SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a deadly shooting at a youth football game in Wichita.

Just afater 7p.m. Thursday,&nbsp; police responded to a shooting at Grove Park, also know as Glen Day Park, located in the 2800 block of North Grove in Wichita, according to a statement from police.

An off-duty detective was on scene working security for the youth football game with an estimated 200 to 300 spectators in attendance.

During the event, the off duty detective heard the gunshots and responded to the direction of where the shots were fired. A 32-year-old man was located near the parking area suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body.&nbsp;

The off-duty detective immediately began providing life-saving measures until EMS arrived. The victim was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased&nbsp;at 7:29 p.m.

Police had no suspect description available early Friday.

Investigators are asking anyone who may have witnessed this incident or has information to contact the Wichita Police Department Investigations Section at&nbsp;316-268-4407. Those wishing to remain anonymous can submit tips through Crime Stoppers at&nbsp;316-267-2111

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761306486802.png" alt="Image courtesy KWCH" />
                        <figcaption>Image courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a deadly shooting at a youth football game in Wichita.</p><p>Just afater 7p.m. Thursday,&nbsp; police responded to a shooting at Grove Park, also know as Glen Day Park, located in the 2800 block of North Grove in Wichita, according to a statement from police.</p><p>An off-duty detective was on scene working security for the youth football game with an estimated 200 to 300 spectators in attendance.</p><p>During the event, the off duty detective heard the gunshots and responded to the direction of where the shots were fired. A 32-year-old man was located near the parking area suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body.&nbsp;</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761306884484.png" alt="Image courtesy KWCH" />
                        <figcaption>Image courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>The off-duty detective immediately began providing life-saving measures until EMS arrived. The victim was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased&nbsp;at 7:29 p.m.</p><p>Police had no suspect description available early Friday.</p><p>Investigators are asking anyone who may have witnessed this incident or has information to contact the Wichita Police Department Investigations Section at&nbsp;316-268-4407. Those wishing to remain anonymous can submit tips through Crime Stoppers at&nbsp;316-267-2111</p>

Kansas man dies after shooting near youth football game

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A third suspect accused in a fatal drug overdose involving a 15-year-old Kansas girl&nbsp; is no longer in custody.

Danielle D. Wheeler, 53, made her first court appearance on Tuesday and was charged with&nbsp; involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment in the death of 15-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cozine.com/obituaries/kennedy-herren" target="_blank">Kennedy Herren</a>, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;

Just after 10a.m. Wednesday, she was booked into the Sedgwick County jail. She met the requirement of bond and was released just after 5p.m. Wednesday, according to online jail records.

On September 14, police responded to the report of a deceased 15-year-old in Wichita, according to a media release from police. The investigation determined the death of Kennedy Herren was the result of a drug overdose.

Since then, Wichita police overdose analyst worked to pursue justice and ensure accountability for the people responsible for this senseless death.&nbsp;

On October 15,&nbsp;K-9 officers arrested 24-year-old Isaac L. Hord and on October 19 they arrested 24-year-old Niklas Wiley in connection with this case. 

They have both been harged with first-degree murder and aggravated  endangering a child. Wiley is also facing charges of criminal sodomy,&nbsp; sexual exploitation of a child and&nbsp; aggravated indecent liberties with a child, according to the district attorney's office.

Both remain in custody in the Sedgwick Count Jail on a one-million dollar bond, according to online jail records.

All three suspects are scheduled to return to court on November 3.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760610637070.png" alt="Hord photo Sedgwick County" />
                        <figcaption>Hord photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A third suspect accused in a fatal drug overdose involving a 15-year-old Kansas girl&nbsp; is no longer in custody.</p><p>Danielle D. Wheeler, 53, made her first court appearance on Tuesday and was charged with&nbsp; involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment in the death of 15-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cozine.com/obituaries/kennedy-herren" target="_blank">Kennedy Herren</a>, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761260796231.png" alt="Wheeler photo Sedgwick County" />
                        <figcaption>Wheeler photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>Just after 10a.m. Wednesday, she was booked into the Sedgwick County jail. She met the requirement of bond and was released just after 5p.m. Wednesday, according to online jail records.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761079684304.png" alt="<a href="https://www.cozine.com/obituaries/kennedy-herren" target="_blank">Kennedy Herren</a>&nbsp;-photo courtesy Cozine Memorial Group" />
                        <figcaption><a href="https://www.cozine.com/obituaries/kennedy-herren" target="_blank">Kennedy Herren</a>&nbsp;-photo courtesy Cozine Memorial Group</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>On September 14, police responded to the report of a deceased 15-year-old in Wichita, according to a media release from police. The investigation determined the death of Kennedy Herren was the result of a drug overdose.</p><p>Since then, Wichita police overdose analyst worked to pursue justice and ensure accountability for the people responsible for this senseless death.&nbsp;</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761265375529.png" alt="Wiley-photo Sedgwick County" />
                        <figcaption>Wiley-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>On October 15,&nbsp;K-9 officers arrested 24-year-old Isaac L. Hord and on October 19 they arrested 24-year-old Niklas Wiley in connection with this case. </p><p>They have both been harged with first-degree murder and aggravated  endangering a child. Wiley is also facing charges of criminal sodomy,&nbsp; sexual exploitation of a child and&nbsp; aggravated indecent liberties with a child, according to the district attorney's office.</p><p>Both remain in custody in the Sedgwick Count Jail on a one-million dollar bond, according to online jail records.</p><p>All three suspects are scheduled to return to court on November 3.</p>

Woman accused in Kan. teen's overdose death is out of jail

Portland Trail Blazers head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trail-blazers-chauncey-billups-57c920d0fcace5dbce25cd474468cd40">Chauncey Billups</a>, Miami Heat guard&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/terry-rozier">Terry Rozier</a>&nbsp;and former Cleveland Cavaliers assistant&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rozier-billups-jones-betting-arrests-4241238cb43d998f1b9eac47b8d326a7">Damon Jones</a>&nbsp;are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-heat-terry-rozier-gambling-probe-de98ecb76bb8f13b85f4c5ac62f66221">among 34 people charged</a>&nbsp;in connection with schemes involving illegal sports betting and rigged poker games backed by the Mafia, authorities said on Thursday.

<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eT7xaYmsbTNbHsaP1mTkMy2MSPYQiV0G/view">Click here to read the complete charging documents.</a>

Rozier is accused in participating in an illegal sports betting scheme using private insider NBA information, officials said. Billups is charged in a separate indictment alleging a wide-ranging scheme to rig underground poker games, authorities said.

FBI Director Kash Patel and other law enforcement officials said the multiple charges involve four of the five leading mafia families and organized crime networks, and “mind-boggling” amounts of fraud. Rozier’s lawyer, Jim Trusty, accused the FBI of aiming for “misplaced glory” by embarrassing the professional athlete with a perp walk, rather than allowing him to self-surrender.

More defendants appear in federal court in Brooklyn

Roughly 20 of the defendants — from alleged high-ranking mobsters to money launderers — appeared in Brooklyn federal court late Thursday. Most pleaded not guilty during packed court hearings attended by family members.

Many of those charged with violent crimes or with lengthy criminal records and ties to organized crime were detained.

Others, including some of the poker players who participated in the rigged games, were released on bond.

