WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia’s assault on Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-vladimir-putin-joe-biden-europe-united-states-f58746ab66c61c6a9b474db2b402ba02">veiled threats of using nuclear arms</a>&nbsp;have policymakers, past and present, thinking the unthinkable: How should the West respond to a Russian battlefield explosion of a nuclear bomb?

The default U.S. policy answer, say some architects of the post-Cold War nuclear order, is with discipline and restraint. That could entail stepping up sanctions and isolation for Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Rose Gottemoeller, deputy secretary-general of NATO from 2016 to 2019.

But no one can count on calm minds to prevail in such a moment, and real life seldom goes to plan. World leaders would be angry, affronted, fearful. Miscommunication and confusion could be rife. Hackers could add to the chaos. Demands would be great for tough retaliation — the kind that can be done with nuclear-loaded missiles capable of moving faster than the speed of sound.

When military and civilian officials and experts have war-gamed Russian-U.S. nuclear tensions in the past, the tabletop exercises sometimes end with nuclear missiles arcing across continents and oceans, striking the capitals of Europe and North America, killing millions within hours, said Olga Oliker, program director for Europe and Central Asia at the International Crisis Group.

“And, you know, soon enough, you’ve just had a global thermonuclear war,” Oliker said.

It’s a scenario officials hope to avoid, even if Russia targets Ukraine with a nuclear bomb.

Gottemoeller, a chief U.S. nuclear negotiator with Russia for the Obama administration, said that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-europe-russia-china-ukraine-a7cc93ab7f9b546acb47034aab490841">the outlines that President Joe Biden has provided so far of his nuclear policy</a>&nbsp;stick with those of past administrations in using atomic weapons only in “extreme circumstances.”

“And a single Russian nuclear use demonstration strike, or -- as horrific as it would be -- a nuclear use in Ukraine, I do not think would rise to that level” of demanding a U.S. nuclear response, said Gottemoeller, now a lecturer at Stanford University.

For former Sen. Sam Nunn, a Georgia Democrat who over nearly a quarter-century in Congress helped shape global nuclear policy, the option of Western nuclear use has to remain on the table.

“That’s what the doctrine of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-vladimir-putin-europe-poland-nuclear-weapons-2503c0d7696a57db4f437c90d3894b18">mutual assured destruction</a>&nbsp;has been about for a long, long time,” said Nunn, now strategic adviser to the Nuclear Threat Initiative security organization, which he co-founded.

“If President Putin were to use nuclear weapons, or any other country uses nuclear weapons first, not in response to a nuclear attack, not in response to an existential threat to their own country ... that leader should assume that they are putting the world in the high risk of a nuclear war, and nuclear exchange,” Nunn said.

For U.S. officials and world leaders, discussions of how to respond to a limited nuclear attack are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-europe-cold-war-nato-c0acbb51f5fda41475287a4113ada3fd">no longer theoretical</a>. In the first hours and days of Russia’s invasion,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-russia-moscow-kyiv-626a8c5ec22217bacb24ece60fac4fe1">Putin referenced Russia’s nuclear arsenal</a>. He warned Western countries to stay out of the conflict, saying he was putting his nuclear forces on heightened alert.

Any country that interfered with Russia’s invasion would face consequences “such as you have never seen, in your entire history,” Putin declared.

How to respond to any use by Russia of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons was among the issues discussed by Biden and other Western leaders when they met in Europe in late March. Three NATO members — the United States, Britain and France — have nuclear weapons.

One overarching concern is that by casting some nuclear weapons as tactical weapons to be used in battle, Russia could break the nearly eight-decade global taboo against using a nuclear weapon against another country. Even comparatively small tactical nuclear weapons approach the strength of the atomic bomb the United States dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, in World War II.

Gottemoeller and Nunn praise Biden’s restraint in the face of Putin’s implicit nuclear warnings at the outset of the war. Biden made no known move to raise the U.S. nuclear alert status. The U.S. also postponed a routine Minuteman III test launch last month to avoid escalating tensions.

But in the short term and long, the world appears more at risk of a nuclear conflict as a result of Putin’s bungled invasion and nuclear threats, according to arms control experts and negotiators.

The weaknesses that Russia’s invasion exposed in its conventional military forces may leave Putin feeling even more compelled in the future to threaten nuclear use as his best weapon against the far-stronger United States and NATO.

While Gottemoeller argued that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-russia-nuclear-disarmament-disarmament-777aab2d375f3d3fed15dc7519783826">Ukraine’s surrendering of its Soviet nuclear arsenal</a>&nbsp;in 1994 opened the door for three decades of international integration and growth, she said some governments may take a different lesson from nuclear Russia’s invasion of non-nuclear Ukraine — that they need nuclear bombs as a matter of survival.

Jeffrey Lewis, an arms control expert and professor at the Middlebury Institute, said the nuclear danger is going up.

“And we can tell which pathways would cause that risk to go up further. And certainly direct conflict with Russia from forces based in NATO countries is one pathway to a nuclear war,” Lewis said.

Gottemoeller took heart in Putin grumbling publicly late last month about “cancel culture.” That suggested he was vulnerable to world condemnation over his Ukraine invasion, and worse to come if he broke the post-World War II taboo on nuclear attack, she said.

Detonating a nuclear bomb in a country Putin sought dominion over, one next to his own, wouldn’t be rational, Nunn said. But he said neither was Putin’s announcement of heightened nuclear alert,.

As a young congressional aide during the Cuban missile crisis, Nunn witnessed U.S. officers and pilots in Europe standing by for orders to launch nuclear weapons on the Soviet Union. The danger today isn’t yet as great as in the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, when Soviet deployment of nuclear missiles on Cuba raised the threat of nuclear war with the U.S., he said.

But the risk of intentional nuclear escalation now is high enough to make a cease-fire in Ukraine crucial, Nunn said. The modern threat of cyberattacks adds to the risk of a mistaken launch. And it’s not clear how vulnerable U.S. and, especially, Russian systems are to such hacking attempts, he said.

