SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an aggravated robbery and asking the public for help to locate two suspects identified as&nbsp;Nicole R. A. Fox, 41, and London D. Pike, 20, both of Topeka.

Just after&nbsp;8p.m. July 16, sheriff's deputies were dispatched for an unknown problem in the 11,000 block of SW 29th Street in Shawnee County, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

&nbsp;A 27-year-old female victim was taken at gun point from Topeka to this location.

During this time, the victim was struck in the head with a firearm, threatened and stripped of her outer clothing. The victim’s black 2017 Chevrolet Malibu was stolen and she was left in the roadway. A citizen found her walking and called 911.

The victim received medical attention on scene by American Medical Response&nbsp;and was then transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to Christian.

Throughout the investigation, two suspects have been identified as Fox and Pike. Anyone with information on them is asked to contact police or call 911.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1659024111950.png" alt="Pike-photo Shawnee Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Pike-photo Shawnee Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an aggravated robbery and asking the public for help to locate two suspects identified as&nbsp;Nicole R. A. Fox, 41, and London D. Pike, 20, both of Topeka.Just after&nbsp;8p.m. July 16, sheriff's deputies were dispatched for an unknown problem in the 11,000 block of SW 29th Street in Shawnee County, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.&nbsp;A 27-year-old female victim was taken at gun point from Topeka to this location.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1659024081286.png" alt="Fox photo Shawnee Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Fox photo Shawnee Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>During this time, the victim was struck in the head with a firearm, threatened and stripped of her outer clothing. The victim’s black 2017 Chevrolet Malibu was stolen and she was left in the roadway. A citizen found her walking and called 911.The victim received medical attention on scene by American Medical Response&nbsp;and was then transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to Christian.Throughout the investigation, two suspects have been identified as Fox and Pike. Anyone with information on them is asked to contact police or call 911.

Search continues for suspects in violent Kansas armed robbery 

BEIJING (AP) — President Xi Jinping warned against meddling in China’s dealings with Taiwan<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2022/07/28/background-press-call-on-president-bidens-call-with-president-xi-jinping-of-the-peoples-republic-of-china/"> during a phone call </a>with his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, that gave no indication of progress on trade, technology or other irritants, including Beijing’s opposition to a top American lawmaker’s possible visit to the island that the mainland claims as its own territory.

Xi also warned against splitting the world’s two biggest economies, according to a Chinese government summary of Thursday’s unusually lengthy, three-hour call. Businesspeople and economists warn such a change, brought on by Chinese industrial policy and U.S. curbs on technology exports, might hurt the global economy by slowing innovation and increasing costs.

Meanwhile,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-xi-jinping-nancy-pelosi-taiwan-f500d38f7ac98a191fe6ad817b528929">Xi and Biden are looking at the possibility of meeting in person</a>, according to a U.S. official who declined to be identified further. Xi has been invited to Indonesia in November for a meeting of the Group of 20 major economies, making it a potential location for a face-to-face meeting.

The Chinese government gave no indication Xi and Biden discussed possible plans by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-beijing-xi-jinping-hong-kong-2c2b95758dd6faa6eed87a7c5cf298d4">to visit Taiwan</a>, which the ruling Communist Party says has no right to conduct foreign relations. But Xi rejected “interference by external forces” that might encourage Taiwan to try to make its decades-old de facto independence permanent.

The tough language from Xi, who usually tries to appear to be above political disputes and makes blandly positive public comments, suggested Chinese leaders might believe Washington didn’t understand the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-pelosi-taiwan-visit-explainer-fd940b681b9a4165d2ace569bbfe33fb">seriousness of previous warnings</a>&nbsp;about Taiwan.

“Resolutely safeguarding China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity is the firm will of the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people,” foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Friday. “Those who play with fire will perish by it.”

Taiwan and China split in 1949 following a civil war that ended with a communist victory on the mainland. They have no official relations but are linked by billions of dollars of trade and investment. Both sides say they are one country but disagree over which government is entitled to national leadership.

A Ministry of Defense spokesperson said ahead of Thursday’s call that Washington “must not arrange for Pelosi to visit Taiwan.” He said the ruling party’s military wing, the People’s Liberation Army, would take “strong measures to thwart any external interference.”

Xi called on the United States to “honor the one-China principle,” according to Zhao, referring to Beijing’s position that the mainland and Taiwan are one country. The United States, by contrast, has a “one-China policy” that says Washington takes no position on the question but wants to see it resolved peacefully.

“China's opposition to to interactions between the United States and Taiwan is clear and consistent,” Zhao said.

A foreign ministry summary of the conversation cited Biden as saying the United States doesn’t support independence for Taiwan.

Coverage of the conversation in China’s entirely state-controlled media on Friday was limited to repeating government statements.

Pelosi has yet to confirm whether she will go to Taiwan, but if she does, the Democrat from California would be the highest-ranking elected American official to visit since then-Speaker Newt Gingrich in 1997.

Beijing criticized Gingrich for saying the United States would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack but did little else in response to his three-hour visit to the island.

Since then, China’s position on Taiwan has hardened as the mainland economy grew to become second-largest after the United States. The ruling party poured hundreds of billions of dollars into developing fighter jets and other high-tech weapons including “carrier killer” missiles that are thought to be intended to block the U.S. Navy from helping to defend the island.

The conflict over a possible Pelosi visit is more sensitive to Beijing in a year when Xi, who took power in 2012, is expected to try to break with tradition and award himself a third five-year term as party leader.

Xi, who wants to be seen as restoring China's rightful historic role as a global leader, has promoted a more assertive policy abroad. The People’s Liberation Army has sent growing numbers of fighter planes and bombers to fly near Taiwan in an attempt to intimidate its democratically elected government.

The United States has no official relations with Taiwan but has extensive commercial ties and informal political connections. Washington is obliged by federal law to see that Taiwan has the means to defend itself.

Xi called for cooperation on reducing the risk of economic recession, coordinating macroeconomic policies, fighting COVID-19 and “de-escalation of regional hot spots," according to the government statement.

He also warned against decoupling, or separating, the U.S. and Chinese economies for strategic reasons.

Businesspeople and industry analysts have warned global industries might be split into separate markets with incompatible products due to China’s pressure on its companies to develop their own technology standards and U.S. restrictions on Chinese access to technology that Washington see as a security risk. That might slow innovation and increase costs.

“Attempts at decoupling or severing supply chains in defiance of underlying laws would not help boost the U.S. economy,” the statement said. “They would only make the world economy more vulnerable.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and China’s Xi Jinping spent more than two hours Thursday talking through the future of their complicated relationship, with the flashpoint of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/taiwan">Taiwan</a>&nbsp;once again emerging as a key point of tension.

According to a description of the call released by Beijing, Xi emphasized China's claim over the island, which has governed itself for decades.

“Those who play with fire will perish by it,” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “It is hoped that the U.S. will be clear-eyed about this."

The White House has not yet released its own readout on the call, which began at 8:33 a.m. EDT and ended at 10:50 a.m. EDT.

As usual, China left no doubt that it blames the U.S. for the deteriorating relationship between the two countries.

“President Xi underscored that to approach and define China-US relations in terms of strategic competition and view China as the primary rival and the most serious long-term challenge would be misperceiving China-U.S. relations and misreading China’s development, and would mislead the people of the two countries and the international community,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The call took place as Biden aims to find new ways to work with China and contain its influence around the world. Differing perspectives on global health, economic policy and human rights have long tested the relationship — with China's refusal to condemn&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia's invasion of Ukraine</a>&nbsp;adding further strain.

The latest pressure point has been House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-china-beijing-foreign-policy-nancy-pelosi-07eefea303f4da179554abcd3b2845af">potential visit to Taiwan</a>, which has a democratic government and receives informal defensive support from the U.S., but which China considers part of its territory. Beijing has said it would view such a trip as a provocation, a threat U.S. officials are taking with heightened seriousness in light of Russia's incursion into Ukraine.

“If the U.S. insists on going its own way and challenging China’s bottom line, it will surely be met with forceful responses,” Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, told reporters earlier this week. “All ensuing consequences shall be borne by the U.S.”

Pelosi would be the highest-ranking U.S. elected official to travel to Taiwan since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-beijing-xi-jinping-hong-kong-2c2b95758dd6faa6eed87a7c5cf298d4">Republican Newt Gingrich visited the island in 1997</a>&nbsp;when he was House speaker. Biden last week told reporters that U.S. military officials believed it was “not a good idea” for the speaker to visit the island at the moment.

John Kirby, a U.S. national security spokesman, said Wednesday that it was important for Biden and Xi to regularly touch base.

“The president wants to make sure that the lines of communication with President Xi remain open because they need to,” Kirby told reporters at a White House briefing. “There are issues where we can cooperate with China on, and there are issues where obviously there are friction and tension.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-biden-business-jen-psaki-83c387554e08610bd973051dbd28fcf9">Biden and Xi last spoke in March,</a>&nbsp;shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“This is one of the most consequential bilateral relationships in the world today, with ramifications well beyond both individual countries,” Kirby said.

Biden has moved to shift U.S. reliance off Chinese manufacturing, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-united-states-congress-government-and-politics-eaccb8daecf3ddc2217f22eb3de5a260">Senate passage Wednesday of legislation to encourage semiconductor companies to build more high-tech plants in the U.S.</a>&nbsp;Biden wants to marshal global democracies to support infrastructure investments in low- and middle-income nations as an alternative to China’s “Belt and Road Initiative,” which aims to boost China trade with other global markets.

Biden has kept in place Trump-era tariffs on many Chinese-manufactured goods in order to maintain leverage over Beijing. But he is weighing whether to ease at least some of them to lessen the impact of soaring inflation on American households.

U.S. officials have also criticized China's “zero-COVID” policy of mass testing and lockdowns in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19 in its territory, labeling it misguided and fretting that it will further slow global economic growth.

