TOPEKA—&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly on Thursday vetoed House Substitute for Senate Bill 37, House Bill 2096, and House Bill 2097, according to a statement from her office.

“I recognize that Kansans desperately need tax relief. I will be working with legislative leaders to come to a compromise, forging a bipartisan tax cuts plan that will responsibly provide tax relief for all Kansans without threatening our state’s future fiscal stability,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;

“Next week, I will be announcing the date of a special legislative session so we can deliver comprehensive, sustainable tax cuts. If we all work together, an affordable, bipartisan tax plan can be passed in less than a day.”

The following veto message is from Governor Kelly regarding her veto of House Substitute for Senate Bill 37, House Bill 2096, and House Bill 2097:

“Kansans need responsible, comprehensive tax relief. As I said in my last veto statement of the Legislature’s nearly identical tax bill, ‘I cannot sign into law a bill that jeopardizes our state's future fiscal stability.’

“I have given the Legislature several roadmaps to fiscally responsible tax cuts since January. Instead, they played political games with reckless tax policies, and I vetoed them. I said irresponsible tax policies would lead to a special session.

“So here we are. While I applaud the spirit of bipartisanship, this tax cut package, passed at the 11th&nbsp;hour of the last day of the Legislative session, misses the mark. Its proposed cuts and the excessive spending by the Legislature endanger all the progress we’ve made in restoring services for Kansans, funding our public schools, and investing in our infrastructure.

“Additionally, to favor a specific business, a tax abatement scheme was floated to put taxpayer dollars into that business’ pocket at the expense of local government services. That’s wrong. Taxpayer dollars should not be diverted to political donors under the guise of tax cuts.

“Kansans expect us to map a responsible future because we have come a long way, together. Our financial ratings have been upgraded. We have paid down debt. We paid $224 million for new projects in cash, saving Kansans $90 million in interest that would have otherwise accumulated through bonds. Education is being funded. We went from zero to a reasonable rainy-day fund for the inevitable emergencies we will face. Kansas is being noticed for its sense of responsibility. Don’t toss all that.

“The lack of a fiscally responsible tax cut bill jeopardizes other tax policy passed before adjournment, such as legislation to support Kansas’ film and digital media industry. The Legislature cannot overpromise tax cuts without considering the overall cost to the state for future years. We cannot start with our expenses and then look at our income. Families and businesses do not budget like that; neither should Kansas.

“Therefore, pursuant to Article 2, Section 14(a) of the Kansas Constitution, I hereby veto House Substitute for Senate Bill 37, House Bill 2096, and House Bill 2097.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713015977836.png" alt="File photo&nbsp; by Sherman Smith" />
 <figcaption>File photo&nbsp; by Sherman Smith</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA—&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly on Thursday vetoed House Substitute for Senate Bill 37, House Bill 2096, and House Bill 2097, according to a statement from her office.“I recognize that Kansans desperately need tax relief. I will be working with legislative leaders to come to a compromise, forging a bipartisan tax cuts plan that will responsibly provide tax relief for all Kansans without threatening our state’s future fiscal stability,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“Next week, I will be announcing the date of a special legislative session so we can deliver comprehensive, sustainable tax cuts. If we all work together, an affordable, bipartisan tax plan can be passed in less than a day.”The following veto message is from Governor Kelly regarding her veto of House Substitute for Senate Bill 37, House Bill 2096, and House Bill 2097:“Kansans need responsible, comprehensive tax relief. As I said in my last veto statement of the Legislature’s nearly identical tax bill, ‘I cannot sign into law a bill that jeopardizes our state's future fiscal stability.’“I have given the Legislature several roadmaps to fiscally responsible tax cuts since January. Instead, they played political games with reckless tax policies, and I vetoed them. I said irresponsible tax policies would lead to a special session.“So here we are. While I applaud the spirit of bipartisanship, this tax cut package, passed at the 11th&nbsp;hour of the last day of the Legislative session, misses the mark. Its proposed cuts and the excessive spending by the Legislature endanger all the progress we’ve made in restoring services for Kansans, funding our public schools, and investing in our infrastructure.“Additionally, to favor a specific business, a tax abatement scheme was floated to put taxpayer dollars into that business’ pocket at the expense of local government services. That’s wrong. Taxpayer dollars should not be diverted to political donors under the guise of tax cuts.“Kansans expect us to map a responsible future because we have come a long way, together. Our financial ratings have been upgraded. We have paid down debt. We paid $224 million for new projects in cash, saving Kansans $90 million in interest that would have otherwise accumulated through bonds. Education is being funded. We went from zero to a reasonable rainy-day fund for the inevitable emergencies we will face. Kansas is being noticed for its sense of responsibility. Don’t toss all that.“The lack of a fiscally responsible tax cut bill jeopardizes other tax policy passed before adjournment, such as legislation to support Kansas’ film and digital media industry. The Legislature cannot overpromise tax cuts without considering the overall cost to the state for future years. We cannot start with our expenses and then look at our income. Families and businesses do not budget like that; neither should Kansas.“Therefore, pursuant to Article 2, Section 14(a) of the Kansas Constitution, I hereby veto House Substitute for Senate Bill 37, House Bill 2096, and House Bill 2097.”

Kan. governor vetoes tax cuts, will call special legislative session

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks edged back from their record heights Thursday after the Dow Jones Industrial Average briefly topped the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dow-jones-industrial-average-record-rally-22aaf53da73b4550af35e7c40cf30214">40,000 level</a>&nbsp;for the first time.

The Dow slipped 38.62 points, or 0.1%, to 39,869.38. The S&amp;P 500 index, which is much more widely followed on Wall Street, dipped 11.05, or 0.2%, to 5,297.10, and the Nasdaq composite fell 44.07, or 0.3%, to 16,698.32. All three indexes had rallied on Wednesday to all-time highs.

Deere weighed on the market and sank 4.7% despite reporting stronger profit for its latest quarter than expected. It&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deere-farmer-inflation-7cf9c7adf1d4f2f05b995fced9eeef7b">cut its forecast for upcoming profit</a>&nbsp;this fiscal year, below analysts’ estimates, as farmers buy fewer tractors and other equipment.

Homebuilders also helped drag the market lower following a weaker-than-expected report on the housing industry. They gave back some of their big gains from the day before, when hopes for lower mortgage rates had sent them sharply higher. D.R. Horton sank 4.2%, Lennar fell 3.3% and PulteGroup dropped 2.8%.

Also sinking were GameStop and AMC Entertainment, which slid for a second straight day following their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/meme-stocks-wall-street-gamestop-amc-f56af9d8853d77180548028a1a7f3f0f">jaw-dropping starts to the week</a>. They’ve been moving more on excitement drummed up by investors than any changes to their financial prospects.

GameStop fell 30%, though it’s still up nearly 59% for the week so far. AMC Entertainment lost 15.3%.

Such drops helped offset a 7% jump for Walmart, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/walmart-firstquarter-earnings-inflation-economy-2dc446f6df16aa8c1cfc76df81a9ae1f">reported stronger profit</a>&nbsp;for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The retailer also said its revenue for the year could top the forecasted range it had earlier given.

Walmart's strength could be an encouraging signal for the broader economy. Worries have been rising about whether U.S. households can keep up with still-high inflation and more expensive credit-card payments, particularly households at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-low-income-squeeze-profits-93d0614a3a0d0a93cf9e15e0985a7271">the lower end of the income spectrum</a>.

Target, which reports its quarterly results next week, climbed following Walmart's report, along with other retailers like Dollar General and Dollar Tree. Each added at least 2%.

Chubb rose 4.7% after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/berkshire-hathaway-warren-buffett-chubb-stock-c84b893df510c5655a02272f1a41c913">Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway disclosed</a>&nbsp;it had built an ownership stake in the insurer.

Under Armour swung between losses and gains after it warned that its revenue will be likely down by “a low double-digit percentage rate” this upcoming fiscal year, citing weaker demand from wholesalers and “inconsistent execution across our business.”

The company announced a restructuring plan to cut costs and also announced a program to buy back up to $500 million of its stock. It dropped 1.3%.

Stronger-than-expected profit reports have been one of the main reasons U.S. stock indexes have broadly jumped through May to records following a tough April. Another has been revived hopes that the Federal Reserve will be able to cut its main interest rate at least once this year. The Fed has been keeping its federal funds rate at the highest level in more than two decades.

A string of worse-than-expected&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-election-federal-reserve-rates-economy-f54d6af95e3eef434bddb72d25e3decf">reports on inflation</a>&nbsp;at the start of the year had put the potential for such cuts in jeopardy, but some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-rates-economy-federal-reserve-biden-d86c5a3a91a61687496f4a985e6bf362">more encouraging data</a>&nbsp;has since arrived.

Treasury yields have largely eased in May as hopes rose that the economy could hit the hoped-for sweet spot, where it cools enough because of high interest rates to stifle inflation but not so much that it causes a bad recession.

Yields rose Thursday following some mixed data on the economy, including the report that hurt homebuilder stocks, which showed the industry broke ground on fewer projects than expected.

One report showed slightly more&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unemployment-benefits-jobless-claims-layoffs-labor-9622d319ed92d48634e87e2ecf12de15">workers applied for unemployment</a>&nbsp;benefits last week than economists expected, though the number remains low compared with history. Others said manufacturing growth in the mid-Atlantic region was weaker than hoped and import prices rose more than forecast.

“Today’s numbers were in line with the overall theme of the week — nothing dramatic, but showing signs of a steady-to-cooling economy,” said Chris Larkin, managing director, trading and investing, at E-Trade from Morgan Stanley.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed to 4.37% from 4.35% late Wednesday. The two-year yield, which moves more closely with expectations for action by the Fed, rose to 4.79% from 4.72%.

