WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is once more making some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-to-get-usps-government-covid-tests-64a4e2cc86c501187a5bb401c1552188">free COVID-19 tests</a><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/Summary%20=%20The%20Biden%20administration%20is%20once%20again%20making%20some%20free%20COVID-19%20tests%20available%20to%20all%20American%20households,%20as%20it%20unveils%20its%20contingency%20plans%20for%20potential%20coronavirus%20surges%20this%20winter.After%20a%20three%20month%20hiatus,%20the%20administration%20is%20making%20four%20rapid%20virus%20tests%20available%20to%20all%20U.S.%20households%20through%20covidtests.gov%20starting%20Thursday,%20a%20senior%20administration%20official%20said%20on%20the%20condition%20of%20anonymity%20to%20discuss%20the%20program.%20COVID-19%20cases%20have%20shown%20a%20marked%20increase%20after%20the%20Thanksgiving%20holiday%20and%20further%20increases%20are%20projected%20from%20indoor%20gathering%20and%20travel%20around%20Christmas%20and%20New%20Years.%20Body%20=%20SOCIAL%20MEDIA:%20Ahead%20of%20potential%20coronavirus%20surge,%20Biden%20administration%20to%20again%20make%20free%20COVID-19%20tests%20available.%20EMBARGOED%20UNTIL%205am%20The%20Biden%20administration%20is%20once%20again%20making%20some%20free%20COVID-19%20tests%20available%20to%20all%20American%20households,%20as%20it%20unveils%20its%20contingency%20plans%20for%20potential%20coronavirus%20surges%20this%20winter.%20After%20a%20three%20month%20hiatus,%20the%20administration%20is%20making%20four%20rapid%20virus%20tests%20available%20to%20all%20U.S.%20households%20through%20covidtests.gov%20starting%20Thursday,%20a%20senior%20administration%20official%20said.%20The%20official%20spoke%20on%20the%20condition%20of%20anonymity%20to%20discuss%20the%20program.%20COVID-19%20cases%20have%20shown%20a%20marked%20increase%20after%20the%20Thanksgiving%20holiday%20and%20further%20increases%20are%20projected%20from%20indoor%20gathering%20and%20travel%20around%20Christmas%20and%20New%20Years.%20The%20administration%20is%20putting%20personnel%20and%20equipment%20on%20standby%20should%20they%20been%20needed%20to%20help%20overwhelmed%20hospitals%20and%20nursing%20homes,%20as%20was%20necessary%20in%20earlier%20waves%20of%20the%20virus.%20So%20far%20there%20have%20been%20no%20requests%20for%20assistance,%20but%20surge%20teams,%20ventilators%20and%20personal%20protective%20equipment%20are%20ready,%20the%20official%20said.%20The%20Biden%20administration%20is%20also%20encouraging%20states%20and%20local%20governments%20to%20do%20more%20to%20encourage%20people%20to%20getU%20the%20updated%20bivalent%20COVID-19%20vaccines,%20which%20scientists%20say%20are%20more%20effective%20at%20protecting%20against%20serious%20illness%20and%20death%20from%20the%20currently%20circulating%20variants.%20The%20administration%20is%20also%20reiterating%20best%20practices%20to%20nursing%20homes%20and%20long-term%20care%20facilities%20for%20virus%20prevention%20and%20treatment,%20and%20encouraging%20administrators%20as%20well%20as%20governments%20to%20encourage%20vulnerable%20populations%20to%20get%20the%20new%20shots.%20The%20planning%20comes%20as%20the%20administration%20has%20struggled%20to%20convince%20most%20Americans%20to%20get%20the%20updated%20boosters%20as%20cases%20and%20deaths%20have%20declined%20from%20pandemic%20highs%20and%20most%20people%20have%20embraced%20a%20return%20to%20most%20of%20their%20pre-pandemic%20activities.%20The%20official%20said%20funding%20for%20the%20new%20tests%20has%20been%20reallocated%20from%20other%20virus%20programs%20while%20the%20White%20House%20struggles%20to%20get%20congressional%20buy-in%20for%20additional%20COVID-19%20emergency%20funding.%20The%20official%20declined%20to%20detail%20how%20much%20is%20being%20spent%20on%20the%20new%20tests%20or%20from%20which%20programs%20they%20were%20diverted%20from."></a>&nbsp;available to all U.S. households as it releases its contingency plans with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">coronavirus</a>&nbsp;cases ticking upward this winter.

<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/12/15/fact-sheet-biden-administration-announces-covid-19-winter-preparedness-plan/">Click here to read </a>the plan details

After a three-month hiatus, the administration is making four rapid virus tests available per household through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.covid.gov/tests">covidtests.gov</a>&nbsp;starting Thursday. COVID-19 cases have shown a marked increase after the Thanksgiving holiday, and further increases are projected from indoor gathering and travel around Christmas and New Year's.

Cases are up across 90% of the country, White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said Thursday during a briefing. Deaths and hospitalizations are also on the rise, with nearly 3,000 deaths reported last week. Most of those have been concentrated in people age 65 and older, Jha said.

“We don’t want this winter to look like last winter or the winter before,” Jha said.

As cases begin to rise again, much of the United States is also dealing with other respiratory viruses heading into this winter with an influx of flu and RSV, or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-covid-pandemics-072e11e5e3af77aac19fe95773a69610">respiratory syncytial virus</a>. Jha told reporters he is confident that the worst of RSV -- which hit young children particularly hard -- is over, but that flu cases are only just spiking.

The administration is putting personnel and equipment on standby should they be needed to help overwhelmed hospitals and nursing homes, as was necessary in earlier waves of the coronavirus. So far, there have been no requests for assistance, but surge teams, ventilators and personal protective equipment are ready, the White House said.

The administration is also urging states and local governments to do more to encourage people to get&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccine-omicron-booster-shot-227514678d25a99b65b7ee092735fb03">the updated bivalent COVID-19 vaccines</a>, which scientists say are more effective at protecting against serious illness and death from the currently circulating variants. The administration is reiterating best practices to nursing homes and long-term care facilities for virus prevention and treatment and is urging administrators as well as governments to encourage vulnerable populations to get the new shots. Less than half of all nursing home residents have received the latest booster shot, Jha said.

The planning comes as the administration has struggled to persuade most Americans to get the updated boosters as cases and deaths have declined from pandemic highs and most people have embraced a return to most of their pre-pandemic activities. Less than 14% of people in the U.S. older than have gotten the most recent booster.

The White House said the new tests would come from the national stockpile, which still has reserves even after the administration shut off&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-lifestyle-only-on-ap-57e63ac3d5c508f3d41afdedbdc2aaea">the at-home testing program</a>&nbsp;in September, citing a lack of money from Congress. The administration is still asking Congress for billions more dollars for the virus response.

