By RACHEL MIPRO&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The death of a homeless 5-year-old girl has reignited anger and conversation about the efficacy of the state’s child welfare services.

During a Wednesday meeting on child welfare oversight, lawmakers questioned Kansas Department for Children and Families secretary Laura Howard about the case.

“There’s a very tragic murder that took place here in Shawnee County just a couple of days ago, where a 5-year-old child was brutally killed,” Howard said. “Very, very tragic circumstances.”

On Monday, officers were sent to a gas station in southeast Topeka, where first responders were treating a young child who had been sexually assaulted, according to police. She was taken to a local hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries and was later pronounced dead.&nbsp;

Her former neighbors said she had been living in a homeless camp at the time of her death, the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/local/2023/10/05/zoey-felix-former-topeka-home-city-evergy-utilities-shut-off/71061637007/">Topeka Capital-Journal reported</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Howard said she couldn’t legally say anything about the case in a public setting before investigation protocols had been settled but would speak with lawmakers privately during an executive session. During the meeting, lawmakers talked with Howard behind closed doors.&nbsp;

“I know it sounds technical, but it’s the law,” Howard said. “It’s really about protecting children and families. I can make comments in a closed executive session that this committee has the authority to do.”

In cases where a child dies in state custody, or in cases that had been referred to DCF investigators before the child’s death, DCF has to decide whether the child’s death was the result of abuse or neglect. If it is, DCF has seven days to release information on reports of abuse or neglect received by the agency, as well as the department’s response to these reports when the information is requested.

That law grew out of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/02/17/parents-grandparents-of-kansas-foster-kids-cry-out-for-new-oversight-office/">another case</a>&nbsp;that sparked public horror and outcry — a 7-year-old boy who was killed in 2015 after DCF ignored repeated warnings about his living conditions.

His case, along with repeated&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/12/23/audit-of-kansas-foster-care-provider-scrutinizes-financial-controls-it-costs-ceo-travel-ppp-loan/">oversight failures</a>&nbsp;within the foster care system, was the impetus for&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/02/17/parents-grandparents-of-kansas-foster-kids-cry-out-for-new-oversight-office/">the creation of the Office of the Child Advocate</a>. In a<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ag.ks.gov/docs/default-source/reports/scdrb/2023-scdrb-annual-report-final.pdf?sfvrsn=e98abf1a_4">&nbsp;recently released report</a>&nbsp;on adolescent deaths in the state for 2021, officials asked for more oversight of the child welfare system.

A board of health professionals, law enforcement officers, educators and attorneys examines each child death in Kansas, and the resulting report in 2021 recommended consistent case monitoring and better communication within child welfare agencies.&nbsp;

Between 2019 to 2021, 392 out of 1,074 child fatalities reviewed by the board had history with DCF’s child protective services, according to a yearly analysis, with situations like being held in state custody, having siblings removed from the home, or having open child protective services cases.&nbsp;

There were 32 child homicides in 2021. Twenty-three of those families had been involved with child protective services before death.&nbsp;

“Additional child welfare improvement is needed in Kansas to reduce the number of child abuse and neglect deaths,” according to the report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696769820568.png" alt=" In reviews of child fatalities from 2021, DCF had been involved with a majority of the children before they died. (Sam Bailey/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> In reviews of child fatalities from 2021, DCF had been involved with a majority of the children before they died. (Sam Bailey/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By RACHEL MIPRO&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The death of a homeless 5-year-old girl has reignited anger and conversation about the efficacy of the state’s child welfare services.During a Wednesday meeting on child welfare oversight, lawmakers questioned Kansas Department for Children and Families secretary Laura Howard about the case.“There’s a very tragic murder that took place here in Shawnee County just a couple of days ago, where a 5-year-old child was brutally killed,” Howard said. “Very, very tragic circumstances.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696600819324.png" alt="Authorities continue to investigate the tragic death of 5-year-old Zoey Felix photo GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>Authorities continue to investigate the tragic death of 5-year-old Zoey Felix photo GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure>On Monday, officers were sent to a gas station in southeast Topeka, where first responders were treating a young child who had been sexually assaulted, according to police. She was taken to a local hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries and was later pronounced dead.&nbsp;Her former neighbors said she had been living in a homeless camp at the time of her death, the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/local/2023/10/05/zoey-felix-former-topeka-home-city-evergy-utilities-shut-off/71061637007/">Topeka Capital-Journal reported</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;Howard said she couldn’t legally say anything about the case in a public setting before investigation protocols had been settled but would speak with lawmakers privately during an executive session. During the meeting, lawmakers talked with Howard behind closed doors.&nbsp;“I know it sounds technical, but it’s the law,” Howard said. “It’s really about protecting children and families. I can make comments in a closed executive session that this committee has the authority to do.”In cases where a child dies in state custody, or in cases that had been referred to DCF investigators before the child’s death, DCF has to decide whether the child’s death was the result of abuse or neglect. If it is, DCF has seven days to release information on reports of abuse or neglect received by the agency, as well as the department’s response to these reports when the information is requested.That law grew out of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/02/17/parents-grandparents-of-kansas-foster-kids-cry-out-for-new-oversight-office/">another case</a>&nbsp;that sparked public horror and outcry — a 7-year-old boy who was killed in 2015 after DCF ignored repeated warnings about his living conditions.His case, along with repeated&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/12/23/audit-of-kansas-foster-care-provider-scrutinizes-financial-controls-it-costs-ceo-travel-ppp-loan/">oversight failures</a>&nbsp;within the foster care system, was the impetus for&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/02/17/parents-grandparents-of-kansas-foster-kids-cry-out-for-new-oversight-office/">the creation of the Office of the Child Advocate</a>. In a<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ag.ks.gov/docs/default-source/reports/scdrb/2023-scdrb-annual-report-final.pdf?sfvrsn=e98abf1a_4">&nbsp;recently released report</a>&nbsp;on adolescent deaths in the state for 2021, officials asked for more oversight of the child welfare system.A board of health professionals, law enforcement officers, educators and attorneys examines each child death in Kansas, and the resulting report in 2021 recommended consistent case monitoring and better communication within child welfare agencies.&nbsp;Between 2019 to 2021, 392 out of 1,074 child fatalities reviewed by the board had history with DCF’s child protective services, according to a yearly analysis, with situations like being held in state custody, having siblings removed from the home, or having open child protective services cases.&nbsp;There were 32 child homicides in 2021. Twenty-three of those families had been involved with child protective services before death.&nbsp;“Additional child welfare improvement is needed in Kansas to reduce the number of child abuse and neglect deaths,” according to the report.

Child’s murder reignites debate on how Kan. protects children from abuse and neglect

WASHINGTON (AP) - Preliminary reports indicate at least four American citizens were killed in the attacks against Israel, a United States official told AP on Sunday.

Earlier Sunday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN that the U.S. could soon be sending additional military assets to Israel after the surprise attack by Hamas that has left more than 1,000 dead and thousands wounded on both sides.

We want to make sure that Israel has what it needs,” Blinken told CNN on Sunday.

Blinken said an announcement on additional aid to Israel could be made as soon as Sunday.

The number of dead in Israel following the attack by Hamas on Saturday is likely to be over 500.

Israel formally declared war on Hamas on Sunday.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The Israeli government formally declared war Sunday and gave the green light for “significant military steps” to retaliate against Hamas for its surprise attack from the Gaza Strip, portending greater fighting ahead as the toll from the conflict passed 900 dead and thousands wounded on both sides.

More than 24 hours after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/israel-hamas-war-live-updates">Hamas launched its unprecedented incursion</a>&nbsp;out of Gaza, Israeli forces were still trying to crush the last groups of militant fighters holed up in several towns of southern Israel. At least 600 people have reportedly been killed in Israel — a staggering toll on a scale the country has not experienced in decades — and more than 300 have been killed in Gaza as Israeli airstrikes pound the territory.

Authorities were still trying to determine how many civilians and soldiers were seized by Hamas fighters during the mayhem and taken back to Gaza. From videos and witnesses, the captives are known to include women, children, and the elderly.

As many as 1,000 Hamas fighters were involved in the assault, U.S. Secretary of State Andrew Blinken said on ABC’s “This Week” – a high figure that underscored the extent of planning by the militant group ruling Gaza. The gunmen rampaged for hours, firing on civilians in towns, along highways and at a techno music festival being held in the desert near Gaza.

Civilians on both sides were already paying a high price.

A line of Israelis snaked outside a central Israel police station to supply DNA samples and other means that could help identify missing family members. Israeli TV news aired a stream of accounts from relatives of captive or missing Israelis who wept and begged for assistance and information.

In Gaza, the tiny enclave of 2.3 million people sealed off by an Israeli-Egyptian blockade for 16 years since the Hamas takeover, residents feared an intensified onslaught. Israeli strikes flattened a number of residential buildings. More than 20,000 people who fled their homes crowded into schools run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNWRA, the agency said.

Several Israeli media outlets, citing rescue service officials, said at least 600 people have been killed in Israel, including 44 soldiers. The Gaza Health Ministry said 313 people, including 20 children, were killed in the territory. Some 2,000 people have been wounded on each side. An Israeli official said security forces have killed 400 militants and captured dozens more.

An exchange of fire in northern Israel with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah raised fears of a spread of the conflict. Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets and shells Sunday at three Israeli positions in a disputed area along the border, and the Israeli military fired back using armed drones. Two children were lightly wounded by broken glass on the Lebanese side, according to the nearby Marjayoun Hospital.

The Israeli military said the situation since was calm after the exchange.

Iranian-backed Hezbollah is estimated to have tens of thousands of rockets at its disposal. Since its brutal 2006 war with Israel, Hezbollah has stayed on the sidelines amid previous outbreaks of Israeli-Hamas fighting. But if destruction in Gaza escalates, it may feel pressure to intervene.

