BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a>

WASHINGTON — Republican U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina led a charge Monday to try to ban transgender women from using women’s restrooms in the U.S. Capitol and House office buildings, following the election of a transgender lawmaker.

The move, which the House Democratic leader characterized as attempting to “bully” another member, came as Democrat Sarah McBride of Delaware will soon be sworn in as the&nbsp;<a href="https://lailluminator.com/2024/08/21/transgender-congress/" target="_blank">first openly transgender member&nbsp;</a>of Congress. Republicans also have undertaken broader efforts to bar transgender people from using restrooms that align with their gender identity.

“Biological men do not belong in private women’s spaces,” Mace wrote in a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/RepNancyMace/status/1858659671910817924" target="_blank">post on X</a>&nbsp;alongside the resolution she is pushing. “Period. Full stop. End of story.”

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/118/bills/hres1579/BILLS-118hres1579ih.pdf" target="_blank">resolution would prohibit</a>&nbsp;members of Congress, officers and employees of the House from using “single-sex facilities” other than those corresponding to their “biological sex.”

It reads: “A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House may not use a single-sex facility (including a restroom, changing&nbsp; room, or locker room) in the Capitol or House Office Buildings, other than those corresponding to the biological sex of such individual.”

The House sergeant-at-arms would be tasked with enforcement, according to the resolution, so it appears it would apply only to bathrooms on the House side of the Capitol and not the Senate.

Mace told the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/1403136/exclusive-rep-nancy-mace-on-why-she-supports-lgbt-rights-religious-liberty-compromise-legislation/" target="_blank">Washington Examiner</a>&nbsp;in 2021 that she strongly supports LGBTQ rights and equality and said “no one should be discriminated against.”

The South Carolina Republican co-sponsored a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1440/text" target="_blank">Republican alternative</a>&nbsp;to the&nbsp; Democratic-backed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5/cosponsors" target="_blank">Equality Act</a>&nbsp;in 2021. The GOP effort sought to “prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity; and to protect the free exercise of religion.”&nbsp;

In a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SarahEMcBride/status/1858671704718868652" target="_blank">post on X</a>&nbsp;Monday appearing to respond to Mace’s push, McBride said “every day Americans go to work with people who have life journeys different than their own and engage with them respectfully, I hope members of Congress can muster that same kindness.”

“This is a blatant attempt from far right-wing extremists to distract from the fact that they have no real solutions to what Americans are facing,” McBride added.

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said Mace’s resolution “doesn’t go far enough” and “we need something more binding” while speaking to reporters Tuesday.

The Georgia Republican, who referred to McBride as a “biological man,” said “America’s fed up with the trans ideology being shoved into our face.”

Greene said she asked U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson at the House GOP conference meeting Tuesday “what the men in our leadership are going to do about this, because this has to be stopped.”

According to Greene, the Louisiana Republican committed to her that McBride “will not be using our restrooms.”

However, at a Tuesday press conference following that GOP meeting, Johnson would not specify how he would respond to Mace’s resolution.

“This is an issue that Congress has never had to address before,” Johnson said, while also noting that “it’s a command that we treat all persons with dignity and respect.”

“We’ll provide appropriate accommodation for every member of Congress,” he added.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries questioned House Republicans’ priorities Tuesday regarding Mace’s effort.

“This is your priority — that you want to bully a member of Congress as opposed to welcoming her to join this body so that all of us can work together to get things done and deliver real results for the American people?” said the New York Democrat at a Tuesday news conference.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732047919198.png" alt="Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, D-Delaware will become the first openly transgender member of Congress-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, D-Delaware will become the first openly transgender member of Congress-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a>WASHINGTON — Republican U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina led a charge Monday to try to ban transgender women from using women’s restrooms in the U.S. Capitol and House office buildings, following the election of a transgender lawmaker.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I never thought we would need a sign for this, but women&#39;s restrooms are for BIOLOGICAL women. Not men. <a href="https://t.co/42lOMhqHFT">pic.twitter.com/42lOMhqHFT</a>&mdash; Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepNancyMace/status/1858997448418496978?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The move, which the House Democratic leader characterized as attempting to “bully” another member, came as Democrat Sarah McBride of Delaware will soon be sworn in as the&nbsp;<a href="https://lailluminator.com/2024/08/21/transgender-congress/" target="_blank">first openly transgender member&nbsp;</a>of Congress. Republicans also have undertaken broader efforts to bar transgender people from using restrooms that align with their gender identity.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Biological men do not belong in private women’s spaces. Period. Full stop. End of story. <a href="https://t.co/IhR7kExkBU">pic.twitter.com/IhR7kExkBU</a>&mdash; Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepNancyMace/status/1858659671910817924?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Biological men do not belong in private women’s spaces,” Mace wrote in a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/RepNancyMace/status/1858659671910817924" target="_blank">post on X</a>&nbsp;alongside the resolution she is pushing. “Period. Full stop. End of story.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Q: &quot;Is freshman-elect Sarah McBride a man or a woman?&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerJohnson</a>: &quot;Look, I’m not going to get into this...We treat all persons with dignity and respect. We will. I&#39;m not going to engage is silly debates about this. There&#39;s a concern about uses of restroom facilities...&quot; <a href="https://t.co/fMtlV3hYxW">pic.twitter.com/fMtlV3hYxW</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1858904341718958328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/118/bills/hres1579/BILLS-118hres1579ih.pdf" target="_blank">resolution would prohibit</a>&nbsp;members of Congress, officers and employees of the House from using “single-sex facilities” other than those corresponding to their “biological sex.”It reads: “A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House may not use a single-sex facility (including a restroom, changing&nbsp; room, or locker room) in the Capitol or House Office Buildings, other than those corresponding to the biological sex of such individual.”The House sergeant-at-arms would be tasked with enforcement, according to the resolution, so it appears it would apply only to bathrooms on the House side of the Capitol and not the Senate.Mace told the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/1403136/exclusive-rep-nancy-mace-on-why-she-supports-lgbt-rights-religious-liberty-compromise-legislation/" target="_blank">Washington Examiner</a>&nbsp;in 2021 that she strongly supports LGBTQ rights and equality and said “no one should be discriminated against.”The South Carolina Republican co-sponsored a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1440/text" target="_blank">Republican alternative</a>&nbsp;to the&nbsp; Democratic-backed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5/cosponsors" target="_blank">Equality Act</a>&nbsp;in 2021. The GOP effort sought to “prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity; and to protect the free exercise of religion.”&nbsp;In a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SarahEMcBride/status/1858671704718868652" target="_blank">post on X</a>&nbsp;Monday appearing to respond to Mace’s push, McBride said “every day Americans go to work with people who have life journeys different than their own and engage with them respectfully, I hope members of Congress can muster that same kindness.”“This is a blatant attempt from far right-wing extremists to distract from the fact that they have no real solutions to what Americans are facing,” McBride added.Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said Mace’s resolution “doesn’t go far enough” and “we need something more binding” while speaking to reporters Tuesday.The Georgia Republican, who referred to McBride as a “biological man,” said “America’s fed up with the trans ideology being shoved into our face.”Greene said she asked U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson at the House GOP conference meeting Tuesday “what the men in our leadership are going to do about this, because this has to be stopped.”According to Greene, the Louisiana Republican committed to her that McBride “will not be using our restrooms.”However, at a Tuesday press conference following that GOP meeting, Johnson would not specify how he would respond to Mace’s resolution.“This is an issue that Congress has never had to address before,” Johnson said, while also noting that “it’s a command that we treat all persons with dignity and respect.”“We’ll provide appropriate accommodation for every member of Congress,” he added.House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries questioned House Republicans’ priorities Tuesday regarding Mace’s effort.“This is your priority — that you want to bully a member of Congress as opposed to welcoming her to join this body so that all of us can work together to get things done and deliver real results for the American people?” said the New York Democrat at a Tuesday news conference.&nbsp;

U.S. House GOP urged to bar transgender women from using women’s bathrooms at the Capitol

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — The Venezuelan man convicted in the killing of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Jose Ibarra was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/laken-riley-university-of-georgia-killing-immigration-1e2283b1a91da9eb939873ccd5702da8">charged with murder and other crimes</a>&nbsp;in Riley’s February death, and the guilty verdict was reached on Wednesday by Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard. Ibarra, 26, had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-student-killed-immigration-trump-ef36ef9b2bb0a699aa010f096449b051">waived his right to a jury trial</a>, meaning Haggard alone heard and decided the case.

Haggard found Ibarra guilty of all 10 counts against him: one count of malice murder; three counts of felony murder; and one count each of kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated assault with intent to rape, aggravated battery, obstructing an emergency call, evidence tampering and being a peeping Tom.

Riley’s family and friends tearfully remembered her and asked the judge to sentence Ibarra to the maximum penalty. Her mother called him a “monster” and her father called him a “truly evil person.”

Ibarra did not react as an interpreter relayed their words to him.

Before announcing the verdict, Haggard had said that as he listened to the closing arguments, he wrote down on a legal pad two things the lawyers had said. He noted that prosecutor Sheila Ross called the evidence “overwhelming and powerful” and that defense attorney Kaitlyn Beck reminded him he was “required to set aside my emotions” in making his ruling.

Riley's killing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-riley-immigrants-crime-63181cbc7a89fe9fe28b1d0cf84c8b9a">added fuel to the national debate</a>&nbsp;over immigration when federal authorities said Ibarra illegally entered the U.S. in 2022 and was allowed to stay in the country while he pursued his immigration case. But there was no mention of Ibarra's immigration status during the trial.

“Laken Riley herself has given you all the evidence you need” to find Ibarra guilty on all counts, Ross told the judge during her closing. She added that the physical evidence is sufficient and is corroborated by forensic, digital and video evidence to “twist this very powerful knot that this defendant cannot get out of. There is no way out for him.”

