Buck Wehrbein, a Nebraska cattleman, took over the role of NCBA president during CattleCon 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. 

Wehrbein has a 45-year career in the cattle feeding sector, so he brings decades of dedication to the industry and leadership experience to NCBA’s top post. He sees both challenges and opportunities ahead, but he’s confident that NCBA’s unifying presence will remain critical to addressing key issues facing farmers and ranchers. 

He’s particularly passionate about fostering opportunity for the next generation of producers, recognizing their ability to drive innovation and industry progress. 

“They’re ahead of where we were in my time,” he noted. “They understand the issues and are ready to make a difference.”

 Wehrbein’s focus during his time as president is to advocate for profit opportunities while strengthening the freedom to operate. 

“The overarching principle and aim of NCBA is to make things better for our members,” he said.

Buck Wehrbein, a Nebraska cattleman, took over the role of NCBA president during CattleCon 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. Wehrbein has a 45-year career in the cattle feeding sector, so he brings decades of dedication to the industry and leadership experience to NCBA’s top post. He sees both challenges and opportunities ahead, but he’s confident that NCBA’s unifying presence will remain critical to addressing key issues facing farmers and ranchers. He’s particularly passionate about fostering opportunity for the next generation of producers, recognizing their ability to drive innovation and industry progress. “They’re ahead of where we were in my time,” he noted. “They understand the issues and are ready to make a difference.” Wehrbein’s focus during his time as president is to advocate for profit opportunities while strengthening the freedom to operate. “The overarching principle and aim of NCBA is to make things better for our members,” he said.-NAFB

Nebraska cattlemen becomes new NCBA President

At the core of the argument, judges will have to decide whether a transgender boy can be considered male under the state’s human rights act

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

Missouri’s highest court heard arguments Tuesday over whether a school district’s denial of multi-stall bathrooms and locker rooms to a transgender student is a form of sex discrimination.

The case may decide if the Missouri Human Rights Act covers legal sex, such as when a birth certificate is amended after gender transition, or is limited to sex as assigned at birth. The MHRA makes it illegal to deny public accommodations on the basis of sex, among other restrictions.

The case was brought by a former student of the Blue Springs School District, referred to as his initials R.M.A. in court proceedings, who was barred from boys’ bathrooms and locker rooms at his high school.&nbsp;

R.M.A. is transgender and has gotten his birth certificate amended to reflect his identity as a man.

The case has an extensive history, dating back to an original complaint to the Missouri Human Rights Commission in 2014.

The parties have already visited the&nbsp;<a href="https://casetext.com/case/v-blue-springs-r-iv-sch-dist-blue-springs-sch-dist-bd-of-educ-1" target="_blank">Missouri Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;once before, arguing over a trial court’s dismissal of R.M.A.’s petition. The judges ruled that he had a right to a jury trial, and in 2021, a jury in Jackson County Circuit Court awarded R.M.A. over $4 million in damages.

Circuit Court Judge Cory Atkins threw out the jury’s decision after the school district asked for him to overrule it. Atkins found “the verdict to be against the weight of the evidence in that the sole and uncontradicted evidence at trial was the school district made its decisions based on genitalia, not sex.”

R.M.A. is appealing that decision, asking to revert to the jury’s decision. He&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=55996" target="_blank">argues</a>&nbsp;that being a man with female genitalia is covered under court precedent protecting sex characteristics, citing&nbsp;<a href="https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/490/228/" target="_blank">a 1989 case</a>&nbsp;where a woman was denied a promotion because she was “macho.”

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=47051" target="_blank">school district sees it differently</a>, saying this argument would mean the MHRA protects transgender status. The Missouri Supreme Court ruling in 2019 acknowledged that R.M.A alleged discrimination on the basis of sex, not transgender status.

Another key difference between the two sides is understanding of R.M.A.’s sex. His doctor testified in prior proceedings that he is a male, as his amended birth certificate reflects. But the school district’s attorney, Mark Katz, said definitions of sex, which look at reproductive organs and chromosomes, would label R.M.A. a female — regardless of his male gender identity.

Missouri Supreme Court Judge Zel Fischer, who wrote the dissenting opinion on the court’s prior ruling favoring R.M.A., asked Tuesday about the distinction.

“Is the element that he is a male, is that a question of fact or question of law?” Fischer asked R.M.A.’s attorney, Alexander Edelman. “What evidence is there that your client is a male?”

Edelman said the only expert testimony in trial court was R.M.A.’s doctor, who said he was a male.

In Edelman’s brief filed before oral arguments, he argues that the MHRA does not explicitly define sex as “biological sex.”

“Even after (the district) was provided with an amended birth certificate stating that (R.M.A.) is male, it failed to stop discriminating against him,” he wrote.

Edelman said the school discriminated against him because he wasn’t a stereotypical boy.

“It’s very clear that the plaintiff’s sex was the reason for this discrimination,” he said to the court. “In that he was a male who was assigned female at birth and so he differed from other males.”

Katz told the court that there has to be a basis for determining who belongs in sex-designated spaces, like bathrooms.

“We have decided as a society that we will not allow girls in the boys’ room and boys in the girls’ room. That’s why you have to prove that you belong in the room,” he said. “In order to be in the boys’ room, you have to be a boy.”

Judge Paul Wilson asked Katz about the sex stereotyping argument.

“His theory is that you have to be a boy but that you don’t have to be the kind of boy (the district) likes,” Wilson said. “It can be a different kind of boy, right?”

Katz said the definition of boy was misconstrued by the other side.

“When it comes to sex, it is our belief that you turn to the dictionary,” he said. “The dictionary refers to biological and reproductive characteristics and traits, and those biological characteristics and traits are what makes a person a particular sex.”

He repeated an argument from the school district’s brief that the school discriminated based on genitalia.

“The school district was going based on anatomy because that was its understanding of what was appropriate and best for its students and protection of students,” Katz said.

Edelman said no one has checked R.M.A. or other students to verify their anatomy. The birth certificate was the distinction, and Blue Springs School District had received a female birth certificate for R.M.A. prior.

If the court rules in R.M.A.’s favor and upholds the jury’s verdict, he would be due the $4 million in punitive damages and $175,000 in compensatory damages. It could also set a precedent for other cases involving transgender students’ use of school facilities.

<h2>At the core of the argument, judges will have to decide whether a transgender boy can be considered male under the state’s human rights act</h2>BY:&nbsp;ANNELISE HANSHAW <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>Missouri’s highest court heard arguments Tuesday over whether a school district’s denial of multi-stall bathrooms and locker rooms to a transgender student is a form of sex discrimination.The case may decide if the Missouri Human Rights Act covers legal sex, such as when a birth certificate is amended after gender transition, or is limited to sex as assigned at birth. The MHRA makes it illegal to deny public accommodations on the basis of sex, among other restrictions.The case was brought by a former student of the Blue Springs School District, referred to as his initials R.M.A. in court proceedings, who was barred from boys’ bathrooms and locker rooms at his high school.&nbsp;R.M.A. is transgender and has gotten his birth certificate amended to reflect his identity as a man.The case has an extensive history, dating back to an original complaint to the Missouri Human Rights Commission in 2014.The parties have already visited the&nbsp;<a href="https://casetext.com/case/v-blue-springs-r-iv-sch-dist-blue-springs-sch-dist-bd-of-educ-1" target="_blank">Missouri Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;once before, arguing over a trial court’s dismissal of R.M.A.’s petition. The judges ruled that he had a right to a jury trial, and in 2021, a jury in Jackson County Circuit Court awarded R.M.A. over $4 million in damages.Circuit Court Judge Cory Atkins threw out the jury’s decision after the school district asked for him to overrule it. Atkins found “the verdict to be against the weight of the evidence in that the sole and uncontradicted evidence at trial was the school district made its decisions based on genitalia, not sex.”R.M.A. is appealing that decision, asking to revert to the jury’s decision. He&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=55996" target="_blank">argues</a>&nbsp;that being a man with female genitalia is covered under court precedent protecting sex characteristics, citing&nbsp;<a href="https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/490/228/" target="_blank">a 1989 case</a>&nbsp;where a woman was denied a promotion because she was “macho.”The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=47051" target="_blank">school district sees it differently</a>, saying this argument would mean the MHRA protects transgender status. The Missouri Supreme Court ruling in 2019 acknowledged that R.M.A alleged discrimination on the basis of sex, not transgender status.Another key difference between the two sides is understanding of R.M.A.’s sex. His doctor testified in prior proceedings that he is a male, as his amended birth certificate reflects. But the school district’s attorney, Mark Katz, said definitions of sex, which look at reproductive organs and chromosomes, would label R.M.A. a female — regardless of his male gender identity.Missouri Supreme Court Judge Zel Fischer, who wrote the dissenting opinion on the court’s prior ruling favoring R.M.A., asked Tuesday about the distinction.“Is the element that he is a male, is that a question of fact or question of law?” Fischer asked R.M.A.’s attorney, Alexander Edelman. “What evidence is there that your client is a male?”Edelman said the only expert testimony in trial court was R.M.A.’s doctor, who said he was a male.In Edelman’s brief filed before oral arguments, he argues that the MHRA does not explicitly define sex as “biological sex.”“Even after (the district) was provided with an amended birth certificate stating that (R.M.A.) is male, it failed to stop discriminating against him,” he wrote.Edelman said the school discriminated against him because he wasn’t a stereotypical boy.“It’s very clear that the plaintiff’s sex was the reason for this discrimination,” he said to the court. “In that he was a male who was assigned female at birth and so he differed from other males.”Katz told the court that there has to be a basis for determining who belongs in sex-designated spaces, like bathrooms.“We have decided as a society that we will not allow girls in the boys’ room and boys in the girls’ room. That’s why you have to prove that you belong in the room,” he said. “In order to be in the boys’ room, you have to be a boy.”Judge Paul Wilson asked Katz about the sex stereotyping argument.“His theory is that you have to be a boy but that you don’t have to be the kind of boy (the district) likes,” Wilson said. “It can be a different kind of boy, right?”Katz said the definition of boy was misconstrued by the other side.“When it comes to sex, it is our belief that you turn to the dictionary,” he said. “The dictionary refers to biological and reproductive characteristics and traits, and those biological characteristics and traits are what makes a person a particular sex.”He repeated an argument from the school district’s brief that the school discriminated based on genitalia.“The school district was going based on anatomy because that was its understanding of what was appropriate and best for its students and protection of students,” Katz said.Edelman said no one has checked R.M.A. or other students to verify their anatomy. The birth certificate was the distinction, and Blue Springs School District had received a female birth certificate for R.M.A. prior.If the court rules in R.M.A.’s favor and upholds the jury’s verdict, he would be due the $4 million in punitive damages and $175,000 in compensatory damages. It could also set a precedent for other cases involving transgender students’ use of school facilities.

