JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspects on multiple allegations

&nbsp;Just after&nbsp; 3:30 a.m. Monday, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a person with a gun threatening people and a report of multiple gun shots at 18199 S. Road, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

Deputies responded to the location and while on scene discovered that a pickup at the residence was used in running down a man on a motorcycle causing injuries to the man. It was reported that the pickup also struck a second vehicle.

On Monday, Jackson County Sheriff Deputies and Detectives served a search warrant at the scene. Three juveniles that were found staying at the residence were placed into police protective custody.

Chellcie Lynn Sparks, 37, of Mayetta was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of attempted second degree murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, criminal threat, criminal restraint, aggravated endangering a child, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.&nbsp; The sheriff's office released no details on the condition of the motorcyclist.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751399232739.png" alt="Sparks photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Sparks photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspects on multiple allegations&nbsp;Just after&nbsp; 3:30 a.m. Monday, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a person with a gun threatening people and a report of multiple gun shots at 18199 S. Road, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.Deputies responded to the location and while on scene discovered that a pickup at the residence was used in running down a man on a motorcycle causing injuries to the man. It was reported that the pickup also struck a second vehicle.On Monday, Jackson County Sheriff Deputies and Detectives served a search warrant at the scene. Three juveniles that were found staying at the residence were placed into police protective custody.Chellcie Lynn Sparks, 37, of Mayetta was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of attempted second degree murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, criminal threat, criminal restraint, aggravated endangering a child, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.&nbsp; The sheriff's office released no details on the condition of the motorcyclist.

Kansas woman accused of running motorcyclist down with a pickup

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on drug allegations.

Just before 3:30p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;June 24, a Sheriff’s Deputy&nbsp;conducted a traffic stop on a white Ford Taurus in the 1700 block of SW Topeka Boulevard, according to Deputy Abigail Christian. A K-9 Unit assisted and illegal narcotics were located.&nbsp;

Dee’Yana A. S. Scaggs, 20, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Possession of an opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant and Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body

Stanley K. Lawton, 76, of Topeka, was also arrested and booked into the SNDOC for Topeka bench warrants. He has previous drug convictions and was in the Kansas prison system from 1984-2004, according the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1751294324511.png" alt="Lawton photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Lawton photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on drug allegations.Just before 3:30p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;June 24, a Sheriff’s Deputy&nbsp;conducted a traffic stop on a white Ford Taurus in the 1700 block of SW Topeka Boulevard, according to Deputy Abigail Christian. A K-9 Unit assisted and illegal narcotics were located.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1751294285377.png" alt="Scaggs photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Scaggs photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Dee’Yana A. S. Scaggs, 20, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Possession of an opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant and Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human bodyStanley K. Lawton, 76, of Topeka, was also arrested and booked into the SNDOC for Topeka bench warrants. He has previous drug convictions and was in the Kansas prison system from 1984-2004, according the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Kan. couple with 56-year age difference caught with illegal drugs

By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

The Hays community gathered along the streets on Tuesday in silent tribute to the fallen Phillips County deputy.

The Kansas Highway Patrol led the escort of Deputy Brandon Gaede from Wichita to Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel in Phillipsburg.

It traveled through Salina and continued west on Interstate 70 to exit 159 before going north on Vine Street. City of Hays and Ellis County first responders, businesses owners and residents gathered to pay their respects.

Gaede died Friday after responding to a call at 9:28 p.m. that led to an exchange of gunfire with a suspect in Phillipsburg.

Gaede arrived at the scene and contacted 27-year-old Colton Griffith, who was reported to have detonated illegal, non-consumer-grade fireworks at 899 First St.&nbsp;

As the undersheriff attempted to place Griffith in handcuffs, a struggle broke out. Griffith pulled a concealed handgun and opened fire on the deputy.

Despite being struck by gunfire, the undersheriff returned fire and hit Griffith multiple times. Griffith died at the scene.

EMS transported Gaede to a local hospital. Despite life-saving measures, medical personnel pronounced him dead at 10:24 p.m.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/59f88620-1925-4b38-bc9f-6dff1370347d">SEE RELATED STORY: Sheriff's deputy and suspect dead after gunfight in Phillipsburg</a>

Governor Laura Kelly on Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/8820f431-7baf-4723-a62a-6445ef14d03e">directed flags be flown at half-staff</a>&nbsp;on all state buildings, grounds and facilities from sunup to sundown on July 5 in honor of Gaede.

Funeral services for Gaede are scheduled at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in the Huck Boyd Community Center in Phillipsburg.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751406362819.jpeg" alt="A Hays Police Officer paying his respects to Phillips County Deputy Brandon Gaede as the Kansas Highway Patrol leads the escort through Hays. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A Hays Police Officer paying his respects to Phillips County Deputy Brandon Gaede as the Kansas Highway Patrol leads the escort through Hays. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By TONY GUERRERO Hays PostThe Hays community gathered along the streets on Tuesday in silent tribute to the fallen Phillips County deputy.The Kansas Highway Patrol led the escort of Deputy Brandon Gaede from Wichita to Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel in Phillipsburg.It traveled through Salina and continued west on Interstate 70 to exit 159 before going north on Vine Street. City of Hays and Ellis County first responders, businesses owners and residents gathered to pay their respects.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751406116735.jpeg" alt="Hays community members lined up with flags as Phillips County Deputy Brandon Gaede arrives in Hays. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Hays community members lined up with flags as Phillips County Deputy Brandon Gaede arrives in Hays. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751406146464.jpeg" alt="Hays community members lined up with flags as Phillips County Deputy Brandon Gaede arrives in Hays. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Hays community members lined up with flags as Phillips County Deputy Brandon Gaede arrives in Hays. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751406180394.jpeg" alt="Two individuals sitting on the back of a truck with an American flag waiting for the arrival of Phillips County Deputy Brandon Gaede in Hays. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Two individuals sitting on the back of a truck with an American flag waiting for the arrival of Phillips County Deputy Brandon Gaede in Hays. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1751127258786.png" alt="Deputy Brandon Gaede. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Deputy Brandon Gaede. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Gaede died Friday after responding to a call at 9:28 p.m. that led to an exchange of gunfire with a suspect in Phillipsburg.Gaede arrived at the scene and contacted 27-year-old Colton Griffith, who was reported to have detonated illegal, non-consumer-grade fireworks at 899 First St.&nbsp;As the undersheriff attempted to place Griffith in handcuffs, a struggle broke out. Griffith pulled a concealed handgun and opened fire on the deputy.Despite being struck by gunfire, the undersheriff returned fire and hit Griffith multiple times. Griffith died at the scene.EMS transported Gaede to a local hospital. Despite life-saving measures, medical personnel pronounced him dead at 10:24 p.m.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751406201051.jpeg" alt="-The hearse carrying Phillips County Deputy Brandon Gaede driving through Hays on its way to Phillipsburg. Photo by&nbsp; Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>-The hearse carrying Phillips County Deputy Brandon Gaede driving through Hays on its way to Phillipsburg. Photo by&nbsp; Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751406230019.jpeg" alt="A sign paying respect to Phillips County Deputy Brandon Gaede in Hays. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A sign paying respect to Phillips County Deputy Brandon Gaede in Hays. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751406253366.jpeg" alt="A sign paying respect to Phillips County Deputy Brandon Gaede in Hays. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A sign paying respect to Phillips County Deputy Brandon Gaede in Hays. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/59f88620-1925-4b38-bc9f-6dff1370347d">SEE RELATED STORY: Sheriff's deputy and suspect dead after gunfight in Phillipsburg</a>Governor Laura Kelly on Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/8820f431-7baf-4723-a62a-6445ef14d03e">directed flags be flown at half-staff</a>&nbsp;on all state buildings, grounds and facilities from sunup to sundown on July 5 in honor of Gaede.Funeral services for Gaede are scheduled at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in the Huck Boyd Community Center in Phillipsburg.

Hays honors fallen Kanasas deputy at escort

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

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-alligator-alcatraz-history-immigration-detention-activism-796d5fae66d28de45c647241aa02d7bd">immigration detention center</a>&nbsp;at an isolated airstrip in the Florida Everglades that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-immigration-florida-desantis-ecfe7ed2abd27b10e1af0cb88bd76b2e">President Donald Trump visited on Tuesday</a>&nbsp;was heralded by Republicans as a potential model for other states to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-alligator-alcatraz-immigration-detention-trump-desantis-0597dd71a0cfcbc819b82929c03466cd">aggressively ramp up detention</a>&nbsp;and deportation efforts.

