FINNEY COUNTY — Just before 4 p.m. Oct. 30, Garden City police conducted a traffic stop&nbsp;in the 1500 block of N. 8th Street in Garden City, according to a media release.

Officers made contact with 36-year-old Joseph Vela and 23-year-old Francisco Garcia.

&nbsp;After further investigation, a search of the vehicle was conducted, where officers located suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. 

Vela and Garcia were arrested at the scene and are now being held in the Finney County Jail on requested charges of Possession with Intent to Distribute Stimulants and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1698937876803.png" alt="Vela-photo Finney Co." />
 <figcaption>Vela-photo Finney Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY — Just before 4 p.m. Oct. 30, Garden City police conducted a traffic stop&nbsp;in the 1500 block of N. 8th Street in Garden City, according to a media release.Officers made contact with 36-year-old Joseph Vela and 23-year-old Francisco Garcia.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1698937964766.png" alt="Garcia-photo Finney Co." />
 <figcaption>Garcia-photo Finney Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;After further investigation, a search of the vehicle was conducted, where officers located suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Vela and Garcia were arrested at the scene and are now being held in the Finney County Jail on requested charges of Possession with Intent to Distribute Stimulants and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

2 accused of selling drugs in southwest Kansas 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate confirmed three top military officers on Thursday — including the first female member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.&nbsp; 

The vote for Admiral Lisa M. Franchetti promotion to be Chief of Naval Operations was 95-1.&nbsp; Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall was the only vote against her confirmation. The two Senators from Florida, Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina and Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina did not vote.

Marshall was also the only member of the Senate to vote against the confirmation of General David Allvin to be Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force. The Florida Senators, Scott and Tillis also did not register a vote.

Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran skipped the vote to confirm the&nbsp;nomination of General Christopher J. Mahoney, to be Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps. The vote 86-0.&nbsp; In addition to Moran, there were 13 other senators who did not vote.

Meanwhile,&nbsp;bipartisan frustration swirled around&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tommy-tuberville">Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville</a>&nbsp;for blocking hundreds more nominees.

Republican senators plan to hold a closed-door meeting next week to discuss the Alabama senator's blockade of senior military nominees, which he has been waging over a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tuberville-military-holds-senate-officers-45c4230a8aee5222bf32b43823e29acc">Pentagon abortion policy</a>. Republicans have tried, unsuccessfully, for almost nine months to quietly persuade Tuberville to drop the holds on almost 400 nominees. Senior military officials have warned repeatedly that the situation threatens readiness and national security.

Anger over Tuberville's tactic spilled out in the Senate on Wednesday evening, when a group of Republican senators&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tuberville-holds-military-schumer-nominations-99a156198d325a329a98208785ea80f9">held the floor</a>&nbsp;for more than four hours and called up 61 of the nominations for votes, praising each nominee for their military service and challenging the Alabama senator to explain himself. Tuberville showed no signs of letting up, quietly standing and objecting to each one even as his colleagues lashed out at him.

With Tuberville dug in, there are no easy answers on how to move forward.

Republicans said they will continue to try and negotiate with him, hoping to persuade Tuberville to hold up civilian nominees instead, and said that they will also try to force more votes. Democrats want stronger action and are seeking to move forward with a resolution that would allow batches of military nominees to be passed over Tuberville's objections. But that would need Republican support, and GOP senators are wary it could set a bad precedent that erodes the power of the minority in the Senate.

Whatever the next steps, Tuberville's Republican colleagues made clear that they are fed up.

“It's time to develop a new and smarter strategy,” said Republican Sen. Todd Young of Indiana, who served in the Marine Corps and was one of the senators who criticized Tuberville’s blockade on the Senate floor.

The Senate on Thursday confirmed three of the nominees that Tuberville was holding up — Adm. Lisa Franchetti to lead the Navy, Gen. David Allvin to be chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force and Lt. Gen. Christopher Mahoney to serve as assistant commandant for the U.S. Marine Corps. Franchetti is the first woman to serve as a Pentagon service chief and hold a seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday he was pleased that the Senate confirmed the three officers. But “we still have more than 370 superbly qualified leaders who have seen their nominations unnecessarily stalled," he said. “As we face a variety of urgent challenges, the most powerful fighting force in history must be at full-strength.”

Austin said the delay is hurting readiness and “unnecessarily weighed down our military families, who already give up so much to support those who serve.”

Because of Tuberville's holds and Senate procedure, confirmation of those three military officials took three days and six votes from start to finish — underscoring the difficulty majority Democrats have as they contemplate how to move hundreds of nominations. The Senate has traditionally approved large groups of military nominations by voice vote, but just one senator's objection can upend that process.

Republican Sens. Young and Joni Ernst of Iowa each suggested on Thursday that there would be an effort to try and convince Tuberville to hold up civilian nominations linked to the abortion policy instead of military officers who have nothing to do with it.

“Why are we taking hostages that can’t change the policy?” Ernst said.

But Tuberville said Wednesday there is “zero chance” he will drop the holds, which he first announced in February. Despite several high-level vacancies and the growing backlog, he has said he will continue to hold the nominees up unless the Pentagon ends — or puts to a vote in Congress — its new policy of paying for travel when a servicemember has to go out of state to get an abortion or other reproductive care. President Joe Biden’s administration instituted the policy after the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned the nationwide right to an abortion</a>, and some states have limited or banned the procedure.

“I cannot simply sit idly by while the Biden administration injects politics in our military from the White House and spends taxpayers’ dollars on abortion,” Tuberville said Wednesday evening.

Confronting Tuberville publicly for the first time since he announced the holds, the Republican senators, led by Ernst and Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan, read lengthy biographies, praised the nominees and lashed out at Tuberville as they called for vote after vote. They said they agree with the Alabama senator in opposing the abortion policy but questioned — as Democrats have for months — why he would hold up the highest ranks of the U.S. military.

As Wednesday night wore on, Sullivan, a colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, and Ernst, a former commander in the U.S. Army Reserve and Iowa Army National Guard, appeared increasingly frustrated. Sullivan called the blockade a “national security suicide mission.”

The GOP senators noted that they were bringing up the nominations “one by one” as Tuberville had once called for, and they asked why he wouldn’t allow them to go forward. Tuberville did not answer.

“I do not respect men who do not honor their word,” Ernst said of her GOP colleague toward the end of the evening.

The Senate voted to confirm the three top officers on Thursday after the commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Eric Smith, was hospitalized Sunday after suffering a medical emergency at his official residence in Washington. Smith, who is listed in stable condition and is recovering, was confirmed to the top job last month, but he had been holding down two high-level posts for several months because of Tuberville’s holds.

Mahoney, who was confirmed as assistant commandant, could step into the acting commandant role as Smith recovers. He is a fighter pilot who has flown combat in Iraq and served as the deputy commander of Marine forces in the Pacific.

Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks said after Mahoney’s confirmation that the holds have placed significant stress on the military’s officers and families. “We have seen tragic effects to that stress,” Hicks said. “And I think that’s been well communicated on Capitol Hill.”

When Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced the vote this week on Mahoney’s nomination to be assistant commandant, he said Smith’s sudden medical emergency is “precisely the kind of avoidable emergency that Sen. Tuberville has provoked through his reckless holds.”

Also confirmed was Franchetti, who will lead the Navy. She is the second woman to be promoted to four-star admiral, and did multiple deployments, including as commander of a naval destroyer and two stints as aircraft carrier strike group commander. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed, D-R.I., called Franchetti a “trailblazer.”

Several women have served as military service secretaries as political appointees, but never as their top uniformed officer. Adm. Linda L. Fagan is the commandant of the Coast Guard, but she is not a member of the Joint Staff.

