ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A towering amusement ride in central Florida's tourism district where a Missouri teen fell to his death will be taken down because of the accident, the owner said Thursday.

The decision to remove the more than 400-foot (122-meter) ride which opened last December in Orlando's International Drive district was directly linked to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/orlando-florida-missouri-obituaries-6dcc0a65607f5038f5044c6d1d485826">the death</a>&nbsp;of 14-year-old Tyre Sampson last March, the owner, Orlando Slingshot, said in a statement.

Sampson, who lived near St. Louis, Missouri, was visiting Orlando during spring break when he died from the fall. The company also said it planned to create a scholarship in the teen's name.

“We are devastated by Tyre’s death. We have listened to the wishes of Tyre’s family and the community, and have made the decision to take down the FreeFall,” said Ritchie Armstrong, an official with Orlando Slingshot.

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 well above the ride manual’s weight limit of 287 pounds.

An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-orlando-e9470b0e84a8c59e1bdb1fb06314f170">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 and that a full review of the ride’s design and operations was needed.

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.

No timeline was given for when the ride will be taken down.

<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) — A towering amusement ride in central Florida's tourism district where a Missouri teen fell to his death will be taken down because of the accident, the owner said Thursday.The decision to remove the more than 400-foot (122-meter) ride which opened last December in Orlando's International Drive district was directly linked to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/orlando-florida-missouri-obituaries-6dcc0a65607f5038f5044c6d1d485826">the death</a>&nbsp;of 14-year-old Tyre Sampson last March, the owner, Orlando Slingshot, said in a statement.Sampson, who lived near St. Louis, Missouri, was visiting Orlando during spring break when he died from the fall. The company also said it planned to create a scholarship in the teen's name.“We are devastated by Tyre’s death. We have listened to the wishes of Tyre’s family and the community, and have made the decision to take down the FreeFall,” said Ritchie Armstrong, an official with Orlando Slingshot.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 well above the ride manual’s weight limit of 287 pounds.An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-orlando-e9470b0e84a8c59e1bdb1fb06314f170">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 and that a full review of the ride’s design and operations was needed.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.No timeline was given for when the ride will be taken down.

Amusement park drop tower will be taken down after teen's death

By STEPHANIE VANDER WEL <a href="https://theconversation.com/loretta-lynn-was-more-than-a-great-songwriter-she-was-a-spokeswoman-for-white-rural-working-class-women-191932">The Conversation</a>

Loretta Lynn’s <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/04/arts/music/loretta-lynn-dead.html">death at the age of 90</a> marks the end of a remarkable life of achievement in country music.

Her dramatic life story – retold in the 1980 award-winning film “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080549/">Coal Miner’s Daughter</a>,” based on <a href="https://www.grandcentralpublishing.com/titles/loretta-lynn/coal-miners-daughter/9781538701690/">Lynn’s 1976 biography</a>
 – made Lynn a household name. She grew up in poverty in a small 
Kentucky mining town, marrying and starting a family as a teenager 
before reaching unprecedented heights of commercial success as a 
recording artist of modern country music.

But as a <a href="https://arts-sciences.buffalo.edu/music/faculty/faculty-directory.host.html/content/shared/arts-sciences/music/new-faculty-profiles/vander-wel-stephanie.html">scholar of gender and country music</a> and author of “<a href="https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=p084959">Hillbilly Maidens, Okies, and Cowgirls: Women’s Country Music, 1930-1960</a>,”
 I know that Lynn represented more than just star power and fame in 
country music – she spoke to the concerns of women, especially white 
working-class women in rural and suburban America.

Lynn’s rise in the 1960s took place when country music appeared tied 
to conservative politics. It was a time when Merle Haggard’s “<a href="https://academic.oup.com/california-scholarship-online/book/28551/chapter-abstract/238414028?redirectedFrom=fulltext">Okie from Muskogee</a>,”
 with its attacks on counterculture, marijuana and draft-card burning, 
became a populist anthem for the country’s cultural conservatives.

In contrast, Lynn’s songwriting continued the legacy of <a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-kitty-wells-20120717-story.html">Kitty Wells</a>, <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2016/09/25/country-music-hall-famer-jean-shepard-dead-82/76568704/">Jean Shepard</a> and other women in country music who were willing to speak up about the concerns of American women.

Lynn’s songs defied societal expectations by connecting her musical 
representations of working-class and rural women to broader social 
issues affecting women across the U.S.

She aimed for her music to articulate the fears, dreams and anger of 
women living in a patriarchal society. It railed against those who 
idealized women’s domestic roles and demonized outspoken feminists.

Specifically, for a generation of predominantly white women in the 
1960s and 1970s who did not identify as urban or college-educated 
feminists, Lynn’s music offered candid conversations about their private
 lives as wives and mothers.

As Lynn <a href="https://www.grandcentralpublishing.com/titles/loretta-lynn/coal-miners-daughter/9781538701690/">stated in her autobiography</a>, her audience recognized her as a “mother and a wife and a daughter, who had feelings just like other women.”

She did this through clever and witty songwriting and lyrical 
techniques that combined the vernacular of her audience with her 
resonant voice.

Meanwhile, the song arrangements of Owen Bradley of Decca Records 
directed Lynn’s musical talents to a broad audience. He combined the 
edgier sound of honky-tonk instrumentation – electric guitars, pedal 
steels and fiddles – with the polish of the Nashville sound by including
 the smooth sounding vocal harmonies of the vocal quartet the <a href="http://www.jordanaires.net/">Jordanaires</a>, as heard in numerous country, gospel and rock ‘n’ roll recordings.

This provided a sound of strength and conviction to accompany Lynn’s 
bold and forthright songs as she laid bare the double standards of 
gender roles. 

With her assertive and resonant voice, Lynn, in her 1966 track “<a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/loretta-lynn-best-lyrics-songwriting-175002/">Don’t Come Home A Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind)</a>,” warns men not to expect women to be waiting at home, sexually available for them after they’d spent the night drinking:

Well, you thought I’d be waitin’ up when you came home last night You’d been out with all the boys and you ended up half tight Liquor and love, they just don’t mix Leave that bottle or me behind And don’t come home a drinkin’ with lovin’ on your mind

In a similar vein, Lynn, who <a href="https://www.grandcentralpublishing.com/titles/loretta-lynn/coal-miners-daughter/9781538701690/">claimed that her songs about wayward husbands</a>
 were inspired by her fraught marriage to Oliver “Doolittle” Lynn, 
confronted the “other woman” in songs such as 1966’s “You Ain’t Woman 
Enough” and 1968’s “Fist City.”

Fully aware that her personalized accounts became political messages for her fan base of women, Lynn co-wrote and recorded “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/music/2022/10/04/loretta-lynn-the-pill/">The Pill</a>”
 in 1975. It was a rare foray into the topic of women’s reproductive 
rights for country music. In typical fashion, though, Lynn approached 
the issue from the perspective of a rural working-class woman:

I’m tired of all your crowin’ How you and your hens play While holdin’ a couple in my arms Another’s on the way This chicken’s done tore up her nest And I’m ready to make a deal And ya can’t afford to turn it down ‘Cause you know I’ve got the pill

The song’s sexual innuendos about cavorting roosters and hens 
incorporated the double entendres and humor of early blues and country, 
while providing a frank discussion about female sexual pleasure. It also
 addressed the right for women to take control over their bodies and 
reproduction.

The song came out just two years after <a href="https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/410/113/">the Supreme Court passed Roe v. Wade</a>, granting women the ability to govern their own reproductive health through abortion.

Indeed, Lynn commented on the Supreme Court’s ruling in her autobiography:

“Personally, I think you should prevent unwanted pregnancy rather than get an abortion. It would be wrong for me. But I’m thinking of all the poor girls who get pregnant when they don’t want to be, and how they should have a choice instead of leaving it up to some politician or doctor who don’t have to raise the baby.”

Her recording “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/music/2022/10/04/loretta-lynn-the-pill/">The Pill</a>”
 spoke to married women who wanted to be able to space out their 
children and prevent unwanted pregnancies so that they could pursue 
educational and professional opportunities.

In interviews, Lynn discussed at length how female listeners flocked 
to her after concerts, relieved to find a public figure with whom they 
felt comfortable to discuss birth control. 

Not everyone was thrilled, though. Male country <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/after-country-stations-banned-loretta-lynns-the-pill-it-became-her-biggest-pop-hit">disc jockeys banned</a>
 “The Pill” from the airwaves. Nonetheless, the recording became her 
biggest seller in 1975 and furthered Lynn’s reputation as a spokeswoman 
for white rural working-class women.

Her music also inspired the women in country music who followed her 
to further explore issues of gender roles. Lynn’s legacy lives on in the
 music of female country artists – such as <a href="https://www.reba.com/">Reba McEntire</a> and <a href="https://www.mirandalambert.com/">Miranda Lambert</a> – who learned from Lynn how to create music that confronts and triumphs over the societal obstacles that women face.

While all of country music will mourn the death of Lynn, it is 
perhaps her female fans who will feel the loss more acutely. Lynn gave 
them a social and political voice, and helped make country music a genre
 relevant to the complexities of women’s lives.

