PAWNEE COUNTY—Two Pennsylvania men are facing drug distribution charges in Pawnee County Kansas.

On December 29, deputies in Pawnee County arrested&nbsp;&nbsp;Jason J. Cleaver, 22 of Wind Gap, Pennsylvania, and Richard S. Cleaver, 23 of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, following a traffic stop on a probable cause suspicion of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, according to Pawnee County District Attorney Doug McNett.&nbsp;

The Pawnee County Attorney’s Office charged both men with&nbsp; Possession of Marijuana in excess of 450 grams, but less than 30 kilograms with intent to distribute, Conspiracy to Possess Marijuana in excess of 450 grams, but less than 30 kilograms with intent to distribute, Misdemeanor Possession of a THC product and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, to wit: a smoking device. Additionally, Jason Cleaver is charged with Speeding for allegedly driving 82 m.p.h. in a 65 m.p.h. zone.

&nbsp;Both suspects are being held in the custody of the Pawnee County Sheriff in lieu of $90,000 cash or surety bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1672779380196.png" alt="Jason Cleaver-photo Pawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Jason Cleaver-photo Pawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>PAWNEE COUNTY—Two Pennsylvania men are facing drug distribution charges in Pawnee County Kansas.On December 29, deputies in Pawnee County arrested&nbsp;&nbsp;Jason J. Cleaver, 22 of Wind Gap, Pennsylvania, and Richard S. Cleaver, 23 of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, following a traffic stop on a probable cause suspicion of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, according to Pawnee County District Attorney Doug McNett.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1672779698149.png" alt="Richard Cleaver-photo Pawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Richard Cleaver-photo Pawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>The Pawnee County Attorney’s Office charged both men with&nbsp; Possession of Marijuana in excess of 450 grams, but less than 30 kilograms with intent to distribute, Conspiracy to Possess Marijuana in excess of 450 grams, but less than 30 kilograms with intent to distribute, Misdemeanor Possession of a THC product and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, to wit: a smoking device. Additionally, Jason Cleaver is charged with Speeding for allegedly driving 82 m.p.h. in a 65 m.p.h. zone.&nbsp;Both suspects are being held in the custody of the Pawnee County Sheriff in lieu of $90,000 cash or surety bond.

2 Pa. men accused of selling marijuana in SW Kansas

DES
 MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Mega Millions jackpot increased to an estimated
 $940 million after another drawing resulted in plenty of losers but not
 a single grand prize winner.

The numbers drawn late Tuesday were: 25, 29, 33, 41, 44 and gold Mega Ball 18.

The next drawing is scheduled to be held Friday night.

The
 new $940 million jackpot is for a winner who chooses to be paid through
 an annuity over 29 years. Nearly all winners opt for a cash payout, 
which for Friday night’s drawing would be an estimated $483.5 million.

In
 Tuesday’s drawing, there were more than 2.9 million winning tickets of 
various amounts including three $4 million tickets sold in Arizona, 
Mississippi and South Dakota, Mega Millions said in a statement.

The
 lack of a winner of an estimated $785 million jackpot Tuesday means 
there have been 23 straight drawings without anyone taking the top 
prize.

The new jackpot will remain <a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-lotteries-490f479fa200c10ceb97547b648f9483">the sixth-largest jackpot in U.S. history</a>.

The jackpot-winning drought isn’t surprising given the daunting odds of one in 302.6 million of winning the top prize.

The jackpot is the largest since someone in California <a href="https://apnews.com/article/lotteries-iowa-36ef3aefbbc37a15e1c5f172129fa6a6">won a record $2.04 billion Powerball prize on Nov. 8</a>. There still has not been an announced winner of that prize.

There
 have been only three larger Mega Millions jackpots than Friday’s 
estimated prize in the game's 20 years, including $1.53 billion in 2018,
 $1.05 billion in 2021 and $1.33 billion in July, Mega Millions said.

