DECATUR COUNTY —Law enforcement agencies along the border between northwest Kansas and southwest Nebraska continue actively assisting Decatur County, Oberlin, Kansas, authorities with an ongoing investigation of an abduction and holding a hostage from Oberlin, according to Decatur County Sheriff&nbsp; David Wachendorfer.&nbsp; Early Monday, the sheriff's office reported no new developments in the search.

On Saturday, Decatur County Dispatch in Oberlin received a report from a man that he had been kidnapped and had just escaped from his captors.

Law Enforcement Officers from the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office and Oberlin Police Department, as well as members of Decatur County EMS and Emergency Management responded to the location.

The victim was located and the incident appears to be valid, according to Wachendorfer. The kidnapping occurred in another jurisdiction and the victim was able to escape while passing through. The sheriff is asking for the public’s assistance in watching for a blue or green older model mini van with Oklahoma plates.

The vehicle is occupied by a white male about 5-foot-6, bald, with a long brown beard and tattoos on his chest.

The second subject is a black male 5-foot-10, chubby, with a mustache, goatee and face tattoos. The suspects are to be considered armed and dangerous.&nbsp; Do not approach them.

DECATUR COUNTY —Law enforcement agencies along the border between northwest Kansas and southwest Nebraska continue actively assisting Decatur County, Oberlin, Kansas, authorities with an ongoing investigation of an abduction and holding a hostage from Oberlin, according to Decatur County Sheriff&nbsp; David Wachendorfer.&nbsp; Early Monday, the sheriff's office reported no new developments in the search.On Saturday, Decatur County Dispatch in Oberlin received a report from a man that he had been kidnapped and had just escaped from his captors.Law Enforcement Officers from the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office and Oberlin Police Department, as well as members of Decatur County EMS and Emergency Management responded to the location.The victim was located and the incident appears to be valid, according to Wachendorfer. The kidnapping occurred in another jurisdiction and the victim was able to escape while passing through. The sheriff is asking for the public’s assistance in watching for a blue or green older model mini van with Oklahoma plates.The vehicle is occupied by a white male about 5-foot-6, bald, with a long brown beard and tattoos on his chest.The second subject is a black male 5-foot-10, chubby, with a mustache, goatee and face tattoos. The suspects are to be considered armed and dangerous.&nbsp; Do not approach them.

Suspects in NW Kansas abduction still at large

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/saudi-arabia">Saudi Arabia</a>&nbsp;and allied oil producing countries on Sunday extended output cuts through next year, a move aimed at supporting slack prices that haven’t risen even amid turmoil in the Middle East and the start of the summer travel season.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/opec">The OPEC+ alliance</a>, made up of members of the producers cartel and allied countries including Russia, extended three different sets of cuts totaling 5.8 million barrels a day.

International benchmark Brent has loitered in the $81-$83 per barrel range for the past month. Even&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">the war in Gaza</a>&nbsp;and attacks on shipping in the Red Sea by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/houthis">Houthi rebels</a>&nbsp;in Yemen have not pushed prices up toward the $100 per barrel level last seen in September 2022. Reasons include higher interest rates, concerns about demand due to slower than desired economic growth in Europe and China, and rising non-OPEC supply including from U.S. shale producers,

Yet the Saudis need higher oil prices to fund ambitious plans by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to diversify the country’s economy away from fossil fuel exports. Higher oil prices would also help Russia maintain economic growth and stability as it spends heavily on its war against Ukraine.

Analysts say the cuts could push oil prices higher in coming months, but much depends on demand for oil going forward. The summer usually sees a spike in demand through the July-September quarter, but uncertainty about demand grows after that.

U.S. motorists have benefitted from weaker oil prices. Gasoline prices have been quiescent recently, averaging $3.56 per gallon last week, a penny less than a year ago. That is down from a record national average high of $5 per gallon in June 2022. U.S. prices can vary by region and Western states have been paying more, with gas hitting an average $5.05 per gallon in California.

U.S. gas prices rise along with crude because the price of oil makes up half the cost of a gallon of gasoline. The price swings are much smaller in Europe because there taxes make up a bigger proportion of the price of fuel.

The cuts that are being extended break down as follows: 2 billion barrels a day agreed among all 23 OPEC+ members were extended through the end of 2025, according to an OPEC statement.

Then, voluntary reductions of 1.65 million barrels a day by a smaller group of members was extended until end 2025 as well, according to a report on the official Saudi Press Agency.

And another 2.2 million barrels a day in voluntary cuts, due to expire at the end of this month, were extended until September but would then be gradually reduced month by month until they are eliminated by September 2025.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716170126757.png" alt="File photo Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman from a meeting with Sec. of State Blinken in 2023-photo U.S. Dept. of State" />
 <figcaption>File photo Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman from a meeting with Sec. of State Blinken in 2023-photo U.S. Dept. of State</figcaption>
 </figure>FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/saudi-arabia">Saudi Arabia</a>&nbsp;and allied oil producing countries on Sunday extended output cuts through next year, a move aimed at supporting slack prices that haven’t risen even amid turmoil in the Middle East and the start of the summer travel season.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/opec">The OPEC+ alliance</a>, made up of members of the producers cartel and allied countries including Russia, extended three different sets of cuts totaling 5.8 million barrels a day.International benchmark Brent has loitered in the $81-$83 per barrel range for the past month. Even&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">the war in Gaza</a>&nbsp;and attacks on shipping in the Red Sea by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/houthis">Houthi rebels</a>&nbsp;in Yemen have not pushed prices up toward the $100 per barrel level last seen in September 2022. Reasons include higher interest rates, concerns about demand due to slower than desired economic growth in Europe and China, and rising non-OPEC supply including from U.S. shale producers,Yet the Saudis need higher oil prices to fund ambitious plans by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to diversify the country’s economy away from fossil fuel exports. Higher oil prices would also help Russia maintain economic growth and stability as it spends heavily on its war against Ukraine.Analysts say the cuts could push oil prices higher in coming months, but much depends on demand for oil going forward. The summer usually sees a spike in demand through the July-September quarter, but uncertainty about demand grows after that.U.S. motorists have benefitted from weaker oil prices. Gasoline prices have been quiescent recently, averaging $3.56 per gallon last week, a penny less than a year ago. That is down from a record national average high of $5 per gallon in June 2022. U.S. prices can vary by region and Western states have been paying more, with gas hitting an average $5.05 per gallon in California.U.S. gas prices rise along with crude because the price of oil makes up half the cost of a gallon of gasoline. The price swings are much smaller in Europe because there taxes make up a bigger proportion of the price of fuel.The cuts that are being extended break down as follows: 2 billion barrels a day agreed among all 23 OPEC+ members were extended through the end of 2025, according to an OPEC statement.Then, voluntary reductions of 1.65 million barrels a day by a smaller group of members was extended until end 2025 as well, according to a report on the official Saudi Press Agency.And another 2.2 million barrels a day in voluntary cuts, due to expire at the end of this month, were extended until September but would then be gradually reduced month by month until they are eliminated by September 2025.

Oil production cuts: Expect higher gas prices ahead of the U.S. election

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities in Kansas City&nbsp; investigating a murder have identified the victim as 23-year-old&nbsp;Ja’carious I. McKissic, Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

Just before 11:30p.m. Friday, police were dispatched to a sound of gunshots the 600 block of E 110th Terrace in Kansas City, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.&nbsp;

When officers arrived, they were summoned to a nearby residence where McKissic was located in the front yard unresponsive and suffering from apparent gunshot wounds, according to Gonzalez.

EMS responded and transported him to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased. The preliminary investigation revealed the incident occurred over an argument. Homicide detectives and crime scene personnel responded to gather evidence and collect witness statements.&nbsp; Police have not reported an arrest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717241922116.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities in Kansas City&nbsp; investigating a murder have identified the victim as 23-year-old&nbsp;Ja’carious I. McKissic, Officer Alayna Gonzalez.Just before 11:30p.m. Friday, police were dispatched to a sound of gunshots the 600 block of E 110th Terrace in Kansas City, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.&nbsp;When officers arrived, they were summoned to a nearby residence where McKissic was located in the front yard unresponsive and suffering from apparent gunshot wounds, according to Gonzalez.EMS responded and transported him to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased. The preliminary investigation revealed the incident occurred over an argument. Homicide detectives and crime scene personnel responded to gather evidence and collect witness statements.&nbsp; Police have not reported an arrest.

Police ID victim killed during argument in front yard of KC home

BUTLER COUNTY—Law enforcement in Butler County are investigating a bomb threat.

On Saturday, police were dispatched to for a bomb threat that had been called into the YMCA, 300 N. Main Street in El Dorado. according to a social media report.

With the assistance of the El Dorado Fire Department and the Butler County Sheriff’s Department the business was evacuated and searched. No explosive devices were located.

During the investigation, it was determined that 67-year-old Ramon Jay Pratt, of El Dorado had called in the threat to the YMCA. Pratt was arrested for aggravated criminal threat and booked into the Butler County Detention Facility.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717368024135.png" alt="Pratt photo El Dorado Police" />
 <figcaption>Pratt photo El Dorado Police</figcaption>
 </figure>BUTLER COUNTY—Law enforcement in Butler County are investigating a bomb threat.On Saturday, police were dispatched to for a bomb threat that had been called into the YMCA, 300 N. Main Street in El Dorado. according to a social media report.With the assistance of the El Dorado Fire Department and the Butler County Sheriff’s Department the business was evacuated and searched. No explosive devices were located.During the investigation, it was determined that 67-year-old Ramon Jay Pratt, of El Dorado had called in the threat to the YMCA. Pratt was arrested for aggravated criminal threat and booked into the Butler County Detention Facility.

Police: Kansas man accused of calling in bomb threat

&nbsp;JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for the death of his 26-year-old step-son Bryson Smith.

Last month, a judge sentenced 52-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kctv5.com/2024/04/12/man-52-found-guilty-first-degree-murder-2023-olathe-shooting/" target="_blank">Christopher M. Barwick</a>&nbsp;to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 50-years, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.

