FINNEY COUNTY — Law enforcement in southwest Kansas are investigating a deadly stabbing at a party in Garden City and have made two arrests.&nbsp;

Just before 3a.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to report of a stabbing in the 2600 block of Chainey Street in Garden City, according to a media release.

First responders found three people had been stabbed. The victims were transported to St. Catherine Hospital.&nbsp; One of the victims, identified as Xavier Castaneda, 20, later died. 

Through a collaborative investigation by the GCPD and Finney County Sheriff’s Office, it was revealed that a fight broke out during a party and&nbsp; 20-year-old&nbsp;Fernando Sandoval stabbed the three victims.

 Sandoval and 21-year-old&nbsp;Ximena Sanchez-Espinoza fled the scene before law enforcement arrived. 

Sandoval and Sanchez-Espinoza were later located in Hugoton and taken into custody, with the assistance of the Hugoton Police Department and Dodge City Police Department.

Sandoval is being held in the Finney County Jail on requested charges of Murder in the Second Degree, multiple counts of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, and multiple counts of Aggravated Battery.

Sanchez-Espinoza is being held in the Finney County jail on a requested charge of Obstruction. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722864997643.png" alt="Sandoval photo Finney County" />
 <figcaption>Sandoval photo Finney County</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY — Law enforcement in southwest Kansas are investigating a deadly stabbing at a party in Garden City and have made two arrests.&nbsp;Just before 3a.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to report of a stabbing in the 2600 block of Chainey Street in Garden City, according to a media release.First responders found three people had been stabbed. The victims were transported to St. Catherine Hospital.&nbsp; One of the victims, identified as Xavier Castaneda, 20, later died. Through a collaborative investigation by the GCPD and Finney County Sheriff’s Office, it was revealed that a fight broke out during a party and&nbsp; 20-year-old&nbsp;Fernando Sandoval stabbed the three victims. Sandoval and 21-year-old&nbsp;Ximena Sanchez-Espinoza fled the scene before law enforcement arrived. Sandoval and Sanchez-Espinoza were later located in Hugoton and taken into custody, with the assistance of the Hugoton Police Department and Dodge City Police Department.Sandoval is being held in the Finney County Jail on requested charges of Murder in the Second Degree, multiple counts of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, and multiple counts of Aggravated Battery.Sanchez-Espinoza is being held in the Finney County jail on a requested charge of Obstruction.

Police ID victim in deadly SW Kansas party stabbing

MONTGOMERY COUNTY —A Kansas man remains jailed for altercation that led to a man's death.

On July 26, police issued a warrant for the arrest of 41-year-old Ryan J. McCullough of Neodesha in connection with the death of 63-year-old David L. Wintjen of Coffeyville, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office.

On May 5, McCullough was involved in an altercation with Wintjen who died a few days later, according to the sheriff's office. After a thorough investigation by Coffeyville police, authorities made an arrest.

McCullough remains jailed on charges of Murder in the 2nd degree.Unintentional but reckless, Aggravated battery and Knowingly cause great bodily harm or disfigurement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722425559031.png" alt="McCullough-photo Montgomery Co." />
 <figcaption>McCullough-photo Montgomery Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>MONTGOMERY COUNTY —A Kansas man remains jailed for altercation that led to a man's death.On July 26, police issued a warrant for the arrest of 41-year-old Ryan J. McCullough of Neodesha in connection with the death of 63-year-old David L. Wintjen of Coffeyville, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office.On May 5, McCullough was involved in an altercation with Wintjen who died a few days later, according to the sheriff's office. After a thorough investigation by Coffeyville police, authorities made an arrest.McCullough remains jailed on charges of Murder in the 2nd degree.Unintentional but reckless, Aggravated battery and Knowingly cause great bodily harm or disfigurement.

Kansas man accused of altercation that led to man's death

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.

On April 19, police responded to a disturbance at 32nd and Brighton in Kansas City, according to Jackson County Sheriff Daryl Forte'.

First responders found a man suffering from trauma. He was transported to the hospital where he remained until he died.&nbsp; On Friday, police ruled the death was a homicide, according to Forte'.

Police have released suspect details or reported an arrest.

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.On April 19, police responded to a disturbance at 32nd and Brighton in Kansas City, according to Jackson County Sheriff Daryl Forte'.First responders found a man suffering from trauma. He was transported to the hospital where he remained until he died.&nbsp; On Friday, police ruled the death was a homicide, according to Forte'.Police have released suspect details or reported an arrest.

KCPD: Man's death in April now ruled a homicide

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man who admitted stealing and destroying a Jackie Robinson statue from a Wichita Park was sentenced Friday afternoon.

&nbsp;Judge Tyler Roush sentenced 45-year-old Ricky Alderete of Wichita, to 15-years in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;&nbsp;The judge imposed a sentence of 162 months on one count of Aggravated Burglary and 18 months on one count of Aggravated Criminal Damage to property in connection with the destruction of the Jackie Robinson statute for a total of 180 months or 15-years in prison.

In May, Alderete pled guilty to the theft of the statue from League 42, according to the district attorney's office.

On January 26, police learned the statue was cut at the ankles to be removed. All that remained of the statue were Robinson's feet.&nbsp;

Alerete, who was in custody after an arrest on&nbsp;February 1, for a probation violation, burglary, kidnapping and criminal damage to property unrelated to the theft of the statue,&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=251468">according to online jail records</a>&nbsp;was charged with the crime.

Wichita police detectives conducted over 100 interviews both within and outside Sedgwick County to resolve the case.

On January 28, officers from the Wichita Police Department Field Community Response Team located a suspect vehicle used in the theft, unoccupied, at an apartment complex in Wichita.

On January 30, the Wichita Fire Department discovered parts of the statue in a trash can at Garvey Park while responding to a fire call.

The investigation has not revealed any evidence indicating that this was a hate-motivated crime, instead, police believe this theft was motivated by the financial gain of scrapping common metal, according to Moses.&nbsp;

Alderete has been the only suspect apprehended in the statue’s destruction.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707844320270.png" alt="Alderete photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Alderete photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man who admitted stealing and destroying a Jackie Robinson statue from a Wichita Park was sentenced Friday afternoon.&nbsp;Judge Tyler Roush sentenced 45-year-old Ricky Alderete of Wichita, to 15-years in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;&nbsp;The judge imposed a sentence of 162 months on one count of Aggravated Burglary and 18 months on one count of Aggravated Criminal Damage to property in connection with the destruction of the Jackie Robinson statute for a total of 180 months or 15-years in prison.In May, Alderete pled guilty to the theft of the statue from League 42, according to the district attorney's office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706214143377.png" alt="Photo City of Wichita" />
 <figcaption>Photo City of Wichita</figcaption>
 </figure>On January 26, police learned the statue was cut at the ankles to be removed. All that remained of the statue were Robinson's feet.&nbsp;Alerete, who was in custody after an arrest on&nbsp;February 1, for a probation violation, burglary, kidnapping and criminal damage to property unrelated to the theft of the statue,&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=251468">according to online jail records</a>&nbsp;was charged with the crime.Wichita police detectives conducted over 100 interviews both within and outside Sedgwick County to resolve the case.On January 28, officers from the Wichita Police Department Field Community Response Team located a suspect vehicle used in the theft, unoccupied, at an apartment complex in Wichita.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706641670170.png" alt="-Parts of the burned statue found in a trash bin-photo courtesy KAKE" />
 <figcaption>-Parts of the burned statue found in a trash bin-photo courtesy KAKE</figcaption>
 </figure>On January 30, the Wichita Fire Department discovered parts of the statue in a trash can at Garvey Park while responding to a fire call.The investigation has not revealed any evidence indicating that this was a hate-motivated crime, instead, police believe this theft was motivated by the financial gain of scrapping common metal, according to Moses.&nbsp;Alderete has been the only suspect apprehended in the statue’s destruction.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Prison for Kan. man who stole Jackie Robinson statue from park

SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is assisting the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office in the investigation after two bodies were located near the 300 Block of River Road in rural Sumner County, according to Sedgwick County Sheriff's Lt. Nathan Gibbs.&nbsp; &nbsp;In May, the Sheriff’s Office reported they identified several suspects in the case. Authorities have not reported an arrest and detectives are waiting for some information to come back, according to Gibbs.

 One of the bodies was located on May 10,&nbsp; the other on May 13.&nbsp; Both bodies were transported to the Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center for further testing and examination. &nbsp;

On May 17, the sheriff's office received confirmation through DNA testing on the identities of the two deceased individuals as 30-year-old Monica R. Williams and 24-year-old Kevin M. Ledesma. Both had been reporteed missing and were last seen&nbsp;at a residence in the 9500 block South Hydraulic in Wichita on January 1, 2024. The sheriff's office also reported there were homicide victims.

The circumstances in which Williams and Ledesma were killed remains under investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715979738614.png" alt="Williams photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Williams photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is assisting the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office in the investigation after two bodies were located near the 300 Block of River Road in rural Sumner County, according to Sedgwick County Sheriff's Lt. Nathan Gibbs.&nbsp; &nbsp;In May, the Sheriff’s Office reported they identified several suspects in the case. Authorities have not reported an arrest and detectives are waiting for some information to come back, according to Gibbs. One of the bodies was located on May 10,&nbsp; the other on May 13.&nbsp; Both bodies were transported to the Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center for further testing and examination. &nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715980197399.png" alt="Kevin Ledesma-photo Kansas Dept. of Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Kevin Ledesma-photo Kansas Dept. of Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>On May 17, the sheriff's office received confirmation through DNA testing on the identities of the two deceased individuals as 30-year-old Monica R. Williams and 24-year-old Kevin M. Ledesma. Both had been reporteed missing and were last seen&nbsp;at a residence in the 9500 block South Hydraulic in Wichita on January 1, 2024. The sheriff's office also reported there were homicide victims.The circumstances in which Williams and Ledesma were killed remains under investigation.

