McClain County, Oklahoma—Authorities in Oklahoma shared a video Tuesday of a dramatic lightning strike of a police car.

The strike occurred on Monday during a severe storm, according to Newcastle Emergency Emergency Management.&nbsp;No one was hurt. 

"But that could’ve been anyone," the agency reminded. "If you hear thunder, you’re close enough to get hit. Get inside, stay away from trees and metal, and unplug electronics until the storm passes. Take lightning seriously every time."&nbsp; Newcastle is located approximately 2 and one half hours south of Wichita.

McClain County, Oklahoma—Authorities in Oklahoma shared a video Tuesday of a dramatic lightning strike of a police car.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=395&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2F100068070158289%2Fvideos%2F1709176623353212%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=1" width="560" height="395" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>The strike occurred on Monday during a severe storm, according to Newcastle Emergency Emergency Management.&nbsp;No one was hurt. "But that could’ve been anyone," the agency reminded. "If you hear thunder, you’re close enough to get hit. Get inside, stay away from trees and metal, and unplug electronics until the storm passes. Take lightning seriously every time."&nbsp; Newcastle is located approximately 2 and one half hours south of Wichita.

🎥 Lightning bolt strikes police vehicle 

President Donald Trump has implored House Republicans on Capitol Hill to drop their fights over his big tax cuts bill.&nbsp; On social media Kansas Second District Congressman encouraged his GOP colleagues to come together to pass the bill.

The White House released a list of 20 reasons Congress must unite behind the One, Big, Beautiful Bill:

President Donald Trump has implored House Republicans on Capitol Hill to drop their fights over his big tax cuts bill.&nbsp; On social media Kansas Second District Congressman encouraged his GOP colleagues to come together to pass the bill.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> is right: House Republicans must come together to pass the One, Big, Beautiful Bill to prevent a massive tax hike on middle class families, fund permanent border security, and begin to finally bend the curve of federal spending downward. Failure isn&#39;t an option.&mdash; Rep. Derek Schmidt Press (@RepDerekSchmidt) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepDerekSchmidt/status/1924857752800600450?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The White House released a list of 20 reasons Congress must unite behind the One, Big, Beautiful Bill:<ol>
 <li>It delivers the largest tax cut in American history.&nbsp;This means an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Economic-Impact-of-Extending-TCJA-Provisions.pdf">extra $5,000</a>&nbsp;in Americans’ pockets with a DOUBLE-DIGIT percent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/x-23-25.pdf">DECREASE</a>&nbsp;to their tax bills. Americans earning between $30,000 and $80,000 will pay around&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/05/13/congress/average-taxpayers-tax-bills-set-to-fall-under-house-tax-package-forecasters-say-00347318">15% less in taxes</a>.</li><li>It includes NO TAX ON TIPS and NO TAX ON OVERTIME.&nbsp;This makes good on two of President Trump’s cornerstone campaign promises and will benefit hardworking Americans where they need it the most — their paychecks.</li><li>It delivers Big, Beautiful Deportations.&nbsp;The bill&nbsp;<a href="https://homeland.house.gov/2025/04/27/house-homeland-security-committee-releases-text-for-budget-reconciliation-recommendations/">permanently</a>&nbsp;secures our borders by making the largest border security investment in history, funding at least one million annual removals of illegal immigrants and&nbsp;<a href="https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2025/05/17/liberal-amnesty-group-inadvertently-makes-great-case-for-the-trumps-big-beautiful-bill-n2657204">ramping up</a>&nbsp;“mass deportation operations to a level never before seen in American history.”</li><li>It finishes President Trump’s border wall.&nbsp;As a result, 701 miles of primary wall, 900 miles of river barriers, 629 miles of secondary barriers, and 141 miles of vehicle and pedestrian barriers will be&nbsp;<a href="https://homeland.house.gov/2025/04/29/homeland-republicans-advance-funding-recommendations-to-continue-president-trumps-border-security-victory-bolster-frontline-personnel-for-years-to-come/">constructed</a>&nbsp;— stopping deadly fentanyl from flowing into our communities and securing the border from dangerous illegal immigrant murderers and rapists.</li><li>It boosts Border Patrol and ICE agents on the frontlines.&nbsp;It empowers immigration authorities to carry out their mission by hiring 10,000 new ICE personnel, 5,000 new customs officers, and 3,000 new Border Patrol agents — and gives $10,000 bonuses in each of the next four years to agents on the frontlines.</li><li>It protects Medicaid for Americans by kicking 1.4 million illegals off the benefits.&nbsp;This bill eliminates waste, fraud, and abuse by ending benefits for at least&nbsp;<a href="https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/05/15/democrat-messaging-falters-as-they-ask-constituents-to-foot-medicaid-costs-for-1-4-million-illegal-aliens/">1.4 million</a>&nbsp;illegal immigrants who are gaming the system.</li><li>It requires able-bodied Americans to work if they receive benefits.&nbsp;With 4.8 million able-bodied adults choosing not to work, The One, Big, Beautiful Bill puts work requirements in place and supports them as they find dignity through employment.</li><li>It reverses the spending curse plaguing Washington, D.C.&nbsp;The legislation delivers the largest deficit reduction in nearly 30 years, with&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/russvought/status/1923488257888879103">$1.6 trillion</a>&nbsp;in mandatory savings.</li><li>It ends taxpayer-funded sex change for minors.&nbsp;It&nbsp;<a href="https://d1dth6e84htgma.cloudfront.net/05_13_2025_FCMU_Memorandum_UPDATED_55a74a132a.pdf">reverses</a>&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/issue-brief/the-biden-administrations-final-rule-on-section-1557-non-discrimination-regulations-under-the-aca/">Biden-era mandate</a>&nbsp;that Medicaid&nbsp;<a href="https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/03/31/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-advances-equality-and-visibility-for-transgender-americans/">cover</a>&nbsp;so-called “gender transition” procedures for minors — ending the taxpayer-funded chemical castration and mutilation of American children.</li><li>It provides historic tax relief to Social Security recipients.&nbsp;It slashes taxes on seniors’ Social Security benefits.</li><li>It will give Americans PERMANENT tax relief through the Trump Tax Cuts.&nbsp;If the bill doesn’t pass, Americans will see the largest&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/04/heres-what-happens-if-trump-tax-cuts-arent-extended/">tax increase</a>&nbsp;in history.</li><li>It finally modernizes air traffic control, fulfilling President Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/us-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-unveils-plan-build-brand-new-state-art-air">plan</a>&nbsp;to completely&nbsp;<a href="https://transportation.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=408584">overhaul</a>&nbsp;the systems that keep Americans flying safely and efficiently.&nbsp;This will allow President Trump to update our air traffic control systems and act where the Biden Administration failed (despite repeated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-24-107001">warnings</a>).</li><li>It ends the taxpayer-funded Green New Scam.&nbsp;The legislation repeals or phases out every “green” corporate welfare subsidy in Democrats’ so-called “Inflation Reduction Act,” immediately stops credits from flowing to China and saves taxpayers $500+ billion every year, and reverses electric vehicle mandates that let radical climate activists set the standards for American energy.</li><li>It incentivizes MADE IN AMERICA.&nbsp;It rewards companies that build their products in America with lower taxes — and allows Americans who buy an American-made vehicle to fully deduct their auto loan interest.</li><li>It is pro-family.&nbsp;The One, Big, Beautiful Bill increases the child tax credit, establishes MAGA Accounts for newborns to start saving, and strengthens paid family leave.</li><li>It repeals Democrats’ insane attack on the gig economy.&nbsp;It repeals the requirement that Venmo, PayPal, and other gig transactions over $600 be reported to the IRS.</li><li>It protects family farmers.&nbsp;The bill prevents the greedy death tax from hitting two million family-owned farms who would otherwise see their exemptions cut in half and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/RepJasonSmith/status/1924469450209636454">cuts taxes</a>&nbsp;on farmers by over $10 billion.</li><li>It’s a once-in-a-generation chance to revolutionize our nation’s defense capabilities and protect the homeland against new threats.&nbsp;It funds President Trump’s Golden Dome, invests in American shipbuilding, and modernizes our military.</li><li>It unleashes American energy dominance.&nbsp;The legislation increases onshore and offshore oil and gas leases, which provides certainty for energy producers, spurs job growth, and makes energy more affordable for American consumers.</li><li>It boosts American mineral development.&nbsp;This bill increases mining of domestic minerals and makes America less dependent on foreign adversaries for critical minerals.</li>
 </ol>

Kan. lawmaker calls on Congress to pass Trump's tax cut bill

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a high-speed chase and crash in Platte County, Missouri.

Just before 11:30a.m. Tuesday, Corporal Fugate with the Platte County Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop a vehicle for improper registration around MO 45 Highway (NW 64th Street) and NW Klamm Road in southern Platte County, according to a media release.

 When the driver of the suspect vehicle failed to stop, a pursuit was initiated as the vehicle fled east on MO 45 Highway towards Interstate 29, reaching speeds of up to 90 miles per hour. 

The driver of the suspect vehicle lost control and crashed near N Chatham Avenue. After crashing the vehicle, the driver ran from the crash scene. 

Witnesses reported seeing the male suspect throw a firearm under another vehicle as he ran.

.Deputies established a search perimeter of the area to contain the suspect who fled into the thick wooded area. Corporal Fugate deployed his canine (K-9) partner, Mattis, to assist in locating the suspect. 

Shortly after deploying the K-9 into the wooded area, the suspect was taken into custody after being found hiding in a crawlspace by a concrete culvert.

The vehicle crashed by the suspect had been previously reported stolen out of Kansas City, Missouri. 

Deputies recovered a semi-automatic handgun which had been thrown down by the suspect as well as a large amount of currency from the crash scene.

