BEAVER COUNTY, Oklahoma—Law enforcement authorities&nbsp; investigating a fatal shooting that occurred early Sunday morning at Central Station Bar and Grill, 207 E Wyatt Earp Blvd., Dodge City, have captured a suspect, according to a media release from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

Deputies captured 36-year-old Ricardo Cadena-Garcia of Dodge City in Oklahoma. He is believed connected to a shooting that killed two men and injured two others.

Kansas authorities tracked Cadena-Garcia as he fled into Oklahoma. The Beaver County (Oklahoma) Sheriff’s Office sent deputies to search the area. They located Cadena-Garcia’s vehicle 1.5 miles outside of Forgan, Oklahoma. 

The truck was disabled due to a blown front tire. Cadena-Garcia was waiting for assistance from an area tire shop when deputies approached his truck. He was arrested without incident.

Cadena-Garcia was booked into the Beaver County Jail. Formal charges are pending, according to the KBI.

FORD COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting that occurred early Sunday morning at a restaurant and bar in Dodge City, according to a media release from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

Just after 1 a.m., 911 calls were placed reporting shots being fired at Central Station Bar and Grill,&nbsp; 207 E. Wyatt Earp Blvd., in Dodge City. When officers from the Dodge City Police Department and deputies from the Ford County Sheriff’s Office arrived they found four men who had suffered gunshot wounds.

Preliminary information indicates that an altercation occurred and the suspect, 36-year-old Ricardo Johary Cadena-Garcia used a small caliber handgun to shoot and kill a 29-year-old man. 

He was pronounced dead at the scene. Cadena-Garcia fired additional rounds that struck three additional male victims, and then fled the area.

EMS responded and transported the three shooting victims to an area hospital. Soon after, a 28-year-old man was also pronounced deceased. 

The 40-year-old man was flown to a Wichita hospital with life-threatening injuries. The fourth man, who was 27-years-old, was treated and has been released from the hospital.

Authorities believe Cadena-Garcia has headed south, and is no longer in Kansas. 

He is believed to be driving a white 2011 Dodge Ram pickup with Kansas tag 731SBJ. Cadena-Garcia is a Hispanic male, approximately 6 foot 1 inch tall, weighing around 270 pounds. He has black hair, brown eyes, and a large black tattoo on his neck.

Anyone who sees the suspect or this vehicle is asked to immediately call 911. He is suspected to be armed and dangerous. Any other information about the shooting can be reported to the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME, the Ford County Sheriff’s Office at 620-227-4501, or the Dodge City Police Department at 620-225-8126.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698593536918.png" alt="Cadena-Garcia-photo KBI" />
 <figcaption>Cadena-Garcia-photo KBI</figcaption>
 </figure>BEAVER COUNTY, Oklahoma—Law enforcement authorities&nbsp; investigating a fatal shooting that occurred early Sunday morning at Central Station Bar and Grill, 207 E Wyatt Earp Blvd., Dodge City, have captured a suspect, according to a media release from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.Deputies captured 36-year-old Ricardo Cadena-Garcia of Dodge City in Oklahoma. He is believed connected to a shooting that killed two men and injured two others.Kansas authorities tracked Cadena-Garcia as he fled into Oklahoma. The Beaver County (Oklahoma) Sheriff’s Office sent deputies to search the area. They located Cadena-Garcia’s vehicle 1.5 miles outside of Forgan, Oklahoma. The truck was disabled due to a blown front tire. Cadena-Garcia was waiting for assistance from an area tire shop when deputies approached his truck. He was arrested without incident.Cadena-Garcia was booked into the Beaver County Jail. Formal charges are pending, according to the KBI.--------------FORD COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting that occurred early Sunday morning at a restaurant and bar in Dodge City, according to a media release from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.Just after 1 a.m., 911 calls were placed reporting shots being fired at Central Station Bar and Grill,&nbsp; 207 E. Wyatt Earp Blvd., in Dodge City. When officers from the Dodge City Police Department and deputies from the Ford County Sheriff’s Office arrived they found four men who had suffered gunshot wounds.Preliminary information indicates that an altercation occurred and the suspect, 36-year-old Ricardo Johary Cadena-Garcia used a small caliber handgun to shoot and kill a 29-year-old man. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Cadena-Garcia fired additional rounds that struck three additional male victims, and then fled the area.EMS responded and transported the three shooting victims to an area hospital. Soon after, a 28-year-old man was also pronounced deceased. The 40-year-old man was flown to a Wichita hospital with life-threatening injuries. The fourth man, who was 27-years-old, was treated and has been released from the hospital.Authorities believe Cadena-Garcia has headed south, and is no longer in Kansas. He is believed to be driving a white 2011 Dodge Ram pickup with Kansas tag 731SBJ. Cadena-Garcia is a Hispanic male, approximately 6 foot 1 inch tall, weighing around 270 pounds. He has black hair, brown eyes, and a large black tattoo on his neck.Anyone who sees the suspect or this vehicle is asked to immediately call 911. He is suspected to be armed and dangerous. Any other information about the shooting can be reported to the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME, the Ford County Sheriff’s Office at 620-227-4501, or the Dodge City Police Department at 620-225-8126.

KBI: Deputies capture suspect wanted for deadly SW Kan. shooting

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a member of the Kansas State University basketball team for early morning incident in Manhattan.

Just before 2a.m. Sunday, police arrested 22-year-old Naeqwan Tommy Nicholas Tomlin of Manhattan at Tubby's Sports Bar, 1127 Moro Street in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department arrest report.&nbsp; <a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/nae-qwan-tomlin/11221">Tomlin is a senior member</a> of the K-State basketball team, according to the school's web site.

Tomlin was held on a $750.00 bond on requested charges of&nbsp;Disorderly conduct; Brawling or fighting.&nbsp; He posted bond and was released just before 5a.m., according to online jail records.

 &nbsp;Police released no additional detail early Sunday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698592993697.png" alt="Nae'Qwan Tomlin-photo courtesy KSU Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Nae'Qwan Tomlin-photo courtesy KSU Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a member of the Kansas State University basketball team for early morning incident in Manhattan.Just before 2a.m. Sunday, police arrested 22-year-old Naeqwan Tommy Nicholas Tomlin of Manhattan at Tubby's Sports Bar, 1127 Moro Street in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department arrest report.&nbsp; <a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/nae-qwan-tomlin/11221">Tomlin is a senior member</a> of the K-State basketball team, according to the school's web site.Tomlin was held on a $750.00 bond on requested charges of&nbsp;Disorderly conduct; Brawling or fighting.&nbsp; He posted bond and was released just before 5a.m., according to online jail records. &nbsp;Police released no additional detail early Sunday.

Police: K-State basketball player arrested for bar fight

WASHINGTON (AP) —Evangelical Christian conservatives have long had allies in top Republican leadership in Congress. But never before have they had one so thoroughly embedded in their movement as new House Speaker Mike Johnson, a longtime culture warrior in the courthouse, in the classroom and in Congress.

Religious conservatives cheered Johnson's election Wednesday, after which he brought his Bible to the rostrum before taking the oath of office. “The Bible is very clear that God is the one that raises up those in authority ... each of you, all of us," he said.

“Someone asked me today in the media, ‘People are curious, what does Mike Johnson think about any issue?’” Johnson said Thursday in a Fox News interview. “I said, ’Well, go pick up a Bible off your shelf and read it. That’s my worldview.’”

But progressive faith leaders are sounding the alarm about Johnson’s opposition to LGBTQ rights and his rallying of Republicans around former President Donald Trump’s legal effort to overturn the 2020 election results. And, more broadly, they are concerned about Johnson's “desire to impose his narrow religious vision upon the rest of us," in the words of Paul Raushenbush, president of Interfaith Alliance, a broad coalition of progressive religious groups.

To be sure, Christian conservatives have held the House speakership with Republican majorities in the past, from Catholics such as Paul Ryan and John Boehner to Newt Gingrich, who was Southern Baptist when he was speaker in the 1990s and later converted to Catholicism.

In fact, the 2023 House speaker drama has been in some ways an intra-church affair starring Southern Baptists — including Johnson himself, short-term speaker Kevin McCarthy and the representative who led the revolt to oust McCarthy, Matt Gaetz.

But Johnson is a bona fide culture warrior, with a resume reading like a roadmap of powerful institutions of the religious right.

He has served as professor at the government school of Liberty University in Virginia, a Christian school and conservative bastion.

From 2004 to 2012, Johnson served on board of the policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, whose 13 million members comprise the nation's largest Protestant denomination. During his tenure with the SBC's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, it rallied members to place strong emphasis on "values voting." Such activism helped reinforce Republicans' opposition to abortion and LGBTQ rights.

Brent Leatherwood, the commission's current president, said he met with Johnson in the early days of his own tenure. “It was clear to me he carries an abiding devotion to our convention of churches, subscribes to the principles that are dear to so many Southern Baptists, and has a deep pride in our nation," Leatherwood said.

Johnson served as an attorney with what's now known as Alliance Defending Freedom, one of the foremost legal advocates of causes valued by many on the religious right.

With the ADF, Johnson championed a 2004 Louisiana ballot measure that banned same-sex marriage, writing in the Shreveport Times that “homosexual relationships are inherently unnatural” and that society should not approve “such a dangerous lifestyle.” In 2003, after the U.S. Supreme Court nullified state laws banning same-sex sexual relations — which the ADF had urged it to retain — Johnson lamented the decision, writing that by “closing these bedroom doors, they (the justices) have opened a Pandora's box.”

Johnson's own public interest law firm, called Freedom Guard, helped win a legal battle regaining tax incentives on behalf of a Noah’s Ark theme park in Kentucky, overcoming state concerns that the project’s mission had shifted from tourism to ministry.

Johnson recently led a congressional hearing on transgender issues, saying in a statement, ”Gender affirming care’ is anything but 'affirming’ and ‘caring.’ It is adults deciding to permanently alter the bodies of children who do NOT have the capacity to make life altering decisions on their own.”

Religious conservatives embraced Johnson as one of their own as they cheered his election as speaker.

“His commitment to unity and passion for protecting freedom will benefit all Americans,” ADF president Kristen Waggoner said on X (formerly Twitter).

The Rev. Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, welcomed Johnson’s speakership not only because of his conservative political record, but also because he is a “a self-consciously committed evangelical Christian.”

“He has somehow pulled off the task of being very convictional and I believe right on most of these issues, and at the same time considered to be respectful and gracious even well-liked by members of his own party, and presumably by members of the other party as well,” Mohler said on his podcast.

Johnson invoked images cherished by Christian conservatives as he ascended to the speakership, pledging “servant leadership,” leading fellow Republicans in a prayer, touting the national motto, “In God We Trust” and highlighting the Declaration of Independence's statement that humans "are endowed by their Creator” with rights.

