WASHINGTON (AP) —In an isolated part of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration headquarters known as the 12th-floor “bubble,” chief Anne Milgram made an unusual request of top deputies summoned in March for what she called the “Marijuana Meeting”: Nobody could take notes.

Over the next half hour, she broke the news that the Biden administration would soon be issuing a long-awaited order&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-rescheduling-drug-policy-biden-15b43441670757b0c2bfa36731e47d07">reclassifying pot as a less-dangerous drug</a>, a major hurdle toward federal legalization that DEA has long resisted. And Milgram went on to reveal another twist, according to two people familiar with the private meeting who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, that the process normally steered by the DEA had been taken over by the U.S. Justice Department and the action would not be signed by her but by Attorney General Merrick Garland.

Milgram didn't give aides a reason for the unprecedented omission and neither she nor the DEA has explained since. But it unfolded this past week exactly as laid out in that meeting two months ago, with the most significant drug policy change in 50 years launched without the support of the nation’s premier narcotics agency.

“DEA has not yet made a determination as to its views of the appropriate schedule for marijuana,” reads a sentence tucked 13 pages into Garland’s 92-page order last Thursday outlining the Biden administration proposal to shift pot from its current Schedule I alongside heroin and LSD to the less tightly regulated Schedule III with such drugs as ketamine and some anabolic steroids.

Internal records accompanying the order indicate the DEA sent a memo to the Justice Department in late January seeking additional scientific input to determine whether marijuana has an accepted medical use, a key requirement for reclassification. But those concerns were overruled by Justice Department attorneys, who deemed the DEA’s criteria “impermissibly narrow.”

Several current and former DEA officials told the AP they believe politics may be at play, contending the Justice Department is moving forward with the marijuana reclassification because President Joe Biden wants to use the issue to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-young-voters-marijuana-reclassification-dea-193e97fc2dd7b32b7d7ad50b4ea80aa0">woo voters in his re-election</a>&nbsp;campaign and wasn’t willing to give the DEA time for more studies that likely would have dragged beyond Election Day.

Those officials also noted that while the Controlled Substances Act grants the attorney general responsibility for regulating the sale of dangerous drugs, federal law still delegates the authority to classify drugs to the DEA administrator.

“It’s crystal clear to me that the Justice Department hijacked the rescheduling process, placing politics above public safety,” said Derek Maltz, a retired agent who once headed the DEA’s Special Operations Division. “If there’s scientific evidence to support this decision, then so be it. But you’ve got to let the scientists evaluate it.”

Former DEA Administrator Tim Shea said the striking absence of Milgram’s sign-off suggests she was backing “the DEA professionals.”

“If she had supported it she would have signed it and sent it in,” said Shea, who served in the Trump administration. “DEA was opposed to this and the politics entered and overruled them. It’s demoralizing. Everybody from the agents in the streets to the leadership in DEA knows the dangers this brings.”

The White House did not respond to a request for comment but Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre previously said Biden was committed to fulfilling a 2020 campaign promise. “He said no person, no American who possesses marijuana should go to jail. It is affecting communities across the country, including communities of color.”

Justice Department attorneys defended Garland’s decision to proceed without Milgram’s backing, saying in a separate memo that the action was prompted by “sharply different views” between DEA and the Department of Health and Human Services. The HHS last year&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2024-05/2016-17954-HHS.pdf">recommended</a>&nbsp;reclassifying marijuana, deeming it less risky to public health than cocaine, heroin and oxycodone, and effective in treating anorexia, pain and other ailments.

HHS concluded in part that “although abuse of marijuana produces clear evidence of a risk to public health, that risk is relatively lower than” that posed by other drugs.

The DEA balked at those findings and Garland’s order cites at least 10 times when the drug agency requested additional information before blessing HHS’ medical findings. It did not respond to AP questions seeking further comment.

The Justice Department didn't comment on internal differences but in a statement said that the proposal was “consistent with the scientific and medical determinations of HHS."

The dissonance within the federal government underscores the continuing debate over the risks posed by cannabis, even as 38 states have legalized medical marijuana and 24 have legalized its recreational use. All the while, more voters — 70% of adults, according to a Gallup poll last fall — support legalization, the highest level yet recorded by the polling firm.

“The argument that marijuana is as dangerous as fentanyl, cocaine and meth is laughable,” said Matthew C. Zorn, a Houston-based attorney who writes a newsletter on cannabis regulation. “The DEA isn’t where most Americans are. They’re standing on the wrong side of history.”

But even HHS’ National Institute on Drug Abuse has come out with statements in apparent conflict with HHS’ recommendation to reclassify pot, saying the potency of marijuana has been steadily increasing over the years, resulting in higher numbers of emergency room visits to treat a wide range of physical and mental effects, from breathing problems and mental impairment to hallucinations and paranoia.

“Whether smoking or otherwise consuming marijuana has therapeutic benefits that outweigh its health risks is still an open question that science has not resolved,” Nora Volkow, a neuroscientist who leads NIDA, is currently quoted as saying on the institute’s website. A NIDA spokesperson said rescheduling would facilitate research more into the drug.

The NIDA last performed a medical evaluation of marijuana in 2015 — a year before the Obama administration's DEA rejected a similar request to reschedule the drug.

This time, after Biden ordered a review of the drug’s status in 2022, HHS adopted new criteria to reach its rescheduling conclusion, taking into account the states that have already legalized medical marijuana.

The rescheduling move,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-biden-dea-criminal-justice-pot-f833a8dae6ceb31a8658a5d65832a3b8">first reported</a>&nbsp;by the AP last month, faces a potentially lengthy process. The DEA, which is not bound by HHS' medical determinations at this point, will take&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-rescheduling-drug-policy-biden-15b43441670757b0c2bfa36731e47d07">public comment</a>&nbsp;on the rescheduling plan before a review by an administrative judge and the publishing of a final rule. Federal prosecutions involving marijuana are already exceedingly rare but a Schedule III classification would still make pot a controlled substance subject to rules and regulations

For her part, Milgram has said little about her stance on marijuana and was not asked about it during her confirmation. When she took the helm of the agency in 2021, she privately told colleagues she considered the legalization debate a distraction from the far more serious fentanyl crisis, according to one of the people who spoke to the AP.

Milgram is known for a progressive, data-driven approach to law enforcement dating to her days as the Democratic attorney general of New Jersey. When the state’s governor, a close ally, signed a bill in 2010 making the state the 14th to make marijuana legal for medical purposes, she said only that the legislation was “workable.”

This past week, she was similarly opaque in a three-sentence announcement to DEA employees obtained by the AP.

