WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;said Friday it will&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/22-58_i425.pdf">no longer stand in the way</a>&nbsp;of a long-blocked Biden administration policy to prioritize the deportation of immigrants who are deemed to pose the greatest public safety risk or were picked up at the border.

The justices rejected a challenge from some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-louisiana-donald-trump-immigration-government-and-politics-0cca9ca72778e154da24ded403e8c415">Republican-led states</a>&nbsp;to a policy that, the administration said, recognizes that there is not enough money or manpower to deport all 11 million or so people who are in the United States illegally.

The states had argued that federal immigration law requires authorities to detain and deport even those who pose little or no risk.

At the center of the case is a September 2021 directive from the Department of Homeland Security that paused deportations unless individuals had committed acts of terrorism, espionage or “egregious threats to public safety.” The guidance, issued after Joe Biden became president, updated a Trump-era policy to remove people in the country illegally regardless of criminal history or community ties.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683898210525.png" alt="Migrants at the border as scene in photo from May 2023- Texas Dept. of Public Safety" />
 <figcaption>Migrants at the border as scene in photo from May 2023- Texas Dept. of Public Safety</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;said Friday it will&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/22-58_i425.pdf">no longer stand in the way</a>&nbsp;of a long-blocked Biden administration policy to prioritize the deportation of immigrants who are deemed to pose the greatest public safety risk or were picked up at the border.The justices rejected a challenge from some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-louisiana-donald-trump-immigration-government-and-politics-0cca9ca72778e154da24ded403e8c415">Republican-led states</a>&nbsp;to a policy that, the administration said, recognizes that there is not enough money or manpower to deport all 11 million or so people who are in the United States illegally.The states had argued that federal immigration law requires authorities to detain and deport even those who pose little or no risk.At the center of the case is a September 2021 directive from the Department of Homeland Security that paused deportations unless individuals had committed acts of terrorism, espionage or “egregious threats to public safety.” The guidance, issued after Joe Biden became president, updated a Trump-era policy to remove people in the country illegally regardless of criminal history or community ties.

Supreme Court rejects challenge to Biden deportation plan

WASHINGTON (AP) — About 7.5 million singing and swimming “Baby Shark” bath toys are being recalled after multiple impalements, lacerations and puncture wounds were reported in children playing with them.

Zuru, an El Segundo, California-based toymaker, said it's recalling both full-size and mini versions of its robotic baby shark toys that have hard plastic top fins, which pose the injury risks.

Twelve injuries have already been reported with Zuru's full-sized Robo Alive Junior Baby Shark Sing &amp; Swim Bath Toys — after children sat or fell on the now-recalled products. Nine of these impalements, lacerations and puncture wounds required stitches or medical attention, according to <a href="https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2023/Zuru-Recalls-7-5-Million-Baby-Shark-and-Mini-Baby-Shark-Bath-Toys-With-Hard-Plastic-Top-Fins-Due-to-Risk-of-Impalement-Laceration-and-Puncture-Injuries-to-Children">a Thursday release from the U.S. Consumer Protect Safety Commission.</a>

While injuries have only been reported with these full-sized toys so far, Zuru is also recalling Robo Alive Junior Mini Baby Shark Swimming Bath Toys “out of an abundance of caution."

Consumers in possession of the recalled toys are instructed to stop using them immediately and contact Zuru for a full refund. To get the refund, customers are asked to cut off or bend the tail fin, write “recalled” and a registration code on the body of the baby shark and upload a photo on a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.recallrtr.com/bathshark">site</a>&nbsp;dedicated to the recall.

The recalled products can be identified by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2023/Zuru-Recalls-7-5-Million-Baby-Shark-and-Mini-Baby-Shark-Bath-Toys-With-Hard-Plastic-Top-Fins-Due-to-Risk-of-Impalement-Laceration-and-Puncture-Injuries-to-Children">model numbers</a>&nbsp;and date codes. Zuru's Robo Alive Junior Baby Shark Sing &amp; Swim Bath Toys and Robo Alive Junior Mini Baby Shark Swimming Bath Toys were sold in-person and online at chains including Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens and TJX Companies from May 2019 through March 2023.

In a company announcement, Zuru noted that that the recall only impacts the versions of the baby shark toys with a hard plastic fin. The newest toys, which have a silicone fin, are not part of the recall, Zuru said.

“We want to assure our customers that we are committed to the highest levels of safety and quality of all our products, and we have implemented measures to prevent future incidents by working to promptly remove these products from retail and replace them with a newly designed product,” Zuru wrote.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687530371186.png" alt="Photo courtesy Consumer Product Safety Commission" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Consumer Product Safety Commission</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — About 7.5 million singing and swimming “Baby Shark” bath toys are being recalled after multiple impalements, lacerations and puncture wounds were reported in children playing with them.Zuru, an El Segundo, California-based toymaker, said it's recalling both full-size and mini versions of its robotic baby shark toys that have hard plastic top fins, which pose the injury risks.Twelve injuries have already been reported with Zuru's full-sized Robo Alive Junior Baby Shark Sing &amp; Swim Bath Toys — after children sat or fell on the now-recalled products. Nine of these impalements, lacerations and puncture wounds required stitches or medical attention, according to <a href="https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2023/Zuru-Recalls-7-5-Million-Baby-Shark-and-Mini-Baby-Shark-Bath-Toys-With-Hard-Plastic-Top-Fins-Due-to-Risk-of-Impalement-Laceration-and-Puncture-Injuries-to-Children">a Thursday release from the U.S. Consumer Protect Safety Commission.</a>While injuries have only been reported with these full-sized toys so far, Zuru is also recalling Robo Alive Junior Mini Baby Shark Swimming Bath Toys “out of an abundance of caution."Consumers in possession of the recalled toys are instructed to stop using them immediately and contact Zuru for a full refund. To get the refund, customers are asked to cut off or bend the tail fin, write “recalled” and a registration code on the body of the baby shark and upload a photo on a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.recallrtr.com/bathshark">site</a>&nbsp;dedicated to the recall.The recalled products can be identified by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2023/Zuru-Recalls-7-5-Million-Baby-Shark-and-Mini-Baby-Shark-Bath-Toys-With-Hard-Plastic-Top-Fins-Due-to-Risk-of-Impalement-Laceration-and-Puncture-Injuries-to-Children">model numbers</a>&nbsp;and date codes. Zuru's Robo Alive Junior Baby Shark Sing &amp; Swim Bath Toys and Robo Alive Junior Mini Baby Shark Swimming Bath Toys were sold in-person and online at chains including Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens and TJX Companies from May 2019 through March 2023.In a company announcement, Zuru noted that that the recall only impacts the versions of the baby shark toys with a hard plastic fin. The newest toys, which have a silicone fin, are not part of the recall, Zuru said.“We want to assure our customers that we are committed to the highest levels of safety and quality of all our products, and we have implemented measures to prevent future incidents by working to promptly remove these products from retail and replace them with a newly designed product,” Zuru wrote.

'Baby Shark' bath toy recall: Multiple laceration and impalement injuries

HUTCHINSON — Though gas prices are creeping up, they are doing so much more slowly than 2022, according to AAA Kansas.

"Things have been relatively stable," Steward said. "We may be in a bit of a gasoline demand lull between Memorial Day weekend and the upcoming July 4 travel weekend. That, coupled with a fairly low and stable crude oil cost have kept prices at the pump pretty manageable."

"We are about $1.40 less per gallon now than we were one year ago," Steward said. "That's significantly cheaper to take those summer road trips."

The spring storms we have had across Oklahoma and Texas do not have the same effect on supply as other weather conditions could that are more common as we get closer to fall.

"Supply really hasn't been interrupted by any hurricanes in the Gulf, for example," Steward said. "We always look this time of year. As we head toward September or even October, hurricane season can certainly interrupt gasoline production in those oil refineries along the Gulf, especially. We've been pretty lucky and haven't seen any of that."

Kansas is still in the ten lowest states for gas prices overall and no county in the state is even up to the national average.

NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON — Though gas prices are creeping up, they are doing so much more slowly than 2022, according to AAA Kansas."Things have been relatively stable," Steward said. "We may be in a bit of a gasoline demand lull between Memorial Day weekend and the upcoming July 4 travel weekend. That, coupled with a fairly low and stable crude oil cost have kept prices at the pump pretty manageable.""We are about $1.40 less per gallon now than we were one year ago," Steward said. "That's significantly cheaper to take those summer road trips."The spring storms we have had across Oklahoma and Texas do not have the same effect on supply as other weather conditions could that are more common as we get closer to fall."Supply really hasn't been interrupted by any hurricanes in the Gulf, for example," Steward said. "We always look this time of year. As we head toward September or even October, hurricane season can certainly interrupt gasoline production in those oil refineries along the Gulf, especially. We've been pretty lucky and haven't seen any of that."Kansas is still in the ten lowest states for gas prices overall and no county in the state is even up to the national average.

AAA: Gas prices still lower and fairly stable

By SAM BAILEY <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — A new Medicaid report finds more than $1.3 million may have been overpaid to managed care organizations due to slow information provision, causing Kansas Medicaid programs to pay members after they left the state.

