By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

About 90 people gathered Sunday afternoon at the corner of 27th and Vine in Hays to protest ICE deportation efforts and clashes with protestors in Minneapolis.

Some of the protesters specifically focused on the recent killings of <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/d9d3442e-cb60-4c4e-a745-dac53b1c3611">Renee Good</a> and <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/134b8506-314c-4303-8caf-e77c474e354a">Alex Pretti </a>by ICE agents.

Pastor Ben Houchen of Hays did not refer to the event as a protest but rather as an assembly to promote national unity.

"We are coming together for a better America than what we are devolving into," he said. "I think, at this point, this is beyond politics. This is about humanity, how we're going to live in this world together as humans."

Stephanie Pfannenstiel is a former Fort Hays State University student who traveled from Great Bend to Hays for the protest.

"I'm protesting ICE's policies, particularly the Kavanaugh stops and the Supreme Court's decision that race, language and place of employment are reasons to detain people and determine later immigration status," she said.

Mary Turner, a registered Republican from Hays, said, "This is John Brown's Kansas. ICE has no business in our state."

John Brown was a famous abolitionist in Kansas before the Civil War. Brown was captured and executed in Virginia for leading a violent raid and inciting a slave rebellion at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in 1859.

She chanted through a bullhorn, "If you can be shot for protesting, you do not have the right to protest. ... If you can be shot for being legally armed, you do not have the right to bear arms."

Charles Brown Jr., a Vietnam veteran from Planville, said, "As a veteran, I didn't sign up for this. ICE is violating Constitutional rights every damn day."

Ainsley Lenays of Hays said, "What ICE has been doing is just completely unacceptable. What I have seen in videos and from people in Minnesota is the exact same thing that was done in Germany."

Lenays' family came from Germany and is ethnically Jewish.

"I very strongly believe we are repeating history, and we have to fight back. Because even if it's not me in trouble right now, it's not going to stop with just one group."

Sherri Truan said, "Our country is in a sad state of affairs and being run by a bunch of psychopaths and terrorists. It's the new Gestapo. It's 1930s Germany. 

"We're losing America. We got to be out here. We got to be loud to let people know," she said. "Things are not right in America right now. The whole world sees it. Why doens't our government see it? Why doesn't our Congress? What is taking them so long to take action?

"I'm not going to be scared off by this," Truan said. "This is the time to be wary, but not be afraid. This is our country. This is what it was founded on—freedom, free speech, not worrying about getting shot because we went to protest.&nbsp; No, that's not America. That's why I'm out here. I'm trying to save what we got left."

Anna Towns, chairwoman of the Ellis County Democratic Party, helped organize the protest.

"I was reached out to by several community members who wanted to be out here today to let people know we do care about our neighbors and that the behaviors that ICE is exhibiting are completely unacceptable," she said.

"Our rights are being trampled on. If we don't stand up now, it will soon be too late. I think it is important for people in rural areas to know they are not alone in that opinion."

She said more people were&nbsp;driving by, honking and giving them thumbs up, than at past protests.

"We think people are coming around on this issue and are excited to be together in community to stand up for our neighbors," she said.

Hays protest sparked by ICE actions in Minneapolis

Hays Police Department arrest log: Jan. 25-31, 2026

Hays Police Department activity log: Jan. 25-31, 2026

By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

The Ellis County Commission will consider approving a resolution authorizing the sale of up to $11 million in bonds to fund multiple county projects.

These include the law enforcement center remodel, emergency medical services building, courthouse and administrative HVAC improvements, and a fire services storage building.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/474951d3-998a-4651-a486-a894aab89ce0">SEE RELATED STORY: Ellis County Commission hears updates on potential bond projects</a>

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/3c4ef7e6-c79c-401e-8440-0fcc702901c8">SEE RELATED STORY: Ellis County Commission sees decreased costs for multiple projects</a>

Approval would move the bonding process into the final sale and bidding phase.

Tallgrass development solar project review agreements

Commissioners will consider approving agreements that would allow legal and technical experts to help review documents for the proposed Tallgrass Development solar project.

The proposed $275 million project would be located in southwest Ellis County. Project documents include a conditional-use permit, county resolutions, payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) agreement and road use agreement.

