Kansas Task Force 1 completed a Hasty Search, a fast-paced, methodical search of the assigned area of operation to locate victims who are in immediate need of evacuation from harm, according to a social media report from the Office of the Kansas Fire Marshal.

Four HDR K9s have been added to the task forces and2 boat crews and are searching the water.

On Saturday, Governor Laura Kelly announce the state deployed Kansas Task Force 1, consisting of two Type 3 swift-water search and rescue teams, through the Office of the State Fire Marshal, to assist the State of Texas in areas impacted by flooding from recent heavy rains. KS-TF1 departed on July 12 from Olathe and were assigned to Kerrville in Kerr County.

A request from Texas was sent to the Kansas Division of Emergency Management, and this task force was sent as part of an Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), which is a multistate, mutual aid agreement that facilitates interstate assistance in response and recovery operations during a disaster.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752615640998.png" alt="Photo Kansas Fire Marshal's office" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas Fire Marshal's office</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas Task Force 1 completed a Hasty Search, a fast-paced, methodical search of the assigned area of operation to locate victims who are in immediate need of evacuation from harm, according to a social media report from the Office of the Kansas Fire Marshal.Four HDR K9s have been added to the task forces and2 boat crews and are searching the water.On Saturday, Governor Laura Kelly announce the state deployed Kansas Task Force 1, consisting of two Type 3 swift-water search and rescue teams, through the Office of the State Fire Marshal, to assist the State of Texas in areas impacted by flooding from recent heavy rains. KS-TF1 departed on July 12 from Olathe and were assigned to Kerrville in Kerr County.A request from Texas was sent to the Kansas Division of Emergency Management, and this task force was sent as part of an Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), which is a multistate, mutual aid agreement that facilitates interstate assistance in response and recovery operations during a disaster.

Kansas swift-water rescue teams continue work in Texas

Father of 5-year-old victim says justice for daughter calls for death penalty

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>

TOPEKA — A perpetually homeless man abused by his parents and shuffled as a youth among more than 17 foster homes and two psychiatric hospitals received a life sentence in prison Tuesday without possibility of parole for half a century in the rape and murder of a Topeka preschool girl entrusted to his care.

Shawnee County District Judge Jessica Heinen ordered Mickel Cherry, who admitted to smothering 5-year-old Zoey Felix in 2023, to serve consecutive life sentences requiring incarceration for a minimum of 50 years before being evaluated for possible release. Defense counsel recommended their developmentally disabled client serve the pair of life sentences concurrently so parole could be an option after 25 years. The prosecution argued the extreme depravity of the crimes necessitated at least 50 years behind bars.

Cherry pleaded guilty to both offenses in exchange for the district attorney not pursuing the death penalty.

“The evidence shows you violently, forcibly and inhumanely raped Zoey,” Heinen told Cherry at close of a heart-wrenching two-day hearing. “You then murdered Zoey.”

Heinen, who had the authority to order concurrent or consecutive life sentences, said her decision reflected Cherry’s attempt to conceal his involvement by blaming an imaginary Mexican man and lying repeatedly to Topeka law enforcement officers. In a police station interrogation on the day of Zoey’s death, Cherry confessed and has remained at the Shawnee County Jail for the past 650 days.

The judge asked Cherry if he wanted to make a statement to the court, and his response — “No, Ma’am” — frustrated some family members looking for a glimmer of remorse. They had spent two days studying his mostly blank expression and tendency to bury his chin in his chest. He spoke periodically to his attorneys, but made few hand gestures given that his wrists were handcuffed to a chain linked to ankle shackles.

Zeke Felix, Zoey’s father, said in an interview that he wasn’t content with the decision of District Attorney Mike Kagay to set aside the capital punishment option. He understood there were potential legal complications with seeking the death penalty because of Cherry’s diminished mental capacity, but thought an attempt should have been made to achieve what he viewed as full justice for his daughter.

“I’m not content, but satisfied,” said Zeke Felix, who sat during the proceeding in the front row behind prosecutors. “The death penalty was off the table.”

Kagay, who handled the sentencing phase with two colleagues from the district attorney’s office, said there was no easy way to talk about what the defendant did to the victim. He said in most criminal cases there were thin slices of humanity or fractured pieces of a puzzle to provide context or explain the horror.

“Not here,” he said. “Not in this case.”

Kagay said it was outrageous that Cherry, while divulging how he squeezed the life from Zoey, informed a Topeka police detective that sometimes a “good person” such as himself committed senseless crimes.

“Mickel Cherry made the conscious decision to kill Zoey. Why? In a failed attempt to avoid responsibility,” Kagay said. “The most egregious crimes demand the heaviest penalties. Each of these crimes call out today for justice.”

The district attorney responded to defense witness testimony and court filings dedicated to outlining how Cherry emerged from a Texas childhood marked by abuse and mental instability to land in an isolated Kansas tent encampment where Zoey’s life ended. Kagay conceded state foster care systems allowed children to fall through the cracks, but he rejected that required mercy beyond setting aside the death penalty for Cherry.

“The law has already shown him clemency,” Kagay said. “There is no question who is to blame here. No failure of any system caused him to rape and murder Zoey Felix.”

Defense attorney Peter Conley, who is the state’s deputy capital defender, presented evidence Cherry endured persistent abuse while a minor. There were Texas reports showing his mother put a lit cigarette to his head, leaving a permanent scar. Domestic violence was a routine occurrence in his parents’ home, reports showed. He was beaten with sticks, fists and even a hammer by adults in his life.

The large but incomplete file on Cherry’s upbringing indicated he lived in places where adults required disobedient children to stand in a cold shower all night or remain crouched in stress positions for hours. Elsewhere, he was forced to spend long periods of time in a yard with a dangerous dog. He was adopted at age 14, but was subsequently left on his own at 18 without the skills to live independently.

“The system failed him utterly and completely,” said Beth Robinson, a professor at Colorado Christian University who was the first Texas counselor Cherry encountered when taken from his parents at age 5. “He needed a whole different type of therapy and intervention.”

She testified for the defense that one-third of children who spent extended time in foster care ended up homeless and about half eventually found their way into criminal entanglements.

Conley said it was important the sentencing judge in Kansas respond to the odious offenses committed by Cherry by imposing a life sentence. It was equally significant for the court to factor into the equation the role of a dysfunctional Texas foster care system as well as the Kansas Department for Children and Families’ failure to sufficiently respond to reports Zoey was being neglected, he said.

That history argued for a sentence that provided Cherry a thin but reasonable hope of walking out of a prison in something closer to 25 years instead of 50 years, Conley said.

“The heart of this issue is DCF had information about unsafe environments for Zoey Felix and didn’t do enough about it,” Conley said. “Actions have consequences. Mickel needs to be punished. Inaction also has consequences.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696342029742.png" alt="Cherry photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Cherry photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Father of 5-year-old victim says justice for daughter calls for death penalty</h2>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>TOPEKA — A perpetually homeless man abused by his parents and shuffled as a youth among more than 17 foster homes and two psychiatric hospitals received a life sentence in prison Tuesday without possibility of parole for half a century in the rape and murder of a Topeka preschool girl entrusted to his care.Shawnee County District Judge Jessica Heinen ordered Mickel Cherry, who admitted to smothering 5-year-old Zoey Felix in 2023, to serve consecutive life sentences requiring incarceration for a minimum of 50 years before being evaluated for possible release. Defense counsel recommended their developmentally disabled client serve the pair of life sentences concurrently so parole could be an option after 25 years. The prosecution argued the extreme depravity of the crimes necessitated at least 50 years behind bars.Cherry pleaded guilty to both offenses in exchange for the district attorney not pursuing the death penalty.“The evidence shows you violently, forcibly and inhumanely raped Zoey,” Heinen told Cherry at close of a heart-wrenching two-day hearing. “You then murdered Zoey.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696600819324.png" alt="Zoey Felix photo GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>Zoey Felix photo GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure>Heinen, who had the authority to order concurrent or consecutive life sentences, said her decision reflected Cherry’s attempt to conceal his involvement by blaming an imaginary Mexican man and lying repeatedly to Topeka law enforcement officers. In a police station interrogation on the day of Zoey’s death, Cherry confessed and has remained at the Shawnee County Jail for the past 650 days.The judge asked Cherry if he wanted to make a statement to the court, and his response — “No, Ma’am” — frustrated some family members looking for a glimmer of remorse. They had spent two days studying his mostly blank expression and tendency to bury his chin in his chest. He spoke periodically to his attorneys, but made few hand gestures given that his wrists were handcuffed to a chain linked to ankle shackles.Zeke Felix, Zoey’s father, said in an interview that he wasn’t content with the decision of District Attorney Mike Kagay to set aside the capital punishment option. He understood there were potential legal complications with seeking the death penalty because of Cherry’s diminished mental capacity, but thought an attempt should have been made to achieve what he viewed as full justice for his daughter.“I’m not content, but satisfied,” said Zeke Felix, who sat during the proceeding in the front row behind prosecutors. “The death penalty was off the table.”<h2>‘Conscious decision’</h2>Kagay, who handled the sentencing phase with two colleagues from the district attorney’s office, said there was no easy way to talk about what the defendant did to the victim. He said in most criminal cases there were thin slices of humanity or fractured pieces of a puzzle to provide context or explain the horror.“Not here,” he said. “Not in this case.”Kagay said it was outrageous that Cherry, while divulging how he squeezed the life from Zoey, informed a Topeka police detective that sometimes a “good person” such as himself committed senseless crimes.“Mickel Cherry made the conscious decision to kill Zoey. Why? In a failed attempt to avoid responsibility,” Kagay said. “The most egregious crimes demand the heaviest penalties. Each of these crimes call out today for justice.”The district attorney responded to defense witness testimony and court filings dedicated to outlining how Cherry emerged from a Texas childhood marked by abuse and mental instability to land in an isolated Kansas tent encampment where Zoey’s life ended. Kagay conceded state foster care systems allowed children to fall through the cracks, but he rejected that required mercy beyond setting aside the death penalty for Cherry.“The law has already shown him clemency,” Kagay said. “There is no question who is to blame here. No failure of any system caused him to rape and murder Zoey Felix.”<h2>Heart of the issue’</h2>Defense attorney Peter Conley, who is the state’s deputy capital defender, presented evidence Cherry endured persistent abuse while a minor. There were Texas reports showing his mother put a lit cigarette to his head, leaving a permanent scar. Domestic violence was a routine occurrence in his parents’ home, reports showed. He was beaten with sticks, fists and even a hammer by adults in his life.The large but incomplete file on Cherry’s upbringing indicated he lived in places where adults required disobedient children to stand in a cold shower all night or remain crouched in stress positions for hours. Elsewhere, he was forced to spend long periods of time in a yard with a dangerous dog. He was adopted at age 14, but was subsequently left on his own at 18 without the skills to live independently.“The system failed him utterly and completely,” said Beth Robinson, a professor at Colorado Christian University who was the first Texas counselor Cherry encountered when taken from his parents at age 5. “He needed a whole different type of therapy and intervention.”She testified for the defense that one-third of children who spent extended time in foster care ended up homeless and about half eventually found their way into criminal entanglements.Conley said it was important the sentencing judge in Kansas respond to the odious offenses committed by Cherry by imposing a life sentence. It was equally significant for the court to factor into the equation the role of a dysfunctional Texas foster care system as well as the Kansas Department for Children and Families’ failure to sufficiently respond to reports Zoey was being neglected, he said.That history argued for a sentence that provided Cherry a thin but reasonable hope of walking out of a prison in something closer to 25 years instead of 50 years, Conley said.“The heart of this issue is DCF had information about unsafe environments for Zoey Felix and didn’t do enough about it,” Conley said. “Actions have consequences. Mickel needs to be punished. Inaction also has consequences.”

