SALINE COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 7:30p.m. Tuesday in Saline County.

A 2007 Buick Lucerne driven by Callie Gustus, 30, Salina, was eastbound in the 4400 Block of West Watkins Road, according to the Saline County Sheriff's office.

 The driver lost control of the car. It traveled off the road and struck a guardrail.

EMS transported Gustus to the hospital in Wichita for treatment of a broken ankle and internal injuries, according to the sheriff's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587569184004.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Crash scene photo- Saline County SheriffSALINE COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 7:30p.m. Tuesday in Saline County.A 2007 Buick Lucerne driven by Callie Gustus, 30, Salina, was eastbound in the 4400 Block of West Watkins Road, according to the Saline County Sheriff's office. The driver lost control of the car. It traveled off the road and struck a guardrail.EMS transported Gustus to the hospital in Wichita for treatment of a broken ankle and internal injuries, according to the sheriff's office.

Kan. woman hospitalized after violent crash into guardrail

WASHINGTON (AP) — Reopening the U.S. economy is complicated by some troubling scientific questions about the new coronavirus that go beyond the logistics of whether enough tests are available.

In an ideal world, we’d get vaccinated and then get back to normal. But, despite unprecedented efforts, no vaccine will be ready any time soon.

“We’re all going to be wearing masks for a while,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky, infectious diseases chief at Massachusetts General Hospital, predicted during a podcast with the Journal of the American Medical Association.

“The really unknown in this, to be completely transparent,” is asymptomatic spread, said Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force coordinator.

From the beginning, authorities have rightly told people to stay home if they’re sick. But according to Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health, somewhere between 25% and half of infected people might not show symptoms.

That means there’s no way to tell if you’re standing next to someone who’s contagious in the checkout line.

And even in people who eventually develop symptoms, it’s not clear exactly how soon after infection they can spread the virus. That’s one reason U.S. officials recently encouraged people to wear cloth masks in public, even as they try to keep 6 feet away from others.

To reopen the economy, officials are emphasizing the availability of more virus tests. That’s key to spotting and isolating the infected, and tracing and quarantining the people they may have exposed. But it’s not a panacea.

“If you get a test today, that does not mean that tomorrow or the next day or the next day or the next day as you get exposed, perhaps from someone who may not even know they’re infected, that that means ‘I’m negative,’” Fauci said at a recent White House briefing.

Doctors assume people who had COVID-19 will have some immunity against a repeat infection. But they don’t know how much protection or how long it will last.

Another key question: Do people who survive a severe infection have stronger immunity than those who had mild symptoms — or those who had no obvious symptoms at all?

To tell, scientists are rolling out blood tests that look for antibodies, proteins that the immune system makes to fight off infection. They don’t detect active infection like the tests needed for the currently sick. They’re intended to tell who already was infected whether they knew it or not — including those who had few or no symptoms and those who were sick but couldn’t get a diagnostic test.

As they test more people, researchers will look for the level of antibodies that seems to be the key threshold for protection. They’re also trying to tell if having certain types of antibodies are more critical than an overall count.

“How long is the protection — one month, three months, six months, a year?” Fauci said. “We need to be humble and modest that we don’t know everything.”

Another hurdle: Dozens of antibody tests are being sold without proof that they work as promised. Some countries have reported wildly inaccurate results from certain tests. Among other things, scientists must prove the tests don’t confuse antibodies against another respiratory bug for COVID-19 protection.

The situation is so worrisome that FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn recently warned that his agency has given “emergency use authorization” backing to just four tests — and that urgent work to validate others is underway.

One early warning has borne out: Older adults are especially susceptible to COVID-19. So are people of any age who have certain health troubles, such as lung disease, heart problems or diabetes.

But being young and apparently healthy is no guarantee. Plenty of 20- and 30-somethings, and even some children, get infected and occasionally die.

“Some people do extremely well and some people completely crash,” Fauci told The Associated Press in a recent interview. “It’s something more than just age and underlying condition.”

There are theories. Maybe genetic differences play a role in how the body responds to this infection, particularly the overactive immune response — what’s called a “cytokine storm” — that is blamed for many deaths. Some scientists are looking into variations in cell receptors, the docking ports that allow the virus to stick to a cell and burrow inside.

Whatever the culprit, there’s no way to predict who’s going to crash. Yet that will become increasingly important if some of the experimental therapies being studied pan out, Fauci said, because doctors would need to know whether to focus treatment on the seriously ill or try to reach the newly infected quickly.

“If this acts like any other virus, you always want to hit it early,” he noted.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587558008598.png" alt="President Trump and Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House Coronavirus Task Force coordinator during Tuesday's press briefing" />
 <figcaption>President Trump and Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House Coronavirus Task Force coordinator during Tuesday's press briefing</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Reopening the U.S. economy is complicated by some troubling scientific questions about the new coronavirus that go beyond the logistics of whether enough tests are available.In an ideal world, we’d get vaccinated and then get back to normal. But, despite unprecedented efforts, no vaccine will be ready any time soon.“We’re all going to be wearing masks for a while,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky, infectious diseases chief at Massachusetts General Hospital, predicted during a podcast with the Journal of the American Medical Association.Three big unknowns top the worry list:WHO’S CONTAGIOUS?“The really unknown in this, to be completely transparent,” is asymptomatic spread, said Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force coordinator.From the beginning, authorities have rightly told people to stay home if they’re sick. But according to Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health, somewhere between 25% and half of infected people might not show symptoms.That means there’s no way to tell if you’re standing next to someone who’s contagious in the checkout line.And even in people who eventually develop symptoms, it’s not clear exactly how soon after infection they can spread the virus. That’s one reason U.S. officials recently encouraged people to wear cloth masks in public, even as they try to keep 6 feet away from others.To reopen the economy, officials are emphasizing the availability of more virus tests. That’s key to spotting and isolating the infected, and tracing and quarantining the people they may have exposed. But it’s not a panacea.“If you get a test today, that does not mean that tomorrow or the next day or the next day or the next day as you get exposed, perhaps from someone who may not even know they’re infected, that that means ‘I’m negative,’” Fauci said at a recent White House briefing.WHO’S IMMUNE?Doctors assume people who had COVID-19 will have some immunity against a repeat infection. But they don’t know how much protection or how long it will last.Another key question: Do people who survive a severe infection have stronger immunity than those who had mild symptoms — or those who had no obvious symptoms at all?To tell, scientists are rolling out blood tests that look for antibodies, proteins that the immune system makes to fight off infection. They don’t detect active infection like the tests needed for the currently sick. They’re intended to tell who already was infected whether they knew it or not — including those who had few or no symptoms and those who were sick but couldn’t get a diagnostic test.As they test more people, researchers will look for the level of antibodies that seems to be the key threshold for protection. They’re also trying to tell if having certain types of antibodies are more critical than an overall count.“How long is the protection — one month, three months, six months, a year?” Fauci said. “We need to be humble and modest that we don’t know everything.”Another hurdle: Dozens of antibody tests are being sold without proof that they work as promised. Some countries have reported wildly inaccurate results from certain tests. Among other things, scientists must prove the tests don’t confuse antibodies against another respiratory bug for COVID-19 protection.The situation is so worrisome that FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn recently warned that his agency has given “emergency use authorization” backing to just four tests — and that urgent work to validate others is underway.WHO’S AT-RISK?One early warning has borne out: Older adults are especially susceptible to COVID-19. So are people of any age who have certain health troubles, such as lung disease, heart problems or diabetes.But being young and apparently healthy is no guarantee. Plenty of 20- and 30-somethings, and even some children, get infected and occasionally die.“Some people do extremely well and some people completely crash,” Fauci told The Associated Press in a recent interview. “It’s something more than just age and underlying condition.”There are theories. Maybe genetic differences play a role in how the body responds to this infection, particularly the overactive immune response — what’s called a “cytokine storm” — that is blamed for many deaths. Some scientists are looking into variations in cell receptors, the docking ports that allow the virus to stick to a cell and burrow inside.Whatever the culprit, there’s no way to predict who’s going to crash. Yet that will become increasingly important if some of the experimental therapies being studied pan out, Fauci said, because doctors would need to know whether to focus treatment on the seriously ill or try to reach the newly infected quickly.“If this acts like any other virus, you always want to hit it early,” he noted.

Big unknowns about virus complicate getting back to normal

FINNEY COUNTY —Two people were injured in an accident during a police chase Tuesday in Finney County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Chrysler 300 driven by&nbsp; Monyai Lampkin, 32, Garden City,&nbsp;was northbound just before 2a.m. in the 5000 Block of Old U.S. 83 and actively involved in a pursuit by law enforcement.

