NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Police are investigating the death of a television reporter who was in New Orleans to cover the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/super-bowl">Super Bowl</a>&nbsp;and on Friday announced the arrest of a woman they say used his credit card.

Adan Manzano, 27, an anchor and reporter for Telemundo in Kansas City, Missouri, was found dead Wednesday in his hotel room in Kenner, a suburb just outside New Orleans, police said.

Police on Thursday evening arrested Louisiana resident Danette Colbert, 48. She is facing four felony charges, as well as a misdemeanor fraud and theft charge, Kenner Police Deputy Chief Mark McCormick said.

She also faces a state felony charge of possession of a stolen firearm, but Kenner Police do not believe it's related to Manzano's case, St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office Lt. Suzanne Carboni said.

Colbert was seen on security video footage arriving with Manzano at his hotel room around 5 a.m. the day of his death and then leaving without him about an hour later, police said. She used Manzano's credit card at several stores in the area and authorities later located Manzano's credit card and cellphone at Colbert's residence in Slidell, northeast of New Orleans they said.

Police also uncovered narcotics at Colbert's residence, Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley said Friday during a press conference. Investigators believe Colbert acted alone, he said.

A phone number affiliated with Colbert’s residence was disconnected and no one responded to a message sent to an email associated with her.

Conley described Colbert as a “career criminal” known to New Orleans police for “fraud schemes.”

“Everybody should be aware of their surroundings,” Conley said. “This brings to light that there are people out there that prey on other people and bring them into their confidence and victimize them.”

Colbert was twice arrested in 2022 in Las Vegas on felony charges of grand larceny and administering a drug to aid in a felony crime, court records show. In both cases, Colbert was accused of drugging men in their hotel rooms on the Las Vegas Strip and stealing from them, according to Daniel Lippmann, the attorney who represented her.

Lippmann told The Associated Press that both cases were later dismissed because the victims did not want to testify in court. Lippmann said he had no comment on the new allegations against Colbert.

One of the victims told police he woke up alone and with a bloody nose after going up to his hotel room with Colbert, who he met at a bar, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/woman-charged-in-50k-las-vegas-strip-theft-arrested-again-2608323/">Las Vegas Review-Journal reported in 2022</a>. He said missing from his room was $50,000 in cash, a Rolex watch, $11,000 in poker chips, his phone and a designer luggage bag.

And last year, a Louisiana jury found Colbert guilty of theft and fraud charges. She was ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution, according to Orleans Parish court records.

Telemundo Kansas City General Manager Steve Downing said Manzano was a “rising star” and “true professional” — a bilingual television anchor and reporter who loved sports, and had covered the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kansas-city-chiefs">Kansas City Chiefs</a>&nbsp;′ past two Super Bowl victories. He hoped to see a record third straight win Sunday.

“You would always see him with a smile on his face, he enjoyed the work that he did,” Downing said. “He was very committed to serving the local community by providing them the best in sports news.”

Kenner police are awaiting the results of the coroner’s full autopsy, which will determine whether Manzano's death was a homicide, Conley said.

The coroner's office is conducting toxicology tests, and results are expected to take three to four weeks, Jefferson Parish Director of Forensic Operations Tim Genevay said. There was no obvious physical trauma found on Manzano's body, he added.

Manzano was born in Mexico City and later moved to Kansas, NBC affiliate&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksnt.com/news/local-news/topekas-manzano-ready-for-super-bowl-on-the-sideline/">KSNT reported</a>.

He leaves behind a 2-year-old daughter. He had been raising her on his own with help from family after his wife died last year in a car accident, Downing said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738973498909.png" alt="Adan Manzano photo courtesy Telemundo Kansas City" />
 <figcaption>Adan Manzano photo courtesy Telemundo Kansas City</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Police are investigating the death of a television reporter who was in New Orleans to cover the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/super-bowl">Super Bowl</a>&nbsp;and on Friday announced the arrest of a woman they say used his credit card.Adan Manzano, 27, an anchor and reporter for Telemundo in Kansas City, Missouri, was found dead Wednesday in his hotel room in Kenner, a suburb just outside New Orleans, police said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738979386634.png" alt="Colbert photo Kenner Police" />
 <figcaption>Colbert photo Kenner Police</figcaption>
 </figure>Police on Thursday evening arrested Louisiana resident Danette Colbert, 48. She is facing four felony charges, as well as a misdemeanor fraud and theft charge, Kenner Police Deputy Chief Mark McCormick said.She also faces a state felony charge of possession of a stolen firearm, but Kenner Police do not believe it's related to Manzano's case, St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office Lt. Suzanne Carboni said.Colbert was seen on security video footage arriving with Manzano at his hotel room around 5 a.m. the day of his death and then leaving without him about an hour later, police said. She used Manzano's credit card at several stores in the area and authorities later located Manzano's credit card and cellphone at Colbert's residence in Slidell, northeast of New Orleans they said.Police also uncovered narcotics at Colbert's residence, Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley said Friday during a press conference. Investigators believe Colbert acted alone, he said.A phone number affiliated with Colbert’s residence was disconnected and no one responded to a message sent to an email associated with her.Conley described Colbert as a “career criminal” known to New Orleans police for “fraud schemes.”“Everybody should be aware of their surroundings,” Conley said. “This brings to light that there are people out there that prey on other people and bring them into their confidence and victimize them.”Colbert was twice arrested in 2022 in Las Vegas on felony charges of grand larceny and administering a drug to aid in a felony crime, court records show. In both cases, Colbert was accused of drugging men in their hotel rooms on the Las Vegas Strip and stealing from them, according to Daniel Lippmann, the attorney who represented her.Lippmann told The Associated Press that both cases were later dismissed because the victims did not want to testify in court. Lippmann said he had no comment on the new allegations against Colbert.One of the victims told police he woke up alone and with a bloody nose after going up to his hotel room with Colbert, who he met at a bar, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/woman-charged-in-50k-las-vegas-strip-theft-arrested-again-2608323/">Las Vegas Review-Journal reported in 2022</a>. He said missing from his room was $50,000 in cash, a Rolex watch, $11,000 in poker chips, his phone and a designer luggage bag.And last year, a Louisiana jury found Colbert guilty of theft and fraud charges. She was ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution, according to Orleans Parish court records.Telemundo Kansas City General Manager Steve Downing said Manzano was a “rising star” and “true professional” — a bilingual television anchor and reporter who loved sports, and had covered the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kansas-city-chiefs">Kansas City Chiefs</a>&nbsp;′ past two Super Bowl victories. He hoped to see a record third straight win Sunday.“You would always see him with a smile on his face, he enjoyed the work that he did,” Downing said. “He was very committed to serving the local community by providing them the best in sports news.”Kenner police are awaiting the results of the coroner’s full autopsy, which will determine whether Manzano's death was a homicide, Conley said.The coroner's office is conducting toxicology tests, and results are expected to take three to four weeks, Jefferson Parish Director of Forensic Operations Tim Genevay said. There was no obvious physical trauma found on Manzano's body, he added.Manzano was born in Mexico City and later moved to Kansas, NBC affiliate&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksnt.com/news/local-news/topekas-manzano-ready-for-super-bowl-on-the-sideline/">KSNT reported</a>.He leaves behind a 2-year-old daughter. He had been raising her on his own with help from family after his wife died last year in a car accident, Downing said.___

Woman arrested in death of Kansas City reporter in New Orleans for Super Bowl

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Friday dealt President Donald Trump and billionaire ally Elon Musk their first big setback in their dismantling of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-usaid-musk-doge-7ec0a2b4032d4782d41c00164003b5de">U.S. Agency for International Development,</a>&nbsp;ordering a temporary halt to plans to pull thousands of agency staffers off the job.

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, also agreed to block an order that would have given the thousands of overseas USAID workers the administration wanted to place on abrupt administrative leave just 30 days to move families and households back to the U.S. on government expense.

Both moves would have exposed the U.S. workers and their spouses and children to unwarranted risk and expense, the judge said.

Nichols pointed to accounts from workers abroad that the Trump administration, in its rush to shut down the agency and its programs abroad, had cut some workers off from government emails and other communication systems they needed to reach the U.S. government in case of a health or safety emergency.

The Associated Press reported earlier that USAID contractors in the Middle East and elsewhere had found even “panic button” apps&nbsp;<a href="https://that%20both%20orders%20exposed%20u.s.%20aid%20and%20development%20workers%20abroad%20to%20unwarranted%20risk%20and%20hardship./">wiped off their mobile phones</a>&nbsp;or disabled when the administration abruptly furloughed them.

“Administrative leave in Syria is not the same as administrative leave in Bethesda,” the judge said in his order Friday night.

In agreeing to stop the 30-day deadline given USAID staffers to return home at government expense, Nichols cited statements from agency employees who had no home to go to in the U.S. after decades abroad, who faced pulling children with special needs out of school midyear, and had other difficulties.

The judge also ordered USAID staffers already placed on leave by the Trump administration reinstated. But he declined a request from two federal employee associations to grant a temporary block on a Trump administration funding freeze that has shut down the six-decade-old agency and its work, pending more hearings on the workers' lawsuit.

