KANSAS CITY (AP) —At least three people have been found dead, and at least five others are thought to be injured, police in Missouri said while investigating two shootings with multiple victims in the same area of Kansas City early Sunday morning.

Officers were called to the intersection of 57th Street and Prospect Avenue just after 4:30 a.m. where they found three shooting victims — two men and one women — dead in a parking lot and in the street, Kansas City Police Department spokesperson Jake Becchina said in an email.

Police were told that five other shooting victims with injuries that were not life-threatening arrived at various hospitals by private vehicles or ambulance, Becchina said, adding: “Preliminary information indicates there was a large gathering of people in a parking lot at the intersection when the victims were shot."

An initial investigation by police indicates the gathering took place outside an auto mechanic shop, where police have been called to before,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kshb.com/news/crime/multiple-people-injured-killed-after-2-shootings-on-prospect-avenue-overnight?dfsfsd">KSHB-TV reported.</a>

“My condolences to the families of three people killed in a shooting this morning at an apparent after-hours gathering near 57 and Prospect. If the business knew persons would be present, without security, selling alcohol, and thwarting our laws, that business should be closed," Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas posted on Twitter.

There was no immediate information about any arrests being made, KSHB-TV reported. Police also responded to a nearby shooting on Prospect Avenue near 31st Street around 3 a.m. and said critical injuries were suffered, though they did not say how many people were injured.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Police in Kansas City were investigating two shootings with multiple victims in the same area of Kansas City early Sunday morning, although the number of dead or wounded was not immediately known, a news report said.

The Kansas City Police Department responded to shootings on Prospect Avenue around 3 a.m. and again around 4:30 a.m. Sunday,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kshb.com/news/crime/multiple-people-injured-killed-after-2-shootings-on-prospect-avenue-overnight?dfsfsd">KSHB-TV reported</a>.

One of the shootings involved multiple fatalities, the station reported.

The number of victims from each shooting was not immediately available, but police told KSHB that some victims with gunshot wounds transported themselves to a hospital.

There was no immediate information about any arrests being made, KSHB reported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687710602889.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation Sunday morning -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation Sunday morning -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —At least three people have been found dead, and at least five others are thought to be injured, police in Missouri said while investigating two shootings with multiple victims in the same area of Kansas City early Sunday morning.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">My condolences to the families of three people killed in a shooting this morning at an apparent after-hours gathering near 57 and Prospect. If the business knew persons would be present, without security, selling alcohol, and thwarting our laws, that business should be closed.&mdash; Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) <a href="https://twitter.com/QuintonLucasKC/status/1672959843026575360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Officers were called to the intersection of 57th Street and Prospect Avenue just after 4:30 a.m. where they found three shooting victims — two men and one women — dead in a parking lot and in the street, Kansas City Police Department spokesperson Jake Becchina said in an email.Police were told that five other shooting victims with injuries that were not life-threatening arrived at various hospitals by private vehicles or ambulance, Becchina said, adding: “Preliminary information indicates there was a large gathering of people in a parking lot at the intersection when the victims were shot."An initial investigation by police indicates the gathering took place outside an auto mechanic shop, where police have been called to before,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kshb.com/news/crime/multiple-people-injured-killed-after-2-shootings-on-prospect-avenue-overnight?dfsfsd">KSHB-TV reported.</a>“My condolences to the families of three people killed in a shooting this morning at an apparent after-hours gathering near 57 and Prospect. If the business knew persons would be present, without security, selling alcohol, and thwarting our laws, that business should be closed," Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas posted on Twitter.There was no immediate information about any arrests being made, KSHB-TV reported. Police also responded to a nearby shooting on Prospect Avenue near 31st Street around 3 a.m. and said critical injuries were suffered, though they did not say how many people were injured.--------------KANSAS CITY (AP) — Police in Kansas City were investigating two shootings with multiple victims in the same area of Kansas City early Sunday morning, although the number of dead or wounded was not immediately known, a news report said.The Kansas City Police Department responded to shootings on Prospect Avenue around 3 a.m. and again around 4:30 a.m. Sunday,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kshb.com/news/crime/multiple-people-injured-killed-after-2-shootings-on-prospect-avenue-overnight?dfsfsd">KSHB-TV reported</a>.One of the shootings involved multiple fatalities, the station reported.The number of victims from each shooting was not immediately available, but police told KSHB that some victims with gunshot wounds transported themselves to a hospital.There was no immediate information about any arrests being made, KSHB reported.

Multiple fatalities in 2 Sunday shootings in Kansas City

Helena (AP) —Republican lawmakers in Montana are sharing that they received letters with white powder as federal agents investigate mysterious substances similarly mailed to GOP officials in two other states.

In a Friday night tweet, Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/GovGianforte/status/1672428285349834753">said he has received</a>&nbsp;“disturbing” reports of anonymous threats sent to legislators. The Montana attorney general&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AustinKnudsenMT">posted on Facebook</a>&nbsp;that the local sheriff's office collected evidence after his mother, a state representative, opened one letter with a “white powder substance” sent to her home address.

“PLEASE BE CAUTIOUS about opening your mail,” Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen said in the post directed toward legislators. “If you receive a suspicious package, contact law enforcement immediately.”

Republican officials in Tennessee and Kansas have recently received similar letters. A legislative office building in Nashville&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-white-powder-building-evacuated-82ba88e307efd5c1b4f0b95469f7b28d">temporarily locked down</a>&nbsp;on Thursday after the House Speaker said multiple Republican leaders got mail with “a white powder substance.” The letters included “obvious threats made by a liberal activist specifically targeting Republicans,” according to a House Republican Caucus spokesperson who did not provide further details.

The FBI said Thursday that ongoing lab tests did not indicate any risk to public safety.

About 100 such letters have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-letters-white-powder-f59cfa50f3f35a5301e34c8d9b3cc0a1">sent to lawmakers and public officials across Kansas</a>, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. Preliminary tests did not detect any common dangerous toxins and no injuries have been reported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686969013876.jpeg" alt="Letter sent to Kansas Rep. Paul Waggoner" />
 <figcaption>Letter sent to Kansas Rep. Paul Waggoner</figcaption>
 </figure>Helena (AP) —Republican lawmakers in Montana are sharing that they received letters with white powder as federal agents investigate mysterious substances similarly mailed to GOP officials in two other states.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I&#39;ve received disturbing reports that Montana legislators are receiving anonymous, threatening letters containing white powder. The state will bring to bear whatever resources are needed to support law enforcement officers as they investigate.&mdash; Governor Greg Gianforte (@GovGianforte) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovGianforte/status/1672428285349834753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In a Friday night tweet, Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/GovGianforte/status/1672428285349834753">said he has received</a>&nbsp;“disturbing” reports of anonymous threats sent to legislators. The Montana attorney general&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AustinKnudsenMT">posted on Facebook</a>&nbsp;that the local sheriff's office collected evidence after his mother, a state representative, opened one letter with a “white powder substance” sent to her home address.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FAustinKnudsenMT%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0sJiqqGKYU6L4ErUC3BZqj4FQLsNxqw8xSqs1EnbJLQz7XnV9KfQQkvmPT9P2cXiBl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="247" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>“PLEASE BE CAUTIOUS about opening your mail,” Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen said in the post directed toward legislators. “If you receive a suspicious package, contact law enforcement immediately.”Republican officials in Tennessee and Kansas have recently received similar letters. A legislative office building in Nashville&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-white-powder-building-evacuated-82ba88e307efd5c1b4f0b95469f7b28d">temporarily locked down</a>&nbsp;on Thursday after the House Speaker said multiple Republican leaders got mail with “a white powder substance.” The letters included “obvious threats made by a liberal activist specifically targeting Republicans,” according to a House Republican Caucus spokesperson who did not provide further details.The FBI said Thursday that ongoing lab tests did not indicate any risk to public safety.About 100 such letters have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-letters-white-powder-f59cfa50f3f35a5301e34c8d9b3cc0a1">sent to lawmakers and public officials across Kansas</a>, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. Preliminary tests did not detect any common dangerous toxins and no injuries have been reported.