The Chrysler left the roadway to the right and struck a 2016 Ford Explorer&nbsp; that officers had parked off the roadway in the ditch. 

The Chrysler continued northbound into the ditch, rolled and the driver was ejected.

EMS transported Lampkin and a passenger Cynthia Romualda Martinez, 22, Garden City, to St. Catharine Hospital.

Lampkin, who was reported as an absconder in February by the Kansas Department of Corrections, was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587504606185.png" alt="Lampkin has previous convictions for theft, criminal threat, obstruction, interference with law enforcement, assault and criminal trespass, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections." />
 <figcaption>Lampkin has previous convictions for theft, criminal threat, obstruction, interference with law enforcement, assault and criminal trespass, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY —Two people were injured in an accident during a police chase Tuesday in Finney County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Chrysler 300 driven by&nbsp; Monyai Lampkin, 32, Garden City,&nbsp;was northbound just before 2a.m. in the 5000 Block of Old U.S. 83 and actively involved in a pursuit by law enforcement.The Chrysler left the roadway to the right and struck a 2016 Ford Explorer&nbsp; that officers had parked off the roadway in the ditch. The Chrysler continued northbound into the ditch, rolled and the driver was ejected.EMS transported Lampkin and a passenger Cynthia Romualda Martinez, 22, Garden City, to St. Catharine Hospital.Lampkin, who was reported as an absconder in February by the Kansas Department of Corrections, was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.&nbsp;

Wanted Kansas felon injured during SW Kan. police chase

WASHINGTON (AP) — A $483 billion&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">coronavirus&nbsp;</a>aid package flew through the Senate on Tuesday after Congress and the White House reached a deal to replenish a small-business payroll fund and provided new money for hospitals and testing.

Passage was swift and unanimous, despite opposition from conservative Republicans. President Donald Trump tweeted his support, pledging to sign it into law. It now goes to the House, with votes set for Thursday.

“I urge the House to pass the bill,” Trump said at the White House.

After nearly two weeks of negotiations and deadlock, Congress and the White House reached agreement Tuesday on the nearly $500 billion package — the fourth as Washington strains to respond to the health and economic crisis.

“The Senate is continuing to stand by the American people,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to an almost empty chamber.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the bill was made “better and broader” after Democrats forced the inclusion of money for hospitals and testing.

A copy of the measure was provided to The Associated Press by a GOP aide.

Most of the funding, $331 billion, would go to boost a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/dded8ead64598a3893f4046bbe857d2e">small-business payroll loan program&nbsp;</a>that ran out of money last week. An additional $75 billion would be given to hospitals, and $25 billion would be spent to boost testing for the virus, a key step in building the confidence required to reopen state economies.

Missing from the package, however, was extra funding for state and local governments staring down budget holes and desperate to avert furloughs and layoffs of workers needed to keep cities running.

Trump said he was open to including in a subsequent virus aid package fiscal relief for state and local government — which Democrats wanted for the current bill — along with infrastructure projects.

Not all Republicans are backing Trump on the deal.

Two conservative Republicans, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., voiced opposition during Tuesday’s session but did not halt passage.

Lee said it was “unacceptable” that the full Senate was not present and voting in the pro forma session as Congress shuttered during the virus outbreak.

Paul said no amount of federal funding will be able to salvage a shuttered economy. “Deaths from infectious disease will continue, but we cannot continue to indefinitely quarantine,” said Paul, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c3db22a242e9577126052dece8285d2f">tested positive for the virus</a>&nbsp;last month but has since recovered.

The House is being called to Washington for a Thursday vote, said Rep. Steny Hoyer, the House majority leader.

Hoyer, D-Md., said the House will also vote on a proposal to allow proxy voting on future business during the pandemic, a first for Congress, which has required in-person business essentially since its founding.

“The House must show the American people that we continue to work hard on their behalf,” Hoyer wrote to colleagues.

But the landmark rules change met with objections from conservative Republicans.

“I don’t support it at all,” said Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., one of a handful of Republicans who showed up for Tuesday’s pro forma session to protest proxy votes. “Congress should be in session.”

Signaling concerns, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., wrote Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., seeking more information on plans to reopen the House.

The emerging virus aid package — originally designed by Republicans as a $250 billion stopgap to replenish the payroll subsidies for smaller businesses — has grown into the second largest of the four coronavirus response bills so far.

Democratic demands have caused the measure to balloon, though Republicans support additions for hospitals and testing.

The now $310 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program includes $60 billion or so set aside for — and divided equally among — smaller banks and community lenders that seek to focus on underbanked neighborhoods and rural areas. Democrats have highlighted the number of smaller and minority-owned shops missing out on the aid.

Another $60 billion would be available for a small-business loans and grants program delivered through an existing small business disaster aid program, $10 billion of which would come in the form of direct grants.

The bill provides $25 billion for increased testing efforts, including at least $11 billion to state and tribal governments to detect and track new infections. The rest will help fund federal research into new coronavirus testing options.

Currently, the U.S. has tested roughly 4 million people for the virus, or just over 1% of its population, according to the Covid Tracking Project website.

While the White House says the U.S. has enough testing to begin easing social distancing measures, most experts say capacity needs to increase at least threefold, if not more.

Despite yet another big package from Congress, all sides say more aid is likely needed.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin outlined infrastructure and broadband spending for the next bill. And there’s pressure to help cities with populations of less than 500,000 that were shut out of the massive $2 trillion relief bill that passed last month.

Schumer said Monday that he had talked to Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell and that Powell said the Fed is working to open up the Main Street Lending program to nonprofits and municipal governments.

The government’s Paycheck Protection Program has been swamped by companies applying for loans and reached its appropriations limit last Thursday after approving nearly 1.7 million loans. That left thousands of small businesses in limbo as they sought help.