Allvin is the vice chief of staff of the Air Force but has been serving as acting chief since the previous top Air Force officer, Gen. CQ Brown, became c hairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Oct. 1. Allvin is a career air mobility pilot with more than 4,600 flight hours and key deployments in Afghanistan and Europe.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1698968702096.png" alt="Franchetti became the first woman to serve as the Navy’s top officer, but the first to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff." />
 <figcaption>Franchetti became the first woman to serve as the Navy’s top officer, but the first to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate confirmed three top military officers on Thursday — including the first female member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.&nbsp; The vote for Admiral Lisa M. Franchetti promotion to be Chief of Naval Operations was 95-1.&nbsp; Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall was the only vote against her confirmation. The two Senators from Florida, Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina and Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina did not vote.Marshall was also the only member of the Senate to vote against the confirmation of General David Allvin to be Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force. The Florida Senators, Scott and Tillis also did not register a vote.Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran skipped the vote to confirm the&nbsp;nomination of General Christopher J. Mahoney, to be Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps. The vote 86-0.&nbsp; In addition to Moran, there were 13 other senators who did not vote.Meanwhile,&nbsp;bipartisan frustration swirled around&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tommy-tuberville">Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville</a>&nbsp;for blocking hundreds more nominees.Republican senators plan to hold a closed-door meeting next week to discuss the Alabama senator's blockade of senior military nominees, which he has been waging over a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tuberville-military-holds-senate-officers-45c4230a8aee5222bf32b43823e29acc">Pentagon abortion policy</a>. Republicans have tried, unsuccessfully, for almost nine months to quietly persuade Tuberville to drop the holds on almost 400 nominees. Senior military officials have warned repeatedly that the situation threatens readiness and national security.Anger over Tuberville's tactic spilled out in the Senate on Wednesday evening, when a group of Republican senators&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tuberville-holds-military-schumer-nominations-99a156198d325a329a98208785ea80f9">held the floor</a>&nbsp;for more than four hours and called up 61 of the nominations for votes, praising each nominee for their military service and challenging the Alabama senator to explain himself. Tuberville showed no signs of letting up, quietly standing and objecting to each one even as his colleagues lashed out at him.With Tuberville dug in, there are no easy answers on how to move forward.Republicans said they will continue to try and negotiate with him, hoping to persuade Tuberville to hold up civilian nominees instead, and said that they will also try to force more votes. Democrats want stronger action and are seeking to move forward with a resolution that would allow batches of military nominees to be passed over Tuberville's objections. But that would need Republican support, and GOP senators are wary it could set a bad precedent that erodes the power of the minority in the Senate.Whatever the next steps, Tuberville's Republican colleagues made clear that they are fed up.“It's time to develop a new and smarter strategy,” said Republican Sen. Todd Young of Indiana, who served in the Marine Corps and was one of the senators who criticized Tuberville’s blockade on the Senate floor.The Senate on Thursday confirmed three of the nominees that Tuberville was holding up — Adm. Lisa Franchetti to lead the Navy, Gen. David Allvin to be chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force and Lt. Gen. Christopher Mahoney to serve as assistant commandant for the U.S. Marine Corps. Franchetti is the first woman to serve as a Pentagon service chief and hold a seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday he was pleased that the Senate confirmed the three officers. But “we still have more than 370 superbly qualified leaders who have seen their nominations unnecessarily stalled," he said. “As we face a variety of urgent challenges, the most powerful fighting force in history must be at full-strength.”Austin said the delay is hurting readiness and “unnecessarily weighed down our military families, who already give up so much to support those who serve.”Because of Tuberville's holds and Senate procedure, confirmation of those three military officials took three days and six votes from start to finish — underscoring the difficulty majority Democrats have as they contemplate how to move hundreds of nominations. The Senate has traditionally approved large groups of military nominations by voice vote, but just one senator's objection can upend that process.Republican Sens. Young and Joni Ernst of Iowa each suggested on Thursday that there would be an effort to try and convince Tuberville to hold up civilian nominations linked to the abortion policy instead of military officers who have nothing to do with it.“Why are we taking hostages that can’t change the policy?” Ernst said.But Tuberville said Wednesday there is “zero chance” he will drop the holds, which he first announced in February. Despite several high-level vacancies and the growing backlog, he has said he will continue to hold the nominees up unless the Pentagon ends — or puts to a vote in Congress — its new policy of paying for travel when a servicemember has to go out of state to get an abortion or other reproductive care. President Joe Biden’s administration instituted the policy after the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned the nationwide right to an abortion</a>, and some states have limited or banned the procedure.“I cannot simply sit idly by while the Biden administration injects politics in our military from the White House and spends taxpayers’ dollars on abortion,” Tuberville said Wednesday evening.Confronting Tuberville publicly for the first time since he announced the holds, the Republican senators, led by Ernst and Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan, read lengthy biographies, praised the nominees and lashed out at Tuberville as they called for vote after vote. They said they agree with the Alabama senator in opposing the abortion policy but questioned — as Democrats have for months — why he would hold up the highest ranks of the U.S. military.As Wednesday night wore on, Sullivan, a colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, and Ernst, a former commander in the U.S. Army Reserve and Iowa Army National Guard, appeared increasingly frustrated. Sullivan called the blockade a “national security suicide mission.”The GOP senators noted that they were bringing up the nominations “one by one” as Tuberville had once called for, and they asked why he wouldn’t allow them to go forward. Tuberville did not answer.“I do not respect men who do not honor their word,” Ernst said of her GOP colleague toward the end of the evening.The Senate voted to confirm the three top officers on Thursday after the commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Eric Smith, was hospitalized Sunday after suffering a medical emergency at his official residence in Washington. Smith, who is listed in stable condition and is recovering, was confirmed to the top job last month, but he had been holding down two high-level posts for several months because of Tuberville’s holds.Mahoney, who was confirmed as assistant commandant, could step into the acting commandant role as Smith recovers. He is a fighter pilot who has flown combat in Iraq and served as the deputy commander of Marine forces in the Pacific.Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks said after Mahoney’s confirmation that the holds have placed significant stress on the military’s officers and families. “We have seen tragic effects to that stress,” Hicks said. “And I think that’s been well communicated on Capitol Hill.”When Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced the vote this week on Mahoney’s nomination to be assistant commandant, he said Smith’s sudden medical emergency is “precisely the kind of avoidable emergency that Sen. Tuberville has provoked through his reckless holds.”Also confirmed was Franchetti, who will lead the Navy. She is the second woman to be promoted to four-star admiral, and did multiple deployments, including as commander of a naval destroyer and two stints as aircraft carrier strike group commander. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed, D-R.I., called Franchetti a “trailblazer.”Several women have served as military service secretaries as political appointees, but never as their top uniformed officer. Adm. Linda L. Fagan is the commandant of the Coast Guard, but she is not a member of the Joint Staff.Allvin is the vice chief of staff of the Air Force but has been serving as acting chief since the previous top Air Force officer, Gen. CQ Brown, became c hairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Oct. 1. Allvin is a career air mobility pilot with more than 4,600 flight hours and key deployments in Afghanistan and Europe.

95-1: Kan. Senator only no vote naming first woman to Joint Chiefs 

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Former Dallas Cowboys running back and Wichita native Joseph Randle is scheduled for a competency hearing Friday, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

In April, police arrested Randle on requested charges of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated criminal sodomy, according to the Sedgwick County arrest report.&nbsp; He is not currently in custody, according to online jail records.

Randle spent time in prison in Kansas after convictions for crimes committed in 2016 and 2017 including aggravated burglary, aggravated battery, criminal threat, interference with law enforcement and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

In 2015, Randle faced a misdemeanor shoplifting charge at a Dallas-area mall after police in the suburb of Frisco accused him of taking $123 worth of cologne and underwear from a department store.

In 2014, Randle was the Cowboy's backup to NFL rushing leader DeMarco Murray. Randle had 343 yards rushing and three touchdowns in his second NFL season. A fifth-round draft pick in 2013 after skipping his final season at Oklahoma State, Randle originally signed a four-year, $2.3 million rookie contract with the Cowboys.

-The Associated Press contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699012229477.png" alt="Randle -photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Randle -photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Former Dallas Cowboys running back and Wichita native Joseph Randle is scheduled for a competency hearing Friday, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.In April, police arrested Randle on requested charges of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated criminal sodomy, according to the Sedgwick County arrest report.&nbsp; He is not currently in custody, according to online jail records.Randle spent time in prison in Kansas after convictions for crimes committed in 2016 and 2017 including aggravated burglary, aggravated battery, criminal threat, interference with law enforcement and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.In 2015, Randle faced a misdemeanor shoplifting charge at a Dallas-area mall after police in the suburb of Frisco accused him of taking $123 worth of cologne and underwear from a department store.In 2014, Randle was the Cowboy's backup to NFL rushing leader DeMarco Murray. Randle had 343 yards rushing and three touchdowns in his second NFL season. A fifth-round draft pick in 2013 after skipping his final season at Oklahoma State, Randle originally signed a four-year, $2.3 million rookie contract with the Cowboys.-The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Former Cowboys running back faces competency hearing in Kansas 

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities investigating the disappearance of&nbsp;Ebony Duncan who last seen Sept. 6, around 5:00pm in the area of 19200 E. 37th Terrace in Kansas City continue to search for a person of interest in the case.

On Tuesday, Detectives from the Independence Police Department Criminal Investigations Unit responded to the area of 83rd and Hillcrest Road in Kansas City following up on leads in Duncan's disappearance.

 They conducted a search of the area using cadaver dogs in an attempt to locate Duncan, who was believed to be possibly deceased. One of the K9s alerted to and located a deceased person in the woods nearby. 

 The deceased person has identifiers that are consistent with those of Ebony Duncan and at this time, the deceased person is believed to be her. 

However, a positive identification will have to be made with the Jackson County Medical Examiner’s Office as the case continues. 

Detectives want to question 42-year-old Keaira Ransberg (Jenkins) in connection with Duncan's disappearance and death.&nbsp; Ransberg is described as being 5-foot-tall, 150 pounds with brown eyes Ransberg has a last known address in Kansas City. 

