BY SUZANNE PEREZ <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/kansas-high-schools-are-finding-ways-safely-celebrate-teen-rite-passage-prom">Kansas News Service</a>

Riley
 Sipes was a junior at Wichita’s North High School last spring when the 
COVID-19 shutdown closed schools and canceled prom and other activities.

She
 had already bought her dress — a smokey blue spaghetti-strap number 
that shimmers in the light. The phrase, “All dressed up and nowhere to 
go” had never seemed so fitting.

“It’s
 definitely been weird,” Sipes said. “I’m still disappointed that I 
missed out on so many of the traditions that North High has in place.”

But
 prom is back this year — for Sipes and many other Kansas 
high-schoolers. Though the COVID-19 pandemic is still a concern, school 
districts are finding ways to host the teen rite of passage while still 
adhering to public health recommendations.

In Wichita, the 
state’s largest district, high schools are holding proms in their gyms 
instead of other venues to make sure students are following safety 
measures. Masks are required, and students aren’t allowed to invite 
dates from other schools.

Valley Center High School held its prom
 recently in the airplane hangar that houses “Doc,” a restored B-29 
bomber. Goddard’s two high schools also plan to have their proms in the 
hangar so small groups of students can remain socially distanced.

Some
 Kansas City-area schools plan to hold proms at Children’s Mercy Park, 
where the Sporting KC soccer team plays. Others are holding outdoor 
proms on their own football fields.

Branden Johnson, executive 
director of secondary schools for the Wichita district, says students 
deserve a little fun after a year of wearing masks, avoiding gatherings 
and losing out on so many activities.

“They’re the ones who’ve 
had to make a ton of sacrifices all year just to get school back open,” 
Johnson said. “So let’s reward them, as long as we can do it safe and 
securely.”

Some people have raised concerns about schools 
resuming prom. Last month, in a pandemic first for Kansas, teens ages 
14-17 had the highest rate of new COVID-19 cases in the state. And 
health officials still warn against large gatherings.

But school 
officials, including Johnson, said they plan to implement many of the 
same measures they have in classrooms, including mask-wearing, 
hand-washing and social distancing, to keep proms safe.

“We have 
very little issue with mask compliance," Johnson said. "Almost every 
single kid is very used to wearing a mask at this point.

"So it’s no different for them doing it at school or wearing it at the dance.”

Sipes,
 the North High student, says she received her first dose of the 
two-part COVID-19 vaccine and plans to get her second dose before prom 
night.

Even so, North’s prom theme this year is, fittingly, 
“Masquerade,” and Sipes plans to wear a solid black mask that matches 
her shoes. Some of her friends plan to dress up their masks with sequins
 or use extra fabric from their prom dresses to make matching masks.

“I’m
 excited to have fun, but . . . people are sometimes stupid and don’t 
wear their mask correctly and maybe don’t social distance like they 
should,” the 18-year-old said.

“I know that that’s one of the 
biggest worries that me and my friends have, that people aren’t going to
 be responsible. So I plan on just keeping my distance from people (and)
 sticking to my little group.”

After prom was canceled last 
spring, Sipes and some friends decided to get dressed up anyway. They 
did their hair and makeup and went downtown near the Keeper of the 
Plains sculpture, where Sipes’ mom took some photos.

She plans to wear the same dress again and is glad to have somewhere to go.

“I
 could be there from like 30 minutes to all night,” she said. “But I 
know that I’m going to be with my friends, so I’m going to have fun.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618588657095.png" alt="North High student Riley Snipes, right, and her friend Allison Johnson pose for photos in front of the Keeper in their prom dresses last year. Courtesy" />
 <figcaption>North High student Riley Snipes, right, and her friend Allison Johnson pose for photos in front of the Keeper in their prom dresses last year. Courtesy</figcaption>
 </figure>BY SUZANNE PEREZ <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/kansas-high-schools-are-finding-ways-safely-celebrate-teen-rite-passage-prom">Kansas News Service</a>Riley
 Sipes was a junior at Wichita’s North High School last spring when the 
COVID-19 shutdown closed schools and canceled prom and other activities.She
 had already bought her dress — a smokey blue spaghetti-strap number 
that shimmers in the light. The phrase, “All dressed up and nowhere to 
go” had never seemed so fitting.“It’s
 definitely been weird,” Sipes said. “I’m still disappointed that I 
missed out on so many of the traditions that North High has in place.”But
 prom is back this year — for Sipes and many other Kansas 
high-schoolers. Though the COVID-19 pandemic is still a concern, school 
districts are finding ways to host the teen rite of passage while still 
adhering to public health recommendations.In Wichita, the 
state’s largest district, high schools are holding proms in their gyms 
instead of other venues to make sure students are following safety 
measures. Masks are required, and students aren’t allowed to invite 
dates from other schools.Valley Center High School held its prom
 recently in the airplane hangar that houses “Doc,” a restored B-29 
bomber. Goddard’s two high schools also plan to have their proms in the 
hangar so small groups of students can remain socially distanced.Some
 Kansas City-area schools plan to hold proms at Children’s Mercy Park, 
where the Sporting KC soccer team plays. Others are holding outdoor 
proms on their own football fields.Branden Johnson, executive 
director of secondary schools for the Wichita district, says students 
deserve a little fun after a year of wearing masks, avoiding gatherings 
and losing out on so many activities.“They’re the ones who’ve 
had to make a ton of sacrifices all year just to get school back open,” 
Johnson said. “So let’s reward them, as long as we can do it safe and 
securely.”Some people have raised concerns about schools 
resuming prom. Last month, in a pandemic first for Kansas, teens ages 
14-17 had the highest rate of new COVID-19 cases in the state. And 
health officials still warn against large gatherings.But school 
officials, including Johnson, said they plan to implement many of the 
same measures they have in classrooms, including mask-wearing, 
hand-washing and social distancing, to keep proms safe.“We have 
very little issue with mask compliance," Johnson said. "Almost every 
single kid is very used to wearing a mask at this point."So it’s no different for them doing it at school or wearing it at the dance.”Sipes,
 the North High student, says she received her first dose of the 
two-part COVID-19 vaccine and plans to get her second dose before prom 
night.Even so, North’s prom theme this year is, fittingly, 
“Masquerade,” and Sipes plans to wear a solid black mask that matches 
her shoes. Some of her friends plan to dress up their masks with sequins
 or use extra fabric from their prom dresses to make matching masks.“I’m
 excited to have fun, but . . . people are sometimes stupid and don’t 
wear their mask correctly and maybe don’t social distance like they 
should,” the 18-year-old said.“I know that that’s one of the 
biggest worries that me and my friends have, that people aren’t going to
 be responsible. So I plan on just keeping my distance from people (and)
 sticking to my little group.”After prom was canceled last 
spring, Sipes and some friends decided to get dressed up anyway. They 
did their hair and makeup and went downtown near the Keeper of the 
Plains sculpture, where Sipes’ mom took some photos.She plans to wear the same dress again and is glad to have somewhere to go.“I
 could be there from like 30 minutes to all night,” she said. “But I 
know that I’m going to be with my friends, so I’m going to have fun.”

Prom: Kan. schools find ways to safely celebrate teen rite of passage

TOPEKA - The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) is providing Kansans a 30-day public comment period on the draft 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). The plan provides a 25-year statewide vision for the future of transportation in Kansas. Comments can be made until May 18 by clicking&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMTA0MTUuMzg4Mjc4ODEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2tkb3RhcHAua3Nkb3Qub3JnL0xSVFAvP3V0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeSJ9.up5it-L19nSWMO90obIcvdkK7dYBQ6NnInxX0wiBk9E/s/1410649012/br/102200041514-l" target="_blank">here</a>.

The draft plan inventories the state’s transportation system that includes highways, transit, rail, air and active transportation elements. It also identifies issues and trends that will influence the transportation system over the next 25 years such as technology advances, digital access, connections between health and transportation, the economy, demographics and the durability of the infrastructure.

In addition, the LRTP outlines ways KDOT and its partners can support prosperity and quality of life for all Kansans by:&nbsp;&nbsp;

The draft LRTP was created with extensive input from citizens and transportation stakeholders across Kansas during KDOT’s 2019 Local Consult meetings. KDOT also conducted series of stakeholder webinars during the COVID-19 pandemic, which included a wide range of key transportation partners, human service providers and tribal organizations.

