BUTLER COUNTY —Two people died in an accident just before 5p.m. Sunday in Butler County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2009 Chevy Suburban driven by&nbsp; &nbsp;Crystal D. Ivey, 30, El Dorado, was westbound on SW 150 Road&nbsp; and failed to stop at the stop sign at SW Santa Fe Lake Road.

The SUV struck a southbound 2019 Acura MDX driven by Monica S. Moore, 46, Douglas.

&nbsp;Both vehicles left the roadway to the southwest corner of the intersection.&nbsp; The SUV came to a rest in the ditch and the Acura rolled and came to rest against a tree.&nbsp; 

Moore and a juvenile passenger died in the crash

The Sisters-Herndon Veterinary Clinic shared on their social media page, "It is with a heavy heart that we have some very saddening news for our Sisters patients and families.&nbsp; We were informed of a tragic car accident that involved our beloved Dr. Monica Moore and her daughter. Unfortunately with the severity of the accident both passed. We ask at this time for your patience and understanding while we navigate through these next few days. We will be closing Tuesday and Wednesday this week as we figure out how to move forward. We ask that you keep us in your prayers and thoughts as well as the Moore family."

EMS transported Crystal Ivey to Wesley Medical Center. The drivers were properly restrained, according to the KHP. The KHP released no additional details on the child who died.

BUTLER COUNTY —The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash that occurred just before 5p.m. Sunday in Butler County.

The vehicle struck a vehicle that was southbound on SW Santa Fe Lake Road. Both vehicles left the roadway to the southwest corner of the intersection. 

The westbound vehicle came to a rest in the ditch and the southbound vehicle rolled and came to rest against a tree.

The KHP released no additional details early Monday. Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702302162656.png" alt="Photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>BUTLER COUNTY —Two people died in an accident just before 5p.m. Sunday in Butler County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2009 Chevy Suburban driven by&nbsp; &nbsp;Crystal D. Ivey, 30, El Dorado, was westbound on SW 150 Road&nbsp; and failed to stop at the stop sign at SW Santa Fe Lake Road.The SUV struck a southbound 2019 Acura MDX driven by Monica S. Moore, 46, Douglas.&nbsp;Both vehicles left the roadway to the southwest corner of the intersection.&nbsp; The SUV came to a rest in the ditch and the Acura rolled and came to rest against a tree.&nbsp; Moore and a juvenile passenger died in the crashThe Sisters-Herndon Veterinary Clinic shared on their social media page, "It is with a heavy heart that we have some very saddening news for our Sisters patients and families.&nbsp; We were informed of a tragic car accident that involved our beloved Dr. Monica Moore and her daughter. Unfortunately with the severity of the accident both passed. We ask at this time for your patience and understanding while we navigate through these next few days. We will be closing Tuesday and Wednesday this week as we figure out how to move forward. We ask that you keep us in your prayers and thoughts as well as the Moore family."EMS transported Crystal Ivey to Wesley Medical Center. The drivers were properly restrained, according to the KHP. The KHP released no additional details on the child who died.------------BUTLER COUNTY —The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash that occurred just before 5p.m. Sunday in Butler County.The vehicle struck a vehicle that was southbound on SW Santa Fe Lake Road. Both vehicles left the roadway to the southwest corner of the intersection. The westbound vehicle came to a rest in the ditch and the southbound vehicle rolled and came to rest against a tree.The KHP released no additional details early Monday. Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

 Kansas woman, daughter killed in 2-vehicle crash

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a man for an alleged sex crime.

Just after 4:30p.m. Dec. 8, officers filed a report for lewd and lascivious behavior in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

A 14-year-old girl, a 16-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy reported a known male suspect identified as 31-year-old Fernando Velasquez of Manhattan undressed in a public hot tub.

Police arrested Velasquez on a requested charge of lewd and lascivious; Exposing sex organs to another &lt;18.&nbsp;&nbsp;He remains in custody on a bond of $7,000, according to online jail records.

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a man for an alleged sex crime.Just after 4:30p.m. Dec. 8, officers filed a report for lewd and lascivious behavior in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.A 14-year-old girl, a 16-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy reported a known male suspect identified as 31-year-old Fernando Velasquez of Manhattan undressed in a public hot tub.Police arrested Velasquez on a requested charge of lewd and lascivious; Exposing sex organs to another &lt;18.&nbsp;&nbsp;He remains in custody on a bond of $7,000, according to online jail records.

Police: Kan. man undressed in front of teens in public hot tub

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jack-smith-special-counsel-prosecutor-donald-trump-garland-e1fdb71cfc258bc2be48a8b890a9269b">Special counsel Jack Smith</a>&nbsp;on Monday asked&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">the Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;to take up and rule quickly on whether former President Donald Trump can be prosecuted on charges he plotted to overturn the 2020 election results.

A federal judge ruled the case could go forward, but Trump, 2024 Republican presidential primary front-runner, signaled he would ask the federal appeals court in Washington to reverse that outcome.

Smith is attempting to bypass the appeals court. The request filed Monday for the Supreme Court to take up the matter directly reflects Smith’s desire to keep the trial, currently set for March 4, on track and to prevent any delays that could push back&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">the case</a>&nbsp;until after next year’s presidential election.

“This case presents a fundamental question at the heart of our democracy: whether a former President is absolutely immune from federal prosecution for crimes committed while in office or is constitutionally protected from federal prosecution when he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-impeachment-vote-capitol-siege-0a6f2a348a6e43f27d5e1dc486027860">has been impeached</a>&nbsp;but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-siege-riots-trials-impeachments-b245b52fd7d4a079ae199c954baba452">not convicted</a>&nbsp;before the criminal proceedings begin,” prosecutors wrote.

The earliest the court would consider the appeal would be Jan. 5, 2024, the date of the justices' next scheduled private conference.

Underscoring the urgency for prosecutors in securing a quick resolution that can push the case forward, they wrote: “It is of imperative public importance that respondent’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-capitol-riot-immunity-9528a29b2dbebb6ee4a4ebd26780f98c">claims of immunity</a>&nbsp;be resolved by this Court and that respondent’s trial proceed as promptly as possible if his claim of immunity is rejected.”

At issue is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-capitol-riot-immunity-donald-trump-a98872759762c95fa925ff831df27388">a Dec. 1 ruling</a>&nbsp;from U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan that rejected arguments by Trump’s lawyers that he was immune from federal prosecution. In her order, Chutkan, who was appointed by President Barack Obama, wrote that the office of the president “does not confer a lifelong ‘get-out-of-jail-free’ pass.”

“Former Presidents enjoy no special conditions on their federal criminal liability,” Chutkan wrote. “Defendant may be subject to federal investigation, indictment, prosecution, conviction, and punishment for any criminal acts undertaken while in office."

If the justices get involved, they would have an opportunity to rule for the first time ever on whether ex-presidents enjoy immunity from prosecution. Justice Department policy prohibits the indictment of a sitting president. Though there’s no such bar against prosecution for a former commander in chief, lawyers for Trump say that he cannot be charged for actions that fell within his official duties as president — a claim that prosecutors have vigorously rejected.

Smith’s team stressed that if the court did not expedite the matter, there would not be an opportunity to consider and resolve the question in the current term.

“The United States recognizes that this is an extraordinary request. This is an extraordinary case,” prosecutors wrote. “The Court should grant certiorari and set a briefing schedule that would permit this case to be argued and resolved as promptly as possible.”

Prosecutors are also asking the court to take up Trump’s claim, also already rejected by Chutkan, that he cannot be prosecuted in court for conduct for which he was was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-impeachment-vote-capitol-siege-0a6f2a348a6e43f27d5e1dc486027860">already impeached</a>&nbsp;— and acquitted — before Congress.

Trump faces charges accusing him of working&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-hearings-trump-capitol-10351fe6d555eaee7554379ceed8bb24">to overturn the results</a>&nbsp;of the 2020 election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden before the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">violent riot</a>&nbsp;by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol. He has denied any wrongdoing.

A Supreme Court case usually lasts several months, from the time the justices agree to hear it until a final decision. Smith is asking the court to move with unusual, but not unprecedented, speed.

Nearly 50 years ago, the justices acted within two months of being asked to force President Richard Nixon to turn over Oval Office recordings in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/john-dean-richard-nixon-government-and-politics-crime-c7a7b99cca7c685cfc239f5e08b53378">the Watergate scandal</a>. The tapes were then used later in 1974 in the corruption prosecutions of Nixon's former aides.

