HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Renovations at the historic Landmark building in downtown Hutchinson are entering the final stages, with developers targeting a July opening for the long-vacant property at Fifth and Main.

Developer Laura Meyer Dick said interior work is progressing rapidly, with countertops and flooring being installed and painting underway throughout the building. She expects to begin taking reservation agreements for apartments next month and anticipates welcoming tenants this summer.

The project will create 36 market-rate apartments, including studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units. Meyer Dick said original plans called for 40 units, but layouts were adjusted to provide larger living spaces.

“It’s really starting to come together,” she said.

The Landmark is part of a broader STAR bond redevelopment district led by the Cosmosphere and Memorial Hall. Meyer Dick emphasized that the Landmark project is separate from the city’s current sales tax election and has been in development for about three years.

Under the STAR bond structure, state sales tax revenue generated within the district is used to retire bonds that finance eligible improvements. Meyer Dick said the financing relies primarily on state sales tax dollars that would otherwise go to Topeka.

Communities with fewer than 50,000 residents can use the STAR bond program for rural revitalization efforts. Meyer Dick said restoring the Landmark, long considered a cornerstone of downtown Hutchinson, fits squarely within that purpose.

The renovation has required extensive work to modernize the early 1900s structure while meeting historic preservation standards tied to state and federal tax credits. Meyer Dick said all plumbing, electrical and HVAC systems have been replaced, and original materials are being restored or replicated where required.

“There’s not a wire or a pipe that’s original,” she said.

Historic tax credit requirements have limited design flexibility, including preserving hallway configurations and using authentic materials such as real wood flooring. Meyer Dick said the most intensive paperwork will come after construction is complete, when final documentation is submitted for tax credit approval.

In addition to the apartments, the building will feature a restaurant on the main floor, which is expected to open in the fall. Retail space is also planned. The restaurant’s name has not yet been released.

The project includes a two-part documentary chronicling the building’s history and restoration. The Landmark once hosted President Harry Truman and appeared in the 1941 film “When the Sun Shines, Nellie,” according to project materials.

Meyer Dick said she took on the project to preserve a key piece of Hutchinson’s history and stimulate additional downtown investment.

“Economics 101 is if you invest $15 million on a corner, it will spiral on the blocks going either direction,” she said.

She credited Curtis Mitchel, Tyler England, and NBC Construction along with city officials, for helping keep the project on schedule. Despite supply chain challenges in recent years, she said delays have been minimal.

A grand opening is being planned for late June. Meyer Dick said her primary goal is to complete the project successfully and contribute to downtown revitalization.

“I’m doing this project for the city,” she said. “I hope it makes downtown more vibrant. That’s the whole goal.”

Historic Landmark renovation nears completion

A bill currently before the Kansas House would ban required diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) courses at the state’s public colleges and universities. Supporters argue that institutions should offer “more diverse academic opportunities that are not against a student’s political, religious, moral or ethical beliefs.” On its face, this claim appears to champion intellectual openness. In practice, however, it misunderstands the purpose of higher education and deprives students of the rigorous learning environment that universities are designed to provide.

Higher education is not meant to function as an echo chamber for students’ pre‑existing worldviews. Its central mission has always been to expand knowledge, foster critical thinking, and encourage engagement with complexity. College is one of the few structured environments where young adults can test their assumptions, encounter unfamiliar perspectives, and engage in reflection supported by research rather than insulated by comfort. Shielding students from ideas that challenge their beliefs undermines this mission entirely.

This understanding of higher education’s mission traces directly to our country’s founding. Several Founders explicitly argued that a democratic society requires citizens capable of reasoning through complex ideas. Thomas Jefferson, for example, maintained that education must cultivate critical thinkers who can meaningfully participate in civic life. He warned that democratic freedom depends on an informed, analytically capable public.

This civic purpose is not only a long‑standing academic principle—it aligns with public sentiment in Kansas. According to the 2025 Kansas Speaks survey, 55.8% of Kansans believe the primary goal of higher education is to create an educated citizenry, while only 34.1% say workforce development should be the dominant aim. These findings affirm that Kansans value universities as institutions that cultivate analytical citizens capable of democratic engagement, not as ideological safe havens designed to avoid friction with personal beliefs.

Courses addressing race, gender, culture, and inequality play a crucial role in this intellectual development. They draw on decades of peer‑reviewed research in political science, sociology, psychology, history, and education. Despite false reports to the contrary, DEI courses do not require students to adopt a particular political ideology; rather, they teach students how systems, data, and lived experiences intersect to produce real‑world outcomes. Students are free to

disagree with the interpretations presented, but disagreement is most meaningful when it emerges from informed engagement rather than avoidance.

