By LIZA GROSS <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>

The makers of Roundup, the world’s top weedkiller, will pay $6.9 million for&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/settlements-agreements/bayer-cropscience-and-monsanto-aod.pdf">violating an agreement</a>&nbsp;with the state of New York to stop making false claims about the safety of its best-selling herbicides.

Bayer and Monsanto, a Missouri company acquired by the German agrochemical giant for $63 billion in 2018, violated a 1996 agreement with the state of New York to “immediately cease and desist” from making false and misleading claims about glyphosate-based Roundup products, the New York attorney general’s office announced Thursday.

Studies have linked glyphosate, the active ingredient in many Roundup products, to a wide range of harmful effects in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969721004654">pollinators</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12940-020-00574-1">lab animals</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1542356519303611">people</a>. In March, a first of its kind&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/EHP11721">study</a>&nbsp;linked Roundup to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/17032023/roundup-glyphosate-health-kids/">liver and metabolic disease</a>&nbsp;in children.

Yet Bayer and Monsanto repeatedly advertised glyphosate-based Roundup products as safe and nontoxic without adequate substantiation, Attorney General Letitia&nbsp;James determined in an investigation that started three years ago.

These claims violated state laws against false and misleading advertising as well as a previous settlement the attorney general’s office&nbsp;reached with Monsanto in 1996. The 1996 settlement cited Monsanto ads claiming its glyphosate-based herbicides are “practically nontoxic” and “less toxic than certain common household products,” claims the attorney general concluded constituted&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/fraud.pdf">false and misleading advertising</a>.

Monsanto in turn committed to stop making unsubstantiated claims about the safety of its glyphosate-based Roundup products, and agreed to pay the state $50,000 in costs.

In 2020, the attorney general’s office launched a new review of Bayer and Monsanto’s advertising materials and asked the companies to provide evidence backing up claims that the products are safe.

The investigation discovered multiple instances of false or misleading safety claims on multiple platforms and by Bayer employees, including assertions that ingredients in Roundup products are less toxic than dish detergent and soap.

“Once again, Monsanto and the company’s current owner, Bayer, made false and misleading claims about the safety of their products, but we will not allow them to get away with endangering our environment,” James said in a statement. “My office will continue to protect the health of New York’s environment by ensuring our laws are respected and followed.”

The agreement cites at least five examples of online videos claiming that Roundup weed and grass killer products “won’t harm anything but weeds.” The ads are no longer publicly available, in keeping with terms of the agreement.

In one case, Bayer’s website claimed that glyphosate-based Roundup products do not result in adverse effects to honey bees or pose a threat to the health of animal wildlife. “In fact, glyphosate is an important tool that can help preserve the environment and biodiversity,” the chemical giant, valued at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ycharts.com/companies/BAYRY/market_cap">$55 billion</a>, said. Bayer removed the web page as required, though it was&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220319100202/https://www.bayer.com/en/glyphosate/glyphosate-homeowner-use">captured</a>&nbsp;by the Internet Archive.

The company also removed a page claiming that because glyphosate allows farmers to reduce tillage practices, which releases greenhouse gases from soil, it protects the environment for insects, birds and wildlife, including pollinators. That page, too, is now available only on the<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bayer.com/en/not-found">&nbsp;Internet Archive</a>.

These marketing materials violate state laws on business fraud, false and misleading advertising and Monsanto’s obligations under the 1996 agreement, the attorney general’s office found.

James said in a statement that pesticides can cause serious harm to the environment and pose a deadly threat to wildlife, including pollinators and other species vital to agriculture. “It is essential that pesticide companies, even and especially the most powerful ones, are honest with consumers about the dangers posed by their products so that they can be used responsibly,” she said.

“We are pleased that the New York Attorney General’s Office has completed its investigation,” a Bayer spokesperson said, adding that the company was glad to reach an agreement to resolve the issue. The attorney general “made no findings regarding the safety of Roundup products and no scientific conclusion that they have caused harm to pollinators or aquatic species,” the spokesperson added.

The investigation did, however, note several scientific studies reporting evidence of harm to pollinators, whose numbers are&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/pollinators-climateimpact.htm#:~:text=Humans%20also%20rely%20on%20pollinators,populations%20that%20pollinators%20depend%20on.">declining for multiple</a>&nbsp;potential reasons scientists believe, including widespread use of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1S3fHEFA41NtUkUM8ajct8Oc0AizU4zlfP_UW612E7Nc/edit?usp=sharing">herbicides like glyphosate</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004896972100855X">climate change</a>.

Recent studies show that glyphosate&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8320642/">disrupts enzymes</a>&nbsp;in gut microbes essential for health in people and other animals and that the herbicide may harm pollinators and aquatic organisms. One study, by a leading expert on how microbes affect their hosts, found that&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1803880115">glyphosate upsets microflora</a>&nbsp;in bees’ guts, making them more susceptible to infection.

The investigation cited these studies to determine that Bayer and Monsanto failed to substantiate advertising claims that Roundup weed- and grass killer products are safe and nontoxic and “won’t harm anything but weeds.”

The attorney general’s office also noted that Bayer and Monsanto “neither admit nor deny” the findings. In addition, the office noted that Bayer intends to stop selling glyphosate-based products in 2023, as a result of settling lawsuits worth billions of dollars alleging the products cause cancer in humans.The investigation did not, however, focus on glyphosate’s effects on humans. The products are still available in New York stores.

The attorney general’s office accepted the $6.9 million payment, due within 10 days of the agreement, and the companies’ assurance that they would “cease and desist” from publishing or broadcasting ads in New York that claim Roundup products are safe, nontoxic and harmless to pollinators and aquatic organisms.

The money will be used for pollinator research, management and programs designed to restore pollinator habitat and mitigate environmental pollution affecting bees and other pollinators.

If the agrochemical giants violate these terms, they must pay $100,000 in each case.

