NEW YORK (AP) — Nissan is recalling more than 480,000 of its vehicles across the U.S. and Canada due to potential manufacturing defects that could cause engine failure.

The recall covers certain Nissan Rogues between 2021-2024 model years and 2019-2020 Altimas — as well as a number of 2019-2022 Infiniti QX50s and 2022 Infiniti QX55s sold under the automaker's luxury brand, according to Nissan and documents&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nhtsa.gov/?nhtsaId=25V437000">published by</a>&nbsp;the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this week.

The vehicles impacted carry specific “VC-Turbo” engines that may have manufacturing defects in their bearings, the NHTSA's&nbsp;<a href="https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V437-0139.pdf">recall report notes</a>. This may cause engine damage and possibly lead to engine failure while driving, the regulator warns — increasing crash risks.

Engine bearing failures “are not typically instantaneous and tend to progress over time,” the NHTSA’s recall report notes. That means effected drivers may see multiple warning signs to look out for — including abnormal noises or malfunction indicator lights.

In the U.S., 443,899 vehicles are covered in this recall, per NHTSA documents. And in Canada, 37,837 are affected, a Nissan spokesperson confirmed to The Associated Press on Thursday.

As a remedy, the NHSTA's recall report notes, Nissan and Infiniti dealers will inspect the engine pan of these-now recalled cars — and repair or replace the engine if necessary. The recall covers vehicles with either 3-cylinder 1.5L or 4-cylinder 2.0L VC-Turbo engines. Potential repairs — which will be performed free of charge — will depend on the engine and whether or not debris is detected during the inspection.

In an emailed statement, Nissan said it initiated this recall as part of its “ongoing commitment to customer safety.” And in late August, the company added, notification letters will be mailed out to affected owners "with instructions to bring their vehicle to a Nissan dealer or INFINITI retailer for inspection and repair if necessary.”

In the meantime, drivers can also confirm if their specific vehicle is included in this recall and find more information using&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nhtsa.gov/search-safety-issues#recall">the NHTSA site</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nissanusa.com/recalls-vin.html">Nissan's recall lookup</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751556530582.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Nissan is recalling more than 480,000 of its vehicles across the U.S. and Canada due to potential manufacturing defects that could cause engine failure.The recall covers certain Nissan Rogues between 2021-2024 model years and 2019-2020 Altimas — as well as a number of 2019-2022 Infiniti QX50s and 2022 Infiniti QX55s sold under the automaker's luxury brand, according to Nissan and documents&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nhtsa.gov/?nhtsaId=25V437000">published by</a>&nbsp;the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this week.The vehicles impacted carry specific “VC-Turbo” engines that may have manufacturing defects in their bearings, the NHTSA's&nbsp;<a href="https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V437-0139.pdf">recall report notes</a>. This may cause engine damage and possibly lead to engine failure while driving, the regulator warns — increasing crash risks.Engine bearing failures “are not typically instantaneous and tend to progress over time,” the NHTSA’s recall report notes. That means effected drivers may see multiple warning signs to look out for — including abnormal noises or malfunction indicator lights.In the U.S., 443,899 vehicles are covered in this recall, per NHTSA documents. And in Canada, 37,837 are affected, a Nissan spokesperson confirmed to The Associated Press on Thursday.As a remedy, the NHSTA's recall report notes, Nissan and Infiniti dealers will inspect the engine pan of these-now recalled cars — and repair or replace the engine if necessary. The recall covers vehicles with either 3-cylinder 1.5L or 4-cylinder 2.0L VC-Turbo engines. Potential repairs — which will be performed free of charge — will depend on the engine and whether or not debris is detected during the inspection.In an emailed statement, Nissan said it initiated this recall as part of its “ongoing commitment to customer safety.” And in late August, the company added, notification letters will be mailed out to affected owners "with instructions to bring their vehicle to a Nissan dealer or INFINITI retailer for inspection and repair if necessary.”In the meantime, drivers can also confirm if their specific vehicle is included in this recall and find more information using&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nhtsa.gov/search-safety-issues#recall">the NHTSA site</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nissanusa.com/recalls-vin.html">Nissan's recall lookup</a>.

Nissan recalls vehicles due to engine failure risk

SALINE COUNTY —A Kansas teen is facing a charge for alleged arson after a fireworks fire in a Saline County p ark.

Just after 5p.m. Tuesday, police and the Salina Fire Department responded to Indian Rock Park, 1500 Gypsum, in reference to a grass fire, according to Salina Police Captain James Feldman. A passerby reported seeing a juvenile throwing fireworks into the tall grass near the park bathroom. 

The fire was extinguished. Two juveniles, both 16 years of age, were located in the area, which the passerby identified as the subjects involved. It was determined the fireworks were purchased in the city of Minneapolis and the subjects went to Indian Rock Park to set them off. 

One of the boy from Salina, admitted to lighting a firework and throwing into the grass where it detonated and started a grass fire. The juvenile was taken into custody and is being referred for one count of Arson. Damage was estimated at $100.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751549465004.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —A Kansas teen is facing a charge for alleged arson after a fireworks fire in a Saline County p ark.Just after 5p.m. Tuesday, police and the Salina Fire Department responded to Indian Rock Park, 1500 Gypsum, in reference to a grass fire, according to Salina Police Captain James Feldman. A passerby reported seeing a juvenile throwing fireworks into the tall grass near the park bathroom. The fire was extinguished. Two juveniles, both 16 years of age, were located in the area, which the passerby identified as the subjects involved. It was determined the fireworks were purchased in the city of Minneapolis and the subjects went to Indian Rock Park to set them off. One of the boy from Salina, admitted to lighting a firework and throwing into the grass where it detonated and started a grass fire. The juvenile was taken into custody and is being referred for one count of Arson. Damage was estimated at $100.

Kansas boy accused of arson after fireworks fire at park

CAMDEN COUNTY —A man drowned just after 6:30p.m. Wednesday at Lake of the Ozarks.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 70-year-old Wentzville, Missouri boat operator fell into the water at the 8 mile mark of Workmen Hollow Cove. 

Bystanders were able to pull him out of the water. He was pronounced deceased at the scene and transported to Hedges-Scott Funeral Home in Camdenton. He was not wearing a life jacket, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of drowning victims.

CAMDEN COUNTY —A man drowned just after 6:30p.m. Wednesday at Lake of the Ozarks.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 70-year-old Wentzville, Missouri boat operator fell into the water at the 8 mile mark of Workmen Hollow Cove. Bystanders were able to pull him out of the water. He was pronounced deceased at the scene and transported to Hedges-Scott Funeral Home in Camdenton. He was not wearing a life jacket, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of drowning victims.

70-year-old fell from boat, drowned at Lake of the Ozarks

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man accused in connection with sex crimes involving a runaway teen is due back in Judge Quentin Pittman's courtroom Thursday afternoon for a plea hearing, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's ofice.

<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/inmatesearch/Details.aspx?Id=747078">Samuel Loredo, 22, is charged</a>&nbsp;with 3 counts of Criminal Sodomy, 2 counts of Indecent Liberties with a Child, 1 count of Indecent Solicitation of a Child, 1 count of Aggravated Interference With Parental Custody, and 2 counts of Contributing to a Child’s Misconduct, according to the District Attorney's office.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Just after noon November 18, law enforcement in Murray, Kentucky informed the Wichita Police Department that a 14-year-old runaway may be in Wichita based on their investigation, according to Police Lt. Aaron Moses.

Wichita police responded to the area of 2300 N Woodlawn where it was believed that the child may have been. Patrol and Investigations began working together to find additional information to locate the juvenile and determine the circumstances around their presence in Wichita.

Throughout the afternoon and the evening detectives with the Exploited and Missing Children’s Unit worked to conduct additional interviews. Through those interviews, detectives determined that Loredo was communicating with the 14-year-old and arranged for the juvenile to travel to Wichita.

As a result of the investigation, police arrested&nbsp; Loredo, and booked him into Sedgwick County Jail.

Officers with the Wichita Police Department NET team located the juvenile wandering the area.&nbsp; &nbsp;Loredo remains jailed on bonds totaling&nbsp;$1,870,000.00, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732208663228.png" alt="Loredo photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Loredo photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man accused in connection with sex crimes involving a runaway teen is due back in Judge Quentin Pittman's courtroom Thursday afternoon for a plea hearing, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's ofice.<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/inmatesearch/Details.aspx?Id=747078">Samuel Loredo, 22, is charged</a>&nbsp;with 3 counts of Criminal Sodomy, 2 counts of Indecent Liberties with a Child, 1 count of Indecent Solicitation of a Child, 1 count of Aggravated Interference With Parental Custody, and 2 counts of Contributing to a Child’s Misconduct, according to the District Attorney's office.&nbsp;&nbsp;Just after noon November 18, law enforcement in Murray, Kentucky informed the Wichita Police Department that a 14-year-old runaway may be in Wichita based on their investigation, according to Police Lt. Aaron Moses.Wichita police responded to the area of 2300 N Woodlawn where it was believed that the child may have been. Patrol and Investigations began working together to find additional information to locate the juvenile and determine the circumstances around their presence in Wichita.Throughout the afternoon and the evening detectives with the Exploited and Missing Children’s Unit worked to conduct additional interviews. Through those interviews, detectives determined that Loredo was communicating with the 14-year-old and arranged for the juvenile to travel to Wichita.As a result of the investigation, police arrested&nbsp; Loredo, and booked him into Sedgwick County Jail.Officers with the Wichita Police Department NET team located the juvenile wandering the area.&nbsp; &nbsp;Loredo remains jailed on bonds totaling&nbsp;$1,870,000.00, according to online jail records.

