NEW YORK (AP) —The Food and Drug Administration is ordering food and drug makers to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fda-red-dye-no-3-ban-94c3e418584fb1e91ca3b0cbeb3d5a60">remove a dye</a>&nbsp;called Red 3 from the products U.S. consumers eat and drink.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-newsom-laws-signing-b9f512f6bd9e6f57538faf36ed12af6c">The colorant</a>&nbsp;was banned from cosmetics and non-oral medications decades ago because a study showed it caused cancer when eaten by rats. But it kept appearing on the ingredient lists of popular snack foods and other grocery products because it remained approved for use until now.

Consumer advocates monitor manufacturers that still include the additive, and companies often switch to less notorious alternatives. Shoppers should always check food labels to see if an item they want to buy includes Red 3, which is also known as erythrosine and FD&amp;C Red No. 3.

These are some of the product categories where the dye is most likely to show up.

Brach’s Conversation Hearts and Brach’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/candy-corn-halloween-trickortreat-384c51299fe00945c0e92b29cc3ff86a">Candy Corn</a>&nbsp;both contain Red 3. But some other red candies, like Swedish Fish and Wild Cherry Lifesavers, use Red 40.

Some baked goods and snacks – mostly with red icing – contain Red 3. Betty Crocker Red Decorating Icing contains Red 3. But Pillsbury’s Funfetti Valentine’s Day Vanilla Frosting – which is swirled with tiny red hearts – uses Red 40.

The Food and Drug Administration is ordering food and drug makers to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fda-red-dye-no-3-ban-94c3e418584fb1e91ca3b0cbeb3d5a60">remove a dye</a>&nbsp;called Red 3 from the products U.S. consumers eat and drink.

NEW YORK (AP) —The Food and Drug Administration is ordering food and drug makers to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fda-red-dye-no-3-ban-94c3e418584fb1e91ca3b0cbeb3d5a60">remove a dye</a>&nbsp;called Red 3 from the products U.S. consumers eat and drink.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-newsom-laws-signing-b9f512f6bd9e6f57538faf36ed12af6c">The colorant</a>&nbsp;was banned from cosmetics and non-oral medications decades ago because a study showed it caused cancer when eaten by rats. But it kept appearing on the ingredient lists of popular snack foods and other grocery products because it remained approved for use until now.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today, the FDA is issuing an order to revoke the authorization for the use of FD&amp;C Red No. 3 in food and ingested drugs in response to a 2022 color additive petition that requested the agency to review whether the Delaney Clause applied. <a href="https://t.co/Qd0NFOIUz8">https://t.co/Qd0NFOIUz8</a> <a href="https://t.co/Bpr6XNC8OR">pic.twitter.com/Bpr6XNC8OR</a>&mdash; U.S. FDA Human Foods Program (@FDAfood) <a href="https://twitter.com/FDAfood/status/1879532094730227991?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Consumer advocates monitor manufacturers that still include the additive, and companies often switch to less notorious alternatives. Shoppers should always check food labels to see if an item they want to buy includes Red 3, which is also known as erythrosine and FD&amp;C Red No. 3.These are some of the product categories where the dye is most likely to show up.<h2>CANDIES</h2>Brach’s Conversation Hearts and Brach’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/candy-corn-halloween-trickortreat-384c51299fe00945c0e92b29cc3ff86a">Candy Corn</a>&nbsp;both contain Red 3. But some other red candies, like Swedish Fish and Wild Cherry Lifesavers, use Red 40.<h2>BAKED GOODS AND SNACKS</h2>Some baked goods and snacks – mostly with red icing – contain Red 3. Betty Crocker Red Decorating Icing contains Red 3. But Pillsbury’s Funfetti Valentine’s Day Vanilla Frosting – which is swirled with tiny red hearts – uses Red 40.The Food and Drug Administration is ordering food and drug makers to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fda-red-dye-no-3-ban-94c3e418584fb1e91ca3b0cbeb3d5a60">remove a dye</a>&nbsp;called Red 3 from the products U.S. consumers eat and drink.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-newsom-laws-signing-b9f512f6bd9e6f57538faf36ed12af6c">The colorant</a>&nbsp;was banned from cosmetics and non-oral medications decades ago because a study showed it caused cancer when eaten by rats. But it kept appearing on the ingredient lists of popular snack foods and other grocery products because it remained approved for use until now.Consumer advocates monitor manufacturers that still include the additive, and companies often switch to less notorious alternatives. Shoppers should always check food labels to see if an item they want to buy includes Red 3, which is also known as erythrosine and FD&amp;C Red No. 3.These are some of the product categories where the dye is most likely to show up.<h2>CANDIES</h2>Brach’s Conversation Hearts and Brach’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/candy-corn-halloween-trickortreat-384c51299fe00945c0e92b29cc3ff86a">Candy Corn</a>&nbsp;both contain Red 3. But some other red candies, like Swedish Fish and Wild Cherry Lifesavers, use Red 40.<h2>BAKED GOODS AND SNACKS</h2>Some baked goods and snacks – mostly with red icing – contain Red 3. Betty Crocker Red Decorating Icing contains Red 3. But Pillsbury’s Funfetti Valentine’s Day Vanilla Frosting – which is swirled with tiny red hearts – uses Red 40.

Foods to avoid as FDA bans red dye No. 3 

WASHINGTON (AP)—Trump’s pick for national security adviser, Florida Rep. Mike Waltz, said in an interview on Wednesday that the president-elect is exploring options to “preserve” TikTok.

Waltz made the comment when Fox News anchor Bret Baier asked him about a report from The Washington Post that said Trump was considering an executive order to suspend enforcement of a federal law that could ban the popular platform nationwide by Sunday.

Last week, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a legal challenge to the statute brought by TikTok, its China-based parent company ByteDance, and users of the app. The Justices seemed likely to uphold the law, which requires ByteDance to divest TikTok on national security grounds or face a ban in one of its biggest markets.

“If the Supreme Court comes out with a ruling in favor of the law, President Trump has been very clear: Number one, TikTok is a great platform that many Americans use and has been great for his campaign and getting his message out. But number two, he’s going to protect their data,” Waltz said.

“He’s a deal maker. I don’t want to get ahead of our executive orders, but we’re going to create this space to put that deal in place," he added.

Separately on Wednesday, Pam Bondi, Trump’s pick for attorney general, dodged a question during a Senate hearing on whether she’d uphold a TikTok ban.

Trump has reversed his position on the popular app, having tried to ban it during his first term in office over national security concerns. He joined TikTok during his 2024 presidential campaign and his team used it to connect with younger voters, especially male voters, by pushing content that was often macho and aimed at going viral. He pledged to “save TikTok” during the campaign and has credited the platform with helping him win more youth votes.

WASHINGTON (AP)—Trump’s pick for national security adviser, Florida Rep. Mike Waltz, said in an interview on Wednesday that the president-elect is exploring options to “preserve” TikTok.Waltz made the comment when Fox News anchor Bret Baier asked him about a report from The Washington Post that said Trump was considering an executive order to suspend enforcement of a federal law that could ban the popular platform nationwide by Sunday.Last week, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a legal challenge to the statute brought by TikTok, its China-based parent company ByteDance, and users of the app. The Justices seemed likely to uphold the law, which requires ByteDance to divest TikTok on national security grounds or face a ban in one of its biggest markets.“If the Supreme Court comes out with a ruling in favor of the law, President Trump has been very clear: Number one, TikTok is a great platform that many Americans use and has been great for his campaign and getting his message out. But number two, he’s going to protect their data,” Waltz said.“He’s a deal maker. I don’t want to get ahead of our executive orders, but we’re going to create this space to put that deal in place," he added.Separately on Wednesday, Pam Bondi, Trump’s pick for attorney general, dodged a question during a Senate hearing on whether she’d uphold a TikTok ban.Trump has reversed his position on the popular app, having tried to ban it during his first term in office over national security concerns. He joined TikTok during his 2024 presidential campaign and his team used it to connect with younger voters, especially male voters, by pushing content that was often macho and aimed at going viral. He pledged to “save TikTok” during the campaign and has credited the platform with helping him win more youth votes.

Adviser says Trump is exploring options to 'preserve' TikTok

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man accused in an altercation that left&nbsp;30-year-old Marco Gonzales-Arias dead is due to return to court Thursday afternoon for a preliminary hearing,&nbsp;according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office.  

Armando Martinez, 22,&nbsp; is charged with second-degree murder.

Just after midnight October 12, police responded to the Emery Gardens apartment complex in the the 4200 block of S. Hydraulic in Wichita.

First responders found&nbsp; Gonzales-Arias suffering from a gunshot wound. EMS transported him to a local hospital and he was pronounced deceased.&nbsp;

Martinez suffered stab wound and fled the scene. Police located him, took him to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Just after 7p.m. October 12, he was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729268421103.png" alt="Armondo Martinez-Rodriguez" />
 <figcaption>Armondo Martinez-Rodriguez</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man accused in an altercation that left&nbsp;30-year-old Marco Gonzales-Arias dead is due to return to court Thursday afternoon for a preliminary hearing,&nbsp;according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office. Armando Martinez, 22,&nbsp; is charged with second-degree murder.Just after midnight October 12, police responded to the Emery Gardens apartment complex in the the 4200 block of S. Hydraulic in Wichita.First responders found&nbsp; Gonzales-Arias suffering from a gunshot wound. EMS transported him to a local hospital and he was pronounced deceased.&nbsp;Martinez suffered stab wound and fled the scene. Police located him, took him to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Just after 7p.m. October 12, he was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail.

