they controlled all the levers of power in Congress and the White House.

“If you refuse to put forward an offer that includes any Democratic input and you don’t get Democratic votes, that’s on Republicans,” said Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee.

In contrast, Schumer picked up one unexpected nod of support — from Trump himself, who just a day earlier was gearing up to blame Democrats for any shutdown.

“Congratulations to Chuck Schumer for doing the right thing — Took ‘guts’ and courage!” the president posted on his social media account.

Schumer has acknowledged the difficult choice he faced, but insisted Democrats would not allow a government shutdown and warned of the havoc Trump and Musk could bring if federal offices shuttered.

“A shutdown will allow DOGE to shift into overdrive,” Schumer said, referring to the Musk-led&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-government-trump-executive-order-1a2fb7235b9d6f178c764cf6c78d3317">Department of Government Efficiency.</a>&nbsp;“Donald Trump and Elon Musk would be free to destroy vital government services at a much faster rate.”

Congress has been unable to pass the annual appropriations bills designed to fund the government, so they've resorted to passing short-term extensions instead. The legislation before the Senate is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-disaster-aid-debt-limit-trump-5a78b3c8c7aedc9384842fae83d78f5b">the third</a>&nbsp;such continuing resolution for the current fiscal year, now nearly half over.

The legislation would fund the federal government through the end of September. It would trim non-defense spending by about $13 billion from the previous year and increase defense spending by about $6 billion, which are marginal changes when talking about a topline spending level of nearly $1.7 trillion.

The Republican-led House&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-budget-funding-government-shutdown-e027a644af4152377b8cf99f6a91102f">passed</a>&nbsp;the spending bill on Tuesday and then adjourned. The move left senators with a decision to either take it or leave it. And while Democrats have been pushing for a vote on a fourth short-term extension, GOP leadership made clear that option was a non-starter.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and others made the case that any blame for a shutdown would fall squarely on Democrats.

“Democrats need to decide if they're going to support funding legislation that came over from the House, or if they're going to shut down the government,” Thune said.

Progressive groups urged Democratic lawmakers to insist on the 30-day extension and oppose the spending bill, saying business as usual must not continue.

“There’s still time,” said Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico at a House Democratic retreat in Leesburg, Virginia. “So, any of my colleagues in the Senate who are considering voting on cloture, the American people are shouting: Please do not hand the keys over to Elon Musk."

But Schumer said Trump would seize more power during a shutdown, because it would give the administration the ability to deem whole agencies, programs and personnel non-essential,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-trump-elon-musk-johnson-schumer-jeffries-cf75ae3c5f04207980cb96b286e70c09">furloughing staff</a>&nbsp;with no promise they would ever be rehired.

Democrats have been critical of the funding levels in the bill. But they are more worried about the discretion the bill gives the Trump administration on spending decisions. Many Democrats are referring to the measure as a “blank check” for Trump.

Spending bills typically come with specific funding directives for key programs, but hundreds of those directives fall away under the continuing resolution passed by the House. So the administration will have more leeway to decide where the money goes.

For example, a Democratic memo said the bill would allow the administration to steer money away from combating fentanyl and instead use it on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-deportations-border-immigration-bcd2737e6f9b482ec500238c6caa4f35">mass deportation initiatives</a>.

Democrats also object to clawing back $20 billion in special IRS funding, on top of the $20 billion rescission approved the year before through legislation passed by Democrats during Joe Biden's presidency.

The spending bill before the Senate is separate from the GOP effort to extend tax cuts for individuals passed in Trump's first term and to partially pay for them with spending cuts elsewhere in government.

That second package will be developed in the months ahead, but it was clearly part of the political calculus.

“You're looking at a one-two punch, a very bad CR, then a reconciliation bill coming down, which will be the final kick in the teeth for the American people,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said the Democratic arguments for voting against the bill were hypocritical because they were essentially calling for shutting down the government to protect the government.

“Democrats are fighting to withhold the paychecks of air traffic controllers, our troops, federal custodial staff,” Cotton said. “They can't be serious.”

