BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jacob-fischler/">JACOB FISCHLER</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/09/21/kansas-board-of-regents-sculpts-plan-for-boosting-state-aid-to-public-higher-education/?emci=78717300-c858-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;emdi=fc107f78-2659-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will get a crucial opportunity to reach undecided voters and set the terms for the 2024 presidential campaign at Thursday night’s debate in Atlanta.

Partisans on either side have already made up their minds about which candidate they’ll support. And with this year’s race serving as a rematch of 2020, many Americans have already formed strong and possibly unchangeable opinions about the candidates.

Yet there is a sizable group of voters who haven’t decided who they’ll support in November, Christopher Stout, a professor of political science at Oregon State University, said in an interview with States Newsroom.

“On one hand, opinions about Joe Biden and Donald Trump are baked in,” Stout said. “On the other hand, there’s a lot of people who aren’t paying any attention to politics and this is their first time thinking about the 2024 election.”

For Biden, a major objective will be to show voters the 81-year-old incumbent can be energetic and forceful, Stout and political strategists said.

Trump, 78, may focus on appealing to voters in the ideological middle and wavering Republicans who want a conservative candidate but are turned off by the former president’s antics.

On policy, each candidate has issues they will capitalize on as strengths. Trump will probably press Biden on immigration and inflation, while Biden undoubtedly will be eager to criticize Trump on reproductive rights.

The debate, sponsored by CNN, will be moderated by the network’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash and begin at 9 p.m. Eastern, with no studio audience. It is set to last for 90 minutes and will air live on CNN with simulcast available for other cable and broadcast networks.

Each candidate’s microphone will be muted while the other is speaking. No props are allowed but each man will be given a pen, pad and bottle of water,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/25/politics/how-to-watch-cnn-debate/index.html" target="_blank">CNN said.</a>

Trump could gain ground with moderate and independent voters by appearing steady.

After winning the presidency in 2016, Trump lost to Biden in 2020 amid a sense that Republican-leaning voters were weary of his unorthodox style and tendency to create scandal.

“If he’s boring and he looks like a typical politician, that’s going to be a big plus for him,” Stout said. “If he looks like a typical politician and he seems more moderate, then there’s the opportunity to bring back a set of voters who were once Republican who have now left the party.”

At the same time, there’s likely not too much down side for Trump if he does go off-script, as voters have come to expect outlandish comments and behavior, Republican strategist Doug Heye said.

“Donald Trump is gonna say something crazy,” Heye said. “That is all factored in and that’s not changing anybody’s mind.”

Heye cited recent remarks Trump has made about shark attacks, electrocution from oversized batteries and taking his shirt off to reveal psychic wounds inflicted by political opponents.

In a move reminiscent of his reality-show past, Trump has teased a possible announcement of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/calm-conservative-confident-what-gop-senators-want-trumps-vice-presidential-pick" target="_blank">his vice presidential pick</a>&nbsp;at the debate.

But even if voters expect some degree of eccentricity from Trump, that will not help him win over the undecided voters who will decide the election, said Rodell Mollineau, a co-founder and partner at the Washington-based strategy firm ROKK Solutions and a veteran of Democratic campaigns.

“If you’re actually trying to reach voters, I’m not sure how Trump ranting and raving, talking about delusional conspiracy theories, helps him win independent voters,” Mollineau said.

Trump will face an additional unique challenge if he tries to look like a traditional presidential candidate: his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-found-guilty-34-felony-counts-ny-hush-money-trial-10" target="_blank">34 felony convictions</a>&nbsp;in New York last month and the three other felony prosecutions against him pending, including two related to his efforts to overturn his loss in the 2020 election that led to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.

“I’m watching to see how he talks about or doesn’t talk about his many court dalliances and the conviction and whatever else he has hanging over his head,” Mollineau said.

Biden faces different questions he must answer.

Voters have doubts about the incumbent’s ability, due in part to his age, inclination for misspeaking and a concerted effort by Republicans and GOP-aligned media to portray Biden as past his prime.

“I think Biden in part is going to be trying to overcome the image that Trump and Republicans in general have been very successful in creating,” University of Georgia political science professor Charles Bullock said.&nbsp; “They’ve been working on this now for at least five years, and that is the image of Biden being too old, being not up to it physically or mentally to continue to serve as president for another four years.”

Biden countered that narrative — at least temporarily — with an exuberant performance at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-warns-freedom-and-democracy-are-under-attack-fierce-state-union-address" target="_blank">the State of the Union address</a>&nbsp;this year, several observers said.

Matching that energy will help him have a positive debate, they said.

But Heye noted that despite rave reviews from Democrats, the president’s State of the Union performance did not improve his standing in polls.

“The reaction from Democrats was: game changer,” Heye said. “And if we look at the polling, the game didn’t change at all.”

Biden would also benefit by reminding voters of his policy record, and contrasting it with Trump’s, Stout and Mollineau said.

“It will advantage him if he can talk about policy,” Stout said. “People don’t know the things he has done and so there’s hope maybe to inform people and sway the electorate.”

Biden should target left-leaning voters by reminding them of his achievements on climate and the environment and his administration’s efforts to create jobs, Stout said.

Mollineau added that Biden must remind voters of Trump’s tumultuous time in office and Biden’s achievements thus far, while balancing that message with an acknowledgment that many Americans are unsatisfied.

The debate, which will be broadcast from CNN’s Georgia headquarters, comes much earlier in the election cycle than usual, even before the party conventions that typically symbolize the start of the general election.

The candidates agreed to the unusual schedule after rejecting a proposal from the Commission on Presidential Debates, a nonpartisan organization that has organized the events for decades, typically with three meetings between presidential candidates and one between would-be vice presidents.

This year’s June schedule could give the candidates a chance to frame the race moving forward, as many voters will be tuning in to the contest for the first time.

But the nearly 19 weeks remaining until Election Day could also mean a candidate with a weak performance has time to recover, or that a strong performance could diminish.

“I do not believe anyone is going to either win or lose the election this week,” Mollineau said.

Bullock, the Georgia professor, differed.

Because of the unpopularity of both candidates, and the sense that voters will be choosing the one they view as “the least of two evils,” either could provide a voter’s “final straw,” he said.

“They may hear something coming out of the mouths of one of these and say, ‘Yeah, that’s it,’” Bullock said. “‘That’s the final straw. I can’t support that one. It helps me make up my mind to go with the other person.’”