A major question was whether Israel will launch a ground assault into Gaza, a move that in the past has brought intensified casualties.

The declaration of war announced by Israel’s Security Cabinet was largely symbolic, said Yohanan Plesner, the head of the Israel Democracy Institute, a local think tank. But it “demonstrates that the government thinks we are entering a more lengthy, intense and significant period of war.”

Israel has carried out major military campaigns over the past four decades in Lebanon and Gaza that it portrayed as wars, but without a formal declaration.

The Security Cabinet also approved “significant military steps.” The steps were not defined, but the declaration appears to give the military and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a wide mandate.

Speaking on national television Saturday, Netanyahu vowed that Hamas “will pay an unprecedented price.” He further warned: “This war will take time. It will be difficult.”

In a statement, his office said the aim will be the destruction of Hamas’ “military and governing capabilities” to an extent that prevents it from threatening Israelis “for many years.”

Israelis were still reeling from the breadth, ferocity and surprise of the Hamas assault. The group’s fighters broke through Israel’s security fence surrounding the Gaza Strip early Saturday. Using motorcycles and pickup trucks, even paragliders and speedboats on the coast, they moved into nearby Israeli communities — as many as 22 locations.

The high death toll and slow response to the onslaught pointed to a major intelligence failure and undermined the long-held perception that Israel has eyes and ears everywhere in the small, densely populated territory it has controlled for decades.

Hamas said that overnight it continued to send forces and equipment into southern Israel. On Sunday, fighting continued in some parts of the south, and gunmen still held hostages in some locations, Israeli Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told reporters. The Israeli military said it was evacuating at least five towns close to Gaza.

“We will go through every community until we kill every terrorist that is in Israeli territory,” Hagari said. In Gaza, “every terrorist located in a house, all the commanders in houses, will be hit by Israeli fire. That will continue escalating in the coming hours.”

Israel struck 426 targets in Gaza so far, its military said Sunday. Much of the territory’s population was thrown into darkness Saturday night as Israel cut off electricity and said it would no longer supply power, fuel or other goods to the territory.

One woman sheltering at an UNWRA school in Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan neighborhood described a panicked flight from her home in the middle of the night. The Israeli military made announcements on loudspeakers telling people to leave.

“We didn’t know where to go,” she said. “It was a miracle we arrived at the schools because there was no transport.”

The presence of hostages in Gaza complicates Israel’s response. Hamas officials have said they will seek the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners, and Israel has a history of making heavily lopsided exchanges to bring captive Israelis home.

The military has confirmed that a “substantial” number of Israelis were abducted Saturday without giving an exact figure.

An Egyptian official said Israel sought help from Cairo to ensure the safety of the hostages, and that Egypt’s intelligence chief contacted Hamas and the smaller but more radical Islamic Jihad group, which also took part in the incursion, to seek information. Egypt has often mediated between the two sides in the past.

The official said Palestinian leaders claimed they don’t yet have a “full picture” of the number of hostages but said those who were brought into Gaza were taken to “secure locations” across the territory.

“It’s clear that they have a big number — several dozens,” said the official, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to brief media.

Egypt also spoke with both sides about a potential cease-fire, but the official said Israel was not open to a truce “at this stage.”

In Iran, which has long supported Hamas and other militant groups, senior officials have openly praised the incursion. President Ebrahim Raisi spoke by phone with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhalah, the state-run IRNA news agency reported Sunday.

The shadowy leader of Hamas’ military wing, Mohammed Deif, said the assault, named “Operation Al-Aqsa Storm,” was in response to the 16-year blockade of Gaza, the Israeli occupation and a series of recent incidents that have brought Israeli-Palestinian tensions to a fever pitch.

Over the past year, Israel’s far-right government has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-settlements-west-bank-biden-49c4788ffc5f5ee41d5c48365ac5395b">ramped up settlement construction</a>&nbsp;in the occupied West Bank.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestine-settler-bedouin-displacement-violence-un-108e11712310b5ea099dbded7be8effb">Israeli settler violence</a>&nbsp;has displaced hundreds of Palestinians there, and tensions have flared around the Al-Aqsa mosque,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-violence-jerusalem-explainer-1a269c8cc748d8e6f5eb9eabb6d9b860">a flashpoint Jerusalem holy site</a>.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli soldiers battled Hamas fighters in the streets of southern Israel on Sunday and launched retaliation strikes that leveled buildings in Gaza, while in northern Israel a brief exchange of strikes with Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group raised fears of a broader conflict.

There was still some fighting underway more than 24 hours after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/israel-hamas-war-live-updates">an unprecedented surprise attack</a>&nbsp;from Gaza, in which Hamas militants, backed by a volley of thousands of rockets, broke through Israel's security barrier and rampaged through nearby communities. They took captives back into the coastal Gaza enclave, including women, children and the elderly, who they will likely try to trade for thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Hundreds have been killed on both sides.

The high death toll, multiple captives and a slow response to the onslaught pointed to a major intelligence failure and undermined the long-held perception that Israel has eyes and ears everywhere in the small, densely populated territory it has controlled for decades.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country was at war and would exact a heavy price from its enemies. Hamas leaders said they were prepared for further escalation.

A major question now was whether Israel will launch a ground assault into Gaza, a move that in the past has brought intensified casualties. Netanyahu vowed that Hamas “will pay an unprecedented price.” But, he warned, “This war will take time. It will be difficult.”

Civilians paid a staggering cost for the violence on both sides. Israeli media, citing rescue service officials, said at least 300 people were killed in Israel, including 44 soldiers, while officials in Gaza said 313 people had died in the territory. An Israeli official said the military had killed 400 militants and captured dozens more.

Israeli TV news aired a stream of accounts from the relatives of captive or missing Israelis, who wailed and begged for assistance amid a fog of uncertainty surrounding the fate of their loved ones. In Gaza, residents fled homes near the border to escape Israeli strikes, fleeing deeper inside the territory after warnings in Arabic from the Israeli military.

In neighboring Egypt, a policeman shot dead two Israeli tourists and an Egyptian at a tourist site in Alexandria, the Interior Ministry said. Egypt made peace with Israel decades ago, but anti-Israel sentiment runs high in the country, especially during bouts of Israeli-Palestinian violence.

The flare-up on Israel's northern border also threatened to draw into the battle Hezbollah, a fierce enemy of Israel's which is backed by Iran and estimated to have tens of thousands of rockets at its disposal. Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets and shells on Sunday at three Israeli positions in a disputed area along the border and Israel’s military fired back using armed drones. Two children were lightly wounded by broken glass on the Lebanese side, according to the nearby Marjayoun Hospital.

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military official, told reporters the situation at the northern border was calm after the exchange. But he said fighting was still underway in the south and that there were still hostage situations there.

He said troops had moved into every community near the Gaza frontier, where they planned to evacuate all civilians and scour the area for militants.

“We will go through every community until we kill every terrorist that is in Israeli territory," he said. In Gaza, “every terrorist located in a house, all the commanders in houses, will be hit by Israeli fire. That will continue escalating in the coming hours.”

Hamas said that overnight it had continued to send forces and equipment into “a number of locations inside our occupied territories,” referring to Israel. Hamas-linked media reported that the son of Nizar Awadallah, a senior political official, was killed. The Islamic militant group has not reported any senior members being captured, killed or wounded.

The surprise attack Saturday was the deadliest on Israel in decades. In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hamas-militants-conflict-war-b6ea877aa1ee96303aa0870d741da777">an assault of startling breadth</a>, Hamas gunmen used explosives to break through the border fence enclosing Gaza, then crossed with motorcycles, pickup trucks, paragliders and speed boats on the coast.

They rolled into as many as 22 locations outside the Gaza Strip early Saturday morning, including towns and other communities as far as 24 kilometers (15 miles) from the Gaza border, while Hamas launched thousands of rockets at Israeli cities.

“Israel is waking up this morning to a terrible morning,” said Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, an Israeli military spokesman. “There are a lot of people killed ... children, grandmothers, families, bodies.”

Israeli media said at least 300 people were killed and 1,500 wounded in Saturday’s attack. Hamas fighters took an unknown number of civilians and soldiers captive into Gaza, and a line of Israelis with missing relatives snaked outside a police station in central Israel to supply investigators with DNA samples and other means that could help identify their family members.

Israel struck 426 targets in Gaza, its military said, flattening residential buildings in giant explosions.

Among the 313 killed in Gaza were 20 children, and close to 2,000 people were wounded, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinians, said more than 20,000 Palestinians left Gaza's border region to head further inside the territory and take refuge in U.N. schools.

In a televised address Saturday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military will use all of its strength to destroy Hamas’ capabilities.

“Get out of there now,” he told Gaza residents, who have no way to leave the tiny, overcrowded Mediterranean territory. Gaza’s 2.3 million people have endured a border blockade, enforced to varying degrees by Israel and Egypt, since Hamas militants seized control in 2007.

In Gaza, much of the population was thrown into darkness Saturday night as Israel cut off electricity and said it would no longer supply power, fuel or other goods to the territory.

Hamas said it had planned for a long fight. “We are prepared for all options, including all-out war,” the deputy head of the Hamas political bureau, Saleh al-Arouri, told Al-Jazeera TV.

Israel has a history of making heavily lopsided exchanges to bring captive Israelis home. The military has confirmed that a “substantial” number of Israelis were abducted Saturday without giving an exact figure.

An Egyptian official said Israel has sought help from Cairo to ensure the safety of the hostages, and that Egypt’s intelligence chief had contacted Hamas and the smaller but more radical Islamic Jihad group, which also took part in the incursion, to seek information. Egypt has often mediated between the two sides in the past.