According to court documents, the shooting occurred just after 6 p.m. April 23, 2023 at a home in the 800 Block of South Windsor Road. Smith died two days after the shooting.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716935394373.png" alt="Barwick-photo Johnson County" />
 <figcaption>Barwick-photo Johnson County</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for the death of his 26-year-old step-son Bryson Smith.Last month, a judge sentenced 52-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kctv5.com/2024/04/12/man-52-found-guilty-first-degree-murder-2023-olathe-shooting/" target="_blank">Christopher M. Barwick</a>&nbsp;to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 50-years, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.According to court documents, the shooting occurred just after 6 p.m. April 23, 2023 at a home in the 800 Block of South Windsor Road. Smith died two days after the shooting.&nbsp;

Prison for Kansas man who killed his step-son

KANSAS CITY—One person died in a four-vehicle crash just after 7:30p.m. Saturday in Kansas City.

A&nbsp;&nbsp;Chevrolet Equinox was eastbound on Interstate 70 at a high rate of speed. As the Chevy approached Manchester, the vehicle struck a Toyota Camry, a Ford Expedition and a Ford F150 that were all traveling eastbound, according to&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

The impact caused the Expedition to go into a broad slide and overturn. The Expedition rolled over the top of the Toyota and down an embankment, ejecting the unrestrained driver and sole occupant out of the Expedition and onto the shoulder of the highway.

 The driver of the Expedition was pronounced deceased at the scene. 

EMS transported the driver of the Chevy Equinox to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Toyota and the driver and front seat passenger of the F150 were all uninjured in the collision. 

The driver of the Chevrolet is currently in stable condition and the investigation, to include suspected impairment, is ongoing. 

All lanes of eastbound I-70 were closed to traffic at Manchester for approximately three hours. This is fatality #45 compared to #32 at this time last year, according to Gonzalez.

KANSAS CITY—One person died in a four-vehicle crash just after 7:30p.m. Saturday in Kansas City.A&nbsp;&nbsp;Chevrolet Equinox was eastbound on Interstate 70 at a high rate of speed. As the Chevy approached Manchester, the vehicle struck a Toyota Camry, a Ford Expedition and a Ford F150 that were all traveling eastbound, according to&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez.The impact caused the Expedition to go into a broad slide and overturn. The Expedition rolled over the top of the Toyota and down an embankment, ejecting the unrestrained driver and sole occupant out of the Expedition and onto the shoulder of the highway. The driver of the Expedition was pronounced deceased at the scene. EMS transported the driver of the Chevy Equinox to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Toyota and the driver and front seat passenger of the F150 were all uninjured in the collision. The driver of the Chevrolet is currently in stable condition and the investigation, to include suspected impairment, is ongoing. All lanes of eastbound I-70 were closed to traffic at Manchester for approximately three hours. This is fatality #45 compared to #32 at this time last year, according to Gonzalez.

Speeding driver blamed for deadly, 4-vehicle I-70 crash

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/ashley-murray/">ASHLEY MURRAY</a>

WASHINGTON — Taxpayers across the United States could be guaranteed a free public option to file federal tax returns online as the Internal Revenue Service announced plans Thursday to make its Direct File program permanent.

The pilot program&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/irs-testing-free-method-directly-file-taxes-not-everyone-thrilled">offered</a>&nbsp;in 12 states from March to April drew roughly 140,000 accepted returns this filing season and saved participants $5.6 million in tax preparation costs and helped filers receive $90 million in refunds, according to the IRS.

The states involved in this year’s pilot included Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.

The agency is now inviting all 50 states to participate and will accommodate however many sign on, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel told reporters on a call Thursday morning.

“We heard directly from hundreds of organizations across the country, more than 100 members of Congress, individual direct file users and those that are interested in using direct file. The clear message is that many taxpayers across the nation want the IRS to provide options for filing electronically at no cost,” Werfel said.

Yellen touted results of a user&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5969.pdf">survey</a>&nbsp;that showed 90% of participants rate their experience as excellent or above average.

“They appreciated that it allowed them to quickly fix mistakes and there were no fees or upsells. The success of the Direct File pilot means there’s now strong demand for direct file from taxpayers across the country,” Yellen said.

The average American spends $270 and 13 hours filing their taxes, according to the agency’s Taxpayer Burden Survey.

The left-leaning Economic Security Project, which advocates for tax credits for low-income and middle class households, praised the IRS decision to make permanent the program that “delivered on the promise of free and simplified tax filing for taxpayers.”

“It was evident that taxpayers saw the value of Direct File, both in making their lives easier and demonstrating what great government customer service looks like,” Adam Ruben, the organization’s vice president of campaigns and political strategy, said in a statement Thursday.

“We are already working with our partners in states across the nation to support the expansion of Direct File next year so more taxpayers can take advantage of free and simplified tax filing in the next tax season,” he said.

Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, the top tax writer of the upper chamber, praised the IRS announcement in a statement Thursday as “tremendous news for taxpayers all over the country who are tired of getting ripped off by the big tax prep companies that routinely upcharge for unnecessary services, oversell the quality of their products and offer crummy customer service.”

Werfel said the IRS cannot provide an estimated cost of expanding the program because the agency has yet to learn how many states will jump on board.

The cost to run the program this year totaled $31.8 million, breaking down to $24.6 million in IRS costs, and $7.2 million in U.S. Digital Service costs to create the online platform, Werfel said.

Among the tens of billions of dollars Congress authorized for the IRS in its 2022 budget reconciliation law, otherwise known as the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5376/text">Inflation Reduction Act</a>, $15 million was earmarked for exploring a way for the public to electronically file federal returns for free directly to the government, rather than through a third party.

This year’s pilot program was only available to taxpayers with basic tax situations, including W-2 income or simple credits and deductions, like the child tax credit or student loan interest.

“Our goal is to gradually expand the scope of Direct File to support most common tax situations, focusing in particular on tax situations that impact working families,” Werfel said.

When asked on the call whether the success of the program depends on who is in the Oval Office next year, Werfel responded, “I truly believe that the vision that the IRS has for the future tax administration is a nonpartisan one.”

The free public program was met with fierce opposition from congressional Republicans and GOP state officials who&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://waysandmeans.house.gov/event/hearing-with-commissioner-of-the-internal-revenue-service-daniel-werfel/">criticized</a>&nbsp;it as redundant, “<a target="_blank" href="https://dojmt.gov/wp-content/uploads/IRS-Direct-File-Letter-Final.pdf">unconstitutional</a>” and a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://myfloridacfo.com/docs-sf/cfo-news-libraries/news-documents/2024/irs-direct-file-letter.pdf">threat</a>&nbsp;to state tax revenue.

Many cited the already established IRS Free File program, a regularly evolving partnership between the federal agency and private tax prep software companies that provide a free federal return filing option.

That 22-year-old program has been riddled with issues, including low participation and “confusion and complexity” that led millions of eligible taxpayers to actually pay the commercial partners who were supposed to offer the free service, according to a 2019 Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/6768599/TIGTA-Free-File-audit.pdf">report</a>.

A 2019 ProPublica investigation&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-turbotax-20-year-fight-to-stop-americans-from-filing-their-taxes-for-free">revealed</a>&nbsp;deliberate tactics by Free File participant Intuit, maker of TurboTax, to cloud access to the free option.

Nearly two dozen state auditors, comptrollers and treasurers from 18 states urged the IRS to “shut down” the new Direct File pilot program because users could be confused about having to file a state return separately, therefore resulting in a loss in state revenue.

This argument is based on the fact that many commercial tax prep software companies and private tax preparers automatically prompt taxpayers to complete their state returns after filing the federal one.

The state officials who signed on to the March 25&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://myfloridacfo.com/docs-sf/cfo-news-libraries/news-documents/2024/irs-direct-file-letter.pdf">letter</a>&nbsp;to the IRS hailed from Alaska, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Two of the Direct File pilot program states — Arizona and New York — worked with the nonprofit Code for America to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/yellen-touts-success-irs-direct-free-file-pilot-program-which-includes-sd">integrate</a>&nbsp;a free state tax return filing option in concert with Direct File. The nonprofit reported that of the state returns filed through its tool, 98% were accepted.