Nichols stressed in the hearing earlier Friday on the request to pause the Trump administration's actions that his order was not a decision on the employees' request to roll back the administration's swiftly moving destruction of the agency.

“CLOSE IT DOWN,” Trump said on social media of USAID before the judge’s ruling.

The American Foreign Service Association and the American Federation of Government Employees argue that Trump lacks the authority to shut down the agency without approval from Congress. Democratic lawmakers have made the same argument.

Trump's administration moved quickly Friday to literally erase the agency's name. Workers on a crane scrubbed the name from the stone front of its Washington headquarters. They used duct tape to block it out on a sign and took down USAID flags. Someone placed a bouquet of flowers outside the door.

The Trump administration and&nbsp;<a href="https://elon%20musk/">Musk</a>, who is running a budget-cutting Department of Government Efficiency, have made USAID their biggest target so far in an unprecedented challenge of the federal government and many of its programs.

Administration appointees and Musk's teams have shut down almost all funding for the agency, stopping aid and development programs worldwide. They have placed staffers and contractors on leave and furlough and locked them out of the agency's email and other systems. According to Democratic lawmakers, they also carted away USAID's computer servers.

“This is a full-scale gutting of virtually all the personnel of an entire agency,” Karla Gilbride, the attorney for the employee associations, told the judge.

Justice Department attorney Brett Shumate argued that the administration has all the legal authority it needs to place agency staffers on leave. “The government does this across the board every day,” Shumate said. “That’s what’s happening here. It’s just a large number.”

Friday’s ruling is the latest setback in the courts for the Trump administration, whose policies to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buyout-offer-deadline-trump-federal-workers-ce854b19c41b90cd657f75cf09511e96">offer financial incentives for federal workers</a>&nbsp;to resign and end&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-birthright-citizenship-executive-order-3ac5d6dc51ee95dcccc647a8c080c3e3">birthright citizenship</a>&nbsp;for anyone born in the U.S. to someone in the country illegally have been temporarily paused by judges.

Earlier Friday, a group of a half-dozen USAID officials speaking to reporters strongly disputed assertions from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the most essential life-saving programs abroad were getting waivers to continue funding. None were, the officials said.

Among the programs they said had not received waivers: $450 million in food grown by U.S. farmers sufficient to feed 36 million people, which was not being paid for or delivered; and water supplies for 1.6 million people displaced by war in Sudan’s Darfur region, which were being cut off without money for fuel to run water pumps in the desert.

The judge’s order involved the Trump administration’s decision earlier this week to pull almost all USAID workers off the job and out of the field worldwide.

Trump and congressional Republicans have spoken of moving a much-reduced number of aid and development programs under the State Department.

Within the State Department itself, employees fear substantial staff reductions following the deadline for the Trump administration's offer of financial incentives for federal workers to resign, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. A judge temporarily blocked that offer and set a hearing Monday.

The administration earlier this week gave almost all USAID staffers posted overseas 30 days, starting Friday, to return to the U.S., with the government paying for their travel and moving costs. Diplomats at embassies asked for waivers allowing more time for some, including families forced to pull their children out of schools midyear.

In a notice posted on the USAID website late Thursday, the agency clarified that none of the overseas personnel put on leave would be forced to leave the country where they work. But it said that workers who chose to stay longer than 30 days might have to cover their own expenses unless they received a specific hardship waiver.

Rubio said Thursday during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rubio-panama-canal-gaza-migration-usaid-b148af6bb15da37a8b6e4edf5a873829">a trip to the Dominican Republic</a>&nbsp;that the government would help staffers get home within 30 days “if they so desired" and would listen to those with special conditions.

He insisted the moves were the only way to get cooperation because staffers were working “to sneak through payments and push through payments despite the stop order” on foreign assistance. Agency staffers deny his claims of obstruction.

Rubio said the U.S. government will continue providing foreign aid, “but it is going to be foreign aid that makes sense and is aligned with our national interest."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738896794184.jpeg" alt="Democrat members of Congress protest USAID cuts Wednesday-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Democrat members of Congress protest USAID cuts Wednesday-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Friday dealt President Donald Trump and billionaire ally Elon Musk their first big setback in their dismantling of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-usaid-musk-doge-7ec0a2b4032d4782d41c00164003b5de">U.S. Agency for International Development,</a>&nbsp;ordering a temporary halt to plans to pull thousands of agency staffers off the job.U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, also agreed to block an order that would have given the thousands of overseas USAID workers the administration wanted to place on abrupt administrative leave just 30 days to move families and households back to the U.S. on government expense.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738968148672.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Both moves would have exposed the U.S. workers and their spouses and children to unwarranted risk and expense, the judge said.Nichols pointed to accounts from workers abroad that the Trump administration, in its rush to shut down the agency and its programs abroad, had cut some workers off from government emails and other communication systems they needed to reach the U.S. government in case of a health or safety emergency.The Associated Press reported earlier that USAID contractors in the Middle East and elsewhere had found even “panic button” apps&nbsp;<a href="https://that%20both%20orders%20exposed%20u.s.%20aid%20and%20development%20workers%20abroad%20to%20unwarranted%20risk%20and%20hardship./">wiped off their mobile phones</a>&nbsp;or disabled when the administration abruptly furloughed them.“Administrative leave in Syria is not the same as administrative leave in Bethesda,” the judge said in his order Friday night.In agreeing to stop the 30-day deadline given USAID staffers to return home at government expense, Nichols cited statements from agency employees who had no home to go to in the U.S. after decades abroad, who faced pulling children with special needs out of school midyear, and had other difficulties.The judge also ordered USAID staffers already placed on leave by the Trump administration reinstated. But he declined a request from two federal employee associations to grant a temporary block on a Trump administration funding freeze that has shut down the six-decade-old agency and its work, pending more hearings on the workers' lawsuit.Nichols stressed in the hearing earlier Friday on the request to pause the Trump administration's actions that his order was not a decision on the employees' request to roll back the administration's swiftly moving destruction of the agency.“CLOSE IT DOWN,” Trump said on social media of USAID before the judge’s ruling.The American Foreign Service Association and the American Federation of Government Employees argue that Trump lacks the authority to shut down the agency without approval from Congress. Democratic lawmakers have made the same argument.Trump's administration moved quickly Friday to literally erase the agency's name. Workers on a crane scrubbed the name from the stone front of its Washington headquarters. They used duct tape to block it out on a sign and took down USAID flags. Someone placed a bouquet of flowers outside the door.The Trump administration and&nbsp;<a href="https://elon%20musk/">Musk</a>, who is running a budget-cutting Department of Government Efficiency, have made USAID their biggest target so far in an unprecedented challenge of the federal government and many of its programs.Administration appointees and Musk's teams have shut down almost all funding for the agency, stopping aid and development programs worldwide. They have placed staffers and contractors on leave and furlough and locked them out of the agency's email and other systems. According to Democratic lawmakers, they also carted away USAID's computer servers.“This is a full-scale gutting of virtually all the personnel of an entire agency,” Karla Gilbride, the attorney for the employee associations, told the judge.Justice Department attorney Brett Shumate argued that the administration has all the legal authority it needs to place agency staffers on leave. “The government does this across the board every day,” Shumate said. “That’s what’s happening here. It’s just a large number.”Friday’s ruling is the latest setback in the courts for the Trump administration, whose policies to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buyout-offer-deadline-trump-federal-workers-ce854b19c41b90cd657f75cf09511e96">offer financial incentives for federal workers</a>&nbsp;to resign and end&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-birthright-citizenship-executive-order-3ac5d6dc51ee95dcccc647a8c080c3e3">birthright citizenship</a>&nbsp;for anyone born in the U.S. to someone in the country illegally have been temporarily paused by judges.Earlier Friday, a group of a half-dozen USAID officials speaking to reporters strongly disputed assertions from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the most essential life-saving programs abroad were getting waivers to continue funding. None were, the officials said.Among the programs they said had not received waivers: $450 million in food grown by U.S. farmers sufficient to feed 36 million people, which was not being paid for or delivered; and water supplies for 1.6 million people displaced by war in Sudan’s Darfur region, which were being cut off without money for fuel to run water pumps in the desert.The judge’s order involved the Trump administration’s decision earlier this week to pull almost all USAID workers off the job and out of the field worldwide.Trump and congressional Republicans have spoken of moving a much-reduced number of aid and development programs under the State Department.Within the State Department itself, employees fear substantial staff reductions following the deadline for the Trump administration's offer of financial incentives for federal workers to resign, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. A judge temporarily blocked that offer and set a hearing Monday.The administration earlier this week gave almost all USAID staffers posted overseas 30 days, starting Friday, to return to the U.S., with the government paying for their travel and moving costs. Diplomats at embassies asked for waivers allowing more time for some, including families forced to pull their children out of schools midyear.In a notice posted on the USAID website late Thursday, the agency clarified that none of the overseas personnel put on leave would be forced to leave the country where they work. But it said that workers who chose to stay longer than 30 days might have to cover their own expenses unless they received a specific hardship waiver.Rubio said Thursday during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rubio-panama-canal-gaza-migration-usaid-b148af6bb15da37a8b6e4edf5a873829">a trip to the Dominican Republic</a>&nbsp;that the government would help staffers get home within 30 days “if they so desired" and would listen to those with special conditions.He insisted the moves were the only way to get cooperation because staffers were working “to sneak through payments and push through payments despite the stop order” on foreign assistance. Agency staffers deny his claims of obstruction.Rubio said the U.S. government will continue providing foreign aid, “but it is going to be foreign aid that makes sense and is aligned with our national interest."

