LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A judge on Wednesday barred a major U.S. private prison operator from housing immigrants facing possible deportation in a shuttered Kansas City area detention center unless it can get a permit from frustrated city officials.

Leavenworth County Judge John Bryant agreed after a packed hearing to grant the city of Leavenworth's request for a temporary restraining order against CoreCivic, one of the nation's largest private prison operators.

CoreCivic had claimed in legal filings that halting the opening of the 1,033-bed facility on the northwest outskirts of the Kansas City area would cost it $4.2 million in revenue each month. City officials said they anticipated the arrival of detainees apprehended by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was imminent under a Trump administration crackdown on illegal immigration.

Leavenworth isn’t the first city where controversy has surrounded the reopening of a private prison as an ICE detention facility. In Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Ras Baraka&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/newark-mayor-ras-baraka-lawsuit-arrest-immigration-0d17f4adb136b9fefc02ea8b498124ed">sued</a>&nbsp;the state’s top federal prosecutor on Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-protest-ice-newark-mayor-arrested-5a2b3fefd7da563c48d2f85831cf2194">over his recent arrest on a trespassing charge</a>&nbsp;at a federal immigration detention facility in that state, saying the Trump-appointed attorney had pursued the case out of political spite.

Scott Peterson, the city manager for Leavenworth, said he didn’t know if the case in Kansas marked the first time a municipality had prevailed in court.

“I would point out that maybe the reason we have seen some success here today is this is not about immigration,” Peterson said. “This is not about private prisons. This is about land use.”

In late 2021, CoreCivic stopped housing pretrial detainees for the U.S. Marshals Service in the Leavenworth facility after then-President Joe Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-race-and-ethnicity-prisons-coronavirus-pandemic-c8c246f00695f37ef2afb1dd3a5f115e">called</a>&nbsp;on the Justice Department to curb the use of private prisons. In the months leading up to the closure, the American Civil Liberties Union and federal public defenders&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prisons-kansas-202252fa64aa4979a7b0f9714f462756">urged the White House</a>&nbsp;to speed up the closure, citing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-890c5ae1e78e46629d1b36a4373fbfdb">inmate rights violations</a>&nbsp;there along with stabbings, suicides and even one homicide.

But with President Donald Trump pushing for mass deportations under a wide-ranging crackdown on illegal immigration, the facility that CoreCivic now calls the Midwest Regional Reception Center is in demand again. It is located just 10 miles (16 kilometers) west of the Kansas City International Airport. As part of his crackdown, Trump has vowed to sharply increase detention beds nationwide from the budgeted 41,000 beds this year.

Tennessee-based CoreCivic initially applied for a special use permit from the city in February but then withdrew that application the next month, arguing in court filings that it didn’t need the permit and that the process would take too long.

“It became clear to CoreCivic that there was not a cooperative relationship,” said Taylor Concannon Hausmann, an attorney for the private prison operator, speaking in court.

The city sued CoreCivic, the lawsuit claiming that CoreCivic impeded the city police force’s ability to investigate sexual assaults and other violent crimes. The lawsuit contended that the permitting process was needed to safeguard itself from future problems.

“Just follow our rules," an attorney for the city, Joe Hatley, said in court. “Go get a permit.”

The first version of the lawsuit, filed in March in federal court, was tossed out in May on technical grounds. But Bryant sided with Hatley in the case refiled the same month in state court, finding that the proper procedures weren't followed.

Concannon Hausmann, CoreCivic's attorney, declined to comment as the crowd filtered out of the courtroom Wednesday. Norman Mallicoat held a sign reading, “CoreCivic Doesn’t Run Leavenworth” as he left.

“I see this as basically a large company trying to bully a small city into getting what it wants and not having to follow the rules and ordinances of the city,” Mallicoat said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574019674964.png" alt="File photo Prison Leavenworth Detention Center is owned and operated by CoreCivic" />
 <figcaption>File photo Prison Leavenworth Detention Center is owned and operated by CoreCivic</figcaption>
 </figure>LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A judge on Wednesday barred a major U.S. private prison operator from housing immigrants facing possible deportation in a shuttered Kansas City area detention center unless it can get a permit from frustrated city officials.Leavenworth County Judge John Bryant agreed after a packed hearing to grant the city of Leavenworth's request for a temporary restraining order against CoreCivic, one of the nation's largest private prison operators.CoreCivic had claimed in legal filings that halting the opening of the 1,033-bed facility on the northwest outskirts of the Kansas City area would cost it $4.2 million in revenue each month. City officials said they anticipated the arrival of detainees apprehended by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was imminent under a Trump administration crackdown on illegal immigration.Leavenworth isn’t the first city where controversy has surrounded the reopening of a private prison as an ICE detention facility. In Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Ras Baraka&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/newark-mayor-ras-baraka-lawsuit-arrest-immigration-0d17f4adb136b9fefc02ea8b498124ed">sued</a>&nbsp;the state’s top federal prosecutor on Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-protest-ice-newark-mayor-arrested-5a2b3fefd7da563c48d2f85831cf2194">over his recent arrest on a trespassing charge</a>&nbsp;at a federal immigration detention facility in that state, saying the Trump-appointed attorney had pursued the case out of political spite.Scott Peterson, the city manager for Leavenworth, said he didn’t know if the case in Kansas marked the first time a municipality had prevailed in court.“I would point out that maybe the reason we have seen some success here today is this is not about immigration,” Peterson said. “This is not about private prisons. This is about land use.”In late 2021, CoreCivic stopped housing pretrial detainees for the U.S. Marshals Service in the Leavenworth facility after then-President Joe Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-race-and-ethnicity-prisons-coronavirus-pandemic-c8c246f00695f37ef2afb1dd3a5f115e">called</a>&nbsp;on the Justice Department to curb the use of private prisons. In the months leading up to the closure, the American Civil Liberties Union and federal public defenders&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prisons-kansas-202252fa64aa4979a7b0f9714f462756">urged the White House</a>&nbsp;to speed up the closure, citing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-890c5ae1e78e46629d1b36a4373fbfdb">inmate rights violations</a>&nbsp;there along with stabbings, suicides and even one homicide.But with President Donald Trump pushing for mass deportations under a wide-ranging crackdown on illegal immigration, the facility that CoreCivic now calls the Midwest Regional Reception Center is in demand again. It is located just 10 miles (16 kilometers) west of the Kansas City International Airport. As part of his crackdown, Trump has vowed to sharply increase detention beds nationwide from the budgeted 41,000 beds this year.Tennessee-based CoreCivic initially applied for a special use permit from the city in February but then withdrew that application the next month, arguing in court filings that it didn’t need the permit and that the process would take too long.“It became clear to CoreCivic that there was not a cooperative relationship,” said Taylor Concannon Hausmann, an attorney for the private prison operator, speaking in court.The city sued CoreCivic, the lawsuit claiming that CoreCivic impeded the city police force’s ability to investigate sexual assaults and other violent crimes. The lawsuit contended that the permitting process was needed to safeguard itself from future problems.“Just follow our rules," an attorney for the city, Joe Hatley, said in court. “Go get a permit.”The first version of the lawsuit, filed in March in federal court, was tossed out in May on technical grounds. But Bryant sided with Hatley in the case refiled the same month in state court, finding that the proper procedures weren't followed.Concannon Hausmann, CoreCivic's attorney, declined to comment as the crowd filtered out of the courtroom Wednesday. Norman Mallicoat held a sign reading, “CoreCivic Doesn’t Run Leavenworth” as he left.“I see this as basically a large company trying to bully a small city into getting what it wants and not having to follow the rules and ordinances of the city,” Mallicoat said.

Judge blocks private Kan. prison from housing ICE detainees

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/mark-sherman">MARK SHERMAN</a>

WASHINGTON (AP) — The sequence of events is familiar: A lower court judge blocks a part of President Donald Trump’s agenda, an appellate panel refuses to put the order on hold while the case continues and the Justice Department turns to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">the Supreme Court</a>.

Trump administration lawyers have filed emergency appeals with the nation’s highest court a little less than once a week on average since Trump began his second term.

The court is not being asked to render a final decision but rather to set the rules of the road while the case makes it way through the courts.

The justices have issued orders in 11 cases so far, and the Trump administration has won more than it has lost.

Among the administration’s victories was an order allowing it to enforce the Republican president’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-transgender-military-ban-ef67038857bd5b99e128bf0b8866afb4">ban of on transgender military service members</a>. Among its losses was a prohibition on using an 18th century wartime law called the Alien Enemies Act to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-supreme-court-venezuelans-deportations-c1dc29a89faa173593f5d42b62aa8276">deport Venezuelans</a>&nbsp;alleged to be gang members to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/el-salvador-trump-prison-immigrants-4ab3fc3c0474efb308084604b61f8a37">a notorious prison in El Salvador</a>.

The most recent emergency filing arrived May 27.

A judge rebuked the administration over deportations to South Sudan

The Trump administration’s latest appeal asks the high court to halt an order by U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy in Boston. The White House&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deportation-immigration-south-sudan-department-of-homeland-security-a09612dbd055c5d1d88902c415bdf3e6">violated his earlier order</a>, Murphy found, with a deportation flight bound for the African nation carrying people from other countries who had been convicted of crimes in the U.S.

Those immigrants must get a real chance to raise any fears that being sent there could put them in danger, Murphy wrote.