Several state governments already offer free public electronic filing for state income tax returns that users must access separately through dedicated state websites, including&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.revenue.alabama.gov/individual-corporate/individual-income-tax-electronic-filing-options/">Alabama</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ksrevenue.gov/iiwebfile.html">Kansas</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://revenue.ky.gov/Individual/Pages/Free-Electronic-Filing.aspx">Kentucky</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.revenue.pa.gov/OnlineServices/mypath/Individuals/Pages/PIT.aspx">Pennsylvania</a>, which offer the service regardless of income level. Some states, like&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ftb.ca.gov/file/ways-to-file/online/calfile/calfile-qualifications.html">California</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://tax.iowa.gov/individual-income-tax-electronic-filing-options">Iowa</a>, have income thresholds for free filing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704465937849.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/ashley-murray/">ASHLEY MURRAY</a>WASHINGTON — Taxpayers across the United States could be guaranteed a free public option to file federal tax returns online as the Internal Revenue Service announced plans Thursday to make its Direct File program permanent.The pilot program&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/irs-testing-free-method-directly-file-taxes-not-everyone-thrilled">offered</a>&nbsp;in 12 states from March to April drew roughly 140,000 accepted returns this filing season and saved participants $5.6 million in tax preparation costs and helped filers receive $90 million in refunds, according to the IRS.The states involved in this year’s pilot included Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.The agency is now inviting all 50 states to participate and will accommodate however many sign on, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel told reporters on a call Thursday morning.“We heard directly from hundreds of organizations across the country, more than 100 members of Congress, individual direct file users and those that are interested in using direct file. The clear message is that many taxpayers across the nation want the IRS to provide options for filing electronically at no cost,” Werfel said.Yellen touted results of a user&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5969.pdf">survey</a>&nbsp;that showed 90% of participants rate their experience as excellent or above average.“They appreciated that it allowed them to quickly fix mistakes and there were no fees or upsells. The success of the Direct File pilot means there’s now strong demand for direct file from taxpayers across the country,” Yellen said.The average American spends $270 and 13 hours filing their taxes, according to the agency’s Taxpayer Burden Survey.<h2>The program ‘delivered’</h2>The left-leaning Economic Security Project, which advocates for tax credits for low-income and middle class households, praised the IRS decision to make permanent the program that “delivered on the promise of free and simplified tax filing for taxpayers.”“It was evident that taxpayers saw the value of Direct File, both in making their lives easier and demonstrating what great government customer service looks like,” Adam Ruben, the organization’s vice president of campaigns and political strategy, said in a statement Thursday.“We are already working with our partners in states across the nation to support the expansion of Direct File next year so more taxpayers can take advantage of free and simplified tax filing in the next tax season,” he said.Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, the top tax writer of the upper chamber, praised the IRS announcement in a statement Thursday as “tremendous news for taxpayers all over the country who are tired of getting ripped off by the big tax prep companies that routinely upcharge for unnecessary services, oversell the quality of their products and offer crummy customer service.”Werfel said the IRS cannot provide an estimated cost of expanding the program because the agency has yet to learn how many states will jump on board.The cost to run the program this year totaled $31.8 million, breaking down to $24.6 million in IRS costs, and $7.2 million in U.S. Digital Service costs to create the online platform, Werfel said.Among the tens of billions of dollars Congress authorized for the IRS in its 2022 budget reconciliation law, otherwise known as the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5376/text">Inflation Reduction Act</a>, $15 million was earmarked for exploring a way for the public to electronically file federal returns for free directly to the government, rather than through a third party.This year’s pilot program was only available to taxpayers with basic tax situations, including W-2 income or simple credits and deductions, like the child tax credit or student loan interest.“Our goal is to gradually expand the scope of Direct File to support most common tax situations, focusing in particular on tax situations that impact working families,” Werfel said.When asked on the call whether the success of the program depends on who is in the Oval Office next year, Werfel responded, “I truly believe that the vision that the IRS has for the future tax administration is a nonpartisan one.”<h2>Opposition from GOP</h2>The free public program was met with fierce opposition from congressional Republicans and GOP state officials who&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://waysandmeans.house.gov/event/hearing-with-commissioner-of-the-internal-revenue-service-daniel-werfel/">criticized</a>&nbsp;it as redundant, “<a target="_blank" href="https://dojmt.gov/wp-content/uploads/IRS-Direct-File-Letter-Final.pdf">unconstitutional</a>” and a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://myfloridacfo.com/docs-sf/cfo-news-libraries/news-documents/2024/irs-direct-file-letter.pdf">threat</a>&nbsp;to state tax revenue.Many cited the already established IRS Free File program, a regularly evolving partnership between the federal agency and private tax prep software companies that provide a free federal return filing option.That 22-year-old program has been riddled with issues, including low participation and “confusion and complexity” that led millions of eligible taxpayers to actually pay the commercial partners who were supposed to offer the free service, according to a 2019 Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/6768599/TIGTA-Free-File-audit.pdf">report</a>.A 2019 ProPublica investigation&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-turbotax-20-year-fight-to-stop-americans-from-filing-their-taxes-for-free">revealed</a>&nbsp;deliberate tactics by Free File participant Intuit, maker of TurboTax, to cloud access to the free option.Nearly two dozen state auditors, comptrollers and treasurers from 18 states urged the IRS to “shut down” the new Direct File pilot program because users could be confused about having to file a state return separately, therefore resulting in a loss in state revenue.This argument is based on the fact that many commercial tax prep software companies and private tax preparers automatically prompt taxpayers to complete their state returns after filing the federal one.The state officials who signed on to the March 25&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://myfloridacfo.com/docs-sf/cfo-news-libraries/news-documents/2024/irs-direct-file-letter.pdf">letter</a>&nbsp;to the IRS hailed from Alaska, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.Two of the Direct File pilot program states — Arizona and New York — worked with the nonprofit Code for America to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/yellen-touts-success-irs-direct-free-file-pilot-program-which-includes-sd">integrate</a>&nbsp;a free state tax return filing option in concert with Direct File. The nonprofit reported that of the state returns filed through its tool, 98% were accepted.Several state governments already offer free public electronic filing for state income tax returns that users must access separately through dedicated state websites, including&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.revenue.alabama.gov/individual-corporate/individual-income-tax-electronic-filing-options/">Alabama</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ksrevenue.gov/iiwebfile.html">Kansas</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://revenue.ky.gov/Individual/Pages/Free-Electronic-Filing.aspx">Kentucky</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.revenue.pa.gov/OnlineServices/mypath/Individuals/Pages/PIT.aspx">Pennsylvania</a>, which offer the service regardless of income level. Some states, like&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ftb.ca.gov/file/ways-to-file/online/calfile/calfile-qualifications.html">California</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://tax.iowa.gov/individual-income-tax-electronic-filing-options">Iowa</a>, have income thresholds for free filing.

Free direct filing of federal taxes may be offered soon throughout the U.S.

NEW YORK (AP) — Will Donald Trump go to prison? Could he pardon himself? What about the election? The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-conviction-what-to-know-a70941a7cd367f7b2aa3218ea91ad922">first criminal conviction of a former American president</a>&nbsp;raises a host of legal and political questions.

Trump was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-deliberations-jury-testimony-verdict-85558c6d08efb434d05b694364470aa0">convicted by a Manhattan jury</a>&nbsp;Thursday of 34 felony counts related to a scheme during his 2016 presidential campaign to pay off a porn actor who said the two had sex. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee denies having sex with Stormy Daniels,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-2024-campaign-trial-4629840240cb308c5eae335532ad17ed">has said he did nothing wrong</a>&nbsp;and slammed the jury's verdict.

Here are answers to some of the biggest questions surrounding Trump's conviction:

Trump remains free on his own recognizance. He will have to be back in the Manhattan courtroom on July 11, when he is set to be sentenced. That is just days before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where GOP leaders — who remain steadfast in their support of Trump — are expected to formally make him their nominee for the November election.

Before sentencing, Trump will be interviewed for a presentence report that Judge Juan M. Merchan will use to help decide his punishment. The report is typically prepared by a probation officer, a social worker or a psychologist working for the probation department who interviews the defendant and possibly that person's family and friends, as well as people affected by the crime. Presentence reports include a defendant’s personal history, criminal record and recommendations for sentencing. Trump has no prior convictions.

Trump is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/">charged in three other criminal cases</a>, but it's possible none of them will go to trial before the election. The 2020 election interference case in Washington, for example, remains on hold while the U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-capitol-riot-prosecution-immunity-72c885c07c77970d4380206f87b2d8ca">weighs Trump's claim</a>&nbsp;that he is immune from prosecution for actions taken as commander in chief.

It's not clear. That will be up to the judge, who Trump has repeatedly accused of being biased against him. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought the case, refused to say Thursday whether prosecutors will seek prison time.

Each count of falsifying business records is punishable by up to four years behind bars, but it's possible that Trump will get only fines or probation. New York court records and newspaper archives show defendants convicted of the charge are seldom sentenced to prison for that offense alone. Often, the charge is coupled with more serious felonies such as grand larceny.

And even if the judge sentences him to time behind bars, his lawyers would almost certainly push the judge to allow the former president to remain free until he exhausts his appeals.

Trump faces the threat of more serious prison time in the three other cases. For example, the most serious charges in Trump’s Washington and Georgia election interference cases carry maximum 20-year sentences.

Yes. There's nothing barring Trump from continuing his bid to reclaim the White House or from becoming president. There are only three qualifications for president spelled out in the Constitution: Candidates must be at least 35 years old, be natural born citizens and must have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years. There are no restrictions on his travel at this point either, so he can continue to campaign normally.

Trump attorney Todd Blanche said on the “Today” show Friday: “We’re going to appeal, and we’re going to win on appeal.” Trump's lawyers laid the groundwork throughout the trial to challenge the verdict on multiple issues.

Blanche suggested they will challenge the judge's decision not to recuse himself. Trump has repeatedly argued Merchan should not have presided over the case, citing cash he's given to Democrats and the fact that his daughter is a party consultant. Merchan has acknowledged making several small donations to Democratic causes during the 2020 campaign, including $15 to Trump’s Democratic rival, Joe Biden,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-juan-manuel-merchan-recusal-manhattan-e6ea9180af83bf47443b752fec2c518c">but rejected Trump's claims</a>&nbsp;he cannot fairly preside over the case.

Trump's lawyers may also challenge rulings from the judge they claim unfairly hampered his defense, including limiting the testimony of an expert witness they wanted to put on the stand.

No. It's a state conviction, so Trump would not be able to pardon himself if he were to become president again. Presidential pardons apply only to federal crimes. And it's a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/can-donald-trump-pardon-himself-3fcbe6a0e961d8e90e9fc0a48e2ff126">legally untested question</a>&nbsp;as to whether Trump would even have the power to pardon himself if he's convicted in the federal cases. No president has attempted to do so while in office because no president before Trump had ever been charged or convicted.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-felony-conviction-can-he-vote-b95e7b4c9158d999e8bc89b00fbda911">He can,</a>&nbsp;as long as he is not in prison. Trump's home state of Florida defers to other states’ disenfranchisement rules for residents convicted of out-of-state felonies. And New York&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-new-york-lawsuits-racial-disenfranchisement-476e2a64d5f6a9c615a659ede19a5f5b">law</a>&nbsp;removes the right to vote for people convicted of felonies only while they’re incarcerated. Once they’re out of prison, their rights are automatically restored, even if they’re on parole, per a 2021 law passed by the state’s Democratic legislature.

Trump said Thursday that “the real verdict is going to be Nov. 5 by the people,” referring to Election Day.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-politics-2024-presidential-race-b8177296ad194f1d3fdbfc2e7628fffe">It's unclear</a>&nbsp;to what extent his guilty verdict will impact his bid to unseat Biden. The election is expected to be incredibly tight, and it’s not clear how voters who are on the fence — especially independents and other key voting blocs — will feel when they go to the polls.

Republican lawmakers who have been divided in the past over their support for Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-2024-campaign-trial-4629840240cb308c5eae335532ad17ed">lined up behind him</a>&nbsp;in the wake of the conviction, slamming the judge and prosecutors.

Trump's campaign hopes his supporters will be similarly galvanized by the case, which Trump has cast as an effort to tank his White House bid. His campaign immediately began fundraising off the conviction with messages such as: “I WAS JUST CONVICTED IN A RIGGED TRIAL!” Another message to supporters read: “If they can do this to me, they can do this to anyone.”

