WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has heard its first set of Trump-related arguments in the second Trump presidency. 

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/public-affairs-event/supreme-court-hears-birthright-citizenship-case/659342">Click here to listen to a replay of the oral argument</a>

The case stems from the executive order President Donald Trump issued on his first day in office that would deny citizenship to children born on U.S. soil to parents who are in the country illegally or temporarily. The executive order marks a major change to the provision of the 14th Amendment that grants citizenship to people born in the United States, with just a couple of exceptions.

On Thursday, the high court heard from three attorneys: Solicitor General D. John Sauer, who represents the Trump administration; New Jersey Solicitor General Jeremy Feigenbaum is arguing against Trump’s order on behalf of several states; and Kelsi Corkran, who is representing pregnant women and immigrant rights groups.

Federal judges have uniformly cast doubt on Trump’s reading of the Citizenship Clause. Three judges have blocked the order from taking effect anywhere in the U.S., including U.S. District Judge John Coughenour. “I’ve been on the bench for over four decades. I can’t remember another case where the question presented was as clear as this one is. This is a blatantly unconstitutional order,” Coughenour said at a hearing in his Seattle courtroom.

The Supreme Court took up emergency appeals filed by the Trump administration asking to be able to enforce the executive order in most of the country, at least while lawsuits over the order proceed. The constitutionality of the order is not before the court just yet. Instead, the justices are looking at potentially limiting the authority of individual judges to issue rulings that apply throughout the United States. These are known as nationwide, or universal, injunctions.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;seemed intent on keeping a block on President Donald Trump’s restrictions on birthright citizenship Thursday while still looking for a way to scale back nationwide court orders. It was not immediately clear what such a decision might look like, but a majority of the court expressed concerns about what would happen if the administration were allowed, even temporarily, to deny citizenship to children born to parents who are in the country illegally.

Democratic attorneys general said Thursday that the case before the court goes beyond birthright citizenship.

“It’s about whether the rule of law and … whether the president can act like a king,” said New Jersey attorney general Matthew Platkin.

He spoke outside the Supreme Court accompanied by other Democratic attorneys general who have filed dozens of lawsuits challenging Trump’s policies in court. The Supreme Court will determine whether the Trump administration can partially enforce the president’s order on birthright citizenship.

The court could also narrow the power of other federal judges to make decisions that affect the entire country and potentially restrain the states’ ability to score victories against the administration court.

Would the Trump administration follow court rulings?

An underlying issue that did seem to be on the minds of several of the justices was judicial authority and whether the Trump administration would follow it. At least six of them questioned Sauer on the authority of the courts, including their own.

Justice Kavanaugh asked directly if the administration would follow an adverse ruling in the case while reading from government court filings on following Supreme Court precedents.

Sauer ran into another moment when he would not commit to respecting the decisions of a circuit court, saying administrations had generally followed rulings. Justice Coney Barrett responded tersely with, “Really?”

After a short rebuttal from Sauer, arguments are now complete after more than two hours. The Supreme Court typically rules in all its argued cases by the end of June and this one shouldn’t be any different. After oral arguments today,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-supreme-court-birthright-citizenship-nationwide-injunctions-2c495cddc1436e21a9fa976d295dc292">it’s not out of the question</a>&nbsp;that the court could make a decision on this quickly, but we can’t know for sure.

Although the Supreme Court case talked of birthright citizenship, a subject that could have huge implications for millions of people, the courtroom was sparse when it came to seeing anyone who might be impacted by the ruling. Most attendees appeared to be lawyers, with a few general visitors.

Despite the seriousness of the subject, the hearing had moments of laughter throughout the courtroom as justices quipped with attorneys or laughed with one another.

At one point, Justice Neil Gorsuch brought laughter when he responded to New Jersey Solicitor General Jeremy Feigenbaum’s offer of an amicus brief with “I need all the amici I can get.” More laughter came when Justice Kagan told U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer, “let’s just assume you’re dead wrong” as she set up a scenario for him to address. Justices Alito and Kagan also shared a private laugh when Alito began to ask a question but changed his mind and leaned back in his chair.

Kagan rolled over and whispered in his ear, and both laughed.

The attorney representing private individuals and immigrants makes their case

After the states finished their case, Kelsi Corkran, the attorney for pregnant women and immigrant-rights groups fighting Trump’s executive order, used her 15 minutes to make her case. Corkran said every judge who has considered the issue has found Trump’s order is “blatantly unlawful” and asked the justices to block the effort to begin enforcing it.

Kavanaugh suggested that people who want to challenge the birthright citizenship order might not need nationwide injunctions.

Instead, they could bind together and file class-action lawsuits. “That seems to solve the issue for preliminary relief,” he said. Corkran pushes back. “That is not actually addressing the court’s emergency docket. It’s just now we’re slapping a label of class certification on it,” she said.

A series of questions from Alito at one point seemed to hint at the many other cases the Trump administration is now appealing to the Supreme Court on an emergency basis. Lower-court judges can be “vulnerable to an occupational disease,” of believing they can do whatever they want, he said.

Even if their decisions are wrong, he said, appeals courts can be reluctant to act quickly to block them. He seemed to suggest that includes his own colleagues on the Supreme Court.

“How do we deal with that practical problem?” he said.

Corkran argues it wouldn’t. The government hasn’t said how they would enforce the order against everyone except the handful of people who sued, much less how they would filter out parents who are part of the groups that have sued, she argued.

Even if there were a way, it would likely mean the government would be able to identify the women as non-citizens. That would put many at risk for potential deportation, she said.

Trump's Solicitor General wraps up his opening and his challenger steps up

Justice Kavanaugh pressed Sauer with a series of questions about exactly how the federal government might enforce Trump’s order.

“What do hospitals do with a newborn? What do states do with a newborn?” he said. Sauer said they wouldn’t necessarily do anything different, but the government might figure out ways to reject documentation with “the wrong designation of citizenship.”

Kavanaugh continued to press for clearer answers, pointing out that the executive order only gave the government about 30 days to develop a policy. “You think they can get it together in time?” he said.

Justice Brown Jackson appeared deeply skeptical of Sauer's argument.

“Your argument seems to turn our justice system, in my view at least, into a catch me if you can kind of regime … where everybody has to have a lawyer and file a lawsuit in order for the government to stop violating people’s rights,” she said to Sauer.

New Jersey Solicitor General Jeremy Feigenbaum stepped up to make his case after justices peppered Sauer with questions. He is arguing on behalf of the states that say they’ll lose millions of dollars in benefits available to U.S. children and also have to overhaul identification systems. Feigenbaum asserted in his opening that the “post-Civil War nation wrote into our Constitution that citizens of the United States and of the States would be one and the same without variation across state lines.”

Feigenbaum told the justices that judges should be able to issue orders that affect the whole country, but only in narrow circumstances. Roberts jumps on that last point, asking him to elaborate on why they should only be used sparingly — a question that could be a clue as to how the chief justice is thinking about the issue.

Justices try to pin down Solicitor Sauer's argument

Justice Kagan cut to the heart of the case by asking Sauer that, if the court concludes Trump’s order is illegal, how the nation’s highest court could strike down the measure under the administration’s theory of courts’ limited power.

“Does every single person who is affected by this EO have to bring their own suit?” Kagan asked. “How long does it take?”

Sauer tried to answer, but several of Kagan’s colleagues, along with the justice, jumped in to say they didn’t hear a clear way the court could swiftly ensure the government could not take unconstitutional action. Roberts tried to help by jumping in to note the high court has moved fast in the past, concluding the TikTok case in one month.

“General Sauer, are you really going to answer Kagan by saying there is no way to do this expeditiously?” Coney Barrett asks Sauer.