The attorney general’s office issued a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ag.ks.gov/media-center/news-releases/2023/06/21/medicaid-inspector-general-releases-eligibility-audit">news release</a>&nbsp;Wednesday announcing the findings. The performance audit of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment was done by Medicaid inspector general Steven Anderson and covered Jan. 1, 2019 to Dec. 31, 2021.

“It’s clear from our audit that the federal government and the state can do more to recapture these overpayments by quickly identifying and verifying Medicaid beneficiaries who move out of state and then by removing them from the program,” Anderson said in the news release. “Kansas taxpayers deserve to know that our Medicaid resources are being used efficiently.”

Currently, states contribute information on individuals enrolled in Medicaid to the Public Assistance Reporting Information System program. A report is then compiled quarterly to notify states whether an individual is enrolled in Medicaid and receiving benefits in another state.

KDHE would like to have the reports from the federal government on a monthly basis to aid in faster decisions, as “quarterly’s not very efficient,” Anderson said.

The report said while the department’s system has improved since 2019, “internal and external deficiencies that hinder KDHE’s ability to identify, verify and terminate Medicaid eligibility on a timely basis” still exist.

“For example,” it read. “A group of beneficiaries that were identified as moving out of Kansas were not properly processed, resulting in an estimated overpayment of $1,370,376.68 in capitation payment to MCOs.”

The news release also said the audit reported “some control weaknesses, policy issues, and gaps in guidance or protocols for coordinating the assessment and collection of any overpayments related to out-of-state residency that Kansas needs to improve.”&nbsp;

KDHE secretary Janet Stanek said in the news release that she and Gov. Laura Kelly appreciate the partnership with the attorney general’s office to increase the efficiency of Medicaid.

“We agree that with the limited state and federal information sources available to the Medicaid program, challenges remain in the timely determination of whether or not a Medicaid beneficiary has moved out of state is very difficult with the information sources available to us,” Stanek said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687430554556.jpeg" alt="Janet Stanek, KDHE secretary, said challenges remain in quickly determining if an individual has moved out of state and if still on Kansas Medicaid. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Janet Stanek, KDHE secretary, said challenges remain in quickly determining if an individual has moved out of state and if still on Kansas Medicaid. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By SAM BAILEY <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — A new Medicaid report finds more than $1.3 million may have been overpaid to managed care organizations due to slow information provision, causing Kansas Medicaid programs to pay members after they left the state.The attorney general’s office issued a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ag.ks.gov/media-center/news-releases/2023/06/21/medicaid-inspector-general-releases-eligibility-audit">news release</a>&nbsp;Wednesday announcing the findings. The performance audit of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment was done by Medicaid inspector general Steven Anderson and covered Jan. 1, 2019 to Dec. 31, 2021.“It’s clear from our audit that the federal government and the state can do more to recapture these overpayments by quickly identifying and verifying Medicaid beneficiaries who move out of state and then by removing them from the program,” Anderson said in the news release. “Kansas taxpayers deserve to know that our Medicaid resources are being used efficiently.”Currently, states contribute information on individuals enrolled in Medicaid to the Public Assistance Reporting Information System program. A report is then compiled quarterly to notify states whether an individual is enrolled in Medicaid and receiving benefits in another state.KDHE would like to have the reports from the federal government on a monthly basis to aid in faster decisions, as “quarterly’s not very efficient,” Anderson said.The report said while the department’s system has improved since 2019, “internal and external deficiencies that hinder KDHE’s ability to identify, verify and terminate Medicaid eligibility on a timely basis” still exist.“For example,” it read. “A group of beneficiaries that were identified as moving out of Kansas were not properly processed, resulting in an estimated overpayment of $1,370,376.68 in capitation payment to MCOs.”The news release also said the audit reported “some control weaknesses, policy issues, and gaps in guidance or protocols for coordinating the assessment and collection of any overpayments related to out-of-state residency that Kansas needs to improve.”&nbsp;KDHE secretary Janet Stanek said in the news release that she and Gov. Laura Kelly appreciate the partnership with the attorney general’s office to increase the efficiency of Medicaid.“We agree that with the limited state and federal information sources available to the Medicaid program, challenges remain in the timely determination of whether or not a Medicaid beneficiary has moved out of state is very difficult with the information sources available to us,” Stanek said.<figure>
 <img src="https://kansasreflector.com/wp-content/plugins/states-newsroom/republisher/assets/img/ccwhite.png" alt="" />
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Report estimates $1.3 million overpaid by Kansas Medicaid

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an officer-involved shooting and carjacking and continue to search for a suspect.

Just before 9 p.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to the McDonalds at 8326 Wornall in Kansas City on a reported attempted robbery and shots fired, according to Police Captain Corey Carlisle. No employees were injured in the shooting. The suspect fled the scene at which time he shot at another vehicle before fleeing. The occupant of the vehicle was not injured. Follow up investigation brought officers to the area of Brookside and Meyer around 10:10 p.m. Officers found the suspect vehicle. The shooting suspect then fired gunshots at the officers at which time an officer returned fire. The suspect fled on foot to the parking lot area behind the local business, where he carjacked an unsuspecting victim.&nbsp; Officers engaged the suspect again. The suspect fired gun shots at officers at which time an officer returned fire. The suspect fled the scene in the victim's vehicle.&nbsp; The car jacking victims were not injured and no officers were injured. Law enforcement found the vehicle abandoned in the area of 73rd and Cherokee at which time they began searching for the suspect. The suspect is still at large and poses a threat to the public. The suspect is described as a white male in his early 30’s, thin build, patchy black beard, shoulder length black hair and wearing a Black T-shirt. Homicide detectives and Crime Scene Personnel responded to the multiple crime scenes and were processing the scenes to recover any evidence and speaking to any potential witnesses.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687516133882.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation late Thursday-photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation late Thursday-photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an officer-involved shooting and carjacking and continue to search for a suspect.Just before 9 p.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to the McDonalds at 8326 Wornall in Kansas City on a reported attempted robbery and shots fired, according to Police Captain Corey Carlisle. No employees were injured in the shooting. The suspect fled the scene at which time he shot at another vehicle before fleeing. The occupant of the vehicle was not injured. Follow up investigation brought officers to the area of Brookside and Meyer around 10:10 p.m. Officers found the suspect vehicle. The shooting suspect then fired gunshots at the officers at which time an officer returned fire. The suspect fled on foot to the parking lot area behind the local business, where he carjacked an unsuspecting victim.&nbsp; Officers engaged the suspect again. The suspect fired gun shots at officers at which time an officer returned fire. The suspect fled the scene in the victim's vehicle.&nbsp; The car jacking victims were not injured and no officers were injured. Law enforcement found the vehicle abandoned in the area of 73rd and Cherokee at which time they began searching for the suspect. The suspect is still at large and poses a threat to the public. The suspect is described as a white male in his early 30’s, thin build, patchy black beard, shoulder length black hair and wearing a Black T-shirt. Homicide detectives and Crime Scene Personnel responded to the multiple crime scenes and were processing the scenes to recover any evidence and speaking to any potential witnesses.

KCPD search for carjacking suspect after exchange of gunfire 

HODGEMAN COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 10:30p.m. Thursday in Hodgeman County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1999 Ford F150 driven by Kasey J. Danaher, 16, Jetmore, was eastbound on an unnamed county road five and one half miles south of Jetmore.

The pickup left the roadway, entered the north ditch, slid sideways and rolled and came to rest in a field on its top.

EMS transported Danaher to the Hodgeman County Health Center where she was pronounced deceased.&nbsp; She was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

HODGEMAN COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 10:30p.m. Thursday in Hodgeman County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1999 Ford F150 driven by Kasey J. Danaher, 16, Jetmore, was eastbound on an unnamed county road five and one half miles south of Jetmore.The pickup left the roadway, entered the north ditch, slid sideways and rolled and came to rest in a field on its top.EMS transported Danaher to the Hodgeman County Health Center where she was pronounced deceased.&nbsp; She was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

16-year-old Kansas girl dies in pickup rollover crash

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Thursday defended his harsh public comments on China, including calling President Xi Jinping a dictator, saying his words would have no negative impact on U.S.-China relations and that he still expects to meet with Xi sometime soon.

Biden said his blunt statements regarding China are "just not something I’m going to change very much.”

(Click below to watch the President's comments)

The remarks, which drew a formal protest from China, opened a new rift just days after Secretary of State Antony&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-china-blinken-beijing-rivalry-0b08a809f12b1bcdee92afa5491a9fbf">Blinken concluded a visit to Beijing</a>&nbsp;that was meant as a step toward stabilizing ties and improving communications.

“I expect to be meeting with President Xi sometime in the future, near-term. And I don’t think it’s had any real consequence," he said.

His latest rebuff to China came on the same afternoon he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-modi-india-state-visit-human-rights-5e4bc32e679ad6bae7225a28f7f6334d">welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a>&nbsp;to the White House in an alliance-strengthening move against their shared rival, China.