Kansas man given minimum 50-year sentence in case questioning state’s foster care system

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating another homicide in Kansas City, Missouri have identified the victim as 29-year-old Keilan Dobbs, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

Just after 4p.m. Thursday, patrol officers were dispatched to report of a shooting at 118th and Winchester.

.As officers arrived they located Dobbs and a woman in the street, suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers immediately began performing life saving measures and ordered EMS to the scene. Dobbs was pronounced deceased at the scene. EMS transported the woman to a local hospital with serious injuries.

This is being investigated as a homicide. Preliminary information indicated there was an altercation between several individuals. The argument escalated into a physical confrontation, which led to shots being fired, and the victims being struck. 

Police have not reported suspect information or reported an arrest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752194452854.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating another homicide in Kansas City, Missouri have identified the victim as 29-year-old Keilan Dobbs, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.Just after 4p.m. Thursday, patrol officers were dispatched to report of a shooting at 118th and Winchester..As officers arrived they located Dobbs and a woman in the street, suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers immediately began performing life saving measures and ordered EMS to the scene. Dobbs was pronounced deceased at the scene. EMS transported the woman to a local hospital with serious injuries.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752194481952.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>This is being investigated as a homicide. Preliminary information indicated there was an altercation between several individuals. The argument escalated into a physical confrontation, which led to shots being fired, and the victims being struck. Police have not reported suspect information or reported an arrest.

Homicide: Police ID man found with gunshot wound in KC street

It is with both sadness and hope that the elders of Grace Community Church announce that Pastor John MacArthur has gone to be with the Lord after 56 years of faithful ministry. Last week, Pastor John unexpectedly contracted pneumonia, and the Lord took him home on Monday, July 14. Dr. MacArthur was 86 years old, according to a statement on the church web site.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Patricia; four children; fifteen grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

To millions through the media ministry of Grace to You, Pastor John was a preacher of the Word. To tens of thousands of students, he was the beloved president and chancellor of The Master's University. To thousands of graduates of The Master's Seminary, he was a champion of biblical exposition. To numerous churches and pastors abroad through The Master's Academy International, he was a stalwart for the truth. To his church, he was our dear pastor—a fearless leader in challenging times. To his family, he was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.

At the center of Dr. MacArthur's ministry was an unwavering commitment to declare God's truth, and Pastor John preached the Word in season and out of season. Even in recent years, though beset with health challenges, he persisted in teaching, leading, and investing in the ministries the Lord had entrusted to him. Pastor John modeled a true fortitude for His Lord Jesus, believing that to live is Christ and therefore to die is gain. Having fought the good fight, finished the course, and kept the faith, Pastor John was summoned home by his heavenly Master. His faith is now sight; he is at home with the Lord; and he has heard the words, "Well done good and faithful slave" (<a href="https://ref.ly/Matt%2025.21;nasb95?t=biblia" target="_blank">Matthew 25:21</a>).

Join with us in praying for Pastor John's wife, Patricia, and family in this season of sadness mixed with eternal joy. Though our hearts are heavy with this loss, we do "not grieve as do the rest who have no hope" (<a href="https://ref.ly/1%20Thess%204.13;nasb95?t=biblia" target="_blank">1 Thessalonians 4:13</a>). For those who die in Christ are His, and He loses not one. This is the hope Pastor John preached in his final sermon series on Revelation: "The worthy Lamb will come and conquer this sinful world and reign forever. And we will reign with Him. Glory upon glory upon glory. I don’t know about you, but I say with the apostle John, 'Even so, come, Lord Jesus.'”

It is with both sadness and hope that the elders of Grace Community Church announce that Pastor John MacArthur has gone to be with the Lord after 56 years of faithful ministry. Last week, Pastor John unexpectedly contracted pneumonia, and the Lord took him home on Monday, July 14. Dr. MacArthur was 86 years old, according to a statement on the church web site.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Our hearts are heavy, yet rejoicing, as we share the news that our beloved pastor and teacher John MacArthur has entered into the presence of the Savior. This evening, his faith became sight. He faithfully endured until his race was run. 2 Timothy 4:1-8 <a href="https://t.co/5JplmC0Dvp">pic.twitter.com/5JplmC0Dvp</a>&mdash; Grace to You (@gracetoyou) <a href="https://twitter.com/gracetoyou/status/1944937107937464752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Patricia; four children; fifteen grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.To millions through the media ministry of Grace to You, Pastor John was a preacher of the Word. To tens of thousands of students, he was the beloved president and chancellor of The Master's University. To thousands of graduates of The Master's Seminary, he was a champion of biblical exposition. To numerous churches and pastors abroad through The Master's Academy International, he was a stalwart for the truth. To his church, he was our dear pastor—a fearless leader in challenging times. To his family, he was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.At the center of Dr. MacArthur's ministry was an unwavering commitment to declare God's truth, and Pastor John preached the Word in season and out of season. Even in recent years, though beset with health challenges, he persisted in teaching, leading, and investing in the ministries the Lord had entrusted to him. Pastor John modeled a true fortitude for His Lord Jesus, believing that to live is Christ and therefore to die is gain. Having fought the good fight, finished the course, and kept the faith, Pastor John was summoned home by his heavenly Master. His faith is now sight; he is at home with the Lord; and he has heard the words, "Well done good and faithful slave" (<a href="https://ref.ly/Matt%2025.21;nasb95?t=biblia" target="_blank">Matthew 25:21</a>).Join with us in praying for Pastor John's wife, Patricia, and family in this season of sadness mixed with eternal joy. Though our hearts are heavy with this loss, we do "not grieve as do the rest who have no hope" (<a href="https://ref.ly/1%20Thess%204.13;nasb95?t=biblia" target="_blank">1 Thessalonians 4:13</a>). For those who die in Christ are His, and He loses not one. This is the hope Pastor John preached in his final sermon series on Revelation: "The worthy Lamb will come and conquer this sinful world and reign forever. And we will reign with Him. Glory upon glory upon glory. I don’t know about you, but I say with the apostle John, 'Even so, come, Lord Jesus.'”

John MacArthur, influential preacher, culture warrior dies at 86

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">Shauneen Miranda</a>

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Trump administration, for now, to proceed with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-appeals-court-upholds-order-blocking-education-department-closure" target="_blank">mass layoffs and a plan to dramatically downsize the Education Department</a>&nbsp;ordered earlier this year.

The decision from the nation’s highest court marks a major victory for President Donald Trump, who has sought to overhaul the federal role in education.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a1203_pol1.pdf" target="_blank">order</a>&nbsp;was unsigned, while Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, indicating a 6-3 decision.

The dissent, authored by Sotomayor, was scathing.

“The majority is either willfully blind to the implications of its ruling or naive,” she wrote. “But either way the threat to our Constitution’s separation of powers is grave.”

The Supreme Court’s order temporarily suspends lower court orders that: forced the agency to reinstate more than 1,300 employees gutted from a reduction in force, or RIF, effort; blocked the department from carrying out Trump’s executive order to dismantle the department; and barred the agency from transferring some services to other federal agencies.