Anyone with information on Ransberg’s whereabouts in urged to contact the Crimestoppers TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS, where you can remain anonymous. You can also report electronically at the KC Crimestoppers website, <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kccrimestoppers.com%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR30mww3WgXNkhdYLMum8Tmb_0Ksexe8_OKh-Agl0txAeTGuJsZ6TjAaFPQ&amp;h=AT1au-OUKtuQYdUkBXxc61zw99zueNzkRw1GIhZE_YnX_w_20DM0TJ9m7D7-2TmmCGXYCyWtvxza9I2hfOnNsaA4ZwBCs0-_J0XenN5vCdoTO0boz0OmrMsq_6FumRmenU_MJ9E&amp;__tn__=-UK-R&amp;c[0]=AT23Z3rI-FkHe5W23159jjPBDSPZJOvJe9kC208b-jAGexrnUbsLaTkCCVbd0953OI6BQAfBAo_5_HURIi88S_vTvjayrb_goBFyVruEnqgEDxPbXGgUZOY-fnbgEbYH2-2cMaq8TwerZ1gpp5oIfItJaOXzfpDqBzrv396eHiklEf-14iUP0DPSELJuLJlrofsWpgPpiTiZ" target="_blank">https://www.kccrimestoppers.com</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1698882030410.png" alt="Jenkins is wanted for questioning in the case- photo Independence PD" />
 <figcaption>Jenkins is wanted for questioning in the case- photo Independence PD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities investigating the disappearance of&nbsp;Ebony Duncan who last seen Sept. 6, around 5:00pm in the area of 19200 E. 37th Terrace in Kansas City continue to search for a person of interest in the case.On Tuesday, Detectives from the Independence Police Department Criminal Investigations Unit responded to the area of 83rd and Hillcrest Road in Kansas City following up on leads in Duncan's disappearance.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1698881689884.png" alt="Ebony Duncan courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Ebony Duncan courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure> They conducted a search of the area using cadaver dogs in an attempt to locate Duncan, who was believed to be possibly deceased. One of the K9s alerted to and located a deceased person in the woods nearby. The deceased person has identifiers that are consistent with those of Ebony Duncan and at this time, the deceased person is believed to be her. However, a positive identification will have to be made with the Jackson County Medical Examiner’s Office as the case continues. Detectives want to question 42-year-old Keaira Ransberg (Jenkins) in connection with Duncan's disappearance and death.&nbsp; Ransberg is described as being 5-foot-tall, 150 pounds with brown eyes Ransberg has a last known address in Kansas City. Anyone with information on Ransberg’s whereabouts in urged to contact the Crimestoppers TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS, where you can remain anonymous. You can also report electronically at the KC Crimestoppers website, <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kccrimestoppers.com%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR30mww3WgXNkhdYLMum8Tmb_0Ksexe8_OKh-Agl0txAeTGuJsZ6TjAaFPQ&amp;h=AT1au-OUKtuQYdUkBXxc61zw99zueNzkRw1GIhZE_YnX_w_20DM0TJ9m7D7-2TmmCGXYCyWtvxza9I2hfOnNsaA4ZwBCs0-_J0XenN5vCdoTO0boz0OmrMsq_6FumRmenU_MJ9E&amp;__tn__=-UK-R&amp;c[0]=AT23Z3rI-FkHe5W23159jjPBDSPZJOvJe9kC208b-jAGexrnUbsLaTkCCVbd0953OI6BQAfBAo_5_HURIi88S_vTvjayrb_goBFyVruEnqgEDxPbXGgUZOY-fnbgEbYH2-2cMaq8TwerZ1gpp5oIfItJaOXzfpDqBzrv396eHiklEf-14iUP0DPSELJuLJlrofsWpgPpiTiZ" target="_blank">https://www.kccrimestoppers.com</a>

Woman wanted for questioning after body found in Kansas City

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a hit-and-run incident that injured a 9-year-old in Kansas City have made contact with a person of interest.

Just after 7p.m. Wednesday, police responded to a pedestrian accident where a black sedan struck a 9-year-old boy who was walking across North Hardesty just south of Saida Avenue, according to Officer&nbsp;Alayna Gonzalez.

The sedan fled the scene. EMS transported the 9-year-old to the hospital in critical condition.&nbsp;

Detectives located the suspect vehicle and identified a person of interest. Detectives are pursuing charges as their investigation continues.

Thursday afternoon the child appears to be making positive headway towards recovery, according to Gonzalez.

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a hit-and-run incident that injured a 9-year-old in Kansas City have made contact with a person of interest.Just after 7p.m. Wednesday, police responded to a pedestrian accident where a black sedan struck a 9-year-old boy who was walking across North Hardesty just south of Saida Avenue, according to Officer&nbsp;Alayna Gonzalez.The sedan fled the scene. EMS transported the 9-year-old to the hospital in critical condition.&nbsp;Detectives located the suspect vehicle and identified a person of interest. Detectives are pursuing charges as their investigation continues.Thursday afternoon the child appears to be making positive headway towards recovery, according to Gonzalez.

9-year-old critically injured in Kansas City hit-and-run

BAGHDAD (AP) — The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of Iran-backed Iraqi militias, announced Friday that it will launch a more “intense and expansive” phase of operations against U.S. bases in the region starting next week.

It said the escalation is “in support of our people in Palestine and to avenge the martyrs” in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

The group has launched a string of attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria in recent weeks, some of which have injured U.S. personnel. As of Tuesday, the Pentagon said there had been 27 rocket and drone attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria and that the U.S. was deploying an additional 300 troops to the Middle East to bolster those already there.

Meanwhile,&nbsp;U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Israel for urgent talks with Israeli officials about their escalating war with Hamas in Gaza.

Blinken landed in Tel Aviv on Friday for his third trip to Israel since the war began with Hamas’ incursion into Israel on Oct. 7. Blinken will also visit Jordan and may make additional stops in the region before traveling to Asia early next week.

He will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top officials at a highly charged and sensitive time as Israel intensifies its military operations in Gaza and international criticism of its tactics increases over the large number of civilian casualties.

U.S. President Joe Biden has called for a “humanitarian pause” in the fighting in order to arrange the evacuation of dual citizens and foreigners still trapped in Gaza as well as to try to secure the release of more than 240 hostages Hamas is holding and to increase humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.

Blinken will again stress Israel’s right to defend itself but will also be making the case for Israel to respect the rules of war as well as consider postwar scenarios for how the territory can be run if and when it succeeds in eradicating Hamas.

For the past week, the U.S. administration has been pushing a two-state resolution to establish a durable and lasting peace, although neither the current Israeli nor Palestinian leaderships have shown interest in such negotiations, which have failed multiple times.

Blinken will also urge Israeli authorities to rein in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank by Jewish settlers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699005785699.png" alt="U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on his arrival in Tel Aviv, Israel Friday, Nov. 3, 2023." />
 <figcaption>U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on his arrival in Tel Aviv, Israel Friday, Nov. 3, 2023.</figcaption>
 </figure>BAGHDAD (AP) — The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of Iran-backed Iraqi militias, announced Friday that it will launch a more “intense and expansive” phase of operations against U.S. bases in the region starting next week.It said the escalation is “in support of our people in Palestine and to avenge the martyrs” in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.The group has launched a string of attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria in recent weeks, some of which have injured U.S. personnel. As of Tuesday, the Pentagon said there had been 27 rocket and drone attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria and that the U.S. was deploying an additional 300 troops to the Middle East to bolster those already there.Meanwhile,&nbsp;U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Israel for urgent talks with Israeli officials about their escalating war with Hamas in Gaza.Blinken landed in Tel Aviv on Friday for his third trip to Israel since the war began with Hamas’ incursion into Israel on Oct. 7. Blinken will also visit Jordan and may make additional stops in the region before traveling to Asia early next week.He will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top officials at a highly charged and sensitive time as Israel intensifies its military operations in Gaza and international criticism of its tactics increases over the large number of civilian casualties.U.S. President Joe Biden has called for a “humanitarian pause” in the fighting in order to arrange the evacuation of dual citizens and foreigners still trapped in Gaza as well as to try to secure the release of more than 240 hostages Hamas is holding and to increase humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.Blinken will again stress Israel’s right to defend itself but will also be making the case for Israel to respect the rules of war as well as consider postwar scenarios for how the territory can be run if and when it succeeds in eradicating Hamas.For the past week, the U.S. administration has been pushing a two-state resolution to establish a durable and lasting peace, although neither the current Israeli nor Palestinian leaderships have shown interest in such negotiations, which have failed multiple times.Blinken will also urge Israeli authorities to rein in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank by Jewish settlers.

Iran-backed Iraqi militias expands attacks on U.S. bases 

NEW YORK (AP) — FTX founder&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sam-bankman-fried">Sam Bankman-Fried’s</a>&nbsp;spectacular rise and fall in the cryptocurrency industry — a journey that included his testimony before Congress, a Super Bowl advertisement and dreams of a future run for president — hit rock bottom Thursday when a New York jury convicted him of fraud for stealing at least $10 billion from customers and investors.

After the month-long trial, jurors rejected Bankman-Fried’s claim during testimony in Manhattan federal court that he never committed fraud or meant to cheat customers before FTX, once the world’s second-largest crypto exchange, collapsed into bankruptcy a year ago.

“Mr. Bankman-Fried. Please rise and face the jury,” Judge Lewis A. Kaplan commanded just before a jury forewoman responded “guilty” seven times to two counts of wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud conspiracy and three other conspiracy charges, which carry potential penalties adding up to 110 years in prison. Bankman-Fried is likely to face far less than the maximum at a sentencing set for March 28.

As the verdict was read, Bankman-Fried seemed stunned, appearing stone-faced, his hands clasped before him, as his lawyers remained sitting beside him. When he sat down, he looked down for several minutes.

His lawyer, Mark Cohen, later read a statement outside court to say they “respect the jury’s decision. But we are very disappointed with the result.”

“Mr. Bankman Fried maintains his innocence and will continue to vigorously fight the charges against him,” Cohen said.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, who sat in the front row of the spectator section during the verdict, stood before cameras outside the courthouse and said Bankman-Fried “perpetrated one of the biggest financial frauds in American history, a multibillion dollar scheme designed to make him the king of crypto.”

“But here’s the thing: The cryptocurrency industry might be new. The players like Sam Bankman-Fried might be new. This kind of fraud, this kind of corruption is as old as time and we have no patience for it,” he said.

He said the case should serve as a warning to every other fraudster who “thinks they're untouchable, that their crimes are too complex,” that they are too powerful to prosecute or can talk their way out of their crimes because “I promise we'll have enough handcuffs for all of them.”

The jury rejected Bankman-Fried insistence during three days of testimony that he never committed fraud or plotted to steal from customers, investors and lenders and didn’t realize his companies were at least $10 billion in debt until October 2022.

