HAZARD, Ky. (AP) — Bluegrass musician Bobby Osborne, who helped popularize the song “Rocky Top,” died early Tuesday, according to a statement from the college where he worked. He was 91.

Osborne and his brother Sonny made up “The Osborne Brothers,” and their version of the song “Rocky Top” in 1967 became an official state song of Tennessee, his website said. Osborne was a member of the Grand Ole Opry and the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.

“To say he was a legend falls short of the impact he had on all of us,” said Paul Schiminger, interim executive director at the International Bluegrass Music Association. “An innovative musical pioneer, Bobby set and held the gold standard for bluegrass vocals.”

While Osborne and his brother will be remembered by many for the song “Rocky Top,” Schiminger said that barely scratches the surface of the many songs they recorded and performed.

A native of Hyden, Kentucky, Osborne taught at the Hazard Community and Technical College’s Kentucky School of Bluegrass and Traditional Music in Leslie County for several years.

In January, he received the Governor’s Awards in the Arts for his dedication to sharing Kentucky’s rich history in the arts around the world.

Osborne was still performing and teaching last year when he told WYMT-TV that “as long as I can open my mouth and sing, I ain’t going to quit.”

Hazard Community and Technical College President Jennifer Lindon said the school was deeply saddened to learn about Osborne’s death.

“He was a pioneer in the bluegrass music industry and a champion for Eastern Kentucky,” she said.

HAZARD, Ky. (AP) — Bluegrass musician Bobby Osborne, who helped popularize the song “Rocky Top,” died early Tuesday, according to a statement from the college where he worked. He was 91.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FHazardCTC%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0DniJdHRbuBzpjHkXeXw9oFMWW8qEtQNruDytbJjAXa6s2cLdGQXuAdVfPdgpgDFHl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="696" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>Osborne and his brother Sonny made up “The Osborne Brothers,” and their version of the song “Rocky Top” in 1967 became an official state song of Tennessee, his website said. Osborne was a member of the Grand Ole Opry and the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.“To say he was a legend falls short of the impact he had on all of us,” said Paul Schiminger, interim executive director at the International Bluegrass Music Association. “An innovative musical pioneer, Bobby set and held the gold standard for bluegrass vocals.”While Osborne and his brother will be remembered by many for the song “Rocky Top,” Schiminger said that barely scratches the surface of the many songs they recorded and performed.A native of Hyden, Kentucky, Osborne taught at the Hazard Community and Technical College’s Kentucky School of Bluegrass and Traditional Music in Leslie County for several years.In January, he received the Governor’s Awards in the Arts for his dedication to sharing Kentucky’s rich history in the arts around the world.Osborne was still performing and teaching last year when he told WYMT-TV that “as long as I can open my mouth and sing, I ain’t going to quit.”Hazard Community and Technical College President Jennifer Lindon said the school was deeply saddened to learn about Osborne’s death.“He was a pioneer in the bluegrass music industry and a champion for Eastern Kentucky,” she said.

Bluegrass musician who helped popularize song ‘Rocky Top’ dies

MORRIS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.

On June 24, police stopped a vehicle in the 10 block of S. 9th Street in Council Grove for an alleged traffic violation, according to a media release.

During the traffic stop, officers determined 34-year-old Tami Hewitt of Council Grove had multiple felony warrants for her arrest in Kansas and out of state.

She was arrested in July and again in December of 2022, according to online jail recored. She remains jailed on a $25,000 bond on a requested charge of failure to appear.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687949740176.png" alt="Hewitt-photo DIckinson Co." />
 <figcaption>Hewitt-photo DIckinson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>MORRIS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.On June 24, police stopped a vehicle in the 10 block of S. 9th Street in Council Grove for an alleged traffic violation, according to a media release.During the traffic stop, officers determined 34-year-old Tami Hewitt of Council Grove had multiple felony warrants for her arrest in Kansas and out of state.She was arrested in July and again in December of 2022, according to online jail recored. She remains jailed on a $25,000 bond on a requested charge of failure to appear.

Police catch Kansas woman wanted on warrants from out of state

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal, possible road rage shooting and have released additional information in the case.

Just before 6a.m. January 12, police responded to a homicide that occurred on southbound Interstate 435&nbsp; between 95th Street and K-10 Highway in Lenexa, according to a media release.

The victim, 59-year-old Michael O. Bohnsack, was driving in his white Jeep Grand Cherokee when someone shot into his vehicle, causing him to leave the roadway and crash in the ditch. 

The gunshot struck Bohnsack, killing him. Police believe the suspect vehicle to be a dark-colored sedan, possibly a Ford Fusion or other similar-style body vehicle. 

The suspect vehicle continued eastbound on Interstate 435 from the scene of the shooting. Based on some initial information from witnesses, it is possible that this shooting was the result of a road rage incident on Interstate 435 between the victim and suspect. 

Anyone who may have information about this homicide, including any possible road rage behaviors between a white Jeep Grand Cherokee and a dark sedan, possibly Ford Fusion, on the date and time of the crime is asked to call the Lenexa Police Department at 913-825-8040 or the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KCCrimeStoppers?__cft__[0]=AZXPnIGWorbgiJlypHBUf1hAAXI2Z0hB9GNQpQNyj_YLz8f6H28_Cp8N_I7S9OUy7IHdS8QBOMu6IQ6rNdo3zUxBgDUZ-4PJoGKRtjs8YwtY4kbiuWQjK_ia3sUgOEwCusbTJ_5w6VMJLn4bqFzvvrkzbZNhs7DZd8CVhNWx9gT77xsC6UeI_HSrZZJFTroJD84&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers</a> TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686874712596.png" alt="The road was closed during the investigation January 12-photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>The road was closed during the investigation January 12-photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal, possible road rage shooting and have released additional information in the case.Just before 6a.m. January 12, police responded to a homicide that occurred on southbound Interstate 435&nbsp; between 95th Street and K-10 Highway in Lenexa, according to a media release.The victim, 59-year-old Michael O. Bohnsack, was driving in his white Jeep Grand Cherokee when someone shot into his vehicle, causing him to leave the roadway and crash in the ditch. The gunshot struck Bohnsack, killing him. Police believe the suspect vehicle to be a dark-colored sedan, possibly a Ford Fusion or other similar-style body vehicle. The suspect vehicle continued eastbound on Interstate 435 from the scene of the shooting. Based on some initial information from witnesses, it is possible that this shooting was the result of a road rage incident on Interstate 435 between the victim and suspect. Anyone who may have information about this homicide, including any possible road rage behaviors between a white Jeep Grand Cherokee and a dark sedan, possibly Ford Fusion, on the date and time of the crime is asked to call the Lenexa Police Department at 913-825-8040 or the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KCCrimeStoppers?__cft__[0]=AZXPnIGWorbgiJlypHBUf1hAAXI2Z0hB9GNQpQNyj_YLz8f6H28_Cp8N_I7S9OUy7IHdS8QBOMu6IQ6rNdo3zUxBgDUZ-4PJoGKRtjs8YwtY4kbiuWQjK_ia3sUgOEwCusbTJ_5w6VMJLn4bqFzvvrkzbZNhs7DZd8CVhNWx9gT77xsC6UeI_HSrZZJFTroJD84&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers</a> TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).&nbsp;

Search continues for suspect in Kansas road-rage killing

WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security downplayed or ignored “a massive amount of intelligence information” ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">attack on the U.S Capitol</a>, according to the chairman of a Senate panel that on Tuesday released a new report on the intelligence failures ahead of the insurrection.

The report details how the agencies failed to recognize and warn of the potential for violence as some of then-President Donald Trump’s supporters openly planned the siege in messages and forums online.

Among the multitude of intelligence that was overlooked was a December 2020 tip to the FBI that members of the far-right extremist group&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-enrique-tarrio-seditious-conspiracy-trial-f8738f17552cda21eef6d89504da2a0e">Proud Boys</a>&nbsp;planned to be in Washington, D.C., for the certification of Joe Biden’s victory and their "plan is to literally kill people," the report said. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee said the agencies were also aware of many social media posts that foreshadowed violence, some calling on Trump’s supporters to “come armed” and storm the Capitol, kill lawmakers or “burn the place to the ground.”

Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, the Democratic chairman of the Homeland panel, said the breakdown was “largely a failure of imagination to see threats that the Capitol could be breached as credible,” echoing the findings of the Sept. 11 commission about intelligence failures ahead of the 2001 terrorist attacks.

The report by the panel’s majority staff says the intelligence community has not entirely recalibrated to focus on the threats of domestic, rather than international, terrorism. And government intelligence leaders failed to sound the alarm “in part because they could not conceive that the U.S. Capitol Building would be overrun by rioters.”

Still, Peters said, the reasons for dismissing what he called a “massive” amount of intelligence “defies an easy explanation.”

