NEW YORK (AP) — Is the year of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/taylor-swift">Taylor Swift</a>&nbsp;over now? Not yet.

Time Magazine named Swift its person of the year on Wednesday, a week after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/spotify-2023-music-taylor-swift-bad-bunny-376192a822c7b1d38387a0f3b17e963f">Spotify announced</a>&nbsp;she was the most-played artist on the streaming platform.

Swift was picked from a group of nine finalists that included Barbie, King Charles III, and OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, among others.

“While her popularity has grown across the decades, this is the year that Swift, 33, achieved a kind of nuclear fusion: shooting art and commerce together to release an energy of historic force,” Time said&nbsp;<a href="https://time.com/6342816/person-of-the-year-2023-taylor-swift-choice/">about her selection</a>.

Her year included the wildly popular Eras Tour and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-eras-tour-movie-review-2f409c638d2a9ea827f72c61b6b0d60a">concert movie</a>, the release of her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-1989-taylors-version-a4002b50f70b5899a846baf3e20de5ab">reimagined ‘1989’ album</a>, and her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-chiefs-packers-2a1a9e791afbf7a3cb86ec458b1aae67">closely watched relationship</a>&nbsp;with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. She's even the subject of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-rick-ross-law-school-courses-fd00b458405b36acf281a5ab586ad320">college courses</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695606865962.png" alt="File photo Taylor Swift inside Arrowhead Stadium during the first half of a game between the Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, in Kansas City (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)" />
 <figcaption>File photo Taylor Swift inside Arrowhead Stadium during the first half of a game between the Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, in Kansas City (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Is the year of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/taylor-swift">Taylor Swift</a>&nbsp;over now? Not yet.Time Magazine named Swift its person of the year on Wednesday, a week after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/spotify-2023-music-taylor-swift-bad-bunny-376192a822c7b1d38387a0f3b17e963f">Spotify announced</a>&nbsp;she was the most-played artist on the streaming platform.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Taylor Swift (<a href="https://twitter.com/taylorswift13?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@taylorswift13</a>) is TIME&#39;s 2023 Person of the Year <a href="https://t.co/oyjR55azCZ">https://t.co/oyjR55azCZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/m2qbIbd5TX">pic.twitter.com/m2qbIbd5TX</a>&mdash; TIME (@TIME) <a href="https://twitter.com/TIME/status/1732379462644220275?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Swift was picked from a group of nine finalists that included Barbie, King Charles III, and OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, among others.“While her popularity has grown across the decades, this is the year that Swift, 33, achieved a kind of nuclear fusion: shooting art and commerce together to release an energy of historic force,” Time said&nbsp;<a href="https://time.com/6342816/person-of-the-year-2023-taylor-swift-choice/">about her selection</a>.Her year included the wildly popular Eras Tour and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-eras-tour-movie-review-2f409c638d2a9ea827f72c61b6b0d60a">concert movie</a>, the release of her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-1989-taylors-version-a4002b50f70b5899a846baf3e20de5ab">reimagined ‘1989’ album</a>, and her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-chiefs-packers-2a1a9e791afbf7a3cb86ec458b1aae67">closely watched relationship</a>&nbsp;with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. She's even the subject of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-rick-ross-law-school-courses-fd00b458405b36acf281a5ab586ad320">college courses</a>.

Taylor Swift is named Time Magazine's person of the year

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Norman Lear, the writer, director and producer who revolutionized prime time television with such topical hits as "All in the Family" and “Maude” and propelled political and social turmoil into the once-insulated world of sitcoms, has died. He was 101.

Lear died Tuesday night in his sleep, surrounded by family at his home in Los Angeles, said Lara Bergthold, a spokesperson for his family.

A liberal activist with an eye for mainstream entertainment, Lear fashioned bold and controversial comedies that were embraced by TV sitcom viewers who long had to watch the evening news to find out what was going on in the world. His shows helped define prime time comedy in the 1970s and after, launched the careers of such young performers as Rob Reiner and Valerie Bertinelli and made Carroll O'Connor, Bea Arthur and Redd Foxx among others into middle-aged superstars.

His signature production was “All in the Family,” which was immersed in the headlines of the day, while also drawing upon Lear's childhood memories of his tempestuous father. Racism, feminism, and the Vietnam War were flashpoints in the sitcom featuring blue collar conservative Archie Bunker, played by O'Connor, and liberal son-in-law Mike Stivic (Reiner). Jean Stapleton co-starred as Archie’s befuddled, but good-hearted wife, Edith, and Sally Struthers played the Bunkers' daughter, Gloria, who often clashed with Archie on behalf of her husband.

At the start of the 1970s, top-rated shows still included such old-fashioned programs as “Here’s Lucy,” “Ironside” and “Gunsmoke,” although the industry was beginning to change. CBS, Lear’s primary network, would soon enact its “rural purge” and cancel such standbys as “The Beverly Hillbillies” and “Green Acres.” The groundbreaking sitcom “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” about a single career woman in Minneapolis, debuted on CBS in Sept. 1970, just months before “All in the Family” started.

But ABC passed on “All in the Family” twice and CBS was initially reluctant to take on the daring series, Lear would say. When the network finally aired “All in the Family,” it began with a disclaimer: “The program you are about to see is ‘All in the Family.’ It seeks to throw a humorous spotlight on our frailties, prejudices, and concerns. By making them a source of laughter we hope to show, in a mature fashion, just how absurd they are.”

By the end of 1971, “All In the Family” was No. 1 in the ratings and Archie Bunker was a pop culture fixture, with President Richard Nixon among his fans. Some of his putdowns became catchphrases, whether calling his son-in-law “Meathead,” or his wife “Dingbat.” He would also snap at anyone who dared occupy his faded orange-yellow wing chair, the centerpiece of the Bunker home in the New York City borough of Queens and eventually an artifact in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

Even the show’s opening segment was innovative: Instead of an off-screen theme song, Archie and Edith are seated at the piano in their living room, belting out a nostalgic number, “Those Were the Days,” with Edith screeching off-key and Archie crooning such lines “Didn’t need no welfare state” and “Girls were girls and men were men.”

“All in the Family,” based on the British sitcom, “Til Death Us Do Part,” was the No. 1-rated series for an unprecedented five years in a row and earned four Emmy Awards as best comedy series, finally eclipsed by five-time winner “Frasier” in 1998.

Hits continued for Lear and then-partner Bud Yorkin, including “Maude” and “The Jeffersons,” both spinoffs from “All in the Family” and both the same winning combination of one-liners and social conflict. In a 1972 two-part episode of “Maude,” the title character (played by Arthur) became the first on television to have an abortion, drawing a surge of protests along with the show’s high ratings. Nixon himself objected to an “All in the Family” episode about a close friend of Archie’s who turns out to be gay, privately fuming to White House aides that the show “glorified” same-sex relationships.

“Controversy suggests people are thinking about something. But there’d better be laughing first and foremost or it’s a dog,” Lear said in a 1994 interview with The Associated Press.

Lear and Yorkin also created “Good Times,” about a working class Black family in Chicago; “Sanford &amp; Son,” a showcase for Foxx as junkyard dealer Fred Sanford; and “One Day at a Time,” starring Bonnie Franklin as a single mother and Bertinelli and Mackenzie Phillips as her daughters. In the 1974-75 season, Lear and Yorkin produced five of the top 10 shows. Around the same time, “All in the Family” led off one of TV’s greatest evening lineups, a Saturday slate from CBS that also featured the non-Lear hits “M(asterisk)A(asterisk)S(asterisk)H,” “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “The Bob Newhart Show” and “The Carol Burnett Show.”

The late Paddy Chayefsky, a leading writer of television’s early “golden age,” once said that Lear “took television away from dopey wives and dumb fathers, from the pimps, hookers, hustlers, private eyes, junkies, cowboys and rustlers that constituted television chaos, and in their place he put the American people.”

Lear’s series reflected his ardent political beliefs, which his business success allowed him to express in grand fashion. In 2000, he and a partner bought a copy of the Declaration of Independence for $8.14 million and sent it on a cross-country tour.

He founded the nonprofit, liberal advocacy group People for the American Way in 1980 in response to the growing strength of conservative religious groups. In a 1992 interview with Commonweal magazine, Lear said he acted because he felt people such as Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson were “abusing religion.”

“And I started to say, This is not my America. You don’t mix politics and religion this way,” Lear said. He also was an active donor to Democratic candidates.

With this wry smile and impish boat hat, Lear remained a youthful presence for much of life and continued creating television well into his 90s, rebooting “One Day at a Time” for Netflix in 2017 and exploring income inequality for the documentary series “America Divided” in 2016. He was also featured in two documentaries: 2016’s “Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You,” and HBO’s 2017 look at active nonagenarians such as Lear and Rob Reiner’s father, Carl Reiner, “If You’re Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast.”

In 1984, he was lauded as the “innovative writer who brought realism to television” when he became one of the first seven people inducted into the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ Hall of Fame. He later received a National Medal of Arts and was honored at the Kennedy Center. In 2020, he won an Emmy as executive producer of “Live In Front of a Studio Audience: ‘All In the Family’ and ‘Good Times’.’”

Lear managed to beat the tough TV odds to an astounding degree. At least one of his shows placed in prime-time’s top 10 for 11 consecutive years (1971-82). But Lear had flops as well.

Shows including “Hot L Baltimore,” “Palmerstown” and “a.k.a. Pablo,” a rare Hispanic series, drew critical favor but couldn’t find an audience; others, such as “All That Glitters” and “The Nancy Walker Show,” earned neither. He also faced resistance from cast members, including “Good Times” stars John Amos and Esther Rolle, who often objected to the scripts as racially insensitive, and endured a mid-season walkout by Foxx, who missed eight episodes in 1973-74 because of a contract dispute.