The evidence shows that Ibarra killed Riley “because she would not let him rape her.”

Ross said Ibarra's DNA was found under Riley's fingernails and her DNA and Ibarra's were found on a jacket that police found in a trash bin in his apartment complex. A man seen in security footage throwing that jacket away was identified as Ibarra by his brother and another roommate, she said.

Riley was wearing “tight running clothes that are designed not to move,” Ross said. When her body was found, the waistband of her running tights was pulled down and her jacket, shirt and sports bra were pulled up, evidence that her clothes were displaced by an attempted sexual assault not by dragging, Ross said.

Surveillance video shows a man wearing clothes that appear to match those seen in a selfie Ibarra snapped on his phone earlier that morning, lingering outside the apartment of a female graduate student. That student told police someone tried to get in the front door while she was in the shower and peered through her window.

Ibarra was “out prowling and hunting females” and when he couldn't get in the apartment, he turned to the running trails looking for a victim, Ross said.

Defense attorney Kaitlyn Beck told the judge that the evidence is circumstantial and does not definitively prove Ibarra's guilt.

“Because the evidence is subject to more than one interpretation, it is not beyond a reasonable doubt,” she said.

Beck tried to cast doubt on a method of DNA testing used to test some of the evidence. She noted that when a fingerprint found on Riley's phone was entered into a database, Ibarra didn't come back as a match and that a specialist visually matched the prints.

She said there was “doubt based on what was tested and on what was not tested” because investigators did not test some of the evidence they had gathered.

Throughout their questioning of witnesses and in Beck's closing, defense attorneys tried to create doubt about Jose Ibarra’s guilt by suggesting that his brother, Diego, could not be excluded as a suspect.

The trial began Friday, and prosecutors called more than a dozen law enforcement officers, Riley’s roommates and a woman who lived in the same apartment as Ibarra. Defense attorneys called a police officer, a jogger and one of Ibarra’s neighbors on Tuesday and rested their case Wednesday morning.

Ross&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-student-killed-immigration-trump-ba91b8daea0fc9ba6b3fe84bded230f8">told the judge</a>&nbsp;that Ibarra encountered Riley while she was running on the University of Georgia campus on Feb. 22 and killed her during a struggle. Riley, 22, was a student at Augusta University College of Nursing, which also has a campus in Athens, about 70 miles (115 kilometers) east of Atlanta.

Defense attorney Dustin Kirby said in his opening that Riley’s death was a tragedy and called the evidence in the case graphic and disturbing. But he said there was not sufficient evidence to prove that his client killed Riley.

Riley’s parents, roommates and other friends and family packed the courtroom throughout the trial.

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — A Venezuelan man has been convicted of murder in the killing of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/woman-dead-university-georgia-augusta-nursing-student-1e41b14c2d1e7c4889bc509abf5b42df">Georgia nursing student Laken Riley</a>, a case that fueled the national debate over immigration during this year’s presidential race.

After reading the verdict, the judge said he was ready to proceed with sentencing immediately, but prosecutors asked for a break. The judge said he would proceed after an hour-long break. The penalty for a murder conviction in Georgia is life in prison, either with or without the possibility of parole.

Riley's parents, roommates and other friends and family cried as the verdict was read. Ibarra didn't visibly react.

Before announcing his decision, the judge said that as he listened to the closing arguments, he wrote down on a legal pad two things the lawyers had said. He noted that prosecutor Sheila Ross called the evidence “overwhelming and powerful” and that defense attorney Kaitlyn Beck reminded him he was “required to set aside my emotions” in making his ruling.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732127765713.png" alt="Laken Riley photo courtesy Poole Funeral Home" />
 <figcaption>Laken Riley photo courtesy Poole Funeral Home</figcaption>
 </figure>ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — The Venezuelan man convicted in the killing of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.Jose Ibarra was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/laken-riley-university-of-georgia-killing-immigration-1e2283b1a91da9eb939873ccd5702da8">charged with murder and other crimes</a>&nbsp;in Riley’s February death, and the guilty verdict was reached on Wednesday by Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard. Ibarra, 26, had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-student-killed-immigration-trump-ef36ef9b2bb0a699aa010f096449b051">waived his right to a jury trial</a>, meaning Haggard alone heard and decided the case.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732121539335.png" alt="Ibarra photo Athens-Clarke County Jail " />
 <figcaption>Ibarra photo Athens-Clarke County Jail </figcaption>
 </figure>Haggard found Ibarra guilty of all 10 counts against him: one count of malice murder; three counts of felony murder; and one count each of kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated assault with intent to rape, aggravated battery, obstructing an emergency call, evidence tampering and being a peeping Tom.Riley’s family and friends tearfully remembered her and asked the judge to sentence Ibarra to the maximum penalty. Her mother called him a “monster” and her father called him a “truly evil person.”Ibarra did not react as an interpreter relayed their words to him.Before announcing the verdict, Haggard had said that as he listened to the closing arguments, he wrote down on a legal pad two things the lawyers had said. He noted that prosecutor Sheila Ross called the evidence “overwhelming and powerful” and that defense attorney Kaitlyn Beck reminded him he was “required to set aside my emotions” in making his ruling.Riley's killing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-riley-immigrants-crime-63181cbc7a89fe9fe28b1d0cf84c8b9a">added fuel to the national debate</a>&nbsp;over immigration when federal authorities said Ibarra illegally entered the U.S. in 2022 and was allowed to stay in the country while he pursued his immigration case. But there was no mention of Ibarra's immigration status during the trial.“Laken Riley herself has given you all the evidence you need” to find Ibarra guilty on all counts, Ross told the judge during her closing. She added that the physical evidence is sufficient and is corroborated by forensic, digital and video evidence to “twist this very powerful knot that this defendant cannot get out of. There is no way out for him.”The evidence shows that Ibarra killed Riley “because she would not let him rape her.”Ross said Ibarra's DNA was found under Riley's fingernails and her DNA and Ibarra's were found on a jacket that police found in a trash bin in his apartment complex. A man seen in security footage throwing that jacket away was identified as Ibarra by his brother and another roommate, she said.Riley was wearing “tight running clothes that are designed not to move,” Ross said. When her body was found, the waistband of her running tights was pulled down and her jacket, shirt and sports bra were pulled up, evidence that her clothes were displaced by an attempted sexual assault not by dragging, Ross said.Surveillance video shows a man wearing clothes that appear to match those seen in a selfie Ibarra snapped on his phone earlier that morning, lingering outside the apartment of a female graduate student. That student told police someone tried to get in the front door while she was in the shower and peered through her window.Ibarra was “out prowling and hunting females” and when he couldn't get in the apartment, he turned to the running trails looking for a victim, Ross said.Defense attorney Kaitlyn Beck told the judge that the evidence is circumstantial and does not definitively prove Ibarra's guilt.“Because the evidence is subject to more than one interpretation, it is not beyond a reasonable doubt,” she said.Beck tried to cast doubt on a method of DNA testing used to test some of the evidence. She noted that when a fingerprint found on Riley's phone was entered into a database, Ibarra didn't come back as a match and that a specialist visually matched the prints.She said there was “doubt based on what was tested and on what was not tested” because investigators did not test some of the evidence they had gathered.Throughout their questioning of witnesses and in Beck's closing, defense attorneys tried to create doubt about Jose Ibarra’s guilt by suggesting that his brother, Diego, could not be excluded as a suspect.The trial began Friday, and prosecutors called more than a dozen law enforcement officers, Riley’s roommates and a woman who lived in the same apartment as Ibarra. Defense attorneys called a police officer, a jogger and one of Ibarra’s neighbors on Tuesday and rested their case Wednesday morning.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">While Joe Biden continues his apology tour for calling a murderer an illegal… I am here on the floor today with my colleagues, apologizing to Laken Riley’s family and fighting to make sure this can never happen again. Just like so many other unvetted illegal aliens living in… <a href="https://t.co/6YbsUpPJAi">pic.twitter.com/6YbsUpPJAi</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1768313953912856895?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Ross&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-student-killed-immigration-trump-ba91b8daea0fc9ba6b3fe84bded230f8">told the judge</a>&nbsp;that Ibarra encountered Riley while she was running on the University of Georgia campus on Feb. 22 and killed her during a struggle. Riley, 22, was a student at Augusta University College of Nursing, which also has a campus in Athens, about 70 miles (115 kilometers) east of Atlanta.Defense attorney Dustin Kirby said in his opening that Riley’s death was a tragedy and called the evidence in the case graphic and disturbing. But he said there was not sufficient evidence to prove that his client killed Riley.Riley’s parents, roommates and other friends and family packed the courtroom throughout the trial.-----------ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — A Venezuelan man has been convicted of murder in the killing of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/woman-dead-university-georgia-augusta-nursing-student-1e41b14c2d1e7c4889bc509abf5b42df">Georgia nursing student Laken Riley</a>, a case that fueled the national debate over immigration during this year’s presidential race.Jose Ibarra was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/laken-riley-university-of-georgia-killing-immigration-1e2283b1a91da9eb939873ccd5702da8">charged with murder and other crimes</a>&nbsp;in Riley’s February death, and the guilty verdict was reached on Wednesday by Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard. Ibarra, 26, had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-student-killed-immigration-trump-ef36ef9b2bb0a699aa010f096449b051">waived his right to a jury trial</a>, meaning Haggard alone heard and decided the case.Haggard found Ibarra guilty of all 10 counts against him: one count of malice murder; three counts of felony murder; and one count each of kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated assault with intent to rape, aggravated battery, obstructing an emergency call, evidence tampering and being a peeping Tom.After reading the verdict, the judge said he was ready to proceed with sentencing immediately, but prosecutors asked for a break. The judge said he would proceed after an hour-long break. The penalty for a murder conviction in Georgia is life in prison, either with or without the possibility of parole.Riley's parents, roommates and other friends and family cried as the verdict was read. Ibarra didn't visibly react.Before announcing his decision, the judge said that as he listened to the closing arguments, he wrote down on a legal pad two things the lawyers had said. He noted that prosecutor Sheila Ross called the evidence “overwhelming and powerful” and that defense attorney Kaitlyn Beck reminded him he was “required to set aside my emotions” in making his ruling.Riley's killing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-riley-immigrants-crime-63181cbc7a89fe9fe28b1d0cf84c8b9a">added fuel to the national debate</a>&nbsp;over immigration when federal authorities said Ibarra illegally entered the U.S. in 2022 and was allowed to stay in the country while he pursued his immigration case. But there was no mention of Ibarra's immigration status during the trial.“Laken Riley herself has given you all the evidence you need” to find Ibarra guilty on all counts, Ross told the judge during her closing. She added that the physical evidence is sufficient and is corroborated by forensic, digital and video evidence to “twist this very powerful knot that this defendant cannot get out of. There is no way out for him.”The evidence shows that Ibarra killed Riley “because she would not let him rape her.”Ross said Ibarra's DNA was found under Riley's fingernails and her DNA and Ibarra's were found on a jacket that police found in a trash bin in his apartment complex. A man seen in security footage throwing that jacket away was identified as Ibarra by his brother and another roommate, she said.Riley was wearing “tight running clothes that are designed not to move,” Ross said. When her body was found, the waistband of her running tights was pulled down and her jacket, shirt and sports bra were pulled up, evidence that her clothes were displaced by an attempted sexual assault not by dragging, Ross said.Surveillance video shows a man wearing clothes that appear to match those seen in a selfie Ibarra snapped on his phone earlier that morning, lingering outside the apartment of a female graduate student. That student told police someone tried to get in the front door while she was in the shower and peered through her window.Ibarra was “out prowling and hunting females” and when he couldn't get in the apartment, he turned to the running trails looking for a victim, Ross said.Defense attorney Kaitlyn Beck told the judge that the evidence is circumstantial and does not definitively prove Ibarra's guilt.“Because the evidence is subject to more than one interpretation, it is not beyond a reasonable doubt,” she said.Beck tried to cast doubt on a method of DNA testing used to test some of the evidence. She noted that when a fingerprint found on Riley's phone was entered into a database, Ibarra didn't come back as a match and that a specialist visually matched the prints.She said there was “doubt based on what was tested and on what was not tested” because investigators did not test some of the evidence they had gathered.Throughout their questioning of witnesses and in Beck's closing, defense attorneys tried to create doubt about Jose Ibarra’s guilt by suggesting that his brother, Diego, could not be excluded as a suspect.The trial began Friday, and prosecutors called more than a dozen law enforcement officers, Riley’s roommates and a woman who lived in the same apartment as Ibarra. Defense attorneys called a police officer, a jogger and one of Ibarra’s neighbors on Tuesday and rested their case Wednesday morning.Ross&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-student-killed-immigration-trump-ba91b8daea0fc9ba6b3fe84bded230f8">told the judge</a>&nbsp;that Ibarra encountered Riley while she was running on the University of Georgia campus on Feb. 22 and killed her during a struggle. Riley, 22, was a student at Augusta University College of Nursing, which also has a campus in Athens, about 70 miles (115 kilometers) east of Atlanta.Defense attorney Dustin Kirby said in his opening that Riley’s death was a tragedy and called the evidence in the case graphic and disturbing. But he said there was not sufficient evidence to prove that his client killed Riley.Riley’s parents, roommates and other friends and family packed the courtroom throughout the trial.