Defense attorney discusses Rozier exit from 2023 game key to case

Rozier’s attorney told reporters outside the federal courthouse after Thursday’s hearing about the March 23, 2023, game between Charlotte and New Orleans that was the focus of the charges. The NBA star played the first 9 minutes and 36 seconds in the first quarter before exiting and did not play again in that game or the final eight games of the season.

Some bettors were furious with sportsbooks, posting on social media that something “shady” had gone on regarding the prop bets involving Rozier’s stats for that night.

Trusty said that Rozier had confided in several people that he was injured that night.

“He’s like, ‘Why am I going to make this injury worse? I shouldn’t be playing,’” Trusty said.

Rozier was interviewed twice during an NBA investigation, and officials downloaded his phone, Trusty said.

“And at the end of the day, they said, ‘There’s nothing to see here,’ and cleared him,” Trusty said. “And that was a very professional investigation. It wasn’t something that was perfunctory.”

Billups made his first federal court appearance in Portland on Thursday afternoon, wearing a brown hooded sweatshirt as he sat next to his attorney before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jolie Russo.

Lawyers from both sides told the judge they have agreed on Billups’ release from custody pending trial on certain conditions.

Under the release conditions, Billups must secure “a substantial bond” with the court in the Eastern District of New York, where the case was filed; abide by certain travel restrictions; and surrender his passport, among others. He is also prohibited from gambling related activity. The dollar amount of the bond was not discussed during the court hearing.

Billups’ attorney, Chris Heywood, declined to comment after the hearing.

Rozier attorney describes ‘chicaner’ by prosecutors and federal agents

Trusty, Rozier’s attorney, described what he said was “chicanery” of prosecutors and federal agents. The defense attorney said he got a predawn call saying that federal agents were downstairs at Rozier’s hotel in downtown Orlando and that the attorney should call his client to tell him to go downstairs.

Within minutes, federal agents were at the door to Rozier’s hotel room, Trusty told the judge.

“It has had a damaging effect on his career,” Trusty said.

Another condition of Rozier’s release is that he can have no contact with any others named in the indictment, as well as any listed individuals the government provides.

Judge says Rozier can be released by putting house up as bond and surrendering passport

A federal magistrate judge said Thursday that Rozier could be released from custody by putting up his Florida home as bond and surrendering his passport. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Norway also restricted Rozier’s travel to the continental United States and prohibited him from gambling as conditions for his release.

Federal prosecutors had asked for a $10 million bond but Rozier’s attorney said that was excessive given that the NBA star had no prior record.

“I think it’s Draconian,” said Jim Trusty, Rozier’s attorney. “He is a man of high character.”

In court, Rozier wore a black Charlotte Hornets sweatshirt with green lettering and was shackled and handcuffed. He didn’t speak much except when answering basic questions from the judge.

Rozier is facing two counts: conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Hu. Each count carries no more than 20 years in prison.

Trail Blazers name Tiago Splitter as interim head coach

Assistant coach and former NBA player Tiago Splitter has been named as the team’s interim head coach, according to a statement released Thursday by the Portland Trail Blazers.

“We are aware of the allegations involving head coach Chauncey Billups, and the Trail Blazers are fully cooperating with the investigation. Billups has been placed on immediate leave, and Tiago Splitter will assume head coaching duties in the interim. Any further questions should be directed to the NBA,” the brief statement said.

The six defendants in the sports betting indictment include former NBA player and coach Damon Jones, current NBA player Terry Rozier, one of Rozier’s close friends. Two of the defendants portrayed themselves on Instagram as successful sports bettors and sold sports betting picks through their profiles, according to the indictment.

Jones is also a defendant in the rigged poker game indictment, as is Portland Trail Blazers Coach Chauncey Billups.

The 31 defendants named in the second indictment include 12 people who are identified as either members or associates of the Bonanno, Gambino, Genovese or Lucchese Crime Families.

Portland Trail Blazers cancel scheduled practice

The Portland Trail Blazers canceled their scheduled practice on Thursday.

The team is set to play its first game without head coach Chauncey Billups on Friday night at Portland’s Moda Center against the Golden State Warriors.

Indictments describe several unnamed NBA players

The indictments contain the description of several unnamed NBA players whose injury status and availability for certain games were the source of betting activity. Those players are not accused of any wrongdoing and there is no indication that they would have even known what was being said about their status for those games.

Those players include LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Damian Lillard. Their identities are clear based on a review of corresponding injury reports surrounding games mentioned in the indictment.

The indictments show that certain defendants shared information about the availability of those players in games on March 24, 2023, involving the Portland Trail Blazers, and two in 2023 and 2024 involving the Los Angeles Lakers.

For the Portland game, defendant Eric Earnest, investigators said, was given information that a player who had been listed as probable and then questionable to play that day would not play at all. Those details perfectly match how Lillard was listed on injury reports that day.Similar patterns were found with Lakers games involving James and Davis, with Jones alleged to have shared their injury information before it was publicly known. In one of the cases, investigators said, Jones got the details wrong and caused some bettors who placed large wagers to lose.

Prosecutors ask judge to detain 13 defendants

Federal prosecutors asked a judge to detain 13 defendants pending trial, including six reputed crime family members, and to not release other defendants unless they post substantial bonds.

“The Court should consider that each of those defendants has taken a lifetime oath to commit crimes and put their crime families above all else,” prosecutors said about the alleged mob associates in a court filing. “Those crime families have a long history of committing crimes, including obstruction of justice.”

Court documents describe violent encounter at poker game run by Gambino associate

Court documents also describe a violent encounter in 2023 at a poker game in Manhattan run by a Gambino crime family associate. Two members of rival crime families that had a poker game in another location on the same night busted into the Gambino associate’s game armed with a gun and baton, sparked a brawl and assaulted the Gambino member, the documents say.

Court documents say proceeds from the rigged card games were laundered through shell companies and cryptocurrency.

FanDuel calls allegations ‘deeply disturbing’

FanDuel, one of the largest sportsbooks, released a statement expressing its concern over Thursday’s developments.

“Today’s events are deeply disturbing, and should concern fans, athletes, and everyone who loves sports and values integrity and fair play,” the company said. “They also illustrate the stark contrast between legal and illegal betting markets. At FanDuel, we use advanced technology and real-time monitoring to identify suspicious activity and work closely with leagues, data monitoring groups, and law enforcement. We are unwavering in our commitment to rooting out abuses by those who seek to undermine fair competition and the games we love.”

The National Basketball Players Association said it would do all it can to protect the league’s players, including Rozier.

“The integrity of the game is paramount to NBA players, but so is the presumption of innocence, and both are hindered when player popularity is misused to gain attention,” the union said. “We will ensure our members are protected and afforded their due process rights through this process.“

Black Sox, Ohtani’s interpreter and more: A look at notable sports betting scandals

Betting scandals have been a concern for professional sports leagues for as long as they’ve existed, but a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f3fa1f71b8f44378a7e2c51d321b13b4">U.S. Supreme Court ruling</a>&nbsp;in May 2018 has led to a wave of gambling incidents involving athletes and officials.

The ruling struck down a federal law that barred sports betting in most states and opened the doors for online sportsbooks to take up a prominent space in the sports ecosystem.

