BAGHDAD (AP) —Drones attacked military bases in Iraq overnight, including some housing U.S. troops, the Iraqi army and a US military official said Tuesday.

No casualties were reported and no group claimed responsibility for the attacks in Iraq. Some Iran-backed Iraqi militias had previously threatened to target U.S. bases if the U.S. attacked Iran.

Iraqi army spokesperson Sabah Al-Naaman in a statement called the attacks a “treacherous and cowardly act of aggression” and said they had damaged radar systems at Camp Taji, north of Baghdad, and at Imam Ali Base in Dhi Qar province. Iraqi forces shot down drones at other locations, he said.

A senior U.S. military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly, said U.S. forces had shot down drones attacking Ain al-Assad in the desert in western Iraq and at a base next to the Baghdad airport, while another one crashed.

BAGHDAD (AP) —Drones attacked military bases in Iraq overnight, including some housing U.S. troops, the Iraqi army and a US military official said Tuesday.No casualties were reported and no group claimed responsibility for the attacks in Iraq. Some Iran-backed Iraqi militias had previously threatened to target U.S. bases if the U.S. attacked Iran.Iraqi army spokesperson Sabah Al-Naaman in a statement called the attacks a “treacherous and cowardly act of aggression” and said they had damaged radar systems at Camp Taji, north of Baghdad, and at Imam Ali Base in Dhi Qar province. Iraqi forces shot down drones at other locations, he said.A senior U.S. military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly, said U.S. forces had shot down drones attacking Ain al-Assad in the desert in western Iraq and at a base next to the Baghdad airport, while another one crashed.

Drone attack: Military bases housing U.S. troops hit in Iraq

JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas woman who admitted her role in the drug sale death of another woman is going to prison.

On June 16, Judge Michael P . Joyce sentenced 39-year-old Beulah B. Quiroz to 220 months in prison for distribution of drugs causing death, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.

On April 22, Quiroz pleased guilty to the charge.

In January, Quiroz was charged with the distribution of narcotics that caused the death of another and the use of a communication facility during a drug felony, according to the district attorney. The victim, 46-year-old Dori Cunagin, died on Feb. 6, 2024, in Mission, Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1745435736420.png" alt="Quiroz photo Johson County" />
 <figcaption>Quiroz photo Johson County</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas woman who admitted her role in the drug sale death of another woman is going to prison.On June 16, Judge Michael P . Joyce sentenced 39-year-old Beulah B. Quiroz to 220 months in prison for distribution of drugs causing death, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.On April 22, Quiroz pleased guilty to the charge.In January, Quiroz was charged with the distribution of narcotics that caused the death of another and the use of a communication facility during a drug felony, according to the district attorney. The victim, 46-year-old Dori Cunagin, died on Feb. 6, 2024, in Mission, Kansas.

Prison for Kansas woman's drug deal death

WASHINGTON (AP) — A divided Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Trump administration to restart&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-el-salvador-immigration-dd4f61999f85c4dd8bcaba7d4fc7c9af">swift removals of migrants</a>&nbsp;to countries other than their homelands, lifting for now a court order requiring they get a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-alien-enemies-act-deportations-c581c1ef8ce5199286727b17c12f81d9">chance to challenge the deportations</a>.

The high court majority did not detail its reasoning in the brief order, as is typical on its emergency docket. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by the other two liberal justices, issued a scathing dissent.

Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin suggested&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/libya-deportation-immigration-trump-administration-4b1eedcd3c8958c27cab0d2ef8320b51">third-country deportations</a>&nbsp;could restart soon. “Fire up the deportation planes," she said in a statement, calling the decision “a victory for the safety and security of the American people."

The court action came after immigration officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deportation-immigration-south-sudan-department-of-homeland-security-300e8c704402e2cb3c920d251b7fa876">put eight people on a plane to South Sudan</a>, though they later diverted to an American naval base in Djibouti after a judge stepped in.

The migrants from countries including Myanmar, Vietnam and Cuba&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deportees-south-sudan-ice-immigration-identities-eddd2d1a172775ec7d9403984ffb41e2">had been convicted</a>&nbsp;of serious crimes in the U.S., and immigration officials have said they were unable to return them quickly to their home countries.

Their attorneys continued to press for a court order blocking their removal to South Sudan until they have a chance to talk with lawyers and raise concerns of “imprisonment, torture and even death there," attorney Trina Realmuto, executive director of the National Immigration Litigation Alliance, wrote.

The case comes amid a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-temporary-protected-status-parole-trump-8a1358964032129ba84f10aab071ba68">sweeping immigration crackdown</a>&nbsp;by Republican President Donald Trump’s administration, which has pledged to deport millions of people who are living in the United States illegally.

“The Constitution and Congress have vested authority in the President to enforce immigration laws and remove dangerous aliens from the homeland,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said. The Supreme Court’s action “reaffirms the President’s authority to remove criminal illegal aliens from our country and Make America Safe Again.”

In her 19-page dissent, Sotomayor wrote that the court’s action exposes “thousands to the risk of torture or death" and gives the Trump administration a win despite earlier violating the lower court's order.

“The government has made clear in word and deed that it feels itself unconstrained by law, free to deport anyone anywhere without notice or an opportunity to be heard,” she wrote in the dissent, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

South Sudan, the world’s newest and one of its poorest countries, has endured&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-sudan-explainer-trump-deportees-3552af27dab8a5f68087d4b4e2201118">repeated waves of violence</a>&nbsp;since gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, and escalating political tensions in the African nation have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-sudan-violence-machar-kiir-15c0df9717b56950e5f003f1c83bb529">threatened to devolve into another civil war</a>.

The Justice Department said in court documents that the government is weighing the order to decide its next steps.

The Supreme Court action halts an order from U.S. District Judge Brian E. Murphy in Boston, who decided in April that people must get a chance to argue deportation to a third country would put them in danger — even if they have otherwise exhausted their legal appeals.

He found that the May deportations to South Sudan violated his order and told immigration authorities to allow people to raise those concerns through their lawyers. Immigration officials housed the migrants in a converted shipping container in Djibouti, where they and the officers guarding them faced rough conditions.

The administration has reached agreements with other countries, including Panama and Costa Rica, to house immigrants because some countries do not accept their citizens deported from the U.S. The migrants sent to South Sudan in May got less than 16 hours’ notice, Sotomayor wrote.

Murphy, who was appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden, didn't&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-immigration-deportations-third-countries-89eb617cb350bfeb2114f7b4a4e07aefhttps://apnews.com/article/us-immigration-deportations-third-countries-89eb617cb350bfeb2114f7b4a4e07aef">prohibit deportations</a>&nbsp;to third countries. But he found migrants must have a real chance to argue they could be in serious danger of torture if sent to another country.

Another order in the same case resulted in the Trump administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-deportation-guatemala-trump-return-64602344d97ef93529ef5f21b4fd5807">returning a gay Guatemalan man</a>&nbsp;who had been wrongly deported to Mexico, where he says he had been raped and extorted — the first person known to have been returned to U.S. custody after deportation since the start of Trump’s second term.

The justices confronted a similar issue in Trump’s effort to send Venezuelans accused of being gang members to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/el-salvador-trump-prison-immigrants-4ab3fc3c0474efb308084604b61f8a37">a notorious prison in El Salvador</a>&nbsp;with little chance to challenge the deportations in court.

But in that case, the justices put the brakes on deportations under&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alien-enemies-trump-immigration-deportations-21a62ede23b8c493b60d00a9c125722f">an 18th century wartime law</a>, saying migrants must get a “reasonable time” to file a court challenge before being removed.

The conservative-majority court has sided with Trump in other immigration cases, however, clearing the way for his administration to end temporary legal protections affecting a total of nearly a million immigrants.

