SALINE COUNTY—Authorities are working to determine the cause of a fire that destroyed a home and barn in rural Saline County.

On Monday, Rural Fire District 5 responded to report of the fire at 3008 N. Gypsum Valley, according to the Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan. A neighbor called to report the house and barn were on fire.

The barn was owned by 67-year old Billy Jeffrey. He was not present when the fire happened.&nbsp; There were no injuries reported. Authorities did not release a damage estimate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754406887419.jpeg" alt="Barn completely consumed after fire on 3008 N Gypsum Valley; photo&nbsp; Saline County Sheriff's Office." />
 <figcaption>Barn completely consumed after fire on 3008 N Gypsum Valley; photo&nbsp; Saline County Sheriff's Office.</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY—Authorities are working to determine the cause of a fire that destroyed a home and barn in rural Saline County.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754408117778.png" alt="Photo Saline Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Saline Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>On Monday, Rural Fire District 5 responded to report of the fire at 3008 N. Gypsum Valley, according to the Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan. A neighbor called to report the house and barn were on fire.The barn was owned by 67-year old Billy Jeffrey. He was not present when the fire happened.&nbsp; There were no injuries reported. Authorities did not release a damage estimate.

Home, barn destroyed in rural Kansas fire

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pam-bondi">Attorney General Pam Bondi</a>&nbsp;has directed that the Justice Department move forward with a probe into the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gabbard-russia-2016-steele-dossier-0452e1079506daa86d75fa0a2f22fc60">following the recent release of documents aimed at undermining the legitimacy of the inquiry</a>&nbsp;that established that Moscow interfered on the Republican’s behalf in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Bondi has directed a prosecutor to present evidence to a grand jury after referrals from the Trump administration’s top intelligence official, a person familiar with the matter said Monday. That person was not authorized to discuss it by name and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press. Fox News first reported the development.

It was not clear which former officials might be the target of any grand jury activity, where the grand jury that might ultimately hear evidence will be located or which prosecutors — whether career employees or political appointees — might be involved in pursuing the investigation. It was also not clear what precise claims of misconduct Trump administration officials believe could form the basis of criminal charges, which a grand jury would have to sign off on for an indictment to be issued.

The development is likely to heighten concerns that the Justice Department is being used to achieve political ends given longstanding grievances over the Russia investigation voiced by President Donald Trump, who has called for the jailing of perceived political adversaries, and because any criminal investigation would revisit one of the most dissected chapters of modern American political history. It is also surfacing at a time when the Trump administration is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-justice-department-pam-bondi-03fbcd024f631440f7ed62b3c6927db3">being buffeted by criticism over its handling of documents from the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation.</a>

The initial, years-old investigation into Russian election interference&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-politics-russia-48f9d5132d7a4e2d823edad8fc407979">resulted in the appointment of a special counsel,</a>&nbsp;Robert Mueller, who secured multiple convictions against Trump aides and allies but did not establish proof of a criminal conspiracy between Moscow and the Trump campaign.

The inquiry shadowed much of Trump’s first term in office and he has long focused his ire on senior officials from the intelligence and law enforcement community, including former FBI Director James Comey, whom he fired in May 2017, and former CIA Director John Brennan.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-russia-fbi-new-investigation-comey-brennan-33f52dec786e45b019d7d021e6d99c02">The Justice Department appeared to confirm an investigation into both men in an unusual statement</a>&nbsp;last month but offered no details.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/durham-report-fbi-trump-clinton-2016-campaign-f3039e651eeb35a09091c363419e6766">Multiple special counsels</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-international-news-elections-politics-campaigns-5e833a62e9492f6a66624b7920cc846a">congressional committees</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/fbi-was-justified-in-probing-trump-russia-fed-watchdog-says-a734c40d142c8950f57ad4c8f8af565c">the Justice Department’s own inspector general</a>&nbsp;have studied and documented a multi-pronged effort by Russia to interfere in the 2016 presidential election on Trump’s behalf, including through a hack-and-leak dump of Democratic emails and a covert social media operation aimed at sowing discord and swaying public opinion.

But that conclusion has been aggressively challenged in recent weeks as Trump’s director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, and other allies have released previously classified records that they hope will cast doubt on the extent of Russian interference and establish an Obama administration effort to falsely link Trump to Russia.

In one batch of documents released last month, Gabbard&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gabbard-trump-russia-investigation-2bba6373255a37f96fb7cbfa92156b2c">disclosed emails showing that senior Obama administration officials were aware</a>&nbsp;in 2016 that Russians had not hacked state election systems to manipulate the votes in Trump’s favor. But President Barack Obama’s administration never alleged that votes were tampered with and had instead detailed other forms of election interference and foreign influence.

A new outcry surfaced last week when Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released a set of emails that FBI Director Kash Patel claimed on social media proved that the “Clinton campaign plotted to frame President Trump and fabricate the Russia collusion hoax.”

The emails were part of a classified annex of a report issued in 2023 by John Durham,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/75e5c4efd5c74e6e9aa1ba0237a0e651">the special counsel who was appointed during the first Trump administration</a>&nbsp;to hunt for any government misconduct during the Russia investigation.

Durham did identify significant flaws in the investigation but uncovered no bombshells to disprove the existence of Russian election interference. His sprawling probe produced three criminal cases; two resulted in acquittals by a jury and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-b9b3c7ef398d00d5dfee9170d66cefec">third was a guilty plea from a little-known FBI lawyer to a charge of making a false statement.</a>

Republicans seized on a July 27, 2016, email in Durham’s newly declassified annex that claimed that Hillary Clinton, then the Democratic candidate for president, had approved a plan during the heat of the campaign to link Trump with Russia.

But the purported author of the email, a senior official at a philanthropic organization founded by billionaire investor George Soros, told Durham’s team he had never sent the email and the alleged recipient said she never recalled receiving it.

Durham’s own report took pain to note that investigators had not corroborated the communications as authentic and said the best assessment was that the message was “a composites of several emails” the Russians had obtained from hacking — raising the likelihood that it was a product of Russian disinformation.