Kan. man stabbed in deadly altercation due back in court

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JONEL%20ALECCIA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JONEL ALECCIA AP Health Writer</a>

Government inspectors documented unsanitary conditions at several Boar's Head deli meat plants, not just the factory that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boars-head-recall-liverwurst-listeria-83176dfc193c16afd949ffefc827aec2">was shut down</a>&nbsp;last year after a deadly outbreak of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/listeria-boars-head-recall-deli-meat-97292bfefa1693b25e393efdc58ed608">listeria poisoning</a>, federal records show.

Newly released reports from Boar's Head plants in New Castle, Indiana; Forrest City, Arkansas; and Petersburg, Virginia, described multiple instances of meat and fat residue left on equipment and walls, dripping condensation falling on food, mold, insects and other problems dating back roughly six years. Last May, one inspector documented “general filth” in a room at the Indiana plant.

The U.S. Agriculture Department released the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/about-fsis/freedom-information-act-foia/frequently-requested-records">inspection records</a>&nbsp;in response to Freedom of Information Act requests from The Associated Press and other news organizations.

The problems documented at the three factories echo some of the violations found at the Jarratt, Virginia, plant linked to the food poisoning outbreak. The newly released reports describe:

— Equipment “covered in meat scraps” in 2019.

— “Dry crusted meat from the previous day's production” and “dark, stinky residue” left behind in 2020.

— A doorway covered in “dried meat juices and grime” in 2021.

— Green mold and flaking paint in 2022.

— “Unidentified slime” and “an abundance of insects” in 2023.

— A puddle of “blood, debris and trash” in 2024.

Boar's Head officials said in an email Monday that the violations documented in the three factories “do not meet our high standards.” The company's remaining plants continue to operate under normal USDA oversight, they added. The Sarasota, Florida-based company has marketed itself for decades as a premier provider of deli meats and cheeses, advertising “excellence that stands apart in every bite.”

Records from a fourth Boar’s Head plant in Holland, Michigan, do not show similar problems.

Boar's Head stopped making liverwurst and shuttered its Jarratt, Virginia, plant in September after listeria poisoning tied to the product sickened more than 60 people in 19 states, including 10 who died.

Health officials in Maryland initially discovered listeria contamination in a package of unopened liverwurst. The company&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boars-head-listeria-deli-meat-ebff78f4d6e5dad8483a6063623cd9a1">recalled more than 7 million pounds</a>&nbsp;of ready-to-eat deli meat and poultry sold nationwide. About 2.6 million pounds was eventually recovered, according to the Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The conditions revealed at the other Boar's Head plants are “really concerning,” said Thomas Gremillion, director of food policy at the Consumer Federation of America, a nonprofit advocacy group.

“It's reasonable for some people to decide they don't want to eat deli meat,” he said. “Companies like Boar's Head, they should have to earn consumers' trust.”

Boar’s Head faces multiple lawsuits connected to the outbreak.

“This makes me extremely angry and sad,” said Garett Dorman, whose mother, Linda Dorman, 73, of Oxford, Pennsylvania, died in July after eating Boar’s Head liverwurst. She had cancer, and liverwurst was one of the few foods she would eat, he said. He is suing the company, according to court documents filed by Marler Clark, a Seattle law firm.

“I believe Boar’s Head needs to completely revamp their program at all of their facilities," Dorman said in an email. "Boar's Head needs to put the welfare of people as their highest priority.”

Lawmakers including Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Rosa DeLauro have sharply criticized USDA officials for not taking stronger action against the company, despite documentation of repeated problems. The USDA inspector general is reviewing the agency's handling of the situation. The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether criminal charges are warranted.

“The new records released by FSIS should be considered by the DOJ, especially as they potentially point to a wider, systemic problem,” the lawmakers said in a statement. “These reports make clear that there is a culture of noncompliance of critical safety and sanitary protocols.”

In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/news-events/publications/review-boars-head-listeria-monocytogenes-outbreak-january-2025">a report released Friday</a>, USDA officials said “inadequate sanitation practices” at the Jarratt plant contributed to the outbreak. Product residue, condensation and structural problem in the buildings were key factors, the agency found. State inspectors working in partnership with USDA had documented mold, insects, liquid dripping from ceilings, and meat and fat residue on walls, floors and equipment,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boars-head-listeria-recall-fcde06b66dca38d53361c92495a7cfed">the AP previously reported</a>.

USDA officials have promised new measures to control listeria in plants that make ready-to-eat foods, including broader testing, updated training and tools, increased inspections, more food safety reviews and stronger oversight of state inspectors who act on behalf of the agency.

Boar's Head is hiring a “food safety culture manager,” according to Frank Yiannas, a former official at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration who is now advising the company.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736908106320.png" alt="Image USDA" />
 <figcaption>Image USDA</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JONEL%20ALECCIA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JONEL ALECCIA AP Health Writer</a>Government inspectors documented unsanitary conditions at several Boar's Head deli meat plants, not just the factory that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boars-head-recall-liverwurst-listeria-83176dfc193c16afd949ffefc827aec2">was shut down</a>&nbsp;last year after a deadly outbreak of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/listeria-boars-head-recall-deli-meat-97292bfefa1693b25e393efdc58ed608">listeria poisoning</a>, federal records show.Newly released reports from Boar's Head plants in New Castle, Indiana; Forrest City, Arkansas; and Petersburg, Virginia, described multiple instances of meat and fat residue left on equipment and walls, dripping condensation falling on food, mold, insects and other problems dating back roughly six years. Last May, one inspector documented “general filth” in a room at the Indiana plant.The U.S. Agriculture Department released the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/about-fsis/freedom-information-act-foia/frequently-requested-records">inspection records</a>&nbsp;in response to Freedom of Information Act requests from The Associated Press and other news organizations.The problems documented at the three factories echo some of the violations found at the Jarratt, Virginia, plant linked to the food poisoning outbreak. The newly released reports describe:— Equipment “covered in meat scraps” in 2019.— “Dry crusted meat from the previous day's production” and “dark, stinky residue” left behind in 2020.— A doorway covered in “dried meat juices and grime” in 2021.— Green mold and flaking paint in 2022.— “Unidentified slime” and “an abundance of insects” in 2023.— A puddle of “blood, debris and trash” in 2024.Boar's Head officials said in an email Monday that the violations documented in the three factories “do not meet our high standards.” The company's remaining plants continue to operate under normal USDA oversight, they added. The Sarasota, Florida-based company has marketed itself for decades as a premier provider of deli meats and cheeses, advertising “excellence that stands apart in every bite.”Records from a fourth Boar’s Head plant in Holland, Michigan, do not show similar problems.Boar's Head stopped making liverwurst and shuttered its Jarratt, Virginia, plant in September after listeria poisoning tied to the product sickened more than 60 people in 19 states, including 10 who died.Health officials in Maryland initially discovered listeria contamination in a package of unopened liverwurst. The company&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boars-head-listeria-deli-meat-ebff78f4d6e5dad8483a6063623cd9a1">recalled more than 7 million pounds</a>&nbsp;of ready-to-eat deli meat and poultry sold nationwide. About 2.6 million pounds was eventually recovered, according to the Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service.The conditions revealed at the other Boar's Head plants are “really concerning,” said Thomas Gremillion, director of food policy at the Consumer Federation of America, a nonprofit advocacy group.“It's reasonable for some people to decide they don't want to eat deli meat,” he said. “Companies like Boar's Head, they should have to earn consumers' trust.”Boar’s Head faces multiple lawsuits connected to the outbreak.“This makes me extremely angry and sad,” said Garett Dorman, whose mother, Linda Dorman, 73, of Oxford, Pennsylvania, died in July after eating Boar’s Head liverwurst. She had cancer, and liverwurst was one of the few foods she would eat, he said. He is suing the company, according to court documents filed by Marler Clark, a Seattle law firm.“I believe Boar’s Head needs to completely revamp their program at all of their facilities," Dorman said in an email. "Boar's Head needs to put the welfare of people as their highest priority.”Lawmakers including Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Rosa DeLauro have sharply criticized USDA officials for not taking stronger action against the company, despite documentation of repeated problems. The USDA inspector general is reviewing the agency's handling of the situation. The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether criminal charges are warranted.“The new records released by FSIS should be considered by the DOJ, especially as they potentially point to a wider, systemic problem,” the lawmakers said in a statement. “These reports make clear that there is a culture of noncompliance of critical safety and sanitary protocols.”In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/news-events/publications/review-boars-head-listeria-monocytogenes-outbreak-january-2025">a report released Friday</a>, USDA officials said “inadequate sanitation practices” at the Jarratt plant contributed to the outbreak. Product residue, condensation and structural problem in the buildings were key factors, the agency found. State inspectors working in partnership with USDA had documented mold, insects, liquid dripping from ceilings, and meat and fat residue on walls, floors and equipment,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boars-head-listeria-recall-fcde06b66dca38d53361c92495a7cfed">the AP previously reported</a>.USDA officials have promised new measures to control listeria in plants that make ready-to-eat foods, including broader testing, updated training and tools, increased inspections, more food safety reviews and stronger oversight of state inspectors who act on behalf of the agency.Boar's Head is hiring a “food safety culture manager,” according to Frank Yiannas, a former official at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration who is now advising the company.___

USDA documented insects and slime at deli meat plants, records show

SEDGWICK COUNTY, Kan.&nbsp;— Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter has requested the Wichita Police Department (WPD) launch a criminal investigation into a Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office (SGSO) detective assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) section within the Exploited and Missing Children's Unit (EMCU). A review revealed improper case closures and a failure to thoroughly investigate criminal complaints from 2019 to 2024, according to a media release from the sheriff's office.