Those victories are among several recent wins the Trump administration has recently racked up before the conservative-majority court as it pushes to move ahead with the president's sweeping agenda on issues ranging from a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-transgender-military-ban-ef67038857bd5b99e128bf0b8866afb4">ban on transgender troops</a>&nbsp;in the military to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-mass-firings-02e218d2b7ee59925ddcb597b6b0a4fe">dramatic downsizing</a>&nbsp;of the federal government.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750726380859.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A divided Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Trump administration to restart&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-el-salvador-immigration-dd4f61999f85c4dd8bcaba7d4fc7c9af">swift removals of migrants</a>&nbsp;to countries other than their homelands, lifting for now a court order requiring they get a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-alien-enemies-act-deportations-c581c1ef8ce5199286727b17c12f81d9">chance to challenge the deportations</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750038378079.png" alt="Photo Homeland Security" />
 <figcaption>Photo Homeland Security</figcaption>
 </figure>The high court majority did not detail its reasoning in the brief order, as is typical on its emergency docket. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by the other two liberal justices, issued a scathing dissent.Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin suggested&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/libya-deportation-immigration-trump-administration-4b1eedcd3c8958c27cab0d2ef8320b51">third-country deportations</a>&nbsp;could restart soon. “Fire up the deportation planes," she said in a statement, calling the decision “a victory for the safety and security of the American people."The court action came after immigration officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deportation-immigration-south-sudan-department-of-homeland-security-300e8c704402e2cb3c920d251b7fa876">put eight people on a plane to South Sudan</a>, though they later diverted to an American naval base in Djibouti after a judge stepped in.The migrants from countries including Myanmar, Vietnam and Cuba&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deportees-south-sudan-ice-immigration-identities-eddd2d1a172775ec7d9403984ffb41e2">had been convicted</a>&nbsp;of serious crimes in the U.S., and immigration officials have said they were unable to return them quickly to their home countries.Their attorneys continued to press for a court order blocking their removal to South Sudan until they have a chance to talk with lawyers and raise concerns of “imprisonment, torture and even death there," attorney Trina Realmuto, executive director of the National Immigration Litigation Alliance, wrote.The case comes amid a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-temporary-protected-status-parole-trump-8a1358964032129ba84f10aab071ba68">sweeping immigration crackdown</a>&nbsp;by Republican President Donald Trump’s administration, which has pledged to deport millions of people who are living in the United States illegally.“The Constitution and Congress have vested authority in the President to enforce immigration laws and remove dangerous aliens from the homeland,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said. The Supreme Court’s action “reaffirms the President’s authority to remove criminal illegal aliens from our country and Make America Safe Again.”In her 19-page dissent, Sotomayor wrote that the court’s action exposes “thousands to the risk of torture or death" and gives the Trump administration a win despite earlier violating the lower court's order.“The government has made clear in word and deed that it feels itself unconstrained by law, free to deport anyone anywhere without notice or an opportunity to be heard,” she wrote in the dissent, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson.South Sudan, the world’s newest and one of its poorest countries, has endured&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-sudan-explainer-trump-deportees-3552af27dab8a5f68087d4b4e2201118">repeated waves of violence</a>&nbsp;since gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, and escalating political tensions in the African nation have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-sudan-violence-machar-kiir-15c0df9717b56950e5f003f1c83bb529">threatened to devolve into another civil war</a>.The Justice Department said in court documents that the government is weighing the order to decide its next steps.The Supreme Court action halts an order from U.S. District Judge Brian E. Murphy in Boston, who decided in April that people must get a chance to argue deportation to a third country would put them in danger — even if they have otherwise exhausted their legal appeals.He found that the May deportations to South Sudan violated his order and told immigration authorities to allow people to raise those concerns through their lawyers. Immigration officials housed the migrants in a converted shipping container in Djibouti, where they and the officers guarding them faced rough conditions.The administration has reached agreements with other countries, including Panama and Costa Rica, to house immigrants because some countries do not accept their citizens deported from the U.S. The migrants sent to South Sudan in May got less than 16 hours’ notice, Sotomayor wrote.Murphy, who was appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden, didn't&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-immigration-deportations-third-countries-89eb617cb350bfeb2114f7b4a4e07aefhttps://apnews.com/article/us-immigration-deportations-third-countries-89eb617cb350bfeb2114f7b4a4e07aef">prohibit deportations</a>&nbsp;to third countries. But he found migrants must have a real chance to argue they could be in serious danger of torture if sent to another country.Another order in the same case resulted in the Trump administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-deportation-guatemala-trump-return-64602344d97ef93529ef5f21b4fd5807">returning a gay Guatemalan man</a>&nbsp;who had been wrongly deported to Mexico, where he says he had been raped and extorted — the first person known to have been returned to U.S. custody after deportation since the start of Trump’s second term.The justices confronted a similar issue in Trump’s effort to send Venezuelans accused of being gang members to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/el-salvador-trump-prison-immigrants-4ab3fc3c0474efb308084604b61f8a37">a notorious prison in El Salvador</a>&nbsp;with little chance to challenge the deportations in court.But in that case, the justices put the brakes on deportations under&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alien-enemies-trump-immigration-deportations-21a62ede23b8c493b60d00a9c125722f">an 18th century wartime law</a>, saying migrants must get a “reasonable time” to file a court challenge before being removed.The conservative-majority court has sided with Trump in other immigration cases, however, clearing the way for his administration to end temporary legal protections affecting a total of nearly a million immigrants.Those victories are among several recent wins the Trump administration has recently racked up before the conservative-majority court as it pushes to move ahead with the president's sweeping agenda on issues ranging from a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-transgender-military-ban-ef67038857bd5b99e128bf0b8866afb4">ban on transgender troops</a>&nbsp;in the military to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-mass-firings-02e218d2b7ee59925ddcb597b6b0a4fe">dramatic downsizing</a>&nbsp;of the federal government.

Supreme Court lets Trump restart deporting migrants away from their home countries

SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a Salina man on multiple drug allegations.

Just after 7p.m. June 21, during an ongoing investigation the Salina Drug Task Force located a 47-year old Alphonse Baham at a home in the 600 block of Johnstown in Salina, according to Salina Police Captain James Feldman.

The Drug Task Force found over '10 grams of suspected Fentanyl' on Baham and a subsequent search warrant followed at the residence. During the search, it was determined that&nbsp;additional items relating to the distribution of fentanyl and two firearms were located. Police also reported that two children under the age of 18 'resided at the home.'

Baham was then arrested and booked into the Saline County Jail on requested charges&nbsp; of Distribution of Fentanyl less than 100 grams, one count of Felony Paraphernalia, one count Distribution of Fentanyl less than a 1000’ from a school, one count of a Drug Tax Stamp, one count of Aggravated Endangerment of a Child, one count of Felony Obstruction, one count of Criminal Possession of a Firearm and one count of misdemeanor Paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750608336458.jpeg" alt="Baham photo Saline Co." />
 <figcaption>Baham photo Saline Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a Salina man on multiple drug allegations.Just after 7p.m. June 21, during an ongoing investigation the Salina Drug Task Force located a 47-year old Alphonse Baham at a home in the 600 block of Johnstown in Salina, according to Salina Police Captain James Feldman.The Drug Task Force found over '10 grams of suspected Fentanyl' on Baham and a subsequent search warrant followed at the residence. During the search, it was determined that&nbsp;additional items relating to the distribution of fentanyl and two firearms were located. Police also reported that two children under the age of 18 'resided at the home.'Baham was then arrested and booked into the Saline County Jail on requested charges&nbsp; of Distribution of Fentanyl less than 100 grams, one count of Felony Paraphernalia, one count Distribution of Fentanyl less than a 1000’ from a school, one count of a Drug Tax Stamp, one count of Aggravated Endangerment of a Child, one count of Felony Obstruction, one count of Criminal Possession of a Firearm and one count of misdemeanor Paraphernalia.

Kansas man accused of selling fentanyl near a school

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750552826391.png" alt="File photo President Trump returning to the White House Saturday-image White House" />
 <figcaption>File photo President Trump returning to the White House Saturday-image White House</figcaption>
 </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨 <a href="https://t.co/lzIfANo7sd">pic.twitter.com/lzIfANo7sd</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1937271127958573387?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;CONGRATULATIONS WORLD, IT’S TIME FOR PEACE!&quot; –President Donald J. Trump <a href="https://t.co/c5u6uneVBY">pic.twitter.com/c5u6uneVBY</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1937242445026050171?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE! It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE...&quot; –President Donald J. Trump <a href="https://t.co/hLTBT34KnG">pic.twitter.com/hLTBT34KnG</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1937275983603597473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Peace through STRENGTH! <a href="https://t.co/ykFdscPAW6">https://t.co/ykFdscPAW6</a>&mdash; Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1937277441778565233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 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://t.co/FvLK6djP9w">https://t.co/FvLK6djP9w</a> <a href="https://t.co/36Q8EJiqqq">pic.twitter.com/36Q8EJiqqq</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1937280247340388696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

President Trump says Israel, Iran agree to 'complete and total ceasefire'

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement investigating another weekend homicide in Kansas City have identified the victim as 18-year-old Jeremiah Jones.

Just after 8:30p.m. Sunday, patrol officers were dispatched to the 5400 block of Winner Road on a reported disturbance, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

When officers arrived they located security guards from a nearby apartment complex. The guards directed the officers to a gas station near the intersection where they believed someone had been shot. 

