LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Though the <a href="https://insightlawrence.org/en/">Insight Women’s Center </a>sits at the epicenter of a reinvigorated battle in the nation’s culture wars, the only hint of its faith-based mission to dissuade people from getting abortions is the jazzy, piano rendition of “Jesus Loves Me” playing in a waiting room.

The Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature is considering allocating millions of dollars in state funds to similar anti-abortion centers that persuade people to bring their pregnancies to term by offering free pregnancy tests and sonograms, as well as counseling and parenting classes taught by volunteers. They're also considering offering millions more in income tax credits for donors supporting what they call “crisis pregnancy centers."

When the U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;last year and gave control of abortion policy to the states, it led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-politics-health-5101ede97957cbf5f4f8aac1d5e5b4fa">bans and restrictions in some states, and executive orders and laws</a>&nbsp;protecting access in others. Those debates continue, but perhaps less noticed is how this change refueled the renewed battle over taxpayer money.

Supporters say the effort shows abortion opponents are addressing families' social and financial needs. But critics say the amount of new funding proposed for organizations like Insight — either in direct funding or tax credits for their donors — fall far short of what’s necessary to improve people’s access to health care and address ongoing poverty.

“You funnel money through a short-term solution that makes it appear as though you are doing something,” said Alesha Doan, a University of Kansas associate professor who has studied and written books about abortion politics.

Increasingly, liberal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-st-louis-missouri-cab307afaf66ce9b5d58d3be191b532e">cities</a>&nbsp;and states are funding access to abortion, including telemedicine, which has seen a notable rise with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-science-health-medication-56972af9e9b0fc2fc97e06041f6e96ce">more than half of U.S. abortions now done with pills</a>&nbsp;rather than surgery. Meanwhile, states with GOP legislatures and governors are looking to put more taxpayer money into organizations&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-business-health-nashville-personal-taxes-fffa6f6f86e6eaa448b8ea89087a1c46">that talk people out of ending their pregnancies</a>.

Legislative committees held hearings Thursday on proposals for&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2135_00_0000.pdf">a 70% income tax credit</a>&nbsp;to donors who support anti-abortion centers, with a cap of $10 million in total credits. A Senate committee might vote this week.

It's similar to a longstanding Missouri law that provides income tax credits to donors supporting anti-abortion centers. Arizona has such a law, and Mississippi's Republican House speaker is trying to expand a cap on tax credits to $10 million from the $3.5 million authorized last year.

Arkansas and Oklahoma are considering adding similar tax credits, according to the National Right to Life Committee.

In Missouri, donors to anti-abortion centers have received $15 million in total state tax credits over the past five years, and one state analysis estimates the centers served about 43,000 people last year.

Abortion opponents have operated centers like Insight for decades, and the practice of conservative-led states offering financial aid to them predates Dobbs — the decision in June overturning Roe v. Wade.

On the abortion-rights side, Oregon lawmakers last year created&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-oregon-planned-parenthood-2351bf1bd586b64e84f72d10980cd0b7">a $15 million abortion-access fund,</a>&nbsp;with the first $1 million going to a nonprofit that covers the costs of patients' travel and procedures. California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Washington have also allocated or are considering offering public funding for abortions or related services.

In New Mexico last year, Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-michelle-lujan-grisham-new-mexico-275e9af532929a198f12e65e7e049c96">pledged $10 million in state funds</a>&nbsp;to the construction of a new abortion clinic.

Morgan Hopkins, president of the abortion-rights advocacy group All(asterisk) Above All praised the funding. “Budgets are a reflection of our values," she said.

Kansas already provides grants to programs that provide prenatal care, and encourage people to carry their pregnancies to term. But it spends less than $339,000 in a state budget of $24 billion on the program — and made only two grants totaling less than $74,000 to anti-abortion centers.

Now, some abortion opponents talk about emulating Missouri's more than $8 million annual funding, plus the income tax credits.

Abortion rights supporters are frustrated that the push for such support is coming so soon after an Aug. 2 statewide vote that decisively rejected a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution that would have allowed legislators to greatly restrict or ban abortion.

“I have general concerns that we’re not respecting what was the very clear will of voters,” said state Sen. Ethan Corson, a Kansas City-area Democrat who serves on the Senate tax committee.

Abortion rights advocates say the centers lure patients away from abortion clinics with free services, give them inaccurate medical information and counseling from people who are not trained therapists. Some see funding them as a political gesture designed to make abortion bans look less harsh.

Abortion opponents argue that centers like Insight offer patients a wide range of prenatal and post-birth classes, in addition to other help. They also argue that boosting funding for free services after the August vote is a promise not to abandon parents and families.

In Lawrence, where the nearest abortion clinic is a 40-minute drive away, 28-year-old Korbe Bohac is still visiting the Insight center nearly 8 months after her son Winston was born. She told legislators the classes and counseling make her a better, more confident parent — and helped preserve her mental health. She called it “a safety net.”

The Insight center, which is only a few miles from the University of Kansas, has two sonogram nurses, and a doctor and radiologist sometimes volunteer their time. But services depend mostly on about 50 volunteers. The $340,000 annual budget is mostly supplied by private donations, but the organization received a community development grant in 2014 to launch parent education programs.

Center staff said that although they do not refer clients to abortion providers, they discuss abortion as an option. They said some patients who met with them went on to have abortions, though this is not possible to verify given patients' privacy protocols.

Insight has two separate waiting rooms — one for its educational programs and one for medical services. Executive director Bridgit Smith said one reason is that it keeps pregnant patients from being influenced by seeing babies and toddlers.

Smith said she believes the proposed tax credit would increase donations, helping Insight start a maternity home for people without shelter.

“We’re trying to build strong individuals and strong families. And isn’t that what we all want?” Smith said. “Even for the woman that doesn’t choose to parent, we still want her to be strong and healthy after the decision.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675607447973.png" alt="Bridgit Smith, executive director of the Insight Women's Center stands outside the door to its educational and "Boutique" with clothes and other supplies for new parents, Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023, in Lawrence, Kansas. The center provides a variety of free services, including pregnancy tests, limited sonograms, and parenting and money-management counseling. (AP Photo/John Hanna)" />
 <figcaption>Bridgit Smith, executive director of the Insight Women's Center stands outside the door to its educational and "Boutique" with clothes and other supplies for new parents, Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023, in Lawrence, Kansas. The center provides a variety of free services, including pregnancy tests, limited sonograms, and parenting and money-management counseling. (AP Photo/John Hanna)</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNA and GEOFF MULVIHILL&nbsp;LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Though the <a href="https://insightlawrence.org/en/">Insight Women’s Center </a>sits at the epicenter of a reinvigorated battle in the nation’s culture wars, the only hint of its faith-based mission to dissuade people from getting abortions is the jazzy, piano rendition of “Jesus Loves Me” playing in a waiting room.The Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature is considering allocating millions of dollars in state funds to similar anti-abortion centers that persuade people to bring their pregnancies to term by offering free pregnancy tests and sonograms, as well as counseling and parenting classes taught by volunteers. They're also considering offering millions more in income tax credits for donors supporting what they call “crisis pregnancy centers."When the U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;last year and gave control of abortion policy to the states, it led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-politics-health-5101ede97957cbf5f4f8aac1d5e5b4fa">bans and restrictions in some states, and executive orders and laws</a>&nbsp;protecting access in others. Those debates continue, but perhaps less noticed is how this change refueled the renewed battle over taxpayer money.Supporters say the effort shows abortion opponents are addressing families' social and financial needs. But critics say the amount of new funding proposed for organizations like Insight — either in direct funding or tax credits for their donors — fall far short of what’s necessary to improve people’s access to health care and address ongoing poverty.“You funnel money through a short-term solution that makes it appear as though you are doing something,” said Alesha Doan, a University of Kansas associate professor who has studied and written books about abortion politics.Increasingly, liberal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-st-louis-missouri-cab307afaf66ce9b5d58d3be191b532e">cities</a>&nbsp;and states are funding access to abortion, including telemedicine, which has seen a notable rise with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-science-health-medication-56972af9e9b0fc2fc97e06041f6e96ce">more than half of U.S. abortions now done with pills</a>&nbsp;rather than surgery. Meanwhile, states with GOP legislatures and governors are looking to put more taxpayer money into organizations&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-business-health-nashville-personal-taxes-fffa6f6f86e6eaa448b8ea89087a1c46">that talk people out of ending their pregnancies</a>.Legislative committees held hearings Thursday on proposals for&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2135_00_0000.pdf">a 70% income tax credit</a>&nbsp;to donors who support anti-abortion centers, with a cap of $10 million in total credits. A Senate committee might vote this week.It's similar to a longstanding Missouri law that provides income tax credits to donors supporting anti-abortion centers. Arizona has such a law, and Mississippi's Republican House speaker is trying to expand a cap on tax credits to $10 million from the $3.5 million authorized last year.Arkansas and Oklahoma are considering adding similar tax credits, according to the National Right to Life Committee.In Missouri, donors to anti-abortion centers have received $15 million in total state tax credits over the past five years, and one state analysis estimates the centers served about 43,000 people last year.Abortion opponents have operated centers like Insight for decades, and the practice of conservative-led states offering financial aid to them predates Dobbs — the decision in June overturning Roe v. Wade.On the abortion-rights side, Oregon lawmakers last year created&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-oregon-planned-parenthood-2351bf1bd586b64e84f72d10980cd0b7">a $15 million abortion-access fund,</a>&nbsp;with the first $1 million going to a nonprofit that covers the costs of patients' travel and procedures. California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Washington have also allocated or are considering offering public funding for abortions or related services.In New Mexico last year, Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-michelle-lujan-grisham-new-mexico-275e9af532929a198f12e65e7e049c96">pledged $10 million in state funds</a>&nbsp;to the construction of a new abortion clinic.Morgan Hopkins, president of the abortion-rights advocacy group All(asterisk) Above All praised the funding. “Budgets are a reflection of our values," she said.Kansas already provides grants to programs that provide prenatal care, and encourage people to carry their pregnancies to term. But it spends less than $339,000 in a state budget of $24 billion on the program — and made only two grants totaling less than $74,000 to anti-abortion centers.Now, some abortion opponents talk about emulating Missouri's more than $8 million annual funding, plus the income tax credits.Abortion rights supporters are frustrated that the push for such support is coming so soon after an Aug. 2 statewide vote that decisively rejected a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution that would have allowed legislators to greatly restrict or ban abortion.“I have general concerns that we’re not respecting what was the very clear will of voters,” said state Sen. Ethan Corson, a Kansas City-area Democrat who serves on the Senate tax committee.Abortion rights advocates say the centers lure patients away from abortion clinics with free services, give them inaccurate medical information and counseling from people who are not trained therapists. Some see funding them as a political gesture designed to make abortion bans look less harsh.Abortion opponents argue that centers like Insight offer patients a wide range of prenatal and post-birth classes, in addition to other help. They also argue that boosting funding for free services after the August vote is a promise not to abandon parents and families.In Lawrence, where the nearest abortion clinic is a 40-minute drive away, 28-year-old Korbe Bohac is still visiting the Insight center nearly 8 months after her son Winston was born. She told legislators the classes and counseling make her a better, more confident parent — and helped preserve her mental health. She called it “a safety net.”The Insight center, which is only a few miles from the University of Kansas, has two sonogram nurses, and a doctor and radiologist sometimes volunteer their time. But services depend mostly on about 50 volunteers. The $340,000 annual budget is mostly supplied by private donations, but the organization received a community development grant in 2014 to launch parent education programs.Center staff said that although they do not refer clients to abortion providers, they discuss abortion as an option. They said some patients who met with them went on to have abortions, though this is not possible to verify given patients' privacy protocols.Insight has two separate waiting rooms — one for its educational programs and one for medical services. Executive director Bridgit Smith said one reason is that it keeps pregnant patients from being influenced by seeing babies and toddlers.Smith said she believes the proposed tax credit would increase donations, helping Insight start a maternity home for people without shelter.“We’re trying to build strong individuals and strong families. And isn’t that what we all want?” Smith said. “Even for the woman that doesn’t choose to parent, we still want her to be strong and healthy after the decision.”

