OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged drug crims.

Just before 6:30p.m. June 22, an Osage County Sheriff’s K-9 unit conducted a traffic stop at 349th and Berryton Road near Melvern, according to Sheriff Chris Wells. During the stop, illegal narcotics were located.

The driver of the vehicle, Robert D. Williams, 32, of Paola, was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and Possession of drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687549278059.png" alt="Williams-photo Osage Co." />
 <figcaption>Williams-photo Osage Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged drug crims.Just before 6:30p.m. June 22, an Osage County Sheriff’s K-9 unit conducted a traffic stop at 349th and Berryton Road near Melvern, according to Sheriff Chris Wells. During the stop, illegal narcotics were located.The driver of the vehicle, Robert D. Williams, 32, of Paola, was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and Possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sheriff: Kansas man intended to sell methamphetamine

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —One person died from injuries in an accident that occurred just before 2p.m. Saturday in Wyandotte County.

The Kansas City, Kansas Police Department reported a vehicle occupied by a man and woman was traveling&nbsp; at 5th and Parallel Parkway. The vehicle struck a utility pole.

EMS transported both to an area hospital in critical condition. The man was pronounced dead at 3:15p.m., according to police.

Police have not released the name of the victim. The accident remains under investigation.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —One person died from injuries in an accident that occurred just before 2p.m. Saturday in Wyandotte County.The Kansas City, Kansas Police Department reported a vehicle occupied by a man and woman was traveling&nbsp; at 5th and Parallel Parkway. The vehicle struck a utility pole.EMS transported both to an area hospital in critical condition. The man was pronounced dead at 3:15p.m., according to police.Police have not released the name of the victim. The accident remains under investigation.

Man dead, woman in critical condition after Kansas crash

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a shooting have a suspect in custody.

Just before 3p.m. on June 6, police responded to a shooting call at the intersection of 18th Street N and Chautauqua in Wichita, according to a media release.

Officers located a 28-year-old victim bleeding profusely from a gunshot wound to his left upper leg. Officers applied a tourniquet and proceeded to provide lifesaving measurements. 

EMS then arrived and transported the victim to a local hospital in critical condition.

At the time of the incident, officers only knew that the victim was walking around the intersection of 18th Street N and Chautauqua when he got into a verbal argument with a male suspect driving a white vehicle.

The&nbsp; suspect produced a handgun and shot the victim.

Detectives used Flock and developed a suspect vehicle and a tag. They also learned that the vehicle was driving south toward the Oklahoma border.

 Investigators contacted their law enforcement partners and informed them about the vehicle being involved in a shooting and the direction of travel.

Later, police in Norman Oklahoma located a white Audi matching the description of the vehicle involved in the shooting and arrested the driver, 45-year-old Jeremi Mothershed of Wichita. 

Mothershed had a 9mm handgun at the time of his arrest. He was booked into jail on unrelated charges in Norman Oklahoma.The gun was entered into the police database and came back as the gun that was used in the shooting. 

The case was presented to the DA’s office, and they charged Mothershed with one count of Felon in Possession of a firearm and aggravated battery.&nbsp; Mothershed was being held in the Purcell, Oklahoma jail waiting to be extradited to Wichita.&nbsp;

He has previous convictions for aggravated battery, aggravated assault, criminal possession of a firearm and flee or attempt to elude police, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687538170849.png" alt="Mothershed has previous convictions for aggravated battery, aggravated assault, criminal possession of a firearm and flee or attempt to elude police, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Mothershed has previous convictions for aggravated battery, aggravated assault, criminal possession of a firearm and flee or attempt to elude police, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a shooting have a suspect in custody.Just before 3p.m. on June 6, police responded to a shooting call at the intersection of 18th Street N and Chautauqua in Wichita, according to a media release.Officers located a 28-year-old victim bleeding profusely from a gunshot wound to his left upper leg. Officers applied a tourniquet and proceeded to provide lifesaving measurements. EMS then arrived and transported the victim to a local hospital in critical condition.At the time of the incident, officers only knew that the victim was walking around the intersection of 18th Street N and Chautauqua when he got into a verbal argument with a male suspect driving a white vehicle.The&nbsp; suspect produced a handgun and shot the victim.Detectives used Flock and developed a suspect vehicle and a tag. They also learned that the vehicle was driving south toward the Oklahoma border. Investigators contacted their law enforcement partners and informed them about the vehicle being involved in a shooting and the direction of travel.Later, police in Norman Oklahoma located a white Audi matching the description of the vehicle involved in the shooting and arrested the driver, 45-year-old Jeremi Mothershed of Wichita. Mothershed had a 9mm handgun at the time of his arrest. He was booked into jail on unrelated charges in Norman Oklahoma.The gun was entered into the police database and came back as the gun that was used in the shooting. The case was presented to the DA’s office, and they charged Mothershed with one count of Felon in Possession of a firearm and aggravated battery.&nbsp; Mothershed was being held in the Purcell, Oklahoma jail waiting to be extradited to Wichita.&nbsp;He has previous convictions for aggravated battery, aggravated assault, criminal possession of a firearm and flee or attempt to elude police, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections

Kan. felon wanted for shooting captured in Oklahoma

COLUMBUS, Mont. (AP) — A bridge that crosses the Yellowstone River in Montana collapsed early Saturday, plunging portions of a freight train carrying hazardous materials into the rushing water below.

The train cars were carrying hot asphalt and molten sulfur, Stillwater County Disaster and Emergency Services said. Officials shut down drinking water intakes downstream while they evaluated the danger after the 6 a.m. accident. An Associated Press reporter witnessed a yellow substance coming out of some of the tank cars.

David Stamey, the county's chief of emergency services, said there was no immediate danger for the crews working at the site, and the hazardous material was being diluted by the swollen river. There were three asphalt cars and four sulfur cars in the river.

The train crew was safe and no injuries were reported, Montana Rail Link spokesman Andy Garland said in a statement. The asphalt and sulfur both solidify quickly when exposed to cooler temperatures, he said.

Railroad crews were at the scene in Stillwater County, near the town of Columbus, about 40 miles (about 64 kilometers) west of Billings. The area is in a sparsely populated section of the Yellowstone River Valley, surrounded by ranch and farmland. The river there flows away from Yellowstone National Park, which is about 110 miles (177 kilometers) southwest.

“We are committed to addressing any potential impacts to the area as a result of this incident and working to understand the reasons behind the accident,” Garland said.

The bridge collapse also took out a fiber-optic cable providing internet service to many customers in the state, the high-speed provider Global Net said.

“This is the major fiber route ... through Montana,” a recording on the company's phone line said Saturday. “This is affecting all Global Net customers. Connectivity will either be down or extremely slow.”

In neighboring Yellowstone County, officials said they instituted emergency measures at water treatment plants due to the “potential hazmat spill” and asked residents to conserve water.

The cause of the collapse is under investigation. The river was swollen with recent heavy rains, but it's unclear whether that was a factor.