Behind the gas station officers located Jones suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers immediately began performing lifesaving measures and ordered EMS to the scene. KCFD Medics transported Jones to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

This is being investigated as a homicide and no one is in custody.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750692958037.png" alt="Photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement investigating another weekend homicide in Kansas City have identified the victim as 18-year-old Jeremiah Jones.Just after 8:30p.m. Sunday, patrol officers were dispatched to the 5400 block of Winner Road on a reported disturbance, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.When officers arrived they located security guards from a nearby apartment complex. The guards directed the officers to a gas station near the intersection where they believed someone had been shot. Behind the gas station officers located Jones suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers immediately began performing lifesaving measures and ordered EMS to the scene. KCFD Medics transported Jones to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.This is being investigated as a homicide and no one is in custody.&nbsp;

KCPD: Victim in fatal gas station shooting was only 18

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22ANDREW%20DALTON%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By ANDREW DALTON AP Entertainment Writer</a>

Mick Ralphs, singer, songwriter guitarist and founding member of the classic British rock bands&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rock-hall-fame-2025-artists-8a7cde717004e0f459a382eb2e9bdb2c">Bad Company</a>&nbsp;and Mott the Hoople, has died.

A statement posted to the band's official website Monday announced Ralphs' death at age 81. Ralphs had a stroke days after what would be his final performance with Bad Company at London's O2 Arena in 2016, and had been bedridden ever since, the statement said. No further details on the circumstances of his death were provided.

Ralphs is set to become a member of the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Bad Company in November.

“Our Mick has passed, my heart just hit the ground," Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers said in a statement. “He has left us with exceptional songs and memories. He was my friend, my songwriting partner, an amazing and versatile guitarist who had the greatest sense of humour.”

Ralphs wrote 1970's “Ready for Love” for Mott the Hoople, later revamped for Bad Company's 1974 debut album, which also included the Ralphs-penned hit “Can't Get Enough.” He co-wrote Bad Company's 1975 “Feel Like Makin' Love” with Rodgers.

Born in Stoke Lacy, Herefordshire, England, Ralphs began playing blues guitar as a teenager, and in his early 20s in 1966, he co-founded the Doc Thomas Group. The band would become Mott the Hoople in 1969. He left the group in 1973, soon after it found commercial success with the David Bowie-penned-and-produced “All the Young Dudes."

He would form Bad Company with singer Rodgers, who had left his own band, Free. They would be joined by Free drummer Simon Kirke and former King Crimson bassist and vocalist Boz Burrell.

Kirke said in a statement Monday that Ralphs was “a dear friend, a wonderful songwriter, and an exceptional guitarist. We will miss him deeply."

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22ANDREW%20DALTON%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By ANDREW DALTON AP Entertainment Writer</a>Mick Ralphs, singer, songwriter guitarist and founding member of the classic British rock bands&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rock-hall-fame-2025-artists-8a7cde717004e0f459a382eb2e9bdb2c">Bad Company</a>&nbsp;and Mott the Hoople, has died.A statement posted to the band's official website Monday announced Ralphs' death at age 81. Ralphs had a stroke days after what would be his final performance with Bad Company at London's O2 Arena in 2016, and had been bedridden ever since, the statement said. No further details on the circumstances of his death were provided.Ralphs is set to become a member of the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Bad Company in November.“Our Mick has passed, my heart just hit the ground," Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers said in a statement. “He has left us with exceptional songs and memories. He was my friend, my songwriting partner, an amazing and versatile guitarist who had the greatest sense of humour.”Ralphs wrote 1970's “Ready for Love” for Mott the Hoople, later revamped for Bad Company's 1974 debut album, which also included the Ralphs-penned hit “Can't Get Enough.” He co-wrote Bad Company's 1975 “Feel Like Makin' Love” with Rodgers.Born in Stoke Lacy, Herefordshire, England, Ralphs began playing blues guitar as a teenager, and in his early 20s in 1966, he co-founded the Doc Thomas Group. The band would become Mott the Hoople in 1969. He left the group in 1973, soon after it found commercial success with the David Bowie-penned-and-produced “All the Young Dudes."He would form Bad Company with singer Rodgers, who had left his own band, Free. They would be joined by Free drummer Simon Kirke and former King Crimson bassist and vocalist Boz Burrell.Kirke said in a statement Monday that Ralphs was “a dear friend, a wonderful songwriter, and an exceptional guitarist. We will miss him deeply."

Mick Ralphs, founding member of Bad Company and Mott the Hoople, dies at 81

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran launched a limited missile attack Monday on a U.S. military base in Qatar, retaliating for the American bombing of its nuclear sites but indicating it was prepared to step back from escalating tensions in the volatile region.

There were no U.S. casualties, President Donald Trump said, as he dismissed the attack as a “very weak response” and said the U.S. was warned by Iran in advance.

“Most importantly, they’ve gotten it all out of their ‘system,’ and there will, hopefully, be no further HATE,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

(President Trump visited the base in May.)

Qatar condemned the attack on Al Udeid Air Base attack, but said it successfully intercepted the short- and medium-range ballistic missiles.

Iran said the volley matched the number of bombs dropped by the United States on Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend. Iran also said it targeted the base because it was outside of populated areas.

Those comments, made immediately after the attack, suggested Iran wanted to de-escalate with the United States, something Trump himself said after the strikes early Sunday on Iran.

Trump said that Iran might be able to “now proceed to Peace and Harmony” and said he would encourage Israel to do the same.

However, Israel’s war on Iran continued, with the Israeli military expanding its campaign Monday to target sites symbolic for the country’s theocracy.

Iran announced the attack on state television as martial music played. A caption on screen called it “a mighty and successful response" to "America’s aggression.”

Iraqis said they were informed by U.S. officials that missiles were launched toward the the Ain al-Assad base housing U.S. troops in western Iraq, but the missiles never arrived, an Iraqi security official who was not authorized to comment publicly told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

A U.S. military official said there was no confirmed attack on the base in Iraq. He also spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment.

Iran fired 19 missiles at the base in Qatar, and one impacted the facility but caused no casualties, a Qatari military officer said late Monday.

Maj. Gen. Shayeq Al Hajri told reporters that seven missiles were fired from Iran and all were intercepted over the water between the two countries by Qatari air defenses. Iran then fired 12 more missiles and 11 were intercepted over Qatari territory, but one hit the U.S. base, Al Hajri said.

It was not immediately clear how much damage was caused by the missile.

The number of missiles differed from a figure given by Trump, who said 14 missiles were fired, 13 were knocked down and one was “set free” because it posed no threat.

The Al Udeid base is also home to the Combined Air Operations Center, which provides command and control of air power across the region, as well as the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, the largest such wing in the world.

Just before the explosions, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on the social platform X: “We neither initiated the war nor seeking it. But we will not leave invasion to the great Iran without answer.”

The retaliation came a day after the U.S. launched a surprise attack Sunday morning on three of Iran’s nuclear sites.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750586624336.png" alt="File photo: President Trump in the Situation Room during the U.S. Attack on the Iran nuclear sites -photo White House" />
 <figcaption>File photo: President Trump in the Situation Room during the U.S. Attack on the Iran nuclear sites -photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran launched a limited missile attack Monday on a U.S. military base in Qatar, retaliating for the American bombing of its nuclear sites but indicating it was prepared to step back from escalating tensions in the volatile region.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/sLix9I0PWO">pic.twitter.com/sLix9I0PWO</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1937237851571134524?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 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://t.co/AYbDjEBZWC">pic.twitter.com/AYbDjEBZWC</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1937240686325006762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 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://t.co/y2PfbJGgZY">pic.twitter.com/y2PfbJGgZY</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1937238331009695862?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>There were no U.S. casualties, President Donald Trump said, as he dismissed the attack as a “very weak response” and said the U.S. was warned by Iran in advance.“Most importantly, they’ve gotten it all out of their ‘system,’ and there will, hopefully, be no further HATE,” Trump posted on Truth Social.(President Trump visited the base in May.)<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> arrives at Al Udeid Air Force Base to speak to U.S. and Qatari Troops! 🇺🇸🇶🇦 <a href="https://t.co/G6P9IeNdIW">pic.twitter.com/G6P9IeNdIW</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1922956624743760238?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Qatar condemned the attack on Al Udeid Air Base attack, but said it successfully intercepted the short- and medium-range ballistic missiles.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750703652602.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Iran said the volley matched the number of bombs dropped by the United States on Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend. Iran also said it targeted the base because it was outside of populated areas.Those comments, made immediately after the attack, suggested Iran wanted to de-escalate with the United States, something Trump himself said after the strikes early Sunday on Iran.Trump said that Iran might be able to “now proceed to Peace and Harmony” and said he would encourage Israel to do the same.However, Israel’s war on Iran continued, with the Israeli military expanding its campaign Monday to target sites symbolic for the country’s theocracy.Iran announced the attack on state television as martial music played. A caption on screen called it “a mighty and successful response" to "America’s aggression.”Iraqis said they were informed by U.S. officials that missiles were launched toward the the Ain al-Assad base housing U.S. troops in western Iraq, but the missiles never arrived, an Iraqi security official who was not authorized to comment publicly told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.A U.S. military official said there was no confirmed attack on the base in Iraq. He also spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment.Iran fired 19 missiles at the base in Qatar, and one impacted the facility but caused no casualties, a Qatari military officer said late Monday.Maj. Gen. Shayeq Al Hajri told reporters that seven missiles were fired from Iran and all were intercepted over the water between the two countries by Qatari air defenses. Iran then fired 12 more missiles and 11 were intercepted over Qatari territory, but one hit the U.S. base, Al Hajri said.It was not immediately clear how much damage was caused by the missile.The number of missiles differed from a figure given by Trump, who said 14 missiles were fired, 13 were knocked down and one was “set free” because it posed no threat.The Al Udeid base is also home to the Combined Air Operations Center, which provides command and control of air power across the region, as well as the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, the largest such wing in the world.Just before the explosions, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on the social platform X: “We neither initiated the war nor seeking it. But we will not leave invasion to the great Iran without answer.”The retaliation came a day after the U.S. launched a surprise attack Sunday morning on three of Iran’s nuclear sites.It was not immediately clear how much damage was caused by the missile.The number of missiles differed from a figure given by Trump, who said 14 missiles were fired, 13 were knocked down and one was “set free” because it posed no threat.The Al Udeid base is also home to the Combined Air Operations Center, which provides command and control of air power across the region, as well as the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, the largest such wing in the world.Just before the explosions, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on the social platform X: “We neither initiated the war nor seeking it. But we will not leave invasion to the great Iran without answer.”The retaliation came a day after the U.S. launched a surprise attack Sunday morning on three of Iran’s nuclear sites.