Kan. man accused of sex crimes with runaway is due back in court

&nbsp;Memorial events for Deputy Brandon Gaede begin on Thursday. He was killed in the line of duty on June 27 in Phillipsburg, Kansas.

Visitation will be held from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, Thursday, July 3, with funeral services at 10:30 am, Saturday, July 5. Both events are open to the public and will occur at the Huck Boyd Community Center, 860 Park St., Phillipsburg. Immediately following funeral services, interment will be at Emmanuel Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery, 576 W. Osage Road, Stuttgart, Kansas.

For members of the public attending funeral services, parking will be available at Phillipsburg High School located at 410 S. 7th&nbsp;Street. Buses will be available to transport attendees to the Huck Boyd Community Center. Parking for first responders will be available along Park Street near the community center. For those unable to attend, the service will be streamed live on the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel Facebook page.

Governor Laura Kelly has directed flags to be flown at half-staff on July 5, in honor of Deputy Gaede.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1751127258786.png" alt="Deputy Brandon Gaede" />
 <figcaption>Deputy Brandon Gaede</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;Memorial events for Deputy Brandon Gaede begin on Thursday. He was killed in the line of duty on June 27 in Phillipsburg, Kansas.Visitation will be held from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, Thursday, July 3, with funeral services at 10:30 am, Saturday, July 5. Both events are open to the public and will occur at the Huck Boyd Community Center, 860 Park St., Phillipsburg. Immediately following funeral services, interment will be at Emmanuel Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery, 576 W. Osage Road, Stuttgart, Kansas.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751538492678.png" alt="Deputy Brandon Gaede's. patrol vehicle -photo Phillips Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Deputy Brandon Gaede's. patrol vehicle -photo Phillips Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>For members of the public attending funeral services, parking will be available at Phillipsburg High School located at 410 S. 7th&nbsp;Street. Buses will be available to transport attendees to the Huck Boyd Community Center. Parking for first responders will be available along Park Street near the community center. For those unable to attend, the service will be streamed live on the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel Facebook page.Governor Laura Kelly has directed flags to be flown at half-staff on July 5, in honor of Deputy Gaede.

Memorial events begin for fallen Kansas deputy

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-beautiful-gop-taxes-ced365c347de9320eef2ccb8df16dda2">House Republicans are ready to vote</a>&nbsp;on President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inside-trump-republican-spending-bill-provisions-details-06eb10bad4fd2a7ea2ac236e6535e61d">$4.5 trillion tax breaks and spending cuts bill</a>&nbsp;early Thursday after staying up all night with GOP leaders and the president himself working to persuade skeptical holdouts to drop their opposition by his Fourth of July deadline.

Final debates began in the predawn hours after another chaotic day and night at the Capitol following a series of closed-door meetings.

Putting the bill on Trump's desk would be a milestone for the president and his party as Republicans have the votes to overcome Democratic opposition to a long list of GOP priorities. Trump's “one big beautiful bill,” an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-119hr1eas/pdf/BILLS-119hr1eas.pdf">800-plus page package</a>, is a defining measure of his return to the White House. Read&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1/text">what’s in the full bill for yourself</a>.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inside-trump-republican-spending-bill-provisions-details-06eb10bad4fd2a7ea2ac236e6535e61d">At some 887 pages, the legislation</a>&nbsp;includes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/big-beautiful-bill-trump-tax-spending-cuts-78fabe42ae09e0c5ac692a92dca8af5b">tax breaks</a>, spending cuts, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/clean-energy-residential-solar-big-beautiful-bill-07dd482926ee2d45a019ce2b6e636c7d">rollback of solar energy tax credits</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-budget-congress-trump-bill-e37bb0a5c5ca883438db349239a6c251">new money for national defense and deportations</a>. The bill&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-congress-big-bill-tax-social-security-adea287e00c7c553f69f3667d3ef78cc">does not eliminate taxes</a>&nbsp;on Social Security benefits, despite what Trump says.

The bill rolls back past presidential agendas: In many ways, the package is a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-beautiful-bill-medicaid-tax-cuts-bec87c569760ed979ac8c34cccba186b">repudiation of the agendas</a>&nbsp;of the last two Democratic presidents, a chiseling away at the Medicaid expansion from Barack Obama’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-obamacare-preventive-care-health-care-d81aa3b66b94642dceafb3e51be9a319">Affordable Care Act</a>, and a pullback of Joe Biden’s climate change strategies in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-climate-health-tax-law-economy-inflation-f112d7c78abaa724d22964317d213deb">Inflation Reduction Act</a>.

Congressional Budget Office review: The nonpartisan CBO said Sunday the bill would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cbo-trump-tax-bill-republicans-senate-5f591bea21bd95eec45ba90c93c50687">pile nearly $3.3 trillion onto the nation’s debt</a>&nbsp;load from 2025 to 2034, a nearly $1 trillion increase over the House-passed version of the bill. The analysis also found that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-7-2-2025#00000197-cd30-db03-a79f-ff774e980000">11.8 million Americans would become uninsured</a>&nbsp;by 2034 if the bill passed.

The outcome would be a milestone for the president and his party, a longshot effort to compile a long list of GOP priorities into what they call his “one big beautiful bill,” an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-119hr1eas/pdf/BILLS-119hr1eas.pdf">800-plus page package</a>. With Democrats unified in opposition, the bill will become a defining measure of Trump's return to the White House, with the sweep of Republican control of Congress.

White House: The big bill is kind of like the solution to a bad hair day

With Trump’s spending and tax cut bill nearing passage, the White House is getting creative in pitching it to Americans who haven’t been closely following the debate over the legislation.

The White House late Wednesday dropped&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLoOzbZJH7D/">a tongue-in-cheek video</a>&nbsp;on social media that includes before and after shots of women who transform flat hair to voluminous bouffants as a narrator ticks off aspects of the bill that she says will make Americans’ lives better.

“Are you tired of government promises falling flat? Do you go through an outrageous amount of stress just trying to get by?” the narrator intones as a woman screams in frustration over her bad hair day. “Then bump it up with ‘one big, beautiful bill’ and get that relief fast and easy.”

By the end of the short video, the screaming woman and others are sporting new hairdos that are markedly more voluminous.

Hakeem Jeffries has been talking for three hours and counting

Republican leadership spent much of the night and early morning persuading a handful of holdouts to support the Senate-approved tax cuts and spending bill. But now, House Speaker Mike Johnson appears to have the votes, and Democrats are standing in the way.

As the House wrapped up its debate over passing Trump’s agenda, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries used a tool known as the “magic minute” that allows leaders unlimited time to speak. He started his address just before 5 a.m. ET. And it’s still going.

“I’m going to take my time,” he said, before launching into a speech criticizing Republicans’ deference to Trump, reading through personal accounts of people concerned about losing their health care coverage, and recounting American history.

Eventually, Jeffries will end his speech, and Republicans will move to final passage of the bill.

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans are ready to vote on President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inside-trump-republican-spending-bill-provisions-details-06eb10bad4fd2a7ea2ac236e6535e61d">$4.5 trillion tax breaks and spending cuts bill</a>&nbsp;early Thursday, up all night as GOP leaders and the president himself worked to persuade skeptical holdouts to drop their opposition by his Fourth of July deadline.

Final debates began in the predawn hours after another chaotic day, and night, at the Capitol. House Speaker Mike Johnson insisted the House would meet the holiday deadline after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-tax-cuts-trump-big-bill-bf3f94471b13db3e5d50f0cd1f8fe793">Senate approved Trump's signature domestic policy package</a>&nbsp;on the narrowest vote.

“Our way is to plow through and get it done,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/speaker-johnson-trump-tax-bill-christian-prayer-f82ed140d9110d5cc7b4029b681ea9eb">Johnson</a>&nbsp;said, emerging in the middle of the night from a series of closed-door meetings. “We will meet our July 4th deadline.”

At it core, the package's priority is $4.5 trillion in tax breaks enacted in Trump's first term, in 2017, that would expire if Congress failed to act, along with new ones. This includes allowing workers to deduct tips and overtime pay, and a $6,000 deduction for most older adults earning less than $75,000 a year.

There's also a hefty investment, some $350 billion, in national security and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigration-enforcement-deportation-public-polling-df7d0d35dfa031e1444bfa9e9e0b13bd">Trump's deportation agenda</a>&nbsp;and to help develop the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/golden-dome-missile-defense-trump-space-e74d637feac06edcfde79214d8acf179">“Golden Dome”</a>&nbsp;defensive system over the U.S.

To help offset the costs of lost tax revenue, the package includes $1.2 trillion in cutbacks to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gop-bill-trump-medicaid-cuts-coverage-health-bb4f090d2706ffb3d5652e70f246a10e">the Medicaid health care</a>&nbsp;and food stamps, largely by imposing new work requirements, including for some parents and older people, and a massive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-republican-tax-credits-wind-solar-trump-ceb3bd36c25017e29fccdcc4c749391f">rollback of green energy investments</a>.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cbo-big-beautiful-bill-trump-republican-deficit-debt-d432b67a965790e4a26de46ea8db1266">nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office</a>&nbsp;estimates the package will add&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cbo-trump-tax-bill-republicans-senate-5f591bea21bd95eec45ba90c93c50687">$3.3 trillion to the deficit</a>&nbsp;over the decade and 11.8 million more people will go without health coverage.

"This was a generational opportunity to deliver the most comprehensive and consequential set of conservative reforms in modern history, and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” said Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, the House Budget Committee chairman.

Democrats unified against the bill as a tax giveaway to the rich paid for on the backs of the most vulnerable in society, what they called “trickle down cruelty.”

“Have you no shame?” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn. “Have the moral courage to oppose this bill."

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries invoked the powerful history of the nation's Independence Day holiday, and asked: "What does any of that have to do with this one, big ugly bill?"