Kansans also signal broad support for the underlying value of diversity in public life. The 2025 Kansas Speaks data show that 59.8% agree that Kansas government becomes stronger when elected officials are more diverse, compared with only 8.2% who disagree. This belief—that diversity enhances institutional strength—undermines the notion that engaging with difference is inherently divisive or ideological. If diversity strengthens government, it follows that young adults benefit from learning how to navigate, understand, and appreciate diverse perspectives before they enter civic and professional life.

The legislators’ concern—that students should not be confronted with material that challenges their beliefs—reflects a fundamental misconception about what universities are for. Higher education does not exist to affirm; it exists to question. It does not exist to soothe; it exists to stimulate growth. Students will carry their political, religious, and ethical commitments with them throughout their education, but the university’s role is to equip them with the analytical tools to understand those commitments in a broader context.

The Founders made clear that democratic governance requires citizens who are able to confront rather than avoid difficult questions. Jefferson and Adams both argued that education must develop citizens prepared for the moral and political complexities of republican life—not individuals shielded from discomfort. Their belief was that democratic institutions survive only when the populace can wrestle with complexity and evaluate competing claims.

Kansas should be investing in opportunities that broaden students’ horizons, not narrowing them. Intellectual diversity is not achieved by restricting academic content; it is achieved by engaging with it fully, especially when it invites discomfort.

Alexandra Middlewood, PhD is an associate professor and chair of the Political Science Department at Wichita State University.

Insight Kansas: Higher education should challenge students, not shield them

Here’s the latest booking activity from the Reno County Jail. This information is provided by the Reno County Sheriff’s Office and is not criminal history. The Hutch Post assumes no legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, or completeness, of this information. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. ——————————————

Jeremy	Evan	Vansyckle		2/21/2026 10:10&nbsp;AM	DUI; 1st conv; comp evidence of blood/breath .08+

Douglas	Craig	Millet		2/21/2026 3:39&nbsp;PM	Pedestrian; Under the Influence of Alcohol/Drugs upon Roadway

Daily Bookings

WICHITA, Kan. — Meteorologists from the National Weather Service office in Wichita will host a training session designed to prepare storm spotters and weather enthusiasts for the upcoming severe weather season.

Here is a list of local spotter talks.&nbsp;

All presentations begin at 6:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted.&nbsp;

The presentation will provide an in-depth look at the science behind severe storms, including how they form and the atmospheric conditions that contribute to their development. Forecasters will cover a range of storm types, from supercells and squall lines to tornado-producing systems common across south-central Kansas.

Attendees will learn how to identify key storm features that signal potential severity, such as wall clouds, rotating updrafts, large hail cores and damaging straight-line winds. Meteorologists will also explain how radar is used to detect hazardous weather and how real-time reports from trained spotters can enhance warning operations.

A significant portion of the training will focus on severe weather safety and best practices for reporting hazardous conditions. Participants will receive guidance on when and how to report information such as hail size, wind damage and tornado sightings to the Weather Service.

The session is intended for both new and experienced spotters, as well as anyone interested in better understanding severe weather and how to stay safe during storm season.

Severe weather awareness week is March 2 - 6.&nbsp;

NWS to host storm identification and safety presentations

Three-day Outlook

HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. — A grain bin accident in southern Harvey County left one-person dead Saturday afternoon.

Emergency personnel were dispatched at approximately 2:30 p.m. to the 2100 block of South Spencer Road after receiving a report of a man trapped inside a grain bin.

Authorities said three men were working to level and empty soybeans inside a large grain bin when the contents suddenly shifted, trapping one of the workers.

The trapped man was pronounced dead at the scene. The other two men were able to escape without injury.

The man’s identity is being withheld pending notification of family.

Officials have ruled the death accidental.

Traffic along South Spencer Road was temporarily rerouted during the emergency response but has since reopened.

One dead in grain bin collapse

A 37-year-old Hutchinson woman died Friday night after being shot in the 800 block of West Fourth Avenue, and the suspect later died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound following a vehicle pursuit in Pratt County, authorities said.

Officers with the Hutchinson Police Department were dispatched at approximately 8:19 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20, to a report of a shooting. When officers arrived, they located Lacy D. Nelson, 37, of Hutchinson, with multiple gunshot wounds.

Officers began rendering first aid until Reno County EMS arrived. Nelson was transported by ambulance to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center, where she later succumbed to her injuries.

During the investigation, Curtis E. Richardson, 49, of Hutchinson, was identified as a person of interest. A statewide “be on the lookout,” or BOLO, alert was issued for Richardson at 9:17 p.m. Friday.

At approximately 7 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, the Pratt County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to Preston, Kansas, in reference to a reported robbery. A victim reported that a male forced entry into her residence and took her vehicle without permission.

