The U.S. has closed its southern border again to livestock imports, saying a flesh-eating parasite has moved further north in Mexico than previously reported.

Mexico's president was critical Thursday, suggesting that the U.S. is exaggerating the threat to its beef industry from the parasite, the New World screwworm fly. The female flies lay eggs in wounds on warm-blooded animals, hatching larvae that are unusual among flies for feeding on live flesh and fluids instead of dead material.

American officials worry that if the fly reaches Texas, its flesh-eating maggots could cause large economic losses, something that happened decades ago. The U.S. largely eradicated the pest in the 1970s by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fly-factories-cattle-screwworm-texas-baf01b846d38e34d9ff1c1414cd752a4">breeding and releasing sterile male flies</a>&nbsp;to breed with wild females, and the fly had been contained in Panama for years until it was discovered in southern Mexico late last year.

The U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-us-cattle-screwworm-b3fc2c3642e6773f98f4b9cd6072eb93">closed its southern border in May</a>&nbsp;to imports of live cattle, horses and bison&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-us-screwworm-cattle-2ea2cbbb02c102a1feb1f402cd5774cf">but announced June 30</a>&nbsp;that it would allow three ports of entry to reopen this month and another two by Sept. 15. However, since then, an infestation from the fly has been reported 185 miles (298 kilometers) northeast of Mexico City, about 160 miles (258 kilometers) further north than previously reported cases. That was about 370 miles (595 kilometers) from the Texas border.

“The United States has promised to be vigilant,” U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a statement Wednesday announcing the border closing. “Thanks to the aggressive monitoring by USDA staff in the U.S. and in Mexico, we have been able to take quick and decisive action to respond to the spread of this deadly pest.”

In Mexico, President Claudia Sheinbaum said authorities there were following all established protocols to deal with the northernmost case. Mexican authorities said the country has 392 infected animals, down nearly 19% since June 24.

“From our point of view, they took a totally exaggerated decision to closing the border again,” Sheinbaum said. “Everything that scientifically should be done is being done.”

Three weeks ago, Rollins announced plans for combating the parasite that include spending nearly $30 million on new sites for breeding and dispersing sterile male flies. Once released in the wild, those males would mate with females, causing them to lay eggs that won’t hatch so that the fly population would die out.

The USDA hopes a new fly factory will be operating in southern Mexico by July 2026 to supplement fly breeding at an existing complex in Panama. The agency also plans to open a site in southern Texas for holding sterile flies imported from Panama, so they can be released along the border if necessary.

Also Thursday, U.S. Reps. Tony Gonzalez, of Texas, and Kat McCammack, of Florida, urged the Trump administration to quickly approve the use of existing anti-parasite treatments for New World screwworm fly infestations in livestock. They said labeling requirements currently prevent it.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752193189655.png" alt="Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins during a Cabinet meeting Wednesday -image from White House video" />
 <figcaption>Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins during a Cabinet meeting Wednesday -image from White House video</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNA Associated PressThe U.S. has closed its southern border again to livestock imports, saying a flesh-eating parasite has moved further north in Mexico than previously reported.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I have ordered an immediate shutdown of live cattle, bison, and horse trade through the southern U.S.–Mexico border. This decisive action comes after Mexico confirmed another case of New World Screwworm in Veracruz. As promised, <a href="https://twitter.com/USDA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USDA</a> remains vigilant to ensure the protection… <a href="https://t.co/7QQSS3tFfd">https://t.co/7QQSS3tFfd</a>&mdash; Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRollins/status/1943127456510017715?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Mexico's president was critical Thursday, suggesting that the U.S. is exaggerating the threat to its beef industry from the parasite, the New World screwworm fly. The female flies lay eggs in wounds on warm-blooded animals, hatching larvae that are unusual among flies for feeding on live flesh and fluids instead of dead material.American officials worry that if the fly reaches Texas, its flesh-eating maggots could cause large economic losses, something that happened decades ago. The U.S. largely eradicated the pest in the 1970s by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fly-factories-cattle-screwworm-texas-baf01b846d38e34d9ff1c1414cd752a4">breeding and releasing sterile male flies</a>&nbsp;to breed with wild females, and the fly had been contained in Panama for years until it was discovered in southern Mexico late last year.The U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-us-cattle-screwworm-b3fc2c3642e6773f98f4b9cd6072eb93">closed its southern border in May</a>&nbsp;to imports of live cattle, horses and bison&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-us-screwworm-cattle-2ea2cbbb02c102a1feb1f402cd5774cf">but announced June 30</a>&nbsp;that it would allow three ports of entry to reopen this month and another two by Sept. 15. However, since then, an infestation from the fly has been reported 185 miles (298 kilometers) northeast of Mexico City, about 160 miles (258 kilometers) further north than previously reported cases. That was about 370 miles (595 kilometers) from the Texas border.“The United States has promised to be vigilant,” U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a statement Wednesday announcing the border closing. “Thanks to the aggressive monitoring by USDA staff in the U.S. and in Mexico, we have been able to take quick and decisive action to respond to the spread of this deadly pest.”In Mexico, President Claudia Sheinbaum said authorities there were following all established protocols to deal with the northernmost case. Mexican authorities said the country has 392 infected animals, down nearly 19% since June 24.“From our point of view, they took a totally exaggerated decision to closing the border again,” Sheinbaum said. “Everything that scientifically should be done is being done.”Three weeks ago, Rollins announced plans for combating the parasite that include spending nearly $30 million on new sites for breeding and dispersing sterile male flies. Once released in the wild, those males would mate with females, causing them to lay eggs that won’t hatch so that the fly population would die out.The USDA hopes a new fly factory will be operating in southern Mexico by July 2026 to supplement fly breeding at an existing complex in Panama. The agency also plans to open a site in southern Texas for holding sterile flies imported from Panama, so they can be released along the border if necessary.Also Thursday, U.S. Reps. Tony Gonzalez, of Texas, and Kat McCammack, of Florida, urged the Trump administration to quickly approve the use of existing anti-parasite treatments for New World screwworm fly infestations in livestock. They said labeling requirements currently prevent it.

US reclosed southern border due to flesh-eating parasite in Mexico

The City of Wichita now offers a free, low-barrier ID to enable residents to utilize City services and help support their full participation in society, according to a statement from the city on Thursday. The card will also promote community pride, allowing residents to feel a sense of ownership and provide a tangible form of identification.

<a href="https://www.wichita.gov/DocumentCenter/View/32824/City-of-Wichita-ID-Brochure-PDF">Click here for more details</a>

The card is not valid for State ID and may not be used for voting or registering to vote. The I-9 compliant card will facilitate employment eligibility verification, providing job opportunities to individuals currently without verified identification. The City of Wichita ID is FREE and available to all Wichita residents ages 14 and older.

The city council unanimously approved the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.wichita.gov/wichitaid">City of Wichita ID</a>&nbsp;program at their March 18, 2025 council meeting.&nbsp;

Cards are available at City Hall (1st floor) Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752194267119.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>The City of Wichita now offers a free, low-barrier ID to enable residents to utilize City services and help support their full participation in society, according to a statement from the city on Thursday. The card will also promote community pride, allowing residents to feel a sense of ownership and provide a tangible form of identification.<a href="https://www.wichita.gov/DocumentCenter/View/32824/City-of-Wichita-ID-Brochure-PDF">Click here for more details</a>The card is not valid for State ID and may not be used for voting or registering to vote. The I-9 compliant card will facilitate employment eligibility verification, providing job opportunities to individuals currently without verified identification. The City of Wichita ID is FREE and available to all Wichita residents ages 14 and older.The IDs will display:<ul>
 <li>Name</li><li>Photo</li><li>Address (address is not required but Wichita residency is required)</li><li>Date of Birth (DOB)</li><li>ID number</li><li>Expiration date</li><li>The card will also include security features. Applicants must provide supporting materials to obtain an ID.</li>
 </ul>The city council unanimously approved the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.wichita.gov/wichitaid">City of Wichita ID</a>&nbsp;program at their March 18, 2025 council meeting.&nbsp;Cards are available at City Hall (1st floor) Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

City of Wichita now promoting new ID cards for residents

KANSAS CITY—One person died in an accident just before 5p.m. Thursday in Kansas City.

A Subaru Forrester was northbound on Eastern Avenue and entered the intersection at Blue Ridge Boulevard from a stop sign and struck a southbound Dodge Dakota, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

The impact caused the Dodge to rotate, striking the curb and a metal light pole before overturning.&nbsp;The front seat passenger of the Dodge was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the Dodge was transported to a local hospital with critical injuries.