 A felony amount of narcotics and narcotics paraphernalia was also recovered from the stolen vehicle. The suspect was cleared medically at a local hospital and transported to the Platte County Detention Center where he was placed on a twenty-four-hour investigative hold pending the filing of charges by the Platte County Prosecutors Office

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a high-speed chase and crash in Platte County, Missouri.Just before 11:30a.m. Tuesday, Corporal Fugate with the Platte County Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop a vehicle for improper registration around MO 45 Highway (NW 64th Street) and NW Klamm Road in southern Platte County, according to a media release. When the driver of the suspect vehicle failed to stop, a pursuit was initiated as the vehicle fled east on MO 45 Highway towards Interstate 29, reaching speeds of up to 90 miles per hour. The driver of the suspect vehicle lost control and crashed near N Chatham Avenue. After crashing the vehicle, the driver ran from the crash scene. Witnesses reported seeing the male suspect throw a firearm under another vehicle as he ran..Deputies established a search perimeter of the area to contain the suspect who fled into the thick wooded area. Corporal Fugate deployed his canine (K-9) partner, Mattis, to assist in locating the suspect. Shortly after deploying the K-9 into the wooded area, the suspect was taken into custody after being found hiding in a crawlspace by a concrete culvert.The vehicle crashed by the suspect had been previously reported stolen out of Kansas City, Missouri. Deputies recovered a semi-automatic handgun which had been thrown down by the suspect as well as a large amount of currency from the crash scene. A felony amount of narcotics and narcotics paraphernalia was also recovered from the stolen vehicle. The suspect was cleared medically at a local hospital and transported to the Platte County Detention Center where he was placed on a twenty-four-hour investigative hold pending the filing of charges by the Platte County Prosecutors Office

Sheriff's K9 captures suspect after high-speed chase, crash

KANSAS CITY—Authorities are investigating the cause of a fire at a large auto auction lot in Kansas City.

Just after midnight on Tuesday, crews&nbsp;responded to a reported car fire in the 3900 block of N. Skiles at the Manheim Auto Auction, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

 On arrival crews reported multiple cars on fire in a rear lot of the property. Multiple pumpers had to be called to the scene to get the fires under control due to the distance from the street and hydrant accessibility. 

In total approximately 25 cars burned. The fire was placed under control at 01:52 a.m. The cause of the fire is under investigation by KCFD. No injuries were reported

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747773102324.png" alt="A view of the Manheim Auto Auction location -image courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>A view of the Manheim Auto Auction location -image courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Authorities are investigating the cause of a fire at a large auto auction lot in Kansas City. Just after midnight on Tuesday, crews&nbsp;responded to a reported car fire in the 3900 block of N. Skiles at the Manheim Auto Auction, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins. On arrival crews reported multiple cars on fire in a rear lot of the property. Multiple pumpers had to be called to the scene to get the fires under control due to the distance from the street and hydrant accessibility. In total approximately 25 cars burned. The fire was placed under control at 01:52 a.m. The cause of the fire is under investigation by KCFD. No injuries were reported

Over 2 dozen cars destroyed in KC auto auction fire

GOVE COUNTY—The tornado that damaged or destroyed more than a dozen homes in Grinnell on Sunday had peak winds of 140mph, according to the National Weather Service in Goodland.

The weather service survey team on Tuesday upgraded the strength of the storm to an EF3 tornado. It's path of destruction was 230 yards wide.

The tornado also caused damage to both the electric and gas systems in the the community and downed 15 power poles.&nbsp; Although several families are displaced, there were no injuries.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747792376470.png" alt="Storm damage photo office of Senator Roger Marshall" />
 <figcaption>Storm damage photo office of Senator Roger Marshall</figcaption>
 </figure>GOVE COUNTY—The tornado that damaged or destroyed more than a dozen homes in Grinnell on Sunday had peak winds of 140mph, according to the National Weather Service in Goodland.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KSWX?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KSWX</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NEWX?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NEWX</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COWX?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COWX</a> Preliminary damage survey for Grinnell Kansas has been released. <a href="https://t.co/S4O6AfhBcT">pic.twitter.com/S4O6AfhBcT</a>&mdash; NWS Goodland (@NWSGoodland) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSGoodland/status/1925201678757732361?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The weather service survey team on Tuesday upgraded the strength of the storm to an EF3 tornado. It's path of destruction was 230 yards wide.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747706871776.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>The tornado also caused damage to both the electric and gas systems in the the community and downed 15 power poles.&nbsp; Although several families are displaced, there were no injuries.

NWS says Grinnell tornado winds peaked at 140 mph

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has announced the concept he wants for his future&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/golden-dome-missile-defense-trump-16cb94047bfdd7c2c55c5e099e40f74f">Golden Dome missile defense program</a>&nbsp;— a multilayered, $175 billion system that for the first time will put U.S. weapons in space.

Speaking Tuesday from the Oval Office, Trump said he expects the system will be “fully operational before the end of my term," which ends in 2029, and have the capability of intercepting missiles “even if they are launched from space.”

It's likelier that the complex system may have some initial capability by that point, a U.S. official familiar with the program said.

Trump, seated next to a poster showing the continental U.S. painted gold and with artistic depictions of missile interceptions, also announced that Gen. Michael Guetlein, who currently serves as the vice chief of space operations, will be responsible for overseeing Golden Dome's progress.

Golden Dome is envisioned to include ground- and space-based capabilities that are able to detect and stop missiles at all four major stages of a potential attack: detecting and destroying them before a launch, intercepting them in their earliest stage of flight, stopping them midcourse in the air, or halting them in the final minutes as they descend toward a target.

For the last several months, Pentagon planners have been developing options — which the U.S. official described as medium, high and “extra high” choices, based on their cost — that include space-based interceptors. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to detail plans that have not been made public.

The difference in the three versions is largely based on how many satellites and sensors — and for the first time, space-based interceptors — would be purchased.

The Congressional Budget Office estimated this month that just the space-based components of the Golden Dome could cost as much as $542 billion over the next 20 years. Trump has requested an initial $25 billion for the program in his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-beautiful-bill-medicaid-cuts-125ad670515460108ded062029abd8c8">proposed tax break bill</a>&nbsp;now moving through Congress.

The Pentagon has warned for years that the newest missiles developed by China and Russia are so advanced that updated countermeasures are necessary. Golden Dome's added satellites and interceptors — where the bulk of the program's cost is — would be focused on stopping those advanced missiles early on or in the middle of their flight.

The space-based weapons envisioned for Golden Dome “represent new and emerging requirements for missions that have never before been accomplished by military space organizations,” Gen. Chance Saltzman, head of the U.S. Space Force, told lawmakers at a hearing Tuesday.

China and Russia have put offensive weapons in space, such as satellites with abilities to disable critical U.S. satellites, which can make the U.S. vulnerable to attack.

Last year, the U.S. said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-anti-satellite-weapon-threat-technology-2880f9c55122dcafe87188bc92dd6cde">Russia was developing a space-based nuclear weapon</a>&nbsp;that could loiter in space for long durations, then release a burst that would take out satellites around it.

Trump said Tuesday that he had not yet spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the Golden Dome program, “but at the right time, we will,” he told reporters at the White House.

There is no money for the project yet, and Golden Dome overall is “still in the conceptual stage,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/air-force-military-senate-confirm-secretary-6c0d6a074ab9df71a05e6fef44130645">newly confirmed Air Force Secretary</a>&nbsp;Troy Meink told senators during a hearing Tuesday.

While the president picked the concept he wanted, the Pentagon is still developing the requirements that Golden Dome will need to meet — which is not the way new systems are normally developed.

The Pentagon and U.S. Northern Command are still drafting what is known as an initial capabilities document, the U.S. official said. That is how Northern Command, which is responsible for homeland defense, identifies what it will need the system to do.

The U.S. already has many missile defense capabilities, such as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-patriot-missile-system-explainer-b16125509161de8a7a3b4c38022534c7">Patriot missile batteries</a>&nbsp;that the U.S. has provided to Ukraine to defend against incoming missiles as well as an array of satellites in orbit to detect missile launches. Some of those existing systems will be incorporated into Golden Dome.

Trump directed the Pentagon to pursue the space-based interceptors in an executive order during the first week of his presidency.

Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim and Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed reporting.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has announced the concept he wants for his future&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/golden-dome-missile-defense-trump-16cb94047bfdd7c2c55c5e099e40f74f">Golden Dome missile defense program</a>&nbsp;— a multilayered, $175 billion system that for the first time will put U.S. weapons in space.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">BREAKING: <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> announces that he has officially selected an architecture for the &#39;Golden Dome&#39; missile defense shield. &quot;Once fully constructed, the Golden Dome will be capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from other sides of the world.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Ddmo7K16zJ">pic.twitter.com/Ddmo7K16zJ</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1924920877872722340?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDef</a> on <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>&#39; announcement on the construction of the Golden Dome: &quot;Add this to the long and growing list of promises made and promises kept... It&#39;s a generational investment in the security of America and Americans.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/i5oJGGG7d6">pic.twitter.com/i5oJGGG7d6</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1924921352516956182?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceForceDoD?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpaceForceDoD</a> Gen. Michael Guetlein, who <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> appointed to oversee Golden Dome development: &quot;Golden Dome is a bold and aggressive approach to hurry up and protect the homeland from our adversaries. We owe it to our children and our children&#39;s children to protect them.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/gJpbQ1FUlO">pic.twitter.com/gJpbQ1FUlO</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1924922235371790514?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SenKevinCramer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenKevinCramer</a> on the Golden Dome: &quot;The new autonomous Space Age defense ecosystem is more about Silicon Valley than it is about Big Metal. What&#39;s exciting about this is it makes it available to everybody to participate... big companies, mid-sized companies, small companies.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/VBwADsH5Ss">pic.twitter.com/VBwADsH5Ss</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1924925656434942315?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Speaking Tuesday from the Oval Office, Trump said he expects the system will be “fully operational before the end of my term," which ends in 2029, and have the capability of intercepting missiles “even if they are launched from space.”It's likelier that the complex system may have some initial capability by that point, a U.S. official familiar with the program said.Trump, seated next to a poster showing the continental U.S. painted gold and with artistic depictions of missile interceptions, also announced that Gen. Michael Guetlein, who currently serves as the vice chief of space operations, will be responsible for overseeing Golden Dome's progress.Golden Dome is envisioned to include ground- and space-based capabilities that are able to detect and stop missiles at all four major stages of a potential attack: detecting and destroying them before a launch, intercepting them in their earliest stage of flight, stopping them midcourse in the air, or halting them in the final minutes as they descend toward a target.For the last several months, Pentagon planners have been developing options — which the U.S. official described as medium, high and “extra high” choices, based on their cost — that include space-based interceptors. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to detail plans that have not been made public.The difference in the three versions is largely based on how many satellites and sensors — and for the first time, space-based interceptors — would be purchased.The Congressional Budget Office estimated this month that just the space-based components of the Golden Dome could cost as much as $542 billion over the next 20 years. Trump has requested an initial $25 billion for the program in his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-beautiful-bill-medicaid-cuts-125ad670515460108ded062029abd8c8">proposed tax break bill</a>&nbsp;now moving through Congress.The Pentagon has warned for years that the newest missiles developed by China and Russia are so advanced that updated countermeasures are necessary. Golden Dome's added satellites and interceptors — where the bulk of the program's cost is — would be focused on stopping those advanced missiles early on or in the middle of their flight.The space-based weapons envisioned for Golden Dome “represent new and emerging requirements for missions that have never before been accomplished by military space organizations,” Gen. Chance Saltzman, head of the U.S. Space Force, told lawmakers at a hearing Tuesday.China and Russia have put offensive weapons in space, such as satellites with abilities to disable critical U.S. satellites, which can make the U.S. vulnerable to attack.Last year, the U.S. said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-anti-satellite-weapon-threat-technology-2880f9c55122dcafe87188bc92dd6cde">Russia was developing a space-based nuclear weapon</a>&nbsp;that could loiter in space for long durations, then release a burst that would take out satellites around it.Trump said Tuesday that he had not yet spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the Golden Dome program, “but at the right time, we will,” he told reporters at the White House.There is no money for the project yet, and Golden Dome overall is “still in the conceptual stage,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/air-force-military-senate-confirm-secretary-6c0d6a074ab9df71a05e6fef44130645">newly confirmed Air Force Secretary</a>&nbsp;Troy Meink told senators during a hearing Tuesday.While the president picked the concept he wanted, the Pentagon is still developing the requirements that Golden Dome will need to meet — which is not the way new systems are normally developed.The Pentagon and U.S. Northern Command are still drafting what is known as an initial capabilities document, the U.S. official said. That is how Northern Command, which is responsible for homeland defense, identifies what it will need the system to do.The U.S. already has many missile defense capabilities, such as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-patriot-missile-system-explainer-b16125509161de8a7a3b4c38022534c7">Patriot missile batteries</a>&nbsp;that the U.S. has provided to Ukraine to defend against incoming missiles as well as an array of satellites in orbit to detect missile launches. Some of those existing systems will be incorporated into Golden Dome.Trump directed the Pentagon to pursue the space-based interceptors in an executive order during the first week of his presidency.___Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim and Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed reporting.

