CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Boeing launched astronauts for the first time Wednesday, belatedly joining SpaceX as a second taxi service for NASA.

A pair of NASA test pilots blasted off aboard&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-space-station-starliner-launch-spacex-86085ceba30de94218c7cf2f70524413">Boeing’s Starliner capsule</a>&nbsp;for the International Space Station, the first to fly the new spacecraft.

The trip by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-space-capsule-starliner-astronauts-nasa-4742d2759c51d63c0d2ec9cbf93fce25">Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams</a>&nbsp;was expected to take 25 hours, with an arrival Thursday. They will spend just over a week at the orbiting lab before climbing back into Starliner for a remote desert touchdown in the western U.S. on June 14.

“Let’s get going!” Wilmore called out minutes before liftoff.

Years late because of spacecraft flaws, Starliner’s crew debut comes as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-faa-safety-quality-plan-32ebe104f397d20e28f72c173234460b">company struggles with unrelated safety issues</a>&nbsp;on its airplane side.

Wilmore and Williams — retired Navy captains and former space station residents — stressed repeatedly before the launch that they had full confidence in Boeing’s ability to get it right with this test flight. Crippled by bad software, Starliner’s initial test flight in 2019 without a crew had to be repeated before NASA would let its astronauts strap in. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-spacex-space-exploration-technology-science-f5e548af036b79c6387d2f26a39622c2">2022 do-over</a>&nbsp;went much better, but parachute problems later cropped up and flammable tape had to be removed from the capsule.

Wednesday's launch was the third attempt with astronauts since early May, coming after a pair of rocket-related problems, most recently last weekend. A small helium leak in the spacecraft’s propulsion system also caused delays, but managers decided the leak was manageable and not a safety issue.

“I know it’s been a long road to get here,” NASA’s commercial crew program manager Steve Stich said before the weekend delay.

Boeing was hired alongside Elon Musk’s SpaceX a decade ago to ferry NASA’s astronauts to and from the space station. The space agency wanted two competing U.S. companies for the job in the wake of the space shuttles’ retirement, paying $4.2 billion to Boeing and just over half that to SpaceX, which refashioned the capsule it was using to deliver station supplies.

SpaceX launched astronauts into orbit in 2020, becoming the first private business to achieve what only three countries — Russia, the U.S. and China — had mastered. It has taken nine crews to the space station for NASA and three private groups for a Houston company that charters flights.

The liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station was the 100th of an Atlas V for rocket maker United Launch Alliance. It was the first ride for astronauts on an Atlas rocket since John Glenn’s Mercury era more than 60 years ago; the rocket usually launches satellites and other spacecraft.

Despite the Atlas V’s perfect record, the human presence cranked up the tension for the scores of NASA and Boeing employees gathered at Cape Canaveral and Mission Control in Houston.

Boeing’s Starliner and SpaceX’s Dragon are designed to be fully autonomous and reusable. Wilmore and Williams occasionally will take manual control of Starliner on their way to the space station, to check out its systems.

If the mission goes well, NASA will alternate between SpaceX and Boeing for taxi flights, beginning next year. The backup pilot for this test flight, Mike Fincke, will strap in for Starliner’s next trip.

“When you have a new spacecraft, you need to learn all about it and this has been a great exercise,” Fincke told reporters late last week.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Boeing launched astronauts for the first time Wednesday, belatedly joining SpaceX as a second taxi service for NASA.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Liftoff! Go <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AtlasV?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AtlasV</a>! Go Centaur! Go <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Starliner?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Starliner</a>! Godspeed, Butch Wilmore and <a href="https://twitter.com/Astro_Suni?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Astro_Suni</a>! <a href="https://t.co/kTA8fjcLP7">pic.twitter.com/kTA8fjcLP7</a>&mdash; Boeing Space (@BoeingSpace) <a href="https://twitter.com/BoeingSpace/status/1798367584628207823?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>A pair of NASA test pilots blasted off aboard&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-space-station-starliner-launch-spacex-86085ceba30de94218c7cf2f70524413">Boeing’s Starliner capsule</a>&nbsp;for the International Space Station, the first to fly the new spacecraft.The trip by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-space-capsule-starliner-astronauts-nasa-4742d2759c51d63c0d2ec9cbf93fce25">Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams</a>&nbsp;was expected to take 25 hours, with an arrival Thursday. They will spend just over a week at the orbiting lab before climbing back into Starliner for a remote desert touchdown in the western U.S. on June 14.“Let’s get going!” Wilmore called out minutes before liftoff.Years late because of spacecraft flaws, Starliner’s crew debut comes as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-faa-safety-quality-plan-32ebe104f397d20e28f72c173234460b">company struggles with unrelated safety issues</a>&nbsp;on its airplane side.Wilmore and Williams — retired Navy captains and former space station residents — stressed repeatedly before the launch that they had full confidence in Boeing’s ability to get it right with this test flight. Crippled by bad software, Starliner’s initial test flight in 2019 without a crew had to be repeated before NASA would let its astronauts strap in. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-spacex-space-exploration-technology-science-f5e548af036b79c6387d2f26a39622c2">2022 do-over</a>&nbsp;went much better, but parachute problems later cropped up and flammable tape had to be removed from the capsule.Wednesday's launch was the third attempt with astronauts since early May, coming after a pair of rocket-related problems, most recently last weekend. A small helium leak in the spacecraft’s propulsion system also caused delays, but managers decided the leak was manageable and not a safety issue.“I know it’s been a long road to get here,” NASA’s commercial crew program manager Steve Stich said before the weekend delay.Boeing was hired alongside Elon Musk’s SpaceX a decade ago to ferry NASA’s astronauts to and from the space station. The space agency wanted two competing U.S. companies for the job in the wake of the space shuttles’ retirement, paying $4.2 billion to Boeing and just over half that to SpaceX, which refashioned the capsule it was using to deliver station supplies.SpaceX launched astronauts into orbit in 2020, becoming the first private business to achieve what only three countries — Russia, the U.S. and China — had mastered. It has taken nine crews to the space station for NASA and three private groups for a Houston company that charters flights.The liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station was the 100th of an Atlas V for rocket maker United Launch Alliance. It was the first ride for astronauts on an Atlas rocket since John Glenn’s Mercury era more than 60 years ago; the rocket usually launches satellites and other spacecraft.Despite the Atlas V’s perfect record, the human presence cranked up the tension for the scores of NASA and Boeing employees gathered at Cape Canaveral and Mission Control in Houston.Boeing’s Starliner and SpaceX’s Dragon are designed to be fully autonomous and reusable. Wilmore and Williams occasionally will take manual control of Starliner on their way to the space station, to check out its systems.If the mission goes well, NASA will alternate between SpaceX and Boeing for taxi flights, beginning next year. The backup pilot for this test flight, Mike Fincke, will strap in for Starliner’s next trip.“When you have a new spacecraft, you need to learn all about it and this has been a great exercise,” Fincke told reporters late last week.

🎥Boeing Starliner flies NASA astronauts into space for first time

KANSAS CITY —Two adults have been charged in connection with a boy who was found to have extensive injuries over his body, including bruises and burns and apparent malnutrition, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

39- year-old James E. Griffin Jr. and 37-year-old Penny Woods each face a charge of Abuse or Neglect of a Child, a Class B felony.

According to court records filed, a the teen victim was taken by another adult from a Raytown residence to North Kansas City Hospital and eventually to Children's Mercy Hospital. 

Woods told the adult she couldn't handle the child any longer. &nbsp;At the hospital, the victim was observed to have multiple abrasions, lacerations, burns, missing teeth and signs of malnutrition. A search warrant of the residence where the victim had been staying found signs of blood.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717594808471.png" alt="Griffin photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Griffin photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Two adults have been charged in connection with a boy who was found to have extensive injuries over his body, including bruises and burns and apparent malnutrition, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717534917376.png" alt="Woods-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Woods-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>39- year-old James E. Griffin Jr. and 37-year-old Penny Woods each face a charge of Abuse or Neglect of a Child, a Class B felony.According to court records filed, a the teen victim was taken by another adult from a Raytown residence to North Kansas City Hospital and eventually to Children's Mercy Hospital. Woods told the adult she couldn't handle the child any longer. &nbsp;At the hospital, the victim was observed to have multiple abrasions, lacerations, burns, missing teeth and signs of malnutrition. A search warrant of the residence where the victim had been staying found signs of blood.

Court records: KC boy hospitalized after months of abuse 

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday unveiled plans to enact immediate significant restrictions on migrants seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border as the White House tries to neutralize immigration as a political liability ahead of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">the November elections</a>.

Kansas Senior U.S. Senator Jerry Moran, delivered opening remarks and addressed President Biden’s Executive Order to reduce migrant entries at the southern border during a hearing with Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray.&nbsp; Moran said, "I’m doubtful that this executive order will make the necessary changes to ensure operational control of our border and that we know who, why and where people are crossing into our country."(Click below to watch)

On his social media account, Kansas Junior U.S. Senator Roger Marshall criticized President Biden's announcement.

The long-anticipated presidential proclamation would bar migrants from being granted asylum when U.S. officials deem that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/region/us-mexico-border/">the southern border</a>&nbsp;is overwhelmed. The Democratic president had contemplated unilateral action for months after the collapse of a bipartisan border security deal in Congress that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-ukraine-aid-border-security-386dcc54b29a5491f8bd87b727a284f8">most Republican lawmakers rejected</a>&nbsp;at the behest of former President Donald Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee.

