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

TOPEKA — The Kansas Senate president said Thursday a meeting with bipartisan legislative leadership would be called July 7 to extend the deadline for the Kansas City Chiefs or Kansas City Royals to accept an offer of financial support for construction of professional sports stadiums in Kansas.

Senate President Ty Masterson said the Republican-dominated Legislative Coordinating Council, which conducts state business when the Legislature isn’t in session, would consider an extension of the one-year&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/21/kansas-gov-kelly-signs-bill-to-poach-kansas-city-chiefs-royals-from-missouri/">STAR bond deadline enacted in July 2024</a>. Masterson didn’t indicate how lengthy the extension could be.

Masterson said Mark Donovan, president of the Chiefs, asked Kansas officials to alter the deadline “in light of substantial progress the Chiefs have made in discussions” with the Kansas Department of Commerce on an NFL development on the Kansas side of the border with Missouri.

Those discussions have included building of a stadium, headquarters, practice facility and related business developments, Donovan said.

“The letter from Mark Donovan indicates that the drive to bring this historic project to Kansas is moving down the field,” Masterson said. “Now that we are in the red zone, this extension will provide stakeholders sufficient time to ensure the ball crosses the goal line.”

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly signed a bill last year authorizing issuance of bonds that would cover up to 70% of stadium construction, but the law set the deadline for making a deal at June 30, 2025.

Last month, Missouri Gov. Mike&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-governor-signs-kansas-city-stadium-funding-st-louis-disaster-aid/" target="_blank">Kehoe signed legislation&nbsp;</a>that would finance up to 50% of the cost to renovate or build new stadiums for the Royals and Chiefs. Missouri’s commitment of tax revenue would be capped at $1.5 billion.

The NFL and MLB franchises play at facilities in Kansas City, Missouri, that were built in the early 1970s. Owners of the teams have encouraged formation of public funding packages that would support replacement of those stadiums. Debate about the future of both franchises has rekindled the&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/06/26/missouri-or-kansas-business-leaders-dont-care-as-long-as-chiefs-and-royals-stay-near-kc/">economic border war between Missouri and Kansas</a>.

The Legislative Coordinating Council would take up the measure altering the deadline at 2 p.m. July 7 in Topeka.

“The complexity and scale of the project, and the importance of crafting a structure that works for all stakeholders, make it clear that more time is needed to bring the effort to full fruition,” Donovan said in a letter to Masterson.

He said the Chiefs had engaged in multiple rounds of dialogue about stadium proposals with the state Department of Commerce. The Chiefs hadn’t received a response to the franchise’s latest proposal in six weeks, he said.

“Extending the secretary’s authority will allow that process to continue productively and will preserve Kansas’ ability to secure the most significant economic development initiative in its history,” Donovan’s letter said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748263709817.png" alt="GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs, is pictured on Sat. Feb. 8 (Anna Spoerre/The Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs, is pictured on Sat. Feb. 8 (Anna Spoerre/The Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/"></a><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The Kansas Senate president said Thursday a meeting with bipartisan legislative leadership would be called July 7 to extend the deadline for the Kansas City Chiefs or Kansas City Royals to accept an offer of financial support for construction of professional sports stadiums in Kansas.Senate President Ty Masterson said the Republican-dominated Legislative Coordinating Council, which conducts state business when the Legislature isn’t in session, would consider an extension of the one-year&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/21/kansas-gov-kelly-signs-bill-to-poach-kansas-city-chiefs-royals-from-missouri/">STAR bond deadline enacted in July 2024</a>. Masterson didn’t indicate how lengthy the extension could be.Masterson said Mark Donovan, president of the Chiefs, asked Kansas officials to alter the deadline “in light of substantial progress the Chiefs have made in discussions” with the Kansas Department of Commerce on an NFL development on the Kansas side of the border with Missouri.Those discussions have included building of a stadium, headquarters, practice facility and related business developments, Donovan said.“The letter from Mark Donovan indicates that the drive to bring this historic project to Kansas is moving down the field,” Masterson said. “Now that we are in the red zone, this extension will provide stakeholders sufficient time to ensure the ball crosses the goal line.”Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly signed a bill last year authorizing issuance of bonds that would cover up to 70% of stadium construction, but the law set the deadline for making a deal at June 30, 2025.Last month, Missouri Gov. Mike&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-governor-signs-kansas-city-stadium-funding-st-louis-disaster-aid/" target="_blank">Kehoe signed legislation&nbsp;</a>that would finance up to 50% of the cost to renovate or build new stadiums for the Royals and Chiefs. Missouri’s commitment of tax revenue would be capped at $1.5 billion.The NFL and MLB franchises play at facilities in Kansas City, Missouri, that were built in the early 1970s. Owners of the teams have encouraged formation of public funding packages that would support replacement of those stadiums. Debate about the future of both franchises has rekindled the&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/06/26/missouri-or-kansas-business-leaders-dont-care-as-long-as-chiefs-and-royals-stay-near-kc/">economic border war between Missouri and Kansas</a>.The Legislative Coordinating Council would take up the measure altering the deadline at 2 p.m. July 7 in Topeka.“The complexity and scale of the project, and the importance of crafting a structure that works for all stakeholders, make it clear that more time is needed to bring the effort to full fruition,” Donovan said in a letter to Masterson.He said the Chiefs had engaged in multiple rounds of dialogue about stadium proposals with the state Department of Commerce. The Chiefs hadn’t received a response to the franchise’s latest proposal in six weeks, he said.“Extending the secretary’s authority will allow that process to continue productively and will preserve Kansas’ ability to secure the most significant economic development initiative in its history,” Donovan’s letter said.

Kansas prepares to extend deadline for Chiefs, Royals to claim incentive for stadium construction

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. stock market ran up to the edge of another record on Thursday.

The S&amp;P 500 climbed 0.8% and is sitting just 0.05% below its all-time closing high, which was set in February. It briefly topped the mark during the afternoon in the latest milestone for the index at the heart of many 401(k) accounts, which had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-china-trump-b686ef0259c2f4894f9fcd1f3649a956">dropped roughly 20% below its record</a>&nbsp;during the spring on worries about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/consumer-prices-inflation-trump-trade-6ea513a44876c2f4dc948a25c15b0eb0">President Donald Trump’s tariffs</a>.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied 404 points, or 0.9%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1%.

McCormick, the seller of cooking spices, helped lead the way and jumped 5.3% after delivering a better-than-expected profit report. The company also gave a forecast for profit over its full fiscal year that topped analysts’ expectations, including planned efforts to offset increased costs caused by tariffs.

Over the longer term, it’s been big technology stocks that have led the market for years and since the S&amp;P 500 hit a bottom in April.

Chip company&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-france-artificial-intelligence-1a6b50633db24c22b584597142a564ac">Nvidia</a>, which has been the poster child of the frenzy around artificial-intelligence technology, added 0.5%. It’s the most valuable company in the U.S. stock market after rushing 61% higher since April 8, towering over the S&amp;P 500’s gain of 23%. Another AI darling, Super Micro Computer, rose 5.7% to bring its gain since April 8 to 55%.

Micron Technology, which sells computer memory and data storage, swung between gains and losses after reporting stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said it’s seeing growing AI-driven memory demand, and the company gave a forecast for profit in the current quarter that topped analysts’ expectations. Its stock ended the day down 1%.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 48.86 points to 6,141.02. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 404.41 to 43,386.84, and the Nasdaq composite gained 194.36 to 20,167.91.

Wall Street’s worries about Trump’s tariffs have receded since the president shocked the world in April with stiff proposed levies, but they have not disappeared. The wait is still on to see how big the tariffs will ultimately be, how much they will hurt the economy and how much they will push up inflation.

The economy so far seems to be holding up OK, though slowing, and more reports arrived on Thursday bolstering that. One said that orders for washing machines and other manufactured goods that last at least three years grew by more last month than economists expected. A second said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-unemployment-economy-69f4fda3dc0c7a6053c799f70fc4522e">fewer U.S. workers filed for unemployment benefits</a>&nbsp;last week, a potential signal of fewer layoffs.

A third report said the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-tariffs-trump-gdp-shrink-86d1f15e66c646ac4ce88ffc0a956942">U.S. economy shrank by more</a>&nbsp;during the first three months of 2025 than earlier estimated. But many economists say those numbers got distorted by a surge of purchases of foreign products by U.S. companies hoping to get ahead of tariffs. They’re expecting a better performance in upcoming months.

Following the reports, Treasury yields swiveled up and down in the bond market before easing.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.24% from 4.29% late Wednesday. The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for what the Federal Reserve will do, fell to 3.71% from 3.74% late Wednesday.

Analysts said yields may have felt pressure because of a report from The Wall Street Journal saying Trump could name his nominee to replace Fed Chair Jerome Powell unusually early, in an attempt to undermine him. That could hurt confidence among investors about the Fed’s capability to make unpopular decisions when it comes to fighting inflation.

