FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Saudi Arabia will reduce how much oil it sends to the global economy, taking a unilateral step to prop up the sagging price of crude after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/opec-oil-supply-gasoline-prices-saudi-russia-27e7b8785ff6fa3ca5df590d64cedb57">two previous cuts to supply</a>&nbsp;by major producing countries in the OPEC+ alliance failed to push oil higher.

The Saudi cut of 1 million barrels per day, to start in July, comes as the other OPEC+ producers agreed in a meeting in Vienna to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-oil-production-cut-6d34316ce6820c749d2a6cd66a9fffea">extend earlier production cuts</a>&nbsp;through next year.

Calling the reduction a “lollipop,” Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman said at a news conference that “we wanted to ice the cake.” He said the cut could be extended and that the group “will do whatever is necessary to bring stability to this market.”

The new cut would likely push up oil prices in the short term, but the impact after that would depend on whether Saudi Arabia decides to extend it, said Jorge Leon, senior vice president of oil markets research at Rystad Energy.

The move provides “a price floor because the Saudis can play with the voluntary cut as much as they like,” he said.

The slump in oil prices has helped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-5f010ed0b66fb71e8d46040419a70203">U.S. drivers fill their tanks more cheaply</a>&nbsp;and gave consumers worldwide some relief from inflation.

“Gas is not going to become cheaper," Leon said. ”If anything, it will become marginally more expensive.”

That the Saudis felt another cut was necessary underlines the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/imf-world-bank-interest-rates-fiscal-policy-1f3ad9e4bf87b3e95db84ba7c49b959f">uncertain outlook for demand</a>&nbsp;for fuel in the months ahead. There are concerns about economic weakness in the U.S. and Europe, while China’s rebound from COVID-19 restrictions has been less robust than many had hoped.

Saudi Arabia, the dominant producer in the OPEC oil cartel, was one of several members that agreed on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-oil-production-cut-6d34316ce6820c749d2a6cd66a9fffea">surprise cut of 1.6 million barrels per day</a>&nbsp;in April. The kingdom’s share was 500,000. That followed OPEC+ announcing in October that it would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-inflation-health-germany-elections-d873521f8b165774de3902439dd5a6ee">slash 2 million barrels</a>&nbsp;per day,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-business-saudi-arabia-middle-east-ea75287315c4e8a78014a4eccb114abe">angering U.S. President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;by threatening higher gasoline prices a month before the midterm elections.

All told, OPEC+ has now dropped production on paper by 4.6 million barrels a day. But some countries can't produce their quotas, so the actual reduction is around 3.5 million barrels per day, or over 3% of global supply.

The previous cuts gave little lasting boost to oil prices. International benchmark Brent crude climbed as high as $87 per barrel but has given up its post-cut gains and been loitering below $75 per barrel in recent days. U.S. crude has recently dipped below $70.

That has helped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/summer-travel-inflation-airlines-hotels-b1ec8b577b6cae248923236b1c8c120c">U.S. drivers kicking off the summer travel season</a>, with prices at the pump averaging $3.55, down $1.02 from a year ago, according to auto club AAA. Falling energy prices also helped inflation in the 20 European countries that use the euro&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-europe-food-prices-77c0d22dd3ff5aad439a995542a8e6a8">drop to the lowest level</a>&nbsp;since before Russia invaded Ukraine.

The Saudis need&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-aramco-2022-financial-earnings-oil-energy-c42b0a0b7b5a70db1f2a0ea732434051">sustained high oil revenue</a>&nbsp;to fund ambitious development projects aimed at diversifying the country’s economy.

The International Monetary Fund estimates the kingdom needs $80.90 per barrel to meet its envisioned spending commitments, which include a planned $500 billion futuristic desert city project called Neom.

The U.S. recently replenished its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-opec-business-government-and-politics-climate-environment-59aa11307b222550d48fb42ff0c3bd59">Strategic Petroleum Reserve</a>&nbsp;— after Biden announced the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-business-europe-3e1808077371b88ae043c86584763afd">largest release from the national reserve</a>&nbsp;in American history last year — in an indicator that U.S. officials may be less worried about OPEC cuts than in months past.

While oil producers like Saudi Arabia need revenue to fund their state budgets, they also have to take into account the impact of higher prices on oil-consuming countries.

Oil prices that go too high can fuel inflation, sapping consumer purchasing power and pushing central banks like the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-inflation-recession-powell-50be3ad208848b75df2498aa5da6156b">U.S. Federal Reserve toward further interest rate hikes</a>&nbsp;that can slow economic growth.

The Saudi production cut and any increase to oil prices could add to the profits that are helping Russia pay for its war against Ukraine. Russia has found&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-politics-business-china-middle-east-b6a90423ee7e2245e3eafc713083896f">new oil customers in India, China</a>&nbsp;and Turkey amid Western sanctions designed to limit Moscow’s crucial energy income.

However, higher crude prices risk complicating trade by the world’s No. 3 oil producer if they exceed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-health-covid-prices-european-union-65de1c4934227208bfa68bb7d4c47716">$60-per-barrel price cap</a>&nbsp;imposed by the Group of Seven major democracies.

Russia has found ways to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-moscow-europe-european-union-825506b6a349cce7e5971c0ac550aeaa">evade the price cap</a>&nbsp;through “dark fleet” tankers, which tamper with location data or transfer oil from ship to ship to disguise its origin. But those efforts add costs.

Under the OPEC+ deal, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Moscow will extend its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-65edbc5ba28370c0face621b7db0ce74">voluntary cut of 500,000 barrels a day</a>&nbsp;through next year, according to Russian state news agency Tass.

But Russia might not be following through on its promises. Moscow’s total exports of oil and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/european-union-russia-government-moscow-europe-china-a855facf78132a8805c9ba52dd0fab60">refined products such as diesel fuel</a>&nbsp;rose in April to a post-invasion high of 8.3 million barrels per day, the International Energy Agency said in its April oil market report.

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Saudi Arabia will reduce how much oil it sends to the global economy, taking a unilateral step to prop up the sagging price of crude after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/opec-oil-supply-gasoline-prices-saudi-russia-27e7b8785ff6fa3ca5df590d64cedb57">two previous cuts to supply</a>&nbsp;by major producing countries in the OPEC+ alliance failed to push oil higher.The Saudi cut of 1 million barrels per day, to start in July, comes as the other OPEC+ producers agreed in a meeting in Vienna to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-oil-production-cut-6d34316ce6820c749d2a6cd66a9fffea">extend earlier production cuts</a>&nbsp;through next year.Calling the reduction a “lollipop,” Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman said at a news conference that “we wanted to ice the cake.” He said the cut could be extended and that the group “will do whatever is necessary to bring stability to this market.”The new cut would likely push up oil prices in the short term, but the impact after that would depend on whether Saudi Arabia decides to extend it, said Jorge Leon, senior vice president of oil markets research at Rystad Energy.The move provides “a price floor because the Saudis can play with the voluntary cut as much as they like,” he said.The slump in oil prices has helped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-5f010ed0b66fb71e8d46040419a70203">U.S. drivers fill their tanks more cheaply</a>&nbsp;and gave consumers worldwide some relief from inflation.“Gas is not going to become cheaper," Leon said. ”If anything, it will become marginally more expensive.”That the Saudis felt another cut was necessary underlines the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/imf-world-bank-interest-rates-fiscal-policy-1f3ad9e4bf87b3e95db84ba7c49b959f">uncertain outlook for demand</a>&nbsp;for fuel in the months ahead. There are concerns about economic weakness in the U.S. and Europe, while China’s rebound from COVID-19 restrictions has been less robust than many had hoped.Saudi Arabia, the dominant producer in the OPEC oil cartel, was one of several members that agreed on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-oil-production-cut-6d34316ce6820c749d2a6cd66a9fffea">surprise cut of 1.6 million barrels per day</a>&nbsp;in April. The kingdom’s share was 500,000. That followed OPEC+ announcing in October that it would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-inflation-health-germany-elections-d873521f8b165774de3902439dd5a6ee">slash 2 million barrels</a>&nbsp;per day,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-business-saudi-arabia-middle-east-ea75287315c4e8a78014a4eccb114abe">angering U.S. President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;by threatening higher gasoline prices a month before the midterm elections.All told, OPEC+ has now dropped production on paper by 4.6 million barrels a day. But some countries can't produce their quotas, so the actual reduction is around 3.5 million barrels per day, or over 3% of global supply.The previous cuts gave little lasting boost to oil prices. International benchmark Brent crude climbed as high as $87 per barrel but has given up its post-cut gains and been loitering below $75 per barrel in recent days. U.S. crude has recently dipped below $70.That has helped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/summer-travel-inflation-airlines-hotels-b1ec8b577b6cae248923236b1c8c120c">U.S. drivers kicking off the summer travel season</a>, with prices at the pump averaging $3.55, down $1.02 from a year ago, according to auto club AAA. Falling energy prices also helped inflation in the 20 European countries that use the euro&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-europe-food-prices-77c0d22dd3ff5aad439a995542a8e6a8">drop to the lowest level</a>&nbsp;since before Russia invaded Ukraine.The Saudis need&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-aramco-2022-financial-earnings-oil-energy-c42b0a0b7b5a70db1f2a0ea732434051">sustained high oil revenue</a>&nbsp;to fund ambitious development projects aimed at diversifying the country’s economy.The International Monetary Fund estimates the kingdom needs $80.90 per barrel to meet its envisioned spending commitments, which include a planned $500 billion futuristic desert city project called Neom.The U.S. recently replenished its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-opec-business-government-and-politics-climate-environment-59aa11307b222550d48fb42ff0c3bd59">Strategic Petroleum Reserve</a>&nbsp;— after Biden announced the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-business-europe-3e1808077371b88ae043c86584763afd">largest release from the national reserve</a>&nbsp;in American history last year — in an indicator that U.S. officials may be less worried about OPEC cuts than in months past.While oil producers like Saudi Arabia need revenue to fund their state budgets, they also have to take into account the impact of higher prices on oil-consuming countries.Oil prices that go too high can fuel inflation, sapping consumer purchasing power and pushing central banks like the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-inflation-recession-powell-50be3ad208848b75df2498aa5da6156b">U.S. Federal Reserve toward further interest rate hikes</a>&nbsp;that can slow economic growth.The Saudi production cut and any increase to oil prices could add to the profits that are helping Russia pay for its war against Ukraine. Russia has found&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-politics-business-china-middle-east-b6a90423ee7e2245e3eafc713083896f">new oil customers in India, China</a>&nbsp;and Turkey amid Western sanctions designed to limit Moscow’s crucial energy income.However, higher crude prices risk complicating trade by the world’s No. 3 oil producer if they exceed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-health-covid-prices-european-union-65de1c4934227208bfa68bb7d4c47716">$60-per-barrel price cap</a>&nbsp;imposed by the Group of Seven major democracies.Russia has found ways to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-moscow-europe-european-union-825506b6a349cce7e5971c0ac550aeaa">evade the price cap</a>&nbsp;through “dark fleet” tankers, which tamper with location data or transfer oil from ship to ship to disguise its origin. But those efforts add costs.Under the OPEC+ deal, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Moscow will extend its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-65edbc5ba28370c0face621b7db0ce74">voluntary cut of 500,000 barrels a day</a>&nbsp;through next year, according to Russian state news agency Tass.But Russia might not be following through on its promises. Moscow’s total exports of oil and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/european-union-russia-government-moscow-europe-china-a855facf78132a8805c9ba52dd0fab60">refined products such as diesel fuel</a>&nbsp;rose in April to a post-invasion high of 8.3 million barrels per day, the International Energy Agency said in its April oil market report.