Trump unveils plans for ‘Golden Dome’ missile defense system

JOHNSON COUNTY—A man injured in an accident that occurred just after 5p.m. April 20 in Johnson County has died.&nbsp;

According to Overland Park Police a vehicle was eastbound on W. 143rd Street at King Street. The vehicle struck a northbound vehicle driven by 86-year-old Jacob Webb of Shawnee Kansas, who was attempting to make a left turn onto westbound W. 143rd Street from King Street.&nbsp; EMS transported Webb to a local hospital for treatment of serious injuries.

On Tuesday, the Johnson County Medical Examiner notified the Overland Park Police Mr. Webb had died due to injuries from the crash.

The crash is still under investigation. Anyone with additional information, please contact the Overland Park Traffic Unit at 913-327-6731. 

JOHNSON COUNTY—A man injured in an accident that occurred just after 5p.m. April 20 in Johnson County has died.&nbsp;According to Overland Park Police a vehicle was eastbound on W. 143rd Street at King Street. The vehicle struck a northbound vehicle driven by 86-year-old Jacob Webb of Shawnee Kansas, who was attempting to make a left turn onto westbound W. 143rd Street from King Street.&nbsp; EMS transported Webb to a local hospital for treatment of serious injuries.On Tuesday, the Johnson County Medical Examiner notified the Overland Park Police Mr. Webb had died due to injuries from the crash.The crash is still under investigation. Anyone with additional information, please contact the Overland Park Traffic Unit at 913-327-6731.

86-year-old Kan. man dies from injuries a month after crash

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JONEL%20ALECCIA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JONEL ALECCIA AP Health Writer</a>

U.S. health officials are investigating a new outbreak of salmonella illnesses tied to a Florida grower whose tainted cucumbers were linked to more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/salmonella-cucumbers-outbreak-florida-water-fccb66a1e0733fc97d29065e287052bc">550 illnesses last year.</a>

Cucumbers grown by Florida-based Bedner Growers and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales have been linked to illnesses in at least 26 people <a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/bedner-growers-inc-recalls-cucumbers-because-possible-health-risk">in 15 states including Kansas,</a> the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported late Monday. At least nine people have been hospitalized; no deaths have been reported.

The cucumbers were sold to restaurants, stores and food service distributors between April 29 and May 19 and may still be within their shelf life this week. Illnesses were reported between April 2 and April 28, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The outbreak was detected as part of a follow-up inspection in April to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/salmonella-cucumbers-recall-a0a479fa6002c7e3b99a705e18f40cdf">2024 outbreak</a>&nbsp;that sickened 551 people and led to 155 hospitalizations in 34 states and Washington, D.C. In that outbreak, investigators found salmonella bacteria linked to many of the illnesses in untreated canal water used at farms operated by Bedner Growers and Thomas Produce Company.

In the current outbreak, officials found salmonella bacteria from samples on the farm that matched samples from people who got sick.

Health officials are investigating where the potentially contaminated cucumbers were distributed. Several people who fell ill ate cucumbers on cruise ships leaving ports in Florida, according to the CDC. Organic cucumbers are not affected, officials said.

Retailers should notify consumers who may have bought the tainted produce. If consumers don't know the source of cucumbers, they should throw them away, officials said.

Symptoms of salmonella poisoning include diarrhea, fever, severe vomiting, dehydration and stomach cramps. Most people who get sick recover within a week. Infections can be severe in young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems, who may require hospitalization.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747793441919.png" alt="USDA image" />
 <figcaption>USDA image</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JONEL%20ALECCIA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JONEL ALECCIA AP Health Writer</a>U.S. health officials are investigating a new outbreak of salmonella illnesses tied to a Florida grower whose tainted cucumbers were linked to more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/salmonella-cucumbers-outbreak-florida-water-fccb66a1e0733fc97d29065e287052bc">550 illnesses last year.</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747824054573.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Cucumbers grown by Florida-based Bedner Growers and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales have been linked to illnesses in at least 26 people <a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/bedner-growers-inc-recalls-cucumbers-because-possible-health-risk">in 15 states including Kansas,</a> the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported late Monday. At least nine people have been hospitalized; no deaths have been reported.The cucumbers were sold to restaurants, stores and food service distributors between April 29 and May 19 and may still be within their shelf life this week. Illnesses were reported between April 2 and April 28, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The outbreak was detected as part of a follow-up inspection in April to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/salmonella-cucumbers-recall-a0a479fa6002c7e3b99a705e18f40cdf">2024 outbreak</a>&nbsp;that sickened 551 people and led to 155 hospitalizations in 34 states and Washington, D.C. In that outbreak, investigators found salmonella bacteria linked to many of the illnesses in untreated canal water used at farms operated by Bedner Growers and Thomas Produce Company.In the current outbreak, officials found salmonella bacteria from samples on the farm that matched samples from people who got sick.Health officials are investigating where the potentially contaminated cucumbers were distributed. Several people who fell ill ate cucumbers on cruise ships leaving ports in Florida, according to the CDC. Organic cucumbers are not affected, officials said.Retailers should notify consumers who may have bought the tainted produce. If consumers don't know the source of cucumbers, they should throw them away, officials said.Symptoms of salmonella poisoning include diarrhea, fever, severe vomiting, dehydration and stomach cramps. Most people who get sick recover within a week. Infections can be severe in young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems, who may require hospitalization.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Salmonella outbreak: Recall of cucumbers linked to illness in Kansas

KANSAS CITY—A Kansas City man is going to prison for a fatal stabbing.

Last week Phillip R. Lacy was sentenced to 18 years in prison for a fatal stabbing that took place in 2023, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson

Lacy pled guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter and Armed Criminal Action. He was sentenced to 15 years for Voluntary Manslaughter and three years for Armed Criminal Action, for a total of 18 years in prison.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2620/Phillip-Lacy-Statement-of-Probable-Cause_Redacted">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police were dispatched on November 10, 2023, to 24th Street and Cypress Avenue and found the victim. He was later declared deceased at a local hospital.&nbsp;

Based on witness reports, Lacy was smoking methamphetamine and then engaged in an altercation with the victim in an abandoned building. During the altercation, Lacy produced a screwdriver and began stabbing the victim.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747509660446.png" alt="Lacy photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Lacy photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—A Kansas City man is going to prison for a fatal stabbing.Last week Phillip R. Lacy was sentenced to 18 years in prison for a fatal stabbing that took place in 2023, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa JohnsonLacy pled guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter and Armed Criminal Action. He was sentenced to 15 years for Voluntary Manslaughter and three years for Armed Criminal Action, for a total of 18 years in prison.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2620/Phillip-Lacy-Statement-of-Probable-Cause_Redacted">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police were dispatched on November 10, 2023, to 24th Street and Cypress Avenue and found the victim. He was later declared deceased at a local hospital.&nbsp;Based on witness reports, Lacy was smoking methamphetamine and then engaged in an altercation with the victim in an abandoned building. During the altercation, Lacy produced a screwdriver and began stabbing the victim.&nbsp;

Kansas City man admits to killing victim with a screwdriver

GEARY COUNTY —A Kansas woman involved in an alleged domestic incident involving a Junction City City commissioner&nbsp;

During a Geary County District Court hearing Monday, 26-year-old Corrieyonna Trice entered a not guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge of Domestic Battery involving Commissioner 30-year-old Alovence Gordon with whom she lived.

A jury trial was scheduled for September 15 in the case.

Trice was charged following the alleged incident involving Gordon. He too faces one misdemeanor count of Domestic Battery with arraignment scheduled on June 2.

On January 23, police were called to their home. Trice had earlier testified about a fight with Gordon revolving around hair clips that she had laid out to do her hair. The clips wound up in a shopping bag carried by Gordon with a dispute over who had initially possessed the clips. 