She pressed Sauer to say whether a class-action lawsuit could be another way for judges to issue a court order that could affect more people. He said the administration would likely push back on efforts of people to bind together for a class-action lawsuit, but that it would be another way for cases to move forward.

Justice Alito pointed out that multiple states have also sued over the birthright citizenship order and won broader victories. The Trump administration is also arguing that states shouldn’t have been able to do that, but Sauer sticks to his point about the nationwide injunctions, saying they yield “all these sort of pathologies.”

Sotomayor returned how Trump’s order could affect people, saying it for some babies it could “render them stateless.”

Justices pepper Trump's Solicitor General with questions in oral arguments

Arguing first is D. John Sauer, the solicitor general and the government’s top attorney before the Supreme Court. Sauer also served as a personal lawyer for Trump as he fought election interference charges filed in 2023. Before that, Sauer served as Missouri’s solicitor general and a clerk to the late Justice Antonin Scalia.

Sauer began by taking aim at decisions from lower courts that apply nationwide. He argued that they go beyond the courts’ authority and allow people who want to file lawsuits to go “judge shopping” for those they expect to agree. The decisions are often rushed, he said.

“This is a bipartisan problem that has now spanned the last five presidential administration,” he said.

Nationwide injunctions have become especially frustrating for the Trump administration, as opponents of the president’s policies file hundreds of lawsuits challenging his flurry of executive orders.

After a series of questions from Justices Brown Jackson and Coney Barrett about the possible implications of nationwide court orders more generally, Justice Gorsuch raised another question about birthright citizenship in particular: “What do you say to the suggestion in this case those patchwork problems for the government as well as for the plaintiffs justify broader relief?”

Sauer responded that it is a problem for the executive branch to deal with.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is hearing its first set of Trump-related arguments in the second Trump presidency. The case stems from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-birthright-citizenship-native-chinese-executive-order-c163bbadd20609bd09fd5c5bccc6ba8d">the executive order</a>&nbsp;President Donald Trump issued on his first day in office that would deny citizenship to children born on U.S. soil to parents who are in the country illegally or temporarily. The executive order marks a major change to the provision of the 14th Amendment that grants citizenship to people born in the United States, with just a couple of exceptions.

Immigrants, rights groups and states sued&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-supreme-court-birthright-citizenship-nationwide-injunctions-2c495cddc1436e21a9fa976d295dc292">almost immediately</a>&nbsp;to challenge the executive order. Federal judges have uniformly cast doubt on Trump’s reading of the Citizenship Clause. Three judges have blocked the order from taking effect anywhere in the U.S., including U.S. District Judge John Coughenour. “I’ve been on the bench for over four decades. I can’t remember another case where the question presented was as clear as this one is. This is a blatantly unconstitutional order,” Coughenour said at a hearing in his Seattle courtroom.

The Supreme Court is taking up emergency appeals filed by the Trump administration asking to be able to enforce the executive order in most of the country, at least while lawsuits over the order proceed. The constitutionality of the order is not before the court just yet. Instead, the justices are looking at potentially limiting the authority of individual judges to issue rulings that apply throughout the United States. These are known as nationwide, or universal, injunctions.

The court issued an opinion unrelated to birthright citizenship

The Supreme Court has revived&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-police-shooting-texas-a1036463bb2aec96aa3f0a606849a3a9">a civil rights lawsuit against a Texas police officer</a>&nbsp;who fatally shot a man during a traffic stop over unpaid tolls. The justices Thursday ordered the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to take a new look at the case of Ashtian Barnes, who died in his rental car in 2016 on the shoulder of the Sam Houston Tollway. Barnes was shot by Officer Roberto Felix Jr., who jumped on the sill of the driver’s door of Barnes’ car as it began to pull away from the stop. Felix’s lawyers say he fired twice in two seconds because he “reasonably feared for his life.”

Trump presses for restrictions ahead of arguments

President Donald Trump is weighing in ahead of arguments in the birthright citizenship case today.

Trump says in an online post that granting citizenship to people born here, long seen as a constitutional promise, makes the country look “STUPID” and like “SUCKERS.” He incorrectly asserted the U.S. is the only country in the world with birthright citizenship. While not every country grants it, about 30 other countries do, including Canada.

His executive order at the heart of today’s case aims to end birthright citizenship for children born to people in the U.S. illegally, something many legal scholars say would require amending the Constitution.

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;is hearing arguments Thursday in its first case stemming from the blitz of actions that have marked the start of President Donald Trump's second term.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/live.aspx">Click here to listen to the oral argumen</a>t that begins just after 9a.m. CDT

Before the court are the Trump administration's emergency appeals of lower court orders putting nationwide holds on the Republican president's push to deny citizenship to children born to people who are in the United States illegally.

Birthright citizenship is among several issues, many related to immigration, that the administration has asked the court to address on an emergency basis, after lower courts acted to slow the president's agenda.

The justices are also considering the administration's pleas to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigration-parole-supreme-court-6282e48ef9bf41bd5c77e8e2b0642e89">end humanitarian parole</a>&nbsp;for more than 500,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela and to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-immigrants-deportation-protection-80f61585197eaff8b254c9b621976780">strip other temporary legal protections</a>&nbsp;from another 350,000 Venezuelans. The administration remains&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-4-7-2025">locked in legal battles</a>&nbsp;over its efforts to swiftly deport people accused of being gang members to a prison in El Salvador under an 18th century wartime law called the Alien Enemies Act.

In Thursday's arguments, the justices will be weighing whether judges have the authority to issue what are called nationwide, or universal, injunctions. The Trump administration, like the Biden administration before it, has complained that judges are overreaching by issuing orders that apply to everyone instead of just the parties before the court.

Yet in discussing the limits of a judge's power, the court almost certainly will have to take up the change to citizenship that Trump wants to make, which would upset the settled understanding of birthright citizenship that has existed for more than 125 years.

🎧 Supreme Court debates Trump's efforts to limit birthright citizenship

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

Legal action follows attorney general’s suit against online porn company

TOPEKA — A bundle of federal lawsuits in Kansas have been filed on behalf of a 14-year-old Olathe resident alleging owners of online businesses violated a state law mandating steps be taken to prevent minors from accessing pornography lacking scientific, artistic or political value.

The law center of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, a conservative anti-pornography organization in Washington, D.C., collaborated with a Hutchinson law firm to file suit on behalf of minor Q.R. and his mother Jane Doe against jerkmate.com, Techpump Solutions’ superporn.com, Titan Websites and chaturbate.com.

In each instance, the lawsuits allege, a company failed to comply with a state law that took effect July 1, 2024, requiring deployment of age verification systems on pornography websites to block consumers under the age of 18.

The court documents asserted Q.R. used one of his mother’s old laptops to access internet pornography from the four companies more than 170 times from August to October 2024.

“Kansas law requires&nbsp;pornography&nbsp;companies to implement reasonable age verification methods, and the companies named in these lawsuits failed to do so,” said Dani Pinter, director of the legal division of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation.

In January, Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/14/kobach-files-lawsuit-against-online-company-for-failing-to-shield-minors-from-pornography/">Attorney General Kris Kobach filed a similar lawsuit</a>&nbsp;in Shawnee County District Court against Seattle-based SARJ LLC, which distributed pornography on more than a dozen websites and was purportedly owned by individuals who controlled jerkmate.com.

Kobach asserted in the state court filing that SARJ didn’t make use of age-gating technology that would “protect Kansas children from the negative health consequences that stem from unfettered access to pornography.”

The federal lawsuits filed by Joshua Ruhlmann, a Hutchinson attorney, claimed the website content accessed by Q.R. was harmful because it had a tendency to appeal to a minor’s prurient interest in sex, was offensive to prevailing standards with respect to what was suitable for minors and lacked serious literary, scientific, educational, artistic or political value for a viewer under age 18.

