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

Aflac says that it has identified suspicious activity on its network in the U.S. that may impact Social Security numbers and other personal information, calling the incident part of a cybercrime campaign against the insurance industry.

The company said Friday that the intrusion was stopped within hours.

“We continue to serve our customers as we respond to this incident and can underwrite policies, review claims, and otherwise service our customers as usual,” Aflac said in a statement.

The company said that it’s in the early stages of a review of the incident, and so far is unable to determine the total number of affected individuals.

Aflac Inc. said potentially impacted files contain claims information, health information, Social Security numbers, and other personal information, related to customers, beneficiaries, employees, agents, and other individuals in its U.S. business.

The Columbus, Georgia, company said that it will offer free credit monitoring and identity theft protection and Medical Shield for 24 months to anyone that calls its call center.

Cyberattacks against companies have been rampant for years, but a string of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cyberattack-retail-whole-foods-victorias-secret-ms-9105458e6ef45152b065e623d0bf06fd">attacks on retail companies</a>&nbsp;have raised awareness of the issue because the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/cybercrime">breaches</a>&nbsp;can impact customers.

United Natural Foods, a wholesale distributor that supplies Whole Foods and other grocers, said earlier this month that a breach of its systems was disrupting its ability to fulfill orders — leaving many stores without certain items.

In the U.K., consumers could not order from the website of Marks &amp; Spencer for more than six weeks — and found fewer in-store options&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uk-retailers-cyberattacks-marks-spencer-harrods-7d3c01faa7380775598a517df4db1250">after hackers targeted the British clothing, home goods and food retailer</a>. A cyberattack on Co-op, a U.K. grocery chain, also led to empty shelves in some stores.

A security breach detected by Victoria’s Secret last month led the popular lingerie seller to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/victoria-secret-security-incident-website-down-c870000e7ae21369df52a5347626435d">shut down its U.S. shopping site</a>&nbsp;for nearly four days, as well as to halt some in-store services. Victoria’s Secret later disclosed that its corporate systems also were affected, too, causing the company to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/victorias-secret-earnings-delayed-cyberattack-1fda0fe1da3699177f2ab0c6ee75873e">delay the release of its first quarter earnings</a>.

The North Face said that it discovered a “small-scale credential stuffing attack” on its website in April. The company reported that no credit card data was compromised and said the incident, which impacted 1,500 consumers, was “quickly contained.”

Adidas&nbsp;<a href="https://www.adidas-group.com/en/data-security-information" target="_blank">disclosed</a>&nbsp;last month that an “unauthorized external party” obtained some data, which was mostly contact information, through a third-party customer service provider.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750445156720.png" alt="Courtesy image" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy image</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/michelle-chapman">MICHELLE CHAPMAN</a> Associated PressAflac says that it has identified suspicious activity on its network in the U.S. that may impact Social Security numbers and other personal information, calling the incident part of a cybercrime campaign against the insurance industry.The company said Friday that the intrusion was stopped within hours.“We continue to serve our customers as we respond to this incident and can underwrite policies, review claims, and otherwise service our customers as usual,” Aflac said in a statement.The company said that it’s in the early stages of a review of the incident, and so far is unable to determine the total number of affected individuals.Aflac Inc. said potentially impacted files contain claims information, health information, Social Security numbers, and other personal information, related to customers, beneficiaries, employees, agents, and other individuals in its U.S. business.The Columbus, Georgia, company said that it will offer free credit monitoring and identity theft protection and Medical Shield for 24 months to anyone that calls its call center.Cyberattacks against companies have been rampant for years, but a string of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cyberattack-retail-whole-foods-victorias-secret-ms-9105458e6ef45152b065e623d0bf06fd">attacks on retail companies</a>&nbsp;have raised awareness of the issue because the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/cybercrime">breaches</a>&nbsp;can impact customers.United Natural Foods, a wholesale distributor that supplies Whole Foods and other grocers, said earlier this month that a breach of its systems was disrupting its ability to fulfill orders — leaving many stores without certain items.In the U.K., consumers could not order from the website of Marks &amp; Spencer for more than six weeks — and found fewer in-store options&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uk-retailers-cyberattacks-marks-spencer-harrods-7d3c01faa7380775598a517df4db1250">after hackers targeted the British clothing, home goods and food retailer</a>. A cyberattack on Co-op, a U.K. grocery chain, also led to empty shelves in some stores.A security breach detected by Victoria’s Secret last month led the popular lingerie seller to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/victoria-secret-security-incident-website-down-c870000e7ae21369df52a5347626435d">shut down its U.S. shopping site</a>&nbsp;for nearly four days, as well as to halt some in-store services. Victoria’s Secret later disclosed that its corporate systems also were affected, too, causing the company to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/victorias-secret-earnings-delayed-cyberattack-1fda0fe1da3699177f2ab0c6ee75873e">delay the release of its first quarter earnings</a>.The North Face said that it discovered a “small-scale credential stuffing attack” on its website in April. The company reported that no credit card data was compromised and said the incident, which impacted 1,500 consumers, was “quickly contained.”Adidas&nbsp;<a href="https://www.adidas-group.com/en/data-security-information" target="_blank">disclosed</a>&nbsp;last month that an “unauthorized external party” obtained some data, which was mostly contact information, through a third-party customer service provider.

Aflac finds suspicious activity on US network that may impact Social Security numbers, other data

WASHINGTON —<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday upheld Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-care-minors-ban-supreme-court-tennessee-2222e833fdbb51d5afb93a09fd47fc43">transgender minors</a>, a jolting setback to transgender rights.

Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall praised the Court's decision.

“Today was not just a win for basic biology and common sense, but for human decency, sound medicine, and the dignity and safety of children everywhere,”&nbsp;said Senator Marshall.&nbsp;“As a doctor for over 25 years, I understand the gravity of these harmful so-called treatments radical activists have been pushing on children. They leave permanent scarring, sterilization, and other horrible side effects. Make no mistake, there’s more work to do, and I remain committed to eliminating taxpayer-funded transgender procedures on both minors and adults.”

The justices' 6-3 decision in a case from Tennessee effectively protects from legal challenges many efforts by President Donald Trump's Republican administration and state governments to roll back protections for transgender people. Another 26 states have laws similar to Tennessee's.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/john-roberts">Chief Justice John Roberts</a>&nbsp;wrote for a conservative majority that the law banning puberty blockers and hormone treatments for trans minors doesn't violate the Constitution's equal protection clause, which requires the government to treat similarly situated people the same.

“This case carries with it the weight of fierce scientific and policy debates about the safety, efficacy, and propriety of medical treatments in an evolving field. The voices in these debates raise sincere concerns; the implications for all are profound,” Roberts wrote. “The Equal Protection Clause does not resolve these disagreements. Nor does it afford us license to decide them as we see best.”

In a dissent for the court's three liberal justices that she summarized aloud in the courtroom,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sonia-sotomayor">Justice Sonia Sotomayor</a>&nbsp;wrote, “By retreating from meaningful judicial review exactly where it matters most, the court abandons transgender children and their families to political whims. In sadness, I dissent."

The law also limits parents' decision-making ability for their children's health care, she wrote.

Efforts to regulate transgender people's lives

The decision comes amid other federal and state efforts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/san-jose-state-volleyball-d00b36355c69f48de712339821682b52">regulate the lives of transgender people</a>, including which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/gender-in-sports-track-and-field-roller-derby-new-york-gender-2fe769675c174632925e446f15c6294b">sports competitions</a>&nbsp;they can join and which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sarah-mcbride-speaker-johnson-transgender-bathroom-f3943e1b3b2dc9c8d62d2ba6660aaf91">bathrooms they can use</a>. In April, Trump’s administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/maine-education-department-transgender-athletes-pam-bondi-5b5c8d0022233fae5ec60efc9fa5394f">sued Maine</a>&nbsp;for not complying with the government’s push to ban&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-transgender-what-does-it-mean-2425f41a2910d989ccfd6d3aec1af33e">transgender athletes</a>&nbsp;in girls sports.

