KANSAS CITY,&nbsp; Mo. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-missouri-constitution-amendment-0f21b453fdc15492d60e04a74a4fb206">Abortions</a>&nbsp;are set to resume in Missouri after a judge blocked regulations that had restricted providers even after voters approved enshrining abortion rights into the state’s constitution.

Friday's ruling came after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ban-ruling-missouri-8a846e1490a965977133eb5854a7602e">Kansas City judge ruled</a>&nbsp;last year that abortions were now legal in the state but kept certain regulations on the books while a lawsuit by abortion-rights advocates played out.

That meant abortion facilities still had to be licensed by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Planned Parenthood argued that the licensing law required providers to give “medically unnecessary and invasive” pelvic exams to anyone receiving an abortion, including medication abortions, according to court documents. It also included “medically irrelevant” size requirements for hallways, rooms and doors.

The plaintiffs said some of the regulations on Planned Parenthood centers were so strict, “most health centers or doctors’ office simply do not meet” them.

Jackson County Circuit Judge Jerri Zhang said in her ruling that the licensing requirement is “facially discriminatory because it does not treat services provided in abortion facilities the same as other types of similarly situated health care, including miscarriage care.”

Voters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-missouri-amendment-ballot-election-f114445b087e77d0cc786d3eeb2eb615">approved the measure</a>&nbsp;adding abortion rights to the constitution in November. That amendment did not legalize abortion in the state outright but instead required judges to reconsider laws that had almost completely banned the procedure.

Planned Parenthood and other advocates sued to overturn Missouri’s near-total abortion ban almost immediately after voters amended the constitution to protect reproductive rights. Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey is fighting the lawsuit.

There was no immediate response to a voice message seeking comment from a spokesperson for the attorney general.

Margot Riphagen, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, said the group is working quickly to start providing the procedure again in the coming days.

“Today’s decision affirms what we’ve already long known — the state’s abortion facility licensing requirements were not about patient safety, but rather another politically motivated barrier to prevent patients seeking abortion from getting the care they need,” she said in a statement.

Missouri is one of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ballot-measures-harris-trump-florida-missouri-49c9073cbb6056b66a8a7d0d099795d1">five states where voters approved ballot measures</a>&nbsp;in 2024 to enshrine abortion rights in their constitutions. Nevada voters also approved an amendment but will need to pass it again in 2026 for it to take effect.

Friday's ruling is a temporary order pending the outcome of the lawsuit by abortion-rights advocates.

Mallory Schwarz, executive director of Abortion Action Missouri, said clinic partners are ready to start providing abortions as soon as next week.

“With this change the landscape for Missourians and the entire Midwest region will be transformed, as patients will have greater access to abortion care than they have had in years,” she said in a statement.

Missouri’s constitutional amendment allows lawmakers to restrict abortion after viability with exceptions to “protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant person.”

The term “viability” is used by health care providers to describe whether a pregnancy is expected to continue developing normally or whether a fetus might survive outside the uterus. While there is no defined time frame, doctors say it is generally sometime after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-technology-science-health-birmingham-7fc806f3c06aeae94c5d6ed1b06a6461">21st week</a>&nbsp;of pregnancy.

Missouri was among the first states to implement a prohibition on most abortions after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-dobbs-roe-anniversary-rally-ff6196c80112b7c9d5e6822b1807bf3e">U.S. Supreme Court ruling</a>&nbsp;in June 2022 overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision establishing a nationwide right to abortion.

KANSAS CITY,&nbsp; Mo. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-missouri-constitution-amendment-0f21b453fdc15492d60e04a74a4fb206">Abortions</a>&nbsp;are set to resume in Missouri after a judge blocked regulations that had restricted providers even after voters approved enshrining abortion rights into the state’s constitution.Friday's ruling came after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ban-ruling-missouri-8a846e1490a965977133eb5854a7602e">Kansas City judge ruled</a>&nbsp;last year that abortions were now legal in the state but kept certain regulations on the books while a lawsuit by abortion-rights advocates played out.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739588698024.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>That meant abortion facilities still had to be licensed by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Planned Parenthood argued that the licensing law required providers to give “medically unnecessary and invasive” pelvic exams to anyone receiving an abortion, including medication abortions, according to court documents. It also included “medically irrelevant” size requirements for hallways, rooms and doors.The plaintiffs said some of the regulations on Planned Parenthood centers were so strict, “most health centers or doctors’ office simply do not meet” them.Jackson County Circuit Judge Jerri Zhang said in her ruling that the licensing requirement is “facially discriminatory because it does not treat services provided in abortion facilities the same as other types of similarly situated health care, including miscarriage care.”Voters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-missouri-amendment-ballot-election-f114445b087e77d0cc786d3eeb2eb615">approved the measure</a>&nbsp;adding abortion rights to the constitution in November. That amendment did not legalize abortion in the state outright but instead required judges to reconsider laws that had almost completely banned the procedure.Planned Parenthood and other advocates sued to overturn Missouri’s near-total abortion ban almost immediately after voters amended the constitution to protect reproductive rights. Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey is fighting the lawsuit.There was no immediate response to a voice message seeking comment from a spokesperson for the attorney general.Margot Riphagen, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, said the group is working quickly to start providing the procedure again in the coming days.“Today’s decision affirms what we’ve already long known — the state’s abortion facility licensing requirements were not about patient safety, but rather another politically motivated barrier to prevent patients seeking abortion from getting the care they need,” she said in a statement.Missouri is one of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ballot-measures-harris-trump-florida-missouri-49c9073cbb6056b66a8a7d0d099795d1">five states where voters approved ballot measures</a>&nbsp;in 2024 to enshrine abortion rights in their constitutions. Nevada voters also approved an amendment but will need to pass it again in 2026 for it to take effect.Friday's ruling is a temporary order pending the outcome of the lawsuit by abortion-rights advocates.Mallory Schwarz, executive director of Abortion Action Missouri, said clinic partners are ready to start providing abortions as soon as next week.“With this change the landscape for Missourians and the entire Midwest region will be transformed, as patients will have greater access to abortion care than they have had in years,” she said in a statement.Missouri’s constitutional amendment allows lawmakers to restrict abortion after viability with exceptions to “protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant person.”The term “viability” is used by health care providers to describe whether a pregnancy is expected to continue developing normally or whether a fetus might survive outside the uterus. While there is no defined time frame, doctors say it is generally sometime after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-technology-science-health-birmingham-7fc806f3c06aeae94c5d6ed1b06a6461">21st week</a>&nbsp;of pregnancy.Missouri was among the first states to implement a prohibition on most abortions after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-dobbs-roe-anniversary-rally-ff6196c80112b7c9d5e6822b1807bf3e">U.S. Supreme Court ruling</a>&nbsp;in June 2022 overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision establishing a nationwide right to abortion.___

Judge's ruling allows abortions to resume in KC, across Missouri

By MOHAMMAD JAHJOUH, MELANIE LIDMAN and JALAL BWAITEL Associated Press

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas-led militants released three male Israeli hostages Saturday and Israeli forces began releasing hundreds of prisoners in return, in the latest indication that a fragile ceasefire that has paused fighting in the Gaza Strip but had teetered in recent days, is holding.

Militants in the southern Gaza Strip paraded the three hostages — Iair Horn, 46, a dual citizen of Israel and Argentina; American-Israeli Sagui Dekel Chen, 36; and Russian-Israeli Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov, 29 — before a crowd before releasing them.

All had been abducted from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-hostages-0c14750240138853a70e38b0c09ef157">Kibbutz Nir Oz, a community that was hard-hit</a>&nbsp;in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war. They appeared pale and worn, but seemed in better physical condition than the three men released last Saturday, who had emerged emaciated from 16 months of captivity.

The truce that began nearly four weeks ago had been jeopardized in recent days by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-hamas-palestinians-ceasefire-explainer-war-404137d6c335f3227e0b0d8e94d773bc">tense dispute</a>&nbsp;that threatened to renew the fighting.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial proposal to remove more than 2 million Palestinians from Gaza and settle them elsewhere in the region has cast even more doubt on the future of the ceasefire.

But Hamas said Thursday it would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-02-13-2025-ceasefire-hostages-34526505868eb797266a0aa17f4208e7">move ahead</a>&nbsp;with the release of more hostages after talks with Egyptian and Qatari officials. The group said the mediators had pledged to “remove all hurdles” to ensure Israel would allow more tents, medical supplies and other essentials into Gaza.

As with previous exchanges, the hostage release was heavily choreographed, with the captives made to walk onto a stage and speak into microphones before the crowd. Dozens of masked, armed Hamas fighters lined up near the stage festooned with Palestinian flags and banners of militant factions.

In Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, a huge cheer went up as the hostages were transferred to the Red Cross. “Iair, Sagui and Sasha are on their way home!” an announcer said.

In return for the hostages’ release, Israel began releasing 369 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, including 36 serving life sentences over deadly attacks. A bus carrying the first released prisoners arrived in the occupied West Bank town of Beitunia and were greeted by a cheering crowd of relatives and supporters. Some appeared gaunt, and the Palestinian Red Crescent emergency service said four were immediately taken for medical treatment.

It is the sixth swap since the ceasefire took effect on Jan. 19. Before Saturday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hamas-hostages-ceasefire-709efbcf93714a562640133d836bb31c">21 hostages</a>&nbsp;and over 730&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinian-prisoners-exchange-gaza-ceasefire-6c00b4d1e54b941e942b1f5a9ccb83d3">Palestinian prisoners</a>&nbsp;were freed during the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-palestinians-ceasefire-war-cb56a3da64e144492decfffc40c589cf">first phase of the truce</a>.

