By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

SALINA —A&nbsp; Kansas felon with a history of drug crimes is back in jail for allegedly threatened another man with hedge trimmers.

Just after 6 p.m. Tuesday, police were sent to the 300 block of W. Crawford Street in Salina for a belated report of trespassing, according to Police Captain Paul Forrester.

When they arrived, they found Cole Marlow, 37, of Salina, wielding a pair of black and yellow hedge trimmers in the parking lot at 302 W. Crawford Street.

 Marlow was walking toward the 600 block of S. Ninth Street and yelling at a 22-year-old Salina man. Marlow allegedly was wildly swinging the hedge trimmers and advancing toward the other man.

The 22-year-old man told police that he had been on his porch and had a verbal exchange with Marlow, who was holding the hedge trimmers. Marlow allegedly began aggressively swinging the hedge trimmers and moving toward the other man, who was concerned that Marlow would attack him or his family. It was at that point that officers arrived.

Police also learned that Marlow allegedly trespassed in a yard in the 500 block of S. 10th Street. Marlow, who has four previous convictions for drugs, for intimidation of a witness, criminal damage, forgery and felony obstruction, was arrested on&nbsp; requested charges of Aggravated assault, Criminal trespassing and Pedestrian under the influence in the roadway. He completed in state post prison release February 27, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678883977811.jpeg" alt="Cole Marlow. Photo Saline County" />
 <figcaption>Cole Marlow. Photo Saline County</figcaption>
 </figure>By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostSALINA —A&nbsp; Kansas felon with a history of drug crimes is back in jail for allegedly threatened another man with hedge trimmers.Just after 6 p.m. Tuesday, police were sent to the 300 block of W. Crawford Street in Salina for a belated report of trespassing, according to Police Captain Paul Forrester.When they arrived, they found Cole Marlow, 37, of Salina, wielding a pair of black and yellow hedge trimmers in the parking lot at 302 W. Crawford Street. Marlow was walking toward the 600 block of S. Ninth Street and yelling at a 22-year-old Salina man. Marlow allegedly was wildly swinging the hedge trimmers and advancing toward the other man.The 22-year-old man told police that he had been on his porch and had a verbal exchange with Marlow, who was holding the hedge trimmers. Marlow allegedly began aggressively swinging the hedge trimmers and moving toward the other man, who was concerned that Marlow would attack him or his family. It was at that point that officers arrived.Police also learned that Marlow allegedly trespassed in a yard in the 500 block of S. 10th Street. Marlow, who has four previous convictions for drugs, for intimidation of a witness, criminal damage, forgery and felony obstruction, was arrested on&nbsp; requested charges of Aggravated assault, Criminal trespassing and Pedestrian under the influence in the roadway. He completed in state post prison release February 27, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Kan. felon accused of threatening man with hedge trimmers

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Almost a year after a Missouri teen&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-orlando-accidents-missouri-8d1dbb7541cfb7b0dc5c3496fcde48d7">fell to his death</a>, a 400-foot amusement ride was being dismantled this week in central Florida’s tourism corridor.

A gigantic crane hovered Wednesday beside the towering ride in Orlando’s International Drive tourism district where 14-year-old Tyre Sampson fell in March 2022. A fence encircled the ride and blocked off parts of the nearby sidewalk and road. The ride's dismantling was expected to take several days.

Sampson, who lives in the St. Louis area, was visiting Orlando during spring break when he died from the fall.

An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-florida-orlando-st-louis-missouri-b96485f8c95ad58e6b8150201143b02d">autopsy</a>&nbsp;showed that Tyre Sampson suffered numerous broken bones and internal injuries in the fall, which was ruled an accidental death. It showed Sampson weighed 383 pounds (173 kilograms), well above the ride manual’s weight limit of 287 pounds (130 kilograms).

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-orlando-e9470b0e84a8c59e1bdb1fb06314f170">An initial report</a>&nbsp;by outside engineers hired by the Florida Department of Agriculture said sensors on the ride had been adjusted manually to double the size of the opening for restraints on two seats, resulting in the teen not being properly secured. The report said there were many other “potential contributions” to the accident.

Tyre Sampson’s family has filed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lifestyle-arts-and-entertainment-lawsuits-florida-eac97f3e314c9e230e192d94628f52cd">lawsuit</a>&nbsp;against the owner, manufacturer and landlord of the ride, claiming they were negligent and failed to provide a safe amusement ride.

Legislation is pending in the Florida Legislature aimed at preventing similar accidents. The Tyre Sampson Act would prevent Florida’s smaller attractions operators from making unauthorized adjustments to a ride’s restraint systems and require operators to submit more detailed safety and operational documentation to the state.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648251123999.png" alt="--An initial report by outside engineers hired by the Florida Department of Agriculture said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-orlando-e9470b0e84a8c59e1bdb1fb06314f170">sensors on the ride had been adjusted manually</a>&nbsp;to double the size of the opening for restraints on two seats, resulting in Sampson not being properly secured before he slipped out and fell to his death- photo courtesy WFTV" />
 <figcaption>--An initial report by outside engineers hired by the Florida Department of Agriculture said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-orlando-e9470b0e84a8c59e1bdb1fb06314f170">sensors on the ride had been adjusted manually</a>&nbsp;to double the size of the opening for restraints on two seats, resulting in Sampson not being properly secured before he slipped out and fell to his death- photo courtesy WFTV</figcaption>
 </figure>ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Almost a year after a Missouri teen&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-orlando-accidents-missouri-8d1dbb7541cfb7b0dc5c3496fcde48d7">fell to his death</a>, a 400-foot amusement ride was being dismantled this week in central Florida’s tourism corridor.A gigantic crane hovered Wednesday beside the towering ride in Orlando’s International Drive tourism district where 14-year-old Tyre Sampson fell in March 2022. A fence encircled the ride and blocked off parts of the nearby sidewalk and road. The ride's dismantling was expected to take several days.Sampson, who lives in the St. Louis area, was visiting Orlando during spring break when he died from the fall.An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-florida-orlando-st-louis-missouri-b96485f8c95ad58e6b8150201143b02d">autopsy</a>&nbsp;showed that Tyre Sampson suffered numerous broken bones and internal injuries in the fall, which was ruled an accidental death. It showed Sampson weighed 383 pounds (173 kilograms), well above the ride manual’s weight limit of 287 pounds (130 kilograms).<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-orlando-e9470b0e84a8c59e1bdb1fb06314f170">An initial report</a>&nbsp;by outside engineers hired by the Florida Department of Agriculture said sensors on the ride had been adjusted manually to double the size of the opening for restraints on two seats, resulting in the teen not being properly secured. The report said there were many other “potential contributions” to the accident.Tyre Sampson’s family has filed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lifestyle-arts-and-entertainment-lawsuits-florida-eac97f3e314c9e230e192d94628f52cd">lawsuit</a>&nbsp;against the owner, manufacturer and landlord of the ride, claiming they were negligent and failed to provide a safe amusement ride.Legislation is pending in the Florida Legislature aimed at preventing similar accidents. The Tyre Sampson Act would prevent Florida’s smaller attractions operators from making unauthorized adjustments to a ride’s restraint systems and require operators to submit more detailed safety and operational documentation to the state.

Workers dismantle amusement park ride where teen fell to death

MANHATTAN–&nbsp;Law enforcement authorities have made three arrests in connection to the March 6 shooting at the Sunset Zoo parking lot in Manhattan, according to a media release from the Riley County Police Department.

Edgar Torres, 17, Christian Soto, 18, and Carlos Rodiguez, 23, all of Manhattan, were each arrested Wednesday on requested aggravated robbery charges.

They investigation led police to believe the three robbed two other men aged 17 and 20, at gunpoint. During the robbery, Rodiguez was shot in the neck by the 17-year-old victim. All parties involved, except for Rodiguez, had left the scene when officers arrived. He was transported to Via Christi and later to Stormont Vail for further treatment and was released last week.

Soto and Rodiguez are being held in the Riley County Jail with $80,000 bonds each. Torres has been transported to the North Central Kansas Juvenile Detention Facility in Junction City.

Police are still seeking information on the person in the picture released on March 13. The person has yet to be identified and we are asking anyone with information to please call us at (785) 537-2112 or Crime Stoppers at (785) 539-7777.&nbsp;He was seen by multiple witnesses running from the area of Sunset Zoo shortly after the shooting and we'd like to speak with him about his possible involvement in the incident.

Our investigation into this incident is still ongoing and we will provide updates when they become available.

We would like to thank the community for their continued cooperation and assistance in this case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678733301954.jpeg" alt="Police are still seeking information on another suspect in connection with the crime. Police have yet to identify him." />
 <figcaption>Police are still seeking information on another suspect in connection with the crime. Police have yet to identify him.</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN–&nbsp;Law enforcement authorities have made three arrests in connection to the March 6 shooting at the Sunset Zoo parking lot in Manhattan, according to a media release from the Riley County Police Department.Edgar Torres, 17, Christian Soto, 18, and Carlos Rodiguez, 23, all of Manhattan, were each arrested Wednesday on requested aggravated robbery charges.They investigation led police to believe the three robbed two other men aged 17 and 20, at gunpoint. During the robbery, Rodiguez was shot in the neck by the 17-year-old victim. All parties involved, except for Rodiguez, had left the scene when officers arrived. He was transported to Via Christi and later to Stormont Vail for further treatment and was released last week.Soto and Rodiguez are being held in the Riley County Jail with $80,000 bonds each. Torres has been transported to the North Central Kansas Juvenile Detention Facility in Junction City.Police are still seeking information on the person in the picture released on March 13. The person has yet to be identified and we are asking anyone with information to please call us at (785) 537-2112 or Crime Stoppers at (785) 539-7777.&nbsp;He was seen by multiple witnesses running from the area of Sunset Zoo shortly after the shooting and we'd like to speak with him about his possible involvement in the incident.Our investigation into this incident is still ongoing and we will provide updates when they become available.We would like to thank the community for their continued cooperation and assistance in this case.