Putin “has been very reckless in his saber rattling with nuclear weapons,” Nunn said. “And that I think has made everything more dangerous, including a blunder.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648129667368.png" alt="President Biden met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on March 24 to address Russia's invasion of Ukraine. " />
 <figcaption>President Biden met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on March 24 to address Russia's invasion of Ukraine. </figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia’s assault on Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-vladimir-putin-joe-biden-europe-united-states-f58746ab66c61c6a9b474db2b402ba02">veiled threats of using nuclear arms</a>&nbsp;have policymakers, past and present, thinking the unthinkable: How should the West respond to a Russian battlefield explosion of a nuclear bomb?The default U.S. policy answer, say some architects of the post-Cold War nuclear order, is with discipline and restraint. That could entail stepping up sanctions and isolation for Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Rose Gottemoeller, deputy secretary-general of NATO from 2016 to 2019.But no one can count on calm minds to prevail in such a moment, and real life seldom goes to plan. World leaders would be angry, affronted, fearful. Miscommunication and confusion could be rife. Hackers could add to the chaos. Demands would be great for tough retaliation — the kind that can be done with nuclear-loaded missiles capable of moving faster than the speed of sound.When military and civilian officials and experts have war-gamed Russian-U.S. nuclear tensions in the past, the tabletop exercises sometimes end with nuclear missiles arcing across continents and oceans, striking the capitals of Europe and North America, killing millions within hours, said Olga Oliker, program director for Europe and Central Asia at the International Crisis Group.“And, you know, soon enough, you’ve just had a global thermonuclear war,” Oliker said.It’s a scenario officials hope to avoid, even if Russia targets Ukraine with a nuclear bomb.Gottemoeller, a chief U.S. nuclear negotiator with Russia for the Obama administration, said that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-europe-russia-china-ukraine-a7cc93ab7f9b546acb47034aab490841">the outlines that President Joe Biden has provided so far of his nuclear policy</a>&nbsp;stick with those of past administrations in using atomic weapons only in “extreme circumstances.”“And a single Russian nuclear use demonstration strike, or -- as horrific as it would be -- a nuclear use in Ukraine, I do not think would rise to that level” of demanding a U.S. nuclear response, said Gottemoeller, now a lecturer at Stanford University.For former Sen. Sam Nunn, a Georgia Democrat who over nearly a quarter-century in Congress helped shape global nuclear policy, the option of Western nuclear use has to remain on the table.“That’s what the doctrine of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-vladimir-putin-europe-poland-nuclear-weapons-2503c0d7696a57db4f437c90d3894b18">mutual assured destruction</a>&nbsp;has been about for a long, long time,” said Nunn, now strategic adviser to the Nuclear Threat Initiative security organization, which he co-founded.“If President Putin were to use nuclear weapons, or any other country uses nuclear weapons first, not in response to a nuclear attack, not in response to an existential threat to their own country ... that leader should assume that they are putting the world in the high risk of a nuclear war, and nuclear exchange,” Nunn said.For U.S. officials and world leaders, discussions of how to respond to a limited nuclear attack are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-europe-cold-war-nato-c0acbb51f5fda41475287a4113ada3fd">no longer theoretical</a>. In the first hours and days of Russia’s invasion,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-russia-moscow-kyiv-626a8c5ec22217bacb24ece60fac4fe1">Putin referenced Russia’s nuclear arsenal</a>. He warned Western countries to stay out of the conflict, saying he was putting his nuclear forces on heightened alert.Any country that interfered with Russia’s invasion would face consequences “such as you have never seen, in your entire history,” Putin declared.How to respond to any use by Russia of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons was among the issues discussed by Biden and other Western leaders when they met in Europe in late March. Three NATO members — the United States, Britain and France — have nuclear weapons.One overarching concern is that by casting some nuclear weapons as tactical weapons to be used in battle, Russia could break the nearly eight-decade global taboo against using a nuclear weapon against another country. Even comparatively small tactical nuclear weapons approach the strength of the atomic bomb the United States dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, in World War II.Gottemoeller and Nunn praise Biden’s restraint in the face of Putin’s implicit nuclear warnings at the outset of the war. Biden made no known move to raise the U.S. nuclear alert status. The U.S. also postponed a routine Minuteman III test launch last month to avoid escalating tensions.But in the short term and long, the world appears more at risk of a nuclear conflict as a result of Putin’s bungled invasion and nuclear threats, according to arms control experts and negotiators.The weaknesses that Russia’s invasion exposed in its conventional military forces may leave Putin feeling even more compelled in the future to threaten nuclear use as his best weapon against the far-stronger United States and NATO.While Gottemoeller argued that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-russia-nuclear-disarmament-disarmament-777aab2d375f3d3fed15dc7519783826">Ukraine’s surrendering of its Soviet nuclear arsenal</a>&nbsp;in 1994 opened the door for three decades of international integration and growth, she said some governments may take a different lesson from nuclear Russia’s invasion of non-nuclear Ukraine — that they need nuclear bombs as a matter of survival.Jeffrey Lewis, an arms control expert and professor at the Middlebury Institute, said the nuclear danger is going up.“And we can tell which pathways would cause that risk to go up further. And certainly direct conflict with Russia from forces based in NATO countries is one pathway to a nuclear war,” Lewis said.Gottemoeller took heart in Putin grumbling publicly late last month about “cancel culture.” That suggested he was vulnerable to world condemnation over his Ukraine invasion, and worse to come if he broke the post-World War II taboo on nuclear attack, she said.Detonating a nuclear bomb in a country Putin sought dominion over, one next to his own, wouldn’t be rational, Nunn said. But he said neither was Putin’s announcement of heightened nuclear alert,.As a young congressional aide during the Cuban missile crisis, Nunn witnessed U.S. officers and pilots in Europe standing by for orders to launch nuclear weapons on the Soviet Union. The danger today isn’t yet as great as in the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, when Soviet deployment of nuclear missiles on Cuba raised the threat of nuclear war with the U.S., he said.But the risk of intentional nuclear escalation now is high enough to make a cease-fire in Ukraine crucial, Nunn said. The modern threat of cyberattacks adds to the risk of a mistaken launch. And it’s not clear how vulnerable U.S. and, especially, Russian systems are to such hacking attempts, he said.Putin “has been very reckless in his saber rattling with nuclear weapons,” Nunn said. “And that I think has made everything more dangerous, including a blunder.”

West, Russia mull nuclear steps in a ‘more dangerous’ world

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The usual crowds filled the streets as bars and nightclubs were closing in California’s capital city of Sacramento when the sound of rapid-fire gunshots sent people running in terror. In a matter of seconds, the latest U.S. mass shooting had left six people dead and 12 wounded.

Sacramento police said they were searching for at least two people who opened fire around 2 a.m. Sunday on the outskirts of the city’s downtown entertainment district, anchored by the Golden One Arena that hosts concerts and the NBA’s Sacramento Kings. The team’s home game against the Golden State Warriors went on as scheduled Sunday night and began with a moment of silence for the victims.

Police Chief Kathy Lester revealed few details from the investigation and pleaded with the public to share videos and other evidence that could lead to the killers.

“The scale of violence that just happened in our city is unprecedented during my 27 years here,” Lester told reporters during a news conference at police headquarters. “We are shocked and heartbroken by this tragedy. But we are also resolved as an agency to find those responsible and to secure justice for the victims and the families.”

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and other city officials decried escalating violence in the city while also urging people to keep coming downtown for events like NBA games and performances of the Broadway musical “Wicked.”

“We can never accept it as normal and we never will,” Steinberg said of the shooting. “But we also have to live our lives.”

The gunfire erupted just after a fight broke out on a street lined with an upscale hotel, nightclubs and bars, but police said they did not know if the altercation was connected to the shooting. Video from witnesses posted on social media showed rapid gunfire for at least 45 seconds as people screamed and ran for cover.

The gunfire startled sleeping guests at the Citizen Hotel, which included a wedding party and fans of the rapper Tyler the Creator, who performed at a concert hours earlier.

From her window on the fourth floor of the hotel, 18-year-old Kelsey Schar said she saw a man running while firing a gun. She could see flashes from the weapon in the darkness as people ran for cover.

Schar’s friend, Madalyn Woodward, said she saw a girl who appeared to have been shot in the arm lying on the ground. Security guards from a nearby nightclub rushed to help the girl with what looked like napkins to try to stanch the bleeding.

Police found a stolen handgun, but they did not know if it had been used in the shooting. The dead included three men and three women. Authorities were still working to notify family members, and had&nbsp;publicly identified&nbsp;only one victim as of late Sunday, 38-year-old Sergio Harris, without providing a cause of death. Of the 12 wounded, at least four had critical injuries, according to the Sacramento Fire Department.

Sunday’s violence was the third time in the U.S. this year that at least six people have been killed in a mass shooting, according to a database compiled by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University. And it was the second mass shooting in Sacramento in the last five weeks.

President Joe Biden called for action on gun crimes in a statement Sunday.

“Today, America once again mourns for another community devastated by gun violence,” Biden said. “But we must do more than mourn; we must act.”

On Feb. 28, a father killed&nbsp;his three daughters, a chaperone and himself in a Sacramento church during a weekly supervised visitation. David Mora, 39, was armed with a homemade semiautomatic rifle-style weapon, even though he was under a restraining order that prohibited him from possessing a firearm.

The crime scene Sunday sprawled across two city blocks, closing off a large swath of the city’s downtown. Bodies remained on the pavement throughout the day as Lester said investigators were working to process a “really complex and complicated scene” to make sure investigators gathered all the evidence they could to “see the perpetrators of this crime brought to justice.”

Councilmember Katie Valenzuela, who represents the area, said she’s fielded too many phone calls reporting violence in her district during her 15 months in office. She cried at a news conference as she told reporters that the latest phone call woke her up at 2:30 a.m. Sunday.

“I’m heartbroken and I’m outraged,” she said. “Our community deserves better than this.”

SACRAMENTO, Calif (AP) — Six people were killed and 10 injured in a mass shooting early Sunday as bars and nightclubs were closing in downtown Sacramento and police in California’s state capital were searching for at least one suspect.

Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester said at a news conference that police were patrolling the area two blocks from the Capitol at about 2 a.m. when they heard gunfire and rushed to the scene. They found a large crowd gathered and six people dead in the street. Another 10 either took themselves or were transported to hospitals. No information was provided about their conditions.

Authorities urged witnesses or anyone with recordings of the shooting to contact police.

“We’re asking for the public’s help in helping us to identify the suspects in this,” Lester said. Asked if authorities were searching for one or more than one suspects, Lester told reporters that she did not know.

Shortly after the shooting, video was posted on Twitter that showed people running through the street amid the sound of rapid gunfire in the city of about 525,000 people located 75 miles (120 kilometers) from San Francisco.

Kelsey Schar, 18, was staying on the fourth floor of Citizen Hotel when she said she heard gunshots and saw flashes in the dark. She walked to the window and “saw a guy running and just shooting,” Schar told The Associated Press in an interview.

Her friend, Madalyn Woodard said she saw a crowd in the street scatter amid the gunfire. A girl who appeared to have been shot in the arm lying on the ground, Woodard said. Security guards from a nearby nightclub rushed to help the girl with what looked like napkins to try to stanch the bleeding.

Sunday’s violence was the third time in the U.S. this year that at least six people were killed in a mass shooting, according to a database compiled by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University. And it was the second mass shooting in Sacramento in the last five weeks.

On Feb. 28, a father killed his three daughters, a chaperone and himself in a church during a weekly supervised visitation. David Mora, 39, was armed with a homemade semiautomatic rifle-style weapon, even though he was under a restraining order that prohibited him from possessing a firearm.