Powell has been repeating recently that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fed-powell-tariffs-inflation-bias-2a6a403f44697d444dac67c6fd3ff214">Federal Reserve is waiting to see</a>&nbsp;how Trump’s tariffs will affect the economy before deciding when to resume cutting interest rates. It has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-interest-rates-fed-fa91e7b38ca858ff54f57bc642111188">on pause this year</a>&nbsp;because lower rates can give inflation more fuel, along with providing the economy a boost.

Trump, though, has been adamant about wanting cuts to rates sooner and has insulted Powell repeatedly. Two of his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-economy-inflation-a90fe4835c1e5d381d16e32bc778981d">appointees to the Fed have also said recently</a>&nbsp;that they would consider cutting rates as soon as the Fed’s next meeting in July.

“Yields fell, the dollar weakened, and break evens rose, all suggesting that a puppet of the White House in the seat of the Chair could be bad for inflation,” said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management. But Jacobsen said decisions on interest rates would still rest with a committee of Fed officials, not just the chair, and other officials could possibly keep the new leader “in check if needed.”

In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in Europe following a mixed finish in Asia.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.6%, and South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.9% for two of the bigger moves.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663590370434.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;Yuki iwamura Ap photo" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Yuki iwamura Ap photo</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. stock market ran up to the edge of another record on Thursday.The S&amp;P 500 climbed 0.8% and is sitting just 0.05% below its all-time closing high, which was set in February. It briefly topped the mark during the afternoon in the latest milestone for the index at the heart of many 401(k) accounts, which had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-china-trump-b686ef0259c2f4894f9fcd1f3649a956">dropped roughly 20% below its record</a>&nbsp;during the spring on worries about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/consumer-prices-inflation-trump-trade-6ea513a44876c2f4dc948a25c15b0eb0">President Donald Trump’s tariffs</a>.The Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied 404 points, or 0.9%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1%.McCormick, the seller of cooking spices, helped lead the way and jumped 5.3% after delivering a better-than-expected profit report. The company also gave a forecast for profit over its full fiscal year that topped analysts’ expectations, including planned efforts to offset increased costs caused by tariffs.Over the longer term, it’s been big technology stocks that have led the market for years and since the S&amp;P 500 hit a bottom in April.Chip company&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-france-artificial-intelligence-1a6b50633db24c22b584597142a564ac">Nvidia</a>, which has been the poster child of the frenzy around artificial-intelligence technology, added 0.5%. It’s the most valuable company in the U.S. stock market after rushing 61% higher since April 8, towering over the S&amp;P 500’s gain of 23%. Another AI darling, Super Micro Computer, rose 5.7% to bring its gain since April 8 to 55%.Micron Technology, which sells computer memory and data storage, swung between gains and losses after reporting stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said it’s seeing growing AI-driven memory demand, and the company gave a forecast for profit in the current quarter that topped analysts’ expectations. Its stock ended the day down 1%.All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 48.86 points to 6,141.02. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 404.41 to 43,386.84, and the Nasdaq composite gained 194.36 to 20,167.91.Wall Street’s worries about Trump’s tariffs have receded since the president shocked the world in April with stiff proposed levies, but they have not disappeared. The wait is still on to see how big the tariffs will ultimately be, how much they will hurt the economy and how much they will push up inflation.The economy so far seems to be holding up OK, though slowing, and more reports arrived on Thursday bolstering that. One said that orders for washing machines and other manufactured goods that last at least three years grew by more last month than economists expected. A second said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-unemployment-economy-69f4fda3dc0c7a6053c799f70fc4522e">fewer U.S. workers filed for unemployment benefits</a>&nbsp;last week, a potential signal of fewer layoffs.A third report said the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-tariffs-trump-gdp-shrink-86d1f15e66c646ac4ce88ffc0a956942">U.S. economy shrank by more</a>&nbsp;during the first three months of 2025 than earlier estimated. But many economists say those numbers got distorted by a surge of purchases of foreign products by U.S. companies hoping to get ahead of tariffs. They’re expecting a better performance in upcoming months.Following the reports, Treasury yields swiveled up and down in the bond market before easing.The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.24% from 4.29% late Wednesday. The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for what the Federal Reserve will do, fell to 3.71% from 3.74% late Wednesday.Analysts said yields may have felt pressure because of a report from The Wall Street Journal saying Trump could name his nominee to replace Fed Chair Jerome Powell unusually early, in an attempt to undermine him. That could hurt confidence among investors about the Fed’s capability to make unpopular decisions when it comes to fighting inflation.Powell has been repeating recently that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fed-powell-tariffs-inflation-bias-2a6a403f44697d444dac67c6fd3ff214">Federal Reserve is waiting to see</a>&nbsp;how Trump’s tariffs will affect the economy before deciding when to resume cutting interest rates. It has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-interest-rates-fed-fa91e7b38ca858ff54f57bc642111188">on pause this year</a>&nbsp;because lower rates can give inflation more fuel, along with providing the economy a boost.Trump, though, has been adamant about wanting cuts to rates sooner and has insulted Powell repeatedly. Two of his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-economy-inflation-a90fe4835c1e5d381d16e32bc778981d">appointees to the Fed have also said recently</a>&nbsp;that they would consider cutting rates as soon as the Fed’s next meeting in July.“Yields fell, the dollar weakened, and break evens rose, all suggesting that a puppet of the White House in the seat of the Chair could be bad for inflation,” said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management. But Jacobsen said decisions on interest rates would still rest with a committee of Fed officials, not just the chair, and other officials could possibly keep the new leader “in check if needed.”In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in Europe following a mixed finish in Asia.Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.6%, and South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.9% for two of the bigger moves.

US stocks rise to the brink of a record, recover nearly all their springtime drop

NEW YORK (AP) — Bill Moyers, the former White House press secretary who became one of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/television">television’s</a>&nbsp;most honored journalists, masterfully using a visual medium to illuminate a world of ideas, died Thursday at age 91.

Moyer died in a New York City hospital, according to longtime friend Tom Johnson, the former CEO of CNN and an assistant to Moyers during Lyndon B. Johnson's administration. He did not cite Moyers' cause of death.

Moyer’s career ranged from youthful Baptist minister to deputy director of the Peace Corps, from Johnson’s press secretary to newspaper publisher, senior news analyst for “The CBS Evening News” and chief correspondent for “CBS Reports.”

But it was for public television that Moyers produced some of TV’s most cerebral and provocative series. In hundreds of hours of PBS programs, he proved at home with subjects ranging from government corruption to modern dance, from drug addiction to media consolidation, from religion to environmental abuse.

In 1988, Moyers produced “The Secret Government” about the Iran-Contra scandal during the Reagan administration and simultaneously published a book under the same name. Around that time, he galvanized viewers with “Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth,” a series of six one-hour interviews with the prominent religious scholar. The accompanying book became a best-seller.

His televised chats with poet Robert Bly almost single-handedly launched the 1990s Men’s Movement, and his 1993 series “Healing and the Mind” had a profound impact on the medical community and on medical education.

In a medium that supposedly abhors “talking heads” — shots of subject and interviewer talking — Moyers came to specialize in just that. He once explained why: “The question is, are the talking heads thinking minds and thinking people? Are they interesting to watch? I think the most fascinating production value is the human face.”

Demonstrating what someone called “a soft, probing style” in the native Texas accent he never lost, Moyers was a humanist who investigated the world with a calm, reasoned perspective, whatever the subject.

From some quarters, he was blasted as a liberal thanks to his links with Johnson and public television, as well as his no-holds-barred approach to investigative journalism. It was a label he didn’t necessarily deny.

“I’m an old-fashion liberal when it comes to being open and being interested in other people’s ideas,” he said during a 2004 radio interview. But Moyers preferred to term himself a “citizen journalist” operating independently, outside the establishment.

Public television (and his self-financed production company) gave him free rein to throw “the conversation of democracy open to all comers,” he said in a 2007 interview with The Associated Press.

“I think my peers in commercial television are talented and devoted journalists,” he said another time, “but they’ve chosen to work in a corporate mainstream that trims their talent to fit the corporate nature of American life. And you do not get rewarded for telling the hard truths about America in a profit-seeking environment.”

Over the years, Moyers was showered with honors, including more than 30 Emmys, 11 George Foster Peabody awards, three George Polks and, twice, the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Gold Baton Award for career excellence in broadcast journalism. In 1995, he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.

Born in Hugo, Oklahoma, on June 5, 1934, Billy Don Moyers was the son of a dirt farmer-truck driver who soon moved his family to Marshall, Texas. High school led him into journalism.

“I wanted to play football, but I was too small. But I found that by writing sports in the school newspaper, the players were always waiting around at the newsstand to see what I wrote,” he recalled.

He worked for the Marshall News Messenger at age 16. Deciding that Bill Moyers was a more appropriate byline for a sportswriter, he dropped the “y” from his name.

He graduated from the University of Texas and earned a master’s in divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He was ordained and preached part time at two churches but later decided his call to the ministry “was a wrong number.”