The Republican president also has sought to block federal spending on gender-affirming medical care for those under age 19 — instead&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hhs-rfk-transgender-therapy-53c20e8ba65b2d9e4750d5c3314492cc">promoting talk therapy</a>&nbsp;only to treat young transgender people. And the Supreme Court has allowed him to kick&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trangender-troops-ban-military-trump-pentagon-1d152b538a37e230fd48f33432dea273">transgender service members</a>&nbsp;out of the military, even as court fights continue. The president signed another order to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-transgender-order-passports-prisons-military-3c14ecbdd10f61618384e81624d090fb">define the sexes</a>&nbsp;as only male and female.

The debate even spilled into Congress when Delaware elected Democrat&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sarah-mcbride-congress-transgender-lgbtq-delaware-9cce7f778e6b57dfdb08986d7410404e">Sarah McBride</a>&nbsp;as the first transgender member of the House. Her election prompted immediate opposition among Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana and Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sarah-mcbride-speaker-johnson-transgender-bathroom-f3943e1b3b2dc9c8d62d2ba6660aaf91">which bathroom McBride could use</a>.

Some providers have stopped treatment already

Several states where gender-affirming care remains in place have adopted laws or state executive orders seeking to protect it. But since Trump’s executive order, some providers have ceased some treatments. For instance, Penn Medicine in Philadelphia announced last month it wouldn't provide surgeries for patients under 19.

The president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Susan Kressly, said the organization is “unwavering” in its support of gender-affirming care and “stands with pediatricians and families making health care decisions together and free from political interference.”

Five years ago,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/courts-supreme-courts-mi-state-wire-neil-gorsuch-ap-top-news-5a7b0e41a47a3c571dda69194758e7b1">the Supreme Court ruled</a>&nbsp;LGBTQ people are protected by a landmark federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in the workplace. That decision is unaffected by Wednesday’s ruling.

But the justices declined to apply the same sort of analysis the court used in 2020 when it found “sex plays an unmistakable role” in employers’ decisions to punish transgender people for traits and behavior they otherwise tolerate. Roberts joined that opinion written by Justice Neil Gorsuch, who was part of Wednesday's majority.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett also fully joined the majority but wrote separately to emphasize that laws classifying people based on transgender status should not receive any special review by courts. Barrett, also writing for justice Clarence Thomas, wrote that “courts must give legislatures flexibility to make policy in this area.”

‘A devastating loss' or a 'Landmark VICTORY’

Chase Strangio, the American Civil Liberties Union lawyer who argued the case for transgender minors and their families, called the ruling "a devastating loss for transgender people, our families, and everyone who cares about the Constitution.”

Mo Jenkins, a 26-year-old trans woman who began taking hormone therapy at 16, said she was disheartened but not surprised by the ruling. “Trans people are not going to disappear," said Jenkins, a Texas native and legislative staffer at the state capitol in Austin. Texas outlawed puberty blockers and hormone treatment for minors in 2023.

Tennessee's leading Republican elected officials all praised the outcome. Attorney General&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-cabinet-tennessee-supreme-court-government-and-politics-155b1419a746b7125649593b76ee4724">Jonathan Skrmetti</a>&nbsp;on social media called the ruling a “Landmark VICTORY for Tennessee at SCOTUS in defense of America’s children!”

There are about 300,000 people between the ages of 13 and 17 and 1.3 million adults who identify as transgender in the U.S., according to the Williams Institute, a think tank at the UCLA School of Law that researches sexual orientation and gender identity demographics.

When the case was argued in December, then-President Joe Biden's Democratic administration and families of transgender adolescents called on the high court to strike down the Tennessee ban as unlawful sex discrimination and to protect the constitutional rights of vulnerable Americans.

They argued the law violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment in part because the same treatments that the law prohibits for transgender minors can be used for other purposes.

Soon after Trump took office, the Justice Department told the court its position had changed.

A major issue in the case was the appropriate level of scrutiny courts should apply to such laws.

The lowest level is known as rational basis review, and almost every law looked at that way is upheld. Indeed, the federal appeals court in Cincinnati that allowed the Tennessee law to be enforced held that lawmakers acted rationally to regulate medical procedures.

The appeals court reversed a trial court that employed a higher level of review, heightened scrutiny, which applies in cases of sex discrimination. Under this more searching examination, the state must identify an important objective and show the law helps accomplish it.

Roberts' 24-page majority opinion was devoted almost entirely to explaining why the Tennessee law, called SB1, should be evaluated under the lower standard of review. The law's restrictions on treating minors for gender dysphoria turn on age and medical use, not sex, Roberts wrote.

Doctors may prescribe puberty blockers and hormone therapy to minors of any sex to treat some disorders, but not those relating to transgender status, he wrote.

But in her courtroom statement, Sotomayor asserted that similar arguments were made to defend the Virginia law prohibiting interracial marriage that the Supreme Court struck down in 1967.

