BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a>

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Tuesday touted his administration’s efforts to reduce gun violence as the second anniversary of bipartisan gun safety legislation he signed into law approaches.

(click below to watch the President's comments)

“Never give up on hope,” Biden said during an annual conference hosted by the advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety.

The speech came hours after the president’s son Hunter Biden was&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-gun-trial-federal-charges-delaware-5dd8a9380235c6360a1ddb691ef24a06">found guilty</a>&nbsp;in a federal court in Delaware of lying on paperwork related to purchasing a gun and unlawfully possessing that gun, according to media reports.

The federal jury found Hunter Biden, who has struggled with drug addiction, guilty on three related felony charges: lying to a licensed gun dealer, falsely stating on an application for a gun that he was not using drugs and for unlawfully having the gun for 11 days.

He could face up to 25 years in prison, though as a first-time offender his sentence is expected to be much less severe.

The president has avoided publicly commenting on his son’s case and he did not mention the verdict in his speech.

Shortly after Biden began his speech, he was interrupted by a protester who accused the president of being “complicit” in the high death toll of the Israel-Hamas war that&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gaza-death-toll-how-many-palestinians-has-israels-campaign-killed-2024-05-14/">has killed 35,000 Palestinians</a>&nbsp;since Oct. 7, according to the Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip run by the Hamas-controlled government. An agreement over a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-urges-hamas-accept-new-israeli-ceasefire-plan-intended-end-war">U.S. backed cease-fire deal</a>&nbsp;remains elusive.

The crowd immediately drowned out the protester. A group of protesters was removed, according to a White House pool report.

“That’s alright,” he said. “Folks, it’s ok, look they care, innocent children have been lost, they make a point.”

Biden went back to his speech, and thanked the gun safety advocates and survivors “who have turned their pain” into advocacy.

“You’ve helped power a movement,” Biden said.

The gun safety law Biden&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2022/06/24/congress-sends-biden-historic-gun-safety-legislation-with-gop-support/">signed</a>&nbsp;in 2022 was the most comprehensive federal gun safety legislation in nearly 30 years. It stemmed from two deadly mass shootings less than two weeks apart in 2022.

One was at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 children and two teachers were murdered, making it the second-deadliest mass shooting since the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in 2012.

The other was in Buffalo, New York, where a white supremacist targeted a Black neighborhood and killed 10 Black people in a grocery store.

The 2022 law provided $750 million for states to enact “red flag laws,” which allow the courts to temporarily remove a firearm from an individual who is a threat to themselves or others as well as $11 billion in mental health services for schools and families. The law cracked down on straw purchases, illegal transactions in which a buyer acquires a gun for someone else.

The bill also requires those who are under 21 and want to purchase a firearm to undergo a background check that takes into account a review of juvenile and mental health records. It also led to the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/biden-administration-to-create-new-gun-violence-prevention-office/">creation</a>&nbsp;of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention.

The Justice Department also announced Tuesday it has charged more than 500 people under provisions of the gun safety law to “target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.”

The statutes “directly prohibit straw purchasing and firearms trafficking and significantly enhance the penalties for those crimes, providing for up to 15 years in prison,” according to the Justice Department.

“Criminals rely on illegal gun traffickers and straw purchasers to obtain the weapons they use to harm our communities,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.

Biden acknowledged that more needs to be done on gun safety legislation and he called on Congress to ban assault weapons and require universal background checks and safe storage of firearms. In a divided Congress, any gun-related legislation is unlikely to pass.

The last time Congress passed major gun legislation was 1994, when then-President Bill Clinton signed a ban on assault weapons that spanned 10 years. When it expired, Congress did not renew the ban.

Biden also took a jab at his rival, former President Donald J. Trump, and said that he won’t tell people to “get over” a mass shooting.

After a school shooting in Perry, Iowa, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee said during a campaign speech in Sioux City, Iowa, that while the school shooting that left two dead – an 11-year-old student and the principal – was a “terrible thing that happened,” his&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.msnbc.com/top-stories/latest/trump-iowa-school-shooting-get-over-it-rcna132642">advice</a>&nbsp;was to “get over it. We have to move forward.”

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a>WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Tuesday touted his administration’s efforts to reduce gun violence as the second anniversary of bipartisan gun safety legislation he signed into law approaches.(click below to watch the President's comments)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F1020357619757302%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=207" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>“Never give up on hope,” Biden said during an annual conference hosted by the advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety.The speech came hours after the president’s son Hunter Biden was&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-gun-trial-federal-charges-delaware-5dd8a9380235c6360a1ddb691ef24a06">found guilty</a>&nbsp;in a federal court in Delaware of lying on paperwork related to purchasing a gun and unlawfully possessing that gun, according to media reports.The federal jury found Hunter Biden, who has struggled with drug addiction, guilty on three related felony charges: lying to a licensed gun dealer, falsely stating on an application for a gun that he was not using drugs and for unlawfully having the gun for 11 days.He could face up to 25 years in prison, though as a first-time offender his sentence is expected to be much less severe.The president has avoided publicly commenting on his son’s case and he did not mention the verdict in his speech.<h2>Gaza protest</h2>Shortly after Biden began his speech, he was interrupted by a protester who accused the president of being “complicit” in the high death toll of the Israel-Hamas war that&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gaza-death-toll-how-many-palestinians-has-israels-campaign-killed-2024-05-14/">has killed 35,000 Palestinians</a>&nbsp;since Oct. 7, according to the Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip run by the Hamas-controlled government. An agreement over a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-urges-hamas-accept-new-israeli-ceasefire-plan-intended-end-war">U.S. backed cease-fire deal</a>&nbsp;remains elusive.The crowd immediately drowned out the protester. A group of protesters was removed, according to a White House pool report.Biden tried to calm the crowd.“That’s alright,” he said. “Folks, it’s ok, look they care, innocent children have been lost, they make a point.”<h2>Law nears second anniversary</h2>Biden went back to his speech, and thanked the gun safety advocates and survivors “who have turned their pain” into advocacy.“You’ve helped power a movement,” Biden said.The gun safety law Biden&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2022/06/24/congress-sends-biden-historic-gun-safety-legislation-with-gop-support/">signed</a>&nbsp;in 2022 was the most comprehensive federal gun safety legislation in nearly 30 years. It stemmed from two deadly mass shootings less than two weeks apart in 2022.One was at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 children and two teachers were murdered, making it the second-deadliest mass shooting since the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in 2012.The other was in Buffalo, New York, where a white supremacist targeted a Black neighborhood and killed 10 Black people in a grocery store.The 2022 law provided $750 million for states to enact “red flag laws,” which allow the courts to temporarily remove a firearm from an individual who is a threat to themselves or others as well as $11 billion in mental health services for schools and families. The law cracked down on straw purchases, illegal transactions in which a buyer acquires a gun for someone else.The bill also requires those who are under 21 and want to purchase a firearm to undergo a background check that takes into account a review of juvenile and mental health records. It also led to the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/biden-administration-to-create-new-gun-violence-prevention-office/">creation</a>&nbsp;of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention.The Justice Department also announced Tuesday it has charged more than 500 people under provisions of the gun safety law to “target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.”The statutes “directly prohibit straw purchasing and firearms trafficking and significantly enhance the penalties for those crimes, providing for up to 15 years in prison,” according to the Justice Department.“Criminals rely on illegal gun traffickers and straw purchasers to obtain the weapons they use to harm our communities,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.<h2>More work to do</h2>Biden acknowledged that more needs to be done on gun safety legislation and he called on Congress to ban assault weapons and require universal background checks and safe storage of firearms. In a divided Congress, any gun-related legislation is unlikely to pass.The last time Congress passed major gun legislation was 1994, when then-President Bill Clinton signed a ban on assault weapons that spanned 10 years. When it expired, Congress did not renew the ban.Biden also took a jab at his rival, former President Donald J. Trump, and said that he won’t tell people to “get over” a mass shooting.After a school shooting in Perry, Iowa, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee said during a campaign speech in Sioux City, Iowa, that while the school shooting that left two dead – an 11-year-old student and the principal – was a “terrible thing that happened,” his&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.msnbc.com/top-stories/latest/trump-iowa-school-shooting-get-over-it-rcna132642">advice</a>&nbsp;was to “get over it. We have to move forward.”

🎥Biden touts gun safety record to advocates, as son found guilty on felony charges

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — A fleet of Russian warships reached Cuban waters on Wednesday ahead of planned military exercises in the Caribbean in what some see as a projection of strength as tensions grow over Western support for Ukraine.

Three ships slowly crossed the mouth of the Havana Bay accompanied by small boats that guided them through the narrow channel. The flagship frigate, adorned with the Russian and Cuban flags, was greeted by 21 cannon salutes. Sailors in dress uniform stood in military formation as they approached the island.

A nuclear-powered submarine was expected to arrive behind them.

The U.S. military expects the exercises will involve a handful of Russian ships and support vessels, which may also stop in Venezuela.

Russia is a longtime ally of Venezuela and Cuba, and its warships and aircraft have periodically made forays into the Caribbean. But this mission comes less than two weeks after President Joe Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/czechia-ukraine-russia-nato-blinken-441c9624d95f8193e99cf08effced44f">authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-provided weapons</a>&nbsp;to strike inside Russia to protect Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, prompting President Vladimir Putin to suggest his military could respond with “asymmetrical steps” elsewhere in the world.

“Most of all, the warships are a reminder to Washington that it is unpleasant when an adversary meddles in your near abroad,” said Benjamin Gedan, director of the Latin America Program at the Washington-based Wilson Center think tank, referring to the Western involvement in Russia’s war in Ukraine. “It also reminds Russia’s friends in the region, including U.S. antagonists Cuba and Venezuela, that Moscow is on their side.”

Although the fleet includes a nuclear-powered submarine, a senior U.S. administration official told The Associated Press that the intelligence community has determined no vessel is carrying nuclear weapons. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details that had not been announced publicly, said Russia’s deployments “pose no direct threat to the United States.”

U.S. officials last week said the Russian ships were expected to remain in the region through the summer.

Russian ships have occasionally docked in Havana since 2008, when a group of Russian vessels entered Cuban waters in what state media described as the first such visit in almost two decades. In 2015, a reconnaissance and communications ship arrived unannounced in Havana a day before the start of discussions between U.S. and Cuban officials on the reopening of diplomatic relations.

A State Department spokesperson told the AP that Russia’s port calls in Cuba are “routine naval visits,” while acknowledging its military exercises “have ratcheted up because of U.S. support to Ukraine and exercise activity in support of our NATO allies.”

