By:<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/author/j-patrick-coolican/">J. Patrick Coolican</a> <a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/">Minnesota Reformer</a>

Days after&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/16/walz-frey-to-receive-subpoenas-in-criminal-matter-related-to-ice/">news leaked</a>&nbsp;of a criminal investigation of Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey over their handling of immigration enforcement in Minnesota, the U.S. Department of Justice has delivered subpoenas to the offices of Walz and Frey, as well as St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty.

The New York Times&nbsp;first&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/20/us/politics/subpoena-minnesota-democrats-immigration.html" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;the delivery of the subpoenas, and other national outlets also confirmed that reporting. A spokesman for Ellison said they were in receipt of the subpoena and working on a response.

The subpoenas are an extraordinary escalation of the ongoing conflict between the Trump administration and Minnesota, where heavily-armed, masked federal agents&nbsp;<a href="https://www.startribune.com/how-ice-numbers-compare-to-twin-cities-largest-police-forces/601562617" target="_blank">now outnumber all the metro police departments</a>&nbsp;combined, frequently using tactics a&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/16/federal-judge-tells-ice-to-cool-it/">federal judge has called unconstitutional</a>.

When the investigation became public last week, Walz replied in a statement: “Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly,” he said, referring to the&nbsp;<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/3-democratic-lawmakers-federal-investigation-illegal-orders-social/story?id=129244803" target="_blank">U.S. senators</a>&nbsp;who made a video telling U.S. servicemembers that&nbsp;they can and must refuse illegal orders, as well as the&nbsp;<a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5687457-fed-jerome-powell-justice-department-gop-criticism/" target="_blank">chairman</a>&nbsp;of the Federal Reserve, who has refused to lower interest rates as quickly as Trump desires. “Weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents is a dangerous, authoritarian tactic,” Walz said.

Frey called the investigation “an obvious attempt to intimidate me for standing up for Minneapolis, our local law enforcement and our residents against the chaos and danger this administration has brought to our streets.”

He added: “I will not be intimidated.”

The&nbsp;Washington Post&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/01/16/trump-minnesota-walz-frey-criminal-investigation/" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;that “the&nbsp;subpoenas suggest that the Justice Department is examining whether Walz’s and Frey’s public statements disparaging the surge of officers and federal actions have amounted to criminal interference in law enforcement work.”

Walz, who announced earlier this month he&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/05/minnesota-gov-tim-walz-ends-campaign-for-third-term/">won’t seek</a>&nbsp;a third term, also used his statement last week to criticize the federal government for not properly investigating the killing of Renee Good by federal immigration officer Jonathan Ross. “The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her,” he said.

Six prosecutors in the Minnesota Office of U.S. Attorney quit last week,&nbsp;The New York Times&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/13/us/prosecutors-doj-resignation-ice-shooting.html#:~:text=Six%20Prosecutors%20Quit%20Over%20Push,supposed%20ties%20to%20activist%20groups." target="_blank">reported</a>, because they objected to their bosses’ push to investigate the widow of Good and their ties to anti-ICE groups.

The ICE surge, which has put as many as 3,000 federal agents in the state — or nearly five times the number of sworn officers with the Minneapolis Police Department —&nbsp;is just the latest round of an ongoing conflict between Minnesota and the federal government. Fraud in Minnesota’s social programs —&nbsp;often funded in whole or part by the federal government —&nbsp;has caught the attention of right-wing media and activists, and the Trump administration has followed with a wide array of investigations of Minnesota programs across a range of agencies.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/15/homeland-security-audits-hennepin-healthcares/">auditing Hennepin Healthcare</a>&nbsp;—&nbsp;Minnesota’s largest safety net hospital —&nbsp;for compliance with immigrant employment eligibility laws.

The<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2026/01/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-establishes-new-department-of-justice-division-for-national-fraud-enforcement/" target="_blank">&nbsp;Trump administration</a>&nbsp;has frozen child care payments and halted small business grants. The administration also says it’s investigating possible housing assistance fraud and looking into Minnesota’s&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/briefs/trump-admin-announces-target-review-of-minnesotas-unemployment-insurance-program/">unemployment insurance program</a>. The federal government has also attempted to withhold funds to Minnesota for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps, but a federal court issued a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/01/15/federal-judge-blocks-usda-from-cutting-snap-benefits-in-minnesota" target="_blank">preliminary injunction.</a>

Earlier this week, Trump said he would cut all federal funding to Minnesota and other states that have sanctuary cities beginning&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/13/white-house-end-funding-sanctuary-cities-states-00726557" target="_blank">Feb. 1,</a>&nbsp;but it’s unclear what that means and few details have been released.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768610962226.png" alt="Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz from his social media page" />
 <figcaption>Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz from his social media page</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/author/j-patrick-coolican/">J. Patrick Coolican</a> <a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/">Minnesota Reformer</a>Days after&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/16/walz-frey-to-receive-subpoenas-in-criminal-matter-related-to-ice/">news leaked</a>&nbsp;of a criminal investigation of Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey over their handling of immigration enforcement in Minnesota, the U.S. Department of Justice has delivered subpoenas to the offices of Walz and Frey, as well as St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/rGLZVW34kc">pic.twitter.com/rGLZVW34kc</a>&mdash; Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovTimWalz/status/2013670376220348484?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The New York Times&nbsp;first&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/20/us/politics/subpoena-minnesota-democrats-immigration.html" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;the delivery of the subpoenas, and other national outlets also confirmed that reporting. A spokesman for Ellison said they were in receipt of the subpoena and working on a response.The subpoenas are an extraordinary escalation of the ongoing conflict between the Trump administration and Minnesota, where heavily-armed, masked federal agents&nbsp;<a href="https://www.startribune.com/how-ice-numbers-compare-to-twin-cities-largest-police-forces/601562617" target="_blank">now outnumber all the metro police departments</a>&nbsp;combined, frequently using tactics a&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/16/federal-judge-tells-ice-to-cool-it/">federal judge has called unconstitutional</a>.When the investigation became public last week, Walz replied in a statement: “Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly,” he said, referring to the&nbsp;<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/3-democratic-lawmakers-federal-investigation-illegal-orders-social/story?id=129244803" target="_blank">U.S. senators</a>&nbsp;who made a video telling U.S. servicemembers that&nbsp;they can and must refuse illegal orders, as well as the&nbsp;<a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5687457-fed-jerome-powell-justice-department-gop-criticism/" target="_blank">chairman</a>&nbsp;of the Federal Reserve, who has refused to lower interest rates as quickly as Trump desires. “Weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents is a dangerous, authoritarian tactic,” Walz said.Frey called the investigation “an obvious attempt to intimidate me for standing up for Minneapolis, our local law enforcement and our residents against the chaos and danger this administration has brought to our streets.”He added: “I will not be intimidated.”The&nbsp;Washington Post&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/01/16/trump-minnesota-walz-frey-criminal-investigation/" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;that “the&nbsp;subpoenas suggest that the Justice Department is examining whether Walz’s and Frey’s public statements disparaging the surge of officers and federal actions have amounted to criminal interference in law enforcement work.”Walz, who announced earlier this month he&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/05/minnesota-gov-tim-walz-ends-campaign-for-third-term/">won’t seek</a>&nbsp;a third term, also used his statement last week to criticize the federal government for not properly investigating the killing of Renee Good by federal immigration officer Jonathan Ross. “The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her,” he said.Six prosecutors in the Minnesota Office of U.S. Attorney quit last week,&nbsp;The New York Times&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/13/us/prosecutors-doj-resignation-ice-shooting.html#:~:text=Six%20Prosecutors%20Quit%20Over%20Push,supposed%20ties%20to%20activist%20groups." target="_blank">reported</a>, because they objected to their bosses’ push to investigate the widow of Good and their ties to anti-ICE groups.The ICE surge, which has put as many as 3,000 federal agents in the state — or nearly five times the number of sworn officers with the Minneapolis Police Department —&nbsp;is just the latest round of an ongoing conflict between Minnesota and the federal government. Fraud in Minnesota’s social programs —&nbsp;often funded in whole or part by the federal government —&nbsp;has caught the attention of right-wing media and activists, and the Trump administration has followed with a wide array of investigations of Minnesota programs across a range of agencies.The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/15/homeland-security-audits-hennepin-healthcares/">auditing Hennepin Healthcare</a>&nbsp;—&nbsp;Minnesota’s largest safety net hospital —&nbsp;for compliance with immigrant employment eligibility laws.The<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2026/01/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-establishes-new-department-of-justice-division-for-national-fraud-enforcement/" target="_blank">&nbsp;Trump administration</a>&nbsp;has frozen child care payments and halted small business grants. The administration also says it’s investigating possible housing assistance fraud and looking into Minnesota’s&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/briefs/trump-admin-announces-target-review-of-minnesotas-unemployment-insurance-program/">unemployment insurance program</a>. The federal government has also attempted to withhold funds to Minnesota for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps, but a federal court issued a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/01/15/federal-judge-blocks-usda-from-cutting-snap-benefits-in-minnesota" target="_blank">preliminary injunction.</a>Earlier this week, Trump said he would cut all federal funding to Minnesota and other states that have sanctuary cities beginning&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/13/white-house-end-funding-sanctuary-cities-states-00726557" target="_blank">Feb. 1,</a>&nbsp;but it’s unclear what that means and few details have been released.