The pause on free at-home testing program this summer allowed the administration to save some free at-home tests for the surge in cases this winter, Jha said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642088735613.png" alt="Funding for the new tests has been reallocated from other virus programs while the White House struggles to get congressional buy-in for additional COVID-19 emergency funding-White House Photo" />
 <figcaption>Funding for the new tests has been reallocated from other virus programs while the White House struggles to get congressional buy-in for additional COVID-19 emergency funding-White House Photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is once more making some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-to-get-usps-government-covid-tests-64a4e2cc86c501187a5bb401c1552188">free COVID-19 tests</a><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/Summary%20=%20The%20Biden%20administration%20is%20once%20again%20making%20some%20free%20COVID-19%20tests%20available%20to%20all%20American%20households,%20as%20it%20unveils%20its%20contingency%20plans%20for%20potential%20coronavirus%20surges%20this%20winter.After%20a%20three%20month%20hiatus,%20the%20administration%20is%20making%20four%20rapid%20virus%20tests%20available%20to%20all%20U.S.%20households%20through%20covidtests.gov%20starting%20Thursday,%20a%20senior%20administration%20official%20said%20on%20the%20condition%20of%20anonymity%20to%20discuss%20the%20program.%20COVID-19%20cases%20have%20shown%20a%20marked%20increase%20after%20the%20Thanksgiving%20holiday%20and%20further%20increases%20are%20projected%20from%20indoor%20gathering%20and%20travel%20around%20Christmas%20and%20New%20Years.%20Body%20=%20SOCIAL%20MEDIA:%20Ahead%20of%20potential%20coronavirus%20surge,%20Biden%20administration%20to%20again%20make%20free%20COVID-19%20tests%20available.%20EMBARGOED%20UNTIL%205am%20The%20Biden%20administration%20is%20once%20again%20making%20some%20free%20COVID-19%20tests%20available%20to%20all%20American%20households,%20as%20it%20unveils%20its%20contingency%20plans%20for%20potential%20coronavirus%20surges%20this%20winter.%20After%20a%20three%20month%20hiatus,%20the%20administration%20is%20making%20four%20rapid%20virus%20tests%20available%20to%20all%20U.S.%20households%20through%20covidtests.gov%20starting%20Thursday,%20a%20senior%20administration%20official%20said.%20The%20official%20spoke%20on%20the%20condition%20of%20anonymity%20to%20discuss%20the%20program.%20COVID-19%20cases%20have%20shown%20a%20marked%20increase%20after%20the%20Thanksgiving%20holiday%20and%20further%20increases%20are%20projected%20from%20indoor%20gathering%20and%20travel%20around%20Christmas%20and%20New%20Years.%20The%20administration%20is%20putting%20personnel%20and%20equipment%20on%20standby%20should%20they%20been%20needed%20to%20help%20overwhelmed%20hospitals%20and%20nursing%20homes,%20as%20was%20necessary%20in%20earlier%20waves%20of%20the%20virus.%20So%20far%20there%20have%20been%20no%20requests%20for%20assistance,%20but%20surge%20teams,%20ventilators%20and%20personal%20protective%20equipment%20are%20ready,%20the%20official%20said.%20The%20Biden%20administration%20is%20also%20encouraging%20states%20and%20local%20governments%20to%20do%20more%20to%20encourage%20people%20to%20getU%20the%20updated%20bivalent%20COVID-19%20vaccines,%20which%20scientists%20say%20are%20more%20effective%20at%20protecting%20against%20serious%20illness%20and%20death%20from%20the%20currently%20circulating%20variants.%20The%20administration%20is%20also%20reiterating%20best%20practices%20to%20nursing%20homes%20and%20long-term%20care%20facilities%20for%20virus%20prevention%20and%20treatment,%20and%20encouraging%20administrators%20as%20well%20as%20governments%20to%20encourage%20vulnerable%20populations%20to%20get%20the%20new%20shots.%20The%20planning%20comes%20as%20the%20administration%20has%20struggled%20to%20convince%20most%20Americans%20to%20get%20the%20updated%20boosters%20as%20cases%20and%20deaths%20have%20declined%20from%20pandemic%20highs%20and%20most%20people%20have%20embraced%20a%20return%20to%20most%20of%20their%20pre-pandemic%20activities.%20The%20official%20said%20funding%20for%20the%20new%20tests%20has%20been%20reallocated%20from%20other%20virus%20programs%20while%20the%20White%20House%20struggles%20to%20get%20congressional%20buy-in%20for%20additional%20COVID-19%20emergency%20funding.%20The%20official%20declined%20to%20detail%20how%20much%20is%20being%20spent%20on%20the%20new%20tests%20or%20from%20which%20programs%20they%20were%20diverted%20from."></a>&nbsp;available to all U.S. households as it releases its contingency plans with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">coronavirus</a>&nbsp;cases ticking upward this winter.<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/12/15/fact-sheet-biden-administration-announces-covid-19-winter-preparedness-plan/">Click here to read </a>the plan details<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F1071570614242015%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=56" 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>After a three-month hiatus, the administration is making four rapid virus tests available per household through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.covid.gov/tests">covidtests.gov</a>&nbsp;starting Thursday. COVID-19 cases have shown a marked increase after the Thanksgiving holiday, and further increases are projected from indoor gathering and travel around Christmas and New Year's.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">COVID cases are going up across the country. But we have the tools, infrastructure, and know-how we need to manage this moment. Today, we announced our Winter COVID-19 Preparedness Plan to ensure we stay ahead of increases in cases this winter. Take a look: <a href="https://t.co/qULXMZYD4Z">pic.twitter.com/qULXMZYD4Z</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1603464920888184846?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Cases are up across 90% of the country, White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said Thursday during a briefing. Deaths and hospitalizations are also on the rise, with nearly 3,000 deaths reported last week. Most of those have been concentrated in people age 65 and older, Jha said.“We don’t want this winter to look like last winter or the winter before,” Jha said.As cases begin to rise again, much of the United States is also dealing with other respiratory viruses heading into this winter with an influx of flu and RSV, or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-covid-pandemics-072e11e5e3af77aac19fe95773a69610">respiratory syncytial virus</a>. Jha told reporters he is confident that the worst of RSV -- which hit young children particularly hard -- is over, but that flu cases are only just spiking.The administration is putting personnel and equipment on standby should they be needed to help overwhelmed hospitals and nursing homes, as was necessary in earlier waves of the coronavirus. So far, there have been no requests for assistance, but surge teams, ventilators and personal protective equipment are ready, the White House said.The administration is also urging states and local governments to do more to encourage people to get&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccine-omicron-booster-shot-227514678d25a99b65b7ee092735fb03">the updated bivalent COVID-19 vaccines</a>, which scientists say are more effective at protecting against serious illness and death from the currently circulating variants. The administration is reiterating best practices to nursing homes and long-term care facilities for virus prevention and treatment and is urging administrators as well as governments to encourage vulnerable populations to get the new shots. Less than half of all nursing home residents have received the latest booster shot, Jha said.The planning comes as the administration has struggled to persuade most Americans to get the updated boosters as cases and deaths have declined from pandemic highs and most people have embraced a return to most of their pre-pandemic activities. Less than 14% of people in the U.S. older than have gotten the most recent booster.The White House said the new tests would come from the national stockpile, which still has reserves even after the administration shut off&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-lifestyle-only-on-ap-57e63ac3d5c508f3d41afdedbdc2aaea">the at-home testing program</a>&nbsp;in September, citing a lack of money from Congress. The administration is still asking Congress for billions more dollars for the virus response.The pause on free at-home testing program this summer allowed the administration to save some free at-home tests for the surge in cases this winter, Jha said.___

🎥White House winter COVID-19 plan includes more free tests

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —A Kansas woman died in an accident just after 12:30a.m. Thursday in Wyandotte County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a&nbsp; 2007 Nissan Altima driven by&nbsp; Sade Shane Parker, 29, Kansas City, Kansas, was westbound Metropolitan Avenue at the intersection of South 32nd Street.

The driver lost control of the car when it struck a slope in the roadway, vaulted, traveled off the road to the left and struck a rock wall at a private residence.

Parker was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Frontier Forensics. She was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —A Kansas woman died in an accident just after 12:30a.m. Thursday in Wyandotte County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a&nbsp; 2007 Nissan Altima driven by&nbsp; Sade Shane Parker, 29, Kansas City, Kansas, was westbound Metropolitan Avenue at the intersection of South 32nd Street.The driver lost control of the car when it struck a slope in the roadway, vaulted, traveled off the road to the left and struck a rock wall at a private residence.Parker was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Frontier Forensics. She was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Kansas woman dies after car strikes rock wall at private home

SEDGWICK COUNTY —The search for a suspect wanted in connection with a rural Kansas murder is over. Just after 3:30p.m. Thursday police arrested&nbsp;31-year-old Saul Chavez Valenciana following a standoff&nbsp; in the 1600 block of S. Parkwood in Wichita, according to Officer Trevor Macy.

On Dec. 2, police reported they were investigating after a dead body was found in rural Sumner County, believed to be connected to an ongoing investigation in Wichita.

On November 29, police were contacted by a 69-year-old man who reported 41-year-old Brent Boone, of Wichita, missing under unusual circumstances, according to Officer Chad Ditch.

Boone was last seen on November 24, 2022, at 9:30 pm at his residence in the 1300 block of N. Pershing in Wichita before leaving in a vehicle with two individuals – identified as Valenciana and 19- year-old Tehya Turner, both of Wichita.

It is believed that an altercation occurred inside the car, during which Boone was killed.

On Wednesday, November 30, follow-up investigation led officers to a crime scene in the 9300 block of S. Pattie in Haysville, where they began processing evidence. Police located the vehicle on December 1, near 21st and Ridge, abandoned, according to Ditch.

Further investigation led officers to a rural area Southwest of Clearwater, one mile west of N Clearwater Road and 140th Ave N, where a body was located. Investigators with WPD and members of the Sumner County Sheriff's Office are working to confirm the body's identity, but at this time, it is believed to be Boone.

Police took Turner into custody Dec. 2 and she is being held on a $1 million dollar bond charged with first degree murder, burglary and possession of marijuana, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670023341610.png" alt="-Valenciana-photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>-Valenciana-photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —The search for a suspect wanted in connection with a rural Kansas murder is over. Just after 3:30p.m. Thursday police arrested&nbsp;31-year-old Saul Chavez Valenciana following a standoff&nbsp; in the 1600 block of S. Parkwood in Wichita, according to Officer Trevor Macy.On Dec. 2, police reported they were investigating after a dead body was found in rural Sumner County, believed to be connected to an ongoing investigation in Wichita.On November 29, police were contacted by a 69-year-old man who reported 41-year-old Brent Boone, of Wichita, missing under unusual circumstances, according to Officer Chad Ditch.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670173983028.png" alt="-Turner-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>-Turner-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Boone was last seen on November 24, 2022, at 9:30 pm at his residence in the 1300 block of N. Pershing in Wichita before leaving in a vehicle with two individuals – identified as Valenciana and 19- year-old Tehya Turner, both of Wichita.It is believed that an altercation occurred inside the car, during which Boone was killed.On Wednesday, November 30, follow-up investigation led officers to a crime scene in the 9300 block of S. Pattie in Haysville, where they began processing evidence. Police located the vehicle on December 1, near 21st and Ridge, abandoned, according to Ditch.Further investigation led officers to a rural area Southwest of Clearwater, one mile west of N Clearwater Road and 140th Ave N, where a body was located. Investigators with WPD and members of the Sumner County Sheriff's Office are working to confirm the body's identity, but at this time, it is believed to be Boone.Police took Turner into custody Dec. 2 and she is being held on a $1 million dollar bond charged with first degree murder, burglary and possession of marijuana, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Police capture suspect wanted for rural Kansas murder 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A 25-year veteran was chosen Thursday to lead the Kansas City police department, which is embroiled in internal and external controversies.

The Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners chose Stacey Graves, the current acting deputy chief, making her the first woman to become the permanent police chief in the department's nearly 150-year history. Two other women have served as interim chiefs.

Graves takes over a department under&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/police-discrimination-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-7a3d4c84f6e3ba8bb97b5c49e5287408">federal investigation</a>&nbsp;for possible racial discrimination in its hiring practices. And the board of commissioners announced this week that it will hire an outside investigator to examine a former city attorney's whistleblower complaint that the department hid criminal case evidence and denied public records requests.

That comes after years of complaints from civil rights groups about officer misconduct and the department's often secretive handling of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/race-and-ethnicity-kansas-city-missouri-2b9c7ba78d664bb1d4d7a953e47f9530">excessive force complaints</a>, leading to a strained relationship with the public in a city where about 28% of its 508,000 residents are Black.

The department also faces a shortage of officers at a time when Kansas City has a high rate of violent crime and homicides.

Graves replaces Joseph Mabin, who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-police-kansas-city-missouri-7491694fde16266905a51496c470cc5e">appointed interim police</a>&nbsp;chief when the embattled former chief, Rick Smith, left the department amid controversy in April 2021.

Graves said during a news conference that one of her first steps as chief will be to build bridges so the department, city leaders and community members can work together to make Kansas City safe.

She also promised the department will be “an open book” while dealing with the U.S. Department of Justice investigation and other issues.