After the jury left the room, Bankman-Fried's parents, both Stanford University law professors, moved to the front row behind him. His father put his arm around his wife. As Bankman-Fried was led out of the courtroom, he looked back and nodded toward his mother, who nodded back and then became emotional, wiping her hand over her face after he left the room.

The trial attracted intense interest with its focus on a fraud on a scale not seen since the 2009 prosecution of Bernard Madoff, whose Ponzi scheme over decades cheated thousands of investors out of about $20 billion. Madoff pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 150 years in prison, where he died in 2021.

The prosecution of Bankman-Fried, 31, put a spotlight on the emerging industry of cryptocurrency and a group of young executives in their 20s who lived together in a $30 million luxury apartment in the Bahamas as they dreamed of becoming the most powerful player in a new financial field.

Prosecutors made sure jurors knew that the defendant they saw in court with short hair and a suit was not the man with big messy hair and shorts that became his trademark appearance after he started his cryptocurrency hedge fund, Alameda Research, in 2017 and FTX, his cryptocurrency exchange, two years later.

They showed the jury pictures of Bankman-Fried sleeping on a private jet, sitting with a deck of cards and mingling at the Super Bowl with celebrities including the singer Katy Perry. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicolas Roos called Bankman-Fried someone who liked “celebrity chasing.”

In a closing argument, Cohen said prosecutors were trying to turn “Sam into some sort of villain, some sort of monster.”

“It’s both wrong and unfair, and I hope and believe that you have seen that it’s simply not true,” he said. “According to the government, everything Sam ever touched and said was fraudulent.”

The government relied heavily on the testimony of three former members of Bankman-Fried’s inner circle, his top executives including his former girlfriend, Caroline Ellison, to explain how Bankman-Fried used Alameda Research to siphon billions of dollars from customer accounts at FTX.

With that money, prosecutors said, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate gained influence and power through investments, contributions, tens of millions of dollars in political contributions, Congressional testimony and a publicity campaign that enlisted celebrities like comedian Larry David and football quarterback Tom Brady.

Ellison, 28, testified that Bankman-Fried directed her while she was chief executive of Alameda Research to commit fraud as he pursued ambitions to lead huge companies, spend money influentially and run for U.S. president someday. She said he thought he had a 5% chance to eventually be U.S. president.

Becoming tearful as she described the collapse of the cryptocurrency empire last November, Ellison said the revelations that caused customers collectively to demand their money back, exposing the fraud, brought a “relief that I didn’t have to lie anymore.”

FTX cofounder Gary Wang, who was FTX’s chief technology officer, revealed in his testimony that Bankman-Fried directed him to insert code into FTX’s operations so that Alameda Research could make unlimited withdrawals from FTX and have a credit line up to $65 billion. Wang said the money came from customers.

Nishad Singh, the former head of engineering at FTX, testified that he felt “blindsided and horrified” at the result of the actions of a man he once admired when he saw the extent of the fraud. He said the collapse last November left him suicidal.

Ellison, Wang and Singh all pleaded guilty to fraud charges and testified against Bankman-Fried in the hopes of leniency at sentencing.

Bankman-Fried was arrested in the Bahamas last December and extradited to the United States, where he was freed on a $250 million personal recognizance bond with electronic monitoring and a requirement that he remain at the home of his parents in Palo Alto, California.

His communications, including hundreds of phone calls with journalists and internet influencers, along with emails and texts, eventually got him in trouble when the judge concluded he was trying to influence prospective trial witnesses and ordered him jailed in August.

During the trial, prosecutors used Bankman-Fried’s public statements, online announcements and his Congressional testimony against him, showing how the entrepreneur repeatedly promised customers that their deposits were safe and secure as late as last Nov. 7 when he tweeted “FTX is fine. Assets are fine” as customers furiously tried to withdraw their money. He deleted the tweet the next day. FTX filed for bankruptcy four days later.

In his closing, Roos mocked Bankman-Fried’s testimony, saying that under questioning from his lawyer, the defendant’s words were “smooth, like it had been rehearsed a bunch of times?”

But under cross examination, “he was a different person,” the prosecutor said. “Suddenly on cross-examination he couldn’t remember a single detail about his company or what he said publicly. It was uncomfortable to hear. He never said he couldn’t recall during his direct examination, but it happened over 140 times during his cross-examination.”

Former federal prosecutors said the quick verdict — after only half a day of deliberation — showed how well the government tried the case.

“The government tried the case as we expected," said Joshua A. Naftalis, a partner at Pallas Partners LLP and a former Manhattan prosecutor. “It was a massive fraud, but that doesn’t mean it had to be a complicated fraud, and I think the jury understood that argument.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1680015507609.png" alt=" FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried leaves Manhattan federal court in New York, Feb. 16, 2023.&nbsp; (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)" />
 <figcaption> FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried leaves Manhattan federal court in New York, Feb. 16, 2023.&nbsp; (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — FTX founder&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sam-bankman-fried">Sam Bankman-Fried’s</a>&nbsp;spectacular rise and fall in the cryptocurrency industry — a journey that included his testimony before Congress, a Super Bowl advertisement and dreams of a future run for president — hit rock bottom Thursday when a New York jury convicted him of fraud for stealing at least $10 billion from customers and investors.After the month-long trial, jurors rejected Bankman-Fried’s claim during testimony in Manhattan federal court that he never committed fraud or meant to cheat customers before FTX, once the world’s second-largest crypto exchange, collapsed into bankruptcy a year ago.“Mr. Bankman-Fried. Please rise and face the jury,” Judge Lewis A. Kaplan commanded just before a jury forewoman responded “guilty” seven times to two counts of wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud conspiracy and three other conspiracy charges, which carry potential penalties adding up to 110 years in prison. Bankman-Fried is likely to face far less than the maximum at a sentencing set for March 28.As the verdict was read, Bankman-Fried seemed stunned, appearing stone-faced, his hands clasped before him, as his lawyers remained sitting beside him. When he sat down, he looked down for several minutes.His lawyer, Mark Cohen, later read a statement outside court to say they “respect the jury’s decision. But we are very disappointed with the result.”“Mr. Bankman Fried maintains his innocence and will continue to vigorously fight the charges against him,” Cohen said.U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, who sat in the front row of the spectator section during the verdict, stood before cameras outside the courthouse and said Bankman-Fried “perpetrated one of the biggest financial frauds in American history, a multibillion dollar scheme designed to make him the king of crypto.”“But here’s the thing: The cryptocurrency industry might be new. The players like Sam Bankman-Fried might be new. This kind of fraud, this kind of corruption is as old as time and we have no patience for it,” he said.He said the case should serve as a warning to every other fraudster who “thinks they're untouchable, that their crimes are too complex,” that they are too powerful to prosecute or can talk their way out of their crimes because “I promise we'll have enough handcuffs for all of them.”The jury rejected Bankman-Fried insistence during three days of testimony that he never committed fraud or plotted to steal from customers, investors and lenders and didn’t realize his companies were at least $10 billion in debt until October 2022.After the jury left the room, Bankman-Fried's parents, both Stanford University law professors, moved to the front row behind him. His father put his arm around his wife. As Bankman-Fried was led out of the courtroom, he looked back and nodded toward his mother, who nodded back and then became emotional, wiping her hand over her face after he left the room.The trial attracted intense interest with its focus on a fraud on a scale not seen since the 2009 prosecution of Bernard Madoff, whose Ponzi scheme over decades cheated thousands of investors out of about $20 billion. Madoff pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 150 years in prison, where he died in 2021.The prosecution of Bankman-Fried, 31, put a spotlight on the emerging industry of cryptocurrency and a group of young executives in their 20s who lived together in a $30 million luxury apartment in the Bahamas as they dreamed of becoming the most powerful player in a new financial field.Prosecutors made sure jurors knew that the defendant they saw in court with short hair and a suit was not the man with big messy hair and shorts that became his trademark appearance after he started his cryptocurrency hedge fund, Alameda Research, in 2017 and FTX, his cryptocurrency exchange, two years later.They showed the jury pictures of Bankman-Fried sleeping on a private jet, sitting with a deck of cards and mingling at the Super Bowl with celebrities including the singer Katy Perry. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicolas Roos called Bankman-Fried someone who liked “celebrity chasing.”In a closing argument, Cohen said prosecutors were trying to turn “Sam into some sort of villain, some sort of monster.”“It’s both wrong and unfair, and I hope and believe that you have seen that it’s simply not true,” he said. “According to the government, everything Sam ever touched and said was fraudulent.”The government relied heavily on the testimony of three former members of Bankman-Fried’s inner circle, his top executives including his former girlfriend, Caroline Ellison, to explain how Bankman-Fried used Alameda Research to siphon billions of dollars from customer accounts at FTX.With that money, prosecutors said, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate gained influence and power through investments, contributions, tens of millions of dollars in political contributions, Congressional testimony and a publicity campaign that enlisted celebrities like comedian Larry David and football quarterback Tom Brady.Ellison, 28, testified that Bankman-Fried directed her while she was chief executive of Alameda Research to commit fraud as he pursued ambitions to lead huge companies, spend money influentially and run for U.S. president someday. She said he thought he had a 5% chance to eventually be U.S. president.Becoming tearful as she described the collapse of the cryptocurrency empire last November, Ellison said the revelations that caused customers collectively to demand their money back, exposing the fraud, brought a “relief that I didn’t have to lie anymore.”FTX cofounder Gary Wang, who was FTX’s chief technology officer, revealed in his testimony that Bankman-Fried directed him to insert code into FTX’s operations so that Alameda Research could make unlimited withdrawals from FTX and have a credit line up to $65 billion. Wang said the money came from customers.Nishad Singh, the former head of engineering at FTX, testified that he felt “blindsided and horrified” at the result of the actions of a man he once admired when he saw the extent of the fraud. He said the collapse last November left him suicidal.Ellison, Wang and Singh all pleaded guilty to fraud charges and testified against Bankman-Fried in the hopes of leniency at sentencing.Bankman-Fried was arrested in the Bahamas last December and extradited to the United States, where he was freed on a $250 million personal recognizance bond with electronic monitoring and a requirement that he remain at the home of his parents in Palo Alto, California.His communications, including hundreds of phone calls with journalists and internet influencers, along with emails and texts, eventually got him in trouble when the judge concluded he was trying to influence prospective trial witnesses and ordered him jailed in August.During the trial, prosecutors used Bankman-Fried’s public statements, online announcements and his Congressional testimony against him, showing how the entrepreneur repeatedly promised customers that their deposits were safe and secure as late as last Nov. 7 when he tweeted “FTX is fine. Assets are fine” as customers furiously tried to withdraw their money. He deleted the tweet the next day. FTX filed for bankruptcy four days later.In his closing, Roos mocked Bankman-Fried’s testimony, saying that under questioning from his lawyer, the defendant’s words were “smooth, like it had been rehearsed a bunch of times?”But under cross examination, “he was a different person,” the prosecutor said. “Suddenly on cross-examination he couldn’t remember a single detail about his company or what he said publicly. It was uncomfortable to hear. He never said he couldn’t recall during his direct examination, but it happened over 140 times during his cross-examination.”Former federal prosecutors said the quick verdict — after only half a day of deliberation — showed how well the government tried the case.“The government tried the case as we expected," said Joshua A. Naftalis, a partner at Pallas Partners LLP and a former Manhattan prosecutor. “It was a massive fraud, but that doesn’t mean it had to be a complicated fraud, and I think the jury understood that argument.”