Councilmember Katie Valenzuela, who represents area where the shooting happened, said she’s fielded phone calls reporting many violent incidents in her district in the 15 months she’s been in office.

Valenzuela cried at a news conference as she told reporters that the latest phone call woke her up at 2:30 a.m. Sunday with details about the latest tragedy.

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg decried rising gun violence at the news conference and said city officials would support the victims. He said the city has worked hard to attract people back to its downtown since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that despite the shooting, the city was safe.

“This morning our city has a broken heart,” Steinberg said. “This is a senseless and unacceptable tragedy.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement that his administration was working closely with law enforcement.

“What we do know at this point is that another mass casualty shooting has occurred, leaving families with lost loved ones, multiple individuals injured and a community in grief,” he said.

The area where Sunday’s shooting occurred is packed with restaurants and bars. Nightclubs close at 2 a.m. and it’s normal for streets to be full of people at that hour.

Kay Harris, 32, told AP she was asleep when one of her family members called to say they thought her brother Sergio Harris had been killed. She said she thought he had been at the London nightclub, which is near the shooting.

Harris said she has been to the club a few times and described it as a place for “the younger crowd.” She spent the morning circling the block waiting for news.

“Very much so a senseless, violent act,” she said.

Pamela Harris, Sergio Harris’ mother, told&nbsp;The Sacramento Bee&nbsp;the family has not heard from him yet.

“We just want to know what happened to him,” Pamela Harris told the newspaper. “Not knowing anything is just hard to face.”

Berry Accius, a community activist, said he came to the scene shortly after the shooting happened.

“The first thing I saw was like victims. I saw a young girl with a whole bunch of blood in her body, a girl taking off glass from her, a young girl screaming saying, ‘They killed my sister.’ A mother running up, ‘Where’s my son, has my son been shot?’“ he said.

UC Davis Medical Center received four patients from the downtown shooting, spokesperson Stephanie Winn said. She declined to provide their genders or conditions, referring media to police. 

Ten ambulances and fifty first responders from the Sacramento Fire Department responded to the shooting, according to Capt. Keith Wade.

SACRAMENTO, Calif (AP) — Police in California say six people are dead and at least nine others have been injured after a shooting in downtown Sacramento.

The Sacramento Police Department says the shooting happened early Sunday morning.

Video posted on Twitter showed people running through the street as the sound of rapid gunfire could be heard in the background. Video showed multiple ambulances had been sent to the scene.

Police provided few details about the circumstances surrounding the shooting but said in a tweet that a “large police presence will remain and the scene remains active.” Phone messages seeking comment were left with the Sacramento police.

Residents were asked to avoid the area, which is packed with restaurants and bars that leads to the Golden One Center, where the Sacramento Kings play basketball.

Phone messages seeking comment were left with the Sacramento police.

Kay Harris, 32, said she was asleep when one of her family members called to say they thought her brother had been killed. She said she thought he was at London, a nightclub at 1009 10th Street.

Harris said she has been to the club a few times and described it as a place for “the younger crowd.”

Police have the streets around the club closed, with yellow police tape fluttering in the early morning breeze. She has spent the morning circling the block waiting for news.

“Very much so a senseless violent act,” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649015151460.png" alt="Authorities urged witnesses or anyone with recordings of the shooting to contact police-photo courtesy KMAX TV" />
 <figcaption>Authorities urged witnesses or anyone with recordings of the shooting to contact police-photo courtesy KMAX TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The usual crowds filled the streets as bars and nightclubs were closing in California’s capital city of Sacramento when the sound of rapid-fire gunshots sent people running in terror. In a matter of seconds, the latest U.S. mass shooting had left six people dead and 12 wounded.Sacramento police said they were searching for at least two people who opened fire around 2 a.m. Sunday on the outskirts of the city’s downtown entertainment district, anchored by the Golden One Arena that hosts concerts and the NBA’s Sacramento Kings. The team’s home game against the Golden State Warriors went on as scheduled Sunday night and began with a moment of silence for the victims.Police Chief Kathy Lester revealed few details from the investigation and pleaded with the public to share videos and other evidence that could lead to the killers.“The scale of violence that just happened in our city is unprecedented during my 27 years here,” Lester told reporters during a news conference at police headquarters. “We are shocked and heartbroken by this tragedy. But we are also resolved as an agency to find those responsible and to secure justice for the victims and the families.”Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and other city officials decried escalating violence in the city while also urging people to keep coming downtown for events like NBA games and performances of the Broadway musical “Wicked.”“We can never accept it as normal and we never will,” Steinberg said of the shooting. “But we also have to live our lives.”The gunfire erupted just after a fight broke out on a street lined with an upscale hotel, nightclubs and bars, but police said they did not know if the altercation was connected to the shooting. Video from witnesses posted on social media showed rapid gunfire for at least 45 seconds as people screamed and ran for cover.The gunfire startled sleeping guests at the Citizen Hotel, which included a wedding party and fans of the rapper Tyler the Creator, who performed at a concert hours earlier.From her window on the fourth floor of the hotel, 18-year-old Kelsey Schar said she saw a man running while firing a gun. She could see flashes from the weapon in the darkness as people ran for cover.Schar’s friend, Madalyn Woodward, said she saw a girl who appeared to have been shot in the arm lying on the ground. Security guards from a nearby nightclub rushed to help the girl with what looked like napkins to try to stanch the bleeding.Police found a stolen handgun, but they did not know if it had been used in the shooting. The dead included three men and three women. Authorities were still working to notify family members, and had&nbsp;publicly identified&nbsp;only one victim as of late Sunday, 38-year-old Sergio Harris, without providing a cause of death. Of the 12 wounded, at least four had critical injuries, according to the Sacramento Fire Department.Sunday’s violence was the third time in the U.S. this year that at least six people have been killed in a mass shooting, according to a database compiled by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University. And it was the second mass shooting in Sacramento in the last five weeks.President Joe Biden called for action on gun crimes in a statement Sunday.“Today, America once again mourns for another community devastated by gun violence,” Biden said. “But we must do more than mourn; we must act.”On Feb. 28, a father killed&nbsp;his three daughters, a chaperone and himself in a Sacramento church during a weekly supervised visitation. David Mora, 39, was armed with a homemade semiautomatic rifle-style weapon, even though he was under a restraining order that prohibited him from possessing a firearm.The crime scene Sunday sprawled across two city blocks, closing off a large swath of the city’s downtown. Bodies remained on the pavement throughout the day as Lester said investigators were working to process a “really complex and complicated scene” to make sure investigators gathered all the evidence they could to “see the perpetrators of this crime brought to justice.”Councilmember Katie Valenzuela, who represents the area, said she’s fielded too many phone calls reporting violence in her district during her 15 months in office. She cried at a news conference as she told reporters that the latest phone call woke her up at 2:30 a.m. Sunday.“I’m heartbroken and I’m outraged,” she said. “Our community deserves better than this.”-------SACRAMENTO, Calif (AP) — Six people were killed and 10 injured in a mass shooting early Sunday as bars and nightclubs were closing in downtown Sacramento and police in California’s state capital were searching for at least one suspect.Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester said at a news conference that police were patrolling the area two blocks from the Capitol at about 2 a.m. when they heard gunfire and rushed to the scene. They found a large crowd gathered and six people dead in the street. Another 10 either took themselves or were transported to hospitals. No information was provided about their conditions.Authorities urged witnesses or anyone with recordings of the shooting to contact police.“We’re asking for the public’s help in helping us to identify the suspects in this,” Lester said. Asked if authorities were searching for one or more than one suspects, Lester told reporters that she did not know.Shortly after the shooting, video was posted on Twitter that showed people running through the street amid the sound of rapid gunfire in the city of about 525,000 people located 75 miles (120 kilometers) from San Francisco.Kelsey Schar, 18, was staying on the fourth floor of Citizen Hotel when she said she heard gunshots and saw flashes in the dark. She walked to the window and “saw a guy running and just shooting,” Schar told The Associated Press in an interview.Her friend, Madalyn Woodard said she saw a crowd in the street scatter amid the gunfire. A girl who appeared to have been shot in the arm lying on the ground, Woodard said. Security guards from a nearby nightclub rushed to help the girl with what looked like napkins to try to stanch the bleeding.Sunday’s violence was the third time in the U.S. this year that at least six people were killed in a mass shooting, according to a database compiled by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University. And it was the second mass shooting in Sacramento in the last five weeks.On Feb. 28, a father killed his three daughters, a chaperone and himself in a church during a weekly supervised visitation. David Mora, 39, was armed with a homemade semiautomatic rifle-style weapon, even though he was under a restraining order that prohibited him from possessing a firearm.Councilmember Katie Valenzuela, who represents area where the shooting happened, said she’s fielded phone calls reporting many violent incidents in her district in the 15 months she’s been in office.Valenzuela cried at a news conference as she told reporters that the latest phone call woke her up at 2:30 a.m. Sunday with details about the latest tragedy.“I’m heartbroken and I’m outraged,” she said. “Our community deserves better than this.”Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg decried rising gun violence at the news conference and said city officials would support the victims. He said the city has worked hard to attract people back to its downtown since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that despite the shooting, the city was safe.“This morning our city has a broken heart,” Steinberg said. “This is a senseless and unacceptable tragedy.”Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement that his administration was working closely with law enforcement.“What we do know at this point is that another mass casualty shooting has occurred, leaving families with lost loved ones, multiple individuals injured and a community in grief,” he said.The area where Sunday’s shooting occurred is packed with restaurants and bars. Nightclubs close at 2 a.m. and it’s normal for streets to be full of people at that hour.Kay Harris, 32, told AP she was asleep when one of her family members called to say they thought her brother Sergio Harris had been killed. She said she thought he had been at the London nightclub, which is near the shooting.Harris said she has been to the club a few times and described it as a place for “the younger crowd.” She spent the morning circling the block waiting for news.“Very much so a senseless, violent act,” she said.Pamela Harris, Sergio Harris’ mother, told&nbsp;The Sacramento Bee&nbsp;the family has not heard from him yet.“We just want to know what happened to him,” Pamela Harris told the newspaper. “Not knowing anything is just hard to face.”Berry Accius, a community activist, said he came to the scene shortly after the shooting happened.“The first thing I saw was like victims. I saw a young girl with a whole bunch of blood in her body, a girl taking off glass from her, a young girl screaming saying, ‘They killed my sister.’ A mother running up, ‘Where’s my son, has my son been shot?’“ he said.UC Davis Medical Center received four patients from the downtown shooting, spokesperson Stephanie Winn said. She declined to provide their genders or conditions, referring media to police. Ten ambulances and fifty first responders from the Sacramento Fire Department responded to the shooting, according to Capt. Keith Wade.-----SACRAMENTO, Calif (AP) — Police in California say six people are dead and at least nine others have been injured after a shooting in downtown Sacramento.The Sacramento Police Department says the shooting happened early Sunday morning.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨 K Street Shooting Update🚨 Officers located at least 15 shooting victims, including 6 who are deceased. There will be a media staging area at 9th St/K St. Continue to follow this thread for updates. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kstreetshooting?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kstreetshooting</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sacramentopolice?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#sacramentopolice</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sacpd?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#sacpd</a>&mdash; Sacramento Police (@SacPolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/SacPolice/status/1510588621627133953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Video posted on Twitter showed people running through the street as the sound of rapid gunfire could be heard in the background. Video showed multiple ambulances had been sent to the scene.Police provided few details about the circumstances surrounding the shooting but said in a tweet that a “large police presence will remain and the scene remains active.” Phone messages seeking comment were left with the Sacramento police.Residents were asked to avoid the area, which is packed with restaurants and bars that leads to the Golden One Center, where the Sacramento Kings play basketball.Phone messages seeking comment were left with the Sacramento police.Berry Accius, a community activist, said he came to the scene shortly after the shooting happened.“The first thing I saw was like victims. I saw a young girl with a whole bunch of blood in her body, a girl taking off glass from her, a young girl screaming saying, ‘They killed my sister.’ A mother running up, ‘Where’s my son, has my son been shot?’“ he said.Kay Harris, 32, said she was asleep when one of her family members called to say they thought her brother had been killed. She said she thought he was at London, a nightclub at 1009 10th Street.Harris said she has been to the club a few times and described it as a place for “the younger crowd.”Police have the streets around the club closed, with yellow police tape fluttering in the early morning breeze. She has spent the morning circling the block waiting for news.“Very much so a senseless violent act,” she said.

