RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (AP) — Defense leaders meeting at a U.S. air base in Germany on Friday failed to resolve divisions over providing advanced battle tanks to Ukraine after more than five hours of discussions about sending more military aid to the embattled country in its war with Russia.

The defense minister of Poland, which has pledged a company of 14 Leopard tanks on condition that other countries also supply them, said 15 countries that have the German-made Leopards discussed the issue but no decisions were made.

Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak called the meeting a “good discussion among allies” and said the matter would be discussed again at future talks.

Germany would need to consent for the tanks to be given to Ukraine, which is not a member of NATO. Despite pleas from Ukrainian officials, Germany has so far resisted mounting pressure to quickly supply Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv, or at least clear the way for other countries, such as Poland, to deliver them from their own stocks.

The U.S. has resisted providing its own M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, citing extensive and complex maintenance and logistical challenges with the high-tech vehicle. Washington believes it would be more productive to send German Leopards since many allies have them and Ukrainian troops would need less training than on the more difficult Abrams.

U.S. and German officials have given mixed signals about whether Germany is hesitant to provide the Leopards unless the U.S. provides Abrams tanks. A U.S. official familiar with White House thinking reiterated that Germany has expressed hesitance to providing its tanks without the U.S. sending Abrams. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the Biden administration deliberations, added that there was some bewilderment in the administration over the German position, since Britain, another NATO ally, has already agreed to provide tanks.

But Steffen Hebestreit, a spokesman for the German government, denied that Berlin demanded that the U.S. supply Abrams tanks alongside any shipment of Leopards.

At a news conference Friday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin noted Germany's denial that it had linked one type of tank to the other. “This notion of our locking, you know, in my mind, it's not an issue, he said.”

Ukrainian leaders and supporters of Kyiv have repeatedly criticized Germany for what they see as holding back critical assistance in the war. U.S. Defense chief Austin defended German leaders after Friday’s meeting. Asked by a reporter if Germany was doing enough to show “real leadership” in Europe, Austin replied, “Yes, but we can all do more.”

“They are a reliable ally and they’ve been that way for for a very, very long time,” he said. “And I truly believe that they’ll continue to be a reliable ally going forward.”

Austin also downplayed the immediate importance of tanks, noting that Stryker combat vehicles and Bradley armored vehicles being sent for the first time would give Ukraine new capabilities in the war. “This isn’t really about one single platform,” he said.

Speaking to reporters outside the conference hall at midday, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that while there was no resolution yet, “we will make our decisions as soon as possible.”

He said he had ordered the ministry to look into the tank stocks Germany has so he can be prepared for a possible green light and be able to “act immediately.” Pistorius added that Germany will “balance all the pros and contras before we decide things like that. … I am very sure that there will be a decision in the short term but … I don’t know how the decision will look.”

The defense leaders opened their day hearing an impassioned plea for more military aid from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Speaking live via video link, he told the gathering that “terror does not allow for discussion.” He said “the war started by Russia does not allow delays.”

Meanwhile, a Kremlin spokesman said the deployment of Western tanks would trigger “unambiguously negative” consequences.

“All these tanks will require both maintenance and repairs, and so on, so (sending them) will add to Ukraine’s problems, but will not change anything with regard to the Russian side achieving its goals,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said during a media briefing Friday.

Austin and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-nato-politics-government-united-states-56bf9dc96a24f62c91903c8861ae7af7">U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley</a>, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were expected to discuss the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-politics-1f7c78eb5fb9e758413385f36a37aef2">latest massive package of aid</a>&nbsp;the U.S. is sending, which totals $2.5 billion and includes Stryker armored vehicles for the first time.

The United Kingdom announced last week that it would send&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-vitali-klitschko-explosions-401d8116d95d67e3afbe8de8eb8cf65a">Challenger 2</a>&nbsp;tanks, describing that move as a natural progression of military aid to Ukraine.

The latest package of U.S. aid includes eight Avenger air defense systems, 350 Humvees, 53 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, more than 100,000 rounds of artillery ammunition and rockets, and missiles for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System. It was announced Thursday by the Pentagon.

Other pledges announced ahead of the Ramstein meeting included S-60 anti-aircraft guns from Poland with 70,000 rounds of ammunition, additional Stinger air-defense systems and two M-17 helicopters from Latvia, and two Russian-made Mi-8 helicopters and dozens of L-70 anti-aircraft guns with ammunition from Lithuania.

Nearly 11 months into the Russian invasion, Zelenskyy has expressed frustration about not obtaining enough weaponry from the Western allies. Speaking by video link on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, he bemoaned a “lack of specific weaponry."

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who took office Thursday just an hour before he met with Austin, said that opinions among allies were mixed on the tank issue, and added that “the impression that has occasionally arisen that there is a united coalition and Germany is standing in the way is wrong.”

Milley told reporters traveling with him this week that new U.S. training of Ukrainian troops, combined with an array of new weapons and armored vehicles heading to Ukraine, will be key to helping the country’s forces take back territory that has been captured by Russia in the nearly 11-month-old war.

The goal, he said, is to deliver needed weapons and equipment to Ukraine so the newly trained forces will be able to use it “sometime before the spring rains show up. That would be ideal.”

The influx of new weapons, tanks and armored carriers comes as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-apartment-strike-death-toll-1b518f84fc4e70708d56e1a1ea708929">Ukraine faces intense combat</a>&nbsp;in the country's east around the city of Bakhmut and the nearby salt mining town of Soledar. The battles are expected to intensify in the spring.

Milley said Friday that the number of Russian dead and wounded is now “significantly over” 100,000 people, a figure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-zelenskyy-europe-army-joint-chiefs-of-staff-688e99d37f25ac8340b6a96a79a89abf">he gave in November</a>.

“This is a very, very bloody war and there’s significant casualties on both sides,” he said. “Sooner or later, this is going to have to get to a negotiating table at some point in order to bring this to a conclusion.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674242205040.png" alt="Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and&nbsp;U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during Friday's meeting of the Ukraine Defense contact group- photo Dept. of Defense" />
 <figcaption>Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and&nbsp;U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during Friday's meeting of the Ukraine Defense contact group- photo Dept. of Defense</figcaption>
 </figure>RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (AP) — Defense leaders meeting at a U.S. air base in Germany on Friday failed to resolve divisions over providing advanced battle tanks to Ukraine after more than five hours of discussions about sending more military aid to the embattled country in its war with Russia.The defense minister of Poland, which has pledged a company of 14 Leopard tanks on condition that other countries also supply them, said 15 countries that have the German-made Leopards discussed the issue but no decisions were made.Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak called the meeting a “good discussion among allies” and said the matter would be discussed again at future talks.Germany would need to consent for the tanks to be given to Ukraine, which is not a member of NATO. Despite pleas from Ukrainian officials, Germany has so far resisted mounting pressure to quickly supply Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv, or at least clear the way for other countries, such as Poland, to deliver them from their own stocks.The U.S. has resisted providing its own M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, citing extensive and complex maintenance and logistical challenges with the high-tech vehicle. Washington believes it would be more productive to send German Leopards since many allies have them and Ukrainian troops would need less training than on the more difficult Abrams.U.S. and German officials have given mixed signals about whether Germany is hesitant to provide the Leopards unless the U.S. provides Abrams tanks. A U.S. official familiar with White House thinking reiterated that Germany has expressed hesitance to providing its tanks without the U.S. sending Abrams. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the Biden administration deliberations, added that there was some bewilderment in the administration over the German position, since Britain, another NATO ally, has already agreed to provide tanks.But Steffen Hebestreit, a spokesman for the German government, denied that Berlin demanded that the U.S. supply Abrams tanks alongside any shipment of Leopards.At a news conference Friday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin noted Germany's denial that it had linked one type of tank to the other. “This notion of our locking, you know, in my mind, it's not an issue, he said.”Ukrainian leaders and supporters of Kyiv have repeatedly criticized Germany for what they see as holding back critical assistance in the war. U.S. Defense chief Austin defended German leaders after Friday’s meeting. Asked by a reporter if Germany was doing enough to show “real leadership” in Europe, Austin replied, “Yes, but we can all do more.”“They are a reliable ally and they’ve been that way for for a very, very long time,” he said. “And I truly believe that they’ll continue to be a reliable ally going forward.”Austin also downplayed the immediate importance of tanks, noting that Stryker combat vehicles and Bradley armored vehicles being sent for the first time would give Ukraine new capabilities in the war. “This isn’t really about one single platform,” he said.Speaking to reporters outside the conference hall at midday, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that while there was no resolution yet, “we will make our decisions as soon as possible.”He said he had ordered the ministry to look into the tank stocks Germany has so he can be prepared for a possible green light and be able to “act immediately.” Pistorius added that Germany will “balance all the pros and contras before we decide things like that. … I am very sure that there will be a decision in the short term but … I don’t know how the decision will look.”The defense leaders opened their day hearing an impassioned plea for more military aid from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Speaking live via video link, he told the gathering that “terror does not allow for discussion.” He said “the war started by Russia does not allow delays.”Meanwhile, a Kremlin spokesman said the deployment of Western tanks would trigger “unambiguously negative” consequences.“All these tanks will require both maintenance and repairs, and so on, so (sending them) will add to Ukraine’s problems, but will not change anything with regard to the Russian side achieving its goals,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said during a media briefing Friday.Austin and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-nato-politics-government-united-states-56bf9dc96a24f62c91903c8861ae7af7">U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley</a>, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were expected to discuss the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-politics-1f7c78eb5fb9e758413385f36a37aef2">latest massive package of aid</a>&nbsp;the U.S. is sending, which totals $2.5 billion and includes Stryker armored vehicles for the first time.The United Kingdom announced last week that it would send&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-vitali-klitschko-explosions-401d8116d95d67e3afbe8de8eb8cf65a">Challenger 2</a>&nbsp;tanks, describing that move as a natural progression of military aid to Ukraine.The latest package of U.S. aid includes eight Avenger air defense systems, 350 Humvees, 53 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, more than 100,000 rounds of artillery ammunition and rockets, and missiles for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System. It was announced Thursday by the Pentagon.Other pledges announced ahead of the Ramstein meeting included S-60 anti-aircraft guns from Poland with 70,000 rounds of ammunition, additional Stinger air-defense systems and two M-17 helicopters from Latvia, and two Russian-made Mi-8 helicopters and dozens of L-70 anti-aircraft guns with ammunition from Lithuania.Nearly 11 months into the Russian invasion, Zelenskyy has expressed frustration about not obtaining enough weaponry from the Western allies. Speaking by video link on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, he bemoaned a “lack of specific weaponry."German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who took office Thursday just an hour before he met with Austin, said that opinions among allies were mixed on the tank issue, and added that “the impression that has occasionally arisen that there is a united coalition and Germany is standing in the way is wrong.”Milley told reporters traveling with him this week that new U.S. training of Ukrainian troops, combined with an array of new weapons and armored vehicles heading to Ukraine, will be key to helping the country’s forces take back territory that has been captured by Russia in the nearly 11-month-old war.The goal, he said, is to deliver needed weapons and equipment to Ukraine so the newly trained forces will be able to use it “sometime before the spring rains show up. That would be ideal.”The influx of new weapons, tanks and armored carriers comes as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-apartment-strike-death-toll-1b518f84fc4e70708d56e1a1ea708929">Ukraine faces intense combat</a>&nbsp;in the country's east around the city of Bakhmut and the nearby salt mining town of Soledar. The battles are expected to intensify in the spring.Milley said Friday that the number of Russian dead and wounded is now “significantly over” 100,000 people, a figure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-zelenskyy-europe-army-joint-chiefs-of-staff-688e99d37f25ac8340b6a96a79a89abf">he gave in November</a>.“This is a very, very bloody war and there’s significant casualties on both sides,” he said. “Sooner or later, this is going to have to get to a negotiating table at some point in order to bring this to a conclusion.”

