BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

A Jackson County judge previously allowed certain regulations, such as mandatory pelvic exams for medical abortion, to remain in place

Nearly two months after<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/12/05/abortion-lawsuit-planned-parenthood-amendment-3-missouri-jackson-county/">&nbsp;a voter-approved constitutional amendment legalizing abortion</a>&nbsp;went into effect, the procedure remains inaccessible in Missouri.&nbsp;

On Friday, a Jackson County judge heard arguments over whether to grant an injunction requested by Planned Parenthood that would permit the organization to offer abortion services almost immediately.&nbsp;

Last month, Jackson County Judge Jerri Zhang&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/12/20/missouri-amendment-3-abortion-regulations-trap-laws/">struck down a number of “targeted regulation of abortion provider” statutes,</a>&nbsp;better known as TRAP laws.&nbsp;

Laws mandating a 72-hour waiting period for an abortion and a requirement that physicians performing the procedure have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals were put on hold.&nbsp;

But other regulations the judge allowed to remain — such as state licensing requirements and a mandate to receive a pelvic exam before being prescribed the pill used in medication abortion — have left clinics unable to perform the procedure in Missouri.

On Friday afternoon, Zhang again listened to arguments from Planned Parenthood and the Missouri Attorney General’s Office during the hearing in downtown Kansas City.&nbsp;

“We have still not been able to restore abortion access in Missouri,” Eleanor Spottswood, an attorney with Planned Parenthood, argued Friday.

Zhang asked how Planned Parenthood clinics would be regulated if she were to strike down the current licensing requirements from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Spottswood said that like other outpatient practices, the facility would not require a license, but the providers would need to meet their own professional licensing requirements through the Missouri Board of Healing Arts.&nbsp;

Planned Parenthood is currently held to a much higher threshold of regulations, she said.

Pottswood said if the judge strikes down the remaining TRAP laws, it’s Planned Parenthood’s intention to offer medication abortions at all nine clinics across the state within a week The organization hopes it can hire and train the necessary staff to also begin performing surgical abortions at its clinics in St. Louis and Kansas City.&nbsp;

The state previously asked that the case be dismissed, arguing that because abortion is still accessible by mail or by leaving the state, Planned Parenthood didn’t have the standing to ask for a temporary ruling.

Much of Friday’s hearing revolved around pelvic exams, which Planned Parenthood’s attorneys maintained are “invasive and unnecessary” ahead of prescribing abortion medication. Instead, Pottswood said, the clinics use other methods to determine if the pregnancy is at risk of being ectopic, meaning the fertilized egg has implanted itself outside the uterus.&nbsp;

Taking abortion medication to end an ectopic pregnancy can be dangerous.

Missouri Solicitor General Joshua Divine argued that pelvic exams ahead of any procedure are “routine care,” and should remain in place.&nbsp;

Zhang asked if hospitals can perform abortions following passage of Amendment 3 last year, seemingly attempting to determine whether the current pelvic exam law is discriminatory against abortion clinics or if it would also be required at hospitals.&nbsp;

Pottswood said they presumably can, but a question remains of whether any will. Divine agreed that while he believes hospitals can now provide abortions, it is “very, very rare” that they do so in Missouri … so there’s not much need to regulate.”

Without a broader injunction, Pottswood argued, “the state will enforce the law in the most obstructive way possible” and “treat abortion providers differently and worse than other providers.”&nbsp;

This interferes with patients rights, she said, which is in violation of&nbsp;<a href="https://moconstitutionalfreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Missourians-for-Constitutional-Freedom-Amendment.pdf" target="_blank">Amendment 3, which states in part&nbsp;</a>that “the right to reproductive freedom shall not be denied, interfered with, delayed, or otherwise restricted unless the government demonstrates that such action is justifiable by a compelling governmental interest achieved by the least restrictive means.”&nbsp;

A decade ago, more than 5,000 abortions were performed in Missouri, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. By 2020, when abortions were still legal, that number fell to 167, a drop that abortion providers attributed to the state’s growing list of regulations.

Divine questioned why the Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Louis hadn’t reapplied for a license, since they were the only clinic in the state that still met licensing requirements when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022. He called the lack of access a “purely self-inflicted injury.”

Missouri’s trigger law banning all abortions with limited exceptions for medical emergencies went into effect the same day, ending the procedure at the St. Louis clinic.

Assuming that the state would grant the license, Pottswood said by limiting patients’ choices to one clinic in the state, “the licensing law inserts the state between the patient and the provider.”

The hearing, which lasted four hours, also discussed the state’s continued objection to the Jackson County prosecutor, formerly Jean Peters Baker and currently Melesa Johnson, being named as the defendants representing all county prosecutors in the case.&nbsp;

The attorney general’s office argues Johnson, who was endorsed by the advocacy arm of Planned Parenthood, does not appropriately represent all statewide prosecutors.

Zhang previously denied the state’s request to remove the Jackson County prosecutor as a representative for the defendant class and move the case to Cole County, where last summer a judge attempted to strike the abortion-rights amendment from the ballot.&nbsp;

On Friday, the prosecutors from Wright, Texas, Franklin and Saline counties showed up in court to continue to object, arguing that because there isn’t a Planned Parenthood clinic in any of their counties, all county prosecutors shouldn’t necessarily be a party in the case.&nbsp;

Zhang said her concern centers around the possibility that residents in any county could be prescribed abortion medication at a clinic before returning to their home counties. She also noted that three of the four counties have emergency rooms where women experiencing any abortion complications could be admitted.

“There could be a risk of prosecution across the state because of telemedicine,” she said.

No specific examples of what cases could be prosecuted were entertained. Tyrrell added that if he did prosecute an abortion case, he was confident he’d quickly find himself again sitting across from Planned Parenthood in a courtroom.

“I won’t swear I won’t and I won’t swear I will prosecute,” Wright County ProsecutorJohn Tyrrell told Zhang. “ … but the likelihood is very, very low.”