John Fea, who studies religious conservatives and is a professor of history at Messiah University in Pennsylvania, said Johnson is a Christian nationalist, part of a movement that fuses Christian and American values, symbols and identity and sees the United States as having a divine destiny similar to the biblical Israel. Johnson has paid tribute to the “profound influence" of Wallbuilders, an organization promoting the view that America was created as a Christian nation, on his own career.

“We should not be fooled by his aw-shucks style,” Fea added in Current, an online journal. “He is a culture warrior with deep connections to the Christian Right. One might call him a happy warrior.”

Progressive faith leaders expressed alarm at Johnson‘s election, and his remarks on Wednesday evoking the Bible as saying authorities are chosen by God.

“He must remember that he was elected by the people, not by God,” Raushenbush said.

Similar concerns were expressed by the Rev. Nathan Empsall, executive director of Faithful America, an online Christian community advocating for social justice.

Empsall, in a statement, depicted Johnson as “an insurrection-supporting politician who will do anything to grab power, no matter who it hurts, simply to enforce his brand of right-wing Christianity on the rest of us.”

After the 2020 election, Johnson organized more than 100 House Republicans to file a brief supporting Trump's challenge to President Joe Biden's election — a challenge that appalled many legal observers and that the Supreme Court rejected.

On Jan. 6, 2021, as Congress prepared to certify Biden’s win and just before Trump’s supporters overran the Capitol, Johnson tweeted: “We MUST fight for election integrity, the Constitution, and the preservation of our republic! It will be my honor to help lead that fight in the Congress today.”

He later tweeted a condemnation of the rioters who beat police and broke into the Capitol. He still voted with most House Republicans to overturn Biden's victories in two states.

Amanda Tyler, executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, said via email that Johnson “has an obligation to serve all Americans," those of all faiths and none.

“Johnson’s brand of Christian nationalism is bad American history and a betrayal of the historic Baptist commitment to religious freedom,” Tyler added.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698433700705.png" alt="Johnson took the Speaker's gavel on Wednesday afternoon-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Johnson took the Speaker's gavel on Wednesday afternoon-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —Evangelical Christian conservatives have long had allies in top Republican leadership in Congress. But never before have they had one so thoroughly embedded in their movement as new House Speaker Mike Johnson, a longtime culture warrior in the courthouse, in the classroom and in Congress.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) addressed the U.S House of Representatives before being sworn in as Speaker of the House. <a href="https://t.co/mHMvuQIldA">pic.twitter.com/mHMvuQIldA</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1717260910954205574?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Religious conservatives cheered Johnson's election Wednesday, after which he brought his Bible to the rostrum before taking the oath of office. “The Bible is very clear that God is the one that raises up those in authority ... each of you, all of us," he said.“Someone asked me today in the media, ‘People are curious, what does Mike Johnson think about any issue?’” Johnson said Thursday in a Fox News interview. “I said, ’Well, go pick up a Bible off your shelf and read it. That’s my worldview.’”But progressive faith leaders are sounding the alarm about Johnson’s opposition to LGBTQ rights and his rallying of Republicans around former President Donald Trump’s legal effort to overturn the 2020 election results. And, more broadly, they are concerned about Johnson's “desire to impose his narrow religious vision upon the rest of us," in the words of Paul Raushenbush, president of Interfaith Alliance, a broad coalition of progressive religious groups.To be sure, Christian conservatives have held the House speakership with Republican majorities in the past, from Catholics such as Paul Ryan and John Boehner to Newt Gingrich, who was Southern Baptist when he was speaker in the 1990s and later converted to Catholicism.In fact, the 2023 House speaker drama has been in some ways an intra-church affair starring Southern Baptists — including Johnson himself, short-term speaker Kevin McCarthy and the representative who led the revolt to oust McCarthy, Matt Gaetz.But Johnson is a bona fide culture warrior, with a resume reading like a roadmap of powerful institutions of the religious right.He has served as professor at the government school of Liberty University in Virginia, a Christian school and conservative bastion.From 2004 to 2012, Johnson served on board of the policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, whose 13 million members comprise the nation's largest Protestant denomination. During his tenure with the SBC's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, it rallied members to place strong emphasis on "values voting." Such activism helped reinforce Republicans' opposition to abortion and LGBTQ rights.Brent Leatherwood, the commission's current president, said he met with Johnson in the early days of his own tenure. “It was clear to me he carries an abiding devotion to our convention of churches, subscribes to the principles that are dear to so many Southern Baptists, and has a deep pride in our nation," Leatherwood said.Johnson served as an attorney with what's now known as Alliance Defending Freedom, one of the foremost legal advocates of causes valued by many on the religious right.With the ADF, Johnson championed a 2004 Louisiana ballot measure that banned same-sex marriage, writing in the Shreveport Times that “homosexual relationships are inherently unnatural” and that society should not approve “such a dangerous lifestyle.” In 2003, after the U.S. Supreme Court nullified state laws banning same-sex sexual relations — which the ADF had urged it to retain — Johnson lamented the decision, writing that by “closing these bedroom doors, they (the justices) have opened a Pandora's box.”Johnson's own public interest law firm, called Freedom Guard, helped win a legal battle regaining tax incentives on behalf of a Noah’s Ark theme park in Kentucky, overcoming state concerns that the project’s mission had shifted from tourism to ministry.Johnson recently led a congressional hearing on transgender issues, saying in a statement, ”Gender affirming care’ is anything but 'affirming’ and ‘caring.’ It is adults deciding to permanently alter the bodies of children who do NOT have the capacity to make life altering decisions on their own.”Religious conservatives embraced Johnson as one of their own as they cheered his election as speaker.“His commitment to unity and passion for protecting freedom will benefit all Americans,” ADF president Kristen Waggoner said on X (formerly Twitter).The Rev. Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, welcomed Johnson’s speakership not only because of his conservative political record, but also because he is a “a self-consciously committed evangelical Christian.”“He has somehow pulled off the task of being very convictional and I believe right on most of these issues, and at the same time considered to be respectful and gracious even well-liked by members of his own party, and presumably by members of the other party as well,” Mohler said on his podcast.Johnson invoked images cherished by Christian conservatives as he ascended to the speakership, pledging “servant leadership,” leading fellow Republicans in a prayer, touting the national motto, “In God We Trust” and highlighting the Declaration of Independence's statement that humans "are endowed by their Creator” with rights.John Fea, who studies religious conservatives and is a professor of history at Messiah University in Pennsylvania, said Johnson is a Christian nationalist, part of a movement that fuses Christian and American values, symbols and identity and sees the United States as having a divine destiny similar to the biblical Israel. Johnson has paid tribute to the “profound influence" of Wallbuilders, an organization promoting the view that America was created as a Christian nation, on his own career.“We should not be fooled by his aw-shucks style,” Fea added in Current, an online journal. “He is a culture warrior with deep connections to the Christian Right. One might call him a happy warrior.”Progressive faith leaders expressed alarm at Johnson‘s election, and his remarks on Wednesday evoking the Bible as saying authorities are chosen by God.“He must remember that he was elected by the people, not by God,” Raushenbush said.Similar concerns were expressed by the Rev. Nathan Empsall, executive director of Faithful America, an online Christian community advocating for social justice.Empsall, in a statement, depicted Johnson as “an insurrection-supporting politician who will do anything to grab power, no matter who it hurts, simply to enforce his brand of right-wing Christianity on the rest of us.”After the 2020 election, Johnson organized more than 100 House Republicans to file a brief supporting Trump's challenge to President Joe Biden's election — a challenge that appalled many legal observers and that the Supreme Court rejected.On Jan. 6, 2021, as Congress prepared to certify Biden’s win and just before Trump’s supporters overran the Capitol, Johnson tweeted: “We MUST fight for election integrity, the Constitution, and the preservation of our republic! It will be my honor to help lead that fight in the Congress today.”He later tweeted a condemnation of the rioters who beat police and broke into the Capitol. He still voted with most House Republicans to overturn Biden's victories in two states.Amanda Tyler, executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, said via email that Johnson “has an obligation to serve all Americans," those of all faiths and none.“Johnson’s brand of Christian nationalism is bad American history and a betrayal of the historic Baptist commitment to religious freedom,” Tyler added.___

🎥 Christian conservatives cheer as Mike Johnson assumes Congress' most powerful seat

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting outside a Wichita nightclub and asking the public for help to identify a suspect.

Just before 12:30 a.m. Sunday, police were monitoring at Onyx 10001&nbsp; E. Kellogg when they heard multiple gunshots, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.

First responders located 23-year-old Jaylon Pete of Wichita in the parking lot with multiple gunshot wounds. EMS transported him to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

Two other individuals, a 26-year-old man and a 24-year-old man both of Wichita, were struck by gunfire during the shooting.&nbsp;They were transported to local area hospitals for treatment of serious non-life threatening.

Preliminary findings from the ongoing investigation suggest that a disturbance took place inside the business leading up to the shooting. The exact circumstances leading up to this disturbance are still under active investigation. 

Detectives and officers are working diligently to determine the sequence of events. Contact detectives at 316-268-4407 or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698581297158.png" alt="Security camera photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Security camera photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting outside a Wichita nightclub and asking the public for help to identify a suspect.Just before 12:30 a.m. Sunday, police were monitoring at Onyx 10001&nbsp; E. Kellogg when they heard multiple gunshots, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698581256538.png" alt="Security camera photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Security camera photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>First responders located 23-year-old Jaylon Pete of Wichita in the parking lot with multiple gunshot wounds. EMS transported him to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.Two other individuals, a 26-year-old man and a 24-year-old man both of Wichita, were struck by gunfire during the shooting.&nbsp;They were transported to local area hospitals for treatment of serious non-life threatening.Preliminary findings from the ongoing investigation suggest that a disturbance took place inside the business leading up to the shooting. The exact circumstances leading up to this disturbance are still under active investigation. Detectives and officers are working diligently to determine the sequence of events. Contact detectives at 316-268-4407 or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.&nbsp;

1 dead, 2 injured: Police work to ID suspect in Kan. nightclub shooting

WASHINGTON (AP) — The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier and its strike group has moved through the Strait of Gibraltar, putting two American carriers in the Mediterranean Sea, a rare sight in recent years.

The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is already in the eastern Mediterranean, part of a buildup of forces as the U.S. supports Israel in its war against Hamas.