Trump, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and other state and federal officials toured the facility, which was built by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration in a matter of days and is expected to receive its first detainees Wednesday. The site can currently house 3,000 people in dormitories corralled by chain-link fences and topped with barbed wire, and state officials say it can be expanded to ultimately house 5,000.

“We’re surrounded by miles of treacherous swampland and the only way out is, really, deportation,” Trump said, adding, “This is an amazing thing that they’ve done here.”

Dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” by state officials, the facility is located at an isolated airfield about 45 miles (72 kilometers) west of downtown Miami and is surrounded by swamps filled with mosquitoes, pythons and alligators.

Florida officials raced to erect the compound of heavy-duty tents, trailers and temporary buildings in eight days, as part of the state’s muscular efforts to help carry out Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-california-immigration-customs-enforcement-newsom-0482a8935419d88986b890b18db5cc03">immigration crackdown</a>. The center is estimated to cost $450 million a year, with the expenses incurred by Florida and reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a U.S. official said.

Inside, rows of bunkbeds are cordoned off by lines of chain-link fencing, where migrants could be housed for days, weeks or months. Officials say detainees will have access to medical care, 24/7 air conditioning, and a rec yard, as well as support from attorneys and members of the clergy.

The facility is meant to help the Trump administration reach its goal of more than doubling its existing 41,000 beds for detaining migrants to at least 100,000 beds.

The site's remote location — entirely surrounded by rough and rugged wetlands — is meant to be a deterrent against illegal immigration and a motivator for detainees to self-deport.

“You don’t always have land so beautiful and so secure. You have a lot of bodyguards and a lot of cops that are in the form of alligators. You don’t have pay them so much,” Trump said.

State officials are showcasing what&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alligator-alcatraz-florida-everglades-protest-db34866aae64a3ff6880310403be40fd">critics are condemning</a>&nbsp;as an inhumane makeshift prison camp, but what supporters say is an “innovative” and “cost-effective” approach to the federal government's pressing problem: how to operationalize enough detention space to carry out Trump's mass deportation agenda.

To help speed up the process, DeSantis is offering up members of the state's National Guard to be “deputized” as immigration judges to hear detainees' cases, as a way to loosen another chokepoint in the country’s long-overburdened immigration court system.

“I would ask every other governor to do the exact same thing,” Noem said. “This is unique because we can hold individuals here. They can have their hearings, to get due process and then immediately be flown back home to their home countries.”

“I hope my phone rings off the hook from governors calling and saying, ‘How can we do what Florida just did?’” she added.

DeSantis said Tuesday the state is moving forward with building another makeshift detention center for migrants at a National Guard training facility called Camp Blanding, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) southwest of Jacksonville in northeast Florida.

State officials have opened a bid for contractors on that site, which is expected to hold another 2,000 beds, with plans to start construction there after the July 4 holiday.

The state is pouring significant resources into the makeshift facilities and hiring private contractors to help build and supply the sites, even as a recent report suggested that Florida has thousands of vacant beds in county jails and detention centers that already exist. According to a state report shared with The Associated Press, as of March 28, 2025, there were more than 7,500 vacant beds available to sublet to ICE for use as immigration detention beds.

Florida uses emergency powers to build the site

State officials have commandeered the land using emergency powers, under a years-old executive order issued by DeSantis during the administration of then-President Joe Biden to respond to what the governor deemed a crisis caused by illegal immigration.

Relying on the emergency order, the state has fast-tracked the project, sidestepping laws and regulations in what critics have called an abuse of power.

State officials say the installation is critical to support Trump’s mass deportation agenda, which has pushed detentions to a record high, totaling more than 56,000 immigrants in June, the most since 2019.

“Governor DeSantis has insisted that the state of Florida, under his leadership, will facilitate the federal government in enforcing immigration law,” a DeSantis spokesperson said in a statement.

“Florida will continue to lead on immigration enforcement.”

Hundreds of immigrant advocates, environmental activists and Native Americans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-alligator-alcatraz-immigration-detention-desantis-trump-8856c0e2b9ecb8c0fb960f6e3e72a5ae">defending their ancestral homelands</a>&nbsp;have thronged to the airstrip to protest.

On Saturday, as dump trucks hauling construction materials lumbered into the airfield, demonstrators waved signs calling for the protection of the expansive preserve as passing cars honked in support.

In Big Cypress National Preserve, where the airstrip is located, 15 traditional Miccosukee and Seminole villages, as well as burial grounds and ceremonial sites, remain.

Worries about environmental impacts have also been at the forefront, prompting the Center for Biological Diversity and the Friends of the Everglades to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-alligator-alcatraz-history-immigration-detention-activism-796d5fae66d28de45c647241aa02d7bd">file a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;Friday to halt the detention center plans.

Associated Press writer Gisela Salomon reported from Miami. Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reportforamerica.org/">Report for America</a>&nbsp;is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22KATE%20PAYNE%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By KATE PAYNE Associated Press/Report for America</a>TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-alligator-alcatraz-history-immigration-detention-activism-796d5fae66d28de45c647241aa02d7bd">immigration detention center</a>&nbsp;at an isolated airstrip in the Florida Everglades that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-immigration-florida-desantis-ecfe7ed2abd27b10e1af0cb88bd76b2e">President Donald Trump visited on Tuesday</a>&nbsp;was heralded by Republicans as a potential model for other states to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-alligator-alcatraz-immigration-detention-trump-desantis-0597dd71a0cfcbc819b82929c03466cd">aggressively ramp up detention</a>&nbsp;and deportation efforts.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump: &quot;It&#39;s known as alligator alcatraz, which is very appropriate, because I looked outside and it&#39;s not a place I want to go hiking anytime soon...We&#39;re surrounded by miles of treacherous swampland and the only way out is really deportation.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/vAcOPWifwX">pic.twitter.com/vAcOPWifwX</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1940087277398466733?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;Biden wanted me in here ... Didn&#39;t work out that way.&quot; 🤣 <a href="https://t.co/pP76ik1huq">pic.twitter.com/pP76ik1huq</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1940072389598941416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ: MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN! 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/kfMZuMwc9N">pic.twitter.com/kfMZuMwc9N</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1940128362892337660?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> at Alligator Alcatraz: &quot;Between <a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sec_Noem</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovRonDeSantis</a> and the whole group — it&#39;s really government working together.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/NnbPBwg87b">pic.twitter.com/NnbPBwg87b</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1940070379470430636?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sec_Noem</a> on the ground at &quot;Alligator Alcatraz&quot; in the Everglades <a href="https://t.co/di8AZY95bD">pic.twitter.com/di8AZY95bD</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1940067632725602696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 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"><a href="https://t.co/ovBH34PX8o">pic.twitter.com/ovBH34PX8o</a>&mdash; Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) <a href="https://twitter.com/HowardMortman/status/1940075727875084645?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 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"><a href="https://t.co/CWteT6W68n">pic.twitter.com/CWteT6W68n</a>&mdash; Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) <a href="https://twitter.com/HowardMortman/status/1940090130179793333?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and other state and federal officials toured the facility, which was built by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration in a matter of days and is expected to receive its first detainees Wednesday. The site can currently house 3,000 people in dormitories corralled by chain-link fences and topped with barbed wire, and state officials say it can be expanded to ultimately house 5,000.“We’re surrounded by miles of treacherous swampland and the only way out is, really, deportation,” Trump said, adding, “This is an amazing thing that they’ve done here.”Dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” by state officials, the facility is located at an isolated airfield about 45 miles (72 kilometers) west of downtown Miami and is surrounded by swamps filled with mosquitoes, pythons and alligators.Here's what to know.<h2>It took just days to build</h2>Florida officials raced to erect the compound of heavy-duty tents, trailers and temporary buildings in eight days, as part of the state’s muscular efforts to help carry out Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-california-immigration-customs-enforcement-newsom-0482a8935419d88986b890b18db5cc03">immigration crackdown</a>. The center is estimated to cost $450 million a year, with the expenses incurred by Florida and reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a U.S. official said.Inside, rows of bunkbeds are cordoned off by lines of chain-link fencing, where migrants could be housed for days, weeks or months. Officials say detainees will have access to medical care, 24/7 air conditioning, and a rec yard, as well as support from attorneys and members of the clergy.The facility is meant to help the Trump administration reach its goal of more than doubling its existing 41,000 beds for detaining migrants to at least 100,000 beds.The site's remote location — entirely surrounded by rough and rugged wetlands — is meant to be a deterrent against illegal immigration and a motivator for detainees to self-deport.“You don’t always have land so beautiful and so secure. You have a lot of bodyguards and a lot of cops that are in the form of alligators. You don’t have pay them so much,” Trump said.<h2>Backers call it a 'one-stop shop'</h2>State officials are showcasing what&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alligator-alcatraz-florida-everglades-protest-db34866aae64a3ff6880310403be40fd">critics are condemning</a>&nbsp;as an inhumane makeshift prison camp, but what supporters say is an “innovative” and “cost-effective” approach to the federal government's pressing problem: how to operationalize enough detention space to carry out Trump's mass deportation agenda.To help speed up the process, DeSantis is offering up members of the state's National Guard to be “deputized” as immigration judges to hear detainees' cases, as a way to loosen another chokepoint in the country’s long-overburdened immigration court system.“I would ask every other governor to do the exact same thing,” Noem said. “This is unique because we can hold individuals here. They can have their hearings, to get due process and then immediately be flown back home to their home countries.”“I hope my phone rings off the hook from governors calling and saying, ‘How can we do what Florida just did?’” she added.<h2>It won't be the only one</h2>DeSantis said Tuesday the state is moving forward with building another makeshift detention center for migrants at a National Guard training facility called Camp Blanding, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) southwest of Jacksonville in northeast Florida.State officials have opened a bid for contractors on that site, which is expected to hold another 2,000 beds, with plans to start construction there after the July 4 holiday.The state is pouring significant resources into the makeshift facilities and hiring private contractors to help build and supply the sites, even as a recent report suggested that Florida has thousands of vacant beds in county jails and detention centers that already exist. According to a state report shared with The Associated Press, as of March 28, 2025, there were more than 7,500 vacant beds available to sublet to ICE for use as immigration detention beds.<h2>Florida uses emergency powers to build the site</h2>State officials have commandeered the land using emergency powers, under a years-old executive order issued by DeSantis during the administration of then-President Joe Biden to respond to what the governor deemed a crisis caused by illegal immigration.Relying on the emergency order, the state has fast-tracked the project, sidestepping laws and regulations in what critics have called an abuse of power.State officials say the installation is critical to support Trump’s mass deportation agenda, which has pushed detentions to a record high, totaling more than 56,000 immigrants in June, the most since 2019.“Governor DeSantis has insisted that the state of Florida, under his leadership, will facilitate the federal government in enforcing immigration law,” a DeSantis spokesperson said in a statement.“Florida will continue to lead on immigration enforcement.”<h2>It's drawn hundreds of protestors</h2>Hundreds of immigrant advocates, environmental activists and Native Americans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-alligator-alcatraz-immigration-detention-desantis-trump-8856c0e2b9ecb8c0fb960f6e3e72a5ae">defending their ancestral homelands</a>&nbsp;have thronged to the airstrip to protest.On Saturday, as dump trucks hauling construction materials lumbered into the airfield, demonstrators waved signs calling for the protection of the expansive preserve as passing cars honked in support.In Big Cypress National Preserve, where the airstrip is located, 15 traditional Miccosukee and Seminole villages, as well as burial grounds and ceremonial sites, remain.Worries about environmental impacts have also been at the forefront, prompting the Center for Biological Diversity and the Friends of the Everglades to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-alligator-alcatraz-history-immigration-detention-activism-796d5fae66d28de45c647241aa02d7bd">file a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;Friday to halt the detention center plans.___Associated Press writer Gisela Salomon reported from Miami. Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reportforamerica.org/">Report for America</a>&nbsp;is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