“I will be that front-facing communicator that this city wants and needs,” Graves said. “If there's something that we're doing wrong, the motto is ‘mess up, ’fess up and move on.' And the ‘move on’ isn't forget about it. It's learn from it and move forward in a better way.”

Pastor Darron Edwards, one of several community activists who has criticized the department, said Thursday that Graves was the right choice to “hit the ground running” and address the community's concerns.

“I believe she will be a communicator and a collaborator, which this city hasn't seen from the police department in the last five years,” Edwards said. “The board, which I have criticized in the past, got this right.”

Graves joined the Kansas City police force in 1997 as a civilian in the records department. She had since held several positions including patrol officer, detective, internal affairs, spokeswoman and division commander.

Graves was the only Kansas City officer among the three finalists for the job. Mayor Quinton Lucas said Thursday that was not a deciding factor in choosing Graves.

He said the board focused on the candidates' plans for making the city safer, a long-term vision to address violent crime, and ensuring any changes will have support from officers and community members.

Graves has a track record of working with community organizations, fellow officers, prosecutors and others, Lucas said.

“She's somebody's who's going to do the work to make sure that past any personalities and any politics, we're trying to get things done,” Lucas said. “And I think in connection with the DOJ investigation, any lawsuits, anything that comes up, you'll see this department be as open as it can.”

Edwards said he hoped Graves would meet with consenting and dissenting voices to work on making the city safer in every zip code, ridding the department of “bad apples,” and changing the department's culture, starting with her choices for four deputy chief positions.

“She has a big challenge,” Edwards said. “But I believe many people at the executive level are ready to help her move the department forward and away from (Smith's) legacy.”

Tension also exists because Kansas City is the largest city in the U.S. that is controlled by a board of police commissioners, with is comprised of the mayor and four members appointed by the governor.

In November, Missouri voters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/police-race-and-ethnicity-legislature-reform-029d30c14cef9f500ed98f82d3569552">approved a constitutional amendment</a>&nbsp;pushed by GOP lawmakers that gave the Legislature more authority over funding of the city's department. The amendment accompanied a law passed during the last session that requires Kansas City to increase the amount of general revenue it spends on the police department from 20% to 25%.

Lucas and a community activist have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/police-lawsuits-legislature-kansas-city-0c2820c1421022dec9038d49d9ab4433">sued over the arrangement</a>, which has been in place since the 1930s, claiming it is steeped in racism and represents “taxation without representation.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A 25-year veteran was chosen Thursday to lead the Kansas City police department, which is embroiled in internal and external controversies.<div> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Stacey Graves is KCPD’s new Chief of Police, sworn in this morning before a large crowd at police headquarters. Graves began as a records clerk in 1997 and became the first woman at KCPD to be named permanent Chief of Police. In attendance at today’s announcement… 1/2 <a href="https://t.co/P9UNuxLmWv">pic.twitter.com/P9UNuxLmWv</a>&mdash; kcpolice (@kcpolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/kcpolice/status/1603496278398230542?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Concluding a nationwide search that encompassed the majority of 2022, the Board of Police Commissioners today appointed KCPD Acting Deputy Chief Stacey Graves as the new Chief of Police. Graves will be sworn in later today. 1/5 <a href="https://t.co/VYSpvo6EVM">pic.twitter.com/VYSpvo6EVM</a>&mdash; kcpolice (@kcpolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/kcpolice/status/1603427035715616774?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners chose Stacey Graves, the current acting deputy chief, making her the first woman to become the permanent police chief in the department's nearly 150-year history. Two other women have served as interim chiefs.Graves takes over a department under&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/police-discrimination-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-7a3d4c84f6e3ba8bb97b5c49e5287408">federal investigation</a>&nbsp;for possible racial discrimination in its hiring practices. And the board of commissioners announced this week that it will hire an outside investigator to examine a former city attorney's whistleblower complaint that the department hid criminal case evidence and denied public records requests.That comes after years of complaints from civil rights groups about officer misconduct and the department's often secretive handling of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/race-and-ethnicity-kansas-city-missouri-2b9c7ba78d664bb1d4d7a953e47f9530">excessive force complaints</a>, leading to a strained relationship with the public in a city where about 28% of its 508,000 residents are Black.The department also faces a shortage of officers at a time when Kansas City has a high rate of violent crime and homicides.Graves replaces Joseph Mabin, who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-police-kansas-city-missouri-7491694fde16266905a51496c470cc5e">appointed interim police</a>&nbsp;chief when the embattled former chief, Rick Smith, left the department amid controversy in April 2021.Graves said during a news conference that one of her first steps as chief will be to build bridges so the department, city leaders and community members can work together to make Kansas City safe.She also promised the department will be “an open book” while dealing with the U.S. Department of Justice investigation and other issues.“I will be that front-facing communicator that this city wants and needs,” Graves said. “If there's something that we're doing wrong, the motto is ‘mess up, ’fess up and move on.' And the ‘move on’ isn't forget about it. It's learn from it and move forward in a better way.”Pastor Darron Edwards, one of several community activists who has criticized the department, said Thursday that Graves was the right choice to “hit the ground running” and address the community's concerns.“I believe she will be a communicator and a collaborator, which this city hasn't seen from the police department in the last five years,” Edwards said. “The board, which I have criticized in the past, got this right.”Graves joined the Kansas City police force in 1997 as a civilian in the records department. She had since held several positions including patrol officer, detective, internal affairs, spokeswoman and division commander.Graves was the only Kansas City officer among the three finalists for the job. Mayor Quinton Lucas said Thursday that was not a deciding factor in choosing Graves.He said the board focused on the candidates' plans for making the city safer, a long-term vision to address violent crime, and ensuring any changes will have support from officers and community members.Graves has a track record of working with community organizations, fellow officers, prosecutors and others, Lucas said.“She's somebody's who's going to do the work to make sure that past any personalities and any politics, we're trying to get things done,” Lucas said. “And I think in connection with the DOJ investigation, any lawsuits, anything that comes up, you'll see this department be as open as it can.”Edwards said he hoped Graves would meet with consenting and dissenting voices to work on making the city safer in every zip code, ridding the department of “bad apples,” and changing the department's culture, starting with her choices for four deputy chief positions.“She has a big challenge,” Edwards said. “But I believe many people at the executive level are ready to help her move the department forward and away from (Smith's) legacy.”Tension also exists because Kansas City is the largest city in the U.S. that is controlled by a board of police commissioners, with is comprised of the mayor and four members appointed by the governor.In November, Missouri voters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/police-race-and-ethnicity-legislature-reform-029d30c14cef9f500ed98f82d3569552">approved a constitutional amendment</a>&nbsp;pushed by GOP lawmakers that gave the Legislature more authority over funding of the city's department. The amendment accompanied a law passed during the last session that requires Kansas City to increase the amount of general revenue it spends on the police department from 20% to 25%.Lucas and a community activist have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/police-lawsuits-legislature-kansas-city-0c2820c1421022dec9038d49d9ab4433">sued over the arrangement</a>, which has been in place since the 1930s, claiming it is steeped in racism and represents “taxation without representation.”

Veteran Kansas City officer chosen to lead police department

By ALLISON KITE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/12/15/its-time-to-deal-with-this-kansas-water-authority-wants-to-save-ogallala-aquifer/">Kansas Reflector</a>

COLBY — Kansas should scrap its de facto policy of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/29/western-kansas-economy-threatened-by-reliance-on-irrigating-crops-with-ogallala-aquifer/">draining the Ogallala Aquifer</a>, a state board decided Wednesday.

Instead, the board said, the Kansas government should take steps to stop the decline of the aquifer, which supplies water to one-sixth of the world’s grain supply, and save it for future generations.

“It has taken decades for this to be said formally in writing by an official state body,” said Connie Owen, director of the Kansas Water Office. “… This is nothing less than historic.”

Saving the water source that supports Western Kansas’ economy and communities may seem like an obvious stance to take, but for about 70 years, the state’s policies and management decisions have reflected the idea that eventually, the Ogallala would dry up, said Earl Lewis, Kansas’ chief engineer.&nbsp;

The Kansas Water Authority, which is made up of agricultural and industrial water users and utilities, wants to chart a new course. It voted almost unanimously Wednesday to recommend that the state scrap the policy of “planned depletion.”

“It’s time to deal with this while we still have some choices,” said John Bailey, a member of the Kansas Water Authority from Pittsburg. “If we don’t, we’re going to find ourselves in a very bad situation.”

The Ogallala Aquifer, one of the world’s largest underground sources of fresh water, stretches across parts of eight states from South Dakota to Texas. After World War II farmers started pumping water from it to irrigate crops in arid western Kansas, establishing the region as a booming farming economy. For decades, the water was used with little thought of ensuring enough remained for future generations.&nbsp;

But now, the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/05/16/why-an-ambitious-effort-to-overhaul-kansas-water-management-fell-short/">water is running out</a>. Some&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/01/09/nonrenewable-resource-as-western-kansas-dries-up-legislature-revisits-water-policy/">parts of the aquifer have half the water they had before irrigation</a>&nbsp;on the aquifer began. Parts of western Kansas have an estimated 10 years of water left. There’s little surface water since streams that reliably flowed through the area in 1961 all but disappeared, according to the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kgs.ku.edu/HighPlains/HPA_Atlas/index.html">Kansas Geological Survey</a>.

Draining the aquifer would fundamentally change life in western Kansas. Farm properties would lose their value if there’s no water to grow a crop. Families could lose their livelihoods and communities could disappear.

But while it’s widely accepted that the Ogallala is essential to western Kansas, Kansas Water Authority chairwoman Dawn Buehler said many farmers have been waiting on the government to tell them it’s time to do something.&nbsp;

“We’ve heard that over and over from people —&nbsp;that, ‘Well, you know, we’re not at a dangerous zone yet because they’ll let us know when it’s time,’ ” Buehler said.