Specifically, one of the federal lawsuits alleged at least one-fourth of jerkmate.com’s webpages viewed during a calendar month included “material containing nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement and/or sadomasochistic abuse.”

That court filing said minors who visited the website were asked to click an “I AGREE” button, which ostensibly verified the user was over the age of 18. That site warned users the company’s content was restricted to consumers reached the age majority in the jurisdiction in which they resided.

“Despite expressly aiming their websites at Kansas citizens, defendants have failed to ensure that jerkmate.com and/or jerkmatelive.com comply with Kansas law which requires pornographic websites to employ age verification measures,” the suit said.

The National Center on Sexual Exploitation, previously known as Morality in Media, has lobbied against sex trafficking, same-sex marriage, decriminalization of sex work, comprehensive sex education and works of art that could be viewed as obscene.

Pinter said the family serving as plaintiffs in the organization’s lawsuits in U.S. District Court in Kansas “deserves every measure of justice.”

“It is unreasonably dangerous for these&nbsp;pornography&nbsp;websites to provide this product which they know is harmful to children, that children are drawn to access, and do access, without employing age verification as required by Kansas law,” she said.

In April 2024, Gov. Laura Kelly allowed the age-verification bill to become law without her signature. It was approved unanimously in the Senate and 92-31 by the House. Kelly said the pornography statute could “end up infringing on constitutional rights” of Kansans and inspire lawsuits against the state.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747313836715.png" alt=" Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach filed a lawsuit earlier this year against an internet pornography company that failed to adhere to a state law requiring deployment of age-verification systems to prevent anyone younger than 18 to access content. An anti-pornography organization in Washington, D.C., more recently filed four federal lawsuits in Kansas comparable to action taken by the state attorney general. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach filed a lawsuit earlier this year against an internet pornography company that failed to adhere to a state law requiring deployment of age-verification systems to prevent anyone younger than 18 to access content. An anti-pornography organization in Washington, D.C., more recently filed four federal lawsuits in Kansas comparable to action taken by the state attorney general. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a><h2>Legal action follows attorney general’s suit against online porn company</h2>TOPEKA — A bundle of federal lawsuits in Kansas have been filed on behalf of a 14-year-old Olathe resident alleging owners of online businesses violated a state law mandating steps be taken to prevent minors from accessing pornography lacking scientific, artistic or political value.The law center of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, a conservative anti-pornography organization in Washington, D.C., collaborated with a Hutchinson law firm to file suit on behalf of minor Q.R. and his mother Jane Doe against jerkmate.com, Techpump Solutions’ superporn.com, Titan Websites and chaturbate.com.In each instance, the lawsuits allege, a company failed to comply with a state law that took effect July 1, 2024, requiring deployment of age verification systems on pornography websites to block consumers under the age of 18.The court documents asserted Q.R. used one of his mother’s old laptops to access internet pornography from the four companies more than 170 times from August to October 2024.“Kansas law requires&nbsp;pornography&nbsp;companies to implement reasonable age verification methods, and the companies named in these lawsuits failed to do so,” said Dani Pinter, director of the legal division of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation.In January, Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/14/kobach-files-lawsuit-against-online-company-for-failing-to-shield-minors-from-pornography/">Attorney General Kris Kobach filed a similar lawsuit</a>&nbsp;in Shawnee County District Court against Seattle-based SARJ LLC, which distributed pornography on more than a dozen websites and was purportedly owned by individuals who controlled jerkmate.com.Kobach asserted in the state court filing that SARJ didn’t make use of age-gating technology that would “protect Kansas children from the negative health consequences that stem from unfettered access to pornography.”The federal lawsuits filed by Joshua Ruhlmann, a Hutchinson attorney, claimed the website content accessed by Q.R. was harmful because it had a tendency to appeal to a minor’s prurient interest in sex, was offensive to prevailing standards with respect to what was suitable for minors and lacked serious literary, scientific, educational, artistic or political value for a viewer under age 18.Specifically, one of the federal lawsuits alleged at least one-fourth of jerkmate.com’s webpages viewed during a calendar month included “material containing nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement and/or sadomasochistic abuse.”That court filing said minors who visited the website were asked to click an “I AGREE” button, which ostensibly verified the user was over the age of 18. That site warned users the company’s content was restricted to consumers reached the age majority in the jurisdiction in which they resided.“Despite expressly aiming their websites at Kansas citizens, defendants have failed to ensure that jerkmate.com and/or jerkmatelive.com comply with Kansas law which requires pornographic websites to employ age verification measures,” the suit said.The National Center on Sexual Exploitation, previously known as Morality in Media, has lobbied against sex trafficking, same-sex marriage, decriminalization of sex work, comprehensive sex education and works of art that could be viewed as obscene.Pinter said the family serving as plaintiffs in the organization’s lawsuits in U.S. District Court in Kansas “deserves every measure of justice.”“It is unreasonably dangerous for these&nbsp;pornography&nbsp;websites to provide this product which they know is harmful to children, that children are drawn to access, and do access, without employing age verification as required by Kansas law,” she said.In April 2024, Gov. Laura Kelly allowed the age-verification bill to become law without her signature. It was approved unanimously in the Senate and 92-31 by the House. Kelly said the pornography statute could “end up infringing on constitutional rights” of Kansans and inspire lawsuits against the state.

Anti-porn center files 4 Kan. lawsuits alleging violation of state’s age-verification law

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin didn’t show up in Turkey on Thursday for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-ceasefire-2b3d2fad88436c5406ea63f81ac554ef">proposed direct peace talks</a>&nbsp;with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was waiting for him in the capital of Ankara after challenging the Kremlin leader to face-to-face discussions on ending their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">3-year-old war</a>.

With Putin absent, the Russian delegation was in Istanbul and it wasn’t clear whether the sides would meet for their first such talks since March 2022, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor the previous month.

Zelenskyy said the Russian delegation appeared to be merely “decorative.” Speaking at the airport in Ankara, he said the next steps for talks would be decided after his upcoming meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who welcomed Zelenskyy with an honor guard at the presidential palace in Ankara.

Putin’s absence punctured hopes of a breakthrough in peace efforts that were given a push in recent months by the Trump administration and Western European leaders. It also raised the prospect of intensified international sanctions on Russia that have been threatened by the West.

“Now, after three years of immense suffering, there is finally a window of opportunity,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said at a NATO meeting taking place separately in Turkey. “The talks ... hopefully may open a new chapter.”

The war has killed tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides and more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, according to the U.N., and continues along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line. Russian forces are preparing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-spring-fighting-offensive-ceasefire-talks-49ee814cc4a8416c444ab7deae42488c">a fresh military offensive</a>, Ukrainian government and Western military analysts say.

The diplomatic maneuvering began over the weekend when European leaders met Zelenskyy in Kyiv and urged the Kremlin to agree to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-peace-talks-diplomacy-ceasefire-negotiations-adc1034f0eed21efcdbb35c9a68bde6c">full, unconditional 30-day ceasefire</a>&nbsp;as a first step toward peace. Putin later responded by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-fbd6aa9ddb147fa1b789c30dcf44dab3">proposing direct talks</a>&nbsp;with Ukraine in Istanbul. Then came Zelenskyy's challenge to Putin to hold face-to-face talks.

After days of silence, the Kremlin finally responded Thursday, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying Putin has no plans to travel to Istanbul in the next few days.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-qatar-syria-aludeid-air-base-9c868799582685b3a115c6f0c243d606">U.S. President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;said he was not surprised that Putin was a no-show. Trump had pressed for Putin and Zelenskyy to meet but brushed off Putin’s apparent decision not to attend.

“I didn’t think it was possible for Putin to go if I’m not there,” Trump told reporters as he took part in a business roundtable with executives in Doha, Qatar, on the third day of his visit to the Middle East.

Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Putin, is leading the Russian team that will also include three other senior officials, the Kremlin said. Putin also appointed four lower-level officials as “experts” for the talks in Istanbul.

Also absent from the talks were Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin’s foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov, both of whom represented Russia at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-ceasefire-talks-saudi-arabia-02cd8e100113bc9e80c7a737bf01c796">talks with the U.S. in Saudi Arabia</a>&nbsp;in March.

The top-level Ukrainian delegation included Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, and the head of the Ukrainian presidential office Andriy Yermak, a Ukrainian official said. Zelenskyy will sit at the negotiating table only with Putin, said presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak.

Details about whether, when and where the Ukrainian delegation might meet their Russian counterparts were unclear. Russia said the talks have been postponed until the afternoon “at the initiative of the Turkish side”

Tass said the talks were to take place in a presidential office on the Bosporus, in Istanbul.

Putin met Wednesday evening with senior government officials and members of the delegation in preparation for the talks, Peskov said. Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, General Staff chief Valery Gerasimov, and National Security Council secretary Sergei Shoigu also attended.

The Kremlin billed Thursday’s talks as a “restart” of peace negotiations that were held in Istanbul in 2022 but quickly fell apart. Moscow accused Ukraine and the West of wanting to continue fighting, while Kyiv said Russia’s demands amounted to an ultimatum rather than something both sides could agree on.

Russia's delegation then was also headed by Medinsky.

Putin's proposal came after more than three months of diplomacy kickstarted by Trump, who promised during his campaign to end the devastating war swiftly —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-russia-ukraine-war-633a216d0506c82353fc7745b69c0fe0">though it's been hard to pull off</a>. The Trump administration in recent weeks indicated that it might walk away from the peace effort if there was no tangible progress soon.

Sybiha, the Ukrainian foreign minister, met with U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio and Sen. Lindsey Graham on Wednesday night in the Turkish city of Antalya, which is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-rubio-trump-russia-ukraine-turkey-5c8b5ac67a05690635cab5e793a5e97d">hosting NATO foreign ministers</a>&nbsp;to discuss new defense investment goals as the U.S. shifts its focus to security challenges away from Europe.

Sybiha reaffirmed Ukraine’s support for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-trump-war-negotiations-a605f8b9ca0e0e9b00e2fddf8219d065">Trump’s mediation efforts</a>&nbsp;and thanked the U.S. for its continued involvement, urging Moscow to “reciprocate Ukraine’s constructive steps” toward peace. "So far, it has not,” Sybiha said.

On Thursday morning, Sybiha also met with other European foreign ministers, including his French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot, who in a post on X reiterated the call for a ceasefire and the threat of “massive sanctions” if Russia doesn't comply.

“We’re in a very difficult spot right now, and we hope that we can find the steps forward that provide for the end of this war in a negotiated way and the prevention of any war in the future," Rubio said Thursday.

Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, also in Antalya for the NATO talks, accused Moscow of not being willing to to engage in a serious peace process.

“We have one chair empty, which is the chair of Vladimir Putin. So now I guess the entire world has realized that there’s only one party not willing to engage in serious peace negotiations, and that certainly is Russia," Valtonen said.

Barrot echoed her sentiment: “In front of Ukrainians there is an empty chair, one that should have been occupied by Vladimir Putin,” he said. “Vladimir Putin is dragging his feet and in all evidence does not want to enter into these peace discussions.”

Associated Press writers Lorne Cook in Brussels; Illia Novikov and Samya Kullab in Kyiv, Ukraine; Dasha Litvinova in Tallinn, Estonia; and Matthew Lee in Antalya, Turkey, contributed.

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin didn’t show up in Turkey on Thursday for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-ceasefire-2b3d2fad88436c5406ea63f81ac554ef">proposed direct peace talks</a>&nbsp;with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was waiting for him in the capital of Ankara after challenging the Kremlin leader to face-to-face discussions on ending their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">3-year-old war</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Arrived in Türkiye to encourage <a href="https://twitter.com/NATO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NATO</a> Allies to increase defense spending to 5% of their GDP. It’s time to align our words with action. Thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> we’ve seen progress, but all Allies need to step up. <a href="https://t.co/uFosNhBCjs">pic.twitter.com/uFosNhBCjs</a>&mdash; Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio/status/1922864848322392169?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>With Putin absent, the Russian delegation was in Istanbul and it wasn’t clear whether the sides would meet for their first such talks since March 2022, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor the previous month.Zelenskyy said the Russian delegation appeared to be merely “decorative.” Speaking at the airport in Ankara, he said the next steps for talks would be decided after his upcoming meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who welcomed Zelenskyy with an honor guard at the presidential palace in Ankara.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">First and foremost, I want to thank President <a href="https://twitter.com/RTErdogan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RTErdogan</a> for organizing the opportunity for direct negotiations – that was exactly the signal we had received. The Ukrainian side confirmed its readiness, and today, we are here in the capital, in Ankara. Ukraine is represented by… <a href="https://t.co/P0uFaOSlhj">pic.twitter.com/P0uFaOSlhj</a>&mdash; Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1922959262956855362?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Putin’s absence punctured hopes of a breakthrough in peace efforts that were given a push in recent months by the Trump administration and Western European leaders. It also raised the prospect of intensified international sanctions on Russia that have been threatened by the West.“Now, after three years of immense suffering, there is finally a window of opportunity,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said at a NATO meeting taking place separately in Turkey. “The talks ... hopefully may open a new chapter.”The war has killed tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides and more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, according to the U.N., and continues along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line. Russian forces are preparing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-spring-fighting-offensive-ceasefire-talks-49ee814cc4a8416c444ab7deae42488c">a fresh military offensive</a>, Ukrainian government and Western military analysts say.<h2>A weekend of diplomatic maneuvering</h2>The diplomatic maneuvering began over the weekend when European leaders met Zelenskyy in Kyiv and urged the Kremlin to agree to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-peace-talks-diplomacy-ceasefire-negotiations-adc1034f0eed21efcdbb35c9a68bde6c">full, unconditional 30-day ceasefire</a>&nbsp;as a first step toward peace. Putin later responded by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-fbd6aa9ddb147fa1b789c30dcf44dab3">proposing direct talks</a>&nbsp;with Ukraine in Istanbul. Then came Zelenskyy's challenge to Putin to hold face-to-face talks.After days of silence, the Kremlin finally responded Thursday, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying Putin has no plans to travel to Istanbul in the next few days.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-qatar-syria-aludeid-air-base-9c868799582685b3a115c6f0c243d606">U.S. President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;said he was not surprised that Putin was a no-show. Trump had pressed for Putin and Zelenskyy to meet but brushed off Putin’s apparent decision not to attend.“I didn’t think it was possible for Putin to go if I’m not there,” Trump told reporters as he took part in a business roundtable with executives in Doha, Qatar, on the third day of his visit to the Middle East.Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Putin, is leading the Russian team that will also include three other senior officials, the Kremlin said. Putin also appointed four lower-level officials as “experts” for the talks in Istanbul.Also absent from the talks were Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin’s foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov, both of whom represented Russia at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-ceasefire-talks-saudi-arabia-02cd8e100113bc9e80c7a737bf01c796">talks with the U.S. in Saudi Arabia</a>&nbsp;in March.The top-level Ukrainian delegation included Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, and the head of the Ukrainian presidential office Andriy Yermak, a Ukrainian official said. Zelenskyy will sit at the negotiating table only with Putin, said presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak.Details about whether, when and where the Ukrainian delegation might meet their Russian counterparts were unclear. Russia said the talks have been postponed until the afternoon “at the initiative of the Turkish side”Tass said the talks were to take place in a presidential office on the Bosporus, in Istanbul.Putin met Wednesday evening with senior government officials and members of the delegation in preparation for the talks, Peskov said. Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, General Staff chief Valery Gerasimov, and National Security Council secretary Sergei Shoigu also attended.<h2>Russia calls the talks a ‘restart’</h2>The Kremlin billed Thursday’s talks as a “restart” of peace negotiations that were held in Istanbul in 2022 but quickly fell apart. Moscow accused Ukraine and the West of wanting to continue fighting, while Kyiv said Russia’s demands amounted to an ultimatum rather than something both sides could agree on.Russia's delegation then was also headed by Medinsky.Putin's proposal came after more than three months of diplomacy kickstarted by Trump, who promised during his campaign to end the devastating war swiftly —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-russia-ukraine-war-633a216d0506c82353fc7745b69c0fe0">though it's been hard to pull off</a>. The Trump administration in recent weeks indicated that it might walk away from the peace effort if there was no tangible progress soon.Sybiha, the Ukrainian foreign minister, met with U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio and Sen. Lindsey Graham on Wednesday night in the Turkish city of Antalya, which is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-rubio-trump-russia-ukraine-turkey-5c8b5ac67a05690635cab5e793a5e97d">hosting NATO foreign ministers</a>&nbsp;to discuss new defense investment goals as the U.S. shifts its focus to security challenges away from Europe.Sybiha reaffirmed Ukraine’s support for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-trump-war-negotiations-a605f8b9ca0e0e9b00e2fddf8219d065">Trump’s mediation efforts</a>&nbsp;and thanked the U.S. for its continued involvement, urging Moscow to “reciprocate Ukraine’s constructive steps” toward peace. "So far, it has not,” Sybiha said.On Thursday morning, Sybiha also met with other European foreign ministers, including his French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot, who in a post on X reiterated the call for a ceasefire and the threat of “massive sanctions” if Russia doesn't comply.“We’re in a very difficult spot right now, and we hope that we can find the steps forward that provide for the end of this war in a negotiated way and the prevention of any war in the future," Rubio said Thursday.Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, also in Antalya for the NATO talks, accused Moscow of not being willing to to engage in a serious peace process.“We have one chair empty, which is the chair of Vladimir Putin. So now I guess the entire world has realized that there’s only one party not willing to engage in serious peace negotiations, and that certainly is Russia," Valtonen said.Barrot echoed her sentiment: “In front of Ukrainians there is an empty chair, one that should have been occupied by Vladimir Putin,” he said. “Vladimir Putin is dragging his feet and in all evidence does not want to enter into these peace discussions.”—-Associated Press writers Lorne Cook in Brussels; Illia Novikov and Samya Kullab in Kyiv, Ukraine; Dasha Litvinova in Tallinn, Estonia; and Matthew Lee in Antalya, Turkey, contributed.