In the 1990s, the comedy “704 Hauser,” which returned to the Bunker house with a new family, and the political satire “The Powers that Be” were both short-lived.

Lear’s business moves, meanwhile, were almost consistently fruitful.

Lear started T.A.T. Communications in 1974 to be “sole creative captain of his ship,” his former business partner Jerry Perenchio told the Los Angeles Times in 1990. The company became a major TV producer with shows including “One Day at a Time” and the soap-opera spoof “Mary Hartman Mary Hartman,” which Lear distributed himself after it was rejected by the networks.

In 1982, Lear and Perenchio bought Avco-Embassy Pictures and formed Embassy Communications as T.A.T.’s successor, becoming successfully involved in movies, home video, pay TV and cable ownership. In 1985, Lear and Perenchio sold Embassy to Coca-Cola for $485 million. They had sold their cable holdings the year before, reportedly for a hefty profit.

By 1986, Lear was on Forbes magazine’s list of the 400 richest people in America, with an estimated net worth of $225 million. He didn’t make the cut the next year after a $112 million divorce settlement for his second wife, Frances. They had been married 29 years and had two daughters.

He married his third wife, psychologist Lyn Davis, in 1987 and the couple had three children. (Frances Lear, who went on to found the now-defunct Lear’s magazine with her settlement, died in 1996 at age 73.)

Lear was born in New Haven, Conn. on July 27, 1922, to Herman Lear, a securities broker who for a time went to prison for selling fake bonds, and Jeanette, a homemaker who helped inspire Edith Bunker. Norman Lear would remember family life as a kind of sitcom, full of quirks and grudges, “a group of people living at the ends of their nerves and the tops of their lungs,” he explained during a 2004 appearance at the John F. Kennedy Presidential LIbrary in Boston.

His political activism had deep roots. In a 1984 interview with The New York Times, Lear recalled how, at age 10, he went to live with his Russian immigrant grandfather for two years. His job was to mail Shia Seicol’s letters, which began “My dearest darling Mr. President,” to Franklin D. Roosevelt. Sometimes a reply came.

“That my grandfather mattered made me feel every citizen mattered,” he said. By age 15, Lear was sending his own messages to Congress via Western Union.

He dropped out of Emerson College 1942 to enlist in the Air Force and was awarded a Decorated Air Medal. He worked in public relations in New York after the war, then moved to California.

Lear began his writing career in the early 1950s on shows including “The Colgate Comedy Hour” and working for such comedians as Martha Raye and George Gobel. In 1959, Lear and Yorkin founded Tandem Productions, which produced films including “Come Blow Your Horn,” “Start the Revolution Without Me” and “Divorce American Style.” Lear also directed the satire “Cold Turkey,” a 1971 release starring Dick Van Dyke about a small town that takes on a tobacco company’s offer of $25 million to quit smoking for 30 days.

In his later years, Lear joined with Warren Buffett and James E. Burke to establish The Business Enterprise Trust, honoring businesses that take a long-term view of their effect on the country.

He also founded the Norman Lear Center, based at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication, which explores the relationship between entertainment, commerce and society. In 2014, he published the memoir “Even This I Get to Experience.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701872361012.png" alt="Lear" />
 <figcaption>Lear</figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — Norman Lear, the writer, director and producer who revolutionized prime time television with such topical hits as "All in the Family" and “Maude” and propelled political and social turmoil into the once-insulated world of sitcoms, has died. He was 101.Lear died Tuesday night in his sleep, surrounded by family at his home in Los Angeles, said Lara Bergthold, a spokesperson for his family.A liberal activist with an eye for mainstream entertainment, Lear fashioned bold and controversial comedies that were embraced by TV sitcom viewers who long had to watch the evening news to find out what was going on in the world. His shows helped define prime time comedy in the 1970s and after, launched the careers of such young performers as Rob Reiner and Valerie Bertinelli and made Carroll O'Connor, Bea Arthur and Redd Foxx among others into middle-aged superstars.His signature production was “All in the Family,” which was immersed in the headlines of the day, while also drawing upon Lear's childhood memories of his tempestuous father. Racism, feminism, and the Vietnam War were flashpoints in the sitcom featuring blue collar conservative Archie Bunker, played by O'Connor, and liberal son-in-law Mike Stivic (Reiner). Jean Stapleton co-starred as Archie’s befuddled, but good-hearted wife, Edith, and Sally Struthers played the Bunkers' daughter, Gloria, who often clashed with Archie on behalf of her husband.At the start of the 1970s, top-rated shows still included such old-fashioned programs as “Here’s Lucy,” “Ironside” and “Gunsmoke,” although the industry was beginning to change. CBS, Lear’s primary network, would soon enact its “rural purge” and cancel such standbys as “The Beverly Hillbillies” and “Green Acres.” The groundbreaking sitcom “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” about a single career woman in Minneapolis, debuted on CBS in Sept. 1970, just months before “All in the Family” started.But ABC passed on “All in the Family” twice and CBS was initially reluctant to take on the daring series, Lear would say. When the network finally aired “All in the Family,” it began with a disclaimer: “The program you are about to see is ‘All in the Family.’ It seeks to throw a humorous spotlight on our frailties, prejudices, and concerns. By making them a source of laughter we hope to show, in a mature fashion, just how absurd they are.”By the end of 1971, “All In the Family” was No. 1 in the ratings and Archie Bunker was a pop culture fixture, with President Richard Nixon among his fans. Some of his putdowns became catchphrases, whether calling his son-in-law “Meathead,” or his wife “Dingbat.” He would also snap at anyone who dared occupy his faded orange-yellow wing chair, the centerpiece of the Bunker home in the New York City borough of Queens and eventually an artifact in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.Even the show’s opening segment was innovative: Instead of an off-screen theme song, Archie and Edith are seated at the piano in their living room, belting out a nostalgic number, “Those Were the Days,” with Edith screeching off-key and Archie crooning such lines “Didn’t need no welfare state” and “Girls were girls and men were men.”“All in the Family,” based on the British sitcom, “Til Death Us Do Part,” was the No. 1-rated series for an unprecedented five years in a row and earned four Emmy Awards as best comedy series, finally eclipsed by five-time winner “Frasier” in 1998.Hits continued for Lear and then-partner Bud Yorkin, including “Maude” and “The Jeffersons,” both spinoffs from “All in the Family” and both the same winning combination of one-liners and social conflict. In a 1972 two-part episode of “Maude,” the title character (played by Arthur) became the first on television to have an abortion, drawing a surge of protests along with the show’s high ratings. Nixon himself objected to an “All in the Family” episode about a close friend of Archie’s who turns out to be gay, privately fuming to White House aides that the show “glorified” same-sex relationships.“Controversy suggests people are thinking about something. But there’d better be laughing first and foremost or it’s a dog,” Lear said in a 1994 interview with The Associated Press.Lear and Yorkin also created “Good Times,” about a working class Black family in Chicago; “Sanford &amp; Son,” a showcase for Foxx as junkyard dealer Fred Sanford; and “One Day at a Time,” starring Bonnie Franklin as a single mother and Bertinelli and Mackenzie Phillips as her daughters. In the 1974-75 season, Lear and Yorkin produced five of the top 10 shows. Around the same time, “All in the Family” led off one of TV’s greatest evening lineups, a Saturday slate from CBS that also featured the non-Lear hits “M(asterisk)A(asterisk)S(asterisk)H,” “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “The Bob Newhart Show” and “The Carol Burnett Show.”The late Paddy Chayefsky, a leading writer of television’s early “golden age,” once said that Lear “took television away from dopey wives and dumb fathers, from the pimps, hookers, hustlers, private eyes, junkies, cowboys and rustlers that constituted television chaos, and in their place he put the American people.”Lear’s series reflected his ardent political beliefs, which his business success allowed him to express in grand fashion. In 2000, he and a partner bought a copy of the Declaration of Independence for $8.14 million and sent it on a cross-country tour.He founded the nonprofit, liberal advocacy group People for the American Way in 1980 in response to the growing strength of conservative religious groups. In a 1992 interview with Commonweal magazine, Lear said he acted because he felt people such as Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson were “abusing religion.”“And I started to say, This is not my America. You don’t mix politics and religion this way,” Lear said. He also was an active donor to Democratic candidates.With this wry smile and impish boat hat, Lear remained a youthful presence for much of life and continued creating television well into his 90s, rebooting “One Day at a Time” for Netflix in 2017 and exploring income inequality for the documentary series “America Divided” in 2016. He was also featured in two documentaries: 2016’s “Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You,” and HBO’s 2017 look at active nonagenarians such as Lear and Rob Reiner’s father, Carl Reiner, “If You’re Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast.”In 1984, he was lauded as the “innovative writer who brought realism to television” when he became one of the first seven people inducted into the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ Hall of Fame. He later received a National Medal of Arts and was honored at the Kennedy Center. In 2020, he won an Emmy as executive producer of “Live In Front of a Studio Audience: ‘All In the Family’ and ‘Good Times’.’”Lear managed to beat the tough TV odds to an astounding degree. At least one of his shows placed in prime-time’s top 10 for 11 consecutive years (1971-82). But Lear had flops as well.Shows including “Hot L Baltimore,” “Palmerstown” and “a.k.a. Pablo,” a rare Hispanic series, drew critical favor but couldn’t find an audience; others, such as “All That Glitters” and “The Nancy Walker Show,” earned neither. He also faced resistance from cast members, including “Good Times” stars John Amos and Esther Rolle, who often objected to the scripts as racially insensitive, and endured a mid-season walkout by Foxx, who missed eight episodes in 1973-74 because of a contract dispute.In the 1990s, the comedy “704 Hauser,” which returned to the Bunker house with a new family, and the political satire “The Powers that Be” were both short-lived.Lear’s business moves, meanwhile, were almost consistently fruitful.Lear started T.A.T. Communications in 1974 to be “sole creative captain of his ship,” his former business partner Jerry Perenchio told the Los Angeles Times in 1990. The company became a major TV producer with shows including “One Day at a Time” and the soap-opera spoof “Mary Hartman Mary Hartman,” which Lear distributed himself after it was rejected by the networks.In 1982, Lear and Perenchio bought Avco-Embassy Pictures and formed Embassy Communications as T.A.T.’s successor, becoming successfully involved in movies, home video, pay TV and cable ownership. In 1985, Lear and Perenchio sold Embassy to Coca-Cola for $485 million. They had sold their cable holdings the year before, reportedly for a hefty profit.By 1986, Lear was on Forbes magazine’s list of the 400 richest people in America, with an estimated net worth of $225 million. He didn’t make the cut the next year after a $112 million divorce settlement for his second wife, Frances. They had been married 29 years and had two daughters.He married his third wife, psychologist Lyn Davis, in 1987 and the couple had three children. (Frances Lear, who went on to found the now-defunct Lear’s magazine with her settlement, died in 1996 at age 73.)Lear was born in New Haven, Conn. on July 27, 1922, to Herman Lear, a securities broker who for a time went to prison for selling fake bonds, and Jeanette, a homemaker who helped inspire Edith Bunker. Norman Lear would remember family life as a kind of sitcom, full of quirks and grudges, “a group of people living at the ends of their nerves and the tops of their lungs,” he explained during a 2004 appearance at the John F. Kennedy Presidential LIbrary in Boston.His political activism had deep roots. In a 1984 interview with The New York Times, Lear recalled how, at age 10, he went to live with his Russian immigrant grandfather for two years. His job was to mail Shia Seicol’s letters, which began “My dearest darling Mr. President,” to Franklin D. Roosevelt. Sometimes a reply came.“That my grandfather mattered made me feel every citizen mattered,” he said. By age 15, Lear was sending his own messages to Congress via Western Union.He dropped out of Emerson College 1942 to enlist in the Air Force and was awarded a Decorated Air Medal. He worked in public relations in New York after the war, then moved to California.Lear began his writing career in the early 1950s on shows including “The Colgate Comedy Hour” and working for such comedians as Martha Raye and George Gobel. In 1959, Lear and Yorkin founded Tandem Productions, which produced films including “Come Blow Your Horn,” “Start the Revolution Without Me” and “Divorce American Style.” Lear also directed the satire “Cold Turkey,” a 1971 release starring Dick Van Dyke about a small town that takes on a tobacco company’s offer of $25 million to quit smoking for 30 days.In his later years, Lear joined with Warren Buffett and James E. Burke to establish The Business Enterprise Trust, honoring businesses that take a long-term view of their effect on the country.He also founded the Norman Lear Center, based at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication, which explores the relationship between entertainment, commerce and society. In 2014, he published the memoir “Even This I Get to Experience.”