She continued: “I think the importance of today was saying, ‘It’s time.’ ”

The Kansas Water Authority, which meets roughly every two months in different locations around the state, voted Wednesday to place language in the body’s annual report to the governor and legislature saying the “policy of planned depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer is no longer in the best interest of the state of Kansas.”

The report will also recommend the state create a formal process to establish goals and actions to “halt the decline of the Ogallala Aquifer while promoting flexible and innovative management within a timeframe that achieves agricultural productivity, thriving economies and vibrant communities —&nbsp;now and for future generations of Kansans.”&nbsp;

It had wide support among the authority members.&nbsp;

“My opinion of this is that it should have been done 15 years ago or 20,” said Lynn Goossen, a farmer from Colby who serves on the Kansas Water Authority and the board of the groundwater management district in northwest Kansas.&nbsp;

Goossen said there are parts of Kansas where the aquifer still has abundant water left but that people are “sticking their heads in the sand” rather than saving it.&nbsp;

Some water users have pursued a longshot idea to draw water from the Missouri River via an aqueduct to southwest Kansas. They&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/10/21/officials-plan-to-truck-6000-gallons-of-water-from-missouri-river-across-kansas/">trucked 6,000 gallons of water from northeast Kansas</a>&nbsp;across the state as a “proof of concept.”&nbsp;

The goal to “halt” the decline of the aquifer gave pause to one member of the authority who asked that the statement instead say officials should “address” the decline of the aquifer.&nbsp;

Randy Hayzlett, a farmer and rancher from Lakin who serves on the authority, was the lone vote against the language, though the subsequent vote to send the full annual report to policymakers was unanimous.&nbsp;

Hayzlett said he couldn’t support establishing the goal without details about what it would mean to “halt” the decline of the aquifer.&nbsp;

“That’s a pretty strong word, and it’s going to affect a lot of people,” he said.

Hayzlett said he wanted to do everything possible to remedy the decline of the Ogallala but didn’t want to throw a word out there without a plan to achieve it.

“Is it going to halt declining the aquifer? Is it going to halt the economy of western Kansas?” he said. “Just what’s it going to put a cap on and then how are we going to get there?”

Lewis said Kansas has talked about the issue of the Ogallala Aquifer for 50 years. If authority members wait for a plan, he said, they’ll get bogged down in the details.&nbsp;

“What you’re doing is really setting a course,” Lewis said. “You’re saying, ‘I want to go in that direction. … I don’t know how I’m going to get there and it’s going to take a lot of us working together to get there.’ ”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671114142211.png" alt="Dawn Buehler, chairwoman of the Kansas Water Authority, presides over a meeting Wednesday in Colby. The authority voted to adopt language saying Kansas should not deplete the Ogallala Aquifer. (Allison Kite/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Dawn Buehler, chairwoman of the Kansas Water Authority, presides over a meeting Wednesday in Colby. The authority voted to adopt language saying Kansas should not deplete the Ogallala Aquifer. (Allison Kite/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ALLISON KITE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/12/15/its-time-to-deal-with-this-kansas-water-authority-wants-to-save-ogallala-aquifer/">Kansas Reflector</a>COLBY — Kansas should scrap its de facto policy of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/29/western-kansas-economy-threatened-by-reliance-on-irrigating-crops-with-ogallala-aquifer/">draining the Ogallala Aquifer</a>, a state board decided Wednesday.Instead, the board said, the Kansas government should take steps to stop the decline of the aquifer, which supplies water to one-sixth of the world’s grain supply, and save it for future generations.“It has taken decades for this to be said formally in writing by an official state body,” said Connie Owen, director of the Kansas Water Office. “… This is nothing less than historic.”Saving the water source that supports Western Kansas’ economy and communities may seem like an obvious stance to take, but for about 70 years, the state’s policies and management decisions have reflected the idea that eventually, the Ogallala would dry up, said Earl Lewis, Kansas’ chief engineer.&nbsp;The Kansas Water Authority, which is made up of agricultural and industrial water users and utilities, wants to chart a new course. It voted almost unanimously Wednesday to recommend that the state scrap the policy of “planned depletion.”“It’s time to deal with this while we still have some choices,” said John Bailey, a member of the Kansas Water Authority from Pittsburg. “If we don’t, we’re going to find ourselves in a very bad situation.”The Ogallala Aquifer, one of the world’s largest underground sources of fresh water, stretches across parts of eight states from South Dakota to Texas. After World War II farmers started pumping water from it to irrigate crops in arid western Kansas, establishing the region as a booming farming economy. For decades, the water was used with little thought of ensuring enough remained for future generations.&nbsp;But now, the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/05/16/why-an-ambitious-effort-to-overhaul-kansas-water-management-fell-short/">water is running out</a>. Some&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/01/09/nonrenewable-resource-as-western-kansas-dries-up-legislature-revisits-water-policy/">parts of the aquifer have half the water they had before irrigation</a>&nbsp;on the aquifer began. Parts of western Kansas have an estimated 10 years of water left. There’s little surface water since streams that reliably flowed through the area in 1961 all but disappeared, according to the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kgs.ku.edu/HighPlains/HPA_Atlas/index.html">Kansas Geological Survey</a>.Draining the aquifer would fundamentally change life in western Kansas. Farm properties would lose their value if there’s no water to grow a crop. Families could lose their livelihoods and communities could disappear.But while it’s widely accepted that the Ogallala is essential to western Kansas, Kansas Water Authority chairwoman Dawn Buehler said many farmers have been waiting on the government to tell them it’s time to do something.&nbsp;“We’ve heard that over and over from people —&nbsp;that, ‘Well, you know, we’re not at a dangerous zone yet because they’ll let us know when it’s time,’ ” Buehler said.She continued: “I think the importance of today was saying, ‘It’s time.’ ”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671114592256.png" alt="Kansas Geological Survey at the University of Kansas is embarking on a two-year study of playas that hold water during wet periods in Scott County and elsewhere to better understand their role in recharge of the underground Ogallala aquifer. (Bill Johnson/Kansas Geological Survey)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Geological Survey at the University of Kansas is embarking on a two-year study of playas that hold water during wet periods in Scott County and elsewhere to better understand their role in recharge of the underground Ogallala aquifer. (Bill Johnson/Kansas Geological Survey)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>A vote to change course</h2>The Kansas Water Authority, which meets roughly every two months in different locations around the state, voted Wednesday to place language in the body’s annual report to the governor and legislature saying the “policy of planned depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer is no longer in the best interest of the state of Kansas.”The report will also recommend the state create a formal process to establish goals and actions to “halt the decline of the Ogallala Aquifer while promoting flexible and innovative management within a timeframe that achieves agricultural productivity, thriving economies and vibrant communities —&nbsp;now and for future generations of Kansans.”&nbsp;It had wide support among the authority members.&nbsp;“My opinion of this is that it should have been done 15 years ago or 20,” said Lynn Goossen, a farmer from Colby who serves on the Kansas Water Authority and the board of the groundwater management district in northwest Kansas.&nbsp;Goossen said there are parts of Kansas where the aquifer still has abundant water left but that people are “sticking their heads in the sand” rather than saving it.&nbsp;Some water users have pursued a longshot idea to draw water from the Missouri River via an aqueduct to southwest Kansas. They&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/10/21/officials-plan-to-truck-6000-gallons-of-water-from-missouri-river-across-kansas/">trucked 6,000 gallons of water from northeast Kansas</a>&nbsp;across the state as a “proof of concept.”&nbsp;The goal to “halt” the decline of the aquifer gave pause to one member of the authority who asked that the statement instead say officials should “address” the decline of the aquifer.&nbsp;Randy Hayzlett, a farmer and rancher from Lakin who serves on the authority, was the lone vote against the language, though the subsequent vote to send the full annual report to policymakers was unanimous.&nbsp;Hayzlett said he couldn’t support establishing the goal without details about what it would mean to “halt” the decline of the aquifer.&nbsp;“That’s a pretty strong word, and it’s going to affect a lot of people,” he said.Hayzlett said he wanted to do everything possible to remedy the decline of the Ogallala but didn’t want to throw a word out there without a plan to achieve it.“Is it going to halt declining the aquifer? Is it going to halt the economy of western Kansas?” he said. “Just what’s it going to put a cap on and then how are we going to get there?”Lewis said Kansas has talked about the issue of the Ogallala Aquifer for 50 years. If authority members wait for a plan, he said, they’ll get bogged down in the details.&nbsp;“What you’re doing is really setting a course,” Lewis said. “You’re saying, ‘I want to go in that direction. … I don’t know how I’m going to get there and it’s going to take a lot of us working together to get there.’ ”

‘It’s time’: Kansas Water Authority wants to save Ogallala Aquifer

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia's Foreign Ministry warned Thursday that if the United States confirms reports that it plans to deliver sophisticated air defense missiles to Ukraine, it would be "another provocative move by the U.S." that could prompt a response from Moscow.

Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in a weekly briefing that the U.S. had "effectively become a party" to the war in Ukraine, following reports that it will provide Kyiv with Patriot surface-to-air missiles, the most advanced the West has yet offered to help repel Russian aerial attacks.

Growing amounts of U.S. military assistance, including the transfer of such sophisticated weapons, "would mean even broader involvement of military personnel in the hostilities and could entail possible consequences," Zakharova added.

She did not specify what the consequences might be.

U.S. officials said Tuesday that Washington was poised to approve sending a Patriot missile battery to Ukraine, finally agreeing to an urgent request from Ukrainian leaders desperate for more robust weapons to shoot down incoming Russian missiles that have crippled much of the country's vital infrastructure. An official announcement is expected soon.

Operating and maintaining a Patriot battery requires as many as 90 troops, and for months the U.S. has been reluctant to provide the complex system because sending American forces into Ukraine to operate the systems is a nonstarter for the administration of President Joe Biden.

Even without the presence of U.S. service members to train Ukrainians on use of the system, concerns remain that deployment of the missiles could provoke Russia or risk that a fired projectile could hit inside Russia and further escalate the conflict.

Before reports emerged on the delivery of Patriot systems, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia's Security Council, which is chaired by President Vladimir Putin, warned that if Patriots enter Ukraine "along with NATO personnel, they will immediately become a legitimate target for our armed forces."