Trump’s top Supreme Court lawyer, Solicitor General D. John Sauer, asked for an immediate high court order that would allow the third-country deportations to resume.

Murphy has stalled efforts to carry out deportations of migrants who can’t be returned to their home countries, Sauer wrote. Finding countries willing to take them is “a delicate diplomatic endeavor” and the court requirements are a major setback, he said.

Lawyers for the deported men have until Wednesday to respond.

A watchdog group is trying to bring transparency to DOGE

The Department of Government Efficiency, overseen by billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk until&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-donald-trump-doge-e09ac9f31cb2eb2e2d815a66cdffb7ba">his departure</a>&nbsp;on Friday, is resisting a lawsuit calling for it to publicly disclose information about its operations.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington argues in a lawsuit that DOGE, which has been central to Trump’s push to remake the government, is a federal agency and must be subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

CREW claims that DOGE “wields shockingly broad power” with no transparency about its actions. The administration says DOGE is just a presidential advisory body that is exempt from FOIA disclosures.

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper had found that its role is likely more than just advisory, especially in helping to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-doge-usaid-federal-workers-bfb69a0bf38419b7518555de42169ca1">shutter the U.S. Agency for International Development</a>&nbsp;and cut billions of dollars in government contracts.

The administration appealed Cooper’s orders requiring documents be turned over and acting Administrator Amy Gleason to answer questions under oath.

Last week, Chief Justice John Roberts agreed to temporarily pause the orders pending additional word from the Supreme Court.

A judge blocked DOGE’s access to Social Security systems over privacy concerns

Social Security has personal data on nearly everyone in the country, including school records, bank details, salary information and medical and mental health records for disability recipients, according to court documents.

The Trump administration says DOGE needs&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-social-security-trump-administration-supreme-court-a38db8e9908e56b01265432f4d46e8e3">access to Social Security’s systems</a>&nbsp;as part of its mission to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-doge-waste-fraud-abuse-635b1419014a43e061f548c9713860c4">target waste in the federal government</a>.

But U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander in Maryland restricted the team’s access to Social Security under federal privacy laws, saying DOGE’s efforts at the agency amounted to a “fishing expedition” based on “little more than suspicion” of fraud.

The judge is disrupting DOGE’s work and interfering with decisions that belong to the executive branch, not courts, Sauer wrote in asking the high court to block Hollander’s order in the suit filed by labor unions and retirees.

Trump wants to change citizenship rules in place for more than 125 years

Several judges quickly blocked an executive order Trump signed his first day in office that would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-trump-birthright-citizenship-supreme-court-b66a99ba8b22ddb0f3e24a129440126f">deny citizenship</a>&nbsp;to children who are born to people who are in the country illegally or temporarily.

The administration appealed three court orders that prohibit the changes from taking effect anywhere in the country.

Earlier in May, the justices took the rare step of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/supreme-court-weighs-whether-to-let-trumps-birthright-citizenship-restrictions-take-effect-c8923f24bafe4860b6b466cbad8551bb">hearing arguments</a>&nbsp;in an emergency appeal. It’s unclear how the case will come out, but the court seemed intent on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-supreme-court-birthright-citizenship-nationwide-injunctions-2c495cddc1436e21a9fa976d295dc292">keeping the changes on hold</a>&nbsp;while looking for a way to scale back nationwide court orders.

One possibility advanced by some justices was to find a different legal mechanism, perhaps a class action, to accomplish essentially the same thing as the nationwide injunctions blocking Trump’s citizenship order.

Nationwide injunctions have emerged as an important check on Trump’s efforts to remake the government and a source of mounting frustration to the Republican president and his allies.

Judges have issued 40 nationwide injunctions since Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-inauguration-swearing-capitol-b3549ebe5dae74a872502aa79def7a11">began his second term</a>&nbsp;in January, Sauer told the court during the arguments.

The court could act anytime, but almost certainly no later than early summer.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748689514721.png" alt="(Photo by Jane Norman/States Newsroom)" />
 <figcaption>(Photo by Jane Norman/States Newsroom)</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/mark-sherman">MARK SHERMAN</a>WASHINGTON (AP) — The sequence of events is familiar: A lower court judge blocks a part of President Donald Trump’s agenda, an appellate panel refuses to put the order on hold while the case continues and the Justice Department turns to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">the Supreme Court</a>.Trump administration lawyers have filed emergency appeals with the nation’s highest court a little less than once a week on average since Trump began his second term.The court is not being asked to render a final decision but rather to set the rules of the road while the case makes it way through the courts.The justices have issued orders in 11 cases so far, and the Trump administration has won more than it has lost.Among the administration’s victories was an order allowing it to enforce the Republican president’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-transgender-military-ban-ef67038857bd5b99e128bf0b8866afb4">ban of on transgender military service members</a>. Among its losses was a prohibition on using an 18th century wartime law called the Alien Enemies Act to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-supreme-court-venezuelans-deportations-c1dc29a89faa173593f5d42b62aa8276">deport Venezuelans</a>&nbsp;alleged to be gang members to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/el-salvador-trump-prison-immigrants-4ab3fc3c0474efb308084604b61f8a37">a notorious prison in El Salvador</a>.The most recent emergency filing arrived May 27.<h2>A judge rebuked the administration over deportations to South Sudan</h2>The Trump administration’s latest appeal asks the high court to halt an order by U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy in Boston. The White House&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deportation-immigration-south-sudan-department-of-homeland-security-a09612dbd055c5d1d88902c415bdf3e6">violated his earlier order</a>, Murphy found, with a deportation flight bound for the African nation carrying people from other countries who had been convicted of crimes in the U.S.Those immigrants must get a real chance to raise any fears that being sent there could put them in danger, Murphy wrote.Trump’s top Supreme Court lawyer, Solicitor General D. John Sauer, asked for an immediate high court order that would allow the third-country deportations to resume.Murphy has stalled efforts to carry out deportations of migrants who can’t be returned to their home countries, Sauer wrote. Finding countries willing to take them is “a delicate diplomatic endeavor” and the court requirements are a major setback, he said.Lawyers for the deported men have until Wednesday to respond.<h2>A watchdog group is trying to bring transparency to DOGE</h2>The Department of Government Efficiency, overseen by billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk until&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-donald-trump-doge-e09ac9f31cb2eb2e2d815a66cdffb7ba">his departure</a>&nbsp;on Friday, is resisting a lawsuit calling for it to publicly disclose information about its operations.Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington argues in a lawsuit that DOGE, which has been central to Trump’s push to remake the government, is a federal agency and must be subject to the Freedom of Information Act.CREW claims that DOGE “wields shockingly broad power” with no transparency about its actions. The administration says DOGE is just a presidential advisory body that is exempt from FOIA disclosures.U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper had found that its role is likely more than just advisory, especially in helping to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-doge-usaid-federal-workers-bfb69a0bf38419b7518555de42169ca1">shutter the U.S. Agency for International Development</a>&nbsp;and cut billions of dollars in government contracts.The administration appealed Cooper’s orders requiring documents be turned over and acting Administrator Amy Gleason to answer questions under oath.Last week, Chief Justice John Roberts agreed to temporarily pause the orders pending additional word from the Supreme Court.<h2>A judge blocked DOGE’s access to Social Security systems over privacy concerns</h2>Social Security has personal data on nearly everyone in the country, including school records, bank details, salary information and medical and mental health records for disability recipients, according to court documents.The Trump administration says DOGE needs&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-social-security-trump-administration-supreme-court-a38db8e9908e56b01265432f4d46e8e3">access to Social Security’s systems</a>&nbsp;as part of its mission to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-doge-waste-fraud-abuse-635b1419014a43e061f548c9713860c4">target waste in the federal government</a>.But U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander in Maryland restricted the team’s access to Social Security under federal privacy laws, saying DOGE’s efforts at the agency amounted to a “fishing expedition” based on “little more than suspicion” of fraud.The judge is disrupting DOGE’s work and interfering with decisions that belong to the executive branch, not courts, Sauer wrote in asking the high court to block Hollander’s order in the suit filed by labor unions and retirees.The justices could act anytime.<h2>Trump wants to change citizenship rules in place for more than 125 years</h2>Several judges quickly blocked an executive order Trump signed his first day in office that would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-trump-birthright-citizenship-supreme-court-b66a99ba8b22ddb0f3e24a129440126f">deny citizenship</a>&nbsp;to children who are born to people who are in the country illegally or temporarily.The administration appealed three court orders that prohibit the changes from taking effect anywhere in the country.Earlier in May, the justices took the rare step of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/supreme-court-weighs-whether-to-let-trumps-birthright-citizenship-restrictions-take-effect-c8923f24bafe4860b6b466cbad8551bb">hearing arguments</a>&nbsp;in an emergency appeal. It’s unclear how the case will come out, but the court seemed intent on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-supreme-court-birthright-citizenship-nationwide-injunctions-2c495cddc1436e21a9fa976d295dc292">keeping the changes on hold</a>&nbsp;while looking for a way to scale back nationwide court orders.One possibility advanced by some justices was to find a different legal mechanism, perhaps a class action, to accomplish essentially the same thing as the nationwide injunctions blocking Trump’s citizenship order.Nationwide injunctions have emerged as an important check on Trump’s efforts to remake the government and a source of mounting frustration to the Republican president and his allies.Judges have issued 40 nationwide injunctions since Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-inauguration-swearing-capitol-b3549ebe5dae74a872502aa79def7a11">began his second term</a>&nbsp;in January, Sauer told the court during the arguments.The court could act anytime, but almost certainly no later than early summer.

