TOPEKA — Kansas Republicans have condemned a fundraiser Friday night where attendees paid to kick and beat an effigy of President Joe Biden, distancing themselves from extremists who have seized control of the party.

The Biden-bashing antics were part of a Kansas GOP event in Johnson County, where rocker Ted Nugent and disgraced former Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline were the main attractions.

A video posted by “MolonLabeTruth” to the far-right social media platform Rumble shows “highlights” from the event, which also included karate chops to blocks that read “Let’s Go, Brandon,” code for a profane insult of Biden. The video shows several people at the event attempting a roundhouse kick to a mannequin bust with a Biden mask and “Let’s Go, Brandon” T-shirt. Another woman is seen beating the president’s face with a foam bat.

Kansas GOP chairman Mike Brown, an election denier who narrowly won the leadership position a year ago, touted the fundraiser event for weeks in official GOP emails — with no mention of the Biden effigy. General admission tickets were listed at $100, with premier seats for $300.

Brown didn’t respond to an email seeking comment for this story.

On Saturday, former GOP chairman Mike Kuckelman condemned the Biden bashing in a post on Kuckelman’s personal Facebook page. Other Republicans joined him in comments on the post.

Kuckelman said guests at the event were invited to beat the Biden effigy in exchange for a donation. He called for the resignations of Brown and Johnson County Republican Party chairwoman Maria Holiday.

“This conduct is shameful, and it is WRONG. Brown and Holiday must resign,” Kuckelman wrote. “Republicans, especially elected Republicans, must demand the resignations of Brown and Holiday. Silence is complicity in this case.”

Kuckelman said Republicans “rightfully demanded” that Kathy Griffin be canceled after a photo emerged with her holding a bloody, severed replica of then-President Donald Trump’s head. Republicans “must speak equally as loudly” about the bashing of Biden’s effigy, Kuckelman wrote.

“I don’t agree with President Biden’s policies, but he is a fellow human being,” Kuckelman wrote. “No one should condone or defend this horrific and shameful conduct.”

John Altevogt, a conservative social media commentator, said the event shows how far the party’s leadership has drifted from mainstream politics. He described Brown’s supporters as QAnon and white supremacists who have “no place in legitimate Republican political discourse.”

“What should become brazenly obvious from this post is the wide range of Republicans who are disgusted by this behavior,” Altevogt wrote in a comment on Kuckelman’s post. “There are Trump people here and Principles First people here. And yet, here we are, joined together to rid the party of this embarrassing scourge.”

Former state Sen. Michael O’Donnell called the event “sad.”

Others described it as “disturbing,” “disgusting,” “shocking,” “enraging,” and “despicable.” Several people said they were lifelong Republicans who were considering leaving the party.

Julie Roller Weeks, vice chairwoman of the Dickinson County Republicans, wrote: “We fight with our votes, NOT fists and bats. This is disgraceful!”

Brandon Kenig, who described himself as a former chairman of the Kansas Young Republicans and campaign volunteer, said the Republican Party “that supported democracy and fought autocracy has faded into history, and the only core tenant of the party that remains is full, undying loyalty to one man,” referencing the party’s presumed nominee for president.

“Sadly, this isn’t surprising at all,” Kenig wrote. “It’s the logical extension of a a cult-like mentality. When a majority of the party base sees the opposition as inherently evil and dehumanizes them repeatedly over policy disagreements, it’s only a small step to simulated political violence and then actual political violence. Due to the lack of courage from party leaders, most base voters embrace deep-seated lies such as 2020 election denialism, vaccine conspiracy theories, QAnon nonsense about politicians being pedos, the deep state, and worse, why wouldn’t those insane beliefs justify a response like this?”

Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, a Democrat from Lenexa, in Johnson County, encouraged GOP elected officials to condemn the beating of Biden’s effigy.

“Political violence of any kind is vile and wrong, and we cannot afford to brush it under the rug when others encourage it,” Sykes said. “The focus now has to be on Republican leadership of the Kansas Senate and House. If my colleagues in the Legislature agree that this conduct is shameful and dangerous, they cannot turn a blind eye to this behavior. Their silence is consent.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710156632753.jpeg" alt=" Kansas Republicans have called for the resignation of state GOP chairman Mike Brown, seen at the state GOP convention in February 2023. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Kansas Republicans have called for the resignation of state GOP chairman Mike Brown, seen at the state GOP convention in February 2023. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA — Kansas Republicans have condemned a fundraiser Friday night where attendees paid to kick and beat an effigy of President Joe Biden, distancing themselves from extremists who have seized control of the party.The Biden-bashing antics were part of a Kansas GOP event in Johnson County, where rocker Ted Nugent and disgraced former Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline were the main attractions.A video posted by “MolonLabeTruth” to the far-right social media platform Rumble shows “highlights” from the event, which also included karate chops to blocks that read “Let’s Go, Brandon,” code for a profane insult of Biden. The video shows several people at the event attempting a roundhouse kick to a mannequin bust with a Biden mask and “Let’s Go, Brandon” T-shirt. Another woman is seen beating the president’s face with a foam bat.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710156462660.png" alt="Image from the video" />
 <figcaption>Image from the video</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas GOP chairman Mike Brown, an election denier who narrowly won the leadership position a year ago, touted the fundraiser event for weeks in official GOP emails — with no mention of the Biden effigy. General admission tickets were listed at $100, with premier seats for $300.Brown didn’t respond to an email seeking comment for this story.On Saturday, former GOP chairman Mike Kuckelman condemned the Biden bashing in a post on Kuckelman’s personal Facebook page. Other Republicans joined him in comments on the post.Kuckelman said guests at the event were invited to beat the Biden effigy in exchange for a donation. He called for the resignations of Brown and Johnson County Republican Party chairwoman Maria Holiday.“This conduct is shameful, and it is WRONG. Brown and Holiday must resign,” Kuckelman wrote. “Republicans, especially elected Republicans, must demand the resignations of Brown and Holiday. Silence is complicity in this case.”Kuckelman said Republicans “rightfully demanded” that Kathy Griffin be canceled after a photo emerged with her holding a bloody, severed replica of then-President Donald Trump’s head. Republicans “must speak equally as loudly” about the bashing of Biden’s effigy, Kuckelman wrote.“I don’t agree with President Biden’s policies, but he is a fellow human being,” Kuckelman wrote. “No one should condone or defend this horrific and shameful conduct.”John Altevogt, a conservative social media commentator, said the event shows how far the party’s leadership has drifted from mainstream politics. He described Brown’s supporters as QAnon and white supremacists who have “no place in legitimate Republican political discourse.”“What should become brazenly obvious from this post is the wide range of Republicans who are disgusted by this behavior,” Altevogt wrote in a comment on Kuckelman’s post. “There are Trump people here and Principles First people here. And yet, here we are, joined together to rid the party of this embarrassing scourge.”Former state Sen. Michael O’Donnell called the event “sad.”Others described it as “disturbing,” “disgusting,” “shocking,” “enraging,” and “despicable.” Several people said they were lifelong Republicans who were considering leaving the party.Julie Roller Weeks, vice chairwoman of the Dickinson County Republicans, wrote: “We fight with our votes, NOT fists and bats. This is disgraceful!”Brandon Kenig, who described himself as a former chairman of the Kansas Young Republicans and campaign volunteer, said the Republican Party “that supported democracy and fought autocracy has faded into history, and the only core tenant of the party that remains is full, undying loyalty to one man,” referencing the party’s presumed nominee for president.“Sadly, this isn’t surprising at all,” Kenig wrote. “It’s the logical extension of a a cult-like mentality. When a majority of the party base sees the opposition as inherently evil and dehumanizes them repeatedly over policy disagreements, it’s only a small step to simulated political violence and then actual political violence. Due to the lack of courage from party leaders, most base voters embrace deep-seated lies such as 2020 election denialism, vaccine conspiracy theories, QAnon nonsense about politicians being pedos, the deep state, and worse, why wouldn’t those insane beliefs justify a response like this?”Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, a Democrat from Lenexa, in Johnson County, encouraged GOP elected officials to condemn the beating of Biden’s effigy.“Political violence of any kind is vile and wrong, and we cannot afford to brush it under the rug when others encourage it,” Sykes said. “The focus now has to be on Republican leadership of the Kansas Senate and House. If my colleagues in the Legislature agree that this conduct is shameful and dangerous, they cannot turn a blind eye to this behavior. Their silence is consent.”

Biden beaten in effigy at Kan. GOP fundraiser, drawing condemnation from fellow Republicans

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating three weekend shooting deaths in Kansas City.

Around 5:30.m. Saturday, police officers responded to a residence in 7300 block of Park Road, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.

First responders found two men suffering from gunshot wounds. Steven Mentzer, 29, was pronounced dead at the scene and another male victim was transported to hospital.&nbsp; Police have not reported an arrest or additional details.

At 4:30a.m. Sunday, police responded to a shooting in the 4800 block of Independence Avenue in Kansas City, according to Forte

First responders found a man dead in a parking lot and another man located inside business suffering from gunshot trauma. He was pronounced dead at a hospital, according to Forte'.&nbsp; The men who died are identified as&nbsp; 34-year-old Reginald McGee and&nbsp; 37-year-old Nicholas Lewis, according to KCPD.

Police have not reported additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710009419001.png" alt="Investigation in the 7300 Block of Park Road-Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Investigation in the 7300 Block of Park Road-Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating three weekend shooting deaths in Kansas City.Around 5:30.m. Saturday, police officers responded to a residence in 7300 block of Park Road, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.First responders found two men suffering from gunshot wounds. Steven Mentzer, 29, was pronounced dead at the scene and another male victim was transported to hospital.&nbsp; Police have not reported an arrest or additional details.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710117979268.png" alt="Investigators in the 4800 Block of Independence Ave. -Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte" />
 <figcaption>Investigators in the 4800 Block of Independence Ave. -Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte</figcaption>
 </figure>At 4:30a.m. Sunday, police responded to a shooting in the 4800 block of Independence Avenue in Kansas City, according to ForteFirst responders found a man dead in a parking lot and another man located inside business suffering from gunshot trauma. He was pronounced dead at a hospital, according to Forte'.&nbsp; The men who died are identified as&nbsp; 34-year-old Reginald McGee and&nbsp; 37-year-old Nicholas Lewis, according to KCPD.Police have not reported additional details.