Trump’s campaign said Friday morning that it raised a record $34.8 million in small online contributions off his conviction — nearly double its previous largest haul.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1717105639201.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Will Donald Trump go to prison? Could he pardon himself? What about the election? The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-conviction-what-to-know-a70941a7cd367f7b2aa3218ea91ad922">first criminal conviction of a former American president</a>&nbsp;raises a host of legal and political questions.Trump was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-deliberations-jury-testimony-verdict-85558c6d08efb434d05b694364470aa0">convicted by a Manhattan jury</a>&nbsp;Thursday of 34 felony counts related to a scheme during his 2016 presidential campaign to pay off a porn actor who said the two had sex. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee denies having sex with Stormy Daniels,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-2024-campaign-trial-4629840240cb308c5eae335532ad17ed">has said he did nothing wrong</a>&nbsp;and slammed the jury's verdict.Here are answers to some of the biggest questions surrounding Trump's conviction:WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?Trump remains free on his own recognizance. He will have to be back in the Manhattan courtroom on July 11, when he is set to be sentenced. That is just days before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where GOP leaders — who remain steadfast in their support of Trump — are expected to formally make him their nominee for the November election.Before sentencing, Trump will be interviewed for a presentence report that Judge Juan M. Merchan will use to help decide his punishment. The report is typically prepared by a probation officer, a social worker or a psychologist working for the probation department who interviews the defendant and possibly that person's family and friends, as well as people affected by the crime. Presentence reports include a defendant’s personal history, criminal record and recommendations for sentencing. Trump has no prior convictions.Trump is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/">charged in three other criminal cases</a>, but it's possible none of them will go to trial before the election. The 2020 election interference case in Washington, for example, remains on hold while the U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-capitol-riot-prosecution-immunity-72c885c07c77970d4380206f87b2d8ca">weighs Trump's claim</a>&nbsp;that he is immune from prosecution for actions taken as commander in chief.WILL HE GO TO PRISON?It's not clear. That will be up to the judge, who Trump has repeatedly accused of being biased against him. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought the case, refused to say Thursday whether prosecutors will seek prison time.Each count of falsifying business records is punishable by up to four years behind bars, but it's possible that Trump will get only fines or probation. New York court records and newspaper archives show defendants convicted of the charge are seldom sentenced to prison for that offense alone. Often, the charge is coupled with more serious felonies such as grand larceny.And even if the judge sentences him to time behind bars, his lawyers would almost certainly push the judge to allow the former president to remain free until he exhausts his appeals.Trump faces the threat of more serious prison time in the three other cases. For example, the most serious charges in Trump’s Washington and Georgia election interference cases carry maximum 20-year sentences.CAN HE STILL RUN FOR PRESIDENT?Yes. There's nothing barring Trump from continuing his bid to reclaim the White House or from becoming president. There are only three qualifications for president spelled out in the Constitution: Candidates must be at least 35 years old, be natural born citizens and must have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years. There are no restrictions on his travel at this point either, so he can continue to campaign normally.CAN HE APPEAL?Trump attorney Todd Blanche said on the “Today” show Friday: “We’re going to appeal, and we’re going to win on appeal.” Trump's lawyers laid the groundwork throughout the trial to challenge the verdict on multiple issues.Blanche suggested they will challenge the judge's decision not to recuse himself. Trump has repeatedly argued Merchan should not have presided over the case, citing cash he's given to Democrats and the fact that his daughter is a party consultant. Merchan has acknowledged making several small donations to Democratic causes during the 2020 campaign, including $15 to Trump’s Democratic rival, Joe Biden,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-juan-manuel-merchan-recusal-manhattan-e6ea9180af83bf47443b752fec2c518c">but rejected Trump's claims</a>&nbsp;he cannot fairly preside over the case.Trump's lawyers may also challenge rulings from the judge they claim unfairly hampered his defense, including limiting the testimony of an expert witness they wanted to put on the stand.COULD HE PARDON HIMSELF?No. It's a state conviction, so Trump would not be able to pardon himself if he were to become president again. Presidential pardons apply only to federal crimes. And it's a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/can-donald-trump-pardon-himself-3fcbe6a0e961d8e90e9fc0a48e2ff126">legally untested question</a>&nbsp;as to whether Trump would even have the power to pardon himself if he's convicted in the federal cases. No president has attempted to do so while in office because no president before Trump had ever been charged or convicted.CAN HE VOTE IN NOVEMBER?<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-felony-conviction-can-he-vote-b95e7b4c9158d999e8bc89b00fbda911">He can,</a>&nbsp;as long as he is not in prison. Trump's home state of Florida defers to other states’ disenfranchisement rules for residents convicted of out-of-state felonies. And New York&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-new-york-lawsuits-racial-disenfranchisement-476e2a64d5f6a9c615a659ede19a5f5b">law</a>&nbsp;removes the right to vote for people convicted of felonies only while they’re incarcerated. Once they’re out of prison, their rights are automatically restored, even if they’re on parole, per a 2021 law passed by the state’s Democratic legislature.WILL IT HURT HIM POLITICALLY?Trump said Thursday that “the real verdict is going to be Nov. 5 by the people,” referring to Election Day.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-politics-2024-presidential-race-b8177296ad194f1d3fdbfc2e7628fffe">It's unclear</a>&nbsp;to what extent his guilty verdict will impact his bid to unseat Biden. The election is expected to be incredibly tight, and it’s not clear how voters who are on the fence — especially independents and other key voting blocs — will feel when they go to the polls.Republican lawmakers who have been divided in the past over their support for Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-2024-campaign-trial-4629840240cb308c5eae335532ad17ed">lined up behind him</a>&nbsp;in the wake of the conviction, slamming the judge and prosecutors.Trump's campaign hopes his supporters will be similarly galvanized by the case, which Trump has cast as an effort to tank his White House bid. His campaign immediately began fundraising off the conviction with messages such as: “I WAS JUST CONVICTED IN A RIGGED TRIAL!” Another message to supporters read: “If they can do this to me, they can do this to anyone.”Trump’s campaign said Friday morning that it raised a record $34.8 million in small online contributions off his conviction — nearly double its previous largest haul.

Answers to the many questions about Trump's historic conviction

WASHINGTON&nbsp; —A Chinese national who amassed millions of hijacked residential IP addresses and facilitated billions of dollars in unemployment and pandemic relief fraud is in custody, according to the United State's Department of Justice.

A court-authorized international law enforcement operation led by the U.S. Justice Department disrupted a botnet used to commit cyber attacks, large-scale fraud, child exploitation, harassment, bomb threats, and export violations, according to a media release.

As part of this operation, YunHe Wang, 35, a People’s Republic of China national and St. Kitts and Nevis citizen-by-investment, was arrested on May 24 on criminal charges arising from his deployment of malware and the creation and operation of a residential proxy service known as “911 S5.”

According to an indictment unsealed on May 24, from 2014 through July 2022, Wang and others are alleged to have created and disseminated malware to compromise and amass a network of millions of residential Windows computers worldwide. These devices were associated with more than 19 million unique IP addresses, including 613,841 IP addresses located in the United States. Wang then generated millions of dollars by offering cybercriminals access to these infected IP addresses for a fee.

“This Justice Department-led operation brought together law enforcement partners from around the globe to disrupt 911 S5, a botnet that facilitated cyber-attacks, large-scale fraud, child exploitation, harassment, bomb threats, and export violations,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As a result of this operation, YunHe Wang was arrested on charges that he created and operated the botnet and deployed malware. This case makes clear that the long arm of the law stretches across borders and into the deepest shadows of the dark web, and the Justice Department will never stop fighting to hold cybercriminals to account.”

“Working with our international partners, the FBI conducted a joint, sequenced cyber operation to dismantle the 911 S5 Botnet—likely the world’s largest botnet ever,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray.&nbsp; “We arrested its administrator, Yunhe Wang, seized infrastructure and assets, and levied sanctions against Wang and his co-conspirators. The 911 S5 Botnet infected computers in nearly 200 countries and facilitated a whole host of computer-enabled crimes, including financial frauds, identity theft, and child exploitation. This operation demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to working shoulder-to-shoulder with our partners to protect American businesses and the American people, and we will work tirelessly to unmask and arrest the cybercriminals who profit from this illegal activity.”

According to court documents, Wang allegedly propagated his malware through Virtual Private Network (VPN) programs, such as MaskVPN and DewVPN (torrent distribution models that he operated) and pay-per-install services that bundled his malware with other program files, including pirated versions of licensed software or copyrighted materials. Wang then managed and controlled approximately 150 dedicated servers worldwide, approximately 76 of which he leased from U.S. based online service providers. Using the dedicated servers, Wang deployed and managed applications, commanded and controlled the infected devices, operated his 911 S5 service, and provided paying customers with access to proxied IP addresses associated with the infected devices.

“As alleged in the indictment, Wang created malware that compromised millions of residential computers around the world and then sold access to the infected computers to cybercriminals,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These criminals used the hijacked computers to conceal their identities and commit a host of crimes, from fraud to cyberstalking. Cybercriminals should take note. Today’s announcement sends a clear message that the Criminal Division and its law enforcement partners are firm in their resolve to disrupt the most technologically sophisticated criminal tools and hold wrongdoers to account.”

“YunHe Wang created and administered a residential proxy service—a botnet known as 911 S5—that affected millions of computers all over the world,” said U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs for the Eastern District of Texas. “He will now be held accountable. Proxy services like 911 S5 are pervasive threats that shield criminals behind the compromised IP addresses of residential computers worldwide. Successfully tackling a problem of this scale is only possible with strong collaboration and exceptional investigative work between our law enforcement partners at home and abroad, and we stand ready to hold accountable anyone—no matter where they are located—who exploits our telecommunications infrastructure for their own criminal purpose.”

Cybercriminals then used proxied IP addresses purchased from 911 S5 to conceal their true originating IP addresses and locations, and anonymously commit a wide array of offenses. These offenses including financial crimes, stalking, transmitting bomb threats and threats of harm, illegal exportation of goods, and receiving and sending child exploitation materials. Since 2014, 911 S5 allegedly enabled cybercriminals to bypass financial fraud detection systems and steal billions of dollars from financial institutions, credit card issuers, and federal lending programs.

911 S5 customers allegedly targeted certain pandemic relief programs. For example, the United States estimates that 560,000 fraudulent unemployment insurance claims originated from compromised IP addresses, resulting in a confirmed fraudulent loss exceeding $5.9 billion. Additionally, in evaluating suspected fraud loss to the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, the United States estimates that more than 47,000 EIDL applications originated from IP addresses compromised by 911 S5. Millions of dollars more were similarly identified by financial institutions in the United States as loss originating from IP addresses compromised by 911 S5.

