SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas felon arrested after his 11-month-old daughter was found in the canal in Wichita earlier this week made his first court appearance in the case Friday.

&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=320252">&nbsp;Vincent Perez&nbsp;</a>, 34, is&nbsp;charged with three counts of aggravated endangering a child and two counts of aggravated battery, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Just after 1p.m. Tueday, police were dispatched to conduct a welfare check in the vicinity of Interstate 135 and Pawnee in Wichita after receiving a report of a child in the canal, according to Officer Kristopher Gupilan.

Officers, with the assistance of the Wichita Fire Department, located the child within the canal. She was safely extracted from the canal and transported to a local hospital for precautionary medical evaluation and later placed into police protective custody, according to Gupilan.&nbsp;

The investigation into the circumstances surrounding how the child ended up in the canal continues.

Police believed Perez had information pertinent to the investigation. On Tuesday night, police asked the public for assistance in locating him for questioning. Just after 11a.m. Wednesday, police booked&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=320252">Perez&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;into the Sedgwick County jail.&nbsp; &nbsp;He remains jailed on a&nbsp;$150,000 bond. His next court appearance is August 5, according to the district attorney's office.

Perez has previous convictions for theft, aggravated assault, aggravated burglary, criminal possession of a weapon and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721927142112.png" alt="Perez photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Perez photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas felon arrested after his 11-month-old daughter was found in the canal in Wichita earlier this week made his first court appearance in the case Friday.&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=320252">&nbsp;Vincent Perez&nbsp;</a>, 34, is&nbsp;charged with three counts of aggravated endangering a child and two counts of aggravated battery, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Just after 1p.m. Tueday, police were dispatched to conduct a welfare check in the vicinity of Interstate 135 and Pawnee in Wichita after receiving a report of a child in the canal, according to Officer Kristopher Gupilan.Officers, with the assistance of the Wichita Fire Department, located the child within the canal. She was safely extracted from the canal and transported to a local hospital for precautionary medical evaluation and later placed into police protective custody, according to Gupilan.&nbsp;The investigation into the circumstances surrounding how the child ended up in the canal continues.Police believed Perez had information pertinent to the investigation. On Tuesday night, police asked the public for assistance in locating him for questioning. Just after 11a.m. Wednesday, police booked&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=320252">Perez&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;into the Sedgwick County jail.&nbsp; &nbsp;He remains jailed on a&nbsp;$150,000 bond. His next court appearance is August 5, according to the district attorney's office.Perez has previous convictions for theft, aggravated assault, aggravated burglary, criminal possession of a weapon and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Kan. felon charged after baby daughter rescued from canal

By&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kmuw.org/people/rose-conlon">Rose Conlon</a> &nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/2024-07-18/kansas-women-struggle-to-access-and-afford-health-care-report-finds">Kansas News Service</a>

A study by the Commonwealth Fund ranks Kansas 32nd in the U.S. on women’s health metrics. The state got low marks for health care affordability and access.

Women in Kansas have a harder time accessing and affording health care than in most other states, according to a new report by the Commonwealth Fund.

<a href="https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/scorecard/2024/jul/2024-state-scorecard-womens-health-and-reproductive-care" target="_blank">The report</a>, published Thursday, ranked Kansas 32nd in the U.S. based on how well the state’s health system works for women. It placed sixth out of seven states in the Plains region, ahead of Missouri.

The ranking by the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit foundation that researches health issues, is the organization’s first report to focus exclusively on how all states and the District of Columbia fare on women’s health and reproductive care outcomes.

Kansas scored worst on issues of health insurance coverage, provider accessibility and health care affordability.

Kansas women in their reproductive years, ages 18-44, were less likely to have health insurance than the same group nationwide. They were more likely to report not visiting a doctor for a routine checkup in the past two years. Women giving birth in Kansas hospitals are nearly twice as likely to have a self-pay insurance payment source than the national average.

Sara Collins, a senior scholar at the Commonwealth Fund and the study’s lead author, said that reflects the state’s failure to expand Medicaid.

Kansas is one of 10 states that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kmuw.org/news/2024-02-28/medicaid-expansion-opposition-kansas-republican-leadership-dan-hawkins" target="_blank">still has not done so</a>, despite consistent pressure by advocates and the state’s Democratic governor. Republican lawmakers have resisted expansion, arguing in part that it would be too costly.

“We see a consistent pattern across these 10 states,” Collins said. “We see much higher rates of people not accessing care due to cost.”

And even though it’s easier for women to qualify for Medicaid once they become pregnant — the program pays for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/committees/ctte_h_welfare_reform_1/documents/testimony/20230316_01.pdf" target="_blank">around 40%</a>&nbsp;of births in the state — Collins said the fact that many women lack insurance before getting pregnant can contribute to adverse maternal and infant health outcomes.

“It means that women enter pregnancy having had less access to health care, particularly if they’re poor or low-income,” she said, “and probably (in a) a poorer health situation than they would be if they’d had health insurance coverage.”

Kansas has among the lowest per-capita rates of maternity care providers in the country, a signal that many women may struggle to find care.

Kansas performed better on other metrics. It has slightly lower rates of maternal and infant mortality than the national average — although the U.S. still performs worse than many other wealthy countries in these areas.

Kansas ranks near the top of U.S. states in early access to prenatal care, defined as within the first three months of pregnancy. Kansans were slightly less likely than women nationally to have cesarean sections for low-risk births, and slightly more likely to receive a postpartum checkup visit.

Despite rising syphilis cases in Kansas and nationally, Kansas women aged 15-44 are significantly much less likely to contract syphilis than Americans overall, and infants are nearly three times less likely to be born with congenital syphilis than the U.S. average.

Kansas women are also more likely to receive certain preventive health services like flu and pneumonia shots.

But the state underperformed on other health outcomes. The mortality rate for women of reproductive age was higher than the national average, 121.7 per 100,000 women compared with 110.3 overall.

Kansas women who recently gave birth were more likely than Americans overall to report having depression before, during and after pregnancy. They were also more likely to experience intimate partner violence before or during pregnancy.

The state’s mammogram rate was slightly under the national average: 74% of women ages 50-74 had received one in the past two years, compared with 77% nationally.

Researchers analyzed data from 2022, the year that the U.S. Supreme Court issued its Dobbs&nbsp;decision that allowed states to curtail abortion access. In the two years since,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/us/abortion-laws-roe-v-wade.html" target="_blank">21 states</a>&nbsp;have either banned abortion or restricted it earlier in pregnancy than was previously allowed.

Joseph Betancourt, president of the Commonwealth Fund, said the analysis provides a “baseline” for tracking the impact of new abortion restrictions on women’s health care.

“It also serves as a glaring reminder that where you live matters to your health and health care,” he said. “Many (states) are failing to ensure that women can get and afford the health care they need. This failure is having a disproportionate impact on women of color and women with low incomes.”

The report found that Kansas has a higher ratio of abortion clinics for its population of reproductive-aged women than the U.S. average, emphasizing the state’s increasingly prominent role as an abortion access point.

Many women who now travel to Kansas for abortions come from the South and Southeast, regions that have some of the strictest abortion bans — as well as poorer maternal health outcomes and high rates of maternal mortality.

Since 2022, two new clinics providing abortions have opened in Kansas, and a third is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kmuw.org/news/2024-05-14/planned-parenthood-southeast-kansas-expanding-new-clinic-pittsburg" target="_blank">expected to open</a>&nbsp;this fall. A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/report/abortion-clinics-united-states-2020-2024" target="_blank">recent study</a>&nbsp;by the Guttmacher Institute estimates that the number of abortions performed in Kansas rose from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/10433/Abortions-in-Kansas-2020-PDF" target="_blank">less than 8,000</a>&nbsp;in 2020 to around 20,000 in 2023, a 152% increase.