30-day deadline: Judge blocks Trump from placing USAID workers on leave

SEDGWICK COUNTY, Kan.&nbsp;— The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal hit-and-run crash that occurred Thursday evening.

Just after 5 p.m., deputies, Sedgwick County EMS and Sedgwick County Fire District #1 responded to a hit-and-run crash at 47th Street South and Clifton, according to Sheriff's Department spokesman Branden Stitt.

Witnesses reported that a red Dodge Nitro was traveling south on Clifton when it failed to yield to an eastbound Ford Fiesta and struck the vehicle in the intersection.&nbsp;

The impact caused the driver of the Fiesta, identified as 75-year-old Manolopoulos Panagiotis of Wichita, to be ejected and then struck by his own car.

Sedgwick County EMS transported Panagiotis to a Wichita hospital in extremely critical condition. He later succumbed to his injuries at 10:46 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;The driver of the Nitro fled the scene following the collision.

Thanks to witness reports and information provided to 911 dispatchers, deputies utilized the Flock license plate reader system to locate the suspect vehicle in the parking lot of the Walmart in Derby. With assistance from the Derby Police Department, the driver, identified as 24-year-old Madelyn Walter of Derby, was found at a nearby Derby residence.

Walter was arrested and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on a requested charge of failing to stop at an injury crash resulting in great bodily injury. As part of the investigation, it was determined that Walter’s 5-year-old child was in the vehicle at the time of the crash. Neither Walter nor the child was injured.

The crash remains under investigation by the Sheriff’s Office Major Crash Team. Once all details are gathered, the case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for formal charging.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738943687419.png" alt="Walter photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Walter photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY, Kan.&nbsp;— The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal hit-and-run crash that occurred Thursday evening.Just after 5 p.m., deputies, Sedgwick County EMS and Sedgwick County Fire District #1 responded to a hit-and-run crash at 47th Street South and Clifton, according to Sheriff's Department spokesman Branden Stitt.Witnesses reported that a red Dodge Nitro was traveling south on Clifton when it failed to yield to an eastbound Ford Fiesta and struck the vehicle in the intersection.&nbsp;The impact caused the driver of the Fiesta, identified as 75-year-old Manolopoulos Panagiotis of Wichita, to be ejected and then struck by his own car.Sedgwick County EMS transported Panagiotis to a Wichita hospital in extremely critical condition. He later succumbed to his injuries at 10:46 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;The driver of the Nitro fled the scene following the collision.Thanks to witness reports and information provided to 911 dispatchers, deputies utilized the Flock license plate reader system to locate the suspect vehicle in the parking lot of the Walmart in Derby. With assistance from the Derby Police Department, the driver, identified as 24-year-old Madelyn Walter of Derby, was found at a nearby Derby residence.Walter was arrested and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on a requested charge of failing to stop at an injury crash resulting in great bodily injury. As part of the investigation, it was determined that Walter’s 5-year-old child was in the vehicle at the time of the crash. Neither Walter nor the child was injured.The crash remains under investigation by the Sheriff’s Office Major Crash Team. Once all details are gathered, the case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for formal charging.

Kansas woman accused of hit-and-run that left 75-year-old dead

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon will deploy roughly 1,500 more active duty soldiers to the southern border to support President Donald Trump’s expanding crackdown&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/refugees-flights-trump-immigration-border-resettlement-33ebaa34bc4d0c069a22ee7aa5f8ff6d">on immigration</a>, a U.S. official said Friday.

That would eventually bring the total to about 3,600 active duty troops at the border.

The order has been approved, the official said, to send a logistics brigade from the 18th Airborne Corps at Fort Liberty in North Carolina. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the deployment has not yet been publicly announced.

The Pentagon has been scrambling to put in motion Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-deportation-immigration-homan-asylum-inauguration-ac10480dc636b758ab3c435b974aeb19">executive orders</a>&nbsp;signed shortly after he took office on Jan. 20. The first group of 1,600 active duty troops has already deployed to the border, and close to 500 more soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division are expected to begin moving in the coming days.

About 500 Marines also have been told to go to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where some of the detained migrants will be held. Several hundred of them have already arrived there.

Troops going to the border are expected to help put in place concertina wire barriers and provide needed transportation, intelligence and other support to the Border Patrol. The logistics brigade will help support and sustain the troops.

Troops going to Guantanamo are helping to prepare the facility for an influx of migrants and do other support duties.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738854978070.png" alt="Photos U.S. Northern Command" />
 <figcaption>Photos U.S. Northern Command</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon will deploy roughly 1,500 more active duty soldiers to the southern border to support President Donald Trump’s expanding crackdown&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/refugees-flights-trump-immigration-border-resettlement-33ebaa34bc4d0c069a22ee7aa5f8ff6d">on immigration</a>, a U.S. official said Friday.That would eventually bring the total to about 3,600 active duty troops at the border.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738854959688.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The order has been approved, the official said, to send a logistics brigade from the 18th Airborne Corps at Fort Liberty in North Carolina. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the deployment has not yet been publicly announced.The Pentagon has been scrambling to put in motion Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-deportation-immigration-homan-asylum-inauguration-ac10480dc636b758ab3c435b974aeb19">executive orders</a>&nbsp;signed shortly after he took office on Jan. 20. The first group of 1,600 active duty troops has already deployed to the border, and close to 500 more soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division are expected to begin moving in the coming days.About 500 Marines also have been told to go to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where some of the detained migrants will be held. Several hundred of them have already arrived there.Troops going to the border are expected to help put in place concertina wire barriers and provide needed transportation, intelligence and other support to the Border Patrol. The logistics brigade will help support and sustain the troops.Troops going to Guantanamo are helping to prepare the facility for an influx of migrants and do other support duties.

Pentagon sending more active duty troops to US-Mexico border

In 2023, a politically-connected trade group donated $24,000 to a nonprofit that paid for the mayor, an aide and security personnel to travel to Phoenix for the game

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/allison-kite/">ALLISON KITE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>

The Chiefs will make their third consecutive Super Bowl appearance on Sunday, and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas will be in New Orleans to cheer them on.&nbsp;

Exactly who is funding the organization picking up the tab for this year’s trip, however, is not clear.&nbsp;

Two years ago, the mayor attended the Super Bowl in Phoenix with a top aide and security personnel. A nonprofit called the Mayors Corps of Progress for a Greater Kansas City footed the $23,518 bill for the trip. A day after the game, the organization took in a $24,000 donation from a politically connected trade group.

Lucas told reporters Thursday that the Mayors Corps would once again finance his trip, but he referred questions about the organization’s donors to its board of directors or attorneys.&nbsp;

“We’ve worked with lawyers, advisors and others to make sure that everything is on the up and up in connection with it,” Lucas said, adding that he would have official meetings with individuals in business and government during the trip.&nbsp;

While Lucas has been open that the nonprofit paid for his travel, the $24,000 donation — given by the Heavy Constructors Association — was&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/12/05/kansas-city-mayor-accused-of-skirting-city-gift-ban-by-using-nonprofit-to-pay-for-travel/">first revealed in December by The Independent</a>. Critics contend the arrangement could violate the city’s gift rules, which require elected officials to disclose any gifts they receive worth more than $200 and bans gifts worth more than $1,000.

As a 501c4 nonprofit, the Mayors Corps is not legally required to disclose its donors.&nbsp;

The donation only became public when a whistleblower who did compliance for the mayor’s nonprofit provided documents to The Independent showing the transaction.&nbsp;

Lucas has also not disclosed how the Mayors Corps paid for his trip to last year’s Super Bowl in Las Vegas. A law firm representing the nonprofit did not return requests for comment on Thursday.&nbsp;

According to the organization’s bylaws, the Mayors Corps was created “to hold, attract, develop and encourage the economic development of the Kansas City community and to further the common good and general welfare of the citizens of Kansas City.”

The bylaws say: “The corporation shall not be used for either business or political purposes or for the pecuniary gain or profit of its organizers, board of directors, officers, members or any other person.”

Documents obtained by The Independent late last year show that, over the course of Lucas’ first term in office, the Mayors Corps spent more than $35,000 on&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/tag/kansas-city-chiefs/">Kansas City Chiefs</a>&nbsp;tickets, hotel stays, flights and dinners for Lucas and staff.&nbsp;

The 2023 Super Bowl trip accounted for the bulk of that spending.&nbsp;

In an interview with The Independent last year, Lucas defended the spending, saying the Mayors Corps allows him to promote the city at conferences and sporting events and on international trips.

“I see nothing inconsistent with that, and it’s really not even my opinion,” Lucas said. “It’s the opinion of our counsel.”

