By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/06/proposed-kpers-bond-buyback-program-could-save-kansas-millions-in-interest/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA
 — A new finance bill would buy back bonds used to inject much-needed 
cash into the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System two years ago, 
potentially saving the state millions of dollars in future interest 
payments.&nbsp;

The House Financial Institutions and Pensions Committee had a Monday hearing on <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2102_00_0000.pdf">House Bill 2102</a>. The bill would allocate $250 million from the State General Fund to repurchase bonds issued two years ago under <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/supp_note_hb2405_02_0000.pdf">House Bill 2405</a>.

HB 2405 authorized the Kansas 
Development Finance Authority to issue bonds to pay off&nbsp; KPERS unfunded 
pension liabilities. The strategy was to lower the cost over a 30-year 
period, addressing a <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/03/06/house-doubles-down-for-kpers-by-voting-for-new-1-billion-bond-issue-for-pension-system/">$6 billion unfunded liability</a> in the state government worker and teacher portion of KPERS. The system received $500 million in 2021 as a result of the deal.&nbsp;

The Legislature has used bonds as a 
strategy to shore up KPERS before, most recently in 2015, when then-Gov.
 Sam Brownback approved legislation that issued $1 billion in bonds, 
netting $272 million for the pension system.&nbsp;

Under HB 2102, the state treasurer 
would repurchase the pension obligation bonds at a discount, up to 75%&nbsp; 
of the principal amount.

State Budget Director Adam Proffitt 
offered strong support for the bill, saying the state could use the 
budget surplus to fund the plan, and that buying the bonds would boost 
Kansas’ credit and stabilize its fiscal health.&nbsp;

“I think this is a very good idea,” 
Proffitt said. “These are the types of transactions that the governor 
was looking for when we put together the budget, to try to use our 
current budget surplus to eliminate debt or pay off one-time 
expenditures.”

In his <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/fisc_note_hb2102_00_0000.pdf">fiscal note </a>on the bill, Proffitt estimated that the legislation could help the state pay off debt 20 years faster. In the note, he said KDFA has estimated the bill could result in interest savings of $177,445,984.&nbsp;The
 remaining amount on the bond would be $199,545,121, and the bond would 
be paid off in fiscal year 2036, according to the note. The estimate 
doesn’t factor in fiscal year 2022 or fiscal year 2023 debt service 
payments.

State Treasurer Steven Johnson 
encouraged lawmakers to focus on saving money and paying down debt in 
preparation for the state’s next recession. Johnson said lawmakers 
should pay attention to KPERS debt.&nbsp;

“The KPERS debt is still absolutely 
pressing, and I don’t mean to step away from that at all,” Johnson said.
 “It’s not quite as pressing as it was, as we have made some progress 
towards it.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675711326975.png" alt="State Treasurer Steve Johnson said the state should focus on saving money and paying down debts during a Feb. 6, 2023, committee hearing. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>State Treasurer Steve Johnson said the state should focus on saving money and paying down debts during a Feb. 6, 2023, committee hearing. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/06/proposed-kpers-bond-buyback-program-could-save-kansas-millions-in-interest/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA
 — A new finance bill would buy back bonds used to inject much-needed 
cash into the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System two years ago, 
potentially saving the state millions of dollars in future interest 
payments.&nbsp;The House Financial Institutions and Pensions Committee had a Monday hearing on <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2102_00_0000.pdf">House Bill 2102</a>. The bill would allocate $250 million from the State General Fund to repurchase bonds issued two years ago under <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/supp_note_hb2405_02_0000.pdf">House Bill 2405</a>.HB 2405 authorized the Kansas 
Development Finance Authority to issue bonds to pay off&nbsp; KPERS unfunded 
pension liabilities. The strategy was to lower the cost over a 30-year 
period, addressing a <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/03/06/house-doubles-down-for-kpers-by-voting-for-new-1-billion-bond-issue-for-pension-system/">$6 billion unfunded liability</a> in the state government worker and teacher portion of KPERS. The system received $500 million in 2021 as a result of the deal.&nbsp;The Legislature has used bonds as a 
strategy to shore up KPERS before, most recently in 2015, when then-Gov.
 Sam Brownback approved legislation that issued $1 billion in bonds, 
netting $272 million for the pension system.&nbsp;Under HB 2102, the state treasurer 
would repurchase the pension obligation bonds at a discount, up to 75%&nbsp; 
of the principal amount.State Budget Director Adam Proffitt 
offered strong support for the bill, saying the state could use the 
budget surplus to fund the plan, and that buying the bonds would boost 
Kansas’ credit and stabilize its fiscal health.&nbsp;“I think this is a very good idea,” 
Proffitt said. “These are the types of transactions that the governor 
was looking for when we put together the budget, to try to use our 
current budget surplus to eliminate debt or pay off one-time 
expenditures.”In his <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/fisc_note_hb2102_00_0000.pdf">fiscal note </a>on the bill, Proffitt estimated that the legislation could help the state pay off debt 20 years faster. In the note, he said KDFA has estimated the bill could result in interest savings of $177,445,984.&nbsp;The
 remaining amount on the bond would be $199,545,121, and the bond would 
be paid off in fiscal year 2036, according to the note. The estimate 
doesn’t factor in fiscal year 2022 or fiscal year 2023 debt service 
payments.State Treasurer Steven Johnson 
encouraged lawmakers to focus on saving money and paying down debt in 
preparation for the state’s next recession. Johnson said lawmakers 
should pay attention to KPERS debt.&nbsp;“The KPERS debt is still absolutely 
pressing, and I don’t mean to step away from that at all,” Johnson said.
 “It’s not quite as pressing as it was, as we have made some progress 
towards it.”

Proposed KPERS bond buyback program could save Kansas millions

NEW YORK (AP) — Middle seats at many U.S. movie theaters just got more expensive.

AMC Theaters, the nation's largest movie theater chain, on Monday unveiled a new pricing scheme in which seat location determines how much your movie ticket costs. Seats in the middle of the auditorium will cost a dollar or two more, while seats in the front row will be slightly cheaper.

AMC said the pricing plan, dubbed “Sightline,” has already been rolled out in some locations and, by the end of the year, will be in place at all domestic AMC theaters during showings after 4 p.m.

Seats classified as “standard sightline” will be at the regular price. If you want to pay less for the “value sightline” seats, you have to be a member of the chain's subscription service, AMC Stubs.

As movie theaters have attempted to recover from the pandemic, exhibitors have increasingly looked at more variable pricing methods. That's included charging more for sought-after movies like “The Batman” in their first week of release.

Last weekend, Paramount Pictures partnered with theater chains to offer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/movies-scifi-and-fantasy-james-cameron-m-night-shyamalan-7d94677f309400b578e5214f4364a3a9">slightly reduced ticket prices for the comedy “80 for Brady.”</a>&nbsp;And last year, during a dry spell in theaters, tickets at most movie theaters were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-cinema-day-tickets-d97d156acb6f8189d2c423bd2bb9ec23">$3 for “National Cinema Day.”</a>

But in most circumstances, movie tickets are getting more expensive, especially when factoring in large-format screens and 3D showings. The average 3D premium format ticket for the biggest box-office hit in recent years, “Avatar: The Way of Water,” was about $16.50.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675797996709.png" alt="AMC said the pricing plan, dubbed “Sightline,” has already been rolled out in some locations and, by the end of the year, will be in place at all domestic AMC theaters during showings after 4 p.m.-Google image" />
 <figcaption>AMC said the pricing plan, dubbed “Sightline,” has already been rolled out in some locations and, by the end of the year, will be in place at all domestic AMC theaters during showings after 4 p.m.-Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Middle seats at many U.S. movie theaters just got more expensive.AMC Theaters, the nation's largest movie theater chain, on Monday unveiled a new pricing scheme in which seat location determines how much your movie ticket costs. Seats in the middle of the auditorium will cost a dollar or two more, while seats in the front row will be slightly cheaper.AMC said the pricing plan, dubbed “Sightline,” has already been rolled out in some locations and, by the end of the year, will be in place at all domestic AMC theaters during showings after 4 p.m.Seats classified as “standard sightline” will be at the regular price. If you want to pay less for the “value sightline” seats, you have to be a member of the chain's subscription service, AMC Stubs.As movie theaters have attempted to recover from the pandemic, exhibitors have increasingly looked at more variable pricing methods. That's included charging more for sought-after movies like “The Batman” in their first week of release.Last weekend, Paramount Pictures partnered with theater chains to offer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/movies-scifi-and-fantasy-james-cameron-m-night-shyamalan-7d94677f309400b578e5214f4364a3a9">slightly reduced ticket prices for the comedy “80 for Brady.”</a>&nbsp;And last year, during a dry spell in theaters, tickets at most movie theaters were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-cinema-day-tickets-d97d156acb6f8189d2c423bd2bb9ec23">$3 for “National Cinema Day.”</a>But in most circumstances, movie tickets are getting more expensive, especially when factoring in large-format screens and 3D showings. The average 3D premium format ticket for the biggest box-office hit in recent years, “Avatar: The Way of Water,” was about $16.50.

AMC to charge more for good seats in movie theaters

CASS COUNTY —One person died in an accident with a train just after 9:30a.m. Tuesday south of Kansas City.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol a FedEx truck&nbsp; was attempting to cross the railroad tracks on Hereford Road and Smart Road near Pleasant Hill.

The driver of the truck failed to yield. A southbound Amtrak train struck the FedEx truck. The truck driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

 There were no injuries on the train. Pleasant Hill is approximately 35 miles southeast of Kansas City.&nbsp; Authorities have not released the driver's name.&nbsp; 

Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675806122893.png" alt="Scene of the fatal crash investigation -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Scene of the fatal crash investigation -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>CASS COUNTY —One person died in an accident with a train just after 9:30a.m. Tuesday south of Kansas City.According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol a FedEx truck&nbsp; was attempting to cross the railroad tracks on Hereford Road and Smart Road near Pleasant Hill.The driver of the truck failed to yield. A southbound Amtrak train struck the FedEx truck. The truck driver was pronounced dead at the scene.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">UPDATE: Lincoln Service Missouri River Runner Train 318 will now terminate east of Lees Summit (LEE) due to a vehicle strike. Alternate transportation will be provided.&mdash; Amtrak Alerts (@AmtrakAlerts) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmtrakAlerts/status/1623008342883938337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div> There were no injuries on the train. Pleasant Hill is approximately 35 miles southeast of Kansas City.&nbsp; Authorities have not released the driver's name.&nbsp; Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

Driver dead after Amtrak train strikes FedEx truck near KC

WASHINGTON — Going into the&nbsp;<a href="https://history.house.gov/Institution/SOTU/State-of-the-Union/">State of the Union address</a>, President Joe Biden sees a nation with its future aglow.