Republicans in the Kansas Legislature have passed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kmuw.org/2024-05-04/kansas-anti-abortion-groups-celebrate-legislative-wins-heres-what-that-means-for-patients" target="_blank">several new laws</a>&nbsp;in recent years aimed at further restricting access to abortion, although a number are tied up in court. Earlier this month, the state’s Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kmuw.org/news/2024-07-05/kansas-supreme-court-reaffirms-that-abortion-rights-are-protected-by-constitution-striking-down-2-laws" target="_blank">reaffirmed its position</a>&nbsp;that abortion is a constitutional right for Kansas women.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722002372686.png" alt="-Rose Conlon / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>-Rose Conlon / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kmuw.org/people/rose-conlon">Rose Conlon</a> &nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/2024-07-18/kansas-women-struggle-to-access-and-afford-health-care-report-finds">Kansas News Service</a><h2>A study by the Commonwealth Fund ranks Kansas 32nd in the U.S. on women’s health metrics. The state got low marks for health care affordability and access.</h2>Women in Kansas have a harder time accessing and affording health care than in most other states, according to a new report by the Commonwealth Fund.<a href="https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/scorecard/2024/jul/2024-state-scorecard-womens-health-and-reproductive-care" target="_blank">The report</a>, published Thursday, ranked Kansas 32nd in the U.S. based on how well the state’s health system works for women. It placed sixth out of seven states in the Plains region, ahead of Missouri.The ranking by the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit foundation that researches health issues, is the organization’s first report to focus exclusively on how all states and the District of Columbia fare on women’s health and reproductive care outcomes.<h2>Access and affordability</h2>Kansas scored worst on issues of health insurance coverage, provider accessibility and health care affordability.Kansas women in their reproductive years, ages 18-44, were less likely to have health insurance than the same group nationwide. They were more likely to report not visiting a doctor for a routine checkup in the past two years. Women giving birth in Kansas hospitals are nearly twice as likely to have a self-pay insurance payment source than the national average.Sara Collins, a senior scholar at the Commonwealth Fund and the study’s lead author, said that reflects the state’s failure to expand Medicaid.Kansas is one of 10 states that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kmuw.org/news/2024-02-28/medicaid-expansion-opposition-kansas-republican-leadership-dan-hawkins" target="_blank">still has not done so</a>, despite consistent pressure by advocates and the state’s Democratic governor. Republican lawmakers have resisted expansion, arguing in part that it would be too costly.“We see a consistent pattern across these 10 states,” Collins said. “We see much higher rates of people not accessing care due to cost.”And even though it’s easier for women to qualify for Medicaid once they become pregnant — the program pays for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/committees/ctte_h_welfare_reform_1/documents/testimony/20230316_01.pdf" target="_blank">around 40%</a>&nbsp;of births in the state — Collins said the fact that many women lack insurance before getting pregnant can contribute to adverse maternal and infant health outcomes.“It means that women enter pregnancy having had less access to health care, particularly if they’re poor or low-income,” she said, “and probably (in a) a poorer health situation than they would be if they’d had health insurance coverage.”Kansas has among the lowest per-capita rates of maternity care providers in the country, a signal that many women may struggle to find care.<h2>Quality and prevention</h2>Kansas performed better on other metrics. It has slightly lower rates of maternal and infant mortality than the national average — although the U.S. still performs worse than many other wealthy countries in these areas.Kansas ranks near the top of U.S. states in early access to prenatal care, defined as within the first three months of pregnancy. Kansans were slightly less likely than women nationally to have cesarean sections for low-risk births, and slightly more likely to receive a postpartum checkup visit.Despite rising syphilis cases in Kansas and nationally, Kansas women aged 15-44 are significantly much less likely to contract syphilis than Americans overall, and infants are nearly three times less likely to be born with congenital syphilis than the U.S. average.Kansas women are also more likely to receive certain preventive health services like flu and pneumonia shots.But the state underperformed on other health outcomes. The mortality rate for women of reproductive age was higher than the national average, 121.7 per 100,000 women compared with 110.3 overall.Kansas women who recently gave birth were more likely than Americans overall to report having depression before, during and after pregnancy. They were also more likely to experience intimate partner violence before or during pregnancy.The state’s mammogram rate was slightly under the national average: 74% of women ages 50-74 had received one in the past two years, compared with 77% nationally.<h2>Reproductive care</h2>Researchers analyzed data from 2022, the year that the U.S. Supreme Court issued its Dobbs&nbsp;decision that allowed states to curtail abortion access. In the two years since,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/us/abortion-laws-roe-v-wade.html" target="_blank">21 states</a>&nbsp;have either banned abortion or restricted it earlier in pregnancy than was previously allowed.Joseph Betancourt, president of the Commonwealth Fund, said the analysis provides a “baseline” for tracking the impact of new abortion restrictions on women’s health care.“It also serves as a glaring reminder that where you live matters to your health and health care,” he said. “Many (states) are failing to ensure that women can get and afford the health care they need. This failure is having a disproportionate impact on women of color and women with low incomes.”The report found that Kansas has a higher ratio of abortion clinics for its population of reproductive-aged women than the U.S. average, emphasizing the state’s increasingly prominent role as an abortion access point.Many women who now travel to Kansas for abortions come from the South and Southeast, regions that have some of the strictest abortion bans — as well as poorer maternal health outcomes and high rates of maternal mortality.Since 2022, two new clinics providing abortions have opened in Kansas, and a third is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kmuw.org/news/2024-05-14/planned-parenthood-southeast-kansas-expanding-new-clinic-pittsburg" target="_blank">expected to open</a>&nbsp;this fall. A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/report/abortion-clinics-united-states-2020-2024" target="_blank">recent study</a>&nbsp;by the Guttmacher Institute estimates that the number of abortions performed in Kansas rose from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/10433/Abortions-in-Kansas-2020-PDF" target="_blank">less than 8,000</a>&nbsp;in 2020 to around 20,000 in 2023, a 152% increase.Republicans in the Kansas Legislature have passed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kmuw.org/2024-05-04/kansas-anti-abortion-groups-celebrate-legislative-wins-heres-what-that-means-for-patients" target="_blank">several new laws</a>&nbsp;in recent years aimed at further restricting access to abortion, although a number are tied up in court. Earlier this month, the state’s Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kmuw.org/news/2024-07-05/kansas-supreme-court-reaffirms-that-abortion-rights-are-protected-by-constitution-striking-down-2-laws" target="_blank">reaffirmed its position</a>&nbsp;that abortion is a constitutional right for Kansas women.

Kansas women struggle to access and afford health care, report finds

WASHINGTON (AP) — A powerful Mexican drug cartel leader who eluded authorities for decades was duped into flying into the U.S.,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-drug-lord-captured-mayo-zambada-092bb02d8116fe462b6e1340547a4c77">where he was arrested</a>&nbsp;alongside a son of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, according to a U.S. law enforcement official familiar with the matter.

Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada got on an airplane to the U.S. believing he was going somewhere else, said the official, who spoke on the condition on anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter. The official did not provide additional details, including who persuaded Zambada to get on the plane or where exactly he thought he was going.

Upon arriving in the El Paso area, Zambada and Joaquín Guzmán López, a son of notorious drug kingpin “El Chapo,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2b16e1b751b044f3a7581df96ed41ef3">who was sentenced to life in a U.S. prison</a>&nbsp;in 2019, were immediately taken into custody by U.S. authorities, officials said.

Zambada, 76, appeared in federal court in El Paso on Friday morning, where a judge read the charges and informed Zambada of his rights. Zambada, who is being held without bond, has entered a plea of not guilty to slew of drug trafficking charges, court records show. His next court hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.

Frank Perez, a lawyer listed for Zambada, said in a message to AP that his client “did not come to the U.S. voluntarily.”

Zambada, one of the most powerful drug lords in the world, has been a key target for the U.S. government for years in its bid to take down leaders of the Sinaloa cartel that's responsible for trafficking huge sums of drugs across the border. U.S. authorities had offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to his capture.

His arrest “strikes at the heart of the cartel that is responsible for the majority of drugs, including fentanyl and methamphetamine, killing Americans from coast to coast,” said U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration chief Anne Milgram.

“Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, and the Justice Department will not rest until every single cartel leader, member, and associate responsible for poisoning our communities is held accountable,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement Thursday.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Friday that Mexico was still awaiting details about the arrests and was not involved in the operation. Although he hailed the arrests, he suggested others could step in to fill the vacuum. That's why his administration has focused on addressing the root causes of drug use and the associated violence, he said.

Mexican Security Secretary Rosa Icela Rodríguez said the plane took off with only the pilot from the airport in Hermosillo, Mexico. Tracking service FlightAware showed the plane stopped transmitting its altitude and speed for about 30 minutes while it was over the mountains of northern Mexico before resuming its course to the U.S. border.

“It is a fact that one person went out from here, three people arrived there," she said.

Zambada is charged&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8fa6da0d096a4bc79717495270826684">in a number of U.S. cases</a>, including in New York and California. Prosecutors brought a new indictment against him in New York in February, describing him as the “principal leader of the criminal enterprise responsible for importing enormous quantities of narcotics into the United States.”

One of the longest-surviving capos in Mexico, Zambada was considered the cartel's strategist, more involved in day-to-day operations than his flashier and better-known boss, “El Chapo."

Zambada is an old-fashioned capo in an era of younger kingpins known for their flamboyant lifestyles of club-hopping and brutal tactics of beheading, dismembering and even skinning their rivals. While Zambada has fought those who challenged him, he is known for concentrating on the business side of trafficking and avoiding gruesome cartel violence that would draw attention.

In an April 2010 interview with the Mexican magazine Proceso, he acknowledged that he lived in fear of going to prison and would contemplate suicide rather than be captured.

“I’m terrified of being incarcerated,” Zambada said. “I’d like to think that, yes, I would kill myself.”

The interview was surprising for a kingpin known for keeping his head down, but he gave strict instructions on where and when the encounter would take place, and the article gave no hint of his whereabouts.