He read for nearly two hours from a binder of letters, written by people across the country explaining how the health care programs have helped their families — and how devastating cuts would hurt.

Hauling the package this far in Congress has been difficult rom the start. Republicans have struggled mightily with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/johnson-trump-republicans-budget-vote-tax-cuts-4cb74ca15f6a74a7344355e4507ab9fe">the bill</a>&nbsp;nearly every step of the way in the House and Senate, often succeeding only by the narrowest of margins: just one vote. In the Senate, Vice President JD Vance broke the tie vote. The slim 220-212 majority in the House leaves Republicans little room for defections.

But few GOP lawmakers have been fully satisfied with the final product. Several more moderate Republicans had reservations about the cuts to Medicaid health care and the loss of green energy credits that could derail solar, wind and other renewable projects in their districts.

At the same time, conservatives, including those from the House Freedom Caucus, held out for steeper reductions. Republicans had warned the Senate against making changes to the House-passed bill, but senators put their own stamp on the final draft.

The House ground to a standstill Wednesday as a handful of holdouts refused to move so quickly. A morning roll call dragged for about seven hours, while an evening vote stalled for more than five, and Trump himself worked the phones and lashed out on social media.

“What are the Republicans waiting for??? What are you trying to prove???” Trump railed in a post-midnight vote.

Johnson, who has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-ufc-house-speaker-johnson-madison-square-garden-995a7ee3324e04ec6da680c826136655">pulled close to Trump</a>, relied on White House officials — including Cabinet secretaries, lawyers and others — to work skeptical Republicans through the details. Lawmakers were being told the administration could provide executive actions, projects or other provisions they needed in their districts back home.

"The president’s message was, ‘We’re on a roll,’” said Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C. “He wants to see this.”

And the alternative, of bucking the president on his signature second-term package, carried grave political risks.

Trump has publicly threatened to campaign against the defectors. One House Republican who has staked out opposition to the bill, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-kentucky-thomas-massie-primary-iran-55252ce7fbda9c27f6fbd9123927b1b4">being targeted</a>&nbsp;by Trump’s well-funded political operation.

And Senate Republican Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who had been on the receiving end of Trump’s lashings, announced he would not seek reelection shortly before voting against the bill.

In many ways, the package is a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-beautiful-bill-medicaid-tax-cuts-bec87c569760ed979ac8c34cccba186b">repudiation of the agendas</a>&nbsp;of the last two Democratic presidents, a chiseling away at the Medicaid expansion from Barack Obama's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-obamacare-preventive-care-health-care-d81aa3b66b94642dceafb3e51be9a319">Affordable Care Act</a>, and a pullback of Joe Biden's climate change strategies in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-climate-health-tax-law-economy-inflation-f112d7c78abaa724d22964317d213deb">Inflation Reduction Act</a>.

Democrats have described the bill in dire terms, warning that cuts to Medicaid, which some 80 million Americans rely on, would result in lives lost. Food stamps that help feed more than 40 million people would "rip food from the mouths of hungry children, hungry veterans and hungry seniors,” Jeffries said.

Republicans say the tax breaks will prevent a tax hike on households and grow the economy. They maintain they are trying to rightsize the safety net programs for the population they were initially designed to serve, mainly pregnant women, the disabled and children, and root out what they describe as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-doge-waste-fraud-abuse-635b1419014a43e061f548c9713860c4">waste, fraud and abuse</a>.

The Tax Policy Center, which provides nonpartisan analysis of tax and budget policy, projected the bill would result next year in a $150 tax break for the lowest quintile of Americans, a $1,750 tax cut for the middle quintile and a $10,950 tax cut for the top quintile. That's compared with what they would face if the 2017 tax cuts expired.

Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Joey Cappelletti and Matt Brown contributed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751536826780.png" alt="As House Speaker Mike Johnson looks on, Kansas 4th District Rep. Ron Estes speaks during the overnight session in the House on the battle to pass the Big, Beautiful Bill-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>As House Speaker Mike Johnson looks on, Kansas 4th District Rep. Ron Estes speaks during the overnight session in the House on the battle to pass the Big, Beautiful Bill-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-beautiful-gop-taxes-ced365c347de9320eef2ccb8df16dda2">House Republicans are ready to vote</a>&nbsp;on President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inside-trump-republican-spending-bill-provisions-details-06eb10bad4fd2a7ea2ac236e6535e61d">$4.5 trillion tax breaks and spending cuts bill</a>&nbsp;early Thursday after staying up all night with GOP leaders and the president himself working to persuade skeptical holdouts to drop their opposition by his Fourth of July deadline.Final debates began in the predawn hours after another chaotic day and night at the Capitol following a series of closed-door meetings.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">“Largest Tax Cuts in History and a Booming Economy vs. Biggest Tax Increase in History, and a Failed Economy. What are the Republicans waiting for??? What are you trying to prove??? MAGA IS NOT HAPPY, AND IT’S COSTING YOU VOTES!!!” —President Donald J. Trump <a href="https://t.co/FNG9rvHOl2">pic.twitter.com/FNG9rvHOl2</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1940627290217763270?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Putting the bill on Trump's desk would be a milestone for the president and his party as Republicans have the votes to overcome Democratic opposition to a long list of GOP priorities. Trump's “one big beautiful bill,” an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-119hr1eas/pdf/BILLS-119hr1eas.pdf">800-plus page package</a>, is a defining measure of his return to the White House. Read&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1/text">what’s in the full bill for yourself</a>.Here's the latest:<h2>What's in the Big Beautiful Bill Act</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/inside-trump-republican-spending-bill-provisions-details-06eb10bad4fd2a7ea2ac236e6535e61d">At some 887 pages, the legislation</a>&nbsp;includes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/big-beautiful-bill-trump-tax-spending-cuts-78fabe42ae09e0c5ac692a92dca8af5b">tax breaks</a>, spending cuts, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/clean-energy-residential-solar-big-beautiful-bill-07dd482926ee2d45a019ce2b6e636c7d">rollback of solar energy tax credits</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-budget-congress-trump-bill-e37bb0a5c5ca883438db349239a6c251">new money for national defense and deportations</a>. The bill&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-congress-big-bill-tax-social-security-adea287e00c7c553f69f3667d3ef78cc">does not eliminate taxes</a>&nbsp;on Social Security benefits, despite what Trump says.The bill rolls back past presidential agendas: In many ways, the package is a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-beautiful-bill-medicaid-tax-cuts-bec87c569760ed979ac8c34cccba186b">repudiation of the agendas</a>&nbsp;of the last two Democratic presidents, a chiseling away at the Medicaid expansion from Barack Obama’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-obamacare-preventive-care-health-care-d81aa3b66b94642dceafb3e51be9a319">Affordable Care Act</a>, and a pullback of Joe Biden’s climate change strategies in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-climate-health-tax-law-economy-inflation-f112d7c78abaa724d22964317d213deb">Inflation Reduction Act</a>.Congressional Budget Office review: The nonpartisan CBO said Sunday the bill would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cbo-trump-tax-bill-republicans-senate-5f591bea21bd95eec45ba90c93c50687">pile nearly $3.3 trillion onto the nation’s debt</a>&nbsp;load from 2025 to 2034, a nearly $1 trillion increase over the House-passed version of the bill. The analysis also found that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-7-2-2025#00000197-cd30-db03-a79f-ff774e980000">11.8 million Americans would become uninsured</a>&nbsp;by 2034 if the bill passed.The outcome would be a milestone for the president and his party, a longshot effort to compile a long list of GOP priorities into what they call his “one big beautiful bill,” an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-119hr1eas/pdf/BILLS-119hr1eas.pdf">800-plus page package</a>. With Democrats unified in opposition, the bill will become a defining measure of Trump's return to the White House, with the sweep of Republican control of Congress.<h2>White House: The big bill is kind of like the solution to a bad hair day</h2>With Trump’s spending and tax cut bill nearing passage, the White House is getting creative in pitching it to Americans who haven’t been closely following the debate over the legislation.The White House late Wednesday dropped&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLoOzbZJH7D/">a tongue-in-cheek video</a>&nbsp;on social media that includes before and after shots of women who transform flat hair to voluminous bouffants as a narrator ticks off aspects of the bill that she says will make Americans’ lives better.“Are you tired of government promises falling flat? Do you go through an outrageous amount of stress just trying to get by?” the narrator intones as a woman screams in frustration over her bad hair day. “Then bump it up with ‘one big, beautiful bill’ and get that relief fast and easy.”By the end of the short video, the screaming woman and others are sporting new hairdos that are markedly more voluminous.<h2>Hakeem Jeffries has been talking for three hours and counting</h2>Republican leadership spent much of the night and early morning persuading a handful of holdouts to support the Senate-approved tax cuts and spending bill. But now, House Speaker Mike Johnson appears to have the votes, and Democrats are standing in the way.As the House wrapped up its debate over passing Trump’s agenda, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries used a tool known as the “magic minute” that allows leaders unlimited time to speak. He started his address just before 5 a.m. ET. And it’s still going.“I’m going to take my time,” he said, before launching into a speech criticizing Republicans’ deference to Trump, reading through personal accounts of people concerned about losing their health care coverage, and recounting American history.Eventually, Jeffries will end his speech, and Republicans will move to final passage of the bill.--------------WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans are ready to vote on President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inside-trump-republican-spending-bill-provisions-details-06eb10bad4fd2a7ea2ac236e6535e61d">$4.5 trillion tax breaks and spending cuts bill</a>&nbsp;early Thursday, up all night as GOP leaders and the president himself worked to persuade skeptical holdouts to drop their opposition by his Fourth of July deadline.Final debates began in the predawn hours after another chaotic day, and night, at the Capitol. House Speaker Mike Johnson insisted the House would meet the holiday deadline after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-tax-cuts-trump-big-bill-bf3f94471b13db3e5d50f0cd1f8fe793">Senate approved Trump's signature domestic policy package</a>&nbsp;on the narrowest vote.“Our way is to plow through and get it done,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/speaker-johnson-trump-tax-bill-christian-prayer-f82ed140d9110d5cc7b4029b681ea9eb">Johnson</a>&nbsp;said, emerging in the middle of the night from a series of closed-door meetings. “We will meet our July 4th deadline.”The outcome would be a milestone for the president and his party, a longshot effort to compile a long list of GOP priorities into what they call his “one big beautiful bill,” an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-119hr1eas/pdf/BILLS-119hr1eas.pdf">800-plus page package</a>. With Democrats unified in opposition, the bill will become a defining measure of Trump's return to the White House, with the sweep of Republican control of Congress.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">“Largest Tax Cuts in History and a Booming Economy vs. Biggest Tax Increase in History, and a Failed Economy. What are the Republicans waiting for??? What are you trying to prove??? MAGA IS NOT HAPPY, AND IT’S COSTING YOU VOTES!!!” —President Donald J. Trump <a href="https://t.co/FNG9rvHOl2">pic.twitter.com/FNG9rvHOl2</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1940627290217763270?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><h2>Tax breaks and safety net cuts</h2>At it core, the package's priority is $4.5 trillion in tax breaks enacted in Trump's first term, in 2017, that would expire if Congress failed to act, along with new ones. This includes allowing workers to deduct tips and overtime pay, and a $6,000 deduction for most older adults earning less than $75,000 a year.There's also a hefty investment, some $350 billion, in national security and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigration-enforcement-deportation-public-polling-df7d0d35dfa031e1444bfa9e9e0b13bd">Trump's deportation agenda</a>&nbsp;and to help develop the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/golden-dome-missile-defense-trump-space-e74d637feac06edcfde79214d8acf179">“Golden Dome”</a>&nbsp;defensive system over the U.S.To help offset the costs of lost tax revenue, the package includes $1.2 trillion in cutbacks to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gop-bill-trump-medicaid-cuts-coverage-health-bb4f090d2706ffb3d5652e70f246a10e">the Medicaid health care</a>&nbsp;and food stamps, largely by imposing new work requirements, including for some parents and older people, and a massive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-republican-tax-credits-wind-solar-trump-ceb3bd36c25017e29fccdcc4c749391f">rollback of green energy investments</a>.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cbo-big-beautiful-bill-trump-republican-deficit-debt-d432b67a965790e4a26de46ea8db1266">nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office</a>&nbsp;estimates the package will add&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cbo-trump-tax-bill-republicans-senate-5f591bea21bd95eec45ba90c93c50687">$3.3 trillion to the deficit</a>&nbsp;over the decade and 11.8 million more people will go without health coverage."This was a generational opportunity to deliver the most comprehensive and consequential set of conservative reforms in modern history, and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” said Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, the House Budget Committee chairman.<h2>Democrats united against ‘ugly bill’</h2>Democrats unified against the bill as a tax giveaway to the rich paid for on the backs of the most vulnerable in society, what they called “trickle down cruelty.”“Have you no shame?” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn. “Have the moral courage to oppose this bill."House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries invoked the powerful history of the nation's Independence Day holiday, and asked: "What does any of that have to do with this one, big ugly bill?"He read for nearly two hours from a binder of letters, written by people across the country explaining how the health care programs have helped their families — and how devastating cuts would hurt.Hauling the package this far in Congress has been difficult rom the start. Republicans have struggled mightily with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/johnson-trump-republicans-budget-vote-tax-cuts-4cb74ca15f6a74a7344355e4507ab9fe">the bill</a>&nbsp;nearly every step of the way in the House and Senate, often succeeding only by the narrowest of margins: just one vote. In the Senate, Vice President JD Vance broke the tie vote. The slim 220-212 majority in the House leaves Republicans little room for defections.<h2>Political costs of saying no</h2>But few GOP lawmakers have been fully satisfied with the final product. Several more moderate Republicans had reservations about the cuts to Medicaid health care and the loss of green energy credits that could derail solar, wind and other renewable projects in their districts.At the same time, conservatives, including those from the House Freedom Caucus, held out for steeper reductions. Republicans had warned the Senate against making changes to the House-passed bill, but senators put their own stamp on the final draft.The House ground to a standstill Wednesday as a handful of holdouts refused to move so quickly. A morning roll call dragged for about seven hours, while an evening vote stalled for more than five, and Trump himself worked the phones and lashed out on social media.“What are the Republicans waiting for??? What are you trying to prove???” Trump railed in a post-midnight vote.Johnson, who has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-ufc-house-speaker-johnson-madison-square-garden-995a7ee3324e04ec6da680c826136655">pulled close to Trump</a>, relied on White House officials — including Cabinet secretaries, lawyers and others — to work skeptical Republicans through the details. Lawmakers were being told the administration could provide executive actions, projects or other provisions they needed in their districts back home."The president’s message was, ‘We’re on a roll,’” said Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C. “He wants to see this.”And the alternative, of bucking the president on his signature second-term package, carried grave political risks.Trump has publicly threatened to campaign against the defectors. One House Republican who has staked out opposition to the bill, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-kentucky-thomas-massie-primary-iran-55252ce7fbda9c27f6fbd9123927b1b4">being targeted</a>&nbsp;by Trump’s well-funded political operation.And Senate Republican Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who had been on the receiving end of Trump’s lashings, announced he would not seek reelection shortly before voting against the bill.<h2>Rollback of past presidential agendas</h2>In many ways, the package is a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-beautiful-bill-medicaid-tax-cuts-bec87c569760ed979ac8c34cccba186b">repudiation of the agendas</a>&nbsp;of the last two Democratic presidents, a chiseling away at the Medicaid expansion from Barack Obama's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-obamacare-preventive-care-health-care-d81aa3b66b94642dceafb3e51be9a319">Affordable Care Act</a>, and a pullback of Joe Biden's climate change strategies in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-climate-health-tax-law-economy-inflation-f112d7c78abaa724d22964317d213deb">Inflation Reduction Act</a>.Democrats have described the bill in dire terms, warning that cuts to Medicaid, which some 80 million Americans rely on, would result in lives lost. Food stamps that help feed more than 40 million people would "rip food from the mouths of hungry children, hungry veterans and hungry seniors,” Jeffries said.Republicans say the tax breaks will prevent a tax hike on households and grow the economy. They maintain they are trying to rightsize the safety net programs for the population they were initially designed to serve, mainly pregnant women, the disabled and children, and root out what they describe as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-doge-waste-fraud-abuse-635b1419014a43e061f548c9713860c4">waste, fraud and abuse</a>.The Tax Policy Center, which provides nonpartisan analysis of tax and budget policy, projected the bill would result next year in a $150 tax break for the lowest quintile of Americans, a $1,750 tax cut for the middle quintile and a $10,950 tax cut for the top quintile. That's compared with what they would face if the 2017 tax cuts expired.___Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Joey Cappelletti and Matt Brown contributed.

All-nighter: Kan. GOP lawmakers push Big, Beautiful Bill to brink of passage

GEARY COUNTY —Authorities are working to determine the cause of a fire in an apartment building in Junction City.

On Wednesday afternoon, crews responded to a 3 story multifamily fire at 1541 West Ash, according to a social media report from the Junction City Fire Department Fire Chief Jason Lankas.

Crews found fire on the outside as well as the 2nd and 3rd story apartments with extension into the attic space. No one was injured. Five families were displaced. The Red Cross is assisting those families.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751537846944.png" alt="Photos Junction City Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photos Junction City Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>By Dewey Terrill JC PostGEARY COUNTY —Authorities are working to determine the cause of a fire in an apartment building in Junction City.On Wednesday afternoon, crews responded to a 3 story multifamily fire at 1541 West Ash, according to a social media report from the Junction City Fire Department Fire Chief Jason Lankas.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751532795276.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Crews found fire on the outside as well as the 2nd and 3rd story apartments with extension into the attic space. No one was injured. Five families were displaced. The Red Cross is assisting those families.

5 families displaced after Kansas apartment building fire

ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect&nbsp; for an alleged violent crime.

Shortly before 10:30a.m. on Tuesday officers responded to a residence in the 600 block South 7th Street where a person was on the premises who had previously been trespassed from that property, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

 When officers arrived it was determined that the subject, identified as 37-year-old Jeffery E. Walker of Atchison, had threatened great bodily harm to a 57-year-old woman at the residence with a knife. 

Jeffery Walker was located on the property and taken into custody on requested charges of criminal trespass and aggravated assault and taken to the County Jail.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751464422887.png" alt="Walker photo Atchison County" />
 <figcaption>Walker photo Atchison County</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect&nbsp; for an alleged violent crime.Shortly before 10:30a.m. on Tuesday officers responded to a residence in the 600 block South 7th Street where a person was on the premises who had previously been trespassed from that property, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson. When officers arrived it was determined that the subject, identified as 37-year-old Jeffery E. Walker of Atchison, had threatened great bodily harm to a 57-year-old woman at the residence with a knife. Jeffery Walker was located on the property and taken into custody on requested charges of criminal trespass and aggravated assault and taken to the County Jail.

Police: Kan. man threatened woman with a knife

WASHINGTON DC —Law enforcement are investigating a fatal shooting that took the life of an intern in the office of Kansas Congressman Ron Estes.

Just before 10:30p.m. Monday, Third District officers responded to the sound of gunshots in the 1200 block of 7th Street, Northwest Washington, DC. according to a media release from Washington Metropolitan Police.