This article originally appeared on&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/15062023/roundup-weedkiller-settlement-neww-york-ag/">Inside Climate News</a>, a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. It is republished with permission. Sign up for their newsletter&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://insideclimatenews.org/newsletter/">here</a>.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593022262288.png" alt="Roundup’s manufacturer, the multinational Bayer, must pay $6.9 million for violating an agreement with the state of New York to stop making false claims.-file photo" />
 <figcaption>Roundup’s manufacturer, the multinational Bayer, must pay $6.9 million for violating an agreement with the state of New York to stop making false claims.-file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By LIZA GROSS <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>The makers of Roundup, the world’s top weedkiller, will pay $6.9 million for&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/settlements-agreements/bayer-cropscience-and-monsanto-aod.pdf">violating an agreement</a>&nbsp;with the state of New York to stop making false claims about the safety of its best-selling herbicides.Bayer and Monsanto, a Missouri company acquired by the German agrochemical giant for $63 billion in 2018, violated a 1996 agreement with the state of New York to “immediately cease and desist” from making false and misleading claims about glyphosate-based Roundup products, the New York attorney general’s office announced Thursday.Studies have linked glyphosate, the active ingredient in many Roundup products, to a wide range of harmful effects in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969721004654">pollinators</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12940-020-00574-1">lab animals</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1542356519303611">people</a>. In March, a first of its kind&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/EHP11721">study</a>&nbsp;linked Roundup to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/17032023/roundup-glyphosate-health-kids/">liver and metabolic disease</a>&nbsp;in children.Yet Bayer and Monsanto repeatedly advertised glyphosate-based Roundup products as safe and nontoxic without adequate substantiation, Attorney General Letitia&nbsp;James determined in an investigation that started three years ago.These claims violated state laws against false and misleading advertising as well as a previous settlement the attorney general’s office&nbsp;reached with Monsanto in 1996. The 1996 settlement cited Monsanto ads claiming its glyphosate-based herbicides are “practically nontoxic” and “less toxic than certain common household products,” claims the attorney general concluded constituted&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/fraud.pdf">false and misleading advertising</a>.Monsanto in turn committed to stop making unsubstantiated claims about the safety of its glyphosate-based Roundup products, and agreed to pay the state $50,000 in costs.In 2020, the attorney general’s office launched a new review of Bayer and Monsanto’s advertising materials and asked the companies to provide evidence backing up claims that the products are safe.The investigation discovered multiple instances of false or misleading safety claims on multiple platforms and by Bayer employees, including assertions that ingredients in Roundup products are less toxic than dish detergent and soap.“Once again, Monsanto and the company’s current owner, Bayer, made false and misleading claims about the safety of their products, but we will not allow them to get away with endangering our environment,” James said in a statement. “My office will continue to protect the health of New York’s environment by ensuring our laws are respected and followed.”The agreement cites at least five examples of online videos claiming that Roundup weed and grass killer products “won’t harm anything but weeds.” The ads are no longer publicly available, in keeping with terms of the agreement.In one case, Bayer’s website claimed that glyphosate-based Roundup products do not result in adverse effects to honey bees or pose a threat to the health of animal wildlife. “In fact, glyphosate is an important tool that can help preserve the environment and biodiversity,” the chemical giant, valued at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ycharts.com/companies/BAYRY/market_cap">$55 billion</a>, said. Bayer removed the web page as required, though it was&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220319100202/https://www.bayer.com/en/glyphosate/glyphosate-homeowner-use">captured</a>&nbsp;by the Internet Archive.The company also removed a page claiming that because glyphosate allows farmers to reduce tillage practices, which releases greenhouse gases from soil, it protects the environment for insects, birds and wildlife, including pollinators. That page, too, is now available only on the<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bayer.com/en/not-found">&nbsp;Internet Archive</a>.These marketing materials violate state laws on business fraud, false and misleading advertising and Monsanto’s obligations under the 1996 agreement, the attorney general’s office found.James said in a statement that pesticides can cause serious harm to the environment and pose a deadly threat to wildlife, including pollinators and other species vital to agriculture. “It is essential that pesticide companies, even and especially the most powerful ones, are honest with consumers about the dangers posed by their products so that they can be used responsibly,” she said.“We are pleased that the New York Attorney General’s Office has completed its investigation,” a Bayer spokesperson said, adding that the company was glad to reach an agreement to resolve the issue. The attorney general “made no findings regarding the safety of Roundup products and no scientific conclusion that they have caused harm to pollinators or aquatic species,” the spokesperson added.The investigation did, however, note several scientific studies reporting evidence of harm to pollinators, whose numbers are&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/pollinators-climateimpact.htm#:~:text=Humans%20also%20rely%20on%20pollinators,populations%20that%20pollinators%20depend%20on.">declining for multiple</a>&nbsp;potential reasons scientists believe, including widespread use of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1S3fHEFA41NtUkUM8ajct8Oc0AizU4zlfP_UW612E7Nc/edit?usp=sharing">herbicides like glyphosate</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004896972100855X">climate change</a>.Recent studies show that glyphosate&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8320642/">disrupts enzymes</a>&nbsp;in gut microbes essential for health in people and other animals and that the herbicide may harm pollinators and aquatic organisms. One study, by a leading expert on how microbes affect their hosts, found that&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1803880115">glyphosate upsets microflora</a>&nbsp;in bees’ guts, making them more susceptible to infection.The investigation cited these studies to determine that Bayer and Monsanto failed to substantiate advertising claims that Roundup weed- and grass killer products are safe and nontoxic and “won’t harm anything but weeds.”The attorney general’s office also noted that Bayer and Monsanto “neither admit nor deny” the findings. In addition, the office noted that Bayer intends to stop selling glyphosate-based products in 2023, as a result of settling lawsuits worth billions of dollars alleging the products cause cancer in humans.The investigation did not, however, focus on glyphosate’s effects on humans. The products are still available in New York stores.The attorney general’s office accepted the $6.9 million payment, due within 10 days of the agreement, and the companies’ assurance that they would “cease and desist” from publishing or broadcasting ads in New York that claim Roundup products are safe, nontoxic and harmless to pollinators and aquatic organisms.The money will be used for pollinator research, management and programs designed to restore pollinator habitat and mitigate environmental pollution affecting bees and other pollinators.If the agrochemical giants violate these terms, they must pay $100,000 in each case. This article originally appeared on&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/15062023/roundup-weedkiller-settlement-neww-york-ag/">Inside Climate News</a>, a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. It is republished with permission. Sign up for their newsletter&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://insideclimatenews.org/newsletter/">here</a>.&nbsp;

Roundup weedkiller manufacturers to pay $6.9 million in false ad settlement

MERRIAM, Kan. (AP) — A 24-year-old man has been charged with causing a deadly crash in suburban Kansas City after police tried to stop him for speeding.

Uconn Coleman, of Grain Valley, Missouri, is jailed on $500,000 bond on charges that include first-degree murder, eluding police and driving under the influence.

Police in Merriam, Kansas, said the crash happened around 1:35 a.m. Thursday when an officer tried to pull over a speeding driver. Police said the officer didn't initiate a pursuit before the driver crashed seconds later into another vehicle that was stopped at an intersection.

The driver of the stopped vehicle, 19-year-old Benjamin Klecza, was taken to the hospital with critical injuries. He later died, according to prosecutors.

Defense attorney Carl Cornwell said Coleman sobbed when he spoke to him for the first time Friday, distraught that someone had died.

“It was very emotional,” Cornwell said, adding that Coleman was “very remorseful.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687029113330.png" alt="Coleman-photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Coleman-photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>MERRIAM, Kan. (AP) — A 24-year-old man has been charged with causing a deadly crash in suburban Kansas City after police tried to stop him for speeding.Uconn Coleman, of Grain Valley, Missouri, is jailed on $500,000 bond on charges that include first-degree murder, eluding police and driving under the influence.Police in Merriam, Kansas, said the crash happened around 1:35 a.m. Thursday when an officer tried to pull over a speeding driver. Police said the officer didn't initiate a pursuit before the driver crashed seconds later into another vehicle that was stopped at an intersection.The driver of the stopped vehicle, 19-year-old Benjamin Klecza, was taken to the hospital with critical injuries. He later died, according to prosecutors.Defense attorney Carl Cornwell said Coleman sobbed when he spoke to him for the first time Friday, distraught that someone had died.“It was very emotional,” Cornwell said, adding that Coleman was “very remorseful.”

Driver charged in deadly Kan. crash after he ran from traffic stop

JUNCTION CITY –&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly celebrates the announcement that Michelin will invest more than $100 million into its Junction City operations over the next five years, creating 200 new jobs, according to a media release from her office.

The investment will increase the company’s production capacity of Camso rubber tracks for agricultural equipment.

“Michelin’s expansion is further proof that the work we are doing to recruit, retain, and expand business in the state is paying off,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. “Now, 200 more Kansans will have quality jobs and Junction City will continue to grow, benefiting the state as a whole.”

“At Michelin, we are proud to partner with our customers who are meeting the challenge of feeding the world more efficiently while protecting the environment,”&nbsp;Michelin North America President and CEO Alexis Garcin said. “This investment in agricultural tracks capacity is further evidence of our commitment to bring Michelin’s all-sustainable strategy to life in North America, positioning the company as a leader in this fast-growing market segment and creating careers that will benefit 200 families in the community.”

Camso, a brand under the Michelin Group, specializes in off-road tires, rubber tracks, and systems for material handling, construction, agriculture, and power sports industries.

