KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal officer involved shooting in Kansas City.

Just before 9p.m. a Kansas City Police officer called for officer assistance at 31st and Van Brunt Blvd in Kansas City, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Responding officers were then informed shots had been fired. Upon arrival of the responding officers, they observed one officer and five individuals.

Three of the individuals had apparent gunshot wounds. A black male was critically injured and officers provided first aid but he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene. EMS transported the remaining wounded individuals to a area hospitals. One of the victims, a woman died at the hospital. No officers were injured.

Authorities have not released the names of the victims or additional details.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol is in charge of the investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686399119468.png" alt="Police on the scene of the fatal officer shooting -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the fatal officer shooting -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal officer involved shooting in Kansas City.Just before 9p.m. a Kansas City Police officer called for officer assistance at 31st and Van Brunt Blvd in Kansas City, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.Responding officers were then informed shots had been fired. Upon arrival of the responding officers, they observed one officer and five individuals.Three of the individuals had apparent gunshot wounds. A black male was critically injured and officers provided first aid but he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene. EMS transported the remaining wounded individuals to a area hospitals. One of the victims, a woman died at the hospital. No officers were injured.Authorities have not released the names of the victims or additional details.The Missouri State Highway Patrol is in charge of the investigation.

2 dead following Kansas City officer-involved shooting 

MIAMI (AP) — Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;improperly shared a Pentagon “plan of attack” and a classified map related to a military operation, according to a sweeping 37-count felony indictment related to the mishandling of classified documents that was unsealed Friday and that could instantly reshape the 2024 presidential race.

<a href="https://assets.bwbx.io/documents/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/r01AWvuP8TD0/v0">Click here to read</a> the full indictment&nbsp;

<a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2023-06-09-jdj-to-garland-re-mal.pdf">Click here to read the</a> House Judiciary Committee response

The indictment paints an unmistakably damning portrait of Trump’s treatment of sensitive information, accusing him of willfully defying Justice Department demands to return documents he had taken from the White House to Mar-a-Lago, enlisting aides in his efforts to hide the records and even telling his lawyers that he wanted to defy a subpoena for the materials stored in his estate.

“I don’t want anybody looking through my boxes,” one of Trump’s lawyers described the former president saying, according to the indictment. He also asked if it would be better “if we just told them we don’t have anything here," the indictment says.

Making his first public statements, Jack Smith, the Justice Department special counsel who filed the case, said: “Our laws that protect national defense information are critical to the safety and security of the United States and they must be enforced. Violations of those laws put our country at risk."

He added, "We have one set of laws in this country and they apply to everyone.”

The indictment arrives at a time when Trump is continuing to dominate the Republican presidential primary and one day before a scheduled campaign trip to North Carolina. Though other candidates have largely attacked the Justice Department, rather than Trump, for the investigation, the indictment's breadth of allegations and startling scope will be harder for Republicans to rail against than an earlier New York criminal case that many legal analysts had derided as weak.

The 49-page charging document, alleging that Trump not only intentionally possessed classified documents but also cavalierly and boastfully showed them off to visitors, is startling in scope and in the breadth of allegations. The indictment is built on Trump's own words and actions as recounted to prosecutors by lawyers, close aides and other witnesses, with prosecutors even using against Trump his own words as a candidate and president professing to respect and know procedures related to the handling of classified information.

The indictment includes 37 counts — 31 of which pertain to the willful retention of national defense information, with the balance relating to alleged conspiracy, obstruction and false statements —that taken together could result in a yearslong prison sentence.

Trump is due to make his first court appearance Tuesday in federal court in Miami. He was charged alongside Walt Nauta, an aide and close adviser to Trump who prosecutors say brought boxes from a storage room to Trump's residence for him to review and later lied to investigators about the movement. A photograph included in the indictment shows several dozen file boxes stacked in a storage area.

Noting the “tens of thousands of members and guests” who visited the “active social club” of Mar-a-Lago between the end of Trump’s presidency in January 2021 through the August 2022 search, prosecutors argued that Trump had “nevertheless” stored the documents there, “including in a ballroom, a bathroom and shower, and office space, his bedroom, and a storage room.”

The case adds to deepening legal jeopardy for Trump, who has already been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-arraignment-hush-money-81225510ef7638494852816878f612f0">indicted in New York</a>&nbsp;and faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-investigations-charges-classified-documents-d822569227ea882cedfeffd3284f9d4c">additional investigations in Washington and Atlanta</a>&nbsp;that also could lead to criminal charges. But among the various investigations he has faced, legal experts — as well as Trump's own aides — had long seen the Mar-a-Lago probe as the most perilous threat and the one most ripe for prosecution. Campaign aides had been bracing for the fallout since Trump’s attorneys were notified that he was the target of the investigation, assuming it was not a matter of if charges would be brought, but when.

Enumerating the defense and foreign intelligence-related information included in the documents, prosecutors wrote that their “unauthorized disclosure ... could put at risk the national security of the United States, foreign relations, the safety of the United States military, and human sources and the continued viability of sensitive intelligence collection methods.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686358157076.png" alt="This image, contained in the indictment against former President Donald Trump, shows boxes of records stored in a bathroom and shower in the Lake Room at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla. Trump is facing 37 felony charges related to the mishandling of classified documents according to an indictment unsealed Friday, June 9, 2023. (Justice Department via AP)" />
 <figcaption>This image, contained in the indictment against former President Donald Trump, shows boxes of records stored in a bathroom and shower in the Lake Room at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla. Trump is facing 37 felony charges related to the mishandling of classified documents according to an indictment unsealed Friday, June 9, 2023. (Justice Department via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>MIAMI (AP) — Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;improperly shared a Pentagon “plan of attack” and a classified map related to a military operation, according to a sweeping 37-count felony indictment related to the mishandling of classified documents that was unsealed Friday and that could instantly reshape the 2024 presidential race.<a href="https://assets.bwbx.io/documents/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/r01AWvuP8TD0/v0">Click here to read</a> the full indictment&nbsp;<a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2023-06-09-jdj-to-garland-re-mal.pdf">Click here to read the</a> House Judiciary Committee response<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">WATCH: Complete statement from Special Counsel Jack Smith: &quot;Today an indictment was unsealed charging Donald J. Trump with felony violations of our national security laws as well as participating in a conspiracy to obstruct justice.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/llUlrvpVe4">pic.twitter.com/llUlrvpVe4</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1667249235471880193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The indictment paints an unmistakably damning portrait of Trump’s treatment of sensitive information, accusing him of willfully defying Justice Department demands to return documents he had taken from the White House to Mar-a-Lago, enlisting aides in his efforts to hide the records and even telling his lawyers that he wanted to defy a subpoena for the materials stored in his estate.“I don’t want anybody looking through my boxes,” one of Trump’s lawyers described the former president saying, according to the indictment. He also asked if it would be better “if we just told them we don’t have anything here," the indictment says.Making his first public statements, Jack Smith, the Justice Department special counsel who filed the case, said: “Our laws that protect national defense information are critical to the safety and security of the United States and they must be enforced. Violations of those laws put our country at risk."He added, "We have one set of laws in this country and they apply to everyone.”The indictment arrives at a time when Trump is continuing to dominate the Republican presidential primary and one day before a scheduled campaign trip to North Carolina. Though other candidates have largely attacked the Justice Department, rather than Trump, for the investigation, the indictment's breadth of allegations and startling scope will be harder for Republicans to rail against than an earlier New York criminal case that many legal analysts had derided as weak.The 49-page charging document, alleging that Trump not only intentionally possessed classified documents but also cavalierly and boastfully showed them off to visitors, is startling in scope and in the breadth of allegations. The indictment is built on Trump's own words and actions as recounted to prosecutors by lawyers, close aides and other witnesses, with prosecutors even using against Trump his own words as a candidate and president professing to respect and know procedures related to the handling of classified information.The indictment includes 37 counts — 31 of which pertain to the willful retention of national defense information, with the balance relating to alleged conspiracy, obstruction and false statements —that taken together could result in a yearslong prison sentence.Trump is due to make his first court appearance Tuesday in federal court in Miami. He was charged alongside Walt Nauta, an aide and close adviser to Trump who prosecutors say brought boxes from a storage room to Trump's residence for him to review and later lied to investigators about the movement. A photograph included in the indictment shows several dozen file boxes stacked in a storage area.Noting the “tens of thousands of members and guests” who visited the “active social club” of Mar-a-Lago between the end of Trump’s presidency in January 2021 through the August 2022 search, prosecutors argued that Trump had “nevertheless” stored the documents there, “including in a ballroom, a bathroom and shower, and office space, his bedroom, and a storage room.”The case adds to deepening legal jeopardy for Trump, who has already been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-arraignment-hush-money-81225510ef7638494852816878f612f0">indicted in New York</a>&nbsp;and faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-investigations-charges-classified-documents-d822569227ea882cedfeffd3284f9d4c">additional investigations in Washington and Atlanta</a>&nbsp;that also could lead to criminal charges. But among the various investigations he has faced, legal experts — as well as Trump's own aides — had long seen the Mar-a-Lago probe as the most perilous threat and the one most ripe for prosecution. Campaign aides had been bracing for the fallout since Trump’s attorneys were notified that he was the target of the investigation, assuming it was not a matter of if charges would be brought, but when.Enumerating the defense and foreign intelligence-related information included in the documents, prosecutors wrote that their “unauthorized disclosure ... could put at risk the national security of the United States, foreign relations, the safety of the United States military, and human sources and the continued viability of sensitive intelligence collection methods.”____

🎥Read the Trump indictment in case of mishandling classified docs

JOHNSON COUNTY – The Olathe Police Department is seeking public assistance in locating 74-year-old, George Junior Sewell, according to a media release from agency.