Letters with mysterious powder sent to lawmakers in 2 other states

WASHINGTON (AP) —President Biden spoke Saturday with President Emmanuel Macron of France, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of the United Kingdom, according to a statement on the White House web site. The leaders discussed the situation in Russia and affirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine.

The greatest challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin in his more than two decades in power&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-rebellion-wagner-prigozhin-live-updates-414e48fd171aef3a1851216962c9a544">fizzled out</a>&nbsp;relatively peacefully Saturday after the rebellious mercenary commander who ordered his troops to march on Moscow abruptly reached a deal with the Kremlin to go into exile and sounded the retreat.

The dramatic if brief revolt shifted the landscape for the Kremlin and the 16-month-old war in Ukraine and prompted Russia to pull soldiers back from the battlefield to defend the capital, a stunning recognition of the threat posed by Wagner Group soldiers under the command of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-prigozhin-wagner-profile-e1939a58f216551b1a20157cc3803085">Yevgeny Prigozhin</a>.

Under the deal announced by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Prigozhin will go to neighboring Belarus and charges of mounting an armed rebellion will be dropped. The government said it also would not prosecute fighters who took part, while those who did not join in were to be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry.

Putin had vowed earlier to punish those behind the armed uprising led by his onetime protege, whose forces seized a key military facility in southern Russia before advancing on the capital. In a televised speech to the nation, he called the rebellion a “betrayal” and “treason.”

In allowing Prigozhin and his forces to go free, Peskov said, Putin’s “highest goal” was “to avoid bloodshed and internal confrontation with unpredictable results.”

Moscow had braced for the arrival of the Wagner forces by erecting checkpoints with armored vehicles and troops on the city’s southern edge. Red Square was shut down, and the mayor urged motorists to stay off some roads.

About 3,000 Chechen soldiers were pulled from fighting in Ukraine and rushed there early Saturday, state television in Chechnya reported, signaling the Kremlin’s desperation as the Wagner troops advanced to, according to Prigozhin, just 200 kilometers (120 miles) from Moscow.

But after the deal was struck, Prigozhin announced that he had decided to retreat to avoid “shedding Russian blood.” His troops were ordered back to their field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian regular soldiers.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-russia-ukraine-war-prigozhin-infighting-0e051f0a43522f57ef1810a8b03f6e62">Prigozhin has demanded the ouster of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu</a>, long the target of his withering criticism for his conduct of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">the war in Ukraine</a>. On Friday, he accused forces under Shoigu's command of attacking Wagner camps and killing “a huge number of our comrades.”

Prigozhin did not say whether the Kremlin had responded to his demand. Peskov said the issue could not have been discussed during the negotiations, which were conducted by the president of Belarus, and is the “exclusive prerogative of the commander in chief.”

If Putin were to agree to Shoigu’s ouster, it could be politically damaging for the president after he branded Prigozhin a backstabbing traitor.

Early Saturday, Prigozhin’s private army appeared to control the military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, a city 660 miles (over 1,000 kilometers) south of Moscow, which runs Russian operations in Ukraine, Britain’s Ministry of Defense said.

A nighttime video from the city posted on Russian messaging app channels showed people cheering Wagner troops as they left Rostov-on-Don. Prigozhin was seen riding in one of the vehicles, and people greeted him and some ran to shake his hand as he lowered the window. The regional governor later said that all of the troops had left the city.

Wagner troops and equipment also were in Lipetsk province, about 360 kilometers (225 miles) south of Moscow.

Authorities declared a “counterterrorist regime” in Moscow and its surrounding region, enhancing security and restricting some movement. On the southern outskirts, troops erected checkpoints, arranged sandbags and set up machine guns. Crews dug up sections of highways to slow the march.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin declared Monday a non-working day for most residents as part of the heightened security, a measure that remained in effect even after the retreat.

The dramatic developments came exactly 16 months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Europe’s largest conflict since World War II, which has killed tens of thousands, displaced millions and reduced cities to rubble.

Ukrainians hoped the Russian infighting would create opportunities for their army to take back territory seized by Russian forces.

Ben Barry, senior fellow for land warfare at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said that even with a deal, Putin’s position has probably been weakened and “these events will have been of great comfort to the Ukrainian government and the military.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late Saturday, shortly before Prigozhin announced his retreat, that the march exposed weakness in the Kremlin and “showed all Russian bandits, mercenaries, oligarchs” that it is easy to capture Russian cities “and, probably, arsenals.”

Switching into Russian in his daily video address, Zelenskyy said “the man from the Kremlin” was “very afraid.” He repeated his calls for the West to supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets and ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-wagner-yevgeny-prigozhin-putin-580f5401a0e9c1ed744ce4645ce4d03f">Prigozhin</a>&nbsp;had vowed earlier that his fighters, whom he said number some 25,000, would not surrender because “we do not want the country to live on in corruption, deceit and bureaucracy.”

“Regarding the betrayal of the motherland, the president was deeply mistaken. We are patriots of our homeland,” he said in an audio message on his Telegram channel.

He posted video of himself at the military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don and claimed his forces had taken control of the airfield and other military facilities in the city without any deaths or even “a single gunshot.”

Russian media, however, reported that several helicopters and a military communications plane were downed by Wagner troops. The Kremlin referred a question about the losses to the Defense Ministry, which has not commented.

The short-lived rebellion came as Russia is “fighting the toughest battle for its future,” Putin said, with the West piling sanctions on Moscow and arming Ukraine.

“The entire military, economic and information machine of the West is waged against us,” Putin said.

State-controlled TV networks led their newscasts with Putin’s statement and reported the tense situation in Rostov-on-Don. Broadcasters also carried statements from top Russian officials and lawmakers voicing support for Putin, condemning Prigozhin and urging him to back down.

Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, who in the past has sided with Prigozhin in his criticisms of Russia’s military, also expressed support for Putin’s “every word.”

“The mutiny needs to be suppressed,” Kadyrov said.

Wagner troops have played a crucial role in the Ukraine war, capturing the eastern city of Bakhmut, an area where the bloodiest and longest battles have taken place. But Prigozhin has increasingly criticized the military brass, accusing it of incompetence and of starving his troops of munitions.

In announcing the rebellion, Prigozhin accused Russian forces of attacking the Wagner camps in Ukraine with rockets, helicopter gunships and artillery. He alleged that Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff, ordered the attacks following a meeting with Shoigu in which they decided to destroy the military contractor.

The Defense Ministry denied attacking the camps.

The 62-year-old Prigozhin, a former convict, has longstanding ties to Putin and won lucrative Kremlin catering contracts that earned him the nickname “Putin’s chef.”

He gained attention in the U.S. when he and a dozen other Russian nationals were charged with operating a covert social media campaign aimed at fomenting discord ahead of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential election victory. Wagner has sent military contractors to Libya, Syria, several African countries and eventually Ukraine.

The rebellion appeared likely to further hinder Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine, as Kyiv’s forces probed Russian defenses in the initial stages of a counteroffensive.