Expect higher gas prices as Saudis slash oil supply

KANSAS CITY (AP)—A man who shot and killed two rural Missouri jailers nearly 23 years ago during a failed bid to help an inmate escape is set to be executed Tuesday evening.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tisius-execution-death-penalty-missouri-e801aa9774bf6f613eacbc80c784d8ea">Michael Tisius</a>, 42, is scheduled to die by injection at the state prison in Bonne Terre&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-execution-michael-tisius-e4a26eebace4f63ac5da75b6e07a6a16">for killing Leon Egley and Jason Acton</a>&nbsp;at the small Randolph County Jail on June 22, 2000.

Tisius' lawyers have urged the U.S. Supreme Court to block the execution, alleging in their appeals that a juror at a sentencing hearing was illiterate, in violation of Missouri law.

The Supreme Court has already turned aside another argument — that Tisius should be spared because he was just 19 at the time of the killings. A 2005 Supreme Court ruling bars executions of those under 18 when their crime occurred, but attorneys for Tisius argued that even at 19 when the killings occurred, Tisius' should have his sentence commuted to life in prison without parole.

Advocates for Tisius also have said he was largely neglected as a child and was homeless by his early teens. In 1999, as an 18-year-old, he was jailed on a misdemeanor charge for pawning a rented stereo system.

In June 2000, Tisius was housed on the misdemeanor charge at the same county Jail in Huntsville with inmate Roy Vance. Tisius was about to be released, and court records show the men discussed a plan in which Tisius, once he was out, would help Vance escape.

Just after midnight on June 22, 2000, Tisius went to the jail accompanied by Vance’s girlfriend, Tracie Bulington. They told Egley and Acton that they were there to deliver cigarettes to Vance. The jailers didn’t know that Tisius had a pistol.

At trial, Bulington testified that she looked up and saw Tisius with the gun drawn, then watched as he shot and killed Acton. When Egley approached, Tisius shot him, too. Both officers were unarmed.

Tisius found keys at the dispatch area and tried to open Vance’s cell, but couldn’t. When Egley grabbed Bulington’s leg, Tisius shot him several more times.

Tisius and Bulington fled but their car broke down later that day in Kansas. They were arrested in Wathena, Kansas, about 130 miles (210 kilometers) west of Huntsville. Tisius confessed to the crimes.

Bulington and Vance are serving life sentences on murder convictions.

Defense attorneys have argued that the killings were not premeditated. Tisius, they said, intended to order the jailers into a holding cell and free Vance and other inmates. Tisius’ defense team issued a video last week in which Vance said he planned the escape attempt and manipulated Tisius into participating.

The execution would be the 12th in the U.S. this year, and the third in Missouri. Only Texas, with four, has executed more people than Missouri this year.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-legal-proceedings-missouri-st-louis-capital-punishment-b45a31029fa42d9eb67b5b4e1f6a6ffe">Amber McLaughlin</a>, 49, who killed a woman and dumped the body near the Mississippi River in St. Louis, was put to death in January. The execution was believed to be the first of a transgender woman in the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-state-government-california-homicide-94fe2fefa47faa618d3826c7f32e6f1d">Raheem Taylor</a>, 58, was executed in February for killing his live-in girlfriend and her three children in 2004 in St. Louis County.

Another Missouri execution is scheduled for Aug. 1.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-execution-august-06f474f368dfd5ff5c4145164b222a3b">Johnny Johnson</a>&nbsp;was convicted of sexually assaulting and killing a 6-year-old girl in St. Louis County in 2002.

KANSAS CITY (AP) —Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Monday declined clemency for a man who faces execution Tuesday evening for killing two jailers in an ill-fated effort to free someone else from a county jail.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-execution-michael-tisius-e4a26eebace4f63ac5da75b6e07a6a16">Michael Tisius</a>, 42, would be the third person in Missouri, and the 12th person nationally, to be executed in 2023. He's accused of killing officers Leon Egley and Jason Acton in June 2000.

“It’s despicable that two dedicated public servants were murdered in a failed attempt to help another criminal evade the law,” Parson, a Republican, said in a statement. "The state of Missouri will carry out Mr. Tisius’s sentences according to the Court’s order and deliver justice.”

Tisius has at least one pending court appeal. His appeals and his clemency request have focused on several issues. Among them: Tisius was just 19 at the time of the killings; he had been neglected as a child; and a juror at his 2010 resentencing may have been illiterate — in violation of Missouri law.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to halt the execution based on Tisius' age when the crime occurred. A federal judge last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/execution-missouri-jailer-death-row-killing-9056cc0ebbfa8e82be8942c56583377b">stayed the execution</a>&nbsp;over the claim that a juror was illiterate, but an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tisius-execution-death-penalty-missouri-e801aa9774bf6f613eacbc80c784d8ea">appeals panel reinstated it</a>. The Supreme Court hasn't yet ruled on that issue.

Elizabeth Unger Carlyle, an attorney for Tisius, said the ups and downs of the appeals are taking a toll on him.

“I think he’s sort of, frankly, on an emotional roller coaster," Carlyle said. "He’s pretty anxious. He doesn’t want to die. I think he’s angry and frightened.”

A 2005 Supreme Court ruling prohibits executions for those who were under 18 at the time of the crime. But Carlyle said “emerging science plus information about Mr. Tisius' own brain dictates that they should now change that rule to apply to Mr. Tisius.”

A court filing from the Missouri attorney general's office noted that both the original trial jury and the jury at resentencing considered Tisius' age and mental health, “yet both juries still decided to impose the death penalty.” The Supreme Court turned aside the appeal without comment.

Advocates for Tisius say he was largely neglected as a child and was homeless by his early teens. In 1999, as an 18-year-old, he was jailed on a misdemeanor charge for pawning a rented stereo system.

In June 2000, Tisius was housed at the small Randolph County Jail in Huntsville with Roy Vance. Tisius was about to be released, and court records show the men discussed a plan in which Tisius would help Vance escape.

Just after midnight on June 22, Tisius went to the jail accompanied by Vance's girlfriend, Tracie Bulington. They told Egley and Acton that they were delivering cigarettes to Vance. The jailers didn't know that Tisius had a pistol.

Tisius found keys at the dispatch area and tried to open Vance's cell, but couldn't. When Egley grabbed Bulington's leg, Tisius shot him several more times.

Tisius and Bulington fled but their car broke down in Kansas. They were arrested in Wathena, Kansas, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) west of Huntsville. Tisius confessed to the crimes.

Bulington and Vance are serving life sentences.

The people executed in Missouri this year included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-legal-proceedings-missouri-st-louis-capital-punishment-b45a31029fa42d9eb67b5b4e1f6a6ffe">Amber McLaughlin,</a>&nbsp;who killed a woman and dumped the body near the Mississippi River in St. Louis. The execution was believed to be the first of a transgender woman in the U.S.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-state-government-california-homicide-94fe2fefa47faa618d3826c7f32e6f1d">Raheem Taylor</a>, 58, was put to death in February for killing his live-in girlfriend and her three children in 2004 in St. Louis County.