Action on these agreements was delayed during its Jan. 20 meeting.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/46a6d21a-a5df-4f71-9d3b-29a6aa263211">SEE RELATED STORY: Ellis County Commission to consider multiple solar project agreements</a>

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/d6c9018e-7bf4-4b59-90bc-d89ea87e8d30">SEE RELATED STORY: Solar developer shares maps, more on construction during Hays open house</a>

Other business • High-risk urban road agreement • High Plains Mental Health update • 2026 county agreements to treat noxious weeds for the Kansas Department of Transportation • I voted sticker contest for sixth grade through 12th grade

You can view the full agenda <a href="https://www.ellisco.net/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_02032026-726">here</a>.

Ellis County Commission to consider bond projects

By JOHN P. TRETBAR Eagle Media

Near-month, light sweet NYMEX crude dropped 21 cents on Friday to close the day at $65.21 per barrel, a weekly gain of more than four dollars and only the second daily settlement over $65 since October. Prices on Monday were four percent lower in New York and London. NYMEX crude was trading a few cents over $62 a barrel. Brent crude in London was just over $66.

Kansas Common crude starts the week and the month of February at $55.50 per barrel after dropping a quarter per barrel Friday. The monthly average price at CHS in McPherson rises above $50 for only the second time since October, at $50.28 per barrel for the month of January.

Kansas regulators report 42 new intent-to-drill notices in January, compared to 65 in January of last year, and 74 in January of the year before that. The Kansas Corporation Commission Web site lists one new intent-to-drill notice in Rooks County, one in Finney County and one in Gove County.

Kansas regulators approved just one permit in Western Kansas this week, in Lane County. There are 21 new drilling permits in eastern Kansas, including eighteen from the same producer and contractor in Bourbon County. That's 40 permits statewide so far this year.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Operators completed nine wells across the state this week, with four in Western Kansas, including one in Rooks County and one in Gove County.

Independent Oil and Gas Service notes 65 new completion reports statewide year-to-date. Just 31 wells have been drilled from spud to full depth so far this year, down from 71 a year ago.

The Kansas Rig Count from Independent Oil and Gas Service is down one in eastern Kansas at seven rigs, and unchanged west of Wichita at six. The total is down 13 percent from a month ago, and down 17 percent from a year ago. On Friday drilling was underway on one lease in Gove County, and one in Rooks County, and about to begin on a second lease in Rooks County.

The Rotary Rig Count from Baker Hughes is 546 drilling rigs, unchanged at 411 oil rigs, but up three gas rigs for the week. The total is down 36 rigs from the report at the end of January last year. The rig count in Texas drops to 220 rigs, down three from last week and down 51 rigs from a year ago.&nbsp; Baker Hughes reports Oklahoma was up three rigs.

The US has now raised $1.3 BILLION dollars buying and selling strategic crude-oil stockpiles. Inventories, and profits, rise at the Strategic Petroleum Reserves in Louisiana, up half a million barrels to 415 million this week. That's nearly 50 Million refill barrels, sold for $95 per barrel, and then refilled for about $68. By selling high and buying low, the US Treasury has saved $1.3 BILLION at the SPR since April of 2024.

Commercial crude oil stockpiles dropped by more than two million barrels to just under 424 Million as of January 23rd. The Energy Information Administration says stockpiles are about three percent below the five-year average for this time of year.

The government reports domestics crude production is down 36,000 barrels a day from a week ago to just under 13.7 million barrels a day. That's the lowest weekly average since last November. The Energy Information Administration says the four-week average drops below 13.8 million barrels per day.

EIA reported increasing stockpiles of both regular gasoline and diesel, and demand for each lagging behind last year at this time. Fuel stockpiles are five percent above the five-year average for this time of year.

US crude-oil imports dropped more than 800-thousand barrels a day to 5.6 million. The four week average is just under 6.4 million barrels a day That's down 57-thousand daily barrels, or about one percent from a year ago.

Crude oil exports jumped more than 24 percent, leaping 900-thousand barrels a day to nearly 4.6 million. The four-week average is up nearly half a million to just over 4.2 million barrels a day. Exports reached a four-month high, topping 4.5 million barrels a day for only the fourth time in the last year.