The FBI’s Russia investigation was opened on July 31, 2016, following a tip that a Trump campaign adviser,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/270300c4ced8471a975303ffad27cad6">George Papadopoulos</a>, had told an Australian diplomat that he had learned that Russia was in possession of dirt on Clinton.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738022793205.png" alt="File -Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran during a meeting with Bondi in December-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>File -Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran during a meeting with Bondi in December-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pam-bondi">Attorney General Pam Bondi</a>&nbsp;has directed that the Justice Department move forward with a probe into the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gabbard-russia-2016-steele-dossier-0452e1079506daa86d75fa0a2f22fc60">following the recent release of documents aimed at undermining the legitimacy of the inquiry</a>&nbsp;that established that Moscow interfered on the Republican’s behalf in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.Bondi has directed a prosecutor to present evidence to a grand jury after referrals from the Trump administration’s top intelligence official, a person familiar with the matter said Monday. That person was not authorized to discuss it by name and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press. Fox News first reported the development.It was not clear which former officials might be the target of any grand jury activity, where the grand jury that might ultimately hear evidence will be located or which prosecutors — whether career employees or political appointees — might be involved in pursuing the investigation. It was also not clear what precise claims of misconduct Trump administration officials believe could form the basis of criminal charges, which a grand jury would have to sign off on for an indictment to be issued.The development is likely to heighten concerns that the Justice Department is being used to achieve political ends given longstanding grievances over the Russia investigation voiced by President Donald Trump, who has called for the jailing of perceived political adversaries, and because any criminal investigation would revisit one of the most dissected chapters of modern American political history. It is also surfacing at a time when the Trump administration is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-justice-department-pam-bondi-03fbcd024f631440f7ed62b3c6927db3">being buffeted by criticism over its handling of documents from the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation.</a>The initial, years-old investigation into Russian election interference&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-politics-russia-48f9d5132d7a4e2d823edad8fc407979">resulted in the appointment of a special counsel,</a>&nbsp;Robert Mueller, who secured multiple convictions against Trump aides and allies but did not establish proof of a criminal conspiracy between Moscow and the Trump campaign.The inquiry shadowed much of Trump’s first term in office and he has long focused his ire on senior officials from the intelligence and law enforcement community, including former FBI Director James Comey, whom he fired in May 2017, and former CIA Director John Brennan.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-russia-fbi-new-investigation-comey-brennan-33f52dec786e45b019d7d021e6d99c02">The Justice Department appeared to confirm an investigation into both men in an unusual statement</a>&nbsp;last month but offered no details.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/durham-report-fbi-trump-clinton-2016-campaign-f3039e651eeb35a09091c363419e6766">Multiple special counsels</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-international-news-elections-politics-campaigns-5e833a62e9492f6a66624b7920cc846a">congressional committees</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/fbi-was-justified-in-probing-trump-russia-fed-watchdog-says-a734c40d142c8950f57ad4c8f8af565c">the Justice Department’s own inspector general</a>&nbsp;have studied and documented a multi-pronged effort by Russia to interfere in the 2016 presidential election on Trump’s behalf, including through a hack-and-leak dump of Democratic emails and a covert social media operation aimed at sowing discord and swaying public opinion.But that conclusion has been aggressively challenged in recent weeks as Trump’s director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, and other allies have released previously classified records that they hope will cast doubt on the extent of Russian interference and establish an Obama administration effort to falsely link Trump to Russia.In one batch of documents released last month, Gabbard&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gabbard-trump-russia-investigation-2bba6373255a37f96fb7cbfa92156b2c">disclosed emails showing that senior Obama administration officials were aware</a>&nbsp;in 2016 that Russians had not hacked state election systems to manipulate the votes in Trump’s favor. But President Barack Obama’s administration never alleged that votes were tampered with and had instead detailed other forms of election interference and foreign influence.A new outcry surfaced last week when Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released a set of emails that FBI Director Kash Patel claimed on social media proved that the “Clinton campaign plotted to frame President Trump and fabricate the Russia collusion hoax.”The emails were part of a classified annex of a report issued in 2023 by John Durham,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/75e5c4efd5c74e6e9aa1ba0237a0e651">the special counsel who was appointed during the first Trump administration</a>&nbsp;to hunt for any government misconduct during the Russia investigation.Durham did identify significant flaws in the investigation but uncovered no bombshells to disprove the existence of Russian election interference. His sprawling probe produced three criminal cases; two resulted in acquittals by a jury and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-b9b3c7ef398d00d5dfee9170d66cefec">third was a guilty plea from a little-known FBI lawyer to a charge of making a false statement.</a>Republicans seized on a July 27, 2016, email in Durham’s newly declassified annex that claimed that Hillary Clinton, then the Democratic candidate for president, had approved a plan during the heat of the campaign to link Trump with Russia.But the purported author of the email, a senior official at a philanthropic organization founded by billionaire investor George Soros, told Durham’s team he had never sent the email and the alleged recipient said she never recalled receiving it.Durham’s own report took pain to note that investigators had not corroborated the communications as authentic and said the best assessment was that the message was “a composites of several emails” the Russians had obtained from hacking — raising the likelihood that it was a product of Russian disinformation.The FBI’s Russia investigation was opened on July 31, 2016, following a tip that a Trump campaign adviser,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/270300c4ced8471a975303ffad27cad6">George Papadopoulos</a>, had told an Australian diplomat that he had learned that Russia was in possession of dirt on Clinton.

AG orders grand jury review of Obama-era origins of Trump-Russia hoax

HORRY COUNTY, So. Carolina—Law enforcement investigating a fatal hit-and-run incident have identified the victim as 26-year-old Dezhon Overton of Kansas City, Kansas, according to the Horry County South Carolina Coroner's office.

Just after 12:30 a.m. Sunday, police responded to a call for service related to a leaving the scene of a traffic collision with injuries at 21st Avenue South and Kings Highway, according to a statement from Myrtle Beach Police. 

First responders determined that two pedestrians were struck by the vehicle and the suspect vehicle had fled. The victims including Overton&nbsp; were immediately transported to Grand Strand Medical Center for treatment of their injuries. Overton was pronounced deceased a short time later. He was on vacation at the time of the incident, according to police.

The Myrtle Beach Police Real Time Crime Unit along with assisting units had already started investigating which led them to the location of the suspect vehicle. The driver of the vehicle has been arrested.&nbsp;

HORRY COUNTY, So. Carolina—Law enforcement investigating a fatal hit-and-run incident have identified the victim as 26-year-old Dezhon Overton of Kansas City, Kansas, according to the Horry County South Carolina Coroner's office.Just after 12:30 a.m. Sunday, police responded to a call for service related to a leaving the scene of a traffic collision with injuries at 21st Avenue South and Kings Highway, according to a statement from Myrtle Beach Police. First responders determined that two pedestrians were struck by the vehicle and the suspect vehicle had fled. The victims including Overton&nbsp; were immediately transported to Grand Strand Medical Center for treatment of their injuries. Overton was pronounced deceased a short time later. He was on vacation at the time of the incident, according to police.The Myrtle Beach Police Real Time Crime Unit along with assisting units had already started investigating which led them to the location of the suspect vehicle. The driver of the vehicle has been arrested.&nbsp;

Police: Kansas man on vacation dies after hit-and-run incident

Leader of UnidosUS decries the humanitarian and economic damage of Trump administration’s immigration raids. ‘This is about our civil rights being destroyed’

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/marysanchez/">Mary Sanchez</a>&nbsp;

The economic power of the Latino population in the United States is as massive as it is misunderstood.

Latinos contribute more than&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/us-latino-gdp-skyrockets-to-record-37-trillion-dollars" target="_blank">$3.7 trillion</a>&nbsp;annually to the economy, more than the gross domestic product of all but four countries in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldometers.info/gdp/gdp-by-country/" target="_blank">the world</a>.

Latinos are the nation’s largest minority group with 64 million people.

The vast majority, eight out of 10, are U.S. citizens.

By 2030, one out of every three people entering the workforce will be Latino.

But acknowledgement of&nbsp;<a href="https://unidosus.org/" target="_blank">those facts</a>&nbsp;is lacking,&nbsp;<a href="https://unidosus.org/publications/analyzing-inclusion-of-latino-contributions-in-us-history-curricula-for-high-school/" target="_blank">studies show</a>, especially among policymakers and politicians.

The vacuum leaves space for false narratives to flourish.

One example for the leader of the nation’s largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization is the Trump administration’s inaccurate labeling of Latinos as criminals and outsiders who don’t contribute to the nation.

“If we’re going to have an economy that really moves the country forward and sustains all of us, it has to include the Latino community from a demographics perspective,” said Janet Murguía.

Murguía, a native of Kansas City, Kansas, is president and CEO of&nbsp;<a href="https://unidosus.org/" target="_blank">UnidosUS,</a>&nbsp;which is holding its annual conference in Kansas City Aug. 4-7.

The conference opens days after nearly a dozen people were taken from their jobs at two Kansas El Toro Loco Mexican Bar and Grill locations in morning raids by Homeland Security Investigations, a unit of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The detentions of the employees were filmed and witnessed by community members and sparked a protest later in the day.

Videos show the employees as they were being taken from the restaurants in handcuffs and with chains around their waists. Food was left cooking at the Lenexa location and a handwritten note “Closed” was taped to the front door, which was left unlocked.

Murguía is critical of some tactics that Homeland Security is using in its efforts to meet the administration’s goal of removing 3,000 undocumented immigrants daily.

Increasingly, she said, what’s happening is unlawful and unconstitutional.

“This is not about immigration,” Murguía said. “It’s about civil rights.”

Negative narratives about Latinos that are unsubstantiated by data are being used to justify the actions, including some actions that shred due process, she said.

UnidosUS is the umbrella organization for more than 300 affiliates spread across virtually every state. Three are in the Greater Kansas City area:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.elcentroinc.com/" target="_blank">El Centro</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://guadalupecenters.org/" target="_blank">Guadalupe Centers</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://mattierhodes.org/" target="_blank">Mattie Rhodes Center</a>.

The nearly 60-year-old organization’s current strategy is three-pronged — to protect, defend and advance the Latino community.

Murguía served in former President Bill Clinton’s administration and also once served as an executive vice chancellor at the University of Kansas.

She said abuse of power and government overreach in immigration enforcement must be challenged.

“We intend to do everything we can to provide the advocacy to push back against this and demand accountability in the courts and through the administration and in Congress,” Murguia said.

Partnerships with&nbsp;<a href="https://unidosus.org/press-releases/national-latino-and-civil-rights-groups-denounce-federal-overreach-in-los-angeles-raids/" target="_blank">other civil rights organizations</a>&nbsp;will be key, she said, noting deep connections with the leadership of the National Urban League, the National Action Network and the Legal Defense Fund.