Russian President Putin skips Ukraine peace talks in Turkey

PAWNEE COUNTY– Dustin Barnes, 48 of Larned, appeared Tuesday morning in the custody of the Pawnee County Sheriff for First Appearances on a two count Felony Criminal Complaint.

Barnes is charged with Battery of a Law Enforcement Officer resulting in bodily harm and Interference with Law Enforcement; Resisting Felony Arrest, according to Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.

The charges stem from an incident that occurred east of the Edwards Park Public Golf Course the morning&nbsp; May 12, 2025. The Larned Police Department had stopped Barnes who was on foot at the time in an attempt to provide a “No Trespass Advisory” that had been requested by a local citizen due to an alleged incident at a private residence earlier that morning. Barnes allegedly became combative and tasers had to be deployed multiple times. An officer was treated at the scene for minor injuries.

Barnes faces a Preliminary Hearing on May 27, 2025. He remains in the custody of the Pawnee County Sheriff with bond set at $20,000, according to McNett.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747164341960.png" alt="Barnes photo Pawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Barnes photo Pawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>PAWNEE COUNTY– Dustin Barnes, 48 of Larned, appeared Tuesday morning in the custody of the Pawnee County Sheriff for First Appearances on a two count Felony Criminal Complaint.Barnes is charged with Battery of a Law Enforcement Officer resulting in bodily harm and Interference with Law Enforcement; Resisting Felony Arrest, according to Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.The charges stem from an incident that occurred east of the Edwards Park Public Golf Course the morning&nbsp; May 12, 2025. The Larned Police Department had stopped Barnes who was on foot at the time in an attempt to provide a “No Trespass Advisory” that had been requested by a local citizen due to an alleged incident at a private residence earlier that morning. Barnes allegedly became combative and tasers had to be deployed multiple times. An officer was treated at the scene for minor injuries.Barnes faces a Preliminary Hearing on May 27, 2025. He remains in the custody of the Pawnee County Sheriff with bond set at $20,000, according to McNett.

Kan. man tased multiple times during altercation that injured officer

President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;on Thursday visited a U.S. base installation at the center of American involvement in the Middle East as he uses his four-day visit to Gulf states to reject the “interventionism” of America’s past in the region.

In other parts of the Middle East violence flared in the West Bank, and a hospital in southern Gaza said 54 people have been killed in overnight airstrikes on the city of Khan Younis.

Trump spoke of American military strength as he addressed troops at Qatar’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-world-cup-sports-soccer-united-states-9beb3f93a06ec0c91a5170bfa9f0218b">al-Udeid Air Base</a>, which was a major staging ground during the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It also supported the recent U.S. air campaign against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis, though the strikes themselves came from two aircraft carriers in the region.

The president has held up Gulf nations like Saudi Arabia and Qatar as models for economic development in a region plagued by conflict as he works to entice Iran to come to terms with his administration on a deal to curb its nuclear program.

The President also meets business leaders in Qatar and heads to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

Standing in front of U.S. troops at the Qatari airbase, President Donald Trump said “we let a lot of four stars go,” touting his administration’s effort to thin the military’s top ranks.

There’s long been friction between Trump and some top generals, and he’s been more emboldened to remake the command structure in his second term.

He described some military leaders as “frickin’ losers” as he addressed the rank-and-file.

The president danced for a moment to the Village People’s “YMCA" as he wrapped up his speech.

Trump speaks of ‘overwhelming’ American military power

President Donald Trump is speaking to troops at the Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

He started his speech thanking troops and discussing his Mideast trip so far, then spoke about America’s military power.

“As president, my priority is to end conflicts, not start them, but I will never hesitate to wield American power if it’s necessary to defend the United States of America or our partners,” Trump said. “And this is one of our great partners right here” in Qatar.

He added: “When we’re threatened, America’s military will answer our enemies without even thinking about it. We have overwhelming strength and devastating force.”

Hegseth says the U.S. is restoring ‘warrior ethos’

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asserted that “wokeness and weakness” allowed the wars in the world.

“We’re restoring the warrior ethos. No more political correctness,” he told U.S. troops at Al-Udeid Air Base, before President Donald Trump addresses them.

“Sadly, over the last four years, we saw a collapse in Afghanistan. And what happened on October 7th, the war in Ukraine, violence unleashed by wokeness and weakness.”

Trump then took the stage as Lee Greenwood sang his signature song, “Proud to be an American.”