Still no arrests 2 months after bodies found in rural Kansas

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States and Russia completed their biggest prisoner swap in post-Soviet history on Thursday, with Moscow releasing journalist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/evan-gershkovich">Evan Gershkovich</a>&nbsp;and fellow American&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/paul-whelan">Paul Whelan</a>, along with dissidents including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vladimir-kara-murza-pulitzer-commentary-column-writing-db7f9cf85d5843c99f287bb240d52389">Vladimir Kara-Murza</a>, in a multinational deal that set two dozen people free.

Gershkovich, Whelan and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-kurmasheva-crackdown-journalist-rferl-7a9bfe693edbfc8dd222e24d9baac46e">Alsu Kurmasheva</a>, a journalist with dual U.S.-Russia citizenship, arrived on American soil shortly before midnight for a joyful reunion with their families. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris also were at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland to greet them and dispense hugs all around.

The trade unfolded despite relations between Washington and Moscow being at their lowest point since the Cold War after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-joe-biden-business-europe-moscow-e88497e7e8d4ad178057b599cc9ec8f6">February 2022 invasion of Ukraine</a>.

Negotiators in backchannel talks at one point explored an exchange involving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-navalny-prison-death-swap-ce214909b1088a1d67fa9cd323864f50">Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny</a>, but after his death in February ultimately stitched together a 24-person deal that required significant concessions from European allies, including the release of a Russian assassin, and secured freedom for a cluster of journalists, suspected spies, political prisoners and others.

Biden trumpeted the exchange, by far the largest in a series of swaps with Russia, as a diplomatic feat while welcoming families of the returning Americans to the White House. But the deal, like others before it, reflected an innate imbalance: The U.S. and allies gave up Russians charged or convicted of serious crimes in exchange for Russia releasing journalists, dissidents and others imprisoned by the country's highly politicized legal system on charges seen by the West as trumped-up.

“Deals like this one come with tough calls,” Biden said. He added, “There’s nothing that matters more to me than protecting Americans at home and abroad.”

Under the deal, Russia released Gershkovich, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal who was jailed in 2023 and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/evan-gershkovich-russia-espionage-trial-ef2e9fffc44570cf797e97aa6afa50a1#:~:text=YEKATERINBURG%2C%20Russia%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94,government%20have%20rejected%20as%20fabricated.">convicted in July of espionage charges</a>&nbsp;that he and the U.S. government vehemently denied. His family said in a statement released by the newspaper that “we can't wait to give him the biggest hug and see his sweet and brave smile up close." The paper's editor-in-chief, Emma Tucker, called it a “joyous day.”

“While we waited for this momentous day, we were determined to be as loud as we could be on Evan’s behalf. We are so grateful for all the voices that were raised when his was silent. We can finally say, in unison, ‘Welcome home, Evan,’” she wrote in a letter posted online.

Also released was Whelan, a Michigan corporate security executive jailed since 2018, also on espionage charges he and Washington have denied, and Kurmasheva, a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist convicted in July of spreading false information about the Russian military, accusations her family and employer have rejected.

The three flew from Maryland to Texas and landed at Joint Base San Antonio early Friday to begin medical evaluations after spending some time with their family members. If they choose, they can receive treatment the military offers to wrongfully detained Americans.

The dissidents released included Kara-Murza, a Kremlin critic and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer serving 25 years on charges of treason widely seen as politically motivated, as well as multiple associates&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/alexei-navalny">of Navalny</a>. Freed Kremlin critics included Oleg Orlov, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-orlov-nobel-sentenced-8539517d8b2c846706607584ba5f9bbb">veteran human rights campaigner convicted of discrediting the Russian military</a>, and Ilya Yashin,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-prisoners-dissident-yashin-06e10d17e2552393b6c517e6022103cf">imprisoned for criticizing the war in Ukraine</a>.

The Russian side got&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/belarus-german-sentenced-krieger-lukashenko-krasikov-f7d3d4c18245487557623c27664aedaf">Vadim Krasikov</a>, who was convicted in Germany in 2021 and sentenced to life in prison for killing a former Chechen rebel in a Berlin park two years earlier, apparently on the orders of Moscow’s security services. Throughout the negotiations, Moscow had been persistent in pressing for his release, with Putin himself raising it.

At the time of Navalny's death, officials were discussing a possible exchange involving Krasikov. But with that prospect erased, senior U.S. officials, including national security adviser Jake Sullivan, made a fresh push to encourage Germany to release Krasikov. In the end, a handful of the prisoners Russia released were either German nationals or dual German-Russian nationals.

Russia also received two alleged sleeper agents jailed in Slovenia, as well as three men charged by federal authorities in the U.S., including Roman Seleznev,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-c5bac679915f486bab26861bd991bc61">a convicted computer hacker and the son of a Russian lawmaker</a>, and Vadim Konoshchenok, a suspected Russian intelligence operative accused of providing American-made electronics and ammunition to the Russian military. Norway returned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/norway-russia-brazilian-university-spy-1f93f5ddb7195f4b70fb394bf3403ef3">an academic arrested on suspicions of being a Russian spy</a>; Poland sent back a man it detained on espionage charges.

“Today is a powerful example of why it’s vital to have friends in this world,” Biden said.

All told, six countries released at least one prisoner and a seventh, Turkey, participated by hosting the location for the swap, in Ankara.

Biden placed securing the release of Americans held wrongfully overseas at the top of his foreign policy agenda for the six months before he leaves office. In an Oval Office address discussing his decision to drop his bid for a second term, Biden said, “We’re also working around the clock to bring home Americans being unjustly detained all around the world.”

At one point Thursday, he grabbed the hand of Whelan's sister, Elizabeth, and said she had practically been living at the White House as the administration tried to free Paul. He then motioned for Kurmasheva’s daughter, Miriam, to come closer and took her hand, telling the room it was her 13th birthday. He asked everyone to sing “Happy Birthday” with him. She wiped tears from her eyes.

The Biden administration has now brought home more than 70 Americans detained in other countries as part of deals that have required the U.S. to give up a broad array of convicted criminals, including for drug and weapons offenses. The swaps, though celebrated with fanfare, have spurred criticism that they incentivize future hostage-taking and give adversaries leverage over the U.S. and its allies.

The U.S. government's top hostage negotiator, Roger Carstens, has sought to defend the deals by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hostages-detainees-gershkovich-russia-venezuela-edeacd5736d0c9ce9c77bf68a6ccd7c8">saying the number of wrongfully detained Americans</a>&nbsp;has actually gone down even as swaps have increased.

Tucker, the Journal's editor-in-chief, acknowledged the debate, writing, “We know the U.S. government is keenly aware, as are we, that the only way to prevent a quickening cycle of arresting innocent people as pawns in cynical geopolitical games is to remove the incentive for Russia and other nations that pursue the same detestable practice."

Though she called for a change to the dynamic, “for now,” she wrote, “we are celebrating the return of Evan.”

Thursday’s swap of 24 prisoners surpassed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apnews.com/78e7f17b47bb445386bb36b92017a375/Spy-swap:-A-look-at-the-4-Russians-freed-in-2010-exchange">a deal involving 14 people</a>&nbsp;that was struck in 2010. In that exchange, Washington freed 10 Russians living in the U.S. as sleepers, while Moscow deported four Russians, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-acf8c155ad744f69aa5741177f0d9459">Sergei Skripal</a>, a double agent working with British intelligence. He and his daughter in 2018 were nearly killed in Britain by nerve agent poisoning blamed on Russian agents.

Speculation had mounted for weeks that a swap was near because of a confluence of unusual developments, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/evan-gershkovich-russia-espionage-trial-ef2e9fffc44570cf797e97aa6afa50a1#:~:text=YEKATERINBURG%2C%20Russia%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94,government%20have%20rejected%20as%20fabricated.">a startlingly quick trial for Gershkovich</a>, which Washington regarded as a sham. He was sentenced to 16 years in a maximum-security prison.

In a trial that concluded in two days in secrecy in the same week as Gershkovich’s,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-kurmasheva-crackdown-journalist-rferl-7a9bfe693edbfc8dd222e24d9baac46e">Kurmasheva was convicted</a>&nbsp;on charges of spreading false information about the Russian military that her family, employer and U.S. officials rejected. Also in recent days,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-prisoners-dissident-yashin-06e10d17e2552393b6c517e6022103cf">several other figures imprisoned</a>&nbsp;in Russia for speaking out against the war in Ukraine or over their work with Navalny were moved from prison to unknown locations.

Gershkovich was arrested March 29, 2023, while on a reporting trip to the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg. Authorities claimed, without offering any evidence, that he was gathering secret information for the U.S. The son of Soviet emigres who settled in New Jersey, he moved to Russia in 2017 to work for The Moscow Times newspaper before being hired by the Journal in 2022.

Gershkovich was designated as wrongfully detained, as was Whelan, who was detained in December 2018 after traveling to Russia for a wedding.

Whelan, who was serving a 16-year prison sentence, had been excluded from prior high-profile deals involving Russia, including the April 2022&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trevor-reed-russia-prisoner-marine-ukraine-bdfe9b245571f479c25a09d1872ac726">swap by Moscow of imprisoned Marine veteran Trevor Reed</a>&nbsp;for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot convicted in a drug trafficking conspiracy. That December, the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-freed-viktor-bout-swap-us-russia-ee51f5c14f35dc4d4cf21224a8e44eaa">released notorious arms trafficker Viktor Bout</a>&nbsp;in exchange for WNBA star Brittney Griner, who had been jailed on drug charges.

“Paul Whelan is free. Our family is grateful to the United States government for making Paul’s freedom a reality,” his family said in a statement.

On a warm and steamy night, the freed Americans lingered on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, soaking up the moment of their return to the U.S. They took selfies with family members and friends, shared hugs with Biden and Harris, and patted loved ones on the back and smothered them with kisses.