While Ukraine burns, U.S. in dispute over supplying tanks

This story was initially published on Jan. 19. It was updated on Jan. 21 to correct that the lawsuit was filed on behalf of 13 Jewish, Christian and Unitarian Universalist leaders, not just Jewish and Christian leaders.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A group of religious leaders who support abortion rights filed a lawsuit Thursday challenging Missouri's abortion ban, saying lawmakers openly invoked their religious beliefs while drafting the measure and thereby imposed those beliefs on others who don't share them.

The lawsuit filed in St. Louis is the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-politics-health-indiana-state-government-reproductive-rights-7308b2edc8a8ac62446d821abc5fae59">latest of many to challenge restrictive abortion laws</a>&nbsp;enacted by conservative states after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June.</a>&nbsp;That landmark ruling left abortion rights up to each state to decide.

Since then, religious abortion rights supporters have increasingly used religious freedom lawsuits in seeking to protect abortion access. The religious freedom complaints are among nearly three dozen post-Roe lawsuits that have been filed against 19 states’ abortion bans, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.

The Missouri lawsuit brought on behalf of 13 Christian , Jewish and Unitarian Universalist leaders seeks a permanent injunction barring the state from enforcing its abortion law and a declaration that provisions of its law violate the Missouri Constitution.

“What the lawsuit says is that when you legislate your religious beliefs into law, you impose your beliefs on everyone else and force all of us to live by your own narrow beliefs,” said Michelle Banker of the National Women’s Law Center, the lead attorney in the case. “And that hurts us. That denies our basic human rights.”

Missouri Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden, a Republican, called the lawsuit “foolish.”

“We were acting on the belief that life is precious and should be treated as such. I don’t think that’s a religious belief,” Rowden said.

Within minutes of last year's Supreme Court decision, then-Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Gov. Mike Parson, both Republicans, filed paperwork to immediately&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-missouri-government-and-politics-7bb5798bae32c3f15abad3a10941dfb5">enact a 2019 law</a>&nbsp;prohibiting abortions “except in cases of medical emergency.” That law contained a provision making it effective only if Roe v. Wade was overturned.

The law makes it a felony punishable by 5 to 15 years in prison to perform or induce an abortion. Medical professionals who do so also could lose their licenses. The law says that women who undergo abortions cannot be prosecuted.

Missouri already had some of the nation’s more restrictive abortion laws and had seen a significant decline in the number of abortions performed, with residents instead traveling to clinics just across the state line in Illinois and Kansas.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the faith leaders by Americans United for Separation of Church &amp; State and the National Women’s Law Center, said sponsors and supporters of the Missouri measure “repeatedly emphasized their religious intent in enacting the legislation." It quotes the bill's sponsor, Republican state Rep. Nick Schroer, as saying that “as a Catholic I do believe life begins at conception and that is built into our legislative findings.” A co-sponsor, Republican state Rep. Barry Hovis, said he was motivated “from the Biblical side of it," according to the lawsuit.

“I'm here today because none of our religious views on abortion or anything else should be enshrined into our laws,” Maharat Rori Picker Neiss, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis and one of the plaintiffs, said at a news conference.

Lawsuits in several other states take similar approaches.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-indiana-government-and-politics-a987c724aa4502bca17f4eb34b7b1860">In Indiana</a>, lawyers for five anonymous women — who are Jewish, Muslim and spiritual — and advocacy group Hoosier Jews for Choice have argued that state’s ban infringes on their beliefs. Their lawsuit specifically highlights the Jewish teaching that a fetus becomes a living person at birth and that Jewish law prioritizes the mother’s life and health.

A court ruling siding with the women was appealed by the Indiana attorney general's office, which is asking the state Supreme Court to consider the case.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-2022-midterm-elections-health-kentucky-legislature-26ecd225013231ee8766248633d289a3">In Kentucky</a>, three Jewish women sued, claiming the state’s ban violates their religious rights under the state’s constitution and religious freedom law. They allege that Kentucky’s Republican-dominated legislature “imposed sectarian theology” by prohibiting nearly all abortions. The ban remains in effect while the Kentucky Supreme Court considers a separate case challenging the law.

But Banker said Missouri’s lawsuit is unique because while plaintiffs in other states claimed harm, “we are saying that the whole law violates separation of church and state and we’re seeking to get everything struck down.”

Missouri Republican attorney general, Andrew Bailey, said in a statement that he will “defend the right to life with every tool at my disposal.”

“I want Missouri to be the safest state in the nation for children and that includes unborn children," Bailey said.

Associated Press writer David A. Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658500232908.png" alt="Missouri Gov. Mike Parson&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Missouri Gov. Mike Parson&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>This story was initially published on Jan. 19. It was updated on Jan. 21 to correct that the lawsuit was filed on behalf of 13 Jewish, Christian and Unitarian Universalist leaders, not just Jewish and Christian leaders.ST. LOUIS (AP) — A group of religious leaders who support abortion rights filed a lawsuit Thursday challenging Missouri's abortion ban, saying lawmakers openly invoked their religious beliefs while drafting the measure and thereby imposed those beliefs on others who don't share them.The lawsuit filed in St. Louis is the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-politics-health-indiana-state-government-reproductive-rights-7308b2edc8a8ac62446d821abc5fae59">latest of many to challenge restrictive abortion laws</a>&nbsp;enacted by conservative states after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June.</a>&nbsp;That landmark ruling left abortion rights up to each state to decide.Since then, religious abortion rights supporters have increasingly used religious freedom lawsuits in seeking to protect abortion access. The religious freedom complaints are among nearly three dozen post-Roe lawsuits that have been filed against 19 states’ abortion bans, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.The Missouri lawsuit brought on behalf of 13 Christian , Jewish and Unitarian Universalist leaders seeks a permanent injunction barring the state from enforcing its abortion law and a declaration that provisions of its law violate the Missouri Constitution.“What the lawsuit says is that when you legislate your religious beliefs into law, you impose your beliefs on everyone else and force all of us to live by your own narrow beliefs,” said Michelle Banker of the National Women’s Law Center, the lead attorney in the case. “And that hurts us. That denies our basic human rights.”Missouri Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden, a Republican, called the lawsuit “foolish.”“We were acting on the belief that life is precious and should be treated as such. I don’t think that’s a religious belief,” Rowden said.Within minutes of last year's Supreme Court decision, then-Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Gov. Mike Parson, both Republicans, filed paperwork to immediately&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-missouri-government-and-politics-7bb5798bae32c3f15abad3a10941dfb5">enact a 2019 law</a>&nbsp;prohibiting abortions “except in cases of medical emergency.” That law contained a provision making it effective only if Roe v. Wade was overturned.The law makes it a felony punishable by 5 to 15 years in prison to perform or induce an abortion. Medical professionals who do so also could lose their licenses. The law says that women who undergo abortions cannot be prosecuted.Missouri already had some of the nation’s more restrictive abortion laws and had seen a significant decline in the number of abortions performed, with residents instead traveling to clinics just across the state line in Illinois and Kansas.The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the faith leaders by Americans United for Separation of Church &amp; State and the National Women’s Law Center, said sponsors and supporters of the Missouri measure “repeatedly emphasized their religious intent in enacting the legislation." It quotes the bill's sponsor, Republican state Rep. Nick Schroer, as saying that “as a Catholic I do believe life begins at conception and that is built into our legislative findings.” A co-sponsor, Republican state Rep. Barry Hovis, said he was motivated “from the Biblical side of it," according to the lawsuit.“I'm here today because none of our religious views on abortion or anything else should be enshrined into our laws,” Maharat Rori Picker Neiss, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis and one of the plaintiffs, said at a news conference.Lawsuits in several other states take similar approaches.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-indiana-government-and-politics-a987c724aa4502bca17f4eb34b7b1860">In Indiana</a>, lawyers for five anonymous women — who are Jewish, Muslim and spiritual — and advocacy group Hoosier Jews for Choice have argued that state’s ban infringes on their beliefs. Their lawsuit specifically highlights the Jewish teaching that a fetus becomes a living person at birth and that Jewish law prioritizes the mother’s life and health.A court ruling siding with the women was appealed by the Indiana attorney general's office, which is asking the state Supreme Court to consider the case.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-2022-midterm-elections-health-kentucky-legislature-26ecd225013231ee8766248633d289a3">In Kentucky</a>, three Jewish women sued, claiming the state’s ban violates their religious rights under the state’s constitution and religious freedom law. They allege that Kentucky’s Republican-dominated legislature “imposed sectarian theology” by prohibiting nearly all abortions. The ban remains in effect while the Kentucky Supreme Court considers a separate case challenging the law.But Banker said Missouri’s lawsuit is unique because while plaintiffs in other states claimed harm, “we are saying that the whole law violates separation of church and state and we’re seeking to get everything struck down.”Missouri Republican attorney general, Andrew Bailey, said in a statement that he will “defend the right to life with every tool at my disposal.”“I want Missouri to be the safest state in the nation for children and that includes unborn children," Bailey said.___Associated Press writer David A. Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, contributed to this report.___This story was initially published on Jan. 19. It was updated on Jan. 21 to correct that the lawsuit was filed on behalf of 13 Jewish, Christian and Unitarian Universalist leaders, not just Jewish and Christian leaders.

