SHAWNEE COUNTY —On July 17, The Kansas State Fire Marshal (KSFM) Investigation Division was requested to assist with a fatality fire in the 500 block N. School Street, according to a media release.

 KSFM Special Agents were requested by local authorities after they responded to a house fire with a fatality. Two Special Agents/Certified Fire Investigators from the KSFM and one from the Topeka Fire Department, along with their canine partner were sent to assist with this fire event.

According to the Auburn Police Department, they responded to the residence for a domestic-related police call. The man at the home left the residence with the kids. Approximately 15 minutes after leaving, a neighbor called 911 to report a house fire. Auburn Police Department responded and attempted to locate the victim but were unable to get to her. The victim, identified as Toka Flickinger, 47, was found by suppression crews in the bathtub, in water.

The fire was determined to have been set in the front hallway in front of the bathroom, trapping Flickinger.&nbsp;

The fire incident is classified as incendiary with multiple points of origin. An autopsy is scheduled for this week.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753135024506.png" alt="photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —On July 17, The Kansas State Fire Marshal (KSFM) Investigation Division was requested to assist with a fatality fire in the 500 block N. School Street, according to a media release. KSFM Special Agents were requested by local authorities after they responded to a house fire with a fatality. Two Special Agents/Certified Fire Investigators from the KSFM and one from the Topeka Fire Department, along with their canine partner were sent to assist with this fire event.According to the Auburn Police Department, they responded to the residence for a domestic-related police call. The man at the home left the residence with the kids. Approximately 15 minutes after leaving, a neighbor called 911 to report a house fire. Auburn Police Department responded and attempted to locate the victim but were unable to get to her. The victim, identified as Toka Flickinger, 47, was found by suppression crews in the bathtub, in water.The fire was determined to have been set in the front hallway in front of the bathroom, trapping Flickinger.&nbsp;The fire incident is classified as incendiary with multiple points of origin. An autopsy is scheduled for this week.

Fire Marshal: Kan. woman killed in house fire was trapped in bathroom

MORRIS COUNTY —A Kansas man has been identified as a drowning victim.&nbsp;

&nbsp;The body of 66-year-old Mark Moore of Topeka was found Saturday evening in Council Grove Lake, according to a statement from the Council Grove Police Department.&nbsp; &nbsp;Just after 9:30a.m. Saturday, police and other first responders responded report of a possible drowning.

Moore's body was found following a rigorous search, according to police.

&nbsp;Council Grove Fire/Rescue, Morris County Emergency Medical Services, Herington Rescue, Morris County Emergency Management, the Morris County Sheriff's Office and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks also assisted with the search. Authorities released no other details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753117878350.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>MORRIS COUNTY —A Kansas man has been identified as a drowning victim.&nbsp;&nbsp;The body of 66-year-old Mark Moore of Topeka was found Saturday evening in Council Grove Lake, according to a statement from the Council Grove Police Department.&nbsp; &nbsp;Just after 9:30a.m. Saturday, police and other first responders responded report of a possible drowning.Moore's body was found following a rigorous search, according to police.&nbsp;Council Grove Fire/Rescue, Morris County Emergency Medical Services, Herington Rescue, Morris County Emergency Management, the Morris County Sheriff's Office and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks also assisted with the search. Authorities released no other details.

66-year-old Kansas man identified as drowning victim

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes inched their way to more records on Monday to kick off a week full of profit updates from big U.S. companies.

The S&amp;P 500 rose 0.1% and squeaked past its prior&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-powell-trump-ee3ff3ef24f5054fb0550605a922df83">all-time high set on Thursday</a>. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged down by 19 points, or less than 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite added 0.4%&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/markets-stocks-japan-inflation-rates-43b87b3786fdd2971f3b8c52ffedc20a">to its own record</a>.

Verizon Communications helped lead the way and rose 4%. The telecom giant reported a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected, along with higher revenue than forecast. Following the better-than-expected performance, Verizon raised its forecasts for profit and other financial measures for the full year.

That helped offset a 5.4% drop for Sarepta Therapeutics, which continued to fall after the Food and Drug Administration said on Friday that it asked the company to voluntarily stop all shipments of Elevidys, its gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, due to safety concerns.

Block, Jack Dorsey’s company behind Square, Cash App and other tech brands climbed 7.6% in its first trading after learning it will join the widely followed and imitated S&amp;P 500 index. It will take the place of Hess, which Chevron bought, before trading begins on Wednesday.

Cleveland-Cliffs rallied 12.4% after the steel producer reported a smaller loss for the spring than analysts expected. It shipped a record 4.3 million net tons of steel during the quarter, and CEO Lourenco Goncalves said the company has begun to see “the positive impact that tariffs have on domestic manufacturing” and other things.

It’s a major supplier to the auto industry, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/consumer-prices-inflation-trump-trade-6ea513a44876c2f4dc948a25c15b0eb0">President Donald Trump’s tariffs</a>&nbsp;steer companies hoping to sell cars in the United States toward steel made in the country.

Other U.S. companies, though, are navigating the downsides and complications of tariffs, which raise prices on all kinds of things imported to the United States. That includes General Motors, which will report its latest profit results later this week, along with such market heavyweights as Alphabet, Coca-Cola and Tesla.

Many of Trump’s stiff proposed tariffs are currently on pause after Trump extended the deadline for talks with other countries in order to give more time to reach potential trade deals that could lower the tax rates. The next big deadline, at least for now, is Aug. 1.

It’s still early days in this earnings reporting season, but most big U.S. companies have been topping analysts’ expectations, as is usually the case.

Some encouraging undertones may already be emerging. An upward inflection in demand for travel that United Airlines said it’s seen recently, combined with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/retail-sales-economy-inflation-22178ab1457693a21d6822ec12c9b0d9">better-than-expected data on U.S. retail sales</a>, may indicate that U.S. consumers remain in decent health, Bank of America strategist Savita Subramanian said in a BofA Global Research report. That could offer a strong source of support for the economy.

Companies will need to keep delivering solid profit growth to tamp down criticism that the U.S. stock market may be looking expensive again after prices reached records despite potential worries about tariffs and the economy.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 8.81 points to 6,305.60. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 19.12 to 44,323.07, and the Nasdaq composite rose 78.52 to 20,974.17.

In the bond market, Treasury yields eased. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.38% from 4.44% late Friday.

In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in Europe after finishing modestly higher in much of Asia.

Markets were closed for a holiday in Japan, where the ruling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-politics-election-ishiba-parliament-vote-fcc2fb4cce609240d1c2369bf4090e26">Liberal Democrats lost their coalition majorities</a>&nbsp;in both houses of parliament for the first time since 1955 following Sunday’s upper house election and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-ishiba-parliament-election-ldp-opposition-5c6509c7b83963ffe40588c50998967c">loss of their lower house majority</a>&nbsp;in October.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes inched their way to more records on Monday to kick off a week full of profit updates from big U.S. companies.The S&amp;P 500 rose 0.1% and squeaked past its prior&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-powell-trump-ee3ff3ef24f5054fb0550605a922df83">all-time high set on Thursday</a>. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged down by 19 points, or less than 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite added 0.4%&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/markets-stocks-japan-inflation-rates-43b87b3786fdd2971f3b8c52ffedc20a">to its own record</a>.Verizon Communications helped lead the way and rose 4%. The telecom giant reported a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected, along with higher revenue than forecast. Following the better-than-expected performance, Verizon raised its forecasts for profit and other financial measures for the full year.That helped offset a 5.4% drop for Sarepta Therapeutics, which continued to fall after the Food and Drug Administration said on Friday that it asked the company to voluntarily stop all shipments of Elevidys, its gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, due to safety concerns.Block, Jack Dorsey’s company behind Square, Cash App and other tech brands climbed 7.6% in its first trading after learning it will join the widely followed and imitated S&amp;P 500 index. It will take the place of Hess, which Chevron bought, before trading begins on Wednesday.Cleveland-Cliffs rallied 12.4% after the steel producer reported a smaller loss for the spring than analysts expected. It shipped a record 4.3 million net tons of steel during the quarter, and CEO Lourenco Goncalves said the company has begun to see “the positive impact that tariffs have on domestic manufacturing” and other things.It’s a major supplier to the auto industry, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/consumer-prices-inflation-trump-trade-6ea513a44876c2f4dc948a25c15b0eb0">President Donald Trump’s tariffs</a>&nbsp;steer companies hoping to sell cars in the United States toward steel made in the country.Other U.S. companies, though, are navigating the downsides and complications of tariffs, which raise prices on all kinds of things imported to the United States. That includes General Motors, which will report its latest profit results later this week, along with such market heavyweights as Alphabet, Coca-Cola and Tesla.Many of Trump’s stiff proposed tariffs are currently on pause after Trump extended the deadline for talks with other countries in order to give more time to reach potential trade deals that could lower the tax rates. The next big deadline, at least for now, is Aug. 1.It’s still early days in this earnings reporting season, but most big U.S. companies have been topping analysts’ expectations, as is usually the case.Some encouraging undertones may already be emerging. An upward inflection in demand for travel that United Airlines said it’s seen recently, combined with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/retail-sales-economy-inflation-22178ab1457693a21d6822ec12c9b0d9">better-than-expected data on U.S. retail sales</a>, may indicate that U.S. consumers remain in decent health, Bank of America strategist Savita Subramanian said in a BofA Global Research report. That could offer a strong source of support for the economy.Companies will need to keep delivering solid profit growth to tamp down criticism that the U.S. stock market may be looking expensive again after prices reached records despite potential worries about tariffs and the economy.All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 8.81 points to 6,305.60. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 19.12 to 44,323.07, and the Nasdaq composite rose 78.52 to 20,974.17.In the bond market, Treasury yields eased. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.38% from 4.44% late Friday.In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in Europe after finishing modestly higher in much of Asia.Markets were closed for a holiday in Japan, where the ruling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-politics-election-ishiba-parliament-vote-fcc2fb4cce609240d1c2369bf4090e26">Liberal Democrats lost their coalition majorities</a>&nbsp;in both houses of parliament for the first time since 1955 following Sunday’s upper house election and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-ishiba-parliament-election-ldp-opposition-5c6509c7b83963ffe40588c50998967c">loss of their lower house majority</a>&nbsp;in October.

