WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;agreed on Friday to hear an appeal from global agrochemical manufacturer Bayer to block thousands of state lawsuits alleging it failed to warn people that its popular weedkiller could cause cancer.

The justices will consider whether the Environmental Protection Agency's approval of the Roundup weedkiller without a cancer warning should rule out the state court claims.

The Trump administration has weighed in on Bayer's behalf, reversing the Biden administration's position and putting it at odds with some supporters of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-kennedy-trump-health-hhs-maha-5e1e9e3208c42b6a185facad26e3b457">the Make America Healthy Again agenda</a>&nbsp;who oppose giving the company the legal immunity it seeks.

Some studies associate Roundup’s key ingredient, glyphosate, with cancer, although the EPA has said it is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/glyphosate">not likely to be carcinogenic</a>&nbsp;to humans when used as directed.

Bayer disputes the cancer claims but has set aside $16 billion to settle cases. At the same time, it has tried to persuade states to pass laws barring the lawsuits. Georgia and North Dakota have done so.

The high court will take up a case from Missouri, in which a jury awarded $1.25 million to a man who developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after spraying Roundup on a community garden in St. Louis.

The Supreme Court in 2022 declined to hear a similar claim from Bayer in a California case that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lifestyle-environment-and-nature-california-san-francisco-b0ef61238f5e83778fb12e748bc97593">awarded more than $86 million</a>&nbsp;to a married couple.

But Germany-based Bayer, which acquired Roundup maker Monsanto in 2018, contends the Supreme Court should intervene now because lower courts have issued conflicting rulings. In 2024, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Bayer’s favor.

Bayer faces about 181,000 Roundup claims, mostly from residential users. It has stopped using glyphosate in Roundup sold in the U.S. residential lawn and garden market. But glyphosate remains in agricultural products. It’s designed to be used with genetically modified seeds, including corn, soybeans and cotton, that resist the weedkiller’s deadly effect. It allows farmers to produce more while conserving the soil by tilling it less.

Bayer has said it might have to consider pulling glyphosate from U.S. agricultural markets if the lawsuits persist.

"It is time for the U.S. legal system to establish that companies should not be punished under state laws for complying with federal warning label requirements,” Bayer CEO Bill Anderson said in a statement.

Environmental groups said Bayer wants to keep juries out of the lawsuits because it keeps losing in state courts.

"It’s a sad day in America when our highest court agrees to consider depriving thousands of Roundup users suffering from cancer of their day in court,” said Lori Ann Burd, environmental health director at the Center for Biological Diversity.

It’s unclear if the case will be argued in the spring or at the start of the next court term, in October.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593022262288.png" alt="Post photo" />
 <figcaption>Post photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By MARK SHERMAN&nbsp;WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;agreed on Friday to hear an appeal from global agrochemical manufacturer Bayer to block thousands of state lawsuits alleging it failed to warn people that its popular weedkiller could cause cancer.The justices will consider whether the Environmental Protection Agency's approval of the Roundup weedkiller without a cancer warning should rule out the state court claims.The Trump administration has weighed in on Bayer's behalf, reversing the Biden administration's position and putting it at odds with some supporters of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-kennedy-trump-health-hhs-maha-5e1e9e3208c42b6a185facad26e3b457">the Make America Healthy Again agenda</a>&nbsp;who oppose giving the company the legal immunity it seeks.Some studies associate Roundup’s key ingredient, glyphosate, with cancer, although the EPA has said it is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/glyphosate">not likely to be carcinogenic</a>&nbsp;to humans when used as directed.Bayer disputes the cancer claims but has set aside $16 billion to settle cases. At the same time, it has tried to persuade states to pass laws barring the lawsuits. Georgia and North Dakota have done so.The high court will take up a case from Missouri, in which a jury awarded $1.25 million to a man who developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after spraying Roundup on a community garden in St. Louis.The Supreme Court in 2022 declined to hear a similar claim from Bayer in a California case that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lifestyle-environment-and-nature-california-san-francisco-b0ef61238f5e83778fb12e748bc97593">awarded more than $86 million</a>&nbsp;to a married couple.But Germany-based Bayer, which acquired Roundup maker Monsanto in 2018, contends the Supreme Court should intervene now because lower courts have issued conflicting rulings. In 2024, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Bayer’s favor.Bayer faces about 181,000 Roundup claims, mostly from residential users. It has stopped using glyphosate in Roundup sold in the U.S. residential lawn and garden market. But glyphosate remains in agricultural products. It’s designed to be used with genetically modified seeds, including corn, soybeans and cotton, that resist the weedkiller’s deadly effect. It allows farmers to produce more while conserving the soil by tilling it less.Bayer has said it might have to consider pulling glyphosate from U.S. agricultural markets if the lawsuits persist."It is time for the U.S. legal system to establish that companies should not be punished under state laws for complying with federal warning label requirements,” Bayer CEO Bill Anderson said in a statement.Environmental groups said Bayer wants to keep juries out of the lawsuits because it keeps losing in state courts."It’s a sad day in America when our highest court agrees to consider depriving thousands of Roundup users suffering from cancer of their day in court,” said Lori Ann Burd, environmental health director at the Center for Biological Diversity.It’s unclear if the case will be argued in the spring or at the start of the next court term, in October.___

Supreme Court will hear appeal by maker of weedkiller to block thousands of lawsuits

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A woman charged in the stabbing death of her mother on Halloween attended a competency hearing on Thursday.

Judge Jeffrey Goering ruled 48-year-old Angelynn Elizabeth Mock is not competent to stand trial, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. She will be transferred to the Larned State Hospital. She remained in custody in the Sedgwick County Jail on Friday morning.

In November Mock was charged with first-degree murder in the death of her 80-year-old mother, Anita Avers.

Just before 8a.m. October 31, police responded to a reported stabbing at a residence in the 1500 block of East Crowley in Wichita, according to a media release from Wichita Police. First responders located Mock outside the home.

&nbsp;Inside the residence, officers found 80-year-old Anita Avers unresponsive in her bed with multiple stab wounds.&nbsp;Sedgwick County EMS transported the victim to St. Francis Hospital, where she was later pronounced deceased at 8:26 a.m.

Mock was transported to the hospital for treatment before being taken into custody and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail. She is being held on a one-million dollar bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761944840018.png" alt="Police on the scene early Halloween morning -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene early Halloween morning -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A woman charged in the stabbing death of her mother on Halloween attended a competency hearing on Thursday.Judge Jeffrey Goering ruled 48-year-old Angelynn Elizabeth Mock is not competent to stand trial, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. She will be transferred to the Larned State Hospital. She remained in custody in the Sedgwick County Jail on Friday morning.In November Mock was charged with first-degree murder in the death of her 80-year-old mother, Anita Avers.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1761994823380.png" alt="Mock photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Mock photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>Just before 8a.m. October 31, police responded to a reported stabbing at a residence in the 1500 block of East Crowley in Wichita, according to a media release from Wichita Police. First responders located Mock outside the home.&nbsp;Inside the residence, officers found 80-year-old Anita Avers unresponsive in her bed with multiple stab wounds.&nbsp;Sedgwick County EMS transported the victim to St. Francis Hospital, where she was later pronounced deceased at 8:26 a.m.Mock was transported to the hospital for treatment before being taken into custody and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail. She is being held on a one-million dollar bond.

Halloween homicide: Kan. woman attends competency hearing

Hays Regional Airport reported its highest annual passenger traffic on record for 2025, according to the 2025 Year-To-Date Enplanement Report released this week.

HYS recorded 17,345 total SkyWest Airlines (SkyWest) outbound enplanements, representing a 19.49% increase over the previous year of 14,516.

An additional 217 boardings from various charter and air ambulance operations were also recorded.

SkyWest provides commercial jet airline service at HYS and has experienced steady growth since boarding 8,102 passengers in its first full year of service in 2015.

City Manager Toby Dougherty credited the operational results to the management of the facility.

"The Airport’s performance reflects the specific management strategies employed by Airport Director Jamie Salter," Dougherty said. "Her oversight of daily operations and long-term planning has been a primary factor in this growth. We credit her leadership for maximizing the Airport's utility and maintaining high standards."

The report outlines passenger volume fluctuations throughout the year.

January 2025 recorded 1,314 outbound enplanements, an 82% increase over the 721 recorded in January 2024.

March saw a 93% year-over-year increase, rising from 758 passengers in 2024 to 1,464 in 2025.

December proved to be the highest volume month of the year, with 1,723 outbound enplanements.

In addition to volume, the report detailed operational metrics for SkyWest.

During the fourth quarter, the airline reported on-time performance (defined as arriving or departing within 15 minutes of schedule) of 85% in October and 92% in November.

September also recorded an 86% on-time rate.

Salter noted the role of external partnerships in achieving these figures.

"This record result is shared by SkyWest Airlines and the passengers utilizing our facility," she said. "We have also relied on the expertise provided by our airline consultant, the ArkStar Group, for the past eight years to meet our goal of establishing one of the best regional airport experiences for our community.”

“Of course, none of this could be done without the local employees to make it happen,” Salter said. “I would like to personally thank the local SkyWest and TSA crews, our Fixed Based Operator, Hays Aircraft, and my Airport team who ensure we are the gold standard when it comes to customer service, quality, and safety. The work of the CVB staff to help with our marketing ventures is also greatly appreciated.”

Historical data included in the report shows an overall upward trend in passenger traffic following 2020, which were recorded at 5,474.

Total outbound enplanements for 2021 were 11,150, 9,473 for 2022, and 10,074 for 2023.

"Our sincere appreciation goes to the nearly 35,000 travelers who flew in and out with us this year," Salter said. "Your loyalty drives us to keep improving. Alongside SkyWest and the ArkStar Group, we are committed to continuing to provide our community with the very best in commercial air service travel for years to come.”

"This record proves the Hays Regional Airport remains not just a convenience, but the first choice for Western Kansas travelers."

