NEW YORK (AP) —Instagram is making teen accounts private by default as it tries to make the platform safer for children amid a growing backlash against how&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/surgeon-general-social-media-mental-health-df321c791493863001754401676f165c">social media affects</a>&nbsp;young people's lives.

Beginning Tuesday in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia, anyone under 18 who signs up for Instagram will be placed into restrictive teen accounts and those with existing accounts will be migrated over the next 60 days. Teens in the European Union will see their accounts adjusted later this year.

Parent company Meta acknowledges that teenagers may lie about their age and says it will require them to verify their ages in more instances, like if they try to create a new account with an adult birthday. The Menlo Park, California company also said it is building technology that proactively finds teen accounts that pretend to be grownups and automatically places them into the restricted teen accounts.

The teen accounts will be private by default. Private messages are restricted so teens can only receive them from people they follow or are already connected to.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/meta-facebook-instagram-teens-suicide-eating-disorders-83dce63d9beed0a3ad0c53240077099f">“Sensitive content,” such as videos of people fighting</a>&nbsp;or those promoting cosmetic procedures, will be limited, Meta said. Teens will also get notifications if they are on Instagram for more than 60 minutes and a “sleep mode” will be enabled that turns off notifications and sends auto-replies to direct messages from 10 p.m. until 7 a.m.

While these settings will be turned on for all teens, 16 and 17-year-olds will be able to turn them off. Kids under 16 will need their parents' permission to do so.

“The three concerns we’re hearing from parents are that their teens are seeing content that they don’t want to see or that they’re getting contacted by people they don’t want to be contacted by or that they’re spending too much time on the app,” said Naomi Gleit, head of product at Meta. “So teen accounts is really focused on addressing those three concerns.”

The announcement comes as the company faces lawsuits from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/instagram-facebook-children-teens-harms-lawsuit-attorney-general-1805492a38f7cee111cbb865cc786c28">dozens of U.S. states</a>&nbsp;that accuse it of harming young people and contributing to the youth mental health crisis by knowingly and deliberately designing features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms.

While Meta didn't give specifics on how the changes might affect its business, the company said the changes may mean that teens will use Instagram less in the short term. Emarketer analyst Jasmine Enberg said the revenue impact of the changes “will likely be minimal.”

“Even as Meta continues to prioritize teen safety, it’s unlikely that it’s going to make sweeping changes that would cause a major financial hit,” she said, adding that the teen accounts are unlikely to significantly affect how engaged teens are with Instagram “not in the least because there are still plenty of ways to circumvent the rules, and could even make them more motivated to work around the age limits.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James said Meta’s announcement was “an important first step, but much more needs to be done to ensure our kids are protected from the harms of social media.” James' office is working with other New York officials on how to implement a new state law intended to curb children’s access to what critics call addictive social media feeds.

Others were more critical. Nicole Gill, the co-founder and executive director of the nonprofit Accountable Tech, called Instagram's announcement the “latest attempt to avoid actual independent oversight and regulation and instead continue to self-regulate, jeopardizing the health, safety, and privacy of young people.”

“Today’s PR exercise falls short of the safety by design and accountability that young people and their parents deserve and only meaningful policy action can guarantee,” she said. "Meta’s business model is built on addicting its users and mining their data for profit; no amount of parental and teen controls Meta is proposing will change that.”

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), the co-author of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-social-media-kosa-kids-online-safety-act-parents-ead646422cf84cef0d0573c3c841eb6d">Kids Online Safety Act</a>&nbsp;that recently passed the Senate, questioned the timing of the announcement “on the eve of a House markup” of the bill.

“Just like clockwork, the Kids Online Safety Act moves forward and industry comes out with a new set of self-enforcing guidelines,” she said.

In the past, Meta's efforts at addressing teen safety and mental health on its platforms have also been met with criticism that the changes don't go far enough. For instance, while kids will get a notification when they've spent 60 minutes on the app, they will be able to bypass it and continue scrolling.

That's unless the child's parents turn on “parental supervision” mode, where parents can limit teens' time on Instagram to a specific amount of time, such as 15 minutes.

With the latest changes, Meta is giving parents more options to oversee their kids' accounts. Those under 16 will need a parent or guardian's permission to change their settings to less restrictive ones. They can do this by setting up “parental supervision” on their accounts and connecting them to a parent or guardian.

Nick Clegg, Meta’s president of global affairs, said last week that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/sep/12/parental-controls-facebook-instagram-meta-nick-clegg">parents don't use the parental controls</a>&nbsp;the company has introduced in recent years.

Meta's Gleit said she thinks the teen accounts will incentivize parents to start using them.

“Parents will be able to see, via the family center, who is messaging their teen and hopefully have a conversation with their teen,” she said. “If there is bullying or harassment happening, parents will have visibility into who their teen’s following, who’s following their teen, who their teen has messaged in the past seven days and hopefully have some of these conversations and help them navigate these really difficult situations online.”

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said last year that tech companies put too much responsibility on parents when it comes to keeping children safe on social media.

“We’re asking parents to manage a technology that’s rapidly evolving that fundamentally changes how their kids think about themselves, how they build friendships, how they experience the world — and technology, by the way, that prior generations never had to manage,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/surgeon-general-kids-social-media-teens-tiktok-instagram-443530d9baa3f91386bf9fbfb313bbaf">Murthy said</a>&nbsp;in May 2023.

NEW YORK (AP) —Instagram is making teen accounts private by default as it tries to make the platform safer for children amid a growing backlash against how&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/surgeon-general-social-media-mental-health-df321c791493863001754401676f165c">social media affects</a>&nbsp;young people's lives.Beginning Tuesday in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia, anyone under 18 who signs up for Instagram will be placed into restrictive teen accounts and those with existing accounts will be migrated over the next 60 days. Teens in the European Union will see their accounts adjusted later this year.Parent company Meta acknowledges that teenagers may lie about their age and says it will require them to verify their ages in more instances, like if they try to create a new account with an adult birthday. The Menlo Park, California company also said it is building technology that proactively finds teen accounts that pretend to be grownups and automatically places them into the restricted teen accounts.The teen accounts will be private by default. Private messages are restricted so teens can only receive them from people they follow or are already connected to.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/meta-facebook-instagram-teens-suicide-eating-disorders-83dce63d9beed0a3ad0c53240077099f">“Sensitive content,” such as videos of people fighting</a>&nbsp;or those promoting cosmetic procedures, will be limited, Meta said. Teens will also get notifications if they are on Instagram for more than 60 minutes and a “sleep mode” will be enabled that turns off notifications and sends auto-replies to direct messages from 10 p.m. until 7 a.m.While these settings will be turned on for all teens, 16 and 17-year-olds will be able to turn them off. Kids under 16 will need their parents' permission to do so.“The three concerns we’re hearing from parents are that their teens are seeing content that they don’t want to see or that they’re getting contacted by people they don’t want to be contacted by or that they’re spending too much time on the app,” said Naomi Gleit, head of product at Meta. “So teen accounts is really focused on addressing those three concerns.”The announcement comes as the company faces lawsuits from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/instagram-facebook-children-teens-harms-lawsuit-attorney-general-1805492a38f7cee111cbb865cc786c28">dozens of U.S. states</a>&nbsp;that accuse it of harming young people and contributing to the youth mental health crisis by knowingly and deliberately designing features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms.While Meta didn't give specifics on how the changes might affect its business, the company said the changes may mean that teens will use Instagram less in the short term. Emarketer analyst Jasmine Enberg said the revenue impact of the changes “will likely be minimal.”“Even as Meta continues to prioritize teen safety, it’s unlikely that it’s going to make sweeping changes that would cause a major financial hit,” she said, adding that the teen accounts are unlikely to significantly affect how engaged teens are with Instagram “not in the least because there are still plenty of ways to circumvent the rules, and could even make them more motivated to work around the age limits.”New York Attorney General Letitia James said Meta’s announcement was “an important first step, but much more needs to be done to ensure our kids are protected from the harms of social media.” James' office is working with other New York officials on how to implement a new state law intended to curb children’s access to what critics call addictive social media feeds.Others were more critical. Nicole Gill, the co-founder and executive director of the nonprofit Accountable Tech, called Instagram's announcement the “latest attempt to avoid actual independent oversight and regulation and instead continue to self-regulate, jeopardizing the health, safety, and privacy of young people.”“Today’s PR exercise falls short of the safety by design and accountability that young people and their parents deserve and only meaningful policy action can guarantee,” she said. "Meta’s business model is built on addicting its users and mining their data for profit; no amount of parental and teen controls Meta is proposing will change that.”Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), the co-author of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-social-media-kosa-kids-online-safety-act-parents-ead646422cf84cef0d0573c3c841eb6d">Kids Online Safety Act</a>&nbsp;that recently passed the Senate, questioned the timing of the announcement “on the eve of a House markup” of the bill.“Just like clockwork, the Kids Online Safety Act moves forward and industry comes out with a new set of self-enforcing guidelines,” she said.In the past, Meta's efforts at addressing teen safety and mental health on its platforms have also been met with criticism that the changes don't go far enough. For instance, while kids will get a notification when they've spent 60 minutes on the app, they will be able to bypass it and continue scrolling.That's unless the child's parents turn on “parental supervision” mode, where parents can limit teens' time on Instagram to a specific amount of time, such as 15 minutes.With the latest changes, Meta is giving parents more options to oversee their kids' accounts. Those under 16 will need a parent or guardian's permission to change their settings to less restrictive ones. They can do this by setting up “parental supervision” on their accounts and connecting them to a parent or guardian.Nick Clegg, Meta’s president of global affairs, said last week that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/sep/12/parental-controls-facebook-instagram-meta-nick-clegg">parents don't use the parental controls</a>&nbsp;the company has introduced in recent years.Meta's Gleit said she thinks the teen accounts will incentivize parents to start using them.“Parents will be able to see, via the family center, who is messaging their teen and hopefully have a conversation with their teen,” she said. “If there is bullying or harassment happening, parents will have visibility into who their teen’s following, who’s following their teen, who their teen has messaged in the past seven days and hopefully have some of these conversations and help them navigate these really difficult situations online.”U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said last year that tech companies put too much responsibility on parents when it comes to keeping children safe on social media.“We’re asking parents to manage a technology that’s rapidly evolving that fundamentally changes how their kids think about themselves, how they build friendships, how they experience the world — and technology, by the way, that prior generations never had to manage,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/surgeon-general-kids-social-media-teens-tiktok-instagram-443530d9baa3f91386bf9fbfb313bbaf">Murthy said</a>&nbsp;in May 2023.