Biden said he preferred more lasting action via legislation but "Republicans have left me no choice.” Instead, he said he was acting on his own to “gain control of the border” while also insisting that “I believe immigration has always been the lifeblood of America.”

Trump “told the Republicans ... that he didn't want to fix the issue, he wanted to use it to attack me,” Biden said. “It was a cynical, extremely cynical, political move and a complete disservice to the American people who are looking for us not to weaponize the border but to fix it.”

Trump, on the other hand, used his social media account to assail Biden again over immigration, saying the Democrat had “totally surrendered our Southern Border” and his order was “all for show” ahead of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-election-presidential-debates-biden-trump-6b1d1dbb2ed61c7637041b23662d7da8">their June 27 presidential debate</a>.

The order will go into effect when the number of border encounters between ports of entry hits 2,500 per day, according to senior administration officials. That means Biden’s order should go into effect immediately, because the daily averages are higher now. Average daily arrests for illegal crossings from Mexico were last below 2,500 in January 2021, the month Biden took office. The last time the border encounters dipped to 1,500 a day was in July 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The restrictions would be in effect until two weeks after the daily encounter numbers are at or below 1,500 per day between ports of entry, under a seven-day average. Those figures were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-immigration-executive-order-asylum-border-7cd0b0f28e298036ad1fc6b0c78961e1">first reported by The Associated Press</a>&nbsp;on Monday.

Homeland Security said increased enforcement with Mexico since high-level bilateral meetings in late December has lowered illegal crossings but is “likely to be less effective over time,” creating a need for more action. “Smuggling networks are adaptable, responding to changes put in place,” the department said in a federal rule published Tuesday.

The department predicts that arrests for illegal crossings may climb to a daily average as high as 6,700 from July through September.

Once this order is in effect, migrants who arrive at the border but do not express fear of returning to their home countries will be subject to immediate removal from the United States, within a matter of days or even hours. Those migrants could face punishments that could include a five-year bar from reentering the U.S. or even criminal prosecution.

Meanwhile, anyone who expresses that fear or an intention to seek asylum will be screened by a U.S. asylum officer but at a higher standard than currently used. If they pass the screening, they can pursue more limited forms of humanitarian protection, including the U.N. Convention Against Torture.

“We’re troubled to see this administration raise the bar on asylum seekers who are coming to our southern border and exercising a legal right,” said Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of Global Refuge. “Certainly no one wants to see migrants who may be coming to seek a better life or for economic opportunity game the asylum system, but we see in our clients and in other immigrants people who are fleeing the most dire of circumstances at a time of unprecedented global migration and believe that the U.S. is still a beacon of hope and refuge.”

The U.N.’s refugee agency also expressed concern, saying the new measures will deny access to asylum for many who are in need of international protection. The agency said in a statement that it recognizes that the U.S. is facing challenges in dealing with the significant number of people arriving at its border, but nonetheless called on the United States "to uphold its international obligations and urge the government to reconsider restrictions that undermine the fundamental right to seek asylum.”

At the border Tuesday, there were no visible signs of immediate impact.

Iselande Peralta, a Haitian mother staying at a migrant shelter in Reynosa, Mexico, with her 3-year-old son, said the U.S. was within its rights to enforce new restrictions. She has been trying for 10 months to get an appointment through U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s online app, called CBP One. Peralta, 26, wouldn’t consider crossing illegally and considers CBP One her best option.

“Even if I was crazy, I wouldn’t cross the river. How would I do that with a child as young as him? I’m willing to wait,” she said.

Biden's directive is coming when the number of migrants encountered at the border have been on a consistent decline since December, but senior administration officials say the numbers are still too high and could spike in better weather, as is typical.

Yet many questions and complications remain about how Biden's directive would be implemented.

For instance, the administration already has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-migration-center-venezuela-cuba-haiti-nicaragua-65b84bb008083e33295d5c738d5b8218">an agreement with Mexico</a>&nbsp;in which Mexico agrees to accept up to 30,000 citizens a month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela once they are denied entry from the U.S., and senior administration officials say that will continue under this order. But it is unclear what happens to nationals of other countries who are denied under Biden’s directive.

Four senior administration officials, who insisted on anonymity to describe the effort to reporters, acknowledged that Biden's goal of deporting migrants quickly is complicated by insufficient funding from Congress to do so. The administration also faces certain legal constraints when it comes to detaining migrant families, and the administration said it would continue to abide by those obligations.

The legal authority being invoked by Biden comes under Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows a president to limit entries for certain migrants if their entry is deemed “detrimental” to the national interest. Senior officials expressed confidence that they would be able to implement Biden’s order, despite threats from prominent legal groups to file lawsuits over the directive.

“We intend to sue," Lee Gelernt, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union who successfully argued similar legal challenges when Trump was president. "A ban on asylum is illegal, just as it was when Trump unsuccessfully tried it.”

The senior administration officials insisted that Biden’s proposal differs dramatically from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-politics-virus-outbreak-immigration-immigration-policy-1f8c91e31fba158126f8e91c1453b13f">that of Trump</a>, who leaned on the same provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act that Biden is using, including Trump's 2017 directive to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3a20abe305bd4c989116f82bf535393b">bar citizens of Muslim-majority nations</a>&nbsp;and his efforts in 2018 to clamp down on asylum.

Biden’s order outlines several groups of migrants who would be exempted due to humanitarian reasons, including victims of human trafficking, unaccompanied minors and those with severe medical emergencies.

The directive would also exempt migrants who make appointments with border officials at ports of entry using the CBP One app. About 1,450 appointments are made a day using the app, which launched last year to allow migrants to make asylum claims.

Immigration advocates worry that Biden’s plan would only increase an already monthslong backlog of migrants waiting for an appointment through the app, especially when immigration authorities do not have an accompanying surge of funding.

It could also be difficult for border officials to quickly remove migrants when many agents are already tasked with helping in shelters and other humanitarian tasks, said Jennie Murray, the president of the National Immigration Forum.

“Customs and Border Protection cannot keep up with apprehensions as it is right now because they don’t have enough personnel so it would cause more disorder,” she said.

Republicans dismissed Biden’s order as nothing more than a “political stunt” meant to show toughened immigration enforcement ahead of the election.

“He tried to convince us all for all this time that there was no way he could possibly fix the mess,” GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson said at a news conference. “Remember that he engineered it."

In a call organized by Trump’s campaign, Stephen Miller, a senior adviser in Trump’s White House who orchestrated his most polarizing immigration policies, and Tom Homan, former acting director of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the Trump administration, said Biden’s order essentially would allow 2,500 people into the country a day and legalize the illegal entry into the U.S.

“The only reason they’re doing this is because of the election,” Homan said. “They’ve had three and a half years to take action and done nothing.”

