By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/04/11/kansas-governor-signs-bill-modifying-free-vision-screening-of-school-children/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly signed a
 bill altering standards for free vision screenings at public schools or
 accredited private schools and establishing a commission to help 
families secure additional services for a child failing the initial 
screening.

“Early detection of vision issues in children helps educators assess 
and address the needs of students promptly,” Kelly said. “It is critical
 we address these issues early on, especially if a student has shown 
signs of reading difficulty, to ensure our kids continue to learn to 
their fullest potential and find success in the classroom.”

The Kansas Children’s Vision Health and School Readiness Commission 
would be appointed by the Kansas State Board of Education. The 
eight-member commission would oversee the state’s vision screening and 
assist families who cannot afford after-screening services.

Basic vision screenings would be mandated annually for children with 
disabilities who were 3 to 5 five year old, at least once each school 
year for students enrolled in kindergarten, and subsequently for 
students in grades one through three, five, seven and 10 in a school 
district or accredited private school.

Under a separate provision of <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/ccrb_sb62_01_0000.pdf">Senate Bill 62</a>
 approved by a bipartisan majority, sign language interpreters would be 
held to professional standards so Kansans who are deaf or hard of 
hearing receive quality service from interpreters. A person seeking to 
work as an interpreter would have to be registered with the&nbsp;Kansas 
Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

Sign language registrants would need the equivalent of a high school 
degree, be at least 18 years of age and obtain a certification or 
credential acceptable to the state commission.

Kelly also signed <a target="_blank" href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjA0MTEuNTYyNTAwOTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vd3d3LmtzbGVnaXNsYXR1cmUub3JnL2xpL2IyMDIxXzIyL21lYXN1cmVzL3NiMTAxLyJ9.1ij5xib6O_XPyM9pKR2OigB_gEzpKae8QjWyWDyY-_I/s/1303160910/br/129644961289-l">Senate Bill 101 </a>&nbsp;to regulate use of electric-assisted bicycles and <a target="_blank" href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDMsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjA0MTEuNTYyNTAwOTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vd3d3LmtzbGVnaXNsYXR1cmUub3JnL2xpL2IyMDIxXzIyL21lYXN1cmVzL2hiMjM4Ni8ifQ.4VjJMlLooxOfv9OO0aop3CrxHuwKlz8j3FuuIlI8e3g/s/1303160910/br/129644961289-l">House Bill 2386 </a>to set requirements for payment and reimbursement by a dental benefit plan.

She put her signature to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDUsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjA0MTEuNTYyNTAwOTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vd3d3LmtzbGVnaXNsYXR1cmUub3JnL2xpL2IyMDIxXzIyL21lYXN1cmVzL2hiMjYwNy8ifQ.L1PEEWpKrznCnJ8lIm6TTjaS34U2F22EtVBq2naI-gQ/s/1303160910/br/129644961289-l">House Bill 2607 </a>clarifying
 limitations for habeas corpus claims and requiring earlier notice to 
the attorney general of potential release from custody of a person who 
could be classified by the court as a sexually violent predator. The 
process of civil commitment, which occurs following completion of a 
criminal sentence, is handled by the attorney general’s office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649771117858.png" alt="Gov. Laura Kelly speaks during a news conference about the COVID-19 pandemic with the assistance of a sign language interpreter. Kelly signed a bill adding regulatory oversight of school hearing tests and of sign language interpreters in Kansas. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Gov. Laura Kelly speaks during a news conference about the COVID-19 pandemic with the assistance of a sign language interpreter. Kelly signed a bill adding regulatory oversight of school hearing tests and of sign language interpreters in Kansas. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/04/11/kansas-governor-signs-bill-modifying-free-vision-screening-of-school-children/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly signed a
 bill altering standards for free vision screenings at public schools or
 accredited private schools and establishing a commission to help 
families secure additional services for a child failing the initial 
screening.“Early detection of vision issues in children helps educators assess 
and address the needs of students promptly,” Kelly said. “It is critical
 we address these issues early on, especially if a student has shown 
signs of reading difficulty, to ensure our kids continue to learn to 
their fullest potential and find success in the classroom.”The Kansas Children’s Vision Health and School Readiness Commission 
would be appointed by the Kansas State Board of Education. The 
eight-member commission would oversee the state’s vision screening and 
assist families who cannot afford after-screening services.Basic vision screenings would be mandated annually for children with 
disabilities who were 3 to 5 five year old, at least once each school 
year for students enrolled in kindergarten, and subsequently for 
students in grades one through three, five, seven and 10 in a school 
district or accredited private school.Under a separate provision of <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/ccrb_sb62_01_0000.pdf">Senate Bill 62</a>
 approved by a bipartisan majority, sign language interpreters would be 
held to professional standards so Kansans who are deaf or hard of 
hearing receive quality service from interpreters. A person seeking to 
work as an interpreter would have to be registered with the&nbsp;Kansas 
Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.Sign language registrants would need the equivalent of a high school 
degree, be at least 18 years of age and obtain a certification or 
credential acceptable to the state commission.Kelly also signed <a target="_blank" href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjA0MTEuNTYyNTAwOTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vd3d3LmtzbGVnaXNsYXR1cmUub3JnL2xpL2IyMDIxXzIyL21lYXN1cmVzL3NiMTAxLyJ9.1ij5xib6O_XPyM9pKR2OigB_gEzpKae8QjWyWDyY-_I/s/1303160910/br/129644961289-l">Senate Bill 101 </a>&nbsp;to regulate use of electric-assisted bicycles and <a target="_blank" href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDMsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjA0MTEuNTYyNTAwOTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vd3d3LmtzbGVnaXNsYXR1cmUub3JnL2xpL2IyMDIxXzIyL21lYXN1cmVzL2hiMjM4Ni8ifQ.4VjJMlLooxOfv9OO0aop3CrxHuwKlz8j3FuuIlI8e3g/s/1303160910/br/129644961289-l">House Bill 2386 </a>to set requirements for payment and reimbursement by a dental benefit plan.She put her signature to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDUsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjA0MTEuNTYyNTAwOTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vd3d3LmtzbGVnaXNsYXR1cmUub3JnL2xpL2IyMDIxXzIyL21lYXN1cmVzL2hiMjYwNy8ifQ.L1PEEWpKrznCnJ8lIm6TTjaS34U2F22EtVBq2naI-gQ/s/1303160910/br/129644961289-l">House Bill 2607 </a>clarifying
 limitations for habeas corpus claims and requiring earlier notice to 
the attorney general of potential release from custody of a person who 
could be classified by the court as a sexually violent predator. The 
process of civil commitment, which occurs following completion of a 
criminal sentence, is handled by the attorney general’s office.

Kelly signs bill modifying free vision screening of school children

By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-04-12/in-johnson-county-biologists-are-poisoning-trees-to-save-birds-and-butterflies">Kansas News Service</a>

Let’s talk about very hungry caterpillars.

In Kansas and
 Missouri, they face an increasingly difficult time finding things to 
eat. That’s making it ever harder for butterflies and moths to survive.

Their populations are shrinking, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sd-state-wire-maryland-ks-state-wire-science-biology-767ab6cab1fad77e824149aad0e4fee9" target="_blank">especially in the Midwest</a>, and the birds that eat them are <a href="https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/bring-birds-back" target="_blank">disappearing, too</a>.

The
 invasive Callery pear trees (also known as Bradford pears, Cleveland 
pears, etc.) spreading like weeds across Kansas and Missouri don’t get 
all the blame — not by a longshot.

And yet these ornamental trees 
with the white springtime blossoms and a pungent smell pose a 
significant problem. Stopping them from continuing to choke out native 
flowers, shrubs and trees would bring back food for wildlife.

This month, if you help with the effort, you can get a free native tree.

From
 the outside, a grove of rogue pears looks pretty. In spring, flowers 
cloak their branches. In fall, red leaves cover the branches.

But 
when Kansas forester Ryan Armbrust pushes his way into one of those 
groves, he finds something despairing beneath the dense canopy: neither 
prairie nor woodland nor much to support the natural food chain.

“You’ll have bare ground,” Armbrust said. “A few straggling bits of grass that are still trying to hang on.”

And as the trademark flowers, shrubs and trees of the Midwest get crowded out, the animals do, too.

“This
 becomes essentially a desert,” he said. “There’s nothing under there. 
You’re not going to have any wildlife really. … You’re not going to have
 many insects.”

Here’s an easy way to measure the scope of the loss when invasive plants win out: Butterflies and moths.

A single oak tree growing in Kansas City offers a tasty meal to <a href="https://www.nwf.org/NativePlantFinder/" target="_blank">more than 400 species</a> of butterflies and moths in their caterpillar phase of life.

A <a href="https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/wild-plum" target="_blank">wild plum</a> bush supports more than 300 species. A goldenrod plant, about 100.

But
 Callery pears, like many ornamental plants that escaped from gardens 
into the wild, are more or less inedible to the caterpillars of North 
America.

Scientists who take the time to search these trees for insects don’t find much. Entomologist Doug Tallamy <a href="https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-nature-of-oaks-the-rich-ecology-of-our-most-essential-native-trees_douglas-w-tallamy/27126793/#edition=58067865&amp;idiq=44247053" target="_blank">wrote last year</a> that he has found just one caterpillar species on them.