Police search for suspect in Sacramento mass shooting

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Springfield, Missouri-based nonprofit Preferred Family Healthcare will pay more than $8 million in forfeiture and restitution to the federal government and the state of Arkansas under the terms of a non-prosecution agreement announced today, which acknowledges the criminal conduct of its former officers and employees, according to the United State's Attorney.

“Preferred Family Healthcare must relinquish the illegal profits it garnered from a wide-ranging fraud and bribery scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore for the Western District of Missouri. “Several former officers and employees are being prosecuted in separate criminal cases for their individual criminal conduct. This non-prosecution agreement holds the charity itself responsible for their actions as agents of the charity. Public tax dollars were stolen and misused in the course of this public corruption scheme, and through this agreement and these separate prosecutions, those dollars are being restored to the public coffers.”

“Employees of Preferred Family Healthcare used charitable organizations to illegally line their own pockets through fraud and bribery,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher of IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) “IRS-Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners will continue to work diligently to uncover large frauds designed to divert funds that were meant to help those in need of medical services. Preferred Family Healthcare has acknowledged that its former employees engaged in criminal activity and they are taking steps to make amends by forfeiting a sum of money to the federal government and paying restitution to the state of Arkansas.”

“The public should not suffer or be responsible for individuals who abuse their leadership positions out of greed for personal financial gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles Dayoub of the FBI’s Kansas City Field Office. “It is never acceptable to embezzle and misappropriate funds, especially those that directly impact our health care system. As today’s announcement underscores, although the individuals directly involved are no longer with Preferred Family Healthcare, this organization is accepting responsibility for its employees’ actions.”

“The misuse and misappropriation of millions of federally sourced funds, designated for employment training and behavioral healthcare services to the public, by former executives of Preferred Family Healthcare (PFH) is a gross abuse of the positions of trust they once held within the organization,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Steven Grell of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. “These former executives failed the public and did a disservice to PFH employees by prioritizing their own personal benefit and financial gain over the public they served.  Today’s agreement demonstrates PFH’s willingness to take corrective actions regarding the criminal actions of former executives of the organization.”

Preferred Family Healthcare provides a variety of services to individuals in Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Illinois, including mental and behavioral health treatment and counseling, substance abuse treatment and counseling, employment assistance, aid to individuals with developmental disabilities, and medical services. Most of the charity’s funding is from appropriated federal funds – the largest portion being Medicaid reimbursement.

By signing the non-prosecution agreement, representatives of Preferred Family Healthcare admitted that former officers and employees of the charity engaged in a conspiracy to, amongst other criminal activity, embezzle funds from the charity and to bribe several elected state officials in the Arkansas House of Representatives and the Arkansas Senate. As a direct result of these actions, Preferred Family Healthcare realized a financial benefit. Although Preferred Family Healthcare’s board of directors did not receive full or accurate information about these actions, the board, through lack of proper oversight, allowed its officers and employees to violate federal law.

Under the terms of the non-prosecution agreement, Preferred Family Healthcare will forfeit more than $6.9 million to the federal government and pay more than $1.1 million in restitution to the state of Arkansas related to the misuse of funds from the state’s general improvement fund.

Several former executives from the charity, former members of the Arkansas state legislature, and others have pleaded guilty in federal court as part of the multi-jurisdiction, federal investigation, including the following:

As part of the federal investigation, the former chief operating officer and chief financial officer of the charity were indicted by a federal grand jury on March 29, 2019. They pleaded not guilty, and are awaiting trial, which is scheduled to begin on Oct. 3, 2022.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1648930941495.png" alt="Former State Senator Jeremy Hutchinson&nbsp; of Little Rock, Arkansas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled." />
 <figcaption>Former State Senator Jeremy Hutchinson&nbsp; of Little Rock, Arkansas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled.</figcaption>
 </figure>SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Springfield, Missouri-based nonprofit Preferred Family Healthcare will pay more than $8 million in forfeiture and restitution to the federal government and the state of Arkansas under the terms of a non-prosecution agreement announced today, which acknowledges the criminal conduct of its former officers and employees, according to the United State's Attorney.“Preferred Family Healthcare must relinquish the illegal profits it garnered from a wide-ranging fraud and bribery scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore for the Western District of Missouri. “Several former officers and employees are being prosecuted in separate criminal cases for their individual criminal conduct. This non-prosecution agreement holds the charity itself responsible for their actions as agents of the charity. Public tax dollars were stolen and misused in the course of this public corruption scheme, and through this agreement and these separate prosecutions, those dollars are being restored to the public coffers.”“Employees of Preferred Family Healthcare used charitable organizations to illegally line their own pockets through fraud and bribery,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher of IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) “IRS-Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners will continue to work diligently to uncover large frauds designed to divert funds that were meant to help those in need of medical services. Preferred Family Healthcare has acknowledged that its former employees engaged in criminal activity and they are taking steps to make amends by forfeiting a sum of money to the federal government and paying restitution to the state of Arkansas.”“The public should not suffer or be responsible for individuals who abuse their leadership positions out of greed for personal financial gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles Dayoub of the FBI’s Kansas City Field Office. “It is never acceptable to embezzle and misappropriate funds, especially those that directly impact our health care system. As today’s announcement underscores, although the individuals directly involved are no longer with Preferred Family Healthcare, this organization is accepting responsibility for its employees’ actions.”“The misuse and misappropriation of millions of federally sourced funds, designated for employment training and behavioral healthcare services to the public, by former executives of Preferred Family Healthcare (PFH) is a gross abuse of the positions of trust they once held within the organization,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Steven Grell of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. “These former executives failed the public and did a disservice to PFH employees by prioritizing their own personal benefit and financial gain over the public they served. Today’s agreement demonstrates PFH’s willingness to take corrective actions regarding the criminal actions of former executives of the organization.”Preferred Family Healthcare provides a variety of services to individuals in Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Illinois, including mental and behavioral health treatment and counseling, substance abuse treatment and counseling, employment assistance, aid to individuals with developmental disabilities, and medical services. Most of the charity’s funding is from appropriated federal funds – the largest portion being Medicaid reimbursement.By signing the non-prosecution agreement, representatives of Preferred Family Healthcare admitted that former officers and employees of the charity engaged in a conspiracy to, amongst other criminal activity, embezzle funds from the charity and to bribe several elected state officials in the Arkansas House of Representatives and the Arkansas Senate. As a direct result of these actions, Preferred Family Healthcare realized a financial benefit. Although Preferred Family Healthcare’s board of directors did not receive full or accurate information about these actions, the board, through lack of proper oversight, allowed its officers and employees to violate federal law.Under the terms of the non-prosecution agreement, Preferred Family Healthcare will forfeit more than $6.9 million to the federal government and pay more than $1.1 million in restitution to the state of Arkansas related to the misuse of funds from the state’s general improvement fund.Several former executives from the charity, former members of the Arkansas state legislature, and others have pleaded guilty in federal court as part of the multi-jurisdiction, federal investigation, including the following:<ul>
 <li>Former Chief Executive Officer, Marilyn Luann Nolan of Springfield, Missouri, pleaded guilty to her role in a conspiracy to embezzle and misapply the funds of a charitable organization that received federal funds. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Former Director of Operations and Executive Vice President Robin Raveendran, of Little Rock, Arkansas,&nbsp;pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Former executive and head of clinical operations Keith Fraser Noble, of Rogersville, Missouri., pleaded guilty to concealment of a known felony. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Former employee and head of operations and lobbying in Arkansas, Milton Russell Cranford, aka Rusty, of Rogers, Arkansas, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to one count of federal program bribery.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Political Consultant Donald Andrew Jones, aka D.A. Jones, of Willingboro, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to his role in a conspiracy from April 2011 to January 2017 to steal from an organization that receives federal funds.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Former Arkansas State Senator Jeremy Hutchinson, of Little Rock, Arkansas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Former Arkansas State Representative Eddie Wayne Cooper, of Melbourne, Arkansas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to embezzle more than $4 million from Preferred Family Healthcare. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Former Arkansas State Senator and State Representative Henry (Hank) Wilkins IV pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery, and devising a scheme and artifice to defraud and deprive the citizens of the State of Arkansas of their right to honest services. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled.</li>
 </ul>As part of the federal investigation, the former chief operating officer and chief financial officer of the charity were indicted by a federal grand jury on March 29, 2019. They pleaded not guilty, and are awaiting trial, which is scheduled to begin on Oct. 3, 2022.

Health care firm to pay $8M for role in fraud, bribery case

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/two-u-s-senate-candidates-from-kansas-sign-term-limit-pledge/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas Democratic and 
Republican candidates for U.S. Senate signed a pledge to support a 
proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution setting term limits for the 
federal House and Senate.

Mark Holland, a Democrat and former mayor of Unified Government of 
Wyandotte County, and Joan Farr, a Republican who ran previously for 
Kansas governor and an Oklahoma seat in the U.S. Senate, agreed to 
support a limitation of three terms in the U.S. House and two terms in 
the U.S. Senate.

“Mark’s and Joan’s strong support of term limits shows that there are
 individuals who are willing to put self-interest aside to follow the 
will of the people,” said Phillip Blumel, president of U.S. Term Limits.
 “America needs a Congress that will be served by citizen legislators, 
not career politicians.”

U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, a Republican from Kansas, is seeking 
re-election in 2022 to his seat in the U.S. Senate. He’s been a senator 
for the past decade and served in the U.S. House from 1997 to 2011.

Farr is listed as a candidate for U.S. Senate in both Kansas and 
Oklahoma. In Kansas, she would be on the August ballot with Moran.

Holland, executive director of Mainstream UMC that seeks inclusion of
 LGBTQ+ individuals in the church, was pastor of Trinity Community 
Church in Kansas City, Kansas, until 2018. He was mayor of the unified 
city and county government from 2013 to 2018.

The constitutional amendment promoted by U.S. Term Limits has been 
introduced in both chambers by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican 
serving his second term in the U.S. Senate, and by U.S. Rep. Ralph 
Norman, a South Carolina Republican finishing his second complete term 
in the U.S. House.

In 1996, U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas signed a pledge with U.S. 
Term Limits not to seek a third full term in the Senate. He complied 
with that agreement and was elected governor of Kansas. In 2010, Farr 
received 18% of the GOP vote in the gubernatorial primary against 
Brownback.

The resolutions regarding the amendment on term limits would require a
 two-thirds majority support n the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, and 
ratification by 38 states, to become part of the U.S. Constitution.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648759480882.png" alt="Kansas Democratic and Republican candidates for U.S. Senate signed a pledge to support amendment of the U.S. Constitution to impose term limits on members of Congress. (Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Democratic and Republican candidates for U.S. Senate signed a pledge to support amendment of the U.S. Constitution to impose term limits on members of Congress. (Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/two-u-s-senate-candidates-from-kansas-sign-term-limit-pledge/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas Democratic and 
Republican candidates for U.S. Senate signed a pledge to support a 
proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution setting term limits for the 
federal House and Senate.Mark Holland, a Democrat and former mayor of Unified Government of 
Wyandotte County, and Joan Farr, a Republican who ran previously for 
Kansas governor and an Oklahoma seat in the U.S. Senate, agreed to 
support a limitation of three terms in the U.S. House and two terms in 
the U.S. Senate.“Mark’s and Joan’s strong support of term limits shows that there are
 individuals who are willing to put self-interest aside to follow the 
will of the people,” said Phillip Blumel, president of U.S. Term Limits.
 “America needs a Congress that will be served by citizen legislators, 
not career politicians.”U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, a Republican from Kansas, is seeking 
re-election in 2022 to his seat in the U.S. Senate. He’s been a senator 
for the past decade and served in the U.S. House from 1997 to 2011.Farr is listed as a candidate for U.S. Senate in both Kansas and 
Oklahoma. In Kansas, she would be on the August ballot with Moran.Holland, executive director of Mainstream UMC that seeks inclusion of
 LGBTQ+ individuals in the church, was pastor of Trinity Community 
Church in Kansas City, Kansas, until 2018. He was mayor of the unified 
city and county government from 2013 to 2018.The constitutional amendment promoted by U.S. Term Limits has been 
introduced in both chambers by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican 
serving his second term in the U.S. Senate, and by U.S. Rep. Ralph 
Norman, a South Carolina Republican finishing his second complete term 
in the U.S. House.In 1996, U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas signed a pledge with U.S. 
Term Limits not to seek a third full term in the Senate. He complied 
with that agreement and was elected governor of Kansas. In 2010, Farr 
received 18% of the GOP vote in the gubernatorial primary against 
Brownback.The resolutions regarding the amendment on term limits would require a
 two-thirds majority support n the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, and 
ratification by 38 states, to become part of the U.S. Constitution.

Two U.S. Senate candidates from Kansas sign term-limit pledge

KANSAS CITY (AP) —Maggie Drew’s dad sent her to Circle of Hope Girls’ Ranch in Missouri in 2007, hoping strict Christian teachings would stop his 14-year-old daughter’s teenage rebellion.

Instead, Drew said, she found herself in a nightmare, sexually abused by one of the boarding school's founders and left with permanent spinal injuries after a fall from a hay barn for which she received no medical attention.

Just 25 miles away at another Christian boarding school, Brett Harper says he endured abuse that included staff members stomping on his back.

They are among dozens of people who say they were abused at either Circle of Hope or Agape Boarding School — allegations that helped prompt a new Missouri law aimed at reining in religious boarding schools that for decades went without any oversight by the state.

“I still have nightmares about these people and the things they did to us,” Drew said.