Instagram makes teen accounts private as pressure mounts on the app to protect children

KANSAS CITY (AP) —A federal judge has partially sided with the family of a Black man who was fatally shot by a now-imprisoned white Kansas City, Missouri, police detective.

U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips ruled Wednesday that Eric DeValkenaere violated 26-year-old Cameron Lamb’s Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable search and seizure by entering his property in 2019 without a warrant or other legal reason to be there.

However, Phillips declined to issue a judgment on the family's claim that the ensuing shooting amounted to excessive force, largely for technical reasons. Phillips made no immediate decision on damages in the wrongful death case&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mo-state-wire-michael-brown-kansas-city-shootings-police-2303f1c736c4c85ea0a6a114d5f7b94b">filed</a>&nbsp;against the Kansas City police board and&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/Seeking%20to%20match%20these%20statements%20from%20member%20story:%20John%20Coyle,%20an%20attorney%20for%20Lamb%E2%80%99s%20family,%20said%20the%20family%20hoped%20the%20ruling%20would%20force%20the%20police%20board%20to">DeValkenaere</a>.

DeValkenaere is now serving a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-kansas-city-kansas-5168b9935ec869fa74453228a87c166d">six-year</a>&nbsp;sentence after he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-race-and-ethnicity-kansas-city-933d3aba9b37c83145fba5818d557c02">convicted</a>&nbsp;in 2021 of involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action. The case has divided activists and Republican lawmakers.

The shooting happened as Lamb returned home after chasing his girlfriend’s convertible. Lamb was backing into a detached garage in the backyard when DeValkenaere and another detective, Troy Schwalm, arrived.

Phillips, who relied heavily on evidence presented in the criminal case, noted that Lamb kicked over a barricade to get into the backyard and had no legal reason to be there.

DeValkenaere testified at his trial that he fired after Lamb pointed a gun at Schwalm and that he believed his actions saved his partner’s life.

But Phillips noted that Schwalm said he never saw a gun. At the criminal trial, prosecutors argued that police staged the shooting scene to support their claims that Lamb was armed.

Phillips said that factual dispute prevents her from granting summary judgment on the issue of excessive force. A summary judgment is issued without a full trial and granted when the facts aren't in dispute.

Lamb’s name was often invoked during racial injustice protests in Kansas City in 2020.

DeValkenaere&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-kansas-city-2af535a9a637024a23b3530c1c20cc2e">left the police force after his conviction</a>&nbsp;but remained free on bond until&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-police-shooting-974b3aa6e4736005b553672489bb46ea">losing his appeal</a>&nbsp;in October 2023. The Missouri Supreme Court subsequently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/exkansas-city-detective-conviction-appeal-507be4b6eb77e19a71f5fbacc081088e">declined</a>&nbsp;to hear an appeal.

A Kansas City police spokesman said the department doesn’t comment on pending litigation.

DeValkenaere had the backing of Republican Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, whose office&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/detective-fatal-shooting-attorney-general-appeal-16957c1b9f09d91e17e3a3cfb75c1a07">asked the appeals court</a>&nbsp;to reverse his conviction or order a new trial. That was unusual because the attorney general’s office typically defends convictions, rather than appeals them.

DeValkenaere’s wife, Sarah DeValkenaere, often uses social media to urge followers to request a pardon. And Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a former Polk County sheriff, acknowledged the pressure in an interview in August on KCMO Talk Radio.

“There’s not a week that goes by that somebody’s not reaching out to me about that issue and we’re going to see what happens here before long. I’ll leave it at that. But you know, I don’t like where he’s at. I’ll just say that,” Parson said.

Parson didn’t run for reelection because state law bars him from seeking another term. But in the GOP race to determine his replacement, all three major candidates either promised to release DeValkenaere or vowed a close review of his request for clemency.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698332674249.png" alt="DeValkenaere photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>DeValkenaere photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH&nbsp;KANSAS CITY (AP) —A federal judge has partially sided with the family of a Black man who was fatally shot by a now-imprisoned white Kansas City, Missouri, police detective.U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips ruled Wednesday that Eric DeValkenaere violated 26-year-old Cameron Lamb’s Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable search and seizure by entering his property in 2019 without a warrant or other legal reason to be there.However, Phillips declined to issue a judgment on the family's claim that the ensuing shooting amounted to excessive force, largely for technical reasons. Phillips made no immediate decision on damages in the wrongful death case&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mo-state-wire-michael-brown-kansas-city-shootings-police-2303f1c736c4c85ea0a6a114d5f7b94b">filed</a>&nbsp;against the Kansas City police board and&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/Seeking%20to%20match%20these%20statements%20from%20member%20story:%20John%20Coyle,%20an%20attorney%20for%20Lamb%E2%80%99s%20family,%20said%20the%20family%20hoped%20the%20ruling%20would%20force%20the%20police%20board%20to">DeValkenaere</a>.DeValkenaere is now serving a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-kansas-city-kansas-5168b9935ec869fa74453228a87c166d">six-year</a>&nbsp;sentence after he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-race-and-ethnicity-kansas-city-933d3aba9b37c83145fba5818d557c02">convicted</a>&nbsp;in 2021 of involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action. The case has divided activists and Republican lawmakers.The shooting happened as Lamb returned home after chasing his girlfriend’s convertible. Lamb was backing into a detached garage in the backyard when DeValkenaere and another detective, Troy Schwalm, arrived.Phillips, who relied heavily on evidence presented in the criminal case, noted that Lamb kicked over a barricade to get into the backyard and had no legal reason to be there.DeValkenaere testified at his trial that he fired after Lamb pointed a gun at Schwalm and that he believed his actions saved his partner’s life.But Phillips noted that Schwalm said he never saw a gun. At the criminal trial, prosecutors argued that police staged the shooting scene to support their claims that Lamb was armed.Phillips said that factual dispute prevents her from granting summary judgment on the issue of excessive force. A summary judgment is issued without a full trial and granted when the facts aren't in dispute.Lamb’s name was often invoked during racial injustice protests in Kansas City in 2020.DeValkenaere&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-kansas-city-2af535a9a637024a23b3530c1c20cc2e">left the police force after his conviction</a>&nbsp;but remained free on bond until&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-police-shooting-974b3aa6e4736005b553672489bb46ea">losing his appeal</a>&nbsp;in October 2023. The Missouri Supreme Court subsequently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/exkansas-city-detective-conviction-appeal-507be4b6eb77e19a71f5fbacc081088e">declined</a>&nbsp;to hear an appeal.A Kansas City police spokesman said the department doesn’t comment on pending litigation.DeValkenaere had the backing of Republican Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, whose office&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/detective-fatal-shooting-attorney-general-appeal-16957c1b9f09d91e17e3a3cfb75c1a07">asked the appeals court</a>&nbsp;to reverse his conviction or order a new trial. That was unusual because the attorney general’s office typically defends convictions, rather than appeals them.DeValkenaere’s wife, Sarah DeValkenaere, often uses social media to urge followers to request a pardon. And Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a former Polk County sheriff, acknowledged the pressure in an interview in August on KCMO Talk Radio.“There’s not a week that goes by that somebody’s not reaching out to me about that issue and we’re going to see what happens here before long. I’ll leave it at that. But you know, I don’t like where he’s at. I’ll just say that,” Parson said.Parson didn’t run for reelection because state law bars him from seeking another term. But in the GOP race to determine his replacement, all three major candidates either promised to release DeValkenaere or vowed a close review of his request for clemency.