US stocks set more records 

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) — Malcolm-Jamal Warner the actor who played teenage son Theo Huxtable&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-celebrity-a4dc344c8313491cb699833340459cdd">on “The Cosby Show,”</a>&nbsp;has died at age 54 in an accidental drowning in Costa Rica, authorities there said.

Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Department said Monday that Warner drowned Sunday afternoon on a beach on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast. He was swimming at Playa Cocles in Limon province when a current pulled him deeper into the ocean.

“He was rescued by people on the beach,” the department's initial report said, but first responders from Costa Rica’s Red Cross found him without vital signs and he was taken to the morgue.

Warner created many TV moments etched in the memories of Generation X children and their parents, including a pilot-episode argument with Bill Cosby's Cliff Huxtable about money and an ear piercing he tries to hide from his dad. His Theo was the only son among four daughters in the household of Cliff Huxtable and Phylicia Rashad’s Clair Huxtable on the NBC sitcom, and he would be one of the prime representations of American teenage boyhood on a show that was the most popular in America for much of its run from 1984 to 1992.

He played the role for eight seasons in all 197 episodes, winning an Emmy nomination for supporting actor in a comedy in 1986. For many the lasting image of the character, and of Warner, is of him wearing a badly botched mock designer shirt sewed by his sister Denise, played by Lisa Bonet.

Warner later appeared on the sitcom “Malcolm &amp; Eddie,” co-starring with comedian Eddie Griffin in the series on the defunct UPN network from 1996 to 2000. And in the 2010s he starred opposite Tracee Ellis Ross as a family-blending couple for two seasons on the BET sitcom “Read Between The Lines.” He also had a role as O.J. Simpson's friend Al Cowlings on “American Crime Story” and was a series regular on Fox's “The Resident.”

His film roles include the 2008 rom-com “Fool’s Gold” with Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson. A poet and a musician,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/music-ef6f8d8478d247e0ba4d54f67cedae43">Warner was a Grammy winner,</a>&nbsp;for best traditional R&amp;B performance, and was nominated for best spoken word poetry album for “Hiding in Plain View.”

Warner was married with a daughter, but chose to not publicly disclose their names. Warner's representatives declined immediate comment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753124629512.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) — Malcolm-Jamal Warner the actor who played teenage son Theo Huxtable&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-celebrity-a4dc344c8313491cb699833340459cdd">on “The Cosby Show,”</a>&nbsp;has died at age 54 in an accidental drowning in Costa Rica, authorities there said.Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Department said Monday that Warner drowned Sunday afternoon on a beach on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast. He was swimming at Playa Cocles in Limon province when a current pulled him deeper into the ocean.“He was rescued by people on the beach,” the department's initial report said, but first responders from Costa Rica’s Red Cross found him without vital signs and he was taken to the morgue.Warner created many TV moments etched in the memories of Generation X children and their parents, including a pilot-episode argument with Bill Cosby's Cliff Huxtable about money and an ear piercing he tries to hide from his dad. His Theo was the only son among four daughters in the household of Cliff Huxtable and Phylicia Rashad’s Clair Huxtable on the NBC sitcom, and he would be one of the prime representations of American teenage boyhood on a show that was the most popular in America for much of its run from 1984 to 1992.He played the role for eight seasons in all 197 episodes, winning an Emmy nomination for supporting actor in a comedy in 1986. For many the lasting image of the character, and of Warner, is of him wearing a badly botched mock designer shirt sewed by his sister Denise, played by Lisa Bonet.Warner later appeared on the sitcom “Malcolm &amp; Eddie,” co-starring with comedian Eddie Griffin in the series on the defunct UPN network from 1996 to 2000. And in the 2010s he starred opposite Tracee Ellis Ross as a family-blending couple for two seasons on the BET sitcom “Read Between The Lines.” He also had a role as O.J. Simpson's friend Al Cowlings on “American Crime Story” and was a series regular on Fox's “The Resident.”His film roles include the 2008 rom-com “Fool’s Gold” with Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson. A poet and a musician,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/music-ef6f8d8478d247e0ba4d54f67cedae43">Warner was a Grammy winner,</a>&nbsp;for best traditional R&amp;B performance, and was nominated for best spoken word poetry album for “Hiding in Plain View.”Warner was married with a daughter, but chose to not publicly disclose their names. Warner's representatives declined immediate comment.___

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, 'Cosby Show' actor, dies at 54 

The sweeping requests raise fears about how the Trump administration plans to use the information

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jonathan-shorman/">Jonathan Shorman</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>

The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking the voter registration lists of several states — representing data on millions of Americans — and other election information ahead of the 2026 midterms, raising fears about how the Trump administration plans to use the information.

The DOJ is also demanding Colorado turn over all records related to the 2024 election, a massive trove of documents that could include ballots and even voting equipment. The Colorado inquiry, the most sweeping publicly known request, underscores the extent of the administration’s attention on state election activities.

At least nine states have received requests for information over the past three months, according to letters from the DOJ obtained by Stateline. Some states also received emails from a DOJ official last week asking for meetings to discuss information-sharing agreements.

The department’s focus on elections comes after President Donald Trump directed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi in March to seek information about suspected election crimes from state election officials and empowered her to potentially withhold grants and other funds from uncooperative states.

For years, Trump has advanced false claims about elections, including the idea that the 2020 election that he lost was stolen. Now back in power, his administration is taking a new level of interest in how states — and even local authorities — administer elections.

Last week, a political operative approached several Republican county clerks in Colorado to enlist them in election integrity efforts in light of Trump’s sweeping March executive order overhauling elections administration. One clerk told Stateline the operative claimed to represent the White House.

“Whatever the Trump administration tries to pull is very unlikely to be successful,” Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, said in an interview, calling Colorado elections very secure. “With that said, do I think they are trying to undermine our elections at large in this country? Absolutely.”

DOJ has sent letters to Alaska, Arizona, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, in addition to the request to Colorado.

The letters have typically asked election officials to describe how they register voters and work to identify duplicate registrations and individuals not eligible to vote, such as people with felony convictions and those who have died. The Washington Post earlier Wednesday reported on the letters; Votebeat and NPR previously reported on some of the letters as well.

Most letters also ask about each state’s process for flagging noncitizen applicants. Noncitizen voting is against federal law and incredibly rare, but Trump and his allies have promoted false claims about its prevalence. The Trump administration is also conducting a general crackdown on illegal immigration.

The letters call on election officials to turn over voter registration lists, which in some instances contain data on millions of residents in their states. This request has raised the most concerns, with some experts saying it’s unclear exactly why the DOJ wants the information.

“They don’t make much sense as law enforcement investigations. That makes me think that there’s some other purpose,” said Justin Levitt, who served as senior policy adviser for democracy and voting rights in the Biden White House and is now a law professor at Loyola Marymount University.

While many states make their voter registration lists available to the public, Levitt emphasized the data could still be largely off-limits to the federal government. Federal privacy law sometimes restricts how the government can use data that’s publicly obtainable. The DOJ may need voter information in some individual circumstances, but “that’s not blanket permission to go vacuuming up data.”

The DOJ didn’t respond to questions for this story.

Federal laws restrict the federal government’s ability to centralize information on Americans, said David Becker, executive director of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation &amp; Research. Even if states provide voter registration information to the public, they often redact sensitive information.

In Orange County, California, the DOJ sued local election officials in June, seeking unredacted voter registration information, such as Social Security numbers and driver’s licenses, as part of an investigation into noncitizen voting.

More than 350 election officials from some 33 states participated in a conference call about federal actions on Monday hosted by Becker, who was previously an attorney in the DOJ Voting Rights Section during the administrations of Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. He said the interest in the call shows the level of uncertainty and anxiety over the current “federal imposition” on election administrators.

“The DOJ seems dead set on acquiring personal information on voters, including driver’s license numbers, Social Security numbers and dates of birth — records that are highly protected under federal law and under state law and which state election officials are sworn to protect,” Becker said.

In Colorado, the amount of data the DOJ wants is enormous. On May 12, Harmeet Dhillon, an assistant U.S. attorney general in the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, sent a letter to Griswold, the secretary of state, asking for access to “all records” related to the 2024 election.

Federal law requires state election officials to preserve records related to elections for 22 months. Typically, the rule ensures records are preserved in case any lawsuits are filed over an election. In the letter, Dhillon referred to a complaint against Griswold’s office alleging noncompliance with records retention laws, but provided no details.

Experts on election administration who spoke to Stateline expressed shock at the scope of the demand to Colorado. The request encompasses a vast trove of material, potentially including ballots.