The draft Kansas 2045 LRTP can also be viewed at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMTA0MTUuMzg4Mjc4ODEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2tkb3RhcHAua3Nkb3Qub3JnL0xSVFAvP3V0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeSJ9.we7fLddaJ3FgB2eE1bs99Of7sq3cPm9No_UXQj0OfjA/s/1410649012/br/102200041514-l" target="_blank">Home Page - My ASP.NET Application (ksdot.org)</a>. &nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1615401660667.png" alt="(Photo by Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>(Photo by Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA - The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) is providing Kansans a 30-day public comment period on the draft 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). The plan provides a 25-year statewide vision for the future of transportation in Kansas. Comments can be made until May 18 by clicking&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMTA0MTUuMzg4Mjc4ODEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2tkb3RhcHAua3Nkb3Qub3JnL0xSVFAvP3V0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeSJ9.up5it-L19nSWMO90obIcvdkK7dYBQ6NnInxX0wiBk9E/s/1410649012/br/102200041514-l" target="_blank">here</a>.The draft plan inventories the state’s transportation system that includes highways, transit, rail, air and active transportation elements. It also identifies issues and trends that will influence the transportation system over the next 25 years such as technology advances, digital access, connections between health and transportation, the economy, demographics and the durability of the infrastructure.In addition, the LRTP outlines ways KDOT and its partners can support prosperity and quality of life for all Kansans by:&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Making travel safer</li><li>Preserving the system</li><li>Creating a more responsive project pipeline</li><li>Delivering programs more effectively</li><li>Designing practical improvements</li><li>Leveraging KDOT’s partnerships with stakeholders</li><li>Preparing for the future of tech-enabled infrastructure</li><li>Continuing commitments to multimodal programs; and</li><li>Supporting economic development and job growth</li>
 </ul>The draft LRTP was created with extensive input from citizens and transportation stakeholders across Kansas during KDOT’s 2019 Local Consult meetings. KDOT also conducted series of stakeholder webinars during the COVID-19 pandemic, which included a wide range of key transportation partners, human service providers and tribal organizations.The draft Kansas 2045 LRTP can also be viewed at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMTA0MTUuMzg4Mjc4ODEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2tkb3RhcHAua3Nkb3Qub3JnL0xSVFAvP3V0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeSJ9.we7fLddaJ3FgB2eE1bs99Of7sq3cPm9No_UXQj0OfjA/s/1410649012/br/102200041514-l" target="_blank">Home Page - My ASP.NET Application (ksdot.org)</a>. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

KDOT seeks your comments on draft long range transportation plan

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is setting up a $1.7 billion national network to identify and track worrisome&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-mutations-rising-f471eca388965ee95cd1e324c4e239d8">coronavirus mutations</a>&nbsp;whose spread could trigger another pandemic wave, the Biden administration announced Friday.

White House officials unveiled a strategy that features three components: a major funding boost for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health departments to ramp up coronavirus gene-mapping; the creation of six “centers of excellence” partnerships with universities to conduct research and develop technologies for gene-based surveillance of pathogens, and building a data system to better share and analyze information on emerging disease threats, so knowledge can be turned into action.

“Even as we accelerate our efforts to get shots into arms, more dangerous variants are growing, causing increases in cases in people without immunity,” White House coronavirus adviser Andy Slavitt told reporters. That “requires us to intensify our efforts to quickly test for and find the genetic sequence of the virus as it spreads.”

The new effort relies on money approved by Congress as part of President Joe Biden’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-inside-covid-19-bill-relief-package-52fa93ac75d38eae4cd3dbb6402e7eba">coronavirus relief package</a>&nbsp;to break what experts say is a feast-or-famine cycle in U.S. preparedness for disease threats.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">The coronavirus</a>&nbsp;is only one example. Others pathogens have included Ebola and Zika, and respiratory viruses like SARS in 2002 and MERS in 2012, which did not become major problems in the United States. Typically,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-public-health-genomics-united-kingdom-legislation-71879bce09ddc9956ed3e32f5925c0cf">the government scrambles to counter a potential threat</a>, but funding dries up when it recedes. The new genomic surveillance initiative aims to create a permanent infrastructure.

“It’s a transformative amount of money,” Mary Lee Watts, federal affairs director at the American Society for Microbiology, said in a recent interview. “It has the potential not only to get ahead of the current crisis, but it is going to help us in the future. This is a program that has been underfunded for years.”

The Biden administration’s move comes as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-health-england-health-washington-cor">a variant known as B117</a>, which first emerged in the United Kingdom, has become the predominant strain in the U.S. In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-michigan-gretchen-whitmer-coronavirus-pandemic-rochelle-walensky-d5810b87b122a59bf734cf69f20aa51b">hard-hit Michigan</a>, the more transmissible mutation accounts for more than half the cases, according to CDC data. That’s also the case&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/infectious-diseases-coronavirus-pandemic-minnesota-4afe0f365943f75a84202878469b26f8">in Minnesota</a>. Vaccines are effective against the so-called U.K. variant, but other mutations circulating around the globe have shown resistance to currently available vaccines.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Friday the U.S. is now averaging nearly 70,000 new coronavirus cases daily, up from about 53,000 just four weeks ago. Hospitalizations have been trending higher, too, and deaths were up for the third day in a row. Along with relaxed restrictions on gatherings and indoor dining, the emergence of variants that spread more easily is part of the reason for the worsening trend.

Of particular concern are two variants that for now only have a toe-hold in the U.S. They are P1, first detected in travelers from Brazil, and B1351, identified in South Africa. The reason scientists are watching those variants is that they have shown some level of resistance to antibodies, defensive proteins produced by the human body in response to vaccines or a previous infection.

“In order for us to even have the possibility of getting back to normal by the fall we need to massively scale up our genomic surveillance,” said Esther Krofah, who directs the Faster Cures initiative of the Milken Institute. “It’s the insurance program that you need to have in place not just now, not just for COVID, but going forward for other pathogens of concern.”

Genomic sequencing essentially involves mapping the DNA of an organism, the key to its unique features. It’s done by high-tech machines that can cost from several hundred thousand dollars to $1 million or more. Technicians trained to run the machines and the necessary computing capacity add to costs.

Another hurdle is getting local, state and federal labs all working together. “There are lots of cats that need to be herded,” said University of Wisconsin virologist Thomas Friedrich.

At the end of last year, the CDC and collaborating labs were completing only 116 coronavirus gene sequences a week, according to the CDC’s website. “We started in a hole,” said Slavitt.

The White House says the weekly count is now about 29,000, but experts say in a large, diverse country like the U.S. those numbers need to be much higher to keep pace with potential changes to the virus. Viruses are highly efficient at spreading, developing mutations that enable them to keep reproducing.