Kan. joins states taking control of abortion debate with funding focus

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting in Kansas City, Kansas have identified the man who died as 50-year-old John Anderton, according to a statement from KCMO police. According to the Kansas Department of Corrections, Anderton is a Kansas felon with a previous drug conviction in Dickinson County.

Just before 6p.m. Friday, officers were dispatched to the 5400 block of Haskell Avenue on an opioid overdose.&nbsp; As officers and EMS arrived at the home, they observed a man fleeing on a bicycle. A description of that individual was broadcast to other officers in the region.

In the home, first responders found one man and one woman&nbsp; unresponsive. EMS revived them by administering NARCAN and transported them to an area hospital.

A short time after hearing the broadcast of the fleeing suspect’s description, an officer located him in the 5200 block of Rowland Avenue, approximately a half mile from the home. The officer attempted to make contact. 

During that interaction, the officer discharged his weapon, striking the suspect. Police and a deputy with the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office performed life-saving efforts until EMS arrived on scene and pronounced him deceased.

 No officers were injured in the exchange. A gun was recovered near the suspect. As per department policy, the officer involved has been placed on paid administrative leave pending evaluation.

Detectives with the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department and the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office continue investigating this incident.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675513760546.png" alt="First responders on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting in Kansas City, Kansas have identified the man who died as 50-year-old John Anderton, according to a statement from KCMO police. According to the Kansas Department of Corrections, Anderton is a Kansas felon with a previous drug conviction in Dickinson County.Just before 6p.m. Friday, officers were dispatched to the 5400 block of Haskell Avenue on an opioid overdose.&nbsp; As officers and EMS arrived at the home, they observed a man fleeing on a bicycle. A description of that individual was broadcast to other officers in the region.In the home, first responders found one man and one woman&nbsp; unresponsive. EMS revived them by administering NARCAN and transported them to an area hospital.A short time after hearing the broadcast of the fleeing suspect’s description, an officer located him in the 5200 block of Rowland Avenue, approximately a half mile from the home. The officer attempted to make contact. During that interaction, the officer discharged his weapon, striking the suspect. Police and a deputy with the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office performed life-saving efforts until EMS arrived on scene and pronounced him deceased. No officers were injured in the exchange. A gun was recovered near the suspect. As per department policy, the officer involved has been placed on paid administrative leave pending evaluation.Detectives with the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department and the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office continue investigating this incident.&nbsp;

Police ID Kan. man shot, killed as officers responded to overdose call

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) — The downing of a suspected Chinese spy balloon just off South Carolina’s coast created a spectacle over one of the state’s tourism hubs and drew crowds reacting with a mixture of bewildered gazing, distress and cheering.

The balloon was struck by a missile from an F-22 fighter just off Myrtle Beach, fascinating sky-watchers across a populous area known as the Grand Strand for its miles of beaches that draw retirees and vacationers. Crowds gathered in neighborhoods, hotel parking lots and beaches to watch the balloon hover, with some cheering just after it went down.

The festive mood belied the seriousness of the situation, with law enforcement around the county of 366,000 warning people not to touch any debris and to instead call dispatchers.

“Members of the US Military are coordinating to collect debris; however, fragments may make it to the coastline,” the Horry County Police Department said in a statement.

Ashlyn Preaux, 33, went out to get her mail in Forestbrook, South Carolina, just inland of Myrtle Beach when she saw her neighbors gathered outside. Curious, she went to see what they were looking at. It was easy to spot the balloon in the cloudless blue sky and then what appeared to be fighter jets circling overhead as well. After the strike, she could see the balloon start to fall apart and fall from the sky.

“I did not anticipate waking up to be in a Top Gun movie today,” she said.

The balloon hovered directly above the Hardy family as they checked into their oceanfront hotel in Myrtle Beach. The family from Anderson joined several employees in the parking lot taking videos of the scene unfolding above before going up to their room ahead of the missile strike.

Logan Hardy, 12, said the moment of impact generated a “boom” that shook the building. His room’s balcony gave the middle-schooler a clear view of the debris dropping.

“It looked like stars falling down,” he said, adding: “I will never forget this day.”

Some watchers rushed to nearby beaches as the balloon approached the ocean. Travis Huffstetler, who captured photos of the balloon, said the packed Garden City Beach almost looked like summertime on the chilly winter day with people looking skyward and taking pictures and videos on their phones.

When the balloon began crossing the water, Mark Doss, 54, drove a golf cart three blocks down from his home to Garden City Beach. There, Doss said he and his two teenage children spent 90 minutes watching the balloon strike and waiting in vain for debris to wash ashore.

The sheer size of the white orb awed Doss, who said the approaching fighter jet looked like a little model airplane. Doss recalled a “white puff of smoke” after the missile struck the balloon.

“That one jet made a beeline straight to it — wham!” Doss said.

Life continued uninterrupted for many others into the evening. Doss described the spectacle from a biker bar. There, Saturday night thrill seekers gathered like normal as if international tensions had not played out hours earlier 60,000 feet (18,300 meters) above them. A cover band performed while people shot pool and huddled around patio heaters. Along the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk, nightlife staff went unbothered by the day’s events. Other line-waiters outside a club had completely missed the news.

But the severity of the growing diplomatic turmoil was not lost on Doss. He lamented the stress the events placed on his two teenage children, whose exposure to such sights had previously only come through the big screen.

State Sen. Greg Hembree of Horry, who represents the area in the South Carolina General Assembly, watched the strike from his neighbor's backyard.

The sight was both impressive and “a little bit scary" for Hembree, who said Americans typically expect such images to come from other countries.

“It was stunning," Hembree said. “You don't ever think you're going to see a live engagement with an adversary in sort of a military context.”

The ensuing debris spread across roughly seven miles (11 kilometers) and landed in 47 feet (14 meters) of water, shallower than officials had expected. As a federal operation to recover the remains continued into Sunday, life in the beach town largely returned to normal.

About a dozen people strolled along Surfside Beach on the rainy, foggy morning. One couple spotted a ship in the distance through binoculars. A nearby bakery brands the area as “The Family Beach.” Locals described the beach town as a typically quiet stretch, save for the hullabaloo caused the previous day by the balloon.

For Sandy and Bob Grubb, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-china-antony-blinken-51e49202f2a0a50541cde059934c4cfb?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_01">balloon situation</a>&nbsp;was not in the travel itinerary. The retired couple from Lebanon, Pennsylvania has been vacationing there for over 30 years. The two said they had been joking about the prospect of washed-up debris as they collected sea shells on their Sunday morning walk.