Republicans take a far bleaker view — that the country is beset by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/national-debt">crushing debt</a>&nbsp;and that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/inflation">Biden is largely responsible for inflation</a>. And the GOP now holds a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-us-republican-party-office-of-congressional-ethics-pandemics-60b4f098523b982b549823f4b3e8f9e4">House majority</a>&nbsp;intent on blocking the president.

On his social media account a few hours ahead of the address, Kansas Senator Roger Marshall asked if the President would take accountability tonight "for his failed policies?"&nbsp;

(The State of the Union address is scheduled for 8p.m. CST and will be available on the Post)

Based on past speeches, Biden believes the policies adopted under his watch can fill the U.S. with new factories and protect against climate change. Roads, bridges, sewer systems, ports and internet service would be improved. The middle class would be more financially secure. So would America's place in the global economy's hierarchy.

On Friday, the president said the proof was in the January employment report. It showed 517,000 jobs were added as the unemployment rate fell to 3.4%, making it “crystal clear” that his “chorus of critics” were wrong.

“Here's where we stand: The strongest job growth in history,” Biden said. “Put simply, I would argue the Biden economic plan is working.”

Republicans are pushing back. They blamed Biden's trillion-dollar plus spending for high inflation and surging gas and food prices. GOP lawmakers want to repeal his tax increases and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-internal-revenue-service-us-republican-party-house-of-representatives-64692090ef20e35a59ba1ea7d21a9eea">additional money for the IRS</a>. They oppose his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-student-loan-cancellation-79f7530363c7f15166d8c9cda3a6cddb">forgiveness of student debt</a>&nbsp;and blame him for the migrants seeking to enter the country at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-mexico-el-paso-2e30ea26bbc55c7af509a6e60ad3d33c">the U.S.-Mexico border</a>.

Neither side captures the fullness of the actual state of the economy.

One group of experts can read the data and claim a recession is on the horizon. A different group can focus on a separate set of figures and see reason to rejoice. It's a disorienting moment.

Biden can celebrate the low jobless rate even as Republicans bemoan inflation that is still running dangerously hot.

WASHINGTON — Going into the&nbsp;<a href="https://history.house.gov/Institution/SOTU/State-of-the-Union/">State of the Union address</a>, President Joe Biden sees a nation with its future aglow.Republicans take a far bleaker view — that the country is beset by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/national-debt">crushing debt</a>&nbsp;and that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/inflation">Biden is largely responsible for inflation</a>. And the GOP now holds a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-us-republican-party-office-of-congressional-ethics-pandemics-60b4f098523b982b549823f4b3e8f9e4">House majority</a>&nbsp;intent on blocking the president.On his social media account a few hours ahead of the address, Kansas Senator Roger Marshall asked if the President would take accountability tonight "for his failed policies?"&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Some thoughts ahead of today’s State of the Union: <a href="https://t.co/YBSc63C4qc">pic.twitter.com/YBSc63C4qc</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1623007723817250816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>(The State of the Union address is scheduled for 8p.m. CST and will be available on the Post)Based on past speeches, Biden believes the policies adopted under his watch can fill the U.S. with new factories and protect against climate change. Roads, bridges, sewer systems, ports and internet service would be improved. The middle class would be more financially secure. So would America's place in the global economy's hierarchy.On Friday, the president said the proof was in the January employment report. It showed 517,000 jobs were added as the unemployment rate fell to 3.4%, making it “crystal clear” that his “chorus of critics” were wrong.“Here's where we stand: The strongest job growth in history,” Biden said. “Put simply, I would argue the Biden economic plan is working.”Republicans are pushing back. They blamed Biden's trillion-dollar plus spending for high inflation and surging gas and food prices. GOP lawmakers want to repeal his tax increases and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-internal-revenue-service-us-republican-party-house-of-representatives-64692090ef20e35a59ba1ea7d21a9eea">additional money for the IRS</a>. They oppose his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-student-loan-cancellation-79f7530363c7f15166d8c9cda3a6cddb">forgiveness of student debt</a>&nbsp;and blame him for the migrants seeking to enter the country at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-mexico-el-paso-2e30ea26bbc55c7af509a6e60ad3d33c">the U.S.-Mexico border</a>.Neither side captures the fullness of the actual state of the economy.One group of experts can read the data and claim a recession is on the horizon. A different group can focus on a separate set of figures and see reason to rejoice. It's a disorienting moment.Biden can celebrate the low jobless rate even as Republicans bemoan inflation that is still running dangerously hot.

🎥 Marshall: Will Biden take accountability during State of the Union?

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities took a man to the hospital after an incident shut down a fast-food restaurant.

Just after 4:30 p.m. Monday, police responded to a citizen in distress call in the 100 block of N Seneca in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

 Upon arrival, officers located a 44-year-old man from Wichita locked inside the bathroom of a local business experiencing a mental health crisis.&nbsp;

Due to several unknown facts, police took all the necessary safety precautions to keep residents and the victim, out of harm’s way. 

Police evacuated the business and set up a safety perimeter. The officers on the scene assessed the situation and summoned crisis negotiators and the SWAT unit to help resolve the situation with the safest possible outcome.

With professionalism, patience, and restraint reflected by all the involved parties and the implementation of the Wichita Police Department's proven de-escalation techniques and technical expertise, the officers were able to safely take the 44-year-old man to a local hospital for treatment.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675783263746.png" alt="Crisis negotiators and the Wichita Police SWAT unit to help resolve the situation Monday night-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Crisis negotiators and the Wichita Police SWAT unit to help resolve the situation Monday night-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities took a man to the hospital after an incident shut down a fast-food restaurant.Just after 4:30 p.m. Monday, police responded to a citizen in distress call in the 100 block of N Seneca in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo. Upon arrival, officers located a 44-year-old man from Wichita locked inside the bathroom of a local business experiencing a mental health crisis.&nbsp;Due to several unknown facts, police took all the necessary safety precautions to keep residents and the victim, out of harm’s way. Police evacuated the business and set up a safety perimeter. The officers on the scene assessed the situation and summoned crisis negotiators and the SWAT unit to help resolve the situation with the safest possible outcome.With professionalism, patience, and restraint reflected by all the involved parties and the implementation of the Wichita Police Department's proven de-escalation techniques and technical expertise, the officers were able to safely take the 44-year-old man to a local hospital for treatment.&nbsp;

Kan. man barricades himself inside restaurant bathroom

BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple charges after a weekend pursuit.

On Sunday, the Brown County Sheriffs office was notified that a vehicle reported stolen from Hiawatha a few days prior was located at a residence in the vicinity of 130th and Falcon on the Kickapoo reservation, according to Sheriff John Merchant.

Just after 8 a.m., the vehicle drove away from the residence and failed to yield to deputies and a pursuit ensued.&nbsp; The vehicle pulled in to a field in the vicinity of 220th and Acorn. The driver and sole occupant identified as 26-year-old Tristan Morris of Topeka was arrested without incident on a requested charge of Possession of Meth, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia,&nbsp; Felony Obstruction, Possession of Stolen Property, Flee and Attempt to Elude, Reckless Driving, No Drivers License.&nbsp;

Morris also had Felony Warrants in Brown County for Probation Violation and Failure to Appear as well as a Felony Warrant out of Douglas County Nebraska for Failure to Appear. No injuries were reported as a result of the pursuit.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675695840952.png" alt="Morris-photo Brown County" />
 <figcaption>Morris-photo Brown County</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple charges after a weekend pursuit.On Sunday, the Brown County Sheriffs office was notified that a vehicle reported stolen from Hiawatha a few days prior was located at a residence in the vicinity of 130th and Falcon on the Kickapoo reservation, according to Sheriff John Merchant.Just after 8 a.m., the vehicle drove away from the residence and failed to yield to deputies and a pursuit ensued.&nbsp; The vehicle pulled in to a field in the vicinity of 220th and Acorn. The driver and sole occupant identified as 26-year-old Tristan Morris of Topeka was arrested without incident on a requested charge of Possession of Meth, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia,&nbsp; Felony Obstruction, Possession of Stolen Property, Flee and Attempt to Elude, Reckless Driving, No Drivers License.&nbsp; Morris also had Felony Warrants in Brown County for Probation Violation and Failure to Appear as well as a Felony Warrant out of Douglas County Nebraska for Failure to Appear. No injuries were reported as a result of the pursuit.

Wanted Kan. man caught driving stolen vehicle, transporting meth

By CASEY QUINLAN <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/06/proposed-federal-rule-would-lower-credit-card-late-fees/">States Newsroom</a>

As
 Americans continue to struggle with high credit card rates, the 
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has proposed a rule to help lessen 
some of their financial burden — in the form of lower late fees.&nbsp;

The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-proposes-rule-to-rein-in-excessive-credit-card-late-fees/">new rule</a>
 would limit late fees to $8. Currently credit card companies can charge
 as high as $41 — penalties that the CFPB’s director, Rohit Chopra, said
 are charged for “no purpose beyond padding the credit card companies’ 
profits.”&nbsp;

The CFPB rule amends regulations that
 implemented the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and 
Disclosure Act of 2009, and addresses a loophole that provided a loose 
standard that said late fees must be “reasonable and proportional.”

The proposed rule would require 
credit card companies to prove they need to charge a higher late fee to 
cover costs, and cap those fees at 25% of the minimum payment. Current 
regulations let credit card companies charge as much as 100% of the 
minimum payment owed. The rule would also get rid of the automatic 
inflation adjustment for the amount companies could charge in late fees.

According to the CFPB, an independent
 financial watchdog within the Federal Reserve, credit card companies 
bring in about $12 billion in late fees annually. The rule could shrink 
that by as much as $9 billion each year.&nbsp;

“The rule brings to the forefront the
 reality that credit card late fees are designed to be excessive to 
create incentives for consumer behavior. They are not in proportion to 
the cost to the lender,” said Aaron Klein, senior fellow in economic 
studies at Brookings.&nbsp;

The rule does not need Congressional 
approval, but Klein doesn’t expect it to go into effect and be felt by 
consumers until next year because of the lengthy process rules undergo, 
which includes a public comment period. It’s also possible that the 
banking industry will take legal action to fight the rule, which could 
delay it from going into effect.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Consumer Banks Association’s president and CEO, Lindsey Johnson, has already <a target="_blank" href="https://www.consumerbankers.com/cba-media-center/media-releases/cfpb%E2%80%99s-credit-card-late-fee-proposal-disregards-data-and-reality">responded</a> by accusing the CFPB of “seeking to advance a political agenda” and said the rule will harm credit card holders.