At one point, Biden gave Whelan the flag pin off his own lapel.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722592597964.png" alt="President Biden welcomes Paul Whelan home-image from White House video" />
 <figcaption>President Biden welcomes Paul Whelan home-image from White House video</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States and Russia completed their biggest prisoner swap in post-Soviet history on Thursday, with Moscow releasing journalist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/evan-gershkovich">Evan Gershkovich</a>&nbsp;and fellow American&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/paul-whelan">Paul Whelan</a>, along with dissidents including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vladimir-kara-murza-pulitzer-commentary-column-writing-db7f9cf85d5843c99f287bb240d52389">Vladimir Kara-Murza</a>, in a multinational deal that set two dozen people free.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Happening Now: President Biden and Vice President Harris greet Americans freed from Russia at Joint Base Andrews. <a href="https://t.co/Z1gP6RUAIW">https://t.co/Z1gP6RUAIW</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1819218084537761849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Gershkovich, Whelan and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-kurmasheva-crackdown-journalist-rferl-7a9bfe693edbfc8dd222e24d9baac46e">Alsu Kurmasheva</a>, a journalist with dual U.S.-Russia citizenship, arrived on American soil shortly before midnight for a joyful reunion with their families. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris also were at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland to greet them and dispense hugs all around.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today, three American citizens and one American green-card holder who were unjustly imprisoned in Russia are finally coming home. Since taking office, President Biden and Vice President Harris have made clear that they will not stop working until every American wrongfully… <a href="https://t.co/ZvVVC2TuIh">pic.twitter.com/ZvVVC2TuIh</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1819186562766389632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The trade unfolded despite relations between Washington and Moscow being at their lowest point since the Cold War after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-joe-biden-business-europe-moscow-e88497e7e8d4ad178057b599cc9ec8f6">February 2022 invasion of Ukraine</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722593277039.png" alt="President Biden welcomes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/evan-gershkovich">Evan Gershkovich</a>&nbsp;home-image from White House video" />
 <figcaption>President Biden welcomes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/evan-gershkovich">Evan Gershkovich</a>&nbsp;home-image from White House video</figcaption>
 </figure>Negotiators in backchannel talks at one point explored an exchange involving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-navalny-prison-death-swap-ce214909b1088a1d67fa9cd323864f50">Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny</a>, but after his death in February ultimately stitched together a 24-person deal that required significant concessions from European allies, including the release of a Russian assassin, and secured freedom for a cluster of journalists, suspected spies, political prisoners and others.Biden trumpeted the exchange, by far the largest in a series of swaps with Russia, as a diplomatic feat while welcoming families of the returning Americans to the White House. But the deal, like others before it, reflected an innate imbalance: The U.S. and allies gave up Russians charged or convicted of serious crimes in exchange for Russia releasing journalists, dissidents and others imprisoned by the country's highly politicized legal system on charges seen by the West as trumped-up.“Deals like this one come with tough calls,” Biden said. He added, “There’s nothing that matters more to me than protecting Americans at home and abroad.”Under the deal, Russia released Gershkovich, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal who was jailed in 2023 and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/evan-gershkovich-russia-espionage-trial-ef2e9fffc44570cf797e97aa6afa50a1#:~:text=YEKATERINBURG%2C%20Russia%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94,government%20have%20rejected%20as%20fabricated.">convicted in July of espionage charges</a>&nbsp;that he and the U.S. government vehemently denied. His family said in a statement released by the newspaper that “we can't wait to give him the biggest hug and see his sweet and brave smile up close." The paper's editor-in-chief, Emma Tucker, called it a “joyous day.”“While we waited for this momentous day, we were determined to be as loud as we could be on Evan’s behalf. We are so grateful for all the voices that were raised when his was silent. We can finally say, in unison, ‘Welcome home, Evan,’” she wrote in a letter posted online.Also released was Whelan, a Michigan corporate security executive jailed since 2018, also on espionage charges he and Washington have denied, and Kurmasheva, a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist convicted in July of spreading false information about the Russian military, accusations her family and employer have rejected.The three flew from Maryland to Texas and landed at Joint Base San Antonio early Friday to begin medical evaluations after spending some time with their family members. If they choose, they can receive treatment the military offers to wrongfully detained Americans.The dissidents released included Kara-Murza, a Kremlin critic and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer serving 25 years on charges of treason widely seen as politically motivated, as well as multiple associates&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/alexei-navalny">of Navalny</a>. Freed Kremlin critics included Oleg Orlov, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-orlov-nobel-sentenced-8539517d8b2c846706607584ba5f9bbb">veteran human rights campaigner convicted of discrediting the Russian military</a>, and Ilya Yashin,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-prisoners-dissident-yashin-06e10d17e2552393b6c517e6022103cf">imprisoned for criticizing the war in Ukraine</a>.The Russian side got&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/belarus-german-sentenced-krieger-lukashenko-krasikov-f7d3d4c18245487557623c27664aedaf">Vadim Krasikov</a>, who was convicted in Germany in 2021 and sentenced to life in prison for killing a former Chechen rebel in a Berlin park two years earlier, apparently on the orders of Moscow’s security services. Throughout the negotiations, Moscow had been persistent in pressing for his release, with Putin himself raising it.At the time of Navalny's death, officials were discussing a possible exchange involving Krasikov. But with that prospect erased, senior U.S. officials, including national security adviser Jake Sullivan, made a fresh push to encourage Germany to release Krasikov. In the end, a handful of the prisoners Russia released were either German nationals or dual German-Russian nationals.Russia also received two alleged sleeper agents jailed in Slovenia, as well as three men charged by federal authorities in the U.S., including Roman Seleznev,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-c5bac679915f486bab26861bd991bc61">a convicted computer hacker and the son of a Russian lawmaker</a>, and Vadim Konoshchenok, a suspected Russian intelligence operative accused of providing American-made electronics and ammunition to the Russian military. Norway returned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/norway-russia-brazilian-university-spy-1f93f5ddb7195f4b70fb394bf3403ef3">an academic arrested on suspicions of being a Russian spy</a>; Poland sent back a man it detained on espionage charges.“Today is a powerful example of why it’s vital to have friends in this world,” Biden said.All told, six countries released at least one prisoner and a seventh, Turkey, participated by hosting the location for the swap, in Ankara.Biden placed securing the release of Americans held wrongfully overseas at the top of his foreign policy agenda for the six months before he leaves office. In an Oval Office address discussing his decision to drop his bid for a second term, Biden said, “We’re also working around the clock to bring home Americans being unjustly detained all around the world.”At one point Thursday, he grabbed the hand of Whelan's sister, Elizabeth, and said she had practically been living at the White House as the administration tried to free Paul. He then motioned for Kurmasheva’s daughter, Miriam, to come closer and took her hand, telling the room it was her 13th birthday. He asked everyone to sing “Happy Birthday” with him. She wiped tears from her eyes.The Biden administration has now brought home more than 70 Americans detained in other countries as part of deals that have required the U.S. to give up a broad array of convicted criminals, including for drug and weapons offenses. The swaps, though celebrated with fanfare, have spurred criticism that they incentivize future hostage-taking and give adversaries leverage over the U.S. and its allies.The U.S. government's top hostage negotiator, Roger Carstens, has sought to defend the deals by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hostages-detainees-gershkovich-russia-venezuela-edeacd5736d0c9ce9c77bf68a6ccd7c8">saying the number of wrongfully detained Americans</a>&nbsp;has actually gone down even as swaps have increased.Tucker, the Journal's editor-in-chief, acknowledged the debate, writing, “We know the U.S. government is keenly aware, as are we, that the only way to prevent a quickening cycle of arresting innocent people as pawns in cynical geopolitical games is to remove the incentive for Russia and other nations that pursue the same detestable practice."Though she called for a change to the dynamic, “for now,” she wrote, “we are celebrating the return of Evan.”Thursday’s swap of 24 prisoners surpassed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apnews.com/78e7f17b47bb445386bb36b92017a375/Spy-swap:-A-look-at-the-4-Russians-freed-in-2010-exchange">a deal involving 14 people</a>&nbsp;that was struck in 2010. In that exchange, Washington freed 10 Russians living in the U.S. as sleepers, while Moscow deported four Russians, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-acf8c155ad744f69aa5741177f0d9459">Sergei Skripal</a>, a double agent working with British intelligence. He and his daughter in 2018 were nearly killed in Britain by nerve agent poisoning blamed on Russian agents.Speculation had mounted for weeks that a swap was near because of a confluence of unusual developments, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/evan-gershkovich-russia-espionage-trial-ef2e9fffc44570cf797e97aa6afa50a1#:~:text=YEKATERINBURG%2C%20Russia%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94,government%20have%20rejected%20as%20fabricated.">a startlingly quick trial for Gershkovich</a>, which Washington regarded as a sham. He was sentenced to 16 years in a maximum-security prison.In a trial that concluded in two days in secrecy in the same week as Gershkovich’s,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-kurmasheva-crackdown-journalist-rferl-7a9bfe693edbfc8dd222e24d9baac46e">Kurmasheva was convicted</a>&nbsp;on charges of spreading false information about the Russian military that her family, employer and U.S. officials rejected. Also in recent days,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-prisoners-dissident-yashin-06e10d17e2552393b6c517e6022103cf">several other figures imprisoned</a>&nbsp;in Russia for speaking out against the war in Ukraine or over their work with Navalny were moved from prison to unknown locations.Gershkovich was arrested March 29, 2023, while on a reporting trip to the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg. Authorities claimed, without offering any evidence, that he was gathering secret information for the U.S. The son of Soviet emigres who settled in New Jersey, he moved to Russia in 2017 to work for The Moscow Times newspaper before being hired by the Journal in 2022.Gershkovich was designated as wrongfully detained, as was Whelan, who was detained in December 2018 after traveling to Russia for a wedding.Whelan, who was serving a 16-year prison sentence, had been excluded from prior high-profile deals involving Russia, including the April 2022&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trevor-reed-russia-prisoner-marine-ukraine-bdfe9b245571f479c25a09d1872ac726">swap by Moscow of imprisoned Marine veteran Trevor Reed</a>&nbsp;for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot convicted in a drug trafficking conspiracy. That December, the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-freed-viktor-bout-swap-us-russia-ee51f5c14f35dc4d4cf21224a8e44eaa">released notorious arms trafficker Viktor Bout</a>&nbsp;in exchange for WNBA star Brittney Griner, who had been jailed on drug charges.“Paul Whelan is free. Our family is grateful to the United States government for making Paul’s freedom a reality,” his family said in a statement.On a warm and steamy night, the freed Americans lingered on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, soaking up the moment of their return to the U.S. They took selfies with family members and friends, shared hugs with Biden and Harris, and patted loved ones on the back and smothered them with kisses.At one point, Biden gave Whelan the flag pin off his own lapel.

