ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged criminal threat.

Just after 5p.m. on Saturday officers investigated a criminal threat that had occurred at 119 South 9th Street, according to. Police Chief Mike Wilson.

A 25-year-old employee at a local business reported that a man who had previously been banned from being on the premises had came onto the business property around 5:15p.m. on Saturday and threatened the employee with great bodily harm. 

Police located the suspect identified as 48-year-old Tyon Whitely a short time later in the 100 block South 8th and he was taken into custody.

In April, police arrested him on requested charges of theft by deception, according to online jail records in connection with an incident at Casey’s. 1629 Main Street in Atchison, according to Wilson.

On two occasions in 2021 Whitely spent time in jail on requested charges involving criminal trespass, according to online jail records.

He remains jailed on requested charge of criminal threat and criminal trespass, according to Wilson.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683477527351.png" alt="Whitely-photo Atchison Co." />
 <figcaption>Whitely-photo Atchison Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged criminal threat.Just after 5p.m. on Saturday officers investigated a criminal threat that had occurred at 119 South 9th Street, according to. Police Chief Mike Wilson.A 25-year-old employee at a local business reported that a man who had previously been banned from being on the premises had came onto the business property around 5:15p.m. on Saturday and threatened the employee with great bodily harm. Police located the suspect identified as 48-year-old Tyon Whitely a short time later in the 100 block South 8th and he was taken into custody.In April, police arrested him on requested charges of theft by deception, according to online jail records in connection with an incident at Casey’s. 1629 Main Street in Atchison, according to Wilson.On two occasions in 2021 Whitely spent time in jail on requested charges involving criminal trespass, according to online jail records.He remains jailed on requested charge of criminal threat and criminal trespass, according to Wilson.

Police: Kansas man accused of criminal threat at business

ALLEN, Texas (AP) — The gunman who killed eight people at a Texas outlet mall was identified as a person who had been staying at a Dallas-area motel, but his motive was a mystery Sunday, a day after the attack turned an afternoon of shopping into a massacre.

Three law enforcement officials who spoke to The Associated Press named the gunman as Mauricio Garcia, 33, who was fatally shot Saturday by a police officer who happened to be near the suburban Dallas mall. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss details of an ongoing investigation.

One of the officials said investigators have been searching the motel, and two of the officials said investigators searched a home in the Dallas area connected to the suspect. The official said police also found multiple weapons at the scene after Garcia was killed, including an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun.

Authorities released few details in the aftermath of the assault. They offered no clues about why Garcia would open fire on strangers or any details about those who were killed, including their names.

The shooting was the latest attack to contribute to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mass-killings-record-pace-2023-d685a6cd67e0f449f3f9d1d8713d451c">unprecedented pace of mass killings</a>&nbsp;this year in the U.S. Barely a week before,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-mass-shooting-immigrants-victims-df61a57ec5fb0db16be7b2f2cbd3d5e5">five people</a>&nbsp;were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-mass-shooting-manhunt-arrest-73ae0cc7cacd14c732cf6f6fc189aea8">fatally shot in Cleveland, Texas</a>, after a neighbor asked a man to stop firing his weapon while a baby slept, authorities said.

The name of the gunman in Allen emerged as the community mourned for the dead and awaited word on the seven people who were wounded.

John Mark Caton, senior pastor at Cottonwood Creek Church, about two miles from the mall, offered prayers during his weekly service for victims, first responders and the shoppers and employees who “walked out past things they never should have seen.”

“Some of our people were there. Some perhaps in this room. Some of our students were working in those stores and will be changed forever by this,” Caton said.

Recalling phone conversations with police officers, he said: “There wasn’t an officer that I talked to yesterday that at some point in the call didn’t cry.”

The attack unfolded at Allen Premium Outlets, a sprawling outdoor shopping center. Witnesses reported seeing children among the victims. Some said they also saw what appeared to be a police officer and a mall security guard unconscious on the ground.

Andria Gaither, the assistant manager at the Tommy Hilfiger clothing store, said she was at the back of the store Saturday afternoon when she saw two young girls trying to hide in a dressing room. At first, she thought they were playing. Then she heard one say shots were being fired.

Gaither looked around to see customers and the store manager running to the back of the business. Eventually, Gaither and the others ran out a back door.

“As soon as I got outside the back of the store, you could hear the shooting,” Gaither said Sunday. “It was so loud. I’d never ever heard anything like that in my life. It was deafening."

She started running the length of the mall and eventually got in the vehicle of another worker who was leaving.

Dashcam video circulating online showed the gunman getting out of a car and shooting at people on the sidewalk. More than three dozen shots could be heard as the vehicle that was recording the video drove off.

Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said seven people, including the shooter, died at the scene. Two other people died at hospitals.

The wounded remained hospitalized Sunday — three in critical condition and four in fair condition, the Allen Police Department said in a statement.

An Allen police officer was in the area on an unrelated call when he heard shots at 3:36 p.m., the department wrote on Facebook.

“The officer engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat. He then called for emergency personnel,” the post said.

Mass killings have happened with staggering frequency in the United States this year, with an average of about one per week, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/graphics/2022/08/18/mass-killings-database-us-events-since-2006/9705311002/">database</a>&nbsp;maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.

In a statement, President Joe Biden said the assailant wore tactical gear and fired an AR-15-style weapon. He urged Congress to enact tighter restrictions on firearms and ammunition.

“Such an attack is too shocking to be so familiar. And yet, American communities have suffered roughly 200 mass shootings already this year, according to leading counts,” said Biden, who ordered flags lowered to half-staff.

Republicans in Congress, he said, “cannot continue to meet this epidemic with a shrug.”

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has signed laws&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/a69166e1f1074a0196deb70ef6e7f8b4">easing firearms restrictions following past mass shootings</a>, called the mall attack an “unspeakable tragedy.”

Video shared on social media showed people running through a parking lot amid the sound of gunshots.

Fontayne Payton, 35, was at H&amp;M when he heard gunshots through his headphones.

“It was so loud, it sounded like it was right outside,” Payton said.

People in the store scattered before employees ushered the group into the fitting rooms and then a lockable back room, he said. When they were given the all-clear to leave, Payton saw the store had broken windows and a trail of blood to the door. Discarded sandals and bloodied clothes lay nearby.

“I pray it wasn’t kids, but it looked like kids,” he said. The bodies were covered in white towels, slumped over bags on the ground. “It broke me when I walked out to see that."

Further away, he saw the body of a heavyset man wearing all black. He assumed it was the shooter, Payton said, because unlike the other bodies it had not been covered.

ALLEN, Texas (AP) — The assailant who killed eight people at a Texas outlet mall was identified by authorities Sunday as a 33-year-old man who had been staying at a nearby motel.

Three law enforcement officials who spoke to The Associated Press named the gunman as Mauricio Garcia, who was fatally shot by a police officer who happened to be near the suburban Dallas mall. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss details of an ongoing investigation.

One of the officials said Garcia had been staying at a nearby motel. The official said investigators have been searching the motel and a home in the Dallas area connected to the suspect.

The official said police also found multiple weapons at the scene after Garcia was fatally shot by a police officer. The weapons included an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun, according to the official.

The gunman's name emerged as the community of Allen mourned for the dead and awaited word on the seven people who were wounded.

The church planned an evening prayer vigil in the aftermath of the shooting, which was the latest attack to contribute to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mass-killings-record-pace-2023-d685a6cd67e0f449f3f9d1d8713d451c">the unprecedented pace of mass killings this year.</a>&nbsp;Barely a week before,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-mass-shooting-immigrants-victims-df61a57ec5fb0db16be7b2f2cbd3d5e5">five people</a>&nbsp;were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-mass-shooting-manhunt-arrest-73ae0cc7cacd14c732cf6f6fc189aea8">fatally shot in Cleveland, Texas</a>, after a neighbor asked a man to stop firing his weapon while a baby slept, authorities said.

Police did not immediately provide details about the victims at Allen Premium Outlets, a sprawling outdoor shopping center, but witnesses reported seeing children among them. Some said they also saw what appeared to be a police officer and a mall security guard unconscious on the ground.

A 16-year-old pretzel stand employee, Maxwell Gum, described a virtual stampede of shoppers. He and others sheltered in a storage room.

“We started running. Kids were getting trampled," Gum said. "My co-worker picked up a 4-year-old girl and gave her to her parents.”

Seven people remained hospitalized Sunday — three in critical condition and four in fair condition, the Allen Police Department said in a statement.

In a statement, President Biden said the assailant wore tactical gear and fired an AR-15-style weapon. He urged Congress to enact tighter restrictions on firearms and ammunition.

Tarakram Nunna, 25, and Ramakrishna Mullapudi, 26, said they saw what appeared to be three people motionless on the ground, including one who seemed to be a police officer and another who resembled a mall security guard.

Another shopper, Sharkie Mouli, 24, said he hid in a Banana Republic. As he left, he saw someone who looked like a police officer lying unconscious next to another unconscious person outside the store.

“I have seen his gun lying right next to him and a guy who is like passing out right next to him,” Mouli said.

Stan and Mary Ann Greene were browsing in a Columbia sportswear store when the shooting started.

“We had just gotten in, just a couple minutes earlier, and we just heard a lot of loud popping,” Mary Ann Greene told The Associated Press.

Employees rolled down the security gate and brought everyone to the rear of the store until police arrived and escorted them out, the Greenes said.

Eber Romero was at an Under Armour store when a cashier mentioned there was a shooting.