Mo. Supreme Court hears case on transgender student’s use of school bathrooms

(Radio Iowa) - A Winter Weather Advisory goes into effect at midnight from southwest Iowa into north-central and a Winter Weather Warning for southern and southeast Iowa. 

National Weather Service meterologist Andrew Ansorge says things are setting up for a big snow dump. He says we will see widespread snowfall, and the highest snowfall amounts will be across southern Iowa and northern Missouri where snow amounts of six to eight maybe even nine inches. 

Parts of northern Iowa got snow in the first round last night. Ansorge says round three will come at the end of the week.

(Radio Iowa) - A Winter Weather Advisory goes into effect at midnight from southwest Iowa into north-central and a Winter Weather Warning for southern and southeast Iowa. National Weather Service meterologist Andrew Ansorge says things are setting up for a big snow dump. He says we will see widespread snowfall, and the highest snowfall amounts will be across southern Iowa and northern Missouri where snow amounts of six to eight maybe even nine inches. Parts of northern Iowa got snow in the first round last night. Ansorge says round three will come at the end of the week.

More Snowfall Expected Tonight

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/bramsablesmith/">BRAM SABLE-SMITH</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/peggylowe/">PEGGY LOWE</a>&nbsp;

Emily Tavis was on a first date in December when she looked up and realized they were driving past the downtown Kansas City, Missouri, intersection where a bullet ripped through her leg at last year’s Super Bowl victory parade.

“Oh f—,” Tavis said, bewildering her date.

She lives 35 miles away in Leavenworth, Kansas, and hadn’t yet returned to Union Station, where the mass shooting happened. She felt like crying. Or maybe it was a panic attack. She held up a finger signaling to her date that she needed a moment. That’s when it hit him, too.

“Oh crap, I didn’t even realize,” he said, and kept driving in silence.

Tavis sucked in her tears until the station was out of view.

“So anyway,” she said aloud, while thinking to herself, “way to go. Panic attack, first date.”

A year after the Feb. 14 shooting that killed one and injured at least 24 people, the survivors and their families are still reeling. Relationships have strained. Parents are anxious about their children. The generous financial support and well wishes that poured through in early days have now dried up. And they’re ambivalent about the team they all root for; as the Chiefs moved on to another Super Bowl, many wondered why their beloved team hasn’t acknowledged what they have all been going through.

“I can’t believe the Chiefs didn’t do anything for us,” said Jacob Gooch Sr., who was shot in the foot. The team, the owner family’s foundation, and the National Football League gave a combined $200,000 to a fund for survivors, but Gooch said no one from the organization reached out to his family, three members of whom were shot.

What’s happening to these families is far from unusual. Many survivors emotionally freeze as a coping mechanism to avoid fully feeling the trauma they suffered. But with time, survivors experience what therapists call “thawing,” and the intensity of what happened can suddenly overpower them like it did Tavis.

“Trauma pulls us into the past,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-behrman-20322b7/" target="_blank">Gary Behrman</a>, a therapist who published a&nbsp;<a href="https://cretscmhd.psych.ucla.edu/nola/volunteer/EmpiricalStudies/Post-trauma%20intervention%20-%20basic%20tasks.pdf" target="_blank">model of crisis intervention</a>&nbsp;based on his work with witnesses of the 9/11 attacks in New York.

Sights, smells, sounds, tastes, and touches can all trigger flashbacks that shut down the brain like an overloaded circuit breaker. It’s a survival response, Behrman said; the brain is a friend.

The key to recovery is to help survivors find healthy ways to manage those triggers — when they are ready.

Survivors thaw at their own pace. Regaining control after a life-threatening event is a process that can take weeks, months, or years.

It can be hard not to feel forgotten when life carries on around them. As fans rallied around the Chiefs this season, survivors found it hard to watch the games. The Chiefs lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in Sunday’s Super Bowl. Philadelphia will hold its own parade on Friday, exactly one year after the shooting.

“It sucks because everybody else went on,” Jason Barton said. He performed CPR on a man he now thinks was one of the alleged shooters, his wife found a bullet slug in her backpack, and his stepdaughter was burned by sparks from a ricocheted bullet.

“If we were on the other side of that place, we would too,” he said. “It wouldn’t have affected us.”

Tavis isn’t the only survivor to have found herself unintentionally back at Union Station in the year since the shooting. Kids had field trips to Science City, located inside the station. Follow-up doctor visits were often on nearby Hospital Hill. An October dinner organized for survivors by a local faith-based group was less than a mile away, prompting one young survivor to decline the invitation.

Tavis had planned to return to Union Station as part of her healing process. She thought she would go on the one-year mark to have a moment alone to feel whatever emotions swept over her there.

Maybe God was showing her she was ready by placing her back there unexpectedly, her therapist told her. Maybe. But she didn’t feel ready in that moment.

Tavis wanted to see a therapist right after the shooting. But she didn’t seek one out until July, after the local United Way&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/kcstrong-fund-gunshot-victims-2-million-dollars/" target="_blank">distributed financial assistance</a>&nbsp;to survivors and relieved the months-long financial strain of lost work and medical bills incurred by many. Tavis and her partner at the time had&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/super-bowl-parade-shooting-survivors-donations-bills-wait-kansas-city/" target="_blank">taken out</a>&nbsp;an extra credit card to cover expenses while they waited for the promised help.

After two months of visits, her therapist started prepping Tavis for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, a technique to help trauma survivors. She now spends every other session making her way through a spreadsheet of memories from the parade, visualizing and reprocessing them one by one.

She’s nervous as the one-year mark approaches. It’s on Valentine’s Day, and she worries it’ll be depressing.

She decided to invite Gooch, her former partner, to come to Union Station with her that day. Despite everything, he’s the one who understands. They were at the parade together with their son and Jacob’s two older kids. Both Gooch Sr. and his older son, Jacob Gooch Jr., were also shot.

Gooch Sr. hasn’t worked since the parade. His job required standing for 10-hour shifts four days a week, but he couldn’t walk for months after a bullet shattered a bone in his foot and it slowly fused back together. He hoped to go back to work in July. But his foot didn’t heal correctly and he had surgery in August, followed by weeks of recovery.

His short-term disability ran out, as did his health insurance through work. His employer held his job for a while before releasing him in August. He’s applied for other jobs in and around Leavenworth: production, staffing agencies, auto repair. Nothing’s come through.

“We’ve all gone through problems, not just me,” Gooch Sr. said. “I got shot in my foot and haven’t worked for a year. There are people that have been through much worse stuff over the past year.”

He feels good walking now and can run short distances without pain. But he doesn’t know if he’ll ever play football again, a mainstay of his life since he can remember. He played safety for the semiprofessional&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcreapersfootball.com/" target="_blank">Kansas City Reapers</a>&nbsp;and, before the parade, the 38-year-old was considering making the 2024 season his last as a player.

“A lot more than football has been stolen from me in this last year. Like my whole life has been stolen from me,” Gooch Sr. said. “I really hate that part of it.”

And those emotions are painfully real. Trauma threatens our beliefs about ourselves, said Behrman, the therapist. Every person brings their own history to a traumatic event, a different identity that risks being shattered. The healing work that comes later often involves letting go and building something new.

Recently Gooch Sr. started going to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.faithwalkersoutreach.com/" target="_blank">new church</a>, led by the husband of someone he sang with in a children’s choir growing up. At a Sunday service this month, the pastor spoke about finding a path when you’re lost.