“This is about our civil rights being destroyed,” she said. “Partners and allies can be really critically important in communicating that to the broader public and understanding that we’re all threatened in this country when actions happen.”

‘There is no American agenda without a Latino agenda’&nbsp;

UnidosUS is linking with some of the leading researchers in the nation.

Documenting the social and economic impact of mass deportation will be crucial.

<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/04/03/kansas-man-deported-after-visiting-grandfathers-grave-in-mexico/" target="_blank">Some immigrant families are of mixed status</a>, with at least one family member who might be undocumented and others who are not.

Approximately&nbsp;<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/233150241700500101" target="_blank">6.6 million American citizens</a>, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fwd.us/news/mixed-status-families-1/" target="_blank">5.5 million U.S. children</a>&nbsp;— over 8% of all children in the U.S. — live in a household with at least one undocumented family member.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/233150241700500101" target="_blank">2017 study</a>&nbsp;predicted that removing one family member from every mixed-status household through deportation would drop the median income of those households by nearly 50%.

The report was written with data compiled by the Center for Migration Studies of New York and published by the Journal on Migration and Human Security.

“Removing undocumented residents from mixed-status households would reduce median household income from $41,300 to $22,000, a drop of $19,300, or 47%, which would plunge millions of US families into poverty,” the report noted.

The ramifications on homeownership, businesses and taxes paid could be dramatic.

If the U.S. removed all of its undocumented residents, “gross domestic product (GDP) would be reduced by 1.4% in the first year, and cumulative GDP would be reduced by $4.7 trillion over 10 years,” the report said.

Updated data will be key to track not only the outcomes of current immigration policy but also the Trump administration’s recently approved budget bill. UnidosUS called it&nbsp;<a href="https://unidosus.org/press-releases/unidosus-statement-on-us-house-passage-of-harmful-federal-budget-bill/" target="_blank">“a stunning betrayal to working families, vulnerable communities and the American electorate who entrusted them with their votes”</a>&nbsp;due to its cuts to health programs and food assistance.

Studies can also inform&nbsp;<a href="https://unidosus.org/events/understanding-systemic-racism-and-resulting-inequity-in-latino-communities/" target="_blank">a wide range of initiatives</a>&nbsp;that have long been the focus of UnidosUS: homeownership, educational attainment, health, voting rights and political empowerment.

Data to support policy, based on understanding Latino history

UnidosUS has partnered with the&nbsp;<a href="https://latino.ucla.edu/about/" target="_blank">Latino Politics &amp; Policy Institute</a>) at the University of California Los Angeles.

The institute’s motto is “there is no American agenda without a Latino agenda,” a statement that underscores the relevance of Latinos historically, by population, economic output and future projections as a young demographic.

Latinos are contributing nearly $4 trillion annually to the economy, said Rodrigo Domínguez-Villegas, director of research at the UCLA institute.

Yet Latinos hold only 12% of the nation’s household wealth while comprising nearly 20% of the population, he said.

“There’s a disconnect that reveals a system where Latino labor and entrepreneurship are fueling economic growth in the country, but the wealth that’s generated through Latino labor and entrepreneurship is held elsewhere,” he said.

Domínguez-Villegas is leading a project to find out why.

In a partnership with UnidosUS, the institute is completing an analysis of how public policy has shaped Latino wealth.

The economic mobility study will be released in October.

“We are telling the story of Latino communities across the country and what Latinos contribute, and also how Latinos struggle because of systemic and historical disadvantages,” he said.

Mattie Rhodes, one of the Kansas City-based UnidosUS affiliates, will release the Hispanic/Latino Equity Index for the Kansas City area’s Latino population during the convention on Aug. 4.

The report was developed with the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Center for Economic Information and the Urban League of Greater Kansas City.

It will highlight disparities in economic opportunity, health, education, social justice and civic engagement.

Similar local reports can be aided by another initiative at the UCLA institute, the&nbsp;<a href="https://latinodatahub.org/" target="_blank">Latino Data Hub.</a>

It’s an interactive platform to analyze conditions affecting Latinos nationwide, drawing from the 2023 American Community Survey of the U.S. Census.

An updated hub was released in mid-July. And tutorials on how to use the hub are ongoing.

“We have tried to build it in a way that is as intuitive as possible,” said Domínguez-Villegas, who will be attending the UnidosUs conference. “Our target audiences are, of course, policymakers, but also community-based organizations and the media.”

Information can be broken down nationally, by state or county and soon, by congressional districts.

Built into the platform are 130 indicators, with filters for people to search for detailed information such as homeownership, health care access and educational attainment. The information can be searched in English or Spanish.

The Latino Data Hub grew out of the COVID pandemic, when Latino communities were disproportionately impacted in terms of hospitalizations and deaths.

Policymakers were surprised and slow to react, said Domínguez-Villegas, because they hadn’t understood Latino health disparities and access to health care that predated the pandemic.

“Policymakers were like, ‘Oh, we didn’t have this data, so we didn’t understand really, how to incorporate that into the response,’” said Domínguez-Villegas.

Researchers, he said, vowed “never again.”

Strong data can help tell the stories of Latinos and build understanding of past struggles that have led to current inequities, while also addressing the demographic’s contributions. The goal is a more nuanced telling of the nation’s extremely diverse Latino communities.

Previous work between UnidosUS and the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy found deep gaps in the inclusion of Latinos in U.S. history curriculum.

The lack of accurate information undercuts awareness.

The buying power of the Hispanic market can be shown in telling stories of entrepreneurship and those who find prosperity by catering to the demographic, in all of its vast diversity.

A prime local example is the success of the El Mercado Fresco supermarkets, which began catering primarily to the Latino immigrant communities in northeast Kansas City about a decade ago.

The company’s ninth store opened July 17 in a former Big Lots at 7533 State Ave. in Kansas City, Kansas.

Hundreds of people, many of them Latino, gathered in the parking lot for the ribbon cutting and then formed a long line, patiently waiting to file into the store to shop as a mariachi band serenaded.

Carlos Gomez, president/CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City, helped with the honors.

Gomez said the El Mercado groceries are successful, in part, because of the owner’s respectful relationship with the Latino community, giving back philanthropically and through hiring.

The owner, Eddie Musallet, said he sources products through a wide range of vendors to cater to the culinary preferences of many ethnicities, including Asian and African people.

Musallet said he’s conscientious of people’s budgets and tries to use local farmers for some products.

Packages of 30 eggs, locally sourced, were marked $6.99 at the State Avenue opening.

Soon, a group of leaders gathered outside the store, chatting as friends found one another&nbsp; in the crowd.

David Carranza, economic development director for the city of Grandview, Missouri, said that Latinos know how to “make something from nothing,” guided by entrepreneurial efforts and often working not only one, but two jobs.

Murguia echoed the sentiments of local leadership in her resolve to advocate and organize through current political and policy challenges.

Latinos, she said, are known for optimism and resilience, holding a deep belief in the promise of the nation and its ability to allow people to carve out their American Dream.

“If you fundamentally believe that about this country, you’re not going to give up, even in the most daunting times,” Murguia said. “We’re leaning into every bit of resilience and optimism in this moment.”