Illegal immigrant sentenced for killing nursing student Laken Riley

WASHINGTON (AP) — Comcast will spin off many of its cable television networks that were once at the heart of the entertainment giant, with people increasingly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-race-and-ethnicity-coronavirus-pandemic-f71bd0baf4799bb48b7352b8391c4e2d">swapping out their cable TV subscriptions for streaming platforms</a>.

Those one-time stars for Comcast's NBCUniversal cable television networks include USA, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel, as well as CNBC and MSNBC. Movie ticketing platform Fandango and the Rotten Tomatoes movie rating site would also become part of the new company.

Comcast telegraphed the potential shift last month as it released quarterly earnings.

<a href="https://apnews.com/53ba3e5f5af3274629fc180e9dab42ed">Peacock</a>&nbsp;will remain with Comcast, as will Bravo, which provides significant content for the Peacock streaming service.

Mark Lazarus, current chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group, will serve as the new entity’s chief executive officer. Anand Kini, the current chief financial officer of NBCUniversal, will take on the same title with the new company as well as the chief operating officer role.

"As a standalone company with these outstanding assets, we will be better positioned to serve our audiences and drive shareholder returns in this incredibly dynamic media environment across news, sports and entertainment," Lazarus said Wednesday.

Comcast said in the 12-month period ending September 30, the assets that will comprise the new company generated about $7 billion of the company’s approximate $123 billion in revenue.

Comcast expects the new company to have the financial flexibility to be “a potential partner and acquirer of other complementary media businesses.”

The spin-off is targeted for completion in about a year, the entertainment giant said, pending financing and approval from its board and government regulators.

Shares of Comcast, based in Philadelphia, rose 1% to $42.75.

Like other cable companies, Comcast in recent years has shifted its business emphasis away from traditional cable toward streaming and other sources of revenue, such as its movie studio, theme parks and home wireless and internet services.

In its most recent quarter, Comcast reported that paid subscribers to its streaming Peacock channel jumped by 3 million, or 29%, to 36 million subscribers. Peacock’s revenue soared 82% to $1.5 billion in the period.

Peacock was launched in 2020, and after a confusing, glitchy start, has taken off recently, boosted in part by the platform’s success and popularity during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Peacock streamed all 329 medal events and over 5,000 hours of coverage during the Games, with viewers streaming more than 23 billion minutes of Olympic coverage, led by Peacock. That's a 40% increase over all previous Summer and Winter Olympics combined, Comcast said.

Comcast reported revenue of more than $32 billion and profit of $1.12 per share in its most recent quarter, boosted by the summer box-office success of "Despicable Me 4," which grossed more than $1 billion worldwide.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Comcast will spin off many of its cable television networks that were once at the heart of the entertainment giant, with people increasingly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-race-and-ethnicity-coronavirus-pandemic-f71bd0baf4799bb48b7352b8391c4e2d">swapping out their cable TV subscriptions for streaming platforms</a>.Those one-time stars for Comcast's NBCUniversal cable television networks include USA, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel, as well as CNBC and MSNBC. Movie ticketing platform Fandango and the Rotten Tomatoes movie rating site would also become part of the new company.Comcast telegraphed the potential shift last month as it released quarterly earnings.<a href="https://apnews.com/53ba3e5f5af3274629fc180e9dab42ed">Peacock</a>&nbsp;will remain with Comcast, as will Bravo, which provides significant content for the Peacock streaming service.Mark Lazarus, current chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group, will serve as the new entity’s chief executive officer. Anand Kini, the current chief financial officer of NBCUniversal, will take on the same title with the new company as well as the chief operating officer role."As a standalone company with these outstanding assets, we will be better positioned to serve our audiences and drive shareholder returns in this incredibly dynamic media environment across news, sports and entertainment," Lazarus said Wednesday.Comcast said in the 12-month period ending September 30, the assets that will comprise the new company generated about $7 billion of the company’s approximate $123 billion in revenue.Comcast expects the new company to have the financial flexibility to be “a potential partner and acquirer of other complementary media businesses.”The spin-off is targeted for completion in about a year, the entertainment giant said, pending financing and approval from its board and government regulators.Shares of Comcast, based in Philadelphia, rose 1% to $42.75.Like other cable companies, Comcast in recent years has shifted its business emphasis away from traditional cable toward streaming and other sources of revenue, such as its movie studio, theme parks and home wireless and internet services.In its most recent quarter, Comcast reported that paid subscribers to its streaming Peacock channel jumped by 3 million, or 29%, to 36 million subscribers. Peacock’s revenue soared 82% to $1.5 billion in the period.Peacock was launched in 2020, and after a confusing, glitchy start, has taken off recently, boosted in part by the platform’s success and popularity during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.Peacock streamed all 329 medal events and over 5,000 hours of coverage during the Games, with viewers streaming more than 23 billion minutes of Olympic coverage, led by Peacock. That's a 40% increase over all previous Summer and Winter Olympics combined, Comcast said.Comcast reported revenue of more than $32 billion and profit of $1.12 per share in its most recent quarter, boosted by the summer box-office success of "Despicable Me 4," which grossed more than $1 billion worldwide.

Comcast will spinoff NBCUniversal cable channels

KANSAS CITY —One person died in a hit-and-run accident just before 9:30p.m. Tuesday in Kansas City.

A silver Chevrolet Cruz was southbound on 71 Highway at a high rate of speed, according to KCPD&nbsp;&nbsp;Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

The Chevrolet rear-ended a Chrysler 200 that was stopped for the red traffic control signal at 59th and 71 Highway. 

The unrestrained driver of the Chrysler was pronounced deceased at the scene. The unrestrained front seat passenger of the Chevrolet was transported to a local hospital with critical injuries and was reported in critical condition, according to DiMartino. 

The driver and rear seat passenger of the Chevrolet ran from the crash the scene. 

This is fatality #83 compared to #89 at this time last year in KCMO, according to DiMartino. Police have not released the names of those involved or additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732114105245.png" alt="First responders near the crash scene" />
 <figcaption>First responders near the crash scene</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —One person died in a hit-and-run accident just before 9:30p.m. Tuesday in Kansas City.A silver Chevrolet Cruz was southbound on 71 Highway at a high rate of speed, according to KCPD&nbsp;&nbsp;Sergeant Phil DiMartino.The Chevrolet rear-ended a Chrysler 200 that was stopped for the red traffic control signal at 59th and 71 Highway. The unrestrained driver of the Chrysler was pronounced deceased at the scene. The unrestrained front seat passenger of the Chevrolet was transported to a local hospital with critical injuries and was reported in critical condition, according to DiMartino. The driver and rear seat passenger of the Chevrolet ran from the crash the scene. This is fatality #83 compared to #89 at this time last year in KCMO, according to DiMartino. Police have not released the names of those involved or additional details.

