By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/11/former-washburn-administrator-selected-president-of-topeka-university/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The president of 
Midwestern State University was selected Wednesday to serve as the 15th 
president of Washburn University.

JuliAnn Mazachek, who worked 30 years at Washburn before leaving in 
2022 for Midwestern State, was chosen by the university’s board of 
regents to replace Jerry Farley. He retired in September after a quarter
 century leading the Topeka university. The interim president was 
Marshall Meek, who runs the WU Alumni Association and Foundation.

“Today is a remarkable, memorable and life-changing day for me — one I
 had only dreamed about through the years,” Mazachek told a 
standing-room-only crowd at the student union. “I am deeply honored and 
deeply thrilled to return home to the great state of Kansas and to serve
 this outstanding institution at such an important time in its history 
and in an important time in higher education.”

She will begin her new duties at Washburn on Feb. 1.

WU is a public university with 6,000 undergraduate and 800 graduate 
students. It has approximately 500 faculty. The university is connected 
to Washburn Tech.

Mazachek joined the WU faculty in 1992 as an assistant professor of 
accounting after earning a doctorate from the University of Kansas. She 
became dean of Washburn’s business school in 1998. In 2002, Mazachek 
accepted the position of president and CEO of the university’s alumni 
and foundation organization.

In 2017, she was named&nbsp;vice president of academic affairs at 
Washburn. She departed Washburn in spring 2022&nbsp;to lead Midwestern State.
 It’s a liberal arts school with 6,000 students in Wichita Falls, Texas.

In a statement released by Midwestern State, Mazachek said the 
decision to leave the Texas university was a “very difficult decision.”

Mazachek said she all of her children took classes at Washburn and 
through their experiences she understood more deeply the difference WU 
faculty made in the lives of students.

“We cannot possibly know yet what all the possibilities are for 
Washburn University and its future,” Mazachek said. “This is a wonderful
 place dedicated to its students and their success. This is a place 
integral to the success of its community and our state. This is a place 
poised to take the next step and rise.”

Shelly Buhler, president of the Washburn board of Regents, said 
Mazachek was committed to academic excellence and the core values of 
integrity, excellence, inclusion, accountability, respect, collaboration
 and innovation.

“Our new president will continue to … move the university forward while embracing our rich history,” Buhler said.

She said the 28-member search committee worked through more than 75 
applicants for the job. The board of regents interviewed several 
finalists during December.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673547428668.png" alt="JuliAnn Mazachek, president of Midwestern State University in Texas, was selected to lead Washburn University in Topeka. She spent 30 years at WU before taking the Texas job in 2022. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>JuliAnn Mazachek, president of Midwestern State University in Texas, was selected to lead Washburn University in Topeka. She spent 30 years at WU before taking the Texas job in 2022. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/11/former-washburn-administrator-selected-president-of-topeka-university/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The president of 
Midwestern State University was selected Wednesday to serve as the 15th 
president of Washburn University.JuliAnn Mazachek, who worked 30 years at Washburn before leaving in 
2022 for Midwestern State, was chosen by the university’s board of 
regents to replace Jerry Farley. He retired in September after a quarter
 century leading the Topeka university. The interim president was 
Marshall Meek, who runs the WU Alumni Association and Foundation.“Today is a remarkable, memorable and life-changing day for me — one I
 had only dreamed about through the years,” Mazachek told a 
standing-room-only crowd at the student union. “I am deeply honored and 
deeply thrilled to return home to the great state of Kansas and to serve
 this outstanding institution at such an important time in its history 
and in an important time in higher education.”She will begin her new duties at Washburn on Feb. 1.WU is a public university with 6,000 undergraduate and 800 graduate 
students. It has approximately 500 faculty. The university is connected 
to Washburn Tech.Mazachek joined the WU faculty in 1992 as an assistant professor of 
accounting after earning a doctorate from the University of Kansas. She 
became dean of Washburn’s business school in 1998. In 2002, Mazachek 
accepted the position of president and CEO of the university’s alumni 
and foundation organization.In 2017, she was named&nbsp;vice president of academic affairs at 
Washburn. She departed Washburn in spring 2022&nbsp;to lead Midwestern State.
 It’s a liberal arts school with 6,000 students in Wichita Falls, Texas.In a statement released by Midwestern State, Mazachek said the 
decision to leave the Texas university was a “very difficult decision.”Mazachek said she all of her children took classes at Washburn and 
through their experiences she understood more deeply the difference WU 
faculty made in the lives of students.“We cannot possibly know yet what all the possibilities are for 
Washburn University and its future,” Mazachek said. “This is a wonderful
 place dedicated to its students and their success. This is a place 
integral to the success of its community and our state. This is a place 
poised to take the next step and rise.”Shelly Buhler, president of the Washburn board of Regents, said 
Mazachek was committed to academic excellence and the core values of 
integrity, excellence, inclusion, accountability, respect, collaboration
 and innovation.“Our new president will continue to … move the university forward while embracing our rich history,” Buhler said.She said the 28-member search committee worked through more than 75 
applicants for the job. The board of regents interviewed several 
finalists during December.

Longtime admin named  president of Washburn University

Washington—&nbsp;On Thursday, Senator Roger Marshall and ten of&nbsp;his&nbsp;colleagues from both the&nbsp;U.S.&nbsp;Senate and&nbsp;U.S&nbsp;House&nbsp;of&nbsp;Representatives&nbsp;sent a letter to Deb Haaland, Secretary of the&nbsp;U.S.&nbsp;Department of the Interior, requesting an extension to delay the final rule that will list the lesser prairie-chicken (LPC) under the Endangered Species Act.

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.marshall.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/LPC-Letter-to-Delay-Effective-Date-1.12.23.pdf" target="_blank">HERE</a>&nbsp;to read the full letter.

According to a statement from Marshall's office, the Members suggested April 1 be the new deadline,&nbsp;which is before the primary nesting season of the bird. If this request isn’t granted the rule will become effective on&nbsp;January 24,&nbsp;ending the ability for industry stakeholders to adjust their operations and finalize voluntary efforts to conserve the bird.

In their letter, the members wrote, in part,

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “First and foremost, we believe the Service should promote voluntary conservation work that has proven successful at conserving the bird and not list the LPC whatsoever. Given the decades-long history of private lands conservation in coordination with the Service and state partners, we believe listing the LPC undermines private property rights and will discourage critical conservation efforts on private lands. Let us be clear, while we strongly urge the Service to revoke the listing, at minimum it is necessary to delay the effective date for involved parties to effectively comply with the rule. An extension of the effective date will give industry stakeholders more time to participate in or expand voluntary conservation prior to the primary nesting season of the LPC and give ranchers time to comply with the new 4(d) rule for grazing activities or establish Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA).”