“As required,” she wrote, “the DEA will post this notice and all attachments on our website.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691592576687.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —In an isolated part of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration headquarters known as the 12th-floor “bubble,” chief Anne Milgram made an unusual request of top deputies summoned in March for what she called the “Marijuana Meeting”: Nobody could take notes.Over the next half hour, she broke the news that the Biden administration would soon be issuing a long-awaited order&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-rescheduling-drug-policy-biden-15b43441670757b0c2bfa36731e47d07">reclassifying pot as a less-dangerous drug</a>, a major hurdle toward federal legalization that DEA has long resisted. And Milgram went on to reveal another twist, according to two people familiar with the private meeting who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, that the process normally steered by the DEA had been taken over by the U.S. Justice Department and the action would not be signed by her but by Attorney General Merrick Garland.Milgram didn't give aides a reason for the unprecedented omission and neither she nor the DEA has explained since. But it unfolded this past week exactly as laid out in that meeting two months ago, with the most significant drug policy change in 50 years launched without the support of the nation’s premier narcotics agency.“DEA has not yet made a determination as to its views of the appropriate schedule for marijuana,” reads a sentence tucked 13 pages into Garland’s 92-page order last Thursday outlining the Biden administration proposal to shift pot from its current Schedule I alongside heroin and LSD to the less tightly regulated Schedule III with such drugs as ketamine and some anabolic steroids.Internal records accompanying the order indicate the DEA sent a memo to the Justice Department in late January seeking additional scientific input to determine whether marijuana has an accepted medical use, a key requirement for reclassification. But those concerns were overruled by Justice Department attorneys, who deemed the DEA’s criteria “impermissibly narrow.”Several current and former DEA officials told the AP they believe politics may be at play, contending the Justice Department is moving forward with the marijuana reclassification because President Joe Biden wants to use the issue to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-young-voters-marijuana-reclassification-dea-193e97fc2dd7b32b7d7ad50b4ea80aa0">woo voters in his re-election</a>&nbsp;campaign and wasn’t willing to give the DEA time for more studies that likely would have dragged beyond Election Day.Those officials also noted that while the Controlled Substances Act grants the attorney general responsibility for regulating the sale of dangerous drugs, federal law still delegates the authority to classify drugs to the DEA administrator.“It’s crystal clear to me that the Justice Department hijacked the rescheduling process, placing politics above public safety,” said Derek Maltz, a retired agent who once headed the DEA’s Special Operations Division. “If there’s scientific evidence to support this decision, then so be it. But you’ve got to let the scientists evaluate it.”Former DEA Administrator Tim Shea said the striking absence of Milgram’s sign-off suggests she was backing “the DEA professionals.”“If she had supported it she would have signed it and sent it in,” said Shea, who served in the Trump administration. “DEA was opposed to this and the politics entered and overruled them. It’s demoralizing. Everybody from the agents in the streets to the leadership in DEA knows the dangers this brings.”The White House did not respond to a request for comment but Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre previously said Biden was committed to fulfilling a 2020 campaign promise. “He said no person, no American who possesses marijuana should go to jail. It is affecting communities across the country, including communities of color.”Justice Department attorneys defended Garland’s decision to proceed without Milgram’s backing, saying in a separate memo that the action was prompted by “sharply different views” between DEA and the Department of Health and Human Services. The HHS last year&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2024-05/2016-17954-HHS.pdf">recommended</a>&nbsp;reclassifying marijuana, deeming it less risky to public health than cocaine, heroin and oxycodone, and effective in treating anorexia, pain and other ailments.HHS concluded in part that “although abuse of marijuana produces clear evidence of a risk to public health, that risk is relatively lower than” that posed by other drugs.The DEA balked at those findings and Garland’s order cites at least 10 times when the drug agency requested additional information before blessing HHS’ medical findings. It did not respond to AP questions seeking further comment.The Justice Department didn't comment on internal differences but in a statement said that the proposal was “consistent with the scientific and medical determinations of HHS."The dissonance within the federal government underscores the continuing debate over the risks posed by cannabis, even as 38 states have legalized medical marijuana and 24 have legalized its recreational use. All the while, more voters — 70% of adults, according to a Gallup poll last fall — support legalization, the highest level yet recorded by the polling firm.“The argument that marijuana is as dangerous as fentanyl, cocaine and meth is laughable,” said Matthew C. Zorn, a Houston-based attorney who writes a newsletter on cannabis regulation. “The DEA isn’t where most Americans are. They’re standing on the wrong side of history.”But even HHS’ National Institute on Drug Abuse has come out with statements in apparent conflict with HHS’ recommendation to reclassify pot, saying the potency of marijuana has been steadily increasing over the years, resulting in higher numbers of emergency room visits to treat a wide range of physical and mental effects, from breathing problems and mental impairment to hallucinations and paranoia.“Whether smoking or otherwise consuming marijuana has therapeutic benefits that outweigh its health risks is still an open question that science has not resolved,” Nora Volkow, a neuroscientist who leads NIDA, is currently quoted as saying on the institute’s website. A NIDA spokesperson said rescheduling would facilitate research more into the drug.The NIDA last performed a medical evaluation of marijuana in 2015 — a year before the Obama administration's DEA rejected a similar request to reschedule the drug.This time, after Biden ordered a review of the drug’s status in 2022, HHS adopted new criteria to reach its rescheduling conclusion, taking into account the states that have already legalized medical marijuana.The rescheduling move,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-biden-dea-criminal-justice-pot-f833a8dae6ceb31a8658a5d65832a3b8">first reported</a>&nbsp;by the AP last month, faces a potentially lengthy process. The DEA, which is not bound by HHS' medical determinations at this point, will take&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-rescheduling-drug-policy-biden-15b43441670757b0c2bfa36731e47d07">public comment</a>&nbsp;on the rescheduling plan before a review by an administrative judge and the publishing of a final rule. Federal prosecutions involving marijuana are already exceedingly rare but a Schedule III classification would still make pot a controlled substance subject to rules and regulationsFor her part, Milgram has said little about her stance on marijuana and was not asked about it during her confirmation. When she took the helm of the agency in 2021, she privately told colleagues she considered the legalization debate a distraction from the far more serious fentanyl crisis, according to one of the people who spoke to the AP.Milgram is known for a progressive, data-driven approach to law enforcement dating to her days as the Democratic attorney general of New Jersey. When the state’s governor, a close ally, signed a bill in 2010 making the state the 14th to make marijuana legal for medical purposes, she said only that the legislation was “workable.”This past week, she was similarly opaque in a three-sentence announcement to DEA employees obtained by the AP.“As required,” she wrote, “the DEA will post this notice and all attachments on our website.”_____

Top U.S. drug agency a holdout in Biden's push to loosen  marijuana restrictions

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal hit-and-run accident and asking for help to locate a vehicle.

Just before 7p.m. Tuesday, a gray/teal Yamaha motorcycle was&nbsp; eastbound on 40 Highway at a high rate of speed while racing a dark colored SUV, according to KCPD Police Captain Jake Becchina.

In the area of 40 Highway and Phelps, a white Ford F150 was turning left from westbound 40 Highway onto southbound Phelps. 

The Yamaha motorcycle struck the Ford pickup as the it was making the turn. The operator of the motorcycle, who was wearing a helmet, was ejected from the motorcycle and pronounced deceased at the scene. 

The dark colored SUV and the Ford F150 both left the scene of the collision.&nbsp; Highway 40&nbsp; was completely closed to all traffic at Phelps for approximately two and a half hours.

Police are looking for an older model white Ford F150. The pickup should have heavy damage on the right rear passenger side bed of the truck. It was last seen traveling southbound on Phelps. Anyone with information&nbsp; are asked to contact the KCPD Traffic Division or the TIPS Hotline. Police&nbsp; do not have any additional known suspect information available for&nbsp; the SUV that the motorcycle was racing.&nbsp;

This is fatality #41 compared to #29 at this time last year, according to Becchina.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716399799099.png" alt="-KCPD&nbsp;detectives released a security camera image of the suspect vehicle.&nbsp;The truck is going to be heavily damaged on the rear right side truck bed." />
 <figcaption>-KCPD&nbsp;detectives released a security camera image of the suspect vehicle.&nbsp;The truck is going to be heavily damaged on the rear right side truck bed.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal hit-and-run accident and asking for help to locate a vehicle.Just before 7p.m. Tuesday, a gray/teal Yamaha motorcycle was&nbsp; eastbound on 40 Highway at a high rate of speed while racing a dark colored SUV, according to KCPD Police Captain Jake Becchina.In the area of 40 Highway and Phelps, a white Ford F150 was turning left from westbound 40 Highway onto southbound Phelps. The Yamaha motorcycle struck the Ford pickup as the it was making the turn. The operator of the motorcycle, who was wearing a helmet, was ejected from the motorcycle and pronounced deceased at the scene. The dark colored SUV and the Ford F150 both left the scene of the collision.&nbsp; Highway 40&nbsp; was completely closed to all traffic at Phelps for approximately two and a half hours.Police are looking for an older model white Ford F150. The pickup should have heavy damage on the right rear passenger side bed of the truck. It was last seen traveling southbound on Phelps. Anyone with information&nbsp; are asked to contact the KCPD Traffic Division or the TIPS Hotline. Police&nbsp; do not have any additional known suspect information available for&nbsp; the SUV that the motorcycle was racing.&nbsp;This is fatality #41 compared to #29 at this time last year, according to Becchina.

KCPD: Motorcyclist was racing SUV before fatal hit-and-run crash

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

On May 18,&nbsp; Sheriff's deputies went to a residence&nbsp; in Hiawatha, Kansas, attempting to locate Kansas felon who was wanted on multiple warrants in Kansas and Missouri, according to Sheriff John Merchant.

Deputies were allowed to look for Derek Frakes, 38, of Hiawatha&nbsp; and he was located inside the residence and placed under arrest.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

 Deputies&nbsp; gathered information while locating Frakes which led to the approval of a search warrant&nbsp; at the 711 Iowa residence. Brown County Sheriff's Office Drug Task Force initiated the warrant.&nbsp; 

Frakeswas arrested on a $500 and $10,000 Brown County Felony Probation Violation Warrants,&nbsp; $25,000&nbsp; Brown County Felony Failure to Appear Warrant, $2500 Platte County Missouri Felony&nbsp; Warrant for Possession of Marijuana and $2500Platte County Felony Warrant for Distribution or Possession of Drug Paraphernalia for Illegal Use.

Frakes is also facing requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716237137749.png" alt="Frakes photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Frakes photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations.On May 18,&nbsp; Sheriff's deputies went to a residence&nbsp; in Hiawatha, Kansas, attempting to locate Kansas felon who was wanted on multiple warrants in Kansas and Missouri, according to Sheriff John Merchant.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716237073364.png" alt="Photo Brown Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Brown Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Deputies were allowed to look for Derek Frakes, 38, of Hiawatha&nbsp; and he was located inside the residence and placed under arrest.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Deputies&nbsp; gathered information while locating Frakes which led to the approval of a search warrant&nbsp; at the 711 Iowa residence. Brown County Sheriff's Office Drug Task Force initiated the warrant.&nbsp; Frakeswas arrested on a $500 and $10,000 Brown County Felony Probation Violation Warrants,&nbsp; $25,000&nbsp; Brown County Felony Failure to Appear Warrant, $2500 Platte County Missouri Felony&nbsp; Warrant for Possession of Marijuana and $2500Platte County Felony Warrant for Distribution or Possession of Drug Paraphernalia for Illegal Use.Frakes is also facing requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Deputies seize drugs capture Kan. felon wanted in 2 states

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Commissioner Roger Goodell declined Wednesday to expand on the NFL's statement distancing the league from comments made by Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker during a commencement address at a private Catholic college in Kansas.

“We have over 3,000 players,” Goodell said as the NFL concluded its spring meetings. “We have executives around the league that have a diversity of opinions and thoughts just like America does. I think that’s something that we treasure, and that’s part of, I think, ultimately what makes us as a society better.”