The official said Palestinian leaders claimed that they don’t yet have a “full picture” of hostages, but said those who were brought into Gaza were taken to “secure locations” across the territory.

The shadowy leader of Hamas’ military wing, Mohammed Deif, said the assault, named “Operation Al-Aqsa Storm,” was in response to the 16-year blockade of Gaza, and a series of recent incidents that have brought Israeli-Palestinian tensions to a fever pitch.

Over the past year, Israel’s far-right government has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-settlements-west-bank-biden-49c4788ffc5f5ee41d5c48365ac5395b">ramped up settlement construction</a>&nbsp;in the occupied West Bank,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestine-settler-bedouin-displacement-violence-un-108e11712310b5ea099dbded7be8effb">Israeli settler violence</a>&nbsp;has displaced hundreds of Palestinians there, and tensions have flared around the Al-Aqsa mosque,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-violence-jerusalem-explainer-1a269c8cc748d8e6f5eb9eabb6d9b860">a flashpoint Jerusalem holy site</a>.

President Joe Biden said from the White House that the U.S. “stands with the people of Israel in the face of these terrorist assaults," and said Israel has the right to defend itself.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696679013332.png" alt="Palestinians wave their national flag and celebrate by a destroyed Israeli tank at the Gaza Strip fence east of Khan Younis southern Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. The militant Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip carried out an unprecedented, multi-front attack on Israel at daybreak Saturday, firing thousands of rockets as dozens of Hamas fighters infiltrated the heavily fortified border in several locations by air, land, and sea and catching the country off-guard on a major holiday. (AP Photo/Yousef Masoud)" />
 <figcaption>Palestinians wave their national flag and celebrate by a destroyed Israeli tank at the Gaza Strip fence east of Khan Younis southern Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. The militant Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip carried out an unprecedented, multi-front attack on Israel at daybreak Saturday, firing thousands of rockets as dozens of Hamas fighters infiltrated the heavily fortified border in several locations by air, land, and sea and catching the country off-guard on a major holiday. (AP Photo/Yousef Masoud)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) - Preliminary reports indicate at least four American citizens were killed in the attacks against Israel, a United States official told AP on Sunday.Earlier Sunday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN that the U.S. could soon be sending additional military assets to Israel after the surprise attack by Hamas that has left more than 1,000 dead and thousands wounded on both sides.We want to make sure that Israel has what it needs,” Blinken told CNN on Sunday.Blinken said an announcement on additional aid to Israel could be made as soon as Sunday.The number of dead in Israel following the attack by Hamas on Saturday is likely to be over 500.Israel formally declared war on Hamas on Sunday.-------------TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The Israeli government formally declared war Sunday and gave the green light for “significant military steps” to retaliate against Hamas for its surprise attack from the Gaza Strip, portending greater fighting ahead as the toll from the conflict passed 900 dead and thousands wounded on both sides.More than 24 hours after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/israel-hamas-war-live-updates">Hamas launched its unprecedented incursion</a>&nbsp;out of Gaza, Israeli forces were still trying to crush the last groups of militant fighters holed up in several towns of southern Israel. At least 600 people have reportedly been killed in Israel — a staggering toll on a scale the country has not experienced in decades — and more than 300 have been killed in Gaza as Israeli airstrikes pound the territory.Authorities were still trying to determine how many civilians and soldiers were seized by Hamas fighters during the mayhem and taken back to Gaza. From videos and witnesses, the captives are known to include women, children, and the elderly.As many as 1,000 Hamas fighters were involved in the assault, U.S. Secretary of State Andrew Blinken said on ABC’s “This Week” – a high figure that underscored the extent of planning by the militant group ruling Gaza. The gunmen rampaged for hours, firing on civilians in towns, along highways and at a techno music festival being held in the desert near Gaza.Civilians on both sides were already paying a high price.A line of Israelis snaked outside a central Israel police station to supply DNA samples and other means that could help identify missing family members. Israeli TV news aired a stream of accounts from relatives of captive or missing Israelis who wept and begged for assistance and information.In Gaza, the tiny enclave of 2.3 million people sealed off by an Israeli-Egyptian blockade for 16 years since the Hamas takeover, residents feared an intensified onslaught. Israeli strikes flattened a number of residential buildings. More than 20,000 people who fled their homes crowded into schools run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNWRA, the agency said.Several Israeli media outlets, citing rescue service officials, said at least 600 people have been killed in Israel, including 44 soldiers. The Gaza Health Ministry said 313 people, including 20 children, were killed in the territory. Some 2,000 people have been wounded on each side. An Israeli official said security forces have killed 400 militants and captured dozens more.An exchange of fire in northern Israel with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah raised fears of a spread of the conflict. Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets and shells Sunday at three Israeli positions in a disputed area along the border, and the Israeli military fired back using armed drones. Two children were lightly wounded by broken glass on the Lebanese side, according to the nearby Marjayoun Hospital.The Israeli military said the situation since was calm after the exchange.Iranian-backed Hezbollah is estimated to have tens of thousands of rockets at its disposal. Since its brutal 2006 war with Israel, Hezbollah has stayed on the sidelines amid previous outbreaks of Israeli-Hamas fighting. But if destruction in Gaza escalates, it may feel pressure to intervene.A major question was whether Israel will launch a ground assault into Gaza, a move that in the past has brought intensified casualties.The declaration of war announced by Israel’s Security Cabinet was largely symbolic, said Yohanan Plesner, the head of the Israel Democracy Institute, a local think tank. But it “demonstrates that the government thinks we are entering a more lengthy, intense and significant period of war.”Israel has carried out major military campaigns over the past four decades in Lebanon and Gaza that it portrayed as wars, but without a formal declaration.The Security Cabinet also approved “significant military steps.” The steps were not defined, but the declaration appears to give the military and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a wide mandate.Speaking on national television Saturday, Netanyahu vowed that Hamas “will pay an unprecedented price.” He further warned: “This war will take time. It will be difficult.”In a statement, his office said the aim will be the destruction of Hamas’ “military and governing capabilities” to an extent that prevents it from threatening Israelis “for many years.”Israelis were still reeling from the breadth, ferocity and surprise of the Hamas assault. The group’s fighters broke through Israel’s security fence surrounding the Gaza Strip early Saturday. Using motorcycles and pickup trucks, even paragliders and speedboats on the coast, they moved into nearby Israeli communities — as many as 22 locations.The high death toll and slow response to the onslaught pointed to a major intelligence failure and undermined the long-held perception that Israel has eyes and ears everywhere in the small, densely populated territory it has controlled for decades.Hamas said that overnight it continued to send forces and equipment into southern Israel. On Sunday, fighting continued in some parts of the south, and gunmen still held hostages in some locations, Israeli Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told reporters. The Israeli military said it was evacuating at least five towns close to Gaza.“We will go through every community until we kill every terrorist that is in Israeli territory,” Hagari said. In Gaza, “every terrorist located in a house, all the commanders in houses, will be hit by Israeli fire. That will continue escalating in the coming hours.”Israel struck 426 targets in Gaza so far, its military said Sunday. Much of the territory’s population was thrown into darkness Saturday night as Israel cut off electricity and said it would no longer supply power, fuel or other goods to the territory.One woman sheltering at an UNWRA school in Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan neighborhood described a panicked flight from her home in the middle of the night. The Israeli military made announcements on loudspeakers telling people to leave.“We didn’t know where to go,” she said. “It was a miracle we arrived at the schools because there was no transport.”The presence of hostages in Gaza complicates Israel’s response. Hamas officials have said they will seek the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners, and Israel has a history of making heavily lopsided exchanges to bring captive Israelis home.The military has confirmed that a “substantial” number of Israelis were abducted Saturday without giving an exact figure.An Egyptian official said Israel sought help from Cairo to ensure the safety of the hostages, and that Egypt’s intelligence chief contacted Hamas and the smaller but more radical Islamic Jihad group, which also took part in the incursion, to seek information. Egypt has often mediated between the two sides in the past.The official said Palestinian leaders claimed they don’t yet have a “full picture” of the number of hostages but said those who were brought into Gaza were taken to “secure locations” across the territory.“It’s clear that they have a big number — several dozens,” said the official, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to brief media.Egypt also spoke with both sides about a potential cease-fire, but the official said Israel was not open to a truce “at this stage.”In Iran, which has long supported Hamas and other militant groups, senior officials have openly praised the incursion. President Ebrahim Raisi spoke by phone with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhalah, the state-run IRNA news agency reported Sunday.The shadowy leader of Hamas’ military wing, Mohammed Deif, said the assault, named “Operation Al-Aqsa Storm,” was in response to the 16-year blockade of Gaza, the Israeli occupation and a series of recent incidents that have brought Israeli-Palestinian tensions to a fever pitch.Over the past year, Israel’s far-right government has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-settlements-west-bank-biden-49c4788ffc5f5ee41d5c48365ac5395b">ramped up settlement construction</a>&nbsp;in the occupied West Bank.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestine-settler-bedouin-displacement-violence-un-108e11712310b5ea099dbded7be8effb">Israeli settler violence</a>&nbsp;has displaced hundreds of Palestinians there, and tensions have flared around the Al-Aqsa mosque,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-violence-jerusalem-explainer-1a269c8cc748d8e6f5eb9eabb6d9b860">a flashpoint Jerusalem holy site</a>.TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli soldiers battled Hamas fighters in the streets of southern Israel on Sunday and launched retaliation strikes that leveled buildings in Gaza, while in northern Israel a brief exchange of strikes with Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group raised fears of a broader conflict.There was still some fighting underway more than 24 hours after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/israel-hamas-war-live-updates">an unprecedented surprise attack</a>&nbsp;from Gaza, in which Hamas militants, backed by a volley of thousands of rockets, broke through Israel's security barrier and rampaged through nearby communities. They took captives back into the coastal Gaza enclave, including women, children and the elderly, who they will likely try to trade for thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Hundreds have been killed on both sides.The high death toll, multiple captives and a slow response to the onslaught pointed to a major intelligence failure and undermined the long-held perception that Israel has eyes and ears everywhere in the small, densely populated territory it has controlled for decades.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country was at war and would exact a heavy price from its enemies. Hamas leaders said they were prepared for further escalation.A major question now was whether Israel will launch a ground assault into Gaza, a move that in the past has brought intensified casualties. Netanyahu vowed that Hamas “will pay an unprecedented price.” But, he warned, “This war will take time. It will be difficult.”Civilians paid a staggering cost for the violence on both sides. Israeli media, citing rescue service officials, said at least 300 people were killed in Israel, including 44 soldiers, while officials in Gaza said 313 people had died in the territory. An Israeli official said the military had killed 400 militants and captured dozens more.Israeli TV news aired a stream of accounts from the relatives of captive or missing Israelis, who wailed and begged for assistance amid a fog of uncertainty surrounding the fate of their loved ones. In Gaza, residents fled homes near the border to escape Israeli strikes, fleeing deeper inside the territory after warnings in Arabic from the Israeli military.In neighboring Egypt, a policeman shot dead two Israeli tourists and an Egyptian at a tourist site in Alexandria, the Interior Ministry said. Egypt made peace with Israel decades ago, but anti-Israel sentiment runs high in the country, especially during bouts of Israeli-Palestinian violence.The flare-up on Israel's northern border also threatened to draw into the battle Hezbollah, a fierce enemy of Israel's which is backed by Iran and estimated to have tens of thousands of rockets at its disposal. Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets and shells on Sunday at three Israeli positions in a disputed area along the border and Israel’s military fired back using armed drones. Two children were lightly wounded by broken glass on the Lebanese side, according to the nearby Marjayoun Hospital.Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military official, told reporters the situation at the northern border was calm after the exchange. But he said fighting was still underway in the south and that there were still hostage situations there.He said troops had moved into every community near the Gaza frontier, where they planned to evacuate all civilians and scour the area for militants.“We will go through every community until we kill every terrorist that is in Israeli territory," he said. In Gaza, “every terrorist located in a house, all the commanders in houses, will be hit by Israeli fire. That will continue escalating in the coming hours.”Hamas said that overnight it had continued to send forces and equipment into “a number of locations inside our occupied territories,” referring to Israel. Hamas-linked media reported that the son of Nizar Awadallah, a senior political official, was killed. The Islamic militant group has not reported any senior members being captured, killed or wounded.The surprise attack Saturday was the deadliest on Israel in decades. In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hamas-militants-conflict-war-b6ea877aa1ee96303aa0870d741da777">an assault of startling breadth</a>, Hamas gunmen used explosives to break through the border fence enclosing Gaza, then crossed with motorcycles, pickup trucks, paragliders and speed boats on the coast.They rolled into as many as 22 locations outside the Gaza Strip early Saturday morning, including towns and other communities as far as 24 kilometers (15 miles) from the Gaza border, while Hamas launched thousands of rockets at Israeli cities.“Israel is waking up this morning to a terrible morning,” said Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, an Israeli military spokesman. “There are a lot of people killed ... children, grandmothers, families, bodies.”Israeli media said at least 300 people were killed and 1,500 wounded in Saturday’s attack. Hamas fighters took an unknown number of civilians and soldiers captive into Gaza, and a line of Israelis with missing relatives snaked outside a police station in central Israel to supply investigators with DNA samples and other means that could help identify their family members.Israel struck 426 targets in Gaza, its military said, flattening residential buildings in giant explosions.Among the 313 killed in Gaza were 20 children, and close to 2,000 people were wounded, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinians, said more than 20,000 Palestinians left Gaza's border region to head further inside the territory and take refuge in U.N. schools.In a televised address Saturday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military will use all of its strength to destroy Hamas’ capabilities.“Get out of there now,” he told Gaza residents, who have no way to leave the tiny, overcrowded Mediterranean territory. Gaza’s 2.3 million people have endured a border blockade, enforced to varying degrees by Israel and Egypt, since Hamas militants seized control in 2007.In Gaza, much of the population was thrown into darkness Saturday night as Israel cut off electricity and said it would no longer supply power, fuel or other goods to the territory.Hamas said it had planned for a long fight. “We are prepared for all options, including all-out war,” the deputy head of the Hamas political bureau, Saleh al-Arouri, told Al-Jazeera TV.Israel has a history of making heavily lopsided exchanges to bring captive Israelis home. The military has confirmed that a “substantial” number of Israelis were abducted Saturday without giving an exact figure.An Egyptian official said Israel has sought help from Cairo to ensure the safety of the hostages, and that Egypt’s intelligence chief had contacted Hamas and the smaller but more radical Islamic Jihad group, which also took part in the incursion, to seek information. Egypt has often mediated between the two sides in the past.The official said Palestinian leaders claimed that they don’t yet have a “full picture” of hostages, but said those who were brought into Gaza were taken to “secure locations” across the territory.“It’s clear that they have a big number — several dozens,” said the official, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to brief media.Egypt also spoke with both sides about a potential cease-fire, but the official said Israel was not open to a truce “at this stage.”The shadowy leader of Hamas’ military wing, Mohammed Deif, said the assault, named “Operation Al-Aqsa Storm,” was in response to the 16-year blockade of Gaza, and a series of recent incidents that have brought Israeli-Palestinian tensions to a fever pitch.Over the past year, Israel’s far-right government has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-settlements-west-bank-biden-49c4788ffc5f5ee41d5c48365ac5395b">ramped up settlement construction</a>&nbsp;in the occupied West Bank,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestine-settler-bedouin-displacement-violence-un-108e11712310b5ea099dbded7be8effb">Israeli settler violence</a>&nbsp;has displaced hundreds of Palestinians there, and tensions have flared around the Al-Aqsa mosque,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-violence-jerusalem-explainer-1a269c8cc748d8e6f5eb9eabb6d9b860">a flashpoint Jerusalem holy site</a>.President Joe Biden said from the White House that the U.S. “stands with the people of Israel in the face of these terrorist assaults," and said Israel has the right to defend itself.___