The Members who signed&nbsp;Senator Marshall’s letter were U.S. Senator&nbsp;James Lankford (OK), and U.S. Representatives&nbsp;Tracey Mann (KS-01),&nbsp;Jake LaTurner (KS-02), Ron Estes (KS-04), August Pflueger (TX-11), Stephanie Bice (OK-05), Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Ronny Jackson (TX-13), Frank D. Lucas (OK-03), and Tom Cole (OK-04).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668724822944.png" alt="Photo U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service</figcaption>
 </figure>Washington—&nbsp;On Thursday, Senator Roger Marshall and ten of&nbsp;his&nbsp;colleagues from both the&nbsp;U.S.&nbsp;Senate and&nbsp;U.S&nbsp;House&nbsp;of&nbsp;Representatives&nbsp;sent a letter to Deb Haaland, Secretary of the&nbsp;U.S.&nbsp;Department of the Interior, requesting an extension to delay the final rule that will list the lesser prairie-chicken (LPC) under the Endangered Species Act.Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.marshall.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/LPC-Letter-to-Delay-Effective-Date-1.12.23.pdf" target="_blank">HERE</a>&nbsp;to read the full letter.According to a statement from Marshall's office, the Members suggested April 1 be the new deadline,&nbsp;which is before the primary nesting season of the bird. If this request isn’t granted the rule will become effective on&nbsp;January 24,&nbsp;ending the ability for industry stakeholders to adjust their operations and finalize voluntary efforts to conserve the bird.In their letter, the members wrote, in part,&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “First and foremost, we believe the Service should promote voluntary conservation work that has proven successful at conserving the bird and not list the LPC whatsoever. Given the decades-long history of private lands conservation in coordination with the Service and state partners, we believe listing the LPC undermines private property rights and will discourage critical conservation efforts on private lands. Let us be clear, while we strongly urge the Service to revoke the listing, at minimum it is necessary to delay the effective date for involved parties to effectively comply with the rule. An extension of the effective date will give industry stakeholders more time to participate in or expand voluntary conservation prior to the primary nesting season of the LPC and give ranchers time to comply with the new 4(d) rule for grazing activities or establish Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA).”The Members who signed&nbsp;Senator Marshall’s letter were U.S. Senator&nbsp;James Lankford (OK), and U.S. Representatives&nbsp;Tracey Mann (KS-01),&nbsp;Jake LaTurner (KS-02), Ron Estes (KS-04), August Pflueger (TX-11), Stephanie Bice (OK-05), Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Ronny Jackson (TX-13), Frank D. Lucas (OK-03), and Tom Cole (OK-04).

Marshall, 3 Kan. reps request extension for Lesser Prairie-Chicken listing

GEARY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged abduction and now asking the public for help to find three children.

According to Junction City Police, on December 21, Jeana Foley abducted her children identified as 6-year-old Rosie Peterson, 5-year-old Camden Peterson and 3-year-old Genevieve Peterson

On Jan. 5, a felony warrant was issued for Foley's arrest. On Wednesday, Junction City police asked the public to call 911 if you have any&nbsp; information to help bring these kids home. Police released no additional details in the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673546045642.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>GEARY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged abduction and now asking the public for help to find three children.According to Junction City Police, on December 21, Jeana Foley abducted her children identified as 6-year-old Rosie Peterson, 5-year-old Camden Peterson and 3-year-old Genevieve PetersonOn Jan. 5, a felony warrant was issued for Foley's arrest. On Wednesday, Junction City police asked the public to call 911 if you have any&nbsp; information to help bring these kids home. Police released no additional details in the case.

Police ask for help to find children abducted by their mother

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged aggravated criminal solicitation of children and have made an arrest.

Just after 7:30p.m. on Wednesday, police were flagged down at the intersection of Yale and Dunham by a family member stating three girls, ages 7-13, were solicited for sex by&nbsp;43-year-old Damien Henderson, according to Officer Chad Ditch.

The suspect fled from the scene before officers arrived. None of the girls were physically injured. The girls are known to each other.

The investigation revealed that the three girls were walking in the neighborhood together when Henderson walked up to them and solicited all of them for sex. The girls ran and informed their parents. 

Officers were already in the neighborhood when the adult flagged them down. Officers were given Henderson’s description and a short time later located him near 31st and K-15. 

<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20053750">Henderson was detained</a> without incident and is being held on requested charges of indecent solicitation of a child, failure to appear, failure to comply and domestic violence battery, according to online jail records.

Police notified Wichita Public Schools of the incident.&nbsp;This case will be presented to the District Attorney’s office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673528900779.png" alt="Henderson-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Henderson-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged aggravated criminal solicitation of children and have made an arrest.Just after 7:30p.m. on Wednesday, police were flagged down at the intersection of Yale and Dunham by a family member stating three girls, ages 7-13, were solicited for sex by&nbsp;43-year-old Damien Henderson, according to Officer Chad Ditch.The suspect fled from the scene before officers arrived. None of the girls were physically injured. The girls are known to each other.The investigation revealed that the three girls were walking in the neighborhood together when Henderson walked up to them and solicited all of them for sex. The girls ran and informed their parents. Officers were already in the neighborhood when the adult flagged them down. Officers were given Henderson’s description and a short time later located him near 31st and K-15. <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20053750">Henderson was detained</a> without incident and is being held on requested charges of indecent solicitation of a child, failure to appear, failure to comply and domestic violence battery, according to online jail records.Police notified Wichita Public Schools of the incident.&nbsp;This case will be presented to the District Attorney’s office.

Police: Kansas man approached 3 juveniles for sex 

WASHINGTON —Thousands of flights across the U.S. were canceled or delayed Wednesday after a system that offers safety information to pilots failed.  

On Wednesday afternoon, Congresswoman Nancy Mace of South Carolina filed a bill in response to the recent Southwest and FAA flight cancellations and technology failures.

The bill, titled “Commercial Cabins for Cabinet Members, “would require the Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to only fly commercial, just like every other American, until the FAA reauthorization is completed. This should provide enough time to also investigate Southwest and the FAA, according to a media release.

According to Rep. Mace, "in the past six months Sec. Buttigieg has flown private approximately 20 times. So, until the issues with Southwest and the FAA are investigated and resolved, he and his staff should be required to fly commercial just like every other American. "

“If according to Sec. Buttigieg, on MSNBC on Wednesday, the FAA systems are constantly being updated, and if they’re so good, then why is he flying private all the time?”&nbsp;said Rep. Mace.&nbsp;

“Until we see the Southwest Airlines debacle investigated; until the FAA software glitches are fixed; and until we complete the FAA reauthorization later this year, the Secretary of Transportation should be required to fly commercial just like everyone else.”&nbsp;

Read the full text of the bill here&nbsp;<a href="https://mace.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/mace.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/commercial-cabins-for-cabinet-members.pdf">Commercial Cabins for Cabinet Members Act</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666233119638.png" alt="In October, Sec. of Transportation Pete Buttigieg was in Kansas with Democrat Senate candidate Mark Holland." />
 <figcaption>In October, Sec. of Transportation Pete Buttigieg was in Kansas with Democrat Senate candidate Mark Holland.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —Thousands of flights across the U.S. were canceled or delayed Wednesday after a system that offers safety information to pilots failed. On Wednesday afternoon, Congresswoman Nancy Mace of South Carolina filed a bill in response to the recent Southwest and FAA flight cancellations and technology failures.The bill, titled “Commercial Cabins for Cabinet Members, “would require the Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to only fly commercial, just like every other American, until the FAA reauthorization is completed. This should provide enough time to also investigate Southwest and the FAA, according to a media release.According to Rep. Mace, "in the past six months Sec. Buttigieg has flown private approximately 20 times. So, until the issues with Southwest and the FAA are investigated and resolved, he and his staff should be required to fly commercial just like every other American. "“If according to Sec. Buttigieg, on MSNBC on Wednesday, the FAA systems are constantly being updated, and if they’re so good, then why is he flying private all the time?”&nbsp;said Rep. Mace.&nbsp;“Until we see the Southwest Airlines debacle investigated; until the FAA software glitches are fixed; and until we complete the FAA reauthorization later this year, the Secretary of Transportation should be required to fly commercial just like everyone else.”&nbsp;Read the full text of the bill here&nbsp;<a href="https://mace.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/mace.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/commercial-cabins-for-cabinet-members.pdf">Commercial Cabins for Cabinet Members Act</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;

Bill would force Buttigieg to fly commercial until FAA fiasco solved

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.

On Tuesday, members of the Topeka Police Department Narcotics Unit and Shawnee County Drug Task Force served a search warrant in the 500 Block SE 37th Street, according to Lt. Ronnie Connell.