Zambada reputedly won the loyalty of locals in his home state of Sinaloa and neighboring Durango through his largess, sponsoring local farmers and distributing money and beer in his birthplace of El Alamo.

Although little is known about Zambada’s early life, he is believed to have gotten his start as an enforcer in the 1970s. By the early 1990s, he was a major player in the Juarez cartel, transporting tons of cocaine and marijuana.

Zambada started gaining the trust of Colombian traffickers, allegiances that helped him come out on top in the cartel world of ever-shifting alliances. Eventually he became so powerful that he broke off from the Juarez cartel, but still managed to keep strong ties with the gang and avoided a turf war. He also developed a partnership with “El Chapo” Guzman that would take him to the top of the Sinaloa Cartel.

Zambada’s detention follows some important arrests of other Sinaloa cartel figures, including one of his sons and another son of “El Chapo” Guzmán, Ovidio Guzmán López.

Ovidio Guzmán López was arrested and extradited to the U.S. last year.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/el-chapo-son-charged-chicago-aa87d44a1290b6473006d4caf6220908">He pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking</a>&nbsp;charges in Chicago in September. The Bureau of Prisons inmate locator showed Ovidio Guzmán López was released Tuesday, but Rodríguez said U.S. authorities informed Mexico he was not freed but just had his custody changed.

In 2021, Zambada’s son pleaded guilty in federal court in San Diego to being a leader in the Sinaloa cartel.

In recent years, Guzman’s sons have led a faction of the cartel known as the little Chapos, or “Chapitos,” that has been identified as a main exporter of fentanyl to the U.S. market.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-sinaloa-cartel-suspect-fentanyl-nini-acbb34ece668e5fd6ddc2baa9276d1d1">Their security chief was arrested</a>&nbsp;by Mexican authorities in November.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721959210147.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A powerful Mexican drug cartel leader who eluded authorities for decades was duped into flying into the U.S.,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-drug-lord-captured-mayo-zambada-092bb02d8116fe462b6e1340547a4c77">where he was arrested</a>&nbsp;alongside a son of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, according to a U.S. law enforcement official familiar with the matter.Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada got on an airplane to the U.S. believing he was going somewhere else, said the official, who spoke on the condition on anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter. The official did not provide additional details, including who persuaded Zambada to get on the plane or where exactly he thought he was going.Upon arriving in the El Paso area, Zambada and Joaquín Guzmán López, a son of notorious drug kingpin “El Chapo,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2b16e1b751b044f3a7581df96ed41ef3">who was sentenced to life in a U.S. prison</a>&nbsp;in 2019, were immediately taken into custody by U.S. authorities, officials said.Zambada, 76, appeared in federal court in El Paso on Friday morning, where a judge read the charges and informed Zambada of his rights. Zambada, who is being held without bond, has entered a plea of not guilty to slew of drug trafficking charges, court records show. His next court hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.Frank Perez, a lawyer listed for Zambada, said in a message to AP that his client “did not come to the U.S. voluntarily.”Zambada, one of the most powerful drug lords in the world, has been a key target for the U.S. government for years in its bid to take down leaders of the Sinaloa cartel that's responsible for trafficking huge sums of drugs across the border. U.S. authorities had offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to his capture.His arrest “strikes at the heart of the cartel that is responsible for the majority of drugs, including fentanyl and methamphetamine, killing Americans from coast to coast,” said U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration chief Anne Milgram.“Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, and the Justice Department will not rest until every single cartel leader, member, and associate responsible for poisoning our communities is held accountable,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement Thursday.Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Friday that Mexico was still awaiting details about the arrests and was not involved in the operation. Although he hailed the arrests, he suggested others could step in to fill the vacuum. That's why his administration has focused on addressing the root causes of drug use and the associated violence, he said.Mexican Security Secretary Rosa Icela Rodríguez said the plane took off with only the pilot from the airport in Hermosillo, Mexico. Tracking service FlightAware showed the plane stopped transmitting its altitude and speed for about 30 minutes while it was over the mountains of northern Mexico before resuming its course to the U.S. border.“It is a fact that one person went out from here, three people arrived there," she said.Zambada is charged&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8fa6da0d096a4bc79717495270826684">in a number of U.S. cases</a>, including in New York and California. Prosecutors brought a new indictment against him in New York in February, describing him as the “principal leader of the criminal enterprise responsible for importing enormous quantities of narcotics into the United States.”One of the longest-surviving capos in Mexico, Zambada was considered the cartel's strategist, more involved in day-to-day operations than his flashier and better-known boss, “El Chapo."Zambada is an old-fashioned capo in an era of younger kingpins known for their flamboyant lifestyles of club-hopping and brutal tactics of beheading, dismembering and even skinning their rivals. While Zambada has fought those who challenged him, he is known for concentrating on the business side of trafficking and avoiding gruesome cartel violence that would draw attention.In an April 2010 interview with the Mexican magazine Proceso, he acknowledged that he lived in fear of going to prison and would contemplate suicide rather than be captured.“I’m terrified of being incarcerated,” Zambada said. “I’d like to think that, yes, I would kill myself.”The interview was surprising for a kingpin known for keeping his head down, but he gave strict instructions on where and when the encounter would take place, and the article gave no hint of his whereabouts.Zambada reputedly won the loyalty of locals in his home state of Sinaloa and neighboring Durango through his largess, sponsoring local farmers and distributing money and beer in his birthplace of El Alamo.Although little is known about Zambada’s early life, he is believed to have gotten his start as an enforcer in the 1970s. By the early 1990s, he was a major player in the Juarez cartel, transporting tons of cocaine and marijuana.Zambada started gaining the trust of Colombian traffickers, allegiances that helped him come out on top in the cartel world of ever-shifting alliances. Eventually he became so powerful that he broke off from the Juarez cartel, but still managed to keep strong ties with the gang and avoided a turf war. He also developed a partnership with “El Chapo” Guzman that would take him to the top of the Sinaloa Cartel.Zambada’s detention follows some important arrests of other Sinaloa cartel figures, including one of his sons and another son of “El Chapo” Guzmán, Ovidio Guzmán López.Ovidio Guzmán López was arrested and extradited to the U.S. last year.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/el-chapo-son-charged-chicago-aa87d44a1290b6473006d4caf6220908">He pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking</a>&nbsp;charges in Chicago in September. The Bureau of Prisons inmate locator showed Ovidio Guzmán López was released Tuesday, but Rodríguez said U.S. authorities informed Mexico he was not freed but just had his custody changed.In 2021, Zambada’s son pleaded guilty in federal court in San Diego to being a leader in the Sinaloa cartel.In recent years, Guzman’s sons have led a faction of the cartel known as the little Chapos, or “Chapitos,” that has been identified as a main exporter of fentanyl to the U.S. market.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-sinaloa-cartel-suspect-fentanyl-nini-acbb34ece668e5fd6ddc2baa9276d1d1">Their security chief was arrested</a>&nbsp;by Mexican authorities in November.

Powerful Mexican drug lord was duped into flying to U.S. before arrest

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement investigating another homicide in Kansas City have identified the victim as 52-year-0ld Anthony Lewis, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchins.&nbsp;

Just before 12:30a.m. Thursday officers were dispatched to a shooting at a&nbsp; house in the 2400 block of Brighton.

First responders located Lewis unresponsive next to the residence there. Officers called for EMS who responded and declared him deceased here at the scene. Preliminary investigation indicates the victim and a suspect had an interaction inside the residence that escalated to shots being fired and Lewis being struck. 

Based on information received by officers at the scene A subject of interest was detained at a separate location for further investigation. Police have not released the name of the suspect or possible charges.

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement investigating another homicide in Kansas City have identified the victim as 52-year-0ld Anthony Lewis, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchins.&nbsp;Just before 12:30a.m. Thursday officers were dispatched to a shooting at a&nbsp; house in the 2400 block of Brighton.First responders located Lewis unresponsive next to the residence there. Officers called for EMS who responded and declared him deceased here at the scene. Preliminary investigation indicates the victim and a suspect had an interaction inside the residence that escalated to shots being fired and Lewis being struck. Based on information received by officers at the scene A subject of interest was detained at a separate location for further investigation. Police have not released the name of the suspect or possible charges.

Homicide: Police ID man found dead outside Kansas City home.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly two weeks after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-vp-vance-rubio-7c7ba6b99b5f38d2d840ed95b2fdc3e5">Donald Trump’s near assassination</a>, the FBI confirmed Friday that it was indeed a bullet that struck the former president’s ear, moving to clear up conflicting accounts about what caused the former president’s injuries after a gunman opened fire at a Pennsylvania rally.

“What struck former President Trump in the ear was a bullet, whether whole or fragmented into smaller pieces, fired from the deceased subject’s rifle,” the agency said in a statement.

