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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

US schools turn to the booming business of online therapy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mo. lawmakers propose homicide charges for women who have abortions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rights groups said they were concerned about the exemptions and other big loopholes in the AI Act, including lack of protection for AI systems used in migration and border control, and the option for developers to opt-out of having their systems classified as high risk.

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

World's first comprehensive AI rules approved

Freedom from Religion Foundation says Goddard school district ended unconstitutional practice after receiving letter

By&nbsp;RACHEL MIPRO&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — A south-central Kansas public school choir teacher taught middle school students Christian worship songs centering around loving Jesus, such as “Praise His Holy Name,” and made students listen to Bible lessons, according to a national watchdog group’s report.

The Freedom from Religion Foundation, a national nonprofit geared toward the separation of state and church, urged the district to stop the practice in late November after a concerned district parent reached out to them.

“It’s not a teacher’s job to convert a student to their religion, no matter what tools they use to do so,” said FRF co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor in a news release.

The parent told the FRF that a teacher at Challenger Intermediate School in the Goddard school district had been teaching sixth-graders religious songs since late October, including “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel.”

Lyrics of the song “Praise His Holy Name” has such lines as “Jesus, Jesus, how I love Thee! Shout Hallelujah!” and “There’s a cross for ev’ryone and there’s a cross for me.”&nbsp;

“Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel” is a song encouraging people to pray for salvation. The song includes such lines as “The wind blows east and the wind blows west / It blows like the judgment day / And ev’ry poor soul that never did pray / Will be glad to pray that day.”

The teacher allegedly also taught lessons on the biblical story of Daniel, a story that is meant to encourage belief and worship of the Abrahamic God.

FRF legal fellow Samantha Lawrence sent district superintendent Justin Henry&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ffrf.org/uploads/legal/GoddardUSD265KS-ReligiousMusic.pdf">a letter</a>&nbsp;warning of these constitutional violations on Nov. 29.

“There is no need for a public intermediate school choral program to select religious worship music for students, and it is plainly unconstitutional for a public school choir teacher to teach students Bible lessons,” Lawrence wrote.

“By coercing sixth-grade students to sing overtly Christian worship music in its choral program, the district demonstrates favoritism towards religion over nonreligion, and Christianity over all other faiths,” she added. “This favoritism towards Christianity needlessly alienates all students and families, such as our complainant and their child, who do not subscribe to Christianity.”

Henry’s response to the letter, as reported by the FRF, was to inform the teacher of constitutional rights and violations.

“Since receiving your email on Nov. 29, we have had the opportunity to provide (the teacher) this information and will be planning a meeting with all district choir instructors to ensure they understand the information,” Henry said.

A spokesman for the district didn’t immediately answer questions from Kansas Reflector.

<h2>Freedom from Religion Foundation says Goddard school district ended unconstitutional practice after receiving letter</h2>By&nbsp;RACHEL MIPRO&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — A south-central Kansas public school choir teacher taught middle school students Christian worship songs centering around loving Jesus, such as “Praise His Holy Name,” and made students listen to Bible lessons, according to a national watchdog group’s report.The Freedom from Religion Foundation, a national nonprofit geared toward the separation of state and church, urged the district to stop the practice in late November after a concerned district parent reached out to them.“It’s not a teacher’s job to convert a student to their religion, no matter what tools they use to do so,” said FRF co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor in a news release.The parent told the FRF that a teacher at Challenger Intermediate School in the Goddard school district had been teaching sixth-graders religious songs since late October, including “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel.”Lyrics of the song “Praise His Holy Name” has such lines as “Jesus, Jesus, how I love Thee! Shout Hallelujah!” and “There’s a cross for ev’ryone and there’s a cross for me.”&nbsp;“Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel” is a song encouraging people to pray for salvation. The song includes such lines as “The wind blows east and the wind blows west / It blows like the judgment day / And ev’ry poor soul that never did pray / Will be glad to pray that day.”The teacher allegedly also taught lessons on the biblical story of Daniel, a story that is meant to encourage belief and worship of the Abrahamic God.FRF legal fellow Samantha Lawrence sent district superintendent Justin Henry&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ffrf.org/uploads/legal/GoddardUSD265KS-ReligiousMusic.pdf">a letter</a>&nbsp;warning of these constitutional violations on Nov. 29.“There is no need for a public intermediate school choral program to select religious worship music for students, and it is plainly unconstitutional for a public school choir teacher to teach students Bible lessons,” Lawrence wrote.“By coercing sixth-grade students to sing overtly Christian worship music in its choral program, the district demonstrates favoritism towards religion over nonreligion, and Christianity over all other faiths,” she added. “This favoritism towards Christianity needlessly alienates all students and families, such as our complainant and their child, who do not subscribe to Christianity.”Henry’s response to the letter, as reported by the FRF, was to inform the teacher of constitutional rights and violations.“Since receiving your email on Nov. 29, we have had the opportunity to provide (the teacher) this information and will be planning a meeting with all district choir instructors to ensure they understand the information,” Henry said.A spokesman for the district didn’t immediately answer questions from Kansas Reflector.

