KANSAS CITY—One person was injured in an accident just after 5:30p.m. Wednesday in Kansas City.

The driver of a light green Mercury was operating his vehicle at a high rate of speed Northbound on Blue Ridge Cut-of near 39th, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

As the Mercury was passing vehicles in a careless manner, the driver lost the control of his vehicle, struck a tree and a pedestrian who was waiting for the bus in the grassy area. EMS transported the pedestrian to a local hospital in a critical condition. The incident remains under investigation. Police have not reported an arrest or additional details

KANSAS CITY—One person was injured in an accident just after 5:30p.m. Wednesday in Kansas City.The driver of a light green Mercury was operating his vehicle at a high rate of speed Northbound on Blue Ridge Cut-of near 39th, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.As the Mercury was passing vehicles in a careless manner, the driver lost the control of his vehicle, struck a tree and a pedestrian who was waiting for the bus in the grassy area. EMS transported the pedestrian to a local hospital in a critical condition. The incident remains under investigation. Police have not reported an arrest or additional details

KCPD: Careless driver struck pedestrian waiting for a bus

NEW YORK (AP) — Six weeks before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-brian-thompson-shooting-79a9710978fc7adbb23d3fed4ea2f70d">UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson</a>&nbsp;was gunned down outside a Manhattan hotel in December, suspect Luigi Mangione mused about rebelling against “the deadly, greed fueled health insurance cartel” and said killing the executive “conveys a greedy bastard that had it coming,” prosecutors revealed Wednesday.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office quoted extensively from Mangione’s handwritten diary — highlighting his desire to kill an insurance honcho and praise for Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber — as they fight to uphold his state murder charges. They also cited a confession they say he penned “To the feds,” in which he wrote that “it had to be done.”

Mangione’s lawyers want the state case thrown out, arguing in court papers that those charges and a parallel federal death penalty case amount to double jeopardy.

They also want state terrorism charges dismissed, have asked for the federal case to go first and say prosecutors should be barred from using evidence collected during Mangione’s arrest, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-killing-charges-extradition-64ba21747f41c3a81f661900e797b6d7">a 9mm handgun</a>, statements to police and the diary.

Manhattan prosecutors contend that there are no double jeopardy issues because neither case has gone to trial and because the state and federal prosecutions involve different legal theories.

His lawyers say that has created a “legal quagmire” that makes it “legally and logistically impossible to defend against them simultaneously.”

The state charges, which carry a maximum of life in prison, allege that Mangione wanted to “intimidate or coerce a civilian population,” that is, insurance employees and investors. The federal charges allege that Mangione stalked an individual, Thompson, and do not involve terror allegations.

Mangione, 27, has pleaded not guilty in both cases. No trial dates have been set.

Mangione’s “intentions were obvious from his acts, but his writings serve to make those intentions explicit,” prosecutors said in Wednesday’s filing. The writings, which they sometimes described as a manifesto, “convey one clear message: that the murder of Brian Thompson was intended to bring about revolutionary change to the healthcare industry.”

They quoted excerpts in which Mangione discussed options for the attack, such as bombing UnitedHealthcare’s headquarters, before deciding to target the company’s investor conference in Manhattan. He wrote about plans to “wack the CEO at the annual parasitic bean-counter convention” because it was “targeted, precise and doesn’t risk innocents.”

UnitedHealthcare, the largest U.S. health insurer, “literally extracts human life force for money,” Mangione wrote, envisioning the news headline, “Insurance CEO killed at annual investors conference.”

The company has said he was never a client.

Mangione is due back in state court June 26, when Judge Gregory Carro is expected to rule on his request for dismissal.

His lawyers asked Tuesday for his handcuffs and bulletproof vest to be removed during the hearing. They called him a “a model prisoner, a model defendant” and said the security measures would suggest to potential jurors that he is dangerous. Carro has not ruled on that.

Mangione’s next federal court date is Dec. 5, a day after the one-year anniversary of Thompson’s death.

Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting Thompson from behind as he arrived for the conference Dec. 4 at the New York Hilton Midtown. Police say “delay,” “deny” and “depose” were scrawled on the ammunition, mimicking a phrase commonly used to describe&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-shooting-delay-deny-defend-depose-ee73ceb19f361835c654f04a3b88c50c">how insurers avoid paying claims</a>.

Mangione was arrested Dec. 9 at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, 230 miles (about 370 kilometers) to the west, and he is being held in a federal jail in Brooklyn.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has called the ambush “a killing that was intended to evoke terror.”

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced in April that she was directing federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for “an act of political violence” and a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.”

The killing and ensuing search for Mangione rattled the business community while galvanizing health insurance critics who rallied around him&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-healthcare-ceo-luigi-mangione-josh-shapiro-3a8c64a0bc412e0eeb84bca0c99b6e67">as a stand-in</a>&nbsp;for frustrations over coverage denials and hefty bills. Supporters have flocked to his court appearances and flooded him with mail.