The statement from the FBI marked the most definitive law enforcement account of Trump’s injuries and followed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-trump-assassination-attempt-shooting-f1ff0a636f3e2e1a28762c400852167e">ambiguous comments earlier in the week from Director Christopher Wray</a>&nbsp;that appeared to cast doubt on whether Trump had actually been hit by a bullet.

The comment drew fury from Trump and his allies and further stoked conspiracy theories that have flourished on both sides of the political aisle amid a dearth of information following the July 13 attack.

Up until now, federal law enforcement agents involved in the investigation, including the FBI and Secret Service, had repeatedly refused to provide information about what caused Trump’s injuries. Trump’s campaign has also declined to release medical records from the hospital where he was first treated or to make the doctors there available for questions.

Updates have instead come either from Trump himself or from Trump’s former White House doctor,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ronny-jackson">Ronny Jackson</a>, a staunch ally who now represents Texas in Congress. Though Jackson has been treating Trump since the night of the attack, he has come under considerable scrutiny and is not Trump’s primary care physician.

The FBI’s apparent reluctance to immediately vouch for the former president’s version of events — along with the ire he and some supporters have directed at the bureau in the shooting’s aftermath — has also raised fresh tension between the Republican nominee and the nation’s premier federal law enforcement agency, which he could soon exert control over once again.

Trump and his supporters have repeatedly accused federal law enforcement of being weaponized against him.

Questions about the extent and nature of Trump’s wound began immediately after the attack, as his campaign and law enforcement officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shooting-transparency-db2f4437237ad03d3b04b0b5f1573977">declined to answer questions</a>&nbsp;about his condition or the treatment he received after Trump narrowly escaped death in an attempted assassination by a gunman with a high-powered rifle.

Those questions have persisted despite photos showing the trace of a projectile speeding past Trump’s head, photographs that show Trump’s teleprompter glass intact after the shooting, and the account Trump himself gave in a Truth Social post within hours of the shooting saying he had been “shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear.”

“I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin,” he wrote.

Days later, in a speech accepting the nomination at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Trump described the horrific scene in detail, while wearing a large, white, gauze bandage over his right ear.

“I heard a loud whizzing sound and felt something hit me really, really hard, on my right ear. I said to myself, ‘Wow, what was that? It can only be a bullet,’” he said.

“If I had not moved my head at that very last instant,” Trump said, “the assassin’s bullet would have perfectly hit its mark, and I would not be here tonight.”

But the first medical account of Trump’s condition didn’t come until a full week after the shooting, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-ronny-jackson-shooting-medical-report-e95a2888cd5eeb64820d6fa789b03463">Jackson released his first letter</a>&nbsp;last Saturday evening. In that letter, he said the bullet that struck Trump had “produced a 2 cm wide wound that extended down to the cartilaginous surface of the ear.” He also revealed that Trump had received a CT scan at the hospital.

But federal law enforcement involved in the investigation, including the FBI and Secret Service, had declined to confirm that account. And Wray’s testimony offered apparently conflicting answers on the issue.

“There’s some question about whether or not it’s a bullet or shrapnel that hit his ear,” Wray testified, before he seemed to suggest it was indeed a bullet.

“I don’t know whether that bullet, in addition to causing the grazing, could have also landed somewhere else,” he said.

The following day, the FBI sought to clarify matters with a statement affirming that the shooting was an “attempted assassination of former President Trump which resulted in his injury, as well as the death of a heroic father and the injuries of several other victims.” The FBI also said Thursday that its Shooting Reconstruction Team continues to examine bullet fragments and other evidence from the scene.

Jackson, who has been treating the former president since the night of the July 13 shooting, told The Associated Press on Thursday that any suggestion Trump’s ear was bloodied by anything other than a bullet was reckless.

“It was a bullet wound,” said Jackson. “You can’t make statements like that. It leads to all these conspiracy theories.”

In his letter Friday, Jackson insisted “there is absolutely no evidence” Trump was struck by anything other than a bullet and said it was “wrong and inappropriate to suggest anything else.”

He wrote that at Butler Memorial Hospital, where the GOP nominee was rushed after the shooting, he was evaluated and treated for a “Gunshot Wound to the Right Ear.”

“Having served as an Emergency Medicine physician for over 20 years in the United States Navy, including as a combat physician on the battlefield in Iraq,” he wrote, “I have treated many gunshot wounds in my career. Based on my direct observations of the injury, my relevant clinical background, and my significant experience evaluating and treating patients with similar wounds, I completely concur with the initial assessment and treatment provided by the doctors at nurses at Butler Memorial Hospital on the day of the shooting.”

The FBI declined to comment on the Jackson letters.

Asked if the campaign would release those hospital records, or allow the doctors who treated him there to speak, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung blasted the media for asking.

“The media has no shame in engaging in disgusting conspiracy theories,” he said. “The facts are the facts, and to question an abhorrent assassination attempt that ultimately cost a life and injured two others is beyond the pale.”

In emails last week, he told the AP that “medical readouts” had already been provided.

“It’s sad some people still don’t believe a shooting happened,” Cheung said, “even after one person was killed and others were injured.”

Anyone who believes the conspiracies, he added, “is either mentally deficient or willfully peddling falsehoods for political reasons.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a close Trump ally, also urged Wray to correct his testimony in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/graham_to_director_wray_on_correcting_testimony.pdf">a letter Friday to the FBI director</a>, saying the fact Trump had been hit by a bullet “was made clear in briefings my office received and should not be a point of contention.”

“As head of the FBI, you should not be creating confusion about such matters, as it further undercuts the agency’s credibility with millions of Americans,” he wrote.

Trump also lashed out at Wray in a post on his Truth Social network, saying it was “No wonder the once storied FBI has lost the confidence of America!”

“No, it was, unfortunately, a bullet that hit my ear, and hit it hard. There was no glass, there was no shrapnel,” he wrote.

On Friday, he called Wray’s comments “so damaging to the Great People that work in the FBI.”

Jackson has faced significant scrutiny over the years.

After administering a physical to Trump in 2018, he drew headlines for suggesting that “if he had a healthier diet over the last 20 years, he might live to be 200 years old.”

He was reportedly demoted by the Navy after the Department of Defense inspector general&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ronny-jackson-barack-obama-682860f2106b28065eb8e73353d00f93">released a scathing report on his conduct as a top White House physician</a>&nbsp;that found Jackson had made “sexual and denigrating” comments about a female subordinates and took prescription-strength sleeping medication that prompted worries from his colleagues about his ability to provide proper medical care.

Trump appointed Wray in 2017 to replace the fired James Comey as director of the FBI. But the then-president swiftly soured on his hire as the bureau continued its investigation into the Russian election interference.