Asked Wednesday whether the Kremlin backs that threat, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov answered yes, but added in a conference call with reporters that he would refrain from more detailed comment until the U.S. officially announces the Patriot delivery to Ukraine.

Ukraine has so far been cautious in reacting to the reports. Hanna Maliar, Ukraine's deputy defense minister, told reporters Thursday in Kyiv that the delivery of such weaponry remains "sensitive not only for Ukraine, but for our partners," and that only President Volodymyr Zelenskyy or Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov would make any official announcement on such an agreement.

White House and Pentagon leaders have said consistently that providing Ukraine with additional air defenses is a priority, and Patriot missiles have been under consideration for some time. As the winter closed in and the Russian bombardment of civilian infrastructure escalated, official said, the idea became a higher priority.

Ukraine's electricity provider said Thursday that the country's energy system had a "significant deficit of electricity," and that emergency shutdowns had been applied in some areas as temperatures hover around or below freezing.

The state-owned grid operator Ukrenergo warned in a statement on Facebook that damage caused to energy infrastructure by Russian attacks is being compounded by harsh weather, including snow, ice and strong winds.

Maximum temperatures in the capital were forecast to barely climb above freezing heading into the weekend, with even colder weather expected early next week.

The southern Ukrainian city of Kherson was left completely without power following Russian shelling on Thursday, according to Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the Ukrainian president's office, who wrote on Telegram. He added that two people were killed in the attacks.

Heavy shelling of the city's Korabelny district was still underway in the afternoon, and Russian shells hit 100 meters (yards) from the regional administration building, he said.

Amid the infrastructure attacks and power outages across the country, seven civilians were killed and 19 wounded on Wednesday and Thursday, according to a report issued by the Ukrainian president's office.

The head of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk province, Pavlo Kyrylenko, reported that Russian strikes the previous day had killed two civilians and wounded seven.

Kremlin-backed authorities in the region, which was illegally annexed by Moscow in September, announced that Russia had taken control of 80% of the city of Marinka, seen as critical to Ukrainian hopes of retaking the Russian-held regional capital, Donetsk.

The Moscow-installed mayor of Donetsk, Aleksei Kulemzin, said Thursday that the city center had been hit by "the most massive strike" since the area came under the control of Russian-backed separatists in 2014.

Writing on Telegram, Kulemzin said 40 Ukrainian rockets struck Donetsk on Thursday morning, noting that multistory residential buildings were hit and that fires broke out at a hospital and university campus.

— Russia continued to build up its military presence in Belarus, a senior Ukrainian military official said. According to Brig. Gen. Oleksiy Hromov, Russian units "are undergoing training and combat coordination" in Belarus, with the Kremlin using Belarusian officers and training grounds to improve the combat capability of existing units, as well as to train newly created units.

Speaking at a press briefing, Hromov said the probability of a Russian offensive from Belarus "remains low," but he highlighted that the transfer of Russian weapons to Belarus is ongoing, including three hypersonic missile-carrying aircraft, a set of tanks and a long-range radar-detection aircraft.

— Russia's Foreign Ministry says the Vatican has apologized for a statement Pope Francis made in a recent interview in which he singled out two Russian ethnic minorities — the Chechens and the Buryats — as being "the most cruel" participants in the war in Ukraine.

At a briefing on Thursday, Zakharova quoted from what she said was a message from the Vatican that "apologizes to the Russian side" for the pope's comments. Zakharova praised the message, saying that it showed the Vatican's "ability to conduct dialogue and listen to interlocutors." A Vatican spokesman would say only that there had been diplomatic contacts on the matter.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663760963726.jpeg" alt="Image from a video released by the Russian Presidential Press Service, Russian President Vladimir Putin via AP" />
 <figcaption>Image from a video released by the Russian Presidential Press Service, Russian President Vladimir Putin via AP</figcaption>
 </figure>By JAMEY KEATEN Associated PressKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia's Foreign Ministry warned Thursday that if the United States confirms reports that it plans to deliver sophisticated air defense missiles to Ukraine, it would be "another provocative move by the U.S." that could prompt a response from Moscow.Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in a weekly briefing that the U.S. had "effectively become a party" to the war in Ukraine, following reports that it will provide Kyiv with Patriot surface-to-air missiles, the most advanced the West has yet offered to help repel Russian aerial attacks.Growing amounts of U.S. military assistance, including the transfer of such sophisticated weapons, "would mean even broader involvement of military personnel in the hostilities and could entail possible consequences," Zakharova added.She did not specify what the consequences might be.U.S. officials said Tuesday that Washington was poised to approve sending a Patriot missile battery to Ukraine, finally agreeing to an urgent request from Ukrainian leaders desperate for more robust weapons to shoot down incoming Russian missiles that have crippled much of the country's vital infrastructure. An official announcement is expected soon.Operating and maintaining a Patriot battery requires as many as 90 troops, and for months the U.S. has been reluctant to provide the complex system because sending American forces into Ukraine to operate the systems is a nonstarter for the administration of President Joe Biden.Even without the presence of U.S. service members to train Ukrainians on use of the system, concerns remain that deployment of the missiles could provoke Russia or risk that a fired projectile could hit inside Russia and further escalate the conflict.Before reports emerged on the delivery of Patriot systems, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia's Security Council, which is chaired by President Vladimir Putin, warned that if Patriots enter Ukraine "along with NATO personnel, they will immediately become a legitimate target for our armed forces."Asked Wednesday whether the Kremlin backs that threat, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov answered yes, but added in a conference call with reporters that he would refrain from more detailed comment until the U.S. officially announces the Patriot delivery to Ukraine.Ukraine has so far been cautious in reacting to the reports. Hanna Maliar, Ukraine's deputy defense minister, told reporters Thursday in Kyiv that the delivery of such weaponry remains "sensitive not only for Ukraine, but for our partners," and that only President Volodymyr Zelenskyy or Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov would make any official announcement on such an agreement.White House and Pentagon leaders have said consistently that providing Ukraine with additional air defenses is a priority, and Patriot missiles have been under consideration for some time. As the winter closed in and the Russian bombardment of civilian infrastructure escalated, official said, the idea became a higher priority.Ukraine's electricity provider said Thursday that the country's energy system had a "significant deficit of electricity," and that emergency shutdowns had been applied in some areas as temperatures hover around or below freezing.The state-owned grid operator Ukrenergo warned in a statement on Facebook that damage caused to energy infrastructure by Russian attacks is being compounded by harsh weather, including snow, ice and strong winds.Maximum temperatures in the capital were forecast to barely climb above freezing heading into the weekend, with even colder weather expected early next week.The southern Ukrainian city of Kherson was left completely without power following Russian shelling on Thursday, according to Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the Ukrainian president's office, who wrote on Telegram. He added that two people were killed in the attacks.Heavy shelling of the city's Korabelny district was still underway in the afternoon, and Russian shells hit 100 meters (yards) from the regional administration building, he said.Amid the infrastructure attacks and power outages across the country, seven civilians were killed and 19 wounded on Wednesday and Thursday, according to a report issued by the Ukrainian president's office.The head of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk province, Pavlo Kyrylenko, reported that Russian strikes the previous day had killed two civilians and wounded seven.Kremlin-backed authorities in the region, which was illegally annexed by Moscow in September, announced that Russia had taken control of 80% of the city of Marinka, seen as critical to Ukrainian hopes of retaking the Russian-held regional capital, Donetsk.The Moscow-installed mayor of Donetsk, Aleksei Kulemzin, said Thursday that the city center had been hit by "the most massive strike" since the area came under the control of Russian-backed separatists in 2014.Writing on Telegram, Kulemzin said 40 Ukrainian rockets struck Donetsk on Thursday morning, noting that multistory residential buildings were hit and that fires broke out at a hospital and university campus.In other developments Thursday:— Russia continued to build up its military presence in Belarus, a senior Ukrainian military official said. According to Brig. Gen. Oleksiy Hromov, Russian units "are undergoing training and combat coordination" in Belarus, with the Kremlin using Belarusian officers and training grounds to improve the combat capability of existing units, as well as to train newly created units.Speaking at a press briefing, Hromov said the probability of a Russian offensive from Belarus "remains low," but he highlighted that the transfer of Russian weapons to Belarus is ongoing, including three hypersonic missile-carrying aircraft, a set of tanks and a long-range radar-detection aircraft.— Russia's Foreign Ministry says the Vatican has apologized for a statement Pope Francis made in a recent interview in which he singled out two Russian ethnic minorities — the Chechens and the Buryats — as being "the most cruel" participants in the war in Ukraine.At a briefing on Thursday, Zakharova quoted from what she said was a message from the Vatican that "apologizes to the Russian side" for the pope's comments. Zakharova praised the message, saying that it showed the Vatican's "ability to conduct dialogue and listen to interlocutors." A Vatican spokesman would say only that there had been diplomatic contacts on the matter.___

Russia warns of 'consequences' if US defense missiles go to Ukraine

&nbsp;SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man convicted of killing three people in Wichita in 2014 was finally sentenced Wednesday.

Judge Kevin O’Connor sentenced 49-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20029847">Vinh Van Nguyen</a>&nbsp;of Wichita to life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

In November, Nguyen pleaded guilty to one count of capital murder.&nbsp;

In June of 2014, Nguyen shot and killed his girlfriend, 45-year-old Tuyet Huynh, her 20-year-old daughter, Trinh Pham, and&nbsp;Pham's&nbsp;husband, 21-year-old Sean Pham, at a home in the 2200 block of South Beech Street in Wichita.