Mangione “demonstrated in his manifesto that he was a revolutionary anarchist who would usher in a better healthcare system by killing the CEO” of one of the biggest U.S. companies, prosecutors wrote. “This brutal, cowardly murder was the mechanism that defendant chose to bring on that revolution.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733331393274.png" alt="Security camera image of the crime -Photo NYPD" />
 <figcaption>Security camera image of the crime -Photo NYPD</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Six weeks before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-brian-thompson-shooting-79a9710978fc7adbb23d3fed4ea2f70d">UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson</a>&nbsp;was gunned down outside a Manhattan hotel in December, suspect Luigi Mangione mused about rebelling against “the deadly, greed fueled health insurance cartel” and said killing the executive “conveys a greedy bastard that had it coming,” prosecutors revealed Wednesday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734643890089.png" alt="Luigi Mangione photo NYPD" />
 <figcaption>Luigi Mangione photo NYPD</figcaption>
 </figure>The Manhattan district attorney’s office quoted extensively from Mangione’s handwritten diary — highlighting his desire to kill an insurance honcho and praise for Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber — as they fight to uphold his state murder charges. They also cited a confession they say he penned “To the feds,” in which he wrote that “it had to be done.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733829544108.png" alt="Luigi Mangione photo Pennsylvania Dept. of Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Luigi Mangione photo Pennsylvania Dept. of Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>Mangione’s lawyers want the state case thrown out, arguing in court papers that those charges and a parallel federal death penalty case amount to double jeopardy.They also want state terrorism charges dismissed, have asked for the federal case to go first and say prosecutors should be barred from using evidence collected during Mangione’s arrest, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-killing-charges-extradition-64ba21747f41c3a81f661900e797b6d7">a 9mm handgun</a>, statements to police and the diary.Manhattan prosecutors contend that there are no double jeopardy issues because neither case has gone to trial and because the state and federal prosecutions involve different legal theories.His lawyers say that has created a “legal quagmire” that makes it “legally and logistically impossible to defend against them simultaneously.”The state charges, which carry a maximum of life in prison, allege that Mangione wanted to “intimidate or coerce a civilian population,” that is, insurance employees and investors. The federal charges allege that Mangione stalked an individual, Thompson, and do not involve terror allegations.Mangione, 27, has pleaded not guilty in both cases. No trial dates have been set.Mangione’s “intentions were obvious from his acts, but his writings serve to make those intentions explicit,” prosecutors said in Wednesday’s filing. The writings, which they sometimes described as a manifesto, “convey one clear message: that the murder of Brian Thompson was intended to bring about revolutionary change to the healthcare industry.”They quoted excerpts in which Mangione discussed options for the attack, such as bombing UnitedHealthcare’s headquarters, before deciding to target the company’s investor conference in Manhattan. He wrote about plans to “wack the CEO at the annual parasitic bean-counter convention” because it was “targeted, precise and doesn’t risk innocents.”UnitedHealthcare, the largest U.S. health insurer, “literally extracts human life force for money,” Mangione wrote, envisioning the news headline, “Insurance CEO killed at annual investors conference.”The company has said he was never a client.Mangione is due back in state court June 26, when Judge Gregory Carro is expected to rule on his request for dismissal.His lawyers asked Tuesday for his handcuffs and bulletproof vest to be removed during the hearing. They called him a “a model prisoner, a model defendant” and said the security measures would suggest to potential jurors that he is dangerous. Carro has not ruled on that.The company has said he was never a client.Mangione is due back in state court June 26, when Judge Gregory Carro is expected to rule on his request for dismissal.His lawyers asked Tuesday for his handcuffs and bulletproof vest to be removed during the hearing. They called him a “a model prisoner, a model defendant” and said the security measures would suggest to potential jurors that he is dangerous. Carro has not ruled on that.Mangione’s next federal court date is Dec. 5, a day after the one-year anniversary of Thompson’s death.Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting Thompson from behind as he arrived for the conference Dec. 4 at the New York Hilton Midtown. Police say “delay,” “deny” and “depose” were scrawled on the ammunition, mimicking a phrase commonly used to describe&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-shooting-delay-deny-defend-depose-ee73ceb19f361835c654f04a3b88c50c">how insurers avoid paying claims</a>.Mangione was arrested Dec. 9 at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, 230 miles (about 370 kilometers) to the west, and he is being held in a federal jail in Brooklyn.Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has called the ambush “a killing that was intended to evoke terror.”U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced in April that she was directing federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for “an act of political violence” and a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.”The killing and ensuing search for Mangione rattled the business community while galvanizing health insurance critics who rallied around him&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-healthcare-ceo-luigi-mangione-josh-shapiro-3a8c64a0bc412e0eeb84bca0c99b6e67">as a stand-in</a>&nbsp;for frustrations over coverage denials and hefty bills. Supporters have flocked to his court appearances and flooded him with mail.Mangione “demonstrated in his manifesto that he was a revolutionary anarchist who would usher in a better healthcare system by killing the CEO” of one of the biggest U.S. companies, prosecutors wrote. “This brutal, cowardly murder was the mechanism that defendant chose to bring on that revolution.”

Suspect in Healthcare CEO killing said he 'had it coming,' according to prosecutors

Two tornadoes occurred in eastern Kansas City, Missouri through Independence, Missouri, on Tuesday, according the National Weather Service office in Kansas City.

 The first tornado is only confirmed via a radar debris signature and video footage and damage is limited, therefore it's EF rating is unknown. The second tornado is rated EF-1 with several damaged trees.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749118184030.png" alt="Image NWS" />
 <figcaption>Image NWS</figcaption>
 </figure>Two tornadoes occurred in eastern Kansas City, Missouri through Independence, Missouri, on Tuesday, according the National Weather Service office in Kansas City.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749118117681.png" alt="Image NWS" />
 <figcaption>Image NWS</figcaption>
 </figure> The first tornado is only confirmed via a radar debris signature and video footage and damage is limited, therefore it's EF rating is unknown. The second tornado is rated EF-1 with several damaged trees.

