CLOUD COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 5p.m. Wednesday in Cloud County. The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2013&nbsp;GMC Acadia driven by Kathy A. Hansen, 72, Smith Center, was eastbound on U.S. 24 just north of 130th Road.

The SUV crossed the center line and collided with a westbound 2012 Ford Taurus driven by Harry L&nbsp;Hodge, 18,&nbsp;Canandaigua, New York.&nbsp;&nbsp;After impact, the the Ford rolled and struck the guard rail, and came to rest in the north ditch.

Hodge was pronounced pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Chaput-Buoy Funeral Home in Concordia. EMS transported Hansen to Wesley Medical Center. Both were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

CLOUD COUNTY —The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash that occurred just after 5:00 pm on Wednesday in Cloud County.

The Patrol reported a&nbsp; vehicle&nbsp; was eastbound on U.S. 24 just north of 130th Road. The vehicle crossed the center line, colliding with another vehicle head-on. After impact, the westbound vehicle rolled and struck the guard rail, coming to rest in the north ditch.

The Patrol released no additional details. Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

CLOUD COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 5p.m. Wednesday in Cloud County. The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2013&nbsp;GMC Acadia driven by Kathy A. Hansen, 72, Smith Center, was eastbound on U.S. 24 just north of 130th Road.The SUV crossed the center line and collided with a westbound 2012 Ford Taurus driven by Harry L&nbsp;Hodge, 18,&nbsp;Canandaigua, New York.&nbsp;&nbsp;After impact, the the Ford rolled and struck the guard rail, and came to rest in the north ditch.Hodge was pronounced pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Chaput-Buoy Funeral Home in Concordia. EMS transported Hansen to Wesley Medical Center. Both were properly restrained, according to the KHP.-----------CLOUD COUNTY —The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash that occurred just after 5:00 pm on Wednesday in Cloud County.The Patrol reported a&nbsp; vehicle&nbsp; was eastbound on U.S. 24 just north of 130th Road. The vehicle crossed the center line, colliding with another vehicle head-on. After impact, the westbound vehicle rolled and struck the guard rail, coming to rest in the north ditch.The Patrol released no additional details. Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

KHP IDs teen victim in fatal head-on crash

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio “Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region. Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its… <a href="https://t.co/5FFesh3dkF">pic.twitter.com/5FFesh3dkF</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1933328486669697508?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">A statement from IDF Spokesperson BG Effie Defrin on the preemptive Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear targets <a href="https://t.co/IJNT5LXz6o">pic.twitter.com/IJNT5LXz6o</a>&mdash; Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) <a href="https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1933328551333216407?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐃𝐅 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐞, 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐈𝐫𝐚𝐧&#39;𝐬 𝐧𝐮𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦. Dozens of IAF jets completed the first stage that included strikes on dozens of military targets, including… <a href="https://t.co/vtx98P9564">pic.twitter.com/vtx98P9564</a>&mdash; Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) <a href="https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1933324595471454495?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">At our Embassy in Jerusalem and closely following the situation. We will remain here all night. “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!” <a href="https://t.co/2nAHxijkdA">https://t.co/2nAHxijkdA</a>&mdash; Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovMikeHuckabee/status/1933302492147687876?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Rubio: U.S. not involved as Israel launches strike against Iran's nuclear program

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749757787923.png" alt="Homeland Security Secretary Kristy Noem during her Los Angeles news conferece-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Homeland Security Secretary Kristy Noem during her Los Angeles news conferece-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749757448306.png" alt="Senator Padilla as shown in the video provided by U.S. Homeland Security" />
 <figcaption>Senator Padilla as shown in the video provided by U.S. Homeland Security</figcaption>
 </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">During a news conference with DHS Secretary Noem, Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) is removed from the room by force. <a href="https://t.co/vJryoWIVHi">pic.twitter.com/vJryoWIVHi</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1933244184581873693?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Padilla pushing and shoving law enforcement officers to get his way back to the podium. Incredibly aggressive behavior from a sitting US Senator. No one knew who he was. <a href="https://t.co/yQ1GVVUF8d">https://t.co/yQ1GVVUF8d</a> <a href="https://t.co/80kBU9O8R3">pic.twitter.com/80kBU9O8R3</a>&mdash; Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) <a href="https://twitter.com/TriciaOhio/status/1933248954260746399?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Senator Alex Padilla is a good man and principled public servant. The brazen and aggressive manhandling of Senator Padilla by the Trump administration is a sickening disgrace. Anyone who assaulted the Senator should be held accountable. No one is above the law. <a href="https://t.co/s9pHXP5tRD">pic.twitter.com/s9pHXP5tRD</a>&mdash; Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJeffries/status/1933236767680840025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">With regard to the incident in LA this afternoon, the Senator in question was not wearing a security pin and physically resisted law enforcement when confronted. Our FBI personnel acted completely appropriately while assisting Secret Service and we are grateful for their…&mdash; Dan Bongino (@FBIDDBongino) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIDDBongino/status/1933262131346223586?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 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/SenAlexPadilla?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenAlexPadilla</a>: &quot;If this is how this administration responds to a Senator with a question. If this is how the Department of Homeland Security responds to a Senator with a question you can only imagine what they&#39;re doing to farmers, to cooks, to day laborers…&quot; <a href="https://t.co/4HQXylr1dh">pic.twitter.com/4HQXylr1dh</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1933251262935388646?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Reporter: “Would you please address Senator Padilla’s interruption to your press conference… Will you be pressing charges from what we just witnessed here?” Secretary Kristi Noem: “I don’t even know the senator. He did not request a meeting or to speak with me. So when I leave… <a href="https://t.co/233FInB8NF">pic.twitter.com/233FInB8NF</a>&mdash; RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) <a href="https://twitter.com/RedWave_Press/status/1933229459676536930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 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/SpeakerJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerJohnson</a>: &quot;It was wildly inappropriate. You don&#39;t charge a sitting cabinet secretary...A sitting Member of Congress should not act like that...that behavior at a minimum it rises to the level of a censure.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/FzL1z4WmNi">pic.twitter.com/FzL1z4WmNi</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1933262191429292537?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">After he interrupted our press conference with law enforcement, I met with Senator Padilla for 15 minutes. We probably disagree on 90% of the topics but we agreed to exchanged phone numbers and we will continue to talk—that is the way it should be in this country. I wish he… <a href="https://t.co/WdDs26jyCY">pic.twitter.com/WdDs26jyCY</a>&mdash; Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem/status/1933267265849278591?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥U.S. Senator forcibly removed from Homeland Security news conference

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ashley-murray/">Ashley Murray</a>

WASHINGTON — Former Missouri U.S. Rep. Billy Long is now the head of the Internal Revenue Service, after the U.S. Senate approved his nomination Thursday.

Senators split along party lines,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1191/vote_119_1_00308.htm" target="_blank">53-44</a>, to confirm the Republican, who served in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2023, and previously spent multiple years as a talk radio host.

Long heads to the IRS after the agency has lost more than 11,000 employees, or 11% of its workforce, either through deferred resignations or mass firing of probationary workers since President Donald Trump began his second term, according to a May 2&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tigta.gov/sites/default/files/reports/2025-05/2025ier017fr.pdf" target="_blank">report</a>&nbsp;from the agency’s inspector general.

In a social media post after Long’s confirmation, Republican Sen. Mike Crapo, chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, congratulated the new IRS commissioner.

“I look forward to partnering with him in his efforts to modernize the IRS and improve customer service for taxpayers,” wrote Crapo, of Idaho.

Long’s nomination process was overshadowed by a Democrat-led investigation into the former lawmaker’s involvement in a fake tribal tax credit scheme.

Long denied any wrongdoing during his May 20 confirmation hearing.

Sen. Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the Finance Committee, said on the floor ahead of Thursday’s vote that a decision on Long “ought to be an easy no.”

“It’s one corruption bombshell after another with former Congressman Billy Long. Fake tax credits. Scam tax advice. Shadowy political donations that went straight in his pocket. Promises of personal favors. No-show jobs with high-paying federal salaries. That’s quite a rap-sheet,” said Wyden, of Oregon.