U.S. officials: Americans killed in the attacks against Israel

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jill-biden" target="_blank">Jill Biden</a>&nbsp;is urging women to consult their doctors about getting mammograms or other cancer screenings, saying in a new public service announcement for Breast Cancer Awareness Month that early detection saves lives.

“October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I’m asking you to put your health first,” the first lady says in the 30-second spot recorded amid flower blooms in the White House Rose Garden.

“Take a moment to talk to your doctor about whether it’s time for your mammogram or other cancer screenings,” she says in the announcement airing this week on the Lifetime cable network. “There is no one-size-fits-all approach, but we know that early detection of cancer saves lives.”

Biden’s ad is part of an annual breast cancer awareness campaign by Lifetime, according to the cable network. A separate public service announcement featuring similar messages from actor Keshia Knight Pulliam and TV correspondent Rachel Lindsay will also be broadcast by the network.

The first lady is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-cancer-skin-brain-5a441b53e825895d029d0255c10816d3" target="_blank">a longtime advocate for breast cancer education</a>&nbsp;and prevention dating to 1993, when four of her friends were diagnosed with the disease. Shortly afterward, she launched the Biden Breast Health Initiative to teach high school girls in Delaware about the importance of early detection.

In the White House, she and her husband, President Joe Biden, are driving&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/cancermoonshot/" target="_blank">efforts to prevent more than 4 million cancer deaths by 2047</a>&nbsp;and improve the experience for people who are touched by cancer, including patients, their families and their caregivers.

<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/" target="_blank">Breast cancer is the most common cancer in U.S. women</a>&nbsp;after skin cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Breast cancer deaths have declined over time but remain the second leading cause of cancer death among women overall, the CDC said.

One in eight women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime.

The first lady is among the millions of people in the U.S. who have been touched by cancer.

Earlier this year,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-maryland-mexico-city-surgery-545cac7c3ddca1f095e84383fdf8cd2d" target="_blank">she had cancerous lesions removed</a>&nbsp;from above her right eye and her chest. In 2015, she and the president&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-d8f69eb645d74b7886387f713981b739" target="_blank">lost their 46-year-old son, Beau, to brain cancer</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696431702577.png" alt="Image from the public service announcement courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>Image from the public service announcement courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jill-biden" target="_blank">Jill Biden</a>&nbsp;is urging women to consult their doctors about getting mammograms or other cancer screenings, saying in a new public service announcement for Breast Cancer Awareness Month that early detection saves lives.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Right now, I know you’re busy taking care of everyone else, but when was the last time you took care of yourself? This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, <a href="https://twitter.com/lifetimetv?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@lifetimetv</a> and I are encouraging you to talk to a doctor about whether it’s time for your mammogram or other cancer screenings. <a href="https://t.co/pKtNLp7IRe">pic.twitter.com/pKtNLp7IRe</a>&mdash; Jill Biden (@FLOTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS/status/1709600221016076643?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I’m asking you to put your health first,” the first lady says in the 30-second spot recorded amid flower blooms in the White House Rose Garden.“Take a moment to talk to your doctor about whether it’s time for your mammogram or other cancer screenings,” she says in the announcement airing this week on the Lifetime cable network. “There is no one-size-fits-all approach, but we know that early detection of cancer saves lives.”Biden’s ad is part of an annual breast cancer awareness campaign by Lifetime, according to the cable network. A separate public service announcement featuring similar messages from actor Keshia Knight Pulliam and TV correspondent Rachel Lindsay will also be broadcast by the network.The first lady is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-cancer-skin-brain-5a441b53e825895d029d0255c10816d3" target="_blank">a longtime advocate for breast cancer education</a>&nbsp;and prevention dating to 1993, when four of her friends were diagnosed with the disease. Shortly afterward, she launched the Biden Breast Health Initiative to teach high school girls in Delaware about the importance of early detection.In the White House, she and her husband, President Joe Biden, are driving&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/cancermoonshot/" target="_blank">efforts to prevent more than 4 million cancer deaths by 2047</a>&nbsp;and improve the experience for people who are touched by cancer, including patients, their families and their caregivers.<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/" target="_blank">Breast cancer is the most common cancer in U.S. women</a>&nbsp;after skin cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Breast cancer deaths have declined over time but remain the second leading cause of cancer death among women overall, the CDC said.One in eight women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime.The first lady is among the millions of people in the U.S. who have been touched by cancer.Earlier this year,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-maryland-mexico-city-surgery-545cac7c3ddca1f095e84383fdf8cd2d" target="_blank">she had cancerous lesions removed</a>&nbsp;from above her right eye and her chest. In 2015, she and the president&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-d8f69eb645d74b7886387f713981b739" target="_blank">lost their 46-year-old son, Beau, to brain cancer</a>.