Tallamy
 and his students at the University of Delaware studied what might at 
first glance appear to be wild areas, but were actually overgrown with 
invasives such as Callery pear and bush honeysuckle (another invasive 
plant taking over parts of Kansas and Missouri). They compared them to 
natural areas dominated by native plants.

The spaces overrun with invasives had lost <a href="https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/natures-best-hope-a-new-approach-to-conservation-that-starts-in-your-yard_douglas-w-tallamy/21208219/?resultid=e242af9c-1c2a-4733-8826-cc972005ebda#edition=22656839&amp;idiq=36137252" target="_blank">more than 90% of their caterpillar populations</a>. That’s a huge hit to butterfly and moth populations. And, to birds.

The
 vast majority of songbirds have to feed their chicks soft insects — 
primarily caterpillars. A single nest of chickadees eats several 
thousand caterpillars, Tallamy says.

That’s just one reason that biologists, foresters and even state and county governments are desperate to kill off the trees.

Check
 out these images compiled by Armbrust, who coordinates rural forestry 
at the Kansas Forest Service. These show just how fast the pears are 
spreading across the state and beating out local trees, shrubs and 
wildflowers.

Yet rural landowners, foresters and conservation agencies can’t use 
the same techniques they do for fighting other rogue trees: fire and 
blades. If you burn a field full of Callery pears, they survive it. If 
you mow down the saplings and chop down the bigger ones, they simply 
grow back.

The only remedy is to poison the offenders by hand, for
 example by cutting them down and applying weed killer or tree killer to
 their stumps.

Workers at
 Johnson County Park and Recreation District have removed hundreds of 
Callery pear trees and countless more saplings infesting Shawnee Mission
 Park.

Their work isn’t done. Each spring, they scour this 
1,700-acre park — the most visited park in Kansas — when blooms make the
 pears more easily visible. They chop the trees down and apply herbicide
 carefully, to avoid killing nearby native plants.

“It’s really 
important for people to understand that these ornamental trees don’t 
stay in your front yard,” said Matt Garrett, the agency’s field 
biologist. “It’s affecting everything around you.”

This
 month, nearly 1,000 people in Missouri and Kansas can get a free native
 tree — about 4 or 5 feet tall — in return for killing a Callery pear on
 their property.

The program started in parts of Missouri, led by the <a href="http://www.moinvasives.org" target="_blank">Missouri Invasive Plant Council</a>, and grew to include the Kansas City metro.

Whether you live in Kansas or Missouri, you can sign up <a href="https://moinvasives.org/2022/03/10/callery-pear-buy-back-event-4-26-22/" target="_blank">here</a>,
 then chop down a Callery pear and submit a photo of yourself standing 
next to it. Those who do can choose among a variety of native trees, 
such as serviceberry, river birch, green hawthorn and chinkapin oak, and
 pick it up at a participating site.

In Missouri, Fedex is paying for the replacement trees. In Kansas, Johnson County Park &amp; Recreation District is.

Yes,
 even 1,000 dead Callery pears are a drop in the bucket compared to the 
number of these trees that are growing across those two states. But part
 of the goal is simply to spread the word about the havoc that the trees
 wreak.

After all, many nurseries and big-box stores such as Lowe’s continue to sell them.

Callery trees (Pyrus calleryana) come from Asia, and the ones sold in the U.S. go by many names: including Bradford, Cleveland and Chanticleer.

Plant breeders never intended for the trees to spread on this continent. In fact, they thought it couldn’t happen. They sold sterile cultivars.

Homeowners
 snapped up the trees to adorn yards. Cities and developers planted row 
after row of them for their spring flowers and autumn colors.

Then — cue the “Jurassic Park” music — things went very wrong.

Although
 each cultivar (Bradford, etc.) couldn’t reproduce among its own kind, 
it turned out the supposedly sterile trees were mightily prolific once 
the various cultivars came into contact with each other and 
cross-pollinated.

Armbrust started spotting saplings in ditches 
and natural areas more than a decade ago. In 2020, the Kansas Forest 
Service began mapping out how far the tree has spread in Kansas.

“When
 you started to look, and you trained your eye to see it,” he said, “you
 kind of had that moment of, ‘Oh my goodness, this stuff is everywhere! 
What are we going to do?’”

The trees now grow wild in at least half of Kansas counties, and maybe more. The Kansas Forest Service isn’t done looking.

Ironically,
 adult birds eat Callery pear fruit in the fall, and this helps spread 
the very trees that erode the caterpillar populations that the birds 
need to feed their chicks.

You can also learn about some of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zA6xmzSXENI&amp;t=2831s" target="_blank">native alternatives to callery pears here</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649770669039.png" alt="Matt Dear, a natural resource technician in Johnson County, carefully applies herbicide to the stump of a freshly chopped callery pear. Carlos Moreno / KCUR 89.3" />
 <figcaption>Matt Dear, a natural resource technician in Johnson County, carefully applies herbicide to the stump of a freshly chopped callery pear. Carlos Moreno / KCUR 89.3</figcaption>
 </figure>By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-04-12/in-johnson-county-biologists-are-poisoning-trees-to-save-birds-and-butterflies">Kansas News Service</a>Let’s talk about very hungry caterpillars.In Kansas and
 Missouri, they face an increasingly difficult time finding things to 
eat. That’s making it ever harder for butterflies and moths to survive.Their populations are shrinking, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sd-state-wire-maryland-ks-state-wire-science-biology-767ab6cab1fad77e824149aad0e4fee9" target="_blank">especially in the Midwest</a>, and the birds that eat them are <a href="https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/bring-birds-back" target="_blank">disappearing, too</a>.The
 invasive Callery pear trees (also known as Bradford pears, Cleveland 
pears, etc.) spreading like weeds across Kansas and Missouri don’t get 
all the blame — not by a longshot.And yet these ornamental trees 
with the white springtime blossoms and a pungent smell pose a 
significant problem. Stopping them from continuing to choke out native 
flowers, shrubs and trees would bring back food for wildlife.This month, if you help with the effort, you can get a free native tree.The ‘desert’ effectFrom
 the outside, a grove of rogue pears looks pretty. In spring, flowers 
cloak their branches. In fall, red leaves cover the branches.But 
when Kansas forester Ryan Armbrust pushes his way into one of those 
groves, he finds something despairing beneath the dense canopy: neither 
prairie nor woodland nor much to support the natural food chain.“You’ll have bare ground,” Armbrust said. “A few straggling bits of grass that are still trying to hang on.”And as the trademark flowers, shrubs and trees of the Midwest get crowded out, the animals do, too.“This
 becomes essentially a desert,” he said. “There’s nothing under there. 
You’re not going to have any wildlife really. … You’re not going to have
 many insects.”Here’s an easy way to measure the scope of the loss when invasive plants win out: Butterflies and moths.A single oak tree growing in Kansas City offers a tasty meal to <a href="https://www.nwf.org/NativePlantFinder/" target="_blank">more than 400 species</a> of butterflies and moths in their caterpillar phase of life.A <a href="https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/wild-plum" target="_blank">wild plum</a> bush supports more than 300 species. A goldenrod plant, about 100.They are all native to the region.But
 Callery pears, like many ornamental plants that escaped from gardens 
into the wild, are more or less inedible to the caterpillars of North 
America.Scientists who take the time to search these trees for insects don’t find much. Entomologist Doug Tallamy <a href="https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-nature-of-oaks-the-rich-ecology-of-our-most-essential-native-trees_douglas-w-tallamy/27126793/#edition=58067865&amp;idiq=44247053" target="_blank">wrote last year</a> that he has found just one caterpillar species on them.Tallamy
 and his students at the University of Delaware studied what might at 
first glance appear to be wild areas, but were actually overgrown with 
invasives such as Callery pear and bush honeysuckle (another invasive 
plant taking over parts of Kansas and Missouri). They compared them to 
natural areas dominated by native plants.The spaces overrun with invasives had lost <a href="https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/natures-best-hope-a-new-approach-to-conservation-that-starts-in-your-yard_douglas-w-tallamy/21208219/?resultid=e242af9c-1c2a-4733-8826-cc972005ebda#edition=22656839&amp;idiq=36137252" target="_blank">more than 90% of their caterpillar populations</a>. That’s a huge hit to butterfly and moth populations. And, to birds.The
 vast majority of songbirds have to feed their chicks soft insects — 
primarily caterpillars. A single nest of chickadees eats several 
thousand caterpillars, Tallamy says.That’s just one reason that biologists, foresters and even state and county governments are desperate to kill off the trees.Photos show the rapid spreadCheck
 out these images compiled by Armbrust, who coordinates rural forestry 
at the Kansas Forest Service. These show just how fast the pears are 
spreading across the state and beating out local trees, shrubs and 
wildflowers.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649770750399.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649770775705.png" alt="The callery pears in this pasture near Manhattan are circled in red." />
 <figcaption>The callery pears in this pasture near Manhattan are circled in red.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649770799489.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649770835201.png" alt="These Google Earth images show how fast an infestation spreads. The new growth you see in the right-hand image consists almost entirely of callery pears that are taking over this Johnson County field in less than a decade." />
 <figcaption>These Google Earth images show how fast an infestation spreads. The new growth you see in the right-hand image consists almost entirely of callery pears that are taking over this Johnson County field in less than a decade.</figcaption>
 </figure>Yet rural landowners, foresters and conservation agencies can’t use 
the same techniques they do for fighting other rogue trees: fire and 
blades. If you burn a field full of Callery pears, they survive it. If 
you mow down the saplings and chop down the bigger ones, they simply 
grow back.The only remedy is to poison the offenders by hand, for
 example by cutting them down and applying weed killer or tree killer to
 their stumps.Johnson County is doing just that.Workers at
 Johnson County Park and Recreation District have removed hundreds of 
Callery pear trees and countless more saplings infesting Shawnee Mission
 Park.Their work isn’t done. Each spring, they scour this 
1,700-acre park — the most visited park in Kansas — when blooms make the
 pears more easily visible. They chop the trees down and apply herbicide
 carefully, to avoid killing nearby native plants.“It’s really 
important for people to understand that these ornamental trees don’t 
stay in your front yard,” said Matt Garrett, the agency’s field 
biologist. “It’s affecting everything around you.”Trading good trees for bad onesThis
 month, nearly 1,000 people in Missouri and Kansas can get a free native
 tree — about 4 or 5 feet tall — in return for killing a Callery pear on
 their property.The program started in parts of Missouri, led by the <a href="http://www.moinvasives.org" target="_blank">Missouri Invasive Plant Council</a>, and grew to include the Kansas City metro.Whether you live in Kansas or Missouri, you can sign up <a href="https://moinvasives.org/2022/03/10/callery-pear-buy-back-event-4-26-22/" target="_blank">here</a>,
 then chop down a Callery pear and submit a photo of yourself standing 
next to it. Those who do can choose among a variety of native trees, 
such as serviceberry, river birch, green hawthorn and chinkapin oak, and
 pick it up at a participating site.In Missouri, Fedex is paying for the replacement trees. In Kansas, Johnson County Park &amp; Recreation District is.Yes,
 even 1,000 dead Callery pears are a drop in the bucket compared to the 
number of these trees that are growing across those two states. But part
 of the goal is simply to spread the word about the havoc that the trees
 wreak.After all, many nurseries and big-box stores such as Lowe’s continue to sell them.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649770883649.png" alt="Drew Dobbeleare, a natural resource technician, uses a chain saw to cut down callery pears in a pasture in Johnson County's Shawnee Mission Park. Carlos Moreno / KCUR 89.3" />
 <figcaption>Drew Dobbeleare, a natural resource technician, uses a chain saw to cut down callery pears in a pasture in Johnson County's Shawnee Mission Park. Carlos Moreno / KCUR 89.3</figcaption>
 </figure>Callery trees (Pyrus calleryana) come from Asia, and the ones sold in the U.S. go by many names: including Bradford, Cleveland and Chanticleer.Plant breeders never intended for the trees to spread on this continent. In fact, they thought it couldn’t happen. They sold sterile cultivars.Homeowners
 snapped up the trees to adorn yards. Cities and developers planted row 
after row of them for their spring flowers and autumn colors.Then — cue the “Jurassic Park” music — things went very wrong.Although
 each cultivar (Bradford, etc.) couldn’t reproduce among its own kind, 
it turned out the supposedly sterile trees were mightily prolific once 
the various cultivars came into contact with each other and 
cross-pollinated.Armbrust started spotting saplings in ditches 
and natural areas more than a decade ago. In 2020, the Kansas Forest 
Service began mapping out how far the tree has spread in Kansas.“When
 you started to look, and you trained your eye to see it,” he said, “you
 kind of had that moment of, ‘Oh my goodness, this stuff is everywhere! 
What are we going to do?’”The trees now grow wild in at least half of Kansas counties, and maybe more. The Kansas Forest Service isn’t done looking.Ironically,
 adult birds eat Callery pear fruit in the fall, and this helps spread 
the very trees that erode the caterpillar populations that the birds 
need to feed their chicks.Tips for killing a Callery pear: <ul>
 <li>Mowing won’t do the trick. If you mow down a sapling, it just sprouts back with more stems or trunks.</li><li>Option
 one: Go after the trunk. Cut down the tree and, within 20 minutes, 
treat it with an herbicide such as Tordon or glyphosate-based 
weedkillers such as Roundup.</li><li>Option two: Go after the leaves. You can spray herbicide on them and cut down the tree after it dies.</li><li>Read <a href="https://moinvasives.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Effective-control-of-Callery-pear-4-16-19.pdf" target="_blank">more details</a> on the above options before starting. Or watch <a href="https://youtu.be/zA6xmzSXENI?t=2357" target="_blank">this video</a> discussing removal methods and herbicides.</li>
 </ul>You can also learn about some of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zA6xmzSXENI&amp;t=2831s" target="_blank">native alternatives to callery pears here</a>.