Ross Williams contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719402433185.png" alt="The McCamish Pavilion at Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. It is the site of the press center for media covering the CNN debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump on Thursday (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)." />
 <figcaption>The McCamish Pavilion at Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. It is the site of the press center for media covering the CNN debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump on Thursday (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jacob-fischler/">JACOB FISCHLER</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/09/21/kansas-board-of-regents-sculpts-plan-for-boosting-state-aid-to-public-higher-education/?emci=78717300-c858-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;emdi=fc107f78-2659-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will get a crucial opportunity to reach undecided voters and set the terms for the 2024 presidential campaign at Thursday night’s debate in Atlanta.Partisans on either side have already made up their minds about which candidate they’ll support. And with this year’s race serving as a rematch of 2020, many Americans have already formed strong and possibly unchangeable opinions about the candidates.Yet there is a sizable group of voters who haven’t decided who they’ll support in November, Christopher Stout, a professor of political science at Oregon State University, said in an interview with States Newsroom.“On one hand, opinions about Joe Biden and Donald Trump are baked in,” Stout said. “On the other hand, there’s a lot of people who aren’t paying any attention to politics and this is their first time thinking about the 2024 election.”For Biden, a major objective will be to show voters the 81-year-old incumbent can be energetic and forceful, Stout and political strategists said.Trump, 78, may focus on appealing to voters in the ideological middle and wavering Republicans who want a conservative candidate but are turned off by the former president’s antics.On policy, each candidate has issues they will capitalize on as strengths. Trump will probably press Biden on immigration and inflation, while Biden undoubtedly will be eager to criticize Trump on reproductive rights.The debate, sponsored by CNN, will be moderated by the network’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash and begin at 9 p.m. Eastern, with no studio audience. It is set to last for 90 minutes and will air live on CNN with simulcast available for other cable and broadcast networks.Each candidate’s microphone will be muted while the other is speaking. No props are allowed but each man will be given a pen, pad and bottle of water,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/25/politics/how-to-watch-cnn-debate/index.html" target="_blank">CNN said.</a><h2>Can Trump be boring?</h2>Trump could gain ground with moderate and independent voters by appearing steady.After winning the presidency in 2016, Trump lost to Biden in 2020 amid a sense that Republican-leaning voters were weary of his unorthodox style and tendency to create scandal.“If he’s boring and he looks like a typical politician, that’s going to be a big plus for him,” Stout said. “If he looks like a typical politician and he seems more moderate, then there’s the opportunity to bring back a set of voters who were once Republican who have now left the party.”At the same time, there’s likely not too much down side for Trump if he does go off-script, as voters have come to expect outlandish comments and behavior, Republican strategist Doug Heye said.“Donald Trump is gonna say something crazy,” Heye said. “That is all factored in and that’s not changing anybody’s mind.”Heye cited recent remarks Trump has made about shark attacks, electrocution from oversized batteries and taking his shirt off to reveal psychic wounds inflicted by political opponents.In a move reminiscent of his reality-show past, Trump has teased a possible announcement of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/calm-conservative-confident-what-gop-senators-want-trumps-vice-presidential-pick" target="_blank">his vice presidential pick</a>&nbsp;at the debate.But even if voters expect some degree of eccentricity from Trump, that will not help him win over the undecided voters who will decide the election, said Rodell Mollineau, a co-founder and partner at the Washington-based strategy firm ROKK Solutions and a veteran of Democratic campaigns.“If you’re actually trying to reach voters, I’m not sure how Trump ranting and raving, talking about delusional conspiracy theories, helps him win independent voters,” Mollineau said.Trump will face an additional unique challenge if he tries to look like a traditional presidential candidate: his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-found-guilty-34-felony-counts-ny-hush-money-trial-10" target="_blank">34 felony convictions</a>&nbsp;in New York last month and the three other felony prosecutions against him pending, including two related to his efforts to overturn his loss in the 2020 election that led to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.“I’m watching to see how he talks about or doesn’t talk about his many court dalliances and the conviction and whatever else he has hanging over his head,” Mollineau said.<h2>Can Biden be forceful?</h2>Biden faces different questions he must answer.Voters have doubts about the incumbent’s ability, due in part to his age, inclination for misspeaking and a concerted effort by Republicans and GOP-aligned media to portray Biden as past his prime.“I think Biden in part is going to be trying to overcome the image that Trump and Republicans in general have been very successful in creating,” University of Georgia political science professor Charles Bullock said.&nbsp; “They’ve been working on this now for at least five years, and that is the image of Biden being too old, being not up to it physically or mentally to continue to serve as president for another four years.”Biden countered that narrative — at least temporarily — with an exuberant performance at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-warns-freedom-and-democracy-are-under-attack-fierce-state-union-address" target="_blank">the State of the Union address</a>&nbsp;this year, several observers said.Matching that energy will help him have a positive debate, they said.But Heye noted that despite rave reviews from Democrats, the president’s State of the Union performance did not improve his standing in polls.“The reaction from Democrats was: game changer,” Heye said. “And if we look at the polling, the game didn’t change at all.”Biden would also benefit by reminding voters of his policy record, and contrasting it with Trump’s, Stout and Mollineau said.“It will advantage him if he can talk about policy,” Stout said. “People don’t know the things he has done and so there’s hope maybe to inform people and sway the electorate.”Biden should target left-leaning voters by reminding them of his achievements on climate and the environment and his administration’s efforts to create jobs, Stout said.Mollineau added that Biden must remind voters of Trump’s tumultuous time in office and Biden’s achievements thus far, while balancing that message with an acknowledgment that many Americans are unsatisfied.<h2>An early debate</h2>The debate, which will be broadcast from CNN’s Georgia headquarters, comes much earlier in the election cycle than usual, even before the party conventions that typically symbolize the start of the general election.The candidates agreed to the unusual schedule after rejecting a proposal from the Commission on Presidential Debates, a nonpartisan organization that has organized the events for decades, typically with three meetings between presidential candidates and one between would-be vice presidents.All debates are usually in the fall.This year’s June schedule could give the candidates a chance to frame the race moving forward, as many voters will be tuning in to the contest for the first time.But the nearly 19 weeks remaining until Election Day could also mean a candidate with a weak performance has time to recover, or that a strong performance could diminish.“I do not believe anyone is going to either win or lose the election this week,” Mollineau said.Bullock, the Georgia professor, differed.Because of the unpopularity of both candidates, and the sense that voters will be choosing the one they view as “the least of two evils,” either could provide a voter’s “final straw,” he said.“They may hear something coming out of the mouths of one of these and say, ‘Yeah, that’s it,’” Bullock said. “‘That’s the final straw. I can’t support that one. It helps me make up my mind to go with the other person.’”Ross Williams contributed to this report.

Undecided voters are the prize for Biden and Trump in presidential debate

LAWRENCE COUNTY, Mo. —One person died in an accident just before 3p.m. Wednesday in Lawrence County, Missouri.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Nissan Juke driven by Jennifer A. Ross, 48, Monett, Missouri, was eastbound on U.S. 60 at FR 1160 in Verona.

The SUV crossed the center line and collided with a westbound 2023 Freightliner semi driven by&nbsp; Chad S. Steinert, 57, Wichita. Ross was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Lakin Funeral home in Pierce City. Steinert was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

LAWRENCE COUNTY, Mo. —One person died in an accident just before 3p.m. Wednesday in Lawrence County, Missouri.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Nissan Juke driven by Jennifer A. Ross, 48, Monett, Missouri, was eastbound on U.S. 60 at FR 1160 in Verona.The SUV crossed the center line and collided with a westbound 2023 Freightliner semi driven by&nbsp; Chad S. Steinert, 57, Wichita. Ross was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Lakin Funeral home in Pierce City. Steinert was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Woman dies after crash with a Kansas semi driver

FORD COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for two violent murders.&nbsp;

On Monday, Ford County District Judge Andrew M. Stein sentenced 33-year-old Michael Peterson to two consecutive life sentences for the 2022 murders of his girlfriend Kayla Vasquez and her 4-year-old daughter Aalilyah Vasquez, according to&nbsp;Ford County Attorney Kevin B. Salzman.

On June 15, 2022, Peterson placed a 911 call claiming he was attacked in his home and that his girlfriend and daughter were missing. An investigation involving the Spearville Police Department, Ford County Sheriff’s Office, and Kansas Bureau of Investigation soon led investigators to the bodies of both Kayla and Aalilyah.

Kayla was discovered in a field in rural Ford County, ratchet strapped to a ladder and wrapped in trash bags. An autopsy later revealed Kayla had blunt force trauma and over 70 stab wounds to her head, neck, and back.

Aalilyah’s body was discovered wrapped in a blanket in a dumpster behind a business in Kinsley, Kansas.&nbsp; She had been strangled to death

Using data from Peterson’s and Vasquez’s vehicle, investigators were able to trace the movements of the vehicle in the early morning hours of June 15, 2022. 

Combined with video surveillance footage, investigators observed Peterson driving the couple’s vehicle to several businesses, including WalMart and Sutherlands. On video, investigators observed Peterson purchase trash bags, ratchet straps, and a ladder consistent with the items found with Kayla’s body. 

Surveillance from the Kinsley business showed Peterson driving the vehicle to the location and dumping Aalilyah’s body in the dumpster in which she was found.&nbsp; 

Peterson was thereafter charged with Capital Murder for the killing of both Aalilyah and Kayla Vasquez.

In February 2024, the parties entered a plea agreement and Peterson pled guilty to two counts of First-Degree Felony Murder and two counts of Aggravated Kidnapping.

At sentencing on Monday, witnesses for the State of Kansas and family members of Kayla and Aalilyah presented evidence and statements for the court’s consideration in sentencing Peterson. 

The State urged the court to run all sentences consecutive to one another, which would have prohibited Peterson from applying for parole until he had served approximately 70 years in prison.Family members of Peterson and Peterson himself made statements to the court, asking for mercy. The defense requested the court run all sentences concurrently, which would have allowed Peterson to be eligible for parole after serving only 25 years.

The court also sentenced Peterson to 155 months on each of the two Aggravated Kidnapping charges, but ordered those sentences run concurrently with the life sentences imposed.

