KANSAS CITY– A man popularly known as Kansas City Chiefs superfan “ChiefsAholic” was indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday for robbing several financial institutions and laundering the proceeds through area casinos, according to the United State's Attorney.

Xaviar Michael Babudar, 29, was charged in a 19-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. The indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Babudar on May 24, 2023, and includes additional charges.

Babudar, who lived a nomadic existence at various locations around the Kansas City metropolitan area, enjoyed a robust social media presence as Kansas City Chiefs superfan Twitter user @ChiefsAholic, attending most games dressed as a wolf in Chiefs clothing. According to the indictment, Babudar’s ability to attend these games and sustain this lifestyle was funded by his perpetration of a string of bank and credit union robberies throughout 2022. Babudar laundered the robbery proceeds through area casinos, and used the robbery proceeds to attend numerous Chiefs home and away games. He also placed various wagers on the outcomes of Chiefs games. During this time, the indictment says, Babudar did not report any wages earned in the states of Missouri or Kansas.

The indictment charges Babudar with three counts of armed bank robbery, one count of bank theft, 11 counts of money laundering, and four counts of transporting stolen property across state lines.

Babudar allegedly stole $70,000 from the Clive, Iowa, branch of Great Western Bank on March 2, 2022. He then carried this money to Missouri, depositing it in two separate transactions into his personal savings account.

Babudar allegedly stole $170,860 from the Omaha, Nebraska, branch of First National Bank of Omaha on April 28, 2022. Omaha police officers recovered $163,560 following the theft.

Babudar allegedly stole $303,845 from the West Des Moines, Iowa, branch of First Class Community Credit Union on July 13, 2022. In the course of this robbery, Babudar allegedly brandished what appeared to be a silver and black firearm, jumped over the teller counter, and demanded that the bank employees open the bank vault. He carried this money back to Missouri, and the next day deposited $23,000 into his savings account. He used some of the proceeds to make various casino chip purchases over the next three months at casinos in Missouri and Illinois, then cashed out his winnings and deposited them into his savings account.

Babudar allegedly stole $125,900 from the Nashville, Tennessee, branch of The Tennessee Credit Union on Nov. 17, 2022. In the course of this robbery, Babudar allegedly brandished what appeared to be a silver and black firearm, climbed over the teller counter, and demanded that the bank employees take him to the bank vault. A few days later, he used some of the stolen money to purchase $20,000 in casino chips in multiple transactions from a local casino.

Babudar allegedly stole $25,000 from the Clive, Iowa, branch of First Interstate Bank on Nov. 30, 2022. Following two unsuccessful robberies of the Wings Financial Credit Union in Savage, Minn., and the Royal Credit Union in Apple Valley, Minn., on Nov. 29, 2022, the indictment says, Babudar returned to Clive, Iowa. The Great Western Bank that he had robbed on March 2, 2022, had become a branch of First Interstate Bank. In the course of this robbery, Babudar allegedly brandished what appeared to be a silver and black firearm, jumped over the teller counter, and ordered the bank employees at gunpoint to open the bank vault. Babudar then carried the stolen money back to Missouri, where he deposited a portion of it into his personal checking account.

Babudar was charged in Tulsa County, Okla., with the robbery of the Tulsa Teachers Federal Credit Union on Dec. 16, 2022. Babudar was released on bond in February 2023.

Months earlier, the indictment says, Babudar had placed two winning bets at the Argosy Casino in Alton, Ill. On June 10, 2022, Babudar bet $5,000 that Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes II would win the Most Valuable Player at Super Bowl LVII, which would pay out $45,000 should that occur. Babudar also bet $5,000 that the Kansas City Chiefs would win Super Bowl LVII, which would pay out $55,000 should that occur. When the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl on Feb. 12, 2023, and Mahomes won the Most Valuable Player award, Babudar won $100,000. Argosy Casino mailed Babudar a $100,000 check in early March 2023.

Days later, the indictment says, Babudar cut his ankle monitor and fled from Oklahoma. Babudar evaded law enforcement until his arrest in Sacramento on July 7, 2023. He remains detained in federal custody without bond.

Following Babudar’s arrest in Oklahoma last December, FBI investigators began reviewing bank records, casino transaction records, and sensitive financial reporting to determine the breadth and scope of additional potential criminal activities. According to the affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Babudar purchased and redeemed more than $1 million in chips from various casinos in Missouri, Kansas, and Illinois between April and December 2022. Investigators also reviewed previously unsolved bank robberies throughout the Midwest during that time frame. Babudar’s cell phone was placed in the same cities and locations for these previously unsolved bank robberies and attempted robberies, the affidavit says.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689010403536.png" alt="Babudar from an earlier arrest in Tulsa County" />
 <figcaption>Babudar from an earlier arrest in Tulsa County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY– A man popularly known as Kansas City Chiefs superfan “ChiefsAholic” was indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday for robbing several financial institutions and laundering the proceeds through area casinos, according to the United State's Attorney.Xaviar Michael Babudar, 29, was charged in a 19-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. The indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Babudar on May 24, 2023, and includes additional charges.Babudar, who lived a nomadic existence at various locations around the Kansas City metropolitan area, enjoyed a robust social media presence as Kansas City Chiefs superfan Twitter user @ChiefsAholic, attending most games dressed as a wolf in Chiefs clothing. According to the indictment, Babudar’s ability to attend these games and sustain this lifestyle was funded by his perpetration of a string of bank and credit union robberies throughout 2022. Babudar laundered the robbery proceeds through area casinos, and used the robbery proceeds to attend numerous Chiefs home and away games. He also placed various wagers on the outcomes of Chiefs games. During this time, the indictment says, Babudar did not report any wages earned in the states of Missouri or Kansas.The indictment charges Babudar with three counts of armed bank robbery, one count of bank theft, 11 counts of money laundering, and four counts of transporting stolen property across state lines.Babudar allegedly stole $70,000 from the Clive, Iowa, branch of Great Western Bank on March 2, 2022. He then carried this money to Missouri, depositing it in two separate transactions into his personal savings account.Babudar allegedly stole $170,860 from the Omaha, Nebraska, branch of First National Bank of Omaha on April 28, 2022. Omaha police officers recovered $163,560 following the theft.Babudar allegedly stole $303,845 from the West Des Moines, Iowa, branch of First Class Community Credit Union on July 13, 2022. In the course of this robbery, Babudar allegedly brandished what appeared to be a silver and black firearm, jumped over the teller counter, and demanded that the bank employees open the bank vault. He carried this money back to Missouri, and the next day deposited $23,000 into his savings account. He used some of the proceeds to make various casino chip purchases over the next three months at casinos in Missouri and Illinois, then cashed out his winnings and deposited them into his savings account.Babudar allegedly stole $125,900 from the Nashville, Tennessee, branch of The Tennessee Credit Union on Nov. 17, 2022. In the course of this robbery, Babudar allegedly brandished what appeared to be a silver and black firearm, climbed over the teller counter, and demanded that the bank employees take him to the bank vault. A few days later, he used some of the stolen money to purchase $20,000 in casino chips in multiple transactions from a local casino.Babudar allegedly stole $25,000 from the Clive, Iowa, branch of First Interstate Bank on Nov. 30, 2022. Following two unsuccessful robberies of the Wings Financial Credit Union in Savage, Minn., and the Royal Credit Union in Apple Valley, Minn., on Nov. 29, 2022, the indictment says, Babudar returned to Clive, Iowa. The Great Western Bank that he had robbed on March 2, 2022, had become a branch of First Interstate Bank. In the course of this robbery, Babudar allegedly brandished what appeared to be a silver and black firearm, jumped over the teller counter, and ordered the bank employees at gunpoint to open the bank vault. Babudar then carried the stolen money back to Missouri, where he deposited a portion of it into his personal checking account.Babudar was charged in Tulsa County, Okla., with the robbery of the Tulsa Teachers Federal Credit Union on Dec. 16, 2022. Babudar was released on bond in February 2023.Months earlier, the indictment says, Babudar had placed two winning bets at the Argosy Casino in Alton, Ill. On June 10, 2022, Babudar bet $5,000 that Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes II would win the Most Valuable Player at Super Bowl LVII, which would pay out $45,000 should that occur. Babudar also bet $5,000 that the Kansas City Chiefs would win Super Bowl LVII, which would pay out $55,000 should that occur. When the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl on Feb. 12, 2023, and Mahomes won the Most Valuable Player award, Babudar won $100,000. Argosy Casino mailed Babudar a $100,000 check in early March 2023.Days later, the indictment says, Babudar cut his ankle monitor and fled from Oklahoma. Babudar evaded law enforcement until his arrest in Sacramento on July 7, 2023. He remains detained in federal custody without bond.Following Babudar’s arrest in Oklahoma last December, FBI investigators began reviewing bank records, casino transaction records, and sensitive financial reporting to determine the breadth and scope of additional potential criminal activities. According to the affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Babudar purchased and redeemed more than $1 million in chips from various casinos in Missouri, Kansas, and Illinois between April and December 2022. Investigators also reviewed previously unsolved bank robberies throughout the Midwest during that time frame. Babudar’s cell phone was placed in the same cities and locations for these previously unsolved bank robberies and attempted robberies, the affidavit says.

KC Chiefs ‘Superfan’ indicted for thousands in bank robberies

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Mail-order access to a drug used in the most common form of abortion in the U.S. would end under a federal appeals court ruling issued Wednesday that cannot take effect until the Supreme Court weighs in.

The decision by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-mifepristone-appeals-court-341bc44446e4b99071f0d8edb81ad4b8">three judges on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals</a>&nbsp;in New Orleans overturned part of a lower court ruling that would have revoked the Food and Drug Administration’s 23-year-old approval of mifepristone. But it left intact part of the ruling that would end the availability of the drug by mail, allow it to be used through only the seventh week of pregnancy rather than the 10th, and require that it be administered in the presence of a physician.

Those restrictions won’t take effect right away because the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-pill-mifepristone-access-f781488016640bf571faf36096339ea4">previously intervened</a>&nbsp;to keep the drug available during the legal fight.

