DOUGLAS COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a hit-and-run incident in Lawrence. 

On Monday, the driver of a vehicle captured on security camera struck a 74-year-old woman and a dog at 23rd and Barker in Lawrence, according to Lawrence Police. The woman has critical injuries, and the dog was killed. The driver never stopped. Police need the public’s help identifying the driver.

If you can identify the driver, or see this vehicle with front end damage, call dispatch at (785)832-7509. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers at (785)843-TIPS (8477)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710784655210.png" alt="Photo Lawrence Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Lawrence Police</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a hit-and-run incident in Lawrence. On Monday, the driver of a vehicle captured on security camera struck a 74-year-old woman and a dog at 23rd and Barker in Lawrence, according to Lawrence Police. The woman has critical injuries, and the dog was killed. The driver never stopped. Police need the public’s help identifying the driver.If you can identify the driver, or see this vehicle with front end damage, call dispatch at (785)832-7509. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers at (785)843-TIPS (8477)

Kansas hit-and-run: 74-year-old critically injured, dog killed

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/suzanneking/">SUZANNE KING</a>&nbsp;

When nurses rallied outside Research Medical Center last week to kick off contract negotiations, the refrain rang familiar.

“Hey HCA,” the nurses’ signs read. “Put patients over profits.”

In an increasingly unionized health care industry, still recovering from the pandemic, nurses across the country demand that hospitals beef up staffing and improve working conditions. And, when bargaining doesn’t work, they insist they’re ready to walk off the job.

Kansas City nurses from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://hcamidwest.com/locations/research-medical-center/">Research</a>&nbsp;in Kansas City and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://hcamidwest.com/locations/menorah-medical-center/">Menorah Medical Center</a>&nbsp;in Overland Park, both owned by HCA Healthcare, want to make it clear that they are prepared to fight for change in their new contract.

About 1,000 nurses at the two hospitals are working under a contract that will expire May 31. Their union,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/">National Nurses United</a>&nbsp;(NNU), said 150 nurses left jobs at Research last year, while 89 left Menorah. The union wants HCA to improve nurse retention and schedule more nurses to work each shift.

The union said nurses are “prepared to make demands for their new agreements that will improve patient care by addressing critical issues with staffing and safety, and services at their hospitals.”

In a statement, HCA, which reported 2023 net income of $5.2 billion, called its staffing at Research and Menorah “safe and appropriate.”

HCA’s statement also said the two area hospitals had added 842 members to its “nursing organization” in 2023 and were “building our nursing pipeline.” The statement touted recently announced plans to invest $34.5 million in the Research College of Nursing.

“We value our nurses and are hopeful that we can quickly reach an agreement on a new contract that is fair and reasonable for both sides,” the statement said.

But Cheryl Rodarmel, a rehabilitation nurse from Research who will be at the negotiating table, said the existing conditions leave nurses exhausted.

Rodarmel, who has worked at Research for three decades, often has to care for six patients at a time. She worries about patients falling and not getting enough care.

“Nurses are being morally injured every day because we’re not given the resources that we need to provide the care to our patients,” she said.

In strikes and contract negotiations around the country, unionized nurses often echo that notion of being “morally injured” — when a person feels they have been forced to take part in something that violates their principles.

After COVID’s heavy toll and an ongoing drive among many hospitals to cut costs, the industry has seen a year with more than two dozen strikes around the country. Nurses say they come face-to-face with patients they can’t adequately care for. Increasingly, they are lining up behind labor unions to demand change.

NNU, the union representing Research and Menorah nurses, also represents 950 nurses at two Ascension Via Christi hospitals in Wichita. For close to a year, those nurses have been struggling to come to an agreement on their first contract, a process that has led them to walk off the job twice since June — and forcing the hospitals to pay premium prices for replacements. And earlier this month they&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://wichitabeacon.org/stories/2024/03/05/wichita-nurses-ready-to-strike-again/">vowed</a>&nbsp;to strike again if progress isn’t made.

Nurses in Missouri and Kansas are far from alone. Just at HCA-owned hospitals, NNU said it is representing thousands of nurses this year in contract negotiations with 18 hospitals in six states. And the union’s climbing membership — up to 225,000 from 150,000 pre-pandemic — marks a national trend in health care.

More workers in the industry, including nurses, doctors in training, and other health care workers, are joining unions and, increasingly, walking off the job to demand better working conditions and higher pay.

Of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/wkstp.nr0.htm">33 major work stoppages</a>&nbsp;the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported last year,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.epi.org/publication/major-strike-activity-in-2023/">14 took place</a>&nbsp;in health care. And that’s only strikes or lockouts involving 1,000 or more workers. Nurse Together, a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nursetogether.com/nurse-strikes/">website</a>&nbsp;that focuses on the profession, counted 27 nursing strikes last year, including the largest health care strike in U.S. history, when 75,000 nurses, technicians and support staff walked away from jobs at Kaiser Permanente in October.

Union representatives consistently point to the same reason for the increase in labor actions: a shortage of nurses. The issue became glaring in many hospitals during the pandemic. Now they pose the central backdrop to nursing strikes — and one reason more nurses feel emboldened to unionize. Their skills are in high demand, giving them bargaining table leverage.

Hospital companies tend to argue that they face a shortage of nurses available. Unions typically counter that nurses are fleeing the field because of working conditions.

A 2022&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2799909">study</a>&nbsp;in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that health care workers represented by unions between 2009 and 2021 made better wages and got better benefits — like full premium-covered health insurance and retirement benefits — than those without unions. The study also found that unions helped erase the pay disparity between white workers and racial and ethnic minority groups.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that registered nurses working in Kansas City in 2022 had a mean annual salary of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_28140.htm#29-0000">$76,580</a>, compared with&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bls.gov/oes/2019/may/oes_28140.htm#29-0000">$68,130</a>&nbsp;in 2019, the year before the pandemic. Nationally, the mean salary for nurses was&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291141.htm">$89,010</a>&nbsp;in 2022, compared with&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bls.gov/oes/2019/may/oes291141.htm">$77,460</a>&nbsp;in 2019.

Nurses from Research and Menorah have butted heads with HCA before. In the fall of 2020, the height of COVID, nurses at Research&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kcbeacon.org/stories/2020/11/23/feeling-a-lack-of-protections-against-covid-19-workers-file-complaints-with-osha/">filed a complaint</a>&nbsp;with the federal&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.osha.gov/">Occupational Safety and Health Administration</a>&nbsp;demanding better protections against the virus. In their last contract, Rodamel said, they gained protections for members’ paid time off so that nurses no longer have to use their leave if they get sick caring for patients.

The company also has a history with the Service Employees International Union. In 2021, that union lost a decertification vote at Research, meaning employees — including patient care technicians, certified nursing assistants, imaging technologists and respiratory therapists — voted to ditch the union’s representation.

Before the decertification vote became official, and after the union members had secured a new contract, Research stopped recognizing the union. A National Labor Relations Board judge later&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hr/hca-hospital-violated-labor-law-in-pulling-union-recognition-judge-says.html">ruled</a>&nbsp;that the hospital had violated federal labor law. The union was still decertified and no longer represents employees at the hospital.