On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov hosted his Cuban counterpart, Bruno Rodríguez, for talks in Moscow. Speaking to reporters after the talks, Lavrov thanked the Cuban authorities for their position on Ukraine.

“From the very beginning, Havana gave an assessment of what was happening outlining the absolutely correct, true reasons for what was unfolding (in Ukraine), and what was being prepared by the West for many years,” Lavrov said.

Russian military and defense doctrine holds Latin America and the Caribbean in an important position, with the sphere seen as under U.S. influence acting as a counterweight to Washington’s activities in Europe, said Ryan Berg, director of the Americas Program at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“While this is likely little more than provocation from Moscow, it sends a message about Russia’s ability to project power into the Western Hemisphere with the help of its allies, and it will certainly keep the U.S. military on high alert while they are in theater,” Berg said.

The timing of this year’s mission may serve Russia’s purposes, but it is also raising questions of whether Venezuela’s government may use it as an opportunity to shore up President Nicolás Maduro’s bid for a third term in the July 28 election.

Venezuela’s chief opposition coalition is threatening the ruling party’s decadeslong grip on power, and engineering a crisis built on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-guyana-essequibo-territory-dispute-maduro-referendum-d956cc4d5d2a70e3a1e762b744e397de">simmering tensions with Guyana</a>&nbsp;is among the scenarios that analysts believe Maduro’s government could use to delay or cancel the vote.

“It is almost unthinkable that Maduro will risk actually losing power,” said Evan Ellis, Latin America research professor with the U.S. Army War College.

“The most obvious alternative, consistent with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/guyana-venezuela-oil-dispute-essequibo-border-maduro-621435b792524e9732a6ccd01f06fb23">Venezuelan military’s recent moves</a>&nbsp;... is to fabricate an international crisis that would provide an excuse for ‘postponing’ Venezuela’s election,” he continued. “The presence of Russian warships in the vicinity would greatly add to the escalation risk of any such crisis that Maduro would fabricate, which is possibly the point.”

Venezuelan voters approved a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-guyana-essequibo-territory-dispute-maduro-referendum-90a4f0f962a83620903987a68a7d39b0">referendum in December to claim sovereignty</a>&nbsp;over the Essequibo territory, which accounts for two-thirds of Guyana and lies near big offshore oil deposits. Venezuela argues it was stolen when the border was drawn more than a century ago.

Guyana is awaiting a decision regarding Venezuela’s claim from the International Court of Justice, but Maduro’s government does not recognize its authority.

The U.S. supports Guyana in the ongoing dispute and assisted it with surveillance flights late last year when Venezuela had threatened to invade the country. Guyana’s government last month gave&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/guyana-venezuela-united-states-military-jets-eb7e858f1476dd51228853f1a21c4db5">permission for the U.S. military to fly</a>&nbsp;two powerful F/A-18F Super Hornet jets over its capital in a demonstration of close cooperation.

Guyana’s Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on June 6 acknowledged that the Russian fleet does not represent “a direct threat.”

“Nevertheless, we’re vigilant, and we’re keeping this issue firmly in our policy radar,” Jagdeo said in a press conference.

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — A fleet of Russian warships reached Cuban waters on Wednesday ahead of planned military exercises in the Caribbean in what some see as a projection of strength as tensions grow over Western support for Ukraine.Three ships slowly crossed the mouth of the Havana Bay accompanied by small boats that guided them through the narrow channel. The flagship frigate, adorned with the Russian and Cuban flags, was greeted by 21 cannon salutes. Sailors in dress uniform stood in military formation as they approached the island.A nuclear-powered submarine was expected to arrive behind them.The U.S. military expects the exercises will involve a handful of Russian ships and support vessels, which may also stop in Venezuela.Russia is a longtime ally of Venezuela and Cuba, and its warships and aircraft have periodically made forays into the Caribbean. But this mission comes less than two weeks after President Joe Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/czechia-ukraine-russia-nato-blinken-441c9624d95f8193e99cf08effced44f">authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-provided weapons</a>&nbsp;to strike inside Russia to protect Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, prompting President Vladimir Putin to suggest his military could respond with “asymmetrical steps” elsewhere in the world.“Most of all, the warships are a reminder to Washington that it is unpleasant when an adversary meddles in your near abroad,” said Benjamin Gedan, director of the Latin America Program at the Washington-based Wilson Center think tank, referring to the Western involvement in Russia’s war in Ukraine. “It also reminds Russia’s friends in the region, including U.S. antagonists Cuba and Venezuela, that Moscow is on their side.”Although the fleet includes a nuclear-powered submarine, a senior U.S. administration official told The Associated Press that the intelligence community has determined no vessel is carrying nuclear weapons. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details that had not been announced publicly, said Russia’s deployments “pose no direct threat to the United States.”U.S. officials last week said the Russian ships were expected to remain in the region through the summer.Russian ships have occasionally docked in Havana since 2008, when a group of Russian vessels entered Cuban waters in what state media described as the first such visit in almost two decades. In 2015, a reconnaissance and communications ship arrived unannounced in Havana a day before the start of discussions between U.S. and Cuban officials on the reopening of diplomatic relations.A State Department spokesperson told the AP that Russia’s port calls in Cuba are “routine naval visits,” while acknowledging its military exercises “have ratcheted up because of U.S. support to Ukraine and exercise activity in support of our NATO allies.”On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov hosted his Cuban counterpart, Bruno Rodríguez, for talks in Moscow. Speaking to reporters after the talks, Lavrov thanked the Cuban authorities for their position on Ukraine.“From the very beginning, Havana gave an assessment of what was happening outlining the absolutely correct, true reasons for what was unfolding (in Ukraine), and what was being prepared by the West for many years,” Lavrov said.Russian military and defense doctrine holds Latin America and the Caribbean in an important position, with the sphere seen as under U.S. influence acting as a counterweight to Washington’s activities in Europe, said Ryan Berg, director of the Americas Program at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.“While this is likely little more than provocation from Moscow, it sends a message about Russia’s ability to project power into the Western Hemisphere with the help of its allies, and it will certainly keep the U.S. military on high alert while they are in theater,” Berg said.The timing of this year’s mission may serve Russia’s purposes, but it is also raising questions of whether Venezuela’s government may use it as an opportunity to shore up President Nicolás Maduro’s bid for a third term in the July 28 election.Venezuela’s chief opposition coalition is threatening the ruling party’s decadeslong grip on power, and engineering a crisis built on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-guyana-essequibo-territory-dispute-maduro-referendum-d956cc4d5d2a70e3a1e762b744e397de">simmering tensions with Guyana</a>&nbsp;is among the scenarios that analysts believe Maduro’s government could use to delay or cancel the vote.“It is almost unthinkable that Maduro will risk actually losing power,” said Evan Ellis, Latin America research professor with the U.S. Army War College.“The most obvious alternative, consistent with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/guyana-venezuela-oil-dispute-essequibo-border-maduro-621435b792524e9732a6ccd01f06fb23">Venezuelan military’s recent moves</a>&nbsp;... is to fabricate an international crisis that would provide an excuse for ‘postponing’ Venezuela’s election,” he continued. “The presence of Russian warships in the vicinity would greatly add to the escalation risk of any such crisis that Maduro would fabricate, which is possibly the point.”Venezuelan voters approved a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-guyana-essequibo-territory-dispute-maduro-referendum-90a4f0f962a83620903987a68a7d39b0">referendum in December to claim sovereignty</a>&nbsp;over the Essequibo territory, which accounts for two-thirds of Guyana and lies near big offshore oil deposits. Venezuela argues it was stolen when the border was drawn more than a century ago.Guyana is awaiting a decision regarding Venezuela’s claim from the International Court of Justice, but Maduro’s government does not recognize its authority.The U.S. supports Guyana in the ongoing dispute and assisted it with surveillance flights late last year when Venezuela had threatened to invade the country. Guyana’s government last month gave&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/guyana-venezuela-united-states-military-jets-eb7e858f1476dd51228853f1a21c4db5">permission for the U.S. military to fly</a>&nbsp;two powerful F/A-18F Super Hornet jets over its capital in a demonstration of close cooperation.Guyana’s Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on June 6 acknowledged that the Russian fleet does not represent “a direct threat.”“Nevertheless, we’re vigilant, and we’re keeping this issue firmly in our policy radar,” Jagdeo said in a press conference.

Washington monitoring as Russian warships enter Havana harbor

LOS ANGELES (AP) —Jerry West, who was selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame three times in a storied career as a player and executive and whose silhouette is considered to be the basis of the NBA logo, died Wednesday morning, the Los Angeles Clippers announced.

West, nicknamed “Mr. Clutch” for his late-game exploits as a player, went into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1980 and again as a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic Team in 2010. He will be enshrined for a third time later this year as a contributor.

West was “the personification of basketball excellence and a friend to all who knew him,” the Clippers said in announcing his death. West’s wife, Karen, was by his side when he died, the Clippers said.

He was an All-Star in all 14 of his NBA seasons, a 12-time All-NBA selection, part of the 1972 Lakers team that won a championship, an NBA Finals MVP as part of a losing team in 1969 and was selected as part of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team.

West was general manager of eight NBA championship teams with the Los Angeles Lakers, helping build the “Showtime” dynasty. He also worked in the front offices of the Memphis Grizzlies, the Golden State Warriors and the Clippers. Among his many, many highlights as an executive with the Lakers: he drafted Magic Johnson and James Worthy, then brought in Kobe Bryant and eventually Shaquille O'Neal to play alongside Bryant.

Even in the final years of his life, West was considered basketball royalty. He routinely sat courtside at Summer League games in Las Vegas, often watching many games in a day while greeting long lines of players — LeBron James among them — who would approach to shake his hand and pay him respect.

“The game transcends many things,” West said while attending Summer League last year. “The players change, the style of play may change, but the respect that you learn in this game never changes.”

He's 25th on the NBA's all-time scoring list, and while the league has never confirmed that West was in fact the model for its logo — a player dribbling a ball, set against a red-and-blue background — the league has never said otherwise, either.