▶ Here is a lineup of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-gambling-suspensions-nba-mlb-nhl-54b526162ebd86b1f1d8886cc46efc6b">betting scandals involving pro sports</a>

What polling shows Americans think about legal sports betting

As legalized&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sports-betting">sports betting</a>&nbsp;expands, recent polling suggests Americans are increasingly critical of its role in U.S. society and sports — although they’re more tolerant of it for professional sports.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biggest-sports-betting-scandals-0098b62195eab133d4d03f143db42445">Betting scandals</a>&nbsp;have multiplied since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f3fa1f71b8f44378a7e2c51d321b13b4">a U.S. Supreme Court ruling</a>&nbsp;in May 2018 struck down a federal law that barred sports betting in most states. Waves of cases have involved athletes and officials — including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-heat-terry-rozier-gambling-probe-de98ecb76bb8f13b85f4c5ac62f66221">those arrested Thursday</a>.

In the years since the Supreme Court’s ruling, sports betting has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-sports-betting-taxes-571a3fe28a9986ff8f4a4334f71b783f">brought revenue to state governments</a>, but it’s also prompted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alabama-baseball-coach-fired-bets-bohannon-0471b144a9348caa456a22cab23b9a8b">concerns about the potential for wrongdoing</a>, as well as the impact on athletes.

▶ Read about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-betting-gambling-poll-b7a989cf5ad01f4e224a3f62cecabbeb">what polls suggest Americans think about the impact of legal sports betting</a>

FBI probe poked at the massive industry in legal sports betting

The indictments unsealed in New York create a massive cloud for the NBA — which opened its season this week — and show how certain types of wagers are vulnerable to massive fraud in the growing, multi-billion-dollar legal sports-betting industry.

“We’re talking about tens of millions of dollars in fraud and theft and robbery across a multi-year investigation,” FBI Director Kash Patel said. “This is the insider trader saga of the NBA — that’s why we are going to take heat for this.”

Former NBA assistant coach Damon Jones also charged

Jones is accused in both indictments announced Thursday — of participating in rigged poker games as well as an illegal sports betting scheme using private insider NBA information.

Messages were left Thursday at a phone number and email address listed in public records for Jones.

Jones, 49, has been coaching since at least 2014 after an 11-year NBA playing career. He was an unofficial assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022-23 when he allegedly was involved with the sports betting scheme, according to the indictment.

Jones is from Galveston, Texas, and played for Houston in college before suiting up in New Jersey, Boston, Golden State, Dallas, Vancouver, Detroit, Sacramento, Milwaukee, Miami and Cleveland. He also worked as a TV analyst for ESPN in 2018.

Authorities say Jones was coached — in real time — about how to play his hands during the poker games, and that at one point, he snapped back, saying: “Y’all know I know what I’m doing!! Let me hibachi like Gilbert Arenas.”

Billups was winning so much, he had to lose on purpose, prosecutors say

The detention memo says Billups and Damon Jones, a former NBA player, served as “face cards” in the scheme, luring victims drawn by the chance to play alongside former professional athletes. Others were charged with supplying the cheating technology, or arranging the underground games and bringing in the “fish” as well as big-money players known as “whales.”

Text messages between the defendants as they carried out their scheme show that in one such game in Las Vegas on April 2019, Billups was winning so many improbable hands with the help of a rigged shuffling machine that his overseers said he needed to lose on purpose, to avoid being suspected of cheating.

Following another rigged game in October 2020, Billups was wired $50,000 for his participation, the memo states.

Detention memo reveals more details of poker rigging

The memo notes that the rigged poker scheme began as early as 2019 and involved locations across the US, including the Hamptons, Manhattan, Las Vegas, and Miami.

The memo describes sophisticated technology such as card shuffling machines that had been secretly altered to incorporate concealed technology that could read the cards in the deck, predict which players at the table had the best poker hand, and relay that information to offsite operators in other states.

Prosecutors say in the memo that defendants also used other cheating technology, including a poker chip tray analyzer, which secretly read cards using hidden cameras, an X-ray device that could read cards as they were kept face down on the table, and special contact lenses or eyeglasses that could read pre-marked cards.

Prosecutors want poker rigging defendants to meet bail conditions

Prosecutors, in their detention memo, asked a judge to impose “substantial bail conditions” before releasing all the defendants in the poker rigging case, including a prohibition on any form of gambling, travel restrictions, surrendering their passport, and prohibiting the transfer of assets valued at or greater than $10,000 without the permission of the court.

For Billups, they noted that he has “substantial financial resources.”

“As an NBA player from 1997 to 2013, his lifetime career earnings exceeded $100 million, and he currently has a multi year contract to serve as the head coach of the Portland Trailblazers for an undisclosed salary,” the memo reads.

‘Face cards’ were used to lure in the ‘fish’, authorities say

Nocella said the scheme targeted victims known as “fish,” who were lured to participate in the rigged games with the chance to play alongside former athletes who were known as “face cards.” Billups was one of those celebrities, Nocella said.

The games were rigged through sophisticated cheating technology, such as altered card shuffling machines, hidden cameras in poker chip trays, special sunglasses and even X-ray equipment built into the table to read the cards of unsuspecting players.

And once the “fish” lost, the mafia used extortion and violence to make sure they paid their gambling debts, Nocella said.

Losses from the rigged poker games top $7 million — and counting, commissioner says

Organizers brought in well-known former and current players and coaches to appear legitimate and used hidden cameras, bar-coded decks and shuffling machines that could read the order of cards, Tisch said.

“Victims believed that they were sitting at a fair table,” she said. “Instead, they were cheated out of millions.”

Losses exceed $7 million and continue to grow, with one victim losing $1.8 million, Tisch said. When people refused to pay, the defendants used threats, intimidation, and violence, she said.

New York’s formidable crime families were involved, police commissioner says

Investigators found that the scheme involved members and associates of the Bonanno, Gambino, Lucchese and Genovese crime families, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at the news conference.

NBA gambling scandal: Former Big 12 star won so much, had to lose on purpose

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Authorities are investigating a fatal industrial accident.

Just after 8 a.m. Wednesday, police responded to an industrial accident in the 700 block of East Murdock in Wichita, according to a media release from police.

First responders located a 50-year-old later identified as&nbsp;Phonesay Rasbandith,  with injuries to his upper body. He was operating a hydraulic press; a piece of metal separated and injured him.

He was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased at 8:36 a.m. He is from Wichita.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761253557038.png" alt="First responders on the scene -photo courtesy KWCH" />
                        <figcaption>First responders on the scene -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Authorities are investigating a fatal industrial accident.</p><p>Just after 8 a.m. Wednesday, police responded to an industrial accident in the 700 block of East Murdock in Wichita, according to a media release from police.</p><p>First responders located a 50-year-old later identified as&nbsp;Phonesay Rasbandith,  with injuries to his upper body. He was operating a hydraulic press; a piece of metal separated and injured him.</p><p>He was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased at 8:36 a.m. He is from Wichita.</p>

Kansas man dies after injured while working with hydraulic press 

Update comes as district judge considers Friday whether to pause contract, which state attorneys say could harm Nebraska

By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/zachwendling/">Zach Wendling</a><br><a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/17/lincoln-senators-clash-over-nebraska-school-retirement-bill-as-school-leaders-weigh-in/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Gov. Jim Pillen announced Thursday that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement inspectors have certified a Nebraska state prison to begin receiving federal detainees as it becomes a migrant detention facility.