George is described as 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, with white hair and blue eyes. He was last seen in the 1400 block of East 123rd Street, wearing a green Army Veteran hat, a light blue shirt, light blue jeans, and black shoes. 

George is believed to be operating a black, 2022, Mitsubishi Outlander displaying a South Carolina handicap tag, 280220W. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686402016880.png" alt="Sewell-photo Olathe Police" />
 <figcaption>Sewell-photo Olathe Police</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY – The Olathe Police Department is seeking public assistance in locating 74-year-old, George Junior Sewell, according to a media release from agency.George is described as 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, with white hair and blue eyes. He was last seen in the 1400 block of East 123rd Street, wearing a green Army Veteran hat, a light blue shirt, light blue jeans, and black shoes. George is believed to be operating a black, 2022, Mitsubishi Outlander displaying a South Carolina handicap tag, 280220W.

KBI: Silver Alert issued for missing Kansas man

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal pedestrian accident and have identified the victim as&nbsp; 68-year-old Michael Llamas of Wichita. 

Just before 9:30 p.m. Thursday, police responded to an injury accident involving a pedestrian versus a vehicle at the intersection of West Street and Murdock in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

First responders located Llamas who was pronounced deceased on the scene by EMS.&nbsp;

The investigation revealed that the 68-year-old was crossing from the west side to the east side of West Street and slightly south of Murdock when he was struck by a northbound Chevrolet Trailblazer&nbsp;driven by a 24-year-old woman.

Currently, neither speed nor impairment are believed to be contributing factors to the accident, according to Rebolledo.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686346865523.png" alt="First responders on the scene of the fatal pedestrian accident-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene of the fatal pedestrian accident-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal pedestrian accident and have identified the victim as&nbsp; 68-year-old Michael Llamas of Wichita. Just before 9:30 p.m. Thursday, police responded to an injury accident involving a pedestrian versus a vehicle at the intersection of West Street and Murdock in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.First responders located Llamas who was pronounced deceased on the scene by EMS.&nbsp;The investigation revealed that the 68-year-old was crossing from the west side to the east side of West Street and slightly south of Murdock when he was struck by a northbound Chevrolet Trailblazer&nbsp;driven by a 24-year-old woman.Currently, neither speed nor impairment are believed to be contributing factors to the accident, according to Rebolledo.

Police ID Kansas man who died after struck by SUV

KANSAS CITY —A man has been charged in connetion with the fatal shooting Monday morning of Demarkus B. Pleasant in the area of 45th and Paseo in Kansas City, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Christopher Lockett, 25, faces Murder 2nd Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, two counts of Armed Criminal Action and Stealing a Motor Vehicle.*

According to court records, the Kansas City Police Department was dispatched to the 4500 block of Paseo Boulevard on a report of shots being fired. 

The call was upgraded quickly to a shooting. Upon arrival officers responding found a victim on the ground. He was pronounced deceased soon after their arrival. Video surveillance showed a man going into the Paseo Fast Stop Convenience Store and return to his vehicle. 

A man later identified as the Lockett gets into an argument with the victim while in the backseat of the vehicle, a witness told police. When defendant gets out of vehicle, he can be seen firing a gun into the backseat multiple times. He fired a second round of shots, a witness told police.&nbsp; Lockett is being held on a&nbsp;$250,000 bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686253013296.png" alt="Lockett-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Lockett-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A man has been charged in connetion with the fatal shooting Monday morning of Demarkus B. Pleasant in the area of 45th and Paseo in Kansas City, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Christopher Lockett, 25, faces Murder 2nd Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, two counts of Armed Criminal Action and Stealing a Motor Vehicle.*According to court records, the Kansas City Police Department was dispatched to the 4500 block of Paseo Boulevard on a report of shots being fired. The call was upgraded quickly to a shooting. Upon arrival officers responding found a victim on the ground. He was pronounced deceased soon after their arrival. Video surveillance showed a man going into the Paseo Fast Stop Convenience Store and return to his vehicle. A man later identified as the Lockett gets into an argument with the victim while in the backseat of the vehicle, a witness told police. When defendant gets out of vehicle, he can be seen firing a gun into the backseat multiple times. He fired a second round of shots, a witness told police.&nbsp; Lockett is being held on a&nbsp;$250,000 bond.

Video surveillance: KC murder suspect shot victim in the backseat of car

OSAGE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on drug allegations.

Just after 3:30p.m. Tuesday,&nbsp;an Osage County Sheriff’s K-9 unit conducted a traffic stop in the 12100 block of South Topeka Avenue, near Carbondale, according to Sheriff Chris Wells. During the stop, a K-9 was deployed, and illegal narcotics were located.

The driver of the vehicle, Lana G. Carter, 60, of Lyndon, was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, Possession of drug paraphernalia, Interference with law enforcement and&nbsp;&nbsp;Driving while license is suspended.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686148357538.png" alt="Carter-photo Osage Co." />
 <figcaption>Carter-photo Osage Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on drug allegations.Just after 3:30p.m. Tuesday,&nbsp;an Osage County Sheriff’s K-9 unit conducted a traffic stop in the 12100 block of South Topeka Avenue, near Carbondale, according to Sheriff Chris Wells. During the stop, a K-9 was deployed, and illegal narcotics were located.The driver of the vehicle, Lana G. Carter, 60, of Lyndon, was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, Possession of drug paraphernalia, Interference with law enforcement and&nbsp;&nbsp;Driving while license is suspended.

Kansas woman accused of attempting to sell meth

CAMDEN COUNTY —Two people were injured in an accident just before 3:30p.m. Thursday at Lake of the Ozarks.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 1988 Wellcraft driven by Benny E. Thompson, 78, Four Seasons, Missouri, was drifting east at the 13 mile mark Wideford Hollow Cove.

The boat had a mechanical failure causing the engine to explode. EMS transported Thompson to Lake Regional Hospital. A passenger identified as Amanda M. Kingston, 35, Wincote, Pennsylvania, was airlifted to University Hospital.

They were not wearing life jackets, according to the MSHP.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686345219397.png" alt="photo MSHP" />
 <figcaption>photo MSHP</figcaption>
 </figure>CAMDEN COUNTY —Two people were injured in an accident just before 3:30p.m. Thursday at Lake of the Ozarks.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 1988 Wellcraft driven by Benny E. Thompson, 78, Four Seasons, Missouri, was drifting east at the 13 mile mark Wideford Hollow Cove.The boat had a mechanical failure causing the engine to explode. EMS transported Thompson to Lake Regional Hospital. A passenger identified as Amanda M. Kingston, 35, Wincote, Pennsylvania, was airlifted to University Hospital.They were not wearing life jackets, according to the MSHP.

2 hospitalized after boat explosion at Lake of the Ozarks

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal accident have identified the man who died as&nbsp; 55-year-old Jerry Parks of Goddard.

At approximately 6:30 p.m. Thursday,&nbsp; police responded to an injury accident involving a bicycle versus a vehicle&nbsp; at the 6200 block of West Taft in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

First responders located Parks who had been ejected from his bicycle after colliding with a Ford Mustang, driven by a 32-year-old woman.

EMS and Wichita Fire rendered emergency medical aid to the rider and transported him to a local hospital with critical injuries. Parks did not regain consciousness after the impact and was later pronounced deceased by medical staff.

Investigators learned that Parks entered West Taft Street from the north side of the street on a bicycle from a shrubbery line towards the south side when he collided with the Ford Mustang. 

The driver of the Ford was unable to stop on time and collided with the bicyclist.

Currently, neither speed nor impairment are believed to be contributing factors to the accident, according to Rebolledo.&nbsp;

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal accident have identified the man who died as&nbsp; 55-year-old Jerry Parks of Goddard.At approximately 6:30 p.m. Thursday,&nbsp; police responded to an injury accident involving a bicycle versus a vehicle&nbsp; at the 6200 block of West Taft in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.First responders located Parks who had been ejected from his bicycle after colliding with a Ford Mustang, driven by a 32-year-old woman.EMS and Wichita Fire rendered emergency medical aid to the rider and transported him to a local hospital with critical injuries. Parks did not regain consciousness after the impact and was later pronounced deceased by medical staff.Investigators learned that Parks entered West Taft Street from the north side of the street on a bicycle from a shrubbery line towards the south side when he collided with the Ford Mustang. The driver of the Ford was unable to stop on time and collided with the bicyclist.Currently, neither speed nor impairment are believed to be contributing factors to the accident, according to Rebolledo.&nbsp;

Police ID Kansas bicyclist who died in crash with car

KANSAS CITY (AP) —The Missouri Supreme Court has turned aside an appeal by a man scheduled to be executed in August for killing a 6-year-old girl.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-execution-august-06f474f368dfd5ff5c4145164b222a3b">Johnny Johnson</a>, 45, was convicted of first-degree murder in in the 2002 death of Casey Williamson in suburban St. Louis. He faces execution Aug. 1 unless the courts intervene or Republican Gov. Mike Parson grants clemency.