NWS: Two tornadoes in Kansas City area on Tuesday

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel has recovered the bodies of two Israeli-American hostages taken in Hamas’&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Oct. 7, 2023, attack</a>&nbsp;that ignited the war in the Gaza Strip. Israeli strikes overnight and into Thursday meanwhile killed at least 13 people, including three local journalists, according to health officials in the territory.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the remains of Judih Weinstein and Gad Haggai were recovered and returned to Israel in a special operation by the army and the Shin Bet internal security agency.

“Together with all the citizens of Israel, my wife and I extend our heartfelt condolences to the dear families. Our hearts ache for the most terrible loss. May their memory be blessed,” he said in a statement.

Kibbutz Nir Oz announced the deaths of Weinstein, 70, and Haggai, 72, both of whom had Israeli and U.S. citizenship, in December 2023.

The military said they were killed in the Oct. 7 attack and taken into Gaza by the Mujahideen Brigades, the small armed group that it said had also abducted and killed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-ceasefire-bibas-hostages-funeral-02e50d565e28e82ace012e001e9a4e3e">Shiri Bibas and her two small children</a>. The army said it recovered the remains of Weinstein and Haggai overnight into Thursday from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728311007382.png" alt="Gadi Haggai, 73, was the firs U.S. hostage confirmed killed. -photo Hostage and Missing Families Forum." />
 <figcaption>Gadi Haggai, 73, was the firs U.S. hostage confirmed killed. -photo Hostage and Missing Families Forum.</figcaption>
 </figure>TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel has recovered the bodies of two Israeli-American hostages taken in Hamas’&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Oct. 7, 2023, attack</a>&nbsp;that ignited the war in the Gaza Strip. Israeli strikes overnight and into Thursday meanwhile killed at least 13 people, including three local journalists, according to health officials in the territory.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the remains of Judih Weinstein and Gad Haggai were recovered and returned to Israel in a special operation by the army and the Shin Bet internal security agency.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703800478199.png" alt="Judith Weinstein-Haggai is originally from New York is among the hostages killed. -photo Hostage and Missing Families Forum." />
 <figcaption>Judith Weinstein-Haggai is originally from New York is among the hostages killed. -photo Hostage and Missing Families Forum.</figcaption>
 </figure>“Together with all the citizens of Israel, my wife and I extend our heartfelt condolences to the dear families. Our hearts ache for the most terrible loss. May their memory be blessed,” he said in a statement.Kibbutz Nir Oz announced the deaths of Weinstein, 70, and Haggai, 72, both of whom had Israeli and U.S. citizenship, in December 2023.The military said they were killed in the Oct. 7 attack and taken into Gaza by the Mujahideen Brigades, the small armed group that it said had also abducted and killed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-ceasefire-bibas-hostages-funeral-02e50d565e28e82ace012e001e9a4e3e">Shiri Bibas and her two small children</a>. The army said it recovered the remains of Weinstein and Haggai overnight into Thursday from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.

Israel recovers bodies of 2 Israeli-American hostages from Gaza

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a fatal shooting that occurred early Tuesday morning at a gas station in northeast Wichita have made an arrest. Just after 4p.m. Tuesday,<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/inmatesearch/Details.aspx?Id=757665"> police booked</a> 59-year-old Rhonda Mukes of Wichita on requested charges of 2nd degree murder, according to the Sedgwick County Arrest report.

At 3:13 a.m. Tuesday, officers were dispatched to the Valero gas and convenience store, 2011 E. 21st Street in Wichita, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford. Upon their arrival, they found 33-year-old Darries Mitchell of Wichita suffering from gunshot wounds.&nbsp; EMS transported him to Wesley Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased.

Police will present the case to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1748946944127.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a fatal shooting that occurred early Tuesday morning at a gas station in northeast Wichita have made an arrest. Just after 4p.m. Tuesday,<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/inmatesearch/Details.aspx?Id=757665"> police booked</a> 59-year-old Rhonda Mukes of Wichita on requested charges of 2nd degree murder, according to the Sedgwick County Arrest report.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749043714982.png" alt="Mukes-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Mukes-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>At 3:13 a.m. Tuesday, officers were dispatched to the Valero gas and convenience store, 2011 E. 21st Street in Wichita, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford. Upon their arrival, they found 33-year-old Darries Mitchell of Wichita suffering from gunshot wounds.&nbsp; EMS transported him to Wesley Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased.Police will present the case to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.

Police: Woman jailed for Kansas gas station killing

JOHNSON COUNTY —Police are seeking assistance locating a stolen SUV and the 2 suspects inside it. In the early morning hours of June 2, a silver 2014 Acura RDX was stolen from a residence near 87th Street and Renner in Lenexa, according to a social media report from Lenexa Police.

The vehicle had a Kansas tag of 275-RVB. Street cameras captured the vehicle occupied by 2 suspects near 95th Street and Interstate 35 highway at about <a href="https://x.com/LenexaPolice/status/1930351872369389830?t=150">2:30</a> AM on June 2.


If you have any information about this crime, including the identity of either suspect pictured inside, please call our detective at 913-825-8120 or send us a DM. Thank you for helping us fight crime in Lenexa.