Jon Berkon, an attorney for Mayors Corps, said in an email to The Independent in December that Lucas’ office’s use of the nonprofit helped attract film industry investments to Kansas City and contributed to Kansas City becoming a host for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The organization, Berkon said, helped Lucas be able to serve in national organizations and build relationships with members of Congress and governors.&nbsp;

Lucas also told The Independent in December that the Mayor’s Corps has a board of directors that can review expenses to ensure they are legitimate. He referred a question about the organization’s recent donors to the board on Thursday.&nbsp;

Lucas was on the board in 2020, shortly after taking office, according to meeting minutes provided to The Independent. Filings with the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office show that the Mayors Corps was administratively dissolved from October 2022 April 2023, meaning it could not carry on any business at the time it paid for his February 2023 Super Bowl trip.&nbsp;

When the Mayors Corps&nbsp; was reconstituted in April 2023, the three-member board included the mayor, the aide who went to the Super Bowl with him and an attorney who told The Independent he was not sure he was ever an officer.&nbsp;

The most recent registration report for the nonprofit —&nbsp;from June 2023 —&nbsp;still names the three as board members, but the mayor’s general counsel said in a letter to The Independent in December that the mayor and staffer relinquished their roles as voting members of the board in October 2023.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738948069595.png" alt="Mayor Quinton Lucas&nbsp; photo from his social. media page at KCI as the Chiefs boarded their flight to the Super Bowl" />
 <figcaption>Mayor Quinton Lucas&nbsp; photo from his social. media page at KCI as the Chiefs boarded their flight to the Super Bowl</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>In 2023, a politically-connected trade group donated $24,000 to a nonprofit that paid for the mayor, an aide and security personnel to travel to Phoenix for the game</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/allison-kite/">ALLISON KITE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>The Chiefs will make their third consecutive Super Bowl appearance on Sunday, and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas will be in New Orleans to cheer them on.&nbsp;Exactly who is funding the organization picking up the tab for this year’s trip, however, is not clear.&nbsp;Two years ago, the mayor attended the Super Bowl in Phoenix with a top aide and security personnel. A nonprofit called the Mayors Corps of Progress for a Greater Kansas City footed the $23,518 bill for the trip. A day after the game, the organization took in a $24,000 donation from a politically connected trade group.Lucas told reporters Thursday that the Mayors Corps would once again finance his trip, but he referred questions about the organization’s donors to its board of directors or attorneys.&nbsp;“We’ve worked with lawyers, advisors and others to make sure that everything is on the up and up in connection with it,” Lucas said, adding that he would have official meetings with individuals in business and government during the trip.&nbsp;While Lucas has been open that the nonprofit paid for his travel, the $24,000 donation — given by the Heavy Constructors Association — was&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/12/05/kansas-city-mayor-accused-of-skirting-city-gift-ban-by-using-nonprofit-to-pay-for-travel/">first revealed in December by The Independent</a>. Critics contend the arrangement could violate the city’s gift rules, which require elected officials to disclose any gifts they receive worth more than $200 and bans gifts worth more than $1,000.As a 501c4 nonprofit, the Mayors Corps is not legally required to disclose its donors.&nbsp;The donation only became public when a whistleblower who did compliance for the mayor’s nonprofit provided documents to The Independent showing the transaction.&nbsp;Lucas has also not disclosed how the Mayors Corps paid for his trip to last year’s Super Bowl in Las Vegas. A law firm representing the nonprofit did not return requests for comment on Thursday.&nbsp;According to the organization’s bylaws, the Mayors Corps was created “to hold, attract, develop and encourage the economic development of the Kansas City community and to further the common good and general welfare of the citizens of Kansas City.”The bylaws say: “The corporation shall not be used for either business or political purposes or for the pecuniary gain or profit of its organizers, board of directors, officers, members or any other person.”Documents obtained by The Independent late last year show that, over the course of Lucas’ first term in office, the Mayors Corps spent more than $35,000 on&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/tag/kansas-city-chiefs/">Kansas City Chiefs</a>&nbsp;tickets, hotel stays, flights and dinners for Lucas and staff.&nbsp;The 2023 Super Bowl trip accounted for the bulk of that spending.&nbsp;In an interview with The Independent last year, Lucas defended the spending, saying the Mayors Corps allows him to promote the city at conferences and sporting events and on international trips.“I see nothing inconsistent with that, and it’s really not even my opinion,” Lucas said. “It’s the opinion of our counsel.”Jon Berkon, an attorney for Mayors Corps, said in an email to The Independent in December that Lucas’ office’s use of the nonprofit helped attract film industry investments to Kansas City and contributed to Kansas City becoming a host for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The organization, Berkon said, helped Lucas be able to serve in national organizations and build relationships with members of Congress and governors.&nbsp;Lucas also told The Independent in December that the Mayor’s Corps has a board of directors that can review expenses to ensure they are legitimate. He referred a question about the organization’s recent donors to the board on Thursday.&nbsp;Lucas was on the board in 2020, shortly after taking office, according to meeting minutes provided to The Independent. Filings with the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office show that the Mayors Corps was administratively dissolved from October 2022 April 2023, meaning it could not carry on any business at the time it paid for his February 2023 Super Bowl trip.&nbsp;When the Mayors Corps&nbsp; was reconstituted in April 2023, the three-member board included the mayor, the aide who went to the Super Bowl with him and an attorney who told The Independent he was not sure he was ever an officer.&nbsp;The most recent registration report for the nonprofit —&nbsp;from June 2023 —&nbsp;still names the three as board members, but the mayor’s general counsel said in a letter to The Independent in December that the mayor and staffer relinquished their roles as voting members of the board in October 2023.&nbsp;

KC mayor will use nonprofit for Super Bowl trip, but donors remain unclear

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Police are investigating a deadly shooting in Topeka.

Just after 7:30 a.m. Friday, police responded to a shooting in the 2700 Block of SW Burnett Road, according to Police Lt. Edward Stanley

First responders found three individuals who had life-threatening injuries. One was pronounced deceased on scene by medical personnel, and the other two were taken to a local area hospital.

This is the city’s 1st homicide investigation of 2025.&nbsp; Police have not reported an arrest or the name of the victim who died.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738943432820.png" alt="Photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Police are investigating a deadly shooting in Topeka.Just after 7:30 a.m. Friday, police responded to a shooting in the 2700 Block of SW Burnett Road, according to Police Lt. Edward StanleyFirst responders found three individuals who had life-threatening injuries. One was pronounced deceased on scene by medical personnel, and the other two were taken to a local area hospital.This is the city’s 1st homicide investigation of 2025.&nbsp; Police have not reported an arrest or the name of the victim who died.

Police: 1 dead, 2 hospitalized after shooting at Kan. home

Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe has ordered the Missouri State Capitol dome to shine red and gold beginning tonight in celebration of the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl LIX appearance. The dome will shine red and gold from sunset to sunrise through Sunday, February 9.

Governor and First Lady Kehoe will cheer on the Chiefs from Missouri on Sunday night as they take on the Philadelphia Eagles at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, marking the Chiefs' third straight Super Bowl appearance.

"Fans across Chiefs Kingdom are once again celebrating the Kansas City Chiefs making it to the Super Bowl on this Red Friday," Governor Kehoe said in a news release. "We're proud to call the Kansas City Chiefs Missouri's team, and light our state's Capitol red and gold as the Chiefs seek a Super Bowl three-peat this Sunday."

Governor Kehoe also announced a friendly bet with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro via social media.&nbsp; As part of the wager with Governor Shapiro, Governor Kehoe has bet Missouri-grown beef and an assortment of Kansas City favorites, including Gates Bar-B-Q Sauce, Scott's Kitchen BBQ Sauce and Rub, and Chase Candy Company Cherry Mash.

"I'm predicting a 31-17 Chiefs Super Bowl victory," Governor Kehoe said. "I look forward to enjoying some Philly cheesesteaks from Governor Shapiro after the Chiefs bring home the Lombardi Trophy on Sunday."

Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe has ordered the Missouri State Capitol dome to shine red and gold beginning tonight in celebration of the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl LIX appearance. The dome will shine red and gold from sunset to sunrise through Sunday, February 9.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">On Sunday, Missouri&#39;s Kansas City <a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Chiefs</a> will face the <a href="https://twitter.com/Eagles?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Eagles</a> once again in the Super Bowl. I like our chances at a three-peat, so let&#39;s make a deal, <a href="https://twitter.com/GovernorShapiro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovernorShapiro</a>. If by some unlikely twist of fate, the Eagles win on Sunday, I’ll send you some Missouri-grown beef and… <a href="https://t.co/qqhTAqEqrV">pic.twitter.com/qqhTAqEqrV</a>&mdash; Governor Mike Kehoe (@GovMikeKehoe) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovMikeKehoe/status/1887894096670269502?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Governor and First Lady Kehoe will cheer on the Chiefs from Missouri on Sunday night as they take on the Philadelphia Eagles at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, marking the Chiefs' third straight Super Bowl appearance."Fans across Chiefs Kingdom are once again celebrating the Kansas City Chiefs making it to the Super Bowl on this Red Friday," Governor Kehoe said in a news release. "We're proud to call the Kansas City Chiefs Missouri's team, and light our state's Capitol red and gold as the Chiefs seek a Super Bowl three-peat this Sunday."Governor Kehoe also announced a friendly bet with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro via social media.&nbsp; As part of the wager with Governor Shapiro, Governor Kehoe has bet Missouri-grown beef and an assortment of Kansas City favorites, including Gates Bar-B-Q Sauce, Scott's Kitchen BBQ Sauce and Rub, and Chase Candy Company Cherry Mash."I'm predicting a 31-17 Chiefs Super Bowl victory," Governor Kehoe said. "I look forward to enjoying some Philly cheesesteaks from Governor Shapiro after the Chiefs bring home the Lombardi Trophy on Sunday."