The IRS is tasked with collecting tax revenue and enforcing the tax code.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749750950647.png" alt="Former Missouri Congressman Bill Long during his confirmation hearing in May-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Former Missouri Congressman Bill Long during his confirmation hearing in May-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ashley-murray/">Ashley Murray</a>WASHINGTON — Former Missouri U.S. Rep. Billy Long is now the head of the Internal Revenue Service, after the U.S. Senate approved his nomination Thursday.Senators split along party lines,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1191/vote_119_1_00308.htm" target="_blank">53-44</a>, to confirm the Republican, who served in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2023, and previously spent multiple years as a talk radio host.Long heads to the IRS after the agency has lost more than 11,000 employees, or 11% of its workforce, either through deferred resignations or mass firing of probationary workers since President Donald Trump began his second term, according to a May 2&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tigta.gov/sites/default/files/reports/2025-05/2025ier017fr.pdf" target="_blank">report</a>&nbsp;from the agency’s inspector general.In a social media post after Long’s confirmation, Republican Sen. Mike Crapo, chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, congratulated the new IRS commissioner.“I look forward to partnering with him in his efforts to modernize the IRS and improve customer service for taxpayers,” wrote Crapo, of Idaho.Long’s nomination process was overshadowed by a Democrat-led investigation into the former lawmaker’s involvement in a fake tribal tax credit scheme.Long denied any wrongdoing during his May 20 confirmation hearing.Sen. Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the Finance Committee, said on the floor ahead of Thursday’s vote that a decision on Long “ought to be an easy no.”“It’s one corruption bombshell after another with former Congressman Billy Long. Fake tax credits. Scam tax advice. Shadowy political donations that went straight in his pocket. Promises of personal favors. No-show jobs with high-paying federal salaries. That’s quite a rap-sheet,” said Wyden, of Oregon.The IRS is tasked with collecting tax revenue and enforcing the tax code.&nbsp;

Former Missouri Congressman confirmed as IRS commissioner

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

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House narrowly passed legislation Thursday that would revoke $9.4 billion in previously approved funding for public media, including National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service, as well as foreign aid, though the bill’s future in the Senate amid a strict timeline is uncertain.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025168?Page=2" target="_blank">214-212 mostly party-line vote</a>&nbsp;marks just the third time in several decades the House has approved a bill to claw back funding that lawmakers formerly agreed to spend. President Donald Trump sent the rescissions request that led to the House bill to the Republican-controlled Congress earlier this month.

Republican Reps. Mark Amodei of Nevada, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Nicole Malliotakis of New York and Mike Turner of Ohio voted against approving the bill along with all of the chamber’s Democrats.

Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon and New York Rep. Nick LaLota, both Republicans, switched from opposing to supporting the bill after Speaker Mike Johnson spoke with them on the floor as the vote was held open.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., contended during floor debate that pulling back the funding is the right place to start, but said the GOP will seek to do much more in the months and years ahead.

Scalise said PBS and NPR should have to compete against other media organizations without grant funding from the federal government.

“There is still going to be a plethora of options for the American people,” Scalise said. “But if they’re paying their hard-earned dollars to go get content, why should your tax dollars only go to one thing that the other side wants to promote? Let everybody go compete on a fair basis.”

Maine Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree said every state in the country would feel the impact of eliminating funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

“I rise today in strong opposition to the reckless attack on public media contained within this rescissions bill and millions of Americans who rely on and treasure their local public television and radio stations,” Pingree said.

Efforts to defund CPB, she said, were the result of Trump’s “agenda against the free press and his authoritarian desire to control the media.”

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4/text" target="_blank">seven-page bill</a>&nbsp;would rescind all funding that Congress approved for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, a total of $1.1 billion.

CPB, which provides grants to public radio and television stations throughout the country, is one of the few programs that receives an advanced appropriation. So the funding elimination envisioned in the House bill would take effect starting on Oct. 1.

The legislation revokes more than $8 billion from several foreign aid programs run by the U.S. State Department or the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Florida Republican Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, chairman of the State-Foreign Operations Appropriations subcommittee, said during an interview Wednesday there were extensive talks between GOP lawmakers and the Office of Management and Budget before the Trump administration officially submitted this rescissions request.

But Díaz-Balart cautioned there would need to be substantial pre-negotiations ahead of any future rescissions requests for programs within his annual funding bill.

“This rescission package — which I’ve had communication with OMB on — if this passes, we can move forward,” he said. “Now, if you’re talking about a potential for future additional rescissions, that could potentially create a problem and tie the president’s hands when it comes to dealing with adversaries or helping allies.”

Díaz-Balart said that OMB officials hoping to make any additional rescissions requests on foreign aid would need to engage in “a level of coordination that is so detailed, so intense to make sure that nothing comes forward that could potentially hurt the president’s ability to really do the America First agenda internationally.”

Florida Democratic Rep. Lois Frankel, ranking member on the State-Foreign Operations spending panel, said during floor debate Thursday the bill was an attack on American values and posed a threat to national security.

“It’s not charity, it’s strategy,” Frankel said of foreign aid. “Don’t take my word for it, military leaders from both parties have warned us for years — if we fail to lead with soft power, we’ll end up paying in blood, bombs and more boots on the ground.”

“Cutting foreign assistance will deepen desperation, fuel extremism, push fragile societies toward collapse and when that happens we all pay the price,” she added. “Refugee crises surge, diseases spread, trade routes shut down, our troops and diplomats face greater danger and our homeland security is weakened.”

The House vote took place just one week after the Trump administration&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-wants-congress-slash-94b-spending-now-defund-npr-and-pbs" target="_blank">sent lawmakers the rescissions request</a>, the first of many proposals the White House budget office plans to submit.&nbsp;

The $9.4 billion cancellation proposal represents a small fraction of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/publication/61181" target="_blank">the roughly $6.8 trillion</a>&nbsp;the federal government spends each year.

The recommendation said some of the foreign aid should be cancelled because it supported “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 rescissions request allows the Office of Management and Budget to legally freeze funding on the programs listed for 45 days while lawmakers decide whether to approve the recommendation as is, amend it, or ignore it.

The House and Senate must agree to approve the same rescissions bill before mid-July for the changes to take effect. Failure to reach a bicameral agreement before then would require the Trump administration to spend the funding and block the president from requesting the same cancellation for the rest of his term.

Rescissions requests are rare since Congress typically negotiates spending levels on thousands of federal programs in the dozen annual spending bills that are then signed by the president.

The first Trump administration proposed rescissions in 2018, but the bill never made it through the Senate.

The last time Congress actually approved rescinding funding was in 1992 during the George H.W. Bush administration, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/R/PDF/R48432/R48432.2.pdf" target="_blank">a report</a>&nbsp;from the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

The Senate will need to take up the bill before mid-July if it wants to approve any of the spending cuts, though several GOP senators told States Newsroom during brief interviews Wednesday ahead of the House vote they may amend the package, which would require it to go back to the House for final approval before the 45-day clock runs out.

Rescissions bills come with a vote-a-rama in the Senate, giving Republicans and Democrats the chance to call up as many amendments as they want for a floor vote. The GOP holds a 53-member majority, so four or more Republicans opposing any element of the bill would likely lead to its removal.

Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she will give the rescissions bill “careful consideration.”

In a statement released earlier this month just after the White House sent the request to lawmakers, Collins wrote the committee would “carefully review the rescissions package and examine the potential consequences of these rescissions on global health, national security, emergency communications in rural communities, and public radio and television stations.”

South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, chairman of the State-Foreign Operations Appropriations subcommittee, said he’s mostly supportive of the rescissions request, though he didn’t rule out offering an amendment to restore full funding for the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, often called PEPFAR.

“I think I’ll be okay with most of it. I’m concerned about PEPFAR. I’ll have to look at that,” Graham said.

West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, chairwoman of the spending panel that oversees the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, said she’s planning to evaluate the bill once it arrives.

“We’ve got all these other things I’m thinking about. I haven’t even focused on it,” Capito said, referring to ongoing negotiations over the party’s “big, beautiful bill.”

Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, said she’s going to “try to” ensure the Corporation for Public Broadcasting keeps its funding.

“I’m a supporter of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. It’s a lifeline for many of my small, rural communities,” Murkowski said

Kansas Republican Sen. Jerry Moran, a senior appropriator, said he’s “trying to figure out a strategy of how to deal with” both the foreign aid and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting provisions once the bill comes over from the House.

“I’m looking at both of them to see what the right outcome should be.”

‘The risk of living in a news desert’

Both PBS and NPR released statements following the House vote, pledging to do their best to keep their funding intact.

Katherine Maher, NPR president and CEO, wrote in a statement the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is essential to the organization.

“Americans who rely on local, independent stations serving communities across America, especially in rural and underserved regions, will suffer the immediate consequences of this vote,” Maher wrote. “If rescission passes and local stations go dark, millions of Americans will no longer have access to locally owned, independent, nonprofit media and will bear the risk of living in a news desert, missing their emergency alerts, and hearing silence where classical, jazz and local artists currently play.”

Paula Kerger, president and CEO at PBS, wrote in a separate statement the “fight to protect public media does not end with this vote, and we will continue to make the case for our essential service in the days and weeks to come.

