WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is proposing charging asylum seekers a fee to process their applications as he continues to try to crack down on the surge of Central American migrants seeking to cross into the U.S.

In a presidential memorandum signed Monday, Trump directed his attorney general and acting homeland security secretary to take additional measures to overhaul the asylum system, which he insists “is in crisis” and plagued by “rampant abuse.”

The changes are just the latest in a series of proposals from an administration that is struggling to cope with a surge of migrant families arriving at the southern border that has overwhelmed federal resources and complicated Trump’s efforts to claim victory at the border as he runs for re-election. Most of those arriving say they are fleeing violence and poverty, and many request asylum under U.S. and international law.

As part of the memo, Trump is giving officials 90 days to come up with new regulations to ensure that applications are adjudicated within 180 days of filing, except under exceptional circumstances.

And he is directing officials to begin charging a fee to process asylum and employment authorization applications, which do not currently require payment.

The White House and Department of Homeland Security officials did not immediately respond to questions about how much applicants might be forced to pay, and it is unclear how many families fleeing poverty would be able to afford such a payment.

A spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, at a regular U.N. briefing in Geneva on Tuesday, said he had no information on the fees and other measures in the proposal from Trump. But seeking asylum, spokesman Charlie Yaxley said, “is a fundamental human right, and people should be allowed to exercise those rights when seeking to seek asylum.”

Trump’s memo says the price would not exceed the cost of processing applications, but officials did not immediately provide an estimate for what that might be.

Trump also wants to bar anyone who has entered or tried to enter the country illegally from receiving a provisional work permit and is calling on officials to immediately revoke work authorizations when people are denied asylum and ordered removed from the country.

The Republican president also is calling on Homeland Security to reassign immigration officers and any other staff “to improve the integrity of adjudications of credible and reasonable fear claims, to strengthen the enforcement of the immigration laws, and to ensure compliance with the law by those aliens who have final orders of removal.”

Arrests along the southern border have skyrocketed in recent months, with border agents making more than 100,000 arrests or denials of entry in March, a 12-year high.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen resigned in early April amid Trump’s increasing frustration over how many Central American families were crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan took over as acting head of the department.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas’ governor nominated a new judge Tuesday to the state’s second-highest court, despite a lawsuit over whether she has the authority to fill the vacancy after withdrawing her first nominee over his past political tweets.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly announced that she is submitting Kansas City-area attorney Sarah Warner’s name to the Republican-controlled state Senate for a Kansas Court of Appeals seat. However, the Senate’s top GOP leader said the chamber would not consider the nomination until the legal dispute over it is resolved by the state Supreme Court.

Kelly was forced in March to withdraw her first nominee, Labette County District Judge Jeffry Jack, because of tweets in 2017 using vulgar language and criticizing President Donald Trump and other Republicans.

 

It appears as if @GovLauraKelly is attempting to circumvent the law by making a new appointment to the Court of Appeals a week before the Supreme Court is set to hear the case regarding the proper appointing authority. #ksleg https://t.co/AOCxVyoRIx

— Susan Wagle (@SenatorWagle) April 30, 2019

Senate President Susan Wagle, a Wichita Republican, contends that under a 2013 law, Kelly missed the deadline for making a proper nomination and the choice now falls to Supreme Court Chief Justice Lawton Nuss. Kelly disagrees because the law allows a governor to make another choice if a nomination fails.

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a Republican, has said the law is unclear. He filed a petition last week asking the Supreme Court to resolve the issue, and the high court plans to hear arguments May 9. Nuss has removed himself from hearing it.

“While Gov. Kelly may think she is above the law and does not need to follow proper statute, she is not,” Wagle said in a statement pledging to hold off on considering the appointment.

Lawmakers reconvene Wednesday after a spring break to wrap up their business for the year. Kelly and Schmidt have argued that lawmakers should clarify the appointments law, which does not specify what happens when a Court of Appeals nominee withdraws.

“I remain ready and willing to work with the Legislature to pass a simple, straightforward legislative fix, Kelly said.