“It's a quite peaceful place — gave us some excitement," Sandy Grubb said, laughing. "Not the kind of excitement you need.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675547938768.png" alt="-Photo by meteorologist Robert Whitehurst courtesy WMBF TV" />
 <figcaption>-Photo by meteorologist Robert Whitehurst courtesy WMBF TV</figcaption>
 </figure>MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) — The downing of a suspected Chinese spy balloon just off South Carolina’s coast created a spectacle over one of the state’s tourism hubs and drew crowds reacting with a mixture of bewildered gazing, distress and cheering.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fsunsetbeachpolice%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02Hqm6XsMXCxx7E7hdbsj1ZSBJvpEjgDLFxfQVWBzu7Lotq9MseYvNSy2RQUcXwk8Zl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="552" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>The balloon was struck by a missile from an F-22 fighter just off Myrtle Beach, fascinating sky-watchers across a populous area known as the Grand Strand for its miles of beaches that draw retirees and vacationers. Crowds gathered in neighborhoods, hotel parking lots and beaches to watch the balloon hover, with some cheering just after it went down.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fmyrtlebeachcitygovernment%2Fposts%2Fpfbid025CR2zxJuCutGVfMw6bS1K1feHbrTzHaDNCcmWzXdRVcnSmY3q7Dwc4QBinLPGsRRl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="599" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>The festive mood belied the seriousness of the situation, with law enforcement around the county of 366,000 warning people not to touch any debris and to instead call dispatchers.“Members of the US Military are coordinating to collect debris; however, fragments may make it to the coastline,” the Horry County Police Department said in a statement.Ashlyn Preaux, 33, went out to get her mail in Forestbrook, South Carolina, just inland of Myrtle Beach when she saw her neighbors gathered outside. Curious, she went to see what they were looking at. It was easy to spot the balloon in the cloudless blue sky and then what appeared to be fighter jets circling overhead as well. After the strike, she could see the balloon start to fall apart and fall from the sky.“I did not anticipate waking up to be in a Top Gun movie today,” she said.The balloon hovered directly above the Hardy family as they checked into their oceanfront hotel in Myrtle Beach. The family from Anderson joined several employees in the parking lot taking videos of the scene unfolding above before going up to their room ahead of the missile strike.Logan Hardy, 12, said the moment of impact generated a “boom” that shook the building. His room’s balcony gave the middle-schooler a clear view of the debris dropping.“It looked like stars falling down,” he said, adding: “I will never forget this day.”Some watchers rushed to nearby beaches as the balloon approached the ocean. Travis Huffstetler, who captured photos of the balloon, said the packed Garden City Beach almost looked like summertime on the chilly winter day with people looking skyward and taking pictures and videos on their phones.When the balloon began crossing the water, Mark Doss, 54, drove a golf cart three blocks down from his home to Garden City Beach. There, Doss said he and his two teenage children spent 90 minutes watching the balloon strike and waiting in vain for debris to wash ashore.The sheer size of the white orb awed Doss, who said the approaching fighter jet looked like a little model airplane. Doss recalled a “white puff of smoke” after the missile struck the balloon.“That one jet made a beeline straight to it — wham!” Doss said.Life continued uninterrupted for many others into the evening. Doss described the spectacle from a biker bar. There, Saturday night thrill seekers gathered like normal as if international tensions had not played out hours earlier 60,000 feet (18,300 meters) above them. A cover band performed while people shot pool and huddled around patio heaters. Along the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk, nightlife staff went unbothered by the day’s events. Other line-waiters outside a club had completely missed the news.But the severity of the growing diplomatic turmoil was not lost on Doss. He lamented the stress the events placed on his two teenage children, whose exposure to such sights had previously only come through the big screen.State Sen. Greg Hembree of Horry, who represents the area in the South Carolina General Assembly, watched the strike from his neighbor's backyard.The sight was both impressive and “a little bit scary" for Hembree, who said Americans typically expect such images to come from other countries.“It was stunning," Hembree said. “You don't ever think you're going to see a live engagement with an adversary in sort of a military context.”The ensuing debris spread across roughly seven miles (11 kilometers) and landed in 47 feet (14 meters) of water, shallower than officials had expected. As a federal operation to recover the remains continued into Sunday, life in the beach town largely returned to normal.About a dozen people strolled along Surfside Beach on the rainy, foggy morning. One couple spotted a ship in the distance through binoculars. A nearby bakery brands the area as “The Family Beach.” Locals described the beach town as a typically quiet stretch, save for the hullabaloo caused the previous day by the balloon.For Sandy and Bob Grubb, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-china-antony-blinken-51e49202f2a0a50541cde059934c4cfb?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_01">balloon situation</a>&nbsp;was not in the travel itinerary. The retired couple from Lebanon, Pennsylvania has been vacationing there for over 30 years. The two said they had been joking about the prospect of washed-up debris as they collected sea shells on their Sunday morning walk.“It's a quite peaceful place — gave us some excitement," Sandy Grubb said, laughing. "Not the kind of excitement you need.”___

Police warn citizens not to touch debris from spy balloon

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Creighton University economist Ernie Goss believes that the employment picture is going to be mixed going forward, especially in the Midwest.

"You look at the employment level for Kansas and the region, we're almost back to Feb. 2020, in terms of the employment. That's well below the national number. The national, U.S. economy is well above the Feb. 2020 number. Kansas is about at its 2020 number. We're not back to where we should be, absent the pandemic."

None the less the people Goss surveys aren't as concerned about hiring as he thought they might be.

"I still think we're going to see layoffs in some of the industry," Goss said. "The unemployment rate in Kansas is likely to rise, but not nearly what we thought. In other words, maybe the Federal Reserve is getting a soft landing. That is, a slowdown in growth moving toward zero and perhaps avoiding a negative number."

Our interview with Goss was prior to the Governor's announcement Thursday of a new semiconductor project in Wichita. However, that project still needs federal funding to get off of the ground.

NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Creighton University economist Ernie Goss believes that the employment picture is going to be mixed going forward, especially in the Midwest."You look at the employment level for Kansas and the region, we're almost back to Feb. 2020, in terms of the employment. That's well below the national number. The national, U.S. economy is well above the Feb. 2020 number. Kansas is about at its 2020 number. We're not back to where we should be, absent the pandemic."None the less the people Goss surveys aren't as concerned about hiring as he thought they might be."I still think we're going to see layoffs in some of the industry," Goss said. "The unemployment rate in Kansas is likely to rise, but not nearly what we thought. In other words, maybe the Federal Reserve is getting a soft landing. That is, a slowdown in growth moving toward zero and perhaps avoiding a negative number."Our interview with Goss was prior to the Governor's announcement Thursday of a new semiconductor project in Wichita. However, that project still needs federal funding to get off of the ground.

Economist: Employment likely to be mixed as we go through 2023

HIGH SPRINGS, Fla. (AP) — Two abducted children who had been missing from Missouri for almost a year were found in a central Florida grocery store with their non-custodial mother, who was taken into police custody, authorities said.

Kristi Gilley was arrested last Wednesday on an out-of-state fugitive warrant. Court records show Gilley, 36, remained in jail on Sunday.

High Springs police officers found Gilley and the two children in a Winn Dixie super market after running a routine vehicle tag check that indicated the vehicle's owner was a fugitive, the High Springs Police Department said in a news release. High Springs is located about 22 miles&nbsp; northwest of Gainesville, Florida.

The children had been missing from Clay County, Missouri, a suburb of Kansas City, since last March.

The High Springs Police Department said the children were turned over to the Florida Department of Children and Families and would be reunited with family members in Missouri.

Gilley's court-appointed lawyer from the local public defender's office didn't respond to an emailed inquiry on Sunday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675638225206.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HIGH SPRINGS, Fla. (AP) — Two abducted children who had been missing from Missouri for almost a year were found in a central Florida grocery store with their non-custodial mother, who was taken into police custody, authorities said.Kristi Gilley was arrested last Wednesday on an out-of-state fugitive warrant. Court records show Gilley, 36, remained in jail on Sunday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675638330811.png" alt="Gilley photo -Alachua County Sheriff's Office" />
 <figcaption>Gilley photo -Alachua County Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
 </figure>High Springs police officers found Gilley and the two children in a Winn Dixie super market after running a routine vehicle tag check that indicated the vehicle's owner was a fugitive, the High Springs Police Department said in a news release. High Springs is located about 22 miles&nbsp; northwest of Gainesville, Florida.The children had been missing from Clay County, Missouri, a suburb of Kansas City, since last March.The High Springs Police Department said the children were turned over to the Florida Department of Children and Families and would be reunited with family members in Missouri.Gilley's court-appointed lawyer from the local public defender's office didn't respond to an emailed inquiry on Sunday.

2 abducted KC-area children found in a Florida supermarket

&nbsp;Paul Zamarripa was located safe in McPherson, according to the KBI.&nbsp; The silver alert is canceled.&nbsp;

BARTON COUNTY- Law enforcement authorities on Sunday issued a statewide Silver Alert for a missing 80-year-old man, according to a media release from the Kansas Bureau of Investigaton.

The whereabouts of Paul Zamarripa, 80, are unknown, and the public’s assistance is requested to help locate him. 

He was last seen Sunday afternoon at 2:15 p.m. on Interstate 35, headed south in a 2009 G2500 Chevy Van, according to Great Bend Police.

The van is white with a green ladder on top and bears Kansas tag 087NRD. 

Zamarripa is described 5-foot-9, weighs 140 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes. He has Alzheimer’s and has a history of skipping his medication. 

If you have seen him or his vehicle, please contact the Great Bend Police Department dispatch at 620-793-1920.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675652522792.png" alt="Zamarripa-photo KBI" />
 <figcaption>Zamarripa-photo KBI</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;Paul Zamarripa was located safe in McPherson, according to the KBI.&nbsp; The silver alert is canceled.&nbsp;--------BARTON COUNTY- Law enforcement authorities on Sunday issued a statewide Silver Alert for a missing 80-year-old man, according to a media release from the Kansas Bureau of Investigaton.The whereabouts of Paul Zamarripa, 80, are unknown, and the public’s assistance is requested to help locate him. He was last seen Sunday afternoon at 2:15 p.m. on Interstate 35, headed south in a 2009 G2500 Chevy Van, according to Great Bend Police.The van is white with a green ladder on top and bears Kansas tag 087NRD. Zamarripa is described 5-foot-9, weighs 140 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes. He has Alzheimer’s and has a history of skipping his medication. If you have seen him or his vehicle, please contact the Great Bend Police Department dispatch at 620-793-1920.

KBI: Silver Alert canceled; missing Kansas man found safe

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man who admitted his role in a fatal Thanksgiving Day DUI crash is going to prison.