In stock markets abroad, indexes were modestly lower in much of Europe after mostly rising in Asia. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng jumped 1.6% after reopening following a holiday, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.4%.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678480429519.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks edged back from their record heights Thursday after the Dow Jones Industrial Average briefly topped the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dow-jones-industrial-average-record-rally-22aaf53da73b4550af35e7c40cf30214">40,000 level</a>&nbsp;for the first time.The Dow slipped 38.62 points, or 0.1%, to 39,869.38. The S&amp;P 500 index, which is much more widely followed on Wall Street, dipped 11.05, or 0.2%, to 5,297.10, and the Nasdaq composite fell 44.07, or 0.3%, to 16,698.32. All three indexes had rallied on Wednesday to all-time highs.Deere weighed on the market and sank 4.7% despite reporting stronger profit for its latest quarter than expected. It&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deere-farmer-inflation-7cf9c7adf1d4f2f05b995fced9eeef7b">cut its forecast for upcoming profit</a>&nbsp;this fiscal year, below analysts’ estimates, as farmers buy fewer tractors and other equipment.Homebuilders also helped drag the market lower following a weaker-than-expected report on the housing industry. They gave back some of their big gains from the day before, when hopes for lower mortgage rates had sent them sharply higher. D.R. Horton sank 4.2%, Lennar fell 3.3% and PulteGroup dropped 2.8%.Also sinking were GameStop and AMC Entertainment, which slid for a second straight day following their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/meme-stocks-wall-street-gamestop-amc-f56af9d8853d77180548028a1a7f3f0f">jaw-dropping starts to the week</a>. They’ve been moving more on excitement drummed up by investors than any changes to their financial prospects.GameStop fell 30%, though it’s still up nearly 59% for the week so far. AMC Entertainment lost 15.3%.Such drops helped offset a 7% jump for Walmart, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/walmart-firstquarter-earnings-inflation-economy-2dc446f6df16aa8c1cfc76df81a9ae1f">reported stronger profit</a>&nbsp;for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The retailer also said its revenue for the year could top the forecasted range it had earlier given.Walmart's strength could be an encouraging signal for the broader economy. Worries have been rising about whether U.S. households can keep up with still-high inflation and more expensive credit-card payments, particularly households at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-low-income-squeeze-profits-93d0614a3a0d0a93cf9e15e0985a7271">the lower end of the income spectrum</a>.Target, which reports its quarterly results next week, climbed following Walmart's report, along with other retailers like Dollar General and Dollar Tree. Each added at least 2%.Chubb rose 4.7% after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/berkshire-hathaway-warren-buffett-chubb-stock-c84b893df510c5655a02272f1a41c913">Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway disclosed</a>&nbsp;it had built an ownership stake in the insurer.Under Armour swung between losses and gains after it warned that its revenue will be likely down by “a low double-digit percentage rate” this upcoming fiscal year, citing weaker demand from wholesalers and “inconsistent execution across our business.”The company announced a restructuring plan to cut costs and also announced a program to buy back up to $500 million of its stock. It dropped 1.3%.Stronger-than-expected profit reports have been one of the main reasons U.S. stock indexes have broadly jumped through May to records following a tough April. Another has been revived hopes that the Federal Reserve will be able to cut its main interest rate at least once this year. The Fed has been keeping its federal funds rate at the highest level in more than two decades.A string of worse-than-expected&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-election-federal-reserve-rates-economy-f54d6af95e3eef434bddb72d25e3decf">reports on inflation</a>&nbsp;at the start of the year had put the potential for such cuts in jeopardy, but some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-rates-economy-federal-reserve-biden-d86c5a3a91a61687496f4a985e6bf362">more encouraging data</a>&nbsp;has since arrived.Treasury yields have largely eased in May as hopes rose that the economy could hit the hoped-for sweet spot, where it cools enough because of high interest rates to stifle inflation but not so much that it causes a bad recession.Yields rose Thursday following some mixed data on the economy, including the report that hurt homebuilder stocks, which showed the industry broke ground on fewer projects than expected.One report showed slightly more&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unemployment-benefits-jobless-claims-layoffs-labor-9622d319ed92d48634e87e2ecf12de15">workers applied for unemployment</a>&nbsp;benefits last week than economists expected, though the number remains low compared with history. Others said manufacturing growth in the mid-Atlantic region was weaker than hoped and import prices rose more than forecast.“Today’s numbers were in line with the overall theme of the week — nothing dramatic, but showing signs of a steady-to-cooling economy,” said Chris Larkin, managing director, trading and investing, at E-Trade from Morgan Stanley.The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed to 4.37% from 4.35% late Wednesday. The two-year yield, which moves more closely with expectations for action by the Fed, rose to 4.79% from 4.72%.In stock markets abroad, indexes were modestly lower in much of Europe after mostly rising in Asia. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng jumped 1.6% after reopening following a holiday, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.4%.

History: Wall Street edges back after Dow briefly tops 40,000

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>&nbsp; State's Newsroom

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Wednesday rejected efforts to roll back guidance from the Treasury Department regarding how state and local governments can spend funding approved by Congress during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1182/vote_118_2_00168.htm">46-49 vote</a>&nbsp;on the Congressional Review Act resolution ended an attempt by several GOP senators to block the Biden administration from changing the definition of “obligation” as it relates to State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds and the timeline for spending some of that money.

Missouri Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt said during floor debate that the Treasury Department’s change in guidance, which was released in November, was trying to “pull a fast one” on Congress.

“Treasury’s attempted sleight of hand to keep the COVID spending spigot on is an insult to Congress and those who believe in our Constitution, as well as a complete misuse of taxpayer dollars,” Schmitt said.

The fund for state and local governments, Schmitt said, was intended to assist with “revenue shortfalls tied to the COVID-19 pandemic” and the law clearly stated that “all costs incurred with money from this fund must be incurred by Dec. 31, 2024.”

The interim final rule that the Treasury Department&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/Obligation_Interim_Final_Rule_2023.pdf">released</a>&nbsp;around Thanksgiving extended that deadline by two years for “administrative and legal costs, such as compliance costs and internal control requirements,” he said.

“This rule ensures that funding does not go to bridges or broadband, but to bureaucrats,” Schmitt said.

Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden spoke against the CRA resolution during floor debate, saying it could have impacted 17 projects in Georgia, 160 in Michigan, 342 in Ohio, 50 in Arizona, 404 in Montana and 73 in West Virginia.

“Nationwide there could be thousands of projects closed. Tens or even hundreds of jobs lost,” Wyden said. “This one is one of the most unusual votes that I’ve seen recently, a true head scratcher.”

Wyden said he didn’t “see a good reason for the United States Senate to backtrack on solid, bipartisan progress and have this chamber act in a way that leaves more of our nation’s infrastructure in a state of disrepair.”

Schmitt said during a press conference before the vote that the claim the CRA resolution would have impacted projects already underway was a lie.

“Essentially the obligations that are committed before the end of 2024, according to existing law, will be honored,” Schmitt said. “What this says is that you can’t extend that out into ‘25 and ‘26. That was never the congressional intent here.”

Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, also speaking at the GOP press conference, said the CRA resolution would claw back about $13 billion and went as far as calling it “illegal spending.”

“The clock is going to run out, but Joe Biden is trying to circumvent the law once again,” Marshall said, adding that the COVID-19 pandemic is over and spending from those laws needs to wind down.

Schmitt introduced the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/57/text">two-page CRA resolution</a>&nbsp;in February along with Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Mike Braun of Indiana, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Joni Ernst of Iowa, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Marshall and Rick Scott of Florida.

The National Association of Counties, the National League of Cities and the Government Finance Officers Association urged lawmakers to vote against the CRA in a written statement released Wednesday before the vote.

“The $350 billion SLFRF provided $65.1 billion to every city and county in America, and since 2021, localities have used these crucial resources to meet the unique needs of residents and support long-term economic prosperity,” the statement read.

The three organizations wrote that the Treasury Department’s interim final rule “recognized the importance of flexibility in facilitating the effective rollout of recovery funds, including our ability to use funds for certain personnel costs and to re-obligate funds where necessary.”

The White House&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/SAP-SJR57.pdf">released</a>&nbsp;a Statement of Administration Policy on Wednesday, saying that President Joe Biden would veto the CRA had it reached his desk.

The CRA resolution, it said, “could result in projects being canceled midstream, reduced project management and oversight, and higher costs as state and local governments are forced to contract out programs.”