This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/08/04/mass-deportation-latino-civil-rights-kansas-city-unidosus/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Kansas City</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a&nbsp;<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754330127440.png" alt="Kansas state Rep. Susan Ruiz, a Democrat, addressed a crowd that gathered outside the Lenexa El Toro Loco Mexican Bar and Grill on July 30 after some of the employees were arrested earlier in the day by agents with Homeland Security (Mary Sanchez/The Beacon)." />
 <figcaption>Kansas state Rep. Susan Ruiz, a Democrat, addressed a crowd that gathered outside the Lenexa El Toro Loco Mexican Bar and Grill on July 30 after some of the employees were arrested earlier in the day by agents with Homeland Security (Mary Sanchez/The Beacon).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Leader of UnidosUS decries the humanitarian and economic damage of Trump administration’s immigration raids. ‘This is about our civil rights being destroyed’</h2>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/marysanchez/">Mary Sanchez</a>&nbsp;The economic power of the Latino population in the United States is as massive as it is misunderstood.Latinos contribute more than&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/us-latino-gdp-skyrockets-to-record-37-trillion-dollars" target="_blank">$3.7 trillion</a>&nbsp;annually to the economy, more than the gross domestic product of all but four countries in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldometers.info/gdp/gdp-by-country/" target="_blank">the world</a>.Latinos are the nation’s largest minority group with 64 million people.The vast majority, eight out of 10, are U.S. citizens.By 2030, one out of every three people entering the workforce will be Latino.But acknowledgement of&nbsp;<a href="https://unidosus.org/" target="_blank">those facts</a>&nbsp;is lacking,&nbsp;<a href="https://unidosus.org/publications/analyzing-inclusion-of-latino-contributions-in-us-history-curricula-for-high-school/" target="_blank">studies show</a>, especially among policymakers and politicians.The vacuum leaves space for false narratives to flourish.One example for the leader of the nation’s largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization is the Trump administration’s inaccurate labeling of Latinos as criminals and outsiders who don’t contribute to the nation.“If we’re going to have an economy that really moves the country forward and sustains all of us, it has to include the Latino community from a demographics perspective,” said Janet Murguía.Murguía, a native of Kansas City, Kansas, is president and CEO of&nbsp;<a href="https://unidosus.org/" target="_blank">UnidosUS,</a>&nbsp;which is holding its annual conference in Kansas City Aug. 4-7.The conference opens days after nearly a dozen people were taken from their jobs at two Kansas El Toro Loco Mexican Bar and Grill locations in morning raids by Homeland Security Investigations, a unit of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.The detentions of the employees were filmed and witnessed by community members and sparked a protest later in the day.Videos show the employees as they were being taken from the restaurants in handcuffs and with chains around their waists. Food was left cooking at the Lenexa location and a handwritten note “Closed” was taped to the front door, which was left unlocked.Murguía is critical of some tactics that Homeland Security is using in its efforts to meet the administration’s goal of removing 3,000 undocumented immigrants daily.Increasingly, she said, what’s happening is unlawful and unconstitutional.“This is not about immigration,” Murguía said. “It’s about civil rights.”Negative narratives about Latinos that are unsubstantiated by data are being used to justify the actions, including some actions that shred due process, she said.UnidosUS is the umbrella organization for more than 300 affiliates spread across virtually every state. Three are in the Greater Kansas City area:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.elcentroinc.com/" target="_blank">El Centro</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://guadalupecenters.org/" target="_blank">Guadalupe Centers</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://mattierhodes.org/" target="_blank">Mattie Rhodes Center</a>.The nearly 60-year-old organization’s current strategy is three-pronged — to protect, defend and advance the Latino community.Murguía served in former President Bill Clinton’s administration and also once served as an executive vice chancellor at the University of Kansas.She said abuse of power and government overreach in immigration enforcement must be challenged.“We intend to do everything we can to provide the advocacy to push back against this and demand accountability in the courts and through the administration and in Congress,” Murguia said.Partnerships with&nbsp;<a href="https://unidosus.org/press-releases/national-latino-and-civil-rights-groups-denounce-federal-overreach-in-los-angeles-raids/" target="_blank">other civil rights organizations</a>&nbsp;will be key, she said, noting deep connections with the leadership of the National Urban League, the National Action Network and the Legal Defense Fund.“This is about our civil rights being destroyed,” she said. “Partners and allies can be really critically important in communicating that to the broader public and understanding that we’re all threatened in this country when actions happen.”<h2>‘There is no American agenda without a Latino agenda’&nbsp;</h2>UnidosUS is linking with some of the leading researchers in the nation.Documenting the social and economic impact of mass deportation will be crucial.<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/04/03/kansas-man-deported-after-visiting-grandfathers-grave-in-mexico/" target="_blank">Some immigrant families are of mixed status</a>, with at least one family member who might be undocumented and others who are not.Approximately&nbsp;<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/233150241700500101" target="_blank">6.6 million American citizens</a>, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fwd.us/news/mixed-status-families-1/" target="_blank">5.5 million U.S. children</a>&nbsp;— over 8% of all children in the U.S. — live in a household with at least one undocumented family member.A&nbsp;<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/233150241700500101" target="_blank">2017 study</a>&nbsp;predicted that removing one family member from every mixed-status household through deportation would drop the median income of those households by nearly 50%.The report was written with data compiled by the Center for Migration Studies of New York and published by the Journal on Migration and Human Security.“Removing undocumented residents from mixed-status households would reduce median household income from $41,300 to $22,000, a drop of $19,300, or 47%, which would plunge millions of US families into poverty,” the report noted.The ramifications on homeownership, businesses and taxes paid could be dramatic.If the U.S. removed all of its undocumented residents, “gross domestic product (GDP) would be reduced by 1.4% in the first year, and cumulative GDP would be reduced by $4.7 trillion over 10 years,” the report said.Updated data will be key to track not only the outcomes of current immigration policy but also the Trump administration’s recently approved budget bill. UnidosUS called it&nbsp;<a href="https://unidosus.org/press-releases/unidosus-statement-on-us-house-passage-of-harmful-federal-budget-bill/" target="_blank">“a stunning betrayal to working families, vulnerable communities and the American electorate who entrusted them with their votes”</a>&nbsp;due to its cuts to health programs and food assistance.Studies can also inform&nbsp;<a href="https://unidosus.org/events/understanding-systemic-racism-and-resulting-inequity-in-latino-communities/" target="_blank">a wide range of initiatives</a>&nbsp;that have long been the focus of UnidosUS: homeownership, educational attainment, health, voting rights and political empowerment.<h2>Data to support policy, based on understanding Latino history</h2>UnidosUS has partnered with the&nbsp;<a href="https://latino.ucla.edu/about/" target="_blank">Latino Politics &amp; Policy Institute</a>) at the University of California Los Angeles.The institute’s motto is “there is no American agenda without a Latino agenda,” a statement that underscores the relevance of Latinos historically, by population, economic output and future projections as a young demographic.Latinos are contributing nearly $4 trillion annually to the economy, said Rodrigo Domínguez-Villegas, director of research at the UCLA institute.Yet Latinos hold only 12% of the nation’s household wealth while comprising nearly 20% of the population, he said.“There’s a disconnect that reveals a system where Latino labor and entrepreneurship are fueling economic growth in the country, but the wealth that’s generated through Latino labor and entrepreneurship is held elsewhere,” he said.Domínguez-Villegas is leading a project to find out why.In a partnership with UnidosUS, the institute is completing an analysis of how public policy has shaped Latino wealth.The economic mobility study will be released in October.“We are telling the story of Latino communities across the country and what Latinos contribute, and also how Latinos struggle because of systemic and historical disadvantages,” he said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754330083724.png" alt="A map of 304 UnidosUS affiliates in the United States. (Courtesy/UnidosUS)" />
 <figcaption>A map of 304 UnidosUS affiliates in the United States. (Courtesy/UnidosUS)</figcaption>
 </figure>Mattie Rhodes, one of the Kansas City-based UnidosUS affiliates, will release the Hispanic/Latino Equity Index for the Kansas City area’s Latino population during the convention on Aug. 4.The report was developed with the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Center for Economic Information and the Urban League of Greater Kansas City.It will highlight disparities in economic opportunity, health, education, social justice and civic engagement.Similar local reports can be aided by another initiative at the UCLA institute, the&nbsp;<a href="https://latinodatahub.org/" target="_blank">Latino Data Hub.</a>It’s an interactive platform to analyze conditions affecting Latinos nationwide, drawing from the 2023 American Community Survey of the U.S. Census.An updated hub was released in mid-July. And tutorials on how to use the hub are ongoing.“We have tried to build it in a way that is as intuitive as possible,” said Domínguez-Villegas, who will be attending the UnidosUs conference. “Our target audiences are, of course, policymakers, but also community-based organizations and the media.”Information can be broken down nationally, by state or county and soon, by congressional districts.Built into the platform are 130 indicators, with filters for people to search for detailed information such as homeownership, health care access and educational attainment. The information can be searched in English or Spanish.The Latino Data Hub grew out of the COVID pandemic, when Latino communities were disproportionately impacted in terms of hospitalizations and deaths.Policymakers were surprised and slow to react, said Domínguez-Villegas, because they hadn’t understood Latino health disparities and access to health care that predated the pandemic.“Policymakers were like, ‘Oh, we didn’t have this data, so we didn’t understand really, how to incorporate that into the response,’” said Domínguez-Villegas.Researchers, he said, vowed “never again.”Strong data can help tell the stories of Latinos and build understanding of past struggles that have led to current inequities, while also addressing the demographic’s contributions. The goal is a more nuanced telling of the nation’s extremely diverse Latino communities.<h2>Sharing the American Dream</h2>Previous work between UnidosUS and the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy found deep gaps in the inclusion of Latinos in U.S. history curriculum.The lack of accurate information undercuts awareness.The buying power of the Hispanic market can be shown in telling stories of entrepreneurship and those who find prosperity by catering to the demographic, in all of its vast diversity.A prime local example is the success of the El Mercado Fresco supermarkets, which began catering primarily to the Latino immigrant communities in northeast Kansas City about a decade ago.The company’s ninth store opened July 17 in a former Big Lots at 7533 State Ave. in Kansas City, Kansas.Hundreds of people, many of them Latino, gathered in the parking lot for the ribbon cutting and then formed a long line, patiently waiting to file into the store to shop as a mariachi band serenaded.Carlos Gomez, president/CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City, helped with the honors.Gomez said the El Mercado groceries are successful, in part, because of the owner’s respectful relationship with the Latino community, giving back philanthropically and through hiring.The owner, Eddie Musallet, said he sources products through a wide range of vendors to cater to the culinary preferences of many ethnicities, including Asian and African people.Musallet said he’s conscientious of people’s budgets and tries to use local farmers for some products.Packages of 30 eggs, locally sourced, were marked $6.99 at the State Avenue opening.Soon, a group of leaders gathered outside the store, chatting as friends found one another&nbsp; in the crowd.David Carranza, economic development director for the city of Grandview, Missouri, said that Latinos know how to “make something from nothing,” guided by entrepreneurial efforts and often working not only one, but two jobs.“We’re survivors,” Carranza said.Murguia echoed the sentiments of local leadership in her resolve to advocate and organize through current political and policy challenges.Latinos, she said, are known for optimism and resilience, holding a deep belief in the promise of the nation and its ability to allow people to carve out their American Dream.“If you fundamentally believe that about this country, you’re not going to give up, even in the most daunting times,” Murguia said. “We’re leaning into every bit of resilience and optimism in this moment.”This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/08/04/mass-deportation-latino-civil-rights-kansas-city-unidosus/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Kansas City</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a&nbsp;<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.