 The driver and rear seat juvenile passenger of the Subaru were uninjured in the collision.&nbsp; The occupants of the pickup were not wearing seat belts, according to DiMartino.&nbsp; This is fatality #43 compared to #49 at this time last year. The accident remains under investigation.&nbsp; Names of the victims have not been releases.

KANSAS CITY—One person died in an accident just before 5p.m. Thursday in Kansas City.A Subaru Forrester was northbound on Eastern Avenue and entered the intersection at Blue Ridge Boulevard from a stop sign and struck a southbound Dodge Dakota, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.The impact caused the Dodge to rotate, striking the curb and a metal light pole before overturning.&nbsp;The front seat passenger of the Dodge was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the Dodge was transported to a local hospital with critical injuries. The driver and rear seat juvenile passenger of the Subaru were uninjured in the collision.&nbsp; The occupants of the pickup were not wearing seat belts, according to DiMartino.&nbsp; This is fatality #43 compared to #49 at this time last year. The accident remains under investigation.&nbsp; Names of the victims have not been releases.

1 dead, 1 critically injured after pickup, SUV crash in Kansas City 

BUTLER COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a triple-fatal crash that occurred June 11, in Butler County have arrested the driver involved.

On July 3, a warrant was issued in the District Court of Butler County Kansas for Tyler J. Beauclaire 24, of Mansura, Louisiana for three (3) counts of Murder in the Second Degree and two (2) counts of Aggravated Battery, according to Butler County Undersheriff Daimon Cundiff.

Just after 6:30p.m. onn Wednesday, Beech Grove, Indiana police arrested Beauclaire in Beech Grove, for that warrant..

Beauclaire is alleged to be the driver of the Black Chevrolet truck that struck the vehicle driven by Eliot Eichbauer and occupied by teenagers Arlo and Silas Eichbauer, killing all three. It is believed that Beauclaire left the state of Kansas, went back to Louisiana for a period of time, and was then located in Beech Grove, in the Indianapolis metropolitan area.

The two counts of Aggravated Battery are for the passengers in the truck that Beauclaire is alleged to have been driving. The sheriff's office has no released their names but they did sustain serious injuries in the crash. Alcohol is still believed to be a factor in the crash but investigators do not have those results yet.

Locating Beauclaire was a collaborative effort between Butler County Sheriff’s Investigators, the Louisiana State Police, and the Beech Grove Indiana Police Department.

BUTLER COUNTY—Three people died in an accident just after 10p.m. Wednesday in Butler County.

According to Butler County Undersheriff Daimon Cundiff, investigators and a witness indicated a Chevrolet pick-up was eastbound on U.S. Highway 400 in rural Leon Kansas. The Chevrolet pickup crossed into oncoming traffic, and struck a westbound Toyota Tacoma driven by 46-year-old Eliot Eichbaucher of Wichita, head-on.

The witness told deputies that the Chevrolet truck had been weaving back and forth on the highway just prior to the crash.

&nbsp;Eichbauer and both of his passengers, 19-year-old Arlo Eichbauer and 16-year-old Silas Eichbauer, both of Wichita were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, according to Cundiff.

Arlo Eichbauer is Eliot Eichbauer’s son and Silas Eichbauer is Eliot’s nephew, according to Cundiff.

The three occupants of the Chevrolet truck were all transported to a Wichita area hospital with severe injuries. This crash is still under investigation and alcohol is believed to be a factor.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749817987755.png" alt="Eliot Eichbauer and both of his passengers, 19-year-old Arlo Eichbauer and 16-year-old Silas Eichbauer died in the crash -photo GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>Eliot Eichbauer and both of his passengers, 19-year-old Arlo Eichbauer and 16-year-old Silas Eichbauer died in the crash -photo GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure>BUTLER COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a triple-fatal crash that occurred June 11, in Butler County have arrested the driver involved.On July 3, a warrant was issued in the District Court of Butler County Kansas for Tyler J. Beauclaire 24, of Mansura, Louisiana for three (3) counts of Murder in the Second Degree and two (2) counts of Aggravated Battery, according to Butler County Undersheriff Daimon Cundiff.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752246036660.png" alt="Beauclaire is being held in the Marion County, Indiana jail" />
 <figcaption>Beauclaire is being held in the Marion County, Indiana jail</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 6:30p.m. onn Wednesday, Beech Grove, Indiana police arrested Beauclaire in Beech Grove, for that warrant..Beauclaire is alleged to be the driver of the Black Chevrolet truck that struck the vehicle driven by Eliot Eichbauer and occupied by teenagers Arlo and Silas Eichbauer, killing all three. It is believed that Beauclaire left the state of Kansas, went back to Louisiana for a period of time, and was then located in Beech Grove, in the Indianapolis metropolitan area.The two counts of Aggravated Battery are for the passengers in the truck that Beauclaire is alleged to have been driving. The sheriff's office has no released their names but they did sustain serious injuries in the crash. Alcohol is still believed to be a factor in the crash but investigators do not have those results yet.Locating Beauclaire was a collaborative effort between Butler County Sheriff’s Investigators, the Louisiana State Police, and the Beech Grove Indiana Police Department.----------BUTLER COUNTY—Three people died in an accident just after 10p.m. Wednesday in Butler County.According to Butler County Undersheriff Daimon Cundiff, investigators and a witness indicated a Chevrolet pick-up was eastbound on U.S. Highway 400 in rural Leon Kansas. The Chevrolet pickup crossed into oncoming traffic, and struck a westbound Toyota Tacoma driven by 46-year-old Eliot Eichbaucher of Wichita, head-on.The witness told deputies that the Chevrolet truck had been weaving back and forth on the highway just prior to the crash.&nbsp;Eichbauer and both of his passengers, 19-year-old Arlo Eichbauer and 16-year-old Silas Eichbauer, both of Wichita were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, according to Cundiff.Arlo Eichbauer is Eliot Eichbauer’s son and Silas Eichbauer is Eliot’s nephew, according to Cundiff.The three occupants of the Chevrolet truck were all transported to a Wichita area hospital with severe injuries. This crash is still under investigation and alcohol is believed to be a factor.

Driver in triple-fatal Kansas crash captured in Indiana

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The legal fight over President Donald Trump's order ending&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/birthright-citizenship-immigration-trump-20919d26029cf0f98ecb0dc7f90a066b">birthright citizenship</a>&nbsp;is advancing on a path toward the U.S. Supreme Court.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/birthright-citizenship-classaction-lawsuit-055227e3f219fd890c78cd21c89fd5d0">New Hampshire federal judge on Thursday</a>&nbsp;issued a ruling prohibiting the president's January executive order ending&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/birthright-citizenship-immigration-trump-20919d26029cf0f98ecb0dc7f90a066b">birthright citizenship</a>&nbsp;for children born to those without legal status from taking effect anywhere in the U.S.

The judge's preliminary injunction and certification of a class-action lawsuit blocks the order, though it included a seven-day stay to allow for appeal.

The district court judge's decision comes less than a month after the Supreme Court limited lower courts from issuing nationwide injunctions without settling the underlying question of the constitutionality of the president's order. The high court also left open the possibility that birthright citizenship challenges could remain blocked nationwide.

Here's what to know about birthright citizenship and what happens next.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/birthright-citizenship-immigration-trump-20919d26029cf0f98ecb0dc7f90a066b">Birthright citizenship</a>&nbsp;makes anyone born in the United States an American citizen, including children born to mothers in the country illegally.

The practice goes back to soon after the Civil War, when Congress ratified the Constitution’s 14th Amendment, in part to ensure that Black people, including former slaves, had citizenship.

“All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States,” the amendment states.

Thirty years later, Wong Kim Ark, a man born in the U.S. to Chinese parents, was refused reentry into the U.S. after traveling overseas. His lawsuit led to the Supreme Court explicitly ruling that the amendment gives citizenship to anyone born in the U.S., no matter their parents’ legal status.

It has been seen since then as an intrinsic part of U.S. law, with only a handful of exceptions, such as for children born in the U.S. to foreign diplomats.

Trump has long said he wants to do away with birthright citizenship

Trump's executive order, signed in January, seeks to deny citizenship to children who are born to people who are living in the U.S. illegally or temporarily. It is part of the hard-line immigration agenda of the president, who has called birthright citizenship a “magnet for illegal immigration.”

Trump and his supporters focus on one phrase in the amendment — “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” – saying it means the U.S. can deny citizenship to babies born to women in the country illegally.