“Michelin’s strategic expansions continue to create more opportunities for hard-working Kansas families,”&nbsp;Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “The Kelly Administration’s goal to bring prosperity to all Kansas communities is happening – one solid investment like this at a time.”

Kansas is home to three Michelin manufacturing plants, all specializing in agricultural applications like rubber tracks and wheels. The other two facilities are in Emporia.

Through steady investment in Kansas, Michelin has increased production and the number of people employed in the state. In the past two years, more than $20 million was invested to expand and improve the Emporia facilities. In Junction City, the estimated 200 new positions will increase that plant’s workforce to 375 by 2026.

“As a leader in the beyond road segment, this investment is additional proof of our commitment to partner with our customers,”&nbsp;said Erick Bellefleur, Senior Vice President of the global Beyond Road business line. “With this investment, we’ll not only be able to meet a growing need in the agriculture market, but we will also continue to add to our workforce in Kansas where our teams are eager to meet tomorrow’s challenges and serve are customers who are also our neighbors.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687188098034.png" alt="Camso, a brand under the Michelin Group, specializes in off-road tires, rubber tracks, and systems for material handling, construction, agriculture, and power sports industries.-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Camso, a brand under the Michelin Group, specializes in off-road tires, rubber tracks, and systems for material handling, construction, agriculture, and power sports industries.-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>JUNCTION CITY –&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly celebrates the announcement that Michelin will invest more than $100 million into its Junction City operations over the next five years, creating 200 new jobs, according to a media release from her office.The investment will increase the company’s production capacity of Camso rubber tracks for agricultural equipment.“Michelin’s expansion is further proof that the work we are doing to recruit, retain, and expand business in the state is paying off,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. “Now, 200 more Kansans will have quality jobs and Junction City will continue to grow, benefiting the state as a whole.”“At Michelin, we are proud to partner with our customers who are meeting the challenge of feeding the world more efficiently while protecting the environment,”&nbsp;Michelin North America President and CEO Alexis Garcin said. “This investment in agricultural tracks capacity is further evidence of our commitment to bring Michelin’s all-sustainable strategy to life in North America, positioning the company as a leader in this fast-growing market segment and creating careers that will benefit 200 families in the community.”Camso, a brand under the Michelin Group, specializes in off-road tires, rubber tracks, and systems for material handling, construction, agriculture, and power sports industries.“Michelin’s strategic expansions continue to create more opportunities for hard-working Kansas families,”&nbsp;Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “The Kelly Administration’s goal to bring prosperity to all Kansas communities is happening – one solid investment like this at a time.”Kansas is home to three Michelin manufacturing plants, all specializing in agricultural applications like rubber tracks and wheels. The other two facilities are in Emporia.Through steady investment in Kansas, Michelin has increased production and the number of people employed in the state. In the past two years, more than $20 million was invested to expand and improve the Emporia facilities. In Junction City, the estimated 200 new positions will increase that plant’s workforce to 375 by 2026.“As a leader in the beyond road segment, this investment is additional proof of our commitment to partner with our customers,”&nbsp;said Erick Bellefleur, Senior Vice President of the global Beyond Road business line. “With this investment, we’ll not only be able to meet a growing need in the agriculture market, but we will also continue to add to our workforce in Kansas where our teams are eager to meet tomorrow’s challenges and serve are customers who are also our neighbors.”

Michelin to invest more than $100 million into Junction City operation

BUTLER COUNTY —A toddler died from injuries in an accident Friday in rural Butler County. Friends <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/rip-baby-eden">established a GoFundMe</a> to assist the family.

Just after 4p.m., emergency crews responded to the report of an unresponsive child in the 500 block of S. Main in Leon, Kansas, according to Butler County Undersheriff Daimon Cundiff.

 The 21-month-old boy had been run over by a vehicle in the driveway of the home by a family member.&nbsp; Butler County EMS transported the child to Wesley Medical Center, in extremely critical condition, where he later died.

The incident is being investigated as accidental.&nbsp; The accident is not believed to be alcohol or drug related, according to Cundiff.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686966501599.png" alt="First responders on the scene Friday-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene Friday-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>BUTLER COUNTY —A toddler died from injuries in an accident Friday in rural Butler County. Friends <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/rip-baby-eden">established a GoFundMe</a> to assist the family.Just after 4p.m., emergency crews responded to the report of an unresponsive child in the 500 block of S. Main in Leon, Kansas, according to Butler County Undersheriff Daimon Cundiff.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687048550064.png" alt="Photo of Eden from the <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/rip-baby-eden">GoFundMe page</a>" />
 <figcaption>Photo of Eden from the <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/rip-baby-eden">GoFundMe page</a></figcaption>
 </figure> The 21-month-old boy had been run over by a vehicle in the driveway of the home by a family member.&nbsp; Butler County EMS transported the child to Wesley Medical Center, in extremely critical condition, where he later died.The incident is being investigated as accidental.&nbsp; The accident is not believed to be alcohol or drug related, according to Cundiff.

Friends helping family of Kansas toddler who died in accident

WICHITA (AP) — Americans in Kansas and across the country this weekend celebrated Juneteenth, marking the relatively&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/juneteenth-holiday-beginner-celebration-guide-460084b8008206febf23bd8d083170fa">new national holiday</a>&nbsp;with cookouts, parades and other gatherings as they commemorated the end of slavery after the Civil War.

While many have treated the long holiday weekend as a reason for a party, others urged quiet reflection on America's often violent and oppressive treatment of its Black citizens. And still others have remarked at the strangeness of celebrating a federal holiday marking the end of slavery in the nation while many Americans are trying to stop parts of that history from being taught in public schools.

“Is&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Juneteenth?src=hashtag_click">#Juneteenth</a>&nbsp;the only federal holiday that some states have banned the teaching of its history and significance?” Author Michelle Duster asked on Twitter this weekend, referring to measures in Florida, Oklahoma and Alabama prohibiting an Advancement Placement African American studies course or the teaching of certain concepts of race and racism.

Monday’s federal holiday commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned they had been freed — two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued during the bloody Civil War.

On Juneteenth weekend, a Roman Catholic church in Detroit devoted its service to urging parishioners to take a deeper look at the lessons from the holiday.

“In order to have justice we must work for peace. And in order to have peace we must work for justice,” John Thorne, executive director of the Detroit Catholic Pastoral Alliance, said to the congregation at Gesu Catholic Church in Detroit.

Standing before paintings of a Black Jesus and Mary, Thorne said Juneteenth is a day of celebration, but it also “has to be much more.”

It was important to speak about Juneteenth during Sunday Mass, the Rev. Lorn Snow told a reporter as the service was ending.

“The struggle’s still not over with. There’s a lot of work to be done,” he said.

Most Black Americans agree, according to a recent poll. A full 70% of Black adults&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-of-george-floyd-only-on-ap-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-police-9a73b306d00aa423e330d26d99f973a1">queried in a AP-NORC poll</a>&nbsp;said “a lot” needs to be done to achieve equal treatment for African Americans in policing. And Black Americans suffer from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/black-americans-health-disparities-takeaways-434d87016d1e1e7ebd88752792be9acc">significantly worse health outcomes than their white peers</a>&nbsp;across a variety of measures, including rates of maternal mortality, asthma, high blood pressure and Alzheimer's disease.

Although end-of-slavery celebrations are new in many parts of the country, in Memphis, where the slave trade once thrived, the Juneteenth holiday has been celebrated since long before it became a designated federal holiday in 2021. The Tennessee Legislature passed a bill earlier this year making it a state holiday, as well.

Festivities there include a multi-day festival including food, music, arts and crafts, and cultural exhibitions in a tree-lined park in the city's medical district. The Memphis park once held an equestrian statue and the grave of slave trader and Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest. The statue and the body were moved in recent years.