“I’m looking for the path. I’m in the grass right now,” Gooch Sr. said at his home later that evening.

“I’m obviously on a path, but I don’t know where I’m headed.”

Every day before Jason Barton goes to work, he asks his wife, Bridget, if he should stay home with her.

She’s said yes enough that he’s out of paid time off. Jason, who’s survived cancer and a heart attack, had to take unpaid leave in January when a bad case of the flu put him in the hospital. That’s real love, Bridget said with tearful eyes, sitting with Jason and her 14-year-old daughter, Gabriella, in their home in Osawatomie, Kansas.

Bridget has connected with the mother of another girl injured in the shooting. They’ve exchanged texts and voicemails throughout the year. It’s nice to have someone to talk to who gets it, Bridget said. They’re hoping to get the girls together to build a connection as well.

Except for a trip to therapy once a week, Bridget doesn’t leave the house much anymore. It can feel like a prison, she said, but she’s too scared to leave. “It’s my own internal hell,” she said. She keeps thinking about that bullet slug that lodged in her backpack. What if she’d been standing differently? What if they’d left 10 seconds earlier? Would things be different?

A Post-it note in her kitchen reminds her: “I’m safe. Gabriella is safe. I did the best I could.”

She carries a lot of guilt. About Jason staying home. About not leaving the house, even to see her grandkids. About wanting the family to go to the parade in the first place. At the same time, she knows she kind of thrived in the chaos after the shooting, taking charge of her daughter, talking to the police. It’s confusing.

The family has carried the trauma differently. In the six months after the parade, Jason watched reality TV shows that kept him out of his head — 23 seasons of “Deadliest Catch” and 21 seasons of “Gold Rush,” including spinoffs, he estimated. Lately he’s kept his mind occupied with a new hobby: building model cars and planes. He just finished a black 1968 Shelby Mustang, and next is an F4U-4 Corsair plane that Bridget got him.

Gabriella was unfazed about returning to Union Station for a class field trip to Science City, but she was startled when she saw a group of police officers inside the station. Her mom watched her location on her phone and texted her all day.

Gabriella took up boxing after the parade, then switched to wrestling. It had been going well, even felt empowering. But she’s stopped going, and Bridget thinks it’s partly due to the emotion of the anniversary — the first is always the hardest, her therapist said. Gabriella insisted that wrestling was just exhausting her.

Because they weren’t shot, the family didn’t benefit from resources available to other survivors. They understand that other families are recovering from bullet wounds or even mourning a death.

Still, it would be nice to have some acknowledgment of their emotional trauma. Their names have been in the news. You’d think the Chiefs would have at least sent a letter saying, “We’re sorry this happened to you,” Jason said.

Jason proposed to Bridget at a Chiefs game. Now watching games on TV triggers flashbacks.

“I want to be a part of Chiefs Kingdom again,” Bridget said, “but I just can’t. And that is a huge, really lonely feeling.”

‘There is a word called “resilience”’

One evening last October, survivors gathered with their families at a Mexican restaurant in downtown Kansas City.

Some came dressed in their Sunday best, some in red football jerseys. All ages, toddlers to 70-somethings, some from Missouri, some from Kansas. Some spoke only Spanish, some only English. Most of the two dozen people had never met before. But as they talked, they discovered the shooting that binds them also gave them a common language.

Two young boys realized they’d tossed a football during the jubilation before the violence erupted. A woman in her early 70s named Sarai Holguin remembered watching them play on that warm February day. After a blessing and dinner, Holguin, who was shot in the knee and has had four surgeries, stood to address the room.

“I was the first victim taken to the medical tent,” she said in Spanish, her words translated by a relative of another survivor. She saw everything, she explained, as, one by one, more survivors were brought to the tent for treatment, including Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a 43-year-old mother who was killed that day.

Yet in that tragedy, Holguin saw the beauty of people helping one another.

“This showed us that humanity is still alive, that love is still alive. There is a word called ‘resilience,’” Holguin said, the translator stumbling to understand the last word, as people in the audience caught it and shouted it out. “Resilience.”

“This word helps us overcome the problems we face,” Holguin said. “To try to put the tragic moment we all lived behind us and move on, we must remember the beautiful moments.”