Update: Group of faith leaders sue challenging Missouri abortion law

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A murder suspect captured by the U.S. Border Patrol and extradited to Kansas&nbsp;

On Jan. 9, a jury found <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=158988">32-year-0ld Patricio Gomez</a> guilty of&nbsp;first-degree murder in the&nbsp;fatal shooting&nbsp;of a&nbsp;42-year-old man at a Wichita hotel in 2021, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

The jury also found Gomez guilty of&nbsp;attempted distribution of methamphetamine.&nbsp;

In March, U.S. Border Patrol Agents&nbsp;in the El Paso&nbsp;Sector&nbsp;arrested Gomez who was wanted for&nbsp;murder in Wichita.

The El Paso Station&nbsp;Border Patrol Agent encountered Gomez walking along&nbsp;the south side of the Border Barrier&nbsp;near Fonseca Drive&nbsp;and Cesar E. Chavez/Border Highway, according to a media release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

When agents questioned the Gomez as to his citizenship, he stated that he was a U.S.&nbsp;citizen and that he had&nbsp;just&nbsp;entered the United States&nbsp;from Mexico, illegally,&nbsp;by attempting to drive his truck across the Rio Grande.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Gomez, was taken into custody, for the illegal entry,&nbsp;and transported to a Border Patrol station for further investigation.&nbsp;Record checks revealed that he had an extensive criminal history&nbsp;and an&nbsp;active&nbsp;warrant&nbsp;out of&nbsp;Wichita for&nbsp;murder.

Gomez was&nbsp;remanded to the&nbsp;custody of the&nbsp;El Paso County Sheriff’s&nbsp;Office until his extradition to Wichita.&nbsp;&nbsp;

On Sept. 30, 2021. police responded to a shooting call at a hotel in the 9400 block of East Corporate Hills, according to Officer Charley Davidson.&nbsp; Upon arrival, officers located 42-year-old Michael Martinez who had been shot.&nbsp; He was pronounced deceased on the scene.

Gomez's sentencing has been&nbsp;scheduled for Feb. 21, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648742338695.png" alt="Gomez-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Gomez-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A murder suspect captured by the U.S. Border Patrol and extradited to Kansas&nbsp;On Jan. 9, a jury found <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=158988">32-year-0ld Patricio Gomez</a> guilty of&nbsp;first-degree murder in the&nbsp;fatal shooting&nbsp;of a&nbsp;42-year-old man at a Wichita hotel in 2021, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.The jury also found Gomez guilty of&nbsp;attempted distribution of methamphetamine.&nbsp;In March, U.S. Border Patrol Agents&nbsp;in the El Paso&nbsp;Sector&nbsp;arrested Gomez who was wanted for&nbsp;murder in Wichita.The El Paso Station&nbsp;Border Patrol Agent encountered Gomez walking along&nbsp;the south side of the Border Barrier&nbsp;near Fonseca Drive&nbsp;and Cesar E. Chavez/Border Highway, according to a media release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.When agents questioned the Gomez as to his citizenship, he stated that he was a U.S.&nbsp;citizen and that he had&nbsp;just&nbsp;entered the United States&nbsp;from Mexico, illegally,&nbsp;by attempting to drive his truck across the Rio Grande.&nbsp;&nbsp;Gomez, was taken into custody, for the illegal entry,&nbsp;and transported to a Border Patrol station for further investigation.&nbsp;Record checks revealed that he had an extensive criminal history&nbsp;and an&nbsp;active&nbsp;warrant&nbsp;out of&nbsp;Wichita for&nbsp;murder.Gomez was&nbsp;remanded to the&nbsp;custody of the&nbsp;El Paso County Sheriff’s&nbsp;Office until his extradition to Wichita.&nbsp;&nbsp;On Sept. 30, 2021. police responded to a shooting call at a hotel in the 9400 block of East Corporate Hills, according to Officer Charley Davidson.&nbsp; Upon arrival, officers located 42-year-old Michael Martinez who had been shot.&nbsp; He was pronounced deceased on the scene.Gomez's sentencing has been&nbsp;scheduled for Feb. 21, according to the district attorney's office.

Man caught by border patrol found guilty in Kan. hotel killing

SHAWNEE COUNTY —One person died in an accident late Thursday in Shawnee County.

Just after 11:30 p.m., police dispatch in Topeka began receiving reports of erratic driving by a driver later identified as 21-year-old Cheyenne Day of Topeka in a silver vehicle, according to city spokesperson Gretchen Spiker.

Police observed the vehicle and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. The driver of the vehicle did not stop and initiated a pursuit. Officers pursued the vehicle for a short time, until speeds became unsafe to continue.&nbsp;

 A short time later, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office located the same vehicle, again attempting to conduct a traffic stop. The driver again initiated a short pursuit, and deputies later terminated their pursuit.

Minutes later, law enforcement received reports of a single vehicle crash in the 2300 block of NW Topeka Blvd. The crash involved the same vehicle that was driving erratically and fled from law enforcement earlier. 

First responders began immediate life-saving measures on Day, the only occupant of the vehicle. She&nbsp; was transported from the scene by American Medical Response (AMR) to a local hospital where she was later pronounced deceased.&nbsp; &nbsp;The accident remains under investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674241535728.png" alt="Law enforcement was not in pursuit of&nbsp; the vehicle at the time of the crash -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Law enforcement was not in pursuit of&nbsp; the vehicle at the time of the crash -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —One person died in an accident late Thursday in Shawnee County.Just after 11:30 p.m., police dispatch in Topeka began receiving reports of erratic driving by a driver later identified as 21-year-old Cheyenne Day of Topeka in a silver vehicle, according to city spokesperson Gretchen Spiker.Police observed the vehicle and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. The driver of the vehicle did not stop and initiated a pursuit. Officers pursued the vehicle for a short time, until speeds became unsafe to continue.&nbsp; A short time later, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office located the same vehicle, again attempting to conduct a traffic stop. The driver again initiated a short pursuit, and deputies later terminated their pursuit.Minutes later, law enforcement received reports of a single vehicle crash in the 2300 block of NW Topeka Blvd. The crash involved the same vehicle that was driving erratically and fled from law enforcement earlier. First responders began immediate life-saving measures on Day, the only occupant of the vehicle. She&nbsp; was transported from the scene by American Medical Response (AMR) to a local hospital where she was later pronounced deceased.&nbsp; &nbsp;The accident remains under investigation.

Kan. woman dies in crash after officers end high-speed chase

KANSAS CITY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting Friday near a Kansas City funeral home that left four people injured, one of them critically.

&nbsp;Just after 11:30a.m., police were dispatched to report of a shooting at a Elite Funeral Chapel, 11525 Blue Ridge Blvd., according to Police Captain&nbsp; Leslie Foreman 

First responders found three victims who had been shot. One adult female victim was found inside the funeral home, one adult male victim was found inside the laundry mat next-door, and one adult male victim was found outside of the funeral home. EMS transported three victims to a local hospital. Two were reported in stable condition and one is in critical condition. There was a fourth person who received a minor injury. Preliminary information is that some type of dispute or altercation occurred between people who were at the funeral.&nbsp;

None of the people who were shot were employees of the funeral home, she said.&nbsp; Police did not have any suspects in custody.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674248535559.png" alt="Police on the scene of the shooting investigation -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the shooting investigation -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting Friday near a Kansas City funeral home that left four people injured, one of them critically.&nbsp;Just after 11:30a.m., police were dispatched to report of a shooting at a Elite Funeral Chapel, 11525 Blue Ridge Blvd., according to Police Captain&nbsp; Leslie Foreman First responders found three victims who had been shot. One adult female victim was found inside the funeral home, one adult male victim was found inside the laundry mat next-door, and one adult male victim was found outside of the funeral home. EMS transported three victims to a local hospital. Two were reported in stable condition and one is in critical condition. There was a fourth person who received a minor injury. Preliminary information is that some type of dispute or altercation occurred between people who were at the funeral.&nbsp; None of the people who were shot were employees of the funeral home, she said.&nbsp; Police did not have any suspects in custody.