Johnson's lawyers said in the appeal that he is incompetent to be executed because his schizophrenia prevents him from understanding the link between his crime and the punishment. The appeal said Johnson has delusions about the devil using his death to bring about the end of the world.

The Missouri Attorney General's Office challenged the credibilty of the psychiatric evaluation and said medical records indicate that Johnson is able to manage his mental illness through medication. The state Supreme Court, in a 6-1 ruling, agreed.

Johnson was staying with friends in Valley Park, Missouri, in July 2002, when Casey went missing. Dozens of volunteers joined police in the search.

The girl’s body was found in a pit less than a mile from her home, buried beneath rocks and debris. Johnson confessed that he used bricks and rocks to beat Casey after she fought back when he tried to sexually assault her.

Missouri has executed three people this year, more than any state except Texas. The most recent was on Tuesday, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-execution-michael-tisius-7f961969aabd38e4e6b3dbe83ae72813">Michael Tisius was put to death</a>&nbsp;for killing two jailers during a failed attempt to break another man out of jail.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Missouri Supreme Court on Thursday set an execution date for a man who sexually assaulted and killed a 6-year-old St. Louis County girl in 2002.

Johnny Johnson is scheduled to be put to death Aug. 1 at the state prison in Bonne Terre, Missouri.

Missouri has already executed two people in 2023 —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-legal-proceedings-missouri-st-louis-capital-punishment-b45a31029fa42d9eb67b5b4e1f6a6ffe">Amber McLaughlin</a>&nbsp;in January and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-state-government-california-homicide-94fe2fefa47faa618d3826c7f32e6f1d">Raheem Taylor</a>&nbsp;in February.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/execution-missouri-15298c399e436f00c42f5174594605dd">Michael Andrew Tisius</a>&nbsp;is scheduled for execution June 6 for fatally shooting Randolph County jailers Jason Acton and Leon Egley in 2000.

Johnson, 45, was staying with friends in Valley Park, Missouri, in July 2002 when Cassandra “Casey” Williamson was discovered missing. Dozens of volunteers joined police in the search.

The girl's body was found in a pit less than a mile from her home, buried beneath rocks and debris. Johnson confessed to the crimes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682020391567.png" alt="Johnson-photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Johnson-photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —The Missouri Supreme Court has turned aside an appeal by a man scheduled to be executed in August for killing a 6-year-old girl.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-execution-august-06f474f368dfd5ff5c4145164b222a3b">Johnny Johnson</a>, 45, was convicted of first-degree murder in in the 2002 death of Casey Williamson in suburban St. Louis. He faces execution Aug. 1 unless the courts intervene or Republican Gov. Mike Parson grants clemency.Johnson's lawyers said in the appeal that he is incompetent to be executed because his schizophrenia prevents him from understanding the link between his crime and the punishment. The appeal said Johnson has delusions about the devil using his death to bring about the end of the world.The Missouri Attorney General's Office challenged the credibilty of the psychiatric evaluation and said medical records indicate that Johnson is able to manage his mental illness through medication. The state Supreme Court, in a 6-1 ruling, agreed.Johnson was staying with friends in Valley Park, Missouri, in July 2002, when Casey went missing. Dozens of volunteers joined police in the search.The girl’s body was found in a pit less than a mile from her home, buried beneath rocks and debris. Johnson confessed that he used bricks and rocks to beat Casey after she fought back when he tried to sexually assault her.Missouri has executed three people this year, more than any state except Texas. The most recent was on Tuesday, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-execution-michael-tisius-7f961969aabd38e4e6b3dbe83ae72813">Michael Tisius was put to death</a>&nbsp;for killing two jailers during a failed attempt to break another man out of jail.----------JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Missouri Supreme Court on Thursday set an execution date for a man who sexually assaulted and killed a 6-year-old St. Louis County girl in 2002.Johnny Johnson is scheduled to be put to death Aug. 1 at the state prison in Bonne Terre, Missouri.Missouri has already executed two people in 2023 —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-legal-proceedings-missouri-st-louis-capital-punishment-b45a31029fa42d9eb67b5b4e1f6a6ffe">Amber McLaughlin</a>&nbsp;in January and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-state-government-california-homicide-94fe2fefa47faa618d3826c7f32e6f1d">Raheem Taylor</a>&nbsp;in February.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/execution-missouri-15298c399e436f00c42f5174594605dd">Michael Andrew Tisius</a>&nbsp;is scheduled for execution June 6 for fatally shooting Randolph County jailers Jason Acton and Leon Egley in 2000.Johnson, 45, was staying with friends in Valley Park, Missouri, in July 2002 when Cassandra “Casey” Williamson was discovered missing. Dozens of volunteers joined police in the search.The girl's body was found in a pit less than a mile from her home, buried beneath rocks and debris. Johnson confessed to the crimes.

Court declines to halt execution of man who killed 6-year-old girl

TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly today announced that she has appointed Erik Smith, currently the Assistant Administrator and Chief of the Inspection Division within the U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), to lead the Kansas Highway Patrol as its Superintendent. This appointment is the result of a national search that was conducted upon the announcement of Superintendent Colonel Herman Jones’ retirement. Today is Colonel Jones’ last day in the role.&nbsp;

“I appreciate Colonel Jones’ tenure at KHP and his over 45 years of service to our state,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“I also welcome Erik Smith back to Kansas. I am confident he will draw upon his experience in law enforcement in Sedgwick County, in Kansas City, and at the national level to strengthen the Kansas Highway Patrol and keep Kansans safe.”&nbsp;

Smith began his law enforcement career in 1993, serving nine years with the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office. For the past 20 years, he has served in a variety of roles within the DEA, including head of the Kansas City District Office. Since becoming Chief Inspector in 2021, he has overseen the Office of Professional Responsibility, Office of Inspections, and Office of Security Programs, which together comprise DEA’s integrity system and provide support to DEA headquarters and field offices.&nbsp;

Smith holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Friends University in Wichita. He is a native of Ellsworth, Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I am extremely grateful for Governor Kelly’s confidence and am humbled by the responsibility to carry on KHP’s storied tradition of service, courtesy, and protection,”&nbsp;Erik Smith said. “I am honored to serve beside these brave men and women and am absolutely committed to leading this organization as they deliver quality law enforcement and public safety services to all Kansans.”&nbsp;

Smith will begin as Acting Superintendent on July 7 before being advanced for confirmation by the Kansas Senate. Until July 7, KHP Assistant Superintendent Lieutenant Colonel Jason De Vore will serve as Acting Superintendent.&nbsp;

“I appreciate the Governor’s steadfast support of the Kansas Highway Patrol,”&nbsp;Assistant Superintendent&nbsp;Lt. Col.&nbsp;De Vore said. “I’m proud of the vital work and public safety mission the KHP carries out every day across the state, and I look forward to continuing that service to the KHP and Kansas as the acting superintendent.”&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686338344477.png" alt="Erik Smith-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Erik Smith-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly today announced that she has appointed Erik Smith, currently the Assistant Administrator and Chief of the Inspection Division within the U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), to lead the Kansas Highway Patrol as its Superintendent. This appointment is the result of a national search that was conducted upon the announcement of Superintendent Colonel Herman Jones’ retirement. Today is Colonel Jones’ last day in the role.&nbsp;“I appreciate Colonel Jones’ tenure at KHP and his over 45 years of service to our state,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“I also welcome Erik Smith back to Kansas. I am confident he will draw upon his experience in law enforcement in Sedgwick County, in Kansas City, and at the national level to strengthen the Kansas Highway Patrol and keep Kansans safe.”&nbsp;Smith began his law enforcement career in 1993, serving nine years with the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office. For the past 20 years, he has served in a variety of roles within the DEA, including head of the Kansas City District Office. Since becoming Chief Inspector in 2021, he has overseen the Office of Professional Responsibility, Office of Inspections, and Office of Security Programs, which together comprise DEA’s integrity system and provide support to DEA headquarters and field offices.&nbsp;Smith holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Friends University in Wichita. He is a native of Ellsworth, Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;“I am extremely grateful for Governor Kelly’s confidence and am humbled by the responsibility to carry on KHP’s storied tradition of service, courtesy, and protection,”&nbsp;Erik Smith said. “I am honored to serve beside these brave men and women and am absolutely committed to leading this organization as they deliver quality law enforcement and public safety services to all Kansans.”&nbsp;Smith will begin as Acting Superintendent on July 7 before being advanced for confirmation by the Kansas Senate. Until July 7, KHP Assistant Superintendent Lieutenant Colonel Jason De Vore will serve as Acting Superintendent.&nbsp;“I appreciate the Governor’s steadfast support of the Kansas Highway Patrol,”&nbsp;Assistant Superintendent&nbsp;Lt. Col.&nbsp;De Vore said. “I’m proud of the vital work and public safety mission the KHP carries out every day across the state, and I look forward to continuing that service to the KHP and Kansas as the acting superintendent.”&nbsp;

Ellsworth native named to lead the Kansas Highway Patrol

By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/05/kansas-lawmakers-debate-definition-of-female-and-male-for-county-jails/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Four organizations have joined in a bid for a slice of the state’s $3.9 billion KanCare contracts.

InterHab, the Children’s Alliance, the Association of Community Mental Health Centers of Kansas and CareSource Kansas announced their alliance Wednesday, collaborating under the name of CareSource HealthAlliance.

KanCare is the state-run system for the federal Medicaid program, which provides health care services to low-income families.&nbsp;The alliance goal is to create a KanCare system focused on addressing social determinants of health.