In a statement Monday, Education Secretary Linda McMahon celebrated the decision, saying “today, the Supreme Court again confirmed the obvious: the President of the United States, as the head of the Executive Branch, has the ultimate authority to make decisions about staffing levels, administrative organization, and day-to-day operations of federal agencies.”

“While today’s ruling is a significant win for students and families, it is a shame that the highest court in the land had to step in to allow President Trump to advance the reforms Americans elected him to deliver using the authorities granted to him by the U.S. Constitution,” she said.

“The U.S. Department of Education will now deliver on its mandate to restore excellence in American education. We will carry out the reduction in force to promote efficiency and accountability and to ensure resources are directed where they matter most — to students, parents, and teachers.”

A coalition of teachers, unions and school districts that sued over Trump’s order to eliminate the department and the mass layoffs said they were “incredibly disappointed by the Supreme Court’s decision to allow the Trump-Vance administration to proceed with its harmful efforts to dismantle the Department of Education while our case moves forward.”

“This unlawful plan will immediately and irreparably harm students, educators and communities across our nation. Children will be among those hurt the most by this decision. We will never stop fighting on behalf of all students and public schools and the protections, services, and resources they need to thrive,” they added.

Challenge from Democratic state AGs, unions

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/court-order-blocks-trump-eliminating-us-education-department" target="_blank">labor and advocacy coalition</a>&nbsp;and a slew of Democratic attorneys general each sued in March over some of the administration’s most consequential education initiatives.

One of the lawsuits comes from a coalition of Democratic attorneys general in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington state and Wisconsin.

The other lawsuit was brought by the American Federation of Teachers, its Massachusetts chapter, AFSCME Council 93, the American Association of University Professors, the Service Employees International Union and two school districts in Massachusetts.

A Massachusetts federal judge consolidated the lawsuits and granted the states’ and groups’ preliminary injunction in May.

The administration appealed that decision, leading to a June decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-appeals-court-upholds-order-blocking-education-department-closure" target="_blank">keeping in place</a>&nbsp;the district court’s order.

The Trump administration then asked the Supreme Court to intervene.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1745271542976.png" alt="File photo U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon s (Shauneen Miranda/States Newsroom)." />
 <figcaption>File photo U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon s (Shauneen Miranda/States Newsroom).</figcaption>
 </figure>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">Shauneen Miranda</a>WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Trump administration, for now, to proceed with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-appeals-court-upholds-order-blocking-education-department-closure" target="_blank">mass layoffs and a plan to dramatically downsize the Education Department</a>&nbsp;ordered earlier this year.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We’re on it, Mr. President! <a href="https://t.co/URGYOsvHXN">https://t.co/URGYOsvHXN</a>&mdash; Secretary Linda McMahon (@EDSecMcMahon) <a href="https://twitter.com/EDSecMcMahon/status/1944912417718460436?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The decision from the nation’s highest court marks a major victory for President Donald Trump, who has sought to overhaul the federal role in education.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a1203_pol1.pdf" target="_blank">order</a>&nbsp;was unsigned, while Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, indicating a 6-3 decision.The dissent, authored by Sotomayor, was scathing.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752532757011.png" alt="Trump" />
 <figcaption>Trump</figcaption>
 </figure>“The majority is either willfully blind to the implications of its ruling or naive,” she wrote. “But either way the threat to our Constitution’s separation of powers is grave.”The Supreme Court’s order temporarily suspends lower court orders that: forced the agency to reinstate more than 1,300 employees gutted from a reduction in force, or RIF, effort; blocked the department from carrying out Trump’s executive order to dismantle the department; and barred the agency from transferring some services to other federal agencies.In a statement Monday, Education Secretary Linda McMahon celebrated the decision, saying “today, the Supreme Court again confirmed the obvious: the President of the United States, as the head of the Executive Branch, has the ultimate authority to make decisions about staffing levels, administrative organization, and day-to-day operations of federal agencies.”“While today’s ruling is a significant win for students and families, it is a shame that the highest court in the land had to step in to allow President Trump to advance the reforms Americans elected him to deliver using the authorities granted to him by the U.S. Constitution,” she said.“The U.S. Department of Education will now deliver on its mandate to restore excellence in American education. We will carry out the reduction in force to promote efficiency and accountability and to ensure resources are directed where they matter most — to students, parents, and teachers.”A coalition of teachers, unions and school districts that sued over Trump’s order to eliminate the department and the mass layoffs said they were “incredibly disappointed by the Supreme Court’s decision to allow the Trump-Vance administration to proceed with its harmful efforts to dismantle the Department of Education while our case moves forward.”“This unlawful plan will immediately and irreparably harm students, educators and communities across our nation. Children will be among those hurt the most by this decision. We will never stop fighting on behalf of all students and public schools and the protections, services, and resources they need to thrive,” they added.<h2>Challenge from Democratic state AGs, unions</h2>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/court-order-blocks-trump-eliminating-us-education-department" target="_blank">labor and advocacy coalition</a>&nbsp;and a slew of Democratic attorneys general each sued in March over some of the administration’s most consequential education initiatives.One of the lawsuits comes from a coalition of Democratic attorneys general in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington state and Wisconsin.The other lawsuit was brought by the American Federation of Teachers, its Massachusetts chapter, AFSCME Council 93, the American Association of University Professors, the Service Employees International Union and two school districts in Massachusetts.A Massachusetts federal judge consolidated the lawsuits and granted the states’ and groups’ preliminary injunction in May.The administration appealed that decision, leading to a June decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-appeals-court-upholds-order-blocking-education-department-closure" target="_blank">keeping in place</a>&nbsp;the district court’s order.The Trump administration then asked the Supreme Court to intervene.&nbsp;

Supreme Court allows Trump to carry out plan to dismantle Education Department

WASHINGTON — On Monday, the Department of Justice released Guidance to ensure compliance with President Trump’s Executive Order No. 14224, which establishes English as the official language of the United States of America. 

Consistent with the Executive Order, the Department of Justice will lead a coordinated effort across federal agencies to minimize non-essential multilingual services, redirect resources toward English-language education and assimilation, and ensure legal compliance with the Executive Order through targeted measures where necessary.

<a href="https://www.justice.gov/ag/media/1407776/dl?inline=&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery">Click here to read the</a> full guidance document.

"As President Trump has made clear, English is the official language of the United States," said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. "The Department of Justice will lead the effort to codify the President’s Executive Order and eliminate wasteful virtue-signaling policies across government agencies to promote assimilation over division."

"President Trump’s Executive Order marks a pivotal step toward unifying our nation through a common language and enhancing efficiency in federal operations," said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. "The Department of Justice ensures that while we respect linguistic diversity, our federal resources will prioritize English proficiency to empower new Americans and strengthen civic unity.”

While leaving room for linguistic diversity that exists in private and community spheres, this Guidance will help streamline federal processes, reduce administrative burdens, and increase operational efficiency across agencies by removing extensive translation services and de-prioritizing multilingualism over English proficiency. Implementing the Executive Order will enhance social and economic integration, offer new Americans a vital pathway for civic engagement, and further bind Americans together with a shared language.

President Trump’s Executive Order rescinds Executive Order No. 13,166, signed by President Clinton on August 16, 2000. Executive Order No. 13,166 directed agencies to enhance access to federal programs for persons with limited English proficiency and required tailored guidance for recipients of federal funding—straining federal resources and impeding the assimilation of new Americans.

This is the latest Guidance issued by the Department of Justice to implement and administer President Trump’s agenda.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752522208272.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON — On Monday, the Department of Justice released Guidance to ensure compliance with President Trump’s Executive Order No. 14224, which establishes English as the official language of the United States of America. Consistent with the Executive Order, the Department of Justice will lead a coordinated effort across federal agencies to minimize non-essential multilingual services, redirect resources toward English-language education and assimilation, and ensure legal compliance with the Executive Order through targeted measures where necessary.<a href="https://www.justice.gov/ag/media/1407776/dl?inline=&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery">Click here to read the</a> full guidance document."As President Trump has made clear, English is the official language of the United States," said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. "The Department of Justice will lead the effort to codify the President’s Executive Order and eliminate wasteful virtue-signaling policies across government agencies to promote assimilation over division.""President Trump’s Executive Order marks a pivotal step toward unifying our nation through a common language and enhancing efficiency in federal operations," said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. "The Department of Justice ensures that while we respect linguistic diversity, our federal resources will prioritize English proficiency to empower new Americans and strengthen civic unity.”While leaving room for linguistic diversity that exists in private and community spheres, this Guidance will help streamline federal processes, reduce administrative burdens, and increase operational efficiency across agencies by removing extensive translation services and de-prioritizing multilingualism over English proficiency. Implementing the Executive Order will enhance social and economic integration, offer new Americans a vital pathway for civic engagement, and further bind Americans together with a shared language.President Trump’s Executive Order rescinds Executive Order No. 13,166, signed by President Clinton on August 16, 2000. Executive Order No. 13,166 directed agencies to enhance access to federal programs for persons with limited English proficiency and required tailored guidance for recipients of federal funding—straining federal resources and impeding the assimilation of new Americans.This is the latest Guidance issued by the Department of Justice to implement and administer President Trump’s agenda.

Read new DOJ guidance on implementing English as official language of the US

Danone U.S. is voluntarily recalling YoCrunch® products sold at retail stores nationwide due to the potential presence of plastic pieces in the dome topper.