“The amount of records being requested from a place like Colorado … it’s really, really significant in terms of the volume of materials that are required to be retained,” said Neal Ubriani, a former voting rights litigator at the DOJ during the Obama and first Trump administrations and the current policy and research director at the nonpartisan Institute for Responsive Government.

Colorado elections have previously drawn Trump’s attention. Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, a staunch Trump supporter, is serving a nine-year prison sentence after a conviction in state court for allowing unauthorized access to voting equipment in 2021.

On May 5 of this year — a week before the Dhillon letter to Griswold — Trump posted on social media that Peters should be released, calling her a “political prisoner.” Griswold noted the timing.

“I think the bigger picture is Donald Trump is continuing to try and rewrite the 2020 election and destabilize the ’26 and ’28 elections,” Griswold told Stateline.

The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office responded to the DOJ by providing copies of the state’s master voter file and voter history file. All of the information provided is also available to the public.

Some Colorado Republican county clerks in recent days have also been approached by Jeff Small, a political operative who worked at the U.S. Department of the Interior during the first Trump administration. Stateline and Colorado Newsline spoke to three GOP clerks who said they had spoken to Small last week.

Steve Schleiker, clerk of El Paso County, which includes Colorado Springs and is the most populous county in the state, said that on July 9 he received a text and call from Small, who introduced himself in a voicemail as someone who “works for the White House.”

Schleiker said that when he called back, Small said he wanted to build relationships with clerks because the Trump administration was unhappy with progress on the president’s elections executive order. He later connected Schleiker with a Homeland Security official who wanted to test the security of El Paso County’s election systems, said Schleiker, who added that he opposed the request.

Weld County Clerk Carly Koppes said she also heard from Small, but that Small told her he wasn’t under contract or being paid for the calls. Small indicated he was making the calls on behalf of former colleagues, Koppes said.

Small, a former Capitol Hill chief of staff who now works for a Colorado-based government affairs firm, didn’t return a call to his office on Wednesday. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that the agency works with local partners to ensure elections remain safe.

“We don’t disclose every single conversation we have with them,” an unidentified DHS spokesperson wrote in an email.

Matt Crane, executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association, said he was aware of 10 clerks approached by Small. He noted that every clerk approached by Small hails from a county that uses Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems.

While Dominion is widely used in Colorado, it’s also been the subject of election conspiracy theories. A former candidate for county sheriff in southwest Colorado was arrested in June, accused of firebombing a clerk’s office. Colorado Public Radio reported the suspect, according to law enforcement, had spoken publicly about trying to get rid of the county’s Dominion machines.

“I think the really important thing to say here is that it was Republican clerks who stood up to a Republican administration and said, ‘No, we’re going to follow the law,’” Crane said.

The intent of the efforts by Small and the federal government “has been muddied up it seems,” Montrose County Clerk Tressa Guynes said. Based on her conversations with other clerks, she said, it appeared Small represented one thing to other clerks and then “represented maybe a watered-down version by the time it got to me.”

Guynes said Small wanted to discuss Trump’s elections executive order. She said Small asked whether she would be willing to support a federal task force’s efforts in an advisory role.

“I said absolutely I will advise,” Guynes said. “I said I’m frankly glad that they’re finally reaching out to the boots on the ground, the people who actually conduct the elections, instead of listening to those who have never conducted a Colorado election.”

As Colorado grapples with the most far-reaching request, other states are choosing how to respond. In Wisconsin, the state election commission responded to a DOJ request for the voter registration list with instructions on how to request public voter data.

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, responded on June 2 — after DOJ in a May 20 letter told the state to ensure voter registration applicants&nbsp;provided a driver’s license number, if they have one, instead of a partial Social Security number. The DOJ also wanted Arizona to check voters against a state database to look for noncitizens.

Fontes replied that Arizona complies with federal law and conducts checks using a state motor vehicle division database.

“We are focused on dealing with DOJ in a good faith manner while ensuring we are following the letter of federal and state laws,” Fontes spokesperson JP Martin wrote in an email to Stateline.

More recently, Arizona received a letter July 10 from DOJ about implementation of Trump’s elections executive order. Rhode Island Democratic Secretary of State Gregg Amore also received an email about the order the same day, according to a copy provided to the Rhode Island Current.

In the email, Scott Laragy, principal deputy director in the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, asks for a call to discuss a possible information-sharing agreement to provide DOJ with information on individuals who have registered to vote or have voted despite being ineligible, or those who have committed other forms of election fraud.

The email echoes the language in Trump’s elections executive order, which calls for DOJ to reach information-sharing agreements with states. While much of the order, which focused on proof of citizenship in elections, has been struck down in federal court, provisions related to information sharing remain.

The executive order directs Bondi, the U.S. attorney general, to prioritize enforcement of federal “election integrity laws” in uncooperative states. It also requires her to review grants and other DOJ funds that could be withheld from states that resist.

Some states have already struck deals with the Trump administration. Indiana Republican Secretary of State Diego Morales announced an agreement last week with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services allowing the state to access a database to verify the citizenship of registered voters. Alabama Republican Secretary of State Wes Allen has signed a similar agreement.

“With your cooperation, we plan to use this information to enforce Federal election laws and protect the integrity of Federal elections,” Laragy wrote to Rhode Island.