Kansas public school district warned about Bible lessons, worship songs

KANSAS CITY —Authorities are working to determine the cause of a large fire in an apartment building in Kansas City.

Just after 8p.m. Saturday, crews responded to a fire in the two-story&nbsp; &nbsp;Vivion Oaks Apartments, at 50th and N Oak Trafficway, in Kansas City.

Battalion 108 and companies battled the two alarm fire and used&nbsp; multiple master streams to get this fire under control and hold it to one end of the building, according to a social media report.

All occupants were accounted for and evacuated with only one minor injury.&nbsp; The fire destroyed about 12 units.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702215416102.png" alt="Photos Kansas City Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photos Kansas City Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Authorities are working to determine the cause of a large fire in an apartment building in Kansas City.Just after 8p.m. Saturday, crews responded to a fire in the two-story&nbsp; &nbsp;Vivion Oaks Apartments, at 50th and N Oak Trafficway, in Kansas City.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702215358330.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Battalion 108 and companies battled the two alarm fire and used&nbsp; multiple master streams to get this fire under control and hold it to one end of the building, according to a social media report.All occupants were accounted for and evacuated with only one minor injury.&nbsp; The fire destroyed about 12 units..

12 units destroyed in 2-alarm Kansas City apartment fire

WASHINGTON (AP)— President Joe Biden's administration has approved the emergency sale to Israel of nearly 14,000 rounds of tank ammunition worth more than $106 million as it intensifies its military operations in the southern Gaza Strip, the State Department said Saturday.

The department said it had notified Congress of the sale late Friday after Secretary of State Antony Blinken determined that “an emergency exists that requires the immediate sale” of the munitions in the U.S. national security interest.

The emergency determination means that the purchase will bypass the congressional review requirement for foreign military sales. Such determinations are rare, but not unprecedented, when administrations see an urgent need for weapons to be delivered without waiting for congressional approval.

“The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to U.S. national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability,” the department said in a statement. “Israel will use the enhanced capability as a deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen its homeland defense.”

The sale is worth $106.5 million and includes 13,981 120 mm High Explosive Anti-Tank Multi-Purpose with Tracer tank cartridges as well as U.S. support, engineering and logistics.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian death toll in Gaza from the Israel-Hamas war has surpassed 17,700, around two-thirds of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-controlled territory.

Israel’s ground offensive in southern Gaza Strip intensified on Saturday with further airstrikes and artillery fire, a day after the United States&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-un-resolution-ceasefire-humanitarian-6d3bfd31d6c25168e828274d96b85cf8">blocked a U.N. resolution</a>&nbsp;calling for a cease-fire.

Israel says 97 of its soldiers have died in the ground offensive after Hamas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-attack-military-war-a8f63b07641212f0de61861844e5e71e">raided southern Israel</a>&nbsp;on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hostages-gaza-b6ffc286ca7d4b48caaada43e9c6e411">about 240 hostages.</a>

Amid concerns about a wider conflict, Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen threatened to prevent any ship heading to Israeli ports from passing through the Red Sea and Arabian Sea until food and medicine can enter Gaza freely. With only a trickle of humanitarian aid reaching a small portion of Gaza, residents have reported severe food shortages.

Despite growing international pressure, President Joe Biden’s administration remains opposed to an open-ended cease-fire, arguing it would enable Hamas to continue posing a threat to Israel. The administration approved the emergency sale to Israel of nearly 14,000 rounds of tank ammunition worth more than $106 million, the State Department said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697623831480.png" alt="File-President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -White House photo" />
 <figcaption>File-President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP)— President Joe Biden's administration has approved the emergency sale to Israel of nearly 14,000 rounds of tank ammunition worth more than $106 million as it intensifies its military operations in the southern Gaza Strip, the State Department said Saturday.The department said it had notified Congress of the sale late Friday after Secretary of State Antony Blinken determined that “an emergency exists that requires the immediate sale” of the munitions in the U.S. national security interest.The emergency determination means that the purchase will bypass the congressional review requirement for foreign military sales. Such determinations are rare, but not unprecedented, when administrations see an urgent need for weapons to be delivered without waiting for congressional approval.“The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to U.S. national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability,” the department said in a statement. “Israel will use the enhanced capability as a deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen its homeland defense.”The sale is worth $106.5 million and includes 13,981 120 mm High Explosive Anti-Tank Multi-Purpose with Tracer tank cartridges as well as U.S. support, engineering and logistics.Meanwhile, the Palestinian death toll in Gaza from the Israel-Hamas war has surpassed 17,700, around two-thirds of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-controlled territory.Israel’s ground offensive in southern Gaza Strip intensified on Saturday with further airstrikes and artillery fire, a day after the United States&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-un-resolution-ceasefire-humanitarian-6d3bfd31d6c25168e828274d96b85cf8">blocked a U.N. resolution</a>&nbsp;calling for a cease-fire.Israel says 97 of its soldiers have died in the ground offensive after Hamas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-attack-military-war-a8f63b07641212f0de61861844e5e71e">raided southern Israel</a>&nbsp;on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hostages-gaza-b6ffc286ca7d4b48caaada43e9c6e411">about 240 hostages.</a>Amid concerns about a wider conflict, Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen threatened to prevent any ship heading to Israeli ports from passing through the Red Sea and Arabian Sea until food and medicine can enter Gaza freely. With only a trickle of humanitarian aid reaching a small portion of Gaza, residents have reported severe food shortages.Despite growing international pressure, President Joe Biden’s administration remains opposed to an open-ended cease-fire, arguing it would enable Hamas to continue posing a threat to Israel. The administration approved the emergency sale to Israel of nearly 14,000 rounds of tank ammunition worth more than $106 million, the State Department said.

