TOPEKA – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), with assistance from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and other partners, updated findings on the white powder found in letters sent to Kansas legislators and public officials, according to a media release from the agency.

As of Sunday evening June 18, approximately 100 letters containing suspicious white powder have been received across the state of Kansas.

A small sample of the letters containing powder was sent to a laboratory that specializes in testing biological samples. Preliminary tests have returned from this lab indicating the substance is presumptively negative for common biological agents of concern. 

Further and more complete testing will be conducted on this sample, as well as on additional letters that have been collected, in an effort to determine the components of the substance.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686969013876.jpeg" alt="Photo -Courtesy Rep. Paul Waggoner" />
 <figcaption>Photo -Courtesy Rep. Paul Waggoner</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), with assistance from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and other partners, updated findings on the white powder found in letters sent to Kansas legislators and public officials, according to a media release from the agency.As of Sunday evening June 18, approximately 100 letters containing suspicious white powder have been received across the state of Kansas.A small sample of the letters containing powder was sent to a laboratory that specializes in testing biological samples. Preliminary tests have returned from this lab indicating the substance is presumptively negative for common biological agents of concern. Further and more complete testing will be conducted on this sample, as well as on additional letters that have been collected, in an effort to determine the components of the substance.

KBI: Powder sent to legislators not a biological agent of concern

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting at a home in Kansas City.

Just&nbsp;11 p.m. Saturday, officers were dispatched to 67th and Richmond Ave on a reported shooting, according Captain Corey Carlisle Upon arrival officers made entry to the residence and located an adult male suffering from apparent gun shot wounds.&nbsp; EMS arrived on scene and declared the victim deceased. An adult female victim arrived at a nearby fire station. She was suffering from apparent gun shot wounds. The victim was transported to an area hospital in critical condition. There is no one in custody at this time. The circumstances surrounding the homicide are still being investigated. Homicide detectives and Crime Scene Personnel have responded to the scene.&nbsp; They will be processing the scene to recover any evidence and speaking to any potential witnesses. Anyone with information is asked to call homicide detectives at 816-234-5043. Or if you wish to remain anonymous you can do so by calling the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information provided to TIPS which leads to an arrest in the case. We are working with Partners for Peace in all our homicide investigations to monitor risks for retaliation and provide social services to affected residents.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting at a home in Kansas City.Just&nbsp;11 p.m. Saturday, officers were dispatched to 67th and Richmond Ave on a reported shooting, according Captain Corey Carlisle Upon arrival officers made entry to the residence and located an adult male suffering from apparent gun shot wounds.&nbsp; EMS arrived on scene and declared the victim deceased. An adult female victim arrived at a nearby fire station. She was suffering from apparent gun shot wounds. The victim was transported to an area hospital in critical condition. There is no one in custody at this time. The circumstances surrounding the homicide are still being investigated. Homicide detectives and Crime Scene Personnel have responded to the scene.&nbsp; They will be processing the scene to recover any evidence and speaking to any potential witnesses. Anyone with information is asked to call homicide detectives at 816-234-5043. Or if you wish to remain anonymous you can do so by calling the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information provided to TIPS which leads to an arrest in the case. We are working with Partners for Peace in all our homicide investigations to monitor risks for retaliation and provide social services to affected residents.

KCPD: Man dead, woman with gunshot wounds ran to fire station

&nbsp;SEDGWICK COUNTY —A former Kansas teacher&nbsp; of sex crimes involving a 13-year-old student has been sentenced to prison

On Thursday, 33-year-old Christin Covel was sentenced to&nbsp;34 months in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District attorney's office. Covel must also register for the rest of her life as a sex offender.

In February Covel pleaded no contest to two counts of aggravated indecent solicitation of a child involving the student.

In Jan. of 2022, police in Oklahoma arrested Covel, a teacher at Edison Preparatory Schools in Tulsa, on complaints out of Sedgewick County accusing her of having inappropriate relations with a boy while working at Mead Middle School 2601 E Skinner Street in Wichita, according to the Tulsa Police Department.&nbsp;

The incidents involving the boy happened between 2018 and 2019, according to police. Covel worked in the district from 2015 to 2020, according to USD 259.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641428925404.png" alt="Covel-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Covel-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;SEDGWICK COUNTY —A former Kansas teacher&nbsp; of sex crimes involving a 13-year-old student has been sentenced to prisonOn Thursday, 33-year-old Christin Covel was sentenced to&nbsp;34 months in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District attorney's office. Covel must also register for the rest of her life as a sex offender.In February Covel pleaded no contest to two counts of aggravated indecent solicitation of a child involving the student.In Jan. of 2022, police in Oklahoma arrested Covel, a teacher at Edison Preparatory Schools in Tulsa, on complaints out of Sedgewick County accusing her of having inappropriate relations with a boy while working at Mead Middle School 2601 E Skinner Street in Wichita, according to the Tulsa Police Department.&nbsp;The incidents involving the boy happened between 2018 and 2019, according to police. Covel worked in the district from 2015 to 2020, according to USD 259.----------

Former Kan. teacher must register as a sex offender for life

WYANDOTTE COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 2:30a.m. Saturday in Wyandotte County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2020 Kia Forte driven by&nbsp; Caden Vossman, 22, Westwood, was eastbound on Interstate 70 just west of 38th Street in a closed off lane in a construction zone. The car struck a construction worker identified as David Edward Draper, 31, Kansas City, and fled the scene.

EMS transported Draper to KU Medical Center for treatment.&nbsp; The KHP did not report what possible charges Vossman faces.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 2:30a.m. Saturday in Wyandotte County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2020 Kia Forte driven by&nbsp; Caden Vossman, 22, Westwood, was eastbound on Interstate 70 just west of 38th Street in a closed off lane in a construction zone. The car struck a construction worker identified as David Edward Draper, 31, Kansas City, and fled the scene.EMS transported Draper to KU Medical Center for treatment.&nbsp; The KHP did not report what possible charges Vossman faces.

Kan. driver flees after car strikes construction worker on I-70

PAWNEE COUNTY–A Kansas man was sentenced Thursday on a conviction of Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, a severity level 3 drug felony, according to Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.

Mark Larson, 56 of Larned, was originally charged with Possession of Methamphetamine and Marijuana with intent to distribute within 1000 feet of school property, felony drug paraphernalia suitable to distribute a control substance, No Kansas Drug Stamp, Criminal Possession of an Explosive Device and misdemeanor drug paraphernalia suitable to consume a controlled substance.&nbsp;

In February, Larson entered a guilty plea in exchange for the dismissal to the remaining charges.

The charge stems from an investigation following the execution of a search warrant by the Pawnee County Sheriff’s Department at the Larson's Larned residence on January 23, 2021. Also charged in the investigation were his wife Tammy Lee Smith, 54, and son Trapper Larson, 22.

As part of the plea agreement, Larson had the right to request a probationary sentence with the State reserving the right to oppose said request. Defense counsel argued the Court should grant his request for probation based on the defendant’s recent engagement in substance abuse treatment and ongoing health concerns.

The State requested the defendant be sentenced to the standard 59 month sentence in the custody of the department of corrections and argued the Court should deny the probation request due to the crime occurring within 1000 feet of the Fort Larned Elementary School, and that the co-defendant Trapper Larson received a 48 month prison sentence for his part in the crime. Both father and son are now listed as Registered Kansas Drug Offenders.

After hearing arguments of counsel, District Judge Bruce Gatterman sentenced Larson to a downward departure sentence of 30 months in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections. He is eligible to earn up to 15% good time credit. The defendant will be subject to 36 months post release and 15 years of registration as a drug offender. Following sentencing he was remanded to the custody of the Pawnee County Sheriff.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686932919600.png" alt="Larson-photo KBI Offender Registry" />
 <figcaption>Larson-photo KBI Offender Registry</figcaption>
 </figure>PAWNEE COUNTY–A Kansas man was sentenced Thursday on a conviction of Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, a severity level 3 drug felony, according to Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.Mark Larson, 56 of Larned, was originally charged with Possession of Methamphetamine and Marijuana with intent to distribute within 1000 feet of school property, felony drug paraphernalia suitable to distribute a control substance, No Kansas Drug Stamp, Criminal Possession of an Explosive Device and misdemeanor drug paraphernalia suitable to consume a controlled substance.&nbsp;In February, Larson entered a guilty plea in exchange for the dismissal to the remaining charges.The charge stems from an investigation following the execution of a search warrant by the Pawnee County Sheriff’s Department at the Larson's Larned residence on January 23, 2021. Also charged in the investigation were his wife Tammy Lee Smith, 54, and son Trapper Larson, 22.As part of the plea agreement, Larson had the right to request a probationary sentence with the State reserving the right to oppose said request. Defense counsel argued the Court should grant his request for probation based on the defendant’s recent engagement in substance abuse treatment and ongoing health concerns.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611883981020.png" alt="Trapper Larson has been listed as a registered Kansas Drug offender since&nbsp; June of 2021, according to the KBI offender registry." />
 <figcaption>Trapper Larson has been listed as a registered Kansas Drug offender since&nbsp; June of 2021, according to the KBI offender registry.</figcaption>
 </figure>The State requested the defendant be sentenced to the standard 59 month sentence in the custody of the department of corrections and argued the Court should deny the probation request due to the crime occurring within 1000 feet of the Fort Larned Elementary School, and that the co-defendant Trapper Larson received a 48 month prison sentence for his part in the crime. Both father and son are now listed as Registered Kansas Drug Offenders.After hearing arguments of counsel, District Judge Bruce Gatterman sentenced Larson to a downward departure sentence of 30 months in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections. He is eligible to earn up to 15% good time credit. The defendant will be subject to 36 months post release and 15 years of registration as a drug offender. Following sentencing he was remanded to the custody of the Pawnee County Sheriff.