A look at cases left on the Supreme Court’s emergency docket

SALINE COUNTY —Authorities are working to confirm the cause of a hotel fire in Salina.

Just before 2:00 am on Wednesday,&nbsp; crews responded to reports of a commercial fire at the Country Inn and Suites, 2760 S. 9th Street in Salina, according to a media release from the Salina Fire Department. Initial reports indicated a fire in a storage room on the second floor.

Upon arrival, fire crews encountered an active fire that appeared to be coming from the exterior of a HVAC unit with fire extending into the adjacent storage room. The building's sprinkler system had activated, containing the fire to the room of origin.&nbsp; The fire was brought under control and extinguished within 10 minutes of arrival of the first due engine company.

During the incident, all guests and hotel staff were safely evacuated from the building and there were no reported injuries.

Preliminary investigation suggests that the fire originated due to a faulty HVAC unit.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749059962560.jpeg" alt="Salina Fire Department containing fire at the Country Inn and Suites on 2760 S. 9th St. just before 2:00 am on Wednesday, June 4th-photo Salina Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Salina Fire Department containing fire at the Country Inn and Suites on 2760 S. 9th St. just before 2:00 am on Wednesday, June 4th-photo Salina Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —Authorities are working to confirm the cause of a hotel fire in Salina.Just before 2:00 am on Wednesday,&nbsp; crews responded to reports of a commercial fire at the Country Inn and Suites, 2760 S. 9th Street in Salina, according to a media release from the Salina Fire Department. Initial reports indicated a fire in a storage room on the second floor.Upon arrival, fire crews encountered an active fire that appeared to be coming from the exterior of a HVAC unit with fire extending into the adjacent storage room. The building's sprinkler system had activated, containing the fire to the room of origin.&nbsp; The fire was brought under control and extinguished within 10 minutes of arrival of the first due engine company.During the incident, all guests and hotel staff were safely evacuated from the building and there were no reported injuries.Preliminary investigation suggests that the fire originated due to a faulty HVAC unit.

Guests evacuated after early morning Kansas hotel fire

Childhood vaccination rates against measles fell in the years after the COVID-19 pandemic in nearly 80% of the more than 2,000 U.S. counties with available data — including in states that are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-vaccination-us-rfk-mmr-8fb86f56b0892408680daae4a52047e6">battling outbreaks</a>&nbsp;this year including in Kansas.&nbsp; The Kansas Department of Health on Wednesday reported seven new case of measles over the past week in the state for a total of 71 cases in 11 counties.

A Johns Hopkins University study,&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2834892">published in JAMA this week</a>, illustrates where more vulnerable communities are located. The results mirror trends established at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-outbreak-mmr-vaccine-6cfda9a944084c390bc70f0e7a37a426">state</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vaccinations-kindergarten-exemptions-cdc-1c0f9a196a70491fccf48b9125090de0">national levels</a>: Routine childhood&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-vaccines-funding-cuts-5785985d6b74024b0502f6a2fc1576e2">vaccination rates</a>&nbsp;are dropping.

“When you look at the state level or national level ... you really don’t see those drastic drops. Those are there. They’re real and they’re really problematic,” said Lauren Gardner, an expert in infectious disease modeling at Johns Hopkins University who is the paper’s senior author. Gardner also built the university’s COVID-19 database.

Most of the measles cases in the U.S. this year — 1,088 nationally as of Friday — are in unvaccinated people. It has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-international-travel-vaccine-980fdb9fcf8522fed01d23427eba4429">been spreading</a>&nbsp;among communities due to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-mexico-canada-ontario-0956a30c043b030ae79bc9f67c6ce89c">international and domestic travel</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-rfk-death-vaccine-4e28b0edf5cab47980b40b2d47f0ec50">Three people have died from measles</a>&nbsp;during this year's outbreaks, and 2025 is inching closer to becoming&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-outbreak-mmr-vaccine-6cfda9a944084c390bc70f0e7a37a426">the worst for measles</a>&nbsp;in more than three decades.

Measles was eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-mmr-vaccine-texas-rfk-ff8e744b19ead87698d7217de02814ee">the vaccine is safe and highly effective</a>. Public schools nationwide require two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine before kindergarten, but the number of children with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vaccines-whooping-cough-rfk-measles-exemptions-covid-27dae6f61505ef1953ca869a78c71942">non-medical exemptions</a>&nbsp;from those requirements hit an all-time high in the 2023-2024 school year. Health experts say community-level vaccination needs to be at 95% or higher to prevent outbreaks.

The Johns Hopkins study looked at 2,066 counties across 33 states, comparing kindergarten vaccination rates averaged over school years from 2017-2020 to averages from 2022-2024. Where kindergarten data wasn’t available, the researchers used a comparable rate.

Here's what it looks like in counties where there have been outbreaks this year, including in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">Texas counties that are the epicenter of measles</a>.

Counties with outbreaks in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/aP4Au/?v=3">Kansas</a>&nbsp;include Gray with 25 cases, Haskell with 11 and and Stevens with seven.

Vaccination rates in Gray County dropped 23 percentage points after the pandemic, from 94% to 71%.

Haskell County dropped 18 percentage points to 65%. And Stevens County dropped 0.5 percentage points to 90.5%.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-vaccines-measles-outbreak-exemptions-rfk-ab4aea44661153a789472f9d7fa8d17b">Texas</a>&nbsp;has logged 742 measles cases since late January, most in West Texas.

Gaines County has 411 cases, the most in the state. Almost 2% of its population got measles. While the county saw a two percentage-point increase in vaccination rates after the pandemic, its 82.4% rate remains&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-gaines-county-texas-religious-exemptions-cacdae1843fa918964a1b8e01fe757f5">below herd immunity.</a>

Terry County (60 cases) and Yoakum County (20 cases) dropped below the 95% threshold for herd immunity after the pandemic, to 93.7% and 91.8% respectively.

Lubbock County — which has seen 53 cases and is the closest metro area to Gaines County — was just below 95% before the pandemic, but dropped three percentage points after to 91.8%.

El Paso County on the border of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-measles-vaccines-misinformation-mmr-mennonites-misinformation-ea6158b9a4d513b20f33cbc09034e5c2">Mexico</a>&nbsp;has had the third-most measles cases in Texas this year with 57. Its vaccination rate is higher than 95% but saw a 2.1 percentage-point decline to 96.5%.

Colorado's outbreak, which is linked to an international flight that landed at the Denver airport in mid-May, involves six cases: five in state residents and one out-of-state traveler.

Two people who got measles live in Arapahoe County in the Denver metro, where the vaccination rate dropped 3.5 percentage points to 88.4%. Three others live in El Paso County, home to Colorado Springs, where the vaccination rate dropped 3.8 percentage points to 80% post-pandemic.

Pre-pandemic data in North Dakota wasn't available to Johns Hopkins researchers, but they looked at rates from school years ending in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

North Dakota's first outbreak started in Williams County, which now has 16 measles cases. In the timeframe researchers looked at, vaccination rates in Williams rose from 84.6% in 2022 to 87.7% in 2023, only to drop back to 83.5% in 2024.