The Eisenhower sailed into the Mediterranean on Saturday and is slated to move through the Suez Canal to the U.S. Central Command region as the American forces expand their presence in the Middle East to deter Iran and its proxy militant groups from trying to widen the war.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696803172229.png" alt="The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea Oct. 18-photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea Oct. 18-photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier and its strike group has moved through the Strait of Gibraltar, putting two American carriers in the Mediterranean Sea, a rare sight in recent years.The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is already in the eastern Mediterranean, part of a buildup of forces as the U.S. supports Israel in its war against Hamas.The Eisenhower sailed into the Mediterranean on Saturday and is slated to move through the Suez Canal to the U.S. Central Command region as the American forces expand their presence in the Middle East to deter Iran and its proxy militant groups from trying to widen the war.

2nd U.S. aircraft carrier group moves into Mediterranean 

LOS ANGELES (AP) — "Friends" star Matthew Perry, the Emmy-nominated actor whose sarcastic, but lovable Chandler Bing was among television's most famous and most quotable characters, has died at 54.

The actor was found dead of an apparent drowning at his Los Angeles home Saturday, according to the Los Angeles Times and celebrity website TMZ, which was the first to report the news. Both outlets cited unnamed sources confirming Perry's death.

"Matthew was an incredibly gifted actor and an indelible part of the Warner Bros. Television Group family," the company said in a statement. "The impact of his comedic genius was felt around the world, and his legacy will live on in the hearts of so many. This is a heartbreaking day, and we send our love to his family, his loved ones, and all of his devoted fans."

Perry's publicists and other representatives did not immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press seeking comment.

Asked to confirm police response to what was listed as Perry's home address, LAPD Officer Drake Madison told the AP that officers had gone to that block "for a death investigation of a male in his 50s."

Perry's 10 seasons on "Friends" made him one of Hollywood's most recognizable actors, starring opposite Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer as a friend group in New York.

As Chandler, he played the quick-witted, insecure and neurotic roommate of LeBlanc's Joey and a close friend of Schwimmer's Ross. During the show's hijinks, he could be counted on to chime in with a line like "Could this BE any more awkward?" or another well-timed quip.

Perry was open about his long and public struggle with addiction, writing at the beginning of his 2022 million-selling memoir: "Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead."

"Friends" ran from 1994 until 2004, winning one best comedy series Emmy Award in 2002. The cast notably banded together for later seasons to obtain a salary of $1 million per episode for each.

By the "Friends" finale, Chandler is married to Cox's Monica and they have a family, reflecting the journey of the core cast from single New Yorkers trying to figure their lives out to several of them married and starting families.

The series was one of television's biggest hits and has taken on a new life — and found surprising popularity with younger fans — in recent years on streaming services.

Perry described reading the "Friends" script for the first time in his memoir, "Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing."

"It was as if someone had followed me around for a year, stealing my jokes, copying my mannerisms, photocopying my world-weary yet witty view of life. One character in particular stood out to me: it wasn't that I thought I could 'play' Chandler. I 'was' Chandler."

Unknown at the time was the struggle Perry had with addiction and an intense desire to please audiences.

"'Friends' was huge. I couldn't jeopardize that. I loved the script. I loved my co-actors. I loved the scripts. I loved everything about the show but I was struggling with my addictions which only added to my sense of shame," he wrote in his memoir. "I had a secret and no one could know."

"I felt like I was gonna die if the live audience didn't laugh, and that's not healthy for sure. But I could sometimes say a line and the audience wouldn't laugh and I would sweat and sometimes go into convulsions," Perry wrote. "If I didn't get the laugh I was supposed to get I would freak out. I felt that every single night. This pressure left me in a bad place. I also knew of the six people making that show, only one of them was sick."

He recalled in his memoir that Aniston confronted him about being inebriated while filming.

"I know you're drinking," he remembered her telling him once. "We can smell it," she said, in what Perry called a "kind of weird but loving way, and the plural 'we' hit me like a sledgehammer."

In the foreword to Perry's memoir, Lisa Kudrow described him as "whip smart, charming, sweet, sensitive, very reasonable, and rational." She added, "That guy, with everything he was battling, was still there."

An HBO Max reunion special in 2021 was hosted by James Corden and fed into huge interest in seeing the cast together again, although the program consisted of the actors discussing the show and was not a continuation of their characters' storylines.

Perry received one Emmy nomination for his "Friends" role and two more for appearances as an associate White House counsel on "The West Wing."

Perry also had several notable film roles, starring opposite Salma Hayek in the rom-com "Fools Rush In" and Bruce Willis in the the crime comedy "The Whole Nine Yards."

He worked consistently after "Friends," though never in a role that brought him as much attention or acclaim.

In 2015, he played Oscar for a CBS reboot of "The Odd Couple" that aired for two seasons. He told the AP that playing Oscar Madison, the character originally made famous in the 1960s series by Walter Matthau, was a "dream role." He also said he was surprised how much he enjoyed being filmed again in front of a live audience.

"I didn't realize I missed it really until it actually happened, til we actually shot the pilot and there was a studio audience there and I realized, 'Wow, I really like this. This is nice,'" he said. "You kind of ham up for the people in the audience. My performance never got better than when there was an audience there."

Perry was born Aug. 19, 1969, in Williamstown, Massachusetts. His father is actor John Bennett Perry and his mother, Suzanne, served as press secretary of Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and is married to "Dateline" correspondent Keith Morrison.

Associated Press writers Alicia Rancilio, Janie Har, Hillel Italie, Ryan Pearson and Anthony McCartney contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698541233773.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — "Friends" star Matthew Perry, the Emmy-nominated actor whose sarcastic, but lovable Chandler Bing was among television's most famous and most quotable characters, has died at 54.The actor was found dead of an apparent drowning at his Los Angeles home Saturday, according to the Los Angeles Times and celebrity website TMZ, which was the first to report the news. Both outlets cited unnamed sources confirming Perry's death."Matthew was an incredibly gifted actor and an indelible part of the Warner Bros. Television Group family," the company said in a statement. "The impact of his comedic genius was felt around the world, and his legacy will live on in the hearts of so many. This is a heartbreaking day, and we send our love to his family, his loved ones, and all of his devoted fans."Perry's publicists and other representatives did not immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press seeking comment.Asked to confirm police response to what was listed as Perry's home address, LAPD Officer Drake Madison told the AP that officers had gone to that block "for a death investigation of a male in his 50s."Perry's 10 seasons on "Friends" made him one of Hollywood's most recognizable actors, starring opposite Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer as a friend group in New York.As Chandler, he played the quick-witted, insecure and neurotic roommate of LeBlanc's Joey and a close friend of Schwimmer's Ross. During the show's hijinks, he could be counted on to chime in with a line like "Could this BE any more awkward?" or another well-timed quip.Perry was open about his long and public struggle with addiction, writing at the beginning of his 2022 million-selling memoir: "Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead.""Friends" ran from 1994 until 2004, winning one best comedy series Emmy Award in 2002. The cast notably banded together for later seasons to obtain a salary of $1 million per episode for each.By the "Friends" finale, Chandler is married to Cox's Monica and they have a family, reflecting the journey of the core cast from single New Yorkers trying to figure their lives out to several of them married and starting families.The series was one of television's biggest hits and has taken on a new life — and found surprising popularity with younger fans — in recent years on streaming services.Perry described reading the "Friends" script for the first time in his memoir, "Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.""It was as if someone had followed me around for a year, stealing my jokes, copying my mannerisms, photocopying my world-weary yet witty view of life. One character in particular stood out to me: it wasn't that I thought I could 'play' Chandler. I 'was' Chandler."Unknown at the time was the struggle Perry had with addiction and an intense desire to please audiences."'Friends' was huge. I couldn't jeopardize that. I loved the script. I loved my co-actors. I loved the scripts. I loved everything about the show but I was struggling with my addictions which only added to my sense of shame," he wrote in his memoir. "I had a secret and no one could know.""I felt like I was gonna die if the live audience didn't laugh, and that's not healthy for sure. But I could sometimes say a line and the audience wouldn't laugh and I would sweat and sometimes go into convulsions," Perry wrote. "If I didn't get the laugh I was supposed to get I would freak out. I felt that every single night. This pressure left me in a bad place. I also knew of the six people making that show, only one of them was sick."He recalled in his memoir that Aniston confronted him about being inebriated while filming."I know you're drinking," he remembered her telling him once. "We can smell it," she said, in what Perry called a "kind of weird but loving way, and the plural 'we' hit me like a sledgehammer."In the foreword to Perry's memoir, Lisa Kudrow described him as "whip smart, charming, sweet, sensitive, very reasonable, and rational." She added, "That guy, with everything he was battling, was still there."An HBO Max reunion special in 2021 was hosted by James Corden and fed into huge interest in seeing the cast together again, although the program consisted of the actors discussing the show and was not a continuation of their characters' storylines.Perry received one Emmy nomination for his "Friends" role and two more for appearances as an associate White House counsel on "The West Wing."Perry also had several notable film roles, starring opposite Salma Hayek in the rom-com "Fools Rush In" and Bruce Willis in the the crime comedy "The Whole Nine Yards."He worked consistently after "Friends," though never in a role that brought him as much attention or acclaim.In 2015, he played Oscar for a CBS reboot of "The Odd Couple" that aired for two seasons. He told the AP that playing Oscar Madison, the character originally made famous in the 1960s series by Walter Matthau, was a "dream role." He also said he was surprised how much he enjoyed being filmed again in front of a live audience."I didn't realize I missed it really until it actually happened, til we actually shot the pilot and there was a studio audience there and I realized, 'Wow, I really like this. This is nice,'" he said. "You kind of ham up for the people in the audience. My performance never got better than when there was an audience there."Perry was born Aug. 19, 1969, in Williamstown, Massachusetts. His father is actor John Bennett Perry and his mother, Suzanne, served as press secretary of Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and is married to "Dateline" correspondent Keith Morrison.___Associated Press writers Alicia Rancilio, Janie Har, Hillel Italie, Ryan Pearson and Anthony McCartney contributed to this report.

Matthew Perry, Emmy-nominated 'Friends' star, dead at 54

WICHITA, KAN. – A man who fired shots into his ex-girlfriend’s house and ran her car off the road has been sentenced to prison.

 District Judge David Kaufman sentenced Nicholas Henry, 30 Wichita, to 14-years in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

On August 1 of 2022, Henry purposely ran his ex-girlfriend’s car off the road near Maple and Richmond in Wichita. The woman’s five year old and nine year old daughters were in the car. Both little girls were treated at the scene for minor injuries.

Henry was later charged with three counts of aggravated battery. 

In May of 2023, after Henry bonded out of jail, he shot into his ex-girlfriend’s house multiple times. The woman’s younger daughter received wounds to her wrist and back from bullet fragments. The girl’s older sister and mother were also in the house when Henry fired the shots. In September, Henry pled guilty to the crimes in both cases.

