LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ruth Buzzi, who rose to fame as the frumpy and bitter Gladys Ormphby on the groundbreaking&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/comedy">sketch comedy</a>&nbsp;series “Rowan &amp; Martin’s Laugh-In” and made over 200&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/television">television appearances</a>&nbsp;during a 45-year career, died Thursday. She was 88.

Buzzi died at her home in Texas, her agent Mike Eisenstadt said. She had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and was in hospice care. Shortly before her death, her husband Kent Perkins, had posted a statement on Buzzi's Facebook page, thanking her many fans and telling them: “She wants you to know she probably had more fun doing those shows than you had watching them.”

Buzzi won a Golden Globe and was a two-time Emmy nominee for the NBC show that ran from 1968 to 1973. She was the only regular to appear in all six seasons, including the pilot.

“Ruth Buzzi was a comedic genius,”&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NancySinatra/status/1918345944573329819">Nancy Sinatra posted</a>&nbsp;on X. “Working alongside her on Laugh-In was the most fun I ever had working. I treasured her friendship and I am heartbroken to wake up to the news that she is gone. I love you, Ruthie.”

<a href="https://x.com/DeanaMartin_/status/1918359562224074863">Singer Deana Martin</a>&nbsp;posted, “Her laughter and warmth touched us all, leaving an everlasting void.”

Ormphby character leads to ‘Laugh-In’

Buzzi was first spotted by “Laugh-In” creator and producer George Schlatter playing various characters on “The Steve Allen Comedy Hour.”

Schlatter was holding auditions for “Laugh-In” when he received a picture in the mail of Buzzi in her Ormphby costume, sitting in a wire mesh trash barrel. The character was clad in drab brown with her bun covered by a hairnet knotted in the middle of her forehead.

“I think I hired her because of my passion for Gladys Ormphby,” he wrote in his 2023 memoir “Still Laughing A Life in Comedy.” “I must admit that the hairnet and the rolled-down stockings did light my fire. My favorite Gladys line was when she announced that the day of the office Christmas party, they sent her home early.”

The Gladys character used her purse as a weapon against anyone who bothered her, striking people over the head. On “Laugh-In,” her most frequent target was Arte Johnson’s dirty old man character Tyrone F. Horneigh.

“Gladys embodies the overlooked, the downtrodden, the taken for granted, the struggler,” Buzzi told The Connecticut Post in 2018. “So when she fights back, she speaks for everyone who’s been marginalized, reduced to a sex object or otherwise abused. And that’s almost everyone at some time or other.”

Buzzi took her act to the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts in Las Vegas, where she bashed her purse on the heads of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/frank-sinatra">Frank Sinatra</a>, Dean Martin and Lucille Ball, among others.

“Ruth Buzzi brought a singular energy and charm to sketch comedy that made her a standout on ‘Laugh-In’ and the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts. Her characters, especially the unforgettable Gladys Ormphby, captured the delightful absurdity of the era," said Journey Gunderson, executive director of the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York.

Her other recurring characters on “Laugh-In” included Flicker Farkle; Busy-Buzzi, a Hollywood gossip columnist; Doris Swizzler, a cocktail-lounge regular who got drunk with husband Leonard, played by Dick Martin; and an inconsiderate flight attendant.

“I never took my work for granted, nor assumed I deserved more of the credit or spotlight or more pay than anyone else,” Buzzi told The Connecticut Post. “I was just thrilled to drive down the hill to NBC every day as an employed actor with a job to do.”

Buzzi remained friends through the years with “Laugh-In” co-stars Lily Tomlin and Jo Anne Worley.

Born Ruth Ann Buzzi on July 24, 1936, in Westerly, Rhode Island, she was the daughter of Angelo Buzzi, a nationally known stone sculptor. Her father and later her brother operated Buzzi Memorials, a gravestone and monument maker in Stonington, Connecticut, where she was head cheerleader in high school.

Buzzi enrolled at the Pasadena Playhouse at age 17. Two years later, she traveled with singer Rudy Vallee in a musical and comedy act during her summer break. That earned her an Actors’ Equity union card before she graduated from the playhouse’s College of Theatre Arts.

Buzzi moved to New York and was immediately hired for a lead role in an off-Broadway musical revue, the first of 19 such shows she performed in on the East Coast.

She got her national television break on “The Garry Moore Show” in 1964, just after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/carol-burnett">Carol Burnett</a>&nbsp;was replaced by Dorothy Loudon on the series. She played Shakundala the Silent, a bumbling magician’s assistant to Dom DeLuise’s character Dominic the Great.

Buzzi was a regular on the CBS variety show “The Entertainers” whose hosts included Burnett and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bob-newhart">Bob Newhart</a>.

She was in the original Broadway cast of “Sweet Charity” with Gwen Verdon in 1966.

Buzzi toured the country with her nightclub act, including appearances in Las Vegas.

She was a semi-regular on “That Girl” as Marlo Thomas’ friend. She co-starred with Jim Nabors as time-traveling androids on “The Lost Saucer” in the mid-1970s.

Her other guest appearances included variety shows hosted by Burnett, Flip Wilson, Glen Campbell, Tony Orlando, Donny and Marie Osmond and Leslie Uggams.

She appeared in Ball’s last comedy series “Life With Lucy.”

Buzzi appeared in music videos with “Weird Al” Yankovic, the B-52’s and the Presidents of the United States of America.

She did hundreds of guest voices in cartoon series including “Pound Puppies,” “Berenstain Bears,” “The Smurfs” and “The Angry Beavers.”

She was Emmy nominated for her six-year run as shopkeeper Ruthie on “Sesame Street.”

Her movie credits included “Freaky Friday,” “Chu Chu and the Philly Flash,” “The North Avenue Irregulars” and “The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again.”

Buzzi was active on social media and had thousands of followers whom she rewarded with such one-liners as “I have never faked a sarcasm” and “Scientists say the universe is made up entirely of neurons, protons and electrons. They seem to have missed morons.”

The couple moved from California to Texas in 2003 and bought a 640-acre ranch near Stephenville.

Buzzi retired from acting in 2021 and suffered a series of strokes the following year. Her husband told The Dallas Morning News in 2023 that she had dementia.