Memphis is home to the National Civil Rights Museum located at the site of the old Lorraine Motel, the former Black-owned hotel where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed in 1968. The museum is offering free admission on Monday to mark the holiday. At the museum, visitors can hear recorded speeches from civil rights leaders including King, Fannie Lou Hamer, Medgar Evers and others.

Ryan Jones, the museum’s associate curator, said Juneteenth should be celebrated in the U.S. with the same emphasis that July 4 receives as Independence Day.

“It is the independence of a people that were forced to endure oppression and discrimination based on the color of their skin,” Jones said.

The Juneteenth holiday, Jones said, should also be viewed as more than a day when people attend parties and cookouts. In fact, he said, it is a time to reflect on the past.

“It acknowledges the sacrifices of those early civil rights veterans between World War I and World War II, and of course in the modern society, the protests, the demonstrations, the non-violence, the marches,” Jones said.

As Americans gathered to mark the holiday, it wasn't without incident. In a Chicago suburb late Saturday night,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/willowbrook-illinois-party-shooting-a730bb6b0dbfbfd31b89f9784d469edc">one person was killed and 22 were injured</a>&nbsp;in a shooting still being investigated Sunday by police. One witness said the party in the parking lot of a Willowbrook, Illinois, strip-mall was a Juneteenth celebration.

The White House released a statement Sunday afternoon, saying: “The President and First Lady are thinking of those killed and injured in the shooting in Illinois last night. We have reached out to offer assistance to state and local leaders in the wake of this tragedy at a community Juneteenth celebration.”

The holiday observance continues Monday with Vice President Kamala Harris appearing on a CNN special with musical guests including Miguel and Charlie Wilson.

Schools and federal buildings will be closed Monday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687139012959.png" alt="Juneteenth events over the weekend in Wichita-photos courtesy Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Juneteenth events over the weekend in Wichita-photos courtesy Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA (AP) — Americans in Kansas and across the country this weekend celebrated Juneteenth, marking the relatively&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/juneteenth-holiday-beginner-celebration-guide-460084b8008206febf23bd8d083170fa">new national holiday</a>&nbsp;with cookouts, parades and other gatherings as they commemorated the end of slavery after the Civil War.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Juneteenth commemorates the end of nearly 250 years of slavery – a remarkable moment in our nation&#39;s history. I encourage all Kansans to join me in celebrating today and seizing every opportunity to remind friends and family of Kansas’ rich and diverse heritage. <a href="https://t.co/TurpplivlN">pic.twitter.com/TurpplivlN</a>&mdash; Governor Laura Kelly (@GovLauraKelly) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovLauraKelly/status/1670801125447016449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>While many have treated the long holiday weekend as a reason for a party, others urged quiet reflection on America's often violent and oppressive treatment of its Black citizens. And still others have remarked at the strangeness of celebrating a federal holiday marking the end of slavery in the nation while many Americans are trying to stop parts of that history from being taught in public schools.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687139151742.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>“Is&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Juneteenth?src=hashtag_click">#Juneteenth</a>&nbsp;the only federal holiday that some states have banned the teaching of its history and significance?” Author Michelle Duster asked on Twitter this weekend, referring to measures in Florida, Oklahoma and Alabama prohibiting an Advancement Placement African American studies course or the teaching of certain concepts of race and racism.Monday’s federal holiday commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned they had been freed — two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued during the bloody Civil War.On Juneteenth weekend, a Roman Catholic church in Detroit devoted its service to urging parishioners to take a deeper look at the lessons from the holiday.“In order to have justice we must work for peace. And in order to have peace we must work for justice,” John Thorne, executive director of the Detroit Catholic Pastoral Alliance, said to the congregation at Gesu Catholic Church in Detroit.Standing before paintings of a Black Jesus and Mary, Thorne said Juneteenth is a day of celebration, but it also “has to be much more.”It was important to speak about Juneteenth during Sunday Mass, the Rev. Lorn Snow told a reporter as the service was ending.“The struggle’s still not over with. There’s a lot of work to be done,” he said.Most Black Americans agree, according to a recent poll. A full 70% of Black adults&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-of-george-floyd-only-on-ap-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-police-9a73b306d00aa423e330d26d99f973a1">queried in a AP-NORC poll</a>&nbsp;said “a lot” needs to be done to achieve equal treatment for African Americans in policing. And Black Americans suffer from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/black-americans-health-disparities-takeaways-434d87016d1e1e7ebd88752792be9acc">significantly worse health outcomes than their white peers</a>&nbsp;across a variety of measures, including rates of maternal mortality, asthma, high blood pressure and Alzheimer's disease.Although end-of-slavery celebrations are new in many parts of the country, in Memphis, where the slave trade once thrived, the Juneteenth holiday has been celebrated since long before it became a designated federal holiday in 2021. The Tennessee Legislature passed a bill earlier this year making it a state holiday, as well.Festivities there include a multi-day festival including food, music, arts and crafts, and cultural exhibitions in a tree-lined park in the city's medical district. The Memphis park once held an equestrian statue and the grave of slave trader and Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest. The statue and the body were moved in recent years.Memphis is home to the National Civil Rights Museum located at the site of the old Lorraine Motel, the former Black-owned hotel where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed in 1968. The museum is offering free admission on Monday to mark the holiday. At the museum, visitors can hear recorded speeches from civil rights leaders including King, Fannie Lou Hamer, Medgar Evers and others.Ryan Jones, the museum’s associate curator, said Juneteenth should be celebrated in the U.S. with the same emphasis that July 4 receives as Independence Day.“It is the independence of a people that were forced to endure oppression and discrimination based on the color of their skin,” Jones said.The Juneteenth holiday, Jones said, should also be viewed as more than a day when people attend parties and cookouts. In fact, he said, it is a time to reflect on the past.“It acknowledges the sacrifices of those early civil rights veterans between World War I and World War II, and of course in the modern society, the protests, the demonstrations, the non-violence, the marches,” Jones said.As Americans gathered to mark the holiday, it wasn't without incident. In a Chicago suburb late Saturday night,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/willowbrook-illinois-party-shooting-a730bb6b0dbfbfd31b89f9784d469edc">one person was killed and 22 were injured</a>&nbsp;in a shooting still being investigated Sunday by police. One witness said the party in the parking lot of a Willowbrook, Illinois, strip-mall was a Juneteenth celebration.The White House released a statement Sunday afternoon, saying: “The President and First Lady are thinking of those killed and injured in the shooting in Illinois last night. We have reached out to offer assistance to state and local leaders in the wake of this tragedy at a community Juneteenth celebration.”The holiday observance continues Monday with Vice President Kamala Harris appearing on a CNN special with musical guests including Miguel and Charlie Wilson.Schools and federal buildings will be closed Monday.

Kansans mark Juneteenth with parties, events, quiet reflection on end of slavery

CAMDEN COUNTY, Mo. —Two teens were injured in an accident just before 6:30p.mm. Friday at Lake of the Ozarks.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2020 Seado jet ski driven by a 15-year-old from Derby, Kansas struck a 2021 Seado jet ski driven by a 16-year-old from Rose Hill near the 7-mile mark of the Big Niangua.

After impact, both teens were ejected into the water.&nbsp; Mid County ambulance transported both to Lake Regional Hospital for treatment of serious injuries.&nbsp; The MSHP reported no additional details.

CAMDEN COUNTY, Mo. —Two teens were injured in an accident just before 6:30p.mm. Friday at Lake of the Ozarks.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2020 Seado jet ski driven by a 15-year-old from Derby, Kansas struck a 2021 Seado jet ski driven by a 16-year-old from Rose Hill near the 7-mile mark of the Big Niangua.After impact, both teens were ejected into the water.&nbsp; Mid County ambulance transported both to Lake Regional Hospital for treatment of serious injuries.&nbsp; The MSHP reported no additional details.