Nation’s largest Latino civil rights organization meets in KC against backdrop of mass deportations

DENVER (AP) — A Colorado funeral home owner accused of stashing nearly 200 decomposing bodies in a room-temperature building admitted in federal court Monday that she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/colorado-funeral-home-fake-ashes-29d6bc5531097b2c2e2c6d29077b4278">cheated customers</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/funeral-home-decomposing-rotting-bodies-fraud-colorado-58a45f6abb2d7b4d1514a473ca3c8e49">defrauded the federal government</a>&nbsp;out of nearly $900,000.

Carie Hallford, who ran Return to Nature Funeral Home with her husband Jon Hallford, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Carie Hallford faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, though federal prosecutors agreed to ask for 15 years at a December sentencing hearing.

Hallford already pleaded guilty once in federal court, but a judge last year rejected the agreement with prosecutors and still has to approve this one.

Crystina Page’s son David died in 2019, and his body was left in an inoperable refrigerator for four years. Standing outside the federal courthouse Monday, Page said she's disappointed about the possibility that neither Hallford goes on trial, something she hoped would have brought answers about what happened to her son and others entrusted to their care.

“We still don’t know the truth of what they’ve done to us,” she said.

The federal case brought against both Hallfords focused on two schemes: falsifying documents to siphon nearly $900,000 in COVID-19 pandemic-era financial aid from the U.S. Small Business Administration and deceiving customers by taking payments for cremations the Hallfords never did.

Instead of cremating the nearly 200 bodies between 2019 and 2023, the Hallfords allegedly stored the bodies in a decrepit building and sent some customers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/colorado-funeral-home-fake-ashes-29d6bc5531097b2c2e2c6d29077b4278">dry concrete</a>&nbsp;instead of ashes.

The Hallfords pocketed around $130,000 of their customers' payments meant for cremations or burial services and spent it, along with the federal funds, on luxury products — a GMC Yukon, laser body sculpting, vacations, jewelry and cryptocurrency.

In a separate case in state court, both Hallfords have been charged with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/decomposing-bodies-funeral-home-colorado-decaying-d25b600c3e69c34e709c167491c0c845">191 counts of corpse abuse</a>, including for twice burying the wrong body and leaving others to decompose. Jon Hallford has already pleaded guilty to those 191 counts, as well as a fraud charge in the federal case for which he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/funeral-home-bodies-decomposing-colorado-13c264644be34afeee9fe420f5d5ae88">sentenced to 20 years</a>&nbsp;in prison.

The building packed with bodies was discovered in 2023 in Penrose, Colorado, about a two-hour drive south of Denver. It shook already grieving families. Many learned that their loved ones' remains weren't in the ashes they spread or held tight but were instead decaying in a building.

Investigators found bodies stacked atop each other, swarms of bugs and maggots, and so much liquid on the ground it had to be pumped out.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754352736964.png" alt="Hallford photo Muskogee County, Oklahoma Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Hallford photo Muskogee County, Oklahoma Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>DENVER (AP) — A Colorado funeral home owner accused of stashing nearly 200 decomposing bodies in a room-temperature building admitted in federal court Monday that she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/colorado-funeral-home-fake-ashes-29d6bc5531097b2c2e2c6d29077b4278">cheated customers</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/funeral-home-decomposing-rotting-bodies-fraud-colorado-58a45f6abb2d7b4d1514a473ca3c8e49">defrauded the federal government</a>&nbsp;out of nearly $900,000.Carie Hallford, who ran Return to Nature Funeral Home with her husband Jon Hallford, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Carie Hallford faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, though federal prosecutors agreed to ask for 15 years at a December sentencing hearing.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754352664716.png" alt="Hallford photo Muskogee County, Oklahoma Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Hallford photo Muskogee County, Oklahoma Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Hallford already pleaded guilty once in federal court, but a judge last year rejected the agreement with prosecutors and still has to approve this one.Crystina Page’s son David died in 2019, and his body was left in an inoperable refrigerator for four years. Standing outside the federal courthouse Monday, Page said she's disappointed about the possibility that neither Hallford goes on trial, something she hoped would have brought answers about what happened to her son and others entrusted to their care.“We still don’t know the truth of what they’ve done to us,” she said.The federal case brought against both Hallfords focused on two schemes: falsifying documents to siphon nearly $900,000 in COVID-19 pandemic-era financial aid from the U.S. Small Business Administration and deceiving customers by taking payments for cremations the Hallfords never did.Instead of cremating the nearly 200 bodies between 2019 and 2023, the Hallfords allegedly stored the bodies in a decrepit building and sent some customers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/colorado-funeral-home-fake-ashes-29d6bc5531097b2c2e2c6d29077b4278">dry concrete</a>&nbsp;instead of ashes.The Hallfords pocketed around $130,000 of their customers' payments meant for cremations or burial services and spent it, along with the federal funds, on luxury products — a GMC Yukon, laser body sculpting, vacations, jewelry and cryptocurrency.In a separate case in state court, both Hallfords have been charged with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/decomposing-bodies-funeral-home-colorado-decaying-d25b600c3e69c34e709c167491c0c845">191 counts of corpse abuse</a>, including for twice burying the wrong body and leaving others to decompose. Jon Hallford has already pleaded guilty to those 191 counts, as well as a fraud charge in the federal case for which he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/funeral-home-bodies-decomposing-colorado-13c264644be34afeee9fe420f5d5ae88">sentenced to 20 years</a>&nbsp;in prison.The building packed with bodies was discovered in 2023 in Penrose, Colorado, about a two-hour drive south of Denver. It shook already grieving families. Many learned that their loved ones' remains weren't in the ashes they spread or held tight but were instead decaying in a building.Investigators found bodies stacked atop each other, swarms of bugs and maggots, and so much liquid on the ground it had to be pumped out.

Funeral home owner who sent families fake ashes enters plea

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —A funeral for Sheriff's Deputy Elijah Ming, who was killed in the line of duty on July 26 will be held Monday, August 11, at Children's Mercy Park, according to a statement from the Wyandotte County Sheriff's Office.

The service is open to the public and will begin at 11:00 a.m. 

Parking lots will open at 9:00 a.m., and the stadium gates will open at 10:00 a.m. There will be a Law Enforcement Processional immediately following the service; route details will be announced.

