Whit Merrifield is retiring after a nine-season career that included twice leading the MLB in hits and three trips to the All-Star Game.

The 36-year-old posted on social media that the birth of his daughter last year played a role in the decision. Merrifield, a utilityman whose career began with Kansas City, was granted free agency after finishing last season with Atlanta. He didn't play in 2025.

“At this point in my life, I'd much rather chase around a toddler than chase sliders,” wrote Merrifield, who had 192 hits for the Royals in 2018 and led the majors again a year later with 206.

Merrifield played his last game with the Braves on Sept. 30, 2024,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mets-braves-postseason-score-95f6b7d1af6907f554b994146a7b5231">when they had to play a Monday doubleheader</a>&nbsp;against the New York Mets to settle the National League wild-card race. Heavy rains from Hurricane Helene had rained out both games in Atlanta a week earlier.

The Mets clinched a wild card with a victory in Game 1, which Merrifield played. He sat for the second game, which the Braves won to move on to the postseason as well.

Merrifield was a ninth-round pick by Kansas City in the 2010 amateur draft and made his debut with the Royals six years later, the season after the club won its first World Series in 30 years.

Merrifield played in every game from 2019-21, which included the 2020 season shortened to 60 games by the pandemic.

The Royals didn't make the playoffs in any of Merrifield's six full seasons, and he was traded to Toronto in 2022. He went to the postseason twice with the Blue Jays, but wasn't a regular in the lineup.

Merrifield led the majors in stolen bases three times, including a career-high 45 in 2018. He hit .280 with 94 homers, 485 RBIs, 29 triples and 218 steals in 1,147 games.

The last All-Star trip for Merrifield came in 2023 with Toronto, and he signed as a free agent with Philadelphia that next offseason.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/merrifield-phillies-02cf42cd0ed81944db595ce86f410d77">The Phillies released Merrifield</a>&nbsp;last July, and the South Carolina native signed with the Braves.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750811045053.jpeg" alt="FILE - Philadelphia Phillies' Whit Merrifield celebrates with teammates after scoring during the fourth inning of a spring training baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Feb. 28, 2024, in Clearwater, Fla. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)" />
                        <figcaption>FILE - Philadelphia Phillies' Whit Merrifield celebrates with teammates after scoring during the fourth inning of a spring training baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Feb. 28, 2024, in Clearwater, Fla. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p><i>By The Associated Press</i></p><p>Whit Merrifield is retiring after a nine-season career that included twice leading the MLB in hits and three trips to the All-Star Game.</p><p>The 36-year-old posted on social media that the birth of his daughter last year played a role in the decision. Merrifield, a utilityman whose career began with Kansas City, was granted free agency after finishing last season with Atlanta. He didn't play in 2025.</p><p>“At this point in my life, I'd much rather chase around a toddler than chase sliders,” wrote Merrifield, who had 192 hits for the Royals in 2018 and led the majors again a year later with 206.</p><p>Merrifield played his last game with the Braves on Sept. 30, 2024,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mets-braves-postseason-score-95f6b7d1af6907f554b994146a7b5231">when they had to play a Monday doubleheader</a>&nbsp;against the New York Mets to settle the National League wild-card race. Heavy rains from Hurricane Helene had rained out both games in Atlanta a week earlier.</p><p>The Mets clinched a wild card with a victory in Game 1, which Merrifield played. He sat for the second game, which the Braves won to move on to the postseason as well.</p><p>Merrifield was a ninth-round pick by Kansas City in the 2010 amateur draft and made his debut with the Royals six years later, the season after the club won its first World Series in 30 years.</p><p>Merrifield played in every game from 2019-21, which included the 2020 season shortened to 60 games by the pandemic.</p><p>The Royals didn't make the playoffs in any of Merrifield's six full seasons, and he was traded to Toronto in 2022. He went to the postseason twice with the Blue Jays, but wasn't a regular in the lineup.</p><p>Merrifield led the majors in stolen bases three times, including a career-high 45 in 2018. He hit .280 with 94 homers, 485 RBIs, 29 triples and 218 steals in 1,147 games.</p><p>The last All-Star trip for Merrifield came in 2023 with Toronto, and he signed as a free agent with Philadelphia that next offseason.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/merrifield-phillies-02cf42cd0ed81944db595ce86f410d77">The Phillies released Merrifield</a>&nbsp;last July, and the South Carolina native signed with the Braves.</p>

⚾ Whit Merrifield retires after twice leading MLB in hits over his 9 seasons

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22MICHELLE%20L.%20PRICE%20and%20MARY%20CLARE%20JALONICK%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By MICHELLE L. PRICE and MARY CLARE JALONICK&nbsp;</a>

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new U.S. intelligence report found that Iran’s nuclear program has been set back only a few months after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-talks-geneva-news-06-21-2025-a7b0cdaba28b5817467ccf712d214579">a U.S. strike</a>&nbsp;and was not “completely and fully obliterated” as President Donald Trump has said, according to two people familiar with the early assessment.

The intelligence report issued by the Defense Intelligence Agency on Monday contradicts statements from Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the status of Iran's nuclear facilities. The people were not authorized to address the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

According to the people, the report found that while the Saturday strikes at the Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bunker-buster-bomb-israel-iran-fordo-fordow-b2-nuclear-8a612cbf16aa0f99bd9992334ffc93d7">did significant damage</a>, they were not totally destroyed.

The assessment found that at least some of Iran’s highly enriched uranium was moved out of multiple sites before the U.S. strikes and survived, according to the people, and it also found that Iran’s centrifuges are largely intact.

At the deeply buried Fordo uranium enrichment plant, the entrance collapsed and infrastructure was damaged, so that will take time to fix, but the underground infrastructure was not destroyed, according to one of the people. The person also said that previous assessments had warned of this outcome at Fordo.

The White House strongly pushed back on the assessment, calling it “flat-out wrong.”

“The leaking of this alleged assessment is a clear attempt to demean President Trump, and discredit the brave fighter pilots who conducted a perfectly executed mission to obliterate Iran’s nuclear program,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. “Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000 pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration.”

Trump has said in comments and posts on social media in recent days, including Tuesday, that the strikes left the sites in Iran “totally destroyed” and that Iran will never rebuild its nuclear facilities.

Netanyahu said in a televised statement on Tuesday that, “For dozens of years I promised you that Iran would not have nuclear weapons and indeed ... we brought to ruin Iran’s nuclear program."

He said the U.S. joining Israel was “historic" and thanked Trump.

The CIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment on the DIA assessment. ODNI coordinates the work of the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies, including the DIA, which is the intelligence arm of the Defense Department, responsible for producing intelligence on foreign militaries and the capabilities of adversaries.

The intelligence assessment was first reported by CNN on Tuesday.

Associated Press writers Eric Tucker and David Klepper contributed to this report

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750597945858.png" alt="<br>" />
                        <figcaption><br></figcaption>
                    </figure><p><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22MICHELLE%20L.%20PRICE%20and%20MARY%20CLARE%20JALONICK%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By MICHELLE L. PRICE and MARY CLARE JALONICK&nbsp;</a></p><p>WASHINGTON (AP) — A new U.S. intelligence report found that Iran’s nuclear program has been set back only a few months after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-talks-geneva-news-06-21-2025-a7b0cdaba28b5817467ccf712d214579">a U.S. strike</a>&nbsp;and was not “completely and fully obliterated” as President Donald Trump has said, according to two people familiar with the early assessment.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/tioH6SkYLt">pic.twitter.com/tioH6SkYLt</a></p>&mdash; Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth/status/1937660080943476864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We dropped fourteen 30,000 pound bombs directly on their target. <br>420,000 pounds of bombs.<br>It doesn’t take a genius to know that these nuclear facilities have been completely obliterated. <a href="https://t.co/CthAthypLK">pic.twitter.com/CthAthypLK</a></p>&mdash; Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellATSD) <a href="https://twitter.com/SeanParnellATSD/status/1937619046943588441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>The intelligence report issued by the Defense Intelligence Agency on Monday contradicts statements from Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the status of Iran's nuclear facilities. The people were not authorized to address the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on Iran: &quot;They&#39;re not going to have enrichment and they&#39;re not going to have a nuclear weapon. They&#39;re going to get on to being a great trading nation.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/bL37yc5Mtn">pic.twitter.com/bL37yc5Mtn</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1937519347213222016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>According to the people, the report found that while the Saturday strikes at the Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bunker-buster-bomb-israel-iran-fordo-fordow-b2-nuclear-8a612cbf16aa0f99bd9992334ffc93d7">did significant damage</a>, they were not totally destroyed.</p><p>The assessment found that at least some of Iran’s highly enriched uranium was moved out of multiple sites before the U.S. strikes and survived, according to the people, and it also found that Iran’s centrifuges are largely intact.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;Our B-2 pilots made this all possible. They had a magnificent hit in the dark of night with no moon, no light, no nothing. They hit the target perfectly ... I saw CNN Fake News going, &#39;Well, maybe it wasn&#39;t a perfect hit...&#39; It&#39;s very disrespectful to those great… <a href="https://t.co/xRryvaV8Vn">pic.twitter.com/xRryvaV8Vn</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1937522886253658230?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>At the deeply buried Fordo uranium enrichment plant, the entrance collapsed and infrastructure was damaged, so that will take time to fix, but the underground infrastructure was not destroyed, according to one of the people. The person also said that previous assessments had warned of this outcome at Fordo.</p><p>The White House strongly pushed back on the assessment, calling it “flat-out wrong.”</p><p>“The leaking of this alleged assessment is a clear attempt to demean President Trump, and discredit the brave fighter pilots who conducted a perfectly executed mission to obliterate Iran’s nuclear program,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. “Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000 pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration.”</p><p>Trump has said in comments and posts on social media in recent days, including Tuesday, that the strikes left the sites in Iran “totally destroyed” and that Iran will never rebuild its nuclear facilities.</p><p>Netanyahu said in a televised statement on Tuesday that, “For dozens of years I promised you that Iran would not have nuclear weapons and indeed ... we brought to ruin Iran’s nuclear program."</p><p>He said the U.S. joining Israel was “historic" and thanked Trump.</p><p>The CIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment on the DIA assessment. ODNI coordinates the work of the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies, including the DIA, which is the intelligence arm of the Defense Department, responsible for producing intelligence on foreign militaries and the capabilities of adversaries.</p><p>The intelligence assessment was first reported by CNN on Tuesday.</p><p>___</p><p>Associated Press writers Eric Tucker and David Klepper contributed to this report</p>

Shocking early US intelligence report on US strikes of Iran’s nuclear program

<b>By CRISTINA JANNEY<br></b><i>Hays Post</i>

Ellis Police Chief Avery Smith posted on Facebook on Sunday that a sign marking the historical Ellis Trail in Ellis had been vandalized.

The sign is one of several in the area that mark the Ellis Trail, which honors the 35-mile route that early Nicodemus settlers walked to reach their settlement.