Zhang gave both parties one week to file additional briefings. Her decision is expected after that. The bench trial, at which point the judge will make a permanent ruling, has been set for January 2026.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738417012018.png" alt="A recovery room at the Planned Parenthood Great Plains office is pictured on June 21, 2024, in Overland Park, Kansas (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>A recovery room at the Planned Parenthood Great Plains office is pictured on June 21, 2024, in Overland Park, Kansas (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a><h2>A Jackson County judge previously allowed certain regulations, such as mandatory pelvic exams for medical abortion, to remain in place</h2>Nearly two months after<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/12/05/abortion-lawsuit-planned-parenthood-amendment-3-missouri-jackson-county/">&nbsp;a voter-approved constitutional amendment legalizing abortion</a>&nbsp;went into effect, the procedure remains inaccessible in Missouri.&nbsp;On Friday, a Jackson County judge heard arguments over whether to grant an injunction requested by Planned Parenthood that would permit the organization to offer abortion services almost immediately.&nbsp;Last month, Jackson County Judge Jerri Zhang&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/12/20/missouri-amendment-3-abortion-regulations-trap-laws/">struck down a number of “targeted regulation of abortion provider” statutes,</a>&nbsp;better known as TRAP laws.&nbsp;Laws mandating a 72-hour waiting period for an abortion and a requirement that physicians performing the procedure have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals were put on hold.&nbsp;But other regulations the judge allowed to remain — such as state licensing requirements and a mandate to receive a pelvic exam before being prescribed the pill used in medication abortion — have left clinics unable to perform the procedure in Missouri.On Friday afternoon, Zhang again listened to arguments from Planned Parenthood and the Missouri Attorney General’s Office during the hearing in downtown Kansas City.&nbsp;“We have still not been able to restore abortion access in Missouri,” Eleanor Spottswood, an attorney with Planned Parenthood, argued Friday.Zhang asked how Planned Parenthood clinics would be regulated if she were to strike down the current licensing requirements from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Spottswood said that like other outpatient practices, the facility would not require a license, but the providers would need to meet their own professional licensing requirements through the Missouri Board of Healing Arts.&nbsp;Planned Parenthood is currently held to a much higher threshold of regulations, she said.Pottswood said if the judge strikes down the remaining TRAP laws, it’s Planned Parenthood’s intention to offer medication abortions at all nine clinics across the state within a week The organization hopes it can hire and train the necessary staff to also begin performing surgical abortions at its clinics in St. Louis and Kansas City.&nbsp;The state previously asked that the case be dismissed, arguing that because abortion is still accessible by mail or by leaving the state, Planned Parenthood didn’t have the standing to ask for a temporary ruling.Much of Friday’s hearing revolved around pelvic exams, which Planned Parenthood’s attorneys maintained are “invasive and unnecessary” ahead of prescribing abortion medication. Instead, Pottswood said, the clinics use other methods to determine if the pregnancy is at risk of being ectopic, meaning the fertilized egg has implanted itself outside the uterus.&nbsp;Taking abortion medication to end an ectopic pregnancy can be dangerous.Missouri Solicitor General Joshua Divine argued that pelvic exams ahead of any procedure are “routine care,” and should remain in place.&nbsp;Zhang asked if hospitals can perform abortions following passage of Amendment 3 last year, seemingly attempting to determine whether the current pelvic exam law is discriminatory against abortion clinics or if it would also be required at hospitals.&nbsp;Pottswood said they presumably can, but a question remains of whether any will. Divine agreed that while he believes hospitals can now provide abortions, it is “very, very rare” that they do so in Missouri … so there’s not much need to regulate.”Without a broader injunction, Pottswood argued, “the state will enforce the law in the most obstructive way possible” and “treat abortion providers differently and worse than other providers.”&nbsp;This interferes with patients rights, she said, which is in violation of&nbsp;<a href="https://moconstitutionalfreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Missourians-for-Constitutional-Freedom-Amendment.pdf" target="_blank">Amendment 3, which states in part&nbsp;</a>that “the right to reproductive freedom shall not be denied, interfered with, delayed, or otherwise restricted unless the government demonstrates that such action is justifiable by a compelling governmental interest achieved by the least restrictive means.”&nbsp;A decade ago, more than 5,000 abortions were performed in Missouri, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. By 2020, when abortions were still legal, that number fell to 167, a drop that abortion providers attributed to the state’s growing list of regulations.Divine questioned why the Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Louis hadn’t reapplied for a license, since they were the only clinic in the state that still met licensing requirements when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022. He called the lack of access a “purely self-inflicted injury.”Missouri’s trigger law banning all abortions with limited exceptions for medical emergencies went into effect the same day, ending the procedure at the St. Louis clinic.Assuming that the state would grant the license, Pottswood said by limiting patients’ choices to one clinic in the state, “the licensing law inserts the state between the patient and the provider.”The hearing, which lasted four hours, also discussed the state’s continued objection to the Jackson County prosecutor, formerly Jean Peters Baker and currently Melesa Johnson, being named as the defendants representing all county prosecutors in the case.&nbsp;The attorney general’s office argues Johnson, who was endorsed by the advocacy arm of Planned Parenthood, does not appropriately represent all statewide prosecutors.Zhang previously denied the state’s request to remove the Jackson County prosecutor as a representative for the defendant class and move the case to Cole County, where last summer a judge attempted to strike the abortion-rights amendment from the ballot.&nbsp;On Friday, the prosecutors from Wright, Texas, Franklin and Saline counties showed up in court to continue to object, arguing that because there isn’t a Planned Parenthood clinic in any of their counties, all county prosecutors shouldn’t necessarily be a party in the case.&nbsp;Zhang said her concern centers around the possibility that residents in any county could be prescribed abortion medication at a clinic before returning to their home counties. She also noted that three of the four counties have emergency rooms where women experiencing any abortion complications could be admitted.“There could be a risk of prosecution across the state because of telemedicine,” she said.No specific examples of what cases could be prosecuted were entertained. Tyrrell added that if he did prosecute an abortion case, he was confident he’d quickly find himself again sitting across from Planned Parenthood in a courtroom.“I won’t swear I won’t and I won’t swear I will prosecute,” Wright County ProsecutorJohn Tyrrell told Zhang. “ … but the likelihood is very, very low.”Zhang gave both parties one week to file additional briefings. Her decision is expected after that. The bench trial, at which point the judge will make a permanent ruling, has been set for January 2026.

Planned Parenthood asks judge to block remaining Missouri abortion regulations

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon is readying orders for the deployment of at least 1,000 additional active duty troops to bolster President Donald Trump’s expanding crackdown&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/refugees-flights-trump-immigration-border-resettlement-33ebaa34bc4d0c069a22ee7aa5f8ff6d">on immigration</a>, U.S. officials said Friday.

They said roughly 500 more soldiers — largely a headquarters unit from the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum in New York — will be sent to the southwest border. And about 500 Marines will go to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where some of the detained migrants will be held.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because announcements have not been made, said there have been ongoing discussions about the deployments and the numbers could increase if additional details are worked out.

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 deployed to the border last week.

The deployments reflect Trump’s determination to expand the military’s role in his campaign to shut down the border and send detained migrants back to their home countries.

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

Speaking on “Fox and Friends” on Friday morning, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he believes the U.S. can get “thousands of individuals in tents, secured in places at Guantanamo Bay.”

But he also said there’s the possibility that hardened criminals or violent gang members could also be housed there. As a result, he said the Defense Department is preparing detention facilities at Guantanamo “that are basically supermax prisons” to be used to hold them temporarily.

Officials have been saying all week that there are likely to be additional troop deployments to help secure the southern border — potentially rolling out rapidly in the coming days. The eventual total deployed could be as many as 10,000.

Before Trump returned to the White House, there were already about 2,500 Guard and Reserve forces consistently deployed to the border. Officials noted that given the length of the nearly 2,000-mile border with Mexico, it will take additional forces to help put large rolls of concertina wire barriers in place and provide support to the Border Patrol.

The roughly 1,100 Army soldiers and 500 Marines ordered to deploy to the border last week have all arrived in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, and many have already begun work.

Separately, the U.S. military is providing military aircraft for Department of Homeland Security deportation flights for more than 5,000 detained migrants. At least some of those are expected to go to the detention center at the U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay.

Trump on Wednesday said his administration planned to send the “worst criminal aliens” to Guantanamo. He ordered the Pentagon to prepare to hold up to 30,000 migrants. He said some of the migrants can’t be trusted to stay in their home countries once they are sent back.

“Some of them are so bad that we don’t even trust the countries to hold them because we don’t want them coming back, so we’re gonna send ’em out to Guantanamo,” Trump said.

This is not the first time migrants would be held at Guantanamo. U.S. authorities have detained migrants intercepted at sea at a facility known as the Migrant Operations Center, including people from Haiti and Cuba.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733783218449.png" alt="File photo -Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall with then Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth during a meeting in December&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>File photo -Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall with then Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth during a meeting in December&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon is readying orders for the deployment of at least 1,000 additional active duty troops to bolster President Donald Trump’s expanding crackdown&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/refugees-flights-trump-immigration-border-resettlement-33ebaa34bc4d0c069a22ee7aa5f8ff6d">on immigration</a>, U.S. officials said Friday.They said roughly 500 more soldiers — largely a headquarters unit from the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum in New York — will be sent to the southwest border. And about 500 Marines will go to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where some of the detained migrants will be held.The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because announcements have not been made, said there have been ongoing discussions about the deployments and the numbers could increase if additional details are worked out.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 deployed to the border last week.The deployments reflect Trump’s determination to expand the military’s role in his campaign to shut down the border and send detained migrants back to their home countries.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. Troops going to Guantanamo could help prepare the facility for an influx of migrants and do other support duties.Speaking on “Fox and Friends” on Friday morning, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he believes the U.S. can get “thousands of individuals in tents, secured in places at Guantanamo Bay.”But he also said there’s the possibility that hardened criminals or violent gang members could also be housed there. As a result, he said the Defense Department is preparing detention facilities at Guantanamo “that are basically supermax prisons” to be used to hold them temporarily.Officials have been saying all week that there are likely to be additional troop deployments to help secure the southern border — potentially rolling out rapidly in the coming days. The eventual total deployed could be as many as 10,000.Before Trump returned to the White House, there were already about 2,500 Guard and Reserve forces consistently deployed to the border. Officials noted that given the length of the nearly 2,000-mile border with Mexico, it will take additional forces to help put large rolls of concertina wire barriers in place and provide support to the Border Patrol.The roughly 1,100 Army soldiers and 500 Marines ordered to deploy to the border last week have all arrived in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, and many have already begun work.Separately, the U.S. military is providing military aircraft for Department of Homeland Security deportation flights for more than 5,000 detained migrants. At least some of those are expected to go to the detention center at the U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay.Trump on Wednesday said his administration planned to send the “worst criminal aliens” to Guantanamo. He ordered the Pentagon to prepare to hold up to 30,000 migrants. He said some of the migrants can’t be trusted to stay in their home countries once they are sent back.“Some of them are so bad that we don’t even trust the countries to hold them because we don’t want them coming back, so we’re gonna send ’em out to Guantanamo,” Trump said.This is not the first time migrants would be held at Guantanamo. U.S. authorities have detained migrants intercepted at sea at a facility known as the Migrant Operations Center, including people from Haiti and Cuba.