In late December 2024, SGSO initiated an administrative review of the cases managed by the detective after identifying potential issues. Upon determining that criminal conduct may have occurred, SGSO notified WPD and activated the Wichita and Sedgwick County Advanced Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) to conduct a criminal investigation.

The EMCU, a collaborative effort between the Sedgwick County Sheriff's office, Wichita Police, and Kansas Department for Children and Families, investigates serious crimes against children. &nbsp;

The detective, who was assigned to EMCU in 2019 and transferred to ICAC in 2021, is currently on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of both the criminal investigation and an internal review.

EMCU investigators will re-contact individuals involved in these cases. These trauma-informed and trained professionals will ensure each case undergoes a thorough review. All involved cases will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for formal charging consideration.

Given the sensitive and ongoing nature of this investigation, the sheriff's office released no additional details to protect the integrity of the process and the privacy of survivors.&nbsp;

The Sheriff’s Office notified the Office of the District Attorney immediately, when the information came to light. &nbsp;Since that time, the DA's office assisted first, the Sheriff’s Office and more recently, the Wichita Police Department with the gathering of information necessary to conduct an exhaustive &nbsp;investigation, according to a statement from the DA's office.

&nbsp;When that investigation is complete, a full review of the matter will be conducted by the Office of The District Attorney in order to ensure appropriate disclosures are made and potential criminal charges are considered and addressed.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663185466922.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY, Kan.&nbsp;— Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter has requested the Wichita Police Department (WPD) launch a criminal investigation into a Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office (SGSO) detective assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) section within the Exploited and Missing Children's Unit (EMCU). A review revealed improper case closures and a failure to thoroughly investigate criminal complaints from 2019 to 2024, according to a media release from the sheriff's office.In late December 2024, SGSO initiated an administrative review of the cases managed by the detective after identifying potential issues. Upon determining that criminal conduct may have occurred, SGSO notified WPD and activated the Wichita and Sedgwick County Advanced Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) to conduct a criminal investigation.The EMCU, a collaborative effort between the Sedgwick County Sheriff's office, Wichita Police, and Kansas Department for Children and Families, investigates serious crimes against children. &nbsp;The detective, who was assigned to EMCU in 2019 and transferred to ICAC in 2021, is currently on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of both the criminal investigation and an internal review.EMCU investigators will re-contact individuals involved in these cases. These trauma-informed and trained professionals will ensure each case undergoes a thorough review. All involved cases will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for formal charging consideration.Given the sensitive and ongoing nature of this investigation, the sheriff's office released no additional details to protect the integrity of the process and the privacy of survivors.&nbsp;The Sheriff’s Office notified the Office of the District Attorney immediately, when the information came to light. &nbsp;Since that time, the DA's office assisted first, the Sheriff’s Office and more recently, the Wichita Police Department with the gathering of information necessary to conduct an exhaustive &nbsp;investigation, according to a statement from the DA's office.&nbsp;When that investigation is complete, a full review of the matter will be conducted by the Office of The District Attorney in order to ensure appropriate disclosures are made and potential criminal charges are considered and addressed.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Detective under investigation for mishandling Kan. child abuse cases

State of the State speech sets tone of governor’s spending, policy effort

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly’s seventh State of the State speech on Wednesday called for investments in water resources and public schools, streamlining early childhood regulation, pursuit of sustainable tax policy and expansion of Medicaid eligibility.

Kelly, a Democrat who took office in 2019 as the state’s 48th governor after serving 14 years as a state senator, urged the Kansas Legislature to frame these significant issues in the context of what Kansas could look like at the end of this century.

She asked lawmakers to step outside the day-to-day competition to score short-term political points. She recommended elected officials at the Capitol devote more energy to shaping what would lie ahead for Kansas’ children and grandchildren.

“Since I’ve been in office, we have built an incredibly strong foundation for our state. Kansas has never been in better financial shape,” Kelly said. “Now, it’s time to build on that foundation.”

While looking down the road to 2100, she posed big questions: Is the agriculture economy booming because water resources were preserved and rural Kansas didn’t dry up? Do Kansas businesses have the best and brightest workers because the priority was superior public schools? Is Kansas an economic-development powerhouse? Did Kansas hold onto its small-town traditions?

“It’s easy to forget that we aren’t playing some kind of game here,” Kelly said. “We have real power. The decisions we make in this building touch every aspect of the lives of the people we work for. Here’s the truth. The Kansas our grandkids will inherit is up to us right now.”

Kelly said the mission was to filter through some pretty wacky notions to settle on smart, reasonable common-sense bipartisan ideas.

“I’m not asking you not to love your political party,” the Democratic governor said. “I’m just asking you to love your state a little more.”

Kelly said the way Kansas chose to invest in children would hold sway over the trajectory of the rest of this century. A child’s experiences from birth to age 5 played a central role in social and emotional development, academic achievement and career success, she said.

She said the state recognized the shortage of child-care providers and that skyrocketing costs handicapped businesses. Urgent state investment meant Kansas would added more child-care capacity in the next two years than in the previous 15 years, the governor said.

The problem? Kansas has siloed early-childhood services into four different state agencies.

“If a family is searching for care for a newborn, that family must navigate among three different agencies to figure out which program is the right fit,” Kelly said. “If a child care center wants to get off the ground, it must work with one state agency to get licensed, another to receive financial aid and workforce support, and a third to get assistance with start-up costs.”

Kelly’s solution: Create the Office of Early Childhood. It would be a one-stop shop for young families. This idea of eliminating irritating red tape and bureaucracy gained traction in the Kansas House in 2024, passing the chamber with 110 votes.

Meanwhile, Kelly proposed creation of the Office of Natural Resources to streamline management of water resources. Currently, those programs were shared among 14 different state agencies. This consolidation would improve the state’s ability to align policy, planning and investment, she said.

“When I imagine the end of this century and the state our youngest Kansans will inherit, I see so many good things on the horizon,” Kelly said. “But, there is one thing that is seriously concerning. Our dwindling water supply. Forget making it 75 years down the road. Some parts of western Kansas don’t have the groundwater to last another 25 years.”

Last year, the Legislature appropriated $35 million additional dollars in each of the next five years to improve the state’s ability to deliver a clean, sustainable water supply, stabilize the Ogallala Aquifer and maximize the capacity of reservoirs in Kansas.

Kelly’s budget recommendations, to be presented to House and Senate members Thursday, would add $30 million to the state’s annual investment in the water supply. That would raise the level of state investment to $90 million annually.

Kelly said the state required a solid K-12 public school system to continue to attract new businesses and young families in the future. Ninety-percent of the state’s students attend public schools, she said, and those districts represented the most effective place to invest in the next generations, the governor said.

“When we talk about protecting the Kansas way of life, our public schools are the heart and soul of so many of our communities,” Kelly said. “For both, the future we aspire to create and the values we aspire to maintain, we must continue to make our public schools our top priority.”

Kelly said she would “never, ever” take taxpayer dollars from public schools and give it to private schools. Kansas Republican legislative leaders have been preparing another bid to expand support for private or parochial education.

“Doing so weakens our public school system, particularly in our rural communities,” the governor said. “As a state, we just can’t afford to do that. Simply put, I will continue to reject any attempt, no matter what it looks like, to reroute public taxpayer dollars to public schools.”

She also said her 2025 state budget plan included funding to provide free school lunches to more than 35,000 Kansas students.

Kelly, who defeated Republican Kris Kobach in 2018 and the GOP’s Derek Schmidt in 2022, campaigned in both races against the reckless 2012 income tax reductions signed into law by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback. His goal was to end the state’s income tax. The resulting steep decline in state revenue wasn’t balanced with equivalent spending cuts, leading to years of budget problems that cut into appropriations for schools, highways and other core services.

In her six years as governor, Kelly said she’d signed into law more than $2 billion in tax cuts. In June, she signed into law a bill that cut state taxes by $1.2 billion over three years.

She said she wouldn’t support a proposal to slash the state corporate income tax to zero. The referred to the idea as a “non-starter.” The GOP leadership in the Senate and House also indicated they would attempt during the 2025 session to lower property tax burdens.

“We must stay on the path to prosperity as we move through the rest of the 21st century,” she said.

She preferred to postpone discussions about new tax reductions until the 2026 legislative session to get a better handle on the full fiscal impact of tax cuts adopted last year. However, she said she would consider changes to the state’s tax structure that paid for themselves and didn’t threaten the state’s long-term financial health.

Kelly did renew her push for the Legislature to expand eligibility for Medicaid to about 150,000 lower-income workers in the state. The proposal has been blocked by Republican lawmakers for more than a decade, and the governor said the only remaining objections centered on partisan politics.

“Over the past six years,” she said, “all the horror myths around Medicaid expansion have been debunked, and all the surrounding states have expanded.”

She said the lingering argument in Kansas was that it would be too expensive for the state to broaden access to Medicaid health services. In 2025, she said, it would cost the state $78.3 million to follow in the footsteps of dozens of other states. Instead of making that investment, the state has already left $7.6 billion in federal funding on the table in Washington, D.C., that could have flowed into the state’s medical system.