Four of the U.S. executions this year have been in Texas, and three in Florida.

KANSAS CITY (AP) —A man on death row is on “an emotional roller coaster” amid efforts to spare his life with just one day before his scheduled execution, his attorney said.

Michael Tisius, 42, is set to die by injection Tuesday evening at the state prison in Bonne Terre for killing two jailers in 2000 in an ill-fated effort to free a man from a county jail. He would be the third Missouri man, and the 12th nationally, put to death in 2023.

A clemency request before Republican Gov. Mike Parsons focuses on several issues. Among them: Tisius was just 19 at the time of the killings; he had been neglected as a child; and a juror at his 2010 resentencing may have been illiterate — in violation of Missouri law. It's unclear when Parson will announce his decision. A message left Monday with his spokeswoman wasn’t immediately returned.

Just after midnight on June 22, Tisius went to the jail accompanied by Vance's girlfriend, Tracie Bulington. They told officers Leon Egley and Jason Acton that they were delivering cigarettes to Vance. The jailers didn't know that Tisius had a pistol.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677790581061.png" alt="Tisius photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Tisius photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP)—A man who shot and killed two rural Missouri jailers nearly 23 years ago during a failed bid to help an inmate escape is set to be executed Tuesday evening.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tisius-execution-death-penalty-missouri-e801aa9774bf6f613eacbc80c784d8ea">Michael Tisius</a>, 42, is scheduled to die by injection at the state prison in Bonne Terre&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-execution-michael-tisius-e4a26eebace4f63ac5da75b6e07a6a16">for killing Leon Egley and Jason Acton</a>&nbsp;at the small Randolph County Jail on June 22, 2000.Tisius' lawyers have urged the U.S. Supreme Court to block the execution, alleging in their appeals that a juror at a sentencing hearing was illiterate, in violation of Missouri law.The Supreme Court has already turned aside another argument — that Tisius should be spared because he was just 19 at the time of the killings. A 2005 Supreme Court ruling bars executions of those under 18 when their crime occurred, but attorneys for Tisius argued that even at 19 when the killings occurred, Tisius' should have his sentence commuted to life in prison without parole.Advocates for Tisius also have said he was largely neglected as a child and was homeless by his early teens. In 1999, as an 18-year-old, he was jailed on a misdemeanor charge for pawning a rented stereo system.In June 2000, Tisius was housed on the misdemeanor charge at the same county Jail in Huntsville with inmate Roy Vance. Tisius was about to be released, and court records show the men discussed a plan in which Tisius, once he was out, would help Vance escape.Just after midnight on June 22, 2000, Tisius went to the jail accompanied by Vance’s girlfriend, Tracie Bulington. They told Egley and Acton that they were there to deliver cigarettes to Vance. The jailers didn’t know that Tisius had a pistol.At trial, Bulington testified that she looked up and saw Tisius with the gun drawn, then watched as he shot and killed Acton. When Egley approached, Tisius shot him, too. Both officers were unarmed.Tisius found keys at the dispatch area and tried to open Vance’s cell, but couldn’t. When Egley grabbed Bulington’s leg, Tisius shot him several more times.Tisius and Bulington fled but their car broke down later that day in Kansas. They were arrested in Wathena, Kansas, about 130 miles (210 kilometers) west of Huntsville. Tisius confessed to the crimes.Bulington and Vance are serving life sentences on murder convictions.Defense attorneys have argued that the killings were not premeditated. Tisius, they said, intended to order the jailers into a holding cell and free Vance and other inmates. Tisius’ defense team issued a video last week in which Vance said he planned the escape attempt and manipulated Tisius into participating.The execution would be the 12th in the U.S. this year, and the third in Missouri. Only Texas, with four, has executed more people than Missouri this year.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-legal-proceedings-missouri-st-louis-capital-punishment-b45a31029fa42d9eb67b5b4e1f6a6ffe">Amber McLaughlin</a>, 49, who killed a woman and dumped the body near the Mississippi River in St. Louis, was put to death in January. The execution was believed to be the first of a transgender woman in the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-state-government-california-homicide-94fe2fefa47faa618d3826c7f32e6f1d">Raheem Taylor</a>, 58, was executed in February for killing his live-in girlfriend and her three children in 2004 in St. Louis County.Another Missouri execution is scheduled for Aug. 1.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-execution-august-06f474f368dfd5ff5c4145164b222a3b">Johnny Johnson</a>&nbsp;was convicted of sexually assaulting and killing a 6-year-old girl in St. Louis County in 2002.--------KANSAS CITY (AP) —Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Monday declined clemency for a man who faces execution Tuesday evening for killing two jailers in an ill-fated effort to free someone else from a county jail.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-execution-michael-tisius-e4a26eebace4f63ac5da75b6e07a6a16">Michael Tisius</a>, 42, would be the third person in Missouri, and the 12th person nationally, to be executed in 2023. He's accused of killing officers Leon Egley and Jason Acton in June 2000.“It’s despicable that two dedicated public servants were murdered in a failed attempt to help another criminal evade the law,” Parson, a Republican, said in a statement. "The state of Missouri will carry out Mr. Tisius’s sentences according to the Court’s order and deliver justice.”Tisius has at least one pending court appeal. His appeals and his clemency request have focused on several issues. Among them: Tisius was just 19 at the time of the killings; he had been neglected as a child; and a juror at his 2010 resentencing may have been illiterate — in violation of Missouri law.The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to halt the execution based on Tisius' age when the crime occurred. A federal judge last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/execution-missouri-jailer-death-row-killing-9056cc0ebbfa8e82be8942c56583377b">stayed the execution</a>&nbsp;over the claim that a juror was illiterate, but an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tisius-execution-death-penalty-missouri-e801aa9774bf6f613eacbc80c784d8ea">appeals panel reinstated it</a>. The Supreme Court hasn't yet ruled on that issue.Elizabeth Unger Carlyle, an attorney for Tisius, said the ups and downs of the appeals are taking a toll on him.“I think he’s sort of, frankly, on an emotional roller coaster," Carlyle said. "He’s pretty anxious. He doesn’t want to die. I think he’s angry and frightened.”A 2005 Supreme Court ruling prohibits executions for those who were under 18 at the time of the crime. But Carlyle said “emerging science plus information about Mr. Tisius' own brain dictates that they should now change that rule to apply to Mr. Tisius.”A court filing from the Missouri attorney general's office noted that both the original trial jury and the jury at resentencing considered Tisius' age and mental health, “yet both juries still decided to impose the death penalty.” The Supreme Court turned aside the appeal without comment.Advocates for Tisius say he was largely neglected as a child and was homeless by his early teens. In 1999, as an 18-year-old, he was jailed on a misdemeanor charge for pawning a rented stereo system.In June 2000, Tisius was housed at the small Randolph County Jail in Huntsville with Roy Vance. Tisius was about to be released, and court records show the men discussed a plan in which Tisius would help Vance escape.Just after midnight on June 22, Tisius went to the jail accompanied by Vance's girlfriend, Tracie Bulington. They told Egley and Acton that they were delivering cigarettes to Vance. The jailers didn't know that Tisius had a pistol.At trial, Bulington testified that she looked up and saw Tisius with the gun drawn, then watched as he shot and killed Acton. When Egley approached, Tisius shot him, too. Both officers were unarmed.Tisius found keys at the dispatch area and tried to open Vance's cell, but couldn't. When Egley grabbed Bulington's leg, Tisius shot him several more times.Tisius and Bulington fled but their car broke down in Kansas. They were arrested in Wathena, Kansas, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) west of Huntsville. Tisius confessed to the crimes.Bulington and Vance are serving life sentences.Defense attorneys have argued that the killings were not premeditated. Tisius, they said, intended to order the jailers into a holding cell and free Vance and other inmates. Tisius’ defense team issued a video last week in which Vance said he planned the escape attempt and manipulated Tisius into participating.The people executed in Missouri this year included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-legal-proceedings-missouri-st-louis-capital-punishment-b45a31029fa42d9eb67b5b4e1f6a6ffe">Amber McLaughlin,</a>&nbsp;who killed a woman and dumped the body near the Mississippi River in St. Louis. The execution was believed to be the first of a transgender woman in the U.S.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-state-government-california-homicide-94fe2fefa47faa618d3826c7f32e6f1d">Raheem Taylor</a>, 58, was put to death in February for killing his live-in girlfriend and her three children in 2004 in St. Louis County.Four of the U.S. executions this year have been in Texas, and three in Florida.-------KANSAS CITY (AP) —A man on death row is on “an emotional roller coaster” amid efforts to spare his life with just one day before his scheduled execution, his attorney said.Michael Tisius, 42, is set to die by injection Tuesday evening at the state prison in Bonne Terre for killing two jailers in 2000 in an ill-fated effort to free a man from a county jail. He would be the third Missouri man, and the 12th nationally, put to death in 2023.A clemency request before Republican Gov. Mike Parsons focuses on several issues. Among them: Tisius was just 19 at the time of the killings; he had been neglected as a child; and a juror at his 2010 resentencing may have been illiterate — in violation of Missouri law. It's unclear when Parson will announce his decision. A message left Monday with his spokeswoman wasn’t immediately returned.The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to halt the execution based on Tisius' age when the crime occurred. A federal judge last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/execution-missouri-jailer-death-row-killing-9056cc0ebbfa8e82be8942c56583377b">stayed the execution</a>&nbsp;over the claim that a juror was illiterate, but an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tisius-execution-death-penalty-missouri-e801aa9774bf6f613eacbc80c784d8ea">appeals panel reinstated it</a>. The Supreme Court hasn't yet ruled on that issue.Elizabeth Unger Carlyle, an attorney for Tisius, said the ups and downs of the appeals are taking a toll on him.“I think he’s sort of, frankly, on an emotional roller coaster," Carlyle said. "He’s pretty anxious. He doesn’t want to die. I think he’s angry and frightened.”A 2005 Supreme Court ruling prohibits executions for those who were under 18 at the time of the crime. But Carlyle said “emerging science plus information about Mr. Tisius' own brain dictates that they should now change that rule to apply to Mr. Tisius.”A court filing from the Missouri attorney general's office noted that both the original trial jury and the jury at resentencing considered Tisius' age and mental health, “yet both juries still decided to impose the death penalty.” The Supreme Court turned aside the appeal without comment.Advocates for Tisius say he was largely neglected as a child and was homeless by his early teens. In 1999, as an 18-year-old, he was jailed on a misdemeanor charge for pawning a rented stereo system.In June 2000, Tisius was housed at the small Randolph County Jail in Huntsville with Roy Vance. Tisius was about to be released, and court records show the men discussed a plan in which Tisius would help Vance escape.Just after midnight on June 22, Tisius went to the jail accompanied by Vance's girlfriend, Tracie Bulington. They told officers Leon Egley and Jason Acton that they were delivering cigarettes to Vance. The jailers didn't know that Tisius had a pistol.At trial, Bulington testified that she looked up and saw Tisius with the gun drawn, then watched as he shot and killed Acton. When Egley approached, Tisius shot him, too. Both officers were unarmed.Tisius found keys at the dispatch area and tried to open Vance's cell, but couldn't. When Egley grabbed Bulington's leg, Tisius shot him several more times.Tisius and Bulington fled but their car broke down in Kansas. They were arrested in Wathena, Kansas, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) west of Huntsville. Tisius confessed to the crimes.Bulington and Vance are serving life sentences.Defense attorneys have argued that the killings were not premeditated. Tisius, they said, intended to order the jailers into a holding cell and free Vance and other inmates. Tisius’ defense team issued a video last week in which Vance said he planned the escape attempt and manipulated Tisius into participating.The people executed in Missouri this year included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-legal-proceedings-missouri-st-louis-capital-punishment-b45a31029fa42d9eb67b5b4e1f6a6ffe">Amber McLaughlin,</a>&nbsp;who killed a woman and dumped the body near the Mississippi River in St. Louis. The execution was believed to be the first of a transgender woman in the U.S.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-state-government-california-homicide-94fe2fefa47faa618d3826c7f32e6f1d">Raheem Taylor</a>, 58, was put to death in February for killing his live-in girlfriend and her three children in 2004 in St. Louis County.Four of the U.S. executions this year have been in Texas, and three in Florida.

