ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.&nbsp;

Just after 2:30p.m. February 1,&nbsp;an officer on patrol observed 66-year-old Newton Colvin walking in the 600 block Santa Fe Street in the city of Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.&nbsp; The officer knew there to be an outstanding Municipal Court warrant for Colvin. Officers took Colvin into custody and subsequently found him to be in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

Colvin is being held on the Municipal Court warrant for failure to appear in court and on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770040982129.png" alt="Colvin photo Atchison County" />
 <figcaption>Colvin photo Atchison County</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.&nbsp;Just after 2:30p.m. February 1,&nbsp;an officer on patrol observed 66-year-old Newton Colvin walking in the 600 block Santa Fe Street in the city of Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.&nbsp; The officer knew there to be an outstanding Municipal Court warrant for Colvin. Officers took Colvin into custody and subsequently found him to be in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.Colvin is being held on the Municipal Court warrant for failure to appear in court and on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

Police: Man who skipped court was carrying meth during arrest

WABAUNSEE COUNTY —Two horses were shot and killed, from the road, by an unknown assailant in the vicinity of Bradford and Mission Valley Road northeast of Eskridge in rural Wabaunsee County over the weekend, according to Wabaunsee&nbsp; County Sheriff's&nbsp;Eric Kirsch.

These horses were used for therapy for veterans and first responders suffering from&nbsp;Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

The sheriff's department is devoting the full might of their investigative resources towards the relentless pursuit and capture of those responsible "for this reprehensible atrocity against these beautiful, innocent and defenseless animals"

The animals were taken to K-State for forensic examination and the sheriff's office is treating this like a homicide. The sheriff's office pledge $500 leading to a lawful arrest and conviction of the perpetrators.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770066102754.png" alt="Photo Wabaunsee County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Wabaunsee County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>WABAUNSEE COUNTY —Two horses were shot and killed, from the road, by an unknown assailant in the vicinity of Bradford and Mission Valley Road northeast of Eskridge in rural Wabaunsee County over the weekend, according to Wabaunsee&nbsp; County Sheriff's&nbsp;Eric Kirsch.These horses were used for therapy for veterans and first responders suffering from&nbsp;Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.The sheriff's department is devoting the full might of their investigative resources towards the relentless pursuit and capture of those responsible "for this reprehensible atrocity against these beautiful, innocent and defenseless animals"The animals were taken to K-State for forensic examination and the sheriff's office is treating this like a homicide. The sheriff's office pledge $500 leading to a lawful arrest and conviction of the perpetrators.

Reward offered after horses shot and killed in Wabaunsee County

WASHINGTON (AP) —House Speaker Mike Johnson faces tough days ahead trying to muscle a federal funding package to passage and prevent a prolonged partial government shutdown as debate intensifies over the Trump administration’s sweeping immigration enforcement operations. J

Democrats in the Senate and House are seeking new constraints on federal immigration agents after the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis. The Democratic demands include:

1. Ending “roving patrols” in cities and requiring coordination with local law enforcement on immigration arrests

2. Stopping the detention and deportation of U.S. citizens

3. Requiring judicial approval for warrants

4. Implementing an enforceable code of conduct for federal agents and giving them enhanced training

5. Requiring agents to wear body cameras and unmask

Republicans are open to some of the changes, but have drawn a line on judicial warrants and unmasking. They say the warrants would be onerous and warn that unmasked federal agents would face doxxing — the publishing of their private info online.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768672710821.png" alt="Photo DHS" />
 <figcaption>Photo DHS</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —House Speaker Mike Johnson faces tough days ahead trying to muscle a federal funding package to passage and prevent a prolonged partial government shutdown as debate intensifies over the Trump administration’s sweeping immigration enforcement operations. JDemocrats in the Senate and House are seeking new constraints on federal immigration agents after the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis. The Democratic demands include:1. Ending “roving patrols” in cities and requiring coordination with local law enforcement on immigration arrests2. Stopping the detention and deportation of U.S. citizens3. Requiring judicial approval for warrants4. Implementing an enforceable code of conduct for federal agents and giving them enhanced training5. Requiring agents to wear body cameras and unmaskRepublicans are open to some of the changes, but have drawn a line on judicial warrants and unmasking. They say the warrants would be onerous and warn that unmasked federal agents would face doxxing — the publishing of their private info online.

Details on what Dems and Republicans want in the ICE legislation

MANHATTAN, KAN. –&nbsp;Law enforcement are investigating a fatal stabbing in Manhattan.

Just after 8 p.m. Sunday, police responded to the 1900 block of Anderson Avenue in Manhattan, KS, for a reported stabbing, according to a media release from the Riley County Police Department.

Officers located Teray Robinson, 24, of Manhattan, who had sustained a stab wound. Robinson was transported by ambulance to Via Christi Hospital and later died as a result of his injury. &nbsp;

Officers detained the suspect Billy Arnez, 39, of Manhattan, on scene.&nbsp; Following an investigation into the incident, Billy Arnez was arrested on requested charges of second-degree murder at 1:00 a.m. on Monday. He is being held on a $1,000,000 bond, according to the RCPD.

MANHATTAN, KAN. –&nbsp;Law enforcement are investigating a fatal stabbing in Manhattan.Just after 8 p.m. Sunday, police responded to the 1900 block of Anderson Avenue in Manhattan, KS, for a reported stabbing, according to a media release from the Riley County Police Department.Officers located Teray Robinson, 24, of Manhattan, who had sustained a stab wound. Robinson was transported by ambulance to Via Christi Hospital and later died as a result of his injury. &nbsp;Officers detained the suspect Billy Arnez, 39, of Manhattan, on scene.&nbsp; Following an investigation into the incident, Billy Arnez was arrested on requested charges of second-degree murder at 1:00 a.m. on Monday. He is being held on a $1,000,000 bond, according to the RCPD.

RCPD: Suspect jailed for deadly stabbing in Manhattan

MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan.&nbsp;– A General Court-Martial at McConnell Air Force Base resulted in a conviction on several charges, according to a statement from the base.

Senior Airman Randall Moore, 22nd&nbsp;Maintenance Squadron, faced court-martial Jan. 26-Feb. 1 on one&nbsp; charge and two specifications of violating Article 120b of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), sexual abuse of a child; one charge and two specification specifications of violating Article 131b of the UCMJ, obstruction of justice; and one charge and five specifications of violating Article 134 of the UCMJ, child pornography and indecent conduct.

Moore was found guilty of one charge and all five specifications of child pornography and indecent conduct, and also found guilty of one charge and one specification of obstruction of justice.

The presiding military judge sentenced Moore to 40 months confinement, a Dishonorable Discharge, reduction to the rank of Airman Basic, and total forfeiture of all pay and allowances. He will be confined in a military facility, with the location to be determined.&nbsp;&nbsp;Airman Basic is the lowest enlisted Air Force rank.

In December he was also arrested for alleged insurance fraud, according to Sedgwick County arrest records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1769992727420.png" alt="Moore photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Moore photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan.&nbsp;– A General Court-Martial at McConnell Air Force Base resulted in a conviction on several charges, according to a statement from the base.Senior Airman Randall Moore, 22nd&nbsp;Maintenance Squadron, faced court-martial Jan. 26-Feb. 1 on one&nbsp; charge and two specifications of violating Article 120b of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), sexual abuse of a child; one charge and two specification specifications of violating Article 131b of the UCMJ, obstruction of justice; and one charge and five specifications of violating Article 134 of the UCMJ, child pornography and indecent conduct.Moore was found guilty of one charge and all five specifications of child pornography and indecent conduct, and also found guilty of one charge and one specification of obstruction of justice.The presiding military judge sentenced Moore to 40 months confinement, a Dishonorable Discharge, reduction to the rank of Airman Basic, and total forfeiture of all pay and allowances. He will be confined in a military facility, with the location to be determined.&nbsp;&nbsp;Airman Basic is the lowest enlisted Air Force rank.In December he was also arrested for alleged insurance fraud, according to Sedgwick County arrest records.

Court-Martial: Kansas airman sentenced for child sex crimes

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A suspect who admitted setting a fire near the historic Orpheum Theatre,&nbsp;200 N Broadway Street, in Wichita is going to prison.

On Friday Judge Seth Rundell sentenced 34-year-old Jeremy Wycoff of Wichita to 30 months in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;In September, Wycoff pleaded guilty to aggravated arson.