It took the high court just a few days to effectively decide the 2000 presidential election for Republican George W. Bush over Democrat Al Gore.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698261736155.png" alt="File&nbsp;-Former President Donald Trump during a break in his civil business fraud trial at New York Supreme Court in October. -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File&nbsp;-Former President Donald Trump during a break in his civil business fraud trial at New York Supreme Court in October. -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jack-smith-special-counsel-prosecutor-donald-trump-garland-e1fdb71cfc258bc2be48a8b890a9269b">Special counsel Jack Smith</a>&nbsp;on Monday asked&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">the Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;to take up and rule quickly on whether former President Donald Trump can be prosecuted on charges he plotted to overturn the 2020 election results.A federal judge ruled the case could go forward, but Trump, 2024 Republican presidential primary front-runner, signaled he would ask the federal appeals court in Washington to reverse that outcome.Smith is attempting to bypass the appeals court. The request filed Monday for the Supreme Court to take up the matter directly reflects Smith’s desire to keep the trial, currently set for March 4, on track and to prevent any delays that could push back&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">the case</a>&nbsp;until after next year’s presidential election.“This case presents a fundamental question at the heart of our democracy: whether a former President is absolutely immune from federal prosecution for crimes committed while in office or is constitutionally protected from federal prosecution when he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-impeachment-vote-capitol-siege-0a6f2a348a6e43f27d5e1dc486027860">has been impeached</a>&nbsp;but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-siege-riots-trials-impeachments-b245b52fd7d4a079ae199c954baba452">not convicted</a>&nbsp;before the criminal proceedings begin,” prosecutors wrote.The earliest the court would consider the appeal would be Jan. 5, 2024, the date of the justices' next scheduled private conference.Underscoring the urgency for prosecutors in securing a quick resolution that can push the case forward, they wrote: “It is of imperative public importance that respondent’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-capitol-riot-immunity-9528a29b2dbebb6ee4a4ebd26780f98c">claims of immunity</a>&nbsp;be resolved by this Court and that respondent’s trial proceed as promptly as possible if his claim of immunity is rejected.”At issue is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-capitol-riot-immunity-donald-trump-a98872759762c95fa925ff831df27388">a Dec. 1 ruling</a>&nbsp;from U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan that rejected arguments by Trump’s lawyers that he was immune from federal prosecution. In her order, Chutkan, who was appointed by President Barack Obama, wrote that the office of the president “does not confer a lifelong ‘get-out-of-jail-free’ pass.”“Former Presidents enjoy no special conditions on their federal criminal liability,” Chutkan wrote. “Defendant may be subject to federal investigation, indictment, prosecution, conviction, and punishment for any criminal acts undertaken while in office."If the justices get involved, they would have an opportunity to rule for the first time ever on whether ex-presidents enjoy immunity from prosecution. Justice Department policy prohibits the indictment of a sitting president. Though there’s no such bar against prosecution for a former commander in chief, lawyers for Trump say that he cannot be charged for actions that fell within his official duties as president — a claim that prosecutors have vigorously rejected.Smith’s team stressed that if the court did not expedite the matter, there would not be an opportunity to consider and resolve the question in the current term.“The United States recognizes that this is an extraordinary request. This is an extraordinary case,” prosecutors wrote. “The Court should grant certiorari and set a briefing schedule that would permit this case to be argued and resolved as promptly as possible.”Prosecutors are also asking the court to take up Trump’s claim, also already rejected by Chutkan, that he cannot be prosecuted in court for conduct for which he was was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-impeachment-vote-capitol-siege-0a6f2a348a6e43f27d5e1dc486027860">already impeached</a>&nbsp;— and acquitted — before Congress.Trump faces charges accusing him of working&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-hearings-trump-capitol-10351fe6d555eaee7554379ceed8bb24">to overturn the results</a>&nbsp;of the 2020 election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden before the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">violent riot</a>&nbsp;by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol. He has denied any wrongdoing.A Supreme Court case usually lasts several months, from the time the justices agree to hear it until a final decision. Smith is asking the court to move with unusual, but not unprecedented, speed.Nearly 50 years ago, the justices acted within two months of being asked to force President Richard Nixon to turn over Oval Office recordings in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/john-dean-richard-nixon-government-and-politics-crime-c7a7b99cca7c685cfc239f5e08b53378">the Watergate scandal</a>. The tapes were then used later in 1974 in the corruption prosecutions of Nixon's former aides.It took the high court just a few days to effectively decide the 2000 presidential election for Republican George W. Bush over Democrat Al Gore.

Supreme Court will decide if Trump is immune from Jan. 6 prosecution

TOPEKA —It's time to vote for your favorite license plate among five designs created by Mammoth Creative Co., a Kansas-based marketing firm, in partnership with Kansas Tourism for the next official State of Kansas standard issue license plate.

<a href="https://appengine.egov.com/apps/ks/plates">Click here to vote</a>&nbsp;on your choice of design.

Voting will end at 5 p.m. on Friday, December 15.

The proposed designs were chosen in part because they align with Kansas Tourism design standards, with law enforcement needs, and with the following guidelines, according to a media release from the governor's office.

Kansans can vote on their favorite design as many times as they’d like between 9 a.m. CT on Monday, December 11, 2023, and 5 p.m. CT on Friday, December 15, 2023.

The Governor will announce the winning design concept on Monday, December 18, and it will be used as the official State of Kansas license plate, subject to any required modifications that may be necessary due to the plate production process.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702310334406.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —It's time to vote for your favorite license plate among five designs created by Mammoth Creative Co., a Kansas-based marketing firm, in partnership with Kansas Tourism for the next official State of Kansas standard issue license plate.<a href="https://appengine.egov.com/apps/ks/plates">Click here to vote</a>&nbsp;on your choice of design.Voting will end at 5 p.m. on Friday, December 15.The proposed designs were chosen in part because they align with Kansas Tourism design standards, with law enforcement needs, and with the following guidelines, according to a media release from the governor's office.<ul>
 <li>License plate numbers will be seven (7) digits.</li><li>Any phrase, motto, or slogan must be placed at the bottom of the license plate.</li><li>Any graphic must be placed on either side of the license plate number.</li><li>Graphics must not resemble letters, numbers, or special characters in a way that would interfere with the ability to read the license plate number.</li><li>Background design must not interfere with the ability to read the license plate number.</li><li>The license plate must have a light background behind the license plate number, and the license plate number must be black.</li>
 </ul>Kansans can vote on their favorite design as many times as they’d like between 9 a.m. CT on Monday, December 11, 2023, and 5 p.m. CT on Friday, December 15, 2023.The Governor will announce the winning design concept on Monday, December 18, and it will be used as the official State of Kansas license plate, subject to any required modifications that may be necessary due to the plate production process.<figure>
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Vote now on 5 new Kansas license plate design choices

OKLAHOMA COUNTY—Authorities are investigating a deadly plane crash near Oklahoma City.

Just before 10:30a.m. Sunday, the Oklahoma City Fire Department was dispatched to an aircraft crash at Wiley Post Airport involving one single engine prop plane with two on-board, according to a media release. Firefighters arrived to find one man attempting to rescue the other passenger from the fully engulfed aircraft wreckage. 

Firefighters extinguished the aircraft and began treating the man.&nbsp; The other individual&nbsp; was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp; First responders&nbsp; treated the man on-scene and transported him to an area hospital in critical condition where he later died.

The FAA and NTSB are in charge of the investigation. Officials have not released the names of the victims.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702305105860.png" alt="Photo Oklahoma City Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photo Oklahoma City Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>OKLAHOMA COUNTY—Authorities are investigating a deadly plane crash near Oklahoma City.Just before 10:30a.m. Sunday, the Oklahoma City Fire Department was dispatched to an aircraft crash at Wiley Post Airport involving one single engine prop plane with two on-board, according to a media release. Firefighters arrived to find one man attempting to rescue the other passenger from the fully engulfed aircraft wreckage. Firefighters extinguished the aircraft and began treating the man.&nbsp; The other individual&nbsp; was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp; First responders&nbsp; treated the man on-scene and transported him to an area hospital in critical condition where he later died.The FAA and NTSB are in charge of the investigation. Officials have not released the names of the victims.

Two dead after small plane crash, fire near Oklahoma City

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Harlan Red Tailed Hawk used for educational programming escaped his enclosure on Monday, according to a social media report from the Midwest Avian Foundation.

The hawk, known as Harley, is a non-released bird and has limited ability to fly. He has likely not gone far from the organization located at 910 S Vassar Street in Wichita, and is probably tucked up in a bush or tree with low hanging branches. "He may soon come out to attempt to hunt and might wind up on the ground."

The organization reported another confirmed sighting of Harley Saturday&nbsp; afternoon in the 200 block of S Terrace in Wichita. This is the same general area as the first sighting, so College Hill and Lincoln Heights .

The bird is wearing leather anklets and 2 straps hanging down, called “jesses."&nbsp;

If you see him in a tree, notify us immediately.If you see him on the ground, you can try to catch him with a towel or blanket and put him in a box.  Then notify us. Midwest Avian Foundation 316-214-7705Carrie Lower 316-633-6303Rachael: 316-616-7446

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702038276081.png" alt="Harley-photo Midwest Avian Foundation" />
 <figcaption>Harley-photo Midwest Avian Foundation</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Harlan Red Tailed Hawk used for educational programming escaped his enclosure on Monday, according to a social media report from the Midwest Avian Foundation.The hawk, known as Harley, is a non-released bird and has limited ability to fly. He has likely not gone far from the organization located at 910 S Vassar Street in Wichita, and is probably tucked up in a bush or tree with low hanging branches. "He may soon come out to attempt to hunt and might wind up on the ground."The organization reported another confirmed sighting of Harley Saturday&nbsp; afternoon in the 200 block of S Terrace in Wichita. This is the same general area as the first sighting, so College Hill and Lincoln Heights .The bird is wearing leather anklets and 2 straps hanging down, called “jesses."&nbsp;If you see him in a tree, notify us immediately.If you see him on the ground, you can try to catch him with a towel or blanket and put him in a box. Then notify us. Midwest Avian Foundation 316-214-7705Carrie Lower 316-633-6303Rachael: 316-616-7446

Confirmed sighting of lost Kan. Red Tailed Hawk used for ed programs

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a deadly shooting in Kansas City have identified the victim as&nbsp;20-year-old Savannah R. Stipek, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte.

Just before 9:30p.m. Friday, police responded to Independence Avenue and Cleveland Avenue where they found Stipek and man with gunshot wounds.

First responders pronounced Stipek dead at the scene. EMS transported the man to a local hospital

While detectives were investigating, a third&nbsp; victim arrived at a fire station a short distance away reporting that he had been shot at the original Independence Avenue location. EMS transported him to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

Police are working to determine what prompted the interaction between the man found at the scene of the shooting and an unknown suspect to escalate into gunfire.

Police have not released any information on a suspect or reported an arrest.