Cass County has seven cases, and its rate has stayed steady at about 92.7%, while Grand Forks County, which has 10 measles cases, dropped from 95.4% to 93.4%.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743085628490.png" alt="Photo by Tatiana Lanzieri Centers for Disease Control and Prevention" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Tatiana Lanzieri Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</figcaption>
 </figure>Childhood vaccination rates against measles fell in the years after the COVID-19 pandemic in nearly 80% of the more than 2,000 U.S. counties with available data — including in states that are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-vaccination-us-rfk-mmr-8fb86f56b0892408680daae4a52047e6">battling outbreaks</a>&nbsp;this year including in Kansas.&nbsp; The Kansas Department of Health on Wednesday reported seven new case of measles over the past week in the state for a total of 71 cases in 11 counties.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749059518752.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>A Johns Hopkins University study,&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2834892">published in JAMA this week</a>, illustrates where more vulnerable communities are located. The results mirror trends established at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-outbreak-mmr-vaccine-6cfda9a944084c390bc70f0e7a37a426">state</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vaccinations-kindergarten-exemptions-cdc-1c0f9a196a70491fccf48b9125090de0">national levels</a>: Routine childhood&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-vaccines-funding-cuts-5785985d6b74024b0502f6a2fc1576e2">vaccination rates</a>&nbsp;are dropping.“When you look at the state level or national level ... you really don’t see those drastic drops. Those are there. They’re real and they’re really problematic,” said Lauren Gardner, an expert in infectious disease modeling at Johns Hopkins University who is the paper’s senior author. Gardner also built the university’s COVID-19 database.Most of the measles cases in the U.S. this year — 1,088 nationally as of Friday — are in unvaccinated people. It has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-international-travel-vaccine-980fdb9fcf8522fed01d23427eba4429">been spreading</a>&nbsp;among communities due to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-mexico-canada-ontario-0956a30c043b030ae79bc9f67c6ce89c">international and domestic travel</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-rfk-death-vaccine-4e28b0edf5cab47980b40b2d47f0ec50">Three people have died from measles</a>&nbsp;during this year's outbreaks, and 2025 is inching closer to becoming&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-outbreak-mmr-vaccine-6cfda9a944084c390bc70f0e7a37a426">the worst for measles</a>&nbsp;in more than three decades.Measles was eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-mmr-vaccine-texas-rfk-ff8e744b19ead87698d7217de02814ee">the vaccine is safe and highly effective</a>. Public schools nationwide require two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine before kindergarten, but the number of children with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vaccines-whooping-cough-rfk-measles-exemptions-covid-27dae6f61505ef1953ca869a78c71942">non-medical exemptions</a>&nbsp;from those requirements hit an all-time high in the 2023-2024 school year. Health experts say community-level vaccination needs to be at 95% or higher to prevent outbreaks.The Johns Hopkins study looked at 2,066 counties across 33 states, comparing kindergarten vaccination rates averaged over school years from 2017-2020 to averages from 2022-2024. Where kindergarten data wasn’t available, the researchers used a comparable rate.Here's what it looks like in counties where there have been outbreaks this year, including in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">Texas counties that are the epicenter of measles</a>.<h2>Kansas</h2>Counties with outbreaks in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/aP4Au/?v=3">Kansas</a>&nbsp;include Gray with 25 cases, Haskell with 11 and and Stevens with seven.Vaccination rates in Gray County dropped 23 percentage points after the pandemic, from 94% to 71%.Haskell County dropped 18 percentage points to 65%. And Stevens County dropped 0.5 percentage points to 90.5%.<h2>Texas</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-vaccines-measles-outbreak-exemptions-rfk-ab4aea44661153a789472f9d7fa8d17b">Texas</a>&nbsp;has logged 742 measles cases since late January, most in West Texas.Gaines County has 411 cases, the most in the state. Almost 2% of its population got measles. While the county saw a two percentage-point increase in vaccination rates after the pandemic, its 82.4% rate remains&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-gaines-county-texas-religious-exemptions-cacdae1843fa918964a1b8e01fe757f5">below herd immunity.</a>Terry County (60 cases) and Yoakum County (20 cases) dropped below the 95% threshold for herd immunity after the pandemic, to 93.7% and 91.8% respectively.Lubbock County — which has seen 53 cases and is the closest metro area to Gaines County — was just below 95% before the pandemic, but dropped three percentage points after to 91.8%.El Paso County on the border of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-measles-vaccines-misinformation-mmr-mennonites-misinformation-ea6158b9a4d513b20f33cbc09034e5c2">Mexico</a>&nbsp;has had the third-most measles cases in Texas this year with 57. Its vaccination rate is higher than 95% but saw a 2.1 percentage-point decline to 96.5%.<h2>Colorado</h2>Colorado's outbreak, which is linked to an international flight that landed at the Denver airport in mid-May, involves six cases: five in state residents and one out-of-state traveler.Two people who got measles live in Arapahoe County in the Denver metro, where the vaccination rate dropped 3.5 percentage points to 88.4%. Three others live in El Paso County, home to Colorado Springs, where the vaccination rate dropped 3.8 percentage points to 80% post-pandemic.<h2>North Dakota</h2>Pre-pandemic data in North Dakota wasn't available to Johns Hopkins researchers, but they looked at rates from school years ending in 2022, 2023 and 2024.North Dakota's first outbreak started in Williams County, which now has 16 measles cases. In the timeframe researchers looked at, vaccination rates in Williams rose from 84.6% in 2022 to 87.7% in 2023, only to drop back to 83.5% in 2024.Cass County has seven cases, and its rate has stayed steady at about 92.7%, while Grand Forks County, which has 10 measles cases, dropped from 95.4% to 93.4%.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Measles vaccination rates drop after COVID-19 pandemic in Kansas

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for jumping the wall at President&nbsp;Donald Trump's Florida Mar-a-Lago estate, according to Captain Will Rothrock with the Palm Beach Police Department.

Just after midnight June 3, Palm Beach Police Department responded to Mar-a-Lago club, 1100 South Ocean Blvd., in reference to a trespass, according to a probable cause affidavit from the department.

Upon arrival, Palm Beach Police officers were met by U.S. Secret Service agents who had detained 23-year-old Anthony Thomas Reyes.

Secret Service agents advised that Reyes was found on the property and that Reyes stated to them that "he had jumped over the wall to get into the property." Secret Service agents stated that Reyes had not entered the sweep area or had been granted permission to enter the protected site. Reyes was previously trespassed from Mar-a-Lago on December 31, 2024.

Reyes was read his Miranda Warnings from a Palm Beach Police pre-printed card to which he acknowledged he understood.&nbsp;

Mar-a-Lago Club has numerous signs posted around the property that clearly state "No Trespassing" with tallgates that remain closed when not in use. At this time, Mar-a-Lago was not accepting visitors or guests, the gates and entry points were closed and manned by USSS security personnel.

Reyes is being held at Palm Beach County Jail on a $50,000 bond, according to online jail records. He pleaded not guilty later Tuesday during his first appearance in court. President Trump was in Washington at the time of the incident.

It should be noted that effective May 16, 2025, House Bill 1447: Trespass provides enhanced penalties for trespassing on property maintained or secured by federal, state, or local law enforcement officers if specified notice is posted, anyone in violation commits a felony.

Based on the facts, police had&nbsp; Probable Cause to arrest Reyes on requested charges of count of Felony Occupied Trespass pursuant to F.S.S 810.09 (1) (a) (2) because he did in fact, without being authorized, licensed, or invited, willfully entered upon and remained on the property at 1100 South Ocean Blvd., Palm Beach, FL 33480, which at the time of the offense, was a federally protected area by the United States Secret Service.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749032592579.png" alt="Reyes photo Palm Beach County" />
 <figcaption>Reyes photo Palm Beach County</figcaption>
 </figure>PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for jumping the wall at President&nbsp;Donald Trump's Florida Mar-a-Lago estate, according to Captain Will Rothrock with the Palm Beach Police Department.Just after midnight June 3, Palm Beach Police Department responded to Mar-a-Lago club, 1100 South Ocean Blvd., in reference to a trespass, according to a probable cause affidavit from the department.Upon arrival, Palm Beach Police officers were met by U.S. Secret Service agents who had detained 23-year-old Anthony Thomas Reyes.Secret Service agents advised that Reyes was found on the property and that Reyes stated to them that "he had jumped over the wall to get into the property." Secret Service agents stated that Reyes had not entered the sweep area or had been granted permission to enter the protected site. Reyes was previously trespassed from Mar-a-Lago on December 31, 2024.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749048514455.png" alt="Document from the New Year's Eve incident at Mar-a-Lago involving Reyes-Palm Beach Police" />
 <figcaption>Document from the New Year's Eve incident at Mar-a-Lago involving Reyes-Palm Beach Police</figcaption>
 </figure>Reyes was read his Miranda Warnings from a Palm Beach Police pre-printed card to which he acknowledged he understood.&nbsp;Mar-a-Lago Club has numerous signs posted around the property that clearly state "No Trespassing" with tallgates that remain closed when not in use. At this time, Mar-a-Lago was not accepting visitors or guests, the gates and entry points were closed and manned by USSS security personnel.Reyes is being held at Palm Beach County Jail on a $50,000 bond, according to online jail records. He pleaded not guilty later Tuesday during his first appearance in court. President Trump was in Washington at the time of the incident.It should be noted that effective May 16, 2025, House Bill 1447: Trespass provides enhanced penalties for trespassing on property maintained or secured by federal, state, or local law enforcement officers if specified notice is posted, anyone in violation commits a felony.Based on the facts, police had&nbsp; Probable Cause to arrest Reyes on requested charges of count of Felony Occupied Trespass pursuant to F.S.S 810.09 (1) (a) (2) because he did in fact, without being authorized, licensed, or invited, willfully entered upon and remained on the property at 1100 South Ocean Blvd., Palm Beach, FL 33480, which at the time of the offense, was a federally protected area by the United States Secret Service.

Police: Man scaled wall at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club

By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Members of the Kansas congressional delegation participated in a moment of silence on the U.S. House floor to honor the memory of a couple slain in May during an apparent antisemitic attack outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.

Federal lawmakers stood in tribute for Sarah Milgrim, who grew up in Prairie Village, Kansas, and her partner, Yaron Lischinsky. Both were staff members at the Israeli embassy. They were fatally shot May 21 by a Chicago man who reportedly yelled “free Palestine” while handcuffed and has been charged with first-degree murder.

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, a Kansas Democrat who represents the community where Milgrim was raised, said the couple were “tragically and senselessly killed in an antisemitic attack.”

“This hateful and targeted violence is not only heartbreaking, it is unacceptable,” she said. “Antisemitism has no place in our country, and yet we are seeing a deeply disturbing rise in these acts of hate.”

Davids said Milgrim was a member of Congregation B’nai Jehudah and that Milgrim and Lischinsky were committed to building understanding and connection between Israel and the United States.

“To the Jewish community in Kansas, Colorado and across the nation,” Davids said, “please know that I am standing with you. We mourn with you. We recommit to creating a world where no one fears for their safety because of who they are.”

Davids offered her thoughts Tuesday in collaboration with a group of representatives, including Kansas Republican U.S. Reps. Tracey Mann and Derek Schmidt.