Police: 4 injured in shooting after funeral in Kansas City

By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/19/kansas-lawmakers-debate-sales-tax-holiday-for-back-to-school-shopping/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA
 — Three bills that would help Kansas parents trying to save money on 
school supplies were received favorably by legislators on Thursday.&nbsp;

During a Senate Committee on 
Assessment and Taxation meeting, Sen. Caryn Tyson, R-Parker, committee 
chair, said she was optimistic about passing some form of&nbsp; legislation 
to help out Kansans buying for school in August.&nbsp;

Tyson said states that had some form 
of sales tax holidays, such as Missouri and Oklahoma, were taking 
dollars from Kansas parents who needed supplies. She said some of the 
original opposition to this sort of sales tax holiday in 2011, when it 
was first discussed, came from lawmakers who didn’t believe people would
 go to a different state to save money.&nbsp;

“There were two senators from Johnson
 County, representatives at the time, that said they didn’t know anybody
 that would cross the state line to save a few cents. I said, ‘You’re 
not going over and looking at the license plates then,’” Tyson said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

SB 21, SB 55 and SB 29 would all create a sales tax holiday for certain school supplies. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/sb21_00_0000.pdf">SB 21</a>,
 introduced by the Committee on Assessment and Taxation, would go into 
effect after July 1, 2024. Under the bill, school supplies, educational 
materials or art supplies under $100 would be exempt from sales tax for a
 small period of time, in effect from the first Friday in August to 
midnight on the following Saturday.&nbsp;

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/sb55_00_0000.pdf">SB 55</a>,
 also introduced by the committee, offers a longer grace period. That 
bill, which would go in effect on or after July 1, 2023, would make all 
school supply purchases exempt from the sales tax from the first 
Thursday in August to midnight on the following Sunday. Exempt items 
would include clothing, accessories and equipment priced at or lower 
than $300. School supplies, educational materials and art supplies 
priced at or under $100 would also be exempt, as well as computers and 
computer supplies.&nbsp;

Under the legislation, computer 
software would be exempt if sold for $300 or less, and computers and 
computer supplies would be exempt if priced at or below $2,000.&nbsp;

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/sb29_00_0000.pdf">SB 29</a>,
 introduced by Sens. Virgil Peck, Elaine Bowers, J.R. Claeys, John Doll,
 Oletha Faust-Goudeau and Mike Petersen, would also provide a sales tax 
exemption for school supplies, personal computers and clothing during an
 annual sales tax holiday.

The bill would go into effect July 1, 2023 and last from the first Thursday in August to midnight on the following Sunday.

Those at the meeting spoke in support
 of some form of sales tax holiday. Spencer Duncan, representing the 
League of Kansas Municipalities, said the organization felt the 
exemption would be for the greater good.&nbsp;

“It will certainly serve thousands of
 families and teachers who oftentimes have to buy supplies for their own
 classroom,” Duncan said. “We also recognize that we have other states 
surrounding us that are already doing this, and we have people jumping 
the border to take care of advantage of those sales tax holidays in 
those states, so we have cities losing that business also.”

Spencer said the league would want 
limitations, such as keeping the pricing and time of the holiday under a
 certain amount, but it felt something should be passed.&nbsp;

Stacey Knoell, executive director of 
the Kansas African American Affairs Commission, said she would support 
any form of sales tax holiday, saying her experience as a parent and 
teacher showed the necessity of financial relief for Kansas families.&nbsp;

“I can say that this type of tax 
holiday really is the right thing to do,” Knoell said. “A lot of times 
we make arguments based on the fact of the economic stability or what it
 is going to do for the economy, but just think about people who 
actually have to go out and buy clothes and pencils and tennis shoes.”&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674245423993.png" alt="Sen. Caryn Tyson said implementing a sales tax holiday for school supplies would encourage Kansas parents to shop in the state. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Sen. Caryn Tyson said implementing a sales tax holiday for school supplies would encourage Kansas parents to shop in the state. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/19/kansas-lawmakers-debate-sales-tax-holiday-for-back-to-school-shopping/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA
 — Three bills that would help Kansas parents trying to save money on 
school supplies were received favorably by legislators on Thursday.&nbsp;During a Senate Committee on 
Assessment and Taxation meeting, Sen. Caryn Tyson, R-Parker, committee 
chair, said she was optimistic about passing some form of&nbsp; legislation 
to help out Kansans buying for school in August.&nbsp;Tyson said states that had some form 
of sales tax holidays, such as Missouri and Oklahoma, were taking 
dollars from Kansas parents who needed supplies. She said some of the 
original opposition to this sort of sales tax holiday in 2011, when it 
was first discussed, came from lawmakers who didn’t believe people would
 go to a different state to save money.&nbsp;“There were two senators from Johnson
 County, representatives at the time, that said they didn’t know anybody
 that would cross the state line to save a few cents. I said, ‘You’re 
not going over and looking at the license plates then,’” Tyson said.&nbsp;&nbsp;SB 21, SB 55 and SB 29 would all create a sales tax holiday for certain school supplies. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/sb21_00_0000.pdf">SB 21</a>,
 introduced by the Committee on Assessment and Taxation, would go into 
effect after July 1, 2024. Under the bill, school supplies, educational 
materials or art supplies under $100 would be exempt from sales tax for a
 small period of time, in effect from the first Friday in August to 
midnight on the following Saturday.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/sb55_00_0000.pdf">SB 55</a>,
 also introduced by the committee, offers a longer grace period. That 
bill, which would go in effect on or after July 1, 2023, would make all 
school supply purchases exempt from the sales tax from the first 
Thursday in August to midnight on the following Sunday. Exempt items 
would include clothing, accessories and equipment priced at or lower 
than $300. School supplies, educational materials and art supplies 
priced at or under $100 would also be exempt, as well as computers and 
computer supplies.&nbsp;Under the legislation, computer 
software would be exempt if sold for $300 or less, and computers and 
computer supplies would be exempt if priced at or below $2,000.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/sb29_00_0000.pdf">SB 29</a>,
 introduced by Sens. Virgil Peck, Elaine Bowers, J.R. Claeys, John Doll,
 Oletha Faust-Goudeau and Mike Petersen, would also provide a sales tax 
exemption for school supplies, personal computers and clothing during an
 annual sales tax holiday.The bill would go into effect July 1, 2023 and last from the first Thursday in August to midnight on the following Sunday.Those at the meeting spoke in support
 of some form of sales tax holiday. Spencer Duncan, representing the 
League of Kansas Municipalities, said the organization felt the 
exemption would be for the greater good.&nbsp;“It will certainly serve thousands of
 families and teachers who oftentimes have to buy supplies for their own
 classroom,” Duncan said. “We also recognize that we have other states 
surrounding us that are already doing this, and we have people jumping 
the border to take care of advantage of those sales tax holidays in 
those states, so we have cities losing that business also.”Spencer said the league would want 
limitations, such as keeping the pricing and time of the holiday under a
 certain amount, but it felt something should be passed.&nbsp;Stacey Knoell, executive director of 
the Kansas African American Affairs Commission, said she would support 
any form of sales tax holiday, saying her experience as a parent and 
teacher showed the necessity of financial relief for Kansas families.&nbsp;“I can say that this type of tax 
holiday really is the right thing to do,” Knoell said. “A lot of times 
we make arguments based on the fact of the economic stability or what it
 is going to do for the economy, but just think about people who 
actually have to go out and buy clothes and pencils and tennis shoes.”&nbsp;

Kansas lawmakers debate back-to-school sales tax holiday

WASHINGTON —The Department of Defense (DoD) announced late Thursday, the authorization of a Presidential Drawdown of security assistance to meet Ukraine’s critical security and defense needs, according to a statement from the DoD.

This authorization, which is valued at up to $2.5 billion, is the Biden Administration’s thirtieth drawdown of equipment from DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021. It contains hundreds of armored vehicles, critical support for Ukraine’s air defense, and other important capabilities including:

The Kremlin’s most recent air attacks against Ukraine’s critical infrastructure again demonstrate the devastating impact of Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine. This package provides additional NASAMS munitions and Avenger air defense systems to help Ukraine counter a range of short and medium range threats and bolster Ukraine’s layered air defense. The 59 Bradley IFVs included in this package, together with the 50 Bradleys previously committed on January 6, and the 90 Stryker APCs will provide Ukraine with two brigades of armored capability. &nbsp; In total, the United States has committed more than $27.4 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden Administration. Since 2014, the United States has committed more than $29.5 billion in security assistance to Ukraine and more than $26.7 billion since the beginning of Russia’s unprovoked and brutal invasion on February 24, 2022.

WASHINGTON —The Department of Defense (DoD) announced late Thursday, the authorization of a Presidential Drawdown of security assistance to meet Ukraine’s critical security and defense needs, according to a statement from the DoD.This authorization, which is valued at up to $2.5 billion, is the Biden Administration’s thirtieth drawdown of equipment from DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021. It contains hundreds of armored vehicles, critical support for Ukraine’s air defense, and other important capabilities including:<ul>
 <li>Additional munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS);</li><li>Eight Avenger air defense systems; &nbsp;</li><li>59 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs) with 590 TOW anti-tank missiles and 295,000 rounds of 25mm ammunition;</li><li>90 Stryker Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) with 20 mine rollers;</li><li>53 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAPs);</li><li>350 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs);</li><li>20,000 155mm artillery rounds;&nbsp;</li><li>Approximately 600 precision-guided 155mm artillery rounds;</li><li>95,000 105mm artillery rounds;</li><li>Approximately 11,800 120mm mortar rounds;</li><li>Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);</li><li>12 ammunition support vehicles;</li><li>6 command post vehicles;</li><li>22 tactical vehicles to tow weapons;</li><li>High-speed Anti-radiation missiles (HARMs);</li><li>Approximately 2,000 anti-armor rockets;</li><li>Over 3,000,000 rounds of small arms ammunition;</li><li>Demolition equipment for obstacle clearing;</li><li>Claymore anti-personnel munitions;</li><li>Night vision devices;</li><li>Spare parts and other field equipment.</li>
 </ul>The Kremlin’s most recent air attacks against Ukraine’s critical infrastructure again demonstrate the devastating impact of Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine. This package provides additional NASAMS munitions and Avenger air defense systems to help Ukraine counter a range of short and medium range threats and bolster Ukraine’s layered air defense. The 59 Bradley IFVs included in this package, together with the 50 Bradleys previously committed on January 6, and the 90 Stryker APCs will provide Ukraine with two brigades of armored capability. &nbsp; In total, the United States has committed more than $27.4 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden Administration. Since 2014, the United States has committed more than $29.5 billion in security assistance to Ukraine and more than $26.7 billion since the beginning of Russia’s unprovoked and brutal invasion on February 24, 2022.