While several other reports have examined the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-riots-donald-trump-congress-433501bc3152f036e818f22bb702942e">intelligence failures</a>&nbsp;around Jan. 6 -- including a bipartisan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-siege-government-and-politics-96054d62518a7be4c3f30231f51beaf5">2021 Senate report</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-donald-trump-2b406a42f8be60fb46443495b08ae0cb">House Jan. 6 committee</a>&nbsp;last year and several separate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-police-riot-security-failures-3309c46a9e0bc21c2b6f3287a2e3b831">internal assessments</a>&nbsp;by the Capitol Police and other government agencies — the latest investigation is the first congressional report to focus solely on the actions of the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis.

In the wake of the attack, Peters said the committee interviewed officials at both agencies and found what was “pretty constant finger pointing” at each other.

“Everybody should be accountable because everybody failed,” Peters said.

Using emails and interviews collected by the Senate committee and others, including from the House Jan. 6 panel, the report lays out in detail the intelligence the agencies received in the weeks ahead of the attack.

There was not a failure to obtain evidence, the report says, but the agencies “failed to fully and accurately assess the severity of the threat identified by that intelligence, and formally disseminate guidance to their law enforcement partners."

As Trump, a Republican, falsely claimed he had won the 2020 election and tried to overturn his election defeat, telling his supporters to “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-capitol-siege-media-e79eb5164613d6718e9f4502eb471f27">fight like hell</a>&nbsp;” in a speech in front of the White House that day, thousands of them marched to the Capitol. More than 2,000 rioters overran law enforcement, assaulted police officers, and caused more than $2.7 billion in damage to the Capitol, according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report earlier this year.

Breaking through windows and doors, the rioters sent lawmakers running for their lives and temporarily interrupted the certification of the election victory by Biden, a Democrat.

Even as the attack was happening, the new report found, the FBI and Homeland Security downplayed the threat. As the Capitol Police struggled to clear the building, Homeland Security “was still struggling to assess the credibility of threats against the Capitol and to report out its intelligence.”

And at a 10 a.m. briefing as protesters gathered at Trump’s speech and near the Capitol were “wearing ballistic helmets, body armor, carrying radio equipment and military grade backpacks,” the FBI briefed that there were “no credible threats at this time.”

The lack of sufficient warnings meant that law enforcement were not adequately prepared and there was not a hardened perimeter established around the Capitol, as there is during events like the annual State of the Union address.

The report contains dozens of tips about violence on Jan. 6 that the agencies received and dismissed either due to lack of coordination, bureaucratic delays or trepidation on the part of those who were collecting it. The FBI, for example, was unexpectedly hindered in its attempt to find social media posts planning for Jan. 6 protests when the contract for its third-party social media monitoring tool expired. At Homeland Security, analysts were hesitant to report open-source intelligence after criticism in 2020 for collecting intelligence on American citizens during racial justice demonstrations.

One tip received by the FBI ahead of the Jan. 6 attack was from a former Justice Department official who sent screenshots of online posts from members of the Oath Keepers extremist group: “There is only one way in. It is not signs. It’s not rallies. It’s f------ bullets!”

The social media company&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/google-apple-amazon-parler-app-367b6dff19026c3811651aa01bde58f2">Parler</a>, a favored platform for Trump’s supporters, directly sent the FBI several posts it found alarming, adding that there was “more where this came from” and that they were concerned about what would happen on Jan. 6.

”(T)his is not a rally and it’s no longer a protest,” read one of the Parler posts sent to the FBI, according to the report. “This is a final stand where we are drawing the red line at Capitol Hill. (...) don’t be surprised if we take the #capital (sic) building.”

But even as it received the warnings, the Senate panel found, the agency said over and over again that there were no credible threats.

“Our nation is still reckoning with the fallout from January 6th, but what is clear is the need for a reevaluation of the federal government’s domestic intelligence collection, analysis, and dissemination processes," the new report says.

In a statement, Homeland Security spokesperson Angelo Fernandez said that the department has made many of those changes two and a half years later. The department “has strengthened intelligence analysis, information sharing, and operational preparedness to help prevent acts of violence and keep our communities safe.”

The FBI said in a separate response that since the attack it has increased focus on “swift information sharing” and centralized the flow of information to ensure more timely notification to other entities. “The FBI is determined to aggressively fight the danger posed by all domestic violent extremists, regardless of their motivations,” the statement said.

FBI Director Christopher Wray has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-chris-wray-testify-capitol-riot-9a5539af34b15338bb5c4923907eeb67">defended the FBI’s handling of intelligence</a>&nbsp;in the run-up to Jan. 6, including a report from its Norfolk field office on Jan. 5 that cited online posts foreshadowing the possibility of a “war” in Washington the following day. The Senate report noted that the memo “did not note the multitude of other warnings” the agency had received.

The faultfinding with the FBI and Homeland Security Department echoes the blistering criticism directed at U.S. Capitol Police in a bipartisan report issued by the Senate Homeland and Rules committees two years ago. That report found that the police intelligence unit knew about social media posts calling for violence, as well, but did not inform top leadership what they had found.

Peters says he asked for the probe of the intelligence agencies after other reports, such as the House panel’s investigation last year, focused on other aspects of the attack. The Jan. 6 panel was more focused on Trump’s actions, and concluded in its report that the former president&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-committee-final-report-takeaways-56cf44f8809cc76632f91f5c7910ec81">criminally engaged in a “multi-part conspiracy”</a>&nbsp;to overturn the lawful results of the 2020 presidential election and failed to act to stop his supporters from attacking the Capitol.

“It’s important for us to realize these failures to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Peters said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625861317057.png" alt="Photo U.S. Department of Justice" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Department of Justice</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security downplayed or ignored “a massive amount of intelligence information” ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">attack on the U.S Capitol</a>, according to the chairman of a Senate panel that on Tuesday released a new report on the intelligence failures ahead of the insurrection.The report details how the agencies failed to recognize and warn of the potential for violence as some of then-President Donald Trump’s supporters openly planned the siege in messages and forums online.Among the multitude of intelligence that was overlooked was a December 2020 tip to the FBI that members of the far-right extremist group&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-enrique-tarrio-seditious-conspiracy-trial-f8738f17552cda21eef6d89504da2a0e">Proud Boys</a>&nbsp;planned to be in Washington, D.C., for the certification of Joe Biden’s victory and their "plan is to literally kill people," the report said. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee said the agencies were also aware of many social media posts that foreshadowed violence, some calling on Trump’s supporters to “come armed” and storm the Capitol, kill lawmakers or “burn the place to the ground.”Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, the Democratic chairman of the Homeland panel, said the breakdown was “largely a failure of imagination to see threats that the Capitol could be breached as credible,” echoing the findings of the Sept. 11 commission about intelligence failures ahead of the 2001 terrorist attacks.The report by the panel’s majority staff says the intelligence community has not entirely recalibrated to focus on the threats of domestic, rather than international, terrorism. And government intelligence leaders failed to sound the alarm “in part because they could not conceive that the U.S. Capitol Building would be overrun by rioters.”Still, Peters said, the reasons for dismissing what he called a “massive” amount of intelligence “defies an easy explanation.”While several other reports have examined the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-riots-donald-trump-congress-433501bc3152f036e818f22bb702942e">intelligence failures</a>&nbsp;around Jan. 6 -- including a bipartisan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-siege-government-and-politics-96054d62518a7be4c3f30231f51beaf5">2021 Senate report</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-donald-trump-2b406a42f8be60fb46443495b08ae0cb">House Jan. 6 committee</a>&nbsp;last year and several separate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-police-riot-security-failures-3309c46a9e0bc21c2b6f3287a2e3b831">internal assessments</a>&nbsp;by the Capitol Police and other government agencies — the latest investigation is the first congressional report to focus solely on the actions of the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis.In the wake of the attack, Peters said the committee interviewed officials at both agencies and found what was “pretty constant finger pointing” at each other.“Everybody should be accountable because everybody failed,” Peters said.Using emails and interviews collected by the Senate committee and others, including from the House Jan. 6 panel, the report lays out in detail the intelligence the agencies received in the weeks ahead of the attack.There was not a failure to obtain evidence, the report says, but the agencies “failed to fully and accurately assess the severity of the threat identified by that intelligence, and formally disseminate guidance to their law enforcement partners."As Trump, a Republican, falsely claimed he had won the 2020 election and tried to overturn his election defeat, telling his supporters to “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-capitol-siege-media-e79eb5164613d6718e9f4502eb471f27">fight like hell</a>&nbsp;” in a speech in front of the White House that day, thousands of them marched to the Capitol. More than 2,000 rioters overran law enforcement, assaulted police officers, and caused more than $2.7 billion in damage to the Capitol, according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report earlier this year.Breaking through windows and doors, the rioters sent lawmakers running for their lives and temporarily interrupted the certification of the election victory by Biden, a Democrat.Even as the attack was happening, the new report found, the FBI and Homeland Security downplayed the threat. As the Capitol Police struggled to clear the building, Homeland Security “was still struggling to assess the credibility of threats against the Capitol and to report out its intelligence.”And at a 10 a.m. briefing as protesters gathered at Trump’s speech and near the Capitol were “wearing ballistic helmets, body armor, carrying radio equipment and military grade backpacks,” the FBI briefed that there were “no credible threats at this time.”The lack of sufficient warnings meant that law enforcement were not adequately prepared and there was not a hardened perimeter established around the Capitol, as there is during events like the annual State of the Union address.The report contains dozens of tips about violence on Jan. 6 that the agencies received and dismissed either due to lack of coordination, bureaucratic delays or trepidation on the part of those who were collecting it. The FBI, for example, was unexpectedly hindered in its attempt to find social media posts planning for Jan. 6 protests when the contract for its third-party social media monitoring tool expired. At Homeland Security, analysts were hesitant to report open-source intelligence after criticism in 2020 for collecting intelligence on American citizens during racial justice demonstrations.One tip received by the FBI ahead of the Jan. 6 attack was from a former Justice Department official who sent screenshots of online posts from members of the Oath Keepers extremist group: “There is only one way in. It is not signs. It’s not rallies. It’s f------ bullets!”The social media company&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/google-apple-amazon-parler-app-367b6dff19026c3811651aa01bde58f2">Parler</a>, a favored platform for Trump’s supporters, directly sent the FBI several posts it found alarming, adding that there was “more where this came from” and that they were concerned about what would happen on Jan. 6.”(T)his is not a rally and it’s no longer a protest,” read one of the Parler posts sent to the FBI, according to the report. “This is a final stand where we are drawing the red line at Capitol Hill. (...) don’t be surprised if we take the #capital (sic) building.”But even as it received the warnings, the Senate panel found, the agency said over and over again that there were no credible threats.“Our nation is still reckoning with the fallout from January 6th, but what is clear is the need for a reevaluation of the federal government’s domestic intelligence collection, analysis, and dissemination processes," the new report says.In a statement, Homeland Security spokesperson Angelo Fernandez said that the department has made many of those changes two and a half years later. The department “has strengthened intelligence analysis, information sharing, and operational preparedness to help prevent acts of violence and keep our communities safe.”The FBI said in a separate response that since the attack it has increased focus on “swift information sharing” and centralized the flow of information to ensure more timely notification to other entities. “The FBI is determined to aggressively fight the danger posed by all domestic violent extremists, regardless of their motivations,” the statement said.FBI Director Christopher Wray has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-chris-wray-testify-capitol-riot-9a5539af34b15338bb5c4923907eeb67">defended the FBI’s handling of intelligence</a>&nbsp;in the run-up to Jan. 6, including a report from its Norfolk field office on Jan. 5 that cited online posts foreshadowing the possibility of a “war” in Washington the following day. The Senate report noted that the memo “did not note the multitude of other warnings” the agency had received.The faultfinding with the FBI and Homeland Security Department echoes the blistering criticism directed at U.S. Capitol Police in a bipartisan report issued by the Senate Homeland and Rules committees two years ago. That report found that the police intelligence unit knew about social media posts calling for violence, as well, but did not inform top leadership what they had found.Peters says he asked for the probe of the intelligence agencies after other reports, such as the House panel’s investigation last year, focused on other aspects of the attack. The Jan. 6 panel was more focused on Trump’s actions, and concluded in its report that the former president&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-committee-final-report-takeaways-56cf44f8809cc76632f91f5c7910ec81">criminally engaged in a “multi-part conspiracy”</a>&nbsp;to overturn the lawful results of the 2020 presidential election and failed to act to stop his supporters from attacking the Capitol.“It’s important for us to realize these failures to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Peters said.