A series of federal judges have said that is not true, and issued nationwide injunctions stopping his order from taking effect.

“I’ve been on the bench for over four decades. I can’t remember another case where the question presented was as clear as this one is. This is a blatantly unconstitutional order,” U.S. District Judge John Coughenour said at a hearing earlier this year in his Seattle courtroom.

The justices didn't say if Trump's order is constitutional

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/birthright-citizenship-immigration-trump-89be4f8457dd69312abc8427d4194cb9">The high court's ruling</a>&nbsp;was a major victory for the Trump administration in that it limited an individual judge's authority in granting nationwide injunctions based on individual plaintiffs.

The administration hailed the ruling as a monumental check on the powers of individual district court judges, whom Trump supporters have argued want to usurp the president's authority with rulings blocking his priorities around immigration and other matters.

But the Supreme Court did not address the merits of Trump's bid to enforce his birthright citizenship executive order, and it left the door open for class action lawsuits challenging it.

The Supreme Court said district judges generally can’t issue nationwide injunctions. But the court didn’t rule out whether judges could accomplish much the same thing by a different legal means, a class action.

New Hampshire District Court Judge Joseph Laplante's decision comes amid legal challenges to the president’s order in district and appellate courts across the country.

Among the other cases pending are lawsuits brought by some two dozen states and cities, immigrant rights advocates and mothers and mothers-to-be.

A district court judge in Maryland is considering arguments over how to proceed since the Supreme Court’s opinion limiting nationwide injunctions.

New Jersey and other states’ attorneys general are arguing a nationwide pause of the order is warranted under the high court’s recent opinion and that it’s up to federal government to propose other remedies for the courts to consider.

Boston College law professor Daniel Kanstroom, an immigration law expert, said he thinks the case is bound for the Supreme Court.

“The stakes in this case could not possibly be higher,” he said. “It affects millions of people. It affects the whole nature of our immigration system. And it in many ways, it affects the continuing question of how we reacted to slavery and to the Civil War and what the 14th Amendment was about in the first place.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737668953875.png" alt="File photo President Donald Trump signs an executive order on birthright citizenship in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Jan. 20, 2025. Photo White House" />
 <figcaption>File photo President Donald Trump signs an executive order on birthright citizenship in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Jan. 20, 2025. Photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The legal fight over President Donald Trump's order ending&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/birthright-citizenship-immigration-trump-20919d26029cf0f98ecb0dc7f90a066b">birthright citizenship</a>&nbsp;is advancing on a path toward the U.S. Supreme Court.A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/birthright-citizenship-classaction-lawsuit-055227e3f219fd890c78cd21c89fd5d0">New Hampshire federal judge on Thursday</a>&nbsp;issued a ruling prohibiting the president's January executive order ending&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/birthright-citizenship-immigration-trump-20919d26029cf0f98ecb0dc7f90a066b">birthright citizenship</a>&nbsp;for children born to those without legal status from taking effect anywhere in the U.S.The judge's preliminary injunction and certification of a class-action lawsuit blocks the order, though it included a seven-day stay to allow for appeal.The district court judge's decision comes less than a month after the Supreme Court limited lower courts from issuing nationwide injunctions without settling the underlying question of the constitutionality of the president's order. The high court also left open the possibility that birthright citizenship challenges could remain blocked nationwide.Here's what to know about birthright citizenship and what happens next.<h2>What birthright citizenship means</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/birthright-citizenship-immigration-trump-20919d26029cf0f98ecb0dc7f90a066b">Birthright citizenship</a>&nbsp;makes anyone born in the United States an American citizen, including children born to mothers in the country illegally.The practice goes back to soon after the Civil War, when Congress ratified the Constitution’s 14th Amendment, in part to ensure that Black people, including former slaves, had citizenship.“All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States,” the amendment states.Thirty years later, Wong Kim Ark, a man born in the U.S. to Chinese parents, was refused reentry into the U.S. after traveling overseas. His lawsuit led to the Supreme Court explicitly ruling that the amendment gives citizenship to anyone born in the U.S., no matter their parents’ legal status.It has been seen since then as an intrinsic part of U.S. law, with only a handful of exceptions, such as for children born in the U.S. to foreign diplomats.<h2>Trump has long said he wants to do away with birthright citizenship</h2>Trump's executive order, signed in January, seeks to deny citizenship to children who are born to people who are living in the U.S. illegally or temporarily. It is part of the hard-line immigration agenda of the president, who has called birthright citizenship a “magnet for illegal immigration.”Trump and his supporters focus on one phrase in the amendment — “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” – saying it means the U.S. can deny citizenship to babies born to women in the country illegally.A series of federal judges have said that is not true, and issued nationwide injunctions stopping his order from taking effect.“I’ve been on the bench for over four decades. I can’t remember another case where the question presented was as clear as this one is. This is a blatantly unconstitutional order,” U.S. District Judge John Coughenour said at a hearing earlier this year in his Seattle courtroom.<h2>The justices didn't say if Trump's order is constitutional</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/birthright-citizenship-immigration-trump-89be4f8457dd69312abc8427d4194cb9">The high court's ruling</a>&nbsp;was a major victory for the Trump administration in that it limited an individual judge's authority in granting nationwide injunctions based on individual plaintiffs.The administration hailed the ruling as a monumental check on the powers of individual district court judges, whom Trump supporters have argued want to usurp the president's authority with rulings blocking his priorities around immigration and other matters.But the Supreme Court did not address the merits of Trump's bid to enforce his birthright citizenship executive order, and it left the door open for class action lawsuits challenging it.The Supreme Court said district judges generally can’t issue nationwide injunctions. But the court didn’t rule out whether judges could accomplish much the same thing by a different legal means, a class action.<h2>Various legal pathways</h2>New Hampshire District Court Judge Joseph Laplante's decision comes amid legal challenges to the president’s order in district and appellate courts across the country.Among the other cases pending are lawsuits brought by some two dozen states and cities, immigrant rights advocates and mothers and mothers-to-be.A district court judge in Maryland is considering arguments over how to proceed since the Supreme Court’s opinion limiting nationwide injunctions.New Jersey and other states’ attorneys general are arguing a nationwide pause of the order is warranted under the high court’s recent opinion and that it’s up to federal government to propose other remedies for the courts to consider.Boston College law professor Daniel Kanstroom, an immigration law expert, said he thinks the case is bound for the Supreme Court.“The stakes in this case could not possibly be higher,” he said. “It affects millions of people. It affects the whole nature of our immigration system. And it in many ways, it affects the continuing question of how we reacted to slavery and to the Civil War and what the 14th Amendment was about in the first place.”

Courts in battle over Trump’s birthright citizenship order

SEDGWICK COUNTY— A Kansas man has pleaded guilty in connection with the 2023 shooting death of a man in Wichita.

On Tuesday, 21-year-old James Sawyer&nbsp;pleaded guilty in Judge Jeffrey Goering's courtroom to second-degree murder and attempted aggravated robbery in the death of 34-year-old Daniel McPherson, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

On Dec. 6, 2023, the Blackwell, Oklahoma Police Department contacted Sedgwick County Dispatch, reporting a shooting investigation involving two individuals including Sawyer and 18-year-old Phillip Walls who had entered a Blackwell hospital, with one of them sustaining a gunshot wound, according to Officer Andrew Ford.

Following discussions with the subjects, Blackwell Police shared information with Sedgwick County Dispatch. Consequently, the Wichita Police Department was alerted to respond to the Hydraulic and MacArthur area based on information suggesting that the shooting victim, 34-year-old Daniel McPherson, would be found there.