About 380 black settlers, most recently freed slaves, arrived from Kentucky at Ellis by rail in fall 1877.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/cf713d02-90ad-4e17-9f9b-b160450ca8e2">The sign was dedicated in 2021.</a>

Nicodemus is the only all-black settlement west of the Mississippi River remaining. It is home to a <a href="https://www.nps.gov/nico/index.htm">National Historic Site</a>.

Smith said in his post, "The Ellis Police Department is seeking assistance from our community members to identify the person(s) responsible for damaging the Nicodemus sign at Memorial Park."

The timeframe for the damage to have occurred is unknown, but it is believed to be recent and deliberate, the post said.

You can message the police department anonymously by visiting the city’s website at <a href="https://ellis.ks.us/local/police-department/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExYU5TZTdKYVl2S25zOG1PcwEelqmRAtuTT4X1k3x7XiRpa2OGAqAKNGf30xeSxCvHYYK3dpRWa-mrefuJR5E_aem_REvUcqXiZgyODDCIgU9clg" target="_blank">https://ellis.ks.us/local/police-department/</a> and scrolling to the bottom of the page. 

You&nbsp;can also message the police department on its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/EllisPoliceDepartment" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>&nbsp;with any&nbsp;information. You can also submit tips by calling Ellis County Communications at 785-625-1011 and requesting to speak with an Ellis Police Department officer.

After about 90 comments on Facebook, Smith added,&nbsp; "We have ZERO indication that this was hate-related or targeted at a specific group of individuals, because we have not identified any suspects yet.

"Without interviewing a suspect, we cannot directly determine&nbsp;whether a bias motivated the damage. The damage appears to be DELIBERATE in nature, meaning that someone damaged the sign on purpose and not accidentally."

He added, "If there is a hate bias involved, the investigation will be appropriately conducted and referred to the appropriate charging authority. We strongly condemn hate speech and hate crimes, but also recognize and honor that free speech is a tenet of a free society. 

"The Ellis Police Department remains steadfast in its commitment to Constitutional policing and respecting the rights of all Community Members that we have the honor of serving. Political scapegoating, on ANY side of the political spectrum, is not the answer to solving this case. You cannot have a community without UNITY."

Smith said Tuesday afternoon there were still no leads on the case.

People who want to donate to replace the sign can do so by sending donations to&nbsp; The Nicodemus Historical Society, 611 S. Fifth Bogue, KS 67625 or call Angela Bates at 785 839-8200.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750783310093.jpeg" alt="The Ellis Trail sign in Ellis, which honors Nicodemus settlers, was recently vandalized. Photo courtesy of Ellis Police Department." />
                        <figcaption>The Ellis Trail sign in Ellis, which honors Nicodemus settlers, was recently vandalized. Photo courtesy of Ellis Police Department.</figcaption>
                    </figure><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750783326260.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy of Ellis Police Department." />
                        <figcaption>Photo courtesy of Ellis Police Department.</figcaption>
                    </figure><p><b>By CRISTINA JANNEY<br></b><i>Hays Post</i></p><p>Ellis Police Chief Avery Smith posted on Facebook on Sunday that a sign marking the historical Ellis Trail in Ellis had been vandalized.</p><p>The sign is one of several in the area that mark the Ellis Trail, which honors the 35-mile route that early Nicodemus settlers walked to reach their settlement.</p><p>About 380 black settlers, most recently freed slaves, arrived from Kentucky at Ellis by rail in fall 1877.</p><p><a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/cf713d02-90ad-4e17-9f9b-b160450ca8e2">The sign was dedicated in 2021.</a></p><p>Nicodemus is the only all-black settlement west of the Mississippi River remaining. It is home to a <a href="https://www.nps.gov/nico/index.htm">National Historic Site</a>.</p><p>Smith said in his post, "The Ellis Police Department is seeking assistance from our community members to identify the person(s) responsible for damaging the Nicodemus sign at Memorial Park."</p><p>The timeframe for the damage to have occurred is unknown, but it is believed to be recent and deliberate, the post said.</p><p>You can message the police department anonymously by visiting the city’s website at <a href="https://ellis.ks.us/local/police-department/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExYU5TZTdKYVl2S25zOG1PcwEelqmRAtuTT4X1k3x7XiRpa2OGAqAKNGf30xeSxCvHYYK3dpRWa-mrefuJR5E_aem_REvUcqXiZgyODDCIgU9clg" target="_blank">https://ellis.ks.us/local/police-department/</a> and scrolling to the bottom of the page. </p><p>You&nbsp;can also message the police department on its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/EllisPoliceDepartment" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>&nbsp;with any&nbsp;information. You can also submit tips by calling Ellis County Communications at 785-625-1011 and requesting to speak with an Ellis Police Department officer.</p><p>After about 90 comments on Facebook, Smith added,&nbsp; "We have ZERO indication that this was hate-related or targeted at a specific group of individuals, because we have not identified any suspects yet.</p><p>"Without interviewing a suspect, we cannot directly determine&nbsp;whether a bias motivated the damage. The damage appears to be DELIBERATE in nature, meaning that someone damaged the sign on purpose and not accidentally."</p><p>He added, "If there is a hate bias involved, the investigation will be appropriately conducted and referred to the appropriate charging authority. We strongly condemn hate speech and hate crimes, but also recognize and honor that free speech is a tenet of a free society. </p><p>"The Ellis Police Department remains steadfast in its commitment to Constitutional policing and respecting the rights of all Community Members that we have the honor of serving. Political scapegoating, on ANY side of the political spectrum, is not the answer to solving this case. You cannot have a community without UNITY."</p><p>Smith said Tuesday afternoon there were still no leads on the case.</p><p>People who want to donate to replace the sign can do so by sending donations to&nbsp; The Nicodemus Historical Society, 611 S. Fifth Bogue, KS 67625 or call Angela Bates at 785 839-8200.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

Ellis Trail sign that honors Nicodemus settlers vandalized

From Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Tod&nbsp; Hileman on Facebook:

<i> Eastbound I-70 is temporarily shut down at Ellis due to a semi truck fire.  Vehicles are being directed down the off ramp and then they can get back on using the on-ramp. Please slow down if you were in this area!</i>

According to a Kansas Department of Transportation camera as of 2:30 p.m. today at the Ellis 146 exit, there is a semi on fire in the westbound lanes.

Smoke is blowing over both lanes of traffic, and traffic is being diverted.

We will post more infromation as it becomes available.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750794171913.png" alt="" />
                        <figcaption></figcaption>
                    </figure><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750797607837.jpeg" alt="Courtesy of Trooper Tod&nbsp; Hileman" />
                        <figcaption>Courtesy of Trooper Tod&nbsp; Hileman</figcaption>
                    </figure><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750797618184.jpeg" alt="Courtesy of Trooper Tod&nbsp; Hileman" />
                        <figcaption>Courtesy of Trooper Tod&nbsp; Hileman</figcaption>
                    </figure><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750797628734.jpeg" alt="Courtesy of Trooper Tod&nbsp; Hileman" />
                        <figcaption>Courtesy of Trooper Tod&nbsp; Hileman</figcaption>
                    </figure><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750797638019.jpeg" alt="Courtesy of Trooper Tod&nbsp; Hileman" />
                        <figcaption>Courtesy of Trooper Tod&nbsp; Hileman</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>From Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Tod&nbsp; Hileman on Facebook:</p><p><i> Eastbound I-70 is temporarily shut down at Ellis due to a semi truck fire.  Vehicles are being directed down the off ramp and then they can get back on using the on-ramp. Please slow down if you were in this area!</i></p><p>____</p><p><i>Hays Post</i></p><p>According to a Kansas Department of Transportation camera as of 2:30 p.m. today at the Ellis 146 exit, there is a semi on fire in the westbound lanes.</p><p>Smoke is blowing over both lanes of traffic, and traffic is being diverted.</p><p>We will post more infromation as it becomes available.</p>

Update: Semi on fire near Ellis exit on I-70

WASHINGTON (AP) —The U.S. House voted overwhelmingly to table the Trump impeachment effort, for now.

A lone Democrat, Rep. Al Green of Texas, forced the sudden vote arguing Trump abused his power without authorization from Congress for the military action. It quickly divided his party.

Most Democrats joined Republicans to shelve the matter, but dozens voted with Green. The tally was 344-79.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez tells Trump to take his anger out on someone else

The New York Democrat responded to the president’s earlier social media post in which he dared her to pursue his impeachment.

She had said over the weekend that Trump should be removed from office for bombing Iran without approval from Congress.

“Trump should take it out on whoever convinced him to betray the American people and our Constitution by illegally bombing Iran and dragging us into war,” she wrote in a fundraising appeal. “It only took him 5 months to break almost every promise he made.”

Ocasio Cortez also responded to Trump’s saying they’re both from Queens. He was born there. She was born in the Bronx but represents a Queens congressional district.

“I’m a Bronx girl. Trump should know that we can eat Queens boys for breakfast,” she said.

<p>WASHINGTON (AP) —The U.S. House voted overwhelmingly to table the Trump impeachment effort, for now.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">U.S. House tables (kills) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepAlGreen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepAlGreen</a> impeachment resolution, 344-79. <a href="https://t.co/vCVg0XdK2P">pic.twitter.com/vCVg0XdK2P</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1937574670997328335?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We got your back, Mr. President. 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/d6MLEYyV0Z">pic.twitter.com/d6MLEYyV0Z</a></p>&mdash; House Republicans (@HouseGOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/HouseGOP/status/1937571866090344923?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>A lone Democrat, Rep. Al Green of Texas, forced the sudden vote arguing Trump abused his power without authorization from Congress for the military action. It quickly divided his party.</p><p>Most Democrats joined Republicans to shelve the matter, but dozens voted with Green. The tally was 344-79.</p><h2>Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez tells Trump to take his anger out on someone else</h2><p>The New York Democrat responded to the president’s earlier social media post in which he dared her to pursue his impeachment.</p><p>She had said over the weekend that Trump should be removed from office for bombing Iran without approval from Congress.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Mr. President, don’t take your anger out on me - I’m just a silly girl.<br><br>Take it out on whoever convinced you to betray the American people and our Constitution by illegally bombing Iran and dragging us into war.<br><br>It only took you 5 months to break almost every promise you made. <a href="https://t.co/77YSWUj2dc">https://t.co/77YSWUj2dc</a></p>&mdash; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) <a href="https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1937525272594595993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>“Trump should take it out on whoever convinced him to betray the American people and our Constitution by illegally bombing Iran and dragging us into war,” she wrote in a fundraising appeal. “It only took him 5 months to break almost every promise he made.”</p><p>Ocasio Cortez also responded to Trump’s saying they’re both from Queens. He was born there. She was born in the Bronx but represents a Queens congressional district.</p><p>“I’m a Bronx girl. Trump should know that we can eat Queens boys for breakfast,” she said.</p>

House votes to set aside Trump impeachment over Iran strikes

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/mark-kennedy">MARK KENNEDY</a><br>Associated Press

Bobby Sherman, whose winsome smile and fashionable shaggy mop top helped make him into a teen idol in the 1960s and ’70s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/music">with bubblegum pop hits</a>&nbsp;like “Little Woman” and “Julie, Do Ya Love Me,” has died. He was 81.