Missouri governor issues Super Bowl challenge to PA governor

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal scientific publication on Thursday returned from a forced two-week hiatus with two papers examining the health effects of wildfires in Hawaii and California.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention resumed the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, which the Trump administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-health-communications-cdc-hhs-fda-1eeca64c1ccc324b31b779a86d3999a4">suspended</a>&nbsp;as part of a “pause” on regulations, guidance, announcements, press releases, social media posts and website posts.

The CDC has gradually restarted some communications and reports, but the silencing of MMWR, as it it known, prompted a chorus of concern from public health leaders and some legislators.

“Outbreaks are not contained because scientists are ordered to stop talking about them,” Sen. Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, said in a Wednesday night statement calling for the publication to be restarted.

MMWR issues typically run 20 to 25 pages and contain four or more reports about disease investigations, health trends or other public health developments.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/74/wr/pdfs/mm7403-H.pdf" target="_blank">Thursday’s publication</a>&nbsp;was slimmer than usual: just over eight pages, with two short reports.

<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/74/wr/mm7403a1.htm?s_cid=mm7403a1_w" target="_blank">One of the reports</a>&nbsp;was about last year’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-maui-wildfire-settlement-supreme-court-insurance-c910d3f66cbe76555a872b1584d0e429">Maui wildfire</a>. Researchers measured the blood of responding firefighters, looking for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. The manmade chemicals have been linked to cancer and other health problems.

Previous studies have shown firefighters have higher concentrations of some PFAS in their blood. Thousands of firefighters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/firefighters-cancer-pfas-turnout-gear-chemicals-868e4eb6af158e7a34fb229c2dd79ebf">have sued</a>&nbsp;manufacturers and companies that make firefighting gear and foam, seeking damages for their exposure.

The new study looked at about 180 firefighters and 80 other county employees. It found the firefighters’ blood had higher concentrations of some PFAS, but most were still at levels below a medical threshold that triggers the need for further testing. The researchers had no baseline measurements of the people in the study from before the 2023 fire, so it’s hard to know if blaze contributed, the authors acknowledged.

<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/74/wr/mm7403a2.htm?s_cid=mm7403a2_w" target="_blank">The second article</a>&nbsp;looked at hospital emergency department visits during last month’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-wildfires-emergency-alerts-los-angeles-d78c30c9f73570c31aae9c9154c685ae">Los Angeles wildfires</a>. It found visits decreased 9% over the first six days of the wildfires.

That’s consistent with other research that has shown declines in ER visits immediately after natural disasters. The drop may be due to evacuations that caused people to leave Los Angeles or to get medical care from places other than hospitals. Information from hospitals in surrounding counties was not included in the new report.

Before the journal went on hiatus, the CDC was expected to soon publish articles about the bird flu outbreak. A CDC spokesperson didn’t say why the articles weren’t published this week but said they “are still in the pipeline.”

Dr. Tom Frieden, the CDC director during the Obama administration, said he was pleased to see the journal return but also concerned that it “doesn’t contain any reports on bird flu spreading in animals and people, the new strain of mpox spreading or other emerging health threats.”

Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, said he wants to see meatier issues that have the information that researchers, local health officials and others need “to make data-driven decisions.”

The MMWR has been called “the voice of the CDC.” Published weekly since 1961, it has for generations been the main way the agency recounted disease investigations, shared public health recommendations and conveyed other health information.

Typically released every Thursday, the journal has more than 147,000 electronic&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/about.html" target="_blank">subscribers</a>&nbsp;— a readership that’s mainly doctors, nurses, educators, researchers and public health scientists.

Articles often turn into news for the general public

A paper published in June 1981, about previously healthy gay Los Angeles men who came down with lung infections, turned out to be the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/june_5.htm" target="_blank">first published report</a>&nbsp;documenting the disease that came to be known as AIDS. In April 2009, the journal reported&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5816a7.htm" target="_blank">the first two cases</a>&nbsp;of what became known as the H1N1 “swine flu” pandemic.

In 2020, during the first Trump administration, the MMWR became the focus of concerns about political interference with CDC’s scientific work. White House officials believed CDC scientists were undermining Trump by trying to make the COVID-19 pandemic appear worse than it was.

The journal’s editor at the time, Dr. Charlotte Kent,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/james-clyburn-alex-azar-coronavirus-pandemic-d582aeb73e53f242fa1d33f099e14cd3">later told Congress</a>&nbsp;that administration officials pressed her to delay publication of at least one article and told her to delete an email that showed political meddling.

“If political decisions determine which health threats to highlight, we’ll all be less safe,” said Frieden, president of Resolve to Save Lives, a not-for-profit organization that works on international public health issues. “I hope the new administration will see the value in CDC publishing information on health threats every week, without political interference.”

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

BY&nbsp;MIKE STOBBENEW YORK (AP) — A federal scientific publication on Thursday returned from a forced two-week hiatus with two papers examining the health effects of wildfires in Hawaii and California.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention resumed the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, which the Trump administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-health-communications-cdc-hhs-fda-1eeca64c1ccc324b31b779a86d3999a4">suspended</a>&nbsp;as part of a “pause” on regulations, guidance, announcements, press releases, social media posts and website posts.The CDC has gradually restarted some communications and reports, but the silencing of MMWR, as it it known, prompted a chorus of concern from public health leaders and some legislators.“Outbreaks are not contained because scientists are ordered to stop talking about them,” Sen. Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, said in a Wednesday night statement calling for the publication to be restarted.MMWR issues typically run 20 to 25 pages and contain four or more reports about disease investigations, health trends or other public health developments.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/74/wr/pdfs/mm7403-H.pdf" target="_blank">Thursday’s publication</a>&nbsp;was slimmer than usual: just over eight pages, with two short reports.<h2>Research on health effects of wildfires</h2><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/74/wr/mm7403a1.htm?s_cid=mm7403a1_w" target="_blank">One of the reports</a>&nbsp;was about last year’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-maui-wildfire-settlement-supreme-court-insurance-c910d3f66cbe76555a872b1584d0e429">Maui wildfire</a>. Researchers measured the blood of responding firefighters, looking for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. The manmade chemicals have been linked to cancer and other health problems.Previous studies have shown firefighters have higher concentrations of some PFAS in their blood. Thousands of firefighters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/firefighters-cancer-pfas-turnout-gear-chemicals-868e4eb6af158e7a34fb229c2dd79ebf">have sued</a>&nbsp;manufacturers and companies that make firefighting gear and foam, seeking damages for their exposure.The new study looked at about 180 firefighters and 80 other county employees. It found the firefighters’ blood had higher concentrations of some PFAS, but most were still at levels below a medical threshold that triggers the need for further testing. The researchers had no baseline measurements of the people in the study from before the 2023 fire, so it’s hard to know if blaze contributed, the authors acknowledged.<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/74/wr/mm7403a2.htm?s_cid=mm7403a2_w" target="_blank">The second article</a>&nbsp;looked at hospital emergency department visits during last month’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-wildfires-emergency-alerts-los-angeles-d78c30c9f73570c31aae9c9154c685ae">Los Angeles wildfires</a>. It found visits decreased 9% over the first six days of the wildfires.That’s consistent with other research that has shown declines in ER visits immediately after natural disasters. The drop may be due to evacuations that caused people to leave Los Angeles or to get medical care from places other than hospitals. Information from hospitals in surrounding counties was not included in the new report.<h2>Journal has never taken two weeks off</h2>Before the journal went on hiatus, the CDC was expected to soon publish articles about the bird flu outbreak. A CDC spokesperson didn’t say why the articles weren’t published this week but said they “are still in the pipeline.”Dr. Tom Frieden, the CDC director during the Obama administration, said he was pleased to see the journal return but also concerned that it “doesn’t contain any reports on bird flu spreading in animals and people, the new strain of mpox spreading or other emerging health threats.”Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, said he wants to see meatier issues that have the information that researchers, local health officials and others need “to make data-driven decisions.”The MMWR has been called “the voice of the CDC.” Published weekly since 1961, it has for generations been the main way the agency recounted disease investigations, shared public health recommendations and conveyed other health information.It had never taken a two-week break.Typically released every Thursday, the journal has more than 147,000 electronic&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/about.html" target="_blank">subscribers</a>&nbsp;— a readership that’s mainly doctors, nurses, educators, researchers and public health scientists.<h2>Articles often turn into news for the general public</h2>A paper published in June 1981, about previously healthy gay Los Angeles men who came down with lung infections, turned out to be the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/june_5.htm" target="_blank">first published report</a>&nbsp;documenting the disease that came to be known as AIDS. In April 2009, the journal reported&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5816a7.htm" target="_blank">the first two cases</a>&nbsp;of what became known as the H1N1 “swine flu” pandemic.In 2020, during the first Trump administration, the MMWR became the focus of concerns about political interference with CDC’s scientific work. White House officials believed CDC scientists were undermining Trump by trying to make the COVID-19 pandemic appear worse than it was.The journal’s editor at the time, Dr. Charlotte Kent,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/james-clyburn-alex-azar-coronavirus-pandemic-d582aeb73e53f242fa1d33f099e14cd3">later told Congress</a>&nbsp;that administration officials pressed her to delay publication of at least one article and told her to delete an email that showed political meddling.“If political decisions determine which health threats to highlight, we’ll all be less safe,” said Frieden, president of Resolve to Save Lives, a not-for-profit organization that works on international public health issues. “I hope the new administration will see the value in CDC publishing information on health threats every week, without political interference.”<h2>___</h2>The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

‘Voice of the CDC’ resumes publication after Trump executive order

WASHINGTON —It has been a busy week in Washington for new 2nd District Kansas Congressman Derek Schmidt.