🎥3 newly freed Americans are back on US soil after prisoner exchange with Russia

PAWNEE COUNTY– Rhonda Hudson-McNutt, 46 of Garfield, appeared in custody Thursday morning in the Pawnee County District Court before Magistrate Judge Kenton Gleason for Felony First Appearance, according to Pawnee Co. Attorney Dough McNett.

On July 29, Hudson-McNutt was arrested on probable cause following an ongoing investigation by the Pawnee County Sheriff’s Department. 

She is charged with Blackmail, Breach of Privacy, to wit: disseminating nude images, Identity Theft, (Interference with Law Enforcement, to wit: falsely reporting a felony crime,&nbsp; Interference with Law Enforcement, to wit: falsely reporting information in a felony investigation, and&nbsp; Criminal False Communication. She is also charged in a separate criminal complaint with misdemeanor Trespass.

Hudson-McNutt is being held in the custody of the Pawnee County Sheriff in lieu of $15,000 cash or surety bond. A Preliminary Hearing has been scheduled for August 14, 2024.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722530095728.png" alt="Hudson-McNutt " />
 <figcaption>Hudson-McNutt </figcaption>
 </figure>PAWNEE COUNTY– Rhonda Hudson-McNutt, 46 of Garfield, appeared in custody Thursday morning in the Pawnee County District Court before Magistrate Judge Kenton Gleason for Felony First Appearance, according to Pawnee Co. Attorney Dough McNett.On July 29, Hudson-McNutt was arrested on probable cause following an ongoing investigation by the Pawnee County Sheriff’s Department. She is charged with Blackmail, Breach of Privacy, to wit: disseminating nude images, Identity Theft, (Interference with Law Enforcement, to wit: falsely reporting a felony crime,&nbsp; Interference with Law Enforcement, to wit: falsely reporting information in a felony investigation, and&nbsp; Criminal False Communication. She is also charged in a separate criminal complaint with misdemeanor Trespass.Hudson-McNutt is being held in the custody of the Pawnee County Sheriff in lieu of $15,000 cash or surety bond. A Preliminary Hearing has been scheduled for August 14, 2024.

Kansas woman accused of blackmail, identity theft

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A look at some of those released Thursday in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-gershkovich-whelan-d803e266cb4e60135ec5d668d684529f">largest East-West civilian prisoner swap</a>&nbsp;since the Cold War:

EVAN GERSHKOVICH,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/evan-gershkovich-russia-espionage-trial-ef2e9fffc44570cf797e97aa6afa50a1">a Wall Street Journal reporter</a>, was detained in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg in March 2023. Without providing evidence, authorities accused him of “gathering secret information” at the CIA’s behest about a military equipment factory — an allegation that Gershkovich, his employer and the U.S. government vehemently denied. Jailed since then, a court convicted Gershkovich, 32, of espionage in July after a closed trial and sentenced him to 16 years in prison.

PAUL WHELAN, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-politics-paul-whelan-united-states-government-russia-12269e0de0292a5cd590f034b2700b36">corporate security executive</a>&nbsp;from Michigan, was arrested in 2018 in Moscow, where he was attending a friend’s wedding. He was accused of espionage, convicted in 2020 and sentenced to 16 years in prison. Whelan, 54, has rejected the charges as fabricated.

ILYA YASHIN is a prominent Kremlin critic who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-moscow-ukraine-government-ilya-yashin-russia-2967e1e91816f74eaab8cb7cd661eec6">serving an 8 1/2-year sentence</a>&nbsp;for criticizing Russia’s war in Ukraine. Yashin, a former member of a Moscow municipal council, was one of the few well-known opposition activists to stay in Russia since the war.

RICO KRIEGER,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/belarus-german-sentenced-krieger-lukashenko-krasikov-f7d3d4c18245487557623c27664aedaf">a German medical worker</a>, was convicted in Belarus of terrorism charges in June, and sentenced to death. He was pardoned Tuesday by authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko.

VADIM KRASIKOV was convicted in 2021 of shooting to death Zelimkhan “Tornike” Khangoshvili, a 40-year-old Georgian citizen of Chechen ethnicity, in a Berlin park. The German judges concluded it was an assassination ordered by the Russian security services.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vadim-krasikov-navalny-prisoner-swap-russia-germany-db84e1f39b8c5dc0cbeedf3bcd22860c">Krasikov, 58,</a>&nbsp;was sentenced to life imprisonment. President Vladimir Putin this year hinted at a possible swap for Krasikov.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States and Russia completed their biggest prisoner swap in post-Soviet history on Thursday, with Moscow releasing journalist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/evan-gershkovich">Evan Gershkovich</a>&nbsp;and fellow American former U.S. Marine&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/paul-whelan">Paul Whelan</a>&nbsp;in a multinational deal that set some two dozen people free, according to officials in Turkey, where the exchange took place.

The trade followed years of secretive back-channel negotiations despite relations between Washington and Moscow being at their lowest point since the Cold War after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-joe-biden-business-europe-moscow-e88497e7e8d4ad178057b599cc9ec8f6">February 2022 invasion of Ukraine</a>.

The sprawling deal, the latest in a series of prisoner swaps negotiated between Russia and the U.S. in the last two years but the first to require significant concessions from other countries. But the release of Americans has come at a price: Russia has secured the freedom of its own nationals convicted of serious crimes in the West by trading them for journalists, dissidents and other Westerners convicted and sentenced in a highly politicized legal system on charges the U.S. considers bogus.

In a statement posted online, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty President and CEO Stephen Capus acknowledged media reports that a journalist working for the broadcaster,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-kurmasheva-crackdown-journalist-rferl-7a9bfe693edbfc8dd222e24d9baac46e">Alsu Kurmasheva</a>, would be released as part of the deal.

Capus said the broadcaster welcomed ’’news of Alsu’s imminent release and are grateful to the American government and all who worked tirelessly to end her unjust treatment by Russia.” Kurmasheva, a dual U.S.-Russian citizen, was convicted in July of spreading false information about the Russian military, accusations her family and employer have rejected.

The deal would be the latest exchange in the last two years between Washington and Moscow, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-middle-east-united-states-government-and-politics-5b4736d2428014066683605731affa8a">a December 2022 trade that brought WNBA star Brittney Griner</a>&nbsp;back to the U.S. in exchange for notorious arms trafficker Viktor Bout and a swap earlier that year of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trevor-reed-russia-prisoner-marine-ukraine-bdfe9b245571f479c25a09d1872ac726">Marine veteran Trevor Reed for Konstantin Yaroshenko</a>, a Russian pilot convicted in a drug trafficking conspiracy.

President Joe Biden placed securing the release of Americans held wrongfully overseas at the top of his foreign policy agenda for the six months before he leaves office. In his Oval Office address to the American people discussing his recent decision to drop his bid for a second term, the Democrat said, “We’re also working around the clock to bring home Americans being unjustly detained all around the world.”

Russia has long been interested in getting back&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/belarus-german-sentenced-krieger-lukashenko-krasikov-f7d3d4c18245487557623c27664aedaf">Vadim Krasikov</a>, who was convicted in Germany in 2021 of killing a former Chechen rebel in a Berlin park two years earlier, apparently on the orders of Moscow’s security services.

Speculation had mounted for weeks that a swap was near because of a confluence of unusual developments, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/evan-gershkovich-russia-espionage-trial-ef2e9fffc44570cf797e97aa6afa50a1#:~:text=YEKATERINBURG%2C%20Russia%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94,government%20have%20rejected%20as%20fabricated.">a startingly quick trial and conviction for Gershkovich</a>&nbsp;that Washington regarded as a sham. He was sentenced to 16 years in a maximum-security prison.

Also in recent days,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-prisoners-dissident-yashin-06e10d17e2552393b6c517e6022103cf">several other figures imprisoned</a>&nbsp;in Russia for speaking out against the war in Ukraine or over their work with the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny were moved from prison to unknown locations.

Gershkovich was arrested March 29, 2023, while on a reporting trip to the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg. Authorities claimed, without offering any evidence, that he was gathering secret information for the U.S. The son of Soviet emigres who settled in New Jersey, he moved to the country in 2017 to work for The Moscow Times newspaper before being hired by the Journal in 2022.

He had more than a dozen closed hearings over the extension of his pretrial detention or appeals for his release. He was taken to the courthouse in handcuffs and appeared in the defendants’ cage, often smiling for the many cameras.

U.S. officials last year made an offer to swap Gershkovich that was rejected by Russia, and Biden’s Democratic administration had not made public any possible deals since then.

Gershkovich was designated as wrongfully detained, as was Whelan, who was detained in December 2018 after traveling to Russia for a wedding. Whelan was convicted of espionage charges, which he and the U.S. have also said were false and trumped up, and he is serving a 16-year prison sentence.

Whelan had been excluded from prior high-profile deals involving Russia, including those involving Reed and Griner.