<a href="https://www.ncregister.com/news/harrison-butker-speech-at-benedictine">Click here to read full text</a> of Butker's address or watch the video below

The league&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harrison-butker-chiefs-homemaker-nfl-5466d7b3560f640c825107df9694b07b">already said last week in a statement</a>&nbsp;that Butker's comments and "views are not those of the NFL as an organization.”

During his speech May 11 at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/catholic-college-conservative-commencement-harrison-butker-a40b881fe41ac489853fb67e58ed20d1">Benedictine College</a>&nbsp;in Atchison, Kansas, the three-time Super Bowl champion kicker said most of the women receiving degrees “have had the most diabolical lies” told to them about having careers when they were probably more excited about getting married and having children.

Butker, 28, also said his wife embraced “one of the most important titles of all. Homemaker.“

He said some Catholic leaders were “pushing dangerous gender ideologies onto the youth of America.” Butker also referred to a “deadly sin sort of pride that has a month dedicated to it” in an oblique reference to Pride month.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715717735541.png" alt="Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker during a commencement address at a Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas- courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker during a commencement address at a Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas- courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Commissioner Roger Goodell declined Wednesday to expand on the NFL's statement distancing the league from comments made by Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker during a commencement address at a private Catholic college in Kansas.“We have over 3,000 players,” Goodell said as the NFL concluded its spring meetings. “We have executives around the league that have a diversity of opinions and thoughts just like America does. I think that’s something that we treasure, and that’s part of, I think, ultimately what makes us as a society better.”<a href="https://www.ncregister.com/news/harrison-butker-speech-at-benedictine">Click here to read full text</a> of Butker's address or watch the video below<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-JS7RIKSaCc?si=Ecgm506Cc2XAdJ9E&amp;start=6" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>The league&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harrison-butker-chiefs-homemaker-nfl-5466d7b3560f640c825107df9694b07b">already said last week in a statement</a>&nbsp;that Butker's comments and "views are not those of the NFL as an organization.”During his speech May 11 at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/catholic-college-conservative-commencement-harrison-butker-a40b881fe41ac489853fb67e58ed20d1">Benedictine College</a>&nbsp;in Atchison, Kansas, the three-time Super Bowl champion kicker said most of the women receiving degrees “have had the most diabolical lies” told to them about having careers when they were probably more excited about getting married and having children.Butker, 28, also said his wife embraced “one of the most important titles of all. Homemaker.“He said some Catholic leaders were “pushing dangerous gender ideologies onto the youth of America.” Butker also referred to a “deadly sin sort of pride that has a month dedicated to it” in an oblique reference to Pride month.

NFL Commissioner breaks silence on Harrison Butker's remarks

JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities in Overland Park are investigating a dog bite incident and asking for the public’s assistance with locating the dog involved.

The incident that occurred just before 10a.m. Tuesday near the intersection of 148th Street and Antioch Road, according to a statement from Overland Park Police. 

A woman was jogging on the sidewalk.  A man was walking a fawn/buckskin &amp; black German shepherd when the dog lunged and bit the jogger. 

The canine owner is described as a white male, in his 60’s, with white hair and glasses. He was wearing a red hat. The dog was on leash when this incident occurred. The injury sustained did require a dog bite report.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Overland Park Animal Control at (913) 895-6420.&nbsp;

JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities in Overland Park are investigating a dog bite incident and asking for the public’s assistance with locating the dog involved.The incident that occurred just before 10a.m. Tuesday near the intersection of 148th Street and Antioch Road, according to a statement from Overland Park Police. A woman was jogging on the sidewalk. A man was walking a fawn/buckskin &amp; black German shepherd when the dog lunged and bit the jogger. The canine owner is described as a white male, in his 60’s, with white hair and glasses. He was wearing a red hat. The dog was on leash when this incident occurred. The injury sustained did require a dog bite report.Anyone with information is asked to contact the Overland Park Animal Control at (913) 895-6420.&nbsp;

Police need help locating dog that bit Kan. woman out jogging

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is canceling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/student-loans">student loans</a>&nbsp;for another 160,000 borrowers through a combination of existing programs.

The Education Department announced the latest round of cancellation on Wednesday, saying it will erase $7.7 billion in federal student loans. With the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-student-loan-education-forgiveness-069d64e7e6fc4edd967adf6bc5f7e699">latest action</a>, the administration said it has canceled $167 billion in student debt for nearly 5 million Americans through several programs.

“From day one of my administration, I promised to fight to ensure higher education is a ticket to the middle class, not a barrier to opportunity,” President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;said in a statement. “I will never stop working to cancel student debt — no matter how many times Republican-elected officials try to stop us.”

The latest relief will go to borrowers in three categories who hit certain milestones that make them eligible for cancellation. It will go to 54,000 borrowers who are enrolled in Biden's new income-driven repayment plan, along with 39,000 enrolled in earlier income-driven plans, and about 67,000 who are eligible through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.

Biden's new payment plan, known as the SAVE Plan, offers a faster path to forgiveness than earlier versions. More people are now becoming eligible for loan cancellation as they hit 10 years of payments, a new finish line that's a decade sooner than what borrowers faced in the past.

The cancellation is moving forward even as Biden's SAVE Plan faces legal challenges from Republican-led states. A group of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-cancellation-debt-lawsuit-republicans-biden-b60d13539b2f2aef2869d56e63f33a3b">11 states led by Kansas</a>&nbsp;sued to block the plan in March, followed by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-debt-cancellation-college-forgiveness-f94b9706bd395b32e44d4d1b3f6ff051">seven more led by Missouri</a>&nbsp;in April. In two federal lawsuits, the states say Biden needed to go through Congress for his overhaul of federal repayment plans.

A separate action by the Biden administration aimed to correct previous mistakes that delayed cancellation for some borrowers enrolled in other repayment plans and through Public Service Loan Forgiveness, which forgives loans for people who make 10 years of payments while working in public service jobs.

The Biden administration has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-cancellation-debt-forgiveness-college-fb020cb7f66d99db6c393c2be696bcf0">announcing new batches</a>&nbsp;of forgiveness each month as more people qualify under those three categories.

According to the Education Department, 1 in 10 federal student loan borrowers has now been approved for some form of loan relief.

“One out of every 10 federal student loan borrowers approved for debt relief means one out of every 10 borrowers now has financial breathing room and a burden lifted,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement.

The Biden administration has continued canceling loans through existing avenues while it also pushes for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-cancellation-debt-college-forgiveness-c3ec59d4c1d89e77bc1afc6c8ded1615">new, one-time cancellation</a>&nbsp;that would provide relief to more than 30 million borrowers in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-cancellation-debt-college-forgiveness-c3ec59d4c1d89e77bc1afc6c8ded1615">five categories</a>.

Biden's new plan aims to help borrowers with large sums of unpaid interest, those with older loans, those who attended low-value college programs, and those who face other hardships preventing them from repaying student loans. It would also cancel loans for people who are eligible through other programs but haven't applied.

The proposal is going through a lengthy rulemaking process, but the administration said it will accelerate certain provisions, with plans to start waiving unpaid interest for millions of borrowers starting this fall.

Conservative opponents have threatened to challenge that plan too, calling it an unfair bonus for wealthy college graduates at the expense of taxpayers who didn't attend college or already repaid their loans.

The Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-653c2e9c085863bdbf81f125f87669fa">rejected Biden's earlier attempt</a>&nbsp;at one-time cancellation, saying it overstepped the president's authority. The new plan is being made with a different legal justification.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is canceling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/student-loans">student loans</a>&nbsp;for another 160,000 borrowers through a combination of existing programs.The Education Department announced the latest round of cancellation on Wednesday, saying it will erase $7.7 billion in federal student loans. With the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-student-loan-education-forgiveness-069d64e7e6fc4edd967adf6bc5f7e699">latest action</a>, the administration said it has canceled $167 billion in student debt for nearly 5 million Americans through several programs.“From day one of my administration, I promised to fight to ensure higher education is a ticket to the middle class, not a barrier to opportunity,” President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;said in a statement. “I will never stop working to cancel student debt — no matter how many times Republican-elected officials try to stop us.”The latest relief will go to borrowers in three categories who hit certain milestones that make them eligible for cancellation. It will go to 54,000 borrowers who are enrolled in Biden's new income-driven repayment plan, along with 39,000 enrolled in earlier income-driven plans, and about 67,000 who are eligible through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.Biden's new payment plan, known as the SAVE Plan, offers a faster path to forgiveness than earlier versions. More people are now becoming eligible for loan cancellation as they hit 10 years of payments, a new finish line that's a decade sooner than what borrowers faced in the past.The cancellation is moving forward even as Biden's SAVE Plan faces legal challenges from Republican-led states. A group of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-cancellation-debt-lawsuit-republicans-biden-b60d13539b2f2aef2869d56e63f33a3b">11 states led by Kansas</a>&nbsp;sued to block the plan in March, followed by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-debt-cancellation-college-forgiveness-f94b9706bd395b32e44d4d1b3f6ff051">seven more led by Missouri</a>&nbsp;in April. In two federal lawsuits, the states say Biden needed to go through Congress for his overhaul of federal repayment plans.A separate action by the Biden administration aimed to correct previous mistakes that delayed cancellation for some borrowers enrolled in other repayment plans and through Public Service Loan Forgiveness, which forgives loans for people who make 10 years of payments while working in public service jobs.The Biden administration has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-cancellation-debt-forgiveness-college-fb020cb7f66d99db6c393c2be696bcf0">announcing new batches</a>&nbsp;of forgiveness each month as more people qualify under those three categories.According to the Education Department, 1 in 10 federal student loan borrowers has now been approved for some form of loan relief.“One out of every 10 federal student loan borrowers approved for debt relief means one out of every 10 borrowers now has financial breathing room and a burden lifted,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement.The Biden administration has continued canceling loans through existing avenues while it also pushes for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-cancellation-debt-college-forgiveness-c3ec59d4c1d89e77bc1afc6c8ded1615">new, one-time cancellation</a>&nbsp;that would provide relief to more than 30 million borrowers in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-cancellation-debt-college-forgiveness-c3ec59d4c1d89e77bc1afc6c8ded1615">five categories</a>.Biden's new plan aims to help borrowers with large sums of unpaid interest, those with older loans, those who attended low-value college programs, and those who face other hardships preventing them from repaying student loans. It would also cancel loans for people who are eligible through other programs but haven't applied.The proposal is going through a lengthy rulemaking process, but the administration said it will accelerate certain provisions, with plans to start waiving unpaid interest for millions of borrowers starting this fall.Conservative opponents have threatened to challenge that plan too, calling it an unfair bonus for wealthy college graduates at the expense of taxpayers who didn't attend college or already repaid their loans.The Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-653c2e9c085863bdbf81f125f87669fa">rejected Biden's earlier attempt</a>&nbsp;at one-time cancellation, saying it overstepped the president's authority. The new plan is being made with a different legal justification.