On Feb. 2, a judge sentenced Garrett Meyers, 38, Andover to 200 months in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

On Dec. 19, Myers pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter while driving under the influence and aggravated battery, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Just after 8p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday Nov. 25, 2021, police responded to report of an accident at 13th and Hillside in Wichita, according to Officer Trevor Macy.

Investigators determined a truck driven by Myers struck an SUV driven by 65-year-old Leroy Grim, of Wichita, who was stopped westbound at the intersection. Grim was pronounced dead at the scene. EMS transported a 67-year-old woman in the SUV to an area hospital. Police arrested Myers.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638389226894.png" alt="Myers-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Myers-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man who admitted his role in a fatal Thanksgiving Day DUI crash is going to prison.On Feb. 2, a judge sentenced Garrett Meyers, 38, Andover to 200 months in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.On Dec. 19, Myers pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter while driving under the influence and aggravated battery, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Just after 8p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday Nov. 25, 2021, police responded to report of an accident at 13th and Hillside in Wichita, according to Officer Trevor Macy.Investigators determined a truck driven by Myers struck an SUV driven by 65-year-old Leroy Grim, of Wichita, who was stopped westbound at the intersection. Grim was pronounced dead at the scene. EMS transported a 67-year-old woman in the SUV to an area hospital. Police arrested Myers.&nbsp;------------

Kansas man sentenced for fatal Thanksgiving Day DUI crash

By ALLISON WINTER <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/01/billions-in-federal-farm-payments-flow-to-a-select-group-of-producers-report-shows/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON — The
 top 10% of recipients of federal farm payments raked in more than 79% 
of total subsidies over the last 25 years — producing billions of 
dollars for a relatively small group of U.S. producers, according to a 
new analysis of federal data from an environmental group.

In total, the federal government paid
 more than $478 billion from 2015 to 2021 in farm support for crop 
insurance, disasters, conservation payments and subsidies for certain 
crops such as corn and soybeans, according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ewg.org/research/updated-ewg-farm-subsidy-database-shows-largest-producers-reap-billions-despite-climate">analysis of federal data</a> the Environmental Working Group released Wednesday.&nbsp;

The U.S. Agriculture Department 
programs support hundreds of thousands of producers across the country. 
But a select group of super collectors is bringing in an outsized 
portion of farm subsidies.&nbsp;

The top 1% collected 27% of total subsidies between 1995 and 2021, according to the report.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Some of the farm payments are more 
opaque. The government does not release information on all of the 
individuals who receive support for crop insurance. And the Trump
 administration changed how it reported some farm subsidies, so it lists
 them by banks instead of individuals, making it harder to see who 
received some of the payments from 2019 to 2021.&nbsp;

More than half of farm subsidies over
 the last 25 years were commodity payments to crops such as corn, 
soybeans, wheat, cotton and rice, according to the EWG database.&nbsp;

“Based on what we do know, we can 
still see the most successful farm businesses are still collecting the 
lion’s share of subsidies … while the vast majority of farmers are 
getting little or nothing,” said Scott Faber, vice president of 
government affairs at the Environmental Working Group, an independent 
nonprofit that conducts extensive research.&nbsp;

The biggest of those were corn subsidies.&nbsp;

Federal spending on crop insurance 
has grown in recent farm bills, and crop insurance payments now make up a
 quarter of all subsidy payments.

In Iowa, the family farm that is 
managed by the son of Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, a farm policy
 leader, received more than $1.4 million from 1995 to 2021, the report 
shows. The payments included disaster, corn, soybean and oat commodity subsidies.&nbsp;

The payments are listed for Robin
 Grassley, the family farm manager. Chuck Grassley and Republican Sen. 
Joni Ernst of Iowa both sit on the Senate Agriculture Committee.&nbsp;

Pat Grassley, a state representative 
in Iowa and the senator’s grandson, collected $55,500 in federal 
payments since 2005. Most of those were relatively small commodity 
payments from $700 to $2,000 a year — with the exception of 2020, when 
he received $20,000.

The database compiles data collected from federal reporting and Freedom of Information Act requests.

<a target="_blank" href="https://farm.ewg.org/?_ga=2.237948168.96044977.1675267085-584142049.1674755652">The distribution of farm subsidies</a> does not necessarily follow the amount of agricultural production in a state.&nbsp;

For instance, California is the most 
agriculture-producing state, according to the USDA, but is 11th on the 
list for subsidy payments.&nbsp;

North Carolina is in the top 10 for 
agriculture production but ranks 20th for farm subsidy receipts. 
Instead, more money goes to Texas, Iowa and Illinois, where large farms 
grow subsidized commodity crops, such as corn and soybeans.

The top 15 states with the most total farm subsidies distributed from 1995 to 2021, ranked by payments, were:&nbsp;

Here is a link to the <a target="_blank" href="https://farm.ewg.org/top_recips.php?fips=31000&amp;progcode=totalfarm&amp;regionname=Nebraska">top recipients</a> of commodity subsidies in Nebraska in 1995-2021, according to the Environmental Working Group.

Pennsylvania, a major agricultural 
state, is 29th on the list with $3.4 billion from 1995-2021. The biggest
 subsidy programs in the state are for dairy farmers.&nbsp;

But 80% of Pennsylvania’s producers do not receive federal farm subsidies, according to the report.&nbsp;

Producers in House Agriculture 
Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson’s congressional district in 
Pennsylvania received nearly $35 million in commodity payment support 
from 1995 to 2021, according to the database. The largest of those went 
to Long Acres Potato Farms in Tionesta, which collected more than $1.5 
million over that time period.&nbsp;

The report comes as Congress kicks 
off its rewrite of the sweeping federal farm bill, which will set both 
policy and funding levels for farm, food and conservation programs for 
the next five years. The Senate Agriculture Committee held its first 
farm bill hearing of the year Wednesday. The current farm bill expires 
at the end of September.

Originally a product of the New Deal,
 the first farm bill in 1933 focused on commodity price support to 
provide relief for farmers and ensure a steady domestic food supply for 
Americans during the Great Depression.&nbsp;

Since then, lawmakers have passed 18 farm bills and greatly expanded the reach of the legislation.&nbsp;

For example, Congress added a 
conservation section to the farm bill in 1985 with payments for farmers 
who conserve soil, idle land for wildlife habitat or employ certain 
conservation practices.&nbsp;

But the biggest spending in recent farm bills is not on farms at all but in the nutrition title, which includes the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, formerly known as food stamps.&nbsp;

The politically fraught process of 
authoring a new farm bill faces extra challenges this year from a 
divided Congress, a looming debate over the federal debt ceiling and the
 potential for extended amendments in the House.&nbsp;

The leaders of the House and Senate 
Agriculture committees, Thompson and Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow of 
Michigan, have each said they will aim to finish a new farm bill on time
 but acknowledged it will be a challenge this year.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We know because of the timeline and 
all of the complexity of everything going on and the challenges in the 
House that it may take a little bit longer, but we’re committed to 
getting it done,” Stabenow said in a January interview on the web 
broadcast <a target="_blank" href="https://www.agri-pulse.com/media/videos/play/942">Agri-Pulse newsmakers</a>.

Crop subsidies come under fire in 
every farm bill debate — both from environmental groups that would like 
to see the money invested elsewhere and budget hawks who want to trim 
federal spending.&nbsp;

The Republican Study Committee, whose
 members make up 80% of all Republican members of Congress, proposed 
drastic cuts for the farm bill and limits on some farm subsidies in the <a target="_blank" href="https://banks.house.gov/uploadedfiles/rsc_2023_budget_final_version.pdf">draft budget</a> it released last summer as a “Blueprint to Save America.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

But Agriculture Committee leaders have not indicated they intend to undertake any massive overhaul in this farm bill.

Thompson has said he does not want to
 dismantle farm supports, which he and other farm state lawmakers see as
 a safety net critical for producers and rural communities.&nbsp;

Democrats on his committee have not shown enthusiasm for an overhaul of farm subsidies, either.&nbsp;

In a recent list of farm bill 
priorities, Georgia Rep. David Scott, the top Democrat on the House 
Agriculture Committee, did not include changes for farm subsidies other 
than extending programs for livestock producers and&nbsp; small farmers.