His wife, Brigitte Poublon, announced the death Tuesday and family friend John Stamos posted her message on Instagram: “Bobby left this world holding my hand — just as he held up our life with love, courage, and unwavering grace.” Sherman revealed he had Stage 4 cancer earlier this year.

Sherman was a squeaky-clean regular on the covers of Tiger Beat and Sixteen magazines, often with hair over his eyes and a choker on his neck. His face was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/4b3b0577b76649d2ba7200054c9d22ac">printed on lunchboxes,</a>&nbsp;cereal boxes and posters that hung on the bedroom walls of his adoring fans. He landed at No. 8 in TV Guide’s list of “TV’s 25 Greatest Teen Idols.”

He was part of a lineage of teen heartthrobs who emerged as mass-market, youth-oriented magazines and TV took off, connecting fresh-scrubbed Ricky Nelson in the 1950s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-arts-and-entertainment-television-programs-david-cassidy-8bdb655de70947a69302cf07b684dd26">to David Cassidy</a>&nbsp;in the ’60s, all the way to Justin Bieber in the 2000s.

Sherman had four Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart — “Little Woman,” “Julie, Do Ya Love Me,” “Easy Come, Easy Go,” and “La La La (If I Had You).” He had six albums on the Billboard 200 chart, including “Here Comes Bobby,” which spent 48 weeks on the album chart, peaking at No. 10. His career got its jump start when he was cast in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-arts-and-entertainment-buddy-guy-bea37b6198ed7529fef69e66860b587e">ABC rock ’n’ roll show “Shindig!”</a>&nbsp;in the mid-’60s. Later, he starred in two television series — “Here Come the Brides” (1968-70) and “Getting Together” (1971).

After the limelight moved on, Sherman became a certified medical emergency technician and instructor for the Los Angeles Police Department, teaching police recruits first aid and CPR. He donated his salary.

“A lot of times, people say, ‘Well, if you could go back and change things, what would you do?’” he told The Tulsa World in 1997. “And I don’t think I’d change a thing — except to maybe be a little bit more aware of it, because I probably could’ve relished the fun of it a little more. It was a lot of work. It was a lot of blood, sweat and tears. But it was the best of times.”

Sherman, with sky blue eyes and dimples, grew up in the San Fernando Valley, singing Ricky Nelson songs and performing with a high-school rock band.

“I was brought up in a fairly strict family,” he told the Sunday News newspaper in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1998. “Law and order were important. Respect your fellow neighbor, remember other people’s feelings. I was the kind of boy who didn’t do things just to be mischievous.”

He was studying child psychology at a community college in 1964 when his girlfriend took him to a Hollywood party, which would change his life. He stepped onstage and sang with the band. Afterward, guests Jane Fonda,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/7d99f5f9f741424f8313cc63a886067e">Natalie Wood</a>&nbsp;and Sal Mineo asked him who his agent was. They took his number and, a few days later, an agent called him and set him up with “Shindig!”

Sherman hit true teen idol status in 1968, when he appeared in “Here Come the Brides,” a comedy-adventure set in boom town Seattle in the 1870s. He sang the show’s theme song, “Seattle,” and starred as young logger Jeremy Bolt, often at loggerheads with brother, played&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/actor-david-soul-starsky-hutch-dies-03dd29682458e44bddfccee4ce46607b">by David Soul.</a>&nbsp;It lasted two seasons.

Following the series, Sherman starred in “Getting Together,” a spinoff of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/celebrity-general-news-394361d8368d452b8d34a8f270b5c523">“The Partridge Family,”</a>&nbsp;about a songwriter struggling to make it in the music business. He became the first performer to star in three TV series before the age of 30. That television exposure soon translated into a fruitful recording career: His first single, “Little Woman,” earned a gold record in 1969.

“While the rest of the world seemed jumbled up and threatening, Sherman’s smiling visage beamed from the bedroom walls of hundreds of thousands of teen-age girls, a reassuring totem against the riots, drugs, war protests and free love that raged outside,” The Tulsa World said in 1997.

His movies included “Wild In Streets,” “He is My Brother” and “Get Crazy.”

Sherman pulled back from his celebrity career after several years of a frantic schedule, telling The Washington Post: “I’d film five days a week, get on a plane on a Friday night and go someplace for matinee and evening shows Saturday and Sunday, then get on a plane and go back to the studio to start filming again. It was so hectic for three years that I didn’t know what home was.”

Sherman’s pivot to becoming an emergency medical technician in 1988 was born out of a longtime fascination with medicine. Sherman said that affinity blossomed when he raised his sons with his first wife, Patti Carnel. They would get scrapes and bloody noses and he became the family’s first-aid provider. So he started learning basic first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation from the Red Cross.

“If I see an accident, I feel compelled to stop and give aid even if I’m in my own car,” he told the St. Petersburg Times. “I carry equipment with me. And there’s not a better feeling than the one you get from helping somebody out. I would recommend it to everybody.”

In addition to his work with the Los Angeles Police Department, he was a reserve deputy with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, working security at the courthouse. Sherman estimated that, as a paramedic, he helped five women deliver babies in the backseats of cars or other impromptu locations.

In one case, he helped deliver a baby on the sidewalk and, after the birth, the new mother asked Sherman’s partner what his name was. “When he told her Bobby, she named the baby Roberta. I was glad he didn’t tell her my name was Sherman,” he told the St. Petersburg Times in 1997.

He was named LAPD’s Reserve Officer of the Year for 1999 and received the FBI’s Exceptional Service Award and the “Twice a Citizen” Award by the Los Angeles County Reserve Foundation.

<a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-2004-10-06/pdf/CREC-2004-10-06-pt1-PgE1800-2.pdf#page=1" target="_blank">In a speech on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2004,</a>&nbsp;then-Rep. Howard McKeon wrote: “Bobby is a stellar example of the statement ‘to protect and serve.’ We can only say a simple and heartfelt thank you to Bobby Sherman and to all the men and women who courageously protect and serve the citizens of America.”

Later, Sherman would join the 1990s-era “Teen Idols Tour” with former 1960s heartthrobs Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones of the Monkees and Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits.

The Chicago Sun-Times in 1998 described one of Sherman’s performances: “Dressed to kill in black leather pants and white shirt, he was showered with roses and teddy bears as he started things off with ‘Easy Come, Easy Go.’ As he signed scores of autographs at the foot of the stage, it was quickly draped by female fans of every conceivable age group.”

Sherman also co-founded the Brigitte and Bobby Sherman Children’s Foundation in Ghana, which provides education, health, and welfare programs to children in need.

He is survived by two sons, Christopher and Tyler, and his wife.

“Even in his final days, he stayed strong for me. That’s who Bobby was — brave, gentle, and full of light,” Poublon wrote.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750787876972.png" alt="Sherman" />
                        <figcaption>Sherman</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/mark-kennedy">MARK KENNEDY</a><br>Associated Press</p><p>Bobby Sherman, whose winsome smile and fashionable shaggy mop top helped make him into a teen idol in the 1960s and ’70s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/music">with bubblegum pop hits</a>&nbsp;like “Little Woman” and “Julie, Do Ya Love Me,” has died. He was 81.</p><p>His wife, Brigitte Poublon, announced the death Tuesday and family friend John Stamos posted her message on Instagram: “Bobby left this world holding my hand — just as he held up our life with love, courage, and unwavering grace.” Sherman revealed he had Stage 4 cancer earlier this year.</p><div><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLSmV0HJ8n9/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLSmV0HJ8n9/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; 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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLSmV0HJ8n9/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by John Stamos (@johnstamos)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div><p>Sherman was a squeaky-clean regular on the covers of Tiger Beat and Sixteen magazines, often with hair over his eyes and a choker on his neck. His face was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/4b3b0577b76649d2ba7200054c9d22ac">printed on lunchboxes,</a>&nbsp;cereal boxes and posters that hung on the bedroom walls of his adoring fans. He landed at No. 8 in TV Guide’s list of “TV’s 25 Greatest Teen Idols.”</p><p>He was part of a lineage of teen heartthrobs who emerged as mass-market, youth-oriented magazines and TV took off, connecting fresh-scrubbed Ricky Nelson in the 1950s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-arts-and-entertainment-television-programs-david-cassidy-8bdb655de70947a69302cf07b684dd26">to David Cassidy</a>&nbsp;in the ’60s, all the way to Justin Bieber in the 2000s.</p><p>Sherman had four Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart — “Little Woman,” “Julie, Do Ya Love Me,” “Easy Come, Easy Go,” and “La La La (If I Had You).” He had six albums on the Billboard 200 chart, including “Here Comes Bobby,” which spent 48 weeks on the album chart, peaking at No. 10. His career got its jump start when he was cast in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-arts-and-entertainment-buddy-guy-bea37b6198ed7529fef69e66860b587e">ABC rock ’n’ roll show “Shindig!”</a>&nbsp;in the mid-’60s. Later, he starred in two television series — “Here Come the Brides” (1968-70) and “Getting Together” (1971).</p><p>After the limelight moved on, Sherman became a certified medical emergency technician and instructor for the Los Angeles Police Department, teaching police recruits first aid and CPR. He donated his salary.</p><p>“A lot of times, people say, ‘Well, if you could go back and change things, what would you do?’” he told The Tulsa World in 1997. “And I don’t think I’d change a thing — except to maybe be a little bit more aware of it, because I probably could’ve relished the fun of it a little more. It was a lot of work. It was a lot of blood, sweat and tears. But it was the best of times.”</p><h2>A life-changing Hollywood party</h2><p>Sherman, with sky blue eyes and dimples, grew up in the San Fernando Valley, singing Ricky Nelson songs and performing with a high-school rock band.</p><p>“I was brought up in a fairly strict family,” he told the Sunday News newspaper in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1998. “Law and order were important. Respect your fellow neighbor, remember other people’s feelings. I was the kind of boy who didn’t do things just to be mischievous.”</p><p>He was studying child psychology at a community college in 1964 when his girlfriend took him to a Hollywood party, which would change his life. He stepped onstage and sang with the band. Afterward, guests Jane Fonda,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/7d99f5f9f741424f8313cc63a886067e">Natalie Wood</a>&nbsp;and Sal Mineo asked him who his agent was. They took his number and, a few days later, an agent called him and set him up with “Shindig!”</p><p>Sherman hit true teen idol status in 1968, when he appeared in “Here Come the Brides,” a comedy-adventure set in boom town Seattle in the 1870s. He sang the show’s theme song, “Seattle,” and starred as young logger Jeremy Bolt, often at loggerheads with brother, played&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/actor-david-soul-starsky-hutch-dies-03dd29682458e44bddfccee4ce46607b">by David Soul.</a>&nbsp;It lasted two seasons.</p><p>Following the series, Sherman starred in “Getting Together,” a spinoff of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/celebrity-general-news-394361d8368d452b8d34a8f270b5c523">“The Partridge Family,”</a>&nbsp;about a songwriter struggling to make it in the music business. He became the first performer to star in three TV series before the age of 30. That television exposure soon translated into a fruitful recording career: His first single, “Little Woman,” earned a gold record in 1969.</p><p>“While the rest of the world seemed jumbled up and threatening, Sherman’s smiling visage beamed from the bedroom walls of hundreds of thousands of teen-age girls, a reassuring totem against the riots, drugs, war protests and free love that raged outside,” The Tulsa World said in 1997.</p><p>His movies included “Wild In Streets,” “He is My Brother” and “Get Crazy.”</p><h2>From music to medicine</h2><p>Sherman pulled back from his celebrity career after several years of a frantic schedule, telling The Washington Post: “I’d film five days a week, get on a plane on a Friday night and go someplace for matinee and evening shows Saturday and Sunday, then get on a plane and go back to the studio to start filming again. It was so hectic for three years that I didn’t know what home was.”</p><p>Sherman’s pivot to becoming an emergency medical technician in 1988 was born out of a longtime fascination with medicine. Sherman said that affinity blossomed when he raised his sons with his first wife, Patti Carnel. They would get scrapes and bloody noses and he became the family’s first-aid provider. So he started learning basic first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation from the Red Cross.</p><p>“If I see an accident, I feel compelled to stop and give aid even if I’m in my own car,” he told the St. Petersburg Times. “I carry equipment with me. And there’s not a better feeling than the one you get from helping somebody out. I would recommend it to everybody.”</p><p>In addition to his work with the Los Angeles Police Department, he was a reserve deputy with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, working security at the courthouse. Sherman estimated that, as a paramedic, he helped five women deliver babies in the backseats of cars or other impromptu locations.</p><p>In one case, he helped deliver a baby on the sidewalk and, after the birth, the new mother asked Sherman’s partner what his name was. “When he told her Bobby, she named the baby Roberta. I was glad he didn’t tell her my name was Sherman,” he told the St. Petersburg Times in 1997.</p><h2>The teen idols grow up</h2><p>He was named LAPD’s Reserve Officer of the Year for 1999 and received the FBI’s Exceptional Service Award and the “Twice a Citizen” Award by the Los Angeles County Reserve Foundation.</p><p><a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-2004-10-06/pdf/CREC-2004-10-06-pt1-PgE1800-2.pdf#page=1" target="_blank">In a speech on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2004,</a>&nbsp;then-Rep. Howard McKeon wrote: “Bobby is a stellar example of the statement ‘to protect and serve.’ We can only say a simple and heartfelt thank you to Bobby Sherman and to all the men and women who courageously protect and serve the citizens of America.”</p><p>Later, Sherman would join the 1990s-era “Teen Idols Tour” with former 1960s heartthrobs Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones of the Monkees and Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits.</p><p>The Chicago Sun-Times in 1998 described one of Sherman’s performances: “Dressed to kill in black leather pants and white shirt, he was showered with roses and teddy bears as he started things off with ‘Easy Come, Easy Go.’ As he signed scores of autographs at the foot of the stage, it was quickly draped by female fans of every conceivable age group.”</p><p>Sherman also co-founded the Brigitte and Bobby Sherman Children’s Foundation in Ghana, which provides education, health, and welfare programs to children in need.</p><p>He is survived by two sons, Christopher and Tyler, and his wife.</p><p>“Even in his final days, he stayed strong for me. That’s who Bobby was — brave, gentle, and full of light,” Poublon wrote.</p>