The Yellowstone&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-floods-montana-and-environment-4bdc704074dfe199b3e6f3c5c9e402b0">saw record flooding in 2022</a>&nbsp;that caused&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/floods-united-states-climate-and-environment-waterfalls-225c370e39aa935d89693a438b704476">extensive damage to Yellowstone National Park</a>&nbsp;and adjacent towns in Montana. Robert Bea, a retired engineering professor at the University of California Berkeley who has analyzed the causes of hundreds of major disasters, said repeated years of heavy river flows provided a clue to the possible cause.

“The high water flow translates to high forces acting directly on the pier and, importantly, on the river bottom,” Bea said. “You can have erosion or scour that removes support from the foundation. High forces translate to a high likelihood of a structural or foundation failure that could act as a trigger to initiate the accident.”

An old highway bridge that paralleled the railroad bridge — together, they were called the Twin Bridges — was removed in 2021 after the Montana Department of Transportation determined it was in imminent danger of falling. It wasn't immediately clear when the railroad bridge was constructed or when it was last inspected.

Bea said investigators would also want to look at whether there was wear or rust in bridge components as well as a record of maintenance, repair and inspections.

Federal Railroad Administration officials were at the scene.

Kelly Hitchcock of the Columbus Water Users shut off the flow of river water into an irrigation ditch downstream from the collapsed bridge to prevent contents from the tank cars from reaching nearby farmland. The Stillwater County Sheriff’s Office called the group Saturday morning to warn it about the collapse, Hitchcock said.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes that sulfur is a common element used as a fertilizer as well as an insecticide, fungicide and rodenticide.

COLUMBUS, Mont. (AP) — A bridge that crosses Yellowstone River in Montana collapsed early Saturday morning, causing portions of a freight train carrying hazardous materials to plunge into the flooded river below, officials said.

The train cars were carrying asphalt and sulfur, said David Stamey, Stillwater County’s chief of emergency services. Officials shut down drinking water intakes downstream while they evaluated the danger. An Associated Press reporter witnessed a yellow liquid pouring out of tank cars.

However, Stamey said there was no immediate danger for the crews working at the site, and the hazardous material was being diluted by the swollen river.

The train crew was safe and no injuries were reported after the bridge collapse, according to a statement from Andy Garland, spokesman for the Montana Rail Link.

Garland said “several” tank cars were partially submerged in the river early Saturday, and railroad crews were at the scene in Stillwater County, near the town of Columbus, about 40 miles (about 64 kilometers) west of Billings.

The cause of the collapse is under investigation, he said.

The site is in a sparsely populated area in the Yellowstone River Valley. It about 110 miles (177 kilometers) northeast of Yellowstone National Park.

The Montana Disaster Emergency Services has been notified. Federal Railroad Administrators officials were at the scene.

The river was swollen with recent heavy rains although it is unclear whether that contributed to the bridge collapse.

Kelly Hitchcock of the Columbus Water Users shut off the flow of river water into an irrigation ditch downstream from the collapsed bridge to prevent contents from the tank cars from reaching nearby farmland.

Hitchcock said the Stillwater County Sheriff’s Office called the group Saturday morning to warn it about the collapse.

The Yellowstone saw record flooding in 2022 that caused extensive damage to Yellowstone National Park and adjacent towns in Montana.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687632668209.png" alt="The train crew was safe and no injuries were reported after the bridge collapse-photo courtesy Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks" />
 <figcaption>The train crew was safe and no injuries were reported after the bridge collapse-photo courtesy Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks</figcaption>
 </figure>COLUMBUS, Mont. (AP) — A bridge that crosses the Yellowstone River in Montana collapsed early Saturday, plunging portions of a freight train carrying hazardous materials into the rushing water below.The train cars were carrying hot asphalt and molten sulfur, Stillwater County Disaster and Emergency Services said. Officials shut down drinking water intakes downstream while they evaluated the danger after the 6 a.m. accident. An Associated Press reporter witnessed a yellow substance coming out of some of the tank cars.David Stamey, the county's chief of emergency services, said there was no immediate danger for the crews working at the site, and the hazardous material was being diluted by the swollen river. There were three asphalt cars and four sulfur cars in the river.The train crew was safe and no injuries were reported, Montana Rail Link spokesman Andy Garland said in a statement. The asphalt and sulfur both solidify quickly when exposed to cooler temperatures, he said.Railroad crews were at the scene in Stillwater County, near the town of Columbus, about 40 miles (about 64 kilometers) west of Billings. The area is in a sparsely populated section of the Yellowstone River Valley, surrounded by ranch and farmland. The river there flows away from Yellowstone National Park, which is about 110 miles (177 kilometers) southwest.“We are committed to addressing any potential impacts to the area as a result of this incident and working to understand the reasons behind the accident,” Garland said.The bridge collapse also took out a fiber-optic cable providing internet service to many customers in the state, the high-speed provider Global Net said.“This is the major fiber route ... through Montana,” a recording on the company's phone line said Saturday. “This is affecting all Global Net customers. Connectivity will either be down or extremely slow.”In neighboring Yellowstone County, officials said they instituted emergency measures at water treatment plants due to the “potential hazmat spill” and asked residents to conserve water.The cause of the collapse is under investigation. The river was swollen with recent heavy rains, but it's unclear whether that was a factor.The Yellowstone&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-floods-montana-and-environment-4bdc704074dfe199b3e6f3c5c9e402b0">saw record flooding in 2022</a>&nbsp;that caused&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/floods-united-states-climate-and-environment-waterfalls-225c370e39aa935d89693a438b704476">extensive damage to Yellowstone National Park</a>&nbsp;and adjacent towns in Montana. Robert Bea, a retired engineering professor at the University of California Berkeley who has analyzed the causes of hundreds of major disasters, said repeated years of heavy river flows provided a clue to the possible cause.“The high water flow translates to high forces acting directly on the pier and, importantly, on the river bottom,” Bea said. “You can have erosion or scour that removes support from the foundation. High forces translate to a high likelihood of a structural or foundation failure that could act as a trigger to initiate the accident.”An old highway bridge that paralleled the railroad bridge — together, they were called the Twin Bridges — was removed in 2021 after the Montana Department of Transportation determined it was in imminent danger of falling. It wasn't immediately clear when the railroad bridge was constructed or when it was last inspected.Bea said investigators would also want to look at whether there was wear or rust in bridge components as well as a record of maintenance, repair and inspections.Federal Railroad Administration officials were at the scene.Kelly Hitchcock of the Columbus Water Users shut off the flow of river water into an irrigation ditch downstream from the collapsed bridge to prevent contents from the tank cars from reaching nearby farmland. The Stillwater County Sheriff’s Office called the group Saturday morning to warn it about the collapse, Hitchcock said.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes that sulfur is a common element used as a fertilizer as well as an insecticide, fungicide and rodenticide.___COLUMBUS, Mont. (AP) — A bridge that crosses Yellowstone River in Montana collapsed early Saturday morning, causing portions of a freight train carrying hazardous materials to plunge into the flooded river below, officials said.The train cars were carrying asphalt and sulfur, said David Stamey, Stillwater County’s chief of emergency services. Officials shut down drinking water intakes downstream while they evaluated the danger. An Associated Press reporter witnessed a yellow liquid pouring out of tank cars.However, Stamey said there was no immediate danger for the crews working at the site, and the hazardous material was being diluted by the swollen river.The train crew was safe and no injuries were reported after the bridge collapse, according to a statement from Andy Garland, spokesman for the Montana Rail Link.Garland said “several” tank cars were partially submerged in the river early Saturday, and railroad crews were at the scene in Stillwater County, near the town of Columbus, about 40 miles (about 64 kilometers) west of Billings.“We are committed to addressing any potential impacts to the area as a result of this incident and working to understand the reasons behind the accident,” Garland said.In neighboring Yellowstone County, officials said they instituted emergency measures at water treatment plants due to the “potential hazmat spill” and asked residents to conserve water.The cause of the collapse is under investigation, he said.The site is in a sparsely populated area in the Yellowstone River Valley. It about 110 miles (177 kilometers) northeast of Yellowstone National Park.The Montana Disaster Emergency Services has been notified. Federal Railroad Administrators officials were at the scene.The river was swollen with recent heavy rains although it is unclear whether that contributed to the bridge collapse.Kelly Hitchcock of the Columbus Water Users shut off the flow of river water into an irrigation ditch downstream from the collapsed bridge to prevent contents from the tank cars from reaching nearby farmland.Hitchcock said the Stillwater County Sheriff’s Office called the group Saturday morning to warn it about the collapse.The Yellowstone saw record flooding in 2022 that caused extensive damage to Yellowstone National Park and adjacent towns in Montana.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes that sulfur is a common element used as a fertilizer as well as an insecticide, fungicide and rodenticide.