Georgia Republican Rep. Austin Scott,
 who will chair the subcommittee that oversees farm commodities, said at
 a farm bill listening session last month that he wants to look at the 
reference prices that trigger payments for row crops but has not 
expressed interest in a massive subsidy overhaul.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675280755915.png" alt="Corn grows in Saunders County, Nebraska, just outside Ashland. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner) " />
 <figcaption>Corn grows in Saunders County, Nebraska, just outside Ashland. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner) </figcaption>
 </figure>By ALLISON WINTER <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/01/billions-in-federal-farm-payments-flow-to-a-select-group-of-producers-report-shows/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — The
 top 10% of recipients of federal farm payments raked in more than 79% 
of total subsidies over the last 25 years — producing billions of 
dollars for a relatively small group of U.S. producers, according to a 
new analysis of federal data from an environmental group.In total, the federal government paid
 more than $478 billion from 2015 to 2021 in farm support for crop 
insurance, disasters, conservation payments and subsidies for certain 
crops such as corn and soybeans, according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ewg.org/research/updated-ewg-farm-subsidy-database-shows-largest-producers-reap-billions-despite-climate">analysis of federal data</a> the Environmental Working Group released Wednesday.&nbsp;The U.S. Agriculture Department 
programs support hundreds of thousands of producers across the country. 
But a select group of super collectors is bringing in an outsized 
portion of farm subsidies.&nbsp;The top 1% collected 27% of total subsidies between 1995 and 2021, according to the report.&nbsp;&nbsp;Some of the farm payments are more 
opaque. The government does not release information on all of the 
individuals who receive support for crop insurance. And the Trump
 administration changed how it reported some farm subsidies, so it lists
 them by banks instead of individuals, making it harder to see who 
received some of the payments from 2019 to 2021.&nbsp;More than half of farm subsidies over
 the last 25 years were commodity payments to crops such as corn, 
soybeans, wheat, cotton and rice, according to the EWG database.&nbsp;“Based on what we do know, we can 
still see the most successful farm businesses are still collecting the 
lion’s share of subsidies … while the vast majority of farmers are 
getting little or nothing,” said Scott Faber, vice president of 
government affairs at the Environmental Working Group, an independent 
nonprofit that conducts extensive research.&nbsp;The biggest of those were corn subsidies.&nbsp;Federal spending on crop insurance 
has grown in recent farm bills, and crop insurance payments now make up a
 quarter of all subsidy payments.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675280824960.jpeg" alt="U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley won election to his eighth term in the Senate on Tuesday, defeating Democratic challenger Mike Franken. (Jared Strong/Iowa Capital Dispatch)" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley won election to his eighth term in the Senate on Tuesday, defeating Democratic challenger Mike Franken. (Jared Strong/Iowa Capital Dispatch)</figcaption>
 </figure>In Iowa, the family farm that is 
managed by the son of Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, a farm policy
 leader, received more than $1.4 million from 1995 to 2021, the report 
shows. The payments included disaster, corn, soybean and oat commodity subsidies.&nbsp;The payments are listed for Robin
 Grassley, the family farm manager. Chuck Grassley and Republican Sen. 
Joni Ernst of Iowa both sit on the Senate Agriculture Committee.&nbsp;Pat Grassley, a state representative 
in Iowa and the senator’s grandson, collected $55,500 in federal 
payments since 2005. Most of those were relatively small commodity 
payments from $700 to $2,000 a year — with the exception of 2020, when 
he received $20,000.The database compiles data collected from federal reporting and Freedom of Information Act requests.<h2>Harvesting federal support</h2><a target="_blank" href="https://farm.ewg.org/?_ga=2.237948168.96044977.1675267085-584142049.1674755652">The distribution of farm subsidies</a> does not necessarily follow the amount of agricultural production in a state.&nbsp;For instance, California is the most 
agriculture-producing state, according to the USDA, but is 11th on the 
list for subsidy payments.&nbsp;North Carolina is in the top 10 for 
agriculture production but ranks 20th for farm subsidy receipts. 
Instead, more money goes to Texas, Iowa and Illinois, where large farms 
grow subsidized commodity crops, such as corn and soybeans.The top 15 states with the most total farm subsidies distributed from 1995 to 2021, ranked by payments, were:&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675280862244.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Here is a link to the <a target="_blank" href="https://farm.ewg.org/top_recips.php?fips=31000&amp;progcode=totalfarm&amp;regionname=Nebraska">top recipients</a> of commodity subsidies in Nebraska in 1995-2021, according to the Environmental Working Group.Pennsylvania, a major agricultural 
state, is 29th on the list with $3.4 billion from 1995-2021. The biggest
 subsidy programs in the state are for dairy farmers.&nbsp;But 80% of Pennsylvania’s producers do not receive federal farm subsidies, according to the report.&nbsp;Producers in House Agriculture 
Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson’s congressional district in 
Pennsylvania received nearly $35 million in commodity payment support 
from 1995 to 2021, according to the database. The largest of those went 
to Long Acres Potato Farms in Tionesta, which collected more than $1.5 
million over that time period.&nbsp;<h2>Farm bill debate launches</h2>The report comes as Congress kicks 
off its rewrite of the sweeping federal farm bill, which will set both 
policy and funding levels for farm, food and conservation programs for 
the next five years. The Senate Agriculture Committee held its first 
farm bill hearing of the year Wednesday. The current farm bill expires 
at the end of September.Originally a product of the New Deal,
 the first farm bill in 1933 focused on commodity price support to 
provide relief for farmers and ensure a steady domestic food supply for 
Americans during the Great Depression.&nbsp;Since then, lawmakers have passed 18 farm bills and greatly expanded the reach of the legislation.&nbsp;For example, Congress added a 
conservation section to the farm bill in 1985 with payments for farmers 
who conserve soil, idle land for wildlife habitat or employ certain 
conservation practices.&nbsp;But the biggest spending in recent farm bills is not on farms at all but in the nutrition title, which includes the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, formerly known as food stamps.&nbsp;The politically fraught process of 
authoring a new farm bill faces extra challenges this year from a 
divided Congress, a looming debate over the federal debt ceiling and the
 potential for extended amendments in the House.&nbsp;The leaders of the House and Senate 
Agriculture committees, Thompson and Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow of 
Michigan, have each said they will aim to finish a new farm bill on time
 but acknowledged it will be a challenge this year.&nbsp;&nbsp;“We know because of the timeline and 
all of the complexity of everything going on and the challenges in the 
House that it may take a little bit longer, but we’re committed to 
getting it done,” Stabenow said in a January interview on the web 
broadcast <a target="_blank" href="https://www.agri-pulse.com/media/videos/play/942">Agri-Pulse newsmakers</a>.<h2>Crop subsidies could face attacks</h2>Crop subsidies come under fire in 
every farm bill debate — both from environmental groups that would like 
to see the money invested elsewhere and budget hawks who want to trim 
federal spending.&nbsp;The Republican Study Committee, whose
 members make up 80% of all Republican members of Congress, proposed 
drastic cuts for the farm bill and limits on some farm subsidies in the <a target="_blank" href="https://banks.house.gov/uploadedfiles/rsc_2023_budget_final_version.pdf">draft budget</a> it released last summer as a “Blueprint to Save America.”&nbsp;&nbsp;But Agriculture Committee leaders have not indicated they intend to undertake any massive overhaul in this farm bill.Thompson has said he does not want to
 dismantle farm supports, which he and other farm state lawmakers see as
 a safety net critical for producers and rural communities.&nbsp;Democrats on his committee have not shown enthusiasm for an overhaul of farm subsidies, either.&nbsp;In a recent list of farm bill 
priorities, Georgia Rep. David Scott, the top Democrat on the House 
Agriculture Committee, did not include changes for farm subsidies other 
than extending programs for livestock producers and&nbsp; small farmers.Georgia Republican Rep. Austin Scott,
 who will chair the subcommittee that oversees farm commodities, said at
 a farm bill listening session last month that he wants to look at the 
reference prices that trigger payments for row crops but has not 
expressed interest in a massive subsidy overhaul.

Report: Billions in federal farm payments flow to a select group

TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly last week announced that since its launch in July 2022, the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline has handled a nearly 27% increase in call volume compared to the six months before its launch, according to a statement from the governor's office.

Based on national projections, Kansas is estimated to reach 120,000 Kansans in the hotline’s first full year of operation.

In June 2022, Governor Kelly&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMzAyMDEuNzA4MjAzNTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2dvdmVybm9yLmthbnNhcy5nb3YvZ292ZXJub3ItbGF1cmEta2VsbHktc2lnbnMtbGVnaXNsYXRpb24tY3JlYXRpbmctYS1zdWljaWRlLXByZXZlbnRpb24tYW5kLW1lbnRhbC1oZWFsdGgtY3Jpc2lzLWhvdGxpbmUvIn0.R0yjYoblykXQXOaP9eKw7MB2biJdHLaLWPrUDa_87Vw/s/1303160919/br/153802977769-l" target="_blank">signed</a>&nbsp;Senate Bill 19, bipartisan legislation that created the state’s three-digit dialing code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (NSPL). The hotline is backed by federal funding, with the idea that – like 9-1-1 – 9-8-8 is easier to remember in a crisis.

“The successes we are seeing with the implementation of 9-8-8 are a reflection that when Kansas leaders come together to invest in mental health, more Kansans can access essential care,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. “I continue to encourage Kansans to tell their families, friends, and neighbors that this resource is here for them whenever they need it.”

Now, calls, texts, or chats to 9-8-8&nbsp;involving thoughts of suicide, mental health or substance use crises, or other kinds of emotional distress are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Callers can also receive the immediate support of mobile crisis teams in cases of extreme risk, referral to local mental health services, and resources for follow-up care.

“One of the key things we’re trying to do through 9-8-8 is increase access to mental health services and resources,”&nbsp;Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) Secretary Laura Howard said. “Youth experiencing mental health crises are acclimated to communicating with peers and adults through text or chat rather than by phone, so these formats go a long way to help meet these young people where they are, using a method they feel comfortable with.”

According to data from Vibrant, the current administrator of the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 9-8-8 centers in Kansas have maintained an in-state call-answer rate of 85% to 91% month-over-month amid increased call volume. Other states have struggled with call volume, causing higher rates of sending calls to an out-of-state center. Just a few years ago, Kansas answered about 60% of NSPL calls in-state, with many calls rolling over to national backup centers.

Kansas has also fared better than its regional peers on its “abandon” rate, or the number of received calls that disconnect before engagement with an in-state counselor. That rate has consistently remained below 10%.

In Kansas, 9-8-8 contact centers are independently operated. They receive additional state funding and oversight from KDADS and&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMzAyMDEuNzA4MjAzNTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2dvdmVybm9yLmthbnNhcy5nb3YvZ292ZXJub3ItbGF1cmEta2VsbHktbWFrZXMtYXBwb2ludG1lbnRzLWZvci1yZWNlbnRseS1sYXVuY2hlZC05ODgtbWVudGFsLWhlYWx0aC1saWZlbGluZS8ifQ.uGjE6DSbj7PkoxaNJYLf16E3_V1WNwMvf0yWwxS1Heg/s/1303160919/br/153802977769-l" target="_blank">the 9-8-8 Coordinating Council appointed last fall by Governor Kelly</a>.