Warner worked for Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert Davis for several years before joining a Lawrence law firm in 2009 and becoming a partner in 2014. While with that firm, she helped Kansas defend special health and safety regulations for abortion providers that have on hold since 2011 because of a lawsuit.

Warner also was one of the attorneys representing the state in the case in which the Supreme Court ruled last week that the Kansas Constitution protects abortion rights.

Kelly called Warner “one of the brightest lawyers in our state” and said Warner has “a wealth of experience and energy.”

STERLING, Kan.— Rice County Undersheriff Chad Murphy was shot and wounded Monday trying to execute a warrant against a man who absconded from the corrections system. He remains hospitalized.

A short time later,  Sheriff Bryant Evans was shot in a subsequent standoff at a nearby house that ended early Tuesday with two men dead.   Evans has been released from the hospital.

Law enforcement officers from across Kansas have used social media to ask for prayer and show support.

Our thoughts and prayers are with our neighbors, Rice County Sheriff’s Office. We have a large amount of Deputies in Rice County assisting with this situation.

— Reno County Sheriff (@RenoCoSheriff) April 30, 2019

Thinking of our brothers and sisters at Rice County Sheriff’s Office. Hang in there. We are here for you. 😪

— SG County Sheriff (@SGCountySheriff) April 30, 2019

Thinking of our brothers across the state, in Rice County, KS who were shot last night while serving their community. Prayers for a full and speedy recovery!

— Lenexa Police (@LenexaPolice) April 30, 2019

Please keep Rice Co Sheriff Bryant Evans and Undersheriff Chad Murphy in your prayers as they recover from gunshot wounds sustained this evening.

— Chief Fred Farris (@GoddardChief) April 30, 2019

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A lawmaker has resigned under pressure after an investigation into a sexual harassment complaint found he engaged in “ethical misconduct” by sending flirtatious text messages and repeatedly pursuing a relationship with a legislative employee whom he supervised.

Missouri democratic Rep. DaRon McGee, of Kansas City, submitted his resignation late Monday. It was printed in the House Journal, which was publicly available Tuesday, along with an investigatory report from the House Ethics Committee detailing the allegations against him and recommending a series of punishments.

Reached by phone Tuesday by The Associated Press, McGee said: “I’m not making any comment.” He referred questions to an attorney, who did not immediately respond to a message.

McGee is the latest of at least three dozen state lawmakers across the country who have resigned or been expelled from office since 2017 following allegations of sexual misconduct or harassment. Dozens of additional accused lawmakers have faced other repercussions, such as the loss of legislative leadership positions or committee assignments.

Most of those allegations against lawmakers were made public after October 2017, when claims of sexual misconduct against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein sparked the #MeToo movement. Many state legislatures have responded by updating their sexual harassment policies.

The Missouri House updated its sexual harassment policies in 2015 after then-Speaker John Diehl Jr. resigned after acknowledging he had exchanged sexually suggestive text messages with a House intern. The case against McGee also involved text messages.

The House committee said it subpoenaed electronic communications between McGee and the employee and received a series of text messages between 2017 and 2018, including several instigated by McGee that were “flirtatious in nature and gave the appearance” he was “attempting to establish an amorous relationship.”

The report said McGee made repeated communications over the course of at least 10 months that were not welcomed by the employee and then took actions which resulted in the termination of the person’s employment. The committee also said McGee “repeatedly delayed and obstructed” its proceedings, which began after it received a report about his conduct on Jan. 7.

The House Journal indicates McGee initially submitted a resignation letter to the House speaker at 6:55 p.m. Monday saying that he had accepted employment in Kansas City that would cause him to return full-time to his district. The letter said he was resigning effective Thursday.

Immediately beneath that letter was printed the House Ethics Committee report recommending that McGee be censured because of his conduct toward the employee, be removed from all committee assignments, resign as assistant minority leader and pay $7,408 of restitution to the House for the investigation against him. If McGee remained in office, the committee recommended that he be subject to expulsion if he didn’t comply with the other sanctions or if another sexual harassment complaint was brought against him.