While en route, a Pratt County sheriff’s deputy located the reported stolen vehicle traveling southbound on K-61 Highway in Pratt County. The deputy attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the driver, later identified as Richardson, refused to stop and a vehicle pursuit ensued.

Authorities said the stolen vehicle left the roadway and entered a field near Northeast 30th Avenue and Northeast 20th Street in Pratt County, where it became stuck. A deputy secured the scene until additional units arrived.

The Pratt County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team responded. Richardson refused to exit the vehicle despite multiple commands from deputies and continued efforts by a negotiator, authorities said. Less-lethal tactics were deployed in an attempt to gain compliance.

Richardson was later located inside the vehicle with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Pratt County EMS initiated lifesaving measures, and he was transported to Pratt Regional Medical Center, where he later died.

Authorities said the investigation remains active. As of the latest release, there are no additional persons of interest.

Hutchinson woman killed in Friday shooting; suspect dies after pursuit in Pratt County

Dear Dave, I talked to my dad the other day, and he wants me to pay for his life insurance policy. He says I should look at it as an investment, and he doesn’t want to pay for it himself anymore, since he’ll never get any benefit from the policy.

My dad is 65 and in pretty good health. I’m 24 and not sure how I feel about his request. Can you give me some advice on handling the situation?

Frankie, This is really weird. I’m sure it was doubly weird for you to hear it from your dad! Even if you didn’t say it out loud, you had to have asked yourself, “Say what?”

I’d take a hard pass on this one. Do you get what I’m saying? The answer to this question is no. Plain and simple. If your dad is in good health, you could be paying on this thing for another 20 or 30 years. That’s ridiculous! 

Plus, it sounds like someone needs to explain the purpose of life insurance to him. The proceeds from a life insurance policy are there to protect the ones you leave behind when you die — your family — so they can cover the bills and be financially stable without your income. Life insurance is not an investment.

Now, I know he’s your dad. That makes the situation a little touchy. But if I were you, I would sit down with him and respectfully let him know I have no intention of “investing” in his death. You’re 24. And in my mind, that means you have other kinds of investing you should be looking into — like retirement planning.

If you’re anything like me, you’re fighting the impulse to be a little snarky about this whole thing. But this is your dad. A little respect is in order. Besides, being snarky isn’t going to solve anything, even if it does make you feel better for a minute.

Something tells me your dad does crazy things like this from time to time. He’s little quirky, maybe. But deep down, he knows this is a strange request. My advice? Don’t go into a lengthy discussion about it. Just smile, thank him for the offer and let him know you’re going another route with your investments. Two sentences and a kind, but firm, no.

You can hear Dave Ramsey, Monday through Friday evenings from 7 to 10 p.m. on KWBW, unless it is preempted by sports coverage.&nbsp;

Dave says: Pay for dad’s life insurance policy

Wesley		Randy	Joel	2/20/2026 10:12&nbsp;AM	DUI; 2nd conv; comp evidence of blood/breath .08+

Haugsness		Mason	Kyle	2/20/2026 10:14&nbsp;AM	Agg endangering a child;Reckless &lt;18;Bodily harm

Pederson		Gunner	Dale	2/20/2026 11:12&nbsp;AM	Battery; Against LEO, Rude, Insulting or Angry Physical Contact,					Criminal Threat; with Intent to Terrorize or cause Evacuation,					Interference with Law Enforcement; Obstruct, Resist, Oppose; Felony Case, Execution of a Felony Warrant,					Agg assault of LEO; w/ deadly weapon

Juarez		Joseph	Michael	2/20/2026 1:27&nbsp;PM	Driving while license cancelled/suspended/revoked; misd; unknown conv

Baker		Caleb	Allen	2/20/2026 2:22&nbsp;PM	Probation Violation

White		Noah	Joseph	2/20/2026 3:59&nbsp;PM	Poss of opiate, narcotic, or certain stimulant,					DWS; 2nd or subs conviction,					Use or Possess with Intent to use Drug Paraphernalia into Human Body,					Insurance; Permit the use of uninsured vehicle

Campa		Michael	Jesus	2/20/2026 4:48&nbsp;PM	DWS; 1st conviction,					DUI; 2nd conv; comp evidence of blood/breath .08+

Kukula		Dirk	Jacob	2/20/2026 4:48&nbsp;PM	Probation Violation

Leslie	Anne Marie	Dewitt		2/20/2026 6:38&nbsp;PM	Mistreat depend adult/elder; Obt guard $1500-&lt;$25K,					Criminal Use of a Financial Card; Without consent; $1,000 to $24,999 in 7 days, Criminal Use of a Financial Card; Without consent; Less than $1,000 in 7 days,					Theft; By Deception; $1,500 to $24,999,					Theft; By Deception; Less than $1,500,					Computer Crime; False representation with damage &lt; $100,000