On the evening of April 10, 2025, crews responded to report of a fire near the 102-year-old theatre that is undergoing renovations.&nbsp;

"Thanks to the quick response of Wichita Fire Department, the situation was contained before it caused any major damage to our building or our neighbors along First Street," the theatre announced on their social media page.

Three days after the crime, police arrested Wycoff and booked him into the Sedgwick County Jail where he remained jailed on a bond of just over $100,000.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744832383037.png" alt="Wycoff photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Wycoff photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A suspect who admitted setting a fire near the historic Orpheum Theatre,&nbsp;200 N Broadway Street, in Wichita is going to prison.On Friday Judge Seth Rundell sentenced 34-year-old Jeremy Wycoff of Wichita to 30 months in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;In September, Wycoff pleaded guilty to aggravated arson.On the evening of April 10, 2025, crews responded to report of a fire near the 102-year-old theatre that is undergoing renovations.&nbsp;"Thanks to the quick response of Wichita Fire Department, the situation was contained before it caused any major damage to our building or our neighbors along First Street," the theatre announced on their social media page.Three days after the crime, police arrested Wycoff and booked him into the Sedgwick County Jail where he remained jailed on a bond of just over $100,000.

Prison time for arson fIre near historic Kansas theatre

NEW YORK (AP) — A huge new tranche of files on millionaire financier and sex offender&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jeffrey-epstein">Jeffrey Epstein</a>&nbsp;has revealed details of his communications with the wealthy and powerful, some not long before he died by suicide in 2019.

<a href="https://www.justice.gov/epstein">Click here t</a>o view the latest files

The Justice Department said it was disclosing more than 3 million pages of documents, as well as thousands of videos and photos, as required by a law passed by Congress. By Friday evening, more than 600,000 documents had been published online. Millions of files that prosecutors had identified as potentially subject to release under the law remain under wraps, however, drawing criticism from Democrats.

The records also have new details on Epstein’s incarceration and suicide

Epstein was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges in July 2019, and found dead in his cell just over a month later.

The latest batch of documents includes emails between investigators about Epstein’s death, including an investigator’s observation that his final communication doesn’t look like a suicide note.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-politics-new-york-business-suicides-4ff27f28f32d446795b65ac7dd8cc4ac">Multiple investigations</a>&nbsp;have determined that Epstein’s death&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-jail-suicide-prison-death-8d194a756f2b429067f009a0c70f96c0">was a suicide</a>.

The records also detail a trick that jail staffers used to fool the media gathered outside while Epstein’s body was removed: they used boxes and sheets to create what appeared to be a body and loaded it into a white van labeled as belonging to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

The reporters followed the van when it left the jail, not knowing that Epstein’s actual body was loaded into a black vehicle, which departed “unnoticed,” according to the interview notes.

Epstein chatted with Elon Musk and Howard Lutnick about island visits

Billionaire Tesla founder Elon Musk emailed Epstein in 2012 and 2013 about visiting his infamous island compound, the scene of many allegations of sexual abuse.

Epstein inquired in an email about how many people Musk would like flown by helicopter, and Musk responded that it would likely be just him and his partner at the time. “What day/night will be the wildest party on =our island?” he wrote, according to the Justice Department records.

It’s not immediately clear if the island visits took place. Spokespersons for Musk’s companies, Tesla and X, didn’t immediately respond to emails seeking comment Friday.

Musk has maintained that he repeatedly turned down the disgraced financier’s overtures. “Epstein tried to get me to go to his island and I REFUSED,” he posted on X in 2025

<a href="https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA02152992.pdf">Epstein also invited</a>&nbsp;Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to the island in Dec. 2012. Lutnick’s wife enthusiastically accepted the invitation and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00398721.pdf">said they would arrive</a>&nbsp;on a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02521951.pdf">yacht with their children</a>. The two also had drinks on another occasion in 2011, according to a schedule. Six years later, they e-mailed about the construction of a building across the street from both of their homes.

Lutnick has distanced himself from Epstein, calling him “gross” and saying in 2025 that he cut ties decades ago. He didn’t respond to an e-mailed request for comment on Friday afternoon.

Epstein talked politics with Steve Bannon and an ex-Obama official

The documents show Epstein exchanged hundreds of friendly texts with Steve Bannon, a top adviser to President Donald Trump, some months before Epstein’s death.

They discussed politics, travel and a documentary Bannon was said to be planning that would help salvage Epstein’s reputation.

In March 2019, Bannon asked Epstein if he could&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01615683.pdf">supply his plane</a>&nbsp;to pick him up in Rome.

A couple of months later, Epstein messaged to Bannon, “Now you can understand why trump wakes up in the middle of the night sweating when he hears you and I are friends.”

The context is unclear from the documents, which were released with many redactions and little clear organization.

Another 2018 exchange focused on Trump’s threats at the time to oust Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, whom he had named to the post just the year prior.

Around the same time, Epstein also communicated with Kathy Ruemmler, a lawyer and former Obama White House official. In a typo-filled email, he warned that Democrats should stop demonizing Trump as a Mafia-type figure even as he derided the president as a “maniac.”

Bannon did not immediately respond to a message from the AP seeking comment. Ruemmler said through a spokesperson she was associated with Epstein professionally during her time as a lawyer in private practice and now “regrets ever knowing him.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769870922216.png" alt="Jeffrey Epstein as shown in a photo released by the DOJ on Friday" />
 <figcaption>Jeffrey Epstein as shown in a photo released by the DOJ on Friday</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — A huge new tranche of files on millionaire financier and sex offender&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jeffrey-epstein">Jeffrey Epstein</a>&nbsp;has revealed details of his communications with the wealthy and powerful, some not long before he died by suicide in 2019.<a href="https://www.justice.gov/epstein">Click here t</a>o view the latest filesThe Justice Department said it was disclosing more than 3 million pages of documents, as well as thousands of videos and photos, as required by a law passed by Congress. By Friday evening, more than 600,000 documents had been published online. Millions of files that prosecutors had identified as potentially subject to release under the law remain under wraps, however, drawing criticism from Democrats.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769891409865.png" alt="EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT - Image from an undated and redacted document released by the U.S. Department of Justice, showa Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, leaning over an unidentified person." />
 <figcaption>EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT - Image from an undated and redacted document released by the U.S. Department of Justice, showa Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, leaning over an unidentified person.</figcaption>
 </figure>The Latest:<h2>The records also have new details on Epstein’s incarceration and suicide</h2>Epstein was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges in July 2019, and found dead in his cell just over a month later.The latest batch of documents includes emails between investigators about Epstein’s death, including an investigator’s observation that his final communication doesn’t look like a suicide note.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-politics-new-york-business-suicides-4ff27f28f32d446795b65ac7dd8cc4ac">Multiple investigations</a>&nbsp;have determined that Epstein’s death&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-jail-suicide-prison-death-8d194a756f2b429067f009a0c70f96c0">was a suicide</a>.The records also detail a trick that jail staffers used to fool the media gathered outside while Epstein’s body was removed: they used boxes and sheets to create what appeared to be a body and loaded it into a white van labeled as belonging to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.The reporters followed the van when it left the jail, not knowing that Epstein’s actual body was loaded into a black vehicle, which departed “unnoticed,” according to the interview notes.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769817863085.png" alt="Email exchange from Elon Musk in the files released Friday" />
 <figcaption>Email exchange from Elon Musk in the files released Friday</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Epstein chatted with Elon Musk and Howard Lutnick about island visits</h2>Billionaire Tesla founder Elon Musk emailed Epstein in 2012 and 2013 about visiting his infamous island compound, the scene of many allegations of sexual abuse.Epstein inquired in an email about how many people Musk would like flown by helicopter, and Musk responded that it would likely be just him and his partner at the time. “What day/night will be the wildest party on =our island?” he wrote, according to the Justice Department records.It’s not immediately clear if the island visits took place. Spokespersons for Musk’s companies, Tesla and X, didn’t immediately respond to emails seeking comment Friday.Musk has maintained that he repeatedly turned down the disgraced financier’s overtures. “Epstein tried to get me to go to his island and I REFUSED,” he posted on X in 2025<a href="https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA02152992.pdf">Epstein also invited</a>&nbsp;Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to the island in Dec. 2012. Lutnick’s wife enthusiastically accepted the invitation and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00398721.pdf">said they would arrive</a>&nbsp;on a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02521951.pdf">yacht with their children</a>. The two also had drinks on another occasion in 2011, according to a schedule. Six years later, they e-mailed about the construction of a building across the street from both of their homes.Lutnick has distanced himself from Epstein, calling him “gross” and saying in 2025 that he cut ties decades ago. He didn’t respond to an e-mailed request for comment on Friday afternoon.<h2>Epstein talked politics with Steve Bannon and an ex-Obama official</h2>The documents show Epstein exchanged hundreds of friendly texts with Steve Bannon, a top adviser to President Donald Trump, some months before Epstein’s death.They discussed politics, travel and a documentary Bannon was said to be planning that would help salvage Epstein’s reputation.In March 2019, Bannon asked Epstein if he could&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01615683.pdf">supply his plane</a>&nbsp;to pick him up in Rome.A couple of months later, Epstein messaged to Bannon, “Now you can understand why trump wakes up in the middle of the night sweating when he hears you and I are friends.”The context is unclear from the documents, which were released with many redactions and little clear organization.Another 2018 exchange focused on Trump’s threats at the time to oust Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, whom he had named to the post just the year prior.Around the same time, Epstein also communicated with Kathy Ruemmler, a lawyer and former Obama White House official. In a typo-filled email, he warned that Democrats should stop demonizing Trump as a Mafia-type figure even as he derided the president as a “maniac.”Bannon did not immediately respond to a message from the AP seeking comment. Ruemmler said through a spokesperson she was associated with Epstein professionally during her time as a lawyer in private practice and now “regrets ever knowing him.”