Janine Weisman of the Rhode Island Current and Lindsey Toomer of Colorado Newsline contributed to this report. Stateline reporter Jonathan Shorman can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:jshorman@stateline.org">jshorman@stateline.org</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709323737405.png" alt="Fire photo (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Fire photo (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The sweeping requests raise fears about how the Trump administration plans to use the information</h2>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jonathan-shorman/">Jonathan Shorman</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking the voter registration lists of several states — representing data on millions of Americans — and other election information ahead of the 2026 midterms, raising fears about how the Trump administration plans to use the information.The DOJ is also demanding Colorado turn over all records related to the 2024 election, a massive trove of documents that could include ballots and even voting equipment. The Colorado inquiry, the most sweeping publicly known request, underscores the extent of the administration’s attention on state election activities.At least nine states have received requests for information over the past three months, according to letters from the DOJ obtained by Stateline. Some states also received emails from a DOJ official last week asking for meetings to discuss information-sharing agreements.The department’s focus on elections comes after President Donald Trump directed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi in March to seek information about suspected election crimes from state election officials and empowered her to potentially withhold grants and other funds from uncooperative states.For years, Trump has advanced false claims about elections, including the idea that the 2020 election that he lost was stolen. Now back in power, his administration is taking a new level of interest in how states — and even local authorities — administer elections.Last week, a political operative approached several Republican county clerks in Colorado to enlist them in election integrity efforts in light of Trump’s sweeping March executive order overhauling elections administration. One clerk told Stateline the operative claimed to represent the White House.“Whatever the Trump administration tries to pull is very unlikely to be successful,” Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, said in an interview, calling Colorado elections very secure. “With that said, do I think they are trying to undermine our elections at large in this country? Absolutely.”DOJ has sent letters to Alaska, Arizona, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, in addition to the request to Colorado.The letters have typically asked election officials to describe how they register voters and work to identify duplicate registrations and individuals not eligible to vote, such as people with felony convictions and those who have died. The Washington Post earlier Wednesday reported on the letters; Votebeat and NPR previously reported on some of the letters as well.Most letters also ask about each state’s process for flagging noncitizen applicants. Noncitizen voting is against federal law and incredibly rare, but Trump and his allies have promoted false claims about its prevalence. The Trump administration is also conducting a general crackdown on illegal immigration.The letters call on election officials to turn over voter registration lists, which in some instances contain data on millions of residents in their states. This request has raised the most concerns, with some experts saying it’s unclear exactly why the DOJ wants the information.“They don’t make much sense as law enforcement investigations. That makes me think that there’s some other purpose,” said Justin Levitt, who served as senior policy adviser for democracy and voting rights in the Biden White House and is now a law professor at Loyola Marymount University.While many states make their voter registration lists available to the public, Levitt emphasized the data could still be largely off-limits to the federal government. Federal privacy law sometimes restricts how the government can use data that’s publicly obtainable. The DOJ may need voter information in some individual circumstances, but “that’s not blanket permission to go vacuuming up data.”The DOJ didn’t respond to questions for this story.Federal laws restrict the federal government’s ability to centralize information on Americans, said David Becker, executive director of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation &amp; Research. Even if states provide voter registration information to the public, they often redact sensitive information.In Orange County, California, the DOJ sued local election officials in June, seeking unredacted voter registration information, such as Social Security numbers and driver’s licenses, as part of an investigation into noncitizen voting.More than 350 election officials from some 33 states participated in a conference call about federal actions on Monday hosted by Becker, who was previously an attorney in the DOJ Voting Rights Section during the administrations of Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. He said the interest in the call shows the level of uncertainty and anxiety over the current “federal imposition” on election administrators.“The DOJ seems dead set on acquiring personal information on voters, including driver’s license numbers, Social Security numbers and dates of birth — records that are highly protected under federal law and under state law and which state election officials are sworn to protect,” Becker said.<h2>Sweeping Colorado requests</h2>In Colorado, the amount of data the DOJ wants is enormous. On May 12, Harmeet Dhillon, an assistant U.S. attorney general in the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, sent a letter to Griswold, the secretary of state, asking for access to “all records” related to the 2024 election.Federal law requires state election officials to preserve records related to elections for 22 months. Typically, the rule ensures records are preserved in case any lawsuits are filed over an election. In the letter, Dhillon referred to a complaint against Griswold’s office alleging noncompliance with records retention laws, but provided no details.Experts on election administration who spoke to Stateline expressed shock at the scope of the demand to Colorado. The request encompasses a vast trove of material, potentially including ballots.“The amount of records being requested from a place like Colorado … it’s really, really significant in terms of the volume of materials that are required to be retained,” said Neal Ubriani, a former voting rights litigator at the DOJ during the Obama and first Trump administrations and the current policy and research director at the nonpartisan Institute for Responsive Government.Colorado elections have previously drawn Trump’s attention. Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, a staunch Trump supporter, is serving a nine-year prison sentence after a conviction in state court for allowing unauthorized access to voting equipment in 2021.On May 5 of this year — a week before the Dhillon letter to Griswold — Trump posted on social media that Peters should be released, calling her a “political prisoner.” Griswold noted the timing.“I think the bigger picture is Donald Trump is continuing to try and rewrite the 2020 election and destabilize the ’26 and ’28 elections,” Griswold told Stateline.The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office responded to the DOJ by providing copies of the state’s master voter file and voter history file. All of the information provided is also available to the public.Some Colorado Republican county clerks in recent days have also been approached by Jeff Small, a political operative who worked at the U.S. Department of the Interior during the first Trump administration. Stateline and Colorado Newsline spoke to three GOP clerks who said they had spoken to Small last week.Steve Schleiker, clerk of El Paso County, which includes Colorado Springs and is the most populous county in the state, said that on July 9 he received a text and call from Small, who introduced himself in a voicemail as someone who “works for the White House.”Schleiker said that when he called back, Small said he wanted to build relationships with clerks because the Trump administration was unhappy with progress on the president’s elections executive order. He later connected Schleiker with a Homeland Security official who wanted to test the security of El Paso County’s election systems, said Schleiker, who added that he opposed the request.Weld County Clerk Carly Koppes said she also heard from Small, but that Small told her he wasn’t under contract or being paid for the calls. Small indicated he was making the calls on behalf of former colleagues, Koppes said.Small, a former Capitol Hill chief of staff who now works for a Colorado-based government affairs firm, didn’t return a call to his office on Wednesday. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that the agency works with local partners to ensure elections remain safe.“We don’t disclose every single conversation we have with them,” an unidentified DHS spokesperson wrote in an email.Matt Crane, executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association, said he was aware of 10 clerks approached by Small. He noted that every clerk approached by Small hails from a county that uses Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems.While Dominion is widely used in Colorado, it’s also been the subject of election conspiracy theories. A former candidate for county sheriff in southwest Colorado was arrested in June, accused of firebombing a clerk’s office. Colorado Public Radio reported the suspect, according to law enforcement, had spoken publicly about trying to get rid of the county’s Dominion machines.“I think the really important thing to say here is that it was Republican clerks who stood up to a Republican administration and said, ‘No, we’re going to follow the law,’” Crane said.The intent of the efforts by Small and the federal government “has been muddied up it seems,” Montrose County Clerk Tressa Guynes said. Based on her conversations with other clerks, she said, it appeared Small represented one thing to other clerks and then “represented maybe a watered-down version by the time it got to me.”Guynes said Small wanted to discuss Trump’s elections executive order. She said Small asked whether she would be willing to support a federal task force’s efforts in an advisory role.“I said absolutely I will advise,” Guynes said. “I said I’m frankly glad that they’re finally reaching out to the boots on the ground, the people who actually conduct the elections, instead of listening to those who have never conducted a Colorado election.”<h2>Letters to other states</h2>As Colorado grapples with the most far-reaching request, other states are choosing how to respond. In Wisconsin, the state election commission responded to a DOJ request for the voter registration list with instructions on how to request public voter data.Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, responded on June 2 — after DOJ in a May 20 letter told the state to ensure voter registration applicants&nbsp;provided a driver’s license number, if they have one, instead of a partial Social Security number. The DOJ also wanted Arizona to check voters against a state database to look for noncitizens.Fontes replied that Arizona complies with federal law and conducts checks using a state motor vehicle division database.“We are focused on dealing with DOJ in a good faith manner while ensuring we are following the letter of federal and state laws,” Fontes spokesperson JP Martin wrote in an email to Stateline.More recently, Arizona received a letter July 10 from DOJ about implementation of Trump’s elections executive order. Rhode Island Democratic Secretary of State Gregg Amore also received an email about the order the same day, according to a copy provided to the Rhode Island Current.In the email, Scott Laragy, principal deputy director in the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, asks for a call to discuss a possible information-sharing agreement to provide DOJ with information on individuals who have registered to vote or have voted despite being ineligible, or those who have committed other forms of election fraud.The email echoes the language in Trump’s elections executive order, which calls for DOJ to reach information-sharing agreements with states. While much of the order, which focused on proof of citizenship in elections, has been struck down in federal court, provisions related to information sharing remain.The executive order directs Bondi, the U.S. attorney general, to prioritize enforcement of federal “election integrity laws” in uncooperative states. It also requires her to review grants and other DOJ funds that could be withheld from states that resist.Some states have already struck deals with the Trump administration. Indiana Republican Secretary of State Diego Morales announced an agreement last week with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services allowing the state to access a database to verify the citizenship of registered voters. Alabama Republican Secretary of State Wes Allen has signed a similar agreement.“With your cooperation, we plan to use this information to enforce Federal election laws and protect the integrity of Federal elections,” Laragy wrote to Rhode Island.Janine Weisman of the Rhode Island Current and Lindsey Toomer of Colorado Newsline contributed to this report. Stateline reporter Jonathan Shorman can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:jshorman@stateline.org">jshorman@stateline.org</a>.

Trump’s DOJ wants states to turn over voter lists, election info

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a double-homicide in Kansas City.

Just after 1:15p.m. Sunday, officers were dispatched to a convenience store located at the intersection of Truman and Brooklyn, according to&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

 Upon officers, arriving on scene, two adult male victims were located inside of the business suffering from apparent, gunshot trauma and unresponsive. Officers immediately began to render medical aid until EMS personnel could respond to take over. EMS pronounced both victims deceased on scene.

We do not have any preliminary information at this time indicating what lead up to the shooting. An adult male subject of interest was located on scene and taken into custody for further investigation by responding officers. This incident is being investigated as a homicide. Police released no additioanl details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753093316841.png" alt="Photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a double-homicide in Kansas City.Just after 1:15p.m. Sunday, officers were dispatched to a convenience store located at the intersection of Truman and Brooklyn, according to&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez. Upon officers, arriving on scene, two adult male victims were located inside of the business suffering from apparent, gunshot trauma and unresponsive. Officers immediately began to render medical aid until EMS personnel could respond to take over. EMS pronounced both victims deceased on scene.We do not have any preliminary information at this time indicating what lead up to the shooting. An adult male subject of interest was located on scene and taken into custody for further investigation by responding officers. This incident is being investigated as a homicide. Police released no additioanl details.

KCPD: Two dead in convenience store shooting

NEW YORK (AP) — More than 5.2 million aboveground swimming pools sold across the U.S. and Canada over the last two decades are being recalled after nine drowning deaths were reported.

The recall covers a range of Bestway, Intex Recreation and Polygroup pools that were sold by major retailers as far back as 2002. According to Monday notices published by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Bestway-Intex-and-Polygroup-Recall-Certain-Above-Ground-Pools-48-Inches-and-Taller-Due-to-Drowning-Hazard-Nine-Deaths-Reported-Five-Million-Pools-Sold-Since-2002?utm_campaign=&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery&amp;utm_term=20250721" target="_blank">U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/alert-recall/select-bestway-intex-and-polygroup-above-ground-pools-48-inches-and-taller-recalled" target="_blank">Health Canada</a>, these pools have compression straps running along the outside of the product — which “may create a foothold” for small children and allow them to access the water unattended.

That can pose a serious drowning risk, the safety regulatory warn. To date, the CPSC believes nine children across the U.S. have drowned after gaining access to these now-recalled pools in this way. Those deaths occurred between 2007 and 2022, involving children between the ages of 22 months and 3 years old. No additional fatalities have been reported in Canada.

Consumers in possession of these pools are urged to immediately&nbsp;<a href="https://bwrecallsupport.expertinquiry.com/?lang=en" target="_blank">contact Bestway</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://intexcorp.com/recall/" target="_blank">Intex</a>&nbsp;and/or&nbsp;<a href="https://polygrouprecall.com/" target="_blank">Polygroup</a>&nbsp;to receive a free repair kit — which will consist of a rope to replace the compression strap. Owners of these pools should otherwise ensure that small children cannot access the pool without supervision, regulators note — and could alternatively drain the pool until the repair is made.

All of the pools being recalled are 48 inches or taller — and can be identified by brand and model names listed on both the CPSC and Health Canada’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Bestway-Intex-and-Polygroup-Recall-Certain-Above-Ground-Pools-48-Inches-and-Taller-Due-to-Drowning-Hazard-Nine-Deaths-Reported-Five-Million-Pools-Sold-Since-2002?utm_campaign=&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery&amp;utm_term=20250721" target="_blank">recall notices</a>. Sales of the pools ranged by model and location, but date as far back to 2002 and as recently as 2025.