<a href="https://apnews.com/6c5942eec36cc43b25ad5df5afebcfbd">Controversies</a>&nbsp;have enveloped the program, with many businesses complaining that banks have favored customers with whom they already do business. Some businesses that haven’t been harmed much by the pandemic have also received loans, along with a number of publicly traded corporations.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587503869494.png" alt="The United State's Senate chamber Tuesday after lawmakers reached an agreement on an interim emergency relief bill, which includes $320 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program, $75 billion for hospitals, and $25 billion for testing." />
 <figcaption>The United State's Senate chamber Tuesday after lawmakers reached an agreement on an interim emergency relief bill, which includes $320 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program, $75 billion for hospitals, and $25 billion for testing.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A $483 billion&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">coronavirus&nbsp;</a>aid package flew through the Senate on Tuesday after Congress and the White House reached a deal to replenish a small-business payroll fund and provided new money for hospitals and testing.Passage was swift and unanimous, despite opposition from conservative Republicans. President Donald Trump tweeted his support, pledging to sign it into law. It now goes to the House, with votes set for Thursday.“I urge the House to pass the bill,” Trump said at the White House.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587510136858.png" alt="President Trump and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin discuss the legislation during Tuesday's Coronavirus Task Force briefing-image courtesy White House&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>President Trump and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin discuss the legislation during Tuesday's Coronavirus Task Force briefing-image courtesy White House&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>After nearly two weeks of negotiations and deadlock, Congress and the White House reached agreement Tuesday on the nearly $500 billion package — the fourth as Washington strains to respond to the health and economic crisis.“The Senate is continuing to stand by the American people,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to an almost empty chamber.Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the bill was made “better and broader” after Democrats forced the inclusion of money for hospitals and testing.A copy of the measure was provided to The Associated Press by a GOP aide.Most of the funding, $331 billion, would go to boost a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/dded8ead64598a3893f4046bbe857d2e">small-business payroll loan program&nbsp;</a>that ran out of money last week. An additional $75 billion would be given to hospitals, and $25 billion would be spent to boost testing for the virus, a key step in building the confidence required to reopen state economies.Missing from the package, however, was extra funding for state and local governments staring down budget holes and desperate to avert furloughs and layoffs of workers needed to keep cities running.Trump said he was open to including in a subsequent virus aid package fiscal relief for state and local government — which Democrats wanted for the current bill — along with infrastructure projects.Not all Republicans are backing Trump on the deal.Two conservative Republicans, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., voiced opposition during Tuesday’s session but did not halt passage.Lee said it was “unacceptable” that the full Senate was not present and voting in the pro forma session as Congress shuttered during the virus outbreak.Paul said no amount of federal funding will be able to salvage a shuttered economy. “Deaths from infectious disease will continue, but we cannot continue to indefinitely quarantine,” said Paul, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c3db22a242e9577126052dece8285d2f">tested positive for the virus</a>&nbsp;last month but has since recovered.The House is being called to Washington for a Thursday vote, said Rep. Steny Hoyer, the House majority leader.Hoyer, D-Md., said the House will also vote on a proposal to allow proxy voting on future business during the pandemic, a first for Congress, which has required in-person business essentially since its founding.“The House must show the American people that we continue to work hard on their behalf,” Hoyer wrote to colleagues.But the landmark rules change met with objections from conservative Republicans.“I don’t support it at all,” said Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., one of a handful of Republicans who showed up for Tuesday’s pro forma session to protest proxy votes. “Congress should be in session.”Signaling concerns, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., wrote Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., seeking more information on plans to reopen the House.The emerging virus aid package — originally designed by Republicans as a $250 billion stopgap to replenish the payroll subsidies for smaller businesses — has grown into the second largest of the four coronavirus response bills so far.Democratic demands have caused the measure to balloon, though Republicans support additions for hospitals and testing.The now $310 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program includes $60 billion or so set aside for — and divided equally among — smaller banks and community lenders that seek to focus on underbanked neighborhoods and rural areas. Democrats have highlighted the number of smaller and minority-owned shops missing out on the aid.Another $60 billion would be available for a small-business loans and grants program delivered through an existing small business disaster aid program, $10 billion of which would come in the form of direct grants.The bill provides $25 billion for increased testing efforts, including at least $11 billion to state and tribal governments to detect and track new infections. The rest will help fund federal research into new coronavirus testing options.Currently, the U.S. has tested roughly 4 million people for the virus, or just over 1% of its population, according to the Covid Tracking Project website.While the White House says the U.S. has enough testing to begin easing social distancing measures, most experts say capacity needs to increase at least threefold, if not more.Despite yet another big package from Congress, all sides say more aid is likely needed.Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin outlined infrastructure and broadband spending for the next bill. And there’s pressure to help cities with populations of less than 500,000 that were shut out of the massive $2 trillion relief bill that passed last month.Schumer said Monday that he had talked to Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell and that Powell said the Fed is working to open up the Main Street Lending program to nonprofits and municipal governments.The government’s Paycheck Protection Program has been swamped by companies applying for loans and reached its appropriations limit last Thursday after approving nearly 1.7 million loans. That left thousands of small businesses in limbo as they sought help.<a href="https://apnews.com/6c5942eec36cc43b25ad5df5afebcfbd">Controversies</a>&nbsp;have enveloped the program, with many businesses complaining that banks have favored customers with whom they already do business. Some businesses that haven’t been harmed much by the pandemic have also received loans, along with a number of publicly traded corporations.___

Senate's $483B virus aid deal finally headed to the House 

WICHITA (AP)—A Wichita police officer who fatally shot a man in January 2019 will not face charges. Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett announced Tuesday the officer shot and killed Geoffrey Morris in self-defense. 

Morris was shot after officers surrounded his car to try and arrest him on outstanding warrants. 

Bennett said in his report that Morris backed up and hit a law enforcement vehicle then then drove forward toward an officer, who fired because he thought he might be hit by the car. Morris died two days later at a hospital. The officer's name has not been released.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587501418957.png" alt="Geoffrey Morris had numerous convictions that included theft, aggravated battery, theft and for drugs according to the Kansas Department of Corrections." />
 <figcaption>Geoffrey Morris had numerous convictions that included theft, aggravated battery, theft and for drugs according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA (AP)—A Wichita police officer who fatally shot a man in January 2019 will not face charges. Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett announced Tuesday the officer shot and killed Geoffrey Morris in self-defense. Morris was shot after officers surrounded his car to try and arrest him on outstanding warrants. Bennett said in his report that Morris backed up and hit a law enforcement vehicle then then drove forward toward an officer, who fired because he thought he might be hit by the car. Morris died two days later at a hospital. The officer's name has not been released.

Kansas officer will not face charges in fatal shooting

BEIJING (AP) — CHINA ON&nbsp;Wednesday slammed a lawsuit brought against it by the U.S. state of&nbsp;Missouri&nbsp;over the coronavirus pandemic as “very absurd."

Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the legal action has “no factual and legal basis at all" and repeated China's defense of its response to the outbreak, which has largely subsided in the country where it was first detected.

The ministry and other Chinese government departments have strenuously denied accusations that officials delayed reporting on the extent of the outbreak in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year, despite reports that worries over political stability were placed above public health concerns. Medical staff who reported the outbreak were silenced under threat of legal retaliation and Wuhan went several days without reporting cases during the holding of an annual provincial government conference.

“This so-called lawsuit is very absurd and has no factual and legal basis at all," Geng said at a daily briefing. Since the outbreak began, China has proceeded in an “open, transparent, and responsible manner" and the U.S. government should “dismiss such vexatious litigation," he said.

Missouri's top state prosecutor on Tuesday announced the lawsuit, which alleges that Chinese officials are to blame for the pandemic that has sickened around 2.5 million worldwide, thrown tens of millions out of work and devastated local economies, including in China.

Attorney General Eric Schmitt said the Chinese government lied about the dangers of the virus and didn’t do enough to slow its spread.

Missouri's action is likely to be largely symbolic, however, since lawsuits against other countries typically don’t go anywhere because U.S. law generally prohibits them.

According to Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering, the number of Missouri deaths from the virus rose by 16 Tuesday to 215.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587494259039.png" alt="Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced the lawsuit Tuesday-photo courtesy KMOV TV" />
 <figcaption>Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced the lawsuit Tuesday-photo courtesy KMOV TV</figcaption>
 </figure>BEIJING (AP) — CHINA ON&nbsp;Wednesday slammed a lawsuit brought against it by the U.S. state of&nbsp;Missouri&nbsp;over the coronavirus pandemic as “very absurd."Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the legal action has “no factual and legal basis at all" and repeated China's defense of its response to the outbreak, which has largely subsided in the country where it was first detected.The ministry and other Chinese government departments have strenuously denied accusations that officials delayed reporting on the extent of the outbreak in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year, despite reports that worries over political stability were placed above public health concerns. Medical staff who reported the outbreak were silenced under threat of legal retaliation and Wuhan went several days without reporting cases during the holding of an annual provincial government conference.“This so-called lawsuit is very absurd and has no factual and legal basis at all," Geng said at a daily briefing. Since the outbreak began, China has proceeded in an “open, transparent, and responsible manner" and the U.S. government should “dismiss such vexatious litigation," he said.Missouri's top state prosecutor on Tuesday announced the lawsuit, which alleges that Chinese officials are to blame for the pandemic that has sickened around 2.5 million worldwide, thrown tens of millions out of work and devastated local economies, including in China.Attorney General Eric Schmitt said the Chinese government lied about the dangers of the virus and didn’t do enough to slow its spread.Missouri's action is likely to be largely symbolic, however, since lawsuits against other countries typically don’t go anywhere because U.S. law generally prohibits them.According to Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering, the number of Missouri deaths from the virus rose by 16 Tuesday to 215.

China calls virus lawsuit brought by US state 'very absurd'

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced what he described as a “temporary suspension of immigration into the United States” on Tuesday. But the executive order would bar only those seeking permanent residency, not temporary workers.

Trump said he would be placing a 60-day pause on the issuance of green cards in an effort to limit competition for jobs in a U.S. economy wrecked by the coronavirus. The order would include “certain exemptions,” he said, but he declined to outlined them, noting the order was still being crafted.

“By pausing immigration we’ll help put unemployed Americans first in line for jobs as America reopens, so important,” Trump said at the White House. “It would be wrong and unjust for Americans laid off by the virus to be replaced with new immigrant labor flown in from abroad.”

An administration official familiar with the plans, however, said the order will apply to foreigners seeking employment-based green cards and relatives of green card holders who are not citizens. Americans wishing to bring immediate family will still be able to do so, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity before the plan was announced. About 1 million green cards were granted in the 2019 fiscal year, about half to spouses, children and parents of U.S. citizens.

By limiting his immigration measure to green cards, Trump was leaving untouched hundreds of thousands of foreign workers granted non-immigrant visas each year, including farm workers, health care workers and software programmers. The Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank, estimated that some 110,000 green cards could be delayed during a two-month pause. Trump said he would consider extending the restrictions, depending on economic conditions at the time.