“Nearly all SLFRF funds have been committed to projects, including infrastructure and disaster relief projects made eligible by bipartisan legislation,” the SAP read. “S.J. Res. 57 would create unnecessary uncertainty for recipients that are executing on projects, jeopardize important work underway, and inappropriately constrain Treasury’s ability to address ongoing implementation issues.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715876185403.png" alt="Missouri Republican U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall stands at the left and Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson is on the right (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)." />
 <figcaption>Missouri Republican U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall stands at the left and Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson is on the right (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>&nbsp; State's NewsroomWASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Wednesday rejected efforts to roll back guidance from the Treasury Department regarding how state and local governments can spend funding approved by Congress during the COVID-19 pandemic.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The pandemic is over, but the Biden Administration is going to great lengths to circumvent the rules to keep their COVID slush fund flowing. Under the false pretense of COVID, Joe Biden sidesteps the law to continue its spending spree that is costing $1,200 per family. <a href="https://t.co/HRE1XCZlQb">pic.twitter.com/HRE1XCZlQb</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1790867794126364695?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1182/vote_118_2_00168.htm">46-49 vote</a>&nbsp;on the Congressional Review Act resolution ended an attempt by several GOP senators to block the Biden administration from changing the definition of “obligation” as it relates to State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds and the timeline for spending some of that money.Missouri Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt said during floor debate that the Treasury Department’s change in guidance, which was released in November, was trying to “pull a fast one” on Congress.“Treasury’s attempted sleight of hand to keep the COVID spending spigot on is an insult to Congress and those who believe in our Constitution, as well as a complete misuse of taxpayer dollars,” Schmitt said.The fund for state and local governments, Schmitt said, was intended to assist with “revenue shortfalls tied to the COVID-19 pandemic” and the law clearly stated that “all costs incurred with money from this fund must be incurred by Dec. 31, 2024.”The interim final rule that the Treasury Department&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/Obligation_Interim_Final_Rule_2023.pdf">released</a>&nbsp;around Thanksgiving extended that deadline by two years for “administrative and legal costs, such as compliance costs and internal control requirements,” he said.“This rule ensures that funding does not go to bridges or broadband, but to bureaucrats,” Schmitt said.<h2>Projects affected in multiple states</h2>Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden spoke against the CRA resolution during floor debate, saying it could have impacted 17 projects in Georgia, 160 in Michigan, 342 in Ohio, 50 in Arizona, 404 in Montana and 73 in West Virginia.“Nationwide there could be thousands of projects closed. Tens or even hundreds of jobs lost,” Wyden said. “This one is one of the most unusual votes that I’ve seen recently, a true head scratcher.”Wyden said he didn’t “see a good reason for the United States Senate to backtrack on solid, bipartisan progress and have this chamber act in a way that leaves more of our nation’s infrastructure in a state of disrepair.”Schmitt said during a press conference before the vote that the claim the CRA resolution would have impacted projects already underway was a lie.“Essentially the obligations that are committed before the end of 2024, according to existing law, will be honored,” Schmitt said. “What this says is that you can’t extend that out into ‘25 and ‘26. That was never the congressional intent here.”Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, also speaking at the GOP press conference, said the CRA resolution would claw back about $13 billion and went as far as calling it “illegal spending.”“The clock is going to run out, but Joe Biden is trying to circumvent the law once again,” Marshall said, adding that the COVID-19 pandemic is over and spending from those laws needs to wind down.<h2>Counties, cities opposed</h2>Schmitt introduced the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/57/text">two-page CRA resolution</a>&nbsp;in February along with Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Mike Braun of Indiana, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Joni Ernst of Iowa, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Marshall and Rick Scott of Florida.The National Association of Counties, the National League of Cities and the Government Finance Officers Association urged lawmakers to vote against the CRA in a written statement released Wednesday before the vote.“The $350 billion SLFRF provided $65.1 billion to every city and county in America, and since 2021, localities have used these crucial resources to meet the unique needs of residents and support long-term economic prosperity,” the statement read.The three organizations wrote that the Treasury Department’s interim final rule “recognized the importance of flexibility in facilitating the effective rollout of recovery funds, including our ability to use funds for certain personnel costs and to re-obligate funds where necessary.”The White House&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/SAP-SJR57.pdf">released</a>&nbsp;a Statement of Administration Policy on Wednesday, saying that President Joe Biden would veto the CRA had it reached his desk.The CRA resolution, it said, “could result in projects being canceled midstream, reduced project management and oversight, and higher costs as state and local governments are forced to contract out programs.”“Nearly all SLFRF funds have been committed to projects, including infrastructure and disaster relief projects made eligible by bipartisan legislation,” the SAP read. “S.J. Res. 57 would create unnecessary uncertainty for recipients that are executing on projects, jeopardize important work underway, and inappropriately constrain Treasury’s ability to address ongoing implementation issues.”

🎥Senate GOP try to block states from spending some COVID relief cash

PITTSBURG, Kan. (AP) —A new abortion clinic will open in southeast Kansas this fall, bolstering the state’s role as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-missouri-birth-control-8172dc0f46feaa8dd48e73b8aafd3ada">regional hub</a>&nbsp;for reproductive health services whose neighbors have severely restricted access since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Comprehensive Health of Planned Parenthood Great Plains announced Tuesday that Pittsburg, Kansas, will be home to a new facility providing abortion procedures and pills, as well as pregnancy services, contraception, and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases.

After the Roe reversal, Kansas was the first state where voters weighed in on abortion at the ballot box,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">resoundingly rejecting</a>&nbsp;a constitutional amendment that could have led to an abortion ban in August 2022.

Since then, the state — which prohibits abortions after 21 weeks of pregnancy — has become a destination for people from more restrictive nearby states seeking abortion.

In March 2023, 44% of abortion patients at Planned Parenthood clinics in Kansas traveled more than 250 miles (402 kilometers), compared with just 1% two years earlier, according to the organization. More than half of abortion patients are now from Texas, and some have come from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-abortion-ban-9509a806453e1eab50d118aaecffa2f1#:~:text=(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20Florida's%20ban%20on,access%20to%20needed%20health%20care.">as far as Florida</a>&nbsp;in recent weeks, said Emily Wales, president and chief executive officer of Comprehensive Health of Planned Parenthood Great Plains.

“You walk across the state line from Missouri to Kansas and you automatically become a freer person who can actually take care of your medical needs in a different way,” Wales said. “We see it on the faces of patients who literally breathe easier when they get into Kansas.”

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-dobbs-leak-arizona-florida-kansas-9ee070c3540cb730b251d707e5f98ffc">abortion landscape</a>&nbsp;across the U.S. has been in flux after the Supreme Court's June 2022 decision that revoked a constitutional right to abortion nationwide.

New bans or restrictions have taken effect in most Republican-led states, including 14 where abortion is now outlawed in all stages of pregnancy, with some exceptions, and three more where it’s banned after about six weeks of pregnancy – often before women realize they’re pregnant.

For people from those states seeking to end their pregnancies, the main options are either getting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pills-prescription-medication-survey-7cfe1b8e69c5de936360f2687cb410c4">abortion pills via telehealth</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-help-navigators-pills-roe-v-wade-f760b2817126d56e6cfa5144c9f7e547">underground networks</a>, or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-florida-ban-north-carolina-clinics-fa6ffb1e0627547356c55a85fb3a715e">traveling out of state</a>&nbsp;for abortion&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-florida-ban-south-virginia-travel-1641c3a3a5f340054d79efd43ec0c7b3">pills or procedures</a>.

There were roughly as many in-state residents as out-of-state residents seeking abortions in Kansas in the years before the Supreme Court decision, according to statistics reported to and published by the state's health department. That's largely because Kansas City, Kansas, is easily accessible from Missouri, which historically has been limited in providers of abortion services.

In 2022, the figure for out-of-state residents given consent forms more than doubled to 8,475, state data shows.

Pittsburg, Kansas, is more than 100 miles south of Kansas City, and 150 miles east of Wichita. That means the new clinic location will be hours closer to patients who may be traveling from Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma — and even as far as Louisiana or Texas — where the procedure is restricted.

Pittsburg itself has a dearth of providers for contraception and other sexual health services, Wales said, but it has the “added benefit of being so closely located to neighboring states.” The Pittsburg facility will later provide gender-affirming services as well.

Clinics are shifting to accommodate out-of-state demand elsewhere, too.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-michelle-lujan-grisham-new-mexico-275e9af532929a198f12e65e7e049c96">New Mexico has pledged</a>&nbsp;$10 million to a new facility in Las Cruces, near the Texas border; a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/maryland-abortion-clinic-west-virginia-647cbd9eccfaaa740e523a5c39208b19">clinic opened last year in Western Maryland</a>, a few miles from West Virginia; and two new clinics have opened in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-bans-illinois-clinic-south-travel-demand-a30afcbd022cdeeb92b9aa5788421687">southern Illinois city of Carbondale</a>.

Ingrid Duran, director of state legislation for National Right to Life, said it's not surprising to see new clinics pop up to meet out-of-state demand because of the financial opportunity for providers, she said.

“And it's not surprising to know that people who want to get abortions would travel out of the state if it's not being offered there,” she said. She said states should also offer resources that “hopefully persuade abortion-minded women to choose something different."

Caitlin Myers, an economics professor at Middlebury College who researches abortion policies, said she’s counted 78 abortion facilities opening across the U.S. between May 1, 2022, and April 1 of this year. That number includes 10 moved from another location in the same state, seven that moved across state lines and 61 new providers.

The growth in providers situated near state lines has generated new efforts from those opposed to abortion to restrict the practice, calling it “abortion trafficking.”

A Texas man is trying to force his former partner to say who helped her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-abortion-ban-82c929271a33ee23962958127be59e3e">obtain an out-of-state abortion</a>&nbsp;in a step toward civil enforcement of the Texas abortion ban.

Lawmakers in at least two states have taken aim at people who help minors access abortion without parental consent. Tennessee legislators last month passed a bill that would make it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-tennessee-ban-republican-dcb87d15d489d32868b5ba36d750d316">illegal to help minors obtain abortions</a>&nbsp;without parental consent; Republican Gov. Bill Lee has not yet taken action on it. Idaho adopted a similar law last year, though a federal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/idaho-abortion-trafficking-travel-ban-270a403d7b4a5e99e566433556614728">judge has blocked enforcement</a>&nbsp;while its constitutionality is questioned.

Kansas Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly is a strong supporter of abortion rights, but the GOP-controlled Legislature has veto-proof majorities and strong contingents opposed to abortion.