Stephanie Vander Wel is an Associate Professor of Music at the University at Buffalo.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1664893801410.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By STEPHANIE VANDER WEL <a href="https://theconversation.com/loretta-lynn-was-more-than-a-great-songwriter-she-was-a-spokeswoman-for-white-rural-working-class-women-191932">The Conversation</a>Loretta Lynn’s <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/04/arts/music/loretta-lynn-dead.html">death at the age of 90</a> marks the end of a remarkable life of achievement in country music.Her dramatic life story – retold in the 1980 award-winning film “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080549/">Coal Miner’s Daughter</a>,” based on <a href="https://www.grandcentralpublishing.com/titles/loretta-lynn/coal-miners-daughter/9781538701690/">Lynn’s 1976 biography</a>
 – made Lynn a household name. She grew up in poverty in a small 
Kentucky mining town, marrying and starting a family as a teenager 
before reaching unprecedented heights of commercial success as a 
recording artist of modern country music.But as a <a href="https://arts-sciences.buffalo.edu/music/faculty/faculty-directory.host.html/content/shared/arts-sciences/music/new-faculty-profiles/vander-wel-stephanie.html">scholar of gender and country music</a> and author of “<a href="https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=p084959">Hillbilly Maidens, Okies, and Cowgirls: Women’s Country Music, 1930-1960</a>,”
 I know that Lynn represented more than just star power and fame in 
country music – she spoke to the concerns of women, especially white 
working-class women in rural and suburban America.<h2>Speaking up, singing out</h2>Lynn’s rise in the 1960s took place when country music appeared tied 
to conservative politics. It was a time when Merle Haggard’s “<a href="https://academic.oup.com/california-scholarship-online/book/28551/chapter-abstract/238414028?redirectedFrom=fulltext">Okie from Muskogee</a>,”
 with its attacks on counterculture, marijuana and draft-card burning, 
became a populist anthem for the country’s cultural conservatives.In contrast, Lynn’s songwriting continued the legacy of <a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-kitty-wells-20120717-story.html">Kitty Wells</a>, <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2016/09/25/country-music-hall-famer-jean-shepard-dead-82/76568704/">Jean Shepard</a> and other women in country music who were willing to speak up about the concerns of American women.Lynn’s songs defied societal expectations by connecting her musical 
representations of working-class and rural women to broader social 
issues affecting women across the U.S.<div><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed?uri=spotify%3Aplaylist%3A6IDd8Os7RLpa9DNKz4Wc33" width="300" height="380" frameborder="0" style="border-radius: 12px;"allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>She aimed for her music to articulate the fears, dreams and anger of 
women living in a patriarchal society. It railed against those who 
idealized women’s domestic roles and demonized outspoken feminists.<h2>‘There’s gonna be some changes’</h2>Specifically, for a generation of predominantly white women in the 
1960s and 1970s who did not identify as urban or college-educated 
feminists, Lynn’s music offered candid conversations about their private
 lives as wives and mothers.As Lynn <a href="https://www.grandcentralpublishing.com/titles/loretta-lynn/coal-miners-daughter/9781538701690/">stated in her autobiography</a>, her audience recognized her as a “mother and a wife and a daughter, who had feelings just like other women.”She did this through clever and witty songwriting and lyrical 
techniques that combined the vernacular of her audience with her 
resonant voice.Meanwhile, the song arrangements of Owen Bradley of Decca Records 
directed Lynn’s musical talents to a broad audience. He combined the 
edgier sound of honky-tonk instrumentation – electric guitars, pedal 
steels and fiddles – with the polish of the Nashville sound by including
 the smooth sounding vocal harmonies of the vocal quartet the <a href="http://www.jordanaires.net/">Jordanaires</a>, as heard in numerous country, gospel and rock ‘n’ roll recordings.This provided a sound of strength and conviction to accompany Lynn’s 
bold and forthright songs as she laid bare the double standards of 
gender roles. With her assertive and resonant voice, Lynn, in her 1966 track “<a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/loretta-lynn-best-lyrics-songwriting-175002/">Don’t Come Home A Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind)</a>,” warns men not to expect women to be waiting at home, sexually available for them after they’d spent the night drinking: Well, you thought I’d be waitin’ up when you came home last night You’d been out with all the boys and you ended up half tight Liquor and love, they just don’t mix Leave that bottle or me behind And don’t come home a drinkin’ with lovin’ on your mindIn a similar vein, Lynn, who <a href="https://www.grandcentralpublishing.com/titles/loretta-lynn/coal-miners-daughter/9781538701690/">claimed that her songs about wayward husbands</a>
 were inspired by her fraught marriage to Oliver “Doolittle” Lynn, 
confronted the “other woman” in songs such as 1966’s “You Ain’t Woman 
Enough” and 1968’s “Fist City.” <h2>A lasting legacy</h2>Fully aware that her personalized accounts became political messages for her fan base of women, Lynn co-wrote and recorded “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/music/2022/10/04/loretta-lynn-the-pill/">The Pill</a>”
 in 1975. It was a rare foray into the topic of women’s reproductive 
rights for country music. In typical fashion, though, Lynn approached 
the issue from the perspective of a rural working-class woman: I’m tired of all your crowin’ How you and your hens play While holdin’ a couple in my arms Another’s on the way This chicken’s done tore up her nest And I’m ready to make a deal And ya can’t afford to turn it down ‘Cause you know I’ve got the pillThe song’s sexual innuendos about cavorting roosters and hens 
incorporated the double entendres and humor of early blues and country, 
while providing a frank discussion about female sexual pleasure. It also
 addressed the right for women to take control over their bodies and 
reproduction.The song came out just two years after <a href="https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/410/113/">the Supreme Court passed Roe v. Wade</a>, granting women the ability to govern their own reproductive health through abortion.Indeed, Lynn commented on the Supreme Court’s ruling in her autobiography:“Personally, I think you should prevent unwanted pregnancy rather than get an abortion. It would be wrong for me. But I’m thinking of all the poor girls who get pregnant when they don’t want to be, and how they should have a choice instead of leaving it up to some politician or doctor who don’t have to raise the baby.”Her recording “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/music/2022/10/04/loretta-lynn-the-pill/">The Pill</a>”
 spoke to married women who wanted to be able to space out their 
children and prevent unwanted pregnancies so that they could pursue 
educational and professional opportunities. In interviews, Lynn discussed at length how female listeners flocked 
to her after concerts, relieved to find a public figure with whom they 
felt comfortable to discuss birth control. Not everyone was thrilled, though. Male country <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/after-country-stations-banned-loretta-lynns-the-pill-it-became-her-biggest-pop-hit">disc jockeys banned</a>
 “The Pill” from the airwaves. Nonetheless, the recording became her 
biggest seller in 1975 and furthered Lynn’s reputation as a spokeswoman 
for white rural working-class women. Her music also inspired the women in country music who followed her 
to further explore issues of gender roles. Lynn’s legacy lives on in the
 music of female country artists – such as <a href="https://www.reba.com/">Reba McEntire</a> and <a href="https://www.mirandalambert.com/">Miranda Lambert</a> – who learned from Lynn how to create music that confronts and triumphs over the societal obstacles that women face.While all of country music will mourn the death of Lynn, it is 
perhaps her female fans who will feel the loss more acutely. Lynn gave 
them a social and political voice, and helped make country music a genre
 relevant to the complexities of women’s lives.Stephanie Vander Wel is an Associate Professor of Music at the University at Buffalo.<div><iframe src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/191932/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe></div>

Loretta Lynn: A spokeswoman for white rural working-class women

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/kansas-adoptions-average-1000-over-past-four-years-a-surge-of-270-per-year/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The number of Kansas 
children completing adoption averaged 1,000 during the past four years, 
an increase from about 730 in the prior eight years.

The administration of Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who is seeking 
reelection against Attorney General Derek Schmidt, said statewide 
figures climbed due to investment in training and support to foster care
 staff and prospective adoptive families.

The Kansas Department for Children and Families released information 
indicating the Kelly administration improved adoption rates compared to 
Republican administrations of Govs. Jeff Colyer and Sam Brownback, who 
served from 2011 to 2019.

DCF deployed staff in 2019 to identify, track and 
monitor youth who experienced barriers to adoption. The process included
 home studies, resources to help complete adoption procedures and case 
management to assist with finalization of adoptions.

In addition, DCF revised adoption subsidy policies for 
children with disabilities and in need of specialized medical care. 
These children are eligible for monthly subsidies.

“We have removed barriers in the adoption process for 
children with special needs by updating policies and growing 
eligibility,” said Laura Howard, secretary of the Department for 
Children and Families. “The adoption assistance and subsidies available 
for families who are trying to adopt children with special needs are 
vital.”

She said that during the past three years DCF broadened 
community partnerships with an adoption resource center to assist 
families with needs that grew after adoptions were finalized.

From 2011 to 2018 in Kansas, the average number of 
adoptions in the state was 733 per year and ranged from 620 in 2013 to 
777 in 2012. The average grew to 1,000 per year in Kelly’s term as 
governor and ranged from 846 in 2021 to 1,210 in 2019.

Kelly said the strategy was to take an all-hands-on-deck
 approach to preparing families to meet needs of children in foster 
care.

“My administration is doing everything we can to make it
 easier for Kansas families to provide a loving, stable home to children
 who need one,” she said. “By providing vital resources for families and
 deepening relationships with our providers, we’re making it possible 
for more Kansas children to be adopted.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1664993734173.png" alt="Laura Howard, secretary of the Kansas Department for Children and Families, said the average number of children adopted in Kansas averaged 1,000 during the past four years. That represented an increase from an average of 733 adoptions from 2011 to 2018. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Laura Howard, secretary of the Kansas Department for Children and Families, said the average number of children adopted in Kansas averaged 1,000 during the past four years. That represented an increase from an average of 733 adoptions from 2011 to 2018. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/kansas-adoptions-average-1000-over-past-four-years-a-surge-of-270-per-year/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The number of Kansas 
children completing adoption averaged 1,000 during the past four years, 
an increase from about 730 in the prior eight years.The administration of Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who is seeking 
reelection against Attorney General Derek Schmidt, said statewide 
figures climbed due to investment in training and support to foster care
 staff and prospective adoptive families.The Kansas Department for Children and Families released information 
indicating the Kelly administration improved adoption rates compared to 
Republican administrations of Govs. Jeff Colyer and Sam Brownback, who 
served from 2011 to 2019.DCF deployed staff in 2019 to identify, track and 
monitor youth who experienced barriers to adoption. The process included
 home studies, resources to help complete adoption procedures and case 
management to assist with finalization of adoptions.In addition, DCF revised adoption subsidy policies for 
children with disabilities and in need of specialized medical care. 
These children are eligible for monthly subsidies.“We have removed barriers in the adoption process for 
children with special needs by updating policies and growing 
eligibility,” said Laura Howard, secretary of the Department for 
Children and Families. “The adoption assistance and subsidies available 
for families who are trying to adopt children with special needs are 
vital.”She said that during the past three years DCF broadened 
community partnerships with an adoption resource center to assist 
families with needs that grew after adoptions were finalized.From 2011 to 2018 in Kansas, the average number of 
adoptions in the state was 733 per year and ranged from 620 in 2013 to 
777 in 2012. The average grew to 1,000 per year in Kelly’s term as 
governor and ranged from 846 in 2021 to 1,210 in 2019.Kelly said the strategy was to take an all-hands-on-deck
 approach to preparing families to meet needs of children in foster 
care.“My administration is doing everything we can to make it
 easier for Kansas families to provide a loving, stable home to children
 who need one,” she said. “By providing vital resources for families and
 deepening relationships with our providers, we’re making it possible 
for more Kansas children to be adopted.”