The panel’s ruling would reverse changes the FDA made in 2016 and 2021 that eased some conditions for administering the drug.

“In loosening mifepristone’s safety restrictions, FDA failed to address several important concerns about whether the drug would be safe for the women who use it,” Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod wrote for the panel. She was joined by Judge Cory Wilson. Judge James Ho dissented, arguing to fully uphold a Texas-based federal judge’s April ruling that would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-lawsuit-mifepristone-misoprostol-kacsmaryk-74cb1c4cfab2c04f6cf2696151bc86ef">revoke the drug’s approval</a>, which the FDA granted in 2000.

President Joe Biden's administration said it would appeal, with Vice President Kamala Harris decrying the potential effect on abortion rights, as well as on the availability of other medications.

“It endangers our entire system of drug approval and regulation by undermining the independent, expert judgment of the FDA,” Harris' statement said.

Abortion rights advocates said the ruling poses a major threat to abortion availability following last year's Supreme Court ruling that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;and the nationwide right to abortion.

"If the Supreme Court affirms this decision, it will prevent patients from receiving their medication in the mail in all 50 states in the nation," Jennifer Dalven of the American Civil Liberties Union said during an online news conference. “That means that patients will have to travel often hundreds of miles, especially if they’re coming from a state that has banned abortion, for the sole purpose of picking up a pill.”

Abortion opponents hailed the ruling, although they, too, might appeal to seek full revocation of the FDA's approval of the drug.

“Chemical Abortion Pills take one life almost every time, an innocent child, and exposes women to all kinds of known problems,” said a statement from the anti-abortion Students for Life of America.

Erin Hawley, an attorney for the Alliance Defending Freedom, which filed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-food-and-drug-administration-donald-trump-texas-medication-bdd99c39613c71f62d10dfc2f2d1bf07">Texas lawsuit</a>, said her organization had not yet decided whether to appeal to the Supreme Court to try to get mifepristone's approval fully revoked. The conservative Christian legal group was also involved in the Mississippi case that led to the June 2002 Supreme Court ruling that has allowed states to ban abortion.

An attorney for drugmaker Danco Laboratories, which argued in favor of upholding the FDA approval and revisions, did not respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking comment. Drugmaker GenBioPro, which was not part of the lawsuit, noted that the ruling would keep its generic mifepristone available, subject to the restrictions.

There is virtually no precedent for a U.S. court overturning the approval of a drug that the FDA has deemed safe and effective. While new drug safety issues often emerge after FDA approval, the agency is required to monitor medicines on the market, evaluate emerging issues and take action to protect U.S. patients. Congress delegated that responsibility to the FDA — not the courts— more than a century ago.

However, during a May 17 hearing, the 5th Circuit panel pushed back frequently against assertions that U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk’s April 7 ruling was unprecedented and unwarranted.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-judge-matthew-kacsmaryk-abortion-pill-fda-75964b777ef09593a1ad948c6cfc0237">Kacsmaryk,</a>&nbsp;Ho and Wilson are all appointees of former President Donald Trump. Elrod was appointed to the 5th Circuit by former President George W. Bush. All of the judges have a history of supporting abortion restrictions.

Elrod’s opinion said the full revocation of FDA’s approval of the drug was likely barred by legal time limits. Ho argued that the approval violated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/comstock-act-abortion-pills-dbf61e25f6f23cd3772c597dd6d4e337">the 19th century Comstock Act.</a>&nbsp;He also said the FDA gave the green light to mifepristone under a law that allows approval for drugs that treat serious or life threatening illness. “Pregnancy is not an illness,” Ho wrote.

Mifepristone is one of two pills used in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-medication-abortion-works-f913375ec6f8ebcb1f1055e57a3aef63">medication abortions</a>. The other drug, misoprostol, is also used to treat other medical conditions. Health care providers have said they could switch to misoprostol if mifepristone is no longer available or is too hard to obtain. Misoprostol is somewhat less effective in ending pregnancies.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680967457500.png" alt="At issue is a Texas-based federal judge’s April ruling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-lawsuit-mifepristone-misoprostol-kacsmaryk-74cb1c4cfab2c04f6cf2696151bc86ef">revoking the drug’s approval</a>, which was granted more than 20 years ago by the Food and Drug Administration-AP photo" />
 <figcaption>At issue is a Texas-based federal judge’s April ruling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-lawsuit-mifepristone-misoprostol-kacsmaryk-74cb1c4cfab2c04f6cf2696151bc86ef">revoking the drug’s approval</a>, which was granted more than 20 years ago by the Food and Drug Administration-AP photo</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Mail-order access to a drug used in the most common form of abortion in the U.S. would end under a federal appeals court ruling issued Wednesday that cannot take effect until the Supreme Court weighs in.The decision by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-mifepristone-appeals-court-341bc44446e4b99071f0d8edb81ad4b8">three judges on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals</a>&nbsp;in New Orleans overturned part of a lower court ruling that would have revoked the Food and Drug Administration’s 23-year-old approval of mifepristone. But it left intact part of the ruling that would end the availability of the drug by mail, allow it to be used through only the seventh week of pregnancy rather than the 10th, and require that it be administered in the presence of a physician.Those restrictions won’t take effect right away because the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-pill-mifepristone-access-f781488016640bf571faf36096339ea4">previously intervened</a>&nbsp;to keep the drug available during the legal fight.The panel’s ruling would reverse changes the FDA made in 2016 and 2021 that eased some conditions for administering the drug.“In loosening mifepristone’s safety restrictions, FDA failed to address several important concerns about whether the drug would be safe for the women who use it,” Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod wrote for the panel. She was joined by Judge Cory Wilson. Judge James Ho dissented, arguing to fully uphold a Texas-based federal judge’s April ruling that would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-lawsuit-mifepristone-misoprostol-kacsmaryk-74cb1c4cfab2c04f6cf2696151bc86ef">revoke the drug’s approval</a>, which the FDA granted in 2000.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Mifepristone is approved by the FDA as safe and effective. <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> and I remain committed to protecting a woman’s right to make decisions about her own health care. Read my full statement: <a href="https://t.co/GAWz375gWe">pic.twitter.com/GAWz375gWe</a>&mdash; Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) <a href="https://twitter.com/VP/status/1691936314201874448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>President Joe Biden's administration said it would appeal, with Vice President Kamala Harris decrying the potential effect on abortion rights, as well as on the availability of other medications.“It endangers our entire system of drug approval and regulation by undermining the independent, expert judgment of the FDA,” Harris' statement said.Abortion rights advocates said the ruling poses a major threat to abortion availability following last year's Supreme Court ruling that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;and the nationwide right to abortion."If the Supreme Court affirms this decision, it will prevent patients from receiving their medication in the mail in all 50 states in the nation," Jennifer Dalven of the American Civil Liberties Union said during an online news conference. “That means that patients will have to travel often hundreds of miles, especially if they’re coming from a state that has banned abortion, for the sole purpose of picking up a pill.”Abortion opponents hailed the ruling, although they, too, might appeal to seek full revocation of the FDA's approval of the drug.“Chemical Abortion Pills take one life almost every time, an innocent child, and exposes women to all kinds of known problems,” said a statement from the anti-abortion Students for Life of America.Erin Hawley, an attorney for the Alliance Defending Freedom, which filed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-food-and-drug-administration-donald-trump-texas-medication-bdd99c39613c71f62d10dfc2f2d1bf07">Texas lawsuit</a>, said her organization had not yet decided whether to appeal to the Supreme Court to try to get mifepristone's approval fully revoked. The conservative Christian legal group was also involved in the Mississippi case that led to the June 2002 Supreme Court ruling that has allowed states to ban abortion.An attorney for drugmaker Danco Laboratories, which argued in favor of upholding the FDA approval and revisions, did not respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking comment. Drugmaker GenBioPro, which was not part of the lawsuit, noted that the ruling would keep its generic mifepristone available, subject to the restrictions.There is virtually no precedent for a U.S. court overturning the approval of a drug that the FDA has deemed safe and effective. While new drug safety issues often emerge after FDA approval, the agency is required to monitor medicines on the market, evaluate emerging issues and take action to protect U.S. patients. Congress delegated that responsibility to the FDA — not the courts— more than a century ago.However, during a May 17 hearing, the 5th Circuit panel pushed back frequently against assertions that U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk’s April 7 ruling was unprecedented and unwarranted.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-judge-matthew-kacsmaryk-abortion-pill-fda-75964b777ef09593a1ad948c6cfc0237">Kacsmaryk,</a>&nbsp;Ho and Wilson are all appointees of former President Donald Trump. Elrod was appointed to the 5th Circuit by former President George W. Bush. All of the judges have a history of supporting abortion restrictions.Elrod’s opinion said the full revocation of FDA’s approval of the drug was likely barred by legal time limits. Ho argued that the approval violated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/comstock-act-abortion-pills-dbf61e25f6f23cd3772c597dd6d4e337">the 19th century Comstock Act.</a>&nbsp;He also said the FDA gave the green light to mifepristone under a law that allows approval for drugs that treat serious or life threatening illness. “Pregnancy is not an illness,” Ho wrote.Mifepristone is one of two pills used in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-medication-abortion-works-f913375ec6f8ebcb1f1055e57a3aef63">medication abortions</a>. The other drug, misoprostol, is also used to treat other medical conditions. Health care providers have said they could switch to misoprostol if mifepristone is no longer available or is too hard to obtain. Misoprostol is somewhat less effective in ending pregnancies.

US appeals court backs abortion pill restrictions

JOHNSON COUNTY —Authorities are working to determine the cause of a fire at a restaurant in Johnson County.

Just before 10p.m. Wednesday, crews from Overland Park and Lenexa fire departments responded to a building fire at the Q39 restaurant at College Blvd. and Antioch, according to a media release.

Smoke was coming from the roof of the single story commercial building as crews arrived. Everyone was reported out safely.

Firefighters realized the fire was coming from a gas appliance in the kitchen area. They shut gas off to the building, extinguished the fire and checked to make sure the fire had not extended into the structure.