“A ban on interracial marriage could be described in the same way as the majority described SB1,” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692751118304.png" alt="FILE - Glenda Starke wears a transgender flag a, at the Missouri Statehouse in Jefferson City, Missouri (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Glenda Starke wears a transgender flag a, at the Missouri Statehouse in Jefferson City, Missouri (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday upheld Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-care-minors-ban-supreme-court-tennessee-2222e833fdbb51d5afb93a09fd47fc43">transgender minors</a>, a jolting setback to transgender rights.Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall praised the Court's decision.“Today was not just a win for basic biology and common sense, but for human decency, sound medicine, and the dignity and safety of children everywhere,”&nbsp;said Senator Marshall.&nbsp;“As a doctor for over 25 years, I understand the gravity of these harmful so-called treatments radical activists have been pushing on children. They leave permanent scarring, sterilization, and other horrible side effects. Make no mistake, there’s more work to do, and I remain committed to eliminating taxpayer-funded transgender procedures on both minors and adults.”The justices' 6-3 decision in a case from Tennessee effectively protects from legal challenges many efforts by President Donald Trump's Republican administration and state governments to roll back protections for transgender people. Another 26 states have laws similar to Tennessee's.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a> on SCOTUS upholding Tennessee&#39;s ban on child sex changes: &quot;It&#39;s a huge victory for America&#39;s children and it&#39;s obviously something this administration believes strongly in— that young minor children should not be allowed to be subjected to chemical castration and… <a href="https://t.co/6Xe5KjWggk">pic.twitter.com/6Xe5KjWggk</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1935758443266072635?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/john-roberts">Chief Justice John Roberts</a>&nbsp;wrote for a conservative majority that the law banning puberty blockers and hormone treatments for trans minors doesn't violate the Constitution's equal protection clause, which requires the government to treat similarly situated people the same.“This case carries with it the weight of fierce scientific and policy debates about the safety, efficacy, and propriety of medical treatments in an evolving field. The voices in these debates raise sincere concerns; the implications for all are profound,” Roberts wrote. “The Equal Protection Clause does not resolve these disagreements. Nor does it afford us license to decide them as we see best.”In a dissent for the court's three liberal justices that she summarized aloud in the courtroom,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sonia-sotomayor">Justice Sonia Sotomayor</a>&nbsp;wrote, “By retreating from meaningful judicial review exactly where it matters most, the court abandons transgender children and their families to political whims. In sadness, I dissent."The law also limits parents' decision-making ability for their children's health care, she wrote.<h2>Efforts to regulate transgender people's lives</h2>The decision comes amid other federal and state efforts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/san-jose-state-volleyball-d00b36355c69f48de712339821682b52">regulate the lives of transgender people</a>, including which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/gender-in-sports-track-and-field-roller-derby-new-york-gender-2fe769675c174632925e446f15c6294b">sports competitions</a>&nbsp;they can join and which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sarah-mcbride-speaker-johnson-transgender-bathroom-f3943e1b3b2dc9c8d62d2ba6660aaf91">bathrooms they can use</a>. In April, Trump’s administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/maine-education-department-transgender-athletes-pam-bondi-5b5c8d0022233fae5ec60efc9fa5394f">sued Maine</a>&nbsp;for not complying with the government’s push to ban&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-transgender-what-does-it-mean-2425f41a2910d989ccfd6d3aec1af33e">transgender athletes</a>&nbsp;in girls sports.The Republican president also has sought to block federal spending on gender-affirming medical care for those under age 19 — instead&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hhs-rfk-transgender-therapy-53c20e8ba65b2d9e4750d5c3314492cc">promoting talk therapy</a>&nbsp;only to treat young transgender people. And the Supreme Court has allowed him to kick&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trangender-troops-ban-military-trump-pentagon-1d152b538a37e230fd48f33432dea273">transgender service members</a>&nbsp;out of the military, even as court fights continue. The president signed another order to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-transgender-order-passports-prisons-military-3c14ecbdd10f61618384e81624d090fb">define the sexes</a>&nbsp;as only male and female.The debate even spilled into Congress when Delaware elected Democrat&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sarah-mcbride-congress-transgender-lgbtq-delaware-9cce7f778e6b57dfdb08986d7410404e">Sarah McBride</a>&nbsp;as the first transgender member of the House. Her election prompted immediate opposition among Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana and Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sarah-mcbride-speaker-johnson-transgender-bathroom-f3943e1b3b2dc9c8d62d2ba6660aaf91">which bathroom McBride could use</a>.<h2>Some providers have stopped treatment already</h2>Several states where gender-affirming care remains in place have adopted laws or state executive orders seeking to protect it. But since Trump’s executive order, some providers have ceased some treatments. For instance, Penn Medicine in Philadelphia announced last month it wouldn't provide surgeries for patients under 19.The president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Susan Kressly, said the organization is “unwavering” in its support of gender-affirming care and “stands with pediatricians and families making health care decisions together and free from political interference.”Five years ago,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/courts-supreme-courts-mi-state-wire-neil-gorsuch-ap-top-news-5a7b0e41a47a3c571dda69194758e7b1">the Supreme Court ruled</a>&nbsp;LGBTQ people are protected by a landmark federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in the workplace. That decision is unaffected by Wednesday’s ruling.But the justices declined to apply the same sort of analysis the court used in 2020 when it found “sex plays an unmistakable role” in employers’ decisions to punish transgender people for traits and behavior they otherwise tolerate. Roberts joined that opinion written by Justice Neil Gorsuch, who was part of Wednesday's majority.Justice Amy Coney Barrett also fully joined the majority but wrote separately to emphasize that laws classifying people based on transgender status should not receive any special review by courts. Barrett, also writing for justice Clarence Thomas, wrote that “courts must give legislatures flexibility to make policy in this area.”<h2>‘A devastating loss' or a 'Landmark VICTORY’</h2>Chase Strangio, the American Civil Liberties Union lawyer who argued the case for transgender minors and their families, called the ruling "a devastating loss for transgender people, our families, and everyone who cares about the Constitution.”Mo Jenkins, a 26-year-old trans woman who began taking hormone therapy at 16, said she was disheartened but not surprised by the ruling. “Trans people are not going to disappear," said Jenkins, a Texas native and legislative staffer at the state capitol in Austin. Texas outlawed puberty blockers and hormone treatment for minors in 2023.Tennessee's leading Republican elected officials all praised the outcome. Attorney General&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-cabinet-tennessee-supreme-court-government-and-politics-155b1419a746b7125649593b76ee4724">Jonathan Skrmetti</a>&nbsp;on social media called the ruling a “Landmark VICTORY for Tennessee at SCOTUS in defense of America’s children!”There are about 300,000 people between the ages of 13 and 17 and 1.3 million adults who identify as transgender in the U.S., according to the Williams Institute, a think tank at the UCLA School of Law that researches sexual orientation and gender identity demographics.When the case was argued in December, then-President Joe Biden's Democratic administration and families of transgender adolescents called on the high court to strike down the Tennessee ban as unlawful sex discrimination and to protect the constitutional rights of vulnerable Americans.They argued the law violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment in part because the same treatments that the law prohibits for transgender minors can be used for other purposes.Soon after Trump took office, the Justice Department told the court its position had changed.A major issue in the case was the appropriate level of scrutiny courts should apply to such laws.The lowest level is known as rational basis review, and almost every law looked at that way is upheld. Indeed, the federal appeals court in Cincinnati that allowed the Tennessee law to be enforced held that lawmakers acted rationally to regulate medical procedures.The appeals court reversed a trial court that employed a higher level of review, heightened scrutiny, which applies in cases of sex discrimination. Under this more searching examination, the state must identify an important objective and show the law helps accomplish it.Roberts' 24-page majority opinion was devoted almost entirely to explaining why the Tennessee law, called SB1, should be evaluated under the lower standard of review. The law's restrictions on treating minors for gender dysphoria turn on age and medical use, not sex, Roberts wrote.Doctors may prescribe puberty blockers and hormone therapy to minors of any sex to treat some disorders, but not those relating to transgender status, he wrote.But in her courtroom statement, Sotomayor asserted that similar arguments were made to defend the Virginia law prohibiting interracial marriage that the Supreme Court struck down in 1967.“A ban on interracial marriage could be described in the same way as the majority described SB1,” she said.Roberts rejected the comparison.

Kan. U.S. Senator praised Supreme Court's ruling on transgender rights

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating another homicide in Kansas City have identified the victim as 26-year-old Mikeal B. Copenhaver, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil Dimartino.

Just after 10p.m. Thursday,&nbsp;patrol officers were dispatched to the 4300 block of Northern on a reported disturbance, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

While officers were on the way to the scene, they received information that other callers reported sounds of gunshots and a shooting in the area. 

As officers arrived they were directed to the outside of an apartment building. There they located a victim later identified as Copenhaver suffering from gunshot wounds. 

KCFD EMS responded to the scene and pronounced him deceased. Officers located an additional adult male victim on scene suffering from a gunshot wound.&nbsp; He was transported to a local hospital with non life threatening injuries.

This is being investigated as a homicide. Preliminary information revealed there was a disturbance between several individuals that led to shots being fired and the Copenhaver being struck. 

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating another homicide in Kansas City have identified the victim as 26-year-old Mikeal B. Copenhaver, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil Dimartino.Just after 10p.m. Thursday,&nbsp;patrol officers were dispatched to the 4300 block of Northern on a reported disturbance, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.While officers were on the way to the scene, they received information that other callers reported sounds of gunshots and a shooting in the area. As officers arrived they were directed to the outside of an apartment building. There they located a victim later identified as Copenhaver suffering from gunshot wounds. KCFD EMS responded to the scene and pronounced him deceased. Officers located an additional adult male victim on scene suffering from a gunshot wound.&nbsp; He was transported to a local hospital with non life threatening injuries.This is being investigated as a homicide. Preliminary information revealed there was a disturbance between several individuals that led to shots being fired and the Copenhaver being struck.