&nbsp;While conducting the search warrant, officers located Phencyclidine (PCP), marijuana and drug paraphernalia. They arrested 28-year-old Shawntez Holmes of Topeka on requested charges of of&nbsp;Distribution of certain hallucinogenic, drug paraphernalia with intent,&nbsp;Aggravated child endangerment, Possession of marijuana, Unlawful to acquire proceeds from drug transaction and Driving while license is suspended.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673522475002.png" alt="Holmes-photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Holmes-photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.On Tuesday, members of the Topeka Police Department Narcotics Unit and Shawnee County Drug Task Force served a search warrant in the 500 Block SE 37th Street, according to Lt. Ronnie Connell.&nbsp;While conducting the search warrant, officers located Phencyclidine (PCP), marijuana and drug paraphernalia. They arrested 28-year-old Shawntez Holmes of Topeka on requested charges of of&nbsp;Distribution of certain hallucinogenic, drug paraphernalia with intent,&nbsp;Aggravated child endangerment, Possession of marijuana, Unlawful to acquire proceeds from drug transaction and Driving while license is suspended.

Police arrest man after finding PCP, children at Kansas home

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas' pro-life Republican attorney general is asking the state's highest court to reconsider a landmark decision protecting access to abortion months after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">a decisive statewide vote</a>&nbsp;affirming abortion rights.

Attorney General Kris Kobach said Wednesday that one reason for the Kansas Supreme Court to reconsider its 2019 ruling is the U.S. Supreme Court's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">decision in June overturning Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;and declaring that the U.S. Constitution doesn't grant a right to abortion access. The Kansas court is set to consider that issue and others in two abortion cases on Jan. 30, though Kobach said he is likely to ask for a few weeks' delay because&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-kansas-state-government-kris-kobach-10c88b6f25b565b962fb75947ff9e4fb">he took office</a>&nbsp;only Monday.

The Kansas Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3f479b218a6140719e1694fcfcdb8036">declared in 2019</a>&nbsp;that access to abortion is a matter of women's bodily autonomy and a “fundamental” right under the state's own Bill of Rights. The decision came in the first stage of a lawsuit challenging a 2015 state law banning the most common second-trimester abortion procedure, and the court is now considering the question of whether that not-yet-enforced law violates the state constitution. It also is considering the validity of extra health and safety regulations for abortion providers.

In August, Kansas voters in August rejected a proposed amendment to the state constitution pushed by Republican legislators to overturn the 2019 Kansas court decision and allow lawmakers to ban abortion. That 2019 decision inspired two self-described abortion “abolitionists” to protest Wednesday at the Statehouse before and during Kansas Supreme Court Justice Marla Luckert's annual&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrY3ARbUOQA">State of the Judiciary address</a>&nbsp;to legislators.

Democratic state Rep. John Carmichael, a Wichita attorney and abortion rights supporter, said he doubts the Kansas Supreme Court will reverse itself. Following the vote against the anti-abortion measure in August, six of the seven justices, including Luckert, faced yes-or-no votes in November on whether they would stay on the bench for another six years, and all were retained by wide margins.

“The court made the right decision based on the facts and the law, and to that extent, yes, the people vindicated that decision," Carmichael said, though he added, “I don't expect that to impact the court in its judicial decision-making.”

Kobach is inheriting the state's defense of existing abortion restrictions from his predecessor, Republican Derek Schmidt, who left office Monday after losing the race for governor in November.

Kobach noted not only the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in June but also an Iowa Supreme Court decision the week before,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-iowa-supreme-court-government-and-politics-0074e14defa4a6699e65d921f0edbc58">overtuning its own 2018 ruling</a>&nbsp;that protected abortion rights.

“One of the things that affects any court reconsidering any precedence is intervening events,” Kobach said. “There have been intervening events.”

The two Statehouse protesters, Clifton Boje and Kevan Myers, from the Kansas City, Kansas, area, had signs calling for banning abortion and describing themselves as “ambassadors of Jesus Christ.”

Myers argued that the Kansas Supreme Court's 2019 decision violates a provision of the&nbsp;<a href="https://kslib.info/826/Kansas-Bill-of-Rights">state's Bill of Rights</a>&nbsp;guaranteeing “natural rights,” including “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” The court said in 2019 that the provison protected bodily autonomy.

As lawmakers admitted Luckert and her fellow justices into the House chamber for her address, Myers said, “Oh, friends, there's no right to murder."

Afterward, Luckert told reporters after her speech that she heard the protesters' messages but, “I don't take an opinion poll before I make my decision.”

Asked whether August's statewide vote vindicated the court, Luckert said, “Vindication is not a part of my job. My job is to uphold the law, and regardless of what that vote had been, I made my legal decision based on the law."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673288684737.png" alt="Kansas Attorney General Kobach took the oath of office on Monday&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Attorney General Kobach took the oath of office on Monday&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas' pro-life Republican attorney general is asking the state's highest court to reconsider a landmark decision protecting access to abortion months after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">a decisive statewide vote</a>&nbsp;affirming abortion rights.Attorney General Kris Kobach said Wednesday that one reason for the Kansas Supreme Court to reconsider its 2019 ruling is the U.S. Supreme Court's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">decision in June overturning Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;and declaring that the U.S. Constitution doesn't grant a right to abortion access. The Kansas court is set to consider that issue and others in two abortion cases on Jan. 30, though Kobach said he is likely to ask for a few weeks' delay because&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-kansas-state-government-kris-kobach-10c88b6f25b565b962fb75947ff9e4fb">he took office</a>&nbsp;only Monday.The Kansas Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3f479b218a6140719e1694fcfcdb8036">declared in 2019</a>&nbsp;that access to abortion is a matter of women's bodily autonomy and a “fundamental” right under the state's own Bill of Rights. The decision came in the first stage of a lawsuit challenging a 2015 state law banning the most common second-trimester abortion procedure, and the court is now considering the question of whether that not-yet-enforced law violates the state constitution. It also is considering the validity of extra health and safety regulations for abortion providers.In August, Kansas voters in August rejected a proposed amendment to the state constitution pushed by Republican legislators to overturn the 2019 Kansas court decision and allow lawmakers to ban abortion. That 2019 decision inspired two self-described abortion “abolitionists” to protest Wednesday at the Statehouse before and during Kansas Supreme Court Justice Marla Luckert's annual&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrY3ARbUOQA">State of the Judiciary address</a>&nbsp;to legislators.Democratic state Rep. John Carmichael, a Wichita attorney and abortion rights supporter, said he doubts the Kansas Supreme Court will reverse itself. Following the vote against the anti-abortion measure in August, six of the seven justices, including Luckert, faced yes-or-no votes in November on whether they would stay on the bench for another six years, and all were retained by wide margins.“The court made the right decision based on the facts and the law, and to that extent, yes, the people vindicated that decision," Carmichael said, though he added, “I don't expect that to impact the court in its judicial decision-making.”Kobach is inheriting the state's defense of existing abortion restrictions from his predecessor, Republican Derek Schmidt, who left office Monday after losing the race for governor in November.Kobach noted not only the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in June but also an Iowa Supreme Court decision the week before,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-iowa-supreme-court-government-and-politics-0074e14defa4a6699e65d921f0edbc58">overtuning its own 2018 ruling</a>&nbsp;that protected abortion rights.“One of the things that affects any court reconsidering any precedence is intervening events,” Kobach said. “There have been intervening events.”The two Statehouse protesters, Clifton Boje and Kevan Myers, from the Kansas City, Kansas, area, had signs calling for banning abortion and describing themselves as “ambassadors of Jesus Christ.”Myers argued that the Kansas Supreme Court's 2019 decision violates a provision of the&nbsp;<a href="https://kslib.info/826/Kansas-Bill-of-Rights">state's Bill of Rights</a>&nbsp;guaranteeing “natural rights,” including “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” The court said in 2019 that the provison protected bodily autonomy.As lawmakers admitted Luckert and her fellow justices into the House chamber for her address, Myers said, “Oh, friends, there's no right to murder."Afterward, Luckert told reporters after her speech that she heard the protesters' messages but, “I don't take an opinion poll before I make my decision.”Asked whether August's statewide vote vindicated the court, Luckert said, “Vindication is not a part of my job. My job is to uphold the law, and regardless of what that vote had been, I made my legal decision based on the law."

New AG wants Kan. court to rethink abortion rights protections

SHAWNEE COUNTY—A Topeka firefighter was injured&nbsp; after being struck by a car while working an accident on icy Interstate 470 on Thursday.