3 arrested for Kansas zoo parking lot shooting

By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/07/kansas-state-representative-calls-rainbow-drawings-proof-of-indoctrination-at-leavenworth-school/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The Kansas House passed a wide-ranging bill funneling state funding to unregulated private schools after holdups due to bipartisan concern about the proposal’s effects.

The vote was initially divided, 60 for and 64 against, with Republicans breaking rank to vote with the 40-member Democratic bloc during the Wednesday House meeting. One Democrat voted in favor of the program. Following the first vote, leaders issued a call of the House, locking the doors and calling up members to see whether members would change their votes.

Rep.&nbsp; Kenneth Collins, a Mulberry Republican, changed his vote fairly quickly.&nbsp;After about an hour’s delay,&nbsp; Reps. Samantha Poetter-Parshall and Robyn Essex switched their votes and Rep. Bill Sutton returned to the House to vote, making the final vote 64 for and 61 against. The legislation now passes to the Senate.&nbsp;

“I do not trust a government that destroys an institution and creates havoc, then looks for for more victims under the guise of fixing the problem they caused,” said Rep. Trevor Jacobs, a Fort Scott Republican and one of the “no” votes. “In this bill, the government holds the purse strings, not the parent.”&nbsp;

The proposal, known as the<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb83/">&nbsp;Sunflower Education Equity Act</a>, has been revised several times since the beginning of the legislative session.&nbsp;

In its current form, the education proposal is bundled with funding provisions that would set aside $592.7 million from the State General Fund for special education in fiscal year 2024, as well as create a special education task force and increase teacher salaries.&nbsp;

But critics of the bill have taken issue with the Sunflower Education Equity Act portion, which would use state money to fund unregulated private schools not subject to government oversight.

The proposal legislation specifies that government agencies couldn’t control or supervise any of these schools or home schools. Immediate family members couldn’t charge or collect payment for tuition for students, but parents would be able to charge tuition and collect fees for schools they operated, including home schools, as long as their own child isn’t a student.

Parents could use the account money for tuition expenses, uniforms, textbooks or other items. The bill stipulates that the context or religious nature of a product or service wouldn’t be considered when determining payment, meaning state dollars could be used to purchase Bibles and religious objects.

The state would begin making payments to private school students in the 2023 to 2024 school year, creating special savings accounts monitored by the state treasurer. Each eligible private school recipient could draw $5,000 annually from the state.

Any nonpublic preschool, elementary, or high school that teaches reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies and science would be eligible for the program, if approved by program regulators.&nbsp;

In the first phase implementation of the program, eligibility would be limited to students attending or eligible to attend preschool and those who were enrolled and attending public school in grades K-12 during the previous school year.&nbsp;

Eligible students in this age range would include those who qualify for the national free or reduced lunch program or scored very low on state assessments for&nbsp; language arts or mathematics. The program would be opened for all K-12 students if fewer than 2,000 eligible students enrolled in the program during the first phase.&nbsp;

The fiscal effect of the program is unknown, leading to concerns about the long-term financial impact the program will have statewide.&nbsp;

“Public dollars belong in public schools,” Rep. Vic Miller, a Topeka Democrat, said in a statement with other opponents of the proposal.

In an joint issued statement, Kansas House Republican leaders Dan Hawkins, Chris Croft, Blake Carpenter and Kristey Williams said the bill would help improve education statewide and address a widespread teacher shortage.

“The Sunflower Education Equity Act is a broad legislative compromise which includes critical policy requests from both political parties,” the statement read. “This important middle ground truly embodies a good faith effort to listen to both sides and meet in the middle for the kids, teachers, and schools in our state.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://kansasreflector.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/P3151469-1024x768.jpg" alt="Speaker of the House Rep. Dan Hawkins rallied Republican representatives to vote in favor of a controverisal education proposal during a House meeting. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Speaker of the House Rep. Dan Hawkins rallied Republican representatives to vote in favor of a controverisal education proposal during a House meeting. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/07/kansas-state-representative-calls-rainbow-drawings-proof-of-indoctrination-at-leavenworth-school/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The Kansas House passed a wide-ranging bill funneling state funding to unregulated private schools after holdups due to bipartisan concern about the proposal’s effects.The vote was initially divided, 60 for and 64 against, with Republicans breaking rank to vote with the 40-member Democratic bloc during the Wednesday House meeting. One Democrat voted in favor of the program. Following the first vote, leaders issued a call of the House, locking the doors and calling up members to see whether members would change their votes.Rep.&nbsp; Kenneth Collins, a Mulberry Republican, changed his vote fairly quickly.&nbsp;After about an hour’s delay,&nbsp; Reps. Samantha Poetter-Parshall and Robyn Essex switched their votes and Rep. Bill Sutton returned to the House to vote, making the final vote 64 for and 61 against. The legislation now passes to the Senate.&nbsp;“I do not trust a government that destroys an institution and creates havoc, then looks for for more victims under the guise of fixing the problem they caused,” said Rep. Trevor Jacobs, a Fort Scott Republican and one of the “no” votes. “In this bill, the government holds the purse strings, not the parent.”&nbsp;The proposal, known as the<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb83/">&nbsp;Sunflower Education Equity Act</a>, has been revised several times since the beginning of the legislative session.&nbsp;In its current form, the education proposal is bundled with funding provisions that would set aside $592.7 million from the State General Fund for special education in fiscal year 2024, as well as create a special education task force and increase teacher salaries.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://kansasreflector.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/P3151450-scaled.jpg" alt="-Rep. Kristey Williams, the driving force behind the education bill, counts votes during a Wednesday House session. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>-Rep. Kristey Williams, the driving force behind the education bill, counts votes during a Wednesday House session. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>But critics of the bill have taken issue with the Sunflower Education Equity Act portion, which would use state money to fund unregulated private schools not subject to government oversight.The proposal legislation specifies that government agencies couldn’t control or supervise any of these schools or home schools. Immediate family members couldn’t charge or collect payment for tuition for students, but parents would be able to charge tuition and collect fees for schools they operated, including home schools, as long as their own child isn’t a student.Parents could use the account money for tuition expenses, uniforms, textbooks or other items. The bill stipulates that the context or religious nature of a product or service wouldn’t be considered when determining payment, meaning state dollars could be used to purchase Bibles and religious objects.The state would begin making payments to private school students in the 2023 to 2024 school year, creating special savings accounts monitored by the state treasurer. Each eligible private school recipient could draw $5,000 annually from the state.Any nonpublic preschool, elementary, or high school that teaches reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies and science would be eligible for the program, if approved by program regulators.&nbsp;In the first phase implementation of the program, eligibility would be limited to students attending or eligible to attend preschool and those who were enrolled and attending public school in grades K-12 during the previous school year.&nbsp;Eligible students in this age range would include those who qualify for the national free or reduced lunch program or scored very low on state assessments for&nbsp; language arts or mathematics. The program would be opened for all K-12 students if fewer than 2,000 eligible students enrolled in the program during the first phase.&nbsp;The fiscal effect of the program is unknown, leading to concerns about the long-term financial impact the program will have statewide.&nbsp;“Public dollars belong in public schools,” Rep. Vic Miller, a Topeka Democrat, said in a statement with other opponents of the proposal.In an joint issued statement, Kansas House Republican leaders Dan Hawkins, Chris Croft, Blake Carpenter and Kristey Williams said the bill would help improve education statewide and address a widespread teacher shortage.“The Sunflower Education Equity Act is a broad legislative compromise which includes critical policy requests from both political parties,” the statement read. “This important middle ground truly embodies a good faith effort to listen to both sides and meet in the middle for the kids, teachers, and schools in our state.”

Kan. House approves ed proposal to fund unregulated private schools

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia wants to recover the fragments of a U.S. surveillance drone that American forces brought down in the Black Sea after an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-kramatorsk-peace-plan-fde09a8ea4d9b692637ad8f76cd05f3a">encounter with a Russian fighter jet</a>, a Russian security official said Wednesday.&nbsp;

Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, claimed in televised remarks that Tuesday's incident was “another confirmation” of direct U.S. involvement in the conflict in Ukraine. He said Russia planned to search for the drone's debris.

“I don’t know if we can recover them or not, but we will certainly have to do that, and we will deal with it,” Patrushev said. “I certainly hope for success.”&nbsp;The downed $32 million U.S. drone, which contains sensitive technology, has not been recovered. However, U.S. officials said Russia has already sent ships to the area and attempted to recover pieces of the drone.

&nbsp;Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he spoke to his Russian counterpart on Wednesday about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-drone-pentagon-9f4b3e8fdd719c0fa91a0683228b9e51">destruction of a U.S. drone</a>&nbsp;over the Black Sea, which had brought the two countries closest to direct conflict since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine a year ago. It was the first call between Austin and Defense Secretary Sergei Shoigu since October.

U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the drone was flying in international airspace and over international waters when a Russian fighter jet struck the propeller of the MQ-Reaper drone.&nbsp;Each Reaper costs about $32 million.