The 911 S5 client interface software, which was hosted on U.S.-based servers, enabled cybercriminals located outside of the United States to purchase goods with stolen credit cards or criminally derived proceeds, and illegally export them outside of the United States contrary to U.S. export laws, such as the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). The 911 S5 client interface may also contain encryption or other features which subject it to export controls detailed in the EAR. Accordingly, downloads of the 911 S5 client interface software by certain foreign nationals without a license may constitute violations of the EAR.

“The disruption, seizure, and arrest of the perpetrator(s) responsible for the 911 S5 cybercriminal enterprise demonstrates the forward leaning posture of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Cyber Field Office,” said DCIS Director Kelly P. Mayo. “This investigation showcases the critical import of identifying and pursuing emerging threats and technologies targeting our warfighters, and the industrial base that supports them. Today’s announcement illustrates the magnitude of cooperation within federal law enforcement and our foreign partners pursuing criminals in the rapidly evolving cybercrime arena.”

The indictment further alleges that from 2018 until July 2022, Wang received approximately $99 million from his sales of the hijacked proxied IP addresses through his 911 S5 operation, either in cryptocurrency or fiat currency. Wang used the illicitly gained proceeds to purchase real property in the United States, St. Kitts and Nevis, China, Singapore, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates. The indictment identifies dozens of assets and properties subject to forfeiture, including a 2022 Ferrari F8 Spider S-A, a BMW i8, a BMW X7 M50d, a Rolls Royce, more than a dozen domestic and international bank accounts, over two dozen cryptocurrency wallets, several luxury wristwatches, 21 residential or investment properties (across Thailand, Singapore, the U.A.E., St. Kitts and Nevis, and the United States), and 20 domains.

Law enforcement initially focused on 911 S5 during an investigation of a money laundering and smuggling scheme, where criminal actors in Ghana and the United States used hijacked IP addresses purchased from 911 S5 to place fraudulent orders using stolen credit cards on the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) online e-commerce platform known as ShopMyExchange. Although approximately 2,525 fraudulent orders valued at $5.5 million were submitted, credit card fraud detection systems and federal investigators were able to thwart the bulk of the attempted purchases, reducing the actual loss to approximately $254,000.

“The conduct alleged here reads like it’s ripped from a screenplay: A scheme to sell access to millions of malware-infected computers worldwide, enabling criminals over the world to steal billions of dollars, transmit bomb threats, and exchange child exploitation materials—then using the scheme’s nearly $100 million in profits to buy luxury cars, watches, and real estate,” said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). “What they don’t show in the movies though is the painstaking work it takes by domestic and international law enforcement, working closely with industry partners, to take down such a brazen scheme and make an arrest like this happen.”&nbsp;

Wang is charged with conspiracy to commit computer fraud, substantive computer fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted on all counts, Wang faces a maximum penalty of 65 years in prison.

This operation was a coordinated multiagency effort led by law enforcement in the United States, Singapore, Thailand, and Germany. Agents and officers searched residences, seized assets valued at approximately $30 million, and identified additional forfeitable property valued at approximately $30 million. The operation also seized 23 domains and over 70 servers constituting the backbone of Wang’s prior residential proxy service and the recent incarnation of the service. By seizing multiple domains tied to the historical 911 S5, as well as several new domains and services directly linked to an effort to reconstitute the service, the government has successfully terminated Wang’s efforts to further victimize individuals through his newly formed service Clourouter.io and closed the existing malicious backdoors.

On May 28, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)&nbsp;<a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2375" target="_blank">issued financial sanctions</a>&nbsp;against Wang, Jingping Liu, and Yanni Zheng, for their activities associated with 911 S5, and three entities for being owned or controlled by Wang.

The FBI Dallas and Denver Field Offices, DCIS Cyber Field Office, and BIS Office of Export Enforcement’s Dallas field office are investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Candy Heath and Lydia Lichlyter of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Camelia Lopez and William Tatum for the Eastern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

WASHINGTON&nbsp; —A Chinese national who amassed millions of hijacked residential IP addresses and facilitated billions of dollars in unemployment and pandemic relief fraud is in custody, according to the United State's Department of Justice.A court-authorized international law enforcement operation led by the U.S. Justice Department disrupted a botnet used to commit cyber attacks, large-scale fraud, child exploitation, harassment, bomb threats, and export violations, according to a media release.As part of this operation, YunHe Wang, 35, a People’s Republic of China national and St. Kitts and Nevis citizen-by-investment, was arrested on May 24 on criminal charges arising from his deployment of malware and the creation and operation of a residential proxy service known as “911 S5.”According to an indictment unsealed on May 24, from 2014 through July 2022, Wang and others are alleged to have created and disseminated malware to compromise and amass a network of millions of residential Windows computers worldwide. These devices were associated with more than 19 million unique IP addresses, including 613,841 IP addresses located in the United States. Wang then generated millions of dollars by offering cybercriminals access to these infected IP addresses for a fee.“This Justice Department-led operation brought together law enforcement partners from around the globe to disrupt 911 S5, a botnet that facilitated cyber-attacks, large-scale fraud, child exploitation, harassment, bomb threats, and export violations,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As a result of this operation, YunHe Wang was arrested on charges that he created and operated the botnet and deployed malware. This case makes clear that the long arm of the law stretches across borders and into the deepest shadows of the dark web, and the Justice Department will never stop fighting to hold cybercriminals to account.”“Working with our international partners, the FBI conducted a joint, sequenced cyber operation to dismantle the 911 S5 Botnet—likely the world’s largest botnet ever,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray.&nbsp; “We arrested its administrator, Yunhe Wang, seized infrastructure and assets, and levied sanctions against Wang and his co-conspirators. The 911 S5 Botnet infected computers in nearly 200 countries and facilitated a whole host of computer-enabled crimes, including financial frauds, identity theft, and child exploitation. This operation demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to working shoulder-to-shoulder with our partners to protect American businesses and the American people, and we will work tirelessly to unmask and arrest the cybercriminals who profit from this illegal activity.”According to court documents, Wang allegedly propagated his malware through Virtual Private Network (VPN) programs, such as MaskVPN and DewVPN (torrent distribution models that he operated) and pay-per-install services that bundled his malware with other program files, including pirated versions of licensed software or copyrighted materials. Wang then managed and controlled approximately 150 dedicated servers worldwide, approximately 76 of which he leased from U.S. based online service providers. Using the dedicated servers, Wang deployed and managed applications, commanded and controlled the infected devices, operated his 911 S5 service, and provided paying customers with access to proxied IP addresses associated with the infected devices.“As alleged in the indictment, Wang created malware that compromised millions of residential computers around the world and then sold access to the infected computers to cybercriminals,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These criminals used the hijacked computers to conceal their identities and commit a host of crimes, from fraud to cyberstalking. Cybercriminals should take note. Today’s announcement sends a clear message that the Criminal Division and its law enforcement partners are firm in their resolve to disrupt the most technologically sophisticated criminal tools and hold wrongdoers to account.”“YunHe Wang created and administered a residential proxy service—a botnet known as 911 S5—that affected millions of computers all over the world,” said U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs for the Eastern District of Texas. “He will now be held accountable. Proxy services like 911 S5 are pervasive threats that shield criminals behind the compromised IP addresses of residential computers worldwide. Successfully tackling a problem of this scale is only possible with strong collaboration and exceptional investigative work between our law enforcement partners at home and abroad, and we stand ready to hold accountable anyone—no matter where they are located—who exploits our telecommunications infrastructure for their own criminal purpose.”Cybercriminals then used proxied IP addresses purchased from 911 S5 to conceal their true originating IP addresses and locations, and anonymously commit a wide array of offenses. These offenses including financial crimes, stalking, transmitting bomb threats and threats of harm, illegal exportation of goods, and receiving and sending child exploitation materials. Since 2014, 911 S5 allegedly enabled cybercriminals to bypass financial fraud detection systems and steal billions of dollars from financial institutions, credit card issuers, and federal lending programs.911 S5 customers allegedly targeted certain pandemic relief programs. For example, the United States estimates that 560,000 fraudulent unemployment insurance claims originated from compromised IP addresses, resulting in a confirmed fraudulent loss exceeding $5.9 billion. Additionally, in evaluating suspected fraud loss to the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, the United States estimates that more than 47,000 EIDL applications originated from IP addresses compromised by 911 S5. Millions of dollars more were similarly identified by financial institutions in the United States as loss originating from IP addresses compromised by 911 S5.The 911 S5 client interface software, which was hosted on U.S.-based servers, enabled cybercriminals located outside of the United States to purchase goods with stolen credit cards or criminally derived proceeds, and illegally export them outside of the United States contrary to U.S. export laws, such as the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). The 911 S5 client interface may also contain encryption or other features which subject it to export controls detailed in the EAR. Accordingly, downloads of the 911 S5 client interface software by certain foreign nationals without a license may constitute violations of the EAR.“The disruption, seizure, and arrest of the perpetrator(s) responsible for the 911 S5 cybercriminal enterprise demonstrates the forward leaning posture of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Cyber Field Office,” said DCIS Director Kelly P. Mayo. “This investigation showcases the critical import of identifying and pursuing emerging threats and technologies targeting our warfighters, and the industrial base that supports them. Today’s announcement illustrates the magnitude of cooperation within federal law enforcement and our foreign partners pursuing criminals in the rapidly evolving cybercrime arena.”The indictment further alleges that from 2018 until July 2022, Wang received approximately $99 million from his sales of the hijacked proxied IP addresses through his 911 S5 operation, either in cryptocurrency or fiat currency. Wang used the illicitly gained proceeds to purchase real property in the United States, St. Kitts and Nevis, China, Singapore, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates. The indictment identifies dozens of assets and properties subject to forfeiture, including a 2022 Ferrari F8 Spider S-A, a BMW i8, a BMW X7 M50d, a Rolls Royce, more than a dozen domestic and international bank accounts, over two dozen cryptocurrency wallets, several luxury wristwatches, 21 residential or investment properties (across Thailand, Singapore, the U.A.E., St. Kitts and Nevis, and the United States), and 20 domains.Law enforcement initially focused on 911 S5 during an investigation of a money laundering and smuggling scheme, where criminal actors in Ghana and the United States used hijacked IP addresses purchased from 911 S5 to place fraudulent orders using stolen credit cards on the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) online e-commerce platform known as ShopMyExchange. Although approximately 2,525 fraudulent orders valued at $5.5 million were submitted, credit card fraud detection systems and federal investigators were able to thwart the bulk of the attempted purchases, reducing the actual loss to approximately $254,000.“The conduct alleged here reads like it’s ripped from a screenplay: A scheme to sell access to millions of malware-infected computers worldwide, enabling criminals over the world to steal billions of dollars, transmit bomb threats, and exchange child exploitation materials—then using the scheme’s nearly $100 million in profits to buy luxury cars, watches, and real estate,” said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). “What they don’t show in the movies though is the painstaking work it takes by domestic and international law enforcement, working closely with industry partners, to take down such a brazen scheme and make an arrest like this happen.”&nbsp;Wang is charged with conspiracy to commit computer fraud, substantive computer fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted on all counts, Wang faces a maximum penalty of 65 years in prison.This operation was a coordinated multiagency effort led by law enforcement in the United States, Singapore, Thailand, and Germany. Agents and officers searched residences, seized assets valued at approximately $30 million, and identified additional forfeitable property valued at approximately $30 million. The operation also seized 23 domains and over 70 servers constituting the backbone of Wang’s prior residential proxy service and the recent incarnation of the service. By seizing multiple domains tied to the historical 911 S5, as well as several new domains and services directly linked to an effort to reconstitute the service, the government has successfully terminated Wang’s efforts to further victimize individuals through his newly formed service Clourouter.io and closed the existing malicious backdoors.On May 28, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)&nbsp;<a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2375" target="_blank">issued financial sanctions</a>&nbsp;against Wang, Jingping Liu, and Yanni Zheng, for their activities associated with 911 S5, and three entities for being owned or controlled by Wang.The FBI Dallas and Denver Field Offices, DCIS Cyber Field Office, and BIS Office of Export Enforcement’s Dallas field office are investigating the case.Trial Attorneys Candy Heath and Lydia Lichlyter of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Camelia Lopez and William Tatum for the Eastern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