Police investigating 3 weekend homicides in Kansas City

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A list of winners at the<a href="https://apnews.com/live/2024-Oscars-updates-winners">&nbsp;Academy Awards on Sunda</a>y:

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oppenheimer-oppenheimer-movie-review-christopher-nolan-c708d52c230a0574712ebe1298af070d" target="_blank">“Oppenheimer”</a>

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/emma-stone" target="_blank">Emma Stone, “Poor Things”</a>

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-downey-jr-oppenheimer-interview-b6d9c38b3735906940d86a6e8aa8bc27" target="_blank">Robert Downey Jr., “Oppenheimer”</a>

Da’Vine Joy Randolph,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/holdovers-alexander-payne-e45036178a7ce23c0bd045ccc1dd4ae1" target="_blank">“The Holdovers”</a>

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/christopher-nolan-oppenheimer-oscars-academy-awards-595ceb713efb026e2bcf3814b0cfa48a" target="_blank">Christopher Nolan, “Oppenheimer”</a>

“The Zone of Interest,” Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/soundtracks-2024-oscars-academy-awards-barbie-8d7f562b3c642362dfd90b8db3154458" target="_blank">“What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie”</a>

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/godzilla-minus-one-2d1c07f947a298c9c972b5f026344b71" target="_blank">“Godzilla Minus One”</a>

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/20-days-mariupol-oscar-nominations-documentary-d1256ee3cd3bf1a69787108513a7a761" target="_blank">“20 Days in Mariupol”</a>

“WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John &amp; Yoko”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boy-heron-miyazaki-movie-review-a38c35485066682e2c5026c69fef82be" target="_blank">“The Boy and the Heron”</a>

“Anatomy of a Fall,” Justine Triet and Arthur Harari

“Poor Things,” Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier and Josh Weston

“Poor Things,” James Price, Shona Heath and Zsuzsa Mihalek

“The Zone of Interest” (United Kingdom)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Oppenheimer,” a solemn three-hour biopic that became an unlikely billion-dollar box-office sensation, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/2024-oscars-updates-winners#0000018e-2b4d-d7d8-a7ee-bfdfe5f30000">crowned best picture at a 96th Academy Awards</a>&nbsp;that doubled as a coronation for Christopher Nolan.

After passing over arguably Hollywood’s foremost big-screen auteur for years, the Oscars made up for lost time by heaping seven awards on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oppenheimer-christopher-nolan-469cc81e0989f414a20db5508c7630a0">Nolan’s blockbuster biopic</a>, including best actor for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/best-actor-2024-oscars-e43fa9f19d0ebe413014e22a8bcbfe34">Cillian Murphy</a>, best supporting actor for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supporting-actor-2024-oscars-5320c80b0206acddf8cc0698ad70a4b7">Robert Downey Jr.</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/best-director-2024-oscars-7dbd4334dfbdef442d7e1a358520ec52">best director for Nolan</a>.

In anointing “Oppenheimer,” the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences did something it hasn’t done for more than a decade:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oscars-academy-awards-oppenheimer-barbie-blockbusters-5dd72660915a7aad6fe8e358172dad69">hand its top prize to a widely seen, big-budget studio film</a>. In a film industry where a cape, dinosaur or Tom Cruise has often been a requirement for such box office, “Oppenheimer” brought droves of moviegoers to theaters with a complex, fission-filled drama about J. Robert Oppenheimer and the creation of the atomic bomb.

“For better or worse, we’re all living in Oppenheimer’s world," said Murphy in his acceptance speech. "I’d like to dedicate this to the peacemakers.”

As a film heavy with unease for human capacity for mass destruction, “Oppenheimer” also emerged — even over its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barbenheimer-barbie-oppenheimer-double-feature-3f2cebb6720fb79b8584976f9e97eca0">partner in cultural phenomenon, “Barbie”</a>&nbsp;– as a fittingly foreboding film for times rife with cataclysm, man-made or not.

Sunday’s Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles unfolded against the backdrop of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">wars in Gaza</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Ukraine</a>, and with a potentially momentous U.S. election on the horizon. Awards for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/best-documentary-2024-oscars-61eadff6af5bb91d53737776c1a60ff8">documentary winner, “20 Days in Mariupol,”</a>&nbsp;and best&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/best-international-film-2024-oscars-winner-3bfe76af4d45930520d6ec143c2b33bc">international film, “The Zone of Interest,”</a>&nbsp;brought geopolitics into the Oscar spotlight.

The most closely watched contest went to Emma Stone, who won best actress for her performance as Bella Baxter in “Poor Things.” In what was seen as the night’s most nail-biting category, Stone won over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lily-gladstone-ap-breakthrough-entertainer-2023-905692b843b38751ad4e57705949e3ab">Lily Gladstone</a>&nbsp;of “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Gladstone would have become the first Native American to win an Academy Award.

Instead, Oscar voters couldn’t resist the full-bodied extremes of Stone’s “Poor Things” performance. The win for Stone, her second best actress Oscar following her 2017 win for “La La Land,” confirmed the 35-year-old as arguably the preeminent big-screen actress of her generation. The list of women to win best actress two or more times is illustrious, including Katharine Hepburn, Frances McDormand, Ingrid Bergman and Bette Davis.

“Oh, boy, this is really overwhelming,” said Stone, who fought back tears and a broken dress during her speech.

Sunday’s broadcast had razzle dazzle, including a sprawling song-and-dance rendition of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barbie-soundtrack-mark-ronson-f7b8ef9faf406a30576392197e72d237">“Barbie” hit “I’m Just Ken”</a>&nbsp;by Ryan Gosling, with an assist on guitar by Slash and a sea of Kens who swarmed the stage.

But protest and politics intruded on an election-year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/2024-oscars-updates-winners">Academy Awards</a>. Late during the show, host Jimmy Kimmel read a critical social media post from former president Donald Trump.

“Thank you for watching,” said Kimmel. “Isn’t it past your jail time?”

Nolan has had many movies in the Oscar mix before, including “Inception,” “Dunkirk” and “The Dark Knight.” But his win Sunday for direction is the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/best-director-2024-oscars-7dbd4334dfbdef442d7e1a358520ec52">first Academy Award for the 53-year-old filmmaker</a>. Addressing the crowd, Nolan noted cinema is just over a hundred years old.

“Imagine being there 100 years into painting or theater,” said Nolan, who shared the best-picture award with Emma Thomas, his wife and producer. “We don’t know where this incredible journey is going from here. But to know that you think that I’m a meaningful part of it means the world to me.”

Downey, nominated twice before (for “Chaplin” and “Tropic Thunder”), also notched his first Oscar, crowning the illustrious second act of his up-and-down career.

“I’d like to thank my terrible childhood and the academy, in that order,” said Downey,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-movies-robert-downey-jr-c28d5b1dc4bc197cc0beea2803f0955e">the son of filmmaker Robert Downey Sr.</a>

“Barbie,” last year’s biggest box-office hit with more than $1.4 billion in ticket sales, ultimately won just one award: best song (sorry, Ken) for Billie Eilish and Finneas’ “What Was I Made For?” It’s their second Oscar, two years after winning for their James Bond theme, “No Time to Die.”

Protests over Israel’s war in Gaza snarled traffic around the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, slowing stars’ arrival on the red carpet and turning the Oscar’ attention toward the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">ongoing conflict</a>. Some protesters shouted “Shame!” at those trying to reach the awards.

Jonathan Glazer, the British filmmaker whose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zone-of-interest-cannes-jonathan-glazer-auschwitz-0e5665079c18a37762cc4de19ddba4a1">chilling Auschwitz drama “The Zone of Interest”</a>&nbsp;won best international film, drew connections between the dehumanization depicted in his film and today.

“Right now, we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people, whether the victims of October the 7th in Israel, or the the ongoing attack on Gaza, all the victims, this dehumanization, how do we resist?”

A year after “Navalny” won the same award, Mstyslav Chernov’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-war-documentary-20-days-mariupol-82fadffb60f225d753203df3e16db56b">“20 Days in Mariupol,”</a>&nbsp;a harrowing chronicle of the early days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, won best documentary. The win, a first for The Associated Press and PBS’ “Frontline,” came as the war in Ukraine passed the two-year mark with no signs of abating.

Chernov, the Ukrainian filmmaker and AP journalist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/movies-documentaries-academy-awards-public-broadcasting-service-bobi-wine-01e000a048404c09a04710735b9ceaa8">whose hometown was bombed the day he learned of his Oscar nomination</a>, spoke forcefully about Russia’s invasion.

“This is the first Oscar in Ukrainian history, and I'm honored,” said Chernov. “Probably I will be the first director on this stage to say I wish I’d never made this film. I wish to be able to exchange this (for) Russia never attacking Ukraine.”

In the early going, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Frankenstein-riff “Poor Things” ran away with three prizes for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/poor-things-costumes-sets-yorgos-lanthimos-7b226f3941bf08c23a2bf2da1c7f3c1f">its sumptuous craft,</a>&nbsp;including awards for production design, makeup and hairstyling and costume design. “Poor Things” fared second best to “Oppenheimer,” with a total of four awards.

Kimmel, hosting the ABC telecast for the fourth time, opened the awards with an monologue that emphasized Hollywood as “a union town” following 2023's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hollywood-strikes/">actor and writer strikes</a>, drew a standing ovation for bringing out teamsters and behind-the-scenes workers — who are now entering their own labor negotiations.

The night's first award was one of its most predictable:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oscars-2024-supporting-actress-104c12c3cd5483e7baa685e6ac78f16b">Da'Vine Joy Randolph for best supporting actress</a>, for her performance in Alexander Payne's “The Holdovers.” An emotional Randolph was accompanied to the stage by her “Holdovers” co-star Paul Giamatti.

“For so long I've always wanted to be different,” said Randolph. "And now I realize I just need to be myself."

Though Randolph’s win was widely expected, an upset quickly followed. Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/best-animated-film-2024-oscars-346ebe9c9392126031969ff51044a4a2">won for best animated feature</a>, a surprise over the slightly favored “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.” Miyazaki, the 83-year-old Japanese anime master who came out of retirement to make&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boy-heron-miyazaki-movie-review-a38c35485066682e2c5026c69fef82be">“The Boy and the Heron,”</a>&nbsp;didn’t attend the ceremony. He also didn’t attend the 2003 Oscars when his “Spirited Away” won the same award.