Senate report: FBI ignored 'massive amount' of intelligence before Jan. 6

OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after a traffic stop.

Just after 4 p.m. Sunday a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop&nbsp; on U.S. 75 Highway, near Carbondale, for a traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.

 During the stop, the deputy found illegal narcotics.

The driver of the vehicle, James I. Morehead, 62, of Silver Lake, was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine, Possession of drug paraphernalia and Interference with law enforcement. He has as many a four previous DUI convictions, according to the Kansas Department of corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687814158950.png" alt="Morehead-photo Osage Co." />
 <figcaption>Morehead-photo Osage Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after a traffic stop.Just after 4 p.m. Sunday a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop&nbsp; on U.S. 75 Highway, near Carbondale, for a traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells. During the stop, the deputy found illegal narcotics.The driver of the vehicle, James I. Morehead, 62, of Silver Lake, was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine, Possession of drug paraphernalia and Interference with law enforcement. He has as many a four previous DUI convictions, according to the Kansas Department of corrections.

Kan. man with 4 previous DUI convictions caught with meth

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — There was no way,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ralph-yarl-brain-injury-shot-teenager-black-kansas-city-e31994020e808dd622cb04c73236fd4c">Ralph Yarl</a>&nbsp;thought, that the white man pointing the gun at him through the glass door would shoot him. But the Black teenager, who had gone to the wrong house in Kansas City looking for his younger brothers, was wrong a second time.

Yarl's brothers were actually at a home a block away, and he said in an&nbsp;<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/ralph-yarl-teen-shot-after-mistakenly-wrong-house/story?id=100385425">interview with “Good Morning America”</a>&nbsp;anchor Robin Roberts that aired Tuesday that he hadn’t met the family of his brothers’ friends, “so maybe it was their house.”

After ringing the doorbell, he said, he waited a long time on the porch before the door opened.

“I see this old man and I’m saying, ‘Oh, this must be like, their grandpa,’” said Yarl, now 17. “And then he pulls out his gun. And I’m like, ‘Whoa!’ So I like, back up. He points it at me.”

Yarl, whose brothers were actually at a home a block away, braced and turned his head.

“And then it happened, and then I’m on the ground. I fall on the glass, the shattered glass,” he told Roberts, and “then before I know it, I’m running away, shouting, 'Help me! Help me!’”

Yarl was bleeding and said he wondered how it was possible that he had been shot in the head. The man he had never met before said only five words to him, he said: “Don’t come here ever again.”

Andrew Lester, 84, has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ralph-yarl-shooting-updates-c13170d6759f2963b01a68fc8a6332f7">pleaded not guilty</a>&nbsp;to first-degree assault and armed criminal action in the April 13 shooting.

Lester admitted that he shot Yarl through the door without warning because he was “scared to death” he was about to be robbed by the Black person standing at his door. He remains free after posting $20,000 — 10% of his $200,000 bond.

The shooting drew international attention amid claims that Lester received preferential treatment from investigators after he shot Yarl. President Joe Biden and several celebrities issued statements calling for justice. Yarl’s attorney, Lee Merritt, has called for the shooting to be investigated as a hate crime.

Yarl’s mother, Cleo Nagbe, said on “Good Morning America” that she had been worried that her son got a flat tire, but that she then got a call from police telling her about the shooting, and she headed to the hospital. He was partially alert, but it was traumatizing, she said.

Ten weeks later, Yarl is physically recovered but said that he has headaches and trouble sleeping and that sometimes his mind is just foggy.

“You’re looking at a kid that took the SAT when he was in eighth grade — and now his brain is slowed,” Nagbe told Roberts. “So physically he looks fine. But there’s a lot that has been taken from him."

Yarl said he is seeing a therapist and hopes to continue his recovery by focusing on his passions for chemical engineering and for music.

“I’m just a kid and not larger than life because this happened to me,” Yarl said. “I’m just going to keep doing all the stuff that makes me happy. And just living my life the best I can, and not let this bother me.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685411755177.png" alt="Ralph Yarl&nbsp; (center) walked with family, friends and other brain injury survivors last month at Going the Distance for Brain Injury, a yearly Memorial Day race at Loose Park in Kansas City-photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Ralph Yarl&nbsp; (center) walked with family, friends and other brain injury survivors last month at Going the Distance for Brain Injury, a yearly Memorial Day race at Loose Park in Kansas City-photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — There was no way,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ralph-yarl-brain-injury-shot-teenager-black-kansas-city-e31994020e808dd622cb04c73236fd4c">Ralph Yarl</a>&nbsp;thought, that the white man pointing the gun at him through the glass door would shoot him. But the Black teenager, who had gone to the wrong house in Kansas City looking for his younger brothers, was wrong a second time.Yarl's brothers were actually at a home a block away, and he said in an&nbsp;<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/ralph-yarl-teen-shot-after-mistakenly-wrong-house/story?id=100385425">interview with “Good Morning America”</a>&nbsp;anchor Robin Roberts that aired Tuesday that he hadn’t met the family of his brothers’ friends, “so maybe it was their house.”After ringing the doorbell, he said, he waited a long time on the porch before the door opened.“I see this old man and I’m saying, ‘Oh, this must be like, their grandpa,’” said Yarl, now 17. “And then he pulls out his gun. And I’m like, ‘Whoa!’ So I like, back up. He points it at me.”Yarl, whose brothers were actually at a home a block away, braced and turned his head.“And then it happened, and then I’m on the ground. I fall on the glass, the shattered glass,” he told Roberts, and “then before I know it, I’m running away, shouting, 'Help me! Help me!’”Yarl was bleeding and said he wondered how it was possible that he had been shot in the head. The man he had never met before said only five words to him, he said: “Don’t come here ever again.”Andrew Lester, 84, has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ralph-yarl-shooting-updates-c13170d6759f2963b01a68fc8a6332f7">pleaded not guilty</a>&nbsp;to first-degree assault and armed criminal action in the April 13 shooting.Lester admitted that he shot Yarl through the door without warning because he was “scared to death” he was about to be robbed by the Black person standing at his door. He remains free after posting $20,000 — 10% of his $200,000 bond.The shooting drew international attention amid claims that Lester received preferential treatment from investigators after he shot Yarl. President Joe Biden and several celebrities issued statements calling for justice. Yarl’s attorney, Lee Merritt, has called for the shooting to be investigated as a hate crime.Yarl’s mother, Cleo Nagbe, said on “Good Morning America” that she had been worried that her son got a flat tire, but that she then got a call from police telling her about the shooting, and she headed to the hospital. He was partially alert, but it was traumatizing, she said.Ten weeks later, Yarl is physically recovered but said that he has headaches and trouble sleeping and that sometimes his mind is just foggy.“You’re looking at a kid that took the SAT when he was in eighth grade — and now his brain is slowed,” Nagbe told Roberts. “So physically he looks fine. But there’s a lot that has been taken from him."Yarl said he is seeing a therapist and hopes to continue his recovery by focusing on his passions for chemical engineering and for music.“I’m just a kid and not larger than life because this happened to me,” Yarl said. “I’m just going to keep doing all the stuff that makes me happy. And just living my life the best I can, and not let this bother me.”