This&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/the-injured-kansas-city-chiefs-parade-shooting-survivors-one-year-anniversary-trauma/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/" target="_blank">KFF Health News</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/about-us" target="_blank">KFF Health News</a>&nbsp;is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/about-us" target="_blank">KFF</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739298705005.png" alt="Emily Tavis in Leavenworth, Kansas, on Feb. 2. Tavis has been rebuilding her sense of safety and stability in the year since she was shot in the leg at last year’s Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl celebration (Christopher Smith for KFF Health News)." />
 <figcaption>Emily Tavis in Leavenworth, Kansas, on Feb. 2. Tavis has been rebuilding her sense of safety and stability in the year since she was shot in the leg at last year’s Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl celebration (Christopher Smith for KFF Health News).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/bramsablesmith/">BRAM SABLE-SMITH</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/peggylowe/">PEGGY LOWE</a>&nbsp;Emily Tavis was on a first date in December when she looked up and realized they were driving past the downtown Kansas City, Missouri, intersection where a bullet ripped through her leg at last year’s Super Bowl victory parade.“Oh f—,” Tavis said, bewildering her date.She lives 35 miles away in Leavenworth, Kansas, and hadn’t yet returned to Union Station, where the mass shooting happened. She felt like crying. Or maybe it was a panic attack. She held up a finger signaling to her date that she needed a moment. That’s when it hit him, too.“Oh crap, I didn’t even realize,” he said, and kept driving in silence.Tavis sucked in her tears until the station was out of view.“So anyway,” she said aloud, while thinking to herself, “way to go. Panic attack, first date.”A year after the Feb. 14 shooting that killed one and injured at least 24 people, the survivors and their families are still reeling. Relationships have strained. Parents are anxious about their children. The generous financial support and well wishes that poured through in early days have now dried up. And they’re ambivalent about the team they all root for; as the Chiefs moved on to another Super Bowl, many wondered why their beloved team hasn’t acknowledged what they have all been going through.“I can’t believe the Chiefs didn’t do anything for us,” said Jacob Gooch Sr., who was shot in the foot. The team, the owner family’s foundation, and the National Football League gave a combined $200,000 to a fund for survivors, but Gooch said no one from the organization reached out to his family, three members of whom were shot.What’s happening to these families is far from unusual. Many survivors emotionally freeze as a coping mechanism to avoid fully feeling the trauma they suffered. But with time, survivors experience what therapists call “thawing,” and the intensity of what happened can suddenly overpower them like it did Tavis.“Trauma pulls us into the past,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-behrman-20322b7/" target="_blank">Gary Behrman</a>, a therapist who published a&nbsp;<a href="https://cretscmhd.psych.ucla.edu/nola/volunteer/EmpiricalStudies/Post-trauma%20intervention%20-%20basic%20tasks.pdf" target="_blank">model of crisis intervention</a>&nbsp;based on his work with witnesses of the 9/11 attacks in New York.Sights, smells, sounds, tastes, and touches can all trigger flashbacks that shut down the brain like an overloaded circuit breaker. It’s a survival response, Behrman said; the brain is a friend.The key to recovery is to help survivors find healthy ways to manage those triggers — when they are ready.Survivors thaw at their own pace. Regaining control after a life-threatening event is a process that can take weeks, months, or years.It can be hard not to feel forgotten when life carries on around them. As fans rallied around the Chiefs this season, survivors found it hard to watch the games. The Chiefs lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in Sunday’s Super Bowl. Philadelphia will hold its own parade on Friday, exactly one year after the shooting.“It sucks because everybody else went on,” Jason Barton said. He performed CPR on a man he now thinks was one of the alleged shooters, his wife found a bullet slug in her backpack, and his stepdaughter was burned by sparks from a ricocheted bullet.“If we were on the other side of that place, we would too,” he said. “It wouldn’t have affected us.”<h2>A trip back to Union Station</h2>Tavis isn’t the only survivor to have found herself unintentionally back at Union Station in the year since the shooting. Kids had field trips to Science City, located inside the station. Follow-up doctor visits were often on nearby Hospital Hill. An October dinner organized for survivors by a local faith-based group was less than a mile away, prompting one young survivor to decline the invitation.Tavis had planned to return to Union Station as part of her healing process. She thought she would go on the one-year mark to have a moment alone to feel whatever emotions swept over her there.Maybe God was showing her she was ready by placing her back there unexpectedly, her therapist told her. Maybe. But she didn’t feel ready in that moment.Tavis wanted to see a therapist right after the shooting. But she didn’t seek one out until July, after the local United Way&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/kcstrong-fund-gunshot-victims-2-million-dollars/" target="_blank">distributed financial assistance</a>&nbsp;to survivors and relieved the months-long financial strain of lost work and medical bills incurred by many. Tavis and her partner at the time had&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/super-bowl-parade-shooting-survivors-donations-bills-wait-kansas-city/" target="_blank">taken out</a>&nbsp;an extra credit card to cover expenses while they waited for the promised help.After two months of visits, her therapist started prepping Tavis for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, a technique to help trauma survivors. She now spends every other session making her way through a spreadsheet of memories from the parade, visualizing and reprocessing them one by one.She’s nervous as the one-year mark approaches. It’s on Valentine’s Day, and she worries it’ll be depressing.She decided to invite Gooch, her former partner, to come to Union Station with her that day. Despite everything, he’s the one who understands. They were at the parade together with their son and Jacob’s two older kids. Both Gooch Sr. and his older son, Jacob Gooch Jr., were also shot.<h2>Trauma changes who we are</h2>Gooch Sr. hasn’t worked since the parade. His job required standing for 10-hour shifts four days a week, but he couldn’t walk for months after a bullet shattered a bone in his foot and it slowly fused back together. He hoped to go back to work in July. But his foot didn’t heal correctly and he had surgery in August, followed by weeks of recovery.His short-term disability ran out, as did his health insurance through work. His employer held his job for a while before releasing him in August. He’s applied for other jobs in and around Leavenworth: production, staffing agencies, auto repair. Nothing’s come through.“We’ve all gone through problems, not just me,” Gooch Sr. said. “I got shot in my foot and haven’t worked for a year. There are people that have been through much worse stuff over the past year.”He feels good walking now and can run short distances without pain. But he doesn’t know if he’ll ever play football again, a mainstay of his life since he can remember. He played safety for the semiprofessional&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcreapersfootball.com/" target="_blank">Kansas City Reapers</a>&nbsp;and, before the parade, the 38-year-old was considering making the 2024 season his last as a player.“A lot more than football has been stolen from me in this last year. Like my whole life has been stolen from me,” Gooch Sr. said. “I really hate that part of it.”And those emotions are painfully real. Trauma threatens our beliefs about ourselves, said Behrman, the therapist. Every person brings their own history to a traumatic event, a different identity that risks being shattered. The healing work that comes later often involves letting go and building something new.Recently Gooch Sr. started going to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.faithwalkersoutreach.com/" target="_blank">new church</a>, led by the husband of someone he sang with in a children’s choir growing up. At a Sunday service this month, the pastor spoke about finding a path when you’re lost.“I’m looking for the path. I’m in the grass right now,” Gooch Sr. said at his home later that evening.“I’m obviously on a path, but I don’t know where I’m headed.”<h2>‘I did the best I could’</h2>Every day before Jason Barton goes to work, he asks his wife, Bridget, if he should stay home with her.She’s said yes enough that he’s out of paid time off. Jason, who’s survived cancer and a heart attack, had to take unpaid leave in January when a bad case of the flu put him in the hospital. That’s real love, Bridget said with tearful eyes, sitting with Jason and her 14-year-old daughter, Gabriella, in their home in Osawatomie, Kansas.Bridget has connected with the mother of another girl injured in the shooting. They’ve exchanged texts and voicemails throughout the year. It’s nice to have someone to talk to who gets it, Bridget said. They’re hoping to get the girls together to build a connection as well.Except for a trip to therapy once a week, Bridget doesn’t leave the house much anymore. It can feel like a prison, she said, but she’s too scared to leave. “It’s my own internal hell,” she said. She keeps thinking about that bullet slug that lodged in her backpack. What if she’d been standing differently? What if they’d left 10 seconds earlier? Would things be different?A Post-it note in her kitchen reminds her: “I’m safe. Gabriella is safe. I did the best I could.”She carries a lot of guilt. About Jason staying home. About not leaving the house, even to see her grandkids. About wanting the family to go to the parade in the first place. At the same time, she knows she kind of thrived in the chaos after the shooting, taking charge of her daughter, talking to the police. It’s confusing.The family has carried the trauma differently. In the six months after the parade, Jason watched reality TV shows that kept him out of his head — 23 seasons of “Deadliest Catch” and 21 seasons of “Gold Rush,” including spinoffs, he estimated. Lately he’s kept his mind occupied with a new hobby: building model cars and planes. He just finished a black 1968 Shelby Mustang, and next is an F4U-4 Corsair plane that Bridget got him.Gabriella was unfazed about returning to Union Station for a class field trip to Science City, but she was startled when she saw a group of police officers inside the station. Her mom watched her location on her phone and texted her all day.Gabriella took up boxing after the parade, then switched to wrestling. It had been going well, even felt empowering. But she’s stopped going, and Bridget thinks it’s partly due to the emotion of the anniversary — the first is always the hardest, her therapist said. Gabriella insisted that wrestling was just exhausting her.Because they weren’t shot, the family didn’t benefit from resources available to other survivors. They understand that other families are recovering from bullet wounds or even mourning a death.Still, it would be nice to have some acknowledgment of their emotional trauma. Their names have been in the news. You’d think the Chiefs would have at least sent a letter saying, “We’re sorry this happened to you,” Jason said.Jason proposed to Bridget at a Chiefs game. Now watching games on TV triggers flashbacks.“I want to be a part of Chiefs Kingdom again,” Bridget said, “but I just can’t. And that is a huge, really lonely feeling.”<h2>‘There is a word called “resilience”’</h2>One evening last October, survivors gathered with their families at a Mexican restaurant in downtown Kansas City.Some came dressed in their Sunday best, some in red football jerseys. All ages, toddlers to 70-somethings, some from Missouri, some from Kansas. Some spoke only Spanish, some only English. Most of the two dozen people had never met before. But as they talked, they discovered the shooting that binds them also gave them a common language.Two young boys realized they’d tossed a football during the jubilation before the violence erupted. A woman in her early 70s named Sarai Holguin remembered watching them play on that warm February day. After a blessing and dinner, Holguin, who was shot in the knee and has had four surgeries, stood to address the room.“I was the first victim taken to the medical tent,” she said in Spanish, her words translated by a relative of another survivor. She saw everything, she explained, as, one by one, more survivors were brought to the tent for treatment, including Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a 43-year-old mother who was killed that day.Yet in that tragedy, Holguin saw the beauty of people helping one another.“This showed us that humanity is still alive, that love is still alive. There is a word called ‘resilience,’” Holguin said, the translator stumbling to understand the last word, as people in the audience caught it and shouted it out. “Resilience.”“This word helps us overcome the problems we face,” Holguin said. “To try to put the tragic moment we all lived behind us and move on, we must remember the beautiful moments.”This&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/the-injured-kansas-city-chiefs-parade-shooting-survivors-one-year-anniversary-trauma/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/" target="_blank">KFF Health News</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/about-us" target="_blank">KFF Health News</a>&nbsp;is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/about-us" target="_blank">KFF</a>.

A year after KC Super Bowl parade shooting, trauma freeze gives way to turmoil for survivors

The Missouri Department Transportation is preparing for another winter storm.  

Northwest District Maintenace and Traffic Engineer Greg Bolon says before the storm crews have been out treating the roads with a salt brine 

"All that is is basically liquid salt if you will, the water evaporates and it leaves residual salt crystals on the roadway that way whenever the snow starts falling it will actually react with that salt that's left there and create more brine," Bolon tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.  "And hopefully it will keep the precip that's falling from bonding to the pavement and that makes it an easier job for cleaning up." 

Bolon says despite last month's major storm; the department is still well prepared with materials.  

However, Bolon points out the difficult part of having storms like this, with another high chance of snow this weekend, it taxes their resources. 

"You're working 12 hour shifts back-to-back to back and so that's tough, and it's also hard on the equipment because the employees are working 12-hour days, but the equipment is working 24/7 non-stop," Bolon explains.  "And so, you tend to have more minor issues with stuff, windshield wipers need replaced, snowplow blades need replaced, and just when you're running equipment that hard for that long, it takes a toll." 

Bolon says though unlike last month's this storm seems like it will be more gradual rather than the blinding snow that made for difficult driving conditions.  

Bolon says after fighting that, some of MoDOT's newer snowplow drivers are geared up for this storm.  

"I think we kind of got some of our drivers baptized under fire if you will with that last storm, but I think they are trained up and ready to go," Bolon says.  "And I would rather see us in the snowplowing than having to fight with sleet, freezing rain, and ice, because those are harder conditions to deal with." 

Bolon advises drivers to stay inside during the winter storm if they don't have to get out.  

"But if you are out and you see a MoDOT truck, understand that we're not plowing at 50, 60, 70 miles per hour, that truck is going slow, so you're going to come upon it quicker," Bolon points out.  "They're going to be salting behind it or they may be pushing snow, so your visibility probably going to be less around a MoDOT truck that is plowing snow, because wind you may see this snow cloud around it, just give us room." 

The National Weather Service is projecting five to eight inches of snow to fall tomorrow.  A Winter Storm Warning is in effect until 9pm tomorrow night. 