JOHNSON COUNTY —Police are seeking assistance locating a stolen SUV and the 2 suspects inside it. In the early morning hours of June 2, a silver 2014 Acura RDX was stolen from a residence near 87th Street and Renner in Lenexa, according to a social media report from Lenexa Police.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">We are seeking assistance locating this stolen vehicle and the 2 suspects inside it. In the early morning hours of June 2, this silver 2014 Acura RDX was stolen from a residence near 87th Street and Renner. The vehicle had a Kansas tag of 275-RVB. Street cameras captured the… <a href="https://t.co/h2Hoe61881">pic.twitter.com/h2Hoe61881</a>&mdash; Lenexa Police (@LenexaPolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/LenexaPolice/status/1930351872369389830?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The vehicle had a Kansas tag of 275-RVB. Street cameras captured the vehicle occupied by 2 suspects near 95th Street and Interstate 35 highway at about <a href="https://x.com/LenexaPolice/status/1930351872369389830?t=150">2:30</a> AM on June 2.

If you have any information about this crime, including the identity of either suspect pictured inside, please call our detective at 913-825-8120 or send us a DM. Thank you for helping us fight crime in Lenexa.

Police ask for help to locate SUV taken from Kan. home and ID suspects

KANSAS CITY, MO. –&nbsp;Anthony Mansfield, a minimum-custody resident of the Johnson County Department of Corrections (JCDOC) Adult Residential Center (ARC) has been apprehended, according to a media release from the State of Kansas.

Mansfield was taken into custody Wednesday night, June 4, 2025, by U.S. Marshalls in Kansas City, Missouri. He was arrested without incident.

Mansfield was placed on escape status after not returning to the facility Wednesday, May 28, 2025.&nbsp;Mansfield was convicted in Johnson County for eight-months of incarceration for criminal damage to property convictions. He is serving that sentence at the JCDOC-ARC from which he walked away.&nbsp;

No other details on the capture are being released as the investigation is ongoing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748524255503.png" alt="Mansfield photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Mansfield photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, MO. –&nbsp;Anthony Mansfield, a minimum-custody resident of the Johnson County Department of Corrections (JCDOC) Adult Residential Center (ARC) has been apprehended, according to a media release from the State of Kansas.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749118499361.png" alt="Mansfield is now being held in the Jackson Co. Missouri Jail" />
 <figcaption>Mansfield is now being held in the Jackson Co. Missouri Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>Mansfield was taken into custody Wednesday night, June 4, 2025, by U.S. Marshalls in Kansas City, Missouri. He was arrested without incident.Mansfield was placed on escape status after not returning to the facility Wednesday, May 28, 2025.&nbsp;Mansfield was convicted in Johnson County for eight-months of incarceration for criminal damage to property convictions. He is serving that sentence at the JCDOC-ARC from which he walked away.&nbsp;No other details on the capture are being released as the investigation is ongoing.

U.S. Marshals capture Kan. inmate who escaped from work release 

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is resurrecting the travel ban policy from his first term, signing a proclamation Wednesday night preventing people from a dozen countries from entering the United States.

The countries include Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

In addition to the ban, which takes effect at 12:01 a.m. Monday, there will be heightened restrictions on visitors from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.

“I must act to protect the national security and national interest of the United States and its people,” Trump said in his proclamation.

The list results from a Jan. 20 executive order Trump issued requiring the departments of State and Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence to compile a report on “hostile attitudes” toward the U.S. and whether entry from certain countries represented a national security risk.

During his first term, Trump issued&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/464756bcd7d7441da662d47e97bd44c1">an executive order</a>&nbsp;in January 2017 banning travel to the U.S. by citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries — Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.

It was one of the most chaotic and confusing moments of his young presidency. Travelers from those nations were either barred from getting on their flights to the U.S. or detained at U.S. airports after they landed. They included students and faculty as well as businesspeople, tourists and people visiting friends and family.

The order, often referred to as the “Muslim ban” or the “travel ban,” was retooled amid legal challenges, until a version was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3a20abe305bd4c989116f82bf535393b">upheld by the Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;in 2018.

The ban affected various categories of travelers and immigrants from Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Syria and Libya, plus North Koreans and some Venezuelan government officials and their families.

Trump and others have defended the initial ban on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-6e822c892fdd490883adcaf60a1ed647">national security grounds</a>, arguing it was aimed at protecting the country and not founded on anti-Muslim bias. However, the president had called for an explicit ban on Muslims during his first campaign for the White House.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is resurrecting the travel ban policy from his first term, signing a proclamation Wednesday night preventing people from a dozen countries from entering the United States.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">&quot;We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen... That is why today I am signing a new executive order placing travel restrictions on countries including Yemen, Somalia, Haiti, Libya, and numerous others.&quot; –President Trump <a href="https://t.co/ER7nGM4TO2">pic.twitter.com/ER7nGM4TO2</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1930412786271547485?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The countries include Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749083514295.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>In addition to the ban, which takes effect at 12:01 a.m. Monday, there will be heightened restrictions on visitors from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.“I must act to protect the national security and national interest of the United States and its people,” Trump said in his proclamation.The list results from a Jan. 20 executive order Trump issued requiring the departments of State and Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence to compile a report on “hostile attitudes” toward the U.S. and whether entry from certain countries represented a national security risk.During his first term, Trump issued&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/464756bcd7d7441da662d47e97bd44c1">an executive order</a>&nbsp;in January 2017 banning travel to the U.S. by citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries — Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.It was one of the most chaotic and confusing moments of his young presidency. Travelers from those nations were either barred from getting on their flights to the U.S. or detained at U.S. airports after they landed. They included students and faculty as well as businesspeople, tourists and people visiting friends and family.The order, often referred to as the “Muslim ban” or the “travel ban,” was retooled amid legal challenges, until a version was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3a20abe305bd4c989116f82bf535393b">upheld by the Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;in 2018.The ban affected various categories of travelers and immigrants from Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Syria and Libya, plus North Koreans and some Venezuelan government officials and their families.Trump and others have defended the initial ban on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-6e822c892fdd490883adcaf60a1ed647">national security grounds</a>, arguing it was aimed at protecting the country and not founded on anti-Muslim bias. However, the president had called for an explicit ban on Muslims during his first campaign for the White House.