Bridge fails: Train carrying molten sulfur plunges into Yellowstone River 

TOPEKA —El Dorado Correctional Facility (EDCF) resident Nicholas Reimonenq was found in his cell unresponsive and died Saturday morning at the facility, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Reimonenq, 31, was serving a sentence for one count of burglary and 0ne count of attempted aggravated burglary from Saline County and was admitted to KDOC on May 10, 2023.

The cause of death is pending further investigation as well as results of an independent autopsy.

Per protocol, when a resident dies in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC), the death is under investigation by the KDOC and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI). The investigation is currently on-going.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678285967559.jpeg" alt="Reimonenq from a March arrest in Saline County" />
 <figcaption>Reimonenq from a March arrest in Saline County</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —El Dorado Correctional Facility (EDCF) resident Nicholas Reimonenq was found in his cell unresponsive and died Saturday morning at the facility, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections.Reimonenq, 31, was serving a sentence for one count of burglary and 0ne count of attempted aggravated burglary from Saline County and was admitted to KDOC on May 10, 2023.The cause of death is pending further investigation as well as results of an independent autopsy.Per protocol, when a resident dies in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC), the death is under investigation by the KDOC and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI). The investigation is currently on-going.

Inmate in Kansas prison for 6 weeks found dead

By GEOFF MULVIHILL, KIMBERLEE KRUESI and CLAIRE SAVAGE&nbsp;

WASHINGTON (AP) —One year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court rescinded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">a five-decade-old right to abortion,</a>&nbsp;prompting a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-new-york-state-government-ohio-mississippi-6fd7b3684b858d8a86c3443537e34687">seismic shift</a>&nbsp;in debates about politics, values, freedom and fairness.

Twenty-five million women of childbearing age now live in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-status-list-state-protection-ban-4466aefe6141745b71c824522aac47b9">states where the law makes abortions harder to get</a>&nbsp;than they were before the ruling.

Decisions about the law are largely in the hands of state lawmakers and courts. Most Republican-led states have restricted abortion. Fourteen ban abortion in most cases at any point in pregnancy. Twenty Democratic-leaning states have protected access to abortion.

Here’s a look at what’s changed since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling.

LAWS HAVE BEEN ENACTED IN 25 STATES TO BAN OR RESTRICT ABORTION ACCESS

Last summer, as women and medical providers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-racing-the-political-clock-41770e51cbdca610f31b00bde1410fb2">began to navigate</a>&nbsp;a landscape without legal protection for abortion, Nancy Davis’ doctors advised her to terminate her pregnancy. The fetus she was carrying had no skull and was expected to die soon after birth.

But doctors in Louisiana, where Davis lived, would not provide the abortion due to a new law banning it throughout pregnancy in most cases.

Davis became one of the women whose stories, told on news sites and network news, in newspapers and blogs,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-legislature-john-bel-edwards-baton-rouge-217b965dcb28a77d4bc46054b351a76e">illustrated the shifting ground</a>&nbsp;doctors and their patients tried to navigate.

At the same time, abortion opponents who worked for decades to abolish a practice they see as murder cheered the Supreme Court’s Dobbs ruling. Anti-abortion groups said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-roe-v-wade-33c08858dc8b0aa5f0450858b51a648a">the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling</a>&nbsp;that legalized abortion nationwide was undemocratic because it prevented states from enacting bans.

“The Dobbs decision was a democratic victory for life that generations fought for,” said E.V. Osment, a spokeswoman for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a major anti-abortion group.

While some states scrambled to pass new restrictions, others already had enacted laws that were designed to take effect if the court overturned Roe.

More than 25 million women ages 15 to 44, or about 2 in 5 nationally, now live in states where there are more restrictions on abortion access than there were before Dobbs. More than 5.5 million more live in states where restrictions have been adopted but are on hold pending court challenges. Bans on abortion no later than 12 weeks into pregnancy are on the books in nearly every state in the Southeast — though some are not in effect.

Many laws that make exceptions for medical emergencies do not clearly define those situations. After Davis went public with her challenges last year,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-legislature-john-bel-edwards-baton-rouge-217b965dcb28a77d4bc46054b351a76e">Louisiana lawmakers debated</a>&nbsp;whether doctors in the state were right to deny her an abortion under a law that has exceptions for “medically futile” pregnancies and when there’s a substantial risk of death or impairment for the woman. But the Legislature made no changes to clarify the law.

Davis is among a number of women who ended up traveling out of state to have a legal surgical abortion. She got help from a fund that raises money for women to travel for such purposes.

With her fiancé by her side, Davis flew to New York in September, when she was about four months pregnant. The whole experience was heartbreaking, she said.

“A mother’s love starts as soon as she knows she’s pregnant. That attachment starts instantly,” she said. “It was days I couldn’t sleep. It was days I couldn’t eat.”

ABORTION ACCESS HAS BEEN PROTECTED IN 20 STATES

As some states restricted abortion, others locked in access. Clinics moved across state lines, added staff and lengthened hours to accommodate women leaving their home states to end their pregnancies.

In 25 states, abortion remains generally legal up to at least 24 weeks of pregnancy. In 20 of those states, protections have been solidified through constitutional amendments or laws. Officials in many of those states, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-california-df6dd40a7e2af65a1c6a4042e4ffa485">California</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-transgender-colorado-law-0ac4525f076692b479c9c16f3a1f72b3">Colorado</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-rights-bill-minnesota-e22e5375c46d4bc2c6ca5f804137b1b5">Minnesota</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-transgender-rights-new-mexico-195c27ab1a60a8d7c07a71f157c07384">New Mexico</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-abortion-pill-stockpile-b8192dee6ac02b1b3f066d6a6300a41f">New York</a>, have explicitly invited women from places where the procedure is banned.