Who are the hostages and prisoners being released?

Horn was abducted along with his brother, Eitan Horn, who had been staying with him at the time. Eitan, 37, remains in captivity and is not on the list of hostages expected to be released in the ceasefire's first stage.

"Now, we can breathe a little. Our Iair is home after surviving hell in Gaza," his family said in a statement. “Now, we need to bring Eitan back so our family can truly breathe.”

Dekel Chen had been working outside when militants stormed the kibbutz. His pregnant wife, Avital Dekel Chen, hid in a safe room with their two daughters. She gave birth to their third daughter two months later. Speaking to Israeli media Saturday, she said she was overwhelmed with happiness to see Sagui back in Israel, where he will meet his youngest daughter, Shachar, for the first time.

Troufanov, whose father was killed during the Oct. 7 attack, was taken hostage along with his grandmother, mother and girlfriend. The three women were released during a brief ceasefire in November 2023. Troufanov was informed of his father's death after his release, shortly before being reunited with his family, who said they were “overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude” as he crossed into Israeli territory.

Of the 369 Palestinians who were being released from Israeli prisons, 36 were serving life sentences, according to the Hamas-linked Prisoners’ Information Office.

Among the most prominent is Ahmed Barghouti, 48, a close aide of militant leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-marwan-barghouti-ceasefire-deal-fb3152db0cc4d37683a2019017e34bc1">and iconic Palestinian political figure</a>&nbsp;Marwan Barghouti.

Israel sentenced Ahmed Barghouti to life on charges that he dispatched suicide bombers during the Second Intifada, or Palestinian uprising, in the early 2000s to carry out attacks that killed Israeli civilians. He was arrested alongside Marwan Barghouti in 2002.

Concerns are high about the remaining hostages’ condition

Of the 251 people abducted during the Oct. 7 attack, 73 remain in Gaza, around half of whom are believed to be dead. Nearly all the remaining hostages are men, including Israeli soldiers.

Concern has been growing about their condition, particularly after the release of three last Saturday, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-ceasefire-hostages-02-08-2025-bf94014ccedeb15b4d235a1df57b563a">emerged looking emaciated</a>&nbsp;and frail.

One of them, 65-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-freed-hostages-hamas-gaza-ceasefire-d2cc2f109b96b210f2613bd98fc2b806">Keith Siegel</a>, said Friday in a video message addressed to Trump that his captors treated him worse as the 15-month war intensified, kicking him, spitting on him and holding him without water or light.

The ceasefire appeared dangerously close to collapse in recent days.

Hamas had said it would delay the release of the hostages after accusing Israel of not adhering to their agreement by not allowing in enough shelters, medical supplies, fuel and heavy equipment for clearing rubble. Israel said it would resume fighting Saturday unless hostages were freed.

While the immediate crisis may have been averted, the truce faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-ceasefire-draft-terms-hostages-3df21b67620fdc8f62aa1d1e96487880">a much bigger challenge</a>&nbsp;with the deal’s first phase set to conclude in early March. There have not yet been substantive negotiations over the second phase, in which Hamas would release all remaining hostages in return for an end to the war.

At its height, the fighting displaced 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million. Hundreds of thousands have since returned to their homes as the ceasefire took hold, though&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-palestinians-return-home-ceasefire-2495de01d4581b92789171cad34b7dce">many found only rubble</a>, buried human remains and unexploded ordnance.

The war has killed over 48,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s health Ministry, which does not say how many were fighters. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.

Trump’s proposal to remove some 2 million Palestinians from Gaza and settle them elsewhere in the region&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-trump-gaza-egypt-saudi-2b1af11c18bf7d5d9aedef68aaba4c00">has thrown the truce’s future into further doubt</a>.

The idea&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-trump-gaza-netanyahu-169d497ac07760ccb9724bef5982338a">has been welcomed by Israel’s government</a>. But it has been strongly rejected by Palestinians and Arab countries. Human rights groups say it could amount to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-gaza-plan-palestinians-israel-3f12eb51869da2221afbb22b0bcf47ba">war crime under international law</a>.

Trump has proposed that once the fighting ends, Israel would transfer control of Gaza to the United States, which would then redevelop it as the “Riviera of the Middle East.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right allies are already calling for a resumption of the war after the first phase with the goal of destroying Hamas and implementing Trump’s plan. The militant group&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-ceasefire-hostages-militants-rule-93da074c251d0fcaa395503749e2849e">remains in control of the territory</a>&nbsp;after surviving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-war-aftermath-destruction-4c148d498f3d67a5d6de2107b6a1c966">one of the deadliest and most destructive</a>&nbsp;military campaigns in recent history.

Hamas may be unwilling to release any more hostages if it believes the war will resume. The captives are among the only bargaining chips it has left.

Bwaitel reported from Beitunia, West Bank, and Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Waafa Shurafa from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, and Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739619229985.png" alt="Israeli hostages Iair Horn, 46, left, Sagui Dekel Chen, 36, center left, and Alexander Troufanov, 29, right, are escorted by Hamas and islamic Jihad fighters as they are handed over to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)" />
 <figcaption>Israeli hostages Iair Horn, 46, left, Sagui Dekel Chen, 36, center left, and Alexander Troufanov, 29, right, are escorted by Hamas and islamic Jihad fighters as they are handed over to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)</figcaption>
 </figure>By MOHAMMAD JAHJOUH, MELANIE LIDMAN and JALAL BWAITEL Associated PressKHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas-led militants released three male Israeli hostages Saturday and Israeli forces began releasing hundreds of prisoners in return, in the latest indication that a fragile ceasefire that has paused fighting in the Gaza Strip but had teetered in recent days, is holding.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728311271815.png" alt="Sagui Dekel-Chen, Israeli American, is 35, -photo Hostage and Missing Families Forum." />
 <figcaption>Sagui Dekel-Chen, Israeli American, is 35, -photo Hostage and Missing Families Forum.</figcaption>
 </figure>Militants in the southern Gaza Strip paraded the three hostages — Iair Horn, 46, a dual citizen of Israel and Argentina; American-Israeli Sagui Dekel Chen, 36; and Russian-Israeli Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov, 29 — before a crowd before releasing them.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/3dRqd2yyLI">pic.twitter.com/3dRqd2yyLI</a>&mdash; Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1890746070591812083?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739618708028.png" alt="Russian-Israeli Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov and&nbsp; Iair Horn, 46, a dual citizen of Israel and Argentina-photo Hostage and Missing Families Forum" />
 <figcaption>Russian-Israeli Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov and&nbsp; Iair Horn, 46, a dual citizen of Israel and Argentina-photo Hostage and Missing Families Forum</figcaption>
 </figure>All had been abducted from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-hostages-0c14750240138853a70e38b0c09ef157">Kibbutz Nir Oz, a community that was hard-hit</a>&nbsp;in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war. They appeared pale and worn, but seemed in better physical condition than the three men released last Saturday, who had emerged emaciated from 16 months of captivity.The truce that began nearly four weeks ago had been jeopardized in recent days by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-hamas-palestinians-ceasefire-explainer-war-404137d6c335f3227e0b0d8e94d773bc">tense dispute</a>&nbsp;that threatened to renew the fighting.U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial proposal to remove more than 2 million Palestinians from Gaza and settle them elsewhere in the region has cast even more doubt on the future of the ceasefire.But Hamas said Thursday it would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-02-13-2025-ceasefire-hostages-34526505868eb797266a0aa17f4208e7">move ahead</a>&nbsp;with the release of more hostages after talks with Egyptian and Qatari officials. The group said the mediators had pledged to “remove all hurdles” to ensure Israel would allow more tents, medical supplies and other essentials into Gaza.As with previous exchanges, the hostage release was heavily choreographed, with the captives made to walk onto a stage and speak into microphones before the crowd. Dozens of masked, armed Hamas fighters lined up near the stage festooned with Palestinian flags and banners of militant factions.In Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, a huge cheer went up as the hostages were transferred to the Red Cross. “Iair, Sagui and Sasha are on their way home!” an announcer said.In return for the hostages’ release, Israel began releasing 369 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, including 36 serving life sentences over deadly attacks. A bus carrying the first released prisoners arrived in the occupied West Bank town of Beitunia and were greeted by a cheering crowd of relatives and supporters. Some appeared gaunt, and the Palestinian Red Crescent emergency service said four were immediately taken for medical treatment.It is the sixth swap since the ceasefire took effect on Jan. 19. Before Saturday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hamas-hostages-ceasefire-709efbcf93714a562640133d836bb31c">21 hostages</a>&nbsp;and over 730&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinian-prisoners-exchange-gaza-ceasefire-6c00b4d1e54b941e942b1f5a9ccb83d3">Palestinian prisoners</a>&nbsp;were freed during the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-palestinians-ceasefire-war-cb56a3da64e144492decfffc40c589cf">first phase of the truce</a>.<h2>Who are the hostages and prisoners being released?</h2>Horn was abducted along with his brother, Eitan Horn, who had been staying with him at the time. Eitan, 37, remains in captivity and is not on the list of hostages expected to be released in the ceasefire's first stage."Now, we can breathe a little. Our Iair is home after surviving hell in Gaza," his family said in a statement. “Now, we need to bring Eitan back so our family can truly breathe.”Dekel Chen had been working outside when militants stormed the kibbutz. His pregnant wife, Avital Dekel Chen, hid in a safe room with their two daughters. She gave birth to their third daughter two months later. Speaking to Israeli media Saturday, she said she was overwhelmed with happiness to see Sagui back in Israel, where he will meet his youngest daughter, Shachar, for the first time.Troufanov, whose father was killed during the Oct. 7 attack, was taken hostage along with his grandmother, mother and girlfriend. The three women were released during a brief ceasefire in November 2023. Troufanov was informed of his father's death after his release, shortly before being reunited with his family, who said they were “overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude” as he crossed into Israeli territory.Of the 369 Palestinians who were being released from Israeli prisons, 36 were serving life sentences, according to the Hamas-linked Prisoners’ Information Office.Among the most prominent is Ahmed Barghouti, 48, a close aide of militant leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-marwan-barghouti-ceasefire-deal-fb3152db0cc4d37683a2019017e34bc1">and iconic Palestinian political figure</a>&nbsp;Marwan Barghouti.Israel sentenced Ahmed Barghouti to life on charges that he dispatched suicide bombers during the Second Intifada, or Palestinian uprising, in the early 2000s to carry out attacks that killed Israeli civilians. He was arrested alongside Marwan Barghouti in 2002.<h2>Concerns are high about the remaining hostages’ condition</h2>Of the 251 people abducted during the Oct. 7 attack, 73 remain in Gaza, around half of whom are believed to be dead. Nearly all the remaining hostages are men, including Israeli soldiers.Concern has been growing about their condition, particularly after the release of three last Saturday, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-ceasefire-hostages-02-08-2025-bf94014ccedeb15b4d235a1df57b563a">emerged looking emaciated</a>&nbsp;and frail.One of them, 65-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-freed-hostages-hamas-gaza-ceasefire-d2cc2f109b96b210f2613bd98fc2b806">Keith Siegel</a>, said Friday in a video message addressed to Trump that his captors treated him worse as the 15-month war intensified, kicking him, spitting on him and holding him without water or light.<h2>The truce remains very fragile</h2>The ceasefire appeared dangerously close to collapse in recent days.Hamas had said it would delay the release of the hostages after accusing Israel of not adhering to their agreement by not allowing in enough shelters, medical supplies, fuel and heavy equipment for clearing rubble. Israel said it would resume fighting Saturday unless hostages were freed.While the immediate crisis may have been averted, the truce faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-ceasefire-draft-terms-hostages-3df21b67620fdc8f62aa1d1e96487880">a much bigger challenge</a>&nbsp;with the deal’s first phase set to conclude in early March. There have not yet been substantive negotiations over the second phase, in which Hamas would release all remaining hostages in return for an end to the war.At its height, the fighting displaced 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million. Hundreds of thousands have since returned to their homes as the ceasefire took hold, though&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-palestinians-return-home-ceasefire-2495de01d4581b92789171cad34b7dce">many found only rubble</a>, buried human remains and unexploded ordnance.The war has killed over 48,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s health Ministry, which does not say how many were fighters. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.<h2>Trump’s plan increases uncertainty</h2>Trump’s proposal to remove some 2 million Palestinians from Gaza and settle them elsewhere in the region&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-trump-gaza-egypt-saudi-2b1af11c18bf7d5d9aedef68aaba4c00">has thrown the truce’s future into further doubt</a>.The idea&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-trump-gaza-netanyahu-169d497ac07760ccb9724bef5982338a">has been welcomed by Israel’s government</a>. But it has been strongly rejected by Palestinians and Arab countries. Human rights groups say it could amount to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-gaza-plan-palestinians-israel-3f12eb51869da2221afbb22b0bcf47ba">war crime under international law</a>.Trump has proposed that once the fighting ends, Israel would transfer control of Gaza to the United States, which would then redevelop it as the “Riviera of the Middle East.”Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right allies are already calling for a resumption of the war after the first phase with the goal of destroying Hamas and implementing Trump’s plan. The militant group&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-ceasefire-hostages-militants-rule-93da074c251d0fcaa395503749e2849e">remains in control of the territory</a>&nbsp;after surviving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-war-aftermath-destruction-4c148d498f3d67a5d6de2107b6a1c966">one of the deadliest and most destructive</a>&nbsp;military campaigns in recent history.Hamas may be unwilling to release any more hostages if it believes the war will resume. The captives are among the only bargaining chips it has left.___Bwaitel reported from Beitunia, West Bank, and Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Waafa Shurafa from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, and Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed.