This&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kcbeacon.org/stories/2024/03/15/kansas-city-nurse-union-prepared-to-strike-if-they-have-to/">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kcbeacon.org/">The Beacon</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710779860482.png" alt=" Research Medical Center in Kansas City is one of two HCA-owned area hospitals where the nurses union faces contract negotiations (Scott Canon/The Beacon)." />
 <figcaption> Research Medical Center in Kansas City is one of two HCA-owned area hospitals where the nurses union faces contract negotiations (Scott Canon/The Beacon).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/suzanneking/">SUZANNE KING</a>&nbsp;When nurses rallied outside Research Medical Center last week to kick off contract negotiations, the refrain rang familiar.“Hey HCA,” the nurses’ signs read. “Put patients over profits.”In an increasingly unionized health care industry, still recovering from the pandemic, nurses across the country demand that hospitals beef up staffing and improve working conditions. And, when bargaining doesn’t work, they insist they’re ready to walk off the job.Kansas City nurses from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://hcamidwest.com/locations/research-medical-center/">Research</a>&nbsp;in Kansas City and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://hcamidwest.com/locations/menorah-medical-center/">Menorah Medical Center</a>&nbsp;in Overland Park, both owned by HCA Healthcare, want to make it clear that they are prepared to fight for change in their new contract.About 1,000 nurses at the two hospitals are working under a contract that will expire May 31. Their union,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/">National Nurses United</a>&nbsp;(NNU), said 150 nurses left jobs at Research last year, while 89 left Menorah. The union wants HCA to improve nurse retention and schedule more nurses to work each shift.The union said nurses are “prepared to make demands for their new agreements that will improve patient care by addressing critical issues with staffing and safety, and services at their hospitals.”In a statement, HCA, which reported 2023 net income of $5.2 billion, called its staffing at Research and Menorah “safe and appropriate.”HCA’s statement also said the two area hospitals had added 842 members to its “nursing organization” in 2023 and were “building our nursing pipeline.” The statement touted recently announced plans to invest $34.5 million in the Research College of Nursing.“We value our nurses and are hopeful that we can quickly reach an agreement on a new contract that is fair and reasonable for both sides,” the statement said.But Cheryl Rodarmel, a rehabilitation nurse from Research who will be at the negotiating table, said the existing conditions leave nurses exhausted.Rodarmel, who has worked at Research for three decades, often has to care for six patients at a time. She worries about patients falling and not getting enough care.“Nurses are being morally injured every day because we’re not given the resources that we need to provide the care to our patients,” she said.In strikes and contract negotiations around the country, unionized nurses often echo that notion of being “morally injured” — when a person feels they have been forced to take part in something that violates their principles.After COVID’s heavy toll and an ongoing drive among many hospitals to cut costs, the industry has seen a year with more than two dozen strikes around the country. Nurses say they come face-to-face with patients they can’t adequately care for. Increasingly, they are lining up behind labor unions to demand change.NNU, the union representing Research and Menorah nurses, also represents 950 nurses at two Ascension Via Christi hospitals in Wichita. For close to a year, those nurses have been struggling to come to an agreement on their first contract, a process that has led them to walk off the job twice since June — and forcing the hospitals to pay premium prices for replacements. And earlier this month they&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://wichitabeacon.org/stories/2024/03/05/wichita-nurses-ready-to-strike-again/">vowed</a>&nbsp;to strike again if progress isn’t made.Nurses in Missouri and Kansas are far from alone. Just at HCA-owned hospitals, NNU said it is representing thousands of nurses this year in contract negotiations with 18 hospitals in six states. And the union’s climbing membership — up to 225,000 from 150,000 pre-pandemic — marks a national trend in health care.More workers in the industry, including nurses, doctors in training, and other health care workers, are joining unions and, increasingly, walking off the job to demand better working conditions and higher pay.Of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/wkstp.nr0.htm">33 major work stoppages</a>&nbsp;the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported last year,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.epi.org/publication/major-strike-activity-in-2023/">14 took place</a>&nbsp;in health care. And that’s only strikes or lockouts involving 1,000 or more workers. Nurse Together, a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nursetogether.com/nurse-strikes/">website</a>&nbsp;that focuses on the profession, counted 27 nursing strikes last year, including the largest health care strike in U.S. history, when 75,000 nurses, technicians and support staff walked away from jobs at Kaiser Permanente in October.Union representatives consistently point to the same reason for the increase in labor actions: a shortage of nurses. The issue became glaring in many hospitals during the pandemic. Now they pose the central backdrop to nursing strikes — and one reason more nurses feel emboldened to unionize. Their skills are in high demand, giving them bargaining table leverage.Hospital companies tend to argue that they face a shortage of nurses available. Unions typically counter that nurses are fleeing the field because of working conditions.A 2022&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2799909">study</a>&nbsp;in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that health care workers represented by unions between 2009 and 2021 made better wages and got better benefits — like full premium-covered health insurance and retirement benefits — than those without unions. The study also found that unions helped erase the pay disparity between white workers and racial and ethnic minority groups.The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that registered nurses working in Kansas City in 2022 had a mean annual salary of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_28140.htm#29-0000">$76,580</a>, compared with&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bls.gov/oes/2019/may/oes_28140.htm#29-0000">$68,130</a>&nbsp;in 2019, the year before the pandemic. Nationally, the mean salary for nurses was&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291141.htm">$89,010</a>&nbsp;in 2022, compared with&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bls.gov/oes/2019/may/oes291141.htm">$77,460</a>&nbsp;in 2019.Nurses from Research and Menorah have butted heads with HCA before. In the fall of 2020, the height of COVID, nurses at Research&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kcbeacon.org/stories/2020/11/23/feeling-a-lack-of-protections-against-covid-19-workers-file-complaints-with-osha/">filed a complaint</a>&nbsp;with the federal&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.osha.gov/">Occupational Safety and Health Administration</a>&nbsp;demanding better protections against the virus. In their last contract, Rodamel said, they gained protections for members’ paid time off so that nurses no longer have to use their leave if they get sick caring for patients.The company also has a history with the Service Employees International Union. In 2021, that union lost a decertification vote at Research, meaning employees — including patient care technicians, certified nursing assistants, imaging technologists and respiratory therapists — voted to ditch the union’s representation.Before the decertification vote became official, and after the union members had secured a new contract, Research stopped recognizing the union. A National Labor Relations Board judge later&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hr/hca-hospital-violated-labor-law-in-pulling-union-recognition-judge-says.html">ruled</a>&nbsp;that the hospital had violated federal labor law. The union was still decertified and no longer represents employees at the hospital.This&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kcbeacon.org/stories/2024/03/15/kansas-city-nurse-union-prepared-to-strike-if-they-have-to/">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kcbeacon.org/">The Beacon</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<figure>
 <img src="https://i0.wp.com/kcbeacon.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/cropped-The-Beacon-Symbol-Gold.png?fit=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1" alt="" />
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 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://kcbeacon.org/?republication-pixel=true&amp;post=19022" alt="" />
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 </figure>

Kansas City nurses kick off contract talks saying they’re prepared to strike

SALINE COUNTY—Two Kansas teens died in an accident just before 6:30p.m. Friday in Saline County.

According to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan, a 2001 Chevrolet Camero driven by Vance McComber 17, Salina, was drag racing a 2017 Chevy Camaro westbound in the 2800 Block of West Crawford Street just west of Fairchild Road.

The 2001 Camaro struck an eastbound 2022 Chevrolet Silverado driven by&nbsp;41-year-old Rosa Vasquez head-on.

In addition to McComber, a passenger identified as 17-year-old Anthony Windell of Salina, who sat in the passenger seat of the 2001 Camaro also died in the crash.

EMS transported a second passenger in the 2001 Camaro, 17-year-old Alphonso Torres Ramirez to Salina Regional Health Center with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. EMS transported Vasquez and a 12-year-old passenger in the pickup to Salina Regional Health Center with severe but non-life-threatening injuries.

"We are still investigating all the circumstances of the crash, but at this time, it appears there were indications that they were drag racing west, but for whatever reason, they didn't see the truck coming," Soldan said. "Whether it was the sun or they were distracted by watching what's going on with the guy beside him or what."

Soldan said another vehicle was present at the scene of the crash, which veered out of the way of McComber's Camaro before the head-on crash.

SALINE COUNTY—Two Kansas teens died in an accident just before 6:30p.m. Friday in Saline County.According to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan, a 2001 Chevrolet Camero driven by Vance McComber 17, Salina, was drag racing a 2017 Chevy Camaro westbound in the 2800 Block of West Crawford Street just west of Fairchild Road.The 2001 Camaro struck an eastbound 2022 Chevrolet Silverado driven by&nbsp;41-year-old Rosa Vasquez head-on.In addition to McComber, a passenger identified as 17-year-old Anthony Windell of Salina, who sat in the passenger seat of the 2001 Camaro also died in the crash.EMS transported a second passenger in the 2001 Camaro, 17-year-old Alphonso Torres Ramirez to Salina Regional Health Center with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. EMS transported Vasquez and a 12-year-old passenger in the pickup to Salina Regional Health Center with severe but non-life-threatening injuries."We are still investigating all the circumstances of the crash, but at this time, it appears there were indications that they were drag racing west, but for whatever reason, they didn't see the truck coming," Soldan said. "Whether it was the sun or they were distracted by watching what's going on with the guy beside him or what."Soldan said another vehicle was present at the scene of the crash, which veered out of the way of McComber's Camaro before the head-on crash.&nbsp;

Sheriff: Kan. teens were drag racing before fatal head-on crash

KANSAS CITY—Investigators are working to determine the cause of an apartment fire in Kansas City.

Just after 3:30a.m. Monday, crews responded to an apartment fire in the 3800 block of Paseo Boulevard in Kansas City, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

First arriving crews reported heavy fire on all three floors in the rear of a three-story building. The building was vacant.

 Approximately ten minutes into the operation a partial collapse of the north and east walls occurred. The fire was placed under control shortly after 5 am.&nbsp; No injuries were reported at this incident.&nbsp; Check the post for additional details as they become available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710776902632.png" alt="Photo KC Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photo KC Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Investigators are working to determine the cause of an apartment fire in Kansas City.Just after 3:30a.m. Monday, crews responded to an apartment fire in the 3800 block of Paseo Boulevard in Kansas City, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710777036566.png" alt="Photo KC Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photo KC Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>First arriving crews reported heavy fire on all three floors in the rear of a three-story building. The building was vacant. Approximately ten minutes into the operation a partial collapse of the north and east walls occurred. The fire was placed under control shortly after 5 am.&nbsp; No injuries were reported at this incident.&nbsp; Check the post for additional details as they become available.

Partial collapse after fire in 3-story KC apartment building 

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforceement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new allegations after an arrest.

Just after 4a.m. March 14, police responded to a burglary in progress in the 500 block of SW Taylor Street in Topeka, according a media release.&nbsp;

Police found a suspect who later identified as 39-year-old as Jerry L. Harmon II, 39, of Topeka. He had a firearm and officers took him into custody.

He is being held on requested charges of Aggravated burglary, criminal trespass, criminal possession of a weapon, drug possession and failire to obey an officer.