Matt Fletcher, executive director of InterHab, an organization serving Kansans with intellectual and developmental disabilities, said the contract renegotiation would give the state a chance to fix problems with the KanCare system, bringing operations into line with other states.

“These are the longstanding issues that have plagued the KanCare system since its inception: accountability, oversight and transparency,” Fletcher said. “Particularly the ability to share data that is being collected within the KanCare system has been a challenge since its inception and continues to be a challenge for the state.”

The bidding process will determine which organizations will manage the state’s Medicaid system.&nbsp;Former Republican Gov. Sam Brownback privatized Medicaid in 2013 and handed out no-bid contracts through executive order.&nbsp;

The contracts were set for renegotiation in 2022, following the 2018 reprocurement process, but the GOP-controlled Legislature&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/05/23/kansas-legislature-overrides-veto-extends-medicaid-contracts-past-election/">pushed through a one-year,</a>&nbsp;no-bid contract extension to give Republican Derek Schmidt a chance to install new deals if elected governor. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly won reelection instead.

The three KanCare insurance companies that currently operate Medicaid health services are Sunflower State Health Plan, United Healthcare and Aetna Better Health of Kansas. They serve thousands of&nbsp;Kansans, including elderly adults, low-income children and people with developmental, intellectual or physical disabilities.

Children’s Alliance of Kansas CEO&nbsp;Rachel Marsh said prioritizing the needs of parents and children within the welfare system would be an important step forward for the state.

“If we get that right, we will by necessity be getting all the other things right,” Marsh said. “That’s where I’m hopeful about this, is that the CareSource alliance will help us better address the needs of the most complex children.”

Fletcher said he thought the IDD system management was flawed under Brownback, but he was optimistic Kelly’s administration could smooth some of the cracks in the system.

“I don’t think there was very good execution in the (Brownback) administration in carrying that out,” Fletcher said. “What I see that is different in the Kelly administration is that whether it be at the administrative level, or within the agencies, there is a desire and ability to operationalize the elements that need to be done to improve the lives of Kansans with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”

The bid renewal process comes at a crucial time for the state, with the April unwinding of pandemic-era health care protections. An estimated 120,000 Kansans allowed to remain in Medicaid during a three-year pandemic suspension are now at risk of losing coverage if they fail to reapply for renewal.

The&nbsp;Kansas Department of Health and Environment also has begun a review process&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/06/02/kelly-davids-urge-120000-kansans-to-take-part-in-post-coronavirus-medicaid-renewal-process/">to determine Medicaid eligibility</a>&nbsp;for&nbsp;one-fourth of the 530,000 Kansans enrolled in the program during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The move also comes after another legislative session in which Republican leaders refused to consider a vote on Medicaid expansion, which would unlock an estimated billion dollars in annual federal aid while extending coverage to an additional 150,000 low-income Kansas adults and children.

Kansas remains one of 10 states that hasn’t yet adopted Medicaid expansion.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686255147391.png" alt=" Matt Fletcher, executive director for Interhab, says during a June 7, 2023, news conference that a new alliance’s bid would focus on systemic health issues. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Matt Fletcher, executive director for Interhab, says during a June 7, 2023, news conference that a new alliance’s bid would focus on systemic health issues. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/05/kansas-lawmakers-debate-definition-of-female-and-male-for-county-jails/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Four organizations have joined in a bid for a slice of the state’s $3.9 billion KanCare contracts.InterHab, the Children’s Alliance, the Association of Community Mental Health Centers of Kansas and CareSource Kansas announced their alliance Wednesday, collaborating under the name of CareSource HealthAlliance.KanCare is the state-run system for the federal Medicaid program, which provides health care services to low-income families.&nbsp;The alliance goal is to create a KanCare system focused on addressing social determinants of health.Matt Fletcher, executive director of InterHab, an organization serving Kansans with intellectual and developmental disabilities, said the contract renegotiation would give the state a chance to fix problems with the KanCare system, bringing operations into line with other states.“These are the longstanding issues that have plagued the KanCare system since its inception: accountability, oversight and transparency,” Fletcher said. “Particularly the ability to share data that is being collected within the KanCare system has been a challenge since its inception and continues to be a challenge for the state.”The bidding process will determine which organizations will manage the state’s Medicaid system.&nbsp;Former Republican Gov. Sam Brownback privatized Medicaid in 2013 and handed out no-bid contracts through executive order.&nbsp;The contracts were set for renegotiation in 2022, following the 2018 reprocurement process, but the GOP-controlled Legislature&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/05/23/kansas-legislature-overrides-veto-extends-medicaid-contracts-past-election/">pushed through a one-year,</a>&nbsp;no-bid contract extension to give Republican Derek Schmidt a chance to install new deals if elected governor. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly won reelection instead.The three KanCare insurance companies that currently operate Medicaid health services are Sunflower State Health Plan, United Healthcare and Aetna Better Health of Kansas. They serve thousands of&nbsp;Kansans, including elderly adults, low-income children and people with developmental, intellectual or physical disabilities.Children’s Alliance of Kansas CEO&nbsp;Rachel Marsh said prioritizing the needs of parents and children within the welfare system would be an important step forward for the state.“If we get that right, we will by necessity be getting all the other things right,” Marsh said. “That’s where I’m hopeful about this, is that the CareSource alliance will help us better address the needs of the most complex children.”Fletcher said he thought the IDD system management was flawed under Brownback, but he was optimistic Kelly’s administration could smooth some of the cracks in the system.“I don’t think there was very good execution in the (Brownback) administration in carrying that out,” Fletcher said. “What I see that is different in the Kelly administration is that whether it be at the administrative level, or within the agencies, there is a desire and ability to operationalize the elements that need to be done to improve the lives of Kansans with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”The bid renewal process comes at a crucial time for the state, with the April unwinding of pandemic-era health care protections. An estimated 120,000 Kansans allowed to remain in Medicaid during a three-year pandemic suspension are now at risk of losing coverage if they fail to reapply for renewal.The&nbsp;Kansas Department of Health and Environment also has begun a review process&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/06/02/kelly-davids-urge-120000-kansans-to-take-part-in-post-coronavirus-medicaid-renewal-process/">to determine Medicaid eligibility</a>&nbsp;for&nbsp;one-fourth of the 530,000 Kansans enrolled in the program during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.The move also comes after another legislative session in which Republican leaders refused to consider a vote on Medicaid expansion, which would unlock an estimated billion dollars in annual federal aid while extending coverage to an additional 150,000 low-income Kansas adults and children.Kansas remains one of 10 states that hasn’t yet adopted Medicaid expansion.

New alliance makes bid for slice of $3.9 billion Kan. Medicaid contract

TOPEKA –&nbsp;The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE)&nbsp;and Crawford County Health Department have identified Heartland Virus Disease (Heartland), a rare tickborne illness, in a Crawford County resident, according to a media release from the agency.

 Health care providers diagnosed the resident in late May 2023 after further testing was coordinated through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is the first case of Heartland in Crawford County and only the third case identified in Kansas since the virus’s discovery in northwest Missouri in 2009. 

The previous two cases were identified in Miami County in 2015 and Anderson County in 2018. To date, there have been over 50 cases of Heartland diagnosed across areas of the Midwest and Southern United States.&nbsp; &nbsp;

“We’re entering the time of year when we start to receive a lot of complaints about ticks on animals and in the environment and questions regarding tick bites and tickborne diseases in people. People must take the risk of tickborne disease seriously and take personal protective measures for themselves and their pets to reduce their chance of acquiring a tickborne illness,”&nbsp;said&nbsp;Dr. Erin Petro, DVM, MPH,&nbsp;KDHE public health veterinarian. “While Heartland and other tickborne viruses like Bourbon virus are rare, they can lead to severe illness and even death.”

Heartland virus is transmitted through the bite of an infected Lone Star Tick, the most common tick in Kansas, which is most active from May through August. The symptoms of Heartland are vague and include fever, fatigue, muscle or joint pain, headache and occasionally a rash. Health care providers should consider Heartland in patients with compatible clinical illness and bloodwork findings when other common tickborne illness testing is negative.