🎥President Trump toured Florida's  “Alligator Alcatraz” 

&nbsp;FORD COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 12:30p.m. Tuesday in Ford County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2021 Freightliner semi driven by Mahipal&nbsp;Singh, 35, Buena&nbsp; Park, California, was westbound on U.S. Highway 54 just east of 130 Road.&nbsp; The semi crossed over the center line, traveled off the eastbound lane and into the ditch. The tractor and trailer turned over on its drivers side, skidded and came to rest in facing northwest.

Singh was pronounced dead at the scene. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

&nbsp;FORD COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 12:30p.m. Tuesday in Ford County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2021 Freightliner semi driven by Mahipal&nbsp;Singh, 35, Buena&nbsp; Park, California, was westbound on U.S. Highway 54 just east of 130 Road.&nbsp; The semi crossed over the center line, traveled off the eastbound lane and into the ditch. The tractor and trailer turned over on its drivers side, skidded and came to rest in facing northwest.Singh was pronounced dead at the scene. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Driver dies when semi overturns on Kansas highway

WASHINGTON –&nbsp;Senate Republicans passed&nbsp;President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;big&nbsp;tax breaks and spending cuts bill Tuesday on the narrowest of margins after a turbulent overnight session.

Moments after the vote, Kansas U.S. Senator&nbsp;Jerry Moran released a statement on his vote in support of the Big, Beautiful Bill. Moran wrote,&nbsp;&nbsp;“The Senate budget reconciliation bill provides certainty for Kansans by preventing a tax hike on middle-class families and small businesses, while also investing in the long-term security of our southern border and bolstering our military’s capabilities at a time when threats from our adversaries are increasing."

“As this legislation was being drafted, I worked to make certain hospitals in Kansas were at the forefront of these discussions. After numerous discussions with Kansas hospital leaders, my colleagues and Administrator Oz, I was able to make changes to the legislation to make certain Kansas hospitals will not face any immediate cuts upon enactment of this legislation."

“These provisions will protect Kansas’ ability to continue pursuing its application for increased Medicaid payments for certain providers. This change ensures that as state directed payments wind down, Kansas providers will be starting at a higher percentage of enhanced payments buying them much-needed time to utilize federal dollars as payments are reduced."

“I also secured a one-year delay in the implementation of reductions to state directed payments to give Kansas providers more time to access these resources. Finally, I pushed for the establishment of a rural provider fund to aid rural hospitals facing significant financial challenges. These changes and investments, along with tax cuts for Kansas families, will bolster our economy and strengthen the safety of our nation.” &nbsp;

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Protecting Rural Hospitals –&nbsp;Creates a $50 billion fund to provide emergency assistance for rural hospitals at risk of closure due to significant financial hardships.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Securing the Border –&nbsp;Provides robust funding to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol to enhance the long-term security of our nation’s borders and inhibit the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs into the U.S.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ensuring Safety &amp; Modernization in Air Travel –&nbsp;Provides $12.52 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to modernize and enhance safety of air traffic control (ATC) infrastructure.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Bolstering U.S. Defense &amp; National Security –&nbsp;Provides $150 billion to the Department of Defense to support the modernization and readiness of our Armed Forces some of which will be spent in Kansas.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Expanding Access to Capital for Farmers &amp; Rural Communities –&nbsp;Includes Sen. Moran’s legislation, the&nbsp;Access to Credit for our Rural Economy (ACRE) Act, which gives greater flexibility to more financial institutions to offer affordable lines of credit to rural and agricultural borrowers.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Supporting Kansas Agriculture&nbsp;–&nbsp;Modernizes Farm Bill provisions that are years overdue by updating agricultural reference prices, makes much-needed updates to disaster programs, bolsters crop insurance and provides more resources for animal health programs. Also, provides permanent relief from the Death Tax to allow Kansas farmers to pass their family farms on to the next generation of producers.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Reducing the Tax Burden for Working Americans –&nbsp;Lowers taxes for American families, workers and small businesses.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1751334816395.png" alt="Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran during the overnight vote-o-rama -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran during the overnight vote-o-rama -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON –&nbsp;Senate Republicans passed&nbsp;President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;big&nbsp;tax breaks and spending cuts bill Tuesday on the narrowest of margins after a turbulent overnight session.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">✅ PASSED: <a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a> casts the deciding vote as the Senate approves the One Big Beautiful Bill — moving it back to the House and one step closer to President Trump&#39;s desk. <a href="https://t.co/zAcMgrxS0z">pic.twitter.com/zAcMgrxS0z</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1940079817686413712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Moments after the vote, Kansas U.S. Senator&nbsp;Jerry Moran released a statement on his vote in support of the Big, Beautiful Bill. Moran wrote,&nbsp;&nbsp;“The Senate budget reconciliation bill provides certainty for Kansans by preventing a tax hike on middle-class families and small businesses, while also investing in the long-term security of our southern border and bolstering our military’s capabilities at a time when threats from our adversaries are increasing."“As this legislation was being drafted, I worked to make certain hospitals in Kansas were at the forefront of these discussions. After numerous discussions with Kansas hospital leaders, my colleagues and Administrator Oz, I was able to make changes to the legislation to make certain Kansas hospitals will not face any immediate cuts upon enactment of this legislation."“These provisions will protect Kansas’ ability to continue pursuing its application for increased Medicaid payments for certain providers. This change ensures that as state directed payments wind down, Kansas providers will be starting at a higher percentage of enhanced payments buying them much-needed time to utilize federal dollars as payments are reduced."“I also secured a one-year delay in the implementation of reductions to state directed payments to give Kansas providers more time to access these resources. Finally, I pushed for the establishment of a rural provider fund to aid rural hospitals facing significant financial challenges. These changes and investments, along with tax cuts for Kansas families, will bolster our economy and strengthen the safety of our nation.” &nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>’s bill has passed the Senate and will deliver MAJOR wins to every single American. I look forward to seeing it get through the House and to the President’s desk by the 4th of July. 🇺🇸&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1940082519455551861?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Sen. Moran’s priorities:·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Protecting Rural Hospitals –&nbsp;Creates a $50 billion fund to provide emergency assistance for rural hospitals at risk of closure due to significant financial hardships.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Securing the Border –&nbsp;Provides robust funding to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol to enhance the long-term security of our nation’s borders and inhibit the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs into the U.S.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ensuring Safety &amp; Modernization in Air Travel –&nbsp;Provides $12.52 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to modernize and enhance safety of air traffic control (ATC) infrastructure.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Bolstering U.S. Defense &amp; National Security –&nbsp;Provides $150 billion to the Department of Defense to support the modernization and readiness of our Armed Forces some of which will be spent in Kansas.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Expanding Access to Capital for Farmers &amp; Rural Communities –&nbsp;Includes Sen. Moran’s legislation, the&nbsp;Access to Credit for our Rural Economy (ACRE) Act, which gives greater flexibility to more financial institutions to offer affordable lines of credit to rural and agricultural borrowers.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Supporting Kansas Agriculture&nbsp;–&nbsp;Modernizes Farm Bill provisions that are years overdue by updating agricultural reference prices, makes much-needed updates to disaster programs, bolsters crop insurance and provides more resources for animal health programs. Also, provides permanent relief from the Death Tax to allow Kansas farmers to pass their family farms on to the next generation of producers.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Reducing the Tax Burden for Working Americans –&nbsp;Lowers taxes for American families, workers and small businesses.