Women have flocked to states with legal access.

CHOICES Center for Reproductive Health had for decades treated patients in Memphis, Tennessee, some seeking abortions. After Tennessee’s abortion ban kicked in last year, the clinic opened a second outpost that’s about a three-hour drive away, in Carbondale, Illinois, a state that has positioned itself as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-care-costs-illinois-bbc4df0d3bec21ad84febd9ee0f0937d">an oasis for abortion access.</a>

“I would say 80% or more of our patients continue to come from the communities that CHOICES has always taken care of,” said CEO Jennifer Pepper, who said the Illinois clinic sees on average 350 patients a month. “They’re coming from Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas and even Texas, but now they’re having to travel much farther.”

Kansas is one of the closest places to obtain abortions for people in parts of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. A new clinic opened in Kansas City, Kansas, four days before Dobbs. Within weeks, the clinic was overwhelmed. Even after lengthening hours, hiring staff and flying in physicians, it’s been able to take only about 10% to 15% of people who have sought an abortion there.

Dr. Iman Alsaden, the Planned Parenthood medical director based in Kansas, said most patients in the Kansas clinics are now coming from elsewhere.

“You’re in a really, really dire public health situation when you are looking at someone who had to jump through endless amounts of hoops just to make this work and saying they’re so lucky they’re able to do this,” Alsaden said.

In anticipation of out-of-state patients, states such as Hawaii have passed laws to allow more health care workers, such as nurse practitioners, to provide abortions. In New Jersey, officials late last year announced a grant to train more medical professionals to perform the procedures.

Because of reporting lags and gaps in data, the impact on the number of abortions provided across the U.S. is not completely clear. But the authors of #WeCount, a survey conducted for the Society of Family Planning, a nonprofit organization that promotes research and supports abortion access, say the monthly average went down after Dobbs.

The group's data finds that the number of abortions provided through clinics, hospitals and other providers in states where bans were put in place plummeted to nearly zero. The tracking effort collects monthly data, providing a snapshot of abortion trends after Roe v. Wade was overturned. It does not reflect self-managed abortions, relies on estimates in places where providers do not supply data and does not fully account for seasonal differences in pregnancies or abortions.

Still, it's the fullest national picture available for now. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data covering 2022 is not likely to be released until late 2024. Even then, the picture won’t be completely clear: Not every state collects abortion data, and what is collected does not include self-managed abortions provided outside clinics, hospitals and doctor’s offices.

In Louisiana, where abortion was legal until 22 weeks' gestational age before Dobbs, the state reported more than 7,400 abortions in 2020, the last year for which full data was available. #WeCount found there were an average of 785 a month in April and May 2022 — and fewer than 10 every month since the ban there has been in place.

There are similar trends elsewhere. In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sacred-rivers-abortion-health-planned-parenthood-idaho-supreme-court-government-and-politics-c776c298f799cc8b7a8c1431f30be701">Idaho,</a>&nbsp;1,700 abortions were reported in 2020, and #WeCount found fewer than 10 a month recently.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-texas-us-supreme-court-laws-gun-politics-15b5ade8ad341cd7f9e61da10a994c43">In Texas,</a>&nbsp;state data shows only a handful of abortions monthly from August through January. Before restrictions there took effect in 2021, there were often more than 5,000 per month.

The #WeCount survey of abortion providers has found that the overall average number of abortions at clinics and hospitals was lower in the months after the Dobbs ruling, from July 2022 through March but that the number of abortions has risen dramatically in states that border those with no access, such as Illinois, Kansas, New Mexico and North Carolina. In Illinois, for instance, the survey tallied about 5,600 abortions in April 2022 and more than 7,900 in March 2023.

PILLS ARE AN EVEN MORE DOMINANT ABORTION METHOD

Even before the court ruled, most abortions in the U.S. were done through&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-covid-science-health-2d52ebf9efc6ef06f03e788fecd13013">a two-pill regimen</a>, not a surgical procedure. Now groups are using medication to provide access — however illegal -- in states where abortion is banned.

For example, Aid Access works with doctors overseas and in states with shield laws, which are intended to bar abortion-related investigations by other states. Those doctors prescribe the medications and Aid Access ships them. It saw requests in a sample of 30 states more than double from before a draft of the Dobbs ruling was leaked last year until it became official and bans started taking effect.

The group’s Netherlands-based founder and director, Rebecca Gomperts, believes most U.S. women who want abortions are still managing to get them.

“The fact that the abortion pill is available,” she said, “that makes the tragic of it much less profound.”

Still, she said, those who struggle the most for access are poor and Black women.

The move from surgical to medication abortion has frustrated abortion opponents, who have taken their case to court. Some abortion opponents are calling for the abortion drug mifepristone to lose its 23-year-old approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-pill-mifepristone-access-f781488016640bf571faf36096339ea4">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;has preserved access for now.

SOME STATES ARE INCREASING SUPPORT FOR MOMS AND CHILDREN

One ripple from overturning Roe in conservative states has been a new willingness to adopt measures such as improving foster care and benefits for postpartum women.

Mississippi,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-donald-trump-mississippi-abortion-health-b378139200a6b37c22118ee3acb59def">where the Dobbs case originated,</a>&nbsp;is a key example. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed off on several proposals that he deemed as the “next phase” of the “pro-life agenda.” This included expanding a tax credit from $3.5 million a year to $10 million a year for people or businesses who donate to anti-abortion centers, which provide diapers, clothing and other assistance for pregnant women and have been accused of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-business-health-nashville-personal-taxes-fffa6f6f86e6eaa448b8ea89087a1c46">providing misleading information</a>&nbsp;to steer women away from abortion. He also approved creating an income tax credit of up to $10,000 for adopting a child who lives in Mississippi and $5,000 for a adopting a child from outside the state.

He also agreed to extend Medicaid health insurance coverage for lower-income women until a year after they give birth, rather than just two months.

The state's two Catholic bishops sent a letter to lawmakers and Reeves in February calling for the Medicaid expansion.

"This they felt was consistent with the intent of Dobbs,” Jackson Bishop Joseph Kopacz said in an interview, "saying that it can’t stop at birth.”

For Shannon Bagley, the executive director of the Center for Pregnancy Choices, an anti-abortion center just outside Jackson that will benefit from the expanded tax credit, said it's offering more parenting classes and focusing on helping eligible women sign up for Medicaid, job search assistance and offering donated car seats, cribs and other baby items.

“This is a new era and we’re going to have to be more and we’re going to have to do more,” she said.

In conservative Utah, a ban on abortions throughout pregnancy took effect almost immediately after the Dobbs ruling. But the next day, the state’s Planned Parenthood affiliate challenged the law, saying it violated the state constitution.

A judge put the ban on hold while the case works its way through the courts.

It’s one of more than 50 lawsuits filed on abortion policy since the Dobbs ruling. Lawsuits have been the foundation of the abortion debate for decades, but now the burden is on abortion-rights advocates to prove that restrictions are too harsh, rather than on anti-abortion groups to prove they are justified.