Man captured in Kansas facing Tues. execution for killing jailers 

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

On June 1, the driver of an Amazon delivery van called 911 to report an unknown man jumping into his van and driving off stealing it with all its packages in the 600 block of North Topeka, in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

The auto theft was broadcasted on all police channels.&nbsp; Wichita Police Captain Casey Slaughter was in the area and quickly moved to where the incident took place and was able to locate the stolen van. 

A short pursuit ensued but was quickly terminated as officers discovered the van had a GPS. Officers tracked the van’s GPS and were able to determine that the van was located close to the intersection of Gilbert Street and Belmont Street in Wichita.

Captain Slaughter moved into the area and located a man walking away from the van carrying a large package.&nbsp; Slaughter stopped the individual and identified him as 52-year-old Clifford Parker of Wichita.

 Thanks to the quick actions of Captain Slaughter, Clifford was later identified as the suspect of the van theft by the victim. Clifford was booked on requested charges of felony theft, burglary to auto, possession of methamphetamine, and felony evade and elude.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685966821842.png" alt="Parker-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Parker-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a burglary and have a suspect in custody.On June 1, the driver of an Amazon delivery van called 911 to report an unknown man jumping into his van and driving off stealing it with all its packages in the 600 block of North Topeka, in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.The auto theft was broadcasted on all police channels.&nbsp; Wichita Police Captain Casey Slaughter was in the area and quickly moved to where the incident took place and was able to locate the stolen van. A short pursuit ensued but was quickly terminated as officers discovered the van had a GPS. Officers tracked the van’s GPS and were able to determine that the van was located close to the intersection of Gilbert Street and Belmont Street in Wichita.Captain Slaughter moved into the area and located a man walking away from the van carrying a large package.&nbsp; Slaughter stopped the individual and identified him as 52-year-old Clifford Parker of Wichita. Thanks to the quick actions of Captain Slaughter, Clifford was later identified as the suspect of the van theft by the victim. Clifford was booked on requested charges of felony theft, burglary to auto, possession of methamphetamine, and felony evade and elude.&nbsp;

Police capture Kansas man who stole Amazon delivery van

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said the Kansas City Chiefs are "building a dynasty” as he hosted the team at the White House Monday to mark their Super Bowl victory in February.

Speaking on the South Lawn, Biden praised the team for playing with “the real joy of the game and love for each other and the great city you represent.” He also praised the team for their charitable work off the field, saying, “as these guys know about football, they know about life and how to use their platform to make a difference. ”

Biden joked that first lady Jill Biden, a “rabid” Philadelphia fan, is still not over the dramatic end to the game, which included a controversial holding penalty against the Eagles that set the Chiefs up for their game-winning field goal. The president added, “I have to be careful what I say today,” even thoughhis wife was out of the country.

Biden led the crowd in a moment of silence to mark the death Sunday of Norma Hunt, wife of the late team founder Lamar Hunt, saying he was sending “our condolences to the entire Hunt family.”

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the game's most valuable player, and tight end Travis Kelce presented Biden with a personalized Kansas City Chiefs jersey before posing for a team photo with the president.

Before the ceremony, the team was given a tour of the White House.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said the Kansas City Chiefs are "building a dynasty” as he hosted the team at the White House Monday to mark their Super Bowl victory in February.(Click below to watch the ceremony)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F128853000214485%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=48" 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>Speaking on the South Lawn, Biden praised the team for playing with “the real joy of the game and love for each other and the great city you represent.” He also praised the team for their charitable work off the field, saying, “as these guys know about football, they know about life and how to use their platform to make a difference. ”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The celebration of the <a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Chiefs</a> Super Bowl victory continues! I&#39;m happy to be in D.C. today to congratulate the team in person — and I was lucky enough to get MVP <a href="https://twitter.com/PatrickMahomes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PatrickMahomes</a> to sign my football with <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>! 🏈 <a href="https://t.co/66pFyiwqks">pic.twitter.com/66pFyiwqks</a>&mdash; Governor Laura Kelly (@GovLauraKelly) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovLauraKelly/status/1665843404159287296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">A HUGE welcome to the SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS, the Kansas City <a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Chiefs</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChiefsKingdom?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChiefsKingdom</a> <a href="https://t.co/6m0uTSZGxu">pic.twitter.com/6m0uTSZGxu</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1665900083550773248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden joked that first lady Jill Biden, a “rabid” Philadelphia fan, is still not over the dramatic end to the game, which included a controversial holding penalty against the Eagles that set the Chiefs up for their game-winning field goal. The president added, “I have to be careful what I say today,” even thoughhis wife was out of the country.Biden led the crowd in a moment of silence to mark the death Sunday of Norma Hunt, wife of the late team founder Lamar Hunt, saying he was sending “our condolences to the entire Hunt family.”Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the game's most valuable player, and tight end Travis Kelce presented Biden with a personalized Kansas City Chiefs jersey before posing for a team photo with the president.Before the ceremony, the team was given a tour of the White House.

🎥 Biden hosts Super Bowl champs at the White House

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Detectives with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department Special Investigations Unit are asking the public for their assistance in an ongoing sexual battery investigation.

Police are searching for anyone who has had contact or communication, either in-person or on-line, with 32-year-old Marvin Ray Floyd, Jr.

 He may have used the on-line screen names “$producedbydjblacktop” or “NKM”. Photo is attached.

On May 4, police arrested Floyd and charged him with aggravated sexual battery in Wyandotte County. He is currently being held on a $150,000 bond.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Special Investigations Unit at 913-573-6050.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685988301801.png" alt="Floyd-photo Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption>Floyd-photo Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Detectives with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department Special Investigations Unit are asking the public for their assistance in an ongoing sexual battery investigation.Police are searching for anyone who has had contact or communication, either in-person or on-line, with 32-year-old Marvin Ray Floyd, Jr. He may have used the on-line screen names “$producedbydjblacktop” or “NKM”. Photo is attached.On May 4, police arrested Floyd and charged him with aggravated sexual battery in Wyandotte County. He is currently being held on a $150,000 bond.Anyone with information is asked to call the Special Investigations Unit at 913-573-6050.