President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;on Thursday visited a U.S. base installation at the center of American involvement in the Middle East as he uses his four-day visit to Gulf states to reject the “interventionism” of America’s past in the region.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> arrives at Al Udeid Air Force Base to speak to U.S. and Qatari Troops! 🇺🇸🇶🇦 <a href="https://t.co/G6P9IeNdIW">pic.twitter.com/G6P9IeNdIW</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1922956624743760238?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;The American People never forget that our servicemembers and their families make incredible sacrifices each and every day, so that all Americans can be safe and be free. We love our amazing Military Families.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/SzJUfpvVBd">pic.twitter.com/SzJUfpvVBd</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1922961348217950355?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;We love and respect you. What you are doing, the service you do for your country... there is no more important profession, and I was so proud to see those reports coming in just a few days ago saying that the enrollment is at the highest level ever.&quot; ❤️🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/VCWYvGfi3A">pic.twitter.com/VCWYvGfi3A</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1922963249458212865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">President Trump arrives at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar… <a href="https://t.co/cu8sGjegzJ">pic.twitter.com/cu8sGjegzJ</a>&mdash; Dan Scavino (@Scavino47) <a href="https://twitter.com/Scavino47/status/1922964416972140632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In other parts of the Middle East violence flared in the West Bank, and a hospital in southern Gaza said 54 people have been killed in overnight airstrikes on the city of Khan Younis.Trump spoke of American military strength as he addressed troops at Qatar’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-world-cup-sports-soccer-united-states-9beb3f93a06ec0c91a5170bfa9f0218b">al-Udeid Air Base</a>, which was a major staging ground during the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It also supported the recent U.S. air campaign against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis, though the strikes themselves came from two aircraft carriers in the region.The president has held up Gulf nations like Saudi Arabia and Qatar as models for economic development in a region plagued by conflict as he works to entice Iran to come to terms with his administration on a deal to curb its nuclear program.The President also meets business leaders in Qatar and heads to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.___<h2>Trump boasts of firings in the military</h2>Standing in front of U.S. troops at the Qatari airbase, President Donald Trump said “we let a lot of four stars go,” touting his administration’s effort to thin the military’s top ranks.There’s long been friction between Trump and some top generals, and he’s been more emboldened to remake the command structure in his second term.He described some military leaders as “frickin’ losers” as he addressed the rank-and-file.The president danced for a moment to the Village People’s “YMCA" as he wrapped up his speech.<h2>Trump speaks of ‘overwhelming’ American military power</h2>President Donald Trump is speaking to troops at the Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar.He started his speech thanking troops and discussing his Mideast trip so far, then spoke about America’s military power.“As president, my priority is to end conflicts, not start them, but I will never hesitate to wield American power if it’s necessary to defend the United States of America or our partners,” Trump said. “And this is one of our great partners right here” in Qatar.He added: “When we’re threatened, America’s military will answer our enemies without even thinking about it. We have overwhelming strength and devastating force.”___<h2>Hegseth says the U.S. is restoring ‘warrior ethos’</h2>U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asserted that “wokeness and weakness” allowed the wars in the world.“We’re restoring the warrior ethos. No more political correctness,” he told U.S. troops at Al-Udeid Air Base, before President Donald Trump addresses them.“Sadly, over the last four years, we saw a collapse in Afghanistan. And what happened on October 7th, the war in Ukraine, violence unleashed by wokeness and weakness.”Trump then took the stage as Lee Greenwood sang his signature song, “Proud to be an American.”

🎥 Trump visits main U.S. military base in Middle East as violence flares in Gaza

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Six months after Missouri voters approved an abortion-rights amendment, Republican state lawmakers on Wednesday approved a new referendum that would seek the amendment's repeal and instead ban most abortions with exceptions for rape an incest.

The newly proposed constitutional amendment would go back to voters in November 2026, or sooner, if Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe calls a special election before then.

Republican senators used a series of rare procedural moves to cut off discussion by opposing Democrats before passing the proposed abortion-rights revision by a 21-11 vote. The measure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ban-missouri-transgender-5581a8bb6f6dacf876b85731ed0181dd">passed the Republican-led House</a>&nbsp;last month.

Immediately after vote, protestors erupted with chants of “Stop the ban!” and were ushered out of the Senate chamber.

Missouri's abortion policies have swung dramatically in recent years.

When the U.S. Supreme Court ended a nationwide right to abortion by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturning Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;in 2022, it triggered a Missouri law to take effect banning most abortions. But abortion-rights activists gathered initiative petition signatures in an attempt to reverse that.

Last November, Missouri voters narrowly approved a constitutional amendment guaranteeing a right to abortion until fetal viability, generally considered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-technology-science-health-birmingham-7fc806f3c06aeae94c5d6ed1b06a6461">sometime past 21 weeks of pregnancy</a>. The amendment also allows later abortions to protect the life or health of pregnant women.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747265485373.jpeg" alt="People in support of abortion rights protest outside the Missouri Senate chamber after the Senate voted to approve a referendum seeking to repeal an abortion-rights amendment on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, in Jefferson City, Mo. (AP Photo/David A. Lieb)" />
 <figcaption>People in support of abortion rights protest outside the Missouri Senate chamber after the Senate voted to approve a referendum seeking to repeal an abortion-rights amendment on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, in Jefferson City, Mo. (AP Photo/David A. Lieb)</figcaption>
 </figure>JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Six months after Missouri voters approved an abortion-rights amendment, Republican state lawmakers on Wednesday approved a new referendum that would seek the amendment's repeal and instead ban most abortions with exceptions for rape an incest.The newly proposed constitutional amendment would go back to voters in November 2026, or sooner, if Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe calls a special election before then.Republican senators used a series of rare procedural moves to cut off discussion by opposing Democrats before passing the proposed abortion-rights revision by a 21-11 vote. The measure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ban-missouri-transgender-5581a8bb6f6dacf876b85731ed0181dd">passed the Republican-led House</a>&nbsp;last month.Immediately after vote, protestors erupted with chants of “Stop the ban!” and were ushered out of the Senate chamber.Missouri's abortion policies have swung dramatically in recent years.When the U.S. Supreme Court ended a nationwide right to abortion by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturning Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;in 2022, it triggered a Missouri law to take effect banning most abortions. But abortion-rights activists gathered initiative petition signatures in an attempt to reverse that.Last November, Missouri voters narrowly approved a constitutional amendment guaranteeing a right to abortion until fetal viability, generally considered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-technology-science-health-birmingham-7fc806f3c06aeae94c5d6ed1b06a6461">sometime past 21 weeks of pregnancy</a>. The amendment also allows later abortions to protect the life or health of pregnant women.

Missouri lawmakers approve referendum to repeal abortion-rights amendment

FINNEY COUNTY —"That’s one way to make an entrance, just maybe not the best way, Garden City Police wrote on social media.&nbsp; Officers were at the scene of a traffic incident involving a car colliding with the entryway of an apartment complex this morning.

At 8:30 a.m. May 12, police responded the Villa North Apartments, 605 Labrador Boulevard in Garden City. First responders ound a Saturn Vue up on the steps of the apartment complex. 

Through the investigation, officers learned that the driver had arrived at the complex and was trying to park.

Instead, the driver mistook the gas pedal for the brake and drove up onto the steps of the east entryway of the complex and hit the structure. Aside from minor structural damage and the vehicle having to be towed, no injuries occurred from the crash.

"With multiple recent car-versus-building accidents, this is the third one in a week, please stay alert, ditch the distractions, and pay attention to your driving and surroundings - your attention can make all the difference in keeping roads, properties, and people safe."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747265665125.png" alt="Photo Garden City Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Garden City Police</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY —"That’s one way to make an entrance, just maybe not the best way, Garden City Police wrote on social media.&nbsp; Officers were at the scene of a traffic incident involving a car colliding with the entryway of an apartment complex this morning.At 8:30 a.m. May 12, police responded the Villa North Apartments, 605 Labrador Boulevard in Garden City. First responders ound a Saturn Vue up on the steps of the apartment complex. Through the investigation, officers learned that the driver had arrived at the complex and was trying to park.Instead, the driver mistook the gas pedal for the brake and drove up onto the steps of the east entryway of the complex and hit the structure. Aside from minor structural damage and the vehicle having to be towed, no injuries occurred from the crash."With multiple recent car-versus-building accidents, this is the third one in a week, please stay alert, ditch the distractions, and pay attention to your driving and surroundings - your attention can make all the difference in keeping roads, properties, and people safe."