Tuesday afternoon, Judge Kaufman followed the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines and sentenced Henry to 32 months for running the woman’s car off the road. In the second case, Henry was sentenced to 136 months on charges of criminal discharge of a firearm, aggravated assault, criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon and criminal damage to property.

&nbsp;Henry has three previous convictions for domestic battery and two for criminal threat, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684172501865.png" alt="Henry has three previous convictions for domestic battery and two for criminal threat, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Henry has three previous convictions for domestic battery and two for criminal threat, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, KAN. – A man who fired shots into his ex-girlfriend’s house and ran her car off the road has been sentenced to prison. District Judge David Kaufman sentenced Nicholas Henry, 30 Wichita, to 14-years in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.On August 1 of 2022, Henry purposely ran his ex-girlfriend’s car off the road near Maple and Richmond in Wichita. The woman’s five year old and nine year old daughters were in the car. Both little girls were treated at the scene for minor injuries.Henry was later charged with three counts of aggravated battery. In May of 2023, after Henry bonded out of jail, he shot into his ex-girlfriend’s house multiple times. The woman’s younger daughter received wounds to her wrist and back from bullet fragments. The girl’s older sister and mother were also in the house when Henry fired the shots. In September, Henry pled guilty to the crimes in both cases.Tuesday afternoon, Judge Kaufman followed the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines and sentenced Henry to 32 months for running the woman’s car off the road. In the second case, Henry was sentenced to 136 months on charges of criminal discharge of a firearm, aggravated assault, criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon and criminal damage to property.&nbsp;Henry has three previous convictions for domestic battery and two for criminal threat, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

Kan. man sentenced for drive-by shooting that injured 6-year-old

BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an altercation at the sheriff's office.

Just before 3 p.m.,&nbsp; Friday a man later identified as 28-year-old Lee Shelton Leon of Great Bend entered the Barton County Sheriff’s Office administrative offices at 1416 Kansas Avenue in Great Bend carrying a rifle, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir.

 Leon was angry because Sheriff’s deputies had served him a “protection from abuse order” earlier in the day.

The suspect threatened Sheriff’s Office personnel and appeared to be extremely agitated. Undersheriff Steve Billinger disarmed the suspect and with the assistance of Lieutenant David Paden and Great Bend Police Department Detective Jefferson Davis, Leon was subdued and arrested. 

There were no injuries to the suspect or Sheriff’s personnel because of this incident. The weapon was later determined to be an air rifle.

Leon was booked into the Barton County Jail on requested charges of aggravated assault of law enforcement officer, aggravated assault (civilian personnel) as well as other charges. He’s being held in lieu of a $50,000 bond, according to Bellendir.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698506282027.jpeg" alt="Leon Photo Barton Co." />
 <figcaption>Leon Photo Barton Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an altercation at the sheriff's office.Just before 3 p.m.,&nbsp; Friday a man later identified as 28-year-old Lee Shelton Leon of Great Bend entered the Barton County Sheriff’s Office administrative offices at 1416 Kansas Avenue in Great Bend carrying a rifle, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir. Leon was angry because Sheriff’s deputies had served him a “protection from abuse order” earlier in the day.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698506048208.jpeg" alt="Photo Barton Co." />
 <figcaption>Photo Barton Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>The suspect threatened Sheriff’s Office personnel and appeared to be extremely agitated. Undersheriff Steve Billinger disarmed the suspect and with the assistance of Lieutenant David Paden and Great Bend Police Department Detective Jefferson Davis, Leon was subdued and arrested. There were no injuries to the suspect or Sheriff’s personnel because of this incident. The weapon was later determined to be an air rifle.Leon was booked into the Barton County Jail on requested charges of aggravated assault of law enforcement officer, aggravated assault (civilian personnel) as well as other charges. He’s being held in lieu of a $50,000 bond, according to Bellendir.

Angry man jailed after entering Kan. sheriff's office carrying rifle

KANSAS CITY – A Kansas, man has been sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing methamphetamine to distribute and a firearm, according to the United State's Attorney.

Carlos Joseph Blake Gandy, 37, Galena, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool this week to 20 years in federal prison without parole. Gandy was sentenced as an armed career criminal due to his prior felony convictions.

On Oct. 18, 2022, Gandy pleaded guilty to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

Gandy was arrested on Aug. 30, 2021, when a law enforcement officer saw him driving a motorcycle in Joplin, Mo., although his driver’s license was revoked. 

Gandy pulled into a restaurant parking lot and carried a black backpack with him into the restaurant. Gandy placed the backpack in a booth while he waited in line with other customers to order. A Joplin police officer placed Gandy under arrest for driving with a revoked license. When the officer asked him about the backpack, Gandy denied having a bag.

Officers found the backpack in a booth. Inside the backpack, officers found a plastic baggie that contained approximately 33.86 grams of methamphetamine, another baggie that contained approximately 3.2 grams of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and a loaded Rock Island Armory .45-caliber pistol.

Gandy committed this federal offense while on parole or probation for two robbery convictions and a conviction for stealing a car. Gandy also has two prior felony convictions for robbery, two prior felony convictions for tampering with a motor vehicle, and prior felony convictions for possessing methamphetamine, manufacturing methamphetamine, resisting arrest, possessing a chemical with the intent to create a controlled substance, and possessing a stolen vehicle.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698530028970.png" alt="Gandy-photo Cherokee Co." />
 <figcaption>Gandy-photo Cherokee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY – A Kansas, man has been sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing methamphetamine to distribute and a firearm, according to the United State's Attorney.Carlos Joseph Blake Gandy, 37, Galena, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool this week to 20 years in federal prison without parole. Gandy was sentenced as an armed career criminal due to his prior felony convictions.On Oct. 18, 2022, Gandy pleaded guilty to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.Gandy was arrested on Aug. 30, 2021, when a law enforcement officer saw him driving a motorcycle in Joplin, Mo., although his driver’s license was revoked. Gandy pulled into a restaurant parking lot and carried a black backpack with him into the restaurant. Gandy placed the backpack in a booth while he waited in line with other customers to order. A Joplin police officer placed Gandy under arrest for driving with a revoked license. When the officer asked him about the backpack, Gandy denied having a bag.Officers found the backpack in a booth. Inside the backpack, officers found a plastic baggie that contained approximately 33.86 grams of methamphetamine, another baggie that contained approximately 3.2 grams of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and a loaded Rock Island Armory .45-caliber pistol.Gandy committed this federal offense while on parole or probation for two robbery convictions and a conviction for stealing a car. Gandy also has two prior felony convictions for robbery, two prior felony convictions for tampering with a motor vehicle, and prior felony convictions for possessing methamphetamine, manufacturing methamphetamine, resisting arrest, possessing a chemical with the intent to create a controlled substance, and possessing a stolen vehicle.

Kansas felon admits using a handgun while selling meth

NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/michael-pence">Former Vice President Mike Pence</a>&nbsp;on Saturday dropped his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, ending his campaign for the White House after struggling to raise money and gain traction in the polls.

“It’s become clear to me: This is not my time," Pence said at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jewish-republicans-trump-desantis-2024-45ee4b88592754dfd6ed5332612373b6">Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual gathering</a>&nbsp;in Las Vegas. “So after much prayer and deliberation, I have decided to suspend my campaign for president effective today.”

“We always knew this would be an uphill battle, but I have no regrets," Pence went on to tell the friendly audience, which reacted with audible surprise to the announcement and gave him multiple standing ovations.

Pence is the first major candidate to leave a race that has been dominated by his former boss-turned-rival,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump,</a>&nbsp;and his struggles underscore just how much Trump has transformed the party. A former vice president would typically be seen as a formidable challenger in any primary, but Pence has struggled to find a base of support.

Pence did not immediately endorse any of his rivals, but continued to echo language he has used to criticize Trump.

“I urge all my fellow Republicans here, give our country a Republican standard-bearer that will, as Lincoln said, appeal to the better angels of our nature, and not only lead us to victory, but lead our nation with civility," he said.

Pence's decision, more than two months before the Iowa caucuses that he had staked his campaign on, saves him from accumulating additional debt, as well as the embarrassment of potentially failing to qualify for the third Republican primary debate, on Nov. 8 in Miami.

But his withdrawal is a huge blow for a politician who spent years biding his time as Trump’s most loyal lieutenant, only to be scapegoated during their final days in office when Trump became convinced that Pence somehow had the power to overturn the results of the 2020 election and keep both men in office — a power Pence did not possess.

While Pence averted a constitutional crisis by rejecting the scheme, he drew Trump’s fury, as well as the wrath of many of Trump’s supporters, who still believed his lies about the election and see Pence as a traitor.

Among Trump critics, meanwhile, Pence was seen as an enabler who defended the former president at every turn and refused to criticize even Trump's most indefensible actions time and again.

As a result, an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research from August found that the majority of U.S. adults, 57%, viewed Pence negatively, with only 28% having a positive view.

Throughout his campaign, the former Indiana governor and congressman had insisted that while he was well-known by voters, he was not “known well” and set out to change that with an aggressive schedule that included numerous stops at diners and Pizza Ranch restaurants.

Pence had been betting on Iowa, a state with a large white Evangelical population that has a long history of elevating religious and socially conservative candidates such as former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Pennsylvania Rick Santorum. Pence often campaigned with his wife, Karen, a Christian school teacher, and emphasized his hard-line views on issues such as abortion, which he opposes even in cases when a pregnancy is unviable. He repeatedly called on his fellow candidates to support a minimum 15-week national ban and he pushed to ban drugs used as alternatives to surgical procedures.

He tried to confront head-on his actions on Jan. 6, 2021 , explaining to voters over and over that he had done his constitutional duty that day, knowing full well the political consequences. It was a strategy that aides believed would help defuse the issue and earn Pence the respect of a majority of Republicans, whom they were were convinced did not agree with Trump’s actions.

But even in Iowa, Pence struggled to gain traction.

He had an equally uphill climb raising money, despite yearslong relationships with donors. Pence ended September with just $1.18 million in the bank and $621,000 in debt, according to his most recent campaign filing. That debt had grown in the weeks since and adding to it would have taken Pence, who is not independently wealthy, years pay off.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pence-2024-election-fundraising-iowa-trump-50caaf71b004b25d866aa0dace68b1ec">The Associated Press first reported earlier this month</a>&nbsp;that people close to Pence had begun to feel that remaining a candidate risked diminishing his long-term standing in the party, given Trump’s dominating lead in the race for the 2024 nomination. While they said Pence could stick it out until the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses if he wanted — campaigning on a shoestring budget and accumulating debt — he would have to consider how that might affect his ability to remain a leading voice in the conservative movement, as he hopes.

