KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement investigating a fatal hit and run pedestrian incident that occurred just after 3p.m. Monday in Kansas City have identified the victim as 35-year-old Megan L. Aldridge.

She was walking on the outside shoulder of eastbound Interstate 70 near the exit ramp to Paseo, According to Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

An unknown vehicle struck Aldridge and then&nbsp; left the area without stopping. She was pronounced deceased at the scene.

 This is fatality #11 in KCMO compared to #21 at this time last year, according to Gonzalez. Police have not released the name of the&nbsp; victim or additional details.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to please call police.

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement investigating a fatal hit and run pedestrian incident that occurred just after 3p.m. Monday in Kansas City have identified the victim as 35-year-old Megan L. Aldridge.She was walking on the outside shoulder of eastbound Interstate 70 near the exit ramp to Paseo, According to Officer Alayna Gonzalez.An unknown vehicle struck Aldridge and then&nbsp; left the area without stopping. She was pronounced deceased at the scene. This is fatality #11 in KCMO compared to #21 at this time last year, according to Gonzalez. Police have not released the name of the&nbsp; victim or additional details.Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to please call police.

Police ID woman who died after I-70 hit-and-run

BY&nbsp;MICHELLE CHAPMAN Associated Press

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-airlines-faa-4f8a7b71070de5e93097535f610124c1">Southwest Airlines</a>&nbsp;will begin charging customers a fee to check bags, abandoning a decades-long practice that executives had described last fall as key to differentiating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-airlines-cabin-service-a2766c4de881e1467900b392789457de">the budget carrier</a>&nbsp;from its rivals.

Southwest, which built years of advertising campaigns around its policy of letting passengers check up to two bags for free, said Tuesday that people who haven’t either reached the upper tiers of its Rapid Rewards loyalty program, bought a business class ticket or hold the airline’s credit card will have to pay for checked bags.

The airline did not outline the fee schedule but said the new policy would start with flights booked on May 28.

“We have tremendous opportunity to meet current and future customer needs, attract new customer segments we don’t compete for today, and return to the levels of profitability that both we and our shareholders expect,” CEO Bob Jordan said in a statement.

Less than a year ago, the Dallas-based airline announced it was doing away with another tradition, the open-boarding system it has used for more than 50 years. Southwest expects to begin operating flights with passengers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-changes-seating-boarding-hedge-fund-ba6a97380df6201e9a35335d3202fc8a">in assigned seats</a>&nbsp;next year.

Southwest has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-airlines-lowers-outlook-hedge-fund-a8cfdb619410757b96f108b45565ca1b">struggled recently</a>&nbsp;and is under pressure from activist investors to boost profits and revenue. The airline&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-american-airlines-earnings-elliott-management-947a14e29e80503a459331393954df2b">reached a truce</a>&nbsp;in October with hedge fund Elliott Investment Management to avoid a proxy fight, but Elliott won several seats on the company board.

The airline announced last month that it was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-airlines-layoffs-29a0daf8f8091ae2b0a9c11282138464">eliminating</a>&nbsp;1,750 jobs, or 15% of its corporate workforce, in the first major layoffs in the company’s 53-year history.

The job cuts, which were scheduled to be mostly completed by the end of June, are part of a plan to slash costs and transform the company into a “leaner, faster, and more agile organization,” Jordan said at the time.

Southwest’s stock rose more than 9% Tuesday.

As recently as Southwest’s investor day in late September, airline executives described the bags-fly-free as the most important feature in setting Southwest apart from rivals. All other leading U.S. airlines charge for checked luggage, and Wall Street has long argued that Southwest was leaving money behind.

The airline estimated in September that charging bag fees would bring in about $1.5 billion a year but cost the airline $1.8 billion in lost business from customers who chose to fly Southwest because of its generous baggage allowance.

Southwest said Tuesday that it would continue to offer two free checked bags to Rapid Rewards A-List preferred members and customers traveling on Business Select fares, and one free checked bag to A-List members and other select customers. Passengers with Rapid Rewards credit cards will receive a credit for one checked bag.

People who don’t qualify for those categories will get charged to check bags. The airline said that it also would roll out a new, basic fare on its lowest priced tickets when the change takes effect.

“I would rather have the free checked bags, that’s for sure,” said customer Dorothy Severson, who was awaiting a flight Tuesday at Chicago Midway International Airport. “It’s one of the main reasons I still fly Southwest.”

Southwest is betting that the added bag fees will outweigh the loss of business from travelers who look closely at the costs on top of ticket prices. Rivals on Tuesday saw an opening.

“I think clearly there are some customers who chose them because of that, and now those customers are up for grabs,” said Delta Airlines President Glen Hauenstein, speaking at the J.P. Morgan Industrials Conference.

Yet in the current economic environment, keeping travel affordable may play an outsized roll in staying competitive. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-economy-tariffs-stock-musk-business-8a5f28d9bb16e0b8a924d99ead0907fa">trade war initiated by President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is roiling U.S. markets and dampening the high-flying optimism prevalent last year among businesses and households.

To start the week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/delta-air-lines-guidance-stock-price-695f8f59b78e894841755199b0a30b4e">Delta slashed its quarterly earnings and revenue expectations</a>, saying that a recent decline in consumer and corporate confidence over the economy is weakening domestic demand. Shares of Delta have tumbled 24% this year.

Shares of United have slumped 22%, JetBlue 27% and American Airlines a whopping 32%.

On Tuesday, Southwest cut its own expectations for the quarter. The airline now anticipates revenue per available seat mile will rise between 2% and 4%. That is down sharply from its previous projections of a 5% to 7% increase. The airline said it expects capacity to be down about 2%.

The airline announced last year that along with giving passengers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-assigned-seats-earnings-6869dbe31934c87e049c9e428eae7761">assigned seats</a>, it would charge them extra for with more legroom and offer red-eye flights.

BY&nbsp;MICHELLE CHAPMAN Associated Press<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-airlines-faa-4f8a7b71070de5e93097535f610124c1">Southwest Airlines</a>&nbsp;will begin charging customers a fee to check bags, abandoning a decades-long practice that executives had described last fall as key to differentiating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-airlines-cabin-service-a2766c4de881e1467900b392789457de">the budget carrier</a>&nbsp;from its rivals.Southwest, which built years of advertising campaigns around its policy of letting passengers check up to two bags for free, said Tuesday that people who haven’t either reached the upper tiers of its Rapid Rewards loyalty program, bought a business class ticket or hold the airline’s credit card will have to pay for checked bags.The airline did not outline the fee schedule but said the new policy would start with flights booked on May 28.“We have tremendous opportunity to meet current and future customer needs, attract new customer segments we don’t compete for today, and return to the levels of profitability that both we and our shareholders expect,” CEO Bob Jordan said in a statement.Less than a year ago, the Dallas-based airline announced it was doing away with another tradition, the open-boarding system it has used for more than 50 years. Southwest expects to begin operating flights with passengers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-changes-seating-boarding-hedge-fund-ba6a97380df6201e9a35335d3202fc8a">in assigned seats</a>&nbsp;next year.Southwest has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-airlines-lowers-outlook-hedge-fund-a8cfdb619410757b96f108b45565ca1b">struggled recently</a>&nbsp;and is under pressure from activist investors to boost profits and revenue. The airline&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-american-airlines-earnings-elliott-management-947a14e29e80503a459331393954df2b">reached a truce</a>&nbsp;in October with hedge fund Elliott Investment Management to avoid a proxy fight, but Elliott won several seats on the company board.The airline announced last month that it was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-airlines-layoffs-29a0daf8f8091ae2b0a9c11282138464">eliminating</a>&nbsp;1,750 jobs, or 15% of its corporate workforce, in the first major layoffs in the company’s 53-year history.The job cuts, which were scheduled to be mostly completed by the end of June, are part of a plan to slash costs and transform the company into a “leaner, faster, and more agile organization,” Jordan said at the time.Southwest’s stock rose more than 9% Tuesday.As recently as Southwest’s investor day in late September, airline executives described the bags-fly-free as the most important feature in setting Southwest apart from rivals. All other leading U.S. airlines charge for checked luggage, and Wall Street has long argued that Southwest was leaving money behind.The airline estimated in September that charging bag fees would bring in about $1.5 billion a year but cost the airline $1.8 billion in lost business from customers who chose to fly Southwest because of its generous baggage allowance.Southwest said Tuesday that it would continue to offer two free checked bags to Rapid Rewards A-List preferred members and customers traveling on Business Select fares, and one free checked bag to A-List members and other select customers. Passengers with Rapid Rewards credit cards will receive a credit for one checked bag.People who don’t qualify for those categories will get charged to check bags. The airline said that it also would roll out a new, basic fare on its lowest priced tickets when the change takes effect.“I would rather have the free checked bags, that’s for sure,” said customer Dorothy Severson, who was awaiting a flight Tuesday at Chicago Midway International Airport. “It’s one of the main reasons I still fly Southwest.”Southwest is betting that the added bag fees will outweigh the loss of business from travelers who look closely at the costs on top of ticket prices. Rivals on Tuesday saw an opening.“I think clearly there are some customers who chose them because of that, and now those customers are up for grabs,” said Delta Airlines President Glen Hauenstein, speaking at the J.P. Morgan Industrials Conference.Yet in the current economic environment, keeping travel affordable may play an outsized roll in staying competitive. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-economy-tariffs-stock-musk-business-8a5f28d9bb16e0b8a924d99ead0907fa">trade war initiated by President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is roiling U.S. markets and dampening the high-flying optimism prevalent last year among businesses and households.To start the week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/delta-air-lines-guidance-stock-price-695f8f59b78e894841755199b0a30b4e">Delta slashed its quarterly earnings and revenue expectations</a>, saying that a recent decline in consumer and corporate confidence over the economy is weakening domestic demand. Shares of Delta have tumbled 24% this year.Shares of United have slumped 22%, JetBlue 27% and American Airlines a whopping 32%.On Tuesday, Southwest cut its own expectations for the quarter. The airline now anticipates revenue per available seat mile will rise between 2% and 4%. That is down sharply from its previous projections of a 5% to 7% increase. The airline said it expects capacity to be down about 2%.The airline announced last year that along with giving passengers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-assigned-seats-earnings-6869dbe31934c87e049c9e428eae7761">assigned seats</a>, it would charge them extra for with more legroom and offer red-eye flights.<h2>____</h2>