"We are so overwhelmed by the love of our community; we could not be more thankful for our lovely Wyandotte County," the sheriff's office wrote on their social media page.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753612145888.png" alt="Deputy Elijah Ming-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Deputy Elijah Ming-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY —A funeral for Sheriff's Deputy Elijah Ming, who was killed in the line of duty on July 26 will be held Monday, August 11, at Children's Mercy Park, according to a statement from the Wyandotte County Sheriff's Office.The service is open to the public and will begin at 11:00 a.m. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754356046097.jpeg" alt="Photo Wyandotte Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Wyandotte Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Parking lots will open at 9:00 a.m., and the stadium gates will open at 10:00 a.m. There will be a Law Enforcement Processional immediately following the service; route details will be announced."We are so overwhelmed by the love of our community; we could not be more thankful for our lovely Wyandotte County," the sheriff's office wrote on their social media page.

Funeral services announced for fallen Kansas deputy

SEDGWICK COUNTY.&nbsp;— Police are investigating another homicide in Wichita and have identified the victim as&nbsp;49-year-old&nbsp;Ruben Parga-Quintanar of Dodge City.

Just before 9a.m. Friday, officers and Wichita Fire Department crews responded to a report of a man down near the entrance to an alley in the 2400 block of North Jeanette, according to a media release.

When fire personnel arrived, they found Parga-Quintanar with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 8:53 a.m., according to police.

Officers secured the area, and homicide detectives were called in to investigate. Initial findings suggest the victim was shot somewhere else and collapsed after fleeing the scene on a bicycle.&nbsp;

Anyone with information is asked to call our homicide section at 316-268-4407. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754085592544.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY.&nbsp;— Police are investigating another homicide in Wichita and have identified the victim as&nbsp;49-year-old&nbsp;Ruben Parga-Quintanar of Dodge City.Just before 9a.m. Friday, officers and Wichita Fire Department crews responded to a report of a man down near the entrance to an alley in the 2400 block of North Jeanette, according to a media release.When fire personnel arrived, they found Parga-Quintanar with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 8:53 a.m., according to police.Officers secured the area, and homicide detectives were called in to investigate. Initial findings suggest the victim was shot somewhere else and collapsed after fleeing the scene on a bicycle.&nbsp;Anyone with information is asked to call our homicide section at 316-268-4407. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

SW Kansas man was shot, died attempting to escape on bicycle

SALINE COUNTY — The ground continues to shake in central Kansas. The U.S. Geological Survey reported a 3.3 magnitude earthquake just before 6:30p.m. Monday was centered approximately 3 miles east of Assaria. The Kansas Geological Survey reported the quake with a preliminary magnitude of 3.7. Moments later the KGS reported a 3.1 magnitude quake in the same area.

This is the fifth quake in the area since Saturday.

Just before 4:30p.m. Saturday, a quake measuring a magnitude 3.4 was reported 4.3 miles east of Assaria, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.&nbsp; A 2.7 magnitude quake shook the same area a short time later.

Just after 5:35p.m. Sunday the USGS reported a 3.3 magnitude quake approximately 4 miles southeast of Assaria.

There are no reports of damage and no calls about the quakes, according to the Saline County Sheriff's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754388617954.png" alt="Star marks the location of the Monday evening earthquake" />
 <figcaption>Star marks the location of the Monday evening earthquake</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY — The ground continues to shake in central Kansas. The U.S. Geological Survey reported a 3.3 magnitude earthquake just before 6:30p.m. Monday was centered approximately 3 miles east of Assaria. The Kansas Geological Survey reported the quake with a preliminary magnitude of 3.7. Moments later the KGS reported a 3.1 magnitude quake in the same area.This is the fifth quake in the area since Saturday.Just before 4:30p.m. Saturday, a quake measuring a magnitude 3.4 was reported 4.3 miles east of Assaria, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.&nbsp; A 2.7 magnitude quake shook the same area a short time later.Just after 5:35p.m. Sunday the USGS reported a 3.3 magnitude quake approximately 4 miles southeast of Assaria.There are no reports of damage and no calls about the quakes, according to the Saline County Sheriff's office.

USGS reports more earthquake activity in central Kansas

TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;The State of Kansas ends July 2025 with total tax collections at $670.2 million. That is $21.2 million, or 3.3%, above the estimate. Total tax collections were up 1.5% from July 2024.&nbsp;

Click&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fcontent.govdelivery.com%2Fattachments%2FKSOG%2F2025%2F08%2F01%2Ffile_attachments%2F3341713%2F01_July_Revenue_FY2026_08-01-2025_Final.pdf/1/01010198767554f7-81e38fb2-77c7-4e61-a53e-524e123f100d-000000/J2e-Y6KHxzx-FvCaPNw9hRIC0G4Ct2T6l84XgBTV6hc=416">here</a>&nbsp;to view the July 2025 revenue numbers.&nbsp;

“While this month’s tax collections highlight the strength of Kansas’ workforce and economy&nbsp;in the short-term, I remain concerned about the long-term fiscal health of the state,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“We&nbsp;must stay vigilant and&nbsp;recommit&nbsp;to fiscally responsible budgeting&nbsp;in order to stay out of the red in the&nbsp;coming years.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Individual income tax collections were $347.5 million. That is $32.5 million, or 10.3% above the estimate. Individual income tax collections were up 12.7% from July 2024. Corporate income tax collections were $18.5 million. That is $16.5 million, or 47.1% below the estimate, and down 46.0% from July 2024.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Combined retail sales and compensating use tax receipts were $291.8 million, which is $2.2 million, or 0.8% below the estimate, and down 4.4% from July 2024.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/8/1564697584639.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;The State of Kansas ends July 2025 with total tax collections at $670.2 million. That is $21.2 million, or 3.3%, above the estimate. Total tax collections were up 1.5% from July 2024.&nbsp;Click&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fcontent.govdelivery.com%2Fattachments%2FKSOG%2F2025%2F08%2F01%2Ffile_attachments%2F3341713%2F01_July_Revenue_FY2026_08-01-2025_Final.pdf/1/01010198767554f7-81e38fb2-77c7-4e61-a53e-524e123f100d-000000/J2e-Y6KHxzx-FvCaPNw9hRIC0G4Ct2T6l84XgBTV6hc=416">here</a>&nbsp;to view the July 2025 revenue numbers.&nbsp;“While this month’s tax collections highlight the strength of Kansas’ workforce and economy&nbsp;in the short-term, I remain concerned about the long-term fiscal health of the state,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“We&nbsp;must stay vigilant and&nbsp;recommit&nbsp;to fiscally responsible budgeting&nbsp;in order to stay out of the red in the&nbsp;coming years.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Individual income tax collections were $347.5 million. That is $32.5 million, or 10.3% above the estimate. Individual income tax collections were up 12.7% from July 2024. Corporate income tax collections were $18.5 million. That is $16.5 million, or 47.1% below the estimate, and down 46.0% from July 2024.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Combined retail sales and compensating use tax receipts were $291.8 million, which is $2.2 million, or 0.8% below the estimate, and down 4.4% from July 2024.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kansas total tax collections in July above the estimate

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man facing charges for the fatal shooting of his mother's boyfriend that took place near East 18th Street and Benton Boulevard on August 26 in Kansas City, Missouri, is being held in Wyandotte County, Kansas, according to online jail records.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2692/Burks-REDACT-COMP">Lee Burks</a>, 30.&nbsp;faces 2nd Degree Murder, two counts of Armed Criminal Action, Discharge/Shoot Firearm at or from Motor Vehicle/Shoot at Person, Another Motor Vehicle, Or Building, and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2691/Burks-REDACT-PC">Click here to read the probable cause statement.</a>

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2691/Burks-REDACT-PC">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police were dispatched to an area near East 18th Street and Benton Boulevard on July 27 and located the victim, identified in the probably cause statement as the boyfriend of Burk's mother, lying on the ground with severe trauma to the head and body. He was confirmed deceased at the scene.&nbsp;

