GRAY COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 10a.m. Monday in Gray County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Dodge pickup driven by Tyson E. Good, 38, Montezuma, was southbound on 15 Road at County Road DD a mile and one half south of U.S. 56.

A 2004 Cadillac SUV driven by James G.&nbsp;Brucker, 74, Syracuse, was eastbound on County Road DD. The vehicles collided in the middle of the intersection.

EMS transported Brucker to St. Catherine's Hospital in Garden City where he was pronounced deceased. Good and a passenger in the pickup were not injured. The KHP had incomplete seat belt usage information.

GRAY COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 10a.m. Monday in Gray County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Dodge pickup driven by Tyson E. Good, 38, Montezuma, was southbound on 15 Road at County Road DD a mile and one half south of U.S. 56.A 2004 Cadillac SUV driven by James G.&nbsp;Brucker, 74, Syracuse, was eastbound on County Road DD. The vehicles collided in the middle of the intersection.EMS transported Brucker to St. Catherine's Hospital in Garden City where he was pronounced deceased. Good and a passenger in the pickup were not injured. The KHP had incomplete seat belt usage information.

SW Kansas man dies after pickup, SUV crash

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/robinopsahl/">ROBIN OPSAHL</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/jaywaagemeester/">JAY WAAGEMEESTER</a>

Republican presidential candidates emphasized their support for abortion restrictions, parental rights and Israel while working Saturday night to win over evangelical Iowa caucusgoers.

More than 1,000 people gathered in Des Moines for the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition annual fall banquet. The conservative Christian organization has played an influential role in the Republican presidential race in Iowa, bringing candidates together for events and asking them about issues related to “religious liberties.”

The nine candidates who addressed the crowd all spoke of the importance of faith in their life and politics and said they would bring those values to the Oval Office if elected.

But there were areas where candidates differed: Ralph Reed, the founder and chairman of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, asked former Vice President Mike Pence and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley to defend their comments at the first Republican presidential debate on the feasibility of a federal abortion ban.

Reed said Christian conservatives are going to play an important role in the 2024 election, and said the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s goal was to “get out the biggest Christian vote that has happened in modern American history.”

“We’re going to create a margin so big they can’t even steal it if they try,” he said.

Not all 2024 presidential candidates attended. Most notably, former President Donald Trump skipped the event. Trump, who led in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/08/21/reynolds-says-iowans-expect-trump-to-stay-on-caucus-trail-despite-poll-lead/">August Des Moines Register/Mediacom/NBC News Iowa Poll,</a>&nbsp;has avoided many of the traditional stops on the Iowa caucus trail, but has visited the state in September. He came to the Iowa-Iowa State football game earlier in the month and has a rally planned in Dubuque on Wednesday.

Cleon Babcock of Des Moines, said he liked what candidates like Haley and Ramaswamy had to say at the coalition event, but that Trump was still his top pick for nominee.

“Right now, (my choice) would be Trump, because he has a better chance,” Babcock said. “But I’m never close-minded. I mean, I learned some things tonight as I listened, that’s what it’s all about.”

Here are some highlights from the candidates’ remarks:

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley had more time on the stage than other candidates at the event. Reed asked about her decision as governor to relocate the Confederate flag atop the South Carolina Capitol after a shooter used it as a manifesto during a shooting in the state.

Haley complimented South Carolina’s response to the tragedy and said, “I was able to see South Carolina through in a way that she showed real strength and greatness. We didn’t have riots. We had vigils. We didn’t have protests, we had hugs.”

Haley also defended her remarks about abortion that she made on the Republican debate stage in August. She said she was “unapologetically pro-life” but said a respectful approach to the topic is necessary.

“I’m going to fight on the side of life every chance I get, but I’m not going to demonize people in the process,” she said.

As she did during the first debate, Haley said said abortion bans from a federal level are unrealistic. “No Republican president can anymore ban abortions than a Democrat president can ban their state laws. So my goal is how do we save as many babies as possible and support as many moms as possible.”

The only way to pass abortion bans is to humanize the issue, according to Haley.

“If you go and you put these restrictions that make people demonize each other,” she said, “I’m not going to be a part of the demonize and we have to humanize this issue if we’re ever going to pass it and do more.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he would be open to “pro-life” federal abortion legislation.

The Republican candidate signed a law&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.flgov.com/2023/04/13/governor-ron-desantis-signs-heartbeat-protection-act/#:~:text=%E2%80%94%20Today%2C%20Governor%20Ron%20DeSantis%20signed,%2C%E2%80%9D%20said%20Governor%20Ron%20DeSantis.">in April</a>&nbsp;that bans most abortions after six weeks. When asked by Reed if he sees the future of abortion law in the hands of states or the federal government, DeSantis praised states like Florida and Iowa for enacting abortion restrictions after the fall of Roe v. Wade.

“I think the states have done a better job thus far, Congress has really struggled to make a meaningful impact over the years,” DeSantis said. “As president, I’m going to welcome pro-life policies across the board, you know, at both levels.”

Additionally, the candidate said he supports U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2023/09/troops-reject-abortion-travel-policy-fueling-tuberville-blockade-00116276">blockade stopping hundreds of military promotions</a>&nbsp;over a policy allowing troops and their dependents to take paid leave and travel reimbursements for abortion procedures.

He said he supported Tuberville calling out the Defense Department for “violating the law by funding abortion tourism with tax dollars.”

While DeSantis emphasized his pro-life positions, he said it’s important also to remember the women who “need our support” in these positions. Many abortions are driven by financial considerations, DeSantis said, and pointed to Florida policies like eliminating taxes on infant products to help expectant mothers. He also pointed to “Hope Florida,” a program spearheaded by his wife, Casey DeSantis, that focuses on connecting people in need with non-government organizations like charities, churches and businesses, that can offer support.

“A lot of these women have no support,” he said. “The fathers are nowhere to be found. And so they look at it, and they say how can I actually make this work? … We’ve got to do better. So what I did in Florida said, ‘OK, I want to make sure that this is doable.’”

Karen Fesler from Coralville said her favorite candidate is DeSantis. Although Fesler said she likes Trump, she said one thing that puts DeSantis above Trump for her is that DeSantis has an opportunity to serve two terms, whereas Trump is a lame duck on inauguration day.

“It’s not that I don’t like him or I don’t support his policies,” Fesler said. “I do. I think it’s going to be incredibly hard for him to focus on a campaign. And then if he would have been elected, focus on being president.”

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson faced questions about “Bidenomics,” immigration and abortion and said he would support any deal made by Congress to limit abortion as president.

“If our members of Congress can reach a consensus and pass a pro-life bill that has reasonable exceptions to it, that we all agree upon, I will sign that as a pro-life president,“ Hutchinson said.

He acknowledged a criticism Trump made on Hutchinson’s stance on abortion: “There is another candidate that I respect but is not here tonight, that told NBC News that I’m going to make both sides happy on this issue.”

Hutchinson said that both sides will not like him, and “this is going to be a fight for life.”

Hutchinson also supported the U.S. House Republicans’&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/09/12/u-s-house-speaker-mccarthy-tells-committees-to-launch-biden-impeachment-probe/">impeachment inquiry</a>&nbsp;on Biden. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy directed committees earlier this month to open an inquiry into unproven allegations that as vice president, Biden profited from his son’s business dealings.