Police: Car struck apartment building in southwest Kansas

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a bank robbery suspect who died during a police pursuit on Tuesday have released additional details on crimes he is alleged to have committed.&nbsp;

 Just before 9a.m. on Monday, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call of a disturbance near Se 27th Street and SE Minnesota Avenue in Topeka, according to Topeka spokesperson Dan Garrett. 

Police arrived in the area to find a woman later&nbsp;identified as 40-year-old Kathleen Hayes of Topeka deceased.

Through the investigation, the suspect in the homicide was identified as 47-year-old Anthony Marshall Jr. of Topeka.&nbsp; He was the bank robbery suspect&nbsp;involved in a pursuit with the Kansas Highway Patrol on Tuesday. The pursuit ended in Saline County with emergency medical services being requested for a self-inflicted gun shot wound. Marshall died of his injuries.&nbsp; Marshall and and Hayes were known to each other, according to police.&nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747257170460.png" alt="Marshall photo from an arrest in Topeka on March 11 on requested charges of drug possession, driving while suspended and for no registration, according to online jail records." />
 <figcaption>Marshall photo from an arrest in Topeka on March 11 on requested charges of drug possession, driving while suspended and for no registration, according to online jail records.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a bank robbery suspect who died during a police pursuit on Tuesday have released additional details on crimes he is alleged to have committed.&nbsp; Just before 9a.m. on Monday, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call of a disturbance near Se 27th Street and SE Minnesota Avenue in Topeka, according to Topeka spokesperson Dan Garrett. Police arrived in the area to find a woman later&nbsp;identified as 40-year-old Kathleen Hayes of Topeka deceased.Through the investigation, the suspect in the homicide was identified as 47-year-old Anthony Marshall Jr. of Topeka.&nbsp; He was the bank robbery suspect&nbsp;involved in a pursuit with the Kansas Highway Patrol on Tuesday. The pursuit ended in Saline County with emergency medical services being requested for a self-inflicted gun shot wound. Marshall died of his injuries.&nbsp; Marshall and and Hayes were known to each other, according to police.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Bank robbery suspect accused of killing Kansas woman

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats and Republicans alike raised concerns on Wednesday about deep staffing cuts, funding freezes and far-reaching policy changes overseen by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-f-kennedy-jr">U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr</a>.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers questioned Kennedy’s approach to the job, some saying that he has jeopardized vaccine uptake, cancer research and dental health in just a few short months.

In combative and at times highly personal rejoinders, Kennedy defended the Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-human-services-layoffs-restructuring-rfk-jr-ec4d7731695e4204970c7eab953b2289">administration’s dramatic effort</a>&nbsp;to reshape the sprawling, $1.7 trillion-a-year agency, saying it would deliver a more efficient department focused on promoting healthier lifestyles among Americans.

“There’s so much chaos and disorganization in this department,” Kennedy said on Wednesday during the Senate hearing. “What we’re saying is let’s organize in a way that we can quickly adopt and deploy all these opportunities we have to really deliver high-quality health care to the American people.”

Loud protesters interrupted the hearing cause Secretary Kennedy to jump. Screams of “RFK kills people with AIDS” erupted during Kennedy’s opening statements to a Senate committee on Wednesday. Dozens of federal health workers and offices dedicated to HIV/AIDS research have been shuttered under Kennedy’s watch.

Kennedy was delivering remarks about the agency’s proposed budget when several women began screaming, causing him to jump from his chair. U.S. Capitol Police escorted the disrupters out.

During tense exchanges, lawmakers — in back to back House and Senate hearings — sometimes questioned whether Kennedy was aware of his actions and the structure of his own department after he struggled to provide more details about staffing cuts.

"I have noted you've been unable, in most instances, to answer any specific questions related to your agency," said Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, a Maryland Democrat.

The secretary, in turn, pushed back — saying he had not had time to answer specific questions — and at points questioning lawmakers' own grasp of health policy.

Kennedy testified to explain his downsizing of the department — from 82,000 to 62,000 staffers — and argue on behalf of the White House’s requested budget, which includes a $500 million boost for Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative to promote nutrition and healthier lifestyles while making deep cuts to infectious disease prevention, medical research and maternal health programs.

He revealed that he persuaded the White House to back down from one major cut: Head Start, a federally-funded preschool program for low-income families across the country.

But lawmakers described how thousands of job losses at the health department and funding freezes have impacted their districts.

One Washington state mother, Natalie, has faced delays in treatment for stage 4 cancer at the National Institutes of Health's Clinical Center, said Democratic Sen. Patty Murray. The clinical center is the research-only hospital commonly known as the “House of Hope,” but when Murray asked Kennedy to explain how many jobs have been lost there, he could not answer. The president's budget proposes a nearly $20 billion slash from the NIH.

“You are here to defend cutting the NIH by half,” Murray said. “Do you genuinely believe that won't result in more stories like Natalie's?” Kennedy disputed Murray's account.

Democrat Rep. Bonnie Watson-Coleman of New Jersey asked “why, why, why?” Kennedy would lay off nearly all the staff who oversee the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which provides $4.1 billion in heating assistance to needy families. The program is slated to be eliminated from the agency’s budget.

Kennedy said that advocates warned him those cuts “will end up killing people,” but that President Donald Trump believes his energy policy will lower costs. If that doesn’t work, Kennedy said, he would restore funding for the program.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican of Alaska, said those savings would be realized too late for people in her state.

“Right now, folks in Alaska still need those ugly generators to keep warm,” she said.

Murkowski was one of several Republicans who expressed concerns about Kennedy’s approach to the job throughout the hearings.

Like several Republicans, Rep. Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee praised Kennedy for his work promoting healthy foods. But he raised concerns about whether the secretary has provided adequate evidence that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fda-artificial-food-dyes-kennedy-6f6c1aa08aafdae1925718804f360c0b">artificial food dyes</a>&nbsp;are bad for diets. Removing those food dyes would hurt the “many snack manufacturers” in his district, including the makers of M&amp;M’s candy, he said.

Rep. Mike Simpson, a dentist from Idaho, said Kennedy’s plan to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fluoride-cdc-epa-6f4dbc64b5dc511f712a82cd2d252d76">remove fluoride recommendations</a>&nbsp;for drinking water alarms him. The department’s press release on Tuesday, which announced the Food and Drug Administration plans to remove fluoride supplements for children from the market, wrongly claimed that fluoride “kills bacteria from the teeth,” Simpson noted. He explained to Kennedy that fluoride doesn’t kill bacteria in the mouth but instead makes tooth enamel more resistant to decay.

“I will tell you that if you are successful in banning fluoride … we better put a lot more money into dental education because we’re going to need a lot more dentists,” Simpson added.

Kennedy was pressed repeatedly on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-rfk-jr-messaging-criticism-vaccine-1a2cbdc14eb0c256695fdfac00cbfb6d">mixed message</a>&nbsp;he’s delivered on vaccines, which public health experts have said are hampering efforts to contain&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-new-mexico-kansas-vaccine-e904ec9781f1d164c73afe4ab71774fe">a growing measles outbreak</a>&nbsp;now in at least 11 states.

Responding to Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat of Connecticut, Kennedy refused to recommend that parents follow the nation's childhood vaccination schedule, which includes shots for measles, polio and whooping cough. He, instead, wrongly claimed that the vaccines have not been safety tested against a placebo.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican of Louisiana and chairman of the health committee, had extracted a number of guarantees from Kennedy that he would not alter existing vaccine guidance and work at the nation's health department. Cassidy, correcting Kennedy, pointed out that rotavirus, measles and HPV vaccines recommended for children have all been tested in a placebo study.