Harmon has a dozen previous felony convictions that include aggravated assault, aggravated battery, theft, obstruction, flee or attempt to elude law enforcement and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.&nbsp; He was released from prison in July.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710706310596.png" alt="Harmon photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Harmon photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforceement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new allegations after an arrest.Just after 4a.m. March 14, police responded to a burglary in progress in the 500 block of SW Taylor Street in Topeka, according a media release.&nbsp;Police found a suspect who later identified as 39-year-old as Jerry L. Harmon II, 39, of Topeka. He had a firearm and officers took him into custody.He is being held on requested charges of Aggravated burglary, criminal trespass, criminal possession of a weapon, drug possession and failire to obey an officer.Harmon has a dozen previous felony convictions that include aggravated assault, aggravated battery, theft, obstruction, flee or attempt to elude law enforcement and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.&nbsp; He was released from prison in July.

Kan. man with a dozen previous convictions jailed for burglary

KANSAS CITY—Two brothers have been charged in connection with a shooting during a basketball tournament outside North Kansas City High School earlier this month.

On Friday, 19-year-old Michael Smallwood was charged with unlawful use of a weapon and armed criminal action, according to Clay County Prosecuting Attorney&nbsp;Zachary Thompson.

His brother Lavondre Smallwood, 18, was charged with first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and armed criminal action.

On March 5, police responded after two people were shot outside the High School, 620 E 23rd Ave, North Kansas City, as North Kansas City Hornets and Staley Falcons were participating in the Class 6 District 8 High School Basketball Tournament.   The school was also hosting a debate tournament that evening, according to the school web site.

According to police, the juvenile victim was a North Kansas City High School student, who had non-life-threatening injuries. He was an innocent bystander to the shooting.&nbsp; The second victim was an adult not affiliated with the NKC School District.

Five people from two groups shot firearms during the gunfight and all five were in possession of their guns inside the school gym during the game, according to Thompson.&nbsp;

The brothers were booked into the Clay County Jail Friday, according to online booking records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710548925072.png" alt="Michael Smallwood-photo Clay Co.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Michael Smallwood-photo Clay Co.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Two brothers have been charged in connection with a shooting during a basketball tournament outside North Kansas City High School earlier this month.On Friday, 19-year-old Michael Smallwood was charged with unlawful use of a weapon and armed criminal action, according to Clay County Prosecuting Attorney&nbsp;Zachary Thompson.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710548893028.png" alt="Lavondre Smallwood-photo Clay Co." />
 <figcaption>Lavondre Smallwood-photo Clay Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>His brother Lavondre Smallwood, 18, was charged with first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and armed criminal action.On March 5, police responded after two people were shot outside the High School, 620 E 23rd Ave, North Kansas City, as North Kansas City Hornets and Staley Falcons were participating in the Class 6 District 8 High School Basketball Tournament. The school was also hosting a debate tournament that evening, according to the school web site.According to police, the juvenile victim was a North Kansas City High School student, who had non-life-threatening injuries. He was an innocent bystander to the shooting.&nbsp; The second victim was an adult not affiliated with the NKC School District.Five people from two groups shot firearms during the gunfight and all five were in possession of their guns inside the school gym during the game, according to Thompson.&nbsp;The brothers were booked into the Clay County Jail Friday, according to online booking records.

2 jailed for gunfight outside Kansas City high school basketball game

MIAMI (AP) — A charter flight carrying dozens of U.S. citizens fleeing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/haiti-gangs-violence-guatemala-looting-e253c80da9e58fc9f2c809aed27fbe9a">spiraling gang violence</a>&nbsp;in Haiti landed Sunday in Miami, U.S. State Department officials said.

More than 30 U.S. citizens were on the government-chartered flight, officials said in a statement. It arrived in the Miami International Airport after the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince earlier this month urged U.S. citizens to leave “as soon as possible” as chaos grips Haiti.

Passenger Avlot Quessa, who lives in Boston, traveled from the center of the country to board the charter flight after going to Haiti last month for was supposed to be a weeklong trip to visit his mother.

On Saturday, Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall's office encouraged anyone in Haiti or with family in the country to email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:EvacHelp@marshall.senate.gov">EvacHelp@marshall.senate.gov</a>&nbsp;or call (785) 829-9000.

“It’s just terrible ... The suffering, you can only imagine,” Quessa told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/article286799990.html">the Miami Herald</a>&nbsp;of the nearby Caribbean nation. “Haiti is my homeland and it’s very stressful to see the homeland going through this act of violence, destruction ... and they are our neighbors.”

Haiti’s main airport in Port-au-Prince remains closed following gang attacks that have raged through Haiti in recent weeks, pushing many people to the brink of famine. Government and aid agencies this weekend reported looting of aid supplies as the situation worsened.

The State Department announced Saturday that it would offer limited charter flights for American citizens from the less chaotic northern city of Cap-Haïtien.

Officials said they could not provide ground transportation to Cap-Haïtien and that U.S. citizens should consider the charter flights “only if you think you can reach Cap-Haïtien airport safely.”

“We encourage U.S. citizens still in Haiti who seek to depart to contact the Department of State using the crisis intake form on our website if they have not already done so,” the agency said.

People taking the U.S. government-coordinated flights must sign a promissory bill agreeing to reimburse the government.

Another passenger on Sunday’s flight, Marie Lucie St. Fleur, 69, of West Palm Beach, said she feels most at home in Haiti and it pains her to see what her homeland is enduring.

“I don’t feel well at all. I would like to live in my country and I can’t,” she said while sitting in a wheelchair.

The State Department said government officials in Miami were helping the newly arrived evacuees to determine their next steps.

The U.S. military last week flew in additional forces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/haiti-us-embassy-security-gang-violence-1b720280fa85c87ccf0768d3156dbd23">to bolster security</a>&nbsp;at the U.S. Embassy, which is in a neighborhood largely controlled by gangs.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710725528636.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MIAMI (AP) — A charter flight carrying dozens of U.S. citizens fleeing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/haiti-gangs-violence-guatemala-looting-e253c80da9e58fc9f2c809aed27fbe9a">spiraling gang violence</a>&nbsp;in Haiti landed Sunday in Miami, U.S. State Department officials said.More than 30 U.S. citizens were on the government-chartered flight, officials said in a statement. It arrived in the Miami International Airport after the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince earlier this month urged U.S. citizens to leave “as soon as possible” as chaos grips Haiti.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FACSPortauPrince%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0bae6RV3HXLRpFB3Jy6oNLkVbQS9gqQ6122cVmPspeh51PbT6q6igC37FiVsxhUthl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="370" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>Passenger Avlot Quessa, who lives in Boston, traveled from the center of the country to board the charter flight after going to Haiti last month for was supposed to be a weeklong trip to visit his mother.On Saturday, Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall's office encouraged anyone in Haiti or with family in the country to email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:EvacHelp@marshall.senate.gov">EvacHelp@marshall.senate.gov</a>&nbsp;or call (785) 829-9000.“It’s just terrible ... The suffering, you can only imagine,” Quessa told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/article286799990.html">the Miami Herald</a>&nbsp;of the nearby Caribbean nation. “Haiti is my homeland and it’s very stressful to see the homeland going through this act of violence, destruction ... and they are our neighbors.”Haiti’s main airport in Port-au-Prince remains closed following gang attacks that have raged through Haiti in recent weeks, pushing many people to the brink of famine. Government and aid agencies this weekend reported looting of aid supplies as the situation worsened.The State Department announced Saturday that it would offer limited charter flights for American citizens from the less chaotic northern city of Cap-Haïtien.Officials said they could not provide ground transportation to Cap-Haïtien and that U.S. citizens should consider the charter flights “only if you think you can reach Cap-Haïtien airport safely.”“We encourage U.S. citizens still in Haiti who seek to depart to contact the Department of State using the crisis intake form on our website if they have not already done so,” the agency said.People taking the U.S. government-coordinated flights must sign a promissory bill agreeing to reimburse the government.Another passenger on Sunday’s flight, Marie Lucie St. Fleur, 69, of West Palm Beach, said she feels most at home in Haiti and it pains her to see what her homeland is enduring.“I don’t feel well at all. I would like to live in my country and I can’t,” she said while sitting in a wheelchair.The State Department said government officials in Miami were helping the newly arrived evacuees to determine their next steps.The U.S. military last week flew in additional forces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/haiti-us-embassy-security-gang-violence-1b720280fa85c87ccf0768d3156dbd23">to bolster security</a>&nbsp;at the U.S. Embassy, which is in a neighborhood largely controlled by gangs.

First charter flight with US citizens fleeing Haiti lands in U.S.

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

Just after 1:30a.m. Sunday, police responded to 94th Terrace and Cable Road after report of a dead body found, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.

Officers located the body of a man suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp; Police have not reported an arrest or suspect information.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710680138551.png" alt="Photo of search area- Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo of search area- Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Sunday homicide in Kansas City.Just after 1:30a.m. Sunday, police responded to 94th Terrace and Cable Road after report of a dead body found, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.Officers located the body of a man suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp; Police have not reported an arrest or suspect information.

Homicide: Body of man found with gunshot wounds in Kansas City

WASHINGTON (AP) — The big news this week, President Joe Biden said at a weekend Washington roast, was that two candidates&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-primary-georgia-washington-mississippi-hawaii-15bb0084ad656903ffef14cfae822abd">had clinched their party's nomination</a>&nbsp;for president. But one was too old, too mentally unfit for the job, he said.