U.S. officials accused Russia of attempting to intercept the unmanned aerial vehicle, although its presence over the Black Sea was not an uncommon occurrence.

“It is also not uncommon for the Russians to try to intercept them,” Kirby said, adding that such an encounter “does increase the risk of miscalculations, misunderstandings.”

Kirby said the drone had not yet been recovered and it was unclear whether it would be, but the U.S. “took steps to protect the information and to protect, to minimize any effort by anybody else to exploit that drone for useful content.”

Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, said Russia has the technological capability to recover the drone’s fragments from deep in the Black Sea.

Earlier Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov repeated the Russian Defense Ministry’s statement that Russian jets didn’t use their weapons or impact the U.S. drone.

Peskov described U.S.-Russia relations as being at their lowest point but added that “Russia has never rejected a constructive dialogue, and it’s not rejecting it now.”

At the Pentagon, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the intercept by the Russian jet was part of a “pattern of aggressive, risky and unsafe actions by Russian pilots in international airspace.” He said Russia must operate its aircraft in a safe manner.

“Make no mistake, the United States will continue to fly and to operate wherever international law allows,” Austin said in opening remarks before a virtual meeting of a U.S.-led effort to coordinate Western military support for Ukraine.

While encounters between Russian and NATO aircraft are not unusual — before the invasion of Ukraine, NATO planes were involved in an annual average of 400 intercepts with Russian planes — the war has heightened the significance and potential hazards of such incidents.

“The last thing that we want, certainly the last thing that anybody should want, is for this war in Ukraine to escalate to become something between the United States and Russia, to have this actually ... expand beyond that,” Kirby said, speaking Wednesday on CNN.

The secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, Oleksiy Danilov, tweeted Wednesday that the drone incident was "a signal from (Russian President Vladimir) Putin that he is ready to expand the conflict zone, with drawing other parties in.”

Separately, the U.K. defense ministry said British and German air force fighter jets were scrambled Tuesday to intercept a Russian aircraft flying close to Estonian airspace. The U.K. and Germany are conducting joint air policing missions in Estonia as part of NATO’s bolstering of its eastern flank.

The defense ministry said the Typhoon jets responded after a Russian air-to-air refueling aircraft failed to communicate with Estonian air traffic control. The Russian plane did not enter the airspace of Estonia, a NATO member.

On the ground in Ukraine, the fighting ground on. At least three civilians were killed and another 23 wounded in the country by Russian strikes over the previous 24 hours, Ukraine's presidential office said Wednesday morning.

In eastern Ukraine's partially occupied Donetsk province, where much of the heaviest fighting has been concentrated, Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said a total of 14 cities and villages were shelled. That included Kramatorsk, a city where some of Ukraine's military forces are based.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-advance-stalls-ukraine-war-bakhmut-4fc52f849e404265a74509e7e14795f8">In embattled Bakhmut</a>, where Russian forces have pressed a months-long assault to capture the city, Ukrainian forces have successfully fought for northern parts of the city, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said.

“There are certain and significant successes of the armed forces of Ukraine who were able to achieve something in the north of the city,” Maliar told Ukrainian television. “Bakhmut is the epicenter (of fighting in the Donestk region), the Russian occupiers are tryng to encircle and seize the city.”

In the northeastern Kharkiv region, one person was killed and another was wounded in Vovchansk, a city near the border with Russia that is regularly shelled. Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said Russian forces also hit a civilian area of Kharkiv itself, Ukraine’s second-largest city.

“There is no military or infrastructure facility in the vicinity of the place of the strike,” Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. “Only residential buildings and urban infrastructure.”

Speaking on Ukrainian television, Terekhov said a boarding school, where only employees were present, had been damaged, as well as an apartment building. No casualties were immediately reported.

In the south, Russian forces shelled the city of Kherson seven times in the last 24 hours, hitting an infrastructure facility and residential buildings and wounding four people. In Dnipropetrovsk province, Russian forces shelled Nikopol and Marhanets, towns located across a river from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678906088937.png" alt="During a news conference Wednesday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley said the U.S. knows where the drone landed in the Black Sea" />
 <figcaption>During a news conference Wednesday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley said the U.S. knows where the drone landed in the Black Sea</figcaption>
 </figure>KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia wants to recover the fragments of a U.S. surveillance drone that American forces brought down in the Black Sea after an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-kramatorsk-peace-plan-fde09a8ea4d9b692637ad8f76cd05f3a">encounter with a Russian fighter jet</a>, a Russian security official said Wednesday.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDef</a> Austin: &quot;I just got off the phone with my Russian counterpart, Minister Shoigu. As I&#39;ve said repeatedly, it&#39;s important that great powers be models of transparency and communication.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/LPqwdCiPnP">pic.twitter.com/LPqwdCiPnP</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1636073165540544512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, claimed in televised remarks that Tuesday's incident was “another confirmation” of direct U.S. involvement in the conflict in Ukraine. He said Russia planned to search for the drone's debris.“I don’t know if we can recover them or not, but we will certainly have to do that, and we will deal with it,” Patrushev said. “I certainly hope for success.”&nbsp;The downed $32 million U.S. drone, which contains sensitive technology, has not been recovered. However, U.S. officials said Russia has already sent ships to the area and attempted to recover pieces of the drone.&nbsp;Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he spoke to his Russian counterpart on Wednesday about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-drone-pentagon-9f4b3e8fdd719c0fa91a0683228b9e51">destruction of a U.S. drone</a>&nbsp;over the Black Sea, which had brought the two countries closest to direct conflict since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine a year ago. It was the first call between Austin and Defense Secretary Sergei Shoigu since October.U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the drone was flying in international airspace and over international waters when a Russian fighter jet struck the propeller of the MQ-Reaper drone.&nbsp;Each Reaper costs about $32 million.U.S. officials accused Russia of attempting to intercept the unmanned aerial vehicle, although its presence over the Black Sea was not an uncommon occurrence.“It is also not uncommon for the Russians to try to intercept them,” Kirby said, adding that such an encounter “does increase the risk of miscalculations, misunderstandings.”Kirby said the drone had not yet been recovered and it was unclear whether it would be, but the U.S. “took steps to protect the information and to protect, to minimize any effort by anybody else to exploit that drone for useful content.”Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, said Russia has the technological capability to recover the drone’s fragments from deep in the Black Sea.Earlier Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov repeated the Russian Defense Ministry’s statement that Russian jets didn’t use their weapons or impact the U.S. drone.Peskov described U.S.-Russia relations as being at their lowest point but added that “Russia has never rejected a constructive dialogue, and it’s not rejecting it now.”At the Pentagon, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the intercept by the Russian jet was part of a “pattern of aggressive, risky and unsafe actions by Russian pilots in international airspace.” He said Russia must operate its aircraft in a safe manner.“Make no mistake, the United States will continue to fly and to operate wherever international law allows,” Austin said in opening remarks before a virtual meeting of a U.S.-led effort to coordinate Western military support for Ukraine.While encounters between Russian and NATO aircraft are not unusual — before the invasion of Ukraine, NATO planes were involved in an annual average of 400 intercepts with Russian planes — the war has heightened the significance and potential hazards of such incidents.“The last thing that we want, certainly the last thing that anybody should want, is for this war in Ukraine to escalate to become something between the United States and Russia, to have this actually ... expand beyond that,” Kirby said, speaking Wednesday on CNN.The secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, Oleksiy Danilov, tweeted Wednesday that the drone incident was "a signal from (Russian President Vladimir) Putin that he is ready to expand the conflict zone, with drawing other parties in.”Separately, the U.K. defense ministry said British and German air force fighter jets were scrambled Tuesday to intercept a Russian aircraft flying close to Estonian airspace. The U.K. and Germany are conducting joint air policing missions in Estonia as part of NATO’s bolstering of its eastern flank.The defense ministry said the Typhoon jets responded after a Russian air-to-air refueling aircraft failed to communicate with Estonian air traffic control. The Russian plane did not enter the airspace of Estonia, a NATO member.On the ground in Ukraine, the fighting ground on. At least three civilians were killed and another 23 wounded in the country by Russian strikes over the previous 24 hours, Ukraine's presidential office said Wednesday morning.In eastern Ukraine's partially occupied Donetsk province, where much of the heaviest fighting has been concentrated, Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said a total of 14 cities and villages were shelled. That included Kramatorsk, a city where some of Ukraine's military forces are based.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-advance-stalls-ukraine-war-bakhmut-4fc52f849e404265a74509e7e14795f8">In embattled Bakhmut</a>, where Russian forces have pressed a months-long assault to capture the city, Ukrainian forces have successfully fought for northern parts of the city, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said.“There are certain and significant successes of the armed forces of Ukraine who were able to achieve something in the north of the city,” Maliar told Ukrainian television. “Bakhmut is the epicenter (of fighting in the Donestk region), the Russian occupiers are tryng to encircle and seize the city.”In the northeastern Kharkiv region, one person was killed and another was wounded in Vovchansk, a city near the border with Russia that is regularly shelled. Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said Russian forces also hit a civilian area of Kharkiv itself, Ukraine’s second-largest city.“There is no military or infrastructure facility in the vicinity of the place of the strike,” Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. “Only residential buildings and urban infrastructure.”Speaking on Ukrainian television, Terekhov said a boarding school, where only employees were present, had been damaged, as well as an apartment building. No casualties were immediately reported.In the south, Russian forces shelled the city of Kherson seven times in the last 24 hours, hitting an infrastructure facility and residential buildings and wounding four people. In Dnipropetrovsk province, Russian forces shelled Nikopol and Marhanets, towns located across a river from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

🎥Russia wants debris from $32M U.S. drone it forced down

RILEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a report of an alleged porch pirate in Manhattan.