DOJ charged man with theft of $5.9 billion in Covid relief funds

KANSAS CITY —Detectives in Kansas City&nbsp; are warning residents of a scam that has cost at least one person more than $1 million, according to an online statement from KCPD.

The scam begins with a pop-up on a computer screen with an error message stating the computer is not working properly. 

The pop-up provides a phone number to call for tech support. A scammer then tells the victim their computer and financial information has been compromised. Someone impersonating a government official then contacts the victim, urging him or her to liquidate their assets into gold bars or to wire transfer funds to a Bitcoin machine. The scammers will even send a courier to pick up the gold, claiming they’re safeguarding assets. 

So far, the victims police know of range from 65 to 80 years of age. KCPD detectives are working with other agencies across the country to solve this. In the meantime, police want you to be safe. If you see this scam and have not experienced a loss,<a href="https://www.ic3.gov/"> click here to</a> report it.

If you have suffered a loss, call your police department.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1717162861568.png" alt="Image KCPD" />
 <figcaption>Image KCPD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Detectives in Kansas City&nbsp; are warning residents of a scam that has cost at least one person more than $1 million, according to an online statement from KCPD.The scam begins with a pop-up on a computer screen with an error message stating the computer is not working properly. The pop-up provides a phone number to call for tech support. A scammer then tells the victim their computer and financial information has been compromised. Someone impersonating a government official then contacts the victim, urging him or her to liquidate their assets into gold bars or to wire transfer funds to a Bitcoin machine. The scammers will even send a courier to pick up the gold, claiming they’re safeguarding assets. So far, the victims police know of range from 65 to 80 years of age. KCPD detectives are working with other agencies across the country to solve this. In the meantime, police want you to be safe. If you see this scam and have not experienced a loss,<a href="https://www.ic3.gov/"> click here to</a> report it.If you have suffered a loss, call your police department.

Police: Responding to pop up alert cost KC-area resident $1 million

By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/rmipro/">RACHEL MIPRO</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The state is set to bolster benefits for families of workers who have been killed and for workers who have been permanently disabled, marking change for the first time in more than a decade.&nbsp;

Kansas workers will see the effects of the change in little more than a month, following the passage of legislation overhauling what have been some of the lowest workers’ compensation rates in the country.&nbsp;

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb430/">Senate Bill 430</a>, a bipartisan law formed after vigorous negotiations with business and labor groups, will go into effect July 1. Lawmakers sent the bill to the governor in March, and she signed it April 11. Gov. Laura Kelly held a second ceremonial signing Wednesday to reiterate the law’s importance, surrounded by lawmakers, labor groups and members of the National Guard.

Kelly estimated the last meaningful updates to workers’ comp happened 13 years ago, and it took 24 years of work before that to achieve change.

“I remind you of this so we all truly appreciate how big a deal this really is,” Kelly said.&nbsp;

A family of a worker killed on the job will receive up to $500,000 in death compensation benefits, up from the previous cap of $300,000. For a worker with an injury resulting in a permanent and total disability, benefits will be capped at $400,000, up from $155,000.&nbsp;Compensation benefits for a temporary total disability will go from the previous cap of $130,000 to $225,000.&nbsp;The benefits will also undergo cost-of-living adjustments starting in 2027.

“The bill’s language is the result of countless hours of effort by representatives of injured workers, industry, and the state to craft much-needed and meaningful updates to the Kansas Workers Compensation Act,” said Anton Andersen, a defense attorney and director for the Kansas Self Insurer’s Association.

Other changes include extending workers’ compensation coverage to those in the Kansas National Guard and decreasing the Social Security retirement offset for certain disability benefits.

“This legislation is a significant step in achieving a balance between the needs of workers and the realities of the business world,” said Kansas Department of Labor Secretary Amber Shultz. “We are proud to play a part in the creation of a more fair and equitable system.”

SB 430 also allows for the settlement of workers’ compensation cases without a formal court hearing and limits use of independent medical examinations, among other provisions.&nbsp;

“It has been way too long since we have revised our worker compensation laws,” Kelly said in an interview after the signing. “This was absolutely necessary. We were one of the states with the lowest workers’ compensation of any state in the country.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717278082593.png" alt=" Gov. Laura Kelly participates in a ceremonial signing of a workers compensation reform law on May 29, 2024. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Gov. Laura Kelly participates in a ceremonial signing of a workers compensation reform law on May 29, 2024. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/rmipro/">RACHEL MIPRO</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The state is set to bolster benefits for families of workers who have been killed and for workers who have been permanently disabled, marking change for the first time in more than a decade.&nbsp;Kansas workers will see the effects of the change in little more than a month, following the passage of legislation overhauling what have been some of the lowest workers’ compensation rates in the country.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb430/">Senate Bill 430</a>, a bipartisan law formed after vigorous negotiations with business and labor groups, will go into effect July 1. Lawmakers sent the bill to the governor in March, and she signed it April 11. Gov. Laura Kelly held a second ceremonial signing Wednesday to reiterate the law’s importance, surrounded by lawmakers, labor groups and members of the National Guard.Kelly estimated the last meaningful updates to workers’ comp happened 13 years ago, and it took 24 years of work before that to achieve change.“I remind you of this so we all truly appreciate how big a deal this really is,” Kelly said.&nbsp;A family of a worker killed on the job will receive up to $500,000 in death compensation benefits, up from the previous cap of $300,000. For a worker with an injury resulting in a permanent and total disability, benefits will be capped at $400,000, up from $155,000.&nbsp;Compensation benefits for a temporary total disability will go from the previous cap of $130,000 to $225,000.&nbsp;The benefits will also undergo cost-of-living adjustments starting in 2027.“The bill’s language is the result of countless hours of effort by representatives of injured workers, industry, and the state to craft much-needed and meaningful updates to the Kansas Workers Compensation Act,” said Anton Andersen, a defense attorney and director for the Kansas Self Insurer’s Association.Other changes include extending workers’ compensation coverage to those in the Kansas National Guard and decreasing the Social Security retirement offset for certain disability benefits.“This legislation is a significant step in achieving a balance between the needs of workers and the realities of the business world,” said Kansas Department of Labor Secretary Amber Shultz. “We are proud to play a part in the creation of a more fair and equitable system.”SB 430 also allows for the settlement of workers’ compensation cases without a formal court hearing and limits use of independent medical examinations, among other provisions.&nbsp;“It has been way too long since we have revised our worker compensation laws,” Kelly said in an interview after the signing. “This was absolutely necessary. We were one of the states with the lowest workers’ compensation of any state in the country.”

Kansas raising death benefits for families of killed workers in ‘truly necessary’ overhaul

KANSAS CITY —Police in Kansas City are investigating a Saturday morning homicide.

Just after 4a.m., police were dispatched to 50th and Prospect Avenue on a reported EMS call for a victim down in the street, according to&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

When officers arrived, they observed a man laying in the street unresponsive and suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Responding officers immediately began rendering medical aid until EMS responded and confirmed the man was deceased.

The circumstances surrounding this incident are currently unknown and no one is in custody, according to Gonzalez.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717241903381.png" alt="Photo courtesy Sheriff Dary Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Sheriff Dary Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Police in Kansas City are investigating a Saturday morning homicide.Just after 4a.m., police were dispatched to 50th and Prospect Avenue on a reported EMS call for a victim down in the street, according to&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez.When officers arrived, they observed a man laying in the street unresponsive and suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Responding officers immediately began rendering medical aid until EMS responded and confirmed the man was deceased.The circumstances surrounding this incident are currently unknown and no one is in custody, according to Gonzalez.

KCPD: Man found with fatal gunshot wound in street 

JERUSALEM —Terrorists continue to attempt attacks on U.S. forces in the Red Sea.

Between 9 a.m. and <a href="https://x.com/CENTCOM/status/1797080594985140483?t=450">7:30</a> p.m. (Sanaa time) June 1, U.S. forces destroyed one Iranian-backed Houthi drone (UAS)&nbsp; the southern Red Sea, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.

U.S. forces also observed two other drones crash into the Red Sea. No injuries or damage was reported by U.S., coalition, or commercial ships.


Additionally, between 7 and <a href="https://x.com/CENTCOM/status/1797080594985140483?t=690">11:30</a> p.m., US forces successfully engaged two Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles in the southern Red Sea. The missiles were fired in the direction of USS Gravely and were destroyed in self-defense, with no damage or injuries reported by U.S., coalition, or commercial ships.