For more information on flight times, booking details, and additional services, visit <a href="https://flyhays.com/">FlyHays.com</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712080095171.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>SubmittedHays Regional Airport reported its highest annual passenger traffic on record for 2025, according to the 2025 Year-To-Date Enplanement Report released this week.HYS recorded 17,345 total SkyWest Airlines (SkyWest) outbound enplanements, representing a 19.49% increase over the previous year of 14,516.An additional 217 boardings from various charter and air ambulance operations were also recorded.SkyWest provides commercial jet airline service at HYS and has experienced steady growth since boarding 8,102 passengers in its first full year of service in 2015.City Manager Toby Dougherty credited the operational results to the management of the facility."The Airport’s performance reflects the specific management strategies employed by Airport Director Jamie Salter," Dougherty said. "Her oversight of daily operations and long-term planning has been a primary factor in this growth. We credit her leadership for maximizing the Airport's utility and maintaining high standards."The report outlines passenger volume fluctuations throughout the year.January 2025 recorded 1,314 outbound enplanements, an 82% increase over the 721 recorded in January 2024.March saw a 93% year-over-year increase, rising from 758 passengers in 2024 to 1,464 in 2025.December proved to be the highest volume month of the year, with 1,723 outbound enplanements.In addition to volume, the report detailed operational metrics for SkyWest.During the fourth quarter, the airline reported on-time performance (defined as arriving or departing within 15 minutes of schedule) of 85% in October and 92% in November.September also recorded an 86% on-time rate.Salter noted the role of external partnerships in achieving these figures."This record result is shared by SkyWest Airlines and the passengers utilizing our facility," she said. "We have also relied on the expertise provided by our airline consultant, the ArkStar Group, for the past eight years to meet our goal of establishing one of the best regional airport experiences for our community.”“Of course, none of this could be done without the local employees to make it happen,” Salter said. “I would like to personally thank the local SkyWest and TSA crews, our Fixed Based Operator, Hays Aircraft, and my Airport team who ensure we are the gold standard when it comes to customer service, quality, and safety. The work of the CVB staff to help with our marketing ventures is also greatly appreciated.”Historical data included in the report shows an overall upward trend in passenger traffic following 2020, which were recorded at 5,474.Total outbound enplanements for 2021 were 11,150, 9,473 for 2022, and 10,074 for 2023."Our sincere appreciation goes to the nearly 35,000 travelers who flew in and out with us this year," Salter said. "Your loyalty drives us to keep improving. Alongside SkyWest and the ArkStar Group, we are committed to continuing to provide our community with the very best in commercial air service travel for years to come.”"This record proves the Hays Regional Airport remains not just a convenience, but the first choice for Western Kansas travelers."For more information on flight times, booking details, and additional services, visit <a href="https://flyhays.com/">FlyHays.com</a>.

Hays Regional Airport reports record boardings in 2025

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - Despite holding a 19-point lead late in the first half, the sixth-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team had to hold on down the stretch to fend off Missouri Western on Thursday, winning 66-60. The Griffons (5-11, 1-6 MIAA) pulled within one with 63 seconds to play, but a 5-for-6 effort at the free throw line and two big defensive stops helped the Tigers (15-1, 6-1 MIAA) hang on for the win.

This is the fifth time in program history that FHSU has won 15 contests in its first 16 games and the first such occurrence since 2021-22.

Both teams struggled out of the gate, combining to shoot just 19 percent (4-of-21) from the floor over the first five minutes. But the Tigers were able to break out of the funk, hitting six of their final eight shots to end the quarter on a 16-2 run and lead 18-6 after 10 minutes of play.

Talexa Weeter and Brittan Zeka both hit 3-pointers during the run, with Weeter opening the second quarter with another triple to push the lead to 15. The Tigers continued their sharp shooting, knocking down 8-of-11 in the quarter to push the lead as high as 19 late in the frame. Weeter nearly outscored the Griffons herself in the half, totaling 22 points while the Tigers led 40-23 at the break.

The Griffons battled back in the second half, outscoring the Tigers by a dozen in the third quarter to pull within five. The home team hit four 3-pointers in the frame while holding FHSU to its lowest scoring third quarter of the season.

Missouri Western scored first in the fourth quarter to pull within one possession, but four points each from Weeter and Kaitlin Schumann helped FHSU push the lead back to eight with 6:19 to play, 60-52.

The Tigers did not hit another field goal the rest of the way, but the defense held the Griffons to just 3-of-13 from the floor down the stretch to hang on for the win. MWSU pulled within 61-60 with 63 seconds remaining before Brooke Loewe and Weeter combined to hit 5-of-6 from the line down the stretch.

FHSU made two big defensive stops in the final 30 seconds, with Schumann poking the ball away under the basket leading to an Olivia Mortensen steal before the Tigers forced a contested 3-pointer on the next possession that rattled out.

Weeter finished the game with 33 points, her seventh 30-point game of the season and the eighth of her career. Loewe totaled 12 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, while Schumann added seven points and five rebounds. Mortensen totaled five steals, tied for the most in a game by a Tiger this season.

The Tigers grabbed a season-low five offensive rebounds, leading to a season-low one second-chance point, however FHSU was able to collect a season-best 38 defensive rebounds to even out the rebounding battle at 43.

FHSU finished the game shooting 49 percent from the floor (25-of-51) while holding the Griffons to their second-worst shooting game of the season at 30.8 percent (24-of-78).

The Tigers will wrap up a four-game road swing on Saturday when they take on Northwest Missouri State beginning at 1:30 p.m. in Maryville, Mo.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768541027830.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State's Brittan Zeka (4) brings the ball up the court in an exhibition game against Kansas on Wednesday, October 29, 2026 in Lawrence, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State's Brittan Zeka (4) brings the ball up the court in an exhibition game against Kansas on Wednesday, October 29, 2026 in Lawrence, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett)</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsST. JOSEPH, Mo. - Despite holding a 19-point lead late in the first half, the sixth-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team had to hold on down the stretch to fend off Missouri Western on Thursday, winning 66-60. The Griffons (5-11, 1-6 MIAA) pulled within one with 63 seconds to play, but a 5-for-6 effort at the free throw line and two big defensive stops helped the Tigers (15-1, 6-1 MIAA) hang on for the win.This is the fifth time in program history that FHSU has won 15 contests in its first 16 games and the first such occurrence since 2021-22.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2248374659&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/1-15-25-fhsu-wbkb-coach" title="Talia Kahrs Postgame at Missouri Western State (Jan. 15, 2026)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Talia Kahrs Postgame at Missouri Western State (Jan. 15, 2026)</a></div></div>Both teams struggled out of the gate, combining to shoot just 19 percent (4-of-21) from the floor over the first five minutes. But the Tigers were able to break out of the funk, hitting six of their final eight shots to end the quarter on a 16-2 run and lead 18-6 after 10 minutes of play.Talexa Weeter and Brittan Zeka both hit 3-pointers during the run, with Weeter opening the second quarter with another triple to push the lead to 15. The Tigers continued their sharp shooting, knocking down 8-of-11 in the quarter to push the lead as high as 19 late in the frame. Weeter nearly outscored the Griffons herself in the half, totaling 22 points while the Tigers led 40-23 at the break.The Griffons battled back in the second half, outscoring the Tigers by a dozen in the third quarter to pull within five. The home team hit four 3-pointers in the frame while holding FHSU to its lowest scoring third quarter of the season.Missouri Western scored first in the fourth quarter to pull within one possession, but four points each from Weeter and Kaitlin Schumann helped FHSU push the lead back to eight with 6:19 to play, 60-52.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2248374839&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/1-15-25-fhsu-wbkb-highlights" title="#6 Fort Hays State WBB Highlights at Missouri Western State (Jan. 15, 2026)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">#6 Fort Hays State WBB Highlights at Missouri Western State (Jan. 15, 2026)</a></div></div>The Tigers did not hit another field goal the rest of the way, but the defense held the Griffons to just 3-of-13 from the floor down the stretch to hang on for the win. MWSU pulled within 61-60 with 63 seconds remaining before Brooke Loewe and Weeter combined to hit 5-of-6 from the line down the stretch.FHSU made two big defensive stops in the final 30 seconds, with Schumann poking the ball away under the basket leading to an Olivia Mortensen steal before the Tigers forced a contested 3-pointer on the next possession that rattled out.Weeter finished the game with 33 points, her seventh 30-point game of the season and the eighth of her career. Loewe totaled 12 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, while Schumann added seven points and five rebounds. Mortensen totaled five steals, tied for the most in a game by a Tiger this season.The Tigers grabbed a season-low five offensive rebounds, leading to a season-low one second-chance point, however FHSU was able to collect a season-best 38 defensive rebounds to even out the rebounding battle at 43.FHSU finished the game shooting 49 percent from the floor (25-of-51) while holding the Griffons to their second-worst shooting game of the season at 30.8 percent (24-of-78).<h2>Up next</h2>The Tigers will wrap up a four-game road swing on Saturday when they take on Northwest Missouri State beginning at 1:30 p.m. in Maryville, Mo.

🏀 No. 6 FHSU women fend off Griffons

By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

The <a href="https://arcofcentralplains.org/">Arc of the Central Plains </a>celebrated the opening of its new program center for individuals with disabilities.

The Chamber in Hays hosted a ribbon-cutting on Tuesday at the Buffalo Friends &amp; Family Activities Center, 229 W. 10th St.,  formerly the Home Event Center.

Kathy McAdoo, executive director of the Arc of the Central Plains, said the organization outgrew its former space adjacent to the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ARCCPThrift">Arc Thrift Store</a>.

"This building was on the market for a long time," McAdoo said. "All of a sudden, the price dropped, and we got a phone call. We weren't looking for a space, although we needed a space for our activities."

In 2024, the Arc board approved about $150,000 for renovations to the 9,000-square-foot building. Tiffany Schulte, the Arc’s director of activities and programs, outlined the organization’s activities and sports programs, noting its growth over time.

"If you include the athletes along with participants who don't do sports, we easily have over 100 participants. Our Christmas party last year, we had close to 110 come for that," Schulte said.