Joshua	William	Kelley		2/20/2026 8:33&nbsp;PM	Probation Violation,					Probation Violation

Shaylene	Raelynn	Hampton		2/20/2026 8:55&nbsp;PM	Domestic Battery; Aggravated; Impede Breathing by Pressure to Throat, Neck or Chest,					Battery; Phys contact rude/insult/angry manner

Helen	Charlene	Bailey		2/20/2026 11:17&nbsp;PM	Domestic Battery; Knowing or Reckless Bodily Harm (1st conviction),					Endangering a Child

Jamey	Lee	Blubaugh		2/20/2026 11:40&nbsp;PM	Disorderly Conduct; Disturbing an assembly

Officers with the Hutchinson Police Department responded to a reported shooting near 4th Avenue and Whiteside Street shortly after 8:15 p.m. Friday.

Dayton Gates confirmed officers were dispatched to a shooting call in the area. When officers arrived at the K-Go convenience store, they located a female victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

The victim was transported to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center. Her condition has not been released.

Police remained on scene Friday night as the investigation continued. No additional details were immediately available.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

If you have information regarding this incident, please contact the Hutchinson Police Department at 620-694-2816, your local law enforcement agency, or Crime Stoppers of Reno County at 800-222-TIPS. 

You can also use the P3Tips App on your smartphone, or text RENOKS to 738477 to receive a link to an anonymous tip form. (Msg frequency varies. Msg &amp; data rates may apply. Text HELP for help and STOP to cancel. P3 Terms and Privacy Policy.)&nbsp;

Hutchinson Police investigating shooting near 4th and Whiteside

Work Begins on Fairgrounds Park Playground Upgrade

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Work is underway this week on a playground renovation project at Fairgrounds Park, with city crews beginning the first phase of improvements to the popular community space.

Residents will notice caution tape and construction activity as crews remove the existing play structure and prepare the site for new equipment. The demolition marks the start of a project aimed at creating a safer and more modern play environment.

Following the removal of the old structure, workers will install new playground equipment along with updated surfacing designed to enhance safety and durability.

City officials said the project is part of ongoing efforts to invest in public spaces and provide updated recreational amenities for families.

Additional updates on the project’s progress will be shared as construction continues.

Work begins on new Fairgrounds Park playground

By JOSH FUNK AP Transportation Writer

All truckers and pass drivers will have to take their commercial driver’s license tests in English as the Trump administration expands its aggressive campaign to improve safety in the industry and get unqualified drivers off the road.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the latest effort Friday to ensure that drivers understand English well enough to read road signs and communicate with law enforcement officers. Florida already started administering its tests in English.

Currently, many states allow drivers to take their license tests in other languages even though they are required to demonstrate English proficiency. California offered tests in 20 other languages. And Duffy said that a number of states have hired other companies to administer commercial driver's licenses tests, and those companies aren't enforcing the standards that drivers are supposed to meet.

“And the third party tester is participating in the scam because they are not adequately testing the people who went through a sham school,” Duffy said.

He said every American wants drivers who get behind the wheel of a big rig to be well-qualified to handle those vehicles. But Duffy said that for too long the problems in the trucking industry were “allowed to rot and no one's paying attention to it for decades."

“Once you start to pay attention, you see that all these bad things have been happening. And the consequence of that is that Americans get hurt,” Duffy said. “When we get on the road, we should expect that we should be safe. And that those who drive those 80,000-pound big rigs, that they are well-trained, they’re well-qualified, and they’re going to be safe.”

The campaign will also now expand to go prevent fraudulent trucking companies from getting into the business while continuing to go after questionable schools and ensure states are complying with all the regulations for handing out commercial licenses.

Earlier this week, the Transportation Department&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/commercial-drivers-license-cdl-mills-duffy-schools-9af984e6d3318cfb722d1fcf48b2c2a4">said 557 driving schools should close</a>&nbsp;because they failed to meet basic safety standards. And the department has been aggressively going after states that handed out commercial driver’s licenses to immigrants who shouldn’t have qualified for them ever since a fatal crash in August.

A truck driver who Duffy says wasn’t authorized to be in the U.S. made an illegal U-turn and caused a crash in Florida&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fatal-uturn-florida-california-immigration-b2db54aef36c178e2d0bb299f907603d">that killed three people</a>. Other fatal crashes since then, including one in Indiana that killed four earlier this month, have only heightened concerns.

Duffy said that the registration system and requirements for trucking companies will be strengthened while Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration inspectors conduct more spot checks of trucks and commercial driver’s license schools.

Currently, companies only have to pay a few hundred dollars and show proof of insurance to get registered to operate, and then they might not be audited until a year or more later.