KCPD: Driver, passenger ran from fatal rear-end crash

WASHINGTON (AP) — As President-elect Donald Trump digs in on his pick of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-administration-senior-staff-0c65537ce9cd79194f1bcf60aad88f92">former Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general</a>, Republican senators are divided over how much information they will demand to move his confirmation — and how much to push back on Trump as he demands that they quickly rubber stamp his Cabinet once he takes office in January.

Gaetz, who has been calling senators and is expected to start meeting with some of them as soon as this week, is an unconventional pick for the nation’s top law enforcement official. His nomination creates a confirmation climb in the Senate, where many Republicans are deeply uncomfortable with his selection.

The Florida Republican spent his congressional career agitating against the Justice Department and has faced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-attorney-general-matt-gaetz-justice-department-dca401813d9b84638d250f273a2d3942">a House Ethics investigation</a>&nbsp;into whether he engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts and sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct — allegations Gaetz denies. He is also deeply unpopular within his own party after leading the push to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy last year.

Publicly, Republican senators say they will give Gaetz the same due process that they give any other nominee. Most are loath to criticize him directly. But they are split on whether to demand access to the ethics report, which the House ethics committee could choose to release after Gaetz resigned from the House last week.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has positioned himself as Trump’s top ally in Congress, said last week that he will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matt-gaetz-ethics-attorney-general-nomination-5960df4fe88bdc39bb9a413f92c38bf8">“strongly request”</a>&nbsp;that the Ethics committee not release the results of its investigation.

Republican Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, who will become Senate majority leader in January, deferred to Johnson, saying Monday that the ethics report is “a House issue.” But several in his conference argued that the Senate should see the report, whether it is released publicly or not.

“There’s nothing about that that would smell right, to say, ‘Hey, there’s a report but none of us want to see it,’” said Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla.

Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who served in the House with Gaetz, said the ethics report is important for the Senate’s “advice and consent” role laid out in the Constitution. “I think the report from the House plays a pivotal role in that,” he said.

Others said the information would come out one way or another, even if it isn't released. “I’m going to honor Speaker Johnson’s position," said North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis. "I think it’s a reasonable position.”

The simmering clash between the Senate, House and Trump could be just the first of many to come. Trump has made clear he expects next year’s unified Republican Congress to give him broad leeway on his nominees, and has already been making some calls to senators.

Cabinet nominees have traditionally provided a flood of paperwork to Senate committees ahead of their confirmation hearings, participating in background checks by the FBI and filling out lengthy questionnaires that probe every aspect of their lives and careers. But Trump’s transition has already signaled that it might not request the background checks and has so far declined to sign agreements with the White House and the Department of Justice to allow that process to begin.

The documentation, including the criminal background checks and financial vetting, could be key for senators in both parties who have questions about Gaetz and some of Trump's other more controversial nominees, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-gabbard-director-national-intelligence-466dfdfe2f949ea20bc2f4ef13e21438">Tulsi Gabbard</a>&nbsp;for director of national intelligence,&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/w">Pete Hegseth</a>&nbsp;for secretary of Defense and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-f-kennedy-jr-rfk-things-to-know-explained-who-is-hhs-5288a4a7277d1a0b4a7ede8f57a971ce">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;for secretary of Health and Human Services.

In the absence of the traditional process, whether to proceed without an FBI background check would be up to individual committee chairs, who will be under tremendous pressure from Trump and his allies to move his nominees quickly. On Tuesday, Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, the incoming No. 2 Republican under Thune, said the Senate will begin hearings once Republicans take the majority on Jan. 3 and start holding confirmation votes once Trump is inaugurated on Jan. 20.

Republican senators say they will demand that documentation, but it’s unclear how that might work if Trump’s transition doesn’t consent to it.

“I think that if they want a speedy consideration of this nomination we’ve got to have as much transparency as we can have,” said Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, who will serve as Senate Judiciary Committee chairman next year. “Because you’ve heard my colleagues, especially on the Republican side, say that they have some questions.”

Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, the incoming chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he wants a traditional process involving the full FBI background check for Hegseth and the committee’s other nominees. “We should do it by the numbers,” Wicker said.

Democrats are wary, though, that the process could get muddled, or curtailed, as Trump puts the full force of his pressure on Senate Republicans.

“If there’s a cursory background check, like we call 20 people — that’s not going to be appropriate,” said Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, the current chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee who will be the panel’s top Democrat next year.

Meanwhile. Gaetz has already paid a visit to at least one group of potential allies, the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, where he outlined for the group “some of the things that that need to be done at the Department of Justice to end the weaponization,” said Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., the chairman of the Freedom Caucus.

Among the ideas Gaetz discussed was “eliminating a lot of the senior staff," Harris said.

As for the allegations of sexual misconduct against Gaetz, Harris dismissed them saying, “last time I looked, in America, you’re innocent until proven guilty.” He said he did not believe the House Ethics files on Gaetz should be released.

“We think that the president deserves to get his selections approved for the cabinet, and Mr. Gaetz knows what to do to end the weaponization of the department," Harris said.

Speaker Johnson also made clear his position Tuesday, telling reporters that the Senate should do its job and “sure, take a look, do a deep dive” and then move them along for confirmation so “the president has the team in place to do what the American people have elected him to do.”

“I think President Trump is looking for persons who will shake up the status quo,” Johnson said. “And we got a mandate in this election cycle to do that.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731531518225.png" alt="Former Rep. Matt Gaetz image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Former Rep. Matt Gaetz image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — As President-elect Donald Trump digs in on his pick of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-administration-senior-staff-0c65537ce9cd79194f1bcf60aad88f92">former Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general</a>, Republican senators are divided over how much information they will demand to move his confirmation — and how much to push back on Trump as he demands that they quickly rubber stamp his Cabinet once he takes office in January.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump has promised that I will be the new Attorney General one way or another. Follow this page for updates.&mdash; Matt Gaetz Attorney General 🇺🇸 Press Commentary (@realgaetzpress) <a href="https://twitter.com/realgaetzpress/status/1858690348479852977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Gaetz, who has been calling senators and is expected to start meeting with some of them as soon as this week, is an unconventional pick for the nation’s top law enforcement official. His nomination creates a confirmation climb in the Senate, where many Republicans are deeply uncomfortable with his selection.The Florida Republican spent his congressional career agitating against the Justice Department and has faced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-attorney-general-matt-gaetz-justice-department-dca401813d9b84638d250f273a2d3942">a House Ethics investigation</a>&nbsp;into whether he engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts and sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct — allegations Gaetz denies. He is also deeply unpopular within his own party after leading the push to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy last year.Publicly, Republican senators say they will give Gaetz the same due process that they give any other nominee. Most are loath to criticize him directly. But they are split on whether to demand access to the ethics report, which the House ethics committee could choose to release after Gaetz resigned from the House last week.House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has positioned himself as Trump’s top ally in Congress, said last week that he will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matt-gaetz-ethics-attorney-general-nomination-5960df4fe88bdc39bb9a413f92c38bf8">“strongly request”</a>&nbsp;that the Ethics committee not release the results of its investigation.Republican Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, who will become Senate majority leader in January, deferred to Johnson, saying Monday that the ethics report is “a House issue.” But several in his conference argued that the Senate should see the report, whether it is released publicly or not.“There’s nothing about that that would smell right, to say, ‘Hey, there’s a report but none of us want to see it,’” said Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla.Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who served in the House with Gaetz, said the ethics report is important for the Senate’s “advice and consent” role laid out in the Constitution. “I think the report from the House plays a pivotal role in that,” he said.Others said the information would come out one way or another, even if it isn't released. “I’m going to honor Speaker Johnson’s position," said North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis. "I think it’s a reasonable position.”The simmering clash between the Senate, House and Trump could be just the first of many to come. Trump has made clear he expects next year’s unified Republican Congress to give him broad leeway on his nominees, and has already been making some calls to senators.Cabinet nominees have traditionally provided a flood of paperwork to Senate committees ahead of their confirmation hearings, participating in background checks by the FBI and filling out lengthy questionnaires that probe every aspect of their lives and careers. But Trump’s transition has already signaled that it might not request the background checks and has so far declined to sign agreements with the White House and the Department of Justice to allow that process to begin.The documentation, including the criminal background checks and financial vetting, could be key for senators in both parties who have questions about Gaetz and some of Trump's other more controversial nominees, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-gabbard-director-national-intelligence-466dfdfe2f949ea20bc2f4ef13e21438">Tulsi Gabbard</a>&nbsp;for director of national intelligence,&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/w">Pete Hegseth</a>&nbsp;for secretary of Defense and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-f-kennedy-jr-rfk-things-to-know-explained-who-is-hhs-5288a4a7277d1a0b4a7ede8f57a971ce">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;for secretary of Health and Human Services.In the absence of the traditional process, whether to proceed without an FBI background check would be up to individual committee chairs, who will be under tremendous pressure from Trump and his allies to move his nominees quickly. On Tuesday, Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, the incoming No. 2 Republican under Thune, said the Senate will begin hearings once Republicans take the majority on Jan. 3 and start holding confirmation votes once Trump is inaugurated on Jan. 20.Republican senators say they will demand that documentation, but it’s unclear how that might work if Trump’s transition doesn’t consent to it.“I think that if they want a speedy consideration of this nomination we’ve got to have as much transparency as we can have,” said Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, who will serve as Senate Judiciary Committee chairman next year. “Because you’ve heard my colleagues, especially on the Republican side, say that they have some questions.”Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, the incoming chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he wants a traditional process involving the full FBI background check for Hegseth and the committee’s other nominees. “We should do it by the numbers,” Wicker said.Democrats are wary, though, that the process could get muddled, or curtailed, as Trump puts the full force of his pressure on Senate Republicans.“If there’s a cursory background check, like we call 20 people — that’s not going to be appropriate,” said Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, the current chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee who will be the panel’s top Democrat next year.Meanwhile. Gaetz has already paid a visit to at least one group of potential allies, the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, where he outlined for the group “some of the things that that need to be done at the Department of Justice to end the weaponization,” said Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., the chairman of the Freedom Caucus.Among the ideas Gaetz discussed was “eliminating a lot of the senior staff," Harris said.As for the allegations of sexual misconduct against Gaetz, Harris dismissed them saying, “last time I looked, in America, you’re innocent until proven guilty.” He said he did not believe the House Ethics files on Gaetz should be released.“We think that the president deserves to get his selections approved for the cabinet, and Mr. Gaetz knows what to do to end the weaponization of the department," Harris said.Speaker Johnson also made clear his position Tuesday, telling reporters that the Senate should do its job and “sure, take a look, do a deep dive” and then move them along for confirmation so “the president has the team in place to do what the American people have elected him to do.”“I think President Trump is looking for persons who will shake up the status quo,” Johnson said. “And we got a mandate in this election cycle to do that.”