Hamas releases 3 more hostages including American

TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal jury has convicted a Kansas woman of murdering her husband who was a U.S. Army soldier assigned to Fort Riley, according to the United State's Attorney

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Margaret E. Shafe, 31, was found guilty of murder in the second degree for shooting and killing her husband Greg Shafe in February 2024 at their home on Fort Riley.

Shafe faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Department of Army Criminal Investigation Division, and Fort Riley Fire and Emergency Services are investigating the case.


<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739588332020.png" alt="Shafe photo Shawnee&nbsp; Co." />
 <figcaption>Shafe photo Shawnee&nbsp; Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal jury has convicted a Kansas woman of murdering her husband who was a U.S. Army soldier assigned to Fort Riley, according to the United State's AttorneyAccording to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Margaret E. Shafe, 31, was found guilty of murder in the second degree for shooting and killing her husband Greg Shafe in February 2024 at their home on Fort Riley.Shafe faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Department of Army Criminal Investigation Division, and Fort Riley Fire and Emergency Services are investigating the case.

Jury convicts wife of murdering husband on Fort Riley

WASHINGTON (AP) — The crew of the Army helicopter that collided in midair with an American Airlines jet near Washington, D.C.’s Ronald Reagan National Airport may have had inaccurate altitude readings in the moments before the crash, and also may not have heard key instructions from air traffic controllers to move behind the plane, investigators said Friday.

National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy told reporters that the recording from the Black Hawk helicopter cockpit suggested an incomplete radio transmission may have left the crew without understanding how it should shift position just before the Jan. 29 crash, in which all&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fatal-washington-flight-passengers-ca062f03b729c130058d4f74393dfa31" target="_blank">67 aboard</a>&nbsp;the two aircraft were killed,

“That transmission was interrupted -– it was stepped on,” she said, leaving them unable to hear the words “pass behind the” because the helicopter’s microphone key was pressed at the same moment.

(click here to listen to the full news conference)

Homendy said 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. Investigators believe the crew was wearing night vision goggles throughout the flight.

It will take more than a year to get the final NTSB report on the collision, and Homendy warned reporters that many issues were still being probed.

“We’re only a couple weeks out,” from the crash, she said. “We have a lot of work to do.”

The collision was the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-crashes-history-washington-ee55776ea0c5f9e322fc77ea1ea452d1" target="_blank">deadliest plane crash in the U.S.</a>&nbsp;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.

The collision likely occurred at an altitude of about 325 feet, investigators have said, which would put the Black Hawk above its 200-foot limit for that location.

Cockpit conversations a few minutes before the crash indicated conflicting altitude data, Homendy said, with the helicopter’s pilot calling out that they were then at 300 feet, but the instructor pilot saying it was 400 feet, 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.

The radio altitude at the time of the impact put the Black Hawk at 278 feet, Homendy said.

“But I want to caution, that does not mean that’s what the Black Hawk crew was seeing on the barometric altimeters in the cockpit,” she said.

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

The Army identified the crew as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-crash-helicopter-airliner-army-pilot-50b3e82d8ec3713cc4ae1ac3a327104c" target="_blank">Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach</a>&nbsp;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.

Lobach’s friends and fellow soldiers called her deeply meticulous, “brilliant and fearless.”

The American Airlines jet, which was flying from Wichita, Kansas, and preparing to land at the time of the crash, was piloted by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/plane-crash-kansas-dc-american-airlines-army-4fb9cd89ef9023fa848fc2331b24ee8e" target="_blank">34-year-old Jonathan Campos,</a>&nbsp;whose relatives said had dreamed of flying since he was 3.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fatal-washington-flight-passengers-ca062f03b729c130058d4f74393dfa31">The jet’s passengers</a>&nbsp;ranged from a group of hunters to students and parents from northern Virginia schools to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-helicopter-jet-crash-figure-skaters-391a4c7bd0e617a08d9532a8faab206b" target="_blank">members of the Skating Club of Boston</a>. They were returning from a development camp for elite junior skaters that followed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-figure-skating-championships-winter-olympics-18cdb192224d27ec76c3abaca862ab4a" target="_blank">2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships</a>&nbsp;in Wichita.

Almost immediately after the crash, President Donald Trump publicly faulted the helicopter for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-325edc6c0c2439dd6c1e73a81e382c0e" target="_blank">flying too high</a>. He also blamed federal diversity and inclusion efforts, particularly regarding air traffic controllers. When&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/plane-crash-washington-dc-trump-dei-claims-3ac5486ec594d81e919e8ebbd9733869">pressed</a>&nbsp;by reporters, the president could not back up those claims. A few days later, Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-plane-crash-air-traffic-control-ab195790634af66534a45cdec2d80aa8" target="_blank">placed the blame</a>&nbsp;on what he called an “obsolete” air traffic control system.