Milgrim was a 2017 graduate of Shawnee Mission East High School and earned a degree in 2021 from the University of Kansas. Her funeral service was May 27 at a synagogue in Overland Park, Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749052335813.png" alt="U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas, leads colleagues Tuesday in a moment of silence in honor of Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, who were shot and killed in May in Washington, D.C. Milgrim grew up in Johnson County, Kansas. (Kansas Reflector screen capture of U.S. House’s YouTube channel)" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas, leads colleagues Tuesday in a moment of silence in honor of Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, who were shot and killed in May in Washington, D.C. Milgrim grew up in Johnson County, Kansas. (Kansas Reflector screen capture of U.S. House’s YouTube channel)</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Members of the Kansas congressional delegation participated in a moment of silence on the U.S. House floor to honor the memory of a couple slain in May during an apparent antisemitic attack outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Last night, I held a moment of silence on the House floor for Sarah Milgrim, a Prairie Village native, and her partner, Yaron Lischinsky. They were tragically killed in an antisemitic attack earlier this month. May their memories be a blessing. <a href="https://t.co/Cvg8D8WFph">pic.twitter.com/Cvg8D8WFph</a>&mdash; Rep. Sharice Davids (@RepDavids) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepDavids/status/1930307937022480816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Federal lawmakers stood in tribute for Sarah Milgrim, who grew up in Prairie Village, Kansas, and her partner, Yaron Lischinsky. Both were staff members at the Israeli embassy. They were fatally shot May 21 by a Chicago man who reportedly yelled “free Palestine” while handcuffed and has been charged with first-degree murder.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747923211105.png" alt="Sarah Milgrim, who grew up in Prairie Village, Kansas, and her partner, Yaron Lischinsky-courtesy image" />
 <figcaption>Sarah Milgrim, who grew up in Prairie Village, Kansas, and her partner, Yaron Lischinsky-courtesy image</figcaption>
 </figure>U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, a Kansas Democrat who represents the community where Milgrim was raised, said the couple were “tragically and senselessly killed in an antisemitic attack.”“This hateful and targeted violence is not only heartbreaking, it is unacceptable,” she said. “Antisemitism has no place in our country, and yet we are seeing a deeply disturbing rise in these acts of hate.”Davids said Milgrim was a member of Congregation B’nai Jehudah and that Milgrim and Lischinsky were committed to building understanding and connection between Israel and the United States.“To the Jewish community in Kansas, Colorado and across the nation,” Davids said, “please know that I am standing with you. We mourn with you. We recommit to creating a world where no one fears for their safety because of who they are.”Davids offered her thoughts Tuesday in collaboration with a group of representatives, including Kansas Republican U.S. Reps. Tracey Mann and Derek Schmidt.Milgrim was a 2017 graduate of Shawnee Mission East High School and earned a degree in 2021 from the University of Kansas. Her funeral service was May 27 at a synagogue in Overland Park, Kansas.

U.S. House offers moment of silence honoring native Kansan slain in Washington

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Heavy rains caused flash flooding in the Wichita area of south-central Kansas, forcing firefighters to rescue dozens of people, including stranded motorists.

Sedgwick County's emergency management director, Julie Stimson, said at a briefing Tuesday night that the county had received anywhere from 1 1/2 inches to 7 inches of rain since Monday. She warned motorists who run into flooded areas not to drive around barricades or emergency vehicles, and to turn around instead.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly issued a disaster emergency declaration to enable state agencies to provide assistance.

The Wichita Fire Department used boats to rescue several motorists trapped in their cars. While the water sometimes reached windshield height, some people still attempted to drive through it.

“We have to put ourselves in danger with our life jackets and our boats to get them into a life jacket and into a boat to get them out of the water,” Fire Capt.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksn.com/news/local/wfd-rescues-stranded-drivers-in-high-water-during-flash-flood/">Lance Diffenbaugh told KSN-TV</a>. “So there’s no sense in it if they can just turn around and wait 10 minutes for the water to go down.”

A few roads remained closed Wednesday morning,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/06f9e01cbb154ff38671a4d1892d5dc9">according to the county's interactive map</a>.

About 30 miles east, the torrential rainfall caused the Walnut River to overflow, flooding several streets in Dorado and sending people scrambling for safety.

“By the time we got most of the stuff out of there and were going to get the last few things, it was already up to our waist, and we were pretty much swimming to get out,” resident&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kake.com/home/torrential-rainfall-in-el-dorado-causes-walnut-river-to-overflow-evacuating-residents/article_01921e04-d0fe-43f3-9c36-3768c9f38a89.html">Michelle Yerge told KAKE-TV</a>.

Wednesday's forecast called for dry conditions, but more storms were forecast for Thursday. Officials warned that the soil in the area is saturated and even an inch or two of rainfall could lead to localized flooding.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1748988705777.png" alt="Photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Heavy rains caused flash flooding in the Wichita area of south-central Kansas, forcing firefighters to rescue dozens of people, including stranded motorists.Sedgwick County's emergency management director, Julie Stimson, said at a briefing Tuesday night that the county had received anywhere from 1 1/2 inches to 7 inches of rain since Monday. She warned motorists who run into flooded areas not to drive around barricades or emergency vehicles, and to turn around instead.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749047082101.png" alt="Photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly issued a disaster emergency declaration to enable state agencies to provide assistance.The Wichita Fire Department used boats to rescue several motorists trapped in their cars. While the water sometimes reached windshield height, some people still attempted to drive through it.“We have to put ourselves in danger with our life jackets and our boats to get them into a life jacket and into a boat to get them out of the water,” Fire Capt.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksn.com/news/local/wfd-rescues-stranded-drivers-in-high-water-during-flash-flood/">Lance Diffenbaugh told KSN-TV</a>. “So there’s no sense in it if they can just turn around and wait 10 minutes for the water to go down.”A few roads remained closed Wednesday morning,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/06f9e01cbb154ff38671a4d1892d5dc9">according to the county's interactive map</a>.About 30 miles east, the torrential rainfall caused the Walnut River to overflow, flooding several streets in Dorado and sending people scrambling for safety.“By the time we got most of the stuff out of there and were going to get the last few things, it was already up to our waist, and we were pretty much swimming to get out,” resident&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kake.com/home/torrential-rainfall-in-el-dorado-causes-walnut-river-to-overflow-evacuating-residents/article_01921e04-d0fe-43f3-9c36-3768c9f38a89.html">Michelle Yerge told KAKE-TV</a>.Wednesday's forecast called for dry conditions, but more storms were forecast for Thursday. Officials warned that the soil in the area is saturated and even an inch or two of rainfall could lead to localized flooding.

Water rescues after heavy rains cause flash flooding in Kansas

WASHINGTON –&nbsp;The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry voted on Tuesday to advance Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall's&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.marshall.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-marshall-welch-mccormick-fetterman-and-reps-thompson-and-schrier-lead-bipartisan-legislation-to-bring-whole-milk-access-to-all-schools/">Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act</a>.&nbsp;This legislation&nbsp;would expand healthy milk options in schools by reversing the Obama-era law that took whole milk out of school cafeterias, according to a media release from the senator's office.

Roger Marshall wrote, "Today’s vote was a step to correct a major mistake made during the Obama Administration – and a great start to National Dairy Month,”&nbsp;said Senator Marshall.&nbsp;“Whole and reduced-fat milk should have never been excluded from the National School Lunch Program. Now, 13 years after its removal, nearly 75% of children do not receive their recommended daily dairy intake. By increasing kids’ access to milk in school cafeterias, we will help prevent diseases down the road and encourage nutrient-rich diets for years to come.”

The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf">Dietary Guidelines for Americans</a>&nbsp;(DGA) reports that nearly 90% of Americans do not meet their daily dairy intake recommendations. Specifically, Americans are lacking enough Calcium and Vitamin D, and whole milk is an excellent source for both vitamins. Leading nutritionists&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916522012898?via%3Dihub">have found</a>&nbsp;that whole dairy fats have no negative effect on a diet, and may even reduce the risk of heart disease.

The legislation was first introduced by Senator Marshall in June of 2023 and reintroduced in April of 2025 with numerous bipartisan sponsors and co-sponsors. The bill is scheduled to proceed to the Senate floor for a vote before advancing to the House of Representatives for approval. Click&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.marshall.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-marshall-welch-mccormick-fetterman-and-reps-thompson-and-schrier-lead-bipartisan-legislation-to-bring-whole-milk-access-to-all-schools/">HERE</a>&nbsp;to learn more.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1748988260590.png" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON –&nbsp;The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry voted on Tuesday to advance Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall's&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.marshall.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-marshall-welch-mccormick-fetterman-and-reps-thompson-and-schrier-lead-bipartisan-legislation-to-bring-whole-milk-access-to-all-schools/">Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act</a>.&nbsp;This legislation&nbsp;would expand healthy milk options in schools by reversing the Obama-era law that took whole milk out of school cafeterias, according to a media release from the senator's office.Roger Marshall wrote, "Today’s vote was a step to correct a major mistake made during the Obama Administration – and a great start to National Dairy Month,”&nbsp;said Senator Marshall.&nbsp;“Whole and reduced-fat milk should have never been excluded from the National School Lunch Program. Now, 13 years after its removal, nearly 75% of children do not receive their recommended daily dairy intake. By increasing kids’ access to milk in school cafeterias, we will help prevent diseases down the road and encourage nutrient-rich diets for years to come.”The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf">Dietary Guidelines for Americans</a>&nbsp;(DGA) reports that nearly 90% of Americans do not meet their daily dairy intake recommendations. Specifically, Americans are lacking enough Calcium and Vitamin D, and whole milk is an excellent source for both vitamins. Leading nutritionists&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916522012898?via%3Dihub">have found</a>&nbsp;that whole dairy fats have no negative effect on a diet, and may even reduce the risk of heart disease.The legislation was first introduced by Senator Marshall in June of 2023 and reintroduced in April of 2025 with numerous bipartisan sponsors and co-sponsors. The bill is scheduled to proceed to the Senate floor for a vote before advancing to the House of Representatives for approval. Click&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.marshall.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-marshall-welch-mccormick-fetterman-and-reps-thompson-and-schrier-lead-bipartisan-legislation-to-bring-whole-milk-access-to-all-schools/">HERE</a>&nbsp;to learn more.Background:&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>In 2010, Congress passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which amended nutrition standards in the School Lunch Program. Among the changes, the law mandated that flavored milk must be fat-free within the program.</li><li>In May of 2017, the USDA announced a rule that allowed schools to receive waivers for low-fat (1%) flavored milk, rather than only fat-free.</li><li>Last Congress, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act passed the House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support (330-99).&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>

Kan. U.S. Senator's 'Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act' advances

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a hit-and-run collision and asking the public for help to locate a suspect vehicle.

