WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. evacuated 79 staff and families from the U.S. Embassy in Israel on Friday as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-gaza-news-06-20-2025-8adbedb3427a76be7dbde4a18a05f75f">conflict between Israel and Iran</a>&nbsp;intensifies and growing numbers of private American citizens seek information on how to leave Israel and Iran.

An internal State Department memo says the military flight, the second known to have occurred this week, left Tel Aviv for Sofia, Bulgaria, where some or all of the passengers were to get a connecting charter flight to Washington.

The document, which was obtained by The Associated Press, also said that more than 6,400 U.S. citizens in Israel had filled out an online form on Friday alone asking for information about when and if the U.S. government would organize evacuation flights. An additional 3,265 people, some of whom may also have competed the form, called an emergency number seeking assistance.

The document estimated that between 300 and 500 people per day could need evacuation assistance should the U.S. decide to offer flights or ships to get Americans out, as the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has said is being considered.

There are some 700,000 Americans in Israel, many of them dual nationals, according to estimates, although the exact number at any given time is unclear because U.S. citizens are not required to notify the embassy if they are there or when they might leave.

Earlier Friday, before the memo was distributed, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters that more than 25,000 Americans had reached out for information on leaving Israel, the West Bank and Iran.

She told reporters that those people had sought “information and support” and were “seeking guidance” on departing. She would not give a breakdown of where the queries had come from and would not comment on embassy evacuations.

In Iran, the document said that at least 84 U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, or Green Card holders, had crossed into neighboring Azerbaijan by land since the conflict began and that an additional 774 had been granted permission to enter as of Friday.

Nearly 200 American citizens and Green Card holders are awaiting permission to travel overland from Iran to neighboring Turkmenistan, it said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750382533772.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. evacuated 79 staff and families from the U.S. Embassy in Israel on Friday as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-gaza-news-06-20-2025-8adbedb3427a76be7dbde4a18a05f75f">conflict between Israel and Iran</a>&nbsp;intensifies and growing numbers of private American citizens seek information on how to leave Israel and Iran.An internal State Department memo says the military flight, the second known to have occurred this week, left Tel Aviv for Sofia, Bulgaria, where some or all of the passengers were to get a connecting charter flight to Washington.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FUSEmbassyJlm%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02CA77DPacYVi2PtrrsDpkTa4m4jJq4yKAkKTgArSEiuWWKSnzbBwKUU1UZHuNdgRJl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="648" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>The document, which was obtained by The Associated Press, also said that more than 6,400 U.S. citizens in Israel had filled out an online form on Friday alone asking for information about when and if the U.S. government would organize evacuation flights. An additional 3,265 people, some of whom may also have competed the form, called an emergency number seeking assistance.The document estimated that between 300 and 500 people per day could need evacuation assistance should the U.S. decide to offer flights or ships to get Americans out, as the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has said is being considered.There are some 700,000 Americans in Israel, many of them dual nationals, according to estimates, although the exact number at any given time is unclear because U.S. citizens are not required to notify the embassy if they are there or when they might leave.Earlier Friday, before the memo was distributed, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters that more than 25,000 Americans had reached out for information on leaving Israel, the West Bank and Iran.She told reporters that those people had sought “information and support” and were “seeking guidance” on departing. She would not give a breakdown of where the queries had come from and would not comment on embassy evacuations.In Iran, the document said that at least 84 U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, or Green Card holders, had crossed into neighboring Azerbaijan by land since the conflict began and that an additional 774 had been granted permission to enter as of Friday.Nearly 200 American citizens and Green Card holders are awaiting permission to travel overland from Iran to neighboring Turkmenistan, it said.

US evacuates staff and family from embassy in Israel as more Americans ask how to leave

SUMNER COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 9:30p.m. Friday in Sumner County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Cadillac ATS driven by Jordan L. Wade, 22, Arkansas City, was westbound on US 166 on north south of South Haven.

The driver failed to stop at the stop sign at the intersection of US Highway 166 and US Highway 81. The car traveled through the intersection into the northwest ditch, rolled and struck a tree on the driver side door and roof area.&nbsp;

Wade was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Cornejo Funeral Home. EMS transported a passenger Anthony White-Spencer, 23, Arkansas City, to Wesley Medical Center. Wade was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

SUMNER COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 9:30p.m. Friday in Sumner County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Cadillac ATS driven by Jordan L. Wade, 22, Arkansas City, was westbound on US 166 on north south of South Haven.The driver failed to stop at the stop sign at the intersection of US Highway 166 and US Highway 81. The car traveled through the intersection into the northwest ditch, rolled and struck a tree on the driver side door and roof area.&nbsp;Wade was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Cornejo Funeral Home. EMS transported a passenger Anthony White-Spencer, 23, Arkansas City, to Wesley Medical Center. Wade was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Kansas man dies after car rollover accident

FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement in southwest Kansas are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an alleged incident involving an attack on a woman.

Just after 10 p.m., June 16, police were dispatched to the east part of Garden City following reports of a battery in progress where a man was assaulting a woman in a car, according to a media release from police.

Officers later found the woman on the opposite side of town with visible injuries. Investigators learned that the woman had given a ride to a man she knew, identified as 21-year-old Dominique Patrick.

During the drive, an argument ensued between them, during which Patrick began hitting her. The victim stopped the car in the middle of the street, at which point Patrick allegedly pulled her by the hair into the backseat, took control of the vehicle, and continued assaulting her. 

Patrick then drove at high speeds across town, prompting multiple reckless driving complaints. Witnesses reported hearing the victim screaming for help. The victim was taken to St. Catherine Hospital for treatment of injuries. Patrick fled the scene in another vehicle before Officers arrived. On Thursday police located Patrick and took him into custody He is being held without bond on requested charges of Aggravated Kidnapping and Domestic Battery.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750375553960.png" alt="Patrick Photo Finney County" />
 <figcaption>Patrick Photo Finney County</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement in southwest Kansas are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an alleged incident involving an attack on a woman.Just after 10 p.m., June 16, police were dispatched to the east part of Garden City following reports of a battery in progress where a man was assaulting a woman in a car, according to a media release from police.Officers later found the woman on the opposite side of town with visible injuries. Investigators learned that the woman had given a ride to a man she knew, identified as 21-year-old Dominique Patrick.During the drive, an argument ensued between them, during which Patrick began hitting her. The victim stopped the car in the middle of the street, at which point Patrick allegedly pulled her by the hair into the backseat, took control of the vehicle, and continued assaulting her. Patrick then drove at high speeds across town, prompting multiple reckless driving complaints. Witnesses reported hearing the victim screaming for help. The victim was taken to St. Catherine Hospital for treatment of injuries. Patrick fled the scene in another vehicle before Officers arrived. On Thursday police located Patrick and took him into custody He is being held without bond on requested charges of Aggravated Kidnapping and Domestic Battery.

Police: SW Kan. man attacked woman who gave him a ride

KANSAS CITY —One person died inan accident just after midnight Friday in Kansas City.

According to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino, a white Toyota Camry was northbound on&nbsp;Interstate 49 at Interstate 470 at a very high rate of speed.

 The driver failed to negotiate the curve in the roadway. The car traveled off the roadway to the right and struck a concrete bridge support located underneath&nbsp;Interstate 470. 

The unrestrained driver&nbsp;and&nbsp;sole occupant of the Toyota was ejected from the vehicle&nbsp;and&nbsp;pronounced deceased at the scene.

 This is fatality #37 compared to #48 at this time last year, according to&nbsp;&nbsp;DiMartino. The accident remains under investigation.

KANSAS CITY —One person died inan accident just after midnight Friday in Kansas City.According to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino, a white Toyota Camry was northbound on&nbsp;Interstate 49 at Interstate 470 at a very high rate of speed. The driver failed to negotiate the curve in the roadway. The car traveled off the roadway to the right and struck a concrete bridge support located underneath&nbsp;Interstate 470. The unrestrained driver&nbsp;and&nbsp;sole occupant of the Toyota was ejected from the vehicle&nbsp;and&nbsp;pronounced deceased at the scene. This is fatality #37 compared to #48 at this time last year, according to&nbsp;&nbsp;DiMartino. The accident remains under investigation.

KCPD: Speeding driver dies after crash into concrete bridge

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;on Friday called for the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-wins-white-house-ap-fd58df73aa677acb74fce2a69adb71f9">the 2020 election</a>&nbsp;won by Democrat Joe Biden, repeating his baseless claim that the contest was marred by widespread fraud.

“Biden was grossly incompetent, and the 2020 election was a total FRAUD!” Trump said in a social media post in which he also sought to favorably contrast his immigration enforcement approach with that of the former president. “The evidence is MASSIVE and OVERWHELMING. A Special Prosecutor must be appointed. This cannot be allowed to happen again in the United States of America! Let the work begin!”