“While it’s never been officially declared that the logo is Jerry West,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in 2021, “it sure looks a lot like him.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718200112562.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) —Jerry West, who was selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame three times in a storied career as a player and executive and whose silhouette is considered to be the basis of the NBA logo, died Wednesday morning, the Los Angeles Clippers announced.He was 86.West, nicknamed “Mr. Clutch” for his late-game exploits as a player, went into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1980 and again as a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic Team in 2010. He will be enshrined for a third time later this year as a contributor.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718200754702.png" alt="His silhouette was the inspiration for the NBA logo" />
 <figcaption>His silhouette was the inspiration for the NBA logo</figcaption>
 </figure>West was “the personification of basketball excellence and a friend to all who knew him,” the Clippers said in announcing his death. West’s wife, Karen, was by his side when he died, the Clippers said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Honoring the legendary Jerry West <a href="https://t.co/vN9gzMPVMc">pic.twitter.com/vN9gzMPVMc</a>&mdash; Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/1800917552639746539?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>He was an All-Star in all 14 of his NBA seasons, a 12-time All-NBA selection, part of the 1972 Lakers team that won a championship, an NBA Finals MVP as part of a losing team in 1969 and was selected as part of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">From 2019, Former Los Angeles <a href="https://twitter.com/Lakers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Lakers</a> Guard Jerry West receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom. RIP.<a href="https://t.co/8OyNrNtRhS">pic.twitter.com/8OyNrNtRhS</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1800895733673107505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>West was general manager of eight NBA championship teams with the Los Angeles Lakers, helping build the “Showtime” dynasty. He also worked in the front offices of the Memphis Grizzlies, the Golden State Warriors and the Clippers. Among his many, many highlights as an executive with the Lakers: he drafted Magic Johnson and James Worthy, then brought in Kobe Bryant and eventually Shaquille O'Neal to play alongside Bryant.Even in the final years of his life, West was considered basketball royalty. He routinely sat courtside at Summer League games in Las Vegas, often watching many games in a day while greeting long lines of players — LeBron James among them — who would approach to shake his hand and pay him respect.“The game transcends many things,” West said while attending Summer League last year. “The players change, the style of play may change, but the respect that you learn in this game never changes.”He's 25th on the NBA's all-time scoring list, and while the league has never confirmed that West was in fact the model for its logo — a player dribbling a ball, set against a red-and-blue background — the league has never said otherwise, either.“While it’s never been officially declared that the logo is Jerry West,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in 2021, “it sure looks a lot like him.”

NBA legend Jerry West dead at 86

WASHINGTON (AP) — Eight people from Tajikistan with suspected ties to the Islamic State group have been arrested in the United States in recent days, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.

The arrests took place in New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles and the individuals, who entered the U.S. through the southern border, are being held on immigration violations, said the people, who were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation by name and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

The nature of their suspected connections to the IS was not immediately clear, but the individuals were being tracked by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, or JTTF. They were in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which made the arrests while working with the JTTF, pending proceedings to remove them from the country.

The individuals from Tajikistan entered the country last spring and passed through the U.S. government's screening process without turning up information that would have identified them as potential terrorism-related concerns, said one of the people familiar with the matter.

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security issued a statement confirming the immigration-related arrests of “several non-citizens” but did not detail specifics. The agencies noted that the U.S. has been in a “heightened threat environment.”

FBI Director Christopher Wray has said the U.S. is facing accelerating threats from homegrown violent extremists as well as foreign terrorist organizations, particularly in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel.

He said at one recent congressional hearing that officials were "concerned about the terrorism implications from potential targeting of vulnerabilities at the border.”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/border-smuggling-terrorist-islamic-state-immigration-6d2192be5874f7f271ce28bbcc5c0473">The Biden administration in August</a>&nbsp;said that it had detected and stopped a network attempting to smuggle people from Uzbekistan into the U.S. and that at least one member of the network had links to a foreign terrorist group.

“The FBI and DHS will continue working around the clock with our partners to identify, investigate, and disrupt potential threats to national security,” the agencies said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718154677776.png" alt="FBI Director Christopher Wray has said the U.S. is facing accelerating threats from homegrown violent extremists as well as foreign terrorist organizations-image courtesy CSPAN&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>FBI Director Christopher Wray has said the U.S. is facing accelerating threats from homegrown violent extremists as well as foreign terrorist organizations-image courtesy CSPAN&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Eight people from Tajikistan with suspected ties to the Islamic State group have been arrested in the United States in recent days, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.The arrests took place in New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles and the individuals, who entered the U.S. through the southern border, are being held on immigration violations, said the people, who were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation by name and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.The nature of their suspected connections to the IS was not immediately clear, but the individuals were being tracked by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, or JTTF. They were in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which made the arrests while working with the JTTF, pending proceedings to remove them from the country.The individuals from Tajikistan entered the country last spring and passed through the U.S. government's screening process without turning up information that would have identified them as potential terrorism-related concerns, said one of the people familiar with the matter.The FBI and Department of Homeland Security issued a statement confirming the immigration-related arrests of “several non-citizens” but did not detail specifics. The agencies noted that the U.S. has been in a “heightened threat environment.”FBI Director Christopher Wray has said the U.S. is facing accelerating threats from homegrown violent extremists as well as foreign terrorist organizations, particularly in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel.He said at one recent congressional hearing that officials were "concerned about the terrorism implications from potential targeting of vulnerabilities at the border.”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/border-smuggling-terrorist-islamic-state-immigration-6d2192be5874f7f271ce28bbcc5c0473">The Biden administration in August</a>&nbsp;said that it had detected and stopped a network attempting to smuggle people from Uzbekistan into the U.S. and that at least one member of the network had links to a foreign terrorist group.“The FBI and DHS will continue working around the clock with our partners to identify, investigate, and disrupt potential threats to national security,” the agencies said.

8 with possible Islamic State ties arrested in US on immigration violations

KANSAS CITY- KC Scout, a bi-state initiative between Kansas and Missouri&nbsp; Departments of Transportation to provide travel and traffic information and service for the Kansas City metro area, suffered a cyberattack on April 25. 

For the past several weeks, efforts to restore KC Scout services have been underway. On Wednesday, June 12, motorists on Kansas City metro highways will once again see test messages displayed on the highway digital signs, according to a media release from the agency.

If testing is successful, real-time information should return to the boards in the next week. 

Returning real-time information is considered the first step to restoring all KC Scout systems and services. Additional restoration efforts continue and include having the website operational, camera views available online, and camera stream access.

The DOTs and KC Scout thank everyone for their patience during the service outage and as efforts toward complete service restoration continues.

The Kansas and Missouri DOTs remind motorists that emergency services are still available in Kansas and Missouri. Kansas Highway Patrol Motorist Assist Vehicle (MAV) continue to proactively run routes and respond to incidents in their jurisdiction. 

MoDOT Emergency Response Continue to proactively run routes and respond to incidents in their jurisdiction. Immediate and critical traffic information impacting the KC metro area is being shared through <a href="http://modot.org/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR09GLiozaM6T2M7ml6P9tPbFHXdqYtwrCawElwvj05vcTT7adsVux2-FbA_aem_AU_Pj1jPyIyhQQIuX9YBs7g64rJIJI0zcUP74BHHUcUWGNKr5V6JSNOc6OQKB_t2rPjMX4Npb6h1Ha9EekcQfDIV" target="_blank">modot.org</a> in Missouri and <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2FKanDrive.gov%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3xuYCQar7psg-4ovMKcjcjBnRurW9rZldPmJ8X4lSJruvNuClp4umCYgM_aem_AU93-LO_i4ikP37x8LdPD_NjgMMznedT8Z-TrwECmO1VSb-acK5dm1uNIeD2ZrGd4C2VNsQ6uRiZa20B6c9XiRkd&amp;h=AT3BvUtWPvA4w1Im4fah0k5j48u8IsudQy_HbogRx8mOPjt34IOQtB8a4tWUFjAomjHWnlcBtVDrWy32nrIZDgnu7IQNgHDpry6zW0IXU0TqtvsHctzxaRzE2Q3O5UFCX_RXBxY&amp;__tn__=-UK-y-R&amp;c[0]=AT2zLeQexISXF2s50qRhcxTGlrpA-O9NFCwI4JPBpA2BimQ9_NkpKAGYXZYOHl5rQcX7i6wZ2se4pk3WgCdfK-McTm9Tfa6tKz2_2fpuHkUcNOyxA6XiAboYbAqHxCSQ2yPJS0382FQbMQIKSYtdkztZ6lpjKF7QxRqlB4qZPACsKZTFZkcav_cmQDxFXacrAjyGuEAOF3svFc25dOxNIinoSsU5jmzmnTmtyzetW9AFIhzb2b0MOEdqiC48UAcn-56NL4WzhQGIf3CiVt7f" target="_blank">KanDrive.gov</a> in Kansas.

 While data is not available via KC Scout cameras, message boards or website, the Missouri and Kansas traveler information sites, apps, and phone numbers are providing traffic conditions and lane closures from rush hour, construction and crash information in the KC metro area.