Some said that Hamas' attack on Israel in October, which pushed foreign policy to the forefront of the campaign, had given Pence a renewed sense of purpose given his warnings throughout the campaign against the growing tide of isolationism in the Republican Party. Pence had argued that he was the race’s most experienced candidate and decried “voices of appeasement” among Republican, arguing they had emboldened groups such as Hamas.

But ultimately, Pence concluded that he could continue to speak out on the issue without continuing the campaign. He chose the Las Vegas event to announce his decision, in part, so he could address the topic one last time before formally leaving the race.

He is expected to remain engaged, in part through Advancing American Freedom, the conservative think tank he founded after leaving the vice presidency and that he envisions it as an alternative to the The Heritage Foundation.

Pence's group is expected to continued to advocate for policies that he supported in his run, including pushing for more U.S. support for Ukraine’s defense against the Russian invasion and proposed cuts to Social Security and Medicare to rein in the debt. Such ideas were once the bread-and-butter of Republican establishment orthodoxy but have fallen out of a favor as the party has embraced Trump’s isolationist and populist views.

NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/michael-pence">Former Vice President Mike Pence</a>&nbsp;on Saturday dropped his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, ending his campaign for the White House after struggling to raise money and gain traction in the polls.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/Mike_Pence?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Mike_Pence</a>: &quot;It&#39;s become clear to me: This is not my time. So, after much prayer and deliberation, I have decided to suspend my campaign for president effective today.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/TVVxEaPIyL">pic.twitter.com/TVVxEaPIyL</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1718341013578613090?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“It’s become clear to me: This is not my time," Pence said at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jewish-republicans-trump-desantis-2024-45ee4b88592754dfd6ed5332612373b6">Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual gathering</a>&nbsp;in Las Vegas. “So after much prayer and deliberation, I have decided to suspend my campaign for president effective today.”“We always knew this would be an uphill battle, but I have no regrets," Pence went on to tell the friendly audience, which reacted with audible surprise to the announcement and gave him multiple standing ovations.Pence is the first major candidate to leave a race that has been dominated by his former boss-turned-rival,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump,</a>&nbsp;and his struggles underscore just how much Trump has transformed the party. A former vice president would typically be seen as a formidable challenger in any primary, but Pence has struggled to find a base of support.Pence did not immediately endorse any of his rivals, but continued to echo language he has used to criticize Trump.“I urge all my fellow Republicans here, give our country a Republican standard-bearer that will, as Lincoln said, appeal to the better angels of our nature, and not only lead us to victory, but lead our nation with civility," he said.Pence's decision, more than two months before the Iowa caucuses that he had staked his campaign on, saves him from accumulating additional debt, as well as the embarrassment of potentially failing to qualify for the third Republican primary debate, on Nov. 8 in Miami.But his withdrawal is a huge blow for a politician who spent years biding his time as Trump’s most loyal lieutenant, only to be scapegoated during their final days in office when Trump became convinced that Pence somehow had the power to overturn the results of the 2020 election and keep both men in office — a power Pence did not possess.While Pence averted a constitutional crisis by rejecting the scheme, he drew Trump’s fury, as well as the wrath of many of Trump’s supporters, who still believed his lies about the election and see Pence as a traitor.Among Trump critics, meanwhile, Pence was seen as an enabler who defended the former president at every turn and refused to criticize even Trump's most indefensible actions time and again.As a result, an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research from August found that the majority of U.S. adults, 57%, viewed Pence negatively, with only 28% having a positive view.Throughout his campaign, the former Indiana governor and congressman had insisted that while he was well-known by voters, he was not “known well” and set out to change that with an aggressive schedule that included numerous stops at diners and Pizza Ranch restaurants.Pence had been betting on Iowa, a state with a large white Evangelical population that has a long history of elevating religious and socially conservative candidates such as former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Pennsylvania Rick Santorum. Pence often campaigned with his wife, Karen, a Christian school teacher, and emphasized his hard-line views on issues such as abortion, which he opposes even in cases when a pregnancy is unviable. He repeatedly called on his fellow candidates to support a minimum 15-week national ban and he pushed to ban drugs used as alternatives to surgical procedures.He tried to confront head-on his actions on Jan. 6, 2021 , explaining to voters over and over that he had done his constitutional duty that day, knowing full well the political consequences. It was a strategy that aides believed would help defuse the issue and earn Pence the respect of a majority of Republicans, whom they were were convinced did not agree with Trump’s actions.But even in Iowa, Pence struggled to gain traction.He had an equally uphill climb raising money, despite yearslong relationships with donors. Pence ended September with just $1.18 million in the bank and $621,000 in debt, according to his most recent campaign filing. That debt had grown in the weeks since and adding to it would have taken Pence, who is not independently wealthy, years pay off.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pence-2024-election-fundraising-iowa-trump-50caaf71b004b25d866aa0dace68b1ec">The Associated Press first reported earlier this month</a>&nbsp;that people close to Pence had begun to feel that remaining a candidate risked diminishing his long-term standing in the party, given Trump’s dominating lead in the race for the 2024 nomination. While they said Pence could stick it out until the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses if he wanted — campaigning on a shoestring budget and accumulating debt — he would have to consider how that might affect his ability to remain a leading voice in the conservative movement, as he hopes.Some said that Hamas' attack on Israel in October, which pushed foreign policy to the forefront of the campaign, had given Pence a renewed sense of purpose given his warnings throughout the campaign against the growing tide of isolationism in the Republican Party. Pence had argued that he was the race’s most experienced candidate and decried “voices of appeasement” among Republican, arguing they had emboldened groups such as Hamas.But ultimately, Pence concluded that he could continue to speak out on the issue without continuing the campaign. He chose the Las Vegas event to announce his decision, in part, so he could address the topic one last time before formally leaving the race.He is expected to remain engaged, in part through Advancing American Freedom, the conservative think tank he founded after leaving the vice presidency and that he envisions it as an alternative to the The Heritage Foundation.Pence's group is expected to continued to advocate for policies that he supported in his run, including pushing for more U.S. support for Ukraine’s defense against the Russian invasion and proposed cuts to Social Security and Medicare to rein in the debt. Such ideas were once the bread-and-butter of Republican establishment orthodoxy but have fallen out of a favor as the party has embraced Trump’s isolationist and populist views.

🎥Pence drops out of presidential race: 'Not my time'

DETROIT (AP) — Jeep maker Stellantis has reached a tentative contract agreement with the United Auto Workers union that follows a template set earlier this week by Ford, two people with knowledge of the negotiations said Saturday.

The deal, which still has to be ratified by members, leaves only General Motors without a contract with the union. The agreement could end a six-week strike by more than 14,000 workers at Stellantis assembly plants in Michigan and Ohio, and at parts warehouses across the nation.

Like workers at Ford, the strikers at Stellantis are expected to take down their picket lines and start returning to work in the coming days, before 43,000 union members vote.

The people, who asked not to be identified because they are not authorized to speak publicly about the talks, said most of the main points of the deal at Ford will carry over to Stellantis.

The Ford pact includes 25% in general wage increases over the next 4 1/2 years for top assembly plant workers, with 11% coming once the deal is ratified. Workers also will get cost-of-living pay that would bring the raises to over 30%, with top assembly plant workers making more than $40 per hour. At Stellantis, top-scale workers now make around $31 per hour.

Like the Ford contract, the Stellantis deal would run through April 30, 2028.

The deal includes a new vehicle for a now-idled factory in Belvidere, Illinois, which the company had planned to close.

Bruce Baumhower, president of the local union at a large Stellantis Jeep factory in Toledo, Ohio, that has been on strike since September, said he expects workers will vote to approve the deal because of the pay raises above 30% and a large raise immediately.

“Eleven percent is right on the hood,” he said. “It’s a historic agreement as far as I’m concerned.”

Some union members have been complaining that Fain promised 40% raises to match what he said was given to company CEOs, but Baumhower said that was UAW President Shawn Fain’s opening bid.

Anybody who knows anything about negotiations, you always start out much higher than you think is realistic to get,” he said

Talks were under way with General Motors on Saturday in an effort to reach a similar agreement. Over 14,000 workers at GM remain on strike at factories in Texas, Michigan and Missouri.

The union began targeted strikes against all three automakers on Sept. 15 after its contracts with the companies expired.

The union and Stellantis went into intense negotiations on Thursday, the day after the Ford deal was announced, and finalized the agreement on Saturday.

UAW workers began their targeted strikes with one assembly plant from each company. The strikes were expanded on Sept. 22, adding 38 GM and Stellantis parts warehouses. Assembly plants from Ford and GM were added the week after that, and then the union hit Ford hard, taking down the Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, the company’s largest and most profitable factory.

At the peak, about 46,000 workers were on strike against all three companies, about one-third of the union’s 146,000 members at the Detroit three. Automakers laid off several thousand more as parts shortages cascaded through their manufacturing systems.

Under the Ford deal, workers with pensions also will see small increases when they retire, and those hired after 2007 with 401(k) plans will get large increases. For the first time, the union will have the right to go on strike over company plans to close factories. Temporary workers also will get large raises, and Ford agreed to shorten to three years the time it takes for new hires to reach the top of the pay scale.