Peterson’s two consecutive life sentences means that he will remain incarcerated and is not eligible to apply for release until he has served a minimum of 50 years in custody.Peterson is presently housed in the Ford County Detention Center awaiting transportation to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655398104068.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FORD COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for two violent murders.&nbsp;On Monday, Ford County District Judge Andrew M. Stein sentenced 33-year-old Michael Peterson to two consecutive life sentences for the 2022 murders of his girlfriend Kayla Vasquez and her 4-year-old daughter Aalilyah Vasquez, according to&nbsp;Ford County Attorney Kevin B. Salzman.On June 15, 2022, Peterson placed a 911 call claiming he was attacked in his home and that his girlfriend and daughter were missing. An investigation involving the Spearville Police Department, Ford County Sheriff’s Office, and Kansas Bureau of Investigation soon led investigators to the bodies of both Kayla and Aalilyah.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655373990456.png" alt="Kayla and Aalilyah Vasquez-photo Ford Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Kayla and Aalilyah Vasquez-photo Ford Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Kayla was discovered in a field in rural Ford County, ratchet strapped to a ladder and wrapped in trash bags. An autopsy later revealed Kayla had blunt force trauma and over 70 stab wounds to her head, neck, and back.Aalilyah’s body was discovered wrapped in a blanket in a dumpster behind a business in Kinsley, Kansas.&nbsp; She had been strangled to deathUsing data from Peterson’s and Vasquez’s vehicle, investigators were able to trace the movements of the vehicle in the early morning hours of June 15, 2022. Combined with video surveillance footage, investigators observed Peterson driving the couple’s vehicle to several businesses, including WalMart and Sutherlands. On video, investigators observed Peterson purchase trash bags, ratchet straps, and a ladder consistent with the items found with Kayla’s body. Surveillance from the Kinsley business showed Peterson driving the vehicle to the location and dumping Aalilyah’s body in the dumpster in which she was found.&nbsp; Peterson was thereafter charged with Capital Murder for the killing of both Aalilyah and Kayla Vasquez.In February 2024, the parties entered a plea agreement and Peterson pled guilty to two counts of First-Degree Felony Murder and two counts of Aggravated Kidnapping.At sentencing on Monday, witnesses for the State of Kansas and family members of Kayla and Aalilyah presented evidence and statements for the court’s consideration in sentencing Peterson. The State urged the court to run all sentences consecutive to one another, which would have prohibited Peterson from applying for parole until he had served approximately 70 years in prison.Family members of Peterson and Peterson himself made statements to the court, asking for mercy. The defense requested the court run all sentences concurrently, which would have allowed Peterson to be eligible for parole after serving only 25 years.The court also sentenced Peterson to 155 months on each of the two Aggravated Kidnapping charges, but ordered those sentences run concurrently with the life sentences imposed.Peterson’s two consecutive life sentences means that he will remain incarcerated and is not eligible to apply for release until he has served a minimum of 50 years in custody.Peterson is presently housed in the Ford County Detention Center awaiting transportation to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Man admits brutal killing of SW Kan. girlfriend, her daughter

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Yet another civil lawsuit filed Wednesday against a Missouri Christian boarding school by a former student accuses staffers of forced child labor, physical abuse and tactics aimed at hiding mistreatment from authorities.

The lawsuit, filed in Missouri’s Western U.S. District Court, alleges fraud and negligence by five former employees of the now-closed Agape Boarding School.

More than a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boarding-school-missouri-abuse-lawsuits-settlement-e004668160605c5fbd2239e191292296">dozen</a>&nbsp;other former students have settled lawsuits alleging they were abused at the southwest Missouri school.

When it shut down in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-stockton-missouri-education-6d4bc69348f4349249e49b3ec7c29172">2023</a>, it was the fourth and last unlicensed Christian boarding school to close in Cedar County since September 2020. The school’s former director, Bryan Clemensen, said the school, whose enrollment had tumbled, closed because it did not have the funding to continue.

Several people affiliated with those schools are facing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/christian-boarding-school-arrests-missouri-3a2d40a39b5c04e38df7064f763b3272">criminal charges</a>.

Advocates for victims of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-religion-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-education-af080895d108aa6dc0db533c60be2ebc">abuse at Missouri boarding schools</a>&nbsp;in May and again on Wednesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-boarding-schools-advocacy-group-23fb495871041047659b0311f26d47e6">urged</a>&nbsp;the state’s attorney general to launch an investigation, work with local prosecutors and take other steps aimed at stemming the tide of abuse.

An attorney general spokesperson did not immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment Wednesday. But previously, Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s spokesperson, Madeline Sieren, has said that the attorney general’s office does not have jurisdiction to prosecute criminal cases, except when appointed as special prosecutor by the governor or a court.

The latest lawsuit claims that Agape “ran a ‘school’ akin to a concentration camp or torture colony cloaked in the guise of religion.”

Lawyers for three of the named defendants did not immediately return AP requests for comment. Attorneys were not immediately listed in online court records for the remaining two defendants.

The former student who is suing is now 20 years old and is identified in court filings only as John Doe.

Punishments given by staffers at Agape included forcing children to work out until they vomited and stay still in painful positions for hours at a time, the lawsuit states.

“There was a restraint room below the cafeteria. Students were often taken there and restrained; they could be heard screaming,” according to the lawsuit. “This went on for hours.”

Doe claims in his lawsuit that the staffers limited students' phone use and their letters to home in an attempt to conceal conditions at the school from their parents and “actively concealed from the Children’s Division abuses that were occurring.”

Doe, who first went to Agape at age 15, said staff also “brainwashed” him and others to make it easier to commit abuse.

The lawsuit claimed workers “prevented the children from receiving letters or care packages sent to them by their parents causing the children to believe they had been abandoned thereby emotionally coercing them into silence in order to conceal their abuses.”

Doe asked the judge for a jury trial and money from the defendants.

Other former Agape students came forward with abuse allegations in 2020. One former student said he was raped at Agape and called “seizure boy” because of his epilepsy. Others said they suffered permanent injuries from being disciplined or forced to work long hours of manual labor.

In 2021,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-missouri-springfield-89eb20fc1edcba8cf5963abdc69e48c8">Agape’s longtime doctor, David Smock</a>, was charged with child sex crimes and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-education-child-abuse-kansas-missouri-a97fcf244d041a1468945b10af5f5f76">five employees were charged</a>&nbsp;with low-level abuse counts.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632608030678.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Yet another civil lawsuit filed Wednesday against a Missouri Christian boarding school by a former student accuses staffers of forced child labor, physical abuse and tactics aimed at hiding mistreatment from authorities.The lawsuit, filed in Missouri’s Western U.S. District Court, alleges fraud and negligence by five former employees of the now-closed Agape Boarding School.More than a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boarding-school-missouri-abuse-lawsuits-settlement-e004668160605c5fbd2239e191292296">dozen</a>&nbsp;other former students have settled lawsuits alleging they were abused at the southwest Missouri school.When it shut down in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-stockton-missouri-education-6d4bc69348f4349249e49b3ec7c29172">2023</a>, it was the fourth and last unlicensed Christian boarding school to close in Cedar County since September 2020. The school’s former director, Bryan Clemensen, said the school, whose enrollment had tumbled, closed because it did not have the funding to continue.Several people affiliated with those schools are facing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/christian-boarding-school-arrests-missouri-3a2d40a39b5c04e38df7064f763b3272">criminal charges</a>.Advocates for victims of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-religion-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-education-af080895d108aa6dc0db533c60be2ebc">abuse at Missouri boarding schools</a>&nbsp;in May and again on Wednesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-boarding-schools-advocacy-group-23fb495871041047659b0311f26d47e6">urged</a>&nbsp;the state’s attorney general to launch an investigation, work with local prosecutors and take other steps aimed at stemming the tide of abuse.An attorney general spokesperson did not immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment Wednesday. But previously, Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s spokesperson, Madeline Sieren, has said that the attorney general’s office does not have jurisdiction to prosecute criminal cases, except when appointed as special prosecutor by the governor or a court.The latest lawsuit claims that Agape “ran a ‘school’ akin to a concentration camp or torture colony cloaked in the guise of religion.”Lawyers for three of the named defendants did not immediately return AP requests for comment. Attorneys were not immediately listed in online court records for the remaining two defendants.The former student who is suing is now 20 years old and is identified in court filings only as John Doe.Punishments given by staffers at Agape included forcing children to work out until they vomited and stay still in painful positions for hours at a time, the lawsuit states.“There was a restraint room below the cafeteria. Students were often taken there and restrained; they could be heard screaming,” according to the lawsuit. “This went on for hours.”Doe claims in his lawsuit that the staffers limited students' phone use and their letters to home in an attempt to conceal conditions at the school from their parents and “actively concealed from the Children’s Division abuses that were occurring.”Doe, who first went to Agape at age 15, said staff also “brainwashed” him and others to make it easier to commit abuse.The lawsuit claimed workers “prevented the children from receiving letters or care packages sent to them by their parents causing the children to believe they had been abandoned thereby emotionally coercing them into silence in order to conceal their abuses.”Doe asked the judge for a jury trial and money from the defendants.Other former Agape students came forward with abuse allegations in 2020. One former student said he was raped at Agape and called “seizure boy” because of his epilepsy. Others said they suffered permanent injuries from being disciplined or forced to work long hours of manual labor.In 2021,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-missouri-springfield-89eb20fc1edcba8cf5963abdc69e48c8">Agape’s longtime doctor, David Smock</a>, was charged with child sex crimes and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-education-child-abuse-kansas-missouri-a97fcf244d041a1468945b10af5f5f76">five employees were charged</a>&nbsp;with low-level abuse counts.