🎥 First lady urges breast cancer screenings: Put your health first

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting.

Just after noon Saturday, police responded to report of a shooting in the 2700 block of Independence Avenue in Kansas City, according to Sheriff Darryl Forte'.

First responders located a man inside a business who was unresponsive. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp; Police are questioning a subject of interest.&nbsp; The name of the victim has not been released.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696716538765.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting.Just after noon Saturday, police responded to report of a shooting in the 2700 block of Independence Avenue in Kansas City, according to Sheriff Darryl Forte'.First responders located a man inside a business who was unresponsive. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp; Police are questioning a subject of interest.&nbsp; The name of the victim has not been released.

Police found shooting victim inside Kansas City business

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged sexual battery and continue asking the public&nbsp; for help identifying a suspect, according to a social media report from Wichita police.

If you have any information on who this suspect is, please contact detectives at 316-268-4380.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696453447690.png" alt="Photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged sexual battery and continue asking the public&nbsp; for help identifying a suspect, according to a social media report from Wichita police.If you have any information on who this suspect is, please contact detectives at 316-268-4380.

Police still working to ID Kansas sexual battery suspect

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Powerball jackpot climbed to an estimated $1.55 billion after no one matched the game’s six numbers Saturday and won the giant prize.

The numbers drawn Saturday night were: 47, 54, 57, 60, 65 and red Powerball 19.

The $1.55 billion prize is for a sole winner who is paid through an annuity, with annual checks over 30 years. Most jackpot winners opt for cash, which for the next drawing Monday night would be an estimated $679.8 million.

The jackpot is now the world’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lottery-jackpot-mega-millions-powerball-b77dd9c7de3f0ab09545a01113b1f111">fourth-largest lottery prize</a>&nbsp;after rolling over for 34 consecutive drawings, since the last time someone won the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-winner-california-9f0e98a47c96c2b3087a68b33195dd50">top prize on July 19</a>. That streak trails the record of 41 draws set in 2021 and 2022.

The scarcity of Powerball jackpot winners reflects the game’s daunting odds of 1 in 292.2 million.

Powerball is played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Powerball jackpot climbed to an estimated $1.55 billion after no one matched the game’s six numbers Saturday and won the giant prize.The numbers drawn Saturday night were: 47, 54, 57, 60, 65 and red Powerball 19.The $1.55 billion prize is for a sole winner who is paid through an annuity, with annual checks over 30 years. Most jackpot winners opt for cash, which for the next drawing Monday night would be an estimated $679.8 million.The jackpot is now the world’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lottery-jackpot-mega-millions-powerball-b77dd9c7de3f0ab09545a01113b1f111">fourth-largest lottery prize</a>&nbsp;after rolling over for 34 consecutive drawings, since the last time someone won the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-winner-california-9f0e98a47c96c2b3087a68b33195dd50">top prize on July 19</a>. That streak trails the record of 41 draws set in 2021 and 2022.The scarcity of Powerball jackpot winners reflects the game’s daunting odds of 1 in 292.2 million.Powerball is played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Powerball jackpot up to $1.55 billion as lottery losing streak continues

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

WASHINGTON — Additional military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine was on shaky ground earlier this week, before U.S. House Republicans evicted Kevin McCarthy from the speaker’s office.

The revolt by eight members of the House GOP Conference, largely spurred by bipartisan deals McCarthy struck on the debt limit and a short-term government funding bill, complicated prospects for moving additional aid to Ukraine through Congress.

Future relief dollars are now closely tied to who House Republicans elect as their next speaker. The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/louisianas-steve-scalise-and-ohios-jim-jordan-jump-race-us-house-speaker">mid-session contest for the gavel</a>&nbsp;currently pits Louisiana’s Steve Scalise against Ohio’s Jim Jordan, though more GOP lawmakers are mulling campaigns to lead their party. An election could be as soon as next week though that’s not certain.

The two lawmakers have slightly different records on Ukraine, with Scalise having supported relief funding in the beginning, while Jordan voted against all the bills that included military and humanitarian assistance.

In the U.S. Senate, both Republicans and Democrats say they’re looking for a path to keep Ukraine in Ukrainian hands and resist the Russian military onslaught to end democracy in the Eastern European country.

Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, chair of the Defense spending panel, said there is likely a path forward for Ukraine aid, despite House GOP infighting.

“I think you’ve got to continue to work in a positive way in the Senate,” Tester said. “And I think, as I told people in the caucus this morning, it’ll always be a s- – – show over there, so let’s do our job.”

Indiana Republican Sen. Mike Braun said any aid for Ukraine will likely be tied to additional funding for border security.

“I think that would unite our conference for the ones that have been lukewarm on Ukraine — thinking that the top priority should be the border. And I think that’s the way it gets through,” Braun said.

“And then the next issue would be for any of us that are fiscal conservatives — are you going to actually pay for it?” he added.

The change in House Republican leadership shouldn’t impact those discussions, Braun said.

Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine said there are enough votes to pass Ukraine aid in the House if the next GOP speaker puts a bipartisan bill on the floor.

“My hope is that we’ll do something significant and bipartisan in the Senate and we may be able to act first to sort of lead the way,” Kaine said.

The next Ukraine aid bill to go to the Senate floor, Kaine said, will likely be structured to provide longer term aid to the country, saying there’s a “logic” to that proposal.

“Rather than try to do this in small bites that make it harder and harder and harder. Let’s just be candid with people about what the longer term need is and see if we could do it,” Kaine said. “And we do think we’ve got the votes in both houses.”

Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst, who sits on the Armed Services Committee, said Wednesday there were no updates on negotiations over military aid to Ukraine.

“We’re going to have to work it with the House obviously, so we’ll see,” Ernst said, deferring to House lawmakers on how a change in leadership could impact prospects in that chamber.

Kansas Republican Sen. Jerry Moran, a senior appropriator, said discussions about providing aid for Ukraine and approving additional money for border security are moving on a separate track from conversations about getting all dozen of the full-year spending bills approved.

The deadline for funding the government or passing a second stopgap spending bill is Nov. 17, though that timeline wouldn’t impact negotiations on Ukraine and border security — unless party leaders decide to roll them into one package as they have in the past.

The typical conference process, where House and Senate lawmakers meet to reconcile the differences on legislation, cannot begin until the House GOP decides who leads the party, Moran said.

Conferencing bills, he said, “suggests that someone has the ability to negotiate and work on behalf of the House, which yet has to be determined.”

“It’s a huge challenge but we can compromise on numbers. That’s among the easiest things to do,” Moran said of the full-year government spending bills. “It’s the policy kinds of things that make conference more difficult.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, have pledged to provide more relief funding to Ukraine, though those plans were&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/next-battle-congress-over-ukraine-aid-biden-presses-house-speaker-vote">already in trouble</a>&nbsp;before McCarthy’s removal as speaker.

Congress has approved four relief packages for Ukraine so far, totaling more than $110 billion in military, economic and humanitarian support. The funding has gone to departments and agencies run by the U.S. government, including the Defense and State departments.

The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/congress-reaches-deal-massive-spending-package-billions-covid-aid-ukraine">first aid bill</a>, enacted in March 2022, included $13.6 billion. The funding was added to a $1.5 trillion spending package that included all 12 of the annual government spending measures, but the House used a procedural tool, called “dividing the question,” to take two votes on the package.

The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/202265">vote</a>&nbsp;on the portions that included military aid to Ukraine as well as other items, got Scalise’s vote, but not Jordan’s support. Both men&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/202266">voted</a>&nbsp;against passing the sections of the package that provided non-military assistance to Ukraine and held numerous other bills.

The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/congress-clears-40b-ukraine-aid-bidens-signature-some-gop-balk">second assistance package</a>, passed in May 2022, appropriated $40 billion. Scalise&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2022145">voted</a>&nbsp;for aid while Jordan voted against the bill.

The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/hours-ahead-shutdown-deadline-us-house-sends-biden-stopgap-spending-bill">third relief package</a>, cleared in September 2022, provided more than $12 billion. Both men&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2022476">voted</a>&nbsp;against the legislation, which included a stopgap spending bill, billions in natural disaster relief and increased funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-house-approves-17-trillion-funding-package-and-sends-it-biden">fourth supplemental package</a>, enacted in December 2022, included $45 billion. Both Scalise and Jordan&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2022549?Date=12%2F23%2F2022">voted</a>&nbsp;against approving the package, which also included all of the full-year government spending bills and other provisions.

Scalise, unlike Jordan, originally backed funding for Ukraine and wrote in a statement alongside other House GOP leaders in February 2022 that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was “reprehensible.”