At Southwest Airlines, checked bags will no longer fly for free

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services still hasn’t indicated how soon it will act on Planned Parenthood’s medication abortion complication plan

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is doubling down on his demand that Planned Parenthood stop performing a type of abortion that its clinics aren’t actually offering patients.&nbsp;

On Monday, Bailey issued a notice of an intent to serve a cease and desist letter to Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which operates clinics in the Kansas City metro and Columbia.

It’s an identical threat to the one Bailey issued earlier this month to Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, which operates clinics in the St. Louis metro, Springfield and Rolla.

Bailey is demanding the clinics not perform medication abortions without an approved complication plan from state health officials.&nbsp;

But clinic leadership has said they have no intention of offering medication abortion without an approved complication plan, which they have submitted for approval to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

The health department has not yet responded with a timeline for approval.

Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, and Margot Riphagen, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, in a written response this week to the attorney general’s office called Bailey’s notice “baseless political posturing” and an attempt at intimidation.

Rather than urging the state health department to respond to the proposed complication plan, Wales and Riphagen wrote, Bailey has instead “threatened to ‘take action’ against (Planned Parenthood) for hypothetical, future medication abortion which you have no reason to believe will occur without such a plan.”

Asked if the attorney general’s office has any reason to believe Planned Parenthood intends to start providing medication abortions without authorization from the state, James Lawson, deputy chief of staff in Bailey’s office, said Planned Parenthood “has a documented history of subverting state law and providing unauthorized services.”

“This cease and desist letter provides a forcing function to ensure basic health and safety standards,” Lawson said.&nbsp;

As of Wednesday, only&nbsp;a handful of procedural abortions have been performed up to 12 weeks gestation, and only at the clinics in Columbia and Kansas City.

Wales previously said Planned Parenthood’s clinics in Kansas City and Columbia are stocked with abortion medication and ready to administer it as soon as the state allows. Leadership at the clinic in St. Louis said they are also ready to begin providing the medication as soon as the state signs off on a complication plan.&nbsp;

Complication plans are “important to ensure the safety of patients because medication abortions will likely be completed at home without a physician present,” Sami Jo Freeman, a spokeswoman with the department, said in an emailed statement in late February.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/2024/03/medication-abortion-accounted-63-all-us-abortions-2023-increase-53-2020" target="_blank">In 2023, nearly two-thirds of abortions in the United States took place using medication</a>&nbsp;as opposed to in-clinic procedures, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights research group.&nbsp;

In states where abortion is legal, medication that induces a miscarriage is available to patients in their first trimester of pregnancy. Patients typically take two doses of medication, the second of which is often taken at home. In recent years, a growing number of women have been ordering abortion medication from online providers in the United States and abroad, including to states where abortion remains illegal.&nbsp;

Bailey is also among a trio of attorneys general who filed litigation asking a judge in Texas to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/22/missouri-mifepristone-lawsuit-andrew-bailey-teen-pregnancy/">order the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to reinstate restrictions on mifepristone,</a>&nbsp;one of two medications prescribed to induce chemical abortions.

According to the FDA,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/questions-and-answers-mifepristone-medical-termination-pregnancy-through-ten-weeks-gestation#:~:text=When%20did%20the%20FDA%20approve,ten%20weeks%20gestation%20in%202016." target="_blank">mifepristone is safe to use if taken as directed.</a>&nbsp;Cramping and bleeding are common side effects of the medication. Those prescribed mifepristone are urged to call their doctor if they experience heavy bleeding, abdominal pain or a fever. The same guidance applies to those who recently underwent procedural abortions, experienced miscarriages or delivered a baby.&nbsp;

Since the medication was approved for use 28 years ago, only 32 deaths have been reported associated with mifepristone, according to the FDA.&nbsp;

Bailey is also expected to appeal the most recent order out of Jackson County which allowed Planned Parenthood to restart procedural abortions.

In an email last month, a spokeswoman for the attorney general said the office intends to appeal the judge’s Feb. 14 order “immediately.” As of Wednesday, the office had not filed an appeal.

“Should the attorney general wish to appeal, there are the correct avenues to go through an appeal,” Riphagen said. “Instead, sending a cease and desist that ignores both the law and the truth leads us to the conclusion that this is politically motivated.”

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey answers questions from reporters about Gov. Mike Kehoe’s executive orders in January (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).

Shortly after Missourians in November narrowly approved Amendment 3, granting the constitutional right to an abortion, Planned Parenthood sued the state in Jackson County arguing dozens of regulations on abortion providers were no longer constitutional.

Several days later, Bailey’s office filed a petition in Cole County seeking to throw out Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit based on a 2010 settlement agreement.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“The terms of the contract were plain: the state will let (Planned Parenthood) operate in partial compliance with the state’s licensure requirements in exchange for (Planned Parenthood’s) promise never to challenge Missouri’s abortion licensure regulations again,” the attorney general’s office wrote in a recent court filing.&nbsp;

About a week after the Jackson County ruling opened the door for procedural abortions in February, Bailey asked a Cole County judge to consider a temporary restraining order against Planned Parenthood that would halt any abortions at the Columbia and Kansas City clinics.

Planned Parenthood maintains that because the 2010 settlement was made with different federal and state constitution laws around abortion in place, the AG’s arguments are no longer relevant.

“The state is attempting to enforce an outdated agreement regarding a regime of laws and regulations that now conflict with the Missouri Constitution,” attorneys for Planned Parenthood wrote in court filings.

Planned Parenthood and the attorney general’s office are again scheduled to meet in court Wednesday morning. The hearing, to take place before Cole County Judge Daniel Green, will address Planned Parenthood’s request that the court dismiss the case or move it to Jackson County. It will also address Bailey’s request for a temporary restraining order.&nbsp;

Wales called Wednesday’s case “entirely about distraction and delay.”&nbsp;

