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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Professor Cathleen Kaveny, who teaches in the theology department and law school at Boston College, questioned whether the plaintiffs would prevail with the religious freedom argument, but suggested the Trump administration might be unwise to disregard a traditional view of houses of worship as places of sanctuary for vulnerable people.

“These buildings are different — almost like embassies,” she said. “I think of churches as belonging to an eternal country.”

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

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

Religious groups suing over immigration arrests in houses of worship

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement are investigating a fatal gun fight and have take a teen suspect, identified according to county booking records, as 18-year-old Sergio Clement into custody.&nbsp;

Just before 6p.m. Tuesday, police responded to reports of a shooting in the 1200 block of S. Bleckley in Wichita, according to Police Department spokesperson Brad Wright.

 Officers arrived at the scene and found 23-year-old Manuel Roach with a gunshot wound. The victim was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

Preliminary investigation indicates that a disturbance occurred involving Roach and three unidentified males dressed in all black. Following the incident, the suspects departed the scene in a white SUV before law enforcement arrival. The exact circumstances that led up to the shooting are still under investigation, according to Wright. Police do believe this was a targeted incident between individuals known to each other.

The 18-year-old identified as Clement arrived at a local hospital with a single gunshot wound to his lower extremity. Through the investigation, it was discovered that he was involved in the fatal shooting of Manuel Roach. As a result, Clement was arrested and booked into Sedgwick County Jail on a requested charge of first-degree murder.

This case will be presented to the District Attorney for formal charging consideration.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739445638977.png" alt="Clement photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Clement photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement are investigating a fatal gun fight and have take a teen suspect, identified according to county booking records, as 18-year-old Sergio Clement into custody.&nbsp;Just before 6p.m. Tuesday, police responded to reports of a shooting in the 1200 block of S. Bleckley in Wichita, according to Police Department spokesperson Brad Wright.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739445383361.png" alt="Clement photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Clement photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure> Officers arrived at the scene and found 23-year-old Manuel Roach with a gunshot wound. The victim was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.Preliminary investigation indicates that a disturbance occurred involving Roach and three unidentified males dressed in all black. Following the incident, the suspects departed the scene in a white SUV before law enforcement arrival. The exact circumstances that led up to the shooting are still under investigation, according to Wright. Police do believe this was a targeted incident between individuals known to each other.The 18-year-old identified as Clement arrived at a local hospital with a single gunshot wound to his lower extremity. Through the investigation, it was discovered that he was involved in the fatal shooting of Manuel Roach. As a result, Clement was arrested and booked into Sedgwick County Jail on a requested charge of first-degree murder.This case will be presented to the District Attorney for formal charging consideration.

Teen in deadly Kansas gunfight moved from hospital to jail

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/egg-prices-trader-joes-costco-limits-f3fba67fa563df8a384736eac6ea6367">Egg prices</a>&nbsp;hit a record high as the U.S. contends with an ongoing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bird-flu">bird flu outbreak</a>, but consumers didn't need government figures released Wednesday to tell them eggs are terribly expensive and hard to find at times.

The latest monthly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-federal-reserve-48e77a855078b37bf3ccd58c9db94c82">consumer price index</a>&nbsp;showed that the average price of a dozen Grade A eggs in U.S. cities reached $4.95 in January, eclipsing the previous record of $4.82 set two years earlier and more than double the low of $2.04 that was recorded in August 2023.

The spike in egg prices was the biggest since the nation's last bird flu outbreak in 2015 and accounted for roughly two-thirds of the total increase in food costs last month, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Of course, that is only the nationwide average. A carton of eggs can cost $10 or more in some places. And specialized varieties, such as organic and cage-free eggs, are even more expensive.

“We do use eggs a little less often now. You know, because of the price,” said Jon Florey as he surveyed his options in the egg case at Encinal Market in Alameda, California. “I was going to make a quiche that I like to make and it’s about six eggs, so I figured I’d do something else.”

Relief is not expected any time soon. Egg prices typically&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/egg-prices-easter-bird-flu-inflation-6dc55b6e889a66c427ad24573dd68869">spike around Easter</a>&nbsp;due to high holiday demand. And the U.S. Department of Agriculture predicted last month that egg prices were likely to go up 20% this year.

Even if shoppers can afford eggs, they may have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eggs-stolen-pennsylvania-100000-c1c260ca05b9f84612c61071cb504939">difficulty finding them</a>&nbsp;at times. Some grocers are having trouble keeping their shelves stocked, and customers are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eggs-stolen-pennsylvania-100000-c1c260ca05b9f84612c61071cb504939">encountering surcharges</a>&nbsp;and limits on how many cartons they can buy at a time.

Encinal Market owner Joe Trimble said he has a hard time getting all the eggs he orders from his suppliers, so most of the time his shelves are only about 25% full.

“It’s something you don’t think about until you look at the shelf and it’s nearly empty," Trimble said. Eggs are “just expected to be there in the same way you expect there to be milk. It’s a key item to have in a grocery store because people don’t go out looking for something else to eat on a Saturday morning. They want it. They want to have some scrambled eggs or over-easy eggs on a Saturday morning.”

The main reason that eggs are more expensive is the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-nevada-strain-06ca2696a3477b7534cc4d6b3a5edfa8">bird flu outbreak</a>. When the virus is found on a farm, the entire flock is killed to limit the spread of disease. Because massive egg farms may have millions of birds, just one outbreak may put a dent in the egg supply. Nearly 158 million birds have been slaughtered overall since the outbreak began.

The Agriculture Department says more than 23 million birds were slaughtered last month and more than 18 million were killed in December to limit the spread of the bird flu virus. Those numbers include turkeys and chickens raised for meat, but the vast majority of them were egg-laying chickens.

And when there is an outbreak on a farm, it often takes several months to dispose of the carcasses, sanitize the barns and raise new birds until they are old enough to start producing eggs, so the effects linger.

Bird flu cases often spike in the spring and fall when wild birds are migrating because they are the main source of the virus, but cases can pop up any time of year. The virus has also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-usda-iowa-research-8506a7cd0ab1e58cf776aba67b0f97f8">spread to cattle</a>&nbsp;and other species, and dozens of people — mostly farmworkers taking care of ill animals — have been sickened.

But health officials say the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-death-louisiana-82e4d00876e62cb2b13bb621826c84f9">threat to human health</a>&nbsp;remains low and eggs and poultry are safe to eat because sick animals aren't allowed into the food supply. Plus, properly cooking meat and eggs to at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit kills any virus, and pasteurization neutralizes bird flu in milk.

Egg farmers also face higher feed, fuel and labor costs these days because of inflation. Plus, farmers are investing more in biosecurity measures to try to protect their birds.

Ten states have passed laws allowing the sale of eggs only from cage-free environments. The supply of those eggs is tighter and focused in certain regions, so the effect on prices can be magnified when outbreaks hit cage-free egg farms.

Many of the egg farms with recent outbreaks were cage-free farms in California. Cage-free egg laws have already gone into effect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-h5n1-spread-people-e5edab844b409b8ba21feaecb10156d0">in California</a>, Massachusetts, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Michigan.

Total demand for eggs is also up significantly in recent years. Consumers are buying more eggs, and the growth of all-day breakfast restaurants is adding to demand.