Sullivan reported from Minneapolis. Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739539274693.jpeg" alt="NTSB investigators document the wreckage of the involved in the mid-air collision near DCA All major pieces of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) RJ Aviation (Bombardier) CRJ700 and the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk involved in the Jan. 29 mid-air collision near Ronald Reagan National Airport have now been recovered to a secure airport facility for further examination and documentation." />
 <figcaption>NTSB investigators document the wreckage of the involved in the mid-air collision near DCA All major pieces of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) RJ Aviation (Bombardier) CRJ700 and the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk involved in the Jan. 29 mid-air collision near Ronald Reagan National Airport have now been recovered to a secure airport facility for further examination and documentation.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The crew of the Army helicopter that collided in midair with an American Airlines jet near Washington, D.C.’s Ronald Reagan National Airport may have had inaccurate altitude readings in the moments before the crash, and also may not have heard key instructions from air traffic controllers to move behind the plane, investigators said Friday.National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy told reporters that the recording from the Black Hawk helicopter cockpit suggested an incomplete radio transmission may have left the crew without understanding how it should shift position just before the Jan. 29 crash, in which all&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fatal-washington-flight-passengers-ca062f03b729c130058d4f74393dfa31" target="_blank">67 aboard</a>&nbsp;the two aircraft were killed,<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">NTSB Chair <a href="https://twitter.com/JenniferHomendy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JenniferHomendy</a>: &quot;17 seconds before impact, a radio transmission from the tower...directing the Blackhawk to pass behind...the portion of the transmission that stated &#39;pass behind the&#39; may not have been received by the Blackhawk crew.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/jq8QnqBCoc">pic.twitter.com/jq8QnqBCoc</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1890487986220916878?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“That transmission was interrupted -– it was stepped on,” she said, leaving them unable to hear the words “pass behind the” because the helicopter’s microphone key was pressed at the same moment.(click here to listen to the full news conference)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rbJVFLPcbGo?si=N_zKrgwsn6ZYEZE9&amp;start=69" 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><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 helicopter was on a “check” flight that night where the pilot was undergoing an annual test and a test on using night vision goggles. Investigators believe the crew was wearing night vision goggles throughout the flight.<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." />
 <figcaption>The NTSB recovers the debris of a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk involved in a mid-air collision near DCA in Arlington, VA.</figcaption>
 </figure>It will take more than a year to get the final NTSB report on the collision, and Homendy warned reporters that many issues were still being probed.“We’re only a couple weeks out,” from the crash, she said. “We have a lot of work to do.”The collision was the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-crashes-history-washington-ee55776ea0c5f9e322fc77ea1ea452d1" target="_blank">deadliest plane crash in the U.S.</a>&nbsp;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.The collision likely occurred at an altitude of about 325 feet, investigators have said, which would put the Black Hawk above its 200-foot limit for that location.Cockpit conversations a few minutes before the crash indicated conflicting altitude data, Homendy said, with the helicopter’s pilot calling out that they were then at 300 feet, but the instructor pilot saying it was 400 feet, 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.The radio altitude at the time of the impact put the Black Hawk at 278 feet, Homendy said.“But I want to caution, that does not mean that’s what the Black Hawk crew was seeing on the barometric altimeters in the cockpit,” she said.<h2>The victims</h2>The Army has said the Black Hawk crew was highly experienced, and accustomed to the crowded skies aroung the nation’s capital.The Army identified the crew as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-crash-helicopter-airliner-army-pilot-50b3e82d8ec3713cc4ae1ac3a327104c" target="_blank">Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach</a>&nbsp;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.Lobach’s friends and fellow soldiers called her deeply meticulous, “brilliant and fearless.”The American Airlines jet, which was flying from Wichita, Kansas, and preparing to land at the time of the crash, was piloted by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/plane-crash-kansas-dc-american-airlines-army-4fb9cd89ef9023fa848fc2331b24ee8e" target="_blank">34-year-old Jonathan Campos,</a>&nbsp;whose relatives said had dreamed of flying since he was 3.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fatal-washington-flight-passengers-ca062f03b729c130058d4f74393dfa31">The jet’s passengers</a>&nbsp;ranged from a group of hunters to students and parents from northern Virginia schools to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-helicopter-jet-crash-figure-skaters-391a4c7bd0e617a08d9532a8faab206b" target="_blank">members of the Skating Club of Boston</a>. They were returning from a development camp for elite junior skaters that followed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-figure-skating-championships-winter-olympics-18cdb192224d27ec76c3abaca862ab4a" target="_blank">2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships</a>&nbsp;in Wichita.Almost immediately after the crash, President Donald Trump publicly faulted the helicopter for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-325edc6c0c2439dd6c1e73a81e382c0e" target="_blank">flying too high</a>. He also blamed federal diversity and inclusion efforts, particularly regarding air traffic controllers. When&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/plane-crash-washington-dc-trump-dei-claims-3ac5486ec594d81e919e8ebbd9733869">pressed</a>&nbsp;by reporters, the president could not back up those claims. A few days later, Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-plane-crash-air-traffic-control-ab195790634af66534a45cdec2d80aa8" target="_blank">placed the blame</a>&nbsp;on what he called an “obsolete” air traffic control system.___Sullivan reported from Minneapolis. Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, contributed to this report.

🎥NTSB reveals shocking new detail in deadly mid-air crash 

SEDGWICK COUNTY&nbsp;— Authorities&nbsp;have identified the skeletal remains discovered on Dec. 16, in the 4800 block of South Clifton, according to a media release from the Sedgwick County Sheriff's office.

Through positive dental records and clothing, investigators have confirmed the remains belong to 46-year-old Dion Elliott Curry.

 Detectives determined that Curry was homeless and known to frequent the Oaklawn area. He was a registered offender and last reported to the Sheriff’s Office Offender Registration Unit in Jan. 2024. In Apr. 2024, Curry was reported missing to the Wichita Police Department.

As previously stated, a preliminary skeletal examination conducted by an anthropologist showed no signs of trauma, and no foul play is suspected in his death.

Curry had previous convictions in 2005 for felony criminal threat; sexually motivated, attempted aggravated sexual battery and criminal restraint, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

If you knew Curry and had contact with him between Jan. 2024 and Dec. 2024, you are encouraged to contact Detective Michael Clopton at (316) 660-5300.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734472980895.png" alt="Remains found in the 4800 Block of South Clifton -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Remains found in the 4800 Block of South Clifton -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY&nbsp;— Authorities&nbsp;have identified the skeletal remains discovered on Dec. 16, in the 4800 block of South Clifton, according to a media release from the Sedgwick County Sheriff's office.Through positive dental records and clothing, investigators have confirmed the remains belong to 46-year-old Dion Elliott Curry.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739568719532.png" alt="Dion Curry-photo KBI Offender Registry" />
 <figcaption>Dion Curry-photo KBI Offender Registry</figcaption>
 </figure> Detectives determined that Curry was homeless and known to frequent the Oaklawn area. He was a registered offender and last reported to the Sheriff’s Office Offender Registration Unit in Jan. 2024. In Apr. 2024, Curry was reported missing to the Wichita Police Department.As previously stated, a preliminary skeletal examination conducted by an anthropologist showed no signs of trauma, and no foul play is suspected in his death.Curry had previous convictions in 2005 for felony criminal threat; sexually motivated, attempted aggravated sexual battery and criminal restraint, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.If you knew Curry and had contact with him between Jan. 2024 and Dec. 2024, you are encouraged to contact Detective Michael Clopton at (316) 660-5300.

Sheriff’s IDs skeletal remains as registered Kansas sex offender

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man is in jail in connection with his infant son’s fatal fentanyl and methamphetamine poisoning that took place on the 2700 block of Quincy Avenue in Kansas City.

&nbsp;Terry Canady, 33,&nbsp; has been charged&nbsp;with Endangering the Welfare of a Child in the 1st Degree, Abuse or Neglect of a Child, and two counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.

"We're seeing too many of our children's lives cut short due to negligence and substance misuse in our community.&nbsp;<a href="https://dss.mo.gov/re/pdf/fentanyl-report-may-2024.pdf">In our state in 2022</a>, 43 children lost their lives due to fentanyl and of those, 20 were under the age of five.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2501/CanadyTerry-PC_Redacted">According to court records</a>, on January 28, Kansas City police were dispatched to a residence regarding an infant. The infant was later pronounced deceased. When officers searched the residence, they located a clear plastic torn baggie containing an unknown white substance inside, which later tested positive for methamphetamine. Camera footage also captured the defendant throwing away items into trash bins, later determined to be drug equipment with residue that tested positive for fentanyl.&nbsp;

Witnesses told police the defendant uses and sells methamphetamine and fentanyl.&nbsp;The Jackson County Medical Examiner’s report revealed the victim tested positive for fentanyl and methamphetamine. &nbsp;

The defendant is being held on no bond.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739282680424.png" alt="Canady photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Canady photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man is in jail in connection with his infant son’s fatal fentanyl and methamphetamine poisoning that took place on the 2700 block of Quincy Avenue in Kansas City.&nbsp;Terry Canady, 33,&nbsp; has been charged&nbsp;with Endangering the Welfare of a Child in the 1st Degree, Abuse or Neglect of a Child, and two counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson."We're seeing too many of our children's lives cut short due to negligence and substance misuse in our community.&nbsp;<a href="https://dss.mo.gov/re/pdf/fentanyl-report-may-2024.pdf">In our state in 2022</a>, 43 children lost their lives due to fentanyl and of those, 20 were under the age of five.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2501/CanadyTerry-PC_Redacted">According to court records</a>, on January 28, Kansas City police were dispatched to a residence regarding an infant. The infant was later pronounced deceased. When officers searched the residence, they located a clear plastic torn baggie containing an unknown white substance inside, which later tested positive for methamphetamine. Camera footage also captured the defendant throwing away items into trash bins, later determined to be drug equipment with residue that tested positive for fentanyl.&nbsp;Witnesses told police the defendant uses and sells methamphetamine and fentanyl.&nbsp;The Jackson County Medical Examiner’s report revealed the victim tested positive for fentanyl and methamphetamine. &nbsp;The defendant is being held on no bond.&nbsp;

Kansas City man accused of infant son's fatal fentanyl death

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

LIBERTY, Mo. (AP) — An 86-year-old Kansas City man pleaded guilty Friday to a lesser charge in the 2023 shooting of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ralph-yarl-kansas-city-wrong-door-b27aaabdb132fcb1544c97f7161f0027">Ralph Yarl</a>, a Black honor student who rang the white man’s doorbell by mistake.