Kansas City teen recounts being shot after he rang the wrong doorbell

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — In an unusual legal move, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is asking a state appeals court to reverse&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-race-and-ethnicity-kansas-city-933d3aba9b37c83145fba5818d557c02">the conviction</a>&nbsp;of a white former Kansas City police detective who shot and killed a Black man three years ago.

In a brief filed Monday, Bailey said the evidence presented at a trial in 2021 did not support Eric DeValkenaere's conviction for second-degree involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action in the death of 26-year-old Cameron Lamb on Dec. 3, 2019.

Bailey asked the court to reverse DeValkenaere's conviction or order a new trial.

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker, whose office secured DeValkenaere's conviction, said the motion by the attorney general — the state's top law enforcement officer — to challenge a conviction was “unprecedented” and an affront to the people of Kansas City.

In a news conference on Monday, she accused Bailey, a Republican who was appointed to the attorney general's office in January, of “attempting to expand his power to that of a judge.”

“I can’t say in my time, 25 plus years of being here, that I’ve seen anything like this before," Baker said.

Cameron Lamb’s father, Aqil Bey, said at the news conference that Bailey's actions were a miscarriage of justice. He said DeValkanaere had been given every legal advantage, including not having to serve a day in jail since his conviction.

“We don't feel good about it. But we are going to continue to let the legal system run its course, and we'll see what happens,” Bey said.

Ben Trachtenberg, a University of Missouri School of Law professor and expert in criminal law, agreed that Bailey's decision was unusual, noting the state's attorney general's office has a history of vigorously defending convictions, even in cases where the local prosecutor is trying to overturn a conviction.

Bailey's predecessor, Eric Schmidt, who is now a Republican U.S. senator, strongly opposed efforts by Baker and former St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner to release two men —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legal-proceedings-missouri-st-louis-prisons-5c4f3e6faadb018aef74685044b882d1">Lamar Johnson</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-kansas-missouri-bba67efd61eaa165165e29a7298a1dc3">Kevin Strickland</a>&nbsp;— who they believed were jailed for murders they didn't commit. Both men were eventually released from prison.

Still, Trachtenberg said Bailey was within his authority in not defending DeValkenaere’s conviction.

“The attorney general’s office does have broad responsibility for dealing with criminal appeals,” he said. “But lawyers don’t have to defend every single case. The attorney general’s office's highest duty is to pursue justice. If they think somebody is innocent, they don’t have to defend the conviction.”

DeValkenaere&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-race-and-ethnicity-kansas-city-933d3aba9b37c83145fba5818d557c02">was convicted</a>&nbsp;in November 2021 of killing Lamb, who was shot as he backed his truck into his garage. Police said DeValkenaere and his partner, Troy Schwalm, went to Lamb's home after reports that Lamb was involved in a car chase with his girlfriend on residential streets.

Jackson County Circuit Court Presiding Judge J. Dale Youngs, who convicted the former detective after a bench trial,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-kansas-city-kansas-cdc43324871862f01222a6ca29ef317f">sentenced</a>&nbsp;DeValkenaere to three years for involuntary manslaughter and six years for armed criminal action, with the sentences to run consecutively.

But Youngs later ruled that DeValkenaere&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-kansas-city-kansas-cdc43324871862f01222a6ca29ef317f">could remain free</a>&nbsp;while his conviction is appealed.

In his motion, Bailey said Lamb's death was “tragic” and shouldn't have happened. But he argued that DeValkenaere used reasonable force because he believed Lamb was going to shoot Schwalm. The motion, which includes several pages reiterating the police department's version of events, said officers believed they saw Lamb with a handgun inside the truck, and a handgun was found near the truck after Lamb was shot.

“DeValkenaere’s use of force was reasonable in light of Mr. Lamb’s use of deadly force against Schwalm, and the court erred as a matter of fact and law in determining that Schwalm and DeValkenaere were the initial aggressors,” Bailey wrote. “DeValkenaere also was not criminally negligent.”

Prosecutors and Lamb's family had alleged the handgun was planted after the shooting. But Youngs did not address that issue when he convicted the detective.

Instead, the judge said the officers had no probable cause to believe that any crime had been committed, had no warrant for Lamb’s arrest and had no search warrant or consent to be on the property. He said police were the initial aggressors and they had a duty to retreat, but DeValkenaere illegally used deadly force instead.

Rumors had swirled in the last month that Republican Gov. Mike Parson was considering pardoning or granting clemency to DeValkenaere, prompting Baker to send him a letter urging him not to do so. Civil rights advocates warned that releasing the former detective could cause unrest in the city and damage an already tense relationship between police and Kansas City's minority community.

Parson said last week that he had not yet decided what action to take and criticized Baker for using the case for political purposes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592994941014.png" alt="Eric DeValkenaere-photo KCPD" />
 <figcaption>Eric DeValkenaere-photo KCPD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — In an unusual legal move, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is asking a state appeals court to reverse&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-race-and-ethnicity-kansas-city-933d3aba9b37c83145fba5818d557c02">the conviction</a>&nbsp;of a white former Kansas City police detective who shot and killed a Black man three years ago.In a brief filed Monday, Bailey said the evidence presented at a trial in 2021 did not support Eric DeValkenaere's conviction for second-degree involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action in the death of 26-year-old Cameron Lamb on Dec. 3, 2019.Bailey asked the court to reverse DeValkenaere's conviction or order a new trial.Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker, whose office secured DeValkenaere's conviction, said the motion by the attorney general — the state's top law enforcement officer — to challenge a conviction was “unprecedented” and an affront to the people of Kansas City.In a news conference on Monday, she accused Bailey, a Republican who was appointed to the attorney general's office in January, of “attempting to expand his power to that of a judge.”“I can’t say in my time, 25 plus years of being here, that I’ve seen anything like this before," Baker said.Cameron Lamb’s father, Aqil Bey, said at the news conference that Bailey's actions were a miscarriage of justice. He said DeValkanaere had been given every legal advantage, including not having to serve a day in jail since his conviction.“We don't feel good about it. But we are going to continue to let the legal system run its course, and we'll see what happens,” Bey said.Ben Trachtenberg, a University of Missouri School of Law professor and expert in criminal law, agreed that Bailey's decision was unusual, noting the state's attorney general's office has a history of vigorously defending convictions, even in cases where the local prosecutor is trying to overturn a conviction.Bailey's predecessor, Eric Schmidt, who is now a Republican U.S. senator, strongly opposed efforts by Baker and former St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner to release two men —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legal-proceedings-missouri-st-louis-prisons-5c4f3e6faadb018aef74685044b882d1">Lamar Johnson</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-kansas-missouri-bba67efd61eaa165165e29a7298a1dc3">Kevin Strickland</a>&nbsp;— who they believed were jailed for murders they didn't commit. Both men were eventually released from prison.Still, Trachtenberg said Bailey was within his authority in not defending DeValkenaere’s conviction.“The attorney general’s office does have broad responsibility for dealing with criminal appeals,” he said. “But lawyers don’t have to defend every single case. The attorney general’s office's highest duty is to pursue justice. If they think somebody is innocent, they don’t have to defend the conviction.”DeValkenaere&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-race-and-ethnicity-kansas-city-933d3aba9b37c83145fba5818d557c02">was convicted</a>&nbsp;in November 2021 of killing Lamb, who was shot as he backed his truck into his garage. Police said DeValkenaere and his partner, Troy Schwalm, went to Lamb's home after reports that Lamb was involved in a car chase with his girlfriend on residential streets.Jackson County Circuit Court Presiding Judge J. Dale Youngs, who convicted the former detective after a bench trial,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-kansas-city-kansas-cdc43324871862f01222a6ca29ef317f">sentenced</a>&nbsp;DeValkenaere to three years for involuntary manslaughter and six years for armed criminal action, with the sentences to run consecutively.But Youngs later ruled that DeValkenaere&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-kansas-city-kansas-cdc43324871862f01222a6ca29ef317f">could remain free</a>&nbsp;while his conviction is appealed.In his motion, Bailey said Lamb's death was “tragic” and shouldn't have happened. But he argued that DeValkenaere used reasonable force because he believed Lamb was going to shoot Schwalm. The motion, which includes several pages reiterating the police department's version of events, said officers believed they saw Lamb with a handgun inside the truck, and a handgun was found near the truck after Lamb was shot.“DeValkenaere’s use of force was reasonable in light of Mr. Lamb’s use of deadly force against Schwalm, and the court erred as a matter of fact and law in determining that Schwalm and DeValkenaere were the initial aggressors,” Bailey wrote. “DeValkenaere also was not criminally negligent.”Prosecutors and Lamb's family had alleged the handgun was planted after the shooting. But Youngs did not address that issue when he convicted the detective.Instead, the judge said the officers had no probable cause to believe that any crime had been committed, had no warrant for Lamb’s arrest and had no search warrant or consent to be on the property. He said police were the initial aggressors and they had a duty to retreat, but DeValkenaere illegally used deadly force instead.Rumors had swirled in the last month that Republican Gov. Mike Parson was considering pardoning or granting clemency to DeValkenaere, prompting Baker to send him a letter urging him not to do so. Civil rights advocates warned that releasing the former detective could cause unrest in the city and damage an already tense relationship between police and Kansas City's minority community.Parson said last week that he had not yet decided what action to take and criticized Baker for using the case for political purposes.