Just after 11a.m. Tuesday, officers filed a report for theft in the 2700 block of N. Brookglen Circle in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

 A 48-year-old woman reported mail that was delivered to her front porch containing around $35,500 worth of prescription pills was stolen. 

Anyone with information can contact&nbsp;<a href="https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=353#" target="_blank">Crime Stoppers</a>&nbsp;and be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

RILEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a report of an alleged porch pirate in Manhattan.Just after 11a.m. Tuesday, officers filed a report for theft in the 2700 block of N. Brookglen Circle in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report. A 48-year-old woman reported mail that was delivered to her front porch containing around $35,500 worth of prescription pills was stolen. Anyone with information can contact&nbsp;<a href="https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=353#" target="_blank">Crime Stoppers</a>&nbsp;and be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

 $35K in prescription pills stolen from Kan. woman's porch

NEW YORK (AP) — The recent failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, which catered mostly to the tech industry, may have you worried about your money. They were the second- and third-biggest bank failures in U.S. history.

It all started last week when too many depositors tried to withdraw their money from Silicon Valley Bank in Santa Clara, California. That's known as a bank run.

The bank had to sell treasury bonds and other securities at a steep loss and more people kept trying to withdraw money as word of the situation spread, causing the bank to fail. Regulators took control of New York-based Signature Bank soon after, saying it was necessary to protect depositors after too many people withdrew money.

In response, regulators guaranteed all deposits at the two banks and created a program to help shield other banks to shield them from a run on deposits.

Yes, if your money is in a bank insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and you have less than $250,000 there. If the bank fails, you'll get your money back.

Nearly all banks are FDIC insured. You can look for the FDIC logo at bank teller windows or on the entrance to your bank branch.

Credit unions are insured by the National Credit Union Administration.

If you have over $250,000 in an individual account, which most people don't, the amount over $250,000 is considered uninsured and experts recommend that you move the remainder of your money to a different financial institution, said Caleb Silver, editor in chief of Investopedia, a financial media website. Joint accounts are insured up to $500,000.

Federal officials have been taking steps to make sure other banks aren't impacted.

"You shouldn't be too concerned about your money if it's in one of the bigger banks, and even in some of the regional banks and the credit unions," Silver said.

If you are worried about your bank closing in the near future, there are some things you can watch out for, according to Silver:

— Keep an eye on the quarterly and annual reports from your bank.

— Start a Google alert for your bank in case there are news stories about it.

You want to make sure you pay close attention to the way your bank is behaving, Silver said.

"If they're trying to raise money through a share offering or if they're trying to sell more stock, they might have trouble on their balance sheet," said Silver.

If you have more than $250,000 in your bank, there are a few things you can do:

You can protect up to $500,000 by opening a joint account with someone else, such as your spouse, said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate, a financial services company.

"A married couple can easily protect a million dollars at the same bank by each having an individual account and together having a joint account," McBride said.

— Move to another financial institution

Moving your money to other financial institutions and having up to $250,000 in each account will ensure that your money is insured by the FDIC, McBride said.

Despite the recent uncertainty, experts don't recommend withdrawing cash from your account. Keeping your money in financial institutions rather than in your home is safer, especially when the amount is insured.

"It's not a time to pull your money out of the bank," Silver said.

Even people with uninsured deposits usually get nearly all of their money back.

"It takes time, but generally all depositors — both insured and uninsured — get their money back," said Todd Phillips, a consultant and former attorney at the FDIC. "Uninsured depositors may have to wait some time, and may have to take haircut where they lose 10 to 15% of their savings, but it's never zero."

Associated Press Writer Ken Sweet contributed to this report.

The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678803044223.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>By ADRIANA MORGA Associated PressNEW YORK (AP) — The recent failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, which catered mostly to the tech industry, may have you worried about your money. They were the second- and third-biggest bank failures in U.S. history.It all started last week when too many depositors tried to withdraw their money from Silicon Valley Bank in Santa Clara, California. That's known as a bank run.The bank had to sell treasury bonds and other securities at a steep loss and more people kept trying to withdraw money as word of the situation spread, causing the bank to fail. Regulators took control of New York-based Signature Bank soon after, saying it was necessary to protect depositors after too many people withdrew money.In response, regulators guaranteed all deposits at the two banks and created a program to help shield other banks to shield them from a run on deposits.Here's what you need to know:IS MY MONEY SAFE?Yes, if your money is in a bank insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and you have less than $250,000 there. If the bank fails, you'll get your money back.Nearly all banks are FDIC insured. You can look for the FDIC logo at bank teller windows or on the entrance to your bank branch.Credit unions are insured by the National Credit Union Administration.If you have over $250,000 in an individual account, which most people don't, the amount over $250,000 is considered uninsured and experts recommend that you move the remainder of your money to a different financial institution, said Caleb Silver, editor in chief of Investopedia, a financial media website. Joint accounts are insured up to $500,000.Federal officials have been taking steps to make sure other banks aren't impacted."You shouldn't be too concerned about your money if it's in one of the bigger banks, and even in some of the regional banks and the credit unions," Silver said.CAN I TELL IF MY BANK WILL FAIL?If you are worried about your bank closing in the near future, there are some things you can watch out for, according to Silver:— Watch the stock price of your bank.— Keep an eye on the quarterly and annual reports from your bank.— Start a Google alert for your bank in case there are news stories about it.You want to make sure you pay close attention to the way your bank is behaving, Silver said."If they're trying to raise money through a share offering or if they're trying to sell more stock, they might have trouble on their balance sheet," said Silver.SHOULD I LOOK FOR ALTERNATIVES?If you have more than $250,000 in your bank, there are a few things you can do:— Open a joint accountYou can protect up to $500,000 by opening a joint account with someone else, such as your spouse, said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate, a financial services company."A married couple can easily protect a million dollars at the same bank by each having an individual account and together having a joint account," McBride said.— Move to another financial institutionMoving your money to other financial institutions and having up to $250,000 in each account will ensure that your money is insured by the FDIC, McBride said.— Do not withdraw cashDespite the recent uncertainty, experts don't recommend withdrawing cash from your account. Keeping your money in financial institutions rather than in your home is safer, especially when the amount is insured."It's not a time to pull your money out of the bank," Silver said.Even people with uninsured deposits usually get nearly all of their money back."It takes time, but generally all depositors — both insured and uninsured — get their money back," said Todd Phillips, a consultant and former attorney at the FDIC. "Uninsured depositors may have to wait some time, and may have to take haircut where they lose 10 to 15% of their savings, but it's never zero."___Associated Press Writer Ken Sweet contributed to this report.___The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.

Is my money safe? What you need to know about bank failures

TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of&nbsp;Health reported 1,366&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">&nbsp;new</a> <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">coronavirus cases</a> in Kansas from March 8, to March 15, for a total of 939,236 cases.&nbsp;&nbsp;The state reported 1,747 cases the previous week.

On Wednesday, <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">the state reported&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;30 additional COVID-19 deaths since the report on March 8, for a total of 10,096 since the state started reporting COVID illness and deaths.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a>&nbsp;about the COVID-19 vaccine.

<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">Click here</a>&nbsp;for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.

Kansas is providing fewer updates of its data about COVID-19 now that Gov. Laura Kelly formally declared that the state is moving toward treating COVID-19 as a disease like the flu that spreads regularly and isn't considered a pandemic.&nbsp;The health department plans to update data about cases and vaccinations each Wednesday.

The state continues to support access to free COVID-19 testing, works to ensure that vulnerable populations can get vaccinated, see that providers serve a broad population and give “comprehensive guidance” about the virus. She called the new phase “endemic normalcy.”

The health department updates data about cases and vaccinations each Wednesday.

TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of&nbsp;Health reported 1,366&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">&nbsp;new</a> <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">coronavirus cases</a> in Kansas from March 8, to March 15, for a total of 939,236 cases.&nbsp;&nbsp;The state reported 1,747 cases the previous week.On Wednesday, <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">the state reported&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;30 additional COVID-19 deaths since the report on March 8, for a total of 10,096 since the state started reporting COVID illness and deaths.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a>&nbsp;about the COVID-19 vaccine.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">Click here</a>&nbsp;for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.Kansas is providing fewer updates of its data about COVID-19 now that Gov. Laura Kelly formally declared that the state is moving toward treating COVID-19 as a disease like the flu that spreads regularly and isn't considered a pandemic.&nbsp;The health department plans to update data about cases and vaccinations each Wednesday.The state continues to support access to free COVID-19 testing, works to ensure that vulnerable populations can get vaccinated, see that providers serve a broad population and give “comprehensive guidance” about the virus. She called the new phase “endemic normalcy.”The health department updates data about cases and vaccinations each Wednesday.

KDHE reports drop in COVID cases; 30 more deaths

BUTLER COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities including the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and El Dorado Police are investigating a shooting that critically injured a woman.

Just after 1a.m. Wednesday, police responded to report of a shooting in the 600 block of west Olive in El Dorado, according to&nbsp;Police Chief Mike Holton.

First responders found a 38-year-old woman who had been shot at a home. Butler County EMS transported the woman to a Wichita hospital where she was reported in critical condition, according to Holton.