White House officials said the government is releasing to states and territories an initial $240 million out of $1 billion allocated to expand genomic sequencing. Another $400 million will go to launch the six research partnerships with academic institutions, dubbed Centers of Excellence in Genomic Epidemiology. Finally, $300 million will go to set up the data sharing system, which is being called the National Bioinformatics Infrastructure.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1608566572342.png" alt="Virus variant image courtesy GISAID" />
 <figcaption>Virus variant image courtesy GISAID</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is setting up a $1.7 billion national network to identify and track worrisome&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-mutations-rising-f471eca388965ee95cd1e324c4e239d8">coronavirus mutations</a>&nbsp;whose spread could trigger another pandemic wave, the Biden administration announced Friday.White House officials unveiled a strategy that features three components: a major funding boost for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health departments to ramp up coronavirus gene-mapping; the creation of six “centers of excellence” partnerships with universities to conduct research and develop technologies for gene-based surveillance of pathogens, and building a data system to better share and analyze information on emerging disease threats, so knowledge can be turned into action.“Even as we accelerate our efforts to get shots into arms, more dangerous variants are growing, causing increases in cases in people without immunity,” White House coronavirus adviser Andy Slavitt told reporters. That “requires us to intensify our efforts to quickly test for and find the genetic sequence of the virus as it spreads.”The new effort relies on money approved by Congress as part of President Joe Biden’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-inside-covid-19-bill-relief-package-52fa93ac75d38eae4cd3dbb6402e7eba">coronavirus relief package</a>&nbsp;to break what experts say is a feast-or-famine cycle in U.S. preparedness for disease threats.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">The coronavirus</a>&nbsp;is only one example. Others pathogens have included Ebola and Zika, and respiratory viruses like SARS in 2002 and MERS in 2012, which did not become major problems in the United States. Typically,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-public-health-genomics-united-kingdom-legislation-71879bce09ddc9956ed3e32f5925c0cf">the government scrambles to counter a potential threat</a>, but funding dries up when it recedes. The new genomic surveillance initiative aims to create a permanent infrastructure.“It’s a transformative amount of money,” Mary Lee Watts, federal affairs director at the American Society for Microbiology, said in a recent interview. “It has the potential not only to get ahead of the current crisis, but it is going to help us in the future. This is a program that has been underfunded for years.”The Biden administration’s move comes as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-health-england-health-washington-cor">a variant known as B117</a>, which first emerged in the United Kingdom, has become the predominant strain in the U.S. In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-michigan-gretchen-whitmer-coronavirus-pandemic-rochelle-walensky-d5810b87b122a59bf734cf69f20aa51b">hard-hit Michigan</a>, the more transmissible mutation accounts for more than half the cases, according to CDC data. That’s also the case&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/infectious-diseases-coronavirus-pandemic-minnesota-4afe0f365943f75a84202878469b26f8">in Minnesota</a>. Vaccines are effective against the so-called U.K. variant, but other mutations circulating around the globe have shown resistance to currently available vaccines.CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Friday the U.S. is now averaging nearly 70,000 new coronavirus cases daily, up from about 53,000 just four weeks ago. Hospitalizations have been trending higher, too, and deaths were up for the third day in a row. Along with relaxed restrictions on gatherings and indoor dining, the emergence of variants that spread more easily is part of the reason for the worsening trend.Of particular concern are two variants that for now only have a toe-hold in the U.S. They are P1, first detected in travelers from Brazil, and B1351, identified in South Africa. The reason scientists are watching those variants is that they have shown some level of resistance to antibodies, defensive proteins produced by the human body in response to vaccines or a previous infection.“In order for us to even have the possibility of getting back to normal by the fall we need to massively scale up our genomic surveillance,” said Esther Krofah, who directs the Faster Cures initiative of the Milken Institute. “It’s the insurance program that you need to have in place not just now, not just for COVID, but going forward for other pathogens of concern.”Genomic sequencing essentially involves mapping the DNA of an organism, the key to its unique features. It’s done by high-tech machines that can cost from several hundred thousand dollars to $1 million or more. Technicians trained to run the machines and the necessary computing capacity add to costs.Another hurdle is getting local, state and federal labs all working together. “There are lots of cats that need to be herded,” said University of Wisconsin virologist Thomas Friedrich.At the end of last year, the CDC and collaborating labs were completing only 116 coronavirus gene sequences a week, according to the CDC’s website. “We started in a hole,” said Slavitt.The White House says the weekly count is now about 29,000, but experts say in a large, diverse country like the U.S. those numbers need to be much higher to keep pace with potential changes to the virus. Viruses are highly efficient at spreading, developing mutations that enable them to keep reproducing.White House officials said the government is releasing to states and territories an initial $240 million out of $1 billion allocated to expand genomic sequencing. Another $400 million will go to launch the six research partnerships with academic institutions, dubbed Centers of Excellence in Genomic Epidemiology. Finally, $300 million will go to set up the data sharing system, which is being called the National Bioinformatics Infrastructure.

US setting up $1.7B national network to track virus variants

WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department’s internal watchdog has concluded that former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his wife violated federal ethics rules by asking staffers to run personal errands and perform non-official work such as making restaurant reservations, shopping and caring for their dog.

In a report released on Friday, the department’s inspector general concluded that those requests were “inconsistent” with the regulations. But, because Pompeo is no longer a federal employee and not subject to federal disciplinary or other measures, it did not call for any action against the former secretary who left office on Jan. 20 at the end of the Trump administration.

Instead, it recommended that the State Department clarify its policies to better define tasks that are inappropriate for staffers under the ethics rules and make it easier to report alleged violations. The department accepted all of the recommendations in its response to the report.

Pompeo and his attorney strongly denied the allegations contained in the inspector general's report, which said the former secretary and his wife, Susan, “made over 100 requests to employees in the office of the secretary to conduct work that appeared to be personal in nature.” Pompeo's lawyer noted that the report identifies only a handful of questionable requests and that those did not amount to violations of the rules.

The report identified inappropriate tasks as including “picking up personal items, planning events unrelated to the department’s mission, and conducting such personal business as pet care and mailing personal Christmas cards.” Many of those requests were directed to a long-time assistant of the Pompeos who was hired by the State Department as a senior adviser to the secretary.

It said it had found evidence that Susan Pompeo had “on several occasions” instructed the adviser to plan events for groups with which the Pompeos had nongovernmental relationships. It said it had identified at least 30 instances in which either the secretary or his wife told staffers to make restaurant reservations for personal lunches and dinners.

The inspector general “found that such requests were inconsistent with department ethics rules and the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch,” the report said.

In an interview with investigators in late December, Pompeo said he had not paid that staffer or others separately for work that he either considered to be related to government business or to be minimal favors that long-time acquaintances would routinely do for each other, according to the report.

The inspector general, however, noted that there was no exception in the ethics rules for minimal personal favors. “Rather, the standards prohibit any use of a subordinate’s time to perform personal activities unless compensation is paid,” it said.

In a response appended to the report, the lawyer, William Burck, alleged that the report was biased and unfit for publication. Pompeo had shaken up the inspector general's office by firing its former chief in a move that critics alleged was aimed at halting potentially embarrassing investigations into his tenure at the department.

“The poor quality of the report bespeaks not merely unprofessionalism in its drafting but also bias, which we are concerned may be politically motivated,” Burck said. He said the report was “not fit for publication” and demanded evidence to support the investigators’ claims that the Pompeos had made more than 100 inappropriate requests of staffers.

In its response to the report, the State Department made no judgement on the findings but did accept the recommendations.

“The department appreciates the work of the Office of Inspector General, and, as the report notes, concurs with all the recommendations and will proceed to implement them," it said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616766008619.png" alt="Mike Pompeo spoke to a conservative group last Month in Iowa-photo courtesy Secretary Pompeo" />
 <figcaption>Mike Pompeo spoke to a conservative group last Month in Iowa-photo courtesy Secretary Pompeo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department’s internal watchdog has concluded that former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his wife violated federal ethics rules by asking staffers to run personal errands and perform non-official work such as making restaurant reservations, shopping and caring for their dog.In a report released on Friday, the department’s inspector general concluded that those requests were “inconsistent” with the regulations. But, because Pompeo is no longer a federal employee and not subject to federal disciplinary or other measures, it did not call for any action against the former secretary who left office on Jan. 20 at the end of the Trump administration.Instead, it recommended that the State Department clarify its policies to better define tasks that are inappropriate for staffers under the ethics rules and make it easier to report alleged violations. The department accepted all of the recommendations in its response to the report.Pompeo and his attorney strongly denied the allegations contained in the inspector general's report, which said the former secretary and his wife, Susan, “made over 100 requests to employees in the office of the secretary to conduct work that appeared to be personal in nature.” Pompeo's lawyer noted that the report identifies only a handful of questionable requests and that those did not amount to violations of the rules.The report identified inappropriate tasks as including “picking up personal items, planning events unrelated to the department’s mission, and conducting such personal business as pet care and mailing personal Christmas cards.” Many of those requests were directed to a long-time assistant of the Pompeos who was hired by the State Department as a senior adviser to the secretary.It said it had found evidence that Susan Pompeo had “on several occasions” instructed the adviser to plan events for groups with which the Pompeos had nongovernmental relationships. It said it had identified at least 30 instances in which either the secretary or his wife told staffers to make restaurant reservations for personal lunches and dinners.The inspector general “found that such requests were inconsistent with department ethics rules and the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch,” the report said.In an interview with investigators in late December, Pompeo said he had not paid that staffer or others separately for work that he either considered to be related to government business or to be minimal favors that long-time acquaintances would routinely do for each other, according to the report.The inspector general, however, noted that there was no exception in the ethics rules for minimal personal favors. “Rather, the standards prohibit any use of a subordinate’s time to perform personal activities unless compensation is paid,” it said.In a response appended to the report, the lawyer, William Burck, alleged that the report was biased and unfit for publication. Pompeo had shaken up the inspector general's office by firing its former chief in a move that critics alleged was aimed at halting potentially embarrassing investigations into his tenure at the department.“The poor quality of the report bespeaks not merely unprofessionalism in its drafting but also bias, which we are concerned may be politically motivated,” Burck said. He said the report was “not fit for publication” and demanded evidence to support the investigators’ claims that the Pompeos had made more than 100 inappropriate requests of staffers.In its response to the report, the State Department made no judgement on the findings but did accept the recommendations.“The department appreciates the work of the Office of Inspector General, and, as the report notes, concurs with all the recommendations and will proceed to implement them," it said.