Other points of strain include China’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims, which the U.S. has declared a genocide, its militarization in the South China Sea and its global campaign of economic and political espionage.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1659031007084.png" alt="A Ministry of Defense spokesperson said ahead of Thursday’s call that Washington “must not arrange for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to visit Taiwan.” He said the ruling party’s military wing, the People’s Liberation Army, would take “strong measures to thwart any external interference.”-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>A Ministry of Defense spokesperson said ahead of Thursday’s call that Washington “must not arrange for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to visit Taiwan.” He said the ruling party’s military wing, the People’s Liberation Army, would take “strong measures to thwart any external interference.”-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>BEIJING (AP) — President Xi Jinping warned against meddling in China’s dealings with Taiwan<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2022/07/28/background-press-call-on-president-bidens-call-with-president-xi-jinping-of-the-peoples-republic-of-china/"> during a phone call </a>with his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, that gave no indication of progress on trade, technology or other irritants, including Beijing’s opposition to a top American lawmaker’s possible visit to the island that the mainland claims as its own territory.Xi also warned against splitting the world’s two biggest economies, according to a Chinese government summary of Thursday’s unusually lengthy, three-hour call. Businesspeople and economists warn such a change, brought on by Chinese industrial policy and U.S. curbs on technology exports, might hurt the global economy by slowing innovation and increasing costs.Meanwhile,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-xi-jinping-nancy-pelosi-taiwan-f500d38f7ac98a191fe6ad817b528929">Xi and Biden are looking at the possibility of meeting in person</a>, according to a U.S. official who declined to be identified further. Xi has been invited to Indonesia in November for a meeting of the Group of 20 major economies, making it a potential location for a face-to-face meeting.The Chinese government gave no indication Xi and Biden discussed possible plans by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-beijing-xi-jinping-hong-kong-2c2b95758dd6faa6eed87a7c5cf298d4">to visit Taiwan</a>, which the ruling Communist Party says has no right to conduct foreign relations. But Xi rejected “interference by external forces” that might encourage Taiwan to try to make its decades-old de facto independence permanent.The tough language from Xi, who usually tries to appear to be above political disputes and makes blandly positive public comments, suggested Chinese leaders might believe Washington didn’t understand the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-pelosi-taiwan-visit-explainer-fd940b681b9a4165d2ace569bbfe33fb">seriousness of previous warnings</a>&nbsp;about Taiwan.“Resolutely safeguarding China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity is the firm will of the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people,” foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Friday. “Those who play with fire will perish by it.”Taiwan and China split in 1949 following a civil war that ended with a communist victory on the mainland. They have no official relations but are linked by billions of dollars of trade and investment. Both sides say they are one country but disagree over which government is entitled to national leadership.A Ministry of Defense spokesperson said ahead of Thursday’s call that Washington “must not arrange for Pelosi to visit Taiwan.” He said the ruling party’s military wing, the People’s Liberation Army, would take “strong measures to thwart any external interference.”Xi called on the United States to “honor the one-China principle,” according to Zhao, referring to Beijing’s position that the mainland and Taiwan are one country. The United States, by contrast, has a “one-China policy” that says Washington takes no position on the question but wants to see it resolved peacefully.“China's opposition to to interactions between the United States and Taiwan is clear and consistent,” Zhao said.A foreign ministry summary of the conversation cited Biden as saying the United States doesn’t support independence for Taiwan.Coverage of the conversation in China’s entirely state-controlled media on Friday was limited to repeating government statements.Pelosi has yet to confirm whether she will go to Taiwan, but if she does, the Democrat from California would be the highest-ranking elected American official to visit since then-Speaker Newt Gingrich in 1997.Beijing criticized Gingrich for saying the United States would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack but did little else in response to his three-hour visit to the island.Since then, China’s position on Taiwan has hardened as the mainland economy grew to become second-largest after the United States. The ruling party poured hundreds of billions of dollars into developing fighter jets and other high-tech weapons including “carrier killer” missiles that are thought to be intended to block the U.S. Navy from helping to defend the island.The conflict over a possible Pelosi visit is more sensitive to Beijing in a year when Xi, who took power in 2012, is expected to try to break with tradition and award himself a third five-year term as party leader.Xi, who wants to be seen as restoring China's rightful historic role as a global leader, has promoted a more assertive policy abroad. The People’s Liberation Army has sent growing numbers of fighter planes and bombers to fly near Taiwan in an attempt to intimidate its democratically elected government.The United States has no official relations with Taiwan but has extensive commercial ties and informal political connections. Washington is obliged by federal law to see that Taiwan has the means to defend itself.Xi called for cooperation on reducing the risk of economic recession, coordinating macroeconomic policies, fighting COVID-19 and “de-escalation of regional hot spots," according to the government statement.He also warned against decoupling, or separating, the U.S. and Chinese economies for strategic reasons.Businesspeople and industry analysts have warned global industries might be split into separate markets with incompatible products due to China’s pressure on its companies to develop their own technology standards and U.S. restrictions on Chinese access to technology that Washington see as a security risk. That might slow innovation and increase costs.“Attempts at decoupling or severing supply chains in defiance of underlying laws would not help boost the U.S. economy,” the statement said. “They would only make the world economy more vulnerable.”------------WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and China’s Xi Jinping spent more than two hours Thursday talking through the future of their complicated relationship, with the flashpoint of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/taiwan">Taiwan</a>&nbsp;once again emerging as a key point of tension.According to a description of the call released by Beijing, Xi emphasized China's claim over the island, which has governed itself for decades.“Those who play with fire will perish by it,” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “It is hoped that the U.S. will be clear-eyed about this."The White House has not yet released its own readout on the call, which began at 8:33 a.m. EDT and ended at 10:50 a.m. EDT.As usual, China left no doubt that it blames the U.S. for the deteriorating relationship between the two countries.“President Xi underscored that to approach and define China-US relations in terms of strategic competition and view China as the primary rival and the most serious long-term challenge would be misperceiving China-U.S. relations and misreading China’s development, and would mislead the people of the two countries and the international community,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.The call took place as Biden aims to find new ways to work with China and contain its influence around the world. Differing perspectives on global health, economic policy and human rights have long tested the relationship — with China's refusal to condemn&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia's invasion of Ukraine</a>&nbsp;adding further strain.The latest pressure point has been House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-china-beijing-foreign-policy-nancy-pelosi-07eefea303f4da179554abcd3b2845af">potential visit to Taiwan</a>, which has a democratic government and receives informal defensive support from the U.S., but which China considers part of its territory. Beijing has said it would view such a trip as a provocation, a threat U.S. officials are taking with heightened seriousness in light of Russia's incursion into Ukraine.“If the U.S. insists on going its own way and challenging China’s bottom line, it will surely be met with forceful responses,” Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, told reporters earlier this week. “All ensuing consequences shall be borne by the U.S.”Pelosi would be the highest-ranking U.S. elected official to travel to Taiwan since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-beijing-xi-jinping-hong-kong-2c2b95758dd6faa6eed87a7c5cf298d4">Republican Newt Gingrich visited the island in 1997</a>&nbsp;when he was House speaker. Biden last week told reporters that U.S. military officials believed it was “not a good idea” for the speaker to visit the island at the moment.John Kirby, a U.S. national security spokesman, said Wednesday that it was important for Biden and Xi to regularly touch base.“The president wants to make sure that the lines of communication with President Xi remain open because they need to,” Kirby told reporters at a White House briefing. “There are issues where we can cooperate with China on, and there are issues where obviously there are friction and tension.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-biden-business-jen-psaki-83c387554e08610bd973051dbd28fcf9">Biden and Xi last spoke in March,</a>&nbsp;shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.“This is one of the most consequential bilateral relationships in the world today, with ramifications well beyond both individual countries,” Kirby said.Biden has moved to shift U.S. reliance off Chinese manufacturing, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-united-states-congress-government-and-politics-eaccb8daecf3ddc2217f22eb3de5a260">Senate passage Wednesday of legislation to encourage semiconductor companies to build more high-tech plants in the U.S.</a>&nbsp;Biden wants to marshal global democracies to support infrastructure investments in low- and middle-income nations as an alternative to China’s “Belt and Road Initiative,” which aims to boost China trade with other global markets.Biden has kept in place Trump-era tariffs on many Chinese-manufactured goods in order to maintain leverage over Beijing. But he is weighing whether to ease at least some of them to lessen the impact of soaring inflation on American households.U.S. officials have also criticized China's “zero-COVID” policy of mass testing and lockdowns in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19 in its territory, labeling it misguided and fretting that it will further slow global economic growth.Other points of strain include China’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims, which the U.S. has declared a genocide, its militarization in the South China Sea and its global campaign of economic and political espionage.

China gives Biden fiery warning on Taiwan during 3-hour call

RENO COUNTY— Hutchinson Police, Reno County EMS and other emergency agencies all gathered
to do active shooter training at Hutchinson High School. The exercise has been
going on throughout the week. 

The police
department goes through active shooter training at the schools each summer and
rotates among the schools so they have a familiarity with each building.

The day
started with a briefing, followed by a breakout session where police, fire, EMS and
dispatch all gather and go over procedures, tactics and
drills. In the afternoon, all entities gather to do two simultaneous exercises.
One deals with an active shooter and how to take such a subject down. The
officers are not told of what to expect or what they will find in each
situation. They also use soft ammunition during the exercise. The other exercise
deals with how to rescue victims, remove them from the building and triage them
for treatment of injuries. The day ends with an assessment of the exercise.