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739305585310.jpeg" alt="File photo" />
 <figcaption>File photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post The Missouri Department Transportation is preparing for another winter storm. Northwest District Maintenace and Traffic Engineer Greg Bolon says before the storm crews have been out treating the roads with a salt brine "All that is is basically liquid salt if you will, the water evaporates and it leaves residual salt crystals on the roadway that way whenever the snow starts falling it will actually react with that salt that's left there and create more brine," Bolon tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "And hopefully it will keep the precip that's falling from bonding to the pavement and that makes it an easier job for cleaning up." Bolon says despite last month's major storm; the department is still well prepared with materials. However, Bolon points out the difficult part of having storms like this, with another high chance of snow this weekend, it taxes their resources. "You're working 12 hour shifts back-to-back to back and so that's tough, and it's also hard on the equipment because the employees are working 12-hour days, but the equipment is working 24/7 non-stop," Bolon explains. "And so, you tend to have more minor issues with stuff, windshield wipers need replaced, snowplow blades need replaced, and just when you're running equipment that hard for that long, it takes a toll." Bolon says though unlike last month's this storm seems like it will be more gradual rather than the blinding snow that made for difficult driving conditions. Bolon says after fighting that, some of MoDOT's newer snowplow drivers are geared up for this storm. "I think we kind of got some of our drivers baptized under fire if you will with that last storm, but I think they are trained up and ready to go," Bolon says. "And I would rather see us in the snowplowing than having to fight with sleet, freezing rain, and ice, because those are harder conditions to deal with." Bolon advises drivers to stay inside during the winter storm if they don't have to get out. "But if you are out and you see a MoDOT truck, understand that we're not plowing at 50, 60, 70 miles per hour, that truck is going slow, so you're going to come upon it quicker," Bolon points out. "They're going to be salting behind it or they may be pushing snow, so your visibility probably going to be less around a MoDOT truck that is plowing snow, because wind you may see this snow cloud around it, just give us room." The National Weather Service is projecting five to eight inches of snow to fall tomorrow. A Winter Storm Warning is in effect until 9pm tomorrow night. You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

MoDOT preparing for next bout with winter weather

EL SEGUNDO, CA— Tri-Union Seafoods has made the decision to voluntarily recall select lots of canned tuna products sold under the Genova®, Van Camp’s®, H-E-B and Trader Joe’s brand names, according to a statement from the USDA.

<a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/tri-union-seafoods-issues-recall-select-genovar-van-campsr-h-e-b-and-trader-joesr-tuna-cans-due">Click here to see</a>&nbsp;the list.

This voluntary recall is out of an abundance of caution following the notification from our supplier that the “easy open” pull tab can lid on limited products encountered a manufacturing defect that may compromise the integrity of the product seal (especially over time), causing it to leak, or worse, be contaminated with clostridium botulinum, a potentially fatal form of food poisoning. Consumers are warned not to use the product even if it does not look or smell spoiled. Consumers feeling unwell should seek immediate medical attention. No illnesses associated with the recalled products have been reported and the recall is being conducted to ensure consumer safety.

The impacted products were distributed to retail stores as follows:

Recalled products include specific can codes and Best if Used By dates indicated on the bottom of the cans, and UPC numbers listed below.

If you have a recalled tuna can, please return it to the retailer for a full refund, throw it away, or contact Tri-Union Seafoods directly for a retrieval kit and a coupon for a replacement product. Consumers can contact Tri-Union Seafoods at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:support@thaiunionhelp.zendesk.com">support@thaiunionhelp.zendesk.com</a>&nbsp;or 833-374-0171, if they have any questions or to request replacement product. The toll-free number hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST.

This recall does not impact any other Tri-Union Seafoods products, as no other product packaging was impacted by this potential defect. Tri-Union Seafoods is committed to upholding the highest safety and quality standards.

EL SEGUNDO, CA— Tri-Union Seafoods has made the decision to voluntarily recall select lots of canned tuna products sold under the Genova®, Van Camp’s®, H-E-B and Trader Joe’s brand names, according to a statement from the USDA.<a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/tri-union-seafoods-issues-recall-select-genovar-van-campsr-h-e-b-and-trader-joesr-tuna-cans-due">Click here to see</a>&nbsp;the list.This voluntary recall is out of an abundance of caution following the notification from our supplier that the “easy open” pull tab can lid on limited products encountered a manufacturing defect that may compromise the integrity of the product seal (especially over time), causing it to leak, or worse, be contaminated with clostridium botulinum, a potentially fatal form of food poisoning. Consumers are warned not to use the product even if it does not look or smell spoiled. Consumers feeling unwell should seek immediate medical attention. No illnesses associated with the recalled products have been reported and the recall is being conducted to ensure consumer safety.The impacted products were distributed to retail stores as follows:<ul>
 <li>H-E-B label - Texas</li><li>Trader Joe’s label – Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington D.C., and Wisconsin</li><li>Genova 7 oz. - Costco in Florida and Georgia</li><li>Genova 5 oz. - Harris Teeter, Publix, H-E-B, Kroger, Safeway, Walmart, and independent retailers in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Texas</li><li>Van Camp’s label – Walmart and independent retailers in Pennsylvania, Florida and New Jersey</li>
 </ul>Recalled products include specific can codes and Best if Used By dates indicated on the bottom of the cans, and UPC numbers listed below.If you have a recalled tuna can, please return it to the retailer for a full refund, throw it away, or contact Tri-Union Seafoods directly for a retrieval kit and a coupon for a replacement product. Consumers can contact Tri-Union Seafoods at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:support@thaiunionhelp.zendesk.com">support@thaiunionhelp.zendesk.com</a>&nbsp;or 833-374-0171, if they have any questions or to request replacement product. The toll-free number hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST.This recall does not impact any other Tri-Union Seafoods products, as no other product packaging was impacted by this potential defect. Tri-Union Seafoods is committed to upholding the highest safety and quality standards.

Canned tuna sold at stores in Missouri, Kansas recalled for botulism risk

(Radio Iowa) - Governor Kim Reynolds is backing a plan to charge students from the six states that surround Iowa the same, lower tuition rate Iowa residents pay at the University of Northern Iowa. U-N-I president Mark Nook says it's a creative approach grow Iowa's population -- and fill jobs.

Between 45 to 50 percent of U-N-I graduates wind up taking a job in Iowa. Nook estimates if legislators approve the plan, earch year up to 300 out-of-state students who graduate from U-N-I would work in Iowa after graduation. 

Governor Kim Reynolds is recommending the legislature provide U-N-I with three million dollars a year to replace the proposed reduction in out of state tuition.

(Radio Iowa) - Governor Kim Reynolds is backing a plan to charge students from the six states that surround Iowa the same, lower tuition rate Iowa residents pay at the University of Northern Iowa. U-N-I president Mark Nook says it's a creative approach grow Iowa's population -- and fill jobs.Between 45 to 50 percent of U-N-I graduates wind up taking a job in Iowa. Nook estimates if legislators approve the plan, earch year up to 300 out-of-state students who graduate from U-N-I would work in Iowa after graduation. Governor Kim Reynolds is recommending the legislature provide U-N-I with three million dollars a year to replace the proposed reduction in out of state tuition.

Plan would let out-of-state UNI students pay in-state tuition rate

As part of the project, Missouri has been doing research on ways to help farmers combat diseases that can decimate soybean crops

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jazmynemartinez/">JAZMYNE MARTINEZ</a>

A major soybean research project, which collaborates with the University of Missouri, will shut down April 15 due to President Donald Trump’s dismantling of funding to the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The Soybean Innovation Lab, based at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, formed in 2011 to provide researchers and organizations with the resources needed to advance soybean development. The lab is comprised of over 100 technical soybean experts from 24 countries, each representing a variety of institutions.

The land grant system will lose 19 innovation labs across 17 states, including Missouri.

MU has been involved in the Soybean Innovation Lab since 2013, said Kerry Clark, an MU researcher who leads the mechanization division for the lab. Clark said MU’s sector of the Soybean Innovation Lab research received $1.2 million, or about $150,000 annually, before losing funding.

As part of the project, Missouri has been doing research on African soybean diseases that would help Missouri farmers combat a disease that can decimate soybean crops. The research found diseases in African soybean crops that could be prevented in Missouri and abroad, Clark said.

“(The cease in funding and the end of the project) puts us many years behind now in trying to combat soybean rust, which is a disease that can take out soybean crops entirely,” Clark said.

In Missouri, soybeans cover more than 5 million acres of the state every year. Soybeans are the No. 1 crop in Missouri, leading in both acreage and value, according to the Missouri Soybean Center. The economic health of Missouri depends on the growth of soybeans because the yearly on-farm value of soybeans is greater than $2.5 billion.

“Soybeans are such an important crop for the state of Missouri,” said Brady Deaton, a former MU chancellor and member of the Soybean Innovation Lab advisory board. “ … So new knowledge, which is being generated by this innovation lab, flows to all producers and consumers of soybeans, and in that sense, has some direct effect.”

Deaton said the end of the project will affect knowledge about soybean breeding, soybean diseases and the uses of technology in Africa and other parts of the world.

Missouri’s research pioneered new technologies, particularly threshing, which is the process of removing the soybeans from their pods . The research also focused on the uses of soybeans and nutrition, and understanding how it was being used for feeding both people and livestock, Deaton said.