State Dept. watchdog: Pompeo, wife violated ethics rules

HARRISONVILLE, Mo. (AP) — A jury recommended on Friday that a Kansas City man receive the maximum sentence for killing two women nearly a decade apart and leaving their bodies in the same field.

The Cass County jury recommended that Kylr Yust, 32, serve life in prison for second-degree murder in the death of Jessica Runions, 21, of Raymore, and 15 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter in the killing of 17-year-old Kara Kopetsky, of Belton.

Yust was charged with first-degree murder, but the Cass County jury&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-us-news-michael-brown-87aa24fcde87cef728d1f013d0ae9ae7">convicted</a>&nbsp;him of lesser charges on Thursday. Formal sentencing was scheduled for June 7.

The two women were both seen with Yust before they disappeared. Runions left a party with him before she went missing in September 2016. Kopetsky had taken out a protection order against Yust a month before she was last seen leaving Belton High School in April 2007.

A mushroom hunter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d2f41945bd1042e2ac5f617b5edc3e2b">found their bodies</a>&nbsp;near each other in a Cass County field south of Kansas City in April 2017.

Prosecutors said during the trial that Yust killed the two women because they rejected him. Yust’s attorney questioned the investigation and said prosecutors had no physical evidence connecting Yust to either death.

Yust&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trials-kansas-city-suicides-c34a4b368eb842051e47fe2f8a50ec46">testified&nbsp;</a>Wednesday that he did not kill either woman, and blamed his half-brother, Jessup Carter, for their deaths. Carter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/a9410104be634d3da6aeae15f46d2225" target="_blank">died by suicide</a>&nbsp;in 2018 while he was being held in the Jackson County jail on a charge of second-degree arson.

Before the sentencing, relatives of the two women testified about how much they were loved and how their deaths have devastated their families and friends.

“It ripped our whole family apart and changed our lives forever,” Rhonda Beckford, Kopetsky’s mother, said of the day her daughter went missing. “It started a 10 year nightmare.”

Kopetsky’s stepfather, Jim Beckford, said Beckford has paid her daughter’s phone bill since her disappearance in hopes someone would call, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article250730014.html" target="_blank">reported</a>.

“If you were to check the phone records today, you will see that I called it on Sunday night just to hear that one little wisp of her voice,” Beckford said.

Runions’ father, John Runions, said her family has been devastated by her death and the things she will not be able to experience, such as birthdays, family gathering, hugs and kisses.

“I don’t get to walk my daughter down the aisle and see her be married and be a mother,” he said. “Her sisters don’t get to look up to her anymore. And she loved her sisters.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/9/1567616156500.png" alt="Yust photo Cass Co." />
 <figcaption>Yust photo Cass Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>HARRISONVILLE, Mo. (AP) — A jury recommended on Friday that a Kansas City man receive the maximum sentence for killing two women nearly a decade apart and leaving their bodies in the same field.The Cass County jury recommended that Kylr Yust, 32, serve life in prison for second-degree murder in the death of Jessica Runions, 21, of Raymore, and 15 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter in the killing of 17-year-old Kara Kopetsky, of Belton.Yust was charged with first-degree murder, but the Cass County jury&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-us-news-michael-brown-87aa24fcde87cef728d1f013d0ae9ae7">convicted</a>&nbsp;him of lesser charges on Thursday. Formal sentencing was scheduled for June 7.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576707396150.png" alt="Jessica Runions photo KC Police" />
 <figcaption>Jessica Runions photo KC Police</figcaption>
 </figure>The two women were both seen with Yust before they disappeared. Runions left a party with him before she went missing in September 2016. Kopetsky had taken out a protection order against Yust a month before she was last seen leaving Belton High School in April 2007.A mushroom hunter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d2f41945bd1042e2ac5f617b5edc3e2b">found their bodies</a>&nbsp;near each other in a Cass County field south of Kansas City in April 2017.Prosecutors said during the trial that Yust killed the two women because they rejected him. Yust’s attorney questioned the investigation and said prosecutors had no physical evidence connecting Yust to either death.Yust&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trials-kansas-city-suicides-c34a4b368eb842051e47fe2f8a50ec46">testified&nbsp;</a>Wednesday that he did not kill either woman, and blamed his half-brother, Jessup Carter, for their deaths. Carter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/a9410104be634d3da6aeae15f46d2225" target="_blank">died by suicide</a>&nbsp;in 2018 while he was being held in the Jackson County jail on a charge of second-degree arson.Before the sentencing, relatives of the two women testified about how much they were loved and how their deaths have devastated their families and friends.“It ripped our whole family apart and changed our lives forever,” Rhonda Beckford, Kopetsky’s mother, said of the day her daughter went missing. “It started a 10 year nightmare.”Kopetsky’s stepfather, Jim Beckford, said Beckford has paid her daughter’s phone bill since her disappearance in hopes someone would call, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article250730014.html" target="_blank">reported</a>.“If you were to check the phone records today, you will see that I called it on Sunday night just to hear that one little wisp of her voice,” Beckford said.Runions’ father, John Runions, said her family has been devastated by her death and the things she will not be able to experience, such as birthdays, family gathering, hugs and kisses.“I don’t get to walk my daughter down the aisle and see her be married and be a mother,” he said. “Her sisters don’t get to look up to her anymore. And she loved her sisters.”

Jury: Maximum sentence for KC man in murder of 2 women

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY—A Kansas teen died in an accident just after 10:30a.m. Friday in Leavenworth County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Chevy Cobalt driven Karley Renee&nbsp;Housworth, 18, Leavenworth,&nbsp;was southbound on 222nd just south of Alexandria Street.

The car rear-ended a 2017 GMC 3500 driven by Craig Anthony Bracken, 35, Basehor.

After the collision, the driver overcorrected and struck a 2012 RAM 1500 driven by Tracy R. Rogers, 62, Lawrence, head-on in the northbound lane of 222nd.

EMS transported Housworth to Overland Park Regional Medical Center where she died. EMS transported Rogers to Lawrence Memorial Hospital. Bracken was not injured. Housworth was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY—A Kansas teen died in an accident just after 10:30a.m. Friday in Leavenworth County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Chevy Cobalt driven Karley Renee&nbsp;Housworth, 18, Leavenworth,&nbsp;was southbound on 222nd just south of Alexandria Street.The car rear-ended a 2017 GMC 3500 driven by Craig Anthony Bracken, 35, Basehor.After the collision, the driver overcorrected and struck a 2012 RAM 1500 driven by Tracy R. Rogers, 62, Lawrence, head-on in the northbound lane of 222nd.EMS transported Housworth to Overland Park Regional Medical Center where she died. EMS transported Rogers to Lawrence Memorial Hospital. Bracken was not injured. Housworth was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Kansas teen dies after 3-vehicle head-on crash

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and have identified the victim as Emmanuel I. Torres, 16 of Topeka.

Just before 7:30p.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to the area of 6th Avenue and SE Chandler Street in Topeka. in reference to a shooting, according to Lt. Edward Stanley. 

Police found the Torres suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital and was pronounced deceased by medical care personnel.&nbsp;

Police have not reported an arrest or released additional details as the Homicide Unit reviews all investigative leads and evidence.&nbsp;

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting.

One victim suffering from a gunshot wound was transported to a local hospital and was pronounced deceased by medical care personnel. This victim has been identified as a juvenile, according to Lt. Jerry Monasmith.

Police have not released the name of the victim or additional details as the&nbsp;Police Homicide Unit reviews all investigative leads and evidence.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618576172619.png" alt="Investigators on the scene of the fatal shooting -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Investigators on the scene of the fatal shooting -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and have identified the victim as Emmanuel I. Torres, 16 of Topeka.Just before 7:30p.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to the area of 6th Avenue and SE Chandler Street in Topeka. in reference to a shooting, according to Lt. Edward Stanley. Police found the Torres suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital and was pronounced deceased by medical care personnel.&nbsp;Police have not reported an arrest or released additional details as the Homicide Unit reviews all investigative leads and evidence.&nbsp;------------SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting.Just before 7:30p.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to the area of 6th Avenue and SE Chandler Street in Topeka. in reference to a shooting, according to Lt. Edward Stanley. One victim suffering from a gunshot wound was transported to a local hospital and was pronounced deceased by medical care personnel. This victim has been identified as a juvenile, according to Lt. Jerry Monasmith.Police have not released the name of the victim or additional details as the&nbsp;Police Homicide Unit reviews all investigative leads and evidence.&nbsp;

Update: 16-year-old Kan. boy dead after shooting

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly has vetoed proposed income tax cuts and accused GOP lawmakers of trying to revive a nationally notorious fiscal experiment. The bill Kelly vetoed Friday would have saved individuals and businesses $284 million over three years. 