On Thursday, Schmidt presided over the House floor for the first time.

In addition, Schmidt this week announced he introduced the&nbsp;Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act along with five other members of the House including Missouri Congresswoman Ann Wagner.

&nbsp; The bill redirects unobligated funds collected through the&nbsp;False Claims Act&nbsp;to the Crime Victims Fund (CVF) through fiscal year (FY) 2029, stabilizing the CVF.

Schmidt also announced he has cosponsored four bills to protect Americans’ Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.&nbsp;

H.R. 38, the&nbsp;Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, provides nationwide reciprocity for concealed carry license holders and for residents of constitutional carry states.

H.R. 45, the&nbsp;Firearm Industry Non-Discrimination&nbsp;(FIND)&nbsp;Act, prevents any business that discriminates against firearm businesses or associations from contracting or subcontracting with the federal government.

H.R. 404, the&nbsp;Hearing Protection Act&nbsp;(HPA), reduces archaic barriers to purchasing a firearm suppressor.

Schmidt served as the&nbsp;Kansas Attorney General&nbsp;from 2011 to 2023. He was first elected to office serving in the&nbsp;Kansas Senate&nbsp; representing the&nbsp;15th district&nbsp;from 2001 to 2011. In 2022, Schmidt was the Republican nominee for&nbsp;governor of Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738931611218.png" alt="Images courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Images courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —It has been a busy week in Washington for new 2nd District Kansas Congressman Derek Schmidt.On Thursday, Schmidt presided over the House floor for the first time.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738931999797.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>In addition, Schmidt this week announced he introduced the&nbsp;Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act along with five other members of the House including Missouri Congresswoman Ann Wagner.&nbsp; The bill redirects unobligated funds collected through the&nbsp;False Claims Act&nbsp;to the Crime Victims Fund (CVF) through fiscal year (FY) 2029, stabilizing the CVF.Schmidt also announced he has cosponsored four bills to protect Americans’ Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.&nbsp;H.R. 38, the&nbsp;Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, provides nationwide reciprocity for concealed carry license holders and for residents of constitutional carry states.H.R. 45, the&nbsp;Firearm Industry Non-Discrimination&nbsp;(FIND)&nbsp;Act, prevents any business that discriminates against firearm businesses or associations from contracting or subcontracting with the federal government.H.R. 404, the&nbsp;Hearing Protection Act&nbsp;(HPA), reduces archaic barriers to purchasing a firearm suppressor.Schmidt served as the&nbsp;Kansas Attorney General&nbsp;from 2011 to 2023. He was first elected to office serving in the&nbsp;Kansas Senate&nbsp; representing the&nbsp;15th district&nbsp;from 2001 to 2011. In 2022, Schmidt was the Republican nominee for&nbsp;governor of Kansas.

 Kan. Congressman presided over the House floor for the first time

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a high-speed chase.

On Feb. 1, sheriff's deputies in Clay County, overheard deputies in Jackson County&nbsp;in pursuit of a stolen truck and trailer with an ATV on it northbound on Interstate 435, according to a media release.

The driver continued into Clay County, where Jackson County deputies terminated their pursuit, and Clay County deputies caught up with the vehicle, with the assistance of Claycomo Police Department. 

Two of the truck's tires had already struck Stop Sticks. Deputies pursued the vehicle until it came to a stop near N.E. 96th Street and N. Brighton. The driver put his hands out the window and was taken into custody with no further incident. 

Deputies learned the truck, trailer and ATVs had been stolen from Olathe, Kansas. There were four ATVs on the trailer when it was stolen. The driver, 34-year-old Tyler S. Young of Blue Springs, has been charged with first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle, aggravated fleeing from a stop and resisting arrest.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738898846202.png" alt="Photo Clay Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Clay Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a high-speed chase.On Feb. 1, sheriff's deputies in Clay County, overheard deputies in Jackson County&nbsp;in pursuit of a stolen truck and trailer with an ATV on it northbound on Interstate 435, according to a media release.The driver continued into Clay County, where Jackson County deputies terminated their pursuit, and Clay County deputies caught up with the vehicle, with the assistance of Claycomo Police Department. Two of the truck's tires had already struck Stop Sticks. Deputies pursued the vehicle until it came to a stop near N.E. 96th Street and N. Brighton. The driver put his hands out the window and was taken into custody with no further incident. Deputies learned the truck, trailer and ATVs had been stolen from Olathe, Kansas. There were four ATVs on the trailer when it was stolen. The driver, 34-year-old Tyler S. Young of Blue Springs, has been charged with first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle, aggravated fleeing from a stop and resisting arrest.&nbsp;

Deputies make arrest, recover truck and 4 ATVs stolen in Kansas

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

Democratic attorneys general in several states vowed Thursday to file a lawsuit to stop Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency from accessing federal payment systems&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-trump-doge-intelligence-cia-4a4e99c7925b02e014e6e65d2ef9a055">containing Americans' sensitive personal information.</a>

A dozen attorneys general, including New York's Letitia James, said in a statement that they were taking action “in defense of our Constitution, our right to privacy, and the essential funding that individuals and communities nationwide are counting on."

“As the richest man in the world, Elon Musk is not used to being told ‘no,’ but in our country, no one is above the law," the statement said. “The President does not have the power to give away our private information to anyone he chooses, and he cannot cut federal payments approved by Congress.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday afternoon.

Government officials and labor unions have been among those raising concerns about DOGE's involvement with the payment system for the federal government, saying it could lead to security risks or missed payments for programs such as Social Security and Medicare.

Also Thursday, a federal judge ordered that two Musk allies have “read only” access to Treasury Department payment systems, but no one else will get access for now, including Musk himself. The ruling comes in a lawsuit filed by federal workers unions trying to stop the billionaire’s DOGE from following through on what they call a massive privacy invasion.

It was not immediate clear when the Democratic attorneys general will file their lawsuit.

Joining James in the statement were the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, Rhode Island and Vermont.

President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;tapped Musk, the world’s richest man, to shrink the size of the U.S. government.

Democrats have criticized the tech billionaire’s maneuvers, which include the hostile seizure of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-elon-musk-doge-treasury-5e26cc80fcb766981cea56afd57ae759">taxpayer data</a>&nbsp;and the apparent closure of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usaid-foreign-aid-freeze-trump-peter-marocco-8253d7dda766df89e10390c1645e78aa">government’s leading international humanitarian aid agency</a>.

DOGE recently has gained access to sensitive payment data within the Treasury Department. It came after Treasury’s acting Deputy Secretary David Lebryk resigned under pressure after more than 30 years of service. The Washington Post reported that Lebryk resigned after Musk and DOGE requested access to sensitive Treasury data.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738777949415.png" alt="Elon Musk-file photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Elon Musk-file photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DAVE%20COLLINS%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DAVE COLLINS &nbsp;Associated Press</a>Democratic attorneys general in several states vowed Thursday to file a lawsuit to stop Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency from accessing federal payment systems&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-trump-doge-intelligence-cia-4a4e99c7925b02e014e6e65d2ef9a055">containing Americans' sensitive personal information.</a>A dozen attorneys general, including New York's Letitia James, said in a statement that they were taking action “in defense of our Constitution, our right to privacy, and the essential funding that individuals and communities nationwide are counting on."“As the richest man in the world, Elon Musk is not used to being told ‘no,’ but in our country, no one is above the law," the statement said. “The President does not have the power to give away our private information to anyone he chooses, and he cannot cut federal payments approved by Congress.”The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday afternoon.Government officials and labor unions have been among those raising concerns about DOGE's involvement with the payment system for the federal government, saying it could lead to security risks or missed payments for programs such as Social Security and Medicare.Also Thursday, a federal judge ordered that two Musk allies have “read only” access to Treasury Department payment systems, but no one else will get access for now, including Musk himself. The ruling comes in a lawsuit filed by federal workers unions trying to stop the billionaire’s DOGE from following through on what they call a massive privacy invasion.It was not immediate clear when the Democratic attorneys general will file their lawsuit.Joining James in the statement were the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, Rhode Island and Vermont.President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;tapped Musk, the world’s richest man, to shrink the size of the U.S. government.Democrats have criticized the tech billionaire’s maneuvers, which include the hostile seizure of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-elon-musk-doge-treasury-5e26cc80fcb766981cea56afd57ae759">taxpayer data</a>&nbsp;and the apparent closure of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usaid-foreign-aid-freeze-trump-peter-marocco-8253d7dda766df89e10390c1645e78aa">government’s leading international humanitarian aid agency</a>.DOGE recently has gained access to sensitive payment data within the Treasury Department. It came after Treasury’s acting Deputy Secretary David Lebryk resigned under pressure after more than 30 years of service. The Washington Post reported that Lebryk resigned after Musk and DOGE requested access to sensitive Treasury data.