Orysia Lutsevych, the head of the Ukraine Forum at the Chatham House think tank in London, said the infighting could create confusion and potential division among Russian military forces.

“Russian troops in Ukraine may well now be operating in a vacuum, without clear military instructions, and doubts about whom to obey and follow,″ Lutsevych said. “This creates a unique and unprecedented military opportunity for the Ukrainian army.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663760963726.jpeg" alt="“The entire military, economic and information machine of the West is waged against us,” Putin said.-Photo Russian Presidential Press Service via AP" />
 <figcaption>“The entire military, economic and information machine of the West is waged against us,” Putin said.-Photo Russian Presidential Press Service via AP</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —President Biden spoke Saturday with President Emmanuel Macron of France, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of the United Kingdom, according to a statement on the White House web site. The leaders discussed the situation in Russia and affirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine.The greatest challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin in his more than two decades in power&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-rebellion-wagner-prigozhin-live-updates-414e48fd171aef3a1851216962c9a544">fizzled out</a>&nbsp;relatively peacefully Saturday after the rebellious mercenary commander who ordered his troops to march on Moscow abruptly reached a deal with the Kremlin to go into exile and sounded the retreat.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Spoke today with Ukrainian Foreign Minister <a href="https://twitter.com/DmytroKuleba?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DmytroKuleba</a> to discuss the situation in Russia. U.S. support for Ukraine remains steadfast. The United States will stay in close coordination with Ukraine as the situation develops.&mdash; Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecBlinken/status/1672714392683823104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The dramatic if brief revolt shifted the landscape for the Kremlin and the 16-month-old war in Ukraine and prompted Russia to pull soldiers back from the battlefield to defend the capital, a stunning recognition of the threat posed by Wagner Group soldiers under the command of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-prigozhin-wagner-profile-e1939a58f216551b1a20157cc3803085">Yevgeny Prigozhin</a>.Under the deal announced by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Prigozhin will go to neighboring Belarus and charges of mounting an armed rebellion will be dropped. The government said it also would not prosecute fighters who took part, while those who did not join in were to be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry.Putin had vowed earlier to punish those behind the armed uprising led by his onetime protege, whose forces seized a key military facility in southern Russia before advancing on the capital. In a televised speech to the nation, he called the rebellion a “betrayal” and “treason.”In allowing Prigozhin and his forces to go free, Peskov said, Putin’s “highest goal” was “to avoid bloodshed and internal confrontation with unpredictable results.”Moscow had braced for the arrival of the Wagner forces by erecting checkpoints with armored vehicles and troops on the city’s southern edge. Red Square was shut down, and the mayor urged motorists to stay off some roads.About 3,000 Chechen soldiers were pulled from fighting in Ukraine and rushed there early Saturday, state television in Chechnya reported, signaling the Kremlin’s desperation as the Wagner troops advanced to, according to Prigozhin, just 200 kilometers (120 miles) from Moscow.But after the deal was struck, Prigozhin announced that he had decided to retreat to avoid “shedding Russian blood.” His troops were ordered back to their field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian regular soldiers.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-russia-ukraine-war-prigozhin-infighting-0e051f0a43522f57ef1810a8b03f6e62">Prigozhin has demanded the ouster of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu</a>, long the target of his withering criticism for his conduct of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">the war in Ukraine</a>. On Friday, he accused forces under Shoigu's command of attacking Wagner camps and killing “a huge number of our comrades.”Prigozhin did not say whether the Kremlin had responded to his demand. Peskov said the issue could not have been discussed during the negotiations, which were conducted by the president of Belarus, and is the “exclusive prerogative of the commander in chief.”If Putin were to agree to Shoigu’s ouster, it could be politically damaging for the president after he branded Prigozhin a backstabbing traitor.Early Saturday, Prigozhin’s private army appeared to control the military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, a city 660 miles (over 1,000 kilometers) south of Moscow, which runs Russian operations in Ukraine, Britain’s Ministry of Defense said.A nighttime video from the city posted on Russian messaging app channels showed people cheering Wagner troops as they left Rostov-on-Don. Prigozhin was seen riding in one of the vehicles, and people greeted him and some ran to shake his hand as he lowered the window. The regional governor later said that all of the troops had left the city.Wagner troops and equipment also were in Lipetsk province, about 360 kilometers (225 miles) south of Moscow.Authorities declared a “counterterrorist regime” in Moscow and its surrounding region, enhancing security and restricting some movement. On the southern outskirts, troops erected checkpoints, arranged sandbags and set up machine guns. Crews dug up sections of highways to slow the march.Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin declared Monday a non-working day for most residents as part of the heightened security, a measure that remained in effect even after the retreat.The dramatic developments came exactly 16 months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Europe’s largest conflict since World War II, which has killed tens of thousands, displaced millions and reduced cities to rubble.Ukrainians hoped the Russian infighting would create opportunities for their army to take back territory seized by Russian forces.Ben Barry, senior fellow for land warfare at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said that even with a deal, Putin’s position has probably been weakened and “these events will have been of great comfort to the Ukrainian government and the military.”Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late Saturday, shortly before Prigozhin announced his retreat, that the march exposed weakness in the Kremlin and “showed all Russian bandits, mercenaries, oligarchs” that it is easy to capture Russian cities “and, probably, arsenals.”Switching into Russian in his daily video address, Zelenskyy said “the man from the Kremlin” was “very afraid.” He repeated his calls for the West to supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets and ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-wagner-yevgeny-prigozhin-putin-580f5401a0e9c1ed744ce4645ce4d03f">Prigozhin</a>&nbsp;had vowed earlier that his fighters, whom he said number some 25,000, would not surrender because “we do not want the country to live on in corruption, deceit and bureaucracy.”“Regarding the betrayal of the motherland, the president was deeply mistaken. We are patriots of our homeland,” he said in an audio message on his Telegram channel.He posted video of himself at the military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don and claimed his forces had taken control of the airfield and other military facilities in the city without any deaths or even “a single gunshot.”Russian media, however, reported that several helicopters and a military communications plane were downed by Wagner troops. The Kremlin referred a question about the losses to the Defense Ministry, which has not commented.The short-lived rebellion came as Russia is “fighting the toughest battle for its future,” Putin said, with the West piling sanctions on Moscow and arming Ukraine.“The entire military, economic and information machine of the West is waged against us,” Putin said.State-controlled TV networks led their newscasts with Putin’s statement and reported the tense situation in Rostov-on-Don. Broadcasters also carried statements from top Russian officials and lawmakers voicing support for Putin, condemning Prigozhin and urging him to back down.Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, who in the past has sided with Prigozhin in his criticisms of Russia’s military, also expressed support for Putin’s “every word.”“The mutiny needs to be suppressed,” Kadyrov said.Wagner troops have played a crucial role in the Ukraine war, capturing the eastern city of Bakhmut, an area where the bloodiest and longest battles have taken place. But Prigozhin has increasingly criticized the military brass, accusing it of incompetence and of starving his troops of munitions.In announcing the rebellion, Prigozhin accused Russian forces of attacking the Wagner camps in Ukraine with rockets, helicopter gunships and artillery. He alleged that Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff, ordered the attacks following a meeting with Shoigu in which they decided to destroy the military contractor.The Defense Ministry denied attacking the camps.The 62-year-old Prigozhin, a former convict, has longstanding ties to Putin and won lucrative Kremlin catering contracts that earned him the nickname “Putin’s chef.”He gained attention in the U.S. when he and a dozen other Russian nationals were charged with operating a covert social media campaign aimed at fomenting discord ahead of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential election victory. Wagner has sent military contractors to Libya, Syria, several African countries and eventually Ukraine.The rebellion appeared likely to further hinder Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine, as Kyiv’s forces probed Russian defenses in the initial stages of a counteroffensive.Orysia Lutsevych, the head of the Ukraine Forum at the Chatham House think tank in London, said the infighting could create confusion and potential division among Russian military forces.“Russian troops in Ukraine may well now be operating in a vacuum, without clear military instructions, and doubts about whom to obey and follow,″ Lutsevych said. “This creates a unique and unprecedented military opportunity for the Ukrainian army.”----------

Biden, NATO allies monitor on again, off again Russian rebellion

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting that took the life of a teenager in Kansas City, Kansas.