That has made it easy for fraudulent companies that are known in the industry as chameleon carriers to register multiple times under different names and then simply switch names and registration numbers to avoid any consequences after crashes or other violations.

Officials are also trying to make sure that the electronic logging devices drivers use are accurate, and that states are following all the regulations to ensure drivers are qualified to get commercial licenses.

After that Indiana crash, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration knocked the company that employed the driver out of service and pulled the DOT numbers assigned to two other companies that were linked to AJ Partners. Tutash Express and Sam Express in the Chicago area were also disqualified, and the Aydana driving school that the trucker involved in the crash attended lost its certification.

Immigration authorities arrested that driver because they said the 30-year-old from Kyrgystan entered the country illegally. Authorities say he pulled out and tried to go around a truck that had slowed in front of him and his truck slammed into an oncoming van.

In December, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration took action to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/commercial-drivers-license-trucking-california-pennsylvania-96fee86df4f9bfb0ef65af20da878a57">decertify up to 7,500 of the 16,000 schools</a>&nbsp;nationwide but that included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trucking-duffy-cdl-immigrant-commercial-license-schools-ef4ade6ada39cbbab0c56d14dc9d9d1f">many defunct operations</a>.

Duffy said the companies involved in that Indiana crash were all registered at the same apartment. In other cases there might be hundreds of these chameleon companies registered at a single address.

Driver's license tests in English: New mandate for all truckers and bus drivers 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tariffs-trump-0485fcda30a7310501123e4931dba3f9">Supreme Court on Friday struck down</a>&nbsp;President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-economy-liberation-day-d3458da225c1fdfade97ed494b23e868">biggest and boldest tariffs</a>. But the justices left a $133 billion question unanswered: What's going to happen to the money the government has already collected in import taxes now declared unlawful?

Companies have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/costco-tariffs-supreme-court-trump-illegal-86203801e7a0f690d333c087b9db844f">lining up for refunds</a>. But the way forward could prove chaotic.

When the smoke clears, trade lawyers say, importers are likely to get money back — eventually. “It’s going to be a bumpy ride for awhile," said trade lawyer Joyce Adetutu, a partner at the Vinson &amp; Elkins law firm.

The refund process is likely to be hashed out by a mix of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency, the specialized Court of International Trade in New York and other lower courts, according to a note to clients by lawyers at the legal firm Clark Hill.

"The amount of money is substantial," Adetutu said. "The courts are going to have a hard time. Importers are going to have a hard time.’’

Still, she added, “it’s going to be really difficult not to have some sort of refund option’’ given how decisively the Supreme Court repudiated Trump’s tariffs.

In its 6-3 opinion on Friday, the court ruled Trump’s attempt to use an emergency powers law to enact the levies was not valid. Two of the three justices appointed by Trump joined the majority in striking down the first major piece of his second-term agenda to come before them.

At issue are double-digit tariffs Trump imposed on almost every country in the world last year by invoking the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The Supreme Court ruled that the law did not give the president authority to tax imports, a power that belongs to Congress.

The U.S. customs agency has already collected&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-ieepa-tariffs-supreme-court-12487645072a1e1a387db60081509f3c">$133 billion in IEEPA tariffs</a>&nbsp;as of mid-December. But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-supreme-court-refunds-81432b8fecf6c3183f3aba84a0c07edb">consumers hoping for a refund</a>&nbsp;are unlikely to be compensated for the higher prices they paid when companies passed along the cost of the tariffs; that's more likely to go to the companies themselves.

In a dissenting opinion, Justice Brett Kavanaugh dinged his colleagues for dodging the refund issue: “The Court says nothing today about whether, and if so how, the Government should go about returning the billions of dollars that it has collected from importers.’’

Borrowing a word that Justice Amy Coney Barrett — who sided with the majority — used during the court’s November hearing on the case, Kavanaugh warned that “the refund process is likely to be a ‘mess.’"

“I guess it has to get litigated for the next two years,” Trump told reporters at a press conference Friday, in which he decried the court's decision and said he was “absolutely ashamed” of some justices who ruled against his tariffs. "We’ll end up being in court for the next five years.''

The end of the IEEPA tariffs could help the economy by easing inflationary pressures. The tariff refunds — like other tax refunds — could stimulate spending and growth. But the impacts are likely to be modest.

Most countries still face steep tariffs from the U.S. on specific sectors, and Trump intends to replace the IEEPA levies&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-supreme-court-ieepa-a3e43fe91fa8335eac383921bed55f7e">using other options</a>. The refunds that do get issued will take time to roll out — 12 to 18 months, estimates TD Securities.

The U.S. customs agency does have a process for refunding duties when importers can show there’s been some kind of error. The agency might try to build on the existing system to refund Trump’s IEEPA tariffs, said trade lawyer Dave Townsend, a partner with the law firm Dorsey &amp; Whitney.