New Epstein documents include his emails with wealthy and powerful

MCPHERSON&nbsp;COUNTY&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is assisting the McPherson County Sheriff's Office in investigating a homicide that occurred early Saturday morning, according to a media release from the agency.

KBI agents and investigators determined that attendees of a house party, held southwest of Inman, had a disagreement after consuming alcohol. Two groups of partygoers left in separate pickup trucks, but then met on a rural road approximately two miles from the party, near 4th Avenue and Arapaho Road.

A physical altercation occurred between two adult males. During the fight, Joshua Soden, 19, of McPherson, was shot and killed. Soden was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The 18-year-old male who shot Soden called 911 to report the incident. He then drove to the Inman Police Department where he was questioned by police, but has not been arrested.

Several witnesses have been interviewed The community is not at any risk related to this incident.

MCPHERSON&nbsp;COUNTY&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is assisting the McPherson County Sheriff's Office in investigating a homicide that occurred early Saturday morning, according to a media release from the agency.KBI agents and investigators determined that attendees of a house party, held southwest of Inman, had a disagreement after consuming alcohol. Two groups of partygoers left in separate pickup trucks, but then met on a rural road approximately two miles from the party, near 4th Avenue and Arapaho Road.A physical altercation occurred between two adult males. During the fight, Joshua Soden, 19, of McPherson, was shot and killed. Soden was pronounced deceased at the scene.The 18-year-old male who shot Soden called 911 to report the incident. He then drove to the Inman Police Department where he was questioned by police, but has not been arrested.Several witnesses have been interviewed The community is not at any risk related to this incident.

KBI: McPherson man shot and killed during fight

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/josh-funk">JOSH FUNK</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/peter-smith">PETER SMITH</a> Associated Press

Nine people, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/don-lemon-arrest-minnesota-church-service-d3091fe3d1e37100a7c46573667eb85c">former CNN anchor Don Lemon</a>&nbsp;and another journalist — have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/don-lemon-arrest-minnesota-church-service-d3091fe3d1e37100a7c46573667eb85c">charged</a>&nbsp;with violating two different federal laws in connection with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-ice-doj-church-protest-st-paul-46dac5c5595ec78e3360ec927eef92d2">protest that interrupted a worship service at a Minnesota church</a>&nbsp;earlier this month.

The group that barged into a worship service that Sunday was upset that the head of a local field office for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement serves as a pastor. The protest was quickly denounced by President Donald Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi and other officials, as well as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-protest-church-minneapolis-fcc97a29b9c4434c665d76d4811c5a3e">many religious leaders</a>.

<a href="https://sortor.us/release/lemon.pdf">Click here to read </a>the full indictment

Lemon and a local reporter were covering the protest on Jan. 18 at the Cities Church in St. Paul. A grand jury in Minnesota indicted Lemon and others on charges of conspiracy and interfering with the First Amendment rights of worshippers. The indictment alleges various actions by the group that entered the church, including what Lemon said as he reported on the event for his livestream show.

The arrests of Lemon and independent journalist Georgia Fort are especially troubling for legal experts and media groups who worry about the chilling effect on coverage of the Trump administration.

David Harris, a University of Pittsburgh law professor specializing in criminal law, said the charges against the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-church-protest-history-58817d7033c6b83867131f4cee87256a">protesters</a>&nbsp;are more tenable, given the federal laws against disrupting the free exercise of worship. “A court will have to sort that out,” he said.

But charges against reporters are troubling, he said.

“Charging journalists for being there covering the disruption does not mean they were part of the disruption,” Harris said. “Don Lemon and other journalists are the way that we the public are finding out what is happening in these spaces,” he said. “They are our eyes and ears. The message that is being sent is that journalists like Don Lemon and others should feel intimidated from doing this.”

The two key laws cited in the complaints against those who were arrested were passed more than a century apart — one rooted in efforts to prevent intimidation by the post-Civil War Ku Klux Klan and the other to enable access to abortion clinics, though they both have had wider applications.

Law designed to protect access to abortion clinics and churches

The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances law, known as the FACE Act for short, was passed in 1994 to help ensure that patients seeking care at an abortion clinic — as well as the doctors and nurses who work there — could safely access the facilities that often draw protests. It followed incidents of violence targeting clinic workers.

A Republican-sponsored clause that provided for penalties for disruptions of worship services was also incorporated into the law.

Anti-abortion conservatives have denounced the law, focusing on the clinic protections. Trump last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-trump-executive-order-pardon-817774b21d32a4edf6d39ee43cbc18f4">pardoned</a>&nbsp;several people convicted for blockading clinics. His Justice Department&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-reproductive-care-clinics-prosecutions-5f693b186d0dd62fc693474aab7b5f3f">scaled back</a>&nbsp;FACE Act prosecutions of those accused of blocking clinics, claiming there had been a “weaponization” of the law.

But the U.S. Supreme Court, despite having overturned the Roe v. Wade decision that had legalized abortion nationwide, last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-buffer-zones-7979c3d747d7eab88f7e8b723397e768">refused</a>&nbsp;to hear a challenge to the constitutionality of FACE.

In 2025, 42 House Republicans co-sponsored legislation, introduced by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, to repeal the FACE Act. The conservative Heritage Foundation supported the stalled repeal effort, calling the FACE Act “an ideological weapon” designed to suppress anti-abortion activity.

They have contended the worship-protection aspect of the law hasn’t been invoked in the past. In 2025, the Justice Department did invoke the act in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-lawsuit-reproductive-care-clinic-d8e45edcf962ea62b3d86251de103737">lawsuit</a>&nbsp;against demonstrators who protested outside of a synagogue.

Someone charged with their first violation of the FACE Act could be fined or sentenced up to one year in jail. Subsequent offenses, or charges that involve injuries, deaths or damage, could face tougher penalties.

The Conspiracy Against Rights law dates back to the post Civil War era

The other charges against Lemon and Fort are based on a law commonly known as the Conspiracy Against Rights law, which was enacted shortly after the Civil War. It was originally designed to target vigilante groups such as the Ku Klux Klan. The law prohibits intimidating or otherwise preventing someone from exercising constitutional rights.

The Klan had been targeting those newly freed from slavery, but over the years the law has been revised to apply to a wide range of violations of constitutional rights. It was used to charge suspects in the “Mississippi Burning” killings of three civil rights workers in 1964. It has been used in cases ranging from church arsons and antisemitic intimidation to political conspiracy and witness tampering.

The law carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison –- or more if it involves injury, death or destruction of property.

Harris said it’s important for Americans to be able to see what’s happening so they can make up their own minds, instead of only hearing officials describe what happened.

“We all have had the experience of them telling us things that simply do not square with what we see with our own eyes,” he said. “Journalists being present to witness these things and report them are crucial to our being able to make our minds about what our government is doing.”