“If we can strip away partisan politics and just look at the numbers, we will expand Medicaid this year,” Kelly said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737028018739.png" alt=" Gov. Laura Kelly delivers the annual State of the State speech Wednesday in the Kansas House. She urged the 2025 Kansas Legislature to invest in K-12 public schools, water resources and early-childhood initiatives. She also warned the Republican-led Legislature to be wary of unsustainable tax reductions. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Gov. Laura Kelly delivers the annual State of the State speech Wednesday in the Kansas House. She urged the 2025 Kansas Legislature to invest in K-12 public schools, water resources and early-childhood initiatives. She also warned the Republican-led Legislature to be wary of unsustainable tax reductions. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>State of the State speech sets tone of governor’s spending, policy effort</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly’s seventh State of the State speech on Wednesday called for investments in water resources and public schools, streamlining early childhood regulation, pursuit of sustainable tax policy and expansion of Medicaid eligibility.Kelly, a Democrat who took office in 2019 as the state’s 48th governor after serving 14 years as a state senator, urged the Kansas Legislature to frame these significant issues in the context of what Kansas could look like at the end of this century.She asked lawmakers to step outside the day-to-day competition to score short-term political points. She recommended elected officials at the Capitol devote more energy to shaping what would lie ahead for Kansas’ children and grandchildren.“Since I’ve been in office, we have built an incredibly strong foundation for our state. Kansas has never been in better financial shape,” Kelly said. “Now, it’s time to build on that foundation.”While looking down the road to 2100, she posed big questions: Is the agriculture economy booming because water resources were preserved and rural Kansas didn’t dry up? Do Kansas businesses have the best and brightest workers because the priority was superior public schools? Is Kansas an economic-development powerhouse? Did Kansas hold onto its small-town traditions?“It’s easy to forget that we aren’t playing some kind of game here,” Kelly said. “We have real power. The decisions we make in this building touch every aspect of the lives of the people we work for. Here’s the truth. The Kansas our grandkids will inherit is up to us right now.”Kelly said the mission was to filter through some pretty wacky notions to settle on smart, reasonable common-sense bipartisan ideas.“I’m not asking you not to love your political party,” the Democratic governor said. “I’m just asking you to love your state a little more.”<h2>Young kids, and water</h2>Kelly said the way Kansas chose to invest in children would hold sway over the trajectory of the rest of this century. A child’s experiences from birth to age 5 played a central role in social and emotional development, academic achievement and career success, she said.She said the state recognized the shortage of child-care providers and that skyrocketing costs handicapped businesses. Urgent state investment meant Kansas would added more child-care capacity in the next two years than in the previous 15 years, the governor said.The problem? Kansas has siloed early-childhood services into four different state agencies.“If a family is searching for care for a newborn, that family must navigate among three different agencies to figure out which program is the right fit,” Kelly said. “If a child care center wants to get off the ground, it must work with one state agency to get licensed, another to receive financial aid and workforce support, and a third to get assistance with start-up costs.”Kelly’s solution: Create the Office of Early Childhood. It would be a one-stop shop for young families. This idea of eliminating irritating red tape and bureaucracy gained traction in the Kansas House in 2024, passing the chamber with 110 votes.Meanwhile, Kelly proposed creation of the Office of Natural Resources to streamline management of water resources. Currently, those programs were shared among 14 different state agencies. This consolidation would improve the state’s ability to align policy, planning and investment, she said.“When I imagine the end of this century and the state our youngest Kansans will inherit, I see so many good things on the horizon,” Kelly said. “But, there is one thing that is seriously concerning. Our dwindling water supply. Forget making it 75 years down the road. Some parts of western Kansas don’t have the groundwater to last another 25 years.”Last year, the Legislature appropriated $35 million additional dollars in each of the next five years to improve the state’s ability to deliver a clean, sustainable water supply, stabilize the Ogallala Aquifer and maximize the capacity of reservoirs in Kansas.Kelly’s budget recommendations, to be presented to House and Senate members Thursday, would add $30 million to the state’s annual investment in the water supply. That would raise the level of state investment to $90 million annually.<h2>Public schools</h2>Kelly said the state required a solid K-12 public school system to continue to attract new businesses and young families in the future. Ninety-percent of the state’s students attend public schools, she said, and those districts represented the most effective place to invest in the next generations, the governor said.“When we talk about protecting the Kansas way of life, our public schools are the heart and soul of so many of our communities,” Kelly said. “For both, the future we aspire to create and the values we aspire to maintain, we must continue to make our public schools our top priority.”Kelly said she would “never, ever” take taxpayer dollars from public schools and give it to private schools. Kansas Republican legislative leaders have been preparing another bid to expand support for private or parochial education.“Doing so weakens our public school system, particularly in our rural communities,” the governor said. “As a state, we just can’t afford to do that. Simply put, I will continue to reject any attempt, no matter what it looks like, to reroute public taxpayer dollars to public schools.”She also said her 2025 state budget plan included funding to provide free school lunches to more than 35,000 Kansas students.<h2>No Brownback 2.0</h2>Kelly, who defeated Republican Kris Kobach in 2018 and the GOP’s Derek Schmidt in 2022, campaigned in both races against the reckless 2012 income tax reductions signed into law by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback. His goal was to end the state’s income tax. The resulting steep decline in state revenue wasn’t balanced with equivalent spending cuts, leading to years of budget problems that cut into appropriations for schools, highways and other core services.In her six years as governor, Kelly said she’d signed into law more than $2 billion in tax cuts. In June, she signed into law a bill that cut state taxes by $1.2 billion over three years.She said she wouldn’t support a proposal to slash the state corporate income tax to zero. The referred to the idea as a “non-starter.” The GOP leadership in the Senate and House also indicated they would attempt during the 2025 session to lower property tax burdens.“We must stay on the path to prosperity as we move through the rest of the 21st century,” she said.She preferred to postpone discussions about new tax reductions until the 2026 legislative session to get a better handle on the full fiscal impact of tax cuts adopted last year. However, she said she would consider changes to the state’s tax structure that paid for themselves and didn’t threaten the state’s long-term financial health.Kelly did renew her push for the Legislature to expand eligibility for Medicaid to about 150,000 lower-income workers in the state. The proposal has been blocked by Republican lawmakers for more than a decade, and the governor said the only remaining objections centered on partisan politics.“Over the past six years,” she said, “all the horror myths around Medicaid expansion have been debunked, and all the surrounding states have expanded.”She said the lingering argument in Kansas was that it would be too expensive for the state to broaden access to Medicaid health services. In 2025, she said, it would cost the state $78.3 million to follow in the footsteps of dozens of other states. Instead of making that investment, the state has already left $7.6 billion in federal funding on the table in Washington, D.C., that could have flowed into the state’s medical system.“If we can strip away partisan politics and just look at the numbers, we will expand Medicaid this year,” Kelly said.

Gov. Laura Kelly vows to focus on lasting future of Kansans, not quick political gains

WASHINGTON (AP) —A senior Biden administration official says two Americans, Sagui Dekel-Chen and Keith Siegel, are expected to be released in the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement. The ceasefire is set to begin Sunday and last for six weeks.

The U.S. official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing efforts to get the hostages home.

There’s a least one other known living American captive in Gaza, an Israeli soldier named Edan Alexander, who will be released at a later date in the second phase of the agreement, the official said.

It’s not clear how many of the hostages are still alive.

Netanyahu says 'last minute crisis' with Hamas holding up approval of Gaza truce and hostage deal

A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-ceasefire-hostages-01-16-2024-dc0ef64dd52db395c5a54328518e8efd">“last minute crisis”</a>&nbsp;with Hamas was holding up Israeli approval of a<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-hamas-ceasefire-334ecc4420fe3b6fce9f7a27ca886b65">&nbsp;long-awaited agreement</a>&nbsp;to pause the fighting in the Gaza Strip and release dozens of hostages, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday. Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes killed dozens of people across the war-ravaged territory.

Netanyahu’s office said his Cabinet won’t meet to approve the agreement until Hamas backs down, accusing it of reneging on parts of the agreement in an attempt to gain further concessions.

A look at the Gaza ceasefire deal that mediators say has been reached

BY<a href="https://apnews.com/author/cara-anna">CARA ANNA</a>Share

Any deal still needs to be approved by Israel’s Cabinet, although they’ll likely say yes. If the deal is adopted, it will unfold in three phases:

Phase one&nbsp;starts Sunday, according to mediator Qatar. Here’s what’s involved:

Phase two&nbsp;is harder. Here are the details:

Phase three&nbsp;calls for the return of the remaining bodies of hostages still in Gaza and the start of a major reconstruction in Gaza, which faces decades of rebuilding. It’s also unclear who will foot the bill.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728311333069.png" alt="Keith Siegel among the Americans still being held in Gaza. He is 64 and a native of North Carolina-photo Hostage and Missing Families Forum." />
 <figcaption>Keith Siegel among the Americans still being held in Gaza. He is 64 and a native of North Carolina-photo Hostage and Missing Families Forum.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —A senior Biden administration official says two Americans, Sagui Dekel-Chen and Keith Siegel, are expected to be released in the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement. The ceasefire is set to begin Sunday and last for six weeks.The U.S. official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing efforts to get the hostages home.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728311271815.png" alt="Sagui Dekel-Chen, Israeli American, is 35, -photo Hostage and Missing Families Forum." />
 <figcaption>Sagui Dekel-Chen, Israeli American, is 35, -photo Hostage and Missing Families Forum.</figcaption>
 </figure>There’s a least one other known living American captive in Gaza, an Israeli soldier named Edan Alexander, who will be released at a later date in the second phase of the agreement, the official said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728311127875.png" alt="Eden Alexander, Israeli American, is 20, and a native of New Jersey--photo Hostage and Missing Families Forum." />
 <figcaption>Eden Alexander, Israeli American, is 20, and a native of New Jersey--photo Hostage and Missing Families Forum.</figcaption>
 </figure>It’s not clear how many of the hostages are still alive.<h2>Netanyahu says 'last minute crisis' with Hamas holding up approval of Gaza truce and hostage deal</h2>A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-ceasefire-hostages-01-16-2024-dc0ef64dd52db395c5a54328518e8efd">“last minute crisis”</a>&nbsp;with Hamas was holding up Israeli approval of a<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-hamas-ceasefire-334ecc4420fe3b6fce9f7a27ca886b65">&nbsp;long-awaited agreement</a>&nbsp;to pause the fighting in the Gaza Strip and release dozens of hostages, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday. Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes killed dozens of people across the war-ravaged territory.Netanyahu’s office said his Cabinet won’t meet to approve the agreement until Hamas backs down, accusing it of reneging on parts of the agreement in an attempt to gain further concessions.<h2>A look at the Gaza ceasefire deal that mediators say has been reached</h2>BY<a href="https://apnews.com/author/cara-anna">CARA ANNA</a>ShareAny deal still needs to be approved by Israel’s Cabinet, although they’ll likely say yes. If the deal is adopted, it will unfold in three phases:Phase one&nbsp;starts Sunday, according to mediator Qatar. Here’s what’s involved:<ul>
 <li>A six-week halt to fighting would begin, opening negotiations on ending the war.</li><li>Thirty-three of the nearly 100 hostages would be released over that period, although it’s unclear if more than half are alive.</li><li>The United States says this phase also includes a withdrawal of Israeli forces from densely populated areas of Gaza. That would allow many displaced Palestinians to return to what’s left of their homes. Many neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble.</li><li>Humanitarian assistance would surge, with hundreds of trucks entering Gaza each day.</li><li>Final details that are still being worked out include the list of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners to be freed.</li>
 </ul>Phase two&nbsp;is harder. Here are the details:<ul>
 <li>Negotiations for this phase are to begin on Day 16 of the ceasefire.</li><li>This phase would include the release of all remaining living hostages, including male soldiers.</li><li>Israeli forces would withdraw from the Gaza Strip.</li><li>However, Israel has said it will not agree to a complete withdrawal until Hamas’ military and political capabilities are eliminated.</li><li>Hamas says it will not hand over the last hostages until Israel removes all its troops.</li>
 </ul>Phase three&nbsp;calls for the return of the remaining bodies of hostages still in Gaza and the start of a major reconstruction in Gaza, which faces decades of rebuilding. It’s also unclear who will foot the bill.

2 American hostages could be in first group freed if deal holds

SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities investigating a home invasion robbery have made four arrests and continue searching for one additional suspect, according to Wichita police spokesman Andrew Ford.

Early Sunday, two victims reported that suspects entered their home in the 1000 block of Ellis Street in Wichita armed with shotguns and handguns, forcing them into a bedroom at gunpoint, according to Ford.

The victims were then restrained with zip ties while the suspects stole several electronic devices and three handguns. The victims, who were familiar with the suspects, began searching for their stolen property after the incident. One victim discovered that his phone and vehicle keys were missing and tracked their location to the 13600 block of West Nantucket in Wichita, a residence believed to be associated with one of the suspects.

Wichita Police responded to the Nantucket address, established a perimeter, and attempted to communicate with the occupants. Officers engaged with individuals inside the residence through a Ring doorbell camera, during which an occupant inadvertently activated the speaker. This revealed a conversation indicating the occupants were aware of law enforcement’s presence.

Despite repeated attempts to negotiate, the individuals refused to exit, prompting the activation of the SWAT Team and Crisis Negotiations Team.

While waiting for the search warrant, one suspect exited the residence and was taken into custody without incident. During the subsequent search of the home, two additional suspects were found hiding in the attic and were also taken into custody. Police later arrested a fourth suspect identified as 51-year-old Robert D. Cook.

Andrew Denning, 33; Trinity Cook, 19; George Bos, 62 and Robert D. Cook all of Wichita, each made court appearances on Wednesday.&nbsp; Each were charged with aggravated robbery, kidnapping and aggravated burglary, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Trinity Cook and George Bos remain jailed on separate bonds of $150,000. Robert D. Cook is being held&nbsp; on a $250,000 bond.&nbsp; Andrew Denning is being held on a $200,000 bond, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736723276240.png" alt="Photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities investigating a home invasion robbery have made four arrests and continue searching for one additional suspect, according to Wichita police spokesman Andrew Ford.Early Sunday, two victims reported that suspects entered their home in the 1000 block of Ellis Street in Wichita armed with shotguns and handguns, forcing them into a bedroom at gunpoint, according to Ford.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736767403069.png" alt="George Bos-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>George Bos-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>The victims were then restrained with zip ties while the suspects stole several electronic devices and three handguns. The victims, who were familiar with the suspects, began searching for their stolen property after the incident. One victim discovered that his phone and vehicle keys were missing and tracked their location to the 13600 block of West Nantucket in Wichita, a residence believed to be associated with one of the suspects.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736767350735.png" alt="Cook -photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Cook -photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>Wichita Police responded to the Nantucket address, established a perimeter, and attempted to communicate with the occupants. Officers engaged with individuals inside the residence through a Ring doorbell camera, during which an occupant inadvertently activated the speaker. This revealed a conversation indicating the occupants were aware of law enforcement’s presence.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736972072424.png" alt="Cook-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Cook-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>Despite repeated attempts to negotiate, the individuals refused to exit, prompting the activation of the SWAT Team and Crisis Negotiations Team.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736767770109.png" alt="Denning photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Denning photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>While waiting for the search warrant, one suspect exited the residence and was taken into custody without incident. During the subsequent search of the home, two additional suspects were found hiding in the attic and were also taken into custody. Police later arrested a fourth suspect identified as 51-year-old Robert D. Cook.Andrew Denning, 33; Trinity Cook, 19; George Bos, 62 and Robert D. Cook all of Wichita, each made court appearances on Wednesday.&nbsp; Each were charged with aggravated robbery, kidnapping and aggravated burglary, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Trinity Cook and George Bos remain jailed on separate bonds of $150,000. Robert D. Cook is being held&nbsp; on a $250,000 bond.&nbsp; Andrew Denning is being held on a $200,000 bond, according to the district attorney's office.

Search continues for one suspect in Kan. home invasion robbery

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating three separate homicides on Tuesday in Kansas City have identified one of the victims as 58-year-old&nbsp;Larry Curtis, according to KCPD Officer&nbsp;Alayna Gonzalez.

Just before 12:15a.m. Tuesday, officers were patrolling in the area of E 30th Street and Indiana Avenue when they observed a vehicle stopped in the roadway and facing oncoming traffic, according to Gonzalez.

Officers stopped to check the vehicle and any occupants that may be inside. As they approached the vehicle, an adult male victim, later identified as Curtis, could be seen inside suffering from apparent gunshot trauma and unresponsive.

EMS responded to the scene and declared Curtis deceased.&nbsp; Police have not reported an arrest.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating three separate homicides on Tuesday in Kansas City have identified one of the victims as 58-year-old&nbsp;Larry Curtis, according to KCPD Officer&nbsp;Alayna Gonzalez.Just before 12:15a.m. Tuesday, officers were patrolling in the area of E 30th Street and Indiana Avenue when they observed a vehicle stopped in the roadway and facing oncoming traffic, according to Gonzalez.Officers stopped to check the vehicle and any occupants that may be inside. As they approached the vehicle, an adult male victim, later identified as Curtis, could be seen inside suffering from apparent gunshot trauma and unresponsive.EMS responded to the scene and declared Curtis deceased.&nbsp; Police have not reported an arrest.

Homicide: Police ID victim found in car facing wrong-way on KC street

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;used his farewell address to the nation Wednesday to deliver stark warnings of an “oligarchy” of the ultra-wealthy taking root in the country and of a “tech-industrial complex” that is infringing on Americans' rights and the future of democracy. (click below to watch)

Speaking from the Oval Office as he prepares to hand over power Monday to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President-elect Donald Trump</a>, Biden seized what is likely to be his final opportunity to address the country before he departs the White House to spotlight the accumulation of power and wealth in the U.S. among just a small few.

“Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead," Biden said, drawing attention to "a dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a few ultra-wealthy people. Dangerous consequences if their abuse of power is left unchecked.”

Invoking President Dwight Eisenhower’s warnings about the military-industrial complex when he left office in 1961, Biden added, “I’m equally concerned about the potential rise of a tech-industrial complex that could pose real dangers to our country as well.”

Biden used his 15-minute address to offer a model for a peaceful transfer of power and — without mentioning Trump by name — raise concerns about his successor.

It marked a striking admonition by Biden, who is departing the national stage after more than 50 years in public life, as he has struggled to define his legacy against the return of Trump to the Oval Office. The president warned Americans to be on guard for their freedoms and their institutions during a turbulent era of rapid technological and economic change.

His speech in the Oval Office is the latest in a series of remarks on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-record-pandemic-inflation-economy-infrastructure-5f7d6b35e6fbc8d7fa2d8e0f24331d06">domestic policy</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-foreign-policy-afghanistan-mideast-ukraine-russia-c774c706bdd2bf377dce6aaa0b90d841">foreign relations</a>&nbsp;that were intended to cement his legacy and reshape Americans’&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-poll-low-ratings-obama-trump-390f25a858bf4cdec28719a2fe17b525">grim views</a>&nbsp;on his term. Earlier in the day, he heralded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-ceasefire-trump-biden-israel-hamas-0e6c324ba0e3e9413bafe740fdefebc6">a long awaited ceasefire agreement</a>&nbsp;between Israel and Hamas, which could end more than a year of bloodshed in the Middle East.