Number of adoptions in Kansas surges over the past four years

WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission this week announced it is committing $96 million in new funding rounds through the Emergency Connectivity Program, which provides digital services for students in communities across the country.  Today’s funding announcement will support applications for broadband service and connected devices to students across the country, especially those living in states impacted by Hurricanes Fiona and Ian, including Florida, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, and South Carolina. 

Nearly $53 million will benefit students, teachers, and library patrons living in areas impacted by recent hurricanes.  For example, the Puerto Rico Department of Education is receiving support for 225,000 mobile hotspots and Pinellas County Schools near Clearwater, Florida is receiving support for nearly 15,000 laptops. 

“We need to make sure all kids have digital tools for connecting with school, but it’s especially important for students living in those areas damaged by the recent hurricanes,” said Chairwoman Rosenworcel.  “This program will help those students by funding hot spots, tablets, and broadband services, building on our ongoing work to close the Homework Gap.”

To date, the Commission has committed over $6 billion to schools and libraries across the country as part of the Emergency Connectivity Program, which launched last year.  The program has provided schools and libraries with three different “application windows” to apply for support.  Today’s announcement provides funding for applications put forward in all three application windows, which will support approximately 170 schools, 30 libraries, and 1 consortium.

The funding can be used to support off-campus learning, such as nightly homework, to ensure

students across the country have the necessary support to keep up with their education.  To date, the program has provided support to approximately 10,000 schools, 900 libraries, and 100 consortia, and provided approximately 12 million connected devices and 7 million broadband connections.  Of the funding commitments approved to date, approximately $4.1 billion is supporting applications from Window 1; $833 million from Window 2; and $1 billion from Window 3.  

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584977952684.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FCCWASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission this week announced it is committing $96 million in new funding rounds through the Emergency Connectivity Program, which provides digital services for students in communities across the country. Today’s funding announcement will support applications for broadband service and connected devices to students across the country, especially those living in states impacted by Hurricanes Fiona and Ian, including Florida, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, and South Carolina. Nearly $53 million will benefit students, teachers, and library patrons living in areas impacted by recent hurricanes. For example, the Puerto Rico Department of Education is receiving support for 225,000 mobile hotspots and Pinellas County Schools near Clearwater, Florida is receiving support for nearly 15,000 laptops. “We need to make sure all kids have digital tools for connecting with school, but it’s especially important for students living in those areas damaged by the recent hurricanes,” said Chairwoman Rosenworcel. “This program will help those students by funding hot spots, tablets, and broadband services, building on our ongoing work to close the Homework Gap.”To date, the Commission has committed over $6 billion to schools and libraries across the country as part of the Emergency Connectivity Program, which launched last year. The program has provided schools and libraries with three different “application windows” to apply for support. Today’s announcement provides funding for applications put forward in all three application windows, which will support approximately 170 schools, 30 libraries, and 1 consortium.The funding can be used to support off-campus learning, such as nightly homework, to ensurestudents across the country have the necessary support to keep up with their education. To date, the program has provided support to approximately 10,000 schools, 900 libraries, and 100 consortia, and provided approximately 12 million connected devices and 7 million broadband connections. Of the funding commitments approved to date, approximately $4.1 billion is supporting applications from Window 1; $833 million from Window 2; and $1 billion from Window 3.

FCC: Additional $96M for emergency broadband connectivity

WASHINGTON —As part of long-standing, ongoing efforts to be better prepared to save lives following radiological and nuclear emergencies, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is purchasing a supply of the drug Nplate from Amgen USA Inc., according to a media release from the agency this week.

Nplate is approved to treat blood cell injuries that accompany acute radiation syndrome in adult and pediatric patients (<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/radiation/emergencies/healthandsafety.htm" target="_blank">ARS</a>).

Amgen, based in Thousands Oaks, California, developed Nplate for ARS with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicalcountermeasures.gov/barda/cbrn#portfolio">support</a>&nbsp;from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (<a href="https://aspr.hhs.gov/barda">BARDA</a>), part of the HHS Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (<a href="https://aspr.hhs.gov/">ASPR</a>), as well as the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health.

BARDA is using its authority provided under the 2004&nbsp;<a href="https://aspr.hhs.gov/AboutASPR/ProgramOffices/BARDA/Pages/Project-Bioshield.aspx">Project Bioshield</a>&nbsp;Act and $290 million in Project BioShield designated funding to purchase this supply of the drug.&nbsp;

ARS, also known as radiation sickness, occurs when a person’s entire body is exposed to a high dose of penetrating radiation, reaching internal organs in a matter of seconds. Symptoms of ARS injuries include impaired blood clotting as a result of low platelet counts, which can lead to uncontrolled and life-threatening bleeding.

To reduce radiation-induced bleeding, Nplate stimulates the body’s production of platelets. The drug can be used to treat adults and children.

Nplate is also approved for adult and pediatric patients with&nbsp;<a href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/immune-thrombocytopenia/" target="_blank">immune thrombocytopenia</a>, a blood disorder resulting in low platelet counts. Repurposing drugs for acute radiation syndrome that also are approved for a commercial indication helps to sustain availability of the product and improves healthcare provider familiarity with the drug.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663760963726.jpeg" alt="Image from a video released by the Russian Presidential Press Service, Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses the nation in Moscow, Russia, last month(Russian Presidential Press Service via AP)" />
 <figcaption>Image from a video released by the Russian Presidential Press Service, Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses the nation in Moscow, Russia, last month(Russian Presidential Press Service via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —As part of long-standing, ongoing efforts to be better prepared to save lives following radiological and nuclear emergencies, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is purchasing a supply of the drug Nplate from Amgen USA Inc., according to a media release from the agency this week.Nplate is approved to treat blood cell injuries that accompany acute radiation syndrome in adult and pediatric patients (<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/radiation/emergencies/healthandsafety.htm" target="_blank">ARS</a>).Amgen, based in Thousands Oaks, California, developed Nplate for ARS with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicalcountermeasures.gov/barda/cbrn#portfolio">support</a>&nbsp;from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (<a href="https://aspr.hhs.gov/barda">BARDA</a>), part of the HHS Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (<a href="https://aspr.hhs.gov/">ASPR</a>), as well as the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health.BARDA is using its authority provided under the 2004&nbsp;<a href="https://aspr.hhs.gov/AboutASPR/ProgramOffices/BARDA/Pages/Project-Bioshield.aspx">Project Bioshield</a>&nbsp;Act and $290 million in Project BioShield designated funding to purchase this supply of the drug.&nbsp;ARS, also known as radiation sickness, occurs when a person’s entire body is exposed to a high dose of penetrating radiation, reaching internal organs in a matter of seconds. Symptoms of ARS injuries include impaired blood clotting as a result of low platelet counts, which can lead to uncontrolled and life-threatening bleeding.To reduce radiation-induced bleeding, Nplate stimulates the body’s production of platelets. The drug can be used to treat adults and children.Nplate is also approved for adult and pediatric patients with&nbsp;<a href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/immune-thrombocytopenia/" target="_blank">immune thrombocytopenia</a>, a blood disorder resulting in low platelet counts. Repurposing drugs for acute radiation syndrome that also are approved for a commercial indication helps to sustain availability of the product and improves healthcare provider familiarity with the drug.

U.S. spending $290 million on drug for nuclear emergencies

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The former chief security officer for Uber was convicted Wednesday of trying to cover up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/972fd68cafc1533fa871ac8894bb931d">a 2016 data breach</a>&nbsp;in which hackers accessed tens of millions of customer records from the ride-hailing service.

A federal jury in San Francisco convicted Joseph Sullivan of obstructing justice and concealing knowledge that a federal felony had been committed, federal prosecutors said.

Sullivan remains free on bond pending sentencing and could face a total of eight years in prison on the two charges when he is sentenced, prosecutors said.

“Technology companies in the Northern District of California collect and store vast amounts of data from users,” U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds said in a statement. “We will not tolerate concealment of important information from the public by corporate executives more interested in protecting their reputation and that of their employers than in protecting users.”

It was believed to be the first criminal prosecution of a company executive over a data breach.

A lawyer for Sullivan, David Angeli, took issue with the verdict.

“Mr. Sullivan’s sole focus — in this incident and throughout his distinguished career — has been ensuring the safety of people’s personal data on the internet,” Angeli told the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/05/technology/uber-security-chief-joe-sullivan-verdict.html" target="_blank">New York Times</a>.

An email to Uber seeking comment on the conviction wasn’t immediately returned.

Sullivan was hired as Uber’s chief security officer in 2015. In November 2016, Sullivan was emailed by hackers, and employees quickly confirmed that they had stolen records on about 57 million users and also 600,000 driver’s license numbers, prosecutors said.

After learning of the breach, Sullivan began a scheme to hide it from the public and the Federal Trade Commission, which had been investigating a smaller 2014 hack, authorities said.

According to the U.S. attorney’s office, Sullivan told subordinates that “the story outside of the security group was to be that ‘this investigation does not exist,’” and arranged to pay the hackers $100,000 in bitcoin in exchange for them signing non-disclosure agreements promising not to reveal the hack. He also never mentioned the breach to Uber lawyers who were involved with the FTC’s inquiry, prosecutors said.

“Sullivan orchestrated these acts despite knowing that the hackers were hacking and extorting other companies as well as Uber,” the U.S. attorney’s office said.

Uber’s new management began investigating the breach in the fall of 2017. Despite Sullivan lying to the new chief executive officer and others, the truth was uncovered and the breach was made public, prosecutors said.

Sullivan was fired along with Craig Clark, an Uber lawyer he had told about the breach. Clark was given immunity by prosecutors and testified against Sullivan.