Trump’s post, made as his Republican White House is consumed by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-attacks-nuclear-news-06-19-2025-b508817b78ed8d2f6067c1516215cf94">a hugely substantial foreign policy decision</a>&nbsp;on whether to get directly involved in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-gaza-news-06-20-2025-8adbedb3427a76be7dbde4a18a05f75f">the Israel-Iran war</a>, is part of an amped-up effort by him to undermine the legitimacy of Biden’s presidency. Earlier this month, Trump directed his administration to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-investigation-autopen-james-comer-ae7013baea1f3da5417d02a6e83811ec">investigate Biden’s actions as president</a>, alleging aides masked his predecessor’s “cognitive decline.” Biden has dismissed the investigation as “a mere distraction.”

The post also revives a long-running grievance by Trump that the election was stolen even though&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-2020-election-lies-debunked-4fc26546b07962fdbf9d66e739fbb50d">courts around the country</a>&nbsp;and a Trump attorney general from his first term found no evidence of fraud that could have affected the outcome. The Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity arm pronounced the election&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/top-officials-elections-most-secure-66f9361084ccbc461e3bbf42861057a5">“the most secure in American history.”</a>

It was unclear what Trump had in mind when he called for a special prosecutor, but in the event&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pam-bondi">Attorney General Pam Bondi</a>&nbsp;heeds his call, she may face pressure to appoint someone who has already been confirmed by the Senate. A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment Friday.

The Justice Department in recent years has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-special-counsel-jack-smith-investigative-report-4b5c330cbe31c43c40ab9d613e5088ce">appointed a succession of special counsels</a>&nbsp;— sometimes, though not always, plucked from outside the agency — to lead investigations into politically sensitive matters, including into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/classified-documents-biden-hur-special-counsel-122526da6d89d7bf4d6ccfc54590312b">conduct by Biden</a>&nbsp;and by Trump.

Last year, Trump’s personal lawyers launched an aggressive, and successful, challenge to the appointment of Jack Smith, the special counsel assigned to investigate his efforts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">undo the 2020 presidential election</a>&nbsp;and his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-1fef158c3a66bfc0ba6224570753ba47">retention of classified documents</a>&nbsp;at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. A Trump-appointed judge agreed,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-classified-documents-smith-c66d5ffb7ba86c1b991f95e89bdeba0c">ruling that then-Attorney General Merrick Garland</a>&nbsp;had exceeded his bounds by appointing a prosecutor without Senate approval and confirmation, and dismissed the case.

That legal team included Todd Blanche, who is now&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/todd-blanche-trump-lawyer-deputy-attorney-general-5d526fd4c5919bc2e9522e4f7bfbf758">deputy attorney general</a>, as well as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/emil-bove-appeals-court-judge-nomination-trump-3b29a354b2c197fd26a898c02f1f40eb">Emil Bove</a>, who is Blanche’s top deputy but was recently nominated to serve as a judge on a federal appeals court.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737026821027.png" alt="File image White House" />
 <figcaption>File image White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;on Friday called for the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-wins-white-house-ap-fd58df73aa677acb74fce2a69adb71f9">the 2020 election</a>&nbsp;won by Democrat Joe Biden, repeating his baseless claim that the contest was marred by widespread fraud.“Biden was grossly incompetent, and the 2020 election was a total FRAUD!” Trump said in a social media post in which he also sought to favorably contrast his immigration enforcement approach with that of the former president. “The evidence is MASSIVE and OVERWHELMING. A Special Prosecutor must be appointed. This cannot be allowed to happen again in the United States of America! Let the work begin!”Trump’s post, made as his Republican White House is consumed by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-attacks-nuclear-news-06-19-2025-b508817b78ed8d2f6067c1516215cf94">a hugely substantial foreign policy decision</a>&nbsp;on whether to get directly involved in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-gaza-news-06-20-2025-8adbedb3427a76be7dbde4a18a05f75f">the Israel-Iran war</a>, is part of an amped-up effort by him to undermine the legitimacy of Biden’s presidency. Earlier this month, Trump directed his administration to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-investigation-autopen-james-comer-ae7013baea1f3da5417d02a6e83811ec">investigate Biden’s actions as president</a>, alleging aides masked his predecessor’s “cognitive decline.” Biden has dismissed the investigation as “a mere distraction.”The post also revives a long-running grievance by Trump that the election was stolen even though&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-2020-election-lies-debunked-4fc26546b07962fdbf9d66e739fbb50d">courts around the country</a>&nbsp;and a Trump attorney general from his first term found no evidence of fraud that could have affected the outcome. The Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity arm pronounced the election&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/top-officials-elections-most-secure-66f9361084ccbc461e3bbf42861057a5">“the most secure in American history.”</a>It was unclear what Trump had in mind when he called for a special prosecutor, but in the event&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pam-bondi">Attorney General Pam Bondi</a>&nbsp;heeds his call, she may face pressure to appoint someone who has already been confirmed by the Senate. A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment Friday.The Justice Department in recent years has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-special-counsel-jack-smith-investigative-report-4b5c330cbe31c43c40ab9d613e5088ce">appointed a succession of special counsels</a>&nbsp;— sometimes, though not always, plucked from outside the agency — to lead investigations into politically sensitive matters, including into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/classified-documents-biden-hur-special-counsel-122526da6d89d7bf4d6ccfc54590312b">conduct by Biden</a>&nbsp;and by Trump.Last year, Trump’s personal lawyers launched an aggressive, and successful, challenge to the appointment of Jack Smith, the special counsel assigned to investigate his efforts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">undo the 2020 presidential election</a>&nbsp;and his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-1fef158c3a66bfc0ba6224570753ba47">retention of classified documents</a>&nbsp;at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. A Trump-appointed judge agreed,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-classified-documents-smith-c66d5ffb7ba86c1b991f95e89bdeba0c">ruling that then-Attorney General Merrick Garland</a>&nbsp;had exceeded his bounds by appointing a prosecutor without Senate approval and confirmation, and dismissed the case.That legal team included Todd Blanche, who is now&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/todd-blanche-trump-lawyer-deputy-attorney-general-5d526fd4c5919bc2e9522e4f7bfbf758">deputy attorney general</a>, as well as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/emil-bove-appeals-court-judge-nomination-trump-3b29a354b2c197fd26a898c02f1f40eb">Emil Bove</a>, who is Blanche’s top deputy but was recently nominated to serve as a judge on a federal appeals court.___

Trump calls for special prosecutor to investigate 2020 election

DENVER (AP) — The husband of Colorado woman Suzanne Morphew, whose remains were discovered over three years after she was reported missing on Mother's Day 2020, was arrested again Friday on a first-degree murder charge, authorities said.

Barry Morphew was arrested Friday in Arizona after a Colorado grand jury returned an indictment Wednesday, three years after the initial case was dropped because of prosecutorial issues with evidence.

His bond was set at $3 million, cash only, according to court documents. The district attorney’s office said in a statement that it is seeking to bring him back to Colorado.

District Attorney Anne Kelly declined to elaborate beyond the indictment at a news conference, saying only that her office never gave up on getting justice for Suzanne Morphew.

“We have worked very hard to move forward in this case," Kelly said.

A 2024 autopsy report said Suzanne Morphew died of “unspecified means” but ruled it a homicide. While there was no indication of trauma in her remains, a drug cocktail used to tranquilize wildlife was found in one of her bones, the report said.

A tranquilizer gun and accessories were found in the Morphews’ home, according to investigators.

Barry Morphew has maintained his innocence since his wife disappeared, and his attorney David Beller blasted the new indictment.

“Yet again, the government allows their predetermined conclusion to lead their search for evidence,” Beller said in a statement. “Barry maintains his innocence. The case has not changed, and the outcome will not either.”

Morphew was first charged with murder in May 2021, but prosecutors&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-colorado-cda29e4693c44886e5841e0b56f2b116">dropped that case</a>&nbsp;the following year just as Morphew was about to stand trial.

A judge barred prosecutors from calling key witnesses for repeatedly failing to follow rules for turning over evidence in Morphew’s favor. That included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-trials-arizona-colorado-phoenix-408d6c0c5d67d3a586298d8fd67fc27b">DNA from an unknown male</a>&nbsp;that was found in Suzanne Morphew’s SUV. At the time, prosecutors said they wanted more time to find her body.

The judge agreed to drop the case against Morphew but allowed prosecutors the option of filing charges against him later.

Barry Morphew filed a $15 million lawsuit against county officials, accusing them of violating his constitutional rights. His lawyers also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missing-woman-colorado-morphew-acd184973b4238b7201eb6d186b8cf71">filed a complaint asking that the prosecutors be disciplined</a>&nbsp;for allegedly intentionally withholding evidence.

Iris Eytan, who was Morphew’s attorney in 2021 but no longer represents him, said prosecutors “fumbled” the case.