“If these cuts are finalized by the Senate, it will have a devastating impact on PBS and local member stations, particularly smaller and rural stations that rely on federal funding for a larger portion of their budgets. Without PBS and local member stations, Americans will lose unique local programming and emergency services in times of crisis.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749763219260.png" alt="U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., holds up an Elmo toy while the chamber debates a bill that would eliminate previously approved funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which provides grants to public radio and television stations, including the Public Broadcasting Service, or PBS, which airs “Sesame Street.” (Screen capture from House clerk live video)" />
 <figcaption>U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., holds up an Elmo toy while the chamber debates a bill that would eliminate previously approved funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which provides grants to public radio and television stations, including the Public Broadcasting Service, or PBS, which airs “Sesame Street.” (Screen capture from House clerk live video)</figcaption>
 </figure>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a> WASHINGTON — The U.S. House narrowly passed legislation Thursday that would revoke $9.4 billion in previously approved funding for public media, including National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service, as well as foreign aid, though the bill’s future in the Senate amid a strict timeline is uncertain.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/RepJeffries?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepJeffries</a>: &quot;We&#39;re on the floor of the House of Representatives not debating legislation that is designed to make this country and our economy more affordable but actually debating legislation that targets Elmo and Big Bird and Daniel Tiger and Sesame Street.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/lWkGvuco1A">pic.twitter.com/lWkGvuco1A</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1933229808139301333?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The&nbsp;<a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025168?Page=2" target="_blank">214-212 mostly party-line vote</a>&nbsp;marks just the third time in several decades the House has approved a bill to claw back funding that lawmakers formerly agreed to spend. President Donald Trump sent the rescissions request that led to the House bill to the Republican-controlled Congress earlier this month.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749763326958.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Republican Reps. Mark Amodei of Nevada, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Nicole Malliotakis of New York and Mike Turner of Ohio voted against approving the bill along with all of the chamber’s Democrats.Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon and New York Rep. Nick LaLota, both Republicans, switched from opposing to supporting the bill after Speaker Mike Johnson spoke with them on the floor as the vote was held open.House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., contended during floor debate that pulling back the funding is the right place to start, but said the GOP will seek to do much more in the months and years ahead.Scalise said PBS and NPR should have to compete against other media organizations without grant funding from the federal government.“There is still going to be a plethora of options for the American people,” Scalise said. “But if they’re paying their hard-earned dollars to go get content, why should your tax dollars only go to one thing that the other side wants to promote? Let everybody go compete on a fair basis.”Maine Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree said every state in the country would feel the impact of eliminating funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.“I rise today in strong opposition to the reckless attack on public media contained within this rescissions bill and millions of Americans who rely on and treasure their local public television and radio stations,” Pingree said.Efforts to defund CPB, she said, were the result of Trump’s “agenda against the free press and his authoritarian desire to control the media.”<h2>Public media would lose $1.1 billion</h2>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4/text" target="_blank">seven-page bill</a>&nbsp;would rescind all funding that Congress approved for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, a total of $1.1 billion.CPB, which provides grants to public radio and television stations throughout the country, is one of the few programs that receives an advanced appropriation. So the funding elimination envisioned in the House bill would take effect starting on Oct. 1.The legislation revokes more than $8 billion from several foreign aid programs run by the U.S. State Department or the U.S. Agency for International Development.Florida Republican Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, chairman of the State-Foreign Operations Appropriations subcommittee, said during an interview Wednesday there were extensive talks between GOP lawmakers and the Office of Management and Budget before the Trump administration officially submitted this rescissions request.But Díaz-Balart cautioned there would need to be substantial pre-negotiations ahead of any future rescissions requests for programs within his annual funding bill.“This rescission package — which I’ve had communication with OMB on — if this passes, we can move forward,” he said. “Now, if you’re talking about a potential for future additional rescissions, that could potentially create a problem and tie the president’s hands when it comes to dealing with adversaries or helping allies.”Díaz-Balart said that OMB officials hoping to make any additional rescissions requests on foreign aid would need to engage in “a level of coordination that is so detailed, so intense to make sure that nothing comes forward that could potentially hurt the president’s ability to really do the America First agenda internationally.”Florida Democratic Rep. Lois Frankel, ranking member on the State-Foreign Operations spending panel, said during floor debate Thursday the bill was an attack on American values and posed a threat to national security.“It’s not charity, it’s strategy,” Frankel said of foreign aid. “Don’t take my word for it, military leaders from both parties have warned us for years — if we fail to lead with soft power, we’ll end up paying in blood, bombs and more boots on the ground.”“Cutting foreign assistance will deepen desperation, fuel extremism, push fragile societies toward collapse and when that happens we all pay the price,” she added. “Refugee crises surge, diseases spread, trade routes shut down, our troops and diplomats face greater danger and our homeland security is weakened.”<h2>First of many requests</h2>The House vote took place just one week after the Trump administration&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-wants-congress-slash-94b-spending-now-defund-npr-and-pbs" target="_blank">sent lawmakers the rescissions request</a>, the first of many proposals the White House budget office plans to submit.&nbsp;The $9.4 billion cancellation proposal represents a small fraction of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/publication/61181" target="_blank">the roughly $6.8 trillion</a>&nbsp;the federal government spends each year.The recommendation said some of the foreign aid should be cancelled because it supported “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 rescissions request allows the Office of Management and Budget to legally freeze funding on the programs listed for 45 days while lawmakers decide whether to approve the recommendation as is, amend it, or ignore it.The House and Senate must agree to approve the same rescissions bill before mid-July for the changes to take effect. Failure to reach a bicameral agreement before then would require the Trump administration to spend the funding and block the president from requesting the same cancellation for the rest of his term.Rescissions requests are rare since Congress typically negotiates spending levels on thousands of federal programs in the dozen annual spending bills that are then signed by the president.The first Trump administration proposed rescissions in 2018, but the bill never made it through the Senate.The last time Congress actually approved rescinding funding was in 1992 during the George H.W. Bush administration, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/R/PDF/R48432/R48432.2.pdf" target="_blank">a report</a>&nbsp;from the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.<h2>More action in the Senate</h2>The Senate will need to take up the bill before mid-July if it wants to approve any of the spending cuts, though several GOP senators told States Newsroom during brief interviews Wednesday ahead of the House vote they may amend the package, which would require it to go back to the House for final approval before the 45-day clock runs out.Rescissions bills come with a vote-a-rama in the Senate, giving Republicans and Democrats the chance to call up as many amendments as they want for a floor vote. The GOP holds a 53-member majority, so four or more Republicans opposing any element of the bill would likely lead to its removal.Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she will give the rescissions bill “careful consideration.”In a statement released earlier this month just after the White House sent the request to lawmakers, Collins wrote the committee would “carefully review the rescissions package and examine the potential consequences of these rescissions on global health, national security, emergency communications in rural communities, and public radio and television stations.”South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, chairman of the State-Foreign Operations Appropriations subcommittee, said he’s mostly supportive of the rescissions request, though he didn’t rule out offering an amendment to restore full funding for the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, often called PEPFAR.“I think I’ll be okay with most of it. I’m concerned about PEPFAR. I’ll have to look at that,” Graham said.West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, chairwoman of the spending panel that oversees the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, said she’s planning to evaluate the bill once it arrives.“We’ve got all these other things I’m thinking about. I haven’t even focused on it,” Capito said, referring to ongoing negotiations over the party’s “big, beautiful bill.”Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, said she’s going to “try to” ensure the Corporation for Public Broadcasting keeps its funding.“I’m a supporter of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. It’s a lifeline for many of my small, rural communities,” Murkowski saidKansas Republican Sen. Jerry Moran, a senior appropriator, said he’s “trying to figure out a strategy of how to deal with” both the foreign aid and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting provisions once the bill comes over from the House.“I’m looking at both of them to see what the right outcome should be.”<h2>‘The risk of living in a news desert’</h2>Both PBS and NPR released statements following the House vote, pledging to do their best to keep their funding intact.Katherine Maher, NPR president and CEO, wrote in a statement the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is essential to the organization.“Americans who rely on local, independent stations serving communities across America, especially in rural and underserved regions, will suffer the immediate consequences of this vote,” Maher wrote. “If rescission passes and local stations go dark, millions of Americans will no longer have access to locally owned, independent, nonprofit media and will bear the risk of living in a news desert, missing their emergency alerts, and hearing silence where classical, jazz and local artists currently play.”Paula Kerger, president and CEO at PBS, wrote in a separate statement the “fight to protect public media does not end with this vote, and we will continue to make the case for our essential service in the days and weeks to come.“If these cuts are finalized by the Senate, it will have a devastating impact on PBS and local member stations, particularly smaller and rural stations that rely on federal funding for a larger portion of their budgets. Without PBS and local member stations, Americans will lose unique local programming and emergency services in times of crisis.”

U.S. House votes to yank billions for NPR, PBS and foreign aid programs

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City, Missouri.

Just before 7a.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to the 3400 block of Broadway on a medical call with EMS, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

Caller was security in the area and they saw a person unresponsive in a parking lot behind the address. On arrival officers were led to a parking lot to the west of the address where they located the man unresponsive on the sidewalk with what appeared to be significant unknown injuries.

Officers called for EMS who declared the victim deceased at the scene. 

Homicide detectives are investigating, along with crime scene investigators, and representatives from the medical examiners office.

Police don't know when the victim was injured and are working to learn his identity.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749754590674.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City, Missouri.Just before 7a.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to the 3400 block of Broadway on a medical call with EMS, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.Caller was security in the area and they saw a person unresponsive in a parking lot behind the address. On arrival officers were led to a parking lot to the west of the address where they located the man unresponsive on the sidewalk with what appeared to be significant unknown injuries.Officers called for EMS who declared the victim deceased at the scene. Homicide detectives are investigating, along with crime scene investigators, and representatives from the medical examiners office.Police don't know when the victim was injured and are working to learn his identity.