Just before 8a.m. police and fire crews responded to a non-injury accident on westbound Interstate 470 near Huntoon, according to city spokesperson Gretchen Spiker.

A few minutes later, a vehicle not involved in the original accident, struck the firefighter who was working the accident. Personnel on scene provided immediate care to the firefighter. 

American Medical Response transported the firefighter to a local hospital with serious injuries. The firefighter is alert at the hospital, according to Spiker.

The drivers involved in both accidents were treated on scene for minor injuries that did not require transport.

The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating both accidents. Westbound Interstate 470 was shut down at Huntoon during the investigation. Officials did not release the name of the injured firefighter.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673536228071.png" alt="American Medical Response transported the firefighter to a local hospital-photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>American Medical Response transported the firefighter to a local hospital-photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—A Topeka firefighter was injured&nbsp; after being struck by a car while working an accident on icy Interstate 470 on Thursday.Just before 8a.m. police and fire crews responded to a non-injury accident on westbound Interstate 470 near Huntoon, according to city spokesperson Gretchen Spiker.A few minutes later, a vehicle not involved in the original accident, struck the firefighter who was working the accident. Personnel on scene provided immediate care to the firefighter. American Medical Response transported the firefighter to a local hospital with serious injuries. The firefighter is alert at the hospital, according to Spiker.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673536255787.png" alt="KHP is in charge of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>KHP is in charge of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>The drivers involved in both accidents were treated on scene for minor injuries that did not require transport.The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating both accidents. Westbound Interstate 470 was shut down at Huntoon during the investigation. Officials did not release the name of the injured firefighter.

Kansas firefighter struck by car while working earlier crash

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of flights across the U.S. were canceled or delayed Wednesday after a system that offers safety information to pilots failed, and the government launched an investigation into the breakdown, which grounded some planes for hours.

Senator Jerry Moran, co-chair of the Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus wants answers. 

In a statement from his office Moran and Senator Amy Klobuchar wrote,&nbsp; “Travelers in the United States deserve safe and dependable air travel service. As co-chairs of the Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus, we had a constructive conversation with FAA Acting Administrator Billy Nolen who said that his agency is working to determine what caused the breakdown to ensure it doesn’t happen again."

"We are committed to working together in a bipartisan way to strengthen and modernize our air travel system and meet the demands of our 21st century economy.”

The Federal Aviation Administration said preliminary indications “traced the outage to a damaged database file." The agency said it would take steps to avoid another similar disruption.

The breakdown showed how much American air travel depends on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-federal-aviation-administration-business-9e277db75130cc7e4d4b6c6a7bdaad7c">the computer system that generates alerts called NOTAMs</a>&nbsp;— or Notice to Air Missions.

Before a plane takes off, pilots and airline dispatchers must review the notices, which include details about bad weather, runway closures or other temporary factors that could affect the flight. The system was once telephone-based but moved online years ago.

The system broke down late Tuesday and was not fixed until midmorning Wednesday. The FAA took the rare step of preventing any planes from taking off for a time, and the cascading chaos led to more than 1,300 flight cancellations and 9,000 delays by early evening on the East Coast, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told a news conference that the problems "led to a ground stop because of the way safety information was moving through the system.”

After the failures were fixed, he warned that travelers could continue to see some effects “rippling through the system.”

Buttigieg said his agency would now try to learn why the system went down.

Longtime aviation insiders could not recall an outage of such magnitude caused by a technology failure. Some compared it in scope to the nationwide shutdown of airspace after the 2001 terrorist attacks.

“Periodically there have been local issues here or there, but this is pretty significant historically,” said Tim Campbell, a former senior vice president of air operations at American Airlines and now a consultant in Minneapolis.

Campbell said there has long been concern about the FAA’s technology, and not just the NOTAM system.

Many of those systems “are old mainframe systems that are generally reliable, but they are out of date,” he said.

John Cox, a former airline pilot and aviation safety expert, said the aviation industry has talked for years about trying to modernize the NOTAM system, but he did not know the age of the servers that the FAA uses.

“I’ve been flying 53 years. I’ve never heard the system go down like this,” Cox said. “So something unusual happened.”

According to FAA advisories, the NOTAM system failed at 8:28 p.m. Tuesday, preventing new or amended notices from being distributed to pilots. The FAA resorted to a telephone hotline to keep departures flying overnight, but as air traffic picked up in the morning, the phone system was overwhelmed.

The FAA ordered all departing flights grounded early Wednesday, affecting all passenger and cargo flights. Some medical flights could get clearance, and the outage did not affect military operations.

President Joe Biden said that he was briefed by Buttigieg.

Buttigieg said the ground stop showed that “safety is going to be our North Star, as it always is.”

“We are now pivoting to focus on understanding the causes of the issue,” he said.

Pilots and safety officials have complained about NOTAMs for years, saying there are too many of them and that some are unnecessary and written in cryptic abbreviations.

The National Transportation Safety Board highlighted the large number of notices in its investigation of a near-disaster in 2017 in San Francisco. An Air Canada jet whose pilots had overlooked a NOTAM about a closed runway nearly landed by mistake on a parallel taxiway. They skimmed just over the tops of four other airliners waiting to take off.

The safety board’s chairman at the time, Robert Sumwalt, noted that the closed runway was mentioned on the eighth of 27 pages of notices for the San Francisco airport, and the entry was written in an arcane fashion.

“That’s what NOTAMs are. They are a bunch of garbage that no one pays any attention to,” he said.

The FAA said in a 2020 report that it modernized the distribution of the notices through a standardized digital format that was to be completed in July of that year.

As the extent of Wednesday’s breakdown became clear and airlines delayed more flights, passengers scrambled to rearrange trips. Many said they had trouble finding out how long the delays would last.

“There is just a lot of frustration, a lot of confusion,” said Ryan Ososki, who was trying to fly from Washington, D.C., to California for a conference.

Julia Macpherson was on a United flight from Sydney to Los Angeles when she learned of possible delays.

“As I was up in the air, I got news from my friend who was also traveling overseas that there was a power outage,” said Macpherson, who was returning to Jacksonville, Florida, from Tasmania.

Passengers at airports in Chicago, Atlanta and elsewhere reported similar experiences.

European flights into the U.S. appeared to be largely unaffected.