“Not only is he is a loving father, but he was a loving husband,” Eytan told The Associated Press on Friday.

Suzanne Morphew disappeared on Mother's Day

The mystery surrounding Suzanne Morphew began when the 49-year-old mother of two daughters, who lived near the small town of Salida, was reported missing on Mother's Day 2020.

Suzanne Morphew's mountain bike and helmet were found in separate spots not far from her home, but investigators suspected the bike had been purposefully thrown down into a ravine because there was no indications of a crash. A week after she went missing, Barry Morphew posted a video on Facebook pleading for her safe return.

“No questions asked, however much they want, I will do whatever it takes to get you back,” he said.

When he was initially charged, the arrest affidavit laying out investigators’ case against Barry Morphew said his wife insisted on leaving him. He later changed his statements as evidence developed.

Morphew, an avid hunter, did not initially tell investigators that he went out of his way as he left for work on Mother’s Day, driving toward the place where his wife’s bicycle helmet was eventually found. Later, he said he went that way because he had seen an elk cross the road, according to the initial arrest affidavit.

Suzanne Morphew’s remains were found in 2023

Colorado Bureau of Investigation agents stumbled upon Suzanne Morphew's skeletal remains in September 2023 in a shallow grave during an unrelated search near the small southern Colorado town of Moffat, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) south of the Morphews' home.

Most of Suzanne Morphew’s bones were recovered, and many were “significantly bleached,” according to the affidavit.

Investigators removed a port through which Morphew could receive medicine to treat follicular lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, and found clothing similar to bicyclist clothes she was known to wear. Based on the status of the remains and clothing, a forensic anthropologist theorized that the body decomposed elsewhere, the affidavit says.

Toxicology testing revealed all three drugs in a sedative used for wildlife called “BAM” were in the bones. The presence of a metabolite for one of the drugs, butorphanol, suggested the remains would not have been contaminated with BAM after death, the affidavit says.

The coroner’s office determined the cause of death was “homicide by unspecified means” through intoxication of the three drugs, butorphanol, azaperone and medetomidine.

Investigators linked Barry Morphew to the drugs

Barry Morphew obtained and filled several prescriptions for BAM while living in Indiana, shortly before the Morphews moved to Colorado in 2018. Barry Morphew was a deer farmer in Indiana and allegedly told investigators he used BAM to tranquilize deer in Indiana and Colorado, according to the indictment.

In the area surrounding their home in Colorado, no private citizens or businesses, only Colorado Parks and Wildlife and National Park Service officials, had obtained BAM between 2017 and 2020, records show. No government officials reported missing BAM supplies.

“Ultimately, the prescription records show that when Suzanne Morphew disappeared, only one private citizen living in that entire area of the state had access to BAM: Barry Morphew,” the indictment concluded.

Gruver reported from Cheyenne, Wyoming. Associated Press reporter Jaimie Ding in Seattle contributed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750453861154.png" alt="Barry Morphew -Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office" />
 <figcaption>Barry Morphew -Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office</figcaption>
 </figure>DENVER (AP) — The husband of Colorado woman Suzanne Morphew, whose remains were discovered over three years after she was reported missing on Mother's Day 2020, was arrested again Friday on a first-degree murder charge, authorities said.Barry Morphew was arrested Friday in Arizona after a Colorado grand jury returned an indictment Wednesday, three years after the initial case was dropped because of prosecutorial issues with evidence.His bond was set at $3 million, cash only, according to court documents. The district attorney’s office said in a statement that it is seeking to bring him back to Colorado.District Attorney Anne Kelly declined to elaborate beyond the indictment at a news conference, saying only that her office never gave up on getting justice for Suzanne Morphew.“We have worked very hard to move forward in this case," Kelly said.A 2024 autopsy report said Suzanne Morphew died of “unspecified means” but ruled it a homicide. While there was no indication of trauma in her remains, a drug cocktail used to tranquilize wildlife was found in one of her bones, the report said.A tranquilizer gun and accessories were found in the Morphews’ home, according to investigators.Barry Morphew has maintained his innocence since his wife disappeared, and his attorney David Beller blasted the new indictment.“Yet again, the government allows their predetermined conclusion to lead their search for evidence,” Beller said in a statement. “Barry maintains his innocence. The case has not changed, and the outcome will not either.”<h2>The first case was dropped in 2022</h2>Morphew was first charged with murder in May 2021, but prosecutors&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-colorado-cda29e4693c44886e5841e0b56f2b116">dropped that case</a>&nbsp;the following year just as Morphew was about to stand trial.A judge barred prosecutors from calling key witnesses for repeatedly failing to follow rules for turning over evidence in Morphew’s favor. That included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-trials-arizona-colorado-phoenix-408d6c0c5d67d3a586298d8fd67fc27b">DNA from an unknown male</a>&nbsp;that was found in Suzanne Morphew’s SUV. At the time, prosecutors said they wanted more time to find her body.The judge agreed to drop the case against Morphew but allowed prosecutors the option of filing charges against him later.Barry Morphew filed a $15 million lawsuit against county officials, accusing them of violating his constitutional rights. His lawyers also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missing-woman-colorado-morphew-acd184973b4238b7201eb6d186b8cf71">filed a complaint asking that the prosecutors be disciplined</a>&nbsp;for allegedly intentionally withholding evidence.Iris Eytan, who was Morphew’s attorney in 2021 but no longer represents him, said prosecutors “fumbled” the case.“Not only is he is a loving father, but he was a loving husband,” Eytan told The Associated Press on Friday.<h2>Suzanne Morphew disappeared on Mother's Day</h2>The mystery surrounding Suzanne Morphew began when the 49-year-old mother of two daughters, who lived near the small town of Salida, was reported missing on Mother's Day 2020.Suzanne Morphew's mountain bike and helmet were found in separate spots not far from her home, but investigators suspected the bike had been purposefully thrown down into a ravine because there was no indications of a crash. A week after she went missing, Barry Morphew posted a video on Facebook pleading for her safe return.“No questions asked, however much they want, I will do whatever it takes to get you back,” he said.When he was initially charged, the arrest affidavit laying out investigators’ case against Barry Morphew said his wife insisted on leaving him. He later changed his statements as evidence developed.Morphew, an avid hunter, did not initially tell investigators that he went out of his way as he left for work on Mother’s Day, driving toward the place where his wife’s bicycle helmet was eventually found. Later, he said he went that way because he had seen an elk cross the road, according to the initial arrest affidavit.<h2>Suzanne Morphew’s remains were found in 2023</h2>Colorado Bureau of Investigation agents stumbled upon Suzanne Morphew's skeletal remains in September 2023 in a shallow grave during an unrelated search near the small southern Colorado town of Moffat, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) south of the Morphews' home.Most of Suzanne Morphew’s bones were recovered, and many were “significantly bleached,” according to the affidavit.Investigators removed a port through which Morphew could receive medicine to treat follicular lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, and found clothing similar to bicyclist clothes she was known to wear. Based on the status of the remains and clothing, a forensic anthropologist theorized that the body decomposed elsewhere, the affidavit says.Toxicology testing revealed all three drugs in a sedative used for wildlife called “BAM” were in the bones. The presence of a metabolite for one of the drugs, butorphanol, suggested the remains would not have been contaminated with BAM after death, the affidavit says.The coroner’s office determined the cause of death was “homicide by unspecified means” through intoxication of the three drugs, butorphanol, azaperone and medetomidine.<h2>Investigators linked Barry Morphew to the drugs</h2>Barry Morphew obtained and filled several prescriptions for BAM while living in Indiana, shortly before the Morphews moved to Colorado in 2018. Barry Morphew was a deer farmer in Indiana and allegedly told investigators he used BAM to tranquilize deer in Indiana and Colorado, according to the indictment.In the area surrounding their home in Colorado, no private citizens or businesses, only Colorado Parks and Wildlife and National Park Service officials, had obtained BAM between 2017 and 2020, records show. No government officials reported missing BAM supplies.“Ultimately, the prescription records show that when Suzanne Morphew disappeared, only one private citizen living in that entire area of the state had access to BAM: Barry Morphew,” the indictment concluded.___Gruver reported from Cheyenne, Wyoming. Associated Press reporter Jaimie Ding in Seattle contributed.

Husband re-arrested in the death of Colo. woman whose remains were found after 3-year search

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating an altercation that sent a paramedic to the hospital in Kansas City.

Just before 10a.m. Friday, a Kansas City Fire Departmnt paramedic received a minor injury after an altercation in the back of an ambulance, while transporting a patient to the hospital, according to Battalion Chief Riley Nolan.

This led to a "crew emergency" being called and the response of additional Kansas City Police and KC Fire Department resources.