US Dept. of Justice delivers subpoenas to Walz, Frey, Her, Ellison, Moriarty

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

TOPEKA — Projected increases in electricity load growth are as high as 99% by 2035, a data point that pushed regional energy regulators to create a plan to stabilize and expand grid capacity and transmission, a legislative committee learned Thursday.

Part of that process includes building a controversial transmission line that will travel through four Kansas counties.

Justin Grady, director of utilities for the Kansas Corporation Commission, told the House Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications Committee that a proposed 133-mile, 345 kilovolt transmission line to be built by Evergy will travel through western Sedgwick, Sumner, Cowley and Chautauqua counties.

The project is part of Southwest Power Pool’s annual plan to support projected growth in electricity usage across its 14-state coverage area, Grady said. SPP is one of seven nonprofit organizations approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to oversee transmission infrastructure, ensure utility system reliability and manage the wholesale electricity market.

Grady said the original&nbsp;<a href="https://www.spp.org/documents/75483/2025%20itp%20report%20v1.0.pdf" target="_blank">SPP transmission plan</a>&nbsp;included $18.1 billion of transmission projects to handle expected grid expansion, but KCC and others in the state’s energy industry met with SPP and agreed on fewer projects in the immediate future.

“The projects that ultimately got notices to construct were the consensus, essentially, of the stakeholders, that these are the projects we cannot afford to delay,” Grady said. “These are reliability projects.”

Transmission projects are challenging to implement because people don’t like them, he said.&nbsp;

“It’s not easy to site a transmission line,” Grady said. “By and large, landowners do not like it, and I understand completely. It carves a scar basically across the state of Kansas.”

Landowners on the planned transmission route showed up at two public hearings on Jan. 8 and 9 to voice concerns and objections to the transmission line.

John Timmerman said he has a contract for a wind energy project on his Sumner County land where the transmission line will cross. He told Evergy and KCC at the hearing that he stands to lose as much as $250,000 if he loses the wind contract.

“This line for the height and the position that it’s in will negate that windmill project,” he said at the public hearing.

Grady told the Energy committee the transmission project is necessary to support additional generation that will be added in upcoming years. Electricity needs in the region have been emphasized by storms in the past few years, including storm Uri in winter 2021 and storm Elliott, a 2022 winter storm, when the grid was stressed, he said.

“Last year during pretty mild weather, there were actual controlled load shed events in the southwest portion of the systems,” Grady said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Load shed refers to a purposeful, controlled shutoff of electricity in order to avoid a larger collapse of electric reliability, Grady said in an email after the meeting.

“When that one day of load shed comes in an 80-year period of time, which was winter storm Uri, then all we talk about for three years is, why did the lights go off?” he said. “Reliability is obviously job No. 1 for electric utilities and regulators, mixed in with affordability.”

Grady said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/committees/ctte_h_energy_utilities_and_telecommunications_1/misc_documents/download_testimony/ctte_h_energy_utilities_and_telecommunications_1_20260115_01_testimony.html" target="_blank">load growth projections</a>&nbsp;are almost “unbelievable,” showing growth in two years that previously would have been projected for 10 years. The SPP’s plan projected how many load shed events would occur if no changes occurred, he said, and the estimate is 114 days a year in 2034.

“The standard is one day in 10 years — that’s the legal standard FERC requires them to uphold,” Grady said.

In the most conservative SPP models, the $8 billion transmission project will pay for itself by 2034.

“At its worst, when this $8 billion of transmission is built at the highest price it will ever be, in 2034 that will cost an average residential customer $2.99 a month,” Grady said, adding that models that include economic benefits show a $5.31 benefit to Kansas customers.

Looking outside of transmission to need for new electricity generation resources, Grady said SPP’s projects show adequate capacity for 2025, with a 20.7% reserve margin. However, if new generating resources aren’t added by summer 2027, the reserve margin will fall to 11.8%, and by 2030, that margin would be -1.6%.

Grady said one of the questions that came up at public hearings about the proposed transmission line was whether the addition supports Kansas electricity needs or is only about shipping electricity outside the state.

“That line was engineered and designed to correct for the severe reliability issues that occurred during winter storm Elliott,” Grady said.

Elliott occurred just after Uri and resulted in millions of people losing electricity on Christmas Eve, he said.

“We avoided load shed in SPP, mainly because there was 20,000 megawatts of wind online,” Grady said. “We are connected electrically to the entire eastern United States. Sometimes major reliability events that are happening in North Carolina can even ultimately affect what happens in southeast Kansas. The reality is that’s the reason this transmission line was designed and built. My position is that certainly that line will benefit Kansans.”

KCC is holding a third public hearing on the proposed transmission line at 6 p.m. Wednesday, at the Hutchinson Community College Stringer Fine Arts Center. The meeting can be attended by Zoom or in-person, but residents wanting to make&nbsp;<a href="https://kcc-connect.kcc.ks.gov/s/public-comments?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery" target="_blank">public comments on Zoom should register</a>&nbsp;by noon Tuesday.

This story was updated to correct the date of the public hearing to Wednesday, Jan. 21.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768929569487.png" alt=" Justin Grady, director of utilities for the Kansas Corporation Commission, testified Thursday about expected electricity usage in the next decade. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from the Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications committee hearing)" />
 <figcaption> Justin Grady, director of utilities for the Kansas Corporation Commission, testified Thursday about expected electricity usage in the next decade. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from the Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications committee hearing)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Projected increases in electricity load growth are as high as 99% by 2035, a data point that pushed regional energy regulators to create a plan to stabilize and expand grid capacity and transmission, a legislative committee learned Thursday.Part of that process includes building a controversial transmission line that will travel through four Kansas counties.Justin Grady, director of utilities for the Kansas Corporation Commission, told the House Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications Committee that a proposed 133-mile, 345 kilovolt transmission line to be built by Evergy will travel through western Sedgwick, Sumner, Cowley and Chautauqua counties.The project is part of Southwest Power Pool’s annual plan to support projected growth in electricity usage across its 14-state coverage area, Grady said. SPP is one of seven nonprofit organizations approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to oversee transmission infrastructure, ensure utility system reliability and manage the wholesale electricity market.Grady said the original&nbsp;<a href="https://www.spp.org/documents/75483/2025%20itp%20report%20v1.0.pdf" target="_blank">SPP transmission plan</a>&nbsp;included $18.1 billion of transmission projects to handle expected grid expansion, but KCC and others in the state’s energy industry met with SPP and agreed on fewer projects in the immediate future.“The projects that ultimately got notices to construct were the consensus, essentially, of the stakeholders, that these are the projects we cannot afford to delay,” Grady said. “These are reliability projects.”Transmission projects are challenging to implement because people don’t like them, he said.&nbsp;“It’s not easy to site a transmission line,” Grady said. “By and large, landowners do not like it, and I understand completely. It carves a scar basically across the state of Kansas.”Landowners on the planned transmission route showed up at two public hearings on Jan. 8 and 9 to voice concerns and objections to the transmission line.John Timmerman said he has a contract for a wind energy project on his Sumner County land where the transmission line will cross. He told Evergy and KCC at the hearing that he stands to lose as much as $250,000 if he loses the wind contract.“This line for the height and the position that it’s in will negate that windmill project,” he said at the public hearing.Grady told the Energy committee the transmission project is necessary to support additional generation that will be added in upcoming years. Electricity needs in the region have been emphasized by storms in the past few years, including storm Uri in winter 2021 and storm Elliott, a 2022 winter storm, when the grid was stressed, he said.“Last year during pretty mild weather, there were actual controlled load shed events in the southwest portion of the systems,” Grady said.&nbsp;&nbsp;Load shed refers to a purposeful, controlled shutoff of electricity in order to avoid a larger collapse of electric reliability, Grady said in an email after the meeting.“When that one day of load shed comes in an 80-year period of time, which was winter storm Uri, then all we talk about for three years is, why did the lights go off?” he said. “Reliability is obviously job No. 1 for electric utilities and regulators, mixed in with affordability.”Grady said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/committees/ctte_h_energy_utilities_and_telecommunications_1/misc_documents/download_testimony/ctte_h_energy_utilities_and_telecommunications_1_20260115_01_testimony.html" target="_blank">load growth projections</a>&nbsp;are almost “unbelievable,” showing growth in two years that previously would have been projected for 10 years. The SPP’s plan projected how many load shed events would occur if no changes occurred, he said, and the estimate is 114 days a year in 2034.“The standard is one day in 10 years — that’s the legal standard FERC requires them to uphold,” Grady said.In the most conservative SPP models, the $8 billion transmission project will pay for itself by 2034.“At its worst, when this $8 billion of transmission is built at the highest price it will ever be, in 2034 that will cost an average residential customer $2.99 a month,” Grady said, adding that models that include economic benefits show a $5.31 benefit to Kansas customers.Looking outside of transmission to need for new electricity generation resources, Grady said SPP’s projects show adequate capacity for 2025, with a 20.7% reserve margin. However, if new generating resources aren’t added by summer 2027, the reserve margin will fall to 11.8%, and by 2030, that margin would be -1.6%.Grady said one of the questions that came up at public hearings about the proposed transmission line was whether the addition supports Kansas electricity needs or is only about shipping electricity outside the state.“That line was engineered and designed to correct for the severe reliability issues that occurred during winter storm Elliott,” Grady said.Elliott occurred just after Uri and resulted in millions of people losing electricity on Christmas Eve, he said.“We avoided load shed in SPP, mainly because there was 20,000 megawatts of wind online,” Grady said. “We are connected electrically to the entire eastern United States. Sometimes major reliability events that are happening in North Carolina can even ultimately affect what happens in southeast Kansas. The reality is that’s the reason this transmission line was designed and built. My position is that certainly that line will benefit Kansans.”KCC is holding a third public hearing on the proposed transmission line at 6 p.m. Wednesday, at the Hutchinson Community College Stringer Fine Arts Center. The meeting can be attended by Zoom or in-person, but residents wanting to make&nbsp;<a href="https://kcc-connect.kcc.ks.gov/s/public-comments?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery" target="_blank">public comments on Zoom should register</a>&nbsp;by noon Tuesday.This story was updated to correct the date of the public hearing to Wednesday, Jan. 21.&nbsp;

Projected electricity usage expected to strain Kansas grid unless transmission, generation added

RILEY COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for alleged identity theft crimes in Kansas.