 Officers located one adult male, later identified as&nbsp;21-year-old Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, of Granby, Massachusetts  unconscious, and an adult female and a 16-year-old male conscious and breathing suffering from gunshot wounds. DC Fire and EMS responded and transported all three victims to area hospitals.

On Tuesday, after all lifesaving measures failed Tarpinian-Jachym succumbed to his injuries at a hospital, according to Metropolitan Police.

The preliminary investigation indicates that multiple suspects exited a vehicle at the intersection of 7th and M Street, Northwest District of Columbia and began firing at a group. The suspect vehicle has been recovered. Detectives believe Tarpinian-Jachym&nbsp; was not the intended target of the shooting.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"I will remember his kind heart and how he always greeted anyone who entered our office with a cheerful smile," Kansas 4th District Congressman Ron Estes stated in a release from his office.&nbsp;Tarpinian-Jachym worked in Estes office since early June. He was a student at University of Massachusetts Amherst.

 "We are grateful to Eric for his service to Kansas' 4th District and the country," Estes wrote.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751498967139.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON DC —Law enforcement are investigating a fatal shooting that took the life of an intern in the office of Kansas Congressman Ron Estes.Just before 10:30p.m. Monday, Third District officers responded to the sound of gunshots in the 1200 block of 7th Street, Northwest Washington, DC. according to a media release from Washington Metropolitan Police. Officers located one adult male, later identified as&nbsp;21-year-old Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, of Granby, Massachusetts unconscious, and an adult female and a 16-year-old male conscious and breathing suffering from gunshot wounds. DC Fire and EMS responded and transported all three victims to area hospitals.On Tuesday, after all lifesaving measures failed Tarpinian-Jachym succumbed to his injuries at a hospital, according to Metropolitan Police.The preliminary investigation indicates that multiple suspects exited a vehicle at the intersection of 7th and M Street, Northwest District of Columbia and began firing at a group. The suspect vehicle has been recovered. Detectives believe Tarpinian-Jachym&nbsp; was not the intended target of the shooting.&nbsp;&nbsp;"I will remember his kind heart and how he always greeted anyone who entered our office with a cheerful smile," Kansas 4th District Congressman Ron Estes stated in a release from his office.&nbsp;Tarpinian-Jachym worked in Estes office since early June. He was a student at University of Massachusetts Amherst. "We are grateful to Eric for his service to Kansas' 4th District and the country," Estes wrote.

21-year-old intern for Kansas Congressman killed in shooting

KANSAS CITY – A Kansas City, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court last week for her leadership role in two cases that resulted in more than $900,000 in fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans being issued under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, according to the United State's Attorney.

Renetta Golden-Larimore, 56, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 51 months imprisonment based upon her guilty pleas to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, contained in two separate federal indictments.

The CARES Act established several new temporary programs and provided for the expansion of others to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Among these programs, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) authorized forgivable loans to small businesses to retain workers and maintain payroll, make mortgage interest payments, lease payments, and utility payments.

Golden-Larimore admitted that from February 2021 to May 2022 she conspired with others to submit false and fraudulent applications for PPP loans. The scheme caused over $900,000 in fraudulent PPP loans to be issued to ineligible borrowers, some of which were forgiven even though the funds were not used for the purposes specified in the PPP.

Golden-Larimore admitted she prepared and filed fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of other persons. Generally, she charged fees between $2,000 and $7,000 for her assistance in filing false and fraudulent PPP loans, earning a total of at least $75,833 from the scheme. Golden-Larimore created counterfeit IRS forms for nonexistent businesses and with inflated income for existing businesses in order to qualify the borrower for a PPP loan.

Golden-Larimore prepared approximately 43 false PPP loan applications that were funded and numerous other false applications that were rejected. The total loss to the Small Business Administration was $908,278.

Twenty-one other persons have been charged and convicted in the Golden-Larimore fraud scheme in these two cases and five additional cases.

Golden-Larimore was ordered to forfeit to the government at least $75,833, which represents the proceeds she personally obtained from the scheme and pay $908,278 in restitution to the Small Business Administration, representing the total fraud loss associated with the wire fraud scheme.

KANSAS CITY – A Kansas City, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court last week for her leadership role in two cases that resulted in more than $900,000 in fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans being issued under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, according to the United State's Attorney.Renetta Golden-Larimore, 56, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 51 months imprisonment based upon her guilty pleas to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, contained in two separate federal indictments.The CARES Act established several new temporary programs and provided for the expansion of others to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Among these programs, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) authorized forgivable loans to small businesses to retain workers and maintain payroll, make mortgage interest payments, lease payments, and utility payments.Golden-Larimore admitted that from February 2021 to May 2022 she conspired with others to submit false and fraudulent applications for PPP loans. The scheme caused over $900,000 in fraudulent PPP loans to be issued to ineligible borrowers, some of which were forgiven even though the funds were not used for the purposes specified in the PPP.Golden-Larimore admitted she prepared and filed fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of other persons. Generally, she charged fees between $2,000 and $7,000 for her assistance in filing false and fraudulent PPP loans, earning a total of at least $75,833 from the scheme. Golden-Larimore created counterfeit IRS forms for nonexistent businesses and with inflated income for existing businesses in order to qualify the borrower for a PPP loan.Golden-Larimore prepared approximately 43 false PPP loan applications that were funded and numerous other false applications that were rejected. The total loss to the Small Business Administration was $908,278.Twenty-one other persons have been charged and convicted in the Golden-Larimore fraud scheme in these two cases and five additional cases.Golden-Larimore was ordered to forfeit to the government at least $75,833, which represents the proceeds she personally obtained from the scheme and pay $908,278 in restitution to the Small Business Administration, representing the total fraud loss associated with the wire fraud scheme.

KC woman is going to prison for $900K PPP loan fraud scheme

TOPEKA —The Kansas Department of Health on Wednesday reported three new cases of measles over the past week in the state for a total of 83 cases in 11 counties.

According to the Associated Press, Kentucky has its first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-vaccine-mmr-covid-exemptions-87cbfe44d8599b68408861f9b62421ed">measles outbreak</a>&nbsp;of 2025, as the U.S. case count sits just short of a 30-year high.

There have been 1,267 confirmed measles cases this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">Texas</a>&nbsp;confirmed three more measles cases this week tied to a major outbreak that raged through the late winter and spring.

There are three other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-mexico-canada-ontario-0956a30c043b030ae79bc9f67c6ce89c">large outbreaks</a>&nbsp;in North America. The longest, in Ontario, Canada, has resulted in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/Documents/M/24/measles-ontario-epi-summary.pdf?rev=3d8451977cd34084a8b494a6a11b4f1a&amp;sc_lang=en&amp;hash=48D1A6D0D037B39BD421AAF060204EE0">2,212 cases</a>&nbsp;from mid-October through June 24. The province logged its first death June 5 in a baby who got congenital measles but also had other preexisting conditions.

Another outbreak in Alberta, Canada, has sickened&nbsp;<a href="https://www.alberta.ca/measles">1,169 as of Wednesday</a>. And the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-measles-vaccines-misinformation-mmr-mennonites-misinformation-ea6158b9a4d513b20f33cbc09034e5c2">Mexican state of Chihuahua</a>&nbsp;had 2,810 measles cases and eight deaths as of Wednesday, according to data from the state health ministry.

Other U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-kansas-ohio-mmr-vaccination-new-mexico-texas-569474272df9baaad1f6d73462ebe92a">states with active outbreaks</a>&nbsp;— which the CDC defines as three or more related cases — include Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/aP4Au/?v=3">Kansas</a>, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Utah.

In the U.S.,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-rfk-death-vaccine-4e28b0edf5cab47980b40b2d47f0ec50">two elementary school-aged children</a>&nbsp;in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">epicenter in West Texas</a>&nbsp;and an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">adult in New Mexico</a>&nbsp;have died of measles this year. All were unvaccinated.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-mmr-outbreak-vaccines-408371700e3ab548777bf0354e586549">Measles</a>&nbsp;is caused by a highly contagious virus that’s airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-vaccines-autism-measles-obesity-food-dye-f26089856550e978d28fd25b653d8103">preventable through vaccines</a>&nbsp;and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.

Where else is measles showing up in the U.S.?

Measles cases also have been reported this year in Alaska, Arkansas, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.

Health officials declared earlier outbreaks in Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania over after six weeks of no new cases. Tennessee’s outbreak also appears to be over.

Cases and outbreaks in the U.S. are frequently traced to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-asia-measles-rates-unicef-who-report-2f888732cc297090238956986fd89cc4">someone who caught the disease abroad</a>. The CDC said in May that more than twice as many measles have come from outside of the U.S. compared to May of last year. Most of those are in unvaccinated Americans returning home. In 2019, the U.S. saw 1,274 cases and almost lost its status of having eliminated measles.

What do you need to know about the MMR vaccine?

The best way to avoid measles is to get the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/vaccines/mmr.html">measles, mumps and rubella</a>&nbsp;vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.

Getting another MMR shot as an adult is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says. People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don’t need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective vaccine made from “killed” virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said.

People who have documentation that they had measles are immune and those born before 1957 generally don’t need the shots because so many children got measles back then that they have “presumptive immunity."

Measles has a harder time spreading through communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — due to “herd immunity.” But childhood vaccination rates have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-vaccines-funding-cuts-5785985d6b74024b0502f6a2fc1576e2">declined nationwide</a>&nbsp;since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.

Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.

The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.

Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/signs-symptoms/index.html">dangerous complications</a>&nbsp;such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.