Trump has long advocated restrictions on both legal and illegal immigration and has raised concerns for years about foreigners competing with American citizens for jobs.

But he denied he was using the virus to make good on a longstanding campaign promise during an election year. “No, I’m not doing that all,” he said. The president has also used the crisis to push other stalled priorities, from tax reform to dramatic border restrictions.

Trump has often pivoted to his signature issue of immigration when he’s under criticism. It’s one he believes helped him win the 2016 election and one that continues to animate his loyal base of supporters heading into what is expected to be a brutal reelection fight. It has also served as a useful tool for distracting from news he’d prefer removed from the headlines.

Much of the immigration system has already ground to a halt because of the pandemic. Almost all visa processing by the State Department has been suspended for weeks. Travel to the U.S. has been restricted from much of the globe. And Trump has used the virus to effectively end asylum at U.S. borders, including turning away children who arrive by themselves and putting a hold on refugee resettlement — something Congress, the courts and international law hadn’t previously allowed.

Criticism of Trump’s announcement was swift, especially his timing during the pandemic. Ali Noorani, president of the National Immigration Forum, noted that thousands of foreign-born health care workers are currently treating people with COVID-19 and working in critical sectors of the economy.

Andrea Flores of the American Civil Liberties Union said Trump seemed “more interested in fanning anti-immigrant flames than in saving lives.”

But Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies, which favors lower rates of immigration, said before the announcement that eliminating millions of work permits and visas would “instantaneously create” new jobs for Americans and other legal workers — even though most businesses are shuttered because of social distancing dictates and stay-at-home orders.

She was less enthusiastic after Trump outlined the plan, tweeting a single word: “Yawn.”

Indeed, Carl Shusterman, who has practiced immigration law since the 1970s, said a 60-day pause would have little impact because the government effectively stopped processing green cards in March.

“The embassies are not open anyway, so this is like nothing new,” said Shusterman. “This announcement doesn’t really change anything unless the embassies were to open up next week or in the next 60 days.”

Trump first announced his intentions in a vague tweet Monday night. Across the country, those who could be impacted waited in suspense through the day. Chicago immigration attorney Fiona McEntee said she had been inundated with calls, emails and social media messages, including from company executives hoping to expand their business in the U.S., a person applying for a fiance visa and wondering about their wedding plans, artists seeking “extraordinary ability” visas and foreign students.

“It has created absolute panic,” said McEntee. “These are people’s lives. ... It is irresponsible and cruel to put out something like that without any consideration.”

As is often the case, Trump’s tweet also caught many across the administration off-guard.

Trump has already used the crisis to take dramatic steps to limit immigration. Last month, the administration effectively ended asylum, relying on a rarely used 1944 law aimed at preventing the spread of communicable disease. U.S. borders with Mexico and Canada have also been closed to tourism and recreational travel. Commercial traffic and a wide range of “essential” workers are still allowed to travel freely.

The U.S. is now reporting more COVID-19 cases than any other country in the world, with almost 800,000 Americans infected, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University. More than 42,000 have died.

Trump had been expected to use his authority to slash the number of foreign workers allowed to take seasonal jobs in the U.S. Before the outbreak, the administration had planned to increase the number of H-2B visas, angering people who favor more restrictive immigration policies, including some supporters of the president who view foreign workers willing to accept lower wages as unfair competition to American labor. The Department of Homeland Security later put that plan on hold.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587551920514.png" alt="President Trump announced the suspension of immigration during Tuesday's Coronavirus Task force briefing- photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Trump announced the suspension of immigration during Tuesday's Coronavirus Task force briefing- photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced what he described as a “temporary suspension of immigration into the United States” on Tuesday. But the executive order would bar only those seeking permanent residency, not temporary workers.Trump said he would be placing a 60-day pause on the issuance of green cards in an effort to limit competition for jobs in a U.S. economy wrecked by the coronavirus. The order would include “certain exemptions,” he said, but he declined to outlined them, noting the order was still being crafted.“By pausing immigration we’ll help put unemployed Americans first in line for jobs as America reopens, so important,” Trump said at the White House. “It would be wrong and unjust for Americans laid off by the virus to be replaced with new immigrant labor flown in from abroad.”An administration official familiar with the plans, however, said the order will apply to foreigners seeking employment-based green cards and relatives of green card holders who are not citizens. Americans wishing to bring immediate family will still be able to do so, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity before the plan was announced. About 1 million green cards were granted in the 2019 fiscal year, about half to spouses, children and parents of U.S. citizens.By limiting his immigration measure to green cards, Trump was leaving untouched hundreds of thousands of foreign workers granted non-immigrant visas each year, including farm workers, health care workers and software programmers. The Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank, estimated that some 110,000 green cards could be delayed during a two-month pause. Trump said he would consider extending the restrictions, depending on economic conditions at the time.Trump has long advocated restrictions on both legal and illegal immigration and has raised concerns for years about foreigners competing with American citizens for jobs.But he denied he was using the virus to make good on a longstanding campaign promise during an election year. “No, I’m not doing that all,” he said. The president has also used the crisis to push other stalled priorities, from tax reform to dramatic border restrictions.Trump has often pivoted to his signature issue of immigration when he’s under criticism. It’s one he believes helped him win the 2016 election and one that continues to animate his loyal base of supporters heading into what is expected to be a brutal reelection fight. It has also served as a useful tool for distracting from news he’d prefer removed from the headlines.Much of the immigration system has already ground to a halt because of the pandemic. Almost all visa processing by the State Department has been suspended for weeks. Travel to the U.S. has been restricted from much of the globe. And Trump has used the virus to effectively end asylum at U.S. borders, including turning away children who arrive by themselves and putting a hold on refugee resettlement — something Congress, the courts and international law hadn’t previously allowed.Criticism of Trump’s announcement was swift, especially his timing during the pandemic. Ali Noorani, president of the National Immigration Forum, noted that thousands of foreign-born health care workers are currently treating people with COVID-19 and working in critical sectors of the economy.Andrea Flores of the American Civil Liberties Union said Trump seemed “more interested in fanning anti-immigrant flames than in saving lives.”But Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies, which favors lower rates of immigration, said before the announcement that eliminating millions of work permits and visas would “instantaneously create” new jobs for Americans and other legal workers — even though most businesses are shuttered because of social distancing dictates and stay-at-home orders.She was less enthusiastic after Trump outlined the plan, tweeting a single word: “Yawn.”Indeed, Carl Shusterman, who has practiced immigration law since the 1970s, said a 60-day pause would have little impact because the government effectively stopped processing green cards in March.“The embassies are not open anyway, so this is like nothing new,” said Shusterman. “This announcement doesn’t really change anything unless the embassies were to open up next week or in the next 60 days.”Trump first announced his intentions in a vague tweet Monday night. Across the country, those who could be impacted waited in suspense through the day. Chicago immigration attorney Fiona McEntee said she had been inundated with calls, emails and social media messages, including from company executives hoping to expand their business in the U.S., a person applying for a fiance visa and wondering about their wedding plans, artists seeking “extraordinary ability” visas and foreign students.“It has created absolute panic,” said McEntee. “These are people’s lives. ... It is irresponsible and cruel to put out something like that without any consideration.”As is often the case, Trump’s tweet also caught many across the administration off-guard.Trump has already used the crisis to take dramatic steps to limit immigration. Last month, the administration effectively ended asylum, relying on a rarely used 1944 law aimed at preventing the spread of communicable disease. U.S. borders with Mexico and Canada have also been closed to tourism and recreational travel. Commercial traffic and a wide range of “essential” workers are still allowed to travel freely.The U.S. is now reporting more COVID-19 cases than any other country in the world, with almost 800,000 Americans infected, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University. More than 42,000 have died.Trump had been expected to use his authority to slash the number of foreign workers allowed to take seasonal jobs in the U.S. Before the outbreak, the administration had planned to increase the number of H-2B visas, angering people who favor more restrictive immigration policies, including some supporters of the president who view foreign workers willing to accept lower wages as unfair competition to American labor. The Department of Homeland Security later put that plan on hold.___

Trump bars new immigration green cards, not temporary visas

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a robbery and have arrested a 14-year-old boy.

Just before 1a.m. Tuesday, officers responded to a carjacking in the area of 8600 E. Cherry Creek in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.