2 Kan. teens injured after jet ski crash at Lake of the Ozarks

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

People crowded into the Hays Arts Center Annex on Friday to see a display honoring the 50th anniversary of the filming of "Paper Moon."

Most of the movie, starring Ryan and Tatum O'Neal was filmed within a 50-mile radius of Hays with Hays being the film crew's base of operations.

"Paper Moon" depicts the Depression era in Kansas and Missouri. It was shot in black and white by director Peter Bogdanovich and tells the story of drifter, Moze, and a little girl, Addie, as Moze takes Addie from rural Kansas to St. Joseph, Mo., to live with her aunt.

Tatum O'Neal won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film, becoming the youngest actress to do so.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/0b548169-b02e-4e81-9b93-dab95fca9ef6">Local residents mingled around numerous newspaper clippings from the time pointing to photos of people they knew or landmarks they remembered.</a>

Many of the people the Hays Post spoke with were teenagers or young adults when the film was made and have vague memories of joining crowds of other locals to watch the rare spectacle in western Kansas.

Rhonda McCann, who was a teenager when the movie was filmed, said she remembered the crew filming in the 100 block of West 10th in Hays. One of the buildings, which is no longer standing, doubled as a dress shop in the movie.&nbsp;

Ryan O'Neal and Madelene Kahn were filmed coming out of the building. She also remembered driving to LaCrosse to watch the filming of the carnival scenes, but said she couldn't see much because it was dark. She said remembered being bored.

Randy Pfeifer was in high school when the filming came to Hays. He lived on a farm and couldn't make it into town to watch the filming.

However, he said. "It was a big thing when it hit Hays."

Leon Staab, who was in his 20s when the movie was filmed, also said he remembered the filming in Hays. He said there was much excitement around the filming, but many of the specific memories have faded over 50 years.

Many local residents were extras in the movie. Sue Schmidt, the daughter of Eagle Radio founder Bob Schmidt, was a stand-in for Tatum O'Neal during filming. She would take Tatum's place when the camera crews were setting up sound and lighting for shots.&nbsp;

In a newspaper story from the time, Sue talked about the long, boring hours of shooting and missing her friends from school. The movie was filmed in September and October of 1972, and Schmidt had a tutor because she had to miss school during the shooting.

Eight children from the Budke family of Hays were extras in the film.&nbsp;

The Budke family was in a scene during which Moze, played by Ryan O'Neal, and Addie, played by his daughter Tatum O'Neal, try to sell a Bible to a poor family.

The widow comes to the door and her many children, the Budke siblings, file in behind her. Addie turns to Moze and tells him the Bible is paid for.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/67bee6b6-2d7a-42ac-b543-dad1b4c610e3">Dennis, who still lives in Hays, and his brother, Chuck, now of Salina, swapped memories a few weeks ago in Wilson during that community's "Paper Moon" Festival. Dennis also made an appearance Friday night at the art center annex.</a>

The Midwest movie premier of "Paper Moon" was at the Fox Theatre in Hays. The event included a VIP champagne reception.

A newspaper clipping from the time said, "Inside the theatre lobby champagne corks ricocheted off the walls in resounding pops as the Hays Arts Council members served the wine and hors d'ouerves to ticketholders."

KAYS radio, which is owned by the parent company of the Hays Post, was also on hand to do live interviews of the local actors who appeared in the movie.

Tickets for the special showing were $3 for the actors and $4 for the general public.

The film's budget then was a whopping $2.6 million, which local officials touted at the time as having a significant impact on the local economy.

Although Hays seemed to love having the film crew in town, the director&nbsp;Peter Bogdanovich didn't have the same love for Hays.

In an interview, he would later call Hays "dreary and tacky."

 A couple of years after the movie premiered, ABC began filming a series by the same name, which started Jody Foster and Chris Connelly,&nbsp; also in Hays and Ellis County.

During the filming of "Paper Moon" the TV series Charlene Hamel of Hays was the stand-in for Jodi Foster.

Scenes from the TV series were filmed in the Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority house.&nbsp;

During the 50th anniversary weekend, two free showings of "Paper Moon." the movie were offered at Beach Schmidt Performing Arts Center. McCracken also opened its museum to visitors to view memorabilia from the movie and hosted a night of big band music.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687126160941.jpeg" alt="Visitors talk about memorabilia from the movie "Paper Moon" during the 50th-anniversary celebration of the movie's release at the Hays Arts Center annex on Friday. Most of the movie was filmed within a 50-mile radius of Hays. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Visitors talk about memorabilia from the movie "Paper Moon" during the 50th-anniversary celebration of the movie's release at the Hays Arts Center annex on Friday. Most of the movie was filmed within a 50-mile radius of Hays. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostPeople crowded into the Hays Arts Center Annex on Friday to see a display honoring the 50th anniversary of the filming of "Paper Moon."Most of the movie, starring Ryan and Tatum O'Neal was filmed within a 50-mile radius of Hays with Hays being the film crew's base of operations."Paper Moon" depicts the Depression era in Kansas and Missouri. It was shot in black and white by director Peter Bogdanovich and tells the story of drifter, Moze, and a little girl, Addie, as Moze takes Addie from rural Kansas to St. Joseph, Mo., to live with her aunt.Tatum O'Neal won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film, becoming the youngest actress to do so.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687124674300.jpeg" alt=""Paper Moon"&nbsp; filming on 10th Street in Hays in 1972. Photo courtesy of Pete Felten" />
 <figcaption>"Paper Moon"&nbsp; filming on 10th Street in Hays in 1972. Photo courtesy of Pete Felten</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/0b548169-b02e-4e81-9b93-dab95fca9ef6">Local residents mingled around numerous newspaper clippings from the time pointing to photos of people they knew or landmarks they remembered.</a>Many of the people the Hays Post spoke with were teenagers or young adults when the film was made and have vague memories of joining crowds of other locals to watch the rare spectacle in western Kansas.Rhonda McCann, who was a teenager when the movie was filmed, said she remembered the crew filming in the 100 block of West 10th in Hays. One of the buildings, which is no longer standing, doubled as a dress shop in the movie.&nbsp;Ryan O'Neal and Madelene Kahn were filmed coming out of the building. She also remembered driving to LaCrosse to watch the filming of the carnival scenes, but said she couldn't see much because it was dark. She said remembered being bored.Randy Pfeifer was in high school when the filming came to Hays. He lived on a farm and couldn't make it into town to watch the filming.However, he said. "It was a big thing when it hit Hays."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687125050145.jpeg" alt="Tatum O'Neal, star of "Paper Moon" and her stand-in Sue Schmidt of Hays. Clippings courtesy of Hays Arts Council" />
 <figcaption>Tatum O'Neal, star of "Paper Moon" and her stand-in Sue Schmidt of Hays. Clippings courtesy of Hays Arts Council</figcaption>
 </figure>Leon Staab, who was in his 20s when the movie was filmed, also said he remembered the filming in Hays. He said there was much excitement around the filming, but many of the specific memories have faded over 50 years.Many local residents were extras in the movie. Sue Schmidt, the daughter of Eagle Radio founder Bob Schmidt, was a stand-in for Tatum O'Neal during filming. She would take Tatum's place when the camera crews were setting up sound and lighting for shots.&nbsp;In a newspaper story from the time, Sue talked about the long, boring hours of shooting and missing her friends from school. The movie was filmed in September and October of 1972, and Schmidt had a tutor because she had to miss school during the shooting.Eight children from the Budke family of Hays were extras in the film.&nbsp;The Budke family was in a scene during which Moze, played by Ryan O'Neal, and Addie, played by his daughter Tatum O'Neal, try to sell a Bible to a poor family.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687125216900.jpeg" alt="Eight children in the Budke family in Hays were extras in "Paper Moon." Clipping courtesy of Hays Arts Council" />
 <figcaption>Eight children in the Budke family in Hays were extras in "Paper Moon." Clipping courtesy of Hays Arts Council</figcaption>
 </figure>The widow comes to the door and her many children, the Budke siblings, file in behind her. Addie turns to Moze and tells him the Bible is paid for.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/67bee6b6-2d7a-42ac-b543-dad1b4c610e3">Dennis, who still lives in Hays, and his brother, Chuck, now of Salina, swapped memories a few weeks ago in Wilson during that community's "Paper Moon" Festival. Dennis also made an appearance Friday night at the art center annex.</a>The Midwest movie premier of "Paper Moon" was at the Fox Theatre in Hays. The event included a VIP champagne reception.A newspaper clipping from the time said, "Inside the theatre lobby champagne corks ricocheted off the walls in resounding pops as the Hays Arts Council members served the wine and hors d'ouerves to ticketholders."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687125451690.jpeg" alt="The carnival scene from "Paper Moon" was shot in LaCrosse. Clipping courtesy of the Hays Arts Council." />
 <figcaption>The carnival scene from "Paper Moon" was shot in LaCrosse. Clipping courtesy of the Hays Arts Council.</figcaption>
 </figure>KAYS radio, which is owned by the parent company of the Hays Post, was also on hand to do live interviews of the local actors who appeared in the movie.Tickets for the special showing were $3 for the actors and $4 for the general public.The film's budget then was a whopping $2.6 million, which local officials touted at the time as having a significant impact on the local economy.Although Hays seemed to love having the film crew in town, the director&nbsp;Peter Bogdanovich didn't have the same love for Hays.In an interview, he would later call Hays "dreary and tacky."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687125562723.jpeg" alt="Jodi Foster, center, starred in the "Paper Moon" TV series that was shot in Elis County. Photo courtesy of Hays Arts Council" />
 <figcaption>Jodi Foster, center, starred in the "Paper Moon" TV series that was shot in Elis County. Photo courtesy of Hays Arts Council</figcaption>
 </figure> A couple of years after the movie premiered, ABC began filming a series by the same name, which started Jody Foster and Chris Connelly,&nbsp; also in Hays and Ellis County.During the filming of "Paper Moon" the TV series Charlene Hamel of Hays was the stand-in for Jodi Foster.Scenes from the TV series were filmed in the Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority house.&nbsp;During the 50th anniversary weekend, two free showings of "Paper Moon." the movie were offered at Beach Schmidt Performing Arts Center. McCracken also opened its museum to visitors to view memorabilia from the movie and hosted a night of big band music.