🎥Moran explains his vote to help Senate pass the Big, Beautiful Bill

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —Law enforcement investigating a weekend homicide in Kansas City have identified the victim as 29-year-old&nbsp;Rayondre Johnson, according to KCPD&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

Just after 10 p.m. Sunday, were called to the 3300 block of Cypress Avenue in Kansas City.&nbsp;

They located a man, later identified as Johnson, suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers rendered aid until EMS arrived, but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police say early information indicates the victim and one or more suspects had an interaction in front of the residence that escalated to gunfire.

If you have information about this case, contact 816-234-5043 or remain anonymous by calling the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.

A reward of up $25,000 is available for anonymous tips submitted to the hotline.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —Law enforcement investigating a weekend homicide in Kansas City have identified the victim as 29-year-old&nbsp;Rayondre Johnson, according to KCPD&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez.Just after 10 p.m. Sunday, were called to the 3300 block of Cypress Avenue in Kansas City.&nbsp;They located a man, later identified as Johnson, suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers rendered aid until EMS arrived, but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.Police say early information indicates the victim and one or more suspects had an interaction in front of the residence that escalated to gunfire.If you have information about this case, contact 816-234-5043 or remain anonymous by calling the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.A reward of up $25,000 is available for anonymous tips submitted to the hotline.

Homicide: Police ID 29-year-old found dead outside KC home

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Presidents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/barack-obama">Barack Obama</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/george-w-bush">George W. Bush</a>&nbsp;delivered rare open criticism of the Trump administration — and singer Bono held back tears as he recited a poem — in an emotional video farewell on Monday with staffers of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Obama called the Trump administration’s dismantling of USAID “a colossal mistake.”

Monday was the last day as an independent agency for the six-decade-old humanitarian and development organization, created by President John F. Kennedy as a peaceful way of promoting U.S. national security by boosting goodwill and prosperity abroad.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-rubio-usaid-foreign-aid-bf442d62af67918a6fc5eee839074601">has ordered USAID absorbed</a>&nbsp;into the State Department on Tuesday.

The former presidents and Bono spoke with thousands in the USAID community in a videoconference, which was billed as a closed-press event to allow political leaders and others privacy for sometimes angry and often teary remarks. Parts of the video were shared with The Associated Press.

They expressed their appreciation for the thousands of USAID staffers who have lost their jobs and life’s work. Their agency was one of the first and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-usaid-c0c7799be0b2fa7cad4c806565985fe2">most fiercely targeted</a>&nbsp;for government-cutting by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and his billionaire ally Elon Musk, with staffers abruptly locked out of systems and offices and terminated by mass emailing.

Trump claimed the agency was run by “radical left lunatics” and rife with “tremendous fraud.” Musk called it “a criminal organization.”

Obama, speaking in a recorded statement, offered assurances to the aid and development workers, some listening from overseas.

“Your work has mattered and will matter for generations to come,” he told them.

Obama has largely kept a low public profile during Trump’s second term and refrained from criticizing the monumental changes that Trump has made to U.S. programs and priorities at home and abroad.

“Gutting USAID is a travesty, and it’s a tragedy. Because it’s some of the most important work happening anywhere in the world,” Obama said. He credited USAID with not only saving lives, but being a main factor in global economic growth that has turned some aid-receiving countries into U.S. markets and trade partners.

The former Democratic president predicted that ”sooner or later, leaders on both sides of the aisle will realize how much you are needed.”

Asked for comment, the State Department said it would be introducing the department’s foreign assistance successor to USAID, to be called America First, this week.

“The new process will ensure there is proper oversight and that every tax dollar spent will help advance our national interests,” the department said.

USAID oversaw programs around the world, providing water and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/somalia-hunger-malnutrition-funding-cuts-usaid-03dfebfdbe19f55a520dad2be390faf5">life-saving food to millions</a>&nbsp;uprooted by conflict in Sudan, Syria, Gaza and elsewhere, sponsoring the “Green Revolution” that revolutionized modern agriculture and curbed starvation and famine, preventing disease outbreaks, promoting democracy, and providing financing and development that allowed countries and people to climb out of poverty.

Bush, who also spoke in a recorded message, went straight to the cuts in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aids-hiv-pepfar-nkengasong-abortion-congress-43b09c9ad24530d24161a95b2fb80eaa">landmark AIDS and HIV program</a>&nbsp;started by his Republican administration and credited with saving 25 million lives around the world.

Bipartisan blowback from Congress to cutting the popular President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, known as PEPFAR, helped save significant funding for the program. But cuts and rule changes have reduced the number getting the life-saving care.

“You’ve showed the great strength of America through your work — and that is your good heart,’’ Bush told USAID staffers. “Is it in our national interests that 25 million people who would have died now live? I think it is, and so do you,” he said.

Former Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, former Colombian President Juan Manual Santos and former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield also spoke to the staffers.

So did humanitarian workers, including one who spoke of the welcome appearance of USAID staffers with food when she was a frightened 8-year-old child in a camp for Liberian refugees. A World Food Program official vowed through sobs that the U.S. aid mission would be back someday.

Bono, a longtime humanitarian advocate in Africa and elsewhere, was announced as the “surprise guest,” in shades and a cap.

He jokingly hailed the USAID staffers as “secret agents of international development” in acknowledgment of the down-low nature of Monday’s unofficial gathering of the USAID community.