Just before 6p.m. Jan. 16, police arrested 47-year-old Kahlil Kilian, 47, of Kansas City, Missouri, according to the Riley County Police De partment activity report.

He is being held on a $10,000 bond on requested charges that include three counts of forgery; making or altering a written instrument, three counts of identity theft, two counts of theft by deception, one count of attempted theft by deception and three counts of forgery; distributing or issuing written instrument. This arrest stems from an original report filed in March of 2023.&nbsp;

RILEY COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for alleged identity theft crimes in Kansas.Just before 6p.m. Jan. 16, police arrested 47-year-old Kahlil Kilian, 47, of Kansas City, Missouri, according to the Riley County Police De partment activity report.He is being held on a $10,000 bond on requested charges that include three counts of forgery; making or altering a written instrument, three counts of identity theft, two counts of theft by deception, one count of attempted theft by deception and three counts of forgery; distributing or issuing written instrument. This arrest stems from an original report filed in March of 2023.&nbsp;

Missouri man accused of ID theft crimes in Kansas

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/camikoons/">Cami Koons</a>

The American Farm Bureau Federation, along with soybean and specialty crop farm organizations, has asked congressional leadership for economic support to “fill in the gap of remaining losses for both field and specialty crop farmers.”&nbsp;

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fb.org/files/1.15.26-Ag-Letter-to-Congress-Economic-Assistance_FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">letter</a>&nbsp;follows a December announcement from the Trump administration of a&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/12/08/repub/trump-to-send-12-billion-in-one-time-payments-to-farmers-to-offset-ag-losses/" target="_blank">$12 billion</a>&nbsp;one-time package to offset farmer losses across the country.

“These funds could provide a meaningful first step but do not cover the extensive and cumulative losses that farmers have absorbed over the last several years,” the letter said after acknowledging the farmer bridge payment program.&nbsp;

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is allocating the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fsa.usda.gov/resources/programs/farmer-bridge-assistance-fba-program" target="_blank">funding</a>&nbsp;with commodity specific payment rates and set aside $1 billion of the $12 billion for specialty crop farmers.&nbsp;

The American Soybean Association, a signee on the recently submitted letter, said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://soygrowers.com/news-releases/asa-usda-farmer-bridge-assistance-payments-fall-short-for-soybean-farmers/" target="_blank">news release</a>&nbsp;the $30.88 per acre allotted for soybeans from the payment package was not enough to cover the “significant financial damage soybean farmers sustained this year due to the high cost of production and losses sustained during the China trade war.”&nbsp;

Grant Kimberley,&nbsp;Iowa Soybean Association’s director of market development, said the additional need from farmers is “complicated” and is a result of more than just one event in the past year.&nbsp;

“I think people don’t really realize this has been going on for a couple years now,” Kimberley said. “… Just about every row crop agriculture sector in the whole country has been losing money, probably, for the last three years.”

Kimberley said the ongoing downturn in the industry is due to several factors, including low commodity prices, high input costs, changes in global trade and uncertainty in domestic markets.&nbsp;

Data from Farm Bureau&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fb.org/market-intel/declining-farm-economy-continues-to-pressure-profitability" target="_blank">show</a>&nbsp;that commodity prices for major row crops like corn, soybeans, cotton and wheat have declined each year since 2022.&nbsp;

Kimberley said as the prices that farmers can get for their crops has declined, expenses have not declined, and have instead increased.&nbsp; Land, rent, equipment and inputs like fertilizer, seed and chemicals continue to squeeze farmers’ bottom lines, he said.

Farm Bureau economists found that farm expenses in 2025 were 12% higher than the previous five-year average cost.&nbsp;

Another piece to the puzzle, Kimberley explained, is the growing soybean and row crop markets in Brazil and other South American countries. He said the expansion of these markets has interrupted U.S. demand, especially with big buyers like China.&nbsp;

China also declined to purchase U.S. soybeans for the beginning part of harvest season due to President Donald Trump’s trade policies. While the country later&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/10/30/farm-groups-encouraged-by-trade-deal-with-china-for-u-s-soybeans/" target="_blank">agreed</a>&nbsp;to a trade deal, Kimberley said it’s less than what the country previously bought from the U.S. and the gap in purchasing this year has also had an effect.&nbsp;

Kimberley also pointed to the lack of finalized guidance from federal agencies on renewable fuel standards and tax credits. Many of these initiatives, like&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/briefs/biofuel-producers-stuck-in-neutral-without-finalized-tax-credit-guidance/" target="_blank">45Z tax credits</a>&nbsp;for low-carbon fuel, were initiated during the Biden administration and still do not have finalized guidelines.

Other standards, like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/06/13/epa-proposes-historic-renewable-fuel-blending-standards/" target="_blank">blending standards</a>,&nbsp;were proposed over the summer and have yet to be finalized. Kimberley, who is also executive director of the Iowa Biodiesel Board, said this uncertainty means overall biodiesel production has declined in the state, causing a “ripple in the pond” for soybean demand.

“You can’t really just say it’s this or that, you know, it’s all of these things that have kind of added up a little bit over time,” Kimberley said.

The letter from American Farm Bureau Federation also noted the compounding factors squeezing farmers. According to the letter, farmer bankruptcies are increasing and nationwide farmer losses are approaching $100 billion.&nbsp;

“These trends aren’t just statistics; they represent an economic crisis in rural America,” the letter said.&nbsp;

Specialty crop farmers are also struggling under similar pressures and asked Congress for relief.&nbsp;

The majority of the more than 50 organizations that signed the letter represented specialty crop growers.&nbsp;

In a news release about the letter, the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance said that despite the fact that specialty crops account for more than one-third of all U.S. crop sales, the farmer bridge program from USDA allocated just $1 billion to the industry.&nbsp;

“Any agricultural aid package should reflect the economic contribution of specialty crops, which support rural communities and provide key nutrition,” the alliance leadership said in the release.&nbsp;

The letter, addressed to House and Senate leadership, ask for “immediate” congressionally approved support.&nbsp;

Kimberley said additional changes need to occur in the farm economy for farmers to be profitable, but those changes won’t happen overnight.

“None of these things make farmers whole, and (aid packages) are not preferred, but sometimes they’re necessary,” Kimberley said.&nbsp;