His relationship with Johnson began when he was in college; he wrote the then-senator offering to work in his 1954 re-election campaign. Johnson was impressed and hired him for a summer job. He was back in Johnson’s employ as a personal assistant in the early 1960s and for two years, he worked at the Peace Corps, eventually becoming deputy director.

On the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Moyers was in Austin helping with the presidential trip. He flew back to Washington on Air Force One with newly sworn-in President Johnson, for whom he held various jobs over the ensuing years, including press secretary.

Moyers’ stint as presidential press secretary was marked by efforts to mend the deteriorating relationship between Johnson and the media. But the Vietnam war took its toll and Moyers resigned in December 1966.

Of his departure from the White House, he wrote later, “We had become a war government, not a reform government, and there was no creative role left for me under those circumstances.”

He conceded that he may have been “too zealous in my defense of our policies” and said he regretted criticizing journalists such as Pulitzer Prize-winner Peter Arnett, then a special correspondent with the AP, and CBS’s Morley Safer for their war coverage.

In 1967, Moyers became publisher of Long Island-based Newsday and concentrated on adding news analyses, investigative pieces and lively features. Within three years, the suburban daily had won two Pulitzers. He left the paper in 1970 after the ownership changed. That summer, he traveled 13,000 miles around the country and wrote a best-selling account of his odyssey: “Listening to America: a Traveler Rediscovers His Country.”

His next venture was in public television and he won critical acclaim for “Bill Moyers Journal,” a series in which interviews ranged from Gunnar Myrdal, the Swedish economist, to poet Maya Angelou. He was chief correspondent of “CBS Reports” from 1976 to 1978, went back to PBS for three years, and then was senior news analyst for CBS from 1981 to 1986.

When CBS cut back on documentaries, he returned to PBS for much less money. “If you have a skill that you can fold with your tent and go wherever you feel you have to go, you can follow your heart’s desire,” he once said.

Then in 1986, he and his wife, Judith Davidson Moyers, became their own bosses by forming Public Affairs Television, an independent shop that has not only produced programs such as the 10-hour “In Search of the Constitution,” but also paid for them through its own fundraising efforts.

His projects in the 21st century included “Now,” a weekly PBS public affairs program; a new edition of “Bill Moyers Journal” and a podcast covering racism, voting rights and the rise of Donald Trump, among other subjects.

Moyers married Judith Davidson, a college classmate, in 1954, and they raised three children, among them the author Suzanne Moyers and author-TV producer William Cope Moyers. Judith eventually became her husband’s partner, creative collaborator and president of their production company.

AP writer Dave Bauder and Former Associated Press writer Robert Monroe contributed to this report. Moore retired from the AP in 2017.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750969263490.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Bill Moyers, the former White House press secretary who became one of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/television">television’s</a>&nbsp;most honored journalists, masterfully using a visual medium to illuminate a world of ideas, died Thursday at age 91.Moyer died in a New York City hospital, according to longtime friend Tom Johnson, the former CEO of CNN and an assistant to Moyers during Lyndon B. Johnson's administration. He did not cite Moyers' cause of death.Moyer’s career ranged from youthful Baptist minister to deputy director of the Peace Corps, from Johnson’s press secretary to newspaper publisher, senior news analyst for “The CBS Evening News” and chief correspondent for “CBS Reports.”But it was for public television that Moyers produced some of TV’s most cerebral and provocative series. In hundreds of hours of PBS programs, he proved at home with subjects ranging from government corruption to modern dance, from drug addiction to media consolidation, from religion to environmental abuse.In 1988, Moyers produced “The Secret Government” about the Iran-Contra scandal during the Reagan administration and simultaneously published a book under the same name. Around that time, he galvanized viewers with “Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth,” a series of six one-hour interviews with the prominent religious scholar. The accompanying book became a best-seller.His televised chats with poet Robert Bly almost single-handedly launched the 1990s Men’s Movement, and his 1993 series “Healing and the Mind” had a profound impact on the medical community and on medical education.In a medium that supposedly abhors “talking heads” — shots of subject and interviewer talking — Moyers came to specialize in just that. He once explained why: “The question is, are the talking heads thinking minds and thinking people? Are they interesting to watch? I think the most fascinating production value is the human face.”<h2>(Softly) speaking truth to power</h2>Demonstrating what someone called “a soft, probing style” in the native Texas accent he never lost, Moyers was a humanist who investigated the world with a calm, reasoned perspective, whatever the subject.From some quarters, he was blasted as a liberal thanks to his links with Johnson and public television, as well as his no-holds-barred approach to investigative journalism. It was a label he didn’t necessarily deny.“I’m an old-fashion liberal when it comes to being open and being interested in other people’s ideas,” he said during a 2004 radio interview. But Moyers preferred to term himself a “citizen journalist” operating independently, outside the establishment.Public television (and his self-financed production company) gave him free rein to throw “the conversation of democracy open to all comers,” he said in a 2007 interview with The Associated Press.“I think my peers in commercial television are talented and devoted journalists,” he said another time, “but they’ve chosen to work in a corporate mainstream that trims their talent to fit the corporate nature of American life. And you do not get rewarded for telling the hard truths about America in a profit-seeking environment.”Over the years, Moyers was showered with honors, including more than 30 Emmys, 11 George Foster Peabody awards, three George Polks and, twice, the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Gold Baton Award for career excellence in broadcast journalism. In 1995, he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.<h2>From sports to sports writing</h2>Born in Hugo, Oklahoma, on June 5, 1934, Billy Don Moyers was the son of a dirt farmer-truck driver who soon moved his family to Marshall, Texas. High school led him into journalism.“I wanted to play football, but I was too small. But I found that by writing sports in the school newspaper, the players were always waiting around at the newsstand to see what I wrote,” he recalled.He worked for the Marshall News Messenger at age 16. Deciding that Bill Moyers was a more appropriate byline for a sportswriter, he dropped the “y” from his name.He graduated from the University of Texas and earned a master’s in divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He was ordained and preached part time at two churches but later decided his call to the ministry “was a wrong number.”His relationship with Johnson began when he was in college; he wrote the then-senator offering to work in his 1954 re-election campaign. Johnson was impressed and hired him for a summer job. He was back in Johnson’s employ as a personal assistant in the early 1960s and for two years, he worked at the Peace Corps, eventually becoming deputy director.On the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Moyers was in Austin helping with the presidential trip. He flew back to Washington on Air Force One with newly sworn-in President Johnson, for whom he held various jobs over the ensuing years, including press secretary.Moyers’ stint as presidential press secretary was marked by efforts to mend the deteriorating relationship between Johnson and the media. But the Vietnam war took its toll and Moyers resigned in December 1966.Of his departure from the White House, he wrote later, “We had become a war government, not a reform government, and there was no creative role left for me under those circumstances.”He conceded that he may have been “too zealous in my defense of our policies” and said he regretted criticizing journalists such as Pulitzer Prize-winner Peter Arnett, then a special correspondent with the AP, and CBS’s Morley Safer for their war coverage.<h2>A long run on television</h2>In 1967, Moyers became publisher of Long Island-based Newsday and concentrated on adding news analyses, investigative pieces and lively features. Within three years, the suburban daily had won two Pulitzers. He left the paper in 1970 after the ownership changed. That summer, he traveled 13,000 miles around the country and wrote a best-selling account of his odyssey: “Listening to America: a Traveler Rediscovers His Country.”His next venture was in public television and he won critical acclaim for “Bill Moyers Journal,” a series in which interviews ranged from Gunnar Myrdal, the Swedish economist, to poet Maya Angelou. He was chief correspondent of “CBS Reports” from 1976 to 1978, went back to PBS for three years, and then was senior news analyst for CBS from 1981 to 1986.When CBS cut back on documentaries, he returned to PBS for much less money. “If you have a skill that you can fold with your tent and go wherever you feel you have to go, you can follow your heart’s desire,” he once said.Then in 1986, he and his wife, Judith Davidson Moyers, became their own bosses by forming Public Affairs Television, an independent shop that has not only produced programs such as the 10-hour “In Search of the Constitution,” but also paid for them through its own fundraising efforts.His projects in the 21st century included “Now,” a weekly PBS public affairs program; a new edition of “Bill Moyers Journal” and a podcast covering racism, voting rights and the rise of Donald Trump, among other subjects.Moyers married Judith Davidson, a college classmate, in 1954, and they raised three children, among them the author Suzanne Moyers and author-TV producer William Cope Moyers. Judith eventually became her husband’s partner, creative collaborator and president of their production company.___AP writer Dave Bauder and Former Associated Press writer Robert Monroe contributed to this report. Moore retired from the AP in 2017.

Bill Moyers, former White House press secretary turned TV journalist, dead at 91

TOPEKA —The Kansas Department of Health on Wednesday reported one new cases of measles over the past week in the state for a total of 80 cases in 11 counties.

The Associated Press reported the U.S. logged fewer than 20&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-vaccine-mmr-covid-exemptions-87cbfe44d8599b68408861f9b62421ed">measles cases</a>&nbsp;last week, though Iowa announced the state's first outbreak Thursday and Georgia confirmed its second Wednesday.