Just hours earlier, China's embassy in Washington said it had delivered a formal protest, with Chinese Ambassador Xie Feng telling senior White House and State Department officials Wednesday that Washington “should take earnest actions to undo the negative impact” of what Biden said or “bear all the consequences."

“With the latest irresponsible remarks about China’s political system and its top leader, people cannot help but question the sincerity of the U.S. side” in seeking to stabilize relations, the embassy said in a statement. “The Chinese government and people do not accept any political provocation against China’s top leader and will resolutely respond.”

At a campaign fundraiser on Tuesday, Biden had called the Chinese president a dictator, depicted him as out-of-touch during last winter’s tumult over a Chinese spy balloon, and dismissed China as having “real economic difficulties.”

As an official government-to-government communication, the ambassador’s message to the Biden administration carries more weight than the critical comments made a day earlier by a Chinese government spokesperson to reporters. China gave no further details of how the ambassador delivered his message, whether it was seeking an apology from the Biden administration, or what the consequences would be.

China and the U.S. in recent years have been cycling in and out of diplomatic flare-ups. China has used measures ranging from cutting diplomatic ties to staging military maneuvers off Taiwan to show its displeasure.

Biden administration officials on Wednesday defended Biden's remarks, saying the president has made a point of drawing distinctions between the world's democracies and autocracies. The State Department said Thursday that it does not comment on private diplomatic discussions.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen addressed the latest rift Thursday at an unrelated news conference in Paris, saying, “with respect to the comments, I think President Biden and I both believe it’s critical to maintain communication ... to clear up misperceptions, miscalculations. We need to work together where possible."

“But we have disagreements, and we are also forthright in recognizing we do have disagreements,” she added.

Yellen has recently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yellen-china-tensions-spy-balloon-taiwan-russia-edcb0077d45a3ffabbe4b9dbbf9fe29c">advocated for improving relations</a>&nbsp;between the U.S. and China, arguing cooperation is needed for the sake of maintaining global stability.

U.S. climate envoy John Kerry, at the same global finance and climate event as Yellen, expressed the urgency of resuming climate discussions between China and the U.S., the No. 1 and No. 2 emitters of climate-damaging fumes from fossil fuels.

Talks between the two countries were vital in the breakthrough that led to the 2015 Paris climate accord. But climate discussions between the two have stalled in the past couple of years over the governments’ diplomatic disputes and other issues.

When it comes to slowing climate change, it “should be China and the United States working together on a global threat in a way that can build some confidence and change the dynamics of the relationship. That’s the hope,” Kerry told a small group of reporters.

He said Xi and Biden understood the urgency of the emissions talks. “Every day that goes by without them is a day for mischief," Kerry said.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang was among the dozens of heads of state and government, world finance officials and activists who converged on the French capital to discuss ways of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-funding-imf-world-bank-paris-5adddd32452f548a71a55f802191b04d">reforming the global financial system</a>&nbsp;and addressing the debt, climate change and poverty crises, especially for developing nations.

“I believe it’s important, as President Biden does, that the world’s two largest economies are … working together in addressing global challenges,” Yellen said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Thursday defended his harsh public comments on China, including calling President Xi Jinping a dictator, saying his words would have no negative impact on U.S.-China relations and that he still expects to meet with Xi sometime soon.Biden said his blunt statements regarding China are "just not something I’m going to change very much.”(Click below to watch the President's comments)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F3585103548384794%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=1056" 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>The remarks, which drew a formal protest from China, opened a new rift just days after Secretary of State Antony&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-china-blinken-beijing-rivalry-0b08a809f12b1bcdee92afa5491a9fbf">Blinken concluded a visit to Beijing</a>&nbsp;that was meant as a step toward stabilizing ties and improving communications.But Biden was undeterred.“I expect to be meeting with President Xi sometime in the future, near-term. And I don’t think it’s had any real consequence," he said.His latest rebuff to China came on the same afternoon he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-modi-india-state-visit-human-rights-5e4bc32e679ad6bae7225a28f7f6334d">welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a>&nbsp;to the White House in an alliance-strengthening move against their shared rival, China.Just hours earlier, China's embassy in Washington said it had delivered a formal protest, with Chinese Ambassador Xie Feng telling senior White House and State Department officials Wednesday that Washington “should take earnest actions to undo the negative impact” of what Biden said or “bear all the consequences."“With the latest irresponsible remarks about China’s political system and its top leader, people cannot help but question the sincerity of the U.S. side” in seeking to stabilize relations, the embassy said in a statement. “The Chinese government and people do not accept any political provocation against China’s top leader and will resolutely respond.”At a campaign fundraiser on Tuesday, Biden had called the Chinese president a dictator, depicted him as out-of-touch during last winter’s tumult over a Chinese spy balloon, and dismissed China as having “real economic difficulties.”As an official government-to-government communication, the ambassador’s message to the Biden administration carries more weight than the critical comments made a day earlier by a Chinese government spokesperson to reporters. China gave no further details of how the ambassador delivered his message, whether it was seeking an apology from the Biden administration, or what the consequences would be.China and the U.S. in recent years have been cycling in and out of diplomatic flare-ups. China has used measures ranging from cutting diplomatic ties to staging military maneuvers off Taiwan to show its displeasure.Biden administration officials on Wednesday defended Biden's remarks, saying the president has made a point of drawing distinctions between the world's democracies and autocracies. The State Department said Thursday that it does not comment on private diplomatic discussions.Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen addressed the latest rift Thursday at an unrelated news conference in Paris, saying, “with respect to the comments, I think President Biden and I both believe it’s critical to maintain communication ... to clear up misperceptions, miscalculations. We need to work together where possible."“But we have disagreements, and we are also forthright in recognizing we do have disagreements,” she added.Yellen has recently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yellen-china-tensions-spy-balloon-taiwan-russia-edcb0077d45a3ffabbe4b9dbbf9fe29c">advocated for improving relations</a>&nbsp;between the U.S. and China, arguing cooperation is needed for the sake of maintaining global stability.U.S. climate envoy John Kerry, at the same global finance and climate event as Yellen, expressed the urgency of resuming climate discussions between China and the U.S., the No. 1 and No. 2 emitters of climate-damaging fumes from fossil fuels.Talks between the two countries were vital in the breakthrough that led to the 2015 Paris climate accord. But climate discussions between the two have stalled in the past couple of years over the governments’ diplomatic disputes and other issues.When it comes to slowing climate change, it “should be China and the United States working together on a global threat in a way that can build some confidence and change the dynamics of the relationship. That’s the hope,” Kerry told a small group of reporters.He said Xi and Biden understood the urgency of the emissions talks. “Every day that goes by without them is a day for mischief," Kerry said.Chinese Premier Li Qiang was among the dozens of heads of state and government, world finance officials and activists who converged on the French capital to discuss ways of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-funding-imf-world-bank-paris-5adddd32452f548a71a55f802191b04d">reforming the global financial system</a>&nbsp;and addressing the debt, climate change and poverty crises, especially for developing nations.“I believe it’s important, as President Biden does, that the world’s two largest economies are … working together in addressing global challenges,” Yellen said.

🎥 Biden defends making 'absurd' comment about Chinese leader

SEDGWICK COUNTY&nbsp; —Law enforcement authorities investigating a deadly crash at a Kansas gas station say no charges will be filed in the case, according to Derby Police Chief Robert Lee.

On April. 24, a driver lost control of a car traveling eastbound on Meadowlark Boulevard in Derby, according to police. The vehicle traveled into a Quick Trip at 1430 North Nelson Drive and struck a vehicle at the gas pump. The impact caused the pump to explode.

When fire crews arrived they found a car fully involved in flames on top of the gas pumps. A child, later identified as 3-year-old Harper Ivey in the vehicle at the pump died at the scene. EMS transported the girl's mother Stephanie Corey to an area hospital.

Police presented the case to the Sedgwick County District Attorney and they determined a medical condition involving a 61-year-old driver caused the crash. He survived. Friends established a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-for-brandon-ivy-family" target="_blank">Fundraiser to assist</a>&nbsp;the&nbsp;family.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687474330258.png" alt="Photo courtesy City of Derby" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy City of Derby</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY&nbsp; —Law enforcement authorities investigating a deadly crash at a Kansas gas station say no charges will be filed in the case, according to Derby Police Chief Robert Lee.On April. 24, a driver lost control of a car traveling eastbound on Meadowlark Boulevard in Derby, according to police. The vehicle traveled into a Quick Trip at 1430 North Nelson Drive and struck a vehicle at the gas pump. The impact caused the pump to explode.When fire crews arrived they found a car fully involved in flames on top of the gas pumps. A child, later identified as 3-year-old Harper Ivey in the vehicle at the pump died at the scene. EMS transported the girl's mother Stephanie Corey to an area hospital.Police presented the case to the Sedgwick County District Attorney and they determined a medical condition involving a 61-year-old driver caused the crash. He survived. Friends established a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-for-brandon-ivy-family" target="_blank">Fundraiser to assist</a>&nbsp;the&nbsp;family.&nbsp;

Investigation determines cause of crash that killed Kan. toddler

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged road-rage shooting that seriously injured a man and have made an arrest.