Detectives reviewed surveillance footage from a nearby gas station, which showed a black vehicle arriving and parking at the gas station. A male, later identified as the defendant, exited the vehicle and entered the gas station. He walked around the store and left a short time later. Another camera angle showed the victim falling down the hill near the gas station. The defendant can then be seen walking up to him and firing multiple rounds at the victim, then fleeing. &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754341286353.png" alt="Burks -photo Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption>Burks -photo Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man facing charges for the fatal shooting of his mother's boyfriend that took place near East 18th Street and Benton Boulevard on August 26 in Kansas City, Missouri, is being held in Wyandotte County, Kansas, according to online jail records.<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2692/Burks-REDACT-COMP">Lee Burks</a>, 30.&nbsp;faces 2nd Degree Murder, two counts of Armed Criminal Action, Discharge/Shoot Firearm at or from Motor Vehicle/Shoot at Person, Another Motor Vehicle, Or Building, and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2691/Burks-REDACT-PC">Click here to read the probable cause statement.</a><a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2691/Burks-REDACT-PC">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police were dispatched to an area near East 18th Street and Benton Boulevard on July 27 and located the victim, identified in the probably cause statement as the boyfriend of Burk's mother, lying on the ground with severe trauma to the head and body. He was confirmed deceased at the scene.&nbsp;Detectives reviewed surveillance footage from a nearby gas station, which showed a black vehicle arriving and parking at the gas station. A male, later identified as the defendant, exited the vehicle and entered the gas station. He walked around the store and left a short time later. Another camera angle showed the victim falling down the hill near the gas station. The defendant can then be seen walking up to him and firing multiple rounds at the victim, then fleeing. &nbsp;

Man accused of killing mother's boyfriend is jailed in Kansas

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

At 4p.m. on Friday an officer on patrol observed a wanted suspect identified as 55-year-old Corey Walker in the 1400 block of South 7th Street in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

The officer took him into custody on an outstanding warrant for criminal trespass. During the arrest he was found to be in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Walker has previous convictions for burglary, theft, domestic battery, obstruction and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754320563559.png" alt="Walker-photo Atchison Co." />
 <figcaption>Walker-photo Atchison Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.At 4p.m. on Friday an officer on patrol observed a wanted suspect identified as 55-year-old Corey Walker in the 1400 block of South 7th Street in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.The officer took him into custody on an outstanding warrant for criminal trespass. During the arrest he was found to be in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Walker has previous convictions for burglary, theft, domestic battery, obstruction and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

Wanted Kan. felon accused of new drug crimes

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly joined 22 other states and Washington, D.C., in suing the Trump administration for terminating federal funding, which she said has led to cuts to state agriculture, health and safety programs “on a whim.”

The federal lawsuit, initially filed in June in Massachusetts, targets decisions from President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency that are rooted in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR86b76dde0e1e9dc/section-200.340" target="_blank">regulation</a>&nbsp;allowing the administration to eliminate funding if it “no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities.”

Kelly said in a news release that the decisions have made “no sense.”

“I joined this lawsuit on behalf of Kansas to ensure funds going towards critical programs our state depends on are not ripped away by the Trump administration — or any presidential administration — on a whim,” she said.

Kelly joined the lawsuit in an amended complaint filed July 31.

States are suing the Office of Management and Budget and a slate of other federal agencies that have relied on the regulation to eliminate billions in funding.

Those decisions have been devastating, the states said in the lawsuit, depriving states of resources used to equip law enforcement, conduct medical and scientific research, address food insecurity, secure clean drinking water and educate students.

“Federal agencies have done all of this without any advance notice, without any explanation to the state recipients and in direct contravention of the will of Congress,” the lawsuit said. “The state recipients’ sole offense has been that they used the grant funding precisely how they had promised in the grant applications — and as they were instructed by the agencies at the time of the grant award.”

The governor’s office said the Trump administration has used the regulation “to terminate millions of dollars used to purchase goods from Kansas farmers, to mitigate natural disasters and to enhance childhood education.”

The states and D.C. want a judgment from the court that agrees the regulation does not embolden the administration to terminate funding based on priorities created after funding has been awarded. If that isn’t possible, the parties want the court to vacate the administration’s decision to rely on the regulation as the reasoning for terminating billions in federal funding.

The case is one of hundreds against the Trump administration’s actions, according to a public&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justsecurity.org/107087/tracker-litigation-legal-challenges-trump-administration/" target="_blank">tracker</a>&nbsp;by Just Security.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754341737123.png" alt=" Gov. Laura Kelly tours the Axe Shedd during an April 25, 2024, visit to Emporia. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Gov. Laura Kelly tours the Axe Shedd during an April 25, 2024, visit to Emporia. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly joined 22 other states and Washington, D.C., in suing the Trump administration for terminating federal funding, which she said has led to cuts to state agriculture, health and safety programs “on a whim.”The federal lawsuit, initially filed in June in Massachusetts, targets decisions from President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency that are rooted in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR86b76dde0e1e9dc/section-200.340" target="_blank">regulation</a>&nbsp;allowing the administration to eliminate funding if it “no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities.”Kelly said in a news release that the decisions have made “no sense.”“I joined this lawsuit on behalf of Kansas to ensure funds going towards critical programs our state depends on are not ripped away by the Trump administration — or any presidential administration — on a whim,” she said.Kelly joined the lawsuit in an amended complaint filed July 31.States are suing the Office of Management and Budget and a slate of other federal agencies that have relied on the regulation to eliminate billions in funding.Those decisions have been devastating, the states said in the lawsuit, depriving states of resources used to equip law enforcement, conduct medical and scientific research, address food insecurity, secure clean drinking water and educate students.“Federal agencies have done all of this without any advance notice, without any explanation to the state recipients and in direct contravention of the will of Congress,” the lawsuit said. “The state recipients’ sole offense has been that they used the grant funding precisely how they had promised in the grant applications — and as they were instructed by the agencies at the time of the grant award.”The governor’s office said the Trump administration has used the regulation “to terminate millions of dollars used to purchase goods from Kansas farmers, to mitigate natural disasters and to enhance childhood education.”The states and D.C. want a judgment from the court that agrees the regulation does not embolden the administration to terminate funding based on priorities created after funding has been awarded. If that isn’t possible, the parties want the court to vacate the administration’s decision to rely on the regulation as the reasoning for terminating billions in federal funding.The case is one of hundreds against the Trump administration’s actions, according to a public&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justsecurity.org/107087/tracker-litigation-legal-challenges-trump-administration/" target="_blank">tracker</a>&nbsp;by Just Security.

Kansas joins lawsuit against Trump administration for federal funding losses

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a shooting that sent a woman to the hospital over the. weekend in Lawrence.

Just before midnight on Saturday, a&nbsp;woman with a gunshot wound showed up at the hospital, according to a social media report from Lawrence Police.

 The person who drove her left the car and took off on foot. Responding officers got a description of the man and quickly spotted him in Clinton Park,  where he again took off.  After a short foot chase, he was safely taken into custody in a parking lot near 6th and Maine.

The female victim was shot in the arm.  Her injuries were not life-threatening. Detectives with LKPD’s Investigations Unit were called in to talk to the man and try to piece together events that led up to the shooting. Police released no additional details including possible charges in the case.

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a shooting that sent a woman to the hospital over the. weekend in Lawrence.Just before midnight on Saturday, a&nbsp;woman with a gunshot wound showed up at the hospital, according to a social media report from Lawrence Police. The person who drove her left the car and took off on foot. Responding officers got a description of the man and quickly spotted him in Clinton Park, where he again took off. After a short foot chase, he was safely taken into custody in a parking lot near 6th and Maine.The female victim was shot in the arm. Her injuries were not life-threatening. Detectives with LKPD’s Investigations Unit were called in to talk to the man and try to piece together events that led up to the shooting. Police released no additional details including possible charges in the case.

Police: Woman with gunshot wound dropped off at Kansas hospital

JOHNSON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 8:30a.m. Monday in Johnson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Sterling Dump Truck driven by Leslie L.&nbsp;Kendig, 68,&nbsp; Osawatomie, was northbound on Kansas 7 just south of College Boulevard in lane #2.&nbsp; The dump truck drifted into lane #1 and struck a trailer pulled by a Ford F350.&nbsp; The dump truck driver overcorrected to the right, entered the ditch and rolled.

Kendig was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the KHP. The pickup driver identified as Patrick E. Clement, 52, Lane, Kansas, was not injured. Both drivers were&nbsp;properly restrained, according to the KHP.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754330967759.png" alt="View near the crash scene -image KC Scout camera" />
 <figcaption>View near the crash scene -image KC Scout camera</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 8:30a.m. Monday in Johnson County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Sterling Dump Truck driven by Leslie L.&nbsp;Kendig, 68,&nbsp; Osawatomie, was northbound on Kansas 7 just south of College Boulevard in lane #2.&nbsp; The dump truck drifted into lane #1 and struck a trailer pulled by a Ford F350.&nbsp; The dump truck driver overcorrected to the right, entered the ditch and rolled.Kendig was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the KHP. The pickup driver identified as Patrick E. Clement, 52, Lane, Kansas, was not injured. Both drivers were&nbsp;properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Kansas man killed after dump truck overturns

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rallied on Monday and won back most of their sharp loss from last week, when worries about how&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-deadline-delay-d8ffef07d944dc1d460b472e4ffd2f57">President Donald Trump’s tariffs</a>&nbsp;may be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-unemployment-economy-trump-federal-reserve-68a15f89d68793a6cf88a522ff33246c">punishing the economy</a>&nbsp;sent a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-asia-wall-street-5bf5640b85f63cf7db292d0aaf26e97a">shudder through Wall Street</a>.