A second ambulance arrived on scene to transport the original patient to the hospital for their initial complaint. The KCFD paramedic was transported to the hospital to be evaluated for their injury.&nbsp; Authorities released no additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750453639041.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating an altercation that sent a paramedic to the hospital in Kansas City.Just before 10a.m. Friday, a Kansas City Fire Departmnt paramedic received a minor injury after an altercation in the back of an ambulance, while transporting a patient to the hospital, according to Battalion Chief Riley Nolan.This led to a "crew emergency" being called and the response of additional Kansas City Police and KC Fire Department resources.A second ambulance arrived on scene to transport the original patient to the hospital for their initial complaint. The KCFD paramedic was transported to the hospital to be evaluated for their injury.&nbsp; Authorities released no additional details.

KC paramedic hospitalized after altercation in back of ambulance

LYON COUNTY—Authorities investigating the cause of a fatal home explosion in Lyon County have identified the two victims as Darrell Bontrager, 78 and Terry Bontrager, 73, both of Emporia. The Bontrager’s were known residents of the home , according to Christine Torrens with the city of Emporia.

Just before 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, Emporia emergency crews were dispatched to a report of a house explosion near E 6th Avenue and Weaver Street,&nbsp; according to Torrens.

Emporia Police and Fire Departments responded 1814 E 6th Avenue. The home had collapsed, and was fully engulfed with fire within minutes.

Around 8:30 pm, emergency workers found the bodies within the debris.

Preliminary investigation into the explosion appears to be accidental. 

The exact cause of the explosion remains under investigation by the Emporia Fire Department with assistance from the State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Emporia Police Department. Authorities do not suspect foul play at this time.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750293716487.png" alt="First responders near the investigation -photo courtesy KVOE" />
 <figcaption>First responders near the investigation -photo courtesy KVOE</figcaption>
 </figure>LYON COUNTY—Authorities investigating the cause of a fatal home explosion in Lyon County have identified the two victims as Darrell Bontrager, 78 and Terry Bontrager, 73, both of Emporia. The Bontrager’s were known residents of the home , according to Christine Torrens with the city of Emporia.Just before 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, Emporia emergency crews were dispatched to a report of a house explosion near E 6th Avenue and Weaver Street,&nbsp; according to Torrens.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750439261977.png" alt="Image courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Emporia Police and Fire Departments responded 1814 E 6th Avenue. The home had collapsed, and was fully engulfed with fire within minutes.Around 8:30 pm, emergency workers found the bodies within the debris.Preliminary investigation into the explosion appears to be accidental. The exact cause of the explosion remains under investigation by the Emporia Fire Department with assistance from the State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Emporia Police Department. Authorities do not suspect foul play at this time.

Authorities ID couple who died in Kan. home explosion, fire

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/michelle-chapman">MICHELLE CHAPMAN</a> Associated Press

Aflac says that it has identified suspicious activity on its network in the U.S. that may impact Social Security numbers and other personal information, calling the incident part of a cybercrime campaign against the insurance industry.

The company said Friday that the intrusion was stopped within hours.

“We continue to serve our customers as we respond to this incident and can underwrite policies, review claims, and otherwise service our customers as usual,” Aflac said in a statement.

The company said that it’s in the early stages of a review of the incident, and so far is unable to determine the total number of affected individuals.

Aflac Inc. said potentially impacted files contain claims information, health information, Social Security numbers, and other personal information, related to customers, beneficiaries, employees, agents, and other individuals in its U.S. business.

The Columbus, Georgia, company said that it will offer free credit monitoring and identity theft protection and Medical Shield for 24 months to anyone that calls its call center.

Cyberattacks against companies have been rampant for years, but a string of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cyberattack-retail-whole-foods-victorias-secret-ms-9105458e6ef45152b065e623d0bf06fd">attacks on retail companies</a>&nbsp;have raised awareness of the issue because the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/cybercrime">breaches</a>&nbsp;can impact customers.

United Natural Foods, a wholesale distributor that supplies Whole Foods and other grocers, said earlier this month that a breach of its systems was disrupting its ability to fulfill orders — leaving many stores without certain items.

In the U.K., consumers could not order from the website of Marks &amp; Spencer for more than six weeks — and found fewer in-store options&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uk-retailers-cyberattacks-marks-spencer-harrods-7d3c01faa7380775598a517df4db1250">after hackers targeted the British clothing, home goods and food retailer</a>. A cyberattack on Co-op, a U.K. grocery chain, also led to empty shelves in some stores.

A security breach detected by Victoria’s Secret last month led the popular lingerie seller to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/victoria-secret-security-incident-website-down-c870000e7ae21369df52a5347626435d">shut down its U.S. shopping site</a>&nbsp;for nearly four days, as well as to halt some in-store services. Victoria’s Secret later disclosed that its corporate systems also were affected, too, causing the company to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/victorias-secret-earnings-delayed-cyberattack-1fda0fe1da3699177f2ab0c6ee75873e">delay the release of its first quarter earnings</a>.

The North Face said that it discovered a “small-scale credential stuffing attack” on its website in April. The company reported that no credit card data was compromised and said the incident, which impacted 1,500 consumers, was “quickly contained.”

Adidas&nbsp;<a href="https://www.adidas-group.com/en/data-security-information" target="_blank">disclosed</a>&nbsp;last month that an “unauthorized external party” obtained some data, which was mostly contact information, through a third-party customer service provider.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750445156720.png" alt="Courtesy image" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy image</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/michelle-chapman">MICHELLE CHAPMAN</a> Associated PressAflac says that it has identified suspicious activity on its network in the U.S. that may impact Social Security numbers and other personal information, calling the incident part of a cybercrime campaign against the insurance industry.The company said Friday that the intrusion was stopped within hours.“We continue to serve our customers as we respond to this incident and can underwrite policies, review claims, and otherwise service our customers as usual,” Aflac said in a statement.The company said that it’s in the early stages of a review of the incident, and so far is unable to determine the total number of affected individuals.Aflac Inc. said potentially impacted files contain claims information, health information, Social Security numbers, and other personal information, related to customers, beneficiaries, employees, agents, and other individuals in its U.S. business.The Columbus, Georgia, company said that it will offer free credit monitoring and identity theft protection and Medical Shield for 24 months to anyone that calls its call center.Cyberattacks against companies have been rampant for years, but a string of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cyberattack-retail-whole-foods-victorias-secret-ms-9105458e6ef45152b065e623d0bf06fd">attacks on retail companies</a>&nbsp;have raised awareness of the issue because the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/cybercrime">breaches</a>&nbsp;can impact customers.United Natural Foods, a wholesale distributor that supplies Whole Foods and other grocers, said earlier this month that a breach of its systems was disrupting its ability to fulfill orders — leaving many stores without certain items.In the U.K., consumers could not order from the website of Marks &amp; Spencer for more than six weeks — and found fewer in-store options&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uk-retailers-cyberattacks-marks-spencer-harrods-7d3c01faa7380775598a517df4db1250">after hackers targeted the British clothing, home goods and food retailer</a>. A cyberattack on Co-op, a U.K. grocery chain, also led to empty shelves in some stores.A security breach detected by Victoria’s Secret last month led the popular lingerie seller to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/victoria-secret-security-incident-website-down-c870000e7ae21369df52a5347626435d">shut down its U.S. shopping site</a>&nbsp;for nearly four days, as well as to halt some in-store services. Victoria’s Secret later disclosed that its corporate systems also were affected, too, causing the company to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/victorias-secret-earnings-delayed-cyberattack-1fda0fe1da3699177f2ab0c6ee75873e">delay the release of its first quarter earnings</a>.The North Face said that it discovered a “small-scale credential stuffing attack” on its website in April. The company reported that no credit card data was compromised and said the incident, which impacted 1,500 consumers, was “quickly contained.”Adidas&nbsp;<a href="https://www.adidas-group.com/en/data-security-information" target="_blank">disclosed</a>&nbsp;last month that an “unauthorized external party” obtained some data, which was mostly contact information, through a third-party customer service provider.

Aflac finds suspicious activity on US network that may impact Social Security numbers, other data

WASHINGTON —<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday upheld Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-care-minors-ban-supreme-court-tennessee-2222e833fdbb51d5afb93a09fd47fc43">transgender minors</a>, a jolting setback to transgender rights.

Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall praised the Court's decision.

“Today was not just a win for basic biology and common sense, but for human decency, sound medicine, and the dignity and safety of children everywhere,”&nbsp;said Senator Marshall.&nbsp;“As a doctor for over 25 years, I understand the gravity of these harmful so-called treatments radical activists have been pushing on children. They leave permanent scarring, sterilization, and other horrible side effects. Make no mistake, there’s more work to do, and I remain committed to eliminating taxpayer-funded transgender procedures on both minors and adults.”

The justices' 6-3 decision in a case from Tennessee effectively protects from legal challenges many efforts by President Donald Trump's Republican administration and state governments to roll back protections for transgender people. Another 26 states have laws similar to Tennessee's.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/john-roberts">Chief Justice John Roberts</a>&nbsp;wrote for a conservative majority that the law banning puberty blockers and hormone treatments for trans minors doesn't violate the Constitution's equal protection clause, which requires the government to treat similarly situated people the same.

