Deputy, suspect killed in exchange of gunfire after a call about fireworks

A sheriff’s deputy in Kansas responding to a call about fireworks died after being shot by a man who was then killed by the fatally wounded deputy, authorities said.

Phillips County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Brandon Gaede, 30, was pronounced dead at a hospital after the shooting Friday evening in Phillipsburg, the sheriff’s office said. The city of about 2,000 people is near the state’s border with Nebraska.

The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, which is investigating the shooting, said Gaede was responding to a call about illegal, non-consumer-grade fireworks being detonated at a home in the city when he made contact with Kolton Griffith, a 27-year-old resident at the home believed to be responsible for the fireworks.

When Gaede tried to place Griffith in handcuffs after developing probable cause to arrest him, a struggle broke out and Griffith pulled out a handgun that had been concealed and shot Gaede, the sheriff’s office said.

Russian drones kill 2, injure 17 in Odesa as Ukraine destroys helicopters

Russian drones struck the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa overnight, killing two people and injuring at least 17, Ukrainian authorities said on Saturday. Meanwhile, three attack helicopters and an anti-aircraft missile system were destroyed in the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula.

Ukraine’s Security Service agency deployed special drones to attack the Kirovske military airfield, a Ukrainian security official said on Saturday.

In Odesa, a drone slammed into a residential tower block in the city, causing damage to three floors and trapping residents, emergency services said. The two killed in the attack were a married couple, according to regional Gov. Oleh Kiper, who added that three children were among the injured.

There was no immediate comment from Moscow. According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, more than 40 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight and on Saturday morning over western Russia and Kremlin-occupied Crimea.

Centrist Republican Rep. Bacon of Nebraska won’t seek reelection

U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, a centrist Republican who represents Nebraska’s second district with its so-called “blue dot” that includes many progressive voters around Omaha, will not seek reelection, according to a person familiar with his plans and granted anonymity to discuss them Friday.

Bacon is known as an independent-minded Air Force veteran who serves on the House Armed Services Committee and has been at the center of many debates in Congress. He has also been chairman of the conservative-centrist Republican Main Street Caucus in the House.

First elected in 2016, he won reelection in 2024 and is expected to finish his term. Punchbowl News was first to report Bacon’s expected decision.

Justice Dept. fires 3 prosecutors involved in Jan. 6 criminal cases

The Justice Department on Friday fired at least three prosecutors involved in U.S. Capitol riot criminal cases, the latest moves by the Trump administration targeting attorneys connected to the massive prosecution of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Those dismissed include two attorneys who worked as supervisors overseeing the Jan. 6 prosecutions in the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington as well as a line attorney who prosecuted cases stemming from the Capitol attack, the people said.

A letter that was received by one of the prosecutors was signed by Attorney General Pam Bondi. The letter did not provide a reason for their removal, effective immediately, citing only “Article II of the United States Constitution and the laws of the United States.”

— Denver Post wire services