Pillen said ICE inspectors completed a final walkthrough of the former McCook&nbsp;<a href="https://corrections.nebraska.gov/facilities/work-ethic-camp" target="_blank">Work Ethic Camp</a>&nbsp;this week, and the timeline for the first detainees to come to Nebraska is still being coordinated. Pillen said getting the final pieces together had been “a moving target” with the federal shutdown now on day 23.

“Given the many tasks that had to be completed, including the transfer of remaining inmates, building modifications, training of staff and other components, we have made significant progress,” Pillen said in a statement.

Final security upgrades will continue in McCook “over the next day or so,” Pillen said, and additional modifications will allow the facility to house up to 300 detainees, from a maximum of about 200.

Pillen’s update comes less than 24 hours before a Red Willow County District Court judge will hear arguments on a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/schimek-v-pillen_CI25137.pdf">lawsuit</a>&nbsp;seeking to temporarily stop the Nebraska-ICE partnership. The lawsuit is from 13 McCook residents and former State Sen. DiAnna Schimek of Lincoln. It argues the&nbsp;<a href="https://corrections.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/Contract-NDCS-Department-of-Homeland-Security-ICE.pdf" target="_blank">Nebraska-ICE contract</a>&nbsp;is unconstitutional without legislative approval because of language they say&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/articles.php?article=IV-19" target="_blank">delegates management</a>&nbsp;of the state’s prisons to the Legislature.

The lawsuit also argues that lawmakers had specified and&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=72-801" target="_blank">funded</a>&nbsp;the purpose of the McCook facility in law. The detention center remains state-owned and operated.

Pillen and Rob Jeffreys, director of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, are named in the lawsuit.

The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, on behalf of Pillen and Jeffreys in&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/schimek-v-pillen_MTD-state-brief.pdf">court filings</a>&nbsp;this week, asked for the lawsuit to be dismissed and all but said the train has left the station.&nbsp;

“Should the court void the state’s contract with the federal government, that would release the federal government from its obligations to compensate the state for this work. Taxpayers would therefore suffer a greater injury from preliminary relief than without it,” the brief states. “Not to mention the damage that preliminary relief would do to the state’s relationship with the federal government.”

Under the contract, ICE plans to pay Nebraska around $2.5 million monthly. Pillen’s office estimates the deal could net Nebraska $14.25 million annually. The contract was&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/10/23/pillens-office-defends-17-day-delay-in-releasing-nebraska-ice-detention-contract/">not publicly available until Oct. 17</a>. It was&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/10/17/nebraska-signed-contract-with-ice-on-sept-30-to-turn-state-prison-into-migrant-detention-center/">signed Sept. 30</a>. Pillen&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/08/21/what-we-know-about-nebraska-ice-plan-to-retool-mccook-work-ethic-camp-lawmaker-reactions/">announced the initial plan Aug. 19</a>. The lawsuit was&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/10/16/13-mccook-residents-former-lawmaker-sue-to-stop-nebraska-ice-detention-center/">filed Oct. 15</a>.

The AG’s Office said the Legislature “broadly” delegated the day-to-day operations of state facilities to the executive branch and said the contract doesn’t change McCook’s “overarching purpose” as a detention center, so “any change is one of degree, not kind.”

State attorneys said the McCook residents and Schimek are not best-suited to challenge the facility, suggesting a more proper lawsuit could come instead from the Legislature,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/10/16/ags-office-all-inmates-moved-from-nebraskas-mccook-prison-planned-ice-detention-center/">state inmates transferred from the Work Ethic Camp</a>&nbsp;to other state facilities or federal detainees. The AG’s Office said a better “check” on separation of powers concerns is the Legislature and the political process, not by going through the courts or by “random taxpayers.”

“Taxpayers who object to the defendants’ actions have the same remedy as any other Nebraskan: the ballot box,” the AG’s Office wrote.

Nick Grandgenett, an attorney for the McCook residents and Schimek, framed the case last week as “not about immigration” but “our constitutional republican form of government.”

The AG’s Office criticized the lawsuit for not including all “indispensable parties” —&nbsp;the U.S. government, as well as a fencing company contracted to build a razor wire around the facility.

“Plaintiffs cannot use purportedly illegal expenditures related to the McCook facility — costs that the federal government will reimburse — as a bootstrap to obtain the standing necessary to present their real challenge, which is aimed at the entire cooperative agreements and federal immigration enforcement activity,” the state’s attorneys wrote.

Jeffreys, in a Thursday statement, said his department’s “attention to detail” at the Work Ethic Camp and a strong partnership and cooperation with ICE and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security made certification possible.

“Passing these inspections is a testament to our team’s commitment to safety, security and professionalism,” Jeffreys said. He signed the initial two-year Nebraska-ICE contract Sept. 30 for the state.

Pillen said that once operational, the rebranded “Cornhusker Clink” will regionally support ICE officials “who are working tirelessly to identify illegal criminals and get them off our streets.”

“Every state is a border state,” Pillen said. “Nebraska is going to do its part to make sure that our nation and Nebraskans are safe and secure.”