The shooting happened just after 2:30 p.m. on Friday in the 3100 block of W. Barker Circle, according to a media release.

Police were dispatched to the scene and and found the boy with gunshot wounds. The KCKPD's Major Case Unit is investigating the case. Police have released no additional details or suspect information.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting that took the life of a teenager in Kansas City, Kansas.The shooting happened just after 2:30 p.m. on Friday in the 3100 block of W. Barker Circle, according to a media release.Police were dispatched to the scene and and found the boy with gunshot wounds. The KCKPD's Major Case Unit is investigating the case. Police have released no additional details or suspect information.

Police investigating teen's death in Kansas shooting

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A&nbsp; woman who has spent more than four decades in prison for a murder her supporters believe she did not commit will get a court hearing that could lead to her release.

The Missouri attorney general's office has agreed to an evidentiary hearing for Sandra Hemme, 63, who was convicted of murder in the Nov. 12, 1980, killing of Patricia Jeschke, a library worker in St. Joseph, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article273820355.html">reported</a>&nbsp;Thursday.

Lawyers for the Innocence Project filed a petition in February seeking to exonerate and free Hemme, who was a patient at a psychiatric hospital when she gave conflicting statements about the murder to investigators.

In a response filed last week, the attorney general’s office asked Circuit Judge Ryan Horsman to require lawyers involved in the case to be ready to set a date for the evidentiary hearing when they meet on July 10.

Her attorneys say the only evidence linking Hemme to Jeschke's death were “wildly contradictory” and “factually impossible” statements she gave to detectives while she was a patient at the St. Joseph State Hospital’s psychiatric ward.

She initially didn't mention a murder, then claimed Jeschke was killed by a man who police later determined was in Topeka at the time, and then later said she knew about the murder because of “extrasensory perception,” according to her attorneys.

Two weeks after Jeschke's nude body was found on the floor of her apartment in eastern St. Joseph, Hemme told authorities she thought she stabbed the victim with a knife but then added “I don’t know. I don’t know," according to her attorneys.

The attorney general’s office said Hemme’s attorneys have “alleged facts that if true may entitle her to relief.”

Hemme initially pleaded guilty to capital murder, but her conviction was thrown out on appeal. She was then found guilty in 1985 during a one-day jury trial in which the only evidence was her “confession.”

The Innocence Project says state officials withheld evidence during the trial that would have implicated a 22-year-old St. Joseph police officer who was investigated for insurance fraud and burglaries and later spent time in prison in Missouri and Nebraska. He died in 2015.

Shortly after Jeschke was found dead, the officer used her credit card. Jeschke's earrings were found in his apartment and the officer's colleagues could not corroborate his alibi — that he was having sex with another woman at a motel next to Jeschke's apartment when she was killed.

Lloyd Pasley, who was a senior member in St. Joseph’s detective division in 1980 and served twice as interim police chief in the department, said he believes Hemme is innocent and evidence suggests the officer was the killer.

The Missouri attorney general's office, currently held by Republican Andrew Bailey, has a long history of opposing wrongful conviction motions. Bailey's office did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Bailey has only been in office since January. But his predecessor, Eric Schmidt, who is now a U.S. senator, fought against efforts to free Kevin Strickland. He was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-kansas-missouri-bba67efd61eaa165165e29a7298a1dc3">exonerated</a>&nbsp;in 2021 after spending 43 years in prison for a triple murder he did not commit. Schmidt also opposed an effort to exonerate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legal-proceedings-missouri-st-louis-prisons-5c4f3e6faadb018aef74685044b882d1">Lamar Johnson</a>, who was freed in February after 28 years in prison.

Kent Gipson, a Kansas City-based attorney who has filed hundreds of post-conviction claims over three decades, said he could think of only one other innocence case where the attorney general’s office agreed to an evidentiary hearing. Gibson is not involved in the Hemme case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687623288901.png" alt="Sandra Hemme-photo courtesy The Innocence Project" />
 <figcaption>Sandra Hemme-photo courtesy The Innocence Project</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — A&nbsp; woman who has spent more than four decades in prison for a murder her supporters believe she did not commit will get a court hearing that could lead to her release.The Missouri attorney general's office has agreed to an evidentiary hearing for Sandra Hemme, 63, who was convicted of murder in the Nov. 12, 1980, killing of Patricia Jeschke, a library worker in St. Joseph, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article273820355.html">reported</a>&nbsp;Thursday.Lawyers for the Innocence Project filed a petition in February seeking to exonerate and free Hemme, who was a patient at a psychiatric hospital when she gave conflicting statements about the murder to investigators.In a response filed last week, the attorney general’s office asked Circuit Judge Ryan Horsman to require lawyers involved in the case to be ready to set a date for the evidentiary hearing when they meet on July 10.Her attorneys say the only evidence linking Hemme to Jeschke's death were “wildly contradictory” and “factually impossible” statements she gave to detectives while she was a patient at the St. Joseph State Hospital’s psychiatric ward.She initially didn't mention a murder, then claimed Jeschke was killed by a man who police later determined was in Topeka at the time, and then later said she knew about the murder because of “extrasensory perception,” according to her attorneys.Two weeks after Jeschke's nude body was found on the floor of her apartment in eastern St. Joseph, Hemme told authorities she thought she stabbed the victim with a knife but then added “I don’t know. I don’t know," according to her attorneys.The attorney general’s office said Hemme’s attorneys have “alleged facts that if true may entitle her to relief.”Hemme initially pleaded guilty to capital murder, but her conviction was thrown out on appeal. She was then found guilty in 1985 during a one-day jury trial in which the only evidence was her “confession.”The Innocence Project says state officials withheld evidence during the trial that would have implicated a 22-year-old St. Joseph police officer who was investigated for insurance fraud and burglaries and later spent time in prison in Missouri and Nebraska. He died in 2015.Shortly after Jeschke was found dead, the officer used her credit card. Jeschke's earrings were found in his apartment and the officer's colleagues could not corroborate his alibi — that he was having sex with another woman at a motel next to Jeschke's apartment when she was killed.Lloyd Pasley, who was a senior member in St. Joseph’s detective division in 1980 and served twice as interim police chief in the department, said he believes Hemme is innocent and evidence suggests the officer was the killer.The Missouri attorney general's office, currently held by Republican Andrew Bailey, has a long history of opposing wrongful conviction motions. Bailey's office did not immediately return a message seeking comment.Bailey has only been in office since January. But his predecessor, Eric Schmidt, who is now a U.S. senator, fought against efforts to free Kevin Strickland. He was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-kansas-missouri-bba67efd61eaa165165e29a7298a1dc3">exonerated</a>&nbsp;in 2021 after spending 43 years in prison for a triple murder he did not commit. Schmidt also opposed an effort to exonerate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legal-proceedings-missouri-st-louis-prisons-5c4f3e6faadb018aef74685044b882d1">Lamar Johnson</a>, who was freed in February after 28 years in prison.Kent Gipson, a Kansas City-based attorney who has filed hundreds of post-conviction claims over three decades, said he could think of only one other innocence case where the attorney general’s office agreed to an evidentiary hearing. Gibson is not involved in the Hemme case.