U.S. spending another $2.5 billion for Ukraine war effort

By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/19/kansas-juvenile-justice-reform-effort-left-major-flaws-in-system-officials-say/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Stabbings, 16-year-olds with
 guns and violent attacks: Officials working with young offenders in 
Kansas say they need lawmakers to step up and fix flaws within the 
state’s juvenile justice system.

The debate centered around <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li_2016/b2015_16/measures/documents/summary_sb_367_2016.pdf">Senate Bill 367</a>,
 which was implemented in 2016. The bill was passed with the intention 
of reducing youth incarceration rates and reforming the juvenile justice
 system in the state. The 
legislation shifted practices away from holding youths in group homes or
 state custody, instead funneling money into community programs and 
treatment. The legislation included limits on probation and case 
lengths, making it less common for youths to be detained or sent to 
correctional facilities.

While juvenile incarceration rates 
and youth arrest rates have decreased in the six years since the 
legislation was implemented, activists and officials working in the 
system say urgent changes are needed.

“We’ve had kids that are out of 
control,” said Rice County Attorney Remington Dalke, testifying 
Wednesday to lawmakers during a joint hearing of House committees 
dealing with juvenile justice and foster care.

Dalke said Rice County doesn’t have 
enough community supervision or treatment plans for juvenile offenders, 
so young offenders are placed on probation instead, spending about an 
hour a week doing self-probation on Zoom. With little accountability, Dalke said, cases of youth-committed violence are on the rise. He mentioned a case in which a girl shot her friend in the leg.

“The end result is I’ve got kids who 
are caught vaping getting the exact same treatment as a kid who at the 
age of 16 showed up drunk at the pool, threw a beer can at a girl, 
threatened to kill her, and was taken by law enforcement home to his 
parents,” Dalke said.

Christina Smith, a single mother living in Sedgwick County, said the legislation ruined her life.

Smith said her 15-year-old son, who 
has a history of violence, needed more intervention than he got after 
threatening to kill her. Smith said he had attacked her when she was on 
crutches following ACL surgery, and shoved her against a wall, saying he
 would kill her if she sent him back for psychiatric treatment.

Smith said she tried different methods, including therapy and psychiatric hospitalization, but he needed more intervention.

“These years have been a path of 
terror,” Smith said. “Bill 367 allows grace for juveniles that made 
mistakes, but the law has put me in danger more times than I can count. 
This last year my oldest son was empowered by the lack of consequences 
for his ever-increasingly violent behavior due to this leniency.”

Smith said he was charged with at 
least four battery charges in the last year but had the charges dropped,
 which she believed was because of SB 367. When she refused to pick him 
up after his release from a mental health hospital, she was charged with
 child abandonment and he was placed in foster care.

“My family’s life was filled with 
insults, putdowns, foul language and threats to be harmed or killed,” 
Smith said. “Bill 367 ensures that juveniles, unless they are involved 
in violent crime, are never actually charged and never convicted. No 
real consequences happen. The situation escalates until the system has 
no other options.”

Linda Bass, president of KVC Kansas, 
an organization that provides foster care and family reunification 
services, said foster care providers were now shouldering the burden of 
juvenile delinquency.

“We have just shifted the problem 
from one location to another,” Bass said. “Children in foster care who 
have juvenile offending behaviors are growing up in congregate care and 
child welfare.”

Bass said out of the 1,400 kids in her organization’s care, about 14% are juvenile offenders.

She said in one case, a 15-year-old 
who entered the foster care system as a registered sex offender couldn’t
 live with anyone under the age of 16 because of a court order. That 
made it difficult to find an appropriate place for him, Bass said.

He is currently on his 20th home 
placement, never completed the sexual offender treatment he was supposed
 to complete, and will turn 18 this year.

“He’s going to exit the foster care 
system, and we have completely failed him,” Bass said. “I would have 
rather seen him stay in detention and at least he would have received 
consistent services because he would’ve been in one location for an 
extended period of time.”

Other officials working with juvenile
 offenders have said the structure of the legislation was a 
well-intentioned start to making long-lasting juvenile justice reforms, 
but more needs to be done to ensure juvenile offenders have proper help 
and oversight.

Suggestions offered during the 
Wednesday meeting included more crisis intervention centers for juvenile
 offenders, treatment through community mental health centers, and 
collaboration across systems. The state has millions set aside for 
juvenile crisis center funding, which is thought to be a potential 
solution to the current lack of resources for juvenile offenders, but 
hasn’t used any of the funding.

In 2018, Johnson County applied to 
create a center but the state government dropped the project. Rep. Cindy
 Neighbor, D-Shawnee, said when she asked fellow lawmakers about the 
delay in the crisis center project, she was not given a good explanation
 about the lack of funding.

“Well, they just haven’t done it 
yet,” Neighbor said. “If that’s the excuse, that’s on us. And that is 
pitiful. Because we have kids out there that are suffering and parents 
that are paying. And they had six years to get that done. And I think 
they deserve an answer on why it hasn’t happened.”&nbsp;

Rep. Susan Concannon, R-Beloit, and 
Rep. Stephan Owens, R-Hesston, who co-chaired the meeting, said they 
were also frustrated by the lack of progress. Owens said they were 
planning to hear legislation that would address some of the flaws in the
 system on Jan. 30.

One piece of legislation, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2021_00_0000.pdf">House Bill 2021</a>,
 would extend case length limits for certain juvenile offenders, require
 the creation of juvenile justice data systems, encourage increased use 
of money for intervention programs, and allow detention for probation 
violations.

Another bill, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2033_00_0000.pdf">House Bill 2033</a>,
 would change the criteria for admitting young offenders to juvenile 
crisis intervention centers and better define standards for behavioral 
health crises.

Owens said the meeting provided a good opportunity to identify what was working and what wasn’t working with the system.

“I think this is a testament to the 
fact that the Legislature passes legislation with the best of intent, 
but isn’t always able to foresee the consequences,” Owens said.

Concannon said she understood the 
perspective of foster care providers and juvenile justice workers who 
testified at the meeting.

“They’ve been living with it for a 
few years, and there’s a lot of frustration,” Concannon said. “Their 
hands are tied. So this was an opportunity just to hear them and let 
these two committees hear this frustration come out. If the system is 
not working, it’s got a major gap. We’re not providing for the needs of 
those in-between youth.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674149731520.png" alt="Rep. Stephen Owens says new legislation is geared toward fixing gaps in the state’s juvenile justice system. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Stephen Owens says new legislation is geared toward fixing gaps in the state’s juvenile justice system. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/19/kansas-juvenile-justice-reform-effort-left-major-flaws-in-system-officials-say/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Stabbings, 16-year-olds with
 guns and violent attacks: Officials working with young offenders in 
Kansas say they need lawmakers to step up and fix flaws within the 
state’s juvenile justice system.The debate centered around <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li_2016/b2015_16/measures/documents/summary_sb_367_2016.pdf">Senate Bill 367</a>,
 which was implemented in 2016. The bill was passed with the intention 
of reducing youth incarceration rates and reforming the juvenile justice
 system in the state. The 
legislation shifted practices away from holding youths in group homes or
 state custody, instead funneling money into community programs and 
treatment. The legislation included limits on probation and case 
lengths, making it less common for youths to be detained or sent to 
correctional facilities.While juvenile incarceration rates 
and youth arrest rates have decreased in the six years since the 
legislation was implemented, activists and officials working in the 
system say urgent changes are needed.<h2>Community impact&nbsp;</h2>“We’ve had kids that are out of 
control,” said Rice County Attorney Remington Dalke, testifying 
Wednesday to lawmakers during a joint hearing of House committees 
dealing with juvenile justice and foster care.Dalke said Rice County doesn’t have 
enough community supervision or treatment plans for juvenile offenders, 
so young offenders are placed on probation instead, spending about an 
hour a week doing self-probation on Zoom. With little accountability, Dalke said, cases of youth-committed violence are on the rise. He mentioned a case in which a girl shot her friend in the leg.“The end result is I’ve got kids who 
are caught vaping getting the exact same treatment as a kid who at the 
age of 16 showed up drunk at the pool, threw a beer can at a girl, 
threatened to kill her, and was taken by law enforcement home to his 
parents,” Dalke said.Christina Smith, a single mother living in Sedgwick County, said the legislation ruined her life.Smith said her 15-year-old son, who 
has a history of violence, needed more intervention than he got after 
threatening to kill her. Smith said he had attacked her when she was on 
crutches following ACL surgery, and shoved her against a wall, saying he
 would kill her if she sent him back for psychiatric treatment.Smith said she tried different methods, including therapy and psychiatric hospitalization, but he needed more intervention.“These years have been a path of 
terror,” Smith said. “Bill 367 allows grace for juveniles that made 
mistakes, but the law has put me in danger more times than I can count. 
This last year my oldest son was empowered by the lack of consequences 
for his ever-increasingly violent behavior due to this leniency.”Smith said he was charged with at 
least four battery charges in the last year but had the charges dropped,
 which she believed was because of SB 367. When she refused to pick him 
up after his release from a mental health hospital, she was charged with
 child abandonment and he was placed in foster care.“My family’s life was filled with 
insults, putdowns, foul language and threats to be harmed or killed,” 
Smith said. “Bill 367 ensures that juveniles, unless they are involved 
in violent crime, are never actually charged and never convicted. No 
real consequences happen. The situation escalates until the system has 
no other options.”Linda Bass, president of KVC Kansas, 
an organization that provides foster care and family reunification 
services, said foster care providers were now shouldering the burden of 
juvenile delinquency.“We have just shifted the problem 
from one location to another,” Bass said. “Children in foster care who 
have juvenile offending behaviors are growing up in congregate care and 
child welfare.”Bass said out of the 1,400 kids in her organization’s care, about 14% are juvenile offenders.She said in one case, a 15-year-old 
who entered the foster care system as a registered sex offender couldn’t
 live with anyone under the age of 16 because of a court order. That 
made it difficult to find an appropriate place for him, Bass said.He is currently on his 20th home 
placement, never completed the sexual offender treatment he was supposed
 to complete, and will turn 18 this year.“He’s going to exit the foster care 
system, and we have completely failed him,” Bass said. “I would have 
rather seen him stay in detention and at least he would have received 
consistent services because he would’ve been in one location for an 
extended period of time.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674149784338.png" alt="KVC Kansas president Linda Bass, left, spoke to lawmakers about foster care problems during a Jan. 18, 2023, meeting on juvenile justice reform. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>KVC Kansas president Linda Bass, left, spoke to lawmakers about foster care problems during a Jan. 18, 2023, meeting on juvenile justice reform. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Legislative response</h2>Other officials working with juvenile
 offenders have said the structure of the legislation was a 
well-intentioned start to making long-lasting juvenile justice reforms, 
but more needs to be done to ensure juvenile offenders have proper help 
and oversight.Suggestions offered during the 
Wednesday meeting included more crisis intervention centers for juvenile
 offenders, treatment through community mental health centers, and 
collaboration across systems. The state has millions set aside for 
juvenile crisis center funding, which is thought to be a potential 
solution to the current lack of resources for juvenile offenders, but 
hasn’t used any of the funding.In 2018, Johnson County applied to 
create a center but the state government dropped the project. Rep. Cindy
 Neighbor, D-Shawnee, said when she asked fellow lawmakers about the 
delay in the crisis center project, she was not given a good explanation
 about the lack of funding.“Well, they just haven’t done it 
yet,” Neighbor said. “If that’s the excuse, that’s on us. And that is 
pitiful. Because we have kids out there that are suffering and parents 
that are paying. And they had six years to get that done. And I think 
they deserve an answer on why it hasn’t happened.”&nbsp;Rep. Susan Concannon, R-Beloit, and 
Rep. Stephan Owens, R-Hesston, who co-chaired the meeting, said they 
were also frustrated by the lack of progress. Owens said they were 
planning to hear legislation that would address some of the flaws in the
 system on Jan. 30.One piece of legislation, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2021_00_0000.pdf">House Bill 2021</a>,
 would extend case length limits for certain juvenile offenders, require
 the creation of juvenile justice data systems, encourage increased use 
of money for intervention programs, and allow detention for probation 
violations.Another bill, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2033_00_0000.pdf">House Bill 2033</a>,
 would change the criteria for admitting young offenders to juvenile 
crisis intervention centers and better define standards for behavioral 
health crises.Owens said the meeting provided a good opportunity to identify what was working and what wasn’t working with the system.“I think this is a testament to the 
fact that the Legislature passes legislation with the best of intent, 
but isn’t always able to foresee the consequences,” Owens said.Concannon said she understood the 
perspective of foster care providers and juvenile justice workers who 
testified at the meeting.“They’ve been living with it for a 
few years, and there’s a lot of frustration,” Concannon said. “Their 
hands are tied. So this was an opportunity just to hear them and let 
these two committees hear this frustration come out. If the system is 
not working, it’s got a major gap. We’re not providing for the needs of 
those in-between youth.”