&nbsp;Detectives are searching for witnesses to the incident or any surveillance footage that may have captured it.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a deadly shooting in Kansas City have identified the victim as&nbsp;20-year-old Savannah R. Stipek, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte.Just before 9:30p.m. Friday, police responded to Independence Avenue and Cleveland Avenue where they found Stipek and man with gunshot wounds.First responders pronounced Stipek dead at the scene. EMS transported the man to a local hospitalWhile detectives were investigating, a third&nbsp; victim arrived at a fire station a short distance away reporting that he had been shot at the original Independence Avenue location. EMS transported him to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.Police are working to determine what prompted the interaction between the man found at the scene of the shooting and an unknown suspect to escalate into gunfire.Police have not released any information on a suspect or reported an arrest.&nbsp;Detectives are searching for witnesses to the incident or any surveillance footage that may have captured it.

Police ID woman who died after gunfight in Kansas City

SHAWNE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating&nbsp; recent organized retail thefts at businesses in Topeka have and cautioned holiday shoppers, according to a social media report from police.

Investigators have seen several incidents where a woman distracts an older or inattentive shopper, while a man steals from them.

Police released photos of individuals believed to be involved in these thefts.

Please be aware of your surroundings and keep your wallets and purses on you, or out of sight when shopping. 

As always, if you see something, say something and report it to law enforcement through telltpd@topeka.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702151918536.png" alt="Photo Topeka police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Topeka police</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating&nbsp; recent organized retail thefts at businesses in Topeka have and cautioned holiday shoppers, according to a social media report from police.Investigators have seen several incidents where a woman distracts an older or inattentive shopper, while a man steals from them.Police released photos of individuals believed to be involved in these thefts.

Please be aware of your surroundings and keep your wallets and purses on you, or out of sight when shopping. As always, if you see something, say something and report it to law enforcement through telltpd@topeka.org.

Police warn shoppers in Kan. of organized retail theft

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and Ukraine's leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, will meet at the White House on Tuesday as the U.S. administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-border-immigration-ukraine-6bdcc5dde4dadb48b43ace75b5a55242">steps up the pressure</a>&nbsp;on Congress to provide&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-congress-aid-military-russia-002fde812843fc1fc0e969b653ce83a8">billions more in aid to Kyiv</a>&nbsp;in its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">war with Russia</a>.

The visit is intended “to underscore the United States’ unshakeable commitment to supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend themselves against Russia’s brutal invasion,” the White House said in a statement Sunday. “As Russia ramps up its missile and drone strikes against Ukraine, the leaders will discuss Ukraine’s urgent needs and the vital importance of the United States’ continued support at this critical moment.”

Zelenskyy's office confirmed that he had accepted Biden's invitation. He also has been asked to speak to a meeting of all senators.

Biden has asked Congress for a $110 billion package of wartime funding for Ukraine ($61.4 billion) and Israel, along with other national security priorities. But the request is caught up in a debate over U.S. immigration policy and border security.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-zelenskyy-argentina-cape-verde-496dc646174e1b89a145826963bb8bb3">Zelenskyy traveled to Buenos Aires</a>&nbsp;to witness&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/argentina-milei-inauguration-president-46b73d6a705e1c4652303022a37dbbb0">the swearing-in</a>&nbsp;on Sunday of Argentina’s new president, Javier Milei. The Ukrainian leader had been scheduled to address U.S. senators by video last week, but had to cancel the appearance, according to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.

Congress already has allocated $111 billion to assist Ukraine, and Biden’s budget director, Shalanda Young,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/briefing-room/2023/12/04/letter-to-congressional-leadership-regarding-the-need-for-urgent-action-to-support-ukraines-defense/">said in a letter</a>&nbsp;this past week to House and Senate leaders that the U.S. will run out of funding to send weapons and assistance to Ukraine by the end of the year, which would “kneecap” Ukraine on the battlefield.

“It’s time to cut a deal that both sides can agree to,” Young said Sunday.

The stakes are especially high for Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during two television interviews Sunday, given that “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-congress-military-assistance-economy-557cbced7f7c1242ea08c52dadefc33b">we are running out of funding</a>&nbsp;” for the Ukrainians. “This is a time to really step up because if we don’t, we know what happens. (Russian President Vladimir) Putin will be able to move forward with impunity and we know he won’t stop in Ukraine.”

Earlier, he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-us-emergency-sale-tank-ammunition-war-d3e9b41528433f2da9814d3293996cd5">defended the emergency sale</a>&nbsp;to Israel of nearly 14,000 rounds of tank ammunition and also called for quick congressional approval of the foreign assistance. Blinken said the needs of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel's military operations in Gaza</a>&nbsp;justify the rare decision to bypass Congress. “Israel is in combat right now with Hamas,” he said. “And we want to make sure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself against Hamas."

The tank ammunition and related support constitute only a small portion of military sales to Israel, Blinken said, and that the rest remains subject to congressional review. "It’s very important that Congress‘ voice be heard in this,” he said.

The decision to proceed with the sale of more than $106 million for tank shells came as the administration's larger aid package is caught up in a larger immigration debate.

Blinken noted that Biden has said he is willing to make&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-congress-aid-military-russia-002fde812843fc1fc0e969b653ce83a8">significant compromises</a>&nbsp;to get the aid package moving. ``It’s something the president is fully prepared to engage on," Blinken said.

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said there is bipartisan agreement that something has to be done to address record numbers of migrants crossing into the United States from Mexico.

“We want to solve that, to secure the border. I just saw the president of the United States say that we’ve got to secure the border. He’s right. So, any effort that doesn’t do that will be rejected by Republicans,” Romney said.

Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, said the administration has yet to justify additional aid to Ukraine. “So what we’re saying to the president and really to the entire world is, you need to articulate what the ambition is. What is $61 billion going to accomplish that $100 billion hasn’t?” Vance said.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said the money would make a difference because Russia is struggling to fund its war effort. “It can change the outcome of this war,” Murphy said. “Because at the very same time that we are making a renewed commitment to Ukraine, Russia’s ability to continue to fight this war is in jeopardy.”

Romney said he also supports the aid to Ukraine. “My own view is that it’s very much in America’s interest to see Ukraine successful and to provide the weapons that Ukraine needs to defend itself. Anything other than that would be a huge dereliction of our responsibility, I believe, to the world of democracy but also to our own national interest,” he said.

Blinken appeared on ABC's “This Week” and CNN's “State of the Union.” Romney and Murphy were on NBC's “Meet the Press.” Vance was on CNN. Young was on CBS' “Face the Nation.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — A deal to provide further U.S. assistance to Ukraine by year-end appears to be increasingly out of reach for President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>. The impasse is deepening in Congress despite dire warnings from the White House about the consequences of inaction as Republicans insist on pairing the aid with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-congress-zelenskyy-border-security-8592ddcb1627fc6d0b43349bac3fe329">changes</a>&nbsp;to America's immigration and border policies.

After the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-congress-aid-military-russia-002fde812843fc1fc0e969b653ce83a8">Democratic president said</a>&nbsp;this past week he was willing to “make significant compromises on the border,” Republicans quickly revived demands that they had earlier set aside, hardening their positions and attempting to shift the negotiations to the right, according to a person familiar with the talks who was not authorized to publicly discuss them and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The latest proposal, from the lead GOP negotiator, Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., came during a meeting with a core group of senators before they left Washington on Thursday afternoon. It could force the White House to consider ideas that many Democrats will seriously oppose, throwing new obstacles in the difficult negotiations.

Biden is facing the prospect of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ukraine-israel-budget-3762a0bdf00653e3c8a38175d3c3d3cb">cornerstone of his foreign policy</a>&nbsp;— repelling Russian President Vladimir Putin from overtaking Ukraine — crumbling as U.S. support for funding the war wanes, especially among Republicans. The White House says a failure to approve more aid by year's end could have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-congress-military-assistance-economy-557cbced7f7c1242ea08c52dadefc33b">catastrophic consequences</a>&nbsp;for Ukraine and its ability to fight.

To preserve U.S. backing, the Biden administration has quietly engaged in Senate talks on border policy in recent weeks, providing assistance to the small group of senators trying to reach a deal and communicating what policy changes it would find acceptable.

The president is trying to satisfy GOP demands to reduce the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-mexico-border-crossings-asylum-immigration-def50446bc397ebfba36ab272dbc0a27">historic number of migrants</a>&nbsp;arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border while alleviating Democrats' fears that legal immigration will be choked off with drastic measures.

As talks sputtered to a restart this past week, Democrats warned Republicans that time for a deal was running short. Congress is scheduled to depart Washington in mid-December for a holiday break.

“Republicans need to show they are serious about reaching a compromise, not just throwing on the floor basically Donald Trump’s border policies,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Thursday before Republicans made their counteroffer.

But the new Republican proposal dug in on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-immigration-border-security-asylum-872a1e126677d7e203bb51bdb23a7975">policy changes</a>&nbsp;that had led Democrats to step back from the negotiations, according to the person familiar with the talks. The GOP offer calls for ending the humanitarian parole program that's now in place for existing classes of migrants — Ukrainians, Afghans, Cubans, Venezuelans, Nicaraguans and Haitians. That idea had been all but dashed before.

Additionally, those groups of migrants would not be allowed to be paroled again if the terms of their stay expire before their cases are adjudicated in immigration proceedings.

GOP senators proposed monitoring systems such as ankle bracelets for people, including children, who are detained at the border and are awaiting parole. Republicans want to ban people from applying for asylum if they have transited through a different country where they could have sought asylum instead. GOP lawmakers also want to revive executive powers that would allow a president to shut down entries for wide-ranging reasons.