Hutchinson
Police Chief Jeff Hooper says the drills are a necessary step to deal with
active shooter situations in schools. He said he wanted the public to know that
they are as prepared as they can possibly be to deal with any situation that
could arise.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1659043411877.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>RENO COUNTY— Hutchinson Police, Reno County EMS and other emergency agencies all gathered
to do active shooter training at Hutchinson High School. The exercise has been
going on throughout the week. The police
department goes through active shooter training at the schools each summer and
rotates among the schools so they have a familiarity with each building.The day
started with a briefing, followed by a breakout session where police, fire, EMS and
dispatch all gather and go over procedures, tactics and
drills. In the afternoon, all entities gather to do two simultaneous exercises.
One deals with an active shooter and how to take such a subject down. The
officers are not told of what to expect or what they will find in each
situation. They also use soft ammunition during the exercise. The other exercise
deals with how to rescue victims, remove them from the building and triage them
for treatment of injuries. The day ends with an assessment of the exercise.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1659043487277.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Hutchinson
Police Chief Jeff Hooper says the drills are a necessary step to deal with
active shooter situations in schools. He said he wanted the public to know that
they are as prepared as they can possibly be to deal with any situation that
could arise.

Active shooter training at Hutchinson High School

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating&nbsp; a stabbing involving a sword and have made an arrest.

Just before 9p.m. July 25, police responded to a home in the 1300 Block of SW Woodhull in Topeka, according to a media release.&nbsp; When they arrived, officers learned 25-year-old Jonathan Taylor Snowder-Hackett and another individual had been involved in an argument.

&nbsp;Snowder-Hackett produced a sword and stabbed the victim.&nbsp; The victim was treated at a local hospital, according to Topeka Police Lt. Manual Munoz.

Police arrested Snowder-Hackett on requested charges of aggravated assault; use of a deadly weapon, aggravated battery; knowingly use a weapon to cause great bodily harm, and criminal deprivation of property.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658953150375.png" alt="Snowder-Hackett" />
 <figcaption>Snowder-Hackett</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating&nbsp; a stabbing involving a sword and have made an arrest.Just before 9p.m. July 25, police responded to a home in the 1300 Block of SW Woodhull in Topeka, according to a media release.&nbsp; When they arrived, officers learned 25-year-old Jonathan Taylor Snowder-Hackett and another individual had been involved in an argument.&nbsp;Snowder-Hackett produced a sword and stabbed the victim.&nbsp; The victim was treated at a local hospital, according to Topeka Police Lt. Manual Munoz.Police arrested Snowder-Hackett on requested charges of aggravated assault; use of a deadly weapon, aggravated battery; knowingly use a weapon to cause great bodily harm, and criminal deprivation of property.

Kan. man jailed after sword attack sends victim to hospital

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities have filed felony charges&nbsp; in the July 4, fatal shooting of a man whose body was found in the 8900 block of Longview Road in south Kansas City, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Jairo Garcia-Perez, 24, faces Murder 2nd Degree and &nbsp;Armed Criminal Action charges.

According to court records filed Wednesday, on July4, Kansas City police officers responded to the 8900 block of Longview Road in regard to a person on the ground near&nbsp;Smith-Hale Middle School

Officers arrived and observed the victim a 30-year-old Hispanic man later identified as&nbsp;Carlos Martinez-Ramirez suffering from wounds. He later died of his injuries. 

A witness told police that he saw a white van drive by and the victim and two or three males exit it. Another witness advised police officers that the victim and defendant had had issues in the past. A witness reported the victim had struck the defendant with his fist. And &nbsp;a witness reported the victim struck the defendant with his fist, and the defendant shot the victim several times. 

Detectives recovered 9 mm shell casings from the scene. The defendant told police he shot the victim, then tossed his gun alongside the road.&nbsp; Garcia-Perez is being held on bond of $200.000.

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities have filed felony charges&nbsp; in the July 4, fatal shooting of a man whose body was found in the 8900 block of Longview Road in south Kansas City, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Jairo Garcia-Perez, 24, faces Murder 2nd Degree and &nbsp;Armed Criminal Action charges.According to court records filed Wednesday, on July4, Kansas City police officers responded to the 8900 block of Longview Road in regard to a person on the ground near&nbsp;Smith-Hale Middle SchoolOfficers arrived and observed the victim a 30-year-old Hispanic man later identified as&nbsp;Carlos Martinez-Ramirez suffering from wounds. He later died of his injuries. A witness told police that he saw a white van drive by and the victim and two or three males exit it. Another witness advised police officers that the victim and defendant had had issues in the past. A witness reported the victim had struck the defendant with his fist. And &nbsp;a witness reported the victim struck the defendant with his fist, and the defendant shot the victim several times. Detectives recovered 9 mm shell casings from the scene. The defendant told police he shot the victim, then tossed his gun alongside the road.&nbsp; Garcia-Perez is being held on bond of $200.000.

Man charged in July 4th murder near Kansas City middle school

BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating three suspects on drug charges after a traffic stop.

Just after 1:30 a.m. Thursday, a sheriff's deputy sheriff stopped a 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis for a traffic infraction in the 1600 block of Kansas 96 Highway, according to Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir.

Upon approaching the vehicle, deputies observed what appeared to be a bag of white crystalline substance on the back seat of the vehicle. The deputies field-tested the substance which indicated it was methamphetamine.

Further investigation located a container in the front seat area of the vehicle which contained more suspected methamphetamine. The three occupants of the vehicle were placed under arrest and transported the Barton County Jail without incident.

Deputies arrested the driver identified as Clayton Hines,&nbsp; 40 of Great Bend and two passengers 46-year-old Earl Davis and 49-year-old Ralph Tuey Jr., both of Great Bend.

All three were booked on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Tuey was booked on an additional failure to appear warrant from the City of Great Bend, according to Bellendir.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1659021205094.jpeg" alt="Davis-photo Barton County" />
 <figcaption>Davis-photo Barton County</figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating three suspects on drug charges after a traffic stop.Just after 1:30 a.m. Thursday, a sheriff's deputy sheriff stopped a 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis for a traffic infraction in the 1600 block of Kansas 96 Highway, according to Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1659021187671.jpeg" alt="Hines-photo Barton Co." />
 <figcaption>Hines-photo Barton Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Upon approaching the vehicle, deputies observed what appeared to be a bag of white crystalline substance on the back seat of the vehicle. The deputies field-tested the substance which indicated it was methamphetamine.Further investigation located a container in the front seat area of the vehicle which contained more suspected methamphetamine. The three occupants of the vehicle were placed under arrest and transported the Barton County Jail without incident.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1659021221726.jpeg" alt="Tuey-photo Barton Co." />
 <figcaption>Tuey-photo Barton Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Deputies arrested the driver identified as Clayton Hines,&nbsp; 40 of Great Bend and two passengers 46-year-old Earl Davis and 49-year-old Ralph Tuey Jr., both of Great Bend.All three were booked on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Tuey was booked on an additional failure to appear warrant from the City of Great Bend, according to Bellendir.

Kan. deputy finds bag of meth on car seat during traffic stop

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A Kansas man accused of assaulting a federal officer during the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol will go to trial on several felony and misdemeanor charges, a federal judge has ruled.

A federal judge this week set a Nov. 28 trial date for Michael Eckerman, of Wichita, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;reported. He will be the first Kansan charged in the Capitol riot to face trial.

The felony charges against Eckerman include civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers.

His attorney declined to comment on Thursday, The Star reported.

Charging documents allege that Eckerman entered the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and at one point pushed a Capitol Police officer, who fell down a small set of stairs and was sprayed with a fire extinguisher by an unknown person, according to the documents. That allowed the crowd to move past the police.

Eckerman and two women with him then went to Statuary Hall on the second floor, where he pushed his way forward to another police line and yelled at officers for several minutes, according to court records.

He then took a picture in front of the portrait of George Washington and left the building.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1659042081555.png" alt="Photograph included in the FBI’s affidavit filed against Michael Eckerman" />
 <figcaption>Photograph included in the FBI’s affidavit filed against Michael Eckerman</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — A Kansas man accused of assaulting a federal officer during the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol will go to trial on several felony and misdemeanor charges, a federal judge has ruled.A federal judge this week set a Nov. 28 trial date for Michael Eckerman, of Wichita, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;reported. He will be the first Kansan charged in the Capitol riot to face trial.The felony charges against Eckerman include civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers.His attorney declined to comment on Thursday, The Star reported.Charging documents allege that Eckerman entered the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and at one point pushed a Capitol Police officer, who fell down a small set of stairs and was sprayed with a fire extinguisher by an unknown person, according to the documents. That allowed the crowd to move past the police.Eckerman and two women with him then went to Statuary Hall on the second floor, where he pushed his way forward to another police line and yelled at officers for several minutes, according to court records.He then took a picture in front of the portrait of George Washington and left the building.

Kansas man faces trial for alleged actions in Jan. 6 riot

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

MINNEAPOLIS - Minneapolis area residents awoke to more than a rain-washed landscape Thursday morning.

A storm that blew through the area at approximately 4:40 a.m. Thursday brought with it destructive winds estimated to be in the 70-80 mph range, Kris Craven, meteorologist-in-charge of the National Weather Service office in Topeka, told Salina Post. 

The area had been put under a severe thunderstorm warning at 4:25 a.m.

"The storm moved through the Minneapolis area around 4:40 a.m., and caused a swath of tree, power line, and roof damage from around Second Street north to around 10th Street," Craven said.

Additionally, the storm dumped quite a bit of rain on Ottawa County. Rainfall totals within the county ranged from 1.42 inched reported 3.6 miles east-northeast of Culver to 2.55 inches 0.4 of a mile northeast of Minneapolis, according to 24-hour rainfall information from the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail &amp; Snow Network.

Following are some additional photos provided to Salina Post by Dustin McCown.