Upon arrival, officers discovered McPherson with a gunshot wound to his head. He&nbsp;was pronounced dead at the scene. Homicide investigators were dispatched to conduct the investigation and later traveled to Blackwell, Oklahoma where Walls and&nbsp;James Sawyer, 19, Wichita, were in custody.&nbsp;

In 2024, Walls pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to the shooting and&nbsp;was sentenced to more than 27 years in prison, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705504542151.png" alt="Sawyer as seen in his original booking photo from Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Sawyer as seen in his original booking photo from Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY— A Kansas man has pleaded guilty in connection with the 2023 shooting death of a man in Wichita.On Tuesday, 21-year-old James Sawyer&nbsp;pleaded guilty in Judge Jeffrey Goering's courtroom to second-degree murder and attempted aggravated robbery in the death of 34-year-old Daniel McPherson, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752095618673.png" alt="Sawyer photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Sawyer photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>On Dec. 6, 2023, the Blackwell, Oklahoma Police Department contacted Sedgwick County Dispatch, reporting a shooting investigation involving two individuals including Sawyer and 18-year-old Phillip Walls who had entered a Blackwell hospital, with one of them sustaining a gunshot wound, according to Officer Andrew Ford.Following discussions with the subjects, Blackwell Police shared information with Sedgwick County Dispatch. Consequently, the Wichita Police Department was alerted to respond to the Hydraulic and MacArthur area based on information suggesting that the shooting victim, 34-year-old Daniel McPherson, would be found there.Upon arrival, officers discovered McPherson with a gunshot wound to his head. He&nbsp;was pronounced dead at the scene. Homicide investigators were dispatched to conduct the investigation and later traveled to Blackwell, Oklahoma where Walls and&nbsp;James Sawyer, 19, Wichita, were in custody.&nbsp;In 2024, Walls pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to the shooting and&nbsp;was sentenced to more than 27 years in prison, according to the district attorney's office.---------------

Suspect admits role in 2023 Kansas killing

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/ed-white">ED WHITE</a> Associated Press

This week in Texas, estimates put the number of people still missing from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-floods-worship-ceremony-dead-missing-39afd477993c6220d0ce8c080cea0828">the Hill Country floods</a>&nbsp;at 161, a daunting figure atop at least 120 deaths confirmed by authorities.

But that missing person tally might not be as precise as it seems.

Confusion and uncertainty can take hold after a shocking disaster and, despite best efforts by local authorities, it can be difficult to pin down how many people reported missing are actually unaccounted for. Some people on a list after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paradise-wildfire-california-anniversary-five-years-b4434481c38e6a02e9f2d376ac172b04">California’s Camp Fire wildfire</a>&nbsp;in 2018 were later found to be OK the whole time. The death count in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lahaina-fire-atf-report-cause-origin-maui-wildfires-7225240816153b751fde6c5871274636">the 2023 Maui fire</a>&nbsp;was 102, far below the 1,100 people initially feared missing.

In Texas, several hundred people were reported missing to officials in Kerr County after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-july-4-flood-timeline-ddf1090207b67c6ab716aedc8b239fc2">the Fourth of July floods</a>, said Freeman Martin, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Investigators whittled that number down to 161 by Tuesday after learning that some were counted twice and others were found alive.

“There’s nothing to celebrate about how well we’ve done this far, but there’s a lot of work to be done,” Martin said.

Authorities announced a&nbsp;<a href="https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-surveys-flood-damage-provides-update-on-continued-response-to-texas-flooding" target="_blank">phone number and email address</a>&nbsp;for people to report missing friends or family.

“We need to keep an accurate count, as accurate as possible,” Jonathan Lamb of the Kerrville Police Department said in a plea to the public Wednesday. “So if you’ve reported somebody missing and they’ve been recovered safely, please let us know.”

The flooding sent walls of water through Hill Country in the middle of the night, killing at least 27 campers and counselors at Camp Mystic, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/photos-texas-flooding-camp-mystic-5c3109dc79e16bac53526c4db8c8207e">century-old all-girls Christian summer camp</a>&nbsp;along the Guadalupe River. More remain missing from that camp and elsewhere.

The search in 88-degree Fahrenheit heat has been made harder by overturned cars, trees, mud and other debris left in the wake of the ferocious flood.

“We will not stop until every missing person is accounted for,” Gov. Greg Abbott said. “Know this also: There very likely could be more added to that list.”

In 2017, more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/267939967761404587fec2bc2d94d995">20 people died in the Tubbs fire</a>&nbsp;in northern California. Sgt. Juan Valencia of the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office recalled that most of the 100 people initially reported missing to his agency were found safe.

Working through a list of names in a disaster is both meticulous and time-consuming work, he said.

“Put yourself in a family member’s shoes,” Valencia said. “They’re concerned about their loved one. Are they really the victim of a disaster or did they maybe lose their cellphone? Basically you start calling temporary shelters, check family, friends. You check social media. That’s how we were able to get a lot of those.”

And he acknowledged that searching for victims of a water disaster poses distinct challenges.

“Sometimes you find them miles away,” Valencia said.

The 2018 Camp Fire in California ended up killing nearly 100 people, though the Butte County Sheriff’s Office&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fires-north-america-us-news-ap-top-news-wildfires-05585052057247708a46376c4333eac0">had a list of 1,300 people</a>&nbsp;unaccounted for at one point.

Abbott said Texas authorities were trying to learn more about people who were not registered at a camp or a hotel for the holiday and left no paper or digital trail in the region. He had a firm message for anyone contacting police about a missing person.

“If you make a prank call or provide false information, that’s a crime. ... So you better be correct,” the governor said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752168176576.png" alt="Photo Texas Division of Emergency Management" />
 <figcaption>Photo Texas Division of Emergency Management</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/ed-white">ED WHITE</a> Associated PressThis week in Texas, estimates put the number of people still missing from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-floods-worship-ceremony-dead-missing-39afd477993c6220d0ce8c080cea0828">the Hill Country floods</a>&nbsp;at 161, a daunting figure atop at least 120 deaths confirmed by authorities.But that missing person tally might not be as precise as it seems.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Kerrville, TX Police Community Services Officer Jonathan Lamb: &quot;As of 8:00am this morning, there have been 96 confirmed deaths; 60 adults and 36 children. The number of missing remains at 161. There remain five campers and one counselor from Camp Mystic among the missing.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/quifzSA4v1">pic.twitter.com/quifzSA4v1</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1943337762762969534?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Confusion and uncertainty can take hold after a shocking disaster and, despite best efforts by local authorities, it can be difficult to pin down how many people reported missing are actually unaccounted for. Some people on a list after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paradise-wildfire-california-anniversary-five-years-b4434481c38e6a02e9f2d376ac172b04">California’s Camp Fire wildfire</a>&nbsp;in 2018 were later found to be OK the whole time. The death count in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lahaina-fire-atf-report-cause-origin-maui-wildfires-7225240816153b751fde6c5871274636">the 2023 Maui fire</a>&nbsp;was 102, far below the 1,100 people initially feared missing.In Texas, several hundred people were reported missing to officials in Kerr County after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-july-4-flood-timeline-ddf1090207b67c6ab716aedc8b239fc2">the Fourth of July floods</a>, said Freeman Martin, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Investigators whittled that number down to 161 by Tuesday after learning that some were counted twice and others were found alive.“There’s nothing to celebrate about how well we’ve done this far, but there’s a lot of work to be done,” Martin said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752168294140.jpeg" alt="Texas Division of Emergency Management" />
 <figcaption>Texas Division of Emergency Management</figcaption>
 </figure>Authorities announced a&nbsp;<a href="https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-surveys-flood-damage-provides-update-on-continued-response-to-texas-flooding" target="_blank">phone number and email address</a>&nbsp;for people to report missing friends or family.“We need to keep an accurate count, as accurate as possible,” Jonathan Lamb of the Kerrville Police Department said in a plea to the public Wednesday. “So if you’ve reported somebody missing and they’ve been recovered safely, please let us know.”The flooding sent walls of water through Hill Country in the middle of the night, killing at least 27 campers and counselors at Camp Mystic, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/photos-texas-flooding-camp-mystic-5c3109dc79e16bac53526c4db8c8207e">century-old all-girls Christian summer camp</a>&nbsp;along the Guadalupe River. More remain missing from that camp and elsewhere.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">🚫 STAY OUT OF FLOODED WATERS 🚫 Floodwaters can remain hazardous for days. Wait for official clearance from local authorities before entering any affected areas. 🔗Check <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TexasStateParks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TexasStateParks</a> closures at <a href="https://t.co/3qzx0jMeV2">https://t.co/3qzx0jMeV2</a> <a href="https://t.co/FlIGQQnsqI">pic.twitter.com/FlIGQQnsqI</a>&mdash; Texas Parks &amp; Wildlife (@TPWDnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/TPWDnews/status/1943071612120764687?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The search in 88-degree Fahrenheit heat has been made harder by overturned cars, trees, mud and other debris left in the wake of the ferocious flood.“We will not stop until every missing person is accounted for,” Gov. Greg Abbott said. “Know this also: There very likely could be more added to that list.”In 2017, more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/267939967761404587fec2bc2d94d995">20 people died in the Tubbs fire</a>&nbsp;in northern California. Sgt. Juan Valencia of the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office recalled that most of the 100 people initially reported missing to his agency were found safe.Working through a list of names in a disaster is both meticulous and time-consuming work, he said.“Put yourself in a family member’s shoes,” Valencia said. “They’re concerned about their loved one. Are they really the victim of a disaster or did they maybe lose their cellphone? Basically you start calling temporary shelters, check family, friends. You check social media. That’s how we were able to get a lot of those.”And he acknowledged that searching for victims of a water disaster poses distinct challenges.“Sometimes you find them miles away,” Valencia said.The 2018 Camp Fire in California ended up killing nearly 100 people, though the Butte County Sheriff’s Office&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fires-north-america-us-news-ap-top-news-wildfires-05585052057247708a46376c4333eac0">had a list of 1,300 people</a>&nbsp;unaccounted for at one point.Abbott said Texas authorities were trying to learn more about people who were not registered at a camp or a hotel for the holiday and left no paper or digital trail in the region. He had a firm message for anyone contacting police about a missing person.“If you make a prank call or provide false information, that’s a crime. ... So you better be correct,” the governor said.