Norman Lear, TV legend, dies at 101

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas teen on multiple allegations after an arrest.

Just after 6p.m. Sunday, police&nbsp;responded to the report of an armed robbery in the 9600 block of Monrovia in Lenexa, according to a media release.

 The victim told officers she was preparing to unload items from her car after shopping when a masked individual approached her at the back of her car. The suspect pointed a handgun at the victim, demanding her phone and rifling through her pockets. The suspect fled the scene, however over the next several hours, police developed a potential suspect. 

At around midnight on December 4, officers took a 15-year-old boy&nbsp; into custody. Officers also recovered the victim's stolen property. The Johnson County District Attorney's Office has since charged this suspect with aggravated robbery and possession of a firearm.

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas teen on multiple allegations after an arrest.Just after 6p.m. Sunday, police&nbsp;responded to the report of an armed robbery in the 9600 block of Monrovia in Lenexa, according to a media release. The victim told officers she was preparing to unload items from her car after shopping when a masked individual approached her at the back of her car. The suspect pointed a handgun at the victim, demanding her phone and rifling through her pockets. The suspect fled the scene, however over the next several hours, police developed a potential suspect. At around midnight on December 4, officers took a 15-year-old boy&nbsp; into custody. Officers also recovered the victim's stolen property. The Johnson County District Attorney's Office has since charged this suspect with aggravated robbery and possession of a firearm.

Police: 15-year-old robbed Kansas woman at gunpoint

KINGMAN COUNTY —A Kansas sheriff's deputy was injured in an accident just after 11:30p.m. Tuesday in Kingman County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2023 Dodge Durango driven by Kingman County Sheriff's Deputy Logan Richard Self, 33, Maize, was northbound in the 2700 Block of Main Street in Kingman, actively trying to catch up to in a pursuit with emergency equipment activated. 

The SUV slid thru th intersection, struck a ditch and rolled. EMS transported Self to Wesley Medical Center for treatment of a minor injury. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

KINGMAN COUNTY —A Kansas sheriff's deputy was injured in an accident just after 11:30p.m. Tuesday in Kingman County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2023 Dodge Durango driven by Kingman County Sheriff's Deputy Logan Richard Self, 33, Maize, was northbound in the 2700 Block of Main Street in Kingman, actively trying to catch up to in a pursuit with emergency equipment activated. The SUV slid thru th intersection, struck a ditch and rolled. EMS transported Self to Wesley Medical Center for treatment of a minor injury. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Kansas sheriff's deputy injured after crash during chase

&nbsp;By&nbsp;<a href="http://www.defense.gov/News/Author/42773/c-todd-lopez/">C. Todd Lopez</a>&nbsp;, Department of Defense

Following last week's CV-22A Osprey mishap off the shore of Yakushima Island, Japan, a search and rescue operation had been ongoing for any possible survivors. That operation has now transitioned to a search and recovery operation. At the same time, Air Force Special Operations Command has released the names of the eight deceased service members.

A news release explained that a change in mission from rescue to recovery happens when it's determined that it is unlikely there are any survivors.

"I am deeply saddened by the loss of eight American troops in a tragic aircraft crash off the coast of Japan," said Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III in a statement released today. "The entire Department of Defense mourns alongside the families and the loved ones of those who lost their lives today in the service of their country. My heart also goes out to those who were serving alongside these brave men and women in Japan."

During a news briefing today Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said all families of those airmen have now been notified.

"Our deepest condolences go out to the families, friends, and colleagues of these eight American airmen who are impacted by this tragic mishap and the immeasurable loss of life," said Ryder. "We want to thank the government of Japan for all of their assistance."

Ryder said the remains of three of the eight have been recovered. The remains of another three airmen have been located and are in the process of being recovered.

"The recovery operation will now focus on locating and recovering the remaining two airmen and aircraft debris," Ryder said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701862251778.png" alt="A CV-22A Osprey assigned to the 352d Special Operations Wing flies overhead during an Agile Combat Employment exercise at RAF Fairford, England, Sept. 13, 2021. The exercise enables U.S. forces in Europe to operate from locations with varying levels of capacity and support.&nbsp;Photo By:Senior Airman Eugene Oliver" />
 <figcaption>A CV-22A Osprey assigned to the 352d Special Operations Wing flies overhead during an Agile Combat Employment exercise at RAF Fairford, England, Sept. 13, 2021. The exercise enables U.S. forces in Europe to operate from locations with varying levels of capacity and support.&nbsp;Photo By:Senior Airman Eugene Oliver</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;By&nbsp;<a href="http://www.defense.gov/News/Author/42773/c-todd-lopez/">C. Todd Lopez</a>&nbsp;, Department of DefenseFollowing last week's CV-22A Osprey mishap off the shore of Yakushima Island, Japan, a search and rescue operation had been ongoing for any possible survivors. That operation has now transitioned to a search and recovery operation. At the same time, Air Force Special Operations Command has released the names of the eight deceased service members.A news release explained that a change in mission from rescue to recovery happens when it's determined that it is unlikely there are any survivors."I am deeply saddened by the loss of eight American troops in a tragic aircraft crash off the coast of Japan," said Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III in a statement released today. "The entire Department of Defense mourns alongside the families and the loved ones of those who lost their lives today in the service of their country. My heart also goes out to those who were serving alongside these brave men and women in Japan."During a news briefing today Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said all families of those airmen have now been notified."Our deepest condolences go out to the families, friends, and colleagues of these eight American airmen who are impacted by this tragic mishap and the immeasurable loss of life," said Ryder. "We want to thank the government of Japan for all of their assistance."The deceased airmen are:<ul>
 <li>Air Force Maj. Jeffrey T. Hoernemann, 32, of Andover, Minnesota, was a CV-22 Osprey instructor pilot and officer in charge of training. He was assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing at Yokota Air Base, Japan.</li><li>Air Force Maj. Eric V. Spendlove, 36, of St. George, Utah, was a residency trained flight surgeon and medical operations flight commander. He was assigned to the 1st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing at Kadena Air Base, Japan.</li><li>Air Force Maj. Luke A. Unrath, 34, of Riverside, California, was a CV-22 pilot and flight commander. He was assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan.</li><li>Air Force Capt. Terrell K. Brayman, 32, of Pittsford, New York, was a CV-22 pilot and flight commander. He was assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing at Yokota Air Base, Japan.</li><li>Air Force Tech. Sgt. Zachary E. Lavoy, 33, of Oviedo, Florida, was a medical operations flight chief. He was assigned to the 1st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing at Kadena Air Base, Japan.</li><li>Air Force Staff Sgt. Jake M. Turnage, 25, of Kennesaw, Georgia, was a flight engineer. He was assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing at Yokota Air Base, Japan.</li><li>Air Force Staff Sgt. Jacob M. Galliher, 24, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, was a direct support operator. He was assigned to the 43rd Intelligence Squadron, 363rd Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing at Yokota Air Base, Japan.</li><li>Air Force Senior Airman Brian K. Johnson, 32, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, was a flight engineer. He was assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing at Yokota Air Base, Japan.​</li>
 </ul>Ryder said the remains of three of the eight have been recovered. The remains of another three airmen have been located and are in the process of being recovered."The recovery operation will now focus on locating and recovering the remaining two airmen and aircraft debris," Ryder said.