It took fire crews approximately 15 minutes to bring the fire under control. There were no injuries. The damage was contained to the kitchen area. However, the suppression system and sprinkler system activated which will require clean up and repair.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692272979341.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Authorities are working to determine the cause of a fire at a restaurant in Johnson County.Just before 10p.m. Wednesday, crews from Overland Park and Lenexa fire departments responded to a building fire at the Q39 restaurant at College Blvd. and Antioch, according to a media release.Smoke was coming from the roof of the single story commercial building as crews arrived. Everyone was reported out safely.Firefighters realized the fire was coming from a gas appliance in the kitchen area. They shut gas off to the building, extinguished the fire and checked to make sure the fire had not extended into the structure.It took fire crews approximately 15 minutes to bring the fire under control. There were no injuries. The damage was contained to the kitchen area. However, the suppression system and sprinkler system activated which will require clean up and repair.

Cause of fire at KC-area BBQ restaurant under investigation

JOHNSON COUNTY —A woman involved in chase and deadly exchange of gunfire that left a Kansas police officer and her accomplice dead is now facing a murder charges.

On Wednesday, the Johnson County attorney's office charged 32-year-old Angela Cothran of&nbsp; Portland, Tennessee, with first degree murder in the death of Fairway Police officer Johan Oswald.

Cothran was originally charges with aggravated battery, fleeing law enforcement, felony theft and reckless driving.&nbsp;&nbsp;She remains jailed on a $1 million bond, according to online jail records.&nbsp; She is due back in court September 20.

Just after 7:30 a.m August 6, police responded to a stolen vehicle call at the QuikTrip at 95th Street and Interstate 35, according to a media release from Lenexa Police.

 Officers located that car and the suspect in the stolen vehicle struck one of Lenexa police department's patrol vehicles and drove away.

Police pursued the suspect northbound on Interstate 35 until the suspects left the vehicle and ran to a QuikTrip in the 4700 Block of Lamar Avenue in Mission.

Police from multiple agencies were trying to arrest the suspects when gunfire broke out. A suspect later identified as 40-year-old&nbsp;Shannon Wayne Marshall of Ashland City, Tennessee was shot and killed and&nbsp; Fairway Kansas police officer Jonah Oswald was shot, hospitalized and died on August 7.

The other suspect later identified as&nbsp; Cothran was arrested.

Cothran is listed on the Tennessee sex offender registry for a July 2019 conviction for solicitation to commit sexual exploitation of a minor. She has three previous convictions for child abuse and a probation violation for drugs, according to the Tennessee offender registry.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691521167515.png" alt="Cothran is listed on the Tennessee sex offender registry for a July 2019 conviction for solicitation to commit sexual exploitation of a minor.-photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Cothran is listed on the Tennessee sex offender registry for a July 2019 conviction for solicitation to commit sexual exploitation of a minor.-photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —A woman involved in chase and deadly exchange of gunfire that left a Kansas police officer and her accomplice dead is now facing a murder charges.On Wednesday, the Johnson County attorney's office charged 32-year-old Angela Cothran of&nbsp; Portland, Tennessee, with first degree murder in the death of Fairway Police officer Johan Oswald.Cothran was originally charges with aggravated battery, fleeing law enforcement, felony theft and reckless driving.&nbsp;&nbsp;She remains jailed on a $1 million bond, according to online jail records.&nbsp; She is due back in court September 20.Just after 7:30 a.m August 6, police responded to a stolen vehicle call at the QuikTrip at 95th Street and Interstate 35, according to a media release from Lenexa Police. Officers located that car and the suspect in the stolen vehicle struck one of Lenexa police department's patrol vehicles and drove away.Police pursued the suspect northbound on Interstate 35 until the suspects left the vehicle and ran to a QuikTrip in the 4700 Block of Lamar Avenue in Mission.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691356366635.png" alt="Police on the scene near the shooting&nbsp; on Sunday-photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene near the shooting&nbsp; on Sunday-photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>Police from multiple agencies were trying to arrest the suspects when gunfire broke out. A suspect later identified as 40-year-old&nbsp;Shannon Wayne Marshall of Ashland City, Tennessee was shot and killed and&nbsp; Fairway Kansas police officer Jonah Oswald was shot, hospitalized and died on August 7.The other suspect later identified as&nbsp; Cothran was arrested.Cothran is listed on the Tennessee sex offender registry for a July 2019 conviction for solicitation to commit sexual exploitation of a minor. She has three previous convictions for child abuse and a probation violation for drugs, according to the Tennessee offender registry.&nbsp;

Sex offender now charged with murder in Kan. officer's shooting death 

MARION, Kansas (AP) — A police raid that drew national attention to a small Kansas newspaper over threats to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marion-county-record-kansas-newspaper-raid-f1e49c4e542ddb3cf19c9ca02a0a21fb">press freedoms</a>&nbsp;wasn’t supported by evidence, a prosecutor said Wednesday, as the paper’s staff scrambled to print its first weekly edition since their cellphones and computers were seized.

(click below to watch comments from White House on the&nbsp; case)

Forced to rewrite stories and reproduce ads from scratch, the four-person newsroom toiled overnight to print Wednesday's edition, with a defiant front-page headline that read: “SEIZED … but not silenced.” Under the 2-inch-tall (5-centimeter) typeface, they published stories on the raid and the influx of support the weekly newspaper has since received.

On Wednesday, Marion County Attorney Joel Ensey said his review of police seizures from the Marion County Record offices and the publisher's home found “insufficient evidence exists to establish a legally sufficient nexus between this alleged crime and the places searched and the items seized."

“As a result, I have submitted a proposed order asking the court to release the evidence seized. I have asked local law enforcement to return the material seized to the owners of the property,” Ensey said in a news release.

But in a statement released along with the county attorney's, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation said it still is examining whether the newspaper violated state laws. A warrant for the raid, signed by a local judge, suggested the raid was over whether the paper improperly used a local restaurant owner's personal information to access her state driving record online. Editor and Publisher Eric Meyer has said the paper did nothing illegal.

In Topeka, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, a conservative Republican who oversees the KBI, said its “principal interest” remains the computer access allegations. He told reporters he didn't understand the KBI's role to include "an evaluation of constitutional claims about the raid."

The KBI said it would continue its work without examining any evidence seized last Friday. Once the state investigators finish, Kobach said, the county attorney will decide whether to prosecute.

Meyer said that the county sheriff's office, which had been storing the items for the police, released them Wednesday afternoon to a computer forensics firm from the Kansas City area hired by the newspaper's attorney. It is reviewing their files and programs to see whether materials on the devices have been copied, Meyer said.

“You cannot let bullies win,” Meyer said. “We have a staff that’s very experienced, including myself, and we’re not going to take crap.”

Meyer has said that the stress from the raid of his home caused the death Saturday of his 98-year-old mother, Joan, the paper’s co-owner.

Last week's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marion-kansas-newspaper-raid-aca057365ea3925328a69acd615c9893">police raid</a>&nbsp;put the town into the center of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marion-county-record-kansas-newspaper-raid-f1e49c4e542ddb3cf19c9ca02a0a21fb">a national debate about press freedom</a>, with watchdog groups condemning the department's actions. Meyer said he believes the raid was carried out because the newspaper was investigating why the police chief left his previous post as an officer in Kansas City, Missouri.

Police Chief Gideon Cody left the Missouri department earlier this year and began the job in Marion in June. He has not responded to interview requests, and he did not reply to an email seeking comment about Wednesday's developments.

Meyer said police seized a computer tower and cellphone belonging to a reporter who wasn’t part of the effort to check on the business owner’s background — but who was looking into Cody's background.

Asked if the newspaper’s investigation of Cody may have had anything to do with the decision to raid it, Bernie Rhodes, the newspaper's attorney, responded: “I think it is a remarkable coincidence if it didn’t.”

Meyer's family has long published the newspaper in the town of about 1,900 among rolling hills about 150 miles (241 kilometers) southwest of Kansas City, an area that once was a sea of tall prairie grass. It's known for its aggresive coverage of local politics, and some residents have accused it of driving businesses away, something Meyer dismisses.

Dennis Calvert, a 67-year-old Wichita resident and U.S. Navy nuclear submarine veteran, drove more than an hour to get a copy of Wednesday's edition and sign up for a six-month subscription.

Asked about the role of local journalists, he said, “It'd be equal to, how important is your doctor if you're going into surgery?”

At one point, a couple visiting from Arizona stopped at the front desk to buy a subscription, just to show their support, said Emily Bradbury, executive director of the Kansas Press Association, who was helping at the paper. Many others from around the country have purchased subscriptions since the raids. An office manager told Bradbury that she’s having a hard time keeping up with demand.

Even the White House weighed in. “This administration has been vocal about the importance of the freedom of press, here and around the globe,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at her daily briefing on Wednesday. “That is the core value when you think about our democracy, when you think about the cornerstone of our democracy, the freedom of press is right there.”

She said the raid raises “a lot of concerns and a lot of questions for us.”

To put out the Wednesday edition of the paper, journalists and those involved in the business side of the newspaper used a couple of old computers that police didn’t confiscate, taking turns to get stories to the printer, to assemble ads and to check email.

Because electronics were so scarce, it took the newsroom until 5 a.m. to finish the paper, Bradbury said. She chipped in herself by answering phones and ordering meals for staffers.

“There were literally index cards going back and forth,” said Rhodes, who was also in the office. “They had all the classified ads, all the legal notices that they had to recreate. All of those were on the computers.”

The newspaper’s press run is normally 4,000 papers. But since the raids, they have received more than 2,000 new subscriptions, Meyer said.

A warrant signed by a magistrate about two hours before Friday's raid said that local police sought to gather evidence of potential identity theft and other computer crimes stemming from a conflict between the newspaper and the local restaurant owner, Kari Newell.

Newell accuses the newspaper of violating her privacy and illegally obtaining personal information about her, while the newspaper has countered that it received information about her unsolicited, then verified its authenticity through public records online.