Information is available via phone and website/app:• Missouri: Call 888.275.6636 or visit <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.modot.org%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR23NOg9ltm4ZJpZbdxRkEIFN0TaoFvORY9PGdMkxElEE70ZCsITu-yXcRA_aem_AU-B352m2PQPljEBTProh45ETIDJscqeytEukT3LU_tXwrSzgkHeGPlpYPJaPWXjTmqYOtKSQ1RixmPc-51EIF40&amp;h=AT0dWceqRie8zbWexflVX7-My66eFcL9ej-WENfNeMKP-Z3hTDpCVYZ6TaZ0LPobj_sQE1KQ9iCxGPNJtPTVf9E1LRNACj6vEitqyyK--vCfmqFdQDRhShuDLHOEDfQOrCHNGN8&amp;__tn__=-UK-y-R&amp;c[0]=AT2zLeQexISXF2s50qRhcxTGlrpA-O9NFCwI4JPBpA2BimQ9_NkpKAGYXZYOHl5rQcX7i6wZ2se4pk3WgCdfK-McTm9Tfa6tKz2_2fpuHkUcNOyxA6XiAboYbAqHxCSQ2yPJS0382FQbMQIKSYtdkztZ6lpjKF7QxRqlB4qZPACsKZTFZkcav_cmQDxFXacrAjyGuEAOF3svFc25dOxNIinoSsU5jmzmnTmtyzetW9AFIhzb2b0MOEdqiC48UAcn-56NL4WzhQGIf3CiVt7f" target="_blank">www.modot.org</a>• Kansas: Call 511 or visit <a href="https://kandrive.gov/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR0c-j-JkJHap5Q6vN3MSg0GZRDJDWLBJLAGOvvWj2Fkzmf9hv0InjcGMgk_aem_AU9Hu0FzAwQIQbJ9xJQxXphqllGgKogv3kEOvHGFZ2OIsE1DAtr1BLSKA9YMc-KfvX1TMZx-VkK_ycidwrRMGuFx" target="_blank">KanDrive.gov</a>MoDOT and KDOT remind travelers to drive safely based on current road conditions and traffic flow. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KSDOTHQ?__cft__[0]=AZVru8tYlyqKjuIw0otj4k84FYMfnyMxk0zT7tBpH-8HNx_rKCb23yRUuJe51SOwtuy64CnDCrNvlEqvfY_QoxSWGKCPgdxWOfrLabRLW2nbW5cndRm5-GcBp-8pdUelzbqMnNjMp2536B5ix080dqtkTi3scLnP1lgengZ6TwrGANqYtTjgi-vMXsFJB0jyijSG_LkNADtJ3mESBWhH1YY3yWm66eA1KjerJlMJq8z6SVQ95lUfqaacuiBB6dcA9Uc&amp;__tn__=-]K-y-R">Kansas Department of Transportation</a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MoDOT.KansasCity?__cft__[0]=AZVru8tYlyqKjuIw0otj4k84FYMfnyMxk0zT7tBpH-8HNx_rKCb23yRUuJe51SOwtuy64CnDCrNvlEqvfY_QoxSWGKCPgdxWOfrLabRLW2nbW5cndRm5-GcBp-8pdUelzbqMnNjMp2536B5ix080dqtkTi3scLnP1lgengZ6TwrGANqYtTjgi-vMXsFJB0jyijSG_LkNADtJ3mESBWhH1YY3yWm66eA1KjerJlMJq8z6SVQ95lUfqaacuiBB6dcA9Uc&amp;__tn__=-]K-y-R">MoDOT Kansas City</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718146988748.png" alt="Image from a traffic crash in May of 2023" />
 <figcaption>Image from a traffic crash in May of 2023</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY- KC Scout, a bi-state initiative between Kansas and Missouri&nbsp; Departments of Transportation to provide travel and traffic information and service for the Kansas City metro area, suffered a cyberattack on April 25. For the past several weeks, efforts to restore KC Scout services have been underway. On Wednesday, June 12, motorists on Kansas City metro highways will once again see test messages displayed on the highway digital signs, according to a media release from the agency.If testing is successful, real-time information should return to the boards in the next week. Returning real-time information is considered the first step to restoring all KC Scout systems and services. Additional restoration efforts continue and include having the website operational, camera views available online, and camera stream access.The DOTs and KC Scout thank everyone for their patience during the service outage and as efforts toward complete service restoration continues.The Kansas and Missouri DOTs remind motorists that emergency services are still available in Kansas and Missouri. Kansas Highway Patrol Motorist Assist Vehicle (MAV) continue to proactively run routes and respond to incidents in their jurisdiction. MoDOT Emergency Response Continue to proactively run routes and respond to incidents in their jurisdiction. Immediate and critical traffic information impacting the KC metro area is being shared through <a href="http://modot.org/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR09GLiozaM6T2M7ml6P9tPbFHXdqYtwrCawElwvj05vcTT7adsVux2-FbA_aem_AU_Pj1jPyIyhQQIuX9YBs7g64rJIJI0zcUP74BHHUcUWGNKr5V6JSNOc6OQKB_t2rPjMX4Npb6h1Ha9EekcQfDIV" target="_blank">modot.org</a> in Missouri and <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2FKanDrive.gov%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3xuYCQar7psg-4ovMKcjcjBnRurW9rZldPmJ8X4lSJruvNuClp4umCYgM_aem_AU93-LO_i4ikP37x8LdPD_NjgMMznedT8Z-TrwECmO1VSb-acK5dm1uNIeD2ZrGd4C2VNsQ6uRiZa20B6c9XiRkd&amp;h=AT3BvUtWPvA4w1Im4fah0k5j48u8IsudQy_HbogRx8mOPjt34IOQtB8a4tWUFjAomjHWnlcBtVDrWy32nrIZDgnu7IQNgHDpry6zW0IXU0TqtvsHctzxaRzE2Q3O5UFCX_RXBxY&amp;__tn__=-UK-y-R&amp;c[0]=AT2zLeQexISXF2s50qRhcxTGlrpA-O9NFCwI4JPBpA2BimQ9_NkpKAGYXZYOHl5rQcX7i6wZ2se4pk3WgCdfK-McTm9Tfa6tKz2_2fpuHkUcNOyxA6XiAboYbAqHxCSQ2yPJS0382FQbMQIKSYtdkztZ6lpjKF7QxRqlB4qZPACsKZTFZkcav_cmQDxFXacrAjyGuEAOF3svFc25dOxNIinoSsU5jmzmnTmtyzetW9AFIhzb2b0MOEdqiC48UAcn-56NL4WzhQGIf3CiVt7f" target="_blank">KanDrive.gov</a> in Kansas. While data is not available via KC Scout cameras, message boards or website, the Missouri and Kansas traveler information sites, apps, and phone numbers are providing traffic conditions and lane closures from rush hour, construction and crash information in the KC metro area.Information is available via phone and website/app:• Missouri: Call 888.275.6636 or visit <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.modot.org%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR23NOg9ltm4ZJpZbdxRkEIFN0TaoFvORY9PGdMkxElEE70ZCsITu-yXcRA_aem_AU-B352m2PQPljEBTProh45ETIDJscqeytEukT3LU_tXwrSzgkHeGPlpYPJaPWXjTmqYOtKSQ1RixmPc-51EIF40&amp;h=AT0dWceqRie8zbWexflVX7-My66eFcL9ej-WENfNeMKP-Z3hTDpCVYZ6TaZ0LPobj_sQE1KQ9iCxGPNJtPTVf9E1LRNACj6vEitqyyK--vCfmqFdQDRhShuDLHOEDfQOrCHNGN8&amp;__tn__=-UK-y-R&amp;c[0]=AT2zLeQexISXF2s50qRhcxTGlrpA-O9NFCwI4JPBpA2BimQ9_NkpKAGYXZYOHl5rQcX7i6wZ2se4pk3WgCdfK-McTm9Tfa6tKz2_2fpuHkUcNOyxA6XiAboYbAqHxCSQ2yPJS0382FQbMQIKSYtdkztZ6lpjKF7QxRqlB4qZPACsKZTFZkcav_cmQDxFXacrAjyGuEAOF3svFc25dOxNIinoSsU5jmzmnTmtyzetW9AFIhzb2b0MOEdqiC48UAcn-56NL4WzhQGIf3CiVt7f" target="_blank">www.modot.org</a>• Kansas: Call 511 or visit <a href="https://kandrive.gov/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR0c-j-JkJHap5Q6vN3MSg0GZRDJDWLBJLAGOvvWj2Fkzmf9hv0InjcGMgk_aem_AU9Hu0FzAwQIQbJ9xJQxXphqllGgKogv3kEOvHGFZ2OIsE1DAtr1BLSKA9YMc-KfvX1TMZx-VkK_ycidwrRMGuFx" target="_blank">KanDrive.gov</a>MoDOT and KDOT remind travelers to drive safely based on current road conditions and traffic flow. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KSDOTHQ?__cft__[0]=AZVru8tYlyqKjuIw0otj4k84FYMfnyMxk0zT7tBpH-8HNx_rKCb23yRUuJe51SOwtuy64CnDCrNvlEqvfY_QoxSWGKCPgdxWOfrLabRLW2nbW5cndRm5-GcBp-8pdUelzbqMnNjMp2536B5ix080dqtkTi3scLnP1lgengZ6TwrGANqYtTjgi-vMXsFJB0jyijSG_LkNADtJ3mESBWhH1YY3yWm66eA1KjerJlMJq8z6SVQ95lUfqaacuiBB6dcA9Uc&amp;__tn__=-]K-y-R">Kansas Department of Transportation</a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MoDOT.KansasCity?__cft__[0]=AZVru8tYlyqKjuIw0otj4k84FYMfnyMxk0zT7tBpH-8HNx_rKCb23yRUuJe51SOwtuy64CnDCrNvlEqvfY_QoxSWGKCPgdxWOfrLabRLW2nbW5cndRm5-GcBp-8pdUelzbqMnNjMp2536B5ix080dqtkTi3scLnP1lgengZ6TwrGANqYtTjgi-vMXsFJB0jyijSG_LkNADtJ3mESBWhH1YY3yWm66eA1KjerJlMJq8z6SVQ95lUfqaacuiBB6dcA9Uc&amp;__tn__=-]K-y-R">MoDOT Kansas City</a>

Cyberattack: Network of KC traffic cameras could return next week

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Even as they prepare to vote on a formal ban on churches with women pastors, delegates to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-southern-baptists-women-pastors-sexual-abuse-indianapolis-f16d01e35fc379e91f8c72dea643cd81">Southern Baptist Convention</a>&nbsp;annual meeting voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to boot one such church from its ranks.

Messengers, as voting representatives are known, voted 6,759 to 563 to oust&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-southern-baptists-women-pastors-saddleback-3b40fd925377a9e3aa2ecb4a4072a4a6">First Baptist Church of Alexandria</a>, a historic Virginia congregation that affirms women can serve in any pastoral role, including as senior pastor. A similar scenario played out at last year’s meeting. Two congregations, including a well-known&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southern-baptists-saddleback-vote-women-pastors-new-orleans-7ee6606b57d0bf0c4c7ed91316af12b1">California megachurch</a>, were ejected from the convention. Ninety-two percent of messengers approved this year's ouster.

The Virginia congregation has been involved in the nation's largest Protestant denomination since its 19th century founding and has contributed millions toward denominational causes. But it came under scrutiny after the pastor of a neighboring church reported it to denominational authorities over its having a woman as pastor for children and women.

The vote came after the denomination's credentials committee recommended earlier Tuesday that the denomination deem the church to be not in “friendly cooperation,” the formulation for expulsion, on the grounds that it conflicts with the Baptist Faith and Message. That statement of Southern Baptist doctrine declares only men are qualified for the role of pastor. Some interpret that only to apply to associate pastors as long as the senior pastor is male.

“We find no joy in making this recommendation, but have formed the opinion that the church’s egalitarian beliefs regarding the office of pastor do not closely identify with the convention’s adopted statement of faith,” said Jonathan Sams, chair of the credentials committee.

The Alexandria church is currently led by a man, Robert Stephens, but the church has made clear it believes women can serve as senior pastors, too. Stephens said his church has had women in ministry for more than 44 years and wants to continue cooperating with Southern Baptists who disagreed on this issue.

“First Alexandria stands before you today as a testament that we can maintain a fruitful partnership with churches that take a different stance on women in ministry,” he said. “We at First Baptist are advancing the gospel, and we hope that we will continue to work alongside you all.”

Afterward, representatives from the Alexandria church said they wished the SBC well. But they said they would focus on First Baptist's own work, ranging from sending a mission team to Nicaragua to partnering on a Bible translation project to taking part in a church youth camp and other ministries.