&nbsp;According to Wichita Police on the night of the murders, Trinh Pham called 911 and reported someone was inside their South Beech Street house and gunshots were being fired. She was in the basement of the residence with her infant son.&nbsp; &nbsp;

When officers arrived at the home, they kicked in the door and found&nbsp;Nguyen in the master bedroom along with his girlfriend Tuyet Huynh's body. Police found her daughter's body in the basement, and Sean Pham's body in a hallway. They had been shot multiple times. The infant was not injured, according to police.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671030241219.png" alt="Nguyen-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Nguyen-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man convicted of killing three people in Wichita in 2014 was finally sentenced Wednesday.Judge Kevin O’Connor sentenced 49-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20029847">Vinh Van Nguyen</a>&nbsp;of Wichita to life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.In November, Nguyen pleaded guilty to one count of capital murder.&nbsp;In June of 2014, Nguyen shot and killed his girlfriend, 45-year-old Tuyet Huynh, her 20-year-old daughter, Trinh Pham, and&nbsp;Pham's&nbsp;husband, 21-year-old Sean Pham, at a home in the 2200 block of South Beech Street in Wichita.&nbsp;According to Wichita Police on the night of the murders, Trinh Pham called 911 and reported someone was inside their South Beech Street house and gunshots were being fired. She was in the basement of the residence with her infant son.&nbsp; &nbsp;When officers arrived at the home, they kicked in the door and found&nbsp;Nguyen in the master bedroom along with his girlfriend Tuyet Huynh's body. Police found her daughter's body in the basement, and Sean Pham's body in a hallway. They had been shot multiple times. The infant was not injured, according to police.

Kansas man sentenced for killing girlfriend, 2 others in 2014

By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-12-15/not-just-any-oil-spill-the-keystone-pipeline-dumped-notoriously-hard-to-clean-dilbit-in-kansas">Kansas News Service</a>

Each day that passes, the hundreds of thousands of gallons of sludgy 
oil coating Mill Creek in north-central Kansas become harder to clean 
up.

That’s because the pipeline that busted just outside the town of Washington on Dec. 7 doesn’t carry conventional crude
 oil. It carries a product of the Canadian tar sands called diluted 
bitumen that changes dramatically in chemical composition and behavior 
soon after escaping from pipes.

A <a href="https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/21834/chapter/1" target="_blank">National Academies of Sciences</a> study found that transformation means the crude oil can start sinking below the water’s surface in a matter of days.

The Kansas spill occurred <a href="https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/2022-12/TC%20Oil%20CAO.3-2022-074.pdf" target="_blank">eight days ago</a> and is now the second-largest spill of tar sands crude on U.S. soil.

The
 Environmental Protection Agency acknowledged Thursday morning that the 
crude was diluted bitumen, also known as dilbit. But the agency wouldn’t
 respond to questions about the implications of that fact for cleaning 
and containing the notoriously elusive crude oil.

And it wouldn’t 
disclose what methods were being used to verify the material is truly 
contained, even as Mill Creek continues to flow downstream.

TC Energy won’t answer those questions either.

The same 2016 National Academies of Science study of diluted bitumen —
 a deep dive ordered by Congress in the wake of the nation’s largest 
inland spill of the stuff in Michigan in 2010 — found that bitumen’s 
peanut butter-like consistency poses special risks to the environment.

“When
 a significant fraction of the spilled crude oil” sinks below the 
water’s surface, the scientists concluded, “the response becomes more 
complex because there are few proven techniques in the responder ‘tool 
box’ for detection, containment, and recovery.”

Once it escapes its pipe, diluted bitumen also becomes far stickier than other types of crude oil.

In
 Michigan, the gunk proved so gluey that it was easier to haul rocks 
away that had been coated with it along the Kalamazoo River than to 
scrub the bitumen off of them, said Steve Hamilton, a biologist who 
advised the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on the cleanup.

“It’s
 almost impossible to clean from surfaces,” said Hamilton, a professor 
at Michigan State University and member of the National Academies of 
Sciences committee that wrote the 2016 report on diluted bitumen. “We 
tried hot water sprays and detergent and so on. … It’s extremely sticky 
once it has been exposed to air for a while.”

Of the estimated 
14,000 barrels that spilled — nearly 600,000 gallons — out of the 
three-foot-wide Keystone pipeline, most has not yet been recovered.

In
 the 2016 report, scientists concluded that once the bitumen starts 
sinking, detecting it and retrieving it becomes very difficult. So does 
containing it.

“It ultimately took four years to clean up the 
Kalamazoo River spill,” Hamilton said Wednesday, “And you could argue 
that three and three-quarters of those years were all about (removing) 
submerged oil.”

One silver lining: The 2016 report suggests that 
although bitumen spills may harm water quality more than conventional 
crude oil spills, as the substance weathers, it may pose less risk of 
contaminating groundwater (as opposed to surface water such as creeks) and drinking water.

On
 Tuesday, the Kansas News Service asked TC Energy which specific 
detection techniques the company is using to verify whether the crude 
oil spilled in Kansas has been entirely contained within a four-mile 
stretch of Mill Creek.

The News Service also asked which specific 
cleanup techniques are being used to address the concerns of scientists 
that traditional crude oil cleanup approaches have limited success on 
diluted bitumen spills.

“We
 have the people, expertise, training and equipment to mount an 
effective response and clean-up, and that’s what we’re doing,” the 
company said in an email.

It repeated previous public statements 
that it has deployed booms at the site and said it sees “no indication” 
that the oil is passing its barriers.

“Our approach in any 
incident is to respond and clean up the site as quickly as possible,” it
 said, “reducing the opportunity for any type of crude oil, including 
diluted bitumen, to have a lasting impact on the environment.”

It also noted that its containment efforts were monitored by the EPA.

The
 EPA says the spill has been contained to the 4 miles of creek that lie 
downstream from the pipeline break, and that the spill didn’t affect 
drinking water supplies, including wells.

The agency has coordinators at the site to oversee the cleanup.

Two
 underflow dams have been built, but they allow the stream to keep 
flowing under the water’s surface, where dilbit could already be 
present.

In 2007, the U.S. Department of Transportation decided it
 would allow the stretch of Keystone pipeline that runs from Nebraska 
through Kansas to Oklahoma to eventually operate at a higher pressure 
than is otherwise allowed because it would be made of stronger steel. It
 <a href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-21-588.pdf" target="_blank">gave the final go-ahead</a> a decade later.

On
 Thursday, the EPA said workers had pulled about 5,600 barrels of fluid 
from Mill Creek, though that fluid is a combination of oil and water. It
 says 5,000 cubic yards of oil-contaminated soil have been removed, and 
nine cubic yards of oily solids.

Tar sands oil, or bitumen, is far
 too thick to travel through pipelines. So companies in Canada force it 
into a more moveable state by mixing it with lighter volatile compounds.

But
 if a pipe breaks and the oil escapes, the diluted bitumen soon reverts 
to its original, sludgier consistency. The additives largely evaporate, 
leaving the ultra sticky, thick bitumen residue.

Bitumen doesn’t 
float on water, the way crude oil does. And that leaves a short time to 
capture diluted bitumen from the surface of rivers, creeks and lakes 
before the sludge disappears from view.

“This situation is highly 
problematic for spill response,” the National Academies report 
concluded, because “there are few effective techniques for detection, 
containment, and recovery of oil” once it has begun sinking.

And 
once it reaches the bottom of the water body, finding and cleaning it 
remains complicated. Retrieving generally involves dredging.

“Given
 these greater levels of concern,” the report concluded, “spills of 
diluted bitumen should elicit unique, immediate actions.”

The 
scientists expressed concern that federal policies that govern spill 
planning and response fell short of properly considering the special 
conundrums posed by diluted bitumen.

“Broadly, regulations and 
agency practices do not take the unique properties of diluted bitumen 
into account, nor do they encourage effective planning for spills of 
diluted bitumen,” the report said.

Most methods for trying to detect sunken bitumen don’t seem to work well, the report said.

The
 cause of the pipeline break in Kansas remains unknown, and a 
third-party analysis of the matter could take up to three months, 
according to the <a href="https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/" target="_blank">U.S. Department of Transportation administration</a> that regulates oil pipelines.

The
 Michigan spill involved upward of 840,000 gallons (20,000 barrels) of 
oil. That contaminated more than 30 miles of the Kalamazoo River, plus 
nearby woodlands and wetlands. The sheer scale of the disaster was 
exacerbated by heavy rains.

It took four years and <a href="https://www.mlive.com/news/2016/07/kalamazoo_river_oil_spill_time.html#:~:text=Enbridge%20completes%20its%20cleanup%20and,on%20the%20total%20cleanup%20effort." target="_blank">more than $1.2 billion</a>
 to retrieve as much of the oil as was deemed feasible. Some amount was 
left because getting at the sludge is itself so damaging to the affected
 ecosystems.

Thousands of animals coated in oil were caught, treated and released.

In Kansas, TC Energy has said one beaver has been caught and is being treated.

The
 EPA added Thursday morning that four dead mammals and 71 dead fish have
 been found. It says biologists from the Kansas Department of Wildlife 
and Parks are assessing injured and dead animals.

TC Energy has put its initial estimate of the Kansas spill at about 588,000 gallons.