Andrew Lester was scheduled to stand trial next week on charges of first-degree assault and armed criminal action in the shooting of the then-16-year-old, who survived and has since graduated from high school.

As part of a plea deal, Lester pleaded guilty to second-degree assault, a charge that Judge David Chamberlain said carried a sentence of one to seven years. Lester, who will be sentenced on March 7, was hunched over as he was wheeled into the courtroom, his hands folded.

Yarl and his mother, Cleo Nagbe, sat in the front row during the hearing.

In a statement issued after Lester's plea, Nagbe thanked her family's supporters who “saw Ralph’s humanity, and rejected a world where fear and prejudice endanger innocent lives.”

“While this marks a step toward accountability, true justice requires consequences that reflect the severity of his actions — anything less would be a failure to recognize the harm he has caused,” she said.

Under the first-degree assault charge, Lester was facing a potential sentence of between 15 and 30 years behind bars, depending on the circumstances. One of the key elements of second-degree assault is that defendants “have the burden of injecting the issue of influence of sudden passion arising from adequate cause.”

“This is probably perceived as some middle ground, and the heat of passion would be what was the motivation for the shooting,” said J.R. Hobbs, a Kansas City defense attorney who is not involved in the case. “If he was afraid or whatever, it may not rise to a full defense. The parties might agree to that because on one hand, it’s a felony conviction — no trial, no possible appeal. On the other hand, with a lesser statutory limit, the defendant’s exposure is less as well.”

Yarl showed up on Lester’s doorstep on the night of April 13, 2023, after he mixed up the streets where he was supposed to pick up his twin siblings.

Lester’s attorney, Steve Salmon, has long argued that Lester was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ralph-yarl-shooting-stand-your-ground-69f91b0a09b25f9758219897f5890278">acting in self-defense</a>&nbsp;and that he was terrified by the stranger who knocked on his door as he settled into bed. Authorities say Lester shot Yarl twice: first in the head, then in the arm.

The shooting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-guns-kansas-city-yarl-695a103f9fcbb6b441a7f021cf424c1a">shocked the country</a>&nbsp;and renewed national debate about gun policies and race in the U.S.

Yarl testified at an earlier hearing that he rang the bell and then waited for someone to answer for what seemed “longer than normal.” As the inner door opened, Yarl said, he reached out to grab the storm door.

“I assume these are my brothers’ friends’ parents,” he said.

He said Lester shot him in the head and uttered, “Don’t come here ever again.” Although the bullet didn’t penetrate Yarl’s brain, the impact knocked him to the ground. Yarl said Lester then shot him in the arm. The teen was taken to the hospital and released three days later.

His family said the shooting took a big emotional toll and they have filed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ralph-yarl-wrong-house-missouri-lawsuit-d97c54d302212b002351bb72bd7e2562">a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;against the retired aircraft mechanic.

Salmon said last year that Lester’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ralph-yarl-wrong-house-missouri-mental-competence-8fa61b24a186e9923fd12ae831b071b0">physical and mental condition had deteriorated</a>. He said Lester has had heart issues, a broken hip and has been hospitalized. Lester also has lost 50 pounds (23 kilograms), which Salmon blamed on the stress of intense media coverage and death threats he subsequently received.

A judge had previously ordered a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ralph-yarl-wrong-house-missouri-mental-competence-0b1fbf93520507011305c40787d482ac">mental evaluation</a>&nbsp;of Lester but allowed for the trial to proceed after its completion. The results of that evaluation were not released publicly.

Associated Press writer Kia Breaux contributed from Kansas City, Missouri.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681726215314.png" alt="Ralph Yarl photo GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>Ralph Yarl photo GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22HEATHER%20HOLLINGSWORTH%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH &nbsp;Associated Press</a>LIBERTY, Mo. (AP) — An 86-year-old Kansas City man pleaded guilty Friday to a lesser charge in the 2023 shooting of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ralph-yarl-kansas-city-wrong-door-b27aaabdb132fcb1544c97f7161f0027">Ralph Yarl</a>, a Black honor student who rang the white man’s doorbell by mistake.Andrew Lester was scheduled to stand trial next week on charges of first-degree assault and armed criminal action in the shooting of the then-16-year-old, who survived and has since graduated from high school.As part of a plea deal, Lester pleaded guilty to second-degree assault, a charge that Judge David Chamberlain said carried a sentence of one to seven years. Lester, who will be sentenced on March 7, was hunched over as he was wheeled into the courtroom, his hands folded.Yarl and his mother, Cleo Nagbe, sat in the front row during the hearing.In a statement issued after Lester's plea, Nagbe thanked her family's supporters who “saw Ralph’s humanity, and rejected a world where fear and prejudice endanger innocent lives.”“While this marks a step toward accountability, true justice requires consequences that reflect the severity of his actions — anything less would be a failure to recognize the harm he has caused,” she said.Under the first-degree assault charge, Lester was facing a potential sentence of between 15 and 30 years behind bars, depending on the circumstances. One of the key elements of second-degree assault is that defendants “have the burden of injecting the issue of influence of sudden passion arising from adequate cause.”“This is probably perceived as some middle ground, and the heat of passion would be what was the motivation for the shooting,” said J.R. Hobbs, a Kansas City defense attorney who is not involved in the case. “If he was afraid or whatever, it may not rise to a full defense. The parties might agree to that because on one hand, it’s a felony conviction — no trial, no possible appeal. On the other hand, with a lesser statutory limit, the defendant’s exposure is less as well.”Yarl showed up on Lester’s doorstep on the night of April 13, 2023, after he mixed up the streets where he was supposed to pick up his twin siblings.Lester’s attorney, Steve Salmon, has long argued that Lester was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ralph-yarl-shooting-stand-your-ground-69f91b0a09b25f9758219897f5890278">acting in self-defense</a>&nbsp;and that he was terrified by the stranger who knocked on his door as he settled into bed. Authorities say Lester shot Yarl twice: first in the head, then in the arm.The shooting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-guns-kansas-city-yarl-695a103f9fcbb6b441a7f021cf424c1a">shocked the country</a>&nbsp;and renewed national debate about gun policies and race in the U.S.Yarl testified at an earlier hearing that he rang the bell and then waited for someone to answer for what seemed “longer than normal.” As the inner door opened, Yarl said, he reached out to grab the storm door.“I assume these are my brothers’ friends’ parents,” he said.He said Lester shot him in the head and uttered, “Don’t come here ever again.” Although the bullet didn’t penetrate Yarl’s brain, the impact knocked him to the ground. Yarl said Lester then shot him in the arm. The teen was taken to the hospital and released three days later.His family said the shooting took a big emotional toll and they have filed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ralph-yarl-wrong-house-missouri-lawsuit-d97c54d302212b002351bb72bd7e2562">a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;against the retired aircraft mechanic.Salmon said last year that Lester’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ralph-yarl-wrong-house-missouri-mental-competence-8fa61b24a186e9923fd12ae831b071b0">physical and mental condition had deteriorated</a>. He said Lester has had heart issues, a broken hip and has been hospitalized. Lester also has lost 50 pounds (23 kilograms), which Salmon blamed on the stress of intense media coverage and death threats he subsequently received.A judge had previously ordered a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ralph-yarl-wrong-house-missouri-mental-competence-0b1fbf93520507011305c40787d482ac">mental evaluation</a>&nbsp;of Lester but allowed for the trial to proceed after its completion. The results of that evaluation were not released publicly.___Associated Press writer Kia Breaux contributed from Kansas City, Missouri.

Plea Deal: KC homeowner shot teen who rang the wrong doorbell

WASHINGTON —The U.S. Army will no longer allow transgender individuals to join the military.&nbsp; The announcement came on social media Friday afternoon.

The Army will also stop performing or facilitating procedures associated with gender transition for service members.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Army and the JAG Corps is in compliance with President Trump's&nbsp;executive orders and orders from the Secretary of Defense.

WASHINGTON —The U.S. Army will no longer allow transgender individuals to join the military.&nbsp; The announcement came on social media Friday afternoon.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/USArmy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#USArmy</a> will no longer allow transgender individuals to join the military and will stop performing or facilitating procedures associated with gender transition for service members. Stay tuned for more details.&mdash; U.S. Army (@USArmy) <a href="https://twitter.com/USArmy/status/1890490320313286788?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Army will also stop performing or facilitating procedures associated with gender transition for service members.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Army and the JAG Corps is in compliance with President Trump's&nbsp;executive orders and orders from the Secretary of Defense.

U.S. Army announcement on transgenders in the military

GEARY COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) updated on the investigation into a juvenile’s death at the North Central Kansas Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Junction City, Kansas, according to a media release from the agency.