No other Uber executives were charged in the case.

The hackers pleaded guilty in 2019 to computer fraud conspiracy charges and are awaiting sentencing.

Sullivan was convicted of of obstruction of proceedings of the Federal Trade Commission and misprision of felony, meaning concealing knowledge of a felony from authorities.

Meanwhile, some experts have questioned how much cybersecurity has improved at Uber since the breach.

The company&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-social-media-hacking-73a37d3f1e67ec5832ccd10a8e02c7e6">announced last month</a>&nbsp;that all its services were operational following what security professionals called a major data breach, claiming there was no evidence the hacker got access to sensitive user data.

The lone hacker apparently gained access posing as a colleague, tricking an Uber employee into surrendering their credentials. Screenshots the hacker shared with security researchers indicate they obtained full access to the cloud-based systems where Uber stores sensitive customer and financial data.

It is not known how much data the hacker stole or how long they were inside Uber’s network. There was no indication they destroyed data.

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<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663430102762.png" alt="Photo courtesy Uber" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Uber</figcaption>
 </figure>SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The former chief security officer for Uber was convicted Wednesday of trying to cover up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/972fd68cafc1533fa871ac8894bb931d">a 2016 data breach</a>&nbsp;in which hackers accessed tens of millions of customer records from the ride-hailing service.A federal jury in San Francisco convicted Joseph Sullivan of obstructing justice and concealing knowledge that a federal felony had been committed, federal prosecutors said.Sullivan remains free on bond pending sentencing and could face a total of eight years in prison on the two charges when he is sentenced, prosecutors said.“Technology companies in the Northern District of California collect and store vast amounts of data from users,” U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds said in a statement. “We will not tolerate concealment of important information from the public by corporate executives more interested in protecting their reputation and that of their employers than in protecting users.”It was believed to be the first criminal prosecution of a company executive over a data breach.A lawyer for Sullivan, David Angeli, took issue with the verdict.“Mr. Sullivan’s sole focus — in this incident and throughout his distinguished career — has been ensuring the safety of people’s personal data on the internet,” Angeli told the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/05/technology/uber-security-chief-joe-sullivan-verdict.html" target="_blank">New York Times</a>.An email to Uber seeking comment on the conviction wasn’t immediately returned.Sullivan was hired as Uber’s chief security officer in 2015. In November 2016, Sullivan was emailed by hackers, and employees quickly confirmed that they had stolen records on about 57 million users and also 600,000 driver’s license numbers, prosecutors said.After learning of the breach, Sullivan began a scheme to hide it from the public and the Federal Trade Commission, which had been investigating a smaller 2014 hack, authorities said.According to the U.S. attorney’s office, Sullivan told subordinates that “the story outside of the security group was to be that ‘this investigation does not exist,’” and arranged to pay the hackers $100,000 in bitcoin in exchange for them signing non-disclosure agreements promising not to reveal the hack. He also never mentioned the breach to Uber lawyers who were involved with the FTC’s inquiry, prosecutors said.“Sullivan orchestrated these acts despite knowing that the hackers were hacking and extorting other companies as well as Uber,” the U.S. attorney’s office said.Uber’s new management began investigating the breach in the fall of 2017. Despite Sullivan lying to the new chief executive officer and others, the truth was uncovered and the breach was made public, prosecutors said.Sullivan was fired along with Craig Clark, an Uber lawyer he had told about the breach. Clark was given immunity by prosecutors and testified against Sullivan.No other Uber executives were charged in the case.The hackers pleaded guilty in 2019 to computer fraud conspiracy charges and are awaiting sentencing.Sullivan was convicted of of obstruction of proceedings of the Federal Trade Commission and misprision of felony, meaning concealing knowledge of a felony from authorities.Meanwhile, some experts have questioned how much cybersecurity has improved at Uber since the breach.The company&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-social-media-hacking-73a37d3f1e67ec5832ccd10a8e02c7e6">announced last month</a>&nbsp;that all its services were operational following what security professionals called a major data breach, claiming there was no evidence the hacker got access to sensitive user data.The lone hacker apparently gained access posing as a colleague, tricking an Uber employee into surrendering their credentials. 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Former Uber security chief guilty of covering up hack affecting 57M

GEARY COUNTY — A Kansas man accused in a weekend homicide has been extradited to a Kansas jail from St. Charles, Missouri, according to online jail records in Geary County.

Deputies booked 34-year-old Joshua J. Sturgis, 34, of Junction City on Wednesday evening.&nbsp; Sturgis was arrested on a Geary County District Court warrant charging him with 2nd Degree Murder and Aggravated Assault.&nbsp;

Just before 2 a.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to the 900 block of North Washington in Junction City for a report of shots fired, according to a media release.

&nbsp;Upon arrival officers located&nbsp;38-year-old Justin J. Rose of Junction City suffering from a gunshot wound. EMS transported him to the Geary Community Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

Following an extensive investigation, police identified 34-year-old Joshua Stugis as the primary suspect. Just before 8a.m. Sunday, the Missouri State Highway Patrol located and initiated a traffic stop on Sturgis for alleged driving while intoxicated in St. Charles County Missouri, according patrol.&nbsp;

Sturgis had been held in Saint Charles County Missouri on a $1,000,000 bond prior to extradition hearing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665067516286.jpeg" alt="Sturgis-photo Geary Co." />
 <figcaption>Sturgis-photo Geary Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>GEARY COUNTY — A Kansas man accused in a weekend homicide has been extradited to a Kansas jail from St. Charles, Missouri, according to online jail records in Geary County.Deputies booked 34-year-old Joshua J. Sturgis, 34, of Junction City on Wednesday evening.&nbsp; Sturgis was arrested on a Geary County District Court warrant charging him with 2nd Degree Murder and Aggravated Assault.&nbsp;Just before 2 a.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to the 900 block of North Washington in Junction City for a report of shots fired, according to a media release.&nbsp;Upon arrival officers located&nbsp;38-year-old Justin J. Rose of Junction City suffering from a gunshot wound. EMS transported him to the Geary Community Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1664793296546.png" alt="Sturgis-photo St. Charles Missouri Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Sturgis-photo St. Charles Missouri Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Following an extensive investigation, police identified 34-year-old Joshua Stugis as the primary suspect. Just before 8a.m. Sunday, the Missouri State Highway Patrol located and initiated a traffic stop on Sturgis for alleged driving while intoxicated in St. Charles County Missouri, according patrol.&nbsp;Sturgis had been held in Saint Charles County Missouri on a $1,000,000 bond prior to extradition hearing.

Kansas homicide suspect extradited from Missouri 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic senators urged the Education Department on Wednesday to strengthen regulations against quietly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/school-suspension-special-education-adhd-3cda5e7b0e3080b0416bf879e190e849">excluding kids from class because of behaviors related to a disability</a>&nbsp;— a practice known as informal removal.

Since the pandemic began, parents of kids with disabilities say the practice is on the rise, denying their kids the legal right to an education. Disability rights advocates and legal experts say the removals likely circumvent protections for these children, who are not supposed to be disciplined because of their disability.

In a report Tuesday, The Associated Press and The Hechinger Report documented the impact of these informal removals on children and families. In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/school-suspension-special-education-adhd-3cda5e7b0e3080b0416bf879e190e849">interviews with 20 families in 10 states</a>, parents said they were called repeatedly, sometimes less than an hour into the school day, to pick up their children. Some said they left work so frequently they lost their jobs.

The Education Department in May said it intended to strengthen protections for students with disabilities. It's considering regulatory amendments to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which protects people from being discriminated against based on their disability.

The department also issued guidance to schools in July advising against discriminatory practices in discipline for students with disabilities. That guidance defined informal removals as an action taken by school staff in response to a child’s behavior that removes the child for part or all of the school day, or even indefinitely.

In a letter to the Education Department, U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, both from Illinois, urged that practice be formally defined in regulation and included as a form of prohibited, discriminatory action.

“Informal removals not only restrict children’s personal growth and decrease their likelihood of graduating, but they also are discriminatory,” the letter said. “Federal and state laws and regulations, including Section 504, were intended to eliminate the segregation of students with disabilities.”

Students are protected by federal law from being repeatedly taken out of the classroom for disability-related behaviors. After 10 suspensions, families of disabled children are entitled to a review of whether the behaviors are a result of the child's disability. If so, schools are supposed to make adjustments, such as providing additional accommodations or considering a change in placement.

But when the removals are not recorded, those protections are not always triggered, and families may not know they have recourse. The department's July guidance made clear students who are informally removed have the same rights as those who are officially suspended, including to the review process.

The senators noted formal removals, such as documented suspensions and expulsions, lead to a loss of 11 million instructional hours per year. Many schools have promised to cut down on suspensions, since kids can’t learn as well when they aren’t in class.

But because informal removals are not recorded, the full scope of their impact on children remains unclear.