“This is a sad moment for us, but we also recognize that God has a future for First Baptist Church,” Stephens said.

“We have good news to share with the world, and we will keep doing that,” added Kim Eskridge, the pastor for children and women.

On Wednesday, delegates are slated to consider enshrining a ban on churches with any women pastors in the SBC's constitution. The proposed amendment received preliminary approval last year, and it requires a final vote this year to be enacted. As of Tuesday evening, 10,895 messengers were registered to take part.

Early Tuesday, a small group of women stood outside the Indiana Convention Center in a low-key demonstration in support of women in ministry.

“I hope that people know women have equal value and can be pastors,” said the Rev. Meredith Stone, executive director of Baptist Women in Ministry. The organization originated among Southern Baptists in the 1980s, but it now works with women in a variety of Baptist denominations.

Joining them was Christa Brown, who has long advocated for fellow survivors of sexual abuse in Southern Baptist churches and criticized the denomination’s resistance to reforms, an effort she has chronicled in a new memoir, “Baptistland.” The Southern Baptists ongoing struggles with sexual abuse reforms is also on this year's calendar.

She said there’s a direct connection between issues of abuse and the equality of women in ministry.

“When you squash some people, it sets up a lot more people to be squashed,” she said.

An SBC Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force recently concluded its work. While it has provided a curriculum for training churches on preventing and responding to abuse, it has not achieved the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-california-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-baptist-southern-convention-ba7ba613947cc893659b6e8e45ab4b73">mandate</a>&nbsp;of previous annual meetings to establish a “Ministry Check” database of offenders, which could help churches avoid hiring them.

“We’re probably beyond frustrated that there are not names on the database right now or the database is not live right now,” said Josh Wester, chairman of the task force, which officially concluded its work Tuesday. Messengers adopted its recommendations and assigned the denomination’s Executive Committee to complete goals such as activating Ministry Check and creating a “permanent home” for abuse response.

After denominational officials said they couldn’t get insurance for producing a Ministry Watch list, Wester said he and some others set up a separate non-profit organization to maintain it. But he said the Executive Committee’s new leadership is looking for ways to oversee it in-house.

The list would include those convicted or found liable for abuse in civil court — short of an earlier annual meeting’s call for a list including those who confessed or were credibly accused outside of court.

Wester said the ultimate goal is for a broader list.

“We’re just trying to get a database online because it can always be improved,” Wester said.

Though some have advocated for reforms for the past two decades, the SBC has particularly struggled to respond to sexual abuse in its churches since a 2019 report by the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News. It said that roughly 380 Southern Baptist church leaders and volunteers faced allegations of sexual misconduct in the previous two decades.

The denomination subsequently commissioned a report from a consulting firm, Guidepost Solutions. It concluded that leaders of the convention’s Executive Committee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/baptist-religion-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-southern-convention-bfdbe64389790630488f854c3dae3fd5">intimidated and mistreated</a>&nbsp;survivors who sought help. The committee handles day-to-day business of the convention.

Some outspoken voices have contended that there is no crisis of abuse in the convention and that such claims are overstated.

But survivor Tiffany Thigpen, one of several advocates for abuse survivors attending the meeting, noted that SBC messengers have repeatedly supported reforms.

“Our hope has been that the messengers finally get as frustrated as we’ve been and say, ‘OK, wait, we’re not allowing this anymore,’" she said.

In events held on the sidelines of the meeting, politics has been featured. On Monday, former&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-2024-election-abortion-christians-13318983232798e44e9638a33811f844">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;appealed for votes in a videotaped message to attendees of a staunchly anti-abortion conservative group that met next door to the convention center.

On Tuesday, former Vice President Mike Pence told an audience of about 500 that he would “never” vote for President Joe Biden, criticizing him on border, abortion and other policies. But Pence stopped short of endorsing Trump, his estranged onetime running mate.

Later, messengers approved a resolution against any effort to establish a state religion, including “Christianity as the state religion of the United States” — a notable move given the rise of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/american-founders-christian-nation-conservative-beliefs-4ea388e8d80c54016a6a4460cbef9b82">Christian nationalism</a>&nbsp;in some conservative circles. The resolution calls for robust religious freedoms and for Christians to get involved in public office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718155364274.png" alt="Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting Tuesday, June 11, 2024, in Indianapolis.-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting Tuesday, June 11, 2024, in Indianapolis.-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Even as they prepare to vote on a formal ban on churches with women pastors, delegates to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-southern-baptists-women-pastors-sexual-abuse-indianapolis-f16d01e35fc379e91f8c72dea643cd81">Southern Baptist Convention</a>&nbsp;annual meeting voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to boot one such church from its ranks.Messengers, as voting representatives are known, voted 6,759 to 563 to oust&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-southern-baptists-women-pastors-saddleback-3b40fd925377a9e3aa2ecb4a4072a4a6">First Baptist Church of Alexandria</a>, a historic Virginia congregation that affirms women can serve in any pastoral role, including as senior pastor. A similar scenario played out at last year’s meeting. Two congregations, including a well-known&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southern-baptists-saddleback-vote-women-pastors-new-orleans-7ee6606b57d0bf0c4c7ed91316af12b1">California megachurch</a>, were ejected from the convention. Ninety-two percent of messengers approved this year's ouster.The Virginia congregation has been involved in the nation's largest Protestant denomination since its 19th century founding and has contributed millions toward denominational causes. But it came under scrutiny after the pastor of a neighboring church reported it to denominational authorities over its having a woman as pastor for children and women.The vote came after the denomination's credentials committee recommended earlier Tuesday that the denomination deem the church to be not in “friendly cooperation,” the formulation for expulsion, on the grounds that it conflicts with the Baptist Faith and Message. That statement of Southern Baptist doctrine declares only men are qualified for the role of pastor. Some interpret that only to apply to associate pastors as long as the senior pastor is male.“We find no joy in making this recommendation, but have formed the opinion that the church’s egalitarian beliefs regarding the office of pastor do not closely identify with the convention’s adopted statement of faith,” said Jonathan Sams, chair of the credentials committee.The Alexandria church is currently led by a man, Robert Stephens, but the church has made clear it believes women can serve as senior pastors, too. Stephens said his church has had women in ministry for more than 44 years and wants to continue cooperating with Southern Baptists who disagreed on this issue.“First Alexandria stands before you today as a testament that we can maintain a fruitful partnership with churches that take a different stance on women in ministry,” he said. “We at First Baptist are advancing the gospel, and we hope that we will continue to work alongside you all.”Afterward, representatives from the Alexandria church said they wished the SBC well. But they said they would focus on First Baptist's own work, ranging from sending a mission team to Nicaragua to partnering on a Bible translation project to taking part in a church youth camp and other ministries.“This is a sad moment for us, but we also recognize that God has a future for First Baptist Church,” Stephens said.“We have good news to share with the world, and we will keep doing that,” added Kim Eskridge, the pastor for children and women.On Wednesday, delegates are slated to consider enshrining a ban on churches with any women pastors in the SBC's constitution. The proposed amendment received preliminary approval last year, and it requires a final vote this year to be enacted. As of Tuesday evening, 10,895 messengers were registered to take part.Early Tuesday, a small group of women stood outside the Indiana Convention Center in a low-key demonstration in support of women in ministry.“I hope that people know women have equal value and can be pastors,” said the Rev. Meredith Stone, executive director of Baptist Women in Ministry. The organization originated among Southern Baptists in the 1980s, but it now works with women in a variety of Baptist denominations.Joining them was Christa Brown, who has long advocated for fellow survivors of sexual abuse in Southern Baptist churches and criticized the denomination’s resistance to reforms, an effort she has chronicled in a new memoir, “Baptistland.” The Southern Baptists ongoing struggles with sexual abuse reforms is also on this year's calendar.She said there’s a direct connection between issues of abuse and the equality of women in ministry.“When you squash some people, it sets up a lot more people to be squashed,” she said.An SBC Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force recently concluded its work. While it has provided a curriculum for training churches on preventing and responding to abuse, it has not achieved the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-california-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-baptist-southern-convention-ba7ba613947cc893659b6e8e45ab4b73">mandate</a>&nbsp;of previous annual meetings to establish a “Ministry Check” database of offenders, which could help churches avoid hiring them.“We’re probably beyond frustrated that there are not names on the database right now or the database is not live right now,” said Josh Wester, chairman of the task force, which officially concluded its work Tuesday. Messengers adopted its recommendations and assigned the denomination’s Executive Committee to complete goals such as activating Ministry Check and creating a “permanent home” for abuse response.After denominational officials said they couldn’t get insurance for producing a Ministry Watch list, Wester said he and some others set up a separate non-profit organization to maintain it. But he said the Executive Committee’s new leadership is looking for ways to oversee it in-house.The list would include those convicted or found liable for abuse in civil court — short of an earlier annual meeting’s call for a list including those who confessed or were credibly accused outside of court.Wester said the ultimate goal is for a broader list.“We’re just trying to get a database online because it can always be improved,” Wester said.Though some have advocated for reforms for the past two decades, the SBC has particularly struggled to respond to sexual abuse in its churches since a 2019 report by the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News. It said that roughly 380 Southern Baptist church leaders and volunteers faced allegations of sexual misconduct in the previous two decades.The denomination subsequently commissioned a report from a consulting firm, Guidepost Solutions. It concluded that leaders of the convention’s Executive Committee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/baptist-religion-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-southern-convention-bfdbe64389790630488f854c3dae3fd5">intimidated and mistreated</a>&nbsp;survivors who sought help. The committee handles day-to-day business of the convention.Some outspoken voices have contended that there is no crisis of abuse in the convention and that such claims are overstated.But survivor Tiffany Thigpen, one of several advocates for abuse survivors attending the meeting, noted that SBC messengers have repeatedly supported reforms.“Our hope has been that the messengers finally get as frustrated as we’ve been and say, ‘OK, wait, we’re not allowing this anymore,’" she said.In events held on the sidelines of the meeting, politics has been featured. On Monday, former&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-2024-election-abortion-christians-13318983232798e44e9638a33811f844">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;appealed for votes in a videotaped message to attendees of a staunchly anti-abortion conservative group that met next door to the convention center.On Tuesday, former Vice President Mike Pence told an audience of about 500 that he would “never” vote for President Joe Biden, criticizing him on border, abortion and other policies. But Pence stopped short of endorsing Trump, his estranged onetime running mate.Later, messengers approved a resolution against any effort to establish a state religion, including “Christianity as the state religion of the United States” — a notable move given the rise of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/american-founders-christian-nation-conservative-beliefs-4ea388e8d80c54016a6a4460cbef9b82">Christian nationalism</a>&nbsp;in some conservative circles. The resolution calls for robust religious freedoms and for Christians to get involved in public office.