 If consumed, the plastic pieces could potentially cause a choking response. The issue is isolated only to the separately packaged topper and does not impact the separately packaged yogurt. This recall applies to all flavors and sizes of YoCrunch® products currently in-market, as summarized on the table below.

Consumer complaints have reported the presence of plastic pieces in the toppers, which have the potential to cause choking. The plastic pieces are transparent, may have sharp edges, and could present a risk to consumers because some pieces are between 7 and 25 mm in length. This voluntary recall was initiated on&nbsp;July 11, 2025, and is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The company is working swiftly with retail partners to remove the impacted product from shelves, while it works to address the issue and bring back the YoCrunch® products so many people enjoy.

Danone U.S., the makers of YoCrunch, takes every consumer experience seriously and is initiating this voluntary recall in line with its commitment to product quality and consumer safety.

Consumers who have purchased the affected YoCrunch® products should not consume them. For information on refunds, please contact the YoCrunch® Consumer Care Line at 1-877-344-4886. Consumer Care specialists are available to speak live Monday - Friday,&nbsp;9am to 6pm ET.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752574434288.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Danone U.S. is voluntarily recalling YoCrunch® products sold at retail stores nationwide due to the potential presence of plastic pieces in the dome topper. If consumed, the plastic pieces could potentially cause a choking response. The issue is isolated only to the separately packaged topper and does not impact the separately packaged yogurt. This recall applies to all flavors and sizes of YoCrunch® products currently in-market, as summarized on the table below.Consumer complaints have reported the presence of plastic pieces in the toppers, which have the potential to cause choking. The plastic pieces are transparent, may have sharp edges, and could present a risk to consumers because some pieces are between 7 and 25 mm in length. This voluntary recall was initiated on&nbsp;July 11, 2025, and is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The company is working swiftly with retail partners to remove the impacted product from shelves, while it works to address the issue and bring back the YoCrunch® products so many people enjoy.Danone U.S., the makers of YoCrunch, takes every consumer experience seriously and is initiating this voluntary recall in line with its commitment to product quality and consumer safety.Consumers who have purchased the affected YoCrunch® products should not consume them. For information on refunds, please contact the YoCrunch® Consumer Care Line at 1-877-344-4886. Consumer Care specialists are available to speak live Monday - Friday,&nbsp;9am to 6pm ET.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752574621391.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

YoCrunch yogurt products recalled over potential choking risk

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man faces felony charges in connection with a homicide that took place in 2022.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2669/Green-COMPLAINTREDACTED">Maurice Green</a>, 21, faces 2nd Degree Murder and Unlawful Use of a Weapon, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2668/Green-PCREDACTED-1">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police responded to the area of East 10th Street and Olive Street on Jan. 26, 2022, and located the deceased victim in the driver’s seat of a vehicle.&nbsp;

Based on witness reports and cellphone records, two suspects, one later identified as Green, approached the vehicle the victim was sitting in and opened fire into the vehicle.

In the street near the crime scene, detectives found a single black and white Nike sandal. Green's DNA was later found on the sandal, and he acknowledged the sandal belonged to him.

Green was almost 18 years old when the murder occurred and was certified to stand trial as an adult. He is being held without bond.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752446078416.png" alt="Green photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Green photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man faces felony charges in connection with a homicide that took place in 2022.<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2669/Green-COMPLAINTREDACTED">Maurice Green</a>, 21, faces 2nd Degree Murder and Unlawful Use of a Weapon, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2668/Green-PCREDACTED-1">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police responded to the area of East 10th Street and Olive Street on Jan. 26, 2022, and located the deceased victim in the driver’s seat of a vehicle.&nbsp;Based on witness reports and cellphone records, two suspects, one later identified as Green, approached the vehicle the victim was sitting in and opened fire into the vehicle.In the street near the crime scene, detectives found a single black and white Nike sandal. Green's DNA was later found on the sandal, and he acknowledged the sandal belonged to him.Green was almost 18 years old when the murder occurred and was certified to stand trial as an adult. He is being held without bond.&nbsp;

DNA on sandal led to charges in 3-year-old KC murder case

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">President Trump on Putin: &quot;I don&#39;t want to say he&#39;s an assassin, but he&#39;s a tough guy.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/wlOwhd1SFV">pic.twitter.com/wlOwhd1SFV</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1944786409396584801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump on Russia: &quot;We&#39;re very, very unhappy with them and we&#39;re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don&#39;t have a deal in 50 days. Tariffs at about 100%.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/nDWaAojSoC">pic.twitter.com/nDWaAojSoC</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1944781747507314768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump on new weapons deal with NATO: &quot;We&#39;ve made a deal today where we&#39;re going to be sending [NATO] weapons and they&#39;re going to be paying for it. The United States will not be having any payment made.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/pyY7VwpRi0">pic.twitter.com/pyY7VwpRi0</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1944780906289381639?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥Trump threatens Russia, sets deadline for peace deal with Ukraine

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly on Monday proclaimed Panasonic Day across the State of Kansas in honor of the grand opening of Panasonic Energy’s state-of-the-art electric vehicle battery plant in De Soto, Kansas. 

The facility, which is the largest private business investment in Kansas history, will bring up to 4,000 jobs and an estimated $2.5 billion in new economic activity in Kansas annually.

<a target="_blank" href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fcontent.govdelivery.com%2Fattachments%2FKSOG%2F2025%2F07%2F14%2Ffile_attachments%2F3322939%2FPanasonic%2520Day.pdf/1/0101019809c6a211-0cecc9f7-524b-4de9-a8d7-f34c7b92d4ef-000000/1Cdcg2agBIa_4Zcn5g7rxcoVxFll_Y6bbehGHBq7VcQ=413">Click here to read the proclamation</a>.&nbsp;

“Panasonic’s state-of-the-art EV battery plant marks a bright new era in Kansas,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“The monumental effort that has gone into every aspect of this project has culminated in this historic day as the plant begins mass production of EV batteries. It’s hard to overstate what Panasonic’s investment means to Kansas and the value of the partnership that made it possible.”

The De Soto plant is the largest economic development project in company history — and Kansas history. An estimated $2.5 billion in new economic activity in Kansas will be generated annually by the project.

“The opening of our Kansas factory marks a major milestone in our journey to scale advanced battery production in the United States,”&nbsp;Panasonic Energy CEO Kazuo Tadanobu said.&nbsp;“This achievement would not have been possible without the strong support of our local partners and the State of Kansas. Together, we are accelerating the shift to electrification, reinforcing regional supply chains, and nurturing the next generation of battery talent. This facility represents not only our commitment to the region but also a foundation for long-term collaboration and innovation in the U.S.”

The project is expected to create up to 4,000 new jobs and significantly boost the regional and state economy, supporting an estimated 4,000 additional jobs created by suppliers and community businesses and 16,500 construction jobs, as cited in an independent Wichita State University economic impact study.

“Kansas leaders did the equivalent of kicking down doors and leaping over tall buildings to win this $4 billion investment by Panasonic,”&nbsp;Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said.&nbsp;“This is a once-in-a-generation move that will power our economy, support thousands of Kansas families and spark opportunity for decades to come. It’s bold. It’s historic. And all Kansans can feel pride today in seeing that our state can do big things again, and that our best days are ahead of us.”

The 300-acre manufacturing plant, which is opening almost three years to the date of the initial announcement, is located in De Soto’s Astra Enterprise Park. The state-of-the-art facility will operate and produce approximately 66 lithium-ion batteries per second. Its infrastructure is broken into two wings, with four battery lines on each wing. At the end of both wings, infrastructure is designed for shipping, packing, and sub-supply vendor spaces for Panasonic partners.