Kansas Suicide Prevention HQ (KSPHQ) reports that 9-8-8 funding has allowed them to hire positions for both chat/text and calls, increasing the capacity to receive calls from Kansans and plan for expanded chat access.

“Overall, we’ve been able to hire more support in the call center to help take calls, manage resources and work on mobile response across the state,”&nbsp;Sarah Robertson, Communications and Development at KSPHQ, said.

The Kelly Administration has also worked to ensure every Kansan knows that this new resource is available.

KDADS commissioned a Kansas-based marketing firm, Mammoth Creative Company, to support the launch of a social media campaign to build awareness. According to the most recent data, the campaign has reached 1.6 million Kansans. In addition, Mammoth and KDADS are conducting research to better understand the messaging most likely to generate engagement with Kansans in crisis and among several different demographic and at-risk groups.

“Our team is very proud to partner with KDADS to create and place messaging that supports the mental health of all Kansans,”&nbsp;Ronnie Murphy, Mammoth Creative Company Vice President of Client Strategy, said.

“Since 9-8-8 launched six months ago, this new mental health tool has proven to be an invaluable resource for people in crisis,”&nbsp;KDADS Behavioral Health Services Commissioner Andy Brown said. “The continued commitment by Governor Kelly, the state legislature, and our agency, with help from our state call centers and strategic marketing partners, ensures Kansans have easy-to-use access to the help they need all day, every day.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657909299467.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly last week announced that since its launch in July 2022, the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline has handled a nearly 27% increase in call volume compared to the six months before its launch, according to a statement from the governor's office.Based on national projections, Kansas is estimated to reach 120,000 Kansans in the hotline’s first full year of operation.In June 2022, Governor Kelly&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMzAyMDEuNzA4MjAzNTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2dvdmVybm9yLmthbnNhcy5nb3YvZ292ZXJub3ItbGF1cmEta2VsbHktc2lnbnMtbGVnaXNsYXRpb24tY3JlYXRpbmctYS1zdWljaWRlLXByZXZlbnRpb24tYW5kLW1lbnRhbC1oZWFsdGgtY3Jpc2lzLWhvdGxpbmUvIn0.R0yjYoblykXQXOaP9eKw7MB2biJdHLaLWPrUDa_87Vw/s/1303160919/br/153802977769-l" target="_blank">signed</a>&nbsp;Senate Bill 19, bipartisan legislation that created the state’s three-digit dialing code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (NSPL). The hotline is backed by federal funding, with the idea that – like 9-1-1 – 9-8-8 is easier to remember in a crisis.“The successes we are seeing with the implementation of 9-8-8 are a reflection that when Kansas leaders come together to invest in mental health, more Kansans can access essential care,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. “I continue to encourage Kansans to tell their families, friends, and neighbors that this resource is here for them whenever they need it.”Now, calls, texts, or chats to 9-8-8&nbsp;involving thoughts of suicide, mental health or substance use crises, or other kinds of emotional distress are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Callers can also receive the immediate support of mobile crisis teams in cases of extreme risk, referral to local mental health services, and resources for follow-up care.“One of the key things we’re trying to do through 9-8-8 is increase access to mental health services and resources,”&nbsp;Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) Secretary Laura Howard said. “Youth experiencing mental health crises are acclimated to communicating with peers and adults through text or chat rather than by phone, so these formats go a long way to help meet these young people where they are, using a method they feel comfortable with.”According to data from Vibrant, the current administrator of the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 9-8-8 centers in Kansas have maintained an in-state call-answer rate of 85% to 91% month-over-month amid increased call volume. Other states have struggled with call volume, causing higher rates of sending calls to an out-of-state center. Just a few years ago, Kansas answered about 60% of NSPL calls in-state, with many calls rolling over to national backup centers.Kansas has also fared better than its regional peers on its “abandon” rate, or the number of received calls that disconnect before engagement with an in-state counselor. That rate has consistently remained below 10%.In Kansas, 9-8-8 contact centers are independently operated. They receive additional state funding and oversight from KDADS and&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMzAyMDEuNzA4MjAzNTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2dvdmVybm9yLmthbnNhcy5nb3YvZ292ZXJub3ItbGF1cmEta2VsbHktbWFrZXMtYXBwb2ludG1lbnRzLWZvci1yZWNlbnRseS1sYXVuY2hlZC05ODgtbWVudGFsLWhlYWx0aC1saWZlbGluZS8ifQ.uGjE6DSbj7PkoxaNJYLf16E3_V1WNwMvf0yWwxS1Heg/s/1303160919/br/153802977769-l" target="_blank">the 9-8-8 Coordinating Council appointed last fall by Governor Kelly</a>.Kansas Suicide Prevention HQ (KSPHQ) reports that 9-8-8 funding has allowed them to hire positions for both chat/text and calls, increasing the capacity to receive calls from Kansans and plan for expanded chat access.“Overall, we’ve been able to hire more support in the call center to help take calls, manage resources and work on mobile response across the state,”&nbsp;Sarah Robertson, Communications and Development at KSPHQ, said.The Kelly Administration has also worked to ensure every Kansan knows that this new resource is available.KDADS commissioned a Kansas-based marketing firm, Mammoth Creative Company, to support the launch of a social media campaign to build awareness. According to the most recent data, the campaign has reached 1.6 million Kansans. In addition, Mammoth and KDADS are conducting research to better understand the messaging most likely to generate engagement with Kansans in crisis and among several different demographic and at-risk groups.“Our team is very proud to partner with KDADS to create and place messaging that supports the mental health of all Kansans,”&nbsp;Ronnie Murphy, Mammoth Creative Company Vice President of Client Strategy, said.“Since 9-8-8 launched six months ago, this new mental health tool has proven to be an invaluable resource for people in crisis,”&nbsp;KDADS Behavioral Health Services Commissioner Andy Brown said. “The continued commitment by Governor Kelly, the state legislature, and our agency, with help from our state call centers and strategic marketing partners, ensures Kansans have easy-to-use access to the help they need all day, every day.”

Kan. 9-8-8 crisis lifeline sees dramatic increase in call volume 

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a robbery and asking the public for help to identify a suspect.

<a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/t_bSlWLaQ64?feature=share">Click here to watch </a>the video of the theft

Just after 9:a.m. on&nbsp; January 19, police responded to a robbery call at a gas station in the 2000 block of S. Oliver in Wichita, according to Officer Trevor Macy. An employee of a gas station was walking to her vehicle with a bank deposit bag full of cash when an unknown suspect ran by and took it from her.

The suspect,&nbsp; wearing red pants, red shoes, and a black hoodie with the Colorado Flag on the front, left the scene running south and then east through a neighborhood.

Anyone with information regarding this crime, or any crime that occurred in Sedgwick 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674852135870.png" alt="Image of the suspect from Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Image of the suspect from Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a robbery and asking the public for help to identify a suspect.<a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/t_bSlWLaQ64?feature=share">Click here to watch </a>the video of the theftJust after 9:a.m. on&nbsp; January 19, police responded to a robbery call at a gas station in the 2000 block of S. Oliver in Wichita, according to Officer Trevor Macy. An employee of a gas station was walking to her vehicle with a bank deposit bag full of cash when an unknown suspect ran by and took it from her.The suspect,&nbsp; wearing red pants, red shoes, and a black hoodie with the Colorado Flag on the front, left the scene running south and then east through a neighborhood.Anyone with information regarding this crime, or any crime that occurred in Sedgwick

Kan. suspect wearing red shoes, pants stole deposit bag of cash

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Emboldened&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-florida-state-government-kentucky-6ed9dbcdaae33312f1425ea38b681a7e">anti-abortion activists</a>&nbsp;are looking to the 2024 presidential election as an opportunity to solidify their influence over the Republican Party.

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, the most influential group in the anti-abortion movement, is telling each potential GOP presidential hopeful that to win its backing — or avoid being a target of its opposition — they must support national restrictions on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">the procedure</a>. Exceptions in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother are acceptable, the activists say, but leaving the question for states to decide is not.

“It is a level of protection that goes to every single state. That’s the baseline of what we’re looking to do,” said Frank Cannon, Susan B. Anthony's chief political strategist. “Anything less than that will not be acceptable and will not be somebody that SBA can support. So, it’s that simple.”

That directive is creating an early litmus test for Republicans considering entering the first presidential election since the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>, the landmark decision that enshrined federal protections for abortion for roughly 50 years. While the hard-line stance could please anti-abortion activists who hold sway in GOP primaries, it could create problems for the party's eventual nominee in the general election.

Voters protected abortion rights via&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-abortion-8779f3ee57d4d20d54861a5ed6ba72ff">ballot measures</a>&nbsp;in six states in 2022, including Kansas, a state former President Donald Trump twice won by double-digit margins. AP VoteCast, a survey of the midterm electorate, showed the Supreme Court's decision was broadly unpopular. About 6 in 10 said they were angry or dissatisfied by it, and roughly the same percentage said they favor a law guaranteeing access to legal abortion nationwide.

Supporters of abortion rights say the issue was a “game changer” that helped Democrats last year and that will motivate voters even more in 2024, after two years of seeing the effects of restrictions.

“We’re in a nation where 18 states have no access to abortion, and that number is not going down. It’s going to go up as additional court cases get decided,” said Jenny Lawson, vice president of organizing and engagement campaigns at Planned Parenthood Action Fund. She predicted people will see headlines “over and over again” about pregnant children forced to travel out of state for abortions or people unable to get proper miscarriage care because doctors are afraid of liability.

Pressure from the anti-abortion movement has put Trump, who announced his third run for the presidency last year, in perhaps the most complicated position.

He is arguably more responsible for the overturning of Roe than anyone else, having appointed three anti-abortion Supreme Court justices who backed last year’s ruling. But he has also made clear that he believes pushing any further will hurt Republicans, and he accused anti-abortion leaders of failing to do enough to help GOP candidates in the midterms.