This case serves as an important reminder to take precautions as you enjoy the outdoors this summer. Ticks are commonly found at the edge of trails, on tall grasses and in wooded, shaded areas. To reduce the risk of contracting a tickborne disease, take the following steps:

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686327511727.png" alt="Lone Star Tick- photo CDC" />
 <figcaption>Lone Star Tick- photo CDC</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA –&nbsp;The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE)&nbsp;and Crawford County Health Department have identified Heartland Virus Disease (Heartland), a rare tickborne illness, in a Crawford County resident, according to a media release from the agency. Health care providers diagnosed the resident in late May 2023 after further testing was coordinated through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is the first case of Heartland in Crawford County and only the third case identified in Kansas since the virus’s discovery in northwest Missouri in 2009. The previous two cases were identified in Miami County in 2015 and Anderson County in 2018. To date, there have been over 50 cases of Heartland diagnosed across areas of the Midwest and Southern United States.&nbsp; &nbsp;“We’re entering the time of year when we start to receive a lot of complaints about ticks on animals and in the environment and questions regarding tick bites and tickborne diseases in people. People must take the risk of tickborne disease seriously and take personal protective measures for themselves and their pets to reduce their chance of acquiring a tickborne illness,”&nbsp;said&nbsp;Dr. Erin Petro, DVM, MPH,&nbsp;KDHE public health veterinarian. “While Heartland and other tickborne viruses like Bourbon virus are rare, they can lead to severe illness and even death.”Heartland virus is transmitted through the bite of an infected Lone Star Tick, the most common tick in Kansas, which is most active from May through August. The symptoms of Heartland are vague and include fever, fatigue, muscle or joint pain, headache and occasionally a rash. Health care providers should consider Heartland in patients with compatible clinical illness and bloodwork findings when other common tickborne illness testing is negative.This case serves as an important reminder to take precautions as you enjoy the outdoors this summer. Ticks are commonly found at the edge of trails, on tall grasses and in wooded, shaded areas. To reduce the risk of contracting a tickborne disease, take the following steps:<ul>
 <li>Wear long pants with socks tucked into pants and long sleeves when doing yardwork, hiking, camping or recreating in areas where ticks may be found.</li><li>After being outdoors in tick habitats, take a shower to help wash off unattached ticks and identify any attached ticks. Always perform a thorough tick check after being outdoors.</li><li>Reduce tick habitats in your yard by clearing brush, leaf litter and tall grasses around your home and at the edge of your lawn.</li><li>Apply an EPA-approved repellent, such as DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus, when enjoying the outdoors.</li><li>If hunting or camping, consider treating gear and clothing with permethrin; always follow label directions for safe application of permethrin.</li>
 </ul>

KDHE IDs rare tickborne illness in Kansas resident

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal shooting have identified the victim as 36-year-old&nbsp;Crystal Rayner, according to a statement from Kansas City Police.

Just after 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, police responded to an injury crash on Interstate 670 and Broadway. They found a woman later identified as Rayner inside a vehicle with gunshot wounds.

EMS transported her to an area hospital where she was pronounced deceased.

Police have not reported additional details or suspect information.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686323898803.png" alt="Police have not released possible suspect information in connection with the shooting -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police have not released possible suspect information in connection with the shooting -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal shooting have identified the victim as 36-year-old&nbsp;Crystal Rayner, according to a statement from Kansas City Police.Just after 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, police responded to an injury crash on Interstate 670 and Broadway. They found a woman later identified as Rayner inside a vehicle with gunshot wounds.EMS transported her to an area hospital where she was pronounced deceased.Police have not reported additional details or suspect information.

Police ID woman who died after being shot on Kansas City highway

MANHATTAN–&nbsp;A registered Kansas drug offender being held in the Riley County Jail has been arrested on child sex crime charges stemming from his involvement with a minor online while incarcerated, according to a media release from the Riley County Police Department.

Just after 2p.m. June 8, police arrested 39-year-old Alvin Mason of Abilene after officers found he abused his inmate privileges with a tablet by engaging in inappropriate acts with a 15-year-old girl online. 

Officers identified the crime while monitoring the device’s activity.

This arrest holds requested charges of electronic solicitation of a child, sexual exploitation of a child, aggravated intimidation of a witness, contributing to a child’s misconduct, and promoting obscenity to a child.

Mason was being held in the Riley County Jail for multiple failure to appear charges with a bond of $201,000 at the time of the crimes.

Mason has been listed as a registered offender since July of 2017 for a drug distribution conviction, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

The added requested charges hold a bond of $500,000. Mason remains confined with a total bond of $701,000, according to the RCPD.

The tablets in the Riley County Jail are an extension of the video kiosks which are available to inmates for video visitation. They are facilitated through TurnKey Corrections. Unlike other facilities, the tablets at the Riley County Jail do not have access to web browsers or social media, they are strictly used for video visitation, text messaging, and phone calls&nbsp;through TurnKey software. All activity on the tablets are monitored and recorded.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686317095662.png" alt="Mason-photo KBI offender registry" />
 <figcaption>Mason-photo KBI offender registry</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN–&nbsp;A registered Kansas drug offender being held in the Riley County Jail has been arrested on child sex crime charges stemming from his involvement with a minor online while incarcerated, according to a media release from the Riley County Police Department.Just after 2p.m. June 8, police arrested 39-year-old Alvin Mason of Abilene after officers found he abused his inmate privileges with a tablet by engaging in inappropriate acts with a 15-year-old girl online. Officers identified the crime while monitoring the device’s activity.This arrest holds requested charges of electronic solicitation of a child, sexual exploitation of a child, aggravated intimidation of a witness, contributing to a child’s misconduct, and promoting obscenity to a child.Mason was being held in the Riley County Jail for multiple failure to appear charges with a bond of $201,000 at the time of the crimes.Mason has been listed as a registered offender since July of 2017 for a drug distribution conviction, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.The added requested charges hold a bond of $500,000. Mason remains confined with a total bond of $701,000, according to the RCPD.The tablets in the Riley County Jail are an extension of the video kiosks which are available to inmates for video visitation. They are facilitated through TurnKey Corrections. Unlike other facilities, the tablets at the Riley County Jail do not have access to web browsers or social media, they are strictly used for video visitation, text messaging, and phone calls&nbsp;through TurnKey software. All activity on the tablets are monitored and recorded.

Kan. drug offender accused of online child sex crimes while in custody

WASHINGTON (AP) — Supporters of former President Donald Trump have reacted with anger to Thursday's news of the federal indictment against former President Donald Trump and are criticizing the Biden administration. The White House, meanwhile, has declined to comment and referred questions to the Department of Justice. Kansas Senator Roger Marshall and Missouri Senators Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt used social media to criticize the indictment.

Kansas senior Senator Jerry Moran and other members of the Kansas congressional delegation have not issued a statements.

“The Biden Regime, which is realizing they can't beat or cheat their way to another victory, has taken the unprecedented step to indict President Trump,” said Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for Make America Great Again Inc., a super PAC backing Trump's bid for a return to the White House.

A White House official said it had no foreknowledge of the indictment and learned of it from news reports.

In an interview Thursday night on Fox News, Sen. Tim Scott said he felt the justice system’s “scales are weighted” based on politics.

“In America, every single person is presumed innocent, not guilty,” Scott said, decrying “the weaponization of the Department of Justice against the former president.”

Scott said he had not spoken to Trump and would “continue to pray for our nation and continue to pray that justice prevails.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Supporters of former President Donald Trump have reacted with anger to Thursday's news of the federal indictment against former President Donald Trump and are criticizing the Biden administration. The White House, meanwhile, has declined to comment and referred questions to the Department of Justice. Kansas Senator Roger Marshall and Missouri Senators Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt used social media to criticize the indictment.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">My statement on the unprecedented indictment of President Trump by Biden&#39;s DOJ: <a href="https://t.co/NtSd8hwqqy">pic.twitter.com/NtSd8hwqqy</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1666988328523034624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Joe Biden has used his Justice Department to go after parents as “domestic terrorists,” to spy on Catholic parishes, to terrorize &amp; harass prolife Christians - and tonight to indict his top political opponent, Trump. He has trampled the rule of law to benefit himself. He has led…&mdash; Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) <a href="https://twitter.com/HawleyMO/status/1666958453225529378?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Joe Biden has now indicted his top political opponent. Full on Banana Republic stuff.&mdash; Eric Schmitt (@Eric_Schmitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/Eric_Schmitt/status/1666981314572984320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686273373802.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas senior Senator Jerry Moran and other members of the Kansas congressional delegation have not issued a statements.“The Biden Regime, which is realizing they can't beat or cheat their way to another victory, has taken the unprecedented step to indict President Trump,” said Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for Make America Great Again Inc., a super PAC backing Trump's bid for a return to the White House.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today is indeed a dark day for the United States of America. It is unconscionable for a President to indict the leading candidate opposing him. Joe Biden kept classified documents for decades. I, and every American who believes in the rule of law, stand with President Trump…&mdash; Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerMcCarthy/status/1666979107681325064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>A White House official said it had no foreknowledge of the indictment and learned of it from news reports.In an interview Thursday night on Fox News, Sen. Tim Scott said he felt the justice system’s “scales are weighted” based on politics.“In America, every single person is presumed innocent, not guilty,” Scott said, decrying “the weaponization of the Department of Justice against the former president.”Scott said he had not spoken to Trump and would “continue to pray for our nation and continue to pray that justice prevails.”

Kansas, Missouri Senators critical of Trump indictment

WICHITA –&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly visited Wesley Medical Center Thursday, where she ceremonially signed&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHA6Ly93d3cua3NsZWdpc2xhdHVyZS5vcmcvbGkvYjIwMjNfMjQvbWVhc3VyZXMvdm90ZV92aWV3L2plXzIwMjMwNDI3MTgwNTI3XzE1OTQyMC8iLCJidWxsZXRpbl9pZCI6IjIwMjMwNjA4Ljc3OTY1MDAxIn0.nd-lGwK7oGpNIhHe-Yqkvs47Z2ZpVxiWQtoMMyV7iJc/s/1303160919/br/204527180003-l" target="_blank">Senate Bill 174</a>. The bipartisan bill increases the criminal penalties for people convicted of battery of a health care provider, according to a media release from her office.

“The number of stories we’ve heard over the last few years of health care workers being harassed and abused while doing their jobs is appalling and unacceptable,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. “This bill is a win for our state, showing that both sides of the aisle can come together to save lives and protect health care workers.”

Governor Kelly was joined by legislators, health care workers, advocates, and hospital leadership to celebrate the passage of the legislation.