Woman imprisoned for 42 years to get court hearing that could lead to release

OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged drug crims.

Just before 6:30p.m. June 22, an Osage County Sheriff’s K-9 unit conducted a traffic stop at 349th and Berryton Road near Melvern, according to Sheriff Chris Wells. During the stop, illegal narcotics were located.

The driver of the vehicle, Robert D. Williams, 32, of Paola, was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and Possession of drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687549278059.png" alt="Williams-photo Osage Co." />
 <figcaption>Williams-photo Osage Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged drug crims.Just before 6:30p.m. June 22, an Osage County Sheriff’s K-9 unit conducted a traffic stop at 349th and Berryton Road near Melvern, according to Sheriff Chris Wells. During the stop, illegal narcotics were located.The driver of the vehicle, Robert D. Williams, 32, of Paola, was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and Possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sheriff: Kansas man intended to sell methamphetamine

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —One person died from injuries in an accident that occurred just before 2p.m. Saturday in Wyandotte County.

The Kansas City, Kansas Police Department reported a vehicle occupied by a man and woman was traveling&nbsp; at 5th and Parallel Parkway. The vehicle struck a utility pole.

EMS transported both to an area hospital in critical condition. The man was pronounced dead at 3:15p.m., according to police.

Police have not released the name of the victim. The accident remains under investigation.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —One person died from injuries in an accident that occurred just before 2p.m. Saturday in Wyandotte County.The Kansas City, Kansas Police Department reported a vehicle occupied by a man and woman was traveling&nbsp; at 5th and Parallel Parkway. The vehicle struck a utility pole.EMS transported both to an area hospital in critical condition. The man was pronounced dead at 3:15p.m., according to police.Police have not released the name of the victim. The accident remains under investigation.

Man dead, woman in critical condition after Kansas crash

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a shooting have a suspect in custody.

Just before 3p.m. on June 6, police responded to a shooting call at the intersection of 18th Street N and Chautauqua in Wichita, according to a media release.

Officers located a 28-year-old victim bleeding profusely from a gunshot wound to his left upper leg. Officers applied a tourniquet and proceeded to provide lifesaving measurements. 

EMS then arrived and transported the victim to a local hospital in critical condition.

At the time of the incident, officers only knew that the victim was walking around the intersection of 18th Street N and Chautauqua when he got into a verbal argument with a male suspect driving a white vehicle.

The&nbsp; suspect produced a handgun and shot the victim.

Detectives used Flock and developed a suspect vehicle and a tag. They also learned that the vehicle was driving south toward the Oklahoma border.

 Investigators contacted their law enforcement partners and informed them about the vehicle being involved in a shooting and the direction of travel.

Later, police in Norman Oklahoma located a white Audi matching the description of the vehicle involved in the shooting and arrested the driver, 45-year-old Jeremi Mothershed of Wichita. 

Mothershed had a 9mm handgun at the time of his arrest. He was booked into jail on unrelated charges in Norman Oklahoma.The gun was entered into the police database and came back as the gun that was used in the shooting. 

The case was presented to the DA’s office, and they charged Mothershed with one count of Felon in Possession of a firearm and aggravated battery.&nbsp; Mothershed was being held in the Purcell, Oklahoma jail waiting to be extradited to Wichita.&nbsp;

He has previous convictions for aggravated battery, aggravated assault, criminal possession of a firearm and flee or attempt to elude police, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687538170849.png" alt="Mothershed has previous convictions for aggravated battery, aggravated assault, criminal possession of a firearm and flee or attempt to elude police, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Mothershed has previous convictions for aggravated battery, aggravated assault, criminal possession of a firearm and flee or attempt to elude police, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a shooting have a suspect in custody.Just before 3p.m. on June 6, police responded to a shooting call at the intersection of 18th Street N and Chautauqua in Wichita, according to a media release.Officers located a 28-year-old victim bleeding profusely from a gunshot wound to his left upper leg. Officers applied a tourniquet and proceeded to provide lifesaving measurements. EMS then arrived and transported the victim to a local hospital in critical condition.At the time of the incident, officers only knew that the victim was walking around the intersection of 18th Street N and Chautauqua when he got into a verbal argument with a male suspect driving a white vehicle.The&nbsp; suspect produced a handgun and shot the victim.Detectives used Flock and developed a suspect vehicle and a tag. They also learned that the vehicle was driving south toward the Oklahoma border. Investigators contacted their law enforcement partners and informed them about the vehicle being involved in a shooting and the direction of travel.Later, police in Norman Oklahoma located a white Audi matching the description of the vehicle involved in the shooting and arrested the driver, 45-year-old Jeremi Mothershed of Wichita. Mothershed had a 9mm handgun at the time of his arrest. He was booked into jail on unrelated charges in Norman Oklahoma.The gun was entered into the police database and came back as the gun that was used in the shooting. The case was presented to the DA’s office, and they charged Mothershed with one count of Felon in Possession of a firearm and aggravated battery.&nbsp; Mothershed was being held in the Purcell, Oklahoma jail waiting to be extradited to Wichita.&nbsp;He has previous convictions for aggravated battery, aggravated assault, criminal possession of a firearm and flee or attempt to elude police, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections

Kan. felon wanted for shooting captured in Oklahoma

COLUMBUS, Mont. (AP) — A bridge that crosses the Yellowstone River in Montana collapsed early Saturday, plunging portions of a freight train carrying hazardous materials into the rushing water below.

The train cars were carrying hot asphalt and molten sulfur, Stillwater County Disaster and Emergency Services said. Officials shut down drinking water intakes downstream while they evaluated the danger after the 6 a.m. accident. An Associated Press reporter witnessed a yellow substance coming out of some of the tank cars.

David Stamey, the county's chief of emergency services, said there was no immediate danger for the crews working at the site, and the hazardous material was being diluted by the swollen river. There were three asphalt cars and four sulfur cars in the river.

The train crew was safe and no injuries were reported, Montana Rail Link spokesman Andy Garland said in a statement. The asphalt and sulfur both solidify quickly when exposed to cooler temperatures, he said.

Railroad crews were at the scene in Stillwater County, near the town of Columbus, about 40 miles (about 64 kilometers) west of Billings. The area is in a sparsely populated section of the Yellowstone River Valley, surrounded by ranch and farmland. The river there flows away from Yellowstone National Park, which is about 110 miles (177 kilometers) southwest.

“We are committed to addressing any potential impacts to the area as a result of this incident and working to understand the reasons behind the accident,” Garland said.

The bridge collapse also took out a fiber-optic cable providing internet service to many customers in the state, the high-speed provider Global Net said.

“This is the major fiber route ... through Montana,” a recording on the company's phone line said Saturday. “This is affecting all Global Net customers. Connectivity will either be down or extremely slow.”

In neighboring Yellowstone County, officials said they instituted emergency measures at water treatment plants due to the “potential hazmat spill” and asked residents to conserve water.

The cause of the collapse is under investigation. The river was swollen with recent heavy rains, but it's unclear whether that was a factor.

The Yellowstone&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-floods-montana-and-environment-4bdc704074dfe199b3e6f3c5c9e402b0">saw record flooding in 2022</a>&nbsp;that caused&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/floods-united-states-climate-and-environment-waterfalls-225c370e39aa935d89693a438b704476">extensive damage to Yellowstone National Park</a>&nbsp;and adjacent towns in Montana. Robert Bea, a retired engineering professor at the University of California Berkeley who has analyzed the causes of hundreds of major disasters, said repeated years of heavy river flows provided a clue to the possible cause.