“Panasonic’s new state-of-the-art facility in De Soto is a milestone for our state and a testament to Kansas’ talented workforce and leadership in energy production and innovation,”&nbsp;U.S. Senator Jerry Moran said.&nbsp;“I commend the leadership of Panasonic for choosing the Sunflower State for its U.S. manufacturing site, creating thousands of quality jobs for Kansans and drawing new people to the Midwest. With this investment, we are continuing to make certain Kansas remains a place where the next generation – with their knowledge and talent – can stay and build a future.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752515532561.png" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly on Monday proclaimed Panasonic Day across the State of Kansas in honor of the grand opening of Panasonic Energy’s state-of-the-art electric vehicle battery plant in De Soto, Kansas. The facility, which is the largest private business investment in Kansas history, will bring up to 4,000 jobs and an estimated $2.5 billion in new economic activity in Kansas annually.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752503239451.png" alt="In July of 2022, Gov. Laura Kelly announced Japan’s Panasonic Corp. selected Kansas as the location for a multibillion-dollar mega-factory" />
 <figcaption>In July of 2022, Gov. Laura Kelly announced Japan’s Panasonic Corp. selected Kansas as the location for a multibillion-dollar mega-factory</figcaption>
 </figure><a target="_blank" href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fcontent.govdelivery.com%2Fattachments%2FKSOG%2F2025%2F07%2F14%2Ffile_attachments%2F3322939%2FPanasonic%2520Day.pdf/1/0101019809c6a211-0cecc9f7-524b-4de9-a8d7-f34c7b92d4ef-000000/1Cdcg2agBIa_4Zcn5g7rxcoVxFll_Y6bbehGHBq7VcQ=413">Click here to read the proclamation</a>.&nbsp;“Panasonic’s state-of-the-art EV battery plant marks a bright new era in Kansas,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“The monumental effort that has gone into every aspect of this project has culminated in this historic day as the plant begins mass production of EV batteries. It’s hard to overstate what Panasonic’s investment means to Kansas and the value of the partnership that made it possible.”The De Soto plant is the largest economic development project in company history — and Kansas history. An estimated $2.5 billion in new economic activity in Kansas will be generated annually by the project.“The opening of our Kansas factory marks a major milestone in our journey to scale advanced battery production in the United States,”&nbsp;Panasonic Energy CEO Kazuo Tadanobu said.&nbsp;“This achievement would not have been possible without the strong support of our local partners and the State of Kansas. Together, we are accelerating the shift to electrification, reinforcing regional supply chains, and nurturing the next generation of battery talent. This facility represents not only our commitment to the region but also a foundation for long-term collaboration and innovation in the U.S.”The project is expected to create up to 4,000 new jobs and significantly boost the regional and state economy, supporting an estimated 4,000 additional jobs created by suppliers and community businesses and 16,500 construction jobs, as cited in an independent Wichita State University economic impact study.“Kansas leaders did the equivalent of kicking down doors and leaping over tall buildings to win this $4 billion investment by Panasonic,”&nbsp;Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said.&nbsp;“This is a once-in-a-generation move that will power our economy, support thousands of Kansas families and spark opportunity for decades to come. It’s bold. It’s historic. And all Kansans can feel pride today in seeing that our state can do big things again, and that our best days are ahead of us.”The 300-acre manufacturing plant, which is opening almost three years to the date of the initial announcement, is located in De Soto’s Astra Enterprise Park. The state-of-the-art facility will operate and produce approximately 66 lithium-ion batteries per second. Its infrastructure is broken into two wings, with four battery lines on each wing. At the end of both wings, infrastructure is designed for shipping, packing, and sub-supply vendor spaces for Panasonic partners.“Panasonic’s new state-of-the-art facility in De Soto is a milestone for our state and a testament to Kansas’ talented workforce and leadership in energy production and innovation,”&nbsp;U.S. Senator Jerry Moran said.&nbsp;“I commend the leadership of Panasonic for choosing the Sunflower State for its U.S. manufacturing site, creating thousands of quality jobs for Kansans and drawing new people to the Midwest. With this investment, we are continuing to make certain Kansas remains a place where the next generation – with their knowledge and talent – can stay and build a future.”

$4 billion investment: Panasonic Day in Kansas

MORGAN COUNTY, Mo. —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after weekend boat chase on Lake of the Ozarks.

Just before 8:30p.m. Saturday,&nbsp;Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop F was advised of an alleged domestic assault involving a man, later identified as 39-year-old Loren M. Peters of Sunrise Beach throwing a woman off a vessel in Davey Hollow Cove at Lake of the Ozarks, according to a media release from the MSHP.

Troopers observed the suspect vessel, an orange 2023 Hayaari Marine H44Z at the 10 mile mark of the main channel. As troopers began to conduct a boat stop, the Hayaari accelerated quickly and attempted to leave the area. This led to a vessel pursuit.

The pursuit ended with the Hayaari entered Mill Creek Cove. The operator, Peters, abandoned the vessel at a dock near Walleye Drive and ran. Troopers took Peters into custody a short time later. He was arrested on requested charges of BWI alcohol, resist or interfere with arrest, operating a boat in a careless manner and fourth-degree domestic assault.

MORGAN COUNTY, Mo. —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after weekend boat chase on Lake of the Ozarks.Just before 8:30p.m. Saturday,&nbsp;Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop F was advised of an alleged domestic assault involving a man, later identified as 39-year-old Loren M. Peters of Sunrise Beach throwing a woman off a vessel in Davey Hollow Cove at Lake of the Ozarks, according to a media release from the MSHP.Troopers observed the suspect vessel, an orange 2023 Hayaari Marine H44Z at the 10 mile mark of the main channel. As troopers began to conduct a boat stop, the Hayaari accelerated quickly and attempted to leave the area. This led to a vessel pursuit.The pursuit ended with the Hayaari entered Mill Creek Cove. The operator, Peters, abandoned the vessel at a dock near Walleye Drive and ran. Troopers took Peters into custody a short time later. He was arrested on requested charges of BWI alcohol, resist or interfere with arrest, operating a boat in a careless manner and fourth-degree domestic assault.

Patrol: Man jailed after throwing woman from boat at Lake of the Ozarks

KANSAS CITY—Two brothers are in custody and facing charges after a shooting during a a Facebook Marketplace truck sale at a Kansas City apartment parking lot.

According to court records, on July 9, 35-year-old Clarence Melbert and 31-year-old Aaron Melbert allegedly arranged to sell a black Ford F-150.&nbsp;&nbsp;

When a buyer arrived at the location with $2,500 in cash, Clarence pointed a gun and ordered the buyer out of the truck, while Aaron threatened him with a knife, according to police.

As the victim tried to leave, he was shot from behind in the ear and arm.

The victim’s wife, who witnessed the attack, fired her own gun in self-defense as the suspects fled. She helped police identify both suspects. Officers found the brothers nearby and arrested them without incident.

&nbsp;Clarence had a gunshot wound to his arm. Police recovered firearms, shell casings and a knife from the scene.

Aaron is being held on requested charges of&nbsp;Warrant: New Case warrant issued by Jackson, MO; Bond - Cash Only, $100000.00.

Clarence is being held on requested charges that include Warrant: Failure to Appear warrant ; Bond - 10% OR Secured, $5600.00;Warrant: New Case warrant ; Bond - Cash Only, $100000.00;Warrant: Failure to Appear warrant ; Bond - ROR, $2500.00;Warrant: Failure to Appear warrant ; Bond - ROR, $50.00;Warrant: Failure to Appear warrant ; Bond - ROR, $2000.00;Warrant: Failure to Appear warrant ; Bond - ROR, $2000.00;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752501119626.png" alt="Aaron Melbert photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Aaron Melbert photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Two brothers are in custody and facing charges after a shooting during a a Facebook Marketplace truck sale at a Kansas City apartment parking lot.According to court records, on July 9, 35-year-old Clarence Melbert and 31-year-old Aaron Melbert allegedly arranged to sell a black Ford F-150.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752501049562.png" alt="Clarence Melbert photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Clarence Melbert photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>When a buyer arrived at the location with $2,500 in cash, Clarence pointed a gun and ordered the buyer out of the truck, while Aaron threatened him with a knife, according to police.As the victim tried to leave, he was shot from behind in the ear and arm.The victim’s wife, who witnessed the attack, fired her own gun in self-defense as the suspects fled. She helped police identify both suspects. Officers found the brothers nearby and arrested them without incident.&nbsp;Clarence had a gunshot wound to his arm. Police recovered firearms, shell casings and a knife from the scene.Aaron is being held on requested charges of&nbsp;Warrant: New Case warrant issued by Jackson, MO; Bond - Cash Only, $100000.00.Clarence is being held on requested charges that include Warrant: Failure to Appear warrant ; Bond - 10% OR Secured, $5600.00;Warrant: New Case warrant ; Bond - Cash Only, $100000.00;Warrant: Failure to Appear warrant ; Bond - ROR, $2500.00;Warrant: Failure to Appear warrant ; Bond - ROR, $50.00;Warrant: Failure to Appear warrant ; Bond - ROR, $2000.00;Warrant: Failure to Appear warrant ; Bond - ROR, $2000.00;

Brothers jailed after Facebook Marketplace truck sale shooting

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</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>

WASHINGTON — Congress has just days left to approve the Trump administration’s request to cancel $9.4 billion in previously approved funding for public media and foreign aid, setting up yet another tight deadline for lawmakers.&nbsp;

The Senate must pass the bill before July 18, otherwise the White House budget office will be required to spend the funding and be barred from sending up the same proposal again for what are called rescissions.

But objections from several GOP senators could stop the legislation in its tracks, or change it substantially, requiring another House vote in a very short time frame. Rejecting the plan would represent a loss for the Trump administration after passage of the “big, beautiful” tax and spending cut law earlier this month.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., appears optimistic he can secure the votes needed to begin debate, though he hasn’t said publicly if he thinks the bill can actually pass.&nbsp;

“We’ll have it up on the floor next week. Hopefully, we get on it and then we’ll have an amendment process,” Thune said during a Wednesday press conference. “And kind of like a budget reconciliation bill, it’s an open amendment process, a vote-a-rama type process, which I’m sure you’re very excited about.”

At least 50 Republicans must agree to proceed to the legislation amid unified opposition from Democrats. Thune can only lose three GOP senators and still begin debate with Vice President JD Vance’s tie-breaking vote. Rescissions bills are exempt from the Senate’s 60-vote legislative filibuster.

After a maximum of 10 hours of debate, the Senate will begin a marathon amendment voting session that could substantially reshape the measure.

There may be enough Republican votes to completely remove the section rescinding $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds the Public Broadcasting Service, National Public Radio and hundreds of local public media stations.

Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Susan Collins, Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski and South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds all brought up misgivings during&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-drive-defund-npr-pbs-resisted-republicans-rural-states" target="_blank">a June hearing</a>&nbsp;about how canceling previously approved funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting would impact rural communities and emergency alerts.

Collins, R-Maine, also raised concerns about the Trump administration’s efforts to claw back previously approved funding for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, and is likely to bring an amendment to the floor on that issue, according to her office. PEPFAR is a global initiative to combat HIV/AIDS that was led by President George W. Bush.

Democrats will get to offer as many amendments as they want during the vote-a-rama and could try to remove each section of the bill one by one, forcing Republicans to weigh in publicly on numerous foreign aid programs.