Meyer said the newspaper ultimately decided not to write a story about Newell, but later reported about a city council meeting, in which Newell confirmed she’d had a DUI conviction and drove after her license was suspended.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692219843330.png" alt="he Kansas Bureau of Investigation said it still is examining whether the newspaper violated state laws-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>he Kansas Bureau of Investigation said it still is examining whether the newspaper violated state laws-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>MARION, Kansas (AP) — A police raid that drew national attention to a small Kansas newspaper over threats to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marion-county-record-kansas-newspaper-raid-f1e49c4e542ddb3cf19c9ca02a0a21fb">press freedoms</a>&nbsp;wasn’t supported by evidence, a prosecutor said Wednesday, as the paper’s staff scrambled to print its first weekly edition since their cellphones and computers were seized.(click below to watch comments from White House on the&nbsp; case)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F6579634838818472%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=3711" 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>Forced to rewrite stories and reproduce ads from scratch, the four-person newsroom toiled overnight to print Wednesday's edition, with a defiant front-page headline that read: “SEIZED … but not silenced.” Under the 2-inch-tall (5-centimeter) typeface, they published stories on the raid and the influx of support the weekly newspaper has since received.On Wednesday, Marion County Attorney Joel Ensey said his review of police seizures from the Marion County Record offices and the publisher's home found “insufficient evidence exists to establish a legally sufficient nexus between this alleged crime and the places searched and the items seized."“As a result, I have submitted a proposed order asking the court to release the evidence seized. I have asked local law enforcement to return the material seized to the owners of the property,” Ensey said in a news release.But in a statement released along with the county attorney's, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation said it still is examining whether the newspaper violated state laws. A warrant for the raid, signed by a local judge, suggested the raid was over whether the paper improperly used a local restaurant owner's personal information to access her state driving record online. Editor and Publisher Eric Meyer has said the paper did nothing illegal.In Topeka, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, a conservative Republican who oversees the KBI, said its “principal interest” remains the computer access allegations. He told reporters he didn't understand the KBI's role to include "an evaluation of constitutional claims about the raid."The KBI said it would continue its work without examining any evidence seized last Friday. Once the state investigators finish, Kobach said, the county attorney will decide whether to prosecute.Meyer said that the county sheriff's office, which had been storing the items for the police, released them Wednesday afternoon to a computer forensics firm from the Kansas City area hired by the newspaper's attorney. It is reviewing their files and programs to see whether materials on the devices have been copied, Meyer said.“You cannot let bullies win,” Meyer said. “We have a staff that’s very experienced, including myself, and we’re not going to take crap.”Meyer has said that the stress from the raid of his home caused the death Saturday of his 98-year-old mother, Joan, the paper’s co-owner.Last week's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marion-kansas-newspaper-raid-aca057365ea3925328a69acd615c9893">police raid</a>&nbsp;put the town into the center of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marion-county-record-kansas-newspaper-raid-f1e49c4e542ddb3cf19c9ca02a0a21fb">a national debate about press freedom</a>, with watchdog groups condemning the department's actions. Meyer said he believes the raid was carried out because the newspaper was investigating why the police chief left his previous post as an officer in Kansas City, Missouri.Police Chief Gideon Cody left the Missouri department earlier this year and began the job in Marion in June. He has not responded to interview requests, and he did not reply to an email seeking comment about Wednesday's developments.Meyer said police seized a computer tower and cellphone belonging to a reporter who wasn’t part of the effort to check on the business owner’s background — but who was looking into Cody's background.Asked if the newspaper’s investigation of Cody may have had anything to do with the decision to raid it, Bernie Rhodes, the newspaper's attorney, responded: “I think it is a remarkable coincidence if it didn’t.”Meyer's family has long published the newspaper in the town of about 1,900 among rolling hills about 150 miles (241 kilometers) southwest of Kansas City, an area that once was a sea of tall prairie grass. It's known for its aggresive coverage of local politics, and some residents have accused it of driving businesses away, something Meyer dismisses.Dennis Calvert, a 67-year-old Wichita resident and U.S. Navy nuclear submarine veteran, drove more than an hour to get a copy of Wednesday's edition and sign up for a six-month subscription.Asked about the role of local journalists, he said, “It'd be equal to, how important is your doctor if you're going into surgery?”At one point, a couple visiting from Arizona stopped at the front desk to buy a subscription, just to show their support, said Emily Bradbury, executive director of the Kansas Press Association, who was helping at the paper. Many others from around the country have purchased subscriptions since the raids. An office manager told Bradbury that she’s having a hard time keeping up with demand.Even the White House weighed in. “This administration has been vocal about the importance of the freedom of press, here and around the globe,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at her daily briefing on Wednesday. “That is the core value when you think about our democracy, when you think about the cornerstone of our democracy, the freedom of press is right there.”She said the raid raises “a lot of concerns and a lot of questions for us.”To put out the Wednesday edition of the paper, journalists and those involved in the business side of the newspaper used a couple of old computers that police didn’t confiscate, taking turns to get stories to the printer, to assemble ads and to check email.Because electronics were so scarce, it took the newsroom until 5 a.m. to finish the paper, Bradbury said. She chipped in herself by answering phones and ordering meals for staffers.“There were literally index cards going back and forth,” said Rhodes, who was also in the office. “They had all the classified ads, all the legal notices that they had to recreate. All of those were on the computers.”The newspaper’s press run is normally 4,000 papers. But since the raids, they have received more than 2,000 new subscriptions, Meyer said.A warrant signed by a magistrate about two hours before Friday's raid said that local police sought to gather evidence of potential identity theft and other computer crimes stemming from a conflict between the newspaper and the local restaurant owner, Kari Newell.Newell accuses the newspaper of violating her privacy and illegally obtaining personal information about her, while the newspaper has countered that it received information about her unsolicited, then verified its authenticity through public records online.Meyer said the newspaper ultimately decided not to write a story about Newell, but later reported about a city council meeting, in which Newell confirmed she’d had a DUI conviction and drove after her license was suspended.

🎥White House watching Kansas press freedom case closely

CLOUD COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a weekend car theft have captured the suspect.

Just after 7:30a.m. Wednesday, police arrested&nbsp; 34-year-lold Ric Jacob Meczywor at the intersection of 15th and Olive in Concordia, according to a media release from Concordia Police.&nbsp; He was jailed on Cloud County warrants for failure to comply and additional requested charges from the weekend activity are being sent to the county attorney.&nbsp;

On Sunday, police asked the public for help to locate a Meczqwor for&nbsp;allegedly stealing a&nbsp;silver 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix&nbsp; with Kansas tag 808SBZ. He is also accused of entering another vehicle&nbsp; in same parking lot Saturday night.&nbsp;

Meczywor was booked into the Cloud County Jail in May and released from custody July 6, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691967204362.png" alt="MECZYWOR photo Concordia Police" />
 <figcaption>MECZYWOR photo Concordia Police</figcaption>
 </figure>CLOUD COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a weekend car theft have captured the suspect.Just after 7:30a.m. Wednesday, police arrested&nbsp; 34-year-lold Ric Jacob Meczywor at the intersection of 15th and Olive in Concordia, according to a media release from Concordia Police.&nbsp; He was jailed on Cloud County warrants for failure to comply and additional requested charges from the weekend activity are being sent to the county attorney.&nbsp;On Sunday, police asked the public for help to locate a Meczqwor for&nbsp;allegedly stealing a&nbsp;silver 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix&nbsp; with Kansas tag 808SBZ. He is also accused of entering another vehicle&nbsp; in same parking lot Saturday night.&nbsp;Meczywor was booked into the Cloud County Jail in May and released from custody July 6, according to online jail records.

Suspect wanted for car theft captured in north-central Kansas

LOS ANGELES (AP) —Jerry Moss, a music industry giant who co-founded A&amp;M Records with Herb Alpert and rose from a Los Angeles garage to the heights of success with hits by Alpert, the Police,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-lifestyle-california-richard-carpenter-karen-carpenter-c3d79d349ec958a2146804b95ee04f18">the Carpenters</a>&nbsp;and hundreds of other performers, has died at 88.

Moss, inducted with Alpert into the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, died Wednesday at his home in Bel Air, California, according to a statement released by his family. He died of natural causes, his widow Tina told The Associated Press.

“They truly don’t make them like him anymore and we will miss conversations with him about everything under the sun,” the statement reads in part, “the twinkle in his eyes as he approached every moment ready for the next adventure.”

For more than 25 years, Alpert and Moss presided over one of the industry's most successful independent labels, releasing such blockbuster albums as Alpert's “Whipped Cream &amp; Other Delights,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/carole-king">Carole King's</a>&nbsp;“Tapestry” and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/peter-frampton">Peter Frampton's</a>&nbsp;“Frampton Comes Alive!” They were home to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f25940ce392e4302a307e9847e7fbc80">the Carpenters</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cat-stevens-album-king-land-38ea9f80a80803d0d214a39c0d95728e">Cat Stevens,</a><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/janet-jackson">Janet Jackson</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/soundgarden-chris-cornell-vicky-lawsuit-recordings-7c79d7e92ef962dc69225e07a109f67e">Soundgarden,</a><a href="https://apnews.com/79d1bef5fc54495d8da01adfa38f893b/joe-cocker-dies-70">Joe Cocker</a>&nbsp;and Suzanne Vega, the Go-Gos and Sheryl Crow.

Among the label's singles: Alpert's “A Taste of Honey,” the Captain and Tennille's “Love Will Keep Us Together,” Frampton's “Show Me the Way” and “Every Breath You Take,” by the Police.

“Every once in a while a record would come through us and Herbie would look at me and say, ‘What did we do to deserve this, that this amazing thing is going to come out on our label?’” Moss told Artist House Music, an archive and resource center, in 2007.