GOP senators divided on release of ethics report on Trump's AG pick

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The U.S. and some other Western embassies in Kyiv said that they would stay closed Wednesday for security reasons, with the American delegation saying it had received a warning of a potentially significant Russian air attack on the Ukrainian capital.

The precautionary step came after Russian officials promised a response to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-long-range-weapons-russia-52d424158182de2044ecc8bfcf011f9c">President Joe Biden’s decision</a>&nbsp;to let Ukraine strike targets on Russian soil with U.S.-made missiles — a move that angered the Kremlin.

The U.S. Embassy said its closure and attack warning were issued in the context of ongoing Russian missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and anticipated a quick return to regular operations.

The Italian and Greek embassies also shut to the public for the day, but the U.K. government said that its embassy remained open.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">The war</a>, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-f7f56e494df1dbbcdec1853001796c45">reached its 1,000-day milestone</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday, has taken on a growing international dimension with the arrival of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-north-korea-troops-c8cf9599591e50caf1c48a98b6841fe4">North Korean troops to help Russia</a>&nbsp;on the battlefield — a development which U.S. officials said prompted Biden’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-biden-what-are-atacms-missiles-8d8621321af8c673bd42a5693c2ad1f4">policy shift</a>.

Russian President Vladimir Putin subsequently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-nuclear-doctrine-putin-91f20e0c9b0f9e5eaa3ed97c35789898">lowered the threshold</a>&nbsp;for using his nuclear arsenal, with the new doctrine announced Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-nuclear-doctrine-putin-ukraine-war-b5ee115aa2099fa247f630e16da861d8">permitting a potential nuclear response</a>&nbsp;by Moscow even to a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power.

That could potentially include Ukrainian attacks backed by the U.S..

Western leaders dismissed the Russian move as an attempt to deter Ukraine’s allies from providing further support to Kyiv, but the escalating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-markets-japan-china-3a2ce8be3c3743199782c3453053afaf">tension weighed on stock markets</a>&nbsp;after Ukraine used American-made ATACMS longer-range missiles&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-1000-days-attack-06002c8c50bfb2fc622f446a8580bc0e">for the first time</a>&nbsp;to strike a target inside Russia.

Western and Ukrainian officials say Russia been stockpiling powerful long-range missiles, possibly in an upcoming effort to crush the Ukrainian power grid as winter settles in.

Military analysts say the U.S. decision on the range over which American-made missiles can be used isn't expected to be a game-changer in the war, but it could help weaken the Russian war effort, according to the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank.

“Ukrainian long-range strikes against military objects within Russia’s rear are crucial for degrading Russian military capabilities throughout the theater," it said.

Meanwhile, North Korea&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-russia-ukraine-artillery-f16f8a95fc6b4314c52d4a9271c3632d">recently supplied additional artillery systems</a>&nbsp;to Russia, according to South Korea. It said that North Korean soldiers were assigned to Russia’s marine and airborne forces units and some of them have already begun fighting alongside the Russians on the front lines.

Ukraine struck a factory in Russia’s Belgorod region that makes cargo drones for the armed forces in an overnight attack, according to Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the counterdisinformation branch of Ukraine’s Security Council.

He also claimed Ukraine hit an arsenal in Russia’s Novgorod region, near the town of Kotovo, located about 680 kilometers (420 miles) behind the Ukrainian border. The arsenal stored artillery ammunition and various types of missiles, he said.

It wasn't possible to independently verify the claims.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732108366016.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The U.S. and some other Western embassies in Kyiv said that they would stay closed Wednesday for security reasons, with the American delegation saying it had received a warning of a potentially significant Russian air attack on the Ukrainian capital.The precautionary step came after Russian officials promised a response to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-long-range-weapons-russia-52d424158182de2044ecc8bfcf011f9c">President Joe Biden’s decision</a>&nbsp;to let Ukraine strike targets on Russian soil with U.S.-made missiles — a move that angered the Kremlin.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732108473088.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The U.S. Embassy said its closure and attack warning were issued in the context of ongoing Russian missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and anticipated a quick return to regular operations.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732108452778.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Italian and Greek embassies also shut to the public for the day, but the U.K. government said that its embassy remained open.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">The war</a>, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-f7f56e494df1dbbcdec1853001796c45">reached its 1,000-day milestone</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday, has taken on a growing international dimension with the arrival of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-north-korea-troops-c8cf9599591e50caf1c48a98b6841fe4">North Korean troops to help Russia</a>&nbsp;on the battlefield — a development which U.S. officials said prompted Biden’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-biden-what-are-atacms-missiles-8d8621321af8c673bd42a5693c2ad1f4">policy shift</a>.Russian President Vladimir Putin subsequently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-nuclear-doctrine-putin-91f20e0c9b0f9e5eaa3ed97c35789898">lowered the threshold</a>&nbsp;for using his nuclear arsenal, with the new doctrine announced Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-nuclear-doctrine-putin-ukraine-war-b5ee115aa2099fa247f630e16da861d8">permitting a potential nuclear response</a>&nbsp;by Moscow even to a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power.That could potentially include Ukrainian attacks backed by the U.S..Western leaders dismissed the Russian move as an attempt to deter Ukraine’s allies from providing further support to Kyiv, but the escalating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-markets-japan-china-3a2ce8be3c3743199782c3453053afaf">tension weighed on stock markets</a>&nbsp;after Ukraine used American-made ATACMS longer-range missiles&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-1000-days-attack-06002c8c50bfb2fc622f446a8580bc0e">for the first time</a>&nbsp;to strike a target inside Russia.Western and Ukrainian officials say Russia been stockpiling powerful long-range missiles, possibly in an upcoming effort to crush the Ukrainian power grid as winter settles in.Military analysts say the U.S. decision on the range over which American-made missiles can be used isn't expected to be a game-changer in the war, but it could help weaken the Russian war effort, according to the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank.“Ukrainian long-range strikes against military objects within Russia’s rear are crucial for degrading Russian military capabilities throughout the theater," it said.Meanwhile, North Korea&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-russia-ukraine-artillery-f16f8a95fc6b4314c52d4a9271c3632d">recently supplied additional artillery systems</a>&nbsp;to Russia, according to South Korea. It said that North Korean soldiers were assigned to Russia’s marine and airborne forces units and some of them have already begun fighting alongside the Russians on the front lines.Ukraine struck a factory in Russia’s Belgorod region that makes cargo drones for the armed forces in an overnight attack, according to Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the counterdisinformation branch of Ukraine’s Security Council.He also claimed Ukraine hit an arsenal in Russia’s Novgorod region, near the town of Kotovo, located about 680 kilometers (420 miles) behind the Ukrainian border. The arsenal stored artillery ammunition and various types of missiles, he said.It wasn't possible to independently verify the claims.___

Potential significant air attack: U.S. closes Kyiv Embassy

SEDGWICK COUNTY —The wife of a newly elected Sedgwick County Commissioner is accused of electioneering.

On Tuesday afternoon, the State v. Meghan Blubaugh was e-filed in Sedgwick County District Court, according to a statement from the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; &nbsp;

The Complaint alleges one count of Electioneering in violation of K.S.A. 25-2430(a)(1)(A)(d), a class A misdemeanor, alleged to have occurred on October 29, 2024 and includes "wearing, displaying, or distributing materials that clearly identify a candidate and influence voters at a polling place."

Meghan Blubaugh is scheduled to make a first appearance in court on December 17, according to the district attorney's office.

Republican Jeff Blubaugh won the race for District 2 seat on the commission against incumbent Sedgwick County Commissioner Sarah Lopez.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732103072923.png" alt="Jeff Blubaugh photo from his campaign website" />
 <figcaption>Jeff Blubaugh photo from his campaign website</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —The wife of a newly elected Sedgwick County Commissioner is accused of electioneering.On Tuesday afternoon, the State v. Meghan Blubaugh was e-filed in Sedgwick County District Court, according to a statement from the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; &nbsp;The Complaint alleges one count of Electioneering in violation of K.S.A. 25-2430(a)(1)(A)(d), a class A misdemeanor, alleged to have occurred on October 29, 2024 and includes "wearing, displaying, or distributing materials that clearly identify a candidate and influence voters at a polling place."Meghan Blubaugh is scheduled to make a first appearance in court on December 17, according to the district attorney's office.Republican Jeff Blubaugh won the race for District 2 seat on the commission against incumbent Sedgwick County Commissioner Sarah Lopez.