Meanwhile, acknowledging only “an uptick” in Israeli military activity, the United States has gone to lengths to avoid any suggestion that Israeli forces have crossed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-weapons-shipment-us-eed365ebef0477ba74bf9848cacae4f4">red line set by President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;in the deepening offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

In just the past week, Israeli&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-05-26-2024-eb25eb70d2c7b9e6bcd0497060eccbca">strikes that hit displaced families sheltering in tents</a>&nbsp;drew international condemnation and Israel confirmed that its forces were operating in the city's center. Still, Biden administration officials say Israel has avoided massive attacks on what had been thickly crowded neighborhoods of Rafah and kept strikes more limited and targeted than earlier in its nearly 8-month-old&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">war with Hamas</a>.

That refrain underscores an increasingly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-rafah-offensive-us-united-nations-403a7c44b248b828559253206140eae5">isolated U.S. position</a>.

Critics charge that Biden, who declared early last month that he would not supply offensive weapons if Israel launched an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-05-07-2024-113bf4ee5dad87dc5c003d76ed2785bf">all-out assault on Rafah</a>, has come up against a domestic red line of his own and decided not to cross it: challenging ally Israel, which has support from Republicans and many American voters, in an election year.

Administration officials “keep moving the goalposts when it comes to the Rafah operation, saying, ‘You know, we won’t let the Israelis do X, Y or Z,’” said Colin Clarke, an international security expert and research director at the Soufan Center, a research center. "And then somebody says, 'Well, aren’t they doing that?’”

“So they’ve been playing semantics around what the Rafah operation constitutes,” he said. “I think if it weren’t an election year, you would see the president being a lot more forceful.”

Administration officials insist Israel has changed its tactics in an effort to reduce civilian deaths as the military sweeps through the city and targets Hamas operatives — even as humanitarian conditions worsen. Some 1 million Palestinians have fled the Rafah offensive and are sheltering in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-war-hamas-muwasi-humanitarian-2de77ea9095d2c680f57f77ad395917c">squalid tent camps</a>, and aid is only trickling into the territory. The United Nations estimates as few as 200,000 to 300,000 people still remain.

“We have been clear about what this isn’t, which is not a major military operation,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said Thursday. He referred to Israeli strikes on the outskirts of the city and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-05-29-2024-7952f779552f41ef6fb44c3b662f5c48">seizure of an adjoining border region</a>&nbsp;with Egypt as an “uptick.”

Pressed on the question, national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters that there’s “no mathematical formula” to determining when and if the Rafah assault has gone beyond the conditions set by the Democratic president.

The U.S. would be looking at whether the operation was causing "a lot of death and destruction” or was “more precise and proportional,” Sullivan said.

Unlike earlier in the Israeli drive to cripple Hamas militants in Gaza, Israelis have conveyed their specific battlefield goals and plans for getting there in the Rafah offensive, a senior administration official said Friday. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to brief reporters under ground rules set by the White House, said if those plans change and Israel goes back to earlier tactics, “that might be a different story.”

Israel launched its war in Gaza after attacks by Hamas killed about 1,200 Israelis on Oct. 7. More than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed since then, many of them women and children. Fighting and Israeli restrictions on aid shipments through border crossings mean nearly all 2.3 million people in Gaza are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-crossings-aid-gaza-f654871ba67c42e6345b6f709427b664">facing severe hunger</a>. U.N. officials say&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-famine-world-food-program-israel-hamas-war-476941bf2dc259f85a706408b2a665ff">famine has already started</a>&nbsp;in the north.

It was the Israeli operation against Hamas in Rafah that brought on the strongest warnings from Biden last month about how Israel was conducting the war and that the U.S. could cut its supply of offensive weapons. The population of Rafah had swelled to some 1.3 million as Israeli offensives to the north pushed Palestinian civilians south.

“If they go into Rafah, I'm not supplying the weapons,” Biden told CNN on May 9. He indicated the red line as being an attack on “population centers” in the city.

At about the same time, U.S. officials confirmed that the administration had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-weapons-shipment-us-eed365ebef0477ba74bf9848cacae4f4">suspended a shipment of heavy bombs</a>&nbsp;to Israel to ensure they were not dropped on Rafah.

Republicans' condemnation of Biden's move was fast and fierce. Soon after, the chief prosecutor for the world’s top war crimes court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/icc-khan-netanyahu-070941d21ccd1f2b9611032b88527575">sought an arrest warrant</a>&nbsp;for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the top U.N. court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-palestinians-court-ceasefire-01d093d21a1eadaa31af5708cf1cbf38">ordered Israel to cease its operations</a>&nbsp;in Rafah, increasing the political pressure on the U.S. and Israel.

Brian Finucane, a former State Department official who is now a senior adviser for the International Crisis Group, notes “changes in tone and tenor” in the administration’s public comments toward Israel from around that time. Biden said the effort for a Netanyahu arrest warrant was “outrageous.”

Administration warnings and threats to Israel over the Rafah campaign ebbed. Biden, un a White House address Friday to urge Hamas to accept an Israeli proposal for a cease-fire and hostage release, made only a passing mention of the operation there, noting widely circulated images of children killed in an Israeli strike last Sunday that burned some of 45 victims alive.

Far more important than whether the U.S. scolds or only echoes Israeli talking points, Finucane said, is “what the administration actually does in terms of policy ... to bring about a shift in what’s actually happening on the ground in Gaza.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703418619283.png" alt="Photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>JERUSALEM —Terrorists continue to attempt attacks on U.S. forces in the Red Sea.Between 9 a.m. and <a href="https://x.com/CENTCOM/status/1797080594985140483?t=450">7:30</a> p.m. (Sanaa time) June 1, U.S. forces destroyed one Iranian-backed Houthi drone (UAS)&nbsp; the southern Red Sea, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.U.S. forces also observed two other drones crash into the Red Sea. No injuries or damage was reported by U.S., coalition, or commercial ships.

Additionally, between 7 and <a href="https://x.com/CENTCOM/status/1797080594985140483?t=690">11:30</a> p.m., US forces successfully engaged two Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles in the southern Red Sea. The missiles were fired in the direction of USS Gravely and were destroyed in self-defense, with no damage or injuries reported by U.S., coalition, or commercial ships.Meanwhile, acknowledging only “an uptick” in Israeli military activity, the United States has gone to lengths to avoid any suggestion that Israeli forces have crossed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-weapons-shipment-us-eed365ebef0477ba74bf9848cacae4f4">red line set by President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;in the deepening offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.In just the past week, Israeli&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-05-26-2024-eb25eb70d2c7b9e6bcd0497060eccbca">strikes that hit displaced families sheltering in tents</a>&nbsp;drew international condemnation and Israel confirmed that its forces were operating in the city's center. Still, Biden administration officials say Israel has avoided massive attacks on what had been thickly crowded neighborhoods of Rafah and kept strikes more limited and targeted than earlier in its nearly 8-month-old&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">war with Hamas</a>.That refrain underscores an increasingly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-rafah-offensive-us-united-nations-403a7c44b248b828559253206140eae5">isolated U.S. position</a>.Critics charge that Biden, who declared early last month that he would not supply offensive weapons if Israel launched an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-05-07-2024-113bf4ee5dad87dc5c003d76ed2785bf">all-out assault on Rafah</a>, has come up against a domestic red line of his own and decided not to cross it: challenging ally Israel, which has support from Republicans and many American voters, in an election year.Administration officials “keep moving the goalposts when it comes to the Rafah operation, saying, ‘You know, we won’t let the Israelis do X, Y or Z,’” said Colin Clarke, an international security expert and research director at the Soufan Center, a research center. "And then somebody says, 'Well, aren’t they doing that?’”“So they’ve been playing semantics around what the Rafah operation constitutes,” he said. “I think if it weren’t an election year, you would see the president being a lot more forceful.”Administration officials insist Israel has changed its tactics in an effort to reduce civilian deaths as the military sweeps through the city and targets Hamas operatives — even as humanitarian conditions worsen. Some 1 million Palestinians have fled the Rafah offensive and are sheltering in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-war-hamas-muwasi-humanitarian-2de77ea9095d2c680f57f77ad395917c">squalid tent camps</a>, and aid is only trickling into the territory. The United Nations estimates as few as 200,000 to 300,000 people still remain.“We have been clear about what this isn’t, which is not a major military operation,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said Thursday. He referred to Israeli strikes on the outskirts of the city and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-05-29-2024-7952f779552f41ef6fb44c3b662f5c48">seizure of an adjoining border region</a>&nbsp;with Egypt as an “uptick.”Pressed on the question, national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters that there’s “no mathematical formula” to determining when and if the Rafah assault has gone beyond the conditions set by the Democratic president.The U.S. would be looking at whether the operation was causing "a lot of death and destruction” or was “more precise and proportional,” Sullivan said.Unlike earlier in the Israeli drive to cripple Hamas militants in Gaza, Israelis have conveyed their specific battlefield goals and plans for getting there in the Rafah offensive, a senior administration official said Friday. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to brief reporters under ground rules set by the White House, said if those plans change and Israel goes back to earlier tactics, “that might be a different story.”Israel launched its war in Gaza after attacks by Hamas killed about 1,200 Israelis on Oct. 7. More than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed since then, many of them women and children. Fighting and Israeli restrictions on aid shipments through border crossings mean nearly all 2.3 million people in Gaza are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-crossings-aid-gaza-f654871ba67c42e6345b6f709427b664">facing severe hunger</a>. U.N. officials say&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-famine-world-food-program-israel-hamas-war-476941bf2dc259f85a706408b2a665ff">famine has already started</a>&nbsp;in the north.It was the Israeli operation against Hamas in Rafah that brought on the strongest warnings from Biden last month about how Israel was conducting the war and that the U.S. could cut its supply of offensive weapons. The population of Rafah had swelled to some 1.3 million as Israeli offensives to the north pushed Palestinian civilians south.“If they go into Rafah, I'm not supplying the weapons,” Biden told CNN on May 9. He indicated the red line as being an attack on “population centers” in the city.At about the same time, U.S. officials confirmed that the administration had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-weapons-shipment-us-eed365ebef0477ba74bf9848cacae4f4">suspended a shipment of heavy bombs</a>&nbsp;to Israel to ensure they were not dropped on Rafah.Republicans' condemnation of Biden's move was fast and fierce. Soon after, the chief prosecutor for the world’s top war crimes court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/icc-khan-netanyahu-070941d21ccd1f2b9611032b88527575">sought an arrest warrant</a>&nbsp;for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the top U.N. court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-palestinians-court-ceasefire-01d093d21a1eadaa31af5708cf1cbf38">ordered Israel to cease its operations</a>&nbsp;in Rafah, increasing the political pressure on the U.S. and Israel.Brian Finucane, a former State Department official who is now a senior adviser for the International Crisis Group, notes “changes in tone and tenor” in the administration’s public comments toward Israel from around that time. Biden said the effort for a Netanyahu arrest warrant was “outrageous.”Administration warnings and threats to Israel over the Rafah campaign ebbed. Biden, un a White House address Friday to urge Hamas to accept an Israeli proposal for a cease-fire and hostage release, made only a passing mention of the operation there, noting widely circulated images of children killed in an Israeli strike last Sunday that burned some of 45 victims alive.Far more important than whether the U.S. scolds or only echoes Israeli talking points, Finucane said, is “what the administration actually does in terms of policy ... to bring about a shift in what’s actually happening on the ground in Gaza.”___

U.S. forces down more ballistic missiles, drones in the Red Sea

DECATUR COUNTY —Law enforcement agencies along the border between northwest Kansas and southwest Nebraska are actively assisting Decatur County, Oberlin, Kansas, authorities with an ongoing investigation of an abduction and holding a hostage from Oberlin, according to Decatur County Sheriff&nbsp; David Wachendorfer.