AG seeks reversal of former KC detective's conviction in Black man's death

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man faces multiple felony charges for the fatal shooting of three persons at an after hours club near 57th and Prospect Avenue early Sunday in Kansas City, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced on Tuesday.

Keivon M. Greene, 26, faces two counts of Murder in the 2nd Degree, a third Murder in the 2nd Degree Felony Murder, and three counts of Armed Criminal Action charges.

Responding officers found two men and a woman dead from gunshot wounds about 4:30 a.m. Sunday in a parking lot where a crowd had gathered near an auto shop known to host informal after-hours get-togethers, according to police.

According to the probable cause statement, one of the wounded told police the shooting started after she greeted one of the suspects and his girlfriend with a hug.

The victim's boyfriend then told the suspect to “watch his hands.” When the victim and her boyfriend began to walk away, the suspect took out a gun and fatally shot him in the back, according to the statement.

Another person pulled a gun and began shooting, striking the woman in the buttocks. The victim identified Greene as the man who shot her, according to the statement.

Online court records did not name an attorney for Greene.

Police initially said at least five others were shot and taken to hospitals by private vehicles and ambulances. On Monday, police identified a sixth person who went to a hospital after being wounded.

The dead were identified as Nikko Manning, 22; Jasity Strong, 28; and Camden Brown, 29.

Greene was taken into custody at a hospital, where he went after being shot in the hand.&nbsp; He had posted $1,000 cash bond about two days before the shooting on felony charges of resisting arrest and drug possession in Independence, an eastern suburb of Kansas City.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687892030362.png" alt="Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced the additional charges Tuesday" />
 <figcaption>Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced the additional charges Tuesday</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man faces multiple felony charges for the fatal shooting of three persons at an after hours club near 57th and Prospect Avenue early Sunday in Kansas City, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced on Tuesday.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-JTqJ4z5tyA?start=300" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Keivon M. Greene, 26, faces two counts of Murder in the 2nd Degree, a third Murder in the 2nd Degree Felony Murder, and three counts of Armed Criminal Action charges.Responding officers found two men and a woman dead from gunshot wounds about 4:30 a.m. Sunday in a parking lot where a crowd had gathered near an auto shop known to host informal after-hours get-togethers, according to police.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687710602889.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation early Sunday-photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation early Sunday-photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>According to the probable cause statement, one of the wounded told police the shooting started after she greeted one of the suspects and his girlfriend with a hug.The victim's boyfriend then told the suspect to “watch his hands.” When the victim and her boyfriend began to walk away, the suspect took out a gun and fatally shot him in the back, according to the statement.Another person pulled a gun and began shooting, striking the woman in the buttocks. The victim identified Greene as the man who shot her, according to the statement.Online court records did not name an attorney for Greene.Police initially said at least five others were shot and taken to hospitals by private vehicles and ambulances. On Monday, police identified a sixth person who went to a hospital after being wounded.The dead were identified as Nikko Manning, 22; Jasity Strong, 28; and Camden Brown, 29.Greene was taken into custody at a hospital, where he went after being shot in the hand.&nbsp; He had posted $1,000 cash bond about two days before the shooting on felony charges of resisting arrest and drug possession in Independence, an eastern suburb of Kansas City.

🎥 Murder charges announced for suspect in Kansas City mass shooting

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged accidental shooting in Riley County.

Just after 10p.m. Monday, officers responded to a report of an accidental shooting in the 7100 block of Anderson Avenue, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

First responders found a 36-year-old woman suffering from ricochet shrapnel wounds to the head and face that occurred while a 39-year-old man she was with was shooting at raccoons.

The woman was transported to Via Christi in Manhattan for treatment of&nbsp; non-life-threatening injuries.&nbsp; Police released no additional details.

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged accidental shooting in Riley County.Just after 10p.m. Monday, officers responded to a report of an accidental shooting in the 7100 block of Anderson Avenue, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.First responders found a 36-year-old woman suffering from ricochet shrapnel wounds to the head and face that occurred while a 39-year-old man she was with was shooting at raccoons.The woman was transported to Via Christi in Manhattan for treatment of&nbsp; non-life-threatening injuries.&nbsp; Police released no additional details.

Police: Kan. woman injured during shooting at raccoons

By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/05/kansas-lawmakers-debate-definition-of-female-and-male-for-county-jails/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas had a record-breaking number of out-of-state patients receiving abortions in 2022, following a national rollback of reproductive rights.&nbsp;

Physicians reported a total of 12,318 instances of medical abortions in the state in 2022, according to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/29328/KS-Abortions-2022-PDF">a preliminary report</a>&nbsp;released by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, which produces annual abortion reports.&nbsp;

While the total number of abortions for the year isn’t the highest number ever reported — the year 1999 had a recorded 12,445 abortions,&nbsp; 6,029 of which were out-of-state patients — it is the&nbsp; highest number of out-of-state abortions reported since the report began in 1981, and the largest increase in abortions from year to year.&nbsp;

In 2022, 8,475 out-of-state patients received abortions in Kansas, marking an increase from 2021, when 7,849 total abortion procedures were performed in the state.

In 2022, the mifepristone pill accounted for 59.6% of the abortions in Kansas. About 60% of patients terminated their pregnancy before the first nine weeks, and 88.3% within the first 12 weeks. One abortion occurred outside of 22 weeks, Kansas’ legal abortion threshold, due to a nonviable fetus.&nbsp;

Ten girls younger than 14 received an abortion in Kansas, and 290 patients between the ages of 14 and 17 received abortions, according to the report.&nbsp;

Danielle Underwood, Kansans for Life’s Director of Communications, said the organization predicted this increase.

“As we predicted, Kansas has seen a massive increase in the number of vulnerable women being intentionally funneled to abortion facilities in Kansas,” Underwood said. “Behind each of these statistics is an industry eager to pad its bottom line, a woman who has been pushed to feel she has no other option and a child who will never blow out her first birthday candle.”&nbsp;

The organization called on KDHE to provide the report&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/kansas-plans-to-report-2022-abortion-numbers-this-month/">earlier this month</a>, following unusual delays in the release. The agency typically releases the annual abortion report in March.

The rise in abortion comes after increasing restrictions. On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court released its decision in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/19-1392_6j37.pdf">Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization</a>, overturning the federal right to terminate a pregnancy.&nbsp;

Since the Dobbs ruling, 15 states have enacted&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/see-data-reproductive-rights?eType=EmailBlastContent&amp;eId=916ee9ff-6829-45fb-86cf-e8ff239ac952">full or partial abortion bans</a>, while others have implemented restrictions such as gestational limits. Several of Kansas’ neighboring states, including Oklahoma, Missouri and Arkansas, have banned abortion, and Nebraska has a 12-week ban.

Unlike its neighboring states, Kansas has repeatedly upheld reproductive protections. A&nbsp;Kansas Supreme Court ruling in 2019 determined the state’s constitutional right to bodily autonomy includes the right to terminate a pregnancy, and voters in August 2022 overwhelmingly rejected a constitutional amendment to eliminate that right.