🎥Trump signs bombshell travel ban involving over a dozen countries

JACKSON COUNTY, Kan.—Law enforcement are investigating three suspect on multiple allegations

Just after 5:30p.m May 29, a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a Ford Fusion on 94th Road and Deer Trail Road in rural Jackson County, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

Deputies located items believed to be illegal drug contraband.  Lasha Dupree Williams Sr., 46, of Topeka was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on a requested charge of violation of a protection order, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of THC, possession of drug paraphernalia and operating a motor vehicle without a valid license.

 Abbygail Elizabeth Council, 36, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of THC and possession of drug paraphernalia.

  Jeannette Lea Henry, 27, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of opiate, opium narcotics or certain stimulant, possession of THC and possession of drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748441884812.png" alt="Henry photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Henry photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY, Kan.—Law enforcement are investigating three suspect on multiple allegationsJust after 5:30p.m May 29, a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a Ford Fusion on 94th Road and Deer Trail Road in rural Jackson County, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748441954577.png" alt="Williams photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Williams photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Deputies located items believed to be illegal drug contraband. Lasha Dupree Williams Sr., 46, of Topeka was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on a requested charge of violation of a protection order, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of THC, possession of drug paraphernalia and operating a motor vehicle without a valid license.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748442010043.png" alt="Council photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Council photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure> Abbygail Elizabeth Council, 36, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of THC and possession of drug paraphernalia. Jeannette Lea Henry, 27, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of opiate, opium narcotics or certain stimulant, possession of THC and possession of drug paraphernalia.

3 accused of THC possession after Kansas traffic stop

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin told him “very strongly” in a phone call Wednesday that he will respond to Ukraine’s weekend drone attack on Russian airfields as the deadlock over the war drags on and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-memorandum-talks-instanbul-6014fb7e87c15aa60e30bf72bf6cd2fd">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismisses Russia's ceasefire proposal</a>.

The U.S. president said in a social media post that his lengthy call with Putin "was a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace.”

It's the first time Trump has weighed in on Ukraine's daring attack inside Russia. The U.S. did not have advance notice of the operation, according to the White House, a point Trump emphasized during the call with Putin, according to a Putin’s foreign affairs adviser.

The U.S. has led a recent diplomatic push to stop the full-scale invasion, which began on Feb. 24, 2022.

Trump, in his social media post, did not say how he reacted to Putin's promise to respond to Ukraine's attack, but his post showed none of the frustration that Trump has expressed with his Russian counterpart in recent weeks over his prolonging of the war.

Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, said at a briefing that the two leaders characterized the call as “positive and quite productive,” and reaffirmed their readiness to stay in touch.

“I believe it was useful for Trump to hear our assessments of what happened,” Ushakov said, noting that the discussion of the attacks was one of the key points in the conversation. He didn’t respond to a question about what the Russian response to the attacks could be.

Trump repeatedly promised to end the war quickly, and even said he would accomplish it before he was sworn in. But he lost patience with Putin in recent weeks, publicly pleading with him to stop fighting and even said late last month that the Russian leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-russia-ukraine-vladimir-putin-1f2d99bbc4fa9c4bfcc84b50c94ca578">“has gone absolutely CRAZY</a>."

Trump, however, has not committed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-sanctions-graham-blumenthal-b2b9b69f504b8afd064055bb3bf11800">backing a bipartisan push to sanction Putin.</a>

The call was Trump’s first known talk with Putin since May 19. They also discussed, according to Trump and Ushakov, Iran’s nuclear program and the possibility of Russia engaging in talks with Tehran as the U.S. pushes it to abandon its rapidly advancing nuclear program.

It was not clear if Trump also planned to speak with Zelenskyy. The White House did not respond to a message Wednesday afternoon.

Zelenskyy brushes off Russian plan and pushes for talks

The Ukrainian leader earlier Wednesday dismissed Russia's ceasefire plan as “an ultimatum” and renewed his call for direct talks with Putin to break the stalemate over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">the war</a>, which has dragged on for nearly 3½ years.

Putin, however, showed no willingness to meet with Zelenskyy, expressing anger Wednesday about what he said were Ukraine's recent “terrorist acts” on Russian rail lines in the Kursk and Bryansk regions on the countries' border.

“How can any such (summit) meetings be conducted in such circumstances? What shall we talk about?” Putin asked in a video call with top Russian officials.

Putin accused Ukraine of seeking a truce only to replenish its stockpiles of Western arms, recruit more soldiers and prepare new attacks like those in Kursk and Bryansk.

Putin also spoke Wednesday to Pope Leo XIV, who has promised to make “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-leo-eastern-rite-christians-persecuted-protect-a06c75258299e585c7eb8ea2006dc22f">every effort</a>&nbsp;” to help end the war.

During the call, Leo urged Putin to make a gesture that would promote peace and stressed the importance of dialogue, according to the Vatican.