States to sue over DOGE access to government payment systems, personal data

WASHINGTON (AP) —Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz said Thursday that NTSB officials in a briefing told senators that the helicopter's Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) — an aviation surveillance technology that transmits aircraft location and other data to air traffic control and other aircraft — was off.

“The reason for turning it off does not seem justified," Cruz said. "And in this instance, this was a training mission, so there was no compelling national security reason for ADS-B to be turned off.”

President Donald Trump on Thursday blamed the deadly collision of a passenger jet and Army helicopter last week on what he called an “obsolete” computer system used by U.S. air traffic controllers.

He vowed to replace it after NTSB officials told members of Congress that advanced surveillance technology available on the helicopter was turned off.

Trump said during an event that “a lot of mistakes happened” on Jan. 29 when an American Airlines flight out of Wichita, Kansas,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-aircraft-crash-9d79051a9e535bd855df5a4e5553b2e9">collided</a>&nbsp;with an Army helicopter as the plane was about to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fatal-washington-flight-passengers-ca062f03b729c130058d4f74393dfa31">killing all 67 people</a>&nbsp;on board the two aircraft.

NTSB officials also told media outlets that the helicopter crew was likely wearing night vision goggles.

In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-crash-reagan-washington-buttigieg-diversity-biden-ef1e07684bbc845e9e7981c1ae060af2">blamed it on diversity hiring programs</a>. But on Thursday, he blamed the computer system used by the country's air traffic controllers.

During a speech at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-prayer-breakfast-30ff6f55a2e3c7b8643a15e7b158537d">National Prayer Breakfast</a>&nbsp;at the U.S. Capitol, Trump said the U.S. spent billions of dollars trying to “renovate an old, broken system” instead of investing in a new one. He said in his private jet, he uses a system from another country when he lands because his pilot says the existing system in the U.S. is obsolete.

“I think what is going to happen is we’re all going to sit down and do a great computerized system for our control towers,” he said.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Elon Musk said in posts on X that Musk's team at the Department of Government Efficiency is going to help rapidly upgrade the nation’s aviation safety system.

The Federal Aviation Administration has been working since the mid-2000s to upgrade the air traffic control system through its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.faa.gov/nextgen">NextGen program</a>.

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

Trump said that if the nation had a newer system, alarms would have sounded when the Black Hawk helicopter, which was on a training exercise, reached the same altitude as the plane.

But an FAA report after the crash said that the controller did get an alert that the plane and helicopter were converging when they were still more than a mile (1.6 kilometers) apart. The controller responded by asking the helicopter if it had the plane in sight and directed the helicopter to pass behind the plane. The helicopter responded that it did have the plane in sight.

The FAA made it clear Thursday it is going to ensure that helicopters and planes will no longer share the same airspace over the Potomac River.

An early focus of the investigation has been confirming the altitude of the plane and helicopter. The jet’s flight recorder showed its altitude as 325 feet (99 meters), plus or minus 25 feet (7.6 meters).

Data from the airport’s air traffic control system suggests the helicopter was above its 200-foot (61-meter) flight ceiling. The screen the controller was looking at that night showed that based on radar and other data, the helicopter was at 300 feet (91 meters), the NTSB said, noting that the figure would have been rounded to the nearest 100 feet (30 meters).

To get more precise information, investigators need to be able to examine the wreckage of the Black Hawk. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Thursday afternoon that all major components of the helicopter and jet have been removed from the river. Salvage crews will work to remove smaller debris with baskets over the next 10 days before finishing work on Feb. 16.

“We will continue pushing forward in the coming days until we are confident the river is safe for navigation and that elements of evidentiary value are recovered and provided to the appropriate authorities,” the Corps Baltimore District Commander Col. Francis Pera said.

This crash was the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-crashes-history-washington-ee55776ea0c5f9e322fc77ea1ea452d1">deadliest in the U.S.</a>&nbsp;since Nov. 12, 2001, when a jet slammed into a New York City neighborhood just after takeoff, killing all 260 people on board and five on the ground.

There was concern after the crash that Trump's efforts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-executive-orders-power-border-tiktok-history-e77458bc0312c60f3f2b0eeb131d0056">slash the size</a>&nbsp;of the federal workforce could worsen the shortage of air traffic controllers if some of them accepted the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-buyout-offer-federal-workers-doge-bdb6cd89e383ff1120eeb262904b4060">deferred resignation offers</a>&nbsp;sent to all federal employees last week. But air traffic controllers were told by their union Thursday that certain positions within the Federal Aviation Administration, including theirs, were exempt.

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said in its email to members that additional positions might be exempt based on the employees’ “national security or public safety responsibilities.” The union had already recommended to its members that they reject the offers, which were extended the day before the midair collision.

Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani, Adriana Gomez Licon and Thomas Beaumont contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738207177867.png" alt="Image of the moment of impact from Kennedy Center web camera" />
 <figcaption>Image of the moment of impact from Kennedy Center web camera</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz said Thursday that NTSB officials in a briefing told senators that the helicopter's Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) — an aviation surveillance technology that transmits aircraft location and other data to air traffic control and other aircraft — was off.“The reason for turning it off does not seem justified," Cruz said. "And in this instance, this was a training mission, so there was no compelling national security reason for ADS-B to be turned off.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738703092495.png" alt="The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District, working with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/USCGMidAtlantic?__cft__[0]=AZVaKqPNSiwSuKRH01L03JB8k_89iOrQZOlRWtfzOBsAJCt3z8QQvEYQa8XpseNu6lXA2LDrRWcHbQW3Fa1vXPGXU-T_5Dh2wbhpnKG7qo382L0qE0fMgmG5jv5Z_FFWJHRL1dX62558wBmmNSH_sOYY5t0GOUldAsRj2QW9WelwbsHdhaP3oE4VMMl2yUaEBbw&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">U.S. Coast Guard Mid-Atlantic</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/USNavy?__cft__[0]=AZVaKqPNSiwSuKRH01L03JB8k_89iOrQZOlRWtfzOBsAJCt3z8QQvEYQa8XpseNu6lXA2LDrRWcHbQW3Fa1vXPGXU-T_5Dh2wbhpnKG7qo382L0qE0fMgmG5jv5Z_FFWJHRL1dX62558wBmmNSH_sOYY5t0GOUldAsRj2QW9WelwbsHdhaP3oE4VMMl2yUaEBbw&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">U.S. Navy</a>&nbsp;Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV), began wreckage removal operations on Monday, at the site of the Potomac River Aviation Incident near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Phoso U.S. Army Corps of Engineers" />
 <figcaption>The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District, working with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/USCGMidAtlantic?__cft__[0]=AZVaKqPNSiwSuKRH01L03JB8k_89iOrQZOlRWtfzOBsAJCt3z8QQvEYQa8XpseNu6lXA2LDrRWcHbQW3Fa1vXPGXU-T_5Dh2wbhpnKG7qo382L0qE0fMgmG5jv5Z_FFWJHRL1dX62558wBmmNSH_sOYY5t0GOUldAsRj2QW9WelwbsHdhaP3oE4VMMl2yUaEBbw&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">U.S. Coast Guard Mid-Atlantic</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/USNavy?__cft__[0]=AZVaKqPNSiwSuKRH01L03JB8k_89iOrQZOlRWtfzOBsAJCt3z8QQvEYQa8XpseNu6lXA2LDrRWcHbQW3Fa1vXPGXU-T_5Dh2wbhpnKG7qo382L0qE0fMgmG5jv5Z_FFWJHRL1dX62558wBmmNSH_sOYY5t0GOUldAsRj2QW9WelwbsHdhaP3oE4VMMl2yUaEBbw&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">U.S. Navy</a>&nbsp;Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV), began wreckage removal operations on Monday, at the site of the Potomac River Aviation Incident near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Phoso U.S. Army Corps of Engineers</figcaption>
 </figure>President Donald Trump on Thursday blamed the deadly collision of a passenger jet and Army helicopter last week on what he called an “obsolete” computer system used by U.S. air traffic controllers.He vowed to replace it after NTSB officials told members of Congress that advanced surveillance technology available on the helicopter was turned off.Trump said during an event that “a lot of mistakes happened” on Jan. 29 when an American Airlines flight out of Wichita, Kansas,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-aircraft-crash-9d79051a9e535bd855df5a4e5553b2e9">collided</a>&nbsp;with an Army helicopter as the plane was about to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fatal-washington-flight-passengers-ca062f03b729c130058d4f74393dfa31">killing all 67 people</a>&nbsp;on board the two aircraft.NTSB officials also told media outlets that the helicopter crew was likely wearing night vision goggles.In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-crash-reagan-washington-buttigieg-diversity-biden-ef1e07684bbc845e9e7981c1ae060af2">blamed it on diversity hiring programs</a>. But on Thursday, he blamed the computer system used by the country's air traffic controllers.During a speech at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-prayer-breakfast-30ff6f55a2e3c7b8643a15e7b158537d">National Prayer Breakfast</a>&nbsp;at the U.S. Capitol, Trump said the U.S. spent billions of dollars trying to “renovate an old, broken system” instead of investing in a new one. He said in his private jet, he uses a system from another country when he lands because his pilot says the existing system in the U.S. is obsolete.“I think what is going to happen is we’re all going to sit down and do a great computerized system for our control towers,” he said.Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Elon Musk said in posts on X that Musk's team at the Department of Government Efficiency is going to help rapidly upgrade the nation’s aviation safety system.The Federal Aviation Administration has been working since the mid-2000s to upgrade the air traffic control system through its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.faa.gov/nextgen">NextGen program</a>.Federal officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/airlines-faa-close-calls-senate-hearing-7309801ccbf64bcecfb0cf58e3e58498">have been raising concerns</a>&nbsp;about an overtaxed and understaffed air traffic control system for years, especially after a series of close calls between planes at U.S. airports. Among the reasons they have cited for staffing shortages are uncompetitive pay, long shifts, intensive training and mandatory retirements.Trump said that if the nation had a newer system, alarms would have sounded when the Black Hawk helicopter, which was on a training exercise, reached the same altitude as the plane.But an FAA report after the crash said that the controller did get an alert that the plane and helicopter were converging when they were still more than a mile (1.6 kilometers) apart. The controller responded by asking the helicopter if it had the plane in sight and directed the helicopter to pass behind the plane. The helicopter responded that it did have the plane in sight.The FAA made it clear Thursday it is going to ensure that helicopters and planes will no longer share the same airspace over the Potomac River.An early focus of the investigation has been confirming the altitude of the plane and helicopter. The jet’s flight recorder showed its altitude as 325 feet (99 meters), plus or minus 25 feet (7.6 meters).Data from the airport’s air traffic control system suggests the helicopter was above its 200-foot (61-meter) flight ceiling. The screen the controller was looking at that night showed that based on radar and other data, the helicopter was at 300 feet (91 meters), the NTSB said, noting that the figure would have been rounded to the nearest 100 feet (30 meters).To get more precise information, investigators need to be able to examine the wreckage of the Black Hawk. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Thursday afternoon that all major components of the helicopter and jet have been removed from the river. Salvage crews will work to remove smaller debris with baskets over the next 10 days before finishing work on Feb. 16.“We will continue pushing forward in the coming days until we are confident the river is safe for navigation and that elements of evidentiary value are recovered and provided to the appropriate authorities,” the Corps Baltimore District Commander Col. Francis Pera said.This crash was the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-crashes-history-washington-ee55776ea0c5f9e322fc77ea1ea452d1">deadliest in the U.S.</a>&nbsp;since Nov. 12, 2001, when a jet slammed into a New York City neighborhood just after takeoff, killing all 260 people on board and five on the ground.There was concern after the crash that Trump's efforts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-executive-orders-power-border-tiktok-history-e77458bc0312c60f3f2b0eeb131d0056">slash the size</a>&nbsp;of the federal workforce could worsen the shortage of air traffic controllers if some of them accepted the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-buyout-offer-federal-workers-doge-bdb6cd89e383ff1120eeb262904b4060">deferred resignation offers</a>&nbsp;sent to all federal employees last week. But air traffic controllers were told by their union Thursday that certain positions within the Federal Aviation Administration, including theirs, were exempt.The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said in its email to members that additional positions might be exempt based on the employees’ “national security or public safety responsibilities.” The union had already recommended to its members that they reject the offers, which were extended the day before the midair collision.___Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani, Adriana Gomez Licon and Thomas Beaumont contributed to this report.