Bono held back tears at times as he recited a poem he had written to the agency and its gutting. He spoke of children dying of malnutrition, a reference to millions of people who Boston University researchers and other analysts say will die because of the U.S. cuts to funding for health and other programs abroad.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724234553511.png" alt="File photo- Former President Barack Obama -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo- Former President Barack Obama -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Presidents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/barack-obama">Barack Obama</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/george-w-bush">George W. Bush</a>&nbsp;delivered rare open criticism of the Trump administration — and singer Bono held back tears as he recited a poem — in an emotional video farewell on Monday with staffers of the U.S. Agency for International Development.Obama called the Trump administration’s dismantling of USAID “a colossal mistake.”Monday was the last day as an independent agency for the six-decade-old humanitarian and development organization, created by President John F. Kennedy as a peaceful way of promoting U.S. national security by boosting goodwill and prosperity abroad.Secretary of State Marco Rubio&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-rubio-usaid-foreign-aid-bf442d62af67918a6fc5eee839074601">has ordered USAID absorbed</a>&nbsp;into the State Department on Tuesday.The former presidents and Bono spoke with thousands in the USAID community in a videoconference, which was billed as a closed-press event to allow political leaders and others privacy for sometimes angry and often teary remarks. Parts of the video were shared with The Associated Press.They expressed their appreciation for the thousands of USAID staffers who have lost their jobs and life’s work. Their agency was one of the first and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-usaid-c0c7799be0b2fa7cad4c806565985fe2">most fiercely targeted</a>&nbsp;for government-cutting by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and his billionaire ally Elon Musk, with staffers abruptly locked out of systems and offices and terminated by mass emailing.Trump claimed the agency was run by “radical left lunatics” and rife with “tremendous fraud.” Musk called it “a criminal organization.”Obama, speaking in a recorded statement, offered assurances to the aid and development workers, some listening from overseas.“Your work has mattered and will matter for generations to come,” he told them.Obama has largely kept a low public profile during Trump’s second term and refrained from criticizing the monumental changes that Trump has made to U.S. programs and priorities at home and abroad.“Gutting USAID is a travesty, and it’s a tragedy. Because it’s some of the most important work happening anywhere in the world,” Obama said. He credited USAID with not only saving lives, but being a main factor in global economic growth that has turned some aid-receiving countries into U.S. markets and trade partners.The former Democratic president predicted that ”sooner or later, leaders on both sides of the aisle will realize how much you are needed.”Asked for comment, the State Department said it would be introducing the department’s foreign assistance successor to USAID, to be called America First, this week.“The new process will ensure there is proper oversight and that every tax dollar spent will help advance our national interests,” the department said.USAID oversaw programs around the world, providing water and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/somalia-hunger-malnutrition-funding-cuts-usaid-03dfebfdbe19f55a520dad2be390faf5">life-saving food to millions</a>&nbsp;uprooted by conflict in Sudan, Syria, Gaza and elsewhere, sponsoring the “Green Revolution” that revolutionized modern agriculture and curbed starvation and famine, preventing disease outbreaks, promoting democracy, and providing financing and development that allowed countries and people to climb out of poverty.Bush, who also spoke in a recorded message, went straight to the cuts in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aids-hiv-pepfar-nkengasong-abortion-congress-43b09c9ad24530d24161a95b2fb80eaa">landmark AIDS and HIV program</a>&nbsp;started by his Republican administration and credited with saving 25 million lives around the world.Bipartisan blowback from Congress to cutting the popular President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, known as PEPFAR, helped save significant funding for the program. But cuts and rule changes have reduced the number getting the life-saving care.“You’ve showed the great strength of America through your work — and that is your good heart,’’ Bush told USAID staffers. “Is it in our national interests that 25 million people who would have died now live? I think it is, and so do you,” he said.Former Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, former Colombian President Juan Manual Santos and former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield also spoke to the staffers.So did humanitarian workers, including one who spoke of the welcome appearance of USAID staffers with food when she was a frightened 8-year-old child in a camp for Liberian refugees. A World Food Program official vowed through sobs that the U.S. aid mission would be back someday.Bono, a longtime humanitarian advocate in Africa and elsewhere, was announced as the “surprise guest,” in shades and a cap.He jokingly hailed the USAID staffers as “secret agents of international development” in acknowledgment of the down-low nature of Monday’s unofficial gathering of the USAID community.Bono held back tears at times as he recited a poem he had written to the agency and its gutting. He spoke of children dying of malnutrition, a reference to millions of people who Boston University researchers and other analysts say will die because of the U.S. cuts to funding for health and other programs abroad.

Bush and Obama fault Trump’s gutting of USAID on agency’s last day

JOHNSON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 3:30a.m. Tuesday in Johnson County.

An electric bicycle driven by 25-year-old Desmond Robinson of Kansas City, Missouri, was westbound on west 95th Street in Overland Park, according to Officer John Lacy.&nbsp; The driver entered the intersection at Metcalf Avenue against the red light, according to Lacy. The electric bike struck a southbound vehicle at the intersection. Robinson was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Lacy.&nbsp;

The other driver was not injured and is cooperating with the investigation. The Overland Park Traffic Safety Unit continues to investigate the accident.

JOHNSON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 3:30a.m. Tuesday in Johnson County.An electric bicycle driven by 25-year-old Desmond Robinson of Kansas City, Missouri, was westbound on west 95th Street in Overland Park, according to Officer John Lacy.&nbsp; The driver entered the intersection at Metcalf Avenue against the red light, according to Lacy. The electric bike struck a southbound vehicle at the intersection. Robinson was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Lacy.&nbsp;The other driver was not injured and is cooperating with the investigation. The Overland Park Traffic Safety Unit continues to investigate the accident.

E-bike rider dies in 2-vehicle Kansas crash

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans hauled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;big&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tax-cuts-bill-republicans-medicaid-snap-5106fb5d07a5675e01644aabde1f7df8">tax breaks and spending cuts bill</a>&nbsp;to passage Tuesday on the narrowest of votes, pushing past opposition from Democrats and their own GOP ranks after a turbulent overnight session.

Vice President JD Vance broke a 50-50 tie to push it over the top. The three Republicans opposing the bill were Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky.

The outcome capped an unusually tense weekend of work at the Capitol, the president’s signature legislative priority teetering on the edge of approval, or collapse.

The difficulty it took for Republicans, who have the majority hold in Congress, to wrestle the bill to this point is not expected to let up. The package now goes back to the House, where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/speaker-johnson-trump-tax-bill-christian-prayer-f82ed140d9110d5cc7b4029b681ea9eb">Speaker Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;had warned senators not to deviate too far from what his chamber had already approved. But the Senate did make changes, particularly to Medicaid, risking more problems as they race to finish by Trump’s Fourth of July deadline.

The outcome is a pivotal moment for president and his party, which have been consumed by the 940-page&nbsp;<a href="https://www.budget.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/the_one_big_beautiful_bill_act.pdf">“One Big Beautiful Bill Act,”</a>&nbsp;as it’s formally titled, and invested their political capital in delivering on the GOP's sweep of power in Washington.

Trump acknowledged it’s “very complicated stuff,” as he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-everglades-immigrant-detention-facility-visit-5dc5568ec15534947c29c9149b773d1d">departed the White House for Florida</a>.

“I don’t want to go too crazy with cuts," he said. "I don’t like cuts.”

What started as a routine but laborious day of amendment voting, in a process called vote-a-rama, spiraled into a round-the-clock slog as Republican leaders were buying time to shore up support.

The droning roll calls in the chamber belied the frenzied action to steady the bill. Grim-faced scenes played out on and off the Senate floor, amid exhaustion.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-bill-thune-senate-leader-daf1aee85669ac9a242908e2a13f9346">Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota</a>&nbsp;was desperately reaching for last-minute agreements between those in his party worried the bill's reductions to Medicaid will leave millions without care, and his most conservative flank, which wants even steeper cuts to hold down deficits ballooning with the tax cuts.

The GOP leaders have no room to spare, with narrow majorities. Thune can lose no more than three Republican senators, and already two —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/thom-tillis-trumps-big-bill-election-north-carolina-51ba539bb59921324c663fe99ca32055">Tillis</a>, who warned that millions of people will lose access to Medicaid health care, and Paul, who opposes raising the debt limit by $5 trillion — had indicated opposition.

Attention quickly turned to two key senators, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Collins, who also raised concerns about health care cuts, as well as a loose coalition of four conservative GOP senators pushing for even steeper reductions.

Murkowski in particular became the subject of the GOP leadership’s attention, as they sat beside her for talks. She was huddled intensely for more than an hour in the back of the chamber with others, scribbling notes on papers.

Then all eyes were on Paul after he returned from a visit to Thune’s office with a stunning offer that could win his vote. He had suggested substantially lowering the bill's increase in the debt ceiling, according to two people familiar with the private meeting and granted anonymity to discuss it.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said “Republicans are in shambles because they know the bill is so unpopular."

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cbo-trump-tax-bill-republicans-senate-5f591bea21bd95eec45ba90c93c50687">An analysis</a>&nbsp;from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cbo-big-beautiful-bill-trump-republican-deficit-debt-d432b67a965790e4a26de46ea8db1266">the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office</a>&nbsp;found 11.8 million more Americans would become uninsured by 2034 if the bill became law. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cbo-trump-tax-bill-republicans-senate-5f591bea21bd95eec45ba90c93c50687">CBO said</a>&nbsp;the package would increase the deficit by nearly $3.3 trillion over the decade.