Pentagon to deploy more troops to bolster Trump’s immigration crackdown

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Police boats combed the banks of the Potomac River on Friday, slowly scanning the shoreline under rainy skies as investigators sought clues into the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-aircraft-crash-9d79051a9e535bd855df5a4e5553b2e9">midair collision that killed 67 people</a>&nbsp;and raised questions about air traffic safety around the nation’s capital.

No one survived the Wednesday night collision between the commercial airliner and an Army helicopter. The remains of 41 people had been pulled from the river as of Friday afternoon, including 28 that had been positively identified, Washington, D.C., Fire Chief John Donnelly Sr. said at a news conference. He said next of kin notifications had been made to 18 families, and that he expects the remains of all 67 people who died to eventually be recovered.

The wreckage of the plane's fuselage will probably have to be pulled from the water to get all the bodies, he said.

“This is heartbreaking work,” Donnelly said, noting that more than 300 responders were taking part in the effort at any one time, including teams of divers and two U.S. Coast Guard cutters, at least one of which carries a crane. “It’s been a tough response for a lot of our people.”

It was unclear how long the recovery operation would take.

“We’re working as fast as we can,” he said. "We need your patience.”

Although Ronald Reagan National Airport has reopened, two of its three runways remain closed to keep aircraft from flying over the crash scene while taking off or landing, said Terry Liercke, the airport's vice president and manager. Roughly 100 flights were canceled Friday.

Officials also heavily restricted helicopter traffic around the airport, an official said, hours after President Donald Trump claimed in a social media post that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-collision-black-hawk-bombardier-potomac-2b151f42ba09602bade7b82abe8b995f">Army Black Hawk</a>&nbsp;had been flying higher than its allowed limit.

Investigators have recovered the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder of the American Airlines jetliner, which struck the chopper as the plane was coming in for a landing at the Washington-area airport. Officials are scrutinizing a range of factors in what&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-transportation-safety-board-dc-helicopter-crash-e6f43d112e9fa48f7a2ead01a6a61d27">National Transportation Safety Board</a>&nbsp;Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy has called an “all-hands-on-deck event.”

Investigators are examining the actions of the military pilot as well as air traffic control, after the helicopter apparently flew into the jet's path. Air crash investigations normally take 12-18 months, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-62adba7fb1f546b4cf1716e42b86482b">investigators told reporters Thursday</a>&nbsp;that they wouldn't speculate on the cause.

Authorities were still looking for the helicopter's black box recorder, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday on Fox News Channel. Other factors in the crash, including the helicopter’s altitude and whether the crew was using its night vision goggles, are still under investigation, he said.

Although some airspace had already been restricted following the crash, the Federal Aviation Administration decided to indefinitely bar most helicopters from using the low-to-the-ground routes that run under or parallel to the airport’s flightpaths, an official told The Associated Press on Friday. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter.

Military aircraft frequently conduct such flights in and around the nation’s capital for familiarization with routes they would fly in case of a major catastrophe or an attack on the U.S. that would require relocating key government officials.

The plane&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-plane-collision-victims-ee829891574aa35a30d8262b7e07e638">carried 60 passengers</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/plane-crash-kansas-dc-american-airlines-army-4fb9cd89ef9023fa848fc2331b24ee8e">four crew members</a>. The remains of one of the three soldiers who were aboard the helicopter have been recovered.

Officials said flight conditions were clear as the jet arrived from Wichita, Kansas, carrying, among others, nine students and parents from Fairfax County, Virginia schools,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-helicopter-jet-crash-figure-skaters-391a4c7bd0e617a08d9532a8faab206b">a group of elite young figure skaters</a>, their parents and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vadim-naumov-evgenia-shishkova-dc-jet-crash-c4788cb6f3e123f0caff83e57347a00d">coaches</a>&nbsp;and a group of hunters.

Details have been emerging about others who died in the crash, including Danasia Elder, a flight attendant on the American Airlines flight, WSOC-TV in Charlotte, North Carolina, reported.

Her brother-in-law, Brandon Payne, said she was married with two children and had dreamed of getting the airline job.

“She would want y’all to do the same thing she did. Chase your dreams, no matter what. Don’t let nothing scare you, push you away. Just believe in yourself, believe in God, and follow the path,” Payne said.

Debris from the crash has drifted miles (kilometers) downriver.

Dean Naujoks, who routinely patrols the Potomac for the environmental group Waterkeeper Alliance, on Thursday found floating debris that had been pushed by the wind and current into a pair of shallow coves along the Maryland shore.

The wreckage included pages from a flight manual, part of the plane’s cabin wall, a woman’s sweater, dozens of sugar packets with the American Airlines logo and what appeared to be the cushion from a pilot’s seat. Naujoks, who had law enforcement permission to take his motorboat to the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge, about 2 miles (roughly 3 kilometers) downriver from the crash site, turned the items over to the FBI.

“Everything is covered in jet fuel,” Naujoks said Friday. “The sugar packets made me think of the flight attendants. I’m thinking of the people these things belonged to and it’s a punch to the gut. It’s just a sad day on the river.”

One air traffic controller was responsible for coordinating helicopter traffic and arriving and departing planes when the collision happened, according to an FAA report obtained by the AP. Those duties are often divided between two people, but the airport typically combines the roles at 9:30 p.m., once traffic begins to slow down. On Wednesday, the tower supervisor directed that they be combined earlier.

“The position configuration was not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic,” the report said.

A person familiar with the matter, however, said the tower staffing that night was at a normal level. The positions are regularly combined when controllers need to step away from the console for breaks, during shift changes or when air traffic is slow, the person said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal procedures.

The FAA has long struggled with a shortage of air traffic controllers.

Jonathan Koziol, chief of staff for Army aviation, said the helicopter crew was “very experienced” and familiar with the congested flying that occurs daily around the city.

The helicopter's maximum allowed altitude at the time was 200 feet (about 60 meters), Koziol said. It was not immediately clear whether it exceeded that limit, but Hegseth said altitude seemed to be a factor in the collision.

A day after he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-crash-reagan-washington-buttigieg-diversity-biden-ef1e07684bbc845e9e7981c1ae060af2">questioned the helicopter pilot’s actions</a>&nbsp;and blamed diversity initiatives for undermining air safety, Trump said in a Friday post on Truth Social that the helicopter was “flying too high” at the time of the crash.

“It was far above the 200 foot limit. That’s not really too complicated to understand, is it???” Trump said.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-air-collision-video-footage-b444f2c4015fee7266e8a38716ec4ef6">Wednesday's crash</a>&nbsp;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 residential area of Belle Harbor, New York, just after takeoff from Kennedy Airport, killing all 260 people aboard and five people on the ground.

Experts often highlight that plane travel is overwhelmingly safe, but the airspace around Reagan National&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/american-airlines-5342-blackhawk-reagan-national-airport-81a43f2ba5cc59cbe9273fa593f1e9cf">can challenge even the most experienced pilots</a>. They must navigate hundreds of other commercial planes, military aircraft and restricted areas around sensitive sites.