“The high water flow translates to high forces acting directly on the pier and, importantly, on the river bottom,” Bea said. “You can have erosion or scour that removes support from the foundation. High forces translate to a high likelihood of a structural or foundation failure that could act as a trigger to initiate the accident.”

An old highway bridge that paralleled the railroad bridge — together, they were called the Twin Bridges — was removed in 2021 after the Montana Department of Transportation determined it was in imminent danger of falling. It wasn't immediately clear when the railroad bridge was constructed or when it was last inspected.

Bea said investigators would also want to look at whether there was wear or rust in bridge components as well as a record of maintenance, repair and inspections.

Federal Railroad Administration officials were at the scene.

Kelly Hitchcock of the Columbus Water Users shut off the flow of river water into an irrigation ditch downstream from the collapsed bridge to prevent contents from the tank cars from reaching nearby farmland. The Stillwater County Sheriff’s Office called the group Saturday morning to warn it about the collapse, Hitchcock said.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes that sulfur is a common element used as a fertilizer as well as an insecticide, fungicide and rodenticide.

COLUMBUS, Mont. (AP) — A bridge that crosses Yellowstone River in Montana collapsed early Saturday morning, causing portions of a freight train carrying hazardous materials to plunge into the flooded river below, officials said.

The train cars were carrying asphalt and sulfur, said David Stamey, Stillwater County’s chief of emergency services. Officials shut down drinking water intakes downstream while they evaluated the danger. An Associated Press reporter witnessed a yellow liquid pouring out of tank cars.

However, Stamey said there was no immediate danger for the crews working at the site, and the hazardous material was being diluted by the swollen river.

The train crew was safe and no injuries were reported after the bridge collapse, according to a statement from Andy Garland, spokesman for the Montana Rail Link.

Garland said “several” tank cars were partially submerged in the river early Saturday, and railroad crews were at the scene in Stillwater County, near the town of Columbus, about 40 miles (about 64 kilometers) west of Billings.

The cause of the collapse is under investigation, he said.

The site is in a sparsely populated area in the Yellowstone River Valley. It about 110 miles (177 kilometers) northeast of Yellowstone National Park.

The Montana Disaster Emergency Services has been notified. Federal Railroad Administrators officials were at the scene.

The river was swollen with recent heavy rains although it is unclear whether that contributed to the bridge collapse.

Kelly Hitchcock of the Columbus Water Users shut off the flow of river water into an irrigation ditch downstream from the collapsed bridge to prevent contents from the tank cars from reaching nearby farmland.

Hitchcock said the Stillwater County Sheriff’s Office called the group Saturday morning to warn it about the collapse.

The Yellowstone saw record flooding in 2022 that caused extensive damage to Yellowstone National Park and adjacent towns in Montana.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687632668209.png" alt="The train crew was safe and no injuries were reported after the bridge collapse-photo courtesy Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks" />
 <figcaption>The train crew was safe and no injuries were reported after the bridge collapse-photo courtesy Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks</figcaption>
 </figure>COLUMBUS, Mont. (AP) — A bridge that crosses the Yellowstone River in Montana collapsed early Saturday, plunging portions of a freight train carrying hazardous materials into the rushing water below.The train cars were carrying hot asphalt and molten sulfur, Stillwater County Disaster and Emergency Services said. Officials shut down drinking water intakes downstream while they evaluated the danger after the 6 a.m. accident. An Associated Press reporter witnessed a yellow substance coming out of some of the tank cars.David Stamey, the county's chief of emergency services, said there was no immediate danger for the crews working at the site, and the hazardous material was being diluted by the swollen river. There were three asphalt cars and four sulfur cars in the river.The train crew was safe and no injuries were reported, Montana Rail Link spokesman Andy Garland said in a statement. The asphalt and sulfur both solidify quickly when exposed to cooler temperatures, he said.Railroad crews were at the scene in Stillwater County, near the town of Columbus, about 40 miles (about 64 kilometers) west of Billings. The area is in a sparsely populated section of the Yellowstone River Valley, surrounded by ranch and farmland. The river there flows away from Yellowstone National Park, which is about 110 miles (177 kilometers) southwest.“We are committed to addressing any potential impacts to the area as a result of this incident and working to understand the reasons behind the accident,” Garland said.The bridge collapse also took out a fiber-optic cable providing internet service to many customers in the state, the high-speed provider Global Net said.“This is the major fiber route ... through Montana,” a recording on the company's phone line said Saturday. “This is affecting all Global Net customers. Connectivity will either be down or extremely slow.”In neighboring Yellowstone County, officials said they instituted emergency measures at water treatment plants due to the “potential hazmat spill” and asked residents to conserve water.The cause of the collapse is under investigation. The river was swollen with recent heavy rains, but it's unclear whether that was a factor.The Yellowstone&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-floods-montana-and-environment-4bdc704074dfe199b3e6f3c5c9e402b0">saw record flooding in 2022</a>&nbsp;that caused&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/floods-united-states-climate-and-environment-waterfalls-225c370e39aa935d89693a438b704476">extensive damage to Yellowstone National Park</a>&nbsp;and adjacent towns in Montana. Robert Bea, a retired engineering professor at the University of California Berkeley who has analyzed the causes of hundreds of major disasters, said repeated years of heavy river flows provided a clue to the possible cause.“The high water flow translates to high forces acting directly on the pier and, importantly, on the river bottom,” Bea said. “You can have erosion or scour that removes support from the foundation. High forces translate to a high likelihood of a structural or foundation failure that could act as a trigger to initiate the accident.”An old highway bridge that paralleled the railroad bridge — together, they were called the Twin Bridges — was removed in 2021 after the Montana Department of Transportation determined it was in imminent danger of falling. It wasn't immediately clear when the railroad bridge was constructed or when it was last inspected.Bea said investigators would also want to look at whether there was wear or rust in bridge components as well as a record of maintenance, repair and inspections.Federal Railroad Administration officials were at the scene.Kelly Hitchcock of the Columbus Water Users shut off the flow of river water into an irrigation ditch downstream from the collapsed bridge to prevent contents from the tank cars from reaching nearby farmland. The Stillwater County Sheriff’s Office called the group Saturday morning to warn it about the collapse, Hitchcock said.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes that sulfur is a common element used as a fertilizer as well as an insecticide, fungicide and rodenticide.___COLUMBUS, Mont. (AP) — A bridge that crosses Yellowstone River in Montana collapsed early Saturday morning, causing portions of a freight train carrying hazardous materials to plunge into the flooded river below, officials said.The train cars were carrying asphalt and sulfur, said David Stamey, Stillwater County’s chief of emergency services. Officials shut down drinking water intakes downstream while they evaluated the danger. An Associated Press reporter witnessed a yellow liquid pouring out of tank cars.However, Stamey said there was no immediate danger for the crews working at the site, and the hazardous material was being diluted by the swollen river.The train crew was safe and no injuries were reported after the bridge collapse, according to a statement from Andy Garland, spokesman for the Montana Rail Link.Garland said “several” tank cars were partially submerged in the river early Saturday, and railroad crews were at the scene in Stillwater County, near the town of Columbus, about 40 miles (about 64 kilometers) west of Billings.“We are committed to addressing any potential impacts to the area as a result of this incident and working to understand the reasons behind the accident,” Garland said.In neighboring Yellowstone County, officials said they instituted emergency measures at water treatment plants due to the “potential hazmat spill” and asked residents to conserve water.The cause of the collapse is under investigation, he said.The site is in a sparsely populated area in the Yellowstone River Valley. It about 110 miles (177 kilometers) northeast of Yellowstone National Park.The Montana Disaster Emergency Services has been notified. Federal Railroad Administrators officials were at the scene.The river was swollen with recent heavy rains although it is unclear whether that contributed to the bridge collapse.Kelly Hitchcock of the Columbus Water Users shut off the flow of river water into an irrigation ditch downstream from the collapsed bridge to prevent contents from the tank cars from reaching nearby farmland.Hitchcock said the Stillwater County Sheriff’s Office called the group Saturday morning to warn it about the collapse.The Yellowstone saw record flooding in 2022 that caused extensive damage to Yellowstone National Park and adjacent towns in Montana.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes that sulfur is a common element used as a fertilizer as well as an insecticide, fungicide and rodenticide.