“This case carries with it the weight of fierce scientific and policy debates about the safety, efficacy, and propriety of medical treatments in an evolving field. The voices in these debates raise sincere concerns; the implications for all are profound,” Roberts wrote. “The Equal Protection Clause does not resolve these disagreements. Nor does it afford us license to decide them as we see best.”

In a dissent for the court's three liberal justices that she summarized aloud in the courtroom,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sonia-sotomayor">Justice Sonia Sotomayor</a>&nbsp;wrote, “By retreating from meaningful judicial review exactly where it matters most, the court abandons transgender children and their families to political whims. In sadness, I dissent."

The law also limits parents' decision-making ability for their children's health care, she wrote.

Efforts to regulate transgender people's lives

The decision comes amid other federal and state efforts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/san-jose-state-volleyball-d00b36355c69f48de712339821682b52">regulate the lives of transgender people</a>, including which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/gender-in-sports-track-and-field-roller-derby-new-york-gender-2fe769675c174632925e446f15c6294b">sports competitions</a>&nbsp;they can join and which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sarah-mcbride-speaker-johnson-transgender-bathroom-f3943e1b3b2dc9c8d62d2ba6660aaf91">bathrooms they can use</a>. In April, Trump’s administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/maine-education-department-transgender-athletes-pam-bondi-5b5c8d0022233fae5ec60efc9fa5394f">sued Maine</a>&nbsp;for not complying with the government’s push to ban&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-transgender-what-does-it-mean-2425f41a2910d989ccfd6d3aec1af33e">transgender athletes</a>&nbsp;in girls sports.

The Republican president also has sought to block federal spending on gender-affirming medical care for those under age 19 — instead&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hhs-rfk-transgender-therapy-53c20e8ba65b2d9e4750d5c3314492cc">promoting talk therapy</a>&nbsp;only to treat young transgender people. And the Supreme Court has allowed him to kick&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trangender-troops-ban-military-trump-pentagon-1d152b538a37e230fd48f33432dea273">transgender service members</a>&nbsp;out of the military, even as court fights continue. The president signed another order to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-transgender-order-passports-prisons-military-3c14ecbdd10f61618384e81624d090fb">define the sexes</a>&nbsp;as only male and female.

The debate even spilled into Congress when Delaware elected Democrat&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sarah-mcbride-congress-transgender-lgbtq-delaware-9cce7f778e6b57dfdb08986d7410404e">Sarah McBride</a>&nbsp;as the first transgender member of the House. Her election prompted immediate opposition among Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana and Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sarah-mcbride-speaker-johnson-transgender-bathroom-f3943e1b3b2dc9c8d62d2ba6660aaf91">which bathroom McBride could use</a>.

Some providers have stopped treatment already

Several states where gender-affirming care remains in place have adopted laws or state executive orders seeking to protect it. But since Trump’s executive order, some providers have ceased some treatments. For instance, Penn Medicine in Philadelphia announced last month it wouldn't provide surgeries for patients under 19.

The president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Susan Kressly, said the organization is “unwavering” in its support of gender-affirming care and “stands with pediatricians and families making health care decisions together and free from political interference.”

Five years ago,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/courts-supreme-courts-mi-state-wire-neil-gorsuch-ap-top-news-5a7b0e41a47a3c571dda69194758e7b1">the Supreme Court ruled</a>&nbsp;LGBTQ people are protected by a landmark federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in the workplace. That decision is unaffected by Wednesday’s ruling.

But the justices declined to apply the same sort of analysis the court used in 2020 when it found “sex plays an unmistakable role” in employers’ decisions to punish transgender people for traits and behavior they otherwise tolerate. Roberts joined that opinion written by Justice Neil Gorsuch, who was part of Wednesday's majority.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett also fully joined the majority but wrote separately to emphasize that laws classifying people based on transgender status should not receive any special review by courts. Barrett, also writing for justice Clarence Thomas, wrote that “courts must give legislatures flexibility to make policy in this area.”

‘A devastating loss' or a 'Landmark VICTORY’

Chase Strangio, the American Civil Liberties Union lawyer who argued the case for transgender minors and their families, called the ruling "a devastating loss for transgender people, our families, and everyone who cares about the Constitution.”

Mo Jenkins, a 26-year-old trans woman who began taking hormone therapy at 16, said she was disheartened but not surprised by the ruling. “Trans people are not going to disappear," said Jenkins, a Texas native and legislative staffer at the state capitol in Austin. Texas outlawed puberty blockers and hormone treatment for minors in 2023.

Tennessee's leading Republican elected officials all praised the outcome. Attorney General&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-cabinet-tennessee-supreme-court-government-and-politics-155b1419a746b7125649593b76ee4724">Jonathan Skrmetti</a>&nbsp;on social media called the ruling a “Landmark VICTORY for Tennessee at SCOTUS in defense of America’s children!”

There are about 300,000 people between the ages of 13 and 17 and 1.3 million adults who identify as transgender in the U.S., according to the Williams Institute, a think tank at the UCLA School of Law that researches sexual orientation and gender identity demographics.

When the case was argued in December, then-President Joe Biden's Democratic administration and families of transgender adolescents called on the high court to strike down the Tennessee ban as unlawful sex discrimination and to protect the constitutional rights of vulnerable Americans.

They argued the law violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment in part because the same treatments that the law prohibits for transgender minors can be used for other purposes.

Soon after Trump took office, the Justice Department told the court its position had changed.

A major issue in the case was the appropriate level of scrutiny courts should apply to such laws.

The lowest level is known as rational basis review, and almost every law looked at that way is upheld. Indeed, the federal appeals court in Cincinnati that allowed the Tennessee law to be enforced held that lawmakers acted rationally to regulate medical procedures.

The appeals court reversed a trial court that employed a higher level of review, heightened scrutiny, which applies in cases of sex discrimination. Under this more searching examination, the state must identify an important objective and show the law helps accomplish it.

Roberts' 24-page majority opinion was devoted almost entirely to explaining why the Tennessee law, called SB1, should be evaluated under the lower standard of review. The law's restrictions on treating minors for gender dysphoria turn on age and medical use, not sex, Roberts wrote.

Doctors may prescribe puberty blockers and hormone therapy to minors of any sex to treat some disorders, but not those relating to transgender status, he wrote.

But in her courtroom statement, Sotomayor asserted that similar arguments were made to defend the Virginia law prohibiting interracial marriage that the Supreme Court struck down in 1967.