Biden canceling student loans for another 160,000 borrowers

KANSAS CITY —A man deputies arrested on Friday is now the first person in Missouri to be charged with the crime of attempted voluntary manslaughter by knowingly assisting another in the commission or attempted commission of self murder, according to the Clay County Sheriff's office.

Just before midnight May 16, deputies responded the 600 block of Cherry Street in Randolph, Missouri. They saw a woman lying on the ground with a large knife sticking out from under her armpit. A man was by her. An ambulance transported the victim to the hospital.

The man told deputies he had recorded the woman stabbing herself. He showed them the video, in which he'd told her to get a knife and then threatened that he would stab her if she didn't do it to herself first. He told her the first knife she was going to use was too small, so she retrieved a much larger one. He told her where to insert the knife so she would die quickly, based on what he had seen in a movie. 

When she fell to the ground, the video showed him checking to ensure she had done it. It did not appear that he attempted to provide any aid. He also told deputies he had physically assaulted the woman a few days prior, and she had prior injuries consistent with that.&nbsp; The woman survived the incident, according to the sheriff's office.

Thomas R. Crownover, 41, Kansas City is being held in the Clay County Jail on a $100,000 bond. He has been charged with of attempted voluntary manslaughter and armed criminal action.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716381289879.png" alt="Crownover-photo Clay County" />
 <figcaption>Crownover-photo Clay County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A man deputies arrested on Friday is now the first person in Missouri to be charged with the crime of attempted voluntary manslaughter by knowingly assisting another in the commission or attempted commission of self murder, according to the Clay County Sheriff's office.Just before midnight May 16, deputies responded the 600 block of Cherry Street in Randolph, Missouri. They saw a woman lying on the ground with a large knife sticking out from under her armpit. A man was by her. An ambulance transported the victim to the hospital.The man told deputies he had recorded the woman stabbing herself. He showed them the video, in which he'd told her to get a knife and then threatened that he would stab her if she didn't do it to herself first. He told her the first knife she was going to use was too small, so she retrieved a much larger one. He told her where to insert the knife so she would die quickly, based on what he had seen in a movie. When she fell to the ground, the video showed him checking to ensure she had done it. It did not appear that he attempted to provide any aid. He also told deputies he had physically assaulted the woman a few days prior, and she had prior injuries consistent with that.&nbsp; The woman survived the incident, according to the sheriff's office.Thomas R. Crownover, 41, Kansas City is being held in the Clay County Jail on a $100,000 bond. He has been charged with of attempted voluntary manslaughter and armed criminal action.&nbsp;

Kansas City man charged with first-of-its-kind crime in Missouri

KANSAS CITY (AP)—A potential multibillion-dollar settlement of an antitrust lawsuit cleared the second of a three-step NCAA approval process Tuesday, with no change to a payment structure that would have the 27 college conferences not named in the suit cover&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/3e57f652b15ad8cd1c8e7e2bbc9765ce">the majority of a $1.6 billion portion of the damages.</a>

The Division I Board of Directors voted to move forward on a proposed $2.77 billion settlement of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-athletes-nil-eb702d33a87bca98084ea492eccdf84c">House vs. NCAA,</a>&nbsp;according to two people who had been briefed on the vote. They said the vote was not unanimous, but it was unclear exactly how the 24 member-board voted.

The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the NCAA was not revealing its internal discussions related to the settlement. The NCAA Board of Governors still must sign off on the deal for final approval. It is scheduled to meet later this week.

The D-I board's finance committee recommended on Monday to stick with the original finance plan for the settlement, which has drawn the ire of non-power conference leaders who believe their leagues will bear a disproportionate financial burden.

The NCAA, Big Ten, Big 12, Atlantic Coast Conference, Pac-12 and Southeastern Conference are defendants in the House case, a class-action lawsuit that seeks back pay for college athletes who were denied name, image and likeness compensation dating to 2016. The NCAA lifted its ban on athletes earning money for sponsorship and endorsement deals in 2021.

The Big 12 became the first conference to approve the settlement Tuesday, with their board of university presidents and chancellors voting unanimously in favor, another person with direct knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the conferences were not making any public statements about the settlement for now. The settlement would cost the University of Kansas, Kansas State University and other Big 12 member schools millions annually.

Later Tuesday, the ACC presidents also voted to approve the settlement, according to a person with knowledge of their vote who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The Big Ten, SEC and Pac-12 presidents were scheduled to vote on whether to approve the settlement deal later this week.

Moving forward, it will be the Big Ten, Big 12, ACC and SEC making the largest investment as the settlement includes a proposed revenue-sharing system that asks their schools to commit upwards of $20 million per year to be paid directly to athletes. The overall commitment is expected to be about $300 million per school over 10 years.

The NCAA office is set to cover $2.77 billion in damages over 10 years through a reduction of operating expenses, insurance and reserve funds. Withheld distributions to its 352 Division I member schools would cover the rest. The NCAA distributes more than $700 million per year to its 1,100 member schools in three divisions, the vast majority to Division I.

The approved finance plan for the settlement calls for the NCAA to cover 41% of the $2.77 billion in damages, with the Power Five conferences accounting for 24% and the other five major college football conferences — the so-called Group of Five — covering 10%.

The conferences that compete in the second tier of Division I football, the Championship Subdivision, would cover 14% of the overall settlement and the non-football D-I conferences would be on the hook for 12%.

The conference commissioners from leagues that do not compete at the highest tier of Division I football, the Bowl Subdivision, have taken issue with the $1.6 billion in withheld distribution portion of the settlement.

The 27 conferences not named in the lawsuit are expected to cover 60% of withheld distributions, with the other 40% coming from power conferences that are currently comprised of 69 schools.

The commissioners of the 22 non-FBS conferences sent a memo to NCAA leadership, proposing the finance structure be flipped so power conference withheld distributions cover 60% of the $1.6 billion.

Big Sky Commissioner Tom Wistrcill said earlier Tuesday the non-FBS conferences were holding out hope for reconsideration.

The Big Sky is one of the most successful conferences in the Championship Subdivision, with schools such as Montana, Montana State, Eastern Washington, Idaho State and Weber State.

“We believe over 95% of the damages are going to go to (Power Five) football and basketball players. For non-A5 conferences to pay for that is disproportionate. We’re asking for a more proportionate structure because our student-athletes are not going to see the money," Wistrcill said,

Plaintiffs' lawyers have given the NCAA and conferences until Thursday to respond to the settlement proposal, with parties on both sides&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-nil-lawsuit-b4bbf143ac1707ffcd59828add0a2a59">sounding hopeful that it will be approved.</a>

The conferences not named in the lawsuit did not find out about details of the proposed settlement until two weeks ago through media reports, Wistrcill said. He said they are hoping the settlement can be approved with an opportunity for the NCAA financing plan to be readdressed, but the prospects of that diminished even further with the full board's approval Tuesday night.

Wistrcill said the formula for withheld distributions the NCAA is using, which is based on the percentage a conference received of overall NCAA distributions between 2016-2024, is projected to cost the Big Sky around $3 million per year over 10 years.

He said while power conferences will have a larger total distribution withheld on a per school basis, that revenue is a much smaller part of athletic department budgets that typically soar past $100 million annually. It also does not take into account the huge influx of revenue those schools are about to receive from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/espn-cfp-9d75671decaa5e47ca2d1eaef8a0b693">expanded College Football Playoff.</a>

Big Sky school athletic budgets run about $20 million annually.