The agency proposes the rule as credit card debt has ballooned in the U.S. It rose by 18.5% in the past year, shooting up to <a target="_blank" href="https://newsroom.transunion.com/q4-2022-ciir/">$930.6 billion</a>, a record amount, according to a fourth quarter report from TransUnion, a consumer credit reporting agency.&nbsp;

Bankrate said the average credit card rate is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bankrate.com/finance/credit-cards/current-interest-rates/">19.95%</a>
 as of Feb. 1, which is the highest since the financial services company
 began tracking them in 1985. Credit card balances had the largest 
year-over-year increase in more than two decades at 15%, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.newyorkfed.org/microeconomics/hhdc">according to</a> the New York Fed’s third quarter report on household debt and credit.&nbsp;

Some of that debt can be tied to the 
Federal Reserve’s decision to repeatedly raise interest rates to fight 
inflation over the past year. The latest increase of 0.25%, announced 
last week, follows a 0.50% hike in December and previous four rate hikes
 of 0.75%.

“These Fed rate hikes basically just 
get passed through to cardholders … if the Fed moves rates higher by 
half a point or three quarters of a point or whatever it is, your rate 
should move higher by that same amount typically within a statement 
cycle or two,” said Ted Rossman, senior credit cards analyst at 
Bankrate.

The CFPB March 2022 <a target="_blank" href="https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_credit-card-late-fees_report_2022-03.pdf">report</a>
 on late fees found that the average late fee was $31 and that repeat 
late fees were $36 on average. Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi had 
the <a target="_blank" href="https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_credit-card-late-fees_report_2022-03.pdf">highest</a> average late fees per account.

“In 2019 credit card accounts held by
 consumers living in the United States’ poorest neighborhoods paid twice
 as much on average in total late fees than those in the richest areas,”
 the report explained.

“The law differentiates between fees 
and interest but for consumers it’s money out of pocket. These [late 
fees] are a large source of cost to consumers on the margin … People 
facing greater economic difficulty and hardship pay more in fees,” Klein
 said.

He added, “For folks who are living 
paycheck to paycheck, and sometimes that paycheck comes a day or two 
after the credit card bill is due, these late fees really add up and put
 a much greater squeeze on those living on the razor’s edge.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675719769853.jpg" alt="A proposed limit on credit card late fees could eventually help consumers burdened by credit card debt and inflation. Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>A proposed limit on credit card late fees could eventually help consumers burdened by credit card debt and inflation. Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By CASEY QUINLAN <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/06/proposed-federal-rule-would-lower-credit-card-late-fees/">States Newsroom</a>As
 Americans continue to struggle with high credit card rates, the 
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has proposed a rule to help lessen 
some of their financial burden — in the form of lower late fees.&nbsp;The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-proposes-rule-to-rein-in-excessive-credit-card-late-fees/">new rule</a>
 would limit late fees to $8. Currently credit card companies can charge
 as high as $41 — penalties that the CFPB’s director, Rohit Chopra, said
 are charged for “no purpose beyond padding the credit card companies’ 
profits.”&nbsp;The CFPB rule amends regulations that
 implemented the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and 
Disclosure Act of 2009, and addresses a loophole that provided a loose 
standard that said late fees must be “reasonable and proportional.”The proposed rule would require 
credit card companies to prove they need to charge a higher late fee to 
cover costs, and cap those fees at 25% of the minimum payment. Current 
regulations let credit card companies charge as much as 100% of the 
minimum payment owed. The rule would also get rid of the automatic 
inflation adjustment for the amount companies could charge in late fees.According to the CFPB, an independent
 financial watchdog within the Federal Reserve, credit card companies 
bring in about $12 billion in late fees annually. The rule could shrink 
that by as much as $9 billion each year.&nbsp;“The rule brings to the forefront the
 reality that credit card late fees are designed to be excessive to 
create incentives for consumer behavior. They are not in proportion to 
the cost to the lender,” said Aaron Klein, senior fellow in economic 
studies at Brookings.&nbsp;The rule does not need Congressional 
approval, but Klein doesn’t expect it to go into effect and be felt by 
consumers until next year because of the lengthy process rules undergo, 
which includes a public comment period. It’s also possible that the 
banking industry will take legal action to fight the rule, which could 
delay it from going into effect.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Consumer Banks Association’s president and CEO, Lindsey Johnson, has already <a target="_blank" href="https://www.consumerbankers.com/cba-media-center/media-releases/cfpb%E2%80%99s-credit-card-late-fee-proposal-disregards-data-and-reality">responded</a> by accusing the CFPB of “seeking to advance a political agenda” and said the rule will harm credit card holders.The agency proposes the rule as credit card debt has ballooned in the U.S. It rose by 18.5% in the past year, shooting up to <a target="_blank" href="https://newsroom.transunion.com/q4-2022-ciir/">$930.6 billion</a>, a record amount, according to a fourth quarter report from TransUnion, a consumer credit reporting agency.&nbsp;Bankrate said the average credit card rate is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bankrate.com/finance/credit-cards/current-interest-rates/">19.95%</a>
 as of Feb. 1, which is the highest since the financial services company
 began tracking them in 1985. Credit card balances had the largest 
year-over-year increase in more than two decades at 15%, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.newyorkfed.org/microeconomics/hhdc">according to</a> the New York Fed’s third quarter report on household debt and credit.&nbsp;Some of that debt can be tied to the 
Federal Reserve’s decision to repeatedly raise interest rates to fight 
inflation over the past year. The latest increase of 0.25%, announced 
last week, follows a 0.50% hike in December and previous four rate hikes
 of 0.75%.“These Fed rate hikes basically just 
get passed through to cardholders … if the Fed moves rates higher by 
half a point or three quarters of a point or whatever it is, your rate 
should move higher by that same amount typically within a statement 
cycle or two,” said Ted Rossman, senior credit cards analyst at 
Bankrate.The CFPB March 2022 <a target="_blank" href="https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_credit-card-late-fees_report_2022-03.pdf">report</a>
 on late fees found that the average late fee was $31 and that repeat 
late fees were $36 on average. Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi had 
the <a target="_blank" href="https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_credit-card-late-fees_report_2022-03.pdf">highest</a> average late fees per account.“In 2019 credit card accounts held by
 consumers living in the United States’ poorest neighborhoods paid twice
 as much on average in total late fees than those in the richest areas,”
 the report explained.“The law differentiates between fees 
and interest but for consumers it’s money out of pocket. These [late 
fees] are a large source of cost to consumers on the margin … People 
facing greater economic difficulty and hardship pay more in fees,” Klein
 said.He added, “For folks who are living 
paycheck to paycheck, and sometimes that paycheck comes a day or two 
after the credit card bill is due, these late fees really add up and put
 a much greater squeeze on those living on the razor’s edge.”

Proposed federal rule would lower credit card late fees

JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a 2021&nbsp; high-speed chase and crash that killed a Kansas woman have made an arrest.

On Sunday, Robert Eugene Love Jr., 44, of Auburn, Kansas was arrested on a Jackson County warrant for first degree murder, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

In May of 2021, Holton, Kansas police initiated a pursuit involving Love. The&nbsp;pursuit ended at the intersection of 286th&nbsp;and U.S. Highway 75 when the vehicle Love was allegedly driving struck a southbound vehicle.

A passenger in Love’s vehicle, <a href="https://www.dovetopeka.com/Obituary/200008/Shai-Boyd/Dove-KS">Shai Boyd was killed </a>in the incident. Shawnee County Sheriff Deputies located Love in Shawnee County and Love is currently being held in the Jackson County Jail.

Love is being held on requested charges that include murder in the 1st&nbsp;degree, aggravated battery while driving under the influence, aggravated battery while driving under the influence,&nbsp; fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, interference with law enforcement, driving while suspended,&nbsp; driving while a habitual violator, reckless driving,&nbsp; illegal display of a license plate,&nbsp; driving on left in no-passing zone,&nbsp; improper or unsafe turn, speeding and&nbsp; failure to yield at stop sign or yield sign.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675695047908.png" alt="Love-photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Love-photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a 2021&nbsp; high-speed chase and crash that killed a Kansas woman have made an arrest.On Sunday, Robert Eugene Love Jr., 44, of Auburn, Kansas was arrested on a Jackson County warrant for first degree murder, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.In May of 2021, Holton, Kansas police initiated a pursuit involving Love. The&nbsp;pursuit ended at the intersection of 286th&nbsp;and U.S. Highway 75 when the vehicle Love was allegedly driving struck a southbound vehicle.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675695571438.png" alt="Boyd-photo courtesy Dove Funeral Home" />
 <figcaption>Boyd-photo courtesy Dove Funeral Home</figcaption>
 </figure> A passenger in Love’s vehicle, <a href="https://www.dovetopeka.com/Obituary/200008/Shai-Boyd/Dove-KS">Shai Boyd was killed </a>in the incident. Shawnee County Sheriff Deputies located Love in Shawnee County and Love is currently being held in the Jackson County Jail.Love is being held on requested charges that include murder in the 1st&nbsp;degree, aggravated battery while driving under the influence, aggravated battery while driving under the influence,&nbsp; fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, interference with law enforcement, driving while suspended,&nbsp; driving while a habitual violator, reckless driving,&nbsp; illegal display of a license plate,&nbsp; driving on left in no-passing zone,&nbsp; improper or unsafe turn, speeding and&nbsp; failure to yield at stop sign or yield sign.

Man accused in fatal chase, crash that killed Kansas woman

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is ready to offer a reassuring assessment of the nation's condition rather than roll out flashy policy proposals as he delivers his second State of the Union address seeking to overcome pessimism in the country and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-norc-poll-biden-2024-presidential-prospects-c843c5af6775b4c8a0cff8e2b1db03f6">concerns about his own leadership.</a>

(The speech is scheduled for 8p.m. CST and will be available on the Post)

His speech before a politically divided Congress comes Tuesday night as the nation struggles to make sense of confounding cross-currents at home and abroad —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-inflation-economy-mexico-business-4496d9470c90e86d3642521482cd0e19">economic uncertainty</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-politics-united-nations-antonio-guterres-1c735007b903d8129a22c6493f332e3a">a wearying war</a>&nbsp;in Ukraine,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-china-jake-sullivan-d7a981b058d2c195ccc01912d805ae08">growing tensions with China</a>&nbsp;among them — and warily sizes up Biden's fitness for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-us-republican-party-democratic-b6a4d89a5629e768e92485067a220797">a likely reelection bid</a>.