“I haven’t seen enough evidence yet, but there’s certainly enough evidence to do an inquiry and I applaud the House for investigating this matter, getting to the bottom of it because President Biden has not sufficiently answered those questions.”

On the topic of the economy, the former governor said the first step to “reversing Bidenomics” is to produce energy domestically, and he said “I want the private sector of the economy to grow faster than the government sector.”

U.S. Sen. Tim Scott had an important life update for Iowans: He’s in a relationship.

“Can we just pray together for me?” he joked, kneeling on the stage in front of the crowd. Scott has faced media questions about his unmarried status.

The South Carolina Republican&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.advocate.com/politics/tim-scott-sexual-orientation-gop#:~:text=Brian%20Kilmeade%20asked%20Scott.,with%20a%20smart%20Christian%20woman.%E2%80%9D">announced earlier</a>&nbsp;in September that he had a girlfriend – his first public relationship since entering office.

Scott also went over his support for anti-abortion and “school choice” laws, both at the state and federal levels. He praised Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ private school scholarship program, passed earlier this year and kicked off for the 2023-2024 school year, which allows families to use state funding for private school tuition and associated costs.

“I would take the model of Gov. Kim Reynolds in this great state and make it a nationwide model,” Scott said.

He said he would take Title I money in a “proverbial backpack” and allow the federal funding to leave the public school system if a parent decides to send their child to a private school. He also said he would support changes to 529 savings plans for homeschool expenses.

“Actually, if you think about it, you’re paying taxes for someone else’s kid to go to school, and then you’re punished because you can’t get a tax credit for educating your own kid,” Scott said. “That’s just wrong.”

The candidate also railed against states that chose to continue remote learning in public schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was immoral, what happened then,” Scott said. “No mandates: If your kid can’t go to the school where they’re supposed to go, under my legislation I’ll sign as president, they can go to any other school that’s open. Catholic school, public school, private school, homeschool, virtual school – all kinds of schools.”

While discussing Roe v. Wade,&nbsp; former California gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder said abortion is not up to the federal government.

“One of the reasons I believe we did so poorly in the midterms is because the pro-abortion side was able to say to people, this now means that there’ll be a law passed at the federal level to outlaw abortion or put time limits on abortion.”

Elder said he believes life begins at conception and said he believes conservatives have “walked the walk” when it comes to taking care of pregnant women.

“People who are so-called in crisis pregnancies, as they say, have all sorts of options, and we are talking the talk and walking the walk,” Elder said.

Elder also spoke on policing and George Floyd, a Black man killed by Minneapolis police in May 2020, sparking protests around the country. “This defund the police, assault on a police movement, is an outrage and it is getting people killed,” he said.

He said 35 people were killed during protests, 2,000 police officers were wounded and there was more about $2 billion in property damage, “all because of an assumption that what happened to George Floyd, however you feel about it, happened because of his race.”

U.S. Rep. Will Hurd said the U.S. needs to hold fast in supporting Israel, especially while considering potential conflicts with other countries like Iran in the Middle East.

Hurd, a former CIA agent, criticized President Joe Biden’s administration for issuing a waiver allowing international banks to allow the transfer of $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue currently blocked by U.S. sanctions. The exchange was to carry out a prisoner exchange with Iran – in addition to freeing five Iranians held in the U.S. for five Americans in Iranian detention, according to a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/biden-administration-takes-steps-to-free-up-6-billion-in-iranian-funds-in-prisoner-swap-deal-56f2b7b9">State Department document.</a>

He said the prison exchange was just one of the “crazy foreign policy” decisions made by the Biden administration, pointing also to the military withdrawal from Afghanistan and the “lack of engagement” with Latin America on southern border security.

He said giving Iran money in this situation was a poor decision.

“They are destabilizing the region, the broader Middle East,” Hurd said. “You cannot trust the Iranians, you should never trust the Iranians. You shouldn’t be giving them $6 billion and you have nothing to show for it.”

He also said the country’s relations in the Middle East have been made worse by Biden’s “lack of support” for Israel. He also criticized former President Barack Obama, when Biden served as vice president, for not providing sufficient support to Israel.

“We should be supporting Israel,” Hurd said. “And those that are running for the highest office in the land need to recognize who are our friends who are enemies. Israel is a friend, and we should be supporting them.”

Entrepreneur Perry Johnson did not mention his 2-cents plan until his last sentences, and instead spoke on family values, abortion and judge selection.

The Michigander said school choice is a right for parents and received a round of applause when he said he wanted to get rid of the federal Department of Education.

“We’re going to make sure that the family unit is core that freedom is now here, and we’re not going to have the government tell us how to teach our kids, what to teach our kids anymore,” Johnson said.

On abortion, Johnson said he believes that life begins at conception, and as he teared up, said, “The greatest joy in my life are my kids. I mean, when you think of the greatest joys you’ve had in all your life, doesn’t it boil down to your kids and your family?”

Johnson did not share a legislative or executive plan to handle abortion during his time on stage, though he did say Republicans have a winning case to fight late-term abortions.

Texas businessman and pastor Ryan Binkley said he felt called by God to run for president in the 2024 election to restore faith in the United States.

“Our nation, I really believe this was created by God to be this lamppost of freedom,” Binkley said. “ … God spoke to me to run, because he wants to brighten that lamp of freedom up once again.”

Binkley said religious liberties and Christian values are under attack by Democrats and the Biden administration. He said he has been encouraged to talk less about religion on the campaign trail, but that he wanted Americans to remember that the U.S. has “freedom of religion, not freedom from religion.”

Fixing many problems in American society will come from doing a better job of bringing back faith into American life, he said.

“The main message I’m sharing with people regardless of their faith, because I come across so many people everywhere, is listening to the main words Jesus gave us,” Binkley said. “Let’s demonstrate our love for God by showing our love for other people. You know, Jesus never said ‘Hire the government to take care of your neighborhood.’ He said ‘love your neighbor.’ So that’s what I’m sharing, let’s demonstrate our faith by loving each other.”

One of the “greatest divisive issues” in America was conflicts between religious beliefs and LGBTQ issues, he said. While he said there was a need to fight against the “far-left woke agenda” targeting young children, which he said can be defeated by speaking the truth and a love for God.

But he also said he has talked with LGBTQ people during his campaign and found a way to connect.

“But in a better sense, we need to really start working on ‘how do we win the middle?’” Binkley said. “How do we win the hearts of people and show love? And so when we were in our meeting just the other day, we shared with them truth, we shared with them love but also just shared with them this: it’s time for us to respect each other.”

Former Vice President Mike Pence cited his pro-life history as a representative, governor and vice president. Pence, who has spent much of his time on the campaign trail speaking on his Christian values, expressed pride in the Trump administration’s judicial appointments.

“To have been a part of the administration that appointed three of the justices that sent Roe versus Wade to the ash heap of history, where it belongs, is something I will cherish for the rest of my life,” Pence said.

Reed brought up Pence’s disagreement with Haley at the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/08/23/trump-absent-but-still-dominates-as-gop-presidential-rivals-clash-at-first-debate/">Milwaukee debate</a>, asking Pence to weigh in on the “spirited debate” happening within the GOP over a federal 15-week abortion ban.