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761252952549.png" alt="The state’s Work Ethic Camp in McCook, Neb., is set to become a detention center for migrants facing deportation proceedings. State Sen. Margo Juarez of Omaha, a vocal opponent, drove more than four hours from her home district to learn more about the facility than has been shared with Democratic lawmakers. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)" />
                        <figcaption>The state’s Work Ethic Camp in McCook, Neb., is set to become a detention center for migrants facing deportation proceedings. State Sen. Margo Juarez of Omaha, a vocal opponent, drove more than four hours from her home district to learn more about the facility than has been shared with Democratic lawmakers. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
                    </figure><h2>Update comes as district judge considers Friday whether to pause contract, which state attorneys say could harm Nebraska</h2><p>By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/zachwendling/">Zach Wendling</a><br><a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/17/lincoln-senators-clash-over-nebraska-school-retirement-bill-as-school-leaders-weigh-in/">Nebraska Examiner</a></p><p>LINCOLN — Gov. Jim Pillen announced Thursday that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement inspectors have certified a Nebraska state prison to begin receiving federal detainees as it becomes a migrant detention facility.</p><p>Pillen said ICE inspectors completed a final walkthrough of the former McCook&nbsp;<a href="https://corrections.nebraska.gov/facilities/work-ethic-camp" target="_blank">Work Ethic Camp</a>&nbsp;this week, and the timeline for the first detainees to come to Nebraska is still being coordinated. Pillen said getting the final pieces together had been “a moving target” with the federal shutdown now on day 23.</p><p>“Given the many tasks that had to be completed, including the transfer of remaining inmates, building modifications, training of staff and other components, we have made significant progress,” Pillen said in a statement.</p><p>Final security upgrades will continue in McCook “over the next day or so,” Pillen said, and additional modifications will allow the facility to house up to 300 detainees, from a maximum of about 200.</p><p>Pillen’s update comes less than 24 hours before a Red Willow County District Court judge will hear arguments on a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/schimek-v-pillen_CI25137.pdf">lawsuit</a>&nbsp;seeking to temporarily stop the Nebraska-ICE partnership. The lawsuit is from 13 McCook residents and former State Sen. DiAnna Schimek of Lincoln. It argues the&nbsp;<a href="https://corrections.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/Contract-NDCS-Department-of-Homeland-Security-ICE.pdf" target="_blank">Nebraska-ICE contract</a>&nbsp;is unconstitutional without legislative approval because of language they say&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/articles.php?article=IV-19" target="_blank">delegates management</a>&nbsp;of the state’s prisons to the Legislature.</p><p>The lawsuit also argues that lawmakers had specified and&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=72-801" target="_blank">funded</a>&nbsp;the purpose of the McCook facility in law. The detention center remains state-owned and operated.</p><p>Pillen and Rob Jeffreys, director of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, are named in the lawsuit.</p><h2>Attorney General’s Office arguments</h2><p>The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, on behalf of Pillen and Jeffreys in&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/schimek-v-pillen_MTD-state-brief.pdf">court filings</a>&nbsp;this week, asked for the lawsuit to be dismissed and all but said the train has left the station.&nbsp;</p><p>“Should the court void the state’s contract with the federal government, that would release the federal government from its obligations to compensate the state for this work. Taxpayers would therefore suffer a greater injury from preliminary relief than without it,” the brief states. “Not to mention the damage that preliminary relief would do to the state’s relationship with the federal government.”</p><p>Under the contract, ICE plans to pay Nebraska around $2.5 million monthly. Pillen’s office estimates the deal could net Nebraska $14.25 million annually. The contract was&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/10/23/pillens-office-defends-17-day-delay-in-releasing-nebraska-ice-detention-contract/">not publicly available until Oct. 17</a>. It was&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/10/17/nebraska-signed-contract-with-ice-on-sept-30-to-turn-state-prison-into-migrant-detention-center/">signed Sept. 30</a>. Pillen&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/08/21/what-we-know-about-nebraska-ice-plan-to-retool-mccook-work-ethic-camp-lawmaker-reactions/">announced the initial plan Aug. 19</a>. The lawsuit was&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/10/16/13-mccook-residents-former-lawmaker-sue-to-stop-nebraska-ice-detention-center/">filed Oct. 15</a>.</p><p>The AG’s Office said the Legislature “broadly” delegated the day-to-day operations of state facilities to the executive branch and said the contract doesn’t change McCook’s “overarching purpose” as a detention center, so “any change is one of degree, not kind.”</p><p>State attorneys said the McCook residents and Schimek are not best-suited to challenge the facility, suggesting a more proper lawsuit could come instead from the Legislature,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/10/16/ags-office-all-inmates-moved-from-nebraskas-mccook-prison-planned-ice-detention-center/">state inmates transferred from the Work Ethic Camp</a>&nbsp;to other state facilities or federal detainees. The AG’s Office said a better “check” on separation of powers concerns is the Legislature and the political process, not by going through the courts or by “random taxpayers.”</p><p>“Taxpayers who object to the defendants’ actions have the same remedy as any other Nebraskan: the ballot box,” the AG’s Office wrote.</p><h2>‘Every state is a border state’</h2><p>Nick Grandgenett, an attorney for the McCook residents and Schimek, framed the case last week as “not about immigration” but “our constitutional republican form of government.”</p><p>The AG’s Office criticized the lawsuit for not including all “indispensable parties” —&nbsp;the U.S. government, as well as a fencing company contracted to build a razor wire around the facility.</p><p>“Plaintiffs cannot use purportedly illegal expenditures related to the McCook facility — costs that the federal government will reimburse — as a bootstrap to obtain the standing necessary to present their real challenge, which is aimed at the entire cooperative agreements and federal immigration enforcement activity,” the state’s attorneys wrote.</p><p>Jeffreys, in a Thursday statement, said his department’s “attention to detail” at the Work Ethic Camp and a strong partnership and cooperation with ICE and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security made certification possible.</p><p>“Passing these inspections is a testament to our team’s commitment to safety, security and professionalism,” Jeffreys said. He signed the initial two-year Nebraska-ICE contract Sept. 30 for the state.</p><p>Pillen said that once operational, the rebranded “Cornhusker Clink” will regionally support ICE officials “who are working tirelessly to identify illegal criminals and get them off our streets.”</p><p>“Every state is a border state,” Pillen said. “Nebraska is going to do its part to make sure that our nation and Nebraskans are safe and secure.”</p>

ICE certifies Nebraska prison to begin housing immigration detainees

MONTGOMERY COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an arrest following a pursuit.

Just before 10:30p.m.&nbsp;October 20, sheriff's deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle near Main and Liberty Street in Cherryvale, Kansas, according to Sheriff Ron Wade.

The vehicle did not display a visible rear license plate. The driver failed to stop, and a short vehicle pursuit ensued. The vehicle eventually came to a stop at a residence in the 200 block of Neosho Street in Cherryvale. 

Deputies made contact with the driver, later identified as Jacob Hamilton, of Cherryvale, Kansas. Hamilton resisted arrest but was quickly taken into custody without further incident. He was transported to the Montgomery County Department of Corrections. During the investigation, deputies determined that Hamilton had discarded approximately 48 grams of methamphetamine from the vehicle during the pursuit. 

A loaded firearm was also located inside the vehicle. Deputies developed probable cause and obtained a narcotics search warrant for Hamilton’s residence. With the assistance of the Cherryvale Police Department, deputies executed the search warrant and located additional drug paraphernalia, evidence indicating narcotics had been destroyed, and multiple stolen items linked to thefts in Cherryvale, Coffeyville, Labette County, Wilson County, and Neosho County.

Hamilton was booked into the Montgomery County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Distribution of methamphetamine,&nbsp; Possession of drug paraphernalia, Interference with law enforcement, Fleeing and attempting to elude law enforcement, Transporting an open container, Failure to use a turn signal, No vehicle registration and No vehicle insurance.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761254237537.png" alt="Hamilton photo Montgomery County" />
                        <figcaption>Hamilton photo Montgomery County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>MONTGOMERY COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an arrest following a pursuit.</p><p>Just before 10:30p.m.&nbsp;October 20, sheriff's deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle near Main and Liberty Street in Cherryvale, Kansas, according to Sheriff Ron Wade.</p><p>The vehicle did not display a visible rear license plate. The driver failed to stop, and a short vehicle pursuit ensued. The vehicle eventually came to a stop at a residence in the 200 block of Neosho Street in Cherryvale. </p><p>Deputies made contact with the driver, later identified as Jacob Hamilton, of Cherryvale, Kansas. Hamilton resisted arrest but was quickly taken into custody without further incident. He was transported to the Montgomery County Department of Corrections. During the investigation, deputies determined that Hamilton had discarded approximately 48 grams of methamphetamine from the vehicle during the pursuit. </p><p>A loaded firearm was also located inside the vehicle. Deputies developed probable cause and obtained a narcotics search warrant for Hamilton’s residence. With the assistance of the Cherryvale Police Department, deputies executed the search warrant and located additional drug paraphernalia, evidence indicating narcotics had been destroyed, and multiple stolen items linked to thefts in Cherryvale, Coffeyville, Labette County, Wilson County, and Neosho County.</p><p>Hamilton was booked into the Montgomery County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Distribution of methamphetamine,&nbsp; Possession of drug paraphernalia, Interference with law enforcement, Fleeing and attempting to elude law enforcement, Transporting an open container, Failure to use a turn signal, No vehicle registration and No vehicle insurance.</p>

Kan. man accused of throwing meth from vehicle during chase

FORD COUNTY—A man who told police he shot his wife has made his first court appearance.