This year, the Legislature passed bills — and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ban-law-states-kansas-lousiana-81e9da53aaa0903fdd958421bd941a3a">later overrode Kelly's vetoes</a>&nbsp;— for statutes that will require abortion providers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-kansas-reporting-patients-data-3025f009a076868f7c31dc2cd67860fe">to ask patients</a>&nbsp;why they are terminating their pregnancies and report the answers to the state, and that will make it a specific crime&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-abortion-coercion-5fad478f4164c22f7f81b72268aa6f68">to coerce someone</a>&nbsp;into having an abortion.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715825090651.png" alt="Planned Parenthood Great Plains" />
 <figcaption>Planned Parenthood Great Plains</figcaption>
 </figure>PITTSBURG, Kan. (AP) —A new abortion clinic will open in southeast Kansas this fall, bolstering the state’s role as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-missouri-birth-control-8172dc0f46feaa8dd48e73b8aafd3ada">regional hub</a>&nbsp;for reproductive health services whose neighbors have severely restricted access since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.Comprehensive Health of Planned Parenthood Great Plains announced Tuesday that Pittsburg, Kansas, will be home to a new facility providing abortion procedures and pills, as well as pregnancy services, contraception, and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases.After the Roe reversal, Kansas was the first state where voters weighed in on abortion at the ballot box,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">resoundingly rejecting</a>&nbsp;a constitutional amendment that could have led to an abortion ban in August 2022.Since then, the state — which prohibits abortions after 21 weeks of pregnancy — has become a destination for people from more restrictive nearby states seeking abortion.In March 2023, 44% of abortion patients at Planned Parenthood clinics in Kansas traveled more than 250 miles (402 kilometers), compared with just 1% two years earlier, according to the organization. More than half of abortion patients are now from Texas, and some have come from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-abortion-ban-9509a806453e1eab50d118aaecffa2f1#:~:text=(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20Florida's%20ban%20on,access%20to%20needed%20health%20care.">as far as Florida</a>&nbsp;in recent weeks, said Emily Wales, president and chief executive officer of Comprehensive Health of Planned Parenthood Great Plains.“You walk across the state line from Missouri to Kansas and you automatically become a freer person who can actually take care of your medical needs in a different way,” Wales said. “We see it on the faces of patients who literally breathe easier when they get into Kansas.”The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-dobbs-leak-arizona-florida-kansas-9ee070c3540cb730b251d707e5f98ffc">abortion landscape</a>&nbsp;across the U.S. has been in flux after the Supreme Court's June 2022 decision that revoked a constitutional right to abortion nationwide.New bans or restrictions have taken effect in most Republican-led states, including 14 where abortion is now outlawed in all stages of pregnancy, with some exceptions, and three more where it’s banned after about six weeks of pregnancy – often before women realize they’re pregnant.For people from those states seeking to end their pregnancies, the main options are either getting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pills-prescription-medication-survey-7cfe1b8e69c5de936360f2687cb410c4">abortion pills via telehealth</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-help-navigators-pills-roe-v-wade-f760b2817126d56e6cfa5144c9f7e547">underground networks</a>, or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-florida-ban-north-carolina-clinics-fa6ffb1e0627547356c55a85fb3a715e">traveling out of state</a>&nbsp;for abortion&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-florida-ban-south-virginia-travel-1641c3a3a5f340054d79efd43ec0c7b3">pills or procedures</a>.There were roughly as many in-state residents as out-of-state residents seeking abortions in Kansas in the years before the Supreme Court decision, according to statistics reported to and published by the state's health department. That's largely because Kansas City, Kansas, is easily accessible from Missouri, which historically has been limited in providers of abortion services.In 2022, the figure for out-of-state residents given consent forms more than doubled to 8,475, state data shows.Pittsburg, Kansas, is more than 100 miles south of Kansas City, and 150 miles east of Wichita. That means the new clinic location will be hours closer to patients who may be traveling from Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma — and even as far as Louisiana or Texas — where the procedure is restricted.Pittsburg itself has a dearth of providers for contraception and other sexual health services, Wales said, but it has the “added benefit of being so closely located to neighboring states.” The Pittsburg facility will later provide gender-affirming services as well.Clinics are shifting to accommodate out-of-state demand elsewhere, too.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-michelle-lujan-grisham-new-mexico-275e9af532929a198f12e65e7e049c96">New Mexico has pledged</a>&nbsp;$10 million to a new facility in Las Cruces, near the Texas border; a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/maryland-abortion-clinic-west-virginia-647cbd9eccfaaa740e523a5c39208b19">clinic opened last year in Western Maryland</a>, a few miles from West Virginia; and two new clinics have opened in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-bans-illinois-clinic-south-travel-demand-a30afcbd022cdeeb92b9aa5788421687">southern Illinois city of Carbondale</a>.Ingrid Duran, director of state legislation for National Right to Life, said it's not surprising to see new clinics pop up to meet out-of-state demand because of the financial opportunity for providers, she said.“And it's not surprising to know that people who want to get abortions would travel out of the state if it's not being offered there,” she said. She said states should also offer resources that “hopefully persuade abortion-minded women to choose something different."Caitlin Myers, an economics professor at Middlebury College who researches abortion policies, said she’s counted 78 abortion facilities opening across the U.S. between May 1, 2022, and April 1 of this year. That number includes 10 moved from another location in the same state, seven that moved across state lines and 61 new providers.The growth in providers situated near state lines has generated new efforts from those opposed to abortion to restrict the practice, calling it “abortion trafficking.”A Texas man is trying to force his former partner to say who helped her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-abortion-ban-82c929271a33ee23962958127be59e3e">obtain an out-of-state abortion</a>&nbsp;in a step toward civil enforcement of the Texas abortion ban.Lawmakers in at least two states have taken aim at people who help minors access abortion without parental consent. Tennessee legislators last month passed a bill that would make it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-tennessee-ban-republican-dcb87d15d489d32868b5ba36d750d316">illegal to help minors obtain abortions</a>&nbsp;without parental consent; Republican Gov. Bill Lee has not yet taken action on it. Idaho adopted a similar law last year, though a federal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/idaho-abortion-trafficking-travel-ban-270a403d7b4a5e99e566433556614728">judge has blocked enforcement</a>&nbsp;while its constitutionality is questioned.Kansas Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly is a strong supporter of abortion rights, but the GOP-controlled Legislature has veto-proof majorities and strong contingents opposed to abortion.This year, the Legislature passed bills — and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ban-law-states-kansas-lousiana-81e9da53aaa0903fdd958421bd941a3a">later overrode Kelly's vetoes</a>&nbsp;— for statutes that will require abortion providers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-kansas-reporting-patients-data-3025f009a076868f7c31dc2cd67860fe">to ask patients</a>&nbsp;why they are terminating their pregnancies and report the answers to the state, and that will make it a specific crime&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-abortion-coercion-5fad478f4164c22f7f81b72268aa6f68">to coerce someone</a>&nbsp;into having an abortion.___

New Kan. abortion clinic will help meet demand from restrictive neighboring states

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a bank robbery that occurred just before noon Wednesday&nbsp; at a U.S. Bank Branch, 6161 Northwest Barry Road in Kansas City.

According to the FBI in Kansas City, the suspect is described as a black male, potentially in his 30s, approximately 6 feet tall with a thin build.

He wore a black stocking cap/beanie, a surgical mask, a black hoodie and dark navy pants.

The suspect gave the teller a demand note. No weapons were displayed and no injuries were reported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715819505619.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a bank robbery that occurred just before noon Wednesday&nbsp; at a U.S. Bank Branch, 6161 Northwest Barry Road in Kansas City.According to the FBI in Kansas City, the suspect is described as a black male, potentially in his 30s, approximately 6 feet tall with a thin build.He wore a black stocking cap/beanie, a surgical mask, a black hoodie and dark navy pants.The suspect gave the teller a demand note. No weapons were displayed and no injuries were reported.

Police: Kansas City bank robbery suspect wore a surgical mask

BOSTON (AP) — A Massachusetts teen who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/massachusetts-one-chip-challenge-teen-death-5e421f73f5cc0e439ea05f228f4b8465">participated in a spicy tortilla chip challenge</a>&nbsp;on social media died from eating a large quantity of chile pepper extract and also had a congenital heart defect, according to an autopsy report obtained by The Associated Press.

Harris Wolobah, a 10th grader from the city of Worcester, died on Sept. 1, 2023, after eating the chip manufactured by Paqui. The cause of death was listed as cardiopulmonary arrest “in the setting of recent ingestion of food substance with high capsaicin concentration,” according to the autopsy from the Chief Office of the Medical Examiner.

Paqui,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/teen-death-one-chip-challenge-tiktok-paqui-7382397136a285fd780f25f2fed16b9d">pulled the product</a>&nbsp;from store shelves shortly after Harris’ death. The Associated Press sent an email seeking comment Thursday to the Hershey Co., which owns Paqui.

The cause of death was determined on Feb. 27, and the death certificate was released to the city clerk’s office on March 5, according to Elaine Driscoll, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.

The Paqui chip, sold individually for about $10, came wrapped in foil in a coffin-shaped box containing the warning that it was intended for the “vengeful pleasure of intense heat and pain.” The warning noted that the chip was for adult consumption only, and should be kept out of the reach of children.

Despite the warning, children have had no problem buying the chips. There have been reports from around the country of teens who have gotten sick after taking part in the chip-eating challenge, including three California high school students who were sent to a hospital. Paramedics were called to a Minnesota school in 2022 when seven students fell ill after taking part in the challenge.

BOSTON (AP) — A Massachusetts teen who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/massachusetts-one-chip-challenge-teen-death-5e421f73f5cc0e439ea05f228f4b8465">participated in a spicy tortilla chip challenge</a>&nbsp;on social media died from eating a large quantity of chile pepper extract and also had a congenital heart defect, according to an autopsy report obtained by The Associated Press.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/zQqfVwgTGD">pic.twitter.com/zQqfVwgTGD</a>&mdash; Paqui Chips (@paquichips) <a href="https://twitter.com/paquichips/status/1699875802941145473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Harris Wolobah, a 10th grader from the city of Worcester, died on Sept. 1, 2023, after eating the chip manufactured by Paqui. The cause of death was listed as cardiopulmonary arrest “in the setting of recent ingestion of food substance with high capsaicin concentration,” according to the autopsy from the Chief Office of the Medical Examiner.Paqui,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/teen-death-one-chip-challenge-tiktok-paqui-7382397136a285fd780f25f2fed16b9d">pulled the product</a>&nbsp;from store shelves shortly after Harris’ death. The Associated Press sent an email seeking comment Thursday to the Hershey Co., which owns Paqui.The cause of death was determined on Feb. 27, and the death certificate was released to the city clerk’s office on March 5, according to Elaine Driscoll, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.The Paqui chip, sold individually for about $10, came wrapped in foil in a coffin-shaped box containing the warning that it was intended for the “vengeful pleasure of intense heat and pain.” The warning noted that the chip was for adult consumption only, and should be kept out of the reach of children.Despite the warning, children have had no problem buying the chips. There have been reports from around the country of teens who have gotten sick after taking part in the chip-eating challenge, including three California high school students who were sent to a hospital. Paramedics were called to a Minnesota school in 2022 when seven students fell ill after taking part in the challenge.