“We stand in complete solidarity with the innocent Ukrainian people and vow to continue to support them as they defend themselves from Putin’s unprovoked onslaught,” they&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://scalise.house.gov/media/press-releases/house-republican-leadership-s-statement-russia-s-invasion-ukraine">wrote</a>.

The group of six GOP leaders said that China, Iran and North Korea were watching how the United States would respond to Russia’s war against Ukraine. “They must see us respond firmly to this Russian aggression.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695327062140.png" alt="Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a September visit with President Biden-photo White House" />
 <figcaption>Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a September visit with President Biden-photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>WASHINGTON — Additional military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine was on shaky ground earlier this week, before U.S. House Republicans evicted Kevin McCarthy from the speaker’s office.The revolt by eight members of the House GOP Conference, largely spurred by bipartisan deals McCarthy struck on the debt limit and a short-term government funding bill, complicated prospects for moving additional aid to Ukraine through Congress.Future relief dollars are now closely tied to who House Republicans elect as their next speaker. The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/louisianas-steve-scalise-and-ohios-jim-jordan-jump-race-us-house-speaker">mid-session contest for the gavel</a>&nbsp;currently pits Louisiana’s Steve Scalise against Ohio’s Jim Jordan, though more GOP lawmakers are mulling campaigns to lead their party. An election could be as soon as next week though that’s not certain.The two lawmakers have slightly different records on Ukraine, with Scalise having supported relief funding in the beginning, while Jordan voted against all the bills that included military and humanitarian assistance.<h2>Senate backing continues</h2>In the U.S. Senate, both Republicans and Democrats say they’re looking for a path to keep Ukraine in Ukrainian hands and resist the Russian military onslaught to end democracy in the Eastern European country.Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, chair of the Defense spending panel, said there is likely a path forward for Ukraine aid, despite House GOP infighting.“I think you’ve got to continue to work in a positive way in the Senate,” Tester said. “And I think, as I told people in the caucus this morning, it’ll always be a s- – – show over there, so let’s do our job.”Indiana Republican Sen. Mike Braun said any aid for Ukraine will likely be tied to additional funding for border security.“I think that would unite our conference for the ones that have been lukewarm on Ukraine — thinking that the top priority should be the border. And I think that’s the way it gets through,” Braun said.“And then the next issue would be for any of us that are fiscal conservatives — are you going to actually pay for it?” he added.The change in House Republican leadership shouldn’t impact those discussions, Braun said.Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine said there are enough votes to pass Ukraine aid in the House if the next GOP speaker puts a bipartisan bill on the floor.“My hope is that we’ll do something significant and bipartisan in the Senate and we may be able to act first to sort of lead the way,” Kaine said.The next Ukraine aid bill to go to the Senate floor, Kaine said, will likely be structured to provide longer term aid to the country, saying there’s a “logic” to that proposal.“Rather than try to do this in small bites that make it harder and harder and harder. Let’s just be candid with people about what the longer term need is and see if we could do it,” Kaine said. “And we do think we’ve got the votes in both houses.”Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst, who sits on the Armed Services Committee, said Wednesday there were no updates on negotiations over military aid to Ukraine.“We’re going to have to work it with the House obviously, so we’ll see,” Ernst said, deferring to House lawmakers on how a change in leadership could impact prospects in that chamber.Kansas Republican Sen. Jerry Moran, a senior appropriator, said discussions about providing aid for Ukraine and approving additional money for border security are moving on a separate track from conversations about getting all dozen of the full-year spending bills approved.<h2>Deadline for new spending bill</h2>The deadline for funding the government or passing a second stopgap spending bill is Nov. 17, though that timeline wouldn’t impact negotiations on Ukraine and border security — unless party leaders decide to roll them into one package as they have in the past.The typical conference process, where House and Senate lawmakers meet to reconcile the differences on legislation, cannot begin until the House GOP decides who leads the party, Moran said.Conferencing bills, he said, “suggests that someone has the ability to negotiate and work on behalf of the House, which yet has to be determined.”“It’s a huge challenge but we can compromise on numbers. That’s among the easiest things to do,” Moran said of the full-year government spending bills. “It’s the policy kinds of things that make conference more difficult.”Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, have pledged to provide more relief funding to Ukraine, though those plans were&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/next-battle-congress-over-ukraine-aid-biden-presses-house-speaker-vote">already in trouble</a>&nbsp;before McCarthy’s removal as speaker.<h2>Scalise and Jordan’s records</h2>Congress has approved four relief packages for Ukraine so far, totaling more than $110 billion in military, economic and humanitarian support. The funding has gone to departments and agencies run by the U.S. government, including the Defense and State departments.The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/congress-reaches-deal-massive-spending-package-billions-covid-aid-ukraine">first aid bill</a>, enacted in March 2022, included $13.6 billion. The funding was added to a $1.5 trillion spending package that included all 12 of the annual government spending measures, but the House used a procedural tool, called “dividing the question,” to take two votes on the package.The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/202265">vote</a>&nbsp;on the portions that included military aid to Ukraine as well as other items, got Scalise’s vote, but not Jordan’s support. Both men&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/202266">voted</a>&nbsp;against passing the sections of the package that provided non-military assistance to Ukraine and held numerous other bills.The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/congress-clears-40b-ukraine-aid-bidens-signature-some-gop-balk">second assistance package</a>, passed in May 2022, appropriated $40 billion. Scalise&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2022145">voted</a>&nbsp;for aid while Jordan voted against the bill.The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/hours-ahead-shutdown-deadline-us-house-sends-biden-stopgap-spending-bill">third relief package</a>, cleared in September 2022, provided more than $12 billion. Both men&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2022476">voted</a>&nbsp;against the legislation, which included a stopgap spending bill, billions in natural disaster relief and increased funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-house-approves-17-trillion-funding-package-and-sends-it-biden">fourth supplemental package</a>, enacted in December 2022, included $45 billion. Both Scalise and Jordan&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2022549?Date=12%2F23%2F2022">voted</a>&nbsp;against approving the package, which also included all of the full-year government spending bills and other provisions.Scalise, unlike Jordan, originally backed funding for Ukraine and wrote in a statement alongside other House GOP leaders in February 2022 that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was “reprehensible.”“We stand in complete solidarity with the innocent Ukrainian people and vow to continue to support them as they defend themselves from Putin’s unprovoked onslaught,” they&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://scalise.house.gov/media/press-releases/house-republican-leadership-s-statement-russia-s-invasion-ukraine">wrote</a>.The group of six GOP leaders said that China, Iran and North Korea were watching how the United States would respond to Russia’s war against Ukraine. “They must see us respond firmly to this Russian aggression.”

A murky outlook for Ukraine aid with U.S. House leadership in turmoil

WICHITA– A Kansas man was sentenced to almost 70 years in prison after sexually assaulting a girl he met while on social media.

A judge sentenced Donquez Jones, 31 of Wichita, to 818 months in prison,&nbsp;according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

On July 31, a jury convicted Jones of rape, aggravated criminal sodomy, criminal sodomy, and aggravated indecent liberties with a child, according to the district attorney's office.

In March of 2015, Jones sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl that he met on Facebook.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657801038155.png" alt="Jones-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Jones-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA– A Kansas man was sentenced to almost 70 years in prison after sexually assaulting a girl he met while on social media.A judge sentenced Donquez Jones, 31 of Wichita, to 818 months in prison,&nbsp;according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.On July 31, a jury convicted Jones of rape, aggravated criminal sodomy, criminal sodomy, and aggravated indecent liberties with a child, according to the district attorney's office.In March of 2015, Jones sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl that he met on Facebook.=

Kan. man man sexually assaulted 15-year-old he met online

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

Just before 10p.m. Oct. 2, a sheriff's deputy on routine patrol on U.S. 75 Highway&nbsp; near 150th Road&nbsp; encountered a vehicle that he noticed had a tag light violation.&nbsp; 

During the traffic stop and talk with the driver identified as Shedrick Ford,&nbsp; 58, of Liberty, Texas,&nbsp; the deputy detected an odor of burnt marijuana coming from inside the vehicle.&nbsp; 

After investigation, Ford was arrested on requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Expired Vehicle Registration,No Proof of insurance and Driving While License Cancelled, Suspended orRevoked and transported to the Brown County jail.&nbsp; &nbsp;He remains jailed without bond, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696435560235.png" alt="Ford-photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Ford-photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man on drug allegations.Just before 10p.m. Oct. 2, a sheriff's deputy on routine patrol on U.S. 75 Highway&nbsp; near 150th Road&nbsp; encountered a vehicle that he noticed had a tag light violation.&nbsp; During the traffic stop and talk with the driver identified as Shedrick Ford,&nbsp; 58, of Liberty, Texas,&nbsp; the deputy detected an odor of burnt marijuana coming from inside the vehicle.&nbsp; After investigation, Ford was arrested on requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Expired Vehicle Registration,No Proof of insurance and Driving While License Cancelled, Suspended orRevoked and transported to the Brown County jail.&nbsp; &nbsp;He remains jailed without bond, according to online jail records.

Texas man caught transporting meth, marijuana in Kansas

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/10/07/statement-from-president-joe-biden-condemning-terrorist-attacks-in-israel/">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;on Saturday decried the “appalling assault" by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2">Hamas militants</a>&nbsp;and his administration pledged to ensure Israel has “what it needs to defend itself” after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hamas-militants-conflict-war-b6ea877aa1ee96303aa0870d741da777">surprise attack</a>&nbsp;that drew worldwide condemnation and anger from Israel's allies.