There have been 1,214 confirmed measles cases this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. Health officials in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">Texas, where the nation's biggest outbreak</a>&nbsp;raged during the late winter and spring, confirmed six cases in the last week.

There are three other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-mexico-canada-ontario-0956a30c043b030ae79bc9f67c6ce89c">major outbreaks</a>&nbsp;in North America. The longest, in Ontario, Canada, has resulted in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/Documents/M/24/measles-ontario-epi-summary.pdf?rev=3d8451977cd34084a8b494a6a11b4f1a&amp;sc_lang=en&amp;hash=48D1A6D0D037B39BD421AAF060204EE0">2,179 cases</a>&nbsp;from mid-October through June 17. The province logged its first death June 5 in a baby who got congenital measles but also had other preexisting conditions.

Another outbreak in Alberta, Canada, has sickened&nbsp;<a href="https://www.alberta.ca/measles">996 as of Thursday</a>. And the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-measles-vaccines-misinformation-mmr-mennonites-misinformation-ea6158b9a4d513b20f33cbc09034e5c2">Mexican state of Chihuahua</a>&nbsp;had 2,335 measles cases and four deaths as of Friday, according to data from the state health ministry.

Other U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-kansas-ohio-mmr-vaccination-new-mexico-texas-569474272df9baaad1f6d73462ebe92a">states with active outbreaks</a>&nbsp;— which the CDC defines as three or more related cases — include Arizona, Colorado, Illinois,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/aP4Au/?v=3">Kansas</a>, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota and Oklahoma.

In the U.S.,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-rfk-death-vaccine-4e28b0edf5cab47980b40b2d47f0ec50">two elementary school-aged children</a>&nbsp;in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">epicenter in West Texas</a>&nbsp;and an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">adult in New Mexico</a>&nbsp;have died of measles this year. All were unvaccinated.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-mmr-outbreak-vaccines-408371700e3ab548777bf0354e586549">Measles</a>&nbsp;is caused by a highly contagious virus that’s airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-vaccines-autism-measles-obesity-food-dye-f26089856550e978d28fd25b653d8103">preventable through vaccines</a>&nbsp;and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.

Where else is measles showing up in the U.S.?

Measles cases also have been reported this year in Alaska, Arkansas, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.

Health officials declared earlier outbreaks in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania over after six weeks of no new cases. Tennessee’s outbreak also appears to be over.

Cases and outbreaks in the U.S. are frequently traced to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-asia-measles-rates-unicef-who-report-2f888732cc297090238956986fd89cc4">someone who caught the disease abroad</a>. The CDC said in May that more than twice as many measles have come from outside of the U.S. compared to May of last year. Most of those are in unvaccinated Americans returning home. In 2019, the U.S. saw 1,274 cases and almost lost its status of having eliminated measles.

What do you need to know about the MMR vaccine?

The best way to avoid measles is to get the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/vaccines/mmr.html">measles, mumps and rubella</a>&nbsp;vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.

Getting another MMR shot as an adult is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says. People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don’t need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective vaccine made from “killed” virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said.

People who have documentation that they had measles are immune and those born before 1957 generally don’t need the shots because so many children got measles back then that they have “presumptive immunity."

Measles has a harder time spreading through communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — due to “herd immunity.” But childhood vaccination rates have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-vaccines-funding-cuts-5785985d6b74024b0502f6a2fc1576e2">declined nationwide</a>&nbsp;since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.

Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.

The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.

Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/signs-symptoms/index.html">dangerous complications</a>&nbsp;such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743085628490.png" alt="&nbsp;Photo by Tatiana Lanzieri Centers for Disease Control and Prevention" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Photo by Tatiana Lanzieri Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —The Kansas Department of Health on Wednesday reported one new cases of measles over the past week in the state for a total of 80 cases in 11 counties.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750876489660.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Associated Press reported the U.S. logged fewer than 20&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-vaccine-mmr-covid-exemptions-87cbfe44d8599b68408861f9b62421ed">measles cases</a>&nbsp;last week, though Iowa announced the state's first outbreak Thursday and Georgia confirmed its second Wednesday.There have been 1,214 confirmed measles cases this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. Health officials in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">Texas, where the nation's biggest outbreak</a>&nbsp;raged during the late winter and spring, confirmed six cases in the last week.There are three other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-mexico-canada-ontario-0956a30c043b030ae79bc9f67c6ce89c">major outbreaks</a>&nbsp;in North America. The longest, in Ontario, Canada, has resulted in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/Documents/M/24/measles-ontario-epi-summary.pdf?rev=3d8451977cd34084a8b494a6a11b4f1a&amp;sc_lang=en&amp;hash=48D1A6D0D037B39BD421AAF060204EE0">2,179 cases</a>&nbsp;from mid-October through June 17. The province logged its first death June 5 in a baby who got congenital measles but also had other preexisting conditions.Another outbreak in Alberta, Canada, has sickened&nbsp;<a href="https://www.alberta.ca/measles">996 as of Thursday</a>. And the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-measles-vaccines-misinformation-mmr-mennonites-misinformation-ea6158b9a4d513b20f33cbc09034e5c2">Mexican state of Chihuahua</a>&nbsp;had 2,335 measles cases and four deaths as of Friday, according to data from the state health ministry.Other U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-kansas-ohio-mmr-vaccination-new-mexico-texas-569474272df9baaad1f6d73462ebe92a">states with active outbreaks</a>&nbsp;— which the CDC defines as three or more related cases — include Arizona, Colorado, Illinois,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/aP4Au/?v=3">Kansas</a>, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota and Oklahoma.In the U.S.,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-rfk-death-vaccine-4e28b0edf5cab47980b40b2d47f0ec50">two elementary school-aged children</a>&nbsp;in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">epicenter in West Texas</a>&nbsp;and an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">adult in New Mexico</a>&nbsp;have died of measles this year. All were unvaccinated.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-mmr-outbreak-vaccines-408371700e3ab548777bf0354e586549">Measles</a>&nbsp;is caused by a highly contagious virus that’s airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-vaccines-autism-measles-obesity-food-dye-f26089856550e978d28fd25b653d8103">preventable through vaccines</a>&nbsp;and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.<h2>Where else is measles showing up in the U.S.?</h2>Measles cases also have been reported this year in Alaska, Arkansas, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.Health officials declared earlier outbreaks in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania over after six weeks of no new cases. Tennessee’s outbreak also appears to be over.Cases and outbreaks in the U.S. are frequently traced to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-asia-measles-rates-unicef-who-report-2f888732cc297090238956986fd89cc4">someone who caught the disease abroad</a>. The CDC said in May that more than twice as many measles have come from outside of the U.S. compared to May of last year. Most of those are in unvaccinated Americans returning home. In 2019, the U.S. saw 1,274 cases and almost lost its status of having eliminated measles.<h2>What do you need to know about the MMR vaccine?</h2>The best way to avoid measles is to get the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/vaccines/mmr.html">measles, mumps and rubella</a>&nbsp;vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.Getting another MMR shot as an adult is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says. People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don’t need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective vaccine made from “killed” virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said.People who have documentation that they had measles are immune and those born before 1957 generally don’t need the shots because so many children got measles back then that they have “presumptive immunity."Measles has a harder time spreading through communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — due to “herd immunity.” But childhood vaccination rates have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-vaccines-funding-cuts-5785985d6b74024b0502f6a2fc1576e2">declined nationwide</a>&nbsp;since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.<h2>What are the symptoms of measles?</h2>Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/signs-symptoms/index.html">dangerous complications</a>&nbsp;such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.<h2>How can you treat measles?</h2>

Fewer new measles cases in Kansas this week

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate parliamentarian has advised a key Medicaid provider tax overhaul that's central to President Donald Trump's big tax cut and spending bill does not adhere to procedural rules. It’s a blow to Republicans rushing to finish the package this week. The guidance from the parliamentarian is rarely ignored and forces GOP leaders to consider options.&nbsp;

&nbsp;President Donald Trump says “NO ONE GOES ON VACATION” until the big, beautiful bill is on his desk by the Fourth of July deadline. And Republicans in Congress are staying put to get it done.

The Senate is gearing up for weekend work, while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/speaker-johnson-trump-tax-bill-christian-prayer-f82ed140d9110d5cc7b4029b681ea9eb">House Speaker Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;told lawmakers Tuesday to keep their schedules “flexible” as they prepare for more votes.

“We are making good headway,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. He expects the Senate will get this “past the finish line” by the end of the week, sending it back to the House for swift action.

But Republicans who have majority control of the House and Senate are finding that their push to move fast and change things — namely cuts to federal government programs including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/poll-government-spending-medicare-medicaid-social-security-0ccb0538c06d715b43bbbcaa4a1348cf">Medicaid and SNAP food stamps</a>&nbsp;used by millions of Americans — is easier said than done.