The journal then contains a second resignation letter from McGee, submitted at 7:45 p.m. Monday, saying he was resigning immediately. That letter also cited a full-time job in Kansas City while making no mention of the investigation against him.

McGee declined to comment to the AP about the job cited in his resignation letter.

Republican House Speaker Elijah Haahr issued a statement Tuesday describing McGee’s behavior as “inexcusable” and adding that he had “broken the trust placed in him” and abused his position.

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, a Democrat, said McGee wasn’t worthy of remaining in public office.

“By holding our colleagues accountable for their actions, we can begin to change the culture of an institution where behavior such as this has been tolerated for far too long,” Quade said Tuesday in a written statement.

Earlier in April, the House Ethics Committee found that Republican state Rep. Rocky Miller had engaged in “unbecoming” conduct by creating a false rumor that another lawmaker was having an affair with a House employee. An outside investigation concluded that Miller’s actions weren’t severe or pervasive enough to qualify as sexual harassment under federal or state law but may have violated the House’s sexual harassment policy. The ethics panel did not recommend any further action against Miller.

SALINA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas will host its first state-sanctioned high school wrestling tournament for girls only next year.

The Kansas State High School Activities Association board voted Friday to add girls wrestling to its competitions.

The association’s executive director, Bill Faflick, says the first girls state wrestling tournament will be held in Salina on Feb. 27, 2020.

High school girls are already allowed to wrestle, but they’ve had to join boys’ teams. More than 375 high school girls wrestled on boys’ teams across Kansas this winter.

The change means that boys and girls will still meet during the regular season, but they must participate in their respective regional and state tournaments.

Faflick says they hope the decision leads to more female participation in high school wrestling across Kansas.

RICE COUNTY –  The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) announced that the standoff with a suspect who shot the Rice County Sheriff and Undersheriff Monday evening ended just after midnight on Tuesday morning.

According to a media release from the KBI, at approximately 12:10 a.m., authorities located the body of David L. Madden inside the residence at 490 Avenue S. in Raymond, Kan. Also, found deceased in the home was Thomas T. Madden, 65, the father of the suspect, and owner of the home where the standoff occurred. No threat to the public exists any longer as a result of these shootings.

The investigation suggests that when Madden shot the Undersheriff, a female and a child accompanied him in the vehicle. Madden then fled the area and drove to his residence in Alden to retrieve guns and ammunition. He then went to his father’s home, where it is believed he fatally shot Thomas Madden prior to the Sheriff and deputy arriving. Then it is believed the female left the scene. A short time later, when the Sheriff arrived, which was at approximately 5:40 p.m., he was fired upon and shot in the leg.

After the Sheriff was shot, Madden exchanged gunfire with additional responding law enforcement officers. Over the next several hours the Kansas Highway Patrol’s Special Response Team, and the KBI, the Barton County Sheriff’s Office, the Reno County Sheriff’s Office, the Wichita Police Department, the Rice County Sheriff’s Office, the Sterling Police Department, the Lyons Police Department, and many other area law enforcement agencies, attempted to safely determine the suspect’s location in the home.

They first located the body of Thomas Madden. Then, at approximately 12:10 a.m., authorities located the body of David Madden, which ended the standoff. It is suspected that David Madden died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

KBI agents and the Crime Scene Response Team remain in Rice County interviewing witnesses, and assisting the Rice County Sheriff’s Office in processing multiple crime scenes.

The condition of the Undersheriff remains critical but stable, and the Sheriff was released from the hospital.

David Madden was a suspect in the 2015 disappearance of Megan Foglesong, and was also indicted last week on federal firearms charges.

————-

STERLING, Kan. (AP) — The Latest on a shooting that wounded a Kansas sheriff and undersheriff (all times local):

7:25 a.m.