Hays celebrates 50th anniversary of 'Paper Moon'

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a series of shootings in Topeka that left one dead and two others with injuries.

Just after 10p.m. Sunday police responded to report of a disturbance in the 3100 Block of SW Clay in Topeka, according to Lt. Edward Stanley. First responders found a shooting victim who was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Just before 11:30p..m. Sunday police responded to 4100 Block of Southwest of Twilight in Topeka, according to Stanley.

First responders found one person with a gunshot wound. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Just after 1:30.a.m. on Monday, police responded to the 1300 Block&nbsp; of Western Avenue in Topeka on reports of multiple gunshots in the area.

Officers found one person with a&nbsp;non-life-threatening gunshot wound, according to Stanley.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Police have not released any additional details or suspect information on these incidents.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687170616581.png" alt="Police were busy Sunday night and early Monday in Topeka" />
 <figcaption>Police were busy Sunday night and early Monday in Topeka</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a series of shootings in Topeka that left one dead and two others with injuries.Just after 10p.m. Sunday police responded to report of a disturbance in the 3100 Block of SW Clay in Topeka, according to Lt. Edward Stanley. First responders found a shooting victim who was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.Just before 11:30p..m. Sunday police responded to 4100 Block of Southwest of Twilight in Topeka, according to Stanley.First responders found one person with a gunshot wound. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.Just after 1:30.a.m. on Monday, police responded to the 1300 Block&nbsp; of Western Avenue in Topeka on reports of multiple gunshots in the area.Officers found one person with a&nbsp;non-life-threatening gunshot wound, according to Stanley.&nbsp;&nbsp;Police have not released any additional details or suspect information on these incidents.

1 dead, two injured in series of shootings in Kansas

BEIJING (AP) — The United States and China have pledged to stabilize their badly deteriorated ties during a critical visit to Beijing by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who met Monday with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Xi pronounced himself satisfied with progress made during talks in Beijing. But, Blinken told media, China refused to resume military to military communications, a U.S. priority.

It remains to be seen whether the two countries can resolve their most important disagreements, many of which have international financial, security and stability implications.

The two sides expressed a willingness to hold more talks, but there was little indication that either is prepared to bend from its positions on issues including trade, Taiwan, human rights conditions in China and Hong Kong, Chinese military assertiveness in the South China Sea, and Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Blinken said later that the U.S. set limited objectives for the trip, and achieved them. Blinken added that he had raised the issue of military to military communications “repeatedly."

“It is absolutely vital that we have these kinds of communications,” he said. “This is something we’re going to keep working on.”

The U.S. has said that, since 2021, China has declined or failed to respond to over a dozen requests from the Department of Defense for top-level dialogues.

According to a transcript of the meeting with Blinken, Xi pronounced himself pleased with the outcome of Blinken's earlier meetings with two top Chinese diplomats, and said the two countries had agreed to resume a program of understandings that he and President Joe Biden agreed to at a meeting in Bali last year.

“The Chinese side has made our position clear, and the two sides have agreed to follow through the common understandings President Biden and I had reached in Bali,” Xi said.

That agenda had been thrown into jeopardy in recent months, notably after the U.S. shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon over its airspace in February, and amid escalated military activity in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. Combined with disputes over human rights, trade and opiate production, the list of problem areas is daunting.

But Xi suggested the worst could be over.

“The two sides have also made progress and reached agreement on some specific issues,” Xi said without elaborating, according to a transcript of the remarks released by the State Department. “This is very good.”

“I hope that through this visit, Mr. Secretary, you will make more positive contributions to stabilizing China-U.S. relations,” Xi added.

In his remarks to Xi during the 35-minute session at the Great Hall of the People, which was not announced until an hour before it started, Blinken said “the United States and China have an obligation and responsibility to manage our relationship.”

“The United States is committed to doing that,” Blinken said. “It’s in the interest of the United States, in the interests of China, and in the interest of the world.”

Blinken described his earlier discussions with senior Chinese officials as “candid and constructive.”

Despite his presence in China, Blinken and other U.S. officials had played down the prospects for any significant breakthroughs on the most vexing issues facing the planet’s two largest economies.

Instead, these officials have emphasized the importance of the two countries establishing and maintaining better lines of communication.

Blinken is the highest-level U.S. official to visit China since President Joe Biden took office, and the first secretary of state to make the trip in five years. His visit is expected to usher in a new round of visits by senior U.S. and Chinese officials, possibly including a meeting between Xi and Biden in the coming months.

Blinken met earlier Monday with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi for about three hours, according to a U.S. official.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote in a statement that Blinken's visit "coincides with a critical juncture in China-U.S. relations, and it is necessary to make a choice between dialogue or confrontation, cooperation or conflict,” and blamed the “U.S. side’s erroneous perception of China, leading to incorrect policies towards China” for the current “low point” in relations.