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said legislation would have been more effective, but “Republican intransigence has forced the president’s hand.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683898210525.png" alt="Photo Texas Dept. of Public Safety" />
 <figcaption>Photo Texas Dept. of Public Safety</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday unveiled plans to enact immediate significant restrictions on migrants seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border as the White House tries to neutralize immigration as a political liability ahead of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">the November elections</a>.Kansas Senior U.S. Senator Jerry Moran, delivered opening remarks and addressed President Biden’s Executive Order to reduce migrant entries at the southern border during a hearing with Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray.&nbsp; Moran said, "I’m doubtful that this executive order will make the necessary changes to ensure operational control of our border and that we know who, why and where people are crossing into our country."(Click below to watch)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3QZsHl-7cxc?si=4n5P9zyg7tGMoTBn&amp;start=48" 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>On his social media account, Kansas Junior U.S. Senator Roger Marshall criticized President Biden's announcement.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Biden’s executive action does not ‘shut down’ the border or secure it - this is a desperate attempt at a political lifeline 5 months before the election.&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1798047866138812485?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today&#39;s announcement by President Joe Biden is an admission of guilt. <a href="https://t.co/HjtxJGhnAx">pic.twitter.com/HjtxJGhnAx</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1798092681194639574?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The long-anticipated presidential proclamation would bar migrants from being granted asylum when U.S. officials deem that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/region/us-mexico-border/">the southern border</a>&nbsp;is overwhelmed. The Democratic president had contemplated unilateral action for months after the collapse of a bipartisan border security deal in Congress that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-ukraine-aid-border-security-386dcc54b29a5491f8bd87b727a284f8">most Republican lawmakers rejected</a>&nbsp;at the behest of former President Donald Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee.Biden said he preferred more lasting action via legislation but "Republicans have left me no choice.” Instead, he said he was acting on his own to “gain control of the border” while also insisting that “I believe immigration has always been the lifeblood of America.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I would have preferred to address our issues at the border through bipartisan legislation because that’s the only way to actually fix our broken system – But Republicans in Congress have left me no choice. So today, I’m announcing actions that bar migrants who cross our… <a href="https://t.co/ScZ2urgoG9">pic.twitter.com/ScZ2urgoG9</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1798078683045146896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump “told the Republicans ... that he didn't want to fix the issue, he wanted to use it to attack me,” Biden said. “It was a cynical, extremely cynical, political move and a complete disservice to the American people who are looking for us not to weaponize the border but to fix it.”Trump, on the other hand, used his social media account to assail Biden again over immigration, saying the Democrat had “totally surrendered our Southern Border” and his order was “all for show” ahead of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-election-presidential-debates-biden-trump-6b1d1dbb2ed61c7637041b23662d7da8">their June 27 presidential debate</a>.The order will go into effect when the number of border encounters between ports of entry hits 2,500 per day, according to senior administration officials. That means Biden’s order should go into effect immediately, because the daily averages are higher now. Average daily arrests for illegal crossings from Mexico were last below 2,500 in January 2021, the month Biden took office. The last time the border encounters dipped to 1,500 a day was in July 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.The restrictions would be in effect until two weeks after the daily encounter numbers are at or below 1,500 per day between ports of entry, under a seven-day average. Those figures were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-immigration-executive-order-asylum-border-7cd0b0f28e298036ad1fc6b0c78961e1">first reported by The Associated Press</a>&nbsp;on Monday.Homeland Security said increased enforcement with Mexico since high-level bilateral meetings in late December has lowered illegal crossings but is “likely to be less effective over time,” creating a need for more action. “Smuggling networks are adaptable, responding to changes put in place,” the department said in a federal rule published Tuesday.The department predicts that arrests for illegal crossings may climb to a daily average as high as 6,700 from July through September.Once this order is in effect, migrants who arrive at the border but do not express fear of returning to their home countries will be subject to immediate removal from the United States, within a matter of days or even hours. Those migrants could face punishments that could include a five-year bar from reentering the U.S. or even criminal prosecution.Meanwhile, anyone who expresses that fear or an intention to seek asylum will be screened by a U.S. asylum officer but at a higher standard than currently used. If they pass the screening, they can pursue more limited forms of humanitarian protection, including the U.N. Convention Against Torture.“We’re troubled to see this administration raise the bar on asylum seekers who are coming to our southern border and exercising a legal right,” said Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of Global Refuge. “Certainly no one wants to see migrants who may be coming to seek a better life or for economic opportunity game the asylum system, but we see in our clients and in other immigrants people who are fleeing the most dire of circumstances at a time of unprecedented global migration and believe that the U.S. is still a beacon of hope and refuge.”The U.N.’s refugee agency also expressed concern, saying the new measures will deny access to asylum for many who are in need of international protection. The agency said in a statement that it recognizes that the U.S. is facing challenges in dealing with the significant number of people arriving at its border, but nonetheless called on the United States "to uphold its international obligations and urge the government to reconsider restrictions that undermine the fundamental right to seek asylum.”At the border Tuesday, there were no visible signs of immediate impact.Iselande Peralta, a Haitian mother staying at a migrant shelter in Reynosa, Mexico, with her 3-year-old son, said the U.S. was within its rights to enforce new restrictions. She has been trying for 10 months to get an appointment through U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s online app, called CBP One. Peralta, 26, wouldn’t consider crossing illegally and considers CBP One her best option.“Even if I was crazy, I wouldn’t cross the river. How would I do that with a child as young as him? I’m willing to wait,” she said.Biden's directive is coming when the number of migrants encountered at the border have been on a consistent decline since December, but senior administration officials say the numbers are still too high and could spike in better weather, as is typical.Yet many questions and complications remain about how Biden's directive would be implemented.For instance, the administration already has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-migration-center-venezuela-cuba-haiti-nicaragua-65b84bb008083e33295d5c738d5b8218">an agreement with Mexico</a>&nbsp;in which Mexico agrees to accept up to 30,000 citizens a month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela once they are denied entry from the U.S., and senior administration officials say that will continue under this order. But it is unclear what happens to nationals of other countries who are denied under Biden’s directive.Four senior administration officials, who insisted on anonymity to describe the effort to reporters, acknowledged that Biden's goal of deporting migrants quickly is complicated by insufficient funding from Congress to do so. The administration also faces certain legal constraints when it comes to detaining migrant families, and the administration said it would continue to abide by those obligations.The legal authority being invoked by Biden comes under Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows a president to limit entries for certain migrants if their entry is deemed “detrimental” to the national interest. Senior officials expressed confidence that they would be able to implement Biden’s order, despite threats from prominent legal groups to file lawsuits over the directive.“We intend to sue," Lee Gelernt, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union who successfully argued similar legal challenges when Trump was president. "A ban on asylum is illegal, just as it was when Trump unsuccessfully tried it.”The senior administration officials insisted that Biden’s proposal differs dramatically from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-politics-virus-outbreak-immigration-immigration-policy-1f8c91e31fba158126f8e91c1453b13f">that of Trump</a>, who leaned on the same provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act that Biden is using, including Trump's 2017 directive to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3a20abe305bd4c989116f82bf535393b">bar citizens of Muslim-majority nations</a>&nbsp;and his efforts in 2018 to clamp down on asylum.Biden’s order outlines several groups of migrants who would be exempted due to humanitarian reasons, including victims of human trafficking, unaccompanied minors and those with severe medical emergencies.The directive would also exempt migrants who make appointments with border officials at ports of entry using the CBP One app. About 1,450 appointments are made a day using the app, which launched last year to allow migrants to make asylum claims.Immigration advocates worry that Biden’s plan would only increase an already monthslong backlog of migrants waiting for an appointment through the app, especially when immigration authorities do not have an accompanying surge of funding.It could also be difficult for border officials to quickly remove migrants when many agents are already tasked with helping in shelters and other humanitarian tasks, said Jennie Murray, the president of the National Immigration Forum.“Customs and Border Protection cannot keep up with apprehensions as it is right now because they don’t have enough personnel so it would cause more disorder,” she said.Republicans dismissed Biden’s order as nothing more than a “political stunt” meant to show toughened immigration enforcement ahead of the election.“He tried to convince us all for all this time that there was no way he could possibly fix the mess,” GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson said at a news conference. “Remember that he engineered it."In a call organized by Trump’s campaign, Stephen Miller, a senior adviser in Trump’s White House who orchestrated his most polarizing immigration policies, and Tom Homan, former acting director of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the Trump administration, said Biden’s order essentially would allow 2,500 people into the country a day and legalize the illegal entry into the U.S.“The only reason they’re doing this is because of the election,” Homan said. “They’ve had three and a half years to take action and done nothing.”Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said legislation would have been more effective, but “Republican intransigence has forced the president’s hand.”___

🎥Moran, Marshall critical of Biden's move to 'gain control' of the border

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Top Kansas legislators have intensified efforts to woo the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-chiefs-dynasty-kansas-city-d16a308684d97a6be2d269c8d56404be">Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs</a>&nbsp;by offering to let the professional football franchise shape a plan for using state bonds to finance a new stadium in Kansas.

Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins and Senate President Ty Masterson said in a statement Tuesday that the Legislature would consider the proposal during a special session set to convene June 18. They invited the Chiefs “to weigh in on" the plan in a letter May 23 to Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt, with the leaders released Tuesday.

Their actions came as a new Kansas nonprofit group, Scoop and Score, launched a campaign for bringing the Chiefs from Missouri to Kansas. The group started an online petition aimed at the Legislature, sent texts saying the Chiefs “deserve a permanent home in Kansas,” and registered 20 lobbyists to represent it at the Statehouse, including a former House speaker and some of the state's most prominent contract lobbyists.

Kansas officials saw an opening in early April after voters on the Missouri side of the Kansas City metropolitan area&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-royals-kansas-city-stadiums-e9605296b85e91699441e4ba10e83212">decisively refused</a>&nbsp;to extend a local sales tax used to keep up the complex housing the Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium and Kauffman Stadium, home to professional baseball’s Kansas City Royals.

“Your insights and expertise are invaluable in shaping the success of this project,” Hawkins and Masterson said in their letter. “Your organization’s stature and experience in professional sports will help shape our understanding and ensure that this initiative aligns with the interests of all stakeholders involved.”

The lobbyists who registered to represent&nbsp;<a href="https://scoopandscoreks.com/">Scoop and Score</a>&nbsp;included Ron Ryckman Jr., a Kansas City-area businessman who served as Kansas House speaker from 2017 through 2022. His former legislative chief of staff, Paje Resner, also registered, and she was listed as the group’s incorporator when it filed its articles of incorporation with the state on May 13.

Hunt told reporters in April that the Chiefs would take “a broader perspective” about the team’s future home after the vote in Missouri. The Chiefs had hoped to use their share of the local sales tax to help pay for an $800 million renovation of Arrowhead.

The plan favored by Hawkins, Masterson and other members of the Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature would pay off bonds for a new stadium with sales and alcohol tax revenues generated in a designated area around the stadium. It would be similar to how the state and officials in Kansas City, Kansas, financed construction of NASCAR's Kansas Speedway and an adjacent shopping and entertainment district.

“We are poised to make the Kansas City Chiefs even stronger,” Hawkins and Masterson said in their letter. “It also promises to be a victory for Kansas taxpayers and a game-changer for our state’s economy.”

Some legislators were pushing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-royals-new-stadiums-kansas-dd5a0b8509738ed5ad53e2c3da9cf730">a similar proposal</a>&nbsp;to build new stadiums in Kansas for both the Chiefs and the Royals before lawmakers adjourned their annual session May 1, but the plan never came to a vote. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly called the special session to consider broad tax cuts after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-budget-tax-cuts-veto-9ebddf96cd35b614d8e96f2d8b8939c2">vetoing three previous tax plans,</a>&nbsp;but legislators can consider whatever they want.

The earlier stadium-financing proposal faced opposition from Americans for Prosperity-Kansas, a small-government, low-tax group long against the use of such bonds and influential with Republicans. Critics have argued that using the bonds for big projects represents the state picking economic winners and losers instead of the free market.