The president will stand at the House rostrum at a time when just a quarter of U.S. adults say things in the country are headed in the right direction, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. About three-quarters say things are on the wrong track. And a majority of Democrats don’t want Biden to seek another term.

Biden will aim to confront those sentiments head on, aides said, while at the same time trying to avoid sounding insensitive to Americans’ concerns.

Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council, said Biden would “acknowledge and meet American people where they are,” adding that their "economic anxiety is real.”

“I think the core message is: We have to make more progress, but people should feel optimism,” he added.

Chapman University presidential historian Luke Nichter said the closest parallel to Biden’s present circumstance may be the 1960s, when global uncertainty met domestic disquiet. Biden, he said, has an opportunity to be a “calming presence” for the country.

“Usually we’re looking for an agenda: ‘Here’s what he plans to do.’ I don’t know that that’s really realistic,” Nichter said. “I think Americans’ expectations are pretty low of what Congress is actually going to achieve. And so I think right now, sentiment and tone, and helping Americans feel better about their circumstances, I think are going to go a long way.”

The setting for Biden's speech will be markedly different than a year ago, when it was Democratic stalwart Nancy Pelosi seated behind him as speaker. She's been replaced by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kevin-mccarthy">GOP House Speaker Kevin McCarthy</a>, and it's unclear what kind of reception restive Republican will give the Democratic president.

With COVID-19 restrictions now lifted, the White House and legislators from both parties are inviting guests designed to drive home political messages with their presence in the House chamber. The parents of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tyre-nichols">Tyre Nichols</a>, who was severely beaten by police officers in Memphis and later died, are among those expected to be in the audience.

Biden is shifting his sights after spending his first two years pushing through major bills such as the bipartisan infrastructure package, a bill to promote high-tech manufacturing and climate legislations. With Republicans now in control of the House, Biden is turning his focus to implementing the massive laws and making sure voters credit him for the improvements rather than crafting major new initiatives.

It’s largely by necessity. Biden faces a newly empowered GOP that is itching to undo many of his achievements and vowing to pursue a multitude of investigations — including looking into the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-district-of-columbia-indiana-d6ce5c8f83a3cec3307f0f9f8311b8d7">recent discoveries of classified documents</a>&nbsp;from his time as vice president at his home and former office.

At the same time, Biden will need to find a way to work across the aisle to raise the federal debt limit by this summer and keep the government funded. Biden has insisted that he won’t negotiate on meeting the country’s debt obligations; Republicans have been equally adamant that Biden must make spending concessions.

One the eve of the president's address, McCarthy challenged Biden to come to the negotiating table with House Republicans to slash spending as part of a deal to raise the debt ceiling.

“Mr. President, it’s time to get to work,” McCarthy said in remarks from the speaker’s balcony at the Capitol.

While hopes for large-scale bipartisanship are slim, Biden was set to reissue his 2022 appeal for Congress to get behind his “unity agenda” of actions to address the opioid epidemic, mental health, veterans’ health and fighting cancer.

The speech comes days after Biden ordered the military to shoot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon that flew brazenly across the country, captivating the nation and serving as a reminder of tense relations between the two global powers.

Last year's address occured just days after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine and as many in the West doubted Kyiv’s ability to withstand the onslaught. Over the past year, the U.S. and other allies have sent tens of billions of dollars in military and economic assistance to bolster Ukraine’s defenses. Now, Biden must make the case — both at home and abroad — for sustaining that coalition as the war drags on.

“The president will really want to reinforce just what a significant accomplishment has already been achieved and then to reinforce how much more has to be done, how we are committed to doing it, and how we will ask for a bipartisan basis the U.S. Congress to join us in doing that work,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday.

While COVID-19 has eased at home, Biden will turn his sights to other national ills, including the deadly opioid epidemic, gun violence and police abuses.

The president spent much of the weekend into Monday reviewing speech drafts with aides at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland.

Senior White House adviser Anita Dunn will preview broad themes of Biden’s address to Democratic lawmakers throughout the day on Tuesday, starting with a breakfast with House Democrats on Capitol Hill.

McCarthy called on Biden to embrace the Republican effort to put the nation’s finances on a path toward a balanced budget, which would require deep and politically unpopular reductions in federal spending that Biden and Democrats have vehemently resisted.

“We must move towards a balanced budget and insist on genuine accountability for every dollar we spend,” McCarthy said.

He insisted cuts to Medicare and Social Security, the popular health and retirement programs primarily for older Americans, were “off the table” in any budget negotiation. The GOP leader also said “defaulting on our debt is not an option.”

The White House has insisted Republicans cannot be trusted to protect the programs and blasted Republicans for “threatening to actively throw our economy into a tailspin with a default" by putting conditions on the debt limit.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;will use his second State of the Union address on Tuesday to remind Americans of how their lives have been improved over his first two years in office, as he tries to confront pessimism in the country and navigate the tricky politics of a newly divided Washington.

Rather than laying out major new policy proposals, Biden was expected to devote much of his speech to highlighting his efforts over the past two years to create jobs, fight inflation and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-congress-infrastructure-bill-signing-b5b8cca843133de060778f049861b144">improve the nation’s infrastructure</a>. The speech comes as Biden is honing his pitch to voters ahead of his expected announcement in the next few months that he will seek another term in office despite voter frustrations about the direction of the nation.

“Next week, I’ll be reporting on the state of the Union,” Biden said Friday after a stronger-than-expected jobs report that saw the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-inflation-economy-mexico-business-4496d9470c90e86d3642521482cd0e19">unemployment rate drop</a>&nbsp;to the lowest level in more than 53 years. “But today, I’m happy to report that the state of the Union and the state of our economy is strong.”

Biden’s remarks from the House rostrum will take place in a sharply different context from a year ago. Republicans now control the chamber, rendering it unlikely that any significant legislation reaches Biden’s desk. The newly empowered GOP is itching to undo many of Biden’s achievements and raising the specter of persistent investigations — including into the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-united-states-government-district-of-columbia-0574fd762159e8cb5f31c85205df3dc0">recent discoveries of classified documents</a>&nbsp;from his time as vice president at his home and former office.

“Jobs are up, wages are up, inflation is down, and COVID no longer controls our lives,” Biden told the Democratic National Committee on Friday. “But now, the extreme MAGA Republicans in the House of Representatives have made it clear they intend to put it all at risk. They intend to destroy it.”

The president, meanwhile, is shifting his focus from legislating to implementing the massive infrastructure and climate bills passed in the last Congress — and to trying to make sure Americans credit him for the improvements.

“These things don’t sell themselves,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Sunday on NBC. “And it’s one of the reasons I’m really looking forward to that State of the Union address. I will say that there have been so many accomplishments under this administration. It can be difficult to list them in a distilled way.”

While large-scale bipartisanship remains unlikely, Biden was set to reissue his 2022 appeal for Congress to get&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-addiction-and-treatment-susan-rice-e0c789041281c9ca231d685186c50b6e">behind his “unity agenda”</a>&nbsp;of actions to address the opioid epidemic, mental health, veterans’ health and cancer.

Biden will also call on lawmakers to responsibly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-us-department-of-the-treasury-business-7ac35fbced6c3ed98228dc77c8e3e70d">raise the debt limit</a>&nbsp;and keep the government funded. The president has remained opposed to negotiating to avoid default, while Republicans are pushing for unspecified deep spending cuts to reduce the deficit.

Biden, according to two administration officials who requested anonymity to preview the speech, was also expected to discuss&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-china-antony-blinken-51e49202f2a0a50541cde059934c4cfb">his decision to shoot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon</a>&nbsp;Saturday, as part of a broader section on countering China’s more assertive economic and military actions around the world.

His address last year came just days after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and many in the West doubted Kyiv’s ability to avoid a swift routing. Now the war is on the cusp of entering its second year, and under Biden the U.S. and allies have sent tens of billions of dollars in military and economic assistance to bolster Ukraine’s defenses. Now the president must make the case — both at home and abroad — for sustaining that coalition as the war drags on.

Meanwhile, inflation, which rose precipitously last year in part because of soaring energy prices from the war, has begun to ease.

Still, only a quarter of U.S. adults say things in the country are headed in the right direction,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-us-federal-bureau-of-investigation-public-opinion-5b4263baedec6deff020d04ebbb4bd37">according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research</a>; about three-quarters say things are on the wrong track.

Similarly, views of the national economy remain deeply negative, with 24% calling the national economy good and 76% calling it poor. Forty-one percent of Democrats and 8% of Republicans call the economy good. The figures are similar to when Biden delivered his State of the Union address last year, but an adjustment from Biden’s first year in office when Americans were more optimistic; about half said they thought the country was headed in the right direction when the president took office.

At the same time, 57% say their personal financial situation is good. That’s unchanged since December but has eroded slightly since earlier last year. No less than 62% of Americans had called their personal financial situation good in AP-NORC polls conducted from late 2019 through spring of 2022.

Two years after Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol by pro-Trump rioters, a protective fence was reinstalled Sunday around the Capitol ahead of Biden’s address.

After the speech, Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and his Cabinet plan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-31b64b73475de0ed4409bcfa481a7d58">to hold over 30 events in two days</a>&nbsp;to drive the message home to the American people in their communities. Biden will visit Wisconsin to discuss job creation on Wednesday and on Thursday will be in Tampa, Florida to talk about his efforts to lower prescription drug costs and protect Social Security and Medicare.

“During the State of the Union, President Biden will outline how the past two years has seen historic job growth, falling inflation, higher wages, and record investments coming back to America,” the White House said. “The economic travel blitz showcases how the president’s vision is creating jobs, rebuilding our infrastructure, lowering costs for families, tackling climate change, investing in our future and delivering for families too often left behind.”