Wife of county commissioner-elect accused of electioneering

JACKSON COUNTY— A child waiting for a school bus was injured in an accident on Tuesday in the Jackson County community of Grain Valley, approximately 20 minutes east of Kansas City.

The accident occurred early Tuesday on Woodbury Road, west of Buckner Tarsney when a vehicle left the roadway and struck the juvenile pedestrian, according to a social media report from Grain Valley Police.

EMS transported the child&nbsp; to an area hospital for evaluation and treatment. The driver remained on scene and was cooperating with the investigation.

Police are working closely with the Grain Valley School District to "investigate the accident, ensure the family is receiving support, and taking care of the students who may have found themselves navigating their emotions."&nbsp; Police released no additional details.

JACKSON COUNTY— A child waiting for a school bus was injured in an accident on Tuesday in the Jackson County community of Grain Valley, approximately 20 minutes east of Kansas City.The accident occurred early Tuesday on Woodbury Road, west of Buckner Tarsney when a vehicle left the roadway and struck the juvenile pedestrian, according to a social media report from Grain Valley Police.EMS transported the child&nbsp; to an area hospital for evaluation and treatment. The driver remained on scene and was cooperating with the investigation.Police are working closely with the Grain Valley School District to "investigate the accident, ensure the family is receiving support, and taking care of the students who may have found themselves navigating their emotions."&nbsp; Police released no additional details.

Police: Vehicle struck child waiting at Kansas City area school bus stop

WICHITA COUNTY —For the second time this week, a semi hauling a section of wind turbine tower lost its load and the incident shut down the roadway.

According to the Kansas Department of Transportation, Kansas 96 near Leoti in Wichita County was reduced to one lane due to an oversized load rollover.&nbsp; KDOT had crews on-site flagging traffic through the scene.

On Monday, Kansas 156 highway east of Jetmore between U.S. 283 and U.S. 183 (4 miles east of the Rozel area)was closed after a trailer lost an oversized load wind turbine tower section, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation.

As a result Hodgeman County Schools were closed Tuesday, according to a social media report from USD 227.&nbsp;

Officials were forced to use a crane to remove it from under the transmission line, according to the Hodgeman County Sheriff.&nbsp; Kansas 156 reopened just after 4p.m. Tuesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732071879378.png" alt="Photo KDOT" />
 <figcaption>Photo KDOT</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA COUNTY —For the second time this week, a semi hauling a section of wind turbine tower lost its load and the incident shut down the roadway.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732072179297.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>According to the Kansas Department of Transportation, Kansas 96 near Leoti in Wichita County was reduced to one lane due to an oversized load rollover.&nbsp; KDOT had crews on-site flagging traffic through the scene.On Monday, Kansas 156 highway east of Jetmore between U.S. 283 and U.S. 183 (4 miles east of the Rozel area)was closed after a trailer lost an oversized load wind turbine tower section, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732072370055.png" alt="Photo Hodgeman Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Hodgeman Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>As a result Hodgeman County Schools were closed Tuesday, according to a social media report from USD 227.&nbsp;Officials were forced to use a crane to remove it from under the transmission line, according to the Hodgeman County Sheriff.&nbsp; Kansas 156 reopened just after 4p.m. Tuesday.

2nd semi hauling wind turbine tower lost load in Kansas

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon will send Ukraine at least $275 million in new weapons, U.S. officials said Tuesday, as the Biden administration rushes to do as much as it can to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-biden-what-are-atacms-missiles-8d8621321af8c673bd42a5693c2ad1f4">help Kyiv fight back against Russia</a>&nbsp;before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President-elect Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;takes office.

The latest tranche of weapons comes as worries grow about an escalation in the conflict, with both sides pushing to gain any advantage that they can exploit if Trump demands a quick end to the war — as he has vowed to do.

In rapid succession this week, President Joe Biden gave Ukraine the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-long-range-weapons-russia-52d424158182de2044ecc8bfcf011f9c">authority to fire longer-range missiles</a>&nbsp;deeper into Russia and then Russian President Vladimir Putin formally lowered the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-nuclear-doctrine-putin-91f20e0c9b0f9e5eaa3ed97c35789898">threshold for using nuclear weapons</a>.

U.S. officials contend that Russia’s change in nuclear doctrine was expected, but Moscow is warning that Ukraine’s new use of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-1000-days-attack-06002c8c50bfb2fc622f446a8580bc0e">Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS</a>, inside Russia on Tuesday could trigger a strong response.

One American official said the U.S. is seeing no indications that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon in Ukraine. The U.S. officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the aid package has not yet been made public.

Asked Tuesday if a Ukrainian attack with longer-range U.S. missiles could potentially trigger use of nuclear weapons, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov answered affirmatively.

A U.S. official said Ukraine fired about eight ATACM missiles into Russia on Tuesday, and just two were intercepted. The official said the U.S. is still assessing the damage but that the missiles struck an ammunition supply location in Karachev, in the Bryansk region.

The weapons in the new package of aid for Ukraine include an infusion of air defense, including High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, Javelin anti-armor munitions and other equipment and spare parts, U.S. officials say.

The weapons will be provided through&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-funding-russia-war-congress-delay-8367ea60d9ed2740a6f097aa58ff2f10">presidential drawdown authority</a>, which allows the Pentagon quickly to pull supplies from its shelves to speed them to Ukraine’s front line.

Trump’s upcoming move to the White House has triggered a scramble by the Biden administration to ensure all the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-ukraine-aid-tiktok-senate-8fe738b17e5c4b2636bc0de11b2620b7">congressionally approved funding for Ukraine</a>&nbsp;gets delivered and that Kyiv is in a strong position going into the winter.

The Biden administration would have to rush $7.1 billion in weapons from the Pentagon’s stockpiles to spend all of those funds before Trump is sworn in. That includes $4.3 billion from a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-funding-russia-war-congress-delay-8367ea60d9ed2740a6f097aa58ff2f10">foreign aid bill passed by Congress</a>&nbsp;earlier this year and $2.8 billion still on the books in savings due to the Pentagon recalculating the value of systems sent.

Asked if the department can get that done before Jan. 20, when Trump takes office, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said officials are working to get Ukraine what it needs. She would not confirm the latest drawdown totals.

“We are committed to using that full authority that Congress has allotted to us,” Singh said. “The only way we can do that also is to make sure that our shelves are fully backfilled and stocked. So as our shelves continue to get stocked with equipment and capabilities that are needed, we draw down from those and send those to Ukraine.”

In addition to the weapons in the Pentagon drawdown, the State Department said Tuesday that it had authorized the sale to Ukraine of $100 million in unspecified defense equipment and services, including vehicle refurbishment, technical assistance, training and “other related elements of logistics and program support.” In contrast to the drawdown, the government of Ukraine will pay for these.

As part of the wider effort to boost Ukraine, the administration also is on track to disperse its portion of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-frozen-assets-g7-loan-billion-37e9c0ec55e0c3ad0bf8d906e2852e69">$50 billion loan to Ukraine</a>, backed by frozen Russian assets, before Biden leaves the White House, according to two senior administration officials.

The officials, who were not authorized to comment publicly, said the U.S. and Ukraine are now in “advanced stages” in discussing terms of the loan and are looking to complete the process for the $20 billion portion of the mammoth loan that the U.S. is backing.

The goal is to get it done before the end of the year, one official said. The remaining $30 billion will come from the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan, among others.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-ukraine-russia-trump-harris-white-house-ff4edf4a804eedae5958d3a674c5c2d1">Trump has criticized U.S. support for Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and derided Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a “salesman” while also praising Putin and touting his good relationship with him. The president-elect has claimed — without explaining how — that he will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ukraine-putin-zelenskyy-0f4d539aa73a943474d779716e5fe42a">end the war in in Ukraine</a>&nbsp;before his inauguration on Jan. 20, saying he will “get it resolved very quickly.”

Last week, when he addressed supporters from a golden ballroom at a his Mar-a-Lago resort, Trump returned to that pledge but again offered little information before changing the subject.

“We’re going to work very hard on Russia and Ukraine. It’s got to stop. Russia and Ukraine’s gotta stop,” he said.