Other union leaders who followed more aggressive bargaining strategies in recent months have also secured pay hikes and other benefits for their members. Last month, the union representing Hollywood writers called off a nearly five-month strike after scoring some wins in compensation, length of employment and other areas. This summer, the Teamsters also secured new pay hikes and benefits for unionized UPS workers after threatening a nationwide strike at the delivery company.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697839167435.png" alt="The people, who asked not to be identified because they are not authorized to speak publicly about the talks, said most of the main points of the deal at Ford will carry over to Stellantis.-photo UAW" />
 <figcaption>The people, who asked not to be identified because they are not authorized to speak publicly about the talks, said most of the main points of the deal at Ford will carry over to Stellantis.-photo UAW</figcaption>
 </figure>DETROIT (AP) — Jeep maker Stellantis has reached a tentative contract agreement with the United Auto Workers union that follows a template set earlier this week by Ford, two people with knowledge of the negotiations said Saturday.The deal, which still has to be ratified by members, leaves only General Motors without a contract with the union. The agreement could end a six-week strike by more than 14,000 workers at Stellantis assembly plants in Michigan and Ohio, and at parts warehouses across the nation.Like workers at Ford, the strikers at Stellantis are expected to take down their picket lines and start returning to work in the coming days, before 43,000 union members vote.The people, who asked not to be identified because they are not authorized to speak publicly about the talks, said most of the main points of the deal at Ford will carry over to Stellantis.The Ford pact includes 25% in general wage increases over the next 4 1/2 years for top assembly plant workers, with 11% coming once the deal is ratified. Workers also will get cost-of-living pay that would bring the raises to over 30%, with top assembly plant workers making more than $40 per hour. At Stellantis, top-scale workers now make around $31 per hour.Like the Ford contract, the Stellantis deal would run through April 30, 2028.The deal includes a new vehicle for a now-idled factory in Belvidere, Illinois, which the company had planned to close.Bruce Baumhower, president of the local union at a large Stellantis Jeep factory in Toledo, Ohio, that has been on strike since September, said he expects workers will vote to approve the deal because of the pay raises above 30% and a large raise immediately.“Eleven percent is right on the hood,” he said. “It’s a historic agreement as far as I’m concerned.”Some union members have been complaining that Fain promised 40% raises to match what he said was given to company CEOs, but Baumhower said that was UAW President Shawn Fain’s opening bid.Anybody who knows anything about negotiations, you always start out much higher than you think is realistic to get,” he saidTalks were under way with General Motors on Saturday in an effort to reach a similar agreement. Over 14,000 workers at GM remain on strike at factories in Texas, Michigan and Missouri.The union began targeted strikes against all three automakers on Sept. 15 after its contracts with the companies expired.The union and Stellantis went into intense negotiations on Thursday, the day after the Ford deal was announced, and finalized the agreement on Saturday.UAW workers began their targeted strikes with one assembly plant from each company. The strikes were expanded on Sept. 22, adding 38 GM and Stellantis parts warehouses. Assembly plants from Ford and GM were added the week after that, and then the union hit Ford hard, taking down the Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, the company’s largest and most profitable factory.At the peak, about 46,000 workers were on strike against all three companies, about one-third of the union’s 146,000 members at the Detroit three. Automakers laid off several thousand more as parts shortages cascaded through their manufacturing systems.Under the Ford deal, workers with pensions also will see small increases when they retire, and those hired after 2007 with 401(k) plans will get large increases. For the first time, the union will have the right to go on strike over company plans to close factories. Temporary workers also will get large raises, and Ford agreed to shorten to three years the time it takes for new hires to reach the top of the pay scale.Other union leaders who followed more aggressive bargaining strategies in recent months have also secured pay hikes and other benefits for their members. Last month, the union representing Hollywood writers called off a nearly five-month strike after scoring some wins in compensation, length of employment and other areas. This summer, the Teamsters also secured new pay hikes and benefits for unionized UPS workers after threatening a nationwide strike at the delivery company.

Auto workers and Jeep maker reach tentative contract deal 

By&nbsp;SOFIA RESNICK&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>

One of the anti-abortion doctors suing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to rescind its 2000 approval of a medication abortion regimen on the basis that one of the drugs is dangerous is now consulting on the development of a breast cancer treatment that involves the same drug: mifepristone. It is the family doctor’s latest foray into medical consulting outside his medical certifications.

George Delgado is joining the scientific advisory board of Res Nova Biologics Inc., which is developing a breast cancer treatment using mifepristone, despite plaintiffs’ arguments in the lawsuit that federal approval was illegally rushed (it was a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/legal-challenges-to-the-fda-approval-of-medication-abortion-pills/#:~:text=FDA%27s%20original%20approval%20of%20mifepristone,conditions%E2%80%9D%20as%20well%20as%20illnesses.">four-year process</a>) and that the drug’s approved use for first-trimester abortion should be reversed.

But in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231017959162/en/Res-Nova-Biologics-Recruits-Abortion-Pill-Reversal-Founder-to-Scientific-Advisory-Board">press release</a>&nbsp;announcing his role with Res Nova, he said: “In my opinion the concept of leveraging the effects of the abortion pill in life-saving as opposed to a life-taking scenario is extremely exciting. I am proud to join such a specialized team of therapeutic developers in advancing this novel approach to tumor immunotherapy.”

Delgado is among the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/65768749/parties/alliance-for-hippocratic-medicine-v-us-food-and-drug-administration/">four anti-abortion doctors</a>&nbsp;and four conservative Christian medical groups whose claims&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/suspect-science-and-claims-center-abortion-pill-lawsuit">are largely based</a>&nbsp;on anecdotes and research that has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/study-cited-texas-judge-abortion-pill-case-under-investigation">raised red flags</a>. And they contradict&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/washington-fda-lawsuit-part-larger-strategy-preserve-abortion-access">overwhelming evidence</a>&nbsp;that mifepristone is safe after 5.6 million uses and effective for first-trimester abortions, miscarriage management and other medical conditions. The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/press-releases/restored-restrictions-mifepristone-step-backwards">American Medical Association</a>&nbsp;has accused the conservative courts that have advanced the case of&nbsp; “elevat(ing) speculative pseudoscience over data and evidence, arbitrarily rolling back access to a safe and effective drug and leaving millions of women without a critical medication for reproductive health care.”

Nevertheless, the fate of U.S. abortion access once again rests on a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/abortion-rights-advocates-say-consequences-dire-if-scotus-declines-hear-pill-case">forthcoming decision</a>&nbsp;from the U.S. Supreme Court, to either take up this case, or effectively reinstate old restrictions to the drug. Conservative judges in lower courts have relied on plaintiffs’ claims along with testimony from Delgado and the other doctors alleging personal harm because mifepristone is FDA-approved for abortion.

In a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/65768749/1/52/alliance-for-hippocratic-medicine-v-us-food-and-drug-administration/">legal declaration</a>&nbsp;submitted in November 2022, Delgado wrote that he has treated women who “suffer complications from chemical abortions,” but he gave only examples of women whom he says felt regret and emotional distress. As an argument for standing, Delgado also said he loses money when patients have a medication abortion instead of seeking prenatal care services at his family practice in Escondido, California, which&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://colfsclinic.org/faqs/">also offers</a>&nbsp;anti-abortion counseling and a controversial protocol claiming to reverse the effects of mifepristone. The American College of Obstetrician Gynecologists says this protocol is “<a target="_blank" href="https://www.acog.org/advocacy/facts-are-important/medication-abortion-reversal-is-not-supported-by-science">not supported by science</a>.”

“There is a tangible financial loss to my practice in losing the opportunity to render professional prenatal care for the mother or to care for babies who are never born,” he wrote.

Delgado is an outspoken anti-abortion activist best known for so-called “abortion pill reversal,” which is unregulated by the FDA and whose&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://revealnews.org/podcast/the-religious-right-mobilized-to-end-roe-now-what/">unverified claims</a>&nbsp;led the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/25/revealed-doctor-reverse-abortion-trump-administration">AMA to sue</a>&nbsp;North Dakota in 2019 over a state law promoting the procedure. Delgado serves on the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists’&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://aaplog.org/about-us/aaplog-board/">board of directors</a>, despite not being an OB-GYN. At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Delgado also testified as a medical expert&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/abortion-reversal-dr-george-delgado-inventor-enlists-in-the-covid-wars?source=articles&amp;via=twitter_page">to keep mega churches open</a>, though he is not a public health expert or epidemiologist. In legal filings he claimed expertise from having “treated many people with infectious diseases, including viral illnesses such as influenza, which tend to occur in epidemics.”

Now the family doctor has been recruited to the scientific advisory board of the biotech company based in Chula Vista, California, that is developing a breast cancer treatment using mifepristone.

Res Nova, a breast-cancer-focused spinoff of Therapeutic Solutions International, Inc., is developing FloraStilbene, a “proprietary formulation of RU-486 and pterostilbene which has been shown to overcome tumor associated immune suppression and increases responsiveness to chemotherapy and immunotherapy.” According to the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231017959162/en/Res-Nova-Biologics-Recruits-Abortion-Pill-Reversal-Founder-to-Scientific-Advisory-Board">press release</a>&nbsp;(which refers to mifepristone as RU-486, the name the drug had during laboratory testing), the company “seeks to enter clinical trials of ‘repurposed’ abortion pill for breast cancer” and has signed with a compounding pharmacy.

“The similarities between pregnancy and oncology, including angiogenesis, immune modulation, and rapid growth are striking,” Delgado said.

Delgado is certified in family medicine and hospice and palliative medicine by the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://portfolio.theabfm.org/diplomate/find.aspx?token=0CBD01FABB27A0E64D95C399E1A0E1242EA8A60D14A9046225845DBF21E70F46DE7ECFE5919AC1BCF1A001919F3927EB7B8746797B0BC7B8D055114C184EB03FC8E64279">American Board of Family Medicine, and is not specialized in oncology or immunology.</a>&nbsp;The Res Nova advisory board members&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.resnovabiologics.com/home/the-company">currently listed on the website</a>&nbsp;(Delgado has not yet been added) includes members with diverse specialties, including a board-certified neurologist and neuro-oncologist, a pharmacist, an attorney, a technology executive, and an IT consultant.

Res Nova president and CEO Famela Ramos — who is a nurse, an unsuccessful&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ballotpedia.org/Famela_Ramos">congressional and school board candidate</a>, and on the board of an anti-abortion pregnancy center in Chula Vista — said she recruited Delgado partly because of the so-called abortion reversal technique he’s spent more than a decade developing and promoting.

“Having known the work of Dr. Delgado for many years and his great success in defending both the mother and the baby, it is exciting to have the opportunity to utilize his scientific and medical expertise in this unique intersection of reproductive medicine, immunology, and oncology,” Ramos said in the announcement, which refers to Delgado as an “expert in the biology of pregnancy and the abortion pill” and does not mention his lawsuit against mifepristone.

Delgado has also suggested that&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://catholicspeakers.com/profiles/george-delgado-md">abortion is linked to breast cancer</a>, a common anti-abortion claim. But&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/medical-treatments/abortion-and-breast-cancer-risk.html">according to the American Cancer Society</a>, “scientific research studies have not found a cause-and-effect relationship between abortion and breast cancer.”

Ramos and Delgado declined to respond to States Newsroom’s questions.

Major U.S. medical groups have argued that Delagado’s lawsuit could have long-term consequences unrelated to pregnancy termination—and could&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/04/18/fda-approval-process-abortion-pill-ruling/">upend drug research and development</a>. Mifepristone is currently being&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/abortion-pill-may-treat-dozens-diseases-roe-reversal-might-upend-resea-rcna34812">investigated in clinic trials</a>&nbsp;for a variety of cancers and mental health disorders. This lawsuit targets mifepristone for the specific use of abortion, and the drug’s manufacturers&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/abortion-pill-may-treat-dozens-diseases-roe-reversal-might-upend-resea-rcna34812">have said</a>&nbsp;restrictions on the medication abortion regimen would not apply to clinical trials investigating mifepristone for non-abortion use. However, researchers&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/abortion-pill-may-treat-dozens-diseases-roe-reversal-might-upend-resea-rcna34812">have reported</a>&nbsp;that even before Roe v. Wade was overturned anti-abortion policies made it difficult to study mifepristone.