Father and son are now registered Kansas drug offenders

EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the amount of renewable energy generation Evergy plans to add by 2032. It has been updated.&nbsp;

By ALLISON KITE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/epa-estimates-more-than-54000-lead-pipes-remain-in-kansas/">Kansas Reflector</a>

Kansas’ largest electric utility has drastically scaled back its plans to add more clean energy over the next decade and will keep open its oldest coal plant for years longer.

Two years ago,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/04/30/evergy-to-shutter-lawrence-coal-plant-speed-transition-to-renewable-energy/">Evergy announced plans</a>&nbsp;to retire the Lawrence Energy Center by the end of this year and add 700 megawatts of solar power by the end of 2024.&nbsp;

Now, it doesn’t plan to add any solar power until 2026 and will keep the Lawrence coal plant open until 2028.&nbsp;

Evergy, which serves 1.6 million customers in Kansas and Missouri, revealed the plans in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://efis.psc.mo.gov/mpsc/DocketSheet.html">filings</a>&nbsp;with regulators in both states. By 2032,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://investors.evergy.com/static-files/5413d042-6f58-4b60-8bc0-60ff86467d14">Evergy plans to add 3,100 megawatts</a>&nbsp;of renewable energy, down from the 3,540 megawatts of renewable generation it planned to add as of last year’s filing.&nbsp;

In a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://newsroom.evergy.com/2023-06-15-Evergy-updates-long-term-plan-for-meeting-customer-energy-needs">news release</a>, the company says it will add more than 3,300 megawatts of renewable power by 2035.&nbsp;

It also plans to add more than 1,440 megawatts of natural gas power by 2028.

The company said the update reflects a plan “that will most effectively serve customers in both states and provide reliable and affordable power over a long-term planning horizon.”&nbsp;

“Evergy is committed to leading a responsible energy transition while keeping affordability and reliability at the forefront,” the company’s president and CEO David Campbell said in the release.&nbsp;

The Sierra Club, a major environmental nonprofit, decried the change.&nbsp;

Nancy Muma, a volunteer with the Wakarusa Group of the organization, said in a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2023/06/evergy-s-energy-plan-more-fossil-fuels-less-clean-energy">news release</a>&nbsp;it was “maddening” that Evergy delayed retiring the Lawrence plant.&nbsp;

“That’s not a decision utility leaders make while proclaiming to care about climate change and the cost to its customers,” Muma said.&nbsp;

Billy Davies, conservation organizer for the Sierra Club, criticized Evergy for not moving more swiftly to close its Hawthorn Power Plant in Kansas City, Missouri, noting that City Hall and the surrounding community have called for its closure by 2025.&nbsp;

“Evergy has a plethora of tools to move more quickly to clean energy as its customers have demanded, but unfortunately it appears the utility is choosing not to use them, as we’re watching climate change impact our region through wildfire smoke from out west and drought locally,” Davies said.

He called the decision “unacceptable.”

Evergy’s plan says the city of Kansas City’s clean energy goals are “incredibly aggressive” and too expensive. The city wants Evergy to close Hawthorn and all other coal units by 2030 and replace them with clean energy. Doing so, the company’s plan says, would cost $3.5 billion more than its preferred energy transition.

Gina Penzig, a spokeswoman for Evergy, said in an email that the company had reduced its carbon emissions by 46% since 2005 and cut its sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions by 98% and 88%. She said the Sierra Club hadn’t “acknowledged this progress.”

In its release, Evergy said it was facing increasing electricity demand and changes in requirements from the Southwest Power Pool, the regional grid to which Evergy belongs. The company said new renewable energy projects were set back by supply chain constraints and long approval processes with the SPP.

“Our service area is experiencing some of its most robust electricity demand growth in decades, including very large projects like the Panasonic electric vehicle battery manufacturing factory and the Meta datacenter, as well as broad-based economic development in both Kansas and Missouri,” Campbell said

Despite the proposed natural gas additions and cut in planned renewables, Evergy maintains the same goal to reduce its carbon emissions by 70% by 2030 compared with 2005 levels and reach net zero emissions by 2045.

Penzig said “how we operate our fleet is a large driver in achieving (carbon dioxide) reductions.”&nbsp;

“The planned natural gas generation produces significantly less carbon than the coal units they are replacing,” she said. “The new units would also be capable of converting to hydrogen in the future.”

Thursday’s plan filing is an annual update to Evergy’s long-range resource plan. It will file its full triennial plan next year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687004047927.png" alt=" Evergy headquarters in downtown Topeka, Kansas (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)." />
 <figcaption> Evergy headquarters in downtown Topeka, Kansas (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector).</figcaption>
 </figure>EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the amount of renewable energy generation Evergy plans to add by 2032. It has been updated.&nbsp;By ALLISON KITE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/epa-estimates-more-than-54000-lead-pipes-remain-in-kansas/">Kansas Reflector</a>Kansas’ largest electric utility has drastically scaled back its plans to add more clean energy over the next decade and will keep open its oldest coal plant for years longer.Two years ago,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/04/30/evergy-to-shutter-lawrence-coal-plant-speed-transition-to-renewable-energy/">Evergy announced plans</a>&nbsp;to retire the Lawrence Energy Center by the end of this year and add 700 megawatts of solar power by the end of 2024.&nbsp;Now, it doesn’t plan to add any solar power until 2026 and will keep the Lawrence coal plant open until 2028.&nbsp;Evergy, which serves 1.6 million customers in Kansas and Missouri, revealed the plans in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://efis.psc.mo.gov/mpsc/DocketSheet.html">filings</a>&nbsp;with regulators in both states. By 2032,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://investors.evergy.com/static-files/5413d042-6f58-4b60-8bc0-60ff86467d14">Evergy plans to add 3,100 megawatts</a>&nbsp;of renewable energy, down from the 3,540 megawatts of renewable generation it planned to add as of last year’s filing.&nbsp;In a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://newsroom.evergy.com/2023-06-15-Evergy-updates-long-term-plan-for-meeting-customer-energy-needs">news release</a>, the company says it will add more than 3,300 megawatts of renewable power by 2035.&nbsp;It also plans to add more than 1,440 megawatts of natural gas power by 2028.The company said the update reflects a plan “that will most effectively serve customers in both states and provide reliable and affordable power over a long-term planning horizon.”&nbsp;“Evergy is committed to leading a responsible energy transition while keeping affordability and reliability at the forefront,” the company’s president and CEO David Campbell said in the release.&nbsp;The Sierra Club, a major environmental nonprofit, decried the change.&nbsp;Nancy Muma, a volunteer with the Wakarusa Group of the organization, said in a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2023/06/evergy-s-energy-plan-more-fossil-fuels-less-clean-energy">news release</a>&nbsp;it was “maddening” that Evergy delayed retiring the Lawrence plant.&nbsp;“That’s not a decision utility leaders make while proclaiming to care about climate change and the cost to its customers,” Muma said.&nbsp;Billy Davies, conservation organizer for the Sierra Club, criticized Evergy for not moving more swiftly to close its Hawthorn Power Plant in Kansas City, Missouri, noting that City Hall and the surrounding community have called for its closure by 2025.&nbsp;“Evergy has a plethora of tools to move more quickly to clean energy as its customers have demanded, but unfortunately it appears the utility is choosing not to use them, as we’re watching climate change impact our region through wildfire smoke from out west and drought locally,” Davies said.He called the decision “unacceptable.”Evergy’s plan says the city of Kansas City’s clean energy goals are “incredibly aggressive” and too expensive. The city wants Evergy to close Hawthorn and all other coal units by 2030 and replace them with clean energy. Doing so, the company’s plan says, would cost $3.5 billion more than its preferred energy transition.Gina Penzig, a spokeswoman for Evergy, said in an email that the company had reduced its carbon emissions by 46% since 2005 and cut its sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions by 98% and 88%. She said the Sierra Club hadn’t “acknowledged this progress.”In its release, Evergy said it was facing increasing electricity demand and changes in requirements from the Southwest Power Pool, the regional grid to which Evergy belongs. The company said new renewable energy projects were set back by supply chain constraints and long approval processes with the SPP.“Our service area is experiencing some of its most robust electricity demand growth in decades, including very large projects like the Panasonic electric vehicle battery manufacturing factory and the Meta datacenter, as well as broad-based economic development in both Kansas and Missouri,” Campbell saidDespite the proposed natural gas additions and cut in planned renewables, Evergy maintains the same goal to reduce its carbon emissions by 70% by 2030 compared with 2005 levels and reach net zero emissions by 2045.Penzig said “how we operate our fleet is a large driver in achieving (carbon dioxide) reductions.”&nbsp;“The planned natural gas generation produces significantly less carbon than the coal units they are replacing,” she said. “The new units would also be capable of converting to hydrogen in the future.”Thursday’s plan filing is an annual update to Evergy’s long-range resource plan. It will file its full triennial plan next year.

Evergy slashes planned renewable energy additions, proposes more natural gas

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting at a funeral and have made an arrested as 18-year-old&nbsp;Demetrius Carter of Wichita.