Litvinova reported from Tallinn, Estonia, and Lee from Mongolia. Associated Press writer Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681820900687.png" alt="File photo Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich stands in a glass cage in a courtroom at the Moscow City Court, in Moscow, Russia, on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)" />
 <figcaption>File photo Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich stands in a glass cage in a courtroom at the Moscow City Court, in Moscow, Russia, on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)</figcaption>
 </figure>TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A look at some of those released Thursday in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-gershkovich-whelan-d803e266cb4e60135ec5d668d684529f">largest East-West civilian prisoner swap</a>&nbsp;since the Cold War:<h2>Released by Russia and Belarus</h2>EVAN GERSHKOVICH,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/evan-gershkovich-russia-espionage-trial-ef2e9fffc44570cf797e97aa6afa50a1">a Wall Street Journal reporter</a>, was detained in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg in March 2023. Without providing evidence, authorities accused him of “gathering secret information” at the CIA’s behest about a military equipment factory — an allegation that Gershkovich, his employer and the U.S. government vehemently denied. Jailed since then, a court convicted Gershkovich, 32, of espionage in July after a closed trial and sentenced him to 16 years in prison.PAUL WHELAN, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-politics-paul-whelan-united-states-government-russia-12269e0de0292a5cd590f034b2700b36">corporate security executive</a>&nbsp;from Michigan, was arrested in 2018 in Moscow, where he was attending a friend’s wedding. He was accused of espionage, convicted in 2020 and sentenced to 16 years in prison. Whelan, 54, has rejected the charges as fabricated.ILYA YASHIN is a prominent Kremlin critic who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-moscow-ukraine-government-ilya-yashin-russia-2967e1e91816f74eaab8cb7cd661eec6">serving an 8 1/2-year sentence</a>&nbsp;for criticizing Russia’s war in Ukraine. Yashin, a former member of a Moscow municipal council, was one of the few well-known opposition activists to stay in Russia since the war.RICO KRIEGER,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/belarus-german-sentenced-krieger-lukashenko-krasikov-f7d3d4c18245487557623c27664aedaf">a German medical worker</a>, was convicted in Belarus of terrorism charges in June, and sentenced to death. He was pardoned Tuesday by authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko.<h2>Released by Germany</h2>VADIM KRASIKOV was convicted in 2021 of shooting to death Zelimkhan “Tornike” Khangoshvili, a 40-year-old Georgian citizen of Chechen ethnicity, in a Berlin park. The German judges concluded it was an assassination ordered by the Russian security services.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vadim-krasikov-navalny-prisoner-swap-russia-germany-db84e1f39b8c5dc0cbeedf3bcd22860c">Krasikov, 58,</a>&nbsp;was sentenced to life imprisonment. President Vladimir Putin this year hinted at a possible swap for Krasikov.--------------WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States and Russia completed their biggest prisoner swap in post-Soviet history on Thursday, with Moscow releasing journalist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/evan-gershkovich">Evan Gershkovich</a>&nbsp;and fellow American former U.S. Marine&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/paul-whelan">Paul Whelan</a>&nbsp;in a multinational deal that set some two dozen people free, according to officials in Turkey, where the exchange took place.The trade followed years of secretive back-channel negotiations despite relations between Washington and Moscow being at their lowest point since the Cold War after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-joe-biden-business-europe-moscow-e88497e7e8d4ad178057b599cc9ec8f6">February 2022 invasion of Ukraine</a>.The sprawling deal, the latest in a series of prisoner swaps negotiated between Russia and the U.S. in the last two years but the first to require significant concessions from other countries. But the release of Americans has come at a price: Russia has secured the freedom of its own nationals convicted of serious crimes in the West by trading them for journalists, dissidents and other Westerners convicted and sentenced in a highly politicized legal system on charges the U.S. considers bogus.In a statement posted online, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty President and CEO Stephen Capus acknowledged media reports that a journalist working for the broadcaster,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-kurmasheva-crackdown-journalist-rferl-7a9bfe693edbfc8dd222e24d9baac46e">Alsu Kurmasheva</a>, would be released as part of the deal.Capus said the broadcaster welcomed ’’news of Alsu’s imminent release and are grateful to the American government and all who worked tirelessly to end her unjust treatment by Russia.” Kurmasheva, a dual U.S.-Russian citizen, was convicted in July of spreading false information about the Russian military, accusations her family and employer have rejected.The deal would be the latest exchange in the last two years between Washington and Moscow, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-middle-east-united-states-government-and-politics-5b4736d2428014066683605731affa8a">a December 2022 trade that brought WNBA star Brittney Griner</a>&nbsp;back to the U.S. in exchange for notorious arms trafficker Viktor Bout and a swap earlier that year of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trevor-reed-russia-prisoner-marine-ukraine-bdfe9b245571f479c25a09d1872ac726">Marine veteran Trevor Reed for Konstantin Yaroshenko</a>, a Russian pilot convicted in a drug trafficking conspiracy.President Joe Biden placed securing the release of Americans held wrongfully overseas at the top of his foreign policy agenda for the six months before he leaves office. In his Oval Office address to the American people discussing his recent decision to drop his bid for a second term, the Democrat said, “We’re also working around the clock to bring home Americans being unjustly detained all around the world.”Russia has long been interested in getting back&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/belarus-german-sentenced-krieger-lukashenko-krasikov-f7d3d4c18245487557623c27664aedaf">Vadim Krasikov</a>, who was convicted in Germany in 2021 of killing a former Chechen rebel in a Berlin park two years earlier, apparently on the orders of Moscow’s security services.Speculation had mounted for weeks that a swap was near because of a confluence of unusual developments, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/evan-gershkovich-russia-espionage-trial-ef2e9fffc44570cf797e97aa6afa50a1#:~:text=YEKATERINBURG%2C%20Russia%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94,government%20have%20rejected%20as%20fabricated.">a startingly quick trial and conviction for Gershkovich</a>&nbsp;that Washington regarded as a sham. He was sentenced to 16 years in a maximum-security prison.Also in recent days,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-prisoners-dissident-yashin-06e10d17e2552393b6c517e6022103cf">several other figures imprisoned</a>&nbsp;in Russia for speaking out against the war in Ukraine or over their work with the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny were moved from prison to unknown locations.Gershkovich was arrested March 29, 2023, while on a reporting trip to the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg. Authorities claimed, without offering any evidence, that he was gathering secret information for the U.S. The son of Soviet emigres who settled in New Jersey, he moved to the country in 2017 to work for The Moscow Times newspaper before being hired by the Journal in 2022.He had more than a dozen closed hearings over the extension of his pretrial detention or appeals for his release. He was taken to the courthouse in handcuffs and appeared in the defendants’ cage, often smiling for the many cameras.U.S. officials last year made an offer to swap Gershkovich that was rejected by Russia, and Biden’s Democratic administration had not made public any possible deals since then.Gershkovich was designated as wrongfully detained, as was Whelan, who was detained in December 2018 after traveling to Russia for a wedding. Whelan was convicted of espionage charges, which he and the U.S. have also said were false and trumped up, and he is serving a 16-year prison sentence.Whelan had been excluded from prior high-profile deals involving Russia, including those involving Reed and Griner.____Litvinova reported from Tallinn, Estonia, and Lee from Mongolia. Associated Press writer Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report.

History: Reporter, ex-Marine free after massive U.S., Russia prisoner swap 

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a violent knife attack outside a gentlemen's club in Derby.

At approximately 2:18 a.m. on Wednesday, police were dispatched to a cutting call at 1430 N. Nelson Drive in Derby, according to a media release.

On arrival, officers made contact with two 29-year-old men in a vehicle in the parking lot. Both had injuries consistent with those from a knife. The victims reported being in an altercation in the parking lot of Michelle’s Beach House in the 200 block of W. Greenway. 

The victims were transported to Wesley Hospital. One was treated and released; the other was still in the hospital Wednesday afternoon.

Detectives and police officers conducted further investigation, interviews and evidence collection. All individuals involved have been contacted and interviewed.&nbsp; A 21-year-old woman from Newton identified as Kayndal Jo Peck, according to arrest records, was taken into custody.&nbsp;

A knife was found in a vehicle associated with Peck, according to Police. Derby Detectives are following up with any potential witnesses. Peck is being held on requested charges of aggravated battery on a $75,000 bond, according to online jail records.

All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Derby Police Department at 316-788-1557 or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722509132457.png" alt="Peck-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Peck-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a violent knife attack outside a gentlemen's club in Derby.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722453695356.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>At approximately 2:18 a.m. on Wednesday, police were dispatched to a cutting call at 1430 N. Nelson Drive in Derby, according to a media release.On arrival, officers made contact with two 29-year-old men in a vehicle in the parking lot. Both had injuries consistent with those from a knife. The victims reported being in an altercation in the parking lot of Michelle’s Beach House in the 200 block of W. Greenway. The victims were transported to Wesley Hospital. One was treated and released; the other was still in the hospital Wednesday afternoon.Detectives and police officers conducted further investigation, interviews and evidence collection. All individuals involved have been contacted and interviewed.&nbsp; A 21-year-old woman from Newton identified as Kayndal Jo Peck, according to arrest records, was taken into custody.&nbsp;A knife was found in a vehicle associated with Peck, according to Police. Derby Detectives are following up with any potential witnesses. Peck is being held on requested charges of aggravated battery on a $75,000 bond, according to online jail records.All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.Anyone with information is asked to call the Derby Police Department at 316-788-1557 or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

Kan. woman jailed for stabbing outside gentlemen's club

CHICAGO (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;suggested&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;had misled voters about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-election-black-asian-multiracial-b57f251022d549e38b3c17946347f025">her race</a>&nbsp;as the former president appeared before the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago Wednesday in an interview that quickly turned hostile.

The Republican former president wrongly claimed that Harris,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-vice-president-f86d6be83bf83fe9b823ae7e21f94796">the first Black woman and Asian American to serve as vice president</a>, had in the past only promoted her Indian heritage.