In a Friday news release marking the anniversary of Dobbs,&nbsp;Emily Wales, president and CEO, Planned Parenthood Great Plains, said the organization would continue to focus on reproductive rights.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Today serves as a somber reminder of the overwhelming loss of Roe and its impact on patients’ fundamental right to control their bodies, lives, and futures,”&nbsp; Wales said. “For the past year, we have lived through the challenges this man-made health crisis has created for the region. Despite it all, there have been incredible moments of hope and light in this past year – from Kansans’ overwhelming vote to protect care to the many ways our staff, supporters, and volunteers have stepped in to help patients.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1659746749113.png" alt="In a&nbsp; news release marking the anniversary of Dobbs, Emily Wales, president and CEO, Planned Parenthood Great Plains, said the organization would continue to focus on reproductive rights.&nbsp;&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>In a&nbsp; news release marking the anniversary of Dobbs, Emily Wales, president and CEO, Planned Parenthood Great Plains, said the organization would continue to focus on reproductive rights.&nbsp;&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/05/kansas-lawmakers-debate-definition-of-female-and-male-for-county-jails/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas had a record-breaking number of out-of-state patients receiving abortions in 2022, following a national rollback of reproductive rights.&nbsp;Physicians reported a total of 12,318 instances of medical abortions in the state in 2022, according to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/29328/KS-Abortions-2022-PDF">a preliminary report</a>&nbsp;released by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, which produces annual abortion reports.&nbsp;While the total number of abortions for the year isn’t the highest number ever reported — the year 1999 had a recorded 12,445 abortions,&nbsp; 6,029 of which were out-of-state patients — it is the&nbsp; highest number of out-of-state abortions reported since the report began in 1981, and the largest increase in abortions from year to year.&nbsp;In 2022, 8,475 out-of-state patients received abortions in Kansas, marking an increase from 2021, when 7,849 total abortion procedures were performed in the state.In 2022, the mifepristone pill accounted for 59.6% of the abortions in Kansas. About 60% of patients terminated their pregnancy before the first nine weeks, and 88.3% within the first 12 weeks. One abortion occurred outside of 22 weeks, Kansas’ legal abortion threshold, due to a nonviable fetus.&nbsp;Ten girls younger than 14 received an abortion in Kansas, and 290 patients between the ages of 14 and 17 received abortions, according to the report.&nbsp;Danielle Underwood, Kansans for Life’s Director of Communications, said the organization predicted this increase.“As we predicted, Kansas has seen a massive increase in the number of vulnerable women being intentionally funneled to abortion facilities in Kansas,” Underwood said. “Behind each of these statistics is an industry eager to pad its bottom line, a woman who has been pushed to feel she has no other option and a child who will never blow out her first birthday candle.”&nbsp;The organization called on KDHE to provide the report&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/kansas-plans-to-report-2022-abortion-numbers-this-month/">earlier this month</a>, following unusual delays in the release. The agency typically releases the annual abortion report in March.The rise in abortion comes after increasing restrictions. On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court released its decision in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/19-1392_6j37.pdf">Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization</a>, overturning the federal right to terminate a pregnancy.&nbsp;Since the Dobbs ruling, 15 states have enacted&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/see-data-reproductive-rights?eType=EmailBlastContent&amp;eId=916ee9ff-6829-45fb-86cf-e8ff239ac952">full or partial abortion bans</a>, while others have implemented restrictions such as gestational limits. Several of Kansas’ neighboring states, including Oklahoma, Missouri and Arkansas, have banned abortion, and Nebraska has a 12-week ban.Unlike its neighboring states, Kansas has repeatedly upheld reproductive protections. A&nbsp;Kansas Supreme Court ruling in 2019 determined the state’s constitutional right to bodily autonomy includes the right to terminate a pregnancy, and voters in August 2022 overwhelmingly rejected a constitutional amendment to eliminate that right.In a Friday news release marking the anniversary of Dobbs,&nbsp;Emily Wales, president and CEO, Planned Parenthood Great Plains, said the organization would continue to focus on reproductive rights.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Today serves as a somber reminder of the overwhelming loss of Roe and its impact on patients’ fundamental right to control their bodies, lives, and futures,”&nbsp; Wales said. “For the past year, we have lived through the challenges this man-made health crisis has created for the region. Despite it all, there have been incredible moments of hope and light in this past year – from Kansans’ overwhelming vote to protect care to the many ways our staff, supporters, and volunteers have stepped in to help patients.”

Kan. report shows skyrocketing number of out-of-state abortion seekers

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a series of shootings in Topeka and have moved a suspect from the hospital to jail.

On Monday, police booked Tony Williams, 53, Topeka, into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections, according to Lt. Jerry Monasmith.

Just after 5 a.m. Friday, police responded to a shooting in the area of the 1800 Block of SW Gage Blvd. in Topeka, according to Police Lt. Edward Stanley.

First responders found two individuals suffering from gunshot wounds.

Then at 5:44 a.m., police responded to a shooting in&nbsp; the 1000 Block. of SW Plass Avenue. First responders found one individual&nbsp; suffering from gunshot wounds.

All three individuals were transported to a local area hospital, with two of these individuals injuries to be considered non-life threatening and one considered to be life threatening.

Police believed the two incidents were related and identified Williams as a suspect. He was being treated at a local hospital. He is now being held on requested charges of&nbsp;Attempted, Murder in the 1st degree; intentional and premeditated and gambling; making a bet.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687547641510.png" alt="Police on the scene of the shooting investigation early Friday -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the shooting investigation early Friday -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a series of shootings in Topeka and have moved a suspect from the hospital to jail.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687861273176.png" alt="Williams-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Williams-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>On Monday, police booked Tony Williams, 53, Topeka, into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections, according to Lt. Jerry Monasmith.Just after 5 a.m. Friday, police responded to a shooting in the area of the 1800 Block of SW Gage Blvd. in Topeka, according to Police Lt. Edward Stanley.First responders found two individuals suffering from gunshot wounds.Then at 5:44 a.m., police responded to a shooting in&nbsp; the 1000 Block. of SW Plass Avenue. First responders found one individual&nbsp; suffering from gunshot wounds.All three individuals were transported to a local area hospital, with two of these individuals injuries to be considered non-life threatening and one considered to be life threatening.Police believed the two incidents were related and identified Williams as a suspect. He was being treated at a local hospital. He is now being held on requested charges of&nbsp;Attempted, Murder in the 1st degree; intentional and premeditated and gambling; making a bet.

Suspect in Kansas shooting spree moved from hospital to jail

NEW YORK (AP) — The United States has seen five cases of malaria spread by mosquitos in the last two months — the first time there's been local spread in 20 years.

There were four cases detected in Florida and one in Texas, according to a health alert issued Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Malaria is caused by a parasite that spreads through mosquito bites. Infected people can suffer fever, chills and flu-like illness. If it goes untreated, infected people can develop severe complications and die. The largest death toll in recent years has been seen in children in sub-Saharan Africa.

Health officials are warning doctors, especially those in southern states where the weather is more friendly to the tropical mosquito that spreads malaria, to be aware of the possibility of infection. They also should think about how to access the IV drug that is the first-line treatment for severe malaria in the United States, the CDC said.

The agency said that the people who were diagnosed received treatment and “are improving.”

About 2,000 U.S. cases of malaria are diagnosed each year — the vast majority in travelers coming from countries where malaria commonly spreads.

Since 1992, there've been 11 outbreaks involving malaria from mosquitoes in the U.S. The last one occurred in 2003 in Palm Beach County, Florida, where eight cases were reported

NEW YORK (AP) — The United States has seen five cases of malaria spread by mosquitos in the last two months — the first time there's been local spread in 20 years.There were four cases detected in Florida and one in Texas, according to a health alert issued Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Malaria is caused by a parasite that spreads through mosquito bites. Infected people can suffer fever, chills and flu-like illness. If it goes untreated, infected people can develop severe complications and die. The largest death toll in recent years has been seen in children in sub-Saharan Africa.Health officials are warning doctors, especially those in southern states where the weather is more friendly to the tropical mosquito that spreads malaria, to be aware of the possibility of infection. They also should think about how to access the IV drug that is the first-line treatment for severe malaria in the United States, the CDC said.The agency said that the people who were diagnosed received treatment and “are improving.”About 2,000 U.S. cases of malaria are diagnosed each year — the vast majority in travelers coming from countries where malaria commonly spreads.Since 1992, there've been 11 outbreaks involving malaria from mosquitoes in the U.S. The last one occurred in 2003 in Palm Beach County, Florida, where eight cases were reported

CDC: 5 people with malaria in U.S; first cases in 20-years

WICHITA —The man charged with contempt at the start of a recent murder trial in Sedgwick County pled guilty Tuesday morning, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

On April 25, District Judge Tyler Roush charged Kyle Wissner, 22 of Haysville, with contempt for violating his orders to not discuss the Javan Ervin case.

Wissner was on the jury for a case involving Ervin who fled police when his pickup was involved in a four-vehicle crash that killed a pregnant Kansas woman, Samantha Russell.&nbsp; &nbsp;Wissner talked with other jurors about news media coverage of the case.