Just after 2:00 pm, Friday, 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. He is being held requested charges of eight counts of aggravated assault.

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.

<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 — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting at a funeral and have made an arrested as 18-year-old&nbsp;Demetrius Carter of Wichita.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687013150860.png" alt="Blurry booking photo of Carter provided by Sedgwick County Jail" />
 <figcaption>Blurry booking photo of Carter provided by Sedgwick County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 2:00 pm, Friday, 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. He is being held requested charges of eight counts of aggravated assault.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.

Police ID Kan. teen arrested after gun fight outside funeral

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The United States deployed a nuclear-powered submarine capable of carrying about 150 Tomahawk missiles to South Korea on Friday, a day after North Korea resumed missile tests in protest of the U.S.-South Korean live-fire drills.

The USS Michigan’s arrival in South Korea, the first of its kind in six years, is part of a recent bilateral agreement on enhancing “regular visibility” of U.S. strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula in response to North Korea's advancing nuclear program, according to South Korean officials.

With the deployment of the USS Michigan, the U.S. and South Korean navies are to conduct drills on boosting their special operation capabilities and joint ability to cope with growing North Korean nuclear threats, the South Korean Defense Ministry said in a statement.

It said the U.S. submarine arrived at the southeastern port city of Busan but didn’t say how long it would stay in South Korean waters.

The USS Michigan is one of the biggest submarines in the world. The Ohio-class guided-missile submarine can be armed with 150 Tomahawk missiles with a range of about 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles) and is capable of launching special forces missions, according to the South Korean statement.

The South Korean and U.S. militaries have been expanding their exercises in reaction to North Korea’s provocative run of missile tests since last year. North Korea has argued it was forced to ramp up testing activities to deal with its rivals’ expanded military drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal, but experts say the North ultimately aims to modernize its arsenal and increase its leverage in eventual diplomacy.

In April, after their meeting in Washington, President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol agreed that the United States would enhance the “regular visibility of strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula.” Biden also stated that any North Korean nuclear attack on the U.S. or its allies would “result in the end of whatever regime” took such action.

The two leaders also announced other steps to reinforce joint deterrence capabilities such as the docking a U.S. nuclear ballistic missile submarine in South Korea periodically; bolstering joint training exercises; and the establishment of a new nuclear consultative group. The nuclear ballistic missile submarine hasn't come to South Korea.

Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, slammed the Biden-Yoon summit agreements, saying they revealed the two countries’ “most hostile and aggressive will of action” against the North. She threatened to further bolster her country’s nuclear forces.

On Thursday, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast, shortly after it vowed responses to the just-ended South Korea-U.S. firing drills near the Koreas’ heavily armed border.

They were the North’s first weapons launches since it tried to put its first spy satellite into orbit in late May. The launch failed as the rocket carrying the spy satellite crashed into the waters off the Korean Peninsula’s west coast.

South Korea’s Defense Ministry said Friday that military search crews have salvaged what it believes is part of the crashed North Korean rocket. The ministry released photos of the white, metal cylinder, which some experts said would have been the rocket’s fuel tank.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687048191258.png" alt="The nuclear-powered submarine USS Michigan approaches a naval base in Busan, South Korea, Friday, June 16, 2023. The United States deployed the nuclear-powered submarine capable of carrying about 150 Tomahawk missiles to South Korea on Friday, a day after North Korea resumed missile tests in protest of the U.S.-South Korean live-fire drills. (Gang Duck-chul/Yonhap via AP)" />
 <figcaption>The nuclear-powered submarine USS Michigan approaches a naval base in Busan, South Korea, Friday, June 16, 2023. The United States deployed the nuclear-powered submarine capable of carrying about 150 Tomahawk missiles to South Korea on Friday, a day after North Korea resumed missile tests in protest of the U.S.-South Korean live-fire drills. (Gang Duck-chul/Yonhap via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The United States deployed a nuclear-powered submarine capable of carrying about 150 Tomahawk missiles to South Korea on Friday, a day after North Korea resumed missile tests in protest of the U.S.-South Korean live-fire drills.The USS Michigan’s arrival in South Korea, the first of its kind in six years, is part of a recent bilateral agreement on enhancing “regular visibility” of U.S. strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula in response to North Korea's advancing nuclear program, according to South Korean officials.With the deployment of the USS Michigan, the U.S. and South Korean navies are to conduct drills on boosting their special operation capabilities and joint ability to cope with growing North Korean nuclear threats, the South Korean Defense Ministry said in a statement.It said the U.S. submarine arrived at the southeastern port city of Busan but didn’t say how long it would stay in South Korean waters.The USS Michigan is one of the biggest submarines in the world. The Ohio-class guided-missile submarine can be armed with 150 Tomahawk missiles with a range of about 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles) and is capable of launching special forces missions, according to the South Korean statement.The South Korean and U.S. militaries have been expanding their exercises in reaction to North Korea’s provocative run of missile tests since last year. North Korea has argued it was forced to ramp up testing activities to deal with its rivals’ expanded military drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal, but experts say the North ultimately aims to modernize its arsenal and increase its leverage in eventual diplomacy.In April, after their meeting in Washington, President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol agreed that the United States would enhance the “regular visibility of strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula.” Biden also stated that any North Korean nuclear attack on the U.S. or its allies would “result in the end of whatever regime” took such action.The two leaders also announced other steps to reinforce joint deterrence capabilities such as the docking a U.S. nuclear ballistic missile submarine in South Korea periodically; bolstering joint training exercises; and the establishment of a new nuclear consultative group. The nuclear ballistic missile submarine hasn't come to South Korea.Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, slammed the Biden-Yoon summit agreements, saying they revealed the two countries’ “most hostile and aggressive will of action” against the North. She threatened to further bolster her country’s nuclear forces.On Thursday, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast, shortly after it vowed responses to the just-ended South Korea-U.S. firing drills near the Koreas’ heavily armed border.They were the North’s first weapons launches since it tried to put its first spy satellite into orbit in late May. The launch failed as the rocket carrying the spy satellite crashed into the waters off the Korean Peninsula’s west coast.South Korea’s Defense Ministry said Friday that military search crews have salvaged what it believes is part of the crashed North Korean rocket. The ministry released photos of the white, metal cylinder, which some experts said would have been the rocket’s fuel tank.

US deploys nuclear sub after North Korea resumes missile tests

FINNEY COUNTY — Carolyn Koentopp has been located safe in Liberal and is being reunited with family, according to Garden City Police.

FINNEY COUNTY —Garden City Police requested&nbsp; the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) issue a statewide Silver Alert for a missing woman from Garden City, according to a media release.

The whereabouts of 68-year-old Carolyn Koentopp are unknown, and the public’s assistance is requested to help locate her.

Carolyn was last seen Friday, June 16, at around 5 a.m. at St. Catherine Hospital at 401 E. Spruce St. in Garden City. 

She is believed to be driving a 2022 black Jeep Gladiator, and may be accompanied by a small brown dog.Carolyn is a white female who is around 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighs around 100 pounds. 

She has brown and grey hair and green eyes. and was last seen wearing a light blue shirt and denim jeans.

Carolyn could be experiencing confusion and memory loss.If you see Carolyn Koentopp or her vehicle, please call 911 immediately. If you have other information about her whereabouts, please call the GCPD at (620) 276-1300.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687098589556.png" alt="Koentopp-photos Garden City PD" />
 <figcaption>Koentopp-photos Garden City PD</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY — Carolyn Koentopp has been located safe in Liberal and is being reunited with family, according to Garden City Police.------------FINNEY COUNTY —Garden City Police requested&nbsp; the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) issue a statewide Silver Alert for a missing woman from Garden City, according to a media release.The whereabouts of 68-year-old Carolyn Koentopp are unknown, and the public’s assistance is requested to help locate her.Carolyn was last seen Friday, June 16, at around 5 a.m. at St. Catherine Hospital at 401 E. Spruce St. in Garden City. She is believed to be driving a 2022 black Jeep Gladiator, and may be accompanied by a small brown dog.Carolyn is a white female who is around 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighs around 100 pounds. She has brown and grey hair and green eyes. and was last seen wearing a light blue shirt and denim jeans.Carolyn could be experiencing confusion and memory loss.If you see Carolyn Koentopp or her vehicle, please call 911 immediately. If you have other information about her whereabouts, please call the GCPD at (620) 276-1300.

Police: Silver Alert canceled; missing Kansas woman found safe

NEW YORK (AP) — To its members, it’s a grassroots army of “joyful warriors” who “don’t co-parent with the government.”

To anti-hate researchers, it’s a well-connected extremist group that attacks inclusion in schools.

And to Republicans vying for the presidency, it has become a potential key partner in the fight for the 2024 nomination.

Moms for Liberty didn't exist during the last presidential campaign, but the Florida-based nonprofit that champions “parental rights” in education has rapidly become a major player for 2024, boosted in part by GOP operatives, politicians and donors.

The group that has been at the forefront of the conservative movement targeting books that reference race and gender identity and electing right-wing candidates to local school boards nationwide is hosting one of the next major gatherings for Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2023">presidential primary contenders</a>. At least four are listed as speakers at the Moms for Liberty annual summit in Philadelphia later this month.

Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-2024-updates-cd5339d48064a149527e8f9a1aa7614e">Donald Trump</a>, Florida Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ron-desantis-2024-presidential-election-live-updates-0495d567326db1e760179d01f1f7c45e">Ron DeSantis</a>, former U.N. Ambassador&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nikki-haley-2024-presidential-campaign-formal-launch-bb059ae113e39152f5007864b4d139ae">Nikki Haley</a>&nbsp;and biotech entrepreneur and “anti-woke” activist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-and-politics-united-states-government-2022-midterm-elections-ohio-e1c1cbe47763bd979b6b47557aee043d">Vivek Ramaswamy</a>&nbsp;have announced they will speak at the meeting at the end of June.

The group said it is in talks to bring others to the conference, including Republican Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tim-scott-2024-presidential-race-4a73e00db2295afbc4b07d1c6bb64811">Tim Scott</a>&nbsp;of South Carolina and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kennedy-biden-president-2024-democrat-dd9d6ecf17b54f4b32e7b17778540431">Robert F. Kennedy Jr</a>., a fringe Democrat known for pushing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-kennedy-jr-presidential-campaign-9fb5ed5c8e1fd31d2a4458d44b086593">anti-vaccine conspiracy theories</a>.

The high interest in the event underscores how fights surrounding&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-texas-pennsylvania-campaigns-elections-5bb0f7fb8c162d9f4da5c935271bc255">gender</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-critical-race-theory-08f5d0a0489c7d6eab7d9a238365d2c1">race</a>&nbsp;have become core issues for Republican voters. It also spotlights Republicans' eagerness to embrace a group that has drawn backlash for spreading anti-LGBTQ+ ideas and stripping&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/book-bans-american-library-association-f84ac6fe3f8e3238fc54931bc1a5e054">libraries</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-book-bans-91b2d4c086eb082cbecfdda2800ef29a">classrooms</a>&nbsp;of diverse material.

The group was founded in 2021 by Tiffany Justice, Tina Descovich and Bridget Ziegler, all current and former school board members in Florida who were unhappy with student mask and quarantine policies during the pandemic.

In two years, the organization has ballooned to 285 chapters across 44 states, Justice said. The group claims 120,000 active members.

It has expanded its activism in local school districts to target&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-book-bans-91b2d4c086eb082cbecfdda2800ef29a">books it says are inappropriate</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/16W9grkwSFsIPRQOSpQfnAHNJzvDH5Bkk/view">“anti-American,”</a>&nbsp;ban instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity, require teachers to disclose students’ pronouns to parents, and remove diversity, equity and inclusion programs from schools.

The group also has sought to elect like-minded candidates to school boards. In 2022, just over half the 500 candidates it endorsed for school boards nationwide won their races, Justice said.

Moms for Liberty pitches itself as a nonpartisan, grassroots effort started by passionate parents who call themselves “joyful warriors." Yet the group's close ties to Republican organizations, donors and politicians raise questions about partisanship and doubts over how grassroots it really is.

Co-founder Ziegler, who stepped down from the board in late 2021 but remains supportive of the group, is married to the chairman of the Florida Republican Party. Still a school board member in Sarasota County, she also is a&nbsp;<a href="https://leadershipinstitute.org/contactUS/staff/?staff=7000711">director</a>&nbsp;at the Leadership Institute, a conservative organization that regularly trains Moms for Liberty members.

Marie Rogerson, who took Ziegler's place on the Moms for Liberty board, is an experienced political strategist who had previously managed the 2018 campaign of Florida state Rep. Randy Fine, a Republican.

The group also has quickly gained a close ally in DeSantis. In 2021, he signed Florida’s “Parents Bill of Rights,” which identified parents' rights to direct their kids' education and health care and was used to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-education-florida-coronavirus-pandemic-tallahassee-78a7d4b5117369eb37e8cb19c5ead0b2">fight local student mask mandates</a>. In 2022, he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-lifestyle-education-florida-ron-desantis-322e0a40da909f48954b8b1bd9190750">signed a law</a>&nbsp;barring instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through the third grade, a ban opponents had labeled the “Don't Say Gay” bill and which has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dont-say-gay-desantis-florida-gender-d3a9c91f4b5383a5bf6df6f7d8ff65b6">since been extended</a>&nbsp;through 12th grade. Moms for Liberty had loudly advocated both pieces of legislation.

Ziegler appeared behind DeSantis in photographs of the latter bill's signing ceremony. When the group held its inaugural summit in Tampa last year, it hosted speeches by DeSantis and his wife, Casey, presenting the governor with a “liberty sword.”

And though the group is a 501(c)4 nonprofit that doesn’t have to disclose its donors, there are other glimpses of how powerful Republicans have helped fuel its rise.

Its summit sponsors, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.momsforliberty.org/summit-23-sponsorship-opportunities/">paid tens of thousands of dollars</a>&nbsp;for those slots, include the Leadership Institute, the conservative Heritage Foundation and Patriot Mobile, a far-right Christian cellphone company whose PAC&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-elections-education-school-boards-teaching-059f2465829ab009394469b95c8cc94a">has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars</a>&nbsp;in an effort to take over Texas school boards.

Maurice Cunningham, a former political science professor at the University of Massachusetts-Boston who has tracked Moms for Liberty's growth and relationships, said its ability to draw so many top Republican candidates to its second annual summit is a testament to its establishment support.

“Yes, there are certainly moms that live in their communities and so forth who are active,” Cunningham said. “But this is a top down, centrally controlled operation with big-money people at the top and political professionals working for them.”

Justice said the group's work with conservative organizations and DeSantis shows they take interest in the group's cause, but doesn't mean it isn't grassroots.

Even as Moms for Liberty has aligned with establishment Republicans, researchers say its activism is part of a new wave of far-right anti-student inclusion efforts around the country.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate and extremism around the country, designated Moms for Liberty as an “anti-government extremist” group in its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.splcenter.org/year-hate-extremism-2022">annual report</a>&nbsp;released last week, along with 11 other groups it said use&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-education-gender-identity-0e2ca2cf0ef7d7bc6ef5b125f1ee0969">parents' rights</a>&nbsp;as a vehicle to attack public education and make schools less welcoming for minority and LGBTQ+ students.

The label comes after some of the group's leaders and chapter chairs have been accused of&nbsp;<a href="https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/Report/MdjDocketSheet?docketNumber=MJ-60302-NT-0000079-2023&amp;dnh=S1aGVy3jfcq%2FBom1A%2BLguw%3D%3D">harassing community members</a>&nbsp;and amplifying&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-target-swimsuits-transgender-pride-collection-892500330955">false claims related to gender controversies</a>.

Justice said calling Moms for Liberty's activities extremist is “alarming” and that the group’s efforts to fund and endorse school board races show it is not anti-government.

She said the group removes chapter chairs who break its code of conduct and that it has members and leaders who are gay, including one member of its national leadership team.

A growing coalition of local organizations that promote inclusivity in education has begun to mobilize against Moms for Liberty and are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.change.org/p/help-me-stop-marriott-pennsylvania-from-hosting-a-hate-group-conference">petitioning Marriott</a>&nbsp;to stop the upcoming conference. Defense of Democracy, a New York organization founded in direct opposition to Moms for Liberty, plans to bring members to Philadelphia to protest in person.

“They’re so loud and so aggressive that people are kind of scared into silence,” Defense of Democracy founder Karen Svoboda said of Moms for Liberty. "You know, if you see bigotry and homophobia, there is a civic responsibility to speak out against it."

Moms for Liberty, in turn, said it will increase security for its meeting. Marriott hasn't responded to the petition, and the Southern Poverty Law Center's “extremist” designation hasn't deterred any Republican candidate who plans to speak.

Haley responded by tweeting, “If @Moms4Liberty is a ‘hate group,’ add me to the list.” Ramaswamy went onstage for a Thursday town hall with Justice and tweeted that SPLC stands for “Selling Political Lies to Corporations.”

Those responses are unsurprising to Cunningham, who said in today's climate, the “extremist” label is “almost a badge of honor” within the GOP.

Moms for Liberty, for its part, is fundraising off it. After the SPLC report was public, Justice said the group quickly raised $45,000, an amount a larger donor has agreed to match.