Southern Baptists expel church for believing women can serve as pastors

KANSAS CITY —Three people were injured in an accident just before 10a.m. Monday just south of Kansas City in Cass County, Missouri.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol a 1994 Kenworth semi driven by 31-year0-old Chaz M. Cage of Garden City, Missouri, was southbound on MO 7 just south of Kircher Road.

The vehicle rear-ended a Department of Transportation TMA and truck driven by Madelynn R. Sonstegard, 23, Concordia, Missouri, during a striping operation.

EMS transported&nbsp;Sonstegard to Belton Regional Medical Center.&nbsp; A passenger on the MODOT vehicle Jacob W. Smith, 34, Amorett, Missouri and Cage were transported to Cass Regional Medical Center.

Because both were buckled, the employees will be okay. They took quick actions to evacuate after the crash and before a resulting fire engulfed the vehicles, according to a statement from MODOT.

The department of transportation reminded driver to "please watch for mobile operations on roadways for your safety and ours. And remember to always buckle up and put your phones down."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718188183101.png" alt="Photos MODOT" />
 <figcaption>Photos MODOT</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Three people were injured in an accident just before 10a.m. Monday just south of Kansas City in Cass County, Missouri.According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol a 1994 Kenworth semi driven by 31-year0-old Chaz M. Cage of Garden City, Missouri, was southbound on MO 7 just south of Kircher Road.The vehicle rear-ended a Department of Transportation TMA and truck driven by Madelynn R. Sonstegard, 23, Concordia, Missouri, during a striping operation.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718187750721.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>EMS transported&nbsp;Sonstegard to Belton Regional Medical Center.&nbsp; A passenger on the MODOT vehicle Jacob W. Smith, 34, Amorett, Missouri and Cage were transported to Cass Regional Medical Center.Because both were buckled, the employees will be okay. They took quick actions to evacuate after the crash and before a resulting fire engulfed the vehicles, according to a statement from MODOT.The department of transportation reminded driver to "please watch for mobile operations on roadways for your safety and ours. And remember to always buckle up and put your phones down."

3 hospitalized after semi rear-ends DOT vehicle near Kansas City

KANSAS CITY – A Kansas City area man who is a convicted sex offender pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing thousands of videos and images of child pornography.

James Anthony Bee, 56, Raytown, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to one count of possessing child pornography.

Bee has a prior federal felony conviction for distributing child pornography, for which he was sentenced to seven years in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release. Bee’s term of supervised release began on Dec. 30, 2021.

On Nov. 2, 2022, probation officers conducted an unannounced home inspection at Bee’s residence. A probation officer noticed several cell phone charging cords on his bedroom floor. The terms of Bee’s supervised release prohibited him from possessing electronic devices with access to any on-line computer service without the prior approval of the probation office. Upon retrieving the cords, the probation officer discovered that one of the cords was connected to an SD card reader, which contained a micro-SD card inside the reader.

When Bee arrived and realized the probation officers had found the SD card and were going to search it, he struck the living room window twice with his hand, breaking it. He retrieved a piece of glass and attempted to cut his neck with it. The probation officers contacted emergency services and Bee was transported to the hospital for treatment.

A forensic examination of the SD card found more than 1,300 videos of child pornography and more than 9,000 images of child pornography.

Under federal statutes, Bee is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing is scheduled on Oct. 24, 2024.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718142111023.png" alt="Bee photo Sex Offender Registry" />
 <figcaption>Bee photo Sex Offender Registry</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY – A Kansas City area man who is a convicted sex offender pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing thousands of videos and images of child pornography.James Anthony Bee, 56, Raytown, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to one count of possessing child pornography.Bee has a prior federal felony conviction for distributing child pornography, for which he was sentenced to seven years in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release. Bee’s term of supervised release began on Dec. 30, 2021.On Nov. 2, 2022, probation officers conducted an unannounced home inspection at Bee’s residence. A probation officer noticed several cell phone charging cords on his bedroom floor. The terms of Bee’s supervised release prohibited him from possessing electronic devices with access to any on-line computer service without the prior approval of the probation office. Upon retrieving the cords, the probation officer discovered that one of the cords was connected to an SD card reader, which contained a micro-SD card inside the reader.When Bee arrived and realized the probation officers had found the SD card and were going to search it, he struck the living room window twice with his hand, breaking it. He retrieved a piece of glass and attempted to cut his neck with it. The probation officers contacted emergency services and Bee was transported to the hospital for treatment.A forensic examination of the SD card found more than 1,300 videos of child pornography and more than 9,000 images of child pornography.Under federal statutes, Bee is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing is scheduled on Oct. 24, 2024.

KC-area sex offender admits having thousands of child porn videos

BONNE TERRE, Mo. (AP) — A man convicted of killing his former lover and her husband in what prosecutors described as a fit of rage was executed Tuesday evening in Missouri.

<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hZN6BPt6UVE_K4seUVECfOKaj69z2bUl/view">Click here to read</a>&nbsp;Hosier's clemency petition

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/execution-date-set-missouri-inmate-hosier-58f9b156cf4fd640e04b90c7253f3a1c">David Hosier</a>, 69, was pronounced dead at 6:11 p.m. following a single-dose injection of the sedative pentobarbital at the state prison in Bonne Terre. Hosier was convicted of the 2009 killings of Angela and Rodney Gilpin in the state capital of Jefferson City.

Hosier turned his head a couple of times and breathed hard twice as the drug was administered. All movement stopped within seconds, even as his spiritual adviser seated next to him, the Rev. Jeff Hood, continued to pray.

Investigators said Hosier had a romantic relationship with Angela Gilpin and was angry with her for breaking it off and reconciling with her husband. Hosier maintained until the end that he was innocent and shouldn’t have been convicted on circumstantial evidence.

The way was cleared Monday when Gov. Mike Parson declined to grant clemency, citing Hosier’s “lack of remorse.” Parson, a Republican and former county sheriff, has overseen 10 executions since taking office in 2018. Hosier’s lawyers said no court appeals were pending in the hours before the scheduled execution.

“I leave you all with love,” Hosier had said as part of a final statement released before the execution. “Now I get to go to Heaven. Don’t cry for me. Just join me when your time comes.”

Hosier was the son of an Indiana State Police sergeant killed in the line of duty. Glen Hosier went into a home searching for a murder suspect in 1971 when he was shot to death. Other officers returned fire and killed the suspect.

David Hosier, then 16, was soon sent to military school and enlisted in the Navy after graduating. He served four years of active duty and later moved to Jefferson City, Missouri, where he worked for many years as a firefighter and EMT.

In previous interviews with The Associated Press, Hosier acknowledged having an affair with Angela Gilpin that she ended before getting back with her husband. In September 2009, the two were fatally shot near the doorway to their apartment.

Detective Jason Miles told AP that Hosier made numerous comments to other people threatening to harm Angela Gilpin in the days before the killings. After the shootings, police found an application for a protective order in Angela Gilpin’s purse, and another document in which she expressed fear that Hosier might shoot her and her husband.

Hosier was an immediate suspect, but police couldn’t find him. They used cellphone data to track him to Oklahoma. A chase ensued when an Oklahoma officer tried to stop Hosier’s car. When he got out, he told the officers, “Shoot me, and get it over with,” court records show.

Officers found 15 guns, a bulletproof vest, 400 rounds of ammunition and other weapons in Hosier’s car, the court documents state. The weapons included a submachine gun made from a kit that investigators maintain was used in the killings, though tests on it were inconclusive.

A note was found in the front seat of Hosier’s vehicle. “If you are going with someone do not lie to them,” it read in part. “Be honest with them if there is something wrong. If you do not this could happen to YOU!!”

Hosier said he wasn’t fleeing to Oklahoma, but was simply on a long drive to clear his mind. He had the guns because he likes to hunt, he said. He didn’t recall a note in the car.

The Missouri Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/9e3ed855389a4c1b8f92a495bf499b55">upheld Hosier’s conviction</a>&nbsp;in 2019.

Hosier wheezed at times when he spoke by phone to AP last week, and his voice was weak. In mid-May, he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-execution-david-hosier-aeb2662ce734588d305094df0e07e8f9">taken from the prison to a hospital</a>&nbsp;— a rare move for death row inmates. He was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation.

Hosier was the seventh person executed in the U.S. this year and the second in Missouri.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-execution-brian-dorsey-1a7801bb6fc42e666d95daa68a2b2ce1">Brian Dorsey</a>&nbsp;was executed in April for killing his cousin and her husband in 2006.

Missouri is scheduled to execute another man,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-inquiry-board-state-supreme-court-0103d6047d1caa04eefbb6ef262063fb">Marcellus Williams</a>, on Sept. 24, even though Williams is still awaiting a hearing on his claim of innocence in the 1998 stabbing death of Lisha Gayle.

In January, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell requested a court hearing after DNA technology unavailable at the time of the crime showed that someone else’s DNA — but not Williams’ — was found on the knife used in the stabbing.