As he left, the mall appeared empty and all the shops had their security gates down, Romero said. That is when he started seeing broken glass and victims of the shooting on the floor of the shopping center.

Allen, a city of 105,000 residents, is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of downtown Dallas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683489834767.png" alt="First responders at the scene Saturday -photo courtesy WFAA" />
 <figcaption>First responders at the scene Saturday -photo courtesy WFAA</figcaption>
 </figure>ALLEN, Texas (AP) — The gunman who killed eight people at a Texas outlet mall was identified as a person who had been staying at a Dallas-area motel, but his motive was a mystery Sunday, a day after the attack turned an afternoon of shopping into a massacre.Three law enforcement officials who spoke to The Associated Press named the gunman as Mauricio Garcia, 33, who was fatally shot Saturday by a police officer who happened to be near the suburban Dallas mall. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss details of an ongoing investigation.One of the officials said investigators have been searching the motel, and two of the officials said investigators searched a home in the Dallas area connected to the suspect. The official said police also found multiple weapons at the scene after Garcia was killed, including an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun.Authorities released few details in the aftermath of the assault. They offered no clues about why Garcia would open fire on strangers or any details about those who were killed, including their names.The shooting was the latest attack to contribute to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mass-killings-record-pace-2023-d685a6cd67e0f449f3f9d1d8713d451c">unprecedented pace of mass killings</a>&nbsp;this year in the U.S. Barely a week before,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-mass-shooting-immigrants-victims-df61a57ec5fb0db16be7b2f2cbd3d5e5">five people</a>&nbsp;were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-mass-shooting-manhunt-arrest-73ae0cc7cacd14c732cf6f6fc189aea8">fatally shot in Cleveland, Texas</a>, after a neighbor asked a man to stop firing his weapon while a baby slept, authorities said.The name of the gunman in Allen emerged as the community mourned for the dead and awaited word on the seven people who were wounded.John Mark Caton, senior pastor at Cottonwood Creek Church, about two miles from the mall, offered prayers during his weekly service for victims, first responders and the shoppers and employees who “walked out past things they never should have seen.”“Some of our people were there. Some perhaps in this room. Some of our students were working in those stores and will be changed forever by this,” Caton said.Recalling phone conversations with police officers, he said: “There wasn’t an officer that I talked to yesterday that at some point in the call didn’t cry.”The attack unfolded at Allen Premium Outlets, a sprawling outdoor shopping center. Witnesses reported seeing children among the victims. Some said they also saw what appeared to be a police officer and a mall security guard unconscious on the ground.Andria Gaither, the assistant manager at the Tommy Hilfiger clothing store, said she was at the back of the store Saturday afternoon when she saw two young girls trying to hide in a dressing room. At first, she thought they were playing. Then she heard one say shots were being fired.Gaither looked around to see customers and the store manager running to the back of the business. Eventually, Gaither and the others ran out a back door.“As soon as I got outside the back of the store, you could hear the shooting,” Gaither said Sunday. “It was so loud. I’d never ever heard anything like that in my life. It was deafening."She started running the length of the mall and eventually got in the vehicle of another worker who was leaving.Dashcam video circulating online showed the gunman getting out of a car and shooting at people on the sidewalk. More than three dozen shots could be heard as the vehicle that was recording the video drove off.Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said seven people, including the shooter, died at the scene. Two other people died at hospitals.The wounded remained hospitalized Sunday — three in critical condition and four in fair condition, the Allen Police Department said in a statement.An Allen police officer was in the area on an unrelated call when he heard shots at 3:36 p.m., the department wrote on Facebook.“The officer engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat. He then called for emergency personnel,” the post said.Mass killings have happened with staggering frequency in the United States this year, with an average of about one per week, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/graphics/2022/08/18/mass-killings-database-us-events-since-2006/9705311002/">database</a>&nbsp;maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.In a statement, President Joe Biden said the assailant wore tactical gear and fired an AR-15-style weapon. He urged Congress to enact tighter restrictions on firearms and ammunition.“Such an attack is too shocking to be so familiar. And yet, American communities have suffered roughly 200 mass shootings already this year, according to leading counts,” said Biden, who ordered flags lowered to half-staff.Republicans in Congress, he said, “cannot continue to meet this epidemic with a shrug.”Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has signed laws&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/a69166e1f1074a0196deb70ef6e7f8b4">easing firearms restrictions following past mass shootings</a>, called the mall attack an “unspeakable tragedy.”Video shared on social media showed people running through a parking lot amid the sound of gunshots.Fontayne Payton, 35, was at H&amp;M when he heard gunshots through his headphones.“It was so loud, it sounded like it was right outside,” Payton said.People in the store scattered before employees ushered the group into the fitting rooms and then a lockable back room, he said. When they were given the all-clear to leave, Payton saw the store had broken windows and a trail of blood to the door. Discarded sandals and bloodied clothes lay nearby.Once outside, Payton saw bodies.“I pray it wasn’t kids, but it looked like kids,” he said. The bodies were covered in white towels, slumped over bags on the ground. “It broke me when I walked out to see that."Further away, he saw the body of a heavyset man wearing all black. He assumed it was the shooter, Payton said, because unlike the other bodies it had not been covered.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683489811468.png" alt="Photo courtesy WFAA" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy WFAA</figcaption>
 </figure>ALLEN, Texas (AP) — The assailant who killed eight people at a Texas outlet mall was identified by authorities Sunday as a 33-year-old man who had been staying at a nearby motel.Three law enforcement officials who spoke to The Associated Press named the gunman as Mauricio Garcia, who was fatally shot by a police officer who happened to be near the suburban Dallas mall. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss details of an ongoing investigation.One of the officials said Garcia had been staying at a nearby motel. The official said investigators have been searching the motel and a home in the Dallas area connected to the suspect.The official said police also found multiple weapons at the scene after Garcia was fatally shot by a police officer. The weapons included an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun, according to the official.The gunman's name emerged as the community of Allen mourned for the dead and awaited word on the seven people who were wounded.John Mark Caton, senior pastor at Cottonwood Creek Church, about two miles from the mall, offered prayers during his weekly service for victims, first responders and the shoppers and employees who “walked out past things they never should have seen.”“Some of our people were there. Some perhaps in this room. Some of our students were working in those stores and will be changed forever by this,” Caton said.Recalling phone conversations with police officers, he said: “There wasn’t an officer that I talked to yesterday that at some point in the call didn’t cry.”The church planned an evening prayer vigil in the aftermath of the shooting, which was the latest attack to contribute to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mass-killings-record-pace-2023-d685a6cd67e0f449f3f9d1d8713d451c">the unprecedented pace of mass killings this year.</a>&nbsp;Barely a week before,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-mass-shooting-immigrants-victims-df61a57ec5fb0db16be7b2f2cbd3d5e5">five people</a>&nbsp;were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-mass-shooting-manhunt-arrest-73ae0cc7cacd14c732cf6f6fc189aea8">fatally shot in Cleveland, Texas</a>, after a neighbor asked a man to stop firing his weapon while a baby slept, authorities said.Police did not immediately provide details about the victims at Allen Premium Outlets, a sprawling outdoor shopping center, but witnesses reported seeing children among them. Some said they also saw what appeared to be a police officer and a mall security guard unconscious on the ground.A 16-year-old pretzel stand employee, Maxwell Gum, described a virtual stampede of shoppers. He and others sheltered in a storage room.“We started running. Kids were getting trampled," Gum said. "My co-worker picked up a 4-year-old girl and gave her to her parents.”Dashcam video circulating online showed the gunman getting out of a car and shooting at people on the sidewalk. More than three dozen shots could be heard as the vehicle that was recording the video drove off.Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said seven people, including the shooter, died at the scene. Two other people died at hospitals.Seven people remained hospitalized Sunday — three in critical condition and four in fair condition, the Allen Police Department said in a statement.An Allen police officer was in the area on an unrelated call when he heard shots at 3:36 p.m., the department wrote on Facebook.“The officer engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat. He then called for emergency personnel,” the post said.Mass killings have happened with staggering frequency in the United States this year, with an average of about one per week, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/graphics/2022/08/18/mass-killings-database-us-events-since-2006/9705311002/">database</a>&nbsp;maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.In a statement, President Biden said the assailant wore tactical gear and fired an AR-15-style weapon. He urged Congress to enact tighter restrictions on firearms and ammunition.“Such an attack is too shocking to be so familiar. And yet, American communities have suffered roughly 200 mass shootings already this year, according to leading counts,” said Biden, who ordered flags lowered to half-staff.Republicans in Congress, he said, “cannot continue to meet this epidemic with a shrug.”Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has signed laws&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/a69166e1f1074a0196deb70ef6e7f8b4">easing firearms restrictions following past mass shootings</a>, called the mall attack an “unspeakable tragedy.”Video shared on social media showed people running through a parking lot amid the sound of gunshots.Fontayne Payton, 35, was at H&amp;M when he heard gunshots through his headphones.“It was so loud, it sounded like it was right outside,” Payton said.People in the store scattered before employees ushered the group into the fitting rooms and then a lockable back room, he said. When they were given the all-clear to leave, Payton saw the store had broken windows and a trail of blood to the door. Discarded sandals and bloodied clothes lay nearby.Once outside, Payton saw bodies.“I pray it wasn’t kids, but it looked like kids,” he said. The bodies were covered in white towels, slumped over bags on the ground. “It broke me when I walked out to see that."Further away, he saw the body of a heavyset man wearing all black. He assumed it was the shooter, Payton said, because unlike the other bodies it had not been covered.Tarakram Nunna, 25, and Ramakrishna Mullapudi, 26, said they saw what appeared to be three people motionless on the ground, including one who seemed to be a police officer and another who resembled a mall security guard.Another shopper, Sharkie Mouli, 24, said he hid in a Banana Republic. As he left, he saw someone who looked like a police officer lying unconscious next to another unconscious person outside the store.“I have seen his gun lying right next to him and a guy who is like passing out right next to him,” Mouli said.Stan and Mary Ann Greene were browsing in a Columbia sportswear store when the shooting started.“We had just gotten in, just a couple minutes earlier, and we just heard a lot of loud popping,” Mary Ann Greene told The Associated Press.Employees rolled down the security gate and brought everyone to the rear of the store until police arrived and escorted them out, the Greenes said.Eber Romero was at an Under Armour store when a cashier mentioned there was a shooting.As he left, the mall appeared empty and all the shops had their security gates down, Romero said. That is when he started seeing broken glass and victims of the shooting on the floor of the shopping center.Allen, a city of 105,000 residents, is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of downtown Dallas.