The travel follows Biden’s stops last week in Baltimore, New York and Philadelphia focused on rail and water infrastructure projects funded by the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675704215987.png" alt="Biden State of the Union prep over the weekend-White House&nbsp; photo" />
 <figcaption>Biden State of the Union prep over the weekend-White House&nbsp; photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is ready to offer a reassuring assessment of the nation's condition rather than roll out flashy policy proposals as he delivers his second State of the Union address seeking to overcome pessimism in the country and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-norc-poll-biden-2024-presidential-prospects-c843c5af6775b4c8a0cff8e2b1db03f6">concerns about his own leadership.</a>(The speech is scheduled for 8p.m. CST and will be available on the Post)His speech before a politically divided Congress comes Tuesday night as the nation struggles to make sense of confounding cross-currents at home and abroad —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-inflation-economy-mexico-business-4496d9470c90e86d3642521482cd0e19">economic uncertainty</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-politics-united-nations-antonio-guterres-1c735007b903d8129a22c6493f332e3a">a wearying war</a>&nbsp;in Ukraine,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-china-jake-sullivan-d7a981b058d2c195ccc01912d805ae08">growing tensions with China</a>&nbsp;among them — and warily sizes up Biden's fitness for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-us-republican-party-democratic-b6a4d89a5629e768e92485067a220797">a likely reelection bid</a>.The president will stand at the House rostrum at a time when just a quarter of U.S. adults say things in the country are headed in the right direction, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. About three-quarters say things are on the wrong track. And a majority of Democrats don’t want Biden to seek another term.Biden will aim to confront those sentiments head on, aides said, while at the same time trying to avoid sounding insensitive to Americans’ concerns.Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council, said Biden would “acknowledge and meet American people where they are,” adding that their "economic anxiety is real.”“I think the core message is: We have to make more progress, but people should feel optimism,” he added.Chapman University presidential historian Luke Nichter said the closest parallel to Biden’s present circumstance may be the 1960s, when global uncertainty met domestic disquiet. Biden, he said, has an opportunity to be a “calming presence” for the country.“Usually we’re looking for an agenda: ‘Here’s what he plans to do.’ I don’t know that that’s really realistic,” Nichter said. “I think Americans’ expectations are pretty low of what Congress is actually going to achieve. And so I think right now, sentiment and tone, and helping Americans feel better about their circumstances, I think are going to go a long way.”The setting for Biden's speech will be markedly different than a year ago, when it was Democratic stalwart Nancy Pelosi seated behind him as speaker. She's been replaced by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kevin-mccarthy">GOP House Speaker Kevin McCarthy</a>, and it's unclear what kind of reception restive Republican will give the Democratic president.With COVID-19 restrictions now lifted, the White House and legislators from both parties are inviting guests designed to drive home political messages with their presence in the House chamber. The parents of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tyre-nichols">Tyre Nichols</a>, who was severely beaten by police officers in Memphis and later died, are among those expected to be in the audience.Biden is shifting his sights after spending his first two years pushing through major bills such as the bipartisan infrastructure package, a bill to promote high-tech manufacturing and climate legislations. With Republicans now in control of the House, Biden is turning his focus to implementing the massive laws and making sure voters credit him for the improvements rather than crafting major new initiatives.It’s largely by necessity. Biden faces a newly empowered GOP that is itching to undo many of his achievements and vowing to pursue a multitude of investigations — including looking into the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-district-of-columbia-indiana-d6ce5c8f83a3cec3307f0f9f8311b8d7">recent discoveries of classified documents</a>&nbsp;from his time as vice president at his home and former office.At the same time, Biden will need to find a way to work across the aisle to raise the federal debt limit by this summer and keep the government funded. Biden has insisted that he won’t negotiate on meeting the country’s debt obligations; Republicans have been equally adamant that Biden must make spending concessions.One the eve of the president's address, McCarthy challenged Biden to come to the negotiating table with House Republicans to slash spending as part of a deal to raise the debt ceiling.“Mr. President, it’s time to get to work,” McCarthy said in remarks from the speaker’s balcony at the Capitol.While hopes for large-scale bipartisanship are slim, Biden was set to reissue his 2022 appeal for Congress to get behind his “unity agenda” of actions to address the opioid epidemic, mental health, veterans’ health and fighting cancer.The speech comes days after Biden ordered the military to shoot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon that flew brazenly across the country, captivating the nation and serving as a reminder of tense relations between the two global powers.Last year's address occured just days after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine and as many in the West doubted Kyiv’s ability to withstand the onslaught. Over the past year, the U.S. and other allies have sent tens of billions of dollars in military and economic assistance to bolster Ukraine’s defenses. Now, Biden must make the case — both at home and abroad — for sustaining that coalition as the war drags on.“The president will really want to reinforce just what a significant accomplishment has already been achieved and then to reinforce how much more has to be done, how we are committed to doing it, and how we will ask for a bipartisan basis the U.S. Congress to join us in doing that work,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday.While COVID-19 has eased at home, Biden will turn his sights to other national ills, including the deadly opioid epidemic, gun violence and police abuses.The president spent much of the weekend into Monday reviewing speech drafts with aides at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland.Senior White House adviser Anita Dunn will preview broad themes of Biden’s address to Democratic lawmakers throughout the day on Tuesday, starting with a breakfast with House Democrats on Capitol Hill.McCarthy called on Biden to embrace the Republican effort to put the nation’s finances on a path toward a balanced budget, which would require deep and politically unpopular reductions in federal spending that Biden and Democrats have vehemently resisted.“We must move towards a balanced budget and insist on genuine accountability for every dollar we spend,” McCarthy said.He insisted cuts to Medicare and Social Security, the popular health and retirement programs primarily for older Americans, were “off the table” in any budget negotiation. The GOP leader also said “defaulting on our debt is not an option.”The White House has insisted Republicans cannot be trusted to protect the programs and blasted Republicans for “threatening to actively throw our economy into a tailspin with a default" by putting conditions on the debt limit.___WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;will use his second State of the Union address on Tuesday to remind Americans of how their lives have been improved over his first two years in office, as he tries to confront pessimism in the country and navigate the tricky politics of a newly divided Washington.Rather than laying out major new policy proposals, Biden was expected to devote much of his speech to highlighting his efforts over the past two years to create jobs, fight inflation and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-congress-infrastructure-bill-signing-b5b8cca843133de060778f049861b144">improve the nation’s infrastructure</a>. The speech comes as Biden is honing his pitch to voters ahead of his expected announcement in the next few months that he will seek another term in office despite voter frustrations about the direction of the nation.“Next week, I’ll be reporting on the state of the Union,” Biden said Friday after a stronger-than-expected jobs report that saw the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-inflation-economy-mexico-business-4496d9470c90e86d3642521482cd0e19">unemployment rate drop</a>&nbsp;to the lowest level in more than 53 years. “But today, I’m happy to report that the state of the Union and the state of our economy is strong.”Biden’s remarks from the House rostrum will take place in a sharply different context from a year ago. Republicans now control the chamber, rendering it unlikely that any significant legislation reaches Biden’s desk. The newly empowered GOP is itching to undo many of Biden’s achievements and raising the specter of persistent investigations — including into the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-united-states-government-district-of-columbia-0574fd762159e8cb5f31c85205df3dc0">recent discoveries of classified documents</a>&nbsp;from his time as vice president at his home and former office.“Jobs are up, wages are up, inflation is down, and COVID no longer controls our lives,” Biden told the Democratic National Committee on Friday. “But now, the extreme MAGA Republicans in the House of Representatives have made it clear they intend to put it all at risk. They intend to destroy it.”The president, meanwhile, is shifting his focus from legislating to implementing the massive infrastructure and climate bills passed in the last Congress — and to trying to make sure Americans credit him for the improvements.“These things don’t sell themselves,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Sunday on NBC. “And it’s one of the reasons I’m really looking forward to that State of the Union address. I will say that there have been so many accomplishments under this administration. It can be difficult to list them in a distilled way.”While large-scale bipartisanship remains unlikely, Biden was set to reissue his 2022 appeal for Congress to get&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-addiction-and-treatment-susan-rice-e0c789041281c9ca231d685186c50b6e">behind his “unity agenda”</a>&nbsp;of actions to address the opioid epidemic, mental health, veterans’ health and cancer.Biden will also call on lawmakers to responsibly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-us-department-of-the-treasury-business-7ac35fbced6c3ed98228dc77c8e3e70d">raise the debt limit</a>&nbsp;and keep the government funded. The president has remained opposed to negotiating to avoid default, while Republicans are pushing for unspecified deep spending cuts to reduce the deficit.Biden, according to two administration officials who requested anonymity to preview the speech, was also expected to discuss&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-china-antony-blinken-51e49202f2a0a50541cde059934c4cfb">his decision to shoot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon</a>&nbsp;Saturday, as part of a broader section on countering China’s more assertive economic and military actions around the world.His address last year came just days after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and many in the West doubted Kyiv’s ability to avoid a swift routing. Now the war is on the cusp of entering its second year, and under Biden the U.S. and allies have sent tens of billions of dollars in military and economic assistance to bolster Ukraine’s defenses. Now the president must make the case — both at home and abroad — for sustaining that coalition as the war drags on.Meanwhile, inflation, which rose precipitously last year in part because of soaring energy prices from the war, has begun to ease.Still, only a quarter of U.S. adults say things in the country are headed in the right direction,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-us-federal-bureau-of-investigation-public-opinion-5b4263baedec6deff020d04ebbb4bd37">according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research</a>; about three-quarters say things are on the wrong track.Similarly, views of the national economy remain deeply negative, with 24% calling the national economy good and 76% calling it poor. Forty-one percent of Democrats and 8% of Republicans call the economy good. The figures are similar to when Biden delivered his State of the Union address last year, but an adjustment from Biden’s first year in office when Americans were more optimistic; about half said they thought the country was headed in the right direction when the president took office.At the same time, 57% say their personal financial situation is good. That’s unchanged since December but has eroded slightly since earlier last year. No less than 62% of Americans had called their personal financial situation good in AP-NORC polls conducted from late 2019 through spring of 2022.Two years after Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol by pro-Trump rioters, a protective fence was reinstalled Sunday around the Capitol ahead of Biden’s address.After the speech, Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and his Cabinet plan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-31b64b73475de0ed4409bcfa481a7d58">to hold over 30 events in two days</a>&nbsp;to drive the message home to the American people in their communities. Biden will visit Wisconsin to discuss job creation on Wednesday and on Thursday will be in Tampa, Florida to talk about his efforts to lower prescription drug costs and protect Social Security and Medicare.“During the State of the Union, President Biden will outline how the past two years has seen historic job growth, falling inflation, higher wages, and record investments coming back to America,” the White House said. “The economic travel blitz showcases how the president’s vision is creating jobs, rebuilding our infrastructure, lowering costs for families, tackling climate change, investing in our future and delivering for families too often left behind.”The travel follows Biden’s stops last week in Baltimore, New York and Philadelphia focused on rail and water infrastructure projects funded by the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law.___

Biden aims to deliver reassurance in State of Union address

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement and fire officials are investigating after a grass fire was intentionally set on the grounds of the governor's mansion.&nbsp;

Just after 1:30 p.m. Monday, Fire units were dispatched to SW 6th and SW Governor’s View on the report of a large grass fire, according to Fire Marshal Alan Stahl.