Autopsy: Teen died after eating spicy chip, part of social media challenge

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an officer involved shooting that sent a man to the hospital with serious injuries.

Just after 11p.m. Tuesday, Wichita Police were investigating a previous complaint of domestic violence in the 1600 Block of North Wood Street in Wichita, according to Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter.

Officers arrived at the home and attempted to place a 42-year-old suspect into custody.&nbsp; He resisted arrest, retreated into the home, drew a gun from his waistband and pointed it at the officers.&nbsp;

An officer shot the man. Other officers then gave medical attention to the suspect and called for EMS who transported the suspect to a local hospital in serious condition.&nbsp;No shots were fired at officers.

The suspect is still in the hospital and will be arrested and booked into jail after he is released.&nbsp; When the Sedgwick County Sheriff's office shooting investigation is complete, the results will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715855828061.png" alt="View of the confrontation from police security camera released by the Sedgwick Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>View of the confrontation from police security camera released by the Sedgwick Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an officer involved shooting that sent a man to the hospital with serious injuries.Just after 11p.m. Tuesday, Wichita Police were investigating a previous complaint of domestic violence in the 1600 Block of North Wood Street in Wichita, according to Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter.Officers arrived at the home and attempted to place a 42-year-old suspect into custody.&nbsp; He resisted arrest, retreated into the home, drew a gun from his waistband and pointed it at the officers.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715856200425.png" alt="View of the confrontation from police security camera released by the Sedgwick Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>View of the confrontation from police security camera released by the Sedgwick Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>An officer shot the man. Other officers then gave medical attention to the suspect and called for EMS who transported the suspect to a local hospital in serious condition.&nbsp;No shots were fired at officers.The suspect is still in the hospital and will be arrested and booked into jail after he is released.&nbsp; When the Sedgwick County Sheriff's office shooting investigation is complete, the results will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney.

Suspect in Kansas officer shooting remains hospitalized

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has asserted executive privilege over audio of his interview with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-beau-special-counsel-80eaaee6de62c0c7b455c03d39502ecb">special counsel Robert Hur</a>&nbsp;that's at the center a Republican effort to hold&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/merrick-garland">Attorney General Merrick Garland</a>&nbsp;in contempt of Congress, the Justice Department told lawmakers in a letter publicly released on Thursday.

<a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/24476201/biden1-copy.pdf">Click here to read</a>&nbsp;transcript of&nbsp;day 1 interview with President Biden.

<a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/24476203/biden-2-copy.pdf">Click here to read&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;transcript of day 2 interview with President Biden

It comes as the the House Oversight and Accountability Committee and the Judiciary Committee are each expected to hold a hearing to recommend that the full House refer Garland to the Justice Department for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-classified-documents-congress-garland-contempt-7db112d63dd1e8159593c32981caa85d">the contempt charges</a>&nbsp;over the department's refusal to hand over the audio.

<a href="https://www.justice.gov/storage/report-from-special-counsel-robert-k-hur-february-2024.pdf">Click here to read&nbsp;</a>the 345 page report following the interview

Garland advised Biden in a letter on Thursday that the audio falls within the scope of executive privilege. Garland told the Democratic president that the “committee's needs are plainly insufficient to outweigh the deleterious effects that the production of the recordings would have on the integrity and effectiveness of similar law enforcement investigations in the future."

Assistant Attorney General Carlos Felipe Uriarte urged lawmakers not to proceed with the contempt effort to avoid “unnecessary and unwarranted conflict.”

“It is the longstanding position of the executive branch held by administrations of both parties that an official who asserts the president's claim of executive privilege cannot be held in contempt of Congress,” Uriarte wrote.

White House Counsel Ed Siskel wrote in a separate, scathing letter to Congress on Thursday that lawmakers' effort to obtain the recording was absent any legitimate purpose and lays bare their likely goal — "to chop them up, distort them, and use them for partisan political purposes.”

The White House letter is a tacit admission that there are moments from the Hur interview it fears portray Biden in a negative light in an election year — and that could be exacerbated by the release, or selective release, of the audio.

The transcript of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-classified-documents-age-trump-2024-4791639cc06cc0affee55aba80c7e6b3">the Hur interview</a>&nbsp;showed Biden struggling to recall some dates and occasionally confusing some details — something longtime aides says he’s done for years in both public and private — but otherwise showing deep recall in other areas. Biden and his aides are particularly sensitive to questions about his age. At 81, he’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-birthday-81-age-trump-axelrod-polling-3325ad9d260c17be97d5608349378a91">the oldest ever president</a>, and he's seeking another four-year term.

Hur,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/who-is-robert-hur-special-counsel-biden-d715ffd26adc75f2ba740d1960936a09">a former senior official in the Trump administration Justice Department</a>, was appointed as a special counsel in January 2023 following the discovery of classified documents in multiple locations tied to Biden.

<a href="https://apnews.com/joe-biden-special-counsel-report">Hur’s report</a>&nbsp;said many of the documents recovered at the Penn Biden Center in Washington, in parts of Biden’s Delaware home and in his Senate papers at the University of Delaware were retained by “mistake.”

But investigators did find evidence of willful retention and disclosure related a subset of records found in Biden’s Wilmington, Delaware, house, including in a garage, an office and a basement den.

The files pertain to a troop surge in Afghanistan during the Obama administration that Biden had vigorously opposed. Biden kept records that documented his position, including a classified letter to Obama during the 2009 Thanksgiving holiday. Some of that information was shared with a ghostwriter with whom he published memoirs in 2007 and 2017.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715865284940.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has asserted executive privilege over audio of his interview with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-beau-special-counsel-80eaaee6de62c0c7b455c03d39502ecb">special counsel Robert Hur</a>&nbsp;that's at the center a Republican effort to hold&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/merrick-garland">Attorney General Merrick Garland</a>&nbsp;in contempt of Congress, the Justice Department told lawmakers in a letter publicly released on Thursday.<a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/24476201/biden1-copy.pdf">Click here to read</a>&nbsp;transcript of&nbsp;day 1 interview with President Biden.<a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/24476203/biden-2-copy.pdf">Click here to read&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;transcript of day 2 interview with President BidenIt comes as the the House Oversight and Accountability Committee and the Judiciary Committee are each expected to hold a hearing to recommend that the full House refer Garland to the Justice Department for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-classified-documents-congress-garland-contempt-7db112d63dd1e8159593c32981caa85d">the contempt charges</a>&nbsp;over the department's refusal to hand over the audio.<a href="https://www.justice.gov/storage/report-from-special-counsel-robert-k-hur-february-2024.pdf">Click here to read&nbsp;</a>the 345 page report following the interview<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707478982378.png" alt="Page from the special counsel's report that highlight's Biden's memory challenges.- U.S. Department of Justice" />
 <figcaption>Page from the special counsel's report that highlight's Biden's memory challenges.- U.S. Department of Justice</figcaption>
 </figure>Garland advised Biden in a letter on Thursday that the audio falls within the scope of executive privilege. Garland told the Democratic president that the “committee's needs are plainly insufficient to outweigh the deleterious effects that the production of the recordings would have on the integrity and effectiveness of similar law enforcement investigations in the future."Assistant Attorney General Carlos Felipe Uriarte urged lawmakers not to proceed with the contempt effort to avoid “unnecessary and unwarranted conflict.”“It is the longstanding position of the executive branch held by administrations of both parties that an official who asserts the president's claim of executive privilege cannot be held in contempt of Congress,” Uriarte wrote.White House Counsel Ed Siskel wrote in a separate, scathing letter to Congress on Thursday that lawmakers' effort to obtain the recording was absent any legitimate purpose and lays bare their likely goal — "to chop them up, distort them, and use them for partisan political purposes.”The White House letter is a tacit admission that there are moments from the Hur interview it fears portray Biden in a negative light in an election year — and that could be exacerbated by the release, or selective release, of the audio.The transcript of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-classified-documents-age-trump-2024-4791639cc06cc0affee55aba80c7e6b3">the Hur interview</a>&nbsp;showed Biden struggling to recall some dates and occasionally confusing some details — something longtime aides says he’s done for years in both public and private — but otherwise showing deep recall in other areas. Biden and his aides are particularly sensitive to questions about his age. At 81, he’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-birthday-81-age-trump-axelrod-polling-3325ad9d260c17be97d5608349378a91">the oldest ever president</a>, and he's seeking another four-year term.Hur,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/who-is-robert-hur-special-counsel-biden-d715ffd26adc75f2ba740d1960936a09">a former senior official in the Trump administration Justice Department</a>, was appointed as a special counsel in January 2023 following the discovery of classified documents in multiple locations tied to Biden.<a href="https://apnews.com/joe-biden-special-counsel-report">Hur’s report</a>&nbsp;said many of the documents recovered at the Penn Biden Center in Washington, in parts of Biden’s Delaware home and in his Senate papers at the University of Delaware were retained by “mistake.”But investigators did find evidence of willful retention and disclosure related a subset of records found in Biden’s Wilmington, Delaware, house, including in a garage, an office and a basement den.The files pertain to a troop surge in Afghanistan during the Obama administration that Biden had vigorously opposed. Biden kept records that documented his position, including a classified letter to Obama during the 2009 Thanksgiving holiday. Some of that information was shared with a ghostwriter with whom he published memoirs in 2007 and 2017.

Why audio recording of Biden’s special counsel interview will not be released

KANSAS CITY—The Kansas City Mayor and the city apologized after a tweet from the city's official account about Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker.