CoBank analyst Brian Earnest said the current cost of eggs could discourage some buying, which would ease the demand pressure but might not have a noticeable effect. It will likely take months for egg producers to fill the gaps in supply.

“As consumers continue to stock up on eggs, supplies at the store level will remain tight, and with Easter right around the corner, that could prolong the tighter supplies,” Earnest said.

While prices remain elevated, producers of baked goods and other food items that rely on eggs as a main ingredient will have to decide how much to increase prices or reduce production, he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739399659085.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/egg-prices-trader-joes-costco-limits-f3fba67fa563df8a384736eac6ea6367">Egg prices</a>&nbsp;hit a record high as the U.S. contends with an ongoing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bird-flu">bird flu outbreak</a>, but consumers didn't need government figures released Wednesday to tell them eggs are terribly expensive and hard to find at times.The latest monthly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-federal-reserve-48e77a855078b37bf3ccd58c9db94c82">consumer price index</a>&nbsp;showed that the average price of a dozen Grade A eggs in U.S. cities reached $4.95 in January, eclipsing the previous record of $4.82 set two years earlier and more than double the low of $2.04 that was recorded in August 2023.The spike in egg prices was the biggest since the nation's last bird flu outbreak in 2015 and accounted for roughly two-thirds of the total increase in food costs last month, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.Of course, that is only the nationwide average. A carton of eggs can cost $10 or more in some places. And specialized varieties, such as organic and cage-free eggs, are even more expensive.“We do use eggs a little less often now. You know, because of the price,” said Jon Florey as he surveyed his options in the egg case at Encinal Market in Alameda, California. “I was going to make a quiche that I like to make and it’s about six eggs, so I figured I’d do something else.”<h2>When are egg prices expected to go down?</h2>Relief is not expected any time soon. Egg prices typically&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/egg-prices-easter-bird-flu-inflation-6dc55b6e889a66c427ad24573dd68869">spike around Easter</a>&nbsp;due to high holiday demand. And the U.S. Department of Agriculture predicted last month that egg prices were likely to go up 20% this year.Even if shoppers can afford eggs, they may have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eggs-stolen-pennsylvania-100000-c1c260ca05b9f84612c61071cb504939">difficulty finding them</a>&nbsp;at times. Some grocers are having trouble keeping their shelves stocked, and customers are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eggs-stolen-pennsylvania-100000-c1c260ca05b9f84612c61071cb504939">encountering surcharges</a>&nbsp;and limits on how many cartons they can buy at a time.Encinal Market owner Joe Trimble said he has a hard time getting all the eggs he orders from his suppliers, so most of the time his shelves are only about 25% full.“It’s something you don’t think about until you look at the shelf and it’s nearly empty," Trimble said. Eggs are “just expected to be there in the same way you expect there to be milk. It’s a key item to have in a grocery store because people don’t go out looking for something else to eat on a Saturday morning. They want it. They want to have some scrambled eggs or over-easy eggs on a Saturday morning.”<h2>How bad is the bird flu outbreak?</h2>The main reason that eggs are more expensive is the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-nevada-strain-06ca2696a3477b7534cc4d6b3a5edfa8">bird flu outbreak</a>. When the virus is found on a farm, the entire flock is killed to limit the spread of disease. Because massive egg farms may have millions of birds, just one outbreak may put a dent in the egg supply. Nearly 158 million birds have been slaughtered overall since the outbreak began.The Agriculture Department says more than 23 million birds were slaughtered last month and more than 18 million were killed in December to limit the spread of the bird flu virus. Those numbers include turkeys and chickens raised for meat, but the vast majority of them were egg-laying chickens.And when there is an outbreak on a farm, it often takes several months to dispose of the carcasses, sanitize the barns and raise new birds until they are old enough to start producing eggs, so the effects linger.Bird flu cases often spike in the spring and fall when wild birds are migrating because they are the main source of the virus, but cases can pop up any time of year. The virus has also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-usda-iowa-research-8506a7cd0ab1e58cf776aba67b0f97f8">spread to cattle</a>&nbsp;and other species, and dozens of people — mostly farmworkers taking care of ill animals — have been sickened.But health officials say the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-death-louisiana-82e4d00876e62cb2b13bb621826c84f9">threat to human health</a>&nbsp;remains low and eggs and poultry are safe to eat because sick animals aren't allowed into the food supply. Plus, properly cooking meat and eggs to at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit kills any virus, and pasteurization neutralizes bird flu in milk.<h2>What else is driving egg prices up?</h2>Egg farmers also face higher feed, fuel and labor costs these days because of inflation. Plus, farmers are investing more in biosecurity measures to try to protect their birds.Ten states have passed laws allowing the sale of eggs only from cage-free environments. The supply of those eggs is tighter and focused in certain regions, so the effect on prices can be magnified when outbreaks hit cage-free egg farms.Many of the egg farms with recent outbreaks were cage-free farms in California. Cage-free egg laws have already gone into effect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-h5n1-spread-people-e5edab844b409b8ba21feaecb10156d0">in California</a>, Massachusetts, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Michigan.Total demand for eggs is also up significantly in recent years. Consumers are buying more eggs, and the growth of all-day breakfast restaurants is adding to demand.CoBank analyst Brian Earnest said the current cost of eggs could discourage some buying, which would ease the demand pressure but might not have a noticeable effect. It will likely take months for egg producers to fill the gaps in supply.“As consumers continue to stock up on eggs, supplies at the store level will remain tight, and with Easter right around the corner, that could prolong the tighter supplies,” Earnest said.While prices remain elevated, producers of baked goods and other food items that rely on eggs as a main ingredient will have to decide how much to increase prices or reduce production, he said.___

US eggs prices hit a record high and are likely to keep climbing

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating an officer-involved shooting in Kansas City.

Just after 4p.m. Wednesday,&nbsp;patrol officers responded to the area of 11th and Elmwood in Kansas City on a suspicious activity call regarding an individual possibly involved in an armed carjacking, according to KCPD&nbsp; Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

At 9th and Van Brunt officers located the individual. There was an interaction between officers and the subject that led to an exchange of gunfire between the subject and officers.

The subject ran from the scene and entered a vehicle. Officers initiated a vehicle pursuit as the subject fled the area. The pursuit concluded at the Lewis and Clark Viaduct. A subject was taken into custody without incident, pending further investigation.

No injuries were reported, according to DiMartino.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739411840602.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating an officer-involved shooting in Kansas City.Just after 4p.m. Wednesday,&nbsp;patrol officers responded to the area of 11th and Elmwood in Kansas City on a suspicious activity call regarding an individual possibly involved in an armed carjacking, according to KCPD&nbsp; Sergeant Phil DiMartino.At 9th and Van Brunt officers located the individual. There was an interaction between officers and the subject that led to an exchange of gunfire between the subject and officers.The subject ran from the scene and entered a vehicle. Officers initiated a vehicle pursuit as the subject fled the area. The pursuit concluded at the Lewis and Clark Viaduct. A subject was taken into custody without incident, pending further investigation.No injuries were reported, according to DiMartino.

Carjacking suspect fires at Kansas City police

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 7p.m. Wednesday in Wyandotte County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2022 Ford utility truck driven by John Carr, 75, Batavia, Illinois, was traveling from Interstate 635 to eastbound Interstate 70. 