Former staffers at Christian boarding school face civil lawsuit alleging abuse

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;pardoned potentially thousands of former U.S. service members convicted of violating a now-repealed military ban on consensual gay sex, saying Wednesday that he is “righting an historic wrong" to clear the way for them to regain lost benefits.

Biden's action grants a pardon to service members who were convicted under the Uniform Code of Military Justice's former Article 125, which criminalized sodomy. The law, which has been on the books since 1951, was rewritten in 2013 to prohibit only forcible acts.

Those covered by the pardon will be able to apply to receive proof that their conviction has been erased, petition to have their discharges from the military upgraded and move to recover lost pay and benefits.

“Today, I am righting an historic wrong by using my clemency authority to pardon many former service members who were convicted simply for being themselves,” Biden said in a statement. “We have a sacred obligation to all of our service members –- including our brave LGBTQI+ service members: to properly prepare and equip them when they are sent into harm’s way, and to care for them and their families when they return home. Today we are making progress in that pursuit.”

The president’s use of his pardon powers is occurring during Pride Month and his action comes just days before he is set to hold a high-profile fundraiser with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/lgbtq-people">LGBTQ</a>&nbsp;donors in New York on Friday. Biden is trying to rally support within the Democratic-leaning community ahead of the presidential election.

Administration officials declined to say why Biden did not act on the pardons sooner.

This is the third categorial pardon by Biden — using his clemency powers to cover a broad group of people convicted of particular crimes — after moves in 2022 and 2023 to pardon those convicted federally for possessing marijuana.

The White House estimates that several thousand service members will be covered — the majority convicted before the military instituted the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in 1993 that eased the way for LGBTQ troops to serve if they didn’t disclose their sexual orientation. That policy was repealed in 2011, when Congress allowed for their open service in the military.

Service members convicted of nonconsensual acts are not covered by Biden's pardon action. And those convicted under other articles of the military justice code, which may have been used as pretext to punish or force-out LGBTQ troops, would need to request clemency through the normal Department of Justice pardon process.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719435671887.png" alt=" Sailors decorate the mess decks in observance of Pride month aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham in the Atlantic Ocean on June 16, 2022 (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Theoplis Stewart II)." />
 <figcaption> Sailors decorate the mess decks in observance of Pride month aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham in the Atlantic Ocean on June 16, 2022 (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Theoplis Stewart II).</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;pardoned potentially thousands of former U.S. service members convicted of violating a now-repealed military ban on consensual gay sex, saying Wednesday that he is “righting an historic wrong" to clear the way for them to regain lost benefits.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Despite courage and sacrifice, thousands of LGBTQI+ service members were forced out of the military because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. I&#39;m using my clemency authority to pardon certain former service members who were convicted simply for being themselves. <a href="https://t.co/KquoMizp1V">pic.twitter.com/KquoMizp1V</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1805973047184130093?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden's action grants a pardon to service members who were convicted under the Uniform Code of Military Justice's former Article 125, which criminalized sodomy. The law, which has been on the books since 1951, was rewritten in 2013 to prohibit only forcible acts.Those covered by the pardon will be able to apply to receive proof that their conviction has been erased, petition to have their discharges from the military upgraded and move to recover lost pay and benefits.“Today, I am righting an historic wrong by using my clemency authority to pardon many former service members who were convicted simply for being themselves,” Biden said in a statement. “We have a sacred obligation to all of our service members –- including our brave LGBTQI+ service members: to properly prepare and equip them when they are sent into harm’s way, and to care for them and their families when they return home. Today we are making progress in that pursuit.”The president’s use of his pardon powers is occurring during Pride Month and his action comes just days before he is set to hold a high-profile fundraiser with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/lgbtq-people">LGBTQ</a>&nbsp;donors in New York on Friday. Biden is trying to rally support within the Democratic-leaning community ahead of the presidential election.Administration officials declined to say why Biden did not act on the pardons sooner.This is the third categorial pardon by Biden — using his clemency powers to cover a broad group of people convicted of particular crimes — after moves in 2022 and 2023 to pardon those convicted federally for possessing marijuana.The White House estimates that several thousand service members will be covered — the majority convicted before the military instituted the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in 1993 that eased the way for LGBTQ troops to serve if they didn’t disclose their sexual orientation. That policy was repealed in 2011, when Congress allowed for their open service in the military.Service members convicted of nonconsensual acts are not covered by Biden's pardon action. And those convicted under other articles of the military justice code, which may have been used as pretext to punish or force-out LGBTQ troops, would need to request clemency through the normal Department of Justice pardon process.

Biden pardons vets discharged for same-sex relationships

KANSAS CITY —Police investigating a Monday homicide in Kansas City are still working to identify the victim.

Just before 9:30a.m. Monday, police were dispatched to report of a dead body in church parking lot of&nbsp;Dayspring Pentecostal Church at Bannister and Raytown Road, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.

First responders found a victim suffering from an apparent gunshot wound.&nbsp;&nbsp;He was pronounced dead at the scene. A passerby saw the victim in the parking lot and called police.&nbsp;

The victim is described as a juvenile black male, 14-17-years-old with braces and black rubber bands. He has a natural hairstyle that is 1-inch long and tapered at the sides, according to police. The victim also has a scar above his left eye, a vertical scar in the center of the back of his left hand and a circular scar on his left hip.&nbsp;

When he was found, the victim was wearing 'bone colored' Adidas Yeezy 700 MNVN shoes.

Anyone with information on what happened is asked to contact the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS or the KCPD homicide.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719251646778.png" alt="Photos Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photos Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Police investigating a Monday homicide in Kansas City are still working to identify the victim.Just before 9:30a.m. Monday, police were dispatched to report of a dead body in church parking lot of&nbsp;Dayspring Pentecostal Church at Bannister and Raytown Road, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.First responders found a victim suffering from an apparent gunshot wound.&nbsp;&nbsp;He was pronounced dead at the scene. A passerby saw the victim in the parking lot and called police.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719251670898.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The victim is described as a juvenile black male, 14-17-years-old with braces and black rubber bands. He has a natural hairstyle that is 1-inch long and tapered at the sides, according to police. The victim also has a scar above his left eye, a vertical scar in the center of the back of his left hand and a circular scar on his left hip.&nbsp;When he was found, the victim was wearing 'bone colored' Adidas Yeezy 700 MNVN shoes.Anyone with information on what happened is asked to contact the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS or the KCPD homicide.

KCPD working to ID teen found dead in church parking lot

Totally Cool, Inc. of Owings Mills, Maryland is recalling multiple brands of ice cream products, because they have the potential to be contaminated with&nbsp;Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems, according to a media release from the FDA.

<a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/179567/download?attachment">Click here to view</a>&nbsp;the complete list of recalled products

Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea,&nbsp;Listeria&nbsp;infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

Products were distributed nationwide, and available in retail locations and direct delivery.

Product can be identified by comparing the date and plant information on the product. Example photographs of the impacted product are provided below.

Totally Cool, Inc. has ceased the production and distribution of the affected products due to FDA sampling which discovered the presence of&nbsp;Listeria monocytogenes. The company continues its investigation and is taking preventive actions. No other products produced by Totally Cool, Inc. are impacted by this recall.