His music connections also led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jerry-moss-horse-racing-1d4753a5fe8e783b5cb8112f0857a8bd">a lucrative horse racing business</a>&nbsp;that he owned with his second wife, Ann Holbrook. In 1962, record manufacturer Nate Duroff lent Alpert and Moss $35,000 so they could print 350,000 copies of Alpert's instrumental "The Lonely Bull," the label's first major hit. A decade later, Duroff convinced Moss to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0f92ef9ef12b47b087d77db2d1f044cd">invest in horses.</a>

The Mosses' Giacomo, named for the son of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sting">A&amp;M artist Sting,</a>&nbsp;won the Kentucky Derby in 2005.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zenyatta-broodmare-career-ends-1cb8ded172a64395bd65ef5253da4505">Zenyatta,</a>&nbsp;in honor of the Police album "Zenyatta Mondatta," was runner-up for Horse of the Year in 2008 and 2009 and won the following year. A hit single by Sting gave Moss the name for another profitable horse, Set Them Free.

Moss made one of his last public appearances in January when he was honored with a tribute concert at the Mark Taper Forum in downtown Los Angeles. Among the performers were Frampton, Amy Grant and Dionne Warwick, who wasn't an A&amp;M artist but had been close to Moss from the time he helped promote her music in the early 1960s. While Moss didn’t speak at the ceremony, many others praised him.

“Herb was the artist and Jerry had the vision. It just changed the face of the record industry,” singer Rita Coolidge said on the event’s red carpet. “Certainly A&amp;M made such a difference and it’s where everybody wanted to be.”

Moss' survivors include his second wife, Tina Morse, and three children.

Born in New York City and an English major at Brooklyn College, Moss had wanted to work in show business since waiting tables in his 20s and noticing that the entertainment industry patrons seemed to be having so much fun. After a six-month Army stint, he found work as a promoter for Coed Records and eventually moved to Los Angeles, where he met and befriended Alpert, a trumpeter, songwriter and entrepreneur.

With an investment of $100 each, they formed Carnival Records and had a local hit with "Tell It to the Birds," an Alpert ballad released under the name of his son, Dore Alpert. After learning that another company was called Carnival, Alpert and Moss used the initials of their last names and renamed their business A&amp;M, working out an office in Alpert's garage and designing the distinctive logo with the trumpet across the bottom.

"We had a desk, piano, piano stool, a couch, coffee table and two phone lines. And that for the two of us worked out very well, because we could go over the songs on the piano and make phone calls to the distributors," Moss later told Billboard. "We also had an answering service at the time. I'd do all my own billing."

For several years they specialized in "easy listening" acts such as Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Brazilian artist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/5668be45b7f84a5e88bb50c9b32090ff">Sergio Mendes</a>&nbsp;and the folk-rock trio the Sandpipers. After attending the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, rock's first major festival, Moss began adding rock performers, including Cocker,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-europe-music-arts-and-entertainment-london-65ab9d9862893ff8f75afaf0879ffc72">Procol Harum</a>&nbsp;and Free.

One of their biggest triumphs was "Frampton Comes Alive!" a live double album from 1976 that sold more than 6 million copies in its first year and transformed Frampton from mid-level performer to superstar.

"Peter was a huge live star in markets like Detroit and San Francisco, so we made a suggestion that he make a live record," Moss told Rolling Stone in 2002. "What he was doing onstage wasn't like the records — it was outrageously better. I remember being at the mix of 'Frampton Comes Alive!' at Electric Lady studios, and I was so blown away I asked to make it a double album."

A&amp;M continued to expand their catalog through the 1970s and '80s, taking on the Police, Squeeze, Joe Jackson and other British New Wave artists, R&amp;B musicians Janet Jackson and Barry White and country rockers 38 Special and the Ozark Mountain Daredevils.

By the late '80s, Alpert and Moss were operating out of a Hollywood lot where Charlie Chaplin once made movies, but they struggled to keep up with ever-higher recording contracts and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2b90d45f86ab423f8654071f8bf4cff2">sold A&amp;M</a>&nbsp;to Polygram for an estimated $500 million. They remained at the label, but clashed with Polygram's management and left in 1993, one of their last signings a singer-musician from Kennett, Missouri:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sheryl-crow">Sheryl Crow.</a>&nbsp;(Alpert and Moss later sued Polygram for violating their contract’s integrity clause and reached a $200 million settlement.)

For a few years, Alpert and Moss ran Almo Records, where performers included Garbage, Imogen Heap and Gillian Welch.

"We wanted people to be happy," Moss told The New York Times in 2010. “You can't force people to do a certain kind of music. They make their best music when they are doing what they want to do, not what we want them to do.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692266627571.png" alt="Moss, inducted with Alpert into the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, died Wednesday at his home in Bel Air, California," />
 <figcaption>Moss, inducted with Alpert into the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, died Wednesday at his home in Bel Air, California,</figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) —Jerry Moss, a music industry giant who co-founded A&amp;M Records with Herb Alpert and rose from a Los Angeles garage to the heights of success with hits by Alpert, the Police,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-lifestyle-california-richard-carpenter-karen-carpenter-c3d79d349ec958a2146804b95ee04f18">the Carpenters</a>&nbsp;and hundreds of other performers, has died at 88.Moss, inducted with Alpert into the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, died Wednesday at his home in Bel Air, California, according to a statement released by his family. He died of natural causes, his widow Tina told The Associated Press.“They truly don’t make them like him anymore and we will miss conversations with him about everything under the sun,” the statement reads in part, “the twinkle in his eyes as he approached every moment ready for the next adventure.”For more than 25 years, Alpert and Moss presided over one of the industry's most successful independent labels, releasing such blockbuster albums as Alpert's “Whipped Cream &amp; Other Delights,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/carole-king">Carole King's</a>&nbsp;“Tapestry” and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/peter-frampton">Peter Frampton's</a>&nbsp;“Frampton Comes Alive!” They were home to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f25940ce392e4302a307e9847e7fbc80">the Carpenters</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cat-stevens-album-king-land-38ea9f80a80803d0d214a39c0d95728e">Cat Stevens,</a><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/janet-jackson">Janet Jackson</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/soundgarden-chris-cornell-vicky-lawsuit-recordings-7c79d7e92ef962dc69225e07a109f67e">Soundgarden,</a><a href="https://apnews.com/79d1bef5fc54495d8da01adfa38f893b/joe-cocker-dies-70">Joe Cocker</a>&nbsp;and Suzanne Vega, the Go-Gos and Sheryl Crow.Among the label's singles: Alpert's “A Taste of Honey,” the Captain and Tennille's “Love Will Keep Us Together,” Frampton's “Show Me the Way” and “Every Breath You Take,” by the Police.“Every once in a while a record would come through us and Herbie would look at me and say, ‘What did we do to deserve this, that this amazing thing is going to come out on our label?’” Moss told Artist House Music, an archive and resource center, in 2007.His music connections also led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jerry-moss-horse-racing-1d4753a5fe8e783b5cb8112f0857a8bd">a lucrative horse racing business</a>&nbsp;that he owned with his second wife, Ann Holbrook. In 1962, record manufacturer Nate Duroff lent Alpert and Moss $35,000 so they could print 350,000 copies of Alpert's instrumental "The Lonely Bull," the label's first major hit. A decade later, Duroff convinced Moss to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0f92ef9ef12b47b087d77db2d1f044cd">invest in horses.</a>The Mosses' Giacomo, named for the son of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sting">A&amp;M artist Sting,</a>&nbsp;won the Kentucky Derby in 2005.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zenyatta-broodmare-career-ends-1cb8ded172a64395bd65ef5253da4505">Zenyatta,</a>&nbsp;in honor of the Police album "Zenyatta Mondatta," was runner-up for Horse of the Year in 2008 and 2009 and won the following year. A hit single by Sting gave Moss the name for another profitable horse, Set Them Free.Moss made one of his last public appearances in January when he was honored with a tribute concert at the Mark Taper Forum in downtown Los Angeles. Among the performers were Frampton, Amy Grant and Dionne Warwick, who wasn't an A&amp;M artist but had been close to Moss from the time he helped promote her music in the early 1960s. While Moss didn’t speak at the ceremony, many others praised him.“Herb was the artist and Jerry had the vision. It just changed the face of the record industry,” singer Rita Coolidge said on the event’s red carpet. “Certainly A&amp;M made such a difference and it’s where everybody wanted to be.”Moss' survivors include his second wife, Tina Morse, and three children.Born in New York City and an English major at Brooklyn College, Moss had wanted to work in show business since waiting tables in his 20s and noticing that the entertainment industry patrons seemed to be having so much fun. After a six-month Army stint, he found work as a promoter for Coed Records and eventually moved to Los Angeles, where he met and befriended Alpert, a trumpeter, songwriter and entrepreneur.With an investment of $100 each, they formed Carnival Records and had a local hit with "Tell It to the Birds," an Alpert ballad released under the name of his son, Dore Alpert. After learning that another company was called Carnival, Alpert and Moss used the initials of their last names and renamed their business A&amp;M, working out an office in Alpert's garage and designing the distinctive logo with the trumpet across the bottom."We had a desk, piano, piano stool, a couch, coffee table and two phone lines. And that for the two of us worked out very well, because we could go over the songs on the piano and make phone calls to the distributors," Moss later told Billboard. "We also had an answering service at the time. I'd do all my own billing."For several years they specialized in "easy listening" acts such as Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Brazilian artist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/5668be45b7f84a5e88bb50c9b32090ff">Sergio Mendes</a>&nbsp;and the folk-rock trio the Sandpipers. After attending the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, rock's first major festival, Moss began adding rock performers, including Cocker,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-europe-music-arts-and-entertainment-london-65ab9d9862893ff8f75afaf0879ffc72">Procol Harum</a>&nbsp;and Free.One of their biggest triumphs was "Frampton Comes Alive!" a live double album from 1976 that sold more than 6 million copies in its first year and transformed Frampton from mid-level performer to superstar."Peter was a huge live star in markets like Detroit and San Francisco, so we made a suggestion that he make a live record," Moss told Rolling Stone in 2002. "What he was doing onstage wasn't like the records — it was outrageously better. I remember being at the mix of 'Frampton Comes Alive!' at Electric Lady studios, and I was so blown away I asked to make it a double album."A&amp;M continued to expand their catalog through the 1970s and '80s, taking on the Police, Squeeze, Joe Jackson and other British New Wave artists, R&amp;B musicians Janet Jackson and Barry White and country rockers 38 Special and the Ozark Mountain Daredevils.By the late '80s, Alpert and Moss were operating out of a Hollywood lot where Charlie Chaplin once made movies, but they struggled to keep up with ever-higher recording contracts and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2b90d45f86ab423f8654071f8bf4cff2">sold A&amp;M</a>&nbsp;to Polygram for an estimated $500 million. They remained at the label, but clashed with Polygram's management and left in 1993, one of their last signings a singer-musician from Kennett, Missouri:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sheryl-crow">Sheryl Crow.</a>&nbsp;(Alpert and Moss later sued Polygram for violating their contract’s integrity clause and reached a $200 million settlement.)For a few years, Alpert and Moss ran Almo Records, where performers included Garbage, Imogen Heap and Gillian Welch."We wanted people to be happy," Moss told The New York Times in 2010. “You can't force people to do a certain kind of music. They make their best music when they are doing what they want to do, not what we want them to do.”_____

Jerry Moss, co-founder of A&M Records dies at 88

RAWLINS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged cattle theft in northwest Kansas.