Man killed in KC apartment complex gunfight

President&nbsp;Donald Trump kept silent Thursday about the Juneteenth Holiday.&nbsp; Late Thursday, the President finally wrote on social media to complain about too many non-working holidays..

During the Thursday press briefing,&nbsp; White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt thanked reporters for showing up to work on the Juneteenth Federal Holiday. "We are certainly here. We’re working 24/7 right now.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750269288982.png" alt="File image White House" />
 <figcaption>File image White House</figcaption>
 </figure>President&nbsp;Donald Trump kept silent Thursday about the Juneteenth Holiday.&nbsp; Late Thursday, the President finally wrote on social media to complain about too many non-working holidays..<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/5DPtr8EtwQ">pic.twitter.com/5DPtr8EtwQ</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1935836246133080540?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>During the Thursday press briefing,&nbsp; White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt thanked reporters for showing up to work on the Juneteenth Federal Holiday. "We are certainly here. We’re working 24/7 right now.”

President Trump complains about too many 'non-working holidays'

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating an officer involved shooting.

WICHITA, Kan.&nbsp;— Just before 4:30a.m. Friday, Sedgwick County emergency communications received an open-line disturbance call in the area of MacArthur and West Street in Wichita, according to Officer Rick Pena.

&nbsp;Dispatchers could hear a disturbance on the line and a woman crying for help. Using technology, the dispatch center call takers were able to identify a potential location in the area of 4600 W 37th Street S, according to Pena.&nbsp;

Police responded to the area and found a vehicle with front end damage. Inside the car, officers saw a man physically assaulting a woman.&nbsp;

&nbsp;The man saw officers, entered the driver's seat of the vehicle, and attempted to flee the scene. One Wichita officer fired two rounds from a handgun. The suspect was struck twice but continued to flee the scene.

&nbsp;Officers located the vehicle at a business in the area of K42 and West Street and the 31-year old suspect with two gunshot wounds. He was transported to an area hospital in critical condition.&nbsp;

&nbsp;The woman in the vehicle had a minor injury and refused medical treatment.&nbsp;

&nbsp;The Wichita Police Department has activated the ALERT protocol, and the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office will lead this investigation.&nbsp; No officers were injured in this incident.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750454134127.png" alt="Police near the scene of the investigation-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police near the scene of the investigation-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating an officer involved shooting.WICHITA, Kan.&nbsp;— Just before 4:30a.m. Friday, Sedgwick County emergency communications received an open-line disturbance call in the area of MacArthur and West Street in Wichita, according to Officer Rick Pena.&nbsp;Dispatchers could hear a disturbance on the line and a woman crying for help. Using technology, the dispatch center call takers were able to identify a potential location in the area of 4600 W 37th Street S, according to Pena.&nbsp;Police responded to the area and found a vehicle with front end damage. Inside the car, officers saw a man physically assaulting a woman.&nbsp;&nbsp;The man saw officers, entered the driver's seat of the vehicle, and attempted to flee the scene. One Wichita officer fired two rounds from a handgun. The suspect was struck twice but continued to flee the scene.&nbsp;Officers located the vehicle at a business in the area of K42 and West Street and the 31-year old suspect with two gunshot wounds. He was transported to an area hospital in critical condition.&nbsp;&nbsp;The woman in the vehicle had a minor injury and refused medical treatment.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Wichita Police Department has activated the ALERT protocol, and the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office will lead this investigation.&nbsp; No officers were injured in this incident.&nbsp;

Assault suspect wounded in Kansas officer-shooting

ISLAMABAD (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-evacuations-foreign-nationals-846ee06a70f855b02a2d66818fd2d93e">Countries are evacuating their nationals</a>&nbsp;from Israel and Iran by air, land and sea as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-iran-war-latest-06-19-2025-14b868f4514a7c337d5b9859de130bf0">conflict</a>&nbsp;rages between the bitter rivals.

Days of attacks and reprisals by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-timeline-tensions-conflict-66764c2843d62757d83e4a486946bcb8">the two enemies</a>&nbsp;have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-mideast-iraq-airports-airspace-closures-ebd0d9ea8362f2ecd06ceabc0cc40e7c">shuttered airspace</a>&nbsp;across the Middle East, severely disrupting commercial flights and leaving people unable to get in or out of the region easily.

Some governments are using land borders to get their citizens out by road to countries where airports remain open.

Thousands of foreigners have already left since the conflict started last Friday when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-explosions-israel-tehran-00234a06e5128a8aceb406b140297299">Israel launched surprise missile strikes</a>&nbsp;on Iran.

The State Department is planning to evacuate Americans from Israel by air and on cruise ships, according to the U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. Huckabee said Americans interested in leaving Israel should enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program for updates.

There are some 700,000 Americans, many of them dual U.S.-Israeli citizens, in Israel and thousands more in other Mideast countries, including Iran.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bulgaria">Bulgaria</a>&nbsp;has moved all its diplomats from Tehran to the capital of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/azerbaijan">Azerbaijan</a>, Baku, the Balkan country’s prime minister said Thursday.

“We are not closing the embassy, but moving it to Baku until the danger passes,” said Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov.

A group of 89 Bulgarians was evacuated from Israel by plane to Sofia, along with 59 nationals from Slovenia, the U.S., Belgium, Albania, Kosovo and Romania.

They left from the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh, where they had been transferred by bus across the border from Israel.

He said the government had urged all Bulgarians willing to join the convoy to do so. They set off in 11 vehicles on Wednesday morning.

“There were alternatives. They could travel via Turkey, but eventually we decided that they should go via Azerbaijan,” Zhelyazkov added.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/china">China</a>&nbsp;said it has evacuated more than 1,600 nationals from Iran and “several hundred others” from Israel.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Beijing would continue to do its “utmost to assist in the safe transfer and evacuation of Chinese citizens.”

Aell Huang, who was in the Iranian city of Isfahan, said he didn’t feel safe during the conflict. “I heard explosions from time to time. Civilians got hurt too. I got more prepared mentally once I saw the embassy’s warning.”

He and some friends hired a car and headed to Azerbaijan, waiting at border control for almost 12 hours, where he saw as many as 60 other Chinese nationals.

The Chinese Embassy said it would organize group evacuations by bus from Israel starting Friday.

A notice posted on the embassy’s WeChat social media account said citizens would be taken out through the Taba border crossing to Egypt. It asked them to register online and said they would be notified of the evacuation time.

People carrying Chinese, Hong Kong, and Macao passports were eligible, the notice said.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/european-union">European Union</a>&nbsp;has helped evacuate some 400 people from Israel via Jordan and Egypt as part of its efforts to coordinate an emergency response within the 27-nation bloc.

“Member states coordinate the list and we co-finance these flights up to 75% of the transport costs,” European Commission spokesperson Eva Hrncirova told a regular press conference in Brussels on Wednesday.

Hrncirova said the E.U. was fielding requests by Slovakia, Lithuania, Greece, and Poland for assistance with Middle East evacuations.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/france">French</a>&nbsp;Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Thursday it was helping nationals who want to leave Iran and Israel to do so through neighboring countries where commercial flights were still available.

Barrot said people in Iran could travel to Armenia and Turkey without a visa. Those unable to reach the border on their own would be “transported by convoy by the end of the week” so they could take commercial flights to France.

French nationals wanting to leave Israel can go via Jordan and Egypt. From Friday morning, some buses will carry passengers from the Israeli border to Amman and Sharm el-Sheikh airports.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/germany">Germany</a>&nbsp;flew 171 people out of Amman on a special flight on Wednesday. A further 174 people returned on Thursday and another flight is planned this weekend.