Russia and Ukraine exchanged memorandums setting out their conditions for a ceasefire for discussion at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-peace-talks-drone-attacks-0c2e0a4aeccd86c3fe18edf5cc73b250">Monday's direct peace talks</a>&nbsp;between delegations in Istanbul, their second meeting in just over two weeks. Zelenskyy had previously&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-ceasefire-2b3d2fad88436c5406ea63f81ac554ef">challenged Putin to meet him</a>&nbsp;in Turkey, but Putin stayed away.

Russia and Ukraine have established red lines that make a quick deal unlikely, despite a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-russia-ukraine-war-633a216d0506c82353fc7745b69c0fe0">U.S.-led international diplomatic push</a>&nbsp;to stop the fighting. The Kremlin's Istanbul proposal contained a list of demands that Kyiv and its Western allies see as nonstarters.

Zelenskyy said that the second round of talks in Istanbul was no different from the first meeting on May 16. Zelenskyy described the latest negotiations in Istanbul as “a political performance” and “artificial diplomacy” designed to stall for time, delay sanctions and convince the United States that Russia is engaged in dialogue.

“The same ultimatums they voiced back then — now they just put them on paper ... Honestly, this document looks like spam. It’s spam meant to flood us and create the impression that they’re doing something,” Zelenskyy said in his first reaction to the Russian document.

The Ukrainian leader said that he sees little value in continuing talks at the current level of delegations. Defense Minister Rustem Umerov led the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul, while Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Putin, headed the Russian team.

Zelenskyy said he wants a ceasefire with Russia before a possible summit meeting with Putin, possibly also including Trump, in an effort to remove obstacles to a peace settlement.

A second round of peace talks on Monday between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul lasted just over an hour and made no progress on ending the war. They agreed only to swap thousands of their dead and seriously wounded troops.

Also, a new prisoner exchange with Russia could take place over the weekend, Zelenskyy said.

In tandem with the talks, both sides have kept up offensive military actions along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line and carried out deep strikes.

Ukraine’s Security Service gave more details Wednesday about its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-drone-attack-bomber-d9078d989efcec36ec65ddfedfd2b3a5">spectacular weekend drone strike</a>&nbsp;on Russian air bases, which it claimed destroyed or damaged 41 Russian aircraft, including strategic bombers.

The agency released more footage showing drones swooping under and over parked aircraft and featuring some planes burning. It also claimed the planes struck included A-50, Tu-95, Tu-22, Tu-160, An-12, and Il-78 aircraft, adding that the drones had highly automated capabilities and were partly piloted by an operator and partly by using artificial intelligence which flew the drone along a planned route in the event it lost signal.

The drones were not fully autonomous and a “human is still choosing what target to hit,” said Caitlin Lee, a drone warfare expert at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rand.org/about.html">RAND</a>, a think thank.

Ukraine’s security agency said it also set off an explosion on Tuesday on the seabed beneath the Kerch Bridge, a vital transport link between Russia and illegally annexed Crimea, claiming it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/ukraine-claims-it-struck-key-bridge-linking-russia-with-crimea-causing-damage-1f55b3ffc93b4d91b27649092ef3b9f1">caused damage to the structure</a>.

But Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that there was no damage.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday that its troops have taken control of another village in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region, on the border with Russia. Putin announced on May 22 that Russian troops aim to create a buffer zone that might help prevent Ukrainian cross-border attacks. Since then, Russia’s Ministry of Defense claims its forces have taken control of nine Sumy villages.