As health secretary, Kennedy has called the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine — a shot given to children to provide immunity from all three diseases — “leaky,” although&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/vaccines/index.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fvaccines%2Fvpd%2Fmmr%2Fpublic%2Findex.html">it offers lifetime protection</a>&nbsp;from the measles for most people. He’s also said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-vaccines-autism-measles-obesity-food-dye-f26089856550e978d28fd25b653d8103">they cause deaths</a>, although none has been documented among healthy people.

“You have undermined the vital role vaccines play in preventing disease during the single, largest measles outbreak in 25 years,” Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats and Republicans alike raised concerns on Wednesday about deep staffing cuts, funding freezes and far-reaching policy changes overseen by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-f-kennedy-jr">U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Ben &amp; Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen among protesters removed from RFK Jr. hearing on HHS budget <a href="https://t.co/ZxYnY7IFMt">pic.twitter.com/ZxYnY7IFMt</a>&mdash; Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) <a href="https://twitter.com/HowardMortman/status/1922735450264842307?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>A bipartisan group of lawmakers questioned Kennedy’s approach to the job, some saying that he has jeopardized vaccine uptake, cancer research and dental health in just a few short months.In combative and at times highly personal rejoinders, Kennedy defended the Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-human-services-layoffs-restructuring-rfk-jr-ec4d7731695e4204970c7eab953b2289">administration’s dramatic effort</a>&nbsp;to reshape the sprawling, $1.7 trillion-a-year agency, saying it would deliver a more efficient department focused on promoting healthier lifestyles among Americans.“There’s so much chaos and disorganization in this department,” Kennedy said on Wednesday during the Senate hearing. “What we’re saying is let’s organize in a way that we can quickly adopt and deploy all these opportunities we have to really deliver high-quality health care to the American people.”Loud protesters interrupted the hearing cause Secretary Kennedy to jump. Screams of “RFK kills people with AIDS” erupted during Kennedy’s opening statements to a Senate committee on Wednesday. Dozens of federal health workers and offices dedicated to HIV/AIDS research have been shuttered under Kennedy’s watch.Kennedy was delivering remarks about the agency’s proposed budget when several women began screaming, causing him to jump from his chair. U.S. Capitol Police escorted the disrupters out.During tense exchanges, lawmakers — in back to back House and Senate hearings — sometimes questioned whether Kennedy was aware of his actions and the structure of his own department after he struggled to provide more details about staffing cuts."I have noted you've been unable, in most instances, to answer any specific questions related to your agency," said Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, a Maryland Democrat.The secretary, in turn, pushed back — saying he had not had time to answer specific questions — and at points questioning lawmakers' own grasp of health policy.Kennedy testified to explain his downsizing of the department — from 82,000 to 62,000 staffers — and argue on behalf of the White House’s requested budget, which includes a $500 million boost for Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative to promote nutrition and healthier lifestyles while making deep cuts to infectious disease prevention, medical research and maternal health programs.He revealed that he persuaded the White House to back down from one major cut: Head Start, a federally-funded preschool program for low-income families across the country.But lawmakers described how thousands of job losses at the health department and funding freezes have impacted their districts.One Washington state mother, Natalie, has faced delays in treatment for stage 4 cancer at the National Institutes of Health's Clinical Center, said Democratic Sen. Patty Murray. The clinical center is the research-only hospital commonly known as the “House of Hope,” but when Murray asked Kennedy to explain how many jobs have been lost there, he could not answer. The president's budget proposes a nearly $20 billion slash from the NIH.“You are here to defend cutting the NIH by half,” Murray said. “Do you genuinely believe that won't result in more stories like Natalie's?” Kennedy disputed Murray's account.Democrat Rep. Bonnie Watson-Coleman of New Jersey asked “why, why, why?” Kennedy would lay off nearly all the staff who oversee the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which provides $4.1 billion in heating assistance to needy families. The program is slated to be eliminated from the agency’s budget.Kennedy said that advocates warned him those cuts “will end up killing people,” but that President Donald Trump believes his energy policy will lower costs. If that doesn’t work, Kennedy said, he would restore funding for the program.Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican of Alaska, said those savings would be realized too late for people in her state.“Right now, folks in Alaska still need those ugly generators to keep warm,” she said.Murkowski was one of several Republicans who expressed concerns about Kennedy’s approach to the job throughout the hearings.Like several Republicans, Rep. Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee praised Kennedy for his work promoting healthy foods. But he raised concerns about whether the secretary has provided adequate evidence that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fda-artificial-food-dyes-kennedy-6f6c1aa08aafdae1925718804f360c0b">artificial food dyes</a>&nbsp;are bad for diets. Removing those food dyes would hurt the “many snack manufacturers” in his district, including the makers of M&amp;M’s candy, he said.Rep. Mike Simpson, a dentist from Idaho, said Kennedy’s plan to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fluoride-cdc-epa-6f4dbc64b5dc511f712a82cd2d252d76">remove fluoride recommendations</a>&nbsp;for drinking water alarms him. The department’s press release on Tuesday, which announced the Food and Drug Administration plans to remove fluoride supplements for children from the market, wrongly claimed that fluoride “kills bacteria from the teeth,” Simpson noted. He explained to Kennedy that fluoride doesn’t kill bacteria in the mouth but instead makes tooth enamel more resistant to decay.“I will tell you that if you are successful in banning fluoride … we better put a lot more money into dental education because we’re going to need a lot more dentists,” Simpson added.Kennedy was pressed repeatedly on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-rfk-jr-messaging-criticism-vaccine-1a2cbdc14eb0c256695fdfac00cbfb6d">mixed message</a>&nbsp;he’s delivered on vaccines, which public health experts have said are hampering efforts to contain&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-new-mexico-kansas-vaccine-e904ec9781f1d164c73afe4ab71774fe">a growing measles outbreak</a>&nbsp;now in at least 11 states.Responding to Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat of Connecticut, Kennedy refused to recommend that parents follow the nation's childhood vaccination schedule, which includes shots for measles, polio and whooping cough. He, instead, wrongly claimed that the vaccines have not been safety tested against a placebo.Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican of Louisiana and chairman of the health committee, had extracted a number of guarantees from Kennedy that he would not alter existing vaccine guidance and work at the nation's health department. Cassidy, correcting Kennedy, pointed out that rotavirus, measles and HPV vaccines recommended for children have all been tested in a placebo study.As health secretary, Kennedy has called the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine — a shot given to children to provide immunity from all three diseases — “leaky,” although&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/vaccines/index.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fvaccines%2Fvpd%2Fmmr%2Fpublic%2Findex.html">it offers lifetime protection</a>&nbsp;from the measles for most people. He’s also said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-vaccines-autism-measles-obesity-food-dye-f26089856550e978d28fd25b653d8103">they cause deaths</a>, although none has been documented among healthy people.“You have undermined the vital role vaccines play in preventing disease during the single, largest measles outbreak in 25 years,” Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders said.

🎥Protesters interrupt RFK Jr. hearing, causing secretary to jump

&nbsp;JACKSON COUNTY, Kan.—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations after an incident&nbsp; in the parking lot of the sheriff's office.

Just after 10:30p.m. May 12, a&nbsp;Jackson County Deputy Sheriff arrested 60-year-old Colette McKinnon, of Topeka in the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office parking lot, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

McKinnon was in the company of another person who was turning themselves in on an outstanding warrant.

 McKinnon was placed under arrest on a requested charge of possession of methamphetamine and booked into the Jackson County Jail.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747152825707.png" alt="McKinnon photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>McKinnon photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;JACKSON COUNTY, Kan.—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations after an incident&nbsp; in the parking lot of the sheriff's office.Just after 10:30p.m. May 12, a&nbsp;Jackson County Deputy Sheriff arrested 60-year-old Colette McKinnon, of Topeka in the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office parking lot, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.McKinnon was in the company of another person who was turning themselves in on an outstanding warrant. McKinnon was placed under arrest on a requested charge of possession of methamphetamine and booked into the Jackson County Jail.