The founders of Circle of Hope&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-fe24ade3e378bfb53796a0af7cd71deb">face around 100 charges</a>, some alleging sexual abuse.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-education-arrests-missouri-springfield-82fb42da6ca67eab3a03238e14421ec3">Agape's doctor</a>&nbsp;is charged with child sex crimes and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-education-child-abuse-kansas-missouri-a97fcf244d041a1468945b10af5f5f76">five employees&nbsp;</a>are accused of assault, though Missouri’s attorney general thinks many more workers should have been charged.

The schools are unrelated and are not affiliated with any particular Christian denomination. But both opened in southwest Missouri under a 1982 state law that gave religious boarding schools free rein and the state no way to monitor how kids were educated. Even the health department had no oversight, including for schools that claimed to address mental health, behavioral and addiction issues.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-michael-brown-0377a84c0cdf657eb2173f90cedb0c30">new law approved last year</a>&nbsp;followed extensive reporting from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/state/missouri/article247902155.html">The Kansas City Star</a>&nbsp;that found that several faith-based boarding schools, including Agape, relocated to Missouri after being investigated or shut down for abuse or neglect elsewhere.

Legislators heard testimony from former students such as Chanel Mare, who told of girls at Circle of Hope being forced to eat their own vomit; and James Matthew Lawson, who said he was raped at Agape and called “seizure boy” because of his epilepsy.

The Associated Press generally does not name victims of sexual abuse, but Larson and Drew both came forward publicly to discuss the allegations.

Supporters of religious boarding schools say they provide structure to troubled young people. Megan Stokes, executive director of National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs, said the wrongdoing alleged at Agape and Circle of Hope is exceedingly uncommon.

Yet unlike Missouri and many other states, her trade association requires state licensing for all of its 150 member schools, including the religious ones. Agape is not a member, nor was Circle of Hope.

Boyd and Stephanie Householder opened Circle of Hope in 2006 in the remote town of Humansville. “We use the BIBLE to teach (girls) that they are to obey their Parents and the authority over them,” the school’s website, which has been taken down, stated.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/media-kansas-social-media-archive-michael-brown-87ba63e06f2cc6e7661dc806a6c77da4">The school closed</a>&nbsp;amid a 2020 investigation; 25 girls were removed. In March 2021, Boyd Householder, 72, was charged with 79 crimes and Stephanie, 56, was charged with 22.

Sixteen former residents alleged they were restrained with handcuffs, whipped with belts, and punched. Nearly two dozen counts against Boyd Householder accuse him of sexual contact with girls.

Messages left with the Householders' attorney were not returned. In an August interview with the Star, the couple said the accusers made up their stories.

Drew, now 29, said her life was upended when her brother died in a car wreck in 2007. Her grieving father joined a church in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Drew said that when she refused to wear a skirt and her grades dropped, church leaders persuaded her dad to send her to Circle of Hope.

“It was absolute torture,” said Drew, who also accused the Householders of stealing a $25,000 inheritance from her.

James Clemensen, a retired California trooper, and his wife, Kathy, started Agape in Stockton, Missouri, in 1990. He told a reporter in 2002 that he picked Missouri because of its lack of regulation. He died in October.

Agape serves 120-150 boys ages 12-17. Its website says it's a nonprofit school "designed to show God’s love to teen boys struggling with behavior issues that can threaten their future.”

The school remains open. Five staffers were charged in September with abusing students. In December,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-education-arrests-missouri-springfield-82fb42da6ca67eab3a03238e14421ec3">Dr. David Smock</a>&nbsp;was charged with sexual abuse. He pleaded not guilty in March.

Phone messages left with Agape’s director and Smock's attorney were not returned.

Harper was 14 when he was sent there from his rural Oregon home in 1999. Now 36, he recalled long hours moving large rocks from one pile to another, toting lumber by hand and clearing land. Harper said his injuries have left him unable to keep a job.

“What I went through at Agape primed me for abusive relationships with people, it primed for being an ignorant young man not knowing the way the world worked, it destroyed my family relationship,” Harper said.

Missouri's new law sets minimum health and safety requirements for boarding schools, which still don't have to be licensed. The law mandates background checks for employees; requires adequate food, clothing and medical care for students; and says parents must be allowed access to their children at any time without prior notice.

After a state investigation last year, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt recommended charges against 22 Agape employees. But in Missouri, only the local prosecutor can file charges, and Cedar County Prosecuting Attorney Ty Gaither does not plan to file more.

“The attorney general has his agenda,” Gaither said. “I’m an experienced prosecutor and I filed what I believe are the appropriate charges.”

James Clidence, who taught math at Agape from 2012 to 2015, said he left after witnessing abuses so concerning that his wife contacted federal, state and local authorities. None would investigate, he said.

“I’m for religious liberty. I’m a pastor. But at this point we’re talking about children's well-being,” Clidence, who now leads a Baptist church in Maryland, said.

Harper is among those who question whether religious boarding schools will get real scrutiny in Missouri.

“How many things have to happen before they act?” he asked.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632608030678.png" alt="Agape Ranch-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Agape Ranch-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By JIM SALTERKANSAS CITY (AP) —Maggie Drew’s dad sent her to Circle of Hope Girls’ Ranch in Missouri in 2007, hoping strict Christian teachings would stop his 14-year-old daughter’s teenage rebellion.Instead, Drew said, she found herself in a nightmare, sexually abused by one of the boarding school's founders and left with permanent spinal injuries after a fall from a hay barn for which she received no medical attention.Just 25 miles away at another Christian boarding school, Brett Harper says he endured abuse that included staff members stomping on his back.They are among dozens of people who say they were abused at either Circle of Hope or Agape Boarding School — allegations that helped prompt a new Missouri law aimed at reining in religious boarding schools that for decades went without any oversight by the state.“I still have nightmares about these people and the things they did to us,” Drew said.The founders of Circle of Hope&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-fe24ade3e378bfb53796a0af7cd71deb">face around 100 charges</a>, some alleging sexual abuse.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-education-arrests-missouri-springfield-82fb42da6ca67eab3a03238e14421ec3">Agape's doctor</a>&nbsp;is charged with child sex crimes and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-education-child-abuse-kansas-missouri-a97fcf244d041a1468945b10af5f5f76">five employees&nbsp;</a>are accused of assault, though Missouri’s attorney general thinks many more workers should have been charged.The schools are unrelated and are not affiliated with any particular Christian denomination. But both opened in southwest Missouri under a 1982 state law that gave religious boarding schools free rein and the state no way to monitor how kids were educated. Even the health department had no oversight, including for schools that claimed to address mental health, behavioral and addiction issues.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-michael-brown-0377a84c0cdf657eb2173f90cedb0c30">new law approved last year</a>&nbsp;followed extensive reporting from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/state/missouri/article247902155.html">The Kansas City Star</a>&nbsp;that found that several faith-based boarding schools, including Agape, relocated to Missouri after being investigated or shut down for abuse or neglect elsewhere.Legislators heard testimony from former students such as Chanel Mare, who told of girls at Circle of Hope being forced to eat their own vomit; and James Matthew Lawson, who said he was raped at Agape and called “seizure boy” because of his epilepsy.The Associated Press generally does not name victims of sexual abuse, but Larson and Drew both came forward publicly to discuss the allegations.Supporters of religious boarding schools say they provide structure to troubled young people. Megan Stokes, executive director of National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs, said the wrongdoing alleged at Agape and Circle of Hope is exceedingly uncommon.Yet unlike Missouri and many other states, her trade association requires state licensing for all of its 150 member schools, including the religious ones. Agape is not a member, nor was Circle of Hope.Boyd and Stephanie Householder opened Circle of Hope in 2006 in the remote town of Humansville. “We use the BIBLE to teach (girls) that they are to obey their Parents and the authority over them,” the school’s website, which has been taken down, stated.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/media-kansas-social-media-archive-michael-brown-87ba63e06f2cc6e7661dc806a6c77da4">The school closed</a>&nbsp;amid a 2020 investigation; 25 girls were removed. In March 2021, Boyd Householder, 72, was charged with 79 crimes and Stephanie, 56, was charged with 22.Sixteen former residents alleged they were restrained with handcuffs, whipped with belts, and punched. Nearly two dozen counts against Boyd Householder accuse him of sexual contact with girls.Messages left with the Householders' attorney were not returned. In an August interview with the Star, the couple said the accusers made up their stories.Drew, now 29, said her life was upended when her brother died in a car wreck in 2007. Her grieving father joined a church in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Drew said that when she refused to wear a skirt and her grades dropped, church leaders persuaded her dad to send her to Circle of Hope.“It was absolute torture,” said Drew, who also accused the Householders of stealing a $25,000 inheritance from her.James Clemensen, a retired California trooper, and his wife, Kathy, started Agape in Stockton, Missouri, in 1990. He told a reporter in 2002 that he picked Missouri because of its lack of regulation. He died in October.Agape serves 120-150 boys ages 12-17. Its website says it's a nonprofit school "designed to show God’s love to teen boys struggling with behavior issues that can threaten their future.”The school remains open. Five staffers were charged in September with abusing students. In December,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-education-arrests-missouri-springfield-82fb42da6ca67eab3a03238e14421ec3">Dr. David Smock</a>&nbsp;was charged with sexual abuse. He pleaded not guilty in March.Phone messages left with Agape’s director and Smock's attorney were not returned.Harper was 14 when he was sent there from his rural Oregon home in 1999. Now 36, he recalled long hours moving large rocks from one pile to another, toting lumber by hand and clearing land. Harper said his injuries have left him unable to keep a job.“What I went through at Agape primed me for abusive relationships with people, it primed for being an ignorant young man not knowing the way the world worked, it destroyed my family relationship,” Harper said.Missouri's new law sets minimum health and safety requirements for boarding schools, which still don't have to be licensed. The law mandates background checks for employees; requires adequate food, clothing and medical care for students; and says parents must be allowed access to their children at any time without prior notice.After a state investigation last year, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt recommended charges against 22 Agape employees. But in Missouri, only the local prosecutor can file charges, and Cedar County Prosecuting Attorney Ty Gaither does not plan to file more.“The attorney general has his agenda,” Gaither said. “I’m an experienced prosecutor and I filed what I believe are the appropriate charges.”James Clidence, who taught math at Agape from 2012 to 2015, said he left after witnessing abuses so concerning that his wife contacted federal, state and local authorities. None would investigate, he said.“I’m for religious liberty. I’m a pastor. But at this point we’re talking about children's well-being,” Clidence, who now leads a Baptist church in Maryland, said.Harper is among those who question whether religious boarding schools will get real scrutiny in Missouri.“How many things have to happen before they act?” he asked.