The funding disruption also cuts off relationships between the research, business and government sector, said a social media statement from Peter Goldsmith, the director of the Soybean Innovation Lab. He said the labs will lose relationships and collaboration with local businesses, organizations and government.

“U.S. soybean farmers lose one of their best tools to expand their markets and U.S. standards globally,” Goldsmith said in his post. “Local economies in emerging markets lose soybean as an incomparable engine growing wealth, prosperity, and economic development.”

The story goes deeper than just Missouri soybeans. Since his inauguration Jan. 20, Trump has attempted to gut funding and staff from the U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID, according to The Associated Press. These cuts directly affected the Soybean Innovation Lab. The USAID distributes federal humanitarian aid to other countries.

Deaton said the soybean research fit into the goals of the USAID because it addressed high priority issues, including human and economic development around the world.

“The sudden cessation or cutting of the funds is just very damaging we will find,” Deaton said. “I think, to the efforts of the United States and its foreign policy to bring about positive, meaningful change in those parts of the world where it’s working, and it works in very targeted ways, in some of the poorest countries.”

This story originally appeared in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/higher_education/mu-soybean-research-project-shuts-down-as-trump-cuts-off-funding/article_75729912-e7ca-11ef-a4f7-7b6dd7815f44.html" target="_blank">Columbia Missourian</a>. It can be republished in print or online.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701186272628.jpeg" alt="courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>As part of the project, Missouri has been doing research on ways to help farmers combat diseases that can decimate soybean crops</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jazmynemartinez/">JAZMYNE MARTINEZ</a>A major soybean research project, which collaborates with the University of Missouri, will shut down April 15 due to President Donald Trump’s dismantling of funding to the U.S. Agency for International Development.The Soybean Innovation Lab, based at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, formed in 2011 to provide researchers and organizations with the resources needed to advance soybean development. The lab is comprised of over 100 technical soybean experts from 24 countries, each representing a variety of institutions.The land grant system will lose 19 innovation labs across 17 states, including Missouri.MU has been involved in the Soybean Innovation Lab since 2013, said Kerry Clark, an MU researcher who leads the mechanization division for the lab. Clark said MU’s sector of the Soybean Innovation Lab research received $1.2 million, or about $150,000 annually, before losing funding.As part of the project, Missouri has been doing research on African soybean diseases that would help Missouri farmers combat a disease that can decimate soybean crops. The research found diseases in African soybean crops that could be prevented in Missouri and abroad, Clark said.“(The cease in funding and the end of the project) puts us many years behind now in trying to combat soybean rust, which is a disease that can take out soybean crops entirely,” Clark said.In Missouri, soybeans cover more than 5 million acres of the state every year. Soybeans are the No. 1 crop in Missouri, leading in both acreage and value, according to the Missouri Soybean Center. The economic health of Missouri depends on the growth of soybeans because the yearly on-farm value of soybeans is greater than $2.5 billion.“Soybeans are such an important crop for the state of Missouri,” said Brady Deaton, a former MU chancellor and member of the Soybean Innovation Lab advisory board. “ … So new knowledge, which is being generated by this innovation lab, flows to all producers and consumers of soybeans, and in that sense, has some direct effect.”Deaton said the end of the project will affect knowledge about soybean breeding, soybean diseases and the uses of technology in Africa and other parts of the world.Missouri’s research pioneered new technologies, particularly threshing, which is the process of removing the soybeans from their pods . The research also focused on the uses of soybeans and nutrition, and understanding how it was being used for feeding both people and livestock, Deaton said.The funding disruption also cuts off relationships between the research, business and government sector, said a social media statement from Peter Goldsmith, the director of the Soybean Innovation Lab. He said the labs will lose relationships and collaboration with local businesses, organizations and government.“U.S. soybean farmers lose one of their best tools to expand their markets and U.S. standards globally,” Goldsmith said in his post. “Local economies in emerging markets lose soybean as an incomparable engine growing wealth, prosperity, and economic development.”The story goes deeper than just Missouri soybeans. Since his inauguration Jan. 20, Trump has attempted to gut funding and staff from the U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID, according to The Associated Press. These cuts directly affected the Soybean Innovation Lab. The USAID distributes federal humanitarian aid to other countries.Deaton said the soybean research fit into the goals of the USAID because it addressed high priority issues, including human and economic development around the world.“The sudden cessation or cutting of the funds is just very damaging we will find,” Deaton said. “I think, to the efforts of the United States and its foreign policy to bring about positive, meaningful change in those parts of the world where it’s working, and it works in very targeted ways, in some of the poorest countries.”This story originally appeared in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/higher_education/mu-soybean-research-project-shuts-down-as-trump-cuts-off-funding/article_75729912-e7ca-11ef-a4f7-7b6dd7815f44.html" target="_blank">Columbia Missourian</a>. It can be republished in print or online.&nbsp;

Missouri soybean research project shuts down as Trump cuts off funding

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

Universities and hospitals are among the institutions that would need to cut their budget under proposed changes to how medical research grants are funded by the National Institutes of Health

Missouri universities and research organizations will need to cut about $100 million from administrative costs for research funded last year by the National Institutes of Health or replace the money from other sources if President Donald Trump’s attempt to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/10/repub/research-universities-medical-schools-reel-from-trumps-catastrophic-nih-funding-cut/">reduce indirect costs</a>&nbsp;is successful.

There were&nbsp;<a href="https://report.nih.gov/award/index.cfm?ot=&amp;fy=2024&amp;state=MO&amp;ic=&amp;fm=&amp;orgid=&amp;distr=&amp;rfa=&amp;om=n&amp;pid=&amp;view=statedetail" target="_blank">1,553 grants worth $901 million</a>&nbsp;issued by the NIH to Missouri institutions during the most recent federal fiscal year. The recipients reported spending as much as 30% of their grant on indirect costs to support their research.

The grants allow research into medical problems, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://medicine.washu.edu/news/washu-medicine-leads-two-major-pandemic-preparedness-research-projects/" target="_blank">pandemic preparedness</a>&nbsp;or the control of infections acquired in hospitals, as well as agriculture and veterinary research including the Swine Resource Center at the University of Missouri or public health problems such as how policies on E-cigarettes impact youth tobacco use.

A federal judge on Monday evening issued a temporary restraining order blocking the cuts in response to a lawsuit&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/10/repub/federal-judge-orders-all-grant-and-loan-payments-must-be-resumed-by-trump-administration/">joined by 22 states</a>, not including Missouri. The order covered all federal funding cuts made since Trump took office Jan. 20.

By far the biggest recipient was Washington University in St. Louis, which received 1,192 grants totaling $732 million, followed by the 162 grants worth almost $70 to the&nbsp;<a href="https://undergradresearch.missouri.edu/mizzou-and-the-nih/" target="_blank">University of Missouri’s Columbia campus</a>.

Both universities spend well above the 15% cap on indirect costs set as the goal for NIH research under the new policy.Other significant recipients of NIH grants in Missouri include St. Louis University, which received 63 worth $25.8 million; Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, which landed 26 grants worth $9.7 million; and the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, which received 19 grants worth $5.1 million in the most recent fiscal year.

Washington University reported it will have about $189 million in indirect costs for its grants, or about 26% of the total. The University of Missouri reported its indirect costs will be about $21 million, or 30% of the amount awarded.

In a message to the&nbsp;<a href="https://andrewdmartin.washu.edu/update-on-research-funding/" target="_blank">Washington University campus</a>, Chancellor Andrew Martin said the campus administration is reviewing the new rule, which will “have a significant impact on institutions like WashU” and is working to get the new rule reversed.

“We’re mobilized on multiple fronts,” Martin wrote. “Our leadership team is closely reviewing the policy, and our government relations team is engaging with congressional representatives and others to ensure that they understand the consequences of these cuts and are encouraged to act to address this threat to research and its many benefits to society.”

To get indirect costs below 15% for the grants awarded in fiscal 2024, Washington University would have to cut about $80 million in administrative expenses or find it from other sources.

At the University of Missouri, indirect costs exceed the new threshold by about $10 million for the Columbia campus. There are a handful of grants for the other three campuses — University of Missouri-Kansas City, University of Missouri-St. Louis and Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla — that would add about $1.7 million to that amount.

The university system administration was unable to say Monday whether it would cut costs — likely resulting in job losses — or cover the shortfall from other resources.

NIH funding supports research in agriculture, biomedical sciences and advanced technologies at the university, according to a statement issued by University of Missouri spokesman Christopher Ave.

The change in indirect funding “would mean significant annual reductions in funding for our vital NIH-sponsored research that saves lives, creates jobs, enhances national security and improves quality of life for people in every part of our state and across the nation,” Ave said. Like Washington University, the UM System is working to get the decision reversed, the statement said.

