WYANDOTTE COUNTY —The Occupational  Safety Health Administration is investigating a fatal trench collapse that occurred in Kansas City, Kansas on Thursday afternoon.&nbsp; The victim has been identified as 54-year-old&nbsp;Francisco Rodriguez, according to Kansas City, Kansas Police.

Just after 2p.m. Thursday, the Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department responded to 16th Street and Metropolitan Avenue following reports of a worker missing at a fiber optic installation site, according to a statement from the department..

Coworkers became concerned when they noticed an excavator at the site had stopped moving and the operator was nowhere to be seen.&nbsp;

When they checked the trench, workers found that it had collapsed. The trench was 16 to 18 feet wide and as deep as 25 feet in some areas.&nbsp;&nbsp;KCKPD’s Major Case Unit has opened a death investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753438020709.png" alt="Crews on the scene of the tragedy -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Crews on the scene of the tragedy -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY —The Occupational Safety Health Administration is investigating a fatal trench collapse that occurred in Kansas City, Kansas on Thursday afternoon.&nbsp; The victim has been identified as 54-year-old&nbsp;Francisco Rodriguez, according to Kansas City, Kansas Police.Just after 2p.m. Thursday, the Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department responded to 16th Street and Metropolitan Avenue following reports of a worker missing at a fiber optic installation site, according to a statement from the department..Coworkers became concerned when they noticed an excavator at the site had stopped moving and the operator was nowhere to be seen.&nbsp;When they checked the trench, workers found that it had collapsed. The trench was 16 to 18 feet wide and as deep as 25 feet in some areas.&nbsp;&nbsp;KCKPD’s Major Case Unit has opened a death investigation.

Police: Man dead after trench collapse at Kansas worksite 

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks capped another strong week with more&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-japan-trump-earnings-0b8e8cad3b4e8c2385bc2cacb45f98f3">records</a>&nbsp;on Friday.

The S&amp;P 500 rose 0.4% to set an all-time high, the fifth time it did so this week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 208 points, or 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite added 0.2% to its own record set the day before.

Deckers, the company behind Ugg boots and Hoka shoes, jumped 11.3% after reporting stronger profit and revenue for the spring than analysts expected. Its growth was particularly strong outside the United States, where revenue soared nearly 50%.

Edwards Lifesciences rose 5.5% after likewise topping Wall Street’s expectations for profit in the latest quarter. It said it saw strength across all its product groups, and it expects profit for the full year to come in at the high end of the forecasted range it had given earlier.

They helped offset a drop of 8.5% for Intel, which fell after reporting a loss for the latest quarter, when analysts were looking for a profit. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/intel-chips-layoffs-a3a83e4bb8cd71e2615e964b432dd37f">struggling chipmaker also said it would cut thousands of jobs</a>&nbsp;and eliminate other expenses as it tries to turn around its fortunes. Intel, which helped launch Silicon Valley as the U.S. technology hub, has fallen behind rivals like Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices while demand for artificial intelligence chips soars.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 25.29 points to 6,388.64. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 208.01 to 44,901.92, and the Nasdaq composite added 50.36 to 21,108.32.

The pressure is on companies to deliver solid growth in profits in order to justify big gains for their stock prices, which have rallied to record after record in recent weeks. Wall Street has zoomed higher on hopes that President Donald Trump will reach trade deals with other countries that will lower his stiff proposed tariffs, along with the risk that they could cause a recession and drive up inflation. Trump has recently announced deals with Japan and the Philippines, and the next big deadline is looming on Friday, Aug. 1.

Besides potential trade talks, next week will also feature a meeting by the Federal Reserve on interest rates.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-federal-reserve-jerome-powell-145b0189a8c7acaab9fcfb097dc376c9">Trump again on Thursday lobbied the Fed to cut rates</a>, which he has implied could save the U.S. government money on its debt repayments.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell, though, has continued to insist he wants to wait for more data about how Trump’s tariffs affect the economy and inflation before the Fed makes its next move. Lower interest rates can help goose the economy, but they can also give inflation more fuel.

Lower rates also may not lower the U.S. government’s costs to borrow money, if the bond market feels they could send inflation higher in the future. In that case, lower short-term rates brought by the Fed could actually have the opposite effect and make it more expensive for Washington to borrow money over the long term.

The widespread expectation on Wall Street is that the Fed will wait until September to resume cutting interest rates.

In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady following Trump’s latest attempt to push Powell to cut interest rates. Trump also seemed to back off on threats to fire the Fed’s chair.

“To do that is a big move, and I don’t think that’s necessary,” Trump said. “I just want to see one thing happen, very simple: Interest rates come down.”

If Trump fired Powell, he’d risk a freak-out in financial markets by raising the possibility of a less independent Fed, one unable to make unpopular choices necessary to keep the economy healthy.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury eased to 4.38% from 4.43% late Thursday. The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for what the Fed will do, held steady at 3.91%, where it was late Thursday.

In stock markets abroad, indexes slipped across much of Europe and Asia.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks capped another strong week with more&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-japan-trump-earnings-0b8e8cad3b4e8c2385bc2cacb45f98f3">records</a>&nbsp;on Friday.The S&amp;P 500 rose 0.4% to set an all-time high, the fifth time it did so this week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 208 points, or 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite added 0.2% to its own record set the day before.Deckers, the company behind Ugg boots and Hoka shoes, jumped 11.3% after reporting stronger profit and revenue for the spring than analysts expected. Its growth was particularly strong outside the United States, where revenue soared nearly 50%.Edwards Lifesciences rose 5.5% after likewise topping Wall Street’s expectations for profit in the latest quarter. It said it saw strength across all its product groups, and it expects profit for the full year to come in at the high end of the forecasted range it had given earlier.They helped offset a drop of 8.5% for Intel, which fell after reporting a loss for the latest quarter, when analysts were looking for a profit. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/intel-chips-layoffs-a3a83e4bb8cd71e2615e964b432dd37f">struggling chipmaker also said it would cut thousands of jobs</a>&nbsp;and eliminate other expenses as it tries to turn around its fortunes. Intel, which helped launch Silicon Valley as the U.S. technology hub, has fallen behind rivals like Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices while demand for artificial intelligence chips soars.All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 25.29 points to 6,388.64. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 208.01 to 44,901.92, and the Nasdaq composite added 50.36 to 21,108.32.The pressure is on companies to deliver solid growth in profits in order to justify big gains for their stock prices, which have rallied to record after record in recent weeks. Wall Street has zoomed higher on hopes that President Donald Trump will reach trade deals with other countries that will lower his stiff proposed tariffs, along with the risk that they could cause a recession and drive up inflation. Trump has recently announced deals with Japan and the Philippines, and the next big deadline is looming on Friday, Aug. 1.Besides potential trade talks, next week will also feature a meeting by the Federal Reserve on interest rates.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-federal-reserve-jerome-powell-145b0189a8c7acaab9fcfb097dc376c9">Trump again on Thursday lobbied the Fed to cut rates</a>, which he has implied could save the U.S. government money on its debt repayments.Fed Chair Jerome Powell, though, has continued to insist he wants to wait for more data about how Trump’s tariffs affect the economy and inflation before the Fed makes its next move. Lower interest rates can help goose the economy, but they can also give inflation more fuel.Lower rates also may not lower the U.S. government’s costs to borrow money, if the bond market feels they could send inflation higher in the future. In that case, lower short-term rates brought by the Fed could actually have the opposite effect and make it more expensive for Washington to borrow money over the long term.The widespread expectation on Wall Street is that the Fed will wait until September to resume cutting interest rates.In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady following Trump’s latest attempt to push Powell to cut interest rates. Trump also seemed to back off on threats to fire the Fed’s chair.“To do that is a big move, and I don’t think that’s necessary,” Trump said. “I just want to see one thing happen, very simple: Interest rates come down.”If Trump fired Powell, he’d risk a freak-out in financial markets by raising the possibility of a less independent Fed, one unable to make unpopular choices necessary to keep the economy healthy.The yield on the 10-year Treasury eased to 4.38% from 4.43% late Thursday. The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for what the Fed will do, held steady at 3.91%, where it was late Thursday.In stock markets abroad, indexes slipped across much of Europe and Asia.

Wall Street's winning week ends with more records for US stocks

WASHINGTON (AP) —President Trump and Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall are celebrating Australia's announcement that it will reduce restriction on US beef imports.

“Now, we are going to sell so much to Australia because this is undeniable and irrefutable Proof that U.S. Beef is the Safest and Best in the entire World,” the president said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

Australian Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said Thursday that relaxing the restrictions designed to keep the country free of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-3f554af1fb8443ff8cda7ddaa54190b5">mad cow disease</a>, also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy or BSE, would not compromise biosecurity.

“Australia stands for open and free trade — our cattle industry has significantly benefited from this,” Collins said in a statement.