“I believe that we owe it to the American people to elect a president who will fight for a minimum standard in Washington, D.C. I must tell you, I think we ought to ban abortion across America, from that point that a baby can experience pain in the womb, forward, it’s a 15-week minimum ban.”

Pence mentioned Ukraine,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/07/14/field-of-presidential-candidates-faces-crowd-of-christians/">a topic he received “boos” for</a>&nbsp;in an event held in the same venue in July.

“I think it’s absolutely in the national interest of the United States of America to give the Ukrainian military what they need to defeat and repel the Russian invasion,” Pence said. “So Russia doesn’t cross the border that we have to go fight on someday soon. I believe that that’s the way we prevent World War III.”

Pence also spoke on Social Security and Medicare, calling for reform. “The truth of the matter is these programs are driving a mountain range of debt on our children and our grandchildren,” Pence said.

Pence criticized Biden for his plan for the programs. “He won’t even talk about those programs, and most of the candidates in this field are the same.” Pence added that Trump’s plan is “identical to Joe Biden’s.”

Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy said all 2024 presidential candidates should put forward a list of their potential U.S. Supreme Court justice nominees.

Ramaswamy said he was the only candidate in the race so far to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/ramaswamy-releases-conservative-pool-supreme-court-picks-rcna94534">release the names</a>&nbsp;of his picks for the federal courts, a list that includes U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, former Solicitor General Paul Clement and six current conservative federal appellate judges. He also has put forward a pool of judges currently serving on federal courts that he would select for U.S. circuit court if elected.

When asked what qualities he is looking for in judicial nominees, Ramaswamy said the most important issue is interpreting the Constitution “as it exists.”

He also said he would appoint people who share his beliefs that federal agencies have too much power.

“One of the key areas of the litmus test that I use for every judge on that list was to make sure that they share my fundamental skepticism of the existence of the administrative state itself,” Ramaswamy said. “… So anybody I put on that Supreme Court, I will share my view and conviction, as I believe six of the current justices actually do that the U.S. president can shut down agencies like the FBI or the U.S. Department of Education.”

Ramaswamy defended his position of shutting down the FBI, a stance U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley called “stupid” Friday on&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/09/15/grassley-says-calls-to-defund-the-fbi-are-stupid/">“Iowa Press.”</a>&nbsp;He said he supported firing the “bureaucrats” working for the agency, but would have the FBI agents serving “on the front lines” moved to other federal agencies like the U.S. Marshals Service, Drug Enforcement Administration and financial crimes network in the U.S. Treasury.

“I’m gonna be very candid about this, I don’t think reform of that agency is actually possible at this stage. It has 60 years of rot,” Ramaswamy said. “You cannot reform it. I think you have to shut down.” 

This article first appeared in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2022/02/18/iowa-man-fights-to-save-his-hunting-preserve/">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>,&nbsp;a sister&nbsp;site of the Nebraska Examiner in the States Newsroom network.

Presidential candidates focus on abortion, Israel, parental rights at evangelical event

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man charged with killing his pregnant girlfriend searched online for information about “snapping necks" and abortion before her body was found in the trunk of his car, newly released court records show.

The affidavit showed Alexander Lewis’ cellphone web browsing history also included searches about stun guns, lethal weapons and murder.

Lewis, who is jailed on $500,000 bond, was charged last month with capital murder in the death of Zaiylah Bronson, a Wichita State University student who was studying to become a math teacher. She was about 16 weeks pregnant.

Lewis, 22, has not entered a plea to the capital murder charge. A defense attorney for Lewis declined to discuss the contents of the affidavit with The Eagle and told The Associated Press he had no comment.

The killing happened at Bronson's apartment near campus, according to the affidavit. Surveillance cameras last recorded Bronson alive at 8:13 a.m. on Aug. 26, when the couple took a dog out into the courtyard. Soon after, he searched for “snapping necks" then left to move his car closer to her door and retrieve a backpack containing items that included duct tape and towels, the affidavit said. Other troublesome searches, including for “weapons that can kill,” had occurred the day before.

At 10:24 a.m., surveillance video showed Bronson's feet dangling from a blanket-wrapped bundle as Lewis lugged her out of the apartment. He then drove off, searching online for murder before he called 911 about an hour later, the affidavit said.

When officers arrived at Lewis' apartment, he told them Bronson was in his car trunk, saying, “I got scared," according to the affidavit. An ax and shovel were also found in the trunk.

He explained to the officers Bronson had broken up with him the day before and that they argued throughout the night. He said eventually “he wanted her to stop talking, so he ‘grabbed her’” around the neck with his arm and squeezed “until she stopped moving,” the affidavit said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693155237617.png" alt="Lewis-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Lewis-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man charged with killing his pregnant girlfriend searched online for information about “snapping necks" and abortion before her body was found in the trunk of his car, newly released court records show.The affidavit showed Alexander Lewis’ cellphone web browsing history also included searches about stun guns, lethal weapons and murder.Lewis, who is jailed on $500,000 bond, was charged last month with capital murder in the death of Zaiylah Bronson, a Wichita State University student who was studying to become a math teacher. She was about 16 weeks pregnant.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693080884540.png" alt="Police at the scene of the investigation August 27- KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police at the scene of the investigation August 27- KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Lewis, 22, has not entered a plea to the capital murder charge. A defense attorney for Lewis declined to discuss the contents of the affidavit with The Eagle and told The Associated Press he had no comment.The killing happened at Bronson's apartment near campus, according to the affidavit. Surveillance cameras last recorded Bronson alive at 8:13 a.m. on Aug. 26, when the couple took a dog out into the courtyard. Soon after, he searched for “snapping necks" then left to move his car closer to her door and retrieve a backpack containing items that included duct tape and towels, the affidavit said. Other troublesome searches, including for “weapons that can kill,” had occurred the day before.At 10:24 a.m., surveillance video showed Bronson's feet dangling from a blanket-wrapped bundle as Lewis lugged her out of the apartment. He then drove off, searching online for murder before he called 911 about an hour later, the affidavit said.When officers arrived at Lewis' apartment, he told them Bronson was in his car trunk, saying, “I got scared," according to the affidavit. An ax and shovel were also found in the trunk.He explained to the officers Bronson had broken up with him the day before and that they argued throughout the night. He said eventually “he wanted her to stop talking, so he ‘grabbed her’” around the neck with his arm and squeezed “until she stopped moving,” the affidavit said.

Kan. man charged in girlfriend's murder searched online for 'snapping necks,' records show

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Five prisoners sought by the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-prisoner-swap-4bcf25d9be7807a2882fd949f2ad8eb1">in a swap with Iran</a>&nbsp;were freed Monday and headed home as part of a deal that saw nearly $6 billion in Iranian assets unfrozen.

"Today, five innocent Americans who were imprisoned in Iran are finally coming home. Siamak Namazi, Morad Tahbaz, Emad Sharghi, and two citizens who wish to remain private will soon be reunited with their loved ones—after enduring years of agony, uncertainty, and suffering," President Joe Biden said in a statement released as the plane carrying the group from Tehran landed in Doha, Qatar.