Just after 9:30p.m. June 1, police responded to an injury collision in the area of South Hydraulic and East Wassall, according to a social media report.

 When officers arrived, they located two motorcycle riders, a 24-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman, lying in the roadway. 

Investigators learned that a tan/gold Chevrolet Impala failed to yield to the motorcycle, resulting in a collision between the motorcycle and the passenger side of the Chevrolet Impala. 

Anyone with information about this investigation is encouraged to contact WPD investigators at (316) 350-3687, or if you wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (316) 267-2111. WPD Case# 25C096170

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1748994892666.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a hit-and-run collision and asking the public for help to locate a suspect vehicle.Just after 9:30p.m. June 1, police responded to an injury collision in the area of South Hydraulic and East Wassall, according to a social media report. When officers arrived, they located two motorcycle riders, a 24-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman, lying in the roadway. Investigators learned that a tan/gold Chevrolet Impala failed to yield to the motorcycle, resulting in a collision between the motorcycle and the passenger side of the Chevrolet Impala. Anyone with information about this investigation is encouraged to contact WPD investigators at (316) 350-3687, or if you wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (316) 267-2111. WPD Case# 25C096170

Police ask for help to ID car in Kan. motorcycle hit-and-run

KANSAS CITY — Lee's Summit police officer, Jared Timbrook, shot four times while pursuing a suspect on Sunday is out of the hospital.

"Officer Timbrook was treated by his fellow officers on scene and he was transported to an area trauma center by the paramedics of the Lee’s Summit Fire Department," according to a media release from the department.

"On Tuesday afternoon, Timbrook was released from the hospital to continue his healing journey at home."

"On behalf of Officer Timbrook and his family along with the men and women of the Lee's Summit Police Deparatment, we are thankful for the amazing care that he received and the outpouring of support for him from this amazing community." Officer Timbrook has been with the LSPD for approximately 18 months and comes to the department with approximately 7 years of experience with his previous agency."

Meanwhile the suspect Thomas Tolbert has been charged with&nbsp; 1st Degree Assault, Armed Criminal Action, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Resisting Arrest/Detention/Stop by Fleeing, and 2nd Degree Domestic Assault in connection with the incident, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2636/484693-PC-Statement-Tolbert-Thomas_Redacted">According to court records</a>, Lee’s Summit police were dispatched to an apartment complex near SW Hollywood Drive and Highway 150 on June 1 regarding a man, later identified as Tolbert who was allegedly involved in a domestic assault with the victim. &nbsp;

Upon arrival, an officer approached Tolbert in the parking lot of the complex and attempted to detain him. Tolbert broke away and began to run. As the officer ran after him, the defendant began to fire multiple gunshots at the officer, striking him four times. The officer was hit in the left leg, left arm, chest of his body armor, and his shoulder.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749034731726.png" alt="Jared Timbrook-photo Lee's Summit Police" />
 <figcaption>Jared Timbrook-photo Lee's Summit Police</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY — Lee's Summit police officer, Jared Timbrook, shot four times while pursuing a suspect on Sunday is out of the hospital."Officer Timbrook was treated by his fellow officers on scene and he was transported to an area trauma center by the paramedics of the Lee’s Summit Fire Department," according to a media release from the department."On Tuesday afternoon, Timbrook was released from the hospital to continue his healing journey at home.""On behalf of Officer Timbrook and his family along with the men and women of the Lee's Summit Police Deparatment, we are thankful for the amazing care that he received and the outpouring of support for him from this amazing community." Officer Timbrook has been with the LSPD for approximately 18 months and comes to the department with approximately 7 years of experience with his previous agency."Meanwhile the suspect Thomas Tolbert has been charged with&nbsp; 1st Degree Assault, Armed Criminal Action, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Resisting Arrest/Detention/Stop by Fleeing, and 2nd Degree Domestic Assault in connection with the incident, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1748958751939.jpeg" alt="Tolbert was captured Tuesday in Ellis&nbsp; County- photo Ellis Co. Jail" />
 <figcaption>Tolbert was captured Tuesday in Ellis&nbsp; County- photo Ellis Co. Jail</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2636/484693-PC-Statement-Tolbert-Thomas_Redacted">According to court records</a>, Lee’s Summit police were dispatched to an apartment complex near SW Hollywood Drive and Highway 150 on June 1 regarding a man, later identified as Tolbert who was allegedly involved in a domestic assault with the victim. &nbsp;Upon arrival, an officer approached Tolbert in the parking lot of the complex and attempted to detain him. Tolbert broke away and began to run. As the officer ran after him, the defendant began to fire multiple gunshots at the officer, striking him four times. The officer was hit in the left leg, left arm, chest of his body armor, and his shoulder.&nbsp;

KC-area police officer shot four times is released from hospital 

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas authorities on Tuesday released a photo rendering of a convicted murderer and former police chief known as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arkansas-prison-escape-police-chief-grant-hardin-934e7fe6a45d3eafb18443f5b2bc5680?utm_source=Facebook&amp;utm_medium=share&amp;fbclid=IwY2xjawKjFE9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETF4MmxjbUJyV05JWjVpTWZxAR7HdBxBzlrOzjOfYiCdChZPCLBAhbxLUw0ibnBZA-1ZgEI9955QwHFHVGhqmw_aem_bQ6Hm8suIdhTYD_ucbzvWg">the “Devil in the Ozarks</a>&nbsp;" as the search for the escaped inmate entered its second week.

The new image was released as state legislators raised concerns about Hardin's escape and said they planned to conduct a review of how it occurred.

The Arkansas Department of Corrections said the photo rendering of Grant Hardin, 56, depicts how he may look after he escaped May 25 from the Calico Rock prison. The rendering shows Hardin with some hair on his head and face.

Authorities have said Hardin escaped by donning an outfit designed to look like a law enforcement uniform.

Rand Champion, a department spokesperson, said officials are focusing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arkansas-prison-escape-police-chief-grant-hardin-b48323fc891ac94d04209b50caa2a04d">their search</a>&nbsp;on the north-central Arkansas region where the prison is located. Tips from elsewhere about potential Hardin sightings have come in, but so far none have panned out, Champion said.

Hardin, a former police chief in the small town of Gateway near the Arkansas-Missouri border,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/police-chief-arkansas-prison-escape-grant-hardin-280127e9737bc8e8e0d6388d7f268bd1">was serving lengthy sentences for murder and rape</a>. He was the subject of the TV documentary “Devil in the Ozarks.”

Hardin was housed in a maximum-security wing of the primarily medium security prison, formally known as the North Central Unit. Officials are investigating whether a job Hardin&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/devil-ozarks-arkansas-prison-grant-hardin-9f2600255eea6ec5be0aae045de550df">held in the kitchen</a>&nbsp;aided in his escape, including whether it gave him access to materials he could have used to fashion his makeshift uniform.

The co-chairs of a legislative subcommittee overseeing the prison system told the head of the state Board of Corrections that they planned to conduct a review of any "inadequacies or deviations" from security protocols that allowed Hardin to escape.

Area legislators have raised questions about why Hardin was being held at the Calico Rock facility.

The letter was sent Monday by Republican Rep. Howard Beaty and Sen. Matt McKee to Benny Magness, who heads the state board.