Just after 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to a shooting call in the 4400 block of South Broadway in Wichita, according to officer Juan Rebolledo.

Before arrival, officers learned that the 28-year-old victim drove himself to the 4900 block of South Broadway Avenue after the incident. Officers located the victim in a nearby business with one gunshot wound to his right lower leg. The victim was transported to an area hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

The investigation revealed that the victim was involved in a road rage incident with 22-year-old Kaeden Murphy in the 4400 block of S Broadway while the victim was driving a moped southbound on Broadway.&nbsp; Murphy was driving a blue pickup truck. 

During the verbal argument, Murphy produced a handgun and fired multiple shots at the victim, striking him once in the right lower leg.

Officers used Flock and developed a suspect vehicle and a tag. A follow-up investigation was conducted and police arrested Murphy on requested charges of aggravated battery and criminal possession of a weapon by a felon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687467313048.png" alt="Murphy has previous convictions for aggravated burglary, drugs and criminal possession of a weapon by a felon, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections." />
 <figcaption>Murphy has previous convictions for aggravated burglary, drugs and criminal possession of a weapon by a felon, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged road-rage shooting that seriously injured a man and have made an arrest.Just after 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to a shooting call in the 4400 block of South Broadway in Wichita, according to officer Juan Rebolledo.Before arrival, officers learned that the 28-year-old victim drove himself to the 4900 block of South Broadway Avenue after the incident. Officers located the victim in a nearby business with one gunshot wound to his right lower leg. The victim was transported to an area hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.The investigation revealed that the victim was involved in a road rage incident with 22-year-old Kaeden Murphy in the 4400 block of S Broadway while the victim was driving a moped southbound on Broadway.&nbsp; Murphy was driving a blue pickup truck. During the verbal argument, Murphy produced a handgun and fired multiple shots at the victim, striking him once in the right lower leg.Officers used Flock and developed a suspect vehicle and a tag. A follow-up investigation was conducted and police arrested Murphy on requested charges of aggravated battery and criminal possession of a weapon by a felon.

Road-rage: Kansas felon shot man on moped

US Navy system detected likely Titanic sub implosion days ago

RENO COUNTY —Police investigating a drive-by shooting in Reno County have made an arrest.

Just before 5 p.m. Monday, South Hutchinson police officers and deputies from the Reno County Sheriff’s office were dispatched a drive- by shooting to the 300 block of East 3rd Street, according to a media release from South Hutchinson Police.

A woman standing in front of the residence had a&nbsp;non-life threatening single gunshot wound to her wrist. She was treated and released from the hospital.

Police took the juvenile suspect into custody Wednesday night in South Dakota. Police have not released the name of the suspect.

RENO COUNTY —Police investigating a drive-by shooting in Reno County have made an arrest.Just before 5 p.m. Monday, South Hutchinson police officers and deputies from the Reno County Sheriff’s office were dispatched a drive- by shooting to the 300 block of East 3rd Street, according to a media release from South Hutchinson Police.A woman standing in front of the residence had a&nbsp;non-life threatening single gunshot wound to her wrist. She was treated and released from the hospital.Police took the juvenile suspect into custody Wednesday night in South Dakota. Police have not released the name of the suspect.

Teen in Kansas drive-by shooting arrested in South Dakota

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a murder in New Mexico have made an arrest in Kansas.

Just before 4a.m. Monday, police responded to a residence in the 4300 block of Camino Alhambra in Santa Fe, New Mexico after a neighbor called 911 reporting a woman asked for help, said her mom was shot, and another person was dead, according to a media release.

 Officers arrived on scene and found a 56-year-old woman injured by gunfire.  Officers rendered aid until paramedics arrived and took over care.  She was transported to a local hospital.  Officers also located 27-year-old Raul Rene Montejano Jr. unconscious with an apparent injury.  Officers rendered aid until paramedics arrived and took over care. Montejano Jr. was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Office of the Medical Investigator.

Detectives and the Crime Scene Unit responded to the scene.  Through the course of the investigation, a suspect was identified. Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for 29-year-old Francisco Javier Grado-Flores of Santa Fe on requested charges for Murder and Tampering with Evidence.

Early Wednesday, Police in Wichita arrested Grado-Flores on the arrest warrant.&nbsp; Grado-Flores was booked at the Sedgwick County Detention Center at approximately 2:31 a.m. and charged as a Fugitive from Justice.

He had apparent injuries when he was located by law enforcement and claimed he sustained those injuries in a fight.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687449958690.png" alt="GRADO-FLORES-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>GRADO-FLORES-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a murder in New Mexico have made an arrest in Kansas.Just before 4a.m. Monday, police responded to a residence in the 4300 block of Camino Alhambra in Santa Fe, New Mexico after a neighbor called 911 reporting a woman asked for help, said her mom was shot, and another person was dead, according to a media release. Officers arrived on scene and found a 56-year-old woman injured by gunfire. Officers rendered aid until paramedics arrived and took over care. She was transported to a local hospital. Officers also located 27-year-old Raul Rene Montejano Jr. unconscious with an apparent injury. Officers rendered aid until paramedics arrived and took over care. Montejano Jr. was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Office of the Medical Investigator.Detectives and the Crime Scene Unit responded to the scene. Through the course of the investigation, a suspect was identified. Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for 29-year-old Francisco Javier Grado-Flores of Santa Fe on requested charges for Murder and Tampering with Evidence.Early Wednesday, Police in Wichita arrested Grado-Flores on the arrest warrant.&nbsp; Grado-Flores was booked at the Sedgwick County Detention Center at approximately 2:31 a.m. and charged as a Fugitive from Justice.He had apparent injuries when he was located by law enforcement and claimed he sustained those injuries in a fight.

New Mexico murder suspect captured in Kansas

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

WASHINGTON — One year after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion, the courts rather than a divided Congress are leading the way on decisions on reproductive rights that would affect the entire nation.

Congress has not enacted federal legislation to either preserve reproductive rights or to restrict abortion in the year since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling nullified the landmark Roe v. Wade decision. And that’s unlikely to change anytime soon.

Despite many Republicans campaigning for the U.S. House on promises of a nationwide abortion ban, the chamber hasn’t brought such a bill to the floor six months after the GOP took control.

And in the U.S. Senate, Democrats who control that chamber don’t have the 60 votes needed to overcome the legislative filibuster, leading to a stalemate on abortion legislation as well as&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/democrats-congress-renew-push-protect-access-birth-control">protections for birth control access.&nbsp;</a>

The next nationwide policy on abortion is much more likely to be written by the same U.S. Supreme Court that wrote one year ago “the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives.” That court is dominated 6-3 by conservative justices.

“To the extent that Congress continues to be inept in many regards in legislating, it falls to the courts,” said Suzanne Bell, assistant professor in the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The stalemate within Congress is in sharp contrast to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/see-data-reproductive-rights?eType=EmailBlastContent&amp;eId=12326989-bb86-442e-9f90-a46c19a27854">new laws from dozens of state legislatures</a>, where lawmakers have moved to either restrict abortion access or solidify it within the last year. But many of those proposals have landed in the state court systems, with some ending up at a state’s Supreme Court.

The nine justices on the U.S. Supreme Court are expected to take up a case late this year or next spring on access to the abortion pill, known as mifepristone or its brand name Mifeprex, after a federal circuit court in New Orleans rules on the appeal. It likely will be the highest-profile court case on reproductive rights since Dobbs to reach the Supreme Court.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved mifepristone in 2000 as part of a two-drug regimen that’s currently used up to 10 weeks in a pregnancy.

Alliance Defending Freedom, an anti-abortion legal organization, filed a lawsuit in November seeking to have that authorization overturned nationwide.

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas Judge Matthew Joseph Kacsmaryk, who was nominated by former President Donald Trump, found their arguments compelling and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-administration-appeals-judges-ruling-ordering-abortion-pill-us-market">stayed the FDA’s approval in early April</a>.

The U.S. Justice Department appealed the case to the 5th Circuit Court, which&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://lailluminator.com/2023/05/17/three-judge-panel-in-u-s-appeals-court-hears-arguments-in-abortion-pill-case/">heard oral arguments in May&nbsp;</a>and could rule any day.

That ruling will likely move to the U.S. Supreme Court after that.

Bell said in an interview that it’s odd to see the case in the courts system, calling it “disheartening,” though she expects that could become more common.

“This is such a strange overreach of the courts or even Congress, if Congress were to be involved in this mifepristone case,” she said.

Bell also cautioned that as politicians increasingly focus on winning or losing the debate&nbsp; — whether in the courts or in the legislature — they often lose sight of the impact of their decisions, and the effect changes in access have on Americans’ actual lives as well as public health.

“We get caught up in some of the politics and the legislation and the litigation around this issue. But in the meantime it’s having real impacts on birthing people and families,” Bell said.

In the year since Dobbs, Republicans and Democrats in Congress have introduced dozens of bills that would either expand reproductive rights or restrict access to abortion, though none stand a chance of becoming law anytime soon.