Associated Press National Writer Hillel Italie contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746203984829.jpeg" alt="FILE - "Rowan &amp; Martin's Laugh-In" co-stars Ruth Buzzi and Gary Owens share a laugh during NBC's 75th Anniversary Party, in Los Angeles, Jan. 9, 2002. (AP Photo/Rene Macura, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - "Rowan &amp; Martin's Laugh-In" co-stars Ruth Buzzi and Gary Owens share a laugh during NBC's 75th Anniversary Party, in Los Angeles, Jan. 9, 2002. (AP Photo/Rene Macura, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ruth Buzzi, who rose to fame as the frumpy and bitter Gladys Ormphby on the groundbreaking&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/comedy">sketch comedy</a>&nbsp;series “Rowan &amp; Martin’s Laugh-In” and made over 200&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/television">television appearances</a>&nbsp;during a 45-year career, died Thursday. She was 88.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Ruth Buzzi (<a href="https://twitter.com/Ruth_A_Buzzi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Ruth_A_Buzzi</a>) was a comedic genius. Working alongside her on Laugh-In was the most fun I ever had working. I treasured her friendship and I am heartbroken to wake up to the news that she is gone. I love you, Ruthie. Godspeed, old friend. Sending condolences to her… <a href="https://t.co/VSXHYqMHMD">pic.twitter.com/VSXHYqMHMD</a>&mdash; Nancy Sinatra (@NancySinatra) <a href="https://twitter.com/NancySinatra/status/1918345944573329819?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Buzzi died at her home in Texas, her agent Mike Eisenstadt said. She had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and was in hospice care. Shortly before her death, her husband Kent Perkins, had posted a statement on Buzzi's Facebook page, thanking her many fans and telling them: “She wants you to know she probably had more fun doing those shows than you had watching them.”Buzzi won a Golden Globe and was a two-time Emmy nominee for the NBC show that ran from 1968 to 1973. She was the only regular to appear in all six seasons, including the pilot.“Ruth Buzzi was a comedic genius,”&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NancySinatra/status/1918345944573329819">Nancy Sinatra posted</a>&nbsp;on X. “Working alongside her on Laugh-In was the most fun I ever had working. I treasured her friendship and I am heartbroken to wake up to the news that she is gone. I love you, Ruthie.”<a href="https://x.com/DeanaMartin_/status/1918359562224074863">Singer Deana Martin</a>&nbsp;posted, “Her laughter and warmth touched us all, leaving an everlasting void.”<h2>Ormphby character leads to ‘Laugh-In’</h2>Buzzi was first spotted by “Laugh-In” creator and producer George Schlatter playing various characters on “The Steve Allen Comedy Hour.”Schlatter was holding auditions for “Laugh-In” when he received a picture in the mail of Buzzi in her Ormphby costume, sitting in a wire mesh trash barrel. The character was clad in drab brown with her bun covered by a hairnet knotted in the middle of her forehead.“I think I hired her because of my passion for Gladys Ormphby,” he wrote in his 2023 memoir “Still Laughing A Life in Comedy.” “I must admit that the hairnet and the rolled-down stockings did light my fire. My favorite Gladys line was when she announced that the day of the office Christmas party, they sent her home early.”The Gladys character used her purse as a weapon against anyone who bothered her, striking people over the head. On “Laugh-In,” her most frequent target was Arte Johnson’s dirty old man character Tyrone F. Horneigh.“Gladys embodies the overlooked, the downtrodden, the taken for granted, the struggler,” Buzzi told The Connecticut Post in 2018. “So when she fights back, she speaks for everyone who’s been marginalized, reduced to a sex object or otherwise abused. And that’s almost everyone at some time or other.”Buzzi took her act to the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts in Las Vegas, where she bashed her purse on the heads of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/frank-sinatra">Frank Sinatra</a>, Dean Martin and Lucille Ball, among others.“Ruth Buzzi brought a singular energy and charm to sketch comedy that made her a standout on ‘Laugh-In’ and the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts. Her characters, especially the unforgettable Gladys Ormphby, captured the delightful absurdity of the era," said Journey Gunderson, executive director of the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York.Her other recurring characters on “Laugh-In” included Flicker Farkle; Busy-Buzzi, a Hollywood gossip columnist; Doris Swizzler, a cocktail-lounge regular who got drunk with husband Leonard, played by Dick Martin; and an inconsiderate flight attendant.“I never took my work for granted, nor assumed I deserved more of the credit or spotlight or more pay than anyone else,” Buzzi told The Connecticut Post. “I was just thrilled to drive down the hill to NBC every day as an employed actor with a job to do.”Buzzi remained friends through the years with “Laugh-In” co-stars Lily Tomlin and Jo Anne Worley.<h2>From cheerleading to the stage</h2>Born Ruth Ann Buzzi on July 24, 1936, in Westerly, Rhode Island, she was the daughter of Angelo Buzzi, a nationally known stone sculptor. Her father and later her brother operated Buzzi Memorials, a gravestone and monument maker in Stonington, Connecticut, where she was head cheerleader in high school.Buzzi enrolled at the Pasadena Playhouse at age 17. Two years later, she traveled with singer Rudy Vallee in a musical and comedy act during her summer break. That earned her an Actors’ Equity union card before she graduated from the playhouse’s College of Theatre Arts.Buzzi moved to New York and was immediately hired for a lead role in an off-Broadway musical revue, the first of 19 such shows she performed in on the East Coast.She got her national television break on “The Garry Moore Show” in 1964, just after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/carol-burnett">Carol Burnett</a>&nbsp;was replaced by Dorothy Loudon on the series. She played Shakundala the Silent, a bumbling magician’s assistant to Dom DeLuise’s character Dominic the Great.Buzzi was a regular on the CBS variety show “The Entertainers” whose hosts included Burnett and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bob-newhart">Bob Newhart</a>.She was in the original Broadway cast of “Sweet Charity” with Gwen Verdon in 1966.Buzzi toured the country with her nightclub act, including appearances in Las Vegas.She was a semi-regular on “That Girl” as Marlo Thomas’ friend. She co-starred with Jim Nabors as time-traveling androids on “The Lost Saucer” in the mid-1970s.Her other guest appearances included variety shows hosted by Burnett, Flip Wilson, Glen Campbell, Tony Orlando, Donny and Marie Osmond and Leslie Uggams.She appeared in Ball’s last comedy series “Life With Lucy.”Buzzi appeared in music videos with “Weird Al” Yankovic, the B-52’s and the Presidents of the United States of America.She did hundreds of guest voices in cartoon series including “Pound Puppies,” “Berenstain Bears,” “The Smurfs” and “The Angry Beavers.”She was Emmy nominated for her six-year run as shopkeeper Ruthie on “Sesame Street.”Her movie credits included “Freaky Friday,” “Chu Chu and the Philly Flash,” “The North Avenue Irregulars” and “The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again.”Buzzi was active on social media and had thousands of followers whom she rewarded with such one-liners as “I have never faked a sarcasm” and “Scientists say the universe is made up entirely of neurons, protons and electrons. They seem to have missed morons.”She married actor Perkins in 1978.The couple moved from California to Texas in 2003 and bought a 640-acre ranch near Stephenville.Buzzi retired from acting in 2021 and suffered a series of strokes the following year. Her husband told The Dallas Morning News in 2023 that she had dementia.—-Associated Press National Writer Hillel Italie contributed to this report.

 Ruth Buzzi, Gladys of 'Laugh-in,' is dead at 88

DICKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement and school district officials provided an update to their investigation of a reported school threat at Chapman Middle School.

Just before 8p.m. Wednesday, a concerned parent of a Chapman Middle School student contacted police about a gun that was going to be brought to school, according to a media release from police. The parent told the on-duty Chapman officer that student told them that another student from the school was going to bring a gun to the school on May 2, and "start shooting everyone."

The officer immediately contacted USD 473 officials, others with the police department and the Dickinson County Sheriff's office to coordinate a quick response to the allegation.

A team of officers and deputies responded to the USD 473 District Office and met with school staff. At the same time,&nbsp; officers and deputies began several interviews of students and parents from the school district. After several hours of interviews, the investigation was suspended for the evening with no findings of a credible threat to the students or staff.

On Thursday, officers, deputies and USD 473 officials continued interviews with more students at the school. After several hours of interviews, it was concluded there is no credible threat to students or staff at Chapman Middle School.

DICKINSON COUNTY —Law enforcement and USD 473 staff are investigating an alleged threat at the middle school in Chapman.

On Wednesday, an officer with Chapman Police was notified of a potential harmful event that may occur at a later date at the Chapman Middle School, 624 Marshall Ave, Chapman, according to a social media report from the Chapman Police Department.

Chapman police immediately made contact with USD 473 staff and contacted the Dickinson Co. Sheriff’s Office and an investigation began immediately.

After the investigation, the officials feel that there is no credible threat. The investigation isn’t complete.  An official statement will be released on Friday.  Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

DICKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement and school district officials provided an update to their investigation of a reported school threat at Chapman Middle School.Just before 8p.m. Wednesday, a concerned parent of a Chapman Middle School student contacted police about a gun that was going to be brought to school, according to a media release from police. The parent told the on-duty Chapman officer that student told them that another student from the school was going to bring a gun to the school on May 2, and "start shooting everyone."The officer immediately contacted USD 473 officials, others with the police department and the Dickinson County Sheriff's office to coordinate a quick response to the allegation.A team of officers and deputies responded to the USD 473 District Office and met with school staff. At the same time,&nbsp; officers and deputies began several interviews of students and parents from the school district. After several hours of interviews, the investigation was suspended for the evening with no findings of a credible threat to the students or staff.On Thursday, officers, deputies and USD 473 officials continued interviews with more students at the school. After several hours of interviews, it was concluded there is no credible threat to students or staff at Chapman Middle School.-----------DICKINSON COUNTY —Law enforcement and USD 473 staff are investigating an alleged threat at the middle school in Chapman.On Wednesday, an officer with Chapman Police was notified of a potential harmful event that may occur at a later date at the Chapman Middle School, 624 Marshall Ave, Chapman, according to a social media report from the Chapman Police Department.Chapman police immediately made contact with USD 473 staff and contacted the Dickinson Co. Sheriff’s Office and an investigation began immediately.After the investigation, the officials feel that there is no credible threat. The investigation isn’t complete. An official statement will be released on Friday. Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

Police update investigation of reported threat at Kan. middle school

KANSAS CITY —Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson recently highlighted several felony cases involving road rage incidents to warn residents about the severe legal consequences that can result from momentary anger on roadways.&nbsp;

Since 2022, the Prosecutor’s Office received approximately 19 cases involving road rage incidents that escalated to assaults, vehicular injuries, or the use of firearms. So far this year, the Prosecutor’s Office has received and charged four cases already involving road rage.&nbsp;

Nationwide, road rage incidents involving firearms&nbsp;<a href="https://everytownresearch.org/road-rage-shootings-remain-alarmingly-high/">doubled from 2018 to 2023</a>, with hundreds of people killed or wounded every year.&nbsp;

“What begins as a temporary traffic annoyance can escalate into tragedy in seconds,”&nbsp;said Prosecutor Johnson. “Driving behaviors like someone cutting another vehicle off, driving slowly in a passing lane, swerving to avoid something in the road, or forgetting to use a turn signal, can trigger potentially deadly responses.&nbsp;

“We are urging all drivers to remember that a moment of rage is not worth a lifetime of consequences or your freedom. If you encounter an aggressive driver, do not engage. If you feel threatened, call 911, or drive to the nearest police station, hospital, or fire station.”