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostMINNEAPOLIS - Minneapolis area residents awoke to more than a rain-washed landscape Thursday morning.A storm that blew through the area at approximately 4:40 a.m. Thursday brought with it destructive winds estimated to be in the 70-80 mph range, Kris Craven, meteorologist-in-charge of the National Weather Service office in Topeka, told Salina Post. The area had been put under a severe thunderstorm warning at 4:25 a.m."The storm moved through the Minneapolis area around 4:40 a.m., and caused a swath of tree, power line, and roof damage from around Second Street north to around 10th Street," Craven said.Additionally, the storm dumped quite a bit of rain on Ottawa County. Rainfall totals within the county ranged from 1.42 inched reported 3.6 miles east-northeast of Culver to 2.55 inches 0.4 of a mile northeast of Minneapolis, according to 24-hour rainfall information from the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail &amp; Snow Network.Following are some additional photos provided to Salina Post by Dustin McCown.<figure>
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Thursday morning storm wallops north central Kansas

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House on Thursday passed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-2022-midterm-elections-biden-technology-business-7aa66d84e150a4c1d54831677075cee9">$280 billion package</a>&nbsp;to boost the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-congress-asia-economy-2868a5c494e99a2050a3f9495ba2b544">semiconductor industry</a>&nbsp;and scientific research in a bid to create more high-tech jobs in the United States and help it better compete with international rivals, namely China.

The House approved the bill by a solid margin of 243-187, sending the measure to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-technology-united-states-economy-c034db7e761cd99e621118aac9d4d1d0">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;to be signed into law and providing the White House with a major domestic policy victory. About two-dozen Republicans voted for the legislation.

"My plea is put politics aside. Get it done,” Biden said before the vote, adding it would give the U.S. “the ability not only to compete with China for the future, but to lead the world and win the economic competition of the 21st century.”

Republicans argued the government should not spend billions to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-technology-congress-government-and-politics-7993ca0bb5e31d0f2141d0c2b349f370">subsidize the semiconductor industry</a>&nbsp;and GOP leadership in the House recommended a vote against the bill, telling members the plan would provide enormous subsidies and tax credits "to a specific industry that does not need additional government handouts.”

Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Pa., said the way to help the industry would be through tax cuts and easing federal regulations, “not by picking winners and losers” with subsidies — an approach that Rep. Joseph Morelle, D-N.Y., said was too narrow.

“This affects every industry in the United States," Morelle said. “Take, for example, General Motors announcing they have 95,000 automobiles awaiting chips. So, you want to increase the supply of goods to people and help bring down inflation? This is about increasing the supply of goods all over the United States in every single industry.”

Some Republicans viewed passing the legislation as important for national security. Rep. Mike McCaul, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said it was critical to protect semiconductor capacity in the U.S., which he said was too reliant on Taiwan for the most advanced chips. That could prove to be a major vulnerability should China try to take over the self-governing island that Beijing views as a breakaway province

“I've got a unique insight in this. I get the classified briefing. Not all these members do," McCaul said. “This is vitally important for our national security."

The bill provides more than $52 billion in grants and other incentives for the semiconductor industry as well as a 25% tax credit for those companies that invest in chip plants in the U.S. It calls for increased spending on various research programs that would total about $200 billion over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-technology-health-climate-and-environment-c62a6ea7beb1b570fd510336212e49be">A late development in the Senate</a>&nbsp;— progress announced by Wednesday night by Democrats on a $739 billion health and climate change package — threatened to make it harder for supporters to get the semiconductor bill over the finish line, based on concerns about government spending.

Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Okla., said he was “disgusted" by the turn of events on Capitol Hill.

Despite bipartisan support for the research initiatives, “regrettably, and it's more regrettably than you can possibly imagine, I will not be casting my vote for the chips and science act today."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1659038218236.png" alt="President Biden spoke virtually on Monday with business executives and labor leaders to discuss the Chips Act, a proposal to bolster domestic manufacturing-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>President Biden spoke virtually on Monday with business executives and labor leaders to discuss the Chips Act, a proposal to bolster domestic manufacturing-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The House on Thursday passed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-2022-midterm-elections-biden-technology-business-7aa66d84e150a4c1d54831677075cee9">$280 billion package</a>&nbsp;to boost the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-congress-asia-economy-2868a5c494e99a2050a3f9495ba2b544">semiconductor industry</a>&nbsp;and scientific research in a bid to create more high-tech jobs in the United States and help it better compete with international rivals, namely China.The House approved the bill by a solid margin of 243-187, sending the measure to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-technology-united-states-economy-c034db7e761cd99e621118aac9d4d1d0">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;to be signed into law and providing the White House with a major domestic policy victory. About two-dozen Republicans voted for the legislation."My plea is put politics aside. Get it done,” Biden said before the vote, adding it would give the U.S. “the ability not only to compete with China for the future, but to lead the world and win the economic competition of the 21st century.”Republicans argued the government should not spend billions to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-technology-congress-government-and-politics-7993ca0bb5e31d0f2141d0c2b349f370">subsidize the semiconductor industry</a>&nbsp;and GOP leadership in the House recommended a vote against the bill, telling members the plan would provide enormous subsidies and tax credits "to a specific industry that does not need additional government handouts.”Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Pa., said the way to help the industry would be through tax cuts and easing federal regulations, “not by picking winners and losers” with subsidies — an approach that Rep. Joseph Morelle, D-N.Y., said was too narrow.“This affects every industry in the United States," Morelle said. “Take, for example, General Motors announcing they have 95,000 automobiles awaiting chips. So, you want to increase the supply of goods to people and help bring down inflation? This is about increasing the supply of goods all over the United States in every single industry.”Some Republicans viewed passing the legislation as important for national security. Rep. Mike McCaul, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said it was critical to protect semiconductor capacity in the U.S., which he said was too reliant on Taiwan for the most advanced chips. That could prove to be a major vulnerability should China try to take over the self-governing island that Beijing views as a breakaway province“I've got a unique insight in this. I get the classified briefing. Not all these members do," McCaul said. “This is vitally important for our national security."The bill provides more than $52 billion in grants and other incentives for the semiconductor industry as well as a 25% tax credit for those companies that invest in chip plants in the U.S. It calls for increased spending on various research programs that would total about $200 billion over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-technology-health-climate-and-environment-c62a6ea7beb1b570fd510336212e49be">A late development in the Senate</a>&nbsp;— progress announced by Wednesday night by Democrats on a $739 billion health and climate change package — threatened to make it harder for supporters to get the semiconductor bill over the finish line, based on concerns about government spending.Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Okla., said he was “disgusted" by the turn of events on Capitol Hill.Despite bipartisan support for the research initiatives, “regrettably, and it's more regrettably than you can possibly imagine, I will not be casting my vote for the chips and science act today."___

Congress OKs bill to aid computer chip firms, counter China

By MARGARET MELLOTT <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/07/25/kansas-public-schools-sweep-national-policy-debate-titles-for-first-time/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA
 — Three Kansas public high schools won all four national policy debate 
championships this year, an unprecedented accomplishment in an arena 
dominated by private schools.

Policy debate has a rich history of 
being one of the most esteemed events in high school debate and 
forensics competitions. This is the first time Kansas schools have 
placed first at all four national tournaments.

“Kansas is lucky enough to have a lot
 of those top competitors in one place, where we can debate much more 
regionally and still challenge our students in a way that prepares them 
for the national stage,” said Tim Ellis, debate and forensics coach at 
Washburn Rural High School and president of the Kansas Speech 
Communication Association.

Policy debate is when a team of two 
supports a suggested policy change while the opposing team of two argues
 the opposite. An example topic from one of this year’s competitions: 
The U.S. federal government should substantially increase its protection
 of water resources.

To begin the national tournament 
season, Washburn Rural took home the National Debate Coaches Association
 title for policy debate in early April — a feat the school would repeat
 at the last tournament in June.

The first title happened in “a 
tournament that is attended by a lot of the large national programs that
 engage in debates,” Ellis said. “It’s designed for students to go on 
and debate in college.”

The two students who won the first title, Jiyoon Park and Zach Willingham, graduated from Washburn Rural in May.

Recent Lawrence Free State High School graduates John
 Marshall and Serena Rupp were also champions. Their coach, Kelly 
Thompson, said this was the first time a school from Kansas placed first
 in the policy debate event at the Tournament of Champions in late 
April.

“John and Serena are obviously 
incredibly talented, but they’re also really hard working,” Thompson 
said. “They committed themselves to each other and to their goals in a 
way that great teams have to do.”

Shawnee Mission South High School 
took the third policy debate title in late May at the National Catholic 
Forensic League Grand National Tournament.

“It was wild,” said Carolyn Cook, 
Shawnee Mission South High School debate coach. “It was very exciting. 
You don’t know (who won) until they’re up on stage.”

Cook said she’s thrilled for the two juniors who won, Clare Bradley and Brooklynn Hato, as they look forward to next season.

“The nerdy high school debater I was 
(would think) like, ‘This is wild,’ ” Cook said. “Because if you would 
have told me it would be happening when I was younger … that Kansas 
would have the four titles, I would have thought you were being silly.”

Washburn Rural wrapped up the season 
of marquee victories by taking home the Richard B. Sodikow policy debate
 title for the National Speech and Debate Association.

“The policy debate division that we 
won is the oldest and most prestigious of (debate) events,” Ellis said. 
“They had to complete 15 rounds over the course of those five days in 
order to win nationals.”

Traditionally, Ellis said, debate is dominated by private schools. He attributes this to funding.