Best original screenplay went to “Anatomy of a Fall,” which, like “Barbie," was penned by a couple: director Justine Triet and Arthur Harari. “This will help me through my midlife crisis, I think," said Triet.

In adapted screenplay, where “Barbie” was nominated — and where some suspected Greta Gerwig would win after being overlooked for director — the Oscar went to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cord-jefferson-american-fiction-tiff-toronto-film-festival-f16d5df808a6d7117c07442b9ad7ce02">Cord Jefferson</a>, who wrote and directed his feature film debut “American Fiction.” He pleaded for executives to take risks on young filmmakers like himself.

“Instead of making a $200 million movie, try making 20 $10 million movies,” said Jefferson, previously an award-winning TV writer.

The Oscars belonged largely to theatrical-first films. Though it came into the awards with 19 nominations, Netflix was a bit player. Its lone win came for live action short: Wes Anderson's “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” based on the story by Roald Dahl.

The win for “Oppenheimer” offered Hollywood a chance to celebrate despite swirling storm clouds in the film industry. Nolan’s film debuted last year just as actors joined screenwriters in a prolonged strike over streaming economics and artificial intelligence. The actors’ strike ended in November, but little of Hollywood’s unease subsided. Streaming has proved less lucrative for most studios not named Netflix.

But “Barbenheimer” was the kind of unplanned phenomenon Hollywood needs more of. The two films could also give a lift to the Oscar telecast, which has historically benefitted from having big movies in contention. The Academy Awards’ largest audience ever came when James Cameron’s “Titanic” swept the 1998 Oscars.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A list of winners at the<a href="https://apnews.com/live/2024-Oscars-updates-winners">&nbsp;Academy Awards on Sunda</a>y:<h2>BEST PICTURE</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/oppenheimer-oppenheimer-movie-review-christopher-nolan-c708d52c230a0574712ebe1298af070d" target="_blank">“Oppenheimer”</a><h2>BEST ACTRESS</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/emma-stone" target="_blank">Emma Stone, “Poor Things”</a><h2>BEST ACTOR</h2>Cillian Murphy, “Oppenheimer”<h2>SUPPORTING ACTOR</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-downey-jr-oppenheimer-interview-b6d9c38b3735906940d86a6e8aa8bc27" target="_blank">Robert Downey Jr., “Oppenheimer”</a><h2>SUPPORTING ACTRESS</h2>Da’Vine Joy Randolph,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/holdovers-alexander-payne-e45036178a7ce23c0bd045ccc1dd4ae1" target="_blank">“The Holdovers”</a><h2>DIRECTOR</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/christopher-nolan-oppenheimer-oscars-academy-awards-595ceb713efb026e2bcf3814b0cfa48a" target="_blank">Christopher Nolan, “Oppenheimer”</a><h2>LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM</h2>“The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar”<h2>SOUND</h2>“The Zone of Interest,” Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn<h2>ORIGINAL SCORE</h2>“Oppenheimer,” Ludwig Göransson<h2>ORIGINAL SONG</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/soundtracks-2024-oscars-academy-awards-barbie-8d7f562b3c642362dfd90b8db3154458" target="_blank">“What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie”</a><h2>VISUAL EFFECTS</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/godzilla-minus-one-2d1c07f947a298c9c972b5f026344b71" target="_blank">“Godzilla Minus One”</a><h2>FILM EDITING</h2>“Oppenheimer,” Jennifer Lame<h2>DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM</h2>“The Last Repair Shop”<h2>DOCUMENTARY FEATURE</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/20-days-mariupol-oscar-nominations-documentary-d1256ee3cd3bf1a69787108513a7a761" target="_blank">“20 Days in Mariupol”</a><h2>CINEMATOGRAPHY</h2>“Oppenheimer,” Hoyte Van Hoytema<h2>ANIMATED SHORT FILM</h2>“WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John &amp; Yoko”<h2>ANIMATED FILM</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/boy-heron-miyazaki-movie-review-a38c35485066682e2c5026c69fef82be" target="_blank">“The Boy and the Heron”</a><h2>ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY</h2>“Anatomy of a Fall,” Justine Triet and Arthur Harari<h2>ADAPTED SCREENPLAY</h2>“American Fiction,” Cord Jefferson<h2>MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING</h2>“Poor Things,” Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier and Josh Weston<h2>PRODUCTION DESIGN</h2>“Poor Things,” James Price, Shona Heath and Zsuzsa Mihalek<h2>COSTUME DESIGN</h2>“Poor Things,” Holly Waddington<h2>INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM</h2>“The Zone of Interest” (United Kingdom)-----------LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Oppenheimer,” a solemn three-hour biopic that became an unlikely billion-dollar box-office sensation, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/2024-oscars-updates-winners#0000018e-2b4d-d7d8-a7ee-bfdfe5f30000">crowned best picture at a 96th Academy Awards</a>&nbsp;that doubled as a coronation for Christopher Nolan.After passing over arguably Hollywood’s foremost big-screen auteur for years, the Oscars made up for lost time by heaping seven awards on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oppenheimer-christopher-nolan-469cc81e0989f414a20db5508c7630a0">Nolan’s blockbuster biopic</a>, including best actor for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/best-actor-2024-oscars-e43fa9f19d0ebe413014e22a8bcbfe34">Cillian Murphy</a>, best supporting actor for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supporting-actor-2024-oscars-5320c80b0206acddf8cc0698ad70a4b7">Robert Downey Jr.</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/best-director-2024-oscars-7dbd4334dfbdef442d7e1a358520ec52">best director for Nolan</a>.In anointing “Oppenheimer,” the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences did something it hasn’t done for more than a decade:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oscars-academy-awards-oppenheimer-barbie-blockbusters-5dd72660915a7aad6fe8e358172dad69">hand its top prize to a widely seen, big-budget studio film</a>. In a film industry where a cape, dinosaur or Tom Cruise has often been a requirement for such box office, “Oppenheimer” brought droves of moviegoers to theaters with a complex, fission-filled drama about J. Robert Oppenheimer and the creation of the atomic bomb.“For better or worse, we’re all living in Oppenheimer’s world," said Murphy in his acceptance speech. "I’d like to dedicate this to the peacemakers.”As a film heavy with unease for human capacity for mass destruction, “Oppenheimer” also emerged — even over its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barbenheimer-barbie-oppenheimer-double-feature-3f2cebb6720fb79b8584976f9e97eca0">partner in cultural phenomenon, “Barbie”</a>&nbsp;– as a fittingly foreboding film for times rife with cataclysm, man-made or not.Sunday’s Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles unfolded against the backdrop of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">wars in Gaza</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Ukraine</a>, and with a potentially momentous U.S. election on the horizon. Awards for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/best-documentary-2024-oscars-61eadff6af5bb91d53737776c1a60ff8">documentary winner, “20 Days in Mariupol,”</a>&nbsp;and best&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/best-international-film-2024-oscars-winner-3bfe76af4d45930520d6ec143c2b33bc">international film, “The Zone of Interest,”</a>&nbsp;brought geopolitics into the Oscar spotlight.The most closely watched contest went to Emma Stone, who won best actress for her performance as Bella Baxter in “Poor Things.” In what was seen as the night’s most nail-biting category, Stone won over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lily-gladstone-ap-breakthrough-entertainer-2023-905692b843b38751ad4e57705949e3ab">Lily Gladstone</a>&nbsp;of “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Gladstone would have become the first Native American to win an Academy Award.Instead, Oscar voters couldn’t resist the full-bodied extremes of Stone’s “Poor Things” performance. The win for Stone, her second best actress Oscar following her 2017 win for “La La Land,” confirmed the 35-year-old as arguably the preeminent big-screen actress of her generation. The list of women to win best actress two or more times is illustrious, including Katharine Hepburn, Frances McDormand, Ingrid Bergman and Bette Davis.“Oh, boy, this is really overwhelming,” said Stone, who fought back tears and a broken dress during her speech.Sunday’s broadcast had razzle dazzle, including a sprawling song-and-dance rendition of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barbie-soundtrack-mark-ronson-f7b8ef9faf406a30576392197e72d237">“Barbie” hit “I’m Just Ken”</a>&nbsp;by Ryan Gosling, with an assist on guitar by Slash and a sea of Kens who swarmed the stage.But protest and politics intruded on an election-year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/2024-oscars-updates-winners">Academy Awards</a>. Late during the show, host Jimmy Kimmel read a critical social media post from former president Donald Trump.“Thank you for watching,” said Kimmel. “Isn’t it past your jail time?”Nolan has had many movies in the Oscar mix before, including “Inception,” “Dunkirk” and “The Dark Knight.” But his win Sunday for direction is the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/best-director-2024-oscars-7dbd4334dfbdef442d7e1a358520ec52">first Academy Award for the 53-year-old filmmaker</a>. Addressing the crowd, Nolan noted cinema is just over a hundred years old.“Imagine being there 100 years into painting or theater,” said Nolan, who shared the best-picture award with Emma Thomas, his wife and producer. “We don’t know where this incredible journey is going from here. But to know that you think that I’m a meaningful part of it means the world to me.”Downey, nominated twice before (for “Chaplin” and “Tropic Thunder”), also notched his first Oscar, crowning the illustrious second act of his up-and-down career.“I’d like to thank my terrible childhood and the academy, in that order,” said Downey,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-movies-robert-downey-jr-c28d5b1dc4bc197cc0beea2803f0955e">the son of filmmaker Robert Downey Sr.</a>“Barbie,” last year’s biggest box-office hit with more than $1.4 billion in ticket sales, ultimately won just one award: best song (sorry, Ken) for Billie Eilish and Finneas’ “What Was I Made For?” It’s their second Oscar, two years after winning for their James Bond theme, “No Time to Die.”Protests over Israel’s war in Gaza snarled traffic around the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, slowing stars’ arrival on the red carpet and turning the Oscar’ attention toward the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">ongoing conflict</a>. Some protesters shouted “Shame!” at those trying to reach the awards.Jonathan Glazer, the British filmmaker whose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zone-of-interest-cannes-jonathan-glazer-auschwitz-0e5665079c18a37762cc4de19ddba4a1">chilling Auschwitz drama “The Zone of Interest”</a>&nbsp;won best international film, drew connections between the dehumanization depicted in his film and today.“Right now, we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people, whether the victims of October the 7th in Israel, or the the ongoing attack on Gaza, all the victims, this dehumanization, how do we resist?”A year after “Navalny” won the same award, Mstyslav Chernov’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-war-documentary-20-days-mariupol-82fadffb60f225d753203df3e16db56b">“20 Days in Mariupol,”</a>&nbsp;a harrowing chronicle of the early days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, won best documentary. The win, a first for The Associated Press and PBS’ “Frontline,” came as the war in Ukraine passed the two-year mark with no signs of abating.Chernov, the Ukrainian filmmaker and AP journalist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/movies-documentaries-academy-awards-public-broadcasting-service-bobi-wine-01e000a048404c09a04710735b9ceaa8">whose hometown was bombed the day he learned of his Oscar nomination</a>, spoke forcefully about Russia’s invasion.“This is the first Oscar in Ukrainian history, and I'm honored,” said Chernov. “Probably I will be the first director on this stage to say I wish I’d never made this film. I wish to be able to exchange this (for) Russia never attacking Ukraine.”In the early going, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Frankenstein-riff “Poor Things” ran away with three prizes for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/poor-things-costumes-sets-yorgos-lanthimos-7b226f3941bf08c23a2bf2da1c7f3c1f">its sumptuous craft,</a>&nbsp;including awards for production design, makeup and hairstyling and costume design. “Poor Things” fared second best to “Oppenheimer,” with a total of four awards.Kimmel, hosting the ABC telecast for the fourth time, opened the awards with an monologue that emphasized Hollywood as “a union town” following 2023's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hollywood-strikes/">actor and writer strikes</a>, drew a standing ovation for bringing out teamsters and behind-the-scenes workers — who are now entering their own labor negotiations.The night's first award was one of its most predictable:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oscars-2024-supporting-actress-104c12c3cd5483e7baa685e6ac78f16b">Da'Vine Joy Randolph for best supporting actress</a>, for her performance in Alexander Payne's “The Holdovers.” An emotional Randolph was accompanied to the stage by her “Holdovers” co-star Paul Giamatti.“For so long I've always wanted to be different,” said Randolph. "And now I realize I just need to be myself."Though Randolph’s win was widely expected, an upset quickly followed. Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/best-animated-film-2024-oscars-346ebe9c9392126031969ff51044a4a2">won for best animated feature</a>, a surprise over the slightly favored “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.” Miyazaki, the 83-year-old Japanese anime master who came out of retirement to make&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boy-heron-miyazaki-movie-review-a38c35485066682e2c5026c69fef82be">“The Boy and the Heron,”</a>&nbsp;didn’t attend the ceremony. He also didn’t attend the 2003 Oscars when his “Spirited Away” won the same award.Best original screenplay went to “Anatomy of a Fall,” which, like “Barbie," was penned by a couple: director Justine Triet and Arthur Harari. “This will help me through my midlife crisis, I think," said Triet.In adapted screenplay, where “Barbie” was nominated — and where some suspected Greta Gerwig would win after being overlooked for director — the Oscar went to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cord-jefferson-american-fiction-tiff-toronto-film-festival-f16d5df808a6d7117c07442b9ad7ce02">Cord Jefferson</a>, who wrote and directed his feature film debut “American Fiction.” He pleaded for executives to take risks on young filmmakers like himself.“Instead of making a $200 million movie, try making 20 $10 million movies,” said Jefferson, previously an award-winning TV writer.The Oscars belonged largely to theatrical-first films. Though it came into the awards with 19 nominations, Netflix was a bit player. Its lone win came for live action short: Wes Anderson's “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” based on the story by Roald Dahl.The win for “Oppenheimer” offered Hollywood a chance to celebrate despite swirling storm clouds in the film industry. Nolan’s film debuted last year just as actors joined screenwriters in a prolonged strike over streaming economics and artificial intelligence. The actors’ strike ended in November, but little of Hollywood’s unease subsided. Streaming has proved less lucrative for most studios not named Netflix.But “Barbenheimer” was the kind of unplanned phenomenon Hollywood needs more of. The two films could also give a lift to the Oscar telecast, which has historically benefitted from having big movies in contention. The Academy Awards’ largest audience ever came when James Cameron’s “Titanic” swept the 1998 Oscars.