Trump flirted openly with the idea of firing Wray as his term drew to a close, and he lashed out anew after the FBI executed a search warrant at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida to recover boxes of classified documents from his presidency.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722037146584.png" alt="Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump gestures while surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents as he is helped off the stage at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., Saturday, July 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)" />
 <figcaption>Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump gestures while surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents as he is helped off the stage at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., Saturday, July 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly two weeks after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-vp-vance-rubio-7c7ba6b99b5f38d2d840ed95b2fdc3e5">Donald Trump’s near assassination</a>, the FBI confirmed Friday that it was indeed a bullet that struck the former president’s ear, moving to clear up conflicting accounts about what caused the former president’s injuries after a gunman opened fire at a Pennsylvania rally.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722018277152.png" alt="Letter from former physician to President Trump" />
 <figcaption>Letter from former physician to President Trump</figcaption>
 </figure>“What struck former President Trump in the ear was a bullet, whether whole or fragmented into smaller pieces, fired from the deceased subject’s rifle,” the agency said in a statement.The statement from the FBI marked the most definitive law enforcement account of Trump’s injuries and followed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-trump-assassination-attempt-shooting-f1ff0a636f3e2e1a28762c400852167e">ambiguous comments earlier in the week from Director Christopher Wray</a>&nbsp;that appeared to cast doubt on whether Trump had actually been hit by a bullet.The comment drew fury from Trump and his allies and further stoked conspiracy theories that have flourished on both sides of the political aisle amid a dearth of information following the July 13 attack.Up until now, federal law enforcement agents involved in the investigation, including the FBI and Secret Service, had repeatedly refused to provide information about what caused Trump’s injuries. Trump’s campaign has also declined to release medical records from the hospital where he was first treated or to make the doctors there available for questions.Updates have instead come either from Trump himself or from Trump’s former White House doctor,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ronny-jackson">Ronny Jackson</a>, a staunch ally who now represents Texas in Congress. Though Jackson has been treating Trump since the night of the attack, he has come under considerable scrutiny and is not Trump’s primary care physician.The FBI’s apparent reluctance to immediately vouch for the former president’s version of events — along with the ire he and some supporters have directed at the bureau in the shooting’s aftermath — has also raised fresh tension between the Republican nominee and the nation’s premier federal law enforcement agency, which he could soon exert control over once again.Trump and his supporters have repeatedly accused federal law enforcement of being weaponized against him.Questions about the extent and nature of Trump’s wound began immediately after the attack, as his campaign and law enforcement officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shooting-transparency-db2f4437237ad03d3b04b0b5f1573977">declined to answer questions</a>&nbsp;about his condition or the treatment he received after Trump narrowly escaped death in an attempted assassination by a gunman with a high-powered rifle.Those questions have persisted despite photos showing the trace of a projectile speeding past Trump’s head, photographs that show Trump’s teleprompter glass intact after the shooting, and the account Trump himself gave in a Truth Social post within hours of the shooting saying he had been “shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear.”“I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin,” he wrote.Days later, in a speech accepting the nomination at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Trump described the horrific scene in detail, while wearing a large, white, gauze bandage over his right ear.“I heard a loud whizzing sound and felt something hit me really, really hard, on my right ear. I said to myself, ‘Wow, what was that? It can only be a bullet,’” he said.“If I had not moved my head at that very last instant,” Trump said, “the assassin’s bullet would have perfectly hit its mark, and I would not be here tonight.”But the first medical account of Trump’s condition didn’t come until a full week after the shooting, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-ronny-jackson-shooting-medical-report-e95a2888cd5eeb64820d6fa789b03463">Jackson released his first letter</a>&nbsp;last Saturday evening. In that letter, he said the bullet that struck Trump had “produced a 2 cm wide wound that extended down to the cartilaginous surface of the ear.” He also revealed that Trump had received a CT scan at the hospital.But federal law enforcement involved in the investigation, including the FBI and Secret Service, had declined to confirm that account. And Wray’s testimony offered apparently conflicting answers on the issue.“There’s some question about whether or not it’s a bullet or shrapnel that hit his ear,” Wray testified, before he seemed to suggest it was indeed a bullet.“I don’t know whether that bullet, in addition to causing the grazing, could have also landed somewhere else,” he said.The following day, the FBI sought to clarify matters with a statement affirming that the shooting was an “attempted assassination of former President Trump which resulted in his injury, as well as the death of a heroic father and the injuries of several other victims.” The FBI also said Thursday that its Shooting Reconstruction Team continues to examine bullet fragments and other evidence from the scene.Jackson, who has been treating the former president since the night of the July 13 shooting, told The Associated Press on Thursday that any suggestion Trump’s ear was bloodied by anything other than a bullet was reckless.“It was a bullet wound,” said Jackson. “You can’t make statements like that. It leads to all these conspiracy theories.”In his letter Friday, Jackson insisted “there is absolutely no evidence” Trump was struck by anything other than a bullet and said it was “wrong and inappropriate to suggest anything else.”He wrote that at Butler Memorial Hospital, where the GOP nominee was rushed after the shooting, he was evaluated and treated for a “Gunshot Wound to the Right Ear.”“Having served as an Emergency Medicine physician for over 20 years in the United States Navy, including as a combat physician on the battlefield in Iraq,” he wrote, “I have treated many gunshot wounds in my career. Based on my direct observations of the injury, my relevant clinical background, and my significant experience evaluating and treating patients with similar wounds, I completely concur with the initial assessment and treatment provided by the doctors at nurses at Butler Memorial Hospital on the day of the shooting.”The FBI declined to comment on the Jackson letters.Asked if the campaign would release those hospital records, or allow the doctors who treated him there to speak, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung blasted the media for asking.“The media has no shame in engaging in disgusting conspiracy theories,” he said. “The facts are the facts, and to question an abhorrent assassination attempt that ultimately cost a life and injured two others is beyond the pale.”In emails last week, he told the AP that “medical readouts” had already been provided.“It’s sad some people still don’t believe a shooting happened,” Cheung said, “even after one person was killed and others were injured.”Anyone who believes the conspiracies, he added, “is either mentally deficient or willfully peddling falsehoods for political reasons.”Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a close Trump ally, also urged Wray to correct his testimony in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/graham_to_director_wray_on_correcting_testimony.pdf">a letter Friday to the FBI director</a>, saying the fact Trump had been hit by a bullet “was made clear in briefings my office received and should not be a point of contention.”“As head of the FBI, you should not be creating confusion about such matters, as it further undercuts the agency’s credibility with millions of Americans,” he wrote.Trump also lashed out at Wray in a post on his Truth Social network, saying it was “No wonder the once storied FBI has lost the confidence of America!”“No, it was, unfortunately, a bullet that hit my ear, and hit it hard. There was no glass, there was no shrapnel,” he wrote.On Friday, he called Wray’s comments “so damaging to the Great People that work in the FBI.”Jackson has faced significant scrutiny over the years.After administering a physical to Trump in 2018, he drew headlines for suggesting that “if he had a healthier diet over the last 20 years, he might live to be 200 years old.”He was reportedly demoted by the Navy after the Department of Defense inspector general&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ronny-jackson-barack-obama-682860f2106b28065eb8e73353d00f93">released a scathing report on his conduct as a top White House physician</a>&nbsp;that found Jackson had made “sexual and denigrating” comments about a female subordinates and took prescription-strength sleeping medication that prompted worries from his colleagues about his ability to provide proper medical care.Trump appointed Wray in 2017 to replace the fired James Comey as director of the FBI. But the then-president swiftly soured on his hire as the bureau continued its investigation into the Russian election interference.Trump flirted openly with the idea of firing Wray as his term drew to a close, and he lashed out anew after the FBI executed a search warrant at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida to recover boxes of classified documents from his presidency.___ Colvin reported from New York.

Read the report: FBI, doctor confirm Trump struck by bullet during assassination attempt

JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for a drug-deal death in Kansas.

Last week, Judge Thomas J. Ryan sentenced 23-year-old Diego Alessandro Gomez of Kansas City, Kansas, to 16-years in prison for two counts of distributing fentanyl, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.

During the investigation, Gomez-Rodriguez possessed over 1600 fentanyl pills, according to the district attorney's office.

"We will continue to work hard with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable these individuals who are dealing death in our community,” according to District Attorney Steve Howe.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721483114192.png" alt="GOMEZ-RODRIGUEZ-photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>GOMEZ-RODRIGUEZ-photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for a drug-deal death in Kansas.Last week, Judge Thomas J. Ryan sentenced 23-year-old Diego Alessandro Gomez of Kansas City, Kansas, to 16-years in prison for two counts of distributing fentanyl, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.During the investigation, Gomez-Rodriguez possessed over 1600 fentanyl pills, according to the district attorney's office."We will continue to work hard with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable these individuals who are dealing death in our community,” according to District Attorney Steve Howe.

Kansas drug dealer caught with over 1,600 fentanyl pills

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Sixty people allege in new lawsuits filed in Missouri that they were abused as children by dozens of Catholic priests, nuns and others, and the man who now leads the Archdiocese of Omaha, Nebraska, is among the accused.

Five separate lawsuits seeking unspecified damages were filed this week in St. Louis and neighboring counties. All told, the lawsuits name 56 alleged abusers. The suits seek unspecified damages.

Among those named is Omaha Archbishop George Lucas. A lawsuit filed Wednesday in St. Louis County Circuit Court said the unnamed accuser was 16 when he met Lucas at the now-closed St. Louis Preparatory Seminary in the late 1980s, where Lucas was a priest and dean of education. The lawsuit accused Lucas of sexually abusing the boy multiple times and offering better grades for sexual favors.

Lucas, in a statement on Thursday, strongly defended himself.

“I categorically deny the accusation made by an anonymous person,” Lucas said. “I have never had sexual contact with another person. I referred the matter to the apostolic nuncio, Pope Francis' representative in Washington, D.C., for his guidance.”

The lawsuits allege abuse dating as far back as the 1940s, and as recent as 2015. David Clohessy of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, said at least 10 of the alleged abusers are still alive, and he expressed concern that they could abuse again. Some of those named have previously been convicted of crimes or named in previous civil cases.

In one case, a lawsuit alleges that both a priest and a nun sexually abused a girl with an intellectual disability from 1999 through 2002, when she was 8-12 years old. The lawsuit said the priest threatened to kill the girl if she resisted. When she went to another school from 2002 through 2004, she was abused by another priest, the lawsuit said.

The lawsuits also name the Archdiocese of St. Louis and its current archbishop, Mitchell T. Rozanski, alleging that St. Louis church leaders have “known of the sexual abuse perpetrated upon its young parishioners and children in the community” without stopping it.

“This shameless cover-up spanned decades and allowed various clergy and other employees to access and sexually abuse numerous children,” the lawsuits state.