“You have to travel to tournaments 
that are in other states to compete against quality competition,” Ellis 
said. “It requires money to be able to go to those tournaments and fly 
around the country and debate against the top competition.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658852086370.png" alt="Washburn Rural High School seniors Zach Willingham, left, and Jiyoon Park, middle, hold their trophies with coach Tim Ellis in June after winning their second national title of the season. (National Debate and Speech Association)" />
 <figcaption>Washburn Rural High School seniors Zach Willingham, left, and Jiyoon Park, middle, hold their trophies with coach Tim Ellis in June after winning their second national title of the season. (National Debate and Speech Association)</figcaption>
 </figure>By MARGARET MELLOTT <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/07/25/kansas-public-schools-sweep-national-policy-debate-titles-for-first-time/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA
 — Three Kansas public high schools won all four national policy debate 
championships this year, an unprecedented accomplishment in an arena 
dominated by private schools.Policy debate has a rich history of 
being one of the most esteemed events in high school debate and 
forensics competitions. This is the first time Kansas schools have 
placed first at all four national tournaments.“Kansas is lucky enough to have a lot
 of those top competitors in one place, where we can debate much more 
regionally and still challenge our students in a way that prepares them 
for the national stage,” said Tim Ellis, debate and forensics coach at 
Washburn Rural High School and president of the Kansas Speech 
Communication Association.Policy debate is when a team of two 
supports a suggested policy change while the opposing team of two argues
 the opposite. An example topic from one of this year’s competitions: 
The U.S. federal government should substantially increase its protection
 of water resources.To begin the national tournament 
season, Washburn Rural took home the National Debate Coaches Association
 title for policy debate in early April — a feat the school would repeat
 at the last tournament in June.The first title happened in “a 
tournament that is attended by a lot of the large national programs that
 engage in debates,” Ellis said. “It’s designed for students to go on 
and debate in college.”The two students who won the first title, Jiyoon Park and Zach Willingham, graduated from Washburn Rural in May.Recent Lawrence Free State High School graduates John
 Marshall and Serena Rupp were also champions. Their coach, Kelly 
Thompson, said this was the first time a school from Kansas placed first
 in the policy debate event at the Tournament of Champions in late 
April.“John and Serena are obviously 
incredibly talented, but they’re also really hard working,” Thompson 
said. “They committed themselves to each other and to their goals in a 
way that great teams have to do.”Shawnee Mission South High School 
took the third policy debate title in late May at the National Catholic 
Forensic League Grand National Tournament.“It was wild,” said Carolyn Cook, 
Shawnee Mission South High School debate coach. “It was very exciting. 
You don’t know (who won) until they’re up on stage.”Cook said she’s thrilled for the two juniors who won, Clare Bradley and Brooklynn Hato, as they look forward to next season.“The nerdy high school debater I was 
(would think) like, ‘This is wild,’ ” Cook said. “Because if you would 
have told me it would be happening when I was younger … that Kansas 
would have the four titles, I would have thought you were being silly.”Washburn Rural wrapped up the season 
of marquee victories by taking home the Richard B. Sodikow policy debate
 title for the National Speech and Debate Association.“The policy debate division that we 
won is the oldest and most prestigious of (debate) events,” Ellis said. 
“They had to complete 15 rounds over the course of those five days in 
order to win nationals.”Traditionally, Ellis said, debate is dominated by private schools. He attributes this to funding.“You have to travel to tournaments 
that are in other states to compete against quality competition,” Ellis 
said. “It requires money to be able to go to those tournaments and fly 
around the country and debate against the top competition.”

Kan. public schools sweep national policy debate titles for first time

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nancy-pelosi">House Speaker Nancy Pelosi</a>&nbsp;launched her political career being tough on China -- a new congresswoman who dared to unfurl a pro-democracy banner in Beijing's Tiananmen Square during a 1991 visit with other U.S. lawmakers shortly after the student massacre.

More than 30 years later, her interest in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/taiwan">traveling to Taiwan</a>&nbsp;presents a powerful diplomatic capstone. It has also contributed to tensions at the highest levels in Washington and Beijing among officials who worry a trip could prove provocative.

As the U.S. balances its high-stakes relations&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/china">with China</a>, whether Pelosi will lead a delegation trip to Taiwan remains unknown. But what is certain is that Pelosi's decision will be a defining foreign policy and human rights moment for the U.S. and its highest-ranking lawmaker with a long tenure leading the House.

“This is part of who the speaker is,” said Samuel Chu, president of The Campaign for Hong Kong, a Washington-based advocacy organization.

“This is not a one-time, one-off publicity stunt,” said Chu, whose father was among those who met with Pelosi and the U.S. lawmakers three decades ago in Hong Kong. “Thirty years later, she's still connected.”

Pelosi declined to disclose Wednesday any update on her plans for Taiwan, reiterating that she does not discuss travel plans, as is the norm,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-nancy-pelosi-taiwan-government-and-politics-30bb4a00c7fd0e41c16b6791da6ad4a0">for security reasons</a>. The top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, confirmed that he was invited to be a part of Pelosi's bipartisan delegation but is unable to join, though his office said he believes the speaker and other Americans should be able to visit Taiwan.

Asked about planned military steps to protect Pelosi in the event of a visit, U.S. Gen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-china-indonesia-jakarta-joint-chiefs-of-staff-9d5172dafc703b7dccc4ac175a984c91">Mark Milley</a>, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Wednesday that discussion of any specific travel is premature. But, he added, “if there’s a decision made that Speaker Pelosi or anyone else is going to travel and they asked for military support, we will do what is necessary to ensure a safe conduct of their visit. And I’ll just leave it at that.”

The Biden administration has declined to publicly weigh in on the rumored visit, though the military is making plans to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-nancy-pelosi-taiwan-government-and-politics-30bb4a00c7fd0e41c16b6791da6ad4a0">bolster its security forces in the region</a>&nbsp;to protect her potential travel against any reaction from China. While U.S. officials say they have little fear that Beijing would attack Pelosi's plane, they are aware that a mishap, misstep or misunderstanding could endanger her safety.

It all comes as President Joe Biden is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-beijing-xi-jinping-nancy-pelosi-11b64d29f469d509de6d133bbc8362d3">set to speak Thursday</a>&nbsp;with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for the first time in four months, and the potential Pelosi trip is looming over the conversation.

"There’s always issues of security," said John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, declining Wednesday to talk directly about the speaker's potential travel.

Not since Republican Newt Gingrich led a delegation to Taiwan 25 years ago has a U.S. House speaker, third in line to the presidency, visited the self-ruling region, which China claims as part of its own and has threatened to forcibly annex in a move the West would view unfavorably.

More than just a visit overseas, Pelosi's trip would signify a foreign policy thru-line to her long career in Congress as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/foreign-policy-donald-trump-nancy-pelosi-ap-top-news-international-news-7083d58ec18a4b7fa5011f8c95b64508">she has increasingly pointed the speaker's gavel outward</a>&nbsp;expanding her job description to include the role of U.S. emissary abroad.

Particularly during the Trump administration, when the former president challenged America's commitments to its allies, and now alongside Biden, the Democrat Pelosi has presented herself as a world leader on the global stage — visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Pope Francis at the Vatican, and heads of state around the world.

“She absolutely has to go,” Gingrich told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday about Pelosi's potential trip.

“She has always had a very tough position going back to Tiananmen Square. And this is one of those places where she and I actually sort of agreed,” Gingrich said. “I think for Nancy to back down would be an enormous blow to Taiwan, and it would be a very dangerous signal, trying to appease the Chinese Communists.”

Pelosi has indicated the value she sees in her potential visit leading a delegation of lawmakers from the U.S.

"It’s important for us to show support for Taiwan,” Pelosi told reporters at her news conference last week.

"None of us has ever said we're for independence, when it comes to Taiwan. That's up to Taiwan to decide.”

Pelosi was newly elected to Congress when the tanks rolled in to Tiananmen Square in 1989 against the pro-democracy student protests.

Two years later she joined more veteran lawmakers on the trip when they were briefly detained by police after unfurling the pro-democracy banner that read “To those who died for democracy in China,” trailed by news cameras.

“We've been told for two days now that there's freedom of speech in China,” she said in one video clip at the time.

The trip had a “deep and abiding” impact on Pelosi and became foundational to her style of leadership, Chu said.

Pelosi advocated for human rights in China by working against Beijing in 1993 as it eyed hosting the summer Olympics and she opposed its bid for the 2008 games. Pelosi sought over the years to link China's trade status with its human rights record, working to ensure China's entry to the World Trade Organization come with oversight.

Pelosi has often made physical gestures challenging China, including in 2009 when she hand-delivered a letter to then-President Hu Jintao calling for the release of political prisoners.

“China is a very important country,” she said upon her return days later recognizing the 20th anniversary of Tiananmen Square in a speech in Congress, and outlining the significance of the country's relationship “in every way” to the U.S.

"But the size of the economy, the size of the country, and the size of the relationship doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t speak out,” Pelosi said. “I have said that if we don’t speak out about our concerns regarding human rights in China and Tibet, then we lose all moral authority to discuss it about any other country in the world.”

In Congress, lawmakers of both parties have rallied around Pelosi's potential visit to Taiwan, viewing the delegation's trip as an important diplomatic mission as well as an expression of a co-equal branch of the U.S. government.

“I understand all the sensitivities in the world, here's the one stark fact: If we allow the Chinese to basically tell us who can and cannot visit Taiwan, then Taiwan will be isolated," said Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “We can’t let the Chinese do that. Now, she’ll have to judge whether or not it makes the best sense at this time.”

SYDNEY (AP) — U.S. officials say they have little fear that China would attack Nancy Pelosi’s plane if she flies to Taiwan. But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nancy-pelosi">the U.S. House speaker</a>&nbsp;would be entering one of the world’s hottest spots, where a mishap, misstep or misunderstanding could endanger her safety. So&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-department-of-defense">the Pentagon</a>&nbsp;is developing plans for any contingency.

Officials told The Associated Press that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-pelosi-taiwan-visit-explainer-fd940b681b9a4165d2ace569bbfe33fb">if Pelosi goes to Taiwan</a>&nbsp;— still an uncertainty — the military would increase its movement of forces and assets in the Indo-Pacific region. They declined to provide details, but said that fighter jets, ships, surveillance assets and other military systems would likely be used to provide overlapping rings of protection for her flight to Taiwan and any time on the ground there.

Any foreign travel by a senior U.S. leader requires additional security. But officials said this week that a visit to Taiwan by Pelosi — she would be the highest-ranking U.S. elected official to visit Taiwan since 1997 — would go beyond the usual safety precautions for trips to less risky destinations.

China considers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/taiwan">self-ruling Taiwan</a>&nbsp;its own territory and has raised the prospect of annexing it by force. The U.S. maintains informal relations and defense ties with Taiwan even as it recognizes Beijing as the government of China.