About 5 million of these now-recalled pools were sold across the U.S. — including both online and in-stores at major retailers like Walmart, Target, Lowe’s, Costco and Amazon. Another 266,000 were sold in Canada.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753114668088.png" alt="-Example of child using the compression strap to stand on above-ground pool, illustrating the hazard involved.-photo Consumer Product Safety Commission" />
 <figcaption>-Example of child using the compression strap to stand on above-ground pool, illustrating the hazard involved.-photo Consumer Product Safety Commission</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — More than 5.2 million aboveground swimming pools sold across the U.S. and Canada over the last two decades are being recalled after nine drowning deaths were reported.The recall covers a range of Bestway, Intex Recreation and Polygroup pools that were sold by major retailers as far back as 2002. According to Monday notices published by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Bestway-Intex-and-Polygroup-Recall-Certain-Above-Ground-Pools-48-Inches-and-Taller-Due-to-Drowning-Hazard-Nine-Deaths-Reported-Five-Million-Pools-Sold-Since-2002?utm_campaign=&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery&amp;utm_term=20250721" target="_blank">U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/alert-recall/select-bestway-intex-and-polygroup-above-ground-pools-48-inches-and-taller-recalled" target="_blank">Health Canada</a>, these pools have compression straps running along the outside of the product — which “may create a foothold” for small children and allow them to access the water unattended.That can pose a serious drowning risk, the safety regulatory warn. To date, the CPSC believes nine children across the U.S. have drowned after gaining access to these now-recalled pools in this way. Those deaths occurred between 2007 and 2022, involving children between the ages of 22 months and 3 years old. No additional fatalities have been reported in Canada.Consumers in possession of these pools are urged to immediately&nbsp;<a href="https://bwrecallsupport.expertinquiry.com/?lang=en" target="_blank">contact Bestway</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://intexcorp.com/recall/" target="_blank">Intex</a>&nbsp;and/or&nbsp;<a href="https://polygrouprecall.com/" target="_blank">Polygroup</a>&nbsp;to receive a free repair kit — which will consist of a rope to replace the compression strap. Owners of these pools should otherwise ensure that small children cannot access the pool without supervision, regulators note — and could alternatively drain the pool until the repair is made.All of the pools being recalled are 48 inches or taller — and can be identified by brand and model names listed on both the CPSC and Health Canada’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Bestway-Intex-and-Polygroup-Recall-Certain-Above-Ground-Pools-48-Inches-and-Taller-Due-to-Drowning-Hazard-Nine-Deaths-Reported-Five-Million-Pools-Sold-Since-2002?utm_campaign=&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery&amp;utm_term=20250721" target="_blank">recall notices</a>. Sales of the pools ranged by model and location, but date as far back to 2002 and as recently as 2025.About 5 million of these now-recalled pools were sold across the U.S. — including both online and in-stores at major retailers like Walmart, Target, Lowe’s, Costco and Amazon. Another 266,000 were sold in Canada.

Millions of above ground pools under recall after reports of 9 deaths

NEW YORK (AP) — Microsoft has issued an&nbsp;<a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/blog/2025/07/customer-guidance-for-sharepoint-vulnerability-cve-2025-53770/" target="_blank">emergency fix</a>&nbsp;to close off a vulnerability in Microsoft’s SharePoint software that hackers have exploited to carry out widespread attacks on businesses and at least some federal agencies.

The company&nbsp;<a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-53770" target="_blank">issued an alert</a>&nbsp;to customers Saturday saying it was aware of the zero-day exploit being used to conduct attacks and that it was working to patch the issue. Microsoft updated its guidance Sunday with instructions to fix the problem for SharePoint Server 2019 and SharePoint Server Subscription Edition. Engineers were still working on a fix for the older SharePoint Server 2016 software.

A zero-day exploit is a cyberattack that takes advantage of a previously unknown security vulnerability. “Zero-day” refers to the fact that the security engineers have had zero days to develop a fix for the vulnerability.

According to the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2025/07/20/microsoft-releases-guidance-exploitation-sharepoint-vulnerability-cve-2025-53770" target="_blank">exploit affecting SharePoint</a>&nbsp;is “a variant of the existing vulnerability CVE-2025-49706 and poses a risk to organizations with on-premise SharePoint servers.”

Security researchers warn that the exploit, reportedly known as “ToolShell,” is a serious one and can allow actors to fully access SharePoint file systems, including services connected to SharePoint, such as Teams and OneDrive.

Google’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/austin-larsen_sharepoint-cybersecurity-threatintel-activity-7352536349356273665-xPaK/" target="_blank">Threat Intelligence Group warned</a>&nbsp;that the vulnerability may allow bad actors to “bypass future patching.”

Eye Security said in its&nbsp;<a href="https://research.eye.security/sharepoint-under-siege/" target="_blank">blog post</a>&nbsp;that it scanned over 8,000 SharePoint servers worldwide and discovered that at least dozens of systems were compromised. The cybersecurity company said the attacks likely began on July 18.

Although the scope of the attack is still being assessed, CISA warned that the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2025/07/20/microsoft-releases-guidance-exploitation-sharepoint-vulnerability-cve-2025-53770" target="_blank">impact could be widespread</a>&nbsp;and recommended that any servers impacted by the exploit should be disconnected from the internet until they are patched.

NEW YORK (AP) — Microsoft has issued an&nbsp;<a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/blog/2025/07/customer-guidance-for-sharepoint-vulnerability-cve-2025-53770/" target="_blank">emergency fix</a>&nbsp;to close off a vulnerability in Microsoft’s SharePoint software that hackers have exploited to carry out widespread attacks on businesses and at least some federal agencies.The company&nbsp;<a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-53770" target="_blank">issued an alert</a>&nbsp;to customers Saturday saying it was aware of the zero-day exploit being used to conduct attacks and that it was working to patch the issue. Microsoft updated its guidance Sunday with instructions to fix the problem for SharePoint Server 2019 and SharePoint Server Subscription Edition. Engineers were still working on a fix for the older SharePoint Server 2016 software.<h2>What is a zero-day exploit?</h2>A zero-day exploit is a cyberattack that takes advantage of a previously unknown security vulnerability. “Zero-day” refers to the fact that the security engineers have had zero days to develop a fix for the vulnerability.According to the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2025/07/20/microsoft-releases-guidance-exploitation-sharepoint-vulnerability-cve-2025-53770" target="_blank">exploit affecting SharePoint</a>&nbsp;is “a variant of the existing vulnerability CVE-2025-49706 and poses a risk to organizations with on-premise SharePoint servers.”Security researchers warn that the exploit, reportedly known as “ToolShell,” is a serious one and can allow actors to fully access SharePoint file systems, including services connected to SharePoint, such as Teams and OneDrive.Google’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/austin-larsen_sharepoint-cybersecurity-threatintel-activity-7352536349356273665-xPaK/" target="_blank">Threat Intelligence Group warned</a>&nbsp;that the vulnerability may allow bad actors to “bypass future patching.”<h2>How widespread is the impact?</h2>Eye Security said in its&nbsp;<a href="https://research.eye.security/sharepoint-under-siege/" target="_blank">blog post</a>&nbsp;that it scanned over 8,000 SharePoint servers worldwide and discovered that at least dozens of systems were compromised. The cybersecurity company said the attacks likely began on July 18.Although the scope of the attack is still being assessed, CISA warned that the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2025/07/20/microsoft-releases-guidance-exploitation-sharepoint-vulnerability-cve-2025-53770" target="_blank">impact could be widespread</a>&nbsp;and recommended that any servers impacted by the exploit should be disconnected from the internet until they are patched.

Global hack on Microsoft product hits U.S., state agencies

SEDGWICK COUNTY— A suspect accused in the murder of a woman in Wichita will go to trial on Monday.

Jose Velazquez-Carillo, now 25, will appear in Judge Jeffrey Goering's courtroom, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

In February of 2024, police responded to a shooting in the 1400 block of South George Washington Blvd. in&nbsp; Wichita, according to Police Lt. Aaron Moses.

The victim, identified as 42-year-old Candace Amack of Wichita, was found outside of a residence, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. She was&nbsp; was pronounced deceased on the scene.

Employing FLOCK, cutting-edge technology, Wichita Police Officers were able to identify a possible suspect vehicle leaving the area after the reported shooting.

Officers quickly identified and located the vehicle at a residence in the 1300 block of North Jackson in Wichita. In collaboration with the Kansas Highway Patrol air section, the Wichita Police Department coordinated efforts resulting in the safe apprehension of the suspects at approximately 7:45 pm near 13th and Hydraulic on a vehicle stop.

Two individuals identified from the daily booking report as 24-year-old&nbsp;Jose Velazquez-Carillo&nbsp; and 33-year-old Martin Velazquez-Villa were detained without incident and later arrested on requested charges of First-Degree Murder.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708119236620.png" alt="Velazquez-Carillo-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Velazquez-Carillo-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY— A suspect accused in the murder of a woman in Wichita will go to trial on Monday.Jose Velazquez-Carillo, now 25, will appear in Judge Jeffrey Goering's courtroom, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708101627898.png" alt="Police on the scene in February 2024 -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene in February 2024 -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>In February of 2024, police responded to a shooting in the 1400 block of South George Washington Blvd. in&nbsp; Wichita, according to Police Lt. Aaron Moses.The victim, identified as 42-year-old Candace Amack of Wichita, was found outside of a residence, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. She was&nbsp; was pronounced deceased on the scene.Employing FLOCK, cutting-edge technology, Wichita Police Officers were able to identify a possible suspect vehicle leaving the area after the reported shooting.Officers quickly identified and located the vehicle at a residence in the 1300 block of North Jackson in Wichita. In collaboration with the Kansas Highway Patrol air section, the Wichita Police Department coordinated efforts resulting in the safe apprehension of the suspects at approximately 7:45 pm near 13th and Hydraulic on a vehicle stop.Two individuals identified from the daily booking report as 24-year-old&nbsp;Jose Velazquez-Carillo&nbsp; and 33-year-old Martin Velazquez-Villa were detained without incident and later arrested on requested charges of First-Degree Murder.