WASHINGTON (AP) —President Trump and Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall are celebrating Australia's announcement that it will reduce restriction on US beef imports.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">For decades, American ranchers have been trying to sell their beef to Australia.<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> has found a way to break through and gain access for America’s beef industry. This is the Golden Age of America! <a href="https://t.co/6nXuXy5Emt">pic.twitter.com/6nXuXy5Emt</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1948541985230651583?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 25, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Now, we are going to sell so much to Australia because this is undeniable and irrefutable Proof that U.S. Beef is the Safest and Best in the entire World,” the president said in a post on his Truth Social platform.Australian Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said Thursday that relaxing the restrictions designed to keep the country free of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-3f554af1fb8443ff8cda7ddaa54190b5">mad cow disease</a>, also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy or BSE, would not compromise biosecurity.“Australia stands for open and free trade — our cattle industry has significantly benefited from this,” Collins said in a statement.

Kansas U.S. Senator celebrates good news for ranchers

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Emporia State University president Ken Hush announced his retirement Thursday, nodding at past and future challenges in higher education.

Hush, an Emporia State graduate, wrote in an email to alumni, staff and students that his last day will be Dec. 17. He plans to stay involved, he said.

“For more than a decade, higher education has faced significant challenges and pressure to change – this will not only continue but will increase in the future,” he wrote. “There will be winners and losers. Those who are able to adjust will survive; those who don’t won’t… without additional funding.”

Hush’s tenure lasted around four years, beginning in late 2021. He served those early months as interim president. Not long after the Kansas Board of Regents officially named Hush as Emporia State’s 18th president in June 2022, the university fired 30 tenured or tenure-track professors to cut costs. Hush signed the professors’ termination letters while offering&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/05/emporia-state-university-awarded-bonuses-to-68-faculty-after-firing-tenured-professors/">bonuses</a>&nbsp;to others.

Eleven of the fired professors&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/07/13/fired-emporia-state-university-professors-file-lawsuit-allege-conspiracy-against-tenure/">sued</a>&nbsp;Hush and others in 2023 in federal court.

Before he worked as a university president, Hush was a business executive who worked in top-level positions at Koch Minerals and Carbon. He has two daughters, both of whom live in Michigan. He graduated from Emporia State in 1982, majoring in business administration and marketing and playing on the nationally-ranked men’s tennis team.

During Hush’s tenure, Emporia State faced&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/09/26/emporia-state-university-defends-changes-ahead-of-declining-enrollment-report/">declining enrollment</a>&nbsp;and increasing demand for online courses, which he said “created outdated organizations, inefficiencies and waste which caused deficits and financial instability for institutions across the nation.”

However, the university has turned a corner, Hush said. He called the past few years “the most transformative era” in the university’s history.

Enrollment increased 16% at Emporia State last year, and the university was the only one in the state that has not raised tuition in the past two years.

“We established a unique mentality and have completely changed our culture from the top down and from the bottom up,” he said. “Our leadership team has been re-educated and now operates from a lens of data, analysis, financial responsibility and accountability.”

Hush touted bringing in $30 million to correct a $19 million budget deficit, creating an organization that is “fiscally clean, operationally efficient and organizationally sound.” On two occasions, the Kansas Legislature earmarked millions for Emporia State: $9 million in&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/09/12/emporia-state-university-forges-new-identity-with-9m-earmark-from-kansas-legislature/">2023</a>&nbsp;and another $9 million in 2024.

Hush wrote in the email he intends to continue his involvement with Emporia State as a fundraiser.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753465941808.png" alt=" After the official announcement of Ken Hush being voted the next president of Emporia State University, Hush spent time talking with the faculty, staff, students and community members who attended the June 22, 2022, event. (Margaret Mellott/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> After the official announcement of Ken Hush being voted the next president of Emporia State University, Hush spent time talking with the faculty, staff, students and community members who attended the June 22, 2022, event. (Margaret Mellott/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Emporia State University president Ken Hush announced his retirement Thursday, nodding at past and future challenges in higher education.Hush, an Emporia State graduate, wrote in an email to alumni, staff and students that his last day will be Dec. 17. He plans to stay involved, he said.“For more than a decade, higher education has faced significant challenges and pressure to change – this will not only continue but will increase in the future,” he wrote. “There will be winners and losers. Those who are able to adjust will survive; those who don’t won’t… without additional funding.”Hush’s tenure lasted around four years, beginning in late 2021. He served those early months as interim president. Not long after the Kansas Board of Regents officially named Hush as Emporia State’s 18th president in June 2022, the university fired 30 tenured or tenure-track professors to cut costs. Hush signed the professors’ termination letters while offering&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/05/emporia-state-university-awarded-bonuses-to-68-faculty-after-firing-tenured-professors/">bonuses</a>&nbsp;to others.Eleven of the fired professors&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/07/13/fired-emporia-state-university-professors-file-lawsuit-allege-conspiracy-against-tenure/">sued</a>&nbsp;Hush and others in 2023 in federal court.Before he worked as a university president, Hush was a business executive who worked in top-level positions at Koch Minerals and Carbon. He has two daughters, both of whom live in Michigan. He graduated from Emporia State in 1982, majoring in business administration and marketing and playing on the nationally-ranked men’s tennis team.During Hush’s tenure, Emporia State faced&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/09/26/emporia-state-university-defends-changes-ahead-of-declining-enrollment-report/">declining enrollment</a>&nbsp;and increasing demand for online courses, which he said “created outdated organizations, inefficiencies and waste which caused deficits and financial instability for institutions across the nation.”However, the university has turned a corner, Hush said. He called the past few years “the most transformative era” in the university’s history.Enrollment increased 16% at Emporia State last year, and the university was the only one in the state that has not raised tuition in the past two years.“We established a unique mentality and have completely changed our culture from the top down and from the bottom up,” he said. “Our leadership team has been re-educated and now operates from a lens of data, analysis, financial responsibility and accountability.”Hush touted bringing in $30 million to correct a $19 million budget deficit, creating an organization that is “fiscally clean, operationally efficient and organizationally sound.” On two occasions, the Kansas Legislature earmarked millions for Emporia State: $9 million in&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/09/12/emporia-state-university-forges-new-identity-with-9m-earmark-from-kansas-legislature/">2023</a>&nbsp;and another $9 million in 2024.Hush wrote in the email he intends to continue his involvement with Emporia State as a fundraiser.

Emporia State University president who oversaw firings to step down

COWLEY COUNTY—Authorities have identified human remains found by a pond in rural Cowley County earlier this week.

According to Cowley County Sheriff Dave Feletti, an autopsy was performed on the remains. The body has been identified as that of 39-year-old Emile Porterfield-Hill. 

Hill had been reported missing from Sumner County July 17. The manner of death has been ruled as pending investigation, but early indications do not show any signs of obvious acute injuries, according to Sheriff Faletti.

Just before 3p.m. Wednesday, deputies with the Cowley County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a private residence in the Southwest portion of Cowley County for the report of a possible human body by a pond, according to Sheriff&nbsp; Faletti.

When Deputies arrived, the homeowner took them to the location where the remains were located. The Arkansas City Fire Department assisted by retrieving the remains.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753461479714.png" alt="Emile Porterfield-Hill courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Emile Porterfield-Hill courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>COWLEY COUNTY—Authorities have identified human remains found by a pond in rural Cowley County earlier this week.According to Cowley County Sheriff Dave Feletti, an autopsy was performed on the remains. The body has been identified as that of 39-year-old Emile Porterfield-Hill. Hill had been reported missing from Sumner County July 17. The manner of death has been ruled as pending investigation, but early indications do not show any signs of obvious acute injuries, according to Sheriff Faletti.Just before 3p.m. Wednesday, deputies with the Cowley County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a private residence in the Southwest portion of Cowley County for the report of a possible human body by a pond, according to Sheriff&nbsp; Faletti.When Deputies arrived, the homeowner took them to the location where the remains were located. The Arkansas City Fire Department assisted by retrieving the remains.

Body found near rural pond identified as missing Kan. woman

McPherson County— A Thursday morning fire that started on a back porch barbecue grill led to the likely total loss of a McPherson home, according to the McPherson Fire Department.

Just before 11:30 a.m. Thursday, crews were dispatched to a home the 1000 block of South Ash. They&nbsp; found heavy fire involvement on the back porch, which had spread into the residence.

Two people and a dog were inside the home at the time but were able to evacuate safely.

Investigators determined the fire was accidental and originated from a barbecue grill being used on a covered deck attached to the rear of the house. The blaze caused significant fire damage to the back of the home and heat and smoke damage throughout.&nbsp; There were no injuries reported.