Messages were left with the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722008456761.png" alt="&nbsp;Archbishop George Lucas photo courtesy -Archdiocese of Omaha" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Archbishop George Lucas photo courtesy -Archdiocese of Omaha</figcaption>
 </figure>ST. LOUIS (AP) — Sixty people allege in new lawsuits filed in Missouri that they were abused as children by dozens of Catholic priests, nuns and others, and the man who now leads the Archdiocese of Omaha, Nebraska, is among the accused.Five separate lawsuits seeking unspecified damages were filed this week in St. Louis and neighboring counties. All told, the lawsuits name 56 alleged abusers. The suits seek unspecified damages.Among those named is Omaha Archbishop George Lucas. A lawsuit filed Wednesday in St. Louis County Circuit Court said the unnamed accuser was 16 when he met Lucas at the now-closed St. Louis Preparatory Seminary in the late 1980s, where Lucas was a priest and dean of education. The lawsuit accused Lucas of sexually abusing the boy multiple times and offering better grades for sexual favors.Lucas, in a statement on Thursday, strongly defended himself.“I categorically deny the accusation made by an anonymous person,” Lucas said. “I have never had sexual contact with another person. I referred the matter to the apostolic nuncio, Pope Francis' representative in Washington, D.C., for his guidance.”The lawsuits allege abuse dating as far back as the 1940s, and as recent as 2015. David Clohessy of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, said at least 10 of the alleged abusers are still alive, and he expressed concern that they could abuse again. Some of those named have previously been convicted of crimes or named in previous civil cases.In one case, a lawsuit alleges that both a priest and a nun sexually abused a girl with an intellectual disability from 1999 through 2002, when she was 8-12 years old. The lawsuit said the priest threatened to kill the girl if she resisted. When she went to another school from 2002 through 2004, she was abused by another priest, the lawsuit said.The lawsuits also name the Archdiocese of St. Louis and its current archbishop, Mitchell T. Rozanski, alleging that St. Louis church leaders have “known of the sexual abuse perpetrated upon its young parishioners and children in the community” without stopping it.“This shameless cover-up spanned decades and allowed various clergy and other employees to access and sexually abuse numerous children,” the lawsuits state.Messages were left with the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

New lawsuits allege abuse by Catholic priests, nuns

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Police investigating a fire at a home in Topeka have made an arrest.

Just before 7 a.m. Wednesday, crews responded to a reported house fire at 1305 SW Western Avenue in Topeka, according to spokesperson Rosie Nichols. Firefighters found smoke coming from the home and fire in the basement. Crews were able to extinguish the fire and no occupants were located in the house. No injuries have been reported.

A TFD Investigation Unit responded to this fire and later determined it was intentionally set.&nbsp; As result of the investigation, Michael W. Raines, 27, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on a requested charge of Aggravated Arson.

Authorities did not release a damage estimate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721990499470.png" alt="Raines-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Raines-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Police investigating a fire at a home in Topeka have made an arrest.Just before 7 a.m. Wednesday, crews responded to a reported house fire at 1305 SW Western Avenue in Topeka, according to spokesperson Rosie Nichols. Firefighters found smoke coming from the home and fire in the basement. Crews were able to extinguish the fire and no occupants were located in the house. No injuries have been reported.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721846734905.png" alt="Photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>A TFD Investigation Unit responded to this fire and later determined it was intentionally set.&nbsp; As result of the investigation, Michael W. Raines, 27, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on a requested charge of Aggravated Arson.Authorities did not release a damage estimate.

Man jailed for starting fire in basement of Kansas home

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator from Missouri Josh Hawley reported Thursday in a letter to Homeland Security Director Alejando Mayorkas,&nbsp; the night before the Butler, Pennsylvania Trump campaign rally, U.S. Secret Service repeatedly denied offers from a local law enforcement partner to utilize drone technology to secure the rally.

As Homeland Security Secretary, Mayorkas is responsible for the Secret Service.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720972888448.png" alt="Photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator from Missouri Josh Hawley reported Thursday in a letter to Homeland Security Director Alejando Mayorkas,&nbsp; the night before the Butler, Pennsylvania Trump campaign rally, U.S. Secret Service repeatedly denied offers from a local law enforcement partner to utilize drone technology to secure the rally.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721930168996.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>As Homeland Security Secretary, Mayorkas is responsible for the Secret Service.

U.S. Senator: Secret Service declined use of drones before Trump rally

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A 15-year-old who was among those charged with opening fire during the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl rally has been sentenced to a state facility for youths.

“That is not who I am,” the teen, who was referred to as R.G. in court documents, said at Thursday's hearing. He described himself as a good kid before he became associated with a group of peers involved in the&nbsp;Feb. 14 shooting, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;reported.

The host of a local radio program was killed, 25 were wounded and 69 others sustained other injuries, such as broken bones and dislocated joints, as they fled, Kansas City police detective Grant Spiking testified.

Jackson County prosecutors have alleged that the shooting was set off during an altercation between two groups.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-celebration-shooting-charges-7cb29dc9956d325103df9bf766a0c407">Lyndell Mays,</a>&nbsp;one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-parade-shooting-charges-385a15abbd03f1926b6ec11bb88ce79c">three</a>&nbsp;men facing a murder charge in the death of Lisa Lopez Galvan, is accused of being the first person to start firing.

After that, R.G. began to shoot toward Mays and hit another person in his own group, Dominic Miller, who also is charged with murder, said Spiking.

“You made some bad choices, but that doesn’t make you a bad person, it doesn’t make you a bad kid,” Jackson County Family Court Administrative Judge Jennifer Phillips said during a proceeding similar to a sentencing hearing in adult court.

A commitment at a state Department of Youth Services facility typically lasts 9 to 12 months, a deputy juvenile officer with Jackson County Circuit Court said.

Earlier this month, Phillips accepted the teen’s admission that he committed the charge of unlawful use of a weapon by knowingly discharging or firing a firearm at a person.

The Jackson County Juvenile Officer’s office, which oversees youth cases, dismissed a second charge, armed criminal action, and agreed to not go through the certification process that could see his case sent to adult court.

Jon Bailey, the teen’s attorney, requested he be released on an intensive supervision program and house arrest with a condition of no social media use.

“Our house is not a home without him,” the teen’s mother told Phillips.

But an attorney representing the juvenile office argued that time in the youth facility would help separate him from any negative peer influences.

Two other teens have been charged in the shooting. Phillips ruled last month that one of them will not face prosecution as an adult, and the other one was detained on gun-related charges that don't rise to the level of being tried as an adult.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722013030519.png" alt="<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-celebration-shooting-charges-7cb29dc9956d325103df9bf766a0c407">Lyndell Mays,</a>&nbsp;one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-parade-shooting-charges-385a15abbd03f1926b6ec11bb88ce79c">three</a>&nbsp;men facing a murder charge in the death of Lisa Lopez Galvan, is accused of being the first person to start firing. Photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption><a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-celebration-shooting-charges-7cb29dc9956d325103df9bf766a0c407">Lyndell Mays,</a>&nbsp;one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-parade-shooting-charges-385a15abbd03f1926b6ec11bb88ce79c">three</a>&nbsp;men facing a murder charge in the death of Lisa Lopez Galvan, is accused of being the first person to start firing. Photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A 15-year-old who was among those charged with opening fire during the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl rally has been sentenced to a state facility for youths.“That is not who I am,” the teen, who was referred to as R.G. in court documents, said at Thursday's hearing. He described himself as a good kid before he became associated with a group of peers involved in the&nbsp;Feb. 14 shooting, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;reported.The host of a local radio program was killed, 25 were wounded and 69 others sustained other injuries, such as broken bones and dislocated joints, as they fled, Kansas City police detective Grant Spiking testified.Jackson County prosecutors have alleged that the shooting was set off during an altercation between two groups.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-celebration-shooting-charges-7cb29dc9956d325103df9bf766a0c407">Lyndell Mays,</a>&nbsp;one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-parade-shooting-charges-385a15abbd03f1926b6ec11bb88ce79c">three</a>&nbsp;men facing a murder charge in the death of Lisa Lopez Galvan, is accused of being the first person to start firing.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708018810884.jpeg" alt="Emergency medical technicians walk around the scene after the shooting following the Kansas City Chiefs victory parade in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024.&nbsp; (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)." />
 <figcaption>Emergency medical technicians walk around the scene after the shooting following the Kansas City Chiefs victory parade in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024.&nbsp; (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel).</figcaption>
 </figure>After that, R.G. began to shoot toward Mays and hit another person in his own group, Dominic Miller, who also is charged with murder, said Spiking.“You made some bad choices, but that doesn’t make you a bad person, it doesn’t make you a bad kid,” Jackson County Family Court Administrative Judge Jennifer Phillips said during a proceeding similar to a sentencing hearing in adult court.A commitment at a state Department of Youth Services facility typically lasts 9 to 12 months, a deputy juvenile officer with Jackson County Circuit Court said.Earlier this month, Phillips accepted the teen’s admission that he committed the charge of unlawful use of a weapon by knowingly discharging or firing a firearm at a person.The Jackson County Juvenile Officer’s office, which oversees youth cases, dismissed a second charge, armed criminal action, and agreed to not go through the certification process that could see his case sent to adult court.Jon Bailey, the teen’s attorney, requested he be released on an intensive supervision program and house arrest with a condition of no social media use.“Our house is not a home without him,” the teen’s mother told Phillips.But an attorney representing the juvenile office argued that time in the youth facility would help separate him from any negative peer influences.Two other teens have been charged in the shooting. Phillips ruled last month that one of them will not face prosecution as an adult, and the other one was detained on gun-related charges that don't rise to the level of being tried as an adult.