“I don’t think what’s happening in our Amendment 3 litigation is that far removed from the federal chaos …” she said. “There is an element of creating chaos in the courts and having us respond to a million different demands and requests. It’s the same approach, fundamentally.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733518129940.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services still hasn’t indicated how soon it will act on Planned Parenthood’s medication abortion complication plan</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is doubling down on his demand that Planned Parenthood stop performing a type of abortion that its clinics aren’t actually offering patients.&nbsp;On Monday, Bailey issued a notice of an intent to serve a cease and desist letter to Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which operates clinics in the Kansas City metro and Columbia.It’s an identical threat to the one Bailey issued earlier this month to Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, which operates clinics in the St. Louis metro, Springfield and Rolla.Bailey is demanding the clinics not perform medication abortions without an approved complication plan from state health officials.&nbsp;But clinic leadership has said they have no intention of offering medication abortion without an approved complication plan, which they have submitted for approval to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.The health department has not yet responded with a timeline for approval.Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, and Margot Riphagen, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, in a written response this week to the attorney general’s office called Bailey’s notice “baseless political posturing” and an attempt at intimidation.Rather than urging the state health department to respond to the proposed complication plan, Wales and Riphagen wrote, Bailey has instead “threatened to ‘take action’ against (Planned Parenthood) for hypothetical, future medication abortion which you have no reason to believe will occur without such a plan.”Asked if the attorney general’s office has any reason to believe Planned Parenthood intends to start providing medication abortions without authorization from the state, James Lawson, deputy chief of staff in Bailey’s office, said Planned Parenthood “has a documented history of subverting state law and providing unauthorized services.”“This cease and desist letter provides a forcing function to ensure basic health and safety standards,” Lawson said.&nbsp;As of Wednesday, only&nbsp;a handful of procedural abortions have been performed up to 12 weeks gestation, and only at the clinics in Columbia and Kansas City.Wales previously said Planned Parenthood’s clinics in Kansas City and Columbia are stocked with abortion medication and ready to administer it as soon as the state allows. Leadership at the clinic in St. Louis said they are also ready to begin providing the medication as soon as the state signs off on a complication plan.&nbsp;Complication plans are “important to ensure the safety of patients because medication abortions will likely be completed at home without a physician present,” Sami Jo Freeman, a spokeswoman with the department, said in an emailed statement in late February.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/2024/03/medication-abortion-accounted-63-all-us-abortions-2023-increase-53-2020" target="_blank">In 2023, nearly two-thirds of abortions in the United States took place using medication</a>&nbsp;as opposed to in-clinic procedures, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights research group.&nbsp;In states where abortion is legal, medication that induces a miscarriage is available to patients in their first trimester of pregnancy. Patients typically take two doses of medication, the second of which is often taken at home. In recent years, a growing number of women have been ordering abortion medication from online providers in the United States and abroad, including to states where abortion remains illegal.&nbsp;Bailey is also among a trio of attorneys general who filed litigation asking a judge in Texas to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/22/missouri-mifepristone-lawsuit-andrew-bailey-teen-pregnancy/">order the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to reinstate restrictions on mifepristone,</a>&nbsp;one of two medications prescribed to induce chemical abortions.According to the FDA,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/questions-and-answers-mifepristone-medical-termination-pregnancy-through-ten-weeks-gestation#:~:text=When%20did%20the%20FDA%20approve,ten%20weeks%20gestation%20in%202016." target="_blank">mifepristone is safe to use if taken as directed.</a>&nbsp;Cramping and bleeding are common side effects of the medication. Those prescribed mifepristone are urged to call their doctor if they experience heavy bleeding, abdominal pain or a fever. The same guidance applies to those who recently underwent procedural abortions, experienced miscarriages or delivered a baby.&nbsp;Since the medication was approved for use 28 years ago, only 32 deaths have been reported associated with mifepristone, according to the FDA.&nbsp;Bailey is also expected to appeal the most recent order out of Jackson County which allowed Planned Parenthood to restart procedural abortions.In an email last month, a spokeswoman for the attorney general said the office intends to appeal the judge’s Feb. 14 order “immediately.” As of Wednesday, the office had not filed an appeal.“Should the attorney general wish to appeal, there are the correct avenues to go through an appeal,” Riphagen said. “Instead, sending a cease and desist that ignores both the law and the truth leads us to the conclusion that this is politically motivated.”<h2>Court to hear more arguments Wednesday</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741779798916.png" alt=" Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey answers questions from reporters about Gov. Mike Kehoe’s executive orders in January (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey answers questions from reporters about Gov. Mike Kehoe’s executive orders in January (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey answers questions from reporters about Gov. Mike Kehoe’s executive orders in January (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).Shortly after Missourians in November narrowly approved Amendment 3, granting the constitutional right to an abortion, Planned Parenthood sued the state in Jackson County arguing dozens of regulations on abortion providers were no longer constitutional.Several days later, Bailey’s office filed a petition in Cole County seeking to throw out Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit based on a 2010 settlement agreement.&nbsp;&nbsp;“The terms of the contract were plain: the state will let (Planned Parenthood) operate in partial compliance with the state’s licensure requirements in exchange for (Planned Parenthood’s) promise never to challenge Missouri’s abortion licensure regulations again,” the attorney general’s office wrote in a recent court filing.&nbsp;About a week after the Jackson County ruling opened the door for procedural abortions in February, Bailey asked a Cole County judge to consider a temporary restraining order against Planned Parenthood that would halt any abortions at the Columbia and Kansas City clinics.Planned Parenthood maintains that because the 2010 settlement was made with different federal and state constitution laws around abortion in place, the AG’s arguments are no longer relevant.“The state is attempting to enforce an outdated agreement regarding a regime of laws and regulations that now conflict with the Missouri Constitution,” attorneys for Planned Parenthood wrote in court filings.Planned Parenthood and the attorney general’s office are again scheduled to meet in court Wednesday morning. The hearing, to take place before Cole County Judge Daniel Green, will address Planned Parenthood’s request that the court dismiss the case or move it to Jackson County. It will also address Bailey’s request for a temporary restraining order.&nbsp;Wales called Wednesday’s case “entirely about distraction and delay.”&nbsp;“I don’t think what’s happening in our Amendment 3 litigation is that far removed from the federal chaos …” she said. “There is an element of creating chaos in the courts and having us respond to a million different demands and requests. It’s the same approach, fundamentally.”

Missouri AG renews demand Planned Parenthood stop abortion procedure it isn’t offering

TOPEKA —Kansas Governor Laura Kelly issued a statement Wednesday about a “Black Mass” event scheduled for March 28, at the Kansas Statehouse.

The Satanic Grotto announced on social media they organized an event for inside the Capitol building that day.

(The video below is for mature audiences only)

In a statement from office, Governor Kelly wrote, "I have been informed about concerns regarding an event at the Statehouse on March 28, and I share those concerns.&nbsp; There are more constructive ways to protest and express disagreements without insulting or denigrating sacred religious symbols."

"However, as governor, I also have a duty to protect protesters’ constitutional rights to freedom of speech and expression, regardless of how offensive or distasteful I might find the content to be."Since these rights are constitutionally protected, the Governor’s Office has limited authority to respond to such actions."

"That said, it is important to keep the Statehouse open and accessible to the public while ensuring all necessary health and safety regulations are enforced."Therefore, all events planned for March 28 will be moved outdoors to the grounds surrounding the Statehouse. Again, no protests will be allowed inside the Statehouse on March 28."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741797937973.png" alt="Satanic Grotto" />
 <figcaption>Satanic Grotto</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —Kansas Governor Laura Kelly issued a statement Wednesday about a “Black Mass” event scheduled for March 28, at the Kansas Statehouse.The Satanic Grotto announced on social media they organized an event for inside the Capitol building that day.(The video below is for mature audiences only)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FTheSatanicGrotto%2Fvideos%2F1710299846574282%2F&show_text=false&width=267&t=1" width="267" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>In a statement from office, Governor Kelly wrote, "I have been informed about concerns regarding an event at the Statehouse on March 28, and I share those concerns.&nbsp; There are more constructive ways to protest and express disagreements without insulting or denigrating sacred religious symbols.""However, as governor, I also have a duty to protect protesters’ constitutional rights to freedom of speech and expression, regardless of how offensive or distasteful I might find the content to be."Since these rights are constitutionally protected, the Governor’s Office has limited authority to respond to such actions.""That said, it is important to keep the Statehouse open and accessible to the public while ensuring all necessary health and safety regulations are enforced."Therefore, all events planned for March 28 will be moved outdoors to the grounds surrounding the Statehouse. Again, no protests will be allowed inside the Statehouse on March 28."

🎥Governor moves controversial 'Black Mass' outside Kansas Statehouse

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is starting another round of job cuts — this one more than 1,000 — at the nation's weather, ocean and fisheries agency, four people familiar with the matter tell The Associated Press.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Tuesday began plans to lay off 10% of its current workforce, people inside and outside the agency said, with some of them requesting anonymity due to fear of retribution. The numbers were presented to NOAA employees and managers were asked to submit names of positions for layoffs to agency headquarters, which will then go to NOAA’s parent agency, the Department of Commerce, on Wednesday, the people said.

Three former senior NOAA officials — two former political appointees from the Biden administration — who speak regularly with managers at their old agency used the same number for upcoming job cuts: 1,029, 10% of the current 10,290. They talked to multiple people still in NOAA and a current agency worker detailed the cuts that a manager explained to employees.

While most people know about NOAA and its daily weather forecasts, the agency also monitors and warns about hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and tsunamis, manages the country’s fisheries, runs marine sanctuaries, provides navigation information to ships and observes changes in the climate and oceans. The agency also plays a role in warning about avalanches and space weather that could damage the electrical grid. It helps respond to disasters, including oil spills.