McPherson County— A Thursday morning fire that started on a back porch barbecue grill led to the likely total loss of a McPherson home, according to the McPherson Fire Department.Just before 11:30 a.m. Thursday, crews were dispatched to a home the 1000 block of South Ash. They&nbsp; found heavy fire involvement on the back porch, which had spread into the residence.Two people and a dog were inside the home at the time but were able to evacuate safely.Investigators determined the fire was accidental and originated from a barbecue grill being used on a covered deck attached to the rear of the house. The blaze caused significant fire damage to the back of the home and heat and smoke damage throughout.&nbsp; There were no injuries reported.

Barbecue grill fire destroys Kansas home

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a deadly knife attack in Kansas City have identified the victim as 54-year-old Tyrone Bates,&nbsp;according to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

Just after 3a.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to the 1300 block of Admiral on a reported knife attack, according Gonzalez.

Upon arrival, responding officers were flagged down by a man advising someone had been attacked and needed help. Officers located a victim, later identified as Bates, lying in an apartment complex parking lot unresponsive and suffering from multiple apparent stab wounds. 

EMS responded to the scene and declared the victim deceased. Preliminary investigation is believed this occurred as the result of an argument. Police have not reported an arrest or possible suspect details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753373395409.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a deadly knife attack in Kansas City have identified the victim as 54-year-old Tyrone Bates,&nbsp;according to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez.Just after 3a.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to the 1300 block of Admiral on a reported knife attack, according Gonzalez.Upon arrival, responding officers were flagged down by a man advising someone had been attacked and needed help. Officers located a victim, later identified as Bates, lying in an apartment complex parking lot unresponsive and suffering from multiple apparent stab wounds. EMS responded to the scene and declared the victim deceased. Preliminary investigation is believed this occurred as the result of an argument. Police have not reported an arrest or possible suspect details.

Man dies after knife attack in KC apartment complex parking lot 

Washington –&nbsp;On Thursday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) applauded the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announcement from&nbsp;Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins&nbsp;that, as part of its planned reorganization, Kansas City will become the second largest beneficiary of the restructuring.

This reorganization is part of a larger, government-wide process being undertaken by the Trump administration to return federal agencies to their primary functions, eliminate redundancy and waste, and preserve the critical services these agencies provide to taxpayers.

“There are no stronger champions for American farmers and ranchers than Secretary Rollins and President Trump,”&nbsp;said Senator Marshall.&nbsp;“Today’s announcements build on President Trump’s efforts in his first Administration to move those who work closest with our farmers and ranchers to our nation’s heartland. This is putting Farmer’s First.”

“American agriculture feeds, clothes, and fuels this nation and the world, and it is long past time the Department better serve the great and patriotic farmers, ranchers, and producers we are mandated to support. President Trump was elected to make real change in Washington, and we are doing just that by moving our key services outside the beltway and into great American cities across the country,”&nbsp;said Secretary Rollins. “We will do so through a transparent and common-sense process that preserves USDA’s critical health and public safety services the American public relies on. We will do right by the great American people who we serve and with respect to the thousands of hardworking USDA employees who so nobly serve their country.”

In the case of the USDA, today’s announcement will:

Click&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.marshall.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/sm-1078-015.pdf">here</a>&nbsp;to read the full Secretary Memorandum.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739466218531.png" alt="Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran and then Ag Secretary nominee Brooke Rollins-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran and then Ag Secretary nominee Brooke Rollins-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Washington –&nbsp;On Thursday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) applauded the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announcement from&nbsp;Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins&nbsp;that, as part of its planned reorganization, Kansas City will become the second largest beneficiary of the restructuring.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecRollins?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecRollins</a> on moving USDA staff out of DC to be closer to farmers: &quot;This is literally what <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> has tasked his Cabinet to do — to deconstruct the Administrative State... This is aligned with our Founding Fathers&#39; vision... where the government should be closer to the people.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/9NmCJmkoSW">pic.twitter.com/9NmCJmkoSW</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1948753886728052876?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 25, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We will do right by the great American people we serve and also to the thousands of hardworking USDA employees who so nobly serve our country! <a href="https://t.co/nixjsoU1er">https://t.co/nixjsoU1er</a>&mdash; Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRollins/status/1948401133375901847?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>This reorganization is part of a larger, government-wide process being undertaken by the Trump administration to return federal agencies to their primary functions, eliminate redundancy and waste, and preserve the critical services these agencies provide to taxpayers.“There are no stronger champions for American farmers and ranchers than Secretary Rollins and President Trump,”&nbsp;said Senator Marshall.&nbsp;“Today’s announcements build on President Trump’s efforts in his first Administration to move those who work closest with our farmers and ranchers to our nation’s heartland. This is putting Farmer’s First.”“American agriculture feeds, clothes, and fuels this nation and the world, and it is long past time the Department better serve the great and patriotic farmers, ranchers, and producers we are mandated to support. President Trump was elected to make real change in Washington, and we are doing just that by moving our key services outside the beltway and into great American cities across the country,”&nbsp;said Secretary Rollins. “We will do so through a transparent and common-sense process that preserves USDA’s critical health and public safety services the American public relies on. We will do right by the great American people who we serve and with respect to the thousands of hardworking USDA employees who so nobly serve their country.”In the case of the USDA, today’s announcement will:<ul>
 <li>Ensure the size of the USDA’s workforce aligns with available financial resources and agricultural priorities</li><li>Bring USDA closer to its customers</li><li>Eliminate management layers and bureaucracy</li><li>Consolidate redundant support functions</li>
 </ul>Click&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.marshall.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/sm-1078-015.pdf">here</a>&nbsp;to read the full Secretary Memorandum.

Kansas City will become the 2nd largest beneficiary of USDA restructuring

McPherson College celebrated the opening of the new Campus Commons with a ribbon cutting and car reveal ceremony on Thursday.

 Student government representatives Kenya McCain and EJ Landrum along with the board of trustees cut the ribbon at the Commons entrance. Trustee and longtime supporter of the college Dr. Richard Lundquist with president Michael Schneider revealed the 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona hanging from inside the Commons atrium.&nbsp;

McPherson College celebrated the opening of the new Campus Commons with a ribbon cutting and car reveal ceremony on Thursday.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q1fV94Ygdqs?si=ma7224bW5rFWFZ_T&amp;start=667" 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> Student government representatives Kenya McCain and EJ Landrum along with the board of trustees cut the ribbon at the Commons entrance. Trustee and longtime supporter of the college Dr. Richard Lundquist with president Michael Schneider revealed the 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona hanging from inside the Commons atrium.&nbsp;

🎥'72 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona hangs in new McPherson College student commons

FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — A man charged with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shooting-gunshots-florida-f62f8378d3a8ce7b2e99d6a8fb40aba9">trying to assassinate</a>&nbsp;President Donald Trump last year in South Florida can represent himself during his trial, a federal judge ruled Thursday.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon signed off on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-routh-assassination-attempt-ukraine-suspicions-florida-530098c668f283d8a38eb5dd5570f1b2">Ryan Routh’s</a>&nbsp;request but said court-appointed attorneys need to remain as standby counsel. Earlier in the week, the federal public defenders had asked to be taken off the case, saying Routh had refused repeated attempts to meet with them.

Routh said during the hearing that his attorneys were diligent, but they didn’t listen to him and were afraid of him.

“How are they supposed to represent me and say I’m not a dangerous person when they don’t believe that?” Routh said.

Routh, 59, is scheduled to stand trial in September, a year after prosecutors say a U.S. Secret Service agent thwarted his attempt to shoot Trump as he played golf. Routh has pleaded not guilty to charges of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-assassination-attempt-indictment-b4c956e1a126e4acfb3c4eae0c06ddb1">attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate</a>, assaulting a federal officer and several firearm violations.

Reiterating her message from a July 10 hearing, Cannon told Routh that she doesn’t intend to delay the Sept. 8 start date of his trial, even if she lets him represent himself. She also once again told Routh that she believes it’s a bad idea for Routh to represent himself.

Routh, who said he completed two years of college after earning his GED certificate, told Cannon that he understands the potential challenges and would be ready for trial.

Cannon said Thursday that she decided to hold the second hearing after receiving a June 29 letter from Routh that did not arrive at the courthouse until after that hearing. In that letter, Routh said he and his attorneys were “a million miles apart” and that they were refusing to answer his questions. He also wrote that he could be used in a prisoner exchange with Iran, China, North Korea or Russia.

“I could die being of some use and save all this court mess, but no one acts; perhaps you have the power to trade me away,” Routh wrote.

Cannon told Routh that she believed the federal public defenders assigned to Routh’s case were excellent attorneys.

“I find no basis to believe that there has been ineffective assistance of counsel,” Cannon said.

The judge also reminded Routh that she will not be able to assist Routh or provide legal advice during the trial.

Cannon also briefly addressed Routh’s suggestion of a prisoner exchange, saying, “I have no power or any opinion of anything you’ve written there.”