The digs&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-ohio-moreno-senate-social-security-3b450dcfc24a02c8cac3a3feb657ddc8">against Republican Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;kept coming from the president at the annual Gridiron Club and Foundation Dinner, as Biden deflected ongoing criticism&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-memory-age-special-counsel-report-doj-f4232bc8316e556ed467185b67c3e0a8">that his memory is hazy</a>&nbsp;and he appears confused, instead highlighting moments when the 77-year-old Trump has slipped up, too.

“Don't tell him, he thinks he's running against Barack Obama, that's what he said," said Biden, 81, who also quipped that he was staying up way past his bedtime.

It was the first time Biden has attended the dinner during his presidency, and comes as the 2024 election looms and the rematch between Biden and Trump heats up. The annual bacchanalia, now in its 139th year, traces its history to 1885 — that was the year President Grover Cleveland refused to attend. Every president since has come to at least one Gridiron.

Biden veered quickly into the somber, though, highlighting what he sees as a real threat to democracy should Trump — who continues to falsely claim the 2020 election was stolen — return to the White House. The speech had echoes of Biden's campaign remarks, criticizing Trump as well as too soft on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“We live in an unprecedented moment in democracy,” he said. “An unprecedented moment for history. Democracy and freedom are literally under attack. Putin's on the march in Europe. My predecessor bows down to him and says to him, ‘do whatever the hell you want.’”

Biden then introduced the Ukrainian ambassador, Oksana Markarova, and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas.

“We will not bow down. They will not bow down, and I will not bow down,” he said.

Biden, dressed in white-tie attire as is the custom, brought his daughter Ashley.

The dinner has a reputation as a night of bipartisan mirth, and was jam-packed with politicians and who's-who of Washington, including Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff, at least eight other Cabinet members, at least five members of Congress, five governors and at least five ambassadors. Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who’s in town for St. Patrick’s Day, also attended.

Also speaking at the dinner were Harris, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican.

Biden closed out the dinner, speaking also about the importance of a free press. Although he may not agree with everything the news media prints, he said, he understands the necessity of journalism and said he was still working to bring home&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gershkovich-russia-jailed-journalist-putin-custody-extended-e53ec909dd55b3cfe94a11e4d4b713ed">journalists Evan Gershovich</a>&nbsp;and Austin Tice, one held in Russia, the other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-syria-lebanon-middle-east-beirut-1ed67016bc0594b4e8e998bad8659fdd">who disappeared during a reporting trip in Syria</a>.

“Good journalism holds a mirror up to society,” he said. “We need you.”

Biden and Harris were seated at the head table along with other administration officials and the foreign leaders, plus Gridiron president Dan Balz of the Washington Post. Seated also at the table were Balz's bosses, the Post's Executive Editor Sally Buzbee and the newspaper’s owner, Jeff Bezos.

The dinner was held at the Grand Hyatt. No photos or TV were allowed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710675638300.png" alt="President Joe Biden during a meeting on Friday with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar in the Oval Office -White House photo" />
 <figcaption>President Joe Biden during a meeting on Friday with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar in the Oval Office -White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The big news this week, President Joe Biden said at a weekend Washington roast, was that two candidates&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-primary-georgia-washington-mississippi-hawaii-15bb0084ad656903ffef14cfae822abd">had clinched their party's nomination</a>&nbsp;for president. But one was too old, too mentally unfit for the job, he said.“The other's me," Biden quipped.The digs&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-ohio-moreno-senate-social-security-3b450dcfc24a02c8cac3a3feb657ddc8">against Republican Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;kept coming from the president at the annual Gridiron Club and Foundation Dinner, as Biden deflected ongoing criticism&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-memory-age-special-counsel-report-doj-f4232bc8316e556ed467185b67c3e0a8">that his memory is hazy</a>&nbsp;and he appears confused, instead highlighting moments when the 77-year-old Trump has slipped up, too.“Don't tell him, he thinks he's running against Barack Obama, that's what he said," said Biden, 81, who also quipped that he was staying up way past his bedtime.It was the first time Biden has attended the dinner during his presidency, and comes as the 2024 election looms and the rematch between Biden and Trump heats up. The annual bacchanalia, now in its 139th year, traces its history to 1885 — that was the year President Grover Cleveland refused to attend. Every president since has come to at least one Gridiron.Biden veered quickly into the somber, though, highlighting what he sees as a real threat to democracy should Trump — who continues to falsely claim the 2020 election was stolen — return to the White House. The speech had echoes of Biden's campaign remarks, criticizing Trump as well as too soft on Russian President Vladimir Putin.“We live in an unprecedented moment in democracy,” he said. “An unprecedented moment for history. Democracy and freedom are literally under attack. Putin's on the march in Europe. My predecessor bows down to him and says to him, ‘do whatever the hell you want.’”Biden then introduced the Ukrainian ambassador, Oksana Markarova, and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas.“We will not bow down. They will not bow down, and I will not bow down,” he said.Biden, dressed in white-tie attire as is the custom, brought his daughter Ashley.The dinner has a reputation as a night of bipartisan mirth, and was jam-packed with politicians and who's-who of Washington, including Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff, at least eight other Cabinet members, at least five members of Congress, five governors and at least five ambassadors. Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who’s in town for St. Patrick’s Day, also attended.Also speaking at the dinner were Harris, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican.Biden closed out the dinner, speaking also about the importance of a free press. Although he may not agree with everything the news media prints, he said, he understands the necessity of journalism and said he was still working to bring home&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gershkovich-russia-jailed-journalist-putin-custody-extended-e53ec909dd55b3cfe94a11e4d4b713ed">journalists Evan Gershovich</a>&nbsp;and Austin Tice, one held in Russia, the other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-syria-lebanon-middle-east-beirut-1ed67016bc0594b4e8e998bad8659fdd">who disappeared during a reporting trip in Syria</a>.“Good journalism holds a mirror up to society,” he said. “We need you.”Biden and Harris were seated at the head table along with other administration officials and the foreign leaders, plus Gridiron president Dan Balz of the Washington Post. Seated also at the table were Balz's bosses, the Post's Executive Editor Sally Buzbee and the newspaper’s owner, Jeff Bezos.The dinner was held at the Grand Hyatt. No photos or TV were allowed.

Biden at DC roast: Of 2 presidential candidates, 1 mentally unfit. 'The other's me'

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities in Olathe are investigating a Kansas teacher on child sex allegations.

Micah Horton, 35, the former Choir Director at Olathe North High School has been charged with sexual exploitation of a child and unlawful sexual relations, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; He made his first court appearance in the case Wednesday.

He is being held on a $500,000 bond and is due back in court March 21, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710373305440.png" alt="Horton-photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Horton-photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities in Olathe are investigating a Kansas teacher on child sex allegations.Micah Horton, 35, the former Choir Director at Olathe North High School has been charged with sexual exploitation of a child and unlawful sexual relations, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; He made his first court appearance in the case Wednesday.He is being held on a $500,000 bond and is due back in court March 21, according to the district attorney's office.

Former Kan. choir director accused of sex crimes with student

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A second man has been charged in connection with the 2005 theft of a pair of ruby slippers that Judy Garland wore in “The Wizard of Oz," according to an indictment made public Sunday.

Jerry Hal Saliterman, 76, of Crystal, Minnesota, was charged with theft of a major artwork and witness tampering. He did not enter a plea when he made his first appearance Friday in U.S. District Court in St. Paul.

The slippers, adorned with sequins and glass beads, were stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in the late actor's hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, nearly 20 years ago and their whereabouts remained a mystery until&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/5f15402e28f04341b6a25d179b070fc5">the FBI recovered them in 2018</a>.

The indictment says that from August 2005 to July 2018 Saliterman “received, concealed, and disposed of an object of cultural heritage" — specifically, "an authentic pair of ‘ruby slippers’ worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 movie ‘The Wizard of Oz.’" The indictment says Saliterman knew they were stolen, and that he threatened to release a sex tape of a woman and “take her down with him” if she didn’t keep her mouth shut about the slippers.

Saliterman was in a wheelchair and on supplemental oxygen during his Friday court appearance. His oxygen machine hummed throughout the hearing and he bounced his knee nervously during breaks in the proceedings. He responded with “yes,” when U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright asked whether he understood the charges against him, but he said nothing about the allegations.

The case was not openly discussed in court. The magistrate ordered Friday that the indictment be unsealed, but it did not become publicly available until Sunday.

Saliterman’s attorney, John Brink, said after Friday's hearing that he couldn’t say much about the case, but: “He’s not guilty. He hasn’t done anything wrong.” Saliterman, who was released on his own recognizance, declined to comment to The Associated Press outside the courthouse.

The man who stole the slippers, Terry Jon Martin, 76,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wizard-oz-stolen-ruby-slippers-judy-garland-f2bd6d4455a9821c311d1d0a03f6d77a">pleaded guilty in October</a>&nbsp;to theft of a major artwork, admitting to using a hammer to smash the glass of the museum's door and display case in what his attorney said was an attempt to pull off “one last score” after turning away from a life of crime. He was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oz-stolen-ruby-slippers-sentencing-2479d587123b97eda5c47672322d2d6e">sentenced in January</a>&nbsp;to time served because of his poor health.