'King of crypto' guilty of fraud; faces 110-years in prison

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a dog bite and searching for the animal involved.

Just after 5p.m. Thursday, a dog bit a person in the 7000 Block of Santa Fe Drive, according to a media release from Overland Park Police.

The victim suffered a minor injury and the dog ran away. It did not have a collar or tags. Police asked the public for help to find the dog. Anyone with information is asked to call 913-895-6420&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699008274230.png" alt="photo Overland Park Police" />
 <figcaption>photo Overland Park Police</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a dog bite and searching for the animal involved.Just after 5p.m. Thursday, a dog bit a person in the 7000 Block of Santa Fe Drive, according to a media release from Overland Park Police.The victim suffered a minor injury and the dog ran away. It did not have a collar or tags. Police asked the public for help to find the dog. Anyone with information is asked to call 913-895-6420&nbsp;

Police in Kansas ask for help to find dog that bit person

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities have announced a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person responsible for stealing firearms from a federal licensed firearms dealer in Kansas City, Kansas, according to&nbsp;The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department.

Just after 11:45p.m. October 24,&nbsp;an unknown individual rammed a stolen black Kia Soul through the front doors of Frontier Justice, 10000 France Family Drive, Kansas City, Kansas.

&nbsp;Investigators have learned that the same suspect attempted to break into a Bass Pro Shop, approximately one mile south of Frontier Justice, on the same night&nbsp;but was unable to gain entry.&nbsp;

Police have recovered the vehicle used in the break in.

Anyone with information about this theft should contact ATF at 1-800-ATF-GUNS (800-283- 4867), email ATFTips@atf.gov, contact ATF through its website at www.atf.gov/contact/atftips, or text

ATFKC to 63975 and follow the prompts. Tips can also be submitted using the Reportit app, available from both Google Play and the Apple App Store, or by visiting www.reportit.com. Tipsters can remain anonymous.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1698958460866.png" alt="Security camera image ATF" />
 <figcaption>Security camera image ATF</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities have announced a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person responsible for stealing firearms from a federal licensed firearms dealer in Kansas City, Kansas, according to&nbsp;The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department.Just after 11:45p.m. October 24,&nbsp;an unknown individual rammed a stolen black Kia Soul through the front doors of Frontier Justice, 10000 France Family Drive, Kansas City, Kansas.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1698959117260.png" alt="Security camera image ATF" />
 <figcaption>Security camera image ATF</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;Investigators have learned that the same suspect attempted to break into a Bass Pro Shop, approximately one mile south of Frontier Justice, on the same night&nbsp;but was unable to gain entry.&nbsp;Police have recovered the vehicle used in the break in.Anyone with information about this theft should contact ATF at 1-800-ATF-GUNS (800-283- 4867), email ATFTips@atf.gov, contact ATF through its website at www.atf.gov/contact/atftips, or textATFKC to 63975 and follow the prompts. Tips can also be submitted using the Reportit app, available from both Google Play and the Apple App Store, or by visiting www.reportit.com. Tipsters can remain anonymous.

Reward offered for information in theft from Kan. gun dealer

BARTON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating&nbsp; a suspect on drug allegations after a traffic stop.

Just&nbsp;before 9 p.m. Wednesday, a deputy sheriff conducted a stop on a vehicle for an alleged traffic violation in the 1000 block of Parish Road in Great Bend, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir.

During the course the traffic stop, officers became suspicious of illegal drug activity and Sheriff’s Office K9 Maxx was deployed and indicated the presence of controlled substances.

Further investigation revealed a large quantity, approximately 1 pound, of suspected fentanyl. Methamphetamine, oxycodone as well as drug paraphernalia were also located inside the vehicle.

The driver, and sole occupant of the vehicle was identified as 54-year-old Lisa Gomez of Sioux City, New Mexico. 

Gomez was arrested and transported the Barton County Jail without incident where she was booked on requested charges of distribution of fentanyl, possession of methamphetamine, distribution of marijuana, possession of prescription narcotics, possession of drug paraphernalia and illegal transportation of alcohol. Gomez is being held in lieu of a $300,000 bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1698944474423.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating&nbsp; a suspect on drug allegations after a traffic stop.Just&nbsp;before 9 p.m. Wednesday, a deputy sheriff conducted a stop on a vehicle for an alleged traffic violation in the 1000 block of Parish Road in Great Bend, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir.During the course the traffic stop, officers became suspicious of illegal drug activity and Sheriff’s Office K9 Maxx was deployed and indicated the presence of controlled substances.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1698944438065.jpeg" alt="Gomez-photo Barton Co." />
 <figcaption>Gomez-photo Barton Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Further investigation revealed a large quantity, approximately 1 pound, of suspected fentanyl. Methamphetamine, oxycodone as well as drug paraphernalia were also located inside the vehicle.The driver, and sole occupant of the vehicle was identified as 54-year-old Lisa Gomez of Sioux City, New Mexico. Gomez was arrested and transported the Barton County Jail without incident where she was booked on requested charges of distribution of fentanyl, possession of methamphetamine, distribution of marijuana, possession of prescription narcotics, possession of drug paraphernalia and illegal transportation of alcohol. Gomez is being held in lieu of a $300,000 bond.

Sheriff: New Mexico woman was selling fentanyl in Kansas

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/last-new-beatles-song-e7b3a349b0e1e58b8668e98ba2d9cd0b">final Beatles recording</a>&nbsp;is here.

Titled “Now and Then,” the almost impossible-to-believe track is four minutes and eight seconds of the first and only original Beatles recording of the 21st century. There's a countdown, then acoustic guitar strumming and piano bleed into the unmistakable vocal tone of John Lennon in the song's introduction: “I know it’s true / It’s all because of you / And if I make it through / It’s all because of you.”

More than four decades since Lennon's murder and two since George Harrison's death, the very last Beatles song has been released as a double A-side single with “Love Me Do,” the band's 1962 debut single.

“Now and Then” comes from the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.goldradiouk.com/artists/the-beatles/free-bird-real-love-anthology/">same batch of unreleased demos</a>&nbsp;written by Lennon in the 1970s, which were given to his former bandmates by Yoko Ono. They used the tape to construct the songs “Free As a Bird” and “Real Love,” released in the mid-1990s. But there were technical limitations to finishing “Now and Then.”

On Wednesday, a short film titled “The Beatles — Now And Then — The Last Beatles Song” was released, detailing the creation of the track. On the original tape, Lennon's voice was hidden; the piano was “hard to hear,” as Paul McCartney describes it. “And in those days, of course, we didn't have the technology to do the separation.”

That changed in 2022, when the band — now a duo — was able to utilize the same technical restoration methods that separated the Beatles’ voices from background sounds during the making of director&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-arts-and-entertainment-peter-jackson-e81542a42c74446ad837075140777d65">Peter Jackson’s 2021 documentary series</a>, “The Beatles: Get Back.” And so, they were able to isolate Lennon's voice from the original cassette and complete “Now and Then” using machine learning.

When the song was first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/beatles-artificial-intelligence-record-paul-mccartney-2dc3d8c818e12b708d4e9409cb7dc856">announced in June</a>, McCartney described artificial intelligence technology as “kind of scary but exciting,” adding: “We will just have to see where that leads.”

"To still be working on Beatles' music in 2023 — wow,” he said in “The Beatles — Now And Then — The Last Beatles Song.” “We're actually messing around with state-of-the-art technology, which is something the Beatles would've been very interested in.”

“The rumors were that we just made it up,” Ringo Starr&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/beatles-ringo-starr-interview-rewind-forward-6fc5236cb2a316775fe0723712fc3e41">told The Associated Press</a>&nbsp;of Lennon’s contributions to the forthcoming track in September. “Like we would do that anyway.”