Bobby Sherman, teen idol in the 1960s and ‘70s, dies at 81

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

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Democrats have succeeded in eliminating more than a dozen policy changes from Republicans’ “big, beautiful bill” after successfully arguing before the chamber’s parliamentarian that the elements didn’t comply with the strict rules that go along with writing a budget reconciliation bill.

Removed is language&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-gop-tries-ease-pain-states-sharing-costs-snap-benefits" target="_blank">that would have transferred some of the cost</a>&nbsp;of running the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to state governments, potentially leaving states on the hook for billions in added spending on the food aid program for lower-income people.

Democrats also fended off a proposal to eliminate funding for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which fields complaints on banking and other financial institutions, and another that sought to bar federal district court judges from issuing nationwide injunctions.&nbsp;

Among the contested items that remained, Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley announced in a social media post that his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/radiation-exposure-fund-backed-missouris-hawley-included-us-senate-mega-bill" target="_blank">years-long effort to reauthorize</a>&nbsp;the Radiation Exposure Compensation Fund, or RECA, passed what’s known on Capitol Hill as the “Byrd bath” test.

“Terrific news for Missouri, radiation survivors, and MAHA: RECA has passed the ‘Byrd bath’ – Democrats did not strip it – and will be in the final bill,” Hawley wrote, referring to the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again slogan. “Huge step forward #MAHA.”

Budget Committee ranking member Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., has cheered many of the parliamentarian’s rulings, though Republican committee chairs say they’ll look for ways to rewrite the various proposals.

“Today, we were advised by the Senate Parliamentarian that several more provisions in this Big Beautiful Betrayal of a bill will be subject to the Byrd Rule — and Democrats plan to challenge every part of this bill that hurts working families and violates this process,” Merkley wrote in a statement released Saturday night. “Republicans’ relentless attack on middle class families in order to fund tax breaks for billionaires is a slap in the face to working families everywhere, and Democrats are fighting back.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

The changes could create several issues for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and eventually for Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who need nearly every GOP lawmaker in Congress to vote for the sweeping tax and spending cuts package in order for it to become law.

The House&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-house-republicans-push-through-massive-tax-and-spending-bill-slashing-medicaid" target="_blank">voted 215-214 to approve</a>&nbsp;its version of the bill in May, but since the Senate is making substantial changes, the House will have to vote on the measure again before it can go to President Donald Trump for his signature. GOP leaders hope to complete all that before the Fourth of July.

Republicans are using reconciliation, instead of moving the bill through the regular legislative process, to avoid needing Democratic votes to get past the Senate’s 60-vote legislative filibuster.

But the lower threshold for passing a reconciliation bill comes with several requirements, including that all of the proposals in the package have an impact on spending or revenues that’s not “merely incidental.”

The Senate parliamentarian, the chamber’s official scorekeeper who holds a detailed understanding of the rules and procedures, examines each of those policies and hears from both Republicans and Democrats before issuing the rulings.

The Byrd bath began last week behind closed doors and will continue for at least several more days. Once it concludes, Senate GOP leaders can move the bill to the floor, where&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/both-parties-prep-mega-bill-marathon-us-senate-vote-rama" target="_blank">members of both parties can call for votes on as many amendments as they want</a>.

Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee Chairman John Boozman, R-Ark., released a written statement defending&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/newsroom/rep/press/release/chairman-boozman-releases-agriculture-nutrition-and-forestry-budget-reconciliation-text" target="_blank">his committee’s bill</a>&nbsp;after the parliamentarian ruled several provisions must go to comply with the rules.

“To rein in federal spending and protect taxpayer dollars the committee is pursuing meaningful reforms to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to improve efficiency, accountability and integrity,” Boozman wrote. “We are continuing to examine options that comply with Senate rules to achieve savings through budget reconciliation to ensure SNAP serves those who truly need it while being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars.”

The parliamentarian ruled the committee erred in including language that would have shifted some of the cost of the SNAP program to state governments if they didn’t meet an efficiency benchmark before 2028.

A proposal to eliminate SNAP eligibility for “immigrants who are not citizens or lawful permanent residents, with certain exceptions,” was also determined not to comply with the rules, according to a press release from Merkley.

Minnesota Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, ranking member on the committee, wrote the parliamentarian’s ruling “made clear that Senate Republicans cannot use their partisan budget to shift major nutrition assistance costs to the states that would have inevitably led to major cuts.

“While Republicans’ proposed cuts to SNAP will still be devastating to families, farmers, and independent grocers across the country, we will keep fighting to protect families in need. Instead of a rushed partisan process, Republicans should work with us to lower costs for Americans and pass a bipartisan Farm Bill that works for all farmers and rural America.”

Consumer financial agency victory for Dems

The Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.banking.senate.gov/newsroom/majority/scott-releases-banking-committee-provisions-for-the-one-big-beautiful-bill" target="_blank">proposal to eliminate funding</a>&nbsp;for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/R/PDF/R48295/R48295.8.pdf" target="_blank">established</a>&nbsp;in the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, also doesn’t comply with the rules, under the parliamentarian’s ruling.

Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, ranking member on the panel, wrote in a statement that the GOP’s proposal for the CFPB represented “a reckless, dangerous attack on consumers and would lead to more Americans being tricked and trapped by giant financial institutions and put the stability of our entire financial system at risk–all to hand out tax breaks to billionaires.”

But committee Chairman Tim Scott, R-S.C., wrote in a separate statement that he remains “committed to advancing legislation that cuts waste and duplication in our federal government and saves taxpayer dollars.”

Scott listed provisions that he said will remain.

“As it stands now, the Banking Committee’s reconciliation provisions will delay the implementation of Section 1071 of Dodd-Frank, which reduces CFPB spending and protects the privacy and data of small business owners; rescind unused funds earmarked for green initiatives to give HUD discretion in funding critical housing programs; and save taxpayer dollars by eliminating an unnecessary reserve fund at the SEC,” Scott wrote. “My colleagues and I remain committed to cutting wasteful spending at the CFPB and will continue working with the Senate parliamentarian on the Committee’s provisions.”

The parliamentarian told lawmakers that various elements of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/press/rep/releases/grassley-releases-senate-judiciary-committee-text-of-the-one-big-beautiful-bill" target="_blank">the Judiciary Committee’s bill</a>&nbsp;don’t comply with the rules, including an attempt to block federal district court judges from issuing nationwide preliminary injunctions or temporary restraining orders.

The issue has become a thorn in Trump’s side during the past few months as he’s watched the courts block several of his executive orders and other unilateral administration actions.

The Judiciary Committee’s reconciliation bill cannot block the Department of Justice from awarding Byrne JAG and COPS grants to “sanctuary cities.” The bill also can’t send funding to local and state governments for the purpose of “apprehending aliens who are unlawfully present in the United States.”

Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, did not respond to a request for comment, but a committee spokesperson wrote in an email to States Newsroom that “Democrats are clinging to their radical open borders legacy by fighting to keep criminal migrants in the United States.

“Republicans are committed to enforcing the rule of law, and will continue using all available avenues to secure our borders, clean up the mess left by the Biden-Harris administration’s disastrous policies and ensure courts operate according to lawful and constitutional standards.”

Illinois Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, ranking member on the committee, issued a statement calling the bill’s policies “an attempted power grab by our Republican colleagues that we would not stand for.”

“Here’s what Senate Republicans attempted to sneak into their so-called Big, Beautiful Bill: a provision intended to limit the ability of individuals and organizations to challenge lawless Trump Administration executive actions by putting those potential plaintiffs on the hook for millions of dollars; and a provision conditioning grant eligibility on a state or locality’s compliance with federal immigration policies,” Durbin wrote.

The parliamentarian didn’t, however, remove all of the proposals contested by Democrats.

Language that would prevent local and state governments from regulating artificial intelligence for the next decade if those jurisdictions want to receive money from a $500 million fund does meet the reconciliation requirements and can remain in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.commerce.senate.gov/2025/6/chairman-cruz-releases-budget-reconciliation-text" target="_blank">the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation’s bill</a>.