Martin’s lawyer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stolen-ruby-slippers-judy-garland-wizard-oz-f93b3da8331f050cc81bf7f1f79877e8">said in court documents</a>&nbsp;that an old associate of Martin's with connections to the mob told him the shoes had to be adorned with real jewels to justify their $1 million insured value.

Martin, who lives near Grand Rapids, said at an October hearing that he hoped to take what he thought were real rubies from the shoes and sell them. But a person who deals in stolen goods, known as a fence, informed him the rubies weren’t real, Martin said. So he got rid of the slippers.

Defense attorney Dane DeKrey wrote in court documents that Martin’s unidentified former associate persuaded him to steal the slippers as “one last score,” even though Martin had seemed to have “finally put his demons to rest” after finishing his last prison term nearly 10 years earlier.

“But old habits die hard, and the thought of a ‘final score’ kept him up at night,” DeKrey wrote.

According to DeKrey’s memo, Martin had no idea about the cultural significance of the ruby slippers and had never seen “The Wizard of Oz.”

The documents unsealed Sunday do not indicate how Martin and Saliterman may have been connected.

In the classic 1939 musical, Garland’s character, Dorothy, had to click the heels of her ruby slippers three times and repeat, “There’s no place like home,” to return to Kansas from Oz. She wore several pairs during filming, but only four authentic pairs are known to remain.

The FBI never disclosed exactly how it tracked down the slippers. The bureau said a man approached the insurer in 2017 and claimed he could help recover them but demanded more than the $200,000 reward being offered. The slippers were recovered during an FBI sting in Minneapolis the next year. Federal prosecutors have put the slippers’ market value at about $3.5 million.

Hollywood memorabilia collector Michael Shaw had loaned the pair to the museum before Martin stole them. The other pairs are held by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.si.edu/object/dorothys-ruby-slippers:nmah_670130">Smithsonian Museum of American History</a>&nbsp;and a private collector. According to John Kelsh, founding director of the museum, the slippers were returned to Shaw and are being held by an auction house that plans to sell them.

Garland was born Frances Gumm in 1922. She&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/16889e9c55dd4728a45ee11a783b74de">lived in Grand Rapids</a>, about 200 miles (320 kilometers) north of Minneapolis, until she was 4, when her family moved to Los Angeles. She died in 1969. The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.judygarlandmuseum.com/">Judy Garland Museum,</a>&nbsp;which includes the house where she lived, says it has the world’s largest collection of Garland and “Wizard of Oz” memorabilia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684352824766.png" alt="FILE - A pair of ruby slippers once worn by actress Judy Garland in the "The Wizard of Oz" sit on display at a news conference on Sept. 4, 2018, at the FBI office in Brooklyn Center, Minn. Federal prosecutors say a man has been indicted by a grand jury on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, on charges of stealing a pair of ruby red slippers worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz.” The FBI recovered the slippers in 2018. (AP Photo/Jeff Baenen, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - A pair of ruby slippers once worn by actress Judy Garland in the "The Wizard of Oz" sit on display at a news conference on Sept. 4, 2018, at the FBI office in Brooklyn Center, Minn. Federal prosecutors say a man has been indicted by a grand jury on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, on charges of stealing a pair of ruby red slippers worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz.” The FBI recovered the slippers in 2018. (AP Photo/Jeff Baenen, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A second man has been charged in connection with the 2005 theft of a pair of ruby slippers that Judy Garland wore in “The Wizard of Oz," according to an indictment made public Sunday.Jerry Hal Saliterman, 76, of Crystal, Minnesota, was charged with theft of a major artwork and witness tampering. He did not enter a plea when he made his first appearance Friday in U.S. District Court in St. Paul.The slippers, adorned with sequins and glass beads, were stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in the late actor's hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, nearly 20 years ago and their whereabouts remained a mystery until&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/5f15402e28f04341b6a25d179b070fc5">the FBI recovered them in 2018</a>.The indictment says that from August 2005 to July 2018 Saliterman “received, concealed, and disposed of an object of cultural heritage" — specifically, "an authentic pair of ‘ruby slippers’ worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 movie ‘The Wizard of Oz.’" The indictment says Saliterman knew they were stolen, and that he threatened to release a sex tape of a woman and “take her down with him” if she didn’t keep her mouth shut about the slippers.Saliterman was in a wheelchair and on supplemental oxygen during his Friday court appearance. His oxygen machine hummed throughout the hearing and he bounced his knee nervously during breaks in the proceedings. He responded with “yes,” when U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright asked whether he understood the charges against him, but he said nothing about the allegations.The case was not openly discussed in court. The magistrate ordered Friday that the indictment be unsealed, but it did not become publicly available until Sunday.Saliterman’s attorney, John Brink, said after Friday's hearing that he couldn’t say much about the case, but: “He’s not guilty. He hasn’t done anything wrong.” Saliterman, who was released on his own recognizance, declined to comment to The Associated Press outside the courthouse.The man who stole the slippers, Terry Jon Martin, 76,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wizard-oz-stolen-ruby-slippers-judy-garland-f2bd6d4455a9821c311d1d0a03f6d77a">pleaded guilty in October</a>&nbsp;to theft of a major artwork, admitting to using a hammer to smash the glass of the museum's door and display case in what his attorney said was an attempt to pull off “one last score” after turning away from a life of crime. He was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oz-stolen-ruby-slippers-sentencing-2479d587123b97eda5c47672322d2d6e">sentenced in January</a>&nbsp;to time served because of his poor health.Martin’s lawyer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stolen-ruby-slippers-judy-garland-wizard-oz-f93b3da8331f050cc81bf7f1f79877e8">said in court documents</a>&nbsp;that an old associate of Martin's with connections to the mob told him the shoes had to be adorned with real jewels to justify their $1 million insured value.Martin, who lives near Grand Rapids, said at an October hearing that he hoped to take what he thought were real rubies from the shoes and sell them. But a person who deals in stolen goods, known as a fence, informed him the rubies weren’t real, Martin said. So he got rid of the slippers.Defense attorney Dane DeKrey wrote in court documents that Martin’s unidentified former associate persuaded him to steal the slippers as “one last score,” even though Martin had seemed to have “finally put his demons to rest” after finishing his last prison term nearly 10 years earlier.“But old habits die hard, and the thought of a ‘final score’ kept him up at night,” DeKrey wrote.According to DeKrey’s memo, Martin had no idea about the cultural significance of the ruby slippers and had never seen “The Wizard of Oz.”The documents unsealed Sunday do not indicate how Martin and Saliterman may have been connected.In the classic 1939 musical, Garland’s character, Dorothy, had to click the heels of her ruby slippers three times and repeat, “There’s no place like home,” to return to Kansas from Oz. She wore several pairs during filming, but only four authentic pairs are known to remain.The FBI never disclosed exactly how it tracked down the slippers. The bureau said a man approached the insurer in 2017 and claimed he could help recover them but demanded more than the $200,000 reward being offered. The slippers were recovered during an FBI sting in Minneapolis the next year. Federal prosecutors have put the slippers’ market value at about $3.5 million.Hollywood memorabilia collector Michael Shaw had loaned the pair to the museum before Martin stole them. The other pairs are held by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.si.edu/object/dorothys-ruby-slippers:nmah_670130">Smithsonian Museum of American History</a>&nbsp;and a private collector. According to John Kelsh, founding director of the museum, the slippers were returned to Shaw and are being held by an auction house that plans to sell them.Garland was born Frances Gumm in 1922. She&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/16889e9c55dd4728a45ee11a783b74de">lived in Grand Rapids</a>, about 200 miles (320 kilometers) north of Minneapolis, until she was 4, when her family moved to Los Angeles. She died in 1969. The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.judygarlandmuseum.com/">Judy Garland Museum,</a>&nbsp;which includes the house where she lived, says it has the world’s largest collection of Garland and “Wizard of Oz” memorabilia.

2nd man charged for theft of ruby slippers worn in 'The Wizard of Oz'

NASHVILLE —Riley Strain's bank card was discovered Sunday afternoon on the embankment between Gay Street and the Cumberland River, according to a statement from Metro Nashville Police.

Authorities continue searching for the 22-year-old University of Missouri student who was last seen by friends at a Nashville bar on March 8.

Police&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/MNPDNashville/status/1767578348249559347">released video</a>&nbsp;Tuesday that shows Riley Strain crossing a downtown street. Police have said Strain was last seen just before 10 p.m. March 8, after drinking downtown. They searched the area, including the banks of the Cumberland River, by helicopter and on the ground, but did not find him.

University of Missouri officials said in a statement that they were alerted last weekend that Strain was missing after traveling to Nashville to attend a private event and that they have been in touch with family and authorities.

Strain’s mother, Michelle Whiteid, and his stepfather, Chris Whiteid, drove to Nashville from Springfield, Missouri, after they learned he disappeared while on a fraternity trip, news outlets reported.

“I just need to know where my son is,” Michelle Whiteid said. “We talk every day, multiple times a day. This is the longest I’ve ever gone without talking to him. It’s devastating. I just want to find him and hug him.”

After the bus ride from Columbia, Strain and some of his fraternity brothers went out, according to Chris Whiteid. Strain was asked to leave a bar, and they got separated, he said.