Kan. officials: Juvenile justice reform effort left major flaws

ANADARKO, Okla. (AP) — A man charged in the Christmas Day beating death of a 4-year-old Oklahoma girl has been returned to the state.

Ivon Adams III, 36, was booked into the county jail Thursday night, the Caddo County Sheriff’s Office said on its website.

Adams&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/law-enforcement-oklahoma-e98c18aec68a194338b304a7c494a0a6">was arrested last week</a>&nbsp;in Arizona on murder and child neglect charges in the death of Athena Brownfield in the town of Cyril, about 70 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.

The girl&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-city-1b331093878a39b70fccfdc6ba2e47dc">was reported missing Jan. 10</a>&nbsp;when a postal carrier found her 5-year-old sister alone outside the home where she lived with Adams and his wife, Alysia Adams. Alysia Adams, 31, is charged with two counts of child neglect in the case.

Court documents do not list an attorney who could speak on Adams' behalf. A gag order has been issued in the case against Alysia Adams at the request of her court-appointed attorney.

An affadavit for Ivon Adams' arrest alleges he beat the girl to death the night of Dec. 25 and later buried her on property he and his wife once owned near the nearby town of Rush Springs, where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/561482cabb0dd44c8c732650c28a3797">authorities found a child's body</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday.

The child's body has not been identified and was sent to the state medical examiner's office for identification and to determine the cause of death.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673643845430.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>ANADARKO, Okla. (AP) — A man charged in the Christmas Day beating death of a 4-year-old Oklahoma girl has been returned to the state.Ivon Adams III, 36, was booked into the county jail Thursday night, the Caddo County Sheriff’s Office said on its website.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674236691271.png" alt="Adams" />
 <figcaption>Adams</figcaption>
 </figure>Adams&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/law-enforcement-oklahoma-e98c18aec68a194338b304a7c494a0a6">was arrested last week</a>&nbsp;in Arizona on murder and child neglect charges in the death of Athena Brownfield in the town of Cyril, about 70 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.The girl&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-city-1b331093878a39b70fccfdc6ba2e47dc">was reported missing Jan. 10</a>&nbsp;when a postal carrier found her 5-year-old sister alone outside the home where she lived with Adams and his wife, Alysia Adams. Alysia Adams, 31, is charged with two counts of child neglect in the case.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673617381405.png" alt="Alysia Adams remains in custody, according to online jail records" />
 <figcaption>Alysia Adams remains in custody, according to online jail records</figcaption>
 </figure>Court documents do not list an attorney who could speak on Adams' behalf. A gag order has been issued in the case against Alysia Adams at the request of her court-appointed attorney.An affadavit for Ivon Adams' arrest alleges he beat the girl to death the night of Dec. 25 and later buried her on property he and his wife once owned near the nearby town of Rush Springs, where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/561482cabb0dd44c8c732650c28a3797">authorities found a child's body</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday.The child's body has not been identified and was sent to the state medical examiner's office for identification and to determine the cause of death.

Man charged in death of 4-year-old, returned to Oklahoma

By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

The cat is out of the bag. And the ponies, unicorns, and a host of other characters. Wednesday evening, it was announced the first-ever FurryFansago event is coming to the Great Bend Events Center in July. Founder Kristian Rivera always planned for glitz and glam, but the first convention will be much more subtle. After years of thinking about doing a convention locally, it is finally becoming a reality.

"I've always just imagined a place where people can come together and celebrate not only the fandom, but who they are," he said. "This is much more than just a furry fandom. It's an LGBTQ community. It's a celebration of art, designs, and I wanted to bring that to Kansas. I wanted to give people a chance to be a part of something that's not in the big city, something they can do locally."

Wednesday's announcement made statewide headlines. Rivera expected backlash with the announcement but is pleased the event is finally moving forward.

"Public opinion was pretty much about where I thought it would be," he said. "The amount of returns I've gotten from the hidden furry community, the people behind the scenes, they've been sending me emails giving me lots of support. The open, out-loud people who are against the community, I 100 percent expected that. But given the support from the inner community, and even from our community abroad, I'm excited for this."

The 3-day event is scheduled for July 21-23 at the Events Center. A schedule of events is still in the works, though Rivera would like to have a speaker of some sort. A small number of vendors will be present for the event, which Rivera said will be similar to a Comic-Con. Security at the door will check identification, and another security guard will be inside the facility. Costumes are encouraged but not required for the first convention. The idea is expression with the safety of anonymity.

"That's basically the whole idea behind it, the ability for people to create and design their own characters," said Rivera. "Most of the furry community are normal, everyday people. The only difference is they love to come together and draw animals, or celebrate animals in that sense. We're not doing anything weird with the animals, we're not doing anything weird with the suits. It's all just normal people coming together to have a good time and celebrate the furry community."

Rivera is hoping for 20-30 attendees for the inaugural events. Admission tickets are $25 and will soon be available on the group's website.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674221180078.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostThe cat is out of the bag. And the ponies, unicorns, and a host of other characters. Wednesday evening, it was announced the first-ever FurryFansago event is coming to the Great Bend Events Center in July. Founder Kristian Rivera always planned for glitz and glam, but the first convention will be much more subtle. After years of thinking about doing a convention locally, it is finally becoming a reality."I've always just imagined a place where people can come together and celebrate not only the fandom, but who they are," he said. "This is much more than just a furry fandom. It's an LGBTQ community. It's a celebration of art, designs, and I wanted to bring that to Kansas. I wanted to give people a chance to be a part of something that's not in the big city, something they can do locally."Wednesday's announcement made statewide headlines. Rivera expected backlash with the announcement but is pleased the event is finally moving forward."Public opinion was pretty much about where I thought it would be," he said. "The amount of returns I've gotten from the hidden furry community, the people behind the scenes, they've been sending me emails giving me lots of support. The open, out-loud people who are against the community, I 100 percent expected that. But given the support from the inner community, and even from our community abroad, I'm excited for this."The 3-day event is scheduled for July 21-23 at the Events Center. A schedule of events is still in the works, though Rivera would like to have a speaker of some sort. A small number of vendors will be present for the event, which Rivera said will be similar to a Comic-Con. Security at the door will check identification, and another security guard will be inside the facility. Costumes are encouraged but not required for the first convention. The idea is expression with the safety of anonymity."That's basically the whole idea behind it, the ability for people to create and design their own characters," said Rivera. "Most of the furry community are normal, everyday people. The only difference is they love to come together and draw animals, or celebrate animals in that sense. We're not doing anything weird with the animals, we're not doing anything weird with the suits. It's all just normal people coming together to have a good time and celebrate the furry community."Rivera is hoping for 20-30 attendees for the inaugural events. Admission tickets are $25 and will soon be available on the group's website.