But that doesn’t mean the provision will stay in the bill moving forward, since several GOP lawmakers have expressed concern about potentially tying the hands of local and state governments when it comes to AI.

Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/RepMTG/status/1929946902566494653" target="_blank">wrote in a social media post</a>&nbsp;after she voted for the House’s bill that she had no idea about the AI provision. That chamber’s package barred state and local AI regulation for a decade without tying it to any funding stream.

“We have no idea what AI will be capable of in the next 10 years and giving it free rein and tying states hands is potentially dangerous,” Greene wrote. “This needs to be stripped out in the Senate.

“When the OBBB comes back to the House for approval after Senate changes, I will not vote for it with this in it.”

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750772403338.png" alt=" At a farm market in St. Petersburg, Florida, on April 14, 2012, SNAP recipients were able to use their Electronic Benefits Transfer cards for food. (Photo by Lance Cheung/USDA)." />
                        <figcaption> At a farm market in St. Petersburg, Florida, on April 14, 2012, SNAP recipients were able to use their Electronic Benefits Transfer cards for food. (Photo by Lance Cheung/USDA).</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>&nbsp;</p><p>WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Democrats have succeeded in eliminating more than a dozen policy changes from Republicans’ “big, beautiful bill” after successfully arguing before the chamber’s parliamentarian that the elements didn’t comply with the strict rules that go along with writing a budget reconciliation bill.</p><p>Removed is language&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-gop-tries-ease-pain-states-sharing-costs-snap-benefits" target="_blank">that would have transferred some of the cost</a>&nbsp;of running the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to state governments, potentially leaving states on the hook for billions in added spending on the food aid program for lower-income people.</p><p>Democrats also fended off a proposal to eliminate funding for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which fields complaints on banking and other financial institutions, and another that sought to bar federal district court judges from issuing nationwide injunctions.&nbsp;</p><p>Among the contested items that remained, Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley announced in a social media post that his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/radiation-exposure-fund-backed-missouris-hawley-included-us-senate-mega-bill" target="_blank">years-long effort to reauthorize</a>&nbsp;the Radiation Exposure Compensation Fund, or RECA, passed what’s known on Capitol Hill as the “Byrd bath” test.</p><p>“Terrific news for Missouri, radiation survivors, and MAHA: RECA has passed the ‘Byrd bath’ – Democrats did not strip it – and will be in the final bill,” Hawley wrote, referring to the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again slogan. “Huge step forward #MAHA.”</p><h2>Democrats to continue challenges</h2><p>Budget Committee ranking member Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., has cheered many of the parliamentarian’s rulings, though Republican committee chairs say they’ll look for ways to rewrite the various proposals.</p><p>“Today, we were advised by the Senate Parliamentarian that several more provisions in this Big Beautiful Betrayal of a bill will be subject to the Byrd Rule — and Democrats plan to challenge every part of this bill that hurts working families and violates this process,” Merkley wrote in a statement released Saturday night. “Republicans’ relentless attack on middle class families in order to fund tax breaks for billionaires is a slap in the face to working families everywhere, and Democrats are fighting back.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>The changes could create several issues for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and eventually for Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who need nearly every GOP lawmaker in Congress to vote for the sweeping tax and spending cuts package in order for it to become law.</p><p>The House&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-house-republicans-push-through-massive-tax-and-spending-bill-slashing-medicaid" target="_blank">voted 215-214 to approve</a>&nbsp;its version of the bill in May, but since the Senate is making substantial changes, the House will have to vote on the measure again before it can go to President Donald Trump for his signature. GOP leaders hope to complete all that before the Fourth of July.</p><p>Republicans are using reconciliation, instead of moving the bill through the regular legislative process, to avoid needing Democratic votes to get past the Senate’s 60-vote legislative filibuster.</p><p>But the lower threshold for passing a reconciliation bill comes with several requirements, including that all of the proposals in the package have an impact on spending or revenues that’s not “merely incidental.”</p><p>The Senate parliamentarian, the chamber’s official scorekeeper who holds a detailed understanding of the rules and procedures, examines each of those policies and hears from both Republicans and Democrats before issuing the rulings.</p><p>The Byrd bath began last week behind closed doors and will continue for at least several more days. Once it concludes, Senate GOP leaders can move the bill to the floor, where&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/both-parties-prep-mega-bill-marathon-us-senate-vote-rama" target="_blank">members of both parties can call for votes on as many amendments as they want</a>.</p><h2>SNAP program</h2><p>Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee Chairman John Boozman, R-Ark., released a written statement defending&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/newsroom/rep/press/release/chairman-boozman-releases-agriculture-nutrition-and-forestry-budget-reconciliation-text" target="_blank">his committee’s bill</a>&nbsp;after the parliamentarian ruled several provisions must go to comply with the rules.</p><p>“To rein in federal spending and protect taxpayer dollars the committee is pursuing meaningful reforms to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to improve efficiency, accountability and integrity,” Boozman wrote. “We are continuing to examine options that comply with Senate rules to achieve savings through budget reconciliation to ensure SNAP serves those who truly need it while being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars.”</p><p>The parliamentarian ruled the committee erred in including language that would have shifted some of the cost of the SNAP program to state governments if they didn’t meet an efficiency benchmark before 2028.</p><p>A proposal to eliminate SNAP eligibility for “immigrants who are not citizens or lawful permanent residents, with certain exceptions,” was also determined not to comply with the rules, according to a press release from Merkley.</p><p>Minnesota Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, ranking member on the committee, wrote the parliamentarian’s ruling “made clear that Senate Republicans cannot use their partisan budget to shift major nutrition assistance costs to the states that would have inevitably led to major cuts.</p><p>“While Republicans’ proposed cuts to SNAP will still be devastating to families, farmers, and independent grocers across the country, we will keep fighting to protect families in need. Instead of a rushed partisan process, Republicans should work with us to lower costs for Americans and pass a bipartisan Farm Bill that works for all farmers and rural America.”</p><h2>Consumer financial agency victory for Dems</h2><p>The Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.banking.senate.gov/newsroom/majority/scott-releases-banking-committee-provisions-for-the-one-big-beautiful-bill" target="_blank">proposal to eliminate funding</a>&nbsp;for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/R/PDF/R48295/R48295.8.pdf" target="_blank">established</a>&nbsp;in the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, also doesn’t comply with the rules, under the parliamentarian’s ruling.</p><p>Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, ranking member on the panel, wrote in a statement that the GOP’s proposal for the CFPB represented “a reckless, dangerous attack on consumers and would lead to more Americans being tricked and trapped by giant financial institutions and put the stability of our entire financial system at risk–all to hand out tax breaks to billionaires.”</p><p>But committee Chairman Tim Scott, R-S.C., wrote in a separate statement that he remains “committed to advancing legislation that cuts waste and duplication in our federal government and saves taxpayer dollars.”</p><p>Scott listed provisions that he said will remain.</p><p>“As it stands now, the Banking Committee’s reconciliation provisions will delay the implementation of Section 1071 of Dodd-Frank, which reduces CFPB spending and protects the privacy and data of small business owners; rescind unused funds earmarked for green initiatives to give HUD discretion in funding critical housing programs; and save taxpayer dollars by eliminating an unnecessary reserve fund at the SEC,” Scott wrote. “My colleagues and I remain committed to cutting wasteful spending at the CFPB and will continue working with the Senate parliamentarian on the Committee’s provisions.”</p><h2>Judges and injunctions</h2><p>The parliamentarian told lawmakers that various elements of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/press/rep/releases/grassley-releases-senate-judiciary-committee-text-of-the-one-big-beautiful-bill" target="_blank">the Judiciary Committee’s bill</a>&nbsp;don’t comply with the rules, including an attempt to block federal district court judges from issuing nationwide preliminary injunctions or temporary restraining orders.</p><p>The issue has become a thorn in Trump’s side during the past few months as he’s watched the courts block several of his executive orders and other unilateral administration actions.</p><p>The Judiciary Committee’s reconciliation bill cannot block the Department of Justice from awarding Byrne JAG and COPS grants to “sanctuary cities.” The bill also can’t send funding to local and state governments for the purpose of “apprehending aliens who are unlawfully present in the United States.”</p><p>Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, did not respond to a request for comment, but a committee spokesperson wrote in an email to States Newsroom that “Democrats are clinging to their radical open borders legacy by fighting to keep criminal migrants in the United States.</p><p>“Republicans are committed to enforcing the rule of law, and will continue using all available avenues to secure our borders, clean up the mess left by the Biden-Harris administration’s disastrous policies and ensure courts operate according to lawful and constitutional standards.”</p><p>Illinois Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, ranking member on the committee, issued a statement calling the bill’s policies “an attempted power grab by our Republican colleagues that we would not stand for.”</p><p>“Here’s what Senate Republicans attempted to sneak into their so-called Big, Beautiful Bill: a provision intended to limit the ability of individuals and organizations to challenge lawless Trump Administration executive actions by putting those potential plaintiffs on the hook for millions of dollars; and a provision conditioning grant eligibility on a state or locality’s compliance with federal immigration policies,” Durbin wrote.</p><h2>Artificial intelligence and states</h2><p>The parliamentarian didn’t, however, remove all of the proposals contested by Democrats.</p><p>Language that would prevent local and state governments from regulating artificial intelligence for the next decade if those jurisdictions want to receive money from a $500 million fund does meet the reconciliation requirements and can remain in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.commerce.senate.gov/2025/6/chairman-cruz-releases-budget-reconciliation-text" target="_blank">the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation’s bill</a>.</p><p>But that doesn’t mean the provision will stay in the bill moving forward, since several GOP lawmakers have expressed concern about potentially tying the hands of local and state governments when it comes to AI.</p><p>Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/RepMTG/status/1929946902566494653" target="_blank">wrote in a social media post</a>&nbsp;after she voted for the House’s bill that she had no idea about the AI provision. That chamber’s package barred state and local AI regulation for a decade without tying it to any funding stream.</p><p>“We have no idea what AI will be capable of in the next 10 years and giving it free rein and tying states hands is potentially dangerous,” Greene wrote. “This needs to be stripped out in the Senate.</p><p>“When the OBBB comes back to the House for approval after Senate changes, I will not vote for it with this in it.”</p>

US Senate mega-bill drops requirement states help pay for SNAP program

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Tuesday postponed classified briefings for Senate and House members as lawmakers are looking for more answers about President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-israel-nato-e34385f9b6e2ff5d0cf60f8aaea57a40">Donald Trump's</a>&nbsp;directed strikes on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-fbi-justice-department-46d6b7dec78dca861a32c901f8e3b307">Iranian</a>&nbsp;nuclear facilities over the weekend and his announcement on Monday that the two countries had reached a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-trump-ceasefire-attacks-continue-f1e60190722cc3410b69f21717872ffa">ceasefire agreement</a>.

Both briefings were canceled and the Senate briefing has been rescheduled for Thursday so Defense Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-trump-nuclear-sites-strikes-503eb17f991a8509604b4b3aaf93cb5c">Pete Hegseth</a>&nbsp;and Secretary of State&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-oil-strait-hormuz-regime-change-35eb69d501e5e4fa00463009d539996e">Marco Rubio</a>&nbsp;can attend, according to multiple sources who requested anonymity ahead of an official announcement. It is unclear when the House will be briefed.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer is voiced anger with the postponement of a classified briefing calling the delay “outrageous” and “evasive.”