Already mifepristone can be difficult to access for people who want abortions, but now the drug is also hard to access for the off-label use of miscarriage management because of high demand and confusion around medication abortion laws, according to States Newsroom affiliate&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/many-women-cant-access-miscarriage-drug-because-its-also-used-abortions">Stateline</a>.

“Dr. Delgado’s research interest in mifepristone as a potential preventive for cancer demonstrates the significant medical value that mifepristone provides,” said Molly Meegan, chief legal officer and general counsel for the American College of Obstetrician Gynecologists, which has filed friend-of-the-court briefs defending mifepristone’s approval and safety record in the FDA lawsuit.

Delgado helped create a network of anti-abortion health care providers willing to perform the so-called abortion pill reversal treatment without much data behind it and based on the doctor’s training at an institute that teaches a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/18/magazine/a-new-front-in-the-war-over-reproductive-rights-abortion-pill-reversal.html">Catholic-friendly approach</a>&nbsp;to reproductive health. The anti-abortion pregnancy center network Heartbeat International now manages the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.heartbeatinternational.org/our-work/apr">Abortion Pill Rescue Network</a>.

The FDA’s medication abortion regimen, which is currently recommended for up to 10 weeks’ gestation, involves mifepristone to block the hormone progesterone, followed by the medication misoprostol which causes contractions. The “reversal” protocol has patients forgo the second drug in the regimen and receive doses of progesterone. States Newsroom&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/how-make-state-abortion-ban-go-national">has interviewed</a>&nbsp;a patient who remained pregnant and gave birth to a healthy baby after going through this treatment at an anti-abortion pregnancy center in Idaho. But medical groups like ACOG and the AMA say there’s not enough evidence to show that it’s the progesterone that continues the pregnancy versus not completing the abortion regimen. The one attempt at a controlled study of this protocol&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.thecut.com/2019/12/abortion-reversal-study-stopped-after-women-hospitalized.html">ended prematurely</a>&nbsp;because the OB-GYN and mifepristone expert leading the study determined it was unsafe after three patients hemorrhaged.

Though several states have passed laws requiring abortion clinics to tell patients they could potentially reverse their abortions if they change their minds, some states are now pushing back on the promotion and marketing of this treatment.

The California attorney general is&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://calmatters.org/health/2023/09/california-sues-crisis-pregnancy-centers-abortion-reversal/">suing Heartbeat International</a>&nbsp;and another California-based crisis pregnancy network that have widely marketed “abortion pill reversal” despite its unproven claims, under the state’s False Advertising and Unfair Competition laws.

Earlier this year Colorado became the first state to ban the procedure, which was followed by a lawsuit from a Catholic clinic. State regulators&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/abortion-reversal-ban-survives-test-colorado-regulatory-board-rules">have ruled</a>&nbsp;that so-called “abortion reversal treatments” are not an accepted medical practice. But over the weekend, a federal judge appointed by former President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-judge-blocks-colorado-ban-abortion-reversal-treatment?eType=EmailBlastContent&amp;eId=35e5c507-3f4a-44bb-9c54-618cb363e695">blocked the new state law</a>, citing the plaintiffs’ religious freedom.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680967457500.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;SOFIA RESNICK&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>One of the anti-abortion doctors suing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to rescind its 2000 approval of a medication abortion regimen on the basis that one of the drugs is dangerous is now consulting on the development of a breast cancer treatment that involves the same drug: mifepristone. It is the family doctor’s latest foray into medical consulting outside his medical certifications.George Delgado is joining the scientific advisory board of Res Nova Biologics Inc., which is developing a breast cancer treatment using mifepristone, despite plaintiffs’ arguments in the lawsuit that federal approval was illegally rushed (it was a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/legal-challenges-to-the-fda-approval-of-medication-abortion-pills/#:~:text=FDA%27s%20original%20approval%20of%20mifepristone,conditions%E2%80%9D%20as%20well%20as%20illnesses.">four-year process</a>) and that the drug’s approved use for first-trimester abortion should be reversed.But in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231017959162/en/Res-Nova-Biologics-Recruits-Abortion-Pill-Reversal-Founder-to-Scientific-Advisory-Board">press release</a>&nbsp;announcing his role with Res Nova, he said: “In my opinion the concept of leveraging the effects of the abortion pill in life-saving as opposed to a life-taking scenario is extremely exciting. I am proud to join such a specialized team of therapeutic developers in advancing this novel approach to tumor immunotherapy.”Delgado is among the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/65768749/parties/alliance-for-hippocratic-medicine-v-us-food-and-drug-administration/">four anti-abortion doctors</a>&nbsp;and four conservative Christian medical groups whose claims&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/suspect-science-and-claims-center-abortion-pill-lawsuit">are largely based</a>&nbsp;on anecdotes and research that has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/study-cited-texas-judge-abortion-pill-case-under-investigation">raised red flags</a>. And they contradict&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/washington-fda-lawsuit-part-larger-strategy-preserve-abortion-access">overwhelming evidence</a>&nbsp;that mifepristone is safe after 5.6 million uses and effective for first-trimester abortions, miscarriage management and other medical conditions. The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/press-releases/restored-restrictions-mifepristone-step-backwards">American Medical Association</a>&nbsp;has accused the conservative courts that have advanced the case of&nbsp; “elevat(ing) speculative pseudoscience over data and evidence, arbitrarily rolling back access to a safe and effective drug and leaving millions of women without a critical medication for reproductive health care.”Nevertheless, the fate of U.S. abortion access once again rests on a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/abortion-rights-advocates-say-consequences-dire-if-scotus-declines-hear-pill-case">forthcoming decision</a>&nbsp;from the U.S. Supreme Court, to either take up this case, or effectively reinstate old restrictions to the drug. Conservative judges in lower courts have relied on plaintiffs’ claims along with testimony from Delgado and the other doctors alleging personal harm because mifepristone is FDA-approved for abortion.In a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/65768749/1/52/alliance-for-hippocratic-medicine-v-us-food-and-drug-administration/">legal declaration</a>&nbsp;submitted in November 2022, Delgado wrote that he has treated women who “suffer complications from chemical abortions,” but he gave only examples of women whom he says felt regret and emotional distress. As an argument for standing, Delgado also said he loses money when patients have a medication abortion instead of seeking prenatal care services at his family practice in Escondido, California, which&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://colfsclinic.org/faqs/">also offers</a>&nbsp;anti-abortion counseling and a controversial protocol claiming to reverse the effects of mifepristone. The American College of Obstetrician Gynecologists says this protocol is “<a target="_blank" href="https://www.acog.org/advocacy/facts-are-important/medication-abortion-reversal-is-not-supported-by-science">not supported by science</a>.”“There is a tangible financial loss to my practice in losing the opportunity to render professional prenatal care for the mother or to care for babies who are never born,” he wrote.Delgado is an outspoken anti-abortion activist best known for so-called “abortion pill reversal,” which is unregulated by the FDA and whose&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://revealnews.org/podcast/the-religious-right-mobilized-to-end-roe-now-what/">unverified claims</a>&nbsp;led the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/25/revealed-doctor-reverse-abortion-trump-administration">AMA to sue</a>&nbsp;North Dakota in 2019 over a state law promoting the procedure. Delgado serves on the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists’&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://aaplog.org/about-us/aaplog-board/">board of directors</a>, despite not being an OB-GYN. At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Delgado also testified as a medical expert&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/abortion-reversal-dr-george-delgado-inventor-enlists-in-the-covid-wars?source=articles&amp;via=twitter_page">to keep mega churches open</a>, though he is not a public health expert or epidemiologist. In legal filings he claimed expertise from having “treated many people with infectious diseases, including viral illnesses such as influenza, which tend to occur in epidemics.”Now the family doctor has been recruited to the scientific advisory board of the biotech company based in Chula Vista, California, that is developing a breast cancer treatment using mifepristone.Res Nova, a breast-cancer-focused spinoff of Therapeutic Solutions International, Inc., is developing FloraStilbene, a “proprietary formulation of RU-486 and pterostilbene which has been shown to overcome tumor associated immune suppression and increases responsiveness to chemotherapy and immunotherapy.” According to the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231017959162/en/Res-Nova-Biologics-Recruits-Abortion-Pill-Reversal-Founder-to-Scientific-Advisory-Board">press release</a>&nbsp;(which refers to mifepristone as RU-486, the name the drug had during laboratory testing), the company “seeks to enter clinical trials of ‘repurposed’ abortion pill for breast cancer” and has signed with a compounding pharmacy.“The similarities between pregnancy and oncology, including angiogenesis, immune modulation, and rapid growth are striking,” Delgado said.Delgado is certified in family medicine and hospice and palliative medicine by the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://portfolio.theabfm.org/diplomate/find.aspx?token=0CBD01FABB27A0E64D95C399E1A0E1242EA8A60D14A9046225845DBF21E70F46DE7ECFE5919AC1BCF1A001919F3927EB7B8746797B0BC7B8D055114C184EB03FC8E64279">American Board of Family Medicine, and is not specialized in oncology or immunology.</a>&nbsp;The Res Nova advisory board members&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.resnovabiologics.com/home/the-company">currently listed on the website</a>&nbsp;(Delgado has not yet been added) includes members with diverse specialties, including a board-certified neurologist and neuro-oncologist, a pharmacist, an attorney, a technology executive, and an IT consultant.Res Nova president and CEO Famela Ramos — who is a nurse, an unsuccessful&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ballotpedia.org/Famela_Ramos">congressional and school board candidate</a>, and on the board of an anti-abortion pregnancy center in Chula Vista — said she recruited Delgado partly because of the so-called abortion reversal technique he’s spent more than a decade developing and promoting.“Having known the work of Dr. Delgado for many years and his great success in defending both the mother and the baby, it is exciting to have the opportunity to utilize his scientific and medical expertise in this unique intersection of reproductive medicine, immunology, and oncology,” Ramos said in the announcement, which refers to Delgado as an “expert in the biology of pregnancy and the abortion pill” and does not mention his lawsuit against mifepristone.Delgado has also suggested that&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://catholicspeakers.com/profiles/george-delgado-md">abortion is linked to breast cancer</a>, a common anti-abortion claim. But&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/medical-treatments/abortion-and-breast-cancer-risk.html">according to the American Cancer Society</a>, “scientific research studies have not found a cause-and-effect relationship between abortion and breast cancer.”Ramos and Delgado declined to respond to States Newsroom’s questions.Major U.S. medical groups have argued that Delagado’s lawsuit could have long-term consequences unrelated to pregnancy termination—and could&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/04/18/fda-approval-process-abortion-pill-ruling/">upend drug research and development</a>. Mifepristone is currently being&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/abortion-pill-may-treat-dozens-diseases-roe-reversal-might-upend-resea-rcna34812">investigated in clinic trials</a>&nbsp;for a variety of cancers and mental health disorders. This lawsuit targets mifepristone for the specific use of abortion, and the drug’s manufacturers&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/abortion-pill-may-treat-dozens-diseases-roe-reversal-might-upend-resea-rcna34812">have said</a>&nbsp;restrictions on the medication abortion regimen would not apply to clinical trials investigating mifepristone for non-abortion use. However, researchers&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/abortion-pill-may-treat-dozens-diseases-roe-reversal-might-upend-resea-rcna34812">have reported</a>&nbsp;that even before Roe v. Wade was overturned anti-abortion policies made it difficult to study mifepristone.Already mifepristone can be difficult to access for people who want abortions, but now the drug is also hard to access for the off-label use of miscarriage management because of high demand and confusion around medication abortion laws, according to States Newsroom affiliate&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/many-women-cant-access-miscarriage-drug-because-its-also-used-abortions">Stateline</a>.“Dr. Delgado’s research interest in mifepristone as a potential preventive for cancer demonstrates the significant medical value that mifepristone provides,” said Molly Meegan, chief legal officer and general counsel for the American College of Obstetrician Gynecologists, which has filed friend-of-the-court briefs defending mifepristone’s approval and safety record in the FDA lawsuit.Delgado helped create a network of anti-abortion health care providers willing to perform the so-called abortion pill reversal treatment without much data behind it and based on the doctor’s training at an institute that teaches a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/18/magazine/a-new-front-in-the-war-over-reproductive-rights-abortion-pill-reversal.html">Catholic-friendly approach</a>&nbsp;to reproductive health. The anti-abortion pregnancy center network Heartbeat International now manages the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.heartbeatinternational.org/our-work/apr">Abortion Pill Rescue Network</a>.The FDA’s medication abortion regimen, which is currently recommended for up to 10 weeks’ gestation, involves mifepristone to block the hormone progesterone, followed by the medication misoprostol which causes contractions. The “reversal” protocol has patients forgo the second drug in the regimen and receive doses of progesterone. States Newsroom&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/how-make-state-abortion-ban-go-national">has interviewed</a>&nbsp;a patient who remained pregnant and gave birth to a healthy baby after going through this treatment at an anti-abortion pregnancy center in Idaho. But medical groups like ACOG and the AMA say there’s not enough evidence to show that it’s the progesterone that continues the pregnancy versus not completing the abortion regimen. The one attempt at a controlled study of this protocol&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.thecut.com/2019/12/abortion-reversal-study-stopped-after-women-hospitalized.html">ended prematurely</a>&nbsp;because the OB-GYN and mifepristone expert leading the study determined it was unsafe after three patients hemorrhaged.Though several states have passed laws requiring abortion clinics to tell patients they could potentially reverse their abortions if they change their minds, some states are now pushing back on the promotion and marketing of this treatment.The California attorney general is&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://calmatters.org/health/2023/09/california-sues-crisis-pregnancy-centers-abortion-reversal/">suing Heartbeat International</a>&nbsp;and another California-based crisis pregnancy network that have widely marketed “abortion pill reversal” despite its unproven claims, under the state’s False Advertising and Unfair Competition laws.Earlier this year Colorado became the first state to ban the procedure, which was followed by a lawsuit from a Catholic clinic. State regulators&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/abortion-reversal-ban-survives-test-colorado-regulatory-board-rules">have ruled</a>&nbsp;that so-called “abortion reversal treatments” are not an accepted medical practice. But over the weekend, a federal judge appointed by former President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-judge-blocks-colorado-ban-abortion-reversal-treatment?eType=EmailBlastContent&amp;eId=35e5c507-3f4a-44bb-9c54-618cb363e695">blocked the new state law</a>, citing the plaintiffs’ religious freedom.

