Kansas health officials say they are monitoring six West Nile virus cases this year and five of them have been considered serious.As of Aug. 15, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) shows three cases located in the north-central Kansas region and three more in the south-central part of the state.The KDHE says that five of the six cases are classified as neuroinvasive. Jill Bronaugh, a KDHE spokesperson, said non-neuroinvasive cases are less severe, according to a report by KSNT.Bronaugh explained that infected subjects with non-neuroinvasive cases have flu-like symptoms and neuroinvasive cases are much more severe.MOSQUITO-BORN DENGUE FEVER CASES SURGE AT POPULAR US VACATION DESTINATION"Neuroinvasive cases are those in which there is clinical evidence of involvement of the central nervous system in the disease process," Bronaugh said. "These cases are generally more severe and include symptoms such as high fever, inflammation of the brain and/or the tissue surrounding the brain, disorientation, paralysis or muscle weakness, numbness, and vision loss. These cases generally have a longer recovery time and require more extensive medical intervention."According to a report by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), the numbers are still below last years totals, but some health officials are warning that the risk will rise as mosquito activity peaks in late summer.Last year, Kansas recorded 64 infections, including four deaths, according to KDHE data.MOSQUITO-BORNE VIRUS SPREADING THROUGH CHINA CAUSES HIGH FEVER, JOINT PAINKDHE currently has a West Nile virus dashboard, which is updated on Fridays during the surveillance season, July through September.According to the CDC, WNV is commonly spread through bites from infected mosquitoes during mosquito season starting in the summer.Peak numbers are from August to early September, the CDC website reports, and yearly about 2,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed, although those numbers are low due to under-reporting caused by mild symptoms.The CDC says typical symptoms such as high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness, or paralysis tend to show up 26 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.Unfortunately, there are no medicines available to treat West Nile, but the CDC notes that most who are infected recover.The CDC says that most people infected with the West Nile virus "are believed to have lifelong immunity or protection from getting the disease again."Health officials have urged residents to use precautions when going outdoors to protect themselves from mosquito bites. Officials suggest using insect repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants outdoors, and eliminating standing water around homes where mosquitoes can breed.

Across the country, liberal open-border politicians are trying to put ICE officers in danger. In addition to the wave of slanderous and demonizing rhetoric against those who enforce our immigration laws, they also want to ensure that these heroic men and women are under constant threat from radical retaliation in the privacy of their own homes.How? They want to ban federal law enforcement from wearing masks. Proponents of these bans claim that the masks cause chaos and undermine transparency. The common cry from politicians like Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, California Governor Gavin Newsom, failed vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz, and others is that federal law enforcement officers are refusing to identify themselves before making arrests of illegal aliens.That could not be further from the truth. Ive been on the ground during an operation, DHS law enforcement clearly identify themselves during arrests, stating their name, showing their badges, and wear identifiers on their gear like badges and patches.HOUSE REPUBLICANS WARN ANTI-ICE RHETORIC FROM DEMOCRATS IS DRIVING VIOLENT ATTACKS ON AGENTSSo why are authorities wearing masks during deportation operations? Because, if they do not, leftist rioters will dox, harass, and assault themselves and their family.That is not speculation, it is a fact. The politicians behind this push to expose ICE officers conveniently ignore the fact that they themselves with their sanctuary policies, extreme rhetoric, and reckless actions are endangering both the American public and law enforcement to begin with and creating the need to protect officers identities.Right now, ICE agents are facing a 1000% increase in assaults. Federal immigration officials have been shot, assaulted, ambushed, and targeted on a near-weekly basis. Over Independence Day weekend, nearly a dozen violent assailants equipped with tactical gear and weapons attacked an ICE facility in Alvarado, Texas and shot a local law enforcement officer. A month later in August, an ICE facility was set on fire.Meanwhile, left-wing politicians have compared ICE and other law enforcement to Nazi Germanys Gestapo, the KKK, Neo-Nazis, and terrorists.That language only encourages more and more violence.Its not just mere rhetoric from these leftist officials either. From coast to coast, they are physically assaulting and obstructing our brave law enforcement officials to defend violent criminals. For example, in California, Congressman Salud Carbajal (D-CA) doxxed an ICE employee to a mob of rioters who attacked federal immigration authorities as they executed a criminal search warrant at a marijuana facility. In Los Angeles, Mayor Bass has repeatedly attempted to shut down ICE operations, even showing up on scene to do so. In New Jersey, several representatives stormed the Delaney Detention facility, placing ICE officials in harms way, leading to charges against New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver.These politicians claim to care about safety and the rule of law, yet they only want to interact with federal law enforcement officials if its a chance to vilify, get a photo op, or thwart removal operations.Which brings us to the real kicker here: The same left-wing politicians lying about so-called chaos are the very same ones who are causing the chaos.Under the Biden administration, tens of millions of illegal aliens from all over the world poured into the country. Many of them flocked to blue cities and states because they understood they could get freebies, welfare, and a promise to be shielded from federal law enforcement. As a result, crime skyrocketed. U.S. citizens were victimized and killed because of their policies.The American people rejected that insanity. They voted for President Donald Trump to make America safe again. Now, rapists, murders, wife-beaters, child predators, and other monsters are being arrested and removed from the country. The border is the most secure in history. In the months of May, June, and July, U.S. Border Patrol released zero illegal aliens into the interior.CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONWho could oppose that? Only politicians who would rather place their own political ambitions ahead of the safety of U.S. citizens.Its evident that rather than admit their failure, theyre choosing to double down by demonizing brave patriots serving their country. It is utterly disgusting and a slap in the face to all who wear the badge.If the opioid epidemic, sex trafficking, mugshots of murderers, and the pain and anguish of American citizens hasnt compelled these open-border leftists to change their policies, its unclear what would.In the meantime, the Trump administration will not wait around for sanctuary politicians to have a change of heart. We will take whatever action necessary to keep America safe from illegal aliens.We will not apologize for protecting the country, nor will we yield to those who seek to politicize the appearance of our agents rather than address the real threats they and the American people face.