Bridge fails: Train carrying molten sulfur plunges into Yellowstone River 

TOPEKA —El Dorado Correctional Facility (EDCF) resident Nicholas Reimonenq was found in his cell unresponsive and died Saturday morning at the facility, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Reimonenq, 31, was serving a sentence for one count of burglary and 0ne count of attempted aggravated burglary from Saline County and was admitted to KDOC on May 10, 2023.

The cause of death is pending further investigation as well as results of an independent autopsy.

Per protocol, when a resident dies in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC), the death is under investigation by the KDOC and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI). The investigation is currently on-going.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678285967559.jpeg" alt="Reimonenq from a March arrest in Saline County" />
 <figcaption>Reimonenq from a March arrest in Saline County</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —El Dorado Correctional Facility (EDCF) resident Nicholas Reimonenq was found in his cell unresponsive and died Saturday morning at the facility, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections.Reimonenq, 31, was serving a sentence for one count of burglary and 0ne count of attempted aggravated burglary from Saline County and was admitted to KDOC on May 10, 2023.The cause of death is pending further investigation as well as results of an independent autopsy.Per protocol, when a resident dies in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC), the death is under investigation by the KDOC and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI). The investigation is currently on-going.

Inmate in Kansas prison for 6 weeks found dead

By GEOFF MULVIHILL, KIMBERLEE KRUESI and CLAIRE SAVAGE&nbsp;

WASHINGTON (AP) —One year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court rescinded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">a five-decade-old right to abortion,</a>&nbsp;prompting a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-new-york-state-government-ohio-mississippi-6fd7b3684b858d8a86c3443537e34687">seismic shift</a>&nbsp;in debates about politics, values, freedom and fairness.

Twenty-five million women of childbearing age now live in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-status-list-state-protection-ban-4466aefe6141745b71c824522aac47b9">states where the law makes abortions harder to get</a>&nbsp;than they were before the ruling.

Decisions about the law are largely in the hands of state lawmakers and courts. Most Republican-led states have restricted abortion. Fourteen ban abortion in most cases at any point in pregnancy. Twenty Democratic-leaning states have protected access to abortion.

Here’s a look at what’s changed since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling.

LAWS HAVE BEEN ENACTED IN 25 STATES TO BAN OR RESTRICT ABORTION ACCESS

Last summer, as women and medical providers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-racing-the-political-clock-41770e51cbdca610f31b00bde1410fb2">began to navigate</a>&nbsp;a landscape without legal protection for abortion, Nancy Davis’ doctors advised her to terminate her pregnancy. The fetus she was carrying had no skull and was expected to die soon after birth.

But doctors in Louisiana, where Davis lived, would not provide the abortion due to a new law banning it throughout pregnancy in most cases.

Davis became one of the women whose stories, told on news sites and network news, in newspapers and blogs,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-legislature-john-bel-edwards-baton-rouge-217b965dcb28a77d4bc46054b351a76e">illustrated the shifting ground</a>&nbsp;doctors and their patients tried to navigate.

At the same time, abortion opponents who worked for decades to abolish a practice they see as murder cheered the Supreme Court’s Dobbs ruling. Anti-abortion groups said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-roe-v-wade-33c08858dc8b0aa5f0450858b51a648a">the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling</a>&nbsp;that legalized abortion nationwide was undemocratic because it prevented states from enacting bans.

“The Dobbs decision was a democratic victory for life that generations fought for,” said E.V. Osment, a spokeswoman for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a major anti-abortion group.

While some states scrambled to pass new restrictions, others already had enacted laws that were designed to take effect if the court overturned Roe.

More than 25 million women ages 15 to 44, or about 2 in 5 nationally, now live in states where there are more restrictions on abortion access than there were before Dobbs. More than 5.5 million more live in states where restrictions have been adopted but are on hold pending court challenges. Bans on abortion no later than 12 weeks into pregnancy are on the books in nearly every state in the Southeast — though some are not in effect.

Many laws that make exceptions for medical emergencies do not clearly define those situations. After Davis went public with her challenges last year,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-legislature-john-bel-edwards-baton-rouge-217b965dcb28a77d4bc46054b351a76e">Louisiana lawmakers debated</a>&nbsp;whether doctors in the state were right to deny her an abortion under a law that has exceptions for “medically futile” pregnancies and when there’s a substantial risk of death or impairment for the woman. But the Legislature made no changes to clarify the law.

Davis is among a number of women who ended up traveling out of state to have a legal surgical abortion. She got help from a fund that raises money for women to travel for such purposes.

With her fiancé by her side, Davis flew to New York in September, when she was about four months pregnant. The whole experience was heartbreaking, she said.

“A mother’s love starts as soon as she knows she’s pregnant. That attachment starts instantly,” she said. “It was days I couldn’t sleep. It was days I couldn’t eat.”

ABORTION ACCESS HAS BEEN PROTECTED IN 20 STATES

As some states restricted abortion, others locked in access. Clinics moved across state lines, added staff and lengthened hours to accommodate women leaving their home states to end their pregnancies.

In 25 states, abortion remains generally legal up to at least 24 weeks of pregnancy. In 20 of those states, protections have been solidified through constitutional amendments or laws. Officials in many of those states, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-california-df6dd40a7e2af65a1c6a4042e4ffa485">California</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-transgender-colorado-law-0ac4525f076692b479c9c16f3a1f72b3">Colorado</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-rights-bill-minnesota-e22e5375c46d4bc2c6ca5f804137b1b5">Minnesota</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-transgender-rights-new-mexico-195c27ab1a60a8d7c07a71f157c07384">New Mexico</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-abortion-pill-stockpile-b8192dee6ac02b1b3f066d6a6300a41f">New York</a>, have explicitly invited women from places where the procedure is banned.

Women have flocked to states with legal access.

CHOICES Center for Reproductive Health had for decades treated patients in Memphis, Tennessee, some seeking abortions. After Tennessee’s abortion ban kicked in last year, the clinic opened a second outpost that’s about a three-hour drive away, in Carbondale, Illinois, a state that has positioned itself as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-care-costs-illinois-bbc4df0d3bec21ad84febd9ee0f0937d">an oasis for abortion access.</a>

“I would say 80% or more of our patients continue to come from the communities that CHOICES has always taken care of,” said CEO Jennifer Pepper, who said the Illinois clinic sees on average 350 patients a month. “They’re coming from Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas and even Texas, but now they’re having to travel much farther.”

Kansas is one of the closest places to obtain abortions for people in parts of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. A new clinic opened in Kansas City, Kansas, four days before Dobbs. Within weeks, the clinic was overwhelmed. Even after lengthening hours, hiring staff and flying in physicians, it’s been able to take only about 10% to 15% of people who have sought an abortion there.