A member of the Kansas Livestock Associated reported 17-head of 200-350 pound calves were stolen in mid July ten miles northeast of Atwood, according to a media release from the sheriff's office. The calves are carry fresh brands of V arrow high on the right hip.

The Kansas Livestock Association is offering a $5000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction.

RAWLINS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged cattle theft in northwest Kansas.A member of the Kansas Livestock Associated reported 17-head of 200-350 pound calves were stolen in mid July ten miles northeast of Atwood, according to a media release from the sheriff's office. The calves are carry fresh brands of V arrow high on the right hip.The Kansas Livestock Association is offering a $5000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction.

Reward offered after cattle reported stolen in NW Kansas

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man has been charged in the July 13, 2023, fatal shooting of a man behind an office supply store on Main Street in Kansas City, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Dynell R. Jones faces Murder 2nd Degree, two counts of Armed Criminal Action and Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.

According to court records, police officers were alerted on the afternoon of July 13, 2023, by a woman driving on Linwood, near Troost Avenue, to a shooting behind a parking lot off Main Street.

 The victim was transported to an area hospital but died of his injuries. Officers located shell casings in an area adjacent to the parking lot. A witness told police she saw a man with a gun about the time the victim got back into the witness' vehicle, and then the witness heard gunfire. 

As the witness left the area, she saw the victim suffering from a gunshot wound to his face. Jones&nbsp; told police he fired in the direction of the vehicle in which the victim was a passenger to scare off the victim.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692106811909.png" alt="Jones-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Jones-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man has been charged in the July 13, 2023, fatal shooting of a man behind an office supply store on Main Street in Kansas City, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Dynell R. Jones faces Murder 2nd Degree, two counts of Armed Criminal Action and Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.According to court records, police officers were alerted on the afternoon of July 13, 2023, by a woman driving on Linwood, near Troost Avenue, to a shooting behind a parking lot off Main Street. The victim was transported to an area hospital but died of his injuries. Officers located shell casings in an area adjacent to the parking lot. A witness told police she saw a man with a gun about the time the victim got back into the witness' vehicle, and then the witness heard gunfire. As the witness left the area, she saw the victim suffering from a gunshot wound to his face. Jones&nbsp; told police he fired in the direction of the vehicle in which the victim was a passenger to scare off the victim.&nbsp;

KC murder victim died after gunshot wound to his face

WICHITA, KAN. – A man and woman have been convicted of financial abuse and physical neglect of an 84-year-old Derby woman.

Tiffany Williams-McCune, 20 of Derby, pleaded no contest to two felony counts of mistreatment of an elder person, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney.&nbsp; One count was for financial exploitation and one count was for neglecting the physical needs of the victim. 

In November, District Judge David Kaufman sentenced the woman to 12 months in prison. She is the great granddaughter of the elderly woman, Leslie Jeffries.

Jacoby Reeves, 23 of Derby, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of mistreatment of an elder person and a misdemeanor charge of mistreatment. The felony was related to neglecting the physical needs of Ms. Jeffries and the misdemeanor was related to financial exploitation. 

On July 28th, Judge Kaufman sentenced Reeves to 12 months of probation with an underlying sentence of 12 months in jail. If he violates the terms of his probation, Judge Kaufman could impose the jail sentence.

A joint investigation by the Derby Police Department and the Kansas Department of Children and Families revealed that the defendants were in a dating relationship and helped care for the victim in her home. The investigation showed that Williams-McCune and Reeves made unauthorized financial transactions totaling over $20,000 on the victim’s accounts while living with her.

The investigation further revealed that in December of 2021, Williams-McCune and Reeves ignored a medical emergency involving the victim and failed to get her help when she suffered a brain hemorrhage at home. Ms. Jeffries died a short time later in the hospital.

Derby police officers found the elderly woman unresponsive and lying awkwardly on a couch in the basement of the home on Dec. 7, 2021, while the defendants slept upstairs. The officers had gone to the house to check on Ms. Jeffries after being notified that other family members were concerned about her welfare. 

Ms. Jeffries had been showing symptoms of cognitive and physical impairment the previous day, but neither Williams-McCune nor Reeves sought medical care for her.

An autopsy showed that Ms. Jeffries had a variety of medical issues with a history of falling, which may have caused the subdural hematoma that led to her death.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692133881748.png" alt="Williams-McCune-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Williams-McCune-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, KAN. – A man and woman have been convicted of financial abuse and physical neglect of an 84-year-old Derby woman.Tiffany Williams-McCune, 20 of Derby, pleaded no contest to two felony counts of mistreatment of an elder person, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney.&nbsp; One count was for financial exploitation and one count was for neglecting the physical needs of the victim. In November, District Judge David Kaufman sentenced the woman to 12 months in prison. She is the great granddaughter of the elderly woman, Leslie Jeffries.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692134057549.png" alt="Reeves-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Reeves-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Jacoby Reeves, 23 of Derby, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of mistreatment of an elder person and a misdemeanor charge of mistreatment. The felony was related to neglecting the physical needs of Ms. Jeffries and the misdemeanor was related to financial exploitation. On July 28th, Judge Kaufman sentenced Reeves to 12 months of probation with an underlying sentence of 12 months in jail. If he violates the terms of his probation, Judge Kaufman could impose the jail sentence.A joint investigation by the Derby Police Department and the Kansas Department of Children and Families revealed that the defendants were in a dating relationship and helped care for the victim in her home. The investigation showed that Williams-McCune and Reeves made unauthorized financial transactions totaling over $20,000 on the victim’s accounts while living with her.The investigation further revealed that in December of 2021, Williams-McCune and Reeves ignored a medical emergency involving the victim and failed to get her help when she suffered a brain hemorrhage at home. Ms. Jeffries died a short time later in the hospital.Derby police officers found the elderly woman unresponsive and lying awkwardly on a couch in the basement of the home on Dec. 7, 2021, while the defendants slept upstairs. The officers had gone to the house to check on Ms. Jeffries after being notified that other family members were concerned about her welfare. Ms. Jeffries had been showing symptoms of cognitive and physical impairment the previous day, but neither Williams-McCune nor Reeves sought medical care for her.An autopsy showed that Ms. Jeffries had a variety of medical issues with a history of falling, which may have caused the subdural hematoma that led to her death.

Kan. woman convicted of theft, neglect of great-grandmother

ELLIS —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspect for alleged theft in Ellis County.

Just after 7 p.m. Tuesday, police&nbsp; were dispatched to Casey’s General Store, 213 Washington, in Ellis for a report of a robbery.

The victim reported that two men in an SUV with Florida plates had taken money out of his hand and fled the area.&nbsp; Officers arrived on scene shortly after the call was dispatched and searched the immediate area of the incident for the suspect vehicle.

Officers gathered a description of the suspects and the vehicle they were in and had it broadcast to other law enforcement agencies in the area.

The Kansas Highway Patrol found the suspects just east of the Toulon exit on Interstate 70 at about 7:19 p.m. Using a photograph of the suspects, the victim was able to confirm the suspects who were stopped were the ones involved in the incident.&nbsp;

The suspects were then identified as Ungurel Andrei Mutu, 32 and Dragos Iosif Grozavu, 31, both of Romania.

A juvenile also was in the vehicle. Grozavu and Mutu were then placed under arrest without incident and transported to the Ellis County Jail, where they are being held on requested charges of robbery.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692221509033.png" alt="Grozavu-photo Ellis Co." />
 <figcaption>Grozavu-photo Ellis Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>ELLIS —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspect for alleged theft in Ellis County.Just after 7 p.m. Tuesday, police&nbsp; were dispatched to Casey’s General Store, 213 Washington, in Ellis for a report of a robbery.The victim reported that two men in an SUV with Florida plates had taken money out of his hand and fled the area.&nbsp; Officers arrived on scene shortly after the call was dispatched and searched the immediate area of the incident for the suspect vehicle.Officers gathered a description of the suspects and the vehicle they were in and had it broadcast to other law enforcement agencies in the area.The Kansas Highway Patrol found the suspects just east of the Toulon exit on Interstate 70 at about 7:19 p.m. Using a photograph of the suspects, the victim was able to confirm the suspects who were stopped were the ones involved in the incident.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692221449405.png" alt="Mutu-photo Ellis Co." />
 <figcaption>Mutu-photo Ellis Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>The suspects were then identified as Ungurel Andrei Mutu, 32 and Dragos Iosif Grozavu, 31, both of Romania.A juvenile also was in the vehicle. Grozavu and Mutu were then placed under arrest without incident and transported to the Ellis County Jail, where they are being held on requested charges of robbery.

2 Romanian nationals captured on I-70 after alleged theft

THOMAS COUNTY – Over the past four weeks the Thomas County Sheriff’s Office worked alongside the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), the Colby Police Department, and the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) on an investigation involving the distribution and manufacturing of controlled substances, according to a media release from the KBI.