“It’ll take time to feel the full impact of what we’ve done together but the seeds are planted and they’ll grow and they’ll bloom for decades to come,” Biden said, tacitly acknowledging that many Americans say they have yet to feel the impacts of his trillions of dollars in domestic initiatives.

Biden sounded the alarm about oligarchy as some of the world’s richest individuals and titans of its technology industry have flocked to Trump’s side in recent months, particularly after his November victory. Billionaire Elon Musk spent more than $100 million on helping Trump get elected, and executives like Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos have donated to Trump’s inaugural committee and made pilgrimages to Trump’s private club in Florida for audiences with the president-elect.

While Biden criticized social media companies for retreating from fact-checking on their platforms, Trump’s incoming communications director and press secretary were sharing posts on X that falsely claimed it was a prerecorded speech. The incumbent president has blamed his poor standing among the public on misinformation on social media and the challenges he has faced reaching voters in the disaggregated modern media ecosystem.

Biden isn’t leaving the White House&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-legacy-1a4498e8cd5f764e92e73412d9dfefaa">in the way that he hoped.</a>&nbsp;He tried to run for reelection, brushing aside voters’ concerns that he would be 86 years old at the end of a second term. After stumbling in a debate with Republican Donald Trump, Biden dropped out of the race under pressure from his own party, and Vice President Kamala Harris became the Democratic nominee.

The speech Wednesday night capped not Biden’s presidency but his five decades in politics. He was once the country’s youngest senator at 30 years old after being elected to represent his home state of Delaware in 1972.

Biden pursued the presidency in 1988 and 2008 before becoming Barack Obama’s vice president. After serving two terms, Biden was considered to be retired from politics. But he returned to center stage as the unlikely Democratic nominee in 2020, successfully ousting Trump from the White House.

As he highlighted his own commitment to ensuring a peaceful transition of power, including holding briefings with Trump's team and coordinating with the incoming administration on the Middle East negotiations, Biden also called for a constitutional amendment to end immunity for sitting presidents. That came in response to a Supreme Court ruling last year that granted Trump sweeping protections from criminal liability over his role in trying to overturn his 2020 defeat to Biden.

Biden spoke from the Resolute desk, photos of his family visible behind him in the Oval Office. First lady Jill Biden, his son Hunter, some of his grandchildren, Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, sat watching.

As Biden spoke about Harris, saying she’d become like family, the first lady reached over and grabbed her hand.

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;used his farewell address to the nation Wednesday to deliver stark warnings of an “oligarchy” of the ultra-wealthy taking root in the country and of a “tech-industrial complex” that is infringing on Americans' rights and the future of democracy. (click below to watch)<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">LIVE --&gt; President Biden Farewell Address to the Nation <a href="https://t.co/WMh6VRwwHF">https://t.co/WMh6VRwwHF</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1879695529359053134?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Speaking from the Oval Office as he prepares to hand over power Monday to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President-elect Donald Trump</a>, Biden seized what is likely to be his final opportunity to address the country before he departs the White House to spotlight the accumulation of power and wealth in the U.S. among just a small few.“Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead," Biden said, drawing attention to "a dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a few ultra-wealthy people. Dangerous consequences if their abuse of power is left unchecked.”Invoking President Dwight Eisenhower’s warnings about the military-industrial complex when he left office in 1961, Biden added, “I’m equally concerned about the potential rise of a tech-industrial complex that could pose real dangers to our country as well.”Biden used his 15-minute address to offer a model for a peaceful transfer of power and — without mentioning Trump by name — raise concerns about his successor.It marked a striking admonition by Biden, who is departing the national stage after more than 50 years in public life, as he has struggled to define his legacy against the return of Trump to the Oval Office. The president warned Americans to be on guard for their freedoms and their institutions during a turbulent era of rapid technological and economic change.His speech in the Oval Office is the latest in a series of remarks on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-record-pandemic-inflation-economy-infrastructure-5f7d6b35e6fbc8d7fa2d8e0f24331d06">domestic policy</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-foreign-policy-afghanistan-mideast-ukraine-russia-c774c706bdd2bf377dce6aaa0b90d841">foreign relations</a>&nbsp;that were intended to cement his legacy and reshape Americans’&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-poll-low-ratings-obama-trump-390f25a858bf4cdec28719a2fe17b525">grim views</a>&nbsp;on his term. Earlier in the day, he heralded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-ceasefire-trump-biden-israel-hamas-0e6c324ba0e3e9413bafe740fdefebc6">a long awaited ceasefire agreement</a>&nbsp;between Israel and Hamas, which could end more than a year of bloodshed in the Middle East.“It’ll take time to feel the full impact of what we’ve done together but the seeds are planted and they’ll grow and they’ll bloom for decades to come,” Biden said, tacitly acknowledging that many Americans say they have yet to feel the impacts of his trillions of dollars in domestic initiatives.Biden sounded the alarm about oligarchy as some of the world’s richest individuals and titans of its technology industry have flocked to Trump’s side in recent months, particularly after his November victory. Billionaire Elon Musk spent more than $100 million on helping Trump get elected, and executives like Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos have donated to Trump’s inaugural committee and made pilgrimages to Trump’s private club in Florida for audiences with the president-elect.While Biden criticized social media companies for retreating from fact-checking on their platforms, Trump’s incoming communications director and press secretary were sharing posts on X that falsely claimed it was a prerecorded speech. The incumbent president has blamed his poor standing among the public on misinformation on social media and the challenges he has faced reaching voters in the disaggregated modern media ecosystem.Biden isn’t leaving the White House&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-legacy-1a4498e8cd5f764e92e73412d9dfefaa">in the way that he hoped.</a>&nbsp;He tried to run for reelection, brushing aside voters’ concerns that he would be 86 years old at the end of a second term. After stumbling in a debate with Republican Donald Trump, Biden dropped out of the race under pressure from his own party, and Vice President Kamala Harris became the Democratic nominee.The speech Wednesday night capped not Biden’s presidency but his five decades in politics. He was once the country’s youngest senator at 30 years old after being elected to represent his home state of Delaware in 1972.Biden pursued the presidency in 1988 and 2008 before becoming Barack Obama’s vice president. After serving two terms, Biden was considered to be retired from politics. But he returned to center stage as the unlikely Democratic nominee in 2020, successfully ousting Trump from the White House.As he highlighted his own commitment to ensuring a peaceful transition of power, including holding briefings with Trump's team and coordinating with the incoming administration on the Middle East negotiations, Biden also called for a constitutional amendment to end immunity for sitting presidents. That came in response to a Supreme Court ruling last year that granted Trump sweeping protections from criminal liability over his role in trying to overturn his 2020 defeat to Biden.Biden spoke from the Resolute desk, photos of his family visible behind him in the Oval Office. First lady Jill Biden, his son Hunter, some of his grandchildren, Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, sat watching.As Biden spoke about Harris, saying she’d become like family, the first lady reached over and grabbed her hand.

🎥Biden issues stark warning in farewell address to the nation

JOHNSON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 4p.m. Wednesday in Johnson County.

The accident involving a pickup truck and passenger car occurred in the area of West 151st&nbsp;Street and Southpark Boulevard, according to Olathe Police Department Spokesperson John Moncayo.

First responders observed the driver and sole occupant of the passenger car was a 77-year-old woman. She was pronounced deceased on scene. The 22-year-old male driver of the pickup truck remained on scene and is cooperating.&nbsp; Police released no additional details.

JOHNSON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 4p.m. Wednesday in Johnson County.The accident involving a pickup truck and passenger car occurred in the area of West 151st&nbsp;Street and Southpark Boulevard, according to Olathe Police Department Spokesperson John Moncayo.First responders observed the driver and sole occupant of the passenger car was a 77-year-old woman. She was pronounced deceased on scene. The 22-year-old male driver of the pickup truck remained on scene and is cooperating.&nbsp; Police released no additional details.

Woman dies after car, pickup crash in Kansas

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-science--6506107348652d290f556518b138b3d2">Blue Origin</a>&nbsp;launched its massive new rocket on its first test flight Thursday, sending up a prototype satellite to orbit thousands of miles above Earth.

Named after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/john-glenn-honored-with-launch-of-space-station-supply-ship-c9d6fdad2031486ba09c80024bb5a5a7">first American to orbit Earth</a>, the New Glenn rocket blasted off from Florida, soaring from the same pad used to launch NASA's Mariner and Pioneer spacecraft a half-century ago.

Years in the making with heavy funding by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeff-bezos-space-e0afeaa813ff0bdf23c37fe16fd34265">Amazon founder Jeff Bezos</a>, the 320-foot (98-meter) rocket carried an an experimental platform designed to host satellites or release them into their proper orbits.

All seven main engines fired at liftoff as the rocket blazed through the predawn sky to the delight of spectators lining nearby beaches. Company employees erupted in cheers and frenzied applause once the craft successfully reached orbit 13 minutes later, a feat that drew quick praise from none other than SpaceX's Elon Musk.

Bezos took part in the action from Mission Control, standing with crossed arms as he gazed out a bank of windows and watched New Glenn soar.

“We did it! Orbital,” Blue Origin's CEO Dave Limp said via X.