By JOHN HANNATOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Top Kansas legislators have intensified efforts to woo the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-chiefs-dynasty-kansas-city-d16a308684d97a6be2d269c8d56404be">Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs</a>&nbsp;by offering to let the professional football franchise shape a plan for using state bonds to finance a new stadium in Kansas.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717584376742.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins and Senate President Ty Masterson said in a statement Tuesday that the Legislature would consider the proposal during a special session set to convene June 18. They invited the Chiefs “to weigh in on" the plan in a letter May 23 to Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt, with the leaders released Tuesday.Their actions came as a new Kansas nonprofit group, Scoop and Score, launched a campaign for bringing the Chiefs from Missouri to Kansas. The group started an online petition aimed at the Legislature, sent texts saying the Chiefs “deserve a permanent home in Kansas,” and registered 20 lobbyists to represent it at the Statehouse, including a former House speaker and some of the state's most prominent contract lobbyists.Kansas officials saw an opening in early April after voters on the Missouri side of the Kansas City metropolitan area&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-royals-kansas-city-stadiums-e9605296b85e91699441e4ba10e83212">decisively refused</a>&nbsp;to extend a local sales tax used to keep up the complex housing the Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium and Kauffman Stadium, home to professional baseball’s Kansas City Royals.“Your insights and expertise are invaluable in shaping the success of this project,” Hawkins and Masterson said in their letter. “Your organization’s stature and experience in professional sports will help shape our understanding and ensure that this initiative aligns with the interests of all stakeholders involved.”The lobbyists who registered to represent&nbsp;<a href="https://scoopandscoreks.com/">Scoop and Score</a>&nbsp;included Ron Ryckman Jr., a Kansas City-area businessman who served as Kansas House speaker from 2017 through 2022. His former legislative chief of staff, Paje Resner, also registered, and she was listed as the group’s incorporator when it filed its articles of incorporation with the state on May 13.Hunt told reporters in April that the Chiefs would take “a broader perspective” about the team’s future home after the vote in Missouri. The Chiefs had hoped to use their share of the local sales tax to help pay for an $800 million renovation of Arrowhead.The plan favored by Hawkins, Masterson and other members of the Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature would pay off bonds for a new stadium with sales and alcohol tax revenues generated in a designated area around the stadium. It would be similar to how the state and officials in Kansas City, Kansas, financed construction of NASCAR's Kansas Speedway and an adjacent shopping and entertainment district.“We are poised to make the Kansas City Chiefs even stronger,” Hawkins and Masterson said in their letter. “It also promises to be a victory for Kansas taxpayers and a game-changer for our state’s economy.”Some legislators were pushing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-royals-new-stadiums-kansas-dd5a0b8509738ed5ad53e2c3da9cf730">a similar proposal</a>&nbsp;to build new stadiums in Kansas for both the Chiefs and the Royals before lawmakers adjourned their annual session May 1, but the plan never came to a vote. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly called the special session to consider broad tax cuts after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-budget-tax-cuts-veto-9ebddf96cd35b614d8e96f2d8b8939c2">vetoing three previous tax plans,</a>&nbsp;but legislators can consider whatever they want.The earlier stadium-financing proposal faced opposition from Americans for Prosperity-Kansas, a small-government, low-tax group long against the use of such bonds and influential with Republicans. Critics have argued that using the bonds for big projects represents the state picking economic winners and losers instead of the free market.

Read the letter Kan. leaders sent Chiefs owner to lure team to move

KANSAS CITY —One person died in an accident during a pursuit by law enforcement in the Kansas City area.

Just before 3a.m. Tuesday, a State trooper attempted to stop a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by 31-year-old Austin M. Brewer, 31, Kansas City, on U.S. 40 at South Crysler Avenue in Independence, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

 The driver had committed lane violation(s) and was suspected of driving while intoxicated.  A pursuit ensued and as the trooper pursued the suspect, officers with Independence Police&nbsp; successfully deployed spike strips on South Sterling Avenue just south of E 23rd Street. 

At 2:51am, Brewer lost control of the Jeep and crashed into a utility pole. Brewer was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp; EMS transported passenger identified as Kassitie L. Murphy, 35, Independence, Missouri to&nbsp; Centerpoint Medical Center.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717513179242.png" alt="Photos courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Photos courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —One person died in an accident during a pursuit by law enforcement in the Kansas City area. Just before 3a.m. Tuesday, a State trooper attempted to stop a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by 31-year-old Austin M. Brewer, 31, Kansas City, on U.S. 40 at South Crysler Avenue in Independence, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The driver had committed lane violation(s) and was suspected of driving while intoxicated. A pursuit ensued and as the trooper pursued the suspect, officers with Independence Police&nbsp; successfully deployed spike strips on South Sterling Avenue just south of E 23rd Street. At 2:51am, Brewer lost control of the Jeep and crashed into a utility pole. Brewer was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp; EMS transported passenger identified as Kassitie L. Murphy, 35, Independence, Missouri to&nbsp; Centerpoint Medical Center.&nbsp;

DWI suspect dies after crash during chase with state trooper

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House passed legislation Tuesday that would sanction the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/international-criminal-court">International Criminal Court</a>&nbsp;for requesting arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials.

The 247-155 vote amounts to Congress’ first legislative rebuke of the war crimes court since its&nbsp;<a>stunning decision</a>&nbsp;last month to seek arrest warrants for the leaders of Israel and Hamas. Kansas GOP Representatives Tracey Mann, Ron Estes and Jake LaTurner voted with the majority. Kansas Democrat Representative Sharice Davids voted against the bill.

The move was widely denounced in Washington, creating a rare moment of unity on Israel even as partisan divisions over the war with Hamas intensified.

While the House bill was expected to pass Tuesday, it managed to attract only modest Democratic support, despite an outpouring of outrage at the court's decision, dulling its chances in the Senate. The White House opposes the legislation, calling it overreach.

Both the Republican and Democratic leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Committee acknowledged the bill in question is unlikely to become law and left the door open to further negotiation with the White House. They said it would be better for Congress to be united against the Hague-based court.

“We’re always strongest, particularly on this committee, when we speak with one voice as one nation, in this case to the ICC and to the judges,” GOP Rep. Mike McCaul, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said during House debate. "A partisan messaging bill was not my intention here but that is where we are.”

State Department spokesperson Matt Miller reiterated the administration's opposition to the sanctions bill.

“We have made clear that while we oppose the decision taken by the prosecutor of the ICC, we don’t think it is appropriate, especially while there are ongoing investigations inside Israel looking at somebody’s very same questions, and we were willing to work with Congress on what a response might look like but we don’t support sanctions," Miller said.

The House bill would apply sweeping economic sanctions and visa restrictions to individuals and judges associated with the ICC, including their family members. Democrats labeled the approach as “overly broad,” warning it could ensnare Americans and U.S. companies that do important work with the court.

“This bill would have a chilling effect on the ICC as an institution which could hamper the court’s efforts to prosecute the numerous atrocities that have been perpetrated in many places around the world, from Ukraine to Uganda," said Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee.

The legislation reprimanding the ICC was just the latest show of support from House Republicans for Israel since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas that ignited the war. Republicans have held several votes related to Israel in recent months, highlighting divisions among Democrats over support for the U.S. ally.

Congressional leaders have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-netanyahu-war-gaza-congress-596b0adf6ed8f71ccaaecccec8b9d341">invited Netanyahu</a>&nbsp;to address a joint meeting of Congress this summer, which is likely to further inflame tensions over Israel's handling of the war. Many Democrats are expected to boycott the speech.

Both the ICC and the United Nations’ highest court, the International Court of Justice, have begun to investigate allegations that both Israel and Hamas have committed genocide during the seven-month war.

Last month, ICC's prosecutor, Karim Khan, accused Netanyahu, his defense minister Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders — Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-netanyahu-sinwar-icc-2f59ab4e649301af6ca5115ca69640c5">of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip and Israel</a>.

Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders condemned the ICC's move as disgraceful and antisemitic. President Joe Biden and members of Congress also lambasted the prosecutor and supported Israel’s right to defend itself.

Israel is not a member of the court, so even if the arrest warrants are issued, Netanyahu and Gallant do not face any immediate risk of prosecution. But the threat of arrest could make it difficult for Israeli leaders to travel abroad.