Holton asked that anyone with information on the shooting to contact police.&nbsp; Police have not released the victim's name.

BUTLER COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities including the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and El Dorado Police are investigating a shooting that critically injured a woman.Just after 1a.m. Wednesday, police responded to report of a shooting in the 600 block of west Olive in El Dorado, according to&nbsp;Police Chief Mike Holton.First responders found a 38-year-old woman who had been shot at a home. Butler County EMS transported the woman to a Wichita hospital where she was reported in critical condition, according to Holton.Holton asked that anyone with information on the shooting to contact police.&nbsp; Police have not released the victim's name.

38-year-old woman critically injured in shooting at Kan. home

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) —The way has been cleared for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/global-trade-north-america-mexico-kansas-city-missouri-tigers-mens-basketball-9ea03d9637e15ee9dd91848db14c7467">first major railroad merger</a>&nbsp;in more than two decades after federal regulators approved Canadian Pacific’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-kansas-city-southern-keith-creel-99ffe1480c69d0aa58ff066155e7ccae">$31 billion acquisition</a>&nbsp;of Kansas City Southern.

The two railroads are the nation’s two smallest, but the approval Wednesday by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board comes after a lengthy and arduous review because their coupling will create the only railroad linking Canada, Mexico and the United States.

The Transportation Board said that the new direct service "new direct will facilitate the flow of grain from the Midwest to the Gulf Coast and Mexico, the movement of intermodal goods between Dallas and Chicago and the trade in automotive parts, finished vehicles, and other containerized mixed goods between the United States and Mexico."

The board said the transaction, which will have little to no track redundancies or overlapping routes, is also expected to add more than 800 new union jobs in the U.S.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678886941988.png" alt="Kansas City Southern" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Southern</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) —The way has been cleared for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/global-trade-north-america-mexico-kansas-city-missouri-tigers-mens-basketball-9ea03d9637e15ee9dd91848db14c7467">first major railroad merger</a>&nbsp;in more than two decades after federal regulators approved Canadian Pacific’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-kansas-city-southern-keith-creel-99ffe1480c69d0aa58ff066155e7ccae">$31 billion acquisition</a>&nbsp;of Kansas City Southern.The two railroads are the nation’s two smallest, but the approval Wednesday by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board comes after a lengthy and arduous review because their coupling will create the only railroad linking Canada, Mexico and the United States.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678887002304.png" alt="photo courtesy Kansas City Southern" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy Kansas City Southern</figcaption>
 </figure>The Transportation Board said that the new direct service "new direct will facilitate the flow of grain from the Midwest to the Gulf Coast and Mexico, the movement of intermodal goods between Dallas and Chicago and the trade in automotive parts, finished vehicles, and other containerized mixed goods between the United States and Mexico."The board said the transaction, which will have little to no track redundancies or overlapping routes, is also expected to add more than 800 new union jobs in the U.S.

First major US railroad merger in 2 decades includes KC Southern

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating the death of a baby have made two arrests.

On December 24, 2022, police responded to report of an infant that was not breathing inthe 2000 block of SE Echo Ridge in Topeka, according to Lt. Donna Eubanks.

The infant girl was transported to a local hospital where she was later pronounced deceased.

Through the course of the investigation conducted by Topeka Police detectives and the Shawnee County Coroner’s Office, the death was ruled a homicide. As a result of the investigation, police arrested a a 15-year-old from Topeka on requested charges of Murder in the 1st degree, Murder in the 2nd degree, Aggravated endangering a child and Abuse of a child.

Related to the incident, police arrested Lucia Meraz-Arreola, 45, Topeka on requested charges of Aggravated Endangering a Child. 

The teen is being held in the Shawnee County Juvenile Detention Center.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678826152533.png" alt="Meraz-Arreola-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Meraz-Arreola-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating the death of a baby have made two arrests.On December 24, 2022, police responded to report of an infant that was not breathing inthe 2000 block of SE Echo Ridge in Topeka, according to Lt. Donna Eubanks.The infant girl was transported to a local hospital where she was later pronounced deceased.Through the course of the investigation conducted by Topeka Police detectives and the Shawnee County Coroner’s Office, the death was ruled a homicide. As a result of the investigation, police arrested a a 15-year-old from Topeka on requested charges of Murder in the 1st degree, Murder in the 2nd degree, Aggravated endangering a child and Abuse of a child.Related to the incident, police arrested Lucia Meraz-Arreola, 45, Topeka on requested charges of Aggravated Endangering a Child. The teen is being held in the Shawnee County Juvenile Detention Center.&nbsp;

15-year-old, Kan. woman accused in Christmas Eve death of baby

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — State lawmakers worried Tuesday that southern Kansas is vulnerable to oil spills from the Keystone pipeline system because earthquakes have become more frequent there, as they questioned an executive for the pipeline's operator about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oil-spills-business-texas-canada-kansas-34d8391337583fc242407141d24d66c2">a massive spill</a>&nbsp;in northeastern Kansas in December.

Gary Salsman, a vice president for field operations for Canada-based TC Energy, was briefing three Kansas legislative committees about the Dec. 7 rupture on the Keystone pipeline in Washington County, Kansas, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of Kansas City. It was the largest U.S. onshore spill&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oil-spills-business-texas-kansas-us-environmental-protection-agency-eda391fc0924b34a08ff840615a7bc58">in nearly nine years,</a>&nbsp;and the company expects to spend $480 million cleaning it up, with those efforts lasting at least into the summer.

Salsman told a joint meeting of the Kansas House energy committee and its water committee that safety is TC Energy's top priority and that the company will stay in Washington County until the cleanup is complete. He later gave a similar briefing to the Senate Utilities Committee.

But several lawmakers said they are nervous about the pipeline in the Wichita area, about 160 miles (260 kilometers) south of the Washington County spill site. The area began experiencing an increase in earthquakes in 2013, after Keystone opened its Kansas pipeline segment, tied to activities associated with hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in oil and natural gas production.

“My concern is not this spill so much as what’s lurking, moving forward, especially as you get down south,” said Republican state Rep. Leo Delperdang, of Wichita, the House energy committee chair. “We get earthquakes. What happens with the ground movement?”

During the House committees' hearing, Rep. Jerry Stogsdill, a Kansas City-area Democrat, asked whether the Keystone pipeline needed “exceptional engineering” in southern Kansas.

The company said later in an email to The Associated Press that seismic activity is considered in pipelines' design and routes, and U.S. government regulators require it to be factored into maintenance plans.

“Our pipeline corridors are patrolled several times per year,” the company said, adding that seismic activity is assessed so the company can respond.

TC Energy reported last month that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oil-spills-kansas-climate-and-environment-business-a836f44e3d07a840a0313209eef051bf">a faulty weld</a>&nbsp;at a bend in the pipeline under the Washington County creek caused a crack that then grew over time because of the stress on the bend. The rupture dumped nearly 13,000 barrels of crude oil, each enough to fill a standard household bathtub, into the creek and on the surrounding pastureland.

Salsman told legislators that 95% of the crude has now been recovered. The company said later that it is transported elsewhere “for treatment and disposal.”

“We've really contained this site,” Salsman said.

The 2,700-mile (4,345-kilometer) Keystone system carries heavy crude oil extracted from tar sands in western Canada to the Gulf Coast and to central Illinois.

Concerns that spills could pollute waterways spurred opposition to plans by TC Energy to build another crude oil pipeline in the same system, the 1,200-mile (1,900-kilometer) Keystone XL, across Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. President Joe Biden’s cancelation of a permit led the company to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-joe-biden-keystone-pipeline-canada-environment-and-nature-141eabd7cca6449dfbd2dab8165812f2">pull the plug</a>&nbsp;on the project in 2021.

In Kansas, GOP lawmakers praised TC Energy for moving quickly to contain the Washington County spill and described the company as open about its activities. No one was evacuated, and state and U.S. government officials have said water from two rivers downstream were not affected. Salsman said the company has received no complaints from people tied to air quality.

A few Republicans even appeared to brush off the seriousness of the spill.

“I mean, accidents happen, and I know you're prepared for this kind of stuff,” said Senate Utilities Committee Chair Rob Olson, a Kansas City-area Republican.

Salsman said the company has diverted water from the affected creek to avoid a 4.5-mile (7.2-kilometer) section so that crews can dig out soil contaminated by the crude oil. The company estimates that it has an average of 800 people on site in any given 24-hour period.

“Our focus is on — entirely on — the remediation of the site and the safety of those people working on the site,” Salsman said.

Bill Pannbacker, a Washington County farmer and rancher, believes he might not be able to use part of his pasture for several years. The rupture occurred about 20 feet from his property line, and he said the crack initially sprayed oil droplets perhaps 200 yards up a hill before becoming a wider “gusher” that soaked about two acres.

Democrats were sometimes pointed with their questions. Data from the U.S. Department of Transportation's pipeline safety arm showed that the Washington County spill was the largest on the Keystone system since it began operating in 2010 and larger than 22 previous spills combined, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-21-588.pdf">a U.S. Government Accountability Office report</a>&nbsp;to Congress in July 2021.

The report said: “The severity of spills has worsened in recent years.”

Kansas City-area state Rep. Lindsay Vaughn, the top Democrat on the House Water Committee, asked Salsman why spills on the TC Energy pipeline are getting worse. Salsman didn't answer the question directly, saying that the company has done full cleanups and taken corrective action following all previous incidents.