“Senators deserve full transparency. There is a legal obligation for the administration to inform Congress about precisely what is happening,” Schumer said. “What are they afraid of? Why won’t they engage Congress in the critical details?

Trump proclaimed on social media that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-oil-strait-hormuz-regime-change-35eb69d501e5e4fa00463009d539996e">Israel and Iran had agreed that there will be an “Official END”</a>&nbsp;of their conflict.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-trump-ceasefire-attacks-continue-f1e60190722cc3410b69f21717872ffa">That tentative truce briefly faltered</a>&nbsp;Tuesday when Israel accused Iran of launching missiles into its airspace, but Trump later declared it was “in effect!”

Democrats in Congress, along with some Republicans,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-strikes-congress-republicans-trump-239d3ea01ea0338c2daf566b12ba2ee2">have questions</a>&nbsp;about Trump’s unilateral decision to launch military action, arguing he should have gone to Congress for approval — or at least provided more justification for the attacks.

“We expect them to explain to the American people what were the results in terms of actually thwarting Iran’s capacity to become a nuclear power and what are the Trump administration’s plans to avoid another potentially disastrous war in the Middle East, where thousands of American lives are potentially at risk,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

The separate briefings for the House and Senate were to be led by CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, along with Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and deputy secretaries of state Christopher Landau and Steve Feinberg.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-congress-war-powers-resolution-4336755ea53a78fb2e5d983f286ddb01">Many lawmakers feel they have been left in the dark</a>&nbsp;on what led to the strikes and amid escalating tensions between the White House and Congress over the role of the United States internationally — disagreements that don’t always fall along party lines.

Democrats have been generally suspicious of the Republican president’s strategy, and his motives abroad, but some believe the U.S. could have a role in supporting Israel against Iran. Others strongly believe the U.S. should stay out of it.

Some of Trump’s strongest Republican supporters agree with the Democrats, echoing his earlier arguments against “forever wars.” But many others in the party enthusiastically backed the strikes, saying he should have the power to act on his own.

“President Trump deserves all the credit,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., after Trump said there would be a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. “This is what peace through strength looks like.”

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, suggested in a post on X that Trump should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., posted: “Historic! The President of Peace!”

Democrats said they would be looking for more information about the ceasefire that Trump had claimed earlier on social media.

After Iran’s retaliation on the U.S. base in Qatar on Monday, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said he wanted an additional classified briefing “laying out the full threat picture, the intelligence behind Iran’s retaliation, and the details, scope, and timeline of any U.S. response.”

Senate Democrats are also forcing a vote as soon as this week on a resolution by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., requiring congressional approval for specific military action in Iran.

“You have a debate like this so that the entire American public, whose sons and daughters are in the military and whose lives will be at risk in war, get to see the debate and reach their own conclusion together with the elected officials about whether the mission is worth it or not,” Kaine said Monday.

Communication between the White House and Congress about Iran has been limited for most members. Trump sent congressional leaders a short letter Monday serving as his official notice of the strikes, two days after the bombs fell.

Trump said the attacks were “limited in scope and purpose” and “designed to minimize casualties, deter future attacks and limit the risk of escalation.”

Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, said he wants to ask the intelligence officials what they know about the damage done by the bombings, and how successful they were.

“There’s a reason why the Constitution requires the Congress to be informed and the president to seek approval in beginning a war, which is the founders thought that the people should have a say, that the president shouldn’t act alone,” Blumenthal said.

Associated Press writers Matt Brown, Joey Cappelletti and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750597945858.png" alt="<br>" />
                        <figcaption><br></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Tuesday postponed classified briefings for Senate and House members as lawmakers are looking for more answers about President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-israel-nato-e34385f9b6e2ff5d0cf60f8aaea57a40">Donald Trump's</a>&nbsp;directed strikes on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-fbi-justice-department-46d6b7dec78dca861a32c901f8e3b307">Iranian</a>&nbsp;nuclear facilities over the weekend and his announcement on Monday that the two countries had reached a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-trump-ceasefire-attacks-continue-f1e60190722cc3410b69f21717872ffa">ceasefire agreement</a>.</p><p>Both briefings were canceled and the Senate briefing has been rescheduled for Thursday so Defense Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-trump-nuclear-sites-strikes-503eb17f991a8509604b4b3aaf93cb5c">Pete Hegseth</a>&nbsp;and Secretary of State&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-oil-strait-hormuz-regime-change-35eb69d501e5e4fa00463009d539996e">Marco Rubio</a>&nbsp;can attend, according to multiple sources who requested anonymity ahead of an official announcement. It is unclear when the House will be briefed.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenSchumer</a> on Iran briefing: &quot;This last minute postponement of our briefing is outrageous, it&#39;s evasive, its derelict. They&#39;re bobbing and weaving and ducking. Senators deserve full transparency...What are they afraid of?&quot; <a href="https://t.co/6yjz1uMA1J">pic.twitter.com/6yjz1uMA1J</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1937555076827988401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer is voiced anger with the postponement of a classified briefing calling the delay “outrageous” and “evasive.”</p><p>“Senators deserve full transparency. There is a legal obligation for the administration to inform Congress about precisely what is happening,” Schumer said. “What are they afraid of? Why won’t they engage Congress in the critical details?</p><p>Trump proclaimed on social media that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-oil-strait-hormuz-regime-change-35eb69d501e5e4fa00463009d539996e">Israel and Iran had agreed that there will be an “Official END”</a>&nbsp;of their conflict.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-trump-ceasefire-attacks-continue-f1e60190722cc3410b69f21717872ffa">That tentative truce briefly faltered</a>&nbsp;Tuesday when Israel accused Iran of launching missiles into its airspace, but Trump later declared it was “in effect!”</p><p>Democrats in Congress, along with some Republicans,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-strikes-congress-republicans-trump-239d3ea01ea0338c2daf566b12ba2ee2">have questions</a>&nbsp;about Trump’s unilateral decision to launch military action, arguing he should have gone to Congress for approval — or at least provided more justification for the attacks.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/RepJeffries?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepJeffries</a> on delayed Iran briefing: &quot;Why are Republicans hiding facts and the the truth from America with respect to the possibility that their actions will drive us into another catastrophic war in the Middle East.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/OD6siJKk1T">pic.twitter.com/OD6siJKk1T</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1937557222357184662?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>“We expect them to explain to the American people what were the results in terms of actually thwarting Iran’s capacity to become a nuclear power and what are the Trump administration’s plans to avoid another potentially disastrous war in the Middle East, where thousands of American lives are potentially at risk,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.</p><p>The separate briefings for the House and Senate were to be led by CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, along with Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and deputy secretaries of state Christopher Landau and Steve Feinberg.</p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-congress-war-powers-resolution-4336755ea53a78fb2e5d983f286ddb01">Many lawmakers feel they have been left in the dark</a>&nbsp;on what led to the strikes and amid escalating tensions between the White House and Congress over the role of the United States internationally — disagreements that don’t always fall along party lines.</p><p>Democrats have been generally suspicious of the Republican president’s strategy, and his motives abroad, but some believe the U.S. could have a role in supporting Israel against Iran. Others strongly believe the U.S. should stay out of it.</p><p>Some of Trump’s strongest Republican supporters agree with the Democrats, echoing his earlier arguments against “forever wars.” But many others in the party enthusiastically backed the strikes, saying he should have the power to act on his own.</p><p>“President Trump deserves all the credit,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., after Trump said there would be a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. “This is what peace through strength looks like.”</p><p>Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, suggested in a post on X that Trump should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., posted: “Historic! The President of Peace!”</p><p>Democrats said they would be looking for more information about the ceasefire that Trump had claimed earlier on social media.</p><p>After Iran’s retaliation on the U.S. base in Qatar on Monday, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said he wanted an additional classified briefing “laying out the full threat picture, the intelligence behind Iran’s retaliation, and the details, scope, and timeline of any U.S. response.”</p><p>Senate Democrats are also forcing a vote as soon as this week on a resolution by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., requiring congressional approval for specific military action in Iran.</p><p>“You have a debate like this so that the entire American public, whose sons and daughters are in the military and whose lives will be at risk in war, get to see the debate and reach their own conclusion together with the elected officials about whether the mission is worth it or not,” Kaine said Monday.</p><p>Communication between the White House and Congress about Iran has been limited for most members. Trump sent congressional leaders a short letter Monday serving as his official notice of the strikes, two days after the bombs fell.</p><p>Trump said the attacks were “limited in scope and purpose” and “designed to minimize casualties, deter future attacks and limit the risk of escalation.”</p><p>Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, said he wants to ask the intelligence officials what they know about the damage done by the bombings, and how successful they were.</p><p>“There’s a reason why the Constitution requires the Congress to be informed and the president to seek approval in beginning a war, which is the founders thought that the people should have a say, that the president shouldn’t act alone,” Blumenthal said.</p><p>___</p><p>Associated Press writers Matt Brown, Joey Cappelletti and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.</p>

🎥Dems blast postponement of classified briefing on Iran

Omer Aloysius
Knoll, age 90, a very well-known artist, sculptor, teacher, and a friend to
many passed away on Thursday, March 6, 2025, at the Redbud Village Care Center
in Plainville, Kansas.

He was a former
Ellis County resident and lived his later years in Palco, Kansas. He was born
October 8, 1934, in Hays, Kansas, and was one of nine children in the family of
Adam and Barbara (Sander) Knoll.&nbsp;&nbsp; He married Mary (Desbien) in 1965
at Zurich, Kansas

Omer grew up in
Victoria, Kansas and was a 1952 graduate of Victoria High School, and was a
veteran of the US Army.

He earned a BS
and an MS in Art Education from Fort Hays State University and completed
undergraduate studies in architecture at Kansas State University and design,
photography and painting classes at the University of Kansas.&nbsp; He started
sculpture commissions as a graduate student.&nbsp; From 1965 to 1978, Knoll
served as an art instructor teaching drawing, painting, sculpture, pottery, 2D
and 3D design, art history, art appreciation, art fundamentals and photography
at Iola and Allen County Community College.&nbsp; From 1978 to present he has
been a self-employed artist/sculptor, and he had a studio in Hays from 1978 to
1986.&nbsp; In 1986, he moved to Arizona but returned to Kansas in 1994 to live
in Palco.&nbsp; He was Fire Chief for the City of Palco for two years.

His vast
collection of sculptures includes famous Kansans, including Dr. Michael
DeBakey, philanthropist Dane G. Hansen, Senator Robert J. Dole, many of Knoll’s
family and friends, as well as a salute to his beloved Volga German heritage,
are included in his work.&nbsp; There are also paintings of iconic western
Kansas churches and structures.