Biden approves emergency tank ammunition sale to Israel 

JOHNSON COUNTY —Two more suspects have been sentenced for the 2019 murder of a Kansas teen in his new apartment complex in Overland Park.

This week Judge Charles Droege sentenced 26-year-old Alan Michael Hicks to nearly 18-years in prison, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.

Judge Droege also sentenced 21-year-old Juriah Sue Jones to ten years in prison for her role in the murder.

In October Hicks pled guilty to charges in the death of 17-year-old Ben Workman who was killed in an apartment complex near 80th and Farley streets in January 2019. Jones pled guilty in September to second-degree murder and aggravated robbery.

Workman had recently moved into his apartment with his girlfriend two weeks before he was killed, according to Overland Park police.

&nbsp;Raymond Cherry was also charged in connection with Workman's death. Cherry was found guilty of first-degree murder and received a life sentence in April, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701967448166.png" alt="Hicks-photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Hicks-photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Two more suspects have been sentenced for the 2019 murder of a Kansas teen in his new apartment complex in Overland Park.This week Judge Charles Droege sentenced 26-year-old Alan Michael Hicks to nearly 18-years in prison, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701967911587.png" alt="Jones-photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Jones-photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Judge Droege also sentenced 21-year-old Juriah Sue Jones to ten years in prison for her role in the murder.In October Hicks pled guilty to charges in the death of 17-year-old Ben Workman who was killed in an apartment complex near 80th and Farley streets in January 2019. Jones pled guilty in September to second-degree murder and aggravated robbery.Workman had recently moved into his apartment with his girlfriend two weeks before he was killed, according to Overland Park police.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677204070419.png" alt="Cherry photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Cherry photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;Raymond Cherry was also charged in connection with Workman's death. Cherry was found guilty of first-degree murder and received a life sentence in April, according to the district attorney's office.

2 sentenced for killing Kansas teen during robbery at his apartment

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The University of Pennsylvania’s president has resigned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harvard-mit-penn-campus-antisemitism-20b8513293ee2dbaee053a6fd3f8ce7a">amid pressure from donors and criticism</a>&nbsp;over testimony at a congressional hearing where she was unable to say under repeated questioning that calls on campus for the genocide of Jews would violate the school’s conduct policy.

The chairman of the Ivy League school's board of trustees, Scott Bok, also resigned, the university said Saturday evening, just hours after Bok announced Liz Magill's departure as president in just her second year.

The university said Magill will remain a tenured faculty member at the university’s Carey Law School. She has agreed to keep serving as Penn’s leader until the university names an interim president.

Calls for Magill's firing exploded after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/antisemitism-islamophobia-education-universities-hamas-israel-3ae6f640de936f7228a63331efbb85ad">Tuesday’s testimony</a>&nbsp;in a U.S. House committee on antisemitism on college campuses, where she appeared with the presidents of Harvard University and MIT.

Universities across the U.S. have been accused of failing to protect Jewish students amid rising&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-antisemitism-europe-massacre-war-protests-1d26266dfd9b2b8dd4c795f420abab47">fears of antisemitism worldwide</a>&nbsp;and fallout from Israel’s intensifying&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">war in Gaza</a>, which faces heightened criticism for the mounting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unrwa-lazzarini-gaza-israel-hamas-war-95ce3c409bd8566ed26d60aa75223546">Palestinian death toll</a>.

The three presidents were called before the committee to answer those accusations. But their lawyerly answers drew renewed blowback from opponents, focused particularly on a line of questioning from Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who repeatedly asked whether “calling for the genocide of Jews” would violate Penn’s code of conduct.

“If the speech turns into conduct it can be harassment, yes,” Magill said. Pressed further, Magill told Stefanik, “It is a context-dependent decision, congresswoman.”

Criticism of Magill rained down from the White House, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, members of Congress and donors. One donor, Ross Stevens, threatened to withdraw a $100 million gift because of the university’s “stance on antisemitism on campus” unless Magill was replaced.

A day later, Magill addressed the criticism, saying in a video that she would consider a call for the genocide of Jewish people to be harassment or intimidation and that Penn’s policies need to be “clarified and evaluated.”

In a statement Saturday, Stefanik said Magill's “forced resignation” is the “bare minimum of what is required" and said Harvard and MIT should follow suit.

“This is only the very beginning of addressing the pervasive rot of antisemitism that has destroyed the most ‘prestigious’ higher education institutions in America,” Stefanik said.

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, a Pennsylvania Democrat, said Magill’s resignation allows Penn to “chart a new course in addressing antisemitism on campus.”