The new cuts come after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/noaa-doge-federal-cuts-musk-weather-danger-6f60e7c511989aeff8930ae87c9a5ee8">earlier rounds of Trump administration firings and encouraged retirements</a>&nbsp;at NOAA, plus the elimination of nearly all new employees last month. After this upcoming round of cuts, NOAA will have eliminated about one out of four jobs since President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usaid-trump-foreign-aid-rubio-judge-ali-60ef55de60a36c61eb563b5982298385">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;took office in January.

“This is not government efficiency,” said former NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad. “It is the first steps toward eradication. There is no way to make these kinds of cuts without removing or strongly compromising mission capabilities.”

The cuts are being ordered without specific guidance from the Trump administration on how or where, which makes it even worse, Spinrad said.

NOAA spokeswoman Monica Allen said the agency's policy is not to discuss internal personnel matters, but said NOAA will “continue to provide weather information, forecasts and warnings pursuant to our public safety mission.”

NOAA has already stopped releasing some weather balloons that gather crucial observations for forecasts in two locations — Albany, New York, and Gray, Maine —&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/media/notification/pdf_2025/pns25-11_intermittent_suspension_of_raob_Launches-aly_gyx.pdf">because of lack of staffing</a>, the agency said last week.

This is all happening as severe storm system&nbsp;<a href="https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/exper/day4-8/#">is forecast to move through the central and southern parts</a>&nbsp;of the nation late this week in a multi-day outburst with strong tornadoes, hail and damaging winds expected.

Weather forecasts will worsen and “people are going to start seeing this very quickly,” warned former NOAA chief scientist Craig McLean. It will also limit how much commercial fishermen will be able to catch, he said.

On top of all the job losses, cuts in research grants to universities will also make it harder for the U.S. to keep improving its weather forecasts and better monitor what's happening to the planet, McLean said.

“People are silently watching the United States decline as a technological leader,” McLean said. “America got to the moon, but our weather forecasts won't be the greatest.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671120197112.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is starting another round of job cuts — this one more than 1,000 — at the nation's weather, ocean and fisheries agency, four people familiar with the matter tell The Associated Press.The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Tuesday began plans to lay off 10% of its current workforce, people inside and outside the agency said, with some of them requesting anonymity due to fear of retribution. The numbers were presented to NOAA employees and managers were asked to submit names of positions for layoffs to agency headquarters, which will then go to NOAA’s parent agency, the Department of Commerce, on Wednesday, the people said.Three former senior NOAA officials — two former political appointees from the Biden administration — who speak regularly with managers at their old agency used the same number for upcoming job cuts: 1,029, 10% of the current 10,290. They talked to multiple people still in NOAA and a current agency worker detailed the cuts that a manager explained to employees.While most people know about NOAA and its daily weather forecasts, the agency also monitors and warns about hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and tsunamis, manages the country’s fisheries, runs marine sanctuaries, provides navigation information to ships and observes changes in the climate and oceans. The agency also plays a role in warning about avalanches and space weather that could damage the electrical grid. It helps respond to disasters, including oil spills.The new cuts come after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/noaa-doge-federal-cuts-musk-weather-danger-6f60e7c511989aeff8930ae87c9a5ee8">earlier rounds of Trump administration firings and encouraged retirements</a>&nbsp;at NOAA, plus the elimination of nearly all new employees last month. After this upcoming round of cuts, NOAA will have eliminated about one out of four jobs since President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usaid-trump-foreign-aid-rubio-judge-ali-60ef55de60a36c61eb563b5982298385">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;took office in January.“This is not government efficiency,” said former NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad. “It is the first steps toward eradication. There is no way to make these kinds of cuts without removing or strongly compromising mission capabilities.”The cuts are being ordered without specific guidance from the Trump administration on how or where, which makes it even worse, Spinrad said.NOAA spokeswoman Monica Allen said the agency's policy is not to discuss internal personnel matters, but said NOAA will “continue to provide weather information, forecasts and warnings pursuant to our public safety mission.”NOAA has already stopped releasing some weather balloons that gather crucial observations for forecasts in two locations — Albany, New York, and Gray, Maine —&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/media/notification/pdf_2025/pns25-11_intermittent_suspension_of_raob_Launches-aly_gyx.pdf">because of lack of staffing</a>, the agency said last week.This is all happening as severe storm system&nbsp;<a href="https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/exper/day4-8/#">is forecast to move through the central and southern parts</a>&nbsp;of the nation late this week in a multi-day outburst with strong tornadoes, hail and damaging winds expected.Weather forecasts will worsen and “people are going to start seeing this very quickly,” warned former NOAA chief scientist Craig McLean. It will also limit how much commercial fishermen will be able to catch, he said.On top of all the job losses, cuts in research grants to universities will also make it harder for the U.S. to keep improving its weather forecasts and better monitor what's happening to the planet, McLean said.“People are silently watching the United States decline as a technological leader,” McLean said. “America got to the moon, but our weather forecasts won't be the greatest.”___

US agency that monitors weather will cut more jobs

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement and fire officials are investigating the cause of fatal Kansas house fire.

On Tuesday morning, the Topeka Fire Department received reports of a house fire at 2418 SE Wisconsin Avenue, according to Fire Chief Alan Stahl.

 First arriving units reported a two-story residence fully involved with fire. During a search of the residence, firefighters located a man of the home deceased. The fire was quickly brought under control.

The Topeka Fire Deparment Investigations unit along with members of the Office of the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Investigations unit responded to the scene.&nbsp;&nbsp;The cause of the fire remains under investigation.&nbsp;The total loss associated with the fire is $17,700.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Fire crews also located and rescued a dog&nbsp; from inside of the residence. Two other dogs died. Authorities did not release the name of the man who died

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741793126837.png" alt="Photo by Eric Ives courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Eric Ives courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement and fire officials are investigating the cause of fatal Kansas house fire.On Tuesday morning, the Topeka Fire Department received reports of a house fire at 2418 SE Wisconsin Avenue, according to Fire Chief Alan Stahl. First arriving units reported a two-story residence fully involved with fire. During a search of the residence, firefighters located a man of the home deceased. The fire was quickly brought under control.The Topeka Fire Deparment Investigations unit along with members of the Office of the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Investigations unit responded to the scene.&nbsp;&nbsp;The cause of the fire remains under investigation.&nbsp;The total loss associated with the fire is $17,700.&nbsp;&nbsp;Fire crews also located and rescued a dog&nbsp; from inside of the residence. Two other dogs died. Authorities did not release the name of the man who died

Fire Marshal: Kansas man, dogs found dead after house fire

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-mmr-vaccine-texas-rfk-ff8e744b19ead87698d7217de02814ee">Measles outbreaks</a>&nbsp;in West Texas and New Mexico are now up to more than 250 cases, and two unvaccinated people have died from measles-related causes.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-mmr-outbreak-vaccines-408371700e3ab548777bf0354e586549">Measles</a>&nbsp;is caused by a highly contagious virus that's airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.

Here's what you&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">need to know about measles in the U.S.</a>

How many measles cases are there in Texas and New Mexico?

Texas state health officials said Tuesday there were 25 new cases of measles since the end of last week, bringing Texas' total to 223. Twenty-nine people in Texas are hospitalized.

New Mexico health officials announced three new cases Tuesday, bringing the state’s total to 33. The outbreak has spread from Lea County, which neighbors the West Texas communities at the epicenter of the outbreak, to include one case in Eddy County.

Oklahoma's state health department reported two probable cases of measles Tuesday, saying they are “associated” with the West Texas and New Mexico outbreaks.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">school-age child died of measles in Texas</a>&nbsp;last month, and New Mexico reported its first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">measles-related death in an adult</a>&nbsp;last week.

Where else is measles showing up in the U.S.?

Measles cases have been reported in Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines an outbreak as three or more related cases — and there have been three clusters that qualified as outbreaks in 2025.

In the U.S., cases and outbreaks are generally traced to someone who caught the disease abroad. It can then spread, especially in communities with low vaccination rates.

The best way to avoid measles is to get the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/vaccines/mmr.html">measles, mumps and rubella</a>&nbsp;(MMR) vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.

People at high risk for infection who got the shots many years ago may want to consider getting a booster if they live in an area with an outbreak, said Scott Weaver with the Global Virus Network, an international coalition. Those may include family members living with someone who has measles or those especially vulnerable to respiratory diseases because of underlying medical conditions.

Adults with “presumptive evidence of immunity” generally don’t need measles shots now, the CDC said. Criteria include written documentation of adequate vaccination earlier in life, lab confirmation of past infection or being born before 1957, when most people were likely to be infected naturally.

A doctor can order a lab test called an MMR titer to check your levels of measles antibodies, but health experts don't always recommend this route and insurance coverage can vary.

Getting another MMR shot is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says.