Consumers who have recalled product in their possession are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact Totally Cool, Inc. at 410-363- 7801 and&nbsp;<a href="mailto:regulatory@totallycoolicecream.com">regulatory@totallycoolicecream.com</a>, between 8am and 4pm eastern, Monday to Friday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719415576254.png" alt="Image courtesy FDA" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy FDA</figcaption>
 </figure>Totally Cool, Inc. of Owings Mills, Maryland is recalling multiple brands of ice cream products, because they have the potential to be contaminated with&nbsp;Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems, according to a media release from the FDA.<a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/179567/download?attachment">Click here to view</a>&nbsp;the complete list of recalled productsAlthough healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea,&nbsp;Listeria&nbsp;infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.Products were distributed nationwide, and available in retail locations and direct delivery.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719415555369.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Product can be identified by comparing the date and plant information on the product. Example photographs of the impacted product are provided below.No illnesses have been reported to date.Totally Cool, Inc. has ceased the production and distribution of the affected products due to FDA sampling which discovered the presence of&nbsp;Listeria monocytogenes. The company continues its investigation and is taking preventive actions. No other products produced by Totally Cool, Inc. are impacted by this recall.Consumers who have recalled product in their possession are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact Totally Cool, Inc. at 410-363- 7801 and&nbsp;<a href="mailto:regulatory@totallycoolicecream.com">regulatory@totallycoolicecream.com</a>, between 8am and 4pm eastern, Monday to Friday.

Ice cream products from major brands recalled for listeria risk

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;appears poised to allow emergency&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortions</a>&nbsp;in Idaho when a pregnant patient’s health is at serious risk, according to a copy of the opinion briefly posted on the court's website Wednesday and obtained by Bloomberg News.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://assets.bwbx.io/documents/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/rJo5436tVr08/v0">document</a>&nbsp;suggests the court will find that it should not have gotten involved in the case over Idaho's strict abortion ban so quickly. By a 6-3 vote it would reinstate a lower court order that had allowed hospitals in the state to perform emergency abortions to protect a pregnant patient’s health, Bloomberg said.

Such an outcome would leave the issues at the heart of the case unresolved. It would also mean key questions remain unanswered, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote in a concurrence.

“Today’s decision is not a victory for pregnant patients in Idaho. It is delay,” she wrote.

The Supreme Court acknowledged that its publications unit inadvertently posted Wednesday. An opinion in the Idaho case would be issued "in due course,” court spokeswoman Patricia McCabe said in a statement.

Conservative Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch are listed as dissenting from the decision.

The finding may not be the court's final ruling because the justices' decision has not been officially released. The decision would mean the case would continue at the 9th U.S. Circuit Court, and could end up back before the justices.

The Supreme Court may be reluctant to make an abortion-related decision on the merits – rather than procedural grounds – in an election year, said Greer Donley, a reproductive law scholar and professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about 7 in 10 U.S. adults favor protecting access to abortions for patients who are experiencing miscarriages or other pregnancy-related emergencies.

The decision would reverse the Supreme Court's earlier order that allowed an Idaho abortion ban to temporarily go into effect, even in medical emergencies. Several women have since needed medical airlifts&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-emtala-hospitals-emergency-room-2fdc3943ffc9278f885263f722cc262f">out of state</a>&nbsp;in cases in which abortion is routine treatment to avoid infection, hemorrhage and other dire health risks, Idaho doctors have said.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said that it hoped the court "listened to the scientific evidence and medical experts and will ultimately affirm the availability of emergency abortion care for people in every state,” said general counsel Molly Meegan.

The case started when the Biden administration sued Idaho, arguing that its abortion ban conflicted with federal healthcare law because doctors wouldn't be allowed to provide abortions to stabilize pregnant patients in rare emergency cases when their health is at serious risk.

Idaho argued its ban does allow abortions to save a pregnant patient’s life and that federal law does not require the exceptions to expand. The state attorney general’s office declined to comment Wednesday.

Katie Daniel, the state policy director of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said an Idaho state court had ruled that women’s lives don’t need to be in immediate danger to act.

Most Republican-controlled states began enforcing restrictions after the justices&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;two years ago, and Idaho is among 14 states that outlaw abortion at all stages of pregnancy with very limited exceptions.

The case is likely to return to the Supreme Court again, said Rachel Rebouche, dean of the Temple University Beasley School of Law and a reproductive law scholar. The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-life-of-mother-texas-appeal-83770a43f44c908d81b5fa0dfc0d87e4">ruled in a similar case</a>&nbsp;that the federal law does not take precedence over an abortion ban in Texas.

So while the Supreme Court’s ruling would allow abortion in medical emergencies in Idaho, at least for now, Rebouche said, “Nearly 38 million people live in the 5th Circuit. That’s a lot of people whose lives aren’t changed at all by this.”

Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said that a decision without explicit guarantees that patients could get abortions in medical emergencies would be "catastrophic.”

Reports of pregnant women being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pregnancy-emergency-care-abortion-supreme-court-roe-9ce6c87c8fc653c840654de1ae5f7a1c">turned away from U.S. emergency rooms</a>&nbsp;spiked after the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling overturning the constitutional right to abortion, according to federal documents obtained by The Associated Press.

If the high court were to rule in Idaho’s favor, it would create a “world in which women would have to lose their reproductive organs,” said Sara Rosenbaum, a George Washington University health law and policy professor who is an expert on the federal EMTALA law.

The Justice Department’s lawsuit came under a federal law that requires hospitals accepting Medicare to provide stabilizing care regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. The law is the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA.

Nearly all hospitals accept Medicare, so emergency room doctors in Idaho and other states with bans would have to provide abortions if needed to stabilize a pregnant patient and avoid serious health risks such as the loss of reproductive organs, the Justice Department argued.

Idaho argued that its exception for a patient’s life covers dire health circumstances and that the Biden administration misread the law to circumvent the state ban and expand abortion access.

Carol Tobias, president of the National Right to Life Committee, said his group was glad the Justice Department says its arguments apply to rare cases.

Doctors have said Idaho’s law has made them fearful to perform abortions, even when a pregnancy is putting a patient’s health severely at risk. The law requires anyone who is convicted of performing an abortion to be imprisoned for at least two years.

A federal judge initially sided with the Democratic administration and ruled that abortions were legal in medical emergencies. After the state appealed, the Supreme Court allowed the law to go fully into effect in January.

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;appears poised to allow emergency&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortions</a>&nbsp;in Idaho when a pregnant patient’s health is at serious risk, according to a copy of the opinion briefly posted on the court's website Wednesday and obtained by Bloomberg News.The&nbsp;<a href="https://assets.bwbx.io/documents/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/rJo5436tVr08/v0">document</a>&nbsp;suggests the court will find that it should not have gotten involved in the case over Idaho's strict abortion ban so quickly. By a 6-3 vote it would reinstate a lower court order that had allowed hospitals in the state to perform emergency abortions to protect a pregnant patient’s health, Bloomberg said.Such an outcome would leave the issues at the heart of the case unresolved. It would also mean key questions remain unanswered, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote in a concurrence.“Today’s decision is not a victory for pregnant patients in Idaho. It is delay,” she wrote.The Supreme Court acknowledged that its publications unit inadvertently posted Wednesday. An opinion in the Idaho case would be issued "in due course,” court spokeswoman Patricia McCabe said in a statement.Conservative Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch are listed as dissenting from the decision.The finding may not be the court's final ruling because the justices' decision has not been officially released. The decision would mean the case would continue at the 9th U.S. Circuit Court, and could end up back before the justices.The Supreme Court may be reluctant to make an abortion-related decision on the merits – rather than procedural grounds – in an election year, said Greer Donley, a reproductive law scholar and professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about 7 in 10 U.S. adults favor protecting access to abortions for patients who are experiencing miscarriages or other pregnancy-related emergencies.The decision would reverse the Supreme Court's earlier order that allowed an Idaho abortion ban to temporarily go into effect, even in medical emergencies. Several women have since needed medical airlifts&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-emtala-hospitals-emergency-room-2fdc3943ffc9278f885263f722cc262f">out of state</a>&nbsp;in cases in which abortion is routine treatment to avoid infection, hemorrhage and other dire health risks, Idaho doctors have said.The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said that it hoped the court "listened to the scientific evidence and medical experts and will ultimately affirm the availability of emergency abortion care for people in every state,” said general counsel Molly Meegan.The case started when the Biden administration sued Idaho, arguing that its abortion ban conflicted with federal healthcare law because doctors wouldn't be allowed to provide abortions to stabilize pregnant patients in rare emergency cases when their health is at serious risk.Idaho argued its ban does allow abortions to save a pregnant patient’s life and that federal law does not require the exceptions to expand. The state attorney general’s office declined to comment Wednesday.Katie Daniel, the state policy director of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said an Idaho state court had ruled that women’s lives don’t need to be in immediate danger to act.Most Republican-controlled states began enforcing restrictions after the justices&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;two years ago, and Idaho is among 14 states that outlaw abortion at all stages of pregnancy with very limited exceptions.The case is likely to return to the Supreme Court again, said Rachel Rebouche, dean of the Temple University Beasley School of Law and a reproductive law scholar. The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-life-of-mother-texas-appeal-83770a43f44c908d81b5fa0dfc0d87e4">ruled in a similar case</a>&nbsp;that the federal law does not take precedence over an abortion ban in Texas.So while the Supreme Court’s ruling would allow abortion in medical emergencies in Idaho, at least for now, Rebouche said, “Nearly 38 million people live in the 5th Circuit. That’s a lot of people whose lives aren’t changed at all by this.”Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said that a decision without explicit guarantees that patients could get abortions in medical emergencies would be "catastrophic.”Reports of pregnant women being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pregnancy-emergency-care-abortion-supreme-court-roe-9ce6c87c8fc653c840654de1ae5f7a1c">turned away from U.S. emergency rooms</a>&nbsp;spiked after the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling overturning the constitutional right to abortion, according to federal documents obtained by The Associated Press.If the high court were to rule in Idaho’s favor, it would create a “world in which women would have to lose their reproductive organs,” said Sara Rosenbaum, a George Washington University health law and policy professor who is an expert on the federal EMTALA law.The Justice Department’s lawsuit came under a federal law that requires hospitals accepting Medicare to provide stabilizing care regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. The law is the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA.Nearly all hospitals accept Medicare, so emergency room doctors in Idaho and other states with bans would have to provide abortions if needed to stabilize a pregnant patient and avoid serious health risks such as the loss of reproductive organs, the Justice Department argued.Idaho argued that its exception for a patient’s life covers dire health circumstances and that the Biden administration misread the law to circumvent the state ban and expand abortion access.Carol Tobias, president of the National Right to Life Committee, said his group was glad the Justice Department says its arguments apply to rare cases.Doctors have said Idaho’s law has made them fearful to perform abortions, even when a pregnancy is putting a patient’s health severely at risk. The law requires anyone who is convicted of performing an abortion to be imprisoned for at least two years.A federal judge initially sided with the Democratic administration and ruled that abortions were legal in medical emergencies. After the state appealed, the Supreme Court allowed the law to go fully into effect in January.___