State regulates church boarding schools after abuse allegations

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal Sunday morning accident in Shawnee County.

Just after 12:30a.m., a 2004 Acura driven by a 19-year-old was southbound in the 8300 Block of Ratner Road when the driver lost control, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

The Acura entered the west ditch, struck a culvert and rolled multiple times.

The front passenger, a 12-year-old boy, was ejected from the vehicle. Lifesaving procedures were performed; however he was pronounced deceased.The 19-year-old driver was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The sheriff's department reported no additional details Sunday afternoon.

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal Sunday morning accident in Shawnee County.Just after 12:30a.m., a 2004 Acura driven by a 19-year-old was southbound in the 8300 Block of Ratner Road when the driver lost control, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.The Acura entered the west ditch, struck a culvert and rolled multiple times.The front passenger, a 12-year-old boy, was ejected from the vehicle. Lifesaving procedures were performed; however he was pronounced deceased.The 19-year-old driver was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries.&nbsp;&nbsp;The sheriff's department reported no additional details Sunday afternoon.

Sheriff: 12-year-old Kan. boy dies after ejected in crash

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Court records say a Kansas City man fatally shot a Kansas man who offered to give him a ride because it was raining.

Twenty-eight-year-old Aaron Simmons Jr. was charged Friday with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of 32-year-old David Rowe.

The Olathe, Kansas, man was shot four times Tuesday night outside a closed Independence gas station.

The probable cause statement said Rowe's girlfriend told police that Simmons became angry when they drove near him, alleging that they “almost hit him." She said Rowe rolled down the window and said they just wanted to give him a ride, and Simmons threatened to shoot him.

She said Rowe then got out of the SUV and challenged the man to shoot him. The girlfriend then heard gunshots.

The probable cause statement said police got a tip after a surveillance video of the suspect was circulated on local newscasts. The tipster reported overhearing Simmons talking about the shooting.

Shell casings found at the scene later were matched to a firearm found in Simmon's home.

Simmons is jailed on a $250,000 cash-only bond. No attorney is listed for him in online court records. And court records said he declined to speak to a detective.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1648915993940.png" alt="Simmons-photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Simmons-photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Court records say a Kansas City man fatally shot a Kansas man who offered to give him a ride because it was raining.Twenty-eight-year-old Aaron Simmons Jr. was charged Friday with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of 32-year-old David Rowe.The Olathe, Kansas, man was shot four times Tuesday night outside a closed Independence gas station.The probable cause statement said Rowe's girlfriend told police that Simmons became angry when they drove near him, alleging that they “almost hit him." She said Rowe rolled down the window and said they just wanted to give him a ride, and Simmons threatened to shoot him.She said Rowe then got out of the SUV and challenged the man to shoot him. The girlfriend then heard gunshots.The probable cause statement said police got a tip after a surveillance video of the suspect was circulated on local newscasts. The tipster reported overhearing Simmons talking about the shooting.Shell casings found at the scene later were matched to a firearm found in Simmon's home.Simmons is jailed on a $250,000 cash-only bond. No attorney is listed for him in online court records. And court records said he declined to speak to a detective.

Court Records: Kan. man shot, killed after offering man a ride

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansans who vote by mail would still be allowed a three-day grace period for their ballots to arrive, after Republican state legislators abandoned a proposal Friday requiring ballots to arrive on Election Day. The GOP is still pursuing efforts to restrict the use of ballot drop boxes.

Republican lawmakers' latest plans emerged Friday from negotiations between the House and Senate over proposals to tighten state election laws. While the Senate approved the proposal on ballot drop boxes late Friday, the House did not take it up before lawmakers adjourned early Saturday for their annual, three-week spring break.

The GOP-controlled Senate also approved a proposal that would cut the number of drop boxes across the state by more than 40% — with some significant decreases in rural, heavily Republican counties.

The GOP-controlled House considered neither measure, and a proposal to end the three-day grace period died in a House committee.

Republicans in&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;have pushed for years to tighten state elections laws. But their latest push is part of a broader national effort in the wake of former President Donald Trump's false claims that voter fraud cost him the 2020 election.

“All the work we've done this year on election bills is trying to improve elections, the process, and bring credibility back to the voters to where they have confidence,” state Sen. Rob Olson, an Olathe Republican and the Senate's chief negotiator on elections measures, said during a debate Friday night.

Olson argued for ending the three-day grace period as a way of speeding up the counting of votes and because, “Election Day should be Election Day.” But House negotiators rejected the argument, saying counties would still have to wait to count ballots that they had set aside over whether the people who cast them were eligible to do so.

The proposal on ballot drop boxes was part of a broader agenda for conservatives that also included passing a proposal to make it easier for parents to challenge classroom and library materials in public schools. Lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene April 25 to wrap up their business for the year.

The vote in the Senate on the ballot drop box measure was 21-17, with some Republicans who represent rural areas joining Democrats in voting against it. Under the measure, 48 of the state's 105 counties would lose at least one drop box, and statewide, the number would drop by 80, to 111 from the 191 used in the 2020 elections, according to the Kansas secretary of state's office.

Some Republicans argue that drop boxes are vulnerable to fraud or vandalism, despite a lack of reported problems in Kansas. The bill would set the first statewide standards in Kansas law — something Olson touted — requiring drop boxes be sealed and monitored by video when the local election office is closed.

Democrats argued there would be little point in having ballot drop boxes if workers couldn't use them after hours. They also decried the plan to decrease the number of boxes.

“The advantage of the ballot boxes is that you can do it to fit your schedule, and this stops that,” said Democratic state Sen. Marci Francisco, of Lawrence, who also suggested that having fewer boxes would hurt disabled voters.

A key provision would limit counties to one ballot drop box per 30,000 registered voters. According to the secretary of state’s data, the average is about one box for every 10,000 registered voters, and some rural counties with only a few thousand voters have multiple boxes. Only 10 counties have more than 30,000 registered voters.

Meanwhile, Kansas also was part of Republican state lawmakers’ push to give conservative parents more say in how public schools are run.

A bill approved by the House, 67-46, and by the Senate, 23-15, would require local school boards to adopt policies for giving parents access to classroom materials, challenging materials in classrooms and libraries and allowing them to inspect school records. The measure goes next to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.