Many challenges rely on arguments about the rights to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/surgical-abortion-ban-lawsuit-montana-57a1372523a19aec116ad1188245dcb9">personal autonomy</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-politics-health-indiana-state-government-reproductive-rights-7308b2edc8a8ac62446d821abc5fae59">religious freedom</a>. A Texas lawsuit alleges women were denied abortions even when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/women-sue-texas-over-abortion-ban-632fad72e0f5b255a3a55274cd097fa9">their lives were at risk</a>.

Bans or restrictions are on hold in at least six states while judges sort out their long-term fate. The only states where a top court has permanently rejected restrictions since the Dobbs ruling are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iowa-abortion-law-260563ff773b721c8a51ef6cb2c4e3b8">Iowa</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-politics-health-south-carolina-state-government-6cd1469dbb550c70b64a30f183be203c">South Carolina</a>. In the latter, lawmakers later adopted a new ban, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-south-carolina-new-law-court-hearing-80150b9a78d6c2828d648f2c2ed271cf">enforcement is on hold</a>&nbsp;due to a court challenge.

In Utah, lawmakers this year passed a first-in-the-nation law banning abortion clinics. But a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-clinics-utah-roe-wade-court-ef3331b0a579191eda5402c60b335fda">judge put enforcement of that on hold</a>, too, while the court case plays out.

CRIMINAL COURTS HAVE NOT BEEN BUSY WITH ABORTION CASES

There’s little evidence that doctors, women, or those who help them get abortions are being prosecuted.

In Mississippi, the state attorney general's office says no charges have been brought under a new law that calls for up to 10 years in prison for anyone who provides or attempts to provide an abortion in cases where it wasn't to save the woman's life or to end a pregnancy caused by rape or incest.

Progressive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-2022-midterm-elections-politics-nashville-71f3b8de244a5158f46665ceaad2f2a7">prosecutors across the country</a>, including in states with bans, have said that they would not pursue abortion-related cases, or that they would make them a low priority. One in Florida was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ron-desantis-suspended-florida-prosecutor-511a756deded10195c52c48c4daf615c">suspended from his job</a>&nbsp;for it by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

James Bopp Jr., general counsel to the National Right to Life committee, finds it troubling that prosecutors would not pursue abortion cases. He said it's a change from the era before Roe v. Wade, when most states restricted abortion.

“They were going to enforce the laws; there was no question they were going to do that,” Bopp said. “That was their obligation.”

Legislative efforts to classify abortion as homicide or murder in South Carolina,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-politics-kentucky-health-523fbca373510135e5787a34fdd67f26">Kentucky</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-religion-louisiana-b73a7cfb0afc29c30d106a85c80c7c50">Louisiana</a>&nbsp;also have sputtered.

“The question about punishing the pregnant person is going to become the existential question in the anti-abortion movement,” said Greer Donley, an abortion law expert and associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

But Bopp said prominent anti-abortion groups like his oppose such measures. He said women who pursue abortions are “victims of the abortion culture, victims of men, particularly wealthy men.”

ABORTION REMAINS A DOMINANT POLITICAL ISSUE

The political table has been reset, with Republicans entering a new election season weighing how to balance&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-politics-south-carolina-state-government-us-republican-party-2022-midterm-elections-e12dcf419bc5272063a847436f9a237c">the interests of a base</a>&nbsp;that wants the strictest bans possible against the desires of the broader electorate.

Polling has consistently found that most Americans think abortions should be available in at least some circumstances, including early in a pregnancy, but that most also favor restrictions later in a pregnancy. Polling from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research has found that the majority opposed banning abortion in the first six weeks of pregnancy, but most also favor barring abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy. Only six states have no limit, and abortion is rare after 21 weeks.

Last year, voters sided with abortion-rights advocates in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-abortion-voting-rights-health-kentucky-fabb3a40797c5491e9b2a3a696435161">all six states</a>&nbsp;with abortion-related ballot measures, including in generally conservative Kansas and Kentucky. The issue was also a major factor in why&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-abortion-inflation-health-religion-9c15e24b280fe9c65f4f0c3ab4febb2a">Democrats performed better than expected</a>&nbsp;in 2022 elections.

There are pushes for ballot measures to protect abortion access in several states, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-rights-ohio-november-ballot-b7b8e2c7d319bc5f58425eb2be10e210">Ohio</a>.

In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-politics-health-indiana-state-government-ed6df5505f1f805284cb92b0ba241ce3">Indiana</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-south-carolina-new-law-court-hearing-80150b9a78d6c2828d648f2c2ed271cf">South Carolina</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-lawsuit-west-virginia-f5048628336f55256cab02015eb9904c">West Virginia</a>&nbsp;— all states that have adopted bans since Dobbs — the legislative battles were not between Democrats and Republican over whether to impose restrictions but among Republicans on just how far to go.

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America believes the issue could be a boost for conservatives with the right framing. The group announced this year that it’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-planned-parenthood-states-layoffs-equity-8ca79602fd28226538e5f6148a202646">working with Kellyanne Conway</a>, a former Trump adviser, to “get pro-life candidates on offense in the 2024 election cycle.”

Among advocates on the left, a lot of alarm bells rang over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-gun-politics-gay-rights-marriage-b9062feb4f80c49de088c36b0f17aa7c">Justice Clarence Thomas’ concurring opinion</a>&nbsp;in Dobbs. “We should reconsider all of this Court’s substantive due process precedents,” including cases that found married people have the right to obtain contraceptives, people can engage in private, consensual sex acts and the right to same-sex marriage, Thomas wrote.

So far, measures on those areas have not gained traction. State legislation on contraceptives has aimed only to guarantee or protect access to it, and President Joe Biden last year signed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-marriage-united-states-government-virginia-state-4968ff59107e511609fc3e301890942e">a law to safeguard same-sex marriage</a>.

Instead, Republican lawmakers in many states focused in 2023 on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/restrictions-targeting-transgender-people-legislative-updates-df66b5a86be47b03dd5a50449d239275">restricting gender-affirming care</a>, especially for transgender minors.

Year after fall of Roe, 25 million women live in states with abortion bans or tighter restrictions

Workers at 150 Starbucks locations including some in Kansas and Missouri will strike in the coming week over what their union says is a clash over decor supporting LGBTQ+ causes, but the company denies it's banned any such displays and accused the union of using misinformation as a tactic in labor talks.

Starbucks Workers United said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/SBWorkersUnited/status/1672186968707325952">tweet</a>&nbsp;Friday that 3,500 workers will be on strike over the next week, starting with the flagship location in Seattle.&nbsp;Starbucks locations in Topeka and the Kansas City metro are union locations, according to Starbucks Union United.

The union has tried to establish a foothold at Starbucks for some time and at least 358 Starbucks stores have petitioned the National Labor Relations Board to hold union elections. A Starbucks in Buffalo, New York, became the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-union-vote-buffalo-c7dc3c2ec8b838e9f4ed641f54fc9035">first to unionize</a>&nbsp;early last year.

But those efforts have slowed in recent months with pushback from some workers who have resisted organization efforts. Starbucks on Friday said Workers United is using misinformation about its support for LGBTQ+ causes as part of ongoing contract negotiations.

