The Little Apple Brief
Local, state, and US news for busy people - Jan 30, 2026 edition
This newsletter will be published daily in the morning, in this format, soon. Until then, we'll publish once a week. The website will be updated more regularly.
-Greg and Max, greg@citizenjournal.us
Manhattan
- The National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility has ended its hiring freeze and announced plans to fill 150 new positions. →
- Riley County has been awarded a $1 million federal grant to support the development of a much-needed sewer system in the Keats area. →
- The city reported that tax revenues designated for workforce housing projects are currently fully allocated, limiting new funding opportunities. →
- City staff proposed ending the requirement for property liens on home rehabilitation grants over $10,000, sparking debate over the recapture of taxpayer funds. →
- The 2026 Kansas Mission of Mercy will provide free dental cleanings, fillings, and extractions at the Manhattan National Guard Armory on Friday and Saturday with no income or residency requirements. Patients should bring a list of current medications and prepare for long wait times as services are provided on a first-come, first-served basis. →
- Progress continues on the construction of a new combined facility to house Riley County Emergency Management and fire services. →
- Habitat for Humanity provided an update to city officials regarding the progress and success of local housing repair initiatives. →
- It's going to be a cold, cloudy day in the Little Apple with highs reaching only 22 degrees and a slight chance of a stray snow shower.
🌾Kansas
• Kansas House approves bill allowing federal pesticide labels to meet state standards (81-36 vote), with Democrats arguing it shields chemical companies like Bayer from liability in Roundup-like cancer lawsuits by eliminating duty-to-inform requirements.
• Kansas proposes recycling treated wastewater into drinking water by 2028 to address Ogallala Aquifer depletion, with water officials unanimously supporting the $600,000 initiative despite timeline and funding concerns.
• Kansas Democrats introduce bill requiring ICE agents to obtain warrants, complete 14-week state law enforcement training, and clearly identify themselves in response to what legislators called the agency's "violent and hostile" enforcement actions.
• Kansas bathroom bill amended to ban parents from taking children 9+ into opposite-sex public restrooms, potentially subjecting both parents and children to fines and criminal charges in government buildings.
• Dangerous cold grips Kansas with wind chills reaching -15°F Saturday morning creating frostbite risk in 30-45 minutes, though temperatures will rebound to the 40s-60s by next week.
Greg Loving
🇺🇸 US
- Senate reaches shutdown-averting deal after fatal shooting of American citizen by federal agent in Minneapolis, agreeing to fund government through fiscal year while giving DHS two weeks to negotiate immigration enforcement restrictions.
- ICE deploys mass surveillance in Minneapolis including Clearview AI facial recognition, cellphone tracking, and Palantir databases to monitor both undocumented immigrants and citizen protesters during immigration crackdown.
- Trump admin invests $1.6B in USA Rare Earth for 10% stake in Oklahoma miner, marking largest federal investment to secure domestic supplies of critical minerals for defense and technology.
- Trump reviews military strikes on Iran including raids on nuclear/missile facilities, as U.S. repositions Middle East assets and administration weighs options to force regime change.
- U.S. seeks Cuban insiders for regime change deal as oil embargo pushes economy toward collapse within weeks, with Trump threatening new tariffs on any country exporting oil to island.
- Trump picks Kevin Warsh as Fed chair, selecting the former Federal Reserve official to lead the central bank.
Greg Loving
🌤️Weather
January 30 1835: Andrew Jackson narrowly escapes assassination
Andrew Jackson became the first American president to face an assassination attempt when Richard Lawrence, an unemployed house painter, tried to shoot him as he left a congressional funeral, but both of Lawrence’s pistols misfired. Jackson, then 67, furiously attacked Lawrence with his cane before aides subdued the would-be assassin, leaving the president physically unharmed but deeply suspicious and paranoid afterward.
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