The building will be used for non-sport activities, life-skills programs, community events and storage space, made possible largely by proceeds from the Arc’s Thrift Store at 600 Main St.

"Basically, we're going to make this place a home away from home," Schulte said.

Renovations to the building included added lighting, a railing along the dance floor and a new entrance ramp. The space also features a hangout area with a ping-pong table, pool table, and shelves stocked with board games and books.

The Arc offers Special Olympics programs, including basketball and bowling, for participants ages 8 and older. McAdoo said a group of athletes will travel to Minneapolis, Minnesota, this summer to compete in the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games.

Other non-sports activities the Buffaloes take part in include bingo nights, dance parties and Nerf wars. The new Healthy Buffaloes program offers classes every Sunday and focuses on wellness and life skills rather than competition.

McAdoo said the thrift store funds all of the Arc’s programs, including the Buffaloes and its newest initiative, Harvest Hays, which helps individuals develop teamwork skills through farming and opens doors to employment opportunities.&nbsp;

 She thanked those who donate to the store and shop there.

"This is such a blessing in all of our lives and especially for our athletes and our other participants," McAdoo said.

The Arc purchased the building in October 2024, and it wasn't until October 2025 that they moved in.

You can follow the Hays Buffalo Adventures on their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ARCACTIVITIES">Facebook page</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768410321050.jpeg" alt="The Arc of Central Plains and Hays Buffaloes celebrating the opening of its new activity center in Hays with a ribbon-cutting. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The Arc of Central Plains and Hays Buffaloes celebrating the opening of its new activity center in Hays with a ribbon-cutting. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By TONY GUERRERO Hays PostThe <a href="https://arcofcentralplains.org/">Arc of the Central Plains </a>celebrated the opening of its new program center for individuals with disabilities.The Chamber in Hays hosted a ribbon-cutting on Tuesday at the Buffalo Friends &amp; Family Activities Center, 229 W. 10th St., formerly the Home Event Center.Kathy McAdoo, executive director of the Arc of the Central Plains, said the organization outgrew its former space adjacent to the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ARCCPThrift">Arc Thrift Store</a>."This building was on the market for a long time," McAdoo said. "All of a sudden, the price dropped, and we got a phone call. We weren't looking for a space, although we needed a space for our activities."In 2024, the Arc board approved about $150,000 for renovations to the 9,000-square-foot building. Tiffany Schulte, the Arc’s director of activities and programs, outlined the organization’s activities and sports programs, noting its growth over time.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768410547966.jpeg" alt="Hays Buffaloes playing a game of pool at their new activity center in Hays. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Hays Buffaloes playing a game of pool at their new activity center in Hays. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768410658537.jpeg" alt="The concession area of the&nbsp;Buffalo Friends &amp; Family Activities Center in Hays. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The concession area of the&nbsp;Buffalo Friends &amp; Family Activities Center in Hays. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768410701899.jpeg" alt="Seating area at the&nbsp;Buffalo Friends &amp; Family Activities Center in Hays. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Seating area at the&nbsp;Buffalo Friends &amp; Family Activities Center in Hays. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>"If you include the athletes along with participants who don't do sports, we easily have over 100 participants. Our Christmas party last year, we had close to 110 come for that," Schulte said.The building will be used for non-sport activities, life-skills programs, community events and storage space, made possible largely by proceeds from the Arc’s Thrift Store at 600 Main St."Basically, we're going to make this place a home away from home," Schulte said.Renovations to the building included added lighting, a railing along the dance floor and a new entrance ramp. The space also features a hangout area with a ping-pong table, pool table, and shelves stocked with board games and books.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768410482169.jpeg" alt="Bean bags and net chairs at the&nbsp;Buffalo Friends &amp; Family Activities Center in Hays. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Bean bags and net chairs at the&nbsp;Buffalo Friends &amp; Family Activities Center in Hays. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768410497339.jpeg" alt="Board games and books for Hays Buffaloes. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Board games and books for Hays Buffaloes. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768410520338.jpeg" alt="Hays Buffaloes playing a game of pool and ping pong at their new activity center in Hays. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Hays Buffaloes playing a game of pool and ping pong at their new activity center in Hays. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>The Arc offers Special Olympics programs, including basketball and bowling, for participants ages 8 and older. McAdoo said a group of athletes will travel to Minneapolis, Minnesota, this summer to compete in the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games.Other non-sports activities the Buffaloes take part in include bingo nights, dance parties and Nerf wars. The new Healthy Buffaloes program offers classes every Sunday and focuses on wellness and life skills rather than competition.McAdoo said the thrift store funds all of the Arc’s programs, including the Buffaloes and its newest initiative, Harvest Hays, which helps individuals develop teamwork skills through farming and opens doors to employment opportunities.&nbsp; She thanked those who donate to the store and shop there."This is such a blessing in all of our lives and especially for our athletes and our other participants," McAdoo said.The Arc purchased the building in October 2024, and it wasn't until October 2025 that they moved in.You can follow the Hays Buffalo Adventures on their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ARCACTIVITIES">Facebook page</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768410629624.jpeg" alt="The dance floor of&nbsp;Buffalo Friends &amp; Family Activities Center. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The dance floor of&nbsp;Buffalo Friends &amp; Family Activities Center. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>

Arc of the Central Plains celebrates new activity center in Hays

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday appeared ready to deal another setback to transgender people and uphold state laws barring transgender girls and women from playing on school athletic teams.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2025/24-38">Click here to listen to the argument in Little vs. Hecox</a>

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2025/24-43">Click here to listen to the argument in West Virginia vs. B.P.J.</a>

The court's conservative majority, which has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-transgender-nonbinary-passport-sex-marker-5040c6412e06a072889af30cfae97462">repeatedly ruled</a>&nbsp;against transgender Americans in the past year, signaled during more than three hours of arguments it would rule the state bans don't violate either the Constitution or the federal law known as Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in education.

More than two dozen Republican-led states have adopted bans on female transgender athletes. Lower courts had ruled for the transgender athletes who challenged laws in Idaho and West Virginia.

The legal fight is playing out against the backdrop of a broad effort by President Donald Trump to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-sex-gender-transgender-dei-order-245350b97e0c4dcc221fefc49ef44699">target transgender Americans</a>, beginning on the first day of his second term and including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-troops-ban-military-trump-9c3018034a2608a28f6146fe17f0fe4b">the ouster of transgender people</a>&nbsp;from the military and declaring that gender is immutable and determined at birth.

The justices are evaluating claims of sex discrimination lodged by transgender people versus the need for fair competition for women and girls, the main argument made by the states.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who coached his daughters in girls basketball, seemed concerned about a ruling that might undo the effects of Title IX, which has produced dramatic growth in girls and women's sports. Kavanaugh called Title IX an “amazing” and “inspiring” success.

Some girls and women might lose a medal in a competition with transgender athletes, which Kavanaugh called a harm “we can’t sweep aside.”

The three liberal justices seemed focused on trying to marshal a court majority in support of a narrow ruling that would allow the individual transgender athletes involved in the cases to prevail.

A ruling for West Virginia and Idaho would effectively apply to the other two dozen Republican-led states with similar laws.

But the justices soon might be asked to decide about the laws in an additional roughly two dozen states, led by Democrats, that allow transgender athletes to compete on the teams that match their gender identity.

The outcome also could influence separate legal efforts by the Trump administration and others seeking to bar transgender athletes in states that have continued to allow them to compete.

In the Idaho case, Lindsay Hecox, 25, sued over the state's first-in-the-nation ban for the chance to try out for the women's track and cross-country teams at Boise State University in Idaho. She didn’t make either squad because “she was too slow,” her lawyer, Kathleen Hartnett, told the court Tuesday, but she competed in club-level soccer and running.

Becky Pepper-Jackson, a 15-year-old high school sophomore, was in the courtroom Tuesday. She has been taking puberty-blocking medication, has publicly identified&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-athletes-k12-schools-state-restrictions-ec0b1d2ea162855131264c88bb992e2e">as a girl</a>&nbsp;since age 8 and has been issued a West Virginia birth certificate recognizing her as female. She is the only transgender person who has sought to compete in girls sports in West Virginia.

Pepper-Jackson has progressed from a back-of-the-pack cross-country runner in middle school to a statewide third-place finish in the discus in just her first year of high school.

Prominent women in sports have weighed in on both sides. Tennis champion Martina Navratilova, swimmers Summer Sanders and Donna de Varona and beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh-Jennings are supporting the state bans. Soccer stars Megan Rapinoe and Becky Sauerbrunn and basketball players Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart back the transgender athletes.

In 2020,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/courts-supreme-courts-mi-state-wire-neil-gorsuch-ap-top-news-5a7b0e41a47a3c571dda69194758e7b1">the Supreme Court ruled</a>&nbsp;LGBTQ people are protected by a landmark federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in the workplace, finding that “sex plays an unmistakable role” in employers’ decisions to punish transgender people for traits and behavior they otherwise tolerate.

But last year, the six conservative justices declined to apply the same sort of analysis when they upheld state bans on gender-affirming care for transgender minors.

Chief Justice John Roberts signaled Tuesday he sees differences between the 2020 case, in which he supported the claims of discrimination, and the current dispute.

The states supporting the prohibitions on transgender athletes argue there is no reason to extend the ruling barring workplace discrimination to Title IX.

Idaho's law, state Solicitor General Alan Hurst, said, is “necessary for fair competition because, where sports are concerned, men and women are obviously not the same.”

Lawyers for Pepper-Jackson argue that such distinctions generally make sense, but that their client has none of those advantages because of the unique circumstances of her early transition. In Hecox's case, her lawyers want the court to dismiss the case because she has forsworn trying to play on women's teams.

NCAA president Charlie Baker told Congress in 2024 that he was aware of only 10 transgender athletes out of more than a half-million students on college teams. But despite the small numbers, the issue has taken on outsize importance.

Baker's NCAA and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committees&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-transgender-athlete-ban-2e10a02fea22583ea00403c57a3567b9">banned transgender women</a>&nbsp;from women’s sports after Trump, a Republican, signed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-transgender-athletes-3606411fc12efffec95a893351624e1b">an executive order</a>&nbsp;aimed at barring their participation.