Police want public help with Kan. sexual battery investigation

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A man accused in the brutal murder of his mother made a first court appearance on June 2. 21-year-old Devin Joel of Yuba City, California, is charged with 1st degree murder, aggravated burglary, and attempted aggravated robbery, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;

Just before 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to report of a&nbsp; clubbing in the area of 5700 E. Central in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.

First responders located the victim identified 46-year-old Kacey Joel of Wichita, laying in the back yard of a residence with visible injuries.

Officers immediately rendered aid and she was transported to a local area hospital. She sustained significant trauma to her body and later died from her injuries, according to Gupilan.

Eyewitnesses reported that her son, 21-year-old Devin Joel, was seen running from the scene. Officers quickly were able to locate him after a brief foot pursuit. He made comments that he was going to die by suicide by cop and was yielding a knife when officers confronted him.

 The officers were able to get him to put the knife down and he was taken into custody without incident.&nbsp;Joel remains jailed on a one-million dollar bond. Attorneys are scheduled to discuss the case on June 15, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685534788085.png" alt="Joel-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Joel-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A man accused in the brutal murder of his mother made a first court appearance on June 2. 21-year-old Devin Joel of Yuba City, California, is charged with 1st degree murder, aggravated burglary, and attempted aggravated robbery, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;Just before 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to report of a&nbsp; clubbing in the area of 5700 E. Central in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.First responders located the victim identified 46-year-old Kacey Joel of Wichita, laying in the back yard of a residence with visible injuries.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685527814365.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation Tuesday afternoon-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation Tuesday afternoon-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Officers immediately rendered aid and she was transported to a local area hospital. She sustained significant trauma to her body and later died from her injuries, according to Gupilan.Eyewitnesses reported that her son, 21-year-old Devin Joel, was seen running from the scene. Officers quickly were able to locate him after a brief foot pursuit. He made comments that he was going to die by suicide by cop and was yielding a knife when officers confronted him. The officers were able to get him to put the knife down and he was taken into custody without incident.&nbsp;Joel remains jailed on a one-million dollar bond. Attorneys are scheduled to discuss the case on June 15, according to the district attorney's office.

Man charged with mother's beating death at her Kan. home

TOPEKA—According to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, at 3:22p.m Monday, authorities located&nbsp;the children in Topeka, according to a statement from the agency.

 The children are safe and the the suspect identified as their mother, Dontresha Thomas, is in custody.  The KBI and the Topeka Police Department thanked the public for their response and vigilance.

TOPEKA —The state of Kansas issued an Amber Alert Monday afternoon.

According to the KBI, at 10:34 a.m. Monday. Au'Vae Riley, Da"avien Riley JR, Ty'rell Riley, and Aunila Riley were taken by their mother Dontresha Shabree Thomas. 

The suspect's statements to the father indicate that all of the children are in imminent danger. 

The suspect left from 2105 SE Swygart in Topeka, KS traveling in a unknown direction in a silver 2009 GMC Acadia bearing KS temporary license plate number C953627. Call 911 immediately if you have seen a missing child, suspect, or suspects vehicle. If you have other information on a missing child, call 911 or the Topeka Police Department at 785-368-9200.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685991143406.png" alt="Dontresha Thomas&nbsp; described as 5-foot-1, 110 pounds and was last seen wearing white t-shirt and gray shorts.-photo KBI" />
 <figcaption>Dontresha Thomas&nbsp; described as 5-foot-1, 110 pounds and was last seen wearing white t-shirt and gray shorts.-photo KBI</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA—According to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, at 3:22p.m Monday, authorities located&nbsp;the children in Topeka, according to a statement from the agency. The children are safe and the the suspect identified as their mother, Dontresha Thomas, is in custody. The KBI and the Topeka Police Department thanked the public for their response and vigilance.---------------------TOPEKA —The state of Kansas issued an Amber Alert Monday afternoon.According to the KBI, at 10:34 a.m. Monday. Au'Vae Riley, Da"avien Riley JR, Ty'rell Riley, and Aunila Riley were taken by their mother Dontresha Shabree Thomas. The suspect's statements to the father indicate that all of the children are in imminent danger. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685991210086.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685991167022.png" alt="Actual suspect vehicle is a 2009 GMC Acadia with KS Temporary tag C953627. Tag in picture is not on the vehicle. Note dent in the rear gate below the handle." />
 <figcaption>Actual suspect vehicle is a 2009 GMC Acadia with KS Temporary tag C953627. Tag in picture is not on the vehicle. Note dent in the rear gate below the handle.</figcaption>
 </figure>The suspect left from 2105 SE Swygart in Topeka, KS traveling in a unknown direction in a silver 2009 GMC Acadia bearing KS temporary license plate number C953627. Call 911 immediately if you have seen a missing child, suspect, or suspects vehicle. If you have other information on a missing child, call 911 or the Topeka Police Department at 785-368-9200.

KBI: 4 children in Amber Alert are safe, suspect in custody

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

TOPEKA — Attorney General Kris Kobach confirmed a decision not to file a lawsuit contesting Gov. Laura Kelly’s use of the line-item veto on the 2023 Legislature’s bill appropriating funding to K-12 schools.

Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins and the Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson had responded to Kelly’s targeted deletions from the bill by accusing the governor of violating the Kansas Constitution. The Legislature’s top Republican officials strongly encouraged Kobach to “immediately review this unconstitutional overreach” to determine whether it was necessary to file suit.

Masterson subsequently said he was fairly confident the best course was to not challenge the governor’s line-item veto authority on this bill delivering state aid to Kansas schools.

On Friday, Kobach spokeswoman Danedri Herbert affirmed Kobach had elected “not to take any action” on Senate Bill 113 at this time. She said the attorney general didn’t release a legal explanation for not contesting Kelly’s belief the line-item veto was available to her because the bill was an appropriations measure. Republican lawmakers characterized it as a policy bill not subject to line-item veto.

During a news conference in Olathe earlier on Friday, Kelly said she was aware of Kobach’s intention but declined to disclose that information.

“While Governor Kelly and Attorney General Kobach may not always agree, we appreciate the attorney general’s thoughtful and professional approach to vetting legal issues such as this,” said Brianna Johnson, spokeswoman for Kelly. “Governor Kelly is committed to protecting our rural schools, and her measured exercise of her constitutional line-item veto power over an item of appropriation of money did just that.”

The bill passed the House on a vote of 83-37 and the Senate by 23-16 — four votes shy of indicating a veto override was possible in both chambers. The Legislature adjourned without attempting to override Kelly.

Kelly line-item vetoed a provision that would have undercut state aid to districts with shrinking enrollments and vowed to continue to use that veto authority if the Legislature stuffed “really bad policy” into budget bills.

In this bill, the governor decided against vetoing expansion of Kansas’ private school tax credit to students in families with incomes 250% of the federal poverty level and elevation of the tax credit received by organizations or individuals donating to private school scholarships to 75%. In addition, the bill cleared a path for private school students to take part in public school activities and sports.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675368837218.png" alt="Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, a Republican, said he wouldn't file a lawuit challenging Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's use of the line-item veto. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, a Republican, said he wouldn't file a lawuit challenging Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's use of the line-item veto. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Attorney General Kris Kobach confirmed a decision not to file a lawsuit contesting Gov. Laura Kelly’s use of the line-item veto on the 2023 Legislature’s bill appropriating funding to K-12 schools.Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins and the Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson had responded to Kelly’s targeted deletions from the bill by accusing the governor of violating the Kansas Constitution. The Legislature’s top Republican officials strongly encouraged Kobach to “immediately review this unconstitutional overreach” to determine whether it was necessary to file suit.Masterson subsequently said he was fairly confident the best course was to not challenge the governor’s line-item veto authority on this bill delivering state aid to Kansas schools.On Friday, Kobach spokeswoman Danedri Herbert affirmed Kobach had elected “not to take any action” on Senate Bill 113 at this time. She said the attorney general didn’t release a legal explanation for not contesting Kelly’s belief the line-item veto was available to her because the bill was an appropriations measure. Republican lawmakers characterized it as a policy bill not subject to line-item veto.During a news conference in Olathe earlier on Friday, Kelly said she was aware of Kobach’s intention but declined to disclose that information.“While Governor Kelly and Attorney General Kobach may not always agree, we appreciate the attorney general’s thoughtful and professional approach to vetting legal issues such as this,” said Brianna Johnson, spokeswoman for Kelly. “Governor Kelly is committed to protecting our rural schools, and her measured exercise of her constitutional line-item veto power over an item of appropriation of money did just that.”The bill passed the House on a vote of 83-37 and the Senate by 23-16 — four votes shy of indicating a veto override was possible in both chambers. The Legislature adjourned without attempting to override Kelly.Kelly line-item vetoed a provision that would have undercut state aid to districts with shrinking enrollments and vowed to continue to use that veto authority if the Legislature stuffed “really bad policy” into budget bills.In this bill, the governor decided against vetoing expansion of Kansas’ private school tax credit to students in families with incomes 250% of the federal poverty level and elevation of the tax credit received by organizations or individuals donating to private school scholarships to 75%. In addition, the bill cleared a path for private school students to take part in public school activities and sports.