Earlier this month, the court denied a defense motion for immunity from prosecution by Gordon in the case.&nbsp;

Gordon and Trice had been in a relationship for nearly seven years.&nbsp; Both were released from custody on own recognizance, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737753585186.jpeg" alt="Alovence Gordon photo Geary Co." />
 <figcaption>Alovence Gordon photo Geary Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>GEARY COUNTY —A Kansas woman involved in an alleged domestic incident involving a Junction City City commissioner&nbsp;During a Geary County District Court hearing Monday, 26-year-old Corrieyonna Trice entered a not guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge of Domestic Battery involving Commissioner 30-year-old Alovence Gordon with whom she lived.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737753680992.jpeg" alt="Corrieyonna Trice photo Geary Co." />
 <figcaption>Corrieyonna Trice photo Geary Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>A jury trial was scheduled for September 15 in the case.Trice was charged following the alleged incident involving Gordon. He too faces one misdemeanor count of Domestic Battery with arraignment scheduled on June 2.On January 23, police were called to their home. Trice had earlier testified about a fight with Gordon revolving around hair clips that she had laid out to do her hair. The clips wound up in a shopping bag carried by Gordon with a dispute over who had initially possessed the clips. Earlier this month, the court denied a defense motion for immunity from prosecution by Gordon in the case.&nbsp;Gordon and Trice had been in a relationship for nearly seven years.&nbsp; Both were released from custody on own recognizance, according to online jail records.

Kan. woman enters plea in alleged fight over hair clips

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/meg-kinnard">MEG KINNARD</a> Associated Press

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says the&nbsp;<a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/articles/article-i/clauses/763" target="_blank">constitutional provision</a>&nbsp;that allows people to legally challenge their detention by the government is actually a tool the Trump administration can use in its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigration-enforcement-deportation-public-polling-df7d0d35dfa031e1444bfa9e9e0b13bd">broader crackdown</a>&nbsp;at the U.S.-Mexico border. She called&nbsp;<a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/habeas_corpus" target="_blank">habeas corpus</a>&nbsp;“a constitutional right that the president has to be able to remove people from this country and suspend their rights.”

Noem, testifying before a congressional committee Tuesday, gave that response when asked by Sen. Maggie Hassan to define the legal concept.

“That’s incorrect,” the New Hampshire Democrat swiftly interrupted Noem, defining the “legal principle that requires that the government provide a public reason for detaining and imprisoning people.” Hassan, a former attorney who practiced in Boston, went on to call habeas corpus “the foundational right that separates free societies like America from police states like North Korea.”

The back and forth follows comments by White House deputy chief of staff&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/stephen-miller">Stephen Miller</a>, who said earlier this month that President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is looking for ways to expand his administration’s legal power to deport migrants who are in the United States illegally. To achieve that, Miller said the administration is “actively looking at” suspending habeas corpus.

The Latin term means, literally, “you have the body.” Federal courts use a writ of habeas corpus to bring a prisoner before a neutral judge to determine if imprisonment is legal.

Habeas corpus was included in the Constitution as an import from English common law. Parliament enacted the Habeas Corpus Act of 1679, which was meant to ensure that the king released prisoners when the law did not justify confining them.

The Constitution’s&nbsp;<a href="https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S9-C2-1/ALDE_00001087/" target="_blank">Suspension Clause</a>, the second clause of Section 9 of Article I, states that habeas corpus “shall not be suspended, unless when, in cases of rebellion or invasion, the public safety may require it.”

Yes. The United States has suspended habeas corpus under four distinct circumstances during its history. Those usually involved authorization from Congress, something that would be nearly impossible today — even at Trump’s urging — given the narrow Republican majorities in the House and Senate.

President Abraham Lincoln suspended habeas corpus multiple times during the Civil War, beginning in 1861 to detain suspected spies and Confederate sympathizers. He ignored a ruling from Roger Taney, the Supreme Court ‘s chief justice. Congress then authorized suspending it in 1863, which allowed Lincoln to do so again.

Congress acted similarly under President Ulysses S. Grant, suspending habeas corpus in parts of South Carolina under the Civil Rights Act of 1871. Also known as the Ku Klux Klan Act, it was meant to counter violence and intimidation by groups that opposed Reconstruction in the South.

Habeas corpus was suspended in two provinces of the Philippines in 1905, when it was a U.S. territory and authorities were worried about the threat of an insurrection, and in Hawaii after the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor but before it became a state in 1959.

Writing before becoming a Supreme Court justice,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/amy-coney-barrett">Amy Coney Barrett</a>&nbsp;co-authored&nbsp;<a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/articles/article-i/clauses/763" target="_blank">a piece</a>&nbsp;stating that the Suspension Clause “does not specify which branch of government has the authority to suspend the privilege of the writ, but most agree that only Congress can do it.”

What has the Trump administration said about suspending it?

Miller has said the administration is considering trying.

“The Constitution is clear, and that of course is the supreme law of the land, that the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus can be suspended in a time of invasion,” he told reporters outside the White House on May 9.

“So, I would say that’s an option we’re actively looking at,” Miller said. “Look, a lot of it depends on whether the courts do the right thing or not.”

Asked by Hassan on Tuesday if she supported the provision, Noem said she did, adding that “the president of the United States has the authority under the Constitution to decide if it should be suspended or not.”

Hassan, who responded by saying that even Lincoln had obtained “retroactive approval” from Congress, then asked Noem if she would follow a court order overturning a theoretical suspension of habeas corpus, or if she would follow Trump’s decision.

Noem said she was “following all court orders ... as is the president,” prompting Hassan to say “that is obviously not true for anybody who reads the news.”

John Blume, a professor at Cornell Law School, said Noem’s response to Hassan was either evidence that she “fundamentally misunderstands habeas corpus” or “was giving an answer she knew was wrong to appease the president.”

Should the administration argue that the constitutional provision should be suspended due to what Trump officials have characterized as an “invasion” by migrants, Blume said he felt such a position would be “very unlikely to fly” with the U.S. Supreme Court.

It can try. Miller suggested that the U.S. is facing an “invasion” of migrants. That term was used deliberately, though any effort to suspend habeas corpus would spark legal challenges questioning whether the country was in fact facing an invasion, let alone one that presented extraordinary threats to public safety.

Federal judges have so far been skeptical of the Trump administration’s past efforts to use extraordinary powers to make deportations easier, and that could make suspending habeas corpus even tougher.

Trump argued in March that the United States was facing an “invasion” of Venezuelan gang members and evoked the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alien-enemies-trump-immigration-deportations-21a62ede23b8c493b60d00a9c125722f">Alien Enemies Act of 1798</a>, a wartime authority he has tried to use to speed up mass deportations. His administration acted to swiftly deport alleged members of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-alien-enemies-act-venezuela-tren-de-aragua-gabbard-d818cc58962ba90cd2c94ca1b494d4fd">Tren de Aragua</a>&nbsp;to a notorious&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/el-salvador-trump-prison-immigrants-4ab3fc3c0474efb308084604b61f8a37">prison in El Salvador</a>, leading to a series of legal fights.

Federal courts around the country, including in New York, Colorado, Texas and Pennsylvania, have since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-alien-enemies-act-judge-ruling-f1988c63140c95f8228b42368caed96b">blocked the administration’s uses</a>&nbsp;of the Alien Enemies Act for many reasons, including by raising questions about whether the country is truly facing an invasion.

If courts are already skeptical, how could habeas corpus be suspended?

Miller, who has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-courts-judges-rule-of-law-85058a5ffcef105d4ea2ce0ef078f084">fiercely critical</a>&nbsp;of judges ruling against the administration, advanced the argument that the judicial branch may not get to decide.

“Congress passed a body of law known as the Immigration Nationality Act which stripped Article III courts, that’s the judicial branch, of jurisdiction over immigration cases,” he said earlier this month.

That statute was approved by Congress in 1952 and there were important amendments in 1996 and 2005. Legal scholars note that it does contain language that could funnel certain cases to immigration courts, which are overseen by the executive branch.

Still, most appeals in those cases would largely be handled by the judicial branch, and they could run into the same issues as Trump’s attempts to use the Alien Enemies Act.

The U.S. system of government is divided into three branches: executive (the president), legislative (Congress) and judicial (the courts).

Technically not since Pearl Harbor, though habeas corpus has been at the center of some major legal challenges more recently than that.

Republican President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/president-george-w-bush-paintings-exhibit-38c9e923ec84bd2b3c55be21a2d1f100">George W. Bush</a>&nbsp;did not move to suspend habeas corpus after the Sept. 11 attacks, but his administration subsequently sent detainees to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, drawing lawsuits from advocates who argued the administration was violating it and other legal constitutional protections.

In 2008, the Supreme Court ruled that Guantanamo detainees had a constitutional right to habeas corpus, allowing them to challenge their detention before a judge. That led to some detainees being released.

Associated Press writers Will Weissert and Mark Sherman contributed to this report.