"I am grateful to our partners at home and abroad for their tireless efforts to help us achieve this outcome, including the Governments of Qatar, Oman, Switzerland, and&nbsp;South Korea.I give special thanks to the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad, and to the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq, both of whom helped facilitate this agreement&nbsp;over many months of difficult and principled American diplomacy," the President wrote.

"As we celebrate the return of these Americans, we also remember those who did not return. I call on the Iranian regime to give a full account of what happened to Bob Levinson."

"The Levinson family deserves answers. Today, we are sanctioning former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence under the Levinson Act for their involvement in wrongful detentions. And, we will continue to impose costs on Iran for their provocative actions in the region.&nbsp;And as we welcome home our fellow citizens, I once more remind all Americans of the serious risks of traveling to Iran. American passport holders should not travel there."

"The U.S. State Department has a longstanding travel warning that states: “Do not travel to Iran due to the risk of kidnapping and the arbitrary arrest and detention of U.S. citizens.” All Americans should heed those words and have no expectation that their release can be secured if they do not."

"Reuniting wrongfully detained Americans with their loved ones has been a priority for my Administration since day one. We have now brought home dozens of our fellow citizens, including from Afghanistan, Burma, Haiti, Russia, Rwanda, Venezuela, West Africa, and more locations globally. Still, too many remain unjustly held in Russia, Venezuela, Syria, and elsewhere around the world. We remain unflinching in our efforts to keep faith with them and their families—and we will not stop working until we bring home every American held hostage or wrongfully detained."

Despite the deal,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-tensions-prisoner-swap-analysis-e168c0bd2f15e794caa0079a0a97b251">tensions are almost certain to remain high</a>&nbsp;between the U.S. and Iran, which are locked in various disputes, including over Tehran’s nuclear program. Iran says the program is peaceful, but it now enriches uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels.

The planned exchange has unfolded amid a major American military buildup in the Persian Gulf, with the possibility of U.S. troops&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/persian-gulf-tensions-us-armed-guards-57295a81dc45c9e0755bd6a83ece86d9">boarding and guarding commercial ships</a>&nbsp;in the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of all oil shipments pass.

After the plane slowed to a stop, three of the prisoners walked down the ramp and were greeted by the U.S. ambassador to Qatar, Timmy Davis. The former prisoners hugged the ambassador and others.

The three — Siamak Namazi, Emad Sharghi and Morad Tahbaz — then wrapped their arms around their shoulders and walked off to a building in the airport.

In a statement issued on his behalf after landing, Namazi said: “I would not be free today, if it wasn’t for all of you who didn’t allow the world to forget me.”

“Thank you for being my voice when I could not speak for myself and for making sure I was heard when I mustered the strength to scream from behind the impenetrable walls of Evin Prison,” Namazi said.

In addition to the five freed Americans, two U.S. family members flew out of Tehran, according to a senior Biden administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity when the exchange was ongoing.

Earlier, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said that the exchange would take place Monday after nearly $6 billion in once-frozen Iranian assets reached Qatar.

“Fortunately Iran’s frozen assets in South Korea were released and God willing today the assets will start to be fully controlled by the government and the nation,” Kanaani said.

“On the subject of the prisoner swap, it will happen today and five prisoners, citizens of the Islamic Republic, will be released from the prisons in the U.S.,” he added. “Five imprisoned citizens who were in Iran will be given to the U.S. side.”

He said two of the Iranian prisoners will stay in the U.S. Meanwhile, Nour News, a website believed to be close to Iran’s security apparatus, said two of the Iranian prisoners had arrived in Doha for the swap.

Mohammad Reza Farzin, Iran’s Central Bank chief, later came on state television to acknowledge the receipt of over 5.5 billion euros — $5.9 billion — in accounts in Qatar. Months ago, Iran had anticipated getting as much as $7 billion.

The planned exchange comes ahead of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-general-assembly-2023-what-to-know-9f3f99a3c99594a2a36d83e11e206975">convening of world leaders</a>&nbsp;at the U.N. General Assembly this week in New York, where Iran’s hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi will speak.

The deal has already&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-hostage-state-department-51bb853cfd64bb824aed264038afe6d9">opened U.S. President Joe Biden to fresh criticism</a>&nbsp;from Republicans and others who say that the administration is helping boost the Iranian economy at a time when Iran poses a growing threat to American troops and Mideast allies. That could have implications in his reelection campaign as well.

The prisoners freed Monday were: Namazi, who was detained in 2015 and was later sentenced to 10 years in prison on spying charges; Emad Sharghi, a venture capitalist sentenced to 10 years; and Morad Tahbaz, a British-American conservationist of Iranian descent who was arrested in 2018 and also received a 10-year sentence. All of their charges have been widely criticized by their families, activists and the U.S. government.

U.S. officials have declined to identify the fourth and fifth prisoner.

The five prisoners Iran has said it seeks are mostly held over allegedly trying to export banned material to Iran, such as dual use electronics that can be used by a military.

The two that Nour News said were in Doha were: Mehrdad Ansari, an Iranian sentenced to 63 months in prison in 2021 for obtaining equipment that could be used in missiles, electronic warfare, nuclear weapons and other military gear, and Reza Sarhangpour Kafrani, an Iranian charged in 2021 over allegedly unlawfully exporting laboratory equipment to Iran.

The cash represents money South Korea owed Iran — but had not yet paid — for oil purchased before the U.S. imposed sanctions on such transactions in 2019.

The U.S. maintains that, once in Qatar, the money will be held in restricted accounts and will only be able to be used for humanitarian goods, such as medicine and food. Those transactions are currently allowed under American sanctions targeting the Islamic Republic over its advancing nuclear program.

Iranian government officials have largely concurred with that explanation, though some hard-liners have insisted, without providing evidence, that there would be no restrictions on how Tehran spends the money.

Iran and the U.S. have a history of prisoner swaps dating back to the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover and hostage crisis following the Islamic Revolution. Their most recent major exchange happened in 2016, when Iran came to a deal with world powers to restrict its nuclear program in return for an easing of sanctions.

The West accuses Iran of using foreign prisoners — including those with dual nationality — as bargaining chips, an allegation Tehran rejects.

Negotiations over a major prisoner swap faltered after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the nuclear deal in 2018. From the following year on, a series of attacks and ship seizures attributed to Iran have raised tensions.

Meanwhile, Iran’s nuclear program now enriches closer than ever to weapons-grade levels. While the head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog has warned that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-iran-politics-government-mahmoud-ahmadinejad-6acdb64d36fcbe05b3ee725d8a585d96">Iran now has enough enriched uranium to produce “several” bombs</a>, months more would likely be needed to build a weapon and potentially miniaturize it to put it on a missile — if Iran decided to pursue one.

Iran maintains its nuclear program is peaceful, and the U.S. intelligence community has kept its assessment that Iran is not pursuing an atomic bomb.

Iran has taken steps in recent months to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-nuclear-program-iaea-uranium-enrichment-dded37dd0509ff0f469478b5db771027">settle some issues with the International Atomic Energy Agency.</a>&nbsp;But the advances in its program have led to fears of a wider regional conflagration as Israel, itself a nuclear power, has said it would not allow Tehran to develop the bomb. Israel bombed both Iraq and Syria to stop their nuclear programs, giving the threat more weight. It also is suspected in carrying out a series of killings targeting Iran’s nuclear scientists.