“At a time when health care is facing a staffing crisis, we are pleased legislation that provides protections for health care workers has been signed into law,”&nbsp;said Chad Austin, president and CEO, Kansas Hospital Association. “There are now criminal penalties for assault and battery of a health care worker.”

Battery against a health care provider is now a Class A misdemeanor.

SB 174 also decriminalizes fentanyl test strips, which is a step toward reducing overdose deaths resulting from the presence of fentanyl in drugs.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686305895398.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA –&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly visited Wesley Medical Center Thursday, where she ceremonially signed&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHA6Ly93d3cua3NsZWdpc2xhdHVyZS5vcmcvbGkvYjIwMjNfMjQvbWVhc3VyZXMvdm90ZV92aWV3L2plXzIwMjMwNDI3MTgwNTI3XzE1OTQyMC8iLCJidWxsZXRpbl9pZCI6IjIwMjMwNjA4Ljc3OTY1MDAxIn0.nd-lGwK7oGpNIhHe-Yqkvs47Z2ZpVxiWQtoMMyV7iJc/s/1303160919/br/204527180003-l" target="_blank">Senate Bill 174</a>. The bipartisan bill increases the criminal penalties for people convicted of battery of a health care provider, according to a media release from her office.“The number of stories we’ve heard over the last few years of health care workers being harassed and abused while doing their jobs is appalling and unacceptable,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. “This bill is a win for our state, showing that both sides of the aisle can come together to save lives and protect health care workers.”Governor Kelly was joined by legislators, health care workers, advocates, and hospital leadership to celebrate the passage of the legislation.“At a time when health care is facing a staffing crisis, we are pleased legislation that provides protections for health care workers has been signed into law,”&nbsp;said Chad Austin, president and CEO, Kansas Hospital Association. “There are now criminal penalties for assault and battery of a health care worker.”Battery against a health care provider is now a Class A misdemeanor.SB 174 also decriminalizes fentanyl test strips, which is a step toward reducing overdose deaths resulting from the presence of fentanyl in drugs.

Gov. ceremonially signs bill Increasing protections for health care workers

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an accident that took the life of a teen.

Just after 10a.m. Thursday,&nbsp;officers and emergency crews responded to the Lee’s Summit Resource Recovery Park in the 2100 block of SE Hamblen Road on the report of an injured person, according to Lee's Summit&nbsp; Police.

&nbsp;When officers arrived, they located&nbsp; a 16-year-old employee of a private company who had become pinned between a tractor trailer rig and its trailer. 

EMS transported the injured boy to a local trauma center where he was pronounced dead.  Traffic Investigators are working to reconstruct the scene and gather evidence. 

Police have not released the name of the teen.

The incident occurred on property within the Lee’s Summit Resource Recovery Park leased from the City of Lee’s Summit by a private third-party company.

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an accident that took the life of a teen.Just after 10a.m. Thursday,&nbsp;officers and emergency crews responded to the Lee’s Summit Resource Recovery Park in the 2100 block of SE Hamblen Road on the report of an injured person, according to Lee's Summit&nbsp; Police.&nbsp;When officers arrived, they located&nbsp; a 16-year-old employee of a private company who had become pinned between a tractor trailer rig and its trailer. EMS transported the injured boy to a local trauma center where he was pronounced dead. Traffic Investigators are working to reconstruct the scene and gather evidence. Police have not released the name of the teen.The incident occurred on property within the Lee’s Summit Resource Recovery Park leased from the City of Lee’s Summit by a private third-party company.

16-year-old dies in work accident at KC-area landfill

STONE COUNTY —A child died Wednesday after an incident on Monday at Table Rock Lake.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported the 2-year-old from Ozark, Missouri, entered the water in an an unknown manner without a life jacket seven miles north of Blue Eye. 

The girl was transported to Children's Mercy in Kansas City where she was pronounced deceased in the intensive care unit.&nbsp; Authorities released no additional details.

STONE COUNTY —A child died Wednesday after an incident on Monday at Table Rock Lake.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported the 2-year-old from Ozark, Missouri, entered the water in an an unknown manner without a life jacket seven miles north of Blue Eye. The girl was transported to Children's Mercy in Kansas City where she was pronounced deceased in the intensive care unit.&nbsp; Authorities released no additional details.

2-year-old has died after incident at Table Rock Lake

MIAMI (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has been indicted on charges of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-f63c018b600e1539ff3660a896a132d0">mishandling classified documents</a>&nbsp;at his Florida estate, a remarkable development that makes him the first former president in U.S. history to face criminal charges by the federal government that he once oversaw.

The Justice Department was expected to make public a seven-count indictment ahead of a historic court appearance next week in the midst of a 2024 presidential campaign punctuated by criminal prosecutions in multiple states.

The indictment carries unmistakably grave legal consequences, including the possibility of prison if Trump's convicted.

But it also has enormous political implications, potentially upending a Republican presidential primary that Trump had been dominating and testing anew the willingness of GOP voters and party leaders to stick with a now twice-indicted candidate who could face still more charges. And it sets the stage for a sensational trial centered on claims that a man once entrusted to safeguard the nation's most closely guarded secrets willfully, and illegally, hoarded sensitive national security information.

The Justice Department did not immediately confirm the indictment publicly. But two people familiar with the situation who were not authorized to discuss it publicly said that the indictment included seven criminal counts. One of those people said Trump's lawyers were contacted by prosecutors shortly before he announced Thursday on his Truth Social platform that he had been indicted.

Within minutes of his announcement, Trump, who said he was due in court Tuesday afternoon in Miami, began fundraising off it for his presidential campaign. He declared his innocence in a video and repeated his familiar refrain that the investigation is a “witch hunt.”

The case adds to deepening legal jeopardy for Trump, who has already been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-arraignment-hush-money-81225510ef7638494852816878f612f0">indicted in New York</a>&nbsp;and faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-investigations-charges-classified-documents-d822569227ea882cedfeffd3284f9d4c">additional investigations in Washington and Atlanta</a>&nbsp;that also could lead to criminal charges. But among the various investigations he faces, legal experts — as well as Trump's own aides — had long seen the Mar-a-Lago probe as the most perilous threat and the one most ripe for prosecution. Campaign aides had been bracing for the fallout since Trump’s attorneys were notified that he was the target of the investigation, assuming it was not a matter of if charges would be brought, but when.

Appearing Thursday night on CNN, Trump attorney James Trusty said the indictment includes charges of willful retention of national defense information — a crime under the Espionage Act, which polices the handling of government secrets — obstruction, false statements and conspiracy.

The inquiry took a major step forward last November when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/merrick-garland">Attorney General Merrick Garland</a>, a soft-spoken former federal judge who has long stated that no one person should be regarded as above the law, appointed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jack-smith-special-counsel-prosecutor-donald-trump-garland-e1fdb71cfc258bc2be48a8b890a9269b">Jack Smith</a>, a war crimes prosecutor with an aggressive, hard-charging reputation to lead both the documents probe as well as a separate investigation into efforts to subvert the 2020 election.

The case is a milestone for a Justice Department that had investigated Trump for years — as president and private citizen — but had never before charged him with a crime. The most notable investigation was an earlier special counsel probe into ties between his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-politics-russia-48f9d5132d7a4e2d823edad8fc407979">2016 campaign and Russia,</a>&nbsp;but prosecutors in that probe cited Justice Department policy against indicting a sitting president. Once he left office, though, he lost that protection.

The indictment arises from a monthslong investigation into whether Trump broke the law by holding onto&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-6bd103a8e418166b17a34d77e8d9102d">hundreds of documents marked classified at his Palm Beach property</a>, Mar-a-Lago, and whether Trump took steps to obstruct the government’s efforts to recover the records.

Prosecutors have said that Trump took roughly 300 classified documents to Mar-a-Lago after leaving the White House,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-6bd103a8e418166b17a34d77e8d9102d">including some 100 that were seized by the FBI last August</a>&nbsp;in a search of the home that underscored the gravity of the Justice Department’s investigation. Trump has repeatedly insisted that he was entitled to keep the classified documents when he left the White House, and has also claimed without evidence that he had declassified them.

Court records unsealed last year showed federal investigators believed they had probable cause that multiple crimes had been committed,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-f63c018b600e1539ff3660a896a132d0">including the retention of national defense information</a>, destruction of government records and obstruction.

Since then, the Justice Department has amassed additional evidence and secured grand jury testimony from people close to Trump,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-classified-documents-grand-jury-justice-department-623428540a6cff1b5dcdf697cdf45b5d">including his own lawyers</a>. The statutes governing the handling of classified records and obstruction are felonies that could carry years in prison in the event of a conviction.

Even so, it remains unclear how much it will damage Trump's standing given that his first indictment generated millions of dollars in contributions from angry supporters and didn’t weaken him in the polls.

The former president has long sought to use his legal troubles to his political advantage, complaining on social media and at public events that the cases are being driven by Democratic prosecutors out to hurt his 2024 election campaign. He is likely to rely on that playbook again, reviving his longstanding claims that the Justice Department — which, during his presidency, investigated whether his 2016 campaign had colluded with Russia — is somehow weaponized against him.

Trump’s legal troubles extend beyond the New York indictment and classified documents case.

Smith is separately investigating efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. And the district attorney in Georgia’s Fulton County is investigating Trump over alleged efforts to subvert the 2020 election in that state.