Gomez Licon reported from Miami. AP writer Lea Skene contributed to this report. Writers Lolita C. Baldor, Tara Copp, Meg Kinnard, Chris Megerian, Aamer Madhani and Michael Biesecker contributed from Washington. Sarah Brumfield reported from Cockeysville, Maryland.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738343782845.png" alt="Photo U.S. Coast Guard" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Coast Guard</figcaption>
 </figure>ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Police boats combed the banks of the Potomac River on Friday, slowly scanning the shoreline under rainy skies as investigators sought clues into the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-aircraft-crash-9d79051a9e535bd855df5a4e5553b2e9">midair collision that killed 67 people</a>&nbsp;and raised questions about air traffic safety around the nation’s capital.No one survived the Wednesday night collision between the commercial airliner and an Army helicopter. The remains of 41 people had been pulled from the river as of Friday afternoon, including 28 that had been positively identified, Washington, D.C., Fire Chief John Donnelly Sr. said at a news conference. He said next of kin notifications had been made to 18 families, and that he expects the remains of all 67 people who died to eventually be recovered.The wreckage of the plane's fuselage will probably have to be pulled from the water to get all the bodies, he said.“This is heartbreaking work,” Donnelly said, noting that more than 300 responders were taking part in the effort at any one time, including teams of divers and two U.S. Coast Guard cutters, at least one of which carries a crane. “It’s been a tough response for a lot of our people.”It was unclear how long the recovery operation would take.“We’re working as fast as we can,” he said. "We need your patience.”Although Ronald Reagan National Airport has reopened, two of its three runways remain closed to keep aircraft from flying over the crash scene while taking off or landing, said Terry Liercke, the airport's vice president and manager. Roughly 100 flights were canceled Friday.Officials also heavily restricted helicopter traffic around the airport, an official said, hours after President Donald Trump claimed in a social media post that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-collision-black-hawk-bombardier-potomac-2b151f42ba09602bade7b82abe8b995f">Army Black Hawk</a>&nbsp;had been flying higher than its allowed limit.Investigators have recovered the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder of the American Airlines jetliner, which struck the chopper as the plane was coming in for a landing at the Washington-area airport. Officials are scrutinizing a range of factors in what&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-transportation-safety-board-dc-helicopter-crash-e6f43d112e9fa48f7a2ead01a6a61d27">National Transportation Safety Board</a>&nbsp;Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy has called an “all-hands-on-deck event.”Investigators are examining the actions of the military pilot as well as air traffic control, after the helicopter apparently flew into the jet's path. Air crash investigations normally take 12-18 months, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-62adba7fb1f546b4cf1716e42b86482b">investigators told reporters Thursday</a>&nbsp;that they wouldn't speculate on the cause.Authorities were still looking for the helicopter's black box recorder, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday on Fox News Channel. Other factors in the crash, including the helicopter’s altitude and whether the crew was using its night vision goggles, are still under investigation, he said.Although some airspace had already been restricted following the crash, the Federal Aviation Administration decided to indefinitely bar most helicopters from using the low-to-the-ground routes that run under or parallel to the airport’s flightpaths, an official told The Associated Press on Friday. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter.Military aircraft frequently conduct such flights in and around the nation’s capital for familiarization with routes they would fly in case of a major catastrophe or an attack on the U.S. that would require relocating key government officials.The plane&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-plane-collision-victims-ee829891574aa35a30d8262b7e07e638">carried 60 passengers</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/plane-crash-kansas-dc-american-airlines-army-4fb9cd89ef9023fa848fc2331b24ee8e">four crew members</a>. The remains of one of the three soldiers who were aboard the helicopter have been recovered.Officials said flight conditions were clear as the jet arrived from Wichita, Kansas, carrying, among others, nine students and parents from Fairfax County, Virginia schools,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-helicopter-jet-crash-figure-skaters-391a4c7bd0e617a08d9532a8faab206b">a group of elite young figure skaters</a>, their parents and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vadim-naumov-evgenia-shishkova-dc-jet-crash-c4788cb6f3e123f0caff83e57347a00d">coaches</a>&nbsp;and a group of hunters.Details have been emerging about others who died in the crash, including Danasia Elder, a flight attendant on the American Airlines flight, WSOC-TV in Charlotte, North Carolina, reported.Her brother-in-law, Brandon Payne, said she was married with two children and had dreamed of getting the airline job.“She would want y’all to do the same thing she did. Chase your dreams, no matter what. Don’t let nothing scare you, push you away. Just believe in yourself, believe in God, and follow the path,” Payne said.Debris from the crash has drifted miles (kilometers) downriver.Dean Naujoks, who routinely patrols the Potomac for the environmental group Waterkeeper Alliance, on Thursday found floating debris that had been pushed by the wind and current into a pair of shallow coves along the Maryland shore.The wreckage included pages from a flight manual, part of the plane’s cabin wall, a woman’s sweater, dozens of sugar packets with the American Airlines logo and what appeared to be the cushion from a pilot’s seat. Naujoks, who had law enforcement permission to take his motorboat to the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge, about 2 miles (roughly 3 kilometers) downriver from the crash site, turned the items over to the FBI.“Everything is covered in jet fuel,” Naujoks said Friday. “The sugar packets made me think of the flight attendants. I’m thinking of the people these things belonged to and it’s a punch to the gut. It’s just a sad day on the river.”One air traffic controller was responsible for coordinating helicopter traffic and arriving and departing planes when the collision happened, according to an FAA report obtained by the AP. Those duties are often divided between two people, but the airport typically combines the roles at 9:30 p.m., once traffic begins to slow down. On Wednesday, the tower supervisor directed that they be combined earlier.“The position configuration was not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic,” the report said.A person familiar with the matter, however, said the tower staffing that night was at a normal level. The positions are regularly combined when controllers need to step away from the console for breaks, during shift changes or when air traffic is slow, the person said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal procedures.The FAA has long struggled with a shortage of air traffic controllers.Jonathan Koziol, chief of staff for Army aviation, said the helicopter crew was “very experienced” and familiar with the congested flying that occurs daily around the city.The helicopter's maximum allowed altitude at the time was 200 feet (about 60 meters), Koziol said. It was not immediately clear whether it exceeded that limit, but Hegseth said altitude seemed to be a factor in the collision.A day after he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-crash-reagan-washington-buttigieg-diversity-biden-ef1e07684bbc845e9e7981c1ae060af2">questioned the helicopter pilot’s actions</a>&nbsp;and blamed diversity initiatives for undermining air safety, Trump said in a Friday post on Truth Social that the helicopter was “flying too high” at the time of the crash.“It was far above the 200 foot limit. That’s not really too complicated to understand, is it???” Trump said.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-air-collision-video-footage-b444f2c4015fee7266e8a38716ec4ef6">Wednesday's crash</a>&nbsp;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 residential area of Belle Harbor, New York, just after takeoff from Kennedy Airport, killing all 260 people aboard and five people on the ground.Experts often highlight that plane travel is overwhelmingly safe, but the airspace around Reagan National&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/american-airlines-5342-blackhawk-reagan-national-airport-81a43f2ba5cc59cbe9273fa593f1e9cf">can challenge even the most experienced pilots</a>. They must navigate hundreds of other commercial planes, military aircraft and restricted areas around sensitive sites.___Gomez Licon reported from Miami. AP writer Lea Skene contributed to this report. Writers Lolita C. Baldor, Tara Copp, Meg Kinnard, Chris Megerian, Aamer Madhani and Michael Biesecker contributed from Washington. Sarah Brumfield reported from Cockeysville, Maryland.

‘Heartbreaking’ search for those killed in DC aircraft collision takes its toll

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas militants freed three male hostages held for more than a year in the Gaza Strip on Saturday and Israel released 183 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails in the fourth such exchange of a ceasefire deal that has halted 15 months of intense fighting.

Militants handed Yarden Bibas and French-Israeli Ofer Kalderon to Red Cross officials in the southern city of Khan Younis, while American-Israeli hostage Keith Siegel, looking pale and thin, was released to the Red Cross later Saturday morning in Gaza City to the north.

All three were abducted during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the war. Their release brings to 18 the number of hostages released since the ceasefire began on Jan. 19.

The releases were quick and orderly, in contrast to chaotic scenes that unfolded on Thursday when armed militants appeared to struggle to hold back a crowd during a hostage release. In both of Saturday’s releases, masked and armed militants stood in lines as the hostages walked onto a stage and waved before being led off and handed over to the Red Cross.

In Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, thousands of people gathered to watch the releases being transmitted live on a large screen, waving signs and cheering.

Shortly after Siegel arrived in Israel, a bus departed Ofer Military Prison with some 32 prisoners bound for the West Bank. Crowds of well-wishers greeted the bus, cheering and hoisting the released prisoners on their shoulders in scenes of jubilation.

The Israeli Prison Authority said all 183 Palestinian prisoners slated for release Saturday had been freed. Most, including 111 arrested after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack, were released to Gaza. Just over two dozen returned to cheering crowds in the occupied West Bank. Another seven serving life sentences were transferred to Egypt ahead of their deportation.

Ceasefire brings respite to battered Gaza

The ceasefire is aimed at winding down the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">deadliest and most destructive war</a>&nbsp;ever fought between Israel and Hamas. The deal has held for two weeks, allowing for increased aid to flow into the tiny coastal territory and for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to return to the remnants of their homes in the north of the strip.

During the truce's six-week first phase, a total of 33 Israeli hostages are to be freed in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israel says it has received information from Hamas that eight of those hostages were either killed in Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack or have died in captivity.