“The boys called him, and he said, ‘I’m walking back to my hotel,’" Chris Strain said. “They didn’t think anything about it.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710335346952.png" alt="Riley Strain courtesy ph oto" />
 <figcaption>Riley Strain courtesy ph oto</figcaption>
 </figure>NASHVILLE —Riley Strain's bank card was discovered Sunday afternoon on the embankment between Gay Street and the Cumberland River, according to a statement from Metro Nashville Police.Authorities continue searching for the 22-year-old University of Missouri student who was last seen by friends at a Nashville bar on March 8.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FMetroNashvillePoliceDepartment%2Fvideos%2F941179284268997%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=1" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Police&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/MNPDNashville/status/1767578348249559347">released video</a>&nbsp;Tuesday that shows Riley Strain crossing a downtown street. Police have said Strain was last seen just before 10 p.m. March 8, after drinking downtown. They searched the area, including the banks of the Cumberland River, by helicopter and on the ground, but did not find him.University of Missouri officials said in a statement that they were alerted last weekend that Strain was missing after traveling to Nashville to attend a private event and that they have been in touch with family and authorities.Strain’s mother, Michelle Whiteid, and his stepfather, Chris Whiteid, drove to Nashville from Springfield, Missouri, after they learned he disappeared while on a fraternity trip, news outlets reported.“I just need to know where my son is,” Michelle Whiteid said. “We talk every day, multiple times a day. This is the longest I’ve ever gone without talking to him. It’s devastating. I just want to find him and hug him.”After the bus ride from Columbia, Strain and some of his fraternity brothers went out, according to Chris Whiteid. Strain was asked to leave a bar, and they got separated, he said.“The boys called him, and he said, ‘I’m walking back to my hotel,’" Chris Strain said. “They didn’t think anything about it.”

Police: Bank card of missing Univ. of Missouri student found

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lori Shelton can't fathom ever having the money to buy a home — and that's a major reason why so many voters feel down on the economy ahead of this year's presidential election.

Shelton, 67, drives an Uber to help pay rent in Aurora, Colorado. An advance on her pay covered her apartment's security deposit. But it also cut into her next paycheck, leaving her bank account dangerously low when the rent was due — a cycle that never seems to end.

“I'm always one step behind,” said Shelton, her voice choking up. “It’s a nightmare, it’s a freaking nightmare right now.”

The United States is slogging through a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mortgage-rates-housing-affordability-century-21-ceo-b60d7bf34139334a843f9760a976f33c">housing affordability crisis</a>&nbsp;that was decades in the making. At the root of this problem: America failed to build enough homes for its growing population. The shortage strikes at the heart of the American dream of homeownership — dampening President Joe Biden's assurances that the U.S. economy is strong and underscoring the degree to which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Republican Donald Trump</a>, the former president and presumptive GOP nominee for 2024, has largely overlooked the shortage.

The lack of housing has caused a record number of renters to devote an excessive amount of income to housing, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/affordable-housing-rent-eviction-price-harvard-congress-f5411012e10fa78d0257c137e60c1be3">Harvard University analysis</a>. Not enough homes are for sale or being built, keeping prices elevated. Average mortgage rates have more than doubled and further worsened affordability.

In fact, the Census Bureau reported that homeownership fell slightly at the end of last year in an otherwise solid economy. If it wasn’t for shelter costs, inflation — Biden’s most pronounced economic problem — would be running at a healthy and stable 1.8%. Instead, it's hovering around 3.2%.

Administration officials are confident that shelter inflation will soon cool, but the damage across several years is apparent to advocates and economists.

“I’ve been doing housing work for 30 years — the housing affordability challenge is the worst I've ever seen in my career,” said Shaun Donovan, a former secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the Obama years who now leads the nonprofit Enterprise Community Partners.

Donovan noted that this is an increasingly bipartisan challenge that could bring the political parties together. Expensive housing was once the domain of Democratic areas such as New York City and San Francisco. It's now moved into Republican states as places such as Boise, Idaho, grapple with higher prices.

“It is a first-tier issue almost everywhere,” he said. “And that is changing the national politics around it in a way that I think is quite different than I’ve ever seen.”

Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, said that the outcome of the November election could ultimately depend on the path of 30-year mortgage rates.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mortgage-rates-housing-interest-financing-home-loan-530356e889579526a953e46dcd8ca7d1">Rates currently average about 6.74%.</a>&nbsp;If they dropped closer to 6%, the odds of a Biden victory would increase. But rates moving near 8% might enable Trump to prevail, Zandi said.

“Given the current housing affordability crisis, higher rates will make owning a home completely out of reach for nearly all potential first-time homebuyers,” he said. “Since homeownership is a key part of the American dream, if it appears unattainable, this will deeply impact voters’ sense of the economy.”

Biden, a Democrat, acknowledged the pain many are feeling in his State of the Union address earlier this month and in his budget proposal released on Monday.

The president wants to fund the building and preservation of 2 million housing units — a meaningful sum, but not enough to solve the shortage. He also proposed a tax credit worth up to $10,000 to homebuyers. Over the past three years, he has increased rental assistance to 100,000 households.

“The bottom line is we have to build, build, build,” Biden said Monday in a speech to the National League of Cities. “That’s how we bring down housing costs for good.”

Rapidly climbing home prices were also a festering problem under Trump, who first achieved celebrity status as a real estate developer. While president, Trump called for limiting construction in the suburbs. He claimed during the 2020 election that Biden's policies to spur building and affordability would “destroy your neighborhood.”

During the 2018 to 2020 years of Trump's presidency, the country’s housing shortage surged 52% to 3.8 million units, according to the mortgage company Freddie Mac.

The Associated Press contacted Trump's campaign for his policy plans but did not get a response. The America First Policy Institute, a think tank promoting Trump's vision, said the key is to cut government borrowing to reduce mortgage rates. The former president has pledged to reduce deficits, but an analysis by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget shows that his policies in office will have likely added&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crfb.org/blogs/how-much-did-president-trump-add-debt">more than $8 trillion to the national debt.</a>

“The best way for us to improve access to homeownership for young people is to get interest rates back down, not to provide subsidies that cause housing unaffordability to worsen,” said Mike Faulkender, chief economist at the institute.

Lower rates might play well with voters, but most economists say they would at best offer temporary financial relief. Purchase prices would likely adjust upward in response to greater demand from falling rates.

Construction, the more enduring solution, would take years to achieve and require&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oregon-land-use-law-urban-growth-boundary-housing-d85c2413f169cd02cbf6b15fd9c95329">new rules by states and cities</a>. The administration is trying to incentivize zoning changes, but the major choices are outside the White House's control.

“Even as incomes are going up and the economy is doing well and inflation is coming down, people can’t buy homes,” said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at the brokerage Redfin. “That’s like the biggest problem for Biden because it’s not one that he can solve.”

The general rule of thumb is that people should pay no more than 30% of their income on rent or a mortgage. A typical household looking to buy a home would have to devote 41% of its income to mortgage payments, according to Redfin.

There are far-reaching economic risks because of this. High housing costs can lead people to cut back spending elsewhere. Advocates said it enables landlords to neglect their properties since there is always a ready tenant.

Evictions can worsen health and educational outcomes for children and exact an even wider cost on society, said Zach Neumann, a Denver-based lawyer who provides more than $30 million annually in rental assistance through the nonprofit Community Economic Defense Project.

The cumulative costs of evicting poorer renters are "$20,000 to $30,000 a year when you include shelter nights and emergency room visits,” Neumann said. “It’s really overwhelming when you think about the total numbers and these folks are fighting to have a roof over their heads.”

While there is bipartisan agreement on the need for more housing, there has yet to be a significant plan that has passed the House and Senate. Biden has proposed housing aid throughout his administration that never materialized.

“Had Congress passed some of the investments that the president has called for since the beginning of the administration, had they done that three years ago, as he was advocating, we’d have affordable units coming online right now," said Daniel Hornung, deputy director of the White House National Economic Council.

But Mark Calabria, who was director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency during the Trump administration, said that many of the federal tools to increase housing such as the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit could further push up demand without adding enough construction.

“My worry would be we’ve done a number of things that increased demand when the problem is supply,” said Calabria, now an adviser with the libertarian Cato Institute.