The amount of sanctioned crude oil believed to be at sea, and in fact adrift, is now well over one BILLION barrels.&nbsp; Now that India is stepping back from Russian crude-oil deliveries, an increasing amount Russian crude oil remains adrift, adding to a growing global problem stemming from sanctions against several countries. According to Bloomberg, Russia shipped more than three million barrels a day in the last four weeks, but India is now refusing delivery. That's adding to the more than one billion barrels of sanctioned crude oil already at sea without destination.

Speaking of at-sea-without-destination, two shadow-fleet tankers were literally adrift following similar mechanical breakdowns in the Mediterranean Sea. Media in Europe report two fully-laden crude tankers appear to be floating at very slow speeds without clear guidance or destination. One of them is located north of Algeria and the other near Gibraltar.

The oil majors operating a huge oil field in Kazakhstan lost an international arbitration case, leaving them liable for billions in compensation to that country’s government. Bloomberg reports a preliminary judgment of four billion dollars, calling it a partial victory for Kazakhstan, which was claiming more than $6 billion. The government said, and the tribunal agreed, that the firms collected for unapproved or unrecoverable cost overruns.

News from the Oil Patch: Tankers, prices, adrift

A small earthquake shook portions of northwest Hays this morning.

The 2.9 magnitude earthquake struck at 10:48 a.m. about 6.8 miles from Hays, according to the <a href="https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us6000s5zf/executive">U.S. Geological Survey</a>.

Small earthquake reported in Ellis County

Please be advised, beginning Monday, February 2, 2026 the road between 14th Street &amp; 15th Street on Fort Street will be closed to traffic due to a sewer line repair. Traffic control devices will be in place to direct the traveling public. Work is expected to be completed by Wednesday, February 4, 2026.

The City regrets any inconvenience this may cause the public. If you have any questions please contact the Water Resources Department at 785-628-7380.

Sewer line repairs on Fort Street beginning Monday

Ellis County Sheriff's activity log: Jan. 25-31, 2026

Ellis County Jail bookings: Jan. 25-31, 2026

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/category/obituaries">HERE</a>&nbsp;to view the most recent obituaries and service times from our funeral home partners.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/corrections-about-us">Click HERE for the Hays Post obituary policy.&nbsp;</a>

How to submit an obituary to the Hays Post

Please email obituaries to haysobits@eaglemedia.com.

Please allow up to 24 hours from the submission of the obituary for it to be posted on the Hays Post.&nbsp;

If you have questions, please contact Scarlett Deutscher at 785-301-2211.&nbsp;

If you have an issue outside of business hours or your obit has not been published within 24 hours, please email <a href="mailto:hayspost@eaglemedia.com" target="_blank">hayspost@eaglemedia.com</a> or call Cristina Janney, Hays Post editor, at 785-301-2077.&nbsp;

Recent obituaries, how to submit an obituary

While the gift-giving holidays are over, scammers still want gift card money. Some scammers might even reach out by pretending to be your boss and asking you to buy gift cards for them. But it’s a scam. Here’s how to spot and avoid it.

The scene often starts with an unexpected text, email, or a call from your “boss” asking for an “urgent favor.” (That emergency? Not real. That person? Not your boss.) They tell you to go to the store, buy gift cards, and send them the numbers on the back. They might even ask for “Google certificates.” They really mean gift cards, but they use different words hoping you’ll engage to find out more.

Even if your “boss” says they need the cards for a company event, slow down and make sure it’s not a scammer trying to steal the money you put on the gift cards. If you’re in this situation, here’s how to avoid this scam:

And if you’re buying&nbsp;<a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/avoiding-and-reporting-gift-card-scams#safely%20buying%20gift%20cards">gift cards</a>&nbsp;for friends and family:

FTC: No, that's not your boss asking you to buy gift cards

&nbsp;Submit events to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:admin@hayspost.com">admin@hayspost.com</a>. Cover photo courtesy Pixabay

Special thanks to <a href="https://www.visithays.com/183/Events">The Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau</a> and<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/"> Fort Hays State University</a> for their contributions to the community calendar.