“In some cases, informal removals may result in students with disabilities missing months and even years of classroom instruction,” the senators wrote. “Missing school also deprives children of other important services, such as access to free lunch, referrals to outside services, medical care, evaluation services, access to a library and playground, extracurricular activities, and a sense of community and belonging.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic senators urged the Education Department on Wednesday to strengthen regulations against quietly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/school-suspension-special-education-adhd-3cda5e7b0e3080b0416bf879e190e849">excluding kids from class because of behaviors related to a disability</a>&nbsp;— a practice known as informal removal.Since the pandemic began, parents of kids with disabilities say the practice is on the rise, denying their kids the legal right to an education. Disability rights advocates and legal experts say the removals likely circumvent protections for these children, who are not supposed to be disciplined because of their disability.In a report Tuesday, The Associated Press and The Hechinger Report documented the impact of these informal removals on children and families. In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/school-suspension-special-education-adhd-3cda5e7b0e3080b0416bf879e190e849">interviews with 20 families in 10 states</a>, parents said they were called repeatedly, sometimes less than an hour into the school day, to pick up their children. Some said they left work so frequently they lost their jobs.The Education Department in May said it intended to strengthen protections for students with disabilities. It's considering regulatory amendments to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which protects people from being discriminated against based on their disability.The department also issued guidance to schools in July advising against discriminatory practices in discipline for students with disabilities. That guidance defined informal removals as an action taken by school staff in response to a child’s behavior that removes the child for part or all of the school day, or even indefinitely.In a letter to the Education Department, U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, both from Illinois, urged that practice be formally defined in regulation and included as a form of prohibited, discriminatory action.“Informal removals not only restrict children’s personal growth and decrease their likelihood of graduating, but they also are discriminatory,” the letter said. “Federal and state laws and regulations, including Section 504, were intended to eliminate the segregation of students with disabilities.”Students are protected by federal law from being repeatedly taken out of the classroom for disability-related behaviors. After 10 suspensions, families of disabled children are entitled to a review of whether the behaviors are a result of the child's disability. If so, schools are supposed to make adjustments, such as providing additional accommodations or considering a change in placement.But when the removals are not recorded, those protections are not always triggered, and families may not know they have recourse. The department's July guidance made clear students who are informally removed have the same rights as those who are officially suspended, including to the review process.The senators noted formal removals, such as documented suspensions and expulsions, lead to a loss of 11 million instructional hours per year. Many schools have promised to cut down on suspensions, since kids can’t learn as well when they aren’t in class.But because informal removals are not recorded, the full scope of their impact on children remains unclear.“In some cases, informal removals may result in students with disabilities missing months and even years of classroom instruction,” the senators wrote. “Missing school also deprives children of other important services, such as access to free lunch, referrals to outside services, medical care, evaluation services, access to a library and playground, extracurricular activities, and a sense of community and belonging.”

Senators call for stronger rules on off-the-books school suspension

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Enter to win Eagle Radio's Cash Grab

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on multiple charges&nbsp;

Just before 3a.m. Oct. 4, police served a narcotics search warrant on a vehicle during a traffic stop in the 700 Block SW Fairlawn in Topeka, according to Police Captain Jerry Monasmith.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Officers located methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, marijuana, forgery documents and a firearm.

As a result 40-year-old Corey Scales and 35-year-old Candace Scales both of Topeka were transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections.

Corey Scales was booked on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine with the intent of distribution, Criminal possession of a weapon by a felon,&nbsp;Aggravated endangering a child; Reckless Situation and Possession of marijuana.

Candace Scales is being held on Possession of methamphetamine with the intent of distribution, Criminal possession of a weapon by a felon, Aggravated endangering a child; Reckless Situation, Possession of drug paraphernalia with intent of distribution and Forgery.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1664834225501.png" alt="Scales-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Scales-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on multiple charges&nbsp;Just before 3a.m. Oct. 4, police served a narcotics search warrant on a vehicle during a traffic stop in the 700 Block SW Fairlawn in Topeka, according to Police Captain Jerry Monasmith.&nbsp;&nbsp;Officers located methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, marijuana, forgery documents and a firearm.As a result 40-year-old Corey Scales and 35-year-old Candace Scales both of Topeka were transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1664834189654.png" alt="Scales-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Scales-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Corey Scales was booked on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine with the intent of distribution, Criminal possession of a weapon by a felon,&nbsp;Aggravated endangering a child; Reckless Situation and Possession of marijuana.Candace Scales is being held on Possession of methamphetamine with the intent of distribution, Criminal possession of a weapon by a felon, Aggravated endangering a child; Reckless Situation, Possession of drug paraphernalia with intent of distribution and Forgery.

Police: Kan. couple had forgery documents, drugs and a gun

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — Kansas' Democratic governor is trying to reassert control over the education debate in a tough reelection race, bidding to regain her preferred focus on public school spending hikes during her term after Republican attacks over transgender athletes and what's taught in the classrooms,

Gov. Laura Kelly sought Wednesday to portray Republican challenger Derek Schmidt, the state's three-term attorney general, as a threat to adequate funding for public schools in their second and final debate. Kelly has branded herself as “the education governor” over her support for greater education spending.

But Schmidt has emphasized what he calls parents' rights, or making it easier for parents to challenge classroom materials and seek to remove books they find objectionable from libraries, a key issue. Schmidt's approach recalls a strategy that helped Republican Glenn Youngkin win over suburban parents and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-education-parental-rights-school-curricula-604edece27a483155c409187f258a058">triumph in the 2021 governor's race</a>&nbsp;in normally blue Virginia. He's also pounding on the incumbent, saying Kelly allowed students to be “locked out of schools” for months during the coronavirus pandemic.

Kelly, a target for the national GOP, takes credit for Kansas increasing its spending on K-12 schools&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/16d63062f0a645f6a9231e22b623e9fb">enough to satisfy multiple state Supreme Court rulings</a>&nbsp;in a lawsuit filed against the state in 2010. Schmidt has said that as governor he would ensure the state keeps spending enough money, but as attorney general, he defended past Republican school funding laws that the court declared insufficient under the Kansas Constitution.

“You know, I have a hard time being lectured by you on public schools,” Kelly told Schmidt during their debate in the Kansas City suburbs, sponsored by the local association for attorneys.

Kelly has tried to tie Schmidt to former GOP Gov. Sam Brownback, who launched a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f5741d8d0d8c40979857c9d2d6afae9f">nationally notorious experiment</a>&nbsp;in cutting state income taxes in 2012-13 that was followed by large, persistent budget deficits. Most of the experiment was repealed in 2017, and the state's finances have improved dramatically since.

Schmidt mocked Kelly's attempt to portray him as a clone of Brownback, saying, “The governor has an unhealthy obsession with her predecessor.”

In a wide-ranging debate, Schmidt also softened his previous opposition to legalizing marijuana for medical purposes, saying broad public support for it would lead him to back a narrow legalization law. Kelly supports medical marijuana.

Schmidt, who supported a proposed anti-abortion amendment to the Kansas Constitution that voters decisively rejected in August, challenged Kelly to name a restriction she would support. She didn't, saying only, “Women should have bodily autonomy equal with men.”

But education and school funding are potent issues, especially in vote-rich Kansas City suburbs that have used strong public schools to fuel economic and population growth.

The Republican Governors Association has tried to undercut Kelly's appeal to the middle with TV ads attacking her for vetoing two proposals&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-education-legislature-gay-rights-kansas-e32307ef93c0c64056e34f2d8a51efe2">to ban transgender athletes</a>&nbsp;from girls' and women's school and college sports teams. Kelly later broadcast an ad in which she said she doesn't support men playing girls' sorts, leading Republicans to charge that she was lying about her record. She repeated that statement Wednesday, saying sports bodies can handle such cases.

Schmidt also criticized Kelly's for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/8e5672095558ab92d7505f2a06f9a9b9">closing school buildings</a>&nbsp;for the last two months of the 2019-20 school year to check the spread of COVID-19. He also attacked her veto of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/topeka-kansas-legislature-libraries-9ffb07cf3b25faf848dda6d78bff8856">a proposed “parents' bill of rights”</a>&nbsp;that would have made it easier for parents to challenge classroom materials and seek to remove books they find objectionable from libraries, such as LGBTQ-themed novels.

Schmidt has promised to sign such a measure and restrictions on transgender athletes within 100 days of taking office. “We can have a state that strongly supports public education — and puts parents and students first,” Schmidt said in his closing remarks.

Teachers, education groups and Democrats argue that parents already can object to classroom materials and library books. And Kelly allies had a news conference last week in Topeka to shift the conversation by questioning Schmidt's record on school funding.

When Brownback was governor, the state's basic aid per student to local schools remained almost flat for five years, starting in 2012-13, even as its total spending rose modestly to cover other expenses, including teacher pensions. Under Kelly, spending has grown almost twice as fast as under her Republican predecessors.

Increases in spending before Kelly took office in January 2019 were forced by Kansas Supreme Court rulings — as the court repeatedly rejected arguments from Schmidt's office that lawmakers were doing enough to meet their duty under the state constitution to finance a suitable education for every child.