&nbsp; Upon arrival, officers contacted a 19-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman.&nbsp; They reported that while sitting inside a blue 2012 Jeep Wranger when they were approached by the 14-year-old and three other unknown suspects.&nbsp;

The suspects demanded the victim’s phones, and the 18-year-old woman ran from the vehicle.&nbsp; The suspects pulled the 19-year-old from the vehicle, began punching him, and forcibly took his iPhone and Apple watch.&nbsp; One of the suspects also said he had a gun. However, no gun was seen, according to Davidson.

The suspects then got into the Jeep and fled the scene.&nbsp; No one was seriously injured, according to Davidson.&nbsp;

A police officer observed the Jeep and suspects fleeing from the vehicle in the 1900 block of south Longford.&nbsp; Officers began searching the area, and a Sedgwick County drone unit and WPD K9 responded to assist as well.

Police found the 14-year-old hiding in the area and arrested him without further incident and booked into the Juvenile Detention Facility.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a robbery and have arrested a 14-year-old boy.Just before 1a.m. Tuesday, officers responded to a carjacking in the area of 8600 E. Cherry Creek in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.&nbsp; Upon arrival, officers contacted a 19-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman.&nbsp; They reported that while sitting inside a blue 2012 Jeep Wranger when they were approached by the 14-year-old and three other unknown suspects.&nbsp;The suspects demanded the victim’s phones, and the 18-year-old woman ran from the vehicle.&nbsp; The suspects pulled the 19-year-old from the vehicle, began punching him, and forcibly took his iPhone and Apple watch.&nbsp; One of the suspects also said he had a gun. However, no gun was seen, according to Davidson.The suspects then got into the Jeep and fled the scene.&nbsp; No one was seriously injured, according to Davidson.&nbsp;A police officer observed the Jeep and suspects fleeing from the vehicle in the 1900 block of south Longford.&nbsp; Officers began searching the area, and a Sedgwick County drone unit and WPD K9 responded to assist as well.Police found the 14-year-old hiding in the area and arrested him without further incident and booked into the Juvenile Detention Facility.

K9, drone used to arrest 14-year-old Kan. robbery suspect

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas has relaxed its guidelines on coronavirus testing so that residents who don’t have a fever but who are showing other symptoms can be tested, Gov. Laura Kelly announced Tuesday.

Kelly’s announcement came as the state prison system saw the coronavirus spread to a third facility and the number of confirmed cases among staff and inmates top 100.

The number of people in Kansas infected with the virus rose by 39 to 2,025 on Tuesday — a 2% bump representing the state’s lowest growth rate in infections since March 12. The number of COVID-19-related deaths increased 7%, up seven to 107.

Kansas has had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f6828656a14b81e1b0d695662b58ec3e">among the the lowest testing rates&nbsp;</a>of any state, and officials have complained of struggling to find supplies. On Tuesday, the state was testing 6.56 people per 1,000 residents, compared to 12.30 nationally, based on numbers compiled by&nbsp;<a href="https://covidtracking.com/" target="_blank">The COVID Tracking Project,</a>&nbsp;a website operated by journalists and analysts.

The state previously had recommended that people not be tested unless they were running a fever while also showing two symptoms, such as a cough and shortness of breath. Expanded testing is key for Kelly and public health officials in determining how and when to reopen the state’s economy.

Kelly issued&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/425a488fcf8f16dfb0d7e06a9293b1ff">a stay-at-home order</a>&nbsp;for all 2.9 million of the state’s residents that took effect March 30, and she’s under increasing pressure from the Republican-controlled Legislature to outline a plan for lifting the restrictions. She said she plans to announce her plan next week but that the state must be able to do enough testing to find and isolate infected people then trace their contacts.

“Those two items need to be solidly in place before we can actually think about opening the doors,” Kelly said during her daily coronavirus news conference.

Steps taken to slow the spread of the coronavirus have damaged the economy, and Kansas now faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/66bc36a2cf33d0b60df265bdd0b70a70">a $653 million shortfall</a>&nbsp;in its budget for the 2021 fiscal year that begins in July. Kelly said Tuesday that spending on public schools is essential and that she will work to avoid cutting it.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.

Prisons&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/05ff86f09e8dc6a485287d4f345126b5">nationally</a>&nbsp;have been hit hard by the virus, and the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas has filed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/67c6c34c71c00a739657687d8286f78d" target="_blank">a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;seeking the release of vulnerable inmates. Kelly has said efforts are underway to identify inmates who are close to finishing their sentences and could be released, but concrete steps have yet to be announced.

Almost all of the prison’s confirmed cases are at the Lansing Correctional Facility outside Kansas City, where 54 staff — about 13% of the prison’s workforce — and 46 inmates are infected. An inmate at a work-release facility in Wichita tested positive earlier this month, and the Department of Corrections said a staffer at the state’s only prison for women in Topeka tested positive Monday.

Another 20 Lansing-based inmates who may have been exposed but aren’t showing symptoms are quarantined, said Rebecca Witte, a department spokeswoman.

Witte said inmates at the Topeka prison and one in Hutchinson are making cloth masks, and all inmates and corrections staff have been issued two each.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587495989773.png" alt="Governor Laura Kelly during her Tuesday's press briefing" />
 <figcaption>Governor Laura Kelly during her Tuesday's press briefing</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas has relaxed its guidelines on coronavirus testing so that residents who don’t have a fever but who are showing other symptoms can be tested, Gov. Laura Kelly announced Tuesday.Kelly’s announcement came as the state prison system saw the coronavirus spread to a third facility and the number of confirmed cases among staff and inmates top 100.The number of people in Kansas infected with the virus rose by 39 to 2,025 on Tuesday — a 2% bump representing the state’s lowest growth rate in infections since March 12. The number of COVID-19-related deaths increased 7%, up seven to 107.Kansas has had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f6828656a14b81e1b0d695662b58ec3e">among the the lowest testing rates&nbsp;</a>of any state, and officials have complained of struggling to find supplies. On Tuesday, the state was testing 6.56 people per 1,000 residents, compared to 12.30 nationally, based on numbers compiled by&nbsp;<a href="https://covidtracking.com/" target="_blank">The COVID Tracking Project,</a>&nbsp;a website operated by journalists and analysts.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587156578878.png" alt="Drive up&nbsp; virus testing -photo courtesy Johnson County Department of Health" />
 <figcaption>Drive up&nbsp; virus testing -photo courtesy Johnson County Department of Health</figcaption>
 </figure>The state previously had recommended that people not be tested unless they were running a fever while also showing two symptoms, such as a cough and shortness of breath. Expanded testing is key for Kelly and public health officials in determining how and when to reopen the state’s economy.Kelly issued&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/425a488fcf8f16dfb0d7e06a9293b1ff">a stay-at-home order</a>&nbsp;for all 2.9 million of the state’s residents that took effect March 30, and she’s under increasing pressure from the Republican-controlled Legislature to outline a plan for lifting the restrictions. She said she plans to announce her plan next week but that the state must be able to do enough testing to find and isolate infected people then trace their contacts.“Those two items need to be solidly in place before we can actually think about opening the doors,” Kelly said during her daily coronavirus news conference.Steps taken to slow the spread of the coronavirus have damaged the economy, and Kansas now faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/66bc36a2cf33d0b60df265bdd0b70a70">a $653 million shortfall</a>&nbsp;in its budget for the 2021 fiscal year that begins in July. Kelly said Tuesday that spending on public schools is essential and that she will work to avoid cutting it.For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.Prisons&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/05ff86f09e8dc6a485287d4f345126b5">nationally</a>&nbsp;have been hit hard by the virus, and the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas has filed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/67c6c34c71c00a739657687d8286f78d" target="_blank">a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;seeking the release of vulnerable inmates. Kelly has said efforts are underway to identify inmates who are close to finishing their sentences and could be released, but concrete steps have yet to be announced.Almost all of the prison’s confirmed cases are at the Lansing Correctional Facility outside Kansas City, where 54 staff — about 13% of the prison’s workforce — and 46 inmates are infected. An inmate at a work-release facility in Wichita tested positive earlier this month, and the Department of Corrections said a staffer at the state’s only prison for women in Topeka tested positive Monday.Another 20 Lansing-based inmates who may have been exposed but aren’t showing symptoms are quarantined, said Rebecca Witte, a department spokeswoman.Witte said inmates at the Topeka prison and one in Hutchinson are making cloth masks, and all inmates and corrections staff have been issued two each.___

Kansas eases coronavirus testing guidelines

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Four Kansas City men have been charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of three Oklahoma men during a violent weekend in Kansas City in July 2017.