Air Force IDs 8 airmen who died in Osprey crash off Japan

BOSTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;told campaign donors Tuesday that he wasn’t sure he’d be running for reelection if Donald Trump wasn’t also in the race, warning that democracy is “more at risk in 2024” and that the former president and his allies are out to “destroy” democratic institutions.

The president was using a trio of fundraisers to caution against what might happen should his predecessor again claim control of the White House, noting that Trump has described himself as his supporters’ “retribution” and has vowed to root out “vermin” in the country.

“We’ve got to get it done, not because of me. ... If Trump wasn’t running I’m not sure I’d be running. We cannot let him win,” Biden said, hitting the last words slowly for emphasis.

Biden's forceful rhetoric came as Trump, the current GOP front-runner, who tried to overturn the 2020 election he lost and is facing criminal charges connected to those efforts,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-democracy-election-2024-f2f824f056ae9f81f4e688fe590f41b4">attempted over the weekend</a>&nbsp;to turn the tables by calling Biden the “destroyer of American democracy.”

Trump on Tuesday was asked by Fox News Channel's Sean Hannity to promise he "would never abuse power as retribution against anybody.”

“Except for day one,” Trump responded. “I want to close the border and I want to drill, drill, drill.”

"After that I’m not a dictator,” Trump added.

Biden, who said he is not alone in sounding the alarm over Trump, noted that Trump is the “only losing candidate” in U.S. history to not accept the results. Biden also said that on Jan. 6, 2021, as Trump supporters violently stormed the U.S. Capitol in a failed attempt to stop the certification of the election results, Trump sat in his dining room just off the Oval Office, “watching them threaten his own vice president.”

Biden also highlighted recent warnings about Trump from former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., calling her a “powerful voice.”

“American democracy, I give you my word as a Biden, is at stake,” the president said at the first of three campaign fundraisers in the Boston area. Drawing some laughter from donors, Biden also mused: “He didn’t even show up at my inauguration. I can’t say I was disappointed, but he didn’t even show up.”

The warnings by Biden are increasingly part of his pitch to donors: that democracy is at stake if Trump were to win again and he must be defeated. The president is pushing to raise money for his reelection effort before the end of the year, appearing at seven events through Monday — with more to come. The events in Boston on Tuesday benefit his campaign and the broader Democratic Party.

They included an evening event in the city’s theater district featuring a concert by singer-songwriter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/james-taylor">James Taylor</a>, who helped kick off a White House event in 2022 celebrating&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/Inflation%20Reduction%20Act,">the Inflation Reduction Act</a>, a climate and health care bill that Biden signed into law.

Onstage, Biden joked to the packed theater audience that he wouldn't be long because he knew he was “the only thing standing” between the audience and the performance by Taylor.

“We’re always going to defend protect and fight for democracy," he said. "That’s why I’m running.”

November was the campaign's strongest grassroots fundraising month since Biden formally announced last April that he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-election-2024-president-democrats-trump-9c72115656855da89a41cac3f79aa65b">seeking a second term</a>, according to a campaign official who insisted on anonymity to discuss campaign finances before details are made public. The numbers will be released in January.

In October, Biden and the Democratic National Committee reported&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-democrats-election-2024-campaign-fundraising-trump-6d16c590a1f1fed055b6544e36c03b9a">raising more than $71 million for his reelection</a>&nbsp;in the three months ending Sept. 30, a sign that donors remained behind him going into the 2024 presidential race.

Biden had only political events on his public schedule for Tuesday, which is rare. Presidents who are running for reelection typically include an official event, like a policy speech, on the schedule to help defray costs for their campaign.

Biden will also attend a fundraiser Wednesday near the White House and another one Monday in Philadelphia. He’ll headline fundraisers in Washington, D.C., and in Maryland later in December.

On Friday, Biden will head to Los Angeles for a big-dollar event that will be his first since strikes by writers and actors effectively ground his fundraising to a halt in the heart of the entertainment industry, which has long served as a major source of campaign money for Democrats.

The event is slated to be at the home of Michael Smith, a celebrity interior designer who decorated the White House for President Barack Obama, and Smith's partner, James Costos, a former HBO executive who was Obama’s ambassador to Spain. It is expected to raise millions of dollars and draw a crowd of celebrities. Rocker Lenny Kravitz is slated to perform.

Film director Steven Spielberg and his wife, Kate Capshaw, who starred in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” are among the hosts of the event, as are recording industry mogul David Geffen, “Scandal” showrunner Shonda Rhimes and “This is Spinal Tap” director Rob Reiner, according to an invitation obtained by the AP.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is also a co-host. Barbra Streisand is set to attend.

As of the last fundraising reporting deadline at the end of September, Biden and his party&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-democrats-election-2024-campaign-fundraising-trump-6d16c590a1f1fed055b6544e36c03b9a">reported $91 million cash on hand.</a>&nbsp;He is helped by the fact that as the party’s leader he has entered into a joint fundraising agreement with the Democratic National Committee, as well as state parties, which enables him to receive a check from a single donor that is in the range of $1 million.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701832018325.png" alt="“We’ve got to get it done, not because of me. ... If Trump wasn’t running I’m not sure I’d be running. We cannot let him win,” Biden said, hitting the last words slowly for emphasis.-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>“We’ve got to get it done, not because of me. ... If Trump wasn’t running I’m not sure I’d be running. We cannot let him win,” Biden said, hitting the last words slowly for emphasis.-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>BOSTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;told campaign donors Tuesday that he wasn’t sure he’d be running for reelection if Donald Trump wasn’t also in the race, warning that democracy is “more at risk in 2024” and that the former president and his allies are out to “destroy” democratic institutions.The president was using a trio of fundraisers to caution against what might happen should his predecessor again claim control of the White House, noting that Trump has described himself as his supporters’ “retribution” and has vowed to root out “vermin” in the country.“We’ve got to get it done, not because of me. ... If Trump wasn’t running I’m not sure I’d be running. We cannot let him win,” Biden said, hitting the last words slowly for emphasis.Biden's forceful rhetoric came as Trump, the current GOP front-runner, who tried to overturn the 2020 election he lost and is facing criminal charges connected to those efforts,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-democracy-election-2024-f2f824f056ae9f81f4e688fe590f41b4">attempted over the weekend</a>&nbsp;to turn the tables by calling Biden the “destroyer of American democracy.”Trump on Tuesday was asked by Fox News Channel's Sean Hannity to promise he "would never abuse power as retribution against anybody.”“Except for day one,” Trump responded. “I want to close the border and I want to drill, drill, drill.”"After that I’m not a dictator,” Trump added.Biden, who said he is not alone in sounding the alarm over Trump, noted that Trump is the “only losing candidate” in U.S. history to not accept the results. Biden also said that on Jan. 6, 2021, as Trump supporters violently stormed the U.S. Capitol in a failed attempt to stop the certification of the election results, Trump sat in his dining room just off the Oval Office, “watching them threaten his own vice president.”Biden also highlighted recent warnings about Trump from former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., calling her a “powerful voice.”“American democracy, I give you my word as a Biden, is at stake,” the president said at the first of three campaign fundraisers in the Boston area. Drawing some laughter from donors, Biden also mused: “He didn’t even show up at my inauguration. I can’t say I was disappointed, but he didn’t even show up.”The warnings by Biden are increasingly part of his pitch to donors: that democracy is at stake if Trump were to win again and he must be defeated. The president is pushing to raise money for his reelection effort before the end of the year, appearing at seven events through Monday — with more to come. The events in Boston on Tuesday benefit his campaign and the broader Democratic Party.They included an evening event in the city’s theater district featuring a concert by singer-songwriter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/james-taylor">James Taylor</a>, who helped kick off a White House event in 2022 celebrating&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/Inflation%20Reduction%20Act,">the Inflation Reduction Act</a>, a climate and health care bill that Biden signed into law.Onstage, Biden joked to the packed theater audience that he wouldn't be long because he knew he was “the only thing standing” between the audience and the performance by Taylor.“We’re always going to defend protect and fight for democracy," he said. "That’s why I’m running.”November was the campaign's strongest grassroots fundraising month since Biden formally announced last April that he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-election-2024-president-democrats-trump-9c72115656855da89a41cac3f79aa65b">seeking a second term</a>, according to a campaign official who insisted on anonymity to discuss campaign finances before details are made public. The numbers will be released in January.In October, Biden and the Democratic National Committee reported&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-democrats-election-2024-campaign-fundraising-trump-6d16c590a1f1fed055b6544e36c03b9a">raising more than $71 million for his reelection</a>&nbsp;in the three months ending Sept. 30, a sign that donors remained behind him going into the 2024 presidential race.Biden had only political events on his public schedule for Tuesday, which is rare. Presidents who are running for reelection typically include an official event, like a policy speech, on the schedule to help defray costs for their campaign.Biden will also attend a fundraiser Wednesday near the White House and another one Monday in Philadelphia. He’ll headline fundraisers in Washington, D.C., and in Maryland later in December.On Friday, Biden will head to Los Angeles for a big-dollar event that will be his first since strikes by writers and actors effectively ground his fundraising to a halt in the heart of the entertainment industry, which has long served as a major source of campaign money for Democrats.The event is slated to be at the home of Michael Smith, a celebrity interior designer who decorated the White House for President Barack Obama, and Smith's partner, James Costos, a former HBO executive who was Obama’s ambassador to Spain. It is expected to raise millions of dollars and draw a crowd of celebrities. Rocker Lenny Kravitz is slated to perform.Film director Steven Spielberg and his wife, Kate Capshaw, who starred in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” are among the hosts of the event, as are recording industry mogul David Geffen, “Scandal” showrunner Shonda Rhimes and “This is Spinal Tap” director Rob Reiner, according to an invitation obtained by the AP.Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is also a co-host. Barbra Streisand is set to attend.As of the last fundraising reporting deadline at the end of September, Biden and his party&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-democrats-election-2024-campaign-fundraising-trump-6d16c590a1f1fed055b6544e36c03b9a">reported $91 million cash on hand.</a>&nbsp;He is helped by the fact that as the party’s leader he has entered into a joint fundraising agreement with the Democratic National Committee, as well as state parties, which enables him to receive a check from a single donor that is in the range of $1 million.