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/meg-kinnard">MEG KINNARD</a> Associated PressHomeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says the&nbsp;<a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/articles/article-i/clauses/763" target="_blank">constitutional provision</a>&nbsp;that allows people to legally challenge their detention by the government is actually a tool the Trump administration can use in its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigration-enforcement-deportation-public-polling-df7d0d35dfa031e1444bfa9e9e0b13bd">broader crackdown</a>&nbsp;at the U.S.-Mexico border. She called&nbsp;<a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/habeas_corpus" target="_blank">habeas corpus</a>&nbsp;“a constitutional right that the president has to be able to remove people from this country and suspend their rights.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">HASSAN: What is habeas corpus? NOEM: Habeas corpus is a constitutional right that the president has to be able to remove people from this country HASSAN: That&#39;s incorrect <a href="https://t.co/ozRVVfdSoP">pic.twitter.com/ozRVVfdSoP</a>&mdash; Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) <a href="https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1924831221814636632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Noem, testifying before a congressional committee Tuesday, gave that response when asked by Sen. Maggie Hassan to define the legal concept.“That’s incorrect,” the New Hampshire Democrat swiftly interrupted Noem, defining the “legal principle that requires that the government provide a public reason for detaining and imprisoning people.” Hassan, a former attorney who practiced in Boston, went on to call habeas corpus “the foundational right that separates free societies like America from police states like North Korea.”The back and forth follows comments by White House deputy chief of staff&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/stephen-miller">Stephen Miller</a>, who said earlier this month that President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is looking for ways to expand his administration’s legal power to deport migrants who are in the United States illegally. To achieve that, Miller said the administration is “actively looking at” suspending habeas corpus.The Latin term means, literally, “you have the body.” Federal courts use a writ of habeas corpus to bring a prisoner before a neutral judge to determine if imprisonment is legal.Habeas corpus was included in the Constitution as an import from English common law. Parliament enacted the Habeas Corpus Act of 1679, which was meant to ensure that the king released prisoners when the law did not justify confining them.The Constitution’s&nbsp;<a href="https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S9-C2-1/ALDE_00001087/" target="_blank">Suspension Clause</a>, the second clause of Section 9 of Article I, states that habeas corpus “shall not be suspended, unless when, in cases of rebellion or invasion, the public safety may require it.”<h2>Has it been suspended previously?</h2>Yes. The United States has suspended habeas corpus under four distinct circumstances during its history. Those usually involved authorization from Congress, something that would be nearly impossible today — even at Trump’s urging — given the narrow Republican majorities in the House and Senate.President Abraham Lincoln suspended habeas corpus multiple times during the Civil War, beginning in 1861 to detain suspected spies and Confederate sympathizers. He ignored a ruling from Roger Taney, the Supreme Court ‘s chief justice. Congress then authorized suspending it in 1863, which allowed Lincoln to do so again.Congress acted similarly under President Ulysses S. Grant, suspending habeas corpus in parts of South Carolina under the Civil Rights Act of 1871. Also known as the Ku Klux Klan Act, it was meant to counter violence and intimidation by groups that opposed Reconstruction in the South.Habeas corpus was suspended in two provinces of the Philippines in 1905, when it was a U.S. territory and authorities were worried about the threat of an insurrection, and in Hawaii after the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor but before it became a state in 1959.Writing before becoming a Supreme Court justice,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/amy-coney-barrett">Amy Coney Barrett</a>&nbsp;co-authored&nbsp;<a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/articles/article-i/clauses/763" target="_blank">a piece</a>&nbsp;stating that the Suspension Clause “does not specify which branch of government has the authority to suspend the privilege of the writ, but most agree that only Congress can do it.”<h2>What has the Trump administration said about suspending it?</h2>Miller has said the administration is considering trying.“The Constitution is clear, and that of course is the supreme law of the land, that the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus can be suspended in a time of invasion,” he told reporters outside the White House on May 9.“So, I would say that’s an option we’re actively looking at,” Miller said. “Look, a lot of it depends on whether the courts do the right thing or not.”Asked by Hassan on Tuesday if she supported the provision, Noem said she did, adding that “the president of the United States has the authority under the Constitution to decide if it should be suspended or not.”Hassan, who responded by saying that even Lincoln had obtained “retroactive approval” from Congress, then asked Noem if she would follow a court order overturning a theoretical suspension of habeas corpus, or if she would follow Trump’s decision.Noem said she was “following all court orders ... as is the president,” prompting Hassan to say “that is obviously not true for anybody who reads the news.”John Blume, a professor at Cornell Law School, said Noem’s response to Hassan was either evidence that she “fundamentally misunderstands habeas corpus” or “was giving an answer she knew was wrong to appease the president.”Should the administration argue that the constitutional provision should be suspended due to what Trump officials have characterized as an “invasion” by migrants, Blume said he felt such a position would be “very unlikely to fly” with the U.S. Supreme Court.<h2>Could the Trump administration do it?</h2>It can try. Miller suggested that the U.S. is facing an “invasion” of migrants. That term was used deliberately, though any effort to suspend habeas corpus would spark legal challenges questioning whether the country was in fact facing an invasion, let alone one that presented extraordinary threats to public safety.Federal judges have so far been skeptical of the Trump administration’s past efforts to use extraordinary powers to make deportations easier, and that could make suspending habeas corpus even tougher.Trump argued in March that the United States was facing an “invasion” of Venezuelan gang members and evoked the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alien-enemies-trump-immigration-deportations-21a62ede23b8c493b60d00a9c125722f">Alien Enemies Act of 1798</a>, a wartime authority he has tried to use to speed up mass deportations. His administration acted to swiftly deport alleged members of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-alien-enemies-act-venezuela-tren-de-aragua-gabbard-d818cc58962ba90cd2c94ca1b494d4fd">Tren de Aragua</a>&nbsp;to a notorious&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/el-salvador-trump-prison-immigrants-4ab3fc3c0474efb308084604b61f8a37">prison in El Salvador</a>, leading to a series of legal fights.Federal courts around the country, including in New York, Colorado, Texas and Pennsylvania, have since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-alien-enemies-act-judge-ruling-f1988c63140c95f8228b42368caed96b">blocked the administration’s uses</a>&nbsp;of the Alien Enemies Act for many reasons, including by raising questions about whether the country is truly facing an invasion.<h2>If courts are already skeptical, how could habeas corpus be suspended?</h2>Miller, who has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-courts-judges-rule-of-law-85058a5ffcef105d4ea2ce0ef078f084">fiercely critical</a>&nbsp;of judges ruling against the administration, advanced the argument that the judicial branch may not get to decide.“Congress passed a body of law known as the Immigration Nationality Act which stripped Article III courts, that’s the judicial branch, of jurisdiction over immigration cases,” he said earlier this month.That statute was approved by Congress in 1952 and there were important amendments in 1996 and 2005. Legal scholars note that it does contain language that could funnel certain cases to immigration courts, which are overseen by the executive branch.Still, most appeals in those cases would largely be handled by the judicial branch, and they could run into the same issues as Trump’s attempts to use the Alien Enemies Act.The U.S. system of government is divided into three branches: executive (the president), legislative (Congress) and judicial (the courts).<h2>Have other administrations tried this?</h2>Technically not since Pearl Harbor, though habeas corpus has been at the center of some major legal challenges more recently than that.Republican President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/president-george-w-bush-paintings-exhibit-38c9e923ec84bd2b3c55be21a2d1f100">George W. Bush</a>&nbsp;did not move to suspend habeas corpus after the Sept. 11 attacks, but his administration subsequently sent detainees to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, drawing lawsuits from advocates who argued the administration was violating it and other legal constitutional protections.In 2008, the Supreme Court ruled that Guantanamo detainees had a constitutional right to habeas corpus, allowing them to challenge their detention before a judge. That led to some detainees being released.___Associated Press writers Will Weissert and Mark Sherman contributed to this report.

🎥Homeland Security secretary flubs habeas corpus question in congressional hearing

SALINA, Kan. -- In the wake of the devastating tornado that struck Grinnell and surrounding areas of western Kansas, Catholic Charities of Northern Kansas is actively providing both emergency relief and long-term recovery support to affected families. Thanks to the generosity of donors contributing to Catholic Charities’ Disaster Relief Fund—and a $25,000 grant from Catholic Charities USA—critical aid is already reaching those in need.

“We are incredibly grateful to Catholic Charities USA for this generous $25,000 grant, which will go directly toward helping the Grinnell community recover and rebuild,” said Megan Robl, Executive Director of Catholic Charities of Northern Kansas. “We’re also deeply thankful for the prayers and support of so many across the Salina Diocese. The road ahead is long, but we are committed to walking alongside this community for as long as we are needed—offering help, hope, and healing every step of the way.”

Later this week, Catholic Charities staff will return to Grinnell to assist families applying for financial assistance as the Red Cross opens the community’s resource coordination effort. This marks a critical step in connecting families with the funds and services they need to begin the rebuilding process.

Catholic Charities has received many inquiries about how individuals can support the Grinnell relief efforts. Here are the best ways to help:

Gifts to the&nbsp;Disaster Relief Fund&nbsp;enable Catholic Charities to respond quickly and compassionately, tailoring support to meet each family’s unique needs. Donations can be made online at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.ccnks.org/disaster-relief">www.ccnks.org/disaster-relief</a>.

Essential supplies are being accepted at Catholic Charities offices in&nbsp;Hays, Salina, and Manhattan&nbsp;and will be delivered directly to families in Grinnell. Items most needed include:

Cleanup efforts continue in Grinnell, especially in local parks and the cemetery. Volunteers should check in at the&nbsp;Grinnell VFW&nbsp;upon arrival.

If You or Someone You Know Needs Help

If you or someone you know needs support following the storm, Catholic Charities is here to help:

Catholic Charities remains committed to standing with the Grinnell community throughout the recovery process. As our response continues to evolve, we will share updates—including details on when our staff will be in Grinnell next—on our social media pages.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747776032809.jpeg" alt="Tornado damage in Grinnell photo KHP" />
 <figcaption>Tornado damage in Grinnell photo KHP</figcaption>
 </figure>SubmittedSALINA, Kan. -- In the wake of the devastating tornado that struck Grinnell and surrounding areas of western Kansas, Catholic Charities of Northern Kansas is actively providing both emergency relief and long-term recovery support to affected families. Thanks to the generosity of donors contributing to Catholic Charities’ Disaster Relief Fund—and a $25,000 grant from Catholic Charities USA—critical aid is already reaching those in need.“We are incredibly grateful to Catholic Charities USA for this generous $25,000 grant, which will go directly toward helping the Grinnell community recover and rebuild,” said Megan Robl, Executive Director of Catholic Charities of Northern Kansas. “We’re also deeply thankful for the prayers and support of so many across the Salina Diocese. The road ahead is long, but we are committed to walking alongside this community for as long as we are needed—offering help, hope, and healing every step of the way.”Later this week, Catholic Charities staff will return to Grinnell to assist families applying for financial assistance as the Red Cross opens the community’s resource coordination effort. This marks a critical step in connecting families with the funds and services they need to begin the rebuilding process.How the Public Can HelpCatholic Charities has received many inquiries about how individuals can support the Grinnell relief efforts. Here are the best ways to help:Financial ContributionsGifts to the&nbsp;Disaster Relief Fund&nbsp;enable Catholic Charities to respond quickly and compassionately, tailoring support to meet each family’s unique needs. Donations can be made online at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.ccnks.org/disaster-relief">www.ccnks.org/disaster-relief</a>.In-Kind DonationsEssential supplies are being accepted at Catholic Charities offices in&nbsp;Hays, Salina, and Manhattan&nbsp;and will be delivered directly to families in Grinnell. Items most needed include:<ul>
 <li>Work gloves &amp; heavy-duty trash bags</li><li>Flashlights &amp; batteries</li><li>Dust masks</li><li>Storage tubs &amp; boxes</li><li>Cleaning supplies</li><li>Laundry detergent, toilet paper &amp; paper towels</li><li>Furniture &amp; household essentials</li><li>Clothing, towels, &amp; hygiene items</li><li>Visa, Walmart, Dillons, or gas gift cards</li>
 </ul>VolunteeringCleanup efforts continue in Grinnell, especially in local parks and the cemetery. Volunteers should check in at the&nbsp;Grinnell VFW&nbsp;upon arrival.If You or Someone You Know Needs HelpIf you or someone you know needs support following the storm, Catholic Charities is here to help:<ul>
 <li>Call the&nbsp;Hays office&nbsp;at&nbsp;785-625-2644</li><li>Email:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:communications@ccnks.org">communications@ccnks.org</a></li><li>Fill out the online form at:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.ccnks.org/disaster">www.ccnks.org/disaster</a></li><li>Meet with Catholic Charities staff when they are in Grinnell later this week</li>
 </ul>Catholic Charities remains committed to standing with the Grinnell community throughout the recovery process. As our response continues to evolve, we will share updates—including details on when our staff will be in Grinnell next—on our social media pages.