KBI agents interviewed detention center employees and youth corrections officers about what happened on Nov. 5, and their interactions with the 17-year-old while he was at the facility. The teen had been living at the detention center since August.

The final autopsy report determined the teen’s cause of death was combined intoxication by buprenorphine, norbuprenorphine, hydroxyzine, quetiapine, and trazodone. These medications were prescribed to the juvenile. Contributing factors to his death were listed as cardiomegaly, obesity and asthma. His manner of death was ruled an accident.

The Kansas State Child Death Review Board reviews all child fatalities that occur in Kansas, and will evaluate this case.

GEARY COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) updated on the investigation into a juvenile’s death at the North Central Kansas Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Junction City, Kansas, according to a media release from the agency.KBI agents interviewed detention center employees and youth corrections officers about what happened on Nov. 5, and their interactions with the 17-year-old while he was at the facility. The teen had been living at the detention center since August.The final autopsy report determined the teen’s cause of death was combined intoxication by buprenorphine, norbuprenorphine, hydroxyzine, quetiapine, and trazodone. These medications were prescribed to the juvenile. Contributing factors to his death were listed as cardiomegaly, obesity and asthma. His manner of death was ruled an accident.The Kansas State Child Death Review Board reviews all child fatalities that occur in Kansas, and will evaluate this case.

KBI reveals cause of death of teen at juvenile detention facility

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

(Click below to hear a portion of Kennedy's comments)

Nearly all Republicans fell in line behind Trump despite hesitancy over Kennedy’s views on vaccines, voting 52-48 to elevate the scion of one of America’s most storied political — and Democratic — families to secretary of the Health and Human Services Department. Democrats unanimously opposed Kennedy.

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

“I’m a survivor of childhood polio. In my lifetime, I’ve watched vaccines save millions of lives from devastating diseases across America and around the world," McConnell said in a statement afterward. “I will not condone the re-litigation of proven cures, and neither will millions of Americans who credit their survival and quality of life to scientific miracles.”

The rest of the GOP, however, has embraced Kennedy’s vision with a directive for the nation's public health agencies to focus on chronic diseases such as obesity.

“We've got to get into the business of making America healthy again,” said Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, adding that Kennedy will bring a “fresh perspective” to the office.

Kennedy — joined by his wife, other family members and several members of Congress — was sworn in Thursday afternoon in the Oval Office by Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, hours after confirmation. He said he'd first been there in 1961, and told stories of seeing his uncle, President John F. Kennedy, there as a child.

Trump announced that Kennedy will lead a new commission on making America healthy again, and Kennedy said Trump has been a blessing in his life and will be for the country, calling him a “pivotal historical figure.”

Kennedy, 71, whose name and family tragedies have put him in the national spotlight since he was a child, has earned a formidable following with his populist and sometimes extreme views on food, chemicals and vaccines.

His audience only grew&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-pandemics-race-and-ethnicity-d140be878b1ef0c5a5cce3cfde71e69c">during the COVID-19 pandemic</a>, when Kennedy devoted much of his time to a nonprofit that sued vaccine makers and harnessed social media campaigns to erode trust in vaccines as well as the government agencies that promote them.

With Trump's backing, Kennedy insisted he was “uniquely positioned” to revive trust in those public health agencies, which include the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes for Health.

Last week, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he hoped Kennedy “goes wild” in reining in health care costs and improving Americans' health. But before agreeing to support Kennedy, potential holdout&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cabinet-kennedy-rfk-health-secretary-vote-842455e48b1f9b79fb2312937dff29f6">Sen. Bill Cassidy</a>, R-La., a doctor who leads the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, required assurances that Kennedy would not make changes to existing vaccine recommendations.

During Senate hearings, Democrats tried to prod Kennedy to deny a long-discredited theory that vaccines cause autism. Some lawmakers also raised alarms about Kennedy financially benefiting from changing vaccine guidelines or weakening federal lawsuit protections against vaccine makers.

Kennedy made more than $850,000 last year from an arrangement referring clients to a law firm that has sued the makers of Gardasil, a human papillomavirus vaccine that protects against cervical cancer. If confirmed as health secretary, he promised to reroute fees collected from the arrangement to his son.

Kennedy will take over the agency in the midst of a massive federal government shakeup, led by billionaire Elon Musk, that has shut off — even if temporarily — billions of taxpayer dollars in public health funding and left thousands of federal workers unsure about their jobs.

On Friday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-academic-research-funding-cuts-lawsuit-nih-fcdad42b9623305dd7ad8db4cff5fc1d">the NIH announced</a>&nbsp;it would cap billions of dollars in medical research given to universities and cancer being used to develop treatments for diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's.

Kennedy, too, has called for a staffing overhaul at the NIH, FDA and CDC. Last year, he promised to fire 600 employees at the NIH, the nation's largest funder of biomedical research.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739533478644.png" alt="Marshall and RFK Jr. in the Oval Office following the ceremony-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Marshall and RFK Jr. in the Oval Office following the ceremony-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-f-kennedy-jr">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;was sworn in Thursday as President Donald Trump’s health secretary after a close Senate vote, putting the prominent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-vaccine-trump-science-autism-9b99621b01f11b7f0bdc81e5a0b82d2b">vaccine skeptic</a>&nbsp;in control of $1.7 trillion in federal spending,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-f-kennedy-vaccines-trump-rfkjr-7f8dcb25de76a5a70710d22bbc63f6fa">vaccine recommendations</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-vaccines-food-additives-pharmaceuticals-trump-797750f5f141161778792e84602b57c8">food safety</a>&nbsp;as well as health insurance programs for roughly half the country.(Click below to hear a portion of Kennedy's comments)<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">I was honored to attend <a href="https://twitter.com/RobertKennedyJr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RobertKennedyJr</a>’s swearing-in with my fellow <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MAHA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MAHA</a> champions in Congress. Now, it’s time to get to work and Make America Healthy Again! 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/VwTIPaIiUx">pic.twitter.com/VwTIPaIiUx</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1890156400279683351?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/RobertKennedyJr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RobertKennedyJr</a> is going to lead a great national mission to MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN... I think he&#39;s going to do things that will really make us very proud.&quot; –President Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/RhP0SU7DFD">pic.twitter.com/RhP0SU7DFD</a>&mdash; President Donald J. Trump (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1890155130735235481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Nearly all Republicans fell in line behind Trump despite hesitancy over Kennedy’s views on vaccines, voting 52-48 to elevate the scion of one of America’s most storied political — and Democratic — families to secretary of the Health and Human Services Department. Democrats unanimously opposed Kennedy.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-vaccines-mcconnell-polio-f7b7ffbc4ea2b274df658c85374a7a7f">Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell</a>, who had polio as a child, was the only “no” vote among Republicans, mirroring his stands against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/trump-cabinet-confirmation-tracker/">Trump's picks</a>&nbsp;for the Pentagon chief and director of national intelligence.“I’m a survivor of childhood polio. In my lifetime, I’ve watched vaccines save millions of lives from devastating diseases across America and around the world," McConnell said in a statement afterward. “I will not condone the re-litigation of proven cures, and neither will millions of Americans who credit their survival and quality of life to scientific miracles.”The rest of the GOP, however, has embraced Kennedy’s vision with a directive for the nation's public health agencies to focus on chronic diseases such as obesity.“We've got to get into the business of making America healthy again,” said Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, adding that Kennedy will bring a “fresh perspective” to the office.Kennedy — joined by his wife, other family members and several members of Congress — was sworn in Thursday afternoon in the Oval Office by Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, hours after confirmation. He said he'd first been there in 1961, and told stories of seeing his uncle, President John F. Kennedy, there as a child.Trump announced that Kennedy will lead a new commission on making America healthy again, and Kennedy said Trump has been a blessing in his life and will be for the country, calling him a “pivotal historical figure.”Kennedy, 71, whose name and family tragedies have put him in the national spotlight since he was a child, has earned a formidable following with his populist and sometimes extreme views on food, chemicals and vaccines.His audience only grew&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-pandemics-race-and-ethnicity-d140be878b1ef0c5a5cce3cfde71e69c">during the COVID-19 pandemic</a>, when Kennedy devoted much of his time to a nonprofit that sued vaccine makers and harnessed social media campaigns to erode trust in vaccines as well as the government agencies that promote them.With Trump's backing, Kennedy insisted he was “uniquely positioned” to revive trust in those public health agencies, which include the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes for Health.Last week, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he hoped Kennedy “goes wild” in reining in health care costs and improving Americans' health. But before agreeing to support Kennedy, potential holdout&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cabinet-kennedy-rfk-health-secretary-vote-842455e48b1f9b79fb2312937dff29f6">Sen. Bill Cassidy</a>, R-La., a doctor who leads the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, required assurances that Kennedy would not make changes to existing vaccine recommendations.During Senate hearings, Democrats tried to prod Kennedy to deny a long-discredited theory that vaccines cause autism. Some lawmakers also raised alarms about Kennedy financially benefiting from changing vaccine guidelines or weakening federal lawsuit protections against vaccine makers.Kennedy made more than $850,000 last year from an arrangement referring clients to a law firm that has sued the makers of Gardasil, a human papillomavirus vaccine that protects against cervical cancer. If confirmed as health secretary, he promised to reroute fees collected from the arrangement to his son.Kennedy will take over the agency in the midst of a massive federal government shakeup, led by billionaire Elon Musk, that has shut off — even if temporarily — billions of taxpayer dollars in public health funding and left thousands of federal workers unsure about their jobs.On Friday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-academic-research-funding-cuts-lawsuit-nih-fcdad42b9623305dd7ad8db4cff5fc1d">the NIH announced</a>&nbsp;it would cap billions of dollars in medical research given to universities and cancer being used to develop treatments for diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's.Kennedy, too, has called for a staffing overhaul at the NIH, FDA and CDC. Last year, he promised to fire 600 employees at the NIH, the nation's largest funder of biomedical research.___

🎥RFK Jr. thanks Kan. U.S. Senator during swearing in ceremony

JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas teen is going to prison for a fight and a shooting with a police officer's gun at the Oak Park Mall in Overland Park.