🎥Texas officials trying to figure out who's really missing from the floods

MONTGOMERY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating what Montgomery County Ron Wade calls&nbsp;a recent act of unimaginable cruelty.

On July 9, sheriff's deputies responded to&nbsp;McTaggerts Dam County Road 3800 west of County Road 4900 just NW of Liberty, Kansas.

Deputies found five dogs, possible Labrador mix, had been brutally shot and left to die—discarded like trash, their lifeless bodies lying in the open for all to see, according to Sheriff Wade.

"Let us be clear: this is not only a crime, but also an act of pure evil."

"These animals suffered at the hands of a heartless individual or group, and we will not rest until those responsible are identified and brought to justice."

“The senseless killing of innocent animals is not only unacceptable, but also a violation of everything we stand for in this community. We do not tolerate cruelty, and we will use every resource available to find who did this. If you think for one second that we’re going to let this slide, you’re wrong.”

This case is being actively investigated as animal cruelty. The sheriff's office is&nbsp; asking the public if you know of anyone who might be involved, please come forward.

"This was not hunting. This was not self-defense. This was slaughter."

If you have any information that could lead to the identification of the subject(s) responsible, please contact the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at (620) 330-1000 or message our Facebook page.  You can request to remain anonymous.

"Together, we can send a clear message that our community will not stand for cruelty—to animals, to people, or to the values we share."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752166678285.png" alt="Photo Montgomery County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Montgomery County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>MONTGOMERY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating what Montgomery County Ron Wade calls&nbsp;a recent act of unimaginable cruelty.On July 9, sheriff's deputies responded to&nbsp;McTaggerts Dam County Road 3800 west of County Road 4900 just NW of Liberty, Kansas.Deputies found five dogs, possible Labrador mix, had been brutally shot and left to die—discarded like trash, their lifeless bodies lying in the open for all to see, according to Sheriff Wade."Let us be clear: this is not only a crime, but also an act of pure evil.""These animals suffered at the hands of a heartless individual or group, and we will not rest until those responsible are identified and brought to justice."“The senseless killing of innocent animals is not only unacceptable, but also a violation of everything we stand for in this community. We do not tolerate cruelty, and we will use every resource available to find who did this. If you think for one second that we’re going to let this slide, you’re wrong.”This case is being actively investigated as animal cruelty. The sheriff's office is&nbsp; asking the public if you know of anyone who might be involved, please come forward."This was not hunting. This was not self-defense. This was slaughter."If you have any information that could lead to the identification of the subject(s) responsible, please contact the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at (620) 330-1000 or message our Facebook page. You can request to remain anonymous."Together, we can send a clear message that our community will not stand for cruelty—to animals, to people, or to the values we share."

Sheriff: Pure evil; dogs shot, left to die along river in Kansas

SEDGWICK COUNTY —In December 2024, the Wichita Police Department was requested to investigate the conduct of a Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Deputy assigned to the Exploited and Missing Children’s Unit.

Investigators from the WPD’s Advanced Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) carried out the investigation, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.

As a result, the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office has charged Detective Shawn McMahon with two counts of Making a False Writing and one count of Interference with Law Enforcement. All of these charges are felonies.&nbsp;

As this is now a charged case, the Wichita Police Department is unable to provide any further comments.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —In December 2024, the Wichita Police Department was requested to investigate the conduct of a Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Deputy assigned to the Exploited and Missing Children’s Unit.Investigators from the WPD’s Advanced Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) carried out the investigation, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.As a result, the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office has charged Detective Shawn McMahon with two counts of Making a False Writing and one count of Interference with Law Enforcement. All of these charges are felonies.&nbsp;As this is now a charged case, the Wichita Police Department is unable to provide any further comments.

Criminal charges filed against Kansas deputy

NEW YORK (AP) — Ford is recalling more than 850,000 of its cars across the U.S. because the low-pressure fuel pump inside the vehicles may fail — and potentially cause an engine stall while driving, increasing crash risks.

The recall covers a wide range of Ford and Lincoln-branded vehicles made in recent model years. That includes certain Ford Broncos, Explorers and F-150s, as well as Lincoln Aviators and Navigators, documents&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nhtsa.gov/?nhtsaId=25V455000">published</a>&nbsp;this week by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration note.

Ford plans to send out notification letters to affected owners starting this Monday (July 14), to warn of safety risks related to potential fuel pump failure. But a remedy is still “under development,” the NHTSA's&nbsp;<a href="https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V455-7716.pdf">recall report</a>&nbsp;notes.

It wasn't immediately clear if there was an estimate for when a fix would become available. But this week's recall report noted that owners will receive an additional letter with instructions to take their car to an authorized dealer for that service when the time comes — and that there will be no charge.

The Associated Press reached out to Ford for further comments Thursday.

The Michigan-based automaker isn't aware of any accidents or injuries related to this recall, this week's report notes. But owners should look out for potential warnings. Prior to fuel pump failure, customers may encounter poor engine performance, for example, a check engine light or a decrease in engine power.

Fuel pump failure is “more likely to occur” during warm weather or if there’s low fuel in the tank, the recall report notes. And loss of fuel pressure and flow can be caused by internal contamination of a car’s jet pump, amid other factors. Ford also identified supplier changes during a review of the manufacturing process, the report adds.

NEW YORK (AP) — Ford is recalling more than 850,000 of its cars across the U.S. because the low-pressure fuel pump inside the vehicles may fail — and potentially cause an engine stall while driving, increasing crash risks.The recall covers a wide range of Ford and Lincoln-branded vehicles made in recent model years. That includes certain Ford Broncos, Explorers and F-150s, as well as Lincoln Aviators and Navigators, documents&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nhtsa.gov/?nhtsaId=25V455000">published</a>&nbsp;this week by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration note.Ford plans to send out notification letters to affected owners starting this Monday (July 14), to warn of safety risks related to potential fuel pump failure. But a remedy is still “under development,” the NHTSA's&nbsp;<a href="https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V455-7716.pdf">recall report</a>&nbsp;notes.It wasn't immediately clear if there was an estimate for when a fix would become available. But this week's recall report noted that owners will receive an additional letter with instructions to take their car to an authorized dealer for that service when the time comes — and that there will be no charge.The Associated Press reached out to Ford for further comments Thursday.The Michigan-based automaker isn't aware of any accidents or injuries related to this recall, this week's report notes. But owners should look out for potential warnings. Prior to fuel pump failure, customers may encounter poor engine performance, for example, a check engine light or a decrease in engine power.Fuel pump failure is “more likely to occur” during warm weather or if there’s low fuel in the tank, the recall report notes. And loss of fuel pressure and flow can be caused by internal contamination of a car’s jet pump, amid other factors. Ford also identified supplier changes during a review of the manufacturing process, the report adds.

Ford recalls over 850,000 cars due to potential fuel pump failure

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

Kobach faults Gov. Laura Kelly’s 2019 executive order on gender identity

TOPEKA — The Kansas State Board of Education and Attorney General Kris Kobach have been fighting about whether Kansas should drop a ban on discrimination against persons based on sexual orientation or gender identity from public school district contracts tied to federally funded food nutrition programs.

Kobach asserted the language of some contracts was inconsistent with executive orders issued by President Donald Trump in January, while the state Board of Education said anti-discrimination provisions in contracts for goods or services complied with an executive order issued by Gov. Laura Kelly in 2019.

On July 3, representatives of the state Board of Education met with Kobach to inform the attorney general the text of contracts had to be “made or approved” by the Kansas Department of Administration rather than the state Board of Education or the Kansas State Department of Education.