On Saturday, Decatur County Dispatch in Oberlin received a report from a man that he had been kidnapped and had just escaped from his captors. 

 Law Enforcement Officers from the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office and Oberlin Police Department, as well as members of Decatur County EMS and Emergency Management responded to the location.

  The vehicle is occupied by a white male about 5-foot-6, bald, with a long brown beard and tattoos on his chest. 

 The second subject is a black male 5-foot-10, chubby, with a mustache, goatee and face tattoos. The suspects are to be considered armed and dangerous.&nbsp; Do not approach them.

&nbsp;If seen, immediately call law enforcement, and provide as much detail as possible while keeping a safe distance.

DECATUR COUNTY —Law enforcement agencies along the border between northwest Kansas and southwest Nebraska are actively assisting Decatur County, Oberlin, Kansas, authorities with an ongoing investigation of an abduction and holding a hostage from Oberlin, according to Decatur County Sheriff&nbsp; David Wachendorfer.On Saturday, Decatur County Dispatch in Oberlin received a report from a man that he had been kidnapped and had just escaped from his captors. Law Enforcement Officers from the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office and Oberlin Police Department, as well as members of Decatur County EMS and Emergency Management responded to the location.The victim was located and the incident appears to be valid, according to Wachendorfer. The kidnapping occurred in another jurisdiction and the victim was able to escape while passing through. The sheriff is asking for the public’s assistance in watching for a blue or green older model mini van with Oklahoma plates. The vehicle is occupied by a white male about 5-foot-6, bald, with a long brown beard and tattoos on his chest. The second subject is a black male 5-foot-10, chubby, with a mustache, goatee and face tattoos. The suspects are to be considered armed and dangerous.&nbsp; Do not approach them.&nbsp;If seen, immediately call law enforcement, and provide as much detail as possible while keeping a safe distance.

Armed, dangerous: Search continues for suspects in NW Kansas abduction

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man made his initial appearance Friday after a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, indicted him on multiple charges related to sex trafficking multiple victims, including children, according to the United State's Attorney.

&nbsp;Elijah Z. Haley, 21, of Atchison was indicted on two counts of sex trafficking of a child, two counts of sex trafficking accomplished by force, fraud, or coercion, two counts of transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, and two counts of transportation for illegal sexual activity, according to court documents.

Haley made his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Angel D. Mitchell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kansas Highway Patrol, Atchison, Kansas Police Department, and the Boone County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717245022442.png" alt="Haley from a 2023 arrest in Atchison County" />
 <figcaption>Haley from a 2023 arrest in Atchison County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man made his initial appearance Friday after a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, indicted him on multiple charges related to sex trafficking multiple victims, including children, according to the United State's Attorney.&nbsp;Elijah Z. Haley, 21, of Atchison was indicted on two counts of sex trafficking of a child, two counts of sex trafficking accomplished by force, fraud, or coercion, two counts of transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, and two counts of transportation for illegal sexual activity, according to court documents.Haley made his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Angel D. Mitchell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas.The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kansas Highway Patrol, Atchison, Kansas Police Department, and the Boone County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

Kansas man accused of sex trafficking multiple child victims

OSAGE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.

Just before 10:30 p.m. May 29,, an Osage County Sheriff’s Deputy attempted to make a traffic stop near milepost 165 on Interstate 35 for a traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells. The driver refused to stop, and a pursuit was initiated.

The pursuit exited Interstate 35, traveled through Williamsburg and into rural Franklin County, where Franklin County deputies assisted. Tire deflating devices were utilized, and the vehicle came to a stop near Rock Creek Road and Delaware Road in Franklin County.

Two subjects were taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility. Carlos M. Gonzalez, 42, of Wichita is being held on requested charges of&nbsp;Flee or attempt to elude law enforcement by engaging in reckless driving, Aggravated endangering a child, Driving while suspended; 3rd or subsequent conviction and an Arrest warrant

Mary I. Walker, 43, of Wichita is jailed on requested charges of&nbsp; Interference with law enforcement and an&nbsp;Arrest warrant.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1717099981477.png" alt="Gonzalez-photo Osage Co." />
 <figcaption>Gonzalez-photo Osage Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.Just before 10:30 p.m. May 29,, an Osage County Sheriff’s Deputy attempted to make a traffic stop near milepost 165 on Interstate 35 for a traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells. The driver refused to stop, and a pursuit was initiated.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1717099942385.png" alt="Walker photo Osage Co." />
 <figcaption>Walker photo Osage Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>The pursuit exited Interstate 35, traveled through Williamsburg and into rural Franklin County, where Franklin County deputies assisted. Tire deflating devices were utilized, and the vehicle came to a stop near Rock Creek Road and Delaware Road in Franklin County.Two subjects were taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility. Carlos M. Gonzalez, 42, of Wichita is being held on requested charges of&nbsp;Flee or attempt to elude law enforcement by engaging in reckless driving, Aggravated endangering a child, Driving while suspended; 3rd or subsequent conviction and an Arrest warrantMary I. Walker, 43, of Wichita is jailed on requested charges of&nbsp; Interference with law enforcement and an&nbsp;Arrest warrant.

Kansas couple jailed after 2-county chase

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The bodies of a young U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/haiti-us-couple-missionaries-killed-gangs-a65a4515e0d8610d9acd006d24821efd">missionary couple</a>&nbsp;killed by gang members in Haiti’s capital were returned to their family in Missouri on Friday.

The parents of Natalie Lloyd, 21, announced on Facebook the arrival of the remains of their daughter and son-in-law, 23-year-old Davy Lloyd, at the Kansas City airport.

“Praise God!” Ben and Naomi Baker wrote in the post.

The couple and a Haitian man they worked with were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/haiti-young-missionaries-killed-gang-violence-ba69910971aaa0542233d6bd2a947d78">fatally shot</a>&nbsp;by gang members in Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince last week after they were attacked while leaving a youth group activity held at a local church.

The third victim was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/haiti-missionaries-killed-gangs-d275f22150dfd53a5ad99a96406f65fb">Judes Montis</a>, a director at the missionary where the Lloyds worked. The 47-year-old left behind a wife, two children, ages 2 and 6, and a brother who was present the night that the killings occurred.

Hundreds of people packed into a sweltering church in Port-au-Prince Tuesday to mourn Montis.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716690985915.png" alt="Photos courtesy Missions in Haiti, Inc" />
 <figcaption>Photos courtesy Missions in Haiti, Inc</figcaption>
 </figure>JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The bodies of a young U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/haiti-us-couple-missionaries-killed-gangs-a65a4515e0d8610d9acd006d24821efd">missionary couple</a>&nbsp;killed by gang members in Haiti’s capital were returned to their family in Missouri on Friday.The parents of Natalie Lloyd, 21, announced on Facebook the arrival of the remains of their daughter and son-in-law, 23-year-old Davy Lloyd, at the Kansas City airport.“Praise God!” Ben and Naomi Baker wrote in the post.The couple and a Haitian man they worked with were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/haiti-young-missionaries-killed-gang-violence-ba69910971aaa0542233d6bd2a947d78">fatally shot</a>&nbsp;by gang members in Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince last week after they were attacked while leaving a youth group activity held at a local church.The third victim was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/haiti-missionaries-killed-gangs-d275f22150dfd53a5ad99a96406f65fb">Judes Montis</a>, a director at the missionary where the Lloyds worked. The 47-year-old left behind a wife, two children, ages 2 and 6, and a brother who was present the night that the killings occurred.Hundreds of people packed into a sweltering church in Port-au-Prince Tuesday to mourn Montis.The slayings occurred as the capital crumbles under the relentless&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/haiti-new-prime-minister-transitional-council-c6f9e0785271f6ed96785e7ed7ffcfdc">assault of violent gangs</a>&nbsp;that control 80% of Port-au-Prince. Authorities are awaiting the arrival of a police force from Kenya as part of a U.N.-backed deployment aimed at quelling gang violence in the troubled Caribbean country.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716572749882.png" alt="Photos courtesy Missions in Haiti, Inc" />
 <figcaption>Photos courtesy Missions in Haiti, Inc</figcaption>
 </figure>Davy Lloyd spent most of his life in Haiti, where his parents founded the non-profit organization Missions in Haiti. He was kidnapped, along with two of his sisters, at the age of 5, according to his obituary. They were released the next day.“Having grown up in Haiti, Davy witnessed the Haitian people’s daily struggle for survival," family wrote in his obituary. "He was able to relate to them which made him a great missionary to Haiti.”After graduating college in Missouri and then marrying in 2022, the Lloyds moved to Haiti in 2023 to work at the mission.Natalie Lloyd had a “nurturing spirit,” her obituary said. She cared for children in the mission's orphanage and bonded with a boy who called her “momma.”"Natalie had a mother’s heart and loved the children in the orphanage in Haiti from the moment of her first trip there prior to her marriage to Davy," her obituary said.A visitation for the Lloyds is scheduled for Monday, and their funeral is set for Tuesday.The funeral will be livestreamed for those who cannot attend. A family friend has said reporters are not allowed inside the church during the funeral or at the graveside service but may take photographs from outside.