Jackson County prosecutors announced Tuesday that Rashidi Crosdale, 36, Tyree West, 41, Terrence Harden, 31, and Ravon Freeman, 19, were charged in the killings. Crosdale and West each face three counts of first-degree murder and armed criminal action. Harden and Freeman face two counts of both charges.

The three men from Tulsa — 31-year-old John W. Waldon, 46-year-old Darren L. Harris and 49-year-old Andre L. Barnes — died in two separate shootings on a weekend when seven people were killed and 15 shootings occurred.

According to the indictment, Harris was in Kansas City to collect money that West allegedly owed him from a previous drug deal involving PCP. A witness told police West owed Harris between $10,000 to $20,000 for an unpaid drug debt.

Harris’ body was found inside a car on July 1. A short time later, police found Waldon and Barnes dead in a nearby street.

Freeman and Harden were arrested Tuesday. Crosdale and West are currently awaiting trial in federal prison on other charges. No attorneys were listed in online court records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587502158803.png" alt="Harden photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Harden photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Four Kansas City men have been charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of three Oklahoma men during a violent weekend in Kansas City in July 2017.Jackson County prosecutors announced Tuesday that Rashidi Crosdale, 36, Tyree West, 41, Terrence Harden, 31, and Ravon Freeman, 19, were charged in the killings. Crosdale and West each face three counts of first-degree murder and armed criminal action. Harden and Freeman face two counts of both charges.The three men from Tulsa — 31-year-old John W. Waldon, 46-year-old Darren L. Harris and 49-year-old Andre L. Barnes — died in two separate shootings on a weekend when seven people were killed and 15 shootings occurred.According to the indictment, Harris was in Kansas City to collect money that West allegedly owed him from a previous drug deal involving PCP. A witness told police West owed Harris between $10,000 to $20,000 for an unpaid drug debt.Harris’ body was found inside a car on July 1. A short time later, police found Waldon and Barnes dead in a nearby street.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587502226440.png" alt="Freeman photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Freeman photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>Freeman and Harden were arrested Tuesday. Crosdale and West are currently awaiting trial in federal prison on other charges. No attorneys were listed in online court records.

4 charged for deadly July 2017 weekend in Kansas City

By REESE DUNKLIN, JUSTIN PRITCHARD, JUSTIN MYERS and KRYSTA FAURIA,&nbsp; Associated Press

Companies with thousands of employees, past penalties from government investigations and risks of financial failure even before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">the coronavirus</a>&nbsp;walloped the economy were among those receiving millions of dollars from a relief fund that Congress created to help small businesses through the crisis, an Associated Press investigation found.

The Paycheck Protection Program was supposed to infuse small businesses, which typically have less access to quick cash and credit, with $349 billion in emergency loans that could help keep workers on the job and bills paid on time.

But at least 75 companies that received the aid were publicly traded, the AP found, and some had market values well over $100 million. And 25% of the companies had warned investors months ago — while the economy was humming along — that their ability to remain viable was in question.

By combing through thousands of regulatory filings, the AP identified the 75 companies as recipients of a combined $300 million in low-interest, taxpayer-backed loans.

Eight companies, or their subsidiaries, received the maximum $10 million possible, including a California software company that settled a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation late last year into accounting errors that overstated its revenue.

The eight firms getting maximum loans are likely just a tip of the iceberg: Statistics released last week by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/53954f808f0652463d58728ad64cd5b3">the U.S. Small Business Administration</a>&nbsp;showed that 4,400 of the approved loans exceeded $5 million. Overall, the size of the typical loan nationally was $206,000, according to the statistics. SBA will forgive the loans if companies meet certain benchmarks, such as keeping employees on payroll for eight weeks.

The list of recipients identified by the AP is a fraction of the 1.6 million loans that lenders approved before the program was depleted last week, but it is the most complete public accounting to date. Neither the Trump administration nor the lending industry has disclosed a list of Paycheck Protection Program beneficiaries.

Representatives of the SBA, which is overseeing the program, did not respond to a request for comment late Monday. But last Friday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a written statement that most of the loans, 74%, were for less than $150,000 and that demonstrated “the accessibility of this program to even the smallest of small businesses.”

President Donald Trump, asked Monday whether the criteria for who can receive loans should change, said that “we’ll look at individual things and some people will have to return it if we think it’s inappropriate.” He added that the loans are supposed to be awarded, in part, by “what we think is right.”

The AP analysis comes as lawmakers from both political parties negotiate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/347c3791a921a62cd5c0782ebd6cf2af">an additional relief package</a>&nbsp;that in large part would replenish the Paycheck Protection Program with more than $300 billion, but there are disagreements about terms for the new funding measure. A final deal could come as early as Tuesday.

AP’s review also found examples of companies that had foreign owners and that were delisted from U.S. stock exchanges, or threatened with removal, because of their poor stock performance before the coronavirus caused a downturn. Other companies have had annual losses for years.

Wave Life Sciences USA Inc., a Boston-area biotechnology company that develops new pharmaceuticals, received a $7.2 million loan. Weeks earlier, Wave Life Sciences, whose parent company is based in Singapore, disclosed in its annual report net losses of $102 million, $147 million and $194 million during the last three fiscal years.

“We currently have no products on the market and expect that it may be many years, if ever, before we have a product candidate ready for commercialization,” it wrote.

In an emailed statement Monday, the company said: “The livelihood of our U.S. employees and their families would be severely disrupted if they were to lose their jobs or be furloughed. We are doing everything we can to support them.”

Michael Minnis, who has studied the SBA program as an accounting professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, said he understood the frustrations of smaller businesses that have not received funding when publicly listed companies have. But he said it would be hard to go into the program and change the parameters now.

“There’s a fundamental trade-off here between speed and targeting this in the absolute best way,” he said.

Minnis estimates the program might need to dispense $720 billion to meet demand.

Since launching April 3, the relief package has faced criticism about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/86bd1e6aa3e832452fc4217e3a3b01c3">slow loan processing</a>, unclear rules and limited funding that left many mom-and-pop businesses without help.

News that the $1.6 billion Shake Shack burger empire had received a maximum $10 million loan, disclosed in a filing Friday, ignited public anger. Company executives said late Sunday they would return the money after finding other sources of capital.

By design, the Paycheck Protection Program was meant to get money out quickly to as many small businesses as possible, using a formula based in part on workforce and payroll size. Some of the eligibility criteria was expanded making it possible for some businesses with more than 500 employees to qualify if, for example, they met certain size standards for their industries or other conditions.

The owners behind large restaurants chains like Potbelly, Ruth’s Chris Steak House and Taco Cabana were able to qualify and get the maximum $10 million in loans despite employing thousands of workers.

Some other big companies that received loans appeared to have enough cash on hand to survive the economic downturn. New York City-based Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, for example, a cruise ship and travel company with 650 workers and a branding deal with National Geographic, got a $6.6 million loan. At the end of March, the business reported having about $137 million in cash on its balance sheet.

“When this crisis hit, we had two business planning cases: 1) substantial layoffs and furloughs or 2) receiving these funds and not impacting our employees,” spokeswoman Audrey Chang wrote in an email. “Lindblad is the very rare travel company that has not imposed any layoffs, furloughs or salary reductions to date.”

Five of the companies that the AP identified were previously under investigation by financial and other regulators, including firms that paid penalties to resolve allegations, records show.

Quantum Corp., a data storage company based in San Jose, California, that has a workforce of 800, paid a $1 million penalty last December over allegations that accounting errors resulted in overstated revenues. Quantum received a maximum $10 million loan.

Without that loan, “we would most certainly be forced to reduce headcount. We owe it to our employees — who’ve stuck with us through a long and difficult turnaround — to do everything we can to save their jobs during this crisis,” company spokesman Bob Wientzen wrote in an email.

Broadwind Energy, a suburban Chicago maker of wind turbines that employs about 520, agreed to pay a $1 million penalty five years ago after the SEC accused it of failing to inform investors that reduced business from two major customers had caused “substantial declines” in its long-term financial prospects. Broadwind, which could not be immediately reached, received $9.5 million from the loan program.

Marrone Bio Innovations, a biopesticide company in Davis, California, that has about 50 workers, similarly agreed to pay $1.8 million in 2016 after the SEC alleged its chief operating officer had inflated financial results to hit projections that it would double revenues during its first year as a public company. Marrone received a loan worth $1.7 million.