And there has been a precedent for courts making arrangements to give companies their money back in trade cases. In the 1990s, the courts struck down as unconstitutional a harbor maintenance fee on exports and set up a system for exporters to apply for refunds.

But the courts and U.S. customs have never had to deal with anything like this — thousands of importers and tens of billions of dollars at once.

“Just because the process is difficult to administer doesn’t mean the government has the right to hold on to fees that were collected unlawfully,″ said trade lawyer Alexis Early, partner at the law firm Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner.

Ryan Majerus, a partner at King &amp; Spalding and a former U.S. trade official, said it's hard to know how the government will deal with the massive demand for refunds. It might try to streamline the process, perhaps setting up a special website where importers can claim their refunds.

But Adetutu warns that “the government is well-positioned to make this as difficult as possible for importers. I can see a world where they push as much responsibility as possible onto the importer’’ — maybe forcing them to go to court to seek the refunds.

Many companies, including Costco, Revlon and canned seafood and chicken producer Bumble Bee Foods, filed lawsuits claiming refunds even before the Supreme Court ruled, essentially seeking to be at the head of line if the tariffs were struck down.

There are likely to be more legal battles ahead. Manufacturers might, for example, sue for a share of any refunds given to suppliers that jacked up the price of raw materials to cover the tariffs.

“We may see years of ongoing litigation in multiple jurisdictions,’’ Early said.

Consumers, though, are unlikely to enjoy a refund windfall. The higher prices they’ve had to pay would likely be hard to attribute to a specific tariff. Should they pursue refunds anyway? Early wouldn’t advise wasting money on legal fees, but said: “In America, we have the ability to file a lawsuit for anything we want.’’

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat and Trump antagonist, is demanding a refund on behalf of his state's 5.11 million households. In a letter addressed to Trump and released by Pritzker's gubernatorial campaign, the governor said the tariffs had cost each Illinois household $1,700 — or $8.7 billion. Pritzker said failure to pay will elicit "further action.''

Nevada Treasurer Zach Conine submitted a payment request to the federal government for $2.1 billion to recoup the costs of the tariffs, his office announced Friday.

“As Nevada’s chief investment officer, I have a responsibility to try to recoup every single dollar that the Trump Administration takes from Nevada families," Conine said in a statement.

What about refunds after Supreme Court tariffs decision 

KANSAS CITY—Kansas City , Missouri police know some heroes have four legs.&nbsp;

Earlier this month, police responded to a call for a toddler found wandering barefoot on the street, according to a social media report from KCMO Police.. While trying to figure out the toddler’s identity and family, a dog kept nudging at the officers.

To officers, the dog was trying to tell them something. When the dog walked away, the officers followed their instincts and the dog.

The dog led officers to a house. That house was the toddler’s home.

The toddler was reunited with family, though there is an investigation as to what happened.

🎥Dog helps Kansas City police find wandering toddler's home 

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/sam-mednick">SAM MEDNICK</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/samy-magdy">SAMY MAGDY</a>

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Arab and Muslim nations on Saturday sharply condemned comments by the U.S. ambassador to Israel,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-huckabee">Mike Huckabee</a>, who said Israel has a right to much of the Middle East.

Huckabee made the comments in an interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson that aired Friday. Carlson said that according to the Bible, the descendants of Abraham would receive land that today would include essentially the entire Middle East, and asked Huckabee if Israel had a right to that land.

Huckabee responded: “It would be fine if they took it all.” Huckabee added, however, that Israel was not looking to expand its territory and has a right to security in the land it legitimately holds.

His comments sparked immediate backlash from neighboring Egypt and Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the League of Arab States, which in separate statements called them extremist, provocative and not in line with the U.S. position.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry described Huckabee’s comments as “extremist rhetoric” and “unacceptable,” and called for the State Department to clarify its position on them.

Egypt’s foreign ministry called his comments a “blatant violation” of international law, adding that “Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory or other Arab lands.”

“Statements of this nature — extremist and lacking any sound basis — serve only to inflame sentiments and stir religious and national emotions,” the League of Arab States said.

There was no immediate comment from Israel or the United States.

Since its establishment in 1948, Israel has not had fully recognized borders. Its frontiers with Arab neighbors&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-borders-history-syria-gaza-war-golan-5fdf8fdbe2ec2cee7b9cf7f78fbb1c8c">have shifted</a>&nbsp;as a result of wars, annexations, ceasefires and peace agreements.