NEW YORK (AP) — To its members, it’s a grassroots army of “joyful warriors” who “don’t co-parent with the government.”To anti-hate researchers, it’s a well-connected extremist group that attacks inclusion in schools.And to Republicans vying for the presidency, it has become a potential key partner in the fight for the 2024 nomination.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FMoms4Liberty%2Fvideos%2F131447996588665%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=1" 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>Moms for Liberty didn't exist during the last presidential campaign, but the Florida-based nonprofit that champions “parental rights” in education has rapidly become a major player for 2024, boosted in part by GOP operatives, politicians and donors.The group that has been at the forefront of the conservative movement targeting books that reference race and gender identity and electing right-wing candidates to local school boards nationwide is hosting one of the next major gatherings for Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2023">presidential primary contenders</a>. At least four are listed as speakers at the Moms for Liberty annual summit in Philadelphia later this month.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FMoms4Liberty%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02bzcnSBgW6nxrGvrq1UyASLhrsXqwcERjw2tF245CmWyrgmEy8L45j4wYikGPgFuCl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="672" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-2024-updates-cd5339d48064a149527e8f9a1aa7614e">Donald Trump</a>, Florida Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ron-desantis-2024-presidential-election-live-updates-0495d567326db1e760179d01f1f7c45e">Ron DeSantis</a>, former U.N. Ambassador&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nikki-haley-2024-presidential-campaign-formal-launch-bb059ae113e39152f5007864b4d139ae">Nikki Haley</a>&nbsp;and biotech entrepreneur and “anti-woke” activist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-and-politics-united-states-government-2022-midterm-elections-ohio-e1c1cbe47763bd979b6b47557aee043d">Vivek Ramaswamy</a>&nbsp;have announced they will speak at the meeting at the end of June.The group said it is in talks to bring others to the conference, including Republican Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tim-scott-2024-presidential-race-4a73e00db2295afbc4b07d1c6bb64811">Tim Scott</a>&nbsp;of South Carolina and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kennedy-biden-president-2024-democrat-dd9d6ecf17b54f4b32e7b17778540431">Robert F. Kennedy Jr</a>., a fringe Democrat known for pushing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-kennedy-jr-presidential-campaign-9fb5ed5c8e1fd31d2a4458d44b086593">anti-vaccine conspiracy theories</a>.The high interest in the event underscores how fights surrounding&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-texas-pennsylvania-campaigns-elections-5bb0f7fb8c162d9f4da5c935271bc255">gender</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-critical-race-theory-08f5d0a0489c7d6eab7d9a238365d2c1">race</a>&nbsp;have become core issues for Republican voters. It also spotlights Republicans' eagerness to embrace a group that has drawn backlash for spreading anti-LGBTQ+ ideas and stripping&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/book-bans-american-library-association-f84ac6fe3f8e3238fc54931bc1a5e054">libraries</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-book-bans-91b2d4c086eb082cbecfdda2800ef29a">classrooms</a>&nbsp;of diverse material.The group was founded in 2021 by Tiffany Justice, Tina Descovich and Bridget Ziegler, all current and former school board members in Florida who were unhappy with student mask and quarantine policies during the pandemic.In two years, the organization has ballooned to 285 chapters across 44 states, Justice said. The group claims 120,000 active members.It has expanded its activism in local school districts to target&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-book-bans-91b2d4c086eb082cbecfdda2800ef29a">books it says are inappropriate</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/16W9grkwSFsIPRQOSpQfnAHNJzvDH5Bkk/view">“anti-American,”</a>&nbsp;ban instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity, require teachers to disclose students’ pronouns to parents, and remove diversity, equity and inclusion programs from schools.The group also has sought to elect like-minded candidates to school boards. In 2022, just over half the 500 candidates it endorsed for school boards nationwide won their races, Justice said.Moms for Liberty pitches itself as a nonpartisan, grassroots effort started by passionate parents who call themselves “joyful warriors." Yet the group's close ties to Republican organizations, donors and politicians raise questions about partisanship and doubts over how grassroots it really is.Co-founder Ziegler, who stepped down from the board in late 2021 but remains supportive of the group, is married to the chairman of the Florida Republican Party. Still a school board member in Sarasota County, she also is a&nbsp;<a href="https://leadershipinstitute.org/contactUS/staff/?staff=7000711">director</a>&nbsp;at the Leadership Institute, a conservative organization that regularly trains Moms for Liberty members.Marie Rogerson, who took Ziegler's place on the Moms for Liberty board, is an experienced political strategist who had previously managed the 2018 campaign of Florida state Rep. Randy Fine, a Republican.The group also has quickly gained a close ally in DeSantis. In 2021, he signed Florida’s “Parents Bill of Rights,” which identified parents' rights to direct their kids' education and health care and was used to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-education-florida-coronavirus-pandemic-tallahassee-78a7d4b5117369eb37e8cb19c5ead0b2">fight local student mask mandates</a>. In 2022, he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-lifestyle-education-florida-ron-desantis-322e0a40da909f48954b8b1bd9190750">signed a law</a>&nbsp;barring instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through the third grade, a ban opponents had labeled the “Don't Say Gay” bill and which has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dont-say-gay-desantis-florida-gender-d3a9c91f4b5383a5bf6df6f7d8ff65b6">since been extended</a>&nbsp;through 12th grade. Moms for Liberty had loudly advocated both pieces of legislation.Ziegler appeared behind DeSantis in photographs of the latter bill's signing ceremony. When the group held its inaugural summit in Tampa last year, it hosted speeches by DeSantis and his wife, Casey, presenting the governor with a “liberty sword.”And though the group is a 501(c)4 nonprofit that doesn’t have to disclose its donors, there are other glimpses of how powerful Republicans have helped fuel its rise.Its summit sponsors, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.momsforliberty.org/summit-23-sponsorship-opportunities/">paid tens of thousands of dollars</a>&nbsp;for those slots, include the Leadership Institute, the conservative Heritage Foundation and Patriot Mobile, a far-right Christian cellphone company whose PAC&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-elections-education-school-boards-teaching-059f2465829ab009394469b95c8cc94a">has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars</a>&nbsp;in an effort to take over Texas school boards.Maurice Cunningham, a former political science professor at the University of Massachusetts-Boston who has tracked Moms for Liberty's growth and relationships, said its ability to draw so many top Republican candidates to its second annual summit is a testament to its establishment support.“Yes, there are certainly moms that live in their communities and so forth who are active,” Cunningham said. “But this is a top down, centrally controlled operation with big-money people at the top and political professionals working for them.”Justice said the group's work with conservative organizations and DeSantis shows they take interest in the group's cause, but doesn't mean it isn't grassroots.Even as Moms for Liberty has aligned with establishment Republicans, researchers say its activism is part of a new wave of far-right anti-student inclusion efforts around the country.The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate and extremism around the country, designated Moms for Liberty as an “anti-government extremist” group in its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.splcenter.org/year-hate-extremism-2022">annual report</a>&nbsp;released last week, along with 11 other groups it said use&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-education-gender-identity-0e2ca2cf0ef7d7bc6ef5b125f1ee0969">parents' rights</a>&nbsp;as a vehicle to attack public education and make schools less welcoming for minority and LGBTQ+ students.The label comes after some of the group's leaders and chapter chairs have been accused of&nbsp;<a href="https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/Report/MdjDocketSheet?docketNumber=MJ-60302-NT-0000079-2023&amp;dnh=S1aGVy3jfcq%2FBom1A%2BLguw%3D%3D">harassing community members</a>&nbsp;and amplifying&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-target-swimsuits-transgender-pride-collection-892500330955">false claims related to gender controversies</a>.Justice said calling Moms for Liberty's activities extremist is “alarming” and that the group’s efforts to fund and endorse school board races show it is not anti-government.She said the group removes chapter chairs who break its code of conduct and that it has members and leaders who are gay, including one member of its national leadership team.A growing coalition of local organizations that promote inclusivity in education has begun to mobilize against Moms for Liberty and are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.change.org/p/help-me-stop-marriott-pennsylvania-from-hosting-a-hate-group-conference">petitioning Marriott</a>&nbsp;to stop the upcoming conference. Defense of Democracy, a New York organization founded in direct opposition to Moms for Liberty, plans to bring members to Philadelphia to protest in person.“They’re so loud and so aggressive that people are kind of scared into silence,” Defense of Democracy founder Karen Svoboda said of Moms for Liberty. "You know, if you see bigotry and homophobia, there is a civic responsibility to speak out against it."Moms for Liberty, in turn, said it will increase security for its meeting. Marriott hasn't responded to the petition, and the Southern Poverty Law Center's “extremist” designation hasn't deterred any Republican candidate who plans to speak.Haley responded by tweeting, “If @Moms4Liberty is a ‘hate group,’ add me to the list.” Ramaswamy went onstage for a Thursday town hall with Justice and tweeted that SPLC stands for “Selling Political Lies to Corporations.”Those responses are unsurprising to Cunningham, who said in today's climate, the “extremist” label is “almost a badge of honor” within the GOP.Moms for Liberty, for its part, is fundraising off it. After the SPLC report was public, Justice said the group quickly raised $45,000, an amount a larger donor has agreed to match.

Moms for Liberty rises as power player in GOP politics

KANSAS CITY – A&nbsp; man was sentenced in federal court this week for attempting to produce child pornography following his online harassment of a Calloway County, Mo., teenager over five years, according to the United State's Attorney.

David Jonathon Dodds, 61, Corydon, Iowa, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Dodds to 10 years of supervised release following incarceration.

On Sept. 29, 2022, Dodds pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to produce child pornography. Dodds is a registered sex offender in Iowa due to his conviction for the exhibition of obscene materials to minors. In that case, Dodds sent a pornographic Snapchat video of himself to a 16-year-old victim. Dodds has been in federal custody since his arrest.

Dodds admitted that he initially contacted the child victim through her Instagram account when she was 13 years old, disguising himself as a teenage male, and continued contacting her through Facebook Messenger and her cell phone until she was 18 years old. Her father contacted the Calloway County Sheriff’s Department in February 2020 to report that his 18-year-old daughter had been the victim of harassment and sexual enticement for several years.

Dodds admitted to having similar conversations with several other unidentified underage victims.

After Dodds contacted the child victim through Instagram, his behavior escalated to messaging her numerous times a day and sending her pornographic images of himself. Dodds also asked her to send nude photographs of herself, and the child victim sent several nude photos of herself in 2015, when she was 14 years old.

The child victim told investigators she became uncomfortable with the ongoing conversations with Dodds and attempted to cut off communications. He became agitated with her and he began threatening to text her parents or friends if she didn’t communicate with him. Dodds messaged her parents and left three voicemail messages on her boyfriend’s phone telling him she had been cheating on both of them. The child victim told investigators she began hiding in photos taken with friends or family that may end up on social media to avoid being seen. She began receiving contact on Facebook Messenger and her cell phone. She turned off her cell phone for durations to avoid any contact.