It said the U.S. had a responsibility to halt “the spiraling decline of China-U.S. relations to push it back to a healthy and stable track” and that Wang had "demanded that the U.S. stop hyping up the ‘China threat theory,’ lift illegal unilateral sanctions against China, abandon suppression of China’s technological development, and refrain from arbitrary interference in China’s internal affairs.”

The State Department said Blinken “underscored the importance of responsibly managing the competition between the United States and the PRC through open channels of communication to ensure competition does not veer into conflict."

In the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-china-relations-blinken-afb39654e07ff1022bf8a3bf8296c686">first round of talks</a>&nbsp;on Sunday, Blinken met for nearly six hours with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, after which both countries said they had agreed to continue high-level discussions. However, there was no sign that any of the most fractious issues between them were closer to resolution.

Both the U.S. and China said Qin had accepted an invitation from Blinken to visit Washington but Beijing made clear that “the China-U.S. relationship is at the lowest point since its establishment.” That sentiment is widely shared by U.S. officials.

Blinken's visit comes after his initial plans to travel to China were postponed in February after the shootdown of a Chinese surveillance balloon over the U.S.

A snub by the Chinese leader would have been a major setback to the effort to restore and maintain communications at senior levels.

And Biden said over the weekend that he hoped to be able to meet with Xi in the coming months to take up the plethora of differences that divide them.

In his meetings on Sunday, Blinken also pressed the Chinese to release detained American citizens and to take steps to curb the production and export of fentanyl precursors that are fueling the opioid crisis in the United States.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/xi-jinping-bill-gates-china-blinken-e015b97ad324bc2a6459837591711eee?utm_source=RecoReel&amp;utm_medium=articlePage&amp;utm_id=Taboola">Xi had offered a hint of a possible willingness to reduce tensions</a>&nbsp;on Friday, saying in a meeting with Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates that the United States and China can cooperate to “benefit our two countries.”

Since the cancellation of Blinken’s trip in February, there have been some high-level engagements. CIA chief William Burns&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-cia-william-burns-f4dc997405970bca1bc02e6f625fdaf6">traveled to China</a>&nbsp;in May, while China’s commerce minister traveled to the U.S. And Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-china-diplomacy-jake-sullivan-wang-yi-118132affe809b4fd99c627cb22f8878">met with senior Chinese foreign policy adviser Wang Yi in Vienna</a>&nbsp;in May.

But those have been punctuated by bursts of angry rhetoric from both countries over the Taiwan Strait, their broader intentions in the Indo-Pacific, China’s refusal to condemn Russia for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">its war against Ukraine</a>, and U.S. allegations from Washington that Beijing is attempting to boost&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-cuba-spy-base-us-intelligence-0f655b577ae4141bdbeabc35d628b18f">its worldwide surveillance capabilities</a>, including in Cuba.

And, earlier this month, China’s defense minister rebuffed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-china-lloyd-austin-defense-asia-de10a9233bf226288faf86676486eef3">a request from U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin</a>&nbsp;for a meeting on the sidelines of a security symposium in Singapore, a sign of continuing discontent.

BEIJING (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday, as the top U.S. diplomat wrapped up a high-stakes two-day visit to Beijing aimed at easing soaring tensions between the countries.

The 35-minute meeting at the Great Hall of the People had been expected and was seen as key to the success of the trip, but neither side confirmed it would happen until a State Department official announced it just an hour beforehand.

In footage of the meeting released by state broadcaster CCTV, Xi is heard to say “The two sides have agreed to follow through on the common understandings President Biden and I have reached in Bali.”

In earlier meetings between Blinken and senior Chinese officials, the two sides expressed willingness to talk but showed little inclination to bend from hardened positions on disagreements ranging from trade, to Taiwan, to human rights conditions in China and Hong Kong, to Chinese military assertiveness in the South China Sea, to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Xi said that they had made progress and reached agreements on “some specific issues” without elaborating. “This is very good,” Xi said.

“I hope that through this visit, Mr. Secretary, you will make more positive contributions to stabilizing China-US relation,” Xi added.

Despite Blinken’s presence in China, he and other U.S. officials had played down the prospects for any significant breakthroughs on the most vexing issues facing the planet’s two largest economies.

It said the U.S. had a responsibility to halt “the spiraling decline of China-U.S. relations to push it back to a healthy and stable track” and that Wang had "demanded that the U.S. stop hyping up the ‘China threat theory’, lift illegal unilateral sanctions against China, abandon suppression of China’s technological development, and refrain from arbitrary interference in China’s internal affairs.”

In the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-china-relations-blinken-afb39654e07ff1022bf8a3bf8296c686">first round of talks</a>&nbsp;on Sunday, Blinken met for nearly six hours with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang after which both countries said they had agreed to continue high-level discussions. However, there was no sign that any of the most fractious issues between them were closer to resolution.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-blinken-rivalry-spy-balloon-0657ee3d19fae34bf3102d62266aea12">Biden and Xi had made commitments to improve communications</a>&nbsp;“precisely so that we can make sure we are communicating as clearly as possible to avoid possible misunderstandings and miscommunications,” Blinken said before leaving for Beijing.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/xi-jinping-bill-gates-china-blinken-e015b97ad324bc2a6459837591711eee?utm_source=RecoReel&amp;utm_medium=articlePage&amp;utm_id=Taboola">Xi offered a hint of a possible willingness to reduce tensions</a>&nbsp;on Friday, saying in a meeting with Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates that the United States and China can cooperate to “benefit our two countries.”

BEIJING (AP) — The United States and China have failed to overcome their most serious disagreements but were able to discuss them in a potentially constructive way and have agreed to continue talks, U.S. and Chinese officials said Sunday.

U.S. officials said Secretary of State Antony Blinken was able during a nearly 6-hour meeting to secure a visit to Washington by Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang. But both sides said advancement on the issues that divide them remains a work in progress while the Chinese foreign ministry said “the China-U.S. relationship is at the lowest point since its establishment.”

China confirmed that Qin had accepted the invitation at a “mutually convenient time” but no date was set.

The State Department said that Blinken had stressed “the importance of diplomacy and maintaining open channels of communication across the full range of issues to reduce the risk of misperception and miscalculation.”

The Chinese, meanwhile, restated their position that the current state of relations "does not serve the fundamental interests of the two peoples or meet the shared expectations of the international community,” according to the foreign ministry.

Blinken, the highest-level American official to visit China since President Joe Biden took office, will have more senior level contacts with the Chinese on Monday, including potentially with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Despite Blinken’s presence in the Chinese capital, the prospects for any significant breakthrough on the most vexing issues facing the planet’s two largest economies was slim.

And neither side showed any inclination to back down on their entrenched positions.

Blinken’s trip followed his postponement of plans to visit China in February after the shootdown of a Chinese surveillance balloon over the U.S.

The talks could pave the way for a meeting in the coming months between Biden and Xi. Biden said Saturday that he hoped to be able to meet with Xi in the coming months to take up the plethora of differences that divide them.

That long list incudes disagreements ranging from trade to Taiwan, human rights conditions in China and Hong Kong to Chinese military assertiveness in the South China Sea and Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Blinken “made clear that the United States will always stand up for the interests and values of the American people and work with its allies and partners to advance our vision for a world that is free, open, and upholds the international rules-based order,” the State Department said.

The Chinese foreign ministry countered in its statement that “China hopes that the U.S. will adopt an objective and rational perception of China, work with China in the same direction, uphold the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and handle unexpected and sporadic events in a calm, professional and rational manner.”