The truck traveled off the the roadway to the left, traveled through the gore area, continued in the ditch, vaulted and landed front first on the right ditch of Interstate 635 Southbound and rolled onto its top on Interstate 635 Southbound.

EMS transported the driver and a passenger Judy Carr, 74, Batavia, Illinois, to KU Medical Center where he died. Both were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 7p.m. Wednesday in Wyandotte County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2022 Ford utility truck driven by John Carr, 75, Batavia, Illinois, was traveling from Interstate 635 to eastbound Interstate 70. The truck traveled off the the roadway to the left, traveled through the gore area, continued in the ditch, vaulted and landed front first on the right ditch of Interstate 635 Southbound and rolled onto its top on Interstate 635 Southbound.EMS transported the driver and a passenger Judy Carr, 74, Batavia, Illinois, to KU Medical Center where he died. Both were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Man dies after violent rollover crash on Kansas highway

IRAQ—&nbsp;Iraqi Security Forces enabled by U.S. forces, conducted precision airstrikes in the vicinity of Kirkuk, Iraq, killing two ISIS operatives on Monday, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.

An initial post-strike clearance found the dead ISIS operatives, an explosive suicide belt, explosive material, and components of weapons destroyed in the strike.

"The Iraqi Security Forces-led operation is part of the ongoing Defeat-ISIS campaign to disrupt and degrade ISIS' capabilities, dismantle their attack networks, and ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS. Coalition Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve (CTF-OIR) enabled ISF during the operation by providing technical support and intelligence."

IRAQ—&nbsp;Iraqi Security Forces enabled by U.S. forces, conducted precision airstrikes in the vicinity of Kirkuk, Iraq, killing two ISIS operatives on Monday, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.An initial post-strike clearance found the dead ISIS operatives, an explosive suicide belt, explosive material, and components of weapons destroyed in the strike."The Iraqi Security Forces-led operation is part of the ongoing Defeat-ISIS campaign to disrupt and degrade ISIS' capabilities, dismantle their attack networks, and ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS. Coalition Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve (CTF-OIR) enabled ISF during the operation by providing technical support and intelligence."

U.S. forces help with deadly attack on ISIS operatives

KANSAS CITY —The Missouri State Highway Patrol on Wednesday night&nbsp; issued an Amber Alert following an active Amber Alert from Wisconsin.

 Sophia Franklin, 16,&nbsp; was last seen at her residence at 9:00p.m. February 2, according to the Alert.

She is believed to be with Gary F. Day. He was last seen at her residence just before 8a.m. February 3. There is a no contact order for Gary and Sophia. Sophia is 3 months pregnant.

 ﻿ Officials say they believe she is traveling south to Arkansas. ﻿ ﻿ If you see them call police.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739412488707.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —The Missouri State Highway Patrol on Wednesday night&nbsp; issued an Amber Alert following an active Amber Alert from Wisconsin. Sophia Franklin, 16,&nbsp; was last seen at her residence at 9:00p.m. February 2, according to the Alert.She is believed to be with Gary F. Day. He was last seen at her residence just before 8a.m. February 3. There is a no contact order for Gary and Sophia. Sophia is 3 months pregnant. ﻿ Officials say they believe she is traveling south to Arkansas. ﻿ ﻿ If you see them call police.

 Amber Alert: Abducted pregnant teen may be traveling through KC

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday removed a key legal hurdle stalling President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;’s plan to downsize the federal workforce with a deferred resignation program.

The Boston-based judge's order in the challenge filed by a group of labor unions was a significant legal victory for the Republican president after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-constitution-courts-lawsuits-796543ab4a3d5589f47fd66fd9d6bfef">a string of courtroom setbacks</a>.

“This goes to show that lawfare will not ultimately prevail over the will of 77 million Americans who supported President Trump and his priorities,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Another group of unions filed a lawsuit in Washington, D.C. late Wednesday, though its potential impacts were not immediately clear.

It's unclear how many federal workers accepted the offer to quit in return for being paid until Sept. 30, but the White House said there were 65,000 as of Friday.

McLaurine Pinover, a spokesperson for the Office of Personnel Management, said the deferred resignation program was now closed to additional workers. She said it "provides generous benefits so federal workers can plan for their futures.”

American Federation of Government Employees National President Everett Kelley said in a statement that the union's lawyers are assessing the next steps.

“Today’s ruling is a setback in the fight for dignity and fairness for public servants," Kelley said. “But it’s not the end of that fight. Importantly, this decision did not address the underlying lawfulness of the program.”

The union continues to maintain that it's illegal to force American citizens to make a decision, in a few short days, without adequate information, about “whether to uproot their families and leave their careers for what amounts to an unfunded IOU from Elon Musk,” the statement said.

U.S. District Judge George O’Toole Jr. in Boston found that the unions weren’t directly affected, so they didn't have legal standing to challenge the program, commonly described as a buyout. O'Toole was nominated by former President Bill Clinton, a Democrat.

The deferred resignation program has been spearheaded by Elon Musk, who is serving as Trump’s top adviser for reducing federal spending. Under the plan, employees can stop working and get paid until Sept. 30.

Labor unions argued the plan is illegal and asked for O’Toole to keep it on hold and prevent the Office of Personnel Management, or OPM, from soliciting more workers to sign up.

A Justice Department lawyer has called the plan a “humane off ramp” for federal employees who may have structured their lives around working remotely and have been ordered to return to government offices.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday removed a key legal hurdle stalling President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;’s plan to downsize the federal workforce with a deferred resignation program.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738115904337.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Boston-based judge's order in the challenge filed by a group of labor unions was a significant legal victory for the Republican president after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-constitution-courts-lawsuits-796543ab4a3d5589f47fd66fd9d6bfef">a string of courtroom setbacks</a>.“This goes to show that lawfare will not ultimately prevail over the will of 77 million Americans who supported President Trump and his priorities,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.Another group of unions filed a lawsuit in Washington, D.C. late Wednesday, though its potential impacts were not immediately clear.It's unclear how many federal workers accepted the offer to quit in return for being paid until Sept. 30, but the White House said there were 65,000 as of Friday.McLaurine Pinover, a spokesperson for the Office of Personnel Management, said the deferred resignation program was now closed to additional workers. She said it "provides generous benefits so federal workers can plan for their futures.”American Federation of Government Employees National President Everett Kelley said in a statement that the union's lawyers are assessing the next steps.“Today’s ruling is a setback in the fight for dignity and fairness for public servants," Kelley said. “But it’s not the end of that fight. Importantly, this decision did not address the underlying lawfulness of the program.”The union continues to maintain that it's illegal to force American citizens to make a decision, in a few short days, without adequate information, about “whether to uproot their families and leave their careers for what amounts to an unfunded IOU from Elon Musk,” the statement said.U.S. District Judge George O’Toole Jr. in Boston found that the unions weren’t directly affected, so they didn't have legal standing to challenge the program, commonly described as a buyout. O'Toole was nominated by former President Bill Clinton, a Democrat.The deferred resignation program has been spearheaded by Elon Musk, who is serving as Trump’s top adviser for reducing federal spending. Under the plan, employees can stop working and get paid until Sept. 30.Labor unions argued the plan is illegal and asked for O’Toole to keep it on hold and prevent the Office of Personnel Management, or OPM, from soliciting more workers to sign up.A Justice Department lawyer has called the plan a “humane off ramp” for federal employees who may have structured their lives around working remotely and have been ordered to return to government offices.