Even before Tuesday's hearing, Magill had been under fire from some donors and alumni this fall. Some also had called for the resignation of Bok, who had defended Magill amid criticism over the university’s handling of various perceived acts of antisemitism.

That included allowing a Palestinian literary arts festival to be held on its campus in September featuring speakers whose past statements about Israel had drawn accusations of antisemitism.

A former U.S. Supreme Court law clerk, Magill, 57, is the daughter of a retired federal judge and was dean of Stanford University’s law school and a top administrator at the University of Virginia before Penn hired her as its ninth president last year.

Bok is chairman and CEO of investment bank Greenhill &amp; Co.

Earlier Saturday, New York's governor called on the state's colleges and universities to swiftly address cases of antisemitism and what she described as any “calls for genocide” on campus.

<a href="https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2023-12/SchoolsV2.pdf">In a letter</a>&nbsp;to college and university presidents, Gov. Kathy Hochul said her administration would enforce violations of the state's Human Rights Law and refer any violations of federal civil rights law to U.S. officials.

Hochul said she has spoken to chancellors of the State University of New York and City University of New York public college systems who she said confirmed “that calling for genocide of any group” or tolerating antisemitism violates codes of conduct on their campuses “and would lead to swift disciplinary action.”

The governor's letter doesn't address any specific incidents. Her office didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

A popular chant at pro-Palestinian rallies at Penn and other universities has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-israel-hamas-ucla-penn-genocide-057006125279">falsely misrepresented</a>&nbsp;in recent months as claiming to call for “Jewish genocide.”

Experts and advocates say the chant, “Israel, we charge you with genocide,” is a typical refrain heard at pro-Palestinian rallies. Jewish and Palestinian supporters both acknowledge protesters aren’t saying “We want Jewish genocide.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702170245592.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The University of Pennsylvania’s president has resigned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harvard-mit-penn-campus-antisemitism-20b8513293ee2dbaee053a6fd3f8ce7a">amid pressure from donors and criticism</a>&nbsp;over testimony at a congressional hearing where she was unable to say under repeated questioning that calls on campus for the genocide of Jews would violate the school’s conduct policy.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">University of Pennsylvania President Elizabeth Magill resigned Saturday after facing backlash from her congressional testimony earlier this week on antisemitism on college campuses. Here&#39;s the exchange. <a href="https://t.co/EVrAMy33qh">pic.twitter.com/EVrAMy33qh</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1733607598803292487?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The chairman of the Ivy League school's board of trustees, Scott Bok, also resigned, the university said Saturday evening, just hours after Bok announced Liz Magill's departure as president in just her second year.The university said Magill will remain a tenured faculty member at the university’s Carey Law School. She has agreed to keep serving as Penn’s leader until the university names an interim president.Calls for Magill's firing exploded after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/antisemitism-islamophobia-education-universities-hamas-israel-3ae6f640de936f7228a63331efbb85ad">Tuesday’s testimony</a>&nbsp;in a U.S. House committee on antisemitism on college campuses, where she appeared with the presidents of Harvard University and MIT.Universities across the U.S. have been accused of failing to protect Jewish students amid rising&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-antisemitism-europe-massacre-war-protests-1d26266dfd9b2b8dd4c795f420abab47">fears of antisemitism worldwide</a>&nbsp;and fallout from Israel’s intensifying&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">war in Gaza</a>, which faces heightened criticism for the mounting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unrwa-lazzarini-gaza-israel-hamas-war-95ce3c409bd8566ed26d60aa75223546">Palestinian death toll</a>.The three presidents were called before the committee to answer those accusations. But their lawyerly answers drew renewed blowback from opponents, focused particularly on a line of questioning from Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who repeatedly asked whether “calling for the genocide of Jews” would violate Penn’s code of conduct.“If the speech turns into conduct it can be harassment, yes,” Magill said. Pressed further, Magill told Stefanik, “It is a context-dependent decision, congresswoman.”Criticism of Magill rained down from the White House, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, members of Congress and donors. One donor, Ross Stevens, threatened to withdraw a $100 million gift because of the university’s “stance on antisemitism on campus” unless Magill was replaced.A day later, Magill addressed the criticism, saying in a video that she would consider a call for the genocide of Jewish people to be harassment or intimidation and that Penn’s policies need to be “clarified and evaluated.”In a statement Saturday, Stefanik said Magill's “forced resignation” is the “bare minimum of what is required" and said Harvard and MIT should follow suit.“This is only the very beginning of addressing the pervasive rot of antisemitism that has destroyed the most ‘prestigious’ higher education institutions in America,” Stefanik said.U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, a Pennsylvania Democrat, said Magill’s resignation allows Penn to “chart a new course in addressing antisemitism on campus.”Even before Tuesday's hearing, Magill had been under fire from some donors and alumni this fall. Some also had called for the resignation of Bok, who had defended Magill amid criticism over the university’s handling of various perceived acts of antisemitism.That included allowing a Palestinian literary arts festival to be held on its campus in September featuring speakers whose past statements about Israel had drawn accusations of antisemitism.A former U.S. Supreme Court law clerk, Magill, 57, is the daughter of a retired federal judge and was dean of Stanford University’s law school and a top administrator at the University of Virginia before Penn hired her as its ninth president last year.Bok is chairman and CEO of investment bank Greenhill &amp; Co.Earlier Saturday, New York's governor called on the state's colleges and universities to swiftly address cases of antisemitism and what she described as any “calls for genocide” on campus.<a href="https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2023-12/SchoolsV2.pdf">In a letter</a>&nbsp;to college and university presidents, Gov. Kathy Hochul said her administration would enforce violations of the state's Human Rights Law and refer any violations of federal civil rights law to U.S. officials.Hochul said she has spoken to chancellors of the State University of New York and City University of New York public college systems who she said confirmed “that calling for genocide of any group” or tolerating antisemitism violates codes of conduct on their campuses “and would lead to swift disciplinary action.”The governor's letter doesn't address any specific incidents. Her office didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.A popular chant at pro-Palestinian rallies at Penn and other universities has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-israel-hamas-ucla-penn-genocide-057006125279">falsely misrepresented</a>&nbsp;in recent months as claiming to call for “Jewish genocide.”Experts and advocates say the chant, “Israel, we charge you with genocide,” is a typical refrain heard at pro-Palestinian rallies. Jewish and Palestinian supporters both acknowledge protesters aren’t saying “We want Jewish genocide.”___