People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don’t need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective measles vaccine made from “killed” virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said. That also includes people who don’t know which type they got.

Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.

The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.

There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.

In communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — diseases like measles have a harder time spreading through communities. This is called “herd immunity.”

But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.

The U.S. saw&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-cdc-outbreak-chicago-mmr-vaccine-7ecdfef41e6dbd659c7ac8b80d5de38f">a rise in measles cases in 2024</a>, including an outbreak in Chicago that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-chicago-migrant-shelter-cdc-e58517c830f73e42266d45d45983c12b">sickened more than 60.</a>&nbsp;Five years earlier, measles cases were the worst in almost three decades in 2019.

AP Science Writer Laura Ungar contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741721736547.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-mmr-vaccine-texas-rfk-ff8e744b19ead87698d7217de02814ee">Measles outbreaks</a>&nbsp;in West Texas and New Mexico are now up to more than 250 cases, and two unvaccinated people have died from measles-related causes.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-mmr-vaccine-texas-rfk-ff8e744b19ead87698d7217de02814ee">Measles outbreaks</a>&nbsp;in West Texas and New Mexico are now up to more than 250 cases, and two unvaccinated people have died from measles-related causes.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741383047634.png" alt="One of the protestors at the"Stand Up for Science" Rally at Lincoln Memorial in Washington on Friday-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>One of the protestors at the"Stand Up for Science" Rally at Lincoln Memorial in Washington on Friday-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-mmr-outbreak-vaccines-408371700e3ab548777bf0354e586549">Measles</a>&nbsp;is caused by a highly contagious virus that's airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.Here's what you&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">need to know about measles in the U.S.</a><h2>How many measles cases are there in Texas and New Mexico?</h2>Texas state health officials said Tuesday there were 25 new cases of measles since the end of last week, bringing Texas' total to 223. Twenty-nine people in Texas are hospitalized.New Mexico health officials announced three new cases Tuesday, bringing the state’s total to 33. The outbreak has spread from Lea County, which neighbors the West Texas communities at the epicenter of the outbreak, to include one case in Eddy County.Oklahoma's state health department reported two probable cases of measles Tuesday, saying they are “associated” with the West Texas and New Mexico outbreaks.A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">school-age child died of measles in Texas</a>&nbsp;last month, and New Mexico reported its first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">measles-related death in an adult</a>&nbsp;last week.<h2>Where else is measles showing up in the U.S.?</h2>Measles cases have been reported in Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines an outbreak as three or more related cases — and there have been three clusters that qualified as outbreaks in 2025.In the U.S., cases and outbreaks are generally traced to someone who caught the disease abroad. It can then spread, especially in communities with low vaccination rates.<h2>Do you need an MMR booster?</h2>The best way to avoid measles is to get the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/vaccines/mmr.html">measles, mumps and rubella</a>&nbsp;(MMR) vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.People at high risk for infection who got the shots many years ago may want to consider getting a booster if they live in an area with an outbreak, said Scott Weaver with the Global Virus Network, an international coalition. Those may include family members living with someone who has measles or those especially vulnerable to respiratory diseases because of underlying medical conditions.Adults with “presumptive evidence of immunity” generally don’t need measles shots now, the CDC said. Criteria include written documentation of adequate vaccination earlier in life, lab confirmation of past infection or being born before 1957, when most people were likely to be infected naturally.A doctor can order a lab test called an MMR titer to check your levels of measles antibodies, but health experts don't always recommend this route and insurance coverage can vary.Getting another MMR shot is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says.People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don’t need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective measles vaccine made from “killed” virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said. That also includes people who don’t know which type they got.<h2>What are the symptoms of measles?</h2>Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.<h2>How can you treat measles?</h2>There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.<h2>Why do vaccination rates matter?</h2>In communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — diseases like measles have a harder time spreading through communities. This is called “herd immunity.”But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.The U.S. saw&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-cdc-outbreak-chicago-mmr-vaccine-7ecdfef41e6dbd659c7ac8b80d5de38f">a rise in measles cases in 2024</a>, including an outbreak in Chicago that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-chicago-migrant-shelter-cdc-e58517c830f73e42266d45d45983c12b">sickened more than 60.</a>&nbsp;Five years earlier, measles cases were the worst in almost three decades in 2019.___AP Science Writer Laura Ungar contributed to this report.

Measles cases are still rising and reported in more states

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas woman arrested five days after an altercation with a sheriff's deputy made her first court appearance in the case Tuesday.

Nevaeh Thompson, 22 of Wichita, is charged with aggravated battery on a law enforcement officerm according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

 If found guilty, depending on her criminal record, she could be sentenced from 55 months to 247 months in prison.&nbsp;&nbsp;

At approximately 3:00 a.m. March 2, a Sedgwick County Deputy conducted a traffic stop near Lincoln and Rock Road. The deputy made contact with the driver, identified as Thompson. During the stop, Thompson informed the deputy that she might have outstanding warrants for her arrest. Before she could be taken into custody, Thompson quickly jumped back into her vehicle in an attempt to flee.

The deputy followed her into the vehicle, trying to prevent her escape. However, Thompson managed to shift the car into drive and sped away, dragging the deputy a short distance.

The deputy sustained minor injuries during the incident. Thompson’s vehicle was later found abandoned in the 7300 block of E. Indianapolis. Surveillance footage from a nearby residence shows Thompson running from the vehicle.&nbsp;&nbsp;Her next court date is March 27, according to the district attorney's office. She remains jailed on a $100,000 bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741371903644.png" alt="-Thompson photo Sedgwick County Jail" />
 <figcaption>-Thompson photo Sedgwick County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas woman arrested five days after an altercation with a sheriff's deputy made her first court appearance in the case Tuesday.Nevaeh Thompson, 22 of Wichita, is charged with aggravated battery on a law enforcement officerm according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. If found guilty, depending on her criminal record, she could be sentenced from 55 months to 247 months in prison.&nbsp;&nbsp;At approximately 3:00 a.m. March 2, a Sedgwick County Deputy conducted a traffic stop near Lincoln and Rock Road. The deputy made contact with the driver, identified as Thompson. During the stop, Thompson informed the deputy that she might have outstanding warrants for her arrest. Before she could be taken into custody, Thompson quickly jumped back into her vehicle in an attempt to flee.The deputy followed her into the vehicle, trying to prevent her escape. However, Thompson managed to shift the car into drive and sped away, dragging the deputy a short distance.The deputy sustained minor injuries during the incident. Thompson’s vehicle was later found abandoned in the 7300 block of E. Indianapolis. Surveillance footage from a nearby residence shows Thompson running from the vehicle.&nbsp;&nbsp;Her next court date is March 27, according to the district attorney's office. She remains jailed on a $100,000 bond.

Woman accused of dragging Kan. deputy during traffic stop goes to court

JOHNSON COUNTY —Police and state revenue agents raided multiple convenience store during an investigation earlier this month.

On March 7, the Olathe Police Department, with the assistance of the Kansas Department of Revenue, conducted warrant services at four separate gas stations/vape shops within the City of Olathe, according to Olathe Police&nbsp;Sergeant John Moncayo reported on Tuesday.

The warrant services were due to alleged sales of illegal THC products. As a result, multiple alleged THC products were seized from all four locations. The items seized will be sent to the Johnson County Crime Lab for testing.&nbsp; Criminal charges are pending the results of the testing.

This case remains under investigation by the Olathe Police Department. Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to call the Olathe Police Department at (913) 971-6363 or the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-8477.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741774631945.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Police and state revenue agents raided multiple convenience store during an investigation earlier this month.On March 7, the Olathe Police Department, with the assistance of the Kansas Department of Revenue, conducted warrant services at four separate gas stations/vape shops within the City of Olathe, according to Olathe Police&nbsp;Sergeant John Moncayo reported on Tuesday.The warrant services were due to alleged sales of illegal THC products. As a result, multiple alleged THC products were seized from all four locations. The items seized will be sent to the Johnson County Crime Lab for testing.&nbsp; Criminal charges are pending the results of the testing.This case remains under investigation by the Olathe Police Department. Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to call the Olathe Police Department at (913) 971-6363 or the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-8477.&nbsp;

Police raid multiple Kan. convenience store vape shops

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Education Department plans to lay off more than 1,300 of its employees as part of an effort to halve the organization's staff -- a prelude to President Donald Trump's plan to dismantle the agency.

Department officials announced the cuts Tuesday, raising questions about the agency's ability to continue usual operations.

The Trump administration had already been whittling the agency's staff, though buyout offers and the termination of probationary employees. After Tuesday's layoffs, the Education Department's staff will sit at roughly half of its previous 4,100, the agency said.