Judge reinstates Trump’s buyout offer to federal workers

KANSAS CITY – Two Mexican nationals in the Kansas City area have been charged in federal court for their roles in a conspiracy to stage numerous armed robberies so that the purported victims of these crimes, who were immigrants to the United States, could use their status as crime victims to apply for visas, according to the United State's Attorney.

Oscar Gutierrez, 35, of Independence, Mo., and Jose Luis Morales Salgado, 36, of Kansas City, Mo., both of whom are citizens of Mexico, were charged in a criminal complaint filed under seal in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on Thursday, Jan. 30. The federal criminal complaint, which was unsealed and made public following Salgado’s arrest and initial court appearance, charges both men with participating in a conspiracy to fraudulently obtain immigration visas. Gutierrez is already in custody on state charges in a separate case.

The complaint alleges that immigrants contacted Salgado to arrange for themselves to become “victims” of staged robberies so they could submit applications for U-Visas, which are granted to crime victims. These immigrants, who were either illegally present in the United States or in the United States legally through work visas, paid Salgado thousands of dollars to participate. In exchange, Salgado directed them to the location of a planned staged robbery on a particular day and time.

Salgado allegedly recruited individuals to pose as robbers during the staged robberies and provided directions to those individuals. One of the persons Salgado recruited to pose as a robber, says the complaint, was Gutierrez.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, each incident involved immigrants who later told police they had car trouble and pulled over and got out of their vehicle to diagnose the car trouble. Soon after stopping, another vehicle would arrive and park next to, or in front of, the purported victim’s vehicle. The robber, wearing a medical mask over his face and brandishing a firearm, would strike the purported victims in the head or face, take their cash, and typically fire two rounds into the purported victim’s vehicle.

Investigators with the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department initially identified 11 incidents in which the reported robberies followed this pattern. These cases were linked to each other, based in part, on leads generated from the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN utilized ballistic imaging technology to compare cartridge case markings on the expended cartridges from each crime scene.&nbsp; Detectives determined there was likely one firearm used in the commission of all of the robberies. Detectives gathered information from city cameras and license plate readers to identify the vehicles used in the robberies, the affidavit says, which led them to Gutierrez.

Salgado allegedly instructed the immigrants to falsely report to law enforcement officials how the robberies occurred, and advised them how to make these false reports in an effort to bolster their applications for U-Visas.

The Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act strengthens the ability of law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute certain crimes while also protecting victims of crimes who are willing to help law enforcement authorities in the investigation or prosecution of the criminal activity. Foreign nationals are eligible for a U-Visa if they were the victim of qualifying criminal activity, suffered substantial physical or mental abuse as a result of having been a victim of the criminal activity, possessed information about the criminal activity, and were likely to be helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of the crime.

According to the affidavit, a source told investigators the number of purported victims involved in the scheme was well over 100. The complaint specifically cites 11 robberies involving 33 purported victims that occurred as part of the conspiracy between Dec. 29, 2021, and July 13, 2024.&nbsp; Of those 33 immigrants, 18 have submitted U-Visa applications claiming to be victims of violent crimes.

KANSAS CITY – Two Mexican nationals in the Kansas City area have been charged in federal court for their roles in a conspiracy to stage numerous armed robberies so that the purported victims of these crimes, who were immigrants to the United States, could use their status as crime victims to apply for visas, according to the United State's Attorney.Oscar Gutierrez, 35, of Independence, Mo., and Jose Luis Morales Salgado, 36, of Kansas City, Mo., both of whom are citizens of Mexico, were charged in a criminal complaint filed under seal in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on Thursday, Jan. 30. The federal criminal complaint, which was unsealed and made public following Salgado’s arrest and initial court appearance, charges both men with participating in a conspiracy to fraudulently obtain immigration visas. Gutierrez is already in custody on state charges in a separate case.The complaint alleges that immigrants contacted Salgado to arrange for themselves to become “victims” of staged robberies so they could submit applications for U-Visas, which are granted to crime victims. These immigrants, who were either illegally present in the United States or in the United States legally through work visas, paid Salgado thousands of dollars to participate. In exchange, Salgado directed them to the location of a planned staged robbery on a particular day and time.Salgado allegedly recruited individuals to pose as robbers during the staged robberies and provided directions to those individuals. One of the persons Salgado recruited to pose as a robber, says the complaint, was Gutierrez.According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, each incident involved immigrants who later told police they had car trouble and pulled over and got out of their vehicle to diagnose the car trouble. Soon after stopping, another vehicle would arrive and park next to, or in front of, the purported victim’s vehicle. The robber, wearing a medical mask over his face and brandishing a firearm, would strike the purported victims in the head or face, take their cash, and typically fire two rounds into the purported victim’s vehicle.Investigators with the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department initially identified 11 incidents in which the reported robberies followed this pattern. These cases were linked to each other, based in part, on leads generated from the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN utilized ballistic imaging technology to compare cartridge case markings on the expended cartridges from each crime scene.&nbsp; Detectives determined there was likely one firearm used in the commission of all of the robberies. Detectives gathered information from city cameras and license plate readers to identify the vehicles used in the robberies, the affidavit says, which led them to Gutierrez.Salgado allegedly instructed the immigrants to falsely report to law enforcement officials how the robberies occurred, and advised them how to make these false reports in an effort to bolster their applications for U-Visas.The Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act strengthens the ability of law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute certain crimes while also protecting victims of crimes who are willing to help law enforcement authorities in the investigation or prosecution of the criminal activity. Foreign nationals are eligible for a U-Visa if they were the victim of qualifying criminal activity, suffered substantial physical or mental abuse as a result of having been a victim of the criminal activity, possessed information about the criminal activity, and were likely to be helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of the crime.According to the affidavit, a source told investigators the number of purported victims involved in the scheme was well over 100. The complaint specifically cites 11 robberies involving 33 purported victims that occurred as part of the conspiracy between Dec. 29, 2021, and July 13, 2024.&nbsp; Of those 33 immigrants, 18 have submitted U-Visa applications claiming to be victims of violent crimes.

2 immigrants accused of staging crimes in KC to fraudulently obtain visas

JOHNSON COUNTY —Police are investigating the death of two women at a home in Lenexa.

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

Upon entering the home, officers located two women who were deceased. The two women are believed to be related. Police took a man believed to be related to the victims into custody.

The Johnson County Crime Lab is assisting Lenexa detectives with the investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739394165041.png" alt="Photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Police are investigating the death of two women at a home in Lenexa.Just after 5a.m. Wednesday,&nbsp; police responded to a residence in the 15400 block of W. 90th Street in Lenexa to conduct a welfare check after receiving information that individuals inside may have been shot.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739394112183.png" alt="Photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>Upon entering the home, officers located two women who were deceased. The two women are believed to be related. Police took a man believed to be related to the victims into custody.The Johnson County Crime Lab is assisting Lenexa detectives with the investigation.