🎥University president resigns amid antisemitism testimony firestorm

DOUGLAS COUNTY —A Kansas man was sentenced December 6, for a high-speed chase in a car stolen from a car dealearship.

John J. Krueger, 37, of Overland Park,&nbsp;was sentenced to 14 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections for fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, according to&nbsp;Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez.

Judge Sally Pokorny also sentenced Krueger, 37, who pleaded no contest on October 30, 2023, to serve 12 months on post-release supervision.

The charges are from an incident on the morning of October 7, 2023. Krueger took a vehicle from a dealership in Kansas City without permission. The vehicle was later spotted in the 2700 block of Iowa Street. Krueger fled northbound in the vehicle while being pursued by officers from the Lawrence Police Department. With assistance from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, police were able to stop Krueger near W. 15th and Iowa streets.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702136937654.png" alt="Krueger from an earlier arrest in Johnson County" />
 <figcaption>Krueger from an earlier arrest in Johnson County</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY —A Kansas man was sentenced December 6, for a high-speed chase in a car stolen from a car dealearship.John J. Krueger, 37, of Overland Park,&nbsp;was sentenced to 14 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections for fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, according to&nbsp;Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez.Judge Sally Pokorny also sentenced Krueger, 37, who pleaded no contest on October 30, 2023, to serve 12 months on post-release supervision.The charges are from an incident on the morning of October 7, 2023. Krueger took a vehicle from a dealership in Kansas City without permission. The vehicle was later spotted in the 2700 block of Iowa Street. Krueger fled northbound in the vehicle while being pursued by officers from the Lawrence Police Department. With assistance from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, police were able to stop Krueger near W. 15th and Iowa streets.&nbsp;

Kan. man sentenced for police-chase in car taken from dealership

WASHINGTON (AP) —Regulators on Friday approved two gene therapies for sickle cell disease that doctors hope can cure the painful, inherited blood disorder that afflicts mostly Black people in the U.S.

The Food and Drug Administration said the one-time treatments can be used for patients 12 and older with severe forms of the disease. One, made by Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics, is the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sickle-cell-gene-therapy-crispr-8ded5e3a35b30bd257ac756f8a223c51">first approved therapy</a>&nbsp;based on CRISPR, the gene editing tool that won&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nobel-prizes-united-states-technology-science-europe-14ba023fa7a90b34df2d7a6d0314c796">its inventors</a>&nbsp;the Nobel Prize in 2020. The other is made by Bluebird Bio and works differently.

“Sickle cell disease is a rare, debilitating and life-threatening blood disorder with significant unmet need," the FDA's Dr. Nicole Verdun said in a statement announcing the approvals. “We are excited to advance the field especially for individuals whose lives have been severely disrupted by the disease."

The two gene therapies are the first approved in the U.S. for sickle cell. The FDA has previously OK'd 15 gene therapies for other conditions. Some have list prices in the millions of dollars, and the sickle cell therapies will too.

In the U.S., an estimated 100,000 people have sickle cell and about a fifth of them have the severe form. Sickle cell is most common among Black people and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/sicklecell/data.html">1 in 365</a>&nbsp;Black babies are born with the disease nationally. Scientists believe being a carrier of the sickle cell trait helps protect against severe malaria, so the disease occurs more often in mosquito-prone regions such as Africa or in people whose ancestors lived in those places.

The disease affects hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. A genetic mutation causes the cells to become sickle or crescent-shaped, which can block blood flow, causing excruciating pain, organ damage, stroke and other problems.

Current treatments include medications and blood transfusions. The only permanent solution is a bone marrow transplant, which must come from a closely matched donor and brings a risk of rejection.

No donor is required for the gene therapies, which permanently change DNA in the patient’s blood cells. The goal of the Vertex therapy, called Casgevy, is to help the body go back to producing a fetal form of hemoglobin that’s present at birth — it’s the adult form that’s defective in people with sickle cell disease. CRISPR is used to knock out a gene in stem cells collected from the patient.