During the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/b4f60251019e4716956fdbdaac78593c">six-day 1967 Mideast war</a>, Israel captured the West Bank and east Jerusalem from Jordan, Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt and the Golan Heights from Syria. Israel withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula as part of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-egypt-peace-treaty-hamas-war-rafah-46df917a975ed4c4f88d5de01a8508e0">peace deal with Egypt</a>&nbsp;following the 1973 Mideast war. It also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-settlements-disengagement-20th-anniversary-5db86a29bbbe2f41e5bb7059098fd450">unilaterally withdrew from Gaza</a>&nbsp;in 2005.

Israel has attempted to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/west-bank-israel-settlement-palestinians-cabinet-328429d96099bc33275035b85244797a">deepen control</a>&nbsp;of the occupied West Bank in recent months. It has greatly expanded construction in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-west-bank-palestinians-annexation-settlements-b17255e2fbb44a79a4871fafea4dabe8">Jewish settlements</a>, legalized outposts and made significant bureaucratic changes to its policies in the territory. U.S. President Donald Trump has said he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-israel-gaza-annex-west-bank-284f2db5b5e549cfecb6b24b26d98460">will not allow Israel</a>&nbsp;to annex the West Bank and has offered strong assurances that he’d block any move to do so.

Palestinians have for decades called for an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza with east Jerusalem its capital, a claim backed by much of the international community.

Huckabee has long opposed the idea of a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinian people. In an interview last year, he said he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-ambassador-congress-mike-huckabee-trump-gaza-a448937b9550f0f89c6d96d330286f6f">does not believe</a>&nbsp;in referring to the Arab descendants of people who had lived in British-controlled Palestine as “Palestinians.”

In the latest interview, Carlson pressed Huckabee about his interpretation of Bible verses from the book of Genesis, where he said God promised Abraham and his descendants land from the Nile to the Euphrates.

“That would be the Levant, so that would be Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon. It would also be big parts of Saudi Arabia and Iraq,” Carlson said.

Huckabee replied: “Not sure we’d go that far. I mean, it would be a big piece of land.”

Israel has encroached on more land since the start of its war with Hamas in Gaza.

Under the current ceasefire, Israel withdrew its troops to a buffer zone but still controls more than half the territory. Israeli forces are supposed to withdraw further, though the ceasefire deal doesn’t give a timeline.

After Syrian President Bashar&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-assad-sweida-daraa-homs-hts-qatar-7f65823bbf0a7bd331109e8dff419430">Assad was ousted</a>&nbsp;at the end of 2024, Israel’s military seized control of a demilitarized buffer zone in Syria created as part of a 1974 ceasefire between the countries. Israel said the move was temporary and meant to secure its border.

And Israel still occupies five hilltop posts on Lebanese territory following its brief war with Hezbollah in 2024.

US ambassador causes uproar over statement on Israel 

By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/kevinhardy/">Kevin Hardy</a>

Outrage erupted last month when Oklahoma City residents learned of plans to convert a vacant warehouse into an immigration processing facility.

Making&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahomavoice.com/2026/01/27/oklahomans-denounce-potential-ice-processing-center-at-okc-city-council-meeting/" target="_blank">matters worse</a>&nbsp;was the secrecy of the federal government: City leaders received no communication from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement aside from a mandated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.okc.gov/files/assets/city/v/1/city-manager/ltr-from-dhs-to-okc-about-okc-detention-center.pdf" target="_blank">disclosure</a>&nbsp;related to historic preservation.

Planning a major development without city input is antithetical to the in-depth, sometimes arcane permitting, planning and zoning process in Oklahoma City. Mayor David Holt, a former Republican state senator, said those land use decisions are among the most crucial of any municipal government.

“For any entity to be able to open a detention center in our communities, potentially next to neighborhoods or schools, regardless of your views on immigration policy or enforcement, is very challenging, because that’s a very high-impact use, and that’s the kind of thing that we would expect to talk about,” he told Stateline.

Communities across the country are facing similar prospects as ICE undertakes a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/01/21/nx-s1-5674887/ice-budget-funding-congress-trump" target="_blank">massive expansion</a>&nbsp;fueled in large part by the record $45 billion approved for increased immigration detention by Congress last summer.

During President Donald Trump’s second term, ICE is holding a record number of detainees —&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2026/02/05/immigration-detention-passed-70000-in-january/" target="_blank">more than 70,000</a>&nbsp;as of January — across its own facilities as well as in contracted local jails and private prisons. ICE<a href="https://www.governor.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt971/files/inline-documents/merrimack-detention-reengineering-initiative.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;documents</a>&nbsp;from last week show plans for acquiring and renovating 16 processing sites that hold up to 1,500 people each and eight detention centers that hold up to 10,000 each, for a total capacity of 92,600 beds. The agency also has plans for some 150 new leases and office expansions across the country,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/ice-expansion-across-us-at-heres-where-its-going-next/?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us" target="_blank">Wired reported</a>.