Trial for murder of Kansas woman found outside her home

Kansas Task Force 1 continues to operate, clearing primary search areas and identifying concerns for targeted searches, according to a statement from the Kansas Department of Emergency Management.

&nbsp;Searchers were on foot, used dones or ATVs. The primary search area remained away from the river in the flood inundation zone. The local community support for Kansas-Task Force 1 has been outstanding. Most onsite needs have been provided to the Task Force except for fuel. On Saturday, the day started early as the squads continued their expanded groundwork. When the squads departed Saturday night, their Division was reduced to three targeted searches for Sunday. Kerr County posted on their official website that the number of Kerr County missing was reduced to 3. The following was a comment on one of the posts about Kansas-Task Force 1's deployment. 

 “As Texans, we are so grateful for the help with this devastation. Our daughter brought some HERO bracelets to your finest crews and they were so beyond sweet about it. Bright lights in dark times are so important. We are just so grateful. Thank you for sending help.” - Chelsea Ellenwood

CrabtreeKSFM support staff on the deployment indicated that the highlight on Saturday was the 9-year-old who made friendship bracelets to hand out to team members. There were 50 bracelets to begin with, and she ran out, hoping to be able to make more and bring them to the squad members. On Sunday, the field squads worked the three targeted search areas with K9 assistance and chainsaw teams with heavy equipment available if needed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753094635682.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas Task Force 1 continues to operate, clearing primary search areas and identifying concerns for targeted searches, according to a statement from the Kansas Department of Emergency Management.&nbsp;Searchers were on foot, used dones or ATVs. The primary search area remained away from the river in the flood inundation zone. The local community support for Kansas-Task Force 1 has been outstanding. Most onsite needs have been provided to the Task Force except for fuel. On Saturday, the day started early as the squads continued their expanded groundwork. When the squads departed Saturday night, their Division was reduced to three targeted searches for Sunday. Kerr County posted on their official website that the number of Kerr County missing was reduced to 3. The following was a comment on one of the posts about Kansas-Task Force 1's deployment. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753094653515.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure> “As Texans, we are so grateful for the help with this devastation. Our daughter brought some HERO bracelets to your finest crews and they were so beyond sweet about it. Bright lights in dark times are so important. We are just so grateful. Thank you for sending help.” - Chelsea Ellenwood<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753094616682.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>CrabtreeKSFM support staff on the deployment indicated that the highlight on Saturday was the 9-year-old who made friendship bracelets to hand out to team members. There were 50 bracelets to begin with, and she ran out, hoping to be able to make more and bring them to the squad members. On Sunday, the field squads worked the three targeted search areas with K9 assistance and chainsaw teams with heavy equipment available if needed.

Texans show appreciation for Kansas swift-water rescue team

WYANDOTTE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating after a man was found dead Sunday morning at Big Eleven Lake in Kansas City, Kansas, according to the Wyandotte County Sheriff.

Just after 10a.m., deputies responded to reports of an unresponsive person in the lake, according to a media release.

The Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department helped remove the body from the water. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not released his name.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating after a man was found dead Sunday morning at Big Eleven Lake in Kansas City, Kansas, according to the Wyandotte County Sheriff.Just after 10a.m., deputies responded to reports of an unresponsive person in the lake, according to a media release.The Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department helped remove the body from the water. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not released his name.

Police: Body of man pulled from Kansas lake

GRANT COUNTY —Law enforcement are alerting the public to a mountain lion in southwest Kansas.

On Saturday, The Ulysses Police Department reported they&nbsp; were aware of the recent sighting of a mountain lion just inside the city limits, according to a social media report from the department.

 Ulysses Police Department is in contact with and currently working with&nbsp; local game wardens.

 If you see or come across this or any large wildlife, leave it alone, do not approach it and contact the Ulysses Police Department.

GRANT COUNTY —Law enforcement are alerting the public to a mountain lion in southwest Kansas.On Saturday, The Ulysses Police Department reported they&nbsp; were aware of the recent sighting of a mountain lion just inside the city limits, according to a social media report from the department. Ulysses Police Department is in contact with and currently working with&nbsp; local game wardens. If you see or come across this or any large wildlife, leave it alone, do not approach it and contact the Ulysses Police Department.

Police report mountain lion in southwest Kansas community

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement have identified the two men involved in a deadly shooting Thursday night at Edgewood Homes in Lawrence that left two people dead and a woman critically injured.

Just after 8 p.m.&nbsp; police responded to a shooting call at 1600 Haskell Avenue, according to Police spokesman Laura McCabe.&nbsp; First responders found 21-year-old Javien Hardin inside a vehicle from a gunshot wound.

Police found 24-year-old Donavon Deleon with what officers believe a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A 22-year-old Lawrence woman was also found with life-threatening injuries. She remains in critical condition.

Police said they believe Deleon and the woman had recently ended a relationship. Detectives said the woman arrived home to find Deleon inside her home. After a confrontation, she ran to a vehicle occupied by Hardin.

According to police, Deleon allegedly shot and killed Hardin, then shot the woman before taking his own life. Both men who died were from Lawrence.

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Police continue investigating a shooting that occurred Thursday evening at Edgewood Homes, 1600 Haskell Avenue in Lawrence, which resulted in the deaths of two men and left a woman with life-threatening injuries.

 At approximately 8:05 p.m., police responded to the scene following multiple 911 calls reporting gunfire, according to police spokesperson Laura McCabe.

 At least one caller reported a man running through the parking lot firing a weapon. Upon arrival, officers located three people: a 21-year-old man from Lawrence, dead inside a vehicle from an apparent gunshot wound; a 24-year-old Lawrence man, dead on the ground nearby from what police believe to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound; and a 22-year-old Lawrence woman suffering from critical injuries as a result of being shot. She was transported to an area trauma center by helicopter for emergency treatment. She remained hospitalized with critical injuries. A preliminary investigation indicates that the deceased male suspect and the female victim had recently ended a relationship, and the woman arrived home to find the suspect in her residence. 

After an altercation inside the residence, she fled to a nearby vehicle where the 21-year-old man was waiting. The suspect then allegedly approached the vehicle and fatally shot the man in the truck before pursuing and shooting the woman as she ran away. 

The suspect is believed to have then taken his own life near the injured victim.

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement have identified the two men involved in a deadly shooting Thursday night at Edgewood Homes in Lawrence that left two people dead and a woman critically injured.Just after 8 p.m.&nbsp; police responded to a shooting call at 1600 Haskell Avenue, according to Police spokesman Laura McCabe.&nbsp; First responders found 21-year-old Javien Hardin inside a vehicle from a gunshot wound.Police found 24-year-old Donavon Deleon with what officers believe a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A 22-year-old Lawrence woman was also found with life-threatening injuries. She remains in critical condition.Police said they believe Deleon and the woman had recently ended a relationship. Detectives said the woman arrived home to find Deleon inside her home. After a confrontation, she ran to a vehicle occupied by Hardin.According to police, Deleon allegedly shot and killed Hardin, then shot the woman before taking his own life. Both men who died were from Lawrence.----------------DOUGLAS COUNTY —Police continue investigating a shooting that occurred Thursday evening at Edgewood Homes, 1600 Haskell Avenue in Lawrence, which resulted in the deaths of two men and left a woman with life-threatening injuries. At approximately 8:05 p.m., police responded to the scene following multiple 911 calls reporting gunfire, according to police spokesperson Laura McCabe. At least one caller reported a man running through the parking lot firing a weapon. Upon arrival, officers located three people: a 21-year-old man from Lawrence, dead inside a vehicle from an apparent gunshot wound; a 24-year-old Lawrence man, dead on the ground nearby from what police believe to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound; and a 22-year-old Lawrence woman suffering from critical injuries as a result of being shot. She was transported to an area trauma center by helicopter for emergency treatment. She remained hospitalized with critical injuries. A preliminary investigation indicates that the deceased male suspect and the female victim had recently ended a relationship, and the woman arrived home to find the suspect in her residence. After an altercation inside the residence, she fled to a nearby vehicle where the 21-year-old man was waiting. The suspect then allegedly approached the vehicle and fatally shot the man in the truck before pursuing and shooting the woman as she ran away. The suspect is believed to have then taken his own life near the injured victim.

Domestic violence: Police ID victims who died in Kansas shooting

CLEVELAND (AP) — President Donald Trump is threatening to hold up a new stadium deal for Washington's NFL team if it does not restore its old name of the Redskins, which was considered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dbf8f65947560be30a7952d6cf510ef0">offensive to Native Americans</a>.

Trump also said Sunday that he wants Cleveland's baseball team to revert to its former name, the Indians, saying there was a “big clamoring for this" as well.

The Washington Commanders and Cleveland Guardians have had their current names since the 2022 seasons and both have said they have no plans to change them back.

Trump said the Washington football team would be “much more valuable” if it restored its old name.

“I may put a restriction on them that if they don’t change the name back to the original ‘Washington Redskins,’ and get rid of the ridiculous moniker, ‘Washington Commanders,’ I won’t make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington," Trump said on his social media site.