“I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black and now she wants to be known as Black. So, I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?” Trump said while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-black-journalists-convention-nabj-c84311a4e3bec3fe3052236151597d81">addressing the group's annual convention</a>.

Harris is the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, both immigrants to the U.S. As an undergraduate, Harris attended Howard University, one of the nation’s most prominent historically Black colleges and universities, where she also pledged the historically Black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha. As a U.S. senator, Harris was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, supporting her colleagues’ legislation to strengthen voting rights and reforming policing.

Trump has leveled a wide range of criticism at Harris since she replaced President Joe Biden atop the likely Democratic ticket last week. Throughout his political career, the former president has repeatedly questioned the backgrounds of opponents who are racial minorities.

Michael Tyler, the communications director for Harris' campaign, said in a statement that “the hostility Donald Trump showed on stage today is the same hostility he has shown throughout his life, throughout his term in office, and throughout his campaign for president as he seeks to regain power.”

“Trump lobbed personal attacks and insults at Black journalists the same way he did throughout his presidency — while he failed Black families and left the entire country digging out of the ditch he left us in," Tyler said. "Donald Trump has already proven he cannot unite America, so he attempts to divide us.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked during her briefing with reporters on Wednesday about Trump's remarks and responded with disbelief, initially murmuring, “Wow.”

Jean-Pierre, who is Black, called what Trump said “repulsive” and said, “It’s insulting and no one has any right to tell someone who they are how they identify.”

Trump has repeatedly attacked his opponents and critics on the basis of race. He rose to prominence in Republican politics by propagating false theories that President Barack Obama, the nation’s first Black president, was not born in the United States. “Birtherism,” as it became known, was just the start of Trump’s history of questioning the credentials and qualifications of Black politicians.

During this year’s Republican primary, he once referred to former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, the daughter of Indian immigrants, as “Nimbra.”

Trump's appearance Wednesday at the annual gathering of Black journalists immediately became heated, with the former president sparring with interviewer Rachel Scott of ABC News and accusing her of giving him a “very rude introduction” with a tough first question about his past criticism of Black people and Black journalists, his attack on Black prosecutors who have pursued cases against him and the dinner he had at his Florida club with a white supremacist.

“I think it’s disgraceful," Trump said. "I came here in good spirit. I love the Black population of this country. I’ve done so much for the Black population of this country."

Trump continued his attacks on Scott's network, ABC News, which he has been arguing should not host the next presidential debate, despite his earlier agreement with the Biden campaign. He also several times described her tone and questions as “nasty,” a word he used in the past when describing women, including Hillary Clinton and Meghan the Duchess of Sussex.

The Republican also repeated his false claim that immigrants in the country illegally are “taking Black jobs.” When pushed by Scott on what constituted a “Black job,” Trump responded by saying "a Black job is anybody that has a job," drawing groans from the room.

At one point, he said, "I have been the best president for the Black population since Abraham Lincoln.”

The audience responded with a mix of boos and some applause.

Scott asked Trump about his pledge to pardon people convicted for their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol and specifically whether he would pardon those who assaulted police officers.

Trump said, “Oh, absolutely I would,” and said, “If they’re innocent, I would pardon them.”

Scott pointed out they have been convicted and therefore are not innocent.

“Well, they were convicted by a very, very tough system,” he said.

At one point, when he was defending his supporters who entered the Capitol on Jan. 6, he said, “Nothing is perfect in life.”

He compared the 2021 insurrection to the protests in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/american-protests-us-news-arrests-minnesota-burglary-bb2404f9b13c8b53b94c73f818f6a0b7">Minneapolis and other cities in 2020</a>&nbsp;following the death of George Floyd by Minneapolis police and to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-netanyahu-gaza-war-congress-joint-session-9a7885972989b2397b49e5b971ffe0e0">more recent protests at the Capitol last week</a>&nbsp;by demonstrators opposed to the war in Gaza. Trump falsely claiming that no one was arrested in those other demonstrations and that only his supporters were targeted.

As Trump made the comparison, a man in the back of the room shouted out: “Sir, have you no shame?”

The former president’s invitation to address the organization sparked an intense internal debate among NABJ that spilled online. Organizations for journalists of color typically invite presidential candidates to speak at their summer gatherings in election years.

As he campaigns for the White House a third time, Trump has sought to appear outside his traditional strongholds of support and his campaign has touted his efforts to try to win over Black Americans, who have been Democrats’ most committed voting bloc.

His campaign has emphasized his messages on the economy and immigration as part of his appeal, but some of his outreach has played on racial stereotypes, including the suggestion that African Americans would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-black-conservative-south-carolina-primary-aa1155c31bfc3b397a32b33eff04ada8">empathize with the criminal charges he has faced</a>&nbsp;and his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-sneakers-sneaker-con-philadelphia-4de093eda6f8d1c68baf8fe8095f777b">promotion of branded sneakers</a>.

Trump and NABJ also have a tense history over his treatment of Black women journalists. In 2018, NABJ condemned Trump for repeatedly using words such as “stupid,” “loser” and “nasty” to describe Black women journalists.

The vice president is not scheduled to appear at the convention, but NABJ said in a statement posted on X that it was in conversation with her campaign to have her appear either virtually or in person for a conversation in September.

Trump posted on his social media network that he was told he could not do the event virtually.

“She declined, and I am getting ready to land in Chicago in order to be there,” Trump wrote. “Now I am told that she is doing the Event on ZOOM. WHAT’S GOING ON HERE?”

Trump later Wednesday is scheduled to hold a campaign rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania at 6 p.m. EDT.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722460473060.png" alt="Image from CSPAN video" />
 <figcaption>Image from CSPAN video</figcaption>
 </figure>CHICAGO (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;suggested&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;had misled voters about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-election-black-asian-multiracial-b57f251022d549e38b3c17946347f025">her race</a>&nbsp;as the former president appeared before the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago Wednesday in an interview that quickly turned hostile.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former President Trump on Vice President Kamala Harris: &quot;She was Indian all the way and then all of a sudden she made a turn and she went, she became a Black person. I think somebody should look into that.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/RpEuRq6p5m">pic.twitter.com/RpEuRq6p5m</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1818717916285509891?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Republican former president wrongly claimed that Harris,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-vice-president-f86d6be83bf83fe9b823ae7e21f94796">the first Black woman and Asian American to serve as vice president</a>, had in the past only promoted her Indian heritage.“I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black and now she wants to be known as Black. So, I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?” Trump said while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-black-journalists-convention-nabj-c84311a4e3bec3fe3052236151597d81">addressing the group's annual convention</a>.Harris is the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, both immigrants to the U.S. As an undergraduate, Harris attended Howard University, one of the nation’s most prominent historically Black colleges and universities, where she also pledged the historically Black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha. As a U.S. senator, Harris was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, supporting her colleagues’ legislation to strengthen voting rights and reforming policing.Trump has leveled a wide range of criticism at Harris since she replaced President Joe Biden atop the likely Democratic ticket last week. Throughout his political career, the former president has repeatedly questioned the backgrounds of opponents who are racial minorities.Michael Tyler, the communications director for Harris' campaign, said in a statement that “the hostility Donald Trump showed on stage today is the same hostility he has shown throughout his life, throughout his term in office, and throughout his campaign for president as he seeks to regain power.”“Trump lobbed personal attacks and insults at Black journalists the same way he did throughout his presidency — while he failed Black families and left the entire country digging out of the ditch he left us in," Tyler said. "Donald Trump has already proven he cannot unite America, so he attempts to divide us.White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked during her briefing with reporters on Wednesday about Trump's remarks and responded with disbelief, initially murmuring, “Wow.”Jean-Pierre, who is Black, called what Trump said “repulsive” and said, “It’s insulting and no one has any right to tell someone who they are how they identify.”Trump has repeatedly attacked his opponents and critics on the basis of race. He rose to prominence in Republican politics by propagating false theories that President Barack Obama, the nation’s first Black president, was not born in the United States. “Birtherism,” as it became known, was just the start of Trump’s history of questioning the credentials and qualifications of Black politicians.During this year’s Republican primary, he once referred to former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, the daughter of Indian immigrants, as “Nimbra.”Trump's appearance Wednesday at the annual gathering of Black journalists immediately became heated, with the former president sparring with interviewer Rachel Scott of ABC News and accusing her of giving him a “very rude introduction” with a tough first question about his past criticism of Black people and Black journalists, his attack on Black prosecutors who have pursued cases against him and the dinner he had at his Florida club with a white supremacist.“I think it’s disgraceful," Trump said. "I came here in good spirit. I love the Black population of this country. I’ve done so much for the Black population of this country."Trump continued his attacks on Scott's network, ABC News, which he has been arguing should not host the next presidential debate, despite his earlier agreement with the Biden campaign. He also several times described her tone and questions as “nasty,” a word he used in the past when describing women, including Hillary Clinton and Meghan the Duchess of Sussex.The Republican also repeated his false claim that immigrants in the country illegally are “taking Black jobs.” When pushed by Scott on what constituted a “Black job,” Trump responded by saying "a Black job is anybody that has a job," drawing groans from the room.At one point, he said, "I have been the best president for the Black population since Abraham Lincoln.”The audience responded with a mix of boos and some applause.Scott asked Trump about his pledge to pardon people convicted for their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol and specifically whether he would pardon those who assaulted police officers.Trump said, “Oh, absolutely I would,” and said, “If they’re innocent, I would pardon them.”Scott pointed out they have been convicted and therefore are not innocent.“Well, they were convicted by a very, very tough system,” he said.At one point, when he was defending his supporters who entered the Capitol on Jan. 6, he said, “Nothing is perfect in life.”He compared the 2021 insurrection to the protests in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/american-protests-us-news-arrests-minnesota-burglary-bb2404f9b13c8b53b94c73f818f6a0b7">Minneapolis and other cities in 2020</a>&nbsp;following the death of George Floyd by Minneapolis police and to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-netanyahu-gaza-war-congress-joint-session-9a7885972989b2397b49e5b971ffe0e0">more recent protests at the Capitol last week</a>&nbsp;by demonstrators opposed to the war in Gaza. Trump falsely claiming that no one was arrested in those other demonstrations and that only his supporters were targeted.As Trump made the comparison, a man in the back of the room shouted out: “Sir, have you no shame?”The former president’s invitation to address the organization sparked an intense internal debate among NABJ that spilled online. Organizations for journalists of color typically invite presidential candidates to speak at their summer gatherings in election years.As he campaigns for the White House a third time, Trump has sought to appear outside his traditional strongholds of support and his campaign has touted his efforts to try to win over Black Americans, who have been Democrats’ most committed voting bloc.His campaign has emphasized his messages on the economy and immigration as part of his appeal, but some of his outreach has played on racial stereotypes, including the suggestion that African Americans would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-black-conservative-south-carolina-primary-aa1155c31bfc3b397a32b33eff04ada8">empathize with the criminal charges he has faced</a>&nbsp;and his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-sneakers-sneaker-con-philadelphia-4de093eda6f8d1c68baf8fe8095f777b">promotion of branded sneakers</a>.Trump and NABJ also have a tense history over his treatment of Black women journalists. In 2018, NABJ condemned Trump for repeatedly using words such as “stupid,” “loser” and “nasty” to describe Black women journalists.The vice president is not scheduled to appear at the convention, but NABJ said in a statement posted on X that it was in conversation with her campaign to have her appear either virtually or in person for a conversation in September.Trump posted on his social media network that he was told he could not do the event virtually.“She declined, and I am getting ready to land in Chicago in order to be there,” Trump wrote. “Now I am told that she is doing the Event on ZOOM. WHAT’S GOING ON HERE?”Trump later Wednesday is scheduled to hold a campaign rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania at 6 p.m. EDT.