This story was originally produced by&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2026/01/16/farm-bureau-soybean-and-specialty-ag-groups-ask-congress-for-additional-farmer-support/" target="_blank">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Kansas Reflector, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761787157829.png" alt="Photo USDA" />
 <figcaption>Photo USDA</figcaption>
 </figure>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/camikoons/">Cami Koons</a>The American Farm Bureau Federation, along with soybean and specialty crop farm organizations, has asked congressional leadership for economic support to “fill in the gap of remaining losses for both field and specialty crop farmers.”&nbsp;The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fb.org/files/1.15.26-Ag-Letter-to-Congress-Economic-Assistance_FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">letter</a>&nbsp;follows a December announcement from the Trump administration of a&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/12/08/repub/trump-to-send-12-billion-in-one-time-payments-to-farmers-to-offset-ag-losses/" target="_blank">$12 billion</a>&nbsp;one-time package to offset farmer losses across the country.“These funds could provide a meaningful first step but do not cover the extensive and cumulative losses that farmers have absorbed over the last several years,” the letter said after acknowledging the farmer bridge payment program.&nbsp;The U.S. Department of Agriculture is allocating the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fsa.usda.gov/resources/programs/farmer-bridge-assistance-fba-program" target="_blank">funding</a>&nbsp;with commodity specific payment rates and set aside $1 billion of the $12 billion for specialty crop farmers.&nbsp;The American Soybean Association, a signee on the recently submitted letter, said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://soygrowers.com/news-releases/asa-usda-farmer-bridge-assistance-payments-fall-short-for-soybean-farmers/" target="_blank">news release</a>&nbsp;the $30.88 per acre allotted for soybeans from the payment package was not enough to cover the “significant financial damage soybean farmers sustained this year due to the high cost of production and losses sustained during the China trade war.”&nbsp;Grant Kimberley,&nbsp;Iowa Soybean Association’s director of market development, said the additional need from farmers is “complicated” and is a result of more than just one event in the past year.&nbsp;“I think people don’t really realize this has been going on for a couple years now,” Kimberley said. “… Just about every row crop agriculture sector in the whole country has been losing money, probably, for the last three years.”Kimberley said the ongoing downturn in the industry is due to several factors, including low commodity prices, high input costs, changes in global trade and uncertainty in domestic markets.&nbsp;Data from Farm Bureau&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fb.org/market-intel/declining-farm-economy-continues-to-pressure-profitability" target="_blank">show</a>&nbsp;that commodity prices for major row crops like corn, soybeans, cotton and wheat have declined each year since 2022.&nbsp;Kimberley said as the prices that farmers can get for their crops has declined, expenses have not declined, and have instead increased.&nbsp; Land, rent, equipment and inputs like fertilizer, seed and chemicals continue to squeeze farmers’ bottom lines, he said.Farm Bureau economists found that farm expenses in 2025 were 12% higher than the previous five-year average cost.&nbsp;Another piece to the puzzle, Kimberley explained, is the growing soybean and row crop markets in Brazil and other South American countries. He said the expansion of these markets has interrupted U.S. demand, especially with big buyers like China.&nbsp;China also declined to purchase U.S. soybeans for the beginning part of harvest season due to President Donald Trump’s trade policies. While the country later&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/10/30/farm-groups-encouraged-by-trade-deal-with-china-for-u-s-soybeans/" target="_blank">agreed</a>&nbsp;to a trade deal, Kimberley said it’s less than what the country previously bought from the U.S. and the gap in purchasing this year has also had an effect.&nbsp;Kimberley also pointed to the lack of finalized guidance from federal agencies on renewable fuel standards and tax credits. Many of these initiatives, like&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/briefs/biofuel-producers-stuck-in-neutral-without-finalized-tax-credit-guidance/" target="_blank">45Z tax credits</a>&nbsp;for low-carbon fuel, were initiated during the Biden administration and still do not have finalized guidelines.Other standards, like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/06/13/epa-proposes-historic-renewable-fuel-blending-standards/" target="_blank">blending standards</a>,&nbsp;were proposed over the summer and have yet to be finalized. Kimberley, who is also executive director of the Iowa Biodiesel Board, said this uncertainty means overall biodiesel production has declined in the state, causing a “ripple in the pond” for soybean demand.“You can’t really just say it’s this or that, you know, it’s all of these things that have kind of added up a little bit over time,” Kimberley said.The letter from American Farm Bureau Federation also noted the compounding factors squeezing farmers. According to the letter, farmer bankruptcies are increasing and nationwide farmer losses are approaching $100 billion.&nbsp;“These trends aren’t just statistics; they represent an economic crisis in rural America,” the letter said.&nbsp;Specialty crop farmers are also struggling under similar pressures and asked Congress for relief.&nbsp;The majority of the more than 50 organizations that signed the letter represented specialty crop growers.&nbsp;In a news release about the letter, the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance said that despite the fact that specialty crops account for more than one-third of all U.S. crop sales, the farmer bridge program from USDA allocated just $1 billion to the industry.&nbsp;“Any agricultural aid package should reflect the economic contribution of specialty crops, which support rural communities and provide key nutrition,” the alliance leadership said in the release.&nbsp;The letter, addressed to House and Senate leadership, ask for “immediate” congressionally approved support.&nbsp;Kimberley said additional changes need to occur in the farm economy for farmers to be profitable, but those changes won’t happen overnight.“None of these things make farmers whole, and (aid packages) are not preferred, but sometimes they’re necessary,” Kimberley said.&nbsp;This story was originally produced by&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2026/01/16/farm-bureau-soybean-and-specialty-ag-groups-ask-congress-for-additional-farmer-support/" target="_blank">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Kansas Reflector, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.

Farm Bureau, soybean and specialty ag groups ask Congress for more support

Missouri lawmakers want to open MOScholars eligibility, but a state budget with little excess may cap scholarship availability below demand

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ahanshaw/">Annelise Hanshaw</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

Missouri lawmakers are considering expanding the state’s private school voucher program with proposals to open eligibility and remove demands on private schools who accept voucher funds.

But the program, which has spent a majority of the $50 million it received in state funding this fiscal year, may lack room to grow with Gov. Mike Kehoe proposing only a small bump for MOScholars alongside a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2026/01/13/missouri-revenue-surplus-nearly-gone-as-gov-mike-kehoe-unveils-his-budget-plan/">cut of $600 million from the state budget</a>.

MOScholars uses state money, funded directly in the state budget and indirectly through tax-credit donations, to subsidize K-12 education outside a student’s local public school. The program is&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/10/13/nearly-all-state-funding-for-missouri-school-vouchers-used-for-religious-schools/">largely used to fund private, religious education</a>. But some homeschool families use the funds to buy supplies, and a couple students have used the funds to enroll in neighboring public schools.

The program is in its fourth year and provides scholarships to over 6,000 students, thanks in large part to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/06/04/new-funding-for-private-school-vouchers-will-set-precedent-for-future-missouri-budgets/">an infusion of $50 million of general revenue last year</a>.'

State Treasurer Vivek Malek, whose office oversees MOScholars, wants to keep the momentum going this upcoming fiscal year. His&nbsp;<a href="https://budplan.oa.mo.gov/media/pdf/fy2027-eb-hb-12-state-treasurer" target="_blank">office asked for $100 million</a>&nbsp;in its budget request for the program, seeking to provide funding for 13,000 students next school year.

Kehoe, who lauded the program’s success in his State of the State speech Tuesday, budgeted $60 million in state funds to MOScholars.

“This program is working,” he said, “and Missouri families are counting on it.”

Malek’s office has already spent nearly $40 million on scholarships this fiscal year, according to the Missouri Accountability Portal. Most students with MOScholars funding return the next year, so without funding above and beyond last year’s appropriation, the program will not be able to offer scholarships to many new students.

Despite this funding challenge, the Senate Education Committee appears poised to prioritize MOScholars expansion.

State Sen. Rick Brattin, a Republican from Harrisonville, chairs the committee and has spoken in strong support of MOScholars. His children attend Summit Christian Academy, a school that&nbsp;<a href="https://treasurer.mo.gov/Content/MOScholars_Information/MOScholarsInformation" target="_blank">received $727,000 from the program</a>&nbsp;in its first three years.

Among the first bills Brattin selected for a hearing Tuesday was a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/26info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=289" target="_blank">proposal by state Sen. Brad Hudson</a>, a Republican from Cape Fair, to open eligibility to students already enrolled in private schools.

In the bill’s fiscal note, the treasurer’s office warns the legislation would “significantly increase the amount of funding needed for the program.”

Currently, eligibility for MOScholars is multi-pronged.

Students with an individualized education plan, which public schools administer to students with disabilities requiring accommodations, can apply without restrictions on family income. Students who qualify for free or reduced price lunch are eligible as long as they have attended public school for at least one semester in the past year or are entering kindergarten or first grade. Siblings of MOScholars recipients are also eligible.

Heather Smith, a mother from Cass County, told the committee the expansion would help families like hers. She told them about her son, who struggled in the local public school but “thrived” with the smaller classroom size at Summit Christian Academy.

“The financial strain has been absolutely crushing to our family,” she said.

This school year, her family couldn’t afford the private school tuition. But since her son has been out of public school for over a year, he doesn’t qualify for MOScholars.

“(School) should absolutely be a parent’s choice,” Smith said. “And that choice should not bring a family so far underwater financially that there is little to no way out.”

The bill also seeks to expand eligibility to students with disabilities diagnosed by a medical provider, but it does not define disability nor specify what types of conditions would be covered.

In addition to expanding program eligibility, Hudson’s bill would require judges to allow organizations representing parents to intervene in cases challenging the MOScholars statute. Currently, EdChoice, a nonprofit organization that advocates for school vouchers and similar programs,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/08/04/parents-intervene-in-missouri-voucher-lawsuit-with-help-from-herzog-foundation-leader/">is an intervener</a>&nbsp;in a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/08/21/missouri-teachers-union-asks-judge-to-freeze-private-school-voucher-payments/">case challenging the state’s use of general revenue</a>&nbsp;to fund MOScholars.

Hudson’s bill also seeks to bar administrative rules that would place requirements on schools accepting MOScholars students.

The Missouri House is not set to move MOScholars bills early in the legislative session, with its education committee concentrating on matters affecting public schools.

Moberly Republican state Rep. Ed Lewis, the committee chairman and a former public school teacher, said in the committee’s first meeting Wednesday that he is focusing on teacher certification and retention, literacy and transparency and accountability in public education.

The committee will consider bills outside of these topics, he said, adding: “We want to make sure that we focus on those things this session to try to move education in Missouri forward.”

Some bills seek to reign in MOScholars, adding requirements for private schools to be eligible to receive program funds.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/26info/bts_web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=667" target="_blank">bill</a>&nbsp;filed by state Sen. Barbara Washington, a Democrat from Kansas City, would require charter schools and private schools accepting MOScholars funds to follow accreditation and accountability measures set by the state, among other requirements.

Similarly, a&nbsp;<a href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB2130&amp;year=2026&amp;code=R" target="_blank">bill</a>&nbsp;by state Rep. Mark Boyko, a Democrat from Kirkwood, private schools with MOScholars students would be required to follow safety requirements, like teaching CPR in high schools and screening for dyslexia.

“If a school is being supported with state dollars, then I think it’s important that the state takes responsibility for the safety of those students, just like they would a public school student,” Boyko told The Independent.