For this test, the satellite was meant to remain inside the second stage while circling Earth. The mission was expected to last six hours, with the second stage then placed in a safe condition to stay in a high, out-of-the-way orbit in accordance with NASA's practices for minimizing space junk.

The first-stage booster missed its landing on a barge in the Atlantic minutes after liftoff so it could be recycled, but the company stressed that the more important goal was for the test satellite to reach orbit. Bezos said before the flight it was “a little crazy” to even try to land the booster on the first try.

“Great night for Team Blue. On to spring and trying again on the landing,” Limp said.

New Glenn was supposed to fly before dawn Monday, but ice buildup in critical plumbing caused a delay. The rocket is built to haul spacecraft and eventually&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/blue-origin-bezos-moon-lunar-lander-nasa-5b61a0b44f582e70aa8d361fb0b161c6">astronauts to orbit</a>&nbsp;and also the moon.

Founded 25 years ago by Bezos, Blue Origin has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-science-a72d2b9ca9f995bc1bc1de9002160c1a">launching paying passengers</a>&nbsp;to the edge of space since 2021, including himself. The short hops from Texas use smaller rockets named after the first American in space, Alan Shepard. New Glenn, which honors John Glenn, is five times taller.

Blue Origin poured more than $1 billion into New Glenn's launch site, rebuilding historic Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The pad is 9 miles (14 kilometers) from the company's control centers and rocket factory, outside the gates of NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

Blue Origin envisions six to eight New Glenn flights this year, if everything goes well, with the next one coming up this spring.

In a weekend interview, Bezos declined to disclose his personal investment in the program. He said he does not see Blue Origin in a competition with Musk’s SpaceX, long the rocket-launching dominator.

“There’s room for lots of winners” Bezos said from the rocket factory on Sunday evening, adding that this was the “very, very beginning of this new phase of the space age, where we’re all going to work together as an industry ... to lower the cost of access to space."

New Glenn is the latest in a series of big, new rockets to launch in recent years, including United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan, Europe’s upgraded Ariane 6 and NASA's Space Launch System or SLS, the space agency's successor to the Saturn V for sending astronauts to the moon.

The biggest rocket of all, at approximately 400 feet (123 meters), is SpaceX's Starship. Musk said the seventh test flight of the full rocket could occur later Thursday from Texas. He hopes to repeat what he pulled off in October, catching the returning booster at the launch pad with giant mechanical arms.

Starship is what NASA plans to use to land astronauts on the moon later this decade. The first two moon landings under the space agency's Artemis program, which follows the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s, will see crews descending from lunar orbit to the surface in Starships.

Blue Origin's lander, dubbed Blue Moon, will make its debut on the third lunar touchdown by astronauts.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson pushed for competing moon landers similar to the strategy to hire two companies to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station. Nelson will step down when President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Monday.

Trump has tapped tech billionaire Jared Isaacman to run NASA. Isaacman, who has twice rocketed into orbit on his own privately financed SpaceX flights, must be approved by the Senate.

New Glenn's debut was supposed to send twin spacecraft to Mars for NASA. But the space agency pulled them from last October's planned flight when it became clear the rocket wouldn't be ready in time. They will still fly on a New Glenn rocket, but not until spring at the earliest. The two small spacecraft, named Escapade, are meant to study the Martian atmosphere and magnetic environment while orbiting the red planet.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-science--6506107348652d290f556518b138b3d2">Blue Origin</a>&nbsp;launched its massive new rocket on its first test flight Thursday, sending up a prototype satellite to orbit thousands of miles above Earth.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><a href="https://t.co/98GjOD49jN">pic.twitter.com/98GjOD49jN</a>&mdash; Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffBezos/status/1879827723516092583?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/o6sMiSABkR">pic.twitter.com/o6sMiSABkR</a>&mdash; Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffBezos/status/1879815702447829030?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Named after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/john-glenn-honored-with-launch-of-space-station-supply-ship-c9d6fdad2031486ba09c80024bb5a5a7">first American to orbit Earth</a>, the New Glenn rocket blasted off from Florida, soaring from the same pad used to launch NASA's Mariner and Pioneer spacecraft a half-century ago.Years in the making with heavy funding by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeff-bezos-space-e0afeaa813ff0bdf23c37fe16fd34265">Amazon founder Jeff Bezos</a>, the 320-foot (98-meter) rocket carried an an experimental platform designed to host satellites or release them into their proper orbits.All seven main engines fired at liftoff as the rocket blazed through the predawn sky to the delight of spectators lining nearby beaches. Company employees erupted in cheers and frenzied applause once the craft successfully reached orbit 13 minutes later, a feat that drew quick praise from none other than SpaceX's Elon Musk.Bezos took part in the action from Mission Control, standing with crossed arms as he gazed out a bank of windows and watched New Glenn soar.“We did it! Orbital,” Blue Origin's CEO Dave Limp said via X.For this test, the satellite was meant to remain inside the second stage while circling Earth. The mission was expected to last six hours, with the second stage then placed in a safe condition to stay in a high, out-of-the-way orbit in accordance with NASA's practices for minimizing space junk.The first-stage booster missed its landing on a barge in the Atlantic minutes after liftoff so it could be recycled, but the company stressed that the more important goal was for the test satellite to reach orbit. Bezos said before the flight it was “a little crazy” to even try to land the booster on the first try.“Great night for Team Blue. On to spring and trying again on the landing,” Limp said.New Glenn was supposed to fly before dawn Monday, but ice buildup in critical plumbing caused a delay. The rocket is built to haul spacecraft and eventually&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/blue-origin-bezos-moon-lunar-lander-nasa-5b61a0b44f582e70aa8d361fb0b161c6">astronauts to orbit</a>&nbsp;and also the moon.Founded 25 years ago by Bezos, Blue Origin has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-science-a72d2b9ca9f995bc1bc1de9002160c1a">launching paying passengers</a>&nbsp;to the edge of space since 2021, including himself. The short hops from Texas use smaller rockets named after the first American in space, Alan Shepard. New Glenn, which honors John Glenn, is five times taller.Blue Origin poured more than $1 billion into New Glenn's launch site, rebuilding historic Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The pad is 9 miles (14 kilometers) from the company's control centers and rocket factory, outside the gates of NASA's Kennedy Space Center.Blue Origin envisions six to eight New Glenn flights this year, if everything goes well, with the next one coming up this spring.In a weekend interview, Bezos declined to disclose his personal investment in the program. He said he does not see Blue Origin in a competition with Musk’s SpaceX, long the rocket-launching dominator.“There’s room for lots of winners” Bezos said from the rocket factory on Sunday evening, adding that this was the “very, very beginning of this new phase of the space age, where we’re all going to work together as an industry ... to lower the cost of access to space."New Glenn is the latest in a series of big, new rockets to launch in recent years, including United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan, Europe’s upgraded Ariane 6 and NASA's Space Launch System or SLS, the space agency's successor to the Saturn V for sending astronauts to the moon.The biggest rocket of all, at approximately 400 feet (123 meters), is SpaceX's Starship. Musk said the seventh test flight of the full rocket could occur later Thursday from Texas. He hopes to repeat what he pulled off in October, catching the returning booster at the launch pad with giant mechanical arms.Starship is what NASA plans to use to land astronauts on the moon later this decade. The first two moon landings under the space agency's Artemis program, which follows the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s, will see crews descending from lunar orbit to the surface in Starships.Blue Origin's lander, dubbed Blue Moon, will make its debut on the third lunar touchdown by astronauts.NASA Administrator Bill Nelson pushed for competing moon landers similar to the strategy to hire two companies to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station. Nelson will step down when President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Monday.Trump has tapped tech billionaire Jared Isaacman to run NASA. Isaacman, who has twice rocketed into orbit on his own privately financed SpaceX flights, must be approved by the Senate.New Glenn's debut was supposed to send twin spacecraft to Mars for NASA. But the space agency pulled them from last October's planned flight when it became clear the rocket wouldn't be ready in time. They will still fly on a New Glenn rocket, but not until spring at the earliest. The two small spacecraft, named Escapade, are meant to study the Martian atmosphere and magnetic environment while orbiting the red planet.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Jeff Bezos’ space company launches massive new rocket on first test flight 

FRANKLIN COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an dispute involving firearm.

On Monday, sheriff's deputies responded to report of a physical altercation at a home outside Pomona, Kansas, according to a media release from the Franklin County Sheriff.

The altercation ended with a firearm discharged into a vehicle.

The incident started as a disturbance among family in the 300 Block of Georgia Road. The argument eventually escalated into being physical which caused one person to be injured requiring medical treatment, according to the sheriff's office.