But for renters such as Lori Shelton in Colorado, the debate about how to add housing supply is cold comfort when she owes rent now. She's previously dealt with the threat of eviction and late fees. She gets some rent money from her son, but she has also relied at times on her church to cover the $2,399 a month.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lori Shelton can't fathom ever having the money to buy a home — and that's a major reason why so many voters feel down on the economy ahead of this year's presidential election.Shelton, 67, drives an Uber to help pay rent in Aurora, Colorado. An advance on her pay covered her apartment's security deposit. But it also cut into her next paycheck, leaving her bank account dangerously low when the rent was due — a cycle that never seems to end.“I'm always one step behind,” said Shelton, her voice choking up. “It’s a nightmare, it’s a freaking nightmare right now.”The United States is slogging through a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mortgage-rates-housing-affordability-century-21-ceo-b60d7bf34139334a843f9760a976f33c">housing affordability crisis</a>&nbsp;that was decades in the making. At the root of this problem: America failed to build enough homes for its growing population. The shortage strikes at the heart of the American dream of homeownership — dampening President Joe Biden's assurances that the U.S. economy is strong and underscoring the degree to which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Republican Donald Trump</a>, the former president and presumptive GOP nominee for 2024, has largely overlooked the shortage.The lack of housing has caused a record number of renters to devote an excessive amount of income to housing, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/affordable-housing-rent-eviction-price-harvard-congress-f5411012e10fa78d0257c137e60c1be3">Harvard University analysis</a>. Not enough homes are for sale or being built, keeping prices elevated. Average mortgage rates have more than doubled and further worsened affordability.In fact, the Census Bureau reported that homeownership fell slightly at the end of last year in an otherwise solid economy. If it wasn’t for shelter costs, inflation — Biden’s most pronounced economic problem — would be running at a healthy and stable 1.8%. Instead, it's hovering around 3.2%.Administration officials are confident that shelter inflation will soon cool, but the damage across several years is apparent to advocates and economists.“I’ve been doing housing work for 30 years — the housing affordability challenge is the worst I've ever seen in my career,” said Shaun Donovan, a former secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the Obama years who now leads the nonprofit Enterprise Community Partners.Donovan noted that this is an increasingly bipartisan challenge that could bring the political parties together. Expensive housing was once the domain of Democratic areas such as New York City and San Francisco. It's now moved into Republican states as places such as Boise, Idaho, grapple with higher prices.“It is a first-tier issue almost everywhere,” he said. “And that is changing the national politics around it in a way that I think is quite different than I’ve ever seen.”Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, said that the outcome of the November election could ultimately depend on the path of 30-year mortgage rates.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mortgage-rates-housing-interest-financing-home-loan-530356e889579526a953e46dcd8ca7d1">Rates currently average about 6.74%.</a>&nbsp;If they dropped closer to 6%, the odds of a Biden victory would increase. But rates moving near 8% might enable Trump to prevail, Zandi said.“Given the current housing affordability crisis, higher rates will make owning a home completely out of reach for nearly all potential first-time homebuyers,” he said. “Since homeownership is a key part of the American dream, if it appears unattainable, this will deeply impact voters’ sense of the economy.”Biden, a Democrat, acknowledged the pain many are feeling in his State of the Union address earlier this month and in his budget proposal released on Monday.The president wants to fund the building and preservation of 2 million housing units — a meaningful sum, but not enough to solve the shortage. He also proposed a tax credit worth up to $10,000 to homebuyers. Over the past three years, he has increased rental assistance to 100,000 households.“The bottom line is we have to build, build, build,” Biden said Monday in a speech to the National League of Cities. “That’s how we bring down housing costs for good.”Rapidly climbing home prices were also a festering problem under Trump, who first achieved celebrity status as a real estate developer. While president, Trump called for limiting construction in the suburbs. He claimed during the 2020 election that Biden's policies to spur building and affordability would “destroy your neighborhood.”During the 2018 to 2020 years of Trump's presidency, the country’s housing shortage surged 52% to 3.8 million units, according to the mortgage company Freddie Mac.The Associated Press contacted Trump's campaign for his policy plans but did not get a response. The America First Policy Institute, a think tank promoting Trump's vision, said the key is to cut government borrowing to reduce mortgage rates. The former president has pledged to reduce deficits, but an analysis by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget shows that his policies in office will have likely added&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crfb.org/blogs/how-much-did-president-trump-add-debt">more than $8 trillion to the national debt.</a>“The best way for us to improve access to homeownership for young people is to get interest rates back down, not to provide subsidies that cause housing unaffordability to worsen,” said Mike Faulkender, chief economist at the institute.Lower rates might play well with voters, but most economists say they would at best offer temporary financial relief. Purchase prices would likely adjust upward in response to greater demand from falling rates.Construction, the more enduring solution, would take years to achieve and require&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oregon-land-use-law-urban-growth-boundary-housing-d85c2413f169cd02cbf6b15fd9c95329">new rules by states and cities</a>. The administration is trying to incentivize zoning changes, but the major choices are outside the White House's control.“Even as incomes are going up and the economy is doing well and inflation is coming down, people can’t buy homes,” said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at the brokerage Redfin. “That’s like the biggest problem for Biden because it’s not one that he can solve.”The general rule of thumb is that people should pay no more than 30% of their income on rent or a mortgage. A typical household looking to buy a home would have to devote 41% of its income to mortgage payments, according to Redfin.There are far-reaching economic risks because of this. High housing costs can lead people to cut back spending elsewhere. Advocates said it enables landlords to neglect their properties since there is always a ready tenant.Evictions can worsen health and educational outcomes for children and exact an even wider cost on society, said Zach Neumann, a Denver-based lawyer who provides more than $30 million annually in rental assistance through the nonprofit Community Economic Defense Project.The cumulative costs of evicting poorer renters are "$20,000 to $30,000 a year when you include shelter nights and emergency room visits,” Neumann said. “It’s really overwhelming when you think about the total numbers and these folks are fighting to have a roof over their heads.”While there is bipartisan agreement on the need for more housing, there has yet to be a significant plan that has passed the House and Senate. Biden has proposed housing aid throughout his administration that never materialized.“Had Congress passed some of the investments that the president has called for since the beginning of the administration, had they done that three years ago, as he was advocating, we’d have affordable units coming online right now," said Daniel Hornung, deputy director of the White House National Economic Council.But Mark Calabria, who was director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency during the Trump administration, said that many of the federal tools to increase housing such as the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit could further push up demand without adding enough construction.“My worry would be we’ve done a number of things that increased demand when the problem is supply,” said Calabria, now an adviser with the libertarian Cato Institute.But for renters such as Lori Shelton in Colorado, the debate about how to add housing supply is cold comfort when she owes rent now. She's previously dealt with the threat of eviction and late fees. She gets some rent money from her son, but she has also relied at times on her church to cover the $2,399 a month.

Why are so many voters frustrated by the US economy? Home prices

WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment this week charging two men in connection with a bank robbery, according to the United State's Attorney.

According to court documents, Demond M. Johnson, 18, and Ryan D. Smith, 25, both of Houston, Texas, are charged with one count of bank robbery. The defendants are accused of robbing Credit Union of America on South Ridge Road in Wichita, Kansas, on October 17, 2023.&nbsp;

If convicted, each faces up to 20 years in prison.&nbsp;

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Wichita Police Department are investigating the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710446842345.png" alt="Security camera images Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Security camera images Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment this week charging two men in connection with a bank robbery, according to the United State's Attorney.According to court documents, Demond M. Johnson, 18, and Ryan D. Smith, 25, both of Houston, Texas, are charged with one count of bank robbery. The defendants are accused of robbing Credit Union of America on South Ridge Road in Wichita, Kansas, on October 17, 2023.&nbsp;If convicted, each faces up to 20 years in prison.&nbsp;The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Wichita Police Department are investigating the case.

Teen among suspects accused in Kansas bank robbery

NEW YORK (AP) — Artificial intelligence is supercharging the threat of election&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-ap-top-news-elections-social-media-technology-4086949d878336f8ea6daa4dee725d94">disinformation</a>&nbsp;worldwide, making it easy for anyone with a smartphone and a devious imagination to create fake – but convincing – content aimed at fooling voters.

It marks a quantum leap from a few years ago, when creating phony photos, videos or audio clips required&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c737b8bd4d24487db64194d95ec4d5f0">teams of people</a>&nbsp;with time, technical skill and money. Now, using free and low-cost generative artificial intelligence services from companies like Google and OpenAI, anyone can create high-quality “deepfakes” with just a simple text prompt.

A wave of AI deepfakes tied to elections in Europe and Asia has coursed through social media for months, serving as a warning for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/global-elections-2024-preview-cb77b0940964c5c95a9affc8ebb6f0b7">more than 50 countries heading to the polls</a>&nbsp;this year.

“You don’t need to look far to see some people ... being clearly confused as to whether something is real or not,” said Henry Ajder, a leading expert in generative AI based in Cambridge, England.

The question is no longer whether AI deepfakes could affect elections, but how influential they will be, said Ajder, who runs a consulting firm called Latent Space Advisory.

As the U.S. presidential race heats up, FBI Director Christopher Wray recently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-election-interference-wray-2024-campaign-ai-a0c4a95c818839b18f919c6d648c4dcf">warned about the growing threat</a>, saying generative AI makes it easy for "foreign adversaries to engage in malign influence.”

With AI deepfakes,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deepfake-trump-ai-biden-tiktok-72194f59823037391b3888a1720ba7c2">a candidate’s image</a>&nbsp;can be smeared, or softened. Voters can be steered toward or away from candidates — or even to avoid the polls altogether. But perhaps the greatest threat to democracy, experts say, is that a surge of AI deepfakes could erode the public’s trust in what they see and hear.

Some recent examples of AI deepfakes include:

— A video of Moldova's pro-Western president throwing her support behind a political party friendly to Russia.

— Audio clips of Slovakia's liberal party leader discussing vote rigging and raising the price of beer.

— A video of an opposition lawmaker in Bangladesh — a conservative Muslim majority nation — wearing a bikini.

The novelty and sophistication of the technology makes it hard to track who is behind AI deepfakes. Experts say governments and companies are not yet capable of stopping the deluge, nor are they moving fast enough to solve the problem.

As the technology improves, “definitive answers about a lot of the fake content are going to be hard to come by,” Ajder said.

Some AI deepfakes aim to sow doubt about candidates' allegiances.