Prosecutors are handling several serious road rage cases this year:&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746194817276.png" alt="Adam Burnett photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Adam Burnett photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson recently highlighted several felony cases involving road rage incidents to warn residents about the severe legal consequences that can result from momentary anger on roadways.&nbsp;Since 2022, the Prosecutor’s Office received approximately 19 cases involving road rage incidents that escalated to assaults, vehicular injuries, or the use of firearms. So far this year, the Prosecutor’s Office has received and charged four cases already involving road rage.&nbsp;Nationwide, road rage incidents involving firearms&nbsp;<a href="https://everytownresearch.org/road-rage-shootings-remain-alarmingly-high/">doubled from 2018 to 2023</a>, with hundreds of people killed or wounded every year.&nbsp;“What begins as a temporary traffic annoyance can escalate into tragedy in seconds,”&nbsp;said Prosecutor Johnson. “Driving behaviors like someone cutting another vehicle off, driving slowly in a passing lane, swerving to avoid something in the road, or forgetting to use a turn signal, can trigger potentially deadly responses.&nbsp;“We are urging all drivers to remember that a moment of rage is not worth a lifetime of consequences or your freedom. If you encounter an aggressive driver, do not engage. If you feel threatened, call 911, or drive to the nearest police station, hospital, or fire station.”Prosecutors are handling several serious road rage cases this year:&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Adam Burnett was charged with Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Armed Criminal Action after allegedly chasing and firing at a vehicle that cut him off on March 23. He could face five to 15 years in prison.</li><li>Christian Eubanks was charged with Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Armed Criminal Action, and Endangering the Welfare of a Child after he allegedly fired at another vehicle while his toddler was in his car on March 21.&nbsp;</li><li>Joshwa Pearman was charged with Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Armed Criminal Action after he allegedly fired at another vehicle during a road rage incident on Jan. 22.</li><li>Brian K. Watson was charged with 1st Degree Assault and Leaving the Scene of an Accident after he allegedly struck a pedestrian with his car and fled the scene on Jan. 18. The defendant has a history of road rage incidents.&nbsp;</li><li>And Isaiah Francis was charged this week of 2nd Degree Murder and Armed Criminal Action in connection with a fatal road rage incident that took place on Nov. 8, 2024.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>

Prosecutor warns about legal consequences from road rage 

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The American dream Maranda Kealy was promised as a kid is nowhere to be found, she said at a rally Thursday in Topeka attended by hundreds in a display of collective action against President Donald Trump’s second term.

“It’s not the one any of us were promised,” she said.

Kealy, a 22-year-old from the small town of Harveyville about 45 minutes southwest of Topeka, held a sign that read, “Dude: This is so not the American dream.”

“We were promised freedom and the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” Kealy said, “but the administration has taken that to mean life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for some people, not all.”

The political grassroots group 50501 organized the event in honor of International Workers’ Day, celebrated on May 1 along with the European holiday May Day. The same group convened weeks before on April 5 at the state Capitol for a day of action,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/04/07/kansans-flood-streets-across-the-state-to-condemn-d-c-cartel-if-you-can-nows-the-time-to-speak/">drawing a crowd of thousands</a>. Thursday’s protest was more modest, with a crowd of around 300.

Kealy works for the U.S. Postal Service, and she is a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Both were impetuses for her presence on the Statehouse grounds.

“Every American deserves due process. Every American deserves a chance to live the American dream, and every person deserves a chance to have their voice heard,” Kealy said.

A mishmash of anti-Trump, pro-Ukraine, anti-Putin, pro-democracy, anti-Elon Musk signs and American flags — both upside down and right side up — speckled the south lawn of the Kansas Statehouse as the event’s speakers railed against the Trump administration and the president’s supporters.

The event’s speakers included 50501 organizers, Overland Park Democratic Sen. Cindy Holscher, the vice president of chapter 66 of the National Treasury Employees Union in Kansas City, Daniel Scharpenburg, and the Rev. Nori Rost, a Unitarian Universalist minister in Lawrence and social justice advocate.

Scharpenburg’s union represents roughly 6,000 employees of the Internal Revenue Service.

“I don’t know if you’ve heard,” he said to the crowd, “but we are not OK.”

The IRS’s Kansas City office is facing the possibility of being halved, Scharpenburg said. He lobbed critiques at the Trump administration’s moves to clamp down on unions.

“I have to say, if they were not afraid of working people, they would not try to union bust, right?” he said.

The American Federation of Laborers and Congress of Industrial Organizations, an international federation of more than 60 unions, said May 1 is “the day the world celebrates the bravery of workers throughout history who have sacrificed for safety, dignity and justice on the job.”

“Our solidarity is our strength,” the AFL-CIO said in a Thursday message. “We take pride in knowing that we are a global movement standing up to the billionaires who are threatening our rights and freedoms.”

Holscher reminded the crowd of the president’s promise to lower prices at the grocery store. The crowd laughed.

“It is quite apparent, however, in these first 100 days of the Trump administration, we have been sold a bill of goods,” Holscher said.

She criticized state Republican leaders, referring to them as MAGA extremists, for a handful of their decisions during the 2025 legislative session, including&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/04/07/let-kansans-live-free-leaked-emails-to-efficiency-portal-call-for-abortion-rights-school-funding/">the creation of the Committee on Government Efficiency</a>&nbsp;and their “assault” on public education funding.

She warned of Republicans sending Kansas “back to the deficit days of the Brownback administration.”

The rally was 61-year-old Army veteran David Beck’s first time participating in something like it.

“This is not where I want to be,” he said.

He lives about 90 miles from Topeka and was born and raised in southeast Kansas. Everything is at stake, he said.

“What hasn’t he harmed?” he asked, referring to Trump.

Tina Hallenbeck, of Alma, celebrated her birthday by protesting the “scary, scary things” she sees happening under the Trump administration.

She said she was especially concerned for her husband, a retired active duty Army Gulf War veteran and a federal employee with a year left to retire.

Hallenbeck appeared at the Capitol dressed in the red uniform of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” the 1985 novel by Margaret Atwood about a near-future dystopia where women are forcibly assigned to produce children.