It was the latest headache for travelers in the U.S., who faced an even larger number of daily flight cancellations over the Christmas holiday due to a severe winter storm and a breakdown in crew-scheduling technology at Southwest Airlines.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1650998339816.png" alt="The Federal Aviation Administration said preliminary indications “traced the outage to a damaged database file." The agency said it would take steps to avoid another similar disruption." />
 <figcaption>The Federal Aviation Administration said preliminary indications “traced the outage to a damaged database file." The agency said it would take steps to avoid another similar disruption.</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of flights across the U.S. were canceled or delayed Wednesday after a system that offers safety information to pilots failed, and the government launched an investigation into the breakdown, which grounded some planes for hours.Senator Jerry Moran, co-chair of the Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus wants answers. In a statement from his office Moran and Senator Amy Klobuchar wrote,&nbsp; “Travelers in the United States deserve safe and dependable air travel service. As co-chairs of the Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus, we had a constructive conversation with FAA Acting Administrator Billy Nolen who said that his agency is working to determine what caused the breakdown to ensure it doesn’t happen again.""We are committed to working together in a bipartisan way to strengthen and modernize our air travel system and meet the demands of our 21st century economy.”The Federal Aviation Administration said preliminary indications “traced the outage to a damaged database file." The agency said it would take steps to avoid another similar disruption.The breakdown showed how much American air travel depends on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-federal-aviation-administration-business-9e277db75130cc7e4d4b6c6a7bdaad7c">the computer system that generates alerts called NOTAMs</a>&nbsp;— or Notice to Air Missions.Before a plane takes off, pilots and airline dispatchers must review the notices, which include details about bad weather, runway closures or other temporary factors that could affect the flight. The system was once telephone-based but moved online years ago.The system broke down late Tuesday and was not fixed until midmorning Wednesday. The FAA took the rare step of preventing any planes from taking off for a time, and the cascading chaos led to more than 1,300 flight cancellations and 9,000 delays by early evening on the East Coast, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware.Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told a news conference that the problems "led to a ground stop because of the way safety information was moving through the system.”After the failures were fixed, he warned that travelers could continue to see some effects “rippling through the system.”Buttigieg said his agency would now try to learn why the system went down.Longtime aviation insiders could not recall an outage of such magnitude caused by a technology failure. Some compared it in scope to the nationwide shutdown of airspace after the 2001 terrorist attacks.“Periodically there have been local issues here or there, but this is pretty significant historically,” said Tim Campbell, a former senior vice president of air operations at American Airlines and now a consultant in Minneapolis.Campbell said there has long been concern about the FAA’s technology, and not just the NOTAM system.Many of those systems “are old mainframe systems that are generally reliable, but they are out of date,” he said.John Cox, a former airline pilot and aviation safety expert, said the aviation industry has talked for years about trying to modernize the NOTAM system, but he did not know the age of the servers that the FAA uses.“I’ve been flying 53 years. I’ve never heard the system go down like this,” Cox said. “So something unusual happened.”According to FAA advisories, the NOTAM system failed at 8:28 p.m. Tuesday, preventing new or amended notices from being distributed to pilots. The FAA resorted to a telephone hotline to keep departures flying overnight, but as air traffic picked up in the morning, the phone system was overwhelmed.The FAA ordered all departing flights grounded early Wednesday, affecting all passenger and cargo flights. Some medical flights could get clearance, and the outage did not affect military operations.President Joe Biden said that he was briefed by Buttigieg.Buttigieg said the ground stop showed that “safety is going to be our North Star, as it always is.”“We are now pivoting to focus on understanding the causes of the issue,” he said.Pilots and safety officials have complained about NOTAMs for years, saying there are too many of them and that some are unnecessary and written in cryptic abbreviations.The National Transportation Safety Board highlighted the large number of notices in its investigation of a near-disaster in 2017 in San Francisco. An Air Canada jet whose pilots had overlooked a NOTAM about a closed runway nearly landed by mistake on a parallel taxiway. They skimmed just over the tops of four other airliners waiting to take off.The safety board’s chairman at the time, Robert Sumwalt, noted that the closed runway was mentioned on the eighth of 27 pages of notices for the San Francisco airport, and the entry was written in an arcane fashion.“That’s what NOTAMs are. They are a bunch of garbage that no one pays any attention to,” he said.The FAA said in a 2020 report that it modernized the distribution of the notices through a standardized digital format that was to be completed in July of that year.As the extent of Wednesday’s breakdown became clear and airlines delayed more flights, passengers scrambled to rearrange trips. Many said they had trouble finding out how long the delays would last.“There is just a lot of frustration, a lot of confusion,” said Ryan Ososki, who was trying to fly from Washington, D.C., to California for a conference.Julia Macpherson was on a United flight from Sydney to Los Angeles when she learned of possible delays.“As I was up in the air, I got news from my friend who was also traveling overseas that there was a power outage,” said Macpherson, who was returning to Jacksonville, Florida, from Tasmania.Passengers at airports in Chicago, Atlanta and elsewhere reported similar experiences.European flights into the U.S. appeared to be largely unaffected.It was the latest headache for travelers in the U.S., who faced an even larger number of daily flight cancellations over the Christmas holiday due to a severe winter storm and a breakdown in crew-scheduling technology at Southwest Airlines.---------

Moran demands answers from FAA over air travel nightmare

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged arson.

Just after 11a.m. Tuesday fire crews first responded to the 1500 block of SW Cheyenne Hills Road on the report of a grass fire, according to Topeka Fire Dept. spokesperson Rosie Nichols. Firefighters were able to control the fire before structures were threatened. 

Soon after their arrival, they were alerted of a fire at a nearby assisted living facility in the 5800 block of SW Drury Lane. With the assistance of staff on-site, crews were able to extinguish the fire before major damage occurred.

Minutes after the initial fire call, more reports were received for grass and leaves on fire around a fence in the 1400 block of SW Glendale Drive. Crews from the south side of Topeka were dispatched to handle those fires due to the ongoing grass fire crews were already attending. 

Due to the proactive work and awareness from Topeka police officers, a woman matching the suspect’s description was located and questioned regarding the fires. 

After further investigation, it was determined that 43-year-old Colleen Knoxsah of Topeka was responsible for the fires, and she was arrested by a Topeka Fire Investigator with the assistance of a TPD officer, and the Chief of Investigations from the Office of the Kansas State Fire Marshal.

Knoxsah is in custody on requested charges that include three counts of arson, and one count of aggravated arson.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673454350216.png" alt="Knoxsah-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Knoxsah-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged arson.Just after 11a.m. Tuesday fire crews first responded to the 1500 block of SW Cheyenne Hills Road on the report of a grass fire, according to Topeka Fire Dept. spokesperson Rosie Nichols. Firefighters were able to control the fire before structures were threatened. Soon after their arrival, they were alerted of a fire at a nearby assisted living facility in the 5800 block of SW Drury Lane. With the assistance of staff on-site, crews were able to extinguish the fire before major damage occurred.Minutes after the initial fire call, more reports were received for grass and leaves on fire around a fence in the 1400 block of SW Glendale Drive. Crews from the south side of Topeka were dispatched to handle those fires due to the ongoing grass fire crews were already attending. Due to the proactive work and awareness from Topeka police officers, a woman matching the suspect’s description was located and questioned regarding the fires. After further investigation, it was determined that 43-year-old Colleen Knoxsah of Topeka was responsible for the fires, and she was arrested by a Topeka Fire Investigator with the assistance of a TPD officer, and the Chief of Investigations from the Office of the Kansas State Fire Marshal.Knoxsah is in custody on requested charges that include three counts of arson, and one count of aggravated arson.

Kansas woman accused of setting series of fires

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities in Kansas have assisted in arresting a sex crime suspect.

Last week, the&nbsp;Schoharie County New York Sheriff's Office&nbsp;contacted officials in Kansas about a possible wanted felon located in Shawnee County, according to a media release.

The 28-year-old suspect identified as Briad D. Kosier, was wanted for an alleged sex crime against a minor. 

Deputies with the Shawnee County Fugitive Warrant Unit located the Kosier and took him into custody without incident. 

He remains in the Shawnee County Department of Corrections waiting for extradition. The bond warrant, according to online jail records is $250,000.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673472138066.png" alt="Kosier-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Kosier-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities in Kansas have assisted in arresting a sex crime suspect.Last week, the&nbsp;Schoharie County New York Sheriff's Office&nbsp;contacted officials in Kansas about a possible wanted felon located in Shawnee County, according to a media release.The 28-year-old suspect identified as Briad D. Kosier, was wanted for an alleged sex crime against a minor. Deputies with the Shawnee County Fugitive Warrant Unit located the Kosier and took him into custody without incident. He remains in the Shawnee County Department of Corrections waiting for extradition. The bond warrant, according to online jail records is $250,000.

New York child sex crime suspect captured in Kansas

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s legal team has discovered additional documents containing classification markings in a second location, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The revelation comes days after an attorney for the president said Biden’s lawyers had discovered a “small number” of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-812ef44a5333f6d93423a67a683fa024">classified documents at his former office space</a>&nbsp;in Washington.

Earlier this week, the White House confirmed that the Department of Justice was reviewing “a small number of documents with classified markings” found at the office. Biden’s attorneys had discovered the documents at the offices of the Penn Biden Center and then immediately called the National Archives about the discovery, the White House said. Biden kept an office there after he left the vice presidency in 2017 until shortly before he launched his Democratic presidential campaign in 2019.

The person who spoke to the AP Wednesday said the president’s legal team found additional classified material at a second location. The person was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the sensitive matter and spoke on condition of anonymity. The person did not say when or where the material was found or specific details about the level of classification of the documents.