Further, after migrant encounters at the border recently hit historic numbers, the GOP proposal would set new guidelines requiring the border to be essentially shut down if illegal crossings reach a certain limit.

Lankford declined to discuss specifics after the Thursday meeting, but said he was trying to “negotiate in good faith." He said the historic number of migrants at the border could not be ignored. The sheer number of people arriving at the border has swamped the asylum system, he said, making it impossible for authorities to adequately screen the people they allow in.

"Do you want large numbers of undocumented individuals and unscreened individuals without work permits, without access to the rest of the economy?” Lankford said.

The lead Democratic negotiator, Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, did not quickly respond to the GOP proposal.

Senators had made some progress in the talks before Thursday, finding general agreement on raising the initial standard for migrants to enter the asylum system — part of what’s called the credible fear system. The administration has communicated that it is amenable to that change and that it could agree to expand expedited removal to deport immigrants before they have a hearing with an immigration judge, according to two people briefed on the private negotiations who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Immigration advocates and progressives in Congress have been alarmed by the direction of the talks, especially because they have not featured changes aimed at expanding legal immigration.

Robyn Barnard, director of refugee advocacy with Human Rights First, called the current state of negotiations an “absolute crisis moment.” She warned that broadening the fast-track deportation authority could lead to a mass rounding up of immigrants around the country and compared it to the situation during the Trump administration. “Communities across the country would be living in fear,” she said.

But Republican senators,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-immigration-asylum-border-congress-7507034034ba49a8f170777600cad46e">sensing that Biden, who is campaigning for a second term, wants to address</a>&nbsp;the historic number of people coming to the border, have taken an aggressive stance and tried to draw the president directly into negotiations.

“The White House is going to have to engage particularly if Senate Democrats are unwilling to do what we are suggesting be done,” said Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., at a news conference Thursday.

The White House has so far declined to take a leading role in negotiations. “Democrats have said that they want to compromise. Have that conversation,” said White House press secretary Karine-Jean Pierre.

After every GOP senator this past week voted not to move ahead with legislation that would provide tens of billions of dollars in military and economic assistance for Ukraine, many in the chamber were left in a dour mood. Even those who held out hope for a deal acknowledged it would be difficult to push a package through the Senate at this late stage.

Even if senators reach a deal, the obstacles to passage in the House are considerable.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-ukraine-border-security-zelenskyy-bf932727abd5e8ff3cf5c9c848a3cf78">Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has signaled</a>&nbsp;he will fight for sweeping changes to immigration policy that go beyond what is being discussed in the Senate. Also, broad support from House Democrats is far from guaranteed, as progressives and Hispanic lawmakers have raised alarm at curtailing access to asylum.

“Trading Ukrainian lives for the lives of asylum seekers is morally bankrupt and irresponsible,” Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, as part of a coordinated campaign by Hispanic Democrats.

The unwieldy nature of the issue left even Lankford, who was one of the few senators optimistic that a deal could be reached this year, acknowledging the difficulty of finding an agreement in the coming days.

“There’s just a whole lot of politics that have been bound up in this,” he said as he departed the Capitol for the week. “Thirty years it hasn’t been resolved because it’s incredibly complicated."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695327062140.png" alt="Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a September visit with President Biden-photo White House" />
 <figcaption>Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a September visit with President Biden-photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and Ukraine's leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, will meet at the White House on Tuesday as the U.S. administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-border-immigration-ukraine-6bdcc5dde4dadb48b43ace75b5a55242">steps up the pressure</a>&nbsp;on Congress to provide&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-congress-aid-military-russia-002fde812843fc1fc0e969b653ce83a8">billions more in aid to Kyiv</a>&nbsp;in its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">war with Russia</a>.The visit is intended “to underscore the United States’ unshakeable commitment to supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend themselves against Russia’s brutal invasion,” the White House said in a statement Sunday. “As Russia ramps up its missile and drone strikes against Ukraine, the leaders will discuss Ukraine’s urgent needs and the vital importance of the United States’ continued support at this critical moment.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Border first. America first. <a href="https://t.co/vvQSuLkYVM">pic.twitter.com/vvQSuLkYVM</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1733596885028655521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Zelenskyy's office confirmed that he had accepted Biden's invitation. He also has been asked to speak to a meeting of all senators.Biden has asked Congress for a $110 billion package of wartime funding for Ukraine ($61.4 billion) and Israel, along with other national security priorities. But the request is caught up in a debate over U.S. immigration policy and border security.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-zelenskyy-argentina-cape-verde-496dc646174e1b89a145826963bb8bb3">Zelenskyy traveled to Buenos Aires</a>&nbsp;to witness&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/argentina-milei-inauguration-president-46b73d6a705e1c4652303022a37dbbb0">the swearing-in</a>&nbsp;on Sunday of Argentina’s new president, Javier Milei. The Ukrainian leader had been scheduled to address U.S. senators by video last week, but had to cancel the appearance, according to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.Congress already has allocated $111 billion to assist Ukraine, and Biden’s budget director, Shalanda Young,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/briefing-room/2023/12/04/letter-to-congressional-leadership-regarding-the-need-for-urgent-action-to-support-ukraines-defense/">said in a letter</a>&nbsp;this past week to House and Senate leaders that the U.S. will run out of funding to send weapons and assistance to Ukraine by the end of the year, which would “kneecap” Ukraine on the battlefield.“It’s time to cut a deal that both sides can agree to,” Young said Sunday.The stakes are especially high for Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during two television interviews Sunday, given that “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-congress-military-assistance-economy-557cbced7f7c1242ea08c52dadefc33b">we are running out of funding</a>&nbsp;” for the Ukrainians. “This is a time to really step up because if we don’t, we know what happens. (Russian President Vladimir) Putin will be able to move forward with impunity and we know he won’t stop in Ukraine.”Earlier, he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-us-emergency-sale-tank-ammunition-war-d3e9b41528433f2da9814d3293996cd5">defended the emergency sale</a>&nbsp;to Israel of nearly 14,000 rounds of tank ammunition and also called for quick congressional approval of the foreign assistance. Blinken said the needs of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel's military operations in Gaza</a>&nbsp;justify the rare decision to bypass Congress. “Israel is in combat right now with Hamas,” he said. “And we want to make sure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself against Hamas."The tank ammunition and related support constitute only a small portion of military sales to Israel, Blinken said, and that the rest remains subject to congressional review. "It’s very important that Congress‘ voice be heard in this,” he said.The decision to proceed with the sale of more than $106 million for tank shells came as the administration's larger aid package is caught up in a larger immigration debate.Blinken noted that Biden has said he is willing to make&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-congress-aid-military-russia-002fde812843fc1fc0e969b653ce83a8">significant compromises</a>&nbsp;to get the aid package moving. ``It’s something the president is fully prepared to engage on," Blinken said.Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said there is bipartisan agreement that something has to be done to address record numbers of migrants crossing into the United States from Mexico.“We want to solve that, to secure the border. I just saw the president of the United States say that we’ve got to secure the border. He’s right. So, any effort that doesn’t do that will be rejected by Republicans,” Romney said.Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, said the administration has yet to justify additional aid to Ukraine. “So what we’re saying to the president and really to the entire world is, you need to articulate what the ambition is. What is $61 billion going to accomplish that $100 billion hasn’t?” Vance said.Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said the money would make a difference because Russia is struggling to fund its war effort. “It can change the outcome of this war,” Murphy said. “Because at the very same time that we are making a renewed commitment to Ukraine, Russia’s ability to continue to fight this war is in jeopardy.”Romney said he also supports the aid to Ukraine. “My own view is that it’s very much in America’s interest to see Ukraine successful and to provide the weapons that Ukraine needs to defend itself. Anything other than that would be a huge dereliction of our responsibility, I believe, to the world of democracy but also to our own national interest,” he said.Blinken appeared on ABC's “This Week” and CNN's “State of the Union.” Romney and Murphy were on NBC's “Meet the Press.” Vance was on CNN. Young was on CBS' “Face the Nation.”------------------------WASHINGTON (AP) — A deal to provide further U.S. assistance to Ukraine by year-end appears to be increasingly out of reach for President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>. The impasse is deepening in Congress despite dire warnings from the White House about the consequences of inaction as Republicans insist on pairing the aid with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-congress-zelenskyy-border-security-8592ddcb1627fc6d0b43349bac3fe329">changes</a>&nbsp;to America's immigration and border policies.After the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-congress-aid-military-russia-002fde812843fc1fc0e969b653ce83a8">Democratic president said</a>&nbsp;this past week he was willing to “make significant compromises on the border,” Republicans quickly revived demands that they had earlier set aside, hardening their positions and attempting to shift the negotiations to the right, according to a person familiar with the talks who was not authorized to publicly discuss them and spoke on condition of anonymity.The latest proposal, from the lead GOP negotiator, Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., came during a meeting with a core group of senators before they left Washington on Thursday afternoon. It could force the White House to consider ideas that many Democrats will seriously oppose, throwing new obstacles in the difficult negotiations.Biden is facing the prospect of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ukraine-israel-budget-3762a0bdf00653e3c8a38175d3c3d3cb">cornerstone of his foreign policy</a>&nbsp;— repelling Russian President Vladimir Putin from overtaking Ukraine — crumbling as U.S. support for funding the war wanes, especially among Republicans. The White House says a failure to approve more aid by year's end could have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-congress-military-assistance-economy-557cbced7f7c1242ea08c52dadefc33b">catastrophic consequences</a>&nbsp;for Ukraine and its ability to fight.To preserve U.S. backing, the Biden administration has quietly engaged in Senate talks on border policy in recent weeks, providing assistance to the small group of senators trying to reach a deal and communicating what policy changes it would find acceptable.The president is trying to satisfy GOP demands to reduce the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-mexico-border-crossings-asylum-immigration-def50446bc397ebfba36ab272dbc0a27">historic number of migrants</a>&nbsp;arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border while alleviating Democrats' fears that legal immigration will be choked off with drastic measures.As talks sputtered to a restart this past week, Democrats warned Republicans that time for a deal was running short. Congress is scheduled to depart Washington in mid-December for a holiday break.“Republicans need to show they are serious about reaching a compromise, not just throwing on the floor basically Donald Trump’s border policies,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Thursday before Republicans made their counteroffer.But the new Republican proposal dug in on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-immigration-border-security-asylum-872a1e126677d7e203bb51bdb23a7975">policy changes</a>&nbsp;that had led Democrats to step back from the negotiations, according to the person familiar with the talks. The GOP offer calls for ending the humanitarian parole program that's now in place for existing classes of migrants — Ukrainians, Afghans, Cubans, Venezuelans, Nicaraguans and Haitians. That idea had been all but dashed before.Additionally, those groups of migrants would not be allowed to be paroled again if the terms of their stay expire before their cases are adjudicated in immigration proceedings.GOP senators proposed monitoring systems such as ankle bracelets for people, including children, who are detained at the border and are awaiting parole. Republicans want to ban people from applying for asylum if they have transited through a different country where they could have sought asylum instead. GOP lawmakers also want to revive executive powers that would allow a president to shut down entries for wide-ranging reasons.Further, after migrant encounters at the border recently hit historic numbers, the GOP proposal would set new guidelines requiring the border to be essentially shut down if illegal crossings reach a certain limit.Lankford declined to discuss specifics after the Thursday meeting, but said he was trying to “negotiate in good faith." He said the historic number of migrants at the border could not be ignored. The sheer number of people arriving at the border has swamped the asylum system, he said, making it impossible for authorities to adequately screen the people they allow in."Do you want large numbers of undocumented individuals and unscreened individuals without work permits, without access to the rest of the economy?” Lankford said.The lead Democratic negotiator, Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, did not quickly respond to the GOP proposal.Senators had made some progress in the talks before Thursday, finding general agreement on raising the initial standard for migrants to enter the asylum system — part of what’s called the credible fear system. The administration has communicated that it is amenable to that change and that it could agree to expand expedited removal to deport immigrants before they have a hearing with an immigration judge, according to two people briefed on the private negotiations who spoke on the condition of anonymity.Immigration advocates and progressives in Congress have been alarmed by the direction of the talks, especially because they have not featured changes aimed at expanding legal immigration.Robyn Barnard, director of refugee advocacy with Human Rights First, called the current state of negotiations an “absolute crisis moment.” She warned that broadening the fast-track deportation authority could lead to a mass rounding up of immigrants around the country and compared it to the situation during the Trump administration. “Communities across the country would be living in fear,” she said.But Republican senators,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-immigration-asylum-border-congress-7507034034ba49a8f170777600cad46e">sensing that Biden, who is campaigning for a second term, wants to address</a>&nbsp;the historic number of people coming to the border, have taken an aggressive stance and tried to draw the president directly into negotiations.“The White House is going to have to engage particularly if Senate Democrats are unwilling to do what we are suggesting be done,” said Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., at a news conference Thursday.The White House has so far declined to take a leading role in negotiations. “Democrats have said that they want to compromise. Have that conversation,” said White House press secretary Karine-Jean Pierre.After every GOP senator this past week voted not to move ahead with legislation that would provide tens of billions of dollars in military and economic assistance for Ukraine, many in the chamber were left in a dour mood. Even those who held out hope for a deal acknowledged it would be difficult to push a package through the Senate at this late stage.Even if senators reach a deal, the obstacles to passage in the House are considerable.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-ukraine-border-security-zelenskyy-bf932727abd5e8ff3cf5c9c848a3cf78">Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has signaled</a>&nbsp;he will fight for sweeping changes to immigration policy that go beyond what is being discussed in the Senate. Also, broad support from House Democrats is far from guaranteed, as progressives and Hispanic lawmakers have raised alarm at curtailing access to asylum.“Trading Ukrainian lives for the lives of asylum seekers is morally bankrupt and irresponsible,” Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, as part of a coordinated campaign by Hispanic Democrats.The unwieldy nature of the issue left even Lankford, who was one of the few senators optimistic that a deal could be reached this year, acknowledging the difficulty of finding an agreement in the coming days.“There’s just a whole lot of politics that have been bound up in this,” he said as he departed the Capitol for the week. “Thirty years it hasn’t been resolved because it’s incredibly complicated."___