While fire was performing an attack on the grassfire, police located an adult male suspect in the area who was observed setting the fire and took him into custody.

&nbsp;Pedro Michel-Mota Ruiz, 36, of Topeka, was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on a requested charge of Arson.

The cause of the fire has been determined by TFD investigators as incendiary; intentionally set.&nbsp;

The incident, is being investigated by the Topeka Fire Dept., Topeka Police and the Office of the Kansas State Fire Marshal. The fire burned approximately 6 acres and was contained at approximately 3:30 p.m. No buildings were damaged during the course of the fire and no injuries were reported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675723187619.png" alt="Fire crews at Cedar Crest Monday afternoon-photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Fire crews at Cedar Crest Monday afternoon-photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement and fire officials are investigating after a grass fire was intentionally set on the grounds of the governor's mansion.&nbsp;Just after 1:30 p.m. Monday, Fire units were dispatched to SW 6th and SW Governor’s View on the report of a large grass fire, according to Fire Marshal Alan Stahl.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675730851540.png" alt="Ruiz-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Ruiz-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>While fire was performing an attack on the grassfire, police located an adult male suspect in the area who was observed setting the fire and took him into custody.&nbsp;Pedro Michel-Mota Ruiz, 36, of Topeka, was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on a requested charge of Arson.The cause of the fire has been determined by TFD investigators as incendiary; intentionally set.&nbsp;The incident, is being investigated by the Topeka Fire Dept., Topeka Police and the Office of the Kansas State Fire Marshal. The fire burned approximately 6 acres and was contained at approximately 3:30 p.m. No buildings were damaged during the course of the fire and no injuries were reported.

Arson fire at Kan. Governor's mansion burned 6 acres

TOPEKA — Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach sent a letter to Walgreens’ leadership urging the retail pharmacy to follow Kansas law on mail-order abortifacients. 

In the letter to Danielle Gray, Walgreens Executive Vice President, Kobach wrote that the company’s recently announced plan to provide abortion pills to Kansans via mail-order is illegal under federal and state law.

<a href="https://ag.ks.gov/docs/default-source/documents/abortion-pill-letter.pdf?sfvrsn=ec26bd1a_2">Click here to read</a> the letter.

“Kansas will not hesitate to enforce the law,” the attorney general wrote.

Federal law prohibits knowingly mailing anything designed to produce an abortion. Kansas law requires that abortifacients like mifepristone, be administered by and in the presence of the prescribing doctor.

Kobach writes that the Biden administration’s attempt to make abortion pills available through the mail is an exercise in motivated reasoning.

“No self-respecting lawyer would read the law in such a way that is clearly inconsistent with its plain meaning,” Kobach’s letter reads. “President Biden is beholden to the country’s most extreme pro-abortion voices, who consistently advocate for expanding the abortion regime without any consideration of legality or even women’s safety. But nothing requires you to join him. The law says what it says. I encourage you to follow it.”

TOPEKA — Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach sent a letter to Walgreens’ leadership urging the retail pharmacy to follow Kansas law on mail-order abortifacients. In the letter to Danielle Gray, Walgreens Executive Vice President, Kobach wrote that the company’s recently announced plan to provide abortion pills to Kansans via mail-order is illegal under federal and state law.<a href="https://ag.ks.gov/docs/default-source/documents/abortion-pill-letter.pdf?sfvrsn=ec26bd1a_2">Click here to read</a> the letter.“Kansas will not hesitate to enforce the law,” the attorney general wrote.Federal law prohibits knowingly mailing anything designed to produce an abortion. Kansas law requires that abortifacients like mifepristone, be administered by and in the presence of the prescribing doctor.Kobach writes that the Biden administration’s attempt to make abortion pills available through the mail is an exercise in motivated reasoning.“No self-respecting lawyer would read the law in such a way that is clearly inconsistent with its plain meaning,” Kobach’s letter reads. “President Biden is beholden to the country’s most extreme pro-abortion voices, who consistently advocate for expanding the abortion regime without any consideration of legality or even women’s safety. But nothing requires you to join him. The law says what it says. I encourage you to follow it.”

Kan. AG warns Walgreens not to send abortion pills by mail

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas teen injured in an accident just before 6p.m. Feb. 2 in Sedgwick County has died.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2011 Chevy Silverado driven by 16-year-old Wyatt Owen Sobba of Mount Hope was northbound on 267th Street West at U.S. 54.&nbsp;

The pickup and an eastbound 2023 eastbound Kenworth semi driven by Noah John Hanson, 24, Wichita, entered the intersection at the same time.&nbsp; The pickup struck the semi.

EMS transported Sobba and Hanson to hospitals in Wichita. Sobba died on Saturday.&nbsp; A juvenile was also a passenger in the Silverado. The KHP did not release details on the passenger.&nbsp; Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas teen injured in an accident just before 6p.m. Feb. 2 in Sedgwick County has died.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2011 Chevy Silverado driven by 16-year-old Wyatt Owen Sobba of Mount Hope was northbound on 267th Street West at U.S. 54.&nbsp;The pickup and an eastbound 2023 eastbound Kenworth semi driven by Noah John Hanson, 24, Wichita, entered the intersection at the same time.&nbsp; The pickup struck the semi.EMS transported Sobba and Hanson to hospitals in Wichita. Sobba died on Saturday.&nbsp; A juvenile was also a passenger in the Silverado. The KHP did not release details on the passenger.&nbsp; Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Kansas teen dies two days after pickup, semi crash

ADANA, Turkey (AP) — Rescuers raced Tuesday to find survivors in the rubble of thousands of buildings brought down by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake and multiple aftershocks that struck eastern Turkey and neighboring Syria, with the discovery of more bodies raising the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/turkey-earthquake-live-updates-19e7d84fefdeed4c8a355dedf23d914f">death toll</a>&nbsp;to more than 5,000.

Countries around the world dispatched teams to assist in the rescue efforts, and Turkey's disaster management agency said more than 24,400 emergency personnel were now on the ground. But with such a wide swath of territory hit by Monday’s earthquake and nearly 6,000 buildings confirmed to have collapsed in Turkey alone, their efforts were spread thin.

Attempts to reach survivors were also impeded by temperatures below freezing and close to 200 aftershocks, which made the search through unstable structures perilous.

Nurgul Atay told The Associated Press she could hear her mother's voice beneath the rubble of a collapsed building in the city of Antakya, the capital of Hatay province, but that her and others efforts to get into the ruins had been futile without any rescue crews and heavy equipment to help.

“If only we could lift the concrete slab we'd be able to reach her,” she said. “My mother is 70-years-old, she won't be able to withstand this for long.”

Across Hatay province, just southwest of the earthquake's epicenter, officials say as many as 1,500 buildings were destroyed and many people reported relatives being trapped under the rubble with no aid or rescue teams arriving.

In areas where teams worked, occasional cheers broke out through the night as survivors were brought out of the rubble.

The quake, which was centered in Turkey’s southeastern province of Kahramanmaras, sent residents of Damascus and Beirut rushing into the street and was felt as far away as Cairo.

Sebastien Gay, the head of mission in Syria for Doctors Without Borders, said health facilities in northern Syria were overwhelmed with medical personnel working around “around the clock to respond to the huge numbers of wounded.”

In Turkey's Hatay province, thousands of people sheltered in sports centers or fair halls, while others spent the night outside, huddled in blankets around fires.

Turkey has large numbers of troops in the border region with Syria and has tasked the military to aid in the rescue efforts, including setting up tents for the homeless and a field hospital in Hatay province. Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said a humanitarian aid brigade based in Ankara and eight military search and rescue teams had also been deployed.

A navy ship docked on Tuesday at the province's port of Iskenderun, where a hospital collapsed, to transport survivors in need of medical care to the nearby city of Mersin. Thick, black smoke rose from another area of the port, where firefighters have not yet been able to douse a fire that broke out among shipping containers that were toppled by the earthquake.

In the Turkish city of Gaziantep, a provincial capital about 33 kilometers (20 miles) from the epicenter, people took refuge in shopping malls, stadiums, mosques and community centers.

Turkey’s Vice President Fuat Oktay said the total number of deaths in Turkey had passed 3,400, with some 21,000 people injured.

The death toll in government-held areas of Syria climbed over 800 people, with some 1,400 injured, according to the Health Ministry. In the country’s rebel-held northwest, the opposition’s Syrian Civil Defense, or White Helmets, the paramedic group leading rescue operations, said that at least 790 were killed and more than 2,200 injured.

Authorities fear the death toll will keep climbing as the rescuers look for survivors among tangles of metal and concrete spread across the region beset by Syria’s 12-year civil war and refugee crisis.

In the latest&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/turkey-syria-earthquake-dispatching-aid-6648f53ed5f33371b253d077e85fc1c3">pledges of international help</a>, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said he was preparing to swiftly dispatch a 60-person search and rescue team as well as medical supplies and 50 soldiers. Pakistan's government sent a flight carrying relief supplies and a 50-member search and rescue team early Tuesday, and said there will be daily aid flights to Syria and Turkey from Wednesday. India said it would send two search and rescue teams, including specially trained dogs and medical personnel.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will travel to Ankara Wednesday to express his condolences and solidarity, according to a statement from Islamabad.

U.S. President Joe Biden called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to express condolences and offer assistance to the NATO ally. The White House said it was sending search-and-rescue teams to support Turkey’s efforts.

The quake piled more misery on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-middle-east-earthquakes-health-605a1b38b5d054ac944ae91335d008cb">a region that has seen tremendous suffering</a>&nbsp;over the past decade. On the Syrian side, the affected area is divided between government-controlled territory and the country’s last opposition-held enclave, which is surrounded by Russian-backed government forces. Turkey is home to millions of refugees from the Syrian civil war.

In the rebel-held enclave, hundreds of families remained trapped in rubble, the opposition emergency organization known as the White Helmets said in a statement. The area is packed with some 4 million people displaced from other parts of the country by the war. Many live in buildings that are were already damaged by military bombardments.

Strained medical centers quickly filled with injured people, rescue workers said. Some facilities had to be emptied, including a maternity hospital, according to the SAMS medical organization.

More than 7,800 people were rescued across 10 provinces, according to Orhan Tatar, an official with Turkey’s disaster management authority.