Read President Trump's statement after Iran's strike on US air base

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rallied, and the price of oil tumbled Monday on hopes that Iran will not disrupt the global flow of crude, something that would hurt economies worldwide but also its own, following the United States’&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-fordo-us-strike-trump-israel-nuclear-sites-320a85327f94ed7496f09564261f3148">bunker-busting entry</a>&nbsp;into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-trump-bomber-news-06-23-2025-9e78510c88ccc5e262341f41550609c5">its war with Israel</a>.

The S&amp;P 500 climbed 1%, coming off a week where stock prices had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-iran-oil-inflation-73ce222b5b803474c48ff0008f5a8626">jumped up</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-iran-tariffs-rates-b8cceca51655d69ee007b411bc9418b4">down</a>&nbsp;on worries about the conflict potentially escalating. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 374 points, or 0.9%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.9%.

The price of oil initially jumped 6% after trading began Sunday night, a signal of rising worries as investors got their first chance to react to the U.S. bombings. But it quickly erased all those gains and swung to a sharp loss as the focus shifted from what the U.S. military did to how Iran would react.

By late Monday, the price of a barrel of benchmark U.S. oil had dropped 7.2% to settle at $68.51 after briefly topping $78. That brought it nearly all the way back to where it was before the fighting began over a week ago, when it was sitting just above $68.

The losses accelerated sharply after Iran announced a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-trump-bomber-news-06-23-2025-9e78510c88ccc5e262341f41550609c5">missile attack on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar</a>, which the U.S. military uses. Iran said it matched the number of bombs dropped by the United States on Iranian nuclear sites this past weekend, which could be a signal of a desire to deescalate the conflict.

Perhaps most importantly for financial markets, Iran’s retaliation did not seem to target the flow of oil. The fear throughout the Israel-Iran war has been that it could squeeze the world’s supply of oil, which would pump up prices for it, gasoline and other products refined from crude.

Iran is a major producer of crude, and it could also try to block the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/strait-hormuz-iran-israel-war-oil-15ce74cc8df0f19a6b7f6357773b07c8">Strait of Hormuz</a>&nbsp;off its coast, through which 20% of the world’s daily oil needs passes on ships.

Several analysts said Iran would likely not close the waterway because Iran itself uses the strait to move its own crude, mostly to China, and it needs the revenue made from such sales of oil.

“It’s a scorched earth possibility, a Sherman-burning-Atlanta move,” said Tom Kloza, chief market analyst at Turner Mason &amp; Co. “It’s not probable.”

Neil Newman, managing director of Atris Advisory Japan, said hope remains that the Israel-Iran war could be a short conflict, with the thinking being “the one big hit by the Americans will be effective and then we’ll get back to sort of business as usual, in which case there is no need for an immediate, panicky type of reaction.”

Of course, not everyone is sure about Iran’s next move.

Andy Lipow, a Houston analyst covering oil markets for 45 years, said countries are not always rational actors and that he wouldn’t be surprised if Tehran lashed out for political or emotional reasons.

“If the Strait of Hormuz was completely shut down, oil prices would rise to $120 to $130 a barrel,” said Lipow.

“It would mean higher prices for all those goods transported by truck, and it would be more difficult for the Fed to lower interest rates.”

The Federal Reserve has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-interest-rates-fed-fa91e7b38ca858ff54f57bc642111188">hesitant to cut interest rates</a>&nbsp;this year because it’s waiting to see how much&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/consumer-prices-inflation-trump-trade-6ea513a44876c2f4dc948a25c15b0eb0">President Donald Trump’s tariffs</a>&nbsp;will hurt the economy and raise inflation.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-trump-tariffs-b0f098351a1f3f850a4c20b215556027">Inflation</a>&nbsp;has remained&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/producer-prices-inflation-economy-trump-tariffs-0a25bf91e2dde5df0d8c131a2d95c816">relatively tame</a>&nbsp;recently, but a rise in oil and gasoline prices would put upward pressure on it. That in turn could keep the Fed on hold because cuts to rates can fan inflation higher, along with giving the economy a boost.

In the bond market, Treasury yields eased after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-economy-inflation-a90fe4835c1e5d381d16e32bc778981d">Fed Gov. Michelle Bowman said she would support cutting</a>&nbsp;rates at the Fed’s next meeting in just a month, as long as “inflation pressures remain contained.”

The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.33% from 4.38% late Friday. The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for the Fed, dropped to 3.84% from 3.90%.

On Wall Street, Elon Musk’s Tesla was the single strongest force pushing the S&amp;P 500 higher after jumping 8.2%. The electric-vehicle company began a test run on Sunday of a small squad of self-driving cabs in Austin, Texas. It’s something that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tesla-selfdriving-robotaxis-musk-waymo-austin-autonomous-d50749e288dc50ceff44b8e6a4b64961">Musk has long been touting</a>&nbsp;and integral to Tesla’s stock price being as high as it is.

Hims &amp; Hers Health tumbled 34.6% after Novo Nordisk said it will no longer work with the company to sell its popular Wegovy obesity drug. Novo Nordisk’s stock that trades in the United States fell 5.5%.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 57.33 points to 6,025.17. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 374.96 to 42,581.78, and the Nasdaq composite gained 183.56 to 19,630.97.