Signs had mounted for weeks that an indictment was near, including a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-classified-documents-maralago-455e06ae11fecd5fc6aa565bee6b3878">Monday meeting between Trump’s lawyers</a>&nbsp;and Justice Department officials. His lawyers had also recently been notified that he was the target of the investigation, the clearest sign yet that an indictment was looming.

Though the bulk of the investigative work had been handled in Washington, with a grand jury meeting there for months, it recently emerged that prosecutors were presenting evidence before a separate panel in Florida, where many of the alleged acts of obstruction scrutinized by prosecutors took place.

The Justice Department has said Trump repeatedly resisted efforts by the National Archives and Records Administration to get the documents back. After months of back-and-forth, Trump representatives returned 15 boxes of records in January 2022, including about 184 documents that officials said had classified markings on them.

FBI and Justice Department investigators issued a subpoena in May 2022 for classified documents that remained in Trump’s possession. But after a Trump lawyer provided three dozen records and asserted that a diligent search of the property had been done, officials came to suspect even more documents remained.

The investigation had simmered for months before bursting into front-page news in remarkable fashion last August. That’s when FBI agents served a search warrant on Mar-a-Lago and removed 33 boxes containing classified records, including top-secret documents stashed in a storage room and desk drawer and commingled with personal belongings. Some records were so sensitive that investigators needed upgraded security clearances to review them, the Justice Department has said.

The investigation into Trump had appeared complicated — politically, if not legally — by the discovery of documents with classified markings in the Delaware home and former Washington office of President Joe Biden, as well as in the Indiana home of former Vice President Mike Pence. The Justice Department recently informed Pence that he would not face charges, while a second special counsel continues to investigate Biden’s handling of classified documents.

But compared with Trump, there are key differences in the facts and legal issues surrounding Biden’s and Pence’s handling of documents, including that representatives for both men say the documents were voluntarily turned over to investigators as soon as they were found. In contrast, investigators quickly zeroed on whether Trump, who for four years as president expressed disdain for the FBI and Justice Department, had sought to obstruct the inquiry by refusing to turn over all the requested documents.

MIAMI (AP) — Donald Trump said Thursday he’s been indicted on charges of mishandling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-f63c018b600e1539ff3660a896a132d0">classified documents</a>&nbsp;at his Florida estate, igniting a federal prosecution that is arguably the most perilous of multiple legal threats against the former president as he seeks to reclaim the White House.

The Justice Department did not immediately publicly confirm the indictment. But two people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to discuss it publicly said Trump's team had been informed that he had been indicted on seven counts and that prosecutors had contacted lawyers to advise them of the indictment shortly before Trump announced it himself on his Truth Social platform.

“This is indeed a DARK DAY for the United States of America,” Trump posted. “We are a Country in serious and rapid Decline, but together we will Make America Great Again!”

Within 20 minutes of his announcement, Trump, who said he was due in court Tuesday afternoon in Miami, had begun fundraising off it for his 2024 presidential campaign.

The case adds to deepening legal jeopardy for Trump, who has already been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-arraignment-hush-money-81225510ef7638494852816878f612f0">indicted in New York</a>&nbsp;and faces additional investigations in Washington and Atlanta that also could lead to criminal charges. As the prosecution moves forward, it will pit Trump’s claims of sweeping executive power against Attorney General Merrick Garland’s oft-stated mantra that no person, including a former commander in chief, should be regarded as above the law.

The indictment arises from a monthslong investigation by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jack-smith-special-counsel-prosecutor-donald-trump-garland-e1fdb71cfc258bc2be48a8b890a9269b">special counsel Jack Smith</a>&nbsp;into whether Trump broke the law by holding onto hundreds of documents marked classified at his Palm Beach property, Mar-a-Lago, and whether Trump took steps to obstruct the government’s efforts to recover the records.

Prosecutors have said that Trump took roughly 300 classified documents to Mar-a-Lago after leaving the White House,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-6bd103a8e418166b17a34d77e8d9102d">including some 100 that were seized by the FBI last August</a>&nbsp;in a search of the home that underscored the gravity of the Justice Department’s investigation.

Trump and his team have long seen the special counsel investigation as far more perilous than the New York matter — both politically and legally. Campaign aides had been bracing for the fallout since Trump’s attorneys were notified that he was the target of the investigation, assuming it was not a matter of if charges would be brought, but when.

But it remains unclear what the immediate and long-term political consequences will be for Trump. His first indictment spurred millions of dollars in contributions from angry supporters and didn’t damage Trump in the polls. No matter what, the indictment — and the legal fight that follows -- will throw Trump back into the spotlight, sucking attention away from the other candidates who are trying to build momentum in the 2024 presidential race.

Trump has insisted he was entitled to keep the classified documents when he left the White House, and has also claimed without evidence that he had declassified them.

The former president has long sought to use mounting legal troubles to his political advantage, complaining on social media and at public events that the cases are being driven by Democratic prosecutors out to hurt his 2024 election campaign. He is likely to rely on that playbook again, reviving his longstanding claims that the Justice Department — which, during his presidency, investigated whether his 2016 campaign had colluded with Russia — is somehow weaponized against him.

The case is a milestone for a Justice Department that had investigated Trump for years — as president and private citizen — but had never before charged him with a crime. Garland was appointed by President Joe Biden, who is seeking reelection in 2024.

Among the various state and federal investigations that Trump faces, legal experts — including Trump’s own former attorney general — had long seen the Mar-a-Lago probe as one of the most likely to result in indictment and the one where evidence seemed to favor the government. Court records unsealed last year showed federal investigators believed they had probable cause that multiple crimes had been committed, including the retention of national defense information, destruction of government records and obstruction of an investigation.

Since then, the Justice Department has amassed additional evidence and secured grand jury testimony from people close to Trump, including his own lawyers. The statutes governing the handling of classified records and obstruction are felonies that could carry years in prison in the event of a conviction.

Signs had mounted for weeks that an indictment was near, including a June 5 meeting between Trump’s lawyers and Justice Department officials. After that meeting, Trump said on social media that he anticipated he could be charged, even as he insisted he had done nothing wrong.

Though the bulk of the investigative work had been handled in Washington, with a grand jury meeting there for months, it recently emerged that prosecutors were presenting evidence before a separate panel in Florida, where many of the alleged acts of obstruction scrutinized by prosecutors — including efforts to move the boxes — took place.