Not all GOP lawmakers are on board, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-food-stamps-tax-cuts-senate-spending-101d16d8ca61956fc37f0cce7551fa24">the Senate parliamentarian</a>&nbsp;has advised that several key proposals violate procedural rules. With Democrats flatly opposed, it’s all leaving GOP leaders scrambling days before final votes.

Here’s the latest on what’s in, out and still up for debate as lawmakers work to finish the massive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tax-breaks-bill-medicaid-80b5781377bcd0870a1dccb3c7b8dc05">1,000-page plus package</a>.

What’s the goal of the big bill? Tax cuts.

The top priority for Republicans is preventing what they warn would be a massive tax hike, some $3.8 trillion, after December when the tax breaks they put in place during Trump’s first term, in 2017, expire.

The big bill seeks to make&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/big-beautiful-bill-trump-tax-spending-cuts-78fabe42ae09e0c5ac692a92dca8af5b">existing tax rates and brackets permanent,</a>&nbsp;while also temporarily adding new ones Trump campaigned on — no taxes on tips, overtime pay or some automotive loans, along with a bigger $6,000 deduction in the Senate draft for seniors who earn no more than $75,000 a year.

The wealthiest households would see a $12,000 increase, while the bill would cost the poorest people $1,600 a year, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cbo-big-beautiful-bill-trump-republican-deficit-debt-d432b67a965790e4a26de46ea8db1266">the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office</a>.

Middle income taxpayers would see a tax break of $500 to $1,500,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tax-bill-hurts-poor-helps-rich-cbo-f3d9d46ca3e829d6b850dca30b91a2b6">CBO said.</a>

One provision for families would boost the $2,000 child tax credit to $2,200 under the Senate proposal or $2,500 in the House. But families at lower income levels won’t see the full amount, if any.

And one unresolved issue is the House’s proposed $40,000 cap on state and local deductions, called SALT, that GOP senators say is too high and want limited.

The bill also funds deportations, a border wall and Trump’s heroes garden

There’s also some $350 billion of new funding in the package for Trump’s border and national security agenda.

Trump promises the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history, and the package proposes money to hire 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, with $10,000 signing bonuses, and for 100,000 immigration detention beds with a goal of deporting some 1 million people a year.

Additionally, the House bill proposes $12 billion for the Homeland Security secretary to provide grants to states that help with federal immigration enforcement and deportation actions. The Senate package also provides the attorney general with $3.5 billion to create a similar state fund — called Bridging Immigration-related Deficits Experienced Nationwide, or Biden, referring to the former president.

Immigrants entering the U.S. would face stiff new fees, including $1,000 for those seeking asylum protections.

There’s also money for the development of Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense system over the U.S., and quality of life measures for servicemen and women.

And there are extras: One provision from the Senate would provide $40 million to establish Trump’s long-sought&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/amid-furor-over-monuments-trump-seeks-garden-of-us-heroes-92f7c7ccd0b983636c1683c867c5b89e">“National Garden of American Heroes.”</a>

How to pay for it? Cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and green energy programs

To help partly offset the lost tax revenue, Republicans are seeking to cut back some long-running government programs — Medicaid, food stamps and green energy incentives — basically&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-beautiful-bill-medicaid-tax-cuts-bec87c569760ed979ac8c34cccba186b">unraveling the accomplishments</a>&nbsp;of the past two Democratic presidents: Joe Biden and Barack Obama.

Republicans argue they are trying to right-size the safety net programs for the population they were initially designed to serve — mainly pregnant women and children — and root out waste, fraud and abuse.

The package includes new 80-hour-a-month work requirements for many adults receiving Medicaid and food stamps, including older people up to age 65. Parents of children older than 10 would have to work to qualify for food aid, and those with teens would have to comply with the work requirement for Medicaid.

“It’s wildly popular,” Johnson said Tuesday, noting people can work, volunteer or go to school or job training programs. “For heaven’s sake, do something constructive.”

Some 80 million Americans rely on Medicaid, which expanded under Obama’s Affordable Care Act, and 40 million use&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/food-stamps-snap-states-trump-2c604216d26a9edf84fe502136be6d6f">the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program</a>, and most already work, according to analysts.

All told,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cbo-deficits-tax-cuts-trumps-big-beautiful-bill-64d7de49aef62ba07b7f6f45c1ca73d1">the CBO estimates</a>&nbsp;at least 10.9 million more people would go without health coverage, and 3 million more would not qualify for food stamps.

Deeper SNAP cuts that would shift cost-sharing to the states were called into question by the Senate parliamentarian and undergoing revisions. And more Medicaid changes are up for debate — including a Senate plan to reduce the so-called provider tax that most states impose on hospitals and other entities.

Key GOP senators and a coalition of House Republicans warn that lower Medicaid provider tax cuts will hurt rural hospitals. “We cannot support a final bill that threatens access to coverage,” said 16 House GOP lawmakers in a letter to leadership.

Senators are considering the creation of a new rural hospital fund, but the plan remains a work in progress. They’ve also had objections to the House’s proposed new $35 co-pay on Medicaid services.

Both the House and Senate bills propose a dramatic rollback of the Biden-era green energy tax breaks for electric vehicles and also the production and investment tax credits companies use to stand up wind, solar and other renewable energy projects.

All told, the cuts to Medicaid, food stamps and green energy programs are expected to produce at least $1.5 trillion in savings.

Altogether, keeping the existing tax breaks and adding the new ones is expected to cost $3.8 trillion over the decade, CBO says in its analysis of the House bill. The Senate draft is slightly higher.

The spending cuts tally at least $1.5 trillion.

The CBO estimates the package from the House would add $2.4 trillion to the nation’s deficits over the decade.

Or not, depending on how one&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tax-cuts-deficits-accounting-senate-b642681f7a4260dd8b25285199878d98">does the math</a>.

Senate Republicans are proposing a unique strategy of not counting the existing tax breaks as a new cost, because they’re already “current policy.” They argue the Budget Committee chairman has the authority to set the baseline for its preferred approach.

Under the Senate GOP view, the cost of tax provisions would be $441 billion, according to the congressional Joint Committee on Taxation.

Democrats and others argue this is “magic math” that obscures the costs of the GOP tax breaks. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget puts the Senate tally at $4.2 trillion over the decade.

“Current policy baseline’ is a budget gimmick,” said Sen. Jeff Merkley, the top Democrat on the Budget Committee. “This bill will add trillions upon trillions of dollars to the national debt to fund tax breaks for billionaires.”

Trump, en route to Europe for a NATO meeting, told senators to lock themselves in a room if needed, and “GET THE BILL DONE.”