Suspect in Texas mall mass shooting identified as 33-year-old 

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health regulators are weighing the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-science-health-birth-control-861d6d425e692ee1ead1d59926e5f3cd">first-ever request</a>&nbsp;to make a birth control pill available without a prescription.

Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration meet next week to review drugmaker Perrigo's application to sell a decades-old pill over the counter. The two-day public meeting is one of the last steps before an FDA decision.

If the FDA grants the company's request, Opill would become the first contraceptive pill to be moved out from behind the pharmacy counter onto store shelves or online.

But in an initial review posted Friday, the FDA raised numerous concerns about studies of Opill, citing problems with the reliability of some of the company's data and questions about whether women with certain other medical conditions would correctly opt out of taking it. It also noted signs that study participants had trouble understanding the labeling instructions.

The agency will ask the panel to consider whether younger teenagers will be able to understand and follow the instructions.

At the end of the meeting, the FDA panel will vote on whether the benefits of making the pill more widely available outweigh the potential risks. The panel vote is not binding and the FDA is expected to make its final decision this summer.

Perrigo executives say Opill could be an important new option for the estimated 15 million U.S. women — or one-fifth of those who are child-bearing age — who currently use no birth control or less effective methods, such as condoms.

“We have no doubt that our data clearly shows that women of all ages can safely use Opill in the over-the-counter setting,” Frederique Welgryn, the company's global vice president for women's health, said this week.

The company's application has no relation to the ongoing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-mifepristone-supreme-court-texas-misoprostol-d9d5ab96096ef8760c745d09b8e1b328">lawsuits</a>&nbsp;over the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-covid-science-health-2d52ebf9efc6ef06f03e788fecd13013">abortion pill mifepristone</a>, which is not a contraceptive. Research for over-the-counter sales of the pill began nearly a decade ago.

Hormone-based pills, like Opill, have long been the most common form of birth control in the U.S., used by tens of millions of women since the 1960s.

Opill was first approved in the U.S. 50 years ago. Perrigo acquired rights to the drug last year with its buyout of Paris-based HRA Pharma, which bought the pill from Pfizer in 2014. It’s not currently marketed in the U.S. but is sold without a prescription in the U.K.

FDA's decision won't apply to other birth control pills, only Opill, although advocates hope that an approval decision might push other pill makers to seek over-the-counter sales. Birth control pills are available without a prescription across much of South America, Asia and Africa.

Many common medications have made the over-the-counter switch, including drugs for pain relief, heartburn and allergies. Generally, drugmakers must show that consumers can accurately understand and follow the labeling instructions to safely and effectively use the drug. Non-prescription medicines are usually cheaper, but generally not covered by insurance. Forcing insurers to cover over-the-counter birth control would require a regulatory change by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Perrigo’s main study tracked nearly 900 U.S. women taking its pill without professional supervision for up to six months. The group included women of different ages, races, educational and cultural backgrounds.

Women were paid to track and record their use of the pill, including whether they followed instructions to take it during the same 3-hour window each day. That consistency is key to the drug’s ability to block pregnancy.

But after Perrigo wrapped up its study, the FDA identified a problem: nearly 30% of women erroneously reported taking more pills than they were actually supplied.

The FDA said Friday these cases of “improbable dosing” call into question the company's results.

Perrigo will present a reanalysis of the data that excludes the participants who overreported. The company says the results showed the study still achieved its goal of demonstrating that most women used the pill correctly.

Women reported taking the pill on a daily basis 92% of the time during the study, the company says.

The company says its data show there would be about two pregnancies for every 100 women who take its pill for a year. But the FDA called this figure “an imprecise estimate” because the study was significantly smaller than those typically used to evaluate contraceptive effectiveness.

The most popular birth control pills today contain the synthetic hormone progestin, which helps block pregnancy, plus estrogen. The addition of estrogen can help make periods lighter and more regular but it also carries the risk of rare blood clots.

Opill contains only progestin, making it a safer option and, according to experts, an easier regulatory switch to over-the-counter status. But progestin-only pills have downsides, including reduced effectiveness if they’re not taken at the same time daily.

The FDA review also flagged concerns that women with potential health problems will appropriately avoid taking the drug.

Women with a history of breast cancer should not take the pill, though a few participants in preliminary research incorrectly said they thought they could. And women who have unusual vaginal bleeding are instructed to talk to a doctor first, because it could indicate a medical problem. But the FDA notes that half of women in Perrigo’s study who had unexplained bleeding incorrectly said Opill would be appropriate for them.

Several major U.S. medical groups, including the American Medical Association, support making the drugs available over the counter. The 60-year history of birth control pills shows “the benefits of widespread, nonprescription availability far outweigh the limited risk,” the group stated in comments submitted to the FDA.

Catholic groups, including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, are opposing Opill's application, saying women should be evaluated by a doctor before getting it.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health regulators are weighing the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-science-health-birth-control-861d6d425e692ee1ead1d59926e5f3cd">first-ever request</a>&nbsp;to make a birth control pill available without a prescription.Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration meet next week to review drugmaker Perrigo's application to sell a decades-old pill over the counter. The two-day public meeting is one of the last steps before an FDA decision.If the FDA grants the company's request, Opill would become the first contraceptive pill to be moved out from behind the pharmacy counter onto store shelves or online.But in an initial review posted Friday, the FDA raised numerous concerns about studies of Opill, citing problems with the reliability of some of the company's data and questions about whether women with certain other medical conditions would correctly opt out of taking it. It also noted signs that study participants had trouble understanding the labeling instructions.The agency will ask the panel to consider whether younger teenagers will be able to understand and follow the instructions.At the end of the meeting, the FDA panel will vote on whether the benefits of making the pill more widely available outweigh the potential risks. The panel vote is not binding and the FDA is expected to make its final decision this summer.Perrigo executives say Opill could be an important new option for the estimated 15 million U.S. women — or one-fifth of those who are child-bearing age — who currently use no birth control or less effective methods, such as condoms.“We have no doubt that our data clearly shows that women of all ages can safely use Opill in the over-the-counter setting,” Frederique Welgryn, the company's global vice president for women's health, said this week.The company's application has no relation to the ongoing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-mifepristone-supreme-court-texas-misoprostol-d9d5ab96096ef8760c745d09b8e1b328">lawsuits</a>&nbsp;over the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-covid-science-health-2d52ebf9efc6ef06f03e788fecd13013">abortion pill mifepristone</a>, which is not a contraceptive. Research for over-the-counter sales of the pill began nearly a decade ago.Hormone-based pills, like Opill, have long been the most common form of birth control in the U.S., used by tens of millions of women since the 1960s.Opill was first approved in the U.S. 50 years ago. Perrigo acquired rights to the drug last year with its buyout of Paris-based HRA Pharma, which bought the pill from Pfizer in 2014. It’s not currently marketed in the U.S. but is sold without a prescription in the U.K.FDA's decision won't apply to other birth control pills, only Opill, although advocates hope that an approval decision might push other pill makers to seek over-the-counter sales. Birth control pills are available without a prescription across much of South America, Asia and Africa.Many common medications have made the over-the-counter switch, including drugs for pain relief, heartburn and allergies. Generally, drugmakers must show that consumers can accurately understand and follow the labeling instructions to safely and effectively use the drug. Non-prescription medicines are usually cheaper, but generally not covered by insurance. Forcing insurers to cover over-the-counter birth control would require a regulatory change by the Department of Health and Human Services.Perrigo’s main study tracked nearly 900 U.S. women taking its pill without professional supervision for up to six months. The group included women of different ages, races, educational and cultural backgrounds.Women were paid to track and record their use of the pill, including whether they followed instructions to take it during the same 3-hour window each day. That consistency is key to the drug’s ability to block pregnancy.But after Perrigo wrapped up its study, the FDA identified a problem: nearly 30% of women erroneously reported taking more pills than they were actually supplied.The FDA said Friday these cases of “improbable dosing” call into question the company's results.Perrigo will present a reanalysis of the data that excludes the participants who overreported. The company says the results showed the study still achieved its goal of demonstrating that most women used the pill correctly.Women reported taking the pill on a daily basis 92% of the time during the study, the company says.The company says its data show there would be about two pregnancies for every 100 women who take its pill for a year. But the FDA called this figure “an imprecise estimate” because the study was significantly smaller than those typically used to evaluate contraceptive effectiveness.The most popular birth control pills today contain the synthetic hormone progestin, which helps block pregnancy, plus estrogen. The addition of estrogen can help make periods lighter and more regular but it also carries the risk of rare blood clots.Opill contains only progestin, making it a safer option and, according to experts, an easier regulatory switch to over-the-counter status. But progestin-only pills have downsides, including reduced effectiveness if they’re not taken at the same time daily.The FDA review also flagged concerns that women with potential health problems will appropriately avoid taking the drug.Women with a history of breast cancer should not take the pill, though a few participants in preliminary research incorrectly said they thought they could. And women who have unusual vaginal bleeding are instructed to talk to a doctor first, because it could indicate a medical problem. But the FDA notes that half of women in Perrigo’s study who had unexplained bleeding incorrectly said Opill would be appropriate for them.Several major U.S. medical groups, including the American Medical Association, support making the drugs available over the counter. The 60-year history of birth control pills shows “the benefits of widespread, nonprescription availability far outweigh the limited risk,” the group stated in comments submitted to the FDA.Catholic groups, including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, are opposing Opill's application, saying women should be evaluated by a doctor before getting it.