In Kansas, biologists are poisoning trees to save birds, butterflies

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill into law on Tuesday that makes it a felony to perform an abortion, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, as part of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-oklahoma-oklahoma-city-merrick-garland-d5f82d3fe15f3617a3811f5b58c59be3">an aggressive push in Republican-led states&nbsp;</a>across the country to scale back abortion rights.

The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=sb612&amp;Session=2200" target="_blank">bill</a>, which takes effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns next month, makes an exception only for an abortion performed to save the life of the mother. Abortion rights advocates say the bill signed by the GOP governor is certain to face a legal challenge.

Its passage comes as the conservative&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-united-states-mississippi-65751e1b9ca7d34f1458ffe9729f82b2">U.S. Supreme Court considers</a>&nbsp;ratcheting back abortion rights that have been in place for nearly 50 years.

“We want to outlaw abortion in the state of Oklahoma,” Stitt said during a signing ceremony for the bill, flanked by anti-abortion lawmakers, clergy and students. “I promised Oklahomans that I would sign every pro-life bill that hits my desk, and that’s what we’re doing here today.”

Under the bill, anyone convicted of performing an abortion would face up to 10 years in prison and a $100,000 fine. It does not authorize criminal charges against a woman for receiving an abortion.

Sen. Nathan Dahm, a Broken Arrow Republican now running for Congress who wrote the bill, called it the “strongest pro-life legislation in the country right now, which effectively eliminates abortion in Oklahoma.”

Abortion rights advocates say the bill is clearly unconstitutional, and similar laws approved recently in&nbsp;Arkansas&nbsp;and&nbsp;Alabama&nbsp;have been blocked by federal courts.

“Oklahoma legislators are trying to ban abortion from all sides and merely seeing which of these dangerous, shameful bills they can get their governor to sign,” Dr. Ghazaleh Moayedi, an obstetrician and gynecologist in Texas and Oklahoma and a board member at Physicians for Reproductive Health, said in a statement.

Although similar anti-abortion bills approved by the Oklahoma Legislature in recent years have been stopped as unconstitutional, anti-abortion lawmakers have been buoyed by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to allow&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-texas-0b4ed1808ed44d176bf6c86e6646a718">new Texas abortion restrictions</a>&nbsp;to remain in place.

The new Texas law, the most restrictive anti-abortion law to take effect in the U.S. in decades, leaves enforcement up to private citizens, who are entitled to collect what critics call a “bounty” of $10,000 if they bring a successful lawsuit against a provider or anyone who helps a patient obtain an abortion.

“The U.S. Supreme Court’s failure to stop Texas from nullifying the constitutional right to abortion has emboldened other states to do the same,” Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a statement. “We’ve sued the state of Oklahoma ten times in the last decade to protect abortion access and we will challenge this law as well to stop this travesty from ever taking effect.”

Several states, including Oklahoma, are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-legislature-oklahoma-3eba9ac268b4e4d7a33c3fb8916d4d78">pursuing legislation similar to the Texas law&nbsp;</a>this year.

The Texas law bans abortion after roughly six weeks of pregnancy and makes no exceptions in cases of rape or incest. Abortions in Texas have plummeted by about 50% since the law took effect, while the number of Texans going to clinics out of state and requesting abortion pills online has gone up.