(click below to watch comments from President Biden)

Biden made clear in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that “we stand ready to offer all appropriate means of support," according to the White House. He also called Jordan's King Abdullah II. Secretary of State Antony Blinken rushed to the White House for meetings and was phoning foreign counterparts, while Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Israel's defense minister.

“Terrorism is never justified. Israel has a right to defend itself and its people,” Biden said in a statement that also warned “any other party hostile to Israel” against “seeking advantage in this situation.” Washington's support for “Israel’s security is rock solid and unwavering,” the president said. His Pentagon chief said the U.S. was committed to helping Israel to “protect civilians from indiscriminate violence and terrorism” and with its defense needs.

Hamas' unprecedented incursion, coming on a major Jewish holiday, was the deadliest attack in Israel in years and was threatening to spiral into a broader conflict. Israel retaliated with airstrikes in Gaza. “We are at war,” Netanyahu said.

The hostilities dealt a significant blow to U.S. efforts&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-israel-netanyahu-politics-4d07d9fd0413c6893d1ddfb944919ae0">to expand</a>&nbsp;the Arab-Israeli&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bahrain-israel-united-arab-emirates-middle-east-elections-7544b322a254ebea1693e387d83d9d8b">Abraham Accords</a>&nbsp;normalization agreements, not only with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-saudi-arabia-normalization-jake-sullivan-mbs-peace-deal-377e3c1e4b4732124b565ed968c5f0c8">Saudi Arabia</a>, which has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-prince-us-politics-fox-a65f1e4c39ee2d83667aa433f59b59c8">commanded most of the public attention</a>, but also with smaller Arab states.

U.S. officials say they intend to press ahead but acknowledge efforts are unlikely to bear fruit while there is an active conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

Blinken had been planning a trip to the Middle East, with stops in Israel and Saudi Arabia, later this month, but those plans are now on hold, according to multiple U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal administration deliberations.

In the immediate term, these officials said the U.S. would work Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, among Arab partners in the region, to try to deescalate the situation. But given the scale of the Hamas attacks and Israel's military response, the officials said they were not optimistic about any short-term solution.

Like Biden, who said the U.S. “unequivocally condemns this appalling assault,” many world leaders stressed that Israel has a right to defend itself and they pledged solidarity.

“We believe that order will be restored and the terrorists will be destroyed,” Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said in a post on his official Telegram channel. Zelenskyy, who is Jewish and had relatives who died in the Holocaust, said “Israel’s right to self-defense cannot be questioned."

European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen denounced the “senseless attack” by Hamas and said, “This violence is neither a political solution nor an act of bravery. It is purely terrorism.”

German Chancellor OIaf Scholz said his country stands beside Israel, a sentiment echoed by the Austrian chancellor, Karl Nehammer. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tweeted that he was shocked by the attacks and that “Israel has an absolute right to defend itself.”

In Vienna, the Israeli flag was raised at the Austrian chancellor’s office and Foreign Ministry in a gesture of solidarity. "There is no excuse for terror,” Nehammer said in a post on X.

Mikhail Bogdanov, Russia’s deputy foreign minister and a former ambassador to Israel and Egypt, told the state Tass agency that Moscow was in touch with “all parties (of the conflict), including Arab countries” and urged “an immediate cease-fire and peace” between Hamas and Israel.

Bogdanov did not specify the Arab nations with which Russian diplomats were speaking.

Saudi Arabia called for an immediate halt to the fighting, urging both sides to protect civilians and exercise restraint.

“The kingdom recalls its repeated warnings of the dangers of the situation exploding as a result of the continued occupation, the Palestinian people being deprived of their legitimate rights and the repetition of system provocations against” them by Israel, a Saudi Foreign Ministry statement said.

But in Iran, Israel’s regional archenemy, members of parliament opened their session Saturday by chanting “Death to Israel” and “Israel will be doomed, Palestine will be the conqueror.” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said “today’s operation created a new page in the field of resistance and armed operation against occupiers,” the semiofficial ISNA news agency reported.

In Lebanon’s Palestinian refugee camps, hundreds took to the streets to celebrate the operation by Hamas. In the Bourj al-Barajneh camp south of Beirut, residents danced in the streets, while young men in the northern city of Tripoli distributed celebratory sweets to passersby in the streets.

In the Bekaa Valley, pro-Palestinian demonstrators blocked the roads. The country’s highest Sunni religious authority called for mosques to broadcast “God is great” over loudspeakers following afternoon prayers “in solidarity with our people in Palestine.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/10/07/statement-from-president-joe-biden-condemning-terrorist-attacks-in-israel/">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;on Saturday decried the “appalling assault" by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2">Hamas militants</a>&nbsp;and his administration pledged to ensure Israel has “what it needs to defend itself” after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hamas-militants-conflict-war-b6ea877aa1ee96303aa0870d741da777">surprise attack</a>&nbsp;that drew worldwide condemnation and anger from Israel's allies.(click below to watch comments from President Biden)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gixYhd8pjhw?si=4K0HnG4r2VbRUc_z&amp;start=3" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Biden made clear in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that “we stand ready to offer all appropriate means of support," according to the White House. He also called Jordan's King Abdullah II. Secretary of State Antony Blinken rushed to the White House for meetings and was phoning foreign counterparts, while Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Israel's defense minister.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Our hearts go out to Israel in their fight for their lives right now against the barbaric attacks on civilians at the hands of Hamas terrorist. America stands with Prime Minister Netanyahu, the Israeli people, and our unwavering commitment to their safety and security.&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1710667132088828188?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The United States stands with Israel. I fully support Israel’s right to defend themselves from these ruthless, unprovoked Hamas terrorist attacks. Join me in praying for the people of Israel as they fight to defend their freedom. 🇺🇸🇮🇱 <a href="https://t.co/Kui5ZKASx7">pic.twitter.com/Kui5ZKASx7</a>&mdash; Rep. Jake LaTurner (@RepLaTurner) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepLaTurner/status/1710658653110382634?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The world is seeing appalling images. Thousands of rockets raining down on Israeli cities. Hamas terrorists killing not only Israeli soldiers, but civilians on the streets and in their homes. It’s unconscionable. Israel has a right to defend itself – full stop.&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1710761931399709074?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Terrorism is never justified. Israel has a right to defend itself and its people,” Biden said in a statement that also warned “any other party hostile to Israel” against “seeking advantage in this situation.” Washington's support for “Israel’s security is rock solid and unwavering,” the president said. His Pentagon chief said the U.S. was committed to helping Israel to “protect civilians from indiscriminate violence and terrorism” and with its defense needs.Hamas' unprecedented incursion, coming on a major Jewish holiday, was the deadliest attack in Israel in years and was threatening to spiral into a broader conflict. Israel retaliated with airstrikes in Gaza. “We are at war,” Netanyahu said.The hostilities dealt a significant blow to U.S. efforts&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-israel-netanyahu-politics-4d07d9fd0413c6893d1ddfb944919ae0">to expand</a>&nbsp;the Arab-Israeli&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bahrain-israel-united-arab-emirates-middle-east-elections-7544b322a254ebea1693e387d83d9d8b">Abraham Accords</a>&nbsp;normalization agreements, not only with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-saudi-arabia-normalization-jake-sullivan-mbs-peace-deal-377e3c1e4b4732124b565ed968c5f0c8">Saudi Arabia</a>, which has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-prince-us-politics-fox-a65f1e4c39ee2d83667aa433f59b59c8">commanded most of the public attention</a>, but also with smaller Arab states.U.S. officials say they intend to press ahead but acknowledge efforts are unlikely to bear fruit while there is an active conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.Blinken had been planning a trip to the Middle East, with stops in Israel and Saudi Arabia, later this month, but those plans are now on hold, according to multiple U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal administration deliberations.In the immediate term, these officials said the U.S. would work Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, among Arab partners in the region, to try to deescalate the situation. But given the scale of the Hamas attacks and Israel's military response, the officials said they were not optimistic about any short-term solution.Like Biden, who said the U.S. “unequivocally condemns this appalling assault,” many world leaders stressed that Israel has a right to defend itself and they pledged solidarity.“We believe that order will be restored and the terrorists will be destroyed,” Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said in a post on his official Telegram channel. Zelenskyy, who is Jewish and had relatives who died in the Holocaust, said “Israel’s right to self-defense cannot be questioned."European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen denounced the “senseless attack” by Hamas and said, “This violence is neither a political solution nor an act of bravery. It is purely terrorism.”German Chancellor OIaf Scholz said his country stands beside Israel, a sentiment echoed by the Austrian chancellor, Karl Nehammer. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tweeted that he was shocked by the attacks and that “Israel has an absolute right to defend itself.”In Vienna, the Israeli flag was raised at the Austrian chancellor’s office and Foreign Ministry in a gesture of solidarity. "There is no excuse for terror,” Nehammer said in a post on X.Mikhail Bogdanov, Russia’s deputy foreign minister and a former ambassador to Israel and Egypt, told the state Tass agency that Moscow was in touch with “all parties (of the conflict), including Arab countries” and urged “an immediate cease-fire and peace” between Hamas and Israel.Bogdanov did not specify the Arab nations with which Russian diplomats were speaking.Saudi Arabia called for an immediate halt to the fighting, urging both sides to protect civilians and exercise restraint.“The kingdom recalls its repeated warnings of the dangers of the situation exploding as a result of the continued occupation, the Palestinian people being deprived of their legitimate rights and the repetition of system provocations against” them by Israel, a Saudi Foreign Ministry statement said.But in Iran, Israel’s regional archenemy, members of parliament opened their session Saturday by chanting “Death to Israel” and “Israel will be doomed, Palestine will be the conqueror.” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said “today’s operation created a new page in the field of resistance and armed operation against occupiers,” the semiofficial ISNA news agency reported.In Lebanon’s Palestinian refugee camps, hundreds took to the streets to celebrate the operation by Hamas. In the Bourj al-Barajneh camp south of Beirut, residents danced in the streets, while young men in the northern city of Tripoli distributed celebratory sweets to passersby in the streets.In the Bekaa Valley, pro-Palestinian demonstrators blocked the roads. The country’s highest Sunni religious authority called for mosques to broadcast “God is great” over loudspeakers following afternoon prayers “in solidarity with our people in Palestine.”___

🎥Biden, Kan. lawmakers condemn “appalling assault" on Israel 

WICHITA, KAN. – The owner of a used car dealership and a former salesperson have entered into a consent judgment with the Office of the Sedgwick County District Attorney, resolving multiple allegations of violations of the Kansas Consumer Protection Act, according to a statement from District Attorney Marc Bennett.