“The money is flowing to their student-athletes while disproportionately (the settlement) is penalizing our institutions,” Wistrcill said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587379293613.jpeg" alt="The NCAA Board of Governors still must sign off on the deal for final approval. It is scheduled to meet later this week. Photo Associated Press" />
 <figcaption>The NCAA Board of Governors still must sign off on the deal for final approval. It is scheduled to meet later this week. Photo Associated Press</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP)—A potential multibillion-dollar settlement of an antitrust lawsuit cleared the second of a three-step NCAA approval process Tuesday, with no change to a payment structure that would have the 27 college conferences not named in the suit cover&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/3e57f652b15ad8cd1c8e7e2bbc9765ce">the majority of a $1.6 billion portion of the damages.</a>The Division I Board of Directors voted to move forward on a proposed $2.77 billion settlement of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-athletes-nil-eb702d33a87bca98084ea492eccdf84c">House vs. NCAA,</a>&nbsp;according to two people who had been briefed on the vote. They said the vote was not unanimous, but it was unclear exactly how the 24 member-board voted.The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the NCAA was not revealing its internal discussions related to the settlement. The NCAA Board of Governors still must sign off on the deal for final approval. It is scheduled to meet later this week.The D-I board's finance committee recommended on Monday to stick with the original finance plan for the settlement, which has drawn the ire of non-power conference leaders who believe their leagues will bear a disproportionate financial burden.The NCAA, Big Ten, Big 12, Atlantic Coast Conference, Pac-12 and Southeastern Conference are defendants in the House case, a class-action lawsuit that seeks back pay for college athletes who were denied name, image and likeness compensation dating to 2016. The NCAA lifted its ban on athletes earning money for sponsorship and endorsement deals in 2021.The Big 12 became the first conference to approve the settlement Tuesday, with their board of university presidents and chancellors voting unanimously in favor, another person with direct knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the conferences were not making any public statements about the settlement for now. The settlement would cost the University of Kansas, Kansas State University and other Big 12 member schools millions annually.Later Tuesday, the ACC presidents also voted to approve the settlement, according to a person with knowledge of their vote who spoke on condition of anonymity.The Big Ten, SEC and Pac-12 presidents were scheduled to vote on whether to approve the settlement deal later this week.Moving forward, it will be the Big Ten, Big 12, ACC and SEC making the largest investment as the settlement includes a proposed revenue-sharing system that asks their schools to commit upwards of $20 million per year to be paid directly to athletes. The overall commitment is expected to be about $300 million per school over 10 years.The NCAA office is set to cover $2.77 billion in damages over 10 years through a reduction of operating expenses, insurance and reserve funds. Withheld distributions to its 352 Division I member schools would cover the rest. The NCAA distributes more than $700 million per year to its 1,100 member schools in three divisions, the vast majority to Division I.The approved finance plan for the settlement calls for the NCAA to cover 41% of the $2.77 billion in damages, with the Power Five conferences accounting for 24% and the other five major college football conferences — the so-called Group of Five — covering 10%.The conferences that compete in the second tier of Division I football, the Championship Subdivision, would cover 14% of the overall settlement and the non-football D-I conferences would be on the hook for 12%.The conference commissioners from leagues that do not compete at the highest tier of Division I football, the Bowl Subdivision, have taken issue with the $1.6 billion in withheld distribution portion of the settlement.The 27 conferences not named in the lawsuit are expected to cover 60% of withheld distributions, with the other 40% coming from power conferences that are currently comprised of 69 schools.The commissioners of the 22 non-FBS conferences sent a memo to NCAA leadership, proposing the finance structure be flipped so power conference withheld distributions cover 60% of the $1.6 billion.Big Sky Commissioner Tom Wistrcill said earlier Tuesday the non-FBS conferences were holding out hope for reconsideration."We’re fighting uphill," he said.The Big Sky is one of the most successful conferences in the Championship Subdivision, with schools such as Montana, Montana State, Eastern Washington, Idaho State and Weber State.“We believe over 95% of the damages are going to go to (Power Five) football and basketball players. For non-A5 conferences to pay for that is disproportionate. We’re asking for a more proportionate structure because our student-athletes are not going to see the money," Wistrcill said,Plaintiffs' lawyers have given the NCAA and conferences until Thursday to respond to the settlement proposal, with parties on both sides&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-nil-lawsuit-b4bbf143ac1707ffcd59828add0a2a59">sounding hopeful that it will be approved.</a>The conferences not named in the lawsuit did not find out about details of the proposed settlement until two weeks ago through media reports, Wistrcill said. He said they are hoping the settlement can be approved with an opportunity for the NCAA financing plan to be readdressed, but the prospects of that diminished even further with the full board's approval Tuesday night.Wistrcill said the formula for withheld distributions the NCAA is using, which is based on the percentage a conference received of overall NCAA distributions between 2016-2024, is projected to cost the Big Sky around $3 million per year over 10 years.He said while power conferences will have a larger total distribution withheld on a per school basis, that revenue is a much smaller part of athletic department budgets that typically soar past $100 million annually. It also does not take into account the huge influx of revenue those schools are about to receive from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/espn-cfp-9d75671decaa5e47ca2d1eaef8a0b693">expanded College Football Playoff.</a>Big Sky school athletic budgets run about $20 million annually.“The money is flowing to their student-athletes while disproportionately (the settlement) is penalizing our institutions,” Wistrcill said.

Proposed $2.8 billion settlement would cost KU, K-State millions

JACKSON COUNTY – One person was injured after a law enforcement pursuit ended just after 6p.m. Tuesday in Jackson County.

After a 911 call, Jackson County Sheriff's deputies learned the Kansas Highway Patrol was in a pursuit with a small pickup from central Topeka. The pickup&nbsp;entered Jackson County from Topeka Blvd. on 94th and headed north on U.4 Road, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

Deputies deployed stop sticks disabling the vehicle.  The vehicle left the roadway and the pursuit ended at 142nd and U.4 Road.

  Jackson County EMS responded to the scene and transported the driver to a Topeka hospital for evaluation. The Kansas Highway Patrol released no additional details on what prompted the chase or the name of the driver involved.

JACKSON COUNTY – One person was injured after a law enforcement pursuit ended just after 6p.m. Tuesday in Jackson County.After a 911 call, Jackson County Sheriff's deputies learned the Kansas Highway Patrol was in a pursuit with a small pickup from central Topeka. The pickup&nbsp;entered Jackson County from Topeka Blvd. on 94th and headed north on U.4 Road, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.Deputies deployed stop sticks disabling the vehicle. The vehicle left the roadway and the pursuit ended at 142nd and U.4 Road. Jackson County EMS responded to the scene and transported the driver to a Topeka hospital for evaluation. The Kansas Highway Patrol released no additional details on what prompted the chase or the name of the driver involved.

Driver hospitalized after Kan. deputies help end KHP pursuit 

GREENFIELD, Iowa (AP) — Multiple people were killed when a tornado tore through Greenfield and left a wide swath of obliterated homes, crumpled cars and splintered trees, while outside the small town, massive wind turbines were buckled and twisted to the ground by the howling winds.

After devastating the town of 2,000 residents, the storms moved eastward to pummel parts of Illinois and Wisconsin, knocking out power to more than 130,000 customers in the two states.

Greenfield's hospital was among the buildings that were damaged in the town, which meant that at least a dozen people who were hurt had to be taken to facilities elsewhere, according to Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Alex Dinkla.

“Sadly we can confirm that there have been fatalities,” Dinkla said at a news conference Tuesday night, without specifying how many. “We’re still counting at this time.”

He said he thought they had accounted for all of the town’s residents but that searches would continue if anyone was reported missing. The Adair County Health System said in a Facebook post Tuesday night that it had set up a triage center at the Greenfield high school and that people who need medical attention should go there.

The tornado destroyed much of Greenfield, which is located about 55 miles (90 kilometers) southwest of Des Moines, during a day that saw multiple tornadoes, giant hail and heavy rain in several states.

Authorities announced a mandatory curfew for the town and said they would only allow residents to enter Greenfield until Wednesday morning. They also ordered media representatives to leave the city Tuesday night.

In the aftermath of the storm, mounds of broken wood from homes, branches, car parts and other debris littered lots where homes once stood. Some trees still standing were stripped of their limbs and leaves. Residents helped each other salvage furniture and other belongings that were strewn in every direction.

Rogue Paxton said he sheltered in the basement of his home when the storm moved through. He told WOI-TV he thought the house was lost but said his family got lucky.

“But everyone else is not so much, like my brother Cody, his house just got wiped,” Paxton said. “Then you see all these people out here helping each other. ... Everything’s going to be fine because we have each other, but it’s just going to be really, really rough. It is a mess."

Multiple tornadoes were reported throughout the state, and one also apparently took down several 250-foot (76-meter) wind turbines in southwest Iowa. Some of the turbines caught fire, sending plumes of smoke into the air.

Wind farms are built to withstand tornadoes, hurricanes and other powerful winds. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, turbines are designed to shut off when winds exceed certain thresholds, typically around 55 mph (89 kph). They also lock and feather their blades and turn into the wind, to minimize the strain.

Greenfield bills itself on its website as a “friendly wave as you walk” type of place with tree-lined streets — before the storm — and as the “perfect place to grow.”