The special counsel has a separate probe underway focused on efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. And the district attorney in Georgia’s Fulton County is investigating Trump over alleged efforts to subvert the 2020 election in that state.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661941600753.jpeg" alt="This image contained in a court filing by the Department of Justice on Aug. 30, 2022, and redacted by in part by the FBI, shows a photo of documents seized during the Aug. 8 search by the FBI of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.&nbsp; &nbsp;(Department of Justice via AP)" />
 <figcaption>This image contained in a court filing by the Department of Justice on Aug. 30, 2022, and redacted by in part by the FBI, shows a photo of documents seized during the Aug. 8 search by the FBI of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.&nbsp; &nbsp;(Department of Justice via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>MIAMI (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has been indicted on charges of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-f63c018b600e1539ff3660a896a132d0">mishandling classified documents</a>&nbsp;at his Florida estate, a remarkable development that makes him the first former president in U.S. history to face criminal charges by the federal government that he once oversaw.The Justice Department was expected to make public a seven-count indictment ahead of a historic court appearance next week in the midst of a 2024 presidential campaign punctuated by criminal prosecutions in multiple states.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686268181953.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686268447743.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686270675966.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The indictment carries unmistakably grave legal consequences, including the possibility of prison if Trump's convicted.But it also has enormous political implications, potentially upending a Republican presidential primary that Trump had been dominating and testing anew the willingness of GOP voters and party leaders to stick with a now twice-indicted candidate who could face still more charges. And it sets the stage for a sensational trial centered on claims that a man once entrusted to safeguard the nation's most closely guarded secrets willfully, and illegally, hoarded sensitive national security information.The Justice Department did not immediately confirm the indictment publicly. But two people familiar with the situation who were not authorized to discuss it publicly said that the indictment included seven criminal counts. One of those people said Trump's lawyers were contacted by prosecutors shortly before he announced Thursday on his Truth Social platform that he had been indicted.Within minutes of his announcement, Trump, who said he was due in court Tuesday afternoon in Miami, began fundraising off it for his presidential campaign. He declared his innocence in a video and repeated his familiar refrain that the investigation is a “witch hunt.”The case adds to deepening legal jeopardy for Trump, who has already been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-arraignment-hush-money-81225510ef7638494852816878f612f0">indicted in New York</a>&nbsp;and faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-investigations-charges-classified-documents-d822569227ea882cedfeffd3284f9d4c">additional investigations in Washington and Atlanta</a>&nbsp;that also could lead to criminal charges. But among the various investigations he faces, legal experts — as well as Trump's own aides — had long seen the Mar-a-Lago probe as the most perilous threat and the one most ripe for prosecution. Campaign aides had been bracing for the fallout since Trump’s attorneys were notified that he was the target of the investigation, assuming it was not a matter of if charges would be brought, but when.Appearing Thursday night on CNN, Trump attorney James Trusty said the indictment includes charges of willful retention of national defense information — a crime under the Espionage Act, which polices the handling of government secrets — obstruction, false statements and conspiracy.The inquiry took a major step forward last November when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/merrick-garland">Attorney General Merrick Garland</a>, a soft-spoken former federal judge who has long stated that no one person should be regarded as above the law, appointed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jack-smith-special-counsel-prosecutor-donald-trump-garland-e1fdb71cfc258bc2be48a8b890a9269b">Jack Smith</a>, a war crimes prosecutor with an aggressive, hard-charging reputation to lead both the documents probe as well as a separate investigation into efforts to subvert the 2020 election.The case is a milestone for a Justice Department that had investigated Trump for years — as president and private citizen — but had never before charged him with a crime. The most notable investigation was an earlier special counsel probe into ties between his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-politics-russia-48f9d5132d7a4e2d823edad8fc407979">2016 campaign and Russia,</a>&nbsp;but prosecutors in that probe cited Justice Department policy against indicting a sitting president. Once he left office, though, he lost that protection.The indictment arises from a monthslong investigation into whether Trump broke the law by holding onto&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-6bd103a8e418166b17a34d77e8d9102d">hundreds of documents marked classified at his Palm Beach property</a>, Mar-a-Lago, and whether Trump took steps to obstruct the government’s efforts to recover the records.Prosecutors have said that Trump took roughly 300 classified documents to Mar-a-Lago after leaving the White House,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-6bd103a8e418166b17a34d77e8d9102d">including some 100 that were seized by the FBI last August</a>&nbsp;in a search of the home that underscored the gravity of the Justice Department’s investigation. Trump has repeatedly insisted that he was entitled to keep the classified documents when he left the White House, and has also claimed without evidence that he had declassified them.Court records unsealed last year showed federal investigators believed they had probable cause that multiple crimes had been committed,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-f63c018b600e1539ff3660a896a132d0">including the retention of national defense information</a>, destruction of government records and obstruction.Since then, the Justice Department has amassed additional evidence and secured grand jury testimony from people close to Trump,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-classified-documents-grand-jury-justice-department-623428540a6cff1b5dcdf697cdf45b5d">including his own lawyers</a>. The statutes governing the handling of classified records and obstruction are felonies that could carry years in prison in the event of a conviction.Even so, it remains unclear how much it will damage Trump's standing given that his first indictment generated millions of dollars in contributions from angry supporters and didn’t weaken him in the polls.The former president has long sought to use his legal troubles to his political advantage, complaining on social media and at public events that the cases are being driven by Democratic prosecutors out to hurt his 2024 election campaign. He is likely to rely on that playbook again, reviving his longstanding claims that the Justice Department — which, during his presidency, investigated whether his 2016 campaign had colluded with Russia — is somehow weaponized against him.Trump’s legal troubles extend beyond the New York indictment and classified documents case.Smith is separately investigating efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. And the district attorney in Georgia’s Fulton County is investigating Trump over alleged efforts to subvert the 2020 election in that state.Signs had mounted for weeks that an indictment was near, including a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-classified-documents-maralago-455e06ae11fecd5fc6aa565bee6b3878">Monday meeting between Trump’s lawyers</a>&nbsp;and Justice Department officials. His lawyers had also recently been notified that he was the target of the investigation, the clearest sign yet that an indictment was looming.Though the bulk of the investigative work had been handled in Washington, with a grand jury meeting there for months, it recently emerged that prosecutors were presenting evidence before a separate panel in Florida, where many of the alleged acts of obstruction scrutinized by prosecutors took place.The Justice Department has said Trump repeatedly resisted efforts by the National Archives and Records Administration to get the documents back. After months of back-and-forth, Trump representatives returned 15 boxes of records in January 2022, including about 184 documents that officials said had classified markings on them.FBI and Justice Department investigators issued a subpoena in May 2022 for classified documents that remained in Trump’s possession. But after a Trump lawyer provided three dozen records and asserted that a diligent search of the property had been done, officials came to suspect even more documents remained.The investigation had simmered for months before bursting into front-page news in remarkable fashion last August. That’s when FBI agents served a search warrant on Mar-a-Lago and removed 33 boxes containing classified records, including top-secret documents stashed in a storage room and desk drawer and commingled with personal belongings. Some records were so sensitive that investigators needed upgraded security clearances to review them, the Justice Department has said.The investigation into Trump had appeared complicated — politically, if not legally — by the discovery of documents with classified markings in the Delaware home and former Washington office of President Joe Biden, as well as in the Indiana home of former Vice President Mike Pence. The Justice Department recently informed Pence that he would not face charges, while a second special counsel continues to investigate Biden’s handling of classified documents.But compared with Trump, there are key differences in the facts and legal issues surrounding Biden’s and Pence’s handling of documents, including that representatives for both men say the documents were voluntarily turned over to investigators as soon as they were found. In contrast, investigators quickly zeroed on whether Trump, who for four years as president expressed disdain for the FBI and Justice Department, had sought to obstruct the inquiry by refusing to turn over all the requested documents.--------------MIAMI (AP) — Donald Trump said Thursday he’s been indicted on charges of mishandling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-f63c018b600e1539ff3660a896a132d0">classified documents</a>&nbsp;at his Florida estate, igniting a federal prosecution that is arguably the most perilous of multiple legal threats against the former president as he seeks to reclaim the White House.The Justice Department did not immediately publicly confirm the indictment. But two people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to discuss it publicly said Trump's team had been informed that he had been indicted on seven counts and that prosecutors had contacted lawyers to advise them of the indictment shortly before Trump announced it himself on his Truth Social platform.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686268181953.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686268447743.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686270675966.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>“This is indeed a DARK DAY for the United States of America,” Trump posted. “We are a Country in serious and rapid Decline, but together we will Make America Great Again!”Within 20 minutes of his announcement, Trump, who said he was due in court Tuesday afternoon in Miami, had begun fundraising off it for his 2024 presidential campaign.The case adds to deepening legal jeopardy for Trump, who has already been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-arraignment-hush-money-81225510ef7638494852816878f612f0">indicted in New York</a>&nbsp;and faces additional investigations in Washington and Atlanta that also could lead to criminal charges. As the prosecution moves forward, it will pit Trump’s claims of sweeping executive power against Attorney General Merrick Garland’s oft-stated mantra that no person, including a former commander in chief, should be regarded as above the law.The indictment arises from a monthslong investigation by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jack-smith-special-counsel-prosecutor-donald-trump-garland-e1fdb71cfc258bc2be48a8b890a9269b">special counsel Jack Smith</a>&nbsp;into whether Trump broke the law by holding onto hundreds of documents marked classified at his Palm Beach property, Mar-a-Lago, and whether Trump took steps to obstruct the government’s efforts to recover the records.Prosecutors have said that Trump took roughly 300 classified documents to Mar-a-Lago after leaving the White House,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-6bd103a8e418166b17a34d77e8d9102d">including some 100 that were seized by the FBI last August</a>&nbsp;in a search of the home that underscored the gravity of the Justice Department’s investigation.Trump and his team have long seen the special counsel investigation as far more perilous than the New York matter — both politically and legally. Campaign aides had been bracing for the fallout since Trump’s attorneys were notified that he was the target of the investigation, assuming it was not a matter of if charges would be brought, but when.But it remains unclear what the immediate and long-term political consequences will be for Trump. His first indictment spurred millions of dollars in contributions from angry supporters and didn’t damage Trump in the polls. No matter what, the indictment — and the legal fight that follows -- will throw Trump back into the spotlight, sucking attention away from the other candidates who are trying to build momentum in the 2024 presidential race.Trump has insisted he was entitled to keep the classified documents when he left the White House, and has also claimed without evidence that he had declassified them.The former president has long sought to use mounting legal troubles to his political advantage, complaining on social media and at public events that the cases are being driven by Democratic prosecutors out to hurt his 2024 election campaign. He is likely to rely on that playbook again, reviving his longstanding claims that the Justice Department — which, during his presidency, investigated whether his 2016 campaign had colluded with Russia — is somehow weaponized against him.The case is a milestone for a Justice Department that had investigated Trump for years — as president and private citizen — but had never before charged him with a crime. Garland was appointed by President Joe Biden, who is seeking reelection in 2024.Among the various state and federal investigations that Trump faces, legal experts — including Trump’s own former attorney general — had long seen the Mar-a-Lago probe as one of the most likely to result in indictment and the one where evidence seemed to favor the government. Court records unsealed last year showed federal investigators believed they had probable cause that multiple crimes had been committed, including the retention of national defense information, destruction of government records and obstruction of an investigation.Since then, the Justice Department has amassed additional evidence and secured grand jury testimony from people close to Trump, including his own lawyers. The statutes governing the handling of classified records and obstruction are felonies that could carry years in prison in the event of a conviction.Signs had mounted for weeks that an indictment was near, including a June 5 meeting between Trump’s lawyers and Justice Department officials. After that meeting, Trump said on social media that he anticipated he could be charged, even as he insisted he had done nothing wrong.Though the bulk of the investigative work had been handled in Washington, with a grand jury meeting there for months, it recently emerged that prosecutors were presenting evidence before a separate panel in Florida, where many of the alleged acts of obstruction scrutinized by prosecutors — including efforts to move the boxes — took place.Trump’s legal troubles extend beyond the New York indictment and classified documents case.The special counsel has a separate probe underway focused on efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. And the district attorney in Georgia’s Fulton County is investigating Trump over alleged efforts to subvert the 2020 election in that state.The Justice Department did not immediately publicly confirm the indictment.Trump is currently in Bedminster, New Jersey. A person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to discuss it publicly said Trump's lawyers were contacted by prosecutors shortly before he announced on his Truth Social platform that he had been indicted.Trump said he is due in court Tuesday afternoon in Miami.