Jonathan Manes, senior counsel in the MacArthur Justice Center’s Illinois Office, agreed.

“It’s astonishing that the federal government is criminally charging journalists for covering a protest,” said Manes, whose work focuses on governmental civil rights violations.

“The crucial point is that a journalist covering activities going on is not part of those activities,” he said. “None of this is to say that the protest here was a good thing or that it was even allowed, but journalists shouldn’t be charged federally with conspiracy when they’re covering it.”

AP reporters Tiffany Stanley in Washington and Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu contributed.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769862788432.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/josh-funk">JOSH FUNK</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/peter-smith">PETER SMITH</a> Associated PressNine people, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/don-lemon-arrest-minnesota-church-service-d3091fe3d1e37100a7c46573667eb85c">former CNN anchor Don Lemon</a>&nbsp;and another journalist — have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/don-lemon-arrest-minnesota-church-service-d3091fe3d1e37100a7c46573667eb85c">charged</a>&nbsp;with violating two different federal laws in connection with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-ice-doj-church-protest-st-paul-46dac5c5595ec78e3360ec927eef92d2">protest that interrupted a worship service at a Minnesota church</a>&nbsp;earlier this month.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769780223167.png" alt="File -Don Lemon from a 2022 interview- photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File -Don Lemon from a 2022 interview- photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>The group that barged into a worship service that Sunday was upset that the head of a local field office for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement serves as a pastor. The protest was quickly denounced by President Donald Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi and other officials, as well as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-protest-church-minneapolis-fcc97a29b9c4434c665d76d4811c5a3e">many religious leaders</a>.<a href="https://sortor.us/release/lemon.pdf">Click here to read </a>the full indictmentLemon and a local reporter were covering the protest on Jan. 18 at the Cities Church in St. Paul. A grand jury in Minnesota indicted Lemon and others on charges of conspiracy and interfering with the First Amendment rights of worshippers. The indictment alleges various actions by the group that entered the church, including what Lemon said as he reported on the event for his livestream show.The arrests of Lemon and independent journalist Georgia Fort are especially troubling for legal experts and media groups who worry about the chilling effect on coverage of the Trump administration.David Harris, a University of Pittsburgh law professor specializing in criminal law, said the charges against the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-church-protest-history-58817d7033c6b83867131f4cee87256a">protesters</a>&nbsp;are more tenable, given the federal laws against disrupting the free exercise of worship. “A court will have to sort that out,” he said.But charges against reporters are troubling, he said.“Charging journalists for being there covering the disruption does not mean they were part of the disruption,” Harris said. “Don Lemon and other journalists are the way that we the public are finding out what is happening in these spaces,” he said. “They are our eyes and ears. The message that is being sent is that journalists like Don Lemon and others should feel intimidated from doing this.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><a href="https://t.co/Yy9IOZRpJU">pic.twitter.com/Yy9IOZRpJU</a>&mdash; CNN Communications (@CNNPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNPR/status/2017257849592721642?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The two key laws cited in the complaints against those who were arrested were passed more than a century apart — one rooted in efforts to prevent intimidation by the post-Civil War Ku Klux Klan and the other to enable access to abortion clinics, though they both have had wider applications.Here are some details about those laws:<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">When life gives you lemons... ⛓️ <a href="https://t.co/wxry0fudOj">pic.twitter.com/wxry0fudOj</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/2017248964878143741?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><h2>Law designed to protect access to abortion clinics and churches</h2>The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances law, known as the FACE Act for short, was passed in 1994 to help ensure that patients seeking care at an abortion clinic — as well as the doctors and nurses who work there — could safely access the facilities that often draw protests. It followed incidents of violence targeting clinic workers.A Republican-sponsored clause that provided for penalties for disruptions of worship services was also incorporated into the law.Anti-abortion conservatives have denounced the law, focusing on the clinic protections. Trump last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-trump-executive-order-pardon-817774b21d32a4edf6d39ee43cbc18f4">pardoned</a>&nbsp;several people convicted for blockading clinics. His Justice Department&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-reproductive-care-clinics-prosecutions-5f693b186d0dd62fc693474aab7b5f3f">scaled back</a>&nbsp;FACE Act prosecutions of those accused of blocking clinics, claiming there had been a “weaponization” of the law.But the U.S. Supreme Court, despite having overturned the Roe v. Wade decision that had legalized abortion nationwide, last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-buffer-zones-7979c3d747d7eab88f7e8b723397e768">refused</a>&nbsp;to hear a challenge to the constitutionality of FACE.In 2025, 42 House Republicans co-sponsored legislation, introduced by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, to repeal the FACE Act. The conservative Heritage Foundation supported the stalled repeal effort, calling the FACE Act “an ideological weapon” designed to suppress anti-abortion activity.They have contended the worship-protection aspect of the law hasn’t been invoked in the past. In 2025, the Justice Department did invoke the act in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-lawsuit-reproductive-care-clinic-d8e45edcf962ea62b3d86251de103737">lawsuit</a>&nbsp;against demonstrators who protested outside of a synagogue.Someone charged with their first violation of the FACE Act could be fined or sentenced up to one year in jail. Subsequent offenses, or charges that involve injuries, deaths or damage, could face tougher penalties.<h2>The Conspiracy Against Rights law dates back to the post Civil War era</h2>The other charges against Lemon and Fort are based on a law commonly known as the Conspiracy Against Rights law, which was enacted shortly after the Civil War. It was originally designed to target vigilante groups such as the Ku Klux Klan. The law prohibits intimidating or otherwise preventing someone from exercising constitutional rights.The Klan had been targeting those newly freed from slavery, but over the years the law has been revised to apply to a wide range of violations of constitutional rights. It was used to charge suspects in the “Mississippi Burning” killings of three civil rights workers in 1964. It has been used in cases ranging from church arsons and antisemitic intimidation to political conspiracy and witness tampering.The law carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison –- or more if it involves injury, death or destruction of property.Harris said it’s important for Americans to be able to see what’s happening so they can make up their own minds, instead of only hearing officials describe what happened.“We all have had the experience of them telling us things that simply do not square with what we see with our own eyes,” he said. “Journalists being present to witness these things and report them are crucial to our being able to make our minds about what our government is doing.”Jonathan Manes, senior counsel in the MacArthur Justice Center’s Illinois Office, agreed.“It’s astonishing that the federal government is criminally charging journalists for covering a protest,” said Manes, whose work focuses on governmental civil rights violations.“The crucial point is that a journalist covering activities going on is not part of those activities,” he said. “None of this is to say that the protest here was a good thing or that it was even allowed, but journalists shouldn’t be charged federally with conspiracy when they’re covering it.”___AP reporters Tiffany Stanley in Washington and Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu contributed.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Read the indictment: Former CNN anchor charged with 2 federal crimes

JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement made an arrest after a suspect had a difficult time navigating a fast food restaurant drive-through.

Just before 10:30p.m. January 25, police&nbsp;responded to a report of a vehicle stuck near a fast-food drive-through in the 12000 block of Shawnee Mission Parkway, according to a social media report from the Shawnee, Kansas Police. The driver was taken into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence.

"Driving impaired puts everyone at risk. Please help keep our roads safe by planning responsibly. Use a designated driver, a ride-share service, or food delivery instead of driving under the influence."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769599495942.png" alt="Photos Shawnee Police" />
 <figcaption>Photos Shawnee Police</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement made an arrest after a suspect had a difficult time navigating a fast food restaurant drive-through.Just before 10:30p.m. January 25, police&nbsp;responded to a report of a vehicle stuck near a fast-food drive-through in the 12000 block of Shawnee Mission Parkway, according to a social media report from the Shawnee, Kansas Police. The driver was taken into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769599480143.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>"Driving impaired puts everyone at risk. Please help keep our roads safe by planning responsibly. Use a designated driver, a ride-share service, or food delivery instead of driving under the influence."

Police: Impaired Kan. driver struck in restaurant drive-through

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/kimberlee-kruesi">KIMBERLEE KRUESI</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/holly-ramer">HOLLY RAMER</a> Associated Press

Protesters across the U.S. are calling for “no work, no school, no shopping” as part of a nationwide strike on Friday to oppose the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-renee-good-immigration-sweeps-6ae64be5a0d6a718b658a938fb56e567">Trump administration’s immigration crackdown</a>.