On Wednesday, the federal public defender’s office filed a motion for termination of appointment of counsel, saying “the attorney-client relationship is irreconcilably broken.” Attorneys said Routh has refused six attempts to meet with their team, including a scheduled in-person meeting Tuesday morning at the federal detention center in Miami.

“It is clear that Mr. Routh wishes to represent himself, and he is within his Constitutional rights to make such a demand,” the motion said.

Cannon denied their motion on Thursday, explaining that their office was in the best position to prevent delays to the trial.

The U.S. Supreme Court has held that criminal defendants have a right to represent themselves in court proceedings, as long as they can show a judge they are competent to waive their right to be defended by an attorney.

Prosecutors have said Routh methodically plotted to kill Trump for weeks before aiming a rifle through the shrubbery as Trump played golf on Sept. 15 at his West Palm Beach country club. A Secret Service agent spotted Routh before Trump came into view. Officials said Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot.

Law enforcement obtained help from a witness who prosecutors said informed officers that he saw a person fleeing. The witness was then flown in a police helicopter to a nearby interstate where Routh was arrested, and the witnesses confirmed it was the person he had seen, prosecutors have said.

Routh will have his first chance to represent himself on Friday during a scheduled hearing on whether certain evidence and testimony can be used at trial. His former attorneys are expected to be present as standby counsel.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741357051491.png" alt="Routh booking photo Palm Beach Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Routh booking photo Palm Beach Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — A man charged with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shooting-gunshots-florida-f62f8378d3a8ce7b2e99d6a8fb40aba9">trying to assassinate</a>&nbsp;President Donald Trump last year in South Florida can represent himself during his trial, a federal judge ruled Thursday.U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon signed off on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-routh-assassination-attempt-ukraine-suspicions-florida-530098c668f283d8a38eb5dd5570f1b2">Ryan Routh’s</a>&nbsp;request but said court-appointed attorneys need to remain as standby counsel. Earlier in the week, the federal public defenders had asked to be taken off the case, saying Routh had refused repeated attempts to meet with them.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726536262473.png" alt="Routh during his arrest -photo Martin County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Routh during his arrest -photo Martin County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Routh said during the hearing that his attorneys were diligent, but they didn’t listen to him and were afraid of him.“How are they supposed to represent me and say I’m not a dangerous person when they don’t believe that?” Routh said.Routh, 59, is scheduled to stand trial in September, a year after prosecutors say a U.S. Secret Service agent thwarted his attempt to shoot Trump as he played golf. Routh has pleaded not guilty to charges of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-assassination-attempt-indictment-b4c956e1a126e4acfb3c4eae0c06ddb1">attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate</a>, assaulting a federal officer and several firearm violations.Reiterating her message from a July 10 hearing, Cannon told Routh that she doesn’t intend to delay the Sept. 8 start date of his trial, even if she lets him represent himself. She also once again told Routh that she believes it’s a bad idea for Routh to represent himself.Routh, who said he completed two years of college after earning his GED certificate, told Cannon that he understands the potential challenges and would be ready for trial.Cannon said Thursday that she decided to hold the second hearing after receiving a June 29 letter from Routh that did not arrive at the courthouse until after that hearing. In that letter, Routh said he and his attorneys were “a million miles apart” and that they were refusing to answer his questions. He also wrote that he could be used in a prisoner exchange with Iran, China, North Korea or Russia.“I could die being of some use and save all this court mess, but no one acts; perhaps you have the power to trade me away,” Routh wrote.Cannon told Routh that she believed the federal public defenders assigned to Routh’s case were excellent attorneys.“I find no basis to believe that there has been ineffective assistance of counsel,” Cannon said.The judge also reminded Routh that she will not be able to assist Routh or provide legal advice during the trial.Cannon also briefly addressed Routh’s suggestion of a prisoner exchange, saying, “I have no power or any opinion of anything you’ve written there.”On Wednesday, the federal public defender’s office filed a motion for termination of appointment of counsel, saying “the attorney-client relationship is irreconcilably broken.” Attorneys said Routh has refused six attempts to meet with their team, including a scheduled in-person meeting Tuesday morning at the federal detention center in Miami.“It is clear that Mr. Routh wishes to represent himself, and he is within his Constitutional rights to make such a demand,” the motion said.Cannon denied their motion on Thursday, explaining that their office was in the best position to prevent delays to the trial.The U.S. Supreme Court has held that criminal defendants have a right to represent themselves in court proceedings, as long as they can show a judge they are competent to waive their right to be defended by an attorney.Prosecutors have said Routh methodically plotted to kill Trump for weeks before aiming a rifle through the shrubbery as Trump played golf on Sept. 15 at his West Palm Beach country club. A Secret Service agent spotted Routh before Trump came into view. Officials said Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot.Law enforcement obtained help from a witness who prosecutors said informed officers that he saw a person fleeing. The witness was then flown in a police helicopter to a nearby interstate where Routh was arrested, and the witnesses confirmed it was the person he had seen, prosecutors have said.Routh will have his first chance to represent himself on Friday during a scheduled hearing on whether certain evidence and testimony can be used at trial. His former attorneys are expected to be present as standby counsel.

Judge issues new ruling at request of Trump would-be assassin

&nbsp;KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a fatal officer shooting involving members of the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.&nbsp;

Just after 2p.m. Thursday the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department received a 911 call about a suspicions man near Emmanuel Cleaver II and The Paseo, according to a statement from the MSHP Troop A.

The suspect was reported to be armed with a handgun and had allegedly pointed the gun at an aubulance. Officers arrived of scene at 2:21p.m. and made contact with the suspect. Officers gave commands to take him into custody. He did not comply with officer's commands and at 2:23p.m officers advised shots had been fired.&nbsp; The suspect, who was taken into custody, provided medical aid and&nbsp; and transported to a local hospital with life threatening injuries later died. No officers were injured. Investigators recovered a weapon at the scene.&nbsp;

At the conclusion of the investigation by the Missouri State Highway Patrol., the report will be turned over to the Jackson County Attorney's office for review.&nbsp; &nbsp;Police did not release the name of the suspect.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753394726730.png" alt="Photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a fatal officer shooting involving members of the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.&nbsp;Just after 2p.m. Thursday the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department received a 911 call about a suspicions man near Emmanuel Cleaver II and The Paseo, according to a statement from the MSHP Troop A.The suspect was reported to be armed with a handgun and had allegedly pointed the gun at an aubulance. Officers arrived of scene at 2:21p.m. and made contact with the suspect. Officers gave commands to take him into custody. He did not comply with officer's commands and at 2:23p.m officers advised shots had been fired.&nbsp; The suspect, who was taken into custody, provided medical aid and&nbsp; and transported to a local hospital with life threatening injuries later died. No officers were injured. Investigators recovered a weapon at the scene.&nbsp;At the conclusion of the investigation by the Missouri State Highway Patrol., the report will be turned over to the Jackson County Attorney's office for review.&nbsp; &nbsp;Police did not release the name of the suspect.

Suspect who pointed gun at ambulance died in officer shooting

WASHINGTON (AP) — After months of criticizing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, President Donald Trump took the fight to the Fed’s front door on Thursday, publicly scorning the central bank chief over the ballooning costs of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-building-renovations-trump-powell-70cfb70f2c09105c2a144179d5d92e69">long-planned building project</a>. Powell pushed back, challenging the president’s latest price tag as incorrect.

Wearing hard hats and grim faces, standing in the middle of the construction project,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-powell-pushback-renovation-costs-7ddf2d82ccf0129b28587dcc7cc3695b">Trump and Powell</a>&nbsp;addressed the assembled TV cameras. Trump charged that the renovation would cost $3.1 billion, much higher than the Fed's $2.5 billion figure. Powell, standing next to him, shook his head.

The Fed chair, after looking at a paper presented to him by Trump, said the president was including the cost of renovating a separate Fed building, known as the Martin building, that was finished five years ago.

The visit represented a significant ratcheting up of the president's pressure on Powell&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fed-federal-reserve-powell-trump-63c3e35e8606b7b73455b08aa21456dd">to lower borrowing costs</a>, which Trump says would accelerate economic growth and reduce the government's interest payments. Presidents rarely visit the Fed's offices, though they are just a few blocks from the White House, an example of the central bank's independence from day-to-day politics.

“We have to get the interest rates down,” Trump said later after a short tour, addressing the cameras this time without Powell. “People are pretty much unable to buy houses.”

Trump is likely to be disappointed next week, however, when Fed officials will meet to decide its next steps on interest rates. Powell and other officials have signaled they will likely keep their key rate unchanged at about 4.3%. However, economists and Wall Street investors expect the Fed may start cutting rates in September.

The Federal Reserve sets a short-term interest rate that influences other borrowing costs, such as mortgages, auto loans and credit card rates. Yet the Fed doesn’t directly control those other rates, which are ultimately set in financial markets. Last September, when the Fed cut its rate a half-point, mortgage rates actually rose in response.