&nbsp;Butker is getting attention for comments he made during a commencement address at Benedictine College last weekend in which he railed against Pride month along with President Biden’s leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and his stance on abortion.

(click below to watch Butker's commencement address)

Butker also congratulated the women receiving degrees, but then said most were probably more excited to get married and have children.

“I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you,” Butker said.

“Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world. I can tell you that my beautiful wife Isabelle would be the first to say that her life truly started when she started living her vocation as a wife and as a mother,” he said.

Butker said that his wife embraced “one of the most important titles of all. Homemaker."

He also criticized as disparaging to the Catholic Church an article by The Associated Press highlighting a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/catholic-church-shift-orthodoxy-tradition-7638fa2013a593f8cb07483ffc8ed487">shift toward conservativism</a>&nbsp;in some parts of the church.

The three-time Super Bowl champion delivered his roughly 20-minute address Saturday at the Catholic private liberal arts school in Atchison, Kansas, which is located about 60 miles miles north of Kansas City. He received a standing ovation from graduates and other attendees.

Butker, 28, referred to a “deadly sin sort of pride that has a month dedicated to it” in an oblique reference to Pride month. Butler also took aim at Biden's policies, including his condemnation of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">Supreme Court's reversal</a>&nbsp;of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and advocacy for freedom of choice — a key campaign issue in the 2024 presidential race.

Biden, who is Catholic, has a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-biden-2024-reproductive-rights-harris-494af752992ba88fa6e3d53fbd54f716">fraught history</a>&nbsp;on the issue. He initially opposed the Roe v. Wade decision, saying it&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonian.com/1974/06/01/joe-biden-kitty-kelley-1974-profile-death-and-the-all-american-boy/">went too far</a>. He also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6127591-biden77letter.html">opposed federal funding</a>&nbsp;for abortions and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2023-abortion-amendment-ohio-strategy-610e427f753a6803e4a59b7af8aa744f">supported restrictions on abortions</a>&nbsp;later in pregnancy.

Butker also tackled Biden's response to COVID-19, which has killed nearly 1.2 million people in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“While COVID might have played a large role throughout your formative years, it is not unique,” he said. “Bad policies and poor leadership have negatively impacted major life issues. Things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia, as well as a growing support for degenerate cultural values and media all stem from pervasiveness of disorder.”

Graduates had mixed views on the speech. ValerieAnne Volpe, 20, who graduated with an art degree, lauded Butker for saying things that “people are scared to say.”

“You can just hear that he loves his wife. You can hear that he loves his family,” she said.

Elle Wilbers, 22, who is heading to medical school, said she was shocked by Butker’s criticism of priests and bishops and his reference to the LGBTQ+ community, one that she described as “horrible.”

“We should have compassion for the people who have been told all their life that the person they love is like, it’s not OK to love that person,” Wilbers said.

Kassidy Neuner, 22, who will spend a gap year teaching before going to law school, said being a stay-at-home parent is “a wonderful decision.”

“And it’s also not for everybody,” Neuner added, saying, "I think that he should have addressed more that it’s not always an option. And, if it is your option in life, that’s amazing for you. But there’s also the option to be a mother and a career woman.”

The Chiefs declined to comment on Butker's commencement address.

The 2017 seventh-round pick out of Georgia Tech has become of the NFL's best kickers, breaking the Chiefs' franchise record with a 62-yard field goal in 2022. Butker helped them win their first Super Bowl in 50 years in 2020, added a second Lombardi Trophy in 2023, and he kicked the field goal that forced overtime in a Super Bowl win over San Francisco in February.

-The Associated Press contributed to this article

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715857000440.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—The Kansas City Mayor and the city apologized after a tweet from the city's official account about Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">A message appeared earlier this evening from a City public account. The message was clearly inappropriate for a public account. The City has correctly apologized for the error, will review account access, and ensure nothing like it is shared in the future from public channels.&mdash; Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) <a href="https://twitter.com/QuintonLucasKC/status/1790920537511805434?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>&nbsp;Butker is getting attention for comments he made during a commencement address at Benedictine College last weekend in which he railed against Pride month along with President Biden’s leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and his stance on abortion.(click below to watch Butker's commencement address)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-JS7RIKSaCc?si=Q1P_CN2_FTQ-1GMv" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Butker also congratulated the women receiving degrees, but then said most were probably more excited to get married and have children.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We apologies for our previous tweet. It was shared in error.&mdash; Kansas City (@KansasCity) <a href="https://twitter.com/KansasCity/status/1790915326944641269?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you,” Butker said.“Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world. I can tell you that my beautiful wife Isabelle would be the first to say that her life truly started when she started living her vocation as a wife and as a mother,” he said.Butker said that his wife embraced “one of the most important titles of all. Homemaker."He also criticized as disparaging to the Catholic Church an article by The Associated Press highlighting a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/catholic-church-shift-orthodoxy-tradition-7638fa2013a593f8cb07483ffc8ed487">shift toward conservativism</a>&nbsp;in some parts of the church.The three-time Super Bowl champion delivered his roughly 20-minute address Saturday at the Catholic private liberal arts school in Atchison, Kansas, which is located about 60 miles miles north of Kansas City. He received a standing ovation from graduates and other attendees.Butker, 28, referred to a “deadly sin sort of pride that has a month dedicated to it” in an oblique reference to Pride month. Butler also took aim at Biden's policies, including his condemnation of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">Supreme Court's reversal</a>&nbsp;of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and advocacy for freedom of choice — a key campaign issue in the 2024 presidential race.Biden, who is Catholic, has a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-biden-2024-reproductive-rights-harris-494af752992ba88fa6e3d53fbd54f716">fraught history</a>&nbsp;on the issue. He initially opposed the Roe v. Wade decision, saying it&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonian.com/1974/06/01/joe-biden-kitty-kelley-1974-profile-death-and-the-all-american-boy/">went too far</a>. He also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6127591-biden77letter.html">opposed federal funding</a>&nbsp;for abortions and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2023-abortion-amendment-ohio-strategy-610e427f753a6803e4a59b7af8aa744f">supported restrictions on abortions</a>&nbsp;later in pregnancy.Butker also tackled Biden's response to COVID-19, which has killed nearly 1.2 million people in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.“While COVID might have played a large role throughout your formative years, it is not unique,” he said. “Bad policies and poor leadership have negatively impacted major life issues. Things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia, as well as a growing support for degenerate cultural values and media all stem from pervasiveness of disorder.”Graduates had mixed views on the speech. ValerieAnne Volpe, 20, who graduated with an art degree, lauded Butker for saying things that “people are scared to say.”“You can just hear that he loves his wife. You can hear that he loves his family,” she said.Elle Wilbers, 22, who is heading to medical school, said she was shocked by Butker’s criticism of priests and bishops and his reference to the LGBTQ+ community, one that she described as “horrible.”“We should have compassion for the people who have been told all their life that the person they love is like, it’s not OK to love that person,” Wilbers said.Kassidy Neuner, 22, who will spend a gap year teaching before going to law school, said being a stay-at-home parent is “a wonderful decision.”“And it’s also not for everybody,” Neuner added, saying, "I think that he should have addressed more that it’s not always an option. And, if it is your option in life, that’s amazing for you. But there’s also the option to be a mother and a career woman.”The Chiefs declined to comment on Butker's commencement address.The 2017 seventh-round pick out of Georgia Tech has become of the NFL's best kickers, breaking the Chiefs' franchise record with a 62-yard field goal in 2022. Butker helped them win their first Super Bowl in 50 years in 2020, added a second Lombardi Trophy in 2023, and he kicked the field goal that forced overtime in a Super Bowl win over San Francisco in February.-The Associated Press contributed to this article

KC mayor, city apologize for tweet about Chiefs Harrison Butker

SEWARD COUNTY—Law enforcement canceled an Amber Alert late Wednesday for&nbsp;14-year-old Marisheila Luis De La Cruz, according to the Liberal Police Department.&nbsp; The teen was located by authorities in Texas and is safe.

Just before 7p.m. Wednesday, police reported&nbsp;De La Crus was seen at Mary Frame Park, 298 E Pancake Boulevard, in Liberal wearing a black shirt, blue jeans and pink sandals.&nbsp; &nbsp;Police reported she may have been abducted by a Hispanic male with black hair, a black shirt and black pants driving a black 2007 Tahoe with Texas tag TTJ8135.

A relative said they saw De La Cruz inside the Tahoe with a man they did not recognize and say she was screaming and crying.&nbsp;

Police have not reported an arrest or additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715856422516.png" alt="Photo Liberal Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Liberal Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEWARD COUNTY—Law enforcement canceled an Amber Alert late Wednesday for&nbsp;14-year-old Marisheila Luis De La Cruz, according to the Liberal Police Department.&nbsp; The teen was located by authorities in Texas and is safe.Just before 7p.m. Wednesday, police reported&nbsp;De La Crus was seen at Mary Frame Park, 298 E Pancake Boulevard, in Liberal wearing a black shirt, blue jeans and pink sandals.&nbsp; &nbsp;Police reported she may have been abducted by a Hispanic male with black hair, a black shirt and black pants driving a black 2007 Tahoe with Texas tag TTJ8135.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/61owCqS7l0">pic.twitter.com/61owCqS7l0</a>&mdash; Kansas AMBER Alert (@ksamberalert) <a href="https://twitter.com/ksamberalert/status/1790933451119468731?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>A relative said they saw De La Cruz inside the Tahoe with a man they did not recognize and say she was screaming and crying.&nbsp;Police have not reported an arrest or additional details.

Kansas Amber Alert victim found safe in Texas

WASHINGTON —The United States Capitol Police (USCP) is investigating a roughly one-inch by one-inch zip lock bag with a small amount of a white powdery substance, which field tested positive for cocaine, according to a statement from the agenc.