Homicide: Two women found dead in Kansas home

WASHINGTON —The Philadelphia Eagles spoiled the Kansas City Chiefs bid for a three-peat, winning the Super Bowl on Sunday.&nbsp; Now Kansas elected officials who made friendly wagers with colleagues are paying up.

On Sunday, Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall used his social media account to share his wager.&nbsp; "The bet is on - If the Chiefs win, Senator McCormick of Pennsylvania will bring me a Yuengling beer, and Senator Fetterman&nbsp;will have to wear Chiefs gear. 

If the Eagles win, I’ll bring KC BBQ and wear Eagles gear. "

Wednesday morning, Marshall removed his suit jacket on the Senate floor to show he was wearing an Eagles football jersey.&nbsp; The Junior Senator from Kansas did not indicate what Kansas City BBQ he is going to bring to Washington.&nbsp; Marshall is the first taking action to pay up following the championship game.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739377603921.png" alt="Senator Roger Marshall on the Senate floor Wednesday morning during the vote count&nbsp; to confirm Tulsi Gabbard&nbsp; as director of National Intelligence-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Senator Roger Marshall on the Senate floor Wednesday morning during the vote count&nbsp; to confirm Tulsi Gabbard&nbsp; as director of National Intelligence-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —The Philadelphia Eagles spoiled the Kansas City Chiefs bid for a three-peat, winning the Super Bowl on Sunday.&nbsp; Now Kansas elected officials who made friendly wagers with colleagues are paying up.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Kansas City Chiefs fan Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) loses bet to Pennsylvania Senators -- shows up on Senate floor wearing Philadelphia Eagles jersey ... <a href="https://t.co/b8u8rK72gH">pic.twitter.com/b8u8rK72gH</a>&mdash; Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) <a href="https://twitter.com/HowardMortman/status/1889734003743191543?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>On Sunday, Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall used his social media account to share his wager.&nbsp; "The bet is on - If the Chiefs win, Senator McCormick of Pennsylvania will bring me a Yuengling beer, and Senator Fetterman&nbsp;will have to wear Chiefs gear. 

If the Eagles win, I’ll bring KC BBQ and wear Eagles gear. "<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">A bet is a bet. <a href="https://twitter.com/SenFettermanPA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenFettermanPA</a> <a href="https://t.co/Zexv7lGkPI">pic.twitter.com/Zexv7lGkPI</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1889720550840217915?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Wednesday morning, Marshall removed his suit jacket on the Senate floor to show he was wearing an Eagles football jersey.&nbsp; The Junior Senator from Kansas did not indicate what Kansas City BBQ he is going to bring to Washington.&nbsp; Marshall is the first taking action to pay up following the championship game.

Kan. U.S. Senator lost bet, forced to wear Eagles jersey at work

By MATTHEW LEE, ERIC TUCKER and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump upended three years of U.S. policy toward Ukraine on Wednesday, saying that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to begin negotiations on ending the war following a dramatic prisoner swap.

Trump said in a social media post that he and Putin held a lengthy phone call during which they committed to "work together, very closely" to bring the conflict to an end and would meet in person, including perhaps in each other's countries.

It was unclear how closely Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would be involved. Trump held a phone call with him Wednesday, Ukrainian presidential adviser Dmytro Lytvyn said, characterizing it as a "good conversation."

Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump's special Russia-Ukraine envoy, retired Gen. Keith Kellogg, will all be in Germany later this week for the annual Munich Security Conference, which Zelenskyy will also attend.

However, in a blow to Ukraine's aspirations, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said earlier Wednesday at NATO headquarters in Brussels that NATO membership was not realistic for Ukraine and said that any security guarantees for the country would have to be borne by European countries.

The Biden administration had joined other NATO members since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 in vowing that membership in the alliance was "inevitable."

And Trump's announcement appeared to dismantle the Biden-era mantra that Kyiv would be a full participant in any decisions made. "Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine," Biden and his top national security aides said repeatedly.

Wednesday's Trump-Putin call and resulting policy sea change, followed a prisoner swap that resulted in Russia releasing American schoolteacher Marc Fogel, of Pennsylvania, after more than three years of detention in return for convicted Russian criminal Alexander Vinnik.

"We each talked about the strengths of our respective Nations, and the great benefit that we will someday have in working together," Trump said in a social media post disclosing details about the call. "But first, as we both agreed, we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine.

Trump said they also "agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately" and would be alerting Zelenskyy to their conversation. He appointed Rubio, CIA director John Ratcliffe, national security advisor Michael Waltz, and his special Mideast envoy Steven Witkoff to lead those talks.

White House officials later declined to clarify whether Ukraine would be a party to the U.S. negotiations with Russia although Trump and Zelenskyy did speak by phone, according to the White House and Kyiv.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the conversation between Trump and Putin covered a good deal of ground, including the Middle East and Iran in addition to Ukraine, which was the main focus.

Peskov said that Trump called for a quick cessation of hostilities and a peaceful settlement and that "President Putin, in his turn, emphasized the need to remove the root causes of the conflict and agreed with Trump that a long-term settlement could be achieved through peace talks."

"The Russian president of supported one of the main theses of the U.S. president that the time has come for our two countries to work together," Peskov told reporters. "The Russian president invited the U.S. president to visit Moscow and expressed readiness to host U.S. officials in Russia for issues of mutual interest, naturally including Ukraine, the Ukrainian settlement."

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy sought to put a brave face on what many in Ukraine will see as a major disappointment. In a social media post, he said he had had "a meaningful conversation with" Trump that included discussion of "opportunities to achieve peace" and Kyiv's "readiness to work together at the team level, and Ukraine's technological capabilities—including drones and other advanced industries."

"I am grateful to President Trump," he said.

The White House described the prisoner swap as evidence of a diplomatic thaw that could advance negotiations to end the fighting in Ukraine.

Fogel, an American history teacher who was deemed wrongfully detained by Russia, was arrested in August 2021 for possession of marijuana and was serving a 14-year prison sentence. He had been left out of previous prisoner swaps with Russia that were negotiated by the Biden administration.

Vinnik — the other person involved, according to two U.S. officials — was arrested in 2017 in Greece at the request of the U.S. on cryptocurrency fraud charges and was later extradited to the United States, where he pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to commit money laundering.

He is currently in custody in California awaiting transport to return to Russia, the officials said. The Kremlin confirmed that a Russian citizen was freed in the United States in exchange for Fogel but refused to identify him until he arrives in Russia.

Trump had welcomed Fogel at the White House on Tuesday evening after his return to U.S. soil on Witkoff's personal plane. On Wednesday, Trump declined to say if he spoke with Putin about Fogel and didn't say what the United States had provided in exchange for Fogel's release.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, Trump suggested that Fogel's release could help anchor a peace deal on Ukraine, saying: "We were treated very nicely by Russia, actually. I hope that's the beginning of a relationship where we can end that war."

BRUSSELS (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that NATO membership for Ukraine was unrealistic and in sweeping remarks suggested Kyiv should abandon hopes of winning all its territory back from Russia and instead prepare for a negotiated peace settlement to be backed up by international troops.

Hegseth's strident comments came during the first trip to NATO by a member of the new Trump administration. Allies have been waiting to hear how much continued military and financial support Washington intends to provide to the Ukrainian government.