Biden: 'If Trump wasn’t running I’m not sure I’d be running

WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced to five years in prison for having firearms while dealing illegal narcotics, according to the United States Attorney.

According to court documents, Alexander Schultz, 36, of Wichita pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

In February 2023, the Sedgwick County Sherriff’s Office (SCSO) learned that Schultz was selling narcotics at a hotel in Wichita. Through surveillance, SCSO detectives observed Schultz dealing out of his hotel room and from his car in front of the hotel. 

Law enforcement arrested Schultz on an outstanding warrant and searched his vehicle. Detectives discovered baggies with blue "M30" pills with later tested positive for fentanyl with a total net weight of 138.89 grams. Law enforcement also found methamphetamine (29.40 grams), two firearms, $2,878 in U.S. Currency, and several zipper bags containing raw marijuana inside the vehicle.

In Schultz’s hotel room, deputies found approximately 12 grams of methamphetamine, a small amount of crack cocaine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia. They also found a rifle under the mattress.

Schultz admitted the items located inside of the vehicle and hotel room were his, and that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine and fentanyl. He told investigators he had the firearms to protect himself and the drugs he was trafficking.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701797187515.png" alt="Schultz is being held in Butler Co." />
 <figcaption>Schultz is being held in Butler Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced to five years in prison for having firearms while dealing illegal narcotics, according to the United States Attorney.According to court documents, Alexander Schultz, 36, of Wichita pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.In February 2023, the Sedgwick County Sherriff’s Office (SCSO) learned that Schultz was selling narcotics at a hotel in Wichita. Through surveillance, SCSO detectives observed Schultz dealing out of his hotel room and from his car in front of the hotel. Law enforcement arrested Schultz on an outstanding warrant and searched his vehicle. Detectives discovered baggies with blue "M30" pills with later tested positive for fentanyl with a total net weight of 138.89 grams. Law enforcement also found methamphetamine (29.40 grams), two firearms, $2,878 in U.S. Currency, and several zipper bags containing raw marijuana inside the vehicle.In Schultz’s hotel room, deputies found approximately 12 grams of methamphetamine, a small amount of crack cocaine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia. They also found a rifle under the mattress.Schultz admitted the items located inside of the vehicle and hotel room were his, and that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine and fentanyl. He told investigators he had the firearms to protect himself and the drugs he was trafficking.

Man admits selling fentanyl pills from Kansas hotel room

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple charges after a search by law enforcement.

Just before 5p.m. December 1, sheriff's deputies responded to the 9300 block of SW 61st Street following reports of shots being fired from a gray Dodge Challenger while traveling at a high rate of speed, according to Deputy Shayna Anderson.

 It was later learned that a house had been struck by a bullet.

Just after 10:30p.m. Sunday, an officer located the gray Dodge Challenger and arrested 21-year-old Isaiah S. Clift, 21, of Topeka.

Clift was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of criminal discharge of a firearm at an unoccupied dwelling and criminal damage to property. Clift was also booked in on a traffic warrant through Shawnee County

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701711175299.png" alt="Clift-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Clift-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple charges after a search by law enforcement.Just before 5p.m. December 1, sheriff's deputies responded to the 9300 block of SW 61st Street following reports of shots being fired from a gray Dodge Challenger while traveling at a high rate of speed, according to Deputy Shayna Anderson. It was later learned that a house had been struck by a bullet.Just after 10:30p.m. Sunday, an officer located the gray Dodge Challenger and arrested 21-year-old Isaiah S. Clift, 21, of Topeka.Clift was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of criminal discharge of a firearm at an unoccupied dwelling and criminal damage to property. Clift was also booked in on a traffic warrant through Shawnee County

Police capture suspect wanted for alleged drive-by shooting

NEW YORK (AP) — Denny Laine, a British singer, songwriter and guitarist who performed in an early, pop-oriented version of the Moody Blues and was later Paul McCartney's longtime sideman in the ex-Beatle's solo band Wings, has died at age 79.

Laine, inducted five years ago into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Moody Blues, died Tuesday in Naples, Florida. The cause was interstitial lung disease, according to an announcement on Laine's Instagram page by his wife, Elizabeth Hines.

His death comes almost exactly 50 years after the release of McCartney's acclaimed “Band On the Run” album, on which Laine played guitar and provided backing vocals. On Tuesday, McCartney posted a tribute to Laine on Instagram, calling him a “great talent with a fine sense of humor.”

“We had drifted apart but in recent years managed to reestablish our friendship and share memories of our times together,” McCartney wrote.

Laine was born Brian Frederick Arthur Hines, and changed his professional name in his early teens, in part in homage to the singer Frankie Laine.

In 1964, around the time he turned 20, he joined Ray Thomas and Mike Pinder in forming the Moody Blues and sang lead on the group's breakthrough hit, “Go Now.” But the Moody Blues struggled to match their initial success, and by 1967 Laine had left, replaced by Justin Hayward. The Moody Blues then turned to the ambitious, classically influenced sounds of “Nights in White Satin" and other songs.

Laine worked as a solo artist and with such group's as Electric String Band and Ginger Baker's Air Force before he was brought into Wings by McCartney, whom he had known during his time with the Moody Blues.

Founded in 1971, the year after the Beatles broke up, Wings went through various personnel changes over the following decade, with Laine, McCartney and McCartney's wife, Linda. the only ones remaining throughout. The band's No. 1 singles, most of them written by McCartney, included “My Love,” “Listen to What the Man Said” and the title track to “Band On the Run.” Laine helped write the million-selling “Mull of Kintyre.”

McCartney disbanded Wings soon after Laine left in the early 1980s, but Laine contributed to McCartney's “Tug of War” and “Pipes of Peace” albums and added backing vocals to "All Those Years Ago," George Harrison's tribute to the late John Lennon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701821156907.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Denny Laine, a British singer, songwriter and guitarist who performed in an early, pop-oriented version of the Moody Blues and was later Paul McCartney's longtime sideman in the ex-Beatle's solo band Wings, has died at age 79.Laine, inducted five years ago into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Moody Blues, died Tuesday in Naples, Florida. The cause was interstitial lung disease, according to an announcement on Laine's Instagram page by his wife, Elizabeth Hines.His death comes almost exactly 50 years after the release of McCartney's acclaimed “Band On the Run” album, on which Laine played guitar and provided backing vocals. On Tuesday, McCartney posted a tribute to Laine on Instagram, calling him a “great talent with a fine sense of humor.”“We had drifted apart but in recent years managed to reestablish our friendship and share memories of our times together,” McCartney wrote.Laine was born Brian Frederick Arthur Hines, and changed his professional name in his early teens, in part in homage to the singer Frankie Laine.In 1964, around the time he turned 20, he joined Ray Thomas and Mike Pinder in forming the Moody Blues and sang lead on the group's breakthrough hit, “Go Now.” But the Moody Blues struggled to match their initial success, and by 1967 Laine had left, replaced by Justin Hayward. The Moody Blues then turned to the ambitious, classically influenced sounds of “Nights in White Satin" and other songs.Laine worked as a solo artist and with such group's as Electric String Band and Ginger Baker's Air Force before he was brought into Wings by McCartney, whom he had known during his time with the Moody Blues.Founded in 1971, the year after the Beatles broke up, Wings went through various personnel changes over the following decade, with Laine, McCartney and McCartney's wife, Linda. the only ones remaining throughout. The band's No. 1 singles, most of them written by McCartney, included “My Love,” “Listen to What the Man Said” and the title track to “Band On the Run.” Laine helped write the million-selling “Mull of Kintyre.”McCartney disbanded Wings soon after Laine left in the early 1980s, but Laine contributed to McCartney's “Tug of War” and “Pipes of Peace” albums and added backing vocals to "All Those Years Ago," George Harrison's tribute to the late John Lennon.

Denny Laine, Wings and Moody Blues co-founder, dead at 79

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris broke a nearly 200-year-old record for casting the most tiebreaking votes in the Senate when she voted Tuesday to confirm a new federal judge in Washington, D.C.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, called Harris’ 32nd tiebreaking vote a “great milestone.”

The previous recordholder was John C. Calhoun, who cast 31 tiebreaking votes during his eight years as vice president, from 1825 to 1832. Harris, a Democrat,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-tiebreaker-vote-db39d642bc423f4984b0ad7b32139ecb">tied Calhoun's record</a>&nbsp;in July.

Schumer presented Harris with a golden gavel after Tuesday's vote. Harris, who beamed as she made history from the Senate dais, said she was “truly honored.”

Casting tiebreaker votes is among the only constitutional duties for vice presidents, and Harris has been repeatedly called on to break deadlocks because the Senate is closely divided between Democrats and Republicans.

The pace of Harris' votes dropped off this year, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-united-states-government-and-politics-08422039c2b06b4d0ba746827dc2eb43">Democrats expanded their slim majority</a>&nbsp;in the Senate by a single seat. But she still managed to surpass Calhoun's record in less than half the time that he took to set it.