“It feels like it makes a statement. Somebody’s going to see this,” Hallenbeck said. “Today, May Day, it’s my birthday, I’m 58 years old, and this is what I’m doing today, and it’s a shame that I have to be, but I have to be. We have to be vigilant. We can’t have 1930s Germany in the United States.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746189500700.png" alt=" Kansans rally on May 1, 2025, at the Statehouse in Topeka as part of a 50501 event in honor of International Workers’ Day. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Kansans rally on May 1, 2025, at the Statehouse in Topeka as part of a 50501 event in honor of International Workers’ Day. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The American dream Maranda Kealy was promised as a kid is nowhere to be found, she said at a rally Thursday in Topeka attended by hundreds in a display of collective action against President Donald Trump’s second term.“It’s not the one any of us were promised,” she said.Kealy, a 22-year-old from the small town of Harveyville about 45 minutes southwest of Topeka, held a sign that read, “Dude: This is so not the American dream.”“We were promised freedom and the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” Kealy said, “but the administration has taken that to mean life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for some people, not all.”The political grassroots group 50501 organized the event in honor of International Workers’ Day, celebrated on May 1 along with the European holiday May Day. The same group convened weeks before on April 5 at the state Capitol for a day of action,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/04/07/kansans-flood-streets-across-the-state-to-condemn-d-c-cartel-if-you-can-nows-the-time-to-speak/">drawing a crowd of thousands</a>. Thursday’s protest was more modest, with a crowd of around 300.Kealy works for the U.S. Postal Service, and she is a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Both were impetuses for her presence on the Statehouse grounds.“Every American deserves due process. Every American deserves a chance to live the American dream, and every person deserves a chance to have their voice heard,” Kealy said.A mishmash of anti-Trump, pro-Ukraine, anti-Putin, pro-democracy, anti-Elon Musk signs and American flags — both upside down and right side up — speckled the south lawn of the Kansas Statehouse as the event’s speakers railed against the Trump administration and the president’s supporters.The event’s speakers included 50501 organizers, Overland Park Democratic Sen. Cindy Holscher, the vice president of chapter 66 of the National Treasury Employees Union in Kansas City, Daniel Scharpenburg, and the Rev. Nori Rost, a Unitarian Universalist minister in Lawrence and social justice advocate.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746189553917.png" alt="The Rev. Nori Rost appears at the Statehouse in Topeka as part of the 50501 national day of action on May 1, 2025. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>The Rev. Nori Rost appears at the Statehouse in Topeka as part of the 50501 national day of action on May 1, 2025. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Scharpenburg’s union represents roughly 6,000 employees of the Internal Revenue Service.“I don’t know if you’ve heard,” he said to the crowd, “but we are not OK.”The IRS’s Kansas City office is facing the possibility of being halved, Scharpenburg said. He lobbed critiques at the Trump administration’s moves to clamp down on unions.“I have to say, if they were not afraid of working people, they would not try to union bust, right?” he said.The American Federation of Laborers and Congress of Industrial Organizations, an international federation of more than 60 unions, said May 1 is “the day the world celebrates the bravery of workers throughout history who have sacrificed for safety, dignity and justice on the job.”“Our solidarity is our strength,” the AFL-CIO said in a Thursday message. “We take pride in knowing that we are a global movement standing up to the billionaires who are threatening our rights and freedoms.”<h2>‘Not where I want to be’</h2>Holscher reminded the crowd of the president’s promise to lower prices at the grocery store. The crowd laughed.“It is quite apparent, however, in these first 100 days of the Trump administration, we have been sold a bill of goods,” Holscher said.She criticized state Republican leaders, referring to them as MAGA extremists, for a handful of their decisions during the 2025 legislative session, including&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/04/07/let-kansans-live-free-leaked-emails-to-efficiency-portal-call-for-abortion-rights-school-funding/">the creation of the Committee on Government Efficiency</a>&nbsp;and their “assault” on public education funding.She warned of Republicans sending Kansas “back to the deficit days of the Brownback administration.”The rally was 61-year-old Army veteran David Beck’s first time participating in something like it.“This is not where I want to be,” he said.He lives about 90 miles from Topeka and was born and raised in southeast Kansas. Everything is at stake, he said.“What hasn’t he harmed?” he asked, referring to Trump.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746189594733.png" alt=" Tina Hallenbeck, of Alma, rallies at the Statehouse in Topeka as part of the 50501 national day of action on May 1, 2025. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Tina Hallenbeck, of Alma, rallies at the Statehouse in Topeka as part of the 50501 national day of action on May 1, 2025. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Tina Hallenbeck, of Alma, celebrated her birthday by protesting the “scary, scary things” she sees happening under the Trump administration.She said she was especially concerned for her husband, a retired active duty Army Gulf War veteran and a federal employee with a year left to retire.Hallenbeck appeared at the Capitol dressed in the red uniform of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” the 1985 novel by Margaret Atwood about a near-future dystopia where women are forcibly assigned to produce children.“It feels like it makes a statement. Somebody’s going to see this,” Hallenbeck said. “Today, May Day, it’s my birthday, I’m 58 years old, and this is what I’m doing today, and it’s a shame that I have to be, but I have to be. We have to be vigilant. We can’t have 1930s Germany in the United States.”

May Day rally draws hundreds to Kansas Capitol to protest Trump administration

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Firefighter/paramedic Graham Hoffman’s Funeral will be held on Friday, May 2, at the Pleasant Valley Baptist Church. A public visitation will take place from 11a.m.-1p.m. followed by the funeral service and procession. The procession will begin at approximately 3 p.m.

Firefighter Hoffman will be cremated so there will not be a graveside service.

Early Sunday, while transporting a patient to the hospital, the patient stabbed Hoffman in the chest.&nbsp;Hoffman was transported to North Kansas City Hospital in critical condition and later died.&nbsp;Hoffman, 29, was a member of the Kansas City, Missouri Fire Department for three years.&nbsp;

Clay County prosecutors have charged the suspect in the attack.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746182319192.png" alt="-The procession will travel south on Interstate 35 just after 3 p.m., through the Interstate 29 interchange and proceed over the Christopher Bond Bridge. It will continue onto U.S. 71 Highway South and exit at Bannister Road, head east and then turn south at Hillcrest Road&nbsp;traveling past KCFD Station 42 at 6006 E. Red Bridge Road. It will then go north on Blue Ridge Boulevard to Bannister Road, travel north on Interstate 435 back north of the Missouri River and exit at Pleasant Valley Road and conclude after driving west to the White Chapel Funeral Home." />
 <figcaption>-The procession will travel south on Interstate 35 just after 3 p.m., through the Interstate 29 interchange and proceed over the Christopher Bond Bridge. It will continue onto U.S. 71 Highway South and exit at Bannister Road, head east and then turn south at Hillcrest Road&nbsp;traveling past KCFD Station 42 at 6006 E. Red Bridge Road. It will then go north on Blue Ridge Boulevard to Bannister Road, travel north on Interstate 435 back north of the Missouri River and exit at Pleasant Valley Road and conclude after driving west to the White Chapel Funeral Home.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Firefighter/paramedic Graham Hoffman’s Funeral will be held on Friday, May 2, at the Pleasant Valley Baptist Church. A public visitation will take place from 11a.m.-1p.m. followed by the funeral service and procession. The procession will begin at approximately 3 p.m.Firefighter Hoffman will be cremated so there will not be a graveside service.Early Sunday, while transporting a patient to the hospital, the patient stabbed Hoffman in the chest.&nbsp;Hoffman was transported to North Kansas City Hospital in critical condition and later died.&nbsp;Hoffman, 29, was a member of the Kansas City, Missouri Fire Department for three years.&nbsp;Clay County prosecutors have charged the suspect in the attack.

Funeral procession details for KC paramedic killed in the line of dutiy

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas found guilty for&nbsp;fatal stabbing is scheduled for sentencing Friday.

Kenneth Junious, Jr., 34, appear before Sean Hatfield to learn his fate, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

In November of 2020, police responded to a stabbing at a home in the 2800 block of South Washington in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.&nbsp;

Upon arrival, officer’s located the victim identified as 59-year-old Bryan Turner with multiple cut and stab wounds to his body.&nbsp; Officers quickly began life-saving measures, but he died of his injuries on the scene.

The investigation revealed that multiple people were at the home, and Turner and a suspect identified as Junious were both visiting. While at the home, a disturbance ensued between Junious and Turner.

During the disturbance, Junious pulled out a knife and caused multiple injuries to Turner. Junious then fled the scene in a vehicle.&nbsp; Police reported his arrest several days later.

Junious has numerous previous felony convictions that include aggravated battery, aggravated escape from custody, theft, criminal possession of a weapon, theft, flee and attempt to elude and and was currently on parole through Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1605617102715.png" alt="Junious-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Junious-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas found guilty for&nbsp;fatal stabbing is scheduled for sentencing Friday.Kenneth Junious, Jr., 34, appear before Sean Hatfield to learn his fate, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.In November of 2020, police responded to a stabbing at a home in the 2800 block of South Washington in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.&nbsp;Upon arrival, officer’s located the victim identified as 59-year-old Bryan Turner with multiple cut and stab wounds to his body.&nbsp; Officers quickly began life-saving measures, but he died of his injuries on the scene.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746180507159.png" alt="-Police tape at the home early Sunday photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>-Police tape at the home early Sunday photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>The investigation revealed that multiple people were at the home, and Turner and a suspect identified as Junious were both visiting. While at the home, a disturbance ensued between Junious and Turner.During the disturbance, Junious pulled out a knife and caused multiple injuries to Turner. Junious then fled the scene in a vehicle.&nbsp; Police reported his arrest several days later.Junious has numerous previous felony convictions that include aggravated battery, aggravated escape from custody, theft, criminal possession of a weapon, theft, flee and attempt to elude and and was currently on parole through Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

Sentencing Day: Kan. felon on parole in deadly knife fight

JOHNSON COUNTY —Police are&nbsp;conducting a homicide investigation in Olathe.

Just after 11a.m. Wednesday, officers were dispatched to the 400 block of North Persimmon Drive in Olathe to check the welfare of a woman, according to&nbsp;Officer Sean Wilkes.