Kansas AG not planning lawsuit against governor on school bill veto

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats are deeply conflicted about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-work-requirements-snap-medicaid-biden-66270829cfc0009ddb5f59eb12a6ba7a">food aid requirements</a>&nbsp;that President Joe Biden negotiated as part of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-debt-limit-budget-36bd8dbb08192ba7f7507cab16184d93">debt ceiling deal</a>, fearing damage has been done to safety net programs that will be difficult to unravel in the years ahead as Republicans demand further cuts.

Bargaining over toughening work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps, became the focal point for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/president-joe-biden-kevin-mccarthy-debt-limit-aee6d1dd48f53bedadfe1212e231f48f">White House and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy</a>, R-Calif., up until the end. Negotiators from both sides made clear, publicly and privately, that it was the biggest area of disagreement and almost led to the talks breaking down several times.

In the end, Democrats warily accepted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-bill-default-work-requirements-food-stamps-a42064f794b4466903ca06ca140b9013">new requirements</a>&nbsp;for some able-bodied recipients in exchange for food aid. Republicans agreed to drop some work requirements for veterans, homeless people and others.

The result of the tense back-and-forth was a deal that played to both sides, but one that many Democrats agonized over as they weighed whether to vote for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-ceiling-deal-food-aid-student-loans-3c284b01d95f8e193bca8d873386400e">the package</a>&nbsp;this past week. Many struggled to square cutting access to food for marginalized communities with an outcome that allowed the United States to avoid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-default-government-shutdown-explainer-b38474f210e519aeb3f48107ca2657ba">defaulting on its debt.</a>

“In order for this country to not default on its bills, we then turned and made our most vulnerable communities default," said Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo. Years before she came to Congress, Bush lived in a car with her then-husband and two young children after the family had been evicted from their rental home.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/applicant-recipient">federal aid program</a>&nbsp;provides monthly funds — sometimes as little as $6 a day — to allow low-income individuals and families to buy groceries. It is the largest program in the country focused on fighting hunger, with 41 million people using benefits last year alone to purchase food, according to the Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, which administers the program.

By 2025, new requirements will apply to able-bodied adults from age 49 to 54 without dependents — an increase of five years. Those individuals will be required to work or attend training programs for at least 80 hours a month if they want to receive more than three months of SNAP benefits within a three-year period.

Republicans have tried for decades to expand work requirements for these government assistance programs, arguing they result in more people returning to the workforce, despite&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/publication/57702">several studies</a>&nbsp;that have found they have little impact on employment.

“We’re going to return these programs to being a life vest, not a lifestyle. A hand up, not a handout and that has always been the American way,” Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana, the vice chair of the House Republican conference, told reporters.

The White House countered that Republican proposition by getting GOP lawmakers to waive the work requirements for new groups — veterans, individuals who are homeless or facing housing instability and youth aging out of foster care — to balance out the number of people who would now be facing these new restrictions.

The end result could be more people receiving SNAP benefits overall.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2023-05/hr3746_Letter_McCarthy.pdf">An estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office</a>&nbsp;released Tuesday said that the changes in the debt ceiling package would add almost 80,000 people to the rolls of SNAP in an average month.

But the trade-off of seemingly helping some groups while hurting others still left the left flank of the Democratic Party — lawmakers who have supported Biden and helped pass his agenda for the first two years of his term — frustrated by the outcome. That was especially the case as advocates, including the nonpartisan National Alliance to End Homelessness, warned of a disturbing trend across the country of an increase in the number of older adults who are becoming homeless, some for the first time.

“What we should not be playing is oppression Olympics,” Bush said. “Like which one gets to hurt today? Which one gets to get to that finish line to hurt today? That’s not where we should be as a society.”

Bush, a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, voted “no” on the debt limit deal on Wednesday night after she spent days hearing from advocate groups and constituents on the issue.

“I think it’s important that (Biden) understands that it’s good for us to have a strong, no vote because this isn’t a deal that he would have made if we hadn’t been held hostage,” Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington state, chair of the Progressive Caucus, told The Associated Press this past week.

They weren't alone. Several dozen Democrats in the House and a handful in the Senate voted against the compromise, arguing that the bill allowed for Republican hostage-taking and could open the door for future cuts to these government programs in the next several months.

“I did not agree to these SNAP restrictions, and I won’t give Republicans an opening to try and take food from more food insecure Americans in Farm Bill negotiations later this year," Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said in a statement.

The White House and Democrats who ended up supporting the negotiated deal said they believe the issue of work requirements and risk posed by Republicans have been put to bed.

"The most important thing to me is the fact that this closes the door on that debate," said Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, who leads the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee and has been a longtime champion and defender of the SNAP program. “We are not going to bring it up again in the farm bill. This is not something that’s going to be renegotiated. It’s done.”

But advocates warn that could change because the debt limit bill was the most substantial change of the work rules for food aid and other government assistance programs since they were put into place in the 1996 welfare overhaul.

Some of the most conservative Republicans in Congress — part of the right flank whom McCarthy had to pacify to become speaker — have criticized the plan for being “weak” and are itching to go even further to clamp down on these programs.

“In this bill, we have temporary work requirements, but we’ve added permanent new exceptions,” said Texas Rep. Keith Self, a member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus that overwhelmingly rejected the bill. “That, ladies and gentlemen, is a sleight of hand.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685825980602.png" alt="With just two days to spare, President Joe Biden on Saturday signed legislation that lifts the nation’s debt ceiling- White House photo" />
 <figcaption>With just two days to spare, President Joe Biden on Saturday signed legislation that lifts the nation’s debt ceiling- White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats are deeply conflicted about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-work-requirements-snap-medicaid-biden-66270829cfc0009ddb5f59eb12a6ba7a">food aid requirements</a>&nbsp;that President Joe Biden negotiated as part of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-debt-limit-budget-36bd8dbb08192ba7f7507cab16184d93">debt ceiling deal</a>, fearing damage has been done to safety net programs that will be difficult to unravel in the years ahead as Republicans demand further cuts.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685800546207.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Bargaining over toughening work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps, became the focal point for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/president-joe-biden-kevin-mccarthy-debt-limit-aee6d1dd48f53bedadfe1212e231f48f">White House and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy</a>, R-Calif., up until the end. Negotiators from both sides made clear, publicly and privately, that it was the biggest area of disagreement and almost led to the talks breaking down several times.In the end, Democrats warily accepted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-bill-default-work-requirements-food-stamps-a42064f794b4466903ca06ca140b9013">new requirements</a>&nbsp;for some able-bodied recipients in exchange for food aid. Republicans agreed to drop some work requirements for veterans, homeless people and others.The result of the tense back-and-forth was a deal that played to both sides, but one that many Democrats agonized over as they weighed whether to vote for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-ceiling-deal-food-aid-student-loans-3c284b01d95f8e193bca8d873386400e">the package</a>&nbsp;this past week. Many struggled to square cutting access to food for marginalized communities with an outcome that allowed the United States to avoid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-default-government-shutdown-explainer-b38474f210e519aeb3f48107ca2657ba">defaulting on its debt.</a>“In order for this country to not default on its bills, we then turned and made our most vulnerable communities default," said Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo. Years before she came to Congress, Bush lived in a car with her then-husband and two young children after the family had been evicted from their rental home.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/applicant-recipient">federal aid program</a>&nbsp;provides monthly funds — sometimes as little as $6 a day — to allow low-income individuals and families to buy groceries. It is the largest program in the country focused on fighting hunger, with 41 million people using benefits last year alone to purchase food, according to the Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, which administers the program.By 2025, new requirements will apply to able-bodied adults from age 49 to 54 without dependents — an increase of five years. Those individuals will be required to work or attend training programs for at least 80 hours a month if they want to receive more than three months of SNAP benefits within a three-year period.Republicans have tried for decades to expand work requirements for these government assistance programs, arguing they result in more people returning to the workforce, despite&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/publication/57702">several studies</a>&nbsp;that have found they have little impact on employment.“We’re going to return these programs to being a life vest, not a lifestyle. A hand up, not a handout and that has always been the American way,” Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana, the vice chair of the House Republican conference, told reporters.The White House countered that Republican proposition by getting GOP lawmakers to waive the work requirements for new groups — veterans, individuals who are homeless or facing housing instability and youth aging out of foster care — to balance out the number of people who would now be facing these new restrictions.The end result could be more people receiving SNAP benefits overall.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2023-05/hr3746_Letter_McCarthy.pdf">An estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office</a>&nbsp;released Tuesday said that the changes in the debt ceiling package would add almost 80,000 people to the rolls of SNAP in an average month.But the trade-off of seemingly helping some groups while hurting others still left the left flank of the Democratic Party — lawmakers who have supported Biden and helped pass his agenda for the first two years of his term — frustrated by the outcome. That was especially the case as advocates, including the nonpartisan National Alliance to End Homelessness, warned of a disturbing trend across the country of an increase in the number of older adults who are becoming homeless, some for the first time.“What we should not be playing is oppression Olympics,” Bush said. “Like which one gets to hurt today? Which one gets to get to that finish line to hurt today? That’s not where we should be as a society.”Bush, a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, voted “no” on the debt limit deal on Wednesday night after she spent days hearing from advocate groups and constituents on the issue.“I think it’s important that (Biden) understands that it’s good for us to have a strong, no vote because this isn’t a deal that he would have made if we hadn’t been held hostage,” Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington state, chair of the Progressive Caucus, told The Associated Press this past week.They weren't alone. Several dozen Democrats in the House and a handful in the Senate voted against the compromise, arguing that the bill allowed for Republican hostage-taking and could open the door for future cuts to these government programs in the next several months.“I did not agree to these SNAP restrictions, and I won’t give Republicans an opening to try and take food from more food insecure Americans in Farm Bill negotiations later this year," Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said in a statement.The White House and Democrats who ended up supporting the negotiated deal said they believe the issue of work requirements and risk posed by Republicans have been put to bed."The most important thing to me is the fact that this closes the door on that debate," said Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, who leads the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee and has been a longtime champion and defender of the SNAP program. “We are not going to bring it up again in the farm bill. This is not something that’s going to be renegotiated. It’s done.”But advocates warn that could change because the debt limit bill was the most substantial change of the work rules for food aid and other government assistance programs since they were put into place in the 1996 welfare overhaul.Some of the most conservative Republicans in Congress — part of the right flank whom McCarthy had to pacify to become speaker — have criticized the plan for being “weak” and are itching to go even further to clamp down on these programs.“In this bill, we have temporary work requirements, but we’ve added permanent new exceptions,” said Texas Rep. Keith Self, a member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus that overwhelmingly rejected the bill. “That, ladies and gentlemen, is a sleight of hand.”