Senator: Helicopter in midair crash had a safety system off

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration presented a plan Thursday to dramatically cut staffing worldwide for U.S. aid projects as part of its dismantling of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usaid-trump-musk-leave-notice-rubio-943b4306b96f726703842e5d55c05aea">U.S. Agency for International Development</a>, leaving fewer than 300 workers out of thousands.

Late Thursday, federal workers associations filed suit asking a federal court to stop the shutdown, arguing that President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;lacks the authority to shut down an agency enshrined in congressional legislation.

Two current USAID employees and one former senior USAID official told The Associated Press of the administration's plan, presented to remaining senior officials of the agency Thursday. They spoke on condition of anonymity due to a Trump administration order barring USAID staffers from talking to anyone outside their agency.

The plan would leave fewer than 300 staffers on the job out of what are currently 8,000 direct hires and contractors. They, along with an unknown number of 5,000 locally hired international staffers abroad, would run the few life-saving programs that the administration says it intends to keep going for the time being.

It was not immediately clear whether the reduction to 300 would be permanent or temporary, potentially allowing more workers to return after what the Trump administration says is a review of which aid and development programs it wants to resume.

The administration earlier this week gave almost all USAID staffers posted overseas 30 days, starting Friday, to return to the U.S., with the government paying for their travel and moving costs. Workers who choose to stay longer, unless they received a specific hardship waiver, might have to cover their own expenses, a notice on the USAID website said late Thursday.

Secretary of State&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/marco-rubio">Marco Rubio</a>&nbsp;said during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rubio-panama-canal-gaza-migration-usaid-b148af6bb15da37a8b6e4edf5a873829">a trip to the Dominican Republic</a>&nbsp;on Thursday that the U.S. government will continue providing foreign aid.

“But it is going to be foreign aid that makes sense and is aligned with our national interest,” he told reporters.

The Trump administration and billionaire ally&nbsp;<a href="https://elon%20musk/">Elon Musk</a>, who is running a budget-cutting Department of Government Efficiency, have targeted USAID hardest so far in an unprecedented challenge of the federal government and many of its programs.

Since Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration, a sweeping funding freeze has shut down most of the agency’s programs worldwide, and almost all of its workers have been placed on administrative leave or furloughed. Musk and Trump have spoken of eliminating USAID as an independent agency and moving surviving programs under the State Department.

Democratic lawmakers and others call the move illegal without congressional approval.

The same argument was made by the American Foreign Service Association and the American Federation of Government Employees in their lawsuit, which asks the federal court in Washington to compel the reopening of USAID’s buildings, return its staffers to work and restore funding.

Government officials “failed to acknowledge the catastrophic consequences of their actions, both as they pertain to American workers, the lives of millions around the world, and to US national interests," the suit says.

AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738896794184.jpeg" alt="Democrat members of Congress protest USAID cuts Wednesday-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Democrat members of Congress protest USAID cuts Wednesday-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration presented a plan Thursday to dramatically cut staffing worldwide for U.S. aid projects as part of its dismantling of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usaid-trump-musk-leave-notice-rubio-943b4306b96f726703842e5d55c05aea">U.S. Agency for International Development</a>, leaving fewer than 300 workers out of thousands.Late Thursday, federal workers associations filed suit asking a federal court to stop the shutdown, arguing that President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;lacks the authority to shut down an agency enshrined in congressional legislation.Two current USAID employees and one former senior USAID official told The Associated Press of the administration's plan, presented to remaining senior officials of the agency Thursday. They spoke on condition of anonymity due to a Trump administration order barring USAID staffers from talking to anyone outside their agency.The plan would leave fewer than 300 staffers on the job out of what are currently 8,000 direct hires and contractors. They, along with an unknown number of 5,000 locally hired international staffers abroad, would run the few life-saving programs that the administration says it intends to keep going for the time being.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/UeyP7NHjAo">pic.twitter.com/UeyP7NHjAo</a>&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1887543203953275347?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>It was not immediately clear whether the reduction to 300 would be permanent or temporary, potentially allowing more workers to return after what the Trump administration says is a review of which aid and development programs it wants to resume.The administration earlier this week gave almost all USAID staffers posted overseas 30 days, starting Friday, to return to the U.S., with the government paying for their travel and moving costs. Workers who choose to stay longer, unless they received a specific hardship waiver, might have to cover their own expenses, a notice on the USAID website said late Thursday.Secretary of State&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/marco-rubio">Marco Rubio</a>&nbsp;said during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rubio-panama-canal-gaza-migration-usaid-b148af6bb15da37a8b6e4edf5a873829">a trip to the Dominican Republic</a>&nbsp;on Thursday that the U.S. government will continue providing foreign aid.“But it is going to be foreign aid that makes sense and is aligned with our national interest,” he told reporters.The Trump administration and billionaire ally&nbsp;<a href="https://elon%20musk/">Elon Musk</a>, who is running a budget-cutting Department of Government Efficiency, have targeted USAID hardest so far in an unprecedented challenge of the federal government and many of its programs.Since Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration, a sweeping funding freeze has shut down most of the agency’s programs worldwide, and almost all of its workers have been placed on administrative leave or furloughed. Musk and Trump have spoken of eliminating USAID as an independent agency and moving surviving programs under the State Department.Democratic lawmakers and others call the move illegal without congressional approval.The same argument was made by the American Foreign Service Association and the American Federation of Government Employees in their lawsuit, which asks the federal court in Washington to compel the reopening of USAID’s buildings, return its staffers to work and restore funding.Government officials “failed to acknowledge the catastrophic consequences of their actions, both as they pertain to American workers, the lives of millions around the world, and to US national interests," the suit says.___AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.