At the home, first responders found a 75-year-old woman deceased inside the residence. The circumstances surrounding her death are under investigation. Police have not reported the name of the victim or other details.

JOHNSON COUNTY —Police are&nbsp;conducting a homicide investigation in Olathe.Just after 11a.m. Wednesday, officers were dispatched to the 400 block of North Persimmon Drive in Olathe to check the welfare of a woman, according to&nbsp;Officer Sean Wilkes.At the home, first responders found a 75-year-old woman deceased inside the residence. The circumstances surrounding her death are under investigation. Police have not reported the name of the victim or other details.

Homicide: 75-year-old Kansas woman found dead in her home

WASHINGTON (AP) — Detailed Army plans for a potential&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/military-parade-dc-trump-9ca70b018fe4f663ecaaf993d1b45a59">military parade on President Donald Trump's birthday</a>&nbsp;in June call for more than 6,600 soldiers, at least 150 vehicles, 50 helicopters, seven bands and possibly a couple thousand civilians, The Associated Press has learned.

The planning documents, obtained by the AP, are dated April 29 and 30 and have not been publicly released. They represent the Army's most recent blueprint for its long-planned 250th birthday festival on the National Mall and the newly added element — a large military parade that Trump has long wanted but is still being discussed.

While the slides do not include any price estimates, it would likely cost tens of millions of dollars to put on a parade of that size. Costs would include the movement of military vehicles, equipment, aircraft and troops from across the country to Washington and the need to feed and house thousands of service members.

High costs halted Trump's push for a parade in his first term, and the tanks and other heavy vehicles that are part of the Army's latest plans have raised concerns from city officials about damage to roads.

Asked about plans for a parade, Army spokesman Steve Warren said Thursday that no final decisions have been made.

Col. Dave Butler, another Army spokesman, added that the Army is excited about the plans for the birthday festival..

“We want to make it into an event that the entire nation can celebrate with us,” said Butler. “We want Americans to know their Army and their soldiers. A parade might become part of that, and we think that will be an excellent addition to what we already have planned.”

Others familiar with the documents, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the plans have not been finalized, said they represent the Army's plans as it prepares for any White House approval of the parade. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

There has been no formal approval yet. Changes to the plans have been made in recent weeks and more are likely.

What would go into the potential Army parade

Much of the equipment would have to be brought in by train or flown in.

Some equipment and troops were already going to be included in the Army's birthday celebration, which has been in the works for more than a year. The festival was set to involve an array of activities and displays on the National Mall, including a fitness competition, climbing wall, armored vehicles, Humvees, helicopters and other equipment.

A parade, however, would increase the equipment and troops involved. According to the plans, as many as 6,300 of the service members would be marching in the parade, while the remainder would be responsible for other tasks and support.

The Army's early festival plans did not include a parade. But its 250th birthday celebration on June 14 happens to coincide with Trump's 79th birthday, and officials confirmed last month that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/military-parade-dc-trump-9ca70b018fe4f663ecaaf993d1b45a59">Army had started discussions</a>&nbsp;about adding a parade.

The plans say the parade would showcase the Army’s 250 years of service and foresee bringing in soldiers from at least 11 corps and divisions nationwide. Those could include a Stryker battalion with two companies of Stryker vehicles, a tank battalion and two companies of tanks, an infantry battalion with Bradley vehicles, Paladin artillery vehicles, Howitzers and infantry vehicles.

There would be seven Army bands and a parachute jump by the Golden Knights. And documents suggest that civilian participants would include historical vehicles and aircraft and two bands, along with people from veterans groups, military colleges and reenactor organizations.

According to the plan, the parade would be classified as a national special security event, and that request has been submitted by the National Park Service and is under review.

And it is expected that the evening parade would be followed by a concert and fireworks.

One of the documents raises concerns about some limitations, which include where troops would be housed and “significant concerns regarding security requirements” as equipment flows into the city. It says the biggest unknown so far is which units would be participating.

Trump has long wanted a big military parade

In his first term, he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f955b6ff8b854246a95928da4174c156">proposed having a parade</a>&nbsp;after seeing one in France on Bastille Day in 2017. Trump said that after watching the two-hour procession along the famed Champs-Elysees that he wanted an even grander one on Pennsylvania Avenue.

That plan was ultimately dumped due to the huge costs — with one estimate of a $92 million price tag — and other logistical issues. Among those were objections from city officials who said including tanks and other heavy armored vehicles would tear up the roads.

Trump said in a social media post in 2018 that he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/735cfcd91ce9458189ab13ecc204f140">canceling the event</a>&nbsp;over the costs and accused local politicians of price gouging.

This year, as plans progressed for the Army to host its birthday festival in Washington, talk about a parade began anew.

D.C. Mayor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/black-lives-matter-white-house-trump-bowser-f130daeb762e438fc8eddd3dd4da7982">Muriel Bowser</a>&nbsp;acknowledged in April that the administration reached out to the city about holding a parade on June 14 that would stretch from Arlington, Virginia, where the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery are located, across the Potomac River and into Washington.

Bowser at the time said she didn’t know if the event was being “characterized as a military parade” but added that tanks rolling through the city’s streets “would not be good.”

“If military tanks were used, they should be accompanied with many millions of dollars to repair the roads,” she said.

In 2018, the Pentagon appeared to agree. A memo from the defense secretary's staff said plans for the parade — at that time — would include only wheeled vehicles and no tanks to minimize damage to local infrastructure.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746146495602.png" alt="President Trump&nbsp;watching a Bastille Day parade on the Champs Elysees avenue in Paris, July 14, 2017. image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Trump&nbsp;watching a Bastille Day parade on the Champs Elysees avenue in Paris, July 14, 2017. image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Detailed Army plans for a potential&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/military-parade-dc-trump-9ca70b018fe4f663ecaaf993d1b45a59">military parade on President Donald Trump's birthday</a>&nbsp;in June call for more than 6,600 soldiers, at least 150 vehicles, 50 helicopters, seven bands and possibly a couple thousand civilians, The Associated Press has learned.The planning documents, obtained by the AP, are dated April 29 and 30 and have not been publicly released. They represent the Army's most recent blueprint for its long-planned 250th birthday festival on the National Mall and the newly added element — a large military parade that Trump has long wanted but is still being discussed.While the slides do not include any price estimates, it would likely cost tens of millions of dollars to put on a parade of that size. Costs would include the movement of military vehicles, equipment, aircraft and troops from across the country to Washington and the need to feed and house thousands of service members.High costs halted Trump's push for a parade in his first term, and the tanks and other heavy vehicles that are part of the Army's latest plans have raised concerns from city officials about damage to roads.Asked about plans for a parade, Army spokesman Steve Warren said Thursday that no final decisions have been made.Col. Dave Butler, another Army spokesman, added that the Army is excited about the plans for the birthday festival..“We want to make it into an event that the entire nation can celebrate with us,” said Butler. “We want Americans to know their Army and their soldiers. A parade might become part of that, and we think that will be an excellent addition to what we already have planned.”Others familiar with the documents, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the plans have not been finalized, said they represent the Army's plans as it prepares for any White House approval of the parade. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.There has been no formal approval yet. Changes to the plans have been made in recent weeks and more are likely.<h2>What would go into the potential Army parade</h2>Much of the equipment would have to be brought in by train or flown in.Some equipment and troops were already going to be included in the Army's birthday celebration, which has been in the works for more than a year. The festival was set to involve an array of activities and displays on the National Mall, including a fitness competition, climbing wall, armored vehicles, Humvees, helicopters and other equipment.A parade, however, would increase the equipment and troops involved. According to the plans, as many as 6,300 of the service members would be marching in the parade, while the remainder would be responsible for other tasks and support.The Army's early festival plans did not include a parade. But its 250th birthday celebration on June 14 happens to coincide with Trump's 79th birthday, and officials confirmed last month that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/military-parade-dc-trump-9ca70b018fe4f663ecaaf993d1b45a59">Army had started discussions</a>&nbsp;about adding a parade.The plans say the parade would showcase the Army’s 250 years of service and foresee bringing in soldiers from at least 11 corps and divisions nationwide. Those could include a Stryker battalion with two companies of Stryker vehicles, a tank battalion and two companies of tanks, an infantry battalion with Bradley vehicles, Paladin artillery vehicles, Howitzers and infantry vehicles.There would be seven Army bands and a parachute jump by the Golden Knights. And documents suggest that civilian participants would include historical vehicles and aircraft and two bands, along with people from veterans groups, military colleges and reenactor organizations.According to the plan, the parade would be classified as a national special security event, and that request has been submitted by the National Park Service and is under review.And it is expected that the evening parade would be followed by a concert and fireworks.One of the documents raises concerns about some limitations, which include where troops would be housed and “significant concerns regarding security requirements” as equipment flows into the city. It says the biggest unknown so far is which units would be participating.<h2>Trump has long wanted a big military parade</h2>In his first term, he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f955b6ff8b854246a95928da4174c156">proposed having a parade</a>&nbsp;after seeing one in France on Bastille Day in 2017. Trump said that after watching the two-hour procession along the famed Champs-Elysees that he wanted an even grander one on Pennsylvania Avenue.That plan was ultimately dumped due to the huge costs — with one estimate of a $92 million price tag — and other logistical issues. Among those were objections from city officials who said including tanks and other heavy armored vehicles would tear up the roads.Trump said in a social media post in 2018 that he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/735cfcd91ce9458189ab13ecc204f140">canceling the event</a>&nbsp;over the costs and accused local politicians of price gouging.This year, as plans progressed for the Army to host its birthday festival in Washington, talk about a parade began anew.D.C. Mayor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/black-lives-matter-white-house-trump-bowser-f130daeb762e438fc8eddd3dd4da7982">Muriel Bowser</a>&nbsp;acknowledged in April that the administration reached out to the city about holding a parade on June 14 that would stretch from Arlington, Virginia, where the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery are located, across the Potomac River and into Washington.Bowser at the time said she didn’t know if the event was being “characterized as a military parade” but added that tanks rolling through the city’s streets “would not be good.”“If military tanks were used, they should be accompanied with many millions of dollars to repair the roads,” she said.In 2018, the Pentagon appeared to agree. A memo from the defense secretary's staff said plans for the parade — at that time — would include only wheeled vehicles and no tanks to minimize damage to local infrastructure.