“This is the last track, ever, that you’ll get the four Beatles on the track. John, Paul, George, and Ringo,” he continued.

McCartney and Starr built the track from Lennon's demo, adding guitar parts George Harrison wrote in the 1995 sessions and a slide guitar solo in his signature style. McCartney and Starr tracked their bass and drum contributions. A string arrangement was written with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.starnewsonline.com/story/news/2006/11/25/son-of-beatles-producer-mixes-matches-to-create-new-hits/30284217007/">Giles Martin</a>, son of the late Beatles producer George Martin — a clever recall to the classic ambitiousness of “Strawberry Fields,” or “Yesterday,” or “I Am the Walrus.” Those musicians couldn’t be told they were contributing to the last ever Beatles track, so McCartney played it off like a solo endeavor.

On Friday, an official music video for “Now and Then,” directed by Jackson, will premiere on the Beatles' YouTube channel. It was created using footage McCartney and Starr took of themselves performing, 14 hours of “long forgotten film shot during the 1995 recording sessions, including several hours of Paul, George and Ringo working on ‘Now and Then,’” Jackson said in a statement.

It also uses previously unseen home movie footage provided by Lennon's son Sean and Olivia Harrison, George's wife, and “a few precious seconds of The Beatles performing in their leather suits, the earliest known film of The Beatles and never seen before,” provided by Pete Best, the band's original drummer.

“The result is pretty nutty and provided the video with much needed balance between the sad and the funny,” said Jackson.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/last-new-beatles-song-e7b3a349b0e1e58b8668e98ba2d9cd0b">final Beatles recording</a>&nbsp;is here.Titled “Now and Then,” the almost impossible-to-believe track is four minutes and eight seconds of the first and only original Beatles recording of the 21st century. There's a countdown, then acoustic guitar strumming and piano bleed into the unmistakable vocal tone of John Lennon in the song's introduction: “I know it’s true / It’s all because of you / And if I make it through / It’s all because of you.”<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AW55J2zE3N4?si=vfDah_w3XhXcpsvs&amp;start=2" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>More than four decades since Lennon's murder and two since George Harrison's death, the very last Beatles song has been released as a double A-side single with “Love Me Do,” the band's 1962 debut single.“Now and Then” comes from the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.goldradiouk.com/artists/the-beatles/free-bird-real-love-anthology/">same batch of unreleased demos</a>&nbsp;written by Lennon in the 1970s, which were given to his former bandmates by Yoko Ono. They used the tape to construct the songs “Free As a Bird” and “Real Love,” released in the mid-1990s. But there were technical limitations to finishing “Now and Then.”On Wednesday, a short film titled “The Beatles — Now And Then — The Last Beatles Song” was released, detailing the creation of the track. On the original tape, Lennon's voice was hidden; the piano was “hard to hear,” as Paul McCartney describes it. “And in those days, of course, we didn't have the technology to do the separation.”That changed in 2022, when the band — now a duo — was able to utilize the same technical restoration methods that separated the Beatles’ voices from background sounds during the making of director&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-arts-and-entertainment-peter-jackson-e81542a42c74446ad837075140777d65">Peter Jackson’s 2021 documentary series</a>, “The Beatles: Get Back.” And so, they were able to isolate Lennon's voice from the original cassette and complete “Now and Then” using machine learning.When the song was first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/beatles-artificial-intelligence-record-paul-mccartney-2dc3d8c818e12b708d4e9409cb7dc856">announced in June</a>, McCartney described artificial intelligence technology as “kind of scary but exciting,” adding: “We will just have to see where that leads.”"To still be working on Beatles' music in 2023 — wow,” he said in “The Beatles — Now And Then — The Last Beatles Song.” “We're actually messing around with state-of-the-art technology, which is something the Beatles would've been very interested in.”“The rumors were that we just made it up,” Ringo Starr&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/beatles-ringo-starr-interview-rewind-forward-6fc5236cb2a316775fe0723712fc3e41">told The Associated Press</a>&nbsp;of Lennon’s contributions to the forthcoming track in September. “Like we would do that anyway.”“This is the last track, ever, that you’ll get the four Beatles on the track. John, Paul, George, and Ringo,” he continued.McCartney and Starr built the track from Lennon's demo, adding guitar parts George Harrison wrote in the 1995 sessions and a slide guitar solo in his signature style. McCartney and Starr tracked their bass and drum contributions. A string arrangement was written with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.starnewsonline.com/story/news/2006/11/25/son-of-beatles-producer-mixes-matches-to-create-new-hits/30284217007/">Giles Martin</a>, son of the late Beatles producer George Martin — a clever recall to the classic ambitiousness of “Strawberry Fields,” or “Yesterday,” or “I Am the Walrus.” Those musicians couldn’t be told they were contributing to the last ever Beatles track, so McCartney played it off like a solo endeavor.On Friday, an official music video for “Now and Then,” directed by Jackson, will premiere on the Beatles' YouTube channel. It was created using footage McCartney and Starr took of themselves performing, 14 hours of “long forgotten film shot during the 1995 recording sessions, including several hours of Paul, George and Ringo working on ‘Now and Then,’” Jackson said in a statement.It also uses previously unseen home movie footage provided by Lennon's son Sean and Olivia Harrison, George's wife, and “a few precious seconds of The Beatles performing in their leather suits, the earliest known film of The Beatles and never seen before,” provided by Pete Best, the band's original drummer.“The result is pretty nutty and provided the video with much needed balance between the sad and the funny,” said Jackson.

🎧  Listen to the last new Beatles song 'Now and Then'

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House approved a nearly $14.5 billion military aid package Thursday for Israel, a muscular U.S. response to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-11-1-2023-7016eb9ebd6a7852c0ed71bc97f14d92">war with Hamas</a>&nbsp;but also a partisan approach by new Speaker Mike Johnson that poses a direct challenge to Democrats and President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>.

In a departure from norms, Johnson's package required that the emergency aid be offset with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/irs-debt-ceiling-budget-x-date-yellen-fe538fd8371cdf647400a27e6d56a9fb">cuts in government spending elsewhere</a>. That tack established the new House GOP's conservative leadership, but it also turned what would typically be a bipartisan vote into one dividing Democrats and Republicans. Biden has said he would veto the bill, which was approved 226-196, with 12 Democrats joining most Republicans on a largely party-line vote.

Johnson, R-La., said the Republican package would provide Israel with the assistance needed to defend itself, free hostages held by Hamas and eradicate the militant Palestinian group, accomplishing "all of this while we also work to ensure responsible spending and reduce the size of the federal government.”

Democrats said that approach would only delay help for Israel. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has warned that the “stunningly unserious” bill has no chances in the Senate.

The first substantial legislative effort in Congress to support Israel in the war falls far short of Biden's request for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ukraine-israel-budget-3762a0bdf00653e3c8a38175d3c3d3cb">nearly $106 billion</a>&nbsp;that would also back Ukraine as it fights Russia, along with U.S. efforts to counter China and address security at the border with Mexico.

It is also Johnson's first big test as House speaker as the Republican majority tries to get back to work after the month of turmoil since ousting Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., as speaker. Johnson has said he will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mike-johnson-israel-ukraine-immigration-gop-agenda-e4054f12f83cfaa09044aa3d087396a8">turn next to aid for Ukraine along with U.S. border security</a>, preferring to address Biden's requests separately as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-ukraine-funding-zelenskyy-mccarthy-9bced4d9a8c16ae5bf148f640b6f2c31">GOP lawmakers increasingly oppose</a>&nbsp;aiding Kyiv.

The White House's veto warning said Johnson's approach “fails to meet the urgency of the moment” and would set a dangerous precedent by requiring emergency funds to come from cuts elsewhere.

While the amount for Israel in the House bill is similar to what Biden sought, the White House said the Republican plan's failure to include humanitarian assistance for Gaza is a “grave mistake” as the crisis deepens.

Biden on Wednesday called for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-biden-ceasefire-422ed95081e5fe224dd9f0ed7920c4e8">a pause in the war</a>&nbsp;to allow for relief efforts.

"This bill would break with the normal, bipartisan approach to providing emergency national security assistance," the White House wrote in its statement of administration policy on the legislation. It said the GOP stance "would have devastating implications for our safety and alliances in the years ahead."

It was unclear before voting Thursday how many Democrats would join with Republicans. The White House had been directly appealing to lawmakers, particularly calling Jewish Democrats, urging them to reject the bill.

White House chief of staff Jeff Zients, counselor to the president Steve Ricchetti and other senior White House staff have been engaging House Democrats, said a person familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to discuss it.

But the vote was difficult for some lawmakers, particularly Democrats who wanted to support Israel and may have trouble explaining the trade-off to constituents, especially as the large AIPAC lobby and other groups encouraged passage. In all, two Republicans opposed the bill.

Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill, who voted against the package, said: “It was one of the hardest things I've had to do.”

To pay for the bill, House Republicans have attached provisions that would cut billions from the IRS that Democrats approved last year and Biden signed into law as a way to go after tax cheats. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says doing that would end up costing the federal government a net $12.5 billion because of lost revenue from tax collections.

Republicans scoffed at that assessment, but the independent budget office is historically seen as a trusted referee.

Backers said the package would provide support for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system, procurement of advanced weaponry and other military needs, and help with protection and evacuations of U.S. citizens. CBO pegged the overall package at about $14.3 billion for Israel.

As the floor debate got underway, Democrats pleaded for Republicans to restore the humanitarian aid Biden requested and decried the politicization of typically widely bipartisan Israel support.