The S&amp;P 500 jumped 1.5% to follow up its worst day since May with its best since May. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 585 points, or 1.3%, and the Nasdaq composite leaped 2%.

Idexx Laboratories helped lead the way and soared 27.5% after the seller of veterinary instruments and other health care products reported a stronger profit for the spring than analysts expected. It also raised its forecast for profit over the full year.

Tyson Foods likewise delivered a bigger-than-expected profit for the latest quarter, and the company behind the Jimmy Dean and Hillshire Farms brands rose 2.4%.

They helped make up for a nearly 3% loss for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/warren-buffett-berkshire-hathaway-profit-kraft-7b3dfc69c5ffcb9b50ecd2f37ec766f0">Berkshire Hathaway</a>&nbsp;after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/warren-buffett">Warren Buffett’s</a>&nbsp;company reported a drop in profit for its latest quarter from a year earlier. The drop-off was due in part to the falling value of its investment in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kraft-heinz-tariffs-4a081598ac866c39be3ef383629e26d6">Kraft Heinz</a>.

The pressure is on U.S. companies to deliver bigger profits after their stock prices shot to record after record recently. The jump in stock prices from a low point in April raised criticism that the broad market had become too expensive.

Stocks are coming off their worst week since May not so much because of that criticism but because of worries that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-economy-warning-signs-financial-numbers-6f9754dbb6b21c9ef5c557b1ebfe6ce9">Trump’s tariffs may be hitting the U.S. economy</a>&nbsp;following a longer wait than some economists had expected. Job growth slowed sharply last month, and the unemployment rate worsened to 4.2%.

Trump reacted to Friday’s disappointing jobs numbers by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-jobs-firing-f00e9bf96d0110519be9bf4f3ec89195">firing the person in charge of compiling them</a>. He also continued his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-powell-interest-rates-federal-reserve-fed-88fe11c20c3074bbd1445a69bbdc623e">criticism of the Federal Reserve</a>, which could lower interest rates in order to pump adrenaline into the economy.

The Fed has instead been keeping rates steady this year, in part because lower rates can send inflation higher, and Trump’s tariffs may be set to increase prices for U.S. households.

Friday’s stunningly weak jobs report did raise expectations on Wall Street that the Fed will cut interest rates at its next meeting in September. That caused Treasury yields to slump in the bond market, and they eased a bit more on Monday.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped to 4.19% from 4.23% late Friday.

“In our view, if the Fed starts to cut rates at its September meeting, we believe this would be supportive for markets,” according to David Lefkowitz, head of US equities at UBS Global Wealth Management.

Such hopes, combined with profit reports from big U.S. companies that have largely come in better than expected, could help steady a U.S. stock market that may have been due for some turbulence. Before Friday, the S&amp;P 500 had gone more than a month without a daily swing of 1%, either up or down.

This upcoming week may feature fewer fireworks following last week’s jobs report and profit updates from some of Wall Street's most influential companies. This week’s highlights will likely include earnings reports from The Walt Disney Co., McDonald’s and Caterpillar, along with updates on U.S. business activity.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rallied on Monday and won back most of their sharp loss from last week, when worries about how&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-deadline-delay-d8ffef07d944dc1d460b472e4ffd2f57">President Donald Trump’s tariffs</a>&nbsp;may be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-unemployment-economy-trump-federal-reserve-68a15f89d68793a6cf88a522ff33246c">punishing the economy</a>&nbsp;sent a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-asia-wall-street-5bf5640b85f63cf7db292d0aaf26e97a">shudder through Wall Street</a>.The S&amp;P 500 jumped 1.5% to follow up its worst day since May with its best since May. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 585 points, or 1.3%, and the Nasdaq composite leaped 2%.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/rGxGWobu3Z">pic.twitter.com/rGxGWobu3Z</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1952509318764306743?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Idexx Laboratories helped lead the way and soared 27.5% after the seller of veterinary instruments and other health care products reported a stronger profit for the spring than analysts expected. It also raised its forecast for profit over the full year.Tyson Foods likewise delivered a bigger-than-expected profit for the latest quarter, and the company behind the Jimmy Dean and Hillshire Farms brands rose 2.4%.They helped make up for a nearly 3% loss for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/warren-buffett-berkshire-hathaway-profit-kraft-7b3dfc69c5ffcb9b50ecd2f37ec766f0">Berkshire Hathaway</a>&nbsp;after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/warren-buffett">Warren Buffett’s</a>&nbsp;company reported a drop in profit for its latest quarter from a year earlier. The drop-off was due in part to the falling value of its investment in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kraft-heinz-tariffs-4a081598ac866c39be3ef383629e26d6">Kraft Heinz</a>.The pressure is on U.S. companies to deliver bigger profits after their stock prices shot to record after record recently. The jump in stock prices from a low point in April raised criticism that the broad market had become too expensive.Stocks are coming off their worst week since May not so much because of that criticism but because of worries that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-economy-warning-signs-financial-numbers-6f9754dbb6b21c9ef5c557b1ebfe6ce9">Trump’s tariffs may be hitting the U.S. economy</a>&nbsp;following a longer wait than some economists had expected. Job growth slowed sharply last month, and the unemployment rate worsened to 4.2%.Trump reacted to Friday’s disappointing jobs numbers by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-jobs-firing-f00e9bf96d0110519be9bf4f3ec89195">firing the person in charge of compiling them</a>. He also continued his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-powell-interest-rates-federal-reserve-fed-88fe11c20c3074bbd1445a69bbdc623e">criticism of the Federal Reserve</a>, which could lower interest rates in order to pump adrenaline into the economy.The Fed has instead been keeping rates steady this year, in part because lower rates can send inflation higher, and Trump’s tariffs may be set to increase prices for U.S. households.Friday’s stunningly weak jobs report did raise expectations on Wall Street that the Fed will cut interest rates at its next meeting in September. That caused Treasury yields to slump in the bond market, and they eased a bit more on Monday.The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped to 4.19% from 4.23% late Friday.“In our view, if the Fed starts to cut rates at its September meeting, we believe this would be supportive for markets,” according to David Lefkowitz, head of US equities at UBS Global Wealth Management.Such hopes, combined with profit reports from big U.S. companies that have largely come in better than expected, could help steady a U.S. stock market that may have been due for some turbulence. Before Friday, the S&amp;P 500 had gone more than a month without a daily swing of 1%, either up or down.This upcoming week may feature fewer fireworks following last week’s jobs report and profit updates from some of Wall Street's most influential companies. This week’s highlights will likely include earnings reports from The Walt Disney Co., McDonald’s and Caterpillar, along with updates on U.S. business activity.On Wall Street, American Eagle Outfitters jumped 23.6% after Trump weighed in on the debate surrounding the retailer’s advertisements, which highlight actor Sydney Sweeney’s great jeans. Some critics thought the reference to the blonde-haired and blue-eyed actor’s “great genes” may be extolling a narrow set of beauty standards. “Go get ’em Sydney!” Trump said on his social media network.Wayfair climbed 12.7% after the retailer of furniture and home decor said accelerating growth helped it make more in profit and revenue during the spring than analysts expected.Tesla rose 2.2% after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tesla-musk-1abc89c2a3a4f36c376788d8cab99728">awarding CEO Elon Musk 96 million shares</a>&nbsp;of restricted stock valued at approximately $29 billion. The move could remove potential worries that Musk may leave the company.CommScope soared 86.3% after reaching a deal to sell its connectivity and cable business to Amphenol for $10.5 billion in cash, while Amphenol rose 4.1%.They helped offset a 15.6% loss for On Semiconductor, which only matched analysts’ expectations for profit in the latest quarter. The company, which sells to the auto and industrial industries, said it’s beginning to see “signs of stabilization” across its customers.All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 91.93 points to 6,329.94. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 585.06 to 44,173.64, and the Nasdaq composite leaped 403.45 to 21,053.58.In stock markets abroad, indexes rose across much of Europe and Asia.