The child victim reported this continued harassment led to significant anxiety and caused her to quit several jobs. It became apparent that Dodds was monitoring her parents’ public posts on Facebook, harassing her about going to prom or noting how they had been at Wal-Mart looking for her. His behavior caused her to trade cell phones and delete Instagram and Facebook accounts.

The child victim eventually disclosed the harassment to her family, who contacted law enforcement.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the Callaway County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the FBI.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665776837946.png" alt="Dodds- photo Sex offender registry" />
 <figcaption>Dodds- photo Sex offender registry</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY – A&nbsp; man was sentenced in federal court this week for attempting to produce child pornography following his online harassment of a Calloway County, Mo., teenager over five years, according to the United State's Attorney.David Jonathon Dodds, 61, Corydon, Iowa, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Dodds to 10 years of supervised release following incarceration.On Sept. 29, 2022, Dodds pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to produce child pornography. Dodds is a registered sex offender in Iowa due to his conviction for the exhibition of obscene materials to minors. In that case, Dodds sent a pornographic Snapchat video of himself to a 16-year-old victim. Dodds has been in federal custody since his arrest.Dodds admitted that he initially contacted the child victim through her Instagram account when she was 13 years old, disguising himself as a teenage male, and continued contacting her through Facebook Messenger and her cell phone until she was 18 years old. Her father contacted the Calloway County Sheriff’s Department in February 2020 to report that his 18-year-old daughter had been the victim of harassment and sexual enticement for several years.Dodds admitted to having similar conversations with several other unidentified underage victims.After Dodds contacted the child victim through Instagram, his behavior escalated to messaging her numerous times a day and sending her pornographic images of himself. Dodds also asked her to send nude photographs of herself, and the child victim sent several nude photos of herself in 2015, when she was 14 years old.The child victim told investigators she became uncomfortable with the ongoing conversations with Dodds and attempted to cut off communications. He became agitated with her and he began threatening to text her parents or friends if she didn’t communicate with him. Dodds messaged her parents and left three voicemail messages on her boyfriend’s phone telling him she had been cheating on both of them. The child victim told investigators she began hiding in photos taken with friends or family that may end up on social media to avoid being seen. She began receiving contact on Facebook Messenger and her cell phone. She turned off her cell phone for durations to avoid any contact.The child victim reported this continued harassment led to significant anxiety and caused her to quit several jobs. It became apparent that Dodds was monitoring her parents’ public posts on Facebook, harassing her about going to prom or noting how they had been at Wal-Mart looking for her. His behavior caused her to trade cell phones and delete Instagram and Facebook accounts.The child victim eventually disclosed the harassment to her family, who contacted law enforcement.This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the Callaway County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the FBI.

Sex offender sentenced; initially contacted teen on Instagram

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple charges after a chase and arrest.&nbsp;

Just after 3:30a.m. Friday, a deputy with the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office attempted to conduct a traffic stop near SW 29th Street and SW Topeka Boulevard on a green2007 Kia Sportage that had been reported stolen through the Topeka Police Department, according to Deputy Shayna Anderson.

The driver, later identified as&nbsp;Michelle L. Baker, 36, of Topeka, failed to stop and initiated a pursuit. During the pursuit, the driver drove through multiple yards, striking a mailbox in the 3300 block of SE Bryant Street. The pursuit ended in the 3300 block of SE Adams Street where she was taken into custody.

Baker was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of possession of stolen property, felony flee and elude, reckless driving, criminal damage to property, operating a vehicle without a valid license, and numerous traffic violations.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687004252926.png" alt="Baker-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Baker-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple charges after a chase and arrest.&nbsp;Just after 3:30a.m. Friday, a deputy with the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office attempted to conduct a traffic stop near SW 29th Street and SW Topeka Boulevard on a green2007 Kia Sportage that had been reported stolen through the Topeka Police Department, according to Deputy Shayna Anderson.The driver, later identified as&nbsp;Michelle L. Baker, 36, of Topeka, failed to stop and initiated a pursuit. During the pursuit, the driver drove through multiple yards, striking a mailbox in the 3300 block of SE Bryant Street. The pursuit ended in the 3300 block of SE Adams Street where she was taken into custody.Baker was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of possession of stolen property, felony flee and elude, reckless driving, criminal damage to property, operating a vehicle without a valid license, and numerous traffic violations.

Kansas woman jailed after chase in reported stolen SUV

PITTSBURG (AP) —West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins has been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, a month after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/huggins-homophobic-slur-west-virginia-xavier-77ce70b41112a0062421ad9405558473">university suspended him for three games</a>&nbsp;for using an anti-gay slur while also denigrating Catholics during a radio interview.P

Huggins, 69, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was pulled over by police in Pittsburgh on Friday night. He was charged with driving under the influence, was released from custody and will appear at a later date for a preliminary hearing, according to a police report.

An officer observed garbage bags with empty beer containers both inside the vehicle and in the trunk, according to a criminal complaint. Huggins said he had been to a basketball camp with his brother in Sherrodsville, Ohio. An officer said Huggins was asked multiple times what city he was in but never got a response. A breath test determined Huggins’ blood alcohol content was 0.21%, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08% in Pennsylvania. A blood sample also was taken from Huggins at a hospital before his release.

It was Huggins' second such arrest. The other occurred in 2004 when he was the head coach at Cincinnati.

West Virginia's athletic department said in a statement it was aware of Friday's incident. “We are gathering more information and will take appropriate action once the review is complete,” the statement said.

Officers observed a black SUV in the middle of a road blocking traffic just before 8:30 p.m. The vehicle had a flat and shredded tire, and the driver's side door was open, according to the police report.

Officers directed Huggins to move off the road so they could help with the tire, then activated their lights when they observed Huggins having trouble maneuvering the SUV to allow vehicles to pass. Upon questioning, officers suspected he was intoxicated and asked him to exit the vehicle. The report said he failed standard field sobriety tests, was taken into custody without incident and transported for further testing.

In June 2004, Huggins pleaded no contest to driving under the influence in a suburb of Cincinnati and was ordered to attend a three-day intervention program. The University of Cincinnati suspended him indefinitely with pay and told Huggins to rehabilitate himself.

Huggins was allowed to return to work two months later, saying that “I made a terrible mistake, and what bothers me most is I hurt other people. All I can do is work like crazy to be a better person, a better coach, be better at everything I do and make those people proud of me.”

By 2005, Huggins’ 16-year career at Cincinnati was over; he was fired amid a power struggle with the school’s president as well as the aftermath of the 2004 arrest.

After spending one season at Kansas State, Huggins took his dream job at West Virginia, his alma mater, in 2007.

Last month Huggins agreed to a three-game suspension, a $1 million salary reduction and sensitivity training for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/huggins-homophobic-slur-west-virginia-665dd3d31760b1c6f66d7d706e825727">using the slur</a>&nbsp;during an interview with Cincinnati radio station WLW. Huggins was asked about the transfer portal and whether he had a chance of landing a player at West Virginia from Xavier, a Jesuit school.

“Catholics don’t do that,” Huggins said. “I tell you what, any school that can throw rubber penises on the floor and then say they didn’t do it, by God they can get away with anything.

“It was the Crosstown Shootout. What it was, was all those (expletive), those Catholic (expletive), I think.”

In a joint statement later that week, West Virginia University President Gordon Gee and athletic director Wren Baker said the university “made it explicitly clear to Coach Huggins that any incidents of similar derogatory and offensive language will result in immediate termination.”

Huggins' salary of $4.15 million will be reduced by $1 million. That reduction will be used to directly support WVU’s LGBTQ+ Center, as well as a mental health center at the university and other groups that support marginalized communities. He is suspended for the first three games of the 2023-24 season. In addition, his contract will be amended from a multiyear agreement to a year-by-year agreement that began on May 10 of this year and ends on April 30, 2024.