Republicans have introduced more than 80 bills that address abortion in some way, including a proposal from Missouri Rep. Ann Wagner that would require health care providers to give the same level of care “to preserve the life and health of the child” if an abortion were to result in a live birth.

House Republicans&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-house-republicans-push-through-two-anti-abortion-measures-first-work-week">passed the bill in January</a>, though it’s highly unlikely that it would move through the Democratically controlled Senate. House Republicans, however, have opted not to bring up any of the bills proposing a nationwide ban on abortion.

Democrats have reintroduced legislation that would provide nationwide protection for abortion access, though it hasn’t gotten a vote in the Senate this Congress and would be unlikely to secure the votes needed to move past the legislative filibuster.

The so-called Women’s Health Protection Act would bar local, state or federal governments from restricting access to abortion before viability, roughly 22 to 24 weeks gestation. After that threshold, governments couldn’t implement restrictions when “in the good-faith medical judgment of the treating health care provider, continuation of the pregnancy would pose a risk to the pregnant patient’s life or health.”

The nature of a divided Congress has led some members to turn their attention toward the annual government funding process as one way to change nationwide policy on abortion.

Attempts to do that in the past have been unsuccessful at shaking up the status quo, but Republicans in the House are attempting to bar the Defense and Veterans Affairs Departments from providing abortions — even in cases of rape, incest or the life of the pregnant patient.

The House GOP also added language to the annual funding bill for the FDA that would bar it from allowing pharmacies, including mail-order pharmacies, to apply to dispense abortion medication the same way they dispense other prescriptions. The FDA proposed that change in January and some pharmacy chains have begun the process.

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America praised House Republican appropriators for adding “strong language in the Agriculture Appropriations Bill that protects women and girls from the dangers of chemical abortion.”

On barring female troops and veterans from having access to abortion in the case of rape, incest or their lives, SBA Pro-Life America thanked Republicans on the committee “for standing up for longstanding law and for the unborn by prohibiting funding for Biden’s illegal rule that would force taxpayers to pay for abortions at Veterans hospitals.”

Federal spending laws have barred the use of taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions with exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the patient since the 1970s. The provision is generally referred to as the Hyde amendment and applies to dozens of federal programs, including federal employee health care, Medicaid, Medicare and foreign aid.

The House Republicans’ decision is a change from September 2022, when&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/republicans-congress-say-theyd-keep-federal-abortion-funding-cases-rape-incest">numerous Republicans on the spending panels said</a>&nbsp;they didn’t anticipate changing how the provisions were applied.

While the House GOP proposals are unlikely to become law, they could throw a wrench into the annual government funding process, increasing the odds of a partial government shutdown later this year.

When Democrats were in control of the U.S. House during the first two years of the Biden administration, they removed the language that limited when the federal government could pay for abortion from all of their bills.

But the limitation that the federal government would only pay for abortions under the three exceptions was added back into the final bills at the insistence of Republicans.

Autumn Katz, managing senior counsel of U.S. Litigation at the Center for Reproductive Rights, said that while Congress may not be able to enact legislation protecting reproductive rights at the moment, the hearings, bill introductions and debate are “important work.”

“There’s the filibuster issue in the Senate, and things have changed in the House, so enacting protection for abortion I think is difficult right now,” Katz said. “But I do think it’s important to emphasize that Congress is not sticking its head in the sand.”

Katz said she expects cases will continue in the federal courts system, especially given that some states are seeking to restrict when and how residents travel to access reproductive health care.

“The idea it’s now settled and will be resolved in individual states is really kind of a cynical view because there are so many questions,” Katz said. “And so I think there is bound to continue to be litigation and confusion and chaos.”

Access to medication abortion is one of the areas of ongoing confusion amid a patchwork of state laws, an ongoing federal court case and the FDA announcing in January that pharmacies could apply to dispense mifepristone like other prescription drugs.

More than 50 Democrats in Congress&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://goldman.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/goldman.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/final-goldman_chu-letter-protect-access-to-medication-abortion_june-14-2023.pdf">wrote to&nbsp;</a>five major pharmacy chains earlier this month, encouraging them to apply to dispense mifepristone like other prescription drugs.

“We are concerned that your respective companies have not yet indicated plans to seek certification to dispense mifepristone, consistent with federal guidelines and regulations, as this could help increase access to needed medication,” they wrote. “Your continued silence is unacceptable as it is misaligned with your publicly stated values in support of equal access to health care and of gender equality.”

A possible U.S. Supreme Court opinion on access to mifepristone could decide the issue if the justices rule to overturn its 2000 approval, or revert to prescribing and dosage instructions that were in place before 2016.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656088183967.png" alt="People protest in response to the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on June 24, 2022, in Washington, D.C photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>People protest in response to the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on June 24, 2022, in Washington, D.C photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>By JENNIFER SHUTT&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — One year after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion, the courts rather than a divided Congress are leading the way on decisions on reproductive rights that would affect the entire nation.Congress has not enacted federal legislation to either preserve reproductive rights or to restrict abortion in the year since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling nullified the landmark Roe v. Wade decision. And that’s unlikely to change anytime soon.Despite many Republicans campaigning for the U.S. House on promises of a nationwide abortion ban, the chamber hasn’t brought such a bill to the floor six months after the GOP took control.And in the U.S. Senate, Democrats who control that chamber don’t have the 60 votes needed to overcome the legislative filibuster, leading to a stalemate on abortion legislation as well as&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/democrats-congress-renew-push-protect-access-birth-control">protections for birth control access.&nbsp;</a>The next nationwide policy on abortion is much more likely to be written by the same U.S. Supreme Court that wrote one year ago “the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives.” That court is dominated 6-3 by conservative justices.“To the extent that Congress continues to be inept in many regards in legislating, it falls to the courts,” said Suzanne Bell, assistant professor in the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.The stalemate within Congress is in sharp contrast to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/see-data-reproductive-rights?eType=EmailBlastContent&amp;eId=12326989-bb86-442e-9f90-a46c19a27854">new laws from dozens of state legislatures</a>, where lawmakers have moved to either restrict abortion access or solidify it within the last year. But many of those proposals have landed in the state court systems, with some ending up at a state’s Supreme Court.<h2>Abortion pill case</h2>The nine justices on the U.S. Supreme Court are expected to take up a case late this year or next spring on access to the abortion pill, known as mifepristone or its brand name Mifeprex, after a federal circuit court in New Orleans rules on the appeal. It likely will be the highest-profile court case on reproductive rights since Dobbs to reach the Supreme Court.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved mifepristone in 2000 as part of a two-drug regimen that’s currently used up to 10 weeks in a pregnancy.Alliance Defending Freedom, an anti-abortion legal organization, filed a lawsuit in November seeking to have that authorization overturned nationwide.U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas Judge Matthew Joseph Kacsmaryk, who was nominated by former President Donald Trump, found their arguments compelling and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-administration-appeals-judges-ruling-ordering-abortion-pill-us-market">stayed the FDA’s approval in early April</a>.The U.S. Justice Department appealed the case to the 5th Circuit Court, which&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://lailluminator.com/2023/05/17/three-judge-panel-in-u-s-appeals-court-hears-arguments-in-abortion-pill-case/">heard oral arguments in May&nbsp;</a>and could rule any day.That ruling will likely move to the U.S. Supreme Court after that.Bell said in an interview that it’s odd to see the case in the courts system, calling it “disheartening,” though she expects that could become more common.“This is such a strange overreach of the courts or even Congress, if Congress were to be involved in this mifepristone case,” she said.Bell also cautioned that as politicians increasingly focus on winning or losing the debate&nbsp; — whether in the courts or in the legislature — they often lose sight of the impact of their decisions, and the effect changes in access have on Americans’ actual lives as well as public health.“We get caught up in some of the politics and the legislation and the litigation around this issue. But in the meantime it’s having real impacts on birthing people and families,” Bell said.<h2>Cascade of bill introductions</h2>In the year since Dobbs, Republicans and Democrats in Congress have introduced dozens of bills that would either expand reproductive rights or restrict access to abortion, though none stand a chance of becoming law anytime soon.Republicans have introduced more than 80 bills that address abortion in some way, including a proposal from Missouri Rep. Ann Wagner that would require health care providers to give the same level of care “to preserve the life and health of the child” if an abortion were to result in a live birth.House Republicans&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-house-republicans-push-through-two-anti-abortion-measures-first-work-week">passed the bill in January</a>, though it’s highly unlikely that it would move through the Democratically controlled Senate. House Republicans, however, have opted not to bring up any of the bills proposing a nationwide ban on abortion.Democrats have reintroduced legislation that would provide nationwide protection for abortion access, though it hasn’t gotten a vote in the Senate this Congress and would be unlikely to secure the votes needed to move past the legislative filibuster.The so-called Women’s Health Protection Act would bar local, state or federal governments from restricting access to abortion before viability, roughly 22 to 24 weeks gestation. After that threshold, governments couldn’t implement restrictions when “in the good-faith medical judgment of the treating health care provider, continuation of the pregnancy would pose a risk to the pregnant patient’s life or health.”<h2>Spending bills</h2>The nature of a divided Congress has led some members to turn their attention toward the annual government funding process as one way to change nationwide policy on abortion.Attempts to do that in the past have been unsuccessful at shaking up the status quo, but Republicans in the House are attempting to bar the Defense and Veterans Affairs Departments from providing abortions — even in cases of rape, incest or the life of the pregnant patient.The House GOP also added language to the annual funding bill for the FDA that would bar it from allowing pharmacies, including mail-order pharmacies, to apply to dispense abortion medication the same way they dispense other prescriptions. The FDA proposed that change in January and some pharmacy chains have begun the process.Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America praised House Republican appropriators for adding “strong language in the Agriculture Appropriations Bill that protects women and girls from the dangers of chemical abortion.”On barring female troops and veterans from having access to abortion in the case of rape, incest or their lives, SBA Pro-Life America thanked Republicans on the committee “for standing up for longstanding law and for the unborn by prohibiting funding for Biden’s illegal rule that would force taxpayers to pay for abortions at Veterans hospitals.”Federal spending laws have barred the use of taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions with exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the patient since the 1970s. The provision is generally referred to as the Hyde amendment and applies to dozens of federal programs, including federal employee health care, Medicaid, Medicare and foreign aid.The House Republicans’ decision is a change from September 2022, when&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/republicans-congress-say-theyd-keep-federal-abortion-funding-cases-rape-incest">numerous Republicans on the spending panels said</a>&nbsp;they didn’t anticipate changing how the provisions were applied.While the House GOP proposals are unlikely to become law, they could throw a wrench into the annual government funding process, increasing the odds of a partial government shutdown later this year.When Democrats were in control of the U.S. House during the first two years of the Biden administration, they removed the language that limited when the federal government could pay for abortion from all of their bills.But the limitation that the federal government would only pay for abortions under the three exceptions was added back into the final bills at the insistence of Republicans.<h2>‘Not sticking its head in the sand’</h2>Autumn Katz, managing senior counsel of U.S. Litigation at the Center for Reproductive Rights, said that while Congress may not be able to enact legislation protecting reproductive rights at the moment, the hearings, bill introductions and debate are “important work.”“There’s the filibuster issue in the Senate, and things have changed in the House, so enacting protection for abortion I think is difficult right now,” Katz said. “But I do think it’s important to emphasize that Congress is not sticking its head in the sand.”Katz said she expects cases will continue in the federal courts system, especially given that some states are seeking to restrict when and how residents travel to access reproductive health care.“The idea it’s now settled and will be resolved in individual states is really kind of a cynical view because there are so many questions,” Katz said. “And so I think there is bound to continue to be litigation and confusion and chaos.”Access to medication abortion is one of the areas of ongoing confusion amid a patchwork of state laws, an ongoing federal court case and the FDA announcing in January that pharmacies could apply to dispense mifepristone like other prescription drugs.More than 50 Democrats in Congress&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://goldman.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/goldman.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/final-goldman_chu-letter-protect-access-to-medication-abortion_june-14-2023.pdf">wrote to&nbsp;</a>five major pharmacy chains earlier this month, encouraging them to apply to dispense mifepristone like other prescription drugs.“We are concerned that your respective companies have not yet indicated plans to seek certification to dispense mifepristone, consistent with federal guidelines and regulations, as this could help increase access to needed medication,” they wrote. “Your continued silence is unacceptable as it is misaligned with your publicly stated values in support of equal access to health care and of gender equality.”A possible U.S. Supreme Court opinion on access to mifepristone could decide the issue if the justices rule to overturn its 2000 approval, or revert to prescribing and dosage instructions that were in place before 2016.