Also on Saturday, a group of 50 sick and wounded Palestinian children&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/7330b0f2a30855cd5ae69b5a32b218df">left Gaza for treatment</a>&nbsp;through the Rafah border crossing to Egypt, in the first opening of the enclave's sole exit since Israel captured it nine months ago. A European Union civilian mission was deployed Friday to prepare for the reopening.

The reopening of Rafah marked another key step in the first phase of the ceasefire.

Israel and Hamas are set next week to begin negotiating a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-palestinians-ceasefire-war-cb56a3da64e144492decfffc40c589cf">second phase</a>&nbsp;of the ceasefire, which calls for releasing the remaining hostages and extending the truce indefinitely. The war could resume in early March if an agreement is not reached.

Israel says it is still committed to destroying Hamas, even after the militant group&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-ceasefire-hostages-militants-rule-93da074c251d0fcaa395503749e2849e">reasserted its rule over Gaza</a>&nbsp;within hours of the latest ceasefire. A key far-right partner in Netanyahu’s coalition is calling for the war to resume after the ceasefire’s first phase.

Hamas says it won’t release the remaining hostages without an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

Families and neighbors celebrate return of hostages

Siegel, 65, originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was taken hostage from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, along with his wife, Aviva Siegel. She was released during a brief 2023 ceasefire and has waged a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hostages-gaza-tunnels-hamas-israel-war-d8ecb415268e911cea09518acdaf7ba2">high-profile campaign</a>&nbsp;to free Keith and other hostages.

There were sighs of relief and cheers in a living room where members of the kibbutz watched Siegel's release. Many of those in the room were family friends, who applauded upon seeing Siegel, while some teared up.

Meanwhile, the release of Bibas, 35, brought renewed attention to the fate of his wife, Shiri, and their two young sons, Ariel and Kfir, who were 4 years old and 9 months old when they were abducted. All four were captured from Kibbutz Nir Oz.

Kfir was the youngest of about 250 people taken captive on Oct. 7, and his plight quickly came to represent the helplessness and anger the hostage-taking stirred in Israel, where the Bibas family has become a household name.

Hamas has said Shiri and her sons were killed in an Israeli airstrike, but Israel has not confirmed that. Gal Hirsch, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s special coordinator for returning the hostages, said Israel has “grave concern for the lives” of Shiri and her sons, and pleaded with negotiators to provide information on their situation.

Kalderon, 54, was also captured from Kibbutz Nir Oz.

In Kfar Saba, north of Tel Aviv, Kalderon's family hugged and cheered as they saw the images of him climbing onto the stage in Khan Younis and being transferred to the Red Cross.

“Ofer is coming home!” they said, arms lifted to the sky.

Kalderon’s two children, Erez and Sahar, were abducted alongside him and released during the November 2023 ceasefire. Family members said they weren’t able to recover from their ordeal until their father returned.

“We are sorry it took so long, Ofer,” said Eyal Kalderon. “We will soon be a whole family again. We hope other families will soon feel like this, until the last family.”

French President Emmanuel Macron said France “shares in the relief and joy” of Kalderon's return after 483 days of “unimaginable hell,” adding that France would continue doing all it can to secure the release of another French Israeli hostage still being held in Gaza.

More than 100 of the hostages abducted on Oct. 7 were released during the weeklong Nov. 2023 ceasefire. About 80 more remain in Gaza, at least a third of them believed dead.

In the Oct. 7 attack that started the war, some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed. More than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory air and ground war, over half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were militants.

The Israeli military says it killed over 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence. It blames civilian deaths on Hamas because its fighters operate in residential neighborhoods.

Isseid contributed from Beitunia, West Bank. Moshe Edri at Reim military base, Israel and Paz Bar in Kfar Saba, Israel, contributed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738411065227.png" alt="Siegel is 64 and a native of North Carolina-photo Hostage and Missing Families Forum." />
 <figcaption>Siegel is 64 and a native of North Carolina-photo Hostage and Missing Families Forum.</figcaption>
 </figure>KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas militants freed three male hostages held for more than a year in the Gaza Strip on Saturday and Israel released 183 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails in the fourth such exchange of a ceasefire deal that has halted 15 months of intense fighting.Militants handed Yarden Bibas and French-Israeli Ofer Kalderon to Red Cross officials in the southern city of Khan Younis, while American-Israeli hostage Keith Siegel, looking pale and thin, was released to the Red Cross later Saturday morning in Gaza City to the north.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/drmrdSVrfZ">pic.twitter.com/drmrdSVrfZ</a>&mdash; Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1885735692321292408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>All three were abducted during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the war. Their release brings to 18 the number of hostages released since the ceasefire began on Jan. 19.The releases were quick and orderly, in contrast to chaotic scenes that unfolded on Thursday when armed militants appeared to struggle to hold back a crowd during a hostage release. In both of Saturday’s releases, masked and armed militants stood in lines as the hostages walked onto a stage and waved before being led off and handed over to the Red Cross.In Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, thousands of people gathered to watch the releases being transmitted live on a large screen, waving signs and cheering.Shortly after Siegel arrived in Israel, a bus departed Ofer Military Prison with some 32 prisoners bound for the West Bank. Crowds of well-wishers greeted the bus, cheering and hoisting the released prisoners on their shoulders in scenes of jubilation.The Israeli Prison Authority said all 183 Palestinian prisoners slated for release Saturday had been freed. Most, including 111 arrested after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack, were released to Gaza. Just over two dozen returned to cheering crowds in the occupied West Bank. Another seven serving life sentences were transferred to Egypt ahead of their deportation.<h2>Ceasefire brings respite to battered Gaza</h2>The ceasefire is aimed at winding down the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">deadliest and most destructive war</a>&nbsp;ever fought between Israel and Hamas. The deal has held for two weeks, allowing for increased aid to flow into the tiny coastal territory and for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to return to the remnants of their homes in the north of the strip.During the truce's six-week first phase, a total of 33 Israeli hostages are to be freed in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israel says it has received information from Hamas that eight of those hostages were either killed in Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack or have died in captivity.Also on Saturday, a group of 50 sick and wounded Palestinian children&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/7330b0f2a30855cd5ae69b5a32b218df">left Gaza for treatment</a>&nbsp;through the Rafah border crossing to Egypt, in the first opening of the enclave's sole exit since Israel captured it nine months ago. A European Union civilian mission was deployed Friday to prepare for the reopening.The reopening of Rafah marked another key step in the first phase of the ceasefire.Israel and Hamas are set next week to begin negotiating a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-palestinians-ceasefire-war-cb56a3da64e144492decfffc40c589cf">second phase</a>&nbsp;of the ceasefire, which calls for releasing the remaining hostages and extending the truce indefinitely. The war could resume in early March if an agreement is not reached.Israel says it is still committed to destroying Hamas, even after the militant group&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-ceasefire-hostages-militants-rule-93da074c251d0fcaa395503749e2849e">reasserted its rule over Gaza</a>&nbsp;within hours of the latest ceasefire. A key far-right partner in Netanyahu’s coalition is calling for the war to resume after the ceasefire’s first phase.Hamas says it won’t release the remaining hostages without an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.<h2>Families and neighbors celebrate return of hostages</h2>Siegel, 65, originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was taken hostage from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, along with his wife, Aviva Siegel. She was released during a brief 2023 ceasefire and has waged a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hostages-gaza-tunnels-hamas-israel-war-d8ecb415268e911cea09518acdaf7ba2">high-profile campaign</a>&nbsp;to free Keith and other hostages.There were sighs of relief and cheers in a living room where members of the kibbutz watched Siegel's release. Many of those in the room were family friends, who applauded upon seeing Siegel, while some teared up.Meanwhile, the release of Bibas, 35, brought renewed attention to the fate of his wife, Shiri, and their two young sons, Ariel and Kfir, who were 4 years old and 9 months old when they were abducted. All four were captured from Kibbutz Nir Oz.Kfir was the youngest of about 250 people taken captive on Oct. 7, and his plight quickly came to represent the helplessness and anger the hostage-taking stirred in Israel, where the Bibas family has become a household name.Hamas has said Shiri and her sons were killed in an Israeli airstrike, but Israel has not confirmed that. Gal Hirsch, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s special coordinator for returning the hostages, said Israel has “grave concern for the lives” of Shiri and her sons, and pleaded with negotiators to provide information on their situation.Kalderon, 54, was also captured from Kibbutz Nir Oz.In Kfar Saba, north of Tel Aviv, Kalderon's family hugged and cheered as they saw the images of him climbing onto the stage in Khan Younis and being transferred to the Red Cross.“Ofer is coming home!” they said, arms lifted to the sky.Kalderon’s two children, Erez and Sahar, were abducted alongside him and released during the November 2023 ceasefire. Family members said they weren’t able to recover from their ordeal until their father returned.“We are sorry it took so long, Ofer,” said Eyal Kalderon. “We will soon be a whole family again. We hope other families will soon feel like this, until the last family.”French President Emmanuel Macron said France “shares in the relief and joy” of Kalderon's return after 483 days of “unimaginable hell,” adding that France would continue doing all it can to secure the release of another French Israeli hostage still being held in Gaza.More than 100 of the hostages abducted on Oct. 7 were released during the weeklong Nov. 2023 ceasefire. About 80 more remain in Gaza, at least a third of them believed dead.In the Oct. 7 attack that started the war, some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed. More than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory air and ground war, over half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were militants.The Israeli military says it killed over 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence. It blames civilian deaths on Hamas because its fighters operate in residential neighborhoods.___Isseid contributed from Beitunia, West Bank. Moshe Edri at Reim military base, Israel and Paz Bar in Kfar Saba, Israel, contributed.