The trip is being considered at a time when China has escalated what the U.S. and its allies in the Pacific describe as risky one-on-one confrontations with other militaries to assert its sweeping territorial claims. The incidents have included dangerously close fly-bys that force other pilots to swerve to avoid collisions, or harassment or obstruction of air and ship crews, including with blinding lasers or water cannon.

Dozens of such maneuvers have occurred this year alone, Ely Ratner, U.S. assistant defense secretary, said Tuesday at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/south-china-sea">South China Sea</a>&nbsp;forum by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. China denies the incidents.

The U.S. officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security issues, described the need to create buffer zones around the speaker and her plane. The U.S. already has substantial forces spread across the region, so any increased security could largely be handled by assets already in place.

The military would also have to be prepared for any incident — even an accident either in the air or on the ground. They said the U.S. would need to have rescue capabilities nearby and suggested that could include helicopters on ships already in the area.

Pelosi, D-Calif., has not publicly confirmed any new plans for a trip to Taiwan. She was going to go in April, but she postponed the trip after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-pelosi-tests-positive-covid-8443e72bb5258fc5b79918f726eb635a">testing positive for COVID-19</a>.

The White House on Monday declined to weigh in directly on the matter, noting she had not confirmed the trip. But President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;last week raised concerns about it, telling reporters that the military thinks her trip is “not a good idea right now.”

A Pelosi trip may well loom over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-beijing-china-nancy-pelosi-taiwan-1f3405756aeb58cbc78afb1082077068">a call planned for Thursday between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping</a>, their first conversation in four months. A U.S. official confirmed plans for the call to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity ahead of the formal announcement.

U.S. officials have said the administration doubts that China would take direct action against Pelosi herself or try to sabotage the visit. But they don’t rule out the possibility that China could escalate provocative overflights of military aircraft in or near Taiwanese airspace and naval patrols in the Taiwan Strait should the trip take place. And they don’t preclude Chinese actions elsewhere in the region as a show of strength.

Security analysts were divided Tuesday about the extent of any threat during a trip and the need for any additional military protection.

The biggest risk during Pelosi's trip is of some Chinese show of force “gone awry, or some type of accident that comes out of a demonstration of provocative action,” said Mark Cozad, acting associate director of the International Security and Defense Policy Center at the Rand Corp. “So it could be an air collision. It could be some sort of missile test, and, again, when you’re doing those types of things, you know, there is always the possibility that something could go wrong.”

Barry Pavel, director of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council, scoffed at U.S. officials' reported consideration of aircraft carriers and warplanes to secure the speaker's safety. “Obviously, the White House does not want the speaker to go and I think that's why you're getting some of these suggestions.”

“She's not going to go with an armada,” Pavel said.

They also said that a stepped-up U.S. military presence to safeguard Pelosi risked raising tensions.

“It is very possible that ... our attempts to deter actually send a much different signal than the one we intend to send,” Cozad said. “And so you get into ... some sort of an escalatory spiral, where our attempts to deter are actually seen as increasingly provocative and vice versa. And that can be a very dangerous dynamic.”

On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Beijing had repeatedly expressed its “solemn position” over a potential Pelosi visit. He told reporters that China is prepared to “take firm and strong measures to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Milley said this week that the number of intercepts by Chinese aircraft and ships in the Pacific region with U.S. and other partner forces has increased significantly over the past five years. He said Beijing’s military has become far more aggressive and dangerous, and that the number of unsafe interactions has risen by similar proportions.

Those include reports of Chinese fighter jets flying so close to a Canadian air security patrol last month that the Canadian pilot had to swerve to avoid collision, and another close call with an Australian surveillance flight in late May in which the Chinese crew released a flurry of metal scraps that were sucked into the other plane’s engine.

U.S. officials say that the prospects of an intercept or show of force by Chinese aircraft near Pelosi’s flight raises concerns, prompting the need for American aircraft and other assets to be nearby.

The U.S. aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and its strike group is currently operating in the western Pacific, and made a port call in Singapore over the weekend. The strike group involves at least two other Navy ships and Carrier Air Wing 5, which includes F/A-18 fighter jets, helicopters and surveillance aircraft.