President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-wants-congress-slash-94b-spending-now-defund-npr-and-pbs" target="_blank">sent Congress the rescissions request</a>&nbsp;in early June, starting a 45-day clock for lawmakers to consider his proposal.

The recommendation asked lawmakers to cancel $8.3 billion in foreign aid funding, including $500 million for certain global health programs at the U.S. Agency for International Development.

“This proposal would not reduce treatment but would eliminate programs that are antithetical to American interests and worsen the lives of women and children, like ‘family planning’ and ‘reproductive health,’ LGBTQI+ activities, and ‘equity’ programs,” the request states. “This rescission proposal aligns with the Administration’s efforts to eliminate wasteful USAID foreign assistance programs.”

The House&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-house-votes-yank-billions-npr-pbs-and-foreign-aid-programs" target="_blank">voted mostly along party lines</a>&nbsp;in mid-June to approve the rescissions request, but the legislation sat around the Senate for weeks as Republicans struggled to pass their “big, beautiful” law.

The Senate can vote to approve the proposal as is, change it, or let it expire, forcing the White House budget office to spend the money, which it’s been able to legally freeze since sending Congress the rescissions request.

Senators’ decision will impact how Republicans in that chamber, especially Thune and those on the Appropriations Committee, work with White House budget director Russ Vought in the coming months and years.

Congress and the Trump administration must broker some sort of funding agreement before the start of the next fiscal year on Oct. 1 to stave off a shutdown.

Vought has also said he plans to send lawmakers additional rescissions requests, though he hasn’t said exactly when or what programs he’ll include.

Senate Appropriations Committee ranking member Patty Murray, D-Wash., said Thursday as the panel debated three of the full-year government funding bills that the rescissions package is not acceptable and could impede the committee’s traditionally bipartisan work.

“We need to make sure decisions about what to fund and, yes, what to rescind are made here in Congress on a bipartisan basis and within our annual funding process,” Murray said. “We cannot allow bipartisan funding bills with partisan rescission packages. It will not work. And that is why I will repeat my commitment to all of my colleagues that on this side of the dais, we stand ready to discuss rescissions as part of these bipartisan spending bills.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746181587274.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</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>WASHINGTON — Congress has just days left to approve the Trump administration’s request to cancel $9.4 billion in previously approved funding for public media and foreign aid, setting up yet another tight deadline for lawmakers.&nbsp;The Senate must pass the bill before July 18, otherwise the White House budget office will be required to spend the funding and be barred from sending up the same proposal again for what are called rescissions.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/zMYMcrzbxu">pic.twitter.com/zMYMcrzbxu</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1943446385501614262?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>But objections from several GOP senators could stop the legislation in its tracks, or change it substantially, requiring another House vote in a very short time frame. Rejecting the plan would represent a loss for the Trump administration after passage of the “big, beautiful” tax and spending cut law earlier this month.Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., appears optimistic he can secure the votes needed to begin debate, though he hasn’t said publicly if he thinks the bill can actually pass.&nbsp;“We’ll have it up on the floor next week. Hopefully, we get on it and then we’ll have an amendment process,” Thune said during a Wednesday press conference. “And kind of like a budget reconciliation bill, it’s an open amendment process, a vote-a-rama type process, which I’m sure you’re very excited about.”<h2>JD Vance needed again?</h2>At least 50 Republicans must agree to proceed to the legislation amid unified opposition from Democrats. Thune can only lose three GOP senators and still begin debate with Vice President JD Vance’s tie-breaking vote. Rescissions bills are exempt from the Senate’s 60-vote legislative filibuster.After a maximum of 10 hours of debate, the Senate will begin a marathon amendment voting session that could substantially reshape the measure.There may be enough Republican votes to completely remove the section rescinding $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds the Public Broadcasting Service, National Public Radio and hundreds of local public media stations.Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Susan Collins, Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski and South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds all brought up misgivings during&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-drive-defund-npr-pbs-resisted-republicans-rural-states" target="_blank">a June hearing</a>&nbsp;about how canceling previously approved funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting would impact rural communities and emergency alerts.Collins, R-Maine, also raised concerns about the Trump administration’s efforts to claw back previously approved funding for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, and is likely to bring an amendment to the floor on that issue, according to her office. PEPFAR is a global initiative to combat HIV/AIDS that was led by President George W. Bush.Democrats will get to offer as many amendments as they want during the vote-a-rama and could try to remove each section of the bill one by one, forcing Republicans to weigh in publicly on numerous foreign aid programs.<h2>45 days for Trump request</h2>President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-wants-congress-slash-94b-spending-now-defund-npr-and-pbs" target="_blank">sent Congress the rescissions request</a>&nbsp;in early June, starting a 45-day clock for lawmakers to consider his proposal.The recommendation asked lawmakers to cancel $8.3 billion in foreign aid funding, including $500 million for certain global health programs at the U.S. Agency for International Development.“This proposal would not reduce treatment but would eliminate programs that are antithetical to American interests and worsen the lives of women and children, like ‘family planning’ and ‘reproductive health,’ LGBTQI+ activities, and ‘equity’ programs,” the request states. “This rescission proposal aligns with the Administration’s efforts to eliminate wasteful USAID foreign assistance programs.”The House&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-house-votes-yank-billions-npr-pbs-and-foreign-aid-programs" target="_blank">voted mostly along party lines</a>&nbsp;in mid-June to approve the rescissions request, but the legislation sat around the Senate for weeks as Republicans struggled to pass their “big, beautiful” law.The Senate can vote to approve the proposal as is, change it, or let it expire, forcing the White House budget office to spend the money, which it’s been able to legally freeze since sending Congress the rescissions request.<h2>Relations with White House</h2>Senators’ decision will impact how Republicans in that chamber, especially Thune and those on the Appropriations Committee, work with White House budget director Russ Vought in the coming months and years.Congress and the Trump administration must broker some sort of funding agreement before the start of the next fiscal year on Oct. 1 to stave off a shutdown.Vought has also said he plans to send lawmakers additional rescissions requests, though he hasn’t said exactly when or what programs he’ll include.Senate Appropriations Committee ranking member Patty Murray, D-Wash., said Thursday as the panel debated three of the full-year government funding bills that the rescissions package is not acceptable and could impede the committee’s traditionally bipartisan work.“We need to make sure decisions about what to fund and, yes, what to rescind are made here in Congress on a bipartisan basis and within our annual funding process,” Murray said. “We cannot allow bipartisan funding bills with partisan rescission packages. It will not work. And that is why I will repeat my commitment to all of my colleagues that on this side of the dais, we stand ready to discuss rescissions as part of these bipartisan spending bills.”

US Senate GOP under pressure on Trump demand to defund NPR, PBS, foreign aid

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on Patriot missile defenses for Ukraine: &quot;The European Union is paying for it. We&#39;re not paying anything for it. We will send it. It&#39;ll be business for us.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/0kkfvL7UZC">pic.twitter.com/0kkfvL7UZC</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1944546839987958042?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 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;I am very disappointed with President Putin. I thought he was somebody that meant what he said — and he&#39;ll talk so beautifully, then he&#39;ll bomb people at night. We don&#39;t like that.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/9HaGgLiKEJ">pic.twitter.com/9HaGgLiKEJ</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1944549417266364443?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥Trump rips Putin, suggests a shift in policy on war in Ukraine

KANSAS CITY—Officials are investigating the cause of a fire in a high rise building in Kansas City, Missouri.

Just after 6:30a.m. Saturday, the Kansas City Missouri Fire Department responded to a reported "high rise" fire in the 900 block of Grand, according to to Battalion Chief Riley Nolan. It was later identified as the&nbsp; former Federal Reserve Bank building.

After gaining entrance to the secured building, crews encountered heavy smoke conditions, along with fire on the 1st floor. An offensive attack was initiated, the fire was extinguished with two handlines and a booster line. 

Searches were conducted on all floors and came back all clear. While searching the upper floors of the building, heavy smoke conditions were found, but no fire. During overhaul operations, hot spots and small fires on the 1st floor were exposed and quickly extinguished, followed by the ventilation of smoke from the building. There were no injuries reported.

Just before 1:30p.m. Saturday, the KCFD responded to a reported high-rise fire in the 700 block of East 8th Street in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Nolan.

 The fire was reported to be on the 15th floor. The first "fire attack group" was assigned and investigated, finding heavy smoke and fire in a single unit. They were quickly able to extinguish the fire and begin overhaul operations to ensure there were no further hazards. Searches were conducted on all floors and came back all clear. Crews ventilated smoke from the building allowing the residents to return to their units once completed.&nbsp; No injuries were reported at this incident.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752355385180.png" alt="Photos KCFD" />
 <figcaption>Photos KCFD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Officials are investigating the cause of a fire in a high rise building in Kansas City, Missouri.Just after 6:30a.m. Saturday, the Kansas City Missouri Fire Department responded to a reported "high rise" fire in the 900 block of Grand, according to to Battalion Chief Riley Nolan. It was later identified as the&nbsp; former Federal Reserve Bank building.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752355359847.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>After gaining entrance to the secured building, crews encountered heavy smoke conditions, along with fire on the 1st floor. An offensive attack was initiated, the fire was extinguished with two handlines and a booster line. Searches were conducted on all floors and came back all clear. While searching the upper floors of the building, heavy smoke conditions were found, but no fire. During overhaul operations, hot spots and small fires on the 1st floor were exposed and quickly extinguished, followed by the ventilation of smoke from the building. There were no injuries reported.Just before 1:30p.m. Saturday, the KCFD responded to a reported high-rise fire in the 700 block of East 8th Street in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Nolan.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752370499768.png" alt="Photo KCFD" />
 <figcaption>Photo KCFD</figcaption>
 </figure> The fire was reported to be on the 15th floor. The first "fire attack group" was assigned and investigated, finding heavy smoke and fire in a single unit. They were quickly able to extinguish the fire and begin overhaul operations to ensure there were no further hazards. Searches were conducted on all floors and came back all clear. Crews ventilated smoke from the building allowing the residents to return to their units once completed.&nbsp; No injuries were reported at this incident.