 The District Attorney’s Office investigated three separate consumer complaints regarding the purchase of the same vehicle from a dealership formerly located at 1348 N. Cleveland in Wichita.

The Consumer Protection Division alleged Carlos Porter and Brandon Walker repeatedly sold a Mercedes without having title to the vehicle, improperly repossessed the vehicle and failed to disclose known defects as part of a consumer transaction. A consumer alleged the dealership improperly repossessed the Mercedes and forced him to sign an agreement voiding the sale. A second consumer complained after she purchased the same Mercedes and did not receive title or a refund. The third consumer complained after he too, purchased the Mercedes and did not receive title or a refund. 

Investigation by the Consumer Protection Division identified that Walker and Porter failed to tell the third consumer known defects with the Mercedes.

While both Porter and Walker denied intentionally violating the Kansas Consumer Protection Act, they both agreed to settle the matter to resolve the allegations. Both men agreed to a 41-month probationary period with the Consumer Protection Division during which they will be required to pay back $15,720 in restitution to the impacted consumers.

The consent judgment also includes $60,000 in civil penalties as well as additional investigative expenses and court costs.

The District Attorney reminds residents that buyers should receive certificates of title within 60 days of vehicle purchase so they can register the vehicle. Failure to provide title within 60 days makes the transaction “fraudulent and void” entitling customers to a full refund.

K.S.A. 8-135(c)(7). The Federal Trade Commission’s Used Car Rule requires dealers to post a Buyers Guide on every used vehicle they offer for sale. The Buyer’s Guide gives consumers important purchasing and warranty information.

The consent judgment was approved by Judge Eric Commer and filed on September 29, 2023. The matter was investigated by Kristen Zluticky with the District Attorney’s Office. 

WICHITA, KAN. – The owner of a used car dealership and a former salesperson have entered into a consent judgment with the Office of the Sedgwick County District Attorney, resolving multiple allegations of violations of the Kansas Consumer Protection Act, according to a statement from District Attorney Marc Bennett. The District Attorney’s Office investigated three separate consumer complaints regarding the purchase of the same vehicle from a dealership formerly located at 1348 N. Cleveland in Wichita.The Consumer Protection Division alleged Carlos Porter and Brandon Walker repeatedly sold a Mercedes without having title to the vehicle, improperly repossessed the vehicle and failed to disclose known defects as part of a consumer transaction. A consumer alleged the dealership improperly repossessed the Mercedes and forced him to sign an agreement voiding the sale. A second consumer complained after she purchased the same Mercedes and did not receive title or a refund. The third consumer complained after he too, purchased the Mercedes and did not receive title or a refund. Investigation by the Consumer Protection Division identified that Walker and Porter failed to tell the third consumer known defects with the Mercedes.While both Porter and Walker denied intentionally violating the Kansas Consumer Protection Act, they both agreed to settle the matter to resolve the allegations. Both men agreed to a 41-month probationary period with the Consumer Protection Division during which they will be required to pay back $15,720 in restitution to the impacted consumers.The consent judgment also includes $60,000 in civil penalties as well as additional investigative expenses and court costs.The District Attorney reminds residents that buyers should receive certificates of title within 60 days of vehicle purchase so they can register the vehicle. Failure to provide title within 60 days makes the transaction “fraudulent and void” entitling customers to a full refund.K.S.A. 8-135(c)(7). The Federal Trade Commission’s Used Car Rule requires dealers to post a Buyers Guide on every used vehicle they offer for sale. The Buyer’s Guide gives consumers important purchasing and warranty information.The consent judgment was approved by Judge Eric Commer and filed on September 29, 2023. The matter was investigated by Kristen Zluticky with the District Attorney’s Office.

Kan. used car dealer sold car without a title to 3 different buyers

By TIM CARPENTER&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/09/21/kansas-board-of-regents-sculpts-plan-for-boosting-state-aid-to-public-higher-education/?emci=78717300-c858-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;emdi=fc107f78-2659-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

Kansas Republican legislative leadership remains steadfast in opposition

PITTSBURG — Blake Benson stood in his hometown’s hospital lobby to deliver economic and health care justification for expanding Medicaid enrollment among lower-income workers in Kansas.

Benson, president of the Pittsburg Area Chamber of Commerce and board chairman of Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, said a resolution had to be found to political conflict that left Kansas among 10 states stiff arming appeals to broaden access to health benefits of Medicaid.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696611748699.png" alt="Gov. Laura Kelly traveled to a Pittsburg hospital to encourage Kansans to pressure legislators to support expansion of Medicaid health insurance benefits to low-income working Kansans. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Gov. Laura Kelly traveled to a Pittsburg hospital to encourage Kansans to pressure legislators to support expansion of Medicaid health insurance benefits to low-income working Kansans. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/09/21/kansas-board-of-regents-sculpts-plan-for-boosting-state-aid-to-public-higher-education/?emci=78717300-c858-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;emdi=fc107f78-2659-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a><h2>Kansas Republican legislative leadership remains steadfast in opposition</h2>PITTSBURG — Blake Benson stood in his hometown’s hospital lobby to deliver economic and health care justification for expanding Medicaid enrollment among lower-income workers in Kansas.Benson, president of the Pittsburg Area Chamber of Commerce and board chairman of Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, said a resolution had to be found to political conflict that left Kansas among 10 states stiff arming appeals to broaden access to health benefits of Medicaid.Ending the blockade on expansion by Republican leaders of the Kansas Legislature would deliver $11 million annually to hospitals and clinics in Crawford County, he said.“Expanding health care coverage to more than 1,600 uninsured employees right here in our community would create a healthier workforce and increase productivity while reducing absenteeism and employee turnover in our local businesses,” Benson said.Benson said Medicaid expansion proposals offered by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and strategies adopted in 40 states, including the four surrounding Kansas, would deliver health insurance under the state- and federal-funded Medicaid program to people who made too much to qualify for traditional Medicaid but not enough to afford traditional private health insurance.“Folks, these are our neighbors,” Benson said. “They work hard. They’re good people. And, they deserve access to health care.”Kelly, who has submitted five plans for Medicaid expansion during her tenure as governor, was in Pittsburg for the third leg of her “Healthy Workers, Healthy Economy” tour to ask Kansans to contact House and Senate members to urge action on Medicaid. Her bid to ignite public interest in the issue took her previously to Winfield and Garden City. She expects to continue the statewide tour until start of the 2024 legislative session in January.She said she would present the Legislature with her sixth plan for reforming Medicaid and declared it would be her top priority in the upcoming session.“The reason I’m so focused on this issue is because by expanding Medicaid we’ll give thousands of working Kansans access to affordable health care,” Kelly said. “Contrary to what some would have you believe, 140,000 Kansans work but don’t have health insurance. Many hold down jobs waiting tables. They work in our child care centers. They care for our seniors. Or they’re in other industries that don’t traditionally offer employee-based health insurance.”The governor said expansion would create thousands of jobs in Kansas, assist financially vulnerable hospitals and clinics, and allow people to have prompt, affordable access to medical care.Under federal law, 90% of the cost for expanding Medicaid would be funded by the federal government and Kansas would be responsible for providing 10% of the funding. Kansas foregoes about $66 million in federal aid each month it didn’t take advantage of expansion provisions under the Affordable Care Act, Kelly said.Senate President Ty Masterson and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, both Republicans, have argued Medicaid expansion was an unwarranted overreach by Congress that ballooned federal spending and unnecessarily disturbed the health insurance market. The Legislature’s GOP leaders described the governor’s Medicaid tour as a pitch to deepen the welfare state for benefit of “able-bodied adults” who opted not to hold down a job.In March 2017, then-Gov. Sam Brownback vetoed a bill, passed 81-44 in the House and 25-13 in the Senate, that would have added Kansas to states expanding Medicaid access. Brownback, who personally opposed Medicaid expansion, said the cost of enlarging Medicaid was “irresponsible and unsustainable.”So far, Kelly said, Kansas had rejected $6.6 billion in federal funding that could have flowed into the state had lawmakers agreed to expand eligibility.Kelly said expansion shouldn’t be viewed as a Republican or Democratic issue because a survey of Kansans showed 78% of participants, regardless of partisan affiliation, supported enlarging the reach of Medicaid.She asserted expansion could have prevented closure of three southeast Kansas hospitals since 2014. She pointed to reports indicating as many as 60 rural hospitals in Kansas were in financial jeopardy.“Trust me when I tell you that there are many Republican legislators who are just as frustrated as I am that we are unable to get this done,” Kelly said. “I refuse to give up on this fight with the Legislature.”She said the state’s Medicaid eligibility standards were inadequate. She said rules in Kansas meant a single mother of two could qualify for Medicaid — known as KanCare in Kansas — if her annual income was less than $9,500. In other words, the governor said, a mother of two working 30 hours per week at a minimum wage job earned too much to qualify in Kansas.Currently, 480,000 Kansans were enrolled in Medicaid. An estimated 260,000 people, including 38,000 children, go without health insurance in Kansas, Kelly said.