15-year-old sentenced for role in Chiefs Super Bowl rally shooting

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials Friday announced a recall of some Boar's Head liverwurst and deli meats as they investigate a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/listeria-deli-meat-cdc-deaths-916ee047b0df234d860afc406928ee86">listeria outbreak</a>&nbsp;that has sickened nearly three dozen people and caused two deaths.

Boar’s Head Provisions Co. recalled its liverwurst because it may be tainted with the listeria bacteria, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/boars-head-provisions-co--recalls-ready-eat-liverwurst-and-other-deli-meat-products">U.S. Agriculture Department</a>&nbsp;said. The company is also recalling deli-sliced meats made at a Virginia plant on the same line on the same day as the liverwurst and shipped nationwide.

The USDA said a sample of Boar's Head liverwurst from a Maryland store tested positive for listeria. The sample was from an unopened package, collected by health officials as part of an investigation into the listeria outbreak.

Testing is underway to determine if the liverwurst sample is connected to the outbreak, health officials said.

The company did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment.

The listeria outbreak was first reported last week. Since late May, 34 people were sickened across 13 states, with all but one hospitalized. Two people died — in Illinois and New Jersey. It can take weeks for symptoms to develop symptoms so there may be more cases, officials said.

People most commonly reported eating deli-sliced turkey, liverwurst and ham, officials said.

Listeria can contaminate food and sicken people who eat it. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, nausea and diarrhea. It can be treated with antibiotics, but it is especially dangerous to pregnant women, newborns, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.

An estimated 1,600 people get listeria food poisoning each year and about 260 die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Boar's Head recall of over 200,000 pounds applies to meats sliced at a deli counter, not prepackaged meats. It includes a number of multi-pound packages stamped with an Aug. 10 sell-by date, including bologna, garlic bologna, beef bologna, beef salami, Italian Cappy-style ham and Extra Hot Italian Cappy-style ham. Also included is Steakhouse Roasted Bacon Heat and Eat, with a sell-by date of Aug. 15.

Consumers who might still have the recalled meats shouldn't eat them, and officials said they should thoroughly clean their refrigerators to prevent contamination of other foods.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721435735887.png" alt="FILE - This 2002 electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a Listeria monocytogenes bacterium, responsible for the food borne illness listeriosis. (Elizabeth White/CDC via AP, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - This 2002 electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a Listeria monocytogenes bacterium, responsible for the food borne illness listeriosis. (Elizabeth White/CDC via AP, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials Friday announced a recall of some Boar's Head liverwurst and deli meats as they investigate a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/listeria-deli-meat-cdc-deaths-916ee047b0df234d860afc406928ee86">listeria outbreak</a>&nbsp;that has sickened nearly three dozen people and caused two deaths.Boar’s Head Provisions Co. recalled its liverwurst because it may be tainted with the listeria bacteria, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/boars-head-provisions-co--recalls-ready-eat-liverwurst-and-other-deli-meat-products">U.S. Agriculture Department</a>&nbsp;said. The company is also recalling deli-sliced meats made at a Virginia plant on the same line on the same day as the liverwurst and shipped nationwide.The USDA said a sample of Boar's Head liverwurst from a Maryland store tested positive for listeria. The sample was from an unopened package, collected by health officials as part of an investigation into the listeria outbreak.Testing is underway to determine if the liverwurst sample is connected to the outbreak, health officials said.The company did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment.The listeria outbreak was first reported last week. Since late May, 34 people were sickened across 13 states, with all but one hospitalized. Two people died — in Illinois and New Jersey. It can take weeks for symptoms to develop symptoms so there may be more cases, officials said.People most commonly reported eating deli-sliced turkey, liverwurst and ham, officials said.Listeria can contaminate food and sicken people who eat it. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, nausea and diarrhea. It can be treated with antibiotics, but it is especially dangerous to pregnant women, newborns, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.An estimated 1,600 people get listeria food poisoning each year and about 260 die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The Boar's Head recall of over 200,000 pounds applies to meats sliced at a deli counter, not prepackaged meats. It includes a number of multi-pound packages stamped with an Aug. 10 sell-by date, including bologna, garlic bologna, beef bologna, beef salami, Italian Cappy-style ham and Extra Hot Italian Cappy-style ham. Also included is Steakhouse Roasted Bacon Heat and Eat, with a sell-by date of Aug. 15.Consumers who might still have the recalled meats shouldn't eat them, and officials said they should thoroughly clean their refrigerators to prevent contamination of other foods.___

Boar's Head deli meats recalled after listeria outbreak

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Former Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs has been convicted on two counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty charges.

Tuscaloosa County District Judge Joanne Jannik sentenced Buggs on July 19 to a year of hard labor, ordering him to serve 60 days. The rest would be suspended for two years “pending the behavior of the defendant."

Buggs, 27, also is not allowed to have or be around firearms or own dogs or cats.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-isaiah-buggs-d71c6729be0990dabe0ef0055d7cf03d">Chiefs released the former Alabama player</a>&nbsp;on June 24, eight days after his second recent arrest in Alabama. He was arrested on a charge of domestic violence/burglary and released on a $5,000 bond, according to records from the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.

The run-stuffing tackle out of Alabama played three seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers before spending the past two with the Detroit Lions. He has started 23 games and appeared in 56 in his career, with 89 tackles and two sacks. He had signed a $1,292,500 contract with Kansas City for the upcoming season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718575977539.png" alt="Buggs photo Tuscaloosa County Jail" />
 <figcaption>Buggs photo Tuscaloosa County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Former Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs has been convicted on two counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty charges.Tuscaloosa County District Judge Joanne Jannik sentenced Buggs on July 19 to a year of hard labor, ordering him to serve 60 days. The rest would be suspended for two years “pending the behavior of the defendant."Buggs, 27, also is not allowed to have or be around firearms or own dogs or cats.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-isaiah-buggs-d71c6729be0990dabe0ef0055d7cf03d">Chiefs released the former Alabama player</a>&nbsp;on June 24, eight days after his second recent arrest in Alabama. He was arrested on a charge of domestic violence/burglary and released on a $5,000 bond, according to records from the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.The run-stuffing tackle out of Alabama played three seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers before spending the past two with the Detroit Lions. He has started 23 games and appeared in 56 in his career, with 89 tackles and two sacks. He had signed a $1,292,500 contract with Kansas City for the upcoming season.___

Former Chiefs lineman sentenced to hard labor for animal cruelty 

KANSAS CITY —Firefighters helped two residents escape from a house fire in Kansas City.

Just after 8p.m. Thursday, crews responded to a reported house fire in the 300 block of Wheeling in Kansas City, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.&nbsp;

First responders reported heavy fire from a two-story home. Upon making entry to the structure crews encountered one occupant who is wheelchair bound. They assisted the individual out of the structure and to the EMS sector for evaluation. She was treated on scene and released. 

A second occupant was found in the rear of the structure near the stairs. She was also assisted out of the structure. Both victims were uninjured. The fire was quickly brought under control. The cause of the fire is under investigation by KCFD. Red Cross will be ordered for five adults.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721990668977.png" alt="Photo KC Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photo KC Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Firefighters helped two residents escape from a house fire in Kansas City.Just after 8p.m. Thursday, crews responded to a reported house fire in the 300 block of Wheeling in Kansas City, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721990633359.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>First responders reported heavy fire from a two-story home. Upon making entry to the structure crews encountered one occupant who is wheelchair bound. They assisted the individual out of the structure and to the EMS sector for evaluation. She was treated on scene and released. A second occupant was found in the rear of the structure near the stairs. She was also assisted out of the structure. Both victims were uninjured. The fire was quickly brought under control. The cause of the fire is under investigation by KCFD. Red Cross will be ordered for five adults.

Kansas City firefighters help two escape house fire

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris told reporters on Thursday that she’s “ready to debate Donald Trump.”

She accused him of “backpedaling” away from a previous agreement for a debate hosted by ABC News on Sept. 10.

“I think the voters deserve to see the split screen that exists in this race on the debate stage,” she said after landing at Joint Base Andrews following a trip to Indiana and Texas.

The Sept. 10 debate was one of two debates that President Joe Biden and Trump had agreed on. The first one was hosted by CNN on June 27, but Biden has since dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris as his successor.

Trump has said he would prefer to shift the debate to Fox News, but he would be willing to face off with Harris more than once.