Supreme mistake: New abortion ruling accidentally posted to website

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a chase and crash in Shawnee County.

Just after 10 p.m., June 22, police responded to a reported disturbance near SW 6th Street and Fairlawn Road in Topeka, according to police spokesperson Rosie Nichols.

A driver later identified as Carnell R.Bushnell, 20, of Topeka, was allegedly attempting to use his vehicle to strike another vehicle driven by someone he knew. The targeted vehicle also had children present.

Officers located Bushnell near SW 1st Street and I-70 and attempted to stop his vehicle. Bushnell refused to comply and initiated a pursuit. During the chase, Bushnell committed multiple traffic violations before being involved in an injury crash in the 200 block of SE Golden Avenue. He then ran from the crash and was later located near the Shunga Creek.

 Bushnell was transported to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. No other injuries were reported from the crash.

Following the investigation, Bushnell was arrested and booked into jail on requested charges of Aggravated battery; Knowingly use physical contact in angry/rude manner w/weapon; Aggravated Endangering A Child; Reckless Situation; Criminal damage to property; Without consent value $1000 to $25,000; Interference with LEO; obstruct/resist/oppose felony warrant service or execution; Flee or attempt to elude; motor vehicle accident or damage property; Driving while suspended; 1st conviction; Reckless driving; 1st conviction; Fail To Stop At Stop Sign; Driving Without Lights When Needed; Failure To Give Signal When Changing Lanes or Turning; Driving On Left Side Of Roadway; Fail To Stop At Accident;injury/damage Over $1000 and Vehicle Registration Renewal.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719259725159.png" alt="Bushnell-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Bushnell-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a chase and crash in Shawnee County.Just after 10 p.m., June 22, police responded to a reported disturbance near SW 6th Street and Fairlawn Road in Topeka, according to police spokesperson Rosie Nichols.A driver later identified as Carnell R.Bushnell, 20, of Topeka, was allegedly attempting to use his vehicle to strike another vehicle driven by someone he knew. The targeted vehicle also had children present.Officers located Bushnell near SW 1st Street and I-70 and attempted to stop his vehicle. Bushnell refused to comply and initiated a pursuit. During the chase, Bushnell committed multiple traffic violations before being involved in an injury crash in the 200 block of SE Golden Avenue. He then ran from the crash and was later located near the Shunga Creek. Bushnell was transported to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. No other injuries were reported from the crash.Following the investigation, Bushnell was arrested and booked into jail on requested charges of Aggravated battery; Knowingly use physical contact in angry/rude manner w/weapon; Aggravated Endangering A Child; Reckless Situation; Criminal damage to property; Without consent value $1000 to $25,000; Interference with LEO; obstruct/resist/oppose felony warrant service or execution; Flee or attempt to elude; motor vehicle accident or damage property; Driving while suspended; 1st conviction; Reckless driving; 1st conviction; Fail To Stop At Stop Sign; Driving Without Lights When Needed; Failure To Give Signal When Changing Lanes or Turning; Driving On Left Side Of Roadway; Fail To Stop At Accident;injury/damage Over $1000 and Vehicle Registration Renewal.

Police: Kansas man attempted to use his vehicle as a weapon

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Car dealerships in Kansas, Missouri and across North America are still wrestling with major disruptions that started last week with cyberattacks on a company whose software is used widely in the auto retail sales sector.

CDK Global, a company that provides software for thousands of auto dealers in the U.S. and Canada, was hit by back-to-back cyberattacks Wednesday. That led to an outage that has continued to impact operations.

For prospective car buyers, that's meant delays at dealerships or vehicle orders written up by hand. There's no immediate end in sight, but CDK says it expects the restoration process to take “several days” to complete.

On Monday, Group 1 Automotive Inc., a $4 billion automotive retailer, said it is using “alternative processes” to sell cars to its customers. Lithia Motors and AutoNation, two other dealership chains, also disclosed that they implemented workarounds to keep their operations going.

CDK Global is a major player in the auto sales industry. The company, based just outside of Chicago in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, provides software technology to dealers that helps with day-to-day operations — like facilitating vehicle sales, financing, insurance and repairs.

CDK serves more than 15,000 retail locations across North America, according to the company.

CDK experienced back-to-back cyberattacks on Wednesday. The company shut down all of its systems after the first attack out of an abundance of caution, according to spokesperson Lisa Finney, and then shut down most systems again following the second.

“We have begun the restoration process," Finney said in an update over the weekend — noting that the company had launched an investigation into the “cyber incident” with third-party experts and notified law enforcement.

“Based on the information we have at this time, we anticipate that the process will take several days to complete, and in the interim we are continuing to actively engage with our customers and provide them with alternate ways to conduct business,” she added.

In messages to its customers, the company has also warned of “bad actors” posing as members or affiliates of CDK to try to obtain system access by contacting customers. It urged them to be cautious of any attempted phishing.

The incident bore all the hallmarks of a ransomware attack, in which targets are asked to pay a ransom to access encrypted files. But CDK declined to comment directly — neither confirming or denying if it had received a ransom demand.

“When you see an attack of this kind, it almost always ends up being a ransomware attack,” Cliff Steinhauer, director of information security and engagement at the National Cybersecurity Alliance. “We see it time and time again unfortunately, (particularly in) the last couple of years. No industry and no organization or software company is immune.”

Are impacted dealerships still selling cars?

Several major auto companies — including Stellantis, Ford and BMW — confirmed to The Associated Press last week that the CDK outage had impacted some of their dealers, but that sales operations continue.

In light of the ongoing situation, a spokesperson for Stellantis said Friday that many dealerships had switched to manual processes to serve customers. That includes writing up orders by hand.

A Ford spokesperson added that the outage may cause “some delays and inconveniences at some dealers and for some customers.” However, many Ford and Lincoln customers are still getting sales and service support through alternative routes being used at dealerships.

“The people who've been around longer — you know, guys who have maybe a little salt in their hair like me — we remember how to do it before the computers,” said John Crane of Hawk Auto Group, a Westmont, Illinois-based dealership operator that uses CDK. “It’s just a few more steps and a little bit more time.”