The public generally is supportive of the limits.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnorc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP-NORC-October-2025-Topline.pdf">An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll</a>&nbsp;conducted in October 2025 found that about 6 in 10 U.S. adults “strongly” or “somewhat” favored requiring transgender children and teenagers to only compete on sports teams that match the sex they were assigned at birth, not the gender they identify with, while about 2 in 10 were “strongly” or “somewhat” opposed and about one-quarter did not have an opinion.

About 2.1 million adults, or 0.8%, and 724,000 people age 13 to 17, or 3.3%, identify as transgender in the U.S., according to the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768315435044.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday appeared ready to deal another setback to transgender people and uphold state laws barring transgender girls and women from playing on school athletic teams.<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2025/24-38">Click here to listen to the argument in Little vs. Hecox</a><a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2025/24-43">Click here to listen to the argument in West Virginia vs. B.P.J.</a>The court's conservative majority, which has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-transgender-nonbinary-passport-sex-marker-5040c6412e06a072889af30cfae97462">repeatedly ruled</a>&nbsp;against transgender Americans in the past year, signaled during more than three hours of arguments it would rule the state bans don't violate either the Constitution or the federal law known as Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in education.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Chief John Roberts asks Kathleen Hartnett, Attorney for Transgender Woman Lindsay Hecox, about the distinction between males and females and if the Hartnett is asking for an exception to the biological definition of girls. Full SCOTUS oral argument: <a href="https://t.co/YliltRNLTV">https://t.co/YliltRNLTV</a> <a href="https://t.co/8EaXS0wqog">pic.twitter.com/8EaXS0wqog</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2011118108820345186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Chief Justice Roberts asks about the importance of defining “sex” in Title IX. Listen to full Supreme Court Oral Argument here: <a href="https://t.co/51mUbxNDcV">https://t.co/51mUbxNDcV</a> <a href="https://t.co/4FbliqXDs7">pic.twitter.com/4FbliqXDs7</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2011150933409878389?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Justice Kavanaugh: &quot;I hate, hate that a kid who wants to play sports might not be able to play sports. Hate that. But it&#39;s kind of a zero sum game for a lot of teams. Someone who tries out and makes it, who is a transgender girl...will bump someone else.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/aX32ZnzPiH">pic.twitter.com/aX32ZnzPiH</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2011150777616584950?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>More than two dozen Republican-led states have adopted bans on female transgender athletes. Lower courts had ruled for the transgender athletes who challenged laws in Idaho and West Virginia.The legal fight is playing out against the backdrop of a broad effort by President Donald Trump to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-sex-gender-transgender-dei-order-245350b97e0c4dcc221fefc49ef44699">target transgender Americans</a>, beginning on the first day of his second term and including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-troops-ban-military-trump-9c3018034a2608a28f6146fe17f0fe4b">the ouster of transgender people</a>&nbsp;from the military and declaring that gender is immutable and determined at birth.The justices are evaluating claims of sex discrimination lodged by transgender people versus the need for fair competition for women and girls, the main argument made by the states.Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who coached his daughters in girls basketball, seemed concerned about a ruling that might undo the effects of Title IX, which has produced dramatic growth in girls and women's sports. Kavanaugh called Title IX an “amazing” and “inspiring” success.Some girls and women might lose a medal in a competition with transgender athletes, which Kavanaugh called a harm “we can’t sweep aside.”The three liberal justices seemed focused on trying to marshal a court majority in support of a narrow ruling that would allow the individual transgender athletes involved in the cases to prevail.A ruling for West Virginia and Idaho would effectively apply to the other two dozen Republican-led states with similar laws.But the justices soon might be asked to decide about the laws in an additional roughly two dozen states, led by Democrats, that allow transgender athletes to compete on the teams that match their gender identity.The outcome also could influence separate legal efforts by the Trump administration and others seeking to bar transgender athletes in states that have continued to allow them to compete.<h2>The transgender athletes' cases</h2>In the Idaho case, Lindsay Hecox, 25, sued over the state's first-in-the-nation ban for the chance to try out for the women's track and cross-country teams at Boise State University in Idaho. She didn’t make either squad because “she was too slow,” her lawyer, Kathleen Hartnett, told the court Tuesday, but she competed in club-level soccer and running.Becky Pepper-Jackson, a 15-year-old high school sophomore, was in the courtroom Tuesday. She has been taking puberty-blocking medication, has publicly identified&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-athletes-k12-schools-state-restrictions-ec0b1d2ea162855131264c88bb992e2e">as a girl</a>&nbsp;since age 8 and has been issued a West Virginia birth certificate recognizing her as female. She is the only transgender person who has sought to compete in girls sports in West Virginia.Pepper-Jackson has progressed from a back-of-the-pack cross-country runner in middle school to a statewide third-place finish in the discus in just her first year of high school.Prominent women in sports have weighed in on both sides. Tennis champion Martina Navratilova, swimmers Summer Sanders and Donna de Varona and beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh-Jennings are supporting the state bans. Soccer stars Megan Rapinoe and Becky Sauerbrunn and basketball players Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart back the transgender athletes.In 2020,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/courts-supreme-courts-mi-state-wire-neil-gorsuch-ap-top-news-5a7b0e41a47a3c571dda69194758e7b1">the Supreme Court ruled</a>&nbsp;LGBTQ people are protected by a landmark federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in the workplace, finding that “sex plays an unmistakable role” in employers’ decisions to punish transgender people for traits and behavior they otherwise tolerate.But last year, the six conservative justices declined to apply the same sort of analysis when they upheld state bans on gender-affirming care for transgender minors.Chief Justice John Roberts signaled Tuesday he sees differences between the 2020 case, in which he supported the claims of discrimination, and the current dispute.The states supporting the prohibitions on transgender athletes argue there is no reason to extend the ruling barring workplace discrimination to Title IX.Idaho's law, state Solicitor General Alan Hurst, said, is “necessary for fair competition because, where sports are concerned, men and women are obviously not the same.”Lawyers for Pepper-Jackson argue that such distinctions generally make sense, but that their client has none of those advantages because of the unique circumstances of her early transition. In Hecox's case, her lawyers want the court to dismiss the case because she has forsworn trying to play on women's teams.NCAA president Charlie Baker told Congress in 2024 that he was aware of only 10 transgender athletes out of more than a half-million students on college teams. But despite the small numbers, the issue has taken on outsize importance.Baker's NCAA and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committees&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-transgender-athlete-ban-2e10a02fea22583ea00403c57a3567b9">banned transgender women</a>&nbsp;from women’s sports after Trump, a Republican, signed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-transgender-athletes-3606411fc12efffec95a893351624e1b">an executive order</a>&nbsp;aimed at barring their participation.The public generally is supportive of the limits.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnorc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP-NORC-October-2025-Topline.pdf">An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll</a>&nbsp;conducted in October 2025 found that about 6 in 10 U.S. adults “strongly” or “somewhat” favored requiring transgender children and teenagers to only compete on sports teams that match the sex they were assigned at birth, not the gender they identify with, while about 2 in 10 were “strongly” or “somewhat” opposed and about one-quarter did not have an opinion.About 2.1 million adults, or 0.8%, and 724,000 people age 13 to 17, or 3.3%, identify as transgender in the U.S., according to the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law.A decision is expected by early summer.___

🎧 Court likely to uphold state bans on trans athletes in girls sports

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;is hearing arguments Tuesday over state laws barring transgender girls and women from playing on school athletic teams.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2025/24-38">Click here to listen to a replay of the argument in Little vs. Hecox</a>

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2025/24-43">Click here to listen to a replay of the argument in West Virginia vs. B.P.J.</a>

Lower courts ruled for the transgender athletes in Idaho and West Virginia who challenged the state bans, but the conservative-dominated Supreme Court might not follow suit.

In just the past year, the justices ruled in favor state bans on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-transgender-health-care-trump-79fc6f3bbdab2e92d6f0184201a468a9">gender-affirming care for transgender youths</a>&nbsp;and allowed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-transgender-nonbinary-passport-sex-marker-5040c6412e06a072889af30cfae97462">multiple restrictions</a>&nbsp;on transgender people to be enforced.

The legal fight is playing out amid a broad effort by President Donald Trump to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-sex-gender-transgender-dei-order-245350b97e0c4dcc221fefc49ef44699">target transgender Americans</a>, beginning on the first day of his second term and including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-troops-ban-military-trump-9c3018034a2608a28f6146fe17f0fe4b">the ouster of transgender people</a>&nbsp;from the military and declaring that gender is immutable and determined at birth.

The culture war cases come from Idaho and West Virginia, among the first of the more than two dozen Republican-led states that have banned transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s teams.

In the first case, Lindsay Hecox, 25, sued over Idaho’s first-in-the-nation ban for the chance to try out for the women’s track and cross-country teams at Boise State University in Idaho. She didn’t make either squad but competed in club-level soccer and running.

Becky Pepper-Jackson, a 15-year-old high school sophomore, has been taking puberty-blocking medication, publicly identified&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-athletes-k12-schools-state-restrictions-ec0b1d2ea162855131264c88bb992e2e">as a girl</a>&nbsp;since age 8 and has been issued a West Virginia birth certificate recognizing her as female. She is the only transgender person who has sought to compete in girls’ sports in West Virginia.

The high-court arguments are expected to focus on whether the sports bans violate the Constitution or the landmark federal law known as Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in education.

But last year, the six conservative justices on the nine-member court declined to apply the same sort of analysis when they upheld state bans on gender-affirming care for transgender minors.

The states supporting the prohibitions on transgender athletes argue there is no reason to extend the ruling barring workplace discrimination to Title IX, which dramatically increased opportunities for girls and women in school sports.

Lawyers for Pepper-Jackson argue that the law protects people like their client from discrimination. They are asking for a ruling that would apply to the unique circumstances of her early transition. In Hecox’s case, her lawyers want the court to dismiss the case because she has forsworn trying to play on women’s teams.