Mary Long, the owner of Long’s Market in downtown Greenfield, said she rode out the storm at her business in the community’s historic town square, which largely escaped damage. Long said there appeared to be widespread damage on the east and south sides of town.

“I could hear this roaring, like the proverbial freight train, and then it was just done,” she said.

Camille Blair said the Greenfield Chamber of Commerce office where she works closed around 2 p.m. ahead of the storm.

“I can see from my house it kind of went in a straight line down the road,” she said of the tornado.

Gov. Kim Reynolds said she planned to visit Greenfield on Wednesday morning.

“It was just a few weeks ago that tornadoes hit several other Iowa communities, and it’s hard to believe that it’s happened again,” she said in a statement. “Iowans are strong and resilient, and we will get through this together.”

In southwestern Iowa, video posted to social media showed a tornado just northwest of Red Oak. Farther east and north, the National Weather Service issued multiple tornado warnings for areas near the towns of Griswold, Corning, Fontanelle and Guthrie Center, among others.

Iowa was braced for severe weather after the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center gave most of the state a high chance of seeing severe thunderstorms with the potential for strong tornadoes. Des Moines public schools ended classes two hours early and canceled evening activities.

The storms and tornado warnings moved into Wisconsin Tuesday evening and night, including a warning for the capital, Madison.

Earlier in the day, residents to the west in Omaha, Nebraska, awoke to sirens blaring and widespread power outages as torrential rain, high winds and large hail pummeled the area. The deluge flooded basements and submerged cars. Television station&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ketv.com/article/video-flash-flooding-threatens-morning-commute-across-omaha-metro/60855897">KETV</a>&nbsp;showed firefighters rescuing people from vehicles.

In Illinois, dust storms led authorities to shut down stretches of two interstates due to low visibility. Winds gusts of up to 45 mph (74 kph) hit the McLean area, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Chuck Schaffer.

The storms followed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/storms-tornadoes-oklahoma-houston-00c6e5913a03c24191bceefd65b00fdf">days of extreme weather</a>&nbsp;that have ravaged much of the middle section of the country. Strong winds, large hail and tornadoes swept parts of Oklahoma and Kansas late Sunday, damaging homes and injuring two in Oklahoma.

Another round of storms Monday night raked Colorado and western Nebraska and saw the city of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hailstorm-severe-weather-yuma-colorado-500eaddbefc1dc2865770451266e6bbe">Yuma, Colorado</a>, blanketed in hail the size of baseballs and golf balls, turning streets into rivers of water and ice.

In Texas,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houston-severe-weather-power-outages-f94a73d198b0c1789684a44b48454d2b">deadly storms</a>&nbsp;hit the Houston area last week, killing at least eight people. Those storms Thursday knocked out power to hundreds of thousands for days, leaving many in the dark and without air conditioning during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houston-texas-storms-power-outages-86643a6d7decd28e971774e03b52e51d">hot and humid weather</a>. The total of deaths was raised Tuesday from seven to include a man who died from carbon monoxide poisoning while running a generator after his power went out. Hurricane-force winds reduced businesses and other structures to debris and shattered glass in downtown skyscrapers.

Bob Oravec, lead forecaster with the National Weather Service, said the system is expected to turn south Wednesday, bringing more severe weather to parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and southern Missouri.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716371806181.png" alt="Tornado damage in Greenfield, Iowa -photo courtesy KCCI" />
 <figcaption>Tornado damage in Greenfield, Iowa -photo courtesy KCCI</figcaption>
 </figure>GREENFIELD, Iowa (AP) — Multiple people were killed when a tornado tore through Greenfield and left a wide swath of obliterated homes, crumpled cars and splintered trees, while outside the small town, massive wind turbines were buckled and twisted to the ground by the howling winds.After devastating the town of 2,000 residents, the storms moved eastward to pummel parts of Illinois and Wisconsin, knocking out power to more than 130,000 customers in the two states.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716372219187.png" alt="Tornado damage in Greenfield, Iowa -photo courtesy KCCI" />
 <figcaption>Tornado damage in Greenfield, Iowa -photo courtesy KCCI</figcaption>
 </figure>Greenfield's hospital was among the buildings that were damaged in the town, which meant that at least a dozen people who were hurt had to be taken to facilities elsewhere, according to Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Alex Dinkla.“Sadly we can confirm that there have been fatalities,” Dinkla said at a news conference Tuesday night, without specifying how many. “We’re still counting at this time.”He said he thought they had accounted for all of the town’s residents but that searches would continue if anyone was reported missing. The Adair County Health System said in a Facebook post Tuesday night that it had set up a triage center at the Greenfield high school and that people who need medical attention should go there.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716371767050.png" alt="Tornado damage in Greenfield, Iowa -photo courtesy KCCI" />
 <figcaption>Tornado damage in Greenfield, Iowa -photo courtesy KCCI</figcaption>
 </figure>The tornado destroyed much of Greenfield, which is located about 55 miles (90 kilometers) southwest of Des Moines, during a day that saw multiple tornadoes, giant hail and heavy rain in several states.Authorities announced a mandatory curfew for the town and said they would only allow residents to enter Greenfield until Wednesday morning. They also ordered media representatives to leave the city Tuesday night.In the aftermath of the storm, mounds of broken wood from homes, branches, car parts and other debris littered lots where homes once stood. Some trees still standing were stripped of their limbs and leaves. Residents helped each other salvage furniture and other belongings that were strewn in every direction.Rogue Paxton said he sheltered in the basement of his home when the storm moved through. He told WOI-TV he thought the house was lost but said his family got lucky.“But everyone else is not so much, like my brother Cody, his house just got wiped,” Paxton said. “Then you see all these people out here helping each other. ... Everything’s going to be fine because we have each other, but it’s just going to be really, really rough. It is a mess."Multiple tornadoes were reported throughout the state, and one also apparently took down several 250-foot (76-meter) wind turbines in southwest Iowa. Some of the turbines caught fire, sending plumes of smoke into the air.Wind farms are built to withstand tornadoes, hurricanes and other powerful winds. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, turbines are designed to shut off when winds exceed certain thresholds, typically around 55 mph (89 kph). They also lock and feather their blades and turn into the wind, to minimize the strain.Greenfield bills itself on its website as a “friendly wave as you walk” type of place with tree-lined streets — before the storm — and as the “perfect place to grow.”Mary Long, the owner of Long’s Market in downtown Greenfield, said she rode out the storm at her business in the community’s historic town square, which largely escaped damage. Long said there appeared to be widespread damage on the east and south sides of town.“I could hear this roaring, like the proverbial freight train, and then it was just done,” she said.Camille Blair said the Greenfield Chamber of Commerce office where she works closed around 2 p.m. ahead of the storm.“I can see from my house it kind of went in a straight line down the road,” she said of the tornado.Gov. Kim Reynolds said she planned to visit Greenfield on Wednesday morning.“It was just a few weeks ago that tornadoes hit several other Iowa communities, and it’s hard to believe that it’s happened again,” she said in a statement. “Iowans are strong and resilient, and we will get through this together.”In southwestern Iowa, video posted to social media showed a tornado just northwest of Red Oak. Farther east and north, the National Weather Service issued multiple tornado warnings for areas near the towns of Griswold, Corning, Fontanelle and Guthrie Center, among others.Iowa was braced for severe weather after the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center gave most of the state a high chance of seeing severe thunderstorms with the potential for strong tornadoes. Des Moines public schools ended classes two hours early and canceled evening activities.The storms and tornado warnings moved into Wisconsin Tuesday evening and night, including a warning for the capital, Madison.Earlier in the day, residents to the west in Omaha, Nebraska, awoke to sirens blaring and widespread power outages as torrential rain, high winds and large hail pummeled the area. The deluge flooded basements and submerged cars. Television station&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ketv.com/article/video-flash-flooding-threatens-morning-commute-across-omaha-metro/60855897">KETV</a>&nbsp;showed firefighters rescuing people from vehicles.In Illinois, dust storms led authorities to shut down stretches of two interstates due to low visibility. Winds gusts of up to 45 mph (74 kph) hit the McLean area, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Chuck Schaffer.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716260078620.png" alt="Tornado damage in Johnson County, Kansas from Sunday- photo National Weather Service" />
 <figcaption>Tornado damage in Johnson County, Kansas from Sunday- photo National Weather Service</figcaption>
 </figure>The storms followed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/storms-tornadoes-oklahoma-houston-00c6e5913a03c24191bceefd65b00fdf">days of extreme weather</a>&nbsp;that have ravaged much of the middle section of the country. Strong winds, large hail and tornadoes swept parts of Oklahoma and Kansas late Sunday, damaging homes and injuring two in Oklahoma.Another round of storms Monday night raked Colorado and western Nebraska and saw the city of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hailstorm-severe-weather-yuma-colorado-500eaddbefc1dc2865770451266e6bbe">Yuma, Colorado</a>, blanketed in hail the size of baseballs and golf balls, turning streets into rivers of water and ice.In Texas,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houston-severe-weather-power-outages-f94a73d198b0c1789684a44b48454d2b">deadly storms</a>&nbsp;hit the Houston area last week, killing at least eight people. Those storms Thursday knocked out power to hundreds of thousands for days, leaving many in the dark and without air conditioning during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houston-texas-storms-power-outages-86643a6d7decd28e971774e03b52e51d">hot and humid weather</a>. The total of deaths was raised Tuesday from seven to include a man who died from carbon monoxide poisoning while running a generator after his power went out. Hurricane-force winds reduced businesses and other structures to debris and shattered glass in downtown skyscrapers.Bob Oravec, lead forecaster with the National Weather Service, said the system is expected to turn south Wednesday, bringing more severe weather to parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and southern Missouri.