Ukraine's leader returning to Washington for more financial aid

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple drug allegations after a traffic stop.

Just before 11:30pm Dec. 7, a deputy sheriff conducted a traffic stop in the 2700 block of SE Maryland Avenue on a black 2023 Nissan Sentra that was connected to a Drug Enforcement Unit search warrant, according to Deputy Shayna Anderson.

During the investigation, the deputy found illegal narcotics and arrested the driver 39-year-old Damario D. Brooks of Topeka.&nbsp; He is being held on requested charges of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana and driving a vehicle without a valid license.

The passenger, Amaya J. Colpitts, 18, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County DOC on a misdemeanor traffic warrant through Shawnee County.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702072105568.png" alt="Brooks-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Brooks-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple drug allegations after a traffic stop.Just before 11:30pm Dec. 7, a deputy sheriff conducted a traffic stop in the 2700 block of SE Maryland Avenue on a black 2023 Nissan Sentra that was connected to a Drug Enforcement Unit search warrant, according to Deputy Shayna Anderson.During the investigation, the deputy found illegal narcotics and arrested the driver 39-year-old Damario D. Brooks of Topeka.&nbsp; He is being held on requested charges of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana and driving a vehicle without a valid license.The passenger, Amaya J. Colpitts, 18, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County DOC on a misdemeanor traffic warrant through Shawnee County.

Kansas man accused of selling cocaine

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that sent one person to the hospita.

Just after 4a.m. Sunday, police responded to the 1300 block of SW Gage Blvd. in Topeka, according Topeka Police Lt. Edward Stanley.

First responders found a man suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported by ambulance to a local hospital with injuries considered to be non-life threatening.&nbsp; Police have not reported any suspect information or an arrest.

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that sent one person to the hospita.Just after 4a.m. Sunday, police responded to the 1300 block of SW Gage Blvd. in Topeka, according Topeka Police Lt. Edward Stanley.First responders found a man suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported by ambulance to a local hospital with injuries considered to be non-life threatening.&nbsp; Police have not reported any suspect information or an arrest.

Kansas man hospitalized after reported shoooting 

KANSAS CITY (AP) —Trouble with playground bullies started for Maria Ishoo’s daughter in elementary school. Girls ganged up, calling her “fat” and “ugly.” Boys tripped and pushed her. The California mother watched her typically bubbly second-grader retreat into her bedroom and spend afternoons curled up in bed.

For Valerie Aguirre’s daughter in Hawaii, a spate of middle school “friend drama” escalated into violence and online bullying that left the 12-year-old feeling disconnected and lonely.

Both children received help through telehealth therapy, a service that schools around the country are offering in response to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-health-pandemics-teens-cd01cd672539d6a3dbada46bfa47203a" target="_blank">soaring mental health struggles</a>&nbsp;among American youth.

Now at least 16 of the 20 largest U.S. public school districts are offering online therapy sessions to reach millions of students, according to an analysis by The Associated Press. In those districts alone, schools have signed provider contracts worth more than $70 million.

The growth reflects a booming new business born from America’s youth mental health crisis, which has proven so lucrative that venture capitalists are funding a new crop of school teletherapy companies. Some experts raise concerns about the quality of care offered by fast-growing tech companies.

As schools cope with shortages of in-person practitioners, however, educators say teletherapy works for many kids, and it’s meeting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mental-health-crisis-schools-768fed6a4e71d694ec0694c627d8fdca" target="_blank">a massive need</a>. For rural schools and lower-income students in particular, it has made therapy easier to access. Schools let students connect with online counselors during the school day or after hours from home.

“This is how we can prevent people from falling through the cracks,” said Ishoo, a mother of two in Lancaster, California.

Ishoo recalls standing at her second-grader’s bedroom door last year and wishing she could get through to her. “What’s wrong?” the mother would ask. The response made her heart heavy: “It’s NOTHING, Mom.”

Last spring, her school district launched a teletherapy program and she signed up her daughter. During a month of weekly sessions, the girl logged in from her bedroom and opened up to a therapist who gave her coping tools and breathing techniques to reduce anxiety. The therapist told her daughter: You are in charge of your own emotions. Don’t give anyone else that control.

“She learned that it’s OK to ask for help, and sometimes everyone needs some extra help,” Ishoo said.

The 13,000-student school system, like so many others, has counselors and psychologists on staff, but not enough to meet the need, said Trish Wilson, the Lancaster district’s coordinator of counselors.

Therapists in the area have full caseloads, making it impossible to refer students for immediate care, she said. But students can schedule a virtual session within days.

“Our preference is to provide our students in-person therapy. Obviously, that’s not always possible,” said Wilson, whose district has referred more than 325 students to over 800 sessions since launching the online therapy program.

Students and their parents said in interviews they turned to teletherapy after struggling with feelings of sadness, loneliness, academic stress and anxiety. For many, the transition back to in-person school after distance learning was traumatic. Friendships had fractured, social skills deteriorated and tempers flared more easily.

Schools are footing the bill, many of them using federal pandemic relief money as experts have warned of alarming rates of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/teens-girls-mental-health-social-media-928d45094e94fccb81e1fa9aca30fcdf" target="_blank">youth depression, anxiety and suicide</a>. Many school districts are signing contracts with private companies. Others are working with local health care providers, nonprofits or state programs.