“We are going to get to the bottom of this,” he said.

Vaughn said later that she wasn't satisfied with the answer, and Zack Pistora, a lobbyist in Kansas for the Sierra Club, said people still don't have any reasonable assurances that another oil spill won't happen.

“I appreciate the pleasantries," he said, "but there are still some hard questions that didn't get answered.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1672769192181.png" alt="TC Energy reported last month that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oil-spills-kansas-climate-and-environment-business-a836f44e3d07a840a0313209eef051bf">a faulty weld</a>&nbsp;at a bend in the pipeline under the Washington County creek caused a crack that then grew over time because of the stress on the bend. The rupture dumped nearly 13,000 barrels of crude oil, each enough to fill a standard household bathtub, into the creek and on the surrounding pastureland.&nbsp;(TC Energy)" />
 <figcaption>TC Energy reported last month that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oil-spills-kansas-climate-and-environment-business-a836f44e3d07a840a0313209eef051bf">a faulty weld</a>&nbsp;at a bend in the pipeline under the Washington County creek caused a crack that then grew over time because of the stress on the bend. The rupture dumped nearly 13,000 barrels of crude oil, each enough to fill a standard household bathtub, into the creek and on the surrounding pastureland.&nbsp;(TC Energy)</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNA&nbsp;TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — State lawmakers worried Tuesday that southern Kansas is vulnerable to oil spills from the Keystone pipeline system because earthquakes have become more frequent there, as they questioned an executive for the pipeline's operator about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oil-spills-business-texas-canada-kansas-34d8391337583fc242407141d24d66c2">a massive spill</a>&nbsp;in northeastern Kansas in December.Gary Salsman, a vice president for field operations for Canada-based TC Energy, was briefing three Kansas legislative committees about the Dec. 7 rupture on the Keystone pipeline in Washington County, Kansas, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of Kansas City. It was the largest U.S. onshore spill&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oil-spills-business-texas-kansas-us-environmental-protection-agency-eda391fc0924b34a08ff840615a7bc58">in nearly nine years,</a>&nbsp;and the company expects to spend $480 million cleaning it up, with those efforts lasting at least into the summer.Salsman told a joint meeting of the Kansas House energy committee and its water committee that safety is TC Energy's top priority and that the company will stay in Washington County until the cleanup is complete. He later gave a similar briefing to the Senate Utilities Committee.But several lawmakers said they are nervous about the pipeline in the Wichita area, about 160 miles (260 kilometers) south of the Washington County spill site. The area began experiencing an increase in earthquakes in 2013, after Keystone opened its Kansas pipeline segment, tied to activities associated with hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in oil and natural gas production.“My concern is not this spill so much as what’s lurking, moving forward, especially as you get down south,” said Republican state Rep. Leo Delperdang, of Wichita, the House energy committee chair. “We get earthquakes. What happens with the ground movement?”During the House committees' hearing, Rep. Jerry Stogsdill, a Kansas City-area Democrat, asked whether the Keystone pipeline needed “exceptional engineering” in southern Kansas.The company said later in an email to The Associated Press that seismic activity is considered in pipelines' design and routes, and U.S. government regulators require it to be factored into maintenance plans.“Our pipeline corridors are patrolled several times per year,” the company said, adding that seismic activity is assessed so the company can respond.TC Energy reported last month that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oil-spills-kansas-climate-and-environment-business-a836f44e3d07a840a0313209eef051bf">a faulty weld</a>&nbsp;at a bend in the pipeline under the Washington County creek caused a crack that then grew over time because of the stress on the bend. The rupture dumped nearly 13,000 barrels of crude oil, each enough to fill a standard household bathtub, into the creek and on the surrounding pastureland.Salsman told legislators that 95% of the crude has now been recovered. The company said later that it is transported elsewhere “for treatment and disposal.”“We've really contained this site,” Salsman said.The 2,700-mile (4,345-kilometer) Keystone system carries heavy crude oil extracted from tar sands in western Canada to the Gulf Coast and to central Illinois.Concerns that spills could pollute waterways spurred opposition to plans by TC Energy to build another crude oil pipeline in the same system, the 1,200-mile (1,900-kilometer) Keystone XL, across Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. President Joe Biden’s cancelation of a permit led the company to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-joe-biden-keystone-pipeline-canada-environment-and-nature-141eabd7cca6449dfbd2dab8165812f2">pull the plug</a>&nbsp;on the project in 2021.In Kansas, GOP lawmakers praised TC Energy for moving quickly to contain the Washington County spill and described the company as open about its activities. No one was evacuated, and state and U.S. government officials have said water from two rivers downstream were not affected. Salsman said the company has received no complaints from people tied to air quality.A few Republicans even appeared to brush off the seriousness of the spill.“I mean, accidents happen, and I know you're prepared for this kind of stuff,” said Senate Utilities Committee Chair Rob Olson, a Kansas City-area Republican.Salsman said the company has diverted water from the affected creek to avoid a 4.5-mile (7.2-kilometer) section so that crews can dig out soil contaminated by the crude oil. The company estimates that it has an average of 800 people on site in any given 24-hour period.“Our focus is on — entirely on — the remediation of the site and the safety of those people working on the site,” Salsman said.Bill Pannbacker, a Washington County farmer and rancher, believes he might not be able to use part of his pasture for several years. The rupture occurred about 20 feet from his property line, and he said the crack initially sprayed oil droplets perhaps 200 yards up a hill before becoming a wider “gusher” that soaked about two acres.Democrats were sometimes pointed with their questions. Data from the U.S. Department of Transportation's pipeline safety arm showed that the Washington County spill was the largest on the Keystone system since it began operating in 2010 and larger than 22 previous spills combined, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-21-588.pdf">a U.S. Government Accountability Office report</a>&nbsp;to Congress in July 2021.The report said: “The severity of spills has worsened in recent years.”Kansas City-area state Rep. Lindsay Vaughn, the top Democrat on the House Water Committee, asked Salsman why spills on the TC Energy pipeline are getting worse. Salsman didn't answer the question directly, saying that the company has done full cleanups and taken corrective action following all previous incidents.“We are going to get to the bottom of this,” he said.Vaughn said later that she wasn't satisfied with the answer, and Zack Pistora, a lobbyist in Kansas for the Sierra Club, said people still don't have any reasonable assurances that another oil spill won't happen.“I appreciate the pleasantries," he said, "but there are still some hard questions that didn't get answered.”___

Lawmakers fear spill on Keystone system in southern Kansas

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a homicide in Topeka.

Just before 8p.m. Tuesday, police&nbsp;&nbsp;responded to the 1300 Block SE 8th for a hit and run accident, according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks. Officers located a man on scene who was suffering from a gunshot wound. 

First responders pronounced him deceased at the scene.&nbsp; Detectives were notified and traffic was shut down along 8th and 10th street between SE Locust and SE Lime.

Police have not released the name of the victim.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678875079561.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW&nbsp; TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW&nbsp; TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a homicide in Topeka.Just before 8p.m. Tuesday, police&nbsp;&nbsp;responded to the 1300 Block SE 8th for a hit and run accident, according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks. Officers located a man on scene who was suffering from a gunshot wound. First responders pronounced him deceased at the scene.&nbsp; Detectives were notified and traffic was shut down along 8th and 10th street between SE Locust and SE Lime.Police have not released the name of the victim.

Homicide: Police find shooting victim at scene of Kansas crash

AMARILLO, Texas (AP) — A federal judge will hear arguments Wednesday in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-food-and-drug-administration-donald-trump-texas-medication-bdd99c39613c71f62d10dfc2f2d1bf07">high-stakes court case</a>&nbsp;that could threaten access to medication abortion and blunt the authority of U.S. drug regulators.

Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk of Texas is weighing a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-business-texas-lawsuits-71b8e54b97b016bf2cc0d9380d478991">lawsuit from Christian conservatives</a>&nbsp;aimed at overturning the Food and Drug Administration’s more than 2-decade-old approval of the abortion pill mifepristone. The drug, when used with a second pill, has become the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-covid-science-health-2d52ebf9efc6ef06f03e788fecd13013">most common method</a>&nbsp;of abortion in the U.S.

There is essentially no precedent for a lone judge overruling the scientific decisions of the FDA. And legal experts have warned of far-reaching consequences if judges begin second-guessing FDA decisions on drug safety and effectiveness.

Wednesday's hearing is the first in the case, which is being intensely tracked by groups on both sides of the abortion issue after last year's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">reversal of Roe v. Wade</a>. However, there was little advance notice of the high-profile session, which only appeared on the public online docket late Monday after news reports raised concerns about a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-lawsuit-hearing-96a2466ea67dd12f0fdb7347f51a7f2f">lack of transparency in the proceedings</a>.

Kacsmaryk told attorneys in the case Friday that he would delay the filing to minimize threats and possible protests, a development first reported by The Washington Post. He also asked the lawyers not to disclose the date of the hearing,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-mifepristone-transparency-fda-roe-wade-48c389dd3c892aa9bbc553e0b3de5360">according to a transcript of the meeting</a>&nbsp;released Tuesday.

Such actions by a judge are highly unusual because court proceedings are almost always open to the public and transparency is an underlying assumption of the American judicial system.

Kacsmaryk, appointed by President Donald Trump, formerly worked as an attorney for a Christian legal group and has written critically of laws allowing abortion. Supporters of abortion rights say conservatives are steering cases to his courtroom because they believe he will rule in their favor.