“Our leadership is communicating with key stakeholders in government, the private sector, other universities and other communities,” Ave said.. “Leaders of our campuses have directed faculty and staff working on NIH and other federal grants to continue their important research and to keep submitting NIH proposals as well as other federal agency grants as we further assess the situation.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739278458115.png" alt=" A National Institutes of Health Pediatric Oncology Branch POB researcher's lab jacket. The NIH is seeking to implement a policy capping overhead costs in research, a move that could cost Missouri institutions about $100 million. (Photo credit: NIH)" />
 <figcaption> A National Institutes of Health Pediatric Oncology Branch POB researcher's lab jacket. The NIH is seeking to implement a policy capping overhead costs in research, a move that could cost Missouri institutions about $100 million. (Photo credit: NIH)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a><h2>Universities and hospitals are among the institutions that would need to cut their budget under proposed changes to how medical research grants are funded by the National Institutes of Health</h2>Missouri universities and research organizations will need to cut about $100 million from administrative costs for research funded last year by the National Institutes of Health or replace the money from other sources if President Donald Trump’s attempt to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/10/repub/research-universities-medical-schools-reel-from-trumps-catastrophic-nih-funding-cut/">reduce indirect costs</a>&nbsp;is successful.There were&nbsp;<a href="https://report.nih.gov/award/index.cfm?ot=&amp;fy=2024&amp;state=MO&amp;ic=&amp;fm=&amp;orgid=&amp;distr=&amp;rfa=&amp;om=n&amp;pid=&amp;view=statedetail" target="_blank">1,553 grants worth $901 million</a>&nbsp;issued by the NIH to Missouri institutions during the most recent federal fiscal year. The recipients reported spending as much as 30% of their grant on indirect costs to support their research.The grants allow research into medical problems, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://medicine.washu.edu/news/washu-medicine-leads-two-major-pandemic-preparedness-research-projects/" target="_blank">pandemic preparedness</a>&nbsp;or the control of infections acquired in hospitals, as well as agriculture and veterinary research including the Swine Resource Center at the University of Missouri or public health problems such as how policies on E-cigarettes impact youth tobacco use.A federal judge on Monday evening issued a temporary restraining order blocking the cuts in response to a lawsuit&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/10/repub/federal-judge-orders-all-grant-and-loan-payments-must-be-resumed-by-trump-administration/">joined by 22 states</a>, not including Missouri. The order covered all federal funding cuts made since Trump took office Jan. 20.By far the biggest recipient was Washington University in St. Louis, which received 1,192 grants totaling $732 million, followed by the 162 grants worth almost $70 to the&nbsp;<a href="https://undergradresearch.missouri.edu/mizzou-and-the-nih/" target="_blank">University of Missouri’s Columbia campus</a>.Both universities spend well above the 15% cap on indirect costs set as the goal for NIH research under the new policy.Other significant recipients of NIH grants in Missouri include St. Louis University, which received 63 worth $25.8 million; Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, which landed 26 grants worth $9.7 million; and the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, which received 19 grants worth $5.1 million in the most recent fiscal year.Washington University reported it will have about $189 million in indirect costs for its grants, or about 26% of the total. The University of Missouri reported its indirect costs will be about $21 million, or 30% of the amount awarded.In a message to the&nbsp;<a href="https://andrewdmartin.washu.edu/update-on-research-funding/" target="_blank">Washington University campus</a>, Chancellor Andrew Martin said the campus administration is reviewing the new rule, which will “have a significant impact on institutions like WashU” and is working to get the new rule reversed.“We’re mobilized on multiple fronts,” Martin wrote. “Our leadership team is closely reviewing the policy, and our government relations team is engaging with congressional representatives and others to ensure that they understand the consequences of these cuts and are encouraged to act to address this threat to research and its many benefits to society.”To get indirect costs below 15% for the grants awarded in fiscal 2024, Washington University would have to cut about $80 million in administrative expenses or find it from other sources.At the University of Missouri, indirect costs exceed the new threshold by about $10 million for the Columbia campus. There are a handful of grants for the other three campuses — University of Missouri-Kansas City, University of Missouri-St. Louis and Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla — that would add about $1.7 million to that amount.The university system administration was unable to say Monday whether it would cut costs — likely resulting in job losses — or cover the shortfall from other resources.NIH funding supports research in agriculture, biomedical sciences and advanced technologies at the university, according to a statement issued by University of Missouri spokesman Christopher Ave.The change in indirect funding “would mean significant annual reductions in funding for our vital NIH-sponsored research that saves lives, creates jobs, enhances national security and improves quality of life for people in every part of our state and across the nation,” Ave said. Like Washington University, the UM System is working to get the decision reversed, the statement said.“Our leadership is communicating with key stakeholders in government, the private sector, other universities and other communities,” Ave said.. “Leaders of our campuses have directed faculty and staff working on NIH and other federal grants to continue their important research and to keep submitting NIH proposals as well as other federal agency grants as we further assess the situation.”

Trump admin. medical research cuts could mean $100 million loss in Missouri

WASHINGTON —Google has officially changed the 'Gulf of Mexico' on Google Maps to the 'Gulf of America' following Trump's order.

While flying to the Super Bowl, President Trump signed a proclamation declaring February 9, as "Gulf of America Day."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739228935257.png" alt="Google Map 5p.m. Monday February 10" />
 <figcaption>Google Map 5p.m. Monday February 10</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —Google has officially changed the 'Gulf of Mexico' on Google Maps to the 'Gulf of America' following Trump's order.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">HAPPY GULF OF AMERICA DAY! 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/hFGMBRKh4S">pic.twitter.com/hFGMBRKh4S</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1888707846000570775?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🔊&quot;Air Force One is currently in international waters, the first time in history flying over the recently renamed Gulf of America.&quot; 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/XHXXrvtYzf">pic.twitter.com/XHXXrvtYzf</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1888705072562929894?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>While flying to the Super Bowl, President Trump signed a proclamation declaring February 9, as "Gulf of America Day."

Google officially changes maps from Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America

(Radio Iowa) - Governor Kim Reynolds signed an executive order late this morning creating an Iowa "Department of Government Efficiency" task force. 

The Governor says the task force's work will be organized around three broad goals: maximizing return on taxpayer investment, further refining our workforce and job training programs, and leveraging technology, such as artificial intelligence. Reynolds plans to appoint up to 20 business executives and local government officials to the task force. She's already named the leader of the group. It's Emily Schmitt, the chief administrative officer and general counsel for Sukup Manufacturing in Sheffield. R

eynolds will review the report from the Iowa DOGE task force and compile a package of recommendations for the legislature next year.

(Radio Iowa) - Governor Kim Reynolds signed an executive order late this morning creating an Iowa "Department of Government Efficiency" task force. The Governor says the task force's work will be organized around three broad goals: maximizing return on taxpayer investment, further refining our workforce and job training programs, and leveraging technology, such as artificial intelligence. Reynolds plans to appoint up to 20 business executives and local government officials to the task force. She's already named the leader of the group. It's Emily Schmitt, the chief administrative officer and general counsel for Sukup Manufacturing in Sheffield. Reynolds will review the report from the Iowa DOGE task force and compile a package of recommendations for the legislature next year.

Governor Creates DOGE Task Force

(Radio Iowa) - Snowfall has been below average so far this winter, but that is expected to change some this week. 

National Weather Service meteorologist Dylan Dodson says 24 counties in northwest and north central Iowa are under a Winter Weather Advisory for later today into tonight. Dodson says most areas will see around two inches of snow, but some areas could be looking at closer to four inches of snow. Dodson says a second round of snow will hit early Wednesday morning or late Tuesday. 

Southwest Iowa is expected to see the most snow. Dodson says the week will end with more snow coming Friday for Valentine's Day, and will continue into Saturday.

(Radio Iowa) - Snowfall has been below average so far this winter, but that is expected to change some this week. National Weather Service meteorologist Dylan Dodson says 24 counties in northwest and north central Iowa are under a Winter Weather Advisory for later today into tonight. Dodson says most areas will see around two inches of snow, but some areas could be looking at closer to four inches of snow. Dodson says a second round of snow will hit early Wednesday morning or late Tuesday. Southwest Iowa is expected to see the most snow. Dodson says the week will end with more snow coming Friday for Valentine's Day, and will continue into Saturday.

Snow Predicted For Several Days This Week

St. Joseph Mustangs baseball is just around the corner, and the Mustangs have announced their roster for the 2025 season, filled with several key players that were part of last year's championship winning team.&nbsp;

Two former MINK league MVPs will be returning to the team in 2025 in Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart, the 2023 MVP, and Darius Freeman, last years MVP.&nbsp;&nbsp;Luikart hit .292 with 25 RBIs in 2023 with the Mustangs and is back with the team after not playing last season.&nbsp;&nbsp;Freeman hit .327 with the Mustangs last season, and also produced a team high 25 stolen bases.

Also returning to the team are the 2024 Co pitchers of the year,&nbsp; Sam Pitts, one half of the Pitchers of the Year, threw a perfect game last season, and will be joined by his brother Max on the roster this year. The other half of the returning Pitchers of the Year duo is East Buchanan graduate Bronco Whitt, who tied for the team lead with 40 strikeouts in 2024.

The lineup will also feature several local familiar faces in 2025.&nbsp;&nbsp;Local returnees include Benton alum Carson Schmidt, Bishop LeBlond alums Frank Gall and Jaren Guck, Central alum Logan Miller, Lafayette alum Jayden Little, Savannah alum Truman Bodenhausen, and East Buchanan alum and Missouri Western's Gage Busby.