“Republicans are leveraging the excruciating pain of an international crisis to help rich people who cheat on their taxes and big corporations who regularly dodge their taxes,” said Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee.

Rep. Dan Goldman of New York described hiding in a stairwell with his wife and children while visiting Israel as rockets fired in what he called the most horrific attack on Jews since the Holocaust.

Nevertheless, Goldman said he opposed the Republican-led bill as a “shameful effort” to turn the situation in Israel and the Jewish people into a political weapon.

“Support for Israel may be a political game for my colleagues on the other side of the aisle," the Democrat said. "But this is personal for us Jews and it is existential for the one Jewish nation in the world that is a safe haven from the rising tide of antisemitism around the globe.”

The Republicans have been attacking Democrats who raise questions about Israel's war tactics as antisemitic. The House tried to censure the only Palestinian-American lawmaker in Congress,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-house-censure-resolution-greene-tlaib-48d109c21c11f8df80053d15ff7b77b7">Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.</a>, over remarks she made. The censure measure failed.

Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., said he was "so thankful there is no humanitarian aid," which he argued could fall into the hands of Hamas.

In the Democratic-controlled Senate, Schumer made clear that the House bill would be rejected.

“The Senate will not take up the House GOP's deeply flawed proposal, and instead we'll work on our own bipartisan emergency aid package" that includes money for Israel and Ukraine, as well as humanitarian assistance for Gaza and efforts to confront China.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is balancing the need to support his GOP allies in the House while also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-aid-biden-congress-republicans-political-blame-7e9137b32a7bcebd8fcdd99a4775ff74">fighting to keep the aid package</a>&nbsp;more in line with Biden's broader request, believing all the issues are linked and demand U.S. attention.

McConnell said the aid for Ukraine was “not charity” but was necessary to bolster a Western ally against Russia.

In other action Thursday, the House overwhelmingly approved a Republican-led resolution that focused on college campus activism over the Israel-Hamas war. The nonbinding resolution would condemn support of Hamas, Hezbollah and terrorist organizations at institutions of higher education.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1698936640397.png" alt="House Speaker Mike Johnson-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Mike Johnson-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The House approved a nearly $14.5 billion military aid package Thursday for Israel, a muscular U.S. response to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-11-1-2023-7016eb9ebd6a7852c0ed71bc97f14d92">war with Hamas</a>&nbsp;but also a partisan approach by new Speaker Mike Johnson that poses a direct challenge to Democrats and President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">House Republicans just PASSED the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Ac. In the People’s House, Republicans stand unequivocally with our great ally Israel. <a href="https://t.co/e2ExlWpZGT">pic.twitter.com/e2ExlWpZGT</a>&mdash; House Republicans (@HouseGOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/HouseGOP/status/1720198651778101295?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In a departure from norms, Johnson's package required that the emergency aid be offset with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/irs-debt-ceiling-budget-x-date-yellen-fe538fd8371cdf647400a27e6d56a9fb">cuts in government spending elsewhere</a>. That tack established the new House GOP's conservative leadership, but it also turned what would typically be a bipartisan vote into one dividing Democrats and Republicans. Biden has said he would veto the bill, which was approved 226-196, with 12 Democrats joining most Republicans on a largely party-line vote.Johnson, R-La., said the Republican package would provide Israel with the assistance needed to defend itself, free hostages held by Hamas and eradicate the militant Palestinian group, accomplishing "all of this while we also work to ensure responsible spending and reduce the size of the federal government.”Democrats said that approach would only delay help for Israel. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has warned that the “stunningly unserious” bill has no chances in the Senate.The first substantial legislative effort in Congress to support Israel in the war falls far short of Biden's request for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ukraine-israel-budget-3762a0bdf00653e3c8a38175d3c3d3cb">nearly $106 billion</a>&nbsp;that would also back Ukraine as it fights Russia, along with U.S. efforts to counter China and address security at the border with Mexico.It is also Johnson's first big test as House speaker as the Republican majority tries to get back to work after the month of turmoil since ousting Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., as speaker. Johnson has said he will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mike-johnson-israel-ukraine-immigration-gop-agenda-e4054f12f83cfaa09044aa3d087396a8">turn next to aid for Ukraine along with U.S. border security</a>, preferring to address Biden's requests separately as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-ukraine-funding-zelenskyy-mccarthy-9bced4d9a8c16ae5bf148f640b6f2c31">GOP lawmakers increasingly oppose</a>&nbsp;aiding Kyiv.The White House's veto warning said Johnson's approach “fails to meet the urgency of the moment” and would set a dangerous precedent by requiring emergency funds to come from cuts elsewhere.While the amount for Israel in the House bill is similar to what Biden sought, the White House said the Republican plan's failure to include humanitarian assistance for Gaza is a “grave mistake” as the crisis deepens.Biden on Wednesday called for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-biden-ceasefire-422ed95081e5fe224dd9f0ed7920c4e8">a pause in the war</a>&nbsp;to allow for relief efforts."This bill would break with the normal, bipartisan approach to providing emergency national security assistance," the White House wrote in its statement of administration policy on the legislation. It said the GOP stance "would have devastating implications for our safety and alliances in the years ahead."It was unclear before voting Thursday how many Democrats would join with Republicans. The White House had been directly appealing to lawmakers, particularly calling Jewish Democrats, urging them to reject the bill.White House chief of staff Jeff Zients, counselor to the president Steve Ricchetti and other senior White House staff have been engaging House Democrats, said a person familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to discuss it.But the vote was difficult for some lawmakers, particularly Democrats who wanted to support Israel and may have trouble explaining the trade-off to constituents, especially as the large AIPAC lobby and other groups encouraged passage. In all, two Republicans opposed the bill.Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill, who voted against the package, said: “It was one of the hardest things I've had to do.”To pay for the bill, House Republicans have attached provisions that would cut billions from the IRS that Democrats approved last year and Biden signed into law as a way to go after tax cheats. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says doing that would end up costing the federal government a net $12.5 billion because of lost revenue from tax collections.Republicans scoffed at that assessment, but the independent budget office is historically seen as a trusted referee.Backers said the package would provide support for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system, procurement of advanced weaponry and other military needs, and help with protection and evacuations of U.S. citizens. CBO pegged the overall package at about $14.3 billion for Israel.As the floor debate got underway, Democrats pleaded for Republicans to restore the humanitarian aid Biden requested and decried the politicization of typically widely bipartisan Israel support.“Republicans are leveraging the excruciating pain of an international crisis to help rich people who cheat on their taxes and big corporations who regularly dodge their taxes,” said Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee.Rep. Dan Goldman of New York described hiding in a stairwell with his wife and children while visiting Israel as rockets fired in what he called the most horrific attack on Jews since the Holocaust.Nevertheless, Goldman said he opposed the Republican-led bill as a “shameful effort” to turn the situation in Israel and the Jewish people into a political weapon.“Support for Israel may be a political game for my colleagues on the other side of the aisle," the Democrat said. "But this is personal for us Jews and it is existential for the one Jewish nation in the world that is a safe haven from the rising tide of antisemitism around the globe.”The Republicans have been attacking Democrats who raise questions about Israel's war tactics as antisemitic. The House tried to censure the only Palestinian-American lawmaker in Congress,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-house-censure-resolution-greene-tlaib-48d109c21c11f8df80053d15ff7b77b7">Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.</a>, over remarks she made. The censure measure failed.Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., said he was "so thankful there is no humanitarian aid," which he argued could fall into the hands of Hamas.In the Democratic-controlled Senate, Schumer made clear that the House bill would be rejected.“The Senate will not take up the House GOP's deeply flawed proposal, and instead we'll work on our own bipartisan emergency aid package" that includes money for Israel and Ukraine, as well as humanitarian assistance for Gaza and efforts to confront China.Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is balancing the need to support his GOP allies in the House while also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-aid-biden-congress-republicans-political-blame-7e9137b32a7bcebd8fcdd99a4775ff74">fighting to keep the aid package</a>&nbsp;more in line with Biden's broader request, believing all the issues are linked and demand U.S. attention.McConnell said the aid for Ukraine was “not charity” but was necessary to bolster a Western ally against Russia.In other action Thursday, the House overwhelmingly approved a Republican-led resolution that focused on college campus activism over the Israel-Hamas war. The nonbinding resolution would condemn support of Hamas, Hezbollah and terrorist organizations at institutions of higher education.___

House OKs $14.5 billion in military aid for Israel; Biden vows to veto

KANSAS CITY (AP) —Cedar Fair and Six Flags are merging to create an expansive amusement park operator with operations spread across 17 U.S. states and three countries.

The combined company, worth more than $3.5 billion, will boast 27 amusement parks, 15 water parks and nine resort properties in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. It will also have entertainment partnerships and a portfolio of intellectual property including Looney Tunes, DC Comics and Peanuts.

Amusement parks have seen an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/theme-parks-disney-florida-universal-0ddc9a18397c01026551769db62913e2">uptick in revenue</a>&nbsp;but have struggled to raise attendance since the pandemic, even as other entertainment sectors have bounced back. A tie-up between two huge players is expected to at least lower costs.

Cedar Fair, which owns Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun, reported an attendance of 12.4 million guests in its third quarter, a 1% increase from a year earlier. Six Flags announced a 16% rise in its third-quarter attendance, which totaled 9.3 million guests.

But amusement parks, including Six Flags, has struggled to get people through the gates, said James Hardiman at Citi Investment Research.

“Whereas the theme park industry as a whole has been under significant pressure since the start of the pandemic, Six Flags has created additional pressure of its own, with a volatile new attendance and pricing strategy that has struggled to take root, alienating its core customers and leading to dramatic drops in visitation along the way,” Hardiman wrote.