Who won? See the full list of Academy Award winners for 2024

SALINE COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 11:30p.m. Sunday in Saline County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Toyota Camry driven by Michael D&nbsp;Fussell, 42,&nbsp;Roanoke, Virginia, was&nbsp; eastbound on Interstate 70 just east of the Brookville-Tescott exit twelve miles west of Salina.

&nbsp;The car crossed the center median and struck a westbound Volvo semi driven by Brandon D. Allen, 33, Chicago, Illinois.

Fussell was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Ryan's Mortuary. EMS transported Allen and a passenger Victor A.&nbsp; Concepcion, 28, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Salina Regional Health Center. Fussell was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Interstate 70 westbound, between U.S. 81 and Lincoln County Line/Saline County Line was closed until just after 8a.m. due to the crash. Click&nbsp;<a href="https://kandrive.gov/@-101.43512,39.04521,6?show=roadReports,constructionReports,trafficSpeeds,winterDriving,weatherRadar">KanDrive&nbsp;</a>for updates.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710153427869.png" alt="Photo KHP" />
 <figcaption>Photo KHP</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 11:30p.m. Sunday in Saline County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Toyota Camry driven by Michael D&nbsp;Fussell, 42,&nbsp;Roanoke, Virginia, was&nbsp; eastbound on Interstate 70 just east of the Brookville-Tescott exit twelve miles west of Salina.&nbsp;The car crossed the center median and struck a westbound Volvo semi driven by Brandon D. Allen, 33, Chicago, Illinois.Fussell was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Ryan's Mortuary. EMS transported Allen and a passenger Victor A.&nbsp; Concepcion, 28, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Salina Regional Health Center. Fussell was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.Interstate 70 westbound, between U.S. 81 and Lincoln County Line/Saline County Line was closed until just after 8a.m. due to the crash. Click&nbsp;<a href="https://kandrive.gov/@-101.43512,39.04521,6?show=roadReports,constructionReports,trafficSpeeds,winterDriving,weatherRadar">KanDrive&nbsp;</a>for updates.

Driver dead, 2 hospitalized after crash with a semi on I-70

LONDON (AP) — Kate, the Princess of Wales, has apologized for “confusion”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kate-princess-photo-surgery-ca91acf667c87c6c70a7838347d6d4fb">caused by her editing of a family photo</a>&nbsp;released by the palace.

In a post on social media, Kate said that “like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing.”

“I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused,” the post said.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/princess-wales-kate-surgery-photo-manipulated-3863e9ac78aec420a91e4f315297c348">The Associated Press</a>&nbsp;and other news agencies withdrew the photo of Kate and children George, Charlotte and Louis, which was issued by Kensington Palace on Sunday to mark Mother’s Day in Britain. It appeared to have been manipulated, in violation of AP photo guidelines.

The palace said the photo was taken by Prince William.

It was the first official photo of Kate since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kate-princess-of-wales-operation-uk-royals-eea1a111a295152b8820b94fd257c12d">her abdominal surgery</a>&nbsp;nearly two months ago, and followed weeks of speculation about her whereabouts. Designed to quell speculation, it has sparked even more conjecture.

LONDON (AP) — The first official photo of Kate, the Princess of Wales, since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kate-princess-of-wales-operation-uk-royals-eea1a111a295152b8820b94fd257c12d">her abdominal surgery</a>&nbsp;nearly two months ago was issued after weeks of speculation about her whereabouts.

But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/princess-wales-kate-surgery-photo-manipulated-3863e9ac78aec420a91e4f315297c348">The Associated Press</a>&nbsp;and other news agencies retracted it from publication because it appeared to have been manipulated, fueling more conjecture.

The photo issued Sunday of Kate in a chair surrounded by her three children was credited to her husband,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prince-william-king-charles-iii-cancer-royals-ef3beca1f05ad2e6161f877902747bcd">William, Prince of Wales</a>&nbsp;and heir to the throne, and was said to have been taken earlier in the week in Windsor.

“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months,” Kate said on social media. “Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day.”

AP initially published the photo, which was issued by Kensington Palace. While there was no suggestion the photo was fake, AP retracted it because closer inspection revealed the source had manipulated the image in a way that did not meet AP’s photo standards. For instance, the photo shows an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte’s left hand.

The Kensington Palace media office is not open on weekends and a voicemail left for a spokesperson was not immediately returned.

On Monday, Britain’s national news agency, PA, said it was also withdrawing the photo. PA said it had asked Kensington Palace for clarification about the image and “in the absence of that clarification, we are killing the image from our picture service.”

The release of the photo followed weeks of gossip on social media about what had happened to Kate since she left a hospital Jan. 29 after a nearly two-week stay following planned surgery. She hadn’t been seen publicly since Christmas Day.

The royal family has been under more scrutiny than usual in recent weeks, because both Kate and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/king-charles-iii-cancer-britain-e0408a7c9bb86ad2af8754ce4b37d65e">King Charles III</a>&nbsp;can’t carry out their usual public duties due to health problems.

Royal officials say Charles is undergoing treatment for an unspecified form of cancer, which was discovered during treatment for an enlarged prostate. The monarch has canceled all his public engagements while he receives treatment, though he has been photographed walking to church and meeting privately with government officials and dignitaries.

Kate, 42, underwent surgery Jan. 16 and her condition and the reason for the surgery have not been revealed, though Kensington Palace, Prince William and Kate’s office said it was not cancer-related.

Although the palace initially said that it would only provide significant updates and that she would not return to royal duties before Easter — March 31 this year — it followed up with a statement last month amid the rumors and conspiracy theories by saying she was doing well and reiterating its previous statement.

“Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess’ recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates,” the palace said Feb. 29. “That guidance stands.”

At the time, royal aides told The Sun newspaper: “We’ve seen the madness of social media and that is not going to change our strategy. There has been much on social media but the Princess has a right to privacy and asks the public to respect that.”