The revelation that additional classified documents were uncovered by Biden’s attorneys came hours after White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dodged questions about Biden’s handling of classified information and the West Wing’s management of the discovery. She said the White House was committed to handling the matter in the “right way,” pointing to Biden’s personal attorneys’ immediate notification of the National Archives.

But she refused to say when Biden himself had been briefed, whether there were any more classified documents potentially located at other unauthorized locations, and why the White House waited more than two months to reveal the discovery of the initial batch of documents, which were found Nov. 2, days before the midterm elections.

(Click below to watch the White House Press Sec. answer questions on the documents)

“As my colleagues in the Counsel have stated and said to all of you yesterday, this is an ongoing process under the review of the Department of Justice. So we are going to be limited on what we can say here," Jean-Pierre said.

The White House and Justice Department declined to comment Wednesday on reports of the second set of classified records. It was first reported by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/biden-aides-find-second-batch-classified-documents-new-location-rcna65371">NBC News</a>.

The Justice Department is reviewing the records that were found at the Penn Biden Center and Attorney General Merrick Garland has asked John Lausch, the U.S. attorney in Chicago, to review the the matter, another person familiar with the matter told the AP this week. That person also was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

Lausch is one of the few U.S. attorneys to be held over from former President Donald Trump’s administration.

Irrespective of the Justice Department review, the revelation that Biden potentially mishandled classified or presidential records could prove to be a political headache for the president, who called Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-national-security-9c1f6dca7e3e8073ee029604c8253a5c">decision to keep hundreds of such records</a>&nbsp;at his private club in Florida “irresponsible.”

Biden has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-district-of-columbia-us-department-justice-a45855907a73acb256bb7c4dd5a91610">said he was “surprised to learn that there are any government records that were taken there to that office”</a>&nbsp;but his lawyers “did what they should have done” when they immediately called the National Archives.

The top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee has requested that the U.S. intelligence community conduct a “damage assessment” of potentially classified documents.

The revelation also may complicate the Justice Department’s consideration of whether to bring charges against Trump, a Republican who is trying to win back the White House in 2024 and has repeatedly claimed the department’s inquiry into his own conduct amounted to “corruption.”

There&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-classified-documents-trump-side-by-side-fb2c4ebccdbdbb9039c1c5e227b1da53">are significant differences between the Trump and Biden situations</a>, including the gravity of an ongoing grand jury investigation into the Mar-a-Lago matter.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673489410307.png" alt="The White House and Justice Department declined to comment Wednesday on reports of the second set of classified records.-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>The White House and Justice Department declined to comment Wednesday on reports of the second set of classified records.-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s legal team has discovered additional documents containing classification markings in a second location, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The revelation comes days after an attorney for the president said Biden’s lawyers had discovered a “small number” of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-812ef44a5333f6d93423a67a683fa024">classified documents at his former office space</a>&nbsp;in Washington.Earlier this week, the White House confirmed that the Department of Justice was reviewing “a small number of documents with classified markings” found at the office. Biden’s attorneys had discovered the documents at the offices of the Penn Biden Center and then immediately called the National Archives about the discovery, the White House said. Biden kept an office there after he left the vice presidency in 2017 until shortly before he launched his Democratic presidential campaign in 2019.The person who spoke to the AP Wednesday said the president’s legal team found additional classified material at a second location. The person was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the sensitive matter and spoke on condition of anonymity. The person did not say when or where the material was found or specific details about the level of classification of the documents.The revelation that additional classified documents were uncovered by Biden’s attorneys came hours after White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dodged questions about Biden’s handling of classified information and the West Wing’s management of the discovery. She said the White House was committed to handling the matter in the “right way,” pointing to Biden’s personal attorneys’ immediate notification of the National Archives.But she refused to say when Biden himself had been briefed, whether there were any more classified documents potentially located at other unauthorized locations, and why the White House waited more than two months to reveal the discovery of the initial batch of documents, which were found Nov. 2, days before the midterm elections.(Click below to watch the White House Press Sec. answer questions on the documents)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F1178795769445405%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=613" 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>“As my colleagues in the Counsel have stated and said to all of you yesterday, this is an ongoing process under the review of the Department of Justice. So we are going to be limited on what we can say here," Jean-Pierre said.The White House and Justice Department declined to comment Wednesday on reports of the second set of classified records. It was first reported by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/biden-aides-find-second-batch-classified-documents-new-location-rcna65371">NBC News</a>.The Justice Department is reviewing the records that were found at the Penn Biden Center and Attorney General Merrick Garland has asked John Lausch, the U.S. attorney in Chicago, to review the the matter, another person familiar with the matter told the AP this week. That person also was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.Lausch is one of the few U.S. attorneys to be held over from former President Donald Trump’s administration.Irrespective of the Justice Department review, the revelation that Biden potentially mishandled classified or presidential records could prove to be a political headache for the president, who called Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-national-security-9c1f6dca7e3e8073ee029604c8253a5c">decision to keep hundreds of such records</a>&nbsp;at his private club in Florida “irresponsible.”Biden has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-district-of-columbia-us-department-justice-a45855907a73acb256bb7c4dd5a91610">said he was “surprised to learn that there are any government records that were taken there to that office”</a>&nbsp;but his lawyers “did what they should have done” when they immediately called the National Archives.The top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee has requested that the U.S. intelligence community conduct a “damage assessment” of potentially classified documents.The revelation also may complicate the Justice Department’s consideration of whether to bring charges against Trump, a Republican who is trying to win back the White House in 2024 and has repeatedly claimed the department’s inquiry into his own conduct amounted to “corruption.”There&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-classified-documents-trump-side-by-side-fb2c4ebccdbdbb9039c1c5e227b1da53">are significant differences between the Trump and Biden situations</a>, including the gravity of an ongoing grand jury investigation into the Mar-a-Lago matter.

🎥Biden team finds more classified documents at second location

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man accused in the&nbsp;&nbsp;alleged kidnappings involving three juveniles near a Kansas elementary school made his first court appearance Tuesday.

<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20063339">&nbsp;Manasseh Ward, 21, Wichita,</a> is charged with kidnapping, 4 counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, aggravated kidnapping, 3 counts of aggravated criminal sodomy, 2 counts of attempted rape, aggravated assault and interference with law enforcement, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Just before 4p.m. January 4, a teenage girl reported being kidnapped by a bi-racial man driving a blue vehicle in the 6600 block of East Boston in Wichita, according to Officer Chad Ditch.

 The man attempted to sexually assault the girl in the car. The man let the child go and she reported the incident to a family member.

Just before 9a.m. January 5, two elementary-aged children, a boy and girl, left their home on foot in the 900 block of South Drury to head to Clark Elementary School at 650 S Apache in Wichita.

A man in a blue vehicle kidnapped the children. The suspect put both kids in his vehicle and then drove away. A short time later he dropped the boy victim off and left with the girl..

While gathering information officers were patrolling the area and located the suspect vehicle and attempted to stop it. &nbsp;A brief foot pursuit occurred and officers took Ward into custody in the 6600 block of East Boston.&nbsp; 

<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20063339">He is being held on $1, 600,000 bond.</a>&nbsp;The next court hearing in the case is January 26, according to the district attorney's office. His bond in an earlier probation violation is one-million dollar

In September, police arrested Ward on requested charges of of aggravated domestic battery, according to Sedgwick County booking report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673010286685.png" alt="Ward-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Ward-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man accused in the&nbsp;&nbsp;alleged kidnappings involving three juveniles near a Kansas elementary school made his first court appearance Tuesday.<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20063339">&nbsp;Manasseh Ward, 21, Wichita,</a> is charged with kidnapping, 4 counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, aggravated kidnapping, 3 counts of aggravated criminal sodomy, 2 counts of attempted rape, aggravated assault and interference with law enforcement, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Just before 4p.m. January 4, a teenage girl reported being kidnapped by a bi-racial man driving a blue vehicle in the 6600 block of East Boston in Wichita, according to Officer Chad Ditch. The man attempted to sexually assault the girl in the car. The man let the child go and she reported the incident to a family member.Just before 9a.m. January 5, two elementary-aged children, a boy and girl, left their home on foot in the 900 block of South Drury to head to Clark Elementary School at 650 S Apache in Wichita.A man in a blue vehicle kidnapped the children. The suspect put both kids in his vehicle and then drove away. A short time later he dropped the boy victim off and left with the girl..While gathering information officers were patrolling the area and located the suspect vehicle and attempted to stop it. &nbsp;A brief foot pursuit occurred and officers took Ward into custody in the 6600 block of East Boston.&nbsp; <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20063339">He is being held on $1, 600,000 bond.</a>&nbsp;The next court hearing in the case is January 26, according to the district attorney's office. His bond in an earlier probation violation is one-million dollarIn September, police arrested Ward on requested charges of of aggravated domestic battery, according to Sedgwick County booking report.