Pam Marrone, the chief executive, said the company “shouldn’t be punished” for what happened with the SEC because it has had clean audits for years now. She described the investigation as a “body blow” that cost it investors and drove its stock price under $1. She said it has had to take on $40 million in debt and is still digging itself out of the financial hole.

“People don’t realize how tough it is to be a small public company like us that’s not yet profitable,” she said. “We can’t just go to investors and say, ‘OK, open up your wallets.’ “

The AP analysis found that about 1 in 4 of the companies, in fact, had warned investors months ago that they or their auditors had significant doubts about their ability to remain viable and meet their financial obligations despite the booming economy at the time.

One was Helius Medical Technologies, a company located near Philadelphia that develops technology to help injured brains heal themselves.

The company has 19 employees and received a $323,000 loan amid a tough stretch. Its most recent annual report warned, “We may be unable to continue to operate without the threat of liquidation for the foreseeable future” and did not expect to have enough cash to go beyond May.

In an interview, president and chief executive Phil Deschamps said the company was able to raise enough capital earlier this year that, when paired with the loan, it can survive to early summer — when it expects to have filed for U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for its device. Without the federal money, he said, the company would have lost scientists and attorneys who help prepare regulatory submissions.

Deschamps said his company followed the same rules and applied like any other, and that its device could help thousands of people in the future. But he also understands why some people might question giving money to publicly traded firms.

“If we didn’t qualify for whatever reason, we would have walked away and figured out another way to do it,” he said.

Another company that was facing financial doubts before the virus was Enservco Corp., a Denver-based firm that helps oil and gas firms, including in the fracking industry. In its annual report filed last month, the company said: “We do not generate adequate revenue to fund our current operations, and we incurred significant net operating losses during the years ended December 31, 2019, and 2018, which raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.”

Chief executive Ian Dickinson said in an interview that his company would not have folded without the $1.9 million loan it received. But, he said, he welcomed the money and would’ve had to let go more employees than he already has without it. Enservco’s annual report cited 186 employees; Dickinson said payroll has “reduced significantly” from that mark, without giving specifics.

Dickinson said he did not believe concerns about how long the company could survive were raised in the application process with its bank.

“At the end of the day, our employees are really no different than the employees of a nonpublic company,” Dickinson said. “These are funds being used to keep folks on payroll and keep food on their tables.”

That big companies and ones with questionable records received such precious financial aid during the chaotic last few weeks frustrates Zachary Davis, a Santa Cruz, California, businessman who runs two artisanal ice cream shops, a beachside café and a taco bar with partner Kendra Baker.

Before a shelter-in-place order in mid-March, the two were expecting their best year to date and were on track to pay off in May the $250,000 loan from the federal government that they used 10 years ago to open their original shop.

“We were feeling pretty good about where we were in the world. Now it’s just all turned upside down,” said Davis, who had to lay off 70 workers.

Davis says they were recently able to obtain a different $10,000 disaster loan from the federal government to pay off vendors, but he says that it “evaporated within seconds.” Davis and Baker submitted a Paycheck Protection Program application with supporting documents on April 2 but are still waiting.

Competing against businesses with hundreds of millions a year in revenue and teams of accountants and lawyers is tough, Davis said, “and if you’re a little guy, chances are you’re going to the back of the line.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587510136858.png" alt="President Trump and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin discussed the loan program issues at a Coronavirus Task Force briefing Tuesday" />
 <figcaption>President Trump and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin discussed the loan program issues at a Coronavirus Task Force briefing Tuesday</figcaption>
 </figure>By REESE DUNKLIN, JUSTIN PRITCHARD, JUSTIN MYERS and KRYSTA FAURIA,&nbsp; Associated PressCompanies with thousands of employees, past penalties from government investigations and risks of financial failure even before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">the coronavirus</a>&nbsp;walloped the economy were among those receiving millions of dollars from a relief fund that Congress created to help small businesses through the crisis, an Associated Press investigation found.The Paycheck Protection Program was supposed to infuse small businesses, which typically have less access to quick cash and credit, with $349 billion in emergency loans that could help keep workers on the job and bills paid on time.But at least 75 companies that received the aid were publicly traded, the AP found, and some had market values well over $100 million. And 25% of the companies had warned investors months ago — while the economy was humming along — that their ability to remain viable was in question.By combing through thousands of regulatory filings, the AP identified the 75 companies as recipients of a combined $300 million in low-interest, taxpayer-backed loans.Eight companies, or their subsidiaries, received the maximum $10 million possible, including a California software company that settled a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation late last year into accounting errors that overstated its revenue.The eight firms getting maximum loans are likely just a tip of the iceberg: Statistics released last week by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/53954f808f0652463d58728ad64cd5b3">the U.S. Small Business Administration</a>&nbsp;showed that 4,400 of the approved loans exceeded $5 million. Overall, the size of the typical loan nationally was $206,000, according to the statistics. SBA will forgive the loans if companies meet certain benchmarks, such as keeping employees on payroll for eight weeks.The list of recipients identified by the AP is a fraction of the 1.6 million loans that lenders approved before the program was depleted last week, but it is the most complete public accounting to date. Neither the Trump administration nor the lending industry has disclosed a list of Paycheck Protection Program beneficiaries.Representatives of the SBA, which is overseeing the program, did not respond to a request for comment late Monday. But last Friday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a written statement that most of the loans, 74%, were for less than $150,000 and that demonstrated “the accessibility of this program to even the smallest of small businesses.”President Donald Trump, asked Monday whether the criteria for who can receive loans should change, said that “we’ll look at individual things and some people will have to return it if we think it’s inappropriate.” He added that the loans are supposed to be awarded, in part, by “what we think is right.”The AP analysis comes as lawmakers from both political parties negotiate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/347c3791a921a62cd5c0782ebd6cf2af">an additional relief package</a>&nbsp;that in large part would replenish the Paycheck Protection Program with more than $300 billion, but there are disagreements about terms for the new funding measure. A final deal could come as early as Tuesday.AP’s review also found examples of companies that had foreign owners and that were delisted from U.S. stock exchanges, or threatened with removal, because of their poor stock performance before the coronavirus caused a downturn. Other companies have had annual losses for years.Wave Life Sciences USA Inc., a Boston-area biotechnology company that develops new pharmaceuticals, received a $7.2 million loan. Weeks earlier, Wave Life Sciences, whose parent company is based in Singapore, disclosed in its annual report net losses of $102 million, $147 million and $194 million during the last three fiscal years.“We currently have no products on the market and expect that it may be many years, if ever, before we have a product candidate ready for commercialization,” it wrote.In an emailed statement Monday, the company said: “The livelihood of our U.S. employees and their families would be severely disrupted if they were to lose their jobs or be furloughed. We are doing everything we can to support them.”Michael Minnis, who has studied the SBA program as an accounting professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, said he understood the frustrations of smaller businesses that have not received funding when publicly listed companies have. But he said it would be hard to go into the program and change the parameters now.“There’s a fundamental trade-off here between speed and targeting this in the absolute best way,” he said.Minnis estimates the program might need to dispense $720 billion to meet demand.Since launching April 3, the relief package has faced criticism about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/86bd1e6aa3e832452fc4217e3a3b01c3">slow loan processing</a>, unclear rules and limited funding that left many mom-and-pop businesses without help.News that the $1.6 billion Shake Shack burger empire had received a maximum $10 million loan, disclosed in a filing Friday, ignited public anger. Company executives said late Sunday they would return the money after finding other sources of capital.By design, the Paycheck Protection Program was meant to get money out quickly to as many small businesses as possible, using a formula based in part on workforce and payroll size. Some of the eligibility criteria was expanded making it possible for some businesses with more than 500 employees to qualify if, for example, they met certain size standards for their industries or other conditions.The owners behind large restaurants chains like Potbelly, Ruth’s Chris Steak House and Taco Cabana were able to qualify and get the maximum $10 million in loans despite employing thousands of workers.Some other big companies that received loans appeared to have enough cash on hand to survive the economic downturn. New York City-based Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, for example, a cruise ship and travel company with 650 workers and a branding deal with National Geographic, got a $6.6 million loan. At the end of March, the business reported having about $137 million in cash on its balance sheet.“When this crisis hit, we had two business planning cases: 1) substantial layoffs and furloughs or 2) receiving these funds and not impacting our employees,” spokeswoman Audrey Chang wrote in an email. “Lindblad is the very rare travel company that has not imposed any layoffs, furloughs or salary reductions to date.”Five of the companies that the AP identified were previously under investigation by financial and other regulators, including firms that paid penalties to resolve allegations, records show.Quantum Corp., a data storage company based in San Jose, California, that has a workforce of 800, paid a $1 million penalty last December over allegations that accounting errors resulted in overstated revenues. Quantum received a maximum $10 million loan.Without that loan, “we would most certainly be forced to reduce headcount. We owe it to our employees — who’ve stuck with us through a long and difficult turnaround — to do everything we can to save their jobs during this crisis,” company spokesman Bob Wientzen wrote in an email.Broadwind Energy, a suburban Chicago maker of wind turbines that employs about 520, agreed to pay a $1 million penalty five years ago after the SEC accused it of failing to inform investors that reduced business from two major customers had caused “substantial declines” in its long-term financial prospects. Broadwind, which could not be immediately reached, received $9.5 million from the loan program.Marrone Bio Innovations, a biopesticide company in Davis, California, that has about 50 workers, similarly agreed to pay $1.8 million in 2016 after the SEC alleged its chief operating officer had inflated financial results to hit projections that it would double revenues during its first year as a public company. Marrone received a loan worth $1.7 million.Pam Marrone, the chief executive, said the company “shouldn’t be punished” for what happened with the SEC because it has had clean audits for years now. She described the investigation as a “body blow” that cost it investors and drove its stock price under $1. She said it has had to take on $40 million in debt and is still digging itself out of the financial hole.“People don’t realize how tough it is to be a small public company like us that’s not yet profitable,” she said. “We can’t just go to investors and say, ‘OK, open up your wallets.’ “The AP analysis found that about 1 in 4 of the companies, in fact, had warned investors months ago that they or their auditors had significant doubts about their ability to remain viable and meet their financial obligations despite the booming economy at the time.One was Helius Medical Technologies, a company located near Philadelphia that develops technology to help injured brains heal themselves.The company has 19 employees and received a $323,000 loan amid a tough stretch. Its most recent annual report warned, “We may be unable to continue to operate without the threat of liquidation for the foreseeable future” and did not expect to have enough cash to go beyond May.In an interview, president and chief executive Phil Deschamps said the company was able to raise enough capital earlier this year that, when paired with the loan, it can survive to early summer — when it expects to have filed for U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for its device. Without the federal money, he said, the company would have lost scientists and attorneys who help prepare regulatory submissions.Deschamps said his company followed the same rules and applied like any other, and that its device could help thousands of people in the future. But he also understands why some people might question giving money to publicly traded firms.“If we didn’t qualify for whatever reason, we would have walked away and figured out another way to do it,” he said.Another company that was facing financial doubts before the virus was Enservco Corp., a Denver-based firm that helps oil and gas firms, including in the fracking industry. In its annual report filed last month, the company said: “We do not generate adequate revenue to fund our current operations, and we incurred significant net operating losses during the years ended December 31, 2019, and 2018, which raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.”Chief executive Ian Dickinson said in an interview that his company would not have folded without the $1.9 million loan it received. But, he said, he welcomed the money and would’ve had to let go more employees than he already has without it. Enservco’s annual report cited 186 employees; Dickinson said payroll has “reduced significantly” from that mark, without giving specifics.Dickinson said he did not believe concerns about how long the company could survive were raised in the application process with its bank.“At the end of the day, our employees are really no different than the employees of a nonpublic company,” Dickinson said. “These are funds being used to keep folks on payroll and keep food on their tables.”That big companies and ones with questionable records received such precious financial aid during the chaotic last few weeks frustrates Zachary Davis, a Santa Cruz, California, businessman who runs two artisanal ice cream shops, a beachside café and a taco bar with partner Kendra Baker.Before a shelter-in-place order in mid-March, the two were expecting their best year to date and were on track to pay off in May the $250,000 loan from the federal government that they used 10 years ago to open their original shop.“We were feeling pretty good about where we were in the world. Now it’s just all turned upside down,” said Davis, who had to lay off 70 workers.Davis says they were recently able to obtain a different $10,000 disaster loan from the federal government to pay off vendors, but he says that it “evaporated within seconds.” Davis and Baker submitted a Paycheck Protection Program application with supporting documents on April 2 but are still waiting.Competing against businesses with hundreds of millions a year in revenue and teams of accountants and lawyers is tough, Davis said, “and if you’re a little guy, chances are you’re going to the back of the line.”___