Republicans could try to override her veto next month. GOP legislators have said they want to provide relief to individuals and businesses whose state income taxes have risen because of changes in federal income tax laws. 

But Kelly has repeatedly recalled the persistent budget shortfalls that followed income tax cuts in 2012 and 2013 under then-GOP Gov. Sam Brownback.

TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly announced Friday that she&nbsp; has decided to veto <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb50/">Senate Bill 50.&nbsp;</a> The legislation required "marketplace facilitators to collect and remit sales, transient and guest taxes, as well as 911 fees."

She explained the reason for the veto in statement from her office.

“Last year, despite COVID-19, Kansas experienced a record-setting $2.5 billion in new investment from businesses. These companies chose to make Kansas home in large part due to the state’s recent investments in our economic development tools, prioritizing funding for infrastructure improvements, and reinvesting in our students.

“As many of you with whom I served well remember, in order to provide sustainable funding for essential government services, we cannot return to the era of perennial, self-inflicted budget crises that undermine the very fabric and foundation of our state.”

“Therefore, under Article 2, Section 14(a) of the Constitution, I hereby veto Senate Bill 50.”&nbsp; Click here to read <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/summary_sb_50_2021">more on the bill</a>.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly has vetoed proposed income tax cuts and accused GOP lawmakers of trying to revive a nationally notorious fiscal experiment. The bill Kelly vetoed Friday would have saved individuals and businesses $284 million over three years. Republicans could try to override her veto next month. GOP legislators have said they want to provide relief to individuals and businesses whose state income taxes have risen because of changes in federal income tax laws. But Kelly has repeatedly recalled the persistent budget shortfalls that followed income tax cuts in 2012 and 2013 under then-GOP Gov. Sam Brownback.-------TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly announced Friday that she&nbsp; has decided to veto <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb50/">Senate Bill 50.&nbsp;</a> The legislation required "marketplace facilitators to collect and remit sales, transient and guest taxes, as well as 911 fees."She explained the reason for the veto in statement from her office.“Last year, despite COVID-19, Kansas experienced a record-setting $2.5 billion in new investment from businesses. These companies chose to make Kansas home in large part due to the state’s recent investments in our economic development tools, prioritizing funding for infrastructure improvements, and reinvesting in our students.“As many of you with whom I served well remember, in order to provide sustainable funding for essential government services, we cannot return to the era of perennial, self-inflicted budget crises that undermine the very fabric and foundation of our state.”“Therefore, under Article 2, Section 14(a) of the Constitution, I hereby veto Senate Bill 50.”&nbsp; Click here to read <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/summary_sb_50_2021">more on the bill</a>.

Governor explains her veto of Kansas tax cut bill 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration this week began to undo&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/e0bf2658969c482bb9addf40eb5bd667">a Trump-era ban on clinics referring women for abortions</a>, a policy that drove Planned Parenthood from the federal family planning program and created new complications for women trying to get birth control.

The proposed rule from the Department of Health and Human Services follows through on President Joe Biden’s campaign promise to reverse his predecessor’s family planning policy, which was branded a “gag rule” by women’s groups and decried by medical associations as violating the doctor-patient relationship.

But the Biden administration stopped short of immediately suspending the Trump regulation, which went into effect in 2019. While some abortion rights advocates had sought that additional step, administration officials believe that moving carefully and deliberately will increase the odds of the proposed changes being upheld in court.

Known as Title X, the federal family planning program has been in place for 50 years. It makes available about $286 million annually in grants that support clinics serving mainly low-income women. Those clinics, which provide birth control and basic health care services, have been whipsawed by Trump-era battles over ideology and by the impact of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">the coronavirus pandemic</a>&nbsp;on health services providers. Before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/9e62021bcde04e69aa2ffc2e70a60f8f">exiting the program in 2019</a>, Planned Parenthood and its affiliates served an estimated 40% of the patients.

Though by law federal family planning money could not be used to pay for abortions, religious conservatives long regarded the program as a form of indirect subsidy to Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest provider of abortions. Former President Donald Trump counted on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-race-and-ethnicity-elections-7433585aae55ea0cadd9ea5f0eb00a62">religious conservatives</a>&nbsp;as a cornerstone of his political base and acceded to their demands on a range of women’s health issues.

Besides banning abortion referrals, his administration required federally funded clinics to financially and physically separate themselves from facilities that provide abortions. Abortion counseling was designated as an optional instead of a standard practice, and limits were placed on which staff members could discuss abortion with patients, among other requirements. Pregnant women were supposed to be referred for prenatal counseling even if they did not want it.

The Biden administration estimated that as a result of the Trump policy changes, the program serves about 1.5 million fewer women a year, a 37% reduction from the average caseload from 2016-18. HHS also estimated that the Trump policies may have led to up to 180,000 unintended pregnancies.

The department said its proposed rule reversal will restore the program to how it ran under President Barack Obama, when clinics were able to refer women seeking abortions to a provider.

“Ultimately, continued enforcement of the 2019 rule raises the possibility of a two-tiered health care system in which those with insurance and full access to health care receive full medical information and referrals, while low-income populations with fewer opportunities for care are relegated to inferior access,” HHS said in a statement. “This situation creates a widespread public health concern.”

Planned Parenthood’s president, Alexis McGill Johnson, said her organization could be participating in the program again some time next year, if the Biden rule is finalized as expected. HHS said clinics that left the program will gradually return, and Title X should again be serving about 4 million clients within a couple of years.

McGill Johnson said Biden must not only restore the program, but improve it. “What is most important is a kind of double-down commitment to really ensuring expanded access to care,” she said in an interview.

Release of the proposed regulations was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-medication-abortion-coronavirus-pandemic-covid-19-pandemic-1bd5c161f8e0f9f80e98b63002f50d37">the second blow to abortion opponents this week</a>&nbsp;from the administration. On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration said women would not be required to visit a doctor’s office to get a prescription for an abortion pill for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic and instead could safely rely on telehealth.

The head of a national group that works to elect candidates opposed to abortion said the administration is rewarding Planned Parenthood for its political support. “Coming on the heels of the Biden FDA’s refusal to enforce safety regulations on dangerous abortion drugs, plus Biden’s efforts to undermine the Supreme Court, their latest push to bail out the abortion industry proves there is no rule they won’t rewrite or simply ignore to get their way,” Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, said in a statement.

But the American Medical Association welcomed the shift, saying the Trump policy “inappropriately interfered with the patient-physician relationship and jeopardized safe access to reproductive care.”

The rule reversal on family planning clinics is proceeding alongside&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-ruth-bader-ginsburg-abortion-reproductive-rights-courts-cb3720593bd6bd6bd6546c3b80a4eb15">litigation over the Trump administration policy</a>, now before the Supreme Court. In that case, the justices agreed to hear a challenge to the rules Biden is now trying to unravel. The Biden administration and medical groups that filed the challenge are asking the court to dismiss the case, but Republican state attorneys general want to proceed. The court has yet to say what it will do.

The 1970 law that created the family planning program stipulated that taxpayer money may not be used “where abortion is a method of family planning.”

Abortion rights supporters and opponents have argued for decades about whether counseling a patient about abortion or referring a patient to a different provider for an abortion violates that language.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">Abortion</a>&nbsp;remains a legal medical procedure, though improved access to birth control in recent years has led to a significant decline.