Army plans for a potential military parade on Trump's birthday

TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;The State of Kansas ends April 2025 with total tax collections at $1.33 billion. That is $17.6 million, or 1.3%, above the estimate. Total tax collections were down 5.9% from April 2024.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Click&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fcontent.govdelivery.com%2Fattachments%2FKSOG%2F2025%2F05%2F01%2Ffile_attachments%2F3248010%2F10_April_Revenue_FY2025_05-01-2025_Final.pdf/1/010101968d39da30-afac8301-ccd3-49b4-b024-d5072a2cb911-000000/Cze6aZPLMT7u_S0HmVONH05KTBwpVznalLY4nAZ0HMw=403">here</a>&nbsp;to view the April 2025 revenue numbers.&nbsp;

“Kansas' current financial health is strong, but we must remain committed to fiscally responsible budgeting to ensure lasting stability in the future,"&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Individual income tax collections were $684.8 million. That is $10 million, or 1.5% above the estimate, and down 7.5% from April 2024. Corporate income tax collections were $316.5 million. That is $1.4 million, or 0.4% above the estimate, and down 6.4% from April 2024.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Combined retail sales and compensating use tax receipts were $296.3 million, which is $5.5 million, or 1.9% above the estimate and up $1.2 million, or 0.4%, from April 2024.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;The State of Kansas ends April 2025 with total tax collections at $1.33 billion. That is $17.6 million, or 1.3%, above the estimate. Total tax collections were down 5.9% from April 2024.&nbsp;&nbsp;Click&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fcontent.govdelivery.com%2Fattachments%2FKSOG%2F2025%2F05%2F01%2Ffile_attachments%2F3248010%2F10_April_Revenue_FY2025_05-01-2025_Final.pdf/1/010101968d39da30-afac8301-ccd3-49b4-b024-d5072a2cb911-000000/Cze6aZPLMT7u_S0HmVONH05KTBwpVznalLY4nAZ0HMw=403">here</a>&nbsp;to view the April 2025 revenue numbers.&nbsp;“Kansas' current financial health is strong, but we must remain committed to fiscally responsible budgeting to ensure lasting stability in the future,"&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;&nbsp;Individual income tax collections were $684.8 million. That is $10 million, or 1.5% above the estimate, and down 7.5% from April 2024. Corporate income tax collections were $316.5 million. That is $1.4 million, or 0.4% above the estimate, and down 6.4% from April 2024.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Combined retail sales and compensating use tax receipts were $296.3 million, which is $5.5 million, or 1.9% above the estimate and up $1.2 million, or 0.4%, from April 2024.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kansas total tax collections in April down from 2024

MEADE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 5p.m. Thursday in Meade County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2011 Cadillac CTS driven by Ashley M. Brooker, 35, Stillwater, Minnesota, was westbound on U.S. 54 miles just west of U.S. 160..&nbsp; The Cadillac traveled left of center and struck a 2022 Toyota Tundra driven by Korin&nbsp;Hutchisson, El Paso, Texas.&nbsp;

EMS transported Brooker to St. Catherine Hospital where she died.&nbsp;&nbsp;Hutchisson was not injured.&nbsp; Brooker was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

MEADE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 5p.m. Thursday in Meade County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2011 Cadillac CTS driven by Ashley M. Brooker, 35, Stillwater, Minnesota, was westbound on U.S. 54 miles just west of U.S. 160..&nbsp; The Cadillac traveled left of center and struck a 2022 Toyota Tundra driven by Korin&nbsp;Hutchisson, El Paso, Texas.&nbsp;EMS transported Brooker to St. Catherine Hospital where she died.&nbsp;&nbsp;Hutchisson was not injured.&nbsp; Brooker was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Woman killed in car, pickup crash on Kansas highway

WICHITA, Kan. —&nbsp;The investigation into the April 8 disturbance in Chief Judge Jeffrey Goering’s courtroom during a sentencing hearing for 19-year-old Te’Bryis Robinson has concluded, according to a statement from the Sedgwick County Sheriff's office.

 On April 24, detectives with the sheriff's office presented their findings to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for formal charging consideration.

On April 28, the District Attorney charged Jeanette Dees, 48, of Wichita, with one count of disorderly conduct under Kansas Statute 21-6203(a)(3), defined as using fighting words or engaging in noisy conduct likely to arouse alarm, anger or resentment in others.

In addition, Derrick E. Parker, Jr., 33; Trentasia Hutton, 24; Trentez Hutton, 21; Trentavies Hutton, 18; and a 16-year-old boy — all of Wichita — were each charged with one count of disorderly conduct under Kansas Statute 21-6203(a)(1), defined as brawling or fighting.

&nbsp;The incident prompted an immediate response from court security deputies to restore order to the courtroom.

&nbsp;In March of 2022, officers responded to an initial report of an active shooter at Towne East Mall, 7700 E Kellogg Drive in Wichita, according to Officer Chad Ditch.

Officers entered the mall and located 14-year-old&nbsp;Trenjvious Hutton inside who had been shot. He was pronounced deceased on scene.

The investigation revealed, Hutton was involved in a physical altercation with several individuals known to him stemming from an ongoing dispute. During the altercation a 16-year-old suspect later identified as&nbsp;Te’bryis Robinson pulled out a handgun and fired multiple shots, striking Hutton. Robinson then fled on foot.

Witnesses provided officers with a description of the suspect which allowed arriving officers to quickly locate him in the area and make an arrest.

In March of 2023, Robinson was charged with 1st degree murder and criminal use of weapons, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746114789399.png" alt="Robinson photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Robinson photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. —&nbsp;The investigation into the April 8 disturbance in Chief Judge Jeffrey Goering’s courtroom during a sentencing hearing for 19-year-old Te’Bryis Robinson has concluded, according to a statement from the Sedgwick County Sheriff's office. On April 24, detectives with the sheriff's office presented their findings to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for formal charging consideration.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746133556665.png" alt="Courtroom brawl image courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Courtroom brawl image courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>On April 28, the District Attorney charged Jeanette Dees, 48, of Wichita, with one count of disorderly conduct under Kansas Statute 21-6203(a)(3), defined as using fighting words or engaging in noisy conduct likely to arouse alarm, anger or resentment in others.In addition, Derrick E. Parker, Jr., 33; Trentasia Hutton, 24; Trentez Hutton, 21; Trentavies Hutton, 18; and a 16-year-old boy — all of Wichita — were each charged with one count of disorderly conduct under Kansas Statute 21-6203(a)(1), defined as brawling or fighting.&nbsp;The incident prompted an immediate response from court security deputies to restore order to the courtroom.&nbsp;In March of 2022, officers responded to an initial report of an active shooter at Towne East Mall, 7700 E Kellogg Drive in Wichita, according to Officer Chad Ditch.Officers entered the mall and located 14-year-old&nbsp;Trenjvious Hutton inside who had been shot. He was pronounced deceased on scene.The investigation revealed, Hutton was involved in a physical altercation with several individuals known to him stemming from an ongoing dispute. During the altercation a 16-year-old suspect later identified as&nbsp;Te’bryis Robinson pulled out a handgun and fired multiple shots, striking Hutton. Robinson then fled on foot.Witnesses provided officers with a description of the suspect which allowed arriving officers to quickly locate him in the area and make an arrest.In March of 2023, Robinson was charged with 1st degree murder and criminal use of weapons, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;

6 charged for courtroom brawl during sentencing for Kan. teen 

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22HALLIE%20GOLDEN%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By HALLIE GOLDEN Associated Press</a>

Jill Sobule, the award-winning singer-songwriter whose witty and poignant writing first attracted widespread attention with the gay-themed song “I Kissed a Girl,” died in a house fire Thursday. She was 66.