FDA weighing 1st over-the-counter birth control pill

WASHINGTON —House Republicans last month narrowly passed a sweeping debt ceiling package as they try to push President Biden into negotiations on federal spending.&nbsp; The Senate has yet to vote on the bill.

(Click below to watch Marshall in the news conference on the debt limit)

On Wednesday, Kansas Senator Roger Marshall voice his support for the bill, "Biden can stay in his basement and continue to pass the buck- strapping our children and grandchildren with crippling debt, or he can take accountability and responsibly solve the national debt crisis now.

Biden has threatened to veto the bill over the budget limits that are attached.

A look at key aspects of the legislation that the House approved by a vote of 217-215.

The bill would set federal discretionary spending at $1.47 trillion during the next fiscal year and allow it to increase only 1% annually from there, far below the rate of inflation in most years.

The cap on spending is the big-ticket item in the bill, accounting for about two-thirds of the $4.8 trillion in deficit reduction that the Congressional Budget Office says would occur over 10 years if the bill is enacted.

Discretionary spending includes things like weapons programs, servicemember pay, grants for schools that serve large shares of low-income students, rental assistance to house millions of poor and disabled, and money to fund research on cancer and other life-threatening diseases. It’s the spending that Congress approves through appropriations bills.

The House GOP bill doesn’t affect spending on Social Security and Medicare. Such spending, referred to as mandatory, accounts for about two-thirds of all federal spending.

The bill would rescind all unobligated COVID relief money from six bills enacted from 2020-2022. The changes would reduce spending by about $30 billion over the next decade, according to the CBO. That’s less than 1% of the total cost of the six bills.

House Republicans began their tenure in the majority by passing a bill that would rescind nearly $71 billion that Congress is providing the IRS to upgrade its technology and boost hiring. They have included the same proposal in their debt limit bill.

Democrats approved the higher IRS funding on top of what Congress normally provides the agency annually through the appropriations process. The boost immediately became a magnet for GOP campaign ads in the fall claiming it would lead to an army of IRS agents harassing Americans.

The CBO has said that rescinding the IRS money actually would increase deficits by more about $120 billion over the coming decade due to the impact on the agency’s work. But McCarthy said the step is needed to “protect families and businesses from a weaponized IRS.”

The Republican bill would repeal actions taken by President Biden to waive $10,000 to $20,000 in debt for nearly all borrowers who took out student loans. The bill would also prohibit the administration’s efforts to cut monthly payments in half for undergraduate loans. The CBO projects that the student loan changes House Republicans seek would save about $460 billion over 10 years.

Republicans argue that Biden is unfairly transferring the obligations of people who incurred student loan debts onto millions of American taxpayers who did not go to college or who already paid off their student loans. And the say the policy will do nothing to curb the soaring tuition rates at colleges and universities.

Biden has said the student loan forgiveness would give millions of younger Americans a little breathing room financially. It would improve their ability to plow their resources into a house, car or just basic essentials, which helps power the economy. Nearly 90% of the debt cancellation would go to borrowers who earn less than $75,000.

Republicans are seeking to repeal most of the tax breaks that Democrats passed in party-line votes last year as they sought to boost the production and consumption of clean energy.

McCarthy argues that the tax breaks “distort the market and waste taxpayer money.” The White House says the tax credits are leading to hundreds of billions of dollars in private-sector investments, creating thousands of manufacturing jobs in the U.S.

Republicans dropped their efforts to strip out some biofuel tax breaks, however, after the proposed changes threatened to tank the bill. The restoration of those credits was a top priority of Republicans from Iowa and other Midwestern states where the production of alternative fuels such as ethanol play a major role in the rural economy.

Citing estimates from the Joint Committee on Taxation, the CBO projected that repealing the clean energy tax breaks would save about $570 billion over 10 years, though that amount will shrink with the decision to keep some of the biofuel breaks.

One of the key elements of the GOP bill is expanded work requirements for recipients of federal cash and food assistance.

Under current law, able-bodied adults under 50 and without dependents risk losing their food stamp, or SNAP benefits, if they don’t spend 20 hours a week in work-related activities. The bill would apply the requirement to those ages 50-55.

In addition, the bill would apply work requirements to able-bodied adults without dependents in Medicaid, the federal-state program that provides health insurance coverage for low-income Americans. Job training and performing community service count toward fulfilling the work requirement.

McCarthy said changes would help those affected learn new job skills and earn a paycheck while helping to fill some of the millions of job openings throughout the country. The White House said millions of people, many already working, would lose their health insurance coverage.

A Congressional Budget Office review last year of work requirements for Medicaid recipients said Arkansas was the only state where a work requirement was imposed for more than a few months. It found many of the targeted adults lost their health insurance and employment did not appear to increase. It said that while evidence was scant, research indicated that many were unaware of the work requirement or found it too onerous to demonstrate compliance.

The CBO estimates that about 15 million people could be subject to the new Medicaid work requirements each year, although many would qualify for an exemption. About 1.5 million, on average, would lose federal funding for their Medicaid coverage, and of that group, about 600,000 would become uninsured.

The debt limit package includes legislation the House passed earlier this year that aims to increase domestic production of oil, natural gas and coal, and to ease permitting restrictions that delay pipelines, refineries and other projects.

Known as HR 1 to signify its importance to House Republicans, the energy bill also seeks to boost production of critical minerals such as lithium, nickel and cobalt that are used in electric vehicles, computers, cellphones and other products. Biden has described the House GOP’s legislation as a “thinly veiled license to pollute.”