“Workers United continues to spread false information about our benefits, policies and negotiation efforts—a tactic used to seemingly divide our partners and deflect from their failure to respond to bargaining sessions for more than 200 stores,” Starbucks said in a written statement.

Starbucks, based in Seattle, said last week that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-pride-lgbtq-dcdb83d82b04d8be435fce1db172c087">there had been no change</a>&nbsp;to any policy on the matter and that its support for LGBTQ+ causes is “unwavering.” The company has been outspoken in its support for LGBTQ+ employees for decades. It extended full health benefits to same-sex partners in 1988 and added health coverage for gender reassignment surgery in 2013.

Starbucks Corp. is also currently selling Pride-themed tumblers in its stores designed by Toronto artist Tim Singleton, who is gay.

Workers United says that store managers around the country have curtailed or removed displays during a monthlong celebration of LGBTQ+ people. In some cases, the union said, managers told workers that Pride displays were a safety concern, citing recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/target-pride-lgbtq-4bc9de6339f86748bcb8a453d7b9acf0">incidents at Target</a>&nbsp;where some angry customers tipped over merchandise and confronted workers.

Starbucks said recent anti-LGBTQ+ social media campaigns against brands like&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/disney-florida-campus-california-desantis-f68879e039ab85b3f027ddf91d84eb6a">Disney</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/target-pride-lgbtq-4bc9de6339f86748bcb8a453d7b9acf0">Target</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bud-light-beer-modelo-sales-35db706836ca38d5fe194c93a3f641ff">Bud Light</a>&nbsp;in some parts of the country have not changed it stance.

Brands like Chick-fil-A, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chick-fil-a.com/about/who-we-are">closes on Sundays</a>&nbsp;for a day of “rest and worship,” and Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, have also been targeted online by anti-LGBTQ+ groups and individuals.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687547256334.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business WriterWorkers at 150 Starbucks locations including some in Kansas and Missouri will strike in the coming week over what their union says is a clash over decor supporting LGBTQ+ causes, but the company denies it's banned any such displays and accused the union of using misinformation as a tactic in labor talks.Starbucks Workers United said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/SBWorkersUnited/status/1672186968707325952">tweet</a>&nbsp;Friday that 3,500 workers will be on strike over the next week, starting with the flagship location in Seattle.&nbsp;Starbucks locations in Topeka and the Kansas City metro are union locations, according to Starbucks Union United.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687547419605.png" alt="Starbucks locations in Topeka and the Kansas City metro area are all union stores." />
 <figcaption>Starbucks locations in Topeka and the Kansas City metro area are all union stores.</figcaption>
 </figure>The union has tried to establish a foothold at Starbucks for some time and at least 358 Starbucks stores have petitioned the National Labor Relations Board to hold union elections. A Starbucks in Buffalo, New York, became the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-union-vote-buffalo-c7dc3c2ec8b838e9f4ed641f54fc9035">first to unionize</a>&nbsp;early last year.But those efforts have slowed in recent months with pushback from some workers who have resisted organization efforts. Starbucks on Friday said Workers United is using misinformation about its support for LGBTQ+ causes as part of ongoing contract negotiations.“Workers United continues to spread false information about our benefits, policies and negotiation efforts—a tactic used to seemingly divide our partners and deflect from their failure to respond to bargaining sessions for more than 200 stores,” Starbucks said in a written statement.Starbucks, based in Seattle, said last week that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-pride-lgbtq-dcdb83d82b04d8be435fce1db172c087">there had been no change</a>&nbsp;to any policy on the matter and that its support for LGBTQ+ causes is “unwavering.” The company has been outspoken in its support for LGBTQ+ employees for decades. It extended full health benefits to same-sex partners in 1988 and added health coverage for gender reassignment surgery in 2013.Starbucks Corp. is also currently selling Pride-themed tumblers in its stores designed by Toronto artist Tim Singleton, who is gay.Workers United says that store managers around the country have curtailed or removed displays during a monthlong celebration of LGBTQ+ people. In some cases, the union said, managers told workers that Pride displays were a safety concern, citing recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/target-pride-lgbtq-4bc9de6339f86748bcb8a453d7b9acf0">incidents at Target</a>&nbsp;where some angry customers tipped over merchandise and confronted workers.Starbucks said recent anti-LGBTQ+ social media campaigns against brands like&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/disney-florida-campus-california-desantis-f68879e039ab85b3f027ddf91d84eb6a">Disney</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/target-pride-lgbtq-4bc9de6339f86748bcb8a453d7b9acf0">Target</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bud-light-beer-modelo-sales-35db706836ca38d5fe194c93a3f641ff">Bud Light</a>&nbsp;in some parts of the country have not changed it stance.Brands like Chick-fil-A, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chick-fil-a.com/about/who-we-are">closes on Sundays</a>&nbsp;for a day of “rest and worship,” and Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, have also been targeted online by anti-LGBTQ+ groups and individuals.

Starbucks workers to strike over Pride displays

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting and crash that left a 49-year-old man dead.

Just before 2:30p.m. Friday, police in Wichita received a series of 911 calls about a vehicle collision and a shooting in the 7000 Block of East Lincoln in Wichita, according to&nbsp;Officer Aaron Moses.

First responders located a red GMC Yukon that struck a building and a victim inside the SUV with a gunshot wound.. Life-saving measures were attempted, but the victim would be pronounced deceased on the scene. 

Investigators at the scene learned from witnesses that someone involved in the crash had fled into one of the nearby buildings, according to Moses. A small group of the Wichita Police SWAT team responded to the scene.&nbsp;

Early Saturday, investigators continued working leads in the apprehension of those involved in crime.&nbsp; Police have not released the name of the victim or additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687565978422.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting and crash that left a 49-year-old man dead.Just before 2:30p.m. Friday, police in Wichita received a series of 911 calls about a vehicle collision and a shooting in the 7000 Block of East Lincoln in Wichita, according to&nbsp;Officer Aaron Moses.First responders located a red GMC Yukon that struck a building and a victim inside the SUV with a gunshot wound.. Life-saving measures were attempted, but the victim would be pronounced deceased on the scene. Investigators at the scene learned from witnesses that someone involved in the crash had fled into one of the nearby buildings, according to Moses. A small group of the Wichita Police SWAT team responded to the scene.&nbsp;Early Saturday, investigators continued working leads in the apprehension of those involved in crime.&nbsp; Police have not released the name of the victim or additional details.

Homicide: Kan. man found with gunshot wound, after crash into building

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Merrick Garland pushed back Friday against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-irs-justice-department-irs-congress-d242a84d4d6d8e90db68febab168fef7">claims</a>&nbsp;from IRS whistleblowers that the Justice Department interfered with the investigation into Hunter Biden, saying more broadly that attacks on the department’s independence are corrosive.

(Click below to watch a portion of the Friday White House press brief)

The Republican-led House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday released a transcript of testimony from Gary Shapley, an IRS official who, among other things, claimed that Garland had denied a request from U.S. Attorney David Weiss of Delaware to be appointed special counsel. That designation would have would have given Weiss the same status as the prosecutor leading the investigation into former President Donald Trump.