Williams was hours away from execution in 2017 when then-Gov. Eric Greitens granted a reprieve and appointed a board of inquiry to examine his innocence claim. The board never reached a conclusion and Parson dissolved it last year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576064195527.png" alt="Hosier -photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Hosier -photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>BONNE TERRE, Mo. (AP) — A man convicted of killing his former lover and her husband in what prosecutors described as a fit of rage was executed Tuesday evening in Missouri.<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hZN6BPt6UVE_K4seUVECfOKaj69z2bUl/view">Click here to read</a>&nbsp;Hosier's clemency petition<a href="https://apnews.com/article/execution-date-set-missouri-inmate-hosier-58f9b156cf4fd640e04b90c7253f3a1c">David Hosier</a>, 69, was pronounced dead at 6:11 p.m. following a single-dose injection of the sedative pentobarbital at the state prison in Bonne Terre. Hosier was convicted of the 2009 killings of Angela and Rodney Gilpin in the state capital of Jefferson City.Hosier turned his head a couple of times and breathed hard twice as the drug was administered. All movement stopped within seconds, even as his spiritual adviser seated next to him, the Rev. Jeff Hood, continued to pray.Investigators said Hosier had a romantic relationship with Angela Gilpin and was angry with her for breaking it off and reconciling with her husband. Hosier maintained until the end that he was innocent and shouldn’t have been convicted on circumstantial evidence.The way was cleared Monday when Gov. Mike Parson declined to grant clemency, citing Hosier’s “lack of remorse.” Parson, a Republican and former county sheriff, has overseen 10 executions since taking office in 2018. Hosier’s lawyers said no court appeals were pending in the hours before the scheduled execution.“I leave you all with love,” Hosier had said as part of a final statement released before the execution. “Now I get to go to Heaven. Don’t cry for me. Just join me when your time comes.”Hosier was the son of an Indiana State Police sergeant killed in the line of duty. Glen Hosier went into a home searching for a murder suspect in 1971 when he was shot to death. Other officers returned fire and killed the suspect.David Hosier, then 16, was soon sent to military school and enlisted in the Navy after graduating. He served four years of active duty and later moved to Jefferson City, Missouri, where he worked for many years as a firefighter and EMT.In previous interviews with The Associated Press, Hosier acknowledged having an affair with Angela Gilpin that she ended before getting back with her husband. In September 2009, the two were fatally shot near the doorway to their apartment.Detective Jason Miles told AP that Hosier made numerous comments to other people threatening to harm Angela Gilpin in the days before the killings. After the shootings, police found an application for a protective order in Angela Gilpin’s purse, and another document in which she expressed fear that Hosier might shoot her and her husband.Hosier was an immediate suspect, but police couldn’t find him. They used cellphone data to track him to Oklahoma. A chase ensued when an Oklahoma officer tried to stop Hosier’s car. When he got out, he told the officers, “Shoot me, and get it over with,” court records show.Officers found 15 guns, a bulletproof vest, 400 rounds of ammunition and other weapons in Hosier’s car, the court documents state. The weapons included a submachine gun made from a kit that investigators maintain was used in the killings, though tests on it were inconclusive.A note was found in the front seat of Hosier’s vehicle. “If you are going with someone do not lie to them,” it read in part. “Be honest with them if there is something wrong. If you do not this could happen to YOU!!”Hosier said he wasn’t fleeing to Oklahoma, but was simply on a long drive to clear his mind. He had the guns because he likes to hunt, he said. He didn’t recall a note in the car.The Missouri Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/9e3ed855389a4c1b8f92a495bf499b55">upheld Hosier’s conviction</a>&nbsp;in 2019.Hosier wheezed at times when he spoke by phone to AP last week, and his voice was weak. In mid-May, he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-execution-david-hosier-aeb2662ce734588d305094df0e07e8f9">taken from the prison to a hospital</a>&nbsp;— a rare move for death row inmates. He was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation.Hosier was the seventh person executed in the U.S. this year and the second in Missouri.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-execution-brian-dorsey-1a7801bb6fc42e666d95daa68a2b2ce1">Brian Dorsey</a>&nbsp;was executed in April for killing his cousin and her husband in 2006.Missouri is scheduled to execute another man,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-inquiry-board-state-supreme-court-0103d6047d1caa04eefbb6ef262063fb">Marcellus Williams</a>, on Sept. 24, even though Williams is still awaiting a hearing on his claim of innocence in the 1998 stabbing death of Lisha Gayle.In January, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell requested a court hearing after DNA technology unavailable at the time of the crime showed that someone else’s DNA — but not Williams’ — was found on the knife used in the stabbing.Williams was hours away from execution in 2017 when then-Gov. Eric Greitens granted a reprieve and appointed a board of inquiry to examine his innocence claim. The board never reached a conclusion and Parson dissolved it last year.

Man executed for killing ex-lover: Now I get to go to Heaven

CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) — Apple has jumped into the race to bring generative artificial intelligence to the masses, spotlighting a slew of features Monday designed to soup up the iPhone, iPad and Mac.

And in a move befitting a company known for its marketing prowess, the AI technology coming as part of free software updates later this year is being billed as “Apple Intelligence.”

Even as it tried to put its own stamp on technology's hottest area, Apple tacitly acknowledged during its World Wide Developers Conference that it needs help catching up with companies like Microsoft and Google, which have emerged as the early leaders in AI. Apple is leaning on ChatGPT, made by the San Francisco startup OpenAI, to make its often-bumbling virtual assistant Siri smarter and more helpful.

“All of this goes beyond artificial intelligence, it's personal intelligence, and it is the next big step for Apple,” CEO Tim Cook said.

Siri's optional gateway to ChatGPT will be free to all iPhone users and made available on other Apple products once the option is baked into the next generation of Apple's operating systems. ChatGPT subscribers are supposed to be able to easily sync their existing accounts when using the iPhone, and should get more advanced features than free users would.

To herald the alliance with Apple, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman sat in the front row of the packed conference, which was attended by developers from more than 60 countries.

"Together with Apple, we’re making it easier for people to benefit from what AI can offer," Altman said in a statement.

Beyond allowing Siri to tap into ChatGPT's storehouse of knowledge, Apple is giving its 13-year-old virtual assistant an extensive makeover designed to make it more personable and versatile, even as it currently fields about 1.5 billion queries a day.

When Apple releases free updates to the software powering the iPhone and its other products this fall, Siri will signal its presence with flashing lights along the edges of the display screen. It will be able to handle hundreds of more tasks — including chores that may require tapping into third-party devices — than it can now, based on Monday's presentations.

Apple's full suite of upcoming features will only work on more recent models of the iPhone, iPad and Mac because the devices require advanced processors. For instance, consumers will need last year's iPhone 15 Pro or buy the next model coming out later this year to take full advantage of Apple's AI package, although all the tools will work on Macs dating back to 2020 after that computer's next operating system is installed.

The AI-packed updates coming to the next versions of Apple software are meant to enable the billions of people who use the company's devices to get more done in less time, while also giving them access to creative tools that could liven things up. For instance, Apple will deploy AI to allow people to create emojis, dubbed “Genmojis” on the fly to fit the vibe they are trying to convey.

Apple's goal with AI “is not to replace users, but empower them,” Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, told reporters. Users will also have the option of going into the device settings to turn off any AI tools they don't want.

Monday's showcase seemed aimed at allaying concerns Apple might be losing its edge with the advent of AI, a technology expected to be as revolutionary as the 2007 introduction of the Phone. Both&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/google-pixel-phones-artificial-intelligence-9846bfd46feff084d5cba26c7143cb4a">Google</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/samsung-galaxy-smartphones-ai-apple-google-7e0a8d8d7aea1efc5b54c9301e53b684">Samsung</a>&nbsp;have already released smartphone models touting AI features as their main attractions, while Apple has been stuck in an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/apple-iphone-quarterly-sales-slump-e9bf22e92a70ea8e84f39fa5189aabb1">uncharacteristically extended sales slump</a>.

AI mania is the main reason that Nvidia, the dominant maker of the chips underlying the technology, has seen its market value rocket from about $300 billion at the end of 2022 to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-artificial-intelligence-stock-market-nasdaq-b1e79cf391f212a4714433afd140e341">about $3 trillion</a>. The meteoric rise allowed Nvidia to surpass Apple as the second most valuable company in the U.S. Earlier this year, Microsoft also eclipsed the iPhone maker on the strength of its so-far successful push into AI.

Investors didn't seem as impressed with Apple's AI presentation as the crowd that came to the company's Cupertino, California, headquarters to see it. Apple's stock price dipped nearly 2% Monday.

Despite that negative reaction, Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives asserted in a research note that Apple is “taking the right path.” He hailed the presentation as a “historical” day for a company that already has reshaped the tech industry and society.

Besides pulling AI tricks out of its bag, Apple also used the conference to confirm that it will be rolling out a technology called Rich Communications Service, or RCS, to its iMessage app. The technology should improve the quality and security of texting between iPhones and devices powered by Android software, such as the Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel.

The change, due out with the next version of iPhone's operating software, won't eliminate the blue bubbles denoting texts originating from iPhones and the green bubbles marking text sent from Android devices — a distinction that has become a source of social stigma.

In another upcoming twist to the iPhone's messaging app, users will be able to write a text (or have an AI tool compose it) in advance and schedule a specific time to automatically send it.

Monday's presentation marked the second straight year that Apple has created a stir at its developers conference by using it to usher in a trendy form of technology that other companies already had employed.

Last year, Apple provided&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/apple-headset-googles-virtual-augmented-reality-technology-dc524172ada659536dbeed5f5efb11fa">an early look at its mixed-reality headset</a>, the Vision Pro, which wasn't released until early 2024. Nevertheless, Apple's push into mixed reality — with a twist that it bills as “spatial computing” — has raised hopes that there will be more consumer interest in this niche technology.

Part of that optimism stems from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/apple-breakthrough-products-iphone-macintosh-ipad-headset-0cacc046f6a994a58d202a85e8f29d70">Apple's history</a>&nbsp;of releasing technology later than others, then using sleek designs and slick marketing campaigns to overcome its tardy start.

Bringing more AI to the iPhone will likely raise privacy concerns — a topic that Apple has gone to great lengths to assure its loyal customers it can be trusted not to peer too deeply into their personal lives. Apple did talk extensively Monday about its efforts to build strong privacy protections and controls around its AI technology.

One way Apple is trying to convince consumers that the iPhone won't be used to spy on them is harnessing its chip technology so most of its AI-powered features are handled on the device itself instead of at remote data centers, often called “the cloud.” Going down this route would also help protect Apple's profit margins because AI processing through the cloud is far more expensive than when it is run solely on a device.

When Apple users make AI demands that requiring computing power beyond what's available on the device, the tasks will be handled by what the company is calling a “private cloud” that is supposed to shield their personal data.