The
 region saw some rain this week, but TC Energy says it built a second 
earthen underflow dam in recent days to brace the initial containment 
dam for the anticipated rain, and that containment remains successful.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671117354594.png" alt="A dark streak of spilled oil in Washington County, Kansas, near the Nebraska border where the Keystone pipeline ruptured last week. Tyler Kersting / Nebraska Public Media" />
 <figcaption>A dark streak of spilled oil in Washington County, Kansas, near the Nebraska border where the Keystone pipeline ruptured last week. Tyler Kersting / Nebraska Public Media</figcaption>
 </figure>By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-12-15/not-just-any-oil-spill-the-keystone-pipeline-dumped-notoriously-hard-to-clean-dilbit-in-kansas">Kansas News Service</a>Each day that passes, the hundreds of thousands of gallons of sludgy 
oil coating Mill Creek in north-central Kansas become harder to clean 
up.That’s because the pipeline that busted just outside the town of Washington on Dec. 7 doesn’t carry conventional crude
 oil. It carries a product of the Canadian tar sands called diluted 
bitumen that changes dramatically in chemical composition and behavior 
soon after escaping from pipes.A <a href="https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/21834/chapter/1" target="_blank">National Academies of Sciences</a> study found that transformation means the crude oil can start sinking below the water’s surface in a matter of days.The Kansas spill occurred <a href="https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/2022-12/TC%20Oil%20CAO.3-2022-074.pdf" target="_blank">eight days ago</a> and is now the second-largest spill of tar sands crude on U.S. soil.The
 Environmental Protection Agency acknowledged Thursday morning that the 
crude was diluted bitumen, also known as dilbit. But the agency wouldn’t
 respond to questions about the implications of that fact for cleaning 
and containing the notoriously elusive crude oil.And it wouldn’t 
disclose what methods were being used to verify the material is truly 
contained, even as Mill Creek continues to flow downstream.TC Energy won’t answer those questions either.The same 2016 National Academies of Science study of diluted bitumen —
 a deep dive ordered by Congress in the wake of the nation’s largest 
inland spill of the stuff in Michigan in 2010 — found that bitumen’s 
peanut butter-like consistency poses special risks to the environment.“When
 a significant fraction of the spilled crude oil” sinks below the 
water’s surface, the scientists concluded, “the response becomes more 
complex because there are few proven techniques in the responder ‘tool 
box’ for detection, containment, and recovery.”Once it escapes its pipe, diluted bitumen also becomes far stickier than other types of crude oil.In
 Michigan, the gunk proved so gluey that it was easier to haul rocks 
away that had been coated with it along the Kalamazoo River than to 
scrub the bitumen off of them, said Steve Hamilton, a biologist who 
advised the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on the cleanup.“It’s
 almost impossible to clean from surfaces,” said Hamilton, a professor 
at Michigan State University and member of the National Academies of 
Sciences committee that wrote the 2016 report on diluted bitumen. “We 
tried hot water sprays and detergent and so on. … It’s extremely sticky 
once it has been exposed to air for a while.”Of the estimated 
14,000 barrels that spilled — nearly 600,000 gallons — out of the 
three-foot-wide Keystone pipeline, most has not yet been recovered.In
 the 2016 report, scientists concluded that once the bitumen starts 
sinking, detecting it and retrieving it becomes very difficult. So does 
containing it.“It ultimately took four years to clean up the 
Kalamazoo River spill,” Hamilton said Wednesday, “And you could argue 
that three and three-quarters of those years were all about (removing) 
submerged oil.”One silver lining: The 2016 report suggests that 
although bitumen spills may harm water quality more than conventional 
crude oil spills, as the substance weathers, it may pose less risk of 
contaminating groundwater (as opposed to surface water such as creeks) and drinking water.On
 Tuesday, the Kansas News Service asked TC Energy which specific 
detection techniques the company is using to verify whether the crude 
oil spilled in Kansas has been entirely contained within a four-mile 
stretch of Mill Creek.The News Service also asked which specific 
cleanup techniques are being used to address the concerns of scientists 
that traditional crude oil cleanup approaches have limited success on 
diluted bitumen spills.TC Energy wouldn’t offer specifics.“We
 have the people, expertise, training and equipment to mount an 
effective response and clean-up, and that’s what we’re doing,” the 
company said in an email.It repeated previous public statements 
that it has deployed booms at the site and said it sees “no indication” 
that the oil is passing its barriers.“Our approach in any 
incident is to respond and clean up the site as quickly as possible,” it
 said, “reducing the opportunity for any type of crude oil, including 
diluted bitumen, to have a lasting impact on the environment.”It also noted that its containment efforts were monitored by the EPA.The
 EPA says the spill has been contained to the 4 miles of creek that lie 
downstream from the pipeline break, and that the spill didn’t affect 
drinking water supplies, including wells.The agency has coordinators at the site to oversee the cleanup.Two
 underflow dams have been built, but they allow the stream to keep 
flowing under the water’s surface, where dilbit could already be 
present.In 2007, the U.S. Department of Transportation decided it
 would allow the stretch of Keystone pipeline that runs from Nebraska 
through Kansas to Oklahoma to eventually operate at a higher pressure 
than is otherwise allowed because it would be made of stronger steel. It
 <a href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-21-588.pdf" target="_blank">gave the final go-ahead</a> a decade later.On
 Thursday, the EPA said workers had pulled about 5,600 barrels of fluid 
from Mill Creek, though that fluid is a combination of oil and water. It
 says 5,000 cubic yards of oil-contaminated soil have been removed, and 
nine cubic yards of oily solids.Tar sands oil, or bitumen, is far
 too thick to travel through pipelines. So companies in Canada force it 
into a more moveable state by mixing it with lighter volatile compounds.But
 if a pipe breaks and the oil escapes, the diluted bitumen soon reverts 
to its original, sludgier consistency. The additives largely evaporate, 
leaving the ultra sticky, thick bitumen residue.Bitumen doesn’t 
float on water, the way crude oil does. And that leaves a short time to 
capture diluted bitumen from the surface of rivers, creeks and lakes 
before the sludge disappears from view.“This situation is highly 
problematic for spill response,” the National Academies report 
concluded, because “there are few effective techniques for detection, 
containment, and recovery of oil” once it has begun sinking.And 
once it reaches the bottom of the water body, finding and cleaning it 
remains complicated. Retrieving generally involves dredging.“Given
 these greater levels of concern,” the report concluded, “spills of 
diluted bitumen should elicit unique, immediate actions.”The 
scientists expressed concern that federal policies that govern spill 
planning and response fell short of properly considering the special 
conundrums posed by diluted bitumen.“Broadly, regulations and 
agency practices do not take the unique properties of diluted bitumen 
into account, nor do they encourage effective planning for spills of 
diluted bitumen,” the report said.Most methods for trying to detect sunken bitumen don’t seem to work well, the report said.The
 cause of the pipeline break in Kansas remains unknown, and a 
third-party analysis of the matter could take up to three months, 
according to the <a href="https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/" target="_blank">U.S. Department of Transportation administration</a> that regulates oil pipelines.The
 Michigan spill involved upward of 840,000 gallons (20,000 barrels) of 
oil. That contaminated more than 30 miles of the Kalamazoo River, plus 
nearby woodlands and wetlands. The sheer scale of the disaster was 
exacerbated by heavy rains.It took four years and <a href="https://www.mlive.com/news/2016/07/kalamazoo_river_oil_spill_time.html#:~:text=Enbridge%20completes%20its%20cleanup%20and,on%20the%20total%20cleanup%20effort." target="_blank">more than $1.2 billion</a>
 to retrieve as much of the oil as was deemed feasible. Some amount was 
left because getting at the sludge is itself so damaging to the affected
 ecosystems.Thousands of animals coated in oil were caught, treated and released.In Kansas, TC Energy has said one beaver has been caught and is being treated.The
 EPA added Thursday morning that four dead mammals and 71 dead fish have
 been found. It says biologists from the Kansas Department of Wildlife 
and Parks are assessing injured and dead animals.TC Energy has put its initial estimate of the Kansas spill at about 588,000 gallons.The
 region saw some rain this week, but TC Energy says it built a second 
earthen underflow dam in recent days to brace the initial containment 
dam for the anticipated rain, and that containment remains successful.

Notoriously hard-to-clean 'dilbit' dumped in Kansas oil spill

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/12/14/outgoing-kansas-board-of-education-member-decries-gops-embrace-of-christian-nationalism/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas Board of 
Education member Ben Jones addressed colleagues at his final meeting 
Wednesday by raising concern about the influence of Christian 
nationalists in government, the Republican Party’s rejection of social 
and emotional learning in schools and the ostracizing of LGBTQ teachers 
and students.

Jones, a Sterling resident elected four years ago to represent a 
portion of southwest Kansas, lost his GOP primary in August to Dennis 
Hershberger of Hutchinson. Hershberger is among three Republicans 
elected in November to join the 10-member state Board of Education in 
January.

Jones said rise of Christian nationalism in the United States should 
be viewed as an assault on the liberty of individuals to choose a 
personal religious path. Influence wielded by Christian fundamentalists 
threatens to infuse government, including public education, with 
religious ideology reinforced by government “coercion,” Jones said.

“This narrative has now taken over the Republican Party in a way I 
never thought possible 10 years ago,” he said. “This is the belief that 
we are God’s chosen nation and we must follow the dictates of carefully 
selected portions of the Bible. This is dangerous — replacing the grace 
of Jesus Christ with the yoke of the law.”

Michael Kuckelman, chairman of the Kansas Republican Party, didn’t respond to a request for comment.

During the board meeting, Jones accused Christian fundamentalists of 
damaging conservatism in the quest for power. This misguided agenda 
sought to deny LGBTQ individuals from teaching in schools, said Jones, 
who has supported same-sex marriage.

“Gay students have a right to a safe and quality public education,” 
he said. “Gay teachers should be allowed to teach in our classrooms.”

Jones, a Republican, said a person’s morality couldn’t be determined 
by political party affiliation and a partisan group shouldn’t operate as
 some type of morality police. He said Republicans had falsely denounced
 social and emotional learning in schools and alleged teachers were 
advancing “critical race theory,” which represents the idea racism was a
 cultural construction designed to oppress people of color.

He said social and emotional learning — some state Board of Education
 members object to use of the phrase — was important because high school
 graduates needed a framework that would support their continued 
learning throughout life.

Jean Clifford, a first-term Republican state board member from Garden
 City, fell in the primary to Cathy Hopkins of Hays. She said she was 
honored to work the past four years on behalf of “dedicated, 
hard-working individuals who truly want to see their students succeed.”

She pointed to a misconception held by some people the state Board of
 Education had authority to mandate education reform. The state Board of
 Education, she said, had constitutional powers to guide public 
education statewide. For example, the state Board of Education 
recommended school districts stop using offensive Native American 
mascots, but didn’t have the ability to require the change.

“We provide a structure and guidance to local districts,” said 
Clifford, a former member of the Garden City school board. “Local boards
 of education and local control is a fundamental principle in our state.
 That is something we need to honor whether we agree with the decision 
at the local level or not.”