Shortly before leaving Washington, Blinken emphasized the importance of the U.S. and China establishing and maintaining better lines of communication.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-blinken-rivalry-spy-balloon-0657ee3d19fae34bf3102d62266aea12">Biden and Xi had made commitments to improve communications</a>&nbsp;“precisely so that we can make sure we are communicating as clearly as possible to avoid possible misunderstandings and miscommunications,” Blinken said Friday.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/xi-jinping-bill-gates-china-blinken-e015b97ad324bc2a6459837591711eee?utm_source=RecoReel&amp;utm_medium=articlePage&amp;utm_id=Taboola">Xi offered a hint of a possible willingness to reduce tensions</a>, saying in a meeting with Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates on Friday that the United States and China can cooperate to “benefit our two countries."

Since the cancellation of Blinken's trip in February, there have been some high-level engagements. CIA chief William Burns&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-cia-william-burns-f4dc997405970bca1bc02e6f625fdaf6">traveled to China</a>&nbsp;in May, while China’s commerce minister traveled to the U.S. And Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-china-diplomacy-jake-sullivan-wang-yi-118132affe809b4fd99c627cb22f8878">met with senior Chinese foreign policy adviser Wang Yi in Vienna</a>&nbsp;in May.

But those have been punctuated by bursts of angry rhetoric from both sides over the Taiwan Strait, their broader intentions in the Indo-Pacific, China’s refusal to condemn Russia for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">its war against Ukraine</a>, and U.S. allegations from Washington that Beijing is attempting to boost&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-cuba-spy-base-us-intelligence-0f655b577ae4141bdbeabc35d628b18f">its worldwide surveillance capabilities</a>, including in Cuba.

Underscoring the difficulties, China rejected a report by a U.S. security firm, that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barracuda-mandiant-cybersecurity-china-hackers-a52d1595c9108d2c58df11e38756600d">blamed Chinese-linked hackers</a>&nbsp;for attacks on hundreds of public agencies, schools and other targets around the world,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-hacking-report-cyberattack-c08a9f52926c8524cf86131324c69fe6">as “far-fetched and unprofessional”</a>

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson repeated accusations that Washington carries out hacking attacks and complained the cybersecurity industry rarely reports on them.

Meanwhile, the national security advisers of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-us-philippines-korea-security-talks-b4cdf9162563c60d89caa87bceb5ec26">the United States, Japan and the Philippines</a>&nbsp;held their first joint talks Friday and agreed to strengthen their defense cooperation, in part to counter China's growing influence and ambitions.

This coincides with the Biden administration inking an agreement with Australia and Britain to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-australia-united-kingdom-submarines-nuclear-cf330037f9e6befdec0f6c1658601462">provide the first with nuclear-powered submarines</a>, with China moving rapidly to expand its diplomatic presence, especially in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific island nations, where it has opened or has plans to open at least five new embassies over the next year.

The agreement is part of an 18-month-old nuclear partnership given the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/aukus">acronym AUKUS</a>&nbsp;— for Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

US-China pledge to stabilize deteriorating ties, resume high-level talks

TOPEKA – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), with assistance from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and other partners, updated findings on the white powder found in letters sent to Kansas legislators and public officials, according to a media release from the agency.

As of Sunday evening June 18, approximately 100 letters containing suspicious white powder have been received across the state of Kansas.

A small sample of the letters containing powder was sent to a laboratory that specializes in testing biological samples. Preliminary tests have returned from this lab indicating the substance is presumptively negative for common biological agents of concern. 

Further and more complete testing will be conducted on this sample, as well as on additional letters that have been collected, in an effort to determine the components of the substance.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686969013876.jpeg" alt="Photo -Courtesy Rep. Paul Waggoner" />
 <figcaption>Photo -Courtesy Rep. Paul Waggoner</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), with assistance from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and other partners, updated findings on the white powder found in letters sent to Kansas legislators and public officials, according to a media release from the agency.As of Sunday evening June 18, approximately 100 letters containing suspicious white powder have been received across the state of Kansas.A small sample of the letters containing powder was sent to a laboratory that specializes in testing biological samples. Preliminary tests have returned from this lab indicating the substance is presumptively negative for common biological agents of concern. Further and more complete testing will be conducted on this sample, as well as on additional letters that have been collected, in an effort to determine the components of the substance.

KBI: Powder sent to legislators not a biological agent of concern

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting at a home in Kansas City.

Just&nbsp;11 p.m. Saturday, officers were dispatched to 67th and Richmond Ave on a reported shooting, according Captain Corey Carlisle Upon arrival officers made entry to the residence and located an adult male suffering from apparent gun shot wounds.&nbsp; EMS arrived on scene and declared the victim deceased. An adult female victim arrived at a nearby fire station. She was suffering from apparent gun shot wounds. The victim was transported to an area hospital in critical condition. There is no one in custody at this time. The circumstances surrounding the homicide are still being investigated. Homicide detectives and Crime Scene Personnel have responded to the scene.&nbsp; They will be processing the scene to recover any evidence and speaking to any potential witnesses. Anyone with information is asked to call homicide detectives at 816-234-5043. Or if you wish to remain anonymous you can do so by calling the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information provided to TIPS which leads to an arrest in the case. We are working with Partners for Peace in all our homicide investigations to monitor risks for retaliation and provide social services to affected residents.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting at a home in Kansas City.Just&nbsp;11 p.m. Saturday, officers were dispatched to 67th and Richmond Ave on a reported shooting, according Captain Corey Carlisle Upon arrival officers made entry to the residence and located an adult male suffering from apparent gun shot wounds.&nbsp; EMS arrived on scene and declared the victim deceased. An adult female victim arrived at a nearby fire station. She was suffering from apparent gun shot wounds. The victim was transported to an area hospital in critical condition. There is no one in custody at this time. The circumstances surrounding the homicide are still being investigated. Homicide detectives and Crime Scene Personnel have responded to the scene.&nbsp; They will be processing the scene to recover any evidence and speaking to any potential witnesses. Anyone with information is asked to call homicide detectives at 816-234-5043. Or if you wish to remain anonymous you can do so by calling the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information provided to TIPS which leads to an arrest in the case. We are working with Partners for Peace in all our homicide investigations to monitor risks for retaliation and provide social services to affected residents.

KCPD: Man dead, woman with gunshot wounds ran to fire station

&nbsp;SEDGWICK COUNTY —A former Kansas teacher&nbsp; of sex crimes involving a 13-year-old student has been sentenced to prison

On Thursday, 33-year-old Christin Covel was sentenced to&nbsp;34 months in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District attorney's office. Covel must also register for the rest of her life as a sex offender.

In February Covel pleaded no contest to two counts of aggravated indecent solicitation of a child involving the student.

In Jan. of 2022, police in Oklahoma arrested Covel, a teacher at Edison Preparatory Schools in Tulsa, on complaints out of Sedgewick County accusing her of having inappropriate relations with a boy while working at Mead Middle School 2601 E Skinner Street in Wichita, according to the Tulsa Police Department.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641428925404.png" alt="Covel-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Covel-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;SEDGWICK COUNTY —A former Kansas teacher&nbsp; of sex crimes involving a 13-year-old student has been sentenced to prisonOn Thursday, 33-year-old Christin Covel was sentenced to&nbsp;34 months in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District attorney's office. Covel must also register for the rest of her life as a sex offender.In February Covel pleaded no contest to two counts of aggravated indecent solicitation of a child involving the student.In Jan. of 2022, police in Oklahoma arrested Covel, a teacher at Edison Preparatory Schools in Tulsa, on complaints out of Sedgewick County accusing her of having inappropriate relations with a boy while working at Mead Middle School 2601 E Skinner Street in Wichita, according to the Tulsa Police Department.&nbsp;The incidents involving the boy happened between 2018 and 2019, according to police. Covel worked in the district from 2015 to 2020, according to USD 259.----------