What they heard was that President Donald Trump is intent on getting Europe to assume most of the financial and military responsibilities for the defense of Ukraine, including a possible peacekeeping force that would not include U.S. troops. Hegseth said the force should not have Article Five protections, which could require the U.S. or the 31 other nations of the NATO alliance to come to the aid of those forces if they end up in contact with Russian forces.

Hegseth's stark message, and his insistence that Russia should keep some territory that Ukraine wants back, is likely to complicate talks later this week between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. Vice President JD Vance and other senior American officials at a major security security conference in Munich.

"The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement," Hegseth said, as Kyiv's backers gathered at NATO headquarters for a meeting to drum up more arms and ammunition for the war, which will soon enter its fourth year.

All 32 allies must agree for a country to join NATO, meaning that every member has a veto.

"Instead, any security guarantee must be backed by capable European and non-European troops," Hegseth said. "To be clear, as part of any security guarantee, there will not be U.S. troops deployed to Ukraine."

Hegseth insisted that NATO should play no role in any future military mission to police the peace in Ukraine and that any peacekeeping troops should not be covered by the part of NATO's founding treaty that obliges all allies to come to the aid of any member under attack.

Article Five has been activated only once, when European allies and Canada used the collective security guarantee to help the United States in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, al-Qaida attacks on New York and Washington.

Hegseth also said Europe "must provide the overwhelming share of future lethal and nonlethal aid to Ukraine." Ukraine currently relies equally on Europe and the U.S. for about 30% each of its defense needs. The rest is produced by Ukraine itself.

Addressing the allies of Ukraine known as the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, he also insisted that Ukraine's Western backers must abandon the "illusionary goal" of returning the country to its pre-2014 borders, before Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula and seized parts of eastern Ukraine.

"Members of this contact group must meet the moment," Hegseth said to the approximately 50 member countries that have provided support to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.

"We hear you," U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey said in response to Hegseth's opening remarks. Both Hegseth and Healey spoke in front of journalists at the top of a closed-door session in Brussels to discuss future aid to Ukraine.

Over nearly three years, those 50 countries have collectively provided Ukraine with more than $126 billion in weapons and military assistance, including more than $66.5 billion from the U.S., which has served as the chair of the group since its creation.

But the meeting this week was convened by the United Kingdom, and no decision has been made on who might chair the next meeting, if one is called.

Hegseth wasn't expected to make any announcement on new weapons for Ukraine.

His trip comes less than two weeks before the third anniversary of Russia's invasion on Feb. 24, 2022. Most U.S. allies fear that Russian President Vladimir Putin won't stop at Ukraine's borders if he wins, and that Europe's biggest land war in decades poses an existential threat to their security.

Trump has promised to end the war quickly. He's complained that it's costing American taxpayers too much money and suggested that Ukraine should pay for U.S. support with access to its rare earth minerals, energy and other resources.

Hegseth in his remarks said that NATO member nations also need to significantly increase defense spending to 5% of their budgets — a high mark that the U.S. does not presently meet either.

"The United States will no longer tolerate an imbalanced relationship which encourages dependence. Rather, our relationship will prioritize empowering Europe to own responsibility for its own security," Hegseth said.

European allies have hiked their military budgets since Putin ordered his troops into Ukraine, and 23 of them are estimated to have reached or exceeded last year's target of spending 2% of gross domestic product, but a third still fall short.

Some U.S. allies worry that a hasty deal might be clinched on terms that aren't favorable to Ukraine.

Before Hegseth spoke, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told The Associated Press that Putin will only negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine if its backers continue to provide enough weapons and ammunition.

"We have to make sure that he has no other option, and that means to force him to the table," Rutte said. "He needs to understand that we will not give up on Ukraine. We have to make sure that we have maximum economic impact on Russia."

Hegseth's remarks come a day after American history teacher Marc Vogel returned safely to the U.S. after three years in a Russian prison. The White House suggested that his release could help to advance negotiations on ending the war.

Trump said another American, someone "very special," would be released Wednesday, though he declined to name the person or say from what country. The president did not say what the United States exchanged for Fogel's release.