In Moldova, an Eastern European country bordering Ukraine, pro-Western President Maia Sandu has been a frequent target. One AI deepfake that circulated shortly before local elections depicted her endorsing a Russian-friendly party and announcing plans to resign.

Officials in Moldova believe the Russian government is behind the activity. With presidential elections this year, the deepfakes aim “to erode trust in our electoral process, candidates and institutions — but also to erode trust between people,” said Olga Rosca, an adviser to Sandu. The Russian government declined to comment for this story.

China has also been accused of weaponizing generative AI for political purposes.

In Taiwan, a self-ruled island that China claims as its own, an AI deepfake gained attention earlier this year by stirring concerns about U.S. interference in local politics.

The fake clip circulating on TikTok showed U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman, vice chairman of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, promising stronger U.S. military support for Taiwan if the incumbent party's candidates were elected in January.

Wittman blamed the Chinese Communist Party for trying to meddle in Taiwanese politics, saying it uses TikTok — a Chinese-owned company — to spread “propaganda.”

A spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, Wang Wenbin, said his government doesn't comment on fake videos and that it opposes interference in other countries' internal affairs. The Taiwan election, he stressed, “is a local affair of China.”

Audio-only deepfakes are especially hard to verify because, unlike photos and videos, they lack telltale signs of manipulated content.

In Slovakia, another country overshadowed by Russian influence, audio clips resembling the voice of the liberal party chief were shared widely on social media just days before parliamentary elections. The clips purportedly captured him talking about hiking beer prices and rigging the vote.

By ALI SWENSON and KELVIN CHAN&nbsp;NEW YORK (AP) — Artificial intelligence is supercharging the threat of election&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-ap-top-news-elections-social-media-technology-4086949d878336f8ea6daa4dee725d94">disinformation</a>&nbsp;worldwide, making it easy for anyone with a smartphone and a devious imagination to create fake – but convincing – content aimed at fooling voters.It marks a quantum leap from a few years ago, when creating phony photos, videos or audio clips required&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c737b8bd4d24487db64194d95ec4d5f0">teams of people</a>&nbsp;with time, technical skill and money. Now, using free and low-cost generative artificial intelligence services from companies like Google and OpenAI, anyone can create high-quality “deepfakes” with just a simple text prompt.A wave of AI deepfakes tied to elections in Europe and Asia has coursed through social media for months, serving as a warning for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/global-elections-2024-preview-cb77b0940964c5c95a9affc8ebb6f0b7">more than 50 countries heading to the polls</a>&nbsp;this year.“You don’t need to look far to see some people ... being clearly confused as to whether something is real or not,” said Henry Ajder, a leading expert in generative AI based in Cambridge, England.The question is no longer whether AI deepfakes could affect elections, but how influential they will be, said Ajder, who runs a consulting firm called Latent Space Advisory.As the U.S. presidential race heats up, FBI Director Christopher Wray recently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-election-interference-wray-2024-campaign-ai-a0c4a95c818839b18f919c6d648c4dcf">warned about the growing threat</a>, saying generative AI makes it easy for "foreign adversaries to engage in malign influence.”With AI deepfakes,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deepfake-trump-ai-biden-tiktok-72194f59823037391b3888a1720ba7c2">a candidate’s image</a>&nbsp;can be smeared, or softened. Voters can be steered toward or away from candidates — or even to avoid the polls altogether. But perhaps the greatest threat to democracy, experts say, is that a surge of AI deepfakes could erode the public’s trust in what they see and hear.Some recent examples of AI deepfakes include:— A video of Moldova's pro-Western president throwing her support behind a political party friendly to Russia.— Audio clips of Slovakia's liberal party leader discussing vote rigging and raising the price of beer.— A video of an opposition lawmaker in Bangladesh — a conservative Muslim majority nation — wearing a bikini.The novelty and sophistication of the technology makes it hard to track who is behind AI deepfakes. Experts say governments and companies are not yet capable of stopping the deluge, nor are they moving fast enough to solve the problem.As the technology improves, “definitive answers about a lot of the fake content are going to be hard to come by,” Ajder said.ERODING TRUSTSome AI deepfakes aim to sow doubt about candidates' allegiances.In Moldova, an Eastern European country bordering Ukraine, pro-Western President Maia Sandu has been a frequent target. One AI deepfake that circulated shortly before local elections depicted her endorsing a Russian-friendly party and announcing plans to resign.Officials in Moldova believe the Russian government is behind the activity. With presidential elections this year, the deepfakes aim “to erode trust in our electoral process, candidates and institutions — but also to erode trust between people,” said Olga Rosca, an adviser to Sandu. The Russian government declined to comment for this story.China has also been accused of weaponizing generative AI for political purposes.In Taiwan, a self-ruled island that China claims as its own, an AI deepfake gained attention earlier this year by stirring concerns about U.S. interference in local politics.The fake clip circulating on TikTok showed U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman, vice chairman of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, promising stronger U.S. military support for Taiwan if the incumbent party's candidates were elected in January.Wittman blamed the Chinese Communist Party for trying to meddle in Taiwanese politics, saying it uses TikTok — a Chinese-owned company — to spread “propaganda.”A spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, Wang Wenbin, said his government doesn't comment on fake videos and that it opposes interference in other countries' internal affairs. The Taiwan election, he stressed, “is a local affair of China.”BLURRING REALITYAudio-only deepfakes are especially hard to verify because, unlike photos and videos, they lack telltale signs of manipulated content.In Slovakia, another country overshadowed by Russian influence, audio clips resembling the voice of the liberal party chief were shared widely on social media just days before parliamentary elections. The clips purportedly captured him talking about hiking beer prices and rigging the vote.It's understandable that voters might fall for the deception, Ajder said, because humans are “much more used to judging with our eyes than with our ears.”In the U.S., robocalls impersonating U.S. President Joe Biden urged voters in New Hampshire to abstain from voting in January's primary election. The calls were later&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ai-robocall-biden-new-hampshire-primary-2024-f94aa2d7f835ccc3cc254a90cd481a99">traced to a political consultant</a>&nbsp;who said he was trying to publicize the dangers of AI deepfakes.In poorer countries, where media literacy lags, even low-quality AI fakes can be effective.Such was the case last year in Bangladesh, where opposition lawmaker Rumeen Farhana — a vocal critic of the ruling party — was falsely depicted wearing a bikini. The viral video sparked outrage in the conservative, majority-Muslim nation.“They trust whatever they see on Facebook,” Farhana said.Experts are particularly concerned about upcoming elections in India, the world’s largest democracy and where social media platforms are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/misinformation-surges-india-covid-c52d04de1c3b2332d572736ee069a495">breeding grounds for disinformation</a>.A CHALLENGE TO DEMOCRACYSome political campaigns are using generative AI to bolster their candidate’s image.In Indonesia, the team that ran&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/indonesia-president-election-prabowo-subianto-dce462b4c334cd4fb92f95de0ddc3804">the presidential campaign of Prabowo Subianto</a>&nbsp;deployed a simple mobile app to build a deeper connection with supporters across the vast island nation. The app enabled voters to upload photos and make AI-generated images of themselves with Subianto.As the types of AI deepfakes multiply, authorities around the world are scrambling to come up with guardrails.The European Union already requires social media platforms to cut the risk of spreading disinformation or “election manipulation.” It will mandate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ai-act-european-union-chatbots-155157e2be2e42d0f1acca33983d8c82">special labeling of AI deepfakes</a>&nbsp;starting next year, too late for the EU's parliamentary elections in June. Still, the rest of the world is a lot further behind.The world's biggest tech companies recently — and voluntarily — signed a pact to prevent AI tools from disrupting elections. For example, the company that owns Instagram and Facebook has said it will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/meta-adds-labels-to-ai-imagery-deepfakes-415163d053ed915042a04f1ec3d9eafa">start labeling</a>&nbsp;deepfakes that appear on its platforms.But deepfakes are harder to rein in on apps like the Telegram chat service, which did not sign the voluntary pact and uses encrypted chats that can be difficult to monitor.Some experts worry that efforts to rein in AI deepfakes could have unintended consequences.Well-meaning governments or companies might trample on the sometimes “very thin” line between political commentary and an “illegitimate attempt to smear a candidate,” said Tim Harper, a senior policy analyst at the Center for Democracy and Technology in Washington.Major generative AI services have rules to limit political disinformation. But experts say it remains too easy to outwit the platforms' restrictions or use alternative services that don't have the same safeguards.Even without bad intentions, the rising use of AI is problematic. Many popular AI-powered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ai-chatbots-elections-artificial-intelligence-chatgpt-falsehoods-cc50dd0f3f4e7cc322c7235220fc4c69?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">chatbots are still spitting out false and misleading information</a>&nbsp;that threatens to disenfranchise voters.And software isn't the only threat. Candidates could try to deceive voters by claiming that real events portraying them in an unfavorable light were manufactured by AI.“A world in which everything is suspect — and so everyone gets to choose what they believe — is also a world that’s really challenging for a flourishing democracy,” said Lisa Reppell, a researcher at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems in Arlington, Virginia.__Swenson reported from New York. Associated Press writers Julhas Alam in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Krutika Pathi in New Delhi, Huizhong Wu in Bangkok, Edna Tarigan in Jakarta, Indonesia, Dake Kang in Beijing, and Stephen McGrath in Bucharest, Romania, contributed to this report.__