Mustangs Manager Johnny Coy will not be the only Coy in the dugout this season; he will be joined by current Benton senior and University of Nebraska-Omaha commit Chris Coy. Jase Johnson, son of former Mustangs Manager and St. Joseph Baseball Hall of Famer Matt Johnson, will return for his third season.

The roster has also some international flair, with pitcher Noah Thomas returning to the team. Thomas hails from British Columbia.

Also of note, several players will be returning for their third, or more, season with the Mustangs including Trevor McCollum, Easton Bruce, Michael Infranca, Aron Harrington, Ryker Curry, Andrew Clark, as well Little, Gall, and Guck.

“We’re excited to defend our title in 2025. These players are ready to get to St. Joseph and play in front of the great fans. We have some really talented players and they all have options on where they want to play each summer, and it says a lot about this community that they choose Phil Welch Stadium to spend their summers,” said Mustangs manager Johnny Coy says in a news release from the Mustangs.

Mustangs Opening Day is set for Wednesday, May 28th.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722141304715.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy of St. Joseph Mustangs Facebook" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy of St. Joseph Mustangs Facebook</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostSt. Joseph Mustangs baseball is just around the corner, and the Mustangs have announced their roster for the 2025 season, filled with several key players that were part of last year's championship winning team.&nbsp;Two former MINK league MVPs will be returning to the team in 2025 in Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart, the 2023 MVP, and Darius Freeman, last years MVP.&nbsp;&nbsp;Luikart hit .292 with 25 RBIs in 2023 with the Mustangs and is back with the team after not playing last season.&nbsp;&nbsp;Freeman hit .327 with the Mustangs last season, and also produced a team high 25 stolen bases.Also returning to the team are the 2024 Co pitchers of the year,&nbsp; Sam Pitts, one half of the Pitchers of the Year, threw a perfect game last season, and will be joined by his brother Max on the roster this year. The other half of the returning Pitchers of the Year duo is East Buchanan graduate Bronco Whitt, who tied for the team lead with 40 strikeouts in 2024.The lineup will also feature several local familiar faces in 2025.&nbsp;&nbsp;Local returnees include Benton alum Carson Schmidt, Bishop LeBlond alums Frank Gall and Jaren Guck, Central alum Logan Miller, Lafayette alum Jayden Little, Savannah alum Truman Bodenhausen, and East Buchanan alum and Missouri Western's Gage Busby.Mustangs Manager Johnny Coy will not be the only Coy in the dugout this season; he will be joined by current Benton senior and University of Nebraska-Omaha commit Chris Coy. Jase Johnson, son of former Mustangs Manager and St. Joseph Baseball Hall of Famer Matt Johnson, will return for his third season.The roster has also some international flair, with pitcher Noah Thomas returning to the team. Thomas hails from British Columbia.Also of note, several players will be returning for their third, or more, season with the Mustangs including Trevor McCollum, Easton Bruce, Michael Infranca, Aron Harrington, Ryker Curry, Andrew Clark, as well Little, Gall, and Guck.“We’re excited to defend our title in 2025. These players are ready to get to St. Joseph and play in front of the great fans. We have some really talented players and they all have options on where they want to play each summer, and it says a lot about this community that they choose Phil Welch Stadium to spend their summers,” said Mustangs manager Johnny Coy says in a news release from the Mustangs.Mustangs Opening Day is set for Wednesday, May 28th.&nbsp;

St. Joseph Mustangs announce roster for 2025 season. 

(Radio Iowa) - A committee in the U-S Senate has voted for a bill that would require automakers to keep putting A-M radios in vehicles. 

Some companies, like Tesla and Ford, have begun leaving A-M radio out of electric vehicles, citing interference from the electric motors. Iowa Senator Joni Ernst -- one of many co-sponsors of the A-M Radio for Every Vehicle Act -- says A-M radio is a critical way for folks across the country to receive information.

 Iowa's other U-S Senator, Chuck Grassley, is also co-sponsoring the bill. He says A-M radio is the backbone of our emergency alert system, especially in rural areas, and Grassley says Iowans rely on A-M radio to catch up on local news, weather and commodity and livestock markets.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679583338814.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>(Radio Iowa) - A committee in the U-S Senate has voted for a bill that would require automakers to keep putting A-M radios in vehicles. Some companies, like Tesla and Ford, have begun leaving A-M radio out of electric vehicles, citing interference from the electric motors. Iowa Senator Joni Ernst -- one of many co-sponsors of the A-M Radio for Every Vehicle Act -- says A-M radio is a critical way for folks across the country to receive information. Iowa's other U-S Senator, Chuck Grassley, is also co-sponsoring the bill. He says A-M radio is the backbone of our emergency alert system, especially in rural areas, and Grassley says Iowans rely on A-M radio to catch up on local news, weather and commodity and livestock markets.

AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act clears US Senate panel

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a>&nbsp;

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a>&nbsp;WASHINGTON — The largely partisan clash over whether to abolish the<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/demonstrators-us-capitol-rally-against-trumps-direct-attack-education" target="_blank">&nbsp;U.S. Department of Education</a>&nbsp;came to the forefront at a Wednesday hearing by a U.S. House education panel, as rumors continue to circulate over President Donald Trump’s plans to dismantle the federal agency that’s just four-and-a-half decades old.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739206873043.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Trump campaigned heavily on a pledge to get rid of the department, which, among many responsibilities, administers funding for key programs, including for low-income school districts and special education, and also administers federal student aid.Trump is reported&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2025/02/03/trump-education-department-dismantling-executive-order-draft/?utm_campaign=wp_the7&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=newsletter&amp;carta-url=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.washingtonpost.com%2Fcar-ln-tr%2F40e0f46%2F67a1feefb7704a156351bc82%2F64c1c5704dae0764a1593f12%2F32%2F103%2F67a1feefb7704a156351bc82" target="_blank">possibly issue some sort of executive order</a>&nbsp;that seeks to diminish the department internally and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-executive-order-8519eaa465385cc13f4ddcae90228dd3" target="_blank">calls on Congress to abolish the agency</a>. He alone does not have the authority to close the department, and the effort would require congressional approval.Lawmakers clashed at a House Committee on Education and Workforce hearing focused on “the state of American education,” particularly school choice, parental rights in education and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.The president’s sweeping plan outlined throughout his campaign to “save American education” has already burst out of the floodgates since he took office last month.He issued a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-orders-education-department-guide-states-use-federal-funds-school-choice" target="_blank">series of education-related executive orders</a>&nbsp;last week focused on prioritizing school choice funding, ending what the administration sees as “radical indoctrination in K-12 schooling” and taking “additional measures to combat anti-semitism.”Trump also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-puts-dei-staff-paid-leave-guts-environmental-justice-offices-across-government" target="_blank">signed executive orders</a>&nbsp;in January that gut DEI programs and activities across the federal government.<h2>Restoring ‘common sense’</h2>Rep. Tim Walberg, chair of the House education panel, said he is “pleased to see that the Trump administration is taking excellent steps to restore common sense, personal responsibility and parental choice through our education system.”“In K-12 education, there’s much work that needs to be done,” the Michigan Republican said, pointing to the latest data from the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/" target="_blank">National Assessment of Educational Progress</a>.The report found that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/reports/mathematics/2024/g4_8/supporting-files/summary-of-results.pdf" target="_blank">average math and reading scores in 2024</a>&nbsp;for pupils in fourth grade and eighth grade were lower compared to before the coronavirus pandemic, in 2019.Nicole Neily, president and founder of Parents Defending Education, a parents’ rights group, said “American education is in crisis.”“For far too long, U.S. schools have focused on everything but educating children, and as last week’s NAEP scores have shown, our children are bearing the brunt of these bad decisions,” she said.<h2>‘We will fight any attempt’</h2>Meanwhile, Democrats on the panel warned over the repercussions of dismantling the Education Department.“The irony is not lost on me that we’re here to discuss the state of American education while the current administration is actively discussing how to dismantle the main federal agency responsible for ensuring safe, quality education for all students,” said Rep. Bobby Scott, ranking member of the panel.“We will fight any attempt to dismantle the department, and so, we don’t know what the plan will be, but count on our opposition to any plan that will abolish the Department of Education and the programs in it,” the Virginia Democrat added.Connecticut Democratic Rep. Jahana Hayes noted that since being created in 1979, the Education Department “has been committed to ensuring high-quality education for children across the country.”“As (Chairman Walberg) noted, there are about 1 million children who participate in private school choice programs, but 49.6 million children participate in public school education — what about them? Who is advocating for them?” Hayes said.Janai Nelson, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, said Trump’s executive orders to “restrict teaching and learning in inclusive and supportive environments and his threats to dismantle the Department of Education and upend critical enforcement of federal civil rights laws will demolish the very foundation of good citizenship.”“We must reject these proposals out of the Project 2025 playbook and approach public education with common sense and common purpose, not separatism and self-dealing,” Nelson said.

Kbct