He has suggested that Ukraine give up at least some of its Russian-occupied territory to settle the war, saying at a rally in late September that “if they made a bad deal, it would’ve been much better. They would’ve given up a little bit and everybody would be living and every building would be built and every tower would be aging for another 2,000 years.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726238871572.png" alt="File photo White House" />
 <figcaption>File photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>BY LOLITA C. BALDOR AND MATTHEW LEEWASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon will send Ukraine at least $275 million in new weapons, U.S. officials said Tuesday, as the Biden administration rushes to do as much as it can to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-biden-what-are-atacms-missiles-8d8621321af8c673bd42a5693c2ad1f4">help Kyiv fight back against Russia</a>&nbsp;before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President-elect Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;takes office.The latest tranche of weapons comes as worries grow about an escalation in the conflict, with both sides pushing to gain any advantage that they can exploit if Trump demands a quick end to the war — as he has vowed to do.In rapid succession this week, President Joe Biden gave Ukraine the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-long-range-weapons-russia-52d424158182de2044ecc8bfcf011f9c">authority to fire longer-range missiles</a>&nbsp;deeper into Russia and then Russian President Vladimir Putin formally lowered the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-nuclear-doctrine-putin-91f20e0c9b0f9e5eaa3ed97c35789898">threshold for using nuclear weapons</a>.U.S. officials contend that Russia’s change in nuclear doctrine was expected, but Moscow is warning that Ukraine’s new use of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-1000-days-attack-06002c8c50bfb2fc622f446a8580bc0e">Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS</a>, inside Russia on Tuesday could trigger a strong response.One American official said the U.S. is seeing no indications that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon in Ukraine. The U.S. officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the aid package has not yet been made public.Asked Tuesday if a Ukrainian attack with longer-range U.S. missiles could potentially trigger use of nuclear weapons, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov answered affirmatively.A U.S. official said Ukraine fired about eight ATACM missiles into Russia on Tuesday, and just two were intercepted. The official said the U.S. is still assessing the damage but that the missiles struck an ammunition supply location in Karachev, in the Bryansk region.The weapons in the new package of aid for Ukraine include an infusion of air defense, including High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, Javelin anti-armor munitions and other equipment and spare parts, U.S. officials say.The weapons will be provided through&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-funding-russia-war-congress-delay-8367ea60d9ed2740a6f097aa58ff2f10">presidential drawdown authority</a>, which allows the Pentagon quickly to pull supplies from its shelves to speed them to Ukraine’s front line.Trump’s upcoming move to the White House has triggered a scramble by the Biden administration to ensure all the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-ukraine-aid-tiktok-senate-8fe738b17e5c4b2636bc0de11b2620b7">congressionally approved funding for Ukraine</a>&nbsp;gets delivered and that Kyiv is in a strong position going into the winter.The Biden administration would have to rush $7.1 billion in weapons from the Pentagon’s stockpiles to spend all of those funds before Trump is sworn in. That includes $4.3 billion from a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-funding-russia-war-congress-delay-8367ea60d9ed2740a6f097aa58ff2f10">foreign aid bill passed by Congress</a>&nbsp;earlier this year and $2.8 billion still on the books in savings due to the Pentagon recalculating the value of systems sent.Asked if the department can get that done before Jan. 20, when Trump takes office, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said officials are working to get Ukraine what it needs. She would not confirm the latest drawdown totals.“We are committed to using that full authority that Congress has allotted to us,” Singh said. “The only way we can do that also is to make sure that our shelves are fully backfilled and stocked. So as our shelves continue to get stocked with equipment and capabilities that are needed, we draw down from those and send those to Ukraine.”In addition to the weapons in the Pentagon drawdown, the State Department said Tuesday that it had authorized the sale to Ukraine of $100 million in unspecified defense equipment and services, including vehicle refurbishment, technical assistance, training and “other related elements of logistics and program support.” In contrast to the drawdown, the government of Ukraine will pay for these.As part of the wider effort to boost Ukraine, the administration also is on track to disperse its portion of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-frozen-assets-g7-loan-billion-37e9c0ec55e0c3ad0bf8d906e2852e69">$50 billion loan to Ukraine</a>, backed by frozen Russian assets, before Biden leaves the White House, according to two senior administration officials.The officials, who were not authorized to comment publicly, said the U.S. and Ukraine are now in “advanced stages” in discussing terms of the loan and are looking to complete the process for the $20 billion portion of the mammoth loan that the U.S. is backing.The goal is to get it done before the end of the year, one official said. The remaining $30 billion will come from the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan, among others.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-ukraine-russia-trump-harris-white-house-ff4edf4a804eedae5958d3a674c5c2d1">Trump has criticized U.S. support for Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and derided Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a “salesman” while also praising Putin and touting his good relationship with him. The president-elect has claimed — without explaining how — that he will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ukraine-putin-zelenskyy-0f4d539aa73a943474d779716e5fe42a">end the war in in Ukraine</a>&nbsp;before his inauguration on Jan. 20, saying he will “get it resolved very quickly.”Last week, when he addressed supporters from a golden ballroom at a his Mar-a-Lago resort, Trump returned to that pledge but again offered little information before changing the subject.“We’re going to work very hard on Russia and Ukraine. It’s got to stop. Russia and Ukraine’s gotta stop,” he said.He has suggested that Ukraine give up at least some of its Russian-occupied territory to settle the war, saying at a rally in late September that “if they made a bad deal, it would’ve been much better. They would’ve given up a little bit and everybody would be living and every building would be built and every tower would be aging for another 2,000 years.”<h2>____</h2>

US spending another $275 million on new weapons for Ukraine

KANSAS CITY —A Jackson County judge last week sentenced a Kansas City man to 23 years in prison for his actions in a March 2013 fatal shooting of Abdullahi Yussuf in a vehicle driven by the defendant, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Ibrahim Abdikarim Sharif Ahmed, 39, was sentenced to 18 years after he pleaded guilty to Murder in the 2nd Degree and 5 years after he pleaded guilty to Armed Criminal Action. The judge on Friday set the sentences to run consecutively for a total of 23 years in prison. The defendant entered an Alford plea due to his intoxication at the time of the crime.

According to court records, Kansas City Police Department officers were dispatched late on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, to the area of Independence and Garfield avenues in Kansas City, where witnesses told police that a Dodge Challenger or Charger had driven down Independence Avenue when the driver shoved someone out of the vehicle in motion. 

The victim was Abdullahi Yussuf who was pronounced deceased at an area hospital. KCPD analysts matched the Dodge vehicle's license plate to the defendant. Officers took defendant into custody. A witness told police she was in the vehicle during the shooting. She heard shots from inside the car and observed the victim with blood on his face. While driving the defendant told the witness to get the victim out of the vehicle. The witness later notified police.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679153467691.png" alt="Ahmed photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Ahmed photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Jackson County judge last week sentenced a Kansas City man to 23 years in prison for his actions in a March 2013 fatal shooting of Abdullahi Yussuf in a vehicle driven by the defendant, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Ibrahim Abdikarim Sharif Ahmed, 39, was sentenced to 18 years after he pleaded guilty to Murder in the 2nd Degree and 5 years after he pleaded guilty to Armed Criminal Action. The judge on Friday set the sentences to run consecutively for a total of 23 years in prison. The defendant entered an Alford plea due to his intoxication at the time of the crime.According to court records, Kansas City Police Department officers were dispatched late on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, to the area of Independence and Garfield avenues in Kansas City, where witnesses told police that a Dodge Challenger or Charger had driven down Independence Avenue when the driver shoved someone out of the vehicle in motion. The victim was Abdullahi Yussuf who was pronounced deceased at an area hospital. KCPD analysts matched the Dodge vehicle's license plate to the defendant. Officers took defendant into custody. A witness told police she was in the vehicle during the shooting. She heard shots from inside the car and observed the victim with blood on his face. While driving the defendant told the witness to get the victim out of the vehicle. The witness later notified police.

Witness: Kansas City man shot, pushed victim out of moving car

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

Just after 11:00p.m. on Monday an officer on patrol in Atchison observed 34-year-old Cinnamon Cash walking in the area of 10th and Main Street, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

&nbsp; She was taken into custody on a Municipal Court warrant for failure to appear in court. She was subsequently found to be in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. She was taken to the County Jail.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732022198302.png" alt="Cash photo Atchison County" />
 <figcaption>Cash photo Atchison County</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegationsJust after 11:00p.m. on Monday an officer on patrol in Atchison observed 34-year-old Cinnamon Cash walking in the area of 10th and Main Street, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.&nbsp; She was taken into custody on a Municipal Court warrant for failure to appear in court. She was subsequently found to be in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. She was taken to the County Jail.

Kan. woman who skipped court caught with methamphetamine

Lawsuit alleges Kanakuk Ministries and ACE American Insurance Company lied to conceal former director’s abuse

BY:&nbsp;ANNELISE HANSHAW <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>

OZARK — Attorneys argued about culpability in Christian County Circuit Court Monday morning in a lawsuit involving a Branson-area Christian summer camp accused of conspiring with its insurer to trick a family into signing a non-disclosure agreement by concealing prior knowledge of sexual misconduct.

Logan Yandell, a survivor of sexual abuse by Kanakuk Ministries’ former camp director,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/11/22/former-camper-suing-missouri-based-kanakuk-kamps-claiming-fraudulent-abuse-settlement/">filed a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;in 2022 alleging misstatements by the camp’s CEO led his parents to sign a settlement and non-disclosure agreement for $250,000 that they otherwise would have continued to fight.

Yandell’s attorney, Reed Martens, told Judge Raymond Gross on Monday that his client’s parents signed a release in December of 2010 under pressure from Kanakuk CEO Joe White, who was their family friend.

During a call in September of 2009, Martens said, the Yandell family asked White if he knew of other abuse allegations involving former Kanakuk camp director Peter Newman. He allegedly said “nothing has been on (the camp’s) radar with (Newman),” but an<a href="https://factsaboutkanakuk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Yandell-Petition.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;affidavit</a>&nbsp;by Newman’s former supervisor disclosed that the camp had been aware of misconduct as early as 1999.

The lawsuit also names ACE American Insurance Company as a defendant, arguing it influenced the camp’s decision to conceal information.

Gross asked if there was “correspondence of any kind” between the camp and ACE prior to White’s phone call with the Yandells.

David Mayer, who is also representing Yandell, said the insurance company was aware of abuse allegations “in March or April” prior to the call.

White testified that he did not speak to ACE before the alleged misstatement, said Manuel Mungia, an attorney for ACE, and the company wasn’t even notified of the statement.

“There is no evidence that ACE was aware of a fraudulent statement,” he said.

Yandell’s attorneys provided evidence of the company attempting to influence White months later when the camp drafted a letter to send to 8,000 families outlining what it knew about Newman.

ACE, in response, “strongly recommended not to send the letter” and sent a reservation of rights letter, which could exempt the company from covering related legal matters, Martens said.

So the email remained unreleased. This lawsuit has unearthed the draft and ACE’s response to the camp, Martens said, and it “gives rise to the concealment and conspiracy.”

Another matter Gross will have to consider is whether media reports of Newman’s arrest could nullify the case under the statute of limitations for fraud.

In Missouri, claims must be brought within five years of discovering the fraud, and victims have 10 years for discovery.

Bryan Wade, an attorney for Kanakuk, said there were court cases and news articles published over five years ago that the Yandell family had access to. Access to the information, he argued, is the same as knowledge, according to other cases.