He filed the bill last year, but it did not get a hearing. If MOScholars legislation makes it to the full House, Boyko said, he is open to adding his legislation as an amendment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768914482038.png" alt=" State Sen. Brad Hudson, pictured speaking during special session Sept. 12, 2025, is proposing an expansion to the MOScholars program that would “significantly increase the amount of funding needed for the program," according to the bill's fiscal note. His bill is the first to be heard at the committee level proposing changes to MOScholars (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> State Sen. Brad Hudson, pictured speaking during special session Sept. 12, 2025, is proposing an expansion to the MOScholars program that would “significantly increase the amount of funding needed for the program," according to the bill's fiscal note. His bill is the first to be heard at the committee level proposing changes to MOScholars (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Missouri lawmakers want to open MOScholars eligibility, but a state budget with little excess may cap scholarship availability below demand</h2>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ahanshaw/">Annelise Hanshaw</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Missouri lawmakers are considering expanding the state’s private school voucher program with proposals to open eligibility and remove demands on private schools who accept voucher funds.But the program, which has spent a majority of the $50 million it received in state funding this fiscal year, may lack room to grow with Gov. Mike Kehoe proposing only a small bump for MOScholars alongside a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2026/01/13/missouri-revenue-surplus-nearly-gone-as-gov-mike-kehoe-unveils-his-budget-plan/">cut of $600 million from the state budget</a>.MOScholars uses state money, funded directly in the state budget and indirectly through tax-credit donations, to subsidize K-12 education outside a student’s local public school. The program is&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/10/13/nearly-all-state-funding-for-missouri-school-vouchers-used-for-religious-schools/">largely used to fund private, religious education</a>. But some homeschool families use the funds to buy supplies, and a couple students have used the funds to enroll in neighboring public schools.The program is in its fourth year and provides scholarships to over 6,000 students, thanks in large part to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/06/04/new-funding-for-private-school-vouchers-will-set-precedent-for-future-missouri-budgets/">an infusion of $50 million of general revenue last year</a>.'State Treasurer Vivek Malek, whose office oversees MOScholars, wants to keep the momentum going this upcoming fiscal year. His&nbsp;<a href="https://budplan.oa.mo.gov/media/pdf/fy2027-eb-hb-12-state-treasurer" target="_blank">office asked for $100 million</a>&nbsp;in its budget request for the program, seeking to provide funding for 13,000 students next school year.Kehoe, who lauded the program’s success in his State of the State speech Tuesday, budgeted $60 million in state funds to MOScholars.“This program is working,” he said, “and Missouri families are counting on it.”Malek’s office has already spent nearly $40 million on scholarships this fiscal year, according to the Missouri Accountability Portal. Most students with MOScholars funding return the next year, so without funding above and beyond last year’s appropriation, the program will not be able to offer scholarships to many new students.Despite this funding challenge, the Senate Education Committee appears poised to prioritize MOScholars expansion.State Sen. Rick Brattin, a Republican from Harrisonville, chairs the committee and has spoken in strong support of MOScholars. His children attend Summit Christian Academy, a school that&nbsp;<a href="https://treasurer.mo.gov/Content/MOScholars_Information/MOScholarsInformation" target="_blank">received $727,000 from the program</a>&nbsp;in its first three years.Among the first bills Brattin selected for a hearing Tuesday was a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/26info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=289" target="_blank">proposal by state Sen. Brad Hudson</a>, a Republican from Cape Fair, to open eligibility to students already enrolled in private schools.In the bill’s fiscal note, the treasurer’s office warns the legislation would “significantly increase the amount of funding needed for the program.”Currently, eligibility for MOScholars is multi-pronged.Students with an individualized education plan, which public schools administer to students with disabilities requiring accommodations, can apply without restrictions on family income. Students who qualify for free or reduced price lunch are eligible as long as they have attended public school for at least one semester in the past year or are entering kindergarten or first grade. Siblings of MOScholars recipients are also eligible.Heather Smith, a mother from Cass County, told the committee the expansion would help families like hers. She told them about her son, who struggled in the local public school but “thrived” with the smaller classroom size at Summit Christian Academy.“The financial strain has been absolutely crushing to our family,” she said.This school year, her family couldn’t afford the private school tuition. But since her son has been out of public school for over a year, he doesn’t qualify for MOScholars.“(School) should absolutely be a parent’s choice,” Smith said. “And that choice should not bring a family so far underwater financially that there is little to no way out.”The bill also seeks to expand eligibility to students with disabilities diagnosed by a medical provider, but it does not define disability nor specify what types of conditions would be covered.In addition to expanding program eligibility, Hudson’s bill would require judges to allow organizations representing parents to intervene in cases challenging the MOScholars statute. Currently, EdChoice, a nonprofit organization that advocates for school vouchers and similar programs,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/08/04/parents-intervene-in-missouri-voucher-lawsuit-with-help-from-herzog-foundation-leader/">is an intervener</a>&nbsp;in a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/08/21/missouri-teachers-union-asks-judge-to-freeze-private-school-voucher-payments/">case challenging the state’s use of general revenue</a>&nbsp;to fund MOScholars.Hudson’s bill also seeks to bar administrative rules that would place requirements on schools accepting MOScholars students.The Missouri House is not set to move MOScholars bills early in the legislative session, with its education committee concentrating on matters affecting public schools.Moberly Republican state Rep. Ed Lewis, the committee chairman and a former public school teacher, said in the committee’s first meeting Wednesday that he is focusing on teacher certification and retention, literacy and transparency and accountability in public education.The committee will consider bills outside of these topics, he said, adding: “We want to make sure that we focus on those things this session to try to move education in Missouri forward.”Some bills seek to reign in MOScholars, adding requirements for private schools to be eligible to receive program funds.A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/26info/bts_web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=667" target="_blank">bill</a>&nbsp;filed by state Sen. Barbara Washington, a Democrat from Kansas City, would require charter schools and private schools accepting MOScholars funds to follow accreditation and accountability measures set by the state, among other requirements.Similarly, a&nbsp;<a href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB2130&amp;year=2026&amp;code=R" target="_blank">bill</a>&nbsp;by state Rep. Mark Boyko, a Democrat from Kirkwood, private schools with MOScholars students would be required to follow safety requirements, like teaching CPR in high schools and screening for dyslexia.“If a school is being supported with state dollars, then I think it’s important that the state takes responsibility for the safety of those students, just like they would a public school student,” Boyko told The Independent.He filed the bill last year, but it did not get a hearing. If MOScholars legislation makes it to the full House, Boyko said, he is open to adding his legislation as an amendment.

Proposals to expand Missouri private school voucher program meet tight budget

KANSAS CITY—Four puppies were rescued after they were found outside Monday and nearly froze to death, according to the&nbsp; Humane Society of Greater Kansas City.

These four pups were rescued by a kind community member who found them outside, alone, nearly frozen to death. They are now in the care of the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City, receiving the care they need.  Once stabilized, they will go to foster homes and will be available for adoption in a few weeks.

If you feel inclined to support the work of the Humane Society, please donate today.&nbsp;info@hsgkc.org

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768879782834.png" alt="Photos Humane Society of Greater Kansas City" />
 <figcaption>Photos Humane Society of Greater Kansas City</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Four puppies were rescued after they were found outside Monday and nearly froze to death, according to the&nbsp; Humane Society of Greater Kansas City.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768879588352.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>These four pups were rescued by a kind community member who found them outside, alone, nearly frozen to death. They are now in the care of the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City, receiving the care they need. Once stabilized, they will go to foster homes and will be available for adoption in a few weeks.If you feel inclined to support the work of the Humane Society, please donate today.&nbsp;info@hsgkc.org

Humane society: Nearly frozen puppies rescued near Kansas City

KANSAS CITY —A Missouri man was sentenced in federal court earlier this month for fentanyl distribution and illegally possessing firearms.

Darius Burnett, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to a total sentence of 13 years in federal prison without parole, according to the United State's Attorney.

Burnett pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on May 8, 2025.

On Nov. 8, 2023, investigators with the ATF, DEA, and Springfield Police Department executed a search warrant at Burnett’s residence. During the search of Burnett’s apartment and vehicle, officers located four loaded semi-automatic pistols, including two with extended magazines, body armor, ammunition, marijuana, over 1,000 pills containing fentanyl, and $78,935.80 in cash. 

In an interview, the defendant described himself as the “top dude” in Springfield, Missouri, for fentanyl sales, stated that he was purchasing 5,000 pills a month from a source in St. Louis, Missouri, and admitted that the cash located by law enforcement were drug proceeds.&nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768861591490.png" alt="Burnett photo Greene County" />
 <figcaption>Burnett photo Greene County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Missouri man was sentenced in federal court earlier this month for fentanyl distribution and illegally possessing firearms.Darius Burnett, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to a total sentence of 13 years in federal prison without parole, according to the United State's Attorney.Burnett pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on May 8, 2025.On Nov. 8, 2023, investigators with the ATF, DEA, and Springfield Police Department executed a search warrant at Burnett’s residence. During the search of Burnett’s apartment and vehicle, officers located four loaded semi-automatic pistols, including two with extended magazines, body armor, ammunition, marijuana, over 1,000 pills containing fentanyl, and $78,935.80 in cash. In an interview, the defendant described himself as the “top dude” in Springfield, Missouri, for fentanyl sales, stated that he was purchasing 5,000 pills a month from a source in St. Louis, Missouri, and admitted that the cash located by law enforcement were drug proceeds.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Prison for man who described himself as 'top dude' in fentanyl sales

KANSAS CITY—One firefighter was injured working a fire Sunday inKansas City, Missouri.

Just after 5:30a.m. Sunday, the Kansas City Fire Department responded to a reported fire in the Cargill plant, 2334 Rochester Avenue, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins. 

At the scene, fire department companies were met by Cargill staff stating there was a fire located in a material hopper housing soybean product. The hopper is located approximately 4 stories above the ground level. 

