hcj

KS - May 21 2025

FBI Shifts Agents to Kansas; RFK Jr. Pesticide Stance; Mann Champions Tax Bill; Mile-Wide Tornado Hits Kansas; SGA Earns NBA MVP

Greg Loving

21 May 2025 • 4 min read

FBI Director Kash Patel

FBI to Shift Agents From D.C. to Kansas Field Offices, KBI Director Says

Health Sec. RFK Jr.'s Pesticide Stance Draws Fire From Ag Industry, Senator

Kansas Congressman Mann Champions "Big, Beautiful" Tax Relief Bill

Mile-Wide Tornado Among Five EF-3s Hitting Kansas Counties

OKC Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Earns NBA MVP

1. FBI to Shift Agents From D.C. to Kansas Field Offices, KBI Director Says

Kansas could be in line for more Federal Bureau of Investigation agents as President Donald Trump's administration makes changes to the law enforcement agency. In a pair of congressional budget hearings, KBI director Kash Patel said Topeka and other cities in Kansas as well as the Kansas City field office will get more agents.¹ That move is part of a plan to move positions out of the nation's capital and into the FBI's 55 field offices around the country.² U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, has already talked with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation about the prospect of more FBI agents in the state.³ "Met with KBI Director Mattivi this week to learn more about the bureau's work to combat crime and the importance of federal support," Moran said in a May 15 post on X. "We also discussed FBI Director Patel's plan to relocate FBI positions from the DC area to Kansas. Additional agents, analysts & staff will strengthen KBI's work to keep Kansas safe."

cjonline.com

2. Health Sec. RFK Jr.'s Pesticide Stance Draws Fire From Ag Industry, Senator

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s long-running crusade against agricultural chemicals ran into pushback on Tuesday from the agriculture industry and a Republican senator, who pointedly instructed Mr. Kennedy not to interfere with the livelihood of American farmers by suggesting certain pesticides are unsafe. The admonition from the senator, Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, came as President Trump was preparing to release a report on Thursday from a commission, led by Mr. Kennedy and named for his movement, to examine the causes of childhood chronic disease. Mr. Trump established the panel to look at a range of potential factors, including chemicals, which Mr. Kennedy has said “pollute our bodies the same way that they pollute the soil.” Mr. Kennedy and his followers in the “Make America Healthy Again” movement have previously singled out the agricultural chemical glyphosate, originally made by Monsanto, which is now owned by Bayer, the German chemical and pharmaceutical giant.

nytimes.com

3. Kansas Congressman Mann Champions "Big, Beautiful" Tax Relief Bill

The congressman representing the Big First district in Kansas is continuing to push for tax cuts from Congress. U.S. Rep. Tracey Mann spoke with The Capital-Journal by phone May 15 with an update on his work in the U.S. House. The Republican from Salina represents the 1st Congressional District, which spans from western Kansas to Hutchinson and up into northeast Kansas, including Manhattan and Lawrence. "The reconciliation bill — it's called the big, beautiful bill — in many ways, it's really a tax bill," Mann said. "I think it's important for people to remember that if Congress doesn't act, then every Kansan is going to get a tax hike come Jan. 1.

cjonline.com

4. Mile-Wide Tornado Among Five EF-3s Hitting Kansas Counties

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The National Weather Service has rated at least five of Sunday’s tornadoes as EF-3s, including multiple ones near Greensburg and Plevna. The tornado that crossed Pratt, Stafford and Reno counties was as wide as a mile.

ksn.com

5. OKC Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Earns NBA MVP

NEW YORK — In a sport dominated by soaring point totals, Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the NBA’s leading scorer and the best player on the league’s top team. What could be more “valuable?” Gilgeous-Alexander, 26, was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player on Wednesday on TNT from Madison Square Garden, ahead of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Knicks and Pacers.⁴ He averaged a league-best 32.7 points per game for a Thunder team that won 68 games and claimed the league’s No. 1 seed heading into the playoffs.

nytimes.com/athletic

Hutchinson

Salina

McPherson / Lindsborg

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