The White House made headlines this week by finally joining TikTok. As someone who has been urging Republican leadership to modernize our outreach to young people for years, I believe this is a long-overdue step in the right direction. But joining TikTok isnt enough on its own. To win over the next generation of voters, this White House must go further and faster.President Trumps political comeback in 2024 wasnt a fluke. It was built on connecting with youth voters in ways no Republican had ever tried before. When he tapped me to come on as chair of the RNCs inaugural Youth Advisory Council in 2023, I told party leaders bluntly that the days of relying on a Sunday newspaper ad to deliver the GOPs message were over. My generation doesnt read the classifieds we scroll feeds. We share memes. We stream podcasts. We are digital natives, and any party serious about winning our support has to meet us where we are.Thats exactly what President Trump did. He embraced new platforms, leaned into long-form podcasts, and even launched a TikTok account that quickly became the fastest-growing account in the platforms history. The results spoke for themselves. Nationally, 46% of Gen Z backed Trump in 2024, a 10-point surge from 2020. In Wisconsin, Republican support among 18-to-29-year-olds jumped from 36% in 2020 to 48% in 2024. That is a generational shift in motion.WHITE HOUSE LAUNCHES OFFICIAL TIKTOK ACCOUNT WITH TRUMP FEATURED PROMINENTLY IN DEBUT VIDEOBut the work is far from over. The GOP holds the House at 218 seats a razor-thin margin and the results showed clear divides among young voters. Young men trended right while young women leaned left, especially on issues like abortion. The takeaway is obvious: Republicans cant take their foot off the gas when it comes to modern youth outreach.And heres the truth: if Republicans dont stay in the game, others will. My peers are not only watching President Trump theyre also listening to progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. and even far-left figures like democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, who could soon be mayor of New York City.Many in Gen Z are flirting with socialism because those voices are showing up online and on campus in ways conservatives too often dont. If the White House and the GOP want to cement Gen Z gains, they need to get in the game now not two years from now.Here are three ways the White House can seize this moment:One of the biggest turning points in 2023 came when Trump started appearing on popular podcasts. These werent 7-minute cable news hits clipped for social media. They were long, unfiltered, authentic conversations lasting up to three hours. And they reached tens sometimes hundreds of millions of people, many of them first-time voters.I MADE MEMES FOR THE WHITE HOUSE. HERES WHAT I LEARNEDYoung Americans are drowning in student debt, struggling to afford eggs, and working two jobs. Theyre not paying for cable bundles. Theyre streaming on YouTube and Spotify. Thats why podcasts were so effective because they met people where they already were.Now that hes back in the Oval Office, President Trump should take it further by hosting a monthly White House podcast. Thirty minutes, once a month. It would be the modern equivalent of FDRs fireside chats: a direct, unfiltered line from the president to the people. That kind of accessibility would deepen his connection with young voters and bypass the hostile filter of legacy media.This May, just before he walked on stage to deliver the commencement address at the University of Alabama, I had the opportunity to meet with President Trump one-on-one. I told him directly: my peers dont just want to see their president online they want to see him on campus.TRUMP TELLS UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA GRADUATES NOT TO BE A 'VICTIM,' SAYS IN AMERICA 'WE REJECT THAT IDEA'The impact of a campus speaking tour would be enormous. Universities are the beating heart of Gen Z political culture. Too often, conservatives have ceded that ground to the Left. But when Trump goes into these spaces whether its a stadium filled with graduates in Alabama or a rally near a college town students show up. And they listen.The Kamala Harris campaigns approach to keeping their monopoly on Gen Z last November was a political consultant's fever dream: using trendy phrases like "joy" in messaging, posting TikTok trends, and bringing our A-List celebrities. Up until that point, they executed the perfect made-in-a-lab playbook to win over my peers, but there was just one problem: she screamed at us instead of talking to us.Theres a difference between standing on stage next to Beyonc and thinking thats all you have to do to win over Americas youngest voters, and actually taking the time to fly to college campuses and throw out hot dogs in the student section like President Trump did in Tuscaloosa last October.CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONRemember when the world was shocked when Trump descended on the Bronx for a rally in a territory Republicans never talked about much less visited? That same feeling of excitement--of an unseen