The Biden administration’s rule must go through a notice-and-comment period and additional review before being finalized, which can take several months.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578943990420.png" alt="Planned Parenthood in Kansas City" />
 <figcaption>Planned Parenthood in Kansas City</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration this week began to undo&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/e0bf2658969c482bb9addf40eb5bd667">a Trump-era ban on clinics referring women for abortions</a>, a policy that drove Planned Parenthood from the federal family planning program and created new complications for women trying to get birth control.The proposed rule from the Department of Health and Human Services follows through on President Joe Biden’s campaign promise to reverse his predecessor’s family planning policy, which was branded a “gag rule” by women’s groups and decried by medical associations as violating the doctor-patient relationship.But the Biden administration stopped short of immediately suspending the Trump regulation, which went into effect in 2019. While some abortion rights advocates had sought that additional step, administration officials believe that moving carefully and deliberately will increase the odds of the proposed changes being upheld in court.Known as Title X, the federal family planning program has been in place for 50 years. It makes available about $286 million annually in grants that support clinics serving mainly low-income women. Those clinics, which provide birth control and basic health care services, have been whipsawed by Trump-era battles over ideology and by the impact of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">the coronavirus pandemic</a>&nbsp;on health services providers. Before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/9e62021bcde04e69aa2ffc2e70a60f8f">exiting the program in 2019</a>, Planned Parenthood and its affiliates served an estimated 40% of the patients.Though by law federal family planning money could not be used to pay for abortions, religious conservatives long regarded the program as a form of indirect subsidy to Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest provider of abortions. Former President Donald Trump counted on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-race-and-ethnicity-elections-7433585aae55ea0cadd9ea5f0eb00a62">religious conservatives</a>&nbsp;as a cornerstone of his political base and acceded to their demands on a range of women’s health issues.Besides banning abortion referrals, his administration required federally funded clinics to financially and physically separate themselves from facilities that provide abortions. Abortion counseling was designated as an optional instead of a standard practice, and limits were placed on which staff members could discuss abortion with patients, among other requirements. Pregnant women were supposed to be referred for prenatal counseling even if they did not want it.The Biden administration estimated that as a result of the Trump policy changes, the program serves about 1.5 million fewer women a year, a 37% reduction from the average caseload from 2016-18. HHS also estimated that the Trump policies may have led to up to 180,000 unintended pregnancies.The department said its proposed rule reversal will restore the program to how it ran under President Barack Obama, when clinics were able to refer women seeking abortions to a provider.“Ultimately, continued enforcement of the 2019 rule raises the possibility of a two-tiered health care system in which those with insurance and full access to health care receive full medical information and referrals, while low-income populations with fewer opportunities for care are relegated to inferior access,” HHS said in a statement. “This situation creates a widespread public health concern.”Planned Parenthood’s president, Alexis McGill Johnson, said her organization could be participating in the program again some time next year, if the Biden rule is finalized as expected. HHS said clinics that left the program will gradually return, and Title X should again be serving about 4 million clients within a couple of years.McGill Johnson said Biden must not only restore the program, but improve it. “What is most important is a kind of double-down commitment to really ensuring expanded access to care,” she said in an interview.Release of the proposed regulations was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-medication-abortion-coronavirus-pandemic-covid-19-pandemic-1bd5c161f8e0f9f80e98b63002f50d37">the second blow to abortion opponents this week</a>&nbsp;from the administration. On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration said women would not be required to visit a doctor’s office to get a prescription for an abortion pill for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic and instead could safely rely on telehealth.The head of a national group that works to elect candidates opposed to abortion said the administration is rewarding Planned Parenthood for its political support. “Coming on the heels of the Biden FDA’s refusal to enforce safety regulations on dangerous abortion drugs, plus Biden’s efforts to undermine the Supreme Court, their latest push to bail out the abortion industry proves there is no rule they won’t rewrite or simply ignore to get their way,” Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, said in a statement.But the American Medical Association welcomed the shift, saying the Trump policy “inappropriately interfered with the patient-physician relationship and jeopardized safe access to reproductive care.”The rule reversal on family planning clinics is proceeding alongside&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-ruth-bader-ginsburg-abortion-reproductive-rights-courts-cb3720593bd6bd6bd6546c3b80a4eb15">litigation over the Trump administration policy</a>, now before the Supreme Court. In that case, the justices agreed to hear a challenge to the rules Biden is now trying to unravel. The Biden administration and medical groups that filed the challenge are asking the court to dismiss the case, but Republican state attorneys general want to proceed. The court has yet to say what it will do.The 1970 law that created the family planning program stipulated that taxpayer money may not be used “where abortion is a method of family planning.”Abortion rights supporters and opponents have argued for decades about whether counseling a patient about abortion or referring a patient to a different provider for an abortion violates that language.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">Abortion</a>&nbsp;remains a legal medical procedure, though improved access to birth control in recent years has led to a significant decline.The Biden administration’s rule must go through a notice-and-comment period and additional review before being finalized, which can take several months.

Pres. Biden begins to undo ban on abortion referrals

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 541 to a total of 305,861, the state health department reported Friday afternoon.&nbsp;

Total coronavirus deaths were reported at 4953, an increase of 9.

<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a> about the COVID-19 vaccine.

<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 541 to a total of 305,861, the state health department reported Friday afternoon.&nbsp;Total coronavirus deaths were reported at 4953, an increase of 9.<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a> about the COVID-19 vaccine.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618594469884.png" alt="Friday April 16, 2021 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Friday April 16, 2021 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A 12-year-old boy who was shot and killed near a Leavenworth pharmacy was an innocent bystander, Police Chief Pat Kitchens said.

Brian Henderson Jr., of Kansas City, Missouri, died after the shooting Wednesday night near the Kare Pharmacy, police said.

Police responding to calls about shots fired did not find any victims at the scene. Witnesses said several shots were fired at a black Volkswagon Jetta sedan by a suspect in the parking lot before the suspects fled.

Kansas City, Missouri, police later notified Leavenworth officials that Henderson had died from gunshot wounds after being taken to a Kansas City hospital.

“It’s very clear that this young person was perfectly innocent, in the wrong place at the wrong time and suffered a terrible loss of life here."

The Leavenworth County prosecutor has charged Darvon Thomas, 25, with first-degree felony murder. A 17-year-old is also charged with murder and firing into an occupied vehicle. A 15-year-old was arrested but has not yet been charged.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618591549655.png" alt="The Leavenworth County prosecutor has charged Darvon Thomas, 25, with first-degree felony murder-photo Leavenworth Co. Jail" />
 <figcaption>The Leavenworth County prosecutor has charged Darvon Thomas, 25, with first-degree felony murder-photo Leavenworth Co. Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A 12-year-old boy who was shot and killed near a Leavenworth pharmacy was an innocent bystander, Police Chief Pat Kitchens said.Brian Henderson Jr., of Kansas City, Missouri, died after the shooting Wednesday night near the Kare Pharmacy, police said.Police responding to calls about shots fired did not find any victims at the scene. Witnesses said several shots were fired at a black Volkswagon Jetta sedan by a suspect in the parking lot before the suspects fled.Kansas City, Missouri, police later notified Leavenworth officials that Henderson had died from gunshot wounds after being taken to a Kansas City hospital.“It’s very clear that this young person was perfectly innocent, in the wrong place at the wrong time and suffered a terrible loss of life here."The Leavenworth County prosecutor has charged Darvon Thomas, 25, with first-degree felony murder. A 17-year-old is also charged with murder and firing into an occupied vehicle. A 15-year-old was arrested but has not yet been charged.

Police ID 12-year-old shot, killed in Leavenworth

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A 20-year-old Wichita man who died in the Dec. 7, 1941, attack at Pearl Harbor will be buried in his native state in May.

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency said Thursday it had identified the remains of <a href="https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/News-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Article/2499166/uss-oklahoma-sailor-accounted-for-from-world-war-ii-goodwin-r/">Navy 3rd Class Cook Robert Goodwin.</a> He was aboard the USS Oklahoma when it was hit by multiple torpedoes during the attack by the Japanese.

Goodwin was among 429 crewmen aboard the ship that died in the attack, which killed a total of 2,400 Americans and thrust the U.S. into World War II.

His remains were identified in November using “dental and anthropological analysis” as well as mitochondrial DNA, according to the DPAA. A burial service is planned for him on May 14 in Topeka.

Goodwin’s remains were among those buried in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu before they were exhumed for analysis.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618585943685.png" alt="Robert Goodwin photo courtesy Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency" />
 <figcaption>Robert Goodwin photo courtesy Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A 20-year-old Wichita man who died in the Dec. 7, 1941, attack at Pearl Harbor will be buried in his native state in May.The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency said Thursday it had identified the remains of <a href="https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/News-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Article/2499166/uss-oklahoma-sailor-accounted-for-from-world-war-ii-goodwin-r/">Navy 3rd Class Cook Robert Goodwin.</a> He was aboard the USS Oklahoma when it was hit by multiple torpedoes during the attack by the Japanese.Goodwin was among 429 crewmen aboard the ship that died in the attack, which killed a total of 2,400 Americans and thrust the U.S. into World War II.His remains were identified in November using “dental and anthropological analysis” as well as mitochondrial DNA, according to the DPAA. A burial service is planned for him on May 14 in Topeka.Goodwin’s remains were among those buried in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu before they were exhumed for analysis.

Remains of Kan. man who died at Pearl Harbor identified

HARRISONVILLE, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City man has been found guilty of killing two women a decade apart and burying their bodies near each other in a field in western Missouri.

Kylr Yust was convicted Thursday of voluntary manslaughter in the death of Kara Kopetsky, 17, of Belton, and of second-degree murder in the death of Jessica Runions, 21, of Raymore.