Iran also supplies Russia with the bomb-carrying drones Moscow uses to target sites in Ukraine in its war on Kyiv, which remains another major dispute between Tehran and Washington.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Five prisoners sought by the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-prisoner-swap-4bcf25d9be7807a2882fd949f2ad8eb1">in a swap with Iran</a>&nbsp;were freed Monday and headed home as part of a deal that saw nearly $6 billion in Iranian assets unfrozen."Today, five innocent Americans who were imprisoned in Iran are finally coming home. Siamak Namazi, Morad Tahbaz, Emad Sharghi, and two citizens who wish to remain private will soon be reunited with their loved ones—after enduring years of agony, uncertainty, and suffering," President Joe Biden said in a statement released as the plane carrying the group from Tehran landed in Doha, Qatar.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Joe Biden releases 5 prisoners &amp; $6B to Iran, a leading state sponsor of terrorism. On the day we pay tribute &amp; remember the victims of 9/11, one of the most horrific attacks on American soil, the Biden Admin brokered a deal with terrorists who openly shout ‘Death to America.’ <a href="https://t.co/2AqTHG0Wso">https://t.co/2AqTHG0Wso</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1701355511201902602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>"I am grateful to our partners at home and abroad for their tireless efforts to help us achieve this outcome, including the Governments of Qatar, Oman, Switzerland, and&nbsp;South Korea.I give special thanks to the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad, and to the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq, both of whom helped facilitate this agreement&nbsp;over many months of difficult and principled American diplomacy," the President wrote."As we celebrate the return of these Americans, we also remember those who did not return. I call on the Iranian regime to give a full account of what happened to Bob Levinson.""The Levinson family deserves answers. Today, we are sanctioning former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence under the Levinson Act for their involvement in wrongful detentions. And, we will continue to impose costs on Iran for their provocative actions in the region.&nbsp;And as we welcome home our fellow citizens, I once more remind all Americans of the serious risks of traveling to Iran. American passport holders should not travel there." "The U.S. State Department has a longstanding travel warning that states: “Do not travel to Iran due to the risk of kidnapping and the arbitrary arrest and detention of U.S. citizens.” All Americans should heed those words and have no expectation that their release can be secured if they do not.""Reuniting wrongfully detained Americans with their loved ones has been a priority for my Administration since day one. We have now brought home dozens of our fellow citizens, including from Afghanistan, Burma, Haiti, Russia, Rwanda, Venezuela, West Africa, and more locations globally. Still, too many remain unjustly held in Russia, Venezuela, Syria, and elsewhere around the world. We remain unflinching in our efforts to keep faith with them and their families—and we will not stop working until we bring home every American held hostage or wrongfully detained."Despite the deal,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-tensions-prisoner-swap-analysis-e168c0bd2f15e794caa0079a0a97b251">tensions are almost certain to remain high</a>&nbsp;between the U.S. and Iran, which are locked in various disputes, including over Tehran’s nuclear program. Iran says the program is peaceful, but it now enriches uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels.The planned exchange has unfolded amid a major American military buildup in the Persian Gulf, with the possibility of U.S. troops&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/persian-gulf-tensions-us-armed-guards-57295a81dc45c9e0755bd6a83ece86d9">boarding and guarding commercial ships</a>&nbsp;in the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of all oil shipments pass.After the plane slowed to a stop, three of the prisoners walked down the ramp and were greeted by the U.S. ambassador to Qatar, Timmy Davis. The former prisoners hugged the ambassador and others.The three — Siamak Namazi, Emad Sharghi and Morad Tahbaz — then wrapped their arms around their shoulders and walked off to a building in the airport.In a statement issued on his behalf after landing, Namazi said: “I would not be free today, if it wasn’t for all of you who didn’t allow the world to forget me.”“Thank you for being my voice when I could not speak for myself and for making sure I was heard when I mustered the strength to scream from behind the impenetrable walls of Evin Prison,” Namazi said.In addition to the five freed Americans, two U.S. family members flew out of Tehran, according to a senior Biden administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity when the exchange was ongoing.Earlier, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said that the exchange would take place Monday after nearly $6 billion in once-frozen Iranian assets reached Qatar.“Fortunately Iran’s frozen assets in South Korea were released and God willing today the assets will start to be fully controlled by the government and the nation,” Kanaani said.“On the subject of the prisoner swap, it will happen today and five prisoners, citizens of the Islamic Republic, will be released from the prisons in the U.S.,” he added. “Five imprisoned citizens who were in Iran will be given to the U.S. side.”He said two of the Iranian prisoners will stay in the U.S. Meanwhile, Nour News, a website believed to be close to Iran’s security apparatus, said two of the Iranian prisoners had arrived in Doha for the swap.Mohammad Reza Farzin, Iran’s Central Bank chief, later came on state television to acknowledge the receipt of over 5.5 billion euros — $5.9 billion — in accounts in Qatar. Months ago, Iran had anticipated getting as much as $7 billion.The planned exchange comes ahead of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-general-assembly-2023-what-to-know-9f3f99a3c99594a2a36d83e11e206975">convening of world leaders</a>&nbsp;at the U.N. General Assembly this week in New York, where Iran’s hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi will speak.The deal has already&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-hostage-state-department-51bb853cfd64bb824aed264038afe6d9">opened U.S. President Joe Biden to fresh criticism</a>&nbsp;from Republicans and others who say that the administration is helping boost the Iranian economy at a time when Iran poses a growing threat to American troops and Mideast allies. That could have implications in his reelection campaign as well.The prisoners freed Monday were: Namazi, who was detained in 2015 and was later sentenced to 10 years in prison on spying charges; Emad Sharghi, a venture capitalist sentenced to 10 years; and Morad Tahbaz, a British-American conservationist of Iranian descent who was arrested in 2018 and also received a 10-year sentence. All of their charges have been widely criticized by their families, activists and the U.S. government.U.S. officials have declined to identify the fourth and fifth prisoner.The five prisoners Iran has said it seeks are mostly held over allegedly trying to export banned material to Iran, such as dual use electronics that can be used by a military.The two that Nour News said were in Doha were: Mehrdad Ansari, an Iranian sentenced to 63 months in prison in 2021 for obtaining equipment that could be used in missiles, electronic warfare, nuclear weapons and other military gear, and Reza Sarhangpour Kafrani, an Iranian charged in 2021 over allegedly unlawfully exporting laboratory equipment to Iran.The cash represents money South Korea owed Iran — but had not yet paid — for oil purchased before the U.S. imposed sanctions on such transactions in 2019.The U.S. maintains that, once in Qatar, the money will be held in restricted accounts and will only be able to be used for humanitarian goods, such as medicine and food. Those transactions are currently allowed under American sanctions targeting the Islamic Republic over its advancing nuclear program.Iranian government officials have largely concurred with that explanation, though some hard-liners have insisted, without providing evidence, that there would be no restrictions on how Tehran spends the money.Iran and the U.S. have a history of prisoner swaps dating back to the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover and hostage crisis following the Islamic Revolution. Their most recent major exchange happened in 2016, when Iran came to a deal with world powers to restrict its nuclear program in return for an easing of sanctions.The West accuses Iran of using foreign prisoners — including those with dual nationality — as bargaining chips, an allegation Tehran rejects.Negotiations over a major prisoner swap faltered after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the nuclear deal in 2018. From the following year on, a series of attacks and ship seizures attributed to Iran have raised tensions.Meanwhile, Iran’s nuclear program now enriches closer than ever to weapons-grade levels. While the head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog has warned that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-iran-politics-government-mahmoud-ahmadinejad-6acdb64d36fcbe05b3ee725d8a585d96">Iran now has enough enriched uranium to produce “several” bombs</a>, months more would likely be needed to build a weapon and potentially miniaturize it to put it on a missile — if Iran decided to pursue one.Iran maintains its nuclear program is peaceful, and the U.S. intelligence community has kept its assessment that Iran is not pursuing an atomic bomb.Iran has taken steps in recent months to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-nuclear-program-iaea-uranium-enrichment-dded37dd0509ff0f469478b5db771027">settle some issues with the International Atomic Energy Agency.</a>&nbsp;But the advances in its program have led to fears of a wider regional conflagration as Israel, itself a nuclear power, has said it would not allow Tehran to develop the bomb. Israel bombed both Iraq and Syria to stop their nuclear programs, giving the threat more weight. It also is suspected in carrying out a series of killings targeting Iran’s nuclear scientists.Iran also supplies Russia with the bomb-carrying drones Moscow uses to target sites in Ukraine in its war on Kyiv, which remains another major dispute between Tehran and Washington.___