Passenger Daniel Halav, who was stuck in Tel Aviv, said he had “never been so glad to be home” after landing in Frankfurt, the German news agency dpa reported.

But, he said, “we had to take care of ourselves of how we got to Amman. From my point of view, we were left a bit alone there.”

The German Foreign Ministry said officials had decided against organizing convoys to get people to Amman, arguing this move could have created a security risk and that those wishing to leave were scattered across Israel.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/greece">Greece’s</a>&nbsp;Foreign Ministry said 141 Greeks and other nationals have been evacuated from Israel via Egypt.

The group included citizens from Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Germany, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States.

They were flown to Athens early Wednesday from Sharm el-Sheikh aboard two military transport planes.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/india">India</a>&nbsp;said it evacuated 110 students by road from northern Iran to the Armenian capital, Yerevan. They left on a special flight on June 18.

The Indian Embassy in Iran has been helping nationals to move from areas experiencing increased hostilities to relatively safer areas within the country, subsequently evacuating them, according to the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.

As of Thursday, some 22,000 holidaymakers had asked the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel">Israeli</a>&nbsp;Tourism Ministry to help them leave the country. There are around 38,000 tourists in Israel.

The Transport Ministry said thousands of Israelis have returned daily in the past few days, with 21 planes bringing back nationals stranded abroad since the start of the aerial campaign against Iran.

The Population, Immigration, and Border Authority said 38,250 Israelis entered the country between June 13 and 19, and 21,456 left during the same period.

The majority of arrivals and departures were by land.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/oman">Oman</a>&nbsp;said Thursday it had evacuated 245 of its citizens and nationals from other countries via the Iranian coastal city of Bandar Abbas.

Ten buses transported Omani citizens from Iran’s north into Turkey. A further three buses crossed into Iraq.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/indonesia">Indonesian</a>&nbsp;government on Thursday decided to evacuate its nationals from Iran.

“Our citizens are at risk,” Indonesia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Sugiono said. “Over the past two days, Israel’s attacks have grown more intense, not only targeting the military, but also civilians.”

He said about 386 Indonesians, mostly students, were in Iran, primarily in the city of Qom. The ministry earlier said some 194 Indonesians were in Israel, mostly student interns in the southern city of Rafah.

Sugiono did not give a timeframe for evacuations, but said Iran has promised to help with the process.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/japan">Japan</a>&nbsp;is sending two military aircraft to Djibouti to stand by for the possible airlifting of Japanese nationals from Iran.

Defense Minister Gen Nakatani told reporters he had issued an order to send two C-2 transport aircraft, along with 120 armed forces personnel, to the Horn of Africa nation, where Japan has a military base. An advance team of servicemembers left Japan earlier Thursday.

Chief of the Self-Defense Forces Joint Staff Gen. Yoshihide Yoshida said the C-2 dispatch was to secure multiple options for evacuation when necessary.

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said the embassy in Iran was preparing to evacuate an unspecified number of Japanese nationals by bus.

Some 280 Japanese are in Iran, and 1,000 are in Israel.

Deputy Foreign Minister Henryka Moscicka-Dendys said a group would depart from Amman by military aircraft on Thursday, following road transportation from Israel to the Jordanian border.

Some 160&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/poland">Poles</a>&nbsp;arrived in Warsaw on Wednesday morning from Israel via Egypt, the Polish news agency PAP reported.

The deputy minister said while there were no plans to evacuate citizens from Iran, Warsaw was helping with the departure of non-essential personnel from the embassy in Tehran.

The staff, along with seven Polish citizens, left the Iranian capital on Wednesday morning for the Azerbaijan border.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/south-korea">South Korea’s</a>&nbsp;Foreign Ministry says 18 South Korean nationals and two Iranian family members were evacuated from Iran and arrived in Turkmenistan late Wednesday by land.

The ministry described the evacuation as a preemptive move to protect citizens as the closure of airspace would have otherwise made it difficult for them to leave.

It urged South Koreans in Iran and Israel to promptly depart in line with embassy instructions and advised travelers to cancel or postpone trips to the region.

Twenty-five nationals and one Israeli family member were escorted out of Israel by embassy staff and arrived in Jordan on Thursday morning.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/thailand">Thai</a>&nbsp;nationals have been advised to leave Tehran at the earliest opportunity and avoid traveling to affected areas, although there is no immediate plan for an evacuation from Iran, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura said Wednesday.

He said there are about 350 Thais in Iran and only five had expressed a wish to return to Thailand.

The embassy in Tehran has set up a temporary shelter for Thais in Amol and has temporarily relocated its office to Kordan to ensure the safety of those needing to travel for the services.