Judge Sidney Thomas charged 31-year-old Israel Esquivel-Ibarra with First Degree, Premeditated, Murder and Criminal Discharge of a Firearm in&nbsp;the death of 31-year-old Emma Prieto Benitez, according to the Ford County Attorney's office.

Just before 6a.m. Monday, police&nbsp;were dispatched to the 3000 block of Gary Avenue in Dodge City in response to reports of shots fired, according to a media release.

While officers were arriving in the area, a man later identified as Ibarra approached officers at the Police Department and stated that he had just shot his wife.

Based on the information provided, officers responded to the location given by Ibarra and discovered Emma Prieto Benitez in her vehicle suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Despite immediate life-saving efforts by first responders, she died her injuries at the scene.

Ibarra&nbsp; was taken into custody without incident and remains jailed on a one-million dollar bond. He scheduled to return to court October 30, according to the county attorney.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761257197576.png" alt="Ibarra photo Ford County" />
                        <figcaption>Ibarra photo Ford County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>FORD COUNTY—A man who told police he shot his wife has made his first court appearance.</p><p>Judge Sidney Thomas charged 31-year-old Israel Esquivel-Ibarra with First Degree, Premeditated, Murder and Criminal Discharge of a Firearm in&nbsp;the death of 31-year-old Emma Prieto Benitez, according to the Ford County Attorney's office.</p><p>Just before 6a.m. Monday, police&nbsp;were dispatched to the 3000 block of Gary Avenue in Dodge City in response to reports of shots fired, according to a media release.</p><p>While officers were arriving in the area, a man later identified as Ibarra approached officers at the Police Department and stated that he had just shot his wife.</p><p>Based on the information provided, officers responded to the location given by Ibarra and discovered Emma Prieto Benitez in her vehicle suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Despite immediate life-saving efforts by first responders, she died her injuries at the scene.</p><p>Ibarra&nbsp; was taken into custody without incident and remains jailed on a one-million dollar bond. He scheduled to return to court October 30, according to the county attorney.</p>

SW Kan. man who told police he shot his wife faces a judge

WASHINGTON (AP) — Construction started this week on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/white-house-trump-ballroom-ea5c645a45e8f8846ebc98d5b2976678">$250 million ballroom</a>&nbsp;that President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is adding to the White House as construction crews began&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-ballroom-white-house-east-wing-demolish-a3efb2973d4d4e45f98b02e55210c538">tearing down the facade of the East Wing</a>, where the new space is being built.

<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/visit/">Click here for a closer </a>look at the ball room project

The Republican president and top White House officials had initially said nothing would be demolished during construction.

The 90,000-square-foot ballroom will dwarf the main White House itself, at nearly double the size, and Trump says it will accommodate 999 people.

Trump said on social media that the ballroom won’t cost taxpayers a dime because it is being privately funded by “many generous Patriots, Great American Companies, and, yours truly.”

Here are some things to know about the newest White House construction project:

Trump says the White House needs a large entertaining space and has complained that the East Room, the current largest space in the White House, is too small, holding about 200 people. He has frowned on the past practice of presidents hosting state dinners and other large events in tents on the South Lawn.

Trump said $350M in donations have come in for the ballroom

But the wealthy president is still being vague about his own personal contribution to the $300 million project.

Trump has said the ballroom will be paid for with money donated by his friends and from his own pocket.

But he’s hasn’t said how much money he’s giving.

“I’ll donate whatever’s needed,” he said.

Why tear down the East Wing to build the ballroom?

Associated Press photos show the entire White House East Wing has been demolished as President Donald Trump moves ahead with building a ballroom. The two-story structure of drawing rooms and offices, including a walkway to the White House, has been turned into rubble. 

The wing has been demolished as part of the Republican president’s plan to build a ballroom nearly twice the size of the White House itself that he now says will cost $300 million. Trump said Wednesday that keeping the East Wing would have “hurt a very, very expensive, beautiful building,” referring to the ballroom that he said presidents have wanted for years.

He's moving ahead with construction despite the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-ballroom-national-planning-commission-approval-f537fa373705d560a9842b6250aee9ef">lack of sign-off from the National Capital Planning Commission,</a>&nbsp;the executive branch agency that has jurisdiction over construction and major renovations to government buildings in the region.

Trump named a top White House aide, Will Scharf, to head the commission. Scharf has made a distinction between demolition work and rebuilding, saying the commission was only required to vet the latter.

By Trump's telling, it will become a space where guests will mingle, sip cocktails and eat hors d'oeuvres until they are called into the ballroom for dinner. Trump said a set of windows in the room will be removed to create a passageway to and from the ballroom.

Renderings released by the White House suggest a strong resemblance to the gilded ballroom at Mar-a-Lago, Trump's private club and home in Palm Beach, Florida.

The project also has grown in size since it was announced, going from accommodating 650 seated guests to holding 999 people, big enough to fit an inauguration if needed, he said at a recent White House dinner for donors. Windows will be bulletproof, he said.

The White House has said the ballroom will be ready for use before Trump's second term ends in January 2029, an ambitious timeline.

Has Trump made other changes to the White House?

Yes. He has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-white-house-decor-flagpoles-gold-bd95330220d2d6af43d3a08281f8ccce">heavily redecorated the Oval Office</a>&nbsp;by adding numerous portraits, busts and gold-toned adornments. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-white-house-rose-garden-club-e862eba55133195f0297c3595ba4122f">converted the Rose Garden into a stone-covered patio</a>, installed towering&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-flagpoles-a0928efcdcb6d1362a0e1827e96d0344">flagpoles</a>&nbsp;on the north and south lawns, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-presidential-portraits-biden-autopen-white-house-e8624154e72631e723930ea549bb8910">decorated an exterior wall with portraits of every president</a>&nbsp;except his immediate predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden.

Trump also said he renovated the bathroom in the famous Lincoln Bedroom in the private living quarters and laid down marble floors in a passageway leading to the South Lawn.

How has construction changed the White House over the years?

Presidents have added to the White House since construction began in 1792 for a host of reasons, and Trump aides say his decision to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/10/white-house-ballroom-proud-presidential-legacy/">build a ballroom follows that long tradition</a>.

Many of the prior projects were criticized as being too costly or too lavish, but eventually came to be accepted, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehousehistory.org/an-ever-changing-white-house">White House Historical Association</a>.

Thomas Jefferson added the east and west colonnades.

Andrew Jackson built the North Portico on the Pennsylvania Avenue side of the White House, aligning with the South Portico that James Monroe added after the original mansion was rebuilt after the British burned it during the War of 1812.

Theodore Roosevelt added the West Wing to provide dedicated space for the president and key staff, while Franklin D. Roosevelt added the East Wing, which over time became the home base for the first lady's staff and social functions.

One of the most significant White House renovations happened under Harry Truman, when the mansion was found to be so structurally unsound that he ordered a complete gutting of the interior that lasted from 1948 to 1952. The project, including Truman's addition of a balcony to the second floor of the South Portico, was highly controversial.