Community Calendar

Feb. 2 Morning Mixer - The Hideout, Osborne, 7 am-noon

Feb. 3 Lunch with Us - The Roundhouse, Downs, 11-1:30 PM

Feb. 4 Coffee &amp; Cookies Grant Lab, City Office, Natoma 11-1 - Come learn tips and techniques for writing grants

Feb. 7 Morning Mixer - The Front Porch, Alton, 8:30-10 amFeb. 10 Morning Mixer - VFW, Natoma, 7-9 am

Feb. 11 Coffee &amp; Cookies Grant Lab, Osborne Public Library, 11-1 - Come learn tips and techniques for writing grants

Feb. 13 Trooper Ben "Go and Grow" Event, Osborne High School New Gym, Osborne, 6:30 PM

Feb. 16 Community Soup Supper, Community Center, Portis, 5:30-7:00 PM

Feb. 18 Coffee &amp; Cookies Grant Lab, Roundhouse Coffee, Downs, 11-1

Feb. 23 Morning Mixer, Midway Coop Station, Portis, 8-10 am

February events in Osborne County

Fort Hays Tech | North Central to celebrate opening of construction career center

Join our new Hays Post Newsletter and receive the top news stories from your community every morning in your email inbox plus one-click access to the latest obituaries.&nbsp;

Sign up for free Hays Post Newsletter

Thank you to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/haysfumc?__cft__[0]=AZYEZ5UGcHe3-fcLV6ZQ2tDojZwI1mxzSIT7WdEFWBBLZGVFSWRwa3GVcZAeCqPFTzkhsd159eETje633o3Uy7NMHt-hJ2LS5nQb4otDn7SkpzbllhjqXXFm5ZEJnmJvzl4ZSzjclkVhynXurFS0G7NyB9ryOgc-uN9MOuH5gjNwtg&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Hays First United Methodist Church</a> for being the sponsor of Laundry Love for 2026!

They will be sponsoring a second location/date at the 8th Street Laundromat, 225 E. 8th, beginning in April.

Laundry Love will be on the first and third Thursdays of each month starting in April. Until then, we will see you on the third Thursday (February and March) at the 27th and Hall Laundromat only.

The first Thursday will be held at the 8th Street Laundromat and the third Thursday will continue to be located at the 27th &amp; Hall Street Laundromat.

How blessed we are to have such giving community/congregation members to be able to make this happen in our town.&nbsp;

Laundry Love to expand to second Hays location in April

Tryyaki Asian Cuisine and TeaHouse will celebrate its 10-year anniversary of serving the Hays community on Feb. 2.

"Over the past decade, our restaurant has been fortunate to grow alongside this community, and we are deeply grateful for the support we’ve received—especially after experiencing a fire and rebuilding our business," the owners said.

To mark this milestone and say thank you, Tryyaki will donate a portion of its proceeds on Monday, Feb. 2, to the Hays Fire Department and Hays Police Department as a small way of giving back to the community that helped the business recover and move forward.

"We look forward to serving Hays for many years to come. Thank you for being part of our journey," Tryyaki posted on Facebook.

Tryyaki Asian Cuisine, TeaHouse celebrates 10 years, to donate to Hays police, fire

Science Cafe presents: Fossils, museums and 66 million years

Ribbon cutting, open house for new senior housing in Russell Feb. 20

Do you have photos or videos of a news or weather event? Did you shoot a clip of a fun event in our community?

Submit your videos or photos to&nbsp;hayspost@eaglemedia.com&nbsp;for possible publication on the Hays Post.

Eagle Media ... Your Community Connected!

📷 Send Hays Post your snow photos or videos

DORRANCE —&nbsp;The Dorrance American Legion will host a steak feed Saturday, February 7th

American Legion steak feed in Dorrance set for Feb. 7

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose on Monday following sharp swings that shook financial markets overnight, including tumbles for Asian stocks.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gold-personal-finance-wall-street-3f41d4a3e41dd721875687d2f4aeaeb7">Gold</a>&nbsp;and silver prices sank further following their latest wild moves.

On Wall Street, the S&amp;P 500 added 0.5% and snapped a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-gold-rates-oil-7f0eadba91bc2e550945eb49bc1085f3">three-day losing streak</a>. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 515 points, or 1.1%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.6%.