As the injured individual attempted to drive from the scene, 53-year-old Marion 'Gene' Ferris of Richmond allegedly discharged a firearm into the vehicle striking a tire.&nbsp; Three people including a 3-year-old child were in the vehicle.&nbsp;

The only injuries were non-life-threatening and not from the discharge of the firearm being discharged.&nbsp; Sheriff's deputies located Ferris at his residence in Richmond. He refused to exit the home. Ten hours later, deputies arrested him after he attempted to flee from the rear of the residence. He is being held on requested charges of attempted second degree murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, criminal threat, criminal discharge of a firearm, criminal damage to property, felony interference with law enforcement and aggravated child endangerment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736894679012.png" alt="Ferris photo Franklin County" />
 <figcaption>Ferris photo Franklin County</figcaption>
 </figure>FRANKLIN COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an dispute involving firearm.On Monday, sheriff's deputies responded to report of a physical altercation at a home outside Pomona, Kansas, according to a media release from the Franklin County Sheriff.The altercation ended with a firearm discharged into a vehicle.The incident started as a disturbance among family in the 300 Block of Georgia Road. The argument eventually escalated into being physical which caused one person to be injured requiring medical treatment, according to the sheriff's office.As the injured individual attempted to drive from the scene, 53-year-old Marion 'Gene' Ferris of Richmond allegedly discharged a firearm into the vehicle striking a tire.&nbsp; Three people including a 3-year-old child were in the vehicle.&nbsp;The only injuries were non-life-threatening and not from the discharge of the firearm being discharged.&nbsp; Sheriff's deputies located Ferris at his residence in Richmond. He refused to exit the home. Ten hours later, deputies arrested him after he attempted to flee from the rear of the residence. He is being held on requested charges of attempted second degree murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, criminal threat, criminal discharge of a firearm, criminal damage to property, felony interference with law enforcement and aggravated child endangerment.

Kansas man fired gun at vehicle with 3-year-old inside

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects in connection with an armed robbery.

Just after 9p.m. Monday, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center received notification of a medical emergency in the 6500 block of NW Elmont Road, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

Deputies discovered that an armed robbery had just occurred when a 61-year-old man's vehicle and money were stolen from him at gunpoint.

Deputies arrested Jaterri J. Davis, 36, of Topeka, on requested charges of Aggravated robbery,&nbsp;&nbsp;Aggravated assault, Criminal trespass, Theft, Theft of a motor vehicle,&nbsp;Criminal possession of a weapon by a felon and Possession of an opiate, opium and narcotic or certain stimulant

Deputies also arrested&nbsp;Diamantae T. M. Boyd, 31, of Junction City, on requested charges of Possession of an opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant, possession of stolen property; firearm, Possession of stolen property and Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736890224327.png" alt="Davis photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Davis photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects in connection with an armed robbery.Just after 9p.m. Monday, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center received notification of a medical emergency in the 6500 block of NW Elmont Road, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736890453717.png" alt="Boyd-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Boyd-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Deputies discovered that an armed robbery had just occurred when a 61-year-old man's vehicle and money were stolen from him at gunpoint.Deputies arrested Jaterri J. Davis, 36, of Topeka, on requested charges of Aggravated robbery,&nbsp;&nbsp;Aggravated assault, Criminal trespass, Theft, Theft of a motor vehicle,&nbsp;Criminal possession of a weapon by a felon and Possession of an opiate, opium and narcotic or certain stimulantDeputies also arrested&nbsp;Diamantae T. M. Boyd, 31, of Junction City, on requested charges of Possession of an opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant, possession of stolen property; firearm, Possession of stolen property and Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia

Suspects took cash, vehicle from Kansas man at gunpoint

Governor Laura Kelly delivers the 2025 State of the State address to the Kansas Legislature on Wednesday at 6:30p.m. 

(click below to watch) or<a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/KSOG/2025/01/15/file_attachments/3133603/Governor%20Kelly%27s%202025%20State%20of%20the%20State%20Address.pdf"> click here to read </a>the address

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736987926994.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Governor Laura Kelly delivers the 2025 State of the State address to the Kansas Legislature on Wednesday at 6:30p.m. (click below to watch) or<a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/KSOG/2025/01/15/file_attachments/3133603/Governor%20Kelly%27s%202025%20State%20of%20the%20State%20Address.pdf"> click here to read </a>the address<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q02bsjHNgMA?si=CnZbPFjShcuulT8v" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>C

🎥Governor Laura Kelly State of the State address

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump are both claiming credit for Israel and Hamas agreeing to a ceasefire deal in Gaza after the White House brought Trump's Middle East envoy into negotiations that have dragged on for months.

Trump wasted no time in asserting he was the moving force behind the deal, whose final details were still being ironed out, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office.

“This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies,” Trump wrote on social media. “I am thrilled American and Israeli hostages will be returning home to be reunited with their families and loved ones.”

Trump added that his incoming Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff, would continue “to work closely with Israel and our Allies to make sure Gaza NEVER again becomes a terrorist safe haven.”

Biden stressed in a statement that a deal was reached under “the precise contours” of a plan that he set out in late in May.

“It is the result not only of the extreme pressure that Hamas has been under and the changed regional equation after a ceasefire in Lebanon and weakening of Iran — but also of dogged and painstaking American diplomacy,” Biden said. “My diplomacy never ceased in their efforts to get this done.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump are both claiming credit for Israel and Hamas agreeing to a ceasefire deal in Gaza after the White House brought Trump's Middle East envoy into negotiations that have dragged on for months.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Reporter asks about who get credit for this, &quot;you or Trump?&quot; President Biden: &quot;Is that a joke?&quot; <a href="https://t.co/7u6AMuNhMG">pic.twitter.com/7u6AMuNhMG</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1879610354172309935?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736963333807.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Trump wasted no time in asserting he was the moving force behind the deal, whose final details were still being ironed out, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office.“This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies,” Trump wrote on social media. “I am thrilled American and Israeli hostages will be returning home to be reunited with their families and loved ones.”Trump added that his incoming Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff, would continue “to work closely with Israel and our Allies to make sure Gaza NEVER again becomes a terrorist safe haven.”<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F1136653544746374%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=11" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Biden stressed in a statement that a deal was reached under “the precise contours” of a plan that he set out in late in May.“It is the result not only of the extreme pressure that Hamas has been under and the changed regional equation after a ceasefire in Lebanon and weakening of Iran — but also of dogged and painstaking American diplomacy,” Biden said. “My diplomacy never ceased in their efforts to get this done.”Later in remarks at the White House, Biden said his administration negotiated the deal but that Trump’s team will soon be charged with making sure it’s implemented, a nod to Witkoff being a partner in the talks.“For the past few days, we have been speaking as one team,” Biden said.Nancy Okail, head of the U.S.-based Center for International Policy, said acceptance of the deal in the face of Trump’s insistence that a ceasefire be in place when he takes office next week “ironically shows how effective actual pressure can be in changing Israeli government behavior."Jonathan Panikoff, director of the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council, said Biden deserves praise for continuing to push the talks despite repeated failures. But Trump’s threats to Hamas and his efforts through Witkoff to “cajole” Netanyahu deserve credit as well, he said.“The ironic reality is that at a time of heightened partisanship even over foreign policy, the deal represents how much more powerful and influential U.S. foreign policy can be when it’s bipartisan,” he said. “Both the outgoing and incoming administration deserve credit for for this deal and it would’ve been far less likely to happen without both pushing for it.”The Biden administration’s open embrace of incoming Trump team involvement in the talks was rooted in far more than the president-elect’s influence with Netanyahu and his threats that there would be “hell to pay” if a deal wasn’t done by Inauguration Day, which is in five days, three current U.S. officials said.The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to offer candid details, said their interest in having Witkoff participate in the talks alongside Biden’s Mideast pointman, Brett McGurk, was primarily designed to ensure that an agreement — which will require a lengthy American commitment — would have continued U.S. support after Biden leaves office.Yet, since Witkoff entered the latest round of talks in Doha, Qatar, alongside McGurk, these U.S. officials have downplayed Trump’s relevance to the process apart from the importance of ensuring his support for a deal painstakingly negotiated over the past year. They also want backing for a plan pushed by the Biden administration for the governance, reconstruction and security of Gaza that will take many months — and significant U.S. backing — to succeed.The officials said it was important for all parties to the deal to know that the agreement had buy-in from the new president. That was important not only because Biden will leave office in just five days, but also because the U.S. is a guarantor of the agreement that will play out in several phases.One fear about not including Trump officials in the negotiations was that the post-conflict plan for Gaza that has been worked over the past year might be abandoned by the new administration.Implementation of the agreement could begin Sunday, when the first group of hostages may be freed, according to a senior U.S. official involved in the talks.Negotiations intensified over the past four days, according to the official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. The official described McGurk and Witkoff’s coordination as a “fruitful partnership.”The U.S., Qatari and Egyptian negotiators along with Israel’s team nearby worked until the wee hours Thursday morning, just a floor above where the Hamas negotiators were holed up, the senior official said.Later Thursday, Hamas made several last-second demands, but “we held very firm” and Hamas eventually agreed to the terms of the deal, the U.S. official said.The plan outlined most recently on Tuesday by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, calls for an international presence in Gaza to work with and assist the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority with both governance and reconstruction. It also calls for a temporary foreign security presence in the territory to address Israeli security concerns.Over the course of the war, Biden’s relationship with Netanyahu was strained by the enormous Palestinian death toll in the fighting — now standing at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-01-09-2025-ffae654d619e8e848e2ceda8576e8fe5">more than 46,000 dead</a>&nbsp;— and Israel’s blockade of the territory that has created a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza by leaving access to food and basic health care severely limited.Pro-Palestinian activists have demanded an arms embargo against Israel, but U.S. policy has largely remained unchanged. The State Department in recent days informed Congress of a planned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-arms-sale-gaza-biden-congress-f6a8f788773ad12a34ad8fb6f7966026">$8 billion weapons sale to Israel.</a>Biden refusal to impose meaningful restrictions on how the Israelis may have helped Israel seriously degrade Hamas and Hezbollah, but it also came with enormous suffering for innocent Palestinians and Lebanese that have been caught in the crossfire of the 15 moths of grinding war. The outgoing one-term Democrat’s critics say his approach could come with long-term ramifications for U.S. standing in the Middle East and may well prove to be stain on Biden’s legacy.