Other changes include the creation of the Rose Garden during John F. Kennedy's administration and Richard Nixon's decision to convert an indoor swimming pool that was built for FDR's physical therapy into a workspace for the growing White House press corps.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753991748963.png" alt="White House photo" />
                        <figcaption>White House photo</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>WASHINGTON (AP) — Construction started this week on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/white-house-trump-ballroom-ea5c645a45e8f8846ebc98d5b2976678">$250 million ballroom</a>&nbsp;that President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is adding to the White House as construction crews began&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-ballroom-white-house-east-wing-demolish-a3efb2973d4d4e45f98b02e55210c538">tearing down the facade of the East Wing</a>, where the new space is being built.</p><p><a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/visit/">Click here for a closer </a>look at the ball room project</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;This is going to be probably the finest ballroom ever built — and we&#39;re doing it NO COST to the country... in order to do it properly, we had to take down the existing structure.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/AEjJ4Iy3Ja">pic.twitter.com/AEjJ4Iy3Ja</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1981111853498630155?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>The Republican president and top White House officials had initially said nothing would be demolished during construction.</p><p>The 90,000-square-foot ballroom will dwarf the main White House itself, at nearly double the size, and Trump says it will accommodate 999 people.</p><p>Trump said on social media that the ballroom won’t cost taxpayers a dime because it is being privately funded by “many generous Patriots, Great American Companies, and, yours truly.”</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="qme" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/jZYqy45GLM">https://t.co/jZYqy45GLM</a> 💅 <a href="https://t.co/vuhj76CkzM">pic.twitter.com/vuhj76CkzM</a></p>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1981466536947683548?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Here are some things to know about the newest White House construction project:</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">&quot;I am pleased to announce that ground has been broken on the White House grounds to build the new, big, beautiful White House Ballroom... The White House Ballroom is being privately funded by many generous Patriots, Great American Companies, and, yours truly.&quot; - President Trump <a href="https://t.co/GibeLevvFP">pic.twitter.com/GibeLevvFP</a></p>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1980385123037270023?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A lot of FAKE OUTRAGE over construction of the big, beautiful (and privately funded) White House Ballroom.<br><br>FACT: Presidents have been renovating and expanding the White House for more than 100 years.<br><br>In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt built the West Wing .<br><br>In 1909,… <a href="https://t.co/p7opxjsNAm">pic.twitter.com/p7opxjsNAm</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1980411112307700146?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><h2>Why is Trump building a ballroom?</h2><p>Trump says the White House needs a large entertaining space and has complained that the East Room, the current largest space in the White House, is too small, holding about 200 people. He has frowned on the past practice of presidents hosting state dinners and other large events in tents on the South Lawn.</p><h2>Trump said $350M in donations have come in for the ballroom</h2><p>But the wealthy president is still being vague about his own personal contribution to the $300 million project.</p><p>Trump has said the ballroom will be paid for with money donated by his friends and from his own pocket.</p><p>But he’s hasn’t said how much money he’s giving.</p><p>“I’ll donate whatever’s needed,” he said.</p><h2>Why tear down the East Wing to build the ballroom?</h2><p>Associated Press photos show the entire White House East Wing has been demolished as President Donald Trump moves ahead with building a ballroom. The two-story structure of drawing rooms and offices, including a walkway to the White House, has been turned into rubble. </p><p>The wing has been demolished as part of the Republican president’s plan to build a ballroom nearly twice the size of the White House itself that he now says will cost $300 million. Trump said Wednesday that keeping the East Wing would have “hurt a very, very expensive, beautiful building,” referring to the ballroom that he said presidents have wanted for years.</p><h2>Can Trump build a ballroom?</h2><p>He's moving ahead with construction despite the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-ballroom-national-planning-commission-approval-f537fa373705d560a9842b6250aee9ef">lack of sign-off from the National Capital Planning Commission,</a>&nbsp;the executive branch agency that has jurisdiction over construction and major renovations to government buildings in the region.</p><p>Trump named a top White House aide, Will Scharf, to head the commission. Scharf has made a distinction between demolition work and rebuilding, saying the commission was only required to vet the latter.</p><h2>What happens to the East Room?</h2><p>By Trump's telling, it will become a space where guests will mingle, sip cocktails and eat hors d'oeuvres until they are called into the ballroom for dinner. Trump said a set of windows in the room will be removed to create a passageway to and from the ballroom.</p><h2>What will the new ballroom look like?</h2><p>Renderings released by the White House suggest a strong resemblance to the gilded ballroom at Mar-a-Lago, Trump's private club and home in Palm Beach, Florida.</p><p>The project also has grown in size since it was announced, going from accommodating 650 seated guests to holding 999 people, big enough to fit an inauguration if needed, he said at a recent White House dinner for donors. Windows will be bulletproof, he said.</p><h2>When will the ballroom be completed?</h2><p>The White House has said the ballroom will be ready for use before Trump's second term ends in January 2029, an ambitious timeline.</p><h2>Has Trump made other changes to the White House?</h2><p>Yes. He has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-white-house-decor-flagpoles-gold-bd95330220d2d6af43d3a08281f8ccce">heavily redecorated the Oval Office</a>&nbsp;by adding numerous portraits, busts and gold-toned adornments. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-white-house-rose-garden-club-e862eba55133195f0297c3595ba4122f">converted the Rose Garden into a stone-covered patio</a>, installed towering&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-flagpoles-a0928efcdcb6d1362a0e1827e96d0344">flagpoles</a>&nbsp;on the north and south lawns, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-presidential-portraits-biden-autopen-white-house-e8624154e72631e723930ea549bb8910">decorated an exterior wall with portraits of every president</a>&nbsp;except his immediate predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden.</p><p>Trump also said he renovated the bathroom in the famous Lincoln Bedroom in the private living quarters and laid down marble floors in a passageway leading to the South Lawn.</p><h2>How has construction changed the White House over the years?</h2><p>Presidents have added to the White House since construction began in 1792 for a host of reasons, and Trump aides say his decision to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/10/white-house-ballroom-proud-presidential-legacy/">build a ballroom follows that long tradition</a>.</p><p>Many of the prior projects were criticized as being too costly or too lavish, but eventually came to be accepted, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehousehistory.org/an-ever-changing-white-house">White House Historical Association</a>.</p><p>Thomas Jefferson added the east and west colonnades.</p><p>Andrew Jackson built the North Portico on the Pennsylvania Avenue side of the White House, aligning with the South Portico that James Monroe added after the original mansion was rebuilt after the British burned it during the War of 1812.</p><p>Theodore Roosevelt added the West Wing to provide dedicated space for the president and key staff, while Franklin D. Roosevelt added the East Wing, which over time became the home base for the first lady's staff and social functions.</p><p>One of the most significant White House renovations happened under Harry Truman, when the mansion was found to be so structurally unsound that he ordered a complete gutting of the interior that lasted from 1948 to 1952. The project, including Truman's addition of a balcony to the second floor of the South Portico, was highly controversial.</p><p>Other changes include the creation of the Rose Garden during John F. Kennedy's administration and Richard Nixon's decision to convert an indoor swimming pool that was built for FDR's physical therapy into a workspace for the growing White House press corps.</p>

Ballroom backlash: Controvery over demolition at the White House

VATICAN CITY (AP) — King Charles III and Queen Camilla prayed Thursday with Pope Leo XIV in an historic visit to the Vatican to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/king-charles-vatican-pope-catholic-anglican-leo-3f360fe9c4fda53e1d2f9d25e2b2d7e4">forge closer relations</a>&nbsp;between the Church of England and the Catholic Church, a welcome spiritual respite for the royals from the turmoil at home over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-prince-andrew-titles-giuffre-allegations-epstein-70ffa1a7ce88d986f63bb559b78679b9">sexual misconduct allegations against Prince Andrew</a>.