Debt deal: New work requirements for food aid frustrate many

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that seriously injured an 18-year-old girl from Wichita.

Just after 1a.m.&nbsp; Sunday, police were dispatched to a shooting call in the 2500 block of South Seneca Street in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

First responders located the 18-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to her right forearm. EMS&nbsp;transported her to a local hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

The investigation revealed that she was involved in a verbal argument with an unknown suspect and during the incident the suspect produced a handgun and shot at the victim.

The investigators are still working to fully determine what led up to the shooting. Police released no additional details and have not released any suspect information.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that seriously injured an 18-year-old girl from Wichita.Just after 1a.m.&nbsp; Sunday, police were dispatched to a shooting call in the 2500 block of South Seneca Street in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.First responders located the 18-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to her right forearm. EMS&nbsp;transported her to a local hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.The investigation revealed that she was involved in a verbal argument with an unknown suspect and during the incident the suspect produced a handgun and shot at the victim.The investigators are still working to fully determine what led up to the shooting. Police released no additional details and have not released any suspect information.

Suspect shot 18-year-old Kansas woman in the arm

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Authorities are working to determine the cause of a Monday morning house fire.

Just before 2:30 a.m. Monday, fire crews responded to a house fire&nbsp; at 2801 SE 6th Avenue in Topeka, according to fire department spokesperson Rosie Nichols.

Crews found smoke and flames coming from the single-story house.&nbsp;&nbsp;Firefighters found no occupants.&nbsp;After a preliminary investigation the fire cause remains undetermined, pending further investigation. No injuries were reported at this incident.

The total estimated loss is $42,000, with $37,000 associated with structural loss and $5,000 associated with content loss.

The home did not have working smoke detectors, according to investigators.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685975897105.png" alt="Fire crews on the scene of the fire on Monday -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Fire crews on the scene of the fire on Monday -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Authorities are working to determine the cause of a Monday morning house fire.Just before 2:30 a.m. Monday, fire crews responded to a house fire&nbsp; at 2801 SE 6th Avenue in Topeka, according to fire department spokesperson Rosie Nichols.Crews found smoke and flames coming from the single-story house.&nbsp;&nbsp;Firefighters found no occupants.&nbsp;After a preliminary investigation the fire cause remains undetermined, pending further investigation. No injuries were reported at this incident.The total estimated loss is $42,000, with $37,000 associated with structural loss and $5,000 associated with content loss.The home did not have working smoke detectors, according to investigators.

Crews working to determine cause of Kansas house fire

PLATTE COUNTY—The&nbsp;Platte County Prosecutor’s Office filed charges on Saturday against 50-year-old Phillip J. Frazier in the death of 32-year-old Cody J. Steffen, in Northmoor, Missouri, according to a media release from the sheriff's office.

On Friday Platte County deputies along with officers of the Riverside Police Department responded to reports of a shooting in a strip mall&nbsp; in&nbsp;2400 Block of Vivion Road in Northmoor, Missouri, nine miles north of Kansas City.

The shooting allegedly occurred after Frazier's vehicle struck Steffen's vehicle. Witnesses reported hearing Steffen ask Frazier for his insurance information. 

Witnesses also reported seeing Frazier pull a handgun from the small of his back and point it at the victim. The gun allegedly still had a holster on it. Frazier allegedly removed the holster from the gun and shot Steffen from only a few inches away.

A Riverside Police officer took Frazier into custody shortly after the shooting.

Prosecutor Eric Zahnd stated, “This is the kind of tragedy that is occurring far too frequently these days. Someone is dead from gunfire after a minor fender bender. Fortunately, thanks to an excellent joint investigation by the Northmoor and Riverside police departments and the Platte County Sheriff’s Office, this defendant was quickly apprehended and charged.”

Frazier has been charged with 2nd Degree Murder and Armed Criminal Action and is currently being held in the Platte County Detention Center without bond.&nbsp;

PLATTE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a homicide in Platte County.

Just after 3p.m. Friday, the Platte County Sheriff's Office and the Northmoor Police Department responded to a shooting outside a store at a strip mall in the 2400 Block of Vivion Road, according to a media release.

A 32-year-old man from Kansas City, Missouri, was found deceased at the scene. Investigators spoke with a 50-year-old man who is a possible suspect.

Authorities did not release the victim's name or additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685845658309.png" alt="Frazier is being held without bond in Platte Co." />
 <figcaption>Frazier is being held without bond in Platte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>PLATTE COUNTY—The&nbsp;Platte County Prosecutor’s Office filed charges on Saturday against 50-year-old Phillip J. Frazier in the death of 32-year-old Cody J. Steffen, in Northmoor, Missouri, according to a media release from the sheriff's office.On Friday Platte County deputies along with officers of the Riverside Police Department responded to reports of a shooting in a strip mall&nbsp; in&nbsp;2400 Block of Vivion Road in Northmoor, Missouri, nine miles north of Kansas City.The shooting allegedly occurred after Frazier's vehicle struck Steffen's vehicle. Witnesses reported hearing Steffen ask Frazier for his insurance information. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685799897744.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy Fox4Kansas City" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy Fox4Kansas City</figcaption>
 </figure>Witnesses also reported seeing Frazier pull a handgun from the small of his back and point it at the victim. The gun allegedly still had a holster on it. Frazier allegedly removed the holster from the gun and shot Steffen from only a few inches away.A Riverside Police officer took Frazier into custody shortly after the shooting.Prosecutor Eric Zahnd stated, “This is the kind of tragedy that is occurring far too frequently these days. Someone is dead from gunfire after a minor fender bender. Fortunately, thanks to an excellent joint investigation by the Northmoor and Riverside police departments and the Platte County Sheriff’s Office, this defendant was quickly apprehended and charged.”Frazier has been charged with 2nd Degree Murder and Armed Criminal Action and is currently being held in the Platte County Detention Center without bond.&nbsp;--------PLATTE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a homicide in Platte County.Just after 3p.m. Friday, the Platte County Sheriff's Office and the Northmoor Police Department responded to a shooting outside a store at a strip mall in the 2400 Block of Vivion Road, according to a media release.A 32-year-old man from Kansas City, Missouri, was found deceased at the scene. Investigators spoke with a 50-year-old man who is a possible suspect.Authorities did not release the victim's name or additional details.

Charges filed in KC-area strip mall fender bender killing

RUSSELL COUNTY —The condition of Russell Fire Chief Dylan Riedel, injured while fighting a fire on Friday, has been upgraded to good, according to the city of Russell.

Just after 9 p.m. Friday, the City of Russell Fire Department was paged to a structure fire at 1706 N. Main Street, according to a media release. Shortly after the first units arrived on the scene, a police officer reported an explosion and a firefighter injured.

Russell County EMS transported Fire Chief Dylan Riedel to Russell Regional Hospital.

EagleMed then transported him to a burn unit at Via Christi in Wichita. Fire crews contained the fire to the garage. The Kansas State Fire Marshall was contacted to assist in the investigation. The origin of the fire is still under investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685970348451.png" alt="Riedel photo courtesy city of Russell" />
 <figcaption>Riedel photo courtesy city of Russell</figcaption>
 </figure>RUSSELL COUNTY —The condition of Russell Fire Chief Dylan Riedel, injured while fighting a fire on Friday, has been upgraded to good, according to the city of Russell.Just after 9 p.m. Friday, the City of Russell Fire Department was paged to a structure fire at 1706 N. Main Street, according to a media release. Shortly after the first units arrived on the scene, a police officer reported an explosion and a firefighter injured.Russell County EMS transported Fire Chief Dylan Riedel to Russell Regional Hospital.EagleMed then transported him to a burn unit at Via Christi in Wichita. Fire crews contained the fire to the garage. The Kansas State Fire Marshall was contacted to assist in the investigation. The origin of the fire is still under investigation.