The Republican would suspend the debt limit through March 31, or by $1.5 trillion, whichever comes first. That would tee up another debt ceiling fight for early next year, just months before the November election when control of the White House and Congress will be decided.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683152420066.png" alt="courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —House Republicans last month narrowly passed a sweeping debt ceiling package as they try to push President Biden into negotiations on federal spending.&nbsp; The Senate has yet to vote on the bill.(Click below to watch Marshall in the news conference on the debt limit)<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">WATCH: Democrats&#39; refusal to negotiate on the debt ceiling is simply out of touch with the American people. Senate Republicans discuss solutions, while the Democrats sit on their hands. <a href="https://t.co/6fTE0Z7G9H">https://t.co/6fTE0Z7G9H</a>&mdash; Senate Republicans (@SenateGOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenateGOP/status/1653820494888730624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>On Wednesday, Kansas Senator Roger Marshall voice his support for the bill, "Biden can stay in his basement and continue to pass the buck- strapping our children and grandchildren with crippling debt, or he can take accountability and responsibly solve the national debt crisis now.Biden has threatened to veto the bill over the budget limits that are attached.A look at key aspects of the legislation that the House approved by a vote of 217-215.LIMIT FEDERAL SPENDINGThe bill would set federal discretionary spending at $1.47 trillion during the next fiscal year and allow it to increase only 1% annually from there, far below the rate of inflation in most years.The cap on spending is the big-ticket item in the bill, accounting for about two-thirds of the $4.8 trillion in deficit reduction that the Congressional Budget Office says would occur over 10 years if the bill is enacted.Discretionary spending includes things like weapons programs, servicemember pay, grants for schools that serve large shares of low-income students, rental assistance to house millions of poor and disabled, and money to fund research on cancer and other life-threatening diseases. It’s the spending that Congress approves through appropriations bills.The House GOP bill doesn’t affect spending on Social Security and Medicare. Such spending, referred to as mandatory, accounts for about two-thirds of all federal spending.CLAW BACK COVID MONEYThe bill would rescind all unobligated COVID relief money from six bills enacted from 2020-2022. The changes would reduce spending by about $30 billion over the next decade, according to the CBO. That’s less than 1% of the total cost of the six bills.TARGET THE IRSHouse Republicans began their tenure in the majority by passing a bill that would rescind nearly $71 billion that Congress is providing the IRS to upgrade its technology and boost hiring. They have included the same proposal in their debt limit bill.Democrats approved the higher IRS funding on top of what Congress normally provides the agency annually through the appropriations process. The boost immediately became a magnet for GOP campaign ads in the fall claiming it would lead to an army of IRS agents harassing Americans.The CBO has said that rescinding the IRS money actually would increase deficits by more about $120 billion over the coming decade due to the impact on the agency’s work. But McCarthy said the step is needed to “protect families and businesses from a weaponized IRS.”BLOCK STUDENT LOAN RELIEFThe Republican bill would repeal actions taken by President Biden to waive $10,000 to $20,000 in debt for nearly all borrowers who took out student loans. The bill would also prohibit the administration’s efforts to cut monthly payments in half for undergraduate loans. The CBO projects that the student loan changes House Republicans seek would save about $460 billion over 10 years.Republicans argue that Biden is unfairly transferring the obligations of people who incurred student loan debts onto millions of American taxpayers who did not go to college or who already paid off their student loans. And the say the policy will do nothing to curb the soaring tuition rates at colleges and universities.Biden has said the student loan forgiveness would give millions of younger Americans a little breathing room financially. It would improve their ability to plow their resources into a house, car or just basic essentials, which helps power the economy. Nearly 90% of the debt cancellation would go to borrowers who earn less than $75,000.GOING AFTER RENEWABLESRepublicans are seeking to repeal most of the tax breaks that Democrats passed in party-line votes last year as they sought to boost the production and consumption of clean energy.McCarthy argues that the tax breaks “distort the market and waste taxpayer money.” The White House says the tax credits are leading to hundreds of billions of dollars in private-sector investments, creating thousands of manufacturing jobs in the U.S.Republicans dropped their efforts to strip out some biofuel tax breaks, however, after the proposed changes threatened to tank the bill. The restoration of those credits was a top priority of Republicans from Iowa and other Midwestern states where the production of alternative fuels such as ethanol play a major role in the rural economy.Citing estimates from the Joint Committee on Taxation, the CBO projected that repealing the clean energy tax breaks would save about $570 billion over 10 years, though that amount will shrink with the decision to keep some of the biofuel breaks.WORK REQUIREMENTSOne of the key elements of the GOP bill is expanded work requirements for recipients of federal cash and food assistance.Under current law, able-bodied adults under 50 and without dependents risk losing their food stamp, or SNAP benefits, if they don’t spend 20 hours a week in work-related activities. The bill would apply the requirement to those ages 50-55.In addition, the bill would apply work requirements to able-bodied adults without dependents in Medicaid, the federal-state program that provides health insurance coverage for low-income Americans. Job training and performing community service count toward fulfilling the work requirement.McCarthy said changes would help those affected learn new job skills and earn a paycheck while helping to fill some of the millions of job openings throughout the country. The White House said millions of people, many already working, would lose their health insurance coverage.A Congressional Budget Office review last year of work requirements for Medicaid recipients said Arkansas was the only state where a work requirement was imposed for more than a few months. It found many of the targeted adults lost their health insurance and employment did not appear to increase. It said that while evidence was scant, research indicated that many were unaware of the work requirement or found it too onerous to demonstrate compliance.The CBO estimates that about 15 million people could be subject to the new Medicaid work requirements each year, although many would qualify for an exemption. About 1.5 million, on average, would lose federal funding for their Medicaid coverage, and of that group, about 600,000 would become uninsured.FOSSIL FUEL BOOSTThe debt limit package includes legislation the House passed earlier this year that aims to increase domestic production of oil, natural gas and coal, and to ease permitting restrictions that delay pipelines, refineries and other projects.Known as HR 1 to signify its importance to House Republicans, the energy bill also seeks to boost production of critical minerals such as lithium, nickel and cobalt that are used in electric vehicles, computers, cellphones and other products. Biden has described the House GOP’s legislation as a “thinly veiled license to pollute.”INCREASE THE DEBT LIMITThe Republican would suspend the debt limit through March 31, or by $1.5 trillion, whichever comes first. That would tee up another debt ceiling fight for early next year, just months before the November election when control of the White House and Congress will be decided.

🎥 What’s in the GOP bill to lift debt limit, cut spending

By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/05/kansas-lawmakers-debate-definition-of-female-and-male-for-county-jails/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Rainbow flags, babies in tie-dye and a three-legged dog wearing a trans flag bandana: these are the new symbols of defiance in the battle for LGBTQ rights in Kansas. Transgender protesters once again showed up to make their voices heard at the Statehouse, blasting stories and encouragement to one another through a shaky speaker system.

“This is not the end. There is a huge fight ahead that we are poised to win. And we are going to win it together,” said Adam Kellogg, one of about 50 demonstrators camped out on the south side of the Capitol to speak against a wide-ranging transgender bathroom ban Friday.&nbsp;

At the top of the bronze dome gleaming in the bright afternoon light, visitors yelled down a question to the brightly colored group of protestors who dotted the steps below: “Is that a trans flag?”&nbsp;

It was. In fact, there were dozens of flags, and the people holding them expressed anger and frustration. The protest&nbsp;comes at the end of a legislative session rife with bills geared toward policing the transgender community.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb180/">Senate Bill 180</a>, a wide-ranging “bathroom bill” recently made law, bans individuals who are born without the ability to produce eggs for reproduction from using women’s restrooms, locker rooms and other gender-specific areas.

The legislation applies to athletics, prison facilities, domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, locker rooms, restrooms and “other areas where biology, safety or privacy are implicated that result in separate accommodations.”

Leo McDaniel, a protester who showed up wearing a homemade “Proud To Be Trans”shirt,&nbsp; said they were sick of having their body and life being put up for public debate.&nbsp;

“I’m just f***ing upset that I have to be here, that I have to tell people that I am real, I’m not scary, I exist and I don’t want to have to do this,” McDaniel said. “ I don’t want to have to tell people about this, I don’t want people coming up to me anymore and asking what genitals I have.”&nbsp;

Kansas Republicans have justified the legislation, termed a “women’s bill of rights,” by claiming that women are in danger of having their rights usurped by transgender or nonbinary individual, though no one has pointed to any evidence of this happening in the state.&nbsp;

Implementation of the law and how it will affect transgender people’s daily lives remains unclear, but it could involve birth certificate requirements or genital checks.&nbsp;

“I’m f***ing tired of people talking about my f***ing genitals,” McDaniel said.&nbsp;

During the rally, McDaniel and their fellow protesters used their bodies and signs to cover up<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/anti-maskers-profane-outburst-targeting-reflector-editor-restored-to-video-recording/">&nbsp;Justin Spiehs</a>, one of two counter-protesters who showed up with transphobic signs. Spiehs’ sign read “If you’re born with a dick then you’re not a chick.” His fellow protestor, who refused to give her name, clutched a sign reading “Make ‘normal’ great again.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

While protestors were there to rally against SB180, the GOP-dominated Legislature spent a significant amount of time during this year’s legislative session pushing through other bills that target transgender children.&nbsp;

Kansas became the 20th state to pass a transgender student athlete ban into law in April, after lawmakers were able to scrape up enough votes to override Kelly’s veto. Transgender girls are now blocked from playing women’s sports from kindergarten through college, though this law is likely to be challenged on constitutional grounds.&nbsp;

Senate Republicans failed to override Kelly’s veto of a bill essentially banning gender-affirming care for Kansans under the age of 18, but the Legislature was successful in overturning Kelly’s veto of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2138/">Senate Substitute for House Bill 2138</a>, a bill requiring local school boards to implement requirements separating students based on “biological sex” during school-sponsored overnight stays.&nbsp;

Monty Protest, a 19-year-old college student, said protesters should remembers the joy within the LGBTQ experience.&nbsp;

“Every day, I say ‘Thank God that I was born transgender,’” Protest said. “It is the absolutely most beautiful thing about me, and it is a beautiful experience to have. Do not let these people who are trying to shut you up silence you.”