Although impacted Hawk Auto dealerships are still able to serve customers by “going back to the basics," Crane added that those working in administration are still “pulling out our hair." He notes that there are now stacks of paper awaiting processing — in place of orders that went through automatically on a computer overnight.

Group 1 Automotive Inc. said Monday that the incident has disrupted its business applications and processes in its U.S. operations that rely on CDK’s dealers’ systems. The company said that it took measures to protect and isolate its systems from CDK’s platform.

In regulatory filings, Lithia Motors and AutoNation disclosed that last week's incident at CDK had disrupted their operations as well.

Lithia said it activated cyber incident response procedures, which included “severing business service connections between the company’s systems and CDK’s." AutoNation said it also took steps to protect its systems and data, adding that all of its locations remain open “albeit with lower productivity," as many are served manually or through alternative processes.

With many details of the cyberattacks still unclear, customer privacy is also at top of mind — especially with little known about what information may have been compromised this week.

If you've bought a car from a dealership that's used CDK software, cybersecurity security experts stress that it's important to assume your data may have been breached. That could potentially include “pretty sensitive information,” Steinhauer noted, like your social security number, employment history, income and current or former addresses.

Those impacted should monitor their credit — or even&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/buyline-personal-finance/article/how-to-freeze-your-credit">freeze their credit</a>&nbsp;as an added layer of defense — and consider signing up for identify theft monitor insurance. You'll also want to be wary of any phishing attempts. It's best to make sure you have reliable contact information for a company by visiting their official website, for example, as scammers sometimes try to take advantage of news about data breaches to gain your trust through look-alike emails or phone calls.

Those are some best practices to keep in mind whether you're a victim of CDK's data breach or not, Steinhauer said. "Unfortunately, in this day and age, our data is a valuable target — and you have to make sure that you’re taking steps to protect it,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719358383200.png" alt="Pop up on the Olathe Dodge web site" />
 <figcaption>Pop up on the Olathe Dodge web site</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Car dealerships in Kansas, Missouri and across North America are still wrestling with major disruptions that started last week with cyberattacks on a company whose software is used widely in the auto retail sales sector.CDK Global, a company that provides software for thousands of auto dealers in the U.S. and Canada, was hit by back-to-back cyberattacks Wednesday. That led to an outage that has continued to impact operations.For prospective car buyers, that's meant delays at dealerships or vehicle orders written up by hand. There's no immediate end in sight, but CDK says it expects the restoration process to take “several days” to complete.On Monday, Group 1 Automotive Inc., a $4 billion automotive retailer, said it is using “alternative processes” to sell cars to its customers. Lithia Motors and AutoNation, two other dealership chains, also disclosed that they implemented workarounds to keep their operations going.Here is what you need to know.<h2>What is CDK Global?</h2>CDK Global is a major player in the auto sales industry. The company, based just outside of Chicago in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, provides software technology to dealers that helps with day-to-day operations — like facilitating vehicle sales, financing, insurance and repairs.CDK serves more than 15,000 retail locations across North America, according to the company.<h2>What happened last week?</h2>CDK experienced back-to-back cyberattacks on Wednesday. The company shut down all of its systems after the first attack out of an abundance of caution, according to spokesperson Lisa Finney, and then shut down most systems again following the second.“We have begun the restoration process," Finney said in an update over the weekend — noting that the company had launched an investigation into the “cyber incident” with third-party experts and notified law enforcement.“Based on the information we have at this time, we anticipate that the process will take several days to complete, and in the interim we are continuing to actively engage with our customers and provide them with alternate ways to conduct business,” she added.In messages to its customers, the company has also warned of “bad actors” posing as members or affiliates of CDK to try to obtain system access by contacting customers. It urged them to be cautious of any attempted phishing.The incident bore all the hallmarks of a ransomware attack, in which targets are asked to pay a ransom to access encrypted files. But CDK declined to comment directly — neither confirming or denying if it had received a ransom demand.“When you see an attack of this kind, it almost always ends up being a ransomware attack,” Cliff Steinhauer, director of information security and engagement at the National Cybersecurity Alliance. “We see it time and time again unfortunately, (particularly in) the last couple of years. No industry and no organization or software company is immune.”<h2>Are impacted dealerships still selling cars?</h2>Several major auto companies — including Stellantis, Ford and BMW — confirmed to The Associated Press last week that the CDK outage had impacted some of their dealers, but that sales operations continue.In light of the ongoing situation, a spokesperson for Stellantis said Friday that many dealerships had switched to manual processes to serve customers. That includes writing up orders by hand.A Ford spokesperson added that the outage may cause “some delays and inconveniences at some dealers and for some customers.” However, many Ford and Lincoln customers are still getting sales and service support through alternative routes being used at dealerships.“The people who've been around longer — you know, guys who have maybe a little salt in their hair like me — we remember how to do it before the computers,” said John Crane of Hawk Auto Group, a Westmont, Illinois-based dealership operator that uses CDK. “It’s just a few more steps and a little bit more time.”Although impacted Hawk Auto dealerships are still able to serve customers by “going back to the basics," Crane added that those working in administration are still “pulling out our hair." He notes that there are now stacks of paper awaiting processing — in place of orders that went through automatically on a computer overnight.Group 1 Automotive Inc. said Monday that the incident has disrupted its business applications and processes in its U.S. operations that rely on CDK’s dealers’ systems. The company said that it took measures to protect and isolate its systems from CDK’s platform.In regulatory filings, Lithia Motors and AutoNation disclosed that last week's incident at CDK had disrupted their operations as well.Lithia said it activated cyber incident response procedures, which included “severing business service connections between the company’s systems and CDK’s." AutoNation said it also took steps to protect its systems and data, adding that all of its locations remain open “albeit with lower productivity," as many are served manually or through alternative processes.<h2>HOW CAN I PROTECT MYSELF?</h2>With many details of the cyberattacks still unclear, customer privacy is also at top of mind — especially with little known about what information may have been compromised this week.If you've bought a car from a dealership that's used CDK software, cybersecurity security experts stress that it's important to assume your data may have been breached. That could potentially include “pretty sensitive information,” Steinhauer noted, like your social security number, employment history, income and current or former addresses.Those impacted should monitor their credit — or even&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/buyline-personal-finance/article/how-to-freeze-your-credit">freeze their credit</a>&nbsp;as an added layer of defense — and consider signing up for identify theft monitor insurance. You'll also want to be wary of any phishing attempts. It's best to make sure you have reliable contact information for a company by visiting their official website, for example, as scammers sometimes try to take advantage of news about data breaches to gain your trust through look-alike emails or phone calls.Those are some best practices to keep in mind whether you're a victim of CDK's data breach or not, Steinhauer said. "Unfortunately, in this day and age, our data is a valuable target — and you have to make sure that you’re taking steps to protect it,” he said.

Car dealerships in Kansas, nationwide battling cyberattack

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday sided with the Biden administration in a dispute with Republican-led states over how far the federal government can go to combat&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-media-biden-administration-lawsuit-injunction-6322aae981bdc5c9009babde4b31ab60">controversial social media posts</a>&nbsp;on topics including COVID-19 and election security.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2023/23-411">Click here to listen</a> to a replay of the oral arguments from March

By a 6-3 vote, the justices&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24778084-murthy-v-missouri">threw out lower-court rulings</a>&nbsp;that favored Louisiana, Missouri and other parties in their claims that officials in the Democratic administration leaned on the social media platforms to unconstitutionally squelch conservative points of view.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote for the court that the states and other parties did not have the legal right, or standing, to sue.

Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas dissented.

The case is among several before the court this term that affect social media companies in the context of free speech. In February, the court heard arguments over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-social-media-florida-texas-820e90e58e49c1146b69101ece4dd9d5">Republican-passed laws in Florida and Texas</a>&nbsp;that prohibit large social media companies from taking down posts because of the views they express. In March, the court laid out&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-social-media-public-officials-973f1d18e74faccaa4bfce3bd65cc1af">standards for when public officials can block their social media followers</a>.

The cases over state laws and the one that was decided Wednesday are variations on the same theme, complaints that the platforms are censoring conservative viewpoints.

The states had argued that White House communications staffers, the surgeon general, the FBI and the U.S. cybersecurity agency are among those who applied “unrelenting pressure” to coerce changes in online content on social media platforms.

But the justices appeared broadly skeptical of those claims during arguments in March and several worried that common interactions between government officials and the platforms could be affected by a ruling for the states.