Kan. fire chief injured in explosion upgraded to good condition  

BANGKOK (AP) — The United States military released video Monday of what it called an “unsafe” Chinese maneuver in the Taiwan Strait on the weekend, in which a Chinese navy ship cut sharply across the path of an American destroyer, forcing the U.S. vessel to slow to avoid a collision.

The incident occurred Saturday as the American destroyer USS Chung-Hoon and Canadian frigate HMCS Montreal were conducting a so-called “freedom of navigation” transit of the strait between Taiwan and mainland China.

China claims the democratic self-governing island of Taiwan as part of its own territory, and maintains the strait is part of its exclusive economic zone, while the U.S. and its allies regularly sail through and fly over the passage to emphasize their contention that the waters are international.

During the Saturday transit, the Chinese guided-missile destroyer overtook the Chung-Hoon on its port side, then veered across its bow at a distance of some 150 yards (137 meters), according to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. The American destroyer held its course, but reduced speed to 10 knots “to avoid a collision,” the military said.

The video released Monday shows the Chinese ship cutting across the course of the American one, then straightening out to start sailing in a parallel direction.

The Indo-Pacific Command said the actions violated maritime rules of safe passage in international water.

The Chinese ship did not attempt a similar maneuver on the Canadian frigate, which was sailing behind the American destroyer.

“Chung-Hoon and Montreal’s transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the combined U.S.-Canadian commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” the Indo-Pacific Command said. "The U.S. military flies, sails, and operates safely and responsibly anywhere international law allows."

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin defended the maneuver, saying it was undertaken “in accordance with the law.”

“China's military actions are completely justified, lawful, safe and professional,” he told reporters in Beijing. “It is the U.S. that should deeply reflect upon itself and correct the wrongdoings.”

The U.S. recently accused China of also performing an “unnecessarily aggressive maneuver” in the air, saying a Chinese J-16 fighter jet late last month flew directly in front of the nose of a U.S. Air Force reconnaissance aircraft over the South China Sea.

The close-calls have raised concerns of a possible accident that could lead to an escalation between the two countries' militaries at a time when tensions in the region are already high.

The incident in the Taiwan Strait came on a day when both&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-defense-asia-warship-taiwan-7d0829159a9919601f70cf822d4ec23e">U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Li Shangfu</a>&nbsp;were in Singapore for an annual defense conference.

Li on Sunday suggested that the U.S. and its allies have created the danger with their patrols, and was intent on provoking China.

“The best way is for the countries, especially the naval vessels and fighter jets of countries, not to do closing actions around other countries’ territories,” he said through an interpreter. “What’s the point of going there? In China we always say, ‘Mind your own business.’”

Austin had invited Li to talk on the sidelines of the conference; Li refused.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685961033735.png" alt="The Indo-Pacific Command said the actions violated maritime rules of safe passage in international water. Image INDOPACOM" />
 <figcaption>The Indo-Pacific Command said the actions violated maritime rules of safe passage in international water. Image INDOPACOM</figcaption>
 </figure>BANGKOK (AP) — The United States military released video Monday of what it called an “unsafe” Chinese maneuver in the Taiwan Strait on the weekend, in which a Chinese navy ship cut sharply across the path of an American destroyer, forcing the U.S. vessel to slow to avoid a collision.The incident occurred Saturday as the American destroyer USS Chung-Hoon and Canadian frigate HMCS Montreal were conducting a so-called “freedom of navigation” transit of the strait between Taiwan and mainland China.China claims the democratic self-governing island of Taiwan as part of its own territory, and maintains the strait is part of its exclusive economic zone, while the U.S. and its allies regularly sail through and fly over the passage to emphasize their contention that the waters are international.During the Saturday transit, the Chinese guided-missile destroyer overtook the Chung-Hoon on its port side, then veered across its bow at a distance of some 150 yards (137 meters), according to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. The American destroyer held its course, but reduced speed to 10 knots “to avoid a collision,” the military said.The video released Monday shows the Chinese ship cutting across the course of the American one, then straightening out to start sailing in a parallel direction.The Indo-Pacific Command said the actions violated maritime rules of safe passage in international water.The Chinese ship did not attempt a similar maneuver on the Canadian frigate, which was sailing behind the American destroyer.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685562587349.png" alt="In May, a Chinese J-16 fighter pilot that "flew directly in front of the nose of a U.S. RC-135, forcing the American pilot to fly through the turbulent wake. Image INDOPACOM" />
 <figcaption>In May, a Chinese J-16 fighter pilot that "flew directly in front of the nose of a U.S. RC-135, forcing the American pilot to fly through the turbulent wake. Image INDOPACOM</figcaption>
 </figure>“Chung-Hoon and Montreal’s transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the combined U.S.-Canadian commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” the Indo-Pacific Command said. "The U.S. military flies, sails, and operates safely and responsibly anywhere international law allows."Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin defended the maneuver, saying it was undertaken “in accordance with the law.”“China's military actions are completely justified, lawful, safe and professional,” he told reporters in Beijing. “It is the U.S. that should deeply reflect upon itself and correct the wrongdoings.”The U.S. recently accused China of also performing an “unnecessarily aggressive maneuver” in the air, saying a Chinese J-16 fighter jet late last month flew directly in front of the nose of a U.S. Air Force reconnaissance aircraft over the South China Sea.The close-calls have raised concerns of a possible accident that could lead to an escalation between the two countries' militaries at a time when tensions in the region are already high.The incident in the Taiwan Strait came on a day when both&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-defense-asia-warship-taiwan-7d0829159a9919601f70cf822d4ec23e">U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Li Shangfu</a>&nbsp;were in Singapore for an annual defense conference.Li on Sunday suggested that the U.S. and its allies have created the danger with their patrols, and was intent on provoking China.“The best way is for the countries, especially the naval vessels and fighter jets of countries, not to do closing actions around other countries’ territories,” he said through an interpreter. “What’s the point of going there? In China we always say, ‘Mind your own business.’”Austin had invited Li to talk on the sidelines of the conference; Li refused.

U.S. destroyer has close call with Chinese warship in Taiwan Strait

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a gunfight that sent a teen to the hospital.

Just after 11:30 p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a shooting call at a convenience store the 3900 block of South Meridian in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

Police located an 18-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to his right upper back. The victim was transported to an area hospital with critical but non-life-threatening injuries.&nbsp;

The investigation revealed that the victim was struck by gunfire after a 20-year-old victim of a robbery exchanged gunfire with a male suspect after the suspect started shooting at him.

The investigators are still working to fully determine what led up to the shooting. The injured teen underwent surgery and was reported in stable condition, according to Rebolledo

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685928677855.png" alt="Police on the scene of the shooting investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the shooting investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a gunfight that sent a teen to the hospital.Just after 11:30 p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a shooting call at a convenience store the 3900 block of South Meridian in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.Police located an 18-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to his right upper back. The victim was transported to an area hospital with critical but non-life-threatening injuries.&nbsp;The investigation revealed that the victim was struck by gunfire after a 20-year-old victim of a robbery exchanged gunfire with a male suspect after the suspect started shooting at him.The investigators are still working to fully determine what led up to the shooting. The injured teen underwent surgery and was reported in stable condition, according to Rebolledo

Kansas teen injured after alleged robbery gunfight 

RENO COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a stabbing and have made an arrest.

On Friday, Sheriff's deputies were sent to a welfare check of Jane Stotts at her residence on 95th Avenue, according to a media release from the Reno County Sheriff's office.

The welfare check was initiated by her husband Larry Stotts after he dropped off at the Love’s store in McPherson with stab wounds. The individual who dropped him off told Love’s employees that Larry needed medical attention and left the area.

Deputies arrived at the Stott's residence and determined Jane Stotts was fine. While deputies were at the Stotts home, the Hutchinson Police Department had been sent to a suspicious vehicle on West Second Avenue. The vehicle was registered to Larry and Jane Stotts and appeared to have blood inside of it.

The vehicle has been seized by the Reno County Sheriff's Office for processing and they arrested Paul Stotts, the son of Larry and Jane Stotts on a requested charge for attempted first degree murder. He was booked into jail on Friday and is currently in the Reno County Correctional Facility, according to the release.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685959420277.png" alt="Stotts has previous convictions for battery, robbery, aggravated battery and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections." />
 <figcaption>Stotts has previous convictions for battery, robbery, aggravated battery and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.</figcaption>
 </figure>RENO COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a stabbing and have made an arrest.On Friday, Sheriff's deputies were sent to a welfare check of Jane Stotts at her residence on 95th Avenue, according to a media release from the Reno County Sheriff's office.The welfare check was initiated by her husband Larry Stotts after he dropped off at the Love’s store in McPherson with stab wounds. The individual who dropped him off told Love’s employees that Larry needed medical attention and left the area.Deputies arrived at the Stott's residence and determined Jane Stotts was fine. While deputies were at the Stotts home, the Hutchinson Police Department had been sent to a suspicious vehicle on West Second Avenue. The vehicle was registered to Larry and Jane Stotts and appeared to have blood inside of it.The vehicle has been seized by the Reno County Sheriff's Office for processing and they arrested Paul Stotts, the son of Larry and Jane Stotts on a requested charge for attempted first degree murder. He was booked into jail on Friday and is currently in the Reno County Correctional Facility, according to the release.Larry Stotts was transported to Wesley Medical Center, has been treated for his wounds and is recovering.