Despite the small numbers of transgender athletes, the issue has taken on outsize importance. The NCAA and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committees&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-transgender-athlete-ban-2e10a02fea22583ea00403c57a3567b9">banned transgender women</a>&nbsp;from women’s sports after Trump, a Republican, signed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-transgender-athletes-3606411fc12efffec95a893351624e1b">an executive order</a>&nbsp;aimed at barring their participation.

The public generally is supportive of the limits.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnorc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP-NORC-October-2025-Topline.pdf" target="_blank">An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll</a>&nbsp;conducted in October 2025 found that about 6 in 10 U.S. adults “strongly” or “somewhat” favored requiring transgender children and teenagers to only compete on sports teams that match the sex they were assigned at birth, not the gender they identify with, while about 2 in 10 were “strongly” or “somewhat” opposed and about one-quarter did not have an opinion.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768315435044.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>By MARK SHERMAN&nbsp;WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;is hearing arguments Tuesday over state laws barring transgender girls and women from playing on school athletic teams.<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2025/24-38">Click here to listen to a replay of the argument in Little vs. Hecox</a><a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2025/24-43">Click here to listen to a replay of the argument in West Virginia vs. B.P.J.</a>Lower courts ruled for the transgender athletes in Idaho and West Virginia who challenged the state bans, but the conservative-dominated Supreme Court might not follow suit.In just the past year, the justices ruled in favor state bans on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-transgender-health-care-trump-79fc6f3bbdab2e92d6f0184201a468a9">gender-affirming care for transgender youths</a>&nbsp;and allowed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-transgender-nonbinary-passport-sex-marker-5040c6412e06a072889af30cfae97462">multiple restrictions</a>&nbsp;on transgender people to be enforced.The legal fight is playing out amid a broad effort by President Donald Trump to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-sex-gender-transgender-dei-order-245350b97e0c4dcc221fefc49ef44699">target transgender Americans</a>, beginning on the first day of his second term and including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-troops-ban-military-trump-9c3018034a2608a28f6146fe17f0fe4b">the ouster of transgender people</a>&nbsp;from the military and declaring that gender is immutable and determined at birth.The culture war cases come from Idaho and West Virginia, among the first of the more than two dozen Republican-led states that have banned transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s teams.The justices are evaluating claims of sex discrimination lodged by transgender people versus the need for fair competition for women and girls, the main argument made by the states.In the first case, Lindsay Hecox, 25, sued over Idaho’s first-in-the-nation ban for the chance to try out for the women’s track and cross-country teams at Boise State University in Idaho. She didn’t make either squad but competed in club-level soccer and running.Becky Pepper-Jackson, a 15-year-old high school sophomore, has been taking puberty-blocking medication, publicly identified&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-athletes-k12-schools-state-restrictions-ec0b1d2ea162855131264c88bb992e2e">as a girl</a>&nbsp;since age 8 and has been issued a West Virginia birth certificate recognizing her as female. She is the only transgender person who has sought to compete in girls’ sports in West Virginia.Pepper-Jackson has progressed from a back-of-the-pack cross-country runner in middle school to a statewide third-place finish in the discus in just her first year of high school.Prominent women in sports have weighed in on both sides. Tennis champion Martina Navratilova, swimmers Summer Sanders and Donna de Varona and beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh-Jennings are supporting the state bans. Soccer stars Megan Rapinoe and Becky Sauerbrunn and basketball players Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart back the transgender athletes.The high-court arguments are expected to focus on whether the sports bans violate the Constitution or the landmark federal law known as Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in education.In 2020,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/courts-supreme-courts-mi-state-wire-neil-gorsuch-ap-top-news-5a7b0e41a47a3c571dda69194758e7b1">the Supreme Court ruled</a>&nbsp;LGBTQ people are protected by a landmark federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in the workplace, finding that “sex plays an unmistakable role” in employers’ decisions to punish transgender people for traits and behavior they otherwise tolerate.But last year, the six conservative justices on the nine-member court declined to apply the same sort of analysis when they upheld state bans on gender-affirming care for transgender minors.The states supporting the prohibitions on transgender athletes argue there is no reason to extend the ruling barring workplace discrimination to Title IX, which dramatically increased opportunities for girls and women in school sports.Lawyers for Pepper-Jackson argue that the law protects people like their client from discrimination. They are asking for a ruling that would apply to the unique circumstances of her early transition. In Hecox’s case, her lawyers want the court to dismiss the case because she has forsworn trying to play on women’s teams.Despite the small numbers of transgender athletes, the issue has taken on outsize importance. The NCAA and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committees&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-transgender-athlete-ban-2e10a02fea22583ea00403c57a3567b9">banned transgender women</a>&nbsp;from women’s sports after Trump, a Republican, signed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-transgender-athletes-3606411fc12efffec95a893351624e1b">an executive order</a>&nbsp;aimed at barring their participation.The public generally is supportive of the limits.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnorc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP-NORC-October-2025-Topline.pdf" target="_blank">An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll</a>&nbsp;conducted in October 2025 found that about 6 in 10 U.S. adults “strongly” or “somewhat” favored requiring transgender children and teenagers to only compete on sports teams that match the sex they were assigned at birth, not the gender they identify with, while about 2 in 10 were “strongly” or “somewhat” opposed and about one-quarter did not have an opinion.About 2.1 million adults, or 0.8%, and 724,000 people age 13 to 17, or 3.3%, identify as transgender in the U.S., according to the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law.A decision is expected by early summer.___

🎧Transgender athlete bans get Supreme Court review in landmark case

KANSAS CITY — Kansas man has been charged for his role in a fatal shooting that occurred on East Interstate 70 Highway in 2022.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2797/Daimon-Benson-Complaint--PC">Daimon Benson</a>&nbsp;faces one count of 2nd Degree Murder, two counts of Armed Criminal Action, and one count of Unlawful Use of a Weapon – Shoot at/from Motor Vehicle, at Person, Motor Vehicle or Building, Resulting in Death or Injury, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.

On October 21, 2022, Kansas City police responded to a shooting on East Interstate 70 at Interstate 29 and located a crashed white Toyota Camry. Officers found a female victim in the driver’s seat suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the head. She was later pronounced deceased at a nearby hospital, according to court records.

Based on several investigative leads, detectives determined a gray Dodge Charger began chasing the Toyota at a high rate of speed after the Toyota cut off the Charger. An individual in the passenger seat of the Charger, later determined to be Benson allegedly fired into the Toyota. The Toyota crashed and the Charger fled the scene.

Benson told detectives he did not remember having any involvement in the 2022 shooting but estimated to have shot about 400 people. He estimated he has shot about ten people every month from inside a vehicle.&nbsp;

The defendant was a juvenile at the time of the shooting and was certified&nbsp; in Family Court.

He is being held on a $100,000 cash-only bond. The defendant is a SAVE KC client and did not attend a call-in.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767908026852.png" alt="Benson-photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Benson-photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY — Kansas man has been charged for his role in a fatal shooting that occurred on East Interstate 70 Highway in 2022.<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2797/Daimon-Benson-Complaint--PC">Daimon Benson</a>&nbsp;faces one count of 2nd Degree Murder, two counts of Armed Criminal Action, and one count of Unlawful Use of a Weapon – Shoot at/from Motor Vehicle, at Person, Motor Vehicle or Building, Resulting in Death or Injury, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.On October 21, 2022, Kansas City police responded to a shooting on East Interstate 70 at Interstate 29 and located a crashed white Toyota Camry. Officers found a female victim in the driver’s seat suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the head. She was later pronounced deceased at a nearby hospital, according to court records.Based on several investigative leads, detectives determined a gray Dodge Charger began chasing the Toyota at a high rate of speed after the Toyota cut off the Charger. An individual in the passenger seat of the Charger, later determined to be Benson allegedly fired into the Toyota. The Toyota crashed and the Charger fled the scene.Benson told detectives he did not remember having any involvement in the 2022 shooting but estimated to have shot about 400 people. He estimated he has shot about ten people every month from inside a vehicle.&nbsp;The defendant was a juvenile at the time of the shooting and was certified&nbsp; in Family Court.He is being held on a $100,000 cash-only bond. The defendant is a SAVE KC client and did not attend a call-in.&nbsp;

Kansas man shot and killed woman driver on I-70 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-shooting-minneapolis-minnesota-9aa822670b705c89906f2c699f1d16c5">killing of a Minnesota woman</a>&nbsp;by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer is reverberating across Capitol Hill where Democrats, and certain Republicans, are vowing an assertive response as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump's</a>&nbsp;aggressive deportation operations spark&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/ice-federal-officers-shooting-updates-1-9-2026#0000019b-a41c-dc32-a3df-acbc9d6f0000">protests nationwide.</a>

Lawmakers are demanding a range of actions, from a full investigation into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-shooting-minneapolis-minnesota-9aa822670b705c89906f2c699f1d16c5">Renee Good's shooting death</a>&nbsp;and policy changes over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-ice-shooting-immigration-842b1d92cb93f2326171f139686e8b0f">law enforcement raids</a>&nbsp;to the defunding of ICE operations and the impeachment of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kristi-noem">Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem</a>, in what is fast becoming an inflection point.

“The situation that took place in Minnesota is a complete and total disgrace,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said as details emerged. “And in the next few days, we will be having conversations about a strong and forceful and appropriate response by House Democrats.”

Yet there is almost no consensus among the political parties in the aftermath of the death of Good, who was behind the wheel of an SUV after dropping off her 6-year-old at school when she was shot and killed by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-minnesota-jonathan-ross-b9ce88da676d74ec6a1ab36aa55fbda1">an ICE officer</a>.

The killing immediately drew dueling narratives. Trump and Noem said the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjGOBoKGX-E">ICE officer acted in self-defense</a>, while Democratic officials said the Trump administration was lying and they urged the public to see the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-minneapolis-minnesota-ice-shooting-1cd447e8963456af2be9a24d660ed1d6">viral videos</a>&nbsp;of the shooting for themselves.

Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jd-vance">JD Vance</a>&nbsp;blamed Good, calling it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vance-minnesota-immigration-enforcement-06b23b428edcc8498362be4ac656f201">“a tragedy of her own making,”</a>&nbsp;and said the ICE officer may have been “sensitive” from having been injured during an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-minnesota-jonathan-ross-b9ce88da676d74ec6a1ab36aa55fbda1">unrelated altercation</a>&nbsp;last year.

But Good’s killing, at least the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jd-vance">fifth known death</a>&nbsp;since the administration launched its mass deportation campaign, could change the political dynamic.

“The videos I’ve seen from Minneapolis are deeply disturbing,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, in a statement.

“As we mourn this loss of life, we need a thorough and objective investigation into how and why this happened,” she said. As part of the investigation, she said she is calling for policy changes, saying the situation “was devastating, and cannot happen again.”

Homeland Security funding is up for debate

The push in Congress for more oversight and accountability of the administration's immigration operations comes as lawmakers are in the midst of the annual appropriations process to fund agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, to prevent another&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-spending-bill-shutdown-funding-senate-trump-86eed888517a899784695596ef80bb31">federal government shutdown</a>&nbsp;when money expires at the end of January.

As anti-ICE demonstrations erupt in cities in the aftermath of Good’s death, Democrats have pledged to use any available legislative lever to apply pressure on the administration to change the conduct of ICE officers.

“We’ve been warning about this for an entire year,” said Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla.

The ICE officer “needs to be held accountable,” Frost said, “but not just them, but ICE as a whole, the president and this entire administration.”

Congressional Democrats saw Good’s killing as a sign of the need for aggressive action to restrain the administration’s tactics.

Several Democrats joined calls to impeach Noem, who has been under fire from both parties for her lack of transparency at the department, though that step is highly unlikely with Republicans in control of Congress.

Other Democrats want to restrict the funding for her department, whose budget was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-congress-deportations-immigration-raids-homeland-security-a2c6a2f726629e62bd0199aee68294f6">vastly increased</a>&nbsp;as part of Republicans’ sweeping tax and spending bill passed last summer.

Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, the top Democrat on the subcommittee that handles Homeland Security funding, plans to introduce legislation to rein in the agency with constraints on federal agents’ authority, including a requirement that the Border Patrol stick to the border and that DHS enforcement officers be unmasked.

“More Democrats are saying today the thing that a number of us have been saying since April and May: Kristi Noem is dangerous. She should not be in office, and she should be impeached,” said Democratic Rep. Delia Ramirez, who represents parts of Chicago where ICE launched an enhanced immigration enforcement action last year that resulted in two deaths.

Immigration debates have long divided Congress and the parties. Democrats splinter between more liberal and stricter attitudes toward newcomers to the United States. Republicans have embraced Trump’s hard-line approach to portray Democrats as radicals.

The Republican administration had launched the enforcement operation in Minnesota in response to an investigation of the nonprofit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/feeding-our-future-pandemic-fraud-trial-847f42be252ecd373c60125fd4fae6e9">Feeding Our Future.</a>&nbsp;Prosecutors said the organization was at the center of the country’s largest&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-food-fraud-bag-of-cash-7106883911765bb0c3794fe6196fcf9d">COVID-19-related fraud</a>&nbsp;scams, when defendants exploited a state-run, federally funded program intended to provide food for children.

Heading into the November midterm election, which Democrats believe will hinge on issues such as affordability and health care, national outcry over ICE’s conduct has pressured lawmakers to speak out.

“I’m not completely against deportations, but the way they’re handling it is a real disgrace,” said Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, who represents a district along the U.S.-Mexico border

“Right now, you’re seeing humans treated like animals,” he said.

Other ICE shootings have rattled lawmakers

In September, a federal immigration enforcement agent in Chicago&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-chicago-shooting-death-immigration-operation-ca7326ca75993984e102fe3693ae469c">fatally shot Silverio Villegas Gonzalez</a>&nbsp;during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chicago-ice-illinois-immigration-shooting-29eec5d07aef36b32fc8e03e8948c836">a brief altercation</a>&nbsp;after Gonzalez had dropped off his children at school.

In October, a Customs and Border Protection agent also in Chicago shot Marimar Martinez, a teacher and U.S. citizen, five times during a dispute with officers. The charges against Martinez brought by the administration were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-immigration-protests-prosecutions-doj-arrests-591f155d50c13756842e033ea23f16d3">dismissed by a federal judge</a>.

To Rep. Chuy Garcia, D-Ill., Good’s death "brought back heart-wrenching memories of those two shootings in my district.”

“It looks like the fact that a US citizen, who is a white woman, may be opening the eyes of the American public, certainly of members of Congress, that what’s going on is out of control,” he said, “that this isn’t about apprehending or pursuing the most dangerous immigrants.”

Republicans expressed some concern at the shooting but stood by the administration’s policy, defended the officer's actions and largely blamed Good for the standoff.

“Nobody wants to see people get shot,” said Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga.

“Let’s do the right thing and just be reasonable. And the reasonable thing is not to obstruct ICE officers and then accelerate while they’re standing in front of your car,” he said. “She made a mistake. I’m sure she didn’t mean for that to happen, nor did he mean for that to happen.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768077666777.png" alt="DHS Secretary Kristi Noem during a news conference on Thursday -image courtesy CSPAN video" />
 <figcaption>DHS Secretary Kristi Noem during a news conference on Thursday -image courtesy CSPAN video</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-shooting-minneapolis-minnesota-9aa822670b705c89906f2c699f1d16c5">killing of a Minnesota woman</a>&nbsp;by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer is reverberating across Capitol Hill where Democrats, and certain Republicans, are vowing an assertive response as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump's</a>&nbsp;aggressive deportation operations spark&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/ice-federal-officers-shooting-updates-1-9-2026#0000019b-a41c-dc32-a3df-acbc9d6f0000">protests nationwide.</a>Lawmakers are demanding a range of actions, from a full investigation into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-shooting-minneapolis-minnesota-9aa822670b705c89906f2c699f1d16c5">Renee Good's shooting death</a>&nbsp;and policy changes over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-ice-shooting-immigration-842b1d92cb93f2326171f139686e8b0f">law enforcement raids</a>&nbsp;to the defunding of ICE operations and the impeachment of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kristi-noem">Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem</a>, in what is fast becoming an inflection point.“The situation that took place in Minnesota is a complete and total disgrace,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said as details emerged. “And in the next few days, we will be having conversations about a strong and forceful and appropriate response by House Democrats.”Yet there is almost no consensus among the political parties in the aftermath of the death of Good, who was behind the wheel of an SUV after dropping off her 6-year-old at school when she was shot and killed by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-minnesota-jonathan-ross-b9ce88da676d74ec6a1ab36aa55fbda1">an ICE officer</a>.The killing immediately drew dueling narratives. Trump and Noem said the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjGOBoKGX-E">ICE officer acted in self-defense</a>, while Democratic officials said the Trump administration was lying and they urged the public to see the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-minneapolis-minnesota-ice-shooting-1cd447e8963456af2be9a24d660ed1d6">viral videos</a>&nbsp;of the shooting for themselves.Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jd-vance">JD Vance</a>&nbsp;blamed Good, calling it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vance-minnesota-immigration-enforcement-06b23b428edcc8498362be4ac656f201">“a tragedy of her own making,”</a>&nbsp;and said the ICE officer may have been “sensitive” from having been injured during an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-minnesota-jonathan-ross-b9ce88da676d74ec6a1ab36aa55fbda1">unrelated altercation</a>&nbsp;last year.But Good’s killing, at least the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jd-vance">fifth known death</a>&nbsp;since the administration launched its mass deportation campaign, could change the political dynamic.“The videos I’ve seen from Minneapolis are deeply disturbing,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, in a statement.“As we mourn this loss of life, we need a thorough and objective investigation into how and why this happened,” she said. As part of the investigation, she said she is calling for policy changes, saying the situation “was devastating, and cannot happen again.”<h2>Homeland Security funding is up for debate</h2>The push in Congress for more oversight and accountability of the administration's immigration operations comes as lawmakers are in the midst of the annual appropriations process to fund agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, to prevent another&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-spending-bill-shutdown-funding-senate-trump-86eed888517a899784695596ef80bb31">federal government shutdown</a>&nbsp;when money expires at the end of January.As anti-ICE demonstrations erupt in cities in the aftermath of Good’s death, Democrats have pledged to use any available legislative lever to apply pressure on the administration to change the conduct of ICE officers.“We’ve been warning about this for an entire year,” said Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla.The ICE officer “needs to be held accountable,” Frost said, “but not just them, but ICE as a whole, the president and this entire administration.”Congressional Democrats saw Good’s killing as a sign of the need for aggressive action to restrain the administration’s tactics.Several Democrats joined calls to impeach Noem, who has been under fire from both parties for her lack of transparency at the department, though that step is highly unlikely with Republicans in control of Congress.Other Democrats want to restrict the funding for her department, whose budget was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-congress-deportations-immigration-raids-homeland-security-a2c6a2f726629e62bd0199aee68294f6">vastly increased</a>&nbsp;as part of Republicans’ sweeping tax and spending bill passed last summer.Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, the top Democrat on the subcommittee that handles Homeland Security funding, plans to introduce legislation to rein in the agency with constraints on federal agents’ authority, including a requirement that the Border Patrol stick to the border and that DHS enforcement officers be unmasked.“More Democrats are saying today the thing that a number of us have been saying since April and May: Kristi Noem is dangerous. She should not be in office, and she should be impeached,” said Democratic Rep. Delia Ramirez, who represents parts of Chicago where ICE launched an enhanced immigration enforcement action last year that resulted in two deaths.Immigration debates have long divided Congress and the parties. Democrats splinter between more liberal and stricter attitudes toward newcomers to the United States. Republicans have embraced Trump’s hard-line approach to portray Democrats as radicals.The Republican administration had launched the enforcement operation in Minnesota in response to an investigation of the nonprofit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/feeding-our-future-pandemic-fraud-trial-847f42be252ecd373c60125fd4fae6e9">Feeding Our Future.</a>&nbsp;Prosecutors said the organization was at the center of the country’s largest&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-food-fraud-bag-of-cash-7106883911765bb0c3794fe6196fcf9d">COVID-19-related fraud</a>&nbsp;scams, when defendants exploited a state-run, federally funded program intended to provide food for children.Heading into the November midterm election, which Democrats believe will hinge on issues such as affordability and health care, national outcry over ICE’s conduct has pressured lawmakers to speak out.“I’m not completely against deportations, but the way they’re handling it is a real disgrace,” said Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, who represents a district along the U.S.-Mexico border“Right now, you’re seeing humans treated like animals,” he said.<h2>Other ICE shootings have rattled lawmakers</h2>In September, a federal immigration enforcement agent in Chicago&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-chicago-shooting-death-immigration-operation-ca7326ca75993984e102fe3693ae469c">fatally shot Silverio Villegas Gonzalez</a>&nbsp;during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chicago-ice-illinois-immigration-shooting-29eec5d07aef36b32fc8e03e8948c836">a brief altercation</a>&nbsp;after Gonzalez had dropped off his children at school.In October, a Customs and Border Protection agent also in Chicago shot Marimar Martinez, a teacher and U.S. citizen, five times during a dispute with officers. The charges against Martinez brought by the administration were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-immigration-protests-prosecutions-doj-arrests-591f155d50c13756842e033ea23f16d3">dismissed by a federal judge</a>.To Rep. Chuy Garcia, D-Ill., Good’s death "brought back heart-wrenching memories of those two shootings in my district.”“It looks like the fact that a US citizen, who is a white woman, may be opening the eyes of the American public, certainly of members of Congress, that what’s going on is out of control,” he said, “that this isn’t about apprehending or pursuing the most dangerous immigrants.”Republicans expressed some concern at the shooting but stood by the administration’s policy, defended the officer's actions and largely blamed Good for the standoff.“Nobody wants to see people get shot,” said Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga.“Let’s do the right thing and just be reasonable. And the reasonable thing is not to obstruct ICE officers and then accelerate while they’re standing in front of your car,” he said. “She made a mistake. I’m sure she didn’t mean for that to happen, nor did he mean for that to happen.”