There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741908251964.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —The Kansas Department of Health on Wednesday reported three new cases of measles over the past week in the state for a total of 83 cases in 11 counties.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751488873961.png" alt="KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>According to the Associated Press, Kentucky has its first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-vaccine-mmr-covid-exemptions-87cbfe44d8599b68408861f9b62421ed">measles outbreak</a>&nbsp;of 2025, as the U.S. case count sits just short of a 30-year high.There have been 1,267 confirmed measles cases this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">Texas</a>&nbsp;confirmed three more measles cases this week tied to a major outbreak that raged through the late winter and spring.There are three other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-mexico-canada-ontario-0956a30c043b030ae79bc9f67c6ce89c">large outbreaks</a>&nbsp;in North America. The longest, in Ontario, Canada, has resulted in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/Documents/M/24/measles-ontario-epi-summary.pdf?rev=3d8451977cd34084a8b494a6a11b4f1a&amp;sc_lang=en&amp;hash=48D1A6D0D037B39BD421AAF060204EE0">2,212 cases</a>&nbsp;from mid-October through June 24. The province logged its first death June 5 in a baby who got congenital measles but also had other preexisting conditions.Another outbreak in Alberta, Canada, has sickened&nbsp;<a href="https://www.alberta.ca/measles">1,169 as of Wednesday</a>. And the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-measles-vaccines-misinformation-mmr-mennonites-misinformation-ea6158b9a4d513b20f33cbc09034e5c2">Mexican state of Chihuahua</a>&nbsp;had 2,810 measles cases and eight deaths as of Wednesday, according to data from the state health ministry.Other U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-kansas-ohio-mmr-vaccination-new-mexico-texas-569474272df9baaad1f6d73462ebe92a">states with active outbreaks</a>&nbsp;— which the CDC defines as three or more related cases — include Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/aP4Au/?v=3">Kansas</a>, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Utah.In the U.S.,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-rfk-death-vaccine-4e28b0edf5cab47980b40b2d47f0ec50">two elementary school-aged children</a>&nbsp;in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">epicenter in West Texas</a>&nbsp;and an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">adult in New Mexico</a>&nbsp;have died of measles this year. All were unvaccinated.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-mmr-outbreak-vaccines-408371700e3ab548777bf0354e586549">Measles</a>&nbsp;is caused by a highly contagious virus that’s airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-vaccines-autism-measles-obesity-food-dye-f26089856550e978d28fd25b653d8103">preventable through vaccines</a>&nbsp;and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.<h2>Where else is measles showing up in the U.S.?</h2>Measles cases also have been reported this year in Alaska, Arkansas, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.Health officials declared earlier outbreaks in Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania over after six weeks of no new cases. Tennessee’s outbreak also appears to be over.Cases and outbreaks in the U.S. are frequently traced to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-asia-measles-rates-unicef-who-report-2f888732cc297090238956986fd89cc4">someone who caught the disease abroad</a>. The CDC said in May that more than twice as many measles have come from outside of the U.S. compared to May of last year. Most of those are in unvaccinated Americans returning home. In 2019, the U.S. saw 1,274 cases and almost lost its status of having eliminated measles.<h2>What do you need to know about the MMR vaccine?</h2>The best way to avoid measles is to get the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/vaccines/mmr.html">measles, mumps and rubella</a>&nbsp;vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.Getting another MMR shot as an adult is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says. People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don’t need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective vaccine made from “killed” virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said.People who have documentation that they had measles are immune and those born before 1957 generally don’t need the shots because so many children got measles back then that they have “presumptive immunity."Measles has a harder time spreading through communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — due to “herd immunity.” But childhood vaccination rates have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-vaccines-funding-cuts-5785985d6b74024b0502f6a2fc1576e2">declined nationwide</a>&nbsp;since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.<h2>What are the symptoms of measles?</h2>Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/signs-symptoms/index.html">dangerous complications</a>&nbsp;such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.<h2>How can you treat measles?</h2>There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.___

KDHE reports more measles cases in Kansas

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

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has put on hold $6.8 billion in federal funds for K-12 schools, according to an Education Department notice obtained by States Newsroom.

The agency informed states on Monday that it would be withholding funding for several programs, including before- and after-school programs, migrant education and English-language learning, among other initiatives.

But the agency notified states just a day ahead of July 1 — the date these funds are typically sent out as educators plan for the coming school year.

“The Department remains committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the President’s priorities and the Department’s statutory responsibilities,” the Education Department wrote to states.

The notice, which did not provide any timeline, said the funds are under review and “decisions have not yet been made concerning submissions and awards for this upcoming academic year.”

The affected programs, according to the Democrats on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/news/minority/senator-murray-calls-on-trump-admin-to-immediately-release-billions-in-funds-k-12-schools-across-america-are-counting-on" target="_blank">Senate Appropriations Committee</a>, include:

States have been on the lookout for these funds. For instance, just last week, Oklahoma’s Department of Education reported that it had yet to get money from the federal government for migrant education, English language acquisition and other programs, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahomavoice.com/2025/06/27/federal-funds-for-oklahoma-migrant-students-english-learners-in-doubt/" target="_blank">Oklahoma Voice</a>.&nbsp;

Adding fuel to the fire, Trump is looking to eliminate all these programs as part of his fiscal 2026 budget request. That wish list, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ed.gov/media/document/fiscal-year-2026-budget-summary-110043.pdf" target="_blank">department summary</a>, calls for $12 billion in total spending cuts at the agency.

That proposed $12 billion cut “reflects an agency that is responsibly winding down,” the document notes.

Meanwhile, a coalition of 16 states is also&nbsp;<a href="https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/court-filings/state-of-washington-et-al-v-united-states-department-of-education-complaint-2025.pdf" target="_blank">suing the Trump administration</a>&nbsp;over the cancellation earlier this year of roughly $1 billion in school mental health grants — a different piece of school funding — to try to restore that money.

The lawsuit was filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle. The states include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin.

In a Tuesday statement, Washington state U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate spending panel, urged the Trump administration to immediately release the frozen funds.

“President Trump himself signed this funding into law — but that isn’t stopping him from choking off resources to support before and after school programs, help students learn, support teachers in the classroom, and a lot more,” Murray said. “The uncertainty he has created has already forced districts to delay hiring and other initiatives to help students. The only question left now is how much more damage this administration wants to inflict on our public schools.”

“Local school districts can’t afford to wait out lengthy court proceedings to get the federal funding they’re owed — nor can they make up the shortfall, especially not at the drop of a pin,” Murray added.

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, blasted the administration’s actions, saying this is “another illegal usurpation of the authority of the Congress” and “directly harms the children in our nation.”

“K-12 public school leaders across the country who should have been able to start planning months ago for the summer and the upcoming school year are instead left mired in financial uncertainty,” added Weingarten, who leads one of the largest teachers unions in the country.

Carissa Moffat Miller, CEO of the Council of Chief State School Officers, said “the administration must make the full extent of title funding available in a timely manner,” in a statement shared with States Newsroom on Tuesday.

“These funds were approved by Congress and signed into law by President Trump in March,” Miller said. “Schools need these funds to hire key staff and educate students this summer and in the upcoming school year.”

In response to a request for comment on the frozen funds, the Education Department referred States Newsroom to the Office of Management and Budget, which is responsible for administering the federal budget and overseeing the performance of departments throughout the federal government.

OMB did not immediately respond to States Newsroom’s inquiry.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751469689354.png" alt="Education Secretary Linda McMahon-photo U.S. Dept. of Education" />
 <figcaption>Education Secretary Linda McMahon-photo U.S. Dept. of Education</figcaption>
 </figure>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://wisconsinexaminer.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">Shauneen Miranda</a>WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has put on hold $6.8 billion in federal funds for K-12 schools, according to an Education Department notice obtained by States Newsroom.The agency informed states on Monday that it would be withholding funding for several programs, including before- and after-school programs, migrant education and English-language learning, among other initiatives.But the agency notified states just a day ahead of July 1 — the date these funds are typically sent out as educators plan for the coming school year.“The Department remains committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the President’s priorities and the Department’s statutory responsibilities,” the Education Department wrote to states.The notice, which did not provide any timeline, said the funds are under review and “decisions have not yet been made concerning submissions and awards for this upcoming academic year.”The affected programs, according to the Democrats on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/news/minority/senator-murray-calls-on-trump-admin-to-immediately-release-billions-in-funds-k-12-schools-across-america-are-counting-on" target="_blank">Senate Appropriations Committee</a>, include:<ul>
 <li>Title I-C, on migrant education</li><li>Title II-A, on improving the effectiveness of teachers and school leaders</li><li>Title III-A, on English language acquisition</li><li>Title IV-A, on STEM education, college and career counseling and other activities</li><li>Title IV-B, on before- and after-school programs and summer school programs</li><li>Grants geared toward adult education and literacy programs</li>
 </ul>States have been on the lookout for these funds. For instance, just last week, Oklahoma’s Department of Education reported that it had yet to get money from the federal government for migrant education, English language acquisition and other programs, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahomavoice.com/2025/06/27/federal-funds-for-oklahoma-migrant-students-english-learners-in-doubt/" target="_blank">Oklahoma Voice</a>.&nbsp;<h2>‘Winding down’ the department</h2>Adding fuel to the fire, Trump is looking to eliminate all these programs as part of his fiscal 2026 budget request. That wish list, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ed.gov/media/document/fiscal-year-2026-budget-summary-110043.pdf" target="_blank">department summary</a>, calls for $12 billion in total spending cuts at the agency.That proposed $12 billion cut “reflects an agency that is responsibly winding down,” the document notes.Meanwhile, a coalition of 16 states is also&nbsp;<a href="https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/court-filings/state-of-washington-et-al-v-united-states-department-of-education-complaint-2025.pdf" target="_blank">suing the Trump administration</a>&nbsp;over the cancellation earlier this year of roughly $1 billion in school mental health grants — a different piece of school funding — to try to restore that money.The lawsuit was filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle. The states include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin.<h2>Uncertainty created</h2>In a Tuesday statement, Washington state U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate spending panel, urged the Trump administration to immediately release the frozen funds.“President Trump himself signed this funding into law — but that isn’t stopping him from choking off resources to support before and after school programs, help students learn, support teachers in the classroom, and a lot more,” Murray said. “The uncertainty he has created has already forced districts to delay hiring and other initiatives to help students. The only question left now is how much more damage this administration wants to inflict on our public schools.”“Local school districts can’t afford to wait out lengthy court proceedings to get the federal funding they’re owed — nor can they make up the shortfall, especially not at the drop of a pin,” Murray added.Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, blasted the administration’s actions, saying this is “another illegal usurpation of the authority of the Congress” and “directly harms the children in our nation.”“K-12 public school leaders across the country who should have been able to start planning months ago for the summer and the upcoming school year are instead left mired in financial uncertainty,” added Weingarten, who leads one of the largest teachers unions in the country.<h2>Approved by Congress</h2>Carissa Moffat Miller, CEO of the Council of Chief State School Officers, said “the administration must make the full extent of title funding available in a timely manner,” in a statement shared with States Newsroom on Tuesday.“These funds were approved by Congress and signed into law by President Trump in March,” Miller said. “Schools need these funds to hire key staff and educate students this summer and in the upcoming school year.”In response to a request for comment on the frozen funds, the Education Department referred States Newsroom to the Office of Management and Budget, which is responsible for administering the federal budget and overseeing the performance of departments throughout the federal government.OMB did not immediately respond to States Newsroom’s inquiry.&nbsp;