Security guard found homicide victim in Kansas City parking lot

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/"></a><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — State troopers are on standby in Kansas as demonstrations against federal immigration raids crop up around the country following an increased military presence in response to protests in Los Angeles.

The Kansas Highway Patrol is aware of Kansas City-area protests this week, said April McCollum, a spokeswoman for the agency.

Protests in LA began Friday, mostly in downtown and central parts of the city, in opposition to targeted, sweeping raids from federal immigration officials that result in the arrest and detention of immigrants&nbsp;lacking permanent legal status. The demonstrations escalated once President Donald Trump ordered thousands of members of the California National Guard to the city’s streets, against the wishes of state leaders. Protesters in dozens of other cities joined their LA counterparts Tuesday.

Col. Erik Smith, superintendent of the state highway patrol, told legislators Tuesday that a protest similar to those in LA was planned in the Johnson County area, but the agency did not disclose specifics when asked. The only report of a protest in the area Tuesday occurred in Kansas City, Missouri’s downtown and Westside, drawing hundreds of attendees, according to reporting from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article308332575.html" target="_blank">The Kansas City Star</a>.

A slate of more than 1,800 protests are scheduled across the nation for Saturday. More than a dozen of them are set to occur in Kansas cities, from Garden City to Hiawatha to Arkansas City to the Kansas City area.

“We encourage those involved to maintain civility while exercising their First Amendment rights,” McCollum said.

The agency’s mobile field force is prepared to assist local law enforcement during all incidents of “civil unrest,” Smith said.

The force is&nbsp;“a specially trained and equipped unit composed of Troopers from across the state that can be deployed to support local law enforcement agencies in the event of civil disorder, natural disasters, and other public safety emergencies,” McCollum said.

Kansas Bureau of Investigation director Tony Mattivi told lawmakers Tuesday at a Senate Committee on Government Efficiency hearing that state agents are not currently trained to assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials with raids and arrests in Kansas.

Sen. Mike Thompson, a Shawnee Republican, asked Mattivi during the hearing why federal agents aren’t responsive to one-off local arrests.

“ICE, right now, is just overwhelmed,” Mattivi said. “They’re focused on busloads at a time.”

State and local officials don’t have the authority to investigate federal immigration violations, but Kansas, was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ag.ks.gov/Home/Components/News/News/154/1292" target="_blank">the second state</a>&nbsp;in the country to agree with the Trump administration to exercise 287(g) authority, which refers to section 287(g) of the federal Immigration and Naturalization Act. Once agents are trained, they will be able to make those one-off arrests and fill the gaps federal immigration officials leave behind.

Eventually, Mattivi said, he would like to examine the 48,000 people who are listed as a sex offender, drug offender or violent offender in Kansas and determine whether any of those people are in the country without permanent legal status.

As chair of the Democratic Governors Association, Gov. Laura Kelly, along with most of the rest of the country’s Democratic governors, condemned Trump’s decision to deploy a state’s National Guard as “an alarming abuse of power” and “ineffective and dangerous.”

“Further, threatening to send the U.S. Marines into American neighborhoods undermines the mission of our service members, erodes public trust, and shows the Trump administration does not trust local law enforcement,” the governors said Sunday in a&nbsp;<a href="https://democraticgovernors.org/updates/statement-from-democratic-governors-on-donald-trumps-use-of-californias-national-guard/" target="_blank">joint statement</a>.

The Trump administration deployed around 700 active-duty U.S. Marines to L.A. from a nearby base to “restore order,” defense secretary Pete Hegseth said in a social media&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SecDef/status/1932202105361612994" target="_blank">post</a>.

Trump called for California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s arrest after Newsom expressed his disapproval of Trump’s actions. Newsom sued the Trump administration, alleging the president’s takeover of the state’s National Guard was illegal. Governors typically hold the power to deploy the guard.

The Democratic governors said they stand with Newsom, “who has made it clear that violence is unacceptable and that local authorities should be able to do their jobs without the chaos of this federal interference and intimidation.”

Kansas Republicans rebutted Democrats’ remarks with condemnations of their own.

In a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/DanHawkinsKS/status/1932474561699749990" target="_blank">series of social media posts</a>, Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins, who is also a Republican candidate for state insurance commissioner, applauded Trump’s actions.

He said he was shocked by the Democratic governors’ statement.

“It’s indefensible that Governor Kelly and other Democrat Governors would seemingly side with the rioters over law and order. Their Trump Derangement Syndrome truly knows no bounds,” Hawkins wrote.

Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson, who is widely expected to run for governor, criticized Kelly in a statement.

“Laura Kelly is slow to condemn attacks on law enforcement, but quick to side with Gavin Newsom and rioters waving foreign flags as they try to burn down an American community. It is shameful,” he said.

Conservatives in opposition to the protests have frequently used rhetoric that depicts L.A. in flames or in complete disarray. The protests have been confined to a few areas of the city, mostly around local and federal government buildings. Misinformation and doctored or fabricated photos have circulated.

Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab, who is a 2026 Republican candidate for governor,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/ScottSchwabKS/status/1931929273180225614" target="_blank">wrote</a>&nbsp;on the social media platform X in response to the statement from the Democratic governors: “This is wrong.”

In a separate&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/ScottSchwabKS/status/1931565318691832308" target="_blank">post</a>, Schwab said protesters in California were “endangering” law enforcement “because they embrace disorder and crime over civility.”

He added: “Our founders are rolling in their graves.”

Protests in 15 cities in Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri, fall under the banner of No Kings Day, a collection of anti-Trump protests. Saturday is also Flag Day.

Ahead of the protest in Topeka at the Statehouse, organizers with the Kansas chapter of 50501 emphasized in a statement its desire for a peaceful demonstration.

“We are committed to the safety of every protester and are exploring unforeseen and uncontrollable challenges and how to respond to them,” the statement said. “We are continuing to plan for a safe gathering.”

Activists are chartering buses and establishing carpools to Topeka from Abilene, Junction City, Manhattan, Franklin County, Lawrence and the Kansas City, Kansas, area.

Ahead of Wichita’s rally, organizers with Defend Democracy ICT said the protest date is symbolic, “aligning with Flag Day, President Trump’s birthday, and a controversial military parade in Washington, D.C.”

“This is a stand against authoritarianism and the growing disregard for democratic norms,” organizers said in a statement. “We are here to remind our leaders that power belongs with the people — not kings, not billionaires, not dictators.”