And on social media, billionaire Elon Musk was again lashing out at Republicans as “the PORKY PIG PARTY!!” for including the $5 trillion debt ceiling in the package, which is needed to allow continued borrowing to pay the bills.

Few Republicans appeared fully satisfied as the final package emerges, in either the House or Senate.

Collins had proposed bolstering the $25 billion proposed rural hospital fund to $50 billion, offset with a higher tax rate on those earning more than $25 million a year, but her amendment failed.

And Murkowski was trying to secure provisions to spare people in her state from some food stamp cuts, which appeared to be accepted, while she was also working to beef up federal reimbursements to hospitals in Alaska and others states, that did not comply with parliamentary rules.

“Radio silence,” Murkowski said when asked how she would vote.

The conservative senators demanding a vote on their steeper health care cuts, including Rick Scott of Florida, Mike Lee of Utah, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, filed into Thune's office near-midnight.

All told, the Senate bill includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, according to the latest CBO analysis, making permanent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/big-beautiful-bill-trump-tax-spending-cuts-78fabe42ae09e0c5ac692a92dca8af5b">Trump's 2017 rates</a>, which would expire at the end of the year if Congress fails to act, while adding the new ones he campaigned on, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/no-tax-on-tips-things-to-know-budget-bill-02b9d99dbe17cef93a81bc0cbb2cffcb">no taxes on tips</a>.

The Senate package would roll back billions of dollars in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-clean-energy-tax-credits-trump-87f7ac850247f8a183d7c7933645b331">green energy tax credits</a>, which Democrats warn will wipe out wind and solar investments nationwide. It would impose $1.2 trillion in cuts, largely to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-bill-hospital-provider-tax-f6f4343bbc9c9a279bd7861c2e5c1b7b">Medicaid</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-food-stamps-tax-cuts-senate-spending-101d16d8ca61956fc37f0cce7551fa24">food stamps</a>, by imposing work requirements on able-bodied people, including some parents and older Americans, making sign-up eligibility more stringent and changing federal reimbursements to states.

Additionally, the bill would provide a $350 billion infusion for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-budget-congress-trump-bill-e37bb0a5c5ca883438db349239a6c251">border and national security</a>, including for deportations, some of it paid for with new fees charged to immigrants.

Unable to stop the march toward passage, the Democrats tried to drag out the process, including with a weekend reading of the full bill.

A few of the Democratic amendments won support from a few Republicans, though almost none were passing. More were considered in one of the longer such sessions in modern times.

One amendment overwhelmingly approved stripped a provision barring states from regulating artificial intelligence if they receive certain federal funding.

Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the ranking Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, raised particular concern about the accounting method being used by the Republicans, which says the tax breaks from Trump's first term are now “current policy” and the cost of extending them should not be counted toward deficits.

She said that kind of “magic math” won't fly with Americans trying to balance their own household books.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1751134086185.png" alt="White House image" />
 <figcaption>White House image</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans hauled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;big&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tax-cuts-bill-republicans-medicaid-snap-5106fb5d07a5675e01644aabde1f7df8">tax breaks and spending cuts bill</a>&nbsp;to passage Tuesday on the narrowest of votes, pushing past opposition from Democrats and their own GOP ranks after a turbulent overnight session.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">🚨BREAKING: President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill passes in the Senate 51-50 after VP JD Vance breaks the tie. <a href="https://t.co/GPNllTowQb">pic.twitter.com/GPNllTowQb</a>&mdash; Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/bennyjohnson/status/1940079910824841452?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Vice President JD Vance broke a 50-50 tie to push it over the top. The three Republicans opposing the bill were Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky.The outcome capped an unusually tense weekend of work at the Capitol, the president’s signature legislative priority teetering on the edge of approval, or collapse.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>’s bill has passed the Senate and will deliver MAJOR wins to every single American. I look forward to seeing it get through the House and to the President’s desk by the 4th of July. 🇺🇸&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1940082519455551861?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The difficulty it took for Republicans, who have the majority hold in Congress, to wrestle the bill to this point is not expected to let up. The package now goes back to the House, where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/speaker-johnson-trump-tax-bill-christian-prayer-f82ed140d9110d5cc7b4029b681ea9eb">Speaker Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;had warned senators not to deviate too far from what his chamber had already approved. But the Senate did make changes, particularly to Medicaid, risking more problems as they race to finish by Trump’s Fourth of July deadline.The outcome is a pivotal moment for president and his party, which have been consumed by the 940-page&nbsp;<a href="https://www.budget.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/the_one_big_beautiful_bill_act.pdf">“One Big Beautiful Bill Act,”</a>&nbsp;as it’s formally titled, and invested their political capital in delivering on the GOP's sweep of power in Washington.Trump acknowledged it’s “very complicated stuff,” as he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-everglades-immigrant-detention-facility-visit-5dc5568ec15534947c29c9149b773d1d">departed the White House for Florida</a>.“I don’t want to go too crazy with cuts," he said. "I don’t like cuts.”What started as a routine but laborious day of amendment voting, in a process called vote-a-rama, spiraled into a round-the-clock slog as Republican leaders were buying time to shore up support.The droning roll calls in the chamber belied the frenzied action to steady the bill. Grim-faced scenes played out on and off the Senate floor, amid exhaustion.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-bill-thune-senate-leader-daf1aee85669ac9a242908e2a13f9346">Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota</a>&nbsp;was desperately reaching for last-minute agreements between those in his party worried the bill's reductions to Medicaid will leave millions without care, and his most conservative flank, which wants even steeper cuts to hold down deficits ballooning with the tax cuts.The GOP leaders have no room to spare, with narrow majorities. Thune can lose no more than three Republican senators, and already two —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/thom-tillis-trumps-big-bill-election-north-carolina-51ba539bb59921324c663fe99ca32055">Tillis</a>, who warned that millions of people will lose access to Medicaid health care, and Paul, who opposes raising the debt limit by $5 trillion — had indicated opposition.Attention quickly turned to two key senators, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Collins, who also raised concerns about health care cuts, as well as a loose coalition of four conservative GOP senators pushing for even steeper reductions.Murkowski in particular became the subject of the GOP leadership’s attention, as they sat beside her for talks. She was huddled intensely for more than an hour in the back of the chamber with others, scribbling notes on papers.Then all eyes were on Paul after he returned from a visit to Thune’s office with a stunning offer that could win his vote. He had suggested substantially lowering the bill's increase in the debt ceiling, according to two people familiar with the private meeting and granted anonymity to discuss it.Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said “Republicans are in shambles because they know the bill is so unpopular."<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cbo-trump-tax-bill-republicans-senate-5f591bea21bd95eec45ba90c93c50687">An analysis</a>&nbsp;from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cbo-big-beautiful-bill-trump-republican-deficit-debt-d432b67a965790e4a26de46ea8db1266">the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office</a>&nbsp;found 11.8 million more Americans would become uninsured by 2034 if the bill became law. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cbo-trump-tax-bill-republicans-senate-5f591bea21bd95eec45ba90c93c50687">CBO said</a>&nbsp;the package would increase the deficit by nearly $3.3 trillion over the decade.And on social media, billionaire Elon Musk was again lashing out at Republicans as “the PORKY PIG PARTY!!” for including the $5 trillion debt ceiling in the package, which is needed to allow continued borrowing to pay the bills.<h2>Senators insist on changes</h2>Few Republicans appeared fully satisfied as the final package emerges, in either the House or Senate.Collins had proposed bolstering the $25 billion proposed rural hospital fund to $50 billion, offset with a higher tax rate on those earning more than $25 million a year, but her amendment failed.And Murkowski was trying to secure provisions to spare people in her state from some food stamp cuts, which appeared to be accepted, while she was also working to beef up federal reimbursements to hospitals in Alaska and others states, that did not comply with parliamentary rules.“Radio silence,” Murkowski said when asked how she would vote.The conservative senators demanding a vote on their steeper health care cuts, including Rick Scott of Florida, Mike Lee of Utah, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, filed into Thune's office near-midnight.<h2>What's in the big bill</h2>All told, the Senate bill includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, according to the latest CBO analysis, making permanent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/big-beautiful-bill-trump-tax-spending-cuts-78fabe42ae09e0c5ac692a92dca8af5b">Trump's 2017 rates</a>, which would expire at the end of the year if Congress fails to act, while adding the new ones he campaigned on, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/no-tax-on-tips-things-to-know-budget-bill-02b9d99dbe17cef93a81bc0cbb2cffcb">no taxes on tips</a>.The Senate package would roll back billions of dollars in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-clean-energy-tax-credits-trump-87f7ac850247f8a183d7c7933645b331">green energy tax credits</a>, which Democrats warn will wipe out wind and solar investments nationwide. It would impose $1.2 trillion in cuts, largely to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-bill-hospital-provider-tax-f6f4343bbc9c9a279bd7861c2e5c1b7b">Medicaid</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-food-stamps-tax-cuts-senate-spending-101d16d8ca61956fc37f0cce7551fa24">food stamps</a>, by imposing work requirements on able-bodied people, including some parents and older Americans, making sign-up eligibility more stringent and changing federal reimbursements to states.Additionally, the bill would provide a $350 billion infusion for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-budget-congress-trump-bill-e37bb0a5c5ca883438db349239a6c251">border and national security</a>, including for deportations, some of it paid for with new fees charged to immigrants.<h2>Democrats fighting all day and night</h2>Unable to stop the march toward passage, the Democrats tried to drag out the process, including with a weekend reading of the full bill.A few of the Democratic amendments won support from a few Republicans, though almost none were passing. More were considered in one of the longer such sessions in modern times.One amendment overwhelmingly approved stripped a provision barring states from regulating artificial intelligence if they receive certain federal funding.Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the ranking Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, raised particular concern about the accounting method being used by the Republicans, which says the tax breaks from Trump's first term are now “current policy” and the cost of extending them should not be counted toward deficits.She said that kind of “magic math” won't fly with Americans trying to balance their own household books.