On Feb. 10, Judge Neil Foth sentenced 18-year-old&nbsp;Nery Alberto Gonzalez-Munoz to 34 months in prison, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office. The sentence includes 17-months for 2 counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and 12 months for misdemeanor theft. The sentence for counts 1 and 2 are to run consecutively. The sentence for theft is to run concurrently.

Just before 4:30p.m. Nov 12, 2023, police responded to an armed disturbance at the Oak Park Mall in 11400 block of W.95th in Overland Park, according to Officer John Lacy.

As Gonzalez-Munoz and a 17-year-old suspect were trying to exit the mall near the food court, three plain clothes detectives identified themselves and attempted to apprehend them.

During the arrest Gonzalez-Munoz resisted arrest, a struggle occurred, and he was able to obtain one of the detective’s issued firearms.

Gonzalez-Munoz was able to pull the trigger, firing one shot. Police quickly arrested him. The other suspect ran north of the mall and was immediately apprehended. No one was injured in this incident.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732394078923.png" alt="Police on the scene of the disturbance -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the disturbance -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas teen is going to prison for a fight and a shooting with a police officer's gun at the Oak Park Mall in Overland Park.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700012719162.png" alt="Gonzalez-Munoz photo Johnson County" />
 <figcaption>Gonzalez-Munoz photo Johnson County</figcaption>
 </figure>On Feb. 10, Judge Neil Foth sentenced 18-year-old&nbsp;Nery Alberto Gonzalez-Munoz to 34 months in prison, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office. The sentence includes 17-months for 2 counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and 12 months for misdemeanor theft. The sentence for counts 1 and 2 are to run consecutively. The sentence for theft is to run concurrently.Just before 4:30p.m. Nov 12, 2023, police responded to an armed disturbance at the Oak Park Mall in 11400 block of W.95th in Overland Park, according to Officer John Lacy.As Gonzalez-Munoz and a 17-year-old suspect were trying to exit the mall near the food court, three plain clothes detectives identified themselves and attempted to apprehend them.During the arrest Gonzalez-Munoz resisted arrest, a struggle occurred, and he was able to obtain one of the detective’s issued firearms.Gonzalez-Munoz was able to pull the trigger, firing one shot. Police quickly arrested him. The other suspect ran north of the mall and was immediately apprehended. No one was injured in this incident.

Prison for Kan. teen after fight with officers at shopping mall

HONG KONG (AP) — TikTok has returned to the app stores of Apple and Google in the U.S., after President Donald Trump delayed the enforcement of a TikTok ban.

TikTok, which is operated by Chinese technology firm ByteDance, was removed from Apple and Google’s app stores on Jan. 18 to comply with a law that requires ByteDance to divest the app or be banned in the U.S.

The popular social media app, which has over 170 million American users, previously suspended its services in the U.S. for a day before restoring service following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-trump-biden-china-bdc79b7ce741a81761f67ea56d410103">assurances from Trump</a>&nbsp;that he would postpone banning the app. The TikTok service suspension briefly prompted thousands of users to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-xiaohongshu-tiktok-ban-refugees-c7f440803128ef50f0ade44d16068f01">migrate to RedNote</a>, a Chinese social media app, while calling themselves “TikTok refugees.”

The TikTok app became available to download again in the U.S. Apple App store and Google Play store after nearly a month. On Trump’s first day in office, he signed an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tiktok-ban-executive-order-50df1f96c25576762b65e24b63ce61eb">executive order</a>&nbsp;to extend the enforcement of a ban on TikTok to April 5

Asked by reporters on Thursday for any updates on negotiations to keep TikTok alive in the U.S., Trump said the deadline for a sale that he imposed could be pushed further.

“I have 90 days from about two weeks ago and I’m sure it can be extended but let’s see, I don’t think you’ll need to,” he said.

TikTok has long faced troubles in the U.S., with the U.S. government claiming that its Chinese ownership and access to the data of millions of Americans makes it a national security risk.

TikTok has denied allegations that it has shared U.S. user data at the behest of the Chinese government, and argued that the law requiring it to be divested or banned violates the First Amendment rights of its American users.

During Trump’s first term in office, he supported banning TikTok but later changed his mind, claiming that he had a “warm spot” for the app. TikTok CEO Shou Chew was among the attendees at Trump’s inauguration ceremony.

Trump has suggested that TikTok could be jointly owned, with half of its ownership being American. Potential buyers include real estate mogul Frank McCourt, Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary and popular YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, also known as MrBeast.

HONG KONG (AP) — TikTok has returned to the app stores of Apple and Google in the U.S., after President Donald Trump delayed the enforcement of a TikTok ban.TikTok, which is operated by Chinese technology firm ByteDance, was removed from Apple and Google’s app stores on Jan. 18 to comply with a law that requires ByteDance to divest the app or be banned in the U.S.The popular social media app, which has over 170 million American users, previously suspended its services in the U.S. for a day before restoring service following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-trump-biden-china-bdc79b7ce741a81761f67ea56d410103">assurances from Trump</a>&nbsp;that he would postpone banning the app. The TikTok service suspension briefly prompted thousands of users to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-xiaohongshu-tiktok-ban-refugees-c7f440803128ef50f0ade44d16068f01">migrate to RedNote</a>, a Chinese social media app, while calling themselves “TikTok refugees.”The TikTok app became available to download again in the U.S. Apple App store and Google Play store after nearly a month. On Trump’s first day in office, he signed an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tiktok-ban-executive-order-50df1f96c25576762b65e24b63ce61eb">executive order</a>&nbsp;to extend the enforcement of a ban on TikTok to April 5Asked by reporters on Thursday for any updates on negotiations to keep TikTok alive in the U.S., Trump said the deadline for a sale that he imposed could be pushed further.“I have 90 days from about two weeks ago and I’m sure it can be extended but let’s see, I don’t think you’ll need to,” he said.TikTok has long faced troubles in the U.S., with the U.S. government claiming that its Chinese ownership and access to the data of millions of Americans makes it a national security risk.TikTok has denied allegations that it has shared U.S. user data at the behest of the Chinese government, and argued that the law requiring it to be divested or banned violates the First Amendment rights of its American users.During Trump’s first term in office, he supported banning TikTok but later changed his mind, claiming that he had a “warm spot” for the app. TikTok CEO Shou Chew was among the attendees at Trump’s inauguration ceremony.Trump has suggested that TikTok could be jointly owned, with half of its ownership being American. Potential buyers include real estate mogul Frank McCourt, Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary and popular YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, also known as MrBeast.

Trump: Delay on enforcement of TikTok ban could be extended

PUNTA ARENAS, Chile (AP) — A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-humpback-whale-no-tail-6977da73d909b328f384a964296be0c2">humpback whale</a>&nbsp;briefly swallowed a kayaker off Chilean Patagonia before quickly releasing him unharmed. The incident, caught on camera, quickly went viral.

Last Saturday, Adrián Simancas was kayaking with his father, Dell, in Bahía El Águila near the San Isidro Lighthouse in the Strait of Magellan when a humpback whale surfaced, engulfing Adrián and his yellow kayak for a few seconds before letting him go.

Dell, just meters (yards) away, captured the moment on video while encouraging his son to stay calm.

“Stay calm, stay calm,” he can be heard saying after his son was released from the whale’s mouth.

“I thought I was dead,” Adrián told The Associated Press. “I thought it had eaten me, that it had swallowed me.”

He described the “terror” of those few seconds and explained that his real fear set in only after resurfacing, fearing that the huge animal would hurt his father or that he would perish in the frigid waters.

Despite the terrifying experience, Dell remained focused, filming and reassuring his son while grappling with his own worry.

“When I came up and started floating, I was scared that something might happen to my father too, that we wouldn’t reach the shore in time, or that I would get hypothermia,” Adrián said.

After a few seconds in the water, Adrián managed to reach his father’s kayak and was quickly assisted. Despite the scare, both returned to shore uninjured.

Located about 1,600 miles (3,000 kilometers) south of Santiago, Chile’s capital, the Strait of Magellan is a major tourist attraction in the Chilean Patagonia, known for adventure activities.

Its frigid waters pose a challenge for sailors, swimmers and explorers who attempt to cross it in different ways.

Although it’s summer in the Southern Hemisphere, temperatures in the region remain cool, with minimums dropping to 39 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) and highs rarely exceeding 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius.)

While whale attacks on humans are extremely rare in Chilean waters, whale deaths from collisions with cargo ships have increased in recent years, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/whale-zealand-spade-toothed-beaked-stranding-conservation-643f3b1ad1acfba9bff73837a86a4ef1">strandings have become a recurring issue</a>&nbsp;in the last decade.