“A ban on interracial marriage could be described in the same way as the majority described SB1,” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692751118304.png" alt="FILE - Glenda Starke wears a transgender flag a, at the Missouri Statehouse in Jefferson City, Missouri (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Glenda Starke wears a transgender flag a, at the Missouri Statehouse in Jefferson City, Missouri (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday upheld Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-care-minors-ban-supreme-court-tennessee-2222e833fdbb51d5afb93a09fd47fc43">transgender minors</a>, a jolting setback to transgender rights.Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall praised the Court's decision.“Today was not just a win for basic biology and common sense, but for human decency, sound medicine, and the dignity and safety of children everywhere,”&nbsp;said Senator Marshall.&nbsp;“As a doctor for over 25 years, I understand the gravity of these harmful so-called treatments radical activists have been pushing on children. They leave permanent scarring, sterilization, and other horrible side effects. Make no mistake, there’s more work to do, and I remain committed to eliminating taxpayer-funded transgender procedures on both minors and adults.”The justices' 6-3 decision in a case from Tennessee effectively protects from legal challenges many efforts by President Donald Trump's Republican administration and state governments to roll back protections for transgender people. Another 26 states have laws similar to Tennessee's.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a> on SCOTUS upholding Tennessee&#39;s ban on child sex changes: &quot;It&#39;s a huge victory for America&#39;s children and it&#39;s obviously something this administration believes strongly in— that young minor children should not be allowed to be subjected to chemical castration and… <a href="https://t.co/6Xe5KjWggk">pic.twitter.com/6Xe5KjWggk</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1935758443266072635?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/john-roberts">Chief Justice John Roberts</a>&nbsp;wrote for a conservative majority that the law banning puberty blockers and hormone treatments for trans minors doesn't violate the Constitution's equal protection clause, which requires the government to treat similarly situated people the same.“This case carries with it the weight of fierce scientific and policy debates about the safety, efficacy, and propriety of medical treatments in an evolving field. The voices in these debates raise sincere concerns; the implications for all are profound,” Roberts wrote. “The Equal Protection Clause does not resolve these disagreements. Nor does it afford us license to decide them as we see best.”In a dissent for the court's three liberal justices that she summarized aloud in the courtroom,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sonia-sotomayor">Justice Sonia Sotomayor</a>&nbsp;wrote, “By retreating from meaningful judicial review exactly where it matters most, the court abandons transgender children and their families to political whims. In sadness, I dissent."The law also limits parents' decision-making ability for their children's health care, she wrote.<h2>Efforts to regulate transgender people's lives</h2>The decision comes amid other federal and state efforts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/san-jose-state-volleyball-d00b36355c69f48de712339821682b52">regulate the lives of transgender people</a>, including which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/gender-in-sports-track-and-field-roller-derby-new-york-gender-2fe769675c174632925e446f15c6294b">sports competitions</a>&nbsp;they can join and which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sarah-mcbride-speaker-johnson-transgender-bathroom-f3943e1b3b2dc9c8d62d2ba6660aaf91">bathrooms they can use</a>. In April, Trump’s administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/maine-education-department-transgender-athletes-pam-bondi-5b5c8d0022233fae5ec60efc9fa5394f">sued Maine</a>&nbsp;for not complying with the government’s push to ban&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-transgender-what-does-it-mean-2425f41a2910d989ccfd6d3aec1af33e">transgender athletes</a>&nbsp;in girls sports.The Republican president also has sought to block federal spending on gender-affirming medical care for those under age 19 — instead&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hhs-rfk-transgender-therapy-53c20e8ba65b2d9e4750d5c3314492cc">promoting talk therapy</a>&nbsp;only to treat young transgender people. And the Supreme Court has allowed him to kick&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trangender-troops-ban-military-trump-pentagon-1d152b538a37e230fd48f33432dea273">transgender service members</a>&nbsp;out of the military, even as court fights continue. The president signed another order to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-transgender-order-passports-prisons-military-3c14ecbdd10f61618384e81624d090fb">define the sexes</a>&nbsp;as only male and female.The debate even spilled into Congress when Delaware elected Democrat&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sarah-mcbride-congress-transgender-lgbtq-delaware-9cce7f778e6b57dfdb08986d7410404e">Sarah McBride</a>&nbsp;as the first transgender member of the House. Her election prompted immediate opposition among Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana and Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sarah-mcbride-speaker-johnson-transgender-bathroom-f3943e1b3b2dc9c8d62d2ba6660aaf91">which bathroom McBride could use</a>.<h2>Some providers have stopped treatment already</h2>Several states where gender-affirming care remains in place have adopted laws or state executive orders seeking to protect it. But since Trump’s executive order, some providers have ceased some treatments. For instance, Penn Medicine in Philadelphia announced last month it wouldn't provide surgeries for patients under 19.The president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Susan Kressly, said the organization is “unwavering” in its support of gender-affirming care and “stands with pediatricians and families making health care decisions together and free from political interference.”Five years ago,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/courts-supreme-courts-mi-state-wire-neil-gorsuch-ap-top-news-5a7b0e41a47a3c571dda69194758e7b1">the Supreme Court ruled</a>&nbsp;LGBTQ people are protected by a landmark federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in the workplace. That decision is unaffected by Wednesday’s ruling.But the justices declined to apply the same sort of analysis the court used in 2020 when it found “sex plays an unmistakable role” in employers’ decisions to punish transgender people for traits and behavior they otherwise tolerate. Roberts joined that opinion written by Justice Neil Gorsuch, who was part of Wednesday's majority.Justice Amy Coney Barrett also fully joined the majority but wrote separately to emphasize that laws classifying people based on transgender status should not receive any special review by courts. Barrett, also writing for justice Clarence Thomas, wrote that “courts must give legislatures flexibility to make policy in this area.”<h2>‘A devastating loss' or a 'Landmark VICTORY’</h2>Chase Strangio, the American Civil Liberties Union lawyer who argued the case for transgender minors and their families, called the ruling "a devastating loss for transgender people, our families, and everyone who cares about the Constitution.”Mo Jenkins, a 26-year-old trans woman who began taking hormone therapy at 16, said she was disheartened but not surprised by the ruling. “Trans people are not going to disappear," said Jenkins, a Texas native and legislative staffer at the state capitol in Austin. Texas outlawed puberty blockers and hormone treatment for minors in 2023.Tennessee's leading Republican elected officials all praised the outcome. Attorney General&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-cabinet-tennessee-supreme-court-government-and-politics-155b1419a746b7125649593b76ee4724">Jonathan Skrmetti</a>&nbsp;on social media called the ruling a “Landmark VICTORY for Tennessee at SCOTUS in defense of America’s children!”There are about 300,000 people between the ages of 13 and 17 and 1.3 million adults who identify as transgender in the U.S., according to the Williams Institute, a think tank at the UCLA School of Law that researches sexual orientation and gender identity demographics.When the case was argued in December, then-President Joe Biden's Democratic administration and families of transgender adolescents called on the high court to strike down the Tennessee ban as unlawful sex discrimination and to protect the constitutional rights of vulnerable Americans.They argued the law violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment in part because the same treatments that the law prohibits for transgender minors can be used for other purposes.Soon after Trump took office, the Justice Department told the court its position had changed.A major issue in the case was the appropriate level of scrutiny courts should apply to such laws.The lowest level is known as rational basis review, and almost every law looked at that way is upheld. Indeed, the federal appeals court in Cincinnati that allowed the Tennessee law to be enforced held that lawmakers acted rationally to regulate medical procedures.The appeals court reversed a trial court that employed a higher level of review, heightened scrutiny, which applies in cases of sex discrimination. Under this more searching examination, the state must identify an important objective and show the law helps accomplish it.Roberts' 24-page majority opinion was devoted almost entirely to explaining why the Tennessee law, called SB1, should be evaluated under the lower standard of review. The law's restrictions on treating minors for gender dysphoria turn on age and medical use, not sex, Roberts wrote.Doctors may prescribe puberty blockers and hormone therapy to minors of any sex to treat some disorders, but not those relating to transgender status, he wrote.But in her courtroom statement, Sotomayor asserted that similar arguments were made to defend the Virginia law prohibiting interracial marriage that the Supreme Court struck down in 1967.“A ban on interracial marriage could be described in the same way as the majority described SB1,” she said.Roberts rejected the comparison.

Kan. U.S. Senator praised Supreme Court's ruling on transgender rights

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating another homicide in Kansas City have identified the victim as 26-year-old Mikeal B. Copenhaver, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil Dimartino.

Just after 10p.m. Thursday,&nbsp;patrol officers were dispatched to the 4300 block of Northern on a reported disturbance, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

While officers were on the way to the scene, they received information that other callers reported sounds of gunshots and a shooting in the area. 

As officers arrived they were directed to the outside of an apartment building. There they located a victim later identified as Copenhaver suffering from gunshot wounds. 

KCFD EMS responded to the scene and pronounced him deceased. Officers located an additional adult male victim on scene suffering from a gunshot wound.&nbsp; He was transported to a local hospital with non life threatening injuries.

This is being investigated as a homicide. Preliminary information revealed there was a disturbance between several individuals that led to shots being fired and the Copenhaver being struck. 

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating another homicide in Kansas City have identified the victim as 26-year-old Mikeal B. Copenhaver, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil Dimartino.Just after 10p.m. Thursday,&nbsp;patrol officers were dispatched to the 4300 block of Northern on a reported disturbance, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.While officers were on the way to the scene, they received information that other callers reported sounds of gunshots and a shooting in the area. As officers arrived they were directed to the outside of an apartment building. There they located a victim later identified as Copenhaver suffering from gunshot wounds. KCFD EMS responded to the scene and pronounced him deceased. Officers located an additional adult male victim on scene suffering from a gunshot wound.&nbsp; He was transported to a local hospital with non life threatening injuries.This is being investigated as a homicide. Preliminary information revealed there was a disturbance between several individuals that led to shots being fired and the Copenhaver being struck.

Man killed in KC apartment complex gunfight

President&nbsp;Donald Trump kept silent Thursday about the Juneteenth Holiday.&nbsp; Late Thursday, the President finally wrote on social media to complain about too many non-working holidays..

During the Thursday press briefing,&nbsp; White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt thanked reporters for showing up to work on the Juneteenth Federal Holiday. "We are certainly here. We’re working 24/7 right now.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750269288982.png" alt="File image White House" />
 <figcaption>File image White House</figcaption>
 </figure>President&nbsp;Donald Trump kept silent Thursday about the Juneteenth Holiday.&nbsp; Late Thursday, the President finally wrote on social media to complain about too many non-working holidays..<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/5DPtr8EtwQ">pic.twitter.com/5DPtr8EtwQ</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1935836246133080540?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>During the Thursday press briefing,&nbsp; White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt thanked reporters for showing up to work on the Juneteenth Federal Holiday. "We are certainly here. We’re working 24/7 right now.”

President Trump complains about too many 'non-working holidays'

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating an officer involved shooting.