Protests are scheduled to take place in the following cities, according to the No Kings online&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nokings.org/" target="_blank">tracker</a>: Arkansas City, Emporia, Garden City, Great Bend, Hiawatha, Hutchinson,&nbsp; Lawrence, Lenexa, Manhattan, Ottawa, Overland Park, Pittsburg, Salina, Topeka, Wichita and Kansas City, Missouri.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749732670793.jpeg" alt=" Kansans rally at the Statehouse in Topeka as part of the 50501 national day of action on May 1, 2025. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Kansans rally at the Statehouse in Topeka as part of the 50501 national day of action on May 1, 2025. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/"></a><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — State troopers are on standby in Kansas as demonstrations against federal immigration raids crop up around the country following an increased military presence in response to protests in Los Angeles.The Kansas Highway Patrol is aware of Kansas City-area protests this week, said April McCollum, a spokeswoman for the agency.Protests in LA began Friday, mostly in downtown and central parts of the city, in opposition to targeted, sweeping raids from federal immigration officials that result in the arrest and detention of immigrants&nbsp;lacking permanent legal status. The demonstrations escalated once President Donald Trump ordered thousands of members of the California National Guard to the city’s streets, against the wishes of state leaders. Protesters in dozens of other cities joined their LA counterparts Tuesday.Col. Erik Smith, superintendent of the state highway patrol, told legislators Tuesday that a protest similar to those in LA was planned in the Johnson County area, but the agency did not disclose specifics when asked. The only report of a protest in the area Tuesday occurred in Kansas City, Missouri’s downtown and Westside, drawing hundreds of attendees, according to reporting from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article308332575.html" target="_blank">The Kansas City Star</a>.A slate of more than 1,800 protests are scheduled across the nation for Saturday. More than a dozen of them are set to occur in Kansas cities, from Garden City to Hiawatha to Arkansas City to the Kansas City area.“We encourage those involved to maintain civility while exercising their First Amendment rights,” McCollum said.The agency’s mobile field force is prepared to assist local law enforcement during all incidents of “civil unrest,” Smith said.The force is&nbsp;“a specially trained and equipped unit composed of Troopers from across the state that can be deployed to support local law enforcement agencies in the event of civil disorder, natural disasters, and other public safety emergencies,” McCollum said.Kansas Bureau of Investigation director Tony Mattivi told lawmakers Tuesday at a Senate Committee on Government Efficiency hearing that state agents are not currently trained to assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials with raids and arrests in Kansas.Sen. Mike Thompson, a Shawnee Republican, asked Mattivi during the hearing why federal agents aren’t responsive to one-off local arrests.“ICE, right now, is just overwhelmed,” Mattivi said. “They’re focused on busloads at a time.”State and local officials don’t have the authority to investigate federal immigration violations, but Kansas, was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ag.ks.gov/Home/Components/News/News/154/1292" target="_blank">the second state</a>&nbsp;in the country to agree with the Trump administration to exercise 287(g) authority, which refers to section 287(g) of the federal Immigration and Naturalization Act. Once agents are trained, they will be able to make those one-off arrests and fill the gaps federal immigration officials leave behind.Eventually, Mattivi said, he would like to examine the 48,000 people who are listed as a sex offender, drug offender or violent offender in Kansas and determine whether any of those people are in the country without permanent legal status.<h2>Politicians sound off</h2>As chair of the Democratic Governors Association, Gov. Laura Kelly, along with most of the rest of the country’s Democratic governors, condemned Trump’s decision to deploy a state’s National Guard as “an alarming abuse of power” and “ineffective and dangerous.”“Further, threatening to send the U.S. Marines into American neighborhoods undermines the mission of our service members, erodes public trust, and shows the Trump administration does not trust local law enforcement,” the governors said Sunday in a&nbsp;<a href="https://democraticgovernors.org/updates/statement-from-democratic-governors-on-donald-trumps-use-of-californias-national-guard/" target="_blank">joint statement</a>.The Trump administration deployed around 700 active-duty U.S. Marines to L.A. from a nearby base to “restore order,” defense secretary Pete Hegseth said in a social media&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SecDef/status/1932202105361612994" target="_blank">post</a>.Trump called for California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s arrest after Newsom expressed his disapproval of Trump’s actions. Newsom sued the Trump administration, alleging the president’s takeover of the state’s National Guard was illegal. Governors typically hold the power to deploy the guard.The Democratic governors said they stand with Newsom, “who has made it clear that violence is unacceptable and that local authorities should be able to do their jobs without the chaos of this federal interference and intimidation.”Kansas Republicans rebutted Democrats’ remarks with condemnations of their own.In a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/DanHawkinsKS/status/1932474561699749990" target="_blank">series of social media posts</a>, Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins, who is also a Republican candidate for state insurance commissioner, applauded Trump’s actions.He said he was shocked by the Democratic governors’ statement.“It’s indefensible that Governor Kelly and other Democrat Governors would seemingly side with the rioters over law and order. Their Trump Derangement Syndrome truly knows no bounds,” Hawkins wrote.Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson, who is widely expected to run for governor, criticized Kelly in a statement.“Laura Kelly is slow to condemn attacks on law enforcement, but quick to side with Gavin Newsom and rioters waving foreign flags as they try to burn down an American community. It is shameful,” he said.Conservatives in opposition to the protests have frequently used rhetoric that depicts L.A. in flames or in complete disarray. The protests have been confined to a few areas of the city, mostly around local and federal government buildings. Misinformation and doctored or fabricated photos have circulated.Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab, who is a 2026 Republican candidate for governor,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/ScottSchwabKS/status/1931929273180225614" target="_blank">wrote</a>&nbsp;on the social media platform X in response to the statement from the Democratic governors: “This is wrong.”In a separate&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/ScottSchwabKS/status/1931565318691832308" target="_blank">post</a>, Schwab said protesters in California were “endangering” law enforcement “because they embrace disorder and crime over civility.”He added: “Our founders are rolling in their graves.”<h2>Saturday protests</h2>Protests in 15 cities in Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri, fall under the banner of No Kings Day, a collection of anti-Trump protests. Saturday is also Flag Day.Ahead of the protest in Topeka at the Statehouse, organizers with the Kansas chapter of 50501 emphasized in a statement its desire for a peaceful demonstration.“We are committed to the safety of every protester and are exploring unforeseen and uncontrollable challenges and how to respond to them,” the statement said. “We are continuing to plan for a safe gathering.”Activists are chartering buses and establishing carpools to Topeka from Abilene, Junction City, Manhattan, Franklin County, Lawrence and the Kansas City, Kansas, area.Ahead of Wichita’s rally, organizers with Defend Democracy ICT said the protest date is symbolic, “aligning with Flag Day, President Trump’s birthday, and a controversial military parade in Washington, D.C.”“This is a stand against authoritarianism and the growing disregard for democratic norms,” organizers said in a statement. “We are here to remind our leaders that power belongs with the people — not kings, not billionaires, not dictators.”Protests are scheduled to take place in the following cities, according to the No Kings online&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nokings.org/" target="_blank">tracker</a>: Arkansas City, Emporia, Garden City, Great Bend, Hiawatha, Hutchinson,&nbsp; Lawrence, Lenexa, Manhattan, Ottawa, Overland Park, Pittsburg, Salina, Topeka, Wichita and Kansas City, Missouri.

Kansas troopers on standby for protests, ahead of nationwide anti-Trump demonstrations

COWLEY COUNTY—Search crews have finally found human remains near where a missing Kansas woman's car was found last month.

On Wednesday, the Cowley County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of local landowners, continued search efforts in the area of 333rd Road for missing&nbsp;81-year-old Jerry McConnell, according to Cowley County&nbsp;Undersheriff Christina McDonald.

During the course of the search, personal property belonging to McConnell was located. Human remains were also discovered approximately one mile from the location where her abandoned vehicle was previously found.

An autopsy is pending to confirm the identity of the remains.

This discovery follows weeks of intensive search operations. On May 20, 2025, at approximately 3:40 p.m., Cowley County Deputies were notified that a vehicle associated with a Silver Alert issued from Overland Park, Kansas, had been found on private property in a rural area near the 4000 block of 327th Road.

Despite daily search efforts since the vehicle was located, no further leads were developed until the discovery on June 11.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747502608195.png" alt="McConnell photo Overland Park Police" />
 <figcaption>McConnell photo Overland Park Police</figcaption>
 </figure>COWLEY COUNTY—Search crews have finally found human remains near where a missing Kansas woman's car was found last month.On Wednesday, the Cowley County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of local landowners, continued search efforts in the area of 333rd Road for missing&nbsp;81-year-old Jerry McConnell, according to Cowley County&nbsp;Undersheriff Christina McDonald.During the course of the search, personal property belonging to McConnell was located. Human remains were also discovered approximately one mile from the location where her abandoned vehicle was previously found.An autopsy is pending to confirm the identity of the remains.This discovery follows weeks of intensive search operations. On May 20, 2025, at approximately 3:40 p.m., Cowley County Deputies were notified that a vehicle associated with a Silver Alert issued from Overland Park, Kansas, had been found on private property in a rural area near the 4000 block of 327th Road.Despite daily search efforts since the vehicle was located, no further leads were developed until the discovery on June 11.

Human remains found in search for woman in Kan. Silver Alert

MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, WY – On June 10, a 30-year-old man from Randolph, New Jersey, was injured by a bison in Yellowstone National Park, according to a media release from the Park Service.

At approximately 9:45 a.m. in the Upper Geyser Basin at Old Faithful, a man was gored by a bison after a large group of visitors approached it too closely. The individual sustained minor injuries and was treated and transported by emergency medical personnel. The incident is currently under investigation.

&nbsp;This is the second reported incident of a person injured by a bison in 2025. The first occurred on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/news/25002.htm">May 7</a>. There were two reported incidents in 2024 and one in 2023.&nbsp; Wildlife in Yellowstone are wild and can be dangerous:

Help protect the park today and for future generations by taking the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/yellowstonepledge.htm">Yellowstone Pledge</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749732124056.jpeg" alt="Bison, Blacktail Deer Plateau by National Park Service / Neal Herbert" />
 <figcaption>Bison, Blacktail Deer Plateau by National Park Service / Neal Herbert</figcaption>
 </figure>MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, WY – On June 10, a 30-year-old man from Randolph, New Jersey, was injured by a bison in Yellowstone National Park, according to a media release from the Park Service.At approximately 9:45 a.m. in the Upper Geyser Basin at Old Faithful, a man was gored by a bison after a large group of visitors approached it too closely. The individual sustained minor injuries and was treated and transported by emergency medical personnel. The incident is currently under investigation.&nbsp;This is the second reported incident of a person injured by a bison in 2025. The first occurred on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/news/25002.htm">May 7</a>. There were two reported incidents in 2024 and one in 2023.&nbsp; Wildlife in Yellowstone are wild and can be dangerous:<ul>
 <li>Wild animals can be aggressive if people don’t respect their space. It is your responsibility to stay more than 25 yards (23 meters) away from all large animals – bison, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose, and coyotes – and at least 100 yards (91 meters) away from bears, wolves, and cougars. If wildlife approach you, move away to always maintain these safe viewing distances.</li><li>Bison will defend their space when threatened and have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal. They are unpredictable and can run three times faster than humans.</li><li>Learn more about our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/safety.htm">safety tips</a>&nbsp;while visiting Yellowstone, including how to behave around wildlife. The safety of these animals – and humans – depends on everyone using good judgment and following these simple rules.</li>
 </ul>Help protect the park today and for future generations by taking the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/yellowstonepledge.htm">Yellowstone Pledge</a>.

Man gored by bison in Yellowstone National Park

JOHNSON COUNTY —During a recent severe thunderstorm, Lenexa Police Animal Control Officers responded to a very unexpected, and very wild, intruder, according to a social media report.