Harris did not respond to a question about having Fox News host a debate.

Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement late Thursday that debate arrangements “cannot be finalized until Democrats formally decide on their nominee.”

"Democrats very well could still change their minds,” Cheung said.

Alex Conant, a Republican consultant, said the debate could be “decisive.” “It’s the only time voters really tune in," he said.

This year's campaign has already shown the potential power of a debate. Biden's disastrous performance on June 27 revived concerns that he was too old for a second term. His support within the Democratic Party crumbled, and he ended his reelection bid on Sunday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris told reporters on Thursday that she’s “ready to debate Donald Trump.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Vice President <a href="https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KamalaHarris</a>: &quot;I&#39;m ready to debate Donald Trump.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/bOjQWqKpmi">pic.twitter.com/bOjQWqKpmi</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1816636005304144266?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>She accused him of “backpedaling” away from a previous agreement for a debate hosted by ABC News on Sept. 10.“I think the voters deserve to see the split screen that exists in this race on the debate stage,” she said after landing at Joint Base Andrews following a trip to Indiana and Texas.The Sept. 10 debate was one of two debates that President Joe Biden and Trump had agreed on. The first one was hosted by CNN on June 27, but Biden has since dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris as his successor.Trump has said he would prefer to shift the debate to Fox News, but he would be willing to face off with Harris more than once.Harris did not respond to a question about having Fox News host a debate.Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement late Thursday that debate arrangements “cannot be finalized until Democrats formally decide on their nominee.”"Democrats very well could still change their minds,” Cheung said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Earlier this week, Michelle and I called our friend <a href="https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KamalaHarris</a>. We told her we think she’ll make a fantastic President of the United States, and that she has our full support. At this critical moment for our country, we’re going to do everything we can to make sure she wins in… <a href="https://t.co/0UIS0doIbA">pic.twitter.com/0UIS0doIbA</a>&mdash; Barack Obama (@BarackObama) <a href="https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/1816760809193677069?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Alex Conant, a Republican consultant, said the debate could be “decisive.” “It’s the only time voters really tune in," he said.This year's campaign has already shown the potential power of a debate. Biden's disastrous performance on June 27 revived concerns that he was too old for a second term. His support within the Democratic Party crumbled, and he ended his reelection bid on Sunday.

🎥Harris, Trump campaigns disagree on when to debate

PARIS (AP) — Two out of four trains carrying Olympic athletes to Paris on the western Atlantique line were stopped, hours before the opening ceremony, affected by the coordinated sabotage on the tracks, an official from the French railway operator SNCF said Friday.

Franck Dubourdieu, head of the Atlantique line, could not say which athletes were halted from travel to Paris, or whether they would make it for the ceremony.

Speaking to press, Dubourdieu said that rail traffic was improving, but his line was one of the worst-hit by the vandals.

“On the Atlantic coast, we operate 250 trains a day. We had four trains with athletes and two of them were able to operate," he said. One train was canceled and authorities hope another will become operational

“The impact on the opening ceremony is very, very” small, he added.

Attackers struck in several spots including west of Paris, at Arrou in the Eure-et-Loir on the Atlantique line to Paris.

PARIS (AP) — France's high-speed rail network was hit Friday with widespread and “criminal” acts of vandalism including arson attacks, paralyzing travel to Paris from across the rest of France and Europe only hours before the grand opening ceremony of the Olympics.

French officials described the attacks as “criminal actions" and said they were investigating whether they were linked to the Olympic Games. The disruptions as the world's eye was turning to Paris were expected to affect a quarter of a million people on Friday and endure through the weekend, and possibly longer, officials said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721988429913.jpeg" alt="Traveler wait inside the Gare du Nord train station at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Paris, France. Hours away from the grand opening ceremony of the Olympics, high-speed rail traffic to the French capital was severely disrupted on Friday by what officials described as "criminal actions" and sabotage. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)" />
 <figcaption>Traveler wait inside the Gare du Nord train station at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Paris, France. Hours away from the grand opening ceremony of the Olympics, high-speed rail traffic to the French capital was severely disrupted on Friday by what officials described as "criminal actions" and sabotage. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)</figcaption>
 </figure>PARIS (AP) — Two out of four trains carrying Olympic athletes to Paris on the western Atlantique line were stopped, hours before the opening ceremony, affected by the coordinated sabotage on the tracks, an official from the French railway operator SNCF said Friday.Franck Dubourdieu, head of the Atlantique line, could not say which athletes were halted from travel to Paris, or whether they would make it for the ceremony.Speaking to press, Dubourdieu said that rail traffic was improving, but his line was one of the worst-hit by the vandals.“On the Atlantic coast, we operate 250 trains a day. We had four trains with athletes and two of them were able to operate," he said. One train was canceled and authorities hope another will become operational“The impact on the opening ceremony is very, very” small, he added.Attackers struck in several spots including west of Paris, at Arrou in the Eure-et-Loir on the Atlantique line to Paris.-------------PARIS (AP) — France's high-speed rail network was hit Friday with widespread and “criminal” acts of vandalism including arson attacks, paralyzing travel to Paris from across the rest of France and Europe only hours before the grand opening ceremony of the Olympics.French officials described the attacks as “criminal actions" and said they were investigating whether they were linked to the Olympic Games. The disruptions as the world's eye was turning to Paris were expected to affect a quarter of a million people on Friday and endure through the weekend, and possibly longer, officials said.French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal wrote on the social media platform X that France's intelligence services have been mobilized to find the perpetrators.Attal characterized them as “acts of sabotage,” which were “prepared and coordinated.”There were no known reports of injuries.Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete described people fleeing from the scene of fires and the discovery of incendiary devices. “Everything indicates that these are criminal fires,” he said.The incidents paralyzed several high-speed lines linking Paris to the rest of France and to neighboring countries, Vergriete said, speaking on BFM television, Vergriete.The French national rail company SNCF said that areas affecting rail track intersections were intentionally targeted by the arsonists in the overnight attacks to double the impact.“For one fire, two destinations were hit,” the company's CEO, Jean-Pierre Farandou.It was “a premeditated, calculated, coordinated attack" that indicates "a desire to seriously harm” the French people, Farandou said.The attack occurred against a backdrop of global tensions and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paris-olympics-security-river-seine-f649b5e3cf086da3b2b5c6e02d29501c">heightened security measures</a>&nbsp;as the city prepared for the 2024 Olympic Games. Many travelers were planning to converge on the capital for the opening ceremony, and many vacationers were also in transit.As Paris authorities geared up for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-paris-innovations-opening-ceremony-cad9eda58cc0c4c86e4a7a61519062c7">a spectacular parade</a>&nbsp;on and along the Seine River, three fires were reported near the tracks on the high-speed lines of Atlantique, Nord and Est. The disruptions particularly affected Paris’ major Montparnasse station, where the station's hall was full of travelers.The Paris police prefecture “concentrated its personnel in Parisian train stations” after the “massive attack” that paralyzed the TGV high-speed network, Laurent Nuñez, the Paris police chief, told France Info television.Many passengers at the Gare du Nord, one of Europe’s busiest train stations, were looking for answers and solutions on Friday morning. All eyes were on the central message boards as most services to northern France, Belgium and the United Kingdom were delayed.“It’s a hell of a way to start the Olympics,” said Sarah Moseley, 42, as she learned that her train to London was an hour late.“They should have more information for tourists, especially if it’s a malicious attack,” said Corey Grainger, a 37-year-old Australian sales manager on his way to London, as he rested on his two suitcases in the middle of the station.Government officials denounced the acts, though they said there was no immediate sign of a direct link to the Olympics. National police said authorities were investigating the incidents. French media reported a major fire on a busy western route.Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castera said authorities were working to “evaluate the impact on travelers, athletes, and ensure the transport of all delegations to the competition sites” for the Olympics. Speaking on BFM television, she added, “Playing against the Games is playing against France, against your own camp, against your country.” She did not identify who was behind the vandalism.Passengers at St. Pancras station in London were warned to expect delays of around an hour to their Eurostar journeys. Announcements in the departure hall at the international terminus informed travelers heading to Paris that there was a problem with overhead power supplies.SNCF said it did not know when traffic would resume and feared that disruptions would continue “at least all weekend.” SNCF teams “were already on site to carry out diagnostics and begin repairs,” but the “situation should last at least all weekend while the repairs are carried out,” the operator said. SNCF advised “all passengers to postpone their journey and not to go to the station,” specifying in its press release that all tickets were exchangeable and refundable.Valerie Pecresse, president of the regional council of the greater Paris region, speaking from Montparnasse station, said “250,000 travelers will be affected today on all these lines.” Substitution plans were underway, but Pecresse advised travelers “not to go to stations.”The troubles comes ahead of an opening ceremony has been planned for later Friday in which 7,000 Olympic athletes are due to sail down the Seine past iconic Parisian monuments such as Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Louvre Museum, and the Musee d’Orsay.