“No matter how dirty it gets, no matter how awful it gets, just remember how amazing it is,” Protest added.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://kansasreflector.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/P5051396-1024x576.jpg" alt="Protestors block the view of two people with hateful signs during rally in support of transgender rights on May 5, 2023, at the Statehouse in Topeka. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Protestors block the view of two people with hateful signs during rally in support of transgender rights on May 5, 2023, at the Statehouse in Topeka. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/05/kansas-lawmakers-debate-definition-of-female-and-male-for-county-jails/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Rainbow flags, babies in tie-dye and a three-legged dog wearing a trans flag bandana: these are the new symbols of defiance in the battle for LGBTQ rights in Kansas. Transgender protesters once again showed up to make their voices heard at the Statehouse, blasting stories and encouragement to one another through a shaky speaker system.“This is not the end. There is a huge fight ahead that we are poised to win. And we are going to win it together,” said Adam Kellogg, one of about 50 demonstrators camped out on the south side of the Capitol to speak against a wide-ranging transgender bathroom ban Friday.&nbsp;At the top of the bronze dome gleaming in the bright afternoon light, visitors yelled down a question to the brightly colored group of protestors who dotted the steps below: “Is that a trans flag?”&nbsp;It was. In fact, there were dozens of flags, and the people holding them expressed anger and frustration. The protest&nbsp;comes at the end of a legislative session rife with bills geared toward policing the transgender community.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb180/">Senate Bill 180</a>, a wide-ranging “bathroom bill” recently made law, bans individuals who are born without the ability to produce eggs for reproduction from using women’s restrooms, locker rooms and other gender-specific areas.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683334122322.png" alt="Kansans rally in support of transgender rights May 5, 2023, at the Statehouse in Topeka. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Kansans rally in support of transgender rights May 5, 2023, at the Statehouse in Topeka. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>The legislation applies to athletics, prison facilities, domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, locker rooms, restrooms and “other areas where biology, safety or privacy are implicated that result in separate accommodations.”Leo McDaniel, a protester who showed up wearing a homemade “Proud To Be Trans”shirt,&nbsp; said they were sick of having their body and life being put up for public debate.&nbsp;“I’m just f***ing upset that I have to be here, that I have to tell people that I am real, I’m not scary, I exist and I don’t want to have to do this,” McDaniel said. “ I don’t want to have to tell people about this, I don’t want people coming up to me anymore and asking what genitals I have.”&nbsp;Kansas Republicans have justified the legislation, termed a “women’s bill of rights,” by claiming that women are in danger of having their rights usurped by transgender or nonbinary individual, though no one has pointed to any evidence of this happening in the state.&nbsp;Implementation of the law and how it will affect transgender people’s daily lives remains unclear, but it could involve birth certificate requirements or genital checks.&nbsp;“I’m f***ing tired of people talking about my f***ing genitals,” McDaniel said.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://kansasreflector.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/P5051460.jpg" alt="Leo McDaniel speaks in support of transgender rights on May 5, 2023, at the Statehouse in Topeka. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Leo McDaniel speaks in support of transgender rights on May 5, 2023, at the Statehouse in Topeka. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>During the rally, McDaniel and their fellow protesters used their bodies and signs to cover up<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/anti-maskers-profane-outburst-targeting-reflector-editor-restored-to-video-recording/">&nbsp;Justin Spiehs</a>, one of two counter-protesters who showed up with transphobic signs. Spiehs’ sign read “If you’re born with a dick then you’re not a chick.” His fellow protestor, who refused to give her name, clutched a sign reading “Make ‘normal’ great again.”&nbsp;&nbsp;While protestors were there to rally against SB180, the GOP-dominated Legislature spent a significant amount of time during this year’s legislative session pushing through other bills that target transgender children.&nbsp;Kansas became the 20th state to pass a transgender student athlete ban into law in April, after lawmakers were able to scrape up enough votes to override Kelly’s veto. Transgender girls are now blocked from playing women’s sports from kindergarten through college, though this law is likely to be challenged on constitutional grounds.&nbsp;Senate Republicans failed to override Kelly’s veto of a bill essentially banning gender-affirming care for Kansans under the age of 18, but the Legislature was successful in overturning Kelly’s veto of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2138/">Senate Substitute for House Bill 2138</a>, a bill requiring local school boards to implement requirements separating students based on “biological sex” during school-sponsored overnight stays.&nbsp;Monty Protest, a 19-year-old college student, said protesters should remembers the joy within the LGBTQ experience.&nbsp;“Every day, I say ‘Thank God that I was born transgender,’” Protest said. “It is the absolutely most beautiful thing about me, and it is a beautiful experience to have. Do not let these people who are trying to shut you up silence you.”“No matter how dirty it gets, no matter how awful it gets, just remember how amazing it is,” Protest added.&nbsp;

Protesters return to Kan. Statehouse in wake of transgender bathroom ban

ALLEN, Texas (AP) — Hundreds of terrified shoppers fled in panic after a gunman stepped out of a silver sedan and opened fire at a Dallas-area outlet mall, killing eight and wounding seven before being killed by a police officer who happened to be nearby, authorities said.

The shooting in Allen, Texas, on Saturday was the latest eruption of what has been an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mass-killings-record-pace-2023-d685a6cd67e0f449f3f9d1d8713d451c">unprecedented pace of mass killings in the U.S.</a>&nbsp;Barely a week before, authorities say,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-mass-shooting-manhunt-arrest-73ae0cc7cacd14c732cf6f6fc189aea8">a man fatally shot five people in Cleveland, Texas</a>, after a neighbor asked him to stop firing his weapon while a baby slept.

Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said seven people including the shooter died at the scene. Nine victims were taken to area hospitals, but two of them died.

Three of the wounded were in critical condition in the evening, Boyd said, and four were stable.

An Allen Police Department officer was in the area on an unrelated call when he heard shots at 3:36 p.m., the department wrote on Facebook.

Mass killings are happening with staggering frequency in the United States this year: an average of about one per week, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/graphics/2022/08/18/mass-killings-database-us-events-since-2006/9705311002/">database</a>&nbsp;maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.

President Biden was briefed on the shooting in Allen and the administration offered support to local officials, the White House said. Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has signed laws&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/a69166e1f1074a0196deb70ef6e7f8b4">easing firearms restrictions following past mass shootings</a>, called the mall shooting an “unspeakable tragedy.”

A live aerial broadcast from a news station showed armored trucks and other law enforcement vehicles outside the mall. More than 30 police cruisers with lights flashing blocked an entrance, with multiple ambulances on the scene in the city of roughly 105,000 residents about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of downtown Dallas.

Fontayne Payton, 35, was at H&amp;M when he heard the sound of gunshots through his headphones.

Tarakram Nunna, 25, and Ramakrishna Mullapudi, 26, said they saw what appeared to be three people motionless on the ground, including one who appeared to be a police officer and another who seemed to be a mall security guard.

Another shopper, Sharkie Mouli, 24, said he hid in a Banana Republic during the shooting. As he left, he saw what appeared to be an unconscious police officer lying next to another unconscious person outside the outlet store.

As he left, Romero said, the mall appeared empty and all the shops had their security gates down. That is when he started seeing broken glass and victims of the shooting on the floor of the shopping center.

ALLEN, Texas (AP) — A gunman stepped out of a silver sedan and began shooting people at an outlet mall in the Dallas suburb of Allen, Texas, on Saturday, killing an unknown number and sending hundreds of shoppers fleeing in panic in the latest gun violence to strike the country.

Witnesses who were at the Allen Premium Outlets told The Associated Press they saw multiple victims, including some who appeared to be children, and that they saw a police officer and a mall security guard who appeared to be unconscious on the ground.

Allen police said in a Facebook post that nine victims had been taken to hospitals. Medical City Healthcare, a Dallas-area hospital system, said in a written statement it was treating eight between the ages of 5 and 61. Their conditions were unknown.

Dashcam video that circulated online showed a gunman step out of a vehicle outside the mall and immediately start shooting at people on the sidewalk. More than three dozen shots could be heard as the vehicle recording the video drove off.

An Allen Police officer was in the area on an unrelated call when he heard shots at 3:36 p.m., the police department wrote on Facebook.

“The officer engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat. He then called for emergency personnel. Nine victims were transported to local hospitals by Allen Fire Department,” the agency wrote in the Facebook post. “There is no longer an active threat.”

A crowd of hundreds of people who had been shopping stood outside, across the street from the mall, Saturday evening. Officers circulated among them asking if anyone had seen what happened.

Fontayne Payton, 35, was at H&amp;M when he heard the sound of gunshots through the headphones he was wearing.

People in the store scattered before employees ushered the group into the fitting rooms and then a lockable back room, he said. When they were given the all-clear to leave, Payton saw the store had broken windows and a trail of blood to the door. Discarded sandals and bloodied clothes were laying nearby.

“I pray it wasn’t kids, but it looked like kids,” he said. The bodies were covered in white towels, slumped over bags on the ground, he said.

“It broke me when I walked out to see that,” he said.

Further away, he saw the body of a heavyset man wearing all black. He assumed it was the shooter, Payton said, because unlike the other bodies it had not been covered up.

Tarakram Nunna, 25, and Ramakrishna Mullapudi, 26, said they saw what appeared to be three people lying motionless on the ground, including one who appeared to be a police officer and another who appeared to be a mall security guard.

Another shopper, Sharkie Mouli, 24, said he hid in a Banana Republic store during the shooting. As he left, he saw what appeared to be an unconscious police officer lying next to another unconscious person outside the outlet store.

"I have seen his gun lying right next to him and a guy who is like passing out right next to him,” Mouli said.

Stan and Mary Ann Greene were browsing in the Columbia sportswear store when the shooting started.

Employees immediately rolled down the security gate and brought everyone to the rear of the store until police arrived and escorted them out, the Greenes said.

Eber Romero was at the Under Armour store when a cashier mentioned that there was a shooting.

As he left the store, Romero said, the mall appeared empty, and all the shops had their security gates down. That is when he started seeing broken glass and people who had been shot on the floor.

Video shared on social media showed people running through a parking lot while gunfire could be heard.

More than 30 police cruisers with lights flashing were blocking an entrance to the mall, with multiple ambulances on the scene.

A live aerial broadcast from the news station showed armored trucks and other law enforcement vehicles stationed outside the sprawling outdoor mall.

Ambulances from several neighboring cities responded to the scene.

The Dallas office of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also responded.

Allen, a suburb about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of downtown Dallas, has roughly 105,000 residents.

ALLEN, Texas (AP) — A gunman shot multiple people at an outlet mall in the Dallas suburb of Allen, Texas, on Saturday, killing an unknown number and sending hundreds of shoppers fleeing in panic in the latest gun violence to strike the country, officials said.

Calls reporting gunshots came in about 3:40 p.m. from the Allen Premium Outlets.

Witnesses told The Associated Press they saw multiple victims, including some who appeared to be children, and that they saw a police officer and a mall security guard who appeared to be unconcious on the ground.