Trump did step back a bit from some of his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-powell-federal-reserve-building-renovation-2393d9ac9fdb9508f285d0faa5f4de41">recent threats to fire Powell</a>&nbsp;before his term ends May 26. Asked if the rising costs of the Fed's renovation, estimated in 2022 to cost $1.9 billion, was a “fireable offense,” Trump said, “I don't want to put this in that category.”

“To do that is a big move, and I don't think that's necessary,” Trump added. "I just want to see one thing happen, very simple: Interest rates come down.”

And on his Truth Social site, Trump said, “The cost overruns are substantial but, on the positive side, our Country is doing very well and can afford just about anything — Even the cost of this building!”

The Fed allowed reporters to tour the building before the visit by Trump, who, in his real estate career, bragged about his own lavish spending on architectural accoutrements that gave a Versailles-like golden flair to his buildings.

Journalists get rare tour of Fed renovation

On Thursday, reporters wound through cement mixers, front loaders and plastic pipes as they got a close-up view of the active construction site that encompasses the Fed's historic headquarters, known as the Marriner S. Eccles building, and a second building across 20th Street in Washington.

Fed staff, who declined to be identified, said that greater security requirements, rising materials costs and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/consumer-prices-inflation-trump-trade-6ea513a44876c2f4dc948a25c15b0eb0">tariffs</a>, and the need to comply with historic preservation measures drove up the cost of the project, which was budgeted in 2022 at $1.9 billion.

Trump in 2018 imposed a 25% duty on steel and 10% on aluminum. He increased them this year to 50%. Steel prices are up about 60% since the plans were approved, while construction materials costs overall are up about 50%, according to government data.

The staff pointed out new blast-resistant windows and seismic walls that were needed to comply with modern building codes and security standards set out by the Department of Homeland Security. The Fed has to build with the highest level of security in mind, Fed staff said, including something called “progressive collapse,” in which only parts of the building would fall if hit with explosives.

Sensitivity to the president's pending visit among Fed staff was high during the tour. Reporters were ushered into a small room outside the Fed's boardroom, where 19 officials meet eight times a year to decide whether to change short-term interest rates. The room, which will have a security booth, is oval-shaped, and someone had written “oval office” on plywood walls.

The Fed staff downplayed the inscription as a joke. When reporters returned to the room later, it had been painted over.

During the tour, Fed staff also showed the elevator shaft that congressional critics have said is for “VIPs” only. Powell has since said it will be open to all Fed staff. The renovation includes an 18-inch (45-cm) extension so the elevator reaches a slightly elevated area that is now accessible only by steps or a ramp. A planning document that said the elevator will only be for the Fed's seven governors was erroneous and later amended, staff said.

Renovations have been in the works for a while

Plans for the renovation were first approved by the Fed's governing board in 2017. The project then wended its way through several local commissions for approval, at least one of which, the Commission for Fine Arts, included several Trump appointees. The commission&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powell-trump-federal-reserve-16a3a78bab27f44e058d69829a8dcfa9">pushed for more marble</a>&nbsp;in the second of the two buildings the Fed is renovating, known as 1951 Constitution Avenue, specifically in a mostly glass extension that some of Trump's appointees derided as a “glass box.”

Fed staff also pointed to the complication of historic renovations — both buildings have significant preservation needs. Constructing a new building on an empty site would have been cheaper, they said.

As one example, the staff pointed reporters to where they had excavated beneath the Eccles building to add a floor of mechanical rooms, storage space and some offices. The Fed staff acknowledged such structural additions underground are expensive, but said it was done to avoid adding HVAC equipment and other mechanics on the roof, which is historic.

Trump, who said after his tour that “it feels very good to be back on a construction site,” added that opening up a basement is “the most expensive place to build.”

The Fed has previously attributed much of the project's cost to underground construction. It is also adding three underground levels of parking for its second building. Initially the central bank proposed building more above ground, but ran into Washington, D.C.'s height restrictions, forcing more underground construction.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753406454439.png" alt="Image courtesy White House video" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy White House video</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — After months of criticizing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, President Donald Trump took the fight to the Fed’s front door on Thursday, publicly scorning the central bank chief over the ballooning costs of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-building-renovations-trump-powell-70cfb70f2c09105c2a144179d5d92e69">long-planned building project</a>. Powell pushed back, challenging the president’s latest price tag as incorrect.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> to Fed Chair Jerome Powell on the exorbitant cost overruns of their palace-like HQ renovation: &quot;It looks like it&#39;s about $3.1 billion. It went up a little bit — or a lot.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/5Hv8EUPm0m">pic.twitter.com/5Hv8EUPm0m</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1948477094901809404?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Our Builder-in-Chief <a href="https://t.co/myzy9AAfZf">pic.twitter.com/myzy9AAfZf</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1948518460591329516?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/Z7ykUQe4EV">pic.twitter.com/Z7ykUQe4EV</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1948494722571407744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> has arrived at the Federal Reserve <a href="https://t.co/bkyMQs1dmg">pic.twitter.com/bkyMQs1dmg</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1948475823788371979?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Wearing hard hats and grim faces, standing in the middle of the construction project,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-powell-pushback-renovation-costs-7ddf2d82ccf0129b28587dcc7cc3695b">Trump and Powell</a>&nbsp;addressed the assembled TV cameras. Trump charged that the renovation would cost $3.1 billion, much higher than the Fed's $2.5 billion figure. Powell, standing next to him, shook his head.The Fed chair, after looking at a paper presented to him by Trump, said the president was including the cost of renovating a separate Fed building, known as the Martin building, that was finished five years ago.The visit represented a significant ratcheting up of the president's pressure on Powell&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fed-federal-reserve-powell-trump-63c3e35e8606b7b73455b08aa21456dd">to lower borrowing costs</a>, which Trump says would accelerate economic growth and reduce the government's interest payments. Presidents rarely visit the Fed's offices, though they are just a few blocks from the White House, an example of the central bank's independence from day-to-day politics.“We have to get the interest rates down,” Trump said later after a short tour, addressing the cameras this time without Powell. “People are pretty much unable to buy houses.”Trump is likely to be disappointed next week, however, when Fed officials will meet to decide its next steps on interest rates. Powell and other officials have signaled they will likely keep their key rate unchanged at about 4.3%. However, economists and Wall Street investors expect the Fed may start cutting rates in September.The Federal Reserve sets a short-term interest rate that influences other borrowing costs, such as mortgages, auto loans and credit card rates. Yet the Fed doesn’t directly control those other rates, which are ultimately set in financial markets. Last September, when the Fed cut its rate a half-point, mortgage rates actually rose in response.Trump did step back a bit from some of his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-powell-federal-reserve-building-renovation-2393d9ac9fdb9508f285d0faa5f4de41">recent threats to fire Powell</a>&nbsp;before his term ends May 26. Asked if the rising costs of the Fed's renovation, estimated in 2022 to cost $1.9 billion, was a “fireable offense,” Trump said, “I don't want to put this in that category.”“To do that is a big move, and I don't think that's necessary,” Trump added. "I just want to see one thing happen, very simple: Interest rates come down.”And on his Truth Social site, Trump said, “The cost overruns are substantial but, on the positive side, our Country is doing very well and can afford just about anything — Even the cost of this building!”The Fed allowed reporters to tour the building before the visit by Trump, who, in his real estate career, bragged about his own lavish spending on architectural accoutrements that gave a Versailles-like golden flair to his buildings.<h2>Journalists get rare tour of Fed renovation</h2>On Thursday, reporters wound through cement mixers, front loaders and plastic pipes as they got a close-up view of the active construction site that encompasses the Fed's historic headquarters, known as the Marriner S. Eccles building, and a second building across 20th Street in Washington.Fed staff, who declined to be identified, said that greater security requirements, rising materials costs and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/consumer-prices-inflation-trump-trade-6ea513a44876c2f4dc948a25c15b0eb0">tariffs</a>, and the need to comply with historic preservation measures drove up the cost of the project, which was budgeted in 2022 at $1.9 billion.Trump in 2018 imposed a 25% duty on steel and 10% on aluminum. He increased them this year to 50%. Steel prices are up about 60% since the plans were approved, while construction materials costs overall are up about 50%, according to government data.The staff pointed out new blast-resistant windows and seismic walls that were needed to comply with modern building codes and security standards set out by the Department of Homeland Security. The Fed has to build with the highest level of security in mind, Fed staff said, including something called “progressive collapse,” in which only parts of the building would fall if hit with explosives.Sensitivity to the president's pending visit among Fed staff was high during the tour. Reporters were ushered into a small room outside the Fed's boardroom, where 19 officials meet eight times a year to decide whether to change short-term interest rates. The room, which will have a security booth, is oval-shaped, and someone had written “oval office” on plywood walls.The Fed staff downplayed the inscription as a joke. When reporters returned to the room later, it had been painted over.During the tour, Fed staff also showed the elevator shaft that congressional critics have said is for “VIPs” only. Powell has since said it will be open to all Fed staff. The renovation includes an 18-inch (45-cm) extension so the elevator reaches a slightly elevated area that is now accessible only by steps or a ramp. A planning document that said the elevator will only be for the Fed's seven governors was erroneous and later amended, staff said.<h2>Renovations have been in the works for a while</h2>Plans for the renovation were first approved by the Fed's governing board in 2017. The project then wended its way through several local commissions for approval, at least one of which, the Commission for Fine Arts, included several Trump appointees. The commission&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powell-trump-federal-reserve-16a3a78bab27f44e058d69829a8dcfa9">pushed for more marble</a>&nbsp;in the second of the two buildings the Fed is renovating, known as 1951 Constitution Avenue, specifically in a mostly glass extension that some of Trump's appointees derided as a “glass box.”Fed staff also pointed to the complication of historic renovations — both buildings have significant preservation needs. Constructing a new building on an empty site would have been cheaper, they said.As one example, the staff pointed reporters to where they had excavated beneath the Eccles building to add a floor of mechanical rooms, storage space and some offices. The Fed staff acknowledged such structural additions underground are expensive, but said it was done to avoid adding HVAC equipment and other mechanics on the roof, which is historic.Trump, who said after his tour that “it feels very good to be back on a construction site,” added that opening up a basement is “the most expensive place to build.”The Fed has previously attributed much of the project's cost to underground construction. It is also adding three underground levels of parking for its second building. Initially the central bank proposed building more above ground, but ran into Washington, D.C.'s height restrictions, forcing more underground construction.