But ICE’s plans to convert industrial buildings — often warehouses — into new detention facilities have recently faced fierce opposition over humanitarian and economic concerns. From Utah to Texas to Georgia, local governments have sought to block these massive facilities. But with limited legal authority, city and state officials have turned to the court of public opinion to deter private developers and the federal government.

Holt, who is the president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, a nonpartisan organization representing the more than 1,400 leaders of cities with populations of 30,000 or more, said cities have little legal recourse over the ICE facilities.

“We all have a clear, unified position that really crosses party lines,” he said, “and then we also have a clear understanding of how limited our options are.”

Local leaders often cite the U.S. Constitution’s&nbsp;<a href="https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artVI-C2-1/ALDE_00013395/" target="_blank">supremacy clause</a>, which says federal laws supersede conflicting state laws. That leaves cities with limited influence over projects that could take industrial space off tax rolls, cause new strains on city services and raise serious humanitarian concerns given the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement, including the high-profile killings of two Americans in Minnesota.

Facing bipartisan opposition, the out-of-state owner of the Oklahoma City warehouse ultimately decided to&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahomavoice.com/briefs/proposed-oklahoma-city-ice-facility-is-off-the-table/" target="_blank">end talks</a>&nbsp;of selling or leasing its warehouse to the federal government.

Similar public pressure has proved effective in reversing plans in several other cities: In late January, a Canadian firm said it would not proceed with a planned sale of a Virginia warehouse after it faced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/01/us/politics/ice-warehouse-detention-canada.html" target="_blank">calls for a boycott</a>&nbsp;from Canadian politicians and businesses. In Mississippi, U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker announced the federal government would&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SenatorWicker/status/2019820750900002820" target="_blank">“look elsewhere”</a>&nbsp;after he spoke with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who oversees ICE. Wicker, a Republican who said he supports immigration enforcement, echoed local&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2026/2/wicker-proposed-ice-facility-threatens-byhalia-mississippi-economy-and-infrastructure" target="_blank">economic concerns</a>&nbsp;of a project planned in Byhalia.

Some officials have welcomed the new facilities: Missouri Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Alford has&nbsp;<a href="https://alford.house.gov/uploadedfiles/1.16.2026_ice_facility_letter.pdf" target="_blank">lobbied</a>&nbsp;to land a detention and processing center in his district. And last week, a Maryland county approved a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wbaltv.com/article/washington-county-dhs-ice-resolution-hagerstown-detention-center/70300009" target="_blank">resolution</a>&nbsp;expressing its “full support” for ICE, which is considering purchasing a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washco-md.net/news/washington-county-statement-on-u-s-department-of-homeland-security-notice-concerning-proposed-ice-facility/" target="_blank">warehouse</a>&nbsp;there, despite local protests. But most communities have fought them.

Neither DHS nor ICE responded to Stateline’s questions.

Holt said the discussion resembles other local development concerns where NIMBY — short for Not in My Backyard — is a common description of opponents.

“There are plenty of people who are very law-and-order and supporters of law enforcement who don’t want a jail next to their house,” he said. “That’s why it’s got such broad opposition: NIMBYism is the most powerful force sometimes in American politics and nobody wants a detention center next to their home, their business or their school.”

After learning that ICE planned to take over a vacant warehouse within its city limits, the Kansas City Council in January swiftly approved a five-year ban on nonmunicipal detention facilities.

Kansas City Council member Andrea Bough, who is also a private development attorney, said the move was both political and legal: The city wanted to send a clear signal opposing ICE facilities, but it also wants to exert its local authority over planning and zoning.

She acknowledged the legal hurdle posed by the supremacy clause, but said there was enough ambiguity over the city’s ability to regulate land use that it may take the issue to the courts.

“Some would say local building codes and zoning regulations do not apply to the federal government,” she said. “That’s something I think we would probably in this situation be willing to fight until we had clear guidance on that.”

Following weeks of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/david-hudnall/article314486671.html" target="_blank">pressure</a>, the Kansas City firm that owns the 920,000-square-foot warehouse announced Thursday it was no longer “actively engaged with the U.S. Government or any other prospective purchaser,” the Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article314676617.html#storylink=cpy" target="_blank">reported</a>.

Jackson County, which includes portions of Kansas City and the potential detention facility, is considering a similar ban. And across the state line, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, is considering a similar&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/wyandotte-county/article314647328.html" target="_blank">two-year moratorium</a>.

But there are clear limitations on cities’ ability to stop federal projects, said Nestor Davidson, a professor who teaches land use and local government law at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.

“The federal government can assert immunity from certain state and local laws, including zoning, but it’s complicated, and there are nuances,” he said.

Still, Davidson said some case law has shown cities may have stronger legal footing for zoning rules that are broad and not directly targeted at specific federal government projects.

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