On Wednesday, Kacsmaryk will hear arguments in Amarillo from the Alliance for Defending Freedom — which filed its lawsuit on behalf of several anti-abortion groups and physicians — as well as federal attorneys representing the FDA. The drug's manufacturer, Danco Laboratories, is also a party in the case and set to argue for keeping its pill available.

The Alliance is seeking an injunction that would force the FDA to revoke its approval of mifepristone. But it's unclear how quickly that could happen or what the process would entail. The FDA has its own procedures for revoking drug approvals that involve public hearings and scientific deliberations, which can take months or years.

If Kacsmaryk rules against the FDA, federal attorneys are expected to swiftly appeal the decision and seek an emergency stay to stop it from taking effect while the case proceeds.

Mifepristone is part of a two-drug regimen that has been the standard for medication abortion in the U.S since 2000. If mifepristone is sidelined, clinics and doctors that prescribe the combination say they plan to switch to using only the second drug, misoprostol. That single-drug approach is slightly less effective at ending pregnancies, although it is widely used in countries where mifepristone is illegal or unavailable.

The Texas lawsuit alleges that the FDA's approval of mifepristone in 2000 was flawed for several reasons, including an inadequate review of the pill's safety risks. The suit also challenges several later FDA decisions that loosened restrictions on the pill, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-abortion-health-medication-a6634601a37fb048aecdd9f030e0863a">eliminating a requirement</a>&nbsp;that women pick it up in person.

Lawyers for the FDA have pointed out that serious side effects with mifepristone are rare and the agency has repeatedly affirmed the drug's safety by reviewing subsequent studies and data. Pulling the drug more than 20 years after approval would be “extraordinary and unprecedented,” the government stated in its legal response.

Typically, the FDA’s authority to regulate prescription drugs has gone unchallenged. But more than a dozen states now have laws restricting abortion broadly — and the pills specifically — following last year’s Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

Lawsuits challenging state restrictions, including those in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-phil-berger-north-carolina-raleigh-health-56a1aa8617b46a9cb197cb395829c387">North Carolina</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-west-virginia-state-government-jim-justice-health-61085d84b9d2f937f238a32c73bf32ad">West Virginia</a>, are progressing separately and are expected to continue for years.

AMARILLO, Texas (AP) — A federal judge will hear arguments Wednesday in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-food-and-drug-administration-donald-trump-texas-medication-bdd99c39613c71f62d10dfc2f2d1bf07">high-stakes court case</a>&nbsp;that could threaten access to medication abortion and blunt the authority of U.S. drug regulators.Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk of Texas is weighing a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-business-texas-lawsuits-71b8e54b97b016bf2cc0d9380d478991">lawsuit from Christian conservatives</a>&nbsp;aimed at overturning the Food and Drug Administration’s more than 2-decade-old approval of the abortion pill mifepristone. The drug, when used with a second pill, has become the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-covid-science-health-2d52ebf9efc6ef06f03e788fecd13013">most common method</a>&nbsp;of abortion in the U.S.There is essentially no precedent for a lone judge overruling the scientific decisions of the FDA. And legal experts have warned of far-reaching consequences if judges begin second-guessing FDA decisions on drug safety and effectiveness.Wednesday's hearing is the first in the case, which is being intensely tracked by groups on both sides of the abortion issue after last year's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">reversal of Roe v. Wade</a>. However, there was little advance notice of the high-profile session, which only appeared on the public online docket late Monday after news reports raised concerns about a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-lawsuit-hearing-96a2466ea67dd12f0fdb7347f51a7f2f">lack of transparency in the proceedings</a>.Kacsmaryk told attorneys in the case Friday that he would delay the filing to minimize threats and possible protests, a development first reported by The Washington Post. He also asked the lawyers not to disclose the date of the hearing,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-mifepristone-transparency-fda-roe-wade-48c389dd3c892aa9bbc553e0b3de5360">according to a transcript of the meeting</a>&nbsp;released Tuesday.Such actions by a judge are highly unusual because court proceedings are almost always open to the public and transparency is an underlying assumption of the American judicial system.Kacsmaryk, appointed by President Donald Trump, formerly worked as an attorney for a Christian legal group and has written critically of laws allowing abortion. Supporters of abortion rights say conservatives are steering cases to his courtroom because they believe he will rule in their favor.On Wednesday, Kacsmaryk will hear arguments in Amarillo from the Alliance for Defending Freedom — which filed its lawsuit on behalf of several anti-abortion groups and physicians — as well as federal attorneys representing the FDA. The drug's manufacturer, Danco Laboratories, is also a party in the case and set to argue for keeping its pill available.The Alliance is seeking an injunction that would force the FDA to revoke its approval of mifepristone. But it's unclear how quickly that could happen or what the process would entail. The FDA has its own procedures for revoking drug approvals that involve public hearings and scientific deliberations, which can take months or years.If Kacsmaryk rules against the FDA, federal attorneys are expected to swiftly appeal the decision and seek an emergency stay to stop it from taking effect while the case proceeds.Mifepristone is part of a two-drug regimen that has been the standard for medication abortion in the U.S since 2000. If mifepristone is sidelined, clinics and doctors that prescribe the combination say they plan to switch to using only the second drug, misoprostol. That single-drug approach is slightly less effective at ending pregnancies, although it is widely used in countries where mifepristone is illegal or unavailable.The Texas lawsuit alleges that the FDA's approval of mifepristone in 2000 was flawed for several reasons, including an inadequate review of the pill's safety risks. The suit also challenges several later FDA decisions that loosened restrictions on the pill, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-abortion-health-medication-a6634601a37fb048aecdd9f030e0863a">eliminating a requirement</a>&nbsp;that women pick it up in person.Lawyers for the FDA have pointed out that serious side effects with mifepristone are rare and the agency has repeatedly affirmed the drug's safety by reviewing subsequent studies and data. Pulling the drug more than 20 years after approval would be “extraordinary and unprecedented,” the government stated in its legal response.Typically, the FDA’s authority to regulate prescription drugs has gone unchallenged. But more than a dozen states now have laws restricting abortion broadly — and the pills specifically — following last year’s Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.Lawsuits challenging state restrictions, including those in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-phil-berger-north-carolina-raleigh-health-56a1aa8617b46a9cb197cb395829c387">North Carolina</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-west-virginia-state-government-jim-justice-health-61085d84b9d2f937f238a32c73bf32ad">West Virginia</a>, are progressing separately and are expected to continue for years.___

Judge to consider whether to order abortion pill off the market

DETROIT (AP) — Honda is recalling a half-million vehicles in the U.S. and Canada because the front seat belts may not latch properly.

The recall covers some of the the automaker's top-selling models including the 2017 through 2020 CR-V, the 2018 and 2019 Accord, the 2018 through 2020 Odyssey and the 2019 Insight. Also included is the Acura RDX from the 2019 and 2020 model years.

Honda says in documents posted Wednesday by U.S. safety regulators that the surface coating on the channel for the buckle can deteriorate over time. The release button can shrink against the channel at lower temperatures, increasing friction and stopping the buckle from latching.

If the buckle doesn't latch, a driver or passenger may not be restrained in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Honda says it has no reports of injuries caused by the problem.

Dealers will replace the front seat belt buckle release buttons or the buckle assemblies if needed. Owners will be notified by letter starting April 17.

DETROIT (AP) — Honda is recalling a half-million vehicles in the U.S. and Canada because the front seat belts may not latch properly.The recall covers some of the the automaker's top-selling models including the 2017 through 2020 CR-V, the 2018 and 2019 Accord, the 2018 through 2020 Odyssey and the 2019 Insight. Also included is the Acura RDX from the 2019 and 2020 model years.Honda says in documents posted Wednesday by U.S. safety regulators that the surface coating on the channel for the buckle can deteriorate over time. The release button can shrink against the channel at lower temperatures, increasing friction and stopping the buckle from latching.If the buckle doesn't latch, a driver or passenger may not be restrained in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.Honda says it has no reports of injuries caused by the problem.Dealers will replace the front seat belt buckle release buttons or the buckle assemblies if needed. Owners will be notified by letter starting April 17.

Honda recalling 500,000 vehicles to fix seat belt problem

MONTEREY PARK, Calif. (AP) — The grief is still suffocating, the anger still visceral, President Joe Biden said Tuesday, in this suburban Los Angeles community where a gunman stormed a dance hall and killed 11 in January. He announced fresh federal measures to curb gun violence but emotionally declared there must be more.

“Do something. Do something big,” he implored.

“I’m determined to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines,” Biden told the families of some of the victims who were in the audience for his remarks, along with the 26-year-old who wrestled the semiautomatic pistol away from the gunman.

Biden’s rhetoric has grown ever stronger about guns — he routinely calls for banning assault weapons — in pushing a gun-control platform even tougher than during the Obama administration when he was vice president. He has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-gun-violence-colorado-shootings-f85b4b9a59e3852868950d797f79a351">emboldened by the midterm elections</a>&nbsp;when his regular talk of gun control didn't result in massive Democratic losses, and he's expected to continue to argue for strong changes as he moves toward a 2024 reelection run, his aides say.

“We remember and mourn today,” Biden said in Monterey Park. “But I’m here with you today to act.”