🎥President, Fed Chair bicker in public over building renovation costs

DOUGLAS COUNTY—A Kansas bicyclist injured in an accident just after 8p.m. on Wednesday in Douglas County has died.

According to a social media report from the Douglas County Sheriff, a 2003 Honda Element driven by a 70-year-old Lawrence man was westbound in the 2000 block of N 1400 Road and struck a westbound bicyclist identified as 30-year-old Clayton L. Place, 30, of Lawrence. 

EMS transported him&nbsp; to an area hospital where died from his injuries. Police released no additional details.

DOUGLAS COUNTY—A Kansas bicyclist injured in an accident just after 8p.m. on Wednesday in Douglas County has died.According to a social media report from the Douglas County Sheriff, a 2003 Honda Element driven by a 70-year-old Lawrence man was westbound in the 2000 block of N 1400 Road and struck a westbound bicyclist identified as 30-year-old Clayton L. Place, 30, of Lawrence. EMS transported him&nbsp; to an area hospital where died from his injuries. Police released no additional details.

Kansas bicyclist struck by an SUV has died

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a July 15, homicide have made an arrest.

Just before 7p.m. July 15, police&nbsp;were patrolling near the Central Park Community Center,&nbsp;1534 SW Clay Street, Topeka, when they located a suspicious vehicle. 

Further investigation of the vehicle led to the discovery of a deceased man later identified as 72-year-old Terry Keller, according to Assistant Topeka Police Chief Mike Cross. The following day police indicated Keller's death was a homicide.

&nbsp;As the result of a digital canvas of the neighborhood, police have identified a person of interest. On Wednesday, police arrested Wisdom Curls, 24 of Topeka and transferred him to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Murder in the 1st degree;&nbsp;Intentional and premeditated, Aggravated Robbery and Criminal possession of a weapon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753373968639.png" alt="Curls photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Curls photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a July 15, homicide have made an arrest.Just before 7p.m. July 15, police&nbsp;were patrolling near the Central Park Community Center,&nbsp;1534 SW Clay Street, Topeka, when they located a suspicious vehicle. Further investigation of the vehicle led to the discovery of a deceased man later identified as 72-year-old Terry Keller, according to Assistant Topeka Police Chief Mike Cross. The following day police indicated Keller's death was a homicide.&nbsp;As the result of a digital canvas of the neighborhood, police have identified a person of interest. On Wednesday, police arrested Wisdom Curls, 24 of Topeka and transferred him to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Murder in the 1st degree;&nbsp;Intentional and premeditated, Aggravated Robbery and Criminal possession of a weapon.

Police: 72-year-old  killed in Kansas armed robbery

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas basketball coach Bill Self had two stents inserted into his heart to treat blocked arteries Thursday at Lawrence Memorial Hospital after he felt “felt unwell and experienced some concerning symptoms.”

“The procedure went very well, and he is expected to make a full recovery,” the Kansas athletic department said in a statement. "He is in good spirits and expects to be released from the hospital soon.”

The 62-year-old Self directed the final practice of the summer session Thursday morning as he prepares for his 23rd seasons as head coach of the Jayhawks. He missed the 2023 Big 12 and NCAA tournaments because of a heart condition, getting a standard catheterization and having two stents inserted to help treat blocked arteries.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681311280126.jpeg" alt="Bill Self-Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Bill Self-Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas basketball coach Bill Self had two stents inserted into his heart to treat blocked arteries Thursday at Lawrence Memorial Hospital after he felt “felt unwell and experienced some concerning symptoms.”“The procedure went very well, and he is expected to make a full recovery,” the Kansas athletic department said in a statement. "He is in good spirits and expects to be released from the hospital soon.”The 62-year-old Self directed the final practice of the summer session Thursday morning as he prepares for his 23rd seasons as head coach of the Jayhawks. He missed the 2023 Big 12 and NCAA tournaments because of a heart condition, getting a standard catheterization and having two stents inserted to help treat blocked arteries.

KU basketball coach Bill Self has stents inserted to treat blocked arteries

BOURBON COUNTY&nbsp;–The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Fort Scott Police Department arrested a Fort Scott man for alleged child sex crimes.

&nbsp;Just after&nbsp; 1 p.m. on Wednesday, KBI agents and the Fort Scott Police Department arrested 24-year-old Micheal Olkowski, of Fort Scott. Olkowski on requested charges of sexual exploitation of a child and aggravated internet trading in child pornography after a search warrant was conducted at 920 W. Park Avenue in Fort Scott, according to a media release from the KBI.

The KBI Child Victims Unit began investigating after multiple cyber tips were received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in July.

Following the arrest, Olkowski was booked into the Bourbon County Jail.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to call the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME.&nbsp;Anonymous tips can be submitted online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery" target="_blank">www.kbi.ks.gov/sar</a>.

&nbsp;The case is expected to be prosecuted by the Bourbon County Attorney’s Office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753387895744.png" alt="Olkowski photo Bourbon Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Olkowski photo Bourbon Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>BOURBON COUNTY&nbsp;–The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Fort Scott Police Department arrested a Fort Scott man for alleged child sex crimes.&nbsp;Just after&nbsp; 1 p.m. on Wednesday, KBI agents and the Fort Scott Police Department arrested 24-year-old Micheal Olkowski, of Fort Scott. Olkowski on requested charges of sexual exploitation of a child and aggravated internet trading in child pornography after a search warrant was conducted at 920 W. Park Avenue in Fort Scott, according to a media release from the KBI.The KBI Child Victims Unit began investigating after multiple cyber tips were received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in July.Following the arrest, Olkowski was booked into the Bourbon County Jail.&nbsp;&nbsp;Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to call the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME.&nbsp;Anonymous tips can be submitted online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery" target="_blank">www.kbi.ks.gov/sar</a>.&nbsp;The case is expected to be prosecuted by the Bourbon County Attorney’s Office.

Kansas man accused of internet trading in child porn

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed a bill Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pbs-npr-budget-cuts-trump-republicans-b0044285659ab708e23eb2dc2f3eabfa">canceling about $9 billion</a>&nbsp;that had been approved for public broadcasting and foreign aid as Republicans look to lock in cuts to programs targeted by the White House’s Department of Government Efficiency.

The bulk of the spending being clawed back is for foreign assistance programs. About $1.1 billion was destined for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pbs-npr-public-broadcasting-funding-cuts-d5bf43d4a103f8b0c92cbb3080d9e44b">Corporation for Public Broadcasting</a>, which finances NPR and PBS, though most of that money is distributed to more than 1,500 local public radio and television stations around the country.

The White House had billed the legislation as a test case for Congress and said more such rescission packages would be on the way.

Some Republicans were uncomfortable with the cuts, yet supported them anyway, wary of crossing Trump or upsetting his agenda. Democrats unanimously rejected the cuts but were powerless to stop them.

The White House says the public media system is politically biased and an unnecessary expense. Conservatives particularly directed their ire at NPR and PBS. Lawmakers with large rural constituencies voiced grave concern about what the cuts to public broadcasting could mean for some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/native-american-radio-stations-cuts-7c2b6d8750a103107a679bb657402f1b">local public stations</a>&nbsp;in their state. Some stations will have to close, they warned.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said the stations are “not just your news — it is your tsunami alert, it is your landslide alert, it is your volcano alert.”