Working with on-site personnel, KCFD secured the power and electronics to the hopper and were able to access and extinguish the fire. The fire was placed under control a little before 7:00 a.m., according to Hopkins.

One KCFD firefighter sustained an injury and was transported to a local hospital to be evaluated. The firefighter was in stable condition and expected to make a full recovery.&nbsp; The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768833465554.png" alt="Photo KCFD" />
 <figcaption>Photo KCFD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—One firefighter was injured working a fire Sunday inKansas City, Missouri.Just after 5:30a.m. Sunday, the Kansas City Fire Department responded to a reported fire in the Cargill plant, 2334 Rochester Avenue, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins. At the scene, fire department companies were met by Cargill staff stating there was a fire located in a material hopper housing soybean product. The hopper is located approximately 4 stories above the ground level. Working with on-site personnel, KCFD secured the power and electronics to the hopper and were able to access and extinguish the fire. The fire was placed under control a little before 7:00 a.m., according to Hopkins.One KCFD firefighter sustained an injury and was transported to a local hospital to be evaluated. The firefighter was in stable condition and expected to make a full recovery.&nbsp; The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

KC firefighter injured working fire in fourth-floor soybean hopper

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City, Missouri.

Just before 2p.m Sunday, patrol officers were dispatched to the 8700 block of Chestnut Circle on a reported shooting, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil Dimartino.

As officers arrived they were directed to a parking lot within the apartment complex. There they located a victim later identified as 36-year-old Charles Brown, Jr., suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers began performing life saving measures while KCFD EMS arrived simultaneously. Medics pronounced Brown deceased at the scene.&nbsp;

This is being investigated as a homicide. The officers on scene took a subject of interest into custody pending further investigation. Preliminary information revealed there was a disturbance in the parking lot between several individuals that led to shots being fired and Brown being struck.&nbsp;

If anyone was in the area and heard or saw anything or has any information they are asked to contact Homicide detectives directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information submitted anonymously to the TIPS hotline.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768791527783.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City, Missouri.Just before 2p.m Sunday, patrol officers were dispatched to the 8700 block of Chestnut Circle on a reported shooting, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil Dimartino.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768791548732.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>As officers arrived they were directed to a parking lot within the apartment complex. There they located a victim later identified as 36-year-old Charles Brown, Jr., suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers began performing life saving measures while KCFD EMS arrived simultaneously. Medics pronounced Brown deceased at the scene.&nbsp;This is being investigated as a homicide. The officers on scene took a subject of interest into custody pending further investigation. Preliminary information revealed there was a disturbance in the parking lot between several individuals that led to shots being fired and Brown being struck.&nbsp;If anyone was in the area and heard or saw anything or has any information they are asked to contact Homicide detectives directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information submitted anonymously to the TIPS hotline.

KCPD: Suspect in custody for deadly apartment parking lot killing

In the past decade, more than 50,000 Missouri women sought abortions in Kansas and Illinois. The rare complications suffered are at the heart of arguments over its safety

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">Anna Spoerre</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/kevinhardy/">Kevin Hardy</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>

KANSAS CITY — Roughly 1% of the more than 53,000 Missourians who received abortions over the last 10 years in Illinois and Kansas experienced complications, ranging from infection to incomplete abortions to hemorrhaging.&nbsp;

Lawyers for Planned Parenthood and the Missouri Attorney General’s Office are dissecting dozens of Missouri’s Targeted Regulation of Abortion, or TRAP laws, as a judge decides which, if any, should remain in place. The safety of abortion is at the heart of the debate.

As the trial enters its second week on Tuesday in Jackson County, the state is trying to make the case that the potential for complications justifies strict regulations on abortion providers.&nbsp;

“The risks associated with abortion don’t just exist in the abstract,” said Assistant Solicitor General Alexandria Overcash. “Real women, Missouri women have suffered.”

Experts called by Planned Parenthood say that’s not the case. Abortion, they said, presents less risk than many medical procedures, including child birth.

“But there’s nothing like sitting in your patient’s pool of blood as she’s bleeding out four liters of blood to realize that a healthy term pregnancy has a whole hell of a lot of risk,” Dr. Jennifer Smith, an OB-GYN in St. Louis, testified Friday.

Missouri voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2024 overturning the state’s abortion ban and enacting protections for reproductive health care. Planned Parenthood and the ACLU of Missouri quickly filed a lawsuit seeking to repeal abortion regulations it argues now violate the new constitutional amendment. The 10-day trial in the case began last week.

Among the laws being challenged is a requirement that only doctors provide abortions, a ban on prescribing medication abortion through telehealth, facility licensing requirements, admitting privileges and a written transfer agreement at a nearby hospital and a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/11/laws-regulations-medication-abortion-mifepristone-misoprostol-missouri/">state-approved complication plan</a>&nbsp;for medication abortions.&nbsp;

These regulations eventually halted nearly all access to abortion in Missouri as more and more women seeking to terminate a pregnancy sought care in Illinois and Kansas. By the time Missouri’s abortion ban went into effect in 2022,<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/24/2-year-anniversary-missouri-abortion-ban/">&nbsp;thousands of Missourians were already leaving the state</a>&nbsp;each year to end their pregnancies.&nbsp;

The Missouri Attorney General’s Office is seeking to access records for patients who traveled to Planned Parenthood clinics in Illinois and Kansas for abortions and experienced a complication.

In December, the state tried to impose sanctions to force Planned Parenthood to turn over these patient complication reports. Planned Parenthood refused, saying the records would violate patient privacy. A separate judge intervened, ordering the clinics to only turn over a summary chart outlining the complications.&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2026/01/12/missouri-abortion-rights-trial-focuses-on-two-decades-of-state-restrictions/">The state is appealing&nbsp;</a>this decision.

Over the past decade, nearly 29,000 Missourians had abortions at Planned Parenthood clinics in Kansas City, Kansas, Overland Park, and Pittsburg, Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, testified Tuesday. Of 28,764 who had abortions between 2015 and 2024, 248 had complications as defined by the state, bringing the complication rate to .86%, according to data later provided by Planned Parenthood to The Independent. &nbsp;

“We are significantly better when it comes to complication rates than the national average,” Wales said, noting that the complication rate for Missouri women at each of the three clinics is regularly under 1% and has been for the past decade.&nbsp;

Deputy Solicitor General Peter Donohue asked if some patients had to have follow-up procedures at local hospitals, and if Planned Parenthood Great Plains has advised patients to go to the ER?&nbsp;

Yes, Wales said, but they’ve never had to transport a patient from a clinic to a hospital.

Under state law, Planned Parenthood must report any abortion complications to the health department. But how the health department and how Planned Parenthood defines complications differs.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In 2022, the most recent year Department of Health and Senior Services data is available,&nbsp;<a href="https://health.mo.gov/data/vitalstatistics/mvs22/Table12c.pdf" target="_blank">115 complications were reported</a>. Fifty-five involved procedural abortions, which happen in-clinic, and 60 were the result of medication abortions.

Gillian Wilcox, litigation director for the ACLU of Missouri, said state attorneys were misrepresenting the safety of abortions and said the practice doesn’t necessitate special regulations.&nbsp;

“All medical care carries risk of complications. And when you look at it in isolation, you don’t get a full picture,” Wilcox said in an interview. “Because when you get the full picture it is that they are providing thousands of abortions. And the complication rate actually percentage-wise is very low.”&nbsp;

Complications associated with abortion included hemorrhaging, fever, uterine perforation, pregnancy tissue left in the uterus, cervical lacerations, incomplete abortion and failed abortion.&nbsp;

The latter, which is a circumstance where the abortion doesn’t work and the pregnancy continues, is not generally considered a complication, but rather a possible outcome, Dr. Daniel Grossman, director of Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health based at the University of California-San Francisco, testified Tuesday.

State-mandated complication reporting requirements “create the impression that abortion is riskier than it really is,” said Grossman, who is a liaison to Planned Parenthood’s National Medical Committee.

Missouri is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/state-policy/explore/abortion-reporting-requirements" target="_blank">one of 27 states</a>&nbsp;that requires providers to submit complication reports.

Grossman pointed to a section on the complication report marked “death.”

<a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/questions-and-answers-mifepristone-medical-termination-pregnancy-through-ten-weeks-gestation#:~:text=When%20did%20the%20FDA%20approve,ten%20weeks%20gestation%20in%202016." target="_blank">Bleeding and cramping are expected side effects</a>&nbsp;of both medication and procedural abortions. Hemorrhaging and infection are among the rare complications.&nbsp;

Since mifepristone was approved for use in medication abortions 28 years ago,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/164331/download" target="_blank">32 deaths have been associated with its use,</a>&nbsp;according to the Federal Drug Administration. The FDA evaluated data from 5.9 million women who took mifepristone between 2000 and 2022. Of the three dozen deaths, 11 were the result of sepsis, 20 were homicides and two were suicides.

Ingrid Skop, an OB-GYN in Texas and a board member at the anti-abortion Charlotte Lozier Institute, was called to testify Friday by the Attorney General’s Office. She has treated dozens of women for abortion complications, Skop said, and she believes national data is lacking.

“It appears safer than it actually is,” she said.

That’s because abortion clinics are not generally mandated to report complications, Skop said.&nbsp;

Complications can happen after women leave clinics, and women presenting in hospital emergency rooms do not always tell doctors about their abortions. Skop said abortion providers do little follow up, unlike a routine doctor that has built a relationship with their patients.&nbsp;

“The assumption seems to be no news is good news,” she said of abortion providers who may not hear from patients after procedural or medication abortions.