The region sits on top of major fault lines and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/turkey-earthquake-science-explainer-67ca711fbed2c39b1ca37d1bd9c4fd27">is frequently shaken by earthquakes</a>. Some 18,000 were killed in similarly powerful earthquakes that hit northwest Turkey in 1999.

The U.S. Geological Survey measured Monday’s quake at 7.8, with a depth of 18 kilometers (11 miles). Hours later, another quake, likely triggered by the first, struck more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) away with 7.5 magnitude.

The second jolt caused a multistory apartment building in the Turkish city of Sanliurfa to topple onto the street in a cloud of dust as bystanders screamed, according to video of the scene.

Thousands of buildings were reported collapsed in a wide area extending from Syria’s cities of Aleppo and Hama to Turkey’s Diyarbakir, more than 330 kilometers (200 miles) to the northeast.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675651936627.png" alt="-The quake, which was centered in Turkey’s southeastern province of Kahramanmaras, sent residents of Damascus and Beirut rushing into the street and was felt as far away as Cairo. USGS image" />
 <figcaption>-The quake, which was centered in Turkey’s southeastern province of Kahramanmaras, sent residents of Damascus and Beirut rushing into the street and was felt as far away as Cairo. USGS image</figcaption>
 </figure>ADANA, Turkey (AP) — Rescuers raced Tuesday to find survivors in the rubble of thousands of buildings brought down by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake and multiple aftershocks that struck eastern Turkey and neighboring Syria, with the discovery of more bodies raising the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/turkey-earthquake-live-updates-19e7d84fefdeed4c8a355dedf23d914f">death toll</a>&nbsp;to more than 5,000.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">A little girl who was pulled out from under the concrete in the earthquake. Urfa Turkey <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gaziantep?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gaziantep</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tsunamialert?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tsunamialert</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Turkey?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Turkey</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TurkeyEarthquake?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TurkeyEarthquake</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Turkiye?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Turkiye</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Turkish?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Turkish</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TurkeyQuake?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TurkeyQuake</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/turkeyhelp?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#turkeyhelp</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/turkifsa?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#turkifsa</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Turquia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Turquia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Syria?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Syria</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/syriaearthquake?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#syriaearthquake</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Syria_earthquake?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Syria_earthquake</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Syrian?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Syrian</a> <a href="https://t.co/U5C5TP0QBa">pic.twitter.com/U5C5TP0QBa</a>&mdash; PANKAJ KUMAR (@Headlineznow) <a href="https://twitter.com/Headlineznow/status/1622581374325768193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Countries around the world dispatched teams to assist in the rescue efforts, and Turkey's disaster management agency said more than 24,400 emergency personnel were now on the ground. But with such a wide swath of territory hit by Monday’s earthquake and nearly 6,000 buildings confirmed to have collapsed in Turkey alone, their efforts were spread thin.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Second Quake 7.5-magnitude Hit A building in Türkiye’s Sanliurfa collapsed after a major 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Türkiye<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Turkey?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Turkey</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TurkeyEarthquake?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TurkeyEarthquake</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Turkiye?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Turkiye</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Turkish?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Turkish</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TurkeyQuake?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TurkeyQuake</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/turkeyhelp?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#turkeyhelp</a> <a href="https://t.co/njmODYGKuQ">pic.twitter.com/njmODYGKuQ</a>&mdash; PANKAJ KUMAR (@Headlineznow) <a href="https://twitter.com/Headlineznow/status/1622554166706204672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Attempts to reach survivors were also impeded by temperatures below freezing and close to 200 aftershocks, which made the search through unstable structures perilous.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tsunami?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tsunami</a> and Earthquake in Turkey. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/earthquake?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#earthquake</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/earthquakeinturkey?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#earthquakeinturkey</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D8%B2%D9%84%D8%B2%D8%A7%D9%84_%D8%AA%D8%B1%DA%A9%DB%8C%D8%A7?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#زلزال_ترکیا</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%C4%B0stanbul?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#İstanbul</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Syria?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Syria</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Lebanon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Lebanon</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Deprem?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Deprem</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gaziantep?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gaziantep</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/iskenderun?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#iskenderun</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sanliurfa?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#sanliurfa</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Enkaz?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Enkaz</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AC%C4%B0L?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ACİL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DEPREMOLDU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DEPREMOLDU</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D8%B2%D9%84%D8%B2%D8%A7%D9%84?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#زلزال</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%83%D9%8A%D8%A7?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#تركيا</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#لبنان</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BreakingNews?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BreakingNews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%C5%9Eanl%C4%B1urfa?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Şanlıurfa</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Syrian?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Syrian</a> <a href="https://t.co/11ilFA36KQ">pic.twitter.com/11ilFA36KQ</a>&mdash; PANKAJ KUMAR (@Headlineznow) <a href="https://twitter.com/Headlineznow/status/1622569752723099649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Nurgul Atay told The Associated Press she could hear her mother's voice beneath the rubble of a collapsed building in the city of Antakya, the capital of Hatay province, but that her and others efforts to get into the ruins had been futile without any rescue crews and heavy equipment to help.“If only we could lift the concrete slab we'd be able to reach her,” she said. “My mother is 70-years-old, she won't be able to withstand this for long.”Across Hatay province, just southwest of the earthquake's epicenter, officials say as many as 1,500 buildings were destroyed and many people reported relatives being trapped under the rubble with no aid or rescue teams arriving.In areas where teams worked, occasional cheers broke out through the night as survivors were brought out of the rubble.The quake, which was centered in Turkey’s southeastern province of Kahramanmaras, sent residents of Damascus and Beirut rushing into the street and was felt as far away as Cairo.Sebastien Gay, the head of mission in Syria for Doctors Without Borders, said health facilities in northern Syria were overwhelmed with medical personnel working around “around the clock to respond to the huge numbers of wounded.”In Turkey's Hatay province, thousands of people sheltered in sports centers or fair halls, while others spent the night outside, huddled in blankets around fires.Turkey has large numbers of troops in the border region with Syria and has tasked the military to aid in the rescue efforts, including setting up tents for the homeless and a field hospital in Hatay province. Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said a humanitarian aid brigade based in Ankara and eight military search and rescue teams had also been deployed.A navy ship docked on Tuesday at the province's port of Iskenderun, where a hospital collapsed, to transport survivors in need of medical care to the nearby city of Mersin. Thick, black smoke rose from another area of the port, where firefighters have not yet been able to douse a fire that broke out among shipping containers that were toppled by the earthquake.In the Turkish city of Gaziantep, a provincial capital about 33 kilometers (20 miles) from the epicenter, people took refuge in shopping malls, stadiums, mosques and community centers.Turkey’s Vice President Fuat Oktay said the total number of deaths in Turkey had passed 3,400, with some 21,000 people injured.The death toll in government-held areas of Syria climbed over 800 people, with some 1,400 injured, according to the Health Ministry. In the country’s rebel-held northwest, the opposition’s Syrian Civil Defense, or White Helmets, the paramedic group leading rescue operations, said that at least 790 were killed and more than 2,200 injured.Authorities fear the death toll will keep climbing as the rescuers look for survivors among tangles of metal and concrete spread across the region beset by Syria’s 12-year civil war and refugee crisis.In the latest&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/turkey-syria-earthquake-dispatching-aid-6648f53ed5f33371b253d077e85fc1c3">pledges of international help</a>, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said he was preparing to swiftly dispatch a 60-person search and rescue team as well as medical supplies and 50 soldiers. Pakistan's government sent a flight carrying relief supplies and a 50-member search and rescue team early Tuesday, and said there will be daily aid flights to Syria and Turkey from Wednesday. India said it would send two search and rescue teams, including specially trained dogs and medical personnel.Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will travel to Ankara Wednesday to express his condolences and solidarity, according to a statement from Islamabad.U.S. President Joe Biden called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to express condolences and offer assistance to the NATO ally. The White House said it was sending search-and-rescue teams to support Turkey’s efforts.The quake piled more misery on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-middle-east-earthquakes-health-605a1b38b5d054ac944ae91335d008cb">a region that has seen tremendous suffering</a>&nbsp;over the past decade. On the Syrian side, the affected area is divided between government-controlled territory and the country’s last opposition-held enclave, which is surrounded by Russian-backed government forces. Turkey is home to millions of refugees from the Syrian civil war.In the rebel-held enclave, hundreds of families remained trapped in rubble, the opposition emergency organization known as the White Helmets said in a statement. The area is packed with some 4 million people displaced from other parts of the country by the war. Many live in buildings that are were already damaged by military bombardments.Strained medical centers quickly filled with injured people, rescue workers said. Some facilities had to be emptied, including a maternity hospital, according to the SAMS medical organization.More than 7,800 people were rescued across 10 provinces, according to Orhan Tatar, an official with Turkey’s disaster management authority.The region sits on top of major fault lines and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/turkey-earthquake-science-explainer-67ca711fbed2c39b1ca37d1bd9c4fd27">is frequently shaken by earthquakes</a>. Some 18,000 were killed in similarly powerful earthquakes that hit northwest Turkey in 1999.The U.S. Geological Survey measured Monday’s quake at 7.8, with a depth of 18 kilometers (11 miles). Hours later, another quake, likely triggered by the first, struck more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) away with 7.5 magnitude.The second jolt caused a multistory apartment building in the Turkish city of Sanliurfa to topple onto the street in a cloud of dust as bystanders screamed, according to video of the scene.Thousands of buildings were reported collapsed in a wide area extending from Syria’s cities of Aleppo and Hama to Turkey’s Diyarbakir, more than 330 kilometers (200 miles) to the northeast.___

🎥 Rescuers race against time; massive quake kills thousands

WICHITA, KAN. – A man has been sentenced in connection with the sexual abuse of two little girls.

According to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office, Judge Bruce Brown sentenced Anthony Raya, 63 of Wichita, to life in prison after Raya admitted his contact with the children under the age of 10. 

On December 23, Raya pled guilty to two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child.

During sentencing last Friday, Judge Brown sentenced Raya to two life sentences. He will be eligible for parole in 25 years.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675697932064.png" alt="Raya-photo KBI offender registry" />
 <figcaption>Raya-photo KBI offender registry</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, KAN. – A man has been sentenced in connection with the sexual abuse of two little girls.According to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office, Judge Bruce Brown sentenced Anthony Raya, 63 of Wichita, to life in prison after Raya admitted his contact with the children under the age of 10. On December 23, Raya pled guilty to two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child.During sentencing last Friday, Judge Brown sentenced Raya to two life sentences. He will be eligible for parole in 25 years.