Judge: KCPD detective violated black man's rights before killing him

SEWARD COUNTY—Law enforcement and schools district officials across Kansas continue to investigate alleged threats of violence.

On Wednesday, the Liberal Police Department were made aware of several threats concerning potential school shootings circulating on social media, according to a media release.

&nbsp;Police in Dodge City and Garden City, along with other Kansas and Colorado agencies, also have also fielded similar calls. It is unknown where these messages are originating, according to the Liberal Police Department.

On Wednesday evening, the Newton Police Department reported they&nbsp; confirmed the possible school threat was a social media post from out of the state, and did not involve schools in Newton and there was no&nbsp;direct threat towards USD 373.

As a precautionary measure, police are increasing patrols around schools in southwest Kansas to ensure the safety and security of students, staff, and community.&nbsp; Police encourage everyone to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity&nbsp; immediately.

SEWARD COUNTY—Law enforcement and schools district officials across Kansas continue to investigate alleged threats of violence.On Wednesday, the Liberal Police Department were made aware of several threats concerning potential school shootings circulating on social media, according to a media release.&nbsp;Police in Dodge City and Garden City, along with other Kansas and Colorado agencies, also have also fielded similar calls. It is unknown where these messages are originating, according to the Liberal Police Department.On Wednesday evening, the Newton Police Department reported they&nbsp; confirmed the possible school threat was a social media post from out of the state, and did not involve schools in Newton and there was no&nbsp;direct threat towards USD 373.As a precautionary measure, police are increasing patrols around schools in southwest Kansas to ensure the safety and security of students, staff, and community.&nbsp; Police encourage everyone to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity&nbsp; immediately.

 School threat messages keep police in Kansas busy

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street romped to records Thursday as a delayed jubilation swept markets worldwide following the Federal Reserve’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-inflation-prices-federal-reserve-economy-0283bc6f92e9f9920094b78d821df227">big cut to interest rates</a>.

The S&amp;P 500 jumped 1.7% for one of its best days of the year and topped its last all-time high set in July. The Dow Jones Industrial Average leaped 522 points, or 1.3%, to beat its own record&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-markets-today-wall-street-interest-rates-4e491b309ad5e9952627c1d9a0ee8e29">set on Monday</a>, and the Nasdaq composite led the market with a 2.5% spurt.

The rally was widespread, and the company behind Olive Garden and Ruth’s Chris, Darden Restaurants, led the way in the S&amp;P 500 with a jump of 8.3%. It said sales trends have been improving since a sharp step down in July, and it announced a delivery partnership with Uber.

Nvidia, meanwhile, barreled 4% higher and was one of the strongest forces lifting the S&amp;P 500. Lower interest rates weaken criticism by a bit that its shares and those of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wall-street-stocks-magnificent-seven-a6e1da1a8c85c0a56f9e9c85e001ebff">other influential Big Tech companies</a>&nbsp;look too expensive following the frenzy around&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-ai-earnings-stock-464d35670b6e91a698751ec7ee157532">artificial-intelligence technology</a>.

Wall Street’s gains followed rallies for markets across Europe and Asia after the Federal Reserve delivered the first cut to interest rates in more than four years late on Wednesday.

It was a momentous move, closing the door on a run where the Fed kept its main interest rate at a two-decade high in hopes of slowing the U.S. economy enough to stamp out high inflation. Now that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-election-federal-reserve-rates-economy-aa9e7150fb54287425c78383e7bcad3a">inflation</a>&nbsp;has come down from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-prices-consumer-74e1a5c9bced40460e4079f62e980095">its peak two summers ago</a>, Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed can focus more on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-hiring-federal-reserve-inflation-unemployment-economy-bac1b453d3873d5f23f2061344d28fd9">keeping the job market solid</a>&nbsp;and the economy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-inflation-prices-federal-reserve-economy-31e05db08464c58ce8a3f2db0270f2d3">out of a recession</a>.

Wall Street’s initial reaction to Wednesday’s cut was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-markets-fed-rates-recession-7e41dab05ea85531991cd69a7d2524bb">a yawn</a>, after markets had already run up for months on expectations for coming reductions to rates. Stocks ended up edging lower after swinging a few times.

“Yet we come in today and have a reversal of the reversal,” said Jonathan Krinsky, chief market technician at BTIG. He said he did not anticipate such a big jump for stocks on Thursday.

Some analysts said the market could be relieved that the Fed’s Powell was able to thread the needle in his press conference and suggest the deeper-than-usual cut was just a “recalibration” of policy and not an urgent move it had to take to prevent a recession.

That bolstered hopes the Federal Reserve can successfully walk its tightrope and get inflation down to its 2% target without a recession. So too did a couple reports on the economy released Thursday. One showed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unemployment-benefits-jobless-claims-layoffs-labor-b5a6e5a5954c66e478429b3869c84177">fewer workers applied for unemployment</a>&nbsp;benefits last week, another signal that layoffs across the country remain low.

The pressure is nevertheless still on the Fed because the job market and hiring have begun to slow under the weight of higher interest rates. Some critics say the central bank waited too long to cut rates and may have damaged the economy.

Powell, though, said Fed officials are not in “a rush to get this done” and would make decisions on policy at each successive meeting depending on what the incoming data says.

Some investment banks raised their forecasts for how much the Federal Reserve will ultimately cut interest rates, anticipating even deeper reductions than Fed officials. Forecasts released Wednesday show Fed officials expect to cut interest rates by another half of a percentage point in 2024 and another full point in 2025. The federal funds rate is currently sitting in a range of 4.75% to 5%.

Lower interest rates help financial markets in two big ways. They ease the brakes off the economy by making it easier for U.S. households and businesses to borrow money. They also give a boost to prices of all kinds of investments, from gold to bonds to cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin rose above $63,000 Thursday, up from about $27,000 a year ago.

An adage suggests investors should not “fight the Fed” and should instead ride the rising tide when the central bank is cutting interest rates. Wall Street was certainly doing that Thursday. But this economic cycle has thrown out conventional wisdoms repeatedly after the COVID-19 pandemic created an instant recession that gave way to the worst inflation in generations.

Wall Street is worried that inflation could remain tougher to fully subdue than in the past. And while lower rates can help goose the economy, they can also give inflation more fuel.

The upcoming U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-trump-oprah-winfrey-miriam-adelson-f9384395f54a0d071ab52bca80d3659e">presidential election</a>&nbsp;could also keep uncertainty reigning in the market. A fear is that both the Democrats and Republicans could push for policies that add to the U.S. government’s debt, which could keep upward pressure on interest rates regardless of the Fed’s moves.

History may also offer few clues about how things may progress given how unusual the conditions are. This looks to be beginning with higher expectations for rate cuts than past easing cycles, according to strategists at Bank of America.

The economic conditions of this cycle may resemble 1995 a bit, but unfortunately “no great analogs exist,” the strategists led by Alex Cohen wrote in a BofA Global Research report.

In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury held steady at 3.71%, where it was late Wednesday. The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for Fed action, fell to 3.58% from 3.63%.

On Wall Street, the S&amp;P 500 rose 95.38 points to 5,713.64. The Dow jumped 522.09 to 42,025.19, and the Nasdaq composite leaped 440.68 to 18,013.98.

In stock markets aboard, indexes climbed even more across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. They rose 2.3% in France, 2.1% in Japan and 2% in Hong Kong.