Dr. Iman Alsaden, the Planned Parenthood medical director based in Kansas, said most patients in the Kansas clinics are now coming from elsewhere.

“You’re in a really, really dire public health situation when you are looking at someone who had to jump through endless amounts of hoops just to make this work and saying they’re so lucky they’re able to do this,” Alsaden said.

In anticipation of out-of-state patients, states such as Hawaii have passed laws to allow more health care workers, such as nurse practitioners, to provide abortions. In New Jersey, officials late last year announced a grant to train more medical professionals to perform the procedures.

Because of reporting lags and gaps in data, the impact on the number of abortions provided across the U.S. is not completely clear. But the authors of #WeCount, a survey conducted for the Society of Family Planning, a nonprofit organization that promotes research and supports abortion access, say the monthly average went down after Dobbs.

The group's data finds that the number of abortions provided through clinics, hospitals and other providers in states where bans were put in place plummeted to nearly zero. The tracking effort collects monthly data, providing a snapshot of abortion trends after Roe v. Wade was overturned. It does not reflect self-managed abortions, relies on estimates in places where providers do not supply data and does not fully account for seasonal differences in pregnancies or abortions.

Still, it's the fullest national picture available for now. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data covering 2022 is not likely to be released until late 2024. Even then, the picture won’t be completely clear: Not every state collects abortion data, and what is collected does not include self-managed abortions provided outside clinics, hospitals and doctor’s offices.

In Louisiana, where abortion was legal until 22 weeks' gestational age before Dobbs, the state reported more than 7,400 abortions in 2020, the last year for which full data was available. #WeCount found there were an average of 785 a month in April and May 2022 — and fewer than 10 every month since the ban there has been in place.

There are similar trends elsewhere. In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sacred-rivers-abortion-health-planned-parenthood-idaho-supreme-court-government-and-politics-c776c298f799cc8b7a8c1431f30be701">Idaho,</a>&nbsp;1,700 abortions were reported in 2020, and #WeCount found fewer than 10 a month recently.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-texas-us-supreme-court-laws-gun-politics-15b5ade8ad341cd7f9e61da10a994c43">In Texas,</a>&nbsp;state data shows only a handful of abortions monthly from August through January. Before restrictions there took effect in 2021, there were often more than 5,000 per month.

The #WeCount survey of abortion providers has found that the overall average number of abortions at clinics and hospitals was lower in the months after the Dobbs ruling, from July 2022 through March but that the number of abortions has risen dramatically in states that border those with no access, such as Illinois, Kansas, New Mexico and North Carolina. In Illinois, for instance, the survey tallied about 5,600 abortions in April 2022 and more than 7,900 in March 2023.

PILLS ARE AN EVEN MORE DOMINANT ABORTION METHOD

Even before the court ruled, most abortions in the U.S. were done through&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-covid-science-health-2d52ebf9efc6ef06f03e788fecd13013">a two-pill regimen</a>, not a surgical procedure. Now groups are using medication to provide access — however illegal -- in states where abortion is banned.

For example, Aid Access works with doctors overseas and in states with shield laws, which are intended to bar abortion-related investigations by other states. Those doctors prescribe the medications and Aid Access ships them. It saw requests in a sample of 30 states more than double from before a draft of the Dobbs ruling was leaked last year until it became official and bans started taking effect.

The group’s Netherlands-based founder and director, Rebecca Gomperts, believes most U.S. women who want abortions are still managing to get them.

“The fact that the abortion pill is available,” she said, “that makes the tragic of it much less profound.”

Still, she said, those who struggle the most for access are poor and Black women.

The move from surgical to medication abortion has frustrated abortion opponents, who have taken their case to court. Some abortion opponents are calling for the abortion drug mifepristone to lose its 23-year-old approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-pill-mifepristone-access-f781488016640bf571faf36096339ea4">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;has preserved access for now.

SOME STATES ARE INCREASING SUPPORT FOR MOMS AND CHILDREN

One ripple from overturning Roe in conservative states has been a new willingness to adopt measures such as improving foster care and benefits for postpartum women.

Mississippi,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-donald-trump-mississippi-abortion-health-b378139200a6b37c22118ee3acb59def">where the Dobbs case originated,</a>&nbsp;is a key example. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed off on several proposals that he deemed as the “next phase” of the “pro-life agenda.” This included expanding a tax credit from $3.5 million a year to $10 million a year for people or businesses who donate to anti-abortion centers, which provide diapers, clothing and other assistance for pregnant women and have been accused of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-business-health-nashville-personal-taxes-fffa6f6f86e6eaa448b8ea89087a1c46">providing misleading information</a>&nbsp;to steer women away from abortion. He also approved creating an income tax credit of up to $10,000 for adopting a child who lives in Mississippi and $5,000 for a adopting a child from outside the state.

He also agreed to extend Medicaid health insurance coverage for lower-income women until a year after they give birth, rather than just two months.

The state's two Catholic bishops sent a letter to lawmakers and Reeves in February calling for the Medicaid expansion.

"This they felt was consistent with the intent of Dobbs,” Jackson Bishop Joseph Kopacz said in an interview, "saying that it can’t stop at birth.”

For Shannon Bagley, the executive director of the Center for Pregnancy Choices, an anti-abortion center just outside Jackson that will benefit from the expanded tax credit, said it's offering more parenting classes and focusing on helping eligible women sign up for Medicaid, job search assistance and offering donated car seats, cribs and other baby items.

“This is a new era and we’re going to have to be more and we’re going to have to do more,” she said.

In conservative Utah, a ban on abortions throughout pregnancy took effect almost immediately after the Dobbs ruling. But the next day, the state’s Planned Parenthood affiliate challenged the law, saying it violated the state constitution.

A judge put the ban on hold while the case works its way through the courts.

It’s one of more than 50 lawsuits filed on abortion policy since the Dobbs ruling. Lawsuits have been the foundation of the abortion debate for decades, but now the burden is on abortion-rights advocates to prove that restrictions are too harsh, rather than on anti-abortion groups to prove they are justified.

Many challenges rely on arguments about the rights to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/surgical-abortion-ban-lawsuit-montana-57a1372523a19aec116ad1188245dcb9">personal autonomy</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-politics-health-indiana-state-government-reproductive-rights-7308b2edc8a8ac62446d821abc5fae59">religious freedom</a>. A Texas lawsuit alleges women were denied abortions even when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/women-sue-texas-over-abortion-ban-632fad72e0f5b255a3a55274cd097fa9">their lives were at risk</a>.

Bans or restrictions are on hold in at least six states while judges sort out their long-term fate. The only states where a top court has permanently rejected restrictions since the Dobbs ruling are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iowa-abortion-law-260563ff773b721c8a51ef6cb2c4e3b8">Iowa</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-politics-health-south-carolina-state-government-6cd1469dbb550c70b64a30f183be203c">South Carolina</a>. In the latter, lawmakers later adopted a new ban, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-south-carolina-new-law-court-hearing-80150b9a78d6c2828d648f2c2ed271cf">enforcement is on hold</a>&nbsp;due to a court challenge.

In Utah, lawmakers this year passed a first-in-the-nation law banning abortion clinics. But a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-clinics-utah-roe-wade-court-ef3331b0a579191eda5402c60b335fda">judge put enforcement of that on hold</a>, too, while the court case plays out.

CRIMINAL COURTS HAVE NOT BEEN BUSY WITH ABORTION CASES