Six Flags and Cedar Fair, which have little geographical overlap, anticipate $120 million in cost savings within two years of closing the deal.

Six Flags and Cedar Fair have talked about potential deals before, with Six Flags previously making an offer for Cedar Fair in 2019, but it was turned down.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/travel-business-charlotte-toronto-florida-d9d0b6596fa68c5c7f14bd89e2d88987">SeaWorld</a>&nbsp;approached Cedar Fair with a bid last year, but that proposal was also rejected.

Under the agreement announced Thursday, Cedar Fair unitholders will receive one share of common stock in the combined company for each unit owned, while Six Flags shareholders will receive 0.5800 shares of stock in the combined company for each share owned.

Cedar Fair unitholders will own approximately 51.2% of the combined company, while Six Flags shareholders will own about 48.8%.

“Our merger with Six Flags will bring together two of North America’s iconic amusement park companies to establish a highly diversified footprint and a more robust operating model to enhance park offerings and performance,” Cedar Fair CEO Richard Zimmerman said in a prepared statement.

Zimmerman will be president and CEO of the combined company. Selim Bassoul, president and CEO of Six Flags, will become executive chairman.

The companies said that given their broader geographic footprint as a single company, seasonal volatility should moderate.

The company's newly formed board will include six directors from Cedar Fair and six directors from Six Flags.

The company will be headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, and will keep significant finance and administrative operations in Sandusky, Ohio, where Cedar Fair is based.

Six Flags is now based in Arlington, Texas.

Once the deal closes, the combined company will operate under the name Six Flags and trade under the ticker symbol “FUN” on the New York Stock Exchange.

The transaction, which was approved by both companies' boards, is targeted to close in the first half of next year. It still needs approval from Six Flags shareholders.

Shares of Six Flags Entertainment Corp. and Cedar Fair LP were essentially flat before the opening bell Thursday, but both are up more than 9% this week after rumors of a deal began to spread.

KANSAS CITY (AP) —Cedar Fair and Six Flags are merging to create an expansive amusement park operator with operations spread across 17 U.S. states and three countries.The combined company, worth more than $3.5 billion, will boast 27 amusement parks, 15 water parks and nine resort properties in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. It will also have entertainment partnerships and a portfolio of intellectual property including Looney Tunes, DC Comics and Peanuts.Amusement parks have seen an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/theme-parks-disney-florida-universal-0ddc9a18397c01026551769db62913e2">uptick in revenue</a>&nbsp;but have struggled to raise attendance since the pandemic, even as other entertainment sectors have bounced back. A tie-up between two huge players is expected to at least lower costs.Cedar Fair, which owns Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun, reported an attendance of 12.4 million guests in its third quarter, a 1% increase from a year earlier. Six Flags announced a 16% rise in its third-quarter attendance, which totaled 9.3 million guests.But amusement parks, including Six Flags, has struggled to get people through the gates, said James Hardiman at Citi Investment Research.“Whereas the theme park industry as a whole has been under significant pressure since the start of the pandemic, Six Flags has created additional pressure of its own, with a volatile new attendance and pricing strategy that has struggled to take root, alienating its core customers and leading to dramatic drops in visitation along the way,” Hardiman wrote.Six Flags and Cedar Fair, which have little geographical overlap, anticipate $120 million in cost savings within two years of closing the deal.Six Flags and Cedar Fair have talked about potential deals before, with Six Flags previously making an offer for Cedar Fair in 2019, but it was turned down.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/travel-business-charlotte-toronto-florida-d9d0b6596fa68c5c7f14bd89e2d88987">SeaWorld</a>&nbsp;approached Cedar Fair with a bid last year, but that proposal was also rejected.Under the agreement announced Thursday, Cedar Fair unitholders will receive one share of common stock in the combined company for each unit owned, while Six Flags shareholders will receive 0.5800 shares of stock in the combined company for each share owned.Cedar Fair unitholders will own approximately 51.2% of the combined company, while Six Flags shareholders will own about 48.8%.“Our merger with Six Flags will bring together two of North America’s iconic amusement park companies to establish a highly diversified footprint and a more robust operating model to enhance park offerings and performance,” Cedar Fair CEO Richard Zimmerman said in a prepared statement.Zimmerman will be president and CEO of the combined company. Selim Bassoul, president and CEO of Six Flags, will become executive chairman.The companies said that given their broader geographic footprint as a single company, seasonal volatility should moderate.The company's newly formed board will include six directors from Cedar Fair and six directors from Six Flags.The company will be headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, and will keep significant finance and administrative operations in Sandusky, Ohio, where Cedar Fair is based.Six Flags is now based in Arlington, Texas.Once the deal closes, the combined company will operate under the name Six Flags and trade under the ticker symbol “FUN” on the New York Stock Exchange.The transaction, which was approved by both companies' boards, is targeted to close in the first half of next year. It still needs approval from Six Flags shareholders.Shares of Six Flags Entertainment Corp. and Cedar Fair LP were essentially flat before the opening bell Thursday, but both are up more than 9% this week after rumors of a deal began to spread.

Worlds of Fun, 6 Flags merge to create a playtime powerhouse

WASHINGTON (AP) — The World Bank reported this week that oil prices could be pushed into “uncharted waters” if&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-10-27-2023-af48f964636c8a2836e02e78ff01ec4c">the violence between Israel and Hamas</a>&nbsp;intensifies, which could result in increased food prices worldwide.

The World Bank’s Commodity Markets Outlook found that while the effects on oil prices should be limited if the conflict doesn’t widen, the outlook "would darken quickly if the conflict were to escalate."

The attack on Israel by the militant organization Hamas and the ensuing Israel military operation against Hamas have raised fears of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hospital-jordan-egypt-protests-590f24d154fb3cb256ec1707ec78b816">a wider Mideast conflict</a>.

And the threat of escalation looms. Israeli tanks and infantry&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-10-29-2023-de1a7d660ba2f6d80b3d7aeaae5bb0f3">pushed into Gaza over the weekend</a>&nbsp;as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a “second stage” in the war. Hamas officials have called for more&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hamas-ghazi-hamad-israel-gaza-hezbollah-iran-ee10f09cf1ffe34ab68cff7987b49f53">regional assistance from allies</a>, including Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The World Bank report simulates three scenarios for the global oil supply in the event of a small, medium or large disruption.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The World Bank reported this week that oil prices could be pushed into “uncharted waters” if&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-10-27-2023-af48f964636c8a2836e02e78ff01ec4c">the violence between Israel and Hamas</a>&nbsp;intensifies, which could result in increased food prices worldwide.The World Bank’s Commodity Markets Outlook found that while the effects on oil prices should be limited if the conflict doesn’t widen, the outlook "would darken quickly if the conflict were to escalate."The attack on Israel by the militant organization Hamas and the ensuing Israel military operation against Hamas have raised fears of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hospital-jordan-egypt-protests-590f24d154fb3cb256ec1707ec78b816">a wider Mideast conflict</a>.And the threat of escalation looms. Israeli tanks and infantry&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-10-29-2023-de1a7d660ba2f6d80b3d7aeaae5bb0f3">pushed into Gaza over the weekend</a>&nbsp;as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a “second stage” in the war. Hamas officials have called for more&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hamas-ghazi-hamad-israel-gaza-hezbollah-iran-ee10f09cf1ffe34ab68cff7987b49f53">regional assistance from allies</a>, including Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.The World Bank report simulates three scenarios for the global oil supply in the event of a small, medium or large disruption.Effects should be limited if the conflict doesn’t widen in a “small disruption” scenario — as oil prices are expected to decline to an average of $81 a barrel next year, the World Bank estimates.But during a “medium disruption” — equivalent to the disruptions experienced during the Iraq war — the global oil supply would decline by 3 million to 5 million barrels per day, driving oil prices up possibly by 35%.In a “large disruption” scenario — comparable to the Arab oil embargo of 1973 — the global oil supply would shrink by 6 million to 8 million barrels per day and prices could go up by 56% to 75%, or $140 to $157 a barrel, according to the report.Indermit Gill, the World Bank’s chief economist, said Russia's invasion of Ukraine has already had disruptive effects on the global economy “that persist to this day.”"If the conflict were to escalate, the global economy would face a dual energy shock for the first time in decades — not just from the war in Ukraine but also from the Middle East,” Gill said.Ayhan Kose, the World Bank’s deputy chief economist, said higher oil prices will inevitably result in higher food prices.“If a severe oil price shock materializes, it would push up food price inflation that has already been elevated in many developing countries" as a result of Russia's Ukraine invasion, Kose said. “An escalation of the latest conflict would intensify food insecurity, not only within the region but also across the world."Overall, oil prices have risen about 6% since the start of the conflict. And gold — a commodity that tends to rise in periods of conflict — has increased roughly 8%, according to the World Bank.Some analysts are skeptical that the U.S. would experience massive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-oil-iran-biden-sanctions-fefaf577359e2b4920d6d0035f763d22">oil shortages</a>, since U.S. oil production is at an all-time high.At a Bloomberg event on Thursday, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the Biden administration was monitoring the economic consequences of Israel’s war against Hamas carefully.“So far, we have not yet seen much that has global consequences,” she said, but if the war spreads “of course there could be more meaningful consequences.”International Energy Agency Executive Director&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/energy-renewables-climate-war-oil-7b0cf535f33a3b33a2bfd8a462850ff4">Fatih Birol</a>&nbsp;said between Russia's invasion and the latest violence between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, “no one can convince me that oil and gas are safe and secure energy choices for countries or consumers."