PUNTA ARENAS, Chile (AP) — A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-humpback-whale-no-tail-6977da73d909b328f384a964296be0c2">humpback whale</a>&nbsp;briefly swallowed a kayaker off Chilean Patagonia before quickly releasing him unharmed. The incident, caught on camera, quickly went viral.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Humpback whale swallows kayaker off Chile before releasing him. <a href="https://t.co/UuUatMGUxN">pic.twitter.com/UuUatMGUxN</a>&mdash; The Associated Press (@AP) <a href="https://twitter.com/AP/status/1890185435009212605?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Last Saturday, Adrián Simancas was kayaking with his father, Dell, in Bahía El Águila near the San Isidro Lighthouse in the Strait of Magellan when a humpback whale surfaced, engulfing Adrián and his yellow kayak for a few seconds before letting him go.Dell, just meters (yards) away, captured the moment on video while encouraging his son to stay calm.“Stay calm, stay calm,” he can be heard saying after his son was released from the whale’s mouth.“I thought I was dead,” Adrián told The Associated Press. “I thought it had eaten me, that it had swallowed me.”He described the “terror” of those few seconds and explained that his real fear set in only after resurfacing, fearing that the huge animal would hurt his father or that he would perish in the frigid waters.Despite the terrifying experience, Dell remained focused, filming and reassuring his son while grappling with his own worry.“When I came up and started floating, I was scared that something might happen to my father too, that we wouldn’t reach the shore in time, or that I would get hypothermia,” Adrián said.After a few seconds in the water, Adrián managed to reach his father’s kayak and was quickly assisted. Despite the scare, both returned to shore uninjured.Located about 1,600 miles (3,000 kilometers) south of Santiago, Chile’s capital, the Strait of Magellan is a major tourist attraction in the Chilean Patagonia, known for adventure activities.Its frigid waters pose a challenge for sailors, swimmers and explorers who attempt to cross it in different ways.Although it’s summer in the Southern Hemisphere, temperatures in the region remain cool, with minimums dropping to 39 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) and highs rarely exceeding 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius.)While whale attacks on humans are extremely rare in Chilean waters, whale deaths from collisions with cargo ships have increased in recent years, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/whale-zealand-spade-toothed-beaked-stranding-conservation-643f3b1ad1acfba9bff73837a86a4ef1">strandings have become a recurring issue</a>&nbsp;in the last decade.____

🎥Whale gulps in kayaker and it's all captured on camera

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ghills/">GRACE HILLS</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Roberta Jackson was physically abused by a man who had an extensive history of hurting women in at least seven other states.

Jackson said offenders develop a “God complex” when they receive a “slap on the wrist” as a consequence of their violence. Jackson attends regular therapy and struggles with trauma.

“This trauma is not easily moved on from,” Jackson said. “I work three jobs just so I don’t have to think or feel or cry or scream because it is so hard. I have good days and bad days. I still have nerve damage on my scalp just above where I had my stitches.”

She testified Monday to the House Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee on legislation that would strengthen penalties for repeat offenders of domestic violence.

“I, as a domestic violence survivor, plead to you to consider this bill,” Jackson said. “Victims need to know that there is hope for justice for them.”

<a href="https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2192/" target="_blank">House Bill 2192</a>&nbsp;would limit work release for second- or third-time domestic battery offenders, if their previous offense was committed within five years. Under current law, second- and third-time offenders are allowed work release after 48 hours. The bill would up that to 45 days for second-time offenders, and 90 days for third-time offenders.&nbsp;

William Hurst, assistant district attorney for Johnson County, said that while a first-time domestic battery conviction requires a jail sentence of at least 48 hours, that time is rarely served.&nbsp;

“The basic question before this committee is whether 48 hours of actual jail time is sufficient for an offender who has committed multiple, violent crimes within a short period of time,” Hurst said.&nbsp;

Supporters of the bill hope it leads to mandatory minimum sentences for a first offense of domestic battery, but they see this as a step in the right direction.&nbsp;

The House committee also heard testimony on a bill that would increase additional criminal penalties for fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer based on the circumstances of the offense.&nbsp;

Emily Brandt, representing the Kansas State Board of Indigents’ Defense Services, opposed both bills.&nbsp;

Brandt said in cases where an offender harmed a significant other, the restricted work leave would unintentionally harm the victim as well. She pointed to the high level of domestic violence cases where the offenders and victims share children, and rates of poverty. Brandt also pointed to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/249845.pdf" target="_blank">a study by the National Institute of Justice</a>&nbsp;that found offenders who participate in work release programs are less likely to reoffend.&nbsp;

“Not all offenders are the same,” Brandt said. “Some offenders need more heightened supervision than other offenders. Some of them need more heightened intervention than other offenders. Some of them possibly need more incarceration time than other offenders. This bill takes that discretion away from district court judges.”&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739541321530.png" alt=" Roberta Jackson, a domestic battery survivor, speaks during a Feb. 10, 2025, hearing in support of a bill that would limit work release for repeat domestic battery offenders. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Roberta Jackson, a domestic battery survivor, speaks during a Feb. 10, 2025, hearing in support of a bill that would limit work release for repeat domestic battery offenders. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ghills/">GRACE HILLS</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Roberta Jackson was physically abused by a man who had an extensive history of hurting women in at least seven other states.Jackson said offenders develop a “God complex” when they receive a “slap on the wrist” as a consequence of their violence. Jackson attends regular therapy and struggles with trauma.“This trauma is not easily moved on from,” Jackson said. “I work three jobs just so I don’t have to think or feel or cry or scream because it is so hard. I have good days and bad days. I still have nerve damage on my scalp just above where I had my stitches.”She testified Monday to the House Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee on legislation that would strengthen penalties for repeat offenders of domestic violence.“I, as a domestic violence survivor, plead to you to consider this bill,” Jackson said. “Victims need to know that there is hope for justice for them.”<a href="https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2192/" target="_blank">House Bill 2192</a>&nbsp;would limit work release for second- or third-time domestic battery offenders, if their previous offense was committed within five years. Under current law, second- and third-time offenders are allowed work release after 48 hours. The bill would up that to 45 days for second-time offenders, and 90 days for third-time offenders.&nbsp;William Hurst, assistant district attorney for Johnson County, said that while a first-time domestic battery conviction requires a jail sentence of at least 48 hours, that time is rarely served.&nbsp;“The basic question before this committee is whether 48 hours of actual jail time is sufficient for an offender who has committed multiple, violent crimes within a short period of time,” Hurst said.&nbsp;Supporters of the bill hope it leads to mandatory minimum sentences for a first offense of domestic battery, but they see this as a step in the right direction.&nbsp;The House committee also heard testimony on a bill that would increase additional criminal penalties for fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer based on the circumstances of the offense.&nbsp;Emily Brandt, representing the Kansas State Board of Indigents’ Defense Services, opposed both bills.&nbsp;Brandt said in cases where an offender harmed a significant other, the restricted work leave would unintentionally harm the victim as well. She pointed to the high level of domestic violence cases where the offenders and victims share children, and rates of poverty. Brandt also pointed to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/249845.pdf" target="_blank">a study by the National Institute of Justice</a>&nbsp;that found offenders who participate in work release programs are less likely to reoffend.&nbsp;“Not all offenders are the same,” Brandt said. “Some offenders need more heightened supervision than other offenders. Some of them need more heightened intervention than other offenders. Some of them possibly need more incarceration time than other offenders. This bill takes that discretion away from district court judges.”&nbsp;Brandt was the only in-person opponent to the bill. One person submitted a neutral written testimony, and four people testified in support in-person.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739541290948.png" alt=" Rep. Ricky James, a Republican from La Cygne, asks questions during a Feb. 10, 2025, hearing of the House Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Rep. Ricky James, a Republican from La Cygne, asks questions during a Feb. 10, 2025, hearing of the House Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Rep. Ricky James, a Republican from La Cygne, asked, “Why would all these people be up here wanting the bill? Are they doing their job?” — referring to the judges.Brandt said that should be a question for the proponents, but Chair Rep. Bob Lewis, a Republican from Garden City, decided to move on because of time constraints.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2177/" target="_blank">House Bill 2177</a>&nbsp;would increase penalties for fleeing a police officer, with additional penalties for specific circumstances.&nbsp;Under current law a first offense is a class B misdemeanor, while the bill would change it to a severity level 9 felony if a driver fails to stop for a police roadblock or tire deflation devices, engages in reckless driving, causes an accident, intentionally causes property damages or is using a stolen car. That’s upped to a severity level 7 on the second offense, and severity level 5 for the second and up.&nbsp;If the person drives the wrong way into oncoming traffic or causes a collision with another driver, the bill would classify that as severity level 7 for the first offense, severity level 6 for the second, and severity level 4 for three or more.&nbsp;Former state Rep. Eric Smith, a Republican from Burlington and the undersheriff in Coffey County, said that in his county of a little more than 8,000 people with two major highways passing through, law enforcement expects three police pursuits per week.&nbsp;“This is happening so often that law enforcement has become emotionally involved in it,” Smith said. “They watch front line the near misses — the opportunity this individual had to hurt or kill someone.”Smith described a recent instance where the offender had been involved in multiple pursuits.&nbsp;“Some just don’t see the crime as a big deal, and they begin to believe they are good at it,” Smith said. “Graduating the severity of the penalty will send a message to them that every time they do this, it will matter more.”Brant opposed the bill because of the severity of the increased penalties. For actions like driving the wrong way on the highway or causing a collision on a third offense, the bill would escalate the classification of crime from a severity level 9 person felony to a severity level 4 personal felony.&nbsp;“This bill would punish people who committed no harm to another as severely as people who committed a murder or caused great bodily harm,” Brandt said.&nbsp;