Copp reported from Washington. Associated Press Writer Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739386034277.png" alt="President Trump at the White House Tuesday night greeting American teacher&nbsp;Marc Fogel upon his return from being held in Russia- White House image" />
 <figcaption>President Trump at the White House Tuesday night greeting American teacher&nbsp;Marc Fogel upon his return from being held in Russia- White House image</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATTHEW LEE, ERIC TUCKER and ZEKE MILLER Associated PressWASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump upended three years of U.S. policy toward Ukraine on Wednesday, saying that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to begin negotiations on ending the war following a dramatic prisoner swap.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739386721138.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Trump said in a social media post that he and Putin held a lengthy phone call during which they committed to "work together, very closely" to bring the conflict to an end and would meet in person, including perhaps in each other's countries.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I had a long and detailed conversation with President Trump. I appreciate his genuine interest in our shared opportunities and how we can bring about real peace together. We discussed many aspects—diplomatic, military, and economic—and President Trump informed me about what… <a href="https://t.co/flmigxqtbl">pic.twitter.com/flmigxqtbl</a>&mdash; Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1889773900353151436?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>It was unclear how closely Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would be involved. Trump held a phone call with him Wednesday, Ukrainian presidential adviser Dmytro Lytvyn said, characterizing it as a "good conversation."Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump's special Russia-Ukraine envoy, retired Gen. Keith Kellogg, will all be in Germany later this week for the annual Munich Security Conference, which Zelenskyy will also attend.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDef</a> Hegseth: Returning to Ukraine&#39;s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective. Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering...The U.S. does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement. <a href="https://t.co/fSU352rMny">pic.twitter.com/fSU352rMny</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1889699670164672603?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>However, in a blow to Ukraine's aspirations, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said earlier Wednesday at NATO headquarters in Brussels that NATO membership was not realistic for Ukraine and said that any security guarantees for the country would have to be borne by European countries.The Biden administration had joined other NATO members since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 in vowing that membership in the alliance was "inevitable."And Trump's announcement appeared to dismantle the Biden-era mantra that Kyiv would be a full participant in any decisions made. "Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine," Biden and his top national security aides said repeatedly.Wednesday's Trump-Putin call and resulting policy sea change, followed a prisoner swap that resulted in Russia releasing American schoolteacher Marc Fogel, of Pennsylvania, after more than three years of detention in return for convicted Russian criminal Alexander Vinnik."We each talked about the strengths of our respective Nations, and the great benefit that we will someday have in working together," Trump said in a social media post disclosing details about the call. "But first, as we both agreed, we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine.Trump said they also "agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately" and would be alerting Zelenskyy to their conversation. He appointed Rubio, CIA director John Ratcliffe, national security advisor Michael Waltz, and his special Mideast envoy Steven Witkoff to lead those talks.White House officials later declined to clarify whether Ukraine would be a party to the U.S. negotiations with Russia although Trump and Zelenskyy did speak by phone, according to the White House and Kyiv.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the conversation between Trump and Putin covered a good deal of ground, including the Middle East and Iran in addition to Ukraine, which was the main focus.Peskov said that Trump called for a quick cessation of hostilities and a peaceful settlement and that "President Putin, in his turn, emphasized the need to remove the root causes of the conflict and agreed with Trump that a long-term settlement could be achieved through peace talks.""The Russian president of supported one of the main theses of the U.S. president that the time has come for our two countries to work together," Peskov told reporters. "The Russian president invited the U.S. president to visit Moscow and expressed readiness to host U.S. officials in Russia for issues of mutual interest, naturally including Ukraine, the Ukrainian settlement."Meanwhile, Zelenskyy sought to put a brave face on what many in Ukraine will see as a major disappointment. In a social media post, he said he had had "a meaningful conversation with" Trump that included discussion of "opportunities to achieve peace" and Kyiv's "readiness to work together at the team level, and Ukraine's technological capabilities—including drones and other advanced industries.""I am grateful to President Trump," he said.The White House described the prisoner swap as evidence of a diplomatic thaw that could advance negotiations to end the fighting in Ukraine.Fogel, an American history teacher who was deemed wrongfully detained by Russia, was arrested in August 2021 for possession of marijuana and was serving a 14-year prison sentence. He had been left out of previous prisoner swaps with Russia that were negotiated by the Biden administration.Vinnik — the other person involved, according to two U.S. officials — was arrested in 2017 in Greece at the request of the U.S. on cryptocurrency fraud charges and was later extradited to the United States, where he pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to commit money laundering.He is currently in custody in California awaiting transport to return to Russia, the officials said. The Kremlin confirmed that a Russian citizen was freed in the United States in exchange for Fogel but refused to identify him until he arrives in Russia.Trump had welcomed Fogel at the White House on Tuesday evening after his return to U.S. soil on Witkoff's personal plane. On Wednesday, Trump declined to say if he spoke with Putin about Fogel and didn't say what the United States had provided in exchange for Fogel's release.Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, Trump suggested that Fogel's release could help anchor a peace deal on Ukraine, saying: "We were treated very nicely by Russia, actually. I hope that's the beginning of a relationship where we can end that war."----------------------BRUSSELS (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that NATO membership for Ukraine was unrealistic and in sweeping remarks suggested Kyiv should abandon hopes of winning all its territory back from Russia and instead prepare for a negotiated peace settlement to be backed up by international troops.Hegseth's strident comments came during the first trip to NATO by a member of the new Trump administration. Allies have been waiting to hear how much continued military and financial support Washington intends to provide to the Ukrainian government.What they heard was that President Donald Trump is intent on getting Europe to assume most of the financial and military responsibilities for the defense of Ukraine, including a possible peacekeeping force that would not include U.S. troops. Hegseth said the force should not have Article Five protections, which could require the U.S. or the 31 other nations of the NATO alliance to come to the aid of those forces if they end up in contact with Russian forces.Hegseth's stark message, and his insistence that Russia should keep some territory that Ukraine wants back, is likely to complicate talks later this week between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. Vice President JD Vance and other senior American officials at a major security security conference in Munich."The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement," Hegseth said, as Kyiv's backers gathered at NATO headquarters for a meeting to drum up more arms and ammunition for the war, which will soon enter its fourth year.All 32 allies must agree for a country to join NATO, meaning that every member has a veto."Instead, any security guarantee must be backed by capable European and non-European troops," Hegseth said. "To be clear, as part of any security guarantee, there will not be U.S. troops deployed to Ukraine."Hegseth insisted that NATO should play no role in any future military mission to police the peace in Ukraine and that any peacekeeping troops should not be covered by the part of NATO's founding treaty that obliges all allies to come to the aid of any member under attack.Article Five has been activated only once, when European allies and Canada used the collective security guarantee to help the United States in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, al-Qaida attacks on New York and Washington.Hegseth also said Europe "must provide the overwhelming share of future lethal and nonlethal aid to Ukraine." Ukraine currently relies equally on Europe and the U.S. for about 30% each of its defense needs. The rest is produced by Ukraine itself.Addressing the allies of Ukraine known as the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, he also insisted that Ukraine's Western backers must abandon the "illusionary goal" of returning the country to its pre-2014 borders, before Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula and seized parts of eastern Ukraine."Members of this contact group must meet the moment," Hegseth said to the approximately 50 member countries that have provided support to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022."We hear you," U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey said in response to Hegseth's opening remarks. Both Hegseth and Healey spoke in front of journalists at the top of a closed-door session in Brussels to discuss future aid to Ukraine.Over nearly three years, those 50 countries have collectively provided Ukraine with more than $126 billion in weapons and military assistance, including more than $66.5 billion from the U.S., which has served as the chair of the group since its creation.But the meeting this week was convened by the United Kingdom, and no decision has been made on who might chair the next meeting, if one is called.Hegseth wasn't expected to make any announcement on new weapons for Ukraine.His trip comes less than two weeks before the third anniversary of Russia's invasion on Feb. 24, 2022. Most U.S. allies fear that Russian President Vladimir Putin won't stop at Ukraine's borders if he wins, and that Europe's biggest land war in decades poses an existential threat to their security.Trump has promised to end the war quickly. He's complained that it's costing American taxpayers too much money and suggested that Ukraine should pay for U.S. support with access to its rare earth minerals, energy and other resources.Hegseth in his remarks said that NATO member nations also need to significantly increase defense spending to 5% of their budgets — a high mark that the U.S. does not presently meet either."The United States will no longer tolerate an imbalanced relationship which encourages dependence. Rather, our relationship will prioritize empowering Europe to own responsibility for its own security," Hegseth said.European allies have hiked their military budgets since Putin ordered his troops into Ukraine, and 23 of them are estimated to have reached or exceeded last year's target of spending 2% of gross domestic product, but a third still fall short.Some U.S. allies worry that a hasty deal might be clinched on terms that aren't favorable to Ukraine.Before Hegseth spoke, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told The Associated Press that Putin will only negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine if its backers continue to provide enough weapons and ammunition."We have to make sure that he has no other option, and that means to force him to the table," Rutte said. "He needs to understand that we will not give up on Ukraine. We have to make sure that we have maximum economic impact on Russia."Hegseth's remarks come a day after American history teacher Marc Vogel returned safely to the U.S. after three years in a Russian prison. The White House suggested that his release could help to advance negotiations on ending the war.Trump said another American, someone "very special," would be released Wednesday, though he declined to name the person or say from what country. The president did not say what the United States exchanged for Fogel's release.___Copp reported from Washington. Associated Press Writer Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed to this report.

🎥Trump reveals details of call with Putin on ending war in Ukraine

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

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man found guilty of killing his wife and her boyfriend in 2023 in Wichita will learn his fate Wednesday.

Charles Crawford, 63, Wichita, will appear before Judge Jeff Goering on Wednesday afternoon, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office.

In December, Crawford pled no contest in the deaths of his 50-year-old wife Vanessa Crawford and her 58-year-old boyfriend Donald Eckert.

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

Sentencing Day: Man killed couple at Kan. home day care

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Wednesday confirmed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gabbard-trump-intelligence-director-senate-confirmation-5750d01104cf650b8ef0853dabb2e5a2">Tulsi Gabbard</a>&nbsp;as President Donald Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dni.gov/">director of national intelligence</a>&nbsp;after Republicans who had initially questioned her experience and judgment fell in line behind her nomination.