On Aug. 14 and Aug. 15, multiple search warrants were executed in Thomas County with assistance from the KBI High Risk Warrant Team, the KBI Clandestine Laboratory Team, and the Colby Police Department. Located during a search of a residence was methamphetamine, an active marijuana grow, and paraphernalia and other illegal items used in drug manufacturing.

Jensina Sporing, 39, of Colby, Kansas, was arrested on multiple requested felony charges including distribution of a controlled substance, two counts of possession of a controlled substance, unlawful drug proceeds from a transaction, use of a communication facility in the commission of a felony drug violation, and two counts of use or possess with the intent to use drug paraphernalia.

Lawrence Hapke, 47, also of Colby, was arrested on requested charges of possession of a controlled substance, use or possess with the intent to use drug paraphernalia, and interference with law enforcement.

The suspects were booked into the Thomas County Jail. Another arrest connected to this operation is expected.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692217201020.png" alt="Hapke photo Thomas Co." />
 <figcaption>Hapke photo Thomas Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>THOMAS COUNTY – Over the past four weeks the Thomas County Sheriff’s Office worked alongside the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), the Colby Police Department, and the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) on an investigation involving the distribution and manufacturing of controlled substances, according to a media release from the KBI.On Aug. 14 and Aug. 15, multiple search warrants were executed in Thomas County with assistance from the KBI High Risk Warrant Team, the KBI Clandestine Laboratory Team, and the Colby Police Department. Located during a search of a residence was methamphetamine, an active marijuana grow, and paraphernalia and other illegal items used in drug manufacturing.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692217229186.png" alt="Sporing-photo Thomas Co." />
 <figcaption>Sporing-photo Thomas Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Jensina Sporing, 39, of Colby, Kansas, was arrested on multiple requested felony charges including distribution of a controlled substance, two counts of possession of a controlled substance, unlawful drug proceeds from a transaction, use of a communication facility in the commission of a felony drug violation, and two counts of use or possess with the intent to use drug paraphernalia.Lawrence Hapke, 47, also of Colby, was arrested on requested charges of possession of a controlled substance, use or possess with the intent to use drug paraphernalia, and interference with law enforcement.The suspects were booked into the Thomas County Jail. Another arrest connected to this operation is expected.

KBI finds meth, marijuana grow operation at NW Kan. home

Kobach wants judge to reject motion; ACLU supports their right to take part in case

BY:&nbsp;TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — A Shawnee County District Court judge said Wednesday she would quickly respond to a request by transgender Kansans to intervene in a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Kris Kobach seeking affirmation of his belief a new state law required driver’s licenses to reflect a person’s sex assigned at birth.

District Judge Theresa Watson presided at a hearing in which the Kansas Department of Revenue, the defendant in Kobach’s suit; ACLU attorney Sharon Brett, who represented the five transgender individuals; and Tony Powell, the solicitor for the attorney general; fleshed out arguments made in written legal briefs.

The revenue department’s lawyer, Pedro Irigonegaray, said the agency wasn’t representing any private citizens in the lawsuit brought by Kobach. Brett said her clients deserved to be heard by the district court weighing possible violation of their constitutional rights.

And, Powell said the judge shouldn’t allow interveners to intrude upon Kobach’s simple request for interpretation of state law guiding sex designations on Kansas driver’s licenses.

During the hearing, Watson posed questions suggesting skepticism transgender persons had a right to have a seat in the courtroom. She indicated consenting to their request might delay resolution of the attorney general’s suit.

“I’m going to issue a written opinion in a day or so,” Watson said.

The judge issued in July an temporary restraining order directing the revenue department to cease amending the sex designation on driver’s licenses pending outcome of the lawsuit. She also set a Nov. 1 hearing on Kobach’s request for an injunction against the Department of Revenue.

After the hearing, Kobach said it would be “very unusual” for a district court to permit private citizens to insert themselves in a case in which one portion of the executive branch was suing another segment of the executive branch of state government.

He preferred the district court stick to the fundamental question of how driver’s licenses would be handled and set aside constitutional issues for a separate proceeding.

“”The notion that they’re being silenced is ridiculous thinking. We are happy to answer their constitutional claims,” Kobach said. “It’s just that procedurally, those should follow the determination of what the statute means. If the court were to agree with our interpretation of the statute, then at that point our posture shifts slightly and we are defending the Department of Revenue against the constitutional claims made by the interveners,”

Kobach said if Watson ruled in his favor regarding interpretation Senate Bill 180 adopted by the 2023 Legislature it would mean the Department of Revenue would no longer produce driver’s licenses with a sex marker different than what was designated at birth.

Brett, legal director of the ACLU of Kansas, said law and precedent should allow her five transgender clients to take part in the district court’s consideration of what was meant when the Legislature adopted the law implemented July 1. She said the statute ordered the revenue department to track vital statistics related to driver’s licenses, but didn’t forbid the agency from continuing a policy allowing people to amend sex markers on state-issued identification.

“The state is saying we don’t have a right to intervene and that we should just get to challenge their interpretation in a later-filed lawsuit somewhere down the line,” Brett said. “They clearly don’t want the proposed interveners’ arguments to be heard in this action and would rather secure the ruling that they’re seeking without having to contend with the constitutional implications.”

She said a decision discontinuing the practice of changing sex identifiers on driver’s licenses would undermine constitutional rights of transgender Kansans.

“If granted,” Brett said, “that relief will violate their constitutional rights. They would suffer harm.”

Powell, the solicitor general of Kansas and a former Sedgwick County District Court judge, said the attorney general rightly opposed intervention. He said a court finding about meaning of the state law shouldn’t be impeded by premature constitutional objections.

“We don’t think the statute is ambiguous or unconstitutional,” Powell said. “It’s too soon. Their claims, that appear to be constitutional claims, are not ripe. This is a matter of when and what’s proper.”

Kobach filed the lawsuit against two administrators in the Department of Revenue after Gov. Laura Kelly said the law didn’t prohibit Kansans from having driver’s licenses changed to define them as male or female even if that conflicted with sex assignments at birth. The Democratic governor vetoed that bill, but the Republican-led House and Senate overrode the governor.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692208578795.png" alt="Attorney General Kris Kobach emerges from a Shawnee County District Court hearing on a motion from five transgender Kansans to intervene in a lawsuit filed by Kobach to end the practice of allowing people to change the sex marker on driver’s licenses. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Attorney General Kris Kobach emerges from a Shawnee County District Court hearing on a motion from five transgender Kansans to intervene in a lawsuit filed by Kobach to end the practice of allowing people to change the sex marker on driver’s licenses. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Kobach wants judge to reject motion; ACLU supports their right to take part in case</h2>BY:&nbsp;TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — A Shawnee County District Court judge said Wednesday she would quickly respond to a request by transgender Kansans to intervene in a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Kris Kobach seeking affirmation of his belief a new state law required driver’s licenses to reflect a person’s sex assigned at birth.District Judge Theresa Watson presided at a hearing in which the Kansas Department of Revenue, the defendant in Kobach’s suit; ACLU attorney Sharon Brett, who represented the five transgender individuals; and Tony Powell, the solicitor for the attorney general; fleshed out arguments made in written legal briefs.The revenue department’s lawyer, Pedro Irigonegaray, said the agency wasn’t representing any private citizens in the lawsuit brought by Kobach. Brett said her clients deserved to be heard by the district court weighing possible violation of their constitutional rights.And, Powell said the judge shouldn’t allow interveners to intrude upon Kobach’s simple request for interpretation of state law guiding sex designations on Kansas driver’s licenses.During the hearing, Watson posed questions suggesting skepticism transgender persons had a right to have a seat in the courtroom. She indicated consenting to their request might delay resolution of the attorney general’s suit.“I’m going to issue a written opinion in a day or so,” Watson said.The judge issued in July an temporary restraining order directing the revenue department to cease amending the sex designation on driver’s licenses pending outcome of the lawsuit. She also set a Nov. 1 hearing on Kobach’s request for an injunction against the Department of Revenue.After the hearing, Kobach said it would be “very unusual” for a district court to permit private citizens to insert themselves in a case in which one portion of the executive branch was suing another segment of the executive branch of state government.He preferred the district court stick to the fundamental question of how driver’s licenses would be handled and set aside constitutional issues for a separate proceeding.“”The notion that they’re being silenced is ridiculous thinking. We are happy to answer their constitutional claims,” Kobach said. “It’s just that procedurally, those should follow the determination of what the statute means. If the court were to agree with our interpretation of the statute, then at that point our posture shifts slightly and we are defending the Department of Revenue against the constitutional claims made by the interveners,”Kobach said if Watson ruled in his favor regarding interpretation Senate Bill 180 adopted by the 2023 Legislature it would mean the Department of Revenue would no longer produce driver’s licenses with a sex marker different than what was designated at birth.Brett, legal director of the ACLU of Kansas, said law and precedent should allow her five transgender clients to take part in the district court’s consideration of what was meant when the Legislature adopted the law implemented July 1. She said the statute ordered the revenue department to track vital statistics related to driver’s licenses, but didn’t forbid the agency from continuing a policy allowing people to amend sex markers on state-issued identification.“The state is saying we don’t have a right to intervene and that we should just get to challenge their interpretation in a later-filed lawsuit somewhere down the line,” Brett said. “They clearly don’t want the proposed interveners’ arguments to be heard in this action and would rather secure the ruling that they’re seeking without having to contend with the constitutional implications.”She said a decision discontinuing the practice of changing sex identifiers on driver’s licenses would undermine constitutional rights of transgender Kansans.“If granted,” Brett said, “that relief will violate their constitutional rights. They would suffer harm.”Powell, the solicitor general of Kansas and a former Sedgwick County District Court judge, said the attorney general rightly opposed intervention. He said a court finding about meaning of the state law shouldn’t be impeded by premature constitutional objections.“We don’t think the statute is ambiguous or unconstitutional,” Powell said. “It’s too soon. Their claims, that appear to be constitutional claims, are not ripe. This is a matter of when and what’s proper.”Kobach filed the lawsuit against two administrators in the Department of Revenue after Gov. Laura Kelly said the law didn’t prohibit Kansans from having driver’s licenses changed to define them as male or female even if that conflicted with sex assignments at birth. The Democratic governor vetoed that bill, but the Republican-led House and Senate overrode the governor.