“Everybody remembers what the state looked like four years ago," Kelly said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665005046023.jpeg" alt="Image courtesy Kansas City PBS" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy Kansas City PBS</figcaption>
 </figure>OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — Kansas' Democratic governor is trying to reassert control over the education debate in a tough reelection race, bidding to regain her preferred focus on public school spending hikes during her term after Republican attacks over transgender athletes and what's taught in the classrooms,Gov. Laura Kelly sought Wednesday to portray Republican challenger Derek Schmidt, the state's three-term attorney general, as a threat to adequate funding for public schools in their second and final debate. Kelly has branded herself as “the education governor” over her support for greater education spending.But Schmidt has emphasized what he calls parents' rights, or making it easier for parents to challenge classroom materials and seek to remove books they find objectionable from libraries, a key issue. Schmidt's approach recalls a strategy that helped Republican Glenn Youngkin win over suburban parents and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-education-parental-rights-school-curricula-604edece27a483155c409187f258a058">triumph in the 2021 governor's race</a>&nbsp;in normally blue Virginia. He's also pounding on the incumbent, saying Kelly allowed students to be “locked out of schools” for months during the coronavirus pandemic.Kelly, a target for the national GOP, takes credit for Kansas increasing its spending on K-12 schools&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/16d63062f0a645f6a9231e22b623e9fb">enough to satisfy multiple state Supreme Court rulings</a>&nbsp;in a lawsuit filed against the state in 2010. Schmidt has said that as governor he would ensure the state keeps spending enough money, but as attorney general, he defended past Republican school funding laws that the court declared insufficient under the Kansas Constitution.“You know, I have a hard time being lectured by you on public schools,” Kelly told Schmidt during their debate in the Kansas City suburbs, sponsored by the local association for attorneys.Kelly has tried to tie Schmidt to former GOP Gov. Sam Brownback, who launched a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f5741d8d0d8c40979857c9d2d6afae9f">nationally notorious experiment</a>&nbsp;in cutting state income taxes in 2012-13 that was followed by large, persistent budget deficits. Most of the experiment was repealed in 2017, and the state's finances have improved dramatically since.Schmidt mocked Kelly's attempt to portray him as a clone of Brownback, saying, “The governor has an unhealthy obsession with her predecessor.”In a wide-ranging debate, Schmidt also softened his previous opposition to legalizing marijuana for medical purposes, saying broad public support for it would lead him to back a narrow legalization law. Kelly supports medical marijuana.Schmidt, who supported a proposed anti-abortion amendment to the Kansas Constitution that voters decisively rejected in August, challenged Kelly to name a restriction she would support. She didn't, saying only, “Women should have bodily autonomy equal with men.”But education and school funding are potent issues, especially in vote-rich Kansas City suburbs that have used strong public schools to fuel economic and population growth.The Republican Governors Association has tried to undercut Kelly's appeal to the middle with TV ads attacking her for vetoing two proposals&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-education-legislature-gay-rights-kansas-e32307ef93c0c64056e34f2d8a51efe2">to ban transgender athletes</a>&nbsp;from girls' and women's school and college sports teams. Kelly later broadcast an ad in which she said she doesn't support men playing girls' sorts, leading Republicans to charge that she was lying about her record. She repeated that statement Wednesday, saying sports bodies can handle such cases.Schmidt also criticized Kelly's for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/8e5672095558ab92d7505f2a06f9a9b9">closing school buildings</a>&nbsp;for the last two months of the 2019-20 school year to check the spread of COVID-19. He also attacked her veto of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/topeka-kansas-legislature-libraries-9ffb07cf3b25faf848dda6d78bff8856">a proposed “parents' bill of rights”</a>&nbsp;that would have made it easier for parents to challenge classroom materials and seek to remove books they find objectionable from libraries, such as LGBTQ-themed novels.Schmidt has promised to sign such a measure and restrictions on transgender athletes within 100 days of taking office. “We can have a state that strongly supports public education — and puts parents and students first,” Schmidt said in his closing remarks.Teachers, education groups and Democrats argue that parents already can object to classroom materials and library books. And Kelly allies had a news conference last week in Topeka to shift the conversation by questioning Schmidt's record on school funding.When Brownback was governor, the state's basic aid per student to local schools remained almost flat for five years, starting in 2012-13, even as its total spending rose modestly to cover other expenses, including teacher pensions. Under Kelly, spending has grown almost twice as fast as under her Republican predecessors.Increases in spending before Kelly took office in January 2019 were forced by Kansas Supreme Court rulings — as the court repeatedly rejected arguments from Schmidt's office that lawmakers were doing enough to meet their duty under the state constitution to finance a suitable education for every child.“Everybody remembers what the state looked like four years ago," Kelly said.

Kansas governor seeks to regain control of education debate

FORD COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are asking for help to find a suspect in connection with alleged rape and aggravated burglary, according to a release from the Ford County Sheriff.

Julio Roberto Castro-Cuin, 29, is described as 5-foot-4 inches tall with&nbsp; black hair and brown eyes and weighs 145 pounds.&nbsp;

Castro-Cuin has also used aliases of Julio Castro, connected with a different date of birth, and Luis Carlos Miramontes.

The Ford County Sheriff's Office asks that is you have any information about this suspect contact the Lead Investigator Gary Salmans at 620-227-4501 or your local law enforcement agency. If you would like to make an anonymous report you can do so&nbsp;<a href="http://www.fordcounty.net/464/Submit-A-Tip">here</a>.

The Sheriff office asked the public not to attempt to apprehend hi yourself.

Anyone with information on Castro-Cuin or where he could be should call the Ford County Sheriff’s Office at 620-227-4501. Anyone wanting to leave an anonymous tip connected with this case can do so here:&nbsp;<a href="https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=http%3a%2f%2fwww.fordcounty.net%2f464%2fSubmit-A-Tip&amp;c=E,1,zhfka_G0yh8Z_OaXldXXx1dQygaHScJS5jxh-DiO38_oNLwPOmnzJjTbj_yF_rAtHc-Ep-Qy2MZR_PtgnFgGo7RcWbv3iCa5JFm4kVaqiPaq-khoze0,&amp;typo=1">http://www.fordcounty.net/464/Submit-A-Tip</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665059025523.png" alt="Castro-Cuin-photo Ford Co." />
 <figcaption>Castro-Cuin-photo Ford Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>FORD COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are asking for help to find a suspect in connection with alleged rape and aggravated burglary, according to a release from the Ford County Sheriff.Julio Roberto Castro-Cuin, 29, is described as 5-foot-4 inches tall with&nbsp; black hair and brown eyes and weighs 145 pounds.&nbsp;Castro-Cuin has also used aliases of Julio Castro, connected with a different date of birth, and Luis Carlos Miramontes.The Ford County Sheriff's Office asks that is you have any information about this suspect contact the Lead Investigator Gary Salmans at 620-227-4501 or your local law enforcement agency. If you would like to make an anonymous report you can do so&nbsp;<a href="http://www.fordcounty.net/464/Submit-A-Tip">here</a>.The Sheriff office asked the public not to attempt to apprehend hi yourself.Anyone with information on Castro-Cuin or where he could be should call the Ford County Sheriff’s Office at 620-227-4501. Anyone wanting to leave an anonymous tip connected with this case can do so here:&nbsp;<a href="https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=http%3a%2f%2fwww.fordcounty.net%2f464%2fSubmit-A-Tip&amp;c=E,1,zhfka_G0yh8Z_OaXldXXx1dQygaHScJS5jxh-DiO38_oNLwPOmnzJjTbj_yF_rAtHc-Ep-Qy2MZR_PtgnFgGo7RcWbv3iCa5JFm4kVaqiPaq-khoze0,&amp;typo=1">http://www.fordcounty.net/464/Submit-A-Tip</a>.

Sheriff asks for help to locate SW Kansas rape, burglary suspect

SHAWNEE COUNTY—A suspect identified in the fatal shooting at a Kansas home who was later wounded in Thursday's officer-involved shooting is out of the hospital., according to Police Captain Jerry Monasmith.

&nbsp;Eric Perkins, 33, of Excelsior Springs, Missouri is now being held in the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Murder in the 1st Degree; Intentional and premeditated, Murder in the 1st Degree; Intentional and premeditated - Attempted, Aggravated kidnapping, Aggravated robbery,&nbsp;&nbsp;Aggravated burglary, Aggravated assault, Aggravated endangering a child, Criminal discharge of a firearm, Criminal damage to property, Criminal possession of a firearm.

Just after 9:30 a.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to the 3500 Block of SW Kerry Avenue in reference to a shooting. One victim later identified as Gregory Dean Butts was suffering from a gunshot wound and pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp; EMS transported another victim to a local&nbsp; hospital with life threatening injures.&nbsp;

Topeka Police investigators quickly identified and worked to locate&nbsp; Perkins.&nbsp;

A Topeka officer observed the suspect vehicle near Topeka’s Hi-Crest Neighborhood. The suspect initiated the pursuit, which ended in downtown Topeka near SW 6th Avenue and South Kansas Avenue.

Multiple agencies responded to the scene, including Shawnee Co. Sheriff's Deputies. The suspect shot several times at law enforcement officers on scene.

Multiple law enforcement officers returned fire. At least one officer was struck by the suspect’s gunfire during this incident. The officer was treated at a local hospital and released, according to the KBI. Perkins has previous convictions for second degree assault and drug possession, according to the Missouri Dept. of Corrections.

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating the fatal shooting at a Kansas home that led to Thursday's officer-involved shooting have identified the victim as Gregory Dean Butts of Topeka, according to Police Lt. Manuel Munoz.

Just after 9:30 a.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to the 3500 Block of SW Kerry Avenue in reference to a shooting. One victim later identified as Mr. Butts was suffering from a gunshot wound and pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp; EMS transported another victim to a local&nbsp; hospital with life threatening injures.&nbsp;

Topeka Police investigators quickly identified and worked to locate the suspect later identified as Eric D. Perkins, 33, of Excelsior Springs, Missouri. The relationship between the Perkins and the homicide victim was domestic in nature, according to Munoz.

Multiple agencies responded to the scene, including Shawnee Co. Sheriff's Deputies. The suspect shot several times at law enforcement officers on scene. Multiple law enforcement officers returned fire. At least one officer was struck by the suspect’s gunfire during this incident. The officer was treated at a local hospital and released, according to the KBI. Perkins remains hospitalized.&nbsp;Perkins has previous convictions for second degree assault and drug possession, according to the Missouri Dept. of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665016130407.png" alt="Perkins-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Perkins-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—A suspect identified in the fatal shooting at a Kansas home who was later wounded in Thursday's officer-involved shooting is out of the hospital., according to Police Captain Jerry Monasmith.&nbsp;Eric Perkins, 33, of Excelsior Springs, Missouri is now being held in the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Murder in the 1st Degree; Intentional and premeditated, Murder in the 1st Degree; Intentional and premeditated - Attempted, Aggravated kidnapping, Aggravated robbery,&nbsp;&nbsp;Aggravated burglary, Aggravated assault, Aggravated endangering a child, Criminal discharge of a firearm, Criminal damage to property, Criminal possession of a firearm.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664543885482.png" alt="Police on the scene of the homicide investigation early Thursday -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the homicide investigation early Thursday -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 9:30 a.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to the 3500 Block of SW Kerry Avenue in reference to a shooting. One victim later identified as Gregory Dean Butts was suffering from a gunshot wound and pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp; EMS transported another victim to a local&nbsp; hospital with life threatening injures.&nbsp;Topeka Police investigators quickly identified and worked to locate&nbsp; Perkins.&nbsp;A Topeka officer observed the suspect vehicle near Topeka’s Hi-Crest Neighborhood. The suspect initiated the pursuit, which ended in downtown Topeka near SW 6th Avenue and South Kansas Avenue.Multiple agencies responded to the scene, including Shawnee Co. Sheriff's Deputies. The suspect shot several times at law enforcement officers on scene.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664474656753.png" alt="Police on the scene of the officer-involved shooting -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the officer-involved shooting -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>Multiple law enforcement officers returned fire. At least one officer was struck by the suspect’s gunfire during this incident. The officer was treated at a local hospital and released, according to the KBI. Perkins has previous convictions for second degree assault and drug possession, according to the Missouri Dept. of Corrections.SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating the fatal shooting at a Kansas home that led to Thursday's officer-involved shooting have identified the victim as Gregory Dean Butts of Topeka, according to Police Lt. Manuel Munoz.Just after 9:30 a.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to the 3500 Block of SW Kerry Avenue in reference to a shooting. One victim later identified as Mr. Butts was suffering from a gunshot wound and pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp; EMS transported another victim to a local&nbsp; hospital with life threatening injures.&nbsp;Topeka Police investigators quickly identified and worked to locate the suspect later identified as Eric D. Perkins, 33, of Excelsior Springs, Missouri. The relationship between the Perkins and the homicide victim was domestic in nature, according to Munoz.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664533481207.png" alt="Eric Perkins-photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Eric Perkins-photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>A Topeka officer observed the suspect vehicle near Topeka’s Hi-Crest Neighborhood. The suspect initiated the pursuit, which ended in downtown Topeka near SW 6th Avenue and South Kansas Avenue.Multiple agencies responded to the scene, including Shawnee Co. Sheriff's Deputies. The suspect shot several times at law enforcement officers on scene. Multiple law enforcement officers returned fire. At least one officer was struck by the suspect’s gunfire during this incident. The officer was treated at a local hospital and released, according to the KBI. Perkins remains hospitalized.&nbsp;Perkins has previous convictions for second degree assault and drug possession, according to the Missouri Dept. of Corrections.