Senators also announced they would be voting on a bill to fix an unexpected provision in the spending measure that hit the District of Columbia. The spending package effectively forced the District to revert to prior year’s budget levels, requiring a cut of some $1.1 billion over the months ahead, even though the district raises most of its own money. Mayor Muriel Bowser objected and residents have been flooding senators’ offices. The Senate bill, which would next go to the House, would reverse that provision and allow the spending at 2025 levels.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741987651863.png" alt="Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (center) during vote counting Friday in the U.S. Senate -image courtesy CSPAN.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (center) during vote counting Friday in the U.S. Senate -image courtesy CSPAN.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate passed a six-month spending bill on Friday hours before a government shutdown, overcoming sharp Democratic opposition to the measure and sending it to President Donald Trump to be signed into law.The vote was 54-46. Both Kansas U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted for the bill.&nbsp; Only one Republican, Senator Rand Paul, voted against the measure.In a statement from his office Moran wrote,&nbsp; “This continuing resolution will make certain our troops and critical government workers, like air traffic controllers, continue to receive a paycheck and veterans continue to have access to the benefits they have earned.“As an appropriator, I have long been a supporter of funding the government through regular process, including 12 individual appropriations bills that are debated, amended and passed. Last year, the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced 11 of the 12 Senate appropriations bills, yet Sen. Schumer chose to not bring a single one to the Senate floor for a vote.“Congress must move on from Biden-era budgets and introduce appropriations bills which adequately fund the Department of Defense to address new and emerging threats, provide the government with the resources necessary to secure the border and put public resources to work in communities across Kansas. Congress has a constitutional obligation to make certain public funds are used in a manner consistent with the principles of public safety, national security and fiscal responsibility. I commit to working with the White House and my colleagues to produce legislation which accomplishes these goals for fiscal year 2026.” Democrats voiced frustration that Republicans went ahead with a measure they said included little input from them, and one they viewed as shortchanging key priorities such as health care and housing assistance. But in the end, some of them viewed a shutdown as a worse outcome and supported Democratic leader Chuck Schumer's effort to allow the bill to come to a final vote.Democrats were confronted with two painful options: allowing passage of a bill they believe gives&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;vast discretion on spending decisions or voting no and letting a funding lapse ensue.Schumer gave members of his caucus days to vent their frustration about the options before them, but abruptly switched course and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-trump-musk-doge-democrats-1aa4edf64103b0cf49dd26a0487ea9e6">made clear</a>&nbsp;on the eve of voting that he will not allow a government shutdown. His move outraged many in the party who want to fight the Trump agenda, but gave senators room to side with Republicans and allow the continuing resolution, often described as a CR, to advance.Democrats from all corners looked to pressure senators to kill the bill. House members wrote letters, posted on social media and held press conferences in the hours before the vote.“The American people sent Democrats to Congress to fight against Republican dysfunction and chaos,” said a letter from 66 House Democrats to Schumer.House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries and his team dashed back to the Capitol urging senators to block the bill and negotiate a true compromise with Republicans.Some Democrats also argued that Republicans would take the blame for a shutdown, given they controlled all the levers of power in Congress and the White House.“If you refuse to put forward an offer that includes any Democratic input and you don’t get Democratic votes, that’s on Republicans,” said Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee.In contrast, Schumer picked up one unexpected nod of support — from Trump himself, who just a day earlier was gearing up to blame Democrats for any shutdown.“Congratulations to Chuck Schumer for doing the right thing — Took ‘guts’ and courage!” the president posted on his social media account.Schumer has acknowledged the difficult choice he faced, but insisted Democrats would not allow a government shutdown and warned of the havoc Trump and Musk could bring if federal offices shuttered.“A shutdown will allow DOGE to shift into overdrive,” Schumer said, referring to the Musk-led&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-government-trump-executive-order-1a2fb7235b9d6f178c764cf6c78d3317">Department of Government Efficiency.</a>&nbsp;“Donald Trump and Elon Musk would be free to destroy vital government services at a much faster rate.”Congress has been unable to pass the annual appropriations bills designed to fund the government, so they've resorted to passing short-term extensions instead. The legislation before the Senate is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-disaster-aid-debt-limit-trump-5a78b3c8c7aedc9384842fae83d78f5b">the third</a>&nbsp;such continuing resolution for the current fiscal year, now nearly half over.The legislation would fund the federal government through the end of September. It would trim non-defense spending by about $13 billion from the previous year and increase defense spending by about $6 billion, which are marginal changes when talking about a topline spending level of nearly $1.7 trillion.The Republican-led House&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-budget-funding-government-shutdown-e027a644af4152377b8cf99f6a91102f">passed</a>&nbsp;the spending bill on Tuesday and then adjourned. The move left senators with a decision to either take it or leave it. And while Democrats have been pushing for a vote on a fourth short-term extension, GOP leadership made clear that option was a non-starter.Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and others made the case that any blame for a shutdown would fall squarely on Democrats.“Democrats need to decide if they're going to support funding legislation that came over from the House, or if they're going to shut down the government,” Thune said.Progressive groups urged Democratic lawmakers to insist on the 30-day extension and oppose the spending bill, saying business as usual must not continue.“There’s still time,” said Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico at a House Democratic retreat in Leesburg, Virginia. “So, any of my colleagues in the Senate who are considering voting on cloture, the American people are shouting: Please do not hand the keys over to Elon Musk."But Schumer said Trump would seize more power during a shutdown, because it would give the administration the ability to deem whole agencies, programs and personnel non-essential,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-trump-elon-musk-johnson-schumer-jeffries-cf75ae3c5f04207980cb96b286e70c09">furloughing staff</a>&nbsp;with no promise they would ever be rehired.Democrats have been critical of the funding levels in the bill. But they are more worried about the discretion the bill gives the Trump administration on spending decisions. Many Democrats are referring to the measure as a “blank check” for Trump.Spending bills typically come with specific funding directives for key programs, but hundreds of those directives fall away under the continuing resolution passed by the House. So the administration will have more leeway to decide where the money goes.For example, a Democratic memo said the bill would allow the administration to steer money away from combating fentanyl and instead use it on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-deportations-border-immigration-bcd2737e6f9b482ec500238c6caa4f35">mass deportation initiatives</a>.Democrats also object to clawing back $20 billion in special IRS funding, on top of the $20 billion rescission approved the year before through legislation passed by Democrats during Joe Biden's presidency.The spending bill before the Senate is separate from the GOP effort to extend tax cuts for individuals passed in Trump's first term and to partially pay for them with spending cuts elsewhere in government.That second package will be developed in the months ahead, but it was clearly part of the political calculus.“You're looking at a one-two punch, a very bad CR, then a reconciliation bill coming down, which will be the final kick in the teeth for the American people,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said the Democratic arguments for voting against the bill were hypocritical because they were essentially calling for shutting down the government to protect the government.“Democrats are fighting to withhold the paychecks of air traffic controllers, our troops, federal custodial staff,” Cotton said. “They can't be serious.”Senators also announced they would be voting on a bill to fix an unexpected provision in the spending measure that hit the District of Columbia. The spending package effectively forced the District to revert to prior year’s budget levels, requiring a cut of some $1.1 billion over the months ahead, even though the district raises most of its own money. Mayor Muriel Bowser objected and residents have been flooding senators’ offices. The Senate bill, which would next go to the House, would reverse that provision and allow the spending at 2025 levels.___