Associated Press writesr Darlene Superville and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750886404522.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate parliamentarian has advised a key Medicaid provider tax overhaul that's central to President Donald Trump's big tax cut and spending bill does not adhere to procedural rules. It’s a blow to Republicans rushing to finish the package this week. The guidance from the parliamentarian is rarely ignored and forces GOP leaders to consider options.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The WOKE Senate Parliamentarian, who was appointed by Harry Reid and advised Al Gore, just STRUCK DOWN a provision BANNING illegals from stealing Medicaid from American citizens. This is a perfect example of why Americans hate THE SWAMP. Unelected bureaucrats think they know…&mdash; Coach Tommy Tuberville (@SenTuberville) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenTuberville/status/1938237688261333020?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>&nbsp;President Donald Trump says “NO ONE GOES ON VACATION” until the big, beautiful bill is on his desk by the Fourth of July deadline. And Republicans in Congress are staying put to get it done.The Senate is gearing up for weekend work, while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/speaker-johnson-trump-tax-bill-christian-prayer-f82ed140d9110d5cc7b4029b681ea9eb">House Speaker Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;told lawmakers Tuesday to keep their schedules “flexible” as they prepare for more votes.“We are making good headway,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. He expects the Senate will get this “past the finish line” by the end of the week, sending it back to the House for swift action.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/JBdYVUKKmh">pic.twitter.com/JBdYVUKKmh</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1937513564182319291?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>But Republicans who have majority control of the House and Senate are finding that their push to move fast and change things — namely cuts to federal government programs including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/poll-government-spending-medicare-medicaid-social-security-0ccb0538c06d715b43bbbcaa4a1348cf">Medicaid and SNAP food stamps</a>&nbsp;used by millions of Americans — is easier said than done.Not all GOP lawmakers are on board, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-food-stamps-tax-cuts-senate-spending-101d16d8ca61956fc37f0cce7551fa24">the Senate parliamentarian</a>&nbsp;has advised that several key proposals violate procedural rules. With Democrats flatly opposed, it’s all leaving GOP leaders scrambling days before final votes.Here’s the latest on what’s in, out and still up for debate as lawmakers work to finish the massive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tax-breaks-bill-medicaid-80b5781377bcd0870a1dccb3c7b8dc05">1,000-page plus package</a>.<h2>What’s the goal of the big bill? Tax cuts.</h2>The top priority for Republicans is preventing what they warn would be a massive tax hike, some $3.8 trillion, after December when the tax breaks they put in place during Trump’s first term, in 2017, expire.The big bill seeks to make&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/big-beautiful-bill-trump-tax-spending-cuts-78fabe42ae09e0c5ac692a92dca8af5b">existing tax rates and brackets permanent,</a>&nbsp;while also temporarily adding new ones Trump campaigned on — no taxes on tips, overtime pay or some automotive loans, along with a bigger $6,000 deduction in the Senate draft for seniors who earn no more than $75,000 a year.The wealthiest households would see a $12,000 increase, while the bill would cost the poorest people $1,600 a year, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cbo-big-beautiful-bill-trump-republican-deficit-debt-d432b67a965790e4a26de46ea8db1266">the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office</a>.Middle income taxpayers would see a tax break of $500 to $1,500,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tax-bill-hurts-poor-helps-rich-cbo-f3d9d46ca3e829d6b850dca30b91a2b6">CBO said.</a>One provision for families would boost the $2,000 child tax credit to $2,200 under the Senate proposal or $2,500 in the House. But families at lower income levels won’t see the full amount, if any.And one unresolved issue is the House’s proposed $40,000 cap on state and local deductions, called SALT, that GOP senators say is too high and want limited.<h2>The bill also funds deportations, a border wall and Trump’s heroes garden</h2>There’s also some $350 billion of new funding in the package for Trump’s border and national security agenda.Trump promises the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history, and the package proposes money to hire 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, with $10,000 signing bonuses, and for 100,000 immigration detention beds with a goal of deporting some 1 million people a year.Additionally, the House bill proposes $12 billion for the Homeland Security secretary to provide grants to states that help with federal immigration enforcement and deportation actions. The Senate package also provides the attorney general with $3.5 billion to create a similar state fund — called Bridging Immigration-related Deficits Experienced Nationwide, or Biden, referring to the former president.Immigrants entering the U.S. would face stiff new fees, including $1,000 for those seeking asylum protections.There’s also money for the development of Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense system over the U.S., and quality of life measures for servicemen and women.And there are extras: One provision from the Senate would provide $40 million to establish Trump’s long-sought&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/amid-furor-over-monuments-trump-seeks-garden-of-us-heroes-92f7c7ccd0b983636c1683c867c5b89e">“National Garden of American Heroes.”</a><h2>How to pay for it? Cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and green energy programs</h2>To help partly offset the lost tax revenue, Republicans are seeking to cut back some long-running government programs — Medicaid, food stamps and green energy incentives — basically&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-beautiful-bill-medicaid-tax-cuts-bec87c569760ed979ac8c34cccba186b">unraveling the accomplishments</a>&nbsp;of the past two Democratic presidents: Joe Biden and Barack Obama.Republicans argue they are trying to right-size the safety net programs for the population they were initially designed to serve — mainly pregnant women and children — and root out waste, fraud and abuse.The package includes new 80-hour-a-month work requirements for many adults receiving Medicaid and food stamps, including older people up to age 65. Parents of children older than 10 would have to work to qualify for food aid, and those with teens would have to comply with the work requirement for Medicaid.“It’s wildly popular,” Johnson said Tuesday, noting people can work, volunteer or go to school or job training programs. “For heaven’s sake, do something constructive.”Some 80 million Americans rely on Medicaid, which expanded under Obama’s Affordable Care Act, and 40 million use&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/food-stamps-snap-states-trump-2c604216d26a9edf84fe502136be6d6f">the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program</a>, and most already work, according to analysts.All told,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cbo-deficits-tax-cuts-trumps-big-beautiful-bill-64d7de49aef62ba07b7f6f45c1ca73d1">the CBO estimates</a>&nbsp;at least 10.9 million more people would go without health coverage, and 3 million more would not qualify for food stamps.Deeper SNAP cuts that would shift cost-sharing to the states were called into question by the Senate parliamentarian and undergoing revisions. And more Medicaid changes are up for debate — including a Senate plan to reduce the so-called provider tax that most states impose on hospitals and other entities.Key GOP senators and a coalition of House Republicans warn that lower Medicaid provider tax cuts will hurt rural hospitals. “We cannot support a final bill that threatens access to coverage,” said 16 House GOP lawmakers in a letter to leadership.Senators are considering the creation of a new rural hospital fund, but the plan remains a work in progress. They’ve also had objections to the House’s proposed new $35 co-pay on Medicaid services.Both the House and Senate bills propose a dramatic rollback of the Biden-era green energy tax breaks for electric vehicles and also the production and investment tax credits companies use to stand up wind, solar and other renewable energy projects.All told, the cuts to Medicaid, food stamps and green energy programs are expected to produce at least $1.5 trillion in savings.<h2>What’s the final cost?</h2>Altogether, keeping the existing tax breaks and adding the new ones is expected to cost $3.8 trillion over the decade, CBO says in its analysis of the House bill. The Senate draft is slightly higher.The spending cuts tally at least $1.5 trillion.The CBO estimates the package from the House would add $2.4 trillion to the nation’s deficits over the decade.Or not, depending on how one&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tax-cuts-deficits-accounting-senate-b642681f7a4260dd8b25285199878d98">does the math</a>.Senate Republicans are proposing a unique strategy of not counting the existing tax breaks as a new cost, because they’re already “current policy.” They argue the Budget Committee chairman has the authority to set the baseline for its preferred approach.Under the Senate GOP view, the cost of tax provisions would be $441 billion, according to the congressional Joint Committee on Taxation.Democrats and others argue this is “magic math” that obscures the costs of the GOP tax breaks. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget puts the Senate tally at $4.2 trillion over the decade.“Current policy baseline’ is a budget gimmick,” said Sen. Jeff Merkley, the top Democrat on the Budget Committee. “This bill will add trillions upon trillions of dollars to the national debt to fund tax breaks for billionaires.”Trump, en route to Europe for a NATO meeting, told senators to lock themselves in a room if needed, and “GET THE BILL DONE.”__Associated Press writesr Darlene Superville and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.

What's in and out of Trump's big bill as Senate races to meet deadline

SALINA —Law enforcement are investigating a shooting that occurred early Thursday at the hospital in Salina.

Just after 7a.m. Thursday, police&nbsp;responded to Salina Regional Health Center Emergency Room where a man had allegedly shot himself, according to Salina Police Captain James Felldman.

Investigators determined an 87-year-old man who is from Salina walked into the ER and made contact with ER staff. After getting checked in, the man produced a handgun and shot himself while in the waiting room.

There were no other subjects in the waiting area. Immediate life saving measures were performed however the man was pronounced deceased just after 8:00 a.m.

On social media, Kansas First District Congressman Tracey Mann issued a statement on the tragedy.&nbsp; "I am grateful that no innocent bystanders were harmed or injured during this morning’s tragedy. Audrey and I are covering those impacted in prayer alongside the Salina community. Thank you to the staff and law enforcement officials who managed the situation. Please join us in praying."

SALINA —Law enforcement are investigating a shooting that occurred early Thursday at the hospital in Salina.Just after 7a.m. Thursday, police&nbsp;responded to Salina Regional Health Center Emergency Room where a man had allegedly shot himself, according to Salina Police Captain James Felldman.Investigators determined an 87-year-old man who is from Salina walked into the ER and made contact with ER staff. After getting checked in, the man produced a handgun and shot himself while in the waiting room.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FSalinaRegionalHealthCenter%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02T3CMZijCKmboz3TaQLSWo951rikN6d14dG1Kn347YvEEJYnoRkhgaeLbtHivF7SFl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="239" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>There were no other subjects in the waiting area. Immediate life saving measures were performed however the man was pronounced deceased just after 8:00 a.m.On social media, Kansas First District Congressman Tracey Mann issued a statement on the tragedy.&nbsp; "I am grateful that no innocent bystanders were harmed or injured during this morning’s tragedy. Audrey and I are covering those impacted in prayer alongside the Salina community. Thank you to the staff and law enforcement officials who managed the situation. Please join us in praying."

Congressman responds after tragic incident at Kansas hospital ER

SEDGWICK COUNTY — A suspect involved in a deadly weekend shooting in Wichita made his first court appearance in the case Wednesday.

Michael Dixon, 26, was charged with Murder In The Second Degree and Criminal Discharge of a Firearm, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

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

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

Following the investigation, officers arrested&nbsp; Dixon who remains in custody on a&nbsp;$150,000.00 bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750675184895.png" alt="Dixon photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Dixon photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — A suspect involved in a deadly weekend shooting in Wichita made his first court appearance in the case Wednesday.Michael Dixon, 26, was charged with Murder In The Second Degree and Criminal Discharge of a Firearm, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Just before 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, police responded to a report of a disturbance involving gunshot in the 4100 Block of West Pine in Wichita, according to Police spokesman Andrew Ford. Upon arrival, officers discovered that a male victim had been shot and was transported to a local hospital by private vehicle.The victim was identified as Sauhni Stallings, 23, of Wichita. Despite efforts to save him, he was pronounced dead at the hospital.Following the investigation, officers arrested&nbsp; Dixon who remains in custody on a&nbsp;$150,000.00 bond.