The third to depart the 10-member state Board of Education in January
 will be Janet Waugh of Kansas City, Kansas. She didn’t seek reelection 
and will complete a 24-year run on the board. She was on the Turner 
school board for 15 years and described teachers as “my heroes.”

“It takes a village to raise a board members,” Waugh said. “I’ve had a heck of a village supporting me.”

She said her state Board of Education district included a 
concentration of low-income students. She was proud the state Board of 
Education’s policy was to meet needs of every single child.

“Our students didn’t choose to be born into poverty. Education is the
 only escape for many of these students. Please, I ask of you, do not 
allow their zip code to determine the type of education they receive,” 
Waugh said.

She apologized for doubting the abilities of Randy Watson, who was 
named Kansas commissioner of education in 2014 while serving as 
superintendent of schools in McPherson.

“I was wrong,” Waugh said. “He’s been an amazing commissioner who has been a wonderful leader for the state.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671054749933.png" alt="Kansas Board of Education members Ben Jones, Janet Waugh and Jean Clifford, left to right, stand for a photograph at their final board meeting. Each reflected on their work on behalf of public education, with Jones also denouncing Christian nationalism, the Republican Party and political attacks on LGBTQ educators and students. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Board of Education members Ben Jones, Janet Waugh and Jean Clifford, left to right, stand for a photograph at their final board meeting. Each reflected on their work on behalf of public education, with Jones also denouncing Christian nationalism, the Republican Party and political attacks on LGBTQ educators and students. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/12/14/outgoing-kansas-board-of-education-member-decries-gops-embrace-of-christian-nationalism/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas Board of 
Education member Ben Jones addressed colleagues at his final meeting 
Wednesday by raising concern about the influence of Christian 
nationalists in government, the Republican Party’s rejection of social 
and emotional learning in schools and the ostracizing of LGBTQ teachers 
and students.Jones, a Sterling resident elected four years ago to represent a 
portion of southwest Kansas, lost his GOP primary in August to Dennis 
Hershberger of Hutchinson. Hershberger is among three Republicans 
elected in November to join the 10-member state Board of Education in 
January.Jones said rise of Christian nationalism in the United States should 
be viewed as an assault on the liberty of individuals to choose a 
personal religious path. Influence wielded by Christian fundamentalists 
threatens to infuse government, including public education, with 
religious ideology reinforced by government “coercion,” Jones said.“This narrative has now taken over the Republican Party in a way I 
never thought possible 10 years ago,” he said. “This is the belief that 
we are God’s chosen nation and we must follow the dictates of carefully 
selected portions of the Bible. This is dangerous — replacing the grace 
of Jesus Christ with the yoke of the law.”Michael Kuckelman, chairman of the Kansas Republican Party, didn’t respond to a request for comment.During the board meeting, Jones accused Christian fundamentalists of 
damaging conservatism in the quest for power. This misguided agenda 
sought to deny LGBTQ individuals from teaching in schools, said Jones, 
who has supported same-sex marriage.“Gay students have a right to a safe and quality public education,” 
he said. “Gay teachers should be allowed to teach in our classrooms.”Jones, a Republican, said a person’s morality couldn’t be determined 
by political party affiliation and a partisan group shouldn’t operate as
 some type of morality police. He said Republicans had falsely denounced
 social and emotional learning in schools and alleged teachers were 
advancing “critical race theory,” which represents the idea racism was a
 cultural construction designed to oppress people of color.He said social and emotional learning — some state Board of Education
 members object to use of the phrase — was important because high school
 graduates needed a framework that would support their continued 
learning throughout life.Jean Clifford, a first-term Republican state board member from Garden
 City, fell in the primary to Cathy Hopkins of Hays. She said she was 
honored to work the past four years on behalf of “dedicated, 
hard-working individuals who truly want to see their students succeed.”She pointed to a misconception held by some people the state Board of
 Education had authority to mandate education reform. The state Board of
 Education, she said, had constitutional powers to guide public 
education statewide. For example, the state Board of Education 
recommended school districts stop using offensive Native American 
mascots, but didn’t have the ability to require the change.“We provide a structure and guidance to local districts,” said 
Clifford, a former member of the Garden City school board. “Local boards
 of education and local control is a fundamental principle in our state.
 That is something we need to honor whether we agree with the decision 
at the local level or not.”The third to depart the 10-member state Board of Education in January
 will be Janet Waugh of Kansas City, Kansas. She didn’t seek reelection 
and will complete a 24-year run on the board. She was on the Turner 
school board for 15 years and described teachers as “my heroes.”“It takes a village to raise a board members,” Waugh said. “I’ve had a heck of a village supporting me.”She said her state Board of Education district included a 
concentration of low-income students. She was proud the state Board of 
Education’s policy was to meet needs of every single child.“Our students didn’t choose to be born into poverty. Education is the
 only escape for many of these students. Please, I ask of you, do not 
allow their zip code to determine the type of education they receive,” 
Waugh said.She apologized for doubting the abilities of Randy Watson, who was 
named Kansas commissioner of education in 2014 while serving as 
superintendent of schools in McPherson.“I was wrong,” Waugh said. “He’s been an amazing commissioner who has been a wonderful leader for the state.”

Outgoing Kan. ed board member decries embrace of ‘Christian nationalism’

By SUMMER BALLENTINE and JOHN D. HANNA&nbsp;

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — The first openly transgender woman set to be executed in the U.S. is asking Missouri's governor for mercy, citing mental health issues.

Lawyers for Amber McLaughlin, now 49, on Monday asked Republican Gov. Mike Parson to spare her.

McLaughlin was convicted of killing 45-year-old Beverly Guenther on Nov. 20, 2003. Guenther was raped and stabbed to death in St. Louis County.

There is no known case of an openly transgender inmate being executed in the U.S. before, according to the anti-execution Death Penalty Information Center.

"It's wrong when anyone's executed regardless, but I hope that this is a first that doesn't occur," federal public defender Larry Komp said. "Amber has shown great courage in embracing who she is as a transgender woman in spite of the potential for people reacting with hate, so I admire her display of courage."

McLaughlin's lawyers cited her traumatic childhood and mental health issues, which the jury never heard, in the clemency petition. A foster parent rubbed feces in her face when she was a toddler and her adoptive father tased her, according to the letter to Parson. She tried to kill herself multiple times, both as a child and as an adult.

Parson spokeswoman Kelli Jones said the Governor's Office is reviewing her request for mercy.

"These are not decisions that the Governor takes lightly," Jones said in an email.

Komp said McLaughlin's lawyers are scheduled to meet with Parson on Tuesday.

A judge sentenced McLaughlin to death after a jury was unable to decide on death or life in prison without parole.

A federal judge in St. Louis ordered a new sentencing hearing in 2016, citing concerns about the effectiveness of McLaughlin's trial lawyers and faulty jury instructions. But in 2021, a federal appeals court panel reinstated the death penalty.

McLaughlin's lawyers also listed the jury's indecision and McLaughlin's remorse as reasons Parson should spare her life.

Missouri has only executed one woman before, state Corrections Department spokeswoman Karen Pojmann said in an email.

McLaughlin's lawyers said she previously was rooming with another transgender woman but now is living in isolation leading up to her scheduled execution date.

Pojmann said 9% of Missouri's prison population is female, and all capital punishment inmates are imprisoned at Potosi Correctional Center.

"It is extremely unusual for a woman to commit a capital offense, such as a brutal murder, and even more unusual for a women to, as was the case with McLaughlin, rape and murder a woman," Pojmann said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671065135902.png" alt="Amber 'Scott' McLaughlin-photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Amber 'Scott' McLaughlin-photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>By SUMMER BALLENTINE and JOHN D. HANNA&nbsp;COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — The first openly transgender woman set to be executed in the U.S. is asking Missouri's governor for mercy, citing mental health issues.Lawyers for Amber McLaughlin, now 49, on Monday asked Republican Gov. Mike Parson to spare her.McLaughlin was convicted of killing 45-year-old Beverly Guenther on Nov. 20, 2003. Guenther was raped and stabbed to death in St. Louis County.There is no known case of an openly transgender inmate being executed in the U.S. before, according to the anti-execution Death Penalty Information Center."It's wrong when anyone's executed regardless, but I hope that this is a first that doesn't occur," federal public defender Larry Komp said. "Amber has shown great courage in embracing who she is as a transgender woman in spite of the potential for people reacting with hate, so I admire her display of courage."McLaughlin's lawyers cited her traumatic childhood and mental health issues, which the jury never heard, in the clemency petition. A foster parent rubbed feces in her face when she was a toddler and her adoptive father tased her, according to the letter to Parson. She tried to kill herself multiple times, both as a child and as an adult.Parson spokeswoman Kelli Jones said the Governor's Office is reviewing her request for mercy."These are not decisions that the Governor takes lightly," Jones said in an email.Komp said McLaughlin's lawyers are scheduled to meet with Parson on Tuesday.A judge sentenced McLaughlin to death after a jury was unable to decide on death or life in prison without parole.A federal judge in St. Louis ordered a new sentencing hearing in 2016, citing concerns about the effectiveness of McLaughlin's trial lawyers and faulty jury instructions. But in 2021, a federal appeals court panel reinstated the death penalty.McLaughlin's lawyers also listed the jury's indecision and McLaughlin's remorse as reasons Parson should spare her life.Missouri has only executed one woman before, state Corrections Department spokeswoman Karen Pojmann said in an email.McLaughlin's lawyers said she previously was rooming with another transgender woman but now is living in isolation leading up to her scheduled execution date.Pojmann said 9% of Missouri's prison population is female, and all capital punishment inmates are imprisoned at Potosi Correctional Center."It is extremely unusual for a woman to commit a capital offense, such as a brutal murder, and even more unusual for a women to, as was the case with McLaughlin, rape and murder a woman," Pojmann said.Missouri executed two men this year. Kevin Johnson, a 37 year old who was convicted of ambushing and killing a St. Louis area police officer he blamed in the death of his younger brother, was put to death last month. Carmen Deck died by injection in May for killing James and Zelma Long during a robbery at their home in De Soto, Missouri, in 1996.___