Trump admin. tells states it’s freezing $6.8 billion for K-12 school programs

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Bryan Kohberger&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kohberger-idaho-students-killed-plea-deal-9226e0768186084d1748d72fa1ed587e">pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;to murder Wednesday in the brutal stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students in 2022 that stunned and terrified the campus and set off a nationwide search, which ended weeks later when he was arrested in Pennsylvania.

<a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/23564673/122922-affidavit-exhibit-a-statement-of-brett-payne_redacted.pdf">Click here to read&nbsp;</a>the full affidavit, which explains the basis for Kohberger's arrest.

Kohberger, who was a criminal justice graduate student at nearby Washington State University, admitted to the slayings before entering a formal guilty plea in a deal with prosecutors that will allow him to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/idaho-murders-students-stabbed-kohberger-da6b7758a2beda6c05a5373286f6a692">avoid the death penalty</a>. He was set to go to trial in August.

Idaho Fourth Judicial District Judge Steven Hippler said as the hearing began Wednesday that he would not take into account public opinion when deciding whether to accept the agreement.

“This court cannot require the prosecutor to seek the death penalty, nor would it be appropriate for this court to do that," he said. "This court … cannot force the state to seek the death penalty.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/moscow-idaho-boise-university-of-d0ed74d74bd11f3c58e5f78ea52a0b6c">The small farming community</a>&nbsp;of Moscow, in the northern Idaho panhandle, had not had a homicide in about five years when Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen were found dead at a rental home near campus on Nov. 13, 2022. Autopsies showed the four victims were all likely asleep when they were attacked. Some had defensive wounds and each was stabbed multiple times.

Long before sunrise Wednesday, reporters were setting up cameras outside the courthouse in Boise and lining up along with those hoping to snag a seat for the hearing.

The killings grabbed headlines around the world and set off a nationwide hunt, including an elaborate effort to track down&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-pennsylvania-idaho-5f5173a3af306701d5659f2fb61a9d44">a white sedan</a>&nbsp;spotted on surveillance cameras repeatedly driving by the rental home. Police said they used genetic genealogy to identify Kohberger as a possible suspect and accessed cellphone data to pinpoint his movements the night of the killings.

At the time, Kohberger was a criminal justice graduate student at nearby Washington State University who had just completed his first semester and was a teaching assistant in the criminology program.

Kohberger was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/law-enforcement-idaho-pennsylvania-crime-5a9c3c1117dbf2efcd37cdf04e5c01ae">arrested in Pennsylvania</a>, where his parents lived, weeks later. Investigators said they matched his DNA to genetic material recovered from a knife sheath found at the crime scene.

Online shopping records showed that Kohberger had purchased a military-style knife months earlier — as well as a sheath like the one found at the scene.

No motive has emerged for the killings, nor is it clear why the attacker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/911-call-idaho-university-students-killed-kohberger-b6212886cfef1a269c0e172462f227e9">spared two roommates</a>&nbsp;who were in the home. There also was no indication he had a relationship with any of the victims,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kohberger-idaho-students-killed-victims-5ab2369325a207db21541bccbbc11434">who all were friends</a>&nbsp;and members of the university’s Greek system.

Authorities have said cellphone data and surveillance video show that Kohberger visited the victims’ neighborhood at least a dozen times before the killings, and that he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-pennsylvania-idaho-5f5173a3af306701d5659f2fb61a9d44">traveled in the same area</a>&nbsp;that night.

Kohberger’s lawyers said he was simply on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/idaho-students-stabbed-bryan-kohberger-alibi-9854c98806921d698dd85a896481f5f2">long drive by himself</a>&nbsp;around the time the four were killed.

The case was moved to Boise because of pretrial publicity in northern Idaho. Hippler must approve the plea deal. If Kohberger pleads guilty as expected, he would likely be sentenced in July.

Although the Goncalves family opposed the agreement and said they would seek to stop it, they also argued that any such deal should require Kohberger to make a full confession, detail the facts of what happened and provide the location of the murder weapon.

"We deserve to know when the beginning of the end was,” they wrote in a Facebook post.

The family of Chapin —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-idaho-boise-university-of-67fb6e86a6c1a5da47862048c794c903">one of three triplets</a>&nbsp;who attended the university together — supports the deal, their spokesperson, Christina Teves, said Tuesday.

Attorney Leander James, who represents Mogen’s mother and stepfather, declined to give their views but said he would deliver a statement on their behalf after Wednesday’s hearing. Mogen’s father, Ben Mogen, told CBS News he was relieved by the agreement.

“We can actually put this behind us and not have these future dates and future things that we don’t want to have to be at, that we shouldn’t have to be at, that have to do with this terrible person,” he said. “We get to just think about the rest of lives and have to try and figure out how to do it without Maddie and the rest of the kids.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751459170755.png" alt="Kohberger photo Ada Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Kohberger photo Ada Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Bryan Kohberger&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kohberger-idaho-students-killed-plea-deal-9226e0768186084d1748d72fa1ed587e">pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;to murder Wednesday in the brutal stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students in 2022 that stunned and terrified the campus and set off a nationwide search, which ended weeks later when he was arrested in Pennsylvania.<a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/23564673/122922-affidavit-exhibit-a-statement-of-brett-payne_redacted.pdf">Click here to read&nbsp;</a>the full affidavit, which explains the basis for Kohberger's arrest.Kohberger, who was a criminal justice graduate student at nearby Washington State University, admitted to the slayings before entering a formal guilty plea in a deal with prosecutors that will allow him to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/idaho-murders-students-stabbed-kohberger-da6b7758a2beda6c05a5373286f6a692">avoid the death penalty</a>. He was set to go to trial in August.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751479520041.png" alt="From top left, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle. courtesy photos" />
 <figcaption>From top left, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle. courtesy photos</figcaption>
 </figure>Idaho Fourth Judicial District Judge Steven Hippler said as the hearing began Wednesday that he would not take into account public opinion when deciding whether to accept the agreement.“This court cannot require the prosecutor to seek the death penalty, nor would it be appropriate for this court to do that," he said. "This court … cannot force the state to seek the death penalty.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/moscow-idaho-boise-university-of-d0ed74d74bd11f3c58e5f78ea52a0b6c">The small farming community</a>&nbsp;of Moscow, in the northern Idaho panhandle, had not had a homicide in about five years when Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen were found dead at a rental home near campus on Nov. 13, 2022. Autopsies showed the four victims were all likely asleep when they were attacked. Some had defensive wounds and each was stabbed multiple times.Long before sunrise Wednesday, reporters were setting up cameras outside the courthouse in Boise and lining up along with those hoping to snag a seat for the hearing.The killings grabbed headlines around the world and set off a nationwide hunt, including an elaborate effort to track down&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-pennsylvania-idaho-5f5173a3af306701d5659f2fb61a9d44">a white sedan</a>&nbsp;spotted on surveillance cameras repeatedly driving by the rental home. Police said they used genetic genealogy to identify Kohberger as a possible suspect and accessed cellphone data to pinpoint his movements the night of the killings.At the time, Kohberger was a criminal justice graduate student at nearby Washington State University who had just completed his first semester and was a teaching assistant in the criminology program.Kohberger was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/law-enforcement-idaho-pennsylvania-crime-5a9c3c1117dbf2efcd37cdf04e5c01ae">arrested in Pennsylvania</a>, where his parents lived, weeks later. Investigators said they matched his DNA to genetic material recovered from a knife sheath found at the crime scene.Online shopping records showed that Kohberger had purchased a military-style knife months earlier — as well as a sheath like the one found at the scene.No motive has emerged for the killings, nor is it clear why the attacker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/911-call-idaho-university-students-killed-kohberger-b6212886cfef1a269c0e172462f227e9">spared two roommates</a>&nbsp;who were in the home. There also was no indication he had a relationship with any of the victims,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kohberger-idaho-students-killed-victims-5ab2369325a207db21541bccbbc11434">who all were friends</a>&nbsp;and members of the university’s Greek system.Authorities have said cellphone data and surveillance video show that Kohberger visited the victims’ neighborhood at least a dozen times before the killings, and that he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-pennsylvania-idaho-5f5173a3af306701d5659f2fb61a9d44">traveled in the same area</a>&nbsp;that night.Kohberger’s lawyers said he was simply on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/idaho-students-stabbed-bryan-kohberger-alibi-9854c98806921d698dd85a896481f5f2">long drive by himself</a>&nbsp;around the time the four were killed.The case was moved to Boise because of pretrial publicity in northern Idaho. Hippler must approve the plea deal. If Kohberger pleads guilty as expected, he would likely be sentenced in July.Although the Goncalves family opposed the agreement and said they would seek to stop it, they also argued that any such deal should require Kohberger to make a full confession, detail the facts of what happened and provide the location of the murder weapon."We deserve to know when the beginning of the end was,” they wrote in a Facebook post.The family of Chapin —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-idaho-boise-university-of-67fb6e86a6c1a5da47862048c794c903">one of three triplets</a>&nbsp;who attended the university together — supports the deal, their spokesperson, Christina Teves, said Tuesday.Attorney Leander James, who represents Mogen’s mother and stepfather, declined to give their views but said he would deliver a statement on their behalf after Wednesday’s hearing. Mogen’s father, Ben Mogen, told CBS News he was relieved by the agreement.“We can actually put this behind us and not have these future dates and future things that we don’t want to have to be at, that we shouldn’t have to be at, that have to do with this terrible person,” he said. “We get to just think about the rest of lives and have to try and figure out how to do it without Maddie and the rest of the kids.”___