Tornado kills multiple people in Iowa as storms again tear through Midwest

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Police have identified a man who drowned Sunday at a Wichita Park as 23-year-old Austin Pederson,&nbsp;according to Police Department spokesman Andrew Ford.

Just before 1p.m. Sunday,&nbsp; officers responded to a possible submersion at OJ Watson Park, 3022 S McLean Boulevard, Wichita.

It was being reported that a 23-year-old man went into the lake after a ball.&nbsp; A witnesses present at the scene observed Pederson's eyes rolled back in his head and go under water. 

The Wichita Fire Department conducted a water search and located Pederson approximately one hour after the time of call. 

Fire and EMS performed CPR on scene. EMS continued life saving measures and transported the Pederson to St. Francis hospital where he was pronounced dead at 2:33p.m.&nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716229385004.png" alt="First responders at the lake Sunday -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders at the lake Sunday -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Police have identified a man who drowned Sunday at a Wichita Park as 23-year-old Austin Pederson,&nbsp;according to Police Department spokesman Andrew Ford.Just before 1p.m. Sunday,&nbsp; officers responded to a possible submersion at OJ Watson Park, 3022 S McLean Boulevard, Wichita.It was being reported that a 23-year-old man went into the lake after a ball.&nbsp; A witnesses present at the scene observed Pederson's eyes rolled back in his head and go under water. The Wichita Fire Department conducted a water search and located Pederson approximately one hour after the time of call. Fire and EMS performed CPR on scene. EMS continued life saving measures and transported the Pederson to St. Francis hospital where he was pronounced dead at 2:33p.m.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Police ID 23-year-old who drowned at Kansas lake

LABETTE COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Labette County Sheriff’s Office have been investigating the murders of 39-year-old Jason M. Bakken and 43-year-old Leanda R. Pound, of Mound Valley, Kansas, since they were discovered deceased in October of 2022.

Governor Laura Kelly has issued an executive order offering a $5,000 reward to anyone who provides information to investigators that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for the murders.

Bakken and Pound were found by a friend on Oct. 3, 2022, shot and killed in their home at 693 16000 Rd., in Mound Valley. Investigators believe the murders may have occurred up to a month prior to their discovery.

Anyone with information about these crimes, no matter how small the detail might seem, is asked to contact the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME, or the Labette County Sheriff’s Office at 620-795-2565.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716326924424.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LABETTE COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Labette County Sheriff’s Office have been investigating the murders of 39-year-old Jason M. Bakken and 43-year-old Leanda R. Pound, of Mound Valley, Kansas, since they were discovered deceased in October of 2022.Governor Laura Kelly has issued an executive order offering a $5,000 reward to anyone who provides information to investigators that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for the murders.Bakken and Pound were found by a friend on Oct. 3, 2022, shot and killed in their home at 693 16000 Rd., in Mound Valley. Investigators believe the murders may have occurred up to a month prior to their discovery.Anyone with information about these crimes, no matter how small the detail might seem, is asked to contact the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME, or the Labette County Sheriff’s Office at 620-795-2565.

KBI: Reward offered in unsolved murder of Kansas couple

FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities in southwest Kansas are investigating a suspect for an alleged violent attack on a woman.

Just before 1a.m. Sunday, police&nbsp; were dispatched to the west part Garden City where they met with a woman with visible injuries, alleging that she and a family member were involved in an altercation with 47-year-old Joaquin Enrique Cancio-Morales.

The investigation revealed that Cancio-Morales and several individuals were at a party when he and the woman were involved in an argument before being separated and returning to their residence. While at the residence, Cancio-Morales allegedly slapped the woman and threatened her and a family member with a knife as they attempted to call 911.

Cancio-Morales then struck the woman over the head repeatedly with a glass bottle and left the scene before police arrived. 

EMS transported the victim to St. Catherine Hospital for treatment of injuries.

Police found Cancio-Morales and took him into custody without incident.

He remains in the Finney County Jail on requested charges of Aggravated Battery, multiple counts of Aggravated Assault, multiple counts of Criminal Threat, and Domestic Battery.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716224007685.png" alt="Cancio-Morales" />
 <figcaption>Cancio-Morales</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities in southwest Kansas are investigating a suspect for an alleged violent attack on a woman.Just before 1a.m. Sunday, police&nbsp; were dispatched to the west part Garden City where they met with a woman with visible injuries, alleging that she and a family member were involved in an altercation with 47-year-old Joaquin Enrique Cancio-Morales.The investigation revealed that Cancio-Morales and several individuals were at a party when he and the woman were involved in an argument before being separated and returning to their residence. While at the residence, Cancio-Morales allegedly slapped the woman and threatened her and a family member with a knife as they attempted to call 911.Cancio-Morales then struck the woman over the head repeatedly with a glass bottle and left the scene before police arrived. EMS transported the victim to St. Catherine Hospital for treatment of injuries.Police found Cancio-Morales and took him into custody without incident.He remains in the Finney County Jail on requested charges of Aggravated Battery, multiple counts of Aggravated Assault, multiple counts of Criminal Threat, and Domestic Battery.

Man accused of violent attack on a woman in SW Kansas

&nbsp;MIAMI COUNTY —Two juveniles are under investigation after a burglary at Miami County, Kansas gun store.

Just before 10pm May 18, Deputies were called to the area of 255th Street and Harmony Road for two suspicious, occupied, vehicles sitting in the roadway without their lights on, according to a media release.

&nbsp;While on the way to the call a Deputy observed two vehicles on Old KC Road traveling without any lights and attempted to stop the vehicles. 

 Both vehicles fled and the Deputy initiated a brief pursuit.  The vehicles turned onto gravel at 271st Street and for the safety of all involved the pursuit was terminated due to the dust. 

A few minutes later a caller reported a vehicle on 169 Highway at 271st had crashed.  It was learned that one of the fleeing vehicles had crashed on 271st east of Old KC Road into a creek and the second vehicle was the wreck on 169 Highway where the vehicle had driven up the embankment and got stuck. 

All occupants fled from the vehicles and law enforcement established a large perimeter. K9s were used to do tracks and subsequently found multiple firearms and other evidence on the tracks. 

A follow up of a gun store at 255th Street and Harmony Road found it had been broken into and multiple firearms stolen.  Two juveniles were ultimately taken into custody.

&nbsp;MIAMI COUNTY —Two juveniles are under investigation after a burglary at Miami County, Kansas gun store.Just before 10pm May 18, Deputies were called to the area of 255th Street and Harmony Road for two suspicious, occupied, vehicles sitting in the roadway without their lights on, according to a media release.&nbsp;While on the way to the call a Deputy observed two vehicles on Old KC Road traveling without any lights and attempted to stop the vehicles. Both vehicles fled and the Deputy initiated a brief pursuit. The vehicles turned onto gravel at 271st Street and for the safety of all involved the pursuit was terminated due to the dust. A few minutes later a caller reported a vehicle on 169 Highway at 271st had crashed. It was learned that one of the fleeing vehicles had crashed on 271st east of Old KC Road into a creek and the second vehicle was the wreck on 169 Highway where the vehicle had driven up the embankment and got stuck. All occupants fled from the vehicles and law enforcement established a large perimeter. K9s were used to do tracks and subsequently found multiple firearms and other evidence on the tracks. A follow up of a gun store at 255th Street and Harmony Road found it had been broken into and multiple firearms stolen. Two juveniles were ultimately taken into custody.

Deputies found firearms taken in Kansas gun store burglary

LOS ANGELES (AP) — An investigation has been opened into the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matthew-perry-dead-drowning-friends-f2963e83691d2bd2a8626d85a69c73cb">death of Matthew Perry</a>&nbsp;and how the “Friends” actor received the anesthetic ketamine, which was ruled a contributing factor in his death.

Los Angeles Police Capt. Scot Williams said in an email Tuesday that the police department was working with the Drug Enforcement Agency and U.S. Postal Inspection Service with a probe into why the 54-year-old star had so much ketamine in his system when he died in October. The investigation was first reported by TMZ.

Perry was found unresponsive in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matthew-perry-death-cause-054e67f7495845804f801c57a1ae2522">His autopsy, released in December, found</a>&nbsp;that the amount of ketamine in Perry’s blood was in the range used for general anesthesia during surgery. The drug is sometimes used to treat depression.

The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner said in the autopsy report that Perry also drowned in “the heated end of his pool,” but that it was a secondary factor in his death, deemed an accident.

According to Perry's autopsy, people close to the actor told investigators that he was undergoing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ketamine-pain-drugs-psychedelic-fda-2c67eeac1932962a7b0affc07d24c09a">ketamine infusion therapy, an experimental treatment</a>&nbsp;used to treat depression and anxiety. But the medical examiner said that his last treatment 1 1/2 weeks earlier wouldn't explain the levels of ketamine in Perry’s blood. The drug is typically metabolized in a matter of hours.