A year after Dobbs: Congress takes a back seat on federal abortion policy

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man accused of sex crimes involving patients at a Wichita hospital made his first court appearance Wednesday.

Miguel Rodela, 28, Wichita, was charged with two counts of rape, two counts of attempted rape, and two counts of battery, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office

Just after 2a.m. June 15, police responded to a call of an officer was in trouble at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis Hospital, 929, St. Francis Street in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

A hospital security officer was in a physical altercation with a suspect.

When Wichita Police arrived they learned three adult female patients were allegedly sexually assaulted.

Officers arrested<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=740544">&nbsp;Rodela</a>&nbsp;who is not an employee or a patient of the hospital, according to Rebolledo.&nbsp;

His next court date is July 10. He remains jailed on a $250,000 bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686922520098.png" alt="Rodela-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Rodela-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man accused of sex crimes involving patients at a Wichita hospital made his first court appearance Wednesday.Miguel Rodela, 28, Wichita, was charged with two counts of rape, two counts of attempted rape, and two counts of battery, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's officeJust after 2a.m. June 15, police responded to a call of an officer was in trouble at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis Hospital, 929, St. Francis Street in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.A hospital security officer was in a physical altercation with a suspect.When Wichita Police arrived they learned three adult female patients were allegedly sexually assaulted.Officers arrested<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=740544">&nbsp;Rodela</a>&nbsp;who is not an employee or a patient of the hospital, according to Rebolledo.&nbsp;His next court date is July 10. He remains jailed on a $250,000 bond.

Man charged with rape of patients at Kansas hospital

WICHITA (AP) —Spirit Aerosystems, a major supplier to the world's largest aircraft manufacturers, is suspending operations at a critical Kansas plant after union workers there rejected a proposed four-year contract and authorized a strike.

Approximately 6,000 members of the IAM District 70, Local 839 voted to reject Spirit Aerosystems' best and last offer after 13 years without a fully negotiated agreement, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said in a prepared statement.

Shares of Boeing Co. and Airbus slid about 2%, and shares of Spirit Aerosystems Holdings Inc. tumbled 10% at the opening bell.

The tentative deal that was rejected had included up to a compounded 34% average pay bump through general wages increases, cost-of-living adjustments, and a guaranteed annual bonus; a 14.7% increase in retirement benefits; increased paid time off; job security enhancements and made Sunday overtime voluntary.

A strike is scheduled to start on Saturday.

“Most of our members have concluded that the company’s offer is unacceptable,” the union said in a prepared statement. "IAM District 70 and Local 839 will regroup and begin planning the following steps to bring the company back to the table.”

The IAM is an industrial trade union that representing about 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries.

Operations at the factory will be suspended starting Thursday, Spirit said. The company said union employees should not show up for work, but would be paid for their regularly scheduled hours. All scheduled overtime was canceled. Employees not represented by the IAM were instructed to show up for work as normal.

“We are disappointed that our employees represented by the IAM rejected our four-year contract offer and voted to strike. We believe that our fair and competitive offer recognizes the contributions of our employees and ensures we can successfully meet increasing demand for aircraft from our customers,” the Wichita, Kansas, company said in a prepared statement.

Aircraft manufacturers have wrestled with supply issues in recent years and a strike at Spirit Aerosystems at the Wichita plant could add to those headaches.

Spirit builds the fuselage for Boeing's 737 MAX narrowbody jet and substantial sections of aircraft bodies in other of its models. It builds components for Airbus aircraft as well.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687445400176.png" alt="A strike is scheduled to start on Saturday.-Google image" />
 <figcaption>A strike is scheduled to start on Saturday.-Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA (AP) —Spirit Aerosystems, a major supplier to the world's largest aircraft manufacturers, is suspending operations at a critical Kansas plant after union workers there rejected a proposed four-year contract and authorized a strike.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FIAMDL70%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0SgFdsu7DiQZmGbRJFfmxBH1nyTHk7qbBUHRewfLKcmaYAfft9EiQahnVrQHGXz7cl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="223" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>Approximately 6,000 members of the IAM District 70, Local 839 voted to reject Spirit Aerosystems' best and last offer after 13 years without a fully negotiated agreement, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said in a prepared statement.Shares of Boeing Co. and Airbus slid about 2%, and shares of Spirit Aerosystems Holdings Inc. tumbled 10% at the opening bell.The tentative deal that was rejected had included up to a compounded 34% average pay bump through general wages increases, cost-of-living adjustments, and a guaranteed annual bonus; a 14.7% increase in retirement benefits; increased paid time off; job security enhancements and made Sunday overtime voluntary.A strike is scheduled to start on Saturday.“Most of our members have concluded that the company’s offer is unacceptable,” the union said in a prepared statement. "IAM District 70 and Local 839 will regroup and begin planning the following steps to bring the company back to the table.”The IAM is an industrial trade union that representing about 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries.Operations at the factory will be suspended starting Thursday, Spirit said. The company said union employees should not show up for work, but would be paid for their regularly scheduled hours. All scheduled overtime was canceled. Employees not represented by the IAM were instructed to show up for work as normal.“We are disappointed that our employees represented by the IAM rejected our four-year contract offer and voted to strike. We believe that our fair and competitive offer recognizes the contributions of our employees and ensures we can successfully meet increasing demand for aircraft from our customers,” the Wichita, Kansas, company said in a prepared statement.Aircraft manufacturers have wrestled with supply issues in recent years and a strike at Spirit Aerosystems at the Wichita plant could add to those headaches.Spirit builds the fuselage for Boeing's 737 MAX narrowbody jet and substantial sections of aircraft bodies in other of its models. It builds components for Airbus aircraft as well.