Omer is
survived by his son, Anthony “Tony” Knoll, Phoenix, AZ; his brothers, Lester
Knoll, Victoria, KS; Larry Knoll, Denver, CO; his sister, Jane Knoll-Tenney and
husband, James, Las Vegas, NV; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded
in death by his parents, Adam and Barbara; his wife, Mary; his brothers, Wayne; Carroll;
Devon; Terry and his sister, Iris.

A Mass of
Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 A.M. Saturday, July 5, 2025 at The
Basilica of Saint Fidelis, 900 Cathedral Ave., Victoria, Kansas with Celebrant,
Father Curtis Carlson O.F.M. Cap.

The family will
receive friends from 9:00 to 10:00 A.M. Saturday, at the church.

Inurnment will
be in Saint Fidelis Cemetery, Victoria, Kansas with military honors by the
Victoria V.F.W. Post 1751.

The family
suggests memorials made payable to: Saint Fidelis Cemetery in care of
Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays, 1919 East 22nd Street, Hays,
Kansas 67601.

Condolences can
be emailed to <a href="mailto:clineschapels@gmail.com">clineschapels@gmail.com</a> or left by guest book at <a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com">www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com</a>

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741615033013.jpeg" alt="Omer Aloysius Knoll" />
                        <figcaption>Omer Aloysius Knoll</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>Omer Aloysius
Knoll, age 90, a very well-known artist, sculptor, teacher, and a friend to
many passed away on Thursday, March 6, 2025, at the Redbud Village Care Center
in Plainville, Kansas.</p><p>He was a former
Ellis County resident and lived his later years in Palco, Kansas. He was born
October 8, 1934, in Hays, Kansas, and was one of nine children in the family of
Adam and Barbara (Sander) Knoll.&nbsp;&nbsp; He married Mary (Desbien) in 1965
at Zurich, Kansas</p><p>Omer grew up in
Victoria, Kansas and was a 1952 graduate of Victoria High School, and was a
veteran of the US Army.</p><p>He earned a BS
and an MS in Art Education from Fort Hays State University and completed
undergraduate studies in architecture at Kansas State University and design,
photography and painting classes at the University of Kansas.&nbsp; He started
sculpture commissions as a graduate student.&nbsp; From 1965 to 1978, Knoll
served as an art instructor teaching drawing, painting, sculpture, pottery, 2D
and 3D design, art history, art appreciation, art fundamentals and photography
at Iola and Allen County Community College.&nbsp; From 1978 to present he has
been a self-employed artist/sculptor, and he had a studio in Hays from 1978 to
1986.&nbsp; In 1986, he moved to Arizona but returned to Kansas in 1994 to live
in Palco.&nbsp; He was Fire Chief for the City of Palco for two years.</p><p>His vast
collection of sculptures includes famous Kansans, including Dr. Michael
DeBakey, philanthropist Dane G. Hansen, Senator Robert J. Dole, many of Knoll’s
family and friends, as well as a salute to his beloved Volga German heritage,
are included in his work.&nbsp; There are also paintings of iconic western
Kansas churches and structures.</p><p>Omer is
survived by his son, Anthony “Tony” Knoll, Phoenix, AZ; his brothers, Lester
Knoll, Victoria, KS; Larry Knoll, Denver, CO; his sister, Jane Knoll-Tenney and
husband, James, Las Vegas, NV; and many nieces and nephews.</p><p>He was preceded
in death by his parents, Adam and Barbara; his wife, Mary; his brothers, Wayne; Carroll;
Devon; Terry and his sister, Iris.</p><p>A Mass of
Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 A.M. Saturday, July 5, 2025 at The
Basilica of Saint Fidelis, 900 Cathedral Ave., Victoria, Kansas with Celebrant,
Father Curtis Carlson O.F.M. Cap.</p><p>The family will
receive friends from 9:00 to 10:00 A.M. Saturday, at the church.</p><p>Inurnment will
be in Saint Fidelis Cemetery, Victoria, Kansas with military honors by the
Victoria V.F.W. Post 1751.</p><p>The family
suggests memorials made payable to: Saint Fidelis Cemetery in care of
Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays, 1919 East 22nd Street, Hays,
Kansas 67601.</p><p>Condolences can
be emailed to <a href="mailto:clineschapels@gmail.com">clineschapels@gmail.com</a> or left by guest book at <a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com">www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com</a></p>

Omer Aloysius Knoll

MIAMI COUNTY —Law enforcement across Kansas continue to report driver traveling far above the posted speed limit.

On June 20, a Trooper stopped and cited a driver for 143 mph in a posted 75 mph zone on U.S. 69 highway in Miami County, according to a social media report from the Kansas Highway Patrol.

The reason for this speed, according to the post,&nbsp; the driver was late for work.

"Driving fast does not zip you through some time loop! You’re already late!" That time doesn’t come back when you drive fast. And now you’re sitting on the side of the highway a little more late."

"If you’re late, you’re late. It happens. Call ahead and let someone know, but please stop driving like this."

The Patrol thanked Trooper Schultz for getting this driver stopped before they hurt themselves or someone else.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750522978445.png" alt="photo KHP" />
                        <figcaption>photo KHP</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>MIAMI COUNTY —Law enforcement across Kansas continue to report driver traveling far above the posted speed limit.</p><p>On June 20, a Trooper stopped and cited a driver for 143 mph in a posted 75 mph zone on U.S. 69 highway in Miami County, according to a social media report from the Kansas Highway Patrol.</p><p>The reason for this speed, according to the post,&nbsp; the driver was late for work.</p><p>"Driving fast does not zip you through some time loop! You’re already late!" That time doesn’t come back when you drive fast. And now you’re sitting on the side of the highway a little more late."</p><p>"If you’re late, you’re late. It happens. Call ahead and let someone know, but please stop driving like this."</p><p>The Patrol thanked Trooper Schultz for getting this driver stopped before they hurt themselves or someone else.</p>

Late for work: Driver stopped for 143mph in a 75mph zone

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump warned Israel to bring its pilots home as he tried to sustain a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.

That was in a post on Truth Social Tuesday.

He also told reporters that Israel and Iran violated ceasefire terms with attacks following an early Tuesday deadline to cease hostilities.

Speaking before departing for the NATO summit at The Hague, Trump expressed disappointment about the continued attacks.

“They violated it but Israel violated it too,” Trump said. He added, ”I’m not happy with Israel.”

At around the same time, he said in a Truth post: “ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!”

BEERSHEBA, Israel (AP) — A tentative truce&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-trump-bomber-news-06-23-2025-9e78510c88ccc5e262341f41550609c5">faltered Tuesday</a>&nbsp;when Israel accused Iran of launching missiles into its airspace after the ceasefire was supposed to take effect and vowed to retaliate.

Iran’s military&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/iran-israel-war-updates-6-24-2025">denied firing on Israel</a>, state media reported — but explosions boomed and sirens sounded across northern Israel midmorning, and an Israeli military official said two Iranian missiles were intercepted.

The conflict, now in its 12th day,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-explosions-israel-tehran-00234a06e5128a8aceb406b140297299">began with Israel</a>&nbsp;targeting Iranian nuclear and military sites, saying it could not allow Tehran to develop atomic weapons — and that it feared the Islamic Republic was close. Iran has long maintained that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-nuclear-sites-explained-israel-attack-4535b4ecb4aefb2f3de9e3ad62fe363f">its program</a>&nbsp;is peaceful.

Many worried the war might widen after the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-talks-geneva-news-06-21-2025-a7b0cdaba28b5817467ccf712d214579">joined the attacks</a>&nbsp;by dropping bunker-buster bombs over the weekend and Israel expanded the kinds of targets it was hitting.

But after Tehran&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-trump-bomber-news-06-23-2025-9e78510c88ccc5e262341f41550609c5">launched a limited retaliatory strike</a>&nbsp;on a U.S. military base in Qatar on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire.

Both sides accepted the agreement, but it is now unclear if it will hold.

“Tehran will tremble,” Israeli Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich warned on X, raising the specter that the war might continue.

Israel accuses Iran of violating the truce. Iran denies that

An Israeli military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with military regulations said Iran launched two missiles at Israel hours into the tenuous ceasefire. Both were intercepted, the official said.

Iranian state television reported that the military denied firing missiles after the start of the ceasefire — while accusing Israel of conducting strikes. It offered no evidence to support the claim of Israeli fire, with the last reports of such attacks coming before dawn.

Part of the difficulty in sorting out the competing claims was that Trump's social media post announcing the ceasefire said Iran would begin holding its fire hours earlier than Israel. He later, however, announced that the ceasefire was in effect, even though the window he initially gave for Israel had not yet closed.

After accusing Iran of violating the ceasefire, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed Israel’s military to resume “the intense operations to attack Tehran and to destroy targets of the regime and terror infrastructure.”

Breakthrough declared by Trump wobbles in initial hours

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had agreed to a bilateral ceasefire with Iran in coordination with Trump, while pledging to respond to any subsequent violation.