Kansas man accused of murder faces a judge

WASHINGTON (AP) — A divided&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;allowed states to cut off Medicaid money to Planned Parenthood in a ruling handed down Thursday amid a wider Republican-backed push to defund the country’s biggest abortion provider.

The case centers on funding for other health care services&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/planned-parenthood">Planned Parenthood</a>&nbsp;provides in South Carolina, but the ruling could have broader implications for Medicaid patients.

The court split 6-3 in the opinion, with the three liberal justices dissenting.

Public health care money generally can’t be used to pay for abortions. Medicaid patients go to Planned Parenthood for things like contraception, cancer screenings and pregnancy testing, in part because it can be tough to find a doctor who takes the publicly funded insurance, the organization has said.

South Carolina’s Republican governor says no taxpayer money should go the organization.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/big-beautiful-bill-trump-tax-cuts-medicaid-00ce1ff8a7b7fea7a894d38398748c6b">The budget bill</a>&nbsp;backed by President Donald Trump in Congress would also cut Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood. That could&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medicaid-snap-states-house-trump-abortion-work-1556d8a594dc5668b298641081b759c9">force the closure</a>&nbsp;of about 200 centers, most of them in states where abortion is legal, the organization has said.

Gov. Henry McMaster first moved to cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood in 2018 but was blocked in court after a lawsuit from a patient named Julie Edwards. Edwards wanted to keep going there for birth control because her diabetes makes pregnancy potentially dangerous, so she sued over a provision in Medicaid law that allows patients to choose their own qualified provider.

South Carolina, though, argued that patients shouldn’t be able to file those lawsuits. The state pointed to lower courts that have been swayed by similar arguments and allowed states such as Texas to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-texas-medicaid-planned-parenthood-14379403b715dd838b0d18efab629db3">block Medicaid funding</a>&nbsp;from Planned Parenthood.

Public health groups like the American Cancer Society, by contrast, said in court papers that lawsuits are the only real way that Medicaid patients have been able to enforce their right to choose their own doctor. Losing that right would reduce access to health care for people on the program, which is estimated to include one-quarter of everyone in the country. Rural areas could be especially affected, advocates said in court papers.

In South Carolina, $90,000 in Medicaid funding goes to Planned Parenthood every year, a tiny fraction of the state’s total Medicaid spending. The state&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-south-carolina-fetal-heartbeat-fa742d40c8e15df41c8545d8a33a1838">banned abortion at about six weeks’ gestation</a>&nbsp;after the high court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned it as a nationwide right</a>&nbsp;in 2022.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665657486023.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A divided&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;allowed states to cut off Medicaid money to Planned Parenthood in a ruling handed down Thursday amid a wider Republican-backed push to defund the country’s biggest abortion provider.The case centers on funding for other health care services&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/planned-parenthood">Planned Parenthood</a>&nbsp;provides in South Carolina, but the ruling could have broader implications for Medicaid patients.The court split 6-3 in the opinion, with the three liberal justices dissenting.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750960965140.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Public health care money generally can’t be used to pay for abortions. Medicaid patients go to Planned Parenthood for things like contraception, cancer screenings and pregnancy testing, in part because it can be tough to find a doctor who takes the publicly funded insurance, the organization has said.South Carolina’s Republican governor says no taxpayer money should go the organization.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/big-beautiful-bill-trump-tax-cuts-medicaid-00ce1ff8a7b7fea7a894d38398748c6b">The budget bill</a>&nbsp;backed by President Donald Trump in Congress would also cut Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood. That could&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medicaid-snap-states-house-trump-abortion-work-1556d8a594dc5668b298641081b759c9">force the closure</a>&nbsp;of about 200 centers, most of them in states where abortion is legal, the organization has said.Gov. Henry McMaster first moved to cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood in 2018 but was blocked in court after a lawsuit from a patient named Julie Edwards. Edwards wanted to keep going there for birth control because her diabetes makes pregnancy potentially dangerous, so she sued over a provision in Medicaid law that allows patients to choose their own qualified provider.South Carolina, though, argued that patients shouldn’t be able to file those lawsuits. The state pointed to lower courts that have been swayed by similar arguments and allowed states such as Texas to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-texas-medicaid-planned-parenthood-14379403b715dd838b0d18efab629db3">block Medicaid funding</a>&nbsp;from Planned Parenthood.Public health groups like the American Cancer Society, by contrast, said in court papers that lawsuits are the only real way that Medicaid patients have been able to enforce their right to choose their own doctor. Losing that right would reduce access to health care for people on the program, which is estimated to include one-quarter of everyone in the country. Rural areas could be especially affected, advocates said in court papers.In South Carolina, $90,000 in Medicaid funding goes to Planned Parenthood every year, a tiny fraction of the state’s total Medicaid spending. The state&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-south-carolina-fetal-heartbeat-fa742d40c8e15df41c8545d8a33a1838">banned abortion at about six weeks’ gestation</a>&nbsp;after the high court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned it as a nationwide right</a>&nbsp;in 2022.___

Supreme Court allows states to cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas woman accused in the death of a 7-year-old boy&nbsp; is in court for a plea hearing. before Judge Sean Hatfield.

Earlier this month, 25-year-old Tasha Diane Dillard waived her preliminary hearing and is now to set for arraignment, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

She has been charged with 1st degree murder and 7 counts of aggravated endangering a child, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

On a Sunday afternoon in March, police responded to a call of a shooting at an apartment in the 3700 block of E Ross Parkway, according to Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses. The caller reported that someone had been shot and that a child was bleeding.

When officers arrived, they found 7-year-old Davion Gunter suffering from a gunshot wound to his torso. Davion was transported to a local hospital, where he was&nbsp; pronounced deceased.

At the scene, officers found seven other children and multiple adults. Wichita Police homicide investigators and the Exploited and Missing Children’s Unit responded immediately, conducting interviews and gathered evidence.

As a result, police took Dillard into custody, and the children were placed in protective care. Dillard remains jailed on a&nbsp; bond of $500,000.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742206494454.png" alt="Dillard -photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Dillard -photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas woman accused in the death of a 7-year-old boy&nbsp; is in court for a plea hearing. before Judge Sean Hatfield.Earlier this month, 25-year-old Tasha Diane Dillard waived her preliminary hearing and is now to set for arraignment, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.She has been charged with 1st degree murder and 7 counts of aggravated endangering a child, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.On a Sunday afternoon in March, police responded to a call of a shooting at an apartment in the 3700 block of E Ross Parkway, according to Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses. The caller reported that someone had been shot and that a child was bleeding.When officers arrived, they found 7-year-old Davion Gunter suffering from a gunshot wound to his torso. Davion was transported to a local hospital, where he was&nbsp; pronounced deceased.At the scene, officers found seven other children and multiple adults. Wichita Police homicide investigators and the Exploited and Missing Children’s Unit responded immediately, conducting interviews and gathered evidence.As a result, police took Dillard into custody, and the children were placed in protective care. Dillard remains jailed on a&nbsp; bond of $500,000.&nbsp;

Kansas woman accused in child's death is due back in court

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ali-khamenei">Ali Khamenei</a>&nbsp;said on Thursday his country had delivered a "slap to America’s face” with its strike on an American base in Qatar, and warned against any further&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bunker-buster-bomb-israel-iran-fordo-fordow-b2-nuclear-8a612cbf16aa0f99bd9992334ffc93d7">U.S. attacks</a>&nbsp;in his first public comments since a ceasefire was declared with Israel after 12 days of war.

Khamenei spoke in a recorded video broadcast on Iranian state television, his first appearance since June 19. The 86-year-old looked and sounded more tired than he did only a week ago, speaking in a hoarse voice and occasionally stumbling over his words.

The more-than 10 minute speech by the supreme leader was filled with warnings and threats directed toward the United States and Israel.

He downplayed Sunday's U.S. strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites using bunker-buster bombs and cruise missiles, saying that U.S. President Donald Trump — who said the attack "completely and fully obliterated Iran's nuclear program — had “exaggerated” its impact.

“They could not achieve anything significant,” he said.

However, the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency Director Rafael Grossi, reiterated on Thursday that the damage done by Israeli and U.S. strikes at Iranian nuclear facilities “is very, very, very considerable.”

“I think annihilated is too much but it suffered enormous damage,” Grossi told French broadcaster RFI.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, on Wednesday also conceded that "our nuclear installations have been badly damaged, that’s for sure.”

Khamenei has not been seen in public since taking shelter in a secret location after the outbreak of the war June 13 when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-missile-attacks-nuclear-news-tehran-trump-06-17-2025-3f08988b5e8fd375645967b6e22916f3">Israel attacked Iranian nuclear facilities</a>&nbsp;and targeted top military commanders and scientists.

Following Sunday's U.S. attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, Trump was able to help negotiate a ceasefire that came into effect on Tuesday.

Khamenei claimed the U.S. had only intervened in the war because “it felt that if it did not intervene, the Zionist regime would be utterly destroyed.”

“It entered the war to save them, yet it gained nothing,” he said.