An Allen Police officer was in the area on an unrelated call when the officer heard gunshots at Allen Premium Outlets at 3:36 p.m, the police department wrote on Facebook.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683452857281.png" alt="Video shared on social media showed people running through a parking lot amid the sound of gunshots.- Photo courtesy WFAA" />
 <figcaption>Video shared on social media showed people running through a parking lot amid the sound of gunshots.- Photo courtesy WFAA</figcaption>
 </figure>ALLEN, Texas (AP) — Hundreds of terrified shoppers fled in panic after a gunman stepped out of a silver sedan and opened fire at a Dallas-area outlet mall, killing eight and wounding seven before being killed by a police officer who happened to be nearby, authorities said.The shooting in Allen, Texas, on Saturday was the latest eruption of what has been an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mass-killings-record-pace-2023-d685a6cd67e0f449f3f9d1d8713d451c">unprecedented pace of mass killings in the U.S.</a>&nbsp;Barely a week before, authorities say,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-mass-shooting-manhunt-arrest-73ae0cc7cacd14c732cf6f6fc189aea8">a man fatally shot five people in Cleveland, Texas</a>, after a neighbor asked him to stop firing his weapon while a baby slept.Police did not immediately provide details about the victims at Allen Premium Outlets, a sprawling outdoor shopping center, but witnesses reported seeing children among them. Some said they also saw what appeared to be a police officer and a mall security guard unconscious on the ground.A 16-year-old pretzel stand employee, Maxwell Gum, described a virtual stampede of shoppers. He and others sheltered in a storage room.“We started running. Kids were getting trampled," Gum said. "My co-worker picked up a 4-year-old girl and gave her to her parents.”Dashcam video circulating online showed the gunman getting out of a car and shooting at people on the sidewalk. More than three dozen shots could be heard as the vehicle that was recording the video drove off.Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said seven people including the shooter died at the scene. Nine victims were taken to area hospitals, but two of them died.Three of the wounded were in critical condition in the evening, Boyd said, and four were stable.An Allen Police Department officer was in the area on an unrelated call when he heard shots at 3:36 p.m., the department wrote on Facebook.“The officer engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat. He then called for emergency personnel,” the post said.Mass killings are happening with staggering frequency in the United States this year: an average of about one per week, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/graphics/2022/08/18/mass-killings-database-us-events-since-2006/9705311002/">database</a>&nbsp;maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.President Biden was briefed on the shooting in Allen and the administration offered support to local officials, the White House said. Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has signed laws&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/a69166e1f1074a0196deb70ef6e7f8b4">easing firearms restrictions following past mass shootings</a>, called the mall shooting an “unspeakable tragedy.”A live aerial broadcast from a news station showed armored trucks and other law enforcement vehicles outside the mall. More than 30 police cruisers with lights flashing blocked an entrance, with multiple ambulances on the scene in the city of roughly 105,000 residents about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of downtown Dallas.Video shared on social media showed people running through a parking lot amid the sound of gunshots.Fontayne Payton, 35, was at H&amp;M when he heard the sound of gunshots through his headphones.“It was so loud, it sounded like it was right outside,” Payton said.People in the store scattered before employees ushered the group into the fitting rooms and then a lockable back room, he said. When they were given the all-clear to leave, Payton saw the store had broken windows and a trail of blood to the door. Discarded sandals and bloodied clothes lay nearby.Once outside, Payton saw bodies.“I pray it wasn’t kids, but it looked like kids,” he said. The bodies were covered in white towels, slumped over bags on the ground. “It broke me when I walked out to see that."Further away, he saw the body of a heavyset man wearing all black. He assumed it was the shooter, Payton said, because unlike the other bodies it had not been covered.Tarakram Nunna, 25, and Ramakrishna Mullapudi, 26, said they saw what appeared to be three people motionless on the ground, including one who appeared to be a police officer and another who seemed to be a mall security guard.Another shopper, Sharkie Mouli, 24, said he hid in a Banana Republic during the shooting. As he left, he saw what appeared to be an unconscious police officer lying next to another unconscious person outside the outlet store.“I have seen his gun lying right next to him and a guy who is like passing out right next to him,” Mouli said.Stan and Mary Ann Greene were browsing in a Columbia sportswear store when the shooting started.“We had just gotten in, just a couple minutes earlier, and we just heard a lot of loud popping,” Mary Ann Greene told The Associated Press.Employees rolled down the security gate and brought everyone to the rear of the store until police arrived and escorted them out, the Greenes said.Eber Romero was at an Under Armour store when a cashier mentioned there was a shooting.As he left, Romero said, the mall appeared empty and all the shops had their security gates down. That is when he started seeing broken glass and victims of the shooting on the floor of the shopping center.___<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683421148600.png" alt="Calls reporting gunshots came in about 3:40 p.m. from the Allen Premium Outlets.-photo courtesy WFAA" />
 <figcaption>Calls reporting gunshots came in about 3:40 p.m. from the Allen Premium Outlets.-photo courtesy WFAA</figcaption>
 </figure>ALLEN, Texas (AP) — A gunman stepped out of a silver sedan and began shooting people at an outlet mall in the Dallas suburb of Allen, Texas, on Saturday, killing an unknown number and sending hundreds of shoppers fleeing in panic in the latest gun violence to strike the country.Witnesses who were at the Allen Premium Outlets told The Associated Press they saw multiple victims, including some who appeared to be children, and that they saw a police officer and a mall security guard who appeared to be unconscious on the ground.Allen police said in a Facebook post that nine victims had been taken to hospitals. Medical City Healthcare, a Dallas-area hospital system, said in a written statement it was treating eight between the ages of 5 and 61. Their conditions were unknown.Dashcam video that circulated online showed a gunman step out of a vehicle outside the mall and immediately start shooting at people on the sidewalk. More than three dozen shots could be heard as the vehicle recording the video drove off.An Allen Police officer was in the area on an unrelated call when he heard shots at 3:36 p.m., the police department wrote on Facebook.“The officer engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat. He then called for emergency personnel. Nine victims were transported to local hospitals by Allen Fire Department,” the agency wrote in the Facebook post. “There is no longer an active threat.”A crowd of hundreds of people who had been shopping stood outside, across the street from the mall, Saturday evening. Officers circulated among them asking if anyone had seen what happened.Fontayne Payton, 35, was at H&amp;M when he heard the sound of gunshots through the headphones he was wearing.“It was so loud, it sounded like it was right outside,” Payton said.People in the store scattered before employees ushered the group into the fitting rooms and then a lockable back room, he said. When they were given the all-clear to leave, Payton saw the store had broken windows and a trail of blood to the door. Discarded sandals and bloodied clothes were laying nearby.Once outside, Payton saw bodies.“I pray it wasn’t kids, but it looked like kids,” he said. The bodies were covered in white towels, slumped over bags on the ground, he said.“It broke me when I walked out to see that,” he said.Further away, he saw the body of a heavyset man wearing all black. He assumed it was the shooter, Payton said, because unlike the other bodies it had not been covered up.Tarakram Nunna, 25, and Ramakrishna Mullapudi, 26, said they saw what appeared to be three people lying motionless on the ground, including one who appeared to be a police officer and another who appeared to be a mall security guard.Another shopper, Sharkie Mouli, 24, said he hid in a Banana Republic store during the shooting. As he left, he saw what appeared to be an unconscious police officer lying next to another unconscious person outside the outlet store."I have seen his gun lying right next to him and a guy who is like passing out right next to him,” Mouli said.Stan and Mary Ann Greene were browsing in the Columbia sportswear store when the shooting started.“We had just gotten in, just a couple minutes earlier, and we just heard a lot of loud popping,” Mary Ann Greene told The Associated Press.Employees immediately rolled down the security gate and brought everyone to the rear of the store until police arrived and escorted them out, the Greenes said.Eber Romero was at the Under Armour store when a cashier mentioned that there was a shooting.As he left the store, Romero said, the mall appeared empty, and all the shops had their security gates down. That is when he started seeing broken glass and people who had been shot on the floor.Video shared on social media showed people running through a parking lot while gunfire could be heard.More than 30 police cruisers with lights flashing were blocking an entrance to the mall, with multiple ambulances on the scene.A live aerial broadcast from the news station showed armored trucks and other law enforcement vehicles stationed outside the sprawling outdoor mall.Ambulances from several neighboring cities responded to the scene.The Dallas office of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also responded.Allen, a suburb about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of downtown Dallas, has roughly 105,000 residents.------------------ALLEN, Texas (AP) — A gunman shot multiple people at an outlet mall in the Dallas suburb of Allen, Texas, on Saturday, killing an unknown number and sending hundreds of shoppers fleeing in panic in the latest gun violence to strike the country, officials said.Calls reporting gunshots came in about 3:40 p.m. from the Allen Premium Outlets.Witnesses told The Associated Press they saw multiple victims, including some who appeared to be children, and that they saw a police officer and a mall security guard who appeared to be unconcious on the ground.Allen police said in a Facebook post that nine victims had been taken to hospitals. Medical City Healthcare, a Dallas-area hospital system, said in a written statement it was treating eight between the ages of 5 and 61. Their conditions were unknown.An Allen Police officer was in the area on an unrelated call when the officer heard gunshots at Allen Premium Outlets at 3:36 p.m, the police department wrote on Facebook.“The officer engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat. He then called for emergency personnel. Nine victims were transported to local hospitals by Allen Fire Department,” the agency wrote in the Facebook post. “There is no longer an active threat.”A crowd of hundreds of people who had been shopping stood outside, across the street from the mall, Saturday evening. Officers circulated among them asking if anyone had seen what happened.Fontayne Payton, 35, was at H&amp;M when he heard the sound of gunshots through the headphones he was wearing.“It was so loud, it sounded like it was right outside,” Payton said.People in the store scattered before employees ushered the group into the fitting rooms and then a lockable back room, he said. When they were given the all-clear to leave, Payton saw the store had broken windows and a trail of blood to the door. Discarded sandals and bloodied clothes were laying nearby.Once outside, Payton saw bodies.“I pray it wasn’t kids, but it looked like kids,” he said. The bodies were covered in white towels, slumped over bags on the ground, he said.“It broke me when I walked out to see that,” he said.Further away, he saw the body of a heavyset man wearing all black. He assumed it was the shooter, Payton said, because unlike the other bodies it had not been covered up.Tarakram Nunna, 25, and Ramakrishna Mullapudi, 26, said they saw what appeared to be three people lying motionless on the ground, including one who appeared to be a police officer and another who appeared to be a mall security guard.Another shopper, Sharkie Mouli, 24, said he hid in a Banana Republic store during the shooting. As he left, he saw what appeared to be an unconscious police officer lying next to another unconscious person outside the outlet store."I have seen his gun lying right next to him and a guy who is like passing out right next to him,” Mouli said.Stan and Mary Ann Greene were browsing in the Columbia sportswear store when the shooting started.“We had just gotten in, just a couple minutes earlier, and we just heard a lot of loud popping,” Mary Ann Greene told The Associated Press.Employees immediately rolled down the security gate and brought everyone to the rear of the store until police arrived and escorted them out, the Greenes said.Eber Romero was at the Under Armour store when a cashier mentioned that there was a shooting.As he left the store, Romero said, the mall appeared empty, and all the shops had their security gates down. That is when he started seeing broken glass and people who had been shot on the floor.Video shared on social media showed people running through a parking lot while gunfire could be heard.More than 30 police cruisers with lights flashing were blocking an entrance to the mall, with multiple ambulances on the scene.A live aerial broadcast from the news station showed armored trucks and other law enforcement vehicles stationed outside the sprawling outdoor mall.Ambulances from several neighboring cities responded to the scene.The Dallas office of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also responded.Allen, a suburb about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of downtown Dallas, has roughly 105,000 residents.