Strike looming: Machinists in Kan. reject airlines supplier's labor contract 

KANSAS CITY – A former analyst with the Kansas City Division of the FBI was sentenced in federal court today for illegally retaining documents related to the national defense at her residence, according to the United State's Attorney.

Kendra Kingsbury, 50, of Garden City, Kansas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to three years and 10 months in federal prison without parole. Kingsbury pleaded guilty on Oct. 13, 2022, to two counts of unlawfully retaining documents related to the national defense.

Kingsbury was an intelligence analyst for the FBI for more than 12 years, from 2004 to Dec. 15, 2017. Kingsbury was assigned to a sequence of different FBI squads, each of which had a particular focus, such as illegal drug trafficking, violent crime, violent gangs, and counterintelligence. Kingsbury held a TOP SECRET//SCI security clearance and had access to national defense and classified information. Training presentations and materials specifically warned Kingsbury that she was prohibited from retaining classified information at her personal residence. Such information could only be stored in an approved facility and container.

Kingsbury admitted that, over the course of her FBI employment, she repeatedly removed from the FBI and retained in her personal residence (at that time in North Kansas City, Mo.) an abundance of sensitive government materials, including classified documents related to the national defense.

In total, Kingsbury improperly removed and unlawfully and willfully retained approximately 386 classified documents in her personal residence. Some of the classified documents she unlawfully removed and kept in her home contained extremely sensitive national defense information. According to court documents, Kingsbury put national security at risk by retaining classified information in her home that would have, if in the wrong hands, revealed some of the government’s most important and secretive methods of collecting essential national security intelligence.

Kingsbury admitted to investigators that she retained and destroyed other documents over the years that could have contained classified and/or national defense information. The documents retained by Kingsbury in her personal residence included documents in electronic format on hard drives, compact discs, and other storage media.

The national defense information that Kingsbury unlawfully retained included numerous documents classified at the SECRET level from the FBI that describe intelligence sources and methods related to U.S. government efforts related to counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and defending against cyber threats. These documents included details on the FBI’s nationwide objectives and priorities, including specific investigations across multiple field offices that were open at the time Kingsbury unlawfully retained the documents. In addition, Kingsbury retained documents relating to sensitive human-source operations in national security investigations, intelligence gaps regarding hostile foreign intelligence services and terrorist organizations, and the technical capabilities of the FBI against counterintelligence and counterterrorism targets.

The national defense information that Kingsbury unlawfully retained also included numerous documents classified at the SECRET level from another government agency. These documents described intelligence sources and methods related to U.S. government efforts to collect intelligence on terrorist groups. The documents included information about al Qaeda members on the African continent, including a suspected associate of Usama bin Laden. In addition, there were documents regarding the activities of emerging terrorists and their efforts to establish themselves in support of al Qaeda in Africa.

The FBI investigated what uses Kingsbury put to the classified documents she illegally removed from the secure workspace, but according to court documents, the investigation revealed more questions and concerns than answers.

Investigators reviewed Kingsbury’s telephone records, which revealed a number of suspicious calls. Kingsbury contacted phone numbers associated with subjects of counterterrorism investigations, and these individuals also made telephone calls to Kingsbury. Investigators have not been able to determine why Kingsbury contacted these individuals, or why these individuals contacted her. Kingsbury declined to provide the government with any further information.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586964970283.png" alt="Kingsbury was an intelligence analyst for the FBI for more than 12 years, from 2004 to Dec. 15, 2017." />
 <figcaption>Kingsbury was an intelligence analyst for the FBI for more than 12 years, from 2004 to Dec. 15, 2017.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY – A former analyst with the Kansas City Division of the FBI was sentenced in federal court today for illegally retaining documents related to the national defense at her residence, according to the United State's Attorney.Kendra Kingsbury, 50, of Garden City, Kansas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to three years and 10 months in federal prison without parole. Kingsbury pleaded guilty on Oct. 13, 2022, to two counts of unlawfully retaining documents related to the national defense.Kingsbury was an intelligence analyst for the FBI for more than 12 years, from 2004 to Dec. 15, 2017. Kingsbury was assigned to a sequence of different FBI squads, each of which had a particular focus, such as illegal drug trafficking, violent crime, violent gangs, and counterintelligence. Kingsbury held a TOP SECRET//SCI security clearance and had access to national defense and classified information. Training presentations and materials specifically warned Kingsbury that she was prohibited from retaining classified information at her personal residence. Such information could only be stored in an approved facility and container.Kingsbury admitted that, over the course of her FBI employment, she repeatedly removed from the FBI and retained in her personal residence (at that time in North Kansas City, Mo.) an abundance of sensitive government materials, including classified documents related to the national defense.In total, Kingsbury improperly removed and unlawfully and willfully retained approximately 386 classified documents in her personal residence. Some of the classified documents she unlawfully removed and kept in her home contained extremely sensitive national defense information. According to court documents, Kingsbury put national security at risk by retaining classified information in her home that would have, if in the wrong hands, revealed some of the government’s most important and secretive methods of collecting essential national security intelligence.Kingsbury admitted to investigators that she retained and destroyed other documents over the years that could have contained classified and/or national defense information. The documents retained by Kingsbury in her personal residence included documents in electronic format on hard drives, compact discs, and other storage media.The national defense information that Kingsbury unlawfully retained included numerous documents classified at the SECRET level from the FBI that describe intelligence sources and methods related to U.S. government efforts related to counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and defending against cyber threats. These documents included details on the FBI’s nationwide objectives and priorities, including specific investigations across multiple field offices that were open at the time Kingsbury unlawfully retained the documents. In addition, Kingsbury retained documents relating to sensitive human-source operations in national security investigations, intelligence gaps regarding hostile foreign intelligence services and terrorist organizations, and the technical capabilities of the FBI against counterintelligence and counterterrorism targets.The national defense information that Kingsbury unlawfully retained also included numerous documents classified at the SECRET level from another government agency. These documents described intelligence sources and methods related to U.S. government efforts to collect intelligence on terrorist groups. The documents included information about al Qaeda members on the African continent, including a suspected associate of Usama bin Laden. In addition, there were documents regarding the activities of emerging terrorists and their efforts to establish themselves in support of al Qaeda in Africa.The FBI investigated what uses Kingsbury put to the classified documents she illegally removed from the secure workspace, but according to court documents, the investigation revealed more questions and concerns than answers.Investigators reviewed Kingsbury’s telephone records, which revealed a number of suspicious calls. Kingsbury contacted phone numbers associated with subjects of counterterrorism investigations, and these individuals also made telephone calls to Kingsbury. Investigators have not been able to determine why Kingsbury contacted these individuals, or why these individuals contacted her. Kingsbury declined to provide the government with any further information.

FBI employee from SW Kan. sentenced for storing classified documents at home

KANSAS CITY (AP) —More than 1 million people have been dropped from Medicaid in the past couple months as some states including Kansas moved swiftly to halt health care coverage following the end of the coronavirus pandemic.

Most got dropped for not filling out paperwork.

Though the eligibility review is required by the federal government,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medicaid-coverage-eligibility-states-coronavirus-pandemic-11a97923f345db1be5ffe174325cec96">President’s Joe Biden’s administration isn’t too pleased</a>&nbsp;at how efficiently some other states are accomplishing the task.

“Pushing through things and rushing it will lead to eligible people — kids and families — losing coverage for some period of time,” Daniel Tsai, a top federal Medicaid official recently told reporters.

Already, about 1.5 million people have been removed from Medicaid in more than two dozen states that started the process in April or May, according to publicly available reports and data obtained by The Associated Press.

Florida has dropped several hundred thousand people, by far the most among states. The drop rate also has been particularly high in other states. For people whose cases were decided in May, around half or more got dropped in Kansas, Arkansas, Idaho, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah and West Virginia.

By its own count, Arkansas has dropped more than 140,000 people from Medicaid.

The eligibility redeterminations have created headaches for Jennifer Mojica, 28, who was told in April that she no longer qualified for Medicaid because Arkansas had incorrectly determined her income was above the limit.

She got that resolved, but was then told her 5-year-old son was being dropped from Medicaid because she had requested his cancellation — something that never happened, she said. Her son’s coverage has been restored, but now Mojica says she’s been told her husband no longer qualifies. The uncertainty has been frustrating, she said.

“It was like fixing one thing and then another problem came up, and they fixed it and then something else came up,” Mojica said.

Arkansas officials said they have tried to renew coverage automatically for as many people as possible and placed a special emphasis on reaching families with children. But a 2021 state law requires the post-pandemic eligibility redeterminations to be completed in six months, and the state will continue “to swiftly disenroll individuals who are no longer eligible,” the Department of Human Services said in statement.

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has dismissed criticism of the state’s process.