Kobach’s reply was to reiterate his opinion that non-discrimination language related to gender identity or sexual orientation wasn’t allowed in contracts affixed to federal funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He urged Kansas education officials to require deletion of offending passages from contracts with public school districts participating in USDA food nutrition programs.

“I remain convinced that school districts have the legal right to refuse the inclusion of language referring to ‘sexual orientation, gender identity or expression’ in their contracts,” Kobach said. “Whether these contracts are categorized internally as ‘state’ or ‘federal’ contracts, if any of the funding for these contracts originated from the federal government, they must be consistent with federal law going forward.”

Kelly’s&nbsp;<a href="https://admin.ks.gov/media/cms/ca2deaf6-b1f3-410a-bff0-f5db5a574f3f.pdf" target="_blank">Executive Order No. 19-02&nbsp;</a>declared Kansas state government was committed to employment practices that prevented discrimination or harassment on account of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression as well as race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, military or veteran status, disability status, marital or family status, genetic information or political affiliation.

“In a perfect world, we wouldn’t need executive orders like this,” Kelly said at the time she signed the order in 2019. “It’s important that, until we become a perfect world, that we make sure that we’ve got the kinds of things in place that move it towards perfection.”

Kobach said the governor’s six-year-old directive was eclipsed Jan. 20 when Trump signed Executive Orders&nbsp;<a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/31/2025-02097/ending-illegal-discrimination-and-restoring-merit-based-opportunity" target="_blank">14173,&nbsp;</a><a href="https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-01953.pdf" target="_blank">14151&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/30/2025-02090/defending-women-from-gender-ideology-extremism-and-restoring-biological-truth-to-the-federal" target="_blank">14168</a>.

Trump’s orders said federal agencies were forbidden from taking part in “dangerous, demeaning and immoral race- and sex-based preferences under the guise of so-called ‘diversity, equity and inclusion.'” Trump’s orders also sought to reject the concept of gender identity and to prevent federal funds from being “used to promote gender ideology.”

In addition, Kobach pointed to an injunction issued in Kansas v. U.S. Department of Education forbidding then-President Joe Biden to establish gender identity as a protected category in Title IX. In July 2024, U.S. District Judge John Broomes of Kansas, who is a Trump appointee, blocked in four states enforcement of Biden’s rule expanding anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ students.

“A refusal by the Kansas Department of Administration to disburse funds, based on the absence of the (Kelly-mandated nondiscrimination) language … would be inconsistent with federal law and may risk federal funding for Kansas school children going forward,” Kobach said.

On Wednesday, the state Department of Education issued a statement that said collaboration continued with Kansas schools “toward a satisfactory resolution” of the conflict.

The dispute was initiated in June when Kobach contacted the state Board of Education to request removal of anti-discrimination language from contracts associated with USDA funding. That led to the July 3 meeting with the attorney general and representatives of the governor’s office, state Department of Administration, state Department of Education and state Board of Education.

“During that meeting, representatives of KSDE and the state board explained that the agencies are bound by state procurement laws and policies,” the state Department of Education statement said.

In late June, Kobach separately requested the U.S. Department of Education investigate four Kansas school districts for potentially failing to comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act or FERPA.

Kobach said the Topeka, Olathe, Shawnee Mission and Kansas City, Kansas, school districts had “harmful and illegal” policies allowing or requiring teachers to conceal from parents information concerning social transitioning of children.

“That a Kansas school district would so cavalierly act to hide such information from parents is shockingly irresponsible,” Kobach said.

Meanwhile, the Kansas Court of Appeals in mid-June reversed a district court decision blocking Kansas officials from complying with requests from individuals to change gender markers on their driver’s licenses. Kobach had filed a lawsuit in 2023 to stop transgender people from changing gender information on licenses.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752169345524.png" alt=" Attorney General Kris Kobach, shown speaking on the Washburn University campus, is battling the Kansas State Board of Education and Kansas Department of Education to remove from school district contracts tied to the U.S. Department of Agriculture food programs all references to Gov. Laura Kelly's policy prohibiting gender identity discrimination in contracting. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Attorney General Kris Kobach, shown speaking on the Washburn University campus, is battling the Kansas State Board of Education and Kansas Department of Education to remove from school district contracts tied to the U.S. Department of Agriculture food programs all references to Gov. Laura Kelly's policy prohibiting gender identity discrimination in contracting. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a><h2>Kobach faults Gov. Laura Kelly’s 2019 executive order on gender identity</h2>TOPEKA — The Kansas State Board of Education and Attorney General Kris Kobach have been fighting about whether Kansas should drop a ban on discrimination against persons based on sexual orientation or gender identity from public school district contracts tied to federally funded food nutrition programs.Kobach asserted the language of some contracts was inconsistent with executive orders issued by President Donald Trump in January, while the state Board of Education said anti-discrimination provisions in contracts for goods or services complied with an executive order issued by Gov. Laura Kelly in 2019.On July 3, representatives of the state Board of Education met with Kobach to inform the attorney general the text of contracts had to be “made or approved” by the Kansas Department of Administration rather than the state Board of Education or the Kansas State Department of Education.Kobach’s reply was to reiterate his opinion that non-discrimination language related to gender identity or sexual orientation wasn’t allowed in contracts affixed to federal funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He urged Kansas education officials to require deletion of offending passages from contracts with public school districts participating in USDA food nutrition programs.“I remain convinced that school districts have the legal right to refuse the inclusion of language referring to ‘sexual orientation, gender identity or expression’ in their contracts,” Kobach said. “Whether these contracts are categorized internally as ‘state’ or ‘federal’ contracts, if any of the funding for these contracts originated from the federal government, they must be consistent with federal law going forward.”Kelly’s&nbsp;<a href="https://admin.ks.gov/media/cms/ca2deaf6-b1f3-410a-bff0-f5db5a574f3f.pdf" target="_blank">Executive Order No. 19-02&nbsp;</a>declared Kansas state government was committed to employment practices that prevented discrimination or harassment on account of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression as well as race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, military or veteran status, disability status, marital or family status, genetic information or political affiliation.“In a perfect world, we wouldn’t need executive orders like this,” Kelly said at the time she signed the order in 2019. “It’s important that, until we become a perfect world, that we make sure that we’ve got the kinds of things in place that move it towards perfection.”Kobach said the governor’s six-year-old directive was eclipsed Jan. 20 when Trump signed Executive Orders&nbsp;<a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/31/2025-02097/ending-illegal-discrimination-and-restoring-merit-based-opportunity" target="_blank">14173,&nbsp;</a><a href="https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-01953.pdf" target="_blank">14151&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/30/2025-02090/defending-women-from-gender-ideology-extremism-and-restoring-biological-truth-to-the-federal" target="_blank">14168</a>.Trump’s orders said federal agencies were forbidden from taking part in “dangerous, demeaning and immoral race- and sex-based preferences under the guise of so-called ‘diversity, equity and inclusion.'” Trump’s orders also sought to reject the concept of gender identity and to prevent federal funds from being “used to promote gender ideology.”In addition, Kobach pointed to an injunction issued in Kansas v. U.S. Department of Education forbidding then-President Joe Biden to establish gender identity as a protected category in Title IX. In July 2024, U.S. District Judge John Broomes of Kansas, who is a Trump appointee, blocked in four states enforcement of Biden’s rule expanding anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ students.“A refusal by the Kansas Department of Administration to disburse funds, based on the absence of the (Kelly-mandated nondiscrimination) language … would be inconsistent with federal law and may risk federal funding for Kansas school children going forward,” Kobach said.On Wednesday, the state Department of Education issued a statement that said collaboration continued with Kansas schools “toward a satisfactory resolution” of the conflict.The dispute was initiated in June when Kobach contacted the state Board of Education to request removal of anti-discrimination language from contracts associated with USDA funding. That led to the July 3 meeting with the attorney general and representatives of the governor’s office, state Department of Administration, state Department of Education and state Board of Education.“During that meeting, representatives of KSDE and the state board explained that the agencies are bound by state procurement laws and policies,” the state Department of Education statement said.In late June, Kobach separately requested the U.S. Department of Education investigate four Kansas school districts for potentially failing to comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act or FERPA.Kobach said the Topeka, Olathe, Shawnee Mission and Kansas City, Kansas, school districts had “harmful and illegal” policies allowing or requiring teachers to conceal from parents information concerning social transitioning of children.“That a Kansas school district would so cavalierly act to hide such information from parents is shockingly irresponsible,” Kobach said.Meanwhile, the Kansas Court of Appeals in mid-June reversed a district court decision blocking Kansas officials from complying with requests from individuals to change gender markers on their driver’s licenses. Kobach had filed a lawsuit in 2023 to stop transgender people from changing gender information on licenses.