Mental health experts welcome the extra support but caution about potential pitfalls. For one, it’s getting harder to hire school counselors and psychologists, and competition with telehealth providers isn’t helping.

“We have 44 counselor vacancies, and telehealth definitely impacts our ability to fill them,” said Doreen Hogans, supervisor of school counseling in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Hogans estimates 20% of school counselors who left have taken teletherapy jobs, which offer more flexible hours.

The rapid growth of the companies raises questions about the qualifications of the therapists, their experience with children and privacy protocols, said Kevin Dahill-Fuchel, executive director of Counseling in Schools, a nonprofit that helps schools bolster traditional, in-person mental health services.

“As we give these young people access to telehealth, I want to hear how all these other bases are covered,” he said.

One of the biggest providers, San Francisco-based Hazel Health, started with telemedicine health services in schools in 2016 and expanded to mental health in May 2021, CEO Josh Golomb said. It now employs more than 300 clinicians providing teletherapy in over 150 school districts in 15 states.

The rapid expansions mean millions of dollars in revenue for Hazel. This year, the company signed a $24 million contract with Los Angeles County to offer teletherapy services to 1.3 million students for two years.

Other clients include Hawaii, which is paying Hazel nearly $4 million over three years to work with its public schools, and Clark County schools in the Las Vegas area, which have allocated $3.25 million for Hazel-provided teletherapy. The districts of Miami-Dade, Prince George’s and Houston schools also have partnered with Hazel.

Despite the giant contracts, Golomb said Hazel is focused on ensuring child welfare outweighs the bottom line.

“We have the ethos of a nonprofit company but we’re using a private-sector mechanism to reach as many kids as we can,” Golomb said. Hazel raised $51.5 million in venture capital funding in 2022 that fueled its expansion. “Do we have any concerns about any compromise in quality? The resounding answer is no.”

Other providers are getting into the space. In November, New York City launched a free telehealth therapy service for teens to help eliminate barriers to access, said Ashwin Vasan, the city’s health commissioner. New York is paying the startup TalkSpace $26 million over three years for a service allowing teens aged 13 to 17 to download an app and connect with licensed therapists by phone, video or text.

Unlike other cities, New York is offering the service to all teens, whether enrolled in private, public or home schools, or&nbsp;<a href="https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/missing-children/index.html" target="_blank">not in school at all</a>.

“I truly hope this normalizes and democratizes access to mental health care for our young people,” Vasan said.

Many of Hawaii’s referrals come from schools in rural or remote areas. Student clients have increased sharply in Maui since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-fires-timeline-maui-lahaina-road-block-c8522222f6de587bd14b2da0020c40e9" target="_blank">deadly August wildfires</a>, said Fern Yoshida, who oversees teletherapy for the state education department. So far this fall, students have logged 2,047 teletherapy visits, a three-fold increase from the same period last year.

One of them was Valerie Aguirre’s daughter, whose fallout with two friends turned physical last year in sixth grade, when one of the girls slapped her daughter in the face. Aguirre suggested her daughter try teletherapy. After two months of online therapy, “she felt better,” Aguirre said, with a realization that everyone makes mistakes and friendships can be mended.

In California, Ishoo says her daughter, now in third grade, is relaying wisdom to her sister, who started kindergarten this year.

“She walks her little sister to class and tells her everything will be OK. She’s a different person. She’s older and wiser. She reassures her sister,” Ishoo said. “I heard her say, ‘If kids are being mean to you, just ignore them.’”

KANSAS CITY (AP) —Trouble with playground bullies started for Maria Ishoo’s daughter in elementary school. Girls ganged up, calling her “fat” and “ugly.” Boys tripped and pushed her. The California mother watched her typically bubbly second-grader retreat into her bedroom and spend afternoons curled up in bed.For Valerie Aguirre’s daughter in Hawaii, a spate of middle school “friend drama” escalated into violence and online bullying that left the 12-year-old feeling disconnected and lonely.Both children received help through telehealth therapy, a service that schools around the country are offering in response to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-health-pandemics-teens-cd01cd672539d6a3dbada46bfa47203a" target="_blank">soaring mental health struggles</a>&nbsp;among American youth.Now at least 16 of the 20 largest U.S. public school districts are offering online therapy sessions to reach millions of students, according to an analysis by The Associated Press. In those districts alone, schools have signed provider contracts worth more than $70 million.The growth reflects a booming new business born from America’s youth mental health crisis, which has proven so lucrative that venture capitalists are funding a new crop of school teletherapy companies. Some experts raise concerns about the quality of care offered by fast-growing tech companies.As schools cope with shortages of in-person practitioners, however, educators say teletherapy works for many kids, and it’s meeting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mental-health-crisis-schools-768fed6a4e71d694ec0694c627d8fdca" target="_blank">a massive need</a>. For rural schools and lower-income students in particular, it has made therapy easier to access. Schools let students connect with online counselors during the school day or after hours from home.“This is how we can prevent people from falling through the cracks,” said Ishoo, a mother of two in Lancaster, California.Ishoo recalls standing at her second-grader’s bedroom door last year and wishing she could get through to her. “What’s wrong?” the mother would ask. The response made her heart heavy: “It’s NOTHING, Mom.”Last spring, her school district launched a teletherapy program and she signed up her daughter. During a month of weekly sessions, the girl logged in from her bedroom and opened up to a therapist who gave her coping tools and breathing techniques to reduce anxiety. The therapist told her daughter: You are in charge of your own emotions. Don’t give anyone else that control.“She learned that it’s OK to ask for help, and sometimes everyone needs some extra help,” Ishoo said.The 13,000-student school system, like so many others, has counselors and psychologists on staff, but not enough to meet the need, said Trish Wilson, the Lancaster district’s coordinator of counselors.Therapists in the area have full caseloads, making it impossible to refer students for immediate care, she said. But students can schedule a virtual session within days.“Our preference is to provide our students in-person therapy. Obviously, that’s not always possible,” said Wilson, whose district has referred more than 325 students to over 800 sessions since launching the online therapy program.Students and their parents said in interviews they turned to teletherapy after struggling with feelings of sadness, loneliness, academic stress and anxiety. For many, the transition back to in-person school after distance learning was traumatic. Friendships had fractured, social skills deteriorated and tempers flared more easily.Schools are footing the bill, many of them using federal pandemic relief money as experts have warned of alarming rates of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/teens-girls-mental-health-social-media-928d45094e94fccb81e1fa9aca30fcdf" target="_blank">youth depression, anxiety and suicide</a>. Many school districts are signing contracts with private companies. Others are working with local health care providers, nonprofits or state programs.Mental health experts welcome the extra support but caution about potential pitfalls. For one, it’s getting harder to hire school counselors and psychologists, and competition with telehealth providers isn’t helping.“We have 44 counselor vacancies, and telehealth definitely impacts our ability to fill them,” said Doreen Hogans, supervisor of school counseling in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Hogans estimates 20% of school counselors who left have taken teletherapy jobs, which offer more flexible hours.The rapid growth of the companies raises questions about the qualifications of the therapists, their experience with children and privacy protocols, said Kevin Dahill-Fuchel, executive director of Counseling in Schools, a nonprofit that helps schools bolster traditional, in-person mental health services.“As we give these young people access to telehealth, I want to hear how all these other bases are covered,” he said.One of the biggest providers, San Francisco-based Hazel Health, started with telemedicine health services in schools in 2016 and expanded to mental health in May 2021, CEO Josh Golomb said. It now employs more than 300 clinicians providing teletherapy in over 150 school districts in 15 states.The rapid expansions mean millions of dollars in revenue for Hazel. This year, the company signed a $24 million contract with Los Angeles County to offer teletherapy services to 1.3 million students for two years.Other clients include Hawaii, which is paying Hazel nearly $4 million over three years to work with its public schools, and Clark County schools in the Las Vegas area, which have allocated $3.25 million for Hazel-provided teletherapy. The districts of Miami-Dade, Prince George’s and Houston schools also have partnered with Hazel.Despite the giant contracts, Golomb said Hazel is focused on ensuring child welfare outweighs the bottom line.“We have the ethos of a nonprofit company but we’re using a private-sector mechanism to reach as many kids as we can,” Golomb said. Hazel raised $51.5 million in venture capital funding in 2022 that fueled its expansion. “Do we have any concerns about any compromise in quality? The resounding answer is no.”Other providers are getting into the space. In November, New York City launched a free telehealth therapy service for teens to help eliminate barriers to access, said Ashwin Vasan, the city’s health commissioner. New York is paying the startup TalkSpace $26 million over three years for a service allowing teens aged 13 to 17 to download an app and connect with licensed therapists by phone, video or text.Unlike other cities, New York is offering the service to all teens, whether enrolled in private, public or home schools, or&nbsp;<a href="https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/missing-children/index.html" target="_blank">not in school at all</a>.“I truly hope this normalizes and democratizes access to mental health care for our young people,” Vasan said.Many of Hawaii’s referrals come from schools in rural or remote areas. Student clients have increased sharply in Maui since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-fires-timeline-maui-lahaina-road-block-c8522222f6de587bd14b2da0020c40e9" target="_blank">deadly August wildfires</a>, said Fern Yoshida, who oversees teletherapy for the state education department. So far this fall, students have logged 2,047 teletherapy visits, a three-fold increase from the same period last year.One of them was Valerie Aguirre’s daughter, whose fallout with two friends turned physical last year in sixth grade, when one of the girls slapped her daughter in the face. Aguirre suggested her daughter try teletherapy. After two months of online therapy, “she felt better,” Aguirre said, with a realization that everyone makes mistakes and friendships can be mended.In California, Ishoo says her daughter, now in third grade, is relaying wisdom to her sister, who started kindergarten this year.“She walks her little sister to class and tells her everything will be OK. She’s a different person. She’s older and wiser. She reassures her sister,” Ishoo said. “I heard her say, ‘If kids are being mean to you, just ignore them.’”