 Catholic Charities responds to Grinnell tornado, shares how you can help

KANSAs CITY —Police in Kansas City, Missouri are attempting to identify suspects who were involved in an assault that occurred in the 7600-Block of Monroe Ave at 10:30a.m. on May 5, according to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

If you can identify the suspects please contact the Assault Squad at 816-234-5227 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747770310140.png" alt="Image Kansas City, Missouri Police" />
 <figcaption>Image Kansas City, Missouri Police</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAs CITY —Police in Kansas City, Missouri are attempting to identify suspects who were involved in an assault that occurred in the 7600-Block of Monroe Ave at 10:30a.m. on May 5, according to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez.If you can identify the suspects please contact the Assault Squad at 816-234-5227 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.

KCPD working to ID assault suspects

NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/il-state-wire-79649ce6327a46d0aabeb9bff2ee3c37">George Wendt,</a>&nbsp;an actor with an Everyman charm who played the affable, beer-loving barfly Norm on the hit 1980s TV comedy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/auction-television-memorabilia-james-comisar-cheers-c51ffa8c7915d5d0fe53a92327229a3e">“Cheers”</a>&nbsp;and later crafted a stage career that took him to Broadway in “Art,” “Hairspray” and “Elf,” has died. He was 76.

Wendt's family said he died early Tuesday morning, peacefully in his sleep while at home, according to the publicity firm The Agency Group.

“George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him,” the family said in a statement. “He will be missed forever.” The family has requested privacy during this time.

Despite a long career of roles onstage and on TV, it was as gentle and henpecked Norm Peterson on “Cheers” that he was most associated, earning six straight Emmy Award nominations for best supporting actor in a comedy series from 1984-89.

The series was centered on lovable losers in a Boston bar and starred&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ted-danson">Ted Danson,</a>&nbsp;Shelley Long, Rhea Perlman,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kelsey-grammer">Kelsey Grammer,</a>&nbsp;John Ratzenberger, Kirstie Alley and Woody Harrelson. It would spin off another megahit in “Frasier” and was nominated for an astounding 117 Emmy Awards, winning 28 of them.

Wendt, who spent six years in Chicago’s renowned Second City improv troupe before sitting on a barstool at the place where everybody knows your name, didn't have high hopes when he auditioned for “Cheers.”

“My agent said, ‘It’s a small role, honey. It’s one line. Actually, it’s one word.’ The word was ‘beer.’ I was having a hard time believing I was right for the role of ‘the guy who looked like he wanted a beer.’ So I went in, and they said, ‘It’s too small a role. Why don’t you read this other one?’ And it was a guy who never left the bar,” Wendt told GQ in an oral history of “Cheers.”

“Cheers” premiered on Sept. 30, 1982, and spent the first season with low ratings. NBC president Brandon Tartikoff championed the show, and it was nominated for an Emmy for best comedy series in its first season. Some 80 million people would tune in to watch its series finale 11 years later.

Wendt became a fan favorite in and outside the bar — his entrances were cheered with a warm “Norm!” — and his wisecracks always landed. “How’s a beer sound, Norm?” he would be asked by the bartender. “I dunno. I usually finish them before they get a word in,” he’d respond.

While the beer the cast drank on set was nonalcoholic, Wendt and other “Cheers” cast members have admitted they were tipsy on May 20, 1993, when they watched the show’s final episode then appeared together on “The Tonight Show” in a live broadcast from the Bull and Finch Pub in Boston, the bar that inspired the series.

″We had been drinking heavily for two hours but nobody thought to feed us,” Wendt told the Beaver County Times of Pennsylvania in 2009. “We were nowhere near as cute as we thought we were.”

After “Cheers,” Wendt starred in his own short-lived sitcom “The George Wendt Show” — “too bad he had to step out of Norm and down so far from that corner stool for his debut stanza,” sniffed Variety — and had guest spots on TV shows like “The Ghost Whisperer,” “Harry’s Law” and “Portlandia.” He was part of a brotherhood of Chicago Everymen who gathered over sausage and beers and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBnnon_iZOM">adored “Da Bears” on “Saturday Night Live.”</a>&nbsp;In 2023, he competed on “The Masked Singer.”

But he found steady work onstage: Wendt slipped on Edna Turnblad’s housecoat in Broadway’s “Hairspray” beginning in 2007, and was in the Tony Award-winning play “Art” in New York and London.

He starred in the national tour of “12 Angry Men” and appeared in a production of David Mamet’s “Lakeboat.” He also starred in regional productions of “Death of a Salesman,” “The Odd Couple,” “Never Too Late” and “Funnyman.”

“A, it’s by far the most fun, but B, I seem to have been kicked out of television,” Wendt told the Kansas City Star in 2011. “I overstayed my welcome. But theater suits me.”

Wendt had an affinity for playing Santa Claus, donning the famous red outfit in the stage musical “Elf” on Broadway in 2017, the TV movie “Santa Baby” with Jenny McCarthy in 2006 and in the doggie Disney video “Santa Buddies” in 2009. He also played Father Christmas for TV specials by Larry the Cable Guy and Stephen Colbert.

“I think it just proves that if you stay fat enough and get old enough, the offers start rolling in,” the actor joked to the AP in his Broadway dressing room.

Born in Chicago, Wendt attended Campion High School, a Catholic boarding school in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, and then Notre Dame, where he rarely went to class and was kicked out. He transferred to Rockhurst University in Kansas City and graduated, after majoring in economics.

He found a home at Second City in both the touring company and the mainstage.

“I think comedy is my long suit, for sure. My approach to comedy is usually not full-bore clownish,” he told the AP. “If you’re trying to showboat or step outside, it doesn’t always work. There are certain performers who almost specialize in doing that, and they do it really well. But that’s not my approach.”

He had a lifelong association with beer. He had his first taste as an 8-year-old and got drunk at 16, at the World’s Fair in New York.

His beer knowledge was poured into the book ″Drinking With George: A Barstool Professional’s Guide to Beer,” co-written with Jonathan Grotenstein. One line: “Will Rogers once said he never met a man he didn’t like. I feel the same about beer.”

Part autobiography, part beer drinker’s guide, the book had Wendt’s conversational tone and lists, such as “Five Good Bar Bets,” ″77 Toasts from Around the World” and ”(More Than) 100 Ways to Say That You’re Drunk,” which alphabetically lists 126 synonyms from “annihilated” through “zozzled.”

He is survived by his wife, Second City alum Bernadette Birkett, who voiced Norm’s never-seen not-so better half, Vera, on “Cheers”; his children, Hilary, Joe and Daniel; and his stepchildren, Joshua and Andrew.