Kansas AG seeks removal of anti-discrimination text from school district contracts

WYANDOTTE COUNTY&nbsp; —Law enforcement investigating after a person was found dead on a street in Kansas City, Kansas have identified the victim as 34-year-old Elcena Painter, according to a statement from Kansas City, Kansas police.

Just before 5a.m. Wednesday, callers reported a person lying on the street in the 4600 Block of Greeley Avenue. When officers arrived, they found Painter.&nbsp; Police did not know how the victim died.

This incident remains under investigation by the KCKPD Major Case and Traffic Investigation Units. Anyone with information on this case is urged to call the Crime Stoppers TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477). All tips remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.There is nothing further to report at this time.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY&nbsp; —Law enforcement investigating after a person was found dead on a street in Kansas City, Kansas have identified the victim as 34-year-old Elcena Painter, according to a statement from Kansas City, Kansas police.Just before 5a.m. Wednesday, callers reported a person lying on the street in the 4600 Block of Greeley Avenue. When officers arrived, they found Painter.&nbsp; Police did not know how the victim died.This incident remains under investigation by the KCKPD Major Case and Traffic Investigation Units. Anyone with information on this case is urged to call the Crime Stoppers TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477). All tips remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.There is nothing further to report at this time.

Police ID victim found dead on Kansas street 

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/michelle-chapman">MICHELLE CHAPMAN</a>

A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ftc-rule-cancel-online-subscriptions-renewal-fb11fe0392c0b60acd131267bcc2eb4a">“click-to-cancel” rule</a>, which would have required businesses to make it easy for consumers to cancel unwanted subscriptions and memberships, has been blocked by a federal appeals court just days before it was set to go into effect.

The Federal Trade Commission’s proposed changes, adopted in October, required businesses to obtain a customer’s consent before charging for memberships,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-6415b40d4ab04d06a70df5519b54411a">auto-renewals</a>&nbsp;and programs linked to free trial offers.

The FTC said at the time that businesses must also disclose when free trials or other promotional offers will end and let customers cancel recurring subscriptions as easily as they started them.

The administration of President Joe Biden included the FTC’s proposal as part of its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/consumer-protection-ftc-fcc-biden-250f6eece6e2665535019128e8fa38da">“Time is Money” initiative</a>, a governmentwide initiative that was announced last year with the aim of cracking down on consumer-related hassles.

The FTC rule was set to go into effect on Monday, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit said this week that the FTC made a procedural error by failing to come up with a preliminary regulatory analysis, which is required for rules whose annual impact on the U.S. economy is more than $100 million.

The FTC claimed that it did not have to come up with a preliminary regulatory analysis because it initially determined that the rule’s impact on the national economy would be less than $100 million. An administrative law judge decided that the economic impact would be more than the $100 million threshold.

“While we certainly do not endorse the use of unfair and deceptive practices in negative option marketing, the procedural deficiencies of the Commission’s rulemaking process are fatal here,” the court wrote.

The FTC declined to comment on Wednesday.

The agency is currently moving forward with its preparations for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-ftc-doge-trial-delay-3265683227438a61503d2f6727cab5bb">trial</a>&nbsp;involving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-prime-ftc-lawsuit-9e60955fc71d9891ed16c5b856222279">Amazon’s Prime program</a>. The trial stems from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-ftc-lina-khan-antitrust-lawsuit-da0b124e24183a3acd60367f05181f49">a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit</a>&nbsp;that accused Amazon of enrolling consumers in its Prime program without their consent and making it difficult for them to cancel their subscriptions.

The trial is expected to take place next year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752097855985.jpg" alt="Image Pixaby" />
 <figcaption>Image Pixaby</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/michelle-chapman">MICHELLE CHAPMAN</a>A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ftc-rule-cancel-online-subscriptions-renewal-fb11fe0392c0b60acd131267bcc2eb4a">“click-to-cancel” rule</a>, which would have required businesses to make it easy for consumers to cancel unwanted subscriptions and memberships, has been blocked by a federal appeals court just days before it was set to go into effect.The Federal Trade Commission’s proposed changes, adopted in October, required businesses to obtain a customer’s consent before charging for memberships,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-6415b40d4ab04d06a70df5519b54411a">auto-renewals</a>&nbsp;and programs linked to free trial offers.The FTC said at the time that businesses must also disclose when free trials or other promotional offers will end and let customers cancel recurring subscriptions as easily as they started them.The administration of President Joe Biden included the FTC’s proposal as part of its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/consumer-protection-ftc-fcc-biden-250f6eece6e2665535019128e8fa38da">“Time is Money” initiative</a>, a governmentwide initiative that was announced last year with the aim of cracking down on consumer-related hassles.The FTC rule was set to go into effect on Monday, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit said this week that the FTC made a procedural error by failing to come up with a preliminary regulatory analysis, which is required for rules whose annual impact on the U.S. economy is more than $100 million.The FTC claimed that it did not have to come up with a preliminary regulatory analysis because it initially determined that the rule’s impact on the national economy would be less than $100 million. An administrative law judge decided that the economic impact would be more than the $100 million threshold.The court decided to vacate the rule.“While we certainly do not endorse the use of unfair and deceptive practices in negative option marketing, the procedural deficiencies of the Commission’s rulemaking process are fatal here,” the court wrote.The FTC declined to comment on Wednesday.The agency is currently moving forward with its preparations for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-ftc-doge-trial-delay-3265683227438a61503d2f6727cab5bb">trial</a>&nbsp;involving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-prime-ftc-lawsuit-9e60955fc71d9891ed16c5b856222279">Amazon’s Prime program</a>. The trial stems from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-ftc-lina-khan-antitrust-lawsuit-da0b124e24183a3acd60367f05181f49">a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit</a>&nbsp;that accused Amazon of enrolling consumers in its Prime program without their consent and making it difficult for them to cancel their subscriptions.The trial is expected to take place next year.

Click to cancel: Rule to make canceling subscriptions easier is blocked

SEDGWICK COUNTY — An inmate accused in an attack on a Kansas jail deputy returned to court Wednesday afternoon for a preliminary hearing.

James Chavez, 21, entered a guilty plea to charges of aggravated battery before Judge Chrystal Krier, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;

On April 14, a Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office Detention Deputy suffered serious burns after an inmate identified as Chavez launched a targeted attack inside the Sedgwick County Adult Detention Facility.

The incident happened while the deputy was speaking with inmates in a housing pod.&nbsp; Chavez obtained a pot of boiling water and threw it on the deputy, causing second and third-degree burns to the back part of his body.

Sedgwick County EMS transported the deputy to a local hospital, where he was admitted to the Burn Unit. The 30-year-old deputy who has served with the Sheriff’s Office for nearly two years is expected.

Chavez was originally booked into the detention facility in March 2024 on pending juvenile charges and later faced an additional charge for trafficking contraband into a correctional facility He has had 39 documented disciplinary incidents since entering the facility.

He is scheduled for sentencing August 22, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744743778023.png" alt="Chavez photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Chavez photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — An inmate accused in an attack on a Kansas jail deputy returned to court Wednesday afternoon for a preliminary hearing.James Chavez, 21, entered a guilty plea to charges of aggravated battery before Judge Chrystal Krier, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;On April 14, a Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office Detention Deputy suffered serious burns after an inmate identified as Chavez launched a targeted attack inside the Sedgwick County Adult Detention Facility.The incident happened while the deputy was speaking with inmates in a housing pod.&nbsp; Chavez obtained a pot of boiling water and threw it on the deputy, causing second and third-degree burns to the back part of his body.Sedgwick County EMS transported the deputy to a local hospital, where he was admitted to the Burn Unit. The 30-year-old deputy who has served with the Sheriff’s Office for nearly two years is expected.Chavez was originally booked into the detention facility in March 2024 on pending juvenile charges and later faced an additional charge for trafficking contraband into a correctional facility He has had 39 documented disciplinary incidents since entering the facility.He is scheduled for sentencing August 22, according to the district attorney's office.-----------

Prisoner admits throwing scalding water on Kan. jail deputy

Topekan served previously in Kansas Senate, worked 40 years as pharmacist

TOPEKA — Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki&nbsp;Schmidt launched Wednesday a campaign to win the Republican Party’s nomination for governor.