His latest interest in changing the name reflects his broader effort to roll back changes that followed a national debate on cultural sensitivity and racial justice. The team&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nhl-mlb-sports-general-nfl-north-america-b6f6919292f5a3c94cb23d92bde21a54">announced it would drop</a>&nbsp;the Redskins name and the Indian head logo in 2020 during a broader reckoning with systemic racism and police brutality.

The Commanders and the District of Columbia government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-commanders-stadium-3bda9804a246219f28e9a2d2206bb492">announced a deal earlier this year</a>&nbsp;to build a new home for the football team at the site the old RFK Stadium, the place the franchise called home for more than three decades.

Trump's ability to hold up the deal remains to be seen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-commanders-rfk-stadium-5bf177d95eb5bb1188858f366292ed4e">President Joe Biden signed a bill in January</a>&nbsp;that transferred the land from the federal government to the District of Columbia.

The provision was part of a short-term spending bill passed by Congress in December. While D.C. residents elect a mayor, a city council and commissioners to run day-to-day operations, Congress maintains control of the city’s budget.

Josh Harris, whose group bought the Commanders from former owner Dan Snyder in 2023,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-commanders-name-change-9ac9ba19ec15eb64a6daf7adc91ac7d0">said earlier this year</a>&nbsp;the name was here to stay. Not long after taking over, Harris quieted speculation about going back to Redskins, saying that would not happen. The team did not immediately respond to a request for comment following Trump's statement.

The Washington team started in Boston as the Redskins in 1933 before moving to the nation’s capital four years later.

The Cleveland Guardians' president of baseball operations, Chris Antonetti, indicated before Sunday's game against the Athletics that there weren't any plans to revisit the name change.

“We understand there are different perspectives on the decision we made a few years ago, but obviously it’s a decision we made. We’ve got the opportunity to build a brand as the Guardians over the last four years and are excited about the future that's in front of us," he said.

Cleveland announced in December 2020 it would drop Indians. It announced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cleveland-guardians-name-change-41849399d222d872eb6f1cae23551c29">the switch to Guardians in July 2021</a>. In 2018, the team phased out "Chief Wahoo” as its primary logo.

The name changes had their share of supporters and critics as part of the national discussions about logos and names considered racist.

Trump posted Sunday afternoon that “The Owner of the Cleveland Baseball Team, Matt Dolan, who is very political, has lost three Elections in a row because of that ridiculous name change. What he doesn’t understand is that if he changed the name back to the Cleveland Indians, he might actually win an Election. Indians are being treated very unfairly. MAKE INDIANS GREAT AGAIN (MIGA)!”

Matt Dolan, the son of the late Larry Dolan, no longer has a role with the Guardians. He ran the team's charity endeavors until 2016.

Matt Dolan was a candidate in the Ohio U.S. Senate elections in 2022 and '24, but lost.

Washington and Cleveland share another thing in common. David Blitzer is a member of Harris’ ownership group with the Commanders and holds a minority stake in the Guardians.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753092667427.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>CLEVELAND (AP) — President Donald Trump is threatening to hold up a new stadium deal for Washington's NFL team if it does not restore its old name of the Redskins, which was considered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dbf8f65947560be30a7952d6cf510ef0">offensive to Native Americans</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753092771360.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Trump also said Sunday that he wants Cleveland's baseball team to revert to its former name, the Indians, saying there was a “big clamoring for this" as well.The Washington Commanders and Cleveland Guardians have had their current names since the 2022 seasons and both have said they have no plans to change them back.Trump said the Washington football team would be “much more valuable” if it restored its old name.“I may put a restriction on them that if they don’t change the name back to the original ‘Washington Redskins,’ and get rid of the ridiculous moniker, ‘Washington Commanders,’ I won’t make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington," Trump said on his social media site.His latest interest in changing the name reflects his broader effort to roll back changes that followed a national debate on cultural sensitivity and racial justice. The team&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nhl-mlb-sports-general-nfl-north-america-b6f6919292f5a3c94cb23d92bde21a54">announced it would drop</a>&nbsp;the Redskins name and the Indian head logo in 2020 during a broader reckoning with systemic racism and police brutality.The Commanders and the District of Columbia government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-commanders-stadium-3bda9804a246219f28e9a2d2206bb492">announced a deal earlier this year</a>&nbsp;to build a new home for the football team at the site the old RFK Stadium, the place the franchise called home for more than three decades.Trump's ability to hold up the deal remains to be seen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-commanders-rfk-stadium-5bf177d95eb5bb1188858f366292ed4e">President Joe Biden signed a bill in January</a>&nbsp;that transferred the land from the federal government to the District of Columbia.The provision was part of a short-term spending bill passed by Congress in December. While D.C. residents elect a mayor, a city council and commissioners to run day-to-day operations, Congress maintains control of the city’s budget.Josh Harris, whose group bought the Commanders from former owner Dan Snyder in 2023,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-commanders-name-change-9ac9ba19ec15eb64a6daf7adc91ac7d0">said earlier this year</a>&nbsp;the name was here to stay. Not long after taking over, Harris quieted speculation about going back to Redskins, saying that would not happen. The team did not immediately respond to a request for comment following Trump's statement.The Washington team started in Boston as the Redskins in 1933 before moving to the nation’s capital four years later.The Cleveland Guardians' president of baseball operations, Chris Antonetti, indicated before Sunday's game against the Athletics that there weren't any plans to revisit the name change.“We understand there are different perspectives on the decision we made a few years ago, but obviously it’s a decision we made. We’ve got the opportunity to build a brand as the Guardians over the last four years and are excited about the future that's in front of us," he said.Cleveland announced in December 2020 it would drop Indians. It announced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cleveland-guardians-name-change-41849399d222d872eb6f1cae23551c29">the switch to Guardians in July 2021</a>. In 2018, the team phased out "Chief Wahoo” as its primary logo.The name changes had their share of supporters and critics as part of the national discussions about logos and names considered racist.Trump posted Sunday afternoon that “The Owner of the Cleveland Baseball Team, Matt Dolan, who is very political, has lost three Elections in a row because of that ridiculous name change. What he doesn’t understand is that if he changed the name back to the Cleveland Indians, he might actually win an Election. Indians are being treated very unfairly. MAKE INDIANS GREAT AGAIN (MIGA)!”Matt Dolan, the son of the late Larry Dolan, no longer has a role with the Guardians. He ran the team's charity endeavors until 2016.Matt Dolan was a candidate in the Ohio U.S. Senate elections in 2022 and '24, but lost.Washington and Cleveland share another thing in common. David Blitzer is a member of Harris’ ownership group with the Commanders and holds a minority stake in the Guardians.___

Trump issues threat if NFL team won't switch back to Redskins

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson entered the race for governor on Sunday as the 2026 Republican primary field gets more crowded.

Republicans are keen to recapture the governor’s office in GOP-leaning Kansas after Democratic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-biden-donald-trump-kansas-topeka-39afdff811fd2f30a212036d5ec6e3fa">Gov. Laura Kelly narrowly won</a>&nbsp;a second four-year term in 2022. Kelly is term-limited and cannot run again.

Masterson, a small-business owner, has been a state senator representing a district in eastern Kansas since 2009. He became Senate president in 2021. He previously served in the Kansas House of Representatives from 2005 to 2008.

Other Republicans in the 2026 governor's race include Secretary of State&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-governors-race-2026-election-conspiracies-4587939711dc7a5effb1879374405147">Scott Schwab</a>, who built his public profile pushing back against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-lies-trump-republicans-2024-legitimacy-f9b015fb3ead18f5c7b1432415680361">unfounded election conspiracy</a>&nbsp;theories, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-10b15a092b4db17f76515767108437d7">former Gov. Jeff Colyer</a>.

Colyer was elevated to the office for about a year in 2018 after former Gov. Sam Brownback resigned. He failed to get past the primary in that year's gubernatorial election, then entered the 2022 governor's race but dropped out early after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753064640882.png" alt="Ty Masterson&nbsp; announced his run for governor -courtesy image" />
 <figcaption>Ty Masterson&nbsp; announced his run for governor -courtesy image</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson entered the race for governor on Sunday as the 2026 Republican primary field gets more crowded.Republicans are keen to recapture the governor’s office in GOP-leaning Kansas after Democratic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-biden-donald-trump-kansas-topeka-39afdff811fd2f30a212036d5ec6e3fa">Gov. Laura Kelly narrowly won</a>&nbsp;a second four-year term in 2022. Kelly is term-limited and cannot run again.Masterson, a small-business owner, has been a state senator representing a district in eastern Kansas since 2009. He became Senate president in 2021. He previously served in the Kansas House of Representatives from 2005 to 2008.Other Republicans in the 2026 governor's race include Secretary of State&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-governors-race-2026-election-conspiracies-4587939711dc7a5effb1879374405147">Scott Schwab</a>, who built his public profile pushing back against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-lies-trump-republicans-2024-legitimacy-f9b015fb3ead18f5c7b1432415680361">unfounded election conspiracy</a>&nbsp;theories, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-10b15a092b4db17f76515767108437d7">former Gov. Jeff Colyer</a>.Colyer was elevated to the office for about a year in 2018 after former Gov. Sam Brownback resigned. He failed to get past the primary in that year's gubernatorial election, then entered the 2022 governor's race but dropped out early after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Kansas Republican senate president announces 2026 gubernatorial bid

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/abby-sewell">ABBY SEWELL</a>

BEIRUT (AP) — A U.S. envoy doubled down on Washington’s support for the new government in Syria, saying Monday there is “no Plan B” to working with the current authorities to unite the country still reeling from a nearly 14-year civil war and now wracked by a new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-druze-bedouin-clashes-israel-f066b472abcb9c1d546b4e3d713feadd">outbreak of sectarian violence.</a>

He took a critical tone toward&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-violence-druze-israel-turkey-aa6a4ee7058074a5dcc6c53a8a8c20ad">Israel’s recent intervention</a>&nbsp;in Syria, calling it poorly timed and saying that it complicated efforts to stabilize the region.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-us-ambassador-residence-ties-f0e22df744565ad6a6503c9c7d90972c">Tom Barrack,</a>&nbsp;who is ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria and also has a short-term mandate in Lebanon, made the comments in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press during a visit to Beirut. He spoke following more than a week of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-clashes-druze-bedouins-israel-turkey-f4aed41583752c68c44bfc8c21b70520">clashes in the southern province of Sweida</a>&nbsp;between militias of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-druze-damascus-alsharaa-sweida-war-ace48a6e138dc1197cca77c3d25d829b">Druze religious minority</a>&nbsp;and local Sunni Muslim Bedouin tribes.