After hearing from other jurors about what Wissner did, Judge Roush found him in contempt and ordered a mistrial.&nbsp;

By state statute, the Kansas Attorney General’s Office prosecutes all contempt cases. The prosecutor Monday was Deputy Attorney General Vic Braden.

Wissner pled guilty to criminal contempt, a misdemeanor. District Judge Sean Hatfield sentenced him to a year of probation with an underlying sentence of 30 days in jail and a $500 fine.

Braden said when the defendant pays the $500 to District Court and court costs, he will be released from probation and the case will be closed.

On June 8, a jury found Ervin guilty of 1st degree murder in the traffic death of Samantha Russell at Central and Ridge Road in Wichita. Judge Roush is scheduled to sentence Ervin on July 26.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687812785198.png" alt="Wissner photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Wissner photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA —The man charged with contempt at the start of a recent murder trial in Sedgwick County pled guilty Tuesday morning, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.On April 25, District Judge Tyler Roush charged Kyle Wissner, 22 of Haysville, with contempt for violating his orders to not discuss the Javan Ervin case.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625655160724.png" alt="-First responders at the scene of the fatal 4-vehicle crash photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>-First responders at the scene of the fatal 4-vehicle crash photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Wissner was on the jury for a case involving Ervin who fled police when his pickup was involved in a four-vehicle crash that killed a pregnant Kansas woman, Samantha Russell.&nbsp; &nbsp;Wissner talked with other jurors about news media coverage of the case.After hearing from other jurors about what Wissner did, Judge Roush found him in contempt and ordered a mistrial.&nbsp;By state statute, the Kansas Attorney General’s Office prosecutes all contempt cases. The prosecutor Monday was Deputy Attorney General Vic Braden.Wissner pled guilty to criminal contempt, a misdemeanor. District Judge Sean Hatfield sentenced him to a year of probation with an underlying sentence of 30 days in jail and a $500 fine.Braden said when the defendant pays the $500 to District Court and court costs, he will be released from probation and the case will be closed.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625764005417.png" alt="Samantha Russell photo GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>Samantha Russell photo GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure>On June 8, a jury found Ervin guilty of 1st degree murder in the traffic death of Samantha Russell at Central and Ridge Road in Wichita. Judge Roush is scheduled to sentence Ervin on July 26..--------------

Kan. juror blamed for mistrial in murder case enters plea deal

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A new Kansas law requires the state to reverse any previous gender changes in its records for trans people's birth certificates and driver's licenses while also preventing such changes going forward, the state's conservative Republican attorney general declared Monday.

Attorney General Kris Kobach also said public schools' records for students must list them as being the gender they were assigned at birth, whether or not teachers and staff recognize their gender identities.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's office said she disagrees with Kobach's views, though it did not say whether state agencies under the governor's control would follow or defy them, setting up the possibility of a court fight. In 2019, a federal judge began requiring Kansas to allow transgender people to change their birth certificates&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/7409799fb2a144bca2fd90cd46b7ea6c">to settle a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;over a no-change policy.

“The attorney general must be off his rocker,” said Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, an attorney for Lambda Legal, which represented the four Kansas residents. “This was a bunch of bombast by an attorney general engaging in politics.”

A formal but non-binding legal opinion issued Monday by Kobach and his statements during a Statehouse news conference confirmed that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-bathroom-law-kansas-b3d068afa2bc02bb15314ee04e8e3899">the new law,</a>&nbsp;if fully in effect, legally would erase transgender people’s gender identities. Opponents predicted as much before the Republican-controlled Legislature enacted the law over Kelly’s veto, but the debate focused mostly on keeping transgender people&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-bathroom-laws-enforcement-e96e94b8935eb6bd23a42562cdeeec6c">from using restrooms</a>&nbsp;and other facilities in line with their gender identities.

The new law defines a person's sex — which can conflict with gender identity — based on a person's "biological reproductive system” at birth. A female has a system “developed to produce ova” while a male has a system “developed to fertilize” that ova. It says “important governmental objectives” of protecting people's health, safety and privacy justify sex-segregated spaces.

“You can choose whatever name you want. You can choose to live however you want,” said state Sen. Renee Erickson, of Wichita, one of three Republican lawmakers who joined Kobach during his news conference. “That does not make you a woman.”

If Kansas didn't allow transgender people to change their birth certificates — its policy before the judge's 2019 order — it would be among only a few states. Federal judges earlier this month upheld Oklahoma and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-birth-certificate-tennessee-lawsuit-47243ba14ab01fa227e0b60d7591675b">Tennessee</a>&nbsp;policies against such changes, and Montana could be sued in state courts over a 2022 law.

Micah Kubic, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, said state agencies are not required to adopt Kobach's views and accused the attorney general of rushing to “impose his own stamp of extremism.”

The state hasn't provided numbers for how many Kansas residents have changed the gender on either their birth certificates or their driver's licenses during the past four years. Kobach put the number for birth certificates at more than 100. Kelly's administration has not said how it will respond to the law.

Adam Kellogg, a 20-year-old transgender University of Kansas student, said Kobach's views, if adopted by the state, would mean that transgender people who need to verify their identities would see conflicts between their documents and gender identities “get very tangled very quickly.” He said transgender people could be forced to out themselves, jeopardizing their safety.

“This is government imposition in a way that should be more concerning to more people,” Kellogg said.

Kobach stressed that transgender people would not have to surrender documents in their possession. They just wouldn't be correct, legally.

He said he is not yet pressing for state action on birth certificates to give a federal judge a chance to grant&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-transgender-birth-certificates-f9723de7460ab5fe71b3e80ba7854046">his request to cancel</a>&nbsp;the 2019 order. He argued that the state law takes precedent over what he described as a judge signing off on a legal settlement — an idea others dispute.

“The Legislature has spoken,” Kobach said during his news conference. “The governor’s staff and the governor’s agencies cannot act as if the Legislature did not override her veto.”

In a brief statement Monday, Kelly spokesperson Zach Fletcher said the administration had discussions with Kobach's office but saw the federal judge's 2019 order as “the appropriate resolution.”

Fletcher added that the governor's office would not comment further because of “the impending litigation." It wasn't clear whether Kelly's administration expects to defy Kobach and him to sue, or whether the administration will go to court itself.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687826476734.png" alt="Image KDHE" />
 <figcaption>Image KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNA&nbsp;TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A new Kansas law requires the state to reverse any previous gender changes in its records for trans people's birth certificates and driver's licenses while also preventing such changes going forward, the state's conservative Republican attorney general declared Monday.Attorney General Kris Kobach also said public schools' records for students must list them as being the gender they were assigned at birth, whether or not teachers and staff recognize their gender identities.Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's office said she disagrees with Kobach's views, though it did not say whether state agencies under the governor's control would follow or defy them, setting up the possibility of a court fight. In 2019, a federal judge began requiring Kansas to allow transgender people to change their birth certificates&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/7409799fb2a144bca2fd90cd46b7ea6c">to settle a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;over a no-change policy.“The attorney general must be off his rocker,” said Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, an attorney for Lambda Legal, which represented the four Kansas residents. “This was a bunch of bombast by an attorney general engaging in politics.”A formal but non-binding legal opinion issued Monday by Kobach and his statements during a Statehouse news conference confirmed that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-bathroom-law-kansas-b3d068afa2bc02bb15314ee04e8e3899">the new law,</a>&nbsp;if fully in effect, legally would erase transgender people’s gender identities. Opponents predicted as much before the Republican-controlled Legislature enacted the law over Kelly’s veto, but the debate focused mostly on keeping transgender people&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-bathroom-laws-enforcement-e96e94b8935eb6bd23a42562cdeeec6c">from using restrooms</a>&nbsp;and other facilities in line with their gender identities.The new law defines a person's sex — which can conflict with gender identity — based on a person's "biological reproductive system” at birth. A female has a system “developed to produce ova” while a male has a system “developed to fertilize” that ova. It says “important governmental objectives” of protecting people's health, safety and privacy justify sex-segregated spaces.“You can choose whatever name you want. You can choose to live however you want,” said state Sen. Renee Erickson, of Wichita, one of three Republican lawmakers who joined Kobach during his news conference. “That does not make you a woman.”If Kansas didn't allow transgender people to change their birth certificates — its policy before the judge's 2019 order — it would be among only a few states. Federal judges earlier this month upheld Oklahoma and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-birth-certificate-tennessee-lawsuit-47243ba14ab01fa227e0b60d7591675b">Tennessee</a>&nbsp;policies against such changes, and Montana could be sued in state courts over a 2022 law.Micah Kubic, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, said state agencies are not required to adopt Kobach's views and accused the attorney general of rushing to “impose his own stamp of extremism.”The state hasn't provided numbers for how many Kansas residents have changed the gender on either their birth certificates or their driver's licenses during the past four years. Kobach put the number for birth certificates at more than 100. Kelly's administration has not said how it will respond to the law.Adam Kellogg, a 20-year-old transgender University of Kansas student, said Kobach's views, if adopted by the state, would mean that transgender people who need to verify their identities would see conflicts between their documents and gender identities “get very tangled very quickly.” He said transgender people could be forced to out themselves, jeopardizing their safety.“This is government imposition in a way that should be more concerning to more people,” Kellogg said.Kobach stressed that transgender people would not have to surrender documents in their possession. They just wouldn't be correct, legally.He said he is not yet pressing for state action on birth certificates to give a federal judge a chance to grant&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-transgender-birth-certificates-f9723de7460ab5fe71b3e80ba7854046">his request to cancel</a>&nbsp;the 2019 order. He argued that the state law takes precedent over what he described as a judge signing off on a legal settlement — an idea others dispute.“The Legislature has spoken,” Kobach said during his news conference. “The governor’s staff and the governor’s agencies cannot act as if the Legislature did not override her veto.”In a brief statement Monday, Kelly spokesperson Zach Fletcher said the administration had discussions with Kobach's office but saw the federal judge's 2019 order as “the appropriate resolution.”Fletcher added that the governor's office would not comment further because of “the impending litigation." It wasn't clear whether Kelly's administration expects to defy Kobach and him to sue, or whether the administration will go to court itself.