“Failing to act here in the Congress would make us complicit with the ICC’s illegitimate actions and we must not stay silent,” McCaul said. “We must stand with our allies.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697623511291.png" alt="White House File photo President Biden and&nbsp;&nbsp; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu" />
 <figcaption>White House File photo President Biden and&nbsp;&nbsp; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The House passed legislation Tuesday that would sanction the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/international-criminal-court">International Criminal Court</a>&nbsp;for requesting arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We can&#39;t sit by idly as antisemitism takes root in the International Criminal Court. ICC’s arrest warrants for PM Netanyahu &amp; Minister Gallant are unacceptable. The ICC has no jurisdiction over Israel nor the U.S. Today’s vote made it clear— <a href="https://twitter.com/HouseGOP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HouseGOP</a> stands w/ Israel.&mdash; Tracey Mann (@RepMann) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMann/status/1798109241703637007?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The 247-155 vote amounts to Congress’ first legislative rebuke of the war crimes court since its&nbsp;<a>stunning decision</a>&nbsp;last month to seek arrest warrants for the leaders of Israel and Hamas. Kansas GOP Representatives Tracey Mann, Ron Estes and Jake LaTurner voted with the majority. Kansas Democrat Representative Sharice Davids voted against the bill.The move was widely denounced in Washington, creating a rare moment of unity on Israel even as partisan divisions over the war with Hamas intensified.While the House bill was expected to pass Tuesday, it managed to attract only modest Democratic support, despite an outpouring of outrage at the court's decision, dulling its chances in the Senate. The White House opposes the legislation, calling it overreach.Both the Republican and Democratic leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Committee acknowledged the bill in question is unlikely to become law and left the door open to further negotiation with the White House. They said it would be better for Congress to be united against the Hague-based court.“We’re always strongest, particularly on this committee, when we speak with one voice as one nation, in this case to the ICC and to the judges,” GOP Rep. Mike McCaul, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said during House debate. "A partisan messaging bill was not my intention here but that is where we are.”State Department spokesperson Matt Miller reiterated the administration's opposition to the sanctions bill.“We have made clear that while we oppose the decision taken by the prosecutor of the ICC, we don’t think it is appropriate, especially while there are ongoing investigations inside Israel looking at somebody’s very same questions, and we were willing to work with Congress on what a response might look like but we don’t support sanctions," Miller said.The House bill would apply sweeping economic sanctions and visa restrictions to individuals and judges associated with the ICC, including their family members. Democrats labeled the approach as “overly broad,” warning it could ensnare Americans and U.S. companies that do important work with the court.“This bill would have a chilling effect on the ICC as an institution which could hamper the court’s efforts to prosecute the numerous atrocities that have been perpetrated in many places around the world, from Ukraine to Uganda," said Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee.The legislation reprimanding the ICC was just the latest show of support from House Republicans for Israel since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas that ignited the war. Republicans have held several votes related to Israel in recent months, highlighting divisions among Democrats over support for the U.S. ally.Congressional leaders have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-netanyahu-war-gaza-congress-596b0adf6ed8f71ccaaecccec8b9d341">invited Netanyahu</a>&nbsp;to address a joint meeting of Congress this summer, which is likely to further inflame tensions over Israel's handling of the war. Many Democrats are expected to boycott the speech.Both the ICC and the United Nations’ highest court, the International Court of Justice, have begun to investigate allegations that both Israel and Hamas have committed genocide during the seven-month war.Last month, ICC's prosecutor, Karim Khan, accused Netanyahu, his defense minister Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders — Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-netanyahu-sinwar-icc-2f59ab4e649301af6ca5115ca69640c5">of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip and Israel</a>.Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders condemned the ICC's move as disgraceful and antisemitic. President Joe Biden and members of Congress also lambasted the prosecutor and supported Israel’s right to defend itself.Israel is not a member of the court, so even if the arrest warrants are issued, Netanyahu and Gallant do not face any immediate risk of prosecution. But the threat of arrest could make it difficult for Israeli leaders to travel abroad.“Failing to act here in the Congress would make us complicit with the ICC’s illegitimate actions and we must not stay silent,” McCaul said. “We must stand with our allies.”

Kan. GOP Reps. vote to sanction international court over warrants for Netanyahu

KANSAS CITY —Authorities are investigating the cause of a house fire in Kansas City.

Just after 9a.m. Tuesday, crews&nbsp;responded to a fire at a h ome in the 3300 block of Chestnut, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

Crews found heavy fire from the second floor of the two-story house. Searches of the home came back all clear. Two residents were home and safely escaped.&nbsp;

The home suffered significant damage to the second floor from fire, and water damage to the first. It will be unlivable until repairs can be made.&nbsp; No injuries were reported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717512153443.png" alt="Photos KC Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photos KC Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Authorities are investigating the cause of a house fire in Kansas City.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717512125403.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 9a.m. Tuesday, crews&nbsp;responded to a fire at a h ome in the 3300 block of Chestnut, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.Crews found heavy fire from the second floor of the two-story house. Searches of the home came back all clear. Two residents were home and safely escaped.&nbsp;The home suffered significant damage to the second floor from fire, and water damage to the first. It will be unlivable until repairs can be made.&nbsp; No injuries were reported.

Two safely escape Kansas City house fire

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man accused in the&nbsp;&nbsp;alleged kidnappings and sex crimes involving three juveniles near a Kansas elementary school made another court appearance on Friday.

A judge ruled 22-year-old<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=246512">&nbsp;&nbsp;Manasseh Ward</a> of Wichita, is competent to stand trial for charges that include 4 counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, aggravated kidnapping, 3 counts of aggravated criminal sodomy, 2 counts of attempted rape, aggravated assault and interference with law enforcement, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Just before 4p.m. January 4, 2023, a teenage girl reported being kidnapped by a man driving a blue vehicle in the 6600 block of East Boston in Wichita, according to Officer Chad Ditch.

The man later identified as Ward attempted to sexually assault the girl in the car. The man let the child go and she reported the incident to a family member.

Just before 9a.m. January 5, two elementary-aged children, a boy and girl, left their home on foot in the 900 block of South Drury to head to Clark Elementary School at 650 S Apache in Wichita.

A man in a blue vehicle kidnapped the children. The suspect put both kids in his vehicle and then drove away. A short time later he dropped the boy victim off and left with the girl..

While gathering information officers were patrolling the area and located the suspect vehicle and attempted to stop it. &nbsp;A brief foot pursuit occurred and officers took Ward into custody in the 6600 block of East Boston.&nbsp;

In September, police arrested Ward in connection with the alleged crimes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673003077182.png" alt="Ward-photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Ward-photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man accused in the&nbsp;&nbsp;alleged kidnappings and sex crimes involving three juveniles near a Kansas elementary school made another court appearance on Friday.A judge ruled 22-year-old<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=246512">&nbsp;&nbsp;Manasseh Ward</a> of Wichita, is competent to stand trial for charges that include 4 counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, aggravated kidnapping, 3 counts of aggravated criminal sodomy, 2 counts of attempted rape, aggravated assault and interference with law enforcement, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Just before 4p.m. January 4, 2023, a teenage girl reported being kidnapped by a man driving a blue vehicle in the 6600 block of East Boston in Wichita, according to Officer Chad Ditch.The man later identified as Ward attempted to sexually assault the girl in the car. The man let the child go and she reported the incident to a family member.Just before 9a.m. January 5, two elementary-aged children, a boy and girl, left their home on foot in the 900 block of South Drury to head to Clark Elementary School at 650 S Apache in Wichita.A man in a blue vehicle kidnapped the children. The suspect put both kids in his vehicle and then drove away. A short time later he dropped the boy victim off and left with the girl..While gathering information officers were patrolling the area and located the suspect vehicle and attempted to stop it. &nbsp;A brief foot pursuit occurred and officers took Ward into custody in the 6600 block of East Boston.&nbsp;In September, police arrested Ward in connection with the alleged crimes.

Kan. man will go to trial for sex crimes near elementary school

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The Kansas Senate president and Kansas House speaker said Tuesday they were intrigued by the potential of putting together an incentive package capable of attracting the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs to a new stadium complex in Kansas.

The Kansas Legislature will be in Topeka starting June 18 to consider a tax relief bill after called into special session by Gov. Laura Kelly. There is no limit on topics lawmakers might consider, which opens the door consideration of a deal for the NFL franchise.

Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, said in a statement establishing&nbsp;a home for the Chiefs on the Kansas side of&nbsp; the state line was an opportunity that deserved “thorough conversation.”

“We have reached out to the Chiefs organization and asked them to weigh in on the possibility of using Kansas’ unique STAR bond funding tool and explore what that collaboration could hold,” the statement said.

The two GOP legislative leaders&nbsp;have discouraged lawmakers from wading into issues during the special session other than tax reform and an economic development package tied to a second professional sports franchise. Sporting Kansas City, an MLS team, is based in Kansas City, Kansas.

During final days of the 2024 regular legislative session, House and Senate members discussed the possibility of the state issuing hundreds of millions of dollars in STAR bonds to finance construction of a stadium in the Kansas City area. The bonds would be repaid through tax collections within the business district bracketing the replacement for Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.

The rush to land the Chiefs has been supported by formation of a lobbying organization, Scoop and Score, affiliated with former Kansas House Speaker Ron Ryckman of Johnson County and nearly two-dozen registered Kansas lobbyists.

Initially, the idea was to draw the Kansas City Royals to the Kansas side of the state line with Missouri. That idea surfaced after Jackson County, Missouri, voters rejected a sales tax proposal for construction of a downtown stadium for the MLB team.

However, proposed legislation floated at the Capitol did leave open the possibility of either the Chiefs or Royals relocating to Kansas.

“The rich tradition and history of the Chiefs are beloved across the entire Kansas City region and throughout Kansas,” Hawkins and Masterson said. “We’re excited that the Chiefs are open to this&nbsp; conversation and look forward to seeing what mutually beneficial opportunities might lie ahead for both the people of Kansas and the Chiefs franchise.”

The legislative leaders have communicated with Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt to tout potential of the state’s business incentives and strategic locations in Wyandotte County.