Stocks of companies that make computer storage helped lead the market, adding to gains from last week following several profit reports that topped analysts’ expectations. Airlines and cruise-ship operators were also strong, benefiting from a sharp easing of oil prices.

The center of action in financial markets was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-markets-dollar-gold-fed-2a3715ff96ba5c10b97c49e04ad9f8ec">again precious metals</a>, where momentum has suddenly halted after gold’s price roughly doubled in just 12 months.

Gold briefly dropped below $4,500 per ounce in the overnight hours, down more than $1,000 from its high point reached just last week. It then climbed back above $4,800 before settling at $4,652.60, down 1.9% from Friday.

Silver’s price has been on an even wilder ride recently, and it swung from a 9% loss overnight to a modest gain and back to a loss of 1.9%.

Gold and silver prices had surged as investors looked for safer things to own amid a wide range of worries, including a Federal Reserve that may be set to become less independent, a U.S. stock market that critics say is expensive, threats of tariffs and heavy debt loads for governments worldwide.

Their prices cratered on Friday, including a 31.4% plunge for silver. Some on Wall Street saw it as a result of President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kevin-warsh-federal-reserve-chair-48dcd3a768960eabb4e52183fa897aa1">nomination of Kevin Warsh</a>&nbsp;as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/warsh-trump-federal-reserve-chair-6b4441263c1b7ecb40b96adf17adeea2">next chair of the Fed</a>. Warsh’s reputation as a former Fed governor may have raised expectations that he may keep interest rates high to fight inflation, which would reduce the need to hide out in gold and silver for protection.

But many on Wall Street are also skeptical of that initial reading and say the expectation from Trump is likely that Warsh will cut interest rates, something the president has been demanding. That could give the economy a boost but also worsen inflation over the long term.

The Fed’s chair has a big influence on the economy and markets worldwide by helping to dictate where the U.S. central bank moves interest rates. That affects prices for all kinds of investments, as the Fed tries to keep the U.S. job market humming without letting inflation get out of control.

The recent swoons for gold and silver may also simply mark the return of gravity for two investments whose price shot very high, very fast. They’re likely more about the washout for some traders who had borrowed money to bet on metals’ prices continuing to soar, rather than about a wholesale change in expectations for demand for metals, according to Darrell Cronk, chief investment officer for Wealth &amp; Investment Management at Wells Fargo.

On Wall Street, Sandisk leaped 15.4% to lead the S&amp;P 500. The data-storage company added to its 6.9% gain from Friday, after it reported stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It credited demand created by the artificial-intelligence boom, among other things.

That helped offset a 2.9% drop for Nvidia, whose chips are powering much of the world’s move into AI technology. The losses were worse in Asia, where AI winners plunged. South Korea’s Kospi fell 5.3% from its record for its worst day in almost 10 months after chip company SK Hynix lost nearly 9%.

The Walt Disney Co. fell 7.4% even though the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/disney-iger-zootopia-avatar-d82fe1044c2ec380acf8711895338acd">entertainment giant reported a stronger profit</a>&nbsp;for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It warned of challenges that are keeping international visitors away from its U.S. theme parks, among other things.

Oil prices dropped more than 4% after Trump told reporters that Iran is “seriously talking to us.” It’s a potential signal of improving relations between the two countries, which could keep oil flowing easily around the world.

The drop in oil prices could mean less painful fuel bills for airlines and cruise ships. That helped Carnival steam 8.1% higher, and United Airlines climb 4.9%.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 37.41 points to 6,976.44 and finished just shy of its record set last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 515.19 to 49,407.66, and the Nasdaq composite gained 130.29 to 23,592.11.

In the bond market, Treasury yields edged higher after a report said that U.S. manufacturing grew last month, when economists were expecting a contraction. The yield on the 10-year Treasury erased an earlier dip and rose to 4.28%, up from 4.26% late Friday.