community being seen--could happen again if the president held a speech on Harvards campus.Imagine a presidential speaking tour that takes him to major universities across the country, not just red states but swing states where young voters could decide the balance of power in 2026. Hearing directly from the president of the United States, not filtered through CNN or MSNBC, would cut through the noise and give students a chance to engage with conservative ideas firsthand.Trumps TikTok account broke records as the fastest-growing in the platforms history. That momentum cannot go to waste now that the campaign is over. TikTok is where millions of young Americans spend their time, and the White House should treat it as a permanent tool for outreach, not just a campaign gimmick.Behind-the-scenes videos, short policy explainers, and even lighter content showing the human side of the presidency would reach audiences that traditional news outlets will never touch. TikToks algorithm thrives on authenticity, and the White House has the chance to use it as a window into The Peoples House not just a political stage.President Trumps youth outreach strategy helped rewrite the rules of American politics. It showed Republicans that Gen Z isnt a lost cause. In fact, we are trending conservative faster than any recent generation. But winning our support takes effort. It takes consistency. And it takes meeting us where we live online and on campus.Joining TikTok is a good move, but it must be the beginning, not the end. A monthly White House podcast, a presidential campus tour and a daily energetic presence on TikTok would send a clear message: this president isnt just talking at young people hes talking with us. Thats how you prevent Gen Z from drifting toward AOC or Zohran Mamdani and instead lock in a generation for the conservative movement.CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM BRILYN HOLLYHAND

Mondays high-stakes White House meetingbringing together President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and key European leaderscentered on one urgent question: can Ukraine secure ironclad security guarantees that deter Russia without triggering NATO membership? With Moscow escalating its campaign of terror and the West still hesitant, the gathering was less about breakthroughs and more about clarifying the battle lines for Ukraines survival.On the night of August 2021, Russia unleashed one of the most intenseaerial assaults in monthslaunching 574 drones and 40 ballistic and cruise missiles into western Ukraine. This wave of strikes targeted regions previously considered less vulnerable, signaling a dangerous expansion of Moscows strategy.Among the hardest-hit sites was a U.S.-owned Flex electronics factory in Mukachevo, near the Hungarian border. The civilian facilitymanufacturing consumer productswas struck directly, sparking a massive fire, injuring civilians, and sending a clear message that Russia is willing to target American economic interests inside Ukraine.RUSSIAN CRUISE MISSILES HIT US COMPANY IN MASSIVE UKRAINE STRIKE AMID TRUMPS PEACE PUSHPresident Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the strike as proof that Moscow has no intention of pursuing peace, while company officials stressed that the factory had no military connection and voiced deep concern for their employees safety.The timing of this ruthless offensive could not be more telling. It came just days after President Trumps peace pushfirst in Alaska with President Vladimir Putin and then at the White House with Zelenskyy and European allies. The so-called 'peace initiative' now looks hollow, undermined by Russias willingness to escalate while talks were still fresh.PUTIN ISSUES FORMAL DEMANDS TO END UKRAINE WAR AFTER MEETING WITH TRUMP: REPORTIn response, NATO and allied planners are weighing stronger guarantees for Ukraine. Yet, as of now, those discussions stop short of committing U.S. or European ground forcesa reality that leaves Kyiv vulnerable. The Kremlin, for its part, flatly rejects any form of external military assistance, further complicating the path forward. Russia is now openly targeting civilian and American-owned infrastructure, proving that this war is as much about intimidation as territory.CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION Diplomatic efforts are consistently undercut by violence. The very timing of the assault highlights Moscows use of negotiations as cover for continued aggression. Strategic equilibrium remains fragile. Ukraines survival hinges not on vague assurances but on enforceable guarantees with teeth.The latest Russian escalationstriking American investments and Ukrainian civilians alikedemonstrates that peace is still far from our reach. Diplomatic promises alone cannot deter Putin. Only guarantees backed by real enforcement, rapid response mechanisms, and tangible consequences for violations will prevent Moscow from striking again.The West faces a choice: provide Ukraine with credible protection or watch history repeat itself as empty promises embolden aggression.CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM ROBERT MAGINNIS