 A Lenexa resident discovered a bobcat kitten had found its way inside their home, likely seeking shelter from the storm.


The Animal Control Officer safely captured the young feline and kept it warm and secure overnight. 

The next day, with clearer skies, the kitten was safely released and happily reunited with its mother nearby.



As Lenexa grows, encounters with suburban wildlife can become more common. We’re committed to helping our community safely co-exist with the wild animals that share our environment. Let’s work together to protect both people and wildlife in our beautiful community.

JOHNSON COUNTY —During a recent severe thunderstorm, Lenexa Police Animal Control Officers responded to a very unexpected, and very wild, intruder, according to a social media report.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">During a recent severe thunderstorm, our Animal Control Officers responded to a very unexpected, and very wild, intruder! A Lenexa resident discovered this bobcat kitten had found its way inside their home, likely seeking shelter from the storm. Our Animal Control Officer safely… <a href="https://t.co/Qxh04zzcxD">pic.twitter.com/Qxh04zzcxD</a>&mdash; Lenexa Police (@LenexaPolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/LenexaPolice/status/1932545387555946906?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div> A Lenexa resident discovered a bobcat kitten had found its way inside their home, likely seeking shelter from the storm.
The Animal Control Officer safely captured the young feline and kept it warm and secure overnight. The next day, with clearer skies, the kitten was safely released and happily reunited with its mother nearby.

As Lenexa grows, encounters with suburban wildlife can become more common. We’re committed to helping our community safely co-exist with the wild animals that share our environment. Let’s work together to protect both people and wildlife in our beautiful community.

🎥Bobcat kitten wandered into a Kansas home

General Motors on Wednesday announced plans to invest about $4 billion over the next two years in its domestic manufacturing plants to increase U.S. production of both gas and electric vehicles, according to a media relase from the company.

The new investment will give GM the ability to assemble more than two million vehicles per year in the U.S. This announcement comes on the heels of the company’s&nbsp;<a href="https://news.gm.com/home.detail.html/Pages/news/us/en/2025/may/0528-GM-invest-888-million-Tonawanda-Propulsion-plant.html">recently announced plan</a>&nbsp;to invest $888 million in the Tonawanda Propulsion plant near Buffalo, New York to support GM’s next-generation V-8 engine.

Plants in Michigan, Kansas, and Tennessee will expand finished vehicle production of several of GM’s most popular vehicles:

“We believe the future of transportation will be driven by American innovation and manufacturing expertise,” said Mary Barra, Chair and CEO. “Today’s announcement demonstrates our ongoing commitment to build vehicles in the U.S and to support American jobs. We're focused on giving customers choice and offering a broad range of vehicles they love.”

GM has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gm.com/company/usa-operations">a network of 50 U.S. manufacturing plants and parts facilities</a>&nbsp;in 19 states, including 11 vehicle assembly plants. Nearly one million people in the U.S. depend on GM for their livelihood, including employees, suppliers, and dealers.

“Today’s news goes well beyond the investment numbers — this is about hardworking Americans making vehicles they are proud to build and that customers are proud to own," said GM President Mark Reuss. "As you travel the country, you can see firsthand the scale of our manufacturing footprint and the positive economic impact on our communities and our country.”

GM continues to post strong U.S. sales, gaining market share in both gas and electric vehicles. The company is on track to deliver its sixth consecutive year as the U.S. full-size pickup sales leader, and its 51st straight year leading in full-size SUVs. In the second half of 2024, GM became the #2 seller of electric vehicles in the U.S. market, thanks to its diverse portfolio of 13 EV models from Chevrolet, Cadillac, and GMC.&nbsp;<a href="https://news.gm.com/home.detail.html/Pages/topic/us/en/2025/jun/0609-Chevrolet-brand-now-2-in-US-EV-sales.html">Chevrolet is now the fastest-growing EV brand and #2 among all EV brands in sales</a>.

GM’s 2025 capital spending guidance is unchanged at between $10 billion and $11 billion. Going forward, GM expects its annual capital spending will be in a range of $10 billion to $12 billion through 2027, reflecting increased investment in the U.S., the prioritization of key programs, and efficiency offsets.

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749644825443.png" alt="Piego Connally, assembly team leader at the Fairfax Assembly plant in Kansas City, Kansas." />
 <figcaption>Piego Connally, assembly team leader at the Fairfax Assembly plant in Kansas City, Kansas.</figcaption>
 </figure>General Motors on Wednesday announced plans to invest about $4 billion over the next two years in its domestic manufacturing plants to increase U.S. production of both gas and electric vehicles, according to a media relase from the company.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">This is the Trump Effect in full force. A big win for Kansas — here’s to American manufacturing. <a href="https://t.co/gajjVdYBM6">https://t.co/gajjVdYBM6</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1932569945402904638?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The new investment will give GM the ability to assemble more than two million vehicles per year in the U.S. This announcement comes on the heels of the company’s&nbsp;<a href="https://news.gm.com/home.detail.html/Pages/news/us/en/2025/may/0528-GM-invest-888-million-Tonawanda-Propulsion-plant.html">recently announced plan</a>&nbsp;to invest $888 million in the Tonawanda Propulsion plant near Buffalo, New York to support GM’s next-generation V-8 engine.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749644941742.png" alt="Image courtesy GM" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy GM</figcaption>
 </figure>Plants in Michigan, Kansas, and Tennessee will expand finished vehicle production of several of GM’s most popular vehicles:<ul>
 <li>Fairfax Assembly, Kansas City, Kansas: Fairfax Assembly will support production of the gas-powered Chevrolet Equinox beginning in mid-2027. Sales of the recently redesigned Equinox were up more than 30% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2025. Fairfax remains on track to begin building the 2027 Chevrolet Bolt EV by the end of this year. GM expects to make new future investments in Fairfax for GM’s next generation of affordable EVs.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Orion Assembly, Orion Township, Michigan: GM will begin production of gas-powered full-size SUVs and light duty pickup trucks at Orion in early 2027 to help meet continued strong demand. As a result, GM’s Factory ZERO in Detroit-Hamtramck, Michigan will be the dedicated assembly location for the Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Sierra EV, Cadillac ESCALADE IQ, and GMC HUMMER EV pickup and SUV.</li><li>Spring Hill Manufacturing, Spring Hill, Tennessee:&nbsp;GM will add production of the gas-powered Chevrolet Blazer at Spring Hill starting in 2027, alongside the Cadillac LYRIQ and VISTIQ EVs, and the Cadillac XT5.</li>
 </ul>“We believe the future of transportation will be driven by American innovation and manufacturing expertise,” said Mary Barra, Chair and CEO. “Today’s announcement demonstrates our ongoing commitment to build vehicles in the U.S and to support American jobs. We're focused on giving customers choice and offering a broad range of vehicles they love.”GM has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gm.com/company/usa-operations">a network of 50 U.S. manufacturing plants and parts facilities</a>&nbsp;in 19 states, including 11 vehicle assembly plants. Nearly one million people in the U.S. depend on GM for their livelihood, including employees, suppliers, and dealers.“Today’s news goes well beyond the investment numbers — this is about hardworking Americans making vehicles they are proud to build and that customers are proud to own," said GM President Mark Reuss. "As you travel the country, you can see firsthand the scale of our manufacturing footprint and the positive economic impact on our communities and our country.”GM continues to post strong U.S. sales, gaining market share in both gas and electric vehicles. The company is on track to deliver its sixth consecutive year as the U.S. full-size pickup sales leader, and its 51st straight year leading in full-size SUVs. In the second half of 2024, GM became the #2 seller of electric vehicles in the U.S. market, thanks to its diverse portfolio of 13 EV models from Chevrolet, Cadillac, and GMC.&nbsp;<a href="https://news.gm.com/home.detail.html/Pages/topic/us/en/2025/jun/0609-Chevrolet-brand-now-2-in-US-EV-sales.html">Chevrolet is now the fastest-growing EV brand and #2 among all EV brands in sales</a>.GM’s 2025 capital spending guidance is unchanged at between $10 billion and $11 billion. Going forward, GM expects its annual capital spending will be in a range of $10 billion to $12 billion through 2027, reflecting increased investment in the U.S., the prioritization of key programs, and efficiency offsets.General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future.

Senator praises GM's $4 billion investment to benefit KCK plant

JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for the murder of his boyfriend.

On June 3, Judge Erica Schoenig sentenced 32-year-old Joseph Andrew Wacaster to life in prison without the possibility of&nbsp; parole for 25-years for first degree premeditated murder in the death of 27-year-old Cade Blackburn.

In April Wacaster plead guilty to the crime.

In March of 2024, Johnson County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a home in Edgerton where they found a man’s body, later identified as Blackburn, inside the residence.

&nbsp;Prosecutors said Blackburn and Wacaster were in a relationship.