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street romped to records Thursday as a delayed jubilation swept markets worldwide following the Federal Reserve’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-inflation-prices-federal-reserve-economy-0283bc6f92e9f9920094b78d821df227">big cut to interest rates</a>.The S&amp;P 500 jumped 1.7% for one of its best days of the year and topped its last all-time high set in July. The Dow Jones Industrial Average leaped 522 points, or 1.3%, to beat its own record&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-markets-today-wall-street-interest-rates-4e491b309ad5e9952627c1d9a0ee8e29">set on Monday</a>, and the Nasdaq composite led the market with a 2.5% spurt.The rally was widespread, and the company behind Olive Garden and Ruth’s Chris, Darden Restaurants, led the way in the S&amp;P 500 with a jump of 8.3%. It said sales trends have been improving since a sharp step down in July, and it announced a delivery partnership with Uber.Nvidia, meanwhile, barreled 4% higher and was one of the strongest forces lifting the S&amp;P 500. Lower interest rates weaken criticism by a bit that its shares and those of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wall-street-stocks-magnificent-seven-a6e1da1a8c85c0a56f9e9c85e001ebff">other influential Big Tech companies</a>&nbsp;look too expensive following the frenzy around&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-ai-earnings-stock-464d35670b6e91a698751ec7ee157532">artificial-intelligence technology</a>.Wall Street’s gains followed rallies for markets across Europe and Asia after the Federal Reserve delivered the first cut to interest rates in more than four years late on Wednesday.It was a momentous move, closing the door on a run where the Fed kept its main interest rate at a two-decade high in hopes of slowing the U.S. economy enough to stamp out high inflation. Now that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-election-federal-reserve-rates-economy-aa9e7150fb54287425c78383e7bcad3a">inflation</a>&nbsp;has come down from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-prices-consumer-74e1a5c9bced40460e4079f62e980095">its peak two summers ago</a>, Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed can focus more on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-hiring-federal-reserve-inflation-unemployment-economy-bac1b453d3873d5f23f2061344d28fd9">keeping the job market solid</a>&nbsp;and the economy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-inflation-prices-federal-reserve-economy-31e05db08464c58ce8a3f2db0270f2d3">out of a recession</a>.Wall Street’s initial reaction to Wednesday’s cut was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-markets-fed-rates-recession-7e41dab05ea85531991cd69a7d2524bb">a yawn</a>, after markets had already run up for months on expectations for coming reductions to rates. Stocks ended up edging lower after swinging a few times.“Yet we come in today and have a reversal of the reversal,” said Jonathan Krinsky, chief market technician at BTIG. He said he did not anticipate such a big jump for stocks on Thursday.Some analysts said the market could be relieved that the Fed’s Powell was able to thread the needle in his press conference and suggest the deeper-than-usual cut was just a “recalibration” of policy and not an urgent move it had to take to prevent a recession.That bolstered hopes the Federal Reserve can successfully walk its tightrope and get inflation down to its 2% target without a recession. So too did a couple reports on the economy released Thursday. One showed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unemployment-benefits-jobless-claims-layoffs-labor-b5a6e5a5954c66e478429b3869c84177">fewer workers applied for unemployment</a>&nbsp;benefits last week, another signal that layoffs across the country remain low.The pressure is nevertheless still on the Fed because the job market and hiring have begun to slow under the weight of higher interest rates. Some critics say the central bank waited too long to cut rates and may have damaged the economy.Powell, though, said Fed officials are not in “a rush to get this done” and would make decisions on policy at each successive meeting depending on what the incoming data says.Some investment banks raised their forecasts for how much the Federal Reserve will ultimately cut interest rates, anticipating even deeper reductions than Fed officials. Forecasts released Wednesday show Fed officials expect to cut interest rates by another half of a percentage point in 2024 and another full point in 2025. The federal funds rate is currently sitting in a range of 4.75% to 5%.Lower interest rates help financial markets in two big ways. They ease the brakes off the economy by making it easier for U.S. households and businesses to borrow money. They also give a boost to prices of all kinds of investments, from gold to bonds to cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin rose above $63,000 Thursday, up from about $27,000 a year ago.An adage suggests investors should not “fight the Fed” and should instead ride the rising tide when the central bank is cutting interest rates. Wall Street was certainly doing that Thursday. But this economic cycle has thrown out conventional wisdoms repeatedly after the COVID-19 pandemic created an instant recession that gave way to the worst inflation in generations.Wall Street is worried that inflation could remain tougher to fully subdue than in the past. And while lower rates can help goose the economy, they can also give inflation more fuel.The upcoming U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-trump-oprah-winfrey-miriam-adelson-f9384395f54a0d071ab52bca80d3659e">presidential election</a>&nbsp;could also keep uncertainty reigning in the market. A fear is that both the Democrats and Republicans could push for policies that add to the U.S. government’s debt, which could keep upward pressure on interest rates regardless of the Fed’s moves.History may also offer few clues about how things may progress given how unusual the conditions are. This looks to be beginning with higher expectations for rate cuts than past easing cycles, according to strategists at Bank of America.The economic conditions of this cycle may resemble 1995 a bit, but unfortunately “no great analogs exist,” the strategists led by Alex Cohen wrote in a BofA Global Research report.In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury held steady at 3.71%, where it was late Wednesday. The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for Fed action, fell to 3.58% from 3.63%.On Wall Street, the S&amp;P 500 rose 95.38 points to 5,713.64. The Dow jumped 522.09 to 42,025.19, and the Nasdaq composite leaped 440.68 to 18,013.98.In stock markets aboard, indexes climbed even more across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. They rose 2.3% in France, 2.1% in Japan and 2% in Hong Kong.

Wall Street soars to records in a rate-cut rally that swept the world

NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly 138,000 platform beds sold at major retailers including Amazon and Walmart are being recalled across the U.S. and Canada because they can collapse, posing fall and injury risks.

Utah-based importer CVB Inc. is recalling the Lucid-branded platform beds with upholstered square tufted headboards. According to Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2024/CVB-Recalls-LUCID-Platform-Beds-with-Upholstered-Square-Tufted-Headboards-Due-to-Fall-and-Injury-Hazards">notices</a>&nbsp;from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and&nbsp;<a href="https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/alert-recall/lucid-square-tufted-platform-beds-recalled-due-fall-and-injury-hazards">Health Canada</a>, the beds can sag, break or collapse during use.

To date, there have been 245 incidents of this occurring in the U.S., resulting in 18 related injuries such as contusions and bruises, the CPSC said. An additional 11 reports of “bed failures” have been reported in Canada, with no further injuries.

According to Lucid,&nbsp;<a href="https://lucidmattress.com/recall/upholsteredplatformbed/">the recall</a>&nbsp;covers a discontinued version of its platform beds, which the company says were manufactured between 2019 and 2021.

While manufacturing ended several years ago, the now-recalled beds continued to be sold at major retailers through April 2024, the CPSC said. In addition to Amazon, Walmart and Lucid's website, consumers may have also purchased the beds at Bed Bath &amp; Beyond, eBay, Home Depot, Macys, Target.com, Wayfair and other retailers.

About 137,000 of the recalled beds were sold in the U.S. and 890 in Canada, the CPSC said.

The beds — which were made in Malaysia and come in twin, full, queen, king and cal-king sizes — can be identified with a white law label found on the back of the headboard. “Made For: CVB INC, 1525 W 2960 S, LOGAN, UT 84321” should be printed on it.

People who have the recalled beds are urged to stop using them immediately and contact Lucid for a free replacement frame.

Consumers will have to write the word “recalled” on the bed's support rails with a permanent marker and send photos to Lucid. More information about getting a replacement can be found on&nbsp;<a href="https://lucidmattress.com/recall/upholsteredplatformbed/">Lucid's recall page</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726767723365.png" alt="Recalled Lucid Upholstered Square Tufted Platform Bed-photo Consumer Product Safety Commission" />
 <figcaption>Recalled Lucid Upholstered Square Tufted Platform Bed-photo Consumer Product Safety Commission</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly 138,000 platform beds sold at major retailers including Amazon and Walmart are being recalled across the U.S. and Canada because they can collapse, posing fall and injury risks.Utah-based importer CVB Inc. is recalling the Lucid-branded platform beds with upholstered square tufted headboards. According to Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2024/CVB-Recalls-LUCID-Platform-Beds-with-Upholstered-Square-Tufted-Headboards-Due-to-Fall-and-Injury-Hazards">notices</a>&nbsp;from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and&nbsp;<a href="https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/alert-recall/lucid-square-tufted-platform-beds-recalled-due-fall-and-injury-hazards">Health Canada</a>, the beds can sag, break or collapse during use.To date, there have been 245 incidents of this occurring in the U.S., resulting in 18 related injuries such as contusions and bruises, the CPSC said. An additional 11 reports of “bed failures” have been reported in Canada, with no further injuries.According to Lucid,&nbsp;<a href="https://lucidmattress.com/recall/upholsteredplatformbed/">the recall</a>&nbsp;covers a discontinued version of its platform beds, which the company says were manufactured between 2019 and 2021.While manufacturing ended several years ago, the now-recalled beds continued to be sold at major retailers through April 2024, the CPSC said. In addition to Amazon, Walmart and Lucid's website, consumers may have also purchased the beds at Bed Bath &amp; Beyond, eBay, Home Depot, Macys, Target.com, Wayfair and other retailers.About 137,000 of the recalled beds were sold in the U.S. and 890 in Canada, the CPSC said.The beds — which were made in Malaysia and come in twin, full, queen, king and cal-king sizes — can be identified with a white law label found on the back of the headboard. “Made For: CVB INC, 1525 W 2960 S, LOGAN, UT 84321” should be printed on it.People who have the recalled beds are urged to stop using them immediately and contact Lucid for a free replacement frame.Consumers will have to write the word “recalled” on the bed's support rails with a permanent marker and send photos to Lucid. More information about getting a replacement can be found on&nbsp;<a href="https://lucidmattress.com/recall/upholsteredplatformbed/">Lucid's recall page</a>.

Bed, sold at major retailers, recalled after falls and injuries

WASHINGTON&nbsp;– Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran on Wednesday spoke on the Senate Floor about the importance of passing a new Farm Bill and providing&nbsp;immediate&nbsp;support for the ranchers, farmers and producers across&nbsp;Kansas and&nbsp;the United States.