Senate passes the Big, Beautiful Bill as Vance breaks 50-50 tie

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart, whose multimillion-dollar ministry and huge audience dwindled following his prostitution scandals, has died. He was 90.

Swaggart death was announced Tuesday on his public Facebook page. A cause wasn't immediately given, though Swaggart had been in ill health.

The Louisiana native was best known for being a captivating Pentecostal preacher with a massive following before being caught on camera with a prostitute in New Orleans in 1988, one of a string of successful TV preachers brought down in the 1980s and ’90s by sex scandals. He continued preaching for decades, but with a reduced audience.

Swaggart encapsulated his downfall in a tearful 1988 sermon, in which he wept and apologized but made no reference to his connection to a prostitute.

“I have sinned against you,” Swaggart told parishioners nationwide. “I beg you to forgive me.”

He announced his resignation from the Assemblies of God later that year, shortly after the church said it was defrocking him for rejecting punishment it had ordered for “moral failure.” The church had wanted him to undergo a two-year rehabilitation program, including not preaching for a full year.

Swaggart said at the time that he knew dismissal was inevitable but insisted he had no choice but to separate from the church to save his ministry and Bible college.

From poverty and oil fields to a household name

Swaggart grew up poor, the son of a preacher, in a music-rich family. He excelled at piano and gospel music, playing and singing with talented cousins who took different paths: rock-'n'-roller&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jerry-lee-lewis-dead-165d562af27b23da9d6d11fc480541e8">Jerry Lee Lewis</a>&nbsp;and country singer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-texas-pasadena-ee50242fe97832287e9e83a8004326d4">Mickey Gilley</a>.

In his hometown of Ferriday, Louisiana, Swaggart said he first heard the call of God at age 8. The voice gave him goose bumps and made his hair tingle, he said.

“Everything seemed different after that day in front of the Arcade Theater,” he said in a 1985 interview with the Jacksonville Journal-Courier in Illinois. “I felt better inside. Almost like taking a bath.”

He preached and worked part time in oil fields until he was 23. He then moved entirely into his ministry: preaching, playing piano and singing gospel songs with the barrelhouse fervor of cousin Lewis at Assemblies of God revivals and camp meetings.

Swaggart started a radio show, a magazine, and then moved into television, with outspoken views.

He called Roman Catholicism “a false religion. It is not the Christian way,” and claimed that Jews suffered for thousands of years “because of their rejection of Christ.”

“If you don't like what I say, talk to my boss,” he once shouted as he strode in front of his congregation at his Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge, where his sermons moved listeners to speak in tongues and stand up as if possessed by the Holy Spirit.

Swaggart's messages stirred thousands of congregants and millions of TV viewers, making him a household name by the late 1980s. Contributors built Jimmy Swaggart Ministries into a business that made an estimated $142 million in 1986.

His Baton Rouge complex still includes a worship center and broadcasting and recording facilities.

Swaggart’s downfall came in the late 1980s as other prominent preachers faced similar scandals. Swaggart said publicly that his earnings were hurt in 1987 by the sex scandal surrounding&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0862277bd6af0a060130a5d7dce38a21">rival televangelist Jim Bakker</a>&nbsp;and a former church secretary at Bakker's PTL ministry organization.

The following year, Swaggart was photographed at a hotel with Debra Murphree, an admitted prostitute who told reporters that the two did not have sex but that the preacher had paid her to pose nude.

She later repeated the claim — and posed nude — for Penthouse magazine.

The surveillance photos that crippled Swaggart's career apparently stemmed from his rivalry with preacher Marvin Gorman, whom Swaggart had accused of sexual misdeeds. Gorman hired the photographer who captured Swaggart and Murphree on film. Swaggart later paid Gorman $1.8 million to settle a lawsuit over the sexual allegations against Gorman.

More trouble came in 1991, when police in California detained Swaggart with another prostitute. The evangelist was charged with driving on the wrong side of the road and driving an unregistered Jaguar. His companion, Rosemary Garcia, said Swaggart became nervous when he saw the police car and weaved when he tried to stuff pornographic magazines under a car seat.

Swaggart was later mocked by the late TV comic Phil Hartman, who impersonated him on NBC's “Saturday Night Live.”

Out of the public eye but still in the pulpit

The evangelist largely stayed out of the news in later years but remained in the pulpit at Jimmy Swaggart Ministries, often joined by his son, Donnie, a fellow preacher. His radio station broadcast church services and gospel music to 21 states, and Swaggart's ministry boasted a worldwide audience on the internet.

The preacher caused another brief stir in 2004 with remarks about being “looked at” amorously by a gay man.

“And I'm going to be blunt and plain: If one ever looks at me like that, I'm going to kill him and tell God he died,” Swaggart said, to laughter from the congregation. He later apologized.

Swaggart made few public appearances outside his church, save for singing “Amazing Grace” at the 2005 funeral of Louisiana Secretary of State Fox McKeithen, a prominent name in state politics for decades.