Prior to pulling into port in Singapore, the strike group was operating in the South China Sea. In addition, another Navy ship, the USS Benfold, a destroyer, has been conducting freedom of navigation operations in the region, including a passage through the Taiwan Strait last week.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658917953546.png" alt="Officials told The Associated Press that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-pelosi-taiwan-visit-explainer-fd940b681b9a4165d2ace569bbfe33fb">if Pelosi goes to Taiwan</a>&nbsp;— still an uncertainty — the military would increase its movement of forces and assets in the Indo-Pacific region.- Photo House Speaker's office" />
 <figcaption>Officials told The Associated Press that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-pelosi-taiwan-visit-explainer-fd940b681b9a4165d2ace569bbfe33fb">if Pelosi goes to Taiwan</a>&nbsp;— still an uncertainty — the military would increase its movement of forces and assets in the Indo-Pacific region.- Photo House Speaker's office</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nancy-pelosi">House Speaker Nancy Pelosi</a>&nbsp;launched her political career being tough on China -- a new congresswoman who dared to unfurl a pro-democracy banner in Beijing's Tiananmen Square during a 1991 visit with other U.S. lawmakers shortly after the student massacre.More than 30 years later, her interest in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/taiwan">traveling to Taiwan</a>&nbsp;presents a powerful diplomatic capstone. It has also contributed to tensions at the highest levels in Washington and Beijing among officials who worry a trip could prove provocative.As the U.S. balances its high-stakes relations&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/china">with China</a>, whether Pelosi will lead a delegation trip to Taiwan remains unknown. But what is certain is that Pelosi's decision will be a defining foreign policy and human rights moment for the U.S. and its highest-ranking lawmaker with a long tenure leading the House.“This is part of who the speaker is,” said Samuel Chu, president of The Campaign for Hong Kong, a Washington-based advocacy organization.“This is not a one-time, one-off publicity stunt,” said Chu, whose father was among those who met with Pelosi and the U.S. lawmakers three decades ago in Hong Kong. “Thirty years later, she's still connected.”Pelosi declined to disclose Wednesday any update on her plans for Taiwan, reiterating that she does not discuss travel plans, as is the norm,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-nancy-pelosi-taiwan-government-and-politics-30bb4a00c7fd0e41c16b6791da6ad4a0">for security reasons</a>. The top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, confirmed that he was invited to be a part of Pelosi's bipartisan delegation but is unable to join, though his office said he believes the speaker and other Americans should be able to visit Taiwan.Asked about planned military steps to protect Pelosi in the event of a visit, U.S. Gen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-china-indonesia-jakarta-joint-chiefs-of-staff-9d5172dafc703b7dccc4ac175a984c91">Mark Milley</a>, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Wednesday that discussion of any specific travel is premature. But, he added, “if there’s a decision made that Speaker Pelosi or anyone else is going to travel and they asked for military support, we will do what is necessary to ensure a safe conduct of their visit. And I’ll just leave it at that.”The Biden administration has declined to publicly weigh in on the rumored visit, though the military is making plans to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-nancy-pelosi-taiwan-government-and-politics-30bb4a00c7fd0e41c16b6791da6ad4a0">bolster its security forces in the region</a>&nbsp;to protect her potential travel against any reaction from China. While U.S. officials say they have little fear that Beijing would attack Pelosi's plane, they are aware that a mishap, misstep or misunderstanding could endanger her safety.It all comes as President Joe Biden is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-beijing-xi-jinping-nancy-pelosi-11b64d29f469d509de6d133bbc8362d3">set to speak Thursday</a>&nbsp;with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for the first time in four months, and the potential Pelosi trip is looming over the conversation."There’s always issues of security," said John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, declining Wednesday to talk directly about the speaker's potential travel.Not since Republican Newt Gingrich led a delegation to Taiwan 25 years ago has a U.S. House speaker, third in line to the presidency, visited the self-ruling region, which China claims as part of its own and has threatened to forcibly annex in a move the West would view unfavorably.More than just a visit overseas, Pelosi's trip would signify a foreign policy thru-line to her long career in Congress as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/foreign-policy-donald-trump-nancy-pelosi-ap-top-news-international-news-7083d58ec18a4b7fa5011f8c95b64508">she has increasingly pointed the speaker's gavel outward</a>&nbsp;expanding her job description to include the role of U.S. emissary abroad.Particularly during the Trump administration, when the former president challenged America's commitments to its allies, and now alongside Biden, the Democrat Pelosi has presented herself as a world leader on the global stage — visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Pope Francis at the Vatican, and heads of state around the world.“She absolutely has to go,” Gingrich told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday about Pelosi's potential trip.“She has always had a very tough position going back to Tiananmen Square. And this is one of those places where she and I actually sort of agreed,” Gingrich said. “I think for Nancy to back down would be an enormous blow to Taiwan, and it would be a very dangerous signal, trying to appease the Chinese Communists.”Pelosi has indicated the value she sees in her potential visit leading a delegation of lawmakers from the U.S."It’s important for us to show support for Taiwan,” Pelosi told reporters at her news conference last week."None of us has ever said we're for independence, when it comes to Taiwan. That's up to Taiwan to decide.”Pelosi was newly elected to Congress when the tanks rolled in to Tiananmen Square in 1989 against the pro-democracy student protests.Two years later she joined more veteran lawmakers on the trip when they were briefly detained by police after unfurling the pro-democracy banner that read “To those who died for democracy in China,” trailed by news cameras.“We've been told for two days now that there's freedom of speech in China,” she said in one video clip at the time.The trip had a “deep and abiding” impact on Pelosi and became foundational to her style of leadership, Chu said.Pelosi advocated for human rights in China by working against Beijing in 1993 as it eyed hosting the summer Olympics and she opposed its bid for the 2008 games. Pelosi sought over the years to link China's trade status with its human rights record, working to ensure China's entry to the World Trade Organization come with oversight.Pelosi has often made physical gestures challenging China, including in 2009 when she hand-delivered a letter to then-President Hu Jintao calling for the release of political prisoners.“China is a very important country,” she said upon her return days later recognizing the 20th anniversary of Tiananmen Square in a speech in Congress, and outlining the significance of the country's relationship “in every way” to the U.S."But the size of the economy, the size of the country, and the size of the relationship doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t speak out,” Pelosi said. “I have said that if we don’t speak out about our concerns regarding human rights in China and Tibet, then we lose all moral authority to discuss it about any other country in the world.”In Congress, lawmakers of both parties have rallied around Pelosi's potential visit to Taiwan, viewing the delegation's trip as an important diplomatic mission as well as an expression of a co-equal branch of the U.S. government.“I understand all the sensitivities in the world, here's the one stark fact: If we allow the Chinese to basically tell us who can and cannot visit Taiwan, then Taiwan will be isolated," said Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “We can’t let the Chinese do that. Now, she’ll have to judge whether or not it makes the best sense at this time.”___SYDNEY (AP) — U.S. officials say they have little fear that China would attack Nancy Pelosi’s plane if she flies to Taiwan. But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nancy-pelosi">the U.S. House speaker</a>&nbsp;would be entering one of the world’s hottest spots, where a mishap, misstep or misunderstanding could endanger her safety. So&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-department-of-defense">the Pentagon</a>&nbsp;is developing plans for any contingency.Officials told The Associated Press that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-pelosi-taiwan-visit-explainer-fd940b681b9a4165d2ace569bbfe33fb">if Pelosi goes to Taiwan</a>&nbsp;— still an uncertainty — the military would increase its movement of forces and assets in the Indo-Pacific region. They declined to provide details, but said that fighter jets, ships, surveillance assets and other military systems would likely be used to provide overlapping rings of protection for her flight to Taiwan and any time on the ground there.Any foreign travel by a senior U.S. leader requires additional security. But officials said this week that a visit to Taiwan by Pelosi — she would be the highest-ranking U.S. elected official to visit Taiwan since 1997 — would go beyond the usual safety precautions for trips to less risky destinations.Asked about planned military steps to protect Pelosi in the event of a visit, U.S. Gen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-china-indonesia-jakarta-joint-chiefs-of-staff-9d5172dafc703b7dccc4ac175a984c91">Mark Milley</a>, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Wednesday that discussion of any specific travel is premature. But, he added, “if there’s a decision made that Speaker Pelosi or anyone else is going to travel and they asked for military support, we will do what is necessary to ensure a safe conduct of their visit. And I’ll just leave it at that.”China considers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/taiwan">self-ruling Taiwan</a>&nbsp;its own territory and has raised the prospect of annexing it by force. The U.S. maintains informal relations and defense ties with Taiwan even as it recognizes Beijing as the government of China.The trip is being considered at a time when China has escalated what the U.S. and its allies in the Pacific describe as risky one-on-one confrontations with other militaries to assert its sweeping territorial claims. The incidents have included dangerously close fly-bys that force other pilots to swerve to avoid collisions, or harassment or obstruction of air and ship crews, including with blinding lasers or water cannon.Dozens of such maneuvers have occurred this year alone, Ely Ratner, U.S. assistant defense secretary, said Tuesday at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/south-china-sea">South China Sea</a>&nbsp;forum by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. China denies the incidents.The U.S. officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security issues, described the need to create buffer zones around the speaker and her plane. The U.S. already has substantial forces spread across the region, so any increased security could largely be handled by assets already in place.The military would also have to be prepared for any incident — even an accident either in the air or on the ground. They said the U.S. would need to have rescue capabilities nearby and suggested that could include helicopters on ships already in the area.Pelosi, D-Calif., has not publicly confirmed any new plans for a trip to Taiwan. She was going to go in April, but she postponed the trip after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-pelosi-tests-positive-covid-8443e72bb5258fc5b79918f726eb635a">testing positive for COVID-19</a>.The White House on Monday declined to weigh in directly on the matter, noting she had not confirmed the trip. But President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;last week raised concerns about it, telling reporters that the military thinks her trip is “not a good idea right now.”A Pelosi trip may well loom over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-beijing-china-nancy-pelosi-taiwan-1f3405756aeb58cbc78afb1082077068">a call planned for Thursday between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping</a>, their first conversation in four months. A U.S. official confirmed plans for the call to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity ahead of the formal announcement.U.S. officials have said the administration doubts that China would take direct action against Pelosi herself or try to sabotage the visit. But they don’t rule out the possibility that China could escalate provocative overflights of military aircraft in or near Taiwanese airspace and naval patrols in the Taiwan Strait should the trip take place. And they don’t preclude Chinese actions elsewhere in the region as a show of strength.Security analysts were divided Tuesday about the extent of any threat during a trip and the need for any additional military protection.The biggest risk during Pelosi's trip is of some Chinese show of force “gone awry, or some type of accident that comes out of a demonstration of provocative action,” said Mark Cozad, acting associate director of the International Security and Defense Policy Center at the Rand Corp. “So it could be an air collision. It could be some sort of missile test, and, again, when you’re doing those types of things, you know, there is always the possibility that something could go wrong.”Barry Pavel, director of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council, scoffed at U.S. officials' reported consideration of aircraft carriers and warplanes to secure the speaker's safety. “Obviously, the White House does not want the speaker to go and I think that's why you're getting some of these suggestions.”“She's not going to go with an armada,” Pavel said.They also said that a stepped-up U.S. military presence to safeguard Pelosi risked raising tensions.“It is very possible that ... our attempts to deter actually send a much different signal than the one we intend to send,” Cozad said. “And so you get into ... some sort of an escalatory spiral, where our attempts to deter are actually seen as increasingly provocative and vice versa. And that can be a very dangerous dynamic.”On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Beijing had repeatedly expressed its “solemn position” over a potential Pelosi visit. He told reporters that China is prepared to “take firm and strong measures to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”Milley said this week that the number of intercepts by Chinese aircraft and ships in the Pacific region with U.S. and other partner forces has increased significantly over the past five years. He said Beijing’s military has become far more aggressive and dangerous, and that the number of unsafe interactions has risen by similar proportions.Those include reports of Chinese fighter jets flying so close to a Canadian air security patrol last month that the Canadian pilot had to swerve to avoid collision, and another close call with an Australian surveillance flight in late May in which the Chinese crew released a flurry of metal scraps that were sucked into the other plane’s engine.U.S. officials say that the prospects of an intercept or show of force by Chinese aircraft near Pelosi’s flight raises concerns, prompting the need for American aircraft and other assets to be nearby.The U.S. aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and its strike group is currently operating in the western Pacific, and made a port call in Singapore over the weekend. The strike group involves at least two other Navy ships and Carrier Air Wing 5, which includes F/A-18 fighter jets, helicopters and surveillance aircraft.Prior to pulling into port in Singapore, the strike group was operating in the South China Sea. In addition, another Navy ship, the USS Benfold, a destroyer, has been conducting freedom of navigation operations in the region, including a passage through the Taiwan Strait last week.

US military making plans if Pelosi travels to Taiwan

Woman stripped at gunpoint, left on rural Kan. road after robbery

A Saline County roofer and his business have been temporarily banned from performing roofing services in Kansas and ordered to pay $40,000 in penalties after being found in violation of consumer protection laws, according to&nbsp; Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.

Shaun Costello, of Salina, and Low Overhead Exterior LLC, are enjoined from operating as roofing contractors in Kansas until such time as they obtain a roofing contractor registration certificate from the attorney general, as required by Kansas law. Saline County District Court Judge Paul J. Hickman this week entered default judgment after Costello and Low Overhead Exterior LLC failed to respond to a lawsuit filed in June. The court also ordered the defendants to pay a $40,000 civil penalty.

Schmidt had alleged that the defendants accepted payment from a consumer for roofing services while not holding a valid roofing registration certificate. The defendants also filed a mechanic’s lien against the consumer’s property as a roofing contractor while not holding a valid roofing registration certificate. The defendant was found in violation of both the Kansas Roofing Registration Act and the Kansas Consumer Protection Act. A copy of the judgment is available at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ag.ks.gov/roofer-enforcement" target="_blank">www.ag.ks.gov/roofer-enforcement</a>.

A Saline County roofer and his business have been temporarily banned from performing roofing services in Kansas and ordered to pay $40,000 in penalties after being found in violation of consumer protection laws, according to&nbsp; Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.Shaun Costello, of Salina, and Low Overhead Exterior LLC, are enjoined from operating as roofing contractors in Kansas until such time as they obtain a roofing contractor registration certificate from the attorney general, as required by Kansas law. Saline County District Court Judge Paul J. Hickman this week entered default judgment after Costello and Low Overhead Exterior LLC failed to respond to a lawsuit filed in June. The court also ordered the defendants to pay a $40,000 civil penalty.Schmidt had alleged that the defendants accepted payment from a consumer for roofing services while not holding a valid roofing registration certificate. The defendants also filed a mechanic’s lien against the consumer’s property as a roofing contractor while not holding a valid roofing registration certificate. The defendant was found in violation of both the Kansas Roofing Registration Act and the Kansas Consumer Protection Act. A copy of the judgment is available at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ag.ks.gov/roofer-enforcement" target="_blank">www.ag.ks.gov/roofer-enforcement</a>.

Saline County roofing company temporarily banned, fined

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy shrank from April through June for a second straight quarter, contracting at a 0.9% annual pace and raising fears that the nation may be approaching a recession.

The decline that the Commerce Department reported Thursday in the gross domestic product — the broadest gauge of the economy — followed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-gross-domestic-product-3edd62d07a01d974971155506f235c59">a 1.6% annual drop from January through March</a>. Consecutive quarters of falling GDP constitute one informal, though not definitive, indicator of a recession.