In stock markets abroad, indexes fell modestly across Europe after finishing mixed in Asia. France’s CAC 40 sank 0.7%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 0.7% for two of the world’s bigger moves.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rallied, and the price of oil tumbled Monday on hopes that Iran will not disrupt the global flow of crude, something that would hurt economies worldwide but also its own, following the United States’&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-fordo-us-strike-trump-israel-nuclear-sites-320a85327f94ed7496f09564261f3148">bunker-busting entry</a>&nbsp;into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-trump-bomber-news-06-23-2025-9e78510c88ccc5e262341f41550609c5">its war with Israel</a>.The S&amp;P 500 climbed 1%, coming off a week where stock prices had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-iran-oil-inflation-73ce222b5b803474c48ff0008f5a8626">jumped up</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-iran-tariffs-rates-b8cceca51655d69ee007b411bc9418b4">down</a>&nbsp;on worries about the conflict potentially escalating. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 374 points, or 0.9%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.9%.The price of oil initially jumped 6% after trading began Sunday night, a signal of rising worries as investors got their first chance to react to the U.S. bombings. But it quickly erased all those gains and swung to a sharp loss as the focus shifted from what the U.S. military did to how Iran would react.By late Monday, the price of a barrel of benchmark U.S. oil had dropped 7.2% to settle at $68.51 after briefly topping $78. That brought it nearly all the way back to where it was before the fighting began over a week ago, when it was sitting just above $68.The losses accelerated sharply after Iran announced a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-trump-bomber-news-06-23-2025-9e78510c88ccc5e262341f41550609c5">missile attack on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar</a>, which the U.S. military uses. Iran said it matched the number of bombs dropped by the United States on Iranian nuclear sites this past weekend, which could be a signal of a desire to deescalate the conflict.Perhaps most importantly for financial markets, Iran’s retaliation did not seem to target the flow of oil. The fear throughout the Israel-Iran war has been that it could squeeze the world’s supply of oil, which would pump up prices for it, gasoline and other products refined from crude.Iran is a major producer of crude, and it could also try to block the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/strait-hormuz-iran-israel-war-oil-15ce74cc8df0f19a6b7f6357773b07c8">Strait of Hormuz</a>&nbsp;off its coast, through which 20% of the world’s daily oil needs passes on ships.Several analysts said Iran would likely not close the waterway because Iran itself uses the strait to move its own crude, mostly to China, and it needs the revenue made from such sales of oil.“It’s a scorched earth possibility, a Sherman-burning-Atlanta move,” said Tom Kloza, chief market analyst at Turner Mason &amp; Co. “It’s not probable.”Neil Newman, managing director of Atris Advisory Japan, said hope remains that the Israel-Iran war could be a short conflict, with the thinking being “the one big hit by the Americans will be effective and then we’ll get back to sort of business as usual, in which case there is no need for an immediate, panicky type of reaction.”Of course, not everyone is sure about Iran’s next move.Andy Lipow, a Houston analyst covering oil markets for 45 years, said countries are not always rational actors and that he wouldn’t be surprised if Tehran lashed out for political or emotional reasons.“If the Strait of Hormuz was completely shut down, oil prices would rise to $120 to $130 a barrel,” said Lipow.“It would mean higher prices for all those goods transported by truck, and it would be more difficult for the Fed to lower interest rates.”The Federal Reserve has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-interest-rates-fed-fa91e7b38ca858ff54f57bc642111188">hesitant to cut interest rates</a>&nbsp;this year because it’s waiting to see how much&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/consumer-prices-inflation-trump-trade-6ea513a44876c2f4dc948a25c15b0eb0">President Donald Trump’s tariffs</a>&nbsp;will hurt the economy and raise inflation.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-trump-tariffs-b0f098351a1f3f850a4c20b215556027">Inflation</a>&nbsp;has remained&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/producer-prices-inflation-economy-trump-tariffs-0a25bf91e2dde5df0d8c131a2d95c816">relatively tame</a>&nbsp;recently, but a rise in oil and gasoline prices would put upward pressure on it. That in turn could keep the Fed on hold because cuts to rates can fan inflation higher, along with giving the economy a boost.In the bond market, Treasury yields eased after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-economy-inflation-a90fe4835c1e5d381d16e32bc778981d">Fed Gov. Michelle Bowman said she would support cutting</a>&nbsp;rates at the Fed’s next meeting in just a month, as long as “inflation pressures remain contained.”The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.33% from 4.38% late Friday. The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for the Fed, dropped to 3.84% from 3.90%.On Wall Street, Elon Musk’s Tesla was the single strongest force pushing the S&amp;P 500 higher after jumping 8.2%. The electric-vehicle company began a test run on Sunday of a small squad of self-driving cabs in Austin, Texas. It’s something that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tesla-selfdriving-robotaxis-musk-waymo-austin-autonomous-d50749e288dc50ceff44b8e6a4b64961">Musk has long been touting</a>&nbsp;and integral to Tesla’s stock price being as high as it is.Hims &amp; Hers Health tumbled 34.6% after Novo Nordisk said it will no longer work with the company to sell its popular Wegovy obesity drug. Novo Nordisk’s stock that trades in the United States fell 5.5%.All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 57.33 points to 6,025.17. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 374.96 to 42,581.78, and the Nasdaq composite gained 183.56 to 19,630.97.In stock markets abroad, indexes fell modestly across Europe after finishing mixed in Asia. France’s CAC 40 sank 0.7%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 0.7% for two of the world’s bigger moves.

Stocks rally following the US air strikes on Iran

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A Defense Department official is confirming a missile attack from Iran on a U.S. military base in Qatar but says no casualties have been reported.

The official said Monday that Al Udeid Air Base was attacked by short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles. The U.S. is continuing to monitor the situation, said the official.

The confirmation came soon after Iran acknowledged the missile attacks, saying the attack in Qatar matched the number of bombs dropped by the United States on its nuclear sites over the weekend, signaling its likely desire to de-escalate.

Iran launched attacks Monday, retaliating for the American bombing of its nuclear sites and escalating tensions in the volatile region.

Shortly after the attack, the Gulf nation of Bahrain that is home to the U.S. 5th Fleet headquarters temporarily suspended flights in its airspace, which is similar to what Qatar did shortly before it was hit.

Qatar condemned the attack on Al Udeid Air Base attack, but said it successfully intercepted the missiles and no casualties were reported. It said its airspace is now safe.

Iran said the attack in Qatar matched the number of bombs dropped by the United States on its nuclear sites over the weekend, signaling its likely desire to de-escalate.

Iran also said it targeted the base because it was outside of populated areas.

The Ain al-Assad base housing U.S. troops in western Iraq was also targeted, an Iraqi security official who was not authorized to comment publicly told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

But Iran did not claim credit for that attack, which could have been carried out by militias.

It was not immediately clear if there was damage to the Iraq base or any injuries.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said the attack by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards was “a flagrant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty, its airspace, and international law.”

Al Udeid is also home to the Combined Air Operations Center, which provides command and control of air power across the region as well as the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, the largest expeditionary wing in the world.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran launched missile attacks Monday on a U.S. military base in Qatar, retaliating for the American bombing of its nuclear sites and escalating tensions in the volatile region.

Israel expands war to include symbolic targets

Earlier in the day, Israel expanded its war against Iran to include targets associated with the country's struggling theocracy, striking the gate of a Tehran prison notorious for holding political activists and hitting the headquarters of the military force that suppressed recent protests.

As plumes of thick smoke rose over Tehran, Israel was attacked with yet another barrage of Iranian missiles and drones. The persistent fire has become a reality for civilians in both countries since Israel started the war to target Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program.

On the 11th day of the conflict, Israel said it attacked “regime targets and government repression bodies in the heart of Tehran,” but Israeli officials insisted they did not seek the overthrow of Iran's government, their archenemy since the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The Israeli military warned Iranians that it would continue to attack military sites around Tehran over “the coming days” as its focuses has shifted to symbolic targets as well. The military issued the warning on the social platform X, though Iranians are struggling to access the outside world as an internet shutdown has crippled the country.

The latest strikes unfolded only hours after President Donald Trump openly raised the possibility himself after just a day earlier inserting America into the war with its unprecedented stealth-bomber strike on three Iranian nuclear sites.

“If the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change???” he asked on his Truth Social website.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later described Trump as “simply raising a question.” However, suggestions of overthrowing the Iranian government drew new anger from Tehran, which insists it will not negotiate at this time and is threatening to retaliate directly against either American troops or interests in a Mideast already inflamed by the still-raging Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

In the Tehran strikes, Israel blew open a gate at Evin prison. Iranian state television shared black-and-white surveillance footage of the strike at the facility known for holding dual nationals and Westerners often used by Iran as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West.

Evin also has specialized units for political prisoners run by the paramilitary, all-volunteer Revolutionary Guard, which answers only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The facility is the target of both U.S. and European Union sanctions.

There were no immediate reports of casualties in Iran or significant damage, though the semiofficial Tasnim news agency said there had been a power cut reported outside of Tehran following the Israeli strikes.

Iranian state television also aired footage it described as being shot inside Evin, with prisoners under control inside the facility. However, the Washington-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran expressed worry about the condition of prisoners there.

“Many families of current detainees have expressed deep concern about the safety and condition of their loved ones held inside the prison,” it said.

Earlier Monday, Iranian Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, the chief of joint staff of armed forces, warned Washington that its strikes had given Iranian forces a “free hand “ to “act against U.S. interests and its army.”

Tens of thousands of American troops are based in the Middle East, many in locations within range of short-range Iranian missiles.

The Israeli military also confirmed it struck roads around Iran’s Fordo enrichment facility to obstruct access to the site. The underground site was one of those hit in Sunday’s attack by the United States on three nuclear facilities. The Israeli military did not elaborate.

“The Iranian dictator will be punished with full force for attacking the Israeli home front,” Israel's Defense Ministry said.

According to an Israeli official familiar with the government’s strategy, Israel is targeting these sites to put pressure on the Iranian administration but is not actively seeking to topple it. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal government deliberations.

In Vienna, the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog said he expected there to be heavy damage at the Fordo facility following Sunday's U.S. airstrike there with sophisticated bunker-buster bombs.

With the strikes Sunday on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-talks-geneva-news-06-21-2025-a7b0cdaba28b5817467ccf712d214579">Iranian nuclear sites</a>, the United States inserted itself into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-missile-attacks-nuclear-news-tehran-trump-06-17-2025-3f08988b5e8fd375645967b6e22916f3">Israel’s war</a>, prompting fears of a wider regional conflict. Iran said the U.S. had crossed “a very big red line” with its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-nuclear-fordo-ef530114e5297884b1c3b76a04a3b1de">risky gambit</a>&nbsp;to strike the three sites with missiles and 30,000-pound&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bunker-buster-bomb-israel-iran-fordo-fordow-b2-nuclear-8a612cbf16aa0f99bd9992334ffc93d7">bunker-buster bombs</a>.

Several Iranian officials, including Atomic Energy Organization of Iran spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi, have claimed Iran removed nuclear material from targeted sites ahead of time.

Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told the agency's board of governors Monday that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi informed him on June 13 that Iran would “adopt special measures to protect nuclear equipment and materials.”

“I indicated that any transfer of nuclear material from a safeguarded facility to another location in Iran must be declared,” Grossi said, without saying whether Iran had responded.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/6/1561036312700.png" alt="The base is the home of the U.S. Central Command in the region" />
 <figcaption>The base is the home of the U.S. Central Command in the region</figcaption>
 </figure>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A Defense Department official is confirming a missile attack from Iran on a U.S. military base in Qatar but says no casualties have been reported.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/sLix9I0PWO">pic.twitter.com/sLix9I0PWO</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1937237851571134524?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The official said Monday that Al Udeid Air Base was attacked by short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles. The U.S. is continuing to monitor the situation, said the official.(President Trump visited the base in May.)<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> arrives at Al Udeid Air Force Base to speak to U.S. and Qatari Troops! 🇺🇸🇶🇦 <a href="https://t.co/G6P9IeNdIW">pic.twitter.com/G6P9IeNdIW</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1922956624743760238?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The confirmation came soon after Iran acknowledged the missile attacks, saying the attack in Qatar matched the number of bombs dropped by the United States on its nuclear sites over the weekend, signaling its likely desire to de-escalate.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750703231503.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Iran launched attacks Monday, retaliating for the American bombing of its nuclear sites and escalating tensions in the volatile region.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750703652602.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Shortly after the attack, the Gulf nation of Bahrain that is home to the U.S. 5th Fleet headquarters temporarily suspended flights in its airspace, which is similar to what Qatar did shortly before it was hit.Qatar condemned the attack on Al Udeid Air Base attack, but said it successfully intercepted the missiles and no casualties were reported. It said its airspace is now safe.Iran said the attack in Qatar matched the number of bombs dropped by the United States on its nuclear sites over the weekend, signaling its likely desire to de-escalate.Iran also said it targeted the base because it was outside of populated areas.Iran announced the attack on state television as martial music played. A caption on screen called it “a mighty and successful response" to "America’s aggression.”The Ain al-Assad base housing U.S. troops in western Iraq was also targeted, an Iraqi security official who was not authorized to comment publicly told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.But Iran did not claim credit for that attack, which could have been carried out by militias.It was not immediately clear if there was damage to the Iraq base or any injuries.Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said the attack by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards was “a flagrant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty, its airspace, and international law.”Al Udeid is also home to the Combined Air Operations Center, which provides command and control of air power across the region as well as the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, the largest expeditionary wing in the world.The retaliation came a day after the U.S. launched a surprise attack Sunday morning on three of Iran’s nuclear sites.Just before the explosions, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on the social platform X: “We neither initiated the war nor seeking it. But we will not leave invasion to the great Iran without answer.”---------------DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran launched missile attacks Monday on a U.S. military base in Qatar, retaliating for the American bombing of its nuclear sites and escalating tensions in the volatile region.Shortly after the attack, the Gulf nation of Bahrain that is home to the U.S. 5th Fleet headquarters temporarily suspended flights in its airspace, which is similar to what Qatar did shortly before it was hit.Qatar condemned the attack on Al Udeid Air Base attack, but said it successfully intercepted the missiles and no casualties were reported. It said its airspace is now safe.Iran said the attack in Qatar matched the number of bombs dropped by the United States on its nuclear sites over the weekend, signaling its likely desire to de-escalate.Iran also said it targeted the base because it was outside of populated areas.Iran announced the attack on state television as martial music played. A caption on screen called it “a mighty and successful response" to "America’s aggression.”The Ain al-Assad base housing U.S. troops in western Iraq was also targeted, an Iraqi security official who was not authorized to comment publicly told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.But Iran did not claim credit for that attack, which could have been carried out by militias.It was not immediately clear if there was damage to the Iraq base or any injuries.Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said the attack by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards was “a flagrant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty, its airspace, and international law.”Al Udeid is also home to the Combined Air Operations Center, which provides command and control of air power across the region as well as the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, the largest expeditionary wing in the world.The retaliation came a day after the U.S. launched a surprise attack Sunday morning on three of Iran’s nuclear sites.Just before the explosions, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on the social platform X: “We neither initiated the war nor seeking it. But we will not leave invasion to the great Iran without answer.”<h2>Israel expands war to include symbolic targets</h2>Earlier in the day, Israel expanded its war against Iran to include targets associated with the country's struggling theocracy, striking the gate of a Tehran prison notorious for holding political activists and hitting the headquarters of the military force that suppressed recent protests.As plumes of thick smoke rose over Tehran, Israel was attacked with yet another barrage of Iranian missiles and drones. The persistent fire has become a reality for civilians in both countries since Israel started the war to target Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program.On the 11th day of the conflict, Israel said it attacked “regime targets and government repression bodies in the heart of Tehran,” but Israeli officials insisted they did not seek the overthrow of Iran's government, their archenemy since the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution.The Israeli military warned Iranians that it would continue to attack military sites around Tehran over “the coming days” as its focuses has shifted to symbolic targets as well. The military issued the warning on the social platform X, though Iranians are struggling to access the outside world as an internet shutdown has crippled the country.The latest strikes unfolded only hours after President Donald Trump openly raised the possibility himself after just a day earlier inserting America into the war with its unprecedented stealth-bomber strike on three Iranian nuclear sites.“If the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change???” he asked on his Truth Social website.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later described Trump as “simply raising a question.” However, suggestions of overthrowing the Iranian government drew new anger from Tehran, which insists it will not negotiate at this time and is threatening to retaliate directly against either American troops or interests in a Mideast already inflamed by the still-raging Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.<h2>Tehran strikes open new chapter of war</h2>In the Tehran strikes, Israel blew open a gate at Evin prison. Iranian state television shared black-and-white surveillance footage of the strike at the facility known for holding dual nationals and Westerners often used by Iran as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West.Evin also has specialized units for political prisoners run by the paramilitary, all-volunteer Revolutionary Guard, which answers only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The facility is the target of both U.S. and European Union sanctions.There were no immediate reports of casualties in Iran or significant damage, though the semiofficial Tasnim news agency said there had been a power cut reported outside of Tehran following the Israeli strikes.Iranian state television also aired footage it described as being shot inside Evin, with prisoners under control inside the facility. However, the Washington-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran expressed worry about the condition of prisoners there.“Many families of current detainees have expressed deep concern about the safety and condition of their loved ones held inside the prison,” it said.Earlier Monday, Iranian Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, the chief of joint staff of armed forces, warned Washington that its strikes had given Iranian forces a “free hand “ to “act against U.S. interests and its army.”Tens of thousands of American troops are based in the Middle East, many in locations within range of short-range Iranian missiles.The Israeli military also confirmed it struck roads around Iran’s Fordo enrichment facility to obstruct access to the site. The underground site was one of those hit in Sunday’s attack by the United States on three nuclear facilities. The Israeli military did not elaborate.“The Iranian dictator will be punished with full force for attacking the Israeli home front,” Israel's Defense Ministry said.According to an Israeli official familiar with the government’s strategy, Israel is targeting these sites to put pressure on the Iranian administration but is not actively seeking to topple it. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal government deliberations.<h2>Nuclear fears mount after US strikes</h2>In Vienna, the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog said he expected there to be heavy damage at the Fordo facility following Sunday's U.S. airstrike there with sophisticated bunker-buster bombs.With the strikes Sunday on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-talks-geneva-news-06-21-2025-a7b0cdaba28b5817467ccf712d214579">Iranian nuclear sites</a>, the United States inserted itself into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-missile-attacks-nuclear-news-tehran-trump-06-17-2025-3f08988b5e8fd375645967b6e22916f3">Israel’s war</a>, prompting fears of a wider regional conflict. Iran said the U.S. had crossed “a very big red line” with its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-nuclear-fordo-ef530114e5297884b1c3b76a04a3b1de">risky gambit</a>&nbsp;to strike the three sites with missiles and 30,000-pound&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bunker-buster-bomb-israel-iran-fordo-fordow-b2-nuclear-8a612cbf16aa0f99bd9992334ffc93d7">bunker-buster bombs</a>.Several Iranian officials, including Atomic Energy Organization of Iran spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi, have claimed Iran removed nuclear material from targeted sites ahead of time.Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told the agency's board of governors Monday that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi informed him on June 13 that Iran would “adopt special measures to protect nuclear equipment and materials.”“I indicated that any transfer of nuclear material from a safeguarded facility to another location in Iran must be declared,” Grossi said, without saying whether Iran had responded.

U.S. confirms: Iran launched retaliatory strike on U..S. airbase

CRAWFORD COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 7a.m. Monday in Crawford County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2000 Dodge 2500 driven by Tyler Joseph&nbsp;Castagno, 16, Pittsburg, was&nbsp;southbound on U.S. 69 Highway at E 590th Avenue on the north edge of Frontenac.