The demonstrations are taking place amid widespread outrage over the killing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-protester-alex-pretti-15ade7de6e19cb0291734e85dac763dc">Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse</a>&nbsp;who was shot multiple times after he used his cellphone to record Border Patrol officers conducting an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis. The death heightened scrutiny over the administration’s tactics after the Jan. 7 death of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-shooting-minneapolis-minnesota-9aa822670b705c89906f2c699f1d16c5">Renee Good</a>, who was fatally shot behind the wheel of her vehicle by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.

“The people of the Twin Cities have shown the way for the whole country — to stop ICE’s reign of terror, we need to SHUT IT DOWN,” said one of the many websites and social media pages promoting actions in communities around the United States.

Some schools in Arizona, Colorado and other states preemptively canceled classes in anticipation of mass absences. Many other demonstrations were planned for students and others to gather at city centers, statehouses and churches across the country.

Just outside Minneapolis, hundreds gathered in the frigid cold early Friday at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, the site of regular protests in recent weeks.

After speeches from clergy members, demonstrators marched toward the facility’s restricted area, jeering at a line of DHS agents to “quit your jobs” and “get out of Minnesota.” Much of the group later dispersed after they were threatened with arrest by local law enforcement for blocking the road.

Michelle Pasko, a retired communications worker, said she joined the demonstration after witnessing federal agents stopping immigrants at a bus stop near her home in Minnetonka, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis.

“They’re roaming our streets, they’re staying in hotels near our schools,” she said. “Everyone in this country has rights, and the federal government seems to have forgotten that. We’re here to remind them.”

In Michigan, dozens of students walked out of Friday morning classes at Groves High School in Birmingham, north of Detroit. The students braved the zero-degree temperatures and walked about a mile to the closest business district where a number of morning commuters honked horns in support.

“We’re here to protest ICE and what they’re doing all over the country, especially in Minnesota,” said Logan Albritton, a 17-year-old senior at Groves. “It’s not right to treat our neighbors and our fellow Americans this way.”

Abigail Daugherty, 16, organized the walkout at Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, Georgia, on Friday.

“For years, I have felt powerless, and seeing other schools in the county being able to do this, I wanted to do something,” the sophomore said.

Numerous businesses announced they would be closed during Friday’s “blackout.” Others said they would be staying open, but donating a portion of their proceeds to organizations that support immigrants and provide legal aid to those facing deportation.

Otway Restaurant and its sister Otway Bakery in New York posted on social media that its bakery would stay open and 50% of proceeds would go to the New York Immigration Coalition. The restaurant remained open as well.

“As a small business who already took a huge financial hit this week due to the winter storm closures, we will remain open on Friday,” they posted.

In Maine, where Republican Sen. Susan Collins&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-maine-immigration-arrests-collins-ff774636a6e9825fb957e70a10c9ab01">announced that ICE is ending its surge</a>, people gathered outside a Portland church on Friday morning, holding signs that said “No ICE for ME,” a play on the state’s postal code.

Grace Valenzuela, an administrator with Portland Public Schools, decried an “enforcement system that treats our presence as suspect.” She said ICE’s actions brought “daily trauma” to the school system.

“Schools are meant to be places of learning, safety and belonging. ICE undermines that mission every time it destabilizes a family,” Valenzuela said.

Portland Mayor Mark Dion, a Democrat, spoke about the importance of speaking out in the wake of ICE’s actions in the city.

“Dissent is Democratic. Dissent is American. It’s the cornerstone of our democracy,” Dion said.

Associated Press reporters Emilie Megnien in Atlanta, Mae Anderson in New York, Jake Offenhartz in Minneapolis, Patrick Whittle in Portland, Maine, and Corey Williams in Detroit contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769824719346.jpeg" alt="People gather during a protest on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)" />
 <figcaption>People gather during a protest on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/kimberlee-kruesi">KIMBERLEE KRUESI</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/holly-ramer">HOLLY RAMER</a> Associated PressProtesters across the U.S. are calling for “no work, no school, no shopping” as part of a nationwide strike on Friday to oppose the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-renee-good-immigration-sweeps-6ae64be5a0d6a718b658a938fb56e567">Trump administration’s immigration crackdown</a>.The demonstrations are taking place amid widespread outrage over the killing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-protester-alex-pretti-15ade7de6e19cb0291734e85dac763dc">Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse</a>&nbsp;who was shot multiple times after he used his cellphone to record Border Patrol officers conducting an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis. The death heightened scrutiny over the administration’s tactics after the Jan. 7 death of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-shooting-minneapolis-minnesota-9aa822670b705c89906f2c699f1d16c5">Renee Good</a>, who was fatally shot behind the wheel of her vehicle by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.“The people of the Twin Cities have shown the way for the whole country — to stop ICE’s reign of terror, we need to SHUT IT DOWN,” said one of the many websites and social media pages promoting actions in communities around the United States.Some schools in Arizona, Colorado and other states preemptively canceled classes in anticipation of mass absences. Many other demonstrations were planned for students and others to gather at city centers, statehouses and churches across the country.Just outside Minneapolis, hundreds gathered in the frigid cold early Friday at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, the site of regular protests in recent weeks.After speeches from clergy members, demonstrators marched toward the facility’s restricted area, jeering at a line of DHS agents to “quit your jobs” and “get out of Minnesota.” Much of the group later dispersed after they were threatened with arrest by local law enforcement for blocking the road.Michelle Pasko, a retired communications worker, said she joined the demonstration after witnessing federal agents stopping immigrants at a bus stop near her home in Minnetonka, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis.“They’re roaming our streets, they’re staying in hotels near our schools,” she said. “Everyone in this country has rights, and the federal government seems to have forgotten that. We’re here to remind them.”In Michigan, dozens of students walked out of Friday morning classes at Groves High School in Birmingham, north of Detroit. The students braved the zero-degree temperatures and walked about a mile to the closest business district where a number of morning commuters honked horns in support.“We’re here to protest ICE and what they’re doing all over the country, especially in Minnesota,” said Logan Albritton, a 17-year-old senior at Groves. “It’s not right to treat our neighbors and our fellow Americans this way.”Abigail Daugherty, 16, organized the walkout at Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, Georgia, on Friday.“For years, I have felt powerless, and seeing other schools in the county being able to do this, I wanted to do something,” the sophomore said.Numerous businesses announced they would be closed during Friday’s “blackout.” Others said they would be staying open, but donating a portion of their proceeds to organizations that support immigrants and provide legal aid to those facing deportation.Otway Restaurant and its sister Otway Bakery in New York posted on social media that its bakery would stay open and 50% of proceeds would go to the New York Immigration Coalition. The restaurant remained open as well.“As a small business who already took a huge financial hit this week due to the winter storm closures, we will remain open on Friday,” they posted.In Maine, where Republican Sen. Susan Collins&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-maine-immigration-arrests-collins-ff774636a6e9825fb957e70a10c9ab01">announced that ICE is ending its surge</a>, people gathered outside a Portland church on Friday morning, holding signs that said “No ICE for ME,” a play on the state’s postal code.Grace Valenzuela, an administrator with Portland Public Schools, decried an “enforcement system that treats our presence as suspect.” She said ICE’s actions brought “daily trauma” to the school system.“Schools are meant to be places of learning, safety and belonging. ICE undermines that mission every time it destabilizes a family,” Valenzuela said.Portland Mayor Mark Dion, a Democrat, spoke about the importance of speaking out in the wake of ICE’s actions in the city.“Dissent is Democratic. Dissent is American. It’s the cornerstone of our democracy,” Dion said.___Associated Press reporters Emilie Megnien in Atlanta, Mae Anderson in New York, Jake Offenhartz in Minneapolis, Patrick Whittle in Portland, Maine, and Corey Williams in Detroit contributed to this report.

Protesters call for nationwide strike against Trump's immigration policies

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Sinaloa, Mexico man was sentenced in federal court on Jan. 27, 2026, for his involvement in a fentanyl drug conspiracy.

Raymundo Guadalupe Felix-Perez, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to 20 years’ imprisonment without parole, 5 years supervised release, and a money judgment of $80,000.&nbsp; Felix-Perez previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl, between Oct. 27, 2020, and Jan. 24, 2023, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering in the Western District of Missouri.