Bluebird’s treatment, called Lyfgenia, aims to add copies of a modified gene, which helps red blood cells produce “anti-sickling” hemoglobin that prevents or reverses misshapen cells.

When patients get the treatments, stem cells are removed from their blood and sent to a lab. Before getting the altered cells back, they must undergo chemotherapy. The process requires at least two hospitalizations, one lasting four to six weeks.

Still, many patients say they’d consider gene therapy given the seriousness of the disease.

Jalen Matthews of Louisville, Kentucky, was diagnosed with sickle cell at birth and had her first pain episode at age 9. Three years later, the disease led to a spinal cord stroke that left her with some paralysis in her left arm and leg.

“I had to learn how to walk again, feed myself, clothe myself, basically learn how to do everything all over again,” said Matthews, now 26.

Today, she keeps her sickle cell at bay with transfusions every two months or so, with five units of her blood replaced with healthy cells. She said gene therapy could be a better option and she plans to ask her doctor about it.

“This one-time kind of cure is very much needed,” said Matthews.

The FDA’s approval is the first for Bluebird’s treatment; Vertex has been previously authorized in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sickle-cell-gene-therapy-treatment-uk-first-9bcf7c7d8b8909fb06e137fee17c767c">Britain</a>&nbsp;and Bahrain.

Studies testing the therapies suggest they work well. Of 31 people treated in the pivotal Vertex study with sufficient follow-up, 29 were free of pain crises for at least a year. In the Bluebird study, 28 of 32 patients had no severe pain or organ damage between six and 18 months after the therapy.

But doctors point out there are possible side effects and the long-term outcomes are unknown. For both, the necessary chemotherapy comes with risks such as infertility, hair loss and vulnerability to serious infection.

With the Bluebird therapy, blood cancer has occurred, so the FDA said the label will include a “black box warning” about that risk. With the Vertex therapy, some scientists worry that CRISPR brings the possibility of “off-target effects,” which are unexpected changes to a person’s genome.

“It’s important to be cautious and to be optimistic about this therapy, but also know that there’s still not a ton of experience with it,” said Dr. Benjamin Watkins, director of the pediatric stem cell and cell therapy program at Children’s Hospital New Orleans.

Doctors said they don’t expect every medical center to offer the gene therapies because they require so much equipment and coordination between medical specialists. They also don’t expect lots of people to seek them right away. Watkins said some may want to wait until more people get the treatments.

Experts also warned that cost could be a hurdle. The list price for Bluebird Bio is $3.1 million and for Vertex, $2.2 million. What patients might pay will depend on insurance coverage and other factors. To help cover the cost, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cms.gov/blog/cms-launches-action-plan-sickle-cell-disease-month">announced</a>&nbsp;a plan that aims to establish partnerships with state Medicaid agencies and drug companies.

But eventually, gene therapy “could be transformative and really change the landscape of sickle cell disease,” said Dr. Monica Bhatia, who treats children with the disease at NewYork-Presbyterian.

Matthews, who volunteers with The Sickle Cell Association of Kentuckiana, said she’s hopeful the treatments will have a big impact.