Such strong figures could persuade the Federal Reserve to stay on pause with its cuts to interest rates. The next big set of data that could sway the Fed was supposed to come on Friday, when the U.S. government was due to update the nation’s unemployment rate. But that report has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-jobs-report-labor-shutdown-0f327d71037f89afb818ea78b1162010">postponed because of the partial federal government shutdown.</a>

In stock markets abroad, European indexes rose roughly 1% following a washout in Asia. Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 1.3%, while stocks fell 2.2% in Hong Kong and 2.5% in Shanghai.

US stocks climb as gold and silver prices keep falling

By MARCIA DUNN &nbsp;AP Aerospace Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA ran into a leak while fueling its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/artemis-nasa-moonshot-921fc1a0a832217fae8b57d2fce2dc66">new moon rocket</a>&nbsp;Monday in one&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-artemis-astronauts-moon-540260c90a45e0de4cb28f3e481777ff">final make-or-break test</a>&nbsp;that will determine when astronauts can launch on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-artemis-moon-astronauts-countdown-db49cef0eafce61f89a2984a5215c089">lunar fly-around</a>.

The launch team began loading the 322-foot (98-meter) rocket with super-cold hydrogen and oxygen at Kennedy Space Center at midday. More than 700,000 gallons (2.6 million liters) had to flow into the tanks and remain on board for several hours, mimicking the final stages of an actual countdown.

But just a couple hours into the daylong operation, excessive hydrogen was detected near the bottom of the rocket. Hydrogen loading was temporarily halted, with just half of the core stage filled.

The launch team scrambled to work around the problem using techniques developed during the only other Space Launch System rocket launch three years ago. That first test flight was plagued by hydrogen leaks before finally soaring.

The crew, three Americans and one Canadian, monitored the critical dress rehearsal from nearly 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) away in Houston, home to Johnson Space Center. They have been in quarantine for the past 1½ weeks, awaiting the practice countdown's outcome.

The all-day operation will determine when they can blast off on the first lunar voyage by a crew in more than half a century.

Running two days behind because of a bitter cold snap, NASA set its countdown clocks to stop a half-minute before reaching zero, just before engine ignition. The clocks began ticking Saturday night, giving launch controllers the chance to go through all the motions and deal with any lingering rocket problems. Hydrogen leaks kept the first SLS rocket on the pad for months in 2022.

If the fueling demo can be completed successfully on time, NASA could launch commander Reid Wiseman and his crew to the moon as soon as Sunday. The rocket must be flying by Feb. 11 or the mission will be called off until March. The space agency only has a few days in any given month to launch the rocket, and the extreme cold already has shortened February’s launch window by two days.

The nearly 10-day mission will send the astronauts past the moon, around the mysterious far side and then straight back to Earth, with the goal of testing the capsule's life support and other vital systems. The crew will not go into lunar orbit or attempt to land.

NASA last sent astronauts to the moon during the 1960s and 1970s Apollo program. The new Artemis program aims for a more sustained lunar presence, with Wiseman’s crew setting the stage for future moon landings by other astronauts.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

NASA has problems during a practice countdown of moon rocket 

WASHINGTON (AP) —House Speaker Mike Johnson faces tough days ahead trying to muscle a federal funding package to passage and prevent a prolonged partial government shutdown as debate intensifies over the Trump administration’s sweeping immigration enforcement operations. J

Democrats in the Senate and House are seeking new constraints on federal immigration agents after the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis. The Democratic demands include:

1. Ending “roving patrols” in cities and requiring coordination with local law enforcement on immigration arrests

2. Stopping the detention and deportation of U.S. citizens

3. Requiring judicial approval for warrants

4. Implementing an enforceable code of conduct for federal agents and giving them enhanced training

5. Requiring agents to wear body cameras and unmask

Republicans are open to some of the changes, but have drawn a line on judicial warrants and unmasking. They say the warrants would be onerous and warn that unmasked federal agents would face doxxing — the publishing of their private info online.

Details on what Dems and Republicans want in the ICE legislation

MANHATTAN, KAN. –&nbsp;Law enforcement are investigating a fatal stabbing in Manhattan.

Just after 8 p.m. Sunday, police responded to the 1900 block of Anderson Avenue in Manhattan for a reported stabbing, according to a media release from the Riley County Police Deparament.