Arhirova reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. Illia Novikov in Kyiv, Chris Megerian in Washington, Emma Burrows in London, Nicole Winfield in Rome and Katie Marie Davies in Manchester, England contributed reporting.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663760963726.jpeg" alt="File image (Russian Presidential Press Service via AP" />
 <figcaption>File image (Russian Presidential Press Service via AP</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin told him “very strongly” in a phone call Wednesday that he will respond to Ukraine’s weekend drone attack on Russian airfields as the deadlock over the war drags on and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-memorandum-talks-instanbul-6014fb7e87c15aa60e30bf72bf6cd2fd">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismisses Russia's ceasefire proposal</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;I just finished speaking, by telephone, with President Vladimir Putin, of Russia. The call lasted approximately one hour and 15 minutes...&quot; - President Donald J. Trump <a href="https://t.co/LUe38UcoHQ">pic.twitter.com/LUe38UcoHQ</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1930306225347977475?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The U.S. president said in a social media post that his lengthy call with Putin "was a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace.”It's the first time Trump has weighed in on Ukraine's daring attack inside Russia. The U.S. did not have advance notice of the operation, according to the White House, a point Trump emphasized during the call with Putin, according to a Putin’s foreign affairs adviser.The U.S. has led a recent diplomatic push to stop the full-scale invasion, which began on Feb. 24, 2022.Trump, in his social media post, did not say how he reacted to Putin's promise to respond to Ukraine's attack, but his post showed none of the frustration that Trump has expressed with his Russian counterpart in recent weeks over his prolonging of the war.Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, said at a briefing that the two leaders characterized the call as “positive and quite productive,” and reaffirmed their readiness to stay in touch.“I believe it was useful for Trump to hear our assessments of what happened,” Ushakov said, noting that the discussion of the attacks was one of the key points in the conversation. He didn’t respond to a question about what the Russian response to the attacks could be.Trump repeatedly promised to end the war quickly, and even said he would accomplish it before he was sworn in. But he lost patience with Putin in recent weeks, publicly pleading with him to stop fighting and even said late last month that the Russian leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-russia-ukraine-vladimir-putin-1f2d99bbc4fa9c4bfcc84b50c94ca578">“has gone absolutely CRAZY</a>."Trump, however, has not committed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-sanctions-graham-blumenthal-b2b9b69f504b8afd064055bb3bf11800">backing a bipartisan push to sanction Putin.</a>The call was Trump’s first known talk with Putin since May 19. They also discussed, according to Trump and Ushakov, Iran’s nuclear program and the possibility of Russia engaging in talks with Tehran as the U.S. pushes it to abandon its rapidly advancing nuclear program.It was not clear if Trump also planned to speak with Zelenskyy. The White House did not respond to a message Wednesday afternoon.<h2>Zelenskyy brushes off Russian plan and pushes for talks</h2>The Ukrainian leader earlier Wednesday dismissed Russia's ceasefire plan as “an ultimatum” and renewed his call for direct talks with Putin to break the stalemate over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">the war</a>, which has dragged on for nearly 3½ years.Putin, however, showed no willingness to meet with Zelenskyy, expressing anger Wednesday about what he said were Ukraine's recent “terrorist acts” on Russian rail lines in the Kursk and Bryansk regions on the countries' border.“How can any such (summit) meetings be conducted in such circumstances? What shall we talk about?” Putin asked in a video call with top Russian officials.Putin accused Ukraine of seeking a truce only to replenish its stockpiles of Western arms, recruit more soldiers and prepare new attacks like those in Kursk and Bryansk.Putin also spoke Wednesday to Pope Leo XIV, who has promised to make “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-leo-eastern-rite-christians-persecuted-protect-a06c75258299e585c7eb8ea2006dc22f">every effort</a>&nbsp;” to help end the war.During the call, Leo urged Putin to make a gesture that would promote peace and stressed the importance of dialogue, according to the Vatican.Russia and Ukraine exchanged memorandums setting out their conditions for a ceasefire for discussion at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-peace-talks-drone-attacks-0c2e0a4aeccd86c3fe18edf5cc73b250">Monday's direct peace talks</a>&nbsp;between delegations in Istanbul, their second meeting in just over two weeks. Zelenskyy had previously&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-ceasefire-2b3d2fad88436c5406ea63f81ac554ef">challenged Putin to meet him</a>&nbsp;in Turkey, but Putin stayed away.Russia and Ukraine have established red lines that make a quick deal unlikely, despite a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-russia-ukraine-war-633a216d0506c82353fc7745b69c0fe0">U.S.-led international diplomatic push</a>&nbsp;to stop the fighting. The Kremlin's Istanbul proposal contained a list of demands that Kyiv and its Western allies see as nonstarters.<h2>‘This document looks like spam’</h2>Zelenskyy said that the second round of talks in Istanbul was no different from the first meeting on May 16. Zelenskyy described the latest negotiations in Istanbul as “a political performance” and “artificial diplomacy” designed to stall for time, delay sanctions and convince the United States that Russia is engaged in dialogue.“The same ultimatums they voiced back then — now they just put them on paper ... Honestly, this document looks like spam. It’s spam meant to flood us and create the impression that they’re doing something,” Zelenskyy said in his first reaction to the Russian document.The Ukrainian leader said that he sees little value in continuing talks at the current level of delegations. Defense Minister Rustem Umerov led the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul, while Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Putin, headed the Russian team.Zelenskyy said he wants a ceasefire with Russia before a possible summit meeting with Putin, possibly also including Trump, in an effort to remove obstacles to a peace settlement.<h2>U.S. defense secretary stays away</h2>A second round of peace talks on Monday between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul lasted just over an hour and made no progress on ending the war. They agreed only to swap thousands of their dead and seriously wounded troops.Also, a new prisoner exchange with Russia could take place over the weekend, Zelenskyy said.In tandem with the talks, both sides have kept up offensive military actions along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line and carried out deep strikes.Ukraine’s Security Service gave more details Wednesday about its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-drone-attack-bomber-d9078d989efcec36ec65ddfedfd2b3a5">spectacular weekend drone strike</a>&nbsp;on Russian air bases, which it claimed destroyed or damaged 41 Russian aircraft, including strategic bombers.The agency released more footage showing drones swooping under and over parked aircraft and featuring some planes burning. It also claimed the planes struck included A-50, Tu-95, Tu-22, Tu-160, An-12, and Il-78 aircraft, adding that the drones had highly automated capabilities and were partly piloted by an operator and partly by using artificial intelligence which flew the drone along a planned route in the event it lost signal.The drones were not fully autonomous and a “human is still choosing what target to hit,” said Caitlin Lee, a drone warfare expert at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rand.org/about.html">RAND</a>, a think thank.Ukraine’s security agency said it also set off an explosion on Tuesday on the seabed beneath the Kerch Bridge, a vital transport link between Russia and illegally annexed Crimea, claiming it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/ukraine-claims-it-struck-key-bridge-linking-russia-with-crimea-causing-damage-1f55b3ffc93b4d91b27649092ef3b9f1">caused damage to the structure</a>.But Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that there was no damage.Russia’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday that its troops have taken control of another village in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region, on the border with Russia. Putin announced on May 22 that Russian troops aim to create a buffer zone that might help prevent Ukrainian cross-border attacks. Since then, Russia’s Ministry of Defense claims its forces have taken control of nine Sumy villages.___Arhirova reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. Illia Novikov in Kyiv, Chris Megerian in Washington, Emma Burrows in London, Nicole Winfield in Rome and Katie Marie Davies in Manchester, England contributed reporting.___

Trump details latest phone call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin

SEDGWICK COUNTY—The Sedgwick County Zoo is celebrating the birth of another elephant.