Harris has helped advance the American Rescue Plan, which was a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief measure, and the Inflation Reduction Act, which limited the costs of prescription drugs and created financial incentives or clean energy.

Most of Harris' votes have involved President Joe Biden's judicial nominees. On Tuesday, she boosted Loren AliKhan's nomination to be a U.S. District Court judge.

Schumer credited Harris with helping to confirm more women and people of color to the bench to help make the judiciary “look more like America.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris broke a nearly 200-year-old record for casting the most tiebreaking votes in the Senate when she voted Tuesday to confirm a new federal judge in Washington, D.C.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a> Kamala Harris cast her record 32nd tie-breaking vote in the Senate to advance the nomination of Loren AliKhan to be a U.S. district judge. The record was previously held by John C. Calhoun, who served as VP from 1825 to 1832 under Presidents Quincy Adams and Jackson. <a href="https://t.co/zMSwyjGOTH">pic.twitter.com/zMSwyjGOTH</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1732100246086254964?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, called Harris’ 32nd tiebreaking vote a “great milestone.”The previous recordholder was John C. Calhoun, who cast 31 tiebreaking votes during his eight years as vice president, from 1825 to 1832. Harris, a Democrat,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-tiebreaker-vote-db39d642bc423f4984b0ad7b32139ecb">tied Calhoun's record</a>&nbsp;in July.Schumer presented Harris with a golden gavel after Tuesday's vote. Harris, who beamed as she made history from the Senate dais, said she was “truly honored.”Casting tiebreaker votes is among the only constitutional duties for vice presidents, and Harris has been repeatedly called on to break deadlocks because the Senate is closely divided between Democrats and Republicans.The pace of Harris' votes dropped off this year, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-united-states-government-and-politics-08422039c2b06b4d0ba746827dc2eb43">Democrats expanded their slim majority</a>&nbsp;in the Senate by a single seat. But she still managed to surpass Calhoun's record in less than half the time that he took to set it.Harris has helped advance the American Rescue Plan, which was a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief measure, and the Inflation Reduction Act, which limited the costs of prescription drugs and created financial incentives or clean energy.Most of Harris' votes have involved President Joe Biden's judicial nominees. On Tuesday, she boosted Loren AliKhan's nomination to be a U.S. District Court judge.Schumer credited Harris with helping to confirm more women and people of color to the bench to help make the judiciary “look more like America.”

🎥History: Vice President breaks nearly 200-year-old Senate record 

JOHNSON COUNTY —A second suspect accused in the Nov. 12, shooting incident at the Oak Park Mall in Overland Park has been charges.

According to the Johnson County Attorney's office, 17-year-old Axel Jose Monroy is charged with battery against a law enforcement officer and theft. He is due to make a first appearance in the case December. 13.`

On No. 14, 18-year-old Nery&nbsp;Gonzalez-Munoz was charged with aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, battery of a law enforcement officer, interference with a law enforcement officer, aggravated endangerment of a child, carrying a concealed weapon, theft and. unlawful discharge of a firearm.&nbsp;

Just before 4:30p.m. Nov 12, police responded to an armed disturbance at the Oak Park Mall in 11400 block of W.95th in Overland Park, according to Officer John Lacy.

  As the two male suspects were trying to exit the mall near the food court, three plain clothes detectives identified themselves and attempted to apprehend both suspects.

 During the apprehension, one male suspect resisted arrest, a struggle occurred, and the suspect was able to obtain one of the detective’s issued firearm. 

 The suspect was able to pull the trigger, firing one shot. This suspect was apprehended.  The other suspect ran north of the mall and was immediately apprehended.  No one was injured in this incident.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700012719162.png" alt="Gonzalez-Munoz was charged last month and is being held on a $1 million bond." />
 <figcaption>Gonzalez-Munoz was charged last month and is being held on a $1 million bond.</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —A second suspect accused in the Nov. 12, shooting incident at the Oak Park Mall in Overland Park has been charges.According to the Johnson County Attorney's office, 17-year-old Axel Jose Monroy is charged with battery against a law enforcement officer and theft. He is due to make a first appearance in the case December. 13.`On No. 14, 18-year-old Nery&nbsp;Gonzalez-Munoz was charged with aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, battery of a law enforcement officer, interference with a law enforcement officer, aggravated endangerment of a child, carrying a concealed weapon, theft and. unlawful discharge of a firearm.&nbsp;He is being held on a $1,000,000 bond.Just before 4:30p.m. Nov 12, police responded to an armed disturbance at the Oak Park Mall in 11400 block of W.95th in Overland Park, according to Officer John Lacy. As the two male suspects were trying to exit the mall near the food court, three plain clothes detectives identified themselves and attempted to apprehend both suspects.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699835246647.png" alt="First responders at the mall Nov. 12 -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>First responders at the mall Nov. 12 -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure> During the apprehension, one male suspect resisted arrest, a struggle occurred, and the suspect was able to obtain one of the detective’s issued firearm. The suspect was able to pull the trigger, firing one shot. This suspect was apprehended. The other suspect ran north of the mall and was immediately apprehended. No one was injured in this incident.

2nd teen charged in arrest fight with police at Kan. shopping mall

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday seemed inclined to uphold a tax on foreign income while leaving questions about a broader, never-enacted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-health-personal-taxes-bb51ab8b987c32e00c743a05d428079c">tax on wealth</a>&nbsp;for another day.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2023/22-800">Click here</a>&nbsp;to listen to a replay of the oral argument&nbsp;

On the first issue, conservative and liberal justices voiced concerns that ruling for a Washington state couple challenging a provision of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2d9e099660064f2b8a8fc2237b4e7e4e">2017 tax bill</a>&nbsp;would threaten other provisions of the tax code.

After two hours of arguments, there seemed to be a consensus on the court that "there is room for some narrow ground” to decide the case, as Justice Neil Gorsuch said. Such an outcome would avoid what Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar said would be “several trillion dollars in lost revenues.”

At the same time, the court would not address the bigger question of Congress' ability to enact taxes based on wealth, instead of income.

The case argued Tuesday was brought by Charles and Kathleen Moore of Redmond, Washington. They challenged a $15,000 tax bill based on Charles Moore’s investment in an Indian company.

Backed by anti-regulatory and business interests, they contend that the tax violates the 16th Amendment, which allows the federal government to impose an income tax on Americans. Moore said in a sworn statement that he never received any money from the company, KisanKraft Machine Tools Private Limited.

The 2017 tax law that was passed by a Republican Congress and signed by then-President Donald Trump includes a provision that applies to companies that are owned by Americans, but do their business in foreign countries. It imposes a one-time tax on investors’ shares of profits that have not been passed along to them, in order to offset other tax benefits.

The provision is expected to generate $340 billion, mainly from the foreign subsidiaries of domestic corporations that parked money abroad to shield it from U.S. taxes.

The case attracted outsize attention because some groups allied with the Moores argue that the challenged provision is similar to a wealth tax, which would apply not to the incomes of the very richest Americans but to their assets, like stock holdings, that now only get taxed when they are sold.

Paul Ryan, the Wisconsin Republican who was speaker of the House when the tax bill was passed by a Republican Congress and signed into law by then-President Donald Trump, has called the challenge misguided and has said “a lot of the tax code would be unconstitutional if that thing prevailed.”

Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon said a court ruling for the Moores could stymie legislation like the Billionaires Income Tax he introduced last week. “The Moore case could make it impossible to close those loopholes,” Wyden said.

Some conservative justices seemed to have a wealth tax in mind when they asked Prelogar, the Biden administration's top Supreme Court lawyer, about the “far-reaching consequences,” in Justice Samuel Alito's words, of her arguments.

But Justice Brett Kavanaugh chimed in to say “we don't have to agree with you on that for you to prevail.” Even Alito at one point acknowledged he “was quite concerned by the potential implications” of the Moores' arguments.

The case also has kicked up ethical concerns and raised questions about the story the Moores' lawyers told in court filings. Public documents show that Charles Moore's involvement with the company, including serving as a director for five years, is far more extensive than court filings indicate.

Alito&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/090823zor_21o2.pdf">rejected</a>&nbsp;calls from Senate Democrats to step away from the case because of his ties to David Rivkin, a lawyer who is representing the Moores.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;is taking up a case Tuesday over a Washington couple's $15,000 tax bill that is widely seen as a test of a never-enacted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-health-personal-taxes-bb51ab8b987c32e00c743a05d428079c">tax on wealth</a>.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2023/22-800">Click here</a> to listen to a replay of the oral argument&nbsp;

A decision in favor of Charles and Kathleen Moore of Redmond, Washington, could strike down a provision of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2d9e099660064f2b8a8fc2237b4e7e4e">2017 tax bill</a>&nbsp;that is expected to bring in $340 billion, threaten other provisions of the tax code and rule out a wealth tax that is favored by some Democrats who argue that the wealthiest Americans don't pay their fair share of taxes.

Paul Ryan, the Wisconsin Republican who was Speaker of the House when the tax bill was passed by a Republican Congress and signed into law by then-President Donald Trump, has called the challenge “misguided” and said “a lot of the tax code would be unconstitutional if that thing prevailed.”

The couple is backed by conservative political groups and business interests, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The law applies to companies that are owned by Americans, but do their business in foreign countries. It imposes a one-time tax on investors’ shares of profits that have not been passed along to them, in order to offset other tax benefits.

The Moores paid $15,000 in taxes based on Charles Moore’s investment in an Indian company.

They argue that the tax violates the 16th Amendment, which allows the federal government to impose an income tax on Americans. Moore said in a sworn statement that he never received any money from the company, KisanKraft Machine Tools Private Limited.

Some groups allied with the Moores argue that the challenged provision is similar to a wealth tax, which would apply not to the incomes of the very richest Americans, but their assets, like stock holdings, that now only get taxed when they are sold.