Gabbard was an unconventional pick to oversee and coordinate the country's 18 different intelligence agencies, given&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gabbard-trump-intelligence-director-russia-ukraine-syria-20b7a404704efe88aa56a06ce1894f9a">her past comments sympathetic to Russia</a>, a meeting she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gabbard-syria-assad-trump-b7518871e72a5e19c618c5ff52dedfd2">held with now-deposed Syrian President Bashar Assad</a>&nbsp;and her previous support for government leaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-united-states-government-797f390ee28b4bfbb0e1b13cfedf0593">Edward Snowden</a>.

Gabbard, a military veteran and former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii, was confirmed by a 52-48 vote, with Democrats opposed in the sharply divided Senate where Republicans hold a slim majority. The only "no' vote from a Republican came from Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

She will take over the top intelligence post as Trump works to reshape vast portions of the federal government. Intelligence agencies including the CIA have issued voluntary resignation offers to staffers, while cybersecurity experts have raised concerns about Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency gaining access to sensitive government databases containing information about intelligence operations.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created to address intelligence failures exposed by the Sept. 11, 2001. Republicans have increasingly criticized the office, saying it has grown too large and politicized. Trump himself has long viewed the nation’s intelligence services with suspicion.

GOP senators who had expressed concerns about Gabbard’s stance on Snowden, Syria and Russia said they were won over by her promise to refocus on the office’s core missions: coordinating federal intelligence work and serving as the president’s chief intelligence adviser.

“While I continue to have concerns about certain positions she has previously taken, I appreciate her commitment to rein in the outsized scope of the agency,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, adding that Gabbard will bring “independent thinking” to the job.

Democrats noted that Gabbard had no experience working for an intelligence agency and said her past stances on Russia, Syria and Snowden made her a poor choice for the job. They also questioned whether she would stand up to Trump if necessary and could maintain vital intelligence sharing with American allies.

“It is an insult to people who have dedicated their lives and put themselves in harm’s way to have her confirmed into this position,” said Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, a former CIA analyst,, D-Mich., about members of America's intelligence service.

Until GOP support fell into place, it was unclear whether Gabbard’s nomination would succeed. Given the 53-47 split in the Senate, Gabbard needed virtually all Republicans to vote “yes.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739313030999.png" alt="Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran met with Gabbard in December- courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran met with Gabbard in December- courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Wednesday confirmed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gabbard-trump-intelligence-director-senate-confirmation-5750d01104cf650b8ef0853dabb2e5a2">Tulsi Gabbard</a>&nbsp;as President Donald Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dni.gov/">director of national intelligence</a>&nbsp;after Republicans who had initially questioned her experience and judgment fell in line behind her nomination.Gabbard was an unconventional pick to oversee and coordinate the country's 18 different intelligence agencies, given&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gabbard-trump-intelligence-director-russia-ukraine-syria-20b7a404704efe88aa56a06ce1894f9a">her past comments sympathetic to Russia</a>, a meeting she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gabbard-syria-assad-trump-b7518871e72a5e19c618c5ff52dedfd2">held with now-deposed Syrian President Bashar Assad</a>&nbsp;and her previous support for government leaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-united-states-government-797f390ee28b4bfbb0e1b13cfedf0593">Edward Snowden</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🇺🇸 Tulsi Gabbard’s confirmation as Director of National Intelligence highlights President Trump’s commitment to safeguarding America’s security and ensuring intelligence operations remain focused on protecting our nation and the American people. America is BACK! <a href="https://twitter.com/TulsiGabbard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TulsiGabbard</a> <a href="https://t.co/03UyPlExFe">pic.twitter.com/03UyPlExFe</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1889721271912374504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Gabbard, a military veteran and former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii, was confirmed by a 52-48 vote, with Democrats opposed in the sharply divided Senate where Republicans hold a slim majority. The only "no' vote from a Republican came from Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.She will take over the top intelligence post as Trump works to reshape vast portions of the federal government. Intelligence agencies including the CIA have issued voluntary resignation offers to staffers, while cybersecurity experts have raised concerns about Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency gaining access to sensitive government databases containing information about intelligence operations.The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created to address intelligence failures exposed by the Sept. 11, 2001. Republicans have increasingly criticized the office, saying it has grown too large and politicized. Trump himself has long viewed the nation’s intelligence services with suspicion.GOP senators who had expressed concerns about Gabbard’s stance on Snowden, Syria and Russia said they were won over by her promise to refocus on the office’s core missions: coordinating federal intelligence work and serving as the president’s chief intelligence adviser.“While I continue to have concerns about certain positions she has previously taken, I appreciate her commitment to rein in the outsized scope of the agency,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, adding that Gabbard will bring “independent thinking” to the job.Democrats noted that Gabbard had no experience working for an intelligence agency and said her past stances on Russia, Syria and Snowden made her a poor choice for the job. They also questioned whether she would stand up to Trump if necessary and could maintain vital intelligence sharing with American allies.“It is an insult to people who have dedicated their lives and put themselves in harm’s way to have her confirmed into this position,” said Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, a former CIA analyst,, D-Mich., about members of America's intelligence service.Until GOP support fell into place, it was unclear whether Gabbard’s nomination would succeed. Given the 53-47 split in the Senate, Gabbard needed virtually all Republicans to vote “yes.”Trump's “Make America Great Again” base has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-senate-confirmation-ernst-hegseth-dd15a8b031ca8cad2a99237ab99b53a8">pressured senators to support Trump’s nominees</a>, and Elon Musk, the president's ally, took to social media recently to brand Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., as a “deep-state puppet.” Young had raised concerns about Gabbard but announced his support after speaking with Musk. The post was deleted after they spoke, and Musk later called Young an ally.Gabbard is a lieutenant colonel in the National Guard who deployed twice to the Middle East and ran for president in 2020. She has no formal intelligence experience and has never run a government agency or department.Gabbard’s past praise of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-united-states-government-797f390ee28b4bfbb0e1b13cfedf0593">Snowden</a>&nbsp;drew particularly harsh questions during her confirmation hearing. Snowden, a former National Security Agency contractor, fled to Russia after he was charged with revealing classified information about U.S. surveillance programs.Gabbard said that while Snowden disclosed important facts about such programs that she believes are unconstitutional, he violated rules about protecting classified secrets. “Edward Snowden broke the law,” she said.Gabbard's 2017 visit with Assad was another flashpoint. He was recently deposed following a brutal civil war in which he was accused of using chemical weapons.Following her visit, Gabbard faced criticism that she was legitimizing a dictator, and then there were more questions when she said she was skeptical that Assad had used such weapons.Gabbard defended her meeting with Assad, saying she used the opportunity to press the Syrian leader on his human rights record.“I asked him tough questions about his own regime’s actions,” Gabbard said.She also has repeatedly echoed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-covid-science-health-donald-trump-300742272576985618e1d5a30f53bb23">Russian propaganda</a>&nbsp;used to justify the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine. In the past, she opposed a key U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-surveillance-fisa-702-congress-reform-7dc1b506b58ce74de0d7983dfba98909">surveillance program</a>&nbsp;known as Section 702, which allows authorities to collect the communications of suspected terrorists overseas.