Authorities have found two bodies in a Kansas home after a standoff that followed the shooting of a sheriff and undersheriff.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation said in a news release that the Rice County undersheriff was shot and critically wounded around 5 p.m. Monday after attempting to stop a car north of the small town of Sterling, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) northwest of Wichita.

The release says the sheriff and a deputy then pursued the suspect to a home in a nearby town, where the sheriff was shot in the leg in an exchange of gunfire.

A KBI official said at the scene early Tuesday that two men’s bodies were found at the home after a standoff. Authorities haven’t released their identities, but the bureau says there is no risk to the community.

—————

RICE COUNTY – The Rice County Sheriff Bryant Evans and Undersheriff  Chad Murphy were shot at separate locations in Rice County, on Monday evening. Agents of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) responded to investigate the shootings, and assist in attempts to apprehend the suspect.

Preliminary information indicates that at approximately 5:10 p.m. Monday, Rice County Undersheriff Murphy attempted a car stop near the Sonic Restaurant, just north of the Sterling city limits. The car stop was related to a warrant for the vehicle’s occupant, David L. Madden, 37, of Alden.

Within approximately thirty seconds of initiating the car stop, the Undersheriff radioed to dispatch that he had been shot. EMS responded, and he was flown to a Wichita hospital. Murphy is being treated for four gunshot wounds, and is currently in critical, but stable condition.

Following the shooting of the Undersheriff, Rice County Sheriff Bryant Evans learned information that Madden likely fled to a residence in rural Rice County, southeast of Raymond. He and another sheriff’s deputy arrived at the residence and encountered Madden. Gunshots were exchanged, and one round struck the Sheriff in the leg.

The Sheriff and deputy called for assistance and additional law enforcement agencies responded. Authorities were able to surround the home, and establish a perimeter.

The Sheriff was taken to a hospital in Lyons, Kan., and was then transported to a Wichita hospital. The Sheriff is currently in good condition.

With multiple law enforcement agencies on scene, the standoff at the residence in Rice County ended early Tuesday, according to the KBI.

—————

RICE COUNTY— The Kansas Bureau of Investigation respond  to the city Sterling in Rice County late Monday afternoon, according to a statement of the Bureau.

Two law enforcement officers from the Rice County Sheriffs Office have been shot.

According to the KBI, the two officers wounded in Sterling are Rice County Sheriff Bryant Evans and the Rice County Undersheriff Chad Murphy.

The suspect is 37-year-old David L. Madden.

We are trying to confirm their conditions but the situation is still very fluid currently. Information is still pending on the status of the suspect, according to Melissa Underwood with the KBI.

Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

PAOLA, Kan. (AP) — The National Weather Service says a tornado near the eastern Kansas town of Paola was a small one, but it was still enough to cause damage.

The twister with winds estimated at 80 mph to 85 mph was reported at 4:10 a.m. Monday just south of Paola. Jason Leighton of the National Weather Service says it was an EF-0, 15 yards wide, and lasted three minutes.

The tornado damaged the roof of Trinity Lutheran Church and toppled headstones in a nearby cemetery. It also bent a flag pole. No injuries were reported.

 

The twister was the first one of the year reported in the weather service’s Kansas City region. Paola is a town of 5,600 residents 45 miles southwest of Kansas City.

TOPEKA— The Kansas Department of Corrections is investigating whether illegal drugs played a role in four recent inmate deaths at three state correctional facilities.

Since Friday, April 26, two Hutchinson Correctional Facility inmates, one Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility inmate and one El Dorado Correctional Facility inmate have died. The cause of death in each case is pending autopsy results, according to a media release.

Ethen Thornton died Friday morning at an area hospital. He had been housed at Hutchinson Correctional Facility.

On Monday, Jeremy Waller died at Hutchinson Correctional Facility.

Quinn Martin died Friday afternoon at an area hospital. He had been housed at Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility.

Kendrick Gracey died Saturday night at the El Dorado Correctional Facility.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is assisting with the investigation.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Two Washburn University football players who were shot outside of an off-campus house party hours after one of them was drafted by the New York Giants were “in the wrong place at the wrong time,” authorities said Monday.