According to an affidavit on the case, police reported finding Blackburn’s body covered with the family board game SORRY along with a Bible. Deputies also recovered a large butcher knife with blood on it.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749153973366.png" alt="Wacaster photo Johnson County" />
 <figcaption>Wacaster photo Johnson County</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for the murder of his boyfriend.On June 3, Judge Erica Schoenig sentenced 32-year-old Joseph Andrew Wacaster to life in prison without the possibility of&nbsp; parole for 25-years for first degree premeditated murder in the death of 27-year-old Cade Blackburn.In April Wacaster plead guilty to the crime.In March of 2024, Johnson County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a home in Edgerton where they found a man’s body, later identified as Blackburn, inside the residence.&nbsp;Prosecutors said Blackburn and Wacaster were in a relationship.According to an affidavit on the case, police reported finding Blackburn’s body covered with the family board game SORRY along with a Bible. Deputies also recovered a large butcher knife with blood on it.

Police found Kan. murder victim covered with a family board game

President Trump’s Department of Homeland Security is advertising a new tip line to report illegal aliens in the midst of the immigration raids across the country.

President Trump’s Department of Homeland Security is advertising a new tip line to report illegal aliens in the midst of the immigration raids across the country.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fhomelandsecurity%2Fposts%2Fpfbid037zrZLtSC7CdzCV2bbb54dpKXeDpdXfAGqia5g4NkCUFzHyfGMDbig1NvLJAgPp44l&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="615" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>

U.S. Homeland Security promotes new tip line

On Wednesday, Missouri U.S. Senator Josh Hawley pressed the CEO of 23andMe on retaining consumers' personal information—and how the company is poised to sell that sensitive data for profit.

"I hope [consumers] will rush to the court house, even as we are here today, to sue you into oblivion." Hawley said.

On Wednesday, Missouri U.S. Senator Josh Hawley pressed the CEO of 23andMe on retaining consumers' personal information—and how the company is poised to sell that sensitive data for profit.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Senator Hawley just pressed the CEO of 23andMe on retaining consumers&#39; personal information—and how the company is poised to sell that sensitive data for profit. &quot;I hope [consumers] will rush to the court house, even as we are here today, to sue you into oblivion.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/asH1O9hx26">pic.twitter.com/asH1O9hx26</a>&mdash; Senator Hawley Press Office (@SenHawleyPress) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenHawleyPress/status/1932845050037145749?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>"I hope [consumers] will rush to the court house, even as we are here today, to sue you into oblivion." Hawley said.

🎥Missouri U.S. Senator presses CEO of DNA testing company

SHAWNEE COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 10:30a.m. Tuesday in Shawnee County.

A man was working on a tractor in the 2900 Block of SE Tecumseh Road, when the tractor fell on him, according to the Shawnee County Sheriff's Deputy Abigail Christian..

American Medical Response transported the man to an area hospital for treatment of serious injuries.&nbsp; The victim's name has not been released.

SHAWNEE COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 10:30a.m. Tuesday in Shawnee County.A man was working on a tractor in the 2900 Block of SE Tecumseh Road, when the tractor fell on him, according to the Shawnee County Sheriff's Deputy Abigail Christian..American Medical Response transported the man to an area hospital for treatment of serious injuries.&nbsp; The victim's name has not been released.

Sheriff: Kan. man hospitalized after tractor fell on him

As many as 100 people could have been affected, owner and witnesses say

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/cindygonzalez/">Cindy Gonzalez</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/aaron-sanderford/">Aaron Sanderford</a> <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/fortenberry-seeks-two-month-delay-of-re-trial-to-wait-for-trump-justice-department/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA — As many as 100 workers suspected of being in the country illegally were ensnared, witnesses said, in what immigration officials said was its largest Nebraska enforcement operation since President Donald Trump took office.

Outside of Glenn Valley Foods, community advocates, including a pastor, said they had seen people being removed from the plant. Some were placed in three 15-passenger vans. Others were loaded onto a bus with boarded up windows and a law enforcement escort.

Witnesses who were afraid to give their names told a reporter they saw family members of workers arrive and try to bring documentation to their loved ones. One didn’t stop when asked to by local officers.

That resulted in a tense moment when a handful of people approached a law enforcement vehicle and some loudly expressed frustration with the scope and scale of the operation. At least two people tried to block the movement of the vehicle and were moved, video footage confirmed.

Several observers said Glenn Valley was approached by ICE agents Tuesday morning and allowed agents inside the plant.

Gary Rohwer, owner and CEO of Glenn Valley Foods, told Omaha’s WOWT that federal investigators told him 97 employees had false IDs. He said the company had used e-Verify.

Immigration authorities confirmed to a local member of Congress that 75 to 80 people had been detained. Others were being interviewed about related law enforcement concerns.

“They’re good, hardworking, honest,” he said. “They’re part of our family.”

Community leaders said workers have told them they were separating people in the plant they could prove were citizens and those that they couldn’t.

The operations had several local elected Latino leaders visiting various work sites, some South Omaha businesses shutting their doors for the time being and area residents checking in with each other in a frenzy.

Latino leaders tracking the situation, posting about it on social media and speaking with workers said they had heard of up to a half-dozen worksites where federal immigration agents may have visited.

A federal official described the raid at Glenn Valley Foods as likely the largest in Nebraska since Trump took office after promising a massive crackdown on illegal immigration.

“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and federal law enforcement partners, executed a federal search warrant at Glenn Valley Foods, today, based on an ongoing criminal investigation into the large-scale employment of aliens without authorization to work in the United States,” said a statement from Tanya Roman, ICE spokesperson.

Roman, in a follow-up call with the Examiner, clarified that Glenn Valley was the only Omaha-area operation federal immigration agents carried out Tuesday and that it attempted no others and made no individual arrests at other businesses.

Community leaders began gathering early Tuesday at a South Omaha location, after having heard late Monday of possible enforcement activities ahead.

Roger Garcia, chairman of the Douglas County board, announced during a county board meeting Tuesday morning that he had to leave because his community was “being terrorized.”

“I have to depart,” he said. “As we speak, there’s word of at least two raids happening at this moment, so I have to go. I have to try and help.”

He was among leaders posting in English and Spanish on social media to keep the community informed. Rumors swirled for much of the day about potentially targeted businesses beyond Glenn Valley Foods, including LALA’s and JBS, processing and production plants in the eastern part of the city. A JBS official told the Nebraska Examiner that no raid or immigration agents targeted JBS. LALA officials said they were not targeted and received no visit either.

Later, Garcia, gathering with others on South 24th Street, said he found no redeeming value in the federal action.

“None of this is doing anything to positively help society, but rather is doing the opposite,” he said. “These were individuals that were literally at work, trying to provide for their families, people contributing to our local economy.”

He said a team of community representatives is working to get current information, including what’s next for those detained.&nbsp;

He said at least one trusted source said the source’s mom was taken to Iowa and offered the option to voluntarily deport or to fight the deportation through legal means.&nbsp;He said various community members have stepped up to offer legal services.&nbsp;

Garcia said he’s hearing trepidation that another Nebraska town could be next.&nbsp;

State Sens. Dunixi Guereca and Margo Juarez of South Omaha gathered mid-morning with a half dozen other community representatives on South 24th Street. Guereca pointed at the quiet business corridor, the heart of Nebraska’s largest Latino business district, and said: “This is fear.”

U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., issued a statement Tuesday saying he understood the “concerns” for people’s loved ones and personal safety and said he had “full confidence and expectations” that ICE would operate legally and treat people respectfully. He said his office supports “the rule of law.”

The statement said his office had been told the investigation and warrant being served at the plant concerned “stolen identities.”