MONTEREY PARK, Calif. (AP) — The grief is still suffocating, the anger still visceral, President Joe Biden said Tuesday, in this suburban Los Angeles community where a gunman stormed a dance hall and killed 11 in January. He announced fresh federal measures to curb gun violence but emotionally declared there must be more.“Do something. Do something big,” he implored.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F8868817809859929%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=12" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>“I’m determined to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines,” Biden told the families of some of the victims who were in the audience for his remarks, along with the 26-year-old who wrestled the semiautomatic pistol away from the gunman.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">It&#39;s time for Congress to ban assault weapons.&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1635792929427013636?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden’s rhetoric has grown ever stronger about guns — he routinely calls for banning assault weapons — in pushing a gun-control platform even tougher than during the Obama administration when he was vice president. He has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-gun-violence-colorado-shootings-f85b4b9a59e3852868950d797f79a351">emboldened by the midterm elections</a>&nbsp;when his regular talk of gun control didn't result in massive Democratic losses, and he's expected to continue to argue for strong changes as he moves toward a 2024 reelection run, his aides say.“We remember and mourn today,” Biden said in Monterey Park. “But I’m here with you today to act.”The president told the crowd he’d signed an executive order aimed at stiffening background checks to buy guns, promoting more secure firearms storage and ensuring law enforcement agencies get more out of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-signs-gun-violence-bill-c21249287f976c2c164d8753205c2e6d">bipartisan gun control law</a>&nbsp;enacted last summer.But Biden has only limited power to go beyond that legislation that was passed after the killings of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-supermarket-shooting-crime-shootings-race-and-ethnicity-4a4dcf6e12c598d1f0a372227760b93f">10 shoppers</a>&nbsp;at a Buffalo, New York, grocery store and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-texas-school-shooting-may-24-584466945120">19 students and two teachers</a>&nbsp;at a Uvalde, Texas, elementary school.His action on Tuesday does not change government policy. Rather, it directs federal agencies to ensure compliance with existing laws and procedures — a typical feature of executive orders issued by presidents when they confront the limits of their own power to act without cooperation from Congress.“Let’s be clear, none of this absolves Congress from the responsibility of acting to pass universal background checks, to eliminate gun manufacturers immunity to liability," Biden said.Using emotion to press Congress to act, he detailied the lives of Monterey Park victims: A dancehall manager who walked patrons to their cars after lessons. An adventurer ready for the next trip abroad. A devoted grandparent.Biden, whose own familiarity with grief is well known — his small daughter and wife were killed in a car crash in the 1970s and later his adult son died of cancer — touched on the everyday things he said hurt so much after the initial shock is gone; the way a closet still smells like a loved one, the sound of a laugh, the bend of a smile.The victims in Monterey Park, where 20 were shot after Lunar New Year celebrations, were older Asian Americans, mostly in their 60s and 70s. Biden said they represented a powerful vision of America: “Our diversity is the strength of this nation.”His order on Tuesday directs the Cabinet to complete a plan to better structure the government to support communities suffering from gun violence. If the Federal Emergency Management Agency can respond to natural disasters to provide on-the-ground support, the government should be able to do the same for a mass shooting, he said. More mental health support for grief and trauma, financial aid for victims and for businesses forced to close during a lengthy police investigations.He is directing Attorney General Merrick Garland to shore up rules for federally licensed gun dealers so they know they are required to do background checks as part of their licenses.He is also mandating better reporting of ballistics data from federal law enforcement for a clearinghouse that allows federal, state and local law enforcement to match shell casings to guns. But local and state law enforcement agencies are not required to report ballistics data, and many do not, making the clearinghouse less effective.And the president is asking the Federal Trade Commission to issue a public report analyzing how gun manufacturers market to minors and use military images to market to the general public.“President Biden’s executive order today is a home run for public safety,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “This is the latest example of President Biden’s leadership on gun safety, and we’re proud to stand with him as he takes robust action to help close the gun-seller loophole — which will significantly expand background checks on gun sales, keep weapons out of the hands of dangerous people and save lives.”The bill passed last year, known as the Safer Communities Act, is viewed by gun control advocates as a good start but one that doesn't go far enough. After the law was signed, there were 11 other mass shootings, according to a database of mass killings since 2006 maintained by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University. Those killings don't include shootings in which fewer than four people were killed — and gun violence is also rising nationwide.Pro-gun groups said the order would do little to stop growing gun violence.“The reality is that nothing in the president’s executive order today would have done anything to prevent the recent mass shootings in California, Michigan or elsewhere,” said Katie Pointer Baney who is the Managing Director of Government Affairs for the U.S. Concealed Carry Association. “It’s time for the president and political leaders across the country to have an honest conversation with the American people and acknowledge there is no legislative fix that will permanently solve the issue of gun violence.”Biden said he'd direct his Cabinet to make sure law enforcement agencies and citizens, too, understand the benefits of red-flag laws, which are intended to temporarily remove guns from people with potentially violent behavior and prevent them from hurting themselves or others.“So more parents, teachers and counselors know how to flag for the court that someone is exhibiting violent tendencies, or experiencing suicidal thoughts that make them a danger to themselves and others," he said.Last month, the Justice Department&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-funds-red-flag-laws-ef06146b4db58a404471bb6ebde90aaa">sent out more than $200 million</a>&nbsp;to help states and the District of Columbia administer red-flag laws and other crisis-intervention programs.---------------MONTEREY PARK, Calif. (AP) — President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Tuesday aiming at increasing background checks to buy guns, promoting more secure firearms storage and ensuring U.S. law enforcement agencies get more out of a bipartisan gun control law enacted last summer.The Democratic president was to address his latest efforts to curb gun violence in a speech in this suburban Los Angeles community, where a gunman stormed a dance hall and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-law-enforcement-crime-california-los-angeles-efc390080be5cdb5f7aecb652ed0fb5d">shot 20 people</a>, killing 11, following a Lunar New Year celebration in January. He was also meeting with families of victims and with first responders from that day.Biden’s rhetoric has grown ever stronger about guns — he routinely calls for banning assault weapons — in pushing a vocal gun-control platform even tougher than during the Obama administration when he was vice president. He has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-gun-violence-colorado-shootings-f85b4b9a59e3852868950d797f79a351">emboldened by the midterm electiions</a>&nbsp;when his regular talk of gun control didn't result in massive losses, and he's expected to continue to argue for strong changes as he inches toward a 2024 reelection run, his aides say.Biden was greeted at the Los Angeles airport Tuesday by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/state-of-the-union-biden-guests-cc0d350feb6264e3ce9305355720c508">Brandon Tsay</a>, the 26-year-old who wrestled the semiautomatic pistol away from the gunman in Monterey Park. The two shook hands; Biden had invited Tsay to his State of the Union address in January where he praised the young man's heroism.But the president has only limited power on guns to go beyond bipartisan legislation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-signs-gun-violence-bill-c21249287f976c2c164d8753205c2e6d">passed by Congress last summer</a>&nbsp;after the killings last year of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-supermarket-shooting-crime-shootings-race-and-ethnicity-4a4dcf6e12c598d1f0a372227760b93f">10 shoppers</a>&nbsp;at a Buffalo, New York, grocery store and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-texas-school-shooting-may-24-584466945120">19 students and two teachers</a>&nbsp;at a Uvalde, Texas, elementary school.Tuesday's action does not change U.S. government policy. Rather, it directs federal agencies to ensure compliance with existing laws and procedures — a typical feature of executive orders issued by presidents when they confront the limits of their own power to act without cooperation from Congress.Biden, in the order, acknowledged Congress' opposition, but said, “In the meantime, my administration will continue to do all that we can, within existing authority, to make our communities safer.”The order directs the Cabinet to work on a plan to better structure the government to support communities suffering from gun violence. The plan calls on Attorney General Merrick Garland to shore up the rules for federally licensed gun dealers so they know they are required to do background checks as part of the license.Biden is also mandating better reporting of ballistics data from federal law enforcement for a clearinghouse that allows federal, state and local law enforcement to match shell casings to guns. But local and state law enforcement agencies are not required to report ballistics data, and many do not, making the clearinghouse less effective.And the president is asking the Federal Trade Commission to issue a public report analyzing how gun manufacturers market to minors and use military images to market to the general public.“President Biden’s executive order today is a home run for public safety,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “This is the latest example of President Biden’s leadership on gun safety, and we’re proud to stand with him as he takes robust action to help close the gun-seller loophole — which will significantly expand background checks on gun sales, keep weapons out of the hands of dangerous people and save lives.”The bill passed last year, known as the Safer Communities Act, is viewed by gun control advocates as a good start but one that doesn't go far enough. After the law was signed, there were 11 other mass shootings, according to a database of mass killings since 2006 maintained by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University. Those killings don't include shootings in which fewer than four people were killed — and gun violence is also rising nationwide.Pro-gun groups said the order would do little to stop growing gun violence.“The reality is that nothing in the president’s executive order today would have done anything to prevent the recent mass shootings in California, Michigan or elsewhere,” said Katie Pointer Baney who is the Managing Director of Government Affairs for the U.S. Concealed Carry Association. “It’s time for the president and political leaders across the country to have an honest conversation with the American people and acknowledge there is no legislative fix that will permanently solve the issue of gun violence.”Biden will also direct his Cabinet to make sure law enforcement agencies understand the benefits of the new law, particularly around red-flag laws, also known as extreme risk protection orders, which are intended to temporarily remove guns from people with potentially violent behavior and prevent them from hurting themselves or others.Last month, the Justice Department&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-funds-red-flag-laws-ef06146b4db58a404471bb6ebde90aaa">sent out more than $200 million</a>&nbsp;to help states and the District of Columbia administer red-flag laws and other crisis-intervention programs.