Big firms grabbed $300M in small-business relief loans

SHAWNEE COUNTY –Law enforcement authorities are investigating an assault on an officer and have arrested a suspect.

Just before 5:30p.m. March 17, police&nbsp;responded to the 3800 block of SE Evans in Topeka on a report of a domestic disturbance, according to police spokesperson Gretchen Koenen.

 Officers were notified of a person of interest fleeing the area in a black passenger car. That subject then rammed a marked Topeka Police car who was arriving in the area. The subject then fled on foot. There were no injuries to the officer involved or any citizens in the area.

On Monday, the United States Marshal Fugitive Task Force in partnership with the Topeka Police Department and the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office executed an arrest warrant in the 3800 block of SE Evans Dr. for 24-year-old Ian A. Mwaniki.

Mwaniki was located, arrested and later booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on charges Aggravated Battery LEO, Flee or attempt to elude, Failure to stop at accident, Interference with Law Enforcement, Domestic Battery, Violate Protection Order, Criminal Damage, Theft and Topeka Bench Warrants

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587464230377.png" alt="Mwaniki " />
 <figcaption>Mwaniki </figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY –Law enforcement authorities are investigating an assault on an officer and have arrested a suspect.Just before 5:30p.m. March 17, police&nbsp;responded to the 3800 block of SE Evans in Topeka on a report of a domestic disturbance, according to police spokesperson Gretchen Koenen. Officers were notified of a person of interest fleeing the area in a black passenger car. That subject then rammed a marked Topeka Police car who was arriving in the area. The subject then fled on foot. There were no injuries to the officer involved or any citizens in the area.On Monday, the United States Marshal Fugitive Task Force in partnership with the Topeka Police Department and the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office executed an arrest warrant in the 3800 block of SE Evans Dr. for 24-year-old Ian A. Mwaniki.Mwaniki was located, arrested and later booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on charges Aggravated Battery LEO, Flee or attempt to elude, Failure to stop at accident, Interference with Law Enforcement, Domestic Battery, Violate Protection Order, Criminal Damage, Theft and Topeka Bench Warrants

US Marshal's capture suspect who rammed Kan. police vehicle

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health regulators on Tuesday OK'd the first coronavirus test that allows people to collect their own sample at home, a new approach that could help expand testing options in most states.

The test from LabCorp will initially only be available to health care workers and first responders under a doctor's orders. The sample will still have to be shipped for processing back to LabCorp, which operates diagnostic labs throughout the U.S.

Allowing people to self-swab at home would help reduce infection risks for front-line health care workers and help conserve protective gear.

For the home test, people are initially screened with an online questionnaire. If authorized by a physician, LabCorp will ship a testing kit to their home. The kit includes cotton swabs, a collection tube, an insulated pouch and box to ship the specimen back to LabCorp. To take a sample, a cotton swab is swirled in each nostril. The test results are posted online to a secure company website.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587480608332.png" alt="Image courtesy Lab Corp" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy Lab Corp</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health regulators on Tuesday OK'd the first coronavirus test that allows people to collect their own sample at home, a new approach that could help expand testing options in most states.The test from LabCorp will initially only be available to health care workers and first responders under a doctor's orders. The sample will still have to be shipped for processing back to LabCorp, which operates diagnostic labs throughout the U.S.Allowing people to self-swab at home would help reduce infection risks for front-line health care workers and help conserve protective gear.For the home test, people are initially screened with an online questionnaire. If authorized by a physician, LabCorp will ship a testing kit to their home. The kit includes cotton swabs, a collection tube, an insulated pouch and box to ship the specimen back to LabCorp. To take a sample, a cotton swab is swirled in each nostril. The test results are posted online to a secure company website.The company said it will make the test available in the coming weeks. Each kit will cost $119. The kits will not be available in Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island.Initially, the Food and Drug Administration required health care workers wearing masks, gloves and other protective gear to collect all samples from potential coronavirus patients, usually by sticking a long swab down the nose or throat.More recently, the FDA has endorsed the self-swab method. LabCorp's test is the first that allows it to be done at home without supervision.FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said in a statement the agency authorized the self-swab test based on data showing it is “as safe and accurate as sample collection at a doctor's office, hospital or other testing site.”