Congress debates possible consequences for ICE and Noem after Renee Good's killing

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas woman is going to prison for a DUI crash that killed a teen.

&nbsp;On Friday Judge Quinton Pittman sentenced 43-year-old Trisha Greer of Derby to 42 months in prison for the DUI crash that&nbsp; killed 18-year-old Bethany Aillen Callista Leggio in May of 2024, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

In October, Greer pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter while driving under the influence before Judge Pittman. She originally pleading not guilty in June and was to face a jury trial.

Just after 11p.m. May 14, 2024, Greer was driving without headlights at 55th Street South and Hoover, according to Sheriff's Lt Nathan Gibbs. The vehicle struck and killed 18-year-old Bethany Aillen Callista Leggio who was standing with a group of people at the location.

Greer was booked into jail just after 1a.m. the following morning, according to online jail records.&nbsp; After her time in prison, Greer will have to spend three years on post-release supervision, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768001520905.png" alt="Greer photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Greer photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas woman is going to prison for a DUI crash that killed a teen.&nbsp;On Friday Judge Quinton Pittman sentenced 43-year-old Trisha Greer of Derby to 42 months in prison for the DUI crash that&nbsp; killed 18-year-old Bethany Aillen Callista Leggio in May of 2024, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.In October, Greer pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter while driving under the influence before Judge Pittman. She originally pleading not guilty in June and was to face a jury trial.Just after 11p.m. May 14, 2024, Greer was driving without headlights at 55th Street South and Hoover, according to Sheriff's Lt Nathan Gibbs. The vehicle struck and killed 18-year-old Bethany Aillen Callista Leggio who was standing with a group of people at the location.Greer was booked into jail just after 1a.m. the following morning, according to online jail records.&nbsp; After her time in prison, Greer will have to spend three years on post-release supervision, according to the district attorney's office.

Prison for DUI crash that killed a Kansas teen

The outcome of the case, which will determine what regulations remain in place under Missouri’s voter-approved abortion rights amendment, could influence decisions about abortion law around the country

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

A trial litigating the parameters of&nbsp;<a href="https://moconstitutionalfreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Missourians-for-Constitutional-Freedom-Amendment.pdf" target="_blank">Missouri’s new reproductive rights amendment</a>&nbsp;begins Monday in Kansas City. The outcome will reach far beyond the state’s borders.

The trial, which will include testimony from abortion providers, Planned Parenthood leadership and anti-abortion doctors, will give an unusually detailed look at the inner-workings of abortion in Missouri, highlighting how just one or two restrictions on the procedure can greatly weaken access in a state where few providers remain.

Over the course of two weeks, the details of Missouri’s numerous abortion regulations will be under a microscope as those in favor of abortion rights argue that nearly every restriction is unconstitutional under the reproductive rights amendment and the state argues the regulations are necessary protections.&nbsp;

The outcome of Missouri’s reproductive rights amendment case —&nbsp;which will either greatly broaden access to abortion in ways not seen in decades, or will hamper access for nearly everyone in Missouri —&nbsp;will reverberate far beyond the Show-Me State, said Rebecca Reingold, an associate director at the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law.&nbsp;

This is particularly true, she said, of states also in the process of litigating abortion access like Arizona, Michigan and Ohio.

“There is little doubt that advocates and decision-makers in other states navigating similar legal challenges are closely monitoring the litigation over Missouri’s abortion regulations,” Reingold said. “ … While state court judges are certainly not bound to follow the decisions of their peers in other states, these decisions can serve as persuasive legal authority, particularly in cases involving novel legal questions or where the relevant legal standards are evolving.”&nbsp;

The result of Missouri’s lawsuit will also greatly affect the landscape of abortion access in the Midwest and the South.&nbsp;

“Missouri also neighbors states with some of the harshest abortion bans in the country,” she said. “That means that the outcome of this litigation will be felt beyond the state’s geographic borders, affecting access to care not only for Missourians, but also people living in neighboring states.”

The case originated with a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood and the ACLU of Missouri the day after the November 2024 election in which voters narrowly approved broad abortion access, becoming the first state to overturn a near-total abortion ban through a vote of the people.

Amy Myrick, a senior attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights, said Missouri is a harbinger for other states attempting to secure abortion protections through constitutional changes.

“Missouri is a test case for what happens when the people have spoken and passed the constitutional amendment with the strongest possible protections, but the state still decides to stand in their way, and the courts have to decide what to do,” she said.&nbsp;

Hypothetically, Myrick said, this should be an open and shut case because Missouri’s reproductive rights amendment was written with some of the strongest protections of any amendment in the country. The amendment prohibits the government from regulating abortion prior to the point of fetal viability unless “such action is justified by a compelling governmental interest achieved by the least restrictive means.”&nbsp;

“So if courts start upholding restrictions against these kinds of protections,” Myrick said. ‘That’s a really bad sign.”

Right now, most of the targeted regulation of abortion provider laws, known as&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/12/05/abortion-lawsuit-planned-parenthood-amendment-3-missouri-jackson-county/">TRAP laws, have been temporarily enjoined</a>&nbsp;— or paused — until a permanent decision could be made at trial.

This includes required distribution of&nbsp;<a href="https://health.mo.gov/living/families/womenshealth/pregnancyassistance/pdf/Mo.InformedConsentBooklet-Revisedpgs.12-15August2019jkOGCReviewed.pdf" target="_blank">Missouri’s informed consent booklet&nbsp;</a>prior to an abortion; a 72-hour waiting period between an initial appointment and an abortion; and abortion facility licensing requirements. The injunction allowed Planned Parenthood to begin offering in-clinic abortions last February.&nbsp;

Between then and October,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/12/05/missouri-abortion-legal-access-hinges-courts-rebuilding/">80 in-clinic abortion procedures&nbsp;</a>took place in Missouri across Planned Parenthood clinics in Kansas City, Columbia and St. Louis, according to data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. In 2023 and 2024, there were no elective abortions performed in Missouri. A few decades ago, prior to the passage of most of Missouri’s abortion restrictions and 2022 ban, thousands of abortions were performed in the state each year. Current data shows&nbsp;<a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/monthly-abortion-provision-study" target="_blank">several thousand Missourians still accessed abortion in 2024,</a>&nbsp;but had to travel to Kansas or Illinois to do so.

Zhang did not enjoin two regulations that Planned Parenthood says are preventing providers from prescribing medication abortion:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/11/laws-regulations-medication-abortion-mifepristone-misoprostol-missouri/">&nbsp;a complication plan approved by the state as well as supplemental insurance requirement.</a>&nbsp;For this reason, Missouri doctors remain unable to prescribe the medications mifepristone and misoprostol to patients to end first trimester pregnancies. Medication abortion is the most common method to end a pregnancy in the United States,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.guttmacher.org/2024/03/medication-abortion-accounted-63-all-us-abortions-2023-increase-53-2020&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjlk7_1w_6RAxXPOzQIHe5SMDsQFnoECBkQAQ&amp;usg=AOvVaw1P-Hlu8nsnKIuYZVfc4aV8" target="_blank">used in about two-thirds of abortions.</a>

Anti-abortion advocates contend repealing these regulations could put women’s safety at risk.&nbsp;

“Like Michigan and Ohio before them, the amendment was the first step, opening the door for the abortion lobby to tear down all of the health and safety standards for women’s protections that the Missouri legislature required over the years,” said Katie Glenn Daniel, director of legal affairs and policy counsel at SBA Pro-Life America.

Myrick said attempts to tie regulations to health and safety claims are nothing new.&nbsp;

“Every single one of these restrictions is about hostility to abortion, making it harder to access abortion,” she said. “Even something like a complication plan can be a shutdown law if it’s impossible to comply with. So there’s no way this is about health or safety.”