On cross examination, a plaintiff’s attorney noted that Skop has never performed abortions and disagrees with mainstream medical associations like the American Medical Association and the American College of Obstetricians &amp; Gynecologists. Skop was also questioned about the fact that several of her articles were&nbsp;<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/23333928231216699" target="_blank">retracted</a>&nbsp;for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/02/09/1230175305/abortion-pill-mifepristone-retraction-supreme-court" target="_blank">methodology issues&nbsp;</a>from peer-reviewed journals, though she maintained those were politically motivated moves.

On Thursday, Overcash questioned Margot Riphagan, Planned Parenthood Great Rivers president and CEO, extensively about complications.

Overcash entered into evidence a spreadsheet summarizing complications reported among the nearly 24,000 Missourians who traveled to Planned Parenthood’s clinic in Fairview Heights for abortions in the last decade. Planned Parenthood later told The Independent there were 418 complications among 24,350 Missourians at the clinic between 2015 and 2024, or a 1.72% complication rate as defined by the state.

Overcash then highlighted nine instances of ectopic pregnancies, a dangerous condition in which a fertilized egg grows outside the uterus that, if left untreated, can lead to death.&nbsp;

Doctors testifying on behalf of Planned Parenthood said taking mifepristone doesn’t increase a patient’s risk of dying from an ectopic pregnancy. The symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy, including abdominal pain, would disqualify someone from being able to be prescribed medication abortion without first seeing a doctor in-person.

<a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/164331/download" target="_blank">Two people over three decades have died from ruptured ectopic pregnancies&nbsp;</a>after taking mifepristone, according to the FDA. The FDA reported an additional 95 cases of mifepristone taken during an ectopic pregnancy. The patients were hospitalized in a majority of those cases.&nbsp;

Overcash also pointed to several cases documenting failed or incomplete abortions in which the patient later chose to stay pregnant.&nbsp;

“So once again, a woman decided to continue her pregnancy?” she asked.

“It’s critical that women make decisions about their own bodies, yes” Riphagan responded.

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, who was<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/09/catherine-hanaway-missouri-attorney-general-andrew-bailey/">&nbsp;appointed to the job in September,&nbsp;</a>made her first appearance at the trial Thursday afternoon.&nbsp;

“There are real concerns about the safety for women if these treatments are not medically supervised in the appropriate way,” she told The Independent.&nbsp;

Asked whether the state viewed abortion as unsafe Hanaway said: “Remember, we all have a job, which is to represent the state. And these are the laws that were adopted by the state, and we’re defending them.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768828924754.png" alt=" The Planned Parenthood Great Plains office in Overland Park, Kansas, is pictured in June 2024 (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> The Planned Parenthood Great Plains office in Overland Park, Kansas, is pictured in June 2024 (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>In the past decade, more than 50,000 Missouri women sought abortions in Kansas and Illinois. The rare complications suffered are at the heart of arguments over its safety</h2>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">Anna Spoerre</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/kevinhardy/">Kevin Hardy</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>KANSAS CITY — Roughly 1% of the more than 53,000 Missourians who received abortions over the last 10 years in Illinois and Kansas experienced complications, ranging from infection to incomplete abortions to hemorrhaging.&nbsp;Lawyers for Planned Parenthood and the Missouri Attorney General’s Office are dissecting dozens of Missouri’s Targeted Regulation of Abortion, or TRAP laws, as a judge decides which, if any, should remain in place. The safety of abortion is at the heart of the debate.As the trial enters its second week on Tuesday in Jackson County, the state is trying to make the case that the potential for complications justifies strict regulations on abortion providers.&nbsp;“The risks associated with abortion don’t just exist in the abstract,” said Assistant Solicitor General Alexandria Overcash. “Real women, Missouri women have suffered.”Experts called by Planned Parenthood say that’s not the case. Abortion, they said, presents less risk than many medical procedures, including child birth.“But there’s nothing like sitting in your patient’s pool of blood as she’s bleeding out four liters of blood to realize that a healthy term pregnancy has a whole hell of a lot of risk,” Dr. Jennifer Smith, an OB-GYN in St. Louis, testified Friday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718794587714.png" alt="Jennifer Smith, an OBGYN, speaks about medical challenges without legal abortions in Missouri in 2024 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Jennifer Smith, an OBGYN, speaks about medical challenges without legal abortions in Missouri in 2024 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>Missouri voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2024 overturning the state’s abortion ban and enacting protections for reproductive health care. Planned Parenthood and the ACLU of Missouri quickly filed a lawsuit seeking to repeal abortion regulations it argues now violate the new constitutional amendment. The 10-day trial in the case began last week.Among the laws being challenged is a requirement that only doctors provide abortions, a ban on prescribing medication abortion through telehealth, facility licensing requirements, admitting privileges and a written transfer agreement at a nearby hospital and a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/11/laws-regulations-medication-abortion-mifepristone-misoprostol-missouri/">state-approved complication plan</a>&nbsp;for medication abortions.&nbsp;These regulations eventually halted nearly all access to abortion in Missouri as more and more women seeking to terminate a pregnancy sought care in Illinois and Kansas. By the time Missouri’s abortion ban went into effect in 2022,<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/24/2-year-anniversary-missouri-abortion-ban/">&nbsp;thousands of Missourians were already leaving the state</a>&nbsp;each year to end their pregnancies.&nbsp;The Missouri Attorney General’s Office is seeking to access records for patients who traveled to Planned Parenthood clinics in Illinois and Kansas for abortions and experienced a complication.In December, the state tried to impose sanctions to force Planned Parenthood to turn over these patient complication reports. Planned Parenthood refused, saying the records would violate patient privacy. A separate judge intervened, ordering the clinics to only turn over a summary chart outlining the complications.&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2026/01/12/missouri-abortion-rights-trial-focuses-on-two-decades-of-state-restrictions/">The state is appealing&nbsp;</a>this decision.Over the past decade, nearly 29,000 Missourians had abortions at Planned Parenthood clinics in Kansas City, Kansas, Overland Park, and Pittsburg, Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, testified Tuesday. Of 28,764 who had abortions between 2015 and 2024, 248 had complications as defined by the state, bringing the complication rate to .86%, according to data later provided by Planned Parenthood to The Independent. &nbsp;“We are significantly better when it comes to complication rates than the national average,” Wales said, noting that the complication rate for Missouri women at each of the three clinics is regularly under 1% and has been for the past decade.&nbsp;Deputy Solicitor General Peter Donohue asked if some patients had to have follow-up procedures at local hospitals, and if Planned Parenthood Great Plains has advised patients to go to the ER?&nbsp;Yes, Wales said, but they’ve never had to transport a patient from a clinic to a hospital.Under state law, Planned Parenthood must report any abortion complications to the health department. But how the health department and how Planned Parenthood defines complications differs.&nbsp;&nbsp;In 2022, the most recent year Department of Health and Senior Services data is available,&nbsp;<a href="https://health.mo.gov/data/vitalstatistics/mvs22/Table12c.pdf" target="_blank">115 complications were reported</a>. Fifty-five involved procedural abortions, which happen in-clinic, and 60 were the result of medication abortions.Gillian Wilcox, litigation director for the ACLU of Missouri, said state attorneys were misrepresenting the safety of abortions and said the practice doesn’t necessitate special regulations.&nbsp;“All medical care carries risk of complications. And when you look at it in isolation, you don’t get a full picture,” Wilcox said in an interview. “Because when you get the full picture it is that they are providing thousands of abortions. And the complication rate actually percentage-wise is very low.”&nbsp;Complications associated with abortion included hemorrhaging, fever, uterine perforation, pregnancy tissue left in the uterus, cervical lacerations, incomplete abortion and failed abortion.&nbsp;The latter, which is a circumstance where the abortion doesn’t work and the pregnancy continues, is not generally considered a complication, but rather a possible outcome, Dr. Daniel Grossman, director of Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health based at the University of California-San Francisco, testified Tuesday.State-mandated complication reporting requirements “create the impression that abortion is riskier than it really is,” said Grossman, who is a liaison to Planned Parenthood’s National Medical Committee.Missouri is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/state-policy/explore/abortion-reporting-requirements" target="_blank">one of 27 states</a>&nbsp;that requires providers to submit complication reports.Grossman pointed to a section on the complication report marked “death.”<a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/questions-and-answers-mifepristone-medical-termination-pregnancy-through-ten-weeks-gestation#:~:text=When%20did%20the%20FDA%20approve,ten%20weeks%20gestation%20in%202016." target="_blank">Bleeding and cramping are expected side effects</a>&nbsp;of both medication and procedural abortions. Hemorrhaging and infection are among the rare complications.&nbsp;Since mifepristone was approved for use in medication abortions 28 years ago,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/164331/download" target="_blank">32 deaths have been associated with its use,</a>&nbsp;according to the Federal Drug Administration. The FDA evaluated data from 5.9 million women who took mifepristone between 2000 and 2022. Of the three dozen deaths, 11 were the result of sepsis, 20 were homicides and two were suicides.Ingrid Skop, an OB-GYN in Texas and a board member at the anti-abortion Charlotte Lozier Institute, was called to testify Friday by the Attorney General’s Office. She has treated dozens of women for abortion complications, Skop said, and she believes national data is lacking.“It appears safer than it actually is,” she said.That’s because abortion clinics are not generally mandated to report complications, Skop said.&nbsp;Complications can happen after women leave clinics, and women presenting in hospital emergency rooms do not always tell doctors about their abortions. Skop said abortion providers do little follow up, unlike a routine doctor that has built a relationship with their patients.&nbsp;“The assumption seems to be no news is good news,” she said of abortion providers who may not hear from patients after procedural or medication abortions.On cross examination, a plaintiff’s attorney noted that Skop has never performed abortions and disagrees with mainstream medical associations like the American Medical Association and the American College of Obstetricians &amp; Gynecologists. Skop was also questioned about the fact that several of her articles were&nbsp;<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/23333928231216699" target="_blank">retracted</a>&nbsp;for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/02/09/1230175305/abortion-pill-mifepristone-retraction-supreme-court" target="_blank">methodology issues&nbsp;</a>from peer-reviewed journals, though she maintained those were politically motivated moves.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768301874356.png" alt="Margot Riphagan, left, stands next to Dr. Margaret Baum (center), chief medical officer with Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, as she speaks to reporters following the opening day of a trial litigating Missouri’s abortion regulations on Jan. 12 in front of the Jackson County courthouse in Kansas City (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Margot Riphagan, left, stands next to Dr. Margaret Baum (center), chief medical officer with Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, as she speaks to reporters following the opening day of a trial litigating Missouri’s abortion regulations on Jan. 12 in front of the Jackson County courthouse in Kansas City (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>On Thursday, Overcash questioned Margot Riphagan, Planned Parenthood Great Rivers president and CEO, extensively about complications.Overcash entered into evidence a spreadsheet summarizing complications reported among the nearly 24,000 Missourians who traveled to Planned Parenthood’s clinic in Fairview Heights for abortions in the last decade. Planned Parenthood later told The Independent there were 418 complications among 24,350 Missourians at the clinic between 2015 and 2024, or a 1.72% complication rate as defined by the state.Overcash then highlighted nine instances of ectopic pregnancies, a dangerous condition in which a fertilized egg grows outside the uterus that, if left untreated, can lead to death.&nbsp;Doctors testifying on behalf of Planned Parenthood said taking mifepristone doesn’t increase a patient’s risk of dying from an ectopic pregnancy. The symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy, including abdominal pain, would disqualify someone from being able to be prescribed medication abortion without first seeing a doctor in-person.<a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/164331/download" target="_blank">Two people over three decades have died from ruptured ectopic pregnancies&nbsp;</a>after taking mifepristone, according to the FDA. The FDA reported an additional 95 cases of mifepristone taken during an ectopic pregnancy. The patients were hospitalized in a majority of those cases.&nbsp;Overcash also pointed to several cases documenting failed or incomplete abortions in which the patient later chose to stay pregnant.&nbsp;“So once again, a woman decided to continue her pregnancy?” she asked.“It’s critical that women make decisions about their own bodies, yes” Riphagan responded.Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, who was<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/09/catherine-hanaway-missouri-attorney-general-andrew-bailey/">&nbsp;appointed to the job in September,&nbsp;</a>made her first appearance at the trial Thursday afternoon.&nbsp;“There are real concerns about the safety for women if these treatments are not medically supervised in the appropriate way,” she told The Independent.&nbsp;Asked whether the state viewed abortion as unsafe Hanaway said: “Remember, we all have a job, which is to represent the state. And these are the laws that were adopted by the state, and we’re defending them.”