The Biden administration underscored those concerns when it noted that the government would lose its ability to communicate with the social media companies about antisemitic and anti-Muslim posts, as well as on issues of national security, public health and election integrity.

The Supreme Court had earlier acted to keep the lower-court rulings on hold. Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas would have allowed the restrictions on government contacts with the platforms to go into effect.

Free speech advocates had urged the court to use the case to draw an appropriate line between the government’s acceptable use of the bully pulpit and coercive threats to free speech.

A panel of three judges on the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled earlier that the Biden administration had probably brought unconstitutional pressure on the media platforms. The appellate panel said officials cannot attempt to “coerce or significantly encourage” changes in online content. The panel had previously narrowed a more sweeping order from a federal judge, who wanted to include even more government officials and prohibit mere encouragement of content changes.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday sided with the Biden administration in a dispute with Republican-led states over how far the federal government can go to combat&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-media-biden-administration-lawsuit-injunction-6322aae981bdc5c9009babde4b31ab60">controversial social media posts</a>&nbsp;on topics including COVID-19 and election security.<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2023/23-411">Click here to listen</a> to a replay of the oral arguments from MarchBy a 6-3 vote, the justices&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24778084-murthy-v-missouri">threw out lower-court rulings</a>&nbsp;that favored Louisiana, Missouri and other parties in their claims that officials in the Democratic administration leaned on the social media platforms to unconstitutionally squelch conservative points of view.Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote for the court that the states and other parties did not have the legal right, or standing, to sue.Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas dissented.The case is among several before the court this term that affect social media companies in the context of free speech. In February, the court heard arguments over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-social-media-florida-texas-820e90e58e49c1146b69101ece4dd9d5">Republican-passed laws in Florida and Texas</a>&nbsp;that prohibit large social media companies from taking down posts because of the views they express. In March, the court laid out&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-social-media-public-officials-973f1d18e74faccaa4bfce3bd65cc1af">standards for when public officials can block their social media followers</a>.The cases over state laws and the one that was decided Wednesday are variations on the same theme, complaints that the platforms are censoring conservative viewpoints.The states had argued that White House communications staffers, the surgeon general, the FBI and the U.S. cybersecurity agency are among those who applied “unrelenting pressure” to coerce changes in online content on social media platforms.But the justices appeared broadly skeptical of those claims during arguments in March and several worried that common interactions between government officials and the platforms could be affected by a ruling for the states.The Biden administration underscored those concerns when it noted that the government would lose its ability to communicate with the social media companies about antisemitic and anti-Muslim posts, as well as on issues of national security, public health and election integrity.The Supreme Court had earlier acted to keep the lower-court rulings on hold. Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas would have allowed the restrictions on government contacts with the platforms to go into effect.Free speech advocates had urged the court to use the case to draw an appropriate line between the government’s acceptable use of the bully pulpit and coercive threats to free speech.A panel of three judges on the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled earlier that the Biden administration had probably brought unconstitutional pressure on the media platforms. The appellate panel said officials cannot attempt to “coerce or significantly encourage” changes in online content. The panel had previously narrowed a more sweeping order from a federal judge, who wanted to include even more government officials and prohibit mere encouragement of content changes.

🎧Supreme Court rules Biden admin. can regulate social media 

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple drug allegations.

Just before 2:30a.m. June 22, a sheriff's deputy conducted a traffic stop on a Dodge pickup near Interstate 470 and SW Burlingame Road, according to Shawnee County Deputy Abigail Christian.

During the interaction, the deputy discovered the driver identified as 32-year-old Jose A. Flores of Topeka had a warrant for his arrest. The deputy also noticed illegal narcotics.

The deputy arrested Flores on requested charges of possession of cocaine, drug paraphernalia and for the warrant.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719342140576.png" alt="Flores-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Flores-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple drug allegations.Just before 2:30a.m. June 22, a sheriff's deputy conducted a traffic stop on a Dodge pickup near Interstate 470 and SW Burlingame Road, according to Shawnee County Deputy Abigail Christian.During the interaction, the deputy discovered the driver identified as 32-year-old Jose A. Flores of Topeka had a warrant for his arrest. The deputy also noticed illegal narcotics.The deputy arrested Flores on requested charges of possession of cocaine, drug paraphernalia and for the warrant.

Kansas deputy found cocaine during traffic stop

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>&nbsp;- State's Newsroom

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that four states will launch voluntary pilot programs in the days ahead to test bulk milk tanks on dairy farms for bird flu — a move that’s aimed at making it easier for farmers to ship herds across state lines and for public health officials to track spread of the virus.

Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas will be in the first round of voluntary participation, with other states likely to follow, officials said on a call with reporters.

“This list of participating states is just the beginning,” said Eric Deeble, the acting senior advisor for H5N1 response at USDA.

“We are in close conversation with about a dozen other states who are very interested in participating as well,” Deeble said. “But it was important for us to get these four states going so that other states could watch how the program works and gain additional confidence.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719397041671.png" alt=" Holstein milking cows at an Idaho dairy on July 20, 2012 (Kirsten Strough/USDA)" />
 <figcaption> Holstein milking cows at an Idaho dairy on July 20, 2012 (Kirsten Strough/USDA)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>&nbsp;- State's NewsroomWASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that four states will launch voluntary pilot programs in the days ahead to test bulk milk tanks on dairy farms for bird flu — a move that’s aimed at making it easier for farmers to ship herds across state lines and for public health officials to track spread of the virus.Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas will be in the first round of voluntary participation, with other states likely to follow, officials said on a call with reporters.“This list of participating states is just the beginning,” said Eric Deeble, the acting senior advisor for H5N1 response at USDA.“We are in close conversation with about a dozen other states who are very interested in participating as well,” Deeble said. “But it was important for us to get these four states going so that other states could watch how the program works and gain additional confidence.”The launch of the pilot program, he said, is “an important step forward” for efforts to reduce the spread of bird flu, also known as H5N1, as well as for expanding understanding of the virus.Farmers who voluntarily enter the program will be able to move their herds across state lines without additional testing after bulk milk tanks or similar representative samples test negative for H5N1 for three consecutive weeks.“Producers must also comply with continued regular weekly monitoring and testing of their herd for H5N1, but that process can happen with very little effort on the part of the producer, using routine bulk milk samples,” Deeble said.<h2>126 cases of bird flu confirmed</h2>The announcement is part of the federal government’s<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/bird-flus-spread-poultry-cattle-humans-provokes-worry-among-feds-states" target="_blank">&nbsp;ongoing response</a>&nbsp;to the months-long outbreak within dairy cattle and years-long challenges faced by the country’s poultry industry.The USDA has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/hpai-confirmed-cases-livestock" target="_blank">confirmed</a>&nbsp;126 cases of bird flu in dairy cattle herds in a dozen states as of June 21, including Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming.Idaho has the most dairy herds affected, with a total of 27. That’s followed by Michigan with 25 herds and Texas with 21 herds. Colorado has reported 18 affected herds, while each of the other states has fewer than 10 herds testing positive for bird flu, according to the USDA data.Three dairy farmworkers have contracted avian flu this year, though all cases were mild.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reinforced during the call Tuesday that the risk to the general public remains low, though there is an increased risk of contracting the virus for workers, both on dairy farms and poultry farms.<h2>FDA to do more testing</h2>The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also announced Tuesday it’s broadening its testing for H5N1 to include about 155 additional samples of dairy products, including aged raw milk cheese, cream cheese, butter and ice cream.The FDA has repeatedly tested pasteurized milk from store shelves in the months since the first dairy cattle herd tested positive for H5N1 and has continuously emphasized the nation’s milk supply remains safe.“This retail sampling effort is intended to address remaining geographic and product gaps from the initial sampling of the commercial milk supply that FDA conducted between April and May of this year,” said Don Prater, acting director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the FDA.It will likely take several weeks before those results are completed and made public, he said.That second round of expanded food safety testing will not include raw milk, since it is not approved for interstate commerce, he said.But the FDA has sent a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/179194/download" target="_blank">letter</a>&nbsp;to its local, state and tribal partners, cautioning those that do allow the sale of raw milk to talk with consumers about the additional risks, given that H5N1 is spreading through dairy herds in several parts of the country.Prater, speaking on the call Tuesday, noted the FDA continues to strongly advise against drinking raw milk.“We also recommend that the industry does not manufacture or sell raw milk or raw milk products, including raw milk cheese made with milk from cows showing symptoms of illness, including those infected with the avian influenza viruses or exposed to those infected with avian influenza viruses.”