$6 Billon deal: Officials decline to ID 2 of 5 Americans released from Iran

JACKSON COUNTY —A man with over a dozen felony convictions is back in jail for the second time this month in connection with another burglary.

On Sept. 13, sheriff's deputies and detectives responded to a report of a residential burglary near 182nd and U.S. Highway 75 in Jackson County, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

 Law enforcement identified a suspect in the case as 52-year-old Gary Wayne Emery Jr. of Meriden.&nbsp;

On September 14, Jackson County detectives and deputies served a search warrant on a Jefferson County residence southeast of Meriden where Emery was believed to be residing. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office assisted with serving the warrant.

Just after 8p.m. Sunday, Jackson County deputies and Jefferson County deputies captured Emery during a fugitive apprehension operation near the Perry Dam in Jefferson County, according to Sheriff Tim Morse. Emery was arrested on a Jackson County District Court warrant for burglary and theft. Emery is the suspect in two burglaries that occurred on September 13th, in Jackson County.

On September 4, a Shawnee County Sheriff's deputy was dispatched to a past attempted burglary to a residence in the 2000 block of NE 46th Street in Shawnee County, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

The deputy gathered information and evidence at the crime scene.

Several additional reports of similar incidents in northern Shawnee County were also reported. During the investigation, detectives were able to gather information regarding a suspect.

On&nbsp; September 11, detectives with the Shawnee County Criminal Investigations Division arrested Emery on requested charges of attempted burglary and criminal damage to property.&nbsp; He was later released on bond.

Emery has over twenty felony convictions including 15 for burglary, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. He has additional convictions for theft, forgery, aggravated assault and for drugs.&nbsp; He is no longer in custody.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694548526721.png" alt="-Emery has over twenty felony convictions including 15 for burglary, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.- He was arrested for attempted burglary last week in Topeka and released -photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>-Emery has over twenty felony convictions including 15 for burglary, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.- He was arrested for attempted burglary last week in Topeka and released -photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY —A man with over a dozen felony convictions is back in jail for the second time this month in connection with another burglary.On Sept. 13, sheriff's deputies and detectives responded to a report of a residential burglary near 182nd and U.S. Highway 75 in Jackson County, according to Sheriff Tim Morse. Law enforcement identified a suspect in the case as 52-year-old Gary Wayne Emery Jr. of Meriden.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694740467028.png" alt="photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>On September 14, Jackson County detectives and deputies served a search warrant on a Jefferson County residence southeast of Meriden where Emery was believed to be residing. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office assisted with serving the warrant.Just after 8p.m. Sunday, Jackson County deputies and Jefferson County deputies captured Emery during a fugitive apprehension operation near the Perry Dam in Jefferson County, according to Sheriff Tim Morse. Emery was arrested on a Jackson County District Court warrant for burglary and theft. Emery is the suspect in two burglaries that occurred on September 13th, in Jackson County.On September 4, a Shawnee County Sheriff's deputy was dispatched to a past attempted burglary to a residence in the 2000 block of NE 46th Street in Shawnee County, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.The deputy gathered information and evidence at the crime scene.Several additional reports of similar incidents in northern Shawnee County were also reported. During the investigation, detectives were able to gather information regarding a suspect.On&nbsp; September 11, detectives with the Shawnee County Criminal Investigations Division arrested Emery on requested charges of attempted burglary and criminal damage to property.&nbsp; He was later released on bond.Emery has over twenty felony convictions including 15 for burglary, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. He has additional convictions for theft, forgery, aggravated assault and for drugs.&nbsp; He is no longer in custody.

Wanted Kan. man with 15 burglary convictions captured

By JOHN HANNA and HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH&nbsp;

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas will no longer change transgender people's birth certificates to reflect their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/gender-identity">gender identities</a>, the state health department said Friday, citing a new law that prevents the state from legally recognizing those identities.

The decision from the state Department of Health and Environment makes Kansas one of a handful of states that won't change transgender people's birth certificates. It already was among the few states that don't change the gender marker on transgender people's driver's licenses.

Those decisions reverse policies that Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's administration set when she took office in 2019. They came in response to court filings by conservative Republican state Attorney General Kris Kobach to enforce&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-transgender-birth-certificates-f9723de7460ab5fe71b3e80ba7854046">the new state law.</a>&nbsp;Enacted by the GOP-controlled Legislature over Kelly's veto, it took effect July 1 and defines male and female based only on the sex assigned to a person at birth.

Jaelynn Abegg, a 38-year-old Wichita resident, said her heart breaks for fellow transgender Kansas residents who won't be able to experience the joy she felt when her new birth certificate, affirming her female identity, arrived in the mail in 2021. She said the change gave her “a feeling of completeness.”

“This is something that I’ve been grappling with my entire life. As far back as I can remember, I have wished that I was that I was a woman,” Abegg said. “And being able to embrace that and take that for myself has been has been life changing.”

Trangender Kansas residents also have said repeatedly in interviews that having ID documents that conflict with their identities makes traveling by airplane, interacting with police and even using a credit card in stores more complicated. Also, studies show that transgender people who don't have their identities affirmed, especially youth, generally are more prone to depression and at a higher risk of suicide.

Kobach publicly chastised Kelly when she initially said that her administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-birth-certificates-kansas-4e096d3e020de4b057f04ef2c72b955c">could continue</a>&nbsp;to change transgender people's birth certificates and driver's licenses despite the new law. He said it was her duty to administer the law even though she opposes it.

Kelly said in a statement Friday: “As I’ve said before, the state should not discriminate or encroach into Kansans’ personal lives -– it’s wrong, it’s bad for business.”

She added: "However, I am committed to following the law.”

Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, an attorney for Lambda Legal, which represents LGBTQ+ people in lawsuits, said Kelly's administration was forced to act as it did, though he expects the courts to find the law unconstitutional.