The key element of any deal would be STAR bonds, which could be used to finance construction of a stadium and related infrastructure to operate the facility. STAR bonds have been used for all sorts of Kansas economic development projects with debt repaid by collecting sales tax revenue within the bonding business district.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677183879921.png" alt="Kansas Governor Laura Kelly - courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Governor Laura Kelly - courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The Kansas Senate president and Kansas House speaker said Tuesday they were intrigued by the potential of putting together an incentive package capable of attracting the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs to a new stadium complex in Kansas.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717552705179.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Legislature will be in Topeka starting June 18 to consider a tax relief bill after called into special session by Gov. Laura Kelly. There is no limit on topics lawmakers might consider, which opens the door consideration of a deal for the NFL franchise.Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, said in a statement establishing&nbsp;a home for the Chiefs on the Kansas side of&nbsp; the state line was an opportunity that deserved “thorough conversation.”“We have reached out to the Chiefs organization and asked them to weigh in on the possibility of using Kansas’ unique STAR bond funding tool and explore what that collaboration could hold,” the statement said.The two GOP legislative leaders&nbsp;have discouraged lawmakers from wading into issues during the special session other than tax reform and an economic development package tied to a second professional sports franchise. Sporting Kansas City, an MLS team, is based in Kansas City, Kansas.During final days of the 2024 regular legislative session, House and Senate members discussed the possibility of the state issuing hundreds of millions of dollars in STAR bonds to finance construction of a stadium in the Kansas City area. The bonds would be repaid through tax collections within the business district bracketing the replacement for Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.The rush to land the Chiefs has been supported by formation of a lobbying organization, Scoop and Score, affiliated with former Kansas House Speaker Ron Ryckman of Johnson County and nearly two-dozen registered Kansas lobbyists.Initially, the idea was to draw the Kansas City Royals to the Kansas side of the state line with Missouri. That idea surfaced after Jackson County, Missouri, voters rejected a sales tax proposal for construction of a downtown stadium for the MLB team.However, proposed legislation floated at the Capitol did leave open the possibility of either the Chiefs or Royals relocating to Kansas.“The rich tradition and history of the Chiefs are beloved across the entire Kansas City region and throughout Kansas,” Hawkins and Masterson said. “We’re excited that the Chiefs are open to this&nbsp; conversation and look forward to seeing what mutually beneficial opportunities might lie ahead for both the people of Kansas and the Chiefs franchise.”The legislative leaders have communicated with Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt to tout potential of the state’s business incentives and strategic locations in Wyandotte County.The key element of any deal would be STAR bonds, which could be used to finance construction of a stadium and related infrastructure to operate the facility. STAR bonds have been used for all sorts of Kansas economic development projects with debt repaid by collecting sales tax revenue within the bonding business district.

Kansas legislative leaders draw up play to lure Kansas City Chiefs away from Missouri

SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a central Kansas drug bust.

Early Monday morning, a joint operation between the Saline County Drug Task Force and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) found more than three pounds of various types of drugs at a Salina home, according to Salina Police Capt. James Feldman.

Investigators found approximately a pound of hallucinogenic mushrooms, over two pounds of miscellaneous marijuana products, over three grams of suspected methamphetamine, a large quantity of paraphernalia and cash.&nbsp; Officers arrested 33-year-old Kristoff Lindgren of Salina.

He is being held on requested charges that include distribution of a hallucinogenic, distribution of marijuana, distribution of methamphetamines, use of a communication facility in the commission of a felony drug crime, unlawful drug proceeds, felony paraphernalia and a paraphernalia misdemeanor.

Feldman said the Drug Task Force and KBI had worked on this investigation for some time. Officers jointly continue to investigate the crime.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717505608786.jpeg" alt="Lindgren photo Saline County" />
 <figcaption>Lindgren photo Saline County</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a central Kansas drug bust.Early Monday morning, a joint operation between the Saline County Drug Task Force and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) found more than three pounds of various types of drugs at a Salina home, according to Salina Police Capt. James Feldman.Investigators found approximately a pound of hallucinogenic mushrooms, over two pounds of miscellaneous marijuana products, over three grams of suspected methamphetamine, a large quantity of paraphernalia and cash.&nbsp; Officers arrested 33-year-old Kristoff Lindgren of Salina.He is being held on requested charges that include distribution of a hallucinogenic, distribution of marijuana, distribution of methamphetamines, use of a communication facility in the commission of a felony drug crime, unlawful drug proceeds, felony paraphernalia and a paraphernalia misdemeanor.Feldman said the Drug Task Force and KBI had worked on this investigation for some time. Officers jointly continue to investigate the crime.

Task force finds drugs, cash at central Kansas home

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Federal prosecutors on Tuesday painted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-trial-gun-charges-delaware-cc96568ac3428802557c85876c820dec">President Joe Biden’s son Hunter</a>&nbsp;as deceptive and driven by addiction, a man whose dark habits ensnared loved ones and who knew what he was doing when he lied on federal forms to purchase a gun in 2018.

<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ded.82797/gov.uscourts.ded.82797.177.2.pdf">Click here to see the </a>entire gun purchase document

Jurors also got their first look at the document at the center of the case, and Hunter Biden's attorney argued that his client did not believe he was in the throes of addiction when he stated in the paperwork that he did not have a drug problem. In the short time that he had the gun, he did nothing with it, and weapon was never even loaded, attorney Abbe Lowell said in opening statements.

“You will see that he is not guilty,” Lowell said.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hunter-biden">Hunter Biden</a>&nbsp;has been charged with three felonies stemming from the purchase of the Colt revolver when he was, according to his memoir, addicted to crack. He has been accused of lying to a federally licensed gun dealer, making a false claim on the application by saying he was not a drug user and illegally having the gun for 11 days.

The case is dredging up painful memories for the president and his family, and revealing new and highly personal details about their struggles with addiction as the 2024 election looms, all while the first lady watched from the front row of the courtroom.

Jurors will hear testimony from the president’s brother James Biden, who is close with Hunter and helped his nephew through rehab stints in the past. They will also hear how Hallie Biden, the widow of the president's late son, also became addicted to crack during a brief relationship with Hunter. Hallie took the gun from Hunter and tossed it into the garbage at a nearby market, afraid of what he might do with it. The gun was later found by someone collecting cans and eventually turned over to police.

The president was in Washington on Tuesday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-asylum-migration-immigration-mexico-border-dec5f83b468b5795479bf1f5e49799d5">announcing an immigration order</a>&nbsp;and hosting a picnic for congressional leaders before a scheduled departure for France later in the day. He will be gone the rest of the week. Jill Biden planned to meet him in Europe.

The president’s allies are worried about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-hunter-laptop-ba96537a686d04dc3773552cfa13deeb">the toll the trial may take on the elder Biden</a>, who’s long been protective and deeply concerned about his only living son and his sobriety and who must now watch as those past mistakes are publicly scrutinized.

Prosecutors on Tuesday spent hours on Hunter Biden’s drug problem, using his own words and missives to show the depth of the addiction. An FBI agent read aloud messages to the jury that chronicled his desperate effort to buy drugs, email receipts for a detox facility he attended before relapsing and large sums of cash he withdrew.

They showed jurors his old laptop computer, the same one he left at a Delaware repair shop and never retrieved. In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-wilmington-elections-coronavirus-pandemic-45e0fe89ff7302a2a14afdba2d91b531">2020, the contents</a>&nbsp;made their way to Republicans and were publicly leaked, revealing highly personal messages about his work and his life. He has since sued over the data breach.

And the jury heard lengthy audio excerpts of his memoir, “Beautiful Things,” in which he narrates his return to Delaware around the time of the gun purchase and his descent into drugs following the death of his brother, Beau, in 2015 from cancer. The written excerpts were displayed on a screen as the audio was played.

His sister Ashley Biden, watching from the courtroom, dabbed at her eyes with a tissue and eventually left. Jill Biden, too, was absent after lunch. She was expected in Washington with her husband.

Prosecutor Derek Hines told the jury Hunter was trying to score drugs just days after he lied on the form, which was later shown to jurors.

“No one is allowed to lie on a federal form like that, even Hunter Biden,” Hines said. “He crossed the line when he chose to buy a gun and lied about a federal background check ... the defendant’s choice to buy a gun is why we are here."

“When the defendant filled out that form, he knew he was a drug addict,” and prosecutors don't have to prove he was using the day he purchased the firearm, Hines said.

The proceedings come after the collapse of a deal with prosecutors that would have avoided the spectacle of a trial so close to the 2024 election. Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty and has argued he's being unfairly targeted by the Justice Department after Republicans decried the now-defunct plea deal as special treatment for the Democratic president's son.

Lowell said the form asks whether you “are” a drug user. “It does not say ‘have you ever been,’" and he suggested the president's son did not think of himself as someone with a drug problem when he purchased the gun.

His state of mind should be considered at the time of the purchase, not “what he wrote in a book in 2021.”

Lowell also blamed Hunter's problems with the firearm on Hallie's disposal of it.

“After he bought the gun, Hunter did nothing with it," Lowell said. The gun became a problem only because of what Hallie Biden did.

If convicted, Hunter Biden could face up to 25 years in prison, though first-time offenders do not get anywhere near the maximum, and it’s unclear whether the judge would give him time behind bars.

The trial is unfolding just days after Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-deliberations-jury-testimony-verdict-85558c6d08efb434d05b694364470aa0">convicted of 34 felonies</a>&nbsp;in New York City. The two criminal cases are unrelated, but their proximity underscores how the courts have taken center stage during the 2024 campaign.

Hunter Biden also faces a trial in California in September&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-federal-tax-case-california-bb2e2eb41eb2cd30206a47c40ba6044e">on charges of failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes</a>. Both cases were to have been resolved through the deal with prosecutors last July, the culmination of a yearslong investigation into his business dealings.

But Judge Maryellen Noreika, who was nominated to the bench by Trump, questioned some unusual aspects of the deal, which included a proposed guilty plea to misdemeanor offenses to resolve the tax crimes and a diversion agreement on the gun charge, which meant as long as he stayed out of trouble for two years the case would be dismissed.

The lawyers could not come to a resolution on her questions, and the deal fell apart. Attorney General Merrick Garland then appointed the top investigator, a former U.S. attorney for Delaware, David Weiss, as a special counsel in August, and a month later Hunter Biden was indicted.