Further questions were raised last week when the British military appeared to jump the gun in announcing Kate would attend a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/king-charles-iii-trooping-color-638ceb562184e4a9840dc690908eea3f">Trooping the Color</a>&nbsp;ceremony in June, apparently without consulting palace officials.

The appearance would have been her first major official duty since the surgery, but Kensington Palace didn’t confirm any scheduled public events for Kate. It’s up to palace officials, not government departments, to announce and confirm the royals’ attendance at events.

The army later removed the reference to her attendance.

British media reported that the army did not seek approval from Kensington Palace before publishing details about Kate’s appearance in June, and announced the event based on the expectation that Kate, in her role as Colonel of the Irish Guards, would inspect the troops this year at the annual military ceremony.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710119081075.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LONDON (AP) — Kate, the Princess of Wales, has apologized for “confusion”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kate-princess-photo-surgery-ca91acf667c87c6c70a7838347d6d4fb">caused by her editing of a family photo</a>&nbsp;released by the palace.In a post on social media, Kate said that “like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The front page of tomorrow&#39;s Daily Telegraph: &#39;Photo from palace was doctored, say agencies&#39;<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TomorrowsPapersToday?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TomorrowsPapersToday</a> Sign up for the Front Page newsletter<a href="https://t.co/x8AV4OoUh6">https://t.co/x8AV4OoUh6</a> <a href="https://t.co/36gJr4uH2Q">pic.twitter.com/36gJr4uH2Q</a>&mdash; The Telegraph (@Telegraph) <a href="https://twitter.com/Telegraph/status/1766955144904884723?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused,” the post said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C&mdash; The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1767135566645092616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><a href="https://apnews.com/article/princess-wales-kate-surgery-photo-manipulated-3863e9ac78aec420a91e4f315297c348">The Associated Press</a>&nbsp;and other news agencies withdrew the photo of Kate and children George, Charlotte and Louis, which was issued by Kensington Palace on Sunday to mark Mother’s Day in Britain. It appeared to have been manipulated, in violation of AP photo guidelines.The palace said the photo was taken by Prince William.It was the first official photo of Kate since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kate-princess-of-wales-operation-uk-royals-eea1a111a295152b8820b94fd257c12d">her abdominal surgery</a>&nbsp;nearly two months ago, and followed weeks of speculation about her whereabouts. Designed to quell speculation, it has sparked even more conjecture.--------------LONDON (AP) — The first official photo of Kate, the Princess of Wales, since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kate-princess-of-wales-operation-uk-royals-eea1a111a295152b8820b94fd257c12d">her abdominal surgery</a>&nbsp;nearly two months ago was issued after weeks of speculation about her whereabouts.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The front page of tomorrow&#39;s Daily Telegraph: &#39;Photo from palace was doctored, say agencies&#39;<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TomorrowsPapersToday?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TomorrowsPapersToday</a> Sign up for the Front Page newsletter<a href="https://t.co/x8AV4OoUh6">https://t.co/x8AV4OoUh6</a> <a href="https://t.co/36gJr4uH2Q">pic.twitter.com/36gJr4uH2Q</a>&mdash; The Telegraph (@Telegraph) <a href="https://twitter.com/Telegraph/status/1766955144904884723?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/princess-wales-kate-surgery-photo-manipulated-3863e9ac78aec420a91e4f315297c348">The Associated Press</a>&nbsp;and other news agencies retracted it from publication because it appeared to have been manipulated, fueling more conjecture.The photo issued Sunday of Kate in a chair surrounded by her three children was credited to her husband,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prince-william-king-charles-iii-cancer-royals-ef3beca1f05ad2e6161f877902747bcd">William, Prince of Wales</a>&nbsp;and heir to the throne, and was said to have been taken earlier in the week in Windsor.“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months,” Kate said on social media. “Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day.”AP initially published the photo, which was issued by Kensington Palace. While there was no suggestion the photo was fake, AP retracted it because closer inspection revealed the source had manipulated the image in a way that did not meet AP’s photo standards. For instance, the photo shows an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte’s left hand.The Kensington Palace media office is not open on weekends and a voicemail left for a spokesperson was not immediately returned.On Monday, Britain’s national news agency, PA, said it was also withdrawing the photo. PA said it had asked Kensington Palace for clarification about the image and “in the absence of that clarification, we are killing the image from our picture service.”The release of the photo followed weeks of gossip on social media about what had happened to Kate since she left a hospital Jan. 29 after a nearly two-week stay following planned surgery. She hadn’t been seen publicly since Christmas Day.The royal family has been under more scrutiny than usual in recent weeks, because both Kate and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/king-charles-iii-cancer-britain-e0408a7c9bb86ad2af8754ce4b37d65e">King Charles III</a>&nbsp;can’t carry out their usual public duties due to health problems.Royal officials say Charles is undergoing treatment for an unspecified form of cancer, which was discovered during treatment for an enlarged prostate. The monarch has canceled all his public engagements while he receives treatment, though he has been photographed walking to church and meeting privately with government officials and dignitaries.Kate, 42, underwent surgery Jan. 16 and her condition and the reason for the surgery have not been revealed, though Kensington Palace, Prince William and Kate’s office said it was not cancer-related.Although the palace initially said that it would only provide significant updates and that she would not return to royal duties before Easter — March 31 this year — it followed up with a statement last month amid the rumors and conspiracy theories by saying she was doing well and reiterating its previous statement.“Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess’ recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates,” the palace said Feb. 29. “That guidance stands.”At the time, royal aides told The Sun newspaper: “We’ve seen the madness of social media and that is not going to change our strategy. There has been much on social media but the Princess has a right to privacy and asks the public to respect that.”Further questions were raised last week when the British military appeared to jump the gun in announcing Kate would attend a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/king-charles-iii-trooping-color-638ceb562184e4a9840dc690908eea3f">Trooping the Color</a>&nbsp;ceremony in June, apparently without consulting palace officials.The appearance would have been her first major official duty since the surgery, but Kensington Palace didn’t confirm any scheduled public events for Kate. It’s up to palace officials, not government departments, to announce and confirm the royals’ attendance at events.The army later removed the reference to her attendance.British media reported that the army did not seek approval from Kensington Palace before publishing details about Kate’s appearance in June, and announced the event based on the expectation that Kate, in her role as Colonel of the Irish Guards, would inspect the troops this year at the annual military ceremony.

Controversy surrounds first photo of Princess of Wales since surgery 

SEDGWICK COUNTY—&nbsp;A man with a previous abuse conviction who was also accused in the violent death of his 8-year-old daughter entered a plea in the case last week.

<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=740792">Thomas Gatewood, </a>52, Wichita, plead no contest to first-degree murder, kidnapping, aggravated battery, abuse of a child, rape, criminal sodomy, aggravated endangering of a child aggravated indecent liberties with a child and aggravated intimidation of a witness, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

On May 8, of 2023 police&nbsp;were dispatched to a residence in the 600 block of N. Oliver in Wichita after report of an&nbsp;unresponsive 8-year-old girl, according to Officer&nbsp; Kris Gupilan. The child was pronounced deceased at the scene.

&nbsp;A warrant was issued for Gatewood's arrest for the murder of his 8-year-old daughter

Wichita Police Officers utilized FLOCK technology and Thomas was quickly located and taken into custody within hours of the warrant being issued.&nbsp;

The Exploited and Missing Children’s Unit and Homicide detectives investigated the incident and presented a case to the District Attorney’s office. Prosecutors say Gatewood had repeatedly beaten and even stomped on the 8-year-old and an autopsy revealed that her heart had ruptured. Another child in the house was also abused.

Court documents show he was previously charged with child abuse in Oklahoma in 2009.&nbsp;

Gatewood was scheduled to face a trial in the case March 11. Sentencing in scheduled for April 25 according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687976261144.png" alt="Gatewood-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Gatewood-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—&nbsp;A man with a previous abuse conviction who was also accused in the violent death of his 8-year-old daughter entered a plea in the case last week.<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=740792">Thomas Gatewood, </a>52, Wichita, plead no contest to first-degree murder, kidnapping, aggravated battery, abuse of a child, rape, criminal sodomy, aggravated endangering of a child aggravated indecent liberties with a child and aggravated intimidation of a witness, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.On May 8, of 2023 police&nbsp;were dispatched to a residence in the 600 block of N. Oliver in Wichita after report of an&nbsp;unresponsive 8-year-old girl, according to Officer&nbsp; Kris Gupilan. The child was pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp;A warrant was issued for Gatewood's arrest for the murder of his 8-year-old daughterWichita Police Officers utilized FLOCK technology and Thomas was quickly located and taken into custody within hours of the warrant being issued.&nbsp;The Exploited and Missing Children’s Unit and Homicide detectives investigated the incident and presented a case to the District Attorney’s office. Prosecutors say Gatewood had repeatedly beaten and even stomped on the 8-year-old and an autopsy revealed that her heart had ruptured. Another child in the house was also abused.Court documents show he was previously charged with child abuse in Oklahoma in 2009.&nbsp;Gatewood was scheduled to face a trial in the case March 11. Sentencing in scheduled for April 25 according to the district attorney's office.-The aP contributed to this report.

Kan. man enters plea in violent beating death of 8-year-old daughter

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man faces multiple felony charges for a shooting on Saturday in the Northeast area of Kansas City, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Abdisalaan H. Mohamud, 29, faces Assault in the 1st Degree, Armed Criminal Action, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm and Resisting a Lawful Stop.

According to court records,&nbsp; Kansas City Police Department officers were dispatched to the 1400 block of Independence Avenue on a reported shooting. 

Officers found a victim near 9th and Woodland Avenue who had been shot when a red van pulled up next to the victim's vehicle, leaned out of the window with a rifle and began firing in the victim's vehicle. 