She said Missouri anti-abortion leaders have long been creative, spearheading many of the national fights against mifepristone in particular.&nbsp;

In November, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/11/20/missouri-challenges-fda-approval-generic-mifepristone-limit-medication-abortion/">sued over the latest approval of a generic version of mifepristone</a>, asking the federal government to overturn the approval and to reinstate in-person dispensing laws for the medication, which can currently be prescribed in some states during telehealth appointments and then mailed to patients.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746190042115.png" alt="An abortion procedure room pictured on Monday, March 3, 2025, at Planned Parenthood in Columbia, Missouri (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>An abortion procedure room pictured on Monday, March 3, 2025, at Planned Parenthood in Columbia, Missouri (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The outcome of the case, which will determine what regulations remain in place under Missouri’s voter-approved abortion rights amendment, could influence decisions about abortion law around the country</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>A trial litigating the parameters of&nbsp;<a href="https://moconstitutionalfreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Missourians-for-Constitutional-Freedom-Amendment.pdf" target="_blank">Missouri’s new reproductive rights amendment</a>&nbsp;begins Monday in Kansas City. The outcome will reach far beyond the state’s borders.The trial, which will include testimony from abortion providers, Planned Parenthood leadership and anti-abortion doctors, will give an unusually detailed look at the inner-workings of abortion in Missouri, highlighting how just one or two restrictions on the procedure can greatly weaken access in a state where few providers remain.Over the course of two weeks, the details of Missouri’s numerous abortion regulations will be under a microscope as those in favor of abortion rights argue that nearly every restriction is unconstitutional under the reproductive rights amendment and the state argues the regulations are necessary protections.&nbsp;The outcome of Missouri’s reproductive rights amendment case —&nbsp;which will either greatly broaden access to abortion in ways not seen in decades, or will hamper access for nearly everyone in Missouri —&nbsp;will reverberate far beyond the Show-Me State, said Rebecca Reingold, an associate director at the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law.&nbsp;This is particularly true, she said, of states also in the process of litigating abortion access like Arizona, Michigan and Ohio.“There is little doubt that advocates and decision-makers in other states navigating similar legal challenges are closely monitoring the litigation over Missouri’s abortion regulations,” Reingold said. “ … While state court judges are certainly not bound to follow the decisions of their peers in other states, these decisions can serve as persuasive legal authority, particularly in cases involving novel legal questions or where the relevant legal standards are evolving.”&nbsp;The result of Missouri’s lawsuit will also greatly affect the landscape of abortion access in the Midwest and the South.&nbsp;“Missouri also neighbors states with some of the harshest abortion bans in the country,” she said. “That means that the outcome of this litigation will be felt beyond the state’s geographic borders, affecting access to care not only for Missourians, but also people living in neighboring states.”The case originated with a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood and the ACLU of Missouri the day after the November 2024 election in which voters narrowly approved broad abortion access, becoming the first state to overturn a near-total abortion ban through a vote of the people.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768061679561.png" alt="Maggie Olivia, a senior policy manager with Abortion Action Missouri, embraces abortion-rights supporters after the race is called in favor of Amendment 3 on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in St. Louis (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Maggie Olivia, a senior policy manager with Abortion Action Missouri, embraces abortion-rights supporters after the race is called in favor of Amendment 3 on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in St. Louis (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>Amy Myrick, a senior attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights, said Missouri is a harbinger for other states attempting to secure abortion protections through constitutional changes.“Missouri is a test case for what happens when the people have spoken and passed the constitutional amendment with the strongest possible protections, but the state still decides to stand in their way, and the courts have to decide what to do,” she said.&nbsp;Hypothetically, Myrick said, this should be an open and shut case because Missouri’s reproductive rights amendment was written with some of the strongest protections of any amendment in the country. The amendment prohibits the government from regulating abortion prior to the point of fetal viability unless “such action is justified by a compelling governmental interest achieved by the least restrictive means.”&nbsp;“So if courts start upholding restrictions against these kinds of protections,” Myrick said. ‘That’s a really bad sign.”Right now, most of the targeted regulation of abortion provider laws, known as&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/12/05/abortion-lawsuit-planned-parenthood-amendment-3-missouri-jackson-county/">TRAP laws, have been temporarily enjoined</a>&nbsp;— or paused — until a permanent decision could be made at trial.This includes required distribution of&nbsp;<a href="https://health.mo.gov/living/families/womenshealth/pregnancyassistance/pdf/Mo.InformedConsentBooklet-Revisedpgs.12-15August2019jkOGCReviewed.pdf" target="_blank">Missouri’s informed consent booklet&nbsp;</a>prior to an abortion; a 72-hour waiting period between an initial appointment and an abortion; and abortion facility licensing requirements. The injunction allowed Planned Parenthood to begin offering in-clinic abortions last February.&nbsp;Between then and October,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/12/05/missouri-abortion-legal-access-hinges-courts-rebuilding/">80 in-clinic abortion procedures&nbsp;</a>took place in Missouri across Planned Parenthood clinics in Kansas City, Columbia and St. Louis, according to data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. In 2023 and 2024, there were no elective abortions performed in Missouri. A few decades ago, prior to the passage of most of Missouri’s abortion restrictions and 2022 ban, thousands of abortions were performed in the state each year. Current data shows&nbsp;<a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/monthly-abortion-provision-study" target="_blank">several thousand Missourians still accessed abortion in 2024,</a>&nbsp;but had to travel to Kansas or Illinois to do so.Zhang did not enjoin two regulations that Planned Parenthood says are preventing providers from prescribing medication abortion:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/11/laws-regulations-medication-abortion-mifepristone-misoprostol-missouri/">&nbsp;a complication plan approved by the state as well as supplemental insurance requirement.</a>&nbsp;For this reason, Missouri doctors remain unable to prescribe the medications mifepristone and misoprostol to patients to end first trimester pregnancies. Medication abortion is the most common method to end a pregnancy in the United States,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.guttmacher.org/2024/03/medication-abortion-accounted-63-all-us-abortions-2023-increase-53-2020&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjlk7_1w_6RAxXPOzQIHe5SMDsQFnoECBkQAQ&amp;usg=AOvVaw1P-Hlu8nsnKIuYZVfc4aV8" target="_blank">used in about two-thirds of abortions.</a>Anti-abortion advocates contend repealing these regulations could put women’s safety at risk.&nbsp;“Like Michigan and Ohio before them, the amendment was the first step, opening the door for the abortion lobby to tear down all of the health and safety standards for women’s protections that the Missouri legislature required over the years,” said Katie Glenn Daniel, director of legal affairs and policy counsel at SBA Pro-Life America.Myrick said attempts to tie regulations to health and safety claims are nothing new.&nbsp;“Every single one of these restrictions is about hostility to abortion, making it harder to access abortion,” she said. “Even something like a complication plan can be a shutdown law if it’s impossible to comply with. So there’s no way this is about health or safety.”She said Missouri anti-abortion leaders have long been creative, spearheading many of the national fights against mifepristone in particular.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768061627695.png" alt="Stickers saying “repeal and replace Amendment 3,” the name of the 2024 reproductive rights amendment, are distributed during Missouri Right to Life advocacy day at the Missouri State Capitol in March 2025 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Stickers saying “repeal and replace Amendment 3,” the name of the 2024 reproductive rights amendment, are distributed during Missouri Right to Life advocacy day at the Missouri State Capitol in March 2025 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>In November, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/11/20/missouri-challenges-fda-approval-generic-mifepristone-limit-medication-abortion/">sued over the latest approval of a generic version of mifepristone</a>, asking the federal government to overturn the approval and to reinstate in-person dispensing laws for the medication, which can currently be prescribed in some states during telehealth appointments and then mailed to patients.Last summer, Hanaway’s predecessor,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-ag-sues-planned-parenthood-claims-it-misled-patients-over-safety-of-abortion-pill/">Andrew Bailey, sued Planned Parenthood</a>&nbsp;over its claims that mifepristone is safer to take than over-the-counter medications like Tylenol, penicillin and Viagra.&nbsp;And Missouri is now the lead plaintiff in a federal lawsuit&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/10/01/federal-lawsuit-limit-access-abortion-pill-mifepristone-texas-missouri/">seeking to limit the availability of medication abortion.</a>&nbsp;The case originated in Texas and moved all the way up to the United States Supreme Court before the nation’s highest court said the original plaintiffs didn’t have the jurisdiction to sue.Sarah Wetter, senior associate with the O’Neill Institute at Georgetown Law, said the transfer of the federal case to Missouri makes the state litigation beginning Monday “all the more threatening” as the Missouri Attorney General’s Office also prepares to argue against mifepristone at the federal courthouse in St. Louis.“Turning back the clock to pre-2016 rules would limit mifepristone access to patients up to 7 (rather than 10) weeks gestation, require more in-person visits, and otherwise prohibit telemedicine abortion,” Wetter said.Many high-ranking Missouri politicians have shown repeatedly that abortion remains among their highest priorities, with few saying they’ll back down if the abortion rights amendment is fully implemented following the trial. A prime example of this is the Republican supermajority’s success in putting a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/12/04/missouri-appeals-court-rejects-abortion-ban-ballot-language/">proposed abortion ban on this year’s November ballot.</a>&nbsp;Plans are already underway to continue attempting to limit access to the procedure, whether the abortion ban amendment passes or fails later this year.Politics are supposed to be left out of the courtroom, said Michael Wolff, a former chief justice of the Missouri Supreme Court and dean emeritus at the St. Louis University School of Law. He’s curious if that will be the case next week.“The courts, in my experience in Missouri, have always been solicitous of what the voters were voting on,” he said.Wolff, who advised in the drafting of the abortion rights amendment, said any arguments by the state that abortion regulations are necessary because Missouri voters didn’t realize the scope of what they were voting on should be heeded cautiously.“Haven’t these political issues, these questions about the desirability of this law, already been litigated when they had to campaign where the voters approved (abortion)?” Wolff said. “ … It’s not a matter for the courts to decide whether the voters were dumb&nbsp;or or&nbsp;smart when they did this.”&nbsp;