“Decisions&nbsp;not to get a farm&nbsp;bill done&nbsp;have come home to roost,”&nbsp;said Sen. Moran. “Farm income has declined&nbsp;43% over the past 5 years,&nbsp;and net farm income is expected to be 27% lower this year than it&nbsp;was in 2022. Our agricultural trade deficit, something we were always proud about as we exported more than we imported in agriculture, it’s at a $42.5 billion deficit. We import more than we export. That puts our farmers even more at risk, and it threatens the stability and security of our national economy.”

“The current Farm Bill is not adequate to provide relief or safety nets&nbsp;for&nbsp;our nation’s farmers, nor is it reflective of the current state of the farm economy,”&nbsp;continued Sen. Moran. “With financial pressures building across the agriculture industry, and due to increased production costs and weakened market prices, the overall financial situation of the farm economy is bleak.”

“The status quo is unacceptable,”&nbsp;concluded Sen. Moran.&nbsp;“We must pass a long-term farm bill this year, and&nbsp;we must also consider immediate relief for farmers with a supplemental.&nbsp;Our farmers deserve and need better, and in the absence of successful farmers, the future of the places many of us call home is bleak.”

WASHINGTON&nbsp;– Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran on Wednesday spoke on the Senate Floor about the importance of passing a new Farm Bill and providing&nbsp;immediate&nbsp;support for the ranchers, farmers and producers across&nbsp;Kansas and&nbsp;the United States.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q-koULidae4?si=tV7R1MAVyOLGQZXl&amp;start=1" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>“Decisions&nbsp;not to get a farm&nbsp;bill done&nbsp;have come home to roost,”&nbsp;said Sen. Moran. “Farm income has declined&nbsp;43% over the past 5 years,&nbsp;and net farm income is expected to be 27% lower this year than it&nbsp;was in 2022. Our agricultural trade deficit, something we were always proud about as we exported more than we imported in agriculture, it’s at a $42.5 billion deficit. We import more than we export. That puts our farmers even more at risk, and it threatens the stability and security of our national economy.”“The current Farm Bill is not adequate to provide relief or safety nets&nbsp;for&nbsp;our nation’s farmers, nor is it reflective of the current state of the farm economy,”&nbsp;continued Sen. Moran. “With financial pressures building across the agriculture industry, and due to increased production costs and weakened market prices, the overall financial situation of the farm economy is bleak.”“The status quo is unacceptable,”&nbsp;concluded Sen. Moran.&nbsp;“We must pass a long-term farm bill this year, and&nbsp;we must also consider immediate relief for farmers with a supplemental.&nbsp;Our farmers deserve and need better, and in the absence of successful farmers, the future of the places many of us call home is bleak.”

🎥Sen. Moran: Congress must pass immediate relief for farmers

KANSAS CITY— A dozen Kansas City metropolitan area men have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, which resulted in at least one death, and to illegally possessing firearms.

Justin D. Rivera, also known as “JD,” 20, Yael Figueroa, also known as “Grit,” 23, Jose R. Lugo, Jr., also known as “El Wey,” 20, Aaron Contreras-Jaquez, also known as “Van Kleefy,” 24, Jose Lorenzo-Medina, 24, and Antonio R. Baeza-Brown, also known as “Tony,” 25, all of Kansas City, Mo.; Simon L. Figueroa, 26, and Jonathan Gonzales, 25, both citizens of Mexico residing in Kansas City, Mo.; Luis Calvillo-Ortiz, also known as “Loc,” 19, of Independence, Mo.; and Marcos Favian Alvarado, also known as “Baby Face,” 20, Chad B. Green, also known as “Gso Yad,” 24, and Crencio Carbajal-Loya, 18, all of Kansas City, Kansas, were charged in a 35-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Sept. 11.

Three residential search warrants also were executed. Law enforcement officers seized 6,738 fentanyl pills, 11 firearms, including a machinegun, five stolen automobiles, and more than $75,000 in cash.

The federal indictment alleges that all 12 of the defendants have participated in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl since Dec. 1, 2022. The indictment also alleges that all 12 of the defendants have participated in a conspiracy to use and carry firearms in relation to that drug-trafficking conspiracy.

In addition to the drug-trafficking and firearms conspiracies, Rivera is charged with distributing fentanyl that resulted in the death of a victim identified as “M.M.” on May 7, 2023. Rivera is also charged with eight counts of distributing fentanyl, three counts of using and carrying firearms during a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of using and carrying a machine gun during a drug-trafficking crime.

Alvarado is also charged with one count of distributing fentanyl, one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, and one count of using and carrying a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime.

Yael Figueroa is also charged with four counts of distributing fentanyl and one count of using and carrying a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime.

Medina is also charged with four counts of distributing fentanyl.

Contreras-Jaquez is also charged with two counts of distributing fentanyl and two counts of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute.

Calvillo-Ortiz, Gonzales, and Simon Figueroa each are also charged with one count of distributing fentanyl.

The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726691837457.png" alt="Chad Green is among those included in the indictment-photo from an earlier arrest in Wyandotte County" />
 <figcaption>Chad Green is among those included in the indictment-photo from an earlier arrest in Wyandotte County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY— A dozen Kansas City metropolitan area men have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, which resulted in at least one death, and to illegally possessing firearms.Justin D. Rivera, also known as “JD,” 20, Yael Figueroa, also known as “Grit,” 23, Jose R. Lugo, Jr., also known as “El Wey,” 20, Aaron Contreras-Jaquez, also known as “Van Kleefy,” 24, Jose Lorenzo-Medina, 24, and Antonio R. Baeza-Brown, also known as “Tony,” 25, all of Kansas City, Mo.; Simon L. Figueroa, 26, and Jonathan Gonzales, 25, both citizens of Mexico residing in Kansas City, Mo.; Luis Calvillo-Ortiz, also known as “Loc,” 19, of Independence, Mo.; and Marcos Favian Alvarado, also known as “Baby Face,” 20, Chad B. Green, also known as “Gso Yad,” 24, and Crencio Carbajal-Loya, 18, all of Kansas City, Kansas, were charged in a 35-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Sept. 11.Three residential search warrants also were executed. Law enforcement officers seized 6,738 fentanyl pills, 11 firearms, including a machinegun, five stolen automobiles, and more than $75,000 in cash.The federal indictment alleges that all 12 of the defendants have participated in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl since Dec. 1, 2022. The indictment also alleges that all 12 of the defendants have participated in a conspiracy to use and carry firearms in relation to that drug-trafficking conspiracy.In addition to the drug-trafficking and firearms conspiracies, Rivera is charged with distributing fentanyl that resulted in the death of a victim identified as “M.M.” on May 7, 2023. Rivera is also charged with eight counts of distributing fentanyl, three counts of using and carrying firearms during a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of using and carrying a machine gun during a drug-trafficking crime.Alvarado is also charged with one count of distributing fentanyl, one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, and one count of using and carrying a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime.Yael Figueroa is also charged with four counts of distributing fentanyl and one count of using and carrying a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime.Medina is also charged with four counts of distributing fentanyl.Contreras-Jaquez is also charged with two counts of distributing fentanyl and two counts of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute.Calvillo-Ortiz, Gonzales, and Simon Figueroa each are also charged with one count of distributing fentanyl.The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

Police in KC seized fentanyl, a machine gun, stolen cars and cash.

SALINE COUNTY —The Salina Police Department announced on Thursday the passing of K-9 Tyrann, one of its active service dogs. Tyrann died on Wednesday following an accidental fall from an elevated position while on duty.

K-9 Tyrann had served with the department since February 2021. His dedication and service to the community have been acknowledged by the department, which noted that his loss will be deeply felt by both department members and the public.

Arrangements for services in honor of K-9 Tyrann are currently being made. The Salina Police Department will share details regarding the location, date, and time once finalized. Further information will be released as it becomes available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726757775230.jpeg" alt="Tyrann courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Tyrann courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —The Salina Police Department announced on Thursday the passing of K-9 Tyrann, one of its active service dogs. Tyrann died on Wednesday following an accidental fall from an elevated position while on duty.K-9 Tyrann had served with the department since February 2021. His dedication and service to the community have been acknowledged by the department, which noted that his loss will be deeply felt by both department members and the public.Arrangements for services in honor of K-9 Tyrann are currently being made. The Salina Police Department will share details regarding the location, date, and time once finalized. Further information will be released as it becomes available.

Kansas K-9 Officer dies in an accident while on duty

TOPEKA&nbsp;– With less than one month remaining before voter registration closes for the November general election, Kansas crossed a milestone – 2 million Kansans are on the voter rolls, according to a media release from the Kansas Secretary of State's office.

Secretary of State Scott Schwab announced this week that Kansas met this threshold late last week, and the number is expected to continue to rise before registration closes on October 15th.

Since January 2024, 83,293 new registered voters have been added. “I am pleased to see so many Kansans taking the important step of registering to vote,” Schwab said.

“I remind Kansans that the most secure way to register is through VoteKansas.gov. The use of a .gov address ensures security and lets Kansans know they are accessing an official government site, rather than a third-party one,” Schwab said.