Supporters touted it as a “transparency” alternative to trying to ban the teaching of certain concepts that suggest current institutions were deeply shaped by slavery and racism or remain racist.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603417995976.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNA&nbsp;TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansans who vote by mail would still be allowed a three-day grace period for their ballots to arrive, after Republican state legislators abandoned a proposal Friday requiring ballots to arrive on Election Day. The GOP is still pursuing efforts to restrict the use of ballot drop boxes.Republican lawmakers' latest plans emerged Friday from negotiations between the House and Senate over proposals to tighten state election laws. While the Senate approved the proposal on ballot drop boxes late Friday, the House did not take it up before lawmakers adjourned early Saturday for their annual, three-week spring break.The GOP-controlled Senate also approved a proposal that would cut the number of drop boxes across the state by more than 40% — with some significant decreases in rural, heavily Republican counties.The GOP-controlled House considered neither measure, and a proposal to end the three-day grace period died in a House committee.Republicans in&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;have pushed for years to tighten state elections laws. But their latest push is part of a broader national effort in the wake of former President Donald Trump's false claims that voter fraud cost him the 2020 election.“All the work we've done this year on election bills is trying to improve elections, the process, and bring credibility back to the voters to where they have confidence,” state Sen. Rob Olson, an Olathe Republican and the Senate's chief negotiator on elections measures, said during a debate Friday night.Olson argued for ending the three-day grace period as a way of speeding up the counting of votes and because, “Election Day should be Election Day.” But House negotiators rejected the argument, saying counties would still have to wait to count ballots that they had set aside over whether the people who cast them were eligible to do so.The proposal on ballot drop boxes was part of a broader agenda for conservatives that also included passing a proposal to make it easier for parents to challenge classroom and library materials in public schools. Lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene April 25 to wrap up their business for the year.The vote in the Senate on the ballot drop box measure was 21-17, with some Republicans who represent rural areas joining Democrats in voting against it. Under the measure, 48 of the state's 105 counties would lose at least one drop box, and statewide, the number would drop by 80, to 111 from the 191 used in the 2020 elections, according to the Kansas secretary of state's office.Some Republicans argue that drop boxes are vulnerable to fraud or vandalism, despite a lack of reported problems in Kansas. The bill would set the first statewide standards in Kansas law — something Olson touted — requiring drop boxes be sealed and monitored by video when the local election office is closed.Democrats argued there would be little point in having ballot drop boxes if workers couldn't use them after hours. They also decried the plan to decrease the number of boxes.“The advantage of the ballot boxes is that you can do it to fit your schedule, and this stops that,” said Democratic state Sen. Marci Francisco, of Lawrence, who also suggested that having fewer boxes would hurt disabled voters.A key provision would limit counties to one ballot drop box per 30,000 registered voters. According to the secretary of state’s data, the average is about one box for every 10,000 registered voters, and some rural counties with only a few thousand voters have multiple boxes. Only 10 counties have more than 30,000 registered voters.Meanwhile, Kansas also was part of Republican state lawmakers’ push to give conservative parents more say in how public schools are run.A bill approved by the House, 67-46, and by the Senate, 23-15, would require local school boards to adopt policies for giving parents access to classroom materials, challenging materials in classrooms and libraries and allowing them to inspect school records. The measure goes next to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.Supporters touted it as a “transparency” alternative to trying to ban the teaching of certain concepts that suggest current institutions were deeply shaped by slavery and racism or remain racist.

Kansas lawmakers take action to tighten state election laws

KANSAS CITY (AP) — More than 4 in 10 U.S. high school students said they felt persistently sad or hopeless during the pandemic, according to government findings released Thursday.

Several medical groups have warned that pandemic isolation from school closures and lack of social gatherings has taken a toll on young people’s mental health.

“This really gives us the evidence to say with certainty that the pandemic was incredibly disruptive for young people and their families,” said Kathleen Ethier of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The reports are based on anonymous online surveys of about 7,700 public and private high school students from 128 schools during the first six months of 2021. It is based on a similar survey the CDC conducts every other year in schools,

—44% reported feeling persistently sad of hopeless during the past year. A similar survey before COVID-19 hit put the figure at 37%.

—66% said they found it more difficult to complete their schoolwork.

—29% said a parent or other adult in their home lost a job and 11% said they experienced physical abuse by a parent or other adult at home.

—24% said they went hungry during the pandemic because there was not enough food at home.

There likely was some underreporting, especially for certain questions about emotional or physical abuse in the home. Teens might be afraid that an abusive parent or other adult might see their responses, said Ilan Cerna-Turoff, a Columbia University researcher who studies children’s mental health.

CDC officials said that the pandemic did not affect teens equally. LGBT youth reported poorer mental health and more suicide attempts than others. About 75% said they suffered emotional abuse in the home and 20% reported physical abuse. By comparison, half of heterosexual students reported emotional abuse and 10% reported physical abuse, the CDC said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1627997369246.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — More than 4 in 10 U.S. high school students said they felt persistently sad or hopeless during the pandemic, according to government findings released Thursday.Several medical groups have warned that pandemic isolation from school closures and lack of social gatherings has taken a toll on young people’s mental health.“This really gives us the evidence to say with certainty that the pandemic was incredibly disruptive for young people and their families,” said Kathleen Ethier of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The reports are based on anonymous online surveys of about 7,700 public and private high school students from 128 schools during the first six months of 2021. It is based on a similar survey the CDC conducts every other year in schools,Among the findings:—44% reported feeling persistently sad of hopeless during the past year. A similar survey before COVID-19 hit put the figure at 37%.—66% said they found it more difficult to complete their schoolwork.—29% said a parent or other adult in their home lost a job and 11% said they experienced physical abuse by a parent or other adult at home.—24% said they went hungry during the pandemic because there was not enough food at home.There likely was some underreporting, especially for certain questions about emotional or physical abuse in the home. Teens might be afraid that an abusive parent or other adult might see their responses, said Ilan Cerna-Turoff, a Columbia University researcher who studies children’s mental health.CDC officials said that the pandemic did not affect teens equally. LGBT youth reported poorer mental health and more suicide attempts than others. About 75% said they suffered emotional abuse in the home and 20% reported physical abuse. By comparison, half of heterosexual students reported emotional abuse and 10% reported physical abuse, the CDC said.___

Pandemic took a toll on teen mental health, US study says

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An 18-year-old has been charged in the death of his 6-month-old daughter. 

Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay announced Friday that Tray’vonne Da’Mont Jones-McNeal has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Brielle Jones. 

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that he also faces an alternative count of reckless but unintentional second-degree murder. Kagay said that rescue workers were called early Thursday to an apartment and found Brielle suffering from blunt-force trauma injuries. 

She was taken to a Topeka hospital, where she died an hour later. Topeka police Lt. Manuel Munoz said the girl’s mother was also taken to the hospital, where she was treated, then released.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648722249337.png" alt="Jones-McNeal-photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Jones-McNeal-photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An 18-year-old has been charged in the death of his 6-month-old daughter. Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay announced Friday that Tray’vonne Da’Mont Jones-McNeal has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Brielle Jones. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that he also faces an alternative count of reckless but unintentional second-degree murder. Kagay said that rescue workers were called early Thursday to an apartment and found Brielle suffering from blunt-force trauma injuries. She was taken to a Topeka hospital, where she died an hour later. Topeka police Lt. Manuel Munoz said the girl’s mother was also taken to the hospital, where she was treated, then released.

Report: 6-month-old Kansas girl died of blunt force trauma

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — Applebee's has confirmed that an employee of a Missouri-based franchisee has been fired after sending an email speculating that high gas prices and the end of pandemic stimulus money would force employees to work longer hours for lower pay.

“This is the opinion of an individual, not Applebee’s,” Kevin Carrol, Applebee’s chief operations officer, said in a statement, adding that the franchisee terminated the midlevel worker. The employee didn't work directly for Applebee’s.

Issues arose after someone shared the email last month with Jake Holcomb, who was the manager of an Applebee’s restaurant in Lawrence, Kansas. He quit soon after he read the email, which said: “As inflation continues to climb and gas prices continue to go up that means more hours employees will need to work to maintain their current level of living.”

Holcomb said he printed a couple dozen copies and left them where servers could find them, the Springfield News-Leader reported.

“Then, I gave everyone in the restaurant their food for free and we just left; we didn’t even close the store,” he said, adding that he also shared the email with a friend who posted a screenshot to Reddit on March 21.

The restaurant remained closed the next day and the email began circulating widely online.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1648927764925.png" alt="Applebees in the 2500 Block of Iowa Street in Lawrence -Google image" />
 <figcaption>Applebees in the 2500 Block of Iowa Street in Lawrence -Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — Applebee's has confirmed that an employee of a Missouri-based franchisee has been fired after sending an email speculating that high gas prices and the end of pandemic stimulus money would force employees to work longer hours for lower pay.“This is the opinion of an individual, not Applebee’s,” Kevin Carrol, Applebee’s chief operations officer, said in a statement, adding that the franchisee terminated the midlevel worker. The employee didn't work directly for Applebee’s.Issues arose after someone shared the email last month with Jake Holcomb, who was the manager of an Applebee’s restaurant in Lawrence, Kansas. He quit soon after he read the email, which said: “As inflation continues to climb and gas prices continue to go up that means more hours employees will need to work to maintain their current level of living.”Holcomb said he printed a couple dozen copies and left them where servers could find them, the Springfield News-Leader reported.“Then, I gave everyone in the restaurant their food for free and we just left; we didn’t even close the store,” he said, adding that he also shared the email with a friend who posted a screenshot to Reddit on March 21.The restaurant remained closed the next day and the email began circulating widely online.