The driver failed to stop for a red light and struck an eastbound 2022 Kia Soul driven by Matthew Jeffrey Westhoff-Strode, 21, Girard.&nbsp;

Westhoff-Strode was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Frontier Forensics. Castagno was not injured.&nbsp; The drivers were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

CRAWFORD COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 7a.m. Monday in Crawford County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2000 Dodge 2500 driven by Tyler Joseph&nbsp;Castagno, 16, Pittsburg, was&nbsp;southbound on U.S. 69 Highway at E 590th Avenue on the north edge of Frontenac.The driver failed to stop for a red light and struck an eastbound 2022 Kia Soul driven by Matthew Jeffrey Westhoff-Strode, 21, Girard.&nbsp;Westhoff-Strode was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Frontier Forensics. Castagno was not injured.&nbsp; The drivers were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

Kansas man dies after crash with 16-year-old pickup driver

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a weekend homicide in Wichita have a suspect in custody.

A 26-year-old male has been arrested in connection with a fatal shooting that occurred Saturday afternoon in the 4100 block of West Pine.

Just before 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, police responded to a report of a disturbance involving gunshot in the 4100 Block of West Pine in Wichita, according to Police spokesman Andrew Ford. Upon arrival, officers discovered that a male victim had been shot and was transported to a local hospital by private vehicle.

The victim has been identified as Sauhni Stallings, 23, of Wichita. Despite efforts to save him, he was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Following the investigation, officers arrested a 26-year-old Michael Dixon as identified in booking records. He is being held on a requested charge of second-degree murder, according to Ford.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750675184895.png" alt="Dixon-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Dixon-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a weekend homicide in Wichita have a suspect in custody.A 26-year-old male has been arrested in connection with a fatal shooting that occurred Saturday afternoon in the 4100 block of West Pine.Just before 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, police responded to a report of a disturbance involving gunshot in the 4100 Block of West Pine in Wichita, according to Police spokesman Andrew Ford. Upon arrival, officers discovered that a male victim had been shot and was transported to a local hospital by private vehicle.The victim has been identified as Sauhni Stallings, 23, of Wichita. Despite efforts to save him, he was pronounced dead at the hospital.Following the investigation, officers arrested a 26-year-old Michael Dixon as identified in booking records. He is being held on a requested charge of second-degree murder, according to Ford.

Suspect accused in fatal Kansas shooting 

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating two cases of alleged arson.

Just before 6p.m. Friday, officers filed a report for arson near the intersection of Walsburg Road and Madison Creek Road in Leonardville, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

A 40-year-old man and a 41-year-old man reported a 30-year-old suspect when it was reported the suspect started a fire that damaged a wheat field and equipment. The estimated total loss associated with this case is approximately $1,250.&nbsp;

At approximately the same time on Friday officers filed a report for arson in the 14400 block of Senn Road in Leonardville. A 72-year-old man reported a 30-year-old man started a fire which damaged a wheat field, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

The estimated total loss associated with this case is approximately $5,000.&nbsp;

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating two cases of alleged arson.Just before 6p.m. Friday, officers filed a report for arson near the intersection of Walsburg Road and Madison Creek Road in Leonardville, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.A 40-year-old man and a 41-year-old man reported a 30-year-old suspect when it was reported the suspect started a fire that damaged a wheat field and equipment. The estimated total loss associated with this case is approximately $1,250.&nbsp;At approximately the same time on Friday officers filed a report for arson in the 14400 block of Senn Road in Leonardville. A 72-year-old man reported a 30-year-old man started a fire which damaged a wheat field, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.The estimated total loss associated with this case is approximately $5,000.&nbsp;

Police: Suspect accused of starting Kansas wheat field fires

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>

WASHINGTON — The next hurdle for Republican leaders in the U.S. Senate and the “big, beautiful bill”: Democrats — and possibly a few of their own members — in a marathon voting session will make last-ditch attempts to change the tax and spending cut measure.

The vote-a-rama, as it’s known, is expected to begin sometime during the last full week of June as Congress heads toward the Fourth of July recess. It will likely begin in the afternoon and&nbsp; last overnight into the next morning. Senators will debate and vote on dozens of amendments attempting to revise the massive legislation that could have an effect on nearly every American.

Democrats, who have 47 votes in the Senate compared to 53 for Republicans, plan to zero in on Medicaid, taxes, corruption, policies that could raise energy costs and proposals that would increase the deficit, according to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and the committee chairs tasked with drafting pieces of the package have spent weeks combing through the House-passed bill to figure out what needs to be altered to avoid divisive floor votes.&nbsp;

They’ve rewritten numerous policy proposals to comply with the strict rules that go along with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/five-questions-and-answers-about-reconciliation-us-senate" target="_blank">the complex reconciliation process</a>&nbsp;and are now trying to work out disagreements among GOP senators that could doom or complicate a final deal.

The goal is to avoid a protracted debate over core GOP provisions in full public view once the vote-a-rama begins, though some senators are already predicting votes on GOP amendments.

Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/gop-senators-warn-mega-bills-new-medicaid-cuts-will-hurt-rural-hospitals" target="_blank">who has raised concerns about the bill’s impact on rural hospitals</a>, said he hopes GOP leaders reach a consensus before vote-a-rama but didn’t rule out offering his own amendments if they don’t settle their disputes.

“Amending it on the floor, that’s a potentially messy process,” Hawley said. “I would hope that we could get to a good place before that. But we have to fix the rural hospital issue.”

Alabama Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville said he will likely propose amendments during floor debate, though he declined to say what specific policies he’d seek to change or eliminate from the package.

“Yeah, we’ll have some,” Tuberville said. “And we’ve got them all, we just haven’t turned them in yet.”

Thune said he and other negotiators are making “headway” toward consensus on the more significant provisions in the package, which in many respects is far from its final form.

“The meetings right now are on the major provisions in tax and health. We have sort of pre-litigated a lot of that,” Thune said. “But there are a lot of the other provisions in the bill, chapters in the bill that are still subject to going through the Byrd bath, and we’re in the process of doing that. But hopefully that’ll be done by early next week.”

Republicans are using the reconciliation process to pass their sweeping tax and spending cuts package through the Senate with just a simple majority vote, requiring them to comply with the Byrd rules.

That includes the Byrd bath — going before the Senate parliamentarian to explain how each provision has an impact on federal revenue or spending that is not “merely incidental.” Democrats then usually debate before the parliamentarian the various changes that don’t meet that threshold. The process is named after the late Sen. Robert Byrd, a West Virginia Democrat.

Once the parliamentarian rules what elements comply and which need to be removed, the bill can go to the floor and senators can trudge through vote-a-rama. Eventually, all 100 lawmakers will vote to approve or disapprove of the legislation.

GOP senators passing their version of the package would send it back to the House, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-house-republicans-push-through-massive-tax-and-spending-bill-slashing-medicaid" target="_blank">passed its version</a>&nbsp;on a slim 215-214 vote earlier this year — and could make yet more changes in the Senate bill.

Democrats are hoping to highlight policy divisions among Republicans during the vote-a-rama. And even if they don’t succeed in getting any of their amendments adopted, several votes could serve as fodder for campaign ads during next year’s midterm elections.

Schumer said Wednesday during a press conference it would be “difficult” for Democrats to peel off at least four GOP senators from the rest of the party in order to get an amendment adopted, but said he’s hopeful Republicans will “vote with us on some things they’ve all said they’ve agreed with.”

Democratic senators, he said, have created a task force to reach out to Republicans on major issues in the package, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/medicaid-cuts-rippling-through-rural-america-could-bring-hospital-closures-job-losses" target="_blank">how it would impact rural hospitals</a>.

“Many of these hospital administrators and employees are Republican,” Schumer, a New York Democrat, said. “In many of the rural hospitals, they are the largest employer in the county, and in most they’re the only supplier of health care. It infuriates the rural counties, and they tend to be Republican.”

‘It’s just a show, it’s a charade’

West Virginia Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said she’s not concerned about having to vote on dozens of amendments.&nbsp;

“We’re here to vote,” Capito said. “As a creature of the House, we voted all the time on everything, so this doesn’t bother me. And, you know, just let the body work its will. If some changes are made, those will have to be dealt with. But I’m not worried about that.”

Arkansas Republican Sen. John Boozman said he expects the vote-a-rama will be “a very late night” and that he’s not planning to offer any of his own amendments.

As chairman of the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, Boozman expects to spend a considerable amount of time during vote-a-rama arguing against amendments seeking to change those provisions — including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-gop-tries-ease-pain-states-sharing-costs-snap-benefits" target="_blank">controversial cuts</a>&nbsp;in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides food aid for lower-income families.

Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson said he plans to spend much of the vote-a-rama “going back and forth from my hideaway,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/clip/qa/senate-hideaways/5109792" target="_blank">the ceremonial office</a>&nbsp;that every senator holds in the Capitol building.

But Johnson cast doubt on actually being able to amend the package during that process, saying changes to the various bills that Senate committees have released need to be agreed to before then.

“You’ve got to get this before it ever goes to the floor. I mean, you’re not going to change things substantially or significantly with amendments. I know people have some idealized version that happens. It doesn’t,” Johnson said. “You’ve got to get these things in the base bill. Amendments; it’s just a show, it’s a charade.”

The Senate has held two vote-a-ramas so far this year, and both demonstrated how difficult it is to change a piece of legislation.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/why-did-us-senate-pull-all-nighter-budget-look-inside-vote-rama" target="_blank">first all-nighter</a>&nbsp;in February went along with Senate debate on its budget resolution and included votes on 25 amendments, with lawmakers adopting just two — one from Alaska Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and one from Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-gop-wins-approval-sprawling-budget-blueprint-shipping-it-house" target="_blank">second vote-a-rama</a>&nbsp;took place in April just before the Senate voted to approve the budget resolution that ultimately cleared the way for Congress to use the budget reconciliation process to advance the “big, beautiful bill.” Senators debated 28 amendments, voting to adopt one change from Sullivan.

Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden, ranking member on the Finance Committee, said he and staff on the panel will continue to parse through details of the panel’s bill, which Republicans just released Monday.

Wyden said he plans to hold several town hall meetings in GOP areas of his state over the weekend to gauge how residents there view the policy revisions Republican senators have put forward.

“We’ve had this bill for basically 36 hours. The first time I had it, I stayed up all night, so last night I got a little sleep,” Wyden said on Wednesday. “But on the plane, I’ll be working through it. And I expect to be working through it all through the next few days, except when I’m having these town hall meetings where I’ll have a number of questions.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747785438346.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>WASHINGTON — The next hurdle for Republican leaders in the U.S. Senate and the “big, beautiful bill”: Democrats — and possibly a few of their own members — in a marathon voting session will make last-ditch attempts to change the tax and spending cut measure.The vote-a-rama, as it’s known, is expected to begin sometime during the last full week of June as Congress heads toward the Fourth of July recess. It will likely begin in the afternoon and&nbsp; last overnight into the next morning. Senators will debate and vote on dozens of amendments attempting to revise the massive legislation that could have an effect on nearly every American.Democrats, who have 47 votes in the Senate compared to 53 for Republicans, plan to zero in on Medicaid, taxes, corruption, policies that could raise energy costs and proposals that would increase the deficit, according to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and the committee chairs tasked with drafting pieces of the package have spent weeks combing through the House-passed bill to figure out what needs to be altered to avoid divisive floor votes.&nbsp;They’ve rewritten numerous policy proposals to comply with the strict rules that go along with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/five-questions-and-answers-about-reconciliation-us-senate" target="_blank">the complex reconciliation process</a>&nbsp;and are now trying to work out disagreements among GOP senators that could doom or complicate a final deal.The goal is to avoid a protracted debate over core GOP provisions in full public view once the vote-a-rama begins, though some senators are already predicting votes on GOP amendments.<h2>‘A potentially messy process’</h2>Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/gop-senators-warn-mega-bills-new-medicaid-cuts-will-hurt-rural-hospitals" target="_blank">who has raised concerns about the bill’s impact on rural hospitals</a>, said he hopes GOP leaders reach a consensus before vote-a-rama but didn’t rule out offering his own amendments if they don’t settle their disputes.“Amending it on the floor, that’s a potentially messy process,” Hawley said. “I would hope that we could get to a good place before that. But we have to fix the rural hospital issue.”Alabama Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville said he will likely propose amendments during floor debate, though he declined to say what specific policies he’d seek to change or eliminate from the package.“Yeah, we’ll have some,” Tuberville said. “And we’ve got them all, we just haven’t turned them in yet.”Thune said he and other negotiators are making “headway” toward consensus on the more significant provisions in the package, which in many respects is far from its final form.“The meetings right now are on the major provisions in tax and health. We have sort of pre-litigated a lot of that,” Thune said. “But there are a lot of the other provisions in the bill, chapters in the bill that are still subject to going through the Byrd bath, and we’re in the process of doing that. But hopefully that’ll be done by early next week.”Republicans are using the reconciliation process to pass their sweeping tax and spending cuts package through the Senate with just a simple majority vote, requiring them to comply with the Byrd rules.That includes the Byrd bath — going before the Senate parliamentarian to explain how each provision has an impact on federal revenue or spending that is not “merely incidental.” Democrats then usually debate before the parliamentarian the various changes that don’t meet that threshold. The process is named after the late Sen. Robert Byrd, a West Virginia Democrat.Once the parliamentarian rules what elements comply and which need to be removed, the bill can go to the floor and senators can trudge through vote-a-rama. Eventually, all 100 lawmakers will vote to approve or disapprove of the legislation.GOP senators passing their version of the package would send it back to the House, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-house-republicans-push-through-massive-tax-and-spending-bill-slashing-medicaid" target="_blank">passed its version</a>&nbsp;on a slim 215-214 vote earlier this year — and could make yet more changes in the Senate bill.<h2>Democrats develop strategy</h2>Democrats are hoping to highlight policy divisions among Republicans during the vote-a-rama. And even if they don’t succeed in getting any of their amendments adopted, several votes could serve as fodder for campaign ads during next year’s midterm elections.Schumer said Wednesday during a press conference it would be “difficult” for Democrats to peel off at least four GOP senators from the rest of the party in order to get an amendment adopted, but said he’s hopeful Republicans will “vote with us on some things they’ve all said they’ve agreed with.”Democratic senators, he said, have created a task force to reach out to Republicans on major issues in the package, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/medicaid-cuts-rippling-through-rural-america-could-bring-hospital-closures-job-losses" target="_blank">how it would impact rural hospitals</a>.“Many of these hospital administrators and employees are Republican,” Schumer, a New York Democrat, said. “In many of the rural hospitals, they are the largest employer in the county, and in most they’re the only supplier of health care. It infuriates the rural counties, and they tend to be Republican.”<h2>‘It’s just a show, it’s a charade’</h2>West Virginia Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said she’s not concerned about having to vote on dozens of amendments.&nbsp;“We’re here to vote,” Capito said. “As a creature of the House, we voted all the time on everything, so this doesn’t bother me. And, you know, just let the body work its will. If some changes are made, those will have to be dealt with. But I’m not worried about that.”Arkansas Republican Sen. John Boozman said he expects the vote-a-rama will be “a very late night” and that he’s not planning to offer any of his own amendments.As chairman of the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, Boozman expects to spend a considerable amount of time during vote-a-rama arguing against amendments seeking to change those provisions — including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-gop-tries-ease-pain-states-sharing-costs-snap-benefits" target="_blank">controversial cuts</a>&nbsp;in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides food aid for lower-income families.Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson said he plans to spend much of the vote-a-rama “going back and forth from my hideaway,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/clip/qa/senate-hideaways/5109792" target="_blank">the ceremonial office</a>&nbsp;that every senator holds in the Capitol building.But Johnson cast doubt on actually being able to amend the package during that process, saying changes to the various bills that Senate committees have released need to be agreed to before then.“You’ve got to get this before it ever goes to the floor. I mean, you’re not going to change things substantially or significantly with amendments. I know people have some idealized version that happens. It doesn’t,” Johnson said. “You’ve got to get these things in the base bill. Amendments; it’s just a show, it’s a charade.”<h2>Vote-a-rama after vote-a-rama</h2>The Senate has held two vote-a-ramas so far this year, and both demonstrated how difficult it is to change a piece of legislation.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/why-did-us-senate-pull-all-nighter-budget-look-inside-vote-rama" target="_blank">first all-nighter</a>&nbsp;in February went along with Senate debate on its budget resolution and included votes on 25 amendments, with lawmakers adopting just two — one from Alaska Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and one from Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-gop-wins-approval-sprawling-budget-blueprint-shipping-it-house" target="_blank">second vote-a-rama</a>&nbsp;took place in April just before the Senate voted to approve the budget resolution that ultimately cleared the way for Congress to use the budget reconciliation process to advance the “big, beautiful bill.” Senators debated 28 amendments, voting to adopt one change from Sullivan.Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden, ranking member on the Finance Committee, said he and staff on the panel will continue to parse through details of the panel’s bill, which Republicans just released Monday.Wyden said he plans to hold several town hall meetings in GOP areas of his state over the weekend to gauge how residents there view the policy revisions Republican senators have put forward.“We’ve had this bill for basically 36 hours. The first time I had it, I stayed up all night, so last night I got a little sleep,” Wyden said on Wednesday. “But on the plane, I’ll be working through it. And I expect to be working through it all through the next few days, except when I’m having these town hall meetings where I’ll have a number of questions.”