Yust had been charged with first-degree murder in the deaths. The jury deliberated for more than 14 hours. Sentencing is set for Friday morning.

Runions left a party in Grandview with Yust before she disappeared in September 2016. Kopetsky filed a protection order against Yust in April 2007, a month before she was last seen leaving Belton High School. A mushroom hunter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/a5ab3e00dba34407a798be48a5a012aa">found their bodies</a>&nbsp;in a field in Cass County south of Kansas City in April 2017.

Prosecutors argued during the trial that Yust was a violent man who killed the women because they rejected him and he didn’t want them to be with other men. Yust’s attorneys contended investigators didn’t consider other suspects and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article250661679.html" target="_blank">said no physical evidence connected Yust to the killings</a>.

The Runions and Kopetsky families had said before the verdict that they wouldn’t comment until after sentencing. Yust’s defense lawyers declined to comment as they left the courthouse Thursday evening, according to local TV reports.

The sentence for voluntary manslaughter is five to 15 years in prison. The sentence for second-degree murder is 10 to 30 years or life in prison.

In closing arguments Wednesday, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Julie Tolle told jurors that common sense and reason point to Yust being guilty of first-degree murder in the women’s deaths. She said defense arguments — including Yust’s testimony — are “just not reasonable."

She called Yust an “obsessive, jealous, pathetic boyfriend” who could not handle getting dumped. Yust confessed to six people but he now expects jurors to believe they all made it up, Tolle said.

One of Yust’s attorneys, Sharon Turlington, said the prosecution case against Yust was not supported by any proof, arguing that the lack of physical evidence, the timelines presented by prosecutors and earlier witness statements supported his innocence.

“Somehow Kylr is supposed to have pulled off two murders without leaving a trace,” Turlington said, later saying there is no DNA linking Yust to either crime.

Yust, 32, testified on Wednesday that he did not kill the women, and accused his half-brother, Jessup Carter, in their deaths.

“I didn’t do anything to either of them.” he said.

In 2018, Carter died by suicide while he was being held in the Jackson County jail on a charge of second-degree arson. Yust testified that he believed Carter, 32, killed himself because Yust pleaded not guilty in Kopetsky’s and Runions’ deaths.

Tolle questioned Yust about why he had not accused Carter in the killings until Wednesday. He replied that he told one of his attorneys his theory years ago and she was representing him for free because she believed him.

Tolle said Yust must be the “most unlucky guy in the world” because two of his former girlfriends had gone missing.

“Anyone who has a brother who is a serial killer is unlucky,” Yust responded.

In the years after Kopetsky disappeared, Yust told several people that he had killed her because she wanted to end their on-and-off relationship. Prosecutors played a tape during the trial on which could be heard telling an ex-girlfriend, Katelynn Farris, that he killed Kopetsky.

Farris was wearing a wire at the time under the supervision of the FBI.

Yust testified Wednesday that he thought Farris was attracted to him because he was suspected of murder, and he was reacting to her attraction.

“I was just at a really low point in my life and I wanted to get her attention,” he said.

Yust also confessed in a phone call from jail to his mother, which he said Wednesday was done out of spite toward her and exhaustion over defending his innocence.

“At one point, I remember thinking: ‘I might as well just, I mean I’m going to get blamed. My whole life is a freaking wreck,’” Yust said. “This is happening all over again but even worse. I just remember at a couple points I was like: ‘Well screw it. I might as well be famous.’”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576707396150.png" alt="Then 21-year-old Jessica Runions disappeared in 2016, last seen leaving a house party. Her car was found burned the next day. photo KC Police" />
 <figcaption>Then 21-year-old Jessica Runions disappeared in 2016, last seen leaving a house party. Her car was found burned the next day. photo KC Police</figcaption>
 </figure>HARRISONVILLE, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City man has been found guilty of killing two women a decade apart and burying their bodies near each other in a field in western Missouri.Kylr Yust was convicted Thursday of voluntary manslaughter in the death of Kara Kopetsky, 17, of Belton, and of second-degree murder in the death of Jessica Runions, 21, of Raymore.Yust had been charged with first-degree murder in the deaths. The jury deliberated for more than 14 hours. Sentencing is set for Friday morning.Runions left a party in Grandview with Yust before she disappeared in September 2016. Kopetsky filed a protection order against Yust in April 2007, a month before she was last seen leaving Belton High School. A mushroom hunter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/a5ab3e00dba34407a798be48a5a012aa">found their bodies</a>&nbsp;in a field in Cass County south of Kansas City in April 2017.Prosecutors argued during the trial that Yust was a violent man who killed the women because they rejected him and he didn’t want them to be with other men. Yust’s attorneys contended investigators didn’t consider other suspects and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article250661679.html" target="_blank">said no physical evidence connected Yust to the killings</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/9/1567616156500.png" alt="Yust photo Cass County" />
 <figcaption>Yust photo Cass County</figcaption>
 </figure>The Runions and Kopetsky families had said before the verdict that they wouldn’t comment until after sentencing. Yust’s defense lawyers declined to comment as they left the courthouse Thursday evening, according to local TV reports.The sentence for voluntary manslaughter is five to 15 years in prison. The sentence for second-degree murder is 10 to 30 years or life in prison.In closing arguments Wednesday, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Julie Tolle told jurors that common sense and reason point to Yust being guilty of first-degree murder in the women’s deaths. She said defense arguments — including Yust’s testimony — are “just not reasonable."She called Yust an “obsessive, jealous, pathetic boyfriend” who could not handle getting dumped. Yust confessed to six people but he now expects jurors to believe they all made it up, Tolle said.One of Yust’s attorneys, Sharon Turlington, said the prosecution case against Yust was not supported by any proof, arguing that the lack of physical evidence, the timelines presented by prosecutors and earlier witness statements supported his innocence.“Somehow Kylr is supposed to have pulled off two murders without leaving a trace,” Turlington said, later saying there is no DNA linking Yust to either crime.Yust, 32, testified on Wednesday that he did not kill the women, and accused his half-brother, Jessup Carter, in their deaths.“I didn’t do anything to either of them.” he said.In 2018, Carter died by suicide while he was being held in the Jackson County jail on a charge of second-degree arson. Yust testified that he believed Carter, 32, killed himself because Yust pleaded not guilty in Kopetsky’s and Runions’ deaths.Tolle questioned Yust about why he had not accused Carter in the killings until Wednesday. He replied that he told one of his attorneys his theory years ago and she was representing him for free because she believed him.Tolle said Yust must be the “most unlucky guy in the world” because two of his former girlfriends had gone missing.“Anyone who has a brother who is a serial killer is unlucky,” Yust responded.In the years after Kopetsky disappeared, Yust told several people that he had killed her because she wanted to end their on-and-off relationship. Prosecutors played a tape during the trial on which could be heard telling an ex-girlfriend, Katelynn Farris, that he killed Kopetsky.Farris was wearing a wire at the time under the supervision of the FBI.Yust testified Wednesday that he thought Farris was attracted to him because he was suspected of murder, and he was reacting to her attraction.“I was just at a really low point in my life and I wanted to get her attention,” he said.Yust also confessed in a phone call from jail to his mother, which he said Wednesday was done out of spite toward her and exhaustion over defending his innocence.“At one point, I remember thinking: ‘I might as well just, I mean I’m going to get blamed. My whole life is a freaking wreck,’” Yust said. “This is happening all over again but even worse. I just remember at a couple points I was like: ‘Well screw it. I might as well be famous.’”

Kansas City man convicted in 2 women’s deaths decade apart

WASHINGTON (AP) — A group of congressional Democrats introduced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.markey.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/judiciary_act_of_2021.pdf" target="_blank">legislation</a>&nbsp;Thursday to add four seats to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/institution.aspx" target="_blank">Supreme Court</a>, a long-shot bid designed to counter the court’s rightward tilt during the Trump administration and criticized by Republicans as a potential power grab that would reduce the public’s trust in the judiciary.

President Joe Biden last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-ruth-bader-ginsburg-amy-coney-barrett-judiciary-8734750b75318ed429bf206e2a8af6d1">created a commission</a>&nbsp;to spend the next six months examining the politically incendiary issues of expanding the court and instituting term limits for justices.

The fight over the composition of the nine-member court has become increasingly contentious over the past two decades, with fierce battles over nominees and acrimonious debates about the politicization of the judicial branch.

But the bill’s introduction had an inauspicious start. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said she might not bring it up for a vote if it advanced out of committee and Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, was noncommittal as well.

Democratic lawmakers and groups supporting the court expansion bill gathered on the steps of the Supreme Court to make their case.