Kansans wishing to participate in the November 5 general election must ensure they are registered and that their voter registration information is up to date by October 15. Also, those who are 17 now but will turn 18 by Election Day can register to vote.

Whether registering to vote for the first time or updating voter registration records, Kansans can do so at&nbsp;<a href="https://votekansas.gov/">VoteKansas.gov</a>&nbsp;or check their voter registration details on Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://myvoteinfo.voteks.org/voterview" target="_blank">VoterView</a>.

TOPEKA&nbsp;– With less than one month remaining before voter registration closes for the November general election, Kansas crossed a milestone – 2 million Kansans are on the voter rolls, according to a media release from the Kansas Secretary of State's office.Secretary of State Scott Schwab announced this week that Kansas met this threshold late last week, and the number is expected to continue to rise before registration closes on October 15th.Since January 2024, 83,293 new registered voters have been added. “I am pleased to see so many Kansans taking the important step of registering to vote,” Schwab said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Important deadlines for the 2024 General Election. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ksleg?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ksleg</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kselections?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kselections</a> <a href="https://t.co/TrYHZ6KekD">pic.twitter.com/TrYHZ6KekD</a>&mdash; Kansas Secretary of State (@KansasSOS) <a href="https://twitter.com/KansasSOS/status/1829562681541480804?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“I remind Kansans that the most secure way to register is through VoteKansas.gov. The use of a .gov address ensures security and lets Kansans know they are accessing an official government site, rather than a third-party one,” Schwab said.Kansans wishing to participate in the November 5 general election must ensure they are registered and that their voter registration information is up to date by October 15. Also, those who are 17 now but will turn 18 by Election Day can register to vote.Whether registering to vote for the first time or updating voter registration records, Kansans can do so at&nbsp;<a href="https://votekansas.gov/">VoteKansas.gov</a>&nbsp;or check their voter registration details on Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://myvoteinfo.voteks.org/voterview" target="_blank">VoterView</a>.

83,293 new registered voters in Kansas since January

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating a double-homicide in Kansas City.

Just after 7p.m. Wednesday, patrol officers were dispatched to several reports of shots fired in the 300 block of Maple in Kansas City, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

&nbsp;While en route the call was upgraded to a shooting involving two victims. First responders found two men in Maple Park. They were suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Officers began performing life saving measures and ordered emergency medical personnel to the scene. EMS pronounced the victims were deceased at the scene, according to DiMartino.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726740585084.png" alt="Officer on the scene of the investigation -Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte" />
 <figcaption>Officer on the scene of the investigation -Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating a double-homicide in Kansas City.Just after 7p.m. Wednesday, patrol officers were dispatched to several reports of shots fired in the 300 block of Maple in Kansas City, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.&nbsp;While en route the call was upgraded to a shooting involving two victims. First responders found two men in Maple Park. They were suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.&nbsp;&nbsp;Officers began performing life saving measures and ordered emergency medical personnel to the scene. EMS pronounced the victims were deceased at the scene, according to DiMartino.

Police: Double-homicide in Kansas City park

ALLEN COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating an alleged road rage incident and made an arrest of the teen driver for allegedly pointing a gun at occupants of another vehicle.

Shortly before 8 p.m. on Tuesday, two individuals from Chanute, Kansas, reported to the Humboldt Police Department that they had been traveling on Old U.S. Hwy 169 to the gym in Humboldt, according to a statement from the Allen County Sheriff's office.

A Jeep Liberty, reportedly traveling at a high rate of speed, passed and repeatedly braked in front of them. The vehicles “leap-frogged” each other a couple of times before a gun was pointed at the Chanute residents as the vehicles crossed the bridge near the Monarch Cement plant.

Officers located the Jeep and two juvenile occupants including&nbsp; a 17-year-old driver from Buffalo, Kansas. They were detained by the Iola Police Department at the Pete’s convenience store on the east side of Iola until a sheriff's deputy arrived.&nbsp;

Deputies removed a .45 caliber handgun matching the description given by the reporting party from the vehicle.&nbsp;&nbsp;

 Bottles of liquor, nicotine and THC vapes, along with items alleged to be narcotics and drug paraphernalia, were found also in the vehicle and seized. &nbsp;The gun is believed to belong to the girl’s father, who kept the gun in an unlocked safe.

Deputies took the 17-year-old girl into custody and transported her to the juvenile detention center in Girard. The fifteen-year-old passenger in the vehicle was released to a parent.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The following charges are being forwarded to the Allen County Attorney’s Officer for consideration:&nbsp; Aggravated Assault with a deadly weapon, Disorderly Conduct, Criminal Possession of a Firearm, Possession of Narcotics, Possession of THC, Possession of Alcohol by a Minor, Possession of Tobacco/Nicotine by a Minor, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

ALLEN COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating an alleged road rage incident and made an arrest of the teen driver for allegedly pointing a gun at occupants of another vehicle.Shortly before 8 p.m. on Tuesday, two individuals from Chanute, Kansas, reported to the Humboldt Police Department that they had been traveling on Old U.S. Hwy 169 to the gym in Humboldt, according to a statement from the Allen County Sheriff's office.A Jeep Liberty, reportedly traveling at a high rate of speed, passed and repeatedly braked in front of them. The vehicles “leap-frogged” each other a couple of times before a gun was pointed at the Chanute residents as the vehicles crossed the bridge near the Monarch Cement plant.Officers located the Jeep and two juvenile occupants including&nbsp; a 17-year-old driver from Buffalo, Kansas. They were detained by the Iola Police Department at the Pete’s convenience store on the east side of Iola until a sheriff's deputy arrived.&nbsp;Deputies removed a .45 caliber handgun matching the description given by the reporting party from the vehicle.&nbsp;&nbsp; Bottles of liquor, nicotine and THC vapes, along with items alleged to be narcotics and drug paraphernalia, were found also in the vehicle and seized. &nbsp;The gun is believed to belong to the girl’s father, who kept the gun in an unlocked safe.Deputies took the 17-year-old girl into custody and transported her to the juvenile detention center in Girard. The fifteen-year-old passenger in the vehicle was released to a parent.&nbsp;&nbsp;The following charges are being forwarded to the Allen County Attorney’s Officer for consideration:&nbsp; Aggravated Assault with a deadly weapon, Disorderly Conduct, Criminal Possession of a Firearm, Possession of Narcotics, Possession of THC, Possession of Alcohol by a Minor, Possession of Tobacco/Nicotine by a Minor, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Road rage: 17-year-old Kansas girl arrested, gun seized

HARPER COUNTY —A small earthquake shook south-central Kansas just after 11:30p.m. Wednesday in Harper County.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake measured a magnitude 3.4 and was centered approximately four miles southwest of Danville.

There are no reports of any damage or injury.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726742767214.png" alt="Location of the quake- image U.S. Geological Survey" />
 <figcaption>Location of the quake- image U.S. Geological Survey</figcaption>
 </figure>HARPER COUNTY —A small earthquake shook south-central Kansas just after 11:30p.m. Wednesday in Harper County.According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake measured a magnitude 3.4 and was centered approximately four miles southwest of Danville.There are no reports of any damage or injury.

Small earthquake shakes south-central Kansas

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House on Wednesday rejected Speaker Mike Johnson's proposal that would have linked temporary funding for the federal government with a mandate that states require proof of citizenship when people register to vote.

Next steps on government funding are uncertain. Lawmakers are not close to completing work on the dozen annual appropriations bills that will fund federal agencies during the next fiscal year, so they’ll need to approve a stopgap measure to prevent a partial shutdown when that budget year begins Oct. 1.

The vote was 220-202, with 14 Republicans and all but three Democrats opposing the bill. Kansas GOP members of the House, Tracey Mann, Ron Estes and Jake LaTurner voted for the measure. Kansas Democrat Representative Sharice Davids voted against the bill.

Speaker Johnson, who said after the vote he was “disappointed,” will likely pursue a Plan B to avoid a partial shutdown, though he was not yet ready to share details.

“We'll draw up another play and we'll come up with a solution,” Johnson said. “I'm already talking to colleague about their many ideas. We have time to fix the situation and we'll get right to it.”

Johnson had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-mike-johnson-house-voting-citizenship-b2b20d38dbb0fcf3390a97eb1cc29418">pulled the bill</a>&nbsp;from consideration last week because it lacked the votes to pass. He worked through the weekend to win support from fellow Republicans but was unable to overcome objections about spending levels from some members, while others said they don't favor any continuing resolutions, insisting that Congress return to passing the dozen annual appropriations bills on time and one at a time. Democrats overwhelmingly opposed the measure.

Requiring new voters to provide proof of citizenship has become a leading election-year priority for Republicans raising the specter of noncitizens voting in the U.S., even though it’s already illegal to do so and research has shown that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/noncitizens-voting-republicans-election-2024-immigration-09b86e6768f755fd875f3c51b0e8ea70">such voting is rare</a>.