“People with a myopic view or a misunderstanding or misapprehension about trans people want to ensure that trans people are not seen by government and the world at large,” he said.

Kobach and other supporters of the new law have argued that a birth certificate is a record of a historical event and therefore shouldn't change even when a person's gender identity does. Also, some supporters of the law have acknowledged that they don't see transgender girls and women as girls and women.

Kobach said Friday he is pleased that Kelly’s administration is complying with the new law, adding in a statement, “The intent of Kansas legislators was clear.”

The new Kansas law was based on a proposal from several national anti-trans groups and part of a wave of measures rolling back transgender rights in Republican-controlled statehouses across the U.S. Montana, Oklahoma and Tennessee also don't allow transgender residents to change their birth certificates, and Montana and Tennessee don't allow driver's licenses changes.

From 2019 through June 2023, more than 900 Kansas residents changed the gender markers on their birth certificates and nearly 400 changed their driver's licenses. Both documents list a person's “sex.”

Kobach issued&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-birth-certificates-kansas-df1e4120921749561ded2535263be223">a legal opinion</a>&nbsp;in late June saying that not only does the new law prevent such changes, it requires the state to reverse previous changes to its records. The Department of Health and Environment said Friday a transgender person can keep a changed birth certificate and it remains valid, but if another copy is issued in the future, it will revert to listing the sex assigned at birth.

For weeks before the new law took effect,LGBTQ-rights advocates urged trans people to change their driver's licenses and birth certificates before it took effect.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-identities-attacked-bathroom-laws-kansas-e8fc5f209f03f8d55a7491c071283bfb">Requests for changes surged</a>&nbsp;in the weeks before the law took effect.

Under the conservative Republicans who were governor before Kelly, transgender residents also couldn’t change their birth certificates.

Four trangender residents represented by Lambda Legal sued the state in 2018 over that policy, and months after taking office, Kelly settled that lawsuit. A federal judge signed off on a settlement agreement requiring the state to change transgender people’s birth certificates.

In late June, Kobach filed a request with the same federal judge, asking him to lift the requirement because it conflicted with the new state law. The judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-transgender-birth-certificates-b5f2ba8fa844be437c074abe86b99966">granted the request</a>&nbsp;last month, saying he was leaving it to Kansas courts to determine how the law must be enforced.

Kobach also filed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trangender-drivers-licenses-birth-certificates-kansas-c06f487b05e3d0ba7f6222f64a08868e">a separate state-court lawsuit</a>&nbsp;in July to prevent transgender people from changing their driver’s licenses. A state district court judge ordered that such changes cease, at least through early January.

In that state-court case, five transgender people argue that the new law violates their rights under the Kansas Constitution.

That issue appears likely to go to the Kansas Supreme Court, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-3f479b218a6140719e1694fcfcdb8036">ruled in 2019</a>&nbsp;that the state’s Bill of Rights grants people a right to bodily autonomy.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas has set up a website for people to report that they've been harmed by the new state law rolling back trans rights.

“Accurate, affirming identity documents are crucial for the health, safety, and well-being of trans people,” said D.C. Heigert, LGBTQ+ legal fellow for the group.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692007652976.png" alt="FILE - A flag supporting LGBTQ+ rights decorates a desk on the Democratic side of the Kansas House of Representatives during a debate, March 28, 2023, at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>FILE - A flag supporting LGBTQ+ rights decorates a desk on the Democratic side of the Kansas House of Representatives during a debate, March 28, 2023, at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNA and HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH&nbsp;TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas will no longer change transgender people's birth certificates to reflect their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/gender-identity">gender identities</a>, the state health department said Friday, citing a new law that prevents the state from legally recognizing those identities.The decision from the state Department of Health and Environment makes Kansas one of a handful of states that won't change transgender people's birth certificates. It already was among the few states that don't change the gender marker on transgender people's driver's licenses.Those decisions reverse policies that Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's administration set when she took office in 2019. They came in response to court filings by conservative Republican state Attorney General Kris Kobach to enforce&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-transgender-birth-certificates-f9723de7460ab5fe71b3e80ba7854046">the new state law.</a>&nbsp;Enacted by the GOP-controlled Legislature over Kelly's veto, it took effect July 1 and defines male and female based only on the sex assigned to a person at birth.Jaelynn Abegg, a 38-year-old Wichita resident, said her heart breaks for fellow transgender Kansas residents who won't be able to experience the joy she felt when her new birth certificate, affirming her female identity, arrived in the mail in 2021. She said the change gave her “a feeling of completeness.”“This is something that I’ve been grappling with my entire life. As far back as I can remember, I have wished that I was that I was a woman,” Abegg said. “And being able to embrace that and take that for myself has been has been life changing.”Trangender Kansas residents also have said repeatedly in interviews that having ID documents that conflict with their identities makes traveling by airplane, interacting with police and even using a credit card in stores more complicated. Also, studies show that transgender people who don't have their identities affirmed, especially youth, generally are more prone to depression and at a higher risk of suicide.Kobach publicly chastised Kelly when she initially said that her administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-birth-certificates-kansas-4e096d3e020de4b057f04ef2c72b955c">could continue</a>&nbsp;to change transgender people's birth certificates and driver's licenses despite the new law. He said it was her duty to administer the law even though she opposes it.Kelly said in a statement Friday: “As I’ve said before, the state should not discriminate or encroach into Kansans’ personal lives -– it’s wrong, it’s bad for business.”She added: "However, I am committed to following the law.”Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, an attorney for Lambda Legal, which represents LGBTQ+ people in lawsuits, said Kelly's administration was forced to act as it did, though he expects the courts to find the law unconstitutional.“People with a myopic view or a misunderstanding or misapprehension about trans people want to ensure that trans people are not seen by government and the world at large,” he said.Kobach and other supporters of the new law have argued that a birth certificate is a record of a historical event and therefore shouldn't change even when a person's gender identity does. Also, some supporters of the law have acknowledged that they don't see transgender girls and women as girls and women.Kobach said Friday he is pleased that Kelly’s administration is complying with the new law, adding in a statement, “The intent of Kansas legislators was clear.”The new Kansas law was based on a proposal from several national anti-trans groups and part of a wave of measures rolling back transgender rights in Republican-controlled statehouses across the U.S. Montana, Oklahoma and Tennessee also don't allow transgender residents to change their birth certificates, and Montana and Tennessee don't allow driver's licenses changes.From 2019 through June 2023, more than 900 Kansas residents changed the gender markers on their birth certificates and nearly 400 changed their driver's licenses. Both documents list a person's “sex.”Kobach issued&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-birth-certificates-kansas-df1e4120921749561ded2535263be223">a legal opinion</a>&nbsp;in late June saying that not only does the new law prevent such changes, it requires the state to reverse previous changes to its records. The Department of Health and Environment said Friday a transgender person can keep a changed birth certificate and it remains valid, but if another copy is issued in the future, it will revert to listing the sex assigned at birth.For weeks before the new law took effect,LGBTQ-rights advocates urged trans people to change their driver's licenses and birth certificates before it took effect.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-identities-attacked-bathroom-laws-kansas-e8fc5f209f03f8d55a7491c071283bfb">Requests for changes surged</a>&nbsp;in the weeks before the law took effect.Under the conservative Republicans who were governor before Kelly, transgender residents also couldn’t change their birth certificates.Four trangender residents represented by Lambda Legal sued the state in 2018 over that policy, and months after taking office, Kelly settled that lawsuit. A federal judge signed off on a settlement agreement requiring the state to change transgender people’s birth certificates.In late June, Kobach filed a request with the same federal judge, asking him to lift the requirement because it conflicted with the new state law. The judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-transgender-birth-certificates-b5f2ba8fa844be437c074abe86b99966">granted the request</a>&nbsp;last month, saying he was leaving it to Kansas courts to determine how the law must be enforced.Kobach also filed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trangender-drivers-licenses-birth-certificates-kansas-c06f487b05e3d0ba7f6222f64a08868e">a separate state-court lawsuit</a>&nbsp;in July to prevent transgender people from changing their driver’s licenses. A state district court judge ordered that such changes cease, at least through early January.In that state-court case, five transgender people argue that the new law violates their rights under the Kansas Constitution.That issue appears likely to go to the Kansas Supreme Court, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-3f479b218a6140719e1694fcfcdb8036">ruled in 2019</a>&nbsp;that the state’s Bill of Rights grants people a right to bodily autonomy.The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas has set up a website for people to report that they've been harmed by the new state law rolling back trans rights.“Accurate, affirming identity documents are crucial for the health, safety, and well-being of trans people,” said D.C. Heigert, LGBTQ+ legal fellow for the group.