One of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-legislature-oklahoma-3eba9ac268b4e4d7a33c3fb8916d4d78">Texas-style Oklahoma bills</a>&nbsp;that is one vote away from the governor’s desk would ban abortions from the moment of conception and would take effect immediately upon the governor’s signature.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649251630071.png" alt="Protesters at the Oklahoma Statehouse -photo courtesy Planned Parenthood Action" />
 <figcaption>Protesters at the Oklahoma Statehouse -photo courtesy Planned Parenthood Action</figcaption>
 </figure>OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill into law on Tuesday that makes it a felony to perform an abortion, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, as part of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-oklahoma-oklahoma-city-merrick-garland-d5f82d3fe15f3617a3811f5b58c59be3">an aggressive push in Republican-led states&nbsp;</a>across the country to scale back abortion rights.The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=sb612&amp;Session=2200" target="_blank">bill</a>, which takes effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns next month, makes an exception only for an abortion performed to save the life of the mother. Abortion rights advocates say the bill signed by the GOP governor is certain to face a legal challenge.Its passage comes as the conservative&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-united-states-mississippi-65751e1b9ca7d34f1458ffe9729f82b2">U.S. Supreme Court considers</a>&nbsp;ratcheting back abortion rights that have been in place for nearly 50 years.“We want to outlaw abortion in the state of Oklahoma,” Stitt said during a signing ceremony for the bill, flanked by anti-abortion lawmakers, clergy and students. “I promised Oklahomans that I would sign every pro-life bill that hits my desk, and that’s what we’re doing here today.”Under the bill, anyone convicted of performing an abortion would face up to 10 years in prison and a $100,000 fine. It does not authorize criminal charges against a woman for receiving an abortion.Sen. Nathan Dahm, a Broken Arrow Republican now running for Congress who wrote the bill, called it the “strongest pro-life legislation in the country right now, which effectively eliminates abortion in Oklahoma.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649779268364.png" alt="“We want to outlaw abortion in the state of Oklahoma,” Stitt said during a signing ceremony for the bill.-photo courtesy Oklahoma Governor's office" />
 <figcaption>“We want to outlaw abortion in the state of Oklahoma,” Stitt said during a signing ceremony for the bill.-photo courtesy Oklahoma Governor's office</figcaption>
 </figure>Abortion rights advocates say the bill is clearly unconstitutional, and similar laws approved recently in&nbsp;Arkansas&nbsp;and&nbsp;Alabama&nbsp;have been blocked by federal courts.“Oklahoma legislators are trying to ban abortion from all sides and merely seeing which of these dangerous, shameful bills they can get their governor to sign,” Dr. Ghazaleh Moayedi, an obstetrician and gynecologist in Texas and Oklahoma and a board member at Physicians for Reproductive Health, said in a statement.Although similar anti-abortion bills approved by the Oklahoma Legislature in recent years have been stopped as unconstitutional, anti-abortion lawmakers have been buoyed by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to allow&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-texas-0b4ed1808ed44d176bf6c86e6646a718">new Texas abortion restrictions</a>&nbsp;to remain in place.The new Texas law, the most restrictive anti-abortion law to take effect in the U.S. in decades, leaves enforcement up to private citizens, who are entitled to collect what critics call a “bounty” of $10,000 if they bring a successful lawsuit against a provider or anyone who helps a patient obtain an abortion.“The U.S. Supreme Court’s failure to stop Texas from nullifying the constitutional right to abortion has emboldened other states to do the same,” Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a statement. “We’ve sued the state of Oklahoma ten times in the last decade to protect abortion access and we will challenge this law as well to stop this travesty from ever taking effect.”Several states, including Oklahoma, are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-legislature-oklahoma-3eba9ac268b4e4d7a33c3fb8916d4d78">pursuing legislation similar to the Texas law&nbsp;</a>this year.The Texas law bans abortion after roughly six weeks of pregnancy and makes no exceptions in cases of rape or incest. Abortions in Texas have plummeted by about 50% since the law took effect, while the number of Texans going to clinics out of state and requesting abortion pills online has gone up.One of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-legislature-oklahoma-3eba9ac268b4e4d7a33c3fb8916d4d78">Texas-style Oklahoma bills</a>&nbsp;that is one vote away from the governor’s desk would ban abortions from the moment of conception and would take effect immediately upon the governor’s signature.

Okla. governor signs bill to ban abortion, imprison doctors

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

A Salina man has been arrested on multiple requested drug and weapons charges after he allegedly stole items from a female acquaintance.

On Monday morning, a Salina woman told police that Payton Rice, 26, of Salina, had stolen various electronics, cash, and prescription pills from her residence in the 200 block of S. 10th Street, according to Salina Police Sergeant Kyle Tonniges. The property was valued at approximately $3,900.

Later on Monday, an officer spotted Rice driving in the 800 block of W. Crawford and pulled him over. According to Tonniges, Rice stopped his vehicle and fled on foot. After a short foot pursuit, Rice was taken into custody.

Tonniges reported that a majority of the stolen property was located in the vehicle Rice had been driving. Officers also located a handgun that was reported stolen in Riley County along with sale quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana. Additionally, several personal items belonging to the victim of a March 31 vehicle burglary in the 400 block of Baker Street were located, Tonniges noted.

Rice is being held on requested charges that include Criminal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, Unlawful distribution of a controlled substance, No drug tax stamp, Felony possession of drug paraphernalia, Felony interference with law enforcement. Possession of marijuana, Misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, Felony theft, Possession of a stolen firearm and Burglary.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649778134086.jpeg" alt="Payton Rice. Photos Saline County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Payton Rice. Photos Saline County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostA Salina man has been arrested on multiple requested drug and weapons charges after he allegedly stole items from a female acquaintance.On Monday morning, a Salina woman told police that Payton Rice, 26, of Salina, had stolen various electronics, cash, and prescription pills from her residence in the 200 block of S. 10th Street, according to Salina Police Sergeant Kyle Tonniges. The property was valued at approximately $3,900.Later on Monday, an officer spotted Rice driving in the 800 block of W. Crawford and pulled him over. According to Tonniges, Rice stopped his vehicle and fled on foot. After a short foot pursuit, Rice was taken into custody.Tonniges reported that a majority of the stolen property was located in the vehicle Rice had been driving. Officers also located a handgun that was reported stolen in Riley County along with sale quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana. Additionally, several personal items belonging to the victim of a March 31 vehicle burglary in the 400 block of Baker Street were located, Tonniges noted.Rice is being held on requested charges that include Criminal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, Unlawful distribution of a controlled substance, No drug tax stamp, Felony possession of drug paraphernalia, Felony interference with law enforcement. Possession of marijuana, Misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, Felony theft, Possession of a stolen firearm and Burglary.

Police: Kansas man caught with cocaine, stolen handgun

NEW YORK (AP) — At least 10 people were shot and eight others injured when a gunman filled a rush-hour subway train with smoke and opened fire Tuesday morning. 

Police were still searching for the shooter. 

There were no life-threatening injuries and the attack was not being investigated as terrorism. Officials said at least 16 in all were injured in some way in the attack at the 36th Street station in the borough's Sunset Park neighborhood. 

According to multiple law enforcement sources briefed on the investigation, preliminary information indicated that the gunman who fled was wearing a construction vest and a gas mask.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649781277377.png" alt="Photo courtesy WCBS" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy WCBS</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — At least 10 people were shot and eight others injured when a gunman filled a rush-hour subway train with smoke and opened fire Tuesday morning. Police were still searching for the shooter. There were no life-threatening injuries and the attack was not being investigated as terrorism. Officials said at least 16 in all were injured in some way in the attack at the 36th Street station in the borough's Sunset Park neighborhood. According to multiple law enforcement sources briefed on the investigation, preliminary information indicated that the gunman who fled was wearing a construction vest and a gas mask.

Gunman opens fire on Brooklyn subway; at least 10 shot

HARVEY COUNTY —The doors at Newton High School were locked down Tuesday after 911 received a report of a possible person with a gun at the school, according to Newton Police.

Students reported seeing two other students carrying an orange and white object that resembled a gun out of the automotive area to a vehicle in the parking lot. The two students then left in the vehicle. 

Many students evacuated the school, but there is no active disturbance or danger. No one with a weapon ever entered the school. 

The two students have been identified, and Police will continue to investigate.

&nbsp;Counselors are in place for any students feeling stress from the situation. NHS will continue to be monitored by law enforcement.

HARVEY COUNTY— Law enforcement are on the scene at Newton High School, 900 West 12th Street, after calls came in about a suspicious person on the grounds.&nbsp;

According to Harvey County 911, the first call came in around 9:50a.m.&nbsp;

 No other details are available as officers are still actively working the situation. The school is currently in lockdown as a precaution.

Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

HARVEY COUNTY —The doors at Newton High School were locked down Tuesday after 911 received a report of a possible person with a gun at the school, according to Newton Police.Students reported seeing two other students carrying an orange and white object that resembled a gun out of the automotive area to a vehicle in the parking lot. The two students then left in the vehicle. Many students evacuated the school, but there is no active disturbance or danger. No one with a weapon ever entered the school. The two students have been identified, and Police will continue to investigate.&nbsp;Counselors are in place for any students feeling stress from the situation. NHS will continue to be monitored by law enforcement.-------------HARVEY COUNTY— Law enforcement are on the scene at Newton High School, 900 West 12th Street, after calls came in about a suspicious person on the grounds.&nbsp;According to Harvey County 911, the first call came in around 9:50a.m.&nbsp; No other details are available as officers are still actively working the situation. The school is currently in lockdown as a precaution.Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

Update: Newton High School locked down due to report of a gun

KANSAS CITY — A student stabbed at a Kansas City Middle School has died.

The stabbing occurred in a restroom at Northeast Middle School, which teaches seventh and eighth grade students, police spokeswoman Donna Drake said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The two male students had some type of confrontation but a motive for the stabbing was still being investigated, Drake said.

The school was placed on lockdown and closed for the rest of the day.

The injured student was taken to Children's Mercy Hospital where he died.

Police have not released the student's name as the investigation continues.

KANSAS CITY(AP) — One middle school student suffered life-threatening injuries and another was detained after a stabbing at a Kansas City middle school on Tuesday, Kansas City police said.

The stabbing occurred in a restroom at Northeast Middle School, which teaches seventh and eighth grade students, police spokeswoman Donna Drake said.

There was no continuing threat to the public, she said.

The school was placed on lockdown and planned to close for the rest of the day.