Senate Democrats had asked Justice Samuel Alito to step aside from the case because of his interactions with David Rivkin, a lawyer who is representing the Moores. The Democrats said Alito had cast doubt on his ability to judge the case fairly because he sat for four hours of Wall Street Journal opinion page interviews with an editor at the newspaper and Rivkin.

Alito rejected the demands in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/090823zor_21o2.pdf">a four-page statement</a>&nbsp;issued by the court in which he said there “is no valid reason” for his recusal.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday seemed inclined to uphold a tax on foreign income while leaving questions about a broader, never-enacted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-health-personal-taxes-bb51ab8b987c32e00c743a05d428079c">tax on wealth</a>&nbsp;for another day.<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2023/22-800">Click here</a>&nbsp;to listen to a replay of the oral argument&nbsp;On the first issue, conservative and liberal justices voiced concerns that ruling for a Washington state couple challenging a provision of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2d9e099660064f2b8a8fc2237b4e7e4e">2017 tax bill</a>&nbsp;would threaten other provisions of the tax code.After two hours of arguments, there seemed to be a consensus on the court that "there is room for some narrow ground” to decide the case, as Justice Neil Gorsuch said. Such an outcome would avoid what Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar said would be “several trillion dollars in lost revenues.”At the same time, the court would not address the bigger question of Congress' ability to enact taxes based on wealth, instead of income.The case argued Tuesday was brought by Charles and Kathleen Moore of Redmond, Washington. They challenged a $15,000 tax bill based on Charles Moore’s investment in an Indian company.Backed by anti-regulatory and business interests, they contend that the tax violates the 16th Amendment, which allows the federal government to impose an income tax on Americans. Moore said in a sworn statement that he never received any money from the company, KisanKraft Machine Tools Private Limited.The 2017 tax law that was passed by a Republican Congress and signed by then-President Donald Trump includes a provision that applies to companies that are owned by Americans, but do their business in foreign countries. It imposes a one-time tax on investors’ shares of profits that have not been passed along to them, in order to offset other tax benefits.The provision is expected to generate $340 billion, mainly from the foreign subsidiaries of domestic corporations that parked money abroad to shield it from U.S. taxes.The case attracted outsize attention because some groups allied with the Moores argue that the challenged provision is similar to a wealth tax, which would apply not to the incomes of the very richest Americans but to their assets, like stock holdings, that now only get taxed when they are sold.Paul Ryan, the Wisconsin Republican who was speaker of the House when the tax bill was passed by a Republican Congress and signed into law by then-President Donald Trump, has called the challenge misguided and has said “a lot of the tax code would be unconstitutional if that thing prevailed.”Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon said a court ruling for the Moores could stymie legislation like the Billionaires Income Tax he introduced last week. “The Moore case could make it impossible to close those loopholes,” Wyden said.Some conservative justices seemed to have a wealth tax in mind when they asked Prelogar, the Biden administration's top Supreme Court lawyer, about the “far-reaching consequences,” in Justice Samuel Alito's words, of her arguments.But Justice Brett Kavanaugh chimed in to say “we don't have to agree with you on that for you to prevail.” Even Alito at one point acknowledged he “was quite concerned by the potential implications” of the Moores' arguments.The case also has kicked up ethical concerns and raised questions about the story the Moores' lawyers told in court filings. Public documents show that Charles Moore's involvement with the company, including serving as a director for five years, is far more extensive than court filings indicate.Alito&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/090823zor_21o2.pdf">rejected</a>&nbsp;calls from Senate Democrats to step away from the case because of his ties to David Rivkin, a lawyer who is representing the Moores.------------WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;is taking up a case Tuesday over a Washington couple's $15,000 tax bill that is widely seen as a test of a never-enacted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-health-personal-taxes-bb51ab8b987c32e00c743a05d428079c">tax on wealth</a>.<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2023/22-800">Click here</a> to listen to a replay of the oral argument&nbsp;A decision in favor of Charles and Kathleen Moore of Redmond, Washington, could strike down a provision of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2d9e099660064f2b8a8fc2237b4e7e4e">2017 tax bill</a>&nbsp;that is expected to bring in $340 billion, threaten other provisions of the tax code and rule out a wealth tax that is favored by some Democrats who argue that the wealthiest Americans don't pay their fair share of taxes.Paul Ryan, the Wisconsin Republican who was Speaker of the House when the tax bill was passed by a Republican Congress and signed into law by then-President Donald Trump, has called the challenge “misguided” and said “a lot of the tax code would be unconstitutional if that thing prevailed.”The couple is backed by conservative political groups and business interests, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.The law applies to companies that are owned by Americans, but do their business in foreign countries. It imposes a one-time tax on investors’ shares of profits that have not been passed along to them, in order to offset other tax benefits.The Moores paid $15,000 in taxes based on Charles Moore’s investment in an Indian company.They argue that the tax violates the 16th Amendment, which allows the federal government to impose an income tax on Americans. Moore said in a sworn statement that he never received any money from the company, KisanKraft Machine Tools Private Limited.Some groups allied with the Moores argue that the challenged provision is similar to a wealth tax, which would apply not to the incomes of the very richest Americans, but their assets, like stock holdings, that now only get taxed when they are sold.Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon said a court ruling for the Moores could stymie legislation like the Billionaires Income Tax he introduced last week. “The Moore case could make it impossible to close those loopholes,” Wyden said.The case also has kicked up ethical concerns and raised questions about the story the Moores' lawyers told in court filings. Public documents show that Charles Moore's involvement with the company, including serving as a director for five years, is far more extensive than court filings indicate.Senate Democrats had asked Justice Samuel Alito to step aside from the case because of his interactions with David Rivkin, a lawyer who is representing the Moores. The Democrats said Alito had cast doubt on his ability to judge the case fairly because he sat for four hours of Wall Street Journal opinion page interviews with an editor at the newspaper and Rivkin.Alito rejected the demands in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/090823zor_21o2.pdf">a four-page statement</a>&nbsp;issued by the court in which he said there “is no valid reason” for his recusal.

🎥Supreme Court hears case that could upend current tax system

SALINE COUNTY —Rolling Hills Zoo on Tuesday announced the newest addition to its family with the arrival of Kito, a male spotted hyena who joins Maxi, the zoo’s female hyena, according to a media release from the zoo.

Kito’s relocation from the Hattiesburg Zoo in Mississippi to Rolling Hills Zoo marks an important step in the Species Survival Program (SSP) for these majestic animals.

Born on October 17, 2022, Kito is a pivotal addition to the Spotted Hyena’s Species Survival Program, being the sole surviving hyena born in North America in 2022. With his parents Niru and Pili, Kito's lineage embodies a crucial part of the conservation efforts for these remarkable creatures.

Kito’s new habitat will be adjacent to Maxi, allowing the two hyenas to familiarize themselves with each other and their new environment.

The introduction of Kito and Maxi offers a unique opportunity for visitors to compare the distinct physical characteristics between African painted dogs and hyenas, as they often confuse the species.

Hyenas stand apart with their bigger stature, a large head with a long thick muscular neck, powerful jaws and spotted markings.

African painted dogs have a colorful patchy coat with markings as unique as a human fingerprint, large bat-like ears and a bushy tail with a white tip. Contrary to the teamwork displayed by African painted dogs during hunts and nurturing ill pack members, hyenas exhibit more competitive behaviors.

While commonly recognized for their distinctive "laughter" vocalizations, hyenas use these sounds not as an expression of joy but rather as a response to stress, threats, or frustration.

The transfer of Kito to Rolling Hills Zoo necessitated the relocation of Iris, the capybara, to the south yard of the maned wolf exhibit. However, Azalea, Iris’s sister, will continue to reside in her current pond yard.

The public is invited to come see Kito, Rolling Hills Zoo’s newest resident, as he acclimates to his new surroundings and befriends Maxi, offering a chance to witness these fascinating animals up close.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701794530136.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy Rolling Hills Zoo" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Rolling Hills Zoo</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —Rolling Hills Zoo on Tuesday announced the newest addition to its family with the arrival of Kito, a male spotted hyena who joins Maxi, the zoo’s female hyena, according to a media release from the zoo.Kito’s relocation from the Hattiesburg Zoo in Mississippi to Rolling Hills Zoo marks an important step in the Species Survival Program (SSP) for these majestic animals.Born on October 17, 2022, Kito is a pivotal addition to the Spotted Hyena’s Species Survival Program, being the sole surviving hyena born in North America in 2022. With his parents Niru and Pili, Kito's lineage embodies a crucial part of the conservation efforts for these remarkable creatures.Kito’s new habitat will be adjacent to Maxi, allowing the two hyenas to familiarize themselves with each other and their new environment.The introduction of Kito and Maxi offers a unique opportunity for visitors to compare the distinct physical characteristics between African painted dogs and hyenas, as they often confuse the species.Hyenas stand apart with their bigger stature, a large head with a long thick muscular neck, powerful jaws and spotted markings.African painted dogs have a colorful patchy coat with markings as unique as a human fingerprint, large bat-like ears and a bushy tail with a white tip. Contrary to the teamwork displayed by African painted dogs during hunts and nurturing ill pack members, hyenas exhibit more competitive behaviors.While commonly recognized for their distinctive "laughter" vocalizations, hyenas use these sounds not as an expression of joy but rather as a response to stress, threats, or frustration.The transfer of Kito to Rolling Hills Zoo necessitated the relocation of Iris, the capybara, to the south yard of the maned wolf exhibit. However, Azalea, Iris’s sister, will continue to reside in her current pond yard.The public is invited to come see Kito, Rolling Hills Zoo’s newest resident, as he acclimates to his new surroundings and befriends Maxi, offering a chance to witness these fascinating animals up close.