He said his country's attack on the U.S. base in Qatar on Monday was significant, since it shows Iran “has access to important U.S. centers in the region and can act against them whenever it deems necessary.”

“The Islamic Republic was victorious and, in retaliation, delivered a hand slap to America’s face,” he said, adding “this action can be repeated in the future."

“Should any aggression occur, the enemy will definitely pay a heavy price,” he said.

Since the ceasefire, life has been gradually returning to normal in Iran.

On Thursday, Iran partially reopened its airspace, which had been shut down since the war broke out, and shops in the capital of Tehran began to reopen, with traffic returning to the streets.

Majid Akhavan, spokesperson for the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, said Iran had reopened the airspace for the eastern half of the country to domestic and international flights, including those transiting Iranian airspace.

Earlier this week, Tehran said 606 people had been killed in the conflict in Iran, with 5,332 people wounded. The Washington-based Human Rights Activists group released figures Wednesday suggesting Israeli strikes on Iran had killed at least 1,054 and wounded 4,476.

The group, which has provided detailed casualty figures from multiple rounds of unrest in Iran, said 417 of those killed were civilians and 318 were security forces.

At least 28 people were killed in Israel and more than 1,000 wounded, according to officials there.

Trump has also asserted that American and Iranian officials will talk next week, giving rise to cautious hope for longer-term peace.

Iran has not acknowledged any such talks would take place, though U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff has said there has been direct and indirect communication between the countries. A sixth round of U.S.-Iran negotiations was scheduled for earlier this month in Oman but was canceled after Israel attacked Iran on June 13.

Iran has insisted that it will not give up its nuclear program. In a vote underscoring the tough path ahead, its parliament agreed to fast-track a proposal that would effectively stop the country’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-iaea-us-nuclear-talks-inspectors-585750d54eea24ed39f229b701313998">cooperation with the IAEA</a>, which has monitored the program for years.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750936010746.png" alt="Photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ali-khamenei">Ali Khamenei</a>&nbsp;said on Thursday his country had delivered a "slap to America’s face” with its strike on an American base in Qatar, and warned against any further&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bunker-buster-bomb-israel-iran-fordo-fordow-b2-nuclear-8a612cbf16aa0f99bd9992334ffc93d7">U.S. attacks</a>&nbsp;in his first public comments since a ceasefire was declared with Israel after 12 days of war.Khamenei spoke in a recorded video broadcast on Iranian state television, his first appearance since June 19. The 86-year-old looked and sounded more tired than he did only a week ago, speaking in a hoarse voice and occasionally stumbling over his words.The more-than 10 minute speech by the supreme leader was filled with warnings and threats directed toward the United States and Israel.He downplayed Sunday's U.S. strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites using bunker-buster bombs and cruise missiles, saying that U.S. President Donald Trump — who said the attack "completely and fully obliterated Iran's nuclear program — had “exaggerated” its impact.“They could not achieve anything significant,” he said.However, the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency Director Rafael Grossi, reiterated on Thursday that the damage done by Israeli and U.S. strikes at Iranian nuclear facilities “is very, very, very considerable.”“I think annihilated is too much but it suffered enormous damage,” Grossi told French broadcaster RFI.Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, on Wednesday also conceded that "our nuclear installations have been badly damaged, that’s for sure.”Khamenei has not been seen in public since taking shelter in a secret location after the outbreak of the war June 13 when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-missile-attacks-nuclear-news-tehran-trump-06-17-2025-3f08988b5e8fd375645967b6e22916f3">Israel attacked Iranian nuclear facilities</a>&nbsp;and targeted top military commanders and scientists.Following Sunday's U.S. attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, Trump was able to help negotiate a ceasefire that came into effect on Tuesday.Khamenei claimed the U.S. had only intervened in the war because “it felt that if it did not intervene, the Zionist regime would be utterly destroyed.”“It entered the war to save them, yet it gained nothing,” he said.He said his country's attack on the U.S. base in Qatar on Monday was significant, since it shows Iran “has access to important U.S. centers in the region and can act against them whenever it deems necessary.”“The Islamic Republic was victorious and, in retaliation, delivered a hand slap to America’s face,” he said, adding “this action can be repeated in the future."“Should any aggression occur, the enemy will definitely pay a heavy price,” he said.Since the ceasefire, life has been gradually returning to normal in Iran.On Thursday, Iran partially reopened its airspace, which had been shut down since the war broke out, and shops in the capital of Tehran began to reopen, with traffic returning to the streets.Majid Akhavan, spokesperson for the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, said Iran had reopened the airspace for the eastern half of the country to domestic and international flights, including those transiting Iranian airspace.Earlier this week, Tehran said 606 people had been killed in the conflict in Iran, with 5,332 people wounded. The Washington-based Human Rights Activists group released figures Wednesday suggesting Israeli strikes on Iran had killed at least 1,054 and wounded 4,476.The group, which has provided detailed casualty figures from multiple rounds of unrest in Iran, said 417 of those killed were civilians and 318 were security forces.At least 28 people were killed in Israel and more than 1,000 wounded, according to officials there.Trump has also asserted that American and Iranian officials will talk next week, giving rise to cautious hope for longer-term peace.Iran has not acknowledged any such talks would take place, though U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff has said there has been direct and indirect communication between the countries. A sixth round of U.S.-Iran negotiations was scheduled for earlier this month in Oman but was canceled after Israel attacked Iran on June 13.Iran has insisted that it will not give up its nuclear program. In a vote underscoring the tough path ahead, its parliament agreed to fast-track a proposal that would effectively stop the country’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-iaea-us-nuclear-talks-inspectors-585750d54eea24ed39f229b701313998">cooperation with the IAEA</a>, which has monitored the program for years.___

Iran’s supreme leader warns the U.S. against any further attacks

JACKSON COUNTY—Two suspects are in custody after a chase and 4-hour manhunt.

Just after 4p.m. June 25,&nbsp; a Sheriff’s Deputy attempted to stop a 2007 Cadillac just west of U.S. Highway 75 on 158th&nbsp;Road, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

The vehicle failed to stop and a vehicle pursuit ensued. The Cadillac continued through various roads in southern Jackson County for approximately 10 minutes and then came to a stop on O. Road between 126th&nbsp;and 134th&nbsp;Roads.&nbsp; 

One man, later identified as 34-year-old Lloyd Allan Wabaunsee of Mayetta, ran from the vehicle westward. A woman, later identified as 34-year-old Desiree Kristel Shopteese of Topeka. was taken into custody with the vehicle. She was reportedly driving the car.

&nbsp;Just before 8 p.m., Wabaunsee was taken into custody.

Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputies, KHP, Kansas Wildlife and Parks Game Wardens, Deputy U.S. Marshals, Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office and Hoyt Police assisted with the search and arrest.&nbsp; A KHP aircraft as well as drones and a number of police service dogs from various agencies were used during the search.

&nbsp;Both suspects were booked into the Jackson County Jail.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750887403986.png" alt="Shopteese-photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Shopteese-photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY—Two suspects are in custody after a chase and 4-hour manhunt.Just after 4p.m. June 25,&nbsp; a Sheriff’s Deputy attempted to stop a 2007 Cadillac just west of U.S. Highway 75 on 158th&nbsp;Road, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750887436002.png" alt="Wabaunsee photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Wabaunsee photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>The vehicle failed to stop and a vehicle pursuit ensued. The Cadillac continued through various roads in southern Jackson County for approximately 10 minutes and then came to a stop on O. Road between 126th&nbsp;and 134th&nbsp;Roads.&nbsp; One man, later identified as 34-year-old Lloyd Allan Wabaunsee of Mayetta, ran from the vehicle westward. A woman, later identified as 34-year-old Desiree Kristel Shopteese of Topeka. was taken into custody with the vehicle. She was reportedly driving the car.&nbsp;Just before 8 p.m., Wabaunsee was taken into custody.Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputies, KHP, Kansas Wildlife and Parks Game Wardens, Deputy U.S. Marshals, Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office and Hoyt Police assisted with the search and arrest.&nbsp; A KHP aircraft as well as drones and a number of police service dogs from various agencies were used during the search.&nbsp;Both suspects were booked into the Jackson County Jail.&nbsp;The pair were both arrested in 2013, following the murder of Kevin Stanley in Mayetta.&nbsp; The pair fled to the State of Iowa where the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office was able to locate them in Urbandale, Iowa. With the assistance from the U.S. Marshal’s both subjects were found hiding in the trunk of a car in a Hyvee Parking lot. The pair were extradited back to Kansas.&nbsp; Wabaunsee was convicted and sentenced for 2nd&nbsp;degree murder and was released on January 24, 2025.Desiree Shopteese is being held on requested charges of flee or attempt to elude law enforcement, by&nbsp; engaging in reckless driving, distribution of a hallucinogenic drug, driving while suspended, driving without an ignition interlock device and transporting an open container.Wabaunsee is being held on requested charges of felony interference with law enforcement, possession of opiates, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, distribution of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia and is on a hold for the department of corrections.