Transgender Kansan comments on law to end birth certificate gender changes

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas church children's pastor in connection with a violent attack at his home.

Just before 4a.m. Saturday, police and fire crews were called to the 6600 block of Goode Drive for a report of a disturbance and a house fire, according to a media release from Shawnee Police. Firefighters found a fire in the basement of a home and quickly extinguished the fire.

EMS transported 7 people to area hospitals for treatment including one suspect.

Following an investigation by police, fire and the Johnson County Criminalistics lab, police arrested 41-year-old Matthew Richards on requested charges of attempted murder and aggravated arson with risk of bodily harm.

Richards is identified <a href="https://crossroads-christian.com/about-us/crossroads-team/matt-richards/">as the children's pastor</a> at Crossroads Christian Church,&nbsp;5855 Renner Road in Shawnee, Kansas, according to the church web site. He is the father and husband of the victims, according to police.

The victims sustained laceration injuries. One adult woman and two juveniles remained at area hospitals Sunday receiving treatment.&nbsp; A 19-year-old and two other juveniles were released from the hospital late Saturday, according to police.&nbsp;

Richards remains jailed on a $5 million bond. He is scheduled for a court appearance on Monday at 1:30p.m., according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694924502225.png" alt="Richards-photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Richards-photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas church children's pastor in connection with a violent attack at his home.Just before 4a.m. Saturday, police and fire crews were called to the 6600 block of Goode Drive for a report of a disturbance and a house fire, according to a media release from Shawnee Police. Firefighters found a fire in the basement of a home and quickly extinguished the fire.EMS transported 7 people to area hospitals for treatment including one suspect.Following an investigation by police, fire and the Johnson County Criminalistics lab, police arrested 41-year-old Matthew Richards on requested charges of attempted murder and aggravated arson with risk of bodily harm.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fcrossrdschrist%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0iV7yZfXZ8NwtvfX8ipAGvgLxi1ZXQANg7idQpSp5dMkYdkWdxWpXgnhT7rwcMdCyl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="298" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>Richards is identified <a href="https://crossroads-christian.com/about-us/crossroads-team/matt-richards/">as the children's pastor</a> at Crossroads Christian Church,&nbsp;5855 Renner Road in Shawnee, Kansas, according to the church web site. He is the father and husband of the victims, according to police.The victims sustained laceration injuries. One adult woman and two juveniles remained at area hospitals Sunday receiving treatment.&nbsp; A 19-year-old and two other juveniles were released from the hospital late Saturday, according to police.&nbsp;Richards remains jailed on a $5 million bond. He is scheduled for a court appearance on Monday at 1:30p.m., according to online jail records.

Kansas pastor accused of arson, violent attack on his family

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities continue&nbsp; investigating an incident that occurred at Wyandotte High School after a suspect shot at a USD 500 police officer.

Just before 9:30p.m. Friday, police responded to Wyandotte High School, 2500 Minnesota, after shots were fired during the football game, according to a media release from Kansas City, Kansas police.

At the scene, police learned that with one minute left in the game, two unknown suspects approached the entrance to the field from outside the stadium and began shooting toward a USD 500 police officer standing at the gate.

The officer returned fire until the suspects fled north to a vehicle and fled. Late Friday police had not reported anyone struck by gunfire.&nbsp; Detectives with Kansas City, Kansas Police continue their investigation.

Anyone with information about the incident or who may have been in the area and observed the activity is asked to call KCK Police.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694868319517.png" alt="Anyone with information about the incident or who may have been in the area and observed the activity is asked to call KCK Police-photo courtesy KSHB TV" />
 <figcaption>Anyone with information about the incident or who may have been in the area and observed the activity is asked to call KCK Police-photo courtesy KSHB TV</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities continue&nbsp; investigating an incident that occurred at Wyandotte High School after a suspect shot at a USD 500 police officer.Just before 9:30p.m. Friday, police responded to Wyandotte High School, 2500 Minnesota, after shots were fired during the football game, according to a media release from Kansas City, Kansas police.At the scene, police learned that with one minute left in the game, two unknown suspects approached the entrance to the field from outside the stadium and began shooting toward a USD 500 police officer standing at the gate.The officer returned fire until the suspects fled north to a vehicle and fled. Late Friday police had not reported anyone struck by gunfire.&nbsp; Detectives with Kansas City, Kansas Police continue their investigation.Anyone with information about the incident or who may have been in the area and observed the activity is asked to call KCK Police.

Investigation of gunfire at Kan. high school football game continues

GREENWOOD COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 11:30p.m. Friday in Greewood County.

On Sunday night, the Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Nissan Altima driven by Charles R. Rogers II, 61, Severy, was eastbound on U.S. 400 four miles east of Severy.

The car traveled left of center, sideswiped a westbound 2005 Freightliner semi driven by James Deloach, 29, Millen, Georgia, and the struck a 2022 Ford Utility Truck driven by Merlyn R. Ramsey, 48, Fredonia, head-on.

Rogers was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to the Sedgwick County Forensics Center.&nbsp; EMS transported Ramsey to Fredonia Regional Medical Center. Deloach was not injured.&nbsp; &nbsp;The KHP had incomplete seat belt usage information.

GREENWOOD COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 11:30p.m. Friday in Greewood County.On Sunday night, the Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Nissan Altima driven by Charles R. Rogers II, 61, Severy, was eastbound on U.S. 400 four miles east of Severy.The car traveled left of center, sideswiped a westbound 2005 Freightliner semi driven by James Deloach, 29, Millen, Georgia, and the struck a 2022 Ford Utility Truck driven by Merlyn R. Ramsey, 48, Fredonia, head-on.Rogers was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to the Sedgwick County Forensics Center.&nbsp; EMS transported Ramsey to Fredonia Regional Medical Center. Deloach was not injured.&nbsp; &nbsp;The KHP had incomplete seat belt usage information.