WASHINGTON (AP) —Regulators on Friday approved two gene therapies for sickle cell disease that doctors hope can cure the painful, inherited blood disorder that afflicts mostly Black people in the U.S.The Food and Drug Administration said the one-time treatments can be used for patients 12 and older with severe forms of the disease. One, made by Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics, is the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sickle-cell-gene-therapy-crispr-8ded5e3a35b30bd257ac756f8a223c51">first approved therapy</a>&nbsp;based on CRISPR, the gene editing tool that won&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nobel-prizes-united-states-technology-science-europe-14ba023fa7a90b34df2d7a6d0314c796">its inventors</a>&nbsp;the Nobel Prize in 2020. The other is made by Bluebird Bio and works differently.“Sickle cell disease is a rare, debilitating and life-threatening blood disorder with significant unmet need," the FDA's Dr. Nicole Verdun said in a statement announcing the approvals. “We are excited to advance the field especially for individuals whose lives have been severely disrupted by the disease."The two gene therapies are the first approved in the U.S. for sickle cell. The FDA has previously OK'd 15 gene therapies for other conditions. Some have list prices in the millions of dollars, and the sickle cell therapies will too.In the U.S., an estimated 100,000 people have sickle cell and about a fifth of them have the severe form. Sickle cell is most common among Black people and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/sicklecell/data.html">1 in 365</a>&nbsp;Black babies are born with the disease nationally. Scientists believe being a carrier of the sickle cell trait helps protect against severe malaria, so the disease occurs more often in mosquito-prone regions such as Africa or in people whose ancestors lived in those places.The disease affects hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. A genetic mutation causes the cells to become sickle or crescent-shaped, which can block blood flow, causing excruciating pain, organ damage, stroke and other problems.Current treatments include medications and blood transfusions. The only permanent solution is a bone marrow transplant, which must come from a closely matched donor and brings a risk of rejection.No donor is required for the gene therapies, which permanently change DNA in the patient’s blood cells. The goal of the Vertex therapy, called Casgevy, is to help the body go back to producing a fetal form of hemoglobin that’s present at birth — it’s the adult form that’s defective in people with sickle cell disease. CRISPR is used to knock out a gene in stem cells collected from the patient.Bluebird’s treatment, called Lyfgenia, aims to add copies of a modified gene, which helps red blood cells produce “anti-sickling” hemoglobin that prevents or reverses misshapen cells.When patients get the treatments, stem cells are removed from their blood and sent to a lab. Before getting the altered cells back, they must undergo chemotherapy. The process requires at least two hospitalizations, one lasting four to six weeks.Still, many patients say they’d consider gene therapy given the seriousness of the disease.Jalen Matthews of Louisville, Kentucky, was diagnosed with sickle cell at birth and had her first pain episode at age 9. Three years later, the disease led to a spinal cord stroke that left her with some paralysis in her left arm and leg.“I had to learn how to walk again, feed myself, clothe myself, basically learn how to do everything all over again,” said Matthews, now 26.Today, she keeps her sickle cell at bay with transfusions every two months or so, with five units of her blood replaced with healthy cells. She said gene therapy could be a better option and she plans to ask her doctor about it.“This one-time kind of cure is very much needed,” said Matthews.The FDA’s approval is the first for Bluebird’s treatment; Vertex has been previously authorized in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sickle-cell-gene-therapy-treatment-uk-first-9bcf7c7d8b8909fb06e137fee17c767c">Britain</a>&nbsp;and Bahrain.Studies testing the therapies suggest they work well. Of 31 people treated in the pivotal Vertex study with sufficient follow-up, 29 were free of pain crises for at least a year. In the Bluebird study, 28 of 32 patients had no severe pain or organ damage between six and 18 months after the therapy.But doctors point out there are possible side effects and the long-term outcomes are unknown. For both, the necessary chemotherapy comes with risks such as infertility, hair loss and vulnerability to serious infection.With the Bluebird therapy, blood cancer has occurred, so the FDA said the label will include a “black box warning” about that risk. With the Vertex therapy, some scientists worry that CRISPR brings the possibility of “off-target effects,” which are unexpected changes to a person’s genome.“It’s important to be cautious and to be optimistic about this therapy, but also know that there’s still not a ton of experience with it,” said Dr. Benjamin Watkins, director of the pediatric stem cell and cell therapy program at Children’s Hospital New Orleans.Doctors said they don’t expect every medical center to offer the gene therapies because they require so much equipment and coordination between medical specialists. They also don’t expect lots of people to seek them right away. Watkins said some may want to wait until more people get the treatments.Experts also warned that cost could be a hurdle. The list price for Bluebird Bio is $3.1 million and for Vertex, $2.2 million. What patients might pay will depend on insurance coverage and other factors. To help cover the cost, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cms.gov/blog/cms-launches-action-plan-sickle-cell-disease-month">announced</a>&nbsp;a plan that aims to establish partnerships with state Medicaid agencies and drug companies.But eventually, gene therapy “could be transformative and really change the landscape of sickle cell disease,” said Dr. Monica Bhatia, who treats children with the disease at NewYork-Presbyterian.Matthews, who volunteers with The Sickle Cell Association of Kentuckiana, said she’s hopeful the treatments will have a big impact.

FDA approves first gene-editing treatment for illness

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a man for an alleged robbery.

Just after 11p.m. December 3, police responded to a report of a robbery at the Sonic drive-in 5922 SW 21st Street in Topeka, according to Lt Jerry Monasmith.

 A victim reported a male suspect, later identified as 37-year-old William Kellogg entered the establishment and demanded money. After obtaining an undisclosed amount of cash, Kellogg fled the scene. 

Shortly afterwards, officers located and apprehended a person matching the Kellogg's description without incident.

As a result of the investigation, police transported Kellogg to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Robbery and possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701874121466.png" alt="Kellogg-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Kellogg-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a man for an alleged robbery.Just after 11p.m. December 3, police responded to a report of a robbery at the Sonic drive-in 5922 SW 21st Street in Topeka, according to Lt Jerry Monasmith. A victim reported a male suspect, later identified as 37-year-old William Kellogg entered the establishment and demanded money. After obtaining an undisclosed amount of cash, Kellogg fled the scene. Shortly afterwards, officers located and apprehended a person matching the Kellogg's description without incident.As a result of the investigation, police transported Kellogg to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Robbery and possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Man accused of robbery at Kansas fast-food restaurant

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Texas Supreme Court on Friday night put on hold a judge's ruling that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-abortion-roe-568c09dc8794c341095189362ece9004">approved an abortion for a pregnant woman</a>&nbsp;whose fetus has a fatal diagnosis, throwing into limbo an unprecedented challenge to one of the most restrictive bans in the U.S.

The order by the all-Republican court came more than 30 hours after Kate Cox, a 31-year-old mother of two from the Dallas area, received a temporary restraining order from a lower court judge that prevents Texas from enforcing the state's ban in her case.

In a one-page order, the court said it was temporarily staying Thursday's ruling “without regard to the merits." The case is still pending.