In the early morning of Tuesday, June,&nbsp; new mother Arusi safely delivered a healthy calf after 651 days of gestation, according to a social media report from the zoo.

Arusi’s calf joins Bomani (born April 10) and Kijani (born April 14). Bomani, along with his mother, Talia, and Simunye, were present for the birth and have been a supportive presence for Arusi. 

Bomani is already excited and curious about his new herdmate. In alignment with breeding recommendations from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums African elephant Species Survival Plan, these additions to the herd are a reflection of the Zoo’s commitment to support the health and sustainability of African elephant populations in North America.

The gender and name of this calf will be revealed on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/today?__cft__[0]=AZUk1i6LM1mJJJwHZ1VebJCPQASYvXET4wc0GHbr8IUXsyjbbW3_B2-niDKgczLnd36TiAw9HaSgoFw7GjnX2mdat3je-zaMa0EtpGZmyr541eplMI19GKAqpPVBd6x7Pi47Ru5noJSfpC7dEk1O5FEbCP6oDlpHP0_p9B18s6lDJz7b7eLgBPz_XDZqhz1rBllxPC273_0w2f5vuYPpbRUd&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Today Show</a> tomorrow at 9:00am CST.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749068637548.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy Sedgwick County Zoo" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Sedgwick County Zoo</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—The Sedgwick County Zoo is celebrating the birth of another elephant.In the early morning of Tuesday, June,&nbsp; new mother Arusi safely delivered a healthy calf after 651 days of gestation, according to a social media report from the zoo.Arusi’s calf joins Bomani (born April 10) and Kijani (born April 14). Bomani, along with his mother, Talia, and Simunye, were present for the birth and have been a supportive presence for Arusi. Bomani is already excited and curious about his new herdmate. In alignment with breeding recommendations from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums African elephant Species Survival Plan, these additions to the herd are a reflection of the Zoo’s commitment to support the health and sustainability of African elephant populations in North America.The gender and name of this calf will be revealed on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/today?__cft__[0]=AZUk1i6LM1mJJJwHZ1VebJCPQASYvXET4wc0GHbr8IUXsyjbbW3_B2-niDKgczLnd36TiAw9HaSgoFw7GjnX2mdat3je-zaMa0EtpGZmyr541eplMI19GKAqpPVBd6x7Pi47Ru5noJSfpC7dEk1O5FEbCP6oDlpHP0_p9B18s6lDJz7b7eLgBPz_XDZqhz1rBllxPC273_0w2f5vuYPpbRUd&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Today Show</a> tomorrow at 9:00am CST.

Kansas zoo welcomes third baby elephant in eight weeks

By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

A Kansas Highway Patrol trooper was arrested in Hays on suspicion of DUI after a minor vehicle crash.

Hays Police Chief Don Scheibler said officers arrested 37-year-old Davis Jay Whisman of Ellis after officers heard a collision at about 12:30 a.m. on May 31 in the 600 block of Park Street.

Scheibler said officers allegedly saw Whisman leave the scene in a white pickup truck with two passengers and located him within the area.

Whisman exited the vehicle and was arrested for alleged DUI and leaving the scene of an accident,&nbsp;Scheibler said. Officers observed the vehicle had damage consistent with a collision, but no injuries were reported, Scheibler said.

Kansas Highway Patrol Public Information Officer April M. McCollum confirmed Whisman's arrest and that he is a probationary employee undergoing field training.

McCollum said Whisman has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcomes of the DUI case and an internal investigation.

Whisman was booked into the Ellis County Jail but has since been released.&nbsp;Scheibler said all parties are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

McCollum said the&nbsp;Kansas Highway Patrol maintains high standards concerning the conduct and&nbsp;integrity of its employees and is dedicated to ensuring accountability and preserving public trust.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749068201139.png" alt="Whisman photo Ellis Co." />
 <figcaption>Whisman photo Ellis Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TONY GUERRERO Hays PostA Kansas Highway Patrol trooper was arrested in Hays on suspicion of DUI after a minor vehicle crash.Hays Police Chief Don Scheibler said officers arrested 37-year-old Davis Jay Whisman of Ellis after officers heard a collision at about 12:30 a.m. on May 31 in the 600 block of Park Street.Scheibler said officers allegedly saw Whisman leave the scene in a white pickup truck with two passengers and located him within the area.Whisman exited the vehicle and was arrested for alleged DUI and leaving the scene of an accident,&nbsp;Scheibler said. Officers observed the vehicle had damage consistent with a collision, but no injuries were reported, Scheibler said.Kansas Highway Patrol Public Information Officer April M. McCollum confirmed Whisman's arrest and that he is a probationary employee undergoing field training.McCollum said Whisman has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcomes of the DUI case and an internal investigation.Whisman was booked into the Ellis County Jail but has since been released.&nbsp;Scheibler said all parties are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.McCollum said the&nbsp;Kansas Highway Patrol maintains high standards concerning the conduct and&nbsp;integrity of its employees and is dedicated to ensuring accountability and preserving public trust.

Kansas Highway Patrol trooper accused of DUI after hit-and-run 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Judge blocks private Kan. prison from housing ICE detainees

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

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

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

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

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

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

The most recent emergency filing arrived May 27.

A judge rebuked the administration over deportations to South Sudan

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

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

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

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

Lawyers for the deported men have until Wednesday to respond.

A watchdog group is trying to bring transparency to DOGE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Guests evacuated after early morning Kansas hotel fire

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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