Her death was confirmed by her publicist, David Elkin, in an email Thursday afternoon. It was not immediately clear how the fire in Woodbury, Minnesota, started.

“Jill Sobule was a force of nature and human rights advocate whose music is woven into our culture,” John Porter, her manager, said in a statement. “I was having so much fun working with her. I lost a client &amp; a friend today. I hope her music, memory, &amp; legacy continue to live on and inspire others.”

During her more than three decades of recording, Sobule released 12 albums that addressed such complex topics as the death penalty, anorexia nervosa, reproduction and LGBTQ+ issues.

Her first album, “Things Here Are Different,” was released in 1990. Five years later, she received widespread attention for her hit singles, “Supermodel,” from the movie “Clueless,” and “I Kissed A Girl," which, despite being banned on several southern radio stations, made it into the Billboard Top 20.

She also starred in an autobiographical&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/theater-new-york-music-jill-sobule-01773efc52f448f1a37e94582c7fb996">off-Broadway musical</a>&nbsp;that initially premiered at the Wild Project in New York in 2022 and includes songs and stories about her life.

Sobule was known for taking control of her career by fundraising so she could make her next album. In 2008, after two major record companies dumped her and two indie labels went bankrupt beneath her, she raised tens of thousands of dollars from fans so she could make a new album.

“The old kind of paradigm, where you’ve always waited for other people to do things, you’d have your manager and your agent,” she said at the time. “You’d wait for the big record company to give you money to do things and they tell you what to do. This is so great. I want to do everything like this.”

Sobule was scheduled to perform in Denver on Friday night. Instead, there will be an informal gathering hosted by her friend Ron Bostwick from 105.5 The Colorado Sound at the performance space where attendees can "share a story or song,” according to her publicist.

A formal memorial to celebrate her life and legacy will be held later this summer.

“No one made me laugh more. Her spirit and energy shall be greatly missed within the music community and beyond,” Craig Grossman, her booking agent, said in a statement.

Born in Denver, Colorado, on Jan. 16, 1959, she has described herself as a shy child who preferred observing over participating.

Sobule was known for playing dozens of shows a year and has described her live performances as vulnerable experiences. She said she often doesn’t have a set list and wings it.

She's performed with such icons as Neil Young, Billy Bragg and Cyndi Lauper, and also inducted Neil Diamond into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, according to her website. She also sang a song as herself on an episode of “The Simpsons” in 2019.

“In a good way, I feel like I’m still a rookie," she told The Associated Press in 2023 in an interview about her musical. "There’s so much more to do and I haven’t done my best yet.”

She is survived by her brother and sister-in-law, James and Mary Ellen Sobule, along with her nephews and cousins.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746153279349.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22HALLIE%20GOLDEN%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By HALLIE GOLDEN Associated Press</a>Jill Sobule, the award-winning singer-songwriter whose witty and poignant writing first attracted widespread attention with the gay-themed song “I Kissed a Girl,” died in a house fire Thursday. She was 66.Her death was confirmed by her publicist, David Elkin, in an email Thursday afternoon. It was not immediately clear how the fire in Woodbury, Minnesota, started.“Jill Sobule was a force of nature and human rights advocate whose music is woven into our culture,” John Porter, her manager, said in a statement. “I was having so much fun working with her. I lost a client &amp; a friend today. I hope her music, memory, &amp; legacy continue to live on and inspire others.”During her more than three decades of recording, Sobule released 12 albums that addressed such complex topics as the death penalty, anorexia nervosa, reproduction and LGBTQ+ issues.Her first album, “Things Here Are Different,” was released in 1990. Five years later, she received widespread attention for her hit singles, “Supermodel,” from the movie “Clueless,” and “I Kissed A Girl," which, despite being banned on several southern radio stations, made it into the Billboard Top 20.She also starred in an autobiographical&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/theater-new-york-music-jill-sobule-01773efc52f448f1a37e94582c7fb996">off-Broadway musical</a>&nbsp;that initially premiered at the Wild Project in New York in 2022 and includes songs and stories about her life.Sobule was known for taking control of her career by fundraising so she could make her next album. In 2008, after two major record companies dumped her and two indie labels went bankrupt beneath her, she raised tens of thousands of dollars from fans so she could make a new album.“The old kind of paradigm, where you’ve always waited for other people to do things, you’d have your manager and your agent,” she said at the time. “You’d wait for the big record company to give you money to do things and they tell you what to do. This is so great. I want to do everything like this.”Sobule was scheduled to perform in Denver on Friday night. Instead, there will be an informal gathering hosted by her friend Ron Bostwick from 105.5 The Colorado Sound at the performance space where attendees can "share a story or song,” according to her publicist.A formal memorial to celebrate her life and legacy will be held later this summer.“No one made me laugh more. Her spirit and energy shall be greatly missed within the music community and beyond,” Craig Grossman, her booking agent, said in a statement.Born in Denver, Colorado, on Jan. 16, 1959, she has described herself as a shy child who preferred observing over participating.Sobule was known for playing dozens of shows a year and has described her live performances as vulnerable experiences. She said she often doesn’t have a set list and wings it.She's performed with such icons as Neil Young, Billy Bragg and Cyndi Lauper, and also inducted Neil Diamond into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, according to her website. She also sang a song as herself on an episode of “The Simpsons” in 2019.“In a good way, I feel like I’m still a rookie," she told The Associated Press in 2023 in an interview about her musical. "There’s so much more to do and I haven’t done my best yet.”She is survived by her brother and sister-in-law, James and Mary Ellen Sobule, along with her nephews and cousins.

Jill Sobule, singer-songwriter known for 'I Kissed a Girl,' dies in a fire

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;offered some encouraging words and advice for graduating students at the University of Alabama on Thursday in a speech interspersed with complaints about his critics, accusations that judges were “interfering” with his agenda and attacks on his predecessor, Joe Biden.

The Republican’s jolting speech was standard fare for Trump and well-received by the crowd in deep-red Alabama, which backed him in all three of his presidential runs.

“You’re the first graduating class of the golden age of America,” the president told the graduates.

But he quickly launched into a campaign-style diatribe, saying that the U.S. was being “ripped off” before he took office and that the last four years, when he was out of power, “were not good for our country.”

“But don’t let that scare you,” he said. “It was an aberration.”

The president of the University of Alabama, Stuart Bell, told graduates before Trump took the stage that Thursday night’s event was all about them.

“This special ceremony offers a meaningful opportunity for you, for I, to reflect on the important connection between academic inquiry, civic leadership, and public service,” Bell said.

Trump mostly went in a different direction.

He did a grunting impression of a female weightlifter as he criticized the participation of transgender women in sports. He bragged about how tech moguls have warmed up to him, saying, “They all hated me in my first term, and now they’re kissing my ass.”

And he falsely claimed that the 2020 election, which he lost, was “rigged.”

But after talking up his tariff plans, sharing his successes from his first 100 days in office and bashing the media, Trump turned back to the graduates, offering 10 pieces of advice drawn from his life and career, such as “Think of yourself as a winner,” “Be an original” and “Never, ever give up.”

He told them they were never too young to be successful and described how he worked on his first hotel development deal in his 20s.

“Now is the time to work harder than you’ve ever worked before,” he said. “Find your limits and then smash through everything.”

Although Trump described the speech as a commencement address, it is actually a special event that was created before graduation ceremonies that begin Friday. Graduating students had the option of attending the event.

Former Crimson Tide football coach Nick Saban also spoke, regaling the audience with a story about visiting the Oval Office in 2018 during Trump's first term. Saban said Trump was a gracious host.