Officers located Teray Robinson, 24, of Manhattan, who had sustained a stab wound. Robinson was transported by ambulance to Via Christi Hospital and later died as a result of his injury. &nbsp;

Officers detained the suspect Billy Arnez, 39, of Manhattan, on scene.&nbsp; Following an investigation into the incident, Billy Arnez was arrested on requested charges of second-degree murder at 1:00 a.m. on Monday. He is being held on a $1,000,000 bond, according to the RCPD.

Police: Suspect jailed after deadly Kansas knife attack

WASHINGTON (AP) —President Trump&nbsp;is threatening to sue comedian Trevor Noah after the Grammy host&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/article/trevor-noah-grammys-nicki-minaj-kendrick-lamar-79ee508f2e15ec56b2b4826b787b6913">mocked Trump</a>&nbsp;during Sunday’s show.

After the song of the year presentation, Noah said, “That is a Grammy that every artist wants almost as much as Trump wants Greenland, which makes sense because Epstein’s island is gone, he needs a new one to hang out with Bill Clinton.”

Trump answered Monday on Truth Social, calling it “false and defamatory” to suggest he visited Jeffrey Epstein’s island.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-trump-musk-andrew-tisch-google-682447e50bf9a3643a36c9b54ccdfa22">Trump, Clinton and other powerful men</a>&nbsp;are in headlines after another release of the U.S. government’s files on Epstein.

The president called Noah a “poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C.” and referenced his previous lawsuits against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abc-trump-lawsuit-defamation-stephanopoulos-04aea8663310af39ae2a85f4c1a56d68">ABC</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-media-harris-minutes-paramount-6415042fe910ae60b432dd8c73ef61b2">CBS</a>. Those yielded settlement payments that will go to Trump’s future presidential library.

“Get ready Noah, I’m going to have some fun with you!” Trump wrote.

Noah's Epstein Island joke was not his only dig at President Trump during the Grammy Awards.

Noah joked that the Grammy Awards were coming to viewers “completely live” because “if we edited any of the show, the president would sue CBS for $16 billion.”

It’s a not-so-subtle reference to Trump’s uneasy history with CBS News. He won a $16 million settlement last summer from Paramount over a&nbsp;“60 Minutes” interview that he claimed was edited deceptively for Kamala Harris’ benefit. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt more recently reportedly told new “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil that they would “sue your ass off” if his 13-minute interview with the president was cut in any way.

What Trump said about comedian's Epstein joke during Grammy awards

MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan.&nbsp;– A General Court-Martial at McConnell Air Force Base resulted in a conviction on several charges, according to a statement from the base.

Senior Airman Randall Moore, 22nd&nbsp;Maintenance Squadron, faced court-martial Jan. 26-Feb. 1 on one&nbsp; charge and two specifications of violating Article 120b of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), sexual abuse of a child; one charge and two specification specifications of violating Article 131b of the UCMJ, obstruction of justice; and one charge and five specifications of violating Article 134 of the UCMJ, child pornography and indecent conduct.

Moore was found guilty of one charge and all five specifications of child pornography and indecent conduct, and also found guilty of one charge and one specification of obstruction of justice.

The presiding military judge sentenced Moore to 40 months confinement, a Dishonorable Discharge, reduction to the rank of Airman Basic, and total forfeiture of all pay and allowances. He will be confined in a military facility, with the location to be determined.&nbsp;&nbsp;Airman Basic is the lowest enlisted Air Force rank.

In December he was also arrested for alleged insurance fraud, according to Sedgwick County arrest records.

Court-Martial: Kansas airman sentenced for child sex crimes

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">House Speaker Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;faces tough days ahead trying to muscle a federal funding package to passage and prevent a prolonged&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-homeland-security-pentagon-transportation-2dd3464f56295ff79f136c1c5c24a532">partial government shutdown</a>&nbsp;as debate intensifies over the Trump administration's sweeping&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minneapolis-hospitals-32cd5ca61d495e155d43b7cfd5e563b9">immigration enforcement operations</a>.