The shooting early Sunday killed defensive back Dwane Simmons and injured cornerback Corey Ballentine, whom the Giants drafted in the sixth round on Saturday.

Authorities haven’t disclosed the exact nature of Balletine’s injuries, but they weren’t considered life-threatening and the school said he’s expected to make a full recovery. It wasn’t clear if he was still hospitalized Monday.Topeka Police Chief Bill Cochran said a preliminary investigation showed that Simmons and Ballentine were among roughly 50 people at the party, which was not specifically to celebrate Ballentine being drafted, The Topeka Capital-Journal reported.

After a disturbance inside the home, the two 23-year-old players and some other partygoers went outside, he said. A car containing two to four people — who were strangers to the men — pulled up and exchanged words with people in the street.”We have no indication that any of the conversation was confrontational,” Cochran said.Someone from the car apparently shot Simmons and Ballentine, but it was unclear Monday if the shots came from inside or outside the car, Cochran said.

The altercation inside the home and the shooting don’t appear to be linked, he said, and the people inside the car apparently didn’t attend the party.

Police were questioning more than 20 potential witnesses Monday. They also questioned Ballentine but hoped to do a longer interview later, Cochran said.

Police haven’t said how many times Simmons and Ballentine were shot. And no information on possible suspects or the vehicle has been released.

A candlelight vigil for Simmons will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday on the Washburn campus.

On Sunday, Simmons’ father said his son’s death had “shattered a lot of people.”

“This was a senseless murder,” Navarro Simmons said at a gathering of family and friends in Kansas City.

Craig Schurig, the Division II program’s head coach, said Simmons’ death is heartbreaking. He said Simmons, a junior from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, maintained a great attitude, even while battling through two knee injuries. The team gathered Sunday to mourn his death.

Simmons told The Topeka Capital-Journal last fall how his injuries had affected his outlook.

“It’s more than a game to me now,” Simmons said. “I came in as a walk-on and had to earn a scholarship, then tore an ACL, redshirted and tore another one. It really puts everything in perspective that this game can be taken away from you in a blink of an eye. So I take this game to heart. I get emotional about this stuff and I take this game very, very seriously, and I’m having a great time.”

The Giants issued a statement saying the team was aware of the shooting and was gathering information about it.

“We have spoken to Corey, and he is recovering in the hospital. Our thoughts are with Dwane Simmons’ family, friends and teammates and the rest of the Washburn community,” the team said.

Ballentine played in 46 games for the Ichabods, finishing with 186 tackles, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and five interceptions. He blocked four kicks and averaged 24.81 yards on kickoff returns.

RENO COUNTY — One person died in an accident just after 1p.m. Monday in Reno County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1996 Saturn S driven by Marilyn C. Brooks, 61, Sylvia, was northbound on Thompson at U.S. 50. The driver failed to yield the right of way.

The Saturn struck the right front of an eastbound 2005 Dodge Ram 3500 driven by Brian Nisly, 49, Partridge, as it crossed US 50.

Brooks was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to the Sedgwick County Forensics Center. Nisly and a passenger in the Dodge were not injured.

Books and Nisly were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

Wise words from Trooper Ben Gardner. From the Kansas Highway Patrol Troop C Facebook page.

 

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — At least 22 emergency 911 calls were made about what was happening in a Wichita home before a 2-year-old was found dead there and the toddler’s 4-month-old brother severely injured.

Wichita police found Zaiden Javonovich dead on April 11. Police say his body was facedown and bound in his crib.

The affidavit unsealed Thursday said Zaiden weighed just under 15 pounds and had cuts on his face consistent with someone pushing his head down into something. His baby brother had broken ribs and a bruised head.

Most of the calls came from Zaiden’s mother, 22-year-old Brandi Marchant, and his father, 28-year-old Patrick Javonovich. They are charged with felony murder and child abuse. But Zaiden’s grandmother also called seeking help for the children.