The victim suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Witnesses helped the officers locate the truck. Officers attempted a traffic stop but the vehicle's driver, later identified as&nbsp;Mohamud, fled. Officers chased the vehicle at high speeds until&nbsp;Mohamud  crashed his vehicle at Truman Road and Van Brunt Blvd. and was taken into custody.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709671835920.png" alt="Mohamud-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Mohamud-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man faces multiple felony charges for a shooting on Saturday in the Northeast area of Kansas City, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Abdisalaan H. Mohamud, 29, faces Assault in the 1st Degree, Armed Criminal Action, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm and Resisting a Lawful Stop.According to court records,&nbsp; Kansas City Police Department officers were dispatched to the 1400 block of Independence Avenue on a reported shooting. Officers found a victim near 9th and Woodland Avenue who had been shot when a red van pulled up next to the victim's vehicle, leaned out of the window with a rifle and began firing in the victim's vehicle. The victim suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Witnesses helped the officers locate the truck. Officers attempted a traffic stop but the vehicle's driver, later identified as&nbsp;Mohamud, fled. Officers chased the vehicle at high speeds until&nbsp;Mohamud crashed his vehicle at Truman Road and Van Brunt Blvd. and was taken into custody.He is being held on a $200,000 bond.

KC shooting suspect arrested after chase and crash

REDMOND, Wash. (AP) —A Microsoft engineer is sounding alarms about offensive and harmful imagery he says is too easily made by the company's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/microsoft-windows-copilot-keyboard-ai-button-27078255bd934bf84d3cc6fbe37bb17c">artificial intelligence image-generator tool</a>, sending letters on Wednesday to U.S. regulators and the tech giant's board of directors urging them to take action.

Shane Jones told The Associated Press that he considers himself a whistleblower and that he also met last month with U.S. Senate staffers to share his concerns.

The Federal Trade Commission confirmed it received his letter Wednesday but declined further comment.

Microsoft said it is committed to addressing employee concerns about company policies and that it appreciates Jones' "effort in studying and testing our latest technology to further enhance its safety.” It said it had recommended he use the company’s own “robust internal reporting channels” to investigate and address the problems. CNBC was first to report about the letters.

Jones, a principal software engineering lead whose job involves working on AI products for Microsoft's retail customers, said he has spent three months trying to address his safety concerns about Microsoft's Copilot Designer, a tool that can generate novel images from written prompts. The tool is derived from another AI image-generator, DALL-E 3, made by Microsoft's close&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/openai-sam-altman-investigation-chatgpt-elon-musk-ff9f20b1e687064d9f7f43af5844148e">business partner OpenAI</a>.

“One of the most concerning risks with Copilot Designer is when the product generates images that add harmful content despite a benign request from the user,” he said in his letter addressed to FTC Chair Lina Khan. “For example, when using just the prompt, ‘car accident’, Copilot Designer has a tendency to randomly include an inappropriate, sexually objectified image of a woman in some of the pictures it creates.”

Other harmful content involves violence as well as “political bias, underaged drinking and drug use, misuse of corporate trademarks and copyrights, conspiracy theories, and religion to name a few,” he told the FTC. Jones said he repeatedly asked the company to take the product off the market until it is safer, or at least change its age rating on smartphones to make clear it is for mature audiences.

His letter to Microsoft's board asks it to launch an independent investigation that would look at whether Microsoft is marketing unsafe products “without disclosing known risks to consumers, including children.”

This is not the first time Jones has publicly aired his concerns. He said Microsoft at first advised him to take his findings directly to OpenAI.

When that didn't work, he also publicly posted a letter to OpenAI on Microsoft-owned LinkedIn in December, leading a manager to inform him that Microsoft's legal team “demanded that I delete the post, which I reluctantly did,” according to his letter to the board.

In addition to the U.S. Senate's Commerce Committee, Jones has brought his concerns to the state attorney general in Washington, where Microsoft is headquartered.

Jones told the AP that while the “core issue” is with OpenAI's DALL-E model, those who use OpenAI's ChatGPT to generate AI images won't get the same harmful outputs because the two companies overlay their products with different safeguards.

“Many of the issues with Copilot Designer are already addressed with ChatGPT's own safeguards,” he said via text.

A number of impressive AI image-generators first came on the scene in 2022, including the second generation of OpenAI's DALL-E 2. That — and the subsequent release of OpenAI's chatbot ChatGPT — sparked public fascination that put commercial pressure on tech giants such as Microsoft and Google to release their own versions.

But without effective safeguards, the technology poses dangers, including the ease with which users can generate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-ai-images-protecttaylorswift-nonconsensual-d5eb3f98084bcbb670a185f7aeec78b1">harmful “deepfake” images</a>&nbsp;of political figures,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-hamas-israel-misinformation-ai-gaza-a1bb303b637ffbbb9cbc3aa1e000db47">war zones</a>&nbsp;or nonconsensual nudity that falsely appear to show real people with recognizable faces. Google has temporarily suspended its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/google-gemini-ai-chatbot-imagegenerator-race-c7e14de837aa65dd84f6e7ed6cfc4f4b">Gemini chatbot's</a>&nbsp;ability to generate images of people following outrage over how it was depicting race and ethnicity, such as by putting people of color in Nazi-era military uniforms.

REDMOND, Wash. (AP) —A Microsoft engineer is sounding alarms about offensive and harmful imagery he says is too easily made by the company's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/microsoft-windows-copilot-keyboard-ai-button-27078255bd934bf84d3cc6fbe37bb17c">artificial intelligence image-generator tool</a>, sending letters on Wednesday to U.S. regulators and the tech giant's board of directors urging them to take action.Shane Jones told The Associated Press that he considers himself a whistleblower and that he also met last month with U.S. Senate staffers to share his concerns.The Federal Trade Commission confirmed it received his letter Wednesday but declined further comment.Microsoft said it is committed to addressing employee concerns about company policies and that it appreciates Jones' "effort in studying and testing our latest technology to further enhance its safety.” It said it had recommended he use the company’s own “robust internal reporting channels” to investigate and address the problems. CNBC was first to report about the letters.Jones, a principal software engineering lead whose job involves working on AI products for Microsoft's retail customers, said he has spent three months trying to address his safety concerns about Microsoft's Copilot Designer, a tool that can generate novel images from written prompts. The tool is derived from another AI image-generator, DALL-E 3, made by Microsoft's close&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/openai-sam-altman-investigation-chatgpt-elon-musk-ff9f20b1e687064d9f7f43af5844148e">business partner OpenAI</a>.“One of the most concerning risks with Copilot Designer is when the product generates images that add harmful content despite a benign request from the user,” he said in his letter addressed to FTC Chair Lina Khan. “For example, when using just the prompt, ‘car accident’, Copilot Designer has a tendency to randomly include an inappropriate, sexually objectified image of a woman in some of the pictures it creates.”Other harmful content involves violence as well as “political bias, underaged drinking and drug use, misuse of corporate trademarks and copyrights, conspiracy theories, and religion to name a few,” he told the FTC. Jones said he repeatedly asked the company to take the product off the market until it is safer, or at least change its age rating on smartphones to make clear it is for mature audiences.His letter to Microsoft's board asks it to launch an independent investigation that would look at whether Microsoft is marketing unsafe products “without disclosing known risks to consumers, including children.”This is not the first time Jones has publicly aired his concerns. He said Microsoft at first advised him to take his findings directly to OpenAI.When that didn't work, he also publicly posted a letter to OpenAI on Microsoft-owned LinkedIn in December, leading a manager to inform him that Microsoft's legal team “demanded that I delete the post, which I reluctantly did,” according to his letter to the board.In addition to the U.S. Senate's Commerce Committee, Jones has brought his concerns to the state attorney general in Washington, where Microsoft is headquartered.Jones told the AP that while the “core issue” is with OpenAI's DALL-E model, those who use OpenAI's ChatGPT to generate AI images won't get the same harmful outputs because the two companies overlay their products with different safeguards.“Many of the issues with Copilot Designer are already addressed with ChatGPT's own safeguards,” he said via text.A number of impressive AI image-generators first came on the scene in 2022, including the second generation of OpenAI's DALL-E 2. That — and the subsequent release of OpenAI's chatbot ChatGPT — sparked public fascination that put commercial pressure on tech giants such as Microsoft and Google to release their own versions.But without effective safeguards, the technology poses dangers, including the ease with which users can generate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-ai-images-protecttaylorswift-nonconsensual-d5eb3f98084bcbb670a185f7aeec78b1">harmful “deepfake” images</a>&nbsp;of political figures,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-hamas-israel-misinformation-ai-gaza-a1bb303b637ffbbb9cbc3aa1e000db47">war zones</a>&nbsp;or nonconsensual nudity that falsely appear to show real people with recognizable faces. Google has temporarily suspended its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/google-gemini-ai-chatbot-imagegenerator-race-c7e14de837aa65dd84f6e7ed6cfc4f4b">Gemini chatbot's</a>&nbsp;ability to generate images of people following outrage over how it was depicting race and ethnicity, such as by putting people of color in Nazi-era military uniforms.

Microsoft engineer sounds alarm on AI image-generator to US officials 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/birth-control-pills-without-prescription-fda-b6728e98af5f1625520e0fa5fbc911c3">over-the-counter birth control pill</a>&nbsp;will be available in U.S. stores later this month, allowing American women and teens to purchase contraceptive medication as easily as they buy aspirin.

Manufacturer Perrigo said Monday it has begun shipping the medication, Opill, to major retailers and pharmacies. A one-month supply will cost about $20 and a three-month supply will cost around $50, according to the company's suggested retail price. It will also be sold online.

The launch has been closely watched since last July, when the Food and Drug Administration said the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-science-health-birth-control-861d6d425e692ee1ead1d59926e5f3cd">once-a-day Opill</a>&nbsp;could be sold without a prescription. Ireland-based Perrigo noted there will be no age restrictions on sales, similar to other over-the-counter medications.

Opill is an older class of contraceptive, sometimes called minipills, that contain a single synthetic hormone, progestin, and generally carry fewer side effects than more popular combination estrogen and progestin pills.

The launch gives U.S. women another birth control option amid the legal and political battles over reproductive health, including the reversal of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">Roe v. Wade</a>, which has upended abortion access across the U.S. Opill’s approval is unrelated to the ongoing court battles over the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mifepristone-supreme-court-abortion-d451e14148ffbe6ce4811b1a37651480">abortion pill mifepristone</a>. And anti-abortion groups have generally emphasized that they do not oppose contraceptives to prevent pregnancies.

Birth control pills are available without a prescription across much of South America, Asia and Africa.