Weiss never made such a request, Garland said Friday, and always had full authority to file charges wherever and however he saw fit against President Joe Biden's son. And Garland added that if Weiss — first appointed U.S. Attorney by Donald Trump — agrees to testify before Congress, the Justice Department will not stand in the way.

“He was given complete authority to make all decisions on his own,” Garland said. “I don’t know how it would be possible for anybody to block him for bringing a prosecution given that he has that authority.”

More broadly, Garland forcefully rebutted criticism from Republicans that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-charges-income-tax-weapon-ea6b78d4bac037da24b485985b99bc1c">a plea agreement for the president's son</a>&nbsp;on tax and gun charges made public this week reflects political influence in the American justice system. Republicans have denounced the deal as evidence of a “two-tiered system of justice.”

“Some have chosen to attack the integrity of the Justice Department … by claiming we do not treat like cases alike. This constitutes an attack on an institution that is essential to American democracy and essential to the safety of the American people,” Garland said. “Nothing could be further from the truth.”

In a separate statement Friday, Biden's lawyer denounced the idea that the investigation cut any corners, and said it would be “dangerously misleading” to make conclusions based on the Shapley transcript.

The transcript included a message Hunter sent to a business associate alluding to “sitting with his father,” seemingly suggesting that his father was aware of his business dealings. Shapley acknowledged the investigation didn’t turn up evidence to prove that, instead finding that it was likely untrue.

Joe Biden has said he’s never spoken to his son about his foreign business. Asked Friday if the president stands by those comments, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre replied: “What I will say is nothing has changed. Nothing has changed, and I will leave it there.”

Weiss' office referred request for comment about the whistleblower testimony to a June 7 letter he wrote to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan saying he had “ultimate authority” over the investigation.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-irs-justice-department-irs-congress-d242a84d4d6d8e90db68febab168fef7">testimony</a>&nbsp;from IRS agent Shapley and a second unnamed agent who worked on the case detailed what they called a pattern of “slow-walking investigative steps” and delaying enforcement actions in the Hunter Biden case, though it was unclear whether the conflict they described amounted to internal disagreement or a pattern of preferential treatment.

Shapley said Weiss told him and others during an October 2022 meeting that he had been denied special counsel status and didn’t have final authority on charging decisions. Transcripts released Thursday include an email with Shapley's notes from the meeting, and a response from a supervisor saying his notes “covered it all.”

A representative for Shapley called on Weiss and the Justice Department to explain the discrepancy.

Biden’s attorney, for his part, said claims the investigation wasn't thorough are “preposterous and deeply irresponsible.”

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-charges-what-to-know-31ad4a0df292754131e799de2c089fd1">Hunter Biden plea deal</a>&nbsp;came days after the special counsel on the Trump case filed a historic 37-count indictment alleging mishandling of classified documents, which the former president has denied. Trump has likened the Hunter Biden agreement to a “mere traffic ticket."

Associated Press writers Farnoush Amiri and Aamer Madhani contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687609348018.png" alt="White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Karine Jean-Pierre during Friday's press brief." />
 <figcaption>White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Karine Jean-Pierre during Friday's press brief.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Merrick Garland pushed back Friday against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-irs-justice-department-irs-congress-d242a84d4d6d8e90db68febab168fef7">claims</a>&nbsp;from IRS whistleblowers that the Justice Department interfered with the investigation into Hunter Biden, saying more broadly that attacks on the department’s independence are corrosive.(Click below to watch a portion of the Friday White House press brief)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F289364610159840%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=1958" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>The Republican-led House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday released a transcript of testimony from Gary Shapley, an IRS official who, among other things, claimed that Garland had denied a request from U.S. Attorney David Weiss of Delaware to be appointed special counsel. That designation would have would have given Weiss the same status as the prosecutor leading the investigation into former President Donald Trump.Weiss never made such a request, Garland said Friday, and always had full authority to file charges wherever and however he saw fit against President Joe Biden's son. And Garland added that if Weiss — first appointed U.S. Attorney by Donald Trump — agrees to testify before Congress, the Justice Department will not stand in the way.“He was given complete authority to make all decisions on his own,” Garland said. “I don’t know how it would be possible for anybody to block him for bringing a prosecution given that he has that authority.”More broadly, Garland forcefully rebutted criticism from Republicans that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-charges-income-tax-weapon-ea6b78d4bac037da24b485985b99bc1c">a plea agreement for the president's son</a>&nbsp;on tax and gun charges made public this week reflects political influence in the American justice system. Republicans have denounced the deal as evidence of a “two-tiered system of justice.”“Some have chosen to attack the integrity of the Justice Department … by claiming we do not treat like cases alike. This constitutes an attack on an institution that is essential to American democracy and essential to the safety of the American people,” Garland said. “Nothing could be further from the truth.”In a separate statement Friday, Biden's lawyer denounced the idea that the investigation cut any corners, and said it would be “dangerously misleading” to make conclusions based on the Shapley transcript.The transcript included a message Hunter sent to a business associate alluding to “sitting with his father,” seemingly suggesting that his father was aware of his business dealings. Shapley acknowledged the investigation didn’t turn up evidence to prove that, instead finding that it was likely untrue.(Click below to watch a portion of the Friday White House press brief)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F289364610159840%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=2923" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Joe Biden has said he’s never spoken to his son about his foreign business. Asked Friday if the president stands by those comments, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre replied: “What I will say is nothing has changed. Nothing has changed, and I will leave it there.”Weiss' office referred request for comment about the whistleblower testimony to a June 7 letter he wrote to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan saying he had “ultimate authority” over the investigation.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-irs-justice-department-irs-congress-d242a84d4d6d8e90db68febab168fef7">testimony</a>&nbsp;from IRS agent Shapley and a second unnamed agent who worked on the case detailed what they called a pattern of “slow-walking investigative steps” and delaying enforcement actions in the Hunter Biden case, though it was unclear whether the conflict they described amounted to internal disagreement or a pattern of preferential treatment.Shapley said Weiss told him and others during an October 2022 meeting that he had been denied special counsel status and didn’t have final authority on charging decisions. Transcripts released Thursday include an email with Shapley's notes from the meeting, and a response from a supervisor saying his notes “covered it all.”A representative for Shapley called on Weiss and the Justice Department to explain the discrepancy.Biden’s attorney, for his part, said claims the investigation wasn't thorough are “preposterous and deeply irresponsible.”The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-charges-what-to-know-31ad4a0df292754131e799de2c089fd1">Hunter Biden plea deal</a>&nbsp;came days after the special counsel on the Trump case filed a historic 37-count indictment alleging mishandling of classified documents, which the former president has denied. Trump has likened the Hunter Biden agreement to a “mere traffic ticket."___Associated Press writers Farnoush Amiri and Aamer Madhani contributed to this report.

🎥 AG, White House respond to latest in Hunter Biden investigation

WASHINGTON —One year ago, the Supreme Court eliminated a constitutional right that it had previously recognized, overturning nearly fifty years of precedent.

According to a statement from the White House: 

Today, more than 23 million women of reproductive age—one in three—live in one of the 18 states with an abortion ban currently in effect. In the last year, women have been denied essential medical care to preserve their health and even save their lives. They have been turned away from emergency rooms, forced to delay care, and made to travel hundreds of miles and across state lines for needed medical care. Despite this devastating impact on women’s health, Republican elected officials continue to advance these bans at both the state and national level.