Garland on Tuesday faced members of the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee in Washington, which has been investigating the president and his family and whose chairman has been at the forefront of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/president-joe-biden-james-comer-impeachment-congress-17a52c24f2da5927e0665657848a1231">a stalled impeachment inquiry</a>&nbsp;stemming from Hunter Biden’s business dealings.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717532173443.png" alt="Hunter Biden arrives at federal court, Tuesday, June 4, 2024, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)" />
 <figcaption>Hunter Biden arrives at federal court, Tuesday, June 4, 2024, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)</figcaption>
 </figure>WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Federal prosecutors on Tuesday painted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-trial-gun-charges-delaware-cc96568ac3428802557c85876c820dec">President Joe Biden’s son Hunter</a>&nbsp;as deceptive and driven by addiction, a man whose dark habits ensnared loved ones and who knew what he was doing when he lied on federal forms to purchase a gun in 2018.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717531257230.png" alt="Hunter Biden is accused making a false claim on this gun purchase application by saying he was not a drug user- image U.S. Courts" />
 <figcaption>Hunter Biden is accused making a false claim on this gun purchase application by saying he was not a drug user- image U.S. Courts</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ded.82797/gov.uscourts.ded.82797.177.2.pdf">Click here to see the </a>entire gun purchase documentJurors also got their first look at the document at the center of the case, and Hunter Biden's attorney argued that his client did not believe he was in the throes of addiction when he stated in the paperwork that he did not have a drug problem. In the short time that he had the gun, he did nothing with it, and weapon was never even loaded, attorney Abbe Lowell said in opening statements.“You will see that he is not guilty,” Lowell said.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hunter-biden">Hunter Biden</a>&nbsp;has been charged with three felonies stemming from the purchase of the Colt revolver when he was, according to his memoir, addicted to crack. He has been accused of lying to a federally licensed gun dealer, making a false claim on the application by saying he was not a drug user and illegally having the gun for 11 days.The case is dredging up painful memories for the president and his family, and revealing new and highly personal details about their struggles with addiction as the 2024 election looms, all while the first lady watched from the front row of the courtroom.Jurors will hear testimony from the president’s brother James Biden, who is close with Hunter and helped his nephew through rehab stints in the past. They will also hear how Hallie Biden, the widow of the president's late son, also became addicted to crack during a brief relationship with Hunter. Hallie took the gun from Hunter and tossed it into the garbage at a nearby market, afraid of what he might do with it. The gun was later found by someone collecting cans and eventually turned over to police.The president was in Washington on Tuesday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-asylum-migration-immigration-mexico-border-dec5f83b468b5795479bf1f5e49799d5">announcing an immigration order</a>&nbsp;and hosting a picnic for congressional leaders before a scheduled departure for France later in the day. He will be gone the rest of the week. Jill Biden planned to meet him in Europe.The president’s allies are worried about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-hunter-laptop-ba96537a686d04dc3773552cfa13deeb">the toll the trial may take on the elder Biden</a>, who’s long been protective and deeply concerned about his only living son and his sobriety and who must now watch as those past mistakes are publicly scrutinized.Prosecutors on Tuesday spent hours on Hunter Biden’s drug problem, using his own words and missives to show the depth of the addiction. An FBI agent read aloud messages to the jury that chronicled his desperate effort to buy drugs, email receipts for a detox facility he attended before relapsing and large sums of cash he withdrew.They showed jurors his old laptop computer, the same one he left at a Delaware repair shop and never retrieved. In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-wilmington-elections-coronavirus-pandemic-45e0fe89ff7302a2a14afdba2d91b531">2020, the contents</a>&nbsp;made their way to Republicans and were publicly leaked, revealing highly personal messages about his work and his life. He has since sued over the data breach.And the jury heard lengthy audio excerpts of his memoir, “Beautiful Things,” in which he narrates his return to Delaware around the time of the gun purchase and his descent into drugs following the death of his brother, Beau, in 2015 from cancer. The written excerpts were displayed on a screen as the audio was played.His sister Ashley Biden, watching from the courtroom, dabbed at her eyes with a tissue and eventually left. Jill Biden, too, was absent after lunch. She was expected in Washington with her husband.Prosecutor Derek Hines told the jury Hunter was trying to score drugs just days after he lied on the form, which was later shown to jurors.“No one is allowed to lie on a federal form like that, even Hunter Biden,” Hines said. “He crossed the line when he chose to buy a gun and lied about a federal background check ... the defendant’s choice to buy a gun is why we are here."“When the defendant filled out that form, he knew he was a drug addict,” and prosecutors don't have to prove he was using the day he purchased the firearm, Hines said.The proceedings come after the collapse of a deal with prosecutors that would have avoided the spectacle of a trial so close to the 2024 election. Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty and has argued he's being unfairly targeted by the Justice Department after Republicans decried the now-defunct plea deal as special treatment for the Democratic president's son.Lowell said the form asks whether you “are” a drug user. “It does not say ‘have you ever been,’" and he suggested the president's son did not think of himself as someone with a drug problem when he purchased the gun.His state of mind should be considered at the time of the purchase, not “what he wrote in a book in 2021.”Lowell also blamed Hunter's problems with the firearm on Hallie's disposal of it.“After he bought the gun, Hunter did nothing with it," Lowell said. The gun became a problem only because of what Hallie Biden did.If convicted, Hunter Biden could face up to 25 years in prison, though first-time offenders do not get anywhere near the maximum, and it’s unclear whether the judge would give him time behind bars.The trial is unfolding just days after Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-deliberations-jury-testimony-verdict-85558c6d08efb434d05b694364470aa0">convicted of 34 felonies</a>&nbsp;in New York City. The two criminal cases are unrelated, but their proximity underscores how the courts have taken center stage during the 2024 campaign.Hunter Biden also faces a trial in California in September&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-federal-tax-case-california-bb2e2eb41eb2cd30206a47c40ba6044e">on charges of failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes</a>. Both cases were to have been resolved through the deal with prosecutors last July, the culmination of a yearslong investigation into his business dealings.But Judge Maryellen Noreika, who was nominated to the bench by Trump, questioned some unusual aspects of the deal, which included a proposed guilty plea to misdemeanor offenses to resolve the tax crimes and a diversion agreement on the gun charge, which meant as long as he stayed out of trouble for two years the case would be dismissed.The lawyers could not come to a resolution on her questions, and the deal fell apart. Attorney General Merrick Garland then appointed the top investigator, a former U.S. attorney for Delaware, David Weiss, as a special counsel in August, and a month later Hunter Biden was indicted.Garland on Tuesday faced members of the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee in Washington, which has been investigating the president and his family and whose chairman has been at the forefront of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/president-joe-biden-james-comer-impeachment-congress-17a52c24f2da5927e0665657848a1231">a stalled impeachment inquiry</a>&nbsp;stemming from Hunter Biden’s business dealings.

Read the firearm document at center of Hunter Biden case 

TOPEKA&nbsp;- A second Florida resident is under investigation for alleged election crimes committed in Kansas, according to a media release from the Kansas Attorney General's office.

On May 29, Nebraska authorities arrested Jamie Johnson, 47, of Dade City, Florida, for forging signatures on petitions to make "No Labels" an officially recognized political party in Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;On February 6, George Andrews, 30 of Dade City, Florida, was arrested for forging signatures on petitions to make “No Labels” an officially recognized political party in Kansas.

Secretary of State Scott Schwab reviewed the allegations against Johnson before forwarding the case to Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach’s Office.

"As attorney general, I am determined to prosecute election fraud to the fullest extent of the law. It doesn't matter how far you run. 

We will drag you back to Kansas and prosecute you," Kobach said. "The people of Kansas deserve the most secure elections possible.

"The arrest of Johnson comes following an extensive investigation by the Kansas Attorney General’s Office and intense efforts by law enforcement in Nebraska and Johnson County, Kansas,&nbsp;to track down Ms. Johnson.

Johnson is charged with multiple counts of election fraud in Johnson County District Court, including one count of election perjury and 18 counts of election forgery.&nbsp; She is currently detained in Nebraska pending extradition to Kansas and appearance in Johnson County District Court.&nbsp;

“As I have always said, my office is committed to pursuing any evidence of election crime. Kansas has strong laws to ensure the integrity of our elections, and this case demonstrates that the process works,” Schwab said.Johnson should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717530787938.png" alt="Johnson photo from an earlier arrest in Pasco Co." />
 <figcaption>Johnson photo from an earlier arrest in Pasco Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA&nbsp;- A second Florida resident is under investigation for alleged election crimes committed in Kansas, according to a media release from the Kansas Attorney General's office.On May 29, Nebraska authorities arrested Jamie Johnson, 47, of Dade City, Florida, for forging signatures on petitions to make "No Labels" an officially recognized political party in Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;On February 6, George Andrews, 30 of Dade City, Florida, was arrested for forging signatures on petitions to make “No Labels” an officially recognized political party in Kansas.Secretary of State Scott Schwab reviewed the allegations against Johnson before forwarding the case to Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach’s Office."As attorney general, I am determined to prosecute election fraud to the fullest extent of the law. It doesn't matter how far you run. We will drag you back to Kansas and prosecute you," Kobach said. "The people of Kansas deserve the most secure elections possible."The arrest of Johnson comes following an extensive investigation by the Kansas Attorney General’s Office and intense efforts by law enforcement in Nebraska and Johnson County, Kansas,&nbsp;to track down Ms. Johnson.Johnson is charged with multiple counts of election fraud in Johnson County District Court, including one count of election perjury and 18 counts of election forgery.&nbsp; She is currently detained in Nebraska pending extradition to Kansas and appearance in Johnson County District Court.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708380593446.png" alt="Andrews photo Pasco Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Andrews photo Pasco Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>“As I have always said, my office is committed to pursuing any evidence of election crime. Kansas has strong laws to ensure the integrity of our elections, and this case demonstrates that the process works,” Schwab said.Johnson should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

2nd Florida resident accused of election fraud in Kansas

BROWN COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas couple on multiple drug allegations.