WICHITA, Kan.&nbsp;— Just before 4:30a.m. Friday, Sedgwick County emergency communications received an open-line disturbance call in the area of MacArthur and West Street in Wichita, according to Officer Rick Pena.

&nbsp;Dispatchers could hear a disturbance on the line and a woman crying for help. Using technology, the dispatch center call takers were able to identify a potential location in the area of 4600 W 37th Street S, according to Pena.&nbsp;

Police responded to the area and found a vehicle with front end damage. Inside the car, officers saw a man physically assaulting a woman.&nbsp;

&nbsp;The man saw officers, entered the driver's seat of the vehicle, and attempted to flee the scene. One Wichita officer fired two rounds from a handgun. The suspect was struck twice but continued to flee the scene.

&nbsp;Officers located the vehicle at a business in the area of K42 and West Street and the 31-year old suspect with two gunshot wounds. He was transported to an area hospital in critical condition.&nbsp;

&nbsp;The woman in the vehicle had a minor injury and refused medical treatment.&nbsp;

&nbsp;The Wichita Police Department has activated the ALERT protocol, and the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office will lead this investigation.&nbsp; No officers were injured in this incident.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750454134127.png" alt="Police near the scene of the investigation-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police near the scene of the investigation-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating an officer involved shooting.WICHITA, Kan.&nbsp;— Just before 4:30a.m. Friday, Sedgwick County emergency communications received an open-line disturbance call in the area of MacArthur and West Street in Wichita, according to Officer Rick Pena.&nbsp;Dispatchers could hear a disturbance on the line and a woman crying for help. Using technology, the dispatch center call takers were able to identify a potential location in the area of 4600 W 37th Street S, according to Pena.&nbsp;Police responded to the area and found a vehicle with front end damage. Inside the car, officers saw a man physically assaulting a woman.&nbsp;&nbsp;The man saw officers, entered the driver's seat of the vehicle, and attempted to flee the scene. One Wichita officer fired two rounds from a handgun. The suspect was struck twice but continued to flee the scene.&nbsp;Officers located the vehicle at a business in the area of K42 and West Street and the 31-year old suspect with two gunshot wounds. He was transported to an area hospital in critical condition.&nbsp;&nbsp;The woman in the vehicle had a minor injury and refused medical treatment.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Wichita Police Department has activated the ALERT protocol, and the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office will lead this investigation.&nbsp; No officers were injured in this incident.&nbsp;

Assault suspect wounded in Kansas officer-shooting

ISLAMABAD (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-evacuations-foreign-nationals-846ee06a70f855b02a2d66818fd2d93e">Countries are evacuating their nationals</a>&nbsp;from Israel and Iran by air, land and sea as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-iran-war-latest-06-19-2025-14b868f4514a7c337d5b9859de130bf0">conflict</a>&nbsp;rages between the bitter rivals.

Days of attacks and reprisals by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-timeline-tensions-conflict-66764c2843d62757d83e4a486946bcb8">the two enemies</a>&nbsp;have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-mideast-iraq-airports-airspace-closures-ebd0d9ea8362f2ecd06ceabc0cc40e7c">shuttered airspace</a>&nbsp;across the Middle East, severely disrupting commercial flights and leaving people unable to get in or out of the region easily.

Some governments are using land borders to get their citizens out by road to countries where airports remain open.

Thousands of foreigners have already left since the conflict started last Friday when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-explosions-israel-tehran-00234a06e5128a8aceb406b140297299">Israel launched surprise missile strikes</a>&nbsp;on Iran.

The State Department is planning to evacuate Americans from Israel by air and on cruise ships, according to the U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. Huckabee said Americans interested in leaving Israel should enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program for updates.

There are some 700,000 Americans, many of them dual U.S.-Israeli citizens, in Israel and thousands more in other Mideast countries, including Iran.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bulgaria">Bulgaria</a>&nbsp;has moved all its diplomats from Tehran to the capital of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/azerbaijan">Azerbaijan</a>, Baku, the Balkan country’s prime minister said Thursday.

“We are not closing the embassy, but moving it to Baku until the danger passes,” said Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov.

A group of 89 Bulgarians was evacuated from Israel by plane to Sofia, along with 59 nationals from Slovenia, the U.S., Belgium, Albania, Kosovo and Romania.

They left from the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh, where they had been transferred by bus across the border from Israel.

He said the government had urged all Bulgarians willing to join the convoy to do so. They set off in 11 vehicles on Wednesday morning.

“There were alternatives. They could travel via Turkey, but eventually we decided that they should go via Azerbaijan,” Zhelyazkov added.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/china">China</a>&nbsp;said it has evacuated more than 1,600 nationals from Iran and “several hundred others” from Israel.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Beijing would continue to do its “utmost to assist in the safe transfer and evacuation of Chinese citizens.”

Aell Huang, who was in the Iranian city of Isfahan, said he didn’t feel safe during the conflict. “I heard explosions from time to time. Civilians got hurt too. I got more prepared mentally once I saw the embassy’s warning.”

He and some friends hired a car and headed to Azerbaijan, waiting at border control for almost 12 hours, where he saw as many as 60 other Chinese nationals.

The Chinese Embassy said it would organize group evacuations by bus from Israel starting Friday.

A notice posted on the embassy’s WeChat social media account said citizens would be taken out through the Taba border crossing to Egypt. It asked them to register online and said they would be notified of the evacuation time.

People carrying Chinese, Hong Kong, and Macao passports were eligible, the notice said.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/european-union">European Union</a>&nbsp;has helped evacuate some 400 people from Israel via Jordan and Egypt as part of its efforts to coordinate an emergency response within the 27-nation bloc.

“Member states coordinate the list and we co-finance these flights up to 75% of the transport costs,” European Commission spokesperson Eva Hrncirova told a regular press conference in Brussels on Wednesday.

Hrncirova said the E.U. was fielding requests by Slovakia, Lithuania, Greece, and Poland for assistance with Middle East evacuations.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/france">French</a>&nbsp;Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Thursday it was helping nationals who want to leave Iran and Israel to do so through neighboring countries where commercial flights were still available.

Barrot said people in Iran could travel to Armenia and Turkey without a visa. Those unable to reach the border on their own would be “transported by convoy by the end of the week” so they could take commercial flights to France.

French nationals wanting to leave Israel can go via Jordan and Egypt. From Friday morning, some buses will carry passengers from the Israeli border to Amman and Sharm el-Sheikh airports.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/germany">Germany</a>&nbsp;flew 171 people out of Amman on a special flight on Wednesday. A further 174 people returned on Thursday and another flight is planned this weekend.

Passenger Daniel Halav, who was stuck in Tel Aviv, said he had “never been so glad to be home” after landing in Frankfurt, the German news agency dpa reported.

But, he said, “we had to take care of ourselves of how we got to Amman. From my point of view, we were left a bit alone there.”

The German Foreign Ministry said officials had decided against organizing convoys to get people to Amman, arguing this move could have created a security risk and that those wishing to leave were scattered across Israel.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/greece">Greece’s</a>&nbsp;Foreign Ministry said 141 Greeks and other nationals have been evacuated from Israel via Egypt.

The group included citizens from Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Germany, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States.

They were flown to Athens early Wednesday from Sharm el-Sheikh aboard two military transport planes.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/india">India</a>&nbsp;said it evacuated 110 students by road from northern Iran to the Armenian capital, Yerevan. They left on a special flight on June 18.

The Indian Embassy in Iran has been helping nationals to move from areas experiencing increased hostilities to relatively safer areas within the country, subsequently evacuating them, according to the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.

As of Thursday, some 22,000 holidaymakers had asked the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel">Israeli</a>&nbsp;Tourism Ministry to help them leave the country. There are around 38,000 tourists in Israel.

The Transport Ministry said thousands of Israelis have returned daily in the past few days, with 21 planes bringing back nationals stranded abroad since the start of the aerial campaign against Iran.

The Population, Immigration, and Border Authority said 38,250 Israelis entered the country between June 13 and 19, and 21,456 left during the same period.

The majority of arrivals and departures were by land.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/oman">Oman</a>&nbsp;said Thursday it had evacuated 245 of its citizens and nationals from other countries via the Iranian coastal city of Bandar Abbas.