The embassy has also prepared the land routes for Thais to travel to Iran’s neighbors, Nikorndej said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750382533772.png" alt="Image&nbsp; U.S. Embassy Jerusalem" />
 <figcaption>Image&nbsp; U.S. Embassy Jerusalem</figcaption>
 </figure>ISLAMABAD (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-evacuations-foreign-nationals-846ee06a70f855b02a2d66818fd2d93e">Countries are evacuating their nationals</a>&nbsp;from Israel and Iran by air, land and sea as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-iran-war-latest-06-19-2025-14b868f4514a7c337d5b9859de130bf0">conflict</a>&nbsp;rages between the bitter rivals.Days of attacks and reprisals by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-timeline-tensions-conflict-66764c2843d62757d83e4a486946bcb8">the two enemies</a>&nbsp;have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-mideast-iraq-airports-airspace-closures-ebd0d9ea8362f2ecd06ceabc0cc40e7c">shuttered airspace</a>&nbsp;across the Middle East, severely disrupting commercial flights and leaving people unable to get in or out of the region easily.Some governments are using land borders to get their citizens out by road to countries where airports remain open.Thousands of foreigners have already left since the conflict started last Friday when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-explosions-israel-tehran-00234a06e5128a8aceb406b140297299">Israel launched surprise missile strikes</a>&nbsp;on Iran.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FUSEmbassyJlm%2Fposts%2Fpfbid08JfQ2iengyRJEzh81x7hEw1KHcsqD4FVyiwcC4X3Stw7EwMQ4Fg92iYrvKQY9rCql&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="648" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div><h2>United States</h2>The State Department is planning to evacuate Americans from Israel by air and on cruise ships, according to the U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. Huckabee said Americans interested in leaving Israel should enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program for updates.There are some 700,000 Americans, many of them dual U.S.-Israeli citizens, in Israel and thousands more in other Mideast countries, including Iran.<h2>Bulgaria</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bulgaria">Bulgaria</a>&nbsp;has moved all its diplomats from Tehran to the capital of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/azerbaijan">Azerbaijan</a>, Baku, the Balkan country’s prime minister said Thursday.“We are not closing the embassy, but moving it to Baku until the danger passes,” said Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov.A group of 89 Bulgarians was evacuated from Israel by plane to Sofia, along with 59 nationals from Slovenia, the U.S., Belgium, Albania, Kosovo and Romania.They left from the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh, where they had been transferred by bus across the border from Israel.He said the government had urged all Bulgarians willing to join the convoy to do so. They set off in 11 vehicles on Wednesday morning.“There were alternatives. They could travel via Turkey, but eventually we decided that they should go via Azerbaijan,” Zhelyazkov added.<h2>China</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/china">China</a>&nbsp;said it has evacuated more than 1,600 nationals from Iran and “several hundred others” from Israel.Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Beijing would continue to do its “utmost to assist in the safe transfer and evacuation of Chinese citizens.”Aell Huang, who was in the Iranian city of Isfahan, said he didn’t feel safe during the conflict. “I heard explosions from time to time. Civilians got hurt too. I got more prepared mentally once I saw the embassy’s warning.”He and some friends hired a car and headed to Azerbaijan, waiting at border control for almost 12 hours, where he saw as many as 60 other Chinese nationals.The Chinese Embassy said it would organize group evacuations by bus from Israel starting Friday.A notice posted on the embassy’s WeChat social media account said citizens would be taken out through the Taba border crossing to Egypt. It asked them to register online and said they would be notified of the evacuation time.People carrying Chinese, Hong Kong, and Macao passports were eligible, the notice said.<h2>European Union</h2>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/european-union">European Union</a>&nbsp;has helped evacuate some 400 people from Israel via Jordan and Egypt as part of its efforts to coordinate an emergency response within the 27-nation bloc.“Member states coordinate the list and we co-finance these flights up to 75% of the transport costs,” European Commission spokesperson Eva Hrncirova told a regular press conference in Brussels on Wednesday.Hrncirova said the E.U. was fielding requests by Slovakia, Lithuania, Greece, and Poland for assistance with Middle East evacuations.<h2>France</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/france">French</a>&nbsp;Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Thursday it was helping nationals who want to leave Iran and Israel to do so through neighboring countries where commercial flights were still available.Barrot said people in Iran could travel to Armenia and Turkey without a visa. Those unable to reach the border on their own would be “transported by convoy by the end of the week” so they could take commercial flights to France.French nationals wanting to leave Israel can go via Jordan and Egypt. From Friday morning, some buses will carry passengers from the Israeli border to Amman and Sharm el-Sheikh airports.<h2>Germany</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/germany">Germany</a>&nbsp;flew 171 people out of Amman on a special flight on Wednesday. A further 174 people returned on Thursday and another flight is planned this weekend.Passenger Daniel Halav, who was stuck in Tel Aviv, said he had “never been so glad to be home” after landing in Frankfurt, the German news agency dpa reported.But, he said, “we had to take care of ourselves of how we got to Amman. From my point of view, we were left a bit alone there.”The German Foreign Ministry said officials had decided against organizing convoys to get people to Amman, arguing this move could have created a security risk and that those wishing to leave were scattered across Israel.<h2>Greece</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/greece">Greece’s</a>&nbsp;Foreign Ministry said 141 Greeks and other nationals have been evacuated from Israel via Egypt.The group included citizens from Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Germany, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States.They were flown to Athens early Wednesday from Sharm el-Sheikh aboard two military transport planes.<h2>India</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/india">India</a>&nbsp;said it evacuated 110 students by road from northern Iran to the Armenian capital, Yerevan. They left on a special flight on June 18.The Indian Embassy in Iran has been helping nationals to move from areas experiencing increased hostilities to relatively safer areas within the country, subsequently evacuating them, according to the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.<h2>Israel</h2>As of Thursday, some 22,000 holidaymakers had asked the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel">Israeli</a>&nbsp;Tourism Ministry to help them leave the country. There are around 38,000 tourists in Israel.The Transport Ministry said thousands of Israelis have returned daily in the past few days, with 21 planes bringing back nationals stranded abroad since the start of the aerial campaign against Iran.The Population, Immigration, and Border Authority said 38,250 Israelis entered the country between June 13 and 19, and 21,456 left during the same period.The majority of arrivals and departures were by land.<h2>Middle East &amp; North Africa</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/oman">Oman</a>&nbsp;said Thursday it had evacuated 245 of its citizens and nationals from other countries via the Iranian coastal city of Bandar Abbas.Ten buses transported Omani citizens from Iran’s north into Turkey. A further three buses crossed into Iraq.<h2>Indonesia</h2>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/indonesia">Indonesian</a>&nbsp;government on Thursday decided to evacuate its nationals from Iran.“Our citizens are at risk,” Indonesia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Sugiono said. “Over the past two days, Israel’s attacks have grown more intense, not only targeting the military, but also civilians.”He said about 386 Indonesians, mostly students, were in Iran, primarily in the city of Qom. The ministry earlier said some 194 Indonesians were in Israel, mostly student interns in the southern city of Rafah.Sugiono did not give a timeframe for evacuations, but said Iran has promised to help with the process.<h2>Japan</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/japan">Japan</a>&nbsp;is sending two military aircraft to Djibouti to stand by for the possible airlifting of Japanese nationals from Iran.Defense Minister Gen Nakatani told reporters he had issued an order to send two C-2 transport aircraft, along with 120 armed forces personnel, to the Horn of Africa nation, where Japan has a military base. An advance team of servicemembers left Japan earlier Thursday.Chief of the Self-Defense Forces Joint Staff Gen. Yoshihide Yoshida said the C-2 dispatch was to secure multiple options for evacuation when necessary.Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said the embassy in Iran was preparing to evacuate an unspecified number of Japanese nationals by bus.Some 280 Japanese are in Iran, and 1,000 are in Israel.<h2>Poland</h2>Deputy Foreign Minister Henryka Moscicka-Dendys said a group would depart from Amman by military aircraft on Thursday, following road transportation from Israel to the Jordanian border.Some 160&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/poland">Poles</a>&nbsp;arrived in Warsaw on Wednesday morning from Israel via Egypt, the Polish news agency PAP reported.The deputy minister said while there were no plans to evacuate citizens from Iran, Warsaw was helping with the departure of non-essential personnel from the embassy in Tehran.The staff, along with seven Polish citizens, left the Iranian capital on Wednesday morning for the Azerbaijan border.<h2>South Korea</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/south-korea">South Korea’s</a>&nbsp;Foreign Ministry says 18 South Korean nationals and two Iranian family members were evacuated from Iran and arrived in Turkmenistan late Wednesday by land.The ministry described the evacuation as a preemptive move to protect citizens as the closure of airspace would have otherwise made it difficult for them to leave.It urged South Koreans in Iran and Israel to promptly depart in line with embassy instructions and advised travelers to cancel or postpone trips to the region.Twenty-five nationals and one Israeli family member were escorted out of Israel by embassy staff and arrived in Jordan on Thursday morning.<h2>Thailand</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/thailand">Thai</a>&nbsp;nationals have been advised to leave Tehran at the earliest opportunity and avoid traveling to affected areas, although there is no immediate plan for an evacuation from Iran, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura said Wednesday.He said there are about 350 Thais in Iran and only five had expressed a wish to return to Thailand.The embassy in Tehran has set up a temporary shelter for Thais in Amol and has temporarily relocated its office to Kordan to ensure the safety of those needing to travel for the services.The embassy has also prepared the land routes for Thais to travel to Iran’s neighbors, Nikorndej said.

Foreigners evacuated by air, land and sea as Israel-Iran conflict worsens

KANSAS CITY —One person died in an accident just after 6:30p.m. Thursday in Kansas City.

A Toyota RAV4 was traveling eastbound on Interstate 435 at Cookingham Drive, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

The Toyota traveled off the roadway to the left through the grassy center median and struck a westbound Peterbilt semi. The impact ruptured the fuel tanks of the truck, causing the truck and trailer to become fully engulfed in flames. 

The unrestrained driver and sole occupant of the Toyota was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the Peterbilt was not injured.