“From his early days with The Second City to his iconic role as Norm on ‘Cheers,’ George Wendt’s work showcased how comedy can create indelible characters that feel like family. Over the course of 11 seasons, he brought warmth and humor to one of television’s most beloved roles,” National Comedy Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson said in a statement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747771581424.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/il-state-wire-79649ce6327a46d0aabeb9bff2ee3c37">George Wendt,</a>&nbsp;an actor with an Everyman charm who played the affable, beer-loving barfly Norm on the hit 1980s TV comedy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/auction-television-memorabilia-james-comisar-cheers-c51ffa8c7915d5d0fe53a92327229a3e">“Cheers”</a>&nbsp;and later crafted a stage career that took him to Broadway in “Art,” “Hairspray” and “Elf,” has died. He was 76.Wendt's family said he died early Tuesday morning, peacefully in his sleep while at home, according to the publicity firm The Agency Group.“George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him,” the family said in a statement. “He will be missed forever.” The family has requested privacy during this time.Despite a long career of roles onstage and on TV, it was as gentle and henpecked Norm Peterson on “Cheers” that he was most associated, earning six straight Emmy Award nominations for best supporting actor in a comedy series from 1984-89.The series was centered on lovable losers in a Boston bar and starred&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ted-danson">Ted Danson,</a>&nbsp;Shelley Long, Rhea Perlman,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kelsey-grammer">Kelsey Grammer,</a>&nbsp;John Ratzenberger, Kirstie Alley and Woody Harrelson. It would spin off another megahit in “Frasier” and was nominated for an astounding 117 Emmy Awards, winning 28 of them.Wendt, who spent six years in Chicago’s renowned Second City improv troupe before sitting on a barstool at the place where everybody knows your name, didn't have high hopes when he auditioned for “Cheers.”“My agent said, ‘It’s a small role, honey. It’s one line. Actually, it’s one word.’ The word was ‘beer.’ I was having a hard time believing I was right for the role of ‘the guy who looked like he wanted a beer.’ So I went in, and they said, ‘It’s too small a role. Why don’t you read this other one?’ And it was a guy who never left the bar,” Wendt told GQ in an oral history of “Cheers.”<h2>‘Where everyone knows your name’</h2>“Cheers” premiered on Sept. 30, 1982, and spent the first season with low ratings. NBC president Brandon Tartikoff championed the show, and it was nominated for an Emmy for best comedy series in its first season. Some 80 million people would tune in to watch its series finale 11 years later.Wendt became a fan favorite in and outside the bar — his entrances were cheered with a warm “Norm!” — and his wisecracks always landed. “How’s a beer sound, Norm?” he would be asked by the bartender. “I dunno. I usually finish them before they get a word in,” he’d respond.While the beer the cast drank on set was nonalcoholic, Wendt and other “Cheers” cast members have admitted they were tipsy on May 20, 1993, when they watched the show’s final episode then appeared together on “The Tonight Show” in a live broadcast from the Bull and Finch Pub in Boston, the bar that inspired the series.″We had been drinking heavily for two hours but nobody thought to feed us,” Wendt told the Beaver County Times of Pennsylvania in 2009. “We were nowhere near as cute as we thought we were.”After “Cheers,” Wendt starred in his own short-lived sitcom “The George Wendt Show” — “too bad he had to step out of Norm and down so far from that corner stool for his debut stanza,” sniffed Variety — and had guest spots on TV shows like “The Ghost Whisperer,” “Harry’s Law” and “Portlandia.” He was part of a brotherhood of Chicago Everymen who gathered over sausage and beers and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBnnon_iZOM">adored “Da Bears” on “Saturday Night Live.”</a>&nbsp;In 2023, he competed on “The Masked Singer.”<h2>Second career on stage</h2>But he found steady work onstage: Wendt slipped on Edna Turnblad’s housecoat in Broadway’s “Hairspray” beginning in 2007, and was in the Tony Award-winning play “Art” in New York and London.He starred in the national tour of “12 Angry Men” and appeared in a production of David Mamet’s “Lakeboat.” He also starred in regional productions of “Death of a Salesman,” “The Odd Couple,” “Never Too Late” and “Funnyman.”“A, it’s by far the most fun, but B, I seem to have been kicked out of television,” Wendt told the Kansas City Star in 2011. “I overstayed my welcome. But theater suits me.”Wendt had an affinity for playing Santa Claus, donning the famous red outfit in the stage musical “Elf” on Broadway in 2017, the TV movie “Santa Baby” with Jenny McCarthy in 2006 and in the doggie Disney video “Santa Buddies” in 2009. He also played Father Christmas for TV specials by Larry the Cable Guy and Stephen Colbert.“I think it just proves that if you stay fat enough and get old enough, the offers start rolling in,” the actor joked to the AP in his Broadway dressing room.Born in Chicago, Wendt attended Campion High School, a Catholic boarding school in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, and then Notre Dame, where he rarely went to class and was kicked out. He transferred to Rockhurst University in Kansas City and graduated, after majoring in economics.He found a home at Second City in both the touring company and the mainstage.“I think comedy is my long suit, for sure. My approach to comedy is usually not full-bore clownish,” he told the AP. “If you’re trying to showboat or step outside, it doesn’t always work. There are certain performers who almost specialize in doing that, and they do it really well. But that’s not my approach.”<h2>Cheers for beer</h2>He had a lifelong association with beer. He had his first taste as an 8-year-old and got drunk at 16, at the World’s Fair in New York.His beer knowledge was poured into the book ″Drinking With George: A Barstool Professional’s Guide to Beer,” co-written with Jonathan Grotenstein. One line: “Will Rogers once said he never met a man he didn’t like. I feel the same about beer.”Part autobiography, part beer drinker’s guide, the book had Wendt’s conversational tone and lists, such as “Five Good Bar Bets,” ″77 Toasts from Around the World” and ”(More Than) 100 Ways to Say That You’re Drunk,” which alphabetically lists 126 synonyms from “annihilated” through “zozzled.”He is survived by his wife, Second City alum Bernadette Birkett, who voiced Norm’s never-seen not-so better half, Vera, on “Cheers”; his children, Hilary, Joe and Daniel; and his stepchildren, Joshua and Andrew.“From his early days with The Second City to his iconic role as Norm on ‘Cheers,’ George Wendt’s work showcased how comedy can create indelible characters that feel like family. Over the course of 11 seasons, he brought warmth and humor to one of television’s most beloved roles,” National Comedy Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson said in a statement.

George Wendt, who played Norm on ‘Cheers,’ dies at 76

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</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>

SCRANTON — On a gravel road northwest of this small Kansas town, a picturesque creek with overhanging trees shimmers with brilliant shades of green.

The beauty, though, hasn’t made up for the aggravation caused by high floodwaters that sweep the wooden bridge over that creek off its moorings to land about 30 yards or so away from the roadway, leaving the road impassable for area farmers, said Ryan Fine, Osage County public works director.

“That old wood one, it kept floating away. If we got a big, heavy rain, it would float down there, and we’d have to grab it out of the trees,” he said, gesturing down the creek. “The last time it happened, I said, ‘Leave that sucker in the trees. I gotta figure this out.’ ”

The cost of a new bridge, done with the typical bridge construction the county uses, would have been more than $300,000, Fine said. Instead, with the help of the Soy Transportation Coalition and the Kansas Soybean Association, the total bridge price was about $106,000, attributed to financial help and building a different style of bridge.

The new culvert bridge has walls, called headwalls, attached to the sides of the culvert and wingwalls that come out from there to help support the bridge, Fine said. Then large beams are set into the ground to a depth of four or five feet, he said. The top is covered with rock.&nbsp;

“Even if there is erosion from high water where it does go over this road, this should stay locked in place,” Fine said, then added with a smile, “OK, can’t say it would always lock in place, because water can do some amazing things. But this is going to give us a better chance of it staying put where it needs to be.”

Fine said he remembered that Raylen Phelon, a commissioner at large for the Kansas Soybean Commission and vice-chairman of the STC, spoke at county meetings about help available for transportation projects.

He reached out and as a result, Osage County’s bridge became the first project in the state to use soybean checkoff funds set aside for such projects through the transportation coalition, Phelon said.

It’s also the first official use of the Soy Transportation Coalition’s report that was put together to offer innovative solutions for replacing and repairing rural bridges, Phelon said. STC&nbsp;is made up of 13 state soybean boards, the American Soybean Association and the United Soybean Board. The organization works to address transportation issues that affect the soy industry’s ability to move products.

The STC innovation report was designed to give counties options to consider when they replaced or repaired bridges, often with a significantly smaller price tag, said Kaleb Little, CEO of the Kansas Soybean Association. So along with $4,500 for the engineering costs on the project, they want to support creative thinking to solve problems that impact soybean farmers, he said.

“What I really am tickled about is we’re using checkoff dollars,” Phelon said of the $4,500 check presented to Osage County. “It’s farmers’ checkoff dollars, from when they sell soybeans. It’s one-half of 1%, or a nickel every bushel with the prices right now, and it’s coming right back into the county, to where the farmers are at.”

Using checkoff dollars is a win-win for everyone, from the county and taxpayers to the farmers at the local level, he said.&nbsp;

Phelon said he became&nbsp; involved in STC because, as a soybean farmer, he knows how important infrastructure is. It was evident when a small bridge near his Melvern farm was getting to be unsafe, but if it had closed, he would have had to go miles out of his way to transport his crop.

“We can grow fantastic crops, but if you can’t get them to market, it affects your price,” Phelon said. “What are you going to do with an overabundance if you can’t move it? Also, it helps the consumer. If we can get it to them, it’ll help their prices be better.”

Phelon said STC supports projects around the country, including a large project at the Port of Grays Harbor in Washington state. Farmers can’t always make the connection to how that project halfway across the country helps them, he said.&nbsp;

But two railroads go from the Midwest to Port of Grays, where soybeans are put on ships and sent around the world, Phelon said.&nbsp;

“So taking products that are grown here in the United States, putting them on a boat and selling them — it helps our price,” he said. “There’s been maybe a little bit of pushback from Kansas farmers to say, well, we don’t sell any soybeans to China. I said wait a minute. Maybe not directly, but if Nebraska is selling them, we’re going to fill that void. And we need to be in that ballgame.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747756761664.jpeg" alt=" Kaleb Little, left, CEO of the Kansas Soybean Association, Raylen Phelon, center, Kansas soybean farmer and vice-chairman of the Soy Transportation Council, and Ryan Fine, Osage County public works director, take a look at a new bridge near Scranton. (Morgan Chilson/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Kaleb Little, left, CEO of the Kansas Soybean Association, Raylen Phelon, center, Kansas soybean farmer and vice-chairman of the Soy Transportation Council, and Ryan Fine, Osage County public works director, take a look at a new bridge near Scranton. (Morgan Chilson/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</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>SCRANTON — On a gravel road northwest of this small Kansas town, a picturesque creek with overhanging trees shimmers with brilliant shades of green.The beauty, though, hasn’t made up for the aggravation caused by high floodwaters that sweep the wooden bridge over that creek off its moorings to land about 30 yards or so away from the roadway, leaving the road impassable for area farmers, said Ryan Fine, Osage County public works director.“That old wood one, it kept floating away. If we got a big, heavy rain, it would float down there, and we’d have to grab it out of the trees,” he said, gesturing down the creek. “The last time it happened, I said, ‘Leave that sucker in the trees. I gotta figure this out.’ ”The cost of a new bridge, done with the typical bridge construction the county uses, would have been more than $300,000, Fine said. Instead, with the help of the Soy Transportation Coalition and the Kansas Soybean Association, the total bridge price was about $106,000, attributed to financial help and building a different style of bridge.The new culvert bridge has walls, called headwalls, attached to the sides of the culvert and wingwalls that come out from there to help support the bridge, Fine said. Then large beams are set into the ground to a depth of four or five feet, he said. The top is covered with rock.&nbsp;“Even if there is erosion from high water where it does go over this road, this should stay locked in place,” Fine said, then added with a smile, “OK, can’t say it would always lock in place, because water can do some amazing things. But this is going to give us a better chance of it staying put where it needs to be.”<h2>First in Kansas</h2>Fine said he remembered that Raylen Phelon, a commissioner at large for the Kansas Soybean Commission and vice-chairman of the STC, spoke at county meetings about help available for transportation projects.He reached out and as a result, Osage County’s bridge became the first project in the state to use soybean checkoff funds set aside for such projects through the transportation coalition, Phelon said.It’s also the first official use of the Soy Transportation Coalition’s report that was put together to offer innovative solutions for replacing and repairing rural bridges, Phelon said. STC&nbsp;is made up of 13 state soybean boards, the American Soybean Association and the United Soybean Board. The organization works to address transportation issues that affect the soy industry’s ability to move products.The STC innovation report was designed to give counties options to consider when they replaced or repaired bridges, often with a significantly smaller price tag, said Kaleb Little, CEO of the Kansas Soybean Association. So along with $4,500 for the engineering costs on the project, they want to support creative thinking to solve problems that impact soybean farmers, he said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747756709682.jpeg" alt=" A new style of bridge that includes beams driven four or five feet into the ground replaced an old wooden bridge that kept moving downstream when it flooded. (Submitted)" />
 <figcaption> A new style of bridge that includes beams driven four or five feet into the ground replaced an old wooden bridge that kept moving downstream when it flooded. (Submitted)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Soybean checkoff</h2>“What I really am tickled about is we’re using checkoff dollars,” Phelon said of the $4,500 check presented to Osage County. “It’s farmers’ checkoff dollars, from when they sell soybeans. It’s one-half of 1%, or a nickel every bushel with the prices right now, and it’s coming right back into the county, to where the farmers are at.”Using checkoff dollars is a win-win for everyone, from the county and taxpayers to the farmers at the local level, he said.&nbsp;Phelon said he became&nbsp; involved in STC because, as a soybean farmer, he knows how important infrastructure is. It was evident when a small bridge near his Melvern farm was getting to be unsafe, but if it had closed, he would have had to go miles out of his way to transport his crop.“We can grow fantastic crops, but if you can’t get them to market, it affects your price,” Phelon said. “What are you going to do with an overabundance if you can’t move it? Also, it helps the consumer. If we can get it to them, it’ll help their prices be better.”Phelon said STC supports projects around the country, including a large project at the Port of Grays Harbor in Washington state. Farmers can’t always make the connection to how that project halfway across the country helps them, he said.&nbsp;But two railroads go from the Midwest to Port of Grays, where soybeans are put on ships and sent around the world, Phelon said.&nbsp;“So taking products that are grown here in the United States, putting them on a boat and selling them — it helps our price,” he said. “There’s been maybe a little bit of pushback from Kansas farmers to say, well, we don’t sell any soybeans to China. I said wait a minute. Maybe not directly, but if Nebraska is selling them, we’re going to fill that void. And we need to be in that ballgame.”