Beginning the fall of 2020, Felix-Perez sold M30 fentanyl pills to a co-conspirator in the Western District of Missouri.&nbsp; The initial indictment in this matter included two defendants that were charged, Troy Lee Palmer and Dallas W. Hughs, in a six-count indictment including conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.&nbsp; During the initial investigation, other members of the conspiracy were identified, including Craig Troester, Dakota Morris, Cassidie Bumgarner, Lucas Coltrain, and Jessica Moody.&nbsp; The final superseding indictment charged Felix-Perez, Joshua Stramel, and Kaden Bernard with the conspiracy to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl. All members of the conspiracy have been previously sentenced with Felix-Perez being the last.

Prior to his indictment, Felix-Perez returned to Sinaloa, Mexico, where he continued to distribute fentanyl to co-conspirators in Missouri, Iowa, Arizona, and Idaho.&nbsp; On June 30, 2024, Felix-Perez was arrested after attempting to enter the United States in the Southern District of California.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657637560252.jpeg" alt="Beginning the fall of 2020, Felix-Perez sold M30 fentanyl pills to a co-conspirator in the Kansas City area." />
 <figcaption>Beginning the fall of 2020, Felix-Perez sold M30 fentanyl pills to a co-conspirator in the Kansas City area.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Sinaloa, Mexico man was sentenced in federal court on Jan. 27, 2026, for his involvement in a fentanyl drug conspiracy.Raymundo Guadalupe Felix-Perez, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to 20 years’ imprisonment without parole, 5 years supervised release, and a money judgment of $80,000.&nbsp; Felix-Perez previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl, between Oct. 27, 2020, and Jan. 24, 2023, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering in the Western District of Missouri.Beginning the fall of 2020, Felix-Perez sold M30 fentanyl pills to a co-conspirator in the Western District of Missouri.&nbsp; The initial indictment in this matter included two defendants that were charged, Troy Lee Palmer and Dallas W. Hughs, in a six-count indictment including conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.&nbsp; During the initial investigation, other members of the conspiracy were identified, including Craig Troester, Dakota Morris, Cassidie Bumgarner, Lucas Coltrain, and Jessica Moody.&nbsp; The final superseding indictment charged Felix-Perez, Joshua Stramel, and Kaden Bernard with the conspiracy to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl. All members of the conspiracy have been previously sentenced with Felix-Perez being the last.Prior to his indictment, Felix-Perez returned to Sinaloa, Mexico, where he continued to distribute fentanyl to co-conspirators in Missouri, Iowa, Arizona, and Idaho.&nbsp; On June 30, 2024, Felix-Perez was arrested after attempting to enter the United States in the Southern District of California.

Prison: Mexican man sold fentanyl in Kansas City

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate voted Friday to fund most of the government through the end of September after President Donald Trump made a deal with Democrats to carve out Homeland Security funding and allow Congress to debate new restrictions on federal immigration raids across the country.

With a weekend shutdown looming, Trump made the rare deal with Senate Democrats on Thursday in the wake of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-ice-b0cec9d1c5bae4b62469011775082300">deaths of two protesters</a>&nbsp;at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis. Under the agreement, the Homeland Security money will continue at current levels for two weeks while lawmakers consider Democratic demands to unmask agents, require more warrants and allow local authorities to help investigate any incidents.

The bill passed in a 71-29 vote. Kansas U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted with the majority.

The bill will now head to the House, which is not due back until Monday. That means the government could be in a partial shutdown temporarily over the weekend until they pass it.

As lawmakers in both parties called for investigations into the fatal shootings by federal agents, Trump said he didn’t want a shutdown and encouraged members of both parties to cast a “much needed Bipartisan ‘YES’ vote.”

The president's concessions to Democrats prompted pushback from some Senate Republicans, delaying the final votes and providing a preview of the coming debate over the next two weeks. In a fiery floor speech, Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina warned that Republicans should not give away too much.

“To the Republican party, where have you been?” Graham said, adding that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and Border Patrol agents have been “slandered and smeared."

Still, some Republicans said they believe that changes to ICE’s operations were necessary, even as they were unlikely to agree to all of the Democrats’ requests.

“I think the last couple of days have been an improvement,” said Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul. “I think the rhetoric has been dialed down a little bit, in Minnesota.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/no-kings-protest-alex-pretti-minneapolis-immigration-0b34386da0bb3eeac939d9f934680b6c">Irate Democrats</a>&nbsp;say that they won't vote again to fund the Department of Homeland Security until Congress puts new curbs on ICE and other federal agencies conducting the raids.

“These are not radical demands,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. “They’re basic standards the American people already expect from law enforcement.”

Democrats have asked the White House to “end roving patrols” in cities and coordinate with local law enforcement on immigration arrests, including requiring tighter rules for warrants.

They also want an enforceable code of conduct so agents are held accountable when they violate rules. Schumer said agents should be required to have “masks off, body cameras on” and carry proper identification, as is common practice in most law enforcement agencies.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-protester-alex-pretti-15ade7de6e19cb0291734e85dac763dc">Alex Pretti</a>, a 37 year-old ICU nurse, was killed by a border patrol agent on Jan. 24, two weeks after protester&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-shooting-minneapolis-minnesota-9aa822670b705c89906f2c699f1d16c5">Renee Good</a>&nbsp;was killed by an ICE officer. Administration officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, originally&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-administration-alex-pretti-their-own-words-27b7233380c68306a64317b3bf2aa4a3">said that Pretti had aggressively approached officers</a>, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-ice-alex-pretti-videos-immigration-809506eb23f44a3e8f6e53b9fda7b700">multiple videos</a>&nbsp;contradicted that claim.

Republicans countered with their own demands, including restrictions on so-called “sanctuary cities” that they say do not do enough to enforce illegal immigration.

“There no way in hell we’re going to let Democrats knee cap law enforcement and stop deportations in exchange for funding DHS,” said Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., ahead of the vote.

Graham held the spending bills up until Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., agreed to give him a vote on his sanctuary cities bill at a later date.

Separately, Graham was also protesting a repeal of a new law giving senators the ability to sue the government for millions of dollars if their personal or office data is accessed without their knowledge — as happened to him and other senators as part of the so-called Arctic Frost investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack by Trump supporters at the Capitol.

The spending bill, which was passed by the House last week, would repeal that law. But Graham said that Thune had agreed to consider a separate bill that would allow “groups and private citizens” who were caught up in Jack Smith's probe to sue.

The unusual bipartisan talks between Trump and Schumer, his frequent adversary, came after Pretti's death. Schumer called it “a moment of truth.”

The standoff threatened to plunge the country into another shutdown, just two months after Democrats blocked a spending bill over expiring federal health care subsidies. That dispute closed the government for 43 days as Republicans refused to negotiate.

That shutdown ended when a small group of moderate Democrats broke away to strike a deal with Republicans. But Democrats are more unified this time after the fatal shootings of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-protester-alex-pretti-15ade7de6e19cb0291734e85dac763dc">Pretti</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-shooting-minneapolis-minnesota-9aa822670b705c89906f2c699f1d16c5">Renee Good</a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-administration-alex-pretti-their-own-words-27b7233380c68306a64317b3bf2aa4a3">federal agents</a>.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said he was opposed to breaking up the funding package, but “if it is broken up, we will have to move it as quickly as possible. We can’t have the government shut down.”

Johnson said he might have some “tough decisions” to make about when to bring the House back to Washington to approve the bills separated by the Senate.

House Republicans have said they do not want any changes to their bill.

“The package will not come back through the House without funding for the Department of Homeland Security,” members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus wrote Trump.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters that any change in the homeland bill needs to be “meaningful and it needs to be transformative.”

Absent “dramatic change,” Jeffries said, “Republicans will get another shutdown.”

Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Stephen Groves, Joey Cappelletti, Seung Min Kim, Michelle L. Price and Darlene Superville contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769820803076.png" alt="Photo White House" />
 <figcaption>Photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate voted Friday to fund most of the government through the end of September after President Donald Trump made a deal with Democrats to carve out Homeland Security funding and allow Congress to debate new restrictions on federal immigration raids across the country.With a weekend shutdown looming, Trump made the rare deal with Senate Democrats on Thursday in the wake of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-ice-b0cec9d1c5bae4b62469011775082300">deaths of two protesters</a>&nbsp;at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis. Under the agreement, the Homeland Security money will continue at current levels for two weeks while lawmakers consider Democratic demands to unmask agents, require more warrants and allow local authorities to help investigate any incidents.The bill passed in a 71-29 vote. Kansas U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted with the majority.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759315749226.png" alt="The bill will now head to the House, which is not due back until Monday. That means the government could be in a partial shutdown temporarily over the weekend until they pass it.&nbsp; photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>The bill will now head to the House, which is not due back until Monday. That means the government could be in a partial shutdown temporarily over the weekend until they pass it.&nbsp; photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>The bill will now head to the House, which is not due back until Monday. That means the government could be in a partial shutdown temporarily over the weekend until they pass it.As lawmakers in both parties called for investigations into the fatal shootings by federal agents, Trump said he didn’t want a shutdown and encouraged members of both parties to cast a “much needed Bipartisan ‘YES’ vote.”The president's concessions to Democrats prompted pushback from some Senate Republicans, delaying the final votes and providing a preview of the coming debate over the next two weeks. In a fiery floor speech, Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina warned that Republicans should not give away too much.“To the Republican party, where have you been?” Graham said, adding that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and Border Patrol agents have been “slandered and smeared."Still, some Republicans said they believe that changes to ICE’s operations were necessary, even as they were unlikely to agree to all of the Democrats’ requests.“I think the last couple of days have been an improvement,” said Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul. “I think the rhetoric has been dialed down a little bit, in Minnesota.”<h2>Democrats demand change</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/no-kings-protest-alex-pretti-minneapolis-immigration-0b34386da0bb3eeac939d9f934680b6c">Irate Democrats</a>&nbsp;say that they won't vote again to fund the Department of Homeland Security until Congress puts new curbs on ICE and other federal agencies conducting the raids.“These are not radical demands,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. “They’re basic standards the American people already expect from law enforcement.”Democrats have asked the White House to “end roving patrols” in cities and coordinate with local law enforcement on immigration arrests, including requiring tighter rules for warrants.They also want an enforceable code of conduct so agents are held accountable when they violate rules. Schumer said agents should be required to have “masks off, body cameras on” and carry proper identification, as is common practice in most law enforcement agencies.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-protester-alex-pretti-15ade7de6e19cb0291734e85dac763dc">Alex Pretti</a>, a 37 year-old ICU nurse, was killed by a border patrol agent on Jan. 24, two weeks after protester&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-shooting-minneapolis-minnesota-9aa822670b705c89906f2c699f1d16c5">Renee Good</a>&nbsp;was killed by an ICE officer. Administration officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, originally&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-administration-alex-pretti-their-own-words-27b7233380c68306a64317b3bf2aa4a3">said that Pretti had aggressively approached officers</a>, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-ice-alex-pretti-videos-immigration-809506eb23f44a3e8f6e53b9fda7b700">multiple videos</a>&nbsp;contradicted that claim.<h2>Republican pushback</h2>Republicans countered with their own demands, including restrictions on so-called “sanctuary cities” that they say do not do enough to enforce illegal immigration.“There no way in hell we’re going to let Democrats knee cap law enforcement and stop deportations in exchange for funding DHS,” said Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., ahead of the vote.Graham held the spending bills up until Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., agreed to give him a vote on his sanctuary cities bill at a later date.Separately, Graham was also protesting a repeal of a new law giving senators the ability to sue the government for millions of dollars if their personal or office data is accessed without their knowledge — as happened to him and other senators as part of the so-called Arctic Frost investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack by Trump supporters at the Capitol.The spending bill, which was passed by the House last week, would repeal that law. But Graham said that Thune had agreed to consider a separate bill that would allow “groups and private citizens” who were caught up in Jack Smith's probe to sue.<h2>Rare bipartisan talks</h2>The unusual bipartisan talks between Trump and Schumer, his frequent adversary, came after Pretti's death. Schumer called it “a moment of truth.”The standoff threatened to plunge the country into another shutdown, just two months after Democrats blocked a spending bill over expiring federal health care subsidies. That dispute closed the government for 43 days as Republicans refused to negotiate.That shutdown ended when a small group of moderate Democrats broke away to strike a deal with Republicans. But Democrats are more unified this time after the fatal shootings of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-protester-alex-pretti-15ade7de6e19cb0291734e85dac763dc">Pretti</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-shooting-minneapolis-minnesota-9aa822670b705c89906f2c699f1d16c5">Renee Good</a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-administration-alex-pretti-their-own-words-27b7233380c68306a64317b3bf2aa4a3">federal agents</a>.<h2>Uncertainty in the House</h2>House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said he was opposed to breaking up the funding package, but “if it is broken up, we will have to move it as quickly as possible. We can’t have the government shut down.”Johnson said he might have some “tough decisions” to make about when to bring the House back to Washington to approve the bills separated by the Senate.House Republicans have said they do not want any changes to their bill.“The package will not come back through the House without funding for the Department of Homeland Security,” members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus wrote Trump.House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters that any change in the homeland bill needs to be “meaningful and it needs to be transformative.”Absent “dramatic change,” Jeffries said, “Republicans will get another shutdown.”___Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Stephen Groves, Joey Cappelletti, Seung Min Kim, Michelle L. Price and Darlene Superville contributed to this report.

Moran, Marshall help Senate pass Trump's government funding deal

Recent Booking Activity for the Geary County Detention Center. All persons included in this post are innocent of crimes until proven guilty in a court of law.

Bonds have been posted. Photos are unavailable.

Daniel Tadeo, Failure to appear, arrested 01/29

Frank Crawley, Failure to appear, arrested 01/29

Tammy Fisher, Failure to appear, arrested 01/29

Dejah Torres, Unlawful damage to property, arrested 01/29

Joshua Mejia, Criminal deprivation of property; Intimidation of witness or victim; Criminal restraint; Criminal damage to property (without consent - value $1,000); Domestic battery, Knowing or reckless bodily harm to family / person in dating relationship; Aggravated domestic battery; Impede breath / Blocking nose / mouth of family/dating relationship, arrested 01/30

Recent Booking Activity for the Geary County Detention Center. All persons included in this post are innocent of crimes until proven guilty in a court of law.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769808105629.jpeg" alt="Victoria Hudson, Probation violation; Failure to appear (Two counts), arrested 01/29" />
 <figcaption>Victoria Hudson, Probation violation; Failure to appear (Two counts), arrested 01/29</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769808148367.jpeg" alt="Alexius Mims, Violation of protection order, arrested 01/29" />
 <figcaption>Alexius Mims, Violation of protection order, arrested 01/29</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769808186114.jpeg" alt="Jasmine Campos, DUI-Liquor/Drugs, arrested 01/30" />
 <figcaption>Jasmine Campos, DUI-Liquor/Drugs, arrested 01/30</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769808196299.jpeg" alt="Patrick Stewart, Failure to appear, arrested 01/30" />
 <figcaption>Patrick Stewart, Failure to appear, arrested 01/30</figcaption>
 </figure>Bonds have been posted. Photos are unavailable.Daniel Tadeo, Failure to appear, arrested 01/29Frank Crawley, Failure to appear, arrested 01/29Tammy Fisher, Failure to appear, arrested 01/29Dejah Torres, Unlawful damage to property, arrested 01/29Ryan Wagner, Assault, arrested 01/29Joshua Mejia, Criminal deprivation of property; Intimidation of witness or victim; Criminal restraint; Criminal damage to property (without consent - value $1,000); Domestic battery, Knowing or reckless bodily harm to family / person in dating relationship; Aggravated domestic battery; Impede breath / Blocking nose / mouth of family/dating relationship, arrested 01/30Recent Booking Activity for the Geary County Detention Center. All persons included in this post are innocent of crimes until proven guilty in a court of law.

Geary County Booking Photos Jan. 30, 2026

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A suspect who admitted setting a fire near the historic Orpheum Theatre,&nbsp;200 N Broadway Street, in Wichita is expected to learn his fate Tuesday.

Jeremy Wycoff, 34, Wichita, who in September pleaded guilty to aggravated arson, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office, will appear in Judge Seth Rundell's courtroom for sentencing. The&nbsp; sentencing hearing for Wycoff was delayed in November and earlier this month.