After 484 days Hamas releases American hostage Keith Siegel

POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 9p.m. Friday in Pottawatomie County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a westbound train in the&nbsp;100 Block of North 1st Street in Saint Marys struck a pedestrian identified as&nbsp; 45-year-old Virginia Marie Enockson of St. Marys. She was standing on the tracks facing southbound at the time of the incident.

Enockson was pronounced dead at the scene and was later transported to&nbsp; Piper Funeral Home.&nbsp;&nbsp;

POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 9p.m. Friday in Pottawatomie County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a westbound train in the&nbsp;100 Block of North 1st Street in Saint Marys struck a pedestrian identified as&nbsp; 45-year-old Virginia Marie Enockson of St. Marys. She was standing on the tracks facing southbound at the time of the incident.Enockson was pronounced dead at the scene and was later transported to&nbsp; Piper Funeral Home.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kansas woman dies after struck by a train

ATCHISON —Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on multiple allegations after a chase in stolen trucks.

Just before 9a.m. on Thursday police responded to the Walmart parking lot at 1920 U.S.73 to investigate the theft of a 2005 Ford pick-up truck that a 59 year old victim had reported was stolen while he was inside the store, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

Within minutes it was determined that a white box truck was involved in the theft of the pick-up truck. An Atchison County Sheriff’s deputy observed the stolen pickup and the white box truck on U.S. 73 south of Atchison. 

Both vehicles were southbound but ended up heading northbound. The deputy pursued the pick-up truck and Atchison Police pursued the box truck as it entered the city’s south end. Atchison Police pursued the box truck that eventually ended up westbound on U.S.73 into the western part of Atchison County and into Jackson County where Kansas Highway Patrol troopers took over the pursuit. 

That pursuit ended in Nemaha County where troopers took James A. Shoot, 42, of Belton Missouri, into custody. Atchison County deputies took Jason A. Smith, 40, of Olathe Kansas into custody in southern Atchison County. &nbsp; 

Smith is being held in Atchison County on requested charges for the theft of the pickup truck from the parking lot.&nbsp; Shoot is being held in Nemaha County on requested charges that&nbsp; include felony fleeing and eluding.&nbsp; The box truck had been stolen earlier on Thursday morning in Kansas City, Missouri. Law enforcement recovered both vehicles.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738335678672.png" alt="Smith photo Atchison County" />
 <figcaption>Smith photo Atchison County</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON —Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on multiple allegations after a chase in stolen trucks.Just before 9a.m. on Thursday police responded to the Walmart parking lot at 1920 U.S.73 to investigate the theft of a 2005 Ford pick-up truck that a 59 year old victim had reported was stolen while he was inside the store, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738336088437.png" alt="Shoot photo Nemaha County" />
 <figcaption>Shoot photo Nemaha County</figcaption>
 </figure>Within minutes it was determined that a white box truck was involved in the theft of the pick-up truck. An Atchison County Sheriff’s deputy observed the stolen pickup and the white box truck on U.S. 73 south of Atchison. Both vehicles were southbound but ended up heading northbound. The deputy pursued the pick-up truck and Atchison Police pursued the box truck as it entered the city’s south end. Atchison Police pursued the box truck that eventually ended up westbound on U.S.73 into the western part of Atchison County and into Jackson County where Kansas Highway Patrol troopers took over the pursuit. That pursuit ended in Nemaha County where troopers took James A. Shoot, 42, of Belton Missouri, into custody. Atchison County deputies took Jason A. Smith, 40, of Olathe Kansas into custody in southern Atchison County. &nbsp; Smith is being held in Atchison County on requested charges for the theft of the pickup truck from the parking lot.&nbsp; Shoot is being held in Nemaha County on requested charges that&nbsp; include felony fleeing and eluding.&nbsp; The box truck had been stolen earlier on Thursday morning in Kansas City, Missouri. Law enforcement recovered both vehicles.&nbsp;

Stolen vehicle suspects captured after 3 county Kan. chase

DICKINSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas felon on new allegations after a drug bust at a residence in Dickinson County.

On Thursday, the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office Drug Enforcement Unit executed a search warrant in relation to a narcotics investigation, at a residence in the 200 Block of West 6th Street in Chapman, according to a media release from the sheriff.

The Chapman Police Department and Junction City Police Department assisted in the execution of the search warrant. While conducting the search warrant, deputies located Methamphetamine, Drug Paraphernalia and firearms.

As a result of the investigation, Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office Deputies arrested 40-year-old James Angelo Demaroney III of Milford and booked him into the Dickinson County Detention Facility on requested charges Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Possession of Paraphernalia with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Criminal Possession of Weapon by Convicted Felon and Defacing Identification Marks on Firearm.&nbsp; He has four previous drug convictions in Geary County, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738352660216.png" alt="Demaroney photo Dickinson County" />
 <figcaption>Demaroney photo Dickinson County</figcaption>
 </figure>DICKINSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas felon on new allegations after a drug bust at a residence in Dickinson County.On Thursday, the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office Drug Enforcement Unit executed a search warrant in relation to a narcotics investigation, at a residence in the 200 Block of West 6th Street in Chapman, according to a media release from the sheriff.The Chapman Police Department and Junction City Police Department assisted in the execution of the search warrant. While conducting the search warrant, deputies located Methamphetamine, Drug Paraphernalia and firearms.As a result of the investigation, Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office Deputies arrested 40-year-old James Angelo Demaroney III of Milford and booked him into the Dickinson County Detention Facility on requested charges Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Possession of Paraphernalia with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Criminal Possession of Weapon by Convicted Felon and Defacing Identification Marks on Firearm.&nbsp; He has four previous drug convictions in Geary County, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Sheriff: Kansas felon accused of selling meth

Investigators are seeking clues into this week's deadly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-aircraft-crash-9d79051a9e535bd855df5a4e5553b2e9">midair collision</a>&nbsp;this week, the deadliest aviation disaster in the U.S. almost a quarter century.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-62adba7fb1f546b4cf1716e42b86482b">The collision</a>&nbsp;between an American Airlines passenger jet and an Army helicopter at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport near Washington, D.C, late Wednesday killed 67 people, including more than a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-helicopter-jet-crash-figure-skaters-391a4c7bd0e617a08d9532a8faab206b">dozen figure skaters</a>. More than 40 bodies have been recovered.

At least one air traffic controller working during the crash has been interviewed, investigators say

At least one air traffic controller who was working at the time of the crash has been interviewed by investigators, National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman said.

He said interviews are ongoing and it was unclear how many controllers were working at the time.

“Air traffic control interviews are critical,” he said. “That’s the reason why there’s a process in place that began immediately after the accident.”

He said investigators would also examine staffing levels, training, hiring and other factors, in addition to looking at the records of all air traffic controllers involved.

Helicopter’s black box appears undamaged, NTSB says

The plane had two recorders. One, a flight data recorder, was in good condition. It was opened Friday, and its information is expected to be downloaded shortly, National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman said.

Water had gotten inside the cockpit voice recorder, however. While that’s not unusual, it adds to investigators’ work to download the data.

The helicopter’s data is all held in one black box. It is now at the NTSB headquarters. While investigators have not attempted to open it yet, it appears to be undamaged.