The injured student was taken to Children's Mercy Hospital. His condition was not immediately available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649783049453.png" alt="photo by Greg Payne courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>photo by Greg Payne courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY — A student stabbed at a Kansas City Middle School has died.The stabbing occurred in a restroom at Northeast Middle School, which teaches seventh and eighth grade students, police spokeswoman Donna Drake said.&nbsp;&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Dr. Bedell&#39;s statement on the passing of our NEMS scholar earlier this evening. We will have counselors at NEMS tomorrow to help our students &amp; staff process this loss. Our hearts are broken. <a href="https://t.co/d3zMdHvGBl">pic.twitter.com/d3zMdHvGBl</a>&mdash; KCPS (@kcpublicschools) <a href="https://twitter.com/kcpublicschools/status/1514081182035714048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The two male students had some type of confrontation but a motive for the stabbing was still being investigated, Drake said.The school was placed on lockdown and closed for the rest of the day.The injured student was taken to Children's Mercy Hospital where he died.Police have not released the student's name as the investigation continues.-------KANSAS CITY(AP) — One middle school student suffered life-threatening injuries and another was detained after a stabbing at a Kansas City middle school on Tuesday, Kansas City police said.The stabbing occurred in a restroom at Northeast Middle School, which teaches seventh and eighth grade students, police spokeswoman Donna Drake said.There was no continuing threat to the public, she said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Our schools should always be safe environments for our young people to learn. I am horrified to learn of a stabbing at a Kansas City middle school just after the beginning of the school day. We are in touch with our school district partners and authorities.&mdash; Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) <a href="https://twitter.com/QuintonLucasKC/status/1513921587694776329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The two male students had some type of confrontation but a motive for the stabbing was still being investigated, Drake said.The school was placed on lockdown and planned to close for the rest of the day.The injured student was taken to Children's Mercy Hospital. His condition was not immediately available.

Student critically injured in Kansas City school stabbing

FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities in southwest Kansas are investigating a scam and working to alert the public.

According to Garden City police, at the time of purchase, the scammer inserts a card into the card reader which begins processing a transaction. 

The card is then removed which causes an issue with the reader’s ability to process the card. The scammer will try sweet-talking the cashier, saying it is a “cash card” and in order for it to be processed, the “CASH” button must be pressed on the register. 

The cashier, unaware of the scam, may press the “CASH” button which will open the money drawer and print a receipt, simulating a completed transaction. The merchandise is obtained without processing a card payment or having a physical money exchange. The scammer then takes the merchandise to a different store and returns it for cash or sells the merchandise through various venues. 

With this scam, the most common items that scammers attempt to purchase are high-value merchandise and gift cards. 

We encourage retailers and business owners/managers to keep an eye out for suspicious activity from customers and educate your employees on this type of scam. 

If you have questions or believe you have been the victim of the cash card scam, please contact the GCPD at (620) 276-1300.

FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities in southwest Kansas are investigating a scam and working to alert the public.According to Garden City police, at the time of purchase, the scammer inserts a card into the card reader which begins processing a transaction. The card is then removed which causes an issue with the reader’s ability to process the card. The scammer will try sweet-talking the cashier, saying it is a “cash card” and in order for it to be processed, the “CASH” button must be pressed on the register. The cashier, unaware of the scam, may press the “CASH” button which will open the money drawer and print a receipt, simulating a completed transaction. The merchandise is obtained without processing a card payment or having a physical money exchange. The scammer then takes the merchandise to a different store and returns it for cash or sells the merchandise through various venues. With this scam, the most common items that scammers attempt to purchase are high-value merchandise and gift cards. We encourage retailers and business owners/managers to keep an eye out for suspicious activity from customers and educate your employees on this type of scam. If you have questions or believe you have been the victim of the cash card scam, please contact the GCPD at (620) 276-1300.

Police alert the public to cash card scam in Kansas

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Monday took fresh aim at ghost guns,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-are-ghost-guns-aab2ded78314603e8e87e92dbe4def3f">the privately made firearms</a>&nbsp;without serial numbers that are increasingly cropping up in violent crimes, as he struggles to break past gun-control opposition to address firearm deaths.

Speaking at the White House, Biden highlighted the Justice Department’s work to finalize new regulations to crack down on ghost guns, and announced the nomination of Steve Dettelbach, who served as a U.S. attorney in Ohio from 2009 to 2016, to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

“Law enforcement is sounding the alarm,” Biden said of ghost guns, briefly holding one up for cameras to see in the Rose Garden. “Our communities are paying the price.”

He promised the new regulations would save lives.

Still, the announcement on guns highlights the limits of Biden’s influence to push a sweeping congressional overhaul of the nation’s firearm laws in response to both a recent surge in violent crime and continued mass shootings. Congress has deadlocked on legislative proposals to reform gun laws for a decade, and executive actions have faced stiff headwinds in federal courts — even as the Democratic base has grown more vocal in calling on Biden to take more consequential action.

Dettelbach’s confirmation, too, is likely to be an uphill battle. Biden had to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-gun-politics-susan-collins-angus-king-lisa-murkowski-e0d6522c455c86bd5d877307c4d5b19c">withdraw the nomination</a>&nbsp;of his first ATF nominee, gun-control advocate David Chipman, after it stalled for months because of opposition from Republicans and some Democrats in the Senate.

Both Republican and Democratic administrations have failed to get nominees for the ATF position through the politically fraught process since the director’s position was made confirmable in 2006. Since then, only one nominee, former U.S. Attorney B. Todd Jones, has been confirmed. Jones made it through the Senate in 2013 but only after a six-month struggle. Jones was acting director when President Barack Obama nominated him in January 2013.

The Biden administration’s plan on guns was first reported by Politico.

For nearly a year,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-gun-politics-gun-violence-violence-edc7a2c8dc505915a8ad841616d40ebe">the ghost gun rule has been making its way</a>&nbsp;through the federal regulation process. Gun safety groups and Democrats in Congress have been pushing for the Justice Department to finish the rule for months. It will probably be met with heavy resistance from gun groups and draw litigation in the coming weeks.

Gun Owners of America vowed that it would immediately fight the rule.

“Just as we opposed the Trump Administration’s arbitrary ban on bump stocks, GOA will also sue Biden’s ATF to halt the implementation of this rule,” Aidan Johnston, the group’s director of federal affairs said in a statement. The group believes the rule violates the U.S. Constitution and several federal laws.

But gun safety advocacy groups, like Everytown for Gun Safety, which pushed the federal government for years to take action on ghost guns, applauded Biden’s moves and insisted that both Dettelbach’s appointment and the finalized rule will help combat gun violence.

“Ghost guns look like a gun, they shoot like a gun, and they kill like a gun, but up until now they haven’t been regulated like a gun,” said John Feinblatt, Everytown’s president.

Christian Heyne, the vice president of policy at Brady, another gun control group, said Dettelbach was “an unimpeachable public servant who has spent a career using the levers of government to hold negligent or nefarious actors accountable.”

Justice Department statistics show that nearly 24,000 ghost guns were recovered by law enforcement at crime scenes and reported to the government from 2016 to 2020. It is hard to say how many are circulating on the streets, in part because in many cases police departments don’t contact the government about the guns because they can’t be traced.

The new rule changes the current definition of a firearm under federal law to include unfinished parts, like the frame of a handgun or the receiver of a long gun. It says those parts must be licensed and include serial numbers. Manufacturers must also run background checks before a sale — as they do with other commercially made firearms. The requirement applies regardless of how the firearm was made, meaning it includes ghost guns made from individual parts, kits, or by 3D-printers.

Federally licensed firearms dealers must retain key records until they shut down their business or licensed activity and then transfer the records to ATF as they are currently required to do at the end of licensed activity. Previously, these dealers were permitted to destroy most records after 20 years, making it harder for law enforcement to trace firearms found at crime scenes.

“A year ago this week standing here with many of you, I instructed the attorney general to write a regulation that would rein in the proliferation of ghost guns because I was having trouble getting anything passed in the Congress,” Biden said.

The rule goes into effect 120 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register.

For years, federal officials have been sounding the alarm about an increasing black market for homemade, military-style semi-automatic rifles and handguns. As well as turning up more frequently at crime scenes, ghost guns have been increasingly encountered when federal agents buy guns in undercover operations from gang members and other criminals.

Some states, like California, have enacted laws in recent years to require serial numbers to be stamped on ghost guns.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who was attending Monday’s event at the White House, applauded the move and pointed to a serious uptick in ghost guns being found by police. Police in Philadelphia have seen nearly a 500% increase in the number of ghost guns recovered in the past two years, Shapiro said. And just last week, a police officer there was shot by a ghost gun-wielding 18-year-old, who police said had also shot three others.

“This loophole has caused our nation countless lives,” Shapiro said in an interview. “Today is a critically important step to close that loophole.”

He said the move is likely to help drive down violence and aid both police and prosecutors in bringing their cases. The rule is also likely to help bring down the number of people who shouldn’t be purchasing firearms before a gun lands in their hand, he said.

“There are two challenges: One, criminals can easily buy them without going through a background check. And two, they are unserialized and untraceable.”

The critical component in building an untraceable gun is what is known as the lower receiver, a part typically made of metal or polymer. An unfinished receiver — sometimes referred to as an “80-percent receiver” — can be legally bought online with no serial numbers or other markings on it, no license required.

Police across the country have been reporting spikes in ghost guns being recovered by officers. The New York Police Department, for example, said officers found 131 firearms without serial numbers since January.