Kansas zoo celebrates arrival of new hyena, Kito

LAS VEGAS (AP) — NCAA President Charlie Baker is asking members to make one of the most dramatic shifts in the history of college sports by allowing highly resourced schools to pay some of their athletes.

<a href="https://x.com/ralphDrussoAP/status/1732053828382695564?s=20">In a letter sent</a>&nbsp;to more than 350 Division I schools Tuesday, Baker said he wants the association to create a new tier of NCAA Division I sports where schools would be required to offer at least half their athletes a payment of at least $30,000 per year through a trust fund.

Baker also proposed allowing all Division I schools to offer unlimited educational benefits and enter into name, image and likeness licensing deals with athletes.

He said the disparity in resources between the wealthiest schools in the top tier of Division I called the Football Bowl Subdivision and other D-I members — along with the hundreds of Division II and III schools — is creating “a new series of challenges.”

“The challenges are competitive as well as financial and are complicated further by the intersection of name, image and likeness opportunities for student-athletes and the arrival of the Transfer Portal,” wrote Baker, the former Massachusetts governor who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-president-championships-transgender-60ce6172d9fb317a02b3a7e93db457da">took over at the NCAA in March.</a>

Division I is currently divided for football into the FBS, which has 133 schools, and FCS (Football Championship Subdivision).

Baker's proposal is aimed at creating a new subdivision, covering all sports, where the richest athletic departments in the so-called Power Five conferences — the Big Ten, Southeastern Conference, Big 12, Atlantic Coast Conference and Pac-12 — can operate differently than the rest.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/acc-conference-realignment-expansion-stanford-cal-smu-95e7d6f990dd35a638f9bef72fe96ee7">Conference realignment starting in 2024</a>&nbsp;will move the Pac-12 out of that group.

The proposed shift would not require all members of a conference to be part of the new subdivision. Schools would be allowed to make that determination individually.

Baker noted athletic budgets in Division I range from $5 million and $250 million annually, with 59 schools spending over $100 million annually and another 32 spending over $50 million. He said 259 Division I schools, however, spend less than $50 million on their athletic programs.

Baker said the difference in the way schools that participate in revenue-generating college sports such as major college football and basketball operate and the vast majority of college sports is complicating attempts to modernize the entire enterprise.

“The contextual environment is equally challenging, as the courts and other public entities continue to debate reform measures that in many cases would seriously damage parts or all of college athletics,” he wrote.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-nil-charlie-baker-hearing-senate-83ed8f9e1fb267db1ce5e24d6b79617a">Baker and college sports leaders have been pleading with Congress</a>&nbsp;to help the NCAA with a federal law to regulate the way athletes can be paid for NIL deals.

“I am 100% supportive of your efforts. Intercollegiate Athletics needs the proactive and forward thinking you are providing,” Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said in a post on social media platform X.

Smith oversees one of the largest athletic departments in the country with operating expenses of above $225 million annually.

The NCAA is also facing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-athletes-nil-eb702d33a87bca98084ea492eccdf84c">a new round of legal threats</a>&nbsp;that could force its members to share some of the billions in revenue generated by major college football and basketball, along with giving athletes employees status.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-lawsuit-house-3c6b373a3c18cd02be0f2f9abcfcfdbf">One antitrust</a>&nbsp;case working its way through federal court could cost the NCAA billions in damages.

Baker called on NCAA member schools to create a new framework to make what he called “fundamental changes.”

“First, we should make it possible for all Division I colleges and universities to offer student-athletes any level of enhanced educational benefits they deem appropriate. Second, rules should change for any Division I school, at their choice, to enter into name, image and likeness licensing opportunities with their student-athletes,” he wrote. “These two changes will enhance the financial opportunities available to all Division I student-athletes.”

Currently, school are allowed — though not required — to provide athletes $5,980 per year in educational benefits under NCAA rules.

Baker said the changes would help level the playing field between men's and women's athletics by forcing schools to abide by gender equity regulations as they invest.

He said schools in a new tier of Division I should be allowed, while staying compliant with Title IX, to “invest at least $30,000 per year into an enhanced educational trust fund for at least half of the institution’s eligible student-athletes.”

A new D-I subdivision should also allow members to create rules unique rules regarding “scholarship commitment and roster size, recruitment, transfers or NIL,” he said.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — NCAA President Charlie Baker is asking members to make one of the most dramatic shifts in the history of college sports by allowing highly resourced schools to pay some of their athletes.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">NCAA president Charlie Baker sent a letter today to Division I members proposing a new tier of Division I membership for the highest resourced schools. Here are the highlights of enhanced benefits for athletes that would be allowed. <a href="https://t.co/gK0eztHBe4">pic.twitter.com/gK0eztHBe4</a>&mdash; Ralph D. Russo (@ralphDrussoAP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP/status/1732053828382695564?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><a href="https://x.com/ralphDrussoAP/status/1732053828382695564?s=20">In a letter sent</a>&nbsp;to more than 350 Division I schools Tuesday, Baker said he wants the association to create a new tier of NCAA Division I sports where schools would be required to offer at least half their athletes a payment of at least $30,000 per year through a trust fund.Baker also proposed allowing all Division I schools to offer unlimited educational benefits and enter into name, image and likeness licensing deals with athletes.He said the disparity in resources between the wealthiest schools in the top tier of Division I called the Football Bowl Subdivision and other D-I members — along with the hundreds of Division II and III schools — is creating “a new series of challenges.”“The challenges are competitive as well as financial and are complicated further by the intersection of name, image and likeness opportunities for student-athletes and the arrival of the Transfer Portal,” wrote Baker, the former Massachusetts governor who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-president-championships-transgender-60ce6172d9fb317a02b3a7e93db457da">took over at the NCAA in March.</a>Division I is currently divided for football into the FBS, which has 133 schools, and FCS (Football Championship Subdivision).Baker's proposal is aimed at creating a new subdivision, covering all sports, where the richest athletic departments in the so-called Power Five conferences — the Big Ten, Southeastern Conference, Big 12, Atlantic Coast Conference and Pac-12 — can operate differently than the rest.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/acc-conference-realignment-expansion-stanford-cal-smu-95e7d6f990dd35a638f9bef72fe96ee7">Conference realignment starting in 2024</a>&nbsp;will move the Pac-12 out of that group.The proposed shift would not require all members of a conference to be part of the new subdivision. Schools would be allowed to make that determination individually.Baker noted athletic budgets in Division I range from $5 million and $250 million annually, with 59 schools spending over $100 million annually and another 32 spending over $50 million. He said 259 Division I schools, however, spend less than $50 million on their athletic programs.Baker said the difference in the way schools that participate in revenue-generating college sports such as major college football and basketball operate and the vast majority of college sports is complicating attempts to modernize the entire enterprise.“The contextual environment is equally challenging, as the courts and other public entities continue to debate reform measures that in many cases would seriously damage parts or all of college athletics,” he wrote.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-nil-charlie-baker-hearing-senate-83ed8f9e1fb267db1ce5e24d6b79617a">Baker and college sports leaders have been pleading with Congress</a>&nbsp;to help the NCAA with a federal law to regulate the way athletes can be paid for NIL deals.“I am 100% supportive of your efforts. Intercollegiate Athletics needs the proactive and forward thinking you are providing,” Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said in a post on social media platform X.Smith oversees one of the largest athletic departments in the country with operating expenses of above $225 million annually.The NCAA is also facing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-athletes-nil-eb702d33a87bca98084ea492eccdf84c">a new round of legal threats</a>&nbsp;that could force its members to share some of the billions in revenue generated by major college football and basketball, along with giving athletes employees status.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-lawsuit-house-3c6b373a3c18cd02be0f2f9abcfcfdbf">One antitrust</a>&nbsp;case working its way through federal court could cost the NCAA billions in damages.Baker called on NCAA member schools to create a new framework to make what he called “fundamental changes.”“First, we should make it possible for all Division I colleges and universities to offer student-athletes any level of enhanced educational benefits they deem appropriate. Second, rules should change for any Division I school, at their choice, to enter into name, image and likeness licensing opportunities with their student-athletes,” he wrote. “These two changes will enhance the financial opportunities available to all Division I student-athletes.”Currently, school are allowed — though not required — to provide athletes $5,980 per year in educational benefits under NCAA rules.Baker said the changes would help level the playing field between men's and women's athletics by forcing schools to abide by gender equity regulations as they invest.He said schools in a new tier of Division I should be allowed, while staying compliant with Title IX, to “invest at least $30,000 per year into an enhanced educational trust fund for at least half of the institution’s eligible student-athletes.”A new D-I subdivision should also allow members to create rules unique rules regarding “scholarship commitment and roster size, recruitment, transfers or NIL,” he said.

NCAA proposes new subdivision to allow schools to pay athletes directly

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and asking the public for help to locate&nbsp;Hillard Harper and Jeremy Walker, who were involved, according to a social media report from Wichita Police.

The shooting occurred on December 2, 2023, at 9:29 p.m. in the 2500 block of N. Gentry in Wichita. The victim in this incident sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701798685574.png" alt="Walker-photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Walker-photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and asking the public for help to locate&nbsp;Hillard Harper and Jeremy Walker, who were involved, according to a social media report from Wichita Police.The shooting occurred on December 2, 2023, at 9:29 p.m. in the 2500 block of N. Gentry in Wichita. The victim in this incident sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701798665760.png" alt="Harper-photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Harper-photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>Both individuals are wanted for questioning in connection with the shooting. It's also important to note Harper was on pretrial release with an ankle monitor that has now been cut off.If you know the whereabouts of both Harper and Walker do not approach them but call the Wichita Police Department immediately or&nbsp; submit a Crime Stoppers Tip anonymously and be eligible for a cash award by calling (316) 267-2111 or scanning the QR code below.