Huggins entered the Basketball Hall of Fame last September. In 41 seasons, his teams have gone to 25 NCAA Tournaments, finished ranked in the top 10 of The Associated Press poll seven times and finished under .500 five times. The Mountaineers have 11 NCAA Tournament appearances under Huggins.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687028737005.png" alt="Huggins-photo courtesy University of West Virginia athletics" />
 <figcaption>Huggins-photo courtesy University of West Virginia athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>PITTSBURG (AP) —West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins has been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, a month after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/huggins-homophobic-slur-west-virginia-xavier-77ce70b41112a0062421ad9405558473">university suspended him for three games</a>&nbsp;for using an anti-gay slur while also denigrating Catholics during a radio interview.P<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687028787636.png" alt="Police report on the Huggins arrest" />
 <figcaption>Police report on the Huggins arrest</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687028832105.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Huggins, 69, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was pulled over by police in Pittsburgh on Friday night. He was charged with driving under the influence, was released from custody and will appear at a later date for a preliminary hearing, according to a police report.An officer observed garbage bags with empty beer containers both inside the vehicle and in the trunk, according to a criminal complaint. Huggins said he had been to a basketball camp with his brother in Sherrodsville, Ohio. An officer said Huggins was asked multiple times what city he was in but never got a response. A breath test determined Huggins’ blood alcohol content was 0.21%, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08% in Pennsylvania. A blood sample also was taken from Huggins at a hospital before his release.It was Huggins' second such arrest. The other occurred in 2004 when he was the head coach at Cincinnati.West Virginia's athletic department said in a statement it was aware of Friday's incident. “We are gathering more information and will take appropriate action once the review is complete,” the statement said.Officers observed a black SUV in the middle of a road blocking traffic just before 8:30 p.m. The vehicle had a flat and shredded tire, and the driver's side door was open, according to the police report.Officers directed Huggins to move off the road so they could help with the tire, then activated their lights when they observed Huggins having trouble maneuvering the SUV to allow vehicles to pass. Upon questioning, officers suspected he was intoxicated and asked him to exit the vehicle. The report said he failed standard field sobriety tests, was taken into custody without incident and transported for further testing.In June 2004, Huggins pleaded no contest to driving under the influence in a suburb of Cincinnati and was ordered to attend a three-day intervention program. The University of Cincinnati suspended him indefinitely with pay and told Huggins to rehabilitate himself.Huggins was allowed to return to work two months later, saying that “I made a terrible mistake, and what bothers me most is I hurt other people. All I can do is work like crazy to be a better person, a better coach, be better at everything I do and make those people proud of me.”By 2005, Huggins’ 16-year career at Cincinnati was over; he was fired amid a power struggle with the school’s president as well as the aftermath of the 2004 arrest.After spending one season at Kansas State, Huggins took his dream job at West Virginia, his alma mater, in 2007.Last month Huggins agreed to a three-game suspension, a $1 million salary reduction and sensitivity training for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/huggins-homophobic-slur-west-virginia-665dd3d31760b1c6f66d7d706e825727">using the slur</a>&nbsp;during an interview with Cincinnati radio station WLW. Huggins was asked about the transfer portal and whether he had a chance of landing a player at West Virginia from Xavier, a Jesuit school.“Catholics don’t do that,” Huggins said. “I tell you what, any school that can throw rubber penises on the floor and then say they didn’t do it, by God they can get away with anything.“It was the Crosstown Shootout. What it was, was all those (expletive), those Catholic (expletive), I think.”In a joint statement later that week, West Virginia University President Gordon Gee and athletic director Wren Baker said the university “made it explicitly clear to Coach Huggins that any incidents of similar derogatory and offensive language will result in immediate termination.”Huggins' salary of $4.15 million will be reduced by $1 million. That reduction will be used to directly support WVU’s LGBTQ+ Center, as well as a mental health center at the university and other groups that support marginalized communities. He is suspended for the first three games of the 2023-24 season. In addition, his contract will be amended from a multiyear agreement to a year-by-year agreement that began on May 10 of this year and ends on April 30, 2024.Huggins entered the Basketball Hall of Fame last September. In 41 seasons, his teams have gone to 25 NCAA Tournaments, finished ranked in the top 10 of The Associated Press poll seven times and finished under .500 five times. The Mountaineers have 11 NCAA Tournament appearances under Huggins.___

Read police report on DUI arrest of coach Bob Huggins 

By SAM BAILEY <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Attorney General Kris Kobach testified about Kansas retail theft this week in Washington, D.C., during a U.S. House Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance hearing.

Kobach claimed Kansas is in the top 10 states hit by organized retail crime in terms of money lost. He highlighted cases such as&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmo/pr/pawn-shop-operator-pleads-guilty-3-million-scheme-sell-over-100000-stolen-items-online">the owner of a Kansas City, Missouri, pawn shop</a>&nbsp;pleading guilty in March to gathering items stolen from retailers and reselling them online.

“You typically see box stores being hit two to three times per week,” Kobach said. “The fence at the center is usually, in Kansas, is usually a pawnshop. But oftentimes, it’s just a warehouse that’s used to move the goods. Almost all of the products are sold online.”

A fence acts as a middleman in black market sales by knowingly purchasing stolen items and reselling them.&nbsp;

The hearing about a rise in organized retail crime and the threat to public safety began with an opening statement Rep. Andy Biggs, chairman of the subcommittee and an Arizona Republican, who said he was disappointed he needed to hold the hearing.

“We are coddling criminals and (fanning) the flames of this problem, and it’s open season on our stores, and criminal syndicates are taking advantage,” Biggs said.

Kobach listed factors in the legal system that worsen the problem, including a lack of prosecutorial capacity, the threshold amount that must be stolen in order to prosecute the theft, investigative capacity, bail being set too low and the speed at which suspects are released.

“I just want to end with a quick story,” Kobach said. “I went into a Walgreens recently and talked to a clerk, and her store is hit two, three times a day, and I asked her what she does. And she said, well, she finally decided to start following the boosters through the store, heckling them and harassing them, against store policy. I asked her why she did that, and she said because she can’t stand what’s happening to the reputation of her store in her neighborhood. She’s fighting to preserve our culture where the rule of law is intact.”

Wisconsin Republican Rep. Thomas Tiffany asked Kobach if he believed the lawlessness of the country and the “defund the police” movement contributed to the problem.

Defunding the police was a concept discussed after the death of George Floyd in 2020. It has been&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/how-we-rise/2021/05/19/7-myths-about-defunding-the-police-debunked/">mischaracterized by opponents of police reform</a>.

“I do, sir,” Kobach said. “And there’s, at the end of my comments I briefly noted on this, is there’s a cultural element here, too. It’s a lack of respect for the rule of law. And it gets to a point in certain areas where people feel like shoplifting is accepted, or at least tolerated, or nothing’s being done about it.”

Kobach said there are online communities sharing strategies about theft and there is a culture accepting the crime.

John Milhiser, a former U.S. attorney, and John Flynn, president of the National District Attorneys Association, also spoke about organized retail crime at the hearing.

Lorie Mohs testified as well. Her son, Blake Mohs, died in April during the theft of a phone charger from the California Home Depot where he worked as a guard.

The witnesses were all asked by members of the committee about how to combat theft and the effect it has on families.

Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. Madeleine Dean asked Mohs to tell more about her son.

“We are very, very sorry, and you just have my commitment that we will do everything possible to get our arms around this incredible problem,” Dean said. “Retail theft, obviously very serious, but violent crime and gun deaths in this country, when we lose 45, 46, 47,000 people to gun violence every single year to this country. And we have a party that, we tried to have a hearing last week, and no one on the other side of the aisle would give us a hearing room so that victims like you, survivors like you, could speak. We had to go over to the Senate’s side, so very interested in retail crime, not very interested in saving lives.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686739479370.png" alt="Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach during the testimony" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach during the testimony</figcaption>
 </figure>By SAM BAILEY <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Attorney General Kris Kobach testified about Kansas retail theft this week in Washington, D.C., during a U.S. House Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance hearing.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n-D5Uz0aOaA?start=2900" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Kobach claimed Kansas is in the top 10 states hit by organized retail crime in terms of money lost. He highlighted cases such as&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmo/pr/pawn-shop-operator-pleads-guilty-3-million-scheme-sell-over-100000-stolen-items-online">the owner of a Kansas City, Missouri, pawn shop</a>&nbsp;pleading guilty in March to gathering items stolen from retailers and reselling them online.“You typically see box stores being hit two to three times per week,” Kobach said. “The fence at the center is usually, in Kansas, is usually a pawnshop. But oftentimes, it’s just a warehouse that’s used to move the goods. Almost all of the products are sold online.”A fence acts as a middleman in black market sales by knowingly purchasing stolen items and reselling them.&nbsp;The hearing about a rise in organized retail crime and the threat to public safety began with an opening statement Rep. Andy Biggs, chairman of the subcommittee and an Arizona Republican, who said he was disappointed he needed to hold the hearing.“We are coddling criminals and (fanning) the flames of this problem, and it’s open season on our stores, and criminal syndicates are taking advantage,” Biggs said.Kobach listed factors in the legal system that worsen the problem, including a lack of prosecutorial capacity, the threshold amount that must be stolen in order to prosecute the theft, investigative capacity, bail being set too low and the speed at which suspects are released.“I just want to end with a quick story,” Kobach said. “I went into a Walgreens recently and talked to a clerk, and her store is hit two, three times a day, and I asked her what she does. And she said, well, she finally decided to start following the boosters through the store, heckling them and harassing them, against store policy. I asked her why she did that, and she said because she can’t stand what’s happening to the reputation of her store in her neighborhood. She’s fighting to preserve our culture where the rule of law is intact.”Wisconsin Republican Rep. Thomas Tiffany asked Kobach if he believed the lawlessness of the country and the “defund the police” movement contributed to the problem.Defunding the police was a concept discussed after the death of George Floyd in 2020. It has been&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/how-we-rise/2021/05/19/7-myths-about-defunding-the-police-debunked/">mischaracterized by opponents of police reform</a>.“I do, sir,” Kobach said. “And there’s, at the end of my comments I briefly noted on this, is there’s a cultural element here, too. It’s a lack of respect for the rule of law. And it gets to a point in certain areas where people feel like shoplifting is accepted, or at least tolerated, or nothing’s being done about it.”Kobach said there are online communities sharing strategies about theft and there is a culture accepting the crime.John Milhiser, a former U.S. attorney, and John Flynn, president of the National District Attorneys Association, also spoke about organized retail crime at the hearing.Lorie Mohs testified as well. Her son, Blake Mohs, died in April during the theft of a phone charger from the California Home Depot where he worked as a guard.The witnesses were all asked by members of the committee about how to combat theft and the effect it has on families.Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. Madeleine Dean asked Mohs to tell more about her son.“We are very, very sorry, and you just have my commitment that we will do everything possible to get our arms around this incredible problem,” Dean said. “Retail theft, obviously very serious, but violent crime and gun deaths in this country, when we lose 45, 46, 47,000 people to gun violence every single year to this country. And we have a party that, we tried to have a hearing last week, and no one on the other side of the aisle would give us a hearing room so that victims like you, survivors like you, could speak. We had to go over to the Senate’s side, so very interested in retail crime, not very interested in saving lives.”