Doctor suing FDA recruited to advisory board to ‘repurpose’ abortion pill

KANSAS CITY, MO. (AP) — The NFL placed Kansas City Chiefs receiver Justyn Ross on the Commissioner Exempt List on Friday, three days after he pleaded not guilty to charges of misdemeanor domestic battery and criminal damage to property.

Ross is not allowed to practice or attend games while on the list.

Ross was released from jail Tuesday after posting $2,500 bond. He is due again in court on Dec. 4. The Chiefs said they were aware of his arrest but had no comment.

Ross was arrested Monday, and the sheriff’s office in Johnson County, Kansas, originally indicated on his booking record that he was accused of causing damage of up to $25,000, which would have been a felony. That total was adjusted to under $1,000.

The 23-year-old Ross has been a bit player for the defending Super Bowl champions this season. He has been active in their first seven games but has just three catches for 34 yards.

The fact that he is playing at all is noteworthy. After a standout first two seasons at Clemson, Ross was found to have a congenital fusion condition in his neck and spinal area that required career-threatening surgery. Ross returned to play another season for the Tigers, then turned professional, where the Chiefs were one of the few teams willing to clear him medically to play.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698197296137.png" alt="Ross-photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Ross-photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, MO. (AP) — The NFL placed Kansas City Chiefs receiver Justyn Ross on the Commissioner Exempt List on Friday, three days after he pleaded not guilty to charges of misdemeanor domestic battery and criminal damage to property.Ross is not allowed to practice or attend games while on the list.Ross was released from jail Tuesday after posting $2,500 bond. He is due again in court on Dec. 4. The Chiefs said they were aware of his arrest but had no comment.Ross was arrested Monday, and the sheriff’s office in Johnson County, Kansas, originally indicated on his booking record that he was accused of causing damage of up to $25,000, which would have been a felony. That total was adjusted to under $1,000.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698113130170.png" alt="Ross photo KC Chiefs" />
 <figcaption>Ross photo KC Chiefs</figcaption>
 </figure>The 23-year-old Ross has been a bit player for the defending Super Bowl champions this season. He has been active in their first seven games but has just three catches for 34 yards.The fact that he is playing at all is noteworthy. After a standout first two seasons at Clemson, Ross was found to have a congenital fusion condition in his neck and spinal area that required career-threatening surgery. Ross returned to play another season for the Tigers, then turned professional, where the Chiefs were one of the few teams willing to clear him medically to play.___

NFL puts Chiefs receiver on exempt list after domestic battery arrest

Kansas economic incentives bind taxpayers, Cerner and Sporting KC

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698492647458.png" alt="Cerner Corp.’s failure to meet economic development obligations linked to construction of an office complex in Wyandotte County led to a $7 million settlement with the parent company of Sporting Kansas City, which had guaranteed Cerner’s repayment of taxpayer-backed incentives in a package deal enabling construction of the team’s soccer stadium in Wyandotte County. -image courtesy Sporting Kansas City" />
 <figcaption>Cerner Corp.’s failure to meet economic development obligations linked to construction of an office complex in Wyandotte County led to a $7 million settlement with the parent company of Sporting Kansas City, which had guaranteed Cerner’s repayment of taxpayer-backed incentives in a package deal enabling construction of the team’s soccer stadium in Wyandotte County. -image courtesy Sporting Kansas City</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Kansas economic incentives bind taxpayers, Cerner and Sporting KC</h2>By TIM CARPENTER&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/09/21/kansas-board-of-regents-sculpts-plan-for-boosting-state-aid-to-public-higher-education/?emci=78717300-c858-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;emdi=fc107f78-2659-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The state of Kansas reached a $7 million settlement with the parent company of Sporting Kansas City to resolve a dispute about repayment of taxpayer-funded economic development incentives relied upon to build Cerner Corp.’s office complex in Wyandotte County, officials said Friday.OnGoal, the parent company of the professional soccer franchise, pledged to complete the settlement payments in 2025. Cerner’s exodus from Wyandotte County had left OnGoal responsible for the IT company’s economic development obligations.Payments would be distributed this way: Willa Gill Services Center, $2 million; 2026 FIFA World Cup, $2 million; Quindaro Ruins, $1 million; community projects east of I-635, $1 million; Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall, $500,000; Wyandotte County Historical Museum, $250,000; and Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, $250,000.The administration of Gov. Sam Brownback provided Cerner with $48 million in incentives in 2010 to build an office complex in Wyandotte County in exchange for the company’s promise to shower 4,500 jobs on Kansas. In 2011, the job metric obligations linked to the government-backed incentives were dropped in concert with a deal with OnGoal that led to construction of the soccer stadium for Sporting Kansas City.Overhaul of the original Brownback agreement with Cerner didn’t eliminate expectations the company would generate payroll tax collections sufficient to cover economic incentives provided by Kansas taxpayers for the office space opened in 2013.In 2021, Cerner put the set of office towers in western Kansas City, Kansas, up for sale and relocated employees. Cerner was later bought by Oracle.The Brownback-era arrangement involving Cerner and OnGoal permitted the state to invoke clawback mechanisms to recoup up to $3.04 million annually for five consecutive years if Cerner didn’t meet payroll requirements. For the year ending Dec. 31, 2021, payroll tax collections were insufficient and the Unified Government of Wyandotte County demanded in July 2022 the first $3.04 million payment from OnGoal. That prompted negotiations led by the Kansas Department of Commerce.“Since day one of my administration, I have directed the Department of Commerce to pursue business deals in a way that benefits our communities,” Gov. Laura Kelly said. “Often that means creating jobs and bringing in investment, but — as this agreement shows — it also means holding businesses accountable and protecting taxpayer dollars.”The Brownback-era arrangement spawning construction of the office complex and the soccer stadium intertwined Cerner, OnGoal, the Unified Government and the state of Kansas. A special entity, Kansas Unified Development LLC, had been launched to handle development of the stadium and Cerner’s offices. To protect taxpayers, OnGoal — the parent of Sporting Kansas City — agreed to be responsible for financial clawbacks if Cerner failed to meet economic development targets.Once Cerner bolted from Wyandotte County, it left guarantor OnGoal with potential repayment obligations of $15 million.Attorney Korb Maxwell, speaking on behalf of OnGoal, said the company appreciated its partnership with the state and county.“For more than a decade, OnGoal has been committed and invested in the local community and looks forward to further enhancing Kansas City, Kansas, as a major destination,” Maxwell said.Lt. Gov. David Toland, secretary of the Department of Commerce, said the agency shielded taxpayers by enforcing clawback provisions embedded in economic development incentive programs. OnGoal’s contributions could begin in November with regard to Quindaro and Memorial Hall. Other payments should be completed by the end of 2025.“This agreement ensures sales tax dollars still are being utilized to further the state’s tourism goals and put money back into the community to have lasting impact,” Toland said.David Johnson, administrator of the Unified Government, said the settlement provided grants to important projects, including an effort to better serve homeless people.“Funds will support ongoing efforts to provide supportive services for the unhoused – all important initiatives to our economic future,” he said. “We are grateful for the willingness of the state and developer to work with us to make this a reality.”