This is fatality #36 compared to #48 at this time last year, according to DiMartino. The accident remains under investigation. Police have not released the name of the driver who died.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750413470035.png" alt="Photo KC Scout camera just after 6:30p.m. Thursday" />
 <figcaption>Photo KC Scout camera just after 6:30p.m. Thursday</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —One person died in an accident just after 6:30p.m. Thursday in Kansas City.A Toyota RAV4 was traveling eastbound on Interstate 435 at Cookingham Drive, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.The Toyota traveled off the roadway to the left through the grassy center median and struck a westbound Peterbilt semi. The impact ruptured the fuel tanks of the truck, causing the truck and trailer to become fully engulfed in flames. The unrestrained driver and sole occupant of the Toyota was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the Peterbilt was not injured.This is fatality #36 compared to #48 at this time last year, according to DiMartino. The accident remains under investigation. Police have not released the name of the driver who died.

KCPD: Driver dies after SUV semi crash and fire

NEOSHO COUNTY —Anderson County provided mutual aid resources to support response efforts following a tragic incident south of Erie, where two boys were struck by a train on a railroad bridge.

The search continues for the body of 12-year-old  Kollin Showwalter of Erie, according to Anderson County Emergency Management.

Anderson County deployed water rescue-trained personnel along with a utility truck, rescue boat, rescue truck, and a transport-capable UTV to assist in search operations along the rising, debris-filled Neosho River.

Just after 12:30p.m. Wednesday the Neosho County 911 Center received a report from the Union Pacific Railroad that two individuals had been struck on the Railroad Bridge south of Erie near 115th Road, according to Neosho County Sheriff Greg Taylor.

First responders found 16-year-old Arthur  Pollries of Walnut, Kansas, deceased, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.

&nbsp;Kansas Deparatment of Wildlife and Parks responded with personnel, a drone and boat. KHP sent numerous personnel, helicopter, and search dogs in an attempt to find the body of the 12-year-old.

After reviewing the Engine Camera footage and physical evidence, the two children were on the bridge and unable to outrun the train. Unfortunately after reviewing the footage and physical evidence at the scene, the search went from hopeful rescue effort to a recovery effort.

The Neosho River is currently rising, nearly bank full, with a very swift current, and full of debris.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750415806128.png" alt="Photos Anderson Countyi Emergency Management" />
 <figcaption>Photos Anderson Countyi Emergency Management</figcaption>
 </figure>NEOSHO COUNTY —Anderson County provided mutual aid resources to support response efforts following a tragic incident south of Erie, where two boys were struck by a train on a railroad bridge.The search continues for the body of 12-year-old Kollin Showwalter of Erie, according to Anderson County Emergency Management.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750415791745.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Anderson County deployed water rescue-trained personnel along with a utility truck, rescue boat, rescue truck, and a transport-capable UTV to assist in search operations along the rising, debris-filled Neosho River.Just after 12:30p.m. Wednesday the Neosho County 911 Center received a report from the Union Pacific Railroad that two individuals had been struck on the Railroad Bridge south of Erie near 115th Road, according to Neosho County Sheriff Greg Taylor.First responders found 16-year-old Arthur Pollries of Walnut, Kansas, deceased, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.&nbsp;Kansas Deparatment of Wildlife and Parks responded with personnel, a drone and boat. KHP sent numerous personnel, helicopter, and search dogs in an attempt to find the body of the 12-year-old.After reviewing the Engine Camera footage and physical evidence, the two children were on the bridge and unable to outrun the train. Unfortunately after reviewing the footage and physical evidence at the scene, the search went from hopeful rescue effort to a recovery effort.The Neosho River is currently rising, nearly bank full, with a very swift current, and full of debris.&nbsp;

Recovery efforts continue: 2 Kan. boys tried to outrun train on river bridge

LOS ANGELES (AP) — An appeals court on Thursday allowed President Donald Trump to keep control of National Guard troops he deployed to Los Angeles following protests over immigration raids.

The decision halts a ruling from a lower court judge who found Trump acted illegally when he activated the soldiers over opposition from California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The deployment was the first by a president of a state National Guard without the governor's permission since 1965.

In its decision, a three-judge panel on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously concluded it was likely Trump lawfully exercised his authority in federalizing control of the guard.

It said that while presidents don't have unfettered power to seize control of a state's guard, the Trump administration had presented enough evidence to show it had a defensible rationale for doing so, citing violent acts by protesters.

"The undisputed facts demonstrate that before the deployment of the National Guard, protesters 'pinned down' several federal officers and threw 'concrete chunks, bottles of liquid, and other objects' at the officers. Protesters also damaged federal buildings and caused the closure of at least one federal building. And a federal van was attacked by protesters who smashed in the van's windows," the court wrote. "The federal government's interest in preventing incidents like these is significant."

It also found that even if the federal government failed to notify the governor of California before federalizing the National Guard as required by law, Newsom had no power to veto the president's order.

Trump celebrated the decision on his Truth Social platform, calling it a "BIG WIN."

He wrote that "all over the United States, if our Cities, and our people, need protection, we are the ones to give it to them should State and Local Police be unable, for whatever reason, to get the job done."

Newsom issued a statement that expressed disappointment that the court is allowing Trump to retain control of the Guard. But he also welcomed one aspect of the decision.

"The court rightly rejected Trump's claim that he can do whatever he wants with the National Guard and not have to explain himself to a court," Newsom said. "The President is not a king and is not above the law. We will press forward with our challenge to President Trump's authoritarian use of U.S. military soldiers against citizens."

The court case could have wider implications on the president's power to deploy soldiers within the United States after Trump directed immigration officials to prioritize deportations from other Democratic-run cities.

Trump, a Republican, argued that the troops were necessary to restore order. Newsom, a Democrat, said the move inflamed tensions, usurped local authority and wasted resources. The protests have since appeared to be winding down.

Two judges on the appeals panel were appointed by Trump during his first term. During oral arguments Tuesday, all three judges suggested that presidents have wide latitude under the federal law at issue and that courts should be reluctant to step in.

The case started when Newsom sued to block Trump's command, and he won an early victory from U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco.

Breyer found that Trump had overstepped his legal authority, which he said only allows presidents can take control during times of "rebellion or danger of a rebellion."

"The protests in Los Angeles fall far short of 'rebellion,'" wrote Breyer, who was appointed by former President Bill Clinton and is brother to retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.

The Trump administration, though, argued that courts can't second guess the president's decisions and quickly secured a temporary halt from the appeals court.