A gunman who killed his wife and four others in Northern California in 2017 had been prohibited from owning firearms, but he built his own to skirt the court order before his rampage. And in 2019, a teenager used a homemade handgun to fatally shoot two classmates and wound three others at a school in suburban Los Angeles.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649769587607.png" alt="Photo White House" />
 <figcaption>Photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Monday took fresh aim at ghost guns,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-are-ghost-guns-aab2ded78314603e8e87e92dbe4def3f">the privately made firearms</a>&nbsp;without serial numbers that are increasingly cropping up in violent crimes, as he struggles to break past gun-control opposition to address firearm deaths.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F1056624581951277%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=854" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Speaking at the White House, Biden highlighted the Justice Department’s work to finalize new regulations to crack down on ghost guns, and announced the nomination of Steve Dettelbach, who served as a U.S. attorney in Ohio from 2009 to 2016, to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.“Law enforcement is sounding the alarm,” Biden said of ghost guns, briefly holding one up for cameras to see in the Rose Garden. “Our communities are paying the price.”He promised the new regulations would save lives.Still, the announcement on guns highlights the limits of Biden’s influence to push a sweeping congressional overhaul of the nation’s firearm laws in response to both a recent surge in violent crime and continued mass shootings. Congress has deadlocked on legislative proposals to reform gun laws for a decade, and executive actions have faced stiff headwinds in federal courts — even as the Democratic base has grown more vocal in calling on Biden to take more consequential action.Dettelbach’s confirmation, too, is likely to be an uphill battle. Biden had to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-gun-politics-susan-collins-angus-king-lisa-murkowski-e0d6522c455c86bd5d877307c4d5b19c">withdraw the nomination</a>&nbsp;of his first ATF nominee, gun-control advocate David Chipman, after it stalled for months because of opposition from Republicans and some Democrats in the Senate.Both Republican and Democratic administrations have failed to get nominees for the ATF position through the politically fraught process since the director’s position was made confirmable in 2006. Since then, only one nominee, former U.S. Attorney B. Todd Jones, has been confirmed. Jones made it through the Senate in 2013 but only after a six-month struggle. Jones was acting director when President Barack Obama nominated him in January 2013.The Biden administration’s plan on guns was first reported by Politico.For nearly a year,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-gun-politics-gun-violence-violence-edc7a2c8dc505915a8ad841616d40ebe">the ghost gun rule has been making its way</a>&nbsp;through the federal regulation process. Gun safety groups and Democrats in Congress have been pushing for the Justice Department to finish the rule for months. It will probably be met with heavy resistance from gun groups and draw litigation in the coming weeks.Gun Owners of America vowed that it would immediately fight the rule.“Just as we opposed the Trump Administration’s arbitrary ban on bump stocks, GOA will also sue Biden’s ATF to halt the implementation of this rule,” Aidan Johnston, the group’s director of federal affairs said in a statement. The group believes the rule violates the U.S. Constitution and several federal laws.But gun safety advocacy groups, like Everytown for Gun Safety, which pushed the federal government for years to take action on ghost guns, applauded Biden’s moves and insisted that both Dettelbach’s appointment and the finalized rule will help combat gun violence.“Ghost guns look like a gun, they shoot like a gun, and they kill like a gun, but up until now they haven’t been regulated like a gun,” said John Feinblatt, Everytown’s president.Christian Heyne, the vice president of policy at Brady, another gun control group, said Dettelbach was “an unimpeachable public servant who has spent a career using the levers of government to hold negligent or nefarious actors accountable.”Justice Department statistics show that nearly 24,000 ghost guns were recovered by law enforcement at crime scenes and reported to the government from 2016 to 2020. It is hard to say how many are circulating on the streets, in part because in many cases police departments don’t contact the government about the guns because they can’t be traced.The new rule changes the current definition of a firearm under federal law to include unfinished parts, like the frame of a handgun or the receiver of a long gun. It says those parts must be licensed and include serial numbers. Manufacturers must also run background checks before a sale — as they do with other commercially made firearms. The requirement applies regardless of how the firearm was made, meaning it includes ghost guns made from individual parts, kits, or by 3D-printers.Federally licensed firearms dealers must retain key records until they shut down their business or licensed activity and then transfer the records to ATF as they are currently required to do at the end of licensed activity. Previously, these dealers were permitted to destroy most records after 20 years, making it harder for law enforcement to trace firearms found at crime scenes.“A year ago this week standing here with many of you, I instructed the attorney general to write a regulation that would rein in the proliferation of ghost guns because I was having trouble getting anything passed in the Congress,” Biden said.The rule goes into effect 120 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register.For years, federal officials have been sounding the alarm about an increasing black market for homemade, military-style semi-automatic rifles and handguns. As well as turning up more frequently at crime scenes, ghost guns have been increasingly encountered when federal agents buy guns in undercover operations from gang members and other criminals.Some states, like California, have enacted laws in recent years to require serial numbers to be stamped on ghost guns.Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who was attending Monday’s event at the White House, applauded the move and pointed to a serious uptick in ghost guns being found by police. Police in Philadelphia have seen nearly a 500% increase in the number of ghost guns recovered in the past two years, Shapiro said. And just last week, a police officer there was shot by a ghost gun-wielding 18-year-old, who police said had also shot three others.“This loophole has caused our nation countless lives,” Shapiro said in an interview. “Today is a critically important step to close that loophole.”He said the move is likely to help drive down violence and aid both police and prosecutors in bringing their cases. The rule is also likely to help bring down the number of people who shouldn’t be purchasing firearms before a gun lands in their hand, he said.“There are two challenges: One, criminals can easily buy them without going through a background check. And two, they are unserialized and untraceable.”The critical component in building an untraceable gun is what is known as the lower receiver, a part typically made of metal or polymer. An unfinished receiver — sometimes referred to as an “80-percent receiver” — can be legally bought online with no serial numbers or other markings on it, no license required.Police across the country have been reporting spikes in ghost guns being recovered by officers. The New York Police Department, for example, said officers found 131 firearms without serial numbers since January.A gunman who killed his wife and four others in Northern California in 2017 had been prohibited from owning firearms, but he built his own to skirt the court order before his rampage. And in 2019, a teenager used a homemade handgun to fatally shoot two classmates and wound three others at a school in suburban Los Angeles.

🎥Gun Owners of America vow to fight Biden ghost gun rule

LICKING, Mo. (AP) — A man whose murder conviction was overturned walked out of prison Monday after serving 18 years.

Keith Carnes was released from the South Central Correctional Facility in Licking after prosecutors announced Friday they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-kansas-kansas-city-crime-3ddfdcab460d26a68c95ff9d6e1ae953">would not retry him</a>&nbsp;in the 2003 shooting death of 24-year-old Larry White, a rival drug dealer in Kansas City.

The Missouri Supreme Court last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-missouri-kansas-39e398c6e9f3a8e0ead320942d4a9ee7">set aside Carnes' conviction</a>, saying the state did not disclose some evidence, including a police report from a confidential informant that might have led to his exoneration.

After his release, Carnes thanked God and his supporters, KSHB-TV&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/keith-carnes-to-be-released-monday-from-missouri-prison">reported</a>. He said he remained optimistic during his incarceration because he knew he was innocent.

“You don’t just sit around and hope that this is going to happen for you — you put in the work,” he said. “Together we were able to put it all together and make it happen.”

Prison officials said Carnes was not released until Monday because they were waiting to receive official paperwork acknowledging the charges were dismissed.

Carnes was convicted in 2006 of first-degree murder and armed criminal action. Some witnesses have since said they were pressured by police or prosecutors to implicate Carnes in White's death. But at least one woman who recanted her original testimony said she did so because of threats from Carnes' supporters.

When announcing it would not retry Carnes, the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office said the evidence was “tainted from all directions.” It said its review did not establish Carnes' innocence but that there was insufficient evidence he committed the crime.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649256599295.png" alt="Photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>LICKING, Mo. (AP) — A man whose murder conviction was overturned walked out of prison Monday after serving 18 years.Keith Carnes was released from the South Central Correctional Facility in Licking after prosecutors announced Friday they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-kansas-kansas-city-crime-3ddfdcab460d26a68c95ff9d6e1ae953">would not retry him</a>&nbsp;in the 2003 shooting death of 24-year-old Larry White, a rival drug dealer in Kansas City.The Missouri Supreme Court last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-missouri-kansas-39e398c6e9f3a8e0ead320942d4a9ee7">set aside Carnes' conviction</a>, saying the state did not disclose some evidence, including a police report from a confidential informant that might have led to his exoneration.After his release, Carnes thanked God and his supporters, KSHB-TV&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/keith-carnes-to-be-released-monday-from-missouri-prison">reported</a>. He said he remained optimistic during his incarceration because he knew he was innocent.“You don’t just sit around and hope that this is going to happen for you — you put in the work,” he said. “Together we were able to put it all together and make it happen.”Prison officials said Carnes was not released until Monday because they were waiting to receive official paperwork acknowledging the charges were dismissed.Carnes was convicted in 2006 of first-degree murder and armed criminal action. Some witnesses have since said they were pressured by police or prosecutors to implicate Carnes in White's death. But at least one woman who recanted her original testimony said she did so because of threats from Carnes' supporters.When announcing it would not retry Carnes, the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office said the evidence was “tainted from all directions.” It said its review did not establish Carnes' innocence but that there was insufficient evidence he committed the crime.

Man walks out of prison after conviction in KC killing set aside

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is visiting corn-rich Iowa on Tuesday to announce he’ll suspend a federal rule preventing the sale of higher ethanol blend gasoline this summer as his administration tries to tamp down prices at the pump that have spiked during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-7dd1f64818de5eadb86f12ad58e12a25">Russia’s war with Ukraine</a>.