Johnson signaled he is relying on help from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;to ensure passage. Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-republican-trump-ice-homeland-security-1eb2706ef2c4f91a69a083d23e30ba95">struck a deal with senators</a>&nbsp;to separate funding for the Department of Homeland Security from a broader package after public outrage over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-ice-fbi-alex-pretti-immigration-65a963816603a08bbc9db83961dd173f">two shooting deaths</a>&nbsp;during&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChJQJk-DRy0">protests in Minneapolis</a>&nbsp;against Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Under the plan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-budget-immigration-trump-homeland-security-39fd7917e39aaf9e4e78e89f3449a587">approved by the Senate,</a>&nbsp;DHS would be funded temporarily to Feb. 13, setting up a deadline for Congress to try to find consensus on new restrictions on ICE operations.

“The president is leading this,” Johnson, R-La., told “Fox News Sunday.”

“It’s his play call to do it this way," the speaker said, adding that the Republican president has “already conceded that he wants to turn down the volume” on federal immigration sweeps and raids.

A first test will come Monday afternoon during a committee meeting when Johnson will need his own GOP majority to advance the package after Democrats refused to provide the votes for speedy consideration. Johnson said he is hopeful work can wrap up for a full House vote, at least by Tuesday.

Democrats are demanding&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-customs-enforcement-democrats-noem-impeachment-funding-03095f6a4041bef063afe22becf1a788">restraints on ICE</a>&nbsp;that go beyond $20 million for body cameras that already is in the bill and want to require that federal immigration agents unmask and identify themselves and are pressing for an end to roving patrols, amid other changes.

“What is clear is that the Department of Homeland Security needs to be dramatically reformed,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hakeem-jeffries">House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries</a>&nbsp;of New York on ABC’s “This Week.”

Jeffries said the administration needs to begin negotiations now, not over the next two weeks, on changes to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minneapolis-hospitals-32cd5ca61d495e155d43b7cfd5e563b9">immigration enforcement operations</a>.

“Masks should come off," he said. “Judicial warrants should absolutely be required consistent with the Constitution, in our view, before DHS agents or ICE agents are breaking into the homes of the American people or ripping people out of their cars.”

At the same time, House Republicans, with some allies in the Senate, are making their own demands, as they work to support Trump's clamp down on immigrants in the U.S.

The House Freedom Caucus has insisted on fuller funding for Homeland Security while certain Republicans are pushing to include other measures, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-save-act-citizenship-voting-elections-a37c139461d11eb5f82086680b67ffe7">the SAVE Act</a>, a longshot Trump priority that would require proof of citizenship before Americans are eligible to participate in elections and vote.

Johnson said he would be talking to lawmakers over the day ahead to see what it will take to win over support.

Meanwhile, a number of federal agencies are snared in the funding standoff as the government went into a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-homeland-security-pentagon-transportation-2dd3464f56295ff79f136c1c5c24a532">partial shutdown</a>&nbsp;over the weekend.

Defense, health, transportation and housing are among those that were given shutdown guidance by the administration, though many operations are deemed essential and services are not necessarily interrupted. Workers could go without pay if the impasse drags on. Some could be furloughed.

Lawmakers from both parties are increasingly concerned the closure will disrupt the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which they rely on to help constituents in the states after storms and other disasters.

This is the second time in a matter of months that federal government operations have been disrupted as Congress is using the annual funding process as leverage to extract policy changes. Last fall, Democrats sparked what became the longest federal shutdown in history, 43 days, as they protested the expiration of health insurance tax breaks.

That shutdown ended with a promise to vote on proposals to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. But with GOP opposition, Democrats were unable to achieve their goal of keeping the subsidies in place. Insurance premiums spiked in the new year for millions of people.

This time, the administration has signaled its interest in more quickly resolving the shutdown.

Johnson said he was in the Oval Office last week when Trump, along with border czar Tom Homan, spoke with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York to work out a deal on immigration enforcement changes.

“I think we’re on the path to get agreement,” Johnson said on NBC's “Meet the Press.”

Body cameras, which are already provided for in the package, and an end to the roving patrols by immigration agents are areas of potential agreement, Johnson said.

But he said taking the masks off and putting names on agents' uniforms could lead to problems for law enforcement officers as they are being targeted by the protesters and their personal information is posted online.

“I don’t think the president would approve it — and he shouldn’t,” Johnson said on Fox.

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