The ruling means control of the California National Guard will stay in federal hands as the lawsuit continues to unfold.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750413132016.jpeg" alt="California National Guard stand in formation guarding the federal building in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)" />
 <figcaption>California National Guard stand in formation guarding the federal building in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)</figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — An appeals court on Thursday allowed President Donald Trump to keep control of National Guard troops he deployed to Los Angeles following protests over immigration raids.The decision halts a ruling from a lower court judge who found Trump acted illegally when he activated the soldiers over opposition from California Gov. Gavin Newsom.The deployment was the first by a president of a state National Guard without the governor's permission since 1965.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750423057135.png" alt="Trump" />
 <figcaption>Trump</figcaption>
 </figure>In its decision, a three-judge panel on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously concluded it was likely Trump lawfully exercised his authority in federalizing control of the guard.It said that while presidents don't have unfettered power to seize control of a state's guard, the Trump administration had presented enough evidence to show it had a defensible rationale for doing so, citing violent acts by protesters."The undisputed facts demonstrate that before the deployment of the National Guard, protesters 'pinned down' several federal officers and threw 'concrete chunks, bottles of liquid, and other objects' at the officers. Protesters also damaged federal buildings and caused the closure of at least one federal building. And a federal van was attacked by protesters who smashed in the van's windows," the court wrote. "The federal government's interest in preventing incidents like these is significant."It also found that even if the federal government failed to notify the governor of California before federalizing the National Guard as required by law, Newsom had no power to veto the president's order.Trump celebrated the decision on his Truth Social platform, calling it a "BIG WIN."He wrote that "all over the United States, if our Cities, and our people, need protection, we are the ones to give it to them should State and Local Police be unable, for whatever reason, to get the job done."Newsom issued a statement that expressed disappointment that the court is allowing Trump to retain control of the Guard. But he also welcomed one aspect of the decision."The court rightly rejected Trump's claim that he can do whatever he wants with the National Guard and not have to explain himself to a court," Newsom said. "The President is not a king and is not above the law. We will press forward with our challenge to President Trump's authoritarian use of U.S. military soldiers against citizens."The court case could have wider implications on the president's power to deploy soldiers within the United States after Trump directed immigration officials to prioritize deportations from other Democratic-run cities.Trump, a Republican, argued that the troops were necessary to restore order. Newsom, a Democrat, said the move inflamed tensions, usurped local authority and wasted resources. The protests have since appeared to be winding down.Two judges on the appeals panel were appointed by Trump during his first term. During oral arguments Tuesday, all three judges suggested that presidents have wide latitude under the federal law at issue and that courts should be reluctant to step in.The case started when Newsom sued to block Trump's command, and he won an early victory from U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco.Breyer found that Trump had overstepped his legal authority, which he said only allows presidents can take control during times of "rebellion or danger of a rebellion.""The protests in Los Angeles fall far short of 'rebellion,'" wrote Breyer, who was appointed by former President Bill Clinton and is brother to retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.The Trump administration, though, argued that courts can't second guess the president's decisions and quickly secured a temporary halt from the appeals court.The ruling means control of the California National Guard will stay in federal hands as the lawsuit continues to unfold.

Appeals court rules Trump can keep control of Calif. National Guard 

JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a theft involving electronics and asked the public for help. On Thursday police reported they have identified the suspects.

The suspected are accused of committing felony theft from a retail establishment in Overland Park, according to Officer John Lacy.

Just after 4p.m. May 17,&nbsp; &nbsp;two suspects entered a retail establishment located near the intersection of W. 115th and Metcalf Avenue, The two individuals selected nine laptop computers and left without paying.

One suspect was described as a Black male, estimated to be in his late 20s, and was observed wearing a gray hat, a dark sweatshirt, and gray sweatpants and had a tattoo on his neck.

The second is described as a white male, approximately 30 years of age, and was observed wearing a black hat, a black jacket, black pants, and black and white Nike brand shoes. The suspects were observed departing the business in a gold-colored Chevrolet Equinox. The vehicle’s license plate was obscured by a white plastic shopping bag.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750121069263.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a theft involving electronics and asked the public for help. On Thursday police reported they have identified the suspects.The suspected are accused of committing felony theft from a retail establishment in Overland Park, according to Officer John Lacy.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750121049246.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 4p.m. May 17,&nbsp; &nbsp;two suspects entered a retail establishment located near the intersection of W. 115th and Metcalf Avenue, The two individuals selected nine laptop computers and left without paying.One suspect was described as a Black male, estimated to be in his late 20s, and was observed wearing a gray hat, a dark sweatshirt, and gray sweatpants and had a tattoo on his neck.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750121021630.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The second is described as a white male, approximately 30 years of age, and was observed wearing a black hat, a black jacket, black pants, and black and white Nike brand shoes. The suspects were observed departing the business in a gold-colored Chevrolet Equinox. The vehicle’s license plate was obscured by a white plastic shopping bag.Police have not reported an arrest.

Police  ID Kansas computer theft suspects

KANSAS CITY—A teen who Kansas City police reported as missing is dead following an accident on Interstate 70 Thursday.

Early Thursday, police issued an alert asking for help to locate 14-year-old&nbsp; Mario Myers, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.&nbsp; Myers was seen&nbsp; at 3a.m., walking in the area of 39th and Bales in Kansas City. 

Police reported the boy "needs immediate medical treatment"

Approximately 90 minutes later, police and EMS responded to a confirmed fatal pedestrian accident. The&nbsp;pedestrian, later identified as Myers was walking or standing in the #2 travel lane of eastbound Interstate 70 just west of Manchester, according to DiMartino.

An eastbound white Chevrolet Malibu struck the boy. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the Chevrolet was uninjured, stopped immediately, remained at the scene and cooperated with the investigation.

All lanes of Eastbound Interstate 70 were closed to traffic for approximately two and a half hours during the investigation.&nbsp;

This is fatality #35 compared to #48 at this time last year, according to DiMartino.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750354866727.png" alt="Myers photo KCPD" />
 <figcaption>Myers photo KCPD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—A teen who Kansas City police reported as missing is dead following an accident on Interstate 70 Thursday.Early Thursday, police issued an alert asking for help to locate 14-year-old&nbsp; Mario Myers, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.&nbsp; Myers was seen&nbsp; at 3a.m., walking in the area of 39th and Bales in Kansas City. Police reported the boy "needs immediate medical treatment"Approximately 90 minutes later, police and EMS responded to a confirmed fatal pedestrian accident. The&nbsp;pedestrian, later identified as Myers was walking or standing in the #2 travel lane of eastbound Interstate 70 just west of Manchester, according to DiMartino.An eastbound white Chevrolet Malibu struck the boy. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the Chevrolet was uninjured, stopped immediately, remained at the scene and cooperated with the investigation.All lanes of Eastbound Interstate 70 were closed to traffic for approximately two and a half hours during the investigation.&nbsp;This is fatality #35 compared to #48 at this time last year, according to DiMartino.

Police: Missing 14-year-old struck, killed on Interstate 70 

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas resident was sentenced to 30 years in prison for charges related to child sexual abuse materials, according to the United State's Attorney.

According to court documents, Chloe Wade Gullotto, 25, of Leavenworth pled guilty to one count of production of child pornography and one count of receipt of child pornography.

From September 2023 to November 2023, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children&nbsp;received a series of CyberTips about images and videos connected to a cloud account belonging to Gullotto. During an interview with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the

defendant admitted to using a cellphone to download CSAM and to create CSAM images.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750278318686.png" alt="Gullotto from an earlier arrest in Wyandotte County" />
 <figcaption>Gullotto from an earlier arrest in Wyandotte County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas resident was sentenced to 30 years in prison for charges related to child sexual abuse materials, according to the United State's Attorney.According to court documents, Chloe Wade Gullotto, 25, of Leavenworth pled guilty to one count of production of child pornography and one count of receipt of child pornography.From September 2023 to November 2023, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children&nbsp;received a series of CyberTips about images and videos connected to a cloud account belonging to Gullotto. During an interview with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), thedefendant admitted to using a cellphone to download CSAM and to create CSAM images.The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case.

Kansas man admits making child abuse materials

OSAGE COUNTY – Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.&nbsp;

Just after 2a.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;June 17, a Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit conducted a traffic stop in the 100 block of East Fremont Avenue in Burlingame for a traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells. During the stop, a K-9 was deployed, and illegal narcotics were located.

Ricky G. Whitmore, 71 of Osage City was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of&nbsp;Possession of methamphetamine and Possession of drug paraphernalia

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750290991733.png" alt="Whitmore photo Osage Co." />
 <figcaption>Whitmore photo Osage Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY – Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.&nbsp;Just after 2a.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;June 17, a Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit conducted a traffic stop in the 100 block of East Fremont Avenue in Burlingame for a traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells. During the stop, a K-9 was deployed, and illegal narcotics were located.Ricky G. Whitmore, 71 of Osage City was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of&nbsp;Possession of methamphetamine and Possession of drug paraphernalia