🎥Trump answers whether Kamala Harris is a DEI hire

MONTGOMERY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged animal cruelty in southeast Kansas.

On July 26, deputies from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at 109 E. Bell Street in Wayside, Kansas, in connection with an animal cruelty investigation, according to Sheriff Ron Wade.

First responders removed nine dogs and two horses from the property.&nbsp; The animals were exhibiting signs of malnourishment and injuries. The deputies took custody of the animals and arranged for their treatment by a local veterinarian. Subsequently, the animals were transported to a predetermined location for continued care.

The sheriff's office has not reported an arrest or additional details.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged animal cruelty in southeast Kansas.On July 26, deputies from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at 109 E. Bell Street in Wayside, Kansas, in connection with an animal cruelty investigation, according to Sheriff Ron Wade.First responders removed nine dogs and two horses from the property.&nbsp; The animals were exhibiting signs of malnourishment and injuries. The deputies took custody of the animals and arranged for their treatment by a local veterinarian. Subsequently, the animals were transported to a predetermined location for continued care.The sheriff's office has not reported an arrest or additional details.

Alleged animal cruelty: Kan. deputies remove dogs, horses from property

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new allegations.

Just before 4:30p.m. Tuesday, police arrested 35-year-old TJ Grant of Ogden, in 1000 block of South Seth Child Road, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

 Grant was arrested on a Riley County District Court warrant for forgery. Total bond was set at $5,000. Grant was confined at the time of this report.

Grant has a previous conviction for drug possession in Geary County in 2013, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710788207974.jpeg" alt="Grant from an earlier arrest in Geary County" />
 <figcaption>Grant from an earlier arrest in Geary County</figcaption>
 </figure>RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new allegations.Just before 4:30p.m. Tuesday, police arrested 35-year-old TJ Grant of Ogden, in 1000 block of South Seth Child Road, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report. Grant was arrested on a Riley County District Court warrant for forgery. Total bond was set at $5,000. Grant was confined at the time of this report.Grant has a previous conviction for drug possession in Geary County in 2013, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Kansas felon jailed for alleged forgery

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Just before 4p.m. Tuesday, police reported they located the black Volkswagon Passat and two individuals are currently in custody, according to police spokesperson Rosie Nichols.

Police are still looking for the puppy and ask the public to assist with any information they may have. The investigation is ongoing.

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a car theft with a dog in the vehicle and asking the public for help to find the car.

Just after 5:30a.m. Tuesday, the black Volkswagon Passat with Kansas tag number 0806ABC, was reportedly stolen from the Kwik Shop at SW 6th&nbsp;and Macvicar in Topeka, according to Topeka Police.

It was also determined there was a puppy inside the vehicle at the time it was stolen. Police released recent photos of the vehicle and the dog.

If you see this vehicle or have any information about where the vehicle may be, call 911 or report anonymously to Shawnee County Crime Stoppers at 785-234-0007.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722349064686.png" alt="Volkswagon Passat with Kansas tag number 0806ABC" />
 <figcaption>Volkswagon Passat with Kansas tag number 0806ABC</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Just before 4p.m. Tuesday, police reported they located the black Volkswagon Passat and two individuals are currently in custody, according to police spokesperson Rosie Nichols.Police are still looking for the puppy and ask the public to assist with any information they may have. The investigation is ongoing.-------------SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a car theft with a dog in the vehicle and asking the public for help to find the car.Just after 5:30a.m. Tuesday, the black Volkswagon Passat with Kansas tag number 0806ABC, was reportedly stolen from the Kwik Shop at SW 6th&nbsp;and Macvicar in Topeka, according to Topeka Police.It was also determined there was a puppy inside the vehicle at the time it was stolen. Police released recent photos of the vehicle and the dog.If you see this vehicle or have any information about where the vehicle may be, call 911 or report anonymously to Shawnee County Crime Stoppers at 785-234-0007.

Search for puppy continues: Police locate stolen car, make arrests

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — William Laws Calley Jr., who as an Army lieutenant led the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/4268e3e8a0554d59b71638479503111a">U.S. soldiers who killed hundreds of Vietnamese civilians in the My Lai massacre</a>, the most notorious war crime in modern American military history, has died. He was 80.

Calley died on April 28, according to his Florida death record, which said he had been living in an apartment in Gainesville. His death was first reported by The Washington Post on Monday, citing his death certificate.

Calley had lived in obscurity in the decades since he was court-martialed and convicted in 1971, the only one of 25 men originally charged to be found guilty in the massacre, which helped turn American opinion against the war in Vietnam.

On March 16, 1968, Calley led American soldiers of the Charlie Company on a mission to confront a crack outfit of their Vietcong enemies. Instead, over several hours, the soldiers killed 504 unresisting civilians, mostly women, children and elderly men, in My Lai and a neighboring community.

The men were angry: Two days earlier, a booby trap had killed a sergeant, blinded a GI and wounded several others while Charlie Company was on patrol.

Soldiers eventually testified to the U.S. Army investigating commission that the murders began soon after Calley led Charlie Company’s first platoon into My Lai that morning. Some were bayoneted to death. Families were herded into bomb shelters and killed with hand grenades. Other civilians slaughtered in a drainage ditch. Women and girls were gang-raped.

It wasn’t until more than a year later that news of the massacre became public. And while the My Lai massacre was the most notorious massacre in modern U.S. military history, it was not an aberration: Estimates of civilians killed during the U.S. ground war in Vietnam from 1965 to 1973 range from 1 million to 2 million.

The U.S. military’s own records, filed away for three decades, described 300 other cases of what could fairly be described as war crimes. My Lai stood out because of the shocking one-day death toll, stomach-churning photographs and the gruesome details exposed by a high-level U.S. Army inquiry.

Investigations into the massacre and allegations of a Pentagon coverup were launched after a complaint by a helicopter pilot, Hugh Thompson Jr., who saved 16 Vietnamese children in the village and later testified against Calley.

Multiple other soldiers at the scene also spoke out after the scandal broke. Some said civilian deaths were inevitable in a war where the enemy could be anywhere. Others said Calley, who was charged with killing 109 civilians, shouldn’t have been singled out.

“Calley, he didn’t kill the 109 all by himself. There was a company there,” said Herbert Carter, a soldier from Houston. “We went through the village. We didn’t see any VC (Viet Cong). People came out of their hootches (huts) and the guys shot them down and then burned the hootches, or burned the hootches and then shot the people when they came out. ... It went on like this all day. Some of the guys seemed to be having a lot of fun doing it.”

Calley was convicted in 1971 for the murders of 22 people during the rampage. He was sentenced to life in prison but served only three days because President Richard Nixon ordered his sentence reduced. He served three years of house arrest.

After his release, Calley stayed in Columbus and settled into a job at a jewelry store owned by his father-in-law before moving to Atlanta, where he avoided publicity and routinely turned down journalists’ requests for interviews.

Calley broke his silence in 2009, at the urging of a friend, when&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna32514139">he spoke to the Kiwanis Club in Columbus, Georgia</a>, near Fort Benning, where he had been court-martialed.

“There is not a day that goes by that I do not feel remorse for what happened that day in My Lai,” Calley said, according to an account of the meeting reported by the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. “I feel remorse for the Vietnamese who were killed, for their families, for the American soldiers involved and their families. I am very sorry.”

He said his mistake was following orders, which had been his defense when he was tried.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bc21d54ecc344746bc9f076d2a4e2005">His superior officer was acquitted</a>.

William George Eckhardt, the chief prosecutor in the My Lai cases, said in 2009 that he was unaware of Calley ever apologizing before.

“It’s hard to apologize for murdering so many people,” said Eckhardt. “But at least there’s an acknowledgment of responsibility.”

Calley was born in June 8, 1943 in South Florida, where friends called him “Rusty” growing up. He eventually dropped out of Palm Beach Junior College, and worked as a dishwasher, bellhop, railroad switchman, salesman and insurance appraiser before joining the Army in 1966.