The layoffs are part of a dramatic downsizing directed by Trump as he moves to reduce the footprint of the federal government. Thousands of jobs are expected to be cut across the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Social Security Administration and other agencies.

The department is also terminating leases on buildings in cities including New York, Boston, Chicago and Cleveland, officials said.

Department officials said it would continue to deliver on its key functions such as the distribution of federal aid to schools, student loan management and oversight of Pell Grants.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon said when she got to the department, she wanted to reduce bloat to be able to send more money to local education authorities.

"So many of the programs are really excellent, so we need to make sure the money goes to the states," McMahon said in an interview Tuesday on Fox News.

McMahon told employees to brace for profound cuts in a memo issued March 3, the day she was confirmed by the Senate. She said it was the department's "final mission" to eliminate bureaucratic bloat and turn over the agency's authority to states.

The department sent an email to employees Tuesday telling them its Washington headquarters and regional offices would be closed Wednesday, with access forbidden, before reopening Thursday. The only reason given for the closures was unspecified "security reasons."

Trump campaigned on a promise to close the department, saying it had been overtaken by "radicals, zealots and Marxists." At McMahon's confirmation hearing, she acknowledged only Congress has the power to abolish the agency but said it might be due for cuts and a reorganization.

Whether the cuts will be felt by America's students — as Democrats and advocates fear — is yet to be seen. Already there are concerns the administration's agenda has pushed aside some of the agency's most fundamental work, including the enforcement of civil rights for students with disabilities and the management of $1.6 trillion in federal student loans.

McMahon told lawmakers at her hearing that her aim is not to defund core programs, but to make them more efficient.

Even before the layoffs, the Education Department was among the smallest Cabinet-level agencies. Its workforce included 3,100 people in Washington and an additional 1,100 at regional offices across the country, according to a department website.

The department's workers had faced increasing pressure to quit their jobs since Trump took office, first through a deferred resignation program and then through a $25,000 buyout offer that expired March 3.

Jeanne Allen of the Center for Education Reform, which advocates for charter school expansion, said the cuts were important and necessary.

"Ending incessant federal interference will free up state and local leaders to foster more opportunities to give schools and educators true flexibility and innovation to address the needs of students, wherever they are educated," Allen said.

Some advocates were skeptical of the department's claim that its functions would not be affected by the layoffs.

"I don't see at all how that can be true," said Roxanne Garza, who was chief of staff in the Office of Postsecondary Education under President Joe Biden.

Much of what the department does, like investigating civil rights complaints and helping families apply for financial aid, is labor intensive, said Garza, who is now director of higher education policy at Education Trust, a research and advocacy organization. "How those things will not be impacted with far fewer staff ... I just don't see it."

The Associated Press' education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find the AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741729690736.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Education Department plans to lay off more than 1,300 of its employees as part of an effort to halve the organization's staff -- a prelude to President Donald Trump's plan to dismantle the agency.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741730145915.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Department officials announced the cuts Tuesday, raising questions about the agency's ability to continue usual operations.The Trump administration had already been whittling the agency's staff, though buyout offers and the termination of probationary employees. After Tuesday's layoffs, the Education Department's staff will sit at roughly half of its previous 4,100, the agency said.The layoffs are part of a dramatic downsizing directed by Trump as he moves to reduce the footprint of the federal government. Thousands of jobs are expected to be cut across the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Social Security Administration and other agencies.The department is also terminating leases on buildings in cities including New York, Boston, Chicago and Cleveland, officials said.Department officials said it would continue to deliver on its key functions such as the distribution of federal aid to schools, student loan management and oversight of Pell Grants.Education Secretary Linda McMahon said when she got to the department, she wanted to reduce bloat to be able to send more money to local education authorities."So many of the programs are really excellent, so we need to make sure the money goes to the states," McMahon said in an interview Tuesday on Fox News.McMahon told employees to brace for profound cuts in a memo issued March 3, the day she was confirmed by the Senate. She said it was the department's "final mission" to eliminate bureaucratic bloat and turn over the agency's authority to states.The department sent an email to employees Tuesday telling them its Washington headquarters and regional offices would be closed Wednesday, with access forbidden, before reopening Thursday. The only reason given for the closures was unspecified "security reasons."Trump campaigned on a promise to close the department, saying it had been overtaken by "radicals, zealots and Marxists." At McMahon's confirmation hearing, she acknowledged only Congress has the power to abolish the agency but said it might be due for cuts and a reorganization.Whether the cuts will be felt by America's students — as Democrats and advocates fear — is yet to be seen. Already there are concerns the administration's agenda has pushed aside some of the agency's most fundamental work, including the enforcement of civil rights for students with disabilities and the management of $1.6 trillion in federal student loans.McMahon told lawmakers at her hearing that her aim is not to defund core programs, but to make them more efficient.Even before the layoffs, the Education Department was among the smallest Cabinet-level agencies. Its workforce included 3,100 people in Washington and an additional 1,100 at regional offices across the country, according to a department website.The department's workers had faced increasing pressure to quit their jobs since Trump took office, first through a deferred resignation program and then through a $25,000 buyout offer that expired March 3.Jeanne Allen of the Center for Education Reform, which advocates for charter school expansion, said the cuts were important and necessary."Ending incessant federal interference will free up state and local leaders to foster more opportunities to give schools and educators true flexibility and innovation to address the needs of students, wherever they are educated," Allen said.Some advocates were skeptical of the department's claim that its functions would not be affected by the layoffs."I don't see at all how that can be true," said Roxanne Garza, who was chief of staff in the Office of Postsecondary Education under President Joe Biden.Much of what the department does, like investigating civil rights complaints and helping families apply for financial aid, is labor intensive, said Garza, who is now director of higher education policy at Education Trust, a research and advocacy organization. "How those things will not be impacted with far fewer staff ... I just don't see it."___The Associated Press' education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find the AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Read the memo: U.S. Education Dept. buildings closed until Thursday

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a fatal pedestrian accident that occurred just after 3:30p.m. Monday in Topeka have identified the woman who died as&nbsp;Alice J. Thomas, 70, of Topeka.

The incident occurred in&nbsp; the parking lot of Walmart located at 2600 NW Rochester Road, according to police spokesperson Rosie Nichols.. 

A vehicle struck Thomas in the store parking lot. Medical personnel pronounced her deceased on scene.&nbsp; The incident remains under investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741742902095.png" alt="Photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a fatal pedestrian accident that occurred just after 3:30p.m. Monday in Topeka have identified the woman who died as&nbsp;Alice J. Thomas, 70, of Topeka.The incident occurred in&nbsp; the parking lot of Walmart located at 2600 NW Rochester Road, according to police spokesperson Rosie Nichols.. A vehicle struck Thomas in the store parking lot. Medical personnel pronounced her deceased on scene.&nbsp; The incident remains under investigation.

Police ID Kan. woman who died in parking lot pedestrian accident

MORRIS COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on multiple allegations after a high speed chase in Morris County.

Just before midnight March 8, a sheriff's deputy attempted a traffic stop on U.S. 77 at mile post 137 for an alleged traffic violation, according to a media release from the Morris County Sheriff.

The driver, later identified as a juvenile, refused to stop, and a pursuit ensued. Geary County Sheriff's deputies and Kansas Highway Patrol Troopers responded to assist. The vehicle avoided spike strips and attempted to exit off Interstate 70 through an east ditch, stuck a tree row and came to rest in an open field. Deputies found illegal drugs in the vehicle. The driver and a 27-year-old passenger identified as Jaquellin Demarquez Holland, 27, Wichita, were not injured.

Deputies arrested them. The teen driver is being held on requested charges that include flee or attempted to elude law enforcement, no proof of insurance and a number of other traffic violations.

Holland, who has a previous counterfeiting conviction, is being held on requested charges that include interference with law enforcement, possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or other stimulant and use/possess with intent to use-drug paraphernalia into human body.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741688954957.png" alt="Holland photo. KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Holland photo. KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>MORRIS COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on multiple allegations after a high speed chase in Morris County.Just before midnight March 8, a sheriff's deputy attempted a traffic stop on U.S. 77 at mile post 137 for an alleged traffic violation, according to a media release from the Morris County Sheriff.The driver, later identified as a juvenile, refused to stop, and a pursuit ensued. Geary County Sheriff's deputies and Kansas Highway Patrol Troopers responded to assist. The vehicle avoided spike strips and attempted to exit off Interstate 70 through an east ditch, stuck a tree row and came to rest in an open field. Deputies found illegal drugs in the vehicle. The driver and a 27-year-old passenger identified as Jaquellin Demarquez Holland, 27, Wichita, were not injured.Deputies arrested them. The teen driver is being held on requested charges that include flee or attempted to elude law enforcement, no proof of insurance and a number of other traffic violations.Holland, who has a previous counterfeiting conviction, is being held on requested charges that include interference with law enforcement, possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or other stimulant and use/possess with intent to use-drug paraphernalia into human body.