Yandell’s parents didn’t have the responsibility to seek out the other court cases or media reports, Marten said, because of their close personal relationship with White. He said because their friend had “superior knowledge of the facts,” they were exempt from ordinary standards of diligence.

Another survivor of Newman’s abuse, in a deposition, told attorneys that he, White and Yandell discussed Newman’s misconduct years ago, Wade said. Importantly, Yandell is the case’s plaintiff — not his parents.

But Yandell’s parents told attorneys their discovery of the allegations of abuse was in 2021, when a<a href="https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/frenchpress/they-arent-who-you-think-they-are/" target="_blank">&nbsp;national news article</a>&nbsp;labeled Kanakuk’s situation the “worst Christian sex abuse scandal.”

If Gross accepts that 2021 is the year of discovery, the case is still within the statute of limitations.

He told attorneys his goal is to submit his judgment “by the end of the year,” though he had a large workload.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732026482190.png" alt=" Attorneys representing Kanakuk Ministries and a survivor of abuse by the Christian summer camp's former director argued for summary judgment in a fraud case at Christian County Justice Center Monday morning (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Attorneys representing Kanakuk Ministries and a survivor of abuse by the Christian summer camp's former director argued for summary judgment in a fraud case at Christian County Justice Center Monday morning (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Lawsuit alleges Kanakuk Ministries and ACE American Insurance Company lied to conceal former director’s abuse</h2>BY:&nbsp;ANNELISE HANSHAW <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>OZARK — Attorneys argued about culpability in Christian County Circuit Court Monday morning in a lawsuit involving a Branson-area Christian summer camp accused of conspiring with its insurer to trick a family into signing a non-disclosure agreement by concealing prior knowledge of sexual misconduct.Logan Yandell, a survivor of sexual abuse by Kanakuk Ministries’ former camp director,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/11/22/former-camper-suing-missouri-based-kanakuk-kamps-claiming-fraudulent-abuse-settlement/">filed a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;in 2022 alleging misstatements by the camp’s CEO led his parents to sign a settlement and non-disclosure agreement for $250,000 that they otherwise would have continued to fight.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732026447363.png" alt="Logan Yandell in 2003, the year he began attending Kanakuk summer camp (photo submitted)." />
 <figcaption>Logan Yandell in 2003, the year he began attending Kanakuk summer camp (photo submitted).</figcaption>
 </figure>Yandell’s attorney, Reed Martens, told Judge Raymond Gross on Monday that his client’s parents signed a release in December of 2010 under pressure from Kanakuk CEO Joe White, who was their family friend.During a call in September of 2009, Martens said, the Yandell family asked White if he knew of other abuse allegations involving former Kanakuk camp director Peter Newman. He allegedly said “nothing has been on (the camp’s) radar with (Newman),” but an<a href="https://factsaboutkanakuk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Yandell-Petition.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;affidavit</a>&nbsp;by Newman’s former supervisor disclosed that the camp had been aware of misconduct as early as 1999.The lawsuit also names ACE American Insurance Company as a defendant, arguing it influenced the camp’s decision to conceal information.Gross asked if there was “correspondence of any kind” between the camp and ACE prior to White’s phone call with the Yandells.David Mayer, who is also representing Yandell, said the insurance company was aware of abuse allegations “in March or April” prior to the call.White testified that he did not speak to ACE before the alleged misstatement, said Manuel Mungia, an attorney for ACE, and the company wasn’t even notified of the statement.“There is no evidence that ACE was aware of a fraudulent statement,” he said.Yandell’s attorneys provided evidence of the company attempting to influence White months later when the camp drafted a letter to send to 8,000 families outlining what it knew about Newman.ACE, in response, “strongly recommended not to send the letter” and sent a reservation of rights letter, which could exempt the company from covering related legal matters, Martens said.So the email remained unreleased. This lawsuit has unearthed the draft and ACE’s response to the camp, Martens said, and it “gives rise to the concealment and conspiracy.”Another matter Gross will have to consider is whether media reports of Newman’s arrest could nullify the case under the statute of limitations for fraud.In Missouri, claims must be brought within five years of discovering the fraud, and victims have 10 years for discovery.Bryan Wade, an attorney for Kanakuk, said there were court cases and news articles published over five years ago that the Yandell family had access to. Access to the information, he argued, is the same as knowledge, according to other cases.Yandell’s parents didn’t have the responsibility to seek out the other court cases or media reports, Marten said, because of their close personal relationship with White. He said because their friend had “superior knowledge of the facts,” they were exempt from ordinary standards of diligence.Another survivor of Newman’s abuse, in a deposition, told attorneys that he, White and Yandell discussed Newman’s misconduct years ago, Wade said. Importantly, Yandell is the case’s plaintiff — not his parents.But Yandell’s parents told attorneys their discovery of the allegations of abuse was in 2021, when a<a href="https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/frenchpress/they-arent-who-you-think-they-are/" target="_blank">&nbsp;national news article</a>&nbsp;labeled Kanakuk’s situation the “worst Christian sex abuse scandal.”If Gross accepts that 2021 is the year of discovery, the case is still within the statute of limitations.He told attorneys his goal is to submit his judgment “by the end of the year,” though he had a large workload.The case is set for trial in July 2025.

Judge weighs whether Missouri-based Kanakuk defrauded abuse survivor’s family

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas has promised to provide more hospital beds for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3df19ed1b2db0247cff89f62c2020e1b">mentally ill criminal defendants</a>&nbsp;to settle a federal lawsuit filed over defendants waiting months for evaluations of whether they were fit for a trial.

The agreement between state officials and representatives of five defendants requires the state to “use its best efforts”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kdads.ks.gov/state-hospitals/south-central-regional-psychiatric-hospital">to open a new psychiatric hospital</a>&nbsp;by January 2027 in Wichita, the state's largest city. Officials also must seek funding from the Kansas Legislature to reopen a previously closed 30-bed unit at its psychiatric hospital in Larned in western Kansas, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) northwest of Wichita.

The agreement was announced this week by the two groups pursuing the lawsuit, the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and the National Police Accountability Project, based in the Seattle area. The groups sued in 2022 on behalf of attorneys for four defendants and the mother of a fifth. The accused were identified only by their initials.

The state operates two psychiatric hospitals, but only the one in Larned has a unit for evaluating whether mentally ill criminal defendants can understand their cases and participate in their own defense. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Larned State Hospital has had fewer than 80 beds for defendants awaiting evaluation.

The state Department for Aging and Disability Services, which runs the Larned facility, acknowledged before the lawsuit was filed that defendants were waiting an average of about 11 months to be evaluated. The lawsuit said defendants remained in county jails that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-mental-health-kansas-lawrence-d3ede575eff20302e7fc0b5ad4006c72">weren't providing adequate treatment</a>, making the inmates' conditions worse and violating their rights. The lawsuit also said the state was violating the federal Americans with Disabilities Act by discriminating against people with mental health problems.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575316797715.jpeg" alt="" />
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 </figure>By JOHN HANNA&nbsp;TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas has promised to provide more hospital beds for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3df19ed1b2db0247cff89f62c2020e1b">mentally ill criminal defendants</a>&nbsp;to settle a federal lawsuit filed over defendants waiting months for evaluations of whether they were fit for a trial.The agreement between state officials and representatives of five defendants requires the state to “use its best efforts”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kdads.ks.gov/state-hospitals/south-central-regional-psychiatric-hospital">to open a new psychiatric hospital</a>&nbsp;by January 2027 in Wichita, the state's largest city. Officials also must seek funding from the Kansas Legislature to reopen a previously closed 30-bed unit at its psychiatric hospital in Larned in western Kansas, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) northwest of Wichita.The agreement was announced this week by the two groups pursuing the lawsuit, the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and the National Police Accountability Project, based in the Seattle area. The groups sued in 2022 on behalf of attorneys for four defendants and the mother of a fifth. The accused were identified only by their initials.The state operates two psychiatric hospitals, but only the one in Larned has a unit for evaluating whether mentally ill criminal defendants can understand their cases and participate in their own defense. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Larned State Hospital has had fewer than 80 beds for defendants awaiting evaluation.The state Department for Aging and Disability Services, which runs the Larned facility, acknowledged before the lawsuit was filed that defendants were waiting an average of about 11 months to be evaluated. The lawsuit said defendants remained in county jails that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-mental-health-kansas-lawrence-d3ede575eff20302e7fc0b5ad4006c72">weren't providing adequate treatment</a>, making the inmates' conditions worse and violating their rights. The lawsuit also said the state was violating the federal Americans with Disabilities Act by discriminating against people with mental health problems.“This settlement is more than a legal agreement; it’s a lifeline for those who have been lost in the system, a promise that their dignity and humanity will no longer be ignored,” said Lauren Bonds, the police accountability group's executive director.One of the five defendants covered by the lawsuit had been held in a county jail for 13 months facing criminal threat charges when the lawsuit was filed. That's longer than the maximum prison sentence for a conviction on that charge.“Remaining in the jail environment is devastating and deeply harmful even for those whose mental health is not in question, and condemning Kansans to languish across the state in their county jails was contradictory to our values of justice," said Monica Bennett, the ACLU of Kansas' legal director.State officials argued that they already had been addressing the long waits. The state began having Larned State Hospital officials operate a mobile evaluation unit in 2019; and in 2022, the Legislature passed a law to allow other qualified hospitals and organizations to examine criminal defendants.The state and Wichita's home county hope to start construction early next year on a secure, $101.5 million psychiatric hospital with 104 beds, half of them set aside for the state. Federal COVID-19 relief dollars provided part of the funding.KDADS spokesperson Cara Sloan-Ramos said the department and Gov. Laura Kelly are committed to reducing wait times.Republican state Rep. Stephen Owens, chair of the House committee handling criminal justice issues, was pleased that the state could settle the lawsuit.“We’ve certainly been aware of this issue and have been working on solutions," Owens said Tuesday.