“I just didn’t see them fighting during this last election, fighting for victory,” Trump said in an interview with David Brody, a longtime commentator for the Christian Broadcasting Network.

Trump, who described himself as “very pro-choice” before entering politics, stressed that objecting to exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother makes it “much harder to win elections.” He has criticized evangelical leaders who have been slow to endorse&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-2024-updates-cd5339d48064a149527e8f9a1aa7614e">his latest run</a>, blasting decisions by pastors like Robert Jeffress to wait to assess the rest of the field as “a sign of disloyalty.”

Cannon called the notion that opposing abortion hurt the GOP last year “absolutely absurd,” pointing to candidates like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — a top potential GOP presidential candidate — who easily won reelection. DeSantis signed into law last year a ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

The Republican candidates who got “clobbered,” Cannon said, were those who tried to avoid the topic.

“What you have to do is argue for protections that the American people see as reasonable versus the extremism of no exceptions, even late-term abortion," Cannon said. "And if you do that, it’s a winning combination.”

SBA Pro-Life America, which raised over $60 million for 2020 campaigns along with its affiliated super PAC, is talking with each potential candidate, Cannon said. While records are being discussed, what matters in 2024 is what policies the candidates prioritize when they announce their bids. SBA's specific request is to support “at a minimum” a “heartbeat bill” or “pain-capable” bill, he said.

The heartbeat bill would make abortion illegal after cardiac activity is detected, which occurs at roughly six weeks of pregnancy — before some women know they're pregnant. Legislation that references the fetus feeling pain, such as a measure introduced last year by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., would ban the procedure at around 15 weeks. Graham's bill didn't advance in the Democratic-controlled chamber, and even some fellow Republicans distanced themselves from it ahead of the midterms.

Trump’s stance has provided an opening on the right for potential rivals like former Vice President Mike Pence and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, both of whom are evangelical Christians with long-held anti-abortion stances.

Pence has spent months visiting so-called crisis pregnancy centers that counsel women against abortions. And he has embarked on a tour of megachurches, including Jeffress’ First Baptist Church in Dallas, and spoken before major anti-abortion groups.

His advocacy group, Advancing American Freedom, has pushed for Congress to pass legislation including a national abortion ban beginning around six weeks of pregnancy and a bill that would establish legal personhood at conception. Marc Short, Pence’s former chief of staff and longtime adviser, said that when it comes to declared and potential 2024 candidates, “I see him as the most comfortable explaining his pro-life convictions and the basis for them."

For Pence, he said, the issue is about much more than politics.

“Mike does it because this is core to the reason that he ran for office and won for the first time. It’s always been for him a top issue and it’s a priority,” he said.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who was U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under Trump, is another potential candidate who signed abortion prohibitions into law in her state. The 2016 law bans abortion at 20 weeks of pregnancy and includes an exception if the mother's life is in jeopardy but not for cases of rape or incest.

After the Supreme Court's decision, Haley said states, and not “unelected justices,” should control abortion policy. That position puts her at odds with SBA and other anti-abortion groups.

Others see abortion as a potential vulnerability for DeSantis. A spokesperson for South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who is also exploring a potential run, recently unloaded on DeSantis, questioning where he stands on the issue.

“Governor Noem was the only Governor in America on national television defending the Dobbs decision,” Ian Fury wrote in an email to the National Review. “Where was Governor DeSantis? Hiding behind a 15-week ban. Does he believe that 14-week-old babies don’t have a right to live?”

Cannon stressed that those in the anti-abortion movement are the “foot soldiers” of the Republican Party during elections and comprise a huge percentage of primary voters.

“No Republican candidate can win the presidency without the backing of the pro-life movement," he said.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Emboldened&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-florida-state-government-kentucky-6ed9dbcdaae33312f1425ea38b681a7e">anti-abortion activists</a>&nbsp;are looking to the 2024 presidential election as an opportunity to solidify their influence over the Republican Party.Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, the most influential group in the anti-abortion movement, is telling each potential GOP presidential hopeful that to win its backing — or avoid being a target of its opposition — they must support national restrictions on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">the procedure</a>. Exceptions in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother are acceptable, the activists say, but leaving the question for states to decide is not.“It is a level of protection that goes to every single state. That’s the baseline of what we’re looking to do,” said Frank Cannon, Susan B. Anthony's chief political strategist. “Anything less than that will not be acceptable and will not be somebody that SBA can support. So, it’s that simple.”That directive is creating an early litmus test for Republicans considering entering the first presidential election since the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>, the landmark decision that enshrined federal protections for abortion for roughly 50 years. While the hard-line stance could please anti-abortion activists who hold sway in GOP primaries, it could create problems for the party's eventual nominee in the general election.Voters protected abortion rights via&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-abortion-8779f3ee57d4d20d54861a5ed6ba72ff">ballot measures</a>&nbsp;in six states in 2022, including Kansas, a state former President Donald Trump twice won by double-digit margins. AP VoteCast, a survey of the midterm electorate, showed the Supreme Court's decision was broadly unpopular. About 6 in 10 said they were angry or dissatisfied by it, and roughly the same percentage said they favor a law guaranteeing access to legal abortion nationwide.Supporters of abortion rights say the issue was a “game changer” that helped Democrats last year and that will motivate voters even more in 2024, after two years of seeing the effects of restrictions.“We’re in a nation where 18 states have no access to abortion, and that number is not going down. It’s going to go up as additional court cases get decided,” said Jenny Lawson, vice president of organizing and engagement campaigns at Planned Parenthood Action Fund. She predicted people will see headlines “over and over again” about pregnant children forced to travel out of state for abortions or people unable to get proper miscarriage care because doctors are afraid of liability.Pressure from the anti-abortion movement has put Trump, who announced his third run for the presidency last year, in perhaps the most complicated position.He is arguably more responsible for the overturning of Roe than anyone else, having appointed three anti-abortion Supreme Court justices who backed last year’s ruling. But he has also made clear that he believes pushing any further will hurt Republicans, and he accused anti-abortion leaders of failing to do enough to help GOP candidates in the midterms.“I just didn’t see them fighting during this last election, fighting for victory,” Trump said in an interview with David Brody, a longtime commentator for the Christian Broadcasting Network.Trump, who described himself as “very pro-choice” before entering politics, stressed that objecting to exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother makes it “much harder to win elections.” He has criticized evangelical leaders who have been slow to endorse&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-2024-updates-cd5339d48064a149527e8f9a1aa7614e">his latest run</a>, blasting decisions by pastors like Robert Jeffress to wait to assess the rest of the field as “a sign of disloyalty.”Cannon called the notion that opposing abortion hurt the GOP last year “absolutely absurd,” pointing to candidates like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — a top potential GOP presidential candidate — who easily won reelection. DeSantis signed into law last year a ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.The Republican candidates who got “clobbered,” Cannon said, were those who tried to avoid the topic.“What you have to do is argue for protections that the American people see as reasonable versus the extremism of no exceptions, even late-term abortion," Cannon said. "And if you do that, it’s a winning combination.”SBA Pro-Life America, which raised over $60 million for 2020 campaigns along with its affiliated super PAC, is talking with each potential candidate, Cannon said. While records are being discussed, what matters in 2024 is what policies the candidates prioritize when they announce their bids. SBA's specific request is to support “at a minimum” a “heartbeat bill” or “pain-capable” bill, he said.The heartbeat bill would make abortion illegal after cardiac activity is detected, which occurs at roughly six weeks of pregnancy — before some women know they're pregnant. Legislation that references the fetus feeling pain, such as a measure introduced last year by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., would ban the procedure at around 15 weeks. Graham's bill didn't advance in the Democratic-controlled chamber, and even some fellow Republicans distanced themselves from it ahead of the midterms.Trump’s stance has provided an opening on the right for potential rivals like former Vice President Mike Pence and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, both of whom are evangelical Christians with long-held anti-abortion stances.Pence has spent months visiting so-called crisis pregnancy centers that counsel women against abortions. And he has embarked on a tour of megachurches, including Jeffress’ First Baptist Church in Dallas, and spoken before major anti-abortion groups.His advocacy group, Advancing American Freedom, has pushed for Congress to pass legislation including a national abortion ban beginning around six weeks of pregnancy and a bill that would establish legal personhood at conception. Marc Short, Pence’s former chief of staff and longtime adviser, said that when it comes to declared and potential 2024 candidates, “I see him as the most comfortable explaining his pro-life convictions and the basis for them."For Pence, he said, the issue is about much more than politics.“Mike does it because this is core to the reason that he ran for office and won for the first time. It’s always been for him a top issue and it’s a priority,” he said.Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who was U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under Trump, is another potential candidate who signed abortion prohibitions into law in her state. The 2016 law bans abortion at 20 weeks of pregnancy and includes an exception if the mother's life is in jeopardy but not for cases of rape or incest.After the Supreme Court's decision, Haley said states, and not “unelected justices,” should control abortion policy. That position puts her at odds with SBA and other anti-abortion groups.Others see abortion as a potential vulnerability for DeSantis. A spokesperson for South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who is also exploring a potential run, recently unloaded on DeSantis, questioning where he stands on the issue.“Governor Noem was the only Governor in America on national television defending the Dobbs decision,” Ian Fury wrote in an email to the National Review. “Where was Governor DeSantis? Hiding behind a 15-week ban. Does he believe that 14-week-old babies don’t have a right to live?”Cannon stressed that those in the anti-abortion movement are the “foot soldiers” of the Republican Party during elections and comprise a huge percentage of primary voters.“No Republican candidate can win the presidency without the backing of the pro-life movement," he said.

Pro-Life activists aim to sway GOP White House hopefuls

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military on Saturday shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the Carolina coast after it traversed sensitive military sites across North America. China insisted the flyover was an accident involving a civilian aircraft and threatened repercussions.