2 fires in high rise buildings in Kansas City under investigation

Tariffs, deportations threaten economic damage in the still-thriving Southeast United States.

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/thenderson/">Tim Henderson</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>

Global clashes and trade wars hammered Midwestern states’ agricultural economies early this year, while a continuing boom in Southeastern states’ housing and tech jobs kept their economies humming along.

Some Southeastern states were seeing a strong agricultural economy because of still-rising poultry and egg prices, though small row-crop farmers there were still caught in the crunch of high costs and low profits, and many declared bankruptcy. And the area benefited from gains in real estate and tech.

Overall, 39 states and the District of Columbia saw drops in gross domestic product (GDP) for the first quarter of this year — well above the 22 states and the District of Columbia seeing drops during the same time in 2024, according to a Stateline analysis of preliminary U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bea.gov/data/gdp/gdp-state" target="_blank">statistics</a>&nbsp;released June 27.

National numbers released late last month show a rare decrease in economic output for the first quarter, the first since 2022, partly because of increased imports as suppliers sought to stock up on imported goods ahead of tariff increases. GDP is calculated by subtracting imported goods from national economic output.

There’s widespread agreement that row-crop farmers are suffering economic pain, especially in the Midwest where the industry dominates the economy. Meanwhile, the booming housing and tech sectors in the South are on a continued winning streak even as storm clouds gather over tariffs and immigrant labor.

Nationwide, more farms filed for Chapter 12 bankruptcy from January through March than in any full year since 2021, driven by higher costs for supplies and lower prices paid for row crops such as corn, soybeans and wheat.

“Crop prices and commodity prices are significantly lower, and fertilizer and equipment prices are higher, so we’re seeing a bit of a struggle right now in the farm economy,” said Abygail Streff, an economist and policy analyst at the Nebraska Farm Bureau.

Meat prices are one of the few bright spots in Nebraska’s farm economy, Streff said. “For a lot of producers who have cattle, this has been a really good year for them.”

Still, Nebraska, along with Iowa, suffered the biggest drop in GDP, according to the analysis. Each state fell 6.1% from the same time a year ago.

The squeeze on farmers from high fertilizer prices and low grain prices means they must&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agweb.com/news/crops/crop-production/fertilizer-prices-vs-corn-prices-are-now-some-worst-history" target="_blank">produce more and more corn</a>&nbsp;just to pay their fertilizer costs, said Josh Linville, a fertilizer market analyst at StoneX.

Fertilizer supply has been disrupted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2023/september/global-fertilizer-market-challenged-by-russia-s-invasion-of-ukraine" target="_blank">by sanctions against Russia</a>, and it’s gotten worse this year with the bombing of Iran and the trade war with China, two countries that are also important fertilizer suppliers to American farmers, Linville said.

“We tend to think of the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz [a shipping channel under threat by conflict] from an oil-slash-energy perspective, but 1 out of every 2 tons of urea fertilizer that gets shipped to the United States comes from the Middle East,” Linville said.

Despite being a drain in the Midwest, agriculture was a positive driver of economies in Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi, according to Stateline’s analysis.

That’s because Southeastern agriculture includes more poultry and eggs, currently more profitable than the row crops that dominate in the Midwest, said Wendiam Sawadgo, an extension economist at Auburn University. The divergence is expected to last, he said, with row-crop prices continuing to fall and meat and egg prices continuing to rise this year.

But even in the Southeast, row-crop farmers suffered.

Arkansas saw a near-record number of farm bankruptcies this year, for example. And climate change has contributed to lower soybean prices as low water levels in the Mississippi River make barge transportation more difficult and expensive, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://bpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/wordpressua.uark.edu/dist/6/907/files/2025/06/MS-River-Fryar-Article-Mitchell-and-Biram-2025.pdf" target="_blank">reports</a>&nbsp;this year by the University of Arkansas’ Agricultural Economics &amp; Agribusiness Department.

Farm bankruptcies nationally came to 259 in the first three months of this year. That was more than any full year since 2021, when there were 276, according to cases compiled by Ryan Loy, an agricultural economist at the University of Arkansas. Arkansas saw 15 farm bankruptcies in the first quarter, almost as many as in all of 2024, when there were 16.

“We’ve already outpaced all of last year on a national scale,” he said.

Large farms can ride out struggles, but smaller farms are more likely to go bankrupt from increases in costs and lower market prices, a pattern that started in the early 2010s and got sharply worse in the past year, Loy said.

All five of the states with the fastest-growing economies were in the 12-state Southeast region defined by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Even there, though, the percentages were slight: South Carolina (up 1.7%), Florida (up 1.4%), Alabama (up 1%), North Carolina and Arkansas (each up .8%) had the largest increases in the nation.

The largest drivers in Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina were real estate and tech, while increases in Alabama and Arkansas were mostly in agriculture.

The Carolinas have been magnets for new movers, said Matthew Martin, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based regional executive for the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. The influx has driven more housing and infrastructure work to supply newcomers, he said.

“Employment in South Carolina is on fire right now and North Carolina is doing well also. They’re places that people want to be,” Martin said. “Employers want to be there, too, and so there’s been population growth. Then you’ve got to have all the retail and health care. That has got to follow it.”

Business owners are uncertain about future federal policy in the Trump administration, Martin said, according to conversations he’s had.

They worry about tariffs, whether they’ll have to raise prices or accept lower profits, and eventually whether those factors could cause job growth to stall. And some businesses that depend on immigrant labor say they’ve lost workers despite using the national E-Verify system to make sure employees have legal status to work, Martin said.

Martin hasn’t heard of many workplace raids in the Carolinas, but there have been some federal audits of employee forms to check for false statements.

“Some of the workers won’t show up from that day forward,” Martin said.

Stateline reporter Tim Henderson can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:thenderson@stateline.org">thenderson@stateline.org</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1751161934969.png" alt="Post photo" />
 <figcaption>Post photo</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Tariffs, deportations threaten economic damage in the still-thriving Southeast United States.</h2>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/thenderson/">Tim Henderson</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>Global clashes and trade wars hammered Midwestern states’ agricultural economies early this year, while a continuing boom in Southeastern states’ housing and tech jobs kept their economies humming along.Some Southeastern states were seeing a strong agricultural economy because of still-rising poultry and egg prices, though small row-crop farmers there were still caught in the crunch of high costs and low profits, and many declared bankruptcy. And the area benefited from gains in real estate and tech.Overall, 39 states and the District of Columbia saw drops in gross domestic product (GDP) for the first quarter of this year — well above the 22 states and the District of Columbia seeing drops during the same time in 2024, according to a Stateline analysis of preliminary U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bea.gov/data/gdp/gdp-state" target="_blank">statistics</a>&nbsp;released June 27.National numbers released late last month show a rare decrease in economic output for the first quarter, the first since 2022, partly because of increased imports as suppliers sought to stock up on imported goods ahead of tariff increases. GDP is calculated by subtracting imported goods from national economic output.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752369967885.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>There’s widespread agreement that row-crop farmers are suffering economic pain, especially in the Midwest where the industry dominates the economy. Meanwhile, the booming housing and tech sectors in the South are on a continued winning streak even as storm clouds gather over tariffs and immigrant labor.Nationwide, more farms filed for Chapter 12 bankruptcy from January through March than in any full year since 2021, driven by higher costs for supplies and lower prices paid for row crops such as corn, soybeans and wheat.“Crop prices and commodity prices are significantly lower, and fertilizer and equipment prices are higher, so we’re seeing a bit of a struggle right now in the farm economy,” said Abygail Streff, an economist and policy analyst at the Nebraska Farm Bureau.Meat prices are one of the few bright spots in Nebraska’s farm economy, Streff said. “For a lot of producers who have cattle, this has been a really good year for them.”Still, Nebraska, along with Iowa, suffered the biggest drop in GDP, according to the analysis. Each state fell 6.1% from the same time a year ago.The squeeze on farmers from high fertilizer prices and low grain prices means they must&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agweb.com/news/crops/crop-production/fertilizer-prices-vs-corn-prices-are-now-some-worst-history" target="_blank">produce more and more corn</a>&nbsp;just to pay their fertilizer costs, said Josh Linville, a fertilizer market analyst at StoneX.Fertilizer supply has been disrupted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2023/september/global-fertilizer-market-challenged-by-russia-s-invasion-of-ukraine" target="_blank">by sanctions against Russia</a>, and it’s gotten worse this year with the bombing of Iran and the trade war with China, two countries that are also important fertilizer suppliers to American farmers, Linville said.“We tend to think of the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz [a shipping channel under threat by conflict] from an oil-slash-energy perspective, but 1 out of every 2 tons of urea fertilizer that gets shipped to the United States comes from the Middle East,” Linville said.Despite being a drain in the Midwest, agriculture was a positive driver of economies in Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi, according to Stateline’s analysis.That’s because Southeastern agriculture includes more poultry and eggs, currently more profitable than the row crops that dominate in the Midwest, said Wendiam Sawadgo, an extension economist at Auburn University. The divergence is expected to last, he said, with row-crop prices continuing to fall and meat and egg prices continuing to rise this year.But even in the Southeast, row-crop farmers suffered.Arkansas saw a near-record number of farm bankruptcies this year, for example. And climate change has contributed to lower soybean prices as low water levels in the Mississippi River make barge transportation more difficult and expensive, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://bpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/wordpressua.uark.edu/dist/6/907/files/2025/06/MS-River-Fryar-Article-Mitchell-and-Biram-2025.pdf" target="_blank">reports</a>&nbsp;this year by the University of Arkansas’ Agricultural Economics &amp; Agribusiness Department.Farm bankruptcies nationally came to 259 in the first three months of this year. That was more than any full year since 2021, when there were 276, according to cases compiled by Ryan Loy, an agricultural economist at the University of Arkansas. Arkansas saw 15 farm bankruptcies in the first quarter, almost as many as in all of 2024, when there were 16.“We’ve already outpaced all of last year on a national scale,” he said.Large farms can ride out struggles, but smaller farms are more likely to go bankrupt from increases in costs and lower market prices, a pattern that started in the early 2010s and got sharply worse in the past year, Loy said.All five of the states with the fastest-growing economies were in the 12-state Southeast region defined by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Even there, though, the percentages were slight: South Carolina (up 1.7%), Florida (up 1.4%), Alabama (up 1%), North Carolina and Arkansas (each up .8%) had the largest increases in the nation.The largest drivers in Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina were real estate and tech, while increases in Alabama and Arkansas were mostly in agriculture.The Carolinas have been magnets for new movers, said Matthew Martin, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based regional executive for the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. The influx has driven more housing and infrastructure work to supply newcomers, he said.“Employment in South Carolina is on fire right now and North Carolina is doing well also. They’re places that people want to be,” Martin said. “Employers want to be there, too, and so there’s been population growth. Then you’ve got to have all the retail and health care. That has got to follow it.”Business owners are uncertain about future federal policy in the Trump administration, Martin said, according to conversations he’s had.They worry about tariffs, whether they’ll have to raise prices or accept lower profits, and eventually whether those factors could cause job growth to stall. And some businesses that depend on immigrant labor say they’ve lost workers despite using the national E-Verify system to make sure employees have legal status to work, Martin said.Martin hasn’t heard of many workplace raids in the Carolinas, but there have been some federal audits of employee forms to check for false statements.“Some of the workers won’t show up from that day forward,” Martin said.Stateline reporter Tim Henderson can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:thenderson@stateline.org">thenderson@stateline.org</a>.