Kansas county bridge replaced with innovative design, contribution from soybean farmers

President Donald Trump on Monday signed the Take It Down Act, bipartisan legislation that enacts stricter penalties for the distribution of non-consensual intimate imagery, sometimes called “revenge porn," as fell as deepfakes created by artificial intelligence.

The measure, which goes into effect immediately, was introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, and later gained the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/melania-trump-safety-bill-online-cruz-capitol-920f171e0eeb559ed2e77700ec77c413">support of First Lady Melania Trump</a>. Critics of the measure, which addresses both real and artificial intelligence-generated imagery, say the language is too broad and could lead to censorship and First Amendment issues.

The law makes it illegal to “knowingly publish” or threaten to publish intimate images without a person's consent, including AI-created "deepfakes." It also requires websites and social media companies to remove such material within 48 hours of notice from a victim. The platforms must also take steps to delete duplicate content. Many states have already banned the dissemination of sexually explicit deepfakes or revenge porn, but the Take It Down Act is a rare example of federal regulators imposing on internet companies.

The Take It Down Act has garnered strong bipartisan support and has been championed by Melania Trump, who lobbied on Capitol Hill in March saying it was “heartbreaking” to see what teenagers, especially girls, go through after they are victimized by people who spread such content.

Cruz said the measure was inspired by Elliston Berry and her mother, who visited his office after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snapchat-snap-layoffs-tech-b67df4deb437af7fc1612425a379cdd4">Snapchat</a>&nbsp;refused for nearly a year to remove an AI-generated “deepfake” of the then 14-year-old.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/meta-facts-trump-musk-community-notes-413b8495939a058ff2d25fd23f2e0f43">Meta</a>, which owns and operates Facebook and Instagram, supports the legislation.

“Having an intimate image – real or AI-generated - shared without consent can be devastating and Meta developed and backs many efforts to help prevent it,” Meta spokesman Andy Stone said in March.

The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a tech industry-supported think tank, said in a statement following the bill's passage last month that it “is an important step forward that will help people pursue justice when they are victims of non-consensual intimate imagery, including deepfake images generated using AI.”

“We must provide victims of online abuse with the legal protections they need when intimate images are shared without their consent, especially now that deepfakes are creating horrifying new opportunities for abuse,” Klobuchar said in a statement. “These images can ruin lives and reputations, but now that our bipartisan legislation is becoming law, victims will be able to have this material removed from social media platforms and law enforcement can hold perpetrators accountable."

Free speech advocates and digital rights groups say the bill is too broad and could lead to the censorship of legitimate images including legal pornography and LGBTQ content, as well as government critics.

“While the bill is meant to address a serious problem, good intentions alone are not enough to make good policy,” said the nonprofit Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights advocacy group. “Lawmakers should be strengthening and enforcing existing legal protections for victims, rather than inventing new takedown regimes that are ripe for abuse.”

The takedown provision in the bill “applies to a much broader category of content — potentially any images involving intimate or sexual content” than the narrower definitions of non-consensual intimate imagery found elsewhere in the text, EFF said.

“The takedown provision also lacks critical safeguards against frivolous or bad-faith takedown requests. Services will rely on automated filters, which are infamously blunt tools,” EFF said. “They frequently flag legal content, from fair-use commentary to news reporting. The law’s tight time frame requires that apps and websites remove speech within 48 hours, rarely enough time to verify whether the speech is actually illegal.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747686727944.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>President Donald Trump on Monday signed the Take It Down Act, bipartisan legislation that enacts stricter penalties for the distribution of non-consensual intimate imagery, sometimes called “revenge porn," as fell as deepfakes created by artificial intelligence.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Donald Trump signs the Take It Down Act, a bill that addresses the rise of &quot;revenge porn&quot; and deepfake images. <a href="https://t.co/QsZL3BEsGD">pic.twitter.com/QsZL3BEsGD</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1924552564214837448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The measure, which goes into effect immediately, was introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, and later gained the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/melania-trump-safety-bill-online-cruz-capitol-920f171e0eeb559ed2e77700ec77c413">support of First Lady Melania Trump</a>. Critics of the measure, which addresses both real and artificial intelligence-generated imagery, say the language is too broad and could lead to censorship and First Amendment issues.<h2>What is the Take It Down Act?</h2>The law makes it illegal to “knowingly publish” or threaten to publish intimate images without a person's consent, including AI-created "deepfakes." It also requires websites and social media companies to remove such material within 48 hours of notice from a victim. The platforms must also take steps to delete duplicate content. Many states have already banned the dissemination of sexually explicit deepfakes or revenge porn, but the Take It Down Act is a rare example of federal regulators imposing on internet companies.<h2>Who supports it?</h2>The Take It Down Act has garnered strong bipartisan support and has been championed by Melania Trump, who lobbied on Capitol Hill in March saying it was “heartbreaking” to see what teenagers, especially girls, go through after they are victimized by people who spread such content.Cruz said the measure was inspired by Elliston Berry and her mother, who visited his office after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snapchat-snap-layoffs-tech-b67df4deb437af7fc1612425a379cdd4">Snapchat</a>&nbsp;refused for nearly a year to remove an AI-generated “deepfake” of the then 14-year-old.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/meta-facts-trump-musk-community-notes-413b8495939a058ff2d25fd23f2e0f43">Meta</a>, which owns and operates Facebook and Instagram, supports the legislation.“Having an intimate image – real or AI-generated - shared without consent can be devastating and Meta developed and backs many efforts to help prevent it,” Meta spokesman Andy Stone said in March.The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a tech industry-supported think tank, said in a statement following the bill's passage last month that it “is an important step forward that will help people pursue justice when they are victims of non-consensual intimate imagery, including deepfake images generated using AI.”“We must provide victims of online abuse with the legal protections they need when intimate images are shared without their consent, especially now that deepfakes are creating horrifying new opportunities for abuse,” Klobuchar said in a statement. “These images can ruin lives and reputations, but now that our bipartisan legislation is becoming law, victims will be able to have this material removed from social media platforms and law enforcement can hold perpetrators accountable."<h2>What are the censorship concerns?</h2>Free speech advocates and digital rights groups say the bill is too broad and could lead to the censorship of legitimate images including legal pornography and LGBTQ content, as well as government critics.“While the bill is meant to address a serious problem, good intentions alone are not enough to make good policy,” said the nonprofit Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights advocacy group. “Lawmakers should be strengthening and enforcing existing legal protections for victims, rather than inventing new takedown regimes that are ripe for abuse.”The takedown provision in the bill “applies to a much broader category of content — potentially any images involving intimate or sexual content” than the narrower definitions of non-consensual intimate imagery found elsewhere in the text, EFF said.“The takedown provision also lacks critical safeguards against frivolous or bad-faith takedown requests. Services will rely on automated filters, which are infamously blunt tools,” EFF said. “They frequently flag legal content, from fair-use commentary to news reporting. The law’s tight time frame requires that apps and websites remove speech within 48 hours, rarely enough time to verify whether the speech is actually illegal.”As a result, the group said online companies, especially smaller ones that lack the resources to wade through a lot of content, “will likely choose to avoid the onerous legal risk by simply depublishing the speech rather than even attempting to verify it.”The measure, EFF said, also pressures platforms to “actively monitor speech, including speech that is presently encrypted” to address liability threats.The&nbsp;<a href="https://cybercivilrights.org/ccri-statement-on-the-passage-of-the-take-it-down-act-s-146/">Cyber Civil Rights Initiative</a>, a nonprofit that helps victims of online crimes and abuse, said it has “serious reservations” about the bill. It called its takedown provision unconstitutionally vague, unconstitutionally overbroad, and lacking adequate safeguards against misuse."For instance, the group said, platforms could be obligated to remove a journalist’s photographs of a topless protest on a public street, photos of a subway flasher distributed by law enforcement to locate the perpetrator, commercially produced sexually explicit content or sexually explicit material that is consensual but falsely reported as being nonconsensual.