Man charged in kidnapping, sex assault of kids near Kan. school

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Geico is off the hook, at least for now, from paying a Missouri woman $5.2 million because she said she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-kansas-lawsuits-business-d2968fb49ad807a720223ec09e7bc614">contracted a sexually transmitted disease in the car</a>&nbsp;of a man who is insured by the company.

The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=191589">ruled unanimously</a>&nbsp;to overturn a lower court’s ruling that favored paying the woman. Instead, the state Supreme Court judges said Maryland-based Geico should have had a chance to weigh in sooner and sent the case back to the lower court for further deliberation.

According to court documents, the woman, identified as M.O., and a man, who were in a relationship, had sex in the man’s car. She contends she contracted HPV, human papillomavirus, because the man did not tell her he had the disease. HPV can cause cervical cancer, certain other cancers and genital warts.

In February 2021, M.O. notified Geico she planned to seek a $1 million insurance settlement against the man. She argued the man’s auto insurance provided coverage for her injuries and losses.

The insurance company refused the settlement, saying the woman’s claim did not occur because of normal use of the vehicle, according to court documents.

An arbitrator eventually determined she should be awarded $5.2 million for damages and her injuries. Geico sought to intervene in the case but was denied by an appeals court.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Geico could be required to pay a Missouri woman $5.2 million because she said she contracted a sexually transmitted disease while having sex in the car of a man who is insured by the company.

A three-judge panel of the Missouri Court of Appeals on Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=187183">upheld</a>&nbsp;a Jackson County Court's decision affirming an arbitrator's finding that the woman was entitled to the award.

However, Maryland-based Geico has filed a federal lawsuit arguing the woman's claim is not covered by the man's insurance policy. The company said in an email Thursday that lawsuit will determine whether “there is coverage in this matter.”

According to court documents, the woman, identified as M.O., and a man, who were in a relationship, had sex in the man's car. She contends she contracted HPV, human papillomavirus, because the man did not tell her he had the disease. HPV can cause cervical cancer, certain other cancers and genital warts.

The insurance company refused the settlement offer, saying the woman's claim did not occur because of normal use of the vehicle, according to court documents.

An arbitrator eventually determined she should be awarded $5.2 million for damages and her injuries. She then filed a motion in Jackson County Court seeking to confirm the award.

Geico claimed it did not know the man and woman had entered into arbitration and, when it found out, it sought to intervene in the court case. The company argued the arbitration award was reached through collusion and fraud, violated its rights to due process and was unenforceable.

The lower court rejected Geico's requests and confirmed the award, prompting the insurance company's appeal because it said it did not have a “meaningful opportunity” to defend its interests, according to court documents.

The appeals court found that Geico did not have the right to “re-litigate” the issues after the award had been affirmed.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Geico is off the hook, at least for now, from paying a Missouri woman $5.2 million because she said she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-kansas-lawsuits-business-d2968fb49ad807a720223ec09e7bc614">contracted a sexually transmitted disease in the car</a>&nbsp;of a man who is insured by the company.The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=191589">ruled unanimously</a>&nbsp;to overturn a lower court’s ruling that favored paying the woman. Instead, the state Supreme Court judges said Maryland-based Geico should have had a chance to weigh in sooner and sent the case back to the lower court for further deliberation.According to court documents, the woman, identified as M.O., and a man, who were in a relationship, had sex in the man’s car. She contends she contracted HPV, human papillomavirus, because the man did not tell her he had the disease. HPV can cause cervical cancer, certain other cancers and genital warts.In February 2021, M.O. notified Geico she planned to seek a $1 million insurance settlement against the man. She argued the man’s auto insurance provided coverage for her injuries and losses.The insurance company refused the settlement, saying the woman’s claim did not occur because of normal use of the vehicle, according to court documents.An arbitrator eventually determined she should be awarded $5.2 million for damages and her injuries. Geico sought to intervene in the case but was denied by an appeals court.---------------KANSAS CITY (AP) — Geico could be required to pay a Missouri woman $5.2 million because she said she contracted a sexually transmitted disease while having sex in the car of a man who is insured by the company.A three-judge panel of the Missouri Court of Appeals on Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=187183">upheld</a>&nbsp;a Jackson County Court's decision affirming an arbitrator's finding that the woman was entitled to the award.However, Maryland-based Geico has filed a federal lawsuit arguing the woman's claim is not covered by the man's insurance policy. The company said in an email Thursday that lawsuit will determine whether “there is coverage in this matter.”According to court documents, the woman, identified as M.O., and a man, who were in a relationship, had sex in the man's car. She contends she contracted HPV, human papillomavirus, because the man did not tell her he had the disease. HPV can cause cervical cancer, certain other cancers and genital warts.In February 2021, M.O. notified Geico she planned to seek a $1 million insurance settlement against the man. She argued the man’s auto insurance provided coverage for her injuries and losses.The insurance company refused the settlement offer, saying the woman's claim did not occur because of normal use of the vehicle, according to court documents.An arbitrator eventually determined she should be awarded $5.2 million for damages and her injuries. She then filed a motion in Jackson County Court seeking to confirm the award.Geico claimed it did not know the man and woman had entered into arbitration and, when it found out, it sought to intervene in the court case. The company argued the arbitration award was reached through collusion and fraud, violated its rights to due process and was unenforceable.The lower court rejected Geico's requests and confirmed the award, prompting the insurance company's appeal because it said it did not have a “meaningful opportunity” to defend its interests, according to court documents.The appeals court found that Geico did not have the right to “re-litigate” the issues after the award had been affirmed.

Judges vacate $5M payout to woman who got STD during sex in car

KANSAS CITY (AP ) —A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-kansas-city-missouri-9aa2d772f73edfa09cde4d2b337fdba2">Christian boarding school in Missouri</a>&nbsp;that's been under intense scrutiny over abuse allegations announced Wednesday that it will close later this month due to financial hardship.

Agape Boarding School in Stockton has been the subject of state and location investigations and several lawsuits from former students. It will stop providing service effective Jan. 20, according to a statement from the school for boys.

Attendance at Agape plummeted after abuse allegations surfaced. Agape had 132 students 13 months ago, its lawyer, John Schultz said. It now has 12.

The school’s focus now is “on getting the boys who remain in the program safely transitioned to their parents or to foster care, other group homes or residential programs," its former director, Bryan Clemensen, said in a statement.

Clemensen said the decision to close "is voluntary and solely due to the lack of financial resources to continue caring for the boys.”

Agape's trouble began in 2020 when former students came forward with abuse allegations. One former student said he was raped at Agape and called “seizure boy” because of his epilepsy. Others said they suffered permanent injuries from being disciplined or forced to work long hours of manual labor.

Allegations of physical and sexual abuse at Agape and Circle of Hope Girls’ Ranch prompted a state law in 2021 requiring stricter oversight of such facilities. Missouri previously had virtually no oversight for religious boarding schools.