Kansas man sentenced for sex abuse of two small children

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary and have a suspect in custody.

On Feb. 3,&nbsp; a 57-year-old victim reported that a burglary had occurred that morning at a residence in the 400 block North 2nd Street in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.&nbsp;The suspect allegedly took&nbsp;several firearms and several knives. 

Just after 1:30a.m. Saturday and following an investigation, police arrested 35-year-old James Gilliland who was taken into custody on requested charges of burglary and theft. Police also recovered the stolen weapons, according to Wilson.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675692167095.png" alt="Gilliland-photo Atchison Co." />
 <figcaption>Gilliland-photo Atchison Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary and have a suspect in custody.On Feb. 3,&nbsp; a 57-year-old victim reported that a burglary had occurred that morning at a residence in the 400 block North 2nd Street in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.&nbsp;The suspect allegedly took&nbsp;several firearms and several knives. Just after 1:30a.m. Saturday and following an investigation, police arrested 35-year-old James Gilliland who was taken into custody on requested charges of burglary and theft. Police also recovered the stolen weapons, according to Wilson.

Police recover firearms, knives taken in Kan. home burglary

GEARY COUNTY —A Kansas woman accused of abducting her three children turned herself in on Monday.

Just after 1p .m. Monday, 29-year-old Jeana Foley turned herself in to the Junction City Police Department, according to a media release.

Police took her into custody on her felony warrant on requested charges that include 3 Counts of Aggravated Interference with Parental Custody. All 3 children, Rosie, Camden, and Genevive, were recovered by Junction City Police Department Officers safe and unharmed.

Foley is currently being held at the Geary County Detention Facility.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673546045642.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>GEARY COUNTY —A Kansas woman accused of abducting her three children turned herself in on Monday.Just after 1p .m. Monday, 29-year-old Jeana Foley turned herself in to the Junction City Police Department, according to a media release.Police took her into custody on her felony warrant on requested charges that include 3 Counts of Aggravated Interference with Parental Custody. All 3 children, Rosie, Camden, and Genevive, were recovered by Junction City Police Department Officers safe and unharmed.Foley is currently being held at the Geary County Detention Facility.&nbsp;

Kan. woman accused of abducting her 3 children turns herself in

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said Monday he will not grant clemency and halt the execution of Raheem Taylor, who faces lethal injection for the deaths his girlfriend and her three children.

Taylor, 58, is scheduled to be put to death Tuesday evening at the state prison in Bonne Terre.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673437071153.png" alt="Leonard Taylor, 58, is scheduled to die by injection Feb. 7 for the 2004 killings of Angela Rowe, 28, along with her 10-year-old daughter Alexus Conley, 6-year-old daughter AcQreya Conley, and 5-year-old son Tyrese Conley.-photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Leonard Taylor, 58, is scheduled to die by injection Feb. 7 for the 2004 killings of Angela Rowe, 28, along with her 10-year-old daughter Alexus Conley, 6-year-old daughter AcQreya Conley, and 5-year-old son Tyrese Conley.-photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>ST. LOUIS (AP) — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said Monday he will not grant clemency and halt the execution of Raheem Taylor, who faces lethal injection for the deaths his girlfriend and her three children.Taylor, 58, is scheduled to be put to death Tuesday evening at the state prison in Bonne Terre.“Despite his self-serving claim of innocence, the facts of his guilt in this gruesome quadruple homicide remain," Parson, a Republican, said in a statement. "The State of Missouri will carry out Taylor’s sentences according to the Court’s order and deliver justice for the four innocent lives he stole.”Parson's decision came despite a letter from Derrick Johnson, president of the national NAACP, asking Parson to grant a stay of execution. Johnson wrote that “evidence presented at trial does not support Mr. Taylor's conviction.”Separately, nearly three dozen civil rights and religious groups asked St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell to reconsider his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-state-government-california-st-louis-crime-f527565eb092ff8f1df97db3f216c37c">decision not to ask a judge for a new hearing</a>&nbsp;on Taylor's claim that he was not even in Missouri when the killings occurred.The letter said Bell has a “clear opportunity here to free an innocent Black man whose case was riddled with prosecutorial misconduct, police coercion and brutality, and ineffective assistance of counsel.”But Bell said in a statement Monday that although his office would not have sought the death penalty, “we believe the jury got the verdict right" in finding Taylor guilty, and that he wouldn't seek a new hearing.Meanwhile, former St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch, whose office prosecuted the 2004 case, told The Associated Press that Taylor's claims of innocence are “nonsense," and that the evidence against him is overwhelming.Taylor himself called into the church service Sunday at Greater Fairfax Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis. He thanked those who support him.“Please continue to let God use you, to work through you, as a vessel because time is one of my most valuable commodities and we only have a small amount of that time, and none of it can be replaced,” Taylor told the congregation as the Rev. Darryl Gray held the cellphone to the microphone.Taylor, who previously went by the first name Leonard, shared a house in the St. Louis suburb of Jennings with Angela Rowe and her children — 10-year-old daughter Alexus Conley, 6-year-old daughter AcQreya Conley, and 5-year-old son Tyrese Conley. Taylor boarded a flight to California on Nov. 26, 2004.On Dec. 3, 2004, police were sent to the home after worried relatives said they hadn’t heard from Rowe. Officers found the bodies of Rowe and her children. All four had been shot.Authorities first believed the killings happened only a few days before the bodies were discovered, at the time when Taylor was in California. But at Taylor’s trial, Medical Examiner Phillip Burch said the killings could have happened two or three weeks before the bodies were discovered.Kent Gipson, one of Taylor's attorneys, said several people, including relatives of Rowe and a neighbor, saw Rowe alive in the days after Taylor left St. Louis. Meanwhile, Taylor’s daughter in California, Deja Taylor, claimed in a court filing that she and her father spoke by phone with Angela Rowe and one of the children during his visit. The court filing said Deja Taylor’s mother and sister corroborated her story.McCulloch said those alibis provided by Taylor's daughter and her relatives were “completely made up.”McCulloch said evidence suggested that Rowe and the kids were killed on the night of Nov. 22 or on Nov. 23, 2004, when Taylor was still in St. Louis County. He noted that Rowe typically made around 70 outgoing calls or texts each day. Starting Nov. 23, she made none.Meanwhile, DNA from Rowe’s blood was found on Taylor’s glasses when he was arrested, and a relative taking him to the airport saw Taylor toss a gun into the sewer, McCulloch said. Authorities believe Taylor shot Rowe during a violent argument, then killed the children because they were witnesses.The execution would be the third in Missouri in three months, following those of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-state-government-missouri-legal-proceedings-religion-dbc253bef85af688a63a42a836e00028">Kevin Johnson and Amber McLaughlin.</a>&nbsp;Johnson was executed Nov. 29 for killing a Kirkwood, Missouri, police officer. McLaughlin was executed Jan. 3 for fatally stabbing a woman in St. Louis County.------------ST. LOUIS (AP) — The president of the national NAACP is urging Missouri Gov. Mike Parson to halt the execution of Raheem Taylor, who is scheduled to die by injection Tuesday for the deaths of his girlfriend and her three children.“There are many reasons to spare Mr. Taylor’s life, but they all come down to one: the State of Missouri has the life of a man in its hands, and, in this life and death decision, lies the weight of moral responsibility,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson wrote to the Republican governor. “The evidence presented at trial does not support Mr. Taylor’s conviction.”Separately, nearly three dozen civil rights and religious groups asked St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell to reconsider his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-state-government-california-st-louis-crime-f527565eb092ff8f1df97db3f216c37c">decision not to ask a judge for a new hearing</a>&nbsp;on Taylor's claim that he was not even in Missouri when the killings occurred.The letter said Bell has a “clear opportunity here to free an innocent Black man whose case was riddled with prosecutorial misconduct, police coercion and brutality, and ineffective assistance of counsel.”Bell said in his Jan. 30 decision that the “facts are not there to support a credible case of innocence.” Meanwhile, former St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch, whose office prosecuted the 2004 case, told The Associated Press that Taylor's claims of innocence are “nonsense," and that the evidence against him was overwhelming.Spokespeople for Parson and Bell both said they'll have updates later Monday.Taylor himself called into the church service Sunday at Greater Fairfax Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis. He thanked those who support him.“Please continue to let God use you, to work through you, as a vessel because time is one of my most valuable commodities and we only have a small amount of that time, and none of it can be replaced,” Taylor told the congregation as the Rev. Darryl Gray held the cellphone to the microphone.Taylor, 58, who previously went by the first name Leonard, shared a house in the St. Louis suburb of Jennings with Angela Rowe and her children — 10-year-old daughter Alexus Conley, 6-year-old daughter AcQreya Conley, and 5-year-old son Tyrese Conley. Taylor boarded a flight to California on Nov. 26, 2004.On Dec. 3, 2004, police were sent to the home after worried relatives said they hadn’t heard from Rowe. Officers found the bodies of Rowe and her children. All four had been shot.Authorities first believed the killings happened only a few days before the bodies were discovered, at the time when Taylor was in California. But at Taylor’s trial, Medical Examiner Phillip Burch said the killings could have happened two or three weeks before the bodies were discovered.Kent Gipson, one of Taylor's attorneys, said several people, including relatives of Rowe and a neighbor, saw Rowe alive in the days after Taylor left St. Louis. Meanwhile, Taylor’s daughter in California, Deja Taylor, claimed in a court filing that she and her father spoke by phone with Angela Rowe and one of the children during his visit. The court filing said Deja Taylor’s mother and sister corroborated her story.McCulloch said those alibis provided by Taylor's daughter and her relatives were “completely made up.”McCulloch said evidence suggested that Rowe and the kids were killed on the night of Nov. 22 or on Nov. 23, 2004, when Taylor was still in St. Louis County. He noted that Rowe typically made around 70 outgoing calls or texts each day. Starting Nov. 23, she made none.Meanwhile, DNA from Rowe’s blood was found on Taylor’s glasses when he was arrested, and a relative taking him to the airport saw Taylor toss a gun into the sewer, McCulloch said. Authorities believe Taylor shot Rowe during a violent argument, then killed the children because they were witnesses.The execution would be the third in Missouri in three months, following those of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-state-government-missouri-legal-proceedings-religion-dbc253bef85af688a63a42a836e00028">Kevin Johnson and Amber McLaughlin.</a>&nbsp;Johnson was executed Nov. 29 for killing a Kirkwood, Missouri, police officer. McLaughlin was executed Jan. 3 for fatally stabbing a woman in St. Louis County