Perry was among the biggest television stars of his generation when he played Chandler Bing alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matthew-perry-china-friends-fandom-0876bc8bf20b613c336d8c684eb5524f">NBC’s mega-hit sitcom “Friends.”</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698541233773.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — An investigation has been opened into the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matthew-perry-dead-drowning-friends-f2963e83691d2bd2a8626d85a69c73cb">death of Matthew Perry</a>&nbsp;and how the “Friends” actor received the anesthetic ketamine, which was ruled a contributing factor in his death.Los Angeles Police Capt. Scot Williams said in an email Tuesday that the police department was working with the Drug Enforcement Agency and U.S. Postal Inspection Service with a probe into why the 54-year-old star had so much ketamine in his system when he died in October. The investigation was first reported by TMZ.Perry was found unresponsive in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matthew-perry-death-cause-054e67f7495845804f801c57a1ae2522">His autopsy, released in December, found</a>&nbsp;that the amount of ketamine in Perry’s blood was in the range used for general anesthesia during surgery. The drug is sometimes used to treat depression.The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner said in the autopsy report that Perry also drowned in “the heated end of his pool,” but that it was a secondary factor in his death, deemed an accident.According to Perry's autopsy, people close to the actor told investigators that he was undergoing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ketamine-pain-drugs-psychedelic-fda-2c67eeac1932962a7b0affc07d24c09a">ketamine infusion therapy, an experimental treatment</a>&nbsp;used to treat depression and anxiety. But the medical examiner said that his last treatment 1 1/2 weeks earlier wouldn't explain the levels of ketamine in Perry’s blood. The drug is typically metabolized in a matter of hours.Perry was among the biggest television stars of his generation when he played Chandler Bing alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matthew-perry-china-friends-fandom-0876bc8bf20b613c336d8c684eb5524f">NBC’s mega-hit sitcom “Friends.”</a>

Matthew Perry's death under investigation over ketamine found in actor's blood

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration said Tuesday that it is releasing 1 million barrels of gasoline from a Northeast reserve established after Superstorm Sandy in a bid to lower prices at the pump this summer.

The sale, from storage sites in New Jersey and Maine, will be allocated in increments of 100,000 barrels at a time. The approach will create a competitive bidding process that ensures gasoline can flow into local retailers ahead of the July 4 holiday and sold at competitive prices, the Energy Department said. The move is intended to help “lower costs for American families and consumers,″ the department said in a statement.

Gas prices average about $3.60 per gallon nationwide as of Tuesday, up 6 cents from a year ago, according to AAA. Tapping gasoline reserves is one of the few actions a president can take by himself to try to control inflation, an election year liability for the party in control of the White House.

“The Biden-Harris administration is laser-focused on lowering prices at the pump for American families, especially as drivers hit the road for summer driving season,″ Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in the statement. “By strategically releasing this reserve in between Memorial Day and July 4th, we are ensuring sufficient supply flows to the tri-state (area) and Northeast at a time hardworking Americans need it the most.”

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said release of gas from the Northeast reserve builds on actions by President Joe Biden, a Democrat, “to lower gas and energy costs — including historic releases from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and the largest-ever investment in clean energy.″

Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-business-europe-3e1808077371b88ae043c86584763afd">significantly drained the Strategic Petroleum Reserve</a>&nbsp;in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, dropping the stockpile to its lowest level since the 1980s. The election year move helped stabilize gasoline prices that had been rising in the wake of the war in Europe but drew complaints from Republicans that the Democratic president was playing politics with a reserve meant for national emergencies.

The Biden administration has since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oil-biden-strategic-petroleum-reserve-aee28f8c2ee5c33a81f08529f676e42b">begun refilling the oil reserve</a>, which had more than 364 million barrels of crude oil as of last month. The total is lower than levels before the Russia-Ukraine war but still the world’s largest emergency crude oil supply.

The Northeast sale will require that fuel is transferred or delivered no later than June 30, the Energy Department said.

“While congressional Republicans fight to preserve tax breaks for Big Oil at the expense of hardworking families, President Biden is advancing a more secure, affordable, and clean energy future to lower utility bills while record American energy production helps meet our immediate needs,” Jean-Pierre said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683569393523.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration said Tuesday that it is releasing 1 million barrels of gasoline from a Northeast reserve established after Superstorm Sandy in a bid to lower prices at the pump this summer.The sale, from storage sites in New Jersey and Maine, will be allocated in increments of 100,000 barrels at a time. The approach will create a competitive bidding process that ensures gasoline can flow into local retailers ahead of the July 4 holiday and sold at competitive prices, the Energy Department said. The move is intended to help “lower costs for American families and consumers,″ the department said in a statement.Gas prices average about $3.60 per gallon nationwide as of Tuesday, up 6 cents from a year ago, according to AAA. Tapping gasoline reserves is one of the few actions a president can take by himself to try to control inflation, an election year liability for the party in control of the White House.“The Biden-Harris administration is laser-focused on lowering prices at the pump for American families, especially as drivers hit the road for summer driving season,″ Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in the statement. “By strategically releasing this reserve in between Memorial Day and July 4th, we are ensuring sufficient supply flows to the tri-state (area) and Northeast at a time hardworking Americans need it the most.”White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said release of gas from the Northeast reserve builds on actions by President Joe Biden, a Democrat, “to lower gas and energy costs — including historic releases from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and the largest-ever investment in clean energy.″Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-business-europe-3e1808077371b88ae043c86584763afd">significantly drained the Strategic Petroleum Reserve</a>&nbsp;in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, dropping the stockpile to its lowest level since the 1980s. The election year move helped stabilize gasoline prices that had been rising in the wake of the war in Europe but drew complaints from Republicans that the Democratic president was playing politics with a reserve meant for national emergencies.The Biden administration has since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oil-biden-strategic-petroleum-reserve-aee28f8c2ee5c33a81f08529f676e42b">begun refilling the oil reserve</a>, which had more than 364 million barrels of crude oil as of last month. The total is lower than levels before the Russia-Ukraine war but still the world’s largest emergency crude oil supply.The Northeast sale will require that fuel is transferred or delivered no later than June 30, the Energy Department said.“While congressional Republicans fight to preserve tax breaks for Big Oil at the expense of hardworking families, President Biden is advancing a more secure, affordable, and clean energy future to lower utility bills while record American energy production helps meet our immediate needs,” Jean-Pierre said.

President Biden takes steps to lower prices at the gas pump

DALLAS (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice won't face charges from the injured person over his reported involvement in an alleged assault a little over a month after Rice&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rashee-rice-dallas-crash-kansas-city-chiefs-b9c772b81b1b64ad111e249b38c8c4b5">was one of the speeding drivers</a>&nbsp;in a chain-reaction crash that led to multiple charges.

Dallas police said Tuesday the reporting party had signed an affidavit of non-prosecution over the incident at a downtown nightclub, but that the investigation is continuing.

Law enforcement officials have told The Dallas Morning News that Rice was suspected of assaulting a person early May 6, and that the person went to a hospital after the encounter.

Dallas police did not name Rice as the suspect in detailing a report of the incident to The Associated Press.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712916229752.png" alt="Rice booking photo DeSoto Texas Jail" />
 <figcaption>Rice booking photo DeSoto Texas Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>DALLAS (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice won't face charges from the injured person over his reported involvement in an alleged assault a little over a month after Rice&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rashee-rice-dallas-crash-kansas-city-chiefs-b9c772b81b1b64ad111e249b38c8c4b5">was one of the speeding drivers</a>&nbsp;in a chain-reaction crash that led to multiple charges.Dallas police said Tuesday the reporting party had signed an affidavit of non-prosecution over the incident at a downtown nightclub, but that the investigation is continuing.Law enforcement officials have told The Dallas Morning News that Rice was suspected of assaulting a person early May 6, and that the person went to a hospital after the encounter.Dallas police did not name Rice as the suspect in detailing a report of the incident to The Associated Press.Rice’s attorney, Texas state Sen. Royce West, didn’t respond to a message from the AP seeking comment. The NFL declined to comment.Rice reported to the Chiefs for voluntary workouts last month, not long after turning himself in to Dallas police over multiple charges, including aggravated assault, involving the high-speed crash.West has previously acknowledged Rice was speeding in a Lamborghini SUV when the crash involving six vehicles happened March 30. Police said Theodore Knox was driving a Corvette.According to a&nbsp;<a href="file:///C:/Users/sdixon/AppData/Local/Temp/%7B400B23C9-0EF0-4A07-93CE-D39A922EB852%7D/%7B5CF7D52C-2DEA-4D14-BD70-BA7B7CA0EF78%7D/Rice%20Crash%20report.pdf">Texas Department of Transportation report</a>, Rice was driving the Lamborghini at a top speed of 119 mph before impact, while the Corvette that Knox was driving had a top speed of 116 mph.Rice, a former SMU and Dallas-area high school player who turned 24 last month, and Knox have been charged with one count of aggravated assault, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury and six counts of collision involving injury. Knox also played for SMU.Four people were injured in the crash, and police said the occupants of the Lamborghini and Corvette left the scene without providing information or determining whether anyone needed medical attention.Rice was drafted in the second round by Kansas City last year and played in 20 games, including the Chiefs’ 25-22 overtime victory over San Francisco in the Super Bowl. He led the team with seven touchdowns receiving in the regular season.___