President Biden and Vice President Harris stand with the majority of Americans who believe the right to choose is fundamental—and who have made their voices heard at every opportunity since the Supreme Court’s decision in&nbsp;Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.&nbsp;As the President has made clear since the day of the&nbsp;Dobbs&nbsp;decision, the only way to ensure women in every state have access to abortion is for Congress to pass a law restoring the protections of&nbsp;Roe v. Wade.

While we continue to call on Congress to restore these protections, the Administration has taken executive action to protect access across the full spectrum of reproductive health care. In the wake of&nbsp;Dobbs, the President issued two Executive Orders directing a comprehensive slate of actions to protect access to reproductive health care services, including abortion. And today,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/06/23/fact-sheet-president-biden-issues-executive-order-on-strengthening-access-to-contraception/" target="_blank">the President is issuing a third Executive Order focused on strengthening access to affordable, high-quality contraception</a>, a critical aspect of reproductive health care. The Administration remains fully committed to implementing these Executive Orders and advancing access to reproductive health care through the leadership of the interagency Task Force on Reproductive Healthcare Access, co-chaired by the White House Gender Policy Council and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is providing an update on the work of the Task Force on Reproductive Healthcare Access and the Administration’s ongoing efforts to defend reproductive rights.

Protecting Access to Abortion, including Medication Abortion

Supporting Women’s Ability to Travel for Medical Care

Reinforcing Nondiscrimination Protections under Federal Law

Promoting Safety and Security of Patients, Providers, and Clinics

Safeguarding Privacy and Sensitive Health Information

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SEDGWICK COUNTY—A suspect accused in a shooting outside a funeral last week made a first court appearance this week.

Demetrius Carter, 18 of Wichita, is charged with two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated endangering a child, and criminal damage to property, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office..&nbsp;

Just after 2p.m. June 16, police were dispatched to a shooting call in the 1100 block of North Oliver in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

First responders encountered a chaotic scene and a crowd of more than 50 people running in different directions. During the initial response officers located an 18-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to his right forearm and provided life-saving measures. The 18-year-old victim later identified as Carter was treated for his serious but not life-threatening injuries.

The investigation revealed that several suspects arrived at the parking lot of a local church and confronted a large group of people attending a funeral right outside the main door.

After a brief verbal altercation between both groups, an unknown number of people from both groups started to shoot at each other. After initial interviews, officers arrested Carter and transported him to investigations for further questioning before an arrest.

During the incident, several vehicles, and residences around and in front of the church’s parking lot were hit with gunfire. Police also recovered several firearms from the scene.&nbsp;

Carter's next court date is July 6. He is being held on a five-million dollar bond, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686967298655.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A suspect accused in a shooting outside a funeral last week made a first court appearance this week.Demetrius Carter, 18 of Wichita, is charged with two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated endangering a child, and criminal damage to property, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office..&nbsp;Just after 2p.m. June 16, police were dispatched to a shooting call in the 1100 block of North Oliver in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687431619099.png" alt="Carter-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Carter-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>First responders encountered a chaotic scene and a crowd of more than 50 people running in different directions. During the initial response officers located an 18-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to his right forearm and provided life-saving measures. The 18-year-old victim later identified as Carter was treated for his serious but not life-threatening injuries.The investigation revealed that several suspects arrived at the parking lot of a local church and confronted a large group of people attending a funeral right outside the main door.After a brief verbal altercation between both groups, an unknown number of people from both groups started to shoot at each other. After initial interviews, officers arrested Carter and transported him to investigations for further questioning before an arrest.During the incident, several vehicles, and residences around and in front of the church’s parking lot were hit with gunfire. Police also recovered several firearms from the scene.&nbsp;Carter's next court date is July 6. He is being held on a five-million dollar bond, according to the district attorney's office.

Kan. teen held on $5 million bond for shooting outside funeral

PUXICO, Mo. (AP) — An invasive and fish that is voracious predator capable of surviving out of water for days was recently caught in southeastern Missouri, causing worry that the hard-to-contain species will spread and become a problem.

The northern snakehead was caught last month in a drainage pool at Duck Creek Conservation Area. The last time one showed up in Missouri was four years ago, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/state-regional/why-this-beast-of-a-fish-has-missouri-wildlife-officials-spooked/article_6846e576-104a-11ee-a56c-0fff076e3efb.html#tracking-source=home-top-story">St. Louis Post-Dispatch</a>&nbsp;reported.

Wildlife officials sounded the alarm, but many anglers say they're unaware of the fish, its potential impact and what to do if they catch one.

The northern snakehead is originally from east Asia, where they are a delicacy believed to have healing powers. They reproduce quickly, have sharp teeth, can wiggle across muddy land and grow to nearly 3 feet (nearly a meter) in length.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687553409318.png" alt="Image Missouri Dept. of Conservation" />
 <figcaption>Image Missouri Dept. of Conservation</figcaption>
 </figure>PUXICO, Mo. (AP) — An invasive and fish that is voracious predator capable of surviving out of water for days was recently caught in southeastern Missouri, causing worry that the hard-to-contain species will spread and become a problem.The northern snakehead was caught last month in a drainage pool at Duck Creek Conservation Area. The last time one showed up in Missouri was four years ago, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/state-regional/why-this-beast-of-a-fish-has-missouri-wildlife-officials-spooked/article_6846e576-104a-11ee-a56c-0fff076e3efb.html#tracking-source=home-top-story">St. Louis Post-Dispatch</a>&nbsp;reported.Wildlife officials sounded the alarm, but many anglers say they're unaware of the fish, its potential impact and what to do if they catch one.The northern snakehead is originally from east Asia, where they are a delicacy believed to have healing powers. They reproduce quickly, have sharp teeth, can wiggle across muddy land and grow to nearly 3 feet (nearly a meter) in length.The federal government in 2002 banned the import and interstate transport of live northern snakeheads, but they are flourishing in some parts of the U.S.“They are knocking on the door in Arkansas,” said Dave Knuth, a Missouri fisheries management biologist based in Cape Girardeau. “They are a beast.”The catch in May was worrisome, Knuth said. “I didn’t expect them to be this far up the state already,” he said.The first northern snakehead found in Missouri was caught in 2019 out of a ditch within the St. Francois River levee system in the Missouri Bootheel region.On May 19, state workers using a net to catch bait for a youth jug-fishing clinic, pulled a 13-inch northern snakehead out of Duck Creek Conservation Area. Knuth said the fish was found in the same watershed as the first one, though about 70 river miles (113 river kilometers) north of the initial catch.Wildlife officials spent two days searching for additional northern snakeheads in the conservation area and neighboring Mingo National Wildlife Refuge. No others were found, but they fear others are lurking, at least in low numbers.Larry Underwood, 73, who lives near the conservation area, wished the state well in its efforts to keep out the northern snakehead. As he fished, he noted that the state also tries to control feral hogs, but with little luck.“It’s kind of like the hogs,” he said. “You are going to eliminate that? Yeah, good luck.”