Syrian government forces intervened, ostensibly to restore order, but ended up siding with the Bedouins before withdrawing under a ceasefire agreement with Druze factions. Hundreds have been killed in the fighting, and some government fighters allegedly shot dead Druze civilians and burned and looted their houses.

In the meantime,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-clashes-druze-bedouins-sweida-be7e45ae4adc631b758d2bebfb06e0a1">Israel intervened last week</a>&nbsp;on behalf of the Druze, who are seen as a loyal minority within Israel and often serve in its military. Israel launched dozens of strikes on convoys of government forces in Sweida and also struck the Syrian Ministry of Defense headquarters in central Damascus.

Over the weekend,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-druze-bedouins-israel-clashes-fighting-54476ab26aac668babe858aa805b7170">Barrack announced a ceasefire</a>&nbsp;between Syria and Israel, without giving details. Syrian government forces have redeployed in Sweida to halt renewed clashes between the Druze and Bedouins, and civilians from both sides were set to be evacuated Monday.

US envoy says Israeli intervention ‘came at a very bad time’

Barrack told the AP that “the killing, the revenge, the massacres on both sides” are “intolerable,” but that “the current government of Syria, in my opinion, has conducted themselves as best they can as a nascent government with very few resources to address the multiplicity of issues that arise in trying to bring a diverse society together.”

Regarding Israel’s strikes on Syria, Barrack said: “The United States was not asked, nor did they participate in that decision, nor was it the United States responsibility in matters that Israel feels is for its own self-defense.”

However, he said that Israel’s intervention “creates another very confusing chapter” and “came at a very bad time.”

Prior to the conflict in Sweida, Israel and Syria had been engaging in talks over security matters, while the Trump administration had been pushing them to move toward a full normalization of diplomatic relations.

When the latest fighting erupted, “Israel’s view was that south of Damascus was this questionable zone, so that whatever happened militarily in that zone needed to be agreed upon and discussed with them,” Barrack said. “The new government (in Syria) coming in was not exactly of that belief.”

The ceasefire announced Saturday between Syria and Israel is a limited agreement addressing only the conflict in Sweida, he said. It does not address the broader issues between the two countries, including Israel’s contention that the area south of Damascus should be a demilitarized zone.

In the discussions leading up to the ceasefire, Barrack said “both sides did the best they can” to came to an agreement on specific questions related to the movement of Syrian forces and equipment from Damascus to Sweida.

“Whether you accept that Israel can intervene in a sovereign state is a different question,” he said.

He suggested that Israel would prefer to see Syria fragmented and divided rather than a strong central state in control of the country.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753092057284.png" alt="Tom Barrack, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Türkiye and Special Envoy for Syria. -courtesy image" />
 <figcaption>Tom Barrack, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Türkiye and Special Envoy for Syria. -courtesy image</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/abby-sewell">ABBY SEWELL</a>BEIRUT (AP) — A U.S. envoy doubled down on Washington’s support for the new government in Syria, saying Monday there is “no Plan B” to working with the current authorities to unite the country still reeling from a nearly 14-year civil war and now wracked by a new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-druze-bedouin-clashes-israel-f066b472abcb9c1d546b4e3d713feadd">outbreak of sectarian violence.</a>He took a critical tone toward&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-violence-druze-israel-turkey-aa6a4ee7058074a5dcc6c53a8a8c20ad">Israel’s recent intervention</a>&nbsp;in Syria, calling it poorly timed and saying that it complicated efforts to stabilize the region.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-us-ambassador-residence-ties-f0e22df744565ad6a6503c9c7d90972c">Tom Barrack,</a>&nbsp;who is ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria and also has a short-term mandate in Lebanon, made the comments in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press during a visit to Beirut. He spoke following more than a week of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-clashes-druze-bedouins-israel-turkey-f4aed41583752c68c44bfc8c21b70520">clashes in the southern province of Sweida</a>&nbsp;between militias of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-druze-damascus-alsharaa-sweida-war-ace48a6e138dc1197cca77c3d25d829b">Druze religious minority</a>&nbsp;and local Sunni Muslim Bedouin tribes.Syrian government forces intervened, ostensibly to restore order, but ended up siding with the Bedouins before withdrawing under a ceasefire agreement with Druze factions. Hundreds have been killed in the fighting, and some government fighters allegedly shot dead Druze civilians and burned and looted their houses.In the meantime,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-clashes-druze-bedouins-sweida-be7e45ae4adc631b758d2bebfb06e0a1">Israel intervened last week</a>&nbsp;on behalf of the Druze, who are seen as a loyal minority within Israel and often serve in its military. Israel launched dozens of strikes on convoys of government forces in Sweida and also struck the Syrian Ministry of Defense headquarters in central Damascus.Over the weekend,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-druze-bedouins-israel-clashes-fighting-54476ab26aac668babe858aa805b7170">Barrack announced a ceasefire</a>&nbsp;between Syria and Israel, without giving details. Syrian government forces have redeployed in Sweida to halt renewed clashes between the Druze and Bedouins, and civilians from both sides were set to be evacuated Monday.<h2>US envoy says Israeli intervention ‘came at a very bad time’</h2>Barrack told the AP that “the killing, the revenge, the massacres on both sides” are “intolerable,” but that “the current government of Syria, in my opinion, has conducted themselves as best they can as a nascent government with very few resources to address the multiplicity of issues that arise in trying to bring a diverse society together.”Regarding Israel’s strikes on Syria, Barrack said: “The United States was not asked, nor did they participate in that decision, nor was it the United States responsibility in matters that Israel feels is for its own self-defense.”However, he said that Israel’s intervention “creates another very confusing chapter” and “came at a very bad time.”Prior to the conflict in Sweida, Israel and Syria had been engaging in talks over security matters, while the Trump administration had been pushing them to move toward a full normalization of diplomatic relations.When the latest fighting erupted, “Israel’s view was that south of Damascus was this questionable zone, so that whatever happened militarily in that zone needed to be agreed upon and discussed with them,” Barrack said. “The new government (in Syria) coming in was not exactly of that belief.”The ceasefire announced Saturday between Syria and Israel is a limited agreement addressing only the conflict in Sweida, he said. It does not address the broader issues between the two countries, including Israel’s contention that the area south of Damascus should be a demilitarized zone.In the discussions leading up to the ceasefire, Barrack said “both sides did the best they can” to came to an agreement on specific questions related to the movement of Syrian forces and equipment from Damascus to Sweida.“Whether you accept that Israel can intervene in a sovereign state is a different question,” he said.He suggested that Israel would prefer to see Syria fragmented and divided rather than a strong central state in control of the country.“Strong nation states are a threat — especially Arab states are viewed as a threat to Israel,” he said. But in Syria, he said, “I think all of the the minority communities are smart enough to say, we’re better off together, centralized.”<h2>A Damascus deal with Kurdish forces still in play</h2>The violence in Sweida has deepened the distrust of minority religious and ethnic groups in Syria toward the new government in Damascus, led by Sunni Muslim former insurgents who unseated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-assad-ousted-rebel-offensive-timeline-8c54a8b97803d4b10cde53b97227128e">Syria’s longtime autocratic ruler, Bashar Assad,</a>&nbsp;in a lightning offensive in December.The attacks on Druze civilians followed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-alawites-sectarian-killings-coast-assad-hts-610cdee1d5762d3ecb75c700fb7cf5f2">deaths of hundreds of civilians from the Alawite minority</a>&nbsp;to which Assad belongs earlier this year in sectarian revenge attacks on the Syrian coast. While interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has promised to protect minorities and punish those who target civilians, many feel his government has not done enough to stop such attacks and hold perpetrators accountable.At the same time, Damascus has been negotiating with the Kurdish forces that control much of northeast Syria to implement&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-hts-clashes-alawites-sunnis-lattakia-assad-b92c8532c40a3c7105ba32307ffaef48">an agreement that would merge</a>&nbsp;the U.S.-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces with the new national army.Barrack, who spoke to SDF leader Mazloum Abdi over the weekend, said he does not believe the violence in Sweida will derail those talks and that there could be a breakthrough “in the coming weeks.”Neighboring Turkey, which wants to curtail the influence of Kurdish groups along its border and has tense relations with Israel, has offered to provide defense assistance to Syria.Barrack said the U.S. has “no position” on the prospect of a defense pact between Syria and Turkey.“It’s not in the U.S.’s business or interest to tell any of the surrounding nations with each other what to do,” he said.