Just before 11p.m. Saturday, a Brown County deputy requested the sheriff's department K-9 Carla be deployed on a traffic stop on K-20 Highway near Falcon Road, according to Sheriff John Merchant.

Carla indicated on the vehicle and based off of information gathered at the scene, a search warrant was applied for and granted for a residence located at 250 E. 8th Street in Horton.

The Brown County Sheriff's Office Drug Task Force initiated the Search Warrant and drug related items were taken into custody as evidence. At the conclusion of the Warrant, Glenda Mendez, 49, Horton was arrested on requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Felony Obstruction and Child Endangerment.&nbsp; 

Tyrone Mendez, 47,&nbsp; Horton was arrested on requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Child Endangerment.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717443702234.png" alt="Mendez-photo Brown County" />
 <figcaption>Mendez-photo Brown County</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas couple on multiple drug allegations.Just before 11p.m. Saturday, a Brown County deputy requested the sheriff's department K-9 Carla be deployed on a traffic stop on K-20 Highway near Falcon Road, according to Sheriff John Merchant.Carla indicated on the vehicle and based off of information gathered at the scene, a search warrant was applied for and granted for a residence located at 250 E. 8th Street in Horton.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717443592502.png" alt="Mendez-photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Mendez-photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>The Brown County Sheriff's Office Drug Task Force initiated the Search Warrant and drug related items were taken into custody as evidence. At the conclusion of the Warrant, Glenda Mendez, 49, Horton was arrested on requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Felony Obstruction and Child Endangerment.&nbsp; Tyrone Mendez, 47,&nbsp; Horton was arrested on requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Child Endangerment.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Parents jailed after drugs, children found at Kansas home

BY:&nbsp;ANNELISE HANSHAW&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>

Judge rules that Blue Springs School District discriminated against former student by barring him from boys’ locker room

After a decade-long legal battle, a transgender man and former student of the Blue Springs School District should receive over $4 million in damages for discrimination that occurred when he was an adolescent, the Missouri’s Western District Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday.

Judge Anthony Gabbert wrote the court’s unanimous decision, ruling that the school district discriminated against the student, identified by his initials R.M.A., on the basis of sex when it barred him from using the boys’ locker room.

A key part of the appellate court’s decision was the factor that spurred the school district’s discrimination.

Attorneys for the Blue Spring School District did not contest that R.M.A. was treated differently, according to Gabbert’s ruling, but said it was because of his “female genitalia.”

“School district employees suggested that R.M.A. had been excluded from the boys’ restrooms and locker rooms because of [the] school district’s belief that he had female genitalia,” Gabbert wrote. “[The] school district did not actually determine the nature of R.M.A.’s genitalia, however, and does not speculate, inspect or otherwise inquire as to the genitalia of other male students.”

The admission of different treatment based on assumed genitalia, Gabbert wrote, was itself discrimination on the basis of sex.

Part of the judicial proceedings included testimony from R.M.A.’s doctor, who said R.M.A. was a male for as long as she has been treating him (which began at age nine).

During his time as a student, R.M.A. received an updated birth certificate with his male gender identity.

School district employees and school board members told R.M.A.’s mother that locker-room access is determined by birth certificate. After she gave the corrected birth certificate to school district officials, R.M.A. was still denied access to boys’ restrooms and locker rooms.

The school board discussed R.M.A’s birth certificate in a closed-door meeting, according to court documents, but never gave his mother a clear answer about the policy.

“The evidence at trial… was that (Blue Springs) School District had an unwritten policy of using birth certificates to determine sex,” Gabbert wrote. “Yet, [the] school district refused to tell R.M.A.’s mother that it would honor a corrected birth certificate stating he is male because (it) wanted to keep its options open in the event R.M.A. was able to obtain a corrected birth certificate.”

R.M.A’s birth certificate was amended in December 2014, around a year after he began asking to use the locker room that aligned with his gender identity and two months after he filed a complaint with the Missouri Commission on Human Rights.

R.M.A. filed the lawsuit in October 2015, starting a complicated legal process. The initial trial court dismissed his claim in 2016, saying the Missouri Human Rights Act does not protect claims on the basis of gender identity. The Missouri Supreme Court, in 2019,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article226814519.html">reversed this decision</a>&nbsp;and opened the doors for another trial.

A December 2021 jury trial awarded R.M.A. over $4.7 million in damages and legal fees, but attorneys for the Blue Springs School District asked for a “judgment notwithstanding the verdict,” a ruling that allows a judge to usurp a jury’s decision.&nbsp;

The school district argued that R.M.A. only proved that he was discriminated against “because of his female genitalia” and not on the basis of sex.

The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-06-07/judge-throws-out-a-jurys-4-million-verdict-in-favor-of-a-blue-springs-transgender-student">trial court judge sided with the school district</a>, which would have spurred another trial. But Tuesday’s decision reverses that judge’s call, returning the case back to the jury’s verdict.

There are other similar cases currently winding through Missouri’s courts, including a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/01/aclu-sues-missouri-school-district-for-transgender-bathroom-policy/">lawsuit against the Platte County School District</a>&nbsp;brought by the ACLU of Missouri.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717532352272.png" alt="An appellate court unanimously ruled Tuesday that a transgender man who formerly attended the Blue Springs School District was discriminated against when he was barred from using the boys' locker room (photo illustration by Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)." />
 <figcaption>An appellate court unanimously ruled Tuesday that a transgender man who formerly attended the Blue Springs School District was discriminated against when he was barred from using the boys' locker room (photo illustration by Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;ANNELISE HANSHAW&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a><h2>Judge rules that Blue Springs School District discriminated against former student by barring him from boys’ locker room</h2>After a decade-long legal battle, a transgender man and former student of the Blue Springs School District should receive over $4 million in damages for discrimination that occurred when he was an adolescent, the Missouri’s Western District Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday.Judge Anthony Gabbert wrote the court’s unanimous decision, ruling that the school district discriminated against the student, identified by his initials R.M.A., on the basis of sex when it barred him from using the boys’ locker room.A key part of the appellate court’s decision was the factor that spurred the school district’s discrimination.Attorneys for the Blue Spring School District did not contest that R.M.A. was treated differently, according to Gabbert’s ruling, but said it was because of his “female genitalia.”“School district employees suggested that R.M.A. had been excluded from the boys’ restrooms and locker rooms because of [the] school district’s belief that he had female genitalia,” Gabbert wrote. “[The] school district did not actually determine the nature of R.M.A.’s genitalia, however, and does not speculate, inspect or otherwise inquire as to the genitalia of other male students.”The admission of different treatment based on assumed genitalia, Gabbert wrote, was itself discrimination on the basis of sex.<h2>Let us know what you think...</h2>Part of the judicial proceedings included testimony from R.M.A.’s doctor, who said R.M.A. was a male for as long as she has been treating him (which began at age nine).During his time as a student, R.M.A. received an updated birth certificate with his male gender identity.School district employees and school board members told R.M.A.’s mother that locker-room access is determined by birth certificate. After she gave the corrected birth certificate to school district officials, R.M.A. was still denied access to boys’ restrooms and locker rooms.The school board discussed R.M.A’s birth certificate in a closed-door meeting, according to court documents, but never gave his mother a clear answer about the policy.“The evidence at trial… was that (Blue Springs) School District had an unwritten policy of using birth certificates to determine sex,” Gabbert wrote. “Yet, [the] school district refused to tell R.M.A.’s mother that it would honor a corrected birth certificate stating he is male because (it) wanted to keep its options open in the event R.M.A. was able to obtain a corrected birth certificate.”R.M.A’s birth certificate was amended in December 2014, around a year after he began asking to use the locker room that aligned with his gender identity and two months after he filed a complaint with the Missouri Commission on Human Rights.R.M.A. filed the lawsuit in October 2015, starting a complicated legal process. The initial trial court dismissed his claim in 2016, saying the Missouri Human Rights Act does not protect claims on the basis of gender identity. The Missouri Supreme Court, in 2019,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article226814519.html">reversed this decision</a>&nbsp;and opened the doors for another trial.A December 2021 jury trial awarded R.M.A. over $4.7 million in damages and legal fees, but attorneys for the Blue Springs School District asked for a “judgment notwithstanding the verdict,” a ruling that allows a judge to usurp a jury’s decision.&nbsp;The school district argued that R.M.A. only proved that he was discriminated against “because of his female genitalia” and not on the basis of sex.The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-06-07/judge-throws-out-a-jurys-4-million-verdict-in-favor-of-a-blue-springs-transgender-student">trial court judge sided with the school district</a>, which would have spurred another trial. But Tuesday’s decision reverses that judge’s call, returning the case back to the jury’s verdict.There are other similar cases currently winding through Missouri’s courts, including a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/01/aclu-sues-missouri-school-district-for-transgender-bathroom-policy/">lawsuit against the Platte County School District</a>&nbsp;brought by the ACLU of Missouri.The Blue Springs School District could not be reached for comment by time of publication.