“Given Hardin’s background as a former law enforcement officer and his history of working for multiple law enforcement agencies, it is evident that he possesses knowledge and skills that enabled him to exploit weaknesses in our security protocols,” the lawmakers wrote. "His manipulation of the system by wearing a disguise resembling a uniform is disturbing and speaks to a broader system failure."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1748998437729.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas authorities on Tuesday released a photo rendering of a convicted murderer and former police chief known as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arkansas-prison-escape-police-chief-grant-hardin-934e7fe6a45d3eafb18443f5b2bc5680?utm_source=Facebook&amp;utm_medium=share&amp;fbclid=IwY2xjawKjFE9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETF4MmxjbUJyV05JWjVpTWZxAR7HdBxBzlrOzjOfYiCdChZPCLBAhbxLUw0ibnBZA-1ZgEI9955QwHFHVGhqmw_aem_bQ6Hm8suIdhTYD_ucbzvWg">the “Devil in the Ozarks</a>&nbsp;" as the search for the escaped inmate entered its second week.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1748998090150.png" alt="Hardin photo ADC" />
 <figcaption>Hardin photo ADC</figcaption>
 </figure>The new image was released as state legislators raised concerns about Hardin's escape and said they planned to conduct a review of how it occurred.The Arkansas Department of Corrections said the photo rendering of Grant Hardin, 56, depicts how he may look after he escaped May 25 from the Calico Rock prison. The rendering shows Hardin with some hair on his head and face.Authorities have said Hardin escaped by donning an outfit designed to look like a law enforcement uniform.Rand Champion, a department spokesperson, said officials are focusing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arkansas-prison-escape-police-chief-grant-hardin-b48323fc891ac94d04209b50caa2a04d">their search</a>&nbsp;on the north-central Arkansas region where the prison is located. Tips from elsewhere about potential Hardin sightings have come in, but so far none have panned out, Champion said.Hardin, a former police chief in the small town of Gateway near the Arkansas-Missouri border,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/police-chief-arkansas-prison-escape-grant-hardin-280127e9737bc8e8e0d6388d7f268bd1">was serving lengthy sentences for murder and rape</a>. He was the subject of the TV documentary “Devil in the Ozarks.”Hardin was housed in a maximum-security wing of the primarily medium security prison, formally known as the North Central Unit. Officials are investigating whether a job Hardin&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/devil-ozarks-arkansas-prison-grant-hardin-9f2600255eea6ec5be0aae045de550df">held in the kitchen</a>&nbsp;aided in his escape, including whether it gave him access to materials he could have used to fashion his makeshift uniform.The co-chairs of a legislative subcommittee overseeing the prison system told the head of the state Board of Corrections that they planned to conduct a review of any "inadequacies or deviations" from security protocols that allowed Hardin to escape.Area legislators have raised questions about why Hardin was being held at the Calico Rock facility.The letter was sent Monday by Republican Rep. Howard Beaty and Sen. Matt McKee to Benny Magness, who heads the state board.“Given Hardin’s background as a former law enforcement officer and his history of working for multiple law enforcement agencies, it is evident that he possesses knowledge and skills that enabled him to exploit weaknesses in our security protocols,” the lawmakers wrote. "His manipulation of the system by wearing a disguise resembling a uniform is disturbing and speaks to a broader system failure."

Manhunt continues: Reward increased for police chief turned killer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration announced on Tuesday that it would revoke guidance to the nation’s hospitals that directed them to provide emergency&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortions</a>&nbsp;for women when they are necessary to stabilize their medical condition.

That&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-emergency-room-law-biden-supreme-court-1564fa3f72268114e65f78848c47402b">guidance</a>&nbsp;was issued to hospitals in 2022, weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court upended national abortion rights in the U.S. It was an effort by the Biden administration to preserve abortion access for extreme cases in which women were experiencing medical emergencies and needed an abortion to prevent organ loss or severe hemorrhaging, among other serious complications.

The Biden administration had argued that hospitals — including ones in states with near-total bans — needed to provide emergency abortions under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. That law requires emergency rooms that receive Medicare dollars to provide an exam and stabilizing treatment for all patients. Nearly all emergency rooms in the U.S. rely on Medicare funds.

The Trump administration announced on Tuesday that it would no longer enforce that policy.

The move prompted concerns from some doctors and abortion rights advocates that women will not get emergency abortions in states with strict bans.

“The Trump Administration would rather women die in emergency rooms than receive life-saving abortions,” Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a statement. “In pulling back guidance, this administration is feeding the fear and confusion that already exists at hospitals in every state where abortion is banned. Hospitals need more guidance, not less, to stop them from turning away patients experiencing pregnancy crises.”

Anti-abortion advocates, meanwhile, praised the announcement. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA Pro-Life America, said in a statement that the Biden-era policy had been a way to expand abortion access in states where it was banned.

“Democrats have created confusion on this fact to justify their extremely unpopular agenda for all-trimester abortion,” she said. “In situations where every minute counts, their lies lead to delayed care and put women in needless, unacceptable danger.”

An Associated Press&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pregnant-women-emergency-room-ectopic-er-edd66276d2f6c412c988051b618fb8f9">investigation</a>&nbsp;last year found that, even with the Biden administration’s guidance, dozens of pregnant women were being turned away from emergency rooms, including some who needed emergency abortions.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which provides oversight of hospitals, said in a statement that it will continue to enforce the federal law that, “including for identified emergency medical conditions that place the health of a pregnant woman or her unborn child in serious jeopardy.”

But CMS added that it would also “rectify any perceived legal confusion and instability created by the former administration’s actions.”

The Biden administration sued Idaho over its abortion law that initially only allowed abortions to save the life of the mother. The federal government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-idaho-emergency-room-hospitals-7fd5f3026778b9e65ca2afe2f399a877">had argued</a>&nbsp;before the U.S. Supreme Court last year that Idaho’s law was in conflict with the federal law, which requires stabilizing treatment that prevents a patient’s condition from worsening.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749001416060.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration announced on Tuesday that it would revoke guidance to the nation’s hospitals that directed them to provide emergency&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortions</a>&nbsp;for women when they are necessary to stabilize their medical condition.That&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-emergency-room-law-biden-supreme-court-1564fa3f72268114e65f78848c47402b">guidance</a>&nbsp;was issued to hospitals in 2022, weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court upended national abortion rights in the U.S. It was an effort by the Biden administration to preserve abortion access for extreme cases in which women were experiencing medical emergencies and needed an abortion to prevent organ loss or severe hemorrhaging, among other serious complications.The Biden administration had argued that hospitals — including ones in states with near-total bans — needed to provide emergency abortions under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. That law requires emergency rooms that receive Medicare dollars to provide an exam and stabilizing treatment for all patients. Nearly all emergency rooms in the U.S. rely on Medicare funds.The Trump administration announced on Tuesday that it would no longer enforce that policy.The move prompted concerns from some doctors and abortion rights advocates that women will not get emergency abortions in states with strict bans.“The Trump Administration would rather women die in emergency rooms than receive life-saving abortions,” Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a statement. “In pulling back guidance, this administration is feeding the fear and confusion that already exists at hospitals in every state where abortion is banned. Hospitals need more guidance, not less, to stop them from turning away patients experiencing pregnancy crises.”Anti-abortion advocates, meanwhile, praised the announcement. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA Pro-Life America, said in a statement that the Biden-era policy had been a way to expand abortion access in states where it was banned.“Democrats have created confusion on this fact to justify their extremely unpopular agenda for all-trimester abortion,” she said. “In situations where every minute counts, their lies lead to delayed care and put women in needless, unacceptable danger.”An Associated Press&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pregnant-women-emergency-room-ectopic-er-edd66276d2f6c412c988051b618fb8f9">investigation</a>&nbsp;last year found that, even with the Biden administration’s guidance, dozens of pregnant women were being turned away from emergency rooms, including some who needed emergency abortions.The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which provides oversight of hospitals, said in a statement that it will continue to enforce the federal law that, “including for identified emergency medical conditions that place the health of a pregnant woman or her unborn child in serious jeopardy.”But CMS added that it would also “rectify any perceived legal confusion and instability created by the former administration’s actions.”The Biden administration sued Idaho over its abortion law that initially only allowed abortions to save the life of the mother. The federal government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-idaho-emergency-room-hospitals-7fd5f3026778b9e65ca2afe2f399a877">had argued</a>&nbsp;before the U.S. Supreme Court last year that Idaho’s law was in conflict with the federal law, which requires stabilizing treatment that prevents a patient’s condition from worsening.

Trump admin. revokes guidance requiring hospitals to provide emergency abortions

DETROIT (AP) — A Chinese scientist entered the U.S. last year with a toxic fungus stashed in his backpack, federal authorities said Tuesday as they filed charges against him and a girlfriend who worked in a lab at the University of Michigan.

The pathogen is known as Fusarium graminearum, which can attack wheat, barley, maize and rice and sicken livestock and people, the FBI said in a court filing in Detroit.

The FBI said a scientific journal describes it as a “potential agroterrorism weapon.”

Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, were charged with conspiracy, smuggling, making false statements and visa fraud.

“The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals, including a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party, are of the gravest national security concerns,” U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. said.

Jian appeared in court and was returned to jail to await a bond hearing Thursday. An attorney who was assigned only for her initial appearance declined to comment.

In July 2024, Liu was turned away at the Detroit airport and sent back to China after changing his story during an interrogation about red plant material discovered in his backpack, the FBI said.

He initially claimed ignorance about the samples but later said he was planning to use the material for research at a University of Michigan lab where Jian worked and where Liu previously worked, the FBI said.

<a href="https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va7Tv2j59PwNEyqGCi1y" target="_blank">Stay up to date with similar stories by signing up to our WhatsApp channel.</a>

The FBI said authorities found a scientific article on Liu’s phone that was titled, “Plant-Pathogen Warfare under Changing Climate Conditions.”

A week before arriving in the U.S., according to investigators, Liu exchanged messages with Jian, who said, “It’s a pity that I still have to work for you.”

The FBI said Liu replied: “Once this is done, everything else will be easy.”

Months later, in February, FBI agents visited Jian at the campus lab. She said, “100% no,” when asked if she had been assisting Liu with the pathogen at the lab. The FBI said it found a signed statement on her phone expressing her support for the Communist Party of China.