Great Bend will host first-ever Kansas Furcon in July

WASHINGTON (AP) — One year ago, the annual March for Life protest against legal abortion took place in Washington in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-texas-mississippi-constitutions-281018c3cd29f79d02444a539bc16d63">mood of undisguised triumph</a>. With a fresh conservative majority on the Supreme Court, thousands of marchers braved bitterly cold weather to celebrate the seemingly inevitable fall of Roe v. Wade.

Now they're assembling again, with the constitutional right to abortion&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">no longer the rule of the land</a>. Friday's March for Life has a new focus. Instead of concentrating their attention on the Supreme Court, the marchers are pushing for action from the building directly across the street: the U.S. Capitol.

Movement leaders say they plan to warn Congress against making any attempt to curtail the multiple anti-abortion laws imposed last year in a dozen states.

Evangelist Franklin Graham, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, whose office argued the case that overturned Roe v. Wade, were among the expected speakers.

Jeanne Mancini, president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, said the march is “a somber reminder of the millions of lives lost to abortion in the past 50 years, but also a celebration of how far we have come and where we as a movement need to focus our effort as we enter this new era in our quest to protect life.”

Some movement leaders also hope to plant seeds in Congress for a potential federal abortion restriction down the line. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA Pro-Life America, said she envisions an eventual “federal minimum standard” cut-off line such as 13 weeks of pregnancy after which abortion would not be permitted in any state. Dannenfelser's scenario would still leave individual states free to impose their own, stricter measures, including a total ban.

That last ambition is an admitted longshot since even if it passes the newly Republican-controlled House, it would most likely fail in the Democratic-held Senate.

“We know it’s not going to happen this session, but this is the beginning,” Dannenfelser said. “It's (Congress') responsibility to listen to the will of the people.”

In permit applications to the National Park Service, protest organizers estimated 50,000 participants this year, about the same size as previous marches.

In the absence of Roe v. Wade's federal protections, abortion rights have become a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-for-life-abortion-roe-anniversary-0a7e6ef93091d16307ca935e0ae1d2bd">state-by-state patchwork</a>.

Since June, near-total bans on abortion have been implemented in Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia. Legal challenges are pending against several of those bans.

Elective abortions also are unavailable in Wisconsin, due to legal uncertainties faced by abortion clinics, and in North Dakota, where the lone clinic relocated to Minnesota.

Bans passed by lawmakers in Ohio, Indiana and Wyoming have been blocked by state courts while legal challenges are pending. And in South Carolina, the state Supreme Court on Jan. 5 struck down a ban on abortion after six weeks, ruling the restriction violates a state constitutional right to privacy.

But other states have witnessed unexpected pushback on the issue. Voters in Kansas and Kentucky rejected constitutional amendments that would have declared there is no right to abortion; Michigan voters approved an amendment enshrining the right to abortion in the state constitution.

President Joe Biden's administration has limited options after the Supreme Court decision. Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ron-desantis-politics-florida-state-government-minnesota-fbc766faf5d1aad308ae923103e0db64">give a speech in Florida</a>&nbsp;on Sunday, the 50th anniversary of the original Roe v. Wade ruling, to emphasize that abortion rights remain a core focus for the administration.

“The vice president will make very clear: The fight to secure women’s fundamental right to reproductive health care is far from over,” said a statement from Kirsten Allen, a Harris spokesperson. “She will lay out the consequences of extremist attacks on reproductive freedom in states across our country and underscore the need for Congress to codify Roe.”

According to an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-congress-government-and-politics-fc8c68d1c4dd29ef0a364050013b8cf4">Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll</a>&nbsp;conducted in July, 53% of U.S. adults said they disapproved of the Supreme Court’s repeal of Roe, while 30% approved.

Dannenfelser disputes those numbers and says that while blanket abortion bans are a divisive issue among voters, limited restrictions such as a ban after the first trimester of pregnancy are “wildly popular” in both red and blue states.

Anti-abortion activists also have their eye on the 2024 presidential elections and are essentially vetting prospective candidates over their views on the issue. Dannenfelser said she met recently with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a potential leading Republican candidate, and came away “incredibly impressed,” but said it was still too early for her organization to endorse anyone.

She predicted that there will be some “fault lines” among Republican presidential contenders over abortion rights and protections, but warned that any candidate perceived as being soft on the issue will have "disqualified him or herself as a presidential candidate in our eyes, and having done so has very little chance of winning the nomination.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — One year ago, the annual March for Life protest against legal abortion took place in Washington in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-texas-mississippi-constitutions-281018c3cd29f79d02444a539bc16d63">mood of undisguised triumph</a>. With a fresh conservative majority on the Supreme Court, thousands of marchers braved bitterly cold weather to celebrate the seemingly inevitable fall of Roe v. Wade.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Welcome to the wonderful people participating in the March For Life on the National Mall today! Our fight for life is not over, and I look forward to fighting alongside you for pro-life policies here in DC. <a href="https://t.co/yPljpcn5ah">pic.twitter.com/yPljpcn5ah</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1616442057945481216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Now they're assembling again, with the constitutional right to abortion&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">no longer the rule of the land</a>. Friday's March for Life has a new focus. Instead of concentrating their attention on the Supreme Court, the marchers are pushing for action from the building directly across the street: the U.S. Capitol.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fmarchforlife%2Fvideos%2F2001769443547788%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0" 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>Movement leaders say they plan to warn Congress against making any attempt to curtail the multiple anti-abortion laws imposed last year in a dozen states.Evangelist Franklin Graham, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, whose office argued the case that overturned Roe v. Wade, were among the expected speakers.Jeanne Mancini, president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, said the march is “a somber reminder of the millions of lives lost to abortion in the past 50 years, but also a celebration of how far we have come and where we as a movement need to focus our effort as we enter this new era in our quest to protect life.”Some movement leaders also hope to plant seeds in Congress for a potential federal abortion restriction down the line. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA Pro-Life America, said she envisions an eventual “federal minimum standard” cut-off line such as 13 weeks of pregnancy after which abortion would not be permitted in any state. Dannenfelser's scenario would still leave individual states free to impose their own, stricter measures, including a total ban.That last ambition is an admitted longshot since even if it passes the newly Republican-controlled House, it would most likely fail in the Democratic-held Senate.“We know it’s not going to happen this session, but this is the beginning,” Dannenfelser said. “It's (Congress') responsibility to listen to the will of the people.”In permit applications to the National Park Service, protest organizers estimated 50,000 participants this year, about the same size as previous marches.In the absence of Roe v. Wade's federal protections, abortion rights have become a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-for-life-abortion-roe-anniversary-0a7e6ef93091d16307ca935e0ae1d2bd">state-by-state patchwork</a>.Since June, near-total bans on abortion have been implemented in Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia. Legal challenges are pending against several of those bans.Elective abortions also are unavailable in Wisconsin, due to legal uncertainties faced by abortion clinics, and in North Dakota, where the lone clinic relocated to Minnesota.Bans passed by lawmakers in Ohio, Indiana and Wyoming have been blocked by state courts while legal challenges are pending. And in South Carolina, the state Supreme Court on Jan. 5 struck down a ban on abortion after six weeks, ruling the restriction violates a state constitutional right to privacy.But other states have witnessed unexpected pushback on the issue. Voters in Kansas and Kentucky rejected constitutional amendments that would have declared there is no right to abortion; Michigan voters approved an amendment enshrining the right to abortion in the state constitution.President Joe Biden's administration has limited options after the Supreme Court decision. Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ron-desantis-politics-florida-state-government-minnesota-fbc766faf5d1aad308ae923103e0db64">give a speech in Florida</a>&nbsp;on Sunday, the 50th anniversary of the original Roe v. Wade ruling, to emphasize that abortion rights remain a core focus for the administration.“The vice president will make very clear: The fight to secure women’s fundamental right to reproductive health care is far from over,” said a statement from Kirsten Allen, a Harris spokesperson. “She will lay out the consequences of extremist attacks on reproductive freedom in states across our country and underscore the need for Congress to codify Roe.”According to an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-congress-government-and-politics-fc8c68d1c4dd29ef0a364050013b8cf4">Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll</a>&nbsp;conducted in July, 53% of U.S. adults said they disapproved of the Supreme Court’s repeal of Roe, while 30% approved.Dannenfelser disputes those numbers and says that while blanket abortion bans are a divisive issue among voters, limited restrictions such as a ban after the first trimester of pregnancy are “wildly popular” in both red and blue states.Anti-abortion activists also have their eye on the 2024 presidential elections and are essentially vetting prospective candidates over their views on the issue. Dannenfelser said she met recently with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a potential leading Republican candidate, and came away “incredibly impressed,” but said it was still too early for her organization to endorse anyone.She predicted that there will be some “fault lines” among Republican presidential contenders over abortion rights and protections, but warned that any candidate perceived as being soft on the issue will have "disqualified him or herself as a presidential candidate in our eyes, and having done so has very little chance of winning the nomination.”

🎥 Marshall offers welcome; March for Life returns to DC 

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Two children and one adult died in a Kansas house fire on Friday.

Just 5:00 a.m., crews responded to the report of house fire at 916 SW Warren Avenue in Topeka, according to fire department spokesperson Rosie Nichols.

First responding crews found heavy smoke and flames coming from the two-story house. Crews entered, searched the home and found four individuals.&nbsp;An adult and child were pronounced deceased on the scene.

Fire crews rescued an adult and a juvenile from the home and firefighters began immediate life-saving treatment.&nbsp; American Medical Response (AMR) transported both to a local hospital. The child later died at the hospital, according to Nichols. 