Helicopter and plane’s flight data recorders are being reviewed, investigators say

The black box from the Black Hawk helicopter that collided with a commercial jetliner in Washington has been recovered, investigators say.

Investigators are reviewing the flight data recorder along with two from the plane as they probe the cause of the devastating crash.

Victims’ family members are getting assistance, NTSB member says

National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman said he spent the past several hours with the victims’ families.

“They are one of our primary concerns, along with making sure we get factual information out,” he said.

He said there are now over 100 family members in the area receiving briefings and assistance.

Helicopters restricted near airport, with some exceptions

The area over the Potomac River and near Reagan National is now off-limits to most helicopters to ensure safety in the aftermath of the crash, the FAA said.

Exceptions include aircraft for medical emergencies, active law enforcement and air defense. Marine One, the presidential helicopter, is also exempt.

The restrictions are expected to continue at least until the National Transportation Safety Board finishes its preliminary report, expected within 30 days.

Operations remain disrupted at Ronald Reagan National Airport

Two of the three main runways at the airport remain closed because of the crash and recovery effort.

Terry Liercke, vice president and manager at Reagan National Airport, said 100 flights were cancelled Friday.

Investigators are seeking clues into this week's deadly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-aircraft-crash-9d79051a9e535bd855df5a4e5553b2e9">midair collision</a>&nbsp;this week, the deadliest aviation disaster in the U.S. almost a quarter century.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eNEY7rBDlOg?si=cjhaxXzCVDwmQtYo&amp;start=20" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-62adba7fb1f546b4cf1716e42b86482b">The collision</a>&nbsp;between an American Airlines passenger jet and an Army helicopter at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport near Washington, D.C, late Wednesday killed 67 people, including more than a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-helicopter-jet-crash-figure-skaters-391a4c7bd0e617a08d9532a8faab206b">dozen figure skaters</a>. More than 40 bodies have been recovered.<h2>At least one air traffic controller working during the crash has been interviewed, investigators say</h2>At least one air traffic controller who was working at the time of the crash has been interviewed by investigators, National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman said.He said interviews are ongoing and it was unclear how many controllers were working at the time.“Air traffic control interviews are critical,” he said. “That’s the reason why there’s a process in place that began immediately after the accident.”He said investigators would also examine staffing levels, training, hiring and other factors, in addition to looking at the records of all air traffic controllers involved.<h2>Helicopter’s black box appears undamaged, NTSB says</h2>The plane had two recorders. One, a flight data recorder, was in good condition. It was opened Friday, and its information is expected to be downloaded shortly, National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman said.Water had gotten inside the cockpit voice recorder, however. While that’s not unusual, it adds to investigators’ work to download the data.The helicopter’s data is all held in one black box. It is now at the NTSB headquarters. While investigators have not attempted to open it yet, it appears to be undamaged.<h2>Helicopter and plane’s flight data recorders are being reviewed, investigators say</h2>The black box from the Black Hawk helicopter that collided with a commercial jetliner in Washington has been recovered, investigators say.Investigators are reviewing the flight data recorder along with two from the plane as they probe the cause of the devastating crash.<h2>Victims’ family members are getting assistance, NTSB member says</h2>National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman said he spent the past several hours with the victims’ families.“They are one of our primary concerns, along with making sure we get factual information out,” he said.He said there are now over 100 family members in the area receiving briefings and assistance.<h2>Helicopters restricted near airport, with some exceptions</h2>The area over the Potomac River and near Reagan National is now off-limits to most helicopters to ensure safety in the aftermath of the crash, the FAA said.Exceptions include aircraft for medical emergencies, active law enforcement and air defense. Marine One, the presidential helicopter, is also exempt.The restrictions are expected to continue at least until the National Transportation Safety Board finishes its preliminary report, expected within 30 days.<h2>Operations remain disrupted at Ronald Reagan National Airport</h2>Two of the three main runways at the airport remain closed because of the crash and recovery effort.Terry Liercke, vice president and manager at Reagan National Airport, said 100 flights were cancelled Friday.

🎥 NTSB updates investigation of deadly mid-air collision 

WASHINGTON (AP) —The Army has released the names of two soldiers who died when their Black Hawk helicopter collided with an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/dc-plane-crash-reagan-updates">American Airlines jet</a>&nbsp;earlier this week.

At the family’s request, the name of the third crew member killed in the crash is not being released at this time, the Army said.

The remains of Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia, the crew chief, have been recovered and a positive identification is pending, the Army said.

The remains of Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves of Great Mills, Maryland, and of the third soldier have not yet been recovered.

The 39-year-old Eaves, one of the pilots on the helicopter, served in the U.S. Navy from August 2007 to September 2017, then moved to the Army, to serve as a Black Hawk pilot.

His awards include three Army commendation medals and three Navy achievement medals, as well as a Global War on Terrorism medal.

O’Hara had served as a helicopter repairer for Black Hawks since July 2014. He deployed to Afghanistan from March to August 2017. He also has two Army commendation medals, four achievement medals and a Global War on Terrorism medal.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738361140589.png" alt="Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara -photo courtesy U.S. Army" />
 <figcaption>Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara -photo courtesy U.S. Army</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —The Army has released the names of two soldiers who died when their Black Hawk helicopter collided with an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/dc-plane-crash-reagan-updates">American Airlines jet</a>&nbsp;earlier this week.At the family’s request, the name of the third crew member killed in the crash is not being released at this time, the Army said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738361051007.png" alt="Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Eaves photo courtesy U.S. Army" />
 <figcaption>Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Eaves photo courtesy U.S. Army</figcaption>
 </figure>The remains of Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia, the crew chief, have been recovered and a positive identification is pending, the Army said.The remains of Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves of Great Mills, Maryland, and of the third soldier have not yet been recovered.The 39-year-old Eaves, one of the pilots on the helicopter, served in the U.S. Navy from August 2007 to September 2017, then moved to the Army, to serve as a Black Hawk pilot.His awards include three Army commendation medals and three Navy achievement medals, as well as a Global War on Terrorism medal.O’Hara had served as a helicopter repairer for Black Hawks since July 2014. He deployed to Afghanistan from March to August 2017. He also has two Army commendation medals, four achievement medals and a Global War on Terrorism medal.

Army releases names of two soldiers who died in midair collision

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22STAN%20CHOE%20and%20DAMIAN%20J.%20TROISE%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By STAN CHOE and DAMIAN J. TROISE AP Business Writers</a>

Stocks on Wall Street surrendered early gains and closed broadly lower Friday after the White House said President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-china-canada-mexico-fentanyl-e526616cdcb7fc596ed999cb89ee2265">would impose promised tariffs</a>&nbsp;on key U.S. trading partners.

The S&amp;P 500 fell 0.5% and the Nasdaq composite dropped 0.3%. The indexes, which had posted solid gains in morning trading, posted their first weekly loss in three weeks.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.8%.

Trump will put in place 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico and 10% tariffs on goods from China effective Saturday. The White House provided no word on whether there would be any exemptions to the measures that could result in swift price increases to U.S. consumers.

The selling was broad, with about 75% of the stocks in the S&amp;P 500 closing lower. Technology and energy companies accounted for a large share of the decline.

“If Trump says it’s something that could happen by tomorrow that doesn’t leave a lot of room to move,” said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA. “There’s just so much uncertainty associated with elevating tariffs on our three major trading partners.”

The earlier gains on Wall Street had helped shave losses from the start of the week over worries that the artificial-intelligence boom may not require as much investment as thought.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/apple-iphone-quarter-sales-artificial-intelligence-fdfeb6b12bdd69504672ef3b60a300f5">Apple</a>&nbsp;reversed course from market leading gains to a loss of 0.7%. The company had reported stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Wall Street’s most valuable company, and thus the most influential on the S&amp;P 500 and other indexes, said sales of iPhones dipped. But revenue for its services businesses, such as AppleCare and its app store, rose to a record.

KLA, a supplier to the electronics industry initially rose after reporting profit and revenue that topped analysts’ expectations, but then closed down 0.6%. The company, which credited its results on expanding artificial-intelligence and high-performance computing investments, fell 6.3% on Monday. That’s when tech stocks around the world tumbled, after a Chinese upstart,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deepseek-ai-china-f4908eaca221d601e31e7e3368778030">DeepSeek</a>, said it developed a large language model capable of competing with the world’s best, without having to use top-flight chips.

The disruption raised questions about whether all the investment expected for AI chips,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deepseek-ai-china-climate-fossil-fuels-00c594310b22afbf150559d08b43d3a5">data centers</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/power-electricity-amazon-microsoft-power-plants-data-centers-grid-f4763f73bc112425e18f30618dff0039">electricity</a>&nbsp;is really needed.