At about 5-foot, 3-inches tall and 120 pounds when he was in the Army, Calley didn't stand out. Fellow officer candidates told the AP in 1969 that there was nothing unusual about him. But his military career was advancing until the scandal. Months after the massacre, he returned home, then re-upped for another tour. Eventually, he was wounded, awarded the Purple Heart, and won two Bronze Star medals.

His sister Dawn was living with their father in a mobile home in Hialeah when she told reporters during the trial that her brother was a “sweet, sensitive guy.”

Calley married and had a son after returning to civilian life, but later got divorced. Messages left for his son and ex-wife on Tuesday were not immediately returned.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722361187108.png" alt="FILE - Lt. William L. Calley, Jr., pictured during his court martial at Fort Benning, Ga., on April 23, 1971. Calley, who as an Army lieutenant led the U.S. soldiers who killed hundreds of Vietnamese civilians in the My Lai massacre, the most notorious war crime in modern American military history, died on April 28 at a hospice center in Gainesville, Fla., The Washington Post reported Monday July 29, 2024, citing his death certificate. He was 80. (APPhoto/Joe Holloway, Jr., File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Lt. William L. Calley, Jr., pictured during his court martial at Fort Benning, Ga., on April 23, 1971. Calley, who as an Army lieutenant led the U.S. soldiers who killed hundreds of Vietnamese civilians in the My Lai massacre, the most notorious war crime in modern American military history, died on April 28 at a hospice center in Gainesville, Fla., The Washington Post reported Monday July 29, 2024, citing his death certificate. He was 80. (APPhoto/Joe Holloway, Jr., File)</figcaption>
 </figure>GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — William Laws Calley Jr., who as an Army lieutenant led the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/4268e3e8a0554d59b71638479503111a">U.S. soldiers who killed hundreds of Vietnamese civilians in the My Lai massacre</a>, the most notorious war crime in modern American military history, has died. He was 80.Calley died on April 28, according to his Florida death record, which said he had been living in an apartment in Gainesville. His death was first reported by The Washington Post on Monday, citing his death certificate.Calley had lived in obscurity in the decades since he was court-martialed and convicted in 1971, the only one of 25 men originally charged to be found guilty in the massacre, which helped turn American opinion against the war in Vietnam.On March 16, 1968, Calley led American soldiers of the Charlie Company on a mission to confront a crack outfit of their Vietcong enemies. Instead, over several hours, the soldiers killed 504 unresisting civilians, mostly women, children and elderly men, in My Lai and a neighboring community.The men were angry: Two days earlier, a booby trap had killed a sergeant, blinded a GI and wounded several others while Charlie Company was on patrol.Soldiers eventually testified to the U.S. Army investigating commission that the murders began soon after Calley led Charlie Company’s first platoon into My Lai that morning. Some were bayoneted to death. Families were herded into bomb shelters and killed with hand grenades. Other civilians slaughtered in a drainage ditch. Women and girls were gang-raped.It wasn’t until more than a year later that news of the massacre became public. And while the My Lai massacre was the most notorious massacre in modern U.S. military history, it was not an aberration: Estimates of civilians killed during the U.S. ground war in Vietnam from 1965 to 1973 range from 1 million to 2 million.The U.S. military’s own records, filed away for three decades, described 300 other cases of what could fairly be described as war crimes. My Lai stood out because of the shocking one-day death toll, stomach-churning photographs and the gruesome details exposed by a high-level U.S. Army inquiry.Investigations into the massacre and allegations of a Pentagon coverup were launched after a complaint by a helicopter pilot, Hugh Thompson Jr., who saved 16 Vietnamese children in the village and later testified against Calley.Multiple other soldiers at the scene also spoke out after the scandal broke. Some said civilian deaths were inevitable in a war where the enemy could be anywhere. Others said Calley, who was charged with killing 109 civilians, shouldn’t have been singled out.“Calley, he didn’t kill the 109 all by himself. There was a company there,” said Herbert Carter, a soldier from Houston. “We went through the village. We didn’t see any VC (Viet Cong). People came out of their hootches (huts) and the guys shot them down and then burned the hootches, or burned the hootches and then shot the people when they came out. ... It went on like this all day. Some of the guys seemed to be having a lot of fun doing it.”Calley was convicted in 1971 for the murders of 22 people during the rampage. He was sentenced to life in prison but served only three days because President Richard Nixon ordered his sentence reduced. He served three years of house arrest.After his release, Calley stayed in Columbus and settled into a job at a jewelry store owned by his father-in-law before moving to Atlanta, where he avoided publicity and routinely turned down journalists’ requests for interviews.Calley broke his silence in 2009, at the urging of a friend, when&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna32514139">he spoke to the Kiwanis Club in Columbus, Georgia</a>, near Fort Benning, where he had been court-martialed.“There is not a day that goes by that I do not feel remorse for what happened that day in My Lai,” Calley said, according to an account of the meeting reported by the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. “I feel remorse for the Vietnamese who were killed, for their families, for the American soldiers involved and their families. I am very sorry.”He said his mistake was following orders, which had been his defense when he was tried.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bc21d54ecc344746bc9f076d2a4e2005">His superior officer was acquitted</a>.William George Eckhardt, the chief prosecutor in the My Lai cases, said in 2009 that he was unaware of Calley ever apologizing before.“It’s hard to apologize for murdering so many people,” said Eckhardt. “But at least there’s an acknowledgment of responsibility.”Calley was born in June 8, 1943 in South Florida, where friends called him “Rusty” growing up. He eventually dropped out of Palm Beach Junior College, and worked as a dishwasher, bellhop, railroad switchman, salesman and insurance appraiser before joining the Army in 1966.At about 5-foot, 3-inches tall and 120 pounds when he was in the Army, Calley didn't stand out. Fellow officer candidates told the AP in 1969 that there was nothing unusual about him. But his military career was advancing until the scandal. Months after the massacre, he returned home, then re-upped for another tour. Eventually, he was wounded, awarded the Purple Heart, and won two Bronze Star medals.His sister Dawn was living with their father in a mobile home in Hialeah when she told reporters during the trial that her brother was a “sweet, sensitive guy.”Calley married and had a son after returning to civilian life, but later got divorced. Messages left for his son and ex-wife on Tuesday were not immediately returned.

William Calley, who led My Lai massacre that shamed US military in Vietnam, has died

SALINA —Just before 10p.m. Monday, the Kansas Highway Patrol made a DUI arrest on Interstate 135 just south of Salina, according to a social media report from Trooper Ben Gardner. 

The vehicle was observed speeding and failing to maintain its lane. During the traffic stop, signs of impairment were noted. The driver submitted to a preliminary breath test (PBT), revealing a blood alcohol level of .261—over three times the legal limit of .08 for individuals 21 years and older. 

The driver was arrested and charged with DUI, transporting an open container, speeding, and failing to maintain a single. Gardner reminded, "driving under the influence endangers everyone."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722343914707.png" alt="Photo KHP" />
 <figcaption>Photo KHP</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINA —Just before 10p.m. Monday, the Kansas Highway Patrol made a DUI arrest on Interstate 135 just south of Salina, according to a social media report from Trooper Ben Gardner. The vehicle was observed speeding and failing to maintain its lane. During the traffic stop, signs of impairment were noted. The driver submitted to a preliminary breath test (PBT), revealing a blood alcohol level of .261—over three times the legal limit of .08 for individuals 21 years and older. The driver was arrested and charged with DUI, transporting an open container, speeding, and failing to maintain a single. Gardner reminded, "driving under the influence endangers everyone."

KHP: Speeding driver's blood alcohol over 3 times the legal limit

LYON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a juvenile on multiple allegations after a weekend arrest.

Just after 4a.m. Sunday, Sheriff Deputies were dispatched to the 400 block of Exchange Street, Neosho Rapids, for a report of an abandoned white Ford F150, parked in the roadway, according to Lyon County Sheriff's Sgt. Zachary M. Shafer.

While deputies were investigating this call another call was received at approximately 4:19a.m., in the 1600 block of K130, reporting a loud bang and a suspicious man leaving the area, walking. Deputies arrived on scene and determined a black Chevrolet Silverado, was driven off the roadway and struck a house. 

At approximately 4:30a..m., deputies received another report of a man walking on Interstate 35, matching the description of the suspicious suspect from the 1600 block of Kansas 130.

Through the investigation it was determined, a juvenile male, stole the white Ford F150, from the Emporia area and drove to the Neosho Rapids area where he stole the black Chevrolet Silverado. He continued northbound on K130, where for an unknown reason he lost control of the Chevrolet Silverado, went off the roadway into a field and then struck a house. The suspect then left the scene, where he was located by deputies, walking on the Interstate.

LYON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a juvenile on multiple allegations after a weekend arrest.Just after 4a.m. Sunday, Sheriff Deputies were dispatched to the 400 block of Exchange Street, Neosho Rapids, for a report of an abandoned white Ford F150, parked in the roadway, according to Lyon County Sheriff's Sgt. Zachary M. Shafer.While deputies were investigating this call another call was received at approximately 4:19a.m., in the 1600 block of K130, reporting a loud bang and a suspicious man leaving the area, walking. Deputies arrived on scene and determined a black Chevrolet Silverado, was driven off the roadway and struck a house. At approximately 4:30a..m., deputies received another report of a man walking on Interstate 35, matching the description of the suspicious suspect from the 1600 block of Kansas 130.Through the investigation it was determined, a juvenile male, stole the white Ford F150, from the Emporia area and drove to the Neosho Rapids area where he stole the black Chevrolet Silverado. He continued northbound on K130, where for an unknown reason he lost control of the Chevrolet Silverado, went off the roadway into a field and then struck a house. The suspect then left the scene, where he was located by deputies, walking on the Interstate.The juvenile was transported to the Lyon County Juvenile Intake Office, where he was confined, pending formal charges through the Lyon County Attorney’s Office, for Felony Theft, Leaving the Scene of an Accident, No Driver’s License, and Interference with Law Enforcement.