Apple's AI “will be aware of your personal data without collecting your personal data,” Federighi said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711052797525.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) — Apple has jumped into the race to bring generative artificial intelligence to the masses, spotlighting a slew of features Monday designed to soup up the iPhone, iPad and Mac.And in a move befitting a company known for its marketing prowess, the AI technology coming as part of free software updates later this year is being billed as “Apple Intelligence.”Even as it tried to put its own stamp on technology's hottest area, Apple tacitly acknowledged during its World Wide Developers Conference that it needs help catching up with companies like Microsoft and Google, which have emerged as the early leaders in AI. Apple is leaning on ChatGPT, made by the San Francisco startup OpenAI, to make its often-bumbling virtual assistant Siri smarter and more helpful.“All of this goes beyond artificial intelligence, it's personal intelligence, and it is the next big step for Apple,” CEO Tim Cook said.Siri's optional gateway to ChatGPT will be free to all iPhone users and made available on other Apple products once the option is baked into the next generation of Apple's operating systems. ChatGPT subscribers are supposed to be able to easily sync their existing accounts when using the iPhone, and should get more advanced features than free users would.To herald the alliance with Apple, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman sat in the front row of the packed conference, which was attended by developers from more than 60 countries."Together with Apple, we’re making it easier for people to benefit from what AI can offer," Altman said in a statement.Beyond allowing Siri to tap into ChatGPT's storehouse of knowledge, Apple is giving its 13-year-old virtual assistant an extensive makeover designed to make it more personable and versatile, even as it currently fields about 1.5 billion queries a day.When Apple releases free updates to the software powering the iPhone and its other products this fall, Siri will signal its presence with flashing lights along the edges of the display screen. It will be able to handle hundreds of more tasks — including chores that may require tapping into third-party devices — than it can now, based on Monday's presentations.Apple's full suite of upcoming features will only work on more recent models of the iPhone, iPad and Mac because the devices require advanced processors. For instance, consumers will need last year's iPhone 15 Pro or buy the next model coming out later this year to take full advantage of Apple's AI package, although all the tools will work on Macs dating back to 2020 after that computer's next operating system is installed.The AI-packed updates coming to the next versions of Apple software are meant to enable the billions of people who use the company's devices to get more done in less time, while also giving them access to creative tools that could liven things up. For instance, Apple will deploy AI to allow people to create emojis, dubbed “Genmojis” on the fly to fit the vibe they are trying to convey.Apple's goal with AI “is not to replace users, but empower them,” Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, told reporters. Users will also have the option of going into the device settings to turn off any AI tools they don't want.Monday's showcase seemed aimed at allaying concerns Apple might be losing its edge with the advent of AI, a technology expected to be as revolutionary as the 2007 introduction of the Phone. Both&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/google-pixel-phones-artificial-intelligence-9846bfd46feff084d5cba26c7143cb4a">Google</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/samsung-galaxy-smartphones-ai-apple-google-7e0a8d8d7aea1efc5b54c9301e53b684">Samsung</a>&nbsp;have already released smartphone models touting AI features as their main attractions, while Apple has been stuck in an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/apple-iphone-quarterly-sales-slump-e9bf22e92a70ea8e84f39fa5189aabb1">uncharacteristically extended sales slump</a>.AI mania is the main reason that Nvidia, the dominant maker of the chips underlying the technology, has seen its market value rocket from about $300 billion at the end of 2022 to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-artificial-intelligence-stock-market-nasdaq-b1e79cf391f212a4714433afd140e341">about $3 trillion</a>. The meteoric rise allowed Nvidia to surpass Apple as the second most valuable company in the U.S. Earlier this year, Microsoft also eclipsed the iPhone maker on the strength of its so-far successful push into AI.Investors didn't seem as impressed with Apple's AI presentation as the crowd that came to the company's Cupertino, California, headquarters to see it. Apple's stock price dipped nearly 2% Monday.Despite that negative reaction, Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives asserted in a research note that Apple is “taking the right path.” He hailed the presentation as a “historical” day for a company that already has reshaped the tech industry and society.Besides pulling AI tricks out of its bag, Apple also used the conference to confirm that it will be rolling out a technology called Rich Communications Service, or RCS, to its iMessage app. The technology should improve the quality and security of texting between iPhones and devices powered by Android software, such as the Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel.The change, due out with the next version of iPhone's operating software, won't eliminate the blue bubbles denoting texts originating from iPhones and the green bubbles marking text sent from Android devices — a distinction that has become a source of social stigma.In another upcoming twist to the iPhone's messaging app, users will be able to write a text (or have an AI tool compose it) in advance and schedule a specific time to automatically send it.Monday's presentation marked the second straight year that Apple has created a stir at its developers conference by using it to usher in a trendy form of technology that other companies already had employed.Last year, Apple provided&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/apple-headset-googles-virtual-augmented-reality-technology-dc524172ada659536dbeed5f5efb11fa">an early look at its mixed-reality headset</a>, the Vision Pro, which wasn't released until early 2024. Nevertheless, Apple's push into mixed reality — with a twist that it bills as “spatial computing” — has raised hopes that there will be more consumer interest in this niche technology.Part of that optimism stems from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/apple-breakthrough-products-iphone-macintosh-ipad-headset-0cacc046f6a994a58d202a85e8f29d70">Apple's history</a>&nbsp;of releasing technology later than others, then using sleek designs and slick marketing campaigns to overcome its tardy start.Bringing more AI to the iPhone will likely raise privacy concerns — a topic that Apple has gone to great lengths to assure its loyal customers it can be trusted not to peer too deeply into their personal lives. Apple did talk extensively Monday about its efforts to build strong privacy protections and controls around its AI technology.One way Apple is trying to convince consumers that the iPhone won't be used to spy on them is harnessing its chip technology so most of its AI-powered features are handled on the device itself instead of at remote data centers, often called “the cloud.” Going down this route would also help protect Apple's profit margins because AI processing through the cloud is far more expensive than when it is run solely on a device.When Apple users make AI demands that requiring computing power beyond what's available on the device, the tasks will be handled by what the company is calling a “private cloud” that is supposed to shield their personal data.Apple's AI “will be aware of your personal data without collecting your personal data,” Federighi said.

Apple leaps into AI with an array of upcoming iPhone features

JOHNSON COUNTY – On Monday, the Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe announced that a shooting involving a Shawnee Police Officer on February 18, was lawful and justified under Kansas law.  

The circumstances the officers faced that day are something no officer ever wants to face during their career.

Just after 11a.m. on Sunday February 18, police were notified of a rolling disturbance with shots fired from a truck along Kansas 7, according to Shawnee, Kansas Police.

Subsequently, Shawnee police responded to a robbery in progress call at a QuikTrip in the 20600 block of Shawnee Mission Parkway. Officers were informed of shots being fired inside the business. Officers engaged an armed subject later identified as&nbsp;43-year-old Brett Smiley, at the door.&nbsp;

EMS transported Smiley&nbsp; to the hospital in critical condition and he died of his injuries..

No citizens or officers were injured.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"The actions of our officers on the day of the incident saved lives and prevented additional injuries to customers and employees inside the business," the Shawnee Police Department stated in a media release.

"We want to thank the outside agencies involved in the Johnson County Officer Involved Critical Incident Investigation Team (OICIIT) and the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office for their thorough investigation and review of this incident. An independent, comprehensive review ensures transparency and trust."

"Our officer will return to his duties, where he will continue to work to keep our community safe."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718129481818.png" alt="Security camera images from inside the QuickTrip provided by the Johnson County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Security camera images from inside the QuickTrip provided by the Johnson County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY – On Monday, the Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe announced that a shooting involving a Shawnee Police Officer on February 18, was lawful and justified under Kansas law. The circumstances the officers faced that day are something no officer ever wants to face during their career.Just after 11a.m. on Sunday February 18, police were notified of a rolling disturbance with shots fired from a truck along Kansas 7, according to Shawnee, Kansas Police.Subsequently, Shawnee police responded to a robbery in progress call at a QuikTrip in the 20600 block of Shawnee Mission Parkway. Officers were informed of shots being fired inside the business. Officers engaged an armed subject later identified as&nbsp;43-year-old Brett Smiley, at the door.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708393250204.png" alt="Brett Smiley-photo Johnson County Jail" />
 <figcaption>Brett Smiley-photo Johnson County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>EMS transported Smiley&nbsp; to the hospital in critical condition and he died of his injuries..No citizens or officers were injured.&nbsp;&nbsp;"The actions of our officers on the day of the incident saved lives and prevented additional injuries to customers and employees inside the business," the Shawnee Police Department stated in a media release."We want to thank the outside agencies involved in the Johnson County Officer Involved Critical Incident Investigation Team (OICIIT) and the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office for their thorough investigation and review of this incident. An independent, comprehensive review ensures transparency and trust.""Our officer will return to his duties, where he will continue to work to keep our community safe."

Kan. officer won't face charges in deadly shooting at QuickTrip 

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Senate Republicans released their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Senate%20Republican%20Framework%20Short%20Summary.pdf">Farm Bill framework</a>&nbsp;Tuesday, and Kansas U.S. Senator Dr. Roger Marshall held a press availability on Zoom to talk about it.&nbsp;

"This Farm Bill touches, I would think, every Kansan, in some way, somehow," Marshall said. "What are the next steps? I would explain it like this. A farmer goes in to buy a combine and he agrees with the dealer, all the ins and outs he wants, what type of header he wants on that combine. What we haven't agreed on yet is the price."

It sounds like the difference really isn't that large, all things considered.

"The Democrats and Republicans, we both want strong crop insurance, we both want strong nutrition programs," Marshall said. "We want rural economic development. I think it's just a matter of where we're going to move some dollars from one place to the other and still keep this on budget, because our Farm Bill is completely paid for. We're not asking for any more monies. The Democrats Farm Bill has a request for, I think $20 or $30 billion more each year."

Practically speaking, there's not a lot of legislative time between now and the end of the federal fiscal year on September 30.

"We'll see how far apart we are," Marshall said. "There will be a lot of talks between the two staffs, the two ag committee staffs, as well and see where we can close the gap. There really aren't very many legislative days left up here this summer. We have an election in November. I understand. We'll see if we can mark up something here in the next month or so. It will probably be this summer."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718131641346.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL&nbsp;Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Senate Republicans released their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Senate%20Republican%20Framework%20Short%20Summary.pdf">Farm Bill framework</a>&nbsp;Tuesday, and Kansas U.S. Senator Dr. Roger Marshall held a press availability on Zoom to talk about it.&nbsp;"This Farm Bill touches, I would think, every Kansan, in some way, somehow," Marshall said. "What are the next steps? I would explain it like this. A farmer goes in to buy a combine and he agrees with the dealer, all the ins and outs he wants, what type of header he wants on that combine. What we haven't agreed on yet is the price."It sounds like the difference really isn't that large, all things considered."The Democrats and Republicans, we both want strong crop insurance, we both want strong nutrition programs," Marshall said. "We want rural economic development. I think it's just a matter of where we're going to move some dollars from one place to the other and still keep this on budget, because our Farm Bill is completely paid for. We're not asking for any more monies. The Democrats Farm Bill has a request for, I think $20 or $30 billion more each year."Practically speaking, there's not a lot of legislative time between now and the end of the federal fiscal year on September 30."We'll see how far apart we are," Marshall said. "There will be a lot of talks between the two staffs, the two ag committee staffs, as well and see where we can close the gap. There really aren't very many legislative days left up here this summer. We have an election in November. I understand. We'll see if we can mark up something here in the next month or so. It will probably be this summer."If the deal doesn't get done by the deadline, there is still the idea of a short term continuation of the current bill, which has already been extended for a sixth year, at least to past the election. Ag state legislators really don't want that, as they'd like more certainty, if possible.