Most gasoline sold in the U.S. is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-environment-covid-19-pandemic-f1c7a7c8e05247f3456e26d449d88ab3">blended with 10% ethanol</a>. The Environmental Protection Agency will issue an emergency waiver to allow widespread sale of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-environment-smog-clean-air-act-us-news-2fa4d36b2aa5418184a3833c69efc9f9">15% ethanol blend</a>&nbsp;that is usually prohibited between June 1 and Sept. 15 because of concerns that it adds to smog in high temperatures.

Senior Biden administration officials said the move will save drivers an average of 10 cents per gallon at 2,300 gas stations. Industry groups say most of those stations are in the Midwest and the South, including Texas.

Biden is to announce the move at a biofuel company in Menlo, west of Des Moines. Iowa is the country’s largest producer of corn, key to producing ethanol.

The waiver is another effort to help ease&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-science-business-prices-opec-cf470e24ebc8b7bb4a74bf1ed50d5e6d">global energy markets</a>&nbsp;that have been rocked since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-russia-moscow-kyiv-626a8c5ec22217bacb24ece60fac4fe1">Russia invaded Ukraine</a>. Last month, the president announced the U.S. will release&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-business-europe-3e1808077371b88ae043c86584763afd">1 million barrels of oil</a>&nbsp;per day from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-prices-ae5200310e3d3c0390d9e1cbb3c5a964">the nation’s strategic petroleum reserve</a>&nbsp;over the next six months. His administration said that has helped to slightly reduce gas prices lately, after they climbed to an average of about $4.23 a gallon by the end of March, compared with $2.87 at the same time a year ago, according to AAA.

Members of Congress from both parties, as well as industry groups, had urged Biden to grant the E15 waiver.

“Homegrown Iowa biofuels provide a quick and clean solution for lowering prices at the pump and bolstering production would help us become energy independent once again,″ said Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley. He was among nine Republican and seven Democratic senators from Midwestern states who sent Biden a letter last month urging him to allow year-round E15 sales.

The trip will be Biden’s first as president to Iowa, where his 2020 presidential campaign limped to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-in-state-wire-ia-state-wire-caucuses-joe-biden-53a3df6f615b9cec6e12c216307f0624">a fourth-place finish</a>&nbsp;in the state’s technologically glitchy caucus.

After bouncing back to win&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/bb261be1a4ca285b9422b2f6b93d8d75">the Democratic nomination</a>, Biden returned for a rally at the Iowa state fairgrounds four days before Election Day 2020, only to see Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-hillary-clinton-iowa-iowa-city-3652c57038446e453516b9370c1ab243">win the state</a>&nbsp;by 8 percentage points.

Biden heads back to the state at a moment when he’s facing yet more political peril. He’s saddled with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-health-inflation-6b6b0abfef867fc405e9f358ce2c3a09">sagging approval ratings</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-inflation-soars-776c03520c90083894fedf31f1a7db00">inflation at a 40-year high</a>&nbsp;while his party faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-georgia-donald-trump-2ad863083ef6a097dc5785977c7bd9aa">the prospect of big midterm election losses that could cost it control of Congress</a>.

The president also planned to promote his economic plans to help rural families struggling with higher costs, while highlighting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-technology-business-broadband-internet-congress-d89d6bb1b39cd9c67ae9fc91f5eb4c0d">the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law</a>&nbsp;enacted last fall. The law includes money to improve internet access, as well as for modernizing wastewater systems, reducing flooding threats and improving roads and bridges, drinking water and electric grids in sparsely populated areas.

“Part of it is showing up in communities of all sizes, regardless of the results of the last election,” said Jesse Harris, who was a senior adviser to Biden’s 2020 campaign in Iowa and directed get out the vote and early voting efforts for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in 2008.

Harris said most presidents who visit Iowa typically go to the state’s largest cities. Hitting an area like Menlo, part of Guthrie County, which backed Trump over Biden by 35 percentage points in 2020, “does speak to the importance the administration places on infrastructure broadly but also infrastructure in rural and smaller communities.”

The Biden administration plans to spend the coming weeks pushing billions of dollars in funding for rural areas. Cabinet members and other senior officials will travel the country to help communities get access to money available as part of the infrastructure package.

“The president is not making this trip through a political prism,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. “He’s making this trip because Iowa is a rural state in the country that would benefit greatly from the president’s policies.”

Still, administration officials have long suggested that Biden travel more to promote an economy that is rebounding from the setbacks of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">the coronavirus pandemic</a>. The number of Americans collecting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-unemployment-jobless-claims-aea70c27cbaebdb732cf7426e37a5b58">unemployment has fallen to the lowest levels since 1970</a>, for example.

But much of the positive jobs news nationally has been overshadowed by surging gas, food and housing prices that have pushed consumer inflation to 7.9% over the past year ending in February. That’s the sharpest spike since 1982. Inflation figures for March, due out Tuesday, are likely to bring more bad news for the Biden administration.

“Maybe a trip back to Iowa will be just what Joe Biden needs to understand what his reckless spending, big government policies are doing to our country,” Iowa Republican Party Chairman Jeff Kaufmann said in a statement.

After Iowa, Biden will visit Greensboro, North Carolina, on Thursday.

Psaki blamed Russia’s war in Ukraine for helping to drive up gas prices and said the administration expects the consumer price index for March to be “extremely elevated” in large part because of it.

The EPA has lifted seasonal restrictions on E15 in the past, including after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hurricane-harvey">Hurricane Harvey</a>&nbsp;in 2017. The Trump administration allowed for selling E15 in the summer months two years later but had the rule struck down by a federal appeals court.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is visiting corn-rich Iowa on Tuesday to announce he’ll suspend a federal rule preventing the sale of higher ethanol blend gasoline this summer as his administration tries to tamp down prices at the pump that have spiked during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-7dd1f64818de5eadb86f12ad58e12a25">Russia’s war with Ukraine</a>.Most gasoline sold in the U.S. is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-environment-covid-19-pandemic-f1c7a7c8e05247f3456e26d449d88ab3">blended with 10% ethanol</a>. The Environmental Protection Agency will issue an emergency waiver to allow widespread sale of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-environment-smog-clean-air-act-us-news-2fa4d36b2aa5418184a3833c69efc9f9">15% ethanol blend</a>&nbsp;that is usually prohibited between June 1 and Sept. 15 because of concerns that it adds to smog in high temperatures.Senior Biden administration officials said the move will save drivers an average of 10 cents per gallon at 2,300 gas stations. Industry groups say most of those stations are in the Midwest and the South, including Texas.Biden is to announce the move at a biofuel company in Menlo, west of Des Moines. Iowa is the country’s largest producer of corn, key to producing ethanol.The waiver is another effort to help ease&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-science-business-prices-opec-cf470e24ebc8b7bb4a74bf1ed50d5e6d">global energy markets</a>&nbsp;that have been rocked since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-russia-moscow-kyiv-626a8c5ec22217bacb24ece60fac4fe1">Russia invaded Ukraine</a>. Last month, the president announced the U.S. will release&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-business-europe-3e1808077371b88ae043c86584763afd">1 million barrels of oil</a>&nbsp;per day from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-prices-ae5200310e3d3c0390d9e1cbb3c5a964">the nation’s strategic petroleum reserve</a>&nbsp;over the next six months. His administration said that has helped to slightly reduce gas prices lately, after they climbed to an average of about $4.23 a gallon by the end of March, compared with $2.87 at the same time a year ago, according to AAA.Members of Congress from both parties, as well as industry groups, had urged Biden to grant the E15 waiver.“Homegrown Iowa biofuels provide a quick and clean solution for lowering prices at the pump and bolstering production would help us become energy independent once again,″ said Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley. He was among nine Republican and seven Democratic senators from Midwestern states who sent Biden a letter last month urging him to allow year-round E15 sales.The trip will be Biden’s first as president to Iowa, where his 2020 presidential campaign limped to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-in-state-wire-ia-state-wire-caucuses-joe-biden-53a3df6f615b9cec6e12c216307f0624">a fourth-place finish</a>&nbsp;in the state’s technologically glitchy caucus.After bouncing back to win&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/bb261be1a4ca285b9422b2f6b93d8d75">the Democratic nomination</a>, Biden returned for a rally at the Iowa state fairgrounds four days before Election Day 2020, only to see Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-hillary-clinton-iowa-iowa-city-3652c57038446e453516b9370c1ab243">win the state</a>&nbsp;by 8 percentage points.Biden heads back to the state at a moment when he’s facing yet more political peril. He’s saddled with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-health-inflation-6b6b0abfef867fc405e9f358ce2c3a09">sagging approval ratings</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-inflation-soars-776c03520c90083894fedf31f1a7db00">inflation at a 40-year high</a>&nbsp;while his party faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-georgia-donald-trump-2ad863083ef6a097dc5785977c7bd9aa">the prospect of big midterm election losses that could cost it control of Congress</a>.The president also planned to promote his economic plans to help rural families struggling with higher costs, while highlighting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-technology-business-broadband-internet-congress-d89d6bb1b39cd9c67ae9fc91f5eb4c0d">the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law</a>&nbsp;enacted last fall. The law includes money to improve internet access, as well as for modernizing wastewater systems, reducing flooding threats and improving roads and bridges, drinking water and electric grids in sparsely populated areas.“Part of it is showing up in communities of all sizes, regardless of the results of the last election,” said Jesse Harris, who was a senior adviser to Biden’s 2020 campaign in Iowa and directed get out the vote and early voting efforts for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in 2008.Harris said most presidents who visit Iowa typically go to the state’s largest cities. Hitting an area like Menlo, part of Guthrie County, which backed Trump over Biden by 35 percentage points in 2020, “does speak to the importance the administration places on infrastructure broadly but also infrastructure in rural and smaller communities.”The Biden administration plans to spend the coming weeks pushing billions of dollars in funding for rural areas. Cabinet members and other senior officials will travel the country to help communities get access to money available as part of the infrastructure package.“The president is not making this trip through a political prism,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. “He’s making this trip because Iowa is a rural state in the country that would benefit greatly from the president’s policies.”Still, administration officials have long suggested that Biden travel more to promote an economy that is rebounding from the setbacks of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">the coronavirus pandemic</a>. The number of Americans collecting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-unemployment-jobless-claims-aea70c27cbaebdb732cf7426e37a5b58">unemployment has fallen to the lowest levels since 1970</a>, for example.But much of the positive jobs news nationally has been overshadowed by surging gas, food and housing prices that have pushed consumer inflation to 7.9% over the past year ending in February. That’s the sharpest spike since 1982. Inflation figures for March, due out Tuesday, are likely to bring more bad news for the Biden administration.“Maybe a trip back to Iowa will be just what Joe Biden needs to understand what his reckless spending, big government policies are doing to our country,” Iowa Republican Party Chairman Jeff Kaufmann said in a statement.After Iowa, Biden will visit Greensboro, North Carolina, on Thursday.Psaki blamed Russia’s war in Ukraine for helping to drive up gas prices and said the administration expects the consumer price index for March to be “extremely elevated” in large part because of it.The EPA has lifted seasonal restrictions on E15 in the past, including after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hurricane-harvey">Hurricane Harvey</a>&nbsp;in 2017. The Trump administration allowed for selling E15 in the summer months two years later but had the rule struck down by a federal appeals court.___