On the foreign aid cuts, the White House argued that they would incentivize other nations to step up and do more to respond to humanitarian crises and that the rescissions best served the American taxpayer.

Democrats argued that the Republican administration’s animus toward foreign aid programs would hurt America’s standing in the world and create a vacuum for China to fill. They also expressed concerns that the cuts would have deadly consequences for many of the world’s most impoverished people.

“With these cuts, we will cause death, spread disease and deepen starvation across the planet,” said Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752606245570.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed a bill Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pbs-npr-budget-cuts-trump-republicans-b0044285659ab708e23eb2dc2f3eabfa">canceling about $9 billion</a>&nbsp;that had been approved for public broadcasting and foreign aid as Republicans look to lock in cuts to programs targeted by the White House’s Department of Government Efficiency.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753391323277.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748356793271.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>The bulk of the spending being clawed back is for foreign assistance programs. About $1.1 billion was destined for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pbs-npr-public-broadcasting-funding-cuts-d5bf43d4a103f8b0c92cbb3080d9e44b">Corporation for Public Broadcasting</a>, which finances NPR and PBS, though most of that money is distributed to more than 1,500 local public radio and television stations around the country.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746181587274.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>The White House had billed the legislation as a test case for Congress and said more such rescission packages would be on the way.Some Republicans were uncomfortable with the cuts, yet supported them anyway, wary of crossing Trump or upsetting his agenda. Democrats unanimously rejected the cuts but were powerless to stop them.The White House says the public media system is politically biased and an unnecessary expense. Conservatives particularly directed their ire at NPR and PBS. Lawmakers with large rural constituencies voiced grave concern about what the cuts to public broadcasting could mean for some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/native-american-radio-stations-cuts-7c2b6d8750a103107a679bb657402f1b">local public stations</a>&nbsp;in their state. Some stations will have to close, they warned.Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said the stations are “not just your news — it is your tsunami alert, it is your landslide alert, it is your volcano alert.”On the foreign aid cuts, the White House argued that they would incentivize other nations to step up and do more to respond to humanitarian crises and that the rescissions best served the American taxpayer.Democrats argued that the Republican administration’s animus toward foreign aid programs would hurt America’s standing in the world and create a vacuum for China to fill. They also expressed concerns that the cuts would have deadly consequences for many of the world’s most impoverished people.“With these cuts, we will cause death, spread disease and deepen starvation across the planet,” said Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii.

President Trump signs bill to cancel funding for NPR, PBS

NEW YORK (AP) — Two-time Grammy Award-winning musician&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c617bed75b01421dac0bb68424756775">Chuck Mangione,</a>&nbsp;who achieved international success in 1977 with his jazz-flavored single “Feels So Good” and later became a voice actor on the animated TV comedy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-mike-judge-ap-top-news-tv-b110858783619ab165efe1373c584f0a">“King of the Hill,”</a>&nbsp;has died. He was 84.

Mangione died at his home in Rochester, New York, on Tuesday in his sleep, said his attorney, Peter S. Matorin of Beldock Levine &amp; Hoffman LLP. The musician had been retired since 2015.

Perhaps his biggest hit — “Feels So Good” — is a staple on most smooth-jazz radio stations and has been called one of the most recognized melodies since “Michelle” by the Beatles. It hit No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the top of the Billboard adult contemporary chart.

“It identified for a lot of people a song with an artist, even though I had a pretty strong base audience that kept us out there touring as often as we wanted to, that song just topped out there and took it to a whole other level,” Mangione told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 2008.

He followed that hit with “Give It All You Got,” commissioned for the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, and he performed it at the closing ceremony.

Mangione, a flugelhorn and trumpet player and jazz composer, released more than 30 albums during a career in which he built a sizable following after recording several albums, doing all the writing.

He won his first Grammy Award in 1977 for his album “Bellavia,” which was named in honor of his mother. Another album, “Friends and Love,” was also Grammy-nominated, and he earned a best original score Golden Globe nomination and a second Grammy for the movie “The Children of Sanchez.”

Mangione introduced himself to a new audience when he appeared on the first several seasons of “King of the Hill,” appearing as a commercial spokesman for Mega Lo Mart, where “shopping feels so good.”

Mangione, brother of jazz pianist Gap Mangione, with whom he partnered in The Jazz Brothers, started his career as a bebop jazz musician heavily inspired by Dizzy Gillespie.

“He also was one of the first musicians I saw who had a rapport with the audience by just telling the audience what he was going to play and who was in his band,” Mangione told the Post-Gazette.

Mangione earned a bachelor's degree from the Eastman School of Music — where he would eventually return as director of the school’s jazz ensemble — and left home to play with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers.

He donated his signature brown felt hat and the score of his Grammy-winning single “Feels So Good,” as well as albums, songbooks and other ephemera from his long and illustrious career to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in 2009.

FILE - In this June 18, 2006 file photo, Chuck Mangione performs during the Playboy Jazz Festival in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Lucas Jackson, file)

DateJul 24, 2025 12:34 PMHeadlineObit-Chuck MangioneSourceAPNotesFILE PHOTORestrictionsEds: UPDATES: Updates Media.Use informationUse of this content is for editorial purposes only. For inquiries regarding non-editorial uses, contact your licensing representative.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753397092755.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Two-time Grammy Award-winning musician&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c617bed75b01421dac0bb68424756775">Chuck Mangione,</a>&nbsp;who achieved international success in 1977 with his jazz-flavored single “Feels So Good” and later became a voice actor on the animated TV comedy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-mike-judge-ap-top-news-tv-b110858783619ab165efe1373c584f0a">“King of the Hill,”</a>&nbsp;has died. He was 84.Mangione died at his home in Rochester, New York, on Tuesday in his sleep, said his attorney, Peter S. Matorin of Beldock Levine &amp; Hoffman LLP. The musician had been retired since 2015.Perhaps his biggest hit — “Feels So Good” — is a staple on most smooth-jazz radio stations and has been called one of the most recognized melodies since “Michelle” by the Beatles. It hit No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the top of the Billboard adult contemporary chart.“It identified for a lot of people a song with an artist, even though I had a pretty strong base audience that kept us out there touring as often as we wanted to, that song just topped out there and took it to a whole other level,” Mangione told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 2008.He followed that hit with “Give It All You Got,” commissioned for the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, and he performed it at the closing ceremony.Mangione, a flugelhorn and trumpet player and jazz composer, released more than 30 albums during a career in which he built a sizable following after recording several albums, doing all the writing.He won his first Grammy Award in 1977 for his album “Bellavia,” which was named in honor of his mother. Another album, “Friends and Love,” was also Grammy-nominated, and he earned a best original score Golden Globe nomination and a second Grammy for the movie “The Children of Sanchez.”Mangione introduced himself to a new audience when he appeared on the first several seasons of “King of the Hill,” appearing as a commercial spokesman for Mega Lo Mart, where “shopping feels so good.”Mangione, brother of jazz pianist Gap Mangione, with whom he partnered in The Jazz Brothers, started his career as a bebop jazz musician heavily inspired by Dizzy Gillespie.“He also was one of the first musicians I saw who had a rapport with the audience by just telling the audience what he was going to play and who was in his band,” Mangione told the Post-Gazette.Mangione earned a bachelor's degree from the Eastman School of Music — where he would eventually return as director of the school’s jazz ensemble — and left home to play with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers.He donated his signature brown felt hat and the score of his Grammy-winning single “Feels So Good,” as well as albums, songbooks and other ephemera from his long and illustrious career to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in 2009.Slide 1 of 3PreviousNextFILE - In this June 18, 2006 file photo, Chuck Mangione performs during the Playboy Jazz Festival in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Lucas Jackson, file)<h2>Photo Details&nbsp;(1&nbsp;of&nbsp;3)</h2>DateJul 24, 2025 12:34 PMHeadlineObit-Chuck MangioneSourceAPNotesFILE PHOTORestrictionsEds: UPDATES: Updates Media.Use informationUse of this content is for editorial purposes only. For inquiries regarding non-editorial uses, contact your licensing representative.

Jazz legend Chuck Mangione, known for 'Feels So Good,' dies at 84

NEW YORK (AP) — About 3.6 million hoses are under recall across the U.S. because hundreds have burst while being used, resulting in at least 29 injuries, including reports of temporarily impaired hearing.

The recall covers a range of HydroTech-branded, 5/8-inch “Expandable Burst-Proof Hoses” that were sold at major retailers — including, Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot and Target — for garden, lawn care, car washing and other uses between January 2021 and April 2025.

The company&nbsp;<a href="https://hydrotechproducts.com/pages/voluntaryrecallfaq">said</a>&nbsp;the hoses can burst if the interior, plastic strain relief “breaks or becomes fully unthreaded.”