In his remarks Thursday, Trump noted that he was marking his 100th day in office and touted the plummeting levels of arrests at the southern U.S. border as evidence that his immigration policies were working. But he accused the courts of trying to stop him from fulfilling the promises he made on the campaign trail.

“Judges are interfering, supposedly based on due process,” he said. “But how can you give due process to people who came into our country illegally?”

Trump has a long history of injecting such rhetoric into his remarks at venues where traditional political talk was seen as unseemly.

On his first full day in office in 2017, he used a speech at a memorial for fallen CIA agents to complain about journalists and defend the size of his crowd at the inauguration. Later that year, he drew backlash for talking about politics at a Boy Scouts gathering. And earlier this year, he delivered a grievance-filled speech at the Justice Department where he threatened to “expose” his enemies.

Ahead of Trump's arrival, Emily Appel, a 22-year-old advertising major from Norcross, Georgia, called Trump's appearance at her school “a cherry on top” of her college years.

She said she hoped he had a message to share that was "positive about us being able to work in the real world and for our future.”

Sophie Best, who is graduating with a communications degree, said, “I don’t think that we could have had a greater person come to speak."

The 21-year-old from Cartersville, Georgia, said she attended Trump's first presidential inauguration in 2017 when she was a freshman in high school, along with her father, who she said loves Trump.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;offered some encouraging words and advice for graduating students at the University of Alabama on Thursday in a speech interspersed with complaints about his critics, accusations that judges were “interfering” with his agenda and attacks on his predecessor, Joe Biden.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> takes the stage at the University of Alabama Commencement and shakes hands with Nick Saban: “Congratulations to the class of 2025. ROLL TIDE!” <a href="https://t.co/npveenmzvr">pic.twitter.com/npveenmzvr</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1918101830522859866?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> to Nick Saban and University President Stuart Bell: “After you, fellas. Anybody that won that many games should go first!” <a href="https://t.co/TabzSOFoYJ">pic.twitter.com/TabzSOFoYJ</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1918098299728384281?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Republican’s jolting speech was standard fare for Trump and well-received by the crowd in deep-red Alabama, which backed him in all three of his presidential runs.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> arrives in Coleman Coliseum at the University of Alabama! 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/vPNmwbtysg">pic.twitter.com/vPNmwbtysg</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1918101523839762498?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“You’re the first graduating class of the golden age of America,” the president told the graduates.But he quickly launched into a campaign-style diatribe, saying that the U.S. was being “ripped off” before he took office and that the last four years, when he was out of power, “were not good for our country.”“But don’t let that scare you,” he said. “It was an aberration.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">WHAT A NIGHT IN ALABAMA! 🇺🇸🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/bAHzi2tejR">pic.twitter.com/bAHzi2tejR</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1918116481235034151?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The president of the University of Alabama, Stuart Bell, told graduates before Trump took the stage that Thursday night’s event was all about them.“This special ceremony offers a meaningful opportunity for you, for I, to reflect on the important connection between academic inquiry, civic leadership, and public service,” Bell said.Trump mostly went in a different direction.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: “For the University of Alabama, good isn’t good enough, tough isn’t tough enough, and great isn’t great enough. The Crimson Tide will not rest, will not quit… The University of Alabama has a brand— and that brand is WINNING.” <a href="https://t.co/CnXZgQrIOE">pic.twitter.com/CnXZgQrIOE</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1918103827514823061?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;As long as I&#39;m President, we will always protect women’s sports. Men will NOT play in women&#39;s sports.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/NHwFUguZf8">pic.twitter.com/NHwFUguZf8</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1918103862633812321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: “As you graduate, it’s natural to reflect on four years of happy memories— But today, I am also asking you to look forward to something very very bright and more promising…. You are the first Graduating Class of the Golden Age of America.” 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/VeQ1LBs6Te">pic.twitter.com/VeQ1LBs6Te</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1918104674755883304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: “Each of the graduates in this arena will soon have the chance to help lead this project of national renewal… I think you have the chance to be the greatest generation in the history of our country… You learned a lot about winning here at Alabama, and now we need you… <a href="https://t.co/MkHX2wwOQq">pic.twitter.com/MkHX2wwOQq</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1918107760245522945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;For the Business Majors here today, I challenge you not merely to use your talents for financial speculation—but to apply your great skills... Don’t just build a strong portfolio—build a very, very STRONG AMERICA.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/a5DM4sxoru">pic.twitter.com/a5DM4sxoru</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1918109274909360339?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;For the Business Majors here today, I challenge you not merely to use your talents for financial speculation—but to apply your great skills... Don’t just build a strong portfolio—build a very, very STRONG AMERICA.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/a5DM4sxoru">pic.twitter.com/a5DM4sxoru</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1918109274909360339?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">That graduation feeling. 🕺🎓 <a href="https://t.co/AqPKJArCZv">pic.twitter.com/AqPKJArCZv</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1918116070952472846?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>He did a grunting impression of a female weightlifter as he criticized the participation of transgender women in sports. He bragged about how tech moguls have warmed up to him, saying, “They all hated me in my first term, and now they’re kissing my ass.”And he falsely claimed that the 2020 election, which he lost, was “rigged.”But after talking up his tariff plans, sharing his successes from his first 100 days in office and bashing the media, Trump turned back to the graduates, offering 10 pieces of advice drawn from his life and career, such as “Think of yourself as a winner,” “Be an original” and “Never, ever give up.”He told them they were never too young to be successful and described how he worked on his first hotel development deal in his 20s.“Now is the time to work harder than you’ve ever worked before,” he said. “Find your limits and then smash through everything.”Although Trump described the speech as a commencement address, it is actually a special event that was created before graduation ceremonies that begin Friday. Graduating students had the option of attending the event.Former Crimson Tide football coach Nick Saban also spoke, regaling the audience with a story about visiting the Oval Office in 2018 during Trump's first term. Saban said Trump was a gracious host.In his remarks Thursday, Trump noted that he was marking his 100th day in office and touted the plummeting levels of arrests at the southern U.S. border as evidence that his immigration policies were working. But he accused the courts of trying to stop him from fulfilling the promises he made on the campaign trail.“Judges are interfering, supposedly based on due process,” he said. “But how can you give due process to people who came into our country illegally?”Trump has a long history of injecting such rhetoric into his remarks at venues where traditional political talk was seen as unseemly.On his first full day in office in 2017, he used a speech at a memorial for fallen CIA agents to complain about journalists and defend the size of his crowd at the inauguration. Later that year, he drew backlash for talking about politics at a Boy Scouts gathering. And earlier this year, he delivered a grievance-filled speech at the Justice Department where he threatened to “expose” his enemies.Ahead of Trump's arrival, Emily Appel, a 22-year-old advertising major from Norcross, Georgia, called Trump's appearance at her school “a cherry on top” of her college years.She said she hoped he had a message to share that was "positive about us being able to work in the real world and for our future.”Sophie Best, who is graduating with a communications degree, said, “I don’t think that we could have had a greater person come to speak."The 21-year-old from Cartersville, Georgia, said she attended Trump's first presidential inauguration in 2017 when she was a freshman in high school, along with her father, who she said loves Trump.“I think that no matter what political party or whatever you believe in, I think that it’s super cool that we get to experience and make history and be a part of this,” she said.At a park a mile away, hundreds of people gathered at a counter-rally hosted by College Democrats. One-time presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke of Texas and former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, the last Democrat to hold statewide office in Alabama, addressed the attendees at their event, called a “Tide Against Trump” — a play on the university’s nickname.Aidan Meyers, a 21-year-old junior studying biology at the university, said he was upset by the decision to let Trump speak at a graduation-related event.“I felt betrayed that the university was willing to put up with someone who has made it clear that they hate academia, essentially holding funding above universities' heads as a bargaining chip, unless they bow down to what he wants, which is kind of a hallmark sign with fascist regime,” Meyers said.O'Rourke told the rally that Trump was trying to make the students’ graduation “all about him, true to form.” He urged students and others gathered to go out and use their voices to “win America back.”“The power of people works in this country, even against Donald Trump,” O’Rourke said.Jones told the crowd they were there “not just as a protest, but as a movement.”“You are here today because you’re concerned, you’re afraid. You understand that this country’s great democracy is teetering right now with what we’re seeing going on,” the former senator said.Trump’s presence also drew criticism from the Alabama NAACP, which said his policies are hurting universities and students, particularly students of color.After his stop in Alabama, Trump is scheduled to travel to Florida for a long weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort.Later this month, he is scheduled to give the commencement address at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York.