Opponents say that such a requirement would disenfranchise millions of Americans who do not have a birth certificate or passport readily available when they get a chance to register at their school, church or other venues when voter registration drives occur.

But Johnson said it is a serious problem because even if a tiny percentage of noncitizens do vote, it could determine the outcome of an extremely close race. He noted that Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-e3f235f217707a78fcec059f8e0b4ffa">won</a>&nbsp;her seat back in 2020 by six votes.

“It's very, very serious stuff and that's why we're going to do the right thing,” Johnson said before the vote. “We're going to responsibly fund the government and we're going to stop noncitizens voting in elections.”

Meanwhile, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump weighed in again just hours before the vote. seemingly encouraging House Republicans to let a partial government shutdown begin at the end of the month unless they get the proof of citizenship mandate, referred to in the House as the SAVE Act.

“If Republicans don’t get the SAVE Act, and every ounce of it, they should not agree to a Continuing Resolution in any way, shape, or form,” Trump said on the social media platform Truth Social.

House Democrats said the proof of citizenship mandate should not be part of a bill to keep the government funded and urged Johnson to work with them on a measure that can pass both chambers.

“This is not going to become law," said Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif. "This is Republican theatrics that are meant to appease the most extreme members of their conference, to show them that they are working on something and that they’re continuing to support the former president of the United States in his bid to demonize immigrants.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has predicted Johnson's effort was doomed to fail.

“The only thing that will accomplish is make clear that he’s running into a dead end,” Schumer said. “We must have a bipartisan plan instead.”

The legislation would fund agencies generally at current levels through March 28 while lawmakers work out their differences on a full-year spending agreement.

Democrats, and some Republicans, are pushing for a shorter extension. A temporary fix would allow the current Congress to hammer out a final bill after the election and get it to Democratic President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature.

But Johnson and some of the more conservative members of his conference are pushing for a six-month extension in the hopes Trump will win and give them more leverage when crafting the full-year bill.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky declined to weigh in on how long to extend funding. He said Schumer and Johnson, ultimately, will have to work out a final agreement that can pass both chambers.

“The one thing you cannot have is a government shutdown. It would be politically beyond stupid for us to do that right before the election because certainly we would get the blame,” McConnell said.

Regardless of the vote outcome, Republican lawmakers sought to allay any concerns there would be a shutdown. Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., said if the bill failed, then another stopgap bill should be voted on that would allow lawmakers to come back to Washington after the election and finish the appropriations work.

“The bottom line is we're not shutting the government down,” Lawler said.

But Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries accused Republicans of engaging in a “shutdown effort.”

"That’s not hyperbole,” Jeffries said. “It’s history. Because in the DNA of extreme MAGA Republicans has consistently been an effort to make extreme ransom demands of the American people, and if those extreme ransom demands are not met, shut down the government.”

The House approved a bill with the proof of citizenship mandate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-voting-migrants-citizenship-elections-republicans-8056bde9ea64b13fd20985d56a6a0fde">back in July</a>. Some Republicans who view the issue as popular with their constituents have been pushing for another chance to show their support.

Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., noted that his state’s secretary of state announced last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-voting-registration-access-025be9793aff9e0a0d0cc8aa85e52d47">that 3,251 people</a>&nbsp;who had been previously issued noncitizen identification numbers will have their voter registration status made inactive and flagged for possible removal from the voter rolls. Voting rights groups have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alabama-noncitizen-voter-purge-lawsuit-3b6220139f9a7d2e8f2b8525b59edd48">since</a>&nbsp;filed a lawsuit saying the policy illegally targeted naturalized citizens for removal from voting rolls.

“These people should never have been allowed to register in the first place and this is exactly what the SAVE Act will prevent,” Aderholt said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House on Wednesday rejected Speaker Mike Johnson's proposal that would have linked temporary funding for the federal government with a mandate that states require proof of citizenship when people register to vote.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerJohnson</a> (R-LA): &quot;We ran the play. It was the best play. It was the right one. And so now we go back to the playbook. We&#39;ll draw up another play and we&#39;ll come up with a solution.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/4SKlyeSj4g">pic.twitter.com/4SKlyeSj4g</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1836545662051033284?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Next steps on government funding are uncertain. Lawmakers are not close to completing work on the dozen annual appropriations bills that will fund federal agencies during the next fiscal year, so they’ll need to approve a stopgap measure to prevent a partial shutdown when that budget year begins Oct. 1.The vote was 220-202, with 14 Republicans and all but three Democrats opposing the bill. Kansas GOP members of the House, Tracey Mann, Ron Estes and Jake LaTurner voted for the measure. Kansas Democrat Representative Sharice Davids voted against the bill.Speaker Johnson, who said after the vote he was “disappointed,” will likely pursue a Plan B to avoid a partial shutdown, though he was not yet ready to share details.“We'll draw up another play and we'll come up with a solution,” Johnson said. “I'm already talking to colleague about their many ideas. We have time to fix the situation and we'll get right to it.”Johnson had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-mike-johnson-house-voting-citizenship-b2b20d38dbb0fcf3390a97eb1cc29418">pulled the bill</a>&nbsp;from consideration last week because it lacked the votes to pass. He worked through the weekend to win support from fellow Republicans but was unable to overcome objections about spending levels from some members, while others said they don't favor any continuing resolutions, insisting that Congress return to passing the dozen annual appropriations bills on time and one at a time. Democrats overwhelmingly opposed the measure.Requiring new voters to provide proof of citizenship has become a leading election-year priority for Republicans raising the specter of noncitizens voting in the U.S., even though it’s already illegal to do so and research has shown that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/noncitizens-voting-republicans-election-2024-immigration-09b86e6768f755fd875f3c51b0e8ea70">such voting is rare</a>.Opponents say that such a requirement would disenfranchise millions of Americans who do not have a birth certificate or passport readily available when they get a chance to register at their school, church or other venues when voter registration drives occur.But Johnson said it is a serious problem because even if a tiny percentage of noncitizens do vote, it could determine the outcome of an extremely close race. He noted that Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-e3f235f217707a78fcec059f8e0b4ffa">won</a>&nbsp;her seat back in 2020 by six votes.“It's very, very serious stuff and that's why we're going to do the right thing,” Johnson said before the vote. “We're going to responsibly fund the government and we're going to stop noncitizens voting in elections.”Meanwhile, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump weighed in again just hours before the vote. seemingly encouraging House Republicans to let a partial government shutdown begin at the end of the month unless they get the proof of citizenship mandate, referred to in the House as the SAVE Act.“If Republicans don’t get the SAVE Act, and every ounce of it, they should not agree to a Continuing Resolution in any way, shape, or form,” Trump said on the social media platform Truth Social.House Democrats said the proof of citizenship mandate should not be part of a bill to keep the government funded and urged Johnson to work with them on a measure that can pass both chambers.“This is not going to become law," said Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif. "This is Republican theatrics that are meant to appease the most extreme members of their conference, to show them that they are working on something and that they’re continuing to support the former president of the United States in his bid to demonize immigrants.”Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has predicted Johnson's effort was doomed to fail.“The only thing that will accomplish is make clear that he’s running into a dead end,” Schumer said. “We must have a bipartisan plan instead.”The legislation would fund agencies generally at current levels through March 28 while lawmakers work out their differences on a full-year spending agreement.Democrats, and some Republicans, are pushing for a shorter extension. A temporary fix would allow the current Congress to hammer out a final bill after the election and get it to Democratic President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature.But Johnson and some of the more conservative members of his conference are pushing for a six-month extension in the hopes Trump will win and give them more leverage when crafting the full-year bill.Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky declined to weigh in on how long to extend funding. He said Schumer and Johnson, ultimately, will have to work out a final agreement that can pass both chambers.“The one thing you cannot have is a government shutdown. It would be politically beyond stupid for us to do that right before the election because certainly we would get the blame,” McConnell said.Regardless of the vote outcome, Republican lawmakers sought to allay any concerns there would be a shutdown. Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., said if the bill failed, then another stopgap bill should be voted on that would allow lawmakers to come back to Washington after the election and finish the appropriations work.“The bottom line is we're not shutting the government down,” Lawler said.But Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries accused Republicans of engaging in a “shutdown effort.”"That’s not hyperbole,” Jeffries said. “It’s history. Because in the DNA of extreme MAGA Republicans has consistently been an effort to make extreme ransom demands of the American people, and if those extreme ransom demands are not met, shut down the government.”The House approved a bill with the proof of citizenship mandate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-voting-migrants-citizenship-elections-republicans-8056bde9ea64b13fd20985d56a6a0fde">back in July</a>. Some Republicans who view the issue as popular with their constituents have been pushing for another chance to show their support.Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., noted that his state’s secretary of state announced last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-voting-registration-access-025be9793aff9e0a0d0cc8aa85e52d47">that 3,251 people</a>&nbsp;who had been previously issued noncitizen identification numbers will have their voter registration status made inactive and flagged for possible removal from the voter rolls. Voting rights groups have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alabama-noncitizen-voter-purge-lawsuit-3b6220139f9a7d2e8f2b8525b59edd48">since</a>&nbsp;filed a lawsuit saying the policy illegally targeted naturalized citizens for removal from voting rolls.“These people should never have been allowed to register in the first place and this is exactly what the SAVE Act will prevent,” Aderholt said.