He said that Israel had achieved all of its war goals, including removing the threat of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump warned Israel to bring its pilots home as he tried to sustain a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President Trump on Israel and Iran: &quot;We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the fuck they’re doing.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/xrztmebALZ">pic.twitter.com/xrztmebALZ</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1937468807536169315?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>That was in a post on Truth Social Tuesday.</p><p>He also told reporters that Israel and Iran violated ceasefire terms with attacks following an early Tuesday deadline to cease hostilities.</p><p>Speaking before departing for the NATO summit at The Hague, Trump expressed disappointment about the continued attacks.</p><p>“They violated it but Israel violated it too,” Trump said. He added, ”I’m not happy with Israel.”</p><p>At around the same time, he said in a Truth post: “ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!”</p><p>----------------</p><p>BEERSHEBA, Israel (AP) — A tentative truce&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-trump-bomber-news-06-23-2025-9e78510c88ccc5e262341f41550609c5">faltered Tuesday</a>&nbsp;when Israel accused Iran of launching missiles into its airspace after the ceasefire was supposed to take effect and vowed to retaliate.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">⭕️&quot;In light of the severe violation of the ceasefire carried out by the Iranian regime, we will respond with force.&quot;<br><br>-The Chief of the General Staff, LTG Eyal Zamir in a situational assessment now</p>&mdash; Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) <a href="https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1937427038090006827?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🚨 Sirens sounding in northern Israel due to missile fire from Iran 🚨 <a href="https://t.co/woGhqD7VCK">pic.twitter.com/woGhqD7VCK</a></p>&mdash; Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) <a href="https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1937414143637639295?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Iran’s military&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/iran-israel-war-updates-6-24-2025">denied firing on Israel</a>, state media reported — but explosions boomed and sirens sounded across northern Israel midmorning, and an Israeli military official said two Iranian missiles were intercepted.</p><p>The conflict, now in its 12th day,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-explosions-israel-tehran-00234a06e5128a8aceb406b140297299">began with Israel</a>&nbsp;targeting Iranian nuclear and military sites, saying it could not allow Tehran to develop atomic weapons — and that it feared the Islamic Republic was close. Iran has long maintained that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-nuclear-sites-explained-israel-attack-4535b4ecb4aefb2f3de9e3ad62fe363f">its program</a>&nbsp;is peaceful.</p><p>Many worried the war might widen after the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-talks-geneva-news-06-21-2025-a7b0cdaba28b5817467ccf712d214579">joined the attacks</a>&nbsp;by dropping bunker-buster bombs over the weekend and Israel expanded the kinds of targets it was hitting.</p><p>But after Tehran&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-trump-bomber-news-06-23-2025-9e78510c88ccc5e262341f41550609c5">launched a limited retaliatory strike</a>&nbsp;on a U.S. military base in Qatar on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire.</p><p>Both sides accepted the agreement, but it is now unclear if it will hold.</p><p>“Tehran will tremble,” Israeli Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich warned on X, raising the specter that the war might continue.</p><h2>Israel accuses Iran of violating the truce. Iran denies that</h2><p>An Israeli military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with military regulations said Iran launched two missiles at Israel hours into the tenuous ceasefire. Both were intercepted, the official said.</p><p>Iranian state television reported that the military denied firing missiles after the start of the ceasefire — while accusing Israel of conducting strikes. It offered no evidence to support the claim of Israeli fire, with the last reports of such attacks coming before dawn.</p><p>Part of the difficulty in sorting out the competing claims was that Trump's social media post announcing the ceasefire said Iran would begin holding its fire hours earlier than Israel. He later, however, announced that the ceasefire was in effect, even though the window he initially gave for Israel had not yet closed.</p><p>After accusing Iran of violating the ceasefire, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed Israel’s military to resume “the intense operations to attack Tehran and to destroy targets of the regime and terror infrastructure.”</p><h2>Breakthrough declared by Trump wobbles in initial hours</h2><p>Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had agreed to a bilateral ceasefire with Iran in coordination with Trump, while pledging to respond to any subsequent violation.</p><p>He said that Israel had achieved all of its war goals, including removing the threat of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.</p><p>An announcement on Iranian state TV later said the ceasefire was in effect. So did Trump, who posted: “THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT!”</p><p>Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that his country would not fire at Israel if it was not fired upon, but that a "final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later.”</p><p>To secure the ceasefire, Trump had communicated directly with Netanyahu, according to a senior White House official who insisted on anonymity to discuss the Monday talks. Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff communicated with the Iranians through direct and indirect channels.</p><p>The White House has maintained that the U.S. bombing helped get the Israelis to agree to the ceasefire and that the Qatari government helped to broker the deal.</p><p>It’s unclear what role Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s leader, played in the talks. He said earlier on social media that he would not surrender.</p><h2>Deal announced after hostilities spread</h2><p>The shaky ceasefire came after hostilities spread further across the region.</p><p>Israel’s military said Iran launched 20 missiles toward Israel before the ceasefire began on Tuesday morning. Police said they damaged at least three densely packed residential buildings in the city of Beersheba. First responders said they retrieved four bodies from one building and were searching for more. Earlier, the Fire and Rescue service said five bodies were found before revising the number downward. At least 20 people were injured.</p><p>Outside, the shells of burned out cars littered the streets. Broken glass and rubble covered the area. Police said some people were injured while inside their apartments’ reinforced safe rooms, which are meant to withstand rockets but not direct hits from ballistic missiles.</p><p>Iran launched a limited missile attack Monday on a U.S. military base&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/qatar">in Qatar</a>, retaliating for earlier&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-talks-geneva-news-06-21-2025-a7b0cdaba28b5817467ccf712d214579">American bombing of its nuclear sites</a>. The U.S. was warned by Iran in advance, and there were no casualties.</p><p>Drones attacked military bases in Iraq overnight, including some housing U.S. troops, the Iraqi army and a US military official said Tuesday.</p><p>A senior U.S. military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly, said U.S. forces had shot down drones attacking Ain al-Assad in the desert in western Iraq and at a base next to the Baghdad airport, while another one crashed.</p><p>No casualties were reported and no group claimed responsibility for the attacks in Iraq. Some Iran-backed Iraqi militias had previously threatened to target U.S. bases if the U.S. attacked Iran.</p><h2>Conflict has killed hundreds</h2><p>In Israel, at least 28 people have been killed and more than 1,000 wounded in the war. Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 974 people and wounded 3,458 others, according to the Washington-based group Human Rights Activists.</p><p>The group, which has provided detailed casualty figures from Iranian unrest, said of those killed, it identified 387 civilians and 268 security force personnel.</p><p>The U.S. has evacuated some 250 American citizens and their immediate family members from Israel by government, military and charter flights that began over the weekend, a State Department official said.</p><p>There are roughly 700,000 American citizens, most of them dual U.S.-Israeli citizens, believed to be in Israel.</p><p>___</p><p>BEERSHEBA, Israel (AP) — A tentative truce&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-trump-bomber-news-06-23-2025-9e78510c88ccc5e262341f41550609c5">faltered Tuesday</a>&nbsp;when Israel vowed to retaliate after saying Iran launched missiles into its airspace more than two hours after the ceasefire was supposed to take effect.</p><p>Iran’s military denied firing on Israel, state media reported — but explosions boomed and sirens sounded across northern Israel midmorning. Earlier, both Israel and Iran had accepted the ceasefire plan to end their 12-day war.</p><p>Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz called the missiles a violation of the ceasefire and instructed Israel's military to resume “the intense operations to attack Tehran and to destroy targets of the regime and terror infrastructure.”</p><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FCSPAN%2Fposts%2Fpfbid031CWCzpKdCJc9TasvsRQ3MTshP8etYnpLKkztYvAZ3DxkGK7JcYz9gBUp1DmJSbKNl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="737" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div><p>The shaky agreement was announced early Tuesday morning by U.S. President Donald Trump after Tehran launched a limited retaliatory missile attack on a U.S. military base&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/qatar">in Qatar</a>&nbsp;on Monday.</p><p>Between Trump's post and the start of the ceasefire, Israel launched a blitz of airstrikes targeting sites across Iran before dawn and Iran replied with an onslaught of missiles that killed at least four people in Israel.</p><p>An Israeli military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with military regulations said Iran launched two missiles at Israel hours into the tenuous ceasefire. Both missiles were intercepted, the official said.</p><p>“Tehran will tremble,” Israeli Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich wrote on X after the missiles were launched.</p><h2>Netanyahu accepts ceasefire as Iranian state TV says fighting has stopped</h2><p>The midmorning barrage of missiles came after regional leaders, including in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, welcomed Trump's announcement of the ceasefire.</p><p>“THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT! DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!” he wrote on his social media platform Tuesday morning.</p><p>Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had agreed to a bilateral ceasefire with Iran in coordination with Trump, pledging to respond to any subsequent violation. He said he had told Israel's security cabinet that the country had achieved all of its war goals, including removing the threat of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Israel also damaged Iran’s military leadership and several government sites and achieved control over Tehran’s skies, Netanyahu said.</p><p>Iranian officials did not comment either after Trump announced the ceasefire or Israel claimed it had intercepted additional missiles hours after it supposedly went into effect. Hours earlier, Iran's top diplomat had said the country was prepared to halt airstrikes.</p><p>“As of now, there is NO ‘agreement’ on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote in a post on X. “However, provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4 am Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards.”</p><p>Araghchi added: “The final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later.”</p><h2>Iranian missiles kill 4 in Israel as hostilities expand</h2><p>The shaky ceasefire followed a day of hostilities spreading further across the region.</p><p>Iran launched a limited missile attack Monday on a U.S. military base&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/qatar">in Qatar</a>, retaliating for earlier&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-talks-geneva-news-06-21-2025-a7b0cdaba28b5817467ccf712d214579">American bombing of its nuclear sites</a>. The U.S. was warned by Iran in advance, and there were no casualties. Israel’s military said Iran launched 20 missiles toward Israel before the ceasefire began on Tuesday morning. Police said they damaged at least three densely packed residential buildings in the city of Beersheba.</p><p>First responders said they retrieved four bodies from one building and were searching for more. Earlier, the Fire and Rescue service said five bodies were found before revising the number downward.</p><p>At least 20 people were injured.</p><p>Outside, the shells of burned out cars littered the streets. Broken glass and rubble covered the area. Hundreds of emergency workers gathered to search for anyone else trapped in the buildings.</p><p>Police said some people were injured even while inside their apartments’ reinforced safe rooms, which are meant to withstand rockets and shrapnel but not direct hits from ballistic missiles.</p><h2>Bases hit in Iraq</h2><p>Drones attacked military bases in Iraq overnight, including some housing U.S. troops, the Iraqi army and a US military official said Tuesday.</p><p>No casualties were reported and no group claimed responsibility for the attacks in Iraq. Some Iran-backed Iraqi militias had previously threatened to target U.S. bases if the U.S. attacked Iran.</p><p>Iraqi army spokesperson Sabah Al-Naaman in a statement called the attacks a “treacherous and cowardly act of aggression” and said they had damaged radar systems at Camp Taji, north of Baghdad, and at Imam Ali Base in Dhi Qar province. Iraqi forces shot down drones at other locations, he said.</p><p>A senior U.S. military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly, said U.S. forces had shot down drones attacking Ain al-Assad in the desert in western Iraq and at a base next to the Baghdad airport, while another one crashed.</p><h2>Trump says ceasefire is in effect</h2><p>Trump promised last night's ceasefire would bring an “official end” to what he at the time coined the “12 Day War” ahead of Israel's promise to resume operations on Tuesday.</p><p>Trump had communicated directly with Netanyahu to secure the ceasefire, according to a senior White House official who insisted on anonymity to discuss the Monday talks. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff communicated with the Iranians through direct and indirect channels.</p><p>The White House has maintained that the Saturday bombing helped get the Israelis to agree to the ceasefire and that the Qatari government helped to broker the deal.</p><p>It’s unclear what role Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s leader, played in the talks. He said earlier on social media that he would not surrender.</p><h2>Attacks force temporary closure of Israel's skies</h2><p>Israel’s Airports Authority said Iran's barrage forced them to close the country's airspace to emergency flights for several hours.</p><p>Some flights were forced to circle over the Mediterranean Sea, according to Israeli media.</p><p>Israel’s airports have been closed since the war with Iran began, but a handful of emergency flights started arriving and departing over the past few days.</p><p>By early Tuesday, Qatar Airways resumed its flights after Qatar shut down its airspace over the Iranian attack on Al Udeid Air Base. Flight-tracking data showed commercial aircraft again flying in Qatari airspace, signaling Doha believed the threat on the energy-rich nation had passed.</p><h2>Conflict has killed hundreds</h2><p>In Israel, at least 28 people have been killed and more than 1,000 wounded in the war. Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 974 people and wounded 3,458 others, according to the Washington-based group Human Rights Activists.</p><p>The group, which has provided detailed casualty figures from Iranian unrest such as the protests surrounding&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-mahsa-amini-crackdown-f26a5f687d87785841241d266ca3e872">the death of Mahsa Amini</a>&nbsp;in 2022, said of those killed, it identified 387 civilians and 268 security force personnel.</p><p>The U.S. has evacuated some 250 American citizens and their immediate family members from Israel by government, military and charter flights that began over the weekend, a State Department official said.</p><p>There are roughly 700,000 American citizens, most of them dual U.S.-Israeli citizens, believed to be in Israel.</p><p>___</p>