The GDP report for last quarter pointed to weakness across the economy. Consumer spending slowed as Americans bought fewer goods. Business investment fell. Inventories tumbled as businesses slowed their restocking of shelves, shedding 2 percentage points from GDP.

Higher interest rates, a consequence of the Federal Reserve's series of rate hikes, clobbered home construction, which shrank at a 14% annual rate. Government spending dropped, too.

The report comes at a critical time. Consumers and businesses have been struggling under the weight of punishing inflation and higher borrowing costs. On Wednesday, the Fed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-interest-rate-hike-live-updates-6dab38b8235bc62bdf69b4710c6b84f5">raised its benchmark interest rate</a>&nbsp;by a sizable three-quarters of a point for a second straight time in its push to conquer the worst inflation outbreak in four decades.

The Fed is hoping to achieve a notoriously difficult “soft landing”: An economic slowdown that manages to rein in rocketing prices without triggering a recession.

Apart from the United States, the global economy as a whole is also grappling with high inflation and weakening growth, especially after Russia's invasion of Ukraine sent energy and food prices soaring. Europe, highly dependent on Russian natural gas, appears especially vulnerable to a recession.

In the United States, the inflation surge and fear of a recession have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-consumer-confidence-540a7e866b29e504f67e1aec2e0ee547">eroded consumer confidence</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-inflation-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-economy-8702782d77505f711272f5f9d988d73f">stirred public anxiety about the economy</a>, which is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-economy-vital-signs-cec67f96f44d67d78edfd35f1dbd2522">sending frustratingly mixed signals</a>. And with the November midterm elections nearing, Americans’ discontent has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-russia-ukraine-biden-covid-health-b6d1751b2554555f7246f9e914b87c59">diminished President Joe Biden’s public approval ratings</a>&nbsp;and could increase the likelihood that the Democrats will lose control of the House and Senate.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell and many economists have said that while the economy is showing some weakening, they doubt it’s in recession. Many of them point, in particular, to a still-robust labor market, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-a8caceae5905d592eacf27e9972df7e1">11 million job openings</a>&nbsp;and an uncommonly low&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-jobs-report-signs-of-economic-resilience-e83d996c4a6320b5785dde94d6c2f125">3.6% unemployment rate</a>, to suggest that a recession, if one does occur, is still a ways off.

“The back-to-back contraction of GDP will feed the debate about whether the U.S. is in, or soon headed for, a recession," said Sal Guatieri, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets. “The fact that the economy created 2.7 million payrolls in the first half of the year would seem to argue against an official recession call for now."

Still, Guatieri said, “the economy has quickly lost steam in the face of four-decade high inflation, rapidly rising borrowing costs and a general tightening in financial conditions.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586444648763.png" alt="The report comes at a critical time. Consumers and businesses have been struggling under the weight of punishing inflation and higher borrowing costs." />
 <figcaption>The report comes at a critical time. Consumers and businesses have been struggling under the weight of punishing inflation and higher borrowing costs.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy shrank from April through June for a second straight quarter, contracting at a 0.9% annual pace and raising fears that the nation may be approaching a recession.The decline that the Commerce Department reported Thursday in the gross domestic product — the broadest gauge of the economy — followed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-gross-domestic-product-3edd62d07a01d974971155506f235c59">a 1.6% annual drop from January through March</a>. Consecutive quarters of falling GDP constitute one informal, though not definitive, indicator of a recession.The GDP report for last quarter pointed to weakness across the economy. Consumer spending slowed as Americans bought fewer goods. Business investment fell. Inventories tumbled as businesses slowed their restocking of shelves, shedding 2 percentage points from GDP.Higher interest rates, a consequence of the Federal Reserve's series of rate hikes, clobbered home construction, which shrank at a 14% annual rate. Government spending dropped, too.The report comes at a critical time. Consumers and businesses have been struggling under the weight of punishing inflation and higher borrowing costs. On Wednesday, the Fed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-interest-rate-hike-live-updates-6dab38b8235bc62bdf69b4710c6b84f5">raised its benchmark interest rate</a>&nbsp;by a sizable three-quarters of a point for a second straight time in its push to conquer the worst inflation outbreak in four decades.The Fed is hoping to achieve a notoriously difficult “soft landing”: An economic slowdown that manages to rein in rocketing prices without triggering a recession.Apart from the United States, the global economy as a whole is also grappling with high inflation and weakening growth, especially after Russia's invasion of Ukraine sent energy and food prices soaring. Europe, highly dependent on Russian natural gas, appears especially vulnerable to a recession.In the United States, the inflation surge and fear of a recession have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-consumer-confidence-540a7e866b29e504f67e1aec2e0ee547">eroded consumer confidence</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-inflation-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-economy-8702782d77505f711272f5f9d988d73f">stirred public anxiety about the economy</a>, which is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-economy-vital-signs-cec67f96f44d67d78edfd35f1dbd2522">sending frustratingly mixed signals</a>. And with the November midterm elections nearing, Americans’ discontent has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-russia-ukraine-biden-covid-health-b6d1751b2554555f7246f9e914b87c59">diminished President Joe Biden’s public approval ratings</a>&nbsp;and could increase the likelihood that the Democrats will lose control of the House and Senate.Fed Chair Jerome Powell and many economists have said that while the economy is showing some weakening, they doubt it’s in recession. Many of them point, in particular, to a still-robust labor market, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-a8caceae5905d592eacf27e9972df7e1">11 million job openings</a>&nbsp;and an uncommonly low&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-jobs-report-signs-of-economic-resilience-e83d996c4a6320b5785dde94d6c2f125">3.6% unemployment rate</a>, to suggest that a recession, if one does occur, is still a ways off.“The back-to-back contraction of GDP will feed the debate about whether the U.S. is in, or soon headed for, a recession," said Sal Guatieri, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets. “The fact that the economy created 2.7 million payrolls in the first half of the year would seem to argue against an official recession call for now."Still, Guatieri said, “the economy has quickly lost steam in the face of four-decade high inflation, rapidly rising borrowing costs and a general tightening in financial conditions.”In the meantime, Congress may be moving toward approving action to fight inflation under&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-manchin-budget-agreement-7b0ee6e3e0b70357288fd69f44473b9b">an agreement announced Wednesday</a>&nbsp;by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat. Among other things,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-biden-health-climate-and-environment-7a267eeea21af0f44318e6b9d888c36c">the measure would allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices</a>&nbsp;with pharmaceutical companies, and the new revenue would be used to lower costs for seniors on medications. The measure would also extend subsidies that were provided early in the pandemic to help some Americans who buy health insurance on their own.In the wake of Thursday’s second straight negative GDP report, Biden downplayed the news, pointing to continued low unemployment and strong hiring.“Coming off of last year’s historic economic growth — and regaining all the private sector jobs lost during the pandemic crisis — it’s no surprise that the economy is slowing down as the Federal Reserve acts to bring down inflation," the president said in a statement. “But even as we face historic global challenges, we are on the right path and we will come through this transition stronger and more secure.’’The government’s first of three estimates of GDP for the April-June quarter marks a drastic weakening from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-economy-gross-domestic-product-fde10414fcf4fcd4994a88e6addc8dbd">5.7% growth the economy achieved last year</a>. That was the fastest calendar-year expansion since 1984, reflecting how vigorously the economy roared back from the brief but brutal pandemic recession of 2020.But since then, the combination of mounting prices and higher borrowing costs have taken a toll. The Labor Department’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bls.gov/cpi/#:~:text=The%20Consumer%20Price%20Index%20(CPI,U.S.%20and%20various%20geographic%20areas.">consumer price index skyrocketed 9.1%</a>&nbsp;in June from a year earlier, a pace not matched since 1981. And despite widespread pay raises, prices are surging faster than wages. In June, average hourly earnings, after adjusting for inflation, slid 3.6% from a year earlier, the 15th straight year-over-year drop.Americans are still spending, though more tepidly. Thursday's report showed that consumer spending rose at a 1% annual pace from April through June, down from 1.8% in the first quarter and 2.5% in the final three months of 2021.Spending on goods like appliances and furniture, which had soared while Americans were sheltering at home early in the pandemic, dropped at a 4.4% rate last quarter. Bit spending on services like airline trips and dinners out rose at a 4.1% rate, indicating that millions of consumers are venturing out more.Before accounting for surging prices, the economy actually grew at a 7.8% annual pace in the April-June quarter. But inflation wiped out that gain and then some and produced a negative GDP number.Against that backdrop, Americans are losing confidence. Their assessment of economic conditions six months from now has reached its lowest point since 2013, according to the Conference Board, a research group.Recession risks have been growing as the Fed’s policymakers have pursued a campaign of rate hikes that will likely extend into 2023. The Fed’s hikes have already led to higher rates on credit cards and auto loans and to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-mortgages-mortgage-rates-195888d890ceb97524eb6fd1d766bd8e">a doubling of the average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage</a>&nbsp;in the past year, to 5.5.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/home-sales-prices-mortgages-05b7ad48a6c13727ed160bae415d3baa">Home sales, which are especially sensitive to interest rate changes, have tumbled</a>.Even with the economy recording a second straight quarter of negative GDP, many economists do not regard it as constituting a recession. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-covid-health-gross-domestic-product-economy-89cbfc145ad34a91679ffa43e617c896">definition of recession that is most widely accepted</a>&nbsp;is the one determined by the National Bureau of Economic Research, a group of economists whose&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nber.org/news/business-cycle-dating-committee-announcement-july-19-2021">Business Cycle Dating Committee</a>&nbsp;defines a recession as “a significant decline in economic activity that is spread across the economy and lasts more than a few months.”The committee assesses a range of factors before publicly declaring the death of an economic expansion and the birth of a recession — and it often does so well after the fact.“If we aren’t yet in a recession, we soon will be,'' said Joshua Shapiro, chief U.S. economist for the economic consulting firm Maria Fiorini Ramirez Inc. “An economy rapidly losing momentum combined with aggressive monetary tightening is not a recipe for a soft landing or any other type of happy ending.''