The small bag was found on the floor of a hallway inside USCP headquarters.&nbsp;The hallway is on the second floor in an area that has been a staging spot for furniture and supplies. The area is heavily trafficked by various contractors and employees. It is also near offices such as&nbsp;Prisoner Processing, Crime Scene, Intel and Reports Processing.

The baggie was found in the middle of the floor just before 1:00 p.m. by an officer, who immediately reported it to a supervisor. The residue was field tested and came back positive for cocaine.&nbsp;The USCP Investigations Division has opened an investigation, which will include further testing, including DNA testing of the baggie.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715820270933.png" alt="Photo USCP" />
 <figcaption>Photo USCP</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —The United States Capitol Police (USCP) is investigating a roughly one-inch by one-inch zip lock bag with a small amount of a white powdery substance, which field tested positive for cocaine, according to a statement from the agenc.The small bag was found on the floor of a hallway inside USCP headquarters.&nbsp;The hallway is on the second floor in an area that has been a staging spot for furniture and supplies. The area is heavily trafficked by various contractors and employees. It is also near offices such as&nbsp;Prisoner Processing, Crime Scene, Intel and Reports Processing.The baggie was found in the middle of the floor just before 1:00 p.m. by an officer, who immediately reported it to a supervisor. The residue was field tested and came back positive for cocaine.&nbsp;The USCP Investigations Division has opened an investigation, which will include further testing, including DNA testing of the baggie.&nbsp;

Cocaine found in hallway of U.S. Capitol Police headquarters

SHAWNEE COUNTY—A firefighter was injured fighting a house fire Wednesday in Topeka.

Just after 11a.m. Wednesday, crews responded to a reported&nbsp; fire at a home at 726 SW Clay Street in Topeka, according to spokesperson Rosie Nichols.

They found smoke and&nbsp;flames coming from&nbsp; the two-story residence. As crews were working to suppress the fire, a firefighter fell through the floor. The firefighter was treated on scene for minor injuries. Crews were able to extinguish the fire.&nbsp;

All occupants were able to exit safely.&nbsp;No other injuries have been reported.&nbsp; The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Officials have not released a damage estimate or additional information.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715820896579.png" alt="Photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—A firefighter was injured fighting a house fire Wednesday in Topeka.Just after 11a.m. Wednesday, crews responded to a reported&nbsp; fire at a home at 726 SW Clay Street in Topeka, according to spokesperson Rosie Nichols.They found smoke and&nbsp;flames coming from&nbsp; the two-story residence. As crews were working to suppress the fire, a firefighter fell through the floor. The firefighter was treated on scene for minor injuries. Crews were able to extinguish the fire.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715820871721.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>All occupants were able to exit safely.&nbsp;No other injuries have been reported.&nbsp; The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Officials have not released a damage estimate or additional information.

Firefighter injured  battling two-story Kansas house fire

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military finished installing a floating pier for the Gaza Strip on Thursday, with officials poised to begin ferrying badly needed humanitarian aid into the enclave besieged over seven months of intense fighting in the Israel-Hamas war.

The final, overnight construction sets up a complicated delivery process more than two months after U.S. President Joe Biden ordered it to help Palestinians facing starvation as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-aid-deliveries-us-pier-dangers-israel-f7b351934c22d58d94a48eb6ca5d60ff">food and other supplies fail to make it</a>&nbsp;in as Israel recently seized the key Rafah border crossing in its push on that southern city on the Egyptian border.

Fraught with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-aid-port-eb8a701b3a7dc8f946422c04323ff913">logistical, weather and security challenges</a>, the maritime route is designed to bolster the amount of aid getting into the Gaza Strip, but it is not considered a substitute for far cheaper land-based deliveries that aid agencies say are much more sustainable. The boatloads of aid will be deposited at a port facility built by the Israelis just southwest of Gaza City and then&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-aid-pier-us-military-e988256270fc0067d2f5524fd542a475">distributed by aid groups</a>.

Heavy fighting between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants on the outskirts of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hamas-rafah-palestinians-evacuees-refugees-2f4e37cb3e40560f4980d8a70baaa81e">Rafah</a>&nbsp;has displaced some 600,000 people, a quarter of Gaza’s population, U.N. officials say. Another 100,000 civilians have fled parts of northern Gaza now that the Israeli military has restarted combat operations there.

Pentagon officials said the fighting in Gaza wasn’t threatening the new shoreline aid distribution area, but they have made it clear that security conditions will be monitored closely and could prompt a shutdown of the maritime route, even just temporarily. Already, the site has been targeted by mortar fire during its construction and Hamas has threatened to target any foreign forces who “occupy” the Gaza Strip.

The “protection of U.S. forces participating is a top priority. And as such, in the last several weeks, the United States and Israel have developed an integrated security plan to protect all the personnel," said Navy Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, a deputy commander at the U.S. military's Central Command. "We are confident in the ability of this security arrangement to protect those involved.”

U.S. troops anchored the pier at 7:40 a.m. local time Thursday, the military's Central Command said, stressing that none of its forces entered the Gaza Strip and would not during the pier's operations.

“Trucks carrying humanitarian assistance are expected to begin moving ashore in the coming days,” the command said. “The United Nations will receive the aid and coordinate its distribution into Gaza.”

It wasn't immediately clear which U.N. agency would be involved.

Israeli forces will be in charge of security on the shore, but there are also two U.S. Navy warships near the area in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, the USS Arleigh Burke and the USS Paul Ignatius. Both ships are destroyers equipped with a wide range of weapons and capabilities to protect American troops off shore and allies on the beach.

Aid agencies say they are running out of food in southern Gaza and fuel is dwindling, which will force hospitals to shut down critical operations and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-war-hamas-aid-trucks-unrwa-30173642b5c298c829f1457db357071e">halt truck deliveries of aid</a>. The U.N. and others have warned for weeks that an Israel assault on Rafah would cripple humanitarian operations and cause a disastrous surge in civilian casualties.

More than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rafah-israel-gaza-war-hamas-evacuation-e0754cdae0f3786982038e80feaa159e">1.4 million Palestinians — half of Gaza’s population —</a>&nbsp;have been sheltering in Rafah, most after fleeing Israel’s offensives elsewhere.

The first cargo ship loaded with 475 pallets of food left Cyprus last week to rendezvous with a U.S. military ship, the Roy P. Benavidez, which is off the coast of Gaza. The pallets of aid on the MV Sagamore were moved onto the Benavidez. The Pentagon said moving the aid between ships was an effort to be ready so it could flow quickly once the pier and the causeway were installed.

The installation of the pier several miles (kilometers) off the coast and of the causeway, which is now anchored to the beach, was delayed for nearly two weeks because of bad weather. The sea conditions made it too dangerous for U.S. and Israeli troops to secure the causeway to the shore, U.S. officials said.

Military leaders have said the deliveries of aid will begin slowly to ensure the system works. They will start with about 90 truckloads of aid a day through the sea route, and that number will quickly grow to about 150 a day. But aid agencies say that isn't enough to avert impending famine in Gaza and must be just one part of a broader Israeli effort to open land corridors.

Because land crossings could bring in all the needed aid if Israeli officials allowed, the U.S.-built pier-and-sea route “is a solution for a problem that doesn’t exist,” said Scott Paul, an associate director of the Oxfam humanitarian organization.

Biden used his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-03-07-24-5657eedc005040694a9ab935ce3e39e5">State of the Union address</a>&nbsp;on March 7 to order the military to set up a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza, establishing a sea route to deliver food and other aid. Food shipments have been backed up at land crossings amid Israeli restrictions and intensifying fighting.

Under the new sea route, humanitarian aid is dropped off in Cyprus where it will undergo inspection and security checks at Larnaca port. It is then loaded onto ships — mainly commercial vessels — and taken about 200 miles (320 kilometers) to the large floating pier built by the U.S. military off the Gaza coast.

There, the pallets are transferred onto trucks, driven onto smaller Army boats and then shuttled several miles (kilometers) to the floating causeway, which has been anchored onto the beach by the Israeli military. The trucks, which are being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-gaza-pier-92b6986eed29cec9ab33e40584f22543">driven by personnel from another country</a>, will go down the causeway into a secure area on land where they will drop off the aid and immediately turn around and return to the boats.

Aid groups will collect the supplies for distribution on shore, with the U.N. working with the U.S. Agency for International Development to set up the logistics hub on the beach.