The drug’s approval came despite some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/birth-control-pills-without-prescription-3228f5d93f5b6583cdc1be9ce4557373">concerns by FDA scientists</a>&nbsp;about the company’s results, including whether women with certain medical conditions would understand that they shouldn’t take the drug.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/birth-control-pills-without-prescription-fda-b6728e98af5f1625520e0fa5fbc911c3">over-the-counter birth control pill</a>&nbsp;will be available in U.S. stores later this month, allowing American women and teens to purchase contraceptive medication as easily as they buy aspirin.Manufacturer Perrigo said Monday it has begun shipping the medication, Opill, to major retailers and pharmacies. A one-month supply will cost about $20 and a three-month supply will cost around $50, according to the company's suggested retail price. It will also be sold online.The launch has been closely watched since last July, when the Food and Drug Administration said the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-science-health-birth-control-861d6d425e692ee1ead1d59926e5f3cd">once-a-day Opill</a>&nbsp;could be sold without a prescription. Ireland-based Perrigo noted there will be no age restrictions on sales, similar to other over-the-counter medications.Opill is an older class of contraceptive, sometimes called minipills, that contain a single synthetic hormone, progestin, and generally carry fewer side effects than more popular combination estrogen and progestin pills.The launch gives U.S. women another birth control option amid the legal and political battles over reproductive health, including the reversal of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">Roe v. Wade</a>, which has upended abortion access across the U.S. Opill’s approval is unrelated to the ongoing court battles over the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mifepristone-supreme-court-abortion-d451e14148ffbe6ce4811b1a37651480">abortion pill mifepristone</a>. And anti-abortion groups have generally emphasized that they do not oppose contraceptives to prevent pregnancies.Birth control pills are available without a prescription across much of South America, Asia and Africa.The drug’s approval came despite some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/birth-control-pills-without-prescription-3228f5d93f5b6583cdc1be9ce4557373">concerns by FDA scientists</a>&nbsp;about the company’s results, including whether women with certain medical conditions would understand that they shouldn’t take the drug.

First over-the-counter birth control pills to hit U.S. stores this month

WASHINGTON (AP) — Most of America “springs forward” Sunday for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/spring-forward-time-change-daylight-saving-41beeca27270e67482b6a2e2904034bb">daylight saving time</a>&nbsp;and losing that hour of sleep can do more than leave you tired and cranky the next day. It also could harm your health.

Darker mornings and more evening light together knock your body clock out of whack — which means daylight saving time can usher in sleep trouble for weeks or longer. Studies have even found an uptick in heart attacks and strokes right after the March time change.

There are ways to ease the adjustment, including getting more sunshine to help reset your circadian rhythm for healthful sleep.

“Not unlike when one travels across many time zones, how long it can take is very different for different people,” said Dr. Eduardo Sanchez of the American Heart Association. “Understand that your body is transitioning.”

Daylight savings time&nbsp;began Sunday at 2 a.m., an hour of sleep vanishing in most of the U.S. The ritual will reverse on Nov. 3 when clocks “fall back” as daylight saving time ends.

Hawaii and most of Arizona don’t make the spring switch, sticking to standard time year-round along with Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Worldwide, dozens of countries also observe daylight saving time, starting and ending at different dates.

Some people tried to prepare for daylight saving time’s sleep jolt and went to bed a little earlier two or three nights ahead. With a third of American adults already not getting the recommended seven hours of nightly shuteye, catching up can be difficult.

What happens to your brain when it's lighter later?

The brain has a master clock that is set by exposure to sunlight and darkness. This circadian rhythm is a roughly 24-hour cycle that determines when we become sleepy and when we’re more alert. The patterns change with age, one reason that early-to-rise youngsters evolve into hard-to-wake teens.

Morning light resets the rhythm. By evening, levels of a hormone called melatonin begin to surge, triggering drowsiness. Too much light in the evening — that extra hour from daylight saving time — delays that surge and the cycle gets out of sync.

Sleep deprivation is linked to heart disease, cognitive decline, obesity and numerous other problems. And that circadian clock affects more than sleep, also influencing things like heart rate, blood pressure, stress hormones and metabolism.

How does the time change affect your health?

Fatal car crashes temporarily jump the first few days after the spring time change, according to a study of U.S. traffic fatalities. The risk was highest in the morning, and researchers attributed it to sleep deprivation.

Then there’s the cardiac connection. The American Heart Association points to studies that suggest an uptick in heart attacks on the Monday after daylight saving time begins, and in strokes for two days afterward.

Doctors already know that heart attacks, especially severe ones, are a bit more common on Mondays generally — and in the morning, when blood is more clot-prone.

It’s not clear why the time change would add to the Monday connection, Sanchez said, although probably something about the abrupt circadian disruption exacerbates factors such as high blood pressure in people already at risk.

Go to bed a little earlier Friday and Saturday nights, and try to get more morning light. Moving up daily routines, like dinner time or when you exercise, also may help cue your body to start adapting, sleep experts advise.

Afternoon naps and caffeine as well as evening light from phones and other electronic devices can make adjusting to an earlier bedtime even harder.

Stay tuned: Some health groups, including the American Medical Association and American Academy of Sleep Medicine, have said it's time to do away with time switches and that sticking with standard time year-round aligns better with the sun — and human biology.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Most of America “springs forward” Sunday for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/spring-forward-time-change-daylight-saving-41beeca27270e67482b6a2e2904034bb">daylight saving time</a>&nbsp;and losing that hour of sleep can do more than leave you tired and cranky the next day. It also could harm your health.Darker mornings and more evening light together knock your body clock out of whack — which means daylight saving time can usher in sleep trouble for weeks or longer. Studies have even found an uptick in heart attacks and strokes right after the March time change.There are ways to ease the adjustment, including getting more sunshine to help reset your circadian rhythm for healthful sleep.“Not unlike when one travels across many time zones, how long it can take is very different for different people,” said Dr. Eduardo Sanchez of the American Heart Association. “Understand that your body is transitioning.”Daylight savings time&nbsp;began Sunday at 2 a.m., an hour of sleep vanishing in most of the U.S. The ritual will reverse on Nov. 3 when clocks “fall back” as daylight saving time ends.Hawaii and most of Arizona don’t make the spring switch, sticking to standard time year-round along with Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Worldwide, dozens of countries also observe daylight saving time, starting and ending at different dates.Some people tried to prepare for daylight saving time’s sleep jolt and went to bed a little earlier two or three nights ahead. With a third of American adults already not getting the recommended seven hours of nightly shuteye, catching up can be difficult.What happens to your brain when it's lighter later?The brain has a master clock that is set by exposure to sunlight and darkness. This circadian rhythm is a roughly 24-hour cycle that determines when we become sleepy and when we’re more alert. The patterns change with age, one reason that early-to-rise youngsters evolve into hard-to-wake teens.Morning light resets the rhythm. By evening, levels of a hormone called melatonin begin to surge, triggering drowsiness. Too much light in the evening — that extra hour from daylight saving time — delays that surge and the cycle gets out of sync.Sleep deprivation is linked to heart disease, cognitive decline, obesity and numerous other problems. And that circadian clock affects more than sleep, also influencing things like heart rate, blood pressure, stress hormones and metabolism.How does the time change affect your health?Fatal car crashes temporarily jump the first few days after the spring time change, according to a study of U.S. traffic fatalities. The risk was highest in the morning, and researchers attributed it to sleep deprivation.Then there’s the cardiac connection. The American Heart Association points to studies that suggest an uptick in heart attacks on the Monday after daylight saving time begins, and in strokes for two days afterward.Doctors already know that heart attacks, especially severe ones, are a bit more common on Mondays generally — and in the morning, when blood is more clot-prone.It’s not clear why the time change would add to the Monday connection, Sanchez said, although probably something about the abrupt circadian disruption exacerbates factors such as high blood pressure in people already at risk.How to prepare for daylight saving timeGo to bed a little earlier Friday and Saturday nights, and try to get more morning light. Moving up daily routines, like dinner time or when you exercise, also may help cue your body to start adapting, sleep experts advise.Afternoon naps and caffeine as well as evening light from phones and other electronic devices can make adjusting to an earlier bedtime even harder.Stay tuned: Some health groups, including the American Medical Association and American Academy of Sleep Medicine, have said it's time to do away with time switches and that sticking with standard time year-round aligns better with the sun — and human biology.

How springing forward to daylight saving time could affect your health 

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a murder and have issued an arrest warrant for 33-year-old Anthony W. Taylor of Kansas City, Kansas, according to the Blue Springs Police Department.

Just after 11:45p.m. February 25, Taylor was involved in the shooting of a man identified as Cornell Elam in the 300 Block of NW Summit in Blue Springs. First responders transported Elam to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

Taylor is described as 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Taylor should contact police. He should be considered armed and dangerous.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709031916387.png" alt="Taylor from an earlier arrest in Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption>Taylor from an earlier arrest in Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a murder and have issued an arrest warrant for 33-year-old Anthony W. Taylor of Kansas City, Kansas, according to the Blue Springs Police Department.Just after 11:45p.m. February 25, Taylor was involved in the shooting of a man identified as Cornell Elam in the 300 Block of NW Summit in Blue Springs. First responders transported Elam to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709031749292.png" alt="Taylor- from an earlier arrest in Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption>Taylor- from an earlier arrest in Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Taylor is described as 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Taylor should contact police. He should be considered armed and dangerous.

Search continues for Kansas man wanted for murder

Consternation about possible ban on feeding deer on private land triggers backlash

By TIM CARPENTER&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/03/04/sparks-fly-when-kansas-house-budget-panel-explores-detail-of-university-budget-requests/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The administrative rebellion waged in the Capitol against the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission is being led by men and women with expertise in firearms, arrows, hooks and other tools of hunting, fishing and trapping.

But implements on this conflict are paper and ink used to advance House and Senate legislation to dissolve the current commission appointed unilaterally by the governor and to create a new seven-person commission selected by the Republican Senate president, House speaker and attorney general and by the Democratic governor.

Gov. Laura Kelly would get four selections and the three other politicians would make one each. Democratic Party leaders in the Legislature would have no appointment authority in terms of the new commission.

In addition, legislation endorsed by the Senate and a House committee would mandate all commission appointees be subjected for the first time to the Senate confirmation process. That would include background investigations, fingerprinting, submission of tax information, filing of statements of substantial interest and appearances before a legislative committee before a vote of the Senate. The commissioners would remain unpaid volunteers.

For good measure, legislators frustrated by the commission have sought to strip the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks secretary of eminent domain power to create public parks or expand access to these recreational magnets.