“While we still hope that the Court ultimately rejects the state’s request and does so quickly, in this case we fear that justice delayed will be justice denied,” said Molly Duane, an attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights, which is representing Cox.

Cox's attorneys have said they will not share her abortion plans, citing concerns for her safety. In a filing with the Texas Supreme Court on Friday, her attorneys indicated she was still pregnant.

Cox was 20 weeks pregnant this week when she filed what is believed to be the first lawsuit of its kind since the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-dobbs-anniversary-state-laws-51c2a83899f133556e715342abfcface">that overturned Roe v. Wade</a>. The order issued Thursday only applied to Cox and no other pregnant Texas women.

Cox learned she was pregnant for a third time in August and was told weeks later that her baby was at a high risk for a condition known as trisomy 18, which has a very high likelihood of miscarriage or stillbirth and low survival rates, according to her lawsuit.

Furthermore, doctors have told Cox that if the baby’s heartbeat were to stop, inducing labor would carry a risk of a uterine rupture because of her two prior cesareans sections, and that another C-section at full term would would endanger her ability to carry another child.

Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton argued that Cox does not meet the criteria for a medical exception to the state's abortion ban, and he urged the state's highest court to act swiftly.

“Future criminal and civil proceedings cannot restore the life that is lost if Plaintiffs or their agents proceed to perform and procure an abortion in violation of Texas law,” Paxton's office told the court.

He also warned three hospitals in Houston that they could face legal consequences if they allowed Cox's physician to provide the abortion, despite the ruling from state District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble, who Paxton called an “activist” judge.

On Friday, a pregnant Kentucky woman&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/ndmark%20U.S.%20Supreme%20Court%20decision%20last%20year%20that%20a%20woman%20has%20asked%20a%20court%20to%20approve%20an%20abortion.">also filed a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;demanding the right to an abortion. The plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe, is about eight weeks pregnant and she wants to have an abortion in Kentucky but cannot legally do so because of the state’s ban, the suit said.

Unlike Cox's lawsuit, the Kentucky challenge seeks class-action status to include other Kentuckians who are or will become pregnant and want to have an abortion.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702131734401.png" alt="Kate Cox.Courtesy The Center for Reproductive Rights" />
 <figcaption>Kate Cox.Courtesy The Center for Reproductive Rights</figcaption>
 </figure>AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Texas Supreme Court on Friday night put on hold a judge's ruling that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-abortion-roe-568c09dc8794c341095189362ece9004">approved an abortion for a pregnant woman</a>&nbsp;whose fetus has a fatal diagnosis, throwing into limbo an unprecedented challenge to one of the most restrictive bans in the U.S.The order by the all-Republican court came more than 30 hours after Kate Cox, a 31-year-old mother of two from the Dallas area, received a temporary restraining order from a lower court judge that prevents Texas from enforcing the state's ban in her case.In a one-page order, the court said it was temporarily staying Thursday's ruling “without regard to the merits." The case is still pending.“While we still hope that the Court ultimately rejects the state’s request and does so quickly, in this case we fear that justice delayed will be justice denied,” said Molly Duane, an attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights, which is representing Cox.Cox's attorneys have said they will not share her abortion plans, citing concerns for her safety. In a filing with the Texas Supreme Court on Friday, her attorneys indicated she was still pregnant.Cox was 20 weeks pregnant this week when she filed what is believed to be the first lawsuit of its kind since the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-dobbs-anniversary-state-laws-51c2a83899f133556e715342abfcface">that overturned Roe v. Wade</a>. The order issued Thursday only applied to Cox and no other pregnant Texas women.Cox learned she was pregnant for a third time in August and was told weeks later that her baby was at a high risk for a condition known as trisomy 18, which has a very high likelihood of miscarriage or stillbirth and low survival rates, according to her lawsuit.Furthermore, doctors have told Cox that if the baby’s heartbeat were to stop, inducing labor would carry a risk of a uterine rupture because of her two prior cesareans sections, and that another C-section at full term would would endanger her ability to carry another child.Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton argued that Cox does not meet the criteria for a medical exception to the state's abortion ban, and he urged the state's highest court to act swiftly.“Future criminal and civil proceedings cannot restore the life that is lost if Plaintiffs or their agents proceed to perform and procure an abortion in violation of Texas law,” Paxton's office told the court.He also warned three hospitals in Houston that they could face legal consequences if they allowed Cox's physician to provide the abortion, despite the ruling from state District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble, who Paxton called an “activist” judge.On Friday, a pregnant Kentucky woman&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/ndmark%20U.S.%20Supreme%20Court%20decision%20last%20year%20that%20a%20woman%20has%20asked%20a%20court%20to%20approve%20an%20abortion.">also filed a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;demanding the right to an abortion. The plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe, is about eight weeks pregnant and she wants to have an abortion in Kentucky but cannot legally do so because of the state’s ban, the suit said.Unlike Cox's lawsuit, the Kentucky challenge seeks class-action status to include other Kentuckians who are or will become pregnant and want to have an abortion.

Court puts hold on Judge's ruling in unprecedented abortion case

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting in Kansas City.

The shooting happened in the area of Independence Avenue and Cleveland Avenue around 9:20 p.m.

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

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

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

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

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