🎥Kan. GOP lawmakers look to 'next play' to avoid government shutdown

KANSAS CITY— A Kansas City Fire Department released the name of the firefighter-paramedic&nbsp; who died Tuesday during a training exercise.&nbsp; 

Kyle Brinker, 33, was a ten year veteran with KCFD with the Rescue Division at Station 35, according to the city.

Just before noon,&nbsp;KCFD crews conducted a training exercise when a Brinker experienced a medical emergency.

He was taken to North Kansas City Hospital and was pronounced dead at 1 p.m.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Brinker is survived by a wife and his brother, who is also a Kansas City firefighter.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726704459151.png" alt="Kyle Brinker courtesy ph oto" />
 <figcaption>Kyle Brinker courtesy ph oto</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY— A Kansas City Fire Department released the name of the firefighter-paramedic&nbsp; who died Tuesday during a training exercise.&nbsp; Kyle Brinker, 33, was a ten year veteran with KCFD with the Rescue Division at Station 35, according to the city.Just before noon,&nbsp;KCFD crews conducted a training exercise when a Brinker experienced a medical emergency.He was taken to North Kansas City Hospital and was pronounced dead at 1 p.m.&nbsp; &nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Mayor Lucas issued the following statement on the passing of a Kansas City Fire Department firefighter-paramedic: <a href="https://t.co/mNZfcjtg9O">pic.twitter.com/mNZfcjtg9O</a>&mdash; Mayor Quinton Lucas (@MayorLucasKC) <a href="https://twitter.com/MayorLucasKC/status/1836136269187027239?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Brinker is survived by a wife and his brother, who is also a Kansas City firefighter.

KCFD releases name of firefighter who died following training exercise

KANSAS CITY —One person died in an accident just after 5:30p.m. Wednesday in Kansas City.

Investigators determined a Ford F150 was making a left turn from northbound Blue Ridge Boulevard onto westbound 99th Street, according to KCPD&nbsp;Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

A southbound Honda CBR motorcycle that was traveling at a very high rate of speed struck the pickup.

 The operator of the Honda was ejected off the motorcycle and pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver and the four juvenile occupants of the Ford were uninjured in the collision. 

This is fatality #70 compared to #65 at this time last year, according to&nbsp; DiMartino. The accident remains under investigation. Police have not released the name of the victim.

KANSAS CITY —One person died in an accident just after 5:30p.m. Wednesday in Kansas City.Investigators determined a Ford F150 was making a left turn from northbound Blue Ridge Boulevard onto westbound 99th Street, according to KCPD&nbsp;Sergeant Phil DiMartino.A southbound Honda CBR motorcycle that was traveling at a very high rate of speed struck the pickup. The operator of the Honda was ejected off the motorcycle and pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver and the four juvenile occupants of the Ford were uninjured in the collision. This is fatality #70 compared to #65 at this time last year, according to&nbsp; DiMartino. The accident remains under investigation. Police have not released the name of the victim.

Motorcyclist dies after crash with pickup in Kansas City

OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri man is now facing a murder charge for the police chase that led to the death of an officer.

Christopher Aaron Bishop Wehmeyer, 23, was originally charged with aggravated fleeing a stop or detention resulting in death after the chase on Aug. 31. Prosecutors on Tuesday added a charge of second-degree murder.

Wehmeyer fled when an Osage Beach officer tried to stop him for speeding on U.S. 54, police said. Another Osage Beach officer, 33-year-old Phylicia Carson, joined the pursuit before skidding off the road into a tree. Her squad car burst into flames. Carson, a mother of six, died from her injuries.

Messages were left Wednesday with Wehmeyer's attorney.

CAMDEN COUNTY —A Missouri police officer died in a crash and fire while chasing a suspect on Saturday in Camden&nbsp; County.

Just after 1:30a.m., sheriff's&nbsp;deputies responded near the Richland area to assist Osage Beach Police Department - City of Osage Beach, Missouri with a vehicle pursuit.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2024 Ford Explorer driven by Osage Beach&nbsp;Police Officer 33-year-old Phylicia Carson was southbound on Route A just east of Toronto Springs Park Road.

The SUV crossed the center of the road while in pursuit of a suspect and began to skid.&nbsp; The vehicle traveled off the left side of the road, struck a tree and caught fire.&nbsp; Officer Carson was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Hedges Scott Funeral Home in Camdenton.

The vehicle involved in the chase also crashed and the suspect was taken into custody, according police.

&nbsp;Carson is survived by her husband and six children. She had been with the city since June 2023, according to Osage Beach Police.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725222612236.png" alt="Wehmeyer-photo Osage Co." />
 <figcaption>Wehmeyer-photo Osage Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri man is now facing a murder charge for the police chase that led to the death of an officer.Christopher Aaron Bishop Wehmeyer, 23, was originally charged with aggravated fleeing a stop or detention resulting in death after the chase on Aug. 31. Prosecutors on Tuesday added a charge of second-degree murder.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1725156364558.png" alt="Officer&nbsp; Carson is survived by her husband and six children. She had been with the city since June 2023, according to Osage Beach Police." />
 <figcaption>Officer&nbsp; Carson is survived by her husband and six children. She had been with the city since June 2023, according to Osage Beach Police.</figcaption>
 </figure>Wehmeyer fled when an Osage Beach officer tried to stop him for speeding on U.S. 54, police said. Another Osage Beach officer, 33-year-old Phylicia Carson, joined the pursuit before skidding off the road into a tree. Her squad car burst into flames. Carson, a mother of six, died from her injuries.Messages were left Wednesday with Wehmeyer's attorney.--------------CAMDEN COUNTY —A Missouri police officer died in a crash and fire while chasing a suspect on Saturday in Camden&nbsp; County.Just after 1:30a.m., sheriff's&nbsp;deputies responded near the Richland area to assist Osage Beach Police Department - City of Osage Beach, Missouri with a vehicle pursuit.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2024 Ford Explorer driven by Osage Beach&nbsp;Police Officer 33-year-old Phylicia Carson was southbound on Route A just east of Toronto Springs Park Road.The SUV crossed the center of the road while in pursuit of a suspect and began to skid.&nbsp; The vehicle traveled off the left side of the road, struck a tree and caught fire.&nbsp; Officer Carson was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Hedges Scott Funeral Home in Camdenton.The vehicle involved in the chase also crashed and the suspect was taken into custody, according police.&nbsp;Carson is survived by her husband and six children. She had been with the city since June 2023, according to Osage Beach Police.

Man faces murder charge for police pursuit crash that killed officer

RILEY COUNTY—Three drivers and students on a school bus avoided injury in an accident just after 3:30p.m. Wednesday in Riley County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Freightliner semi driven by&nbsp; Scott Alan Sheely, 61, Clyde, was westbound on U.S. 77 just west of Crooked Creek Road.

The semi rear-ended a 2012 Buick Regal driven by Merlin Benson&nbsp;Chestnut, 69, Clay Center, who braked suddenly when he noticed the red stop sign activated on a school bus stopped on the south shoulder to let kids out at a home.&nbsp;

 After impact the Buick struck the bus driven by Robert Deemie, 69, of Manhattan, with 26-students on board.&nbsp; There were no injuries reported.&nbsp; All three drivers were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

RILEY COUNTY—Three drivers and students on a school bus avoided injury in an accident just after 3:30p.m. Wednesday in Riley County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Freightliner semi driven by&nbsp; Scott Alan Sheely, 61, Clyde, was westbound on U.S. 77 just west of Crooked Creek Road.The semi rear-ended a 2012 Buick Regal driven by Merlin Benson&nbsp;Chestnut, 69, Clay Center, who braked suddenly when he noticed the red stop sign activated on a school bus stopped on the south shoulder to let kids out at a home.&nbsp; After impact the Buick struck the bus driven by Robert Deemie, 69, of Manhattan, with 26-students on board.&nbsp; There were no injuries reported.&nbsp; All three drivers were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Kan. school bus driver, 26 students avoid injury after 3-vehicle crash

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.

Just after 4p.m. September 15, a deputy with the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office observed an individual with warrants for his arrest in the 6700 block of SW Briarmeade Lane in the Topeka area, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726418665460.png" alt="Morrissey-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Morrissey-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.Just after 4p.m. September 15, a deputy with the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office observed an individual with warrants for his arrest in the 6700 block of SW Briarmeade Lane in the Topeka area, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.During the investigation, illegal narcotics were located. The deputy arrested Jeramie J. Morrissey, 37, of Topeka, on requested charges of Possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant,&nbsp;Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body, Morrissey also had the warrants for his arrest and were for Speeding and driving while license suspended and&nbsp;Topeka bench warrants.