“Some people say we’re packing the court. We’re not packing it. We’re unpacking it,” said the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep, Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y. He said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and the GOP had “packed the court over the last couple of years. This is a reaction to that. It’s a necessary step in the evolution of the court.”

Inside the Capitol, Durbin, made clear that he wanted to wait for the White House’s 36-member commission to report its findings before deciding on a course of action.

“I’m not ready to sign on yet,” Durbin said. “I think this commission of Biden’s is the right move. Let’s think this through carefully. This is historic.”

Pelosi was even more dismissive. The prospect of an expanded Supreme Court is a campaign issue that Republicans will focus on as they target swing districts in their bid to retake the majority. Even before the bill’s introduction, state GOP parties were drawing attention to the effort in an attempt to link vulnerable Democratic members to it.

“I have no plans to bring it to the floor,” Pelosi told reporters.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden would wait for the commission’s work to “play out,” before taking a position on the matter.

Republicans quickly jumped in to the debate. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said in a SiriusXM radio interview that no matter what issue comes up this Congress, “this has got to be the most important because, remember, it’s taking over an entire branch of government.”

McConnell quoted the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who warned before her death that adding justices to the Supreme Court would make it appear partisan and that “nine seems to be a good number.”

“But the farthest-left activists aren’t interested in the common good. They want power,” McConnell said.

Supporters of expanding the court say Republicans gained an unfair advantage by blocking President Barack Obama’s 2016 nomination of Merrick Garland, a federal appeals judge at the time who is now Biden’s attorney general, under the rationale that it was a presidential election year and the voters should decide. McConnell refused to hold hearings on filling the vacancy after Justice Antonin Scalia’s death, even though the November election was months away.

Last year, McConnell and the Republican-controlled Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, to fill Ginsburg’s seat just days before the presidential election, securing a likely conservative majority for years to come.

In their news conference on the Supreme Court steps, the authors and co-sponsors of the legislation framed the proposed expansion as a necessary progression to keep up with a growing nation and a growing case workload. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., said the court expanded on seven occasions prior to the Civil War, “leaving us today with the historical oddity of 13 circuit courts of appeal and only nine justices.”

Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., went right to the anger and frustration that so many Democrats have with the judicial conformation process under Trump and McConnell’s stewardship.

“The Republicans stole two seats on the Supreme Court and now it is up to us to repair that damage,” Markey said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618533579747.png" alt="Democratic lawmakers and groups supporting the court expansion bill gathered on the steps of the Supreme Court Thursday to make their case. image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Democratic lawmakers and groups supporting the court expansion bill gathered on the steps of the Supreme Court Thursday to make their case. image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A group of congressional Democrats introduced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.markey.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/judiciary_act_of_2021.pdf" target="_blank">legislation</a>&nbsp;Thursday to add four seats to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/institution.aspx" target="_blank">Supreme Court</a>, a long-shot bid designed to counter the court’s rightward tilt during the Trump administration and criticized by Republicans as a potential power grab that would reduce the public’s trust in the judiciary.President Joe Biden last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-ruth-bader-ginsburg-amy-coney-barrett-judiciary-8734750b75318ed429bf206e2a8af6d1">created a commission</a>&nbsp;to spend the next six months examining the politically incendiary issues of expanding the court and instituting term limits for justices.The fight over the composition of the nine-member court has become increasingly contentious over the past two decades, with fierce battles over nominees and acrimonious debates about the politicization of the judicial branch.But the bill’s introduction had an inauspicious start. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said she might not bring it up for a vote if it advanced out of committee and Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, was noncommittal as well.Democratic lawmakers and groups supporting the court expansion bill gathered on the steps of the Supreme Court to make their case.“Some people say we’re packing the court. We’re not packing it. We’re unpacking it,” said the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep, Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y. He said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and the GOP had “packed the court over the last couple of years. This is a reaction to that. It’s a necessary step in the evolution of the court.”Inside the Capitol, Durbin, made clear that he wanted to wait for the White House’s 36-member commission to report its findings before deciding on a course of action.“I’m not ready to sign on yet,” Durbin said. “I think this commission of Biden’s is the right move. Let’s think this through carefully. This is historic.”Pelosi was even more dismissive. The prospect of an expanded Supreme Court is a campaign issue that Republicans will focus on as they target swing districts in their bid to retake the majority. Even before the bill’s introduction, state GOP parties were drawing attention to the effort in an attempt to link vulnerable Democratic members to it.“I have no plans to bring it to the floor,” Pelosi told reporters.White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden would wait for the commission’s work to “play out,” before taking a position on the matter.Republicans quickly jumped in to the debate. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said in a SiriusXM radio interview that no matter what issue comes up this Congress, “this has got to be the most important because, remember, it’s taking over an entire branch of government.”McConnell quoted the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who warned before her death that adding justices to the Supreme Court would make it appear partisan and that “nine seems to be a good number.”“But the farthest-left activists aren’t interested in the common good. They want power,” McConnell said.Supporters of expanding the court say Republicans gained an unfair advantage by blocking President Barack Obama’s 2016 nomination of Merrick Garland, a federal appeals judge at the time who is now Biden’s attorney general, under the rationale that it was a presidential election year and the voters should decide. McConnell refused to hold hearings on filling the vacancy after Justice Antonin Scalia’s death, even though the November election was months away.Last year, McConnell and the Republican-controlled Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, to fill Ginsburg’s seat just days before the presidential election, securing a likely conservative majority for years to come.In their news conference on the Supreme Court steps, the authors and co-sponsors of the legislation framed the proposed expansion as a necessary progression to keep up with a growing nation and a growing case workload. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., said the court expanded on seven occasions prior to the Civil War, “leaving us today with the historical oddity of 13 circuit courts of appeal and only nine justices.”Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., went right to the anger and frustration that so many Democrats have with the judicial conformation process under Trump and McConnell’s stewardship.“The Republicans stole two seats on the Supreme Court and now it is up to us to repair that damage,” Markey said.___

Democrats introduce bill to expand the Supreme Court

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an aggravated battery incident involving two Kansas men.

Just after 11:12 a.m. Thursday, police responded to a shooting call in the area of Kellogg and Meridian, according to officer Paul Cruz. Upon arrival, officers contacted the 29-year-old man who reported being involved in a road rage incident in the area of Kellogg and Meridian, which resulted in a shot being fired.

The 29-year-old reported that he became involved in a road rage incident with another unknown male driver while traveling westbound on Kellogg. 

The unknown man brandished a handgun during the incident and fired one shot, striking the 29-year-old's car window.

The driver also received minor injuries to his hand, which was caused by broken glass, according to Cruz. Officers located and contacted the 34-year-old man, who was identified as the other driver in the incident.

Detectives are working to determine the circumstances surrounding this incident.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618526052449.png" alt="The unknown suspect brandished a handgun during the incident and fired one shot, striking the victim's car window. Photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>The unknown suspect brandished a handgun during the incident and fired one shot, striking the victim's car window. Photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an aggravated battery incident involving two Kansas men.Just after 11:12 a.m. Thursday, police responded to a shooting call in the area of Kellogg and Meridian, according to officer Paul Cruz. Upon arrival, officers contacted the 29-year-old man who reported being involved in a road rage incident in the area of Kellogg and Meridian, which resulted in a shot being fired.The 29-year-old reported that he became involved in a road rage incident with another unknown male driver while traveling westbound on Kellogg. The unknown man brandished a handgun during the incident and fired one shot, striking the 29-year-old's car window.The driver also received minor injuries to his hand, which was caused by broken glass, according to Cruz. Officers located and contacted the 34-year-old man, who was identified as the other driver in the incident.Detectives are working to determine the circumstances surrounding this incident.

Driver injured after Kansas road-rage shooting

EDWARDS COUNTY —A Kansas man died in an accident just before 10p.m. Thursday in Edwards County.

The Kansas Highway&nbsp; Patrol reported a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 driven by Brandon S. Reese, 31, Haysville, was&nbsp;eastbound on U.S. 50. just west of Lewis.

The pickup&nbsp; left the roadway, entered the south ditch, rolled multiple times and the driver was ejected.

EDWARDS COUNTY —A Kansas man died in an accident just before 10p.m. Thursday in Edwards County.The Kansas Highway&nbsp; Patrol reported a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 driven by Brandon S. Reese, 31, Haysville, was&nbsp;eastbound on U.S. 50. just west of Lewis.The pickup&nbsp; left the roadway, entered the south ditch, rolled multiple times and the driver was ejected.Reese was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;McKillip Funeral Home. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.