Shares of Nvidia, considered the poster child for the AI frenzy, fell 3.7%. They dropped 15.8% for the week. Its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deepseek-nvidia-trump-ai-6554b843e94f2e86c2ea7ba7c180f8bf">CEO, Jensen Huang, was expected to meet with Trump</a>&nbsp;Friday in Washington.

Worries that tariffs could end up driving inflation higher helped push long-term bond yields higher, including the 10-year Treasury, which rose to 4.54% from 4.52% late Thursday.

“It’s not the safe haven that it normally is because these tariffs might result in higher inflation and the need for the Fed to remain on pause for longer or to reverse course and raise rates,” Stovall said.

Shorter-term U.S. government bond yields mostly fell.

Yields have been generally climbing since September as the U.S. economy has remained much more solid than economists expected. More recently, worries about tariffs and other possible Trump administration policies that could add upward pressure on inflation and the U.S. government’s debt have also sent yields higher.

The Federal Reserve left its benchmark interest rate unchanged as it closed out its most recent meeting Wednesday. The central bank is signaling a more cautious approach as it waits to see how policies under Trump will impact inflation and the broader economy. Higher tariffs and tax cuts could push inflation higher, while deregulation could possibly reduce it.

“Markets are on edge watching President Trump’s plans to raise tariffs and tighten immigration policies, since both are pressuring the Fed to keep interest rates elevated," said Bill Adams, chief economist for Comerica Bank.

On Wall Street, Walgreens Boots Alliance dropped 10.3% after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/walgreens-suspends-dividend-stock-plunge-c1d2d0c151864821ddf04dec954039e7">suspending its dividend</a>&nbsp;and breaking a streak of quarterly payouts to its shareholders that stretches back more than 90 years.

Exxon Mobil ticked down 2.5% even though the energy giant&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/exxon-mobil-oil-opec-5659d4e6cd00594e6ba1d7c335b33e6b">posted a stronger fourth quarter profit</a>&nbsp;than Wall Street had forecast. Exxon credited increased production in the U.S. Permian basin and in Guyana for the strong results, but its revenue came in lower than expected.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 fell 30.64 points to 6,040.53. The Dow dropped 337.47 points to 44,544.66. The Nasdaq lost 54.31 points to close at 19,627.44.

In stock markets abroad, indexes ended mixed in Europe after also finishing mixed in Asia.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 index added 0.1% after a report showed that the country’s core inflation rate topped the central bank’s 2% target, paving the way for further hikes to interest rates.

The Kospi in South Korea fell 0.8% after trading resumed there following holidays. Markets remained closed in Hong Kong and Shanghai for the Lunar New Year.

AP Business Writer Alex Veiga contributed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722962507580.png" alt="The floor of the New York Stock Exchange.(AP Photo/Richard Drew)" />
 <figcaption>The floor of the New York Stock Exchange.(AP Photo/Richard Drew)</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22STAN%20CHOE%20and%20DAMIAN%20J.%20TROISE%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By STAN CHOE and DAMIAN J. TROISE AP Business Writers</a>Stocks on Wall Street surrendered early gains and closed broadly lower Friday after the White House said President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-china-canada-mexico-fentanyl-e526616cdcb7fc596ed999cb89ee2265">would impose promised tariffs</a>&nbsp;on key U.S. trading partners.The S&amp;P 500 fell 0.5% and the Nasdaq composite dropped 0.3%. The indexes, which had posted solid gains in morning trading, posted their first weekly loss in three weeks.The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.8%.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a>: &quot;The president will be implementing tomorrow a 25% tariffs on Mexico, 25% tariffs on Canada and a 10% tariff on China for the illegal fentanyl that they have sourced and allowed to distribute into our country which has killed tens of millions of Americans.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/lSoLuL9Lk5">pic.twitter.com/lSoLuL9Lk5</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1885394123126984728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump will put in place 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico and 10% tariffs on goods from China effective Saturday. The White House provided no word on whether there would be any exemptions to the measures that could result in swift price increases to U.S. consumers.The selling was broad, with about 75% of the stocks in the S&amp;P 500 closing lower. Technology and energy companies accounted for a large share of the decline.“If Trump says it’s something that could happen by tomorrow that doesn’t leave a lot of room to move,” said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA. “There’s just so much uncertainty associated with elevating tariffs on our three major trading partners.”The earlier gains on Wall Street had helped shave losses from the start of the week over worries that the artificial-intelligence boom may not require as much investment as thought.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/apple-iphone-quarter-sales-artificial-intelligence-fdfeb6b12bdd69504672ef3b60a300f5">Apple</a>&nbsp;reversed course from market leading gains to a loss of 0.7%. The company had reported stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Wall Street’s most valuable company, and thus the most influential on the S&amp;P 500 and other indexes, said sales of iPhones dipped. But revenue for its services businesses, such as AppleCare and its app store, rose to a record.KLA, a supplier to the electronics industry initially rose after reporting profit and revenue that topped analysts’ expectations, but then closed down 0.6%. The company, which credited its results on expanding artificial-intelligence and high-performance computing investments, fell 6.3% on Monday. That’s when tech stocks around the world tumbled, after a Chinese upstart,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deepseek-ai-china-f4908eaca221d601e31e7e3368778030">DeepSeek</a>, said it developed a large language model capable of competing with the world’s best, without having to use top-flight chips.The disruption raised questions about whether all the investment expected for AI chips,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deepseek-ai-china-climate-fossil-fuels-00c594310b22afbf150559d08b43d3a5">data centers</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/power-electricity-amazon-microsoft-power-plants-data-centers-grid-f4763f73bc112425e18f30618dff0039">electricity</a>&nbsp;is really needed.Shares of Nvidia, considered the poster child for the AI frenzy, fell 3.7%. They dropped 15.8% for the week. Its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deepseek-nvidia-trump-ai-6554b843e94f2e86c2ea7ba7c180f8bf">CEO, Jensen Huang, was expected to meet with Trump</a>&nbsp;Friday in Washington.Worries that tariffs could end up driving inflation higher helped push long-term bond yields higher, including the 10-year Treasury, which rose to 4.54% from 4.52% late Thursday.“It’s not the safe haven that it normally is because these tariffs might result in higher inflation and the need for the Fed to remain on pause for longer or to reverse course and raise rates,” Stovall said.Shorter-term U.S. government bond yields mostly fell.Yields have been generally climbing since September as the U.S. economy has remained much more solid than economists expected. More recently, worries about tariffs and other possible Trump administration policies that could add upward pressure on inflation and the U.S. government’s debt have also sent yields higher.The Federal Reserve left its benchmark interest rate unchanged as it closed out its most recent meeting Wednesday. The central bank is signaling a more cautious approach as it waits to see how policies under Trump will impact inflation and the broader economy. Higher tariffs and tax cuts could push inflation higher, while deregulation could possibly reduce it.“Markets are on edge watching President Trump’s plans to raise tariffs and tighten immigration policies, since both are pressuring the Fed to keep interest rates elevated," said Bill Adams, chief economist for Comerica Bank.On Wall Street, Walgreens Boots Alliance dropped 10.3% after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/walgreens-suspends-dividend-stock-plunge-c1d2d0c151864821ddf04dec954039e7">suspending its dividend</a>&nbsp;and breaking a streak of quarterly payouts to its shareholders that stretches back more than 90 years.Exxon Mobil ticked down 2.5% even though the energy giant&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/exxon-mobil-oil-opec-5659d4e6cd00594e6ba1d7c335b33e6b">posted a stronger fourth quarter profit</a>&nbsp;than Wall Street had forecast. Exxon credited increased production in the U.S. Permian basin and in Guyana for the strong results, but its revenue came in lower than expected.All told, the S&amp;P 500 fell 30.64 points to 6,040.53. The Dow dropped 337.47 points to 44,544.66. The Nasdaq lost 54.31 points to close at 19,627.44.In stock markets abroad, indexes ended mixed in Europe after also finishing mixed in Asia.Japan’s Nikkei 225 index added 0.1% after a report showed that the country’s core inflation rate topped the central bank’s 2% target, paving the way for further hikes to interest rates.The Kospi in South Korea fell 0.8% after trading resumed there following holidays. Markets remained closed in Hong Kong and Shanghai for the Lunar New Year.____AP Business Writer Alex Veiga contributed.

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