Battle over request for transgender Kansans to intervene in driver’s license lawsuit

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting and have identified the victims.

Just before 6 p.m. Tuesday, police responded to report of a possible shooting at a home in the 2100 block of SW Plass Avenue, according to Police Captain Jerry Monasmith.

First responders located two unresponsive adults with life-threatening injuries who were later pronounced deceased by medical personnel at the scene. On Wednesday, police identified them as 24-year-old Kiarra Hazelton and 31-year-old Dontae E. Knight both of Topeka.

Detectives are investigating the case as a possible murder-suicide.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692205051157.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting and have identified the victims.Just before 6 p.m. Tuesday, police responded to report of a possible shooting at a home in the 2100 block of SW Plass Avenue, according to Police Captain Jerry Monasmith.First responders located two unresponsive adults with life-threatening injuries who were later pronounced deceased by medical personnel at the scene. On Wednesday, police identified them as 24-year-old Kiarra Hazelton and 31-year-old Dontae E. Knight both of Topeka.Detectives are investigating the case as a possible murder-suicide.

Police ID man and woman found dead at Kansas home

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A federal judge who put&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-lawsuit-mifepristone-misoprostol-kacsmaryk-74cb1c4cfab2c04f6cf2696151bc86ef">access to the abortion pill misefpristone in limbo</a>&nbsp;earlier this year presided Tuesday over another potentially groundbreaking case: a state lawsuit seeking to force Planned Parenthood pay back millions of dollars it received through Medicaid.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-judge-matthew-kacsmaryk-abortion-pill-fda-75964b777ef09593a1ad948c6cfc0237">U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk</a>&nbsp;did not immediately rule following a hearing in the Texas Panhandle city of Amarillo, where Planned Parenthood has no clinics.

In a brief call with reporters after the hearing, Planned Parenthood representatives said they urged the judge to reject the state's attempt to recoup years of Medicaid reimbursements and order steep fines that the group says could exceed more than $1 billion.

The Texas attorney general’s office, which filed the lawsuit in 2022, did not respond to messages left Monday, or an additional one seeking comment on Tuesday evening.

The lawsuit is believed to be the first of its kind in the U.S. brought against Planned Parenthood, which over the past decade has repeatedly gone to court in America's biggest red state as lawmakers there have withdrawn funding and imposed restrictions on clinic operations. But in that time, the state had not previously taken the organization to court over money.

“This really is a meritless case that the judge should not let proceed,” Susan Manning, general counsel for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, told reporters following the hearing Tuesday.

She said Kacsmaryk gave no indication on when he might rule.

The case now before Kacsmaryk does not surround abortion, which has been mostly banned in Texas since the U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade last year</a>. But Planned Parenthood argues the attempt to recoup at least $17 million in Medicaid payments for health services, including cancer screenings, is a new Republican-led effort to weaken the organization after years of legislation and litigation that has shrunk the state's footprint in Texas.

At issue is money Planned Parenthood received for health services before Texas removed the organization from the state's Medicaid program in 2021. Texas had begun trying to oust Planned Parenthood four years earlier and is seeking repayment for services billed during that time.

Texas brought the lawsuit under the federal False Claims Act, which allows fines for every alleged improper payment. Planned Parenthood says that could result in a judgement in excess of $1 billion.

The lawsuit was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-texas-medicaid-planned-parenthood-14379403b715dd838b0d18efab629db3">announced last year</a>&nbsp;by Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is now temporarily suspended from office pending the outcome of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-attorney-general-paxton-impeachment-d0fa9114868adca63d55a21a53765c45">his impeachment trial next month</a>&nbsp;over accusations of bribery and abuse of office.

Last year, Paxton said it was “unthinkable that Planned Parenthood would continue to take advantage of funding knowing they were not entitled to keep it.”

Jacob Elberg, a former federal prosecutor who specialized in health care fraud, described Texas' argument as weak.

He called the False Claims Act the government's most powerful tool against health fraud. Cases involving the law in recent years have included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-health-statutes-vermont-burlington-8422657b9b9873becf01956e8d32d924">a health records company in Florida</a>&nbsp;and a Montana health clinic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/asbestos-clinic-false-claims-bankruptcy-ce194fae7b5c03ed53bee9a234c29b79">that submitted false asbestos claims</a>.

Elberg said it is “hard to understand” how Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider, was knowingly filing false claims at a time when it was in court fighting to stay in the program and Texas was still paying the reimbursements.

“This just isn’t what the False Claims Act is supposed to be about,” said Elberg, faculty director at Seton Hall Law School's Center for Health &amp; Pharmaceutical Law.

Planned Parenthood has roughly three dozen health clinics in Texas. One has closed since the Supreme Court ruling last year that allowed Texas to ban abortion.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A federal judge who put&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-lawsuit-mifepristone-misoprostol-kacsmaryk-74cb1c4cfab2c04f6cf2696151bc86ef">access to the abortion pill misefpristone in limbo</a>&nbsp;earlier this year presided Tuesday over another potentially groundbreaking case: a state lawsuit seeking to force Planned Parenthood pay back millions of dollars it received through Medicaid.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-judge-matthew-kacsmaryk-abortion-pill-fda-75964b777ef09593a1ad948c6cfc0237">U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk</a>&nbsp;did not immediately rule following a hearing in the Texas Panhandle city of Amarillo, where Planned Parenthood has no clinics.In a brief call with reporters after the hearing, Planned Parenthood representatives said they urged the judge to reject the state's attempt to recoup years of Medicaid reimbursements and order steep fines that the group says could exceed more than $1 billion.The Texas attorney general’s office, which filed the lawsuit in 2022, did not respond to messages left Monday, or an additional one seeking comment on Tuesday evening.The lawsuit is believed to be the first of its kind in the U.S. brought against Planned Parenthood, which over the past decade has repeatedly gone to court in America's biggest red state as lawmakers there have withdrawn funding and imposed restrictions on clinic operations. But in that time, the state had not previously taken the organization to court over money.“This really is a meritless case that the judge should not let proceed,” Susan Manning, general counsel for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, told reporters following the hearing Tuesday.She said Kacsmaryk gave no indication on when he might rule.The case now before Kacsmaryk does not surround abortion, which has been mostly banned in Texas since the U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade last year</a>. But Planned Parenthood argues the attempt to recoup at least $17 million in Medicaid payments for health services, including cancer screenings, is a new Republican-led effort to weaken the organization after years of legislation and litigation that has shrunk the state's footprint in Texas.At issue is money Planned Parenthood received for health services before Texas removed the organization from the state's Medicaid program in 2021. Texas had begun trying to oust Planned Parenthood four years earlier and is seeking repayment for services billed during that time.Texas brought the lawsuit under the federal False Claims Act, which allows fines for every alleged improper payment. Planned Parenthood says that could result in a judgement in excess of $1 billion.The lawsuit was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-texas-medicaid-planned-parenthood-14379403b715dd838b0d18efab629db3">announced last year</a>&nbsp;by Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is now temporarily suspended from office pending the outcome of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-attorney-general-paxton-impeachment-d0fa9114868adca63d55a21a53765c45">his impeachment trial next month</a>&nbsp;over accusations of bribery and abuse of office.Last year, Paxton said it was “unthinkable that Planned Parenthood would continue to take advantage of funding knowing they were not entitled to keep it.”Jacob Elberg, a former federal prosecutor who specialized in health care fraud, described Texas' argument as weak.He called the False Claims Act the government's most powerful tool against health fraud. Cases involving the law in recent years have included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-health-statutes-vermont-burlington-8422657b9b9873becf01956e8d32d924">a health records company in Florida</a>&nbsp;and a Montana health clinic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/asbestos-clinic-false-claims-bankruptcy-ce194fae7b5c03ed53bee9a234c29b79">that submitted false asbestos claims</a>.Elberg said it is “hard to understand” how Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider, was knowingly filing false claims at a time when it was in court fighting to stay in the program and Texas was still paying the reimbursements.“This just isn’t what the False Claims Act is supposed to be about,” said Elberg, faculty director at Seton Hall Law School's Center for Health &amp; Pharmaceutical Law.Planned Parenthood has roughly three dozen health clinics in Texas. One has closed since the Supreme Court ruling last year that allowed Texas to ban abortion.

Lawsuit could bankrupt Planned Parenthood 

MARION COUNTY – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation reported Wednesday afternoon that the criminal investigation occurring in Marion County related to the Marion County Record remains open. 

The KBI determined in collaboration with the Marion County Attorney, that the investigation will proceed independently, and without review or examination of any of the evidence seized on Friday, Aug. 11.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692029185055.png" alt="Police raided the Marion County Record office Aug. 11, 2023, with a search warrant (Sam Bailey/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Police raided the Marion County Record office Aug. 11, 2023, with a search warrant (Sam Bailey/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>MARION COUNTY – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation reported Wednesday afternoon that the criminal investigation occurring in Marion County related to the Marion County Record remains open. The KBI determined in collaboration with the Marion County Attorney, that the investigation will proceed independently, and without review or examination of any of the evidence seized on Friday, Aug. 11.The KBI is&nbsp; working with the Marion County Record, or their representative, to coordinate the prompt return of all seized items..The county attorney, in a statement Wednesday, asked the court to release the evidence seized in the raid after determining that "insufficient evidence exists to establish a legally sufficient nexus between the alleged crime and the places searched and items seized." The county attorney asked local law enforcement to return materials seized to the owners of the property.The county attorney statement reported, "the office reviewed in detail the original warrant application to search various locations in Marion County including the office of the newspaper."&nbsp;"The affidavits the county attorney is now asking the court to release established probable cause to believe that an employee of the newspaper may have committed a crime KSA-21-5839 Unlawful acts concerning computers."&nbsp;Upon further review, the county attorney came to a different conclusion.Once the KBI investigation concludes, the agency will present findings to the Marion County Attorney for review.