Police: Multiple fatalities in Texas outlet mall shooting

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's air force claimed Saturday to have downed a Russian hypersonic missile over Kyiv using newly acquired American Patriot defense systems, the first known time the country has been able to intercept one of Moscow's most modern missiles.

Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk said in a Telegram post that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-kinzhal-hypersonic-missiles-e0dc1e20e9dd53528c5381ca5fdee66a">Kinzhal-type ballistic missile</a>&nbsp;had been intercepted in an overnight attack on the Ukrainian capital earlier in the week. It was also the first time Ukraine is known to have used the Patriot defense systems.

“Yes, we shot down the ‘unique’ Kinzhal,” Oleshchuk wrote. “It happened during the night-time attack on May 4 in the skies of the Kyiv region.”

Oleshchuk said the Kh-47 missile was launched by a MiG-31K aircraft from Russian territory and was shot down with a Patriot missile.

The Kinzhal is one of the latest and most advanced Russian weapons. The Russian military says the air-launched ballistic missile has a range of up to 2,000 kilometers (about 1,250 miles) and flies at 10 times the speed of sound, making it hard to intercept.

A combination of hypersonic speed and a heavy warhead allows the Kinzhal to destroy heavily fortified targets, like underground bunkers or mountain tunnels.

The Ukrainian military has previously admitted lacking assets to intercept the Kinzhals.

“They were saying that the Patriot is an outdated American weapon, and Russian weapons are the best in the world," Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said on Ukraine's Channel 24 television. "Well, there is confirmation that it effectively works against even a super-hypersonic missile.” Ihnat said.

He said successfully intercepting the Kinzhal was “a slap in the face for Russia.”

Ukraine took its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-patriot-missile-system-4c79f9110899ca1880a61f2d1f328179">first delivery</a>&nbsp;of the Patriot missiles in late April. It has not specified how many of the systems it has or where they have been deployed, but they are known to have been provided by the United States, Germany and the Netherlands.

Germany and the U.S. have acknowledged each sending at least one battery and the Netherlands has said it has provided two launchers, although it is not clear how many are currently in operation.

Ukrainian troops have received the extensive training needed to be able to effectively locate a target with the systems, lock on with radar, and fire. Each battery requires up to 90 personnel to operate and maintain.

Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said he first asked for Patriot systems when visiting the U.S. in August 2021, months before Russia’s full-scale invasion but seven years after Russia illegally annexed Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula.

He has described possessing the system as “a dream” but said he was told in the U.S. at the time that it was impossible.

The Patriot was first deployed by the U.S. in the 1980s. The system costs approximately $4 million per missile, and the launchers cost about $10 million each, according to analysts.

At such a cost, it was widely thought that Ukraine would only use the Patriots against Russian aircraft or hypersonic missiles.

In a Telegram post on Saturday, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, said he had thanked U.S. Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for the ongoing American aid to Ukraine.

Zaluzhnyi said he also briefed Milley “about the situation at the front and preparations” for Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673396092973.png" alt="Ukrainian troops trained at Oklahoma’s Fort Sill Army base operating and maintaining the Patriot missile defense system-Photo U.S. Defense Department" />
 <figcaption>Ukrainian troops trained at Oklahoma’s Fort Sill Army base operating and maintaining the Patriot missile defense system-Photo U.S. Defense Department</figcaption>
 </figure>KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's air force claimed Saturday to have downed a Russian hypersonic missile over Kyiv using newly acquired American Patriot defense systems, the first known time the country has been able to intercept one of Moscow's most modern missiles.Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk said in a Telegram post that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-kinzhal-hypersonic-missiles-e0dc1e20e9dd53528c5381ca5fdee66a">Kinzhal-type ballistic missile</a>&nbsp;had been intercepted in an overnight attack on the Ukrainian capital earlier in the week. It was also the first time Ukraine is known to have used the Patriot defense systems.“Yes, we shot down the ‘unique’ Kinzhal,” Oleshchuk wrote. “It happened during the night-time attack on May 4 in the skies of the Kyiv region.”Oleshchuk said the Kh-47 missile was launched by a MiG-31K aircraft from Russian territory and was shot down with a Patriot missile.The Kinzhal is one of the latest and most advanced Russian weapons. The Russian military says the air-launched ballistic missile has a range of up to 2,000 kilometers (about 1,250 miles) and flies at 10 times the speed of sound, making it hard to intercept.A combination of hypersonic speed and a heavy warhead allows the Kinzhal to destroy heavily fortified targets, like underground bunkers or mountain tunnels.The Ukrainian military has previously admitted lacking assets to intercept the Kinzhals.“They were saying that the Patriot is an outdated American weapon, and Russian weapons are the best in the world," Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said on Ukraine's Channel 24 television. "Well, there is confirmation that it effectively works against even a super-hypersonic missile.” Ihnat said.He said successfully intercepting the Kinzhal was “a slap in the face for Russia.”Ukraine took its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-patriot-missile-system-4c79f9110899ca1880a61f2d1f328179">first delivery</a>&nbsp;of the Patriot missiles in late April. It has not specified how many of the systems it has or where they have been deployed, but they are known to have been provided by the United States, Germany and the Netherlands.Germany and the U.S. have acknowledged each sending at least one battery and the Netherlands has said it has provided two launchers, although it is not clear how many are currently in operation.Ukrainian troops have received the extensive training needed to be able to effectively locate a target with the systems, lock on with radar, and fire. Each battery requires up to 90 personnel to operate and maintain.Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said he first asked for Patriot systems when visiting the U.S. in August 2021, months before Russia’s full-scale invasion but seven years after Russia illegally annexed Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula.He has described possessing the system as “a dream” but said he was told in the U.S. at the time that it was impossible.The Patriot was first deployed by the U.S. in the 1980s. The system costs approximately $4 million per missile, and the launchers cost about $10 million each, according to analysts.At such a cost, it was widely thought that Ukraine would only use the Patriots against Russian aircraft or hypersonic missiles.In a Telegram post on Saturday, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, said he had thanked U.S. Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for the ongoing American aid to Ukraine.Zaluzhnyi said he also briefed Milley “about the situation at the front and preparations” for Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russia.Ukraine has not said when it might launch the counteroffensive, but it is widely anticipated this spring.In an interview this week with Foreign Affairs magazine, Milley said he would not speculate on if or when it might come, but that with NATO assistance to help train and equip nine brigades' worth of combined arms, armor and mechanized infantry, “the Ukrainians right now have the capability to attack.”He also said that their capability to defend was “significantly enhanced from what they were just a year ago.”“I don’t want to suggest that they may or may not conduct an offensive operation in the coming weeks,” he said. “That’ll be up to them. They’ve got a significant amount of planning and coordination and all of that to do, if they were to do an offensive operation. But they’re prepared to do offense or defense.”In other developments, officials in both Russia and Ukraine said they had carried out another of their regular exchanges of prisoners of war.The Russian Defense Ministry said it brought three military pilots back to Russia, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said 45 fighters who defended the Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol had been returned to Ukraine.Also on Saturday, Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces accused Russia of using phosphorus munitions in its attempt to wrest control of the eastern city of Bakhmut from Ukrainian forces.Russian troops have been trying to take the city for more than nine months, but Ukrainian forces are still clinging to positions on the western outskirts.On Saturday, the Ukrainska Pravda newspaper quoted military officials as saying that “the enemy used phosphorus and incendiary ammunition in Bakhmut in an attempt to wipe the city off the face of the earth.”A photo accompanying the newspaper report showed an urban area lit up with fire in multiple places.The allegations could not be independently verified.Russian forces have not commented on the claim but have rejected previous accusations from Ukraine that they had used phosphorus.International law prohibits the use of white phosphorus or other incendiary weapons — munitions designed to set fire to objects or cause burn injuries — in areas where there could be concentrations of civilians.White phosphorous can also be used for illumination or to create smoke screens.