Midwest farm economies suffered while some Sun Belt states kept rolling in early 2025

KANSAS CITY —Suspects are now facing federal charges or soon will be, thanks to the work of the Kansas City, Missouri Police Deparatment Drug Enforcement Unit.

Officers and their K-9 partners recently conducted a series of busts, recovering 52 pounds of meth and more than 10,000 fentanyl pills, according to a social media report from KCPD.

This specialized unit has a dedicated focus on stopping drug trafficking in Kansas City.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752143085553.png" alt="Photos KCPD" />
 <figcaption>Photos KCPD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Suspects are now facing federal charges or soon will be, thanks to the work of the Kansas City, Missouri Police Deparatment Drug Enforcement Unit.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752143101235.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Officers and their K-9 partners recently conducted a series of busts, recovering 52 pounds of meth and more than 10,000 fentanyl pills, according to a social media report from KCPD.This specialized unit has a dedicated focus on stopping drug trafficking in Kansas City.&nbsp;

KCPD recovered 10,000 fentanyl pills, 52 pounds of meth

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/timhenderson/">Tim Henderson</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>

Measles cases have surpassed a recent 2019 record to reach the highest level since 1992, with at least 1,289 cases reported in 39 states.

The milestone comes as health officials are increasingly alarmed by vaccine skepticism gaining a voice in the Trump Administration’s Health and Human Services Administration under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Pediatricians and public health associations filed&nbsp;<a href="https://downloads.aap.org/AAP/PDF/FiledSuit.pdf?_gl=1*d9u6yb*_ga*MzQ4MDI4MjI0LjE3NTE5MTMxMTI.*_ga_FD9D3XZVQQ*czE3NTE5MTMxMTIkbzEkZzAkdDE3NTE5MTMxMTIkajYwJGwwJGgw" target="_blank">a federal lawsuit this</a>&nbsp;week challenging a May directive by Kennedy, claiming it “creates barriers” to vaccination for pregnant women and young children.

“Because of his name and profile, Mr. Kennedy has been instrumental in increasing the levels of vaccine hesitancy and skepticism in this country,” the lawsuit states. “The Secretary’s dismantling of the vaccine infrastructure must end.”

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html" target="_blank">reported Wednesday</a>&nbsp;that there were 1,288 cases in 38 states, surpassing the 2019 level of 1,274.&nbsp;<a href="https://dph.sc.gov/news/dph-confirms-measles-upstate-resident-0" target="_blank">South Carolina</a>&nbsp;later reported its own first case of the year, an unvaccinated international traveler in the northwestern Upstate area of the state.

<a href="https://health.wyo.gov/measles-case-confirmed-in-natrona-county/" target="_blank">Wyoming</a>&nbsp;reported its first measles case since 2010 on July 1, an unvaccinated child in Natrona County.

Other states recently joining the list:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncdhhs.gov/news/press-releases/2025/06/24/first-case-measles-identified-north-carolina" target="_blank">North Carolina</a>&nbsp;reported its first case of the year June 24, in a child visiting Forsyth and Guilford counties from another country. And&nbsp;<a href="https://www.oregon.gov/oha/erd/pages/oregons-first-measles-case-of-2025-confirmed-in-multnomah-county.aspx" target="_blank">Oregon</a>&nbsp;reported a case the same day for a person identified only as an unvaccinated international traveler sickened in June after returning to the Portland area.

“We’re here to tell you that measles is now in Oregon, and if you’re not vaccinated, you are susceptible,” said Dr. Paul R. Cieslak, medical director for communicable diseases and immunizations at the Oregon Health Authority’s Public Health Division, in in a statement.

<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>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/timhenderson/">Tim Henderson</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>Measles cases have surpassed a recent 2019 record to reach the highest level since 1992, with at least 1,289 cases reported in 39 states.The milestone comes as health officials are increasingly alarmed by vaccine skepticism gaining a voice in the Trump Administration’s Health and Human Services Administration under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.Pediatricians and public health associations filed&nbsp;<a href="https://downloads.aap.org/AAP/PDF/FiledSuit.pdf?_gl=1*d9u6yb*_ga*MzQ4MDI4MjI0LjE3NTE5MTMxMTI.*_ga_FD9D3XZVQQ*czE3NTE5MTMxMTIkbzEkZzAkdDE3NTE5MTMxMTIkajYwJGwwJGgw" target="_blank">a federal lawsuit this</a>&nbsp;week challenging a May directive by Kennedy, claiming it “creates barriers” to vaccination for pregnant women and young children.“Because of his name and profile, Mr. Kennedy has been instrumental in increasing the levels of vaccine hesitancy and skepticism in this country,” the lawsuit states. “The Secretary’s dismantling of the vaccine infrastructure must end.”The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html" target="_blank">reported Wednesday</a>&nbsp;that there were 1,288 cases in 38 states, surpassing the 2019 level of 1,274.&nbsp;<a href="https://dph.sc.gov/news/dph-confirms-measles-upstate-resident-0" target="_blank">South Carolina</a>&nbsp;later reported its own first case of the year, an unvaccinated international traveler in the northwestern Upstate area of the state.<a href="https://health.wyo.gov/measles-case-confirmed-in-natrona-county/" target="_blank">Wyoming</a>&nbsp;reported its first measles case since 2010 on July 1, an unvaccinated child in Natrona County.Other states recently joining the list:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncdhhs.gov/news/press-releases/2025/06/24/first-case-measles-identified-north-carolina" target="_blank">North Carolina</a>&nbsp;reported its first case of the year June 24, in a child visiting Forsyth and Guilford counties from another country. And&nbsp;<a href="https://www.oregon.gov/oha/erd/pages/oregons-first-measles-case-of-2025-confirmed-in-multnomah-county.aspx" target="_blank">Oregon</a>&nbsp;reported a case the same day for a person identified only as an unvaccinated international traveler sickened in June after returning to the Portland area.“We’re here to tell you that measles is now in Oregon, and if you’re not vaccinated, you are susceptible,” said Dr. Paul R. Cieslak, medical director for communicable diseases and immunizations at the Oregon Health Authority’s Public Health Division, in in a statement.Measles is one of the most contagious diseases and can spread rapidly among unvaccinated people.Utah reported&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sltrib.com/news/2025/06/20/utah-measles-case-reported-utah/" target="_blank">its first case</a>&nbsp;June 20, an unvaccinated person with no recent travel out of state. The state&nbsp;<a href="https://epi.utah.gov/measles-response/" target="_blank">now has nine cases</a>, mostly in Utah County, where Provo is located.Confirmed cases this year were also reported in these other states: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.<a href="https://stateline.org/" target="_blank">Stateline</a>&nbsp;is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:info@stateline.org">info@stateline.org</a>.