Schmidt&nbsp;worked for more than four decades as a pharmacist and served in the Kansas Senate for 14 years before elected state insurance commissioner in 2018. She was reelected in 2022 by a margin of more than 250,000 votes out of nearly 1 million ballots cast.

“Throughout my personal and professional career, I have a track record of serving Kansans and actually getting things done,” Schmidt said in a statement. “If elected governor, my top priority is the people of Kansas and making their lives better.”

“I’m not always going to tell you what you want to hear, but I am going to tell you the truth,” she said.

Schmidt joined other prominent Republicans, including former Gov. Jeff Colyer and Secretary of State Scott Schwab, in the GOP primary scheduled for August 2026.

Colyer, who became governor in 2018 after Gov. Sam Brownback resigned to take a position in the first administration of President Donald Trump, said Schmidt’s candidacy wouldn’t deter his effort to unite the Kansas GOP behind a pro-Trump agenda.

“Welcome to the race, Vicki&nbsp;Schmidt,” Colyer’s statement said. “Never Trumpers deserve a candidate, too.”

In addition, Schwab responded to Schmidt’s entrance into the governor’s race by saying, “Kansans want a conservative who can win in November, deliver true property tax relief and help our shrinking rural communities.”

Interest in the 2026 contest for Kansas governor will be driven by two-term Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s inability to seek reelection.

Schmidt said that as insurance commissioner she advanced regulatory reforms to lower business costs by more than $75 million. She asserted she was known for “her work ethic, scrutiny of government operations and customer service approach to serving Kansans.”

“Every Kansan deserves a governor they can rely on to not only tackle the big issues, but the little things like actually having people answer the phone when you call for help,” she said.

In 2023, she publicly shared her diagnosis of breast cancer and made use of the personal health challenge to encourage women to get yearly mammograms. Her cancer was treated through surgery and radiation.

“The biggest challenge of my life? Beating breast cancer,” she said. “It was scary and humbling. The support I received from Kansans during my darkest days has continued to drive me in my support for them.”

In terms of the race for the Democratic Party’s nomination, Sen. Cindy Holscher, D-Overland Park, announced her candidacy. Other Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes of Lenexa, expressed interest in seeking the nomination.

Johanna Warshaw, spokesperson for the Democratic Governors Association, said Schmidt’s entrance into the race helped transform the “already messy and crowded GOP primary into extreme chaos.” Kelly, the Kansas governor, is chair of DGA.

“Schmidt brings to this race a disastrous and disqualifying record of voting to enact Sam Brownback’s failed tax experiment,” Warshaw said. “On the other hand, Governor Laura Kelly has shown Kansans what steady, middle-of-the-road leadership looks like. That’s exactly the type of leadership Kansans will want to stick with no matter who enters the race.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752150470682.png" alt=" Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt, shown taking the oath of office in 2023, is a candidate for Kansas governor in 2026. The Republican previously served in the Kansas Senate. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt, shown taking the oath of office in 2023, is a candidate for Kansas governor in 2026. The Republican previously served in the Kansas Senate. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a><h2>Topekan served previously in Kansas Senate, worked 40 years as pharmacist</h2>TOPEKA — Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki&nbsp;Schmidt launched Wednesday a campaign to win the Republican Party’s nomination for governor.Schmidt&nbsp;worked for more than four decades as a pharmacist and served in the Kansas Senate for 14 years before elected state insurance commissioner in 2018. She was reelected in 2022 by a margin of more than 250,000 votes out of nearly 1 million ballots cast.“Throughout my personal and professional career, I have a track record of serving Kansans and actually getting things done,” Schmidt said in a statement. “If elected governor, my top priority is the people of Kansas and making their lives better.”“I’m not always going to tell you what you want to hear, but I am going to tell you the truth,” she said.Schmidt joined other prominent Republicans, including former Gov. Jeff Colyer and Secretary of State Scott Schwab, in the GOP primary scheduled for August 2026.Colyer, who became governor in 2018 after Gov. Sam Brownback resigned to take a position in the first administration of President Donald Trump, said Schmidt’s candidacy wouldn’t deter his effort to unite the Kansas GOP behind a pro-Trump agenda.“Welcome to the race, Vicki&nbsp;Schmidt,” Colyer’s statement said. “Never Trumpers deserve a candidate, too.”In addition, Schwab responded to Schmidt’s entrance into the governor’s race by saying, “Kansans want a conservative who can win in November, deliver true property tax relief and help our shrinking rural communities.”Interest in the 2026 contest for Kansas governor will be driven by two-term Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s inability to seek reelection.Schmidt said that as insurance commissioner she advanced regulatory reforms to lower business costs by more than $75 million. She asserted she was known for “her work ethic, scrutiny of government operations and customer service approach to serving Kansans.”“Every Kansan deserves a governor they can rely on to not only tackle the big issues, but the little things like actually having people answer the phone when you call for help,” she said.In 2023, she publicly shared her diagnosis of breast cancer and made use of the personal health challenge to encourage women to get yearly mammograms. Her cancer was treated through surgery and radiation.“The biggest challenge of my life? Beating breast cancer,” she said. “It was scary and humbling. The support I received from Kansans during my darkest days has continued to drive me in my support for them.”In terms of the race for the Democratic Party’s nomination, Sen. Cindy Holscher, D-Overland Park, announced her candidacy. Other Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes of Lenexa, expressed interest in seeking the nomination.Johanna Warshaw, spokesperson for the Democratic Governors Association, said Schmidt’s entrance into the race helped transform the “already messy and crowded GOP primary into extreme chaos.” Kelly, the Kansas governor, is chair of DGA.“Schmidt brings to this race a disastrous and disqualifying record of voting to enact Sam Brownback’s failed tax experiment,” Warshaw said. “On the other hand, Governor Laura Kelly has shown Kansans what steady, middle-of-the-road leadership looks like. That’s exactly the type of leadership Kansans will want to stick with no matter who enters the race.”

Kansas Insurance Commissioner initiates Republican campaign for governor

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Army is ending most of its ceremonial horse programs.

The Army’s history is closely tied to its cavalry, soldiers who rode into battle on horseback. But it announced Tuesday that it’s moving toward a future without the ceremonial horses and will put most of them up for adoption.

However the service will keep operating the Old Guard ceremonial caisson units at Joint Base San Antonio and Arlington National Cemetery for burial honors.

Ceremonial cavalry units will be closed down at several bases including Fort Cavazos in Texas, whose horses were showcased during the military parade in Washington on June 14, which was the Army’s 250th anniversary and also Trump’s birthday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Army is ending most of its ceremonial horse programs.The Army’s history is closely tied to its cavalry, soldiers who rode into battle on horseback. But it announced Tuesday that it’s moving toward a future without the ceremonial horses and will put most of them up for adoption.However the service will keep operating the Old Guard ceremonial caisson units at Joint Base San Antonio and Arlington National Cemetery for burial honors.Ceremonial cavalry units will be closed down at several bases including Fort Cavazos in Texas, whose horses were showcased during the military parade in Washington on June 14, which was the Army’s 250th anniversary and also Trump’s birthday.

Army ending most ceremonial horse programs; will adopt out the animals

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas stepfather accused in the child abuse death of a toddler made his first court appearance on Wednesday.

Shawn D. Lewis, 33, was charged with first degree murder and child abust in the death of his 2-year-old stepson, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorneys office.

On July 3, police responded to Wesley Medical Center after being notified of a two-year-old boy who was brought to the hospital with severe injuries after a reported fall, according to Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses.

During the investigation, it was determined that the injuries sustained by the child were inconsistent with the facts provided by Lewis who as caring for the child at the time the boy was injured.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751843575801.png" alt="Lewis photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Lewis photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas stepfather accused in the child abuse death of a toddler made his first court appearance on Wednesday.Shawn D. Lewis, 33, was charged with first degree murder and child abust in the death of his 2-year-old stepson, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorneys office.On July 3, police responded to Wesley Medical Center after being notified of a two-year-old boy who was brought to the hospital with severe injuries after a reported fall, according to Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses.During the investigation, it was determined that the injuries sustained by the child were inconsistent with the facts provided by Lewis who as caring for the child at the time the boy was injured.&nbsp;Patrol officers and investigators from the Exploited Missing Children’s Unit and the WPD Homicide Unit began investigating this case due to the severity of the injuries.&nbsp;On July 3, police arrested the 33-year-old step-father of the boy Shawn D. Lewis, on requested charges of Aggravated Battery, head trauma/permanent and Child Abuse.On Saturday the child, John Landon Delano, died of his injuries.&nbsp; Lewis is being held on a $2 million bond and is due back in court July 21.