Sabrina Singh, Pentagon spokeswoman, told reporters that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-aid-gaza-us-port-pier-d4d9ea94550aed2d24a258dfd98d866e">project will cost at least $320 million</a>, including the transportation of the equipment and pier sections from the United States to the coast of Gaza, as well as the construction and aid delivery operations.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714471004272.png" alt="Photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military finished installing a floating pier for the Gaza Strip on Thursday, with officials poised to begin ferrying badly needed humanitarian aid into the enclave besieged over seven months of intense fighting in the Israel-Hamas war.The final, overnight construction sets up a complicated delivery process more than two months after U.S. President Joe Biden ordered it to help Palestinians facing starvation as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-aid-deliveries-us-pier-dangers-israel-f7b351934c22d58d94a48eb6ca5d60ff">food and other supplies fail to make it</a>&nbsp;in as Israel recently seized the key Rafah border crossing in its push on that southern city on the Egyptian border.Fraught with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-aid-port-eb8a701b3a7dc8f946422c04323ff913">logistical, weather and security challenges</a>, the maritime route is designed to bolster the amount of aid getting into the Gaza Strip, but it is not considered a substitute for far cheaper land-based deliveries that aid agencies say are much more sustainable. The boatloads of aid will be deposited at a port facility built by the Israelis just southwest of Gaza City and then&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-aid-pier-us-military-e988256270fc0067d2f5524fd542a475">distributed by aid groups</a>.Heavy fighting between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants on the outskirts of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hamas-rafah-palestinians-evacuees-refugees-2f4e37cb3e40560f4980d8a70baaa81e">Rafah</a>&nbsp;has displaced some 600,000 people, a quarter of Gaza’s population, U.N. officials say. Another 100,000 civilians have fled parts of northern Gaza now that the Israeli military has restarted combat operations there.Pentagon officials said the fighting in Gaza wasn’t threatening the new shoreline aid distribution area, but they have made it clear that security conditions will be monitored closely and could prompt a shutdown of the maritime route, even just temporarily. Already, the site has been targeted by mortar fire during its construction and Hamas has threatened to target any foreign forces who “occupy” the Gaza Strip.The “protection of U.S. forces participating is a top priority. And as such, in the last several weeks, the United States and Israel have developed an integrated security plan to protect all the personnel," said Navy Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, a deputy commander at the U.S. military's Central Command. "We are confident in the ability of this security arrangement to protect those involved.”U.S. troops anchored the pier at 7:40 a.m. local time Thursday, the military's Central Command said, stressing that none of its forces entered the Gaza Strip and would not during the pier's operations.“Trucks carrying humanitarian assistance are expected to begin moving ashore in the coming days,” the command said. “The United Nations will receive the aid and coordinate its distribution into Gaza.”It wasn't immediately clear which U.N. agency would be involved.Israeli forces will be in charge of security on the shore, but there are also two U.S. Navy warships near the area in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, the USS Arleigh Burke and the USS Paul Ignatius. Both ships are destroyers equipped with a wide range of weapons and capabilities to protect American troops off shore and allies on the beach.Aid agencies say they are running out of food in southern Gaza and fuel is dwindling, which will force hospitals to shut down critical operations and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-war-hamas-aid-trucks-unrwa-30173642b5c298c829f1457db357071e">halt truck deliveries of aid</a>. The U.N. and others have warned for weeks that an Israel assault on Rafah would cripple humanitarian operations and cause a disastrous surge in civilian casualties.More than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rafah-israel-gaza-war-hamas-evacuation-e0754cdae0f3786982038e80feaa159e">1.4 million Palestinians — half of Gaza’s population —</a>&nbsp;have been sheltering in Rafah, most after fleeing Israel’s offensives elsewhere.The first cargo ship loaded with 475 pallets of food left Cyprus last week to rendezvous with a U.S. military ship, the Roy P. Benavidez, which is off the coast of Gaza. The pallets of aid on the MV Sagamore were moved onto the Benavidez. The Pentagon said moving the aid between ships was an effort to be ready so it could flow quickly once the pier and the causeway were installed.The installation of the pier several miles (kilometers) off the coast and of the causeway, which is now anchored to the beach, was delayed for nearly two weeks because of bad weather. The sea conditions made it too dangerous for U.S. and Israeli troops to secure the causeway to the shore, U.S. officials said.Military leaders have said the deliveries of aid will begin slowly to ensure the system works. They will start with about 90 truckloads of aid a day through the sea route, and that number will quickly grow to about 150 a day. But aid agencies say that isn't enough to avert impending famine in Gaza and must be just one part of a broader Israeli effort to open land corridors.Because land crossings could bring in all the needed aid if Israeli officials allowed, the U.S.-built pier-and-sea route “is a solution for a problem that doesn’t exist,” said Scott Paul, an associate director of the Oxfam humanitarian organization.Biden used his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-03-07-24-5657eedc005040694a9ab935ce3e39e5">State of the Union address</a>&nbsp;on March 7 to order the military to set up a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza, establishing a sea route to deliver food and other aid. Food shipments have been backed up at land crossings amid Israeli restrictions and intensifying fighting.Under the new sea route, humanitarian aid is dropped off in Cyprus where it will undergo inspection and security checks at Larnaca port. It is then loaded onto ships — mainly commercial vessels — and taken about 200 miles (320 kilometers) to the large floating pier built by the U.S. military off the Gaza coast.There, the pallets are transferred onto trucks, driven onto smaller Army boats and then shuttled several miles (kilometers) to the floating causeway, which has been anchored onto the beach by the Israeli military. The trucks, which are being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-gaza-pier-92b6986eed29cec9ab33e40584f22543">driven by personnel from another country</a>, will go down the causeway into a secure area on land where they will drop off the aid and immediately turn around and return to the boats.Aid groups will collect the supplies for distribution on shore, with the U.N. working with the U.S. Agency for International Development to set up the logistics hub on the beach.Sabrina Singh, Pentagon spokeswoman, told reporters that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-aid-gaza-us-port-pier-d4d9ea94550aed2d24a258dfd98d866e">project will cost at least $320 million</a>, including the transportation of the equipment and pier sections from the United States to the coast of Gaza, as well as the construction and aid delivery operations.

U.S. military finishes installing offshore pier to provide aid to Gaza

FAIRBANKS NORTH STAR—A Kansas man hiding in Alaska to avoid drug charges is in jail.

According to the Alaska Department of Public Safety, the Alaska State Troopers Criminal Suppression Unit (CSU) in Fairbanks received information last week that Levi Hart, 39, of Montgomery County, Kansas was a Fugitive from Justice and residing in the Fairbanks area.

Hart had multiple outstanding felony warrants from Kansas, one for Failure to Appear on the original charge of Distribution of Opiates Greater than a Kilogram and Possession, and Failure to Appear on the original charge of Interference with Judicial Process. Hart's warrant carried full extradition to Kansas.

Troopers located Hart near the Old Steese Highway and College Road and performed a takedown in a nearby parking lot.&nbsp;Following a brief standoff with Troopers, Hart was&nbsp;taken into custody. Hart is being held in the Fairbanks Correctional Center where he was charged with Fugitive from Justice and will await extradition to Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715791097940.png" alt="Hart as shown in a booking photo before he bonded out of Montgomery County." />
 <figcaption>Hart as shown in a booking photo before he bonded out of Montgomery County.</figcaption>
 </figure>FAIRBANKS NORTH STAR—A Kansas man hiding in Alaska to avoid drug charges is in jail.According to the Alaska Department of Public Safety, the Alaska State Troopers Criminal Suppression Unit (CSU) in Fairbanks received information last week that Levi Hart, 39, of Montgomery County, Kansas was a Fugitive from Justice and residing in the Fairbanks area.Hart had multiple outstanding felony warrants from Kansas, one for Failure to Appear on the original charge of Distribution of Opiates Greater than a Kilogram and Possession, and Failure to Appear on the original charge of Interference with Judicial Process. Hart's warrant carried full extradition to Kansas.Troopers located Hart near the Old Steese Highway and College Road and performed a takedown in a nearby parking lot.&nbsp;Following a brief standoff with Troopers, Hart was&nbsp;taken into custody. Hart is being held in the Fairbanks Correctional Center where he was charged with Fugitive from Justice and will await extradition to Kansas.

Alleged Kansas drug dealer hid in Alaska to avoid charges  

HARVEY COUNTY — A Kansas teen is going to prison for sex crimes. On May 13, District Judge Jason Lane sentenced Le’Rhon A. Hamilton, 19, Newton, to just over 22-years in prison, according to the Harvey County Attorney's office.

In January, Hamilton pled guilty to Rape, Attempted Criminal Sodomy and Aggravated Residential Burglary

The convictions in this case are based upon the following facts:

On July 21, 2023, the victim, a 66-year-old woman suffering from dementia, reported an unknown individual came into her house in the late evening hours and assaulted her. She was transported to the hospital where her injuries were treated and evidence was collected.

On August 6, 2023, in the early morning hours an unknown individual was recorded breaking into her home but she was not there and the suspect left without taking any items. The victim identified the male in the video as the one who attacked her.

On August 9, 2023, Le’Rhon Hamilton was observed by Newton Police and detained. The officer observed that his age, build, and general characteristics matched that of the individual in the video from August 6, 2023. 

Additionally, he had damage to his glasses that matched damage observed in the video and officers were able to match his tattoos to ones observed in the video.

Hamilton’s DNA was obtained sent to the KBI lab for comparison. KBI results indicate that Hamilton’s DNA was consistent with the seminal fluid evidence collected from the victim.

In addition to serving his prison sentence, he was ordered to serve lifetime post release and register for life as a sex offender.

Lifetime post release requires the Kansas Department of Corrections to monitor him the rest of his life.&nbsp; Hamilton is subject to conditions on release. If he violates those conditions, he could be sent back to prison.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715813743355.png" alt="Hamilton-photo Harvey County" />
 <figcaption>Hamilton-photo Harvey County</figcaption>
 </figure>HARVEY COUNTY — A Kansas teen is going to prison for sex crimes. On May 13, District Judge Jason Lane sentenced Le’Rhon A. Hamilton, 19, Newton, to just over 22-years in prison, according to the Harvey County Attorney's office.In January, Hamilton pled guilty to Rape, Attempted Criminal Sodomy and Aggravated Residential BurglaryThe convictions in this case are based upon the following facts:On July 21, 2023, the victim, a 66-year-old woman suffering from dementia, reported an unknown individual came into her house in the late evening hours and assaulted her. She was transported to the hospital where her injuries were treated and evidence was collected.On August 6, 2023, in the early morning hours an unknown individual was recorded breaking into her home but she was not there and the suspect left without taking any items. The victim identified the male in the video as the one who attacked her.On August 9, 2023, Le’Rhon Hamilton was observed by Newton Police and detained. The officer observed that his age, build, and general characteristics matched that of the individual in the video from August 6, 2023. Additionally, he had damage to his glasses that matched damage observed in the video and officers were able to match his tattoos to ones observed in the video.Hamilton’s DNA was obtained sent to the KBI lab for comparison. KBI results indicate that Hamilton’s DNA was consistent with the seminal fluid evidence collected from the victim.In addition to serving his prison sentence, he was ordered to serve lifetime post release and register for life as a sex offender.Lifetime post release requires the Kansas Department of Corrections to monitor him the rest of his life.&nbsp; Hamilton is subject to conditions on release. If he violates those conditions, he could be sent back to prison.