Kansas felon, teen driver jailed after high-speed chase

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal investigators looking for the cause of the January collision between a passenger jet and an Army helicopter near Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people recommended a ban on some helicopter flights Tuesday to improve safety, saying the current setup “poses an intolerable risk.”

A military helicopter collided with the American Airlines jet as it was approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport over the Potomac River on Jan. 29. Among the victims were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-helicopter-jet-crash-figure-skaters-079cca60567e6929f4b84a8e9d6c330d">28 members of the figure skating community.</a>

National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said the board determined that the existing separation distance between planes and helicopters at Reagan National Airport is “insufficient and poses an intolerable risk to aviation safety.”

Homendy said she was angry and also devastated for families that are grieving because they lost loved ones.

“It shouldn’t take tragedy to require immediate action,” she said.

Under the current practice helicopters and planes can be as close as 75 feet apart from each other during landing, Homendy said. Investigators have identified 15,214 instances of planes getting alerts about helicopters being in close proximity between October 2021 and December 2024, she said.

Following the crash, the FAA took steps to restrict&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/black-hawk-crash-night-faa-helicopter-286319ac01bee91e4992c95e7946063e">helicopter flights</a>&nbsp;around Reagan National Airport to ensure that planes and helicopters are no longer sharing the same airspace. Now flights are put on hold temporarily when helicopters need to pass by the airport.

Homendy said the NTSB is recommending that the FAA find a “permanent solution” for alternate routes for helicopter traffic when two of the airport’s runways are in use.

Investigators have said the helicopter may have had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-national-airport-aircraft-crash-ntsb-3dec2686beb43ada10ce392c857751cc">inaccurate altitude readings</a>&nbsp;in the moments before the crash, and the crew may not have heard key instructions from air traffic controllers. The collision likely occurred at an altitude just under 300 feet (91 meters), as the plane descended toward the helicopter, which was well above its 200-foot (61-meter) limit for that location.

The helicopter pilots may have also missed part of another communication, when the tower said the jet was turning toward a different runway, Homendy said last month.

The helicopter was on a “check” flight that night where the pilot was undergoing an annual test and a test on using night vision goggles, Homendy said. Investigators believe the crew was wearing night vision goggles throughout the flight.

The Army has said the Black Hawk crew was highly experienced, and accustomed to the crowded skies around the nation’s capital.

Within just a month’s time earlier this year, there were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/recent-plane-crashes-us-canada-delta-toronto-1d6e07a4bed5e229cdd1d8c415e955e5">four major aviation disasters</a>&nbsp;in North America, including the midair collision over the Potomac and most recently in mid-February when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/plane-crash-survivors-air-disasters-toronto-c2390902afbd1dc044e05c060339c0b6">a Delta flight flipped</a>&nbsp;and landed on its roof at Toronto’s Pearson Airport, injuring 21 people.

Those accidents and close calls&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/plane-crash-safety-ntsb-faa-69bf8b4b3562670c7226d9d6f07925a0">left some worried</a>&nbsp;about the safety of flying even though fatal crashes are rare and the track record of U.S. airlines is remarkably sound.

President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-plane-crash-air-traffic-control-ab195790634af66534a45cdec2d80aa8">blamed the midair collision</a>&nbsp;over Washington, D.C., on what he called an “obsolete” air traffic control system and promised to replace it. He also faulted the helicopter for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-325edc6c0c2439dd6c1e73a81e382c0e">flying too high</a>.

Federal officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/airlines-faa-close-calls-senate-hearing-7309801ccbf64bcecfb0cf58e3e58498">have been raising concerns</a>&nbsp;about an overtaxed and understaffed air traffic control system for years, especially after a series of close calls between planes at U.S. airports. Among the reasons they have cited for staffing shortages are uncompetitive pay, long shifts, intensive training and mandatory retirements.

On Jan. 29, an American Airlines passenger jet and an Army helicopter collided as the plane prepared to land at Washington, D.C.'s Ronald Reagan National Airport. Both plunged into the Potomac River, killing all 67 people aboard.

The National Transportation Safety Board plans to give another update on the crash Tuesday afternoon.

Investigators previously said the helicopter may have had inaccurate altitude readings in the moments before the crash, and the crew may not have heard key instructions from air traffic controllers.

The collision was the deadliest plane crash in the U.S. since 2001, when a jet slammed into a New York City neighborhood just after takeoff, killing all 260 people on board and five more on the ground.

A string of crashes this year along with a near miss have brought attention to air travel, which remains overwhelmingly safe in the U.S. On Jan. 31, a medical transport jet crashed into a Philadelphia neighborhood, killing seven people. On Feb. 6, a small commuter aircraft crashed off western Alaska, killing 10. On Feb. 17, a Delta plane crashed and flipped over upon landing in Toronto. Two small planes collided in midair in Arizona on Feb. 19, killing two people. And there was a scary moment on Feb. 25 in Chicago when a Southwest Airlines plane aborted its landing to avoid crashing into another plane crossing the runway.

American Airlines Flight 5342 was coming in from Wichita, Kansas, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, as it approached to land on a clear night. Nearby, a U.S. Army Black Hawk with three soldiers on board was practicing emergency evacuation routes that would be used to ferry out key government officials in an attack or catastrophe.

Investigators believe the helicopter crew was wearing night-vision goggles that would have limited their peripheral vision.

A few minutes before the twin-engine jet was to land, air traffic controllers asked if it could use a shorter runway. The pilots agreed, and flight-tracking sites show the plane turned to adjust its approach.

Shortly before the collision, a controller got an alert that the plane and Black Hawk were converging and asked the helicopter if it had the plane in sight. The military pilot said yes and asked for "visual separation" with the jet for a second time — allowing it to fly closer than if the pilots couldn't see the plane. Controllers approved the request.

Roughly 20 seconds later, the aircraft collided.

The NTSB has recovered all flight data recorders and pulled the wreckage of both aircraft from the Potomac.

It will take more than a year to get the final NTSB report, but officials have provided regular updates as investigators learn more. They plan to release their preliminary report on Tuesday.

NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy told reporters last month that the Black Hawk's cockpit recorder suggested an incomplete radio transmission may have left the crew unable to hear air traffic control tell them, just before the crash, to move behind the jet.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739539122711.png" alt="The NTSB recovers the debris of a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk involved in a mid-air collision near DCA in Arlington, VA. NTSB photo" />
 <figcaption>The NTSB recovers the debris of a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk involved in a mid-air collision near DCA in Arlington, VA. NTSB photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal investigators looking for the cause of the January collision between a passenger jet and an Army helicopter near Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people recommended a ban on some helicopter flights Tuesday to improve safety, saying the current setup “poses an intolerable risk.”A military helicopter collided with the American Airlines jet as it was approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport over the Potomac River on Jan. 29. Among the victims were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-helicopter-jet-crash-figure-skaters-079cca60567e6929f4b84a8e9d6c330d">28 members of the figure skating community.</a><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WUIj5-RKUKA?si=gSd0CvAMhE8dbD5R&amp;start=63" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said the board determined that the existing separation distance between planes and helicopters at Reagan National Airport is “insufficient and poses an intolerable risk to aviation safety.”Homendy said she was angry and also devastated for families that are grieving because they lost loved ones.“It shouldn’t take tragedy to require immediate action,” she said.Under the current practice helicopters and planes can be as close as 75 feet apart from each other during landing, Homendy said. Investigators have identified 15,214 instances of planes getting alerts about helicopters being in close proximity between October 2021 and December 2024, she said.Following the crash, the FAA took steps to restrict&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/black-hawk-crash-night-faa-helicopter-286319ac01bee91e4992c95e7946063e">helicopter flights</a>&nbsp;around Reagan National Airport to ensure that planes and helicopters are no longer sharing the same airspace. Now flights are put on hold temporarily when helicopters need to pass by the airport.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739560505556.png" alt="Helicopter routes map - NTSB" />
 <figcaption>Helicopter routes map - NTSB</figcaption>
 </figure>Homendy said the NTSB is recommending that the FAA find a “permanent solution” for alternate routes for helicopter traffic when two of the airport’s runways are in use.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738703092495.png" alt="The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District, working with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/USCGMidAtlantic?__cft__[0]=AZVaKqPNSiwSuKRH01L03JB8k_89iOrQZOlRWtfzOBsAJCt3z8QQvEYQa8XpseNu6lXA2LDrRWcHbQW3Fa1vXPGXU-T_5Dh2wbhpnKG7qo382L0qE0fMgmG5jv5Z_FFWJHRL1dX62558wBmmNSH_sOYY5t0GOUldAsRj2QW9WelwbsHdhaP3oE4VMMl2yUaEBbw&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">U.S. Coast Guard Mid-Atlantic</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/USNavy?__cft__[0]=AZVaKqPNSiwSuKRH01L03JB8k_89iOrQZOlRWtfzOBsAJCt3z8QQvEYQa8XpseNu6lXA2LDrRWcHbQW3Fa1vXPGXU-T_5Dh2wbhpnKG7qo382L0qE0fMgmG5jv5Z_FFWJHRL1dX62558wBmmNSH_sOYY5t0GOUldAsRj2QW9WelwbsHdhaP3oE4VMMl2yUaEBbw&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">U.S. Navy</a>&nbsp;Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV), began wreckage removal operations at the site of the Potomac River Aviation Incident near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Phoso U.S. Army Corps of Engineers" />
 <figcaption>The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District, working with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/USCGMidAtlantic?__cft__[0]=AZVaKqPNSiwSuKRH01L03JB8k_89iOrQZOlRWtfzOBsAJCt3z8QQvEYQa8XpseNu6lXA2LDrRWcHbQW3Fa1vXPGXU-T_5Dh2wbhpnKG7qo382L0qE0fMgmG5jv5Z_FFWJHRL1dX62558wBmmNSH_sOYY5t0GOUldAsRj2QW9WelwbsHdhaP3oE4VMMl2yUaEBbw&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">U.S. Coast Guard Mid-Atlantic</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/USNavy?__cft__[0]=AZVaKqPNSiwSuKRH01L03JB8k_89iOrQZOlRWtfzOBsAJCt3z8QQvEYQa8XpseNu6lXA2LDrRWcHbQW3Fa1vXPGXU-T_5Dh2wbhpnKG7qo382L0qE0fMgmG5jv5Z_FFWJHRL1dX62558wBmmNSH_sOYY5t0GOUldAsRj2QW9WelwbsHdhaP3oE4VMMl2yUaEBbw&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">U.S. Navy</a>&nbsp;Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV), began wreckage removal operations at the site of the Potomac River Aviation Incident near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Phoso U.S. Army Corps of Engineers</figcaption>
 </figure>Investigators have said the helicopter may have had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-national-airport-aircraft-crash-ntsb-3dec2686beb43ada10ce392c857751cc">inaccurate altitude readings</a>&nbsp;in the moments before the crash, and the crew may not have heard key instructions from air traffic controllers. The collision likely occurred at an altitude just under 300 feet (91 meters), as the plane descended toward the helicopter, which was well above its 200-foot (61-meter) limit for that location.The helicopter pilots may have also missed part of another communication, when the tower said the jet was turning toward a different runway, Homendy said last month.The helicopter was on a “check” flight that night where the pilot was undergoing an annual test and a test on using night vision goggles, Homendy said. Investigators believe the crew was wearing night vision goggles throughout the flight.The Army has said the Black Hawk crew was highly experienced, and accustomed to the crowded skies around the nation’s capital.Within just a month’s time earlier this year, there were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/recent-plane-crashes-us-canada-delta-toronto-1d6e07a4bed5e229cdd1d8c415e955e5">four major aviation disasters</a>&nbsp;in North America, including the midair collision over the Potomac and most recently in mid-February when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/plane-crash-survivors-air-disasters-toronto-c2390902afbd1dc044e05c060339c0b6">a Delta flight flipped</a>&nbsp;and landed on its roof at Toronto’s Pearson Airport, injuring 21 people.Those accidents and close calls&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/plane-crash-safety-ntsb-faa-69bf8b4b3562670c7226d9d6f07925a0">left some worried</a>&nbsp;about the safety of flying even though fatal crashes are rare and the track record of U.S. airlines is remarkably sound.President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-plane-crash-air-traffic-control-ab195790634af66534a45cdec2d80aa8">blamed the midair collision</a>&nbsp;over Washington, D.C., on what he called an “obsolete” air traffic control system and promised to replace it. He also faulted the helicopter for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-325edc6c0c2439dd6c1e73a81e382c0e">flying too high</a>.Federal officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/airlines-faa-close-calls-senate-hearing-7309801ccbf64bcecfb0cf58e3e58498">have been raising concerns</a>&nbsp;about an overtaxed and understaffed air traffic control system for years, especially after a series of close calls between planes at U.S. airports. Among the reasons they have cited for staffing shortages are uncompetitive pay, long shifts, intensive training and mandatory retirements.___------------On Jan. 29, an American Airlines passenger jet and an Army helicopter collided as the plane prepared to land at Washington, D.C.'s Ronald Reagan National Airport. Both plunged into the Potomac River, killing all 67 people aboard.The National Transportation Safety Board plans to give another update on the crash Tuesday afternoon.Investigators previously said the helicopter may have had inaccurate altitude readings in the moments before the crash, and the crew may not have heard key instructions from air traffic controllers.The collision was the deadliest plane crash in the U.S. since 2001, when a jet slammed into a New York City neighborhood just after takeoff, killing all 260 people on board and five more on the ground.A string of crashes this year along with a near miss have brought attention to air travel, which remains overwhelmingly safe in the U.S. On Jan. 31, a medical transport jet crashed into a Philadelphia neighborhood, killing seven people. On Feb. 6, a small commuter aircraft crashed off western Alaska, killing 10. On Feb. 17, a Delta plane crashed and flipped over upon landing in Toronto. Two small planes collided in midair in Arizona on Feb. 19, killing two people. And there was a scary moment on Feb. 25 in Chicago when a Southwest Airlines plane aborted its landing to avoid crashing into another plane crossing the runway.Here's a look at the Jan. 29 crash:What happened?American Airlines Flight 5342 was coming in from Wichita, Kansas, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, as it approached to land on a clear night. Nearby, a U.S. Army Black Hawk with three soldiers on board was practicing emergency evacuation routes that would be used to ferry out key government officials in an attack or catastrophe.Investigators believe the helicopter crew was wearing night-vision goggles that would have limited their peripheral vision.A few minutes before the twin-engine jet was to land, air traffic controllers asked if it could use a shorter runway. The pilots agreed, and flight-tracking sites show the plane turned to adjust its approach.Shortly before the collision, a controller got an alert that the plane and Black Hawk were converging and asked the helicopter if it had the plane in sight. The military pilot said yes and asked for "visual separation" with the jet for a second time — allowing it to fly closer than if the pilots couldn't see the plane. Controllers approved the request.Roughly 20 seconds later, the aircraft collided.The investigationThe NTSB has recovered all flight data recorders and pulled the wreckage of both aircraft from the Potomac.It will take more than a year to get the final NTSB report, but officials have provided regular updates as investigators learn more. They plan to release their preliminary report on Tuesday.NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy told reporters last month that the Black Hawk's cockpit recorder suggested an incomplete radio transmission may have left the crew unable to hear air traffic control tell them, just before the crash, to move behind the jet."That transmission was interrupted — it was stepped on," she said at a Feb. 14 briefing, leaving the helicopter's crew unable to hear the words "pass behind the" because their microphone key was pressed.The radio altitude of the helicopter was 278 feet (85 meters) at the time of the collision, which would put the Black Hawk above its 200-foot (61-meter) limit for that location.Cockpit conversations a few minutes before the crash indicated the crew may not have had accurate altitude readings, with the helicopter's pilot calling out that they were then at 300 feet (91 meters), but the instructor pilot saying 400 feet (122 meters), Homendy said."We are looking at the possibility there may be bad data," she said.That generation of Black Hawks typically has two types of altimeters: one relying on barometric pressure and the other on radio frequency signals bounced off the ground. Helicopter pilots typically rely on barometric readings while flying, but the helicopter's black box captures its radio altitude.Almost immediately after the crash, President Donald Trump faulted the helicopter for flying too high. He also blamed federal diversity and inclusion efforts, particularly regarding air traffic controllers. When pressed by reporters, the president could not back up those claims. A few days later, Trump blamed an "obsolete" air traffic control system that he said should have been replaced years ago.Army officials have said the Black Hawk crew was highly experienced and familiar with the crowded skies around Washington.The victimsThe Army identified the Black Hawk crew as 28-year-old Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach of Durham, North Carolina; Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O'Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia; and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Maryland. O'Hara was the crew chief and Eaves and Lobach were pilots.Among the jet's passengers were several members of the Skating Club of Boston returning from a development camp for elite junior skaters that followed the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita. A figure skating tribute event in Washington raised $1.2 million for crash victims' families.Others killed included a group of hunters returning from a guided trip in Kansas, four members of a steamfitters' local union in suburban Maryland, nine students and parents from Fairfax County, Virginia, schools and two Chinese nationals.