Local law enforcement agencies said they were not participating in the federal raids, but that they are providing agents and the public with traffic enforcement around targeted locations, as needed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749657037037.jpeg" alt=" Jaqueline Chino, protesting immigration enforcement actions in Omaha on Tuesday, said she wanted to “stand up for people – even if I have to stand alone on this pole.” (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption> Jaqueline Chino, protesting immigration enforcement actions in Omaha on Tuesday, said she wanted to “stand up for people – even if I have to stand alone on this pole.” (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>As many as 100 people could have been affected, owner and witnesses say</h2>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/cindygonzalez/">Cindy Gonzalez</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/aaron-sanderford/">Aaron Sanderford</a> <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/fortenberry-seeks-two-month-delay-of-re-trial-to-wait-for-trump-justice-department/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA — As many as 100 workers suspected of being in the country illegally were ensnared, witnesses said, in what immigration officials said was its largest Nebraska enforcement operation since President Donald Trump took office.Outside of Glenn Valley Foods, community advocates, including a pastor, said they had seen people being removed from the plant. Some were placed in three 15-passenger vans. Others were loaded onto a bus with boarded up windows and a law enforcement escort.Witnesses who were afraid to give their names told a reporter they saw family members of workers arrive and try to bring documentation to their loved ones. One didn’t stop when asked to by local officers.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749657133004.png" alt="ederal immigration agents raided an Omaha food plant, Glenn Valley Foods, on Tuesday. Witnesses saw people placed into three vans and a bus. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>ederal immigration agents raided an Omaha food plant, Glenn Valley Foods, on Tuesday. Witnesses saw people placed into three vans and a bus. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>That resulted in a tense moment when a handful of people approached a law enforcement vehicle and some loudly expressed frustration with the scope and scale of the operation. At least two people tried to block the movement of the vehicle and were moved, video footage confirmed.<h2>Workers targeted</h2>Several observers said Glenn Valley was approached by ICE agents Tuesday morning and allowed agents inside the plant.Gary Rohwer, owner and CEO of Glenn Valley Foods, told Omaha’s WOWT that federal investigators told him 97 employees had false IDs. He said the company had used e-Verify.Immigration authorities confirmed to a local member of Congress that 75 to 80 people had been detained. Others were being interviewed about related law enforcement concerns.“They’re good, hardworking, honest,” he said. “They’re part of our family.”Community leaders said workers have told them they were separating people in the plant they could prove were citizens and those that they couldn’t.The operations had several local elected Latino leaders visiting various work sites, some South Omaha businesses shutting their doors for the time being and area residents checking in with each other in a frenzy.<h2>Community reacts to raid</h2>Latino leaders tracking the situation, posting about it on social media and speaking with workers said they had heard of up to a half-dozen worksites where federal immigration agents may have visited.A federal official described the raid at Glenn Valley Foods as likely the largest in Nebraska since Trump took office after promising a massive crackdown on illegal immigration.“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and federal law enforcement partners, executed a federal search warrant at Glenn Valley Foods, today, based on an ongoing criminal investigation into the large-scale employment of aliens without authorization to work in the United States,” said a statement from Tanya Roman, ICE spokesperson.She said the investigation is ongoing.Roman, in a follow-up call with the Examiner, clarified that Glenn Valley was the only Omaha-area operation federal immigration agents carried out Tuesday and that it attempted no others and made no individual arrests at other businesses.Community leaders began gathering early Tuesday at a South Omaha location, after having heard late Monday of possible enforcement activities ahead.Roger Garcia, chairman of the Douglas County board, announced during a county board meeting Tuesday morning that he had to leave because his community was “being terrorized.”“I have to depart,” he said. “As we speak, there’s word of at least two raids happening at this moment, so I have to go. I have to try and help.”<h2>Law enforcement fights rumors</h2>He was among leaders posting in English and Spanish on social media to keep the community informed. Rumors swirled for much of the day about potentially targeted businesses beyond Glenn Valley Foods, including LALA’s and JBS, processing and production plants in the eastern part of the city. A JBS official told the Nebraska Examiner that no raid or immigration agents targeted JBS. LALA officials said they were not targeted and received no visit either.Later, Garcia, gathering with others on South 24th Street, said he found no redeeming value in the federal action.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749657211817.png" alt="Yesenia Peck, who heads the Nebraska Hispanic Chamber, was checking on South Omaha merchants Tuesday in the wake of reports that immigration raids were unfolding. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Yesenia Peck, who heads the Nebraska Hispanic Chamber, was checking on South Omaha merchants Tuesday in the wake of reports that immigration raids were unfolding. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>“None of this is doing anything to positively help society, but rather is doing the opposite,” he said. “These were individuals that were literally at work, trying to provide for their families, people contributing to our local economy.”He said a team of community representatives is working to get current information, including what’s next for those detained.&nbsp;He said at least one trusted source said the source’s mom was taken to Iowa and offered the option to voluntarily deport or to fight the deportation through legal means.&nbsp;He said various community members have stepped up to offer legal services.&nbsp;Garcia said he’s hearing trepidation that another Nebraska town could be next.&nbsp;State Sens. Dunixi Guereca and Margo Juarez of South Omaha gathered mid-morning with a half dozen other community representatives on South 24th Street. Guereca pointed at the quiet business corridor, the heart of Nebraska’s largest Latino business district, and said: “This is fear.”U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., issued a statement Tuesday saying he understood the “concerns” for people’s loved ones and personal safety and said he had “full confidence and expectations” that ICE would operate legally and treat people respectfully. He said his office supports “the rule of law.”The statement said his office had been told the investigation and warrant being served at the plant concerned “stolen identities.”Local law enforcement agencies said they were not participating in the federal raids, but that they are providing agents and the public with traffic enforcement around targeted locations, as needed.”The Department of Homeland Security recently notified OPD of the operations and OPD officers responded to the areas for traffic control,” Omaha Police Lt. Neal Bonacci said in a statement.<h2>Business impacted</h2>Guereca said he was disappointed in the way federal agents carried out the operation, which he said created unnecessary fear for families, customers and merchants.“Businesses closed their doors. Not only are folks not going to work, they’re not consuming,” he said.&nbsp;Yesenia Peck, who heads the Nebraska Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, also came to the 24th Street district to check on businesses. As she approached one store, a customer was attempting to open the door, but it was locked.She said she knew of at least one foreign consulate office based in Omaha, the Guatemalan Consulate, that was sending a representative to an affected worksite.“Everybody is scared right now. Businesses are closing,” she said. “This is not life…”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749657282067.png" alt="State Sen. Dunixi Guereca of South Omaha stands along South 24th Street with business owner Martha Barrera and discuss the federal immigration enforcement operation that had people and businesses talking on Tuesday. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Dunixi Guereca of South Omaha stands along South 24th Street with business owner Martha Barrera and discuss the federal immigration enforcement operation that had people and businesses talking on Tuesday. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Peck said one merchant asked her, “How are we going to pay the bills? Pay rent?”Martha Barrera, who owns a salon on 24th Street, said her workers have continued to accept customers, but she said people are in panic mode about what is happening outside the doors. She said she is happy that community leaders have offered information on rights and how to respond if federal agents were to come to her business or any others.&nbsp;She and others on the business corridor said their stores rely on Latino families and are worried about future commerce.Peck said she understands there are laws and people must abide by those.“But this is not the way it should be done,” she said. “Not cruelly.”“What is happening right now is unbelievable. I’ve seen this kind of thing in other countries,” she said, including her homeland of Peru. “It’s just not the right way.”<h2>Protests gather</h2>Meanwhile in Lincoln, an impromptu protest with roughly 20 people marched near the State Capitol as a result of federal immigration enforcement.Peaceful protests were developing elsewhere in Omaha, too, including an “Omaha Stands with Immigrants rally.”Hundreds protested the federal immigration operation, lining both sides of L Street near 33rd at the dinner hours. Signs and chalked sidewalks offered sentiment: “Undocumented hands feed you.” “F— ICE.” “Keep families together” “Abolish ICE.”An Omaha Tribal group led chants, crossing back and forth at crosslight. “No fear, no hate, no ICE in our state.”A woman in purple plastic boots held a yellow “immigrants welcome here” sign and banged a gong, saying, “It’s the loudest thing I own.”Others passed out “know your rights” information packets.&nbsp;There was no shortage of honks from passer by motorists.&nbsp;Jaqueline Chino walked up to the chanting crowd and stood on a light pole base, with her handmade sign: “Families belong together.”Asked by a reporter what brought her to the event, she said her dad was deported when she was 5 years old.Her mom raised her family alone, as her dad is in Guerrero, Mexico.&nbsp;“I know the pain,” she said. “Growing up without a father figure is very hard for a girl.”Another gathering on South 24th Street drew about 25 people.Said Anna Hernandez, an organizer: “Obviously we can’t do anything at the worksites. But we can show that this is our community and this is breaking up our families.”She said people are reaching out to community members seeking ways to demonstrate support. “There are children who will be forever affected by this.”<h2>Mayor, advocates weigh in</h2>Mayor John Ewing Jr., on his second official day in office, released a statement saying that his office had been alerted that some sort of immigration action would take place on Tuesday, though was not “privy to details.”He noted that he had asked ICE for a heads-up courtesy on enforcement activities, following the ICE-led arrest over the weekend at a west Omaha restaurant that disturbed patrons and others as it circulated widely on social media.“I am trying to get to the bottom of what happened today,” Ewing said in a statement. “We know that actions like these affect families. My administration is working with community groups to understand the scale of need.”Ewing said he knows the ICE actions caused fear. “We do not want people to be so afraid they stop reporting crimes. Our Omaha Police Department will respond to 911 calls and not ask about legal status.”He reiterated that the city was not in the business of immigration enforcement, and said it was the federal government leading that charge.“Our Omaha police officers do not and will not seek individuals to check their legal status,” Ewing said. “OPD was on scene today to assist in traffic control and public safety in areas near their operations.”Saul Lopez, of LULAC National, was headed with other community members to pass out information about worker rights at workplaces and said a concern was for parents who might be separated from children.“We’re very worried right now about what’s going on with the families.”A leader of an Omaha nonprofit that works with youths said Tuesday that the organization has been working to identify families whose working parent may have been detained and separated from their children.So far, the organization’s leader said at least two kids in their care who are from two different families have a parent caught up in the operations. The organization was busy getting a hold of emergency contacts for the kids.Also Tuesday, immigration advocates and community leaders had turned a South Omaha organization into a sort of information headquarters to better understand and coordinate legal, outreach and response activities.Also among the elected officials gathered at the South Omaha hub was Yanira Garcia of the Omaha Regional Metropolitan Transit Board and Omaha City Councilman Ron Hug.Examiner reporter Juan Salinas II contributed to this report.