According to a Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Winston-Products-Recalls-5-8-Inch-HydroTech-Expandable-Burst-Proof-Hoses-Due-to-Risk-of-Impact-Hazard-and-Temporarily-Impaired-Hearing">notice</a>&nbsp;from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the recalled hoses pose potential impact and hearing hazards because they can burst unexpectedly. Winston Products, which imported the hoses, has received at least 222 bursting reports to date — resulting in 29 injuries, “including one bone bruise, two sprains and five reports of temporarily impaired hearing from the sound of the hose bursting," the CPSC notes.

Consumers in possession of the recalled hoses are urged to stop using them immediately. If the hoses were purchased at Ace Hardware, Do It Best, Home Depot or Walmart, Thursday's recall notice adds, consumers can bring them into those stores to return the product for a full refund. Other impacted shoppers should contact Winston Products to&nbsp;<a href="https://hydrotechproducts.com/recall">initiate a claim online</a>.

The hoses under recall were sold in various lengths and colors, but can be identified by date code markings and product names listed in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Winston-Products-Recalls-5-8-Inch-HydroTech-Expandable-Burst-Proof-Hoses-Due-to-Risk-of-Impact-Hazard-and-Temporarily-Impaired-Hearing">Thursday's notice</a>. The recall only covers “HydroTech 5/8-inch Expandable Burst-Proof Hoses” made on or before August 31, 2024.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753380204342.png" alt="Photo&nbsp;Consumer Product Safety Commission" />
 <figcaption>Photo&nbsp;Consumer Product Safety Commission</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — About 3.6 million hoses are under recall across the U.S. because hundreds have burst while being used, resulting in at least 29 injuries, including reports of temporarily impaired hearing.The recall covers a range of HydroTech-branded, 5/8-inch “Expandable Burst-Proof Hoses” that were sold at major retailers — including, Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot and Target — for garden, lawn care, car washing and other uses between January 2021 and April 2025.The company&nbsp;<a href="https://hydrotechproducts.com/pages/voluntaryrecallfaq">said</a>&nbsp;the hoses can burst if the interior, plastic strain relief “breaks or becomes fully unthreaded.”According to a Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Winston-Products-Recalls-5-8-Inch-HydroTech-Expandable-Burst-Proof-Hoses-Due-to-Risk-of-Impact-Hazard-and-Temporarily-Impaired-Hearing">notice</a>&nbsp;from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the recalled hoses pose potential impact and hearing hazards because they can burst unexpectedly. Winston Products, which imported the hoses, has received at least 222 bursting reports to date — resulting in 29 injuries, “including one bone bruise, two sprains and five reports of temporarily impaired hearing from the sound of the hose bursting," the CPSC notes.Consumers in possession of the recalled hoses are urged to stop using them immediately. If the hoses were purchased at Ace Hardware, Do It Best, Home Depot or Walmart, Thursday's recall notice adds, consumers can bring them into those stores to return the product for a full refund. Other impacted shoppers should contact Winston Products to&nbsp;<a href="https://hydrotechproducts.com/recall">initiate a claim online</a>.The hoses under recall were sold in various lengths and colors, but can be identified by date code markings and product names listed in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Winston-Products-Recalls-5-8-Inch-HydroTech-Expandable-Burst-Proof-Hoses-Due-to-Risk-of-Impact-Hazard-and-Temporarily-Impaired-Hearing">Thursday's notice</a>. The recall only covers “HydroTech 5/8-inch Expandable Burst-Proof Hoses” made on or before August 31, 2024.

HydroTech hoses recalled after hundreds burst; 29 people injured

BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — High temperatures this week drew a caution from the regional organization that ensures reliability of the power grid and led Evergy to ask some customers to conserve energy usage.

The Southwest Power Pool is one of nine regional transmission organizations approved by federal regulators to support reliable power supplies and infrastructure. SPP works with energy companies to make sure that when customers set their thermostat, they&nbsp; soon hear the answering hum of the air conditioner.

SPP issued a low-level weather advisory for Tuesday through Thursday, warning of hot weather, said spokeswoman Meghan Sever.

“This is because of the high temperatures, and while it does include Kansas, a weather advisory does not require the public to conserve energy,” she said.

Such a situation isn’t unusual during hot Kansas summers. In fact, Kansas City meteorologist Joe Lauria vented on Facebook that people are using “extreme” too often in describing weather.

“What used to be an ‘excessive’ heat warning has been replaced with the phrase ‘extreme,’ ” he wrote. “I can sort of get behind that in the ‘extreme’ sense IF something extreme was going to happen, but what’s ahead, at least into Monday is NORMAL HEAT. 90-95° days are NORMAL for us in the hottest part of the year. We average around 40 days/year of 90°+ days, and YES they’re supposed to be humid and YES we’re supposed to have heat indices 100°-105°+ seemingly every day.”

This week was initially supposed to see temps spike over 100 degrees. Still, even with staying in the 90s across the state, the load on the power grid gets intense.

On Wednesday, Evergy reached out to residential and business customers that signed up to be part of its demand response program to manage that load.

That program asks willing customers to curtail their energy load, said Evergy spokeswoman Courtney Lewis.

“Business customers may participate in a variety of ways, which may&nbsp;include turning off lights, changing their production process, increasing temperature at their facilities, or using back-up generation,” she said in an email.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753388788309.jpeg" alt=" Staff in Southwest Power Pool’s coordination center continuously monitor the power grid, weather conditions and other factors that affect the delivery of electricity. (Southwest Power Pool)" />
 <figcaption> Staff in Southwest Power Pool’s coordination center continuously monitor the power grid, weather conditions and other factors that affect the delivery of electricity. (Southwest Power Pool)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — High temperatures this week drew a caution from the regional organization that ensures reliability of the power grid and led Evergy to ask some customers to conserve energy usage.The Southwest Power Pool is one of nine regional transmission organizations approved by federal regulators to support reliable power supplies and infrastructure. SPP works with energy companies to make sure that when customers set their thermostat, they&nbsp; soon hear the answering hum of the air conditioner.SPP issued a low-level weather advisory for Tuesday through Thursday, warning of hot weather, said spokeswoman Meghan Sever.“This is because of the high temperatures, and while it does include Kansas, a weather advisory does not require the public to conserve energy,” she said.Such a situation isn’t unusual during hot Kansas summers. In fact, Kansas City meteorologist Joe Lauria vented on Facebook that people are using “extreme” too often in describing weather.“What used to be an ‘excessive’ heat warning has been replaced with the phrase ‘extreme,’ ” he wrote. “I can sort of get behind that in the ‘extreme’ sense IF something extreme was going to happen, but what’s ahead, at least into Monday is NORMAL HEAT. 90-95° days are NORMAL for us in the hottest part of the year. We average around 40 days/year of 90°+ days, and YES they’re supposed to be humid and YES we’re supposed to have heat indices 100°-105°+ seemingly every day.”This week was initially supposed to see temps spike over 100 degrees. Still, even with staying in the 90s across the state, the load on the power grid gets intense.On Wednesday, Evergy reached out to residential and business customers that signed up to be part of its demand response program to manage that load.That program asks willing customers to curtail their energy load, said Evergy spokeswoman Courtney Lewis.“Business customers may participate in a variety of ways, which may&nbsp;include turning off lights, changing their production process, increasing temperature at their facilities, or using back-up generation,” she said in an email.Washburn University, a large-load user, sent a campuswide email telling staff to adapt building temperatures.An email from Lori Hutchinson, executive director of strategic communications and marketing, asked Washburn staff in most campus buildings to turn up thermostats from 74 to 80 degrees between 2 and 6 p.m. Wednesday.Washburn participates in Evergy’s Generation Substitution Service, a special tariff for larger customers in Evergy’s Kansas Central territory, Lewis said.Those customers are willing to switch to back-up generation when Evergy asks them, she said.Evergy works with customers willing to adapt their energy use during high-use times, and customers receive a break in their rates,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.evergy.com/ways-to-save/incentives-link/demand-response" target="_blank">the company’s website said</a>.“It’s been interesting — a lot of the largest customers have not been motivated by the demand response piece, notwithstanding the potential rate benefits for them,” said David Campbell, Evergy president and CEO, in a Monday Kansas Corporation Commission hearing. “I’m sure that will be a dialogue that continues over time.”Campbell said the number of times that Evergy needs to call on customers to interrupt their energy usage is low, although the program does require flexibility.“I think that the range of opportunities of large customers bringing solutions to be more proactive in how you think about demand-response is a way that we can meet the moment historically,” he said.The summer seasonal forecast this year showed a 40-60% chance of higher temperatures than usual across the SPP territory, Sever said. The organization uses various tools and systems to mitigate risk.“Under different scenarios, like when we experience higher-than-normal temperatures that drive increased load, we may call on generating units to commit to run earlier or more often than usual, delay planned outages, import energy from neighboring systems or tap into available reserves, depending on the severity and duration of events affecting energy reliability,” she said.