Biden waiving ethanol rule in bid to lower gasoline prices

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities investigating the Friday&nbsp; homicide in the 6200 block of Webster Avenue in Kansas City as 31-year-old Ieshia A. Pearl of Kansas City, Kansas, according to police.

On Friday afternoon, police were dispatched to the 6200 Block of Webster for report of a shooting. At the scene, first responders found two adult women outside the residence with gunshot wounds.

Pearl was pronounced dead at the scene. EMS transported the other victim to an area hospital for treatment.&nbsp; Police did not have an update on her condition Monday.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities investigating the Friday&nbsp; homicide in the 6200 block of Webster Avenue in Kansas City as 31-year-old Ieshia A. Pearl of Kansas City, Kansas, according to police.On Friday afternoon, police were dispatched to the 6200 Block of Webster for report of a shooting. At the scene, first responders found two adult women outside the residence with gunshot wounds.Pearl was pronounced dead at the scene. EMS transported the other victim to an area hospital for treatment.&nbsp; Police did not have an update on her condition Monday.

Police ID Kan. woman who died in shooting outside home

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly on Monday signed a bill pushed by state Republicans to overturn three communities’ policies that could help immigrants stay in the state illegally.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/hb2717_01_0000.pdf" target="_blank">The bill&nbsp;</a>was filed after Wyandotte County&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-kansas-kansas-city-a4415ee794455f4333db952f98cd28b7">passed a “sanctuary” ordinance</a>&nbsp;in February that would provide local identification cards for immigrants and other residents and would prevent local law enforcement from helping the federal government enforce immigration laws unless public safety is threatened. Lawrence and Roeland Park have similar ordinances.

Kelly said in a statement announcing that she would sign the bill that immigration policy is a federal responsibility which can’t be resolved at the local level.

“Both Republicans and Democrats in Washington have failed to address immigration issues for decades,” Kelly said. “We need a national solution and we need it now.”

The Kansas House and Senate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/37544bb08cb49cfd3388819039adddd1" target="_blank">passed the bill</a>&nbsp;in recent weeks and supporters had the two-thirds majorities necessary in both chambers to override a Kelly veto.

The bill nullifies the three existing ordinances and bans future ones that restrict cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. The bill also says a local ID isn’t valid for voting.

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt had urged lawmakers to intervene after Wyandotte County passed its ordinance last month.

Schmidt, who is the presumed Republican nominee for governor, said in a statement Monday the Biden administration’s failure to secure the U.S. southern border jeopardizes public safety in Kansas.

“Under this new law, Kansas law enforcement will be able to resume working professionally with federal immigration authorities as the needs of public safety require and not be silenced by a patchwork of local ‘sanctuary city’ gag orders,” he said.

Kelly said the law could prevent people who rely on local IDs from voting and she urged the Legislature to send her another bill that ensures those people, such as the elderly people and those with disabilities, can continue to vote.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly on Monday signed a bill pushed by state Republicans to overturn three communities’ policies that could help immigrants stay in the state illegally.<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/hb2717_01_0000.pdf" target="_blank">The bill&nbsp;</a>was filed after Wyandotte County&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-kansas-kansas-city-a4415ee794455f4333db952f98cd28b7">passed a “sanctuary” ordinance</a>&nbsp;in February that would provide local identification cards for immigrants and other residents and would prevent local law enforcement from helping the federal government enforce immigration laws unless public safety is threatened. Lawrence and Roeland Park have similar ordinances.Kelly said in a statement announcing that she would sign the bill that immigration policy is a federal responsibility which can’t be resolved at the local level.“Both Republicans and Democrats in Washington have failed to address immigration issues for decades,” Kelly said. “We need a national solution and we need it now.”The Kansas House and Senate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/37544bb08cb49cfd3388819039adddd1" target="_blank">passed the bill</a>&nbsp;in recent weeks and supporters had the two-thirds majorities necessary in both chambers to override a Kelly veto.The bill nullifies the three existing ordinances and bans future ones that restrict cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. The bill also says a local ID isn’t valid for voting.Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt had urged lawmakers to intervene after Wyandotte County passed its ordinance last month.Schmidt, who is the presumed Republican nominee for governor, said in a statement Monday the Biden administration’s failure to secure the U.S. southern border jeopardizes public safety in Kansas.“Under this new law, Kansas law enforcement will be able to resume working professionally with federal immigration authorities as the needs of public safety require and not be silenced by a patchwork of local ‘sanctuary city’ gag orders,” he said.Kelly said the law could prevent people who rely on local IDs from voting and she urged the Legislature to send her another bill that ensures those people, such as the elderly people and those with disabilities, can continue to vote.

Gov. Kelly calls on Congress to pass immigration legislation

WASHINGTON
 — The Internal Revenue Service announced today that taxpayers who may 
need to take additional actions related to Qualified Opportunity Funds 
(QOFs) should begin receiving letters in the mail in April.

Taxpayers who attached <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8996">Form 8996, Qualified Opportunity Fund</a>,
 to their return may receive Letter 6501, Qualified Opportunity Fund 
(QOF) Investment Standard. This letter lets them know that information 
needed to support the annual certification of investment standard is 
missing, invalid or the calculation isn't supported by the amounts 
reported. If they intend to maintain their certification as a QOF, they 
may need to take additional action to meet the annual self-certification
 of the investment standard requirement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON
 — The Internal Revenue Service announced today that taxpayers who may 
need to take additional actions related to Qualified Opportunity Funds 
(QOFs) should begin receiving letters in the mail in April.Taxpayers who attached <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8996">Form 8996, Qualified Opportunity Fund</a>,
 to their return may receive Letter 6501, Qualified Opportunity Fund 
(QOF) Investment Standard. This letter lets them know that information 
needed to support the annual certification of investment standard is 
missing, invalid or the calculation isn't supported by the amounts 
reported. If they intend to maintain their certification as a QOF, they 
may need to take additional action to meet the annual self-certification
 of the investment standard requirement.To correct the annual maintenance certification of the investment 
standard, these taxpayers should file an amended return or an 
administrative adjustment request (AAR). If an entity that receives the 
letter fails to act, the IRS may refer its tax account for examination. 
Investors who made an election to defer tax on eligible gains invested 
in that entity may also be subject to examination.Additionally, taxpayers may receive Letter 6502, Reporting Qualified 
Opportunity Fund (QOF) Investments, or Letter 6503, Annual Reporting of 
Qualified Opportunity Fund (QOF) Investments. These letters notify them 
that they may not have properly followed the instructions for <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8997">Form 8997, Initial and Annual Statement of Qualified Opportunity Fund (QOF) Investments</a>,
 since it appears that information is missing, invalid or that they may 
not have properly followed the requirements to maintain their qualifying
 investment in a QOF with the filing of the form.If these taxpayers intend to maintain a qualifying investment in a 
QOF, they can file an amended return or an AAR with a properly completed
 Form 8997 attached. Failure to act will mean those who received the 
letter may not have a qualifying investment in a QOF and the IRS may 
refer their tax accounts for examination. This may result in letter 
recipients owing taxes, interest and penalties on gains not properly 
deferred.For general information, visit the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/businesses/opportunity-zones">Opportunity Zones page</a>.