“Those who do not qualify for Medicaid are taking resources from those who need them,” Sanders said on Twitter last month. “But the pandemic is over — and we are leading the way back to normalcy.”

<a href="https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/program-information/medicaid-and-chip-enrollment-data/report-highlights/index.html">More than 93 million people</a>&nbsp;nationwide were enrolled in Medicaid as of the most recent available data in February — up nearly one-third from the pre-pandemic total in January 2020. The rolls swelled because federal law prohibited states from removing people from Medicaid during the health emergency in exchange for providing states with increased funding.

Now that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medicaid-enrollees-removed-review-health-insurance-pandemic-bffc3c67ab2767e4e3cea8250683ea7a">eligibility reviews have resumed</a>, states have begun plowing through a backlog of cases to determine whether people's income or life circumstances have changed. States have a year to complete the process. But tracking down responses from everyone has proved difficult, because some people have moved, changed contact information or disregarded mailings about the renewal process.

Before dropping people from Medicaid, the Florida Department of Children and Families said it makes between five and 13 contact attempts, including texts, emails and phone calls. Yet the department said 152,600 people have been non-responsive.

Their coverage could be restored retroactively, if people submit information showing their eligibility up to 90 days after their deadline.

Unlike some states, Idaho continued to evaluate people's Medicaid eligibility during the pandemic even though it didn't remove anyone. When the enrollment freeze ended in April, Idaho started processing those cases — dropping nearly 67,000 of the 92,000 people whose cases have been decided so far.

“I think there’s still a lot of confusion among families on what’s happening,” said Hillarie Hagen, a health policy associate at the nonprofit Idaho Voices for Children.

She added, “We’re likely to see people showing up at a doctor’s office in the coming months not knowing they’ve lost Medicaid.”

Advocates fear that many households losing coverage may include children who are actually still eligible, because Medicaid covers children at higher income levels than their parents or guardians.&nbsp;<a href="https://aspe.hhs.gov/reports/unwinding-medicaid-continuous-enrollment-provision">A report last year</a>&nbsp;by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services forecast that children would be disproportionately impacted, with more than half of those disenrolled still actually eligible.

That's difficult to confirm, however, because the federal Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services doesn't require states to report a demographic breakdown of those dropped. In fact, CMS has yet to release any state-by-state data. The AP obtained data directly from states and from other groups that have been collecting it.

Medicaid recipients in numerous states have described the eligibility redetermination process as frustrating.

Julie Talamo, of Port Richey, Florida, said she called state officials every day for weeks, spending hours on hold, when she was trying to ensure her 19-year-old special-needs son, Thomas, was going to stay on Medicaid.

She knew her own coverage would end but was shocked to hear Thomas’ coverage would be whittled down to a different program that could force her family to pay $2,000 per month. Eventually, an activist put Talamo in contact with a senior state healthcare official who confirmed her son would stay on Medicaid.

KANSAS CITY (AP) —More than 1 million people have been dropped from Medicaid in the past couple months as some states including Kansas moved swiftly to halt health care coverage following the end of the coronavirus pandemic.Most got dropped for not filling out paperwork.Though the eligibility review is required by the federal government,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medicaid-coverage-eligibility-states-coronavirus-pandemic-11a97923f345db1be5ffe174325cec96">President’s Joe Biden’s administration isn’t too pleased</a>&nbsp;at how efficiently some other states are accomplishing the task.“Pushing through things and rushing it will lead to eligible people — kids and families — losing coverage for some period of time,” Daniel Tsai, a top federal Medicaid official recently told reporters.Already, about 1.5 million people have been removed from Medicaid in more than two dozen states that started the process in April or May, according to publicly available reports and data obtained by The Associated Press.Florida has dropped several hundred thousand people, by far the most among states. The drop rate also has been particularly high in other states. For people whose cases were decided in May, around half or more got dropped in Kansas, Arkansas, Idaho, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah and West Virginia.By its own count, Arkansas has dropped more than 140,000 people from Medicaid.The eligibility redeterminations have created headaches for Jennifer Mojica, 28, who was told in April that she no longer qualified for Medicaid because Arkansas had incorrectly determined her income was above the limit.She got that resolved, but was then told her 5-year-old son was being dropped from Medicaid because she had requested his cancellation — something that never happened, she said. Her son’s coverage has been restored, but now Mojica says she’s been told her husband no longer qualifies. The uncertainty has been frustrating, she said.“It was like fixing one thing and then another problem came up, and they fixed it and then something else came up,” Mojica said.Arkansas officials said they have tried to renew coverage automatically for as many people as possible and placed a special emphasis on reaching families with children. But a 2021 state law requires the post-pandemic eligibility redeterminations to be completed in six months, and the state will continue “to swiftly disenroll individuals who are no longer eligible,” the Department of Human Services said in statement.Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has dismissed criticism of the state’s process.“Those who do not qualify for Medicaid are taking resources from those who need them,” Sanders said on Twitter last month. “But the pandemic is over — and we are leading the way back to normalcy.”<a href="https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/program-information/medicaid-and-chip-enrollment-data/report-highlights/index.html">More than 93 million people</a>&nbsp;nationwide were enrolled in Medicaid as of the most recent available data in February — up nearly one-third from the pre-pandemic total in January 2020. The rolls swelled because federal law prohibited states from removing people from Medicaid during the health emergency in exchange for providing states with increased funding.Now that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medicaid-enrollees-removed-review-health-insurance-pandemic-bffc3c67ab2767e4e3cea8250683ea7a">eligibility reviews have resumed</a>, states have begun plowing through a backlog of cases to determine whether people's income or life circumstances have changed. States have a year to complete the process. But tracking down responses from everyone has proved difficult, because some people have moved, changed contact information or disregarded mailings about the renewal process.Before dropping people from Medicaid, the Florida Department of Children and Families said it makes between five and 13 contact attempts, including texts, emails and phone calls. Yet the department said 152,600 people have been non-responsive.Their coverage could be restored retroactively, if people submit information showing their eligibility up to 90 days after their deadline.Unlike some states, Idaho continued to evaluate people's Medicaid eligibility during the pandemic even though it didn't remove anyone. When the enrollment freeze ended in April, Idaho started processing those cases — dropping nearly 67,000 of the 92,000 people whose cases have been decided so far.“I think there’s still a lot of confusion among families on what’s happening,” said Hillarie Hagen, a health policy associate at the nonprofit Idaho Voices for Children.She added, “We’re likely to see people showing up at a doctor’s office in the coming months not knowing they’ve lost Medicaid.”Advocates fear that many households losing coverage may include children who are actually still eligible, because Medicaid covers children at higher income levels than their parents or guardians.&nbsp;<a href="https://aspe.hhs.gov/reports/unwinding-medicaid-continuous-enrollment-provision">A report last year</a>&nbsp;by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services forecast that children would be disproportionately impacted, with more than half of those disenrolled still actually eligible.That's difficult to confirm, however, because the federal Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services doesn't require states to report a demographic breakdown of those dropped. In fact, CMS has yet to release any state-by-state data. The AP obtained data directly from states and from other groups that have been collecting it.Medicaid recipients in numerous states have described the eligibility redetermination process as frustrating.Julie Talamo, of Port Richey, Florida, said she called state officials every day for weeks, spending hours on hold, when she was trying to ensure her 19-year-old special-needs son, Thomas, was going to stay on Medicaid.She knew her own coverage would end but was shocked to hear Thomas’ coverage would be whittled down to a different program that could force her family to pay $2,000 per month. Eventually, an activist put Talamo in contact with a senior state healthcare official who confirmed her son would stay on Medicaid.“This system was designed to fail people,” Talamo said of the haphazard process.Some states haven't been able to complete all the eligibility determinations that are due each month. Pennsylvania reported more than 100,000 incomplete cases in both April and May. Tens of thousands of cases also remained incomplete in April or May in Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, New Mexico and Ohio.“If states are already behind in processing renewals, that’s going to snowball over time," said Tricia Brooks, a research professor at the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. "Once they get piles of stuff that haven’t been processed, I don’t see how they catch up easily.”Among those still hanging in the balance is Gary Rush, 67, who said he was notified in April that he would lose Medicaid coverage. The Pittsburgh resident said he was told that his retirement accounts make him ineligible, even though he said he doesn’t draw from them. Rush appealed with the help of an advocacy group and, at a hearing this past week, was told he has until July to get rid of about $60,000 in savings.Still, Rush said he doesn’t know what he will do if he loses coverage for his diabetes medication, which costs about $700 a month. Rush said he gets $1,100 a month from Social Security.In Indiana, Samantha Richards, 35, said she has been on Medicaid her whole life and currently works two part-time jobs as a custodian. Richards recalled receiving a letter earlier this year indicating that the pandemic-era Medicaid protection was ending. She said a local advocacy group helped her navigate the renewal process. But she remains uneasy.“Medicaid can be a little unpredictable,” Richards said. “There is still that concern that just out of nowhere, I will either get a letter saying that we have to reapply because we missed some paperwork, or I missed a deadline, or I’m going to show up at the doctor’s office or the pharmacy and they’re going to say, ‘Your insurance didn’t go through.’”___