El Dorado Rep. Will Carpenter, a Republican, said the current commission wasn’t sufficiently invested in hunting or fishing for consumptive purposes.

“I know from past experience, lots of times it’s a political appointment,” Carpenter said. “You get a lot of ‘parks’ people on there … who are not consumptive fishermen or hunters. They’re making policy decisions, quite frankly, that they don’t even know about because they don’t hunt or fish.”

Rep. Pam Curtis, D-Kansas City, said the existing appointment system worked well and the proposed overhaul of the commission would intensify the politics of wildlife and parks administration.

“I don’t think we want to make this a political body,” Curtis said. “That would push us much more into the political realm versus science and experts in managing our wildlife and parks. Do we want to pass something we think will have some muster? Or, do we want to pass something we know is going to be DOA?”

Hunting and fishing enthusiasts have let it be known they were irritated the commission and department entertained the idea of prohibiting bait feeding of deer on private property. The practice, banned on public land in Kansas, enticed deer to take advantage of a regular food source on property accessible to landowners who hunted or to individuals from other communities or states who paid for the opportunity to hunt a trophy. Skeptics of baiting believe it granted hunters an unethical advantage. In Nebraska, for example, it was illegal to hunt any big game animals or turkeys within 200 yards of a baited area.

“I see a huge problem with fair chase in Kansas,” said Troy Sporer, a current wildlife and parks commissioner from Oakley. “It’s not real hunting anymore. Let’s just go bait ’em up, figure out what time they’re there and lets go shoot ’em.”

The commission’s interest in the ethics of baiting deer and creating for wildlife a fair-chase environment was interpreted as a financial threat to the hunting industry in Kansas and inspired lobbying at the Capitol to tilt commission appointments toward people vested in maintaining a business-like approach. Commission critics also raised issues about timing of hunting seasons or availability of hunting licenses.

“I believe the current department leadership and the current commission has lost their way over the past three years,” said Don Budd, a former wildlife and parks commissioner appointed by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback.

Jeff Cooper, an attorney and representative of Hunter Nation headquartered in Mission, said lack of practical knowledge among commissioners allowed for reckless debates about the possibility of a bait ban. That could be avoided in the future with passage of a law diversifying the commission, he said.

Cooper recommended a nine-member commission that would leave the governor with three appointments and guarantee two each for the House speaker, Senate president and attorney general. The idea of giving GOP politicians the opportunity to shape a majority on the commission was included in a House bill sponsored by Rep. Ken Corbet, a Topeka Republican who operates a hunting lodge.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709988060058.png" alt=" Brad Loveless, secretary of the Kansas Wildlife and Parks, said a bill limiting the governor’s appointments to the Wildlife and Parks Commission and subjecting nominees to Senate confirmation was unnecessary. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Brad Loveless, secretary of the Kansas Wildlife and Parks, said a bill limiting the governor’s appointments to the Wildlife and Parks Commission and subjecting nominees to Senate confirmation was unnecessary. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Consternation about possible ban on feeding deer on private land triggers backlash</h2>By TIM CARPENTER&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/03/04/sparks-fly-when-kansas-house-budget-panel-explores-detail-of-university-budget-requests/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The administrative rebellion waged in the Capitol against the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission is being led by men and women with expertise in firearms, arrows, hooks and other tools of hunting, fishing and trapping.But implements on this conflict are paper and ink used to advance House and Senate legislation to dissolve the current commission appointed unilaterally by the governor and to create a new seven-person commission selected by the Republican Senate president, House speaker and attorney general and by the Democratic governor.Gov. Laura Kelly would get four selections and the three other politicians would make one each. Democratic Party leaders in the Legislature would have no appointment authority in terms of the new commission.In addition, legislation endorsed by the Senate and a House committee would mandate all commission appointees be subjected for the first time to the Senate confirmation process. That would include background investigations, fingerprinting, submission of tax information, filing of statements of substantial interest and appearances before a legislative committee before a vote of the Senate. The commissioners would remain unpaid volunteers.For good measure, legislators frustrated by the commission have sought to strip the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks secretary of eminent domain power to create public parks or expand access to these recreational magnets.El Dorado Rep. Will Carpenter, a Republican, said the current commission wasn’t sufficiently invested in hunting or fishing for consumptive purposes.“I know from past experience, lots of times it’s a political appointment,” Carpenter said. “You get a lot of ‘parks’ people on there … who are not consumptive fishermen or hunters. They’re making policy decisions, quite frankly, that they don’t even know about because they don’t hunt or fish.”Rep. Pam Curtis, D-Kansas City, said the existing appointment system worked well and the proposed overhaul of the commission would intensify the politics of wildlife and parks administration.“I don’t think we want to make this a political body,” Curtis said. “That would push us much more into the political realm versus science and experts in managing our wildlife and parks. Do we want to pass something we think will have some muster? Or, do we want to pass something we know is going to be DOA?”<h2>‘Not real hunting’</h2>Hunting and fishing enthusiasts have let it be known they were irritated the commission and department entertained the idea of prohibiting bait feeding of deer on private property. The practice, banned on public land in Kansas, enticed deer to take advantage of a regular food source on property accessible to landowners who hunted or to individuals from other communities or states who paid for the opportunity to hunt a trophy. Skeptics of baiting believe it granted hunters an unethical advantage. In Nebraska, for example, it was illegal to hunt any big game animals or turkeys within 200 yards of a baited area.“I see a huge problem with fair chase in Kansas,” said Troy Sporer, a current wildlife and parks commissioner from Oakley. “It’s not real hunting anymore. Let’s just go bait ’em up, figure out what time they’re there and lets go shoot ’em.”The commission’s interest in the ethics of baiting deer and creating for wildlife a fair-chase environment was interpreted as a financial threat to the hunting industry in Kansas and inspired lobbying at the Capitol to tilt commission appointments toward people vested in maintaining a business-like approach. Commission critics also raised issues about timing of hunting seasons or availability of hunting licenses.“I believe the current department leadership and the current commission has lost their way over the past three years,” said Don Budd, a former wildlife and parks commissioner appointed by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback.Jeff Cooper, an attorney and representative of Hunter Nation headquartered in Mission, said lack of practical knowledge among commissioners allowed for reckless debates about the possibility of a bait ban. That could be avoided in the future with passage of a law diversifying the commission, he said.Cooper recommended a nine-member commission that would leave the governor with three appointments and guarantee two each for the House speaker, Senate president and attorney general. The idea of giving GOP politicians the opportunity to shape a majority on the commission was included in a House bill sponsored by Rep. Ken Corbet, a Topeka Republican who operates a hunting lodge.“The current commission has recently demonstrated an inability to bring any meaningful experience to the table as well as think critically about information,” Cooper said. “No issue better demonstrates this failure of decision making than the commission’s recent crusade to end deer feeding.”<h2>Confirmation unneeded</h2>Brad Loveless, the state Department of Wildlife and Parks secretary, has faced a wave of questions at the Statehouse about the commission’s regulatory deliberations.In multiple legislative committee hearings, Loveless said the seven current members were quality appointees who would sail through confirmation if subjected to that process. He said Senate confirmation would slow the filling of vacancies on the commission. He also said it would place commission nominees under a level of scrutiny unequal to people serving on other commissions without budget or personnel duties.Loveless said the wildlife and parks commission’s main purpose was to solicit public input during development of regulations. He said administrative functions of the KDWP weren’t within the commission’s purview. Nor did the department’s secretary, as a Cabinet-level appointee, report to the commission.“The commission is therefore different than other boards or commissions that currently require Kansas Senate confirmation,” Loveless said. “These Senate-confirmed boards oversee agency budgets or personnel. Whereas KDWP is overseen by a secretary, which is already confirmed by the Senate and answers to the governor.”Deer hunting disputes represented different perspectives on how best to prevent the state’s trophy deer resource from being wiped out by overhunting, Loveless said.Loveless, who announced plans last October to retire in 2024, said the mission of the commission and department was to sustain high-quality wildlife populations and to welcome people who want to be outdoors in the state’s park system. He said some people want to open the gate to as many hunters and fishermen as would come to Kansas, but that would be unsustainable. The state turned away about 10,000 nonresident applicants for deer licenses, Loveless said.“We’re victims of our own success because we have this trophy deer population. It’s worth a lot of money, millions of dollars every year. Of course, when there’s money involved, then people develop their own agendas. They say we’re just throwing money away. But we’re trying to help people understand that unless we manage the population it will crash,” Loveless said.<h2>More politics?</h2>Republican Sen. Virgil Peck of Havana and other legislators have asserted there was cause to believe the commission might not be willing to protect the constitutional right of Kansans to hunt, fish and trap. Senate confirmation of nominees to the commission was essential, Peck said.“This will allow elected representatives of the people — the Kansas Senate — to ask the commission questions about their beliefs,” Peck said. “We don’t want a commission that’s going to diminish those rights.”Jackie Augustine, a representative of the Audubon Society, said the state wildlife and parks commission included people who were good listeners and represented the people of Kansas well. She said amendment of the appointment process — stripping governors of authority to appoint the seven members — could have unintended consequences.“This process&nbsp;will encourage political ideology to become more important than protecting the natural resources of Kansas,” she said.She said it would be a logistical challenge for four elected officials to share the task of appointing seven people to the commission. The current version of the bill specified a commissioner be appointed to represent each of seven wildlife administration regions, that a cap be placed on partisan representation and that preference be given to licensed hunters, fishermen, fur harvesters, park users and those who don’t consume wildlife.“How can different appointing authorities ensure that all of these factors are considered when nominating a commissioner?” Augustine said. “It seems like it will develop into a situation where one appointing authority will always have to appoint someone that meets a limited set of criteria, like a Republican non-consumptive user from southeastern Kansas.”Moriah Day, executive director of the Kansas State Rifle Association, said he had a different take on proposed reform of the commission. He bristled at the notion lawmakers should be cautious about altering the system.“Our entire form of government is based on the principle that complicating processes can be a good thing when done properly,” Day said. “Efficient tyranny is the enemy of freedom and a well-structured series of checks and balances removes power from any one political figure or office, more effectively protecting our citizens from both blatant consolidation of power and the far more common tendency of human nature to gradually accumulate influence or control.”