On the evening of April 10, crews responded to report of a fire near the 102-year-old theatre that is undergoing renovations.&nbsp;

Three days after the crime, police arrested Wycoff and booked him into the Sedgwick County Jail where he remains jailed on a bond of just over $100,000.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744832383037.png" alt="Wycoff photo Sedgwick County Jail" />
 <figcaption>Wycoff photo Sedgwick County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A suspect who admitted setting a fire near the historic Orpheum Theatre,&nbsp;200 N Broadway Street, in Wichita is going to prison.On Friday Judge Seth Rundell sentenced 34-year-old Jeremy Wycoff of Wichita to 30 months in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;In September, Wycoff pleaded guilty to aggravated arson.---------------------SEDGWICK COUNTY —A suspect who admitted setting a fire near the historic Orpheum Theatre,&nbsp;200 N Broadway Street, in Wichita is expected to learn his fate Tuesday.Jeremy Wycoff, 34, Wichita, who in September pleaded guilty to aggravated arson, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office, will appear in Judge Seth Rundell's courtroom for sentencing. The&nbsp; sentencing hearing for Wycoff was delayed in November and earlier this month.On the evening of April 10, crews responded to report of a fire near the 102-year-old theatre that is undergoing renovations.&nbsp;"Thanks to the quick response of Wichita Fire Department, the situation was contained before it caused any major damage to our building or our neighbors along First Street," the theatre announced on their social media page.Three days after the crime, police arrested Wycoff and booked him into the Sedgwick County Jail where he remains jailed on a bond of just over $100,000.

Suspect in arson fire near historic Kan. theatre is going to prison

WASHINGTON (AP) — Journalist Don Lemon was arrested in connection with an anti-immigration protest that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-protest-church-minneapolis-fcc97a29b9c4434c665d76d4811c5a3e">disrupted a service</a>&nbsp;at a Minnesota church and increased tensions between residents and the Trump administration, his lawyer said Friday.

Lemon was arrested by federal agents in Los Angeles, where he had been covering the Grammy Awards, his attorney Abbe Lowell said.

It is unclear what charge or charges Lemon is facing in the Jan. 18 protest. The arrest came after a magistrate judge last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-minnesota-church-disruption-bondi-ed084f5005187f58eabe0cc627d1862b">rejected prosecutors’ initial bid</a>&nbsp;to charge the journalist.

Lemon, who was fired from CNN in 2023, has said he has no affiliation to the organization that went into the church and that he was there as a journalist chronicling protesters.

“Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done,” Lowell said in a statement. “The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable.”

Lowell added that “Don will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi posted on social media Friday morning confirming the arrest of Lemon and three others who were present during the protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, where a local official with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement serves as a pastor.

“At my direction, early this morning federal agents arrested Don Lemon, Trahern Jeen Crews, Georgia Fort, and Jamael Lydell Lundy, in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota,” Bondi said.

Since he left CNN, Lemon has joined the legion of journalists who have gone into business for himself, posting regularly on YouTube. He hasn’t hidden his disdain for Trump. Yet during his online show from the church, he said repeatedly, “I’m not here as an activist. I’m here as a journalist.” He described the scene in front of him, and interviewed churchgoers and demonstrators.

Shortly after the first attempt to charge him fell through, he predicted on his show that the administration would try again.

“And guess what,” he said, “here I am. Keep trying. That’s not going to stop me from being a journalist. That’s not going to diminish my voice. Go ahead, make me into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-suspension-supporters-94b79634a19b2c4ce70a2b4195ef1175">the new Jimmy Kimmel,</a>&nbsp;if you want. Just do it. Because I’m not going anywhere.”

A prominent civil rights attorney and two other people involved in the protest were arrested last week. Prosecutors have accused them of civil rights violations for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-church-protest-history-58817d7033c6b83867131f4cee87256a">disrupting the Cities Church service</a>.

The Justice Department launched a civil rights investigation after the group interrupted services by chanting “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good,” referring to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-shooting-minneapolis-minnesota-9aa822670b705c89906f2c699f1d16c5">37-year-old mother of three</a>&nbsp;who was fatally shot by an ICE officer in Minneapolis.

“Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP,” Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote in social media post last week.

Cities Church belongs to the Southern Baptist Convention and lists one of its pastors as David Easterwood, who leads an ICE field office. Many Baptist churches have pastors who also work other jobs.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769780098867.png" alt="Statement from Lemon's attorney on the arrest" />
 <figcaption>Statement from Lemon's attorney on the arrest</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Journalist Don Lemon was arrested in connection with an anti-immigration protest that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-protest-church-minneapolis-fcc97a29b9c4434c665d76d4811c5a3e">disrupted a service</a>&nbsp;at a Minnesota church and increased tensions between residents and the Trump administration, his lawyer said Friday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/moL7xr4jZJ">pic.twitter.com/moL7xr4jZJ</a>&mdash; Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/2017277024235040888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">At my direction, early this morning federal agents arrested Don Lemon, Trahern Jeen Crews, Georgia Fort, and Jamael Lydell Lundy, in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. More details soon.&mdash; Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/2017238803639845115?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Lemon was arrested by federal agents in Los Angeles, where he had been covering the Grammy Awards, his attorney Abbe Lowell said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769780223167.png" alt="File -Don Lemon from a 2022 interview-&nbsp; photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File -Don Lemon from a 2022 interview-&nbsp; photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">When life gives you lemons... ⛓️ <a href="https://t.co/wxry0fudOj">pic.twitter.com/wxry0fudOj</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/2017248964878143741?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>It is unclear what charge or charges Lemon is facing in the Jan. 18 protest. The arrest came after a magistrate judge last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-minnesota-church-disruption-bondi-ed084f5005187f58eabe0cc627d1862b">rejected prosecutors’ initial bid</a>&nbsp;to charge the journalist.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><a href="https://t.co/Yy9IOZRpJU">pic.twitter.com/Yy9IOZRpJU</a>&mdash; CNN Communications (@CNNPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNPR/status/2017257849592721642?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Lemon, who was fired from CNN in 2023, has said he has no affiliation to the organization that went into the church and that he was there as a journalist chronicling protesters.“Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done,” Lowell said in a statement. “The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable.”Lowell added that “Don will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court.”Attorney General Pam Bondi posted on social media Friday morning confirming the arrest of Lemon and three others who were present during the protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, where a local official with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement serves as a pastor.“At my direction, early this morning federal agents arrested Don Lemon, Trahern Jeen Crews, Georgia Fort, and Jamael Lydell Lundy, in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota,” Bondi said.Since he left CNN, Lemon has joined the legion of journalists who have gone into business for himself, posting regularly on YouTube. He hasn’t hidden his disdain for Trump. Yet during his online show from the church, he said repeatedly, “I’m not here as an activist. I’m here as a journalist.” He described the scene in front of him, and interviewed churchgoers and demonstrators.Shortly after the first attempt to charge him fell through, he predicted on his show that the administration would try again.“And guess what,” he said, “here I am. Keep trying. That’s not going to stop me from being a journalist. That’s not going to diminish my voice. Go ahead, make me into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-suspension-supporters-94b79634a19b2c4ce70a2b4195ef1175">the new Jimmy Kimmel,</a>&nbsp;if you want. Just do it. Because I’m not going anywhere.”A prominent civil rights attorney and two other people involved in the protest were arrested last week. Prosecutors have accused them of civil rights violations for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-church-protest-history-58817d7033c6b83867131f4cee87256a">disrupting the Cities Church service</a>.The Justice Department launched a civil rights investigation after the group interrupted services by chanting “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good,” referring to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-shooting-minneapolis-minnesota-9aa822670b705c89906f2c699f1d16c5">37-year-old mother of three</a>&nbsp;who was fatally shot by an ICE officer in Minneapolis.“Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP,” Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote in social media post last week.Cities Church belongs to the Southern Baptist Convention and lists one of its pastors as David Easterwood, who leads an ICE field office. Many Baptist churches have pastors who also work other jobs.The Justice Department’s swift investigation into the church disruption stands in contrast to its decision not to open a civil rights investigation into Good’s killing by an ICE officer. The department has not said whether it will open a civil rights probe into the killing of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shooting-minneapolis-protests-ice-immigration-41437baa4b349279cf8abfaf1076162c">37-year-old Alex Pretti</a>&nbsp;by federal officers.“Instead of investigating the federal agents who killed two peaceful Minnesota protesters, the Trump Justice Department is devoting its time, attention and resources to this arrest, and that is the real indictment of wrongdoing in this case,” Lowell said.