Messages between the two in 2024 suggest that Jian was already tending to Fusarium graminearum at the campus lab before Liu was caught at the Detroit airport, the FBI said. The university does not have federal permits to handle it.

The U.S. does not have an extradition treaty with China, which makes Liu’s arrest unlikely unless he returns.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749002066377.png" alt="Photo United State's District Court" />
 <figcaption>Photo United State's District Court</figcaption>
 </figure>DETROIT (AP) — A Chinese scientist entered the U.S. last year with a toxic fungus stashed in his backpack, federal authorities said Tuesday as they filed charges against him and a girlfriend who worked in a lab at the University of Michigan.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">New... I can confirm that the FBI arrested a Chinese national within the United States who allegedly smuggled a dangerous biological pathogen into the country. The individual, Yunqing Jian, is alleged to have smuggled a dangerous fungus called &quot;Fusarium graminearum,&quot; which is an…&mdash; FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/1930044884284523001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The pathogen is known as Fusarium graminearum, which can attack wheat, barley, maize and rice and sicken livestock and people, the FBI said in a court filing in Detroit.The FBI said a scientific journal describes it as a “potential agroterrorism weapon.”Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, were charged with conspiracy, smuggling, making false statements and visa fraud.“The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals, including a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party, are of the gravest national security concerns,” U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. said.Jian appeared in court and was returned to jail to await a bond hearing Thursday. An attorney who was assigned only for her initial appearance declined to comment.In July 2024, Liu was turned away at the Detroit airport and sent back to China after changing his story during an interrogation about red plant material discovered in his backpack, the FBI said.He initially claimed ignorance about the samples but later said he was planning to use the material for research at a University of Michigan lab where Jian worked and where Liu previously worked, the FBI said.<a href="https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va7Tv2j59PwNEyqGCi1y" target="_blank">Stay up to date with similar stories by signing up to our WhatsApp channel.</a>The FBI said authorities found a scientific article on Liu’s phone that was titled, “Plant-Pathogen Warfare under Changing Climate Conditions.”A week before arriving in the U.S., according to investigators, Liu exchanged messages with Jian, who said, “It’s a pity that I still have to work for you.”The FBI said Liu replied: “Once this is done, everything else will be easy.”Months later, in February, FBI agents visited Jian at the campus lab. She said, “100% no,” when asked if she had been assisting Liu with the pathogen at the lab. The FBI said it found a signed statement on her phone expressing her support for the Communist Party of China.Messages between the two in 2024 suggest that Jian was already tending to Fusarium graminearum at the campus lab before Liu was caught at the Detroit airport, the FBI said. The university does not have federal permits to handle it.The U.S. does not have an extradition treaty with China, which makes Liu’s arrest unlikely unless he returns.

Chinese couple charged with smuggling biological pathogen into the U.S.

CAMDEN COUNTY, Mo.— Two people were injured in an accident just before 6p.m. Monday at Lake of the Ozarks.

The&nbsp;Missouri State Highway Patrol&nbsp;reported a 1998 Searay 210BR driven by a 19-year-old Tekamah, Nebraska, woman was anchored at the 31 mile marker of the Main Channel in the mouth of the Big Niangua arm at Lake of the Ozarks.

The driver put the boat in reverse to try to avoid a crash with another vessel.&nbsp; The anchor became dislodged and hit a 20-year-old male passenger from New Mexico in the head.

EMS transported driver and passenger to Lake Regional Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

CAMDEN COUNTY, Mo.— Two people were injured in an accident just before 6p.m. Monday at Lake of the Ozarks.The&nbsp;Missouri State Highway Patrol&nbsp;reported a 1998 Searay 210BR driven by a 19-year-old Tekamah, Nebraska, woman was anchored at the 31 mile marker of the Main Channel in the mouth of the Big Niangua arm at Lake of the Ozarks.The driver put the boat in reverse to try to avoid a crash with another vessel.&nbsp; The anchor became dislodged and hit a 20-year-old male passenger from New Mexico in the head.EMS transported driver and passenger to Lake Regional Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Boater hit in head with anchor on Lake of the Ozarks

YORK COUNTY, Neb. —Law enforcement are investigating an Arizona man after locating over 20 pounds of suspected fentanyl pills and methamphetamine during a traffic stop on I-80, according to a media release from the Nebraska State Patrol.

Just after 3 p.m., May 30, a trooper saw a Nissan Altima speeding while traveling eastbound on Interstate 80 near York. During the traffic stop, an Nebraska State Patrol K9 detected the odor of a controlled substance in the vehicle.

Troopers searched the vehicle and found numerous packages of suspected fentanyl pills and methamphetamine. The total weight of the pills was approximately 19 pounds along with 5 pounds of suspected methamphetamine.

The driver, Thomas Henry, 36, of Williams, Arizona, was arrested for possession of controlled substances and possession with intent to deliver. He is being held in the York County Jail.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1748875344175.jpeg" alt="Photo Nebraska State Patrol" />
 <figcaption>Photo Nebraska State Patrol</figcaption>
 </figure>YORK COUNTY, Neb. —Law enforcement are investigating an Arizona man after locating over 20 pounds of suspected fentanyl pills and methamphetamine during a traffic stop on I-80, according to a media release from the Nebraska State Patrol.Just after 3 p.m., May 30, a trooper saw a Nissan Altima speeding while traveling eastbound on Interstate 80 near York. During the traffic stop, an Nebraska State Patrol K9 detected the odor of a controlled substance in the vehicle.Troopers searched the vehicle and found numerous packages of suspected fentanyl pills and methamphetamine. The total weight of the pills was approximately 19 pounds along with 5 pounds of suspected methamphetamine.The driver, Thomas Henry, 36, of Williams, Arizona, was arrested for possession of controlled substances and possession with intent to deliver. He is being held in the York County Jail.

Troopers found nearly 20 pounds of fentanyl pills during traffic stop

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/lisa-mascaro">LISA MASCARO</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/mary-clare-jalonick">MARY CLARE JALONICK</a>

WASHINGTON (AP) —Tech billionaire Elon Musk, who just left the Trump administration, blasted the Republican tax cuts and spending plans that passed the House.

“This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination,” Musk posted Tuesday on X. “Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”

Musk continued that the bill “will massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit to $2.5 trillion (!!!) and burden America citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elon-musk">Musk stepped down</a>&nbsp;last week from his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency, which has been tasked with slashing federal spending.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt played down the criticism by one of Trump’s top advisers and funders of his political operations during last year’s election.

“The president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill,” Leavitt said, adding that Musk’s post “doesn’t change the president’s opinion.”

Senate majority leader pushes back on Musk critique of GOP bill

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748628883590.png" alt="File photo White House- Elon Musk during a farewell press conference in the Oval Office last month" />
 <figcaption>File photo White House- Elon Musk during a farewell press conference in the Oval Office last month</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/lisa-mascaro">LISA MASCARO</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/mary-clare-jalonick">MARY CLARE JALONICK</a>WASHINGTON (AP) —Tech billionaire Elon Musk, who just left the Trump administration, blasted the Republican tax cuts and spending plans that passed the House.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1929954109689606359?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination,” Musk posted Tuesday on X. “Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”Musk continued that the bill “will massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit to $2.5 trillion (!!!) and burden America citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt.”<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elon-musk">Musk stepped down</a>&nbsp;last week from his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency, which has been tasked with slashing federal spending.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt played down the criticism by one of Trump’s top advisers and funders of his political operations during last year’s election.“The president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill,” Leavitt said, adding that Musk’s post “doesn’t change the president’s opinion.”<h2>Senate majority leader pushes back on Musk critique of GOP bill</h2>John Thune said billionaire Elon Musk’s critiques of the Republicans’ sweeping tax and spending package amounts to “a difference of opinion” and said the Senate would not change course.“So we have a difference of opinion. He’s entitled to that opinion. We’re going to proceed full speed ahead,” Thune told reporters.Thune said he has seen economic modeling that predicts “significant growth” in the U.S. economy if the proposals were enacted.He said Musk’s concerns were based on analysis from the Congressional Budget Office that he called “static scoring assessment.”He dismissed concerns that Musk’s critiques could tank the GOP’s signature legislation.“We have an agenda that everybody campaigned on, most notably the president,” Thune said.<h2>House speaker calls Elon Musk’s criticism of the Republican tax and immigration bill ‘very disappointing’</h2>“With all due respect,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/musk-leaves-white-house-doge-savings-trump-666f0c3f890354fe836230826d9faa85">my friend Elon</a>&nbsp;is terribly wrong about the one big beautiful bill,” Mike Johnson said Tuesday.Johnson said he spoke with Musk on Monday for more than 20 minutes by telephone. He said he extolled the virtues of the bill and how it was achieving campaign promises while making permanent massive tax and spending cuts.“It’s a very important first start. Elon is missing it,” Johnson said.Johnson also noted how the bill quickly phases out tax credits for electric vehicle purchases.“That is going away because the government should not be subsidizing these things,” Johnson said. “I know that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/musk-trump-tesla-starlink-spacex-twitter-x-robotaxi-selfdriving-austin-e5206c756299f47e81fb90fb4734661a">has an effect on his business</a>&nbsp;and I lament that.”He also said that’s he’s surprised by Musk’s criticism given their conversation.“I just deeply regret he’s made this mistake,” Johnson said.