US schools turn to the booming business of online therapy

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Some Missouri lawmakers are renewing a call for the state to take an anti-abortion step that goes further than prominent anti-abortion groups want to go and that has not gained much traction in any state so far: a law that would allow homicide charges against women who obtain abortions.

Republicans in both the state House and Senate have introduced bills to be considered in the legislative session that begins next month to apply homicide laws on behalf of a victim who is an “unborn child at every stage of development.”

The bills would offer exceptions if the suspect is a woman who aborts a pregnancy after being coerced or threatened, or an abortion is provided by a physician to save the life of the pregnant woman.

“To me, it’s just about protecting a baby’s life like we do every other person’s life,” state Rep. Bob Titus, a first-term Republican who is sponsoring one of the measures, told The Associated Press. “The prosecution is just a consequence of taking an innocent human life.”

Titus said no charges would need to be brought under the bill, so long as people abide by the law already on the books that makes Missouri one of 14 states with bans in effect on abortions at all stages of pregnancy, with limited exceptions.

Titus said he has not discussed his bill with legislative leaders and did not base it on any model legislation, though it is aligned with a bill by Republican state Sen. Mike Moon, who represents the same area in southwestern Missouri.

Two groups are trying to get&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-missouri-ballot-constitution-ruling-edb5f44fc0f9799d01cda22cd1f70b40">measures on ballots</a>&nbsp;in Missouri in 2024 to legalize abortion in more cases. One would bar the government from infringing on abortion rights during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy. The other, being crafted by moderate Republicans, would scale back restrictions to a lesser degree.

Abortion-related&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ballot-measure-2024-state-vote-e7d635835dc3a440789ad87787553ec1">measures could be before voters</a>&nbsp;in several states next year. Since last year, voters have sided with abortion rights in all seven states where the questions have been on the ballot.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-texas-idaho-alabama-state-lines-trafficking-d314933f3f7db93858561a0c6ad0b188">abortion landscape in the U.S.</a>&nbsp;has been shifting quickly since a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-dobbs-roe-anniversary-rally-ff6196c80112b7c9d5e6822b1807bf3e">U.S. Supreme Court ruling</a>&nbsp;in June 2022 overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling and ended a nationwide right to abortion.

Most Republican-controlled states have adopted bans or restrictions and most Democrat-run states have taken steps to protect access.

Prominent anti-abortion groups have generally opposed measures that would subject women who get abortions to charges.

Still, identical legislation was introduced earlier this year in Missouri and similar bills were introduced in 2023 in other states including Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky and South Carolina. None was advanced by a legislative committee.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-politics-kentucky-health-523fbca373510135e5787a34fdd67f26">Kentucky measure died</a>&nbsp;after it was opposed by the state's Republican attorney general and legislative leaders. At the time, GOP House Speaker David Osborne said the Republican majority in his chamber had never contemplated passing an abortion ban without any exceptions.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-divide-republican-democratic-states-fd2e6fffffec2fdcf328d7bca1e6fd78">In South Carolina</a>, more than 20 GOP lawmakers signed on as sponsors of a bill that would have classified abortion as homicide. As the bill garnered attention, several lawmakers withdrew their support. Lawmakers later adopted a ban on abortions when cardiac activity can be detected, generally around six weeks into a pregnancy – and often before women realize they are pregnant.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693425446976.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Some Missouri lawmakers are renewing a call for the state to take an anti-abortion step that goes further than prominent anti-abortion groups want to go and that has not gained much traction in any state so far: a law that would allow homicide charges against women who obtain abortions.Republicans in both the state House and Senate have introduced bills to be considered in the legislative session that begins next month to apply homicide laws on behalf of a victim who is an “unborn child at every stage of development.”The bills would offer exceptions if the suspect is a woman who aborts a pregnancy after being coerced or threatened, or an abortion is provided by a physician to save the life of the pregnant woman.“To me, it’s just about protecting a baby’s life like we do every other person’s life,” state Rep. Bob Titus, a first-term Republican who is sponsoring one of the measures, told The Associated Press. “The prosecution is just a consequence of taking an innocent human life.”Titus said no charges would need to be brought under the bill, so long as people abide by the law already on the books that makes Missouri one of 14 states with bans in effect on abortions at all stages of pregnancy, with limited exceptions.Titus said he has not discussed his bill with legislative leaders and did not base it on any model legislation, though it is aligned with a bill by Republican state Sen. Mike Moon, who represents the same area in southwestern Missouri.Two groups are trying to get&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-missouri-ballot-constitution-ruling-edb5f44fc0f9799d01cda22cd1f70b40">measures on ballots</a>&nbsp;in Missouri in 2024 to legalize abortion in more cases. One would bar the government from infringing on abortion rights during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy. The other, being crafted by moderate Republicans, would scale back restrictions to a lesser degree.Abortion-related&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ballot-measure-2024-state-vote-e7d635835dc3a440789ad87787553ec1">measures could be before voters</a>&nbsp;in several states next year. Since last year, voters have sided with abortion rights in all seven states where the questions have been on the ballot.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-texas-idaho-alabama-state-lines-trafficking-d314933f3f7db93858561a0c6ad0b188">abortion landscape in the U.S.</a>&nbsp;has been shifting quickly since a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-dobbs-roe-anniversary-rally-ff6196c80112b7c9d5e6822b1807bf3e">U.S. Supreme Court ruling</a>&nbsp;in June 2022 overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling and ended a nationwide right to abortion.Most Republican-controlled states have adopted bans or restrictions and most Democrat-run states have taken steps to protect access.Prominent anti-abortion groups have generally opposed measures that would subject women who get abortions to charges.Still, identical legislation was introduced earlier this year in Missouri and similar bills were introduced in 2023 in other states including Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky and South Carolina. None was advanced by a legislative committee.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-politics-kentucky-health-523fbca373510135e5787a34fdd67f26">Kentucky measure died</a>&nbsp;after it was opposed by the state's Republican attorney general and legislative leaders. At the time, GOP House Speaker David Osborne said the Republican majority in his chamber had never contemplated passing an abortion ban without any exceptions.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-divide-republican-democratic-states-fd2e6fffffec2fdcf328d7bca1e6fd78">In South Carolina</a>, more than 20 GOP lawmakers signed on as sponsors of a bill that would have classified abortion as homicide. As the bill garnered attention, several lawmakers withdrew their support. Lawmakers later adopted a ban on abortions when cardiac activity can be detected, generally around six weeks into a pregnancy – and often before women realize they are pregnant.

Mo. lawmakers propose homicide charges for women who have abortions

LONDON (AP) — European Union negotiators clinched a deal Friday on the world's first comprehensive artificial intelligence rules, paving the way for legal oversight of AI technology that has promised to transform everyday life and spurred&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-risks-uk-summit-regulation-ce89e842a176e55e46b6cc493cd515a5">warnings of existential dangers to humanity</a>.

In August,&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly directed Executive Branch agencies in Kansas to adopt a statewide generative AI policy.&nbsp; Click&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vZ292ZXJub3Iua2Fuc2FzLmdvdi93cC1jb250ZW50L3VwbG9hZHMvMjAyMy8wOC9QODIwMC4wMC1HZW5lcmF0aXZlLUFydGlmaWNpYWwtSW50ZWxsaWdlbmNlLVNpZ25lZC5wZGYiLCJidWxsZXRpbl9pZCI6IjIwMjMwODE3LjgxMjg2MDMxIn0.hokEvcv46zzbzO_okmiCBJ5v6Br8rs1-U1zG2oosPqw/s/1303160919/br/224431701019-l" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;to view the full policy

Negotiators from the European Parliament and the bloc's 27 member countries overcame big differences on controversial points including generative AI and police use of face recognition surveillance to sign a tentative political agreement for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ai-act-talks-artificial-intelligence-regulation-e2bb57eef7ba6d2b0c85ef757fcd3bb0">Artificial Intelligence Act</a>.

“Deal!” tweeted European Commissioner Thierry Breton just before midnight. “The EU becomes the very first continent to set clear rules for the use of AI.”

The result came after marathon closed-door talks this week, with the initial session lasting 22 hours before a second round kicked off Friday morning.

Officials were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ai-act-artificial-intelligence-regulation-europe-06ab334caa97778770f5f57f4d904447">under the gun to secure a political victory</a>&nbsp;for the flagship legislation. Civil society groups, however, gave it a cool reception as they wait for technical details that will need to be ironed out in the coming weeks. They said the deal didn't go far enough in protecting people from harm caused by AI systems.

“Today’s political deal marks the beginning of important and necessary technical work on crucial details of the AI Act, which are still missing,” said Daniel Friedlaender, head of the European office of the Computer and Communications Industry Association, a tech industry lobby group.

The EU took an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tech-ai-artificial-intelligence-europe-eu-15ac394679519084478e15217c156abc">early lead in the global race</a>&nbsp;to draw up AI guardrails when it unveiled the first draft of its rulebook in 2021. The recent boom in generative AI, however, sent European officials scrambling to update a proposal poised to serve as a blueprint for the world.

The European Parliament will still need to vote on the act early next year, but with the deal done that’s a formality, Brando Benifei, an Italian lawmaker co-leading the body’s negotiating efforts, told The Associated Press late Friday.

“It’s very very good,” he said by text message after being asked if it included everything he wanted. “Obviously we had to accept some compromises but overall very good.” The eventual law wouldn’t fully take effect until 2025 at the earliest, and threatens stiff financial penalties for violations of up to 35 million euros ($38 million) or 7% of a company's global turnover.