🎥 Kobach: Kansas is in the top 10 states hit by organized retail crime

NEW YORK (AP) — Unionized UPS workers voted overwhelmingly on Friday to authorize a strike, setting the stage for a potential work stoppage if the package delivery company and Teamsters can’t come to an agreement before their contract expires next month.

The Teamsters said 97% of unionized workers voted for the authorization, which the union urged for in order to have more leverage during negotiations with the company. But a yes vote does not mean a strike is imminent.

“If this multibillion-dollar corporation fails to deliver on the contract that our hardworking members deserve, UPS will be striking itself," Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said in a prepared statement. "The strongest leverage our members have is their labor and they are prepared to withhold it to ensure UPS acts accordingly.”

The Teamsters represent about 340,000 UPS employees, more than half of the company’s workforce in the largest private-sector contract in North America. If a strike occurs, it would be the first since a 15-day walkout by 185,000 workers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/b198ce2db4be584f82c53afc0dee6930">crippled the company</a>&nbsp;a quarter century ago.

UPS has grown vastly since then and become even more engrained in the U.S. economy. The company says it delivers the equivalent of about 6% of nation’s gross domestic product. That means a strike would carry with it potentially far-reaching implications for the economy.

UPS said in a prepared statement the strike vote does not impact the company's current business operations.

“Authorization votes and approvals are normal steps in labor union negotiations,” the company said. “We continue to make progress on key issues and remain confident that we will reach an agreement that provides wins for our employees, the Teamsters, our company and our customers.”

UPS workers are still seething about the current contract, which they feel was forced on them by prior union leadership in 2018&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/4436d6e7384948039a1d83d8e88e0180">based on a technicality</a>. The contract created two hierarchies of workers with different pay scales, hours and benefits. The union wants it eliminated.

In addition to addressing part-time pay and what workers say is excessive overtime, the union wants improvements to driver safety, particularly the lack of air conditioning in delivery trucks, which has been blamed for the death of a driver and hospitalizations of others.

On Tuesday, the union and the company announced they reached a tentative agreement to equip more trucks with air conditioning equipment. Under the agreement, UPS said it would add air conditioning to U.S. small delivery vehicles purchased after January 1, 2024.

But those changes aren’t extending to vehicles already in operation - at least not yet. Instead, the union says two fans would be installed in all vehicles when a new contract is ratified. It also said the company agreed to add heat shield to some vehicles, and put air vents in all cars within 18 months of a new contract. Under the agreement, UPS says roughly 95% of its existing U.S. package delivery fleet will be enhanced.

Teamsters spokesperson Kara Deniz said there have been two dozen tentative agreements reached with UPS since the negotiations began in April. The current contract expires on July 31.

UPS delivers around 25 million packages a day, representing about a quarter of all U.S. parcel volume, according to the global shipping and logistics firm Pitney Bowes. That’s about 10 million parcels more than it delivered each day in the years leading up to the pandemic.

UPS profits have soared since the pandemic began in 2020 as millions of Americans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ups-strike-delivery-supply-chain-union-labor-16270bd5699419398de376e07ada06ba">grew to rely on the delivery</a>&nbsp;to their doorstops.

Annual profits at UPS in the past two years are close to three times what they were pre-pandemic. The Atlanta company returned about $8.6 billion to shareholders in the form of dividends and stock buybacks in 2022, and forecasts another $8.4 billion for shareholders this year.

The Teamsters say that profit growth is largely due to the hard work of UPS drivers and warehouse workers who carry everything from 50-pound bags of dog food and cases of wine to prescriptions.

The acrimony over the current contract was the impetus for workers rejecting a candidate to lead the Teamsters favored by longtime union head James Hoffa. Union members instead chose O’Brien, who has dug in on the Teamsters’ contract demands of UPS.

A win at UPS could also have implications for the organized labor outside the company.

There have been prominent labor organization campaigns at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-new-york-business-oklahoma-city-3faca3dea5a53225f49f73a974a6d895">Apple</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-union-vote-buffalo-c7dc3c2ec8b838e9f4ed641f54fc9035">Starbucks</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-boulder-national-labor-relations-board-business-1cf43df416acd7314b7eaf266c040389">Trader Joe’s</a>, even&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/strippers-union-los-angeles-star-garden-4069df93b149076dc2e23a0bff16438b">strippers at a dance club</a>&nbsp;in Los Angeles. Teamsters are also attempting to organize workers at Amazon. On Friday, the new president of the United Auto Workers gave his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uaw-ford-gm-stellantis-labor-strike-eda3b48bfdfa04e0e7254ce7681972e0">strongest warning</a>&nbsp;yet that the union is preparing for strikes against Detroit’s three automakers when contracts expire in September.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686070070872.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Unionized UPS workers voted overwhelmingly on Friday to authorize a strike, setting the stage for a potential work stoppage if the package delivery company and Teamsters can’t come to an agreement before their contract expires next month.The Teamsters said 97% of unionized workers voted for the authorization, which the union urged for in order to have more leverage during negotiations with the company. But a yes vote does not mean a strike is imminent.“If this multibillion-dollar corporation fails to deliver on the contract that our hardworking members deserve, UPS will be striking itself," Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said in a prepared statement. "The strongest leverage our members have is their labor and they are prepared to withhold it to ensure UPS acts accordingly.”The Teamsters represent about 340,000 UPS employees, more than half of the company’s workforce in the largest private-sector contract in North America. If a strike occurs, it would be the first since a 15-day walkout by 185,000 workers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/b198ce2db4be584f82c53afc0dee6930">crippled the company</a>&nbsp;a quarter century ago.UPS has grown vastly since then and become even more engrained in the U.S. economy. The company says it delivers the equivalent of about 6% of nation’s gross domestic product. That means a strike would carry with it potentially far-reaching implications for the economy.UPS said in a prepared statement the strike vote does not impact the company's current business operations.“Authorization votes and approvals are normal steps in labor union negotiations,” the company said. “We continue to make progress on key issues and remain confident that we will reach an agreement that provides wins for our employees, the Teamsters, our company and our customers.”UPS workers are still seething about the current contract, which they feel was forced on them by prior union leadership in 2018&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/4436d6e7384948039a1d83d8e88e0180">based on a technicality</a>. The contract created two hierarchies of workers with different pay scales, hours and benefits. The union wants it eliminated.In addition to addressing part-time pay and what workers say is excessive overtime, the union wants improvements to driver safety, particularly the lack of air conditioning in delivery trucks, which has been blamed for the death of a driver and hospitalizations of others.On Tuesday, the union and the company announced they reached a tentative agreement to equip more trucks with air conditioning equipment. Under the agreement, UPS said it would add air conditioning to U.S. small delivery vehicles purchased after January 1, 2024.But those changes aren’t extending to vehicles already in operation - at least not yet. Instead, the union says two fans would be installed in all vehicles when a new contract is ratified. It also said the company agreed to add heat shield to some vehicles, and put air vents in all cars within 18 months of a new contract. Under the agreement, UPS says roughly 95% of its existing U.S. package delivery fleet will be enhanced.Teamsters spokesperson Kara Deniz said there have been two dozen tentative agreements reached with UPS since the negotiations began in April. The current contract expires on July 31.UPS delivers around 25 million packages a day, representing about a quarter of all U.S. parcel volume, according to the global shipping and logistics firm Pitney Bowes. That’s about 10 million parcels more than it delivered each day in the years leading up to the pandemic.UPS profits have soared since the pandemic began in 2020 as millions of Americans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ups-strike-delivery-supply-chain-union-labor-16270bd5699419398de376e07ada06ba">grew to rely on the delivery</a>&nbsp;to their doorstops.Annual profits at UPS in the past two years are close to three times what they were pre-pandemic. The Atlanta company returned about $8.6 billion to shareholders in the form of dividends and stock buybacks in 2022, and forecasts another $8.4 billion for shareholders this year.The Teamsters say that profit growth is largely due to the hard work of UPS drivers and warehouse workers who carry everything from 50-pound bags of dog food and cases of wine to prescriptions.The acrimony over the current contract was the impetus for workers rejecting a candidate to lead the Teamsters favored by longtime union head James Hoffa. Union members instead chose O’Brien, who has dug in on the Teamsters’ contract demands of UPS.A win at UPS could also have implications for the organized labor outside the company.There have been prominent labor organization campaigns at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-new-york-business-oklahoma-city-3faca3dea5a53225f49f73a974a6d895">Apple</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-union-vote-buffalo-c7dc3c2ec8b838e9f4ed641f54fc9035">Starbucks</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-boulder-national-labor-relations-board-business-1cf43df416acd7314b7eaf266c040389">Trader Joe’s</a>, even&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/strippers-union-los-angeles-star-garden-4069df93b149076dc2e23a0bff16438b">strippers at a dance club</a>&nbsp;in Los Angeles. Teamsters are also attempting to organize workers at Amazon. On Friday, the new president of the United Auto Workers gave his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uaw-ford-gm-stellantis-labor-strike-eda3b48bfdfa04e0e7254ce7681972e0">strongest warning</a>&nbsp;yet that the union is preparing for strikes against Detroit’s three automakers when contracts expire in September.