President Joe Biden issued the order but had wanted the balloon downed even earlier, on Wednesday. He was advised that the best time for the operation would be when it was over water, U.S. officials said. Military officials determined that bringing it down over land from an altitude of 60,000 feet would pose an undue risk to people on the ground.

China responded that it reserved the right to “take further actions” and criticized the U.S. for “an obvious overreaction and a serious violation of international practice.”

In its statement Sunday, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that “China will resolutely uphold the relevant company’s legitimate rights and interests, and at the same time reserving the right to take further actions in response.” China's Ministry of Defense echoed the statement later in the day, saying it “reserves the right to take necessary measures to deal with similar situations.”

The presence of the balloon in the skies above the U.S. this week dealt a severe blow to already strained U.S.-Chinese relations that have been in a downward spiral for years. It prompted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-antony-blinken-china-314302278a5f05bdc2df146ed5b35ec6">Secretary of State Antony Blinken</a>&nbsp;to abruptly cancel a high-stakes Beijing trip aimed at easing tensions.

“They successfully took it down and I want to compliment our aviators who did it,” Biden said after getting off Air Force One en route to Camp David.

The giant white orb was spotted Saturday morning over the Carolinas as it approached the Atlantic coast. About 2:39 p.m. EST, an F-22 fighter jet fired a missile at the balloon, puncturing it while it was about 6 nautical miles off the coast near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, senior defense officials said.

The spectacle had Americans looking to the skies all week, wondering whether the mysterious balloon had floated over them.

On Saturday, Ashlyn Preaux, 33, went out to get her mail in Forestbrook, South Carolina, and noticed her neighbors looking up — and there it was, the balloon in the cloudless blue sky. Then she saw fighter jets circling and the balloon get hit.

“I did not anticipate waking up to be in a ‘Top Gun’ movie today,” she said.

The debris landed in 47 feet of water, shallower than officials had expected, and it spread out over roughly seven miles and the recovery operation included several ships. The officials estimated the recovery efforts would be completed in a short time, not weeks. A salvage vessel was en route.

U.S. defense and military officials said Saturday that the balloon entered the U.S. air defense zone north of the Aleutian Islands on Jan. 28 and moved largely over land across Alaska and then into Canadian airspace in the Northwest Territories on Monday. It crossed back into U.S. territory over northern Idaho on Tuesday, the day the White House said Biden was first briefed on it.

The balloon&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-montana-state-government-china-2a539a80a4a8473f102bd4ed66496d19">was spotted Wednesday over Montana</a>, home to Malmstrom Air Force Base, which has fields of nuclear missile silos.

The Americans were able to collect intelligence on the balloon as it flew over the U.S., giving them a number of days to analyze it and learn how it moved and what it was capable of surveilling, according to two senior defense officials said. The officials briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.

The officials said the U.S. military was constantly assessing the threat, and concluded that the technology on the balloon didn’t give the Chinese significant intelligence beyond what it could already obtain from satellites, though the U.S. took steps to mitigate what information it could gather as it moved along.

Republicans were critical of Biden's response.

“Allowing a spy balloon from the Communist Party of China to travel across the entire continental United States before contesting its presence is a disastrous projection of weakness by the White House,” said Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675547938768.png" alt="Photo by meteorologist Robert Whitehurst courtesy WMBF TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo by meteorologist Robert Whitehurst courtesy WMBF TV</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military on Saturday shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the Carolina coast after it traversed sensitive military sites across North America. China insisted the flyover was an accident involving a civilian aircraft and threatened repercussions.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden: &quot;I ordered the Pentagon to shoot it down on Wednesday as soon as possible.&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChineseSpyBalloon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChineseSpyBalloon</a> <a href="https://t.co/D5i5CRR8iy">https://t.co/D5i5CRR8iy</a> <a href="https://t.co/w2rr3SPIsF">pic.twitter.com/w2rr3SPIsF</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1621976063952707584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>President Joe Biden issued the order but had wanted the balloon downed even earlier, on Wednesday. He was advised that the best time for the operation would be when it was over water, U.S. officials said. Military officials determined that bringing it down over land from an altitude of 60,000 feet would pose an undue risk to people on the ground.China responded that it reserved the right to “take further actions” and criticized the U.S. for “an obvious overreaction and a serious violation of international practice.”In its statement Sunday, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that “China will resolutely uphold the relevant company’s legitimate rights and interests, and at the same time reserving the right to take further actions in response.” China's Ministry of Defense echoed the statement later in the day, saying it “reserves the right to take necessary measures to deal with similar situations.”The presence of the balloon in the skies above the U.S. this week dealt a severe blow to already strained U.S.-Chinese relations that have been in a downward spiral for years. It prompted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-antony-blinken-china-314302278a5f05bdc2df146ed5b35ec6">Secretary of State Antony Blinken</a>&nbsp;to abruptly cancel a high-stakes Beijing trip aimed at easing tensions.“They successfully took it down and I want to compliment our aviators who did it,” Biden said after getting off Air Force One en route to Camp David.The giant white orb was spotted Saturday morning over the Carolinas as it approached the Atlantic coast. About 2:39 p.m. EST, an F-22 fighter jet fired a missile at the balloon, puncturing it while it was about 6 nautical miles off the coast near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, senior defense officials said.The spectacle had Americans looking to the skies all week, wondering whether the mysterious balloon had floated over them.On Saturday, Ashlyn Preaux, 33, went out to get her mail in Forestbrook, South Carolina, and noticed her neighbors looking up — and there it was, the balloon in the cloudless blue sky. Then she saw fighter jets circling and the balloon get hit.“I did not anticipate waking up to be in a ‘Top Gun’ movie today,” she said.The debris landed in 47 feet of water, shallower than officials had expected, and it spread out over roughly seven miles and the recovery operation included several ships. The officials estimated the recovery efforts would be completed in a short time, not weeks. A salvage vessel was en route.U.S. defense and military officials said Saturday that the balloon entered the U.S. air defense zone north of the Aleutian Islands on Jan. 28 and moved largely over land across Alaska and then into Canadian airspace in the Northwest Territories on Monday. It crossed back into U.S. territory over northern Idaho on Tuesday, the day the White House said Biden was first briefed on it.The balloon&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-montana-state-government-china-2a539a80a4a8473f102bd4ed66496d19">was spotted Wednesday over Montana</a>, home to Malmstrom Air Force Base, which has fields of nuclear missile silos.The Americans were able to collect intelligence on the balloon as it flew over the U.S., giving them a number of days to analyze it and learn how it moved and what it was capable of surveilling, according to two senior defense officials said. The officials briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.The officials said the U.S. military was constantly assessing the threat, and concluded that the technology on the balloon didn’t give the Chinese significant intelligence beyond what it could already obtain from satellites, though the U.S. took steps to mitigate what information it could gather as it moved along.Republicans were critical of Biden's response.“Allowing a spy balloon from the Communist Party of China to travel across the entire continental United States before contesting its presence is a disastrous projection of weakness by the White House,” said Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee.Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., tweeted: “Now that this embarrassing episode is over, we need answers from the Biden Administration on the decision-making process. Communist China was allowed to violate American sovereignty unimpeded for days. We must be better prepared for future provocations and incursions by the CCP.”Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., was more positive: “Thank you to the men and women of the United States military who were responsible for completing the mission to shoot down the Chinese surveillance balloon. The Biden Administration did the right thing in bringing it down.”China has claimed that the balloon was merely a weather research “airship” that had been blown off course. The Pentagon rejected that out of hand — as well as China’s contention that it was not being used for surveillance and had only limited navigational ability.The Chinese government on Saturday sought to play down the cancellation of Blinken's trip. “In actuality, the U.S. and China have never announced any visit, the U.S. making any such announcement is their own business, and we respect that,” China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.The Pentagon also acknowledged reports of a second balloon flying over Latin America. “We now assess it is another Chinese surveillance balloon,” Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said in a statement. Officials said the balloons are part of a fleet that China uses for surveillance, and they can be maneuvered remotely through small motors and propellers. One official said they carry equipment in the pod under the balloon that is not usually associated with standard meteorological activities or civilian research.China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a question about the second balloon.This isn’t the first time Chinese spy balloons have crossed into U.S. airspace in recent years, one of the officials said. At least three times during the Trump administration and at least one other time during Biden’s time as president they’ve seen balloons cross, but not for this long, the official said.Blinken, who had been due to depart Washington for Beijing late Friday, said he had told senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi in a phone call that sending the balloon over the U.S. was “an irresponsible act and that (China’s) decision to take this action on the eve of my visit is detrimental to the substantive discussions that we were prepared to have.”Uncensored reactions on the Chinese internet mirrored the official government stance that the U.S. was hyping the situation. Some used it as a chance to poke fun at U.S. defenses, saying it couldn’t even defend against a balloon, and nationalist influencers leaped to use the news to mock the U.S.China has denied any claims of spying and said it is a civilian-use balloon intended for meteorology research. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the balloon’s journey was out of its control and urged the U.S. not to “smear” it because of the balloon.In preparation for the operation Saturday, the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily closed airspace over the Carolina coast, including the airports in Myrtle Beach and Charleston, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina. The FAA rerouted air traffic from the area and warned of delays as a result of the flight restrictions. The FAA and Coast Guard worked to clear the airspace and water below the balloon as it reached the ocean.Television footage showed a small explosion, followed by the giant deflated balloon descending like a ribbon toward the water.Bill Swanson said he watched the balloon deflate instantly from his house in Myrtle Beach as fighter jets circled around.“When it deflated it was pretty close to instantaneous,” he said. “One second it’s there like a tiny moon and the next second it’s gone.” Swanson added that a trail of smoke followed the balloon as it dropped.___