Kan. gov. , AG at odds on gender changes for trans people in state records

WICHITA —Registered nurses at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis and Ascension Via Christi St. Joseph hospitals in Wichita will strike on Tuesday to protest management’s resistance to bargain in good faith with RNs for union contracts that would help correct the endemic staffing crisis, according to a media release from National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU).&nbsp;

Nurses at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/press/ascension-seton-nurses-overwhelmingly-vote-to-authorize-strike" target="_blank">Ascension Seton Medical Center</a>, in Austin, Texas are also part of the job action. The strike was set to begin at 7a.m., according to the union web site.

Driven by their concerns about patient safety, these will be the largest nurse strikes in Kansas and Texas history, according to the union.

Ascension management’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/press/strike-ready-nurses-condemn-ascensions-lockout-threat" target="_blank">punitive three-day lockout of nurses who go on strike</a>&nbsp;has failed to intimidate the nurses. Among the 2,000 registered nurses at&nbsp;Ascension via Christi St. Joseph Hospital and&nbsp;Ascension via Christi St. Francis Hospital and&nbsp;Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin, Texas, there is now even greater momentum and motivation to speak out and demand management negotiate first contracts with its RNs to&nbsp; improve the health of their patients and communities.

“Management’s retaliatory threats are despicable, but union nurses won’t give up on our fight for our patients,” said&nbsp;Kris Fuentes,&nbsp;a registered nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit at Ascension Seton Medical Center in Austin. “Ascension’s dangerous staffing practices disrupt our ability to provide quality care and put our patients at risk every day. This is a clear sign Ascension would rather use its vast resources to delay improvement than to invest in the care our patients and our communities deserve with appropriate staffing.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686927459677.png" alt="Photo courtesy National Nurses United" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy National Nurses United</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA —Registered nurses at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis and Ascension Via Christi St. Joseph hospitals in Wichita will strike on Tuesday to protest management’s resistance to bargain in good faith with RNs for union contracts that would help correct the endemic staffing crisis, according to a media release from National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU).&nbsp;Nurses at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/press/ascension-seton-nurses-overwhelmingly-vote-to-authorize-strike" target="_blank">Ascension Seton Medical Center</a>, in Austin, Texas are also part of the job action. The strike was set to begin at 7a.m., according to the union web site.Driven by their concerns about patient safety, these will be the largest nurse strikes in Kansas and Texas history, according to the union.Ascension management’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/press/strike-ready-nurses-condemn-ascensions-lockout-threat" target="_blank">punitive three-day lockout of nurses who go on strike</a>&nbsp;has failed to intimidate the nurses. Among the 2,000 registered nurses at&nbsp;Ascension via Christi St. Joseph Hospital and&nbsp;Ascension via Christi St. Francis Hospital and&nbsp;Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin, Texas, there is now even greater momentum and motivation to speak out and demand management negotiate first contracts with its RNs to&nbsp; improve the health of their patients and communities.“Management’s retaliatory threats are despicable, but union nurses won’t give up on our fight for our patients,” said&nbsp;Kris Fuentes,&nbsp;a registered nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit at Ascension Seton Medical Center in Austin. “Ascension’s dangerous staffing practices disrupt our ability to provide quality care and put our patients at risk every day. This is a clear sign Ascension would rather use its vast resources to delay improvement than to invest in the care our patients and our communities deserve with appropriate staffing.”

Nurses at 2 Wichita hospitals begin their strike 

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal shooting that took the life of a teenager in Kansas City, Kansas have identified the victim as 17-year-old JaMarcus D. Lane, according to a media release.

The shooting happened just after 2:30 p.m. on Friday in the 3100 block of W. Barker Circle.

Police were dispatched to the scene and and found the boy with gunshot wounds. Police have released no additional details or suspect information.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal shooting that took the life of a teenager in Kansas City, Kansas have identified the victim as 17-year-old JaMarcus D. Lane, according to a media release.The shooting happened just after 2:30 p.m. on Friday in the 3100 block of W. Barker Circle.Police were dispatched to the scene and and found the boy with gunshot wounds. Police have released no additional details or suspect information.

Police ID teen who died in Kansas shooting

WASHINGTON —House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on social media hinted at a possible impeachment inquiry of Attorney General Merrick Garland over the alleged weaponization of the Department of Justice.

Garland continues to push back against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-irs-justice-department-irs-congress-d242a84d4d6d8e90db68febab168fef7">claims</a>&nbsp;from IRS whistleblowers that the Justice Department interfered with the investigation into Hunter Biden, saying more broadly that attacks on the department’s independence are corrosive.

(Click below to watch White House briefing on the investigation)

In a statement from McCarthy's office, the House Speaker wrote, "Here’s what we just learned from IRS whistleblower testimony: The IRS gave Hunter Biden's tax case preferential treatment. The Department of Justice interfered with the investigation at every turn and the IRS retaliated against those very whistleblowers for telling the truth

"Our committees will continue to follow every lead into the Biden family's shady business dealings and the weaponized Biden Department of Justice. The American people deserve answers and accountability, " McCarthy wrote.

"We need to get to the facts, and that includes reconciling these clear disparities. U.S. Attorney David Weiss must provide answers to the House Judiciary Committee."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685582773295.png" alt=""If the whistleblowers' allegations are true, this will be a significant part of a larger impeachment inquiry into Merrick Garland's weaponization of the Department of Justice,"&nbsp; House Speaker Kevin McCarthy wrote on Sunday.-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>"If the whistleblowers' allegations are true, this will be a significant part of a larger impeachment inquiry into Merrick Garland's weaponization of the Department of Justice,"&nbsp; House Speaker Kevin McCarthy wrote on Sunday.-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on social media hinted at a possible impeachment inquiry of Attorney General Merrick Garland over the alleged weaponization of the Department of Justice.Garland continues to push back against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-irs-justice-department-irs-congress-d242a84d4d6d8e90db68febab168fef7">claims</a>&nbsp;from IRS whistleblowers that the Justice Department interfered with the investigation into Hunter Biden, saying more broadly that attacks on the department’s independence are corrosive.(Click below to watch White House briefing on the investigation)<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We need to get to the facts, and that includes reconciling these clear disparities. U.S. Attorney David Weiss must provide answers to the House Judiciary Committee. If the whistleblowers&#39; allegations are true, this will be a significant part of a larger impeachment inquiry into… <a href="https://t.co/Q3LLeJhW85">https://t.co/Q3LLeJhW85</a>&mdash; Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerMcCarthy/status/1672994001459490817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In a statement from McCarthy's office, the House Speaker wrote, "Here’s what we just learned from IRS whistleblower testimony: The IRS gave Hunter Biden's tax case preferential treatment. The Department of Justice interfered with the investigation at every turn and the IRS retaliated against those very whistleblowers for telling the truth"Our committees will continue to follow every lead into the Biden family's shady business dealings and the weaponized Biden Department of Justice. The American people deserve answers and accountability, " McCarthy wrote."We need to get to the facts, and that includes reconciling these clear disparities. U.S. Attorney David Weiss must provide answers to the House Judiciary Committee.""If the whistleblowers' allegations are true, this will be a significant part of a larger impeachment inquiry into Merrick Garland's weaponization of the Department of Justice."(Click below to watch White House response)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F289364610159840%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=1958" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>In a separate statement Friday, President Biden's lawyer denounced the idea that the investigation cut any corners, and said it would be “dangerously misleading” to make conclusions based on the transcript.The transcript included a message Hunter sent to a business associate alluding to “sitting with his father,” seemingly suggesting that his father was aware of his business dealings.&nbsp;<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F289364610159840%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=2923" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Joe Biden has said he’s never spoken to his son about his foreign business. Asked if the president stands by those comments, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre replied: “What I will say is nothing has changed. Nothing has changed, and I will leave it there.”-The AP contributed to this report.