Ten buses transported Omani citizens from Iran’s north into Turkey. A further three buses crossed into Iraq.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750382533772.png" alt="Image&nbsp; U.S. Embassy Jerusalem" />
 <figcaption>Image&nbsp; U.S. Embassy Jerusalem</figcaption>
 </figure>ISLAMABAD (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-evacuations-foreign-nationals-846ee06a70f855b02a2d66818fd2d93e">Countries are evacuating their nationals</a>&nbsp;from Israel and Iran by air, land and sea as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-iran-war-latest-06-19-2025-14b868f4514a7c337d5b9859de130bf0">conflict</a>&nbsp;rages between the bitter rivals.Days of attacks and reprisals by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-timeline-tensions-conflict-66764c2843d62757d83e4a486946bcb8">the two enemies</a>&nbsp;have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-mideast-iraq-airports-airspace-closures-ebd0d9ea8362f2ecd06ceabc0cc40e7c">shuttered airspace</a>&nbsp;across the Middle East, severely disrupting commercial flights and leaving people unable to get in or out of the region easily.Some governments are using land borders to get their citizens out by road to countries where airports remain open.Thousands of foreigners have already left since the conflict started last Friday when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-explosions-israel-tehran-00234a06e5128a8aceb406b140297299">Israel launched surprise missile strikes</a>&nbsp;on Iran.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FUSEmbassyJlm%2Fposts%2Fpfbid08JfQ2iengyRJEzh81x7hEw1KHcsqD4FVyiwcC4X3Stw7EwMQ4Fg92iYrvKQY9rCql&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="648" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div><h2>United States</h2>The State Department is planning to evacuate Americans from Israel by air and on cruise ships, according to the U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. Huckabee said Americans interested in leaving Israel should enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program for updates.There are some 700,000 Americans, many of them dual U.S.-Israeli citizens, in Israel and thousands more in other Mideast countries, including Iran.<h2>Bulgaria</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bulgaria">Bulgaria</a>&nbsp;has moved all its diplomats from Tehran to the capital of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/azerbaijan">Azerbaijan</a>, Baku, the Balkan country’s prime minister said Thursday.“We are not closing the embassy, but moving it to Baku until the danger passes,” said Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov.A group of 89 Bulgarians was evacuated from Israel by plane to Sofia, along with 59 nationals from Slovenia, the U.S., Belgium, Albania, Kosovo and Romania.They left from the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh, where they had been transferred by bus across the border from Israel.He said the government had urged all Bulgarians willing to join the convoy to do so. They set off in 11 vehicles on Wednesday morning.“There were alternatives. They could travel via Turkey, but eventually we decided that they should go via Azerbaijan,” Zhelyazkov added.<h2>China</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/china">China</a>&nbsp;said it has evacuated more than 1,600 nationals from Iran and “several hundred others” from Israel.Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Beijing would continue to do its “utmost to assist in the safe transfer and evacuation of Chinese citizens.”Aell Huang, who was in the Iranian city of Isfahan, said he didn’t feel safe during the conflict. “I heard explosions from time to time. Civilians got hurt too. I got more prepared mentally once I saw the embassy’s warning.”He and some friends hired a car and headed to Azerbaijan, waiting at border control for almost 12 hours, where he saw as many as 60 other Chinese nationals.The Chinese Embassy said it would organize group evacuations by bus from Israel starting Friday.A notice posted on the embassy’s WeChat social media account said citizens would be taken out through the Taba border crossing to Egypt. It asked them to register online and said they would be notified of the evacuation time.People carrying Chinese, Hong Kong, and Macao passports were eligible, the notice said.<h2>European Union</h2>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/european-union">European Union</a>&nbsp;has helped evacuate some 400 people from Israel via Jordan and Egypt as part of its efforts to coordinate an emergency response within the 27-nation bloc.“Member states coordinate the list and we co-finance these flights up to 75% of the transport costs,” European Commission spokesperson Eva Hrncirova told a regular press conference in Brussels on Wednesday.Hrncirova said the E.U. was fielding requests by Slovakia, Lithuania, Greece, and Poland for assistance with Middle East evacuations.<h2>France</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/france">French</a>&nbsp;Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Thursday it was helping nationals who want to leave Iran and Israel to do so through neighboring countries where commercial flights were still available.Barrot said people in Iran could travel to Armenia and Turkey without a visa. Those unable to reach the border on their own would be “transported by convoy by the end of the week” so they could take commercial flights to France.French nationals wanting to leave Israel can go via Jordan and Egypt. From Friday morning, some buses will carry passengers from the Israeli border to Amman and Sharm el-Sheikh airports.<h2>Germany</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/germany">Germany</a>&nbsp;flew 171 people out of Amman on a special flight on Wednesday. A further 174 people returned on Thursday and another flight is planned this weekend.Passenger Daniel Halav, who was stuck in Tel Aviv, said he had “never been so glad to be home” after landing in Frankfurt, the German news agency dpa reported.But, he said, “we had to take care of ourselves of how we got to Amman. From my point of view, we were left a bit alone there.”The German Foreign Ministry said officials had decided against organizing convoys to get people to Amman, arguing this move could have created a security risk and that those wishing to leave were scattered across Israel.<h2>Greece</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/greece">Greece’s</a>&nbsp;Foreign Ministry said 141 Greeks and other nationals have been evacuated from Israel via Egypt.The group included citizens from Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Germany, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States.They were flown to Athens early Wednesday from Sharm el-Sheikh aboard two military transport planes.<h2>India</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/india">India</a>&nbsp;said it evacuated 110 students by road from northern Iran to the Armenian capital, Yerevan. They left on a special flight on June 18.The Indian Embassy in Iran has been helping nationals to move from areas experiencing increased hostilities to relatively safer areas within the country, subsequently evacuating them, according to the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.<h2>Israel</h2>As of Thursday, some 22,000 holidaymakers had asked the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel">Israeli</a>&nbsp;Tourism Ministry to help them leave the country. There are around 38,000 tourists in Israel.The Transport Ministry said thousands of Israelis have returned daily in the past few days, with 21 planes bringing back nationals stranded abroad since the start of the aerial campaign against Iran.The Population, Immigration, and Border Authority said 38,250 Israelis entered the country between June 13 and 19, and 21,456 left during the same period.The majority of arrivals and departures were by land.<h2>Middle East &amp; North Africa</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/oman">Oman</a>&nbsp;said Thursday it had evacuated 245 of its citizens and nationals from other countries via the Iranian coastal city of Bandar Abbas.Ten buses transported Omani citizens from Iran’s north into Turkey. A further three buses crossed into Iraq.<h2>Indonesia</h2>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/indonesia">Indonesian</a>&nbsp;government on Thursday decided to evacuate its nationals from Iran.“Our citizens are at risk,” Indonesia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Sugiono said. “Over the past two days, Israel’s attacks have grown more intense, not only targeting the military, but also civilians.”He said about 386 Indonesians, mostly students, were in Iran, primarily in the city of Qom. The ministry earlier said some 194 Indonesians were in Israel, mostly student interns in the southern city of Rafah.Sugiono did not give a timeframe for evacuations, but said Iran has promised to help with the process.<h2>Japan</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/japan">Japan</a>&nbsp;is sending two military aircraft to Djibouti to stand by for the possible airlifting of Japanese nationals from Iran.Defense Minister Gen Nakatani told reporters he had issued an order to send two C-2 transport aircraft, along with 120 armed forces personnel, to the Horn of Africa nation, where Japan has a military base. An advance team of servicemembers left Japan earlier Thursday.Chief of the Self-Defense Forces Joint Staff Gen. Yoshihide Yoshida said the C-2 dispatch was to secure multiple options for evacuation when necessary.Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said the embassy in Iran was preparing to evacuate an unspecified number of Japanese nationals by bus.Some 280 Japanese are in Iran, and 1,000 are in Israel.<h2>Poland</h2>Deputy Foreign Minister Henryka Moscicka-Dendys said a group would depart from Amman by military aircraft on Thursday, following road transportation from Israel to the Jordanian border.Some 160&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/poland">Poles</a>&nbsp;arrived in Warsaw on Wednesday morning from Israel via Egypt, the Polish news agency PAP reported.The deputy minister said while there were no plans to evacuate citizens from Iran, Warsaw was helping with the departure of non-essential personnel from the embassy in Tehran.The staff, along with seven Polish citizens, left the Iranian capital on Wednesday morning for the Azerbaijan border.<h2>South Korea</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/south-korea">South Korea’s</a>&nbsp;Foreign Ministry says 18 South Korean nationals and two Iranian family members were evacuated from Iran and arrived in Turkmenistan late Wednesday by land.The ministry described the evacuation as a preemptive move to protect citizens as the closure of airspace would have otherwise made it difficult for them to leave.It urged South Koreans in Iran and Israel to promptly depart in line with embassy instructions and advised travelers to cancel or postpone trips to the region.Twenty-five nationals and one Israeli family member were escorted out of Israel by embassy staff and arrived in Jordan on Thursday morning.<h2>Thailand</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/thailand">Thai</a>&nbsp;nationals have been advised to leave Tehran at the earliest opportunity and avoid traveling to affected areas, although there is no immediate plan for an evacuation from Iran, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura said Wednesday.He said there are about 350 Thais in Iran and only five had expressed a wish to return to Thailand.The embassy in Tehran has set up a temporary shelter for Thais in Amol and has temporarily relocated its office to Kordan to ensure the safety of those needing to travel for the services.The embassy has also prepared the land routes for Thais to travel to Iran’s neighbors, Nikorndej said.