Generative AI systems like OpenAI’s ChatGPT have exploded into the world's consciousness, dazzling users with the ability to produce human-like text, photos and songs but raising fears about the risks the rapidly developing technology poses to jobs, privacy and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ai-copyright-artificial-intelligence-b456fa19dd90bea87533f97f043a31bc">copyright protection</a>&nbsp;and even&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-risk-of-extinction-ai-54ea8aadc60d1503e5a65878219aad43">human life itself</a>.

Now,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ai-artificial-intelligence-executive-order-cb86162000d894f238f28ac029005059">the U.S.</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-risks-uk-summit-kamala-harris-9e01b9d35ec1541755a273c07dfa4c71">U.K.</a>, China and global coalitions like the Group of 7 major democracies have jumped in with their own proposals to regulate AI, though they’re still catching up to Europe.

Strong and comprehensive rules from the EU “can set a powerful example for many governments considering regulation,” said Anu Bradford, a Columbia Law School professor who's an expert on EU law and digital regulation. Other countries “may not copy every provision but will likely emulate many aspects of it.”

AI companies subject to the EU's rules will also likely extend some of those obligations outside the continent, she said. “After all, it is not efficient to re-train separate models for different markets," she said.

The AI Act was originally designed to mitigate the dangers from specific AI functions based on their level of risk, from low to unacceptable. But lawmakers pushed to expand it to foundation models, the advanced systems that underpin general purpose AI services like ChatGPT and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/google-artificial-intelligence-bard-gmail-youtube-maps-1229638b82d19afb5226c913821fa1ad">Google’s Bard chatbot</a>.

Foundation models looked set to be one of the biggest sticking points for Europe. However, negotiators managed to reach a tentative compromise early in the talks, despite opposition led by France, which called instead for self-regulation to help homegrown European generative AI companies competing with big U.S rivals, including OpenAI's backer Microsoft.

Also known as large language models, these systems are trained on vast troves of written works and images scraped off the internet. They give generative AI systems the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ai-hollywood-writers-strike-artificial-intelligence-dc71c4cabcca0ee1b1afe0050d392a36">ability to create something new</a>, unlike traditional AI, which processes data and completes tasks using predetermined rules.

The companies building foundation models will have to draw up technical documentation, comply with EU copyright law and detail the content used for training. The most advanced foundation models that pose “systemic risks” will face extra scrutiny, including assessing and mitigating those risks, reporting serious incidents, putting cybersecurity measures in place and reporting their energy efficiency.

Researchers have warned that powerful foundation models, built by a handful of big tech companies, could be used to supercharge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-hamas-israel-misinformation-ai-gaza-a1bb303b637ffbbb9cbc3aa1e000db47">online disinformation and manipulation</a>, cyberattacks or creation of bioweapons.

Rights groups also caution that the lack of transparency about data used to train the models poses risks to daily life because they act as basic structures for software developers building AI-powered services.

What became the thorniest topic was AI-powered face recognition surveillance systems, and negotiators found a compromise after intensive bargaining.

European lawmakers wanted a full ban on public use of face scanning and other “remote biometric identification” systems because of privacy concerns. But governments of member countries succeeded in negotiating exemptions so law enforcement could use them to tackle serious crimes like child sexual exploitation or terrorist attacks.

LONDON (AP) — European Union negotiators clinched a deal Friday on the world's first comprehensive artificial intelligence rules, paving the way for legal oversight of AI technology that has promised to transform everyday life and spurred&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-risks-uk-summit-regulation-ce89e842a176e55e46b6cc493cd515a5">warnings of existential dangers to humanity</a>.In August,&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly directed Executive Branch agencies in Kansas to adopt a statewide generative AI policy.&nbsp; Click&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vZ292ZXJub3Iua2Fuc2FzLmdvdi93cC1jb250ZW50L3VwbG9hZHMvMjAyMy8wOC9QODIwMC4wMC1HZW5lcmF0aXZlLUFydGlmaWNpYWwtSW50ZWxsaWdlbmNlLVNpZ25lZC5wZGYiLCJidWxsZXRpbl9pZCI6IjIwMjMwODE3LjgxMjg2MDMxIn0.hokEvcv46zzbzO_okmiCBJ5v6Br8rs1-U1zG2oosPqw/s/1303160919/br/224431701019-l" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;to view the full policyNegotiators from the European Parliament and the bloc's 27 member countries overcame big differences on controversial points including generative AI and police use of face recognition surveillance to sign a tentative political agreement for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ai-act-talks-artificial-intelligence-regulation-e2bb57eef7ba6d2b0c85ef757fcd3bb0">Artificial Intelligence Act</a>.“Deal!” tweeted European Commissioner Thierry Breton just before midnight. “The EU becomes the very first continent to set clear rules for the use of AI.”The result came after marathon closed-door talks this week, with the initial session lasting 22 hours before a second round kicked off Friday morning.Officials were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ai-act-artificial-intelligence-regulation-europe-06ab334caa97778770f5f57f4d904447">under the gun to secure a political victory</a>&nbsp;for the flagship legislation. Civil society groups, however, gave it a cool reception as they wait for technical details that will need to be ironed out in the coming weeks. They said the deal didn't go far enough in protecting people from harm caused by AI systems.“Today’s political deal marks the beginning of important and necessary technical work on crucial details of the AI Act, which are still missing,” said Daniel Friedlaender, head of the European office of the Computer and Communications Industry Association, a tech industry lobby group.The EU took an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tech-ai-artificial-intelligence-europe-eu-15ac394679519084478e15217c156abc">early lead in the global race</a>&nbsp;to draw up AI guardrails when it unveiled the first draft of its rulebook in 2021. The recent boom in generative AI, however, sent European officials scrambling to update a proposal poised to serve as a blueprint for the world.The European Parliament will still need to vote on the act early next year, but with the deal done that’s a formality, Brando Benifei, an Italian lawmaker co-leading the body’s negotiating efforts, told The Associated Press late Friday.“It’s very very good,” he said by text message after being asked if it included everything he wanted. “Obviously we had to accept some compromises but overall very good.” The eventual law wouldn’t fully take effect until 2025 at the earliest, and threatens stiff financial penalties for violations of up to 35 million euros ($38 million) or 7% of a company's global turnover.Generative AI systems like OpenAI’s ChatGPT have exploded into the world's consciousness, dazzling users with the ability to produce human-like text, photos and songs but raising fears about the risks the rapidly developing technology poses to jobs, privacy and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ai-copyright-artificial-intelligence-b456fa19dd90bea87533f97f043a31bc">copyright protection</a>&nbsp;and even&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-risk-of-extinction-ai-54ea8aadc60d1503e5a65878219aad43">human life itself</a>.Now,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ai-artificial-intelligence-executive-order-cb86162000d894f238f28ac029005059">the U.S.</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-risks-uk-summit-kamala-harris-9e01b9d35ec1541755a273c07dfa4c71">U.K.</a>, China and global coalitions like the Group of 7 major democracies have jumped in with their own proposals to regulate AI, though they’re still catching up to Europe.Strong and comprehensive rules from the EU “can set a powerful example for many governments considering regulation,” said Anu Bradford, a Columbia Law School professor who's an expert on EU law and digital regulation. Other countries “may not copy every provision but will likely emulate many aspects of it.”AI companies subject to the EU's rules will also likely extend some of those obligations outside the continent, she said. “After all, it is not efficient to re-train separate models for different markets," she said.The AI Act was originally designed to mitigate the dangers from specific AI functions based on their level of risk, from low to unacceptable. But lawmakers pushed to expand it to foundation models, the advanced systems that underpin general purpose AI services like ChatGPT and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/google-artificial-intelligence-bard-gmail-youtube-maps-1229638b82d19afb5226c913821fa1ad">Google’s Bard chatbot</a>.Foundation models looked set to be one of the biggest sticking points for Europe. However, negotiators managed to reach a tentative compromise early in the talks, despite opposition led by France, which called instead for self-regulation to help homegrown European generative AI companies competing with big U.S rivals, including OpenAI's backer Microsoft.Also known as large language models, these systems are trained on vast troves of written works and images scraped off the internet. They give generative AI systems the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ai-hollywood-writers-strike-artificial-intelligence-dc71c4cabcca0ee1b1afe0050d392a36">ability to create something new</a>, unlike traditional AI, which processes data and completes tasks using predetermined rules.The companies building foundation models will have to draw up technical documentation, comply with EU copyright law and detail the content used for training. The most advanced foundation models that pose “systemic risks” will face extra scrutiny, including assessing and mitigating those risks, reporting serious incidents, putting cybersecurity measures in place and reporting their energy efficiency.Researchers have warned that powerful foundation models, built by a handful of big tech companies, could be used to supercharge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-hamas-israel-misinformation-ai-gaza-a1bb303b637ffbbb9cbc3aa1e000db47">online disinformation and manipulation</a>, cyberattacks or creation of bioweapons.Rights groups also caution that the lack of transparency about data used to train the models poses risks to daily life because they act as basic structures for software developers building AI-powered services.What became the thorniest topic was AI-powered face recognition surveillance systems, and negotiators found a compromise after intensive bargaining.European lawmakers wanted a full ban on public use of face scanning and other “remote biometric identification” systems because of privacy concerns. But governments of member countries succeeded in negotiating exemptions so law enforcement could use them to tackle serious crimes like child sexual exploitation or terrorist attacks.Rights groups said they were concerned about the exemptions and other big loopholes in the AI Act, including lack of protection for AI systems used in migration and border control, and the option for developers to opt-out of having their systems classified as high risk.