In 2021,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-missouri-springfield-89eb20fc1edcba8cf5963abdc69e48c8">Agape’s longtime doctor, David Smock</a>, was charged with child sex crimes and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-education-child-abuse-kansas-missouri-a97fcf244d041a1468945b10af5f5f76">five employees were charged</a>&nbsp;with low-level abuse counts. Then-Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s office contended that 22 workers should have been charged, and with more serious crimes. But in Missouri, only the local prosecutor can file charges, and Cedar County Prosecuting Attorney Ty Gaither has said no additional employees would be charged.

Meanwhile, the husband-and-wife&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-fe24ade3e378bfb53796a0af7cd71deb">founders of Circle of Hope</a>, Boyd and Stephanie Householder, face a combined 99 charges that include child abuse and neglect, sex crimes and other counts. The school closed in 2020 amid investigations.

Several lawsuits filed on behalf of former students also have named Agape and Circle of Hope. One former Agape student who sued, Robert Bucklin, said the closure means justice “has finally prevailed.”

“Today, the hundreds of victims who have come forth can rest assured that no more children will be hurt at Agape Boarding School,” Bucklin said in a text. “The healing process can start for so many.”

Among other things, the new state law allows state or local authorities to petition the court for closure of a facility if children's safety or health are believed to be in immediate danger.

Schmitt last year asked a Cedar County judge to close Agape, but the judge had not yet issued a decision. Schmitt was elected to the U.S. Senate last year and sworn in this month. The newly appointed attorney general, Andrew Bailey, had said he planned to continue pursuing closure.

KANSAS CITY (AP ) —A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-kansas-city-missouri-9aa2d772f73edfa09cde4d2b337fdba2">Christian boarding school in Missouri</a>&nbsp;that's been under intense scrutiny over abuse allegations announced Wednesday that it will close later this month due to financial hardship.Agape Boarding School in Stockton has been the subject of state and location investigations and several lawsuits from former students. It will stop providing service effective Jan. 20, according to a statement from the school for boys.Attendance at Agape plummeted after abuse allegations surfaced. Agape had 132 students 13 months ago, its lawyer, John Schultz said. It now has 12.The school’s focus now is “on getting the boys who remain in the program safely transitioned to their parents or to foster care, other group homes or residential programs," its former director, Bryan Clemensen, said in a statement.Clemensen said the decision to close "is voluntary and solely due to the lack of financial resources to continue caring for the boys.”Agape's trouble began in 2020 when former students came forward with abuse allegations. One former student said he was raped at Agape and called “seizure boy” because of his epilepsy. Others said they suffered permanent injuries from being disciplined or forced to work long hours of manual labor.Allegations of physical and sexual abuse at Agape and Circle of Hope Girls’ Ranch prompted a state law in 2021 requiring stricter oversight of such facilities. Missouri previously had virtually no oversight for religious boarding schools.In 2021,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-missouri-springfield-89eb20fc1edcba8cf5963abdc69e48c8">Agape’s longtime doctor, David Smock</a>, was charged with child sex crimes and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-education-child-abuse-kansas-missouri-a97fcf244d041a1468945b10af5f5f76">five employees were charged</a>&nbsp;with low-level abuse counts. Then-Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s office contended that 22 workers should have been charged, and with more serious crimes. But in Missouri, only the local prosecutor can file charges, and Cedar County Prosecuting Attorney Ty Gaither has said no additional employees would be charged.Meanwhile, the husband-and-wife&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-fe24ade3e378bfb53796a0af7cd71deb">founders of Circle of Hope</a>, Boyd and Stephanie Householder, face a combined 99 charges that include child abuse and neglect, sex crimes and other counts. The school closed in 2020 amid investigations.Several lawsuits filed on behalf of former students also have named Agape and Circle of Hope. One former Agape student who sued, Robert Bucklin, said the closure means justice “has finally prevailed.”“Today, the hundreds of victims who have come forth can rest assured that no more children will be hurt at Agape Boarding School,” Bucklin said in a text. “The healing process can start for so many.”Among other things, the new state law allows state or local authorities to petition the court for closure of a facility if children's safety or health are believed to be in immediate danger.Schmitt last year asked a Cedar County judge to close Agape, but the judge had not yet issued a decision. Schmitt was elected to the U.S. Senate last year and sworn in this month. The newly appointed attorney general, Andrew Bailey, had said he planned to continue pursuing closure.

Christian boarding school under investigation will shut down

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on drug and weapons charges after a high speed chase.

Just after 1a.m. Tuesday, a deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a&nbsp; 2001 Chevrolet Suburban near NW Gordon Street and NW Polk Street&nbsp; with an unreadable tag, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

The driver failed to stop and initiated a pursuit that continued in north Topeka before crossing the Kansas Avenue bridge. A deputy performed a successful tactical vehicle intervention (TVI) near SE 6th Street and SE Liberty Street, ending the pursuit. 

Both occupants were taken into custody. During the investigation, illegal narcotics and two handguns were located inside the vehicle.

The driver, Keith F. Kulper Jr., 42, of Topeka, received medical attention at a local hospital for shoulder pain. Kulper Jr. was then booked into the Shawnee County Department of Correction on requested charges of felon in possession of a firearm, criminal possession of a firearm, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, felony flee and elude, endangerment, improper registration of vehicle, driving while suspended, and no insurance. Kulper Jr. was also booked in on a felony warrant through the Kansas Department of Corrections for a parole violation with the original charge being criminal possession of a weapon.

The passenger, Jennifer D. Richardson, 28, of Topeka, was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on a warrant through Shawnee County for probation violation (original charge being theft) as well as a felony warrant through Neosho County, Kan. for possession of opiates.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673436237910.png" alt="Kulper-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Kulper-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on drug and weapons charges after a high speed chase.Just after 1a.m. Tuesday, a deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a&nbsp; 2001 Chevrolet Suburban near NW Gordon Street and NW Polk Street&nbsp; with an unreadable tag, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.The driver failed to stop and initiated a pursuit that continued in north Topeka before crossing the Kansas Avenue bridge. A deputy performed a successful tactical vehicle intervention (TVI) near SE 6th Street and SE Liberty Street, ending the pursuit. Both occupants were taken into custody. During the investigation, illegal narcotics and two handguns were located inside the vehicle.The driver, Keith F. Kulper Jr., 42, of Topeka, received medical attention at a local hospital for shoulder pain. Kulper Jr. was then booked into the Shawnee County Department of Correction on requested charges of felon in possession of a firearm, criminal possession of a firearm, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, felony flee and elude, endangerment, improper registration of vehicle, driving while suspended, and no insurance. Kulper Jr. was also booked in on a felony warrant through the Kansas Department of Corrections for a parole violation with the original charge being criminal possession of a weapon.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673436341293.png" alt="Richardson-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Richardson-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>The passenger, Jennifer D. Richardson, 28, of Topeka, was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on a warrant through Shawnee County for probation violation (original charge being theft) as well as a felony warrant through Neosho County, Kan. for possession of opiates.

Sheriff: Wanted Kansas felon captured after chase

BROWN COUNTY&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), the Brown County Sheriff’s Office, and the Horton Police Department are investigating a suspicious death after a man was found dead Tuesday afternoon in rural Horton, Kansas, according to a media release from the KBI.

Just after 4 p.m. Tuesday, the Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from a woman requesting law enforcement assistance at 1435 K-20 Highway, in Horton.

 Upon arrival, Brown County deputies discovered a man’s body in the attic of the home. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The man has been identified as Gene A.&nbsp; Dunlap, 56. Dunlap lived at the residence where he was found. An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday.&nbsp;

BROWN COUNTY&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), the Brown County Sheriff’s Office, and the Horton Police Department are investigating a suspicious death after a man was found dead Tuesday afternoon in rural Horton, Kansas, according to a media release from the KBI.Just after 4 p.m. Tuesday, the Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from a woman requesting law enforcement assistance at 1435 K-20 Highway, in Horton. Upon arrival, Brown County deputies discovered a man’s body in the attic of the home. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.The man has been identified as Gene A.&nbsp; Dunlap, 56. Dunlap lived at the residence where he was found. An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday.&nbsp;