Kan. murder suspect shot by police moved from hospital to jail

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea flew 12 warplanes near its border with South Korea on Thursday, prompting the South to scramble 30 military planes in response, Seoul officials said. The highly unusual incident came hours after North Korea fired two ballistic missiles into the sea in its sixth round of missile tests in less than two weeks.

Eight North Korean fighter jets and four bombers flew in formation and were believed to have conducted air-to-surface firing drills, South Korea’s military said.

The military said South Korea responded by scrambling 30 fighter jets and other warplanes, though they didn’t engage in any clash with the North Korean aircraft. It refused to provide further details, including how close to the border the North Korean planes flew.

Tensions have risen sharply on the Korean Peninsula as North Korea’s recent barrage of missile tests prompted South Korea, the United States and Japan to conduct joint drills in response.

Earlier Thursday, North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters. The launches came after the United States redeployed an aircraft carrier near the Korean Peninsula in response to North Korea's launch of a nuclear-capable missile over Japan.

North Korea has conducted a record number of missile tests this year. South Korean officials said the North may further raise tensions by testing an intercontinental ballistic missile or conducting its first nuclear test explosion since 2017, following an old pattern of heightening tensions before trying to wrest outside concessions.

Some experts say North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is determined to continue with weapons tests aimed at boosting his nuclear arsenal in defiance of international sanctions. They say North Korea's goal is to eventually win recognition as a legitimate nuclear state from the United States and the lifting of sanctions, though the United States and its allies have shown no sign of doing so.

The latest missiles were launched 22 minutes apart from North Korea’s capital region and landed between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. The first missile flew 350 kilometers (217 miles) and reached a maximum altitude of 80 kilometers (50 miles) and the second flew 800 kilometers (497 miles) with an apogee of 60 kilometers (37 miles).

The flight details were similar to Japanese assessments announced by Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada, who confirmed that the missiles didn’t reach Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

He added that the second missile was possibly launched on an “irregular” trajectory. It is a term that has been used to describe the flight characteristics of a North Korean weapon modeled after Russia’s Iskander missile, which travels at low altitudes and is designed to be maneuverable in flight to improve its chances of evading missile defenses.

U.S., South Korean and Japanese destroyers launched joint drills later Thursday off the Korean Peninsula’s east coast to horn their abilities to search, track and intercept North Korean ballistic missiles, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

The U.S. destroyer is part of the strike group led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, which returned to the waters in what South Korea’s military called an attempt to demonstrate the allies’ “firm will” to counter North’s continued provocations and threats.

The strike group was in the area last week as part of previous drills between South Korea and the United States, and the allies’ other training involving Japan. North Korea considers such U.S.-led drills near the peninsula as an invasion rehearsal and views training involving a U.S. carrier more provocative.

South Korea’s military said it has also boosted its surveillance posture and maintains readiness in close coordination with the United States. The U.S. Indo Pacific Command said the launches didn’t pose an immediate threat to United States or its allies, but still highlighted the “destabilizing impact” of North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida spoke by phone Thursday and agreed that North Korea’s recent missile tests are “a serious, grave provocation” that threatens international peace, according to Yoon’s office. Kishida earlier said the North’s continued launches are “absolutely intolerable.”

Moon Hong Sik, a South Korean Defense Ministry spokesperson, said North Korea’s accelerating tests also reflect an urgency to meet Kim Jong Un’s arms development goals.

Kim last year described an extensive wish list of advanced nuclear weapons systems, including more powerful ICBMs, multiwarhead missiles, underwater-launched nuclear missiles and tactical nuclear arms.

On Tuesday, North Korea staged its most provocative weapons demonstration since 2017, firing an intermediate-range missile over Japan, forcing the Japanese government to issue evacuation alerts and halt trains.

Experts said the weapon was likely a Hwasong-12 missile capable of reaching the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam and beyond.

Other weapons tested in recent days included Iskander-like missiles and other ballistic weapons designed to strike key targets in South Korea, including U.S. military bases there.

North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement Thursday that the redeployment of the Reagan strike group poses “a serious threat to the stability of the situation on the Korean peninsula and in its vicinity.” The ministry said it strongly condemns U.S.-led efforts at the U.N. Security Council to tighten sanctions on the North over its recent missile testing, which it described as a “just counteraction” to joint U.S.-South Korean drills.

After the North’s intermediate-range missile launch, the United States and South Korea also carried out their own live-fire drills that have so far involved land-to-land ballistic missiles and precision-guided bombs dropped from fighter jets.

But one of the tit-for-tat launches nearly caused catastrophe early Wednesday when a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-south-korea-north-joint-chiefs-of-staff-de60a7b5b83248c549e6e65b49b4a373">malfunctioning South Korean Hyumoo-2 missile flipped</a>&nbsp;shortly after liftoff and crashed into the ground at an air force base in the eastern coastal city of Gangneung. South Korea’s military said no one was hurt.

After Tuesday’s North Korean launch, the United States, Britain, France, Albania, Norway and Ireland called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-china-japan-north-korea-c2814192ae7890d7cf08cbed76845336">But the session Wednesday ended with no consensus,</a>&nbsp;underscoring a divide among the council’s permanent members that has deepened over Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Russia and China during the meeting insisted to fellow Security Council members that U.S.-led military exercises in the region had provoked North Korea into acting.

The United States and its allies expressed concern that the the council’s inability to reach consensus on North Korea’s record number of missile launches this year was emboldening North Korea and undermining the authority of the United Nations’ most powerful body.

North Korea has fired more than 40 ballistic and cruise missiles over more than 20 launch events this year, using the stalled diplomacy with the United States and Russia’s war on Ukraine as a window to speed up arms development.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters Thursday after the United States redeployed an aircraft carrier near the Korean Peninsula in response to Pyongyang’s previous launch of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/seoul-south-korea-north-joint-chiefs-of-staff-1026206c80666f1fcdb3983ebf45e14b">nuclear-capable missile over Japan</a>.

The latest missile launches suggest North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is determined to continue with weapons tests aimed at boosting his nuclear arsenal in defiance of international sanctions. Many experts say Kim’s goal is to eventually win U.S. recognition as a legitimate nuclear state and the lifting of those sanctions, though the United States and its allies have shown no sign of allowing that to happen.

The latest missiles were launched 22 minutes apart from the North’s capital region and landed between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. The first missile flew 350 kilometers (217 miles) and reached a maximum altitude of 80 kilometers (50 miles) and the second flew 800 kilometers (497 miles) on an apogee of 60 kilometers (37 miles).

U.S., South Korean and Japanese destroyers launched joint drills later Thursday off the Korean Peninsula's east coast to horn their abilities to search, track and intercept North Korean ballistic missiles, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

South Korea’s military said it has also boosted its surveillance posture and maintains readiness in close coordination with the United States. The U.S. Indo Pacific Command said the launches didn’t pose an immediate threat to United States or its allies, but still highlighted the “destabilizing impact" of North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who was expected to hold a telephone call with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol over the North Korean threat later Thursday, said the North’s continued launches were “absolutely intolerable.”

The launches were North Korea’s sixth round of weapons tests in less than two weeks, adding to a record number of missile launches this year that has prompted condemnation from the United States and other countries. South Korean officials said the North may up the ante soon by testing an intercontinental ballistic missile or conducting its first nuclear test explosion since 2017, escalating an old pattern of heightening tensions before trying to wrest outside concessions.