Charles, who is the titular head of the Church of England, and Camilla sat in golden thrones on the raised altar of the Sistine Chapel, in front of Michelangelo’s “Last Judgment,” while Leo and the Anglican archbishop of York presided over an ecumenical service.

The event marked the first time since the Reformation that the heads of the two Christian churches, divided for centuries over issues that now include the ordination of female priests, have prayed together.

The accompanying music reflected the Catholic and Anglican musical heritage: Hymns were sung by members of both the Sistine Chapel choir and visiting members of two royal choirs: the St. George’s Chapel choir of Windsor Castle and the children’s choir of the Chapel Royal of St. James’s Palace.

The visit comes as the U.K. royal family is once again&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-prince-andrew-titles-giuffre-allegations-epstein-70ffa1a7ce88d986f63bb559b78679b9">under intense scrutiny</a>&nbsp;over Prince Andrew’s ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The scandal that has long dogged the king’s brother was reignited this week after a memoir by Epstein and Andrew accuser&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-giuffre-memoir-jeffrey-epstein-prince-andrew-0adb8b983ac18a45fc7ec035dc789d08">Virginia Giuffre</a>&nbsp;was published.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761260133843.png" alt="Pope Leo XIV, center, cheers with Britain's King Charles III in the St. Damasus Courtyard at the Vatican after a state visit and pray with him in the Sistine Chapel, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. image from Associated Press vide" />
                        <figcaption>Pope Leo XIV, center, cheers with Britain's King Charles III in the St. Damasus Courtyard at the Vatican after a state visit and pray with him in the Sistine Chapel, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. image from Associated Press vide</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>VATICAN CITY (AP) — King Charles III and Queen Camilla prayed Thursday with Pope Leo XIV in an historic visit to the Vatican to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/king-charles-vatican-pope-catholic-anglican-leo-3f360fe9c4fda53e1d2f9d25e2b2d7e4">forge closer relations</a>&nbsp;between the Church of England and the Catholic Church, a welcome spiritual respite for the royals from the turmoil at home over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-prince-andrew-titles-giuffre-allegations-epstein-70ffa1a7ce88d986f63bb559b78679b9">sexual misconduct allegations against Prince Andrew</a>.</p><p>Charles, who is the titular head of the Church of England, and Camilla sat in golden thrones on the raised altar of the Sistine Chapel, in front of Michelangelo’s “Last Judgment,” while Leo and the Anglican archbishop of York presided over an ecumenical service.</p><p>The event marked the first time since the Reformation that the heads of the two Christian churches, divided for centuries over issues that now include the ordination of female priests, have prayed together.</p><p>The accompanying music reflected the Catholic and Anglican musical heritage: Hymns were sung by members of both the Sistine Chapel choir and visiting members of two royal choirs: the St. George’s Chapel choir of Windsor Castle and the children’s choir of the Chapel Royal of St. James’s Palace.</p><h2>Respite from scandal</h2><p>The visit comes as the U.K. royal family is once again&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-prince-andrew-titles-giuffre-allegations-epstein-70ffa1a7ce88d986f63bb559b78679b9">under intense scrutiny</a>&nbsp;over Prince Andrew’s ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The scandal that has long dogged the king’s brother was reignited this week after a memoir by Epstein and Andrew accuser&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-giuffre-memoir-jeffrey-epstein-prince-andrew-0adb8b983ac18a45fc7ec035dc789d08">Virginia Giuffre</a>&nbsp;was published.</p><p>The 65-year-old prince has said he will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prince-andrew-titles-duke-york-151c42ac608d864d94dfa233abfa04a8">stop using his titles</a>, including Duke of York, but has “vigorously” denied Giuffre’s claims. Buckingham Palace and the U.K. government are under pressure to formally strip Andrew of his dukedom and princely title, and kick him out of the 30-room mansion near Windsor Castle where he lives.</p><p>Charles' and Camilla’s visit had actually been planned for earlier this year, but was rescheduled after Pope Francis got sick and then died. Charles had strongly wanted to visit the Vatican during the 2025 Holy Year, a once-every-quarter-century celebration of Christianity.</p><h2>Step toward unity</h2><p>Anglicans split from the Catholic Church in 1534 when English King Henry VIII was refused a marriage annulment. While popes for decades have forged warm relations with the Church of England and the broader Anglican Communion on a path toward greater unity, the two churches remain divided.</p><p>The Sistine Chapel service, though, marked a historic new step toward unity and included readings and prayers focused on the unifying theme of God the creator.</p><p>Later Thursday, Charles traveled to a pontifical basilica that has strong, traditional ties to the Church of England, St. Paul’s Outside the Walls, to receive a new formal recognition. The title “Royal Confrater” is a sign of spiritual fellowship and was reciprocated by Charles: Leo was given the title of “Papal Confrater of St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.”</p><p>At the basilica, Charles sat in a special chair decorated with his coat of arms, bearing the Latin exhortation “Ut Unum Sint” (That they may be one), the mantra for Christian unity. The chair was given to him and will remain in the basilica for Charles and his heirs to use, officials said.</p><p>Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Catholic archbishop of Westminster, said that the king’s visit strengthens the relationship forged by Queen Elizabeth II, who came to Rome six times during her reign, including during the 2000 Holy Year.</p><p>“Pope Leo and King Charles coming together before God in prayer is an example of a genuine and profound cooperation,” he told The Associated Press. He recalled that Charles accepted his constitutional role as supreme governor of the Church of England, “but also his role in protecting freedom of religion and the important role of faith in society across his kingdom.”</p><p>The visit comes just weeks after the election of the first female&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/anglican-church-of-england-archbishop-of-canterbury-cb6217f75fbef58e2a22088033248717">archbishop of Canterbury</a>, Sarah Mullally. She didn't join the king and queen at the Vatican, since she hasn’t been formally installed as the Church of England’s spiritual leader. In her place was the archbishop of York, the Most Rev. Stephen Cottrell.</p><h2>Anglican Communion strains</h2><p>While the king copes with tensions over the Epstein scandal at home, Mullally's election has heightened tensions within the Anglican Communion abroad. The archbishop of Canterbury is considered the “first among equals” in the Anglican Communion, which has more than 85 million members spread across 165 countries. But following Mullally's appointment, a long-building schism in the Anglican Communion appears close to a final rupture.</p><p>An organization of conservative Anglican primates — representing a majority of the communion’s membership, primarily in Africa — announced that it's rejecting all of the bureaucratic links that have historically connected the Anglican Communion.</p><p>The Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, known as Gafcon, says it’s forming a new structure, although it claims it represents the historic Anglican Communion in a “reordered” form.</p><p>Its statement denounced the LGBTQ-affirming stances of some parts of the Anglican Communion as precipitating the break, a reference to positions taken by the Church of England and the Episcopal Church in the United States. But it closely followed another Gafcon statement lamenting Mullally’s appointment, saying that many believe that only men can be bishops and rejecting her office as a defining point of Anglican unity.</p><p>___</p><p>Peter B. Smith contributed to this report from Pittsburgh.</p><p>Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/ap-twir">collaboration</a>&nbsp;with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.</p>