The adult remains hospitalized. Officials did not have an update on the condition of the adult.&nbsp; The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674225989378.png" alt="First responding crews found heavy smoke and flames coming from the two-story house.-photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>First responding crews found heavy smoke and flames coming from the two-story house.-photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Two children and one adult died in a Kansas house fire on Friday.Just 5:00 a.m., crews responded to the report of house fire at 916 SW Warren Avenue in Topeka, according to fire department spokesperson Rosie Nichols.First responding crews found heavy smoke and flames coming from the two-story house. Crews entered, searched the home and found four individuals.&nbsp;An adult and child were pronounced deceased on the scene.Fire crews rescued an adult and a juvenile from the home and firefighters began immediate life-saving treatment.&nbsp; American Medical Response (AMR) transported both to a local hospital. The child later died at the hospital, according to Nichols. The adult remains hospitalized. Officials did not have an update on the condition of the adult.&nbsp; The cause of the fire is still under investigation.Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

2 children, adult killed in Kansas house fire

APTOS, Calif. (AP) — A frustrated President Joe Biden said Thursday there is “no there there” when he was persistently questioned about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-hillary-clinton-karine-jean-pierre-58228d94cdcfe4ebe00521b049037868">discovery of classified documents</a>&nbsp;and official records at his home and former office.

(click below to watch the President's comment)

“We found a handful of documents were filed in the wrong place,” Biden said to reporters who questioned him during a tour of the damage from storms in California. “We immediately turned them over to the Archives and the Justice Department.”

Biden said he was “fully cooperating and looking forward to getting this resolved quickly.”

“I think you're going to find there's nothing there,” he said. “There's no there there.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-812ef44a5333f6d93423a67a683fa024">The White House has disclosed</a>&nbsp;that Biden attorneys found classified documents and official records on four occasions in recent months — on Nov. 2 at the offices of the Penn Biden Center in Washington, and then in follow up searches on Dec. 20 in the garage of the president’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, and on Jan. 11 and 12 in the president’s home library.

The discovery complicates a federal probe into former President Donald Trump, who the Justice Department says took hundreds of records marked classified with him upon leaving the White House in early 2021 and resisted months of requests to return them to the government.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-classified-documents-trump-side-by-side-fb2c4ebccdbdbb9039c1c5e227b1da53">The two cases are different</a>&nbsp;— Biden for example, willingly turned over the documents once found. But the issue is wearing on the president and his aides, who have repeatedly said they acted swiftly and appropriately when the documents were discovered, and are working to be as transparent as possible though key questions remain unanswered.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/classified-documents-biden-home-wilmington-33479d12c7cf0a822adb2f44c32b88fd">Attorney General Merrick Garland</a>&nbsp;last week appointed Robert Hur, a former Maryland U.S. attorney, to serve as special counsel to oversee the Justice Department’s inquiry into the documents. Garland said the extraordinary circumstances warranted a special counsel, and he also made the decision in part to show the Justice Department’s “commitment to both independence and accountability in particularly sensitive matters.”

Hur is taking over for federal prosecutor John Lausch, who was initially asked to review the documents and whose team has already been interviewing former Biden aides responsible for packing up boxes during his time as vice president. Those interviews include Kathy Chung, who served as an administrative assistant during that time, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.

Biden expressed frustration that the documents matter was coming&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-tours-california-storm-damage-ad4193df692da681ab10dab1aa11fa27">up as he surveyed coastal storm damage,</a>&nbsp;telling reporters that it “bugs me” that he was being asked about the handling of the classified material even as “we have a serious problem here” in California.

"Why you don’t ask me questions about that?" he pressed.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-hillary-clinton-karine-jean-pierre-58228d94cdcfe4ebe00521b049037868">Biden’s team has faced criticism</a>&nbsp;for its fragmented disclosures — the public wasn't notified of the documents until early January and after that the additional findings dripped out slowly. It has occasionally led to heated exchanges between reporters and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in the White House briefing room. She ran into trouble when she suggested last Friday that all documents had been recovered, only to have an additional discovery disclosed over the weekend.

Biden said Thursday he has “no regrets” over how and when the public learned about the documents.

“I’m following what the lawyers have told me they want me to do," he said.

APTOS, Calif. (AP) — A frustrated President Joe Biden said Thursday there is “no there there” when he was persistently questioned about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-hillary-clinton-karine-jean-pierre-58228d94cdcfe4ebe00521b049037868">discovery of classified documents</a>&nbsp;and official records at his home and former office.(click below to watch the President's comment)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F557971022872716%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=1186" 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>“We found a handful of documents were filed in the wrong place,” Biden said to reporters who questioned him during a tour of the damage from storms in California. “We immediately turned them over to the Archives and the Justice Department.”Biden said he was “fully cooperating and looking forward to getting this resolved quickly.”“I think you're going to find there's nothing there,” he said. “There's no there there.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-812ef44a5333f6d93423a67a683fa024">The White House has disclosed</a>&nbsp;that Biden attorneys found classified documents and official records on four occasions in recent months — on Nov. 2 at the offices of the Penn Biden Center in Washington, and then in follow up searches on Dec. 20 in the garage of the president’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, and on Jan. 11 and 12 in the president’s home library.The discovery complicates a federal probe into former President Donald Trump, who the Justice Department says took hundreds of records marked classified with him upon leaving the White House in early 2021 and resisted months of requests to return them to the government.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-classified-documents-trump-side-by-side-fb2c4ebccdbdbb9039c1c5e227b1da53">The two cases are different</a>&nbsp;— Biden for example, willingly turned over the documents once found. But the issue is wearing on the president and his aides, who have repeatedly said they acted swiftly and appropriately when the documents were discovered, and are working to be as transparent as possible though key questions remain unanswered.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/classified-documents-biden-home-wilmington-33479d12c7cf0a822adb2f44c32b88fd">Attorney General Merrick Garland</a>&nbsp;last week appointed Robert Hur, a former Maryland U.S. attorney, to serve as special counsel to oversee the Justice Department’s inquiry into the documents. Garland said the extraordinary circumstances warranted a special counsel, and he also made the decision in part to show the Justice Department’s “commitment to both independence and accountability in particularly sensitive matters.”Hur is taking over for federal prosecutor John Lausch, who was initially asked to review the documents and whose team has already been interviewing former Biden aides responsible for packing up boxes during his time as vice president. Those interviews include Kathy Chung, who served as an administrative assistant during that time, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.Biden expressed frustration that the documents matter was coming&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-tours-california-storm-damage-ad4193df692da681ab10dab1aa11fa27">up as he surveyed coastal storm damage,</a>&nbsp;telling reporters that it “bugs me” that he was being asked about the handling of the classified material even as “we have a serious problem here” in California."Why you don’t ask me questions about that?" he pressed.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-hillary-clinton-karine-jean-pierre-58228d94cdcfe4ebe00521b049037868">Biden’s team has faced criticism</a>&nbsp;for its fragmented disclosures — the public wasn't notified of the documents until early January and after that the additional findings dripped out slowly. It has occasionally led to heated exchanges between reporters and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in the White House briefing room. She ran into trouble when she suggested last Friday that all documents had been recovered, only to have an additional discovery disclosed over the weekend.Biden said Thursday he has “no regrets” over how and when the public learned about the documents.“I’m following what the lawyers have told me they want me to do," he said.___

🎥 Biden says he has 'no regrets' on how he handled classified docs

BOSTON (AP) — The U.S. wireless carrier T-Mobile said Thursday that an unidentified malicious intruder breached its network in late November and stole data on 37 million customers, including addresses, phone numbers and dates of birth.

T-Mobile said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that the breach was discovered Jan. 5. It said the data exposed to theft — based on its investigation to date — did not include passwords or PINs, bank account or credit card information, Social Security numbers or other government IDs.

“Our investigation is still ongoing, but the malicious activity appears to be fully contained at this time,” T-Mobile said, with no evidence the intruder was able to breach the company's network. It said the data was first accessed on or around Nov. 25.

BOSTON (AP) — The U.S. wireless carrier T-Mobile said Thursday that an unidentified malicious intruder breached its network in late November and stole data on 37 million customers, including addresses, phone numbers and dates of birth.T-Mobile said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that the breach was discovered Jan. 5. It said the data exposed to theft — based on its investigation to date — did not include passwords or PINs, bank account or credit card information, Social Security numbers or other government IDs.“Our investigation is still ongoing, but the malicious activity appears to be fully contained at this time,” T-Mobile said, with no evidence the intruder was able to breach the company's network. It said the data was first accessed on or around Nov. 25.T-Mobile said it has notified law enforcement and federal agencies, which it did not name. It did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.The company has been hacked multiple times in recent years. In its filing, T-Mobile said it did not expect the latest breach to have material impact on its operations. But a senior analyst for Moody's Investors Service, Neil Mack, said in a statement that the breach raises questions about management's cyber governance and could alienate customers and attract scrutiny by the Federal Communications Commission and other regulators.“While these cybersecurity breaches may not be systemic in nature, their frequency of occurrence at T-Mobile is an alarming outlier relative to telecom peers,” Mack said.In July, T-Mobile agreed&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/8f03e9f76fa75f474f1a2584ce3a55f0">to pay $350 million to customers</a>&nbsp;who filed a class action lawsuit&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/8f03e9f76fa75f474f1a2584ce3a55f0"></a>after the company disclosed in August 2021 that personal data including Social Security numbers and driver's license info had been stolen. Nearly 80 million U.S. residents were affected.It also said at the time that it would spend $150 million through 2023 to fortify its data security and other technologies.Prior to the August 2021 intrusion, the company disclosed breaches in January 2021, November 2019 and August 2018 in which customer information was accessed.T-Mobile, based in Bellevue, Washington, became one of the country’s largest cellphone service carriers in 2020&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/1150e4f20d30bc327665da6aca0b1cbd">after buying rival Sprint</a>. It reported having more than 102 million customers after the merger.