Moon Hong Sik, a South Korean Defense Ministry spokesperson, said North Korea’s accelerating tests also reflect an urgency to meet Kim Jong Un’s arms development goals. Kim last year described an extensive wish list of advanced nuclear weapons systems, including more powerful ICBMs, multiwarhead missiles, underwater-launched nuclear missiles and tactical nuclear arms.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1664842519726.png" alt="- This photo provided by the North Korean government shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delivers a speech during a parliament in Pyongyang, North Korea on Sept. 8, 2022. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. North Korea on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022 fired a ballistic missile over Japan, its neighbors said, escalating tests of weapons designed to strike key targets in regional U.S. allies amid stalled nuclear diplomacy. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File) (Uncredited/KCNA via KNS)" />
 <figcaption>- This photo provided by the North Korean government shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delivers a speech during a parliament in Pyongyang, North Korea on Sept. 8, 2022. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. North Korea on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022 fired a ballistic missile over Japan, its neighbors said, escalating tests of weapons designed to strike key targets in regional U.S. allies amid stalled nuclear diplomacy. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File) (Uncredited/KCNA via KNS)</figcaption>
 </figure>SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea flew 12 warplanes near its border with South Korea on Thursday, prompting the South to scramble 30 military planes in response, Seoul officials said. The highly unusual incident came hours after North Korea fired two ballistic missiles into the sea in its sixth round of missile tests in less than two weeks.Eight North Korean fighter jets and four bombers flew in formation and were believed to have conducted air-to-surface firing drills, South Korea’s military said.The military said South Korea responded by scrambling 30 fighter jets and other warplanes, though they didn’t engage in any clash with the North Korean aircraft. It refused to provide further details, including how close to the border the North Korean planes flew.Tensions have risen sharply on the Korean Peninsula as North Korea’s recent barrage of missile tests prompted South Korea, the United States and Japan to conduct joint drills in response.Earlier Thursday, North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters. The launches came after the United States redeployed an aircraft carrier near the Korean Peninsula in response to North Korea's launch of a nuclear-capable missile over Japan.North Korea has conducted a record number of missile tests this year. South Korean officials said the North may further raise tensions by testing an intercontinental ballistic missile or conducting its first nuclear test explosion since 2017, following an old pattern of heightening tensions before trying to wrest outside concessions.Some experts say North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is determined to continue with weapons tests aimed at boosting his nuclear arsenal in defiance of international sanctions. They say North Korea's goal is to eventually win recognition as a legitimate nuclear state from the United States and the lifting of sanctions, though the United States and its allies have shown no sign of doing so.The latest missiles were launched 22 minutes apart from North Korea’s capital region and landed between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. The first missile flew 350 kilometers (217 miles) and reached a maximum altitude of 80 kilometers (50 miles) and the second flew 800 kilometers (497 miles) with an apogee of 60 kilometers (37 miles).The flight details were similar to Japanese assessments announced by Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada, who confirmed that the missiles didn’t reach Japan’s exclusive economic zone.He added that the second missile was possibly launched on an “irregular” trajectory. It is a term that has been used to describe the flight characteristics of a North Korean weapon modeled after Russia’s Iskander missile, which travels at low altitudes and is designed to be maneuverable in flight to improve its chances of evading missile defenses.U.S., South Korean and Japanese destroyers launched joint drills later Thursday off the Korean Peninsula’s east coast to horn their abilities to search, track and intercept North Korean ballistic missiles, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.The U.S. destroyer is part of the strike group led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, which returned to the waters in what South Korea’s military called an attempt to demonstrate the allies’ “firm will” to counter North’s continued provocations and threats.The strike group was in the area last week as part of previous drills between South Korea and the United States, and the allies’ other training involving Japan. North Korea considers such U.S.-led drills near the peninsula as an invasion rehearsal and views training involving a U.S. carrier more provocative.South Korea’s military said it has also boosted its surveillance posture and maintains readiness in close coordination with the United States. The U.S. Indo Pacific Command said the launches didn’t pose an immediate threat to United States or its allies, but still highlighted the “destabilizing impact” of North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida spoke by phone Thursday and agreed that North Korea’s recent missile tests are “a serious, grave provocation” that threatens international peace, according to Yoon’s office. Kishida earlier said the North’s continued launches are “absolutely intolerable.”Moon Hong Sik, a South Korean Defense Ministry spokesperson, said North Korea’s accelerating tests also reflect an urgency to meet Kim Jong Un’s arms development goals.Kim last year described an extensive wish list of advanced nuclear weapons systems, including more powerful ICBMs, multiwarhead missiles, underwater-launched nuclear missiles and tactical nuclear arms.On Tuesday, North Korea staged its most provocative weapons demonstration since 2017, firing an intermediate-range missile over Japan, forcing the Japanese government to issue evacuation alerts and halt trains.Experts said the weapon was likely a Hwasong-12 missile capable of reaching the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam and beyond.Other weapons tested in recent days included Iskander-like missiles and other ballistic weapons designed to strike key targets in South Korea, including U.S. military bases there.North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement Thursday that the redeployment of the Reagan strike group poses “a serious threat to the stability of the situation on the Korean peninsula and in its vicinity.” The ministry said it strongly condemns U.S.-led efforts at the U.N. Security Council to tighten sanctions on the North over its recent missile testing, which it described as a “just counteraction” to joint U.S.-South Korean drills.After the North’s intermediate-range missile launch, the United States and South Korea also carried out their own live-fire drills that have so far involved land-to-land ballistic missiles and precision-guided bombs dropped from fighter jets.But one of the tit-for-tat launches nearly caused catastrophe early Wednesday when a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-south-korea-north-joint-chiefs-of-staff-de60a7b5b83248c549e6e65b49b4a373">malfunctioning South Korean Hyumoo-2 missile flipped</a>&nbsp;shortly after liftoff and crashed into the ground at an air force base in the eastern coastal city of Gangneung. South Korea’s military said no one was hurt.After Tuesday’s North Korean launch, the United States, Britain, France, Albania, Norway and Ireland called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-china-japan-north-korea-c2814192ae7890d7cf08cbed76845336">But the session Wednesday ended with no consensus,</a>&nbsp;underscoring a divide among the council’s permanent members that has deepened over Russia’s war on Ukraine.Russia and China during the meeting insisted to fellow Security Council members that U.S.-led military exercises in the region had provoked North Korea into acting.The United States and its allies expressed concern that the the council’s inability to reach consensus on North Korea’s record number of missile launches this year was emboldening North Korea and undermining the authority of the United Nations’ most powerful body.North Korea has fired more than 40 ballistic and cruise missiles over more than 20 launch events this year, using the stalled diplomacy with the United States and Russia’s war on Ukraine as a window to speed up arms development.--------------SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters Thursday after the United States redeployed an aircraft carrier near the Korean Peninsula in response to Pyongyang’s previous launch of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/seoul-south-korea-north-joint-chiefs-of-staff-1026206c80666f1fcdb3983ebf45e14b">nuclear-capable missile over Japan</a>.The latest missile launches suggest North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is determined to continue with weapons tests aimed at boosting his nuclear arsenal in defiance of international sanctions. Many experts say Kim’s goal is to eventually win U.S. recognition as a legitimate nuclear state and the lifting of those sanctions, though the United States and its allies have shown no sign of allowing that to happen.The latest missiles were launched 22 minutes apart from the North’s capital region and landed between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. The first missile flew 350 kilometers (217 miles) and reached a maximum altitude of 80 kilometers (50 miles) and the second flew 800 kilometers (497 miles) on an apogee of 60 kilometers (37 miles).The flight details were similar to Japanese assessments announced by Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada, who confirmed that the missiles didn’t reach Japan’s exclusive economic zone.He added that the second missile was possibly launched on an “irregular” trajectory. It is a term that has been used to describe the flight characteristics of a North Korean weapon modeled after Russia’s Iskander missile, which travels at low altitudes and is designed to be maneuverable in flight to improve its chances of evading missile defenses.U.S., South Korean and Japanese destroyers launched joint drills later Thursday off the Korean Peninsula's east coast to horn their abilities to search, track and intercept North Korean ballistic missiles, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.The U.S. destroyer is part of the strike group led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, which returned to the waters in what South Korea’s military called an attempt to demonstrate the allies’ “firm will” to counter North’s continued provocations and threats.The strike group was in the area last week as part of previous drills between South Korea and the United States, and the allies’ other training involving Japan. North Korea considers such U.S.-led drills near the peninsula as an invasion rehearsal and views training involving a U.S. carrier more provocative.South Korea’s military said it has also boosted its surveillance posture and maintains readiness in close coordination with the United States. The U.S. Indo Pacific Command said the launches didn’t pose an immediate threat to United States or its allies, but still highlighted the “destabilizing impact" of North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who was expected to hold a telephone call with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol over the North Korean threat later Thursday, said the North’s continued launches were “absolutely intolerable.”The launches were North Korea’s sixth round of weapons tests in less than two weeks, adding to a record number of missile launches this year that has prompted condemnation from the United States and other countries. South Korean officials said the North may up the ante soon by testing an intercontinental ballistic missile or conducting its first nuclear test explosion since 2017, escalating an old pattern of heightening tensions before trying to wrest outside concessions.Moon Hong Sik, a South Korean Defense Ministry spokesperson, said North Korea’s accelerating tests also reflect an urgency to meet Kim Jong Un’s arms development goals. Kim last year described an extensive wish list of advanced nuclear weapons systems, including more powerful ICBMs, multiwarhead missiles, underwater-launched nuclear missiles and tactical nuclear arms.On Tuesday, North Korea staged its most provocative weapons demonstration since 2017, firing an intermediate-range missile over Japan, forcing the Japanese government to issue evacuation alerts and halt trains.Experts said the weapon was likely a Hwasong-12 missile capable of reaching the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam and beyond.Other weapons tested in recent days included Iskander-like missiles and other ballistic weapons designed to strike key targets in South Korea, including U.S. military bases there.North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement Thursday that the redeployment of the Reagan strike group poses “a serious threat to the stability of the situation on the Korean peninsula and in its vicinity.” The ministry said it strongly condemns U.S.-led efforts at the U.N. Security Council to tighten sanctions on the North over its recent missile testing, which it described as a “just counteraction” to joint U.S.-South Korean drills.After the North’s intermediate-range missile launch, the United States and South Korea also carried out their own live-fire drills that have so far involved land-to-land ballistic missiles and precision-guided bombs dropped from fighter jets.But one of the tit-for-tat launches nearly caused catastrophe early Wednesday when a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-south-korea-north-joint-chiefs-of-staff-de60a7b5b83248c549e6e65b49b4a373">malfunctioning South Korean Hyumoo-2 missile flipped</a>&nbsp;shortly after liftoff and crashed into the ground at an air force base in the eastern coastal city of Gangneung. South Korea’s military said no one was hurt.After Tuesday’s North Korean launch, the United States, Britain, France, Albania, Norway and Ireland called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-china-japan-north-korea-c2814192ae7890d7cf08cbed76845336">But the session Wednesday ended with no consensus,</a>&nbsp;underscoring a divide among the council’s permanent members that has deepened over Russia’s war on Ukraine.Russia and China during the meeting insisted to fellow Security Council members that U.S.-led military exercises in the region had provoked North Korea into acting. The United States and its allies expressed concern that the the council’s inability to reach consensus on North Korea’s record number of missile launches this year was emboldening North Korea and undermining the authority of the United Nations’ most powerful body.North Korea has fired more than 40 ballistic and cruise missiles over more than 20 launch events this year, using the stalled diplomacy with the United States and Russia’s war on Ukraine as a window to speed up arms development.___