In 2022, he shared memories at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-louisiana-tennessee-music-5838b535133b0f4d1f5ae661da55a81e">memorial service</a>&nbsp;for Lewis, his cousin and rock ‘n’ roll pioneer. The pair had released “The Boys From Ferriday,” a gospel album, earlier that year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751384370565.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart, whose multimillion-dollar ministry and huge audience dwindled following his prostitution scandals, has died. He was 90.Swaggart death was announced Tuesday on his public Facebook page. A cause wasn't immediately given, though Swaggart had been in ill health.The Louisiana native was best known for being a captivating Pentecostal preacher with a massive following before being caught on camera with a prostitute in New Orleans in 1988, one of a string of successful TV preachers brought down in the 1980s and ’90s by sex scandals. He continued preaching for decades, but with a reduced audience.Swaggart encapsulated his downfall in a tearful 1988 sermon, in which he wept and apologized but made no reference to his connection to a prostitute.“I have sinned against you,” Swaggart told parishioners nationwide. “I beg you to forgive me.”He announced his resignation from the Assemblies of God later that year, shortly after the church said it was defrocking him for rejecting punishment it had ordered for “moral failure.” The church had wanted him to undergo a two-year rehabilitation program, including not preaching for a full year.Swaggart said at the time that he knew dismissal was inevitable but insisted he had no choice but to separate from the church to save his ministry and Bible college.<h2>From poverty and oil fields to a household name</h2>Swaggart grew up poor, the son of a preacher, in a music-rich family. He excelled at piano and gospel music, playing and singing with talented cousins who took different paths: rock-'n'-roller&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jerry-lee-lewis-dead-165d562af27b23da9d6d11fc480541e8">Jerry Lee Lewis</a>&nbsp;and country singer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-texas-pasadena-ee50242fe97832287e9e83a8004326d4">Mickey Gilley</a>.In his hometown of Ferriday, Louisiana, Swaggart said he first heard the call of God at age 8. The voice gave him goose bumps and made his hair tingle, he said.“Everything seemed different after that day in front of the Arcade Theater,” he said in a 1985 interview with the Jacksonville Journal-Courier in Illinois. “I felt better inside. Almost like taking a bath.”He preached and worked part time in oil fields until he was 23. He then moved entirely into his ministry: preaching, playing piano and singing gospel songs with the barrelhouse fervor of cousin Lewis at Assemblies of God revivals and camp meetings.Swaggart started a radio show, a magazine, and then moved into television, with outspoken views.He called Roman Catholicism “a false religion. It is not the Christian way,” and claimed that Jews suffered for thousands of years “because of their rejection of Christ.”“If you don't like what I say, talk to my boss,” he once shouted as he strode in front of his congregation at his Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge, where his sermons moved listeners to speak in tongues and stand up as if possessed by the Holy Spirit.Swaggart's messages stirred thousands of congregants and millions of TV viewers, making him a household name by the late 1980s. Contributors built Jimmy Swaggart Ministries into a business that made an estimated $142 million in 1986.His Baton Rouge complex still includes a worship center and broadcasting and recording facilities.<h2>The scandals that led to Swaggart's ruin</h2>Swaggart’s downfall came in the late 1980s as other prominent preachers faced similar scandals. Swaggart said publicly that his earnings were hurt in 1987 by the sex scandal surrounding&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0862277bd6af0a060130a5d7dce38a21">rival televangelist Jim Bakker</a>&nbsp;and a former church secretary at Bakker's PTL ministry organization.The following year, Swaggart was photographed at a hotel with Debra Murphree, an admitted prostitute who told reporters that the two did not have sex but that the preacher had paid her to pose nude.She later repeated the claim — and posed nude — for Penthouse magazine.The surveillance photos that crippled Swaggart's career apparently stemmed from his rivalry with preacher Marvin Gorman, whom Swaggart had accused of sexual misdeeds. Gorman hired the photographer who captured Swaggart and Murphree on film. Swaggart later paid Gorman $1.8 million to settle a lawsuit over the sexual allegations against Gorman.More trouble came in 1991, when police in California detained Swaggart with another prostitute. The evangelist was charged with driving on the wrong side of the road and driving an unregistered Jaguar. His companion, Rosemary Garcia, said Swaggart became nervous when he saw the police car and weaved when he tried to stuff pornographic magazines under a car seat.Swaggart was later mocked by the late TV comic Phil Hartman, who impersonated him on NBC's “Saturday Night Live.”<h2>Out of the public eye but still in the pulpit</h2>The evangelist largely stayed out of the news in later years but remained in the pulpit at Jimmy Swaggart Ministries, often joined by his son, Donnie, a fellow preacher. His radio station broadcast church services and gospel music to 21 states, and Swaggart's ministry boasted a worldwide audience on the internet.The preacher caused another brief stir in 2004 with remarks about being “looked at” amorously by a gay man.“And I'm going to be blunt and plain: If one ever looks at me like that, I'm going to kill him and tell God he died,” Swaggart said, to laughter from the congregation. He later apologized.Swaggart made few public appearances outside his church, save for singing “Amazing Grace” at the 2005 funeral of Louisiana Secretary of State Fox McKeithen, a prominent name in state politics for decades.In 2022, he shared memories at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-louisiana-tennessee-music-5838b535133b0f4d1f5ae661da55a81e">memorial service</a>&nbsp;for Lewis, his cousin and rock ‘n’ roll pioneer. The pair had released “The Boys From Ferriday,” a gospel album, earlier that year.

Controversial televangelist Jimmy Swaggart dies at 90

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man accused of shooting a teen in a Walmart parking lot is due back in court Tuesday.

Ruben Contreras, 47 of Wichita, is charged with attempted 1st&nbsp;degree murder, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; He is scheduled to appear in Judge Seth Rundle's courtroom for a plea hearing in the case.

Just before 5p.m. May 11, 2024 officers were dispatched to a call involving a weapon at Walmart, 18631 W. Kellogg in Goddard, according to a statement from the Sedgwick County Sheriff's office.

First responders located an 18-year-old in a vehicle&nbsp;suffering from a gunshot wound, in the Walmart parking lot.&nbsp; EMS transported the teen to the hospital in serious condition.&nbsp;

A suspect identified as&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=748186">Contreras,</a>&nbsp;remained on the scene when law enforcement arrived and was taken into custody.

Contreras was transported to Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Investigation to be interviewed. He was later booked into Sedgwick County Detention Facility and later met the condition of a $300-thousand bond and is out of jail, according to online records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715641692899.png" alt="Contreras photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Contreras photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man accused of shooting a teen in a Walmart parking lot is due back in court Tuesday.Ruben Contreras, 47 of Wichita, is charged with attempted 1st&nbsp;degree murder, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; He is scheduled to appear in Judge Seth Rundle's courtroom for a plea hearing in the case.Just before 5p.m. May 11, 2024 officers were dispatched to a call involving a weapon at Walmart, 18631 W. Kellogg in Goddard, according to a statement from the Sedgwick County Sheriff's office.First responders located an 18-year-old in a vehicle&nbsp;suffering from a gunshot wound, in the Walmart parking lot.&nbsp; EMS transported the teen to the hospital in serious condition.&nbsp;A suspect identified as&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=748186">Contreras,</a>&nbsp;remained on the scene when law enforcement arrived and was taken into custody.Contreras was transported to Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Investigation to be interviewed. He was later booked into Sedgwick County Detention Facility and later met the condition of a $300-thousand bond and is out of jail, according to online records.

Man accused of shooting Kan. teen in parking lot is due back in court

TREGO COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating three suspects on drug allegations in Trego County.

Trego County Sheriff's Deputies and WaKeeney Police executed a search warrant at a local residence, according to a social media report from the sheriff's office. 

Officers made 3 arrests and seized fentanyl, methamphetamine, and marijuana, along with a multitude of drug paraphernalia. 

"The Trego County Sheriff’s Office and the WaKeeney Police Department are committed to keeping our community safe and keeping these dangerous drugs out."

These individuals have been charged with intent to distribute within 1000’ of a school, according to the sheriff's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751377936724.png" alt="Photo Trego County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Trego County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>TREGO COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating three suspects on drug allegations in Trego County.Trego County Sheriff's Deputies and WaKeeney Police executed a search warrant at a local residence, according to a social media report from the sheriff's office. Officers made 3 arrests and seized fentanyl, methamphetamine, and marijuana, along with a multitude of drug paraphernalia. "The Trego County Sheriff’s Office and the WaKeeney Police Department are committed to keeping our community safe and keeping these dangerous drugs out."These individuals have been charged with intent to distribute within 1000’ of a school, according to the sheriff's office.

Officers seized fentanyl, meth and made 3 arrests in NW Kansas

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Crew members from a Disney cruise ship saved a girl who fell overboard and her father who jumped in after her.

The Disney Dream rescue team pulled the girl and her father into a small boat on Sunday as the cruise ship was returning to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from the Bahamas on the last day of the voyage, according to Disney and passengers who recorded the rescue on video.

Passengers were alerted that someone had fallen overboard by an announcement over the ship’s loudspeakers, said passenger Kevin Furuta in a social media post.

“Thankfully the (Disney Cruise Lines) rescue team was on it immediately and both were saved!” Furuta said in a post to the Facebook group, Disney Dream Cruise Ship Group.

No information has been released about how the girl fell overboard.

“We commend our crew members for their exceptional skills and prompt actions, which ensured the safe return of both guests to the ship within minutes,” Disney said in a statement. “We are committed to the safety and well-being of our guests, and this incident highlights the effectiveness of our safety protocols.”

The Coast Guard didn’t respond to an email seeking comment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751373006811.jpg" alt="Image Pixaby" />
 <figcaption>Image Pixaby</figcaption>
 </figure>FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Crew members from a Disney cruise ship saved a girl who fell overboard and her father who jumped in after her.The Disney Dream rescue team pulled the girl and her father into a small boat on Sunday as the cruise ship was returning to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from the Bahamas on the last day of the voyage, according to Disney and passengers who recorded the rescue on video.Passengers were alerted that someone had fallen overboard by an announcement over the ship’s loudspeakers, said passenger Kevin Furuta in a social media post.“Thankfully the (Disney Cruise Lines) rescue team was on it immediately and both were saved!” Furuta said in a post to the Facebook group, Disney Dream Cruise Ship Group.No information has been released about how the girl fell overboard.“We commend our crew members for their exceptional skills and prompt actions, which ensured the safe return of both guests to the ship within minutes,” Disney said in a statement. “We are committed to the safety and well-being of our guests, and this incident highlights the effectiveness of our safety protocols.”The Coast Guard didn’t respond to an email seeking comment.