Plea deal: Man admits killing 4 Idaho students to avoid death penalty

GOP House speaker defends mandate, urges Kelly to identify future cuts

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

TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly denounced across-the-board spending reductions ordered by the Kansas Legislature that sliced $189,000 from the Kansas School for the Deaf and $124,000 from the Kansas School for the Blind.

The Kansas Adjutant General’s Office lost $118,000 because of the budget mandate, while the Kansas Office of Veterans Services was nicked for $64,000.

It was all part of the $7.1 million reduction required by a bill approved by the House and Senate that took effect Tuesday with start of the state government’s new fiscal year. The Legislature mandated the governor take the money out of state general fund operating expenditures, which included agency salaries, contractual services, commodities and capital expenses.

Kelly said the Legislature’s preference for blanket reductions, rather than precision adjustments, was flawed because the result was “neither targeted nor thoughtful.”

“As governor, I have worked to get Kansas back on the right fiscal track and provide Kansans with the resources they need to prosper without risking the future of the state,” Kelly said. “I share the Legislature’s goal to reduce spending where possible and to increase efficiency in state government. However, the Legislature’s mandate to cut state agencies’ budgets across the board is not the way to increase efficiency.”

Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican who is a candidate for state insurance commissioner, said the governor was wrong to oppose what he viewed as the “small 1.5%” reduction in spending decreed by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/sb125/" target="_blank">Senate Bill 125</a>.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/vote_view/je_20250327175748_467002/" target="_blank">House voted 89-36 for the bill</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/vote_view/je_20250327215114_983861/" target="_blank">Senate approved it by a margin of 24-16</a>.

Kelly said the Legislature compelled her to strip millions of dollars from state agencies managing programs that were “vital lifelines to the most vulnerable Kansans.”

The cuts required of the governor took the biggest bite out of the Kansas Department for Children and Families by stripping $2.2 million from the agency. The second-largest loser in the Legislature’s budget was the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, which lost $1 million.

Taken together, the two agencies serving children, seniors and people with disabilities absorbed 44% of the reduction because a larger portion of their budgets came from the state general fund.

Hawkins, who controls the debate calendar in the House, said Kelly didn’t present options for shrinking state spending to the 2025 Legislature.

“This year the Legislature forced her hand with a small 1.5% across-the-board reduction,” Hawkins said. “I challenge Governor Kelly to come to the table before next session with meaningful ideas on how to make government agencies more efficient and reduce spending.”

He said if Kelly declined to present the 2026 Legislature with potential steps for lowering expenditures, “you can expect to see another across-the-board reduction.”

Typically, the starting point for annual budget debates in Kansas would be a governor’s recommended budget. GOP legislative leadership departed from precedent by establishing a special committee that drafted a budget bill for consideration by the 2025 Legislature. The objective was to set aside Kelly’s preferences so House and Senate members could concentrate on their objectives.

The final budget bill approved by the Legislature included the 1.5% across-the-board cut to state general fund expenditures.

Other reductions above $100,000 to meet the Legislature’s directive: Kansas Board of Indigents Defense Services, $919,000; Kansas Department of Health and Environment, $799,000; Office of Information Technology Services, $247,000; Kansas Department of Education, $314,000; Kansas Department of Revenue, $266,000; Kansas Department of Agriculture, $219,000; Kansas Department of Administration, $146,000; and Kansas Department of Labor, $142,000.

And, cuts to agencies with annual budgets at or below $5 million: Kansas Historical Society, $75,000; Office of the Governor, $73,000; Kansas State Library, $45,000; Kansas Board of Tax Appeals, $22,000; Kansas Guardianship Program, $21,000; Kansas Human Rights Commission, $18,000; Kansas Office of Child Advocate, $11,000; Kansas Public Disclosure Commission, $8,000; and Kansas Department of Commerce, $2,000.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751471394676.png" alt="Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and Republican House Speaker Dan Hawkins, photographed during Kelly's 2025 state of the state speech in January, disagreed on the appropriateness of the Legislature's decision to compel the governor to make 1.5% spending reductions in state agencies. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and Republican House Speaker Dan Hawkins, photographed during Kelly's 2025 state of the state speech in January, disagreed on the appropriateness of the Legislature's decision to compel the governor to make 1.5% spending reductions in state agencies. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>GOP House speaker defends mandate, urges Kelly to identify future cuts</h2>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly denounced across-the-board spending reductions ordered by the Kansas Legislature that sliced $189,000 from the Kansas School for the Deaf and $124,000 from the Kansas School for the Blind.The Kansas Adjutant General’s Office lost $118,000 because of the budget mandate, while the Kansas Office of Veterans Services was nicked for $64,000.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Governor Kelly would rather cut your budget than find waste, fraud, and abuse in state government Read my full statement ⬇️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ksleg?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ksleg</a> <a href="https://t.co/1ewgUDuF6i">pic.twitter.com/1ewgUDuF6i</a>&mdash; Dan Hawkins (@DanHawkinsKS) <a href="https://twitter.com/DanHawkinsKS/status/1940116084016705949?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>It was all part of the $7.1 million reduction required by a bill approved by the House and Senate that took effect Tuesday with start of the state government’s new fiscal year. The Legislature mandated the governor take the money out of state general fund operating expenditures, which included agency salaries, contractual services, commodities and capital expenses.Kelly said the Legislature’s preference for blanket reductions, rather than precision adjustments, was flawed because the result was “neither targeted nor thoughtful.”“As governor, I have worked to get Kansas back on the right fiscal track and provide Kansans with the resources they need to prosper without risking the future of the state,” Kelly said. “I share the Legislature’s goal to reduce spending where possible and to increase efficiency in state government. However, the Legislature’s mandate to cut state agencies’ budgets across the board is not the way to increase efficiency.”Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican who is a candidate for state insurance commissioner, said the governor was wrong to oppose what he viewed as the “small 1.5%” reduction in spending decreed by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/sb125/" target="_blank">Senate Bill 125</a>.The&nbsp;<a href="https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/vote_view/je_20250327175748_467002/" target="_blank">House voted 89-36 for the bill</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/vote_view/je_20250327215114_983861/" target="_blank">Senate approved it by a margin of 24-16</a>.Kelly said the Legislature compelled her to strip millions of dollars from state agencies managing programs that were “vital lifelines to the most vulnerable Kansans.”The cuts required of the governor took the biggest bite out of the Kansas Department for Children and Families by stripping $2.2 million from the agency. The second-largest loser in the Legislature’s budget was the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, which lost $1 million.Taken together, the two agencies serving children, seniors and people with disabilities absorbed 44% of the reduction because a larger portion of their budgets came from the state general fund.Hawkins, who controls the debate calendar in the House, said Kelly didn’t present options for shrinking state spending to the 2025 Legislature.“This year the Legislature forced her hand with a small 1.5% across-the-board reduction,” Hawkins said. “I challenge Governor Kelly to come to the table before next session with meaningful ideas on how to make government agencies more efficient and reduce spending.”He said if Kelly declined to present the 2026 Legislature with potential steps for lowering expenditures, “you can expect to see another across-the-board reduction.”Typically, the starting point for annual budget debates in Kansas would be a governor’s recommended budget. GOP legislative leadership departed from precedent by establishing a special committee that drafted a budget bill for consideration by the 2025 Legislature. The objective was to set aside Kelly’s preferences so House and Senate members could concentrate on their objectives.The final budget bill approved by the Legislature included the 1.5% across-the-board cut to state general fund expenditures.Other reductions above $100,000 to meet the Legislature’s directive: Kansas Board of Indigents Defense Services, $919,000; Kansas Department of Health and Environment, $799,000; Office of Information Technology Services, $247,000; Kansas Department of Education, $314,000; Kansas Department of Revenue, $266,000; Kansas Department of Agriculture, $219,000; Kansas Department of Administration, $146,000; and Kansas Department of Labor, $142,000.And, cuts to agencies with annual budgets at or below $5 million: Kansas Historical Society, $75,000; Office of the Governor, $73,000; Kansas State Library, $45,000; Kansas Board of Tax Appeals, $22,000; Kansas Guardianship Program, $21,000; Kansas Human Rights Commission, $18,000; Kansas Office of Child Advocate, $11,000; Kansas Public Disclosure Commission, $8,000; and Kansas Department of Commerce, $2,000.