Abortion safety takes center stage as Missouri trial enters second week

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Police investigating a deadly shooting in Lawrence have released the name of the teen who died as 18-year-old Aidan Knowles, according to a social media report from Lawrence police and the victim's father.

Just after 2a.m. Saturday, police were called to a reported shooting at the Hawk, 1340 Ohio Street in Lawrence, according to an online report from Lawrence Police.

First responders found two victims with gunshot wounds and several potential witnesses who told officers the suspects took off. While officers on scene tended to the victims, others flooded the surrounding area. Soon after, officers found a group of people matching the suspects’ descriptions walking just blocks away.

They were taken to the Lawrence Police Department to be questioned by detectives. Through the course of the investigation, probable cause was developed to suggest requesting charges on one suspect for first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and aggravated assault and requesting charges on a second suspect of felony murder and aggravated assault.

Both were booked into the Douglas County Correctional Facility.

Aidan Knowles, 18, was pronounced deceased at the scene. The second victim, a 16-year-old boy, was taken to an area trauma center for treatment of critical injuries.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768661951509.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY —Police investigating a deadly shooting in Lawrence have released the name of the teen who died as 18-year-old Aidan Knowles, according to a social media report from Lawrence police and the victim's father.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FLawrenceKansasPolice%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02HsMHi3uEe6EjkSWQcvMn3p2F31KdhE5Jnzsds9yW1e2NNwV5rC5Qr2HWeKe7HnjKl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="307" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>Just after 2a.m. Saturday, police were called to a reported shooting at the Hawk, 1340 Ohio Street in Lawrence, according to an online report from Lawrence Police.First responders found two victims with gunshot wounds and several potential witnesses who told officers the suspects took off. While officers on scene tended to the victims, others flooded the surrounding area. Soon after, officers found a group of people matching the suspects’ descriptions walking just blocks away.They were taken to the Lawrence Police Department to be questioned by detectives. Through the course of the investigation, probable cause was developed to suggest requesting charges on one suspect for first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and aggravated assault and requesting charges on a second suspect of felony murder and aggravated assault.Both were booked into the Douglas County Correctional Facility.Aidan Knowles, 18, was pronounced deceased at the scene. The second victim, a 16-year-old boy, was taken to an area trauma center for treatment of critical injuries.&nbsp;

Police ID teen who died in shooting outside bar near KU campus

KANSAS CITY —A firefighter was injured fighting a house fire Sunday in Kansas City, Missouri.

Just before 11a.m., Kansas City Fire Department&nbsp;companies were dispatched to a reported fire at Rochester and North Garland, according to Battalion Chief Riley Nolan.&nbsp;&nbsp;Crews reported smoke and fire showing from what appeared to be a vacant house in the 2500 block of Rochester Avenue.

 An offensive attack fire attack was initiated with 3 hose lines. A house to the west was exposed, suffering some fire damage to its exterior.&nbsp;While advancing the hose line, a partial roof collapse occurred and companies evacuated, continuing to fight the fire from the exterior.&nbsp;The fire was placed under control at 11:21 a.m.

One KCFD firefighter was transported to a local hospital for treatment of a minor injury. The cause of the fire is under investigation by KCPD Bomb and Arson. &nbsp;City Planning and Dangerous Buildings have been requested to the scene. Red Cross has also been requested to assist with the occupants of the house to the west that was damaged.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768791660316.jpeg" alt="Photo KCFD" />
 <figcaption>Photo KCFD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A firefighter was injured fighting a house fire Sunday in Kansas City, Missouri.Just before 11a.m., Kansas City Fire Department&nbsp;companies were dispatched to a reported fire at Rochester and North Garland, according to Battalion Chief Riley Nolan.&nbsp;&nbsp;Crews reported smoke and fire showing from what appeared to be a vacant house in the 2500 block of Rochester Avenue. An offensive attack fire attack was initiated with 3 hose lines. A house to the west was exposed, suffering some fire damage to its exterior.&nbsp;While advancing the hose line, a partial roof collapse occurred and companies evacuated, continuing to fight the fire from the exterior.&nbsp;The fire was placed under control at 11:21 a.m.One KCFD firefighter was transported to a local hospital for treatment of a minor injury. The cause of the fire is under investigation by KCPD Bomb and Arson. &nbsp;City Planning and Dangerous Buildings have been requested to the scene. Red Cross has also been requested to assist with the occupants of the house to the west that was damaged.

Firefighter injured fighting Kansas City house fire

KANSAS CITY —Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson announced charges against a Kansas City man for his involvement in a fatal shooting that took place at a gas station last year.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2801/Ramel-Morgan-Complaint-Red">Ramel A. Morgan</a>,20,&nbsp;faces 2nd Degree Murder and Armed Criminal Action.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768397290092.png" alt="Morgan photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Morgan photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson announced charges against a Kansas City man for his involvement in a fatal shooting that took place at a gas station last year.<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2801/Ramel-Morgan-Complaint-Red">Ramel A. Morgan</a>,20,&nbsp;faces 2nd Degree Murder and Armed Criminal Action.<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2800/Morgan-PC-Red">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police responded to a shooting at a gas station on December 7, 2025, and canvassed the area, but could not locate a victim or suspect.&nbsp;Detectives later learned the shooting victim from the gas station drove to a nearby hospital for treatment but died a short time later. The vehicle the victim arrived at the hospital in had multiple bullet strikes to the rear window frame, the rear windshield was shattered, and a bullet fragment was observed on the passenger-side spoiler. Officers recovered a handgun on the front passenger floorboard.&nbsp;Surveillance footage from the gas station showed that a gray Hyundai Sonata arrived and parked at the gas pumps. Several individuals exited the vehicle and entered the store. A short time later, a silver Ford Mustang, the victim’s vehicle, drove through the parking lot.While inside the store, the defendant was observed walking around holding a handgun. Eventually, he exited the store with a handgun visible in his left hand and approached the passenger side of the silver Mustang. The defendant and victim appeared to converse and after a brief exchange, the suspect pointed a firearm at the driver and fired multiple rounds into the vehicle before fleeing on foot. The silver Mustang left the parking lot.&nbsp;A Jackson County judge set the defendant’s bond at $200,000 cash only.&nbsp;*