Mega Millions is played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

DES
 MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Mega Millions jackpot increased to an estimated
 $940 million after another drawing resulted in plenty of losers but not
 a single grand prize winner.The numbers drawn late Tuesday were: 25, 29, 33, 41, 44 and gold Mega Ball 18.The next drawing is scheduled to be held Friday night.The
 new $940 million jackpot is for a winner who chooses to be paid through
 an annuity over 29 years. Nearly all winners opt for a cash payout, 
which for Friday night’s drawing would be an estimated $483.5 million.In
 Tuesday’s drawing, there were more than 2.9 million winning tickets of 
various amounts including three $4 million tickets sold in Arizona, 
Mississippi and South Dakota, Mega Millions said in a statement.The
 lack of a winner of an estimated $785 million jackpot Tuesday means 
there have been 23 straight drawings without anyone taking the top 
prize.The new jackpot will remain <a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-lotteries-490f479fa200c10ceb97547b648f9483">the sixth-largest jackpot in U.S. history</a>.The jackpot-winning drought isn’t surprising given the daunting odds of one in 302.6 million of winning the top prize.The jackpot is the largest since someone in California <a href="https://apnews.com/article/lotteries-iowa-36ef3aefbbc37a15e1c5f172129fa6a6">won a record $2.04 billion Powerball prize on Nov. 8</a>. There still has not been an announced winner of that prize.There
 have been only three larger Mega Millions jackpots than Friday’s 
estimated prize in the game's 20 years, including $1.53 billion in 2018,
 $1.05 billion in 2021 and $1.33 billion in July, Mega Millions said.Mega Millions is played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Mega Millions jackpot climbs to $940M after no winner

KANSAS CITY – The mother and an associate of former fugitive Trevor Sparks of Kansas City, Mo., who was apprehended Friday have been charged in federal court with assisting in his escape from the Cass County Jail on December 12, according to the United State's Attorney.

Dawn Branstietter, 54, of Blue Springs, Mo., the mother of Sparks, and Nicholas Parris, 38, of Kansas City, Mo., were charged with aiding or assisting an escape from confinement in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo.

Sergio Perez Martinez, 43, of Panorama City, Calif., escaped from the jail with Sparks and remains a fugitive.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the&nbsp; federal criminal complaint, Sparks made several telephone calls to his mother from the jail in which they discussed his upcoming escape attempt. He told her to make sure there was gas in the car because “You are probably going to pick me up real soon. Real, real, real soon.” Sparks told her to “just be ready.”

Sparks made several calls to Branstietter but she was not answering the phone, so he contacted Steven Lydell Williams, Sr., 64, of Kansas City, Mo.&nbsp; Sparks asked Williams to get in touch with his mother, the affidavit says, but then recruited Williams to pick him up after the escape due to Branstietter not answering her phone for several days. Williams allegedly picked up Sparks at a local Casey’s store on Dec. 5, 2022, after he and Perez-Martinez escaped from the jail.

Williams was charged in a separate criminal complaint on Dec. 7, 2022, with aiding or assisting in the escape.

On Dec. 9, 2022, Branstietter was interviewed at her residence. Branstietter indicated she would not give up her son and would go to prison so he could be free. Branstietter’s husband was also at the residence and was not cooperative with law enforcement. No other individuals were found at the residence.

Investigators searched Branstietter’s Facebook account and found messages between her and Parris, who was the ex-boyfriend of Sparks’s sister. They discussed going to Texas, where Sparks’s sister lives. While there was minimal contact between Branstietter and Parris prior to the escape of Sparks and Perez Martinez, the affidavit says, within days of the escape, communication between these two accounts grew exponentially in frequency. The messages were cryptic, vague, or directed to voice or video communication.

At approximately 10:16 a.m. Dec. 30, Sparks was seen leaving the back yard of a Blue Springs residence that Branstietter had been visiting frequently. Sparks got into a vehicle with Branstietter and drove to Parris’s residence, where Sparks, Branstietter, and Parris were arrested by Kansas City police officers.

Sparks was convicted on Nov. 7, 2022, by a federal trial jury, of leading a criminal conspiracy linked to two murders and multiple violent assaults, and which distributed at least a kilogram of methamphetamine every day for nearly a year in the Kansas City, Springfield, St. Joseph, and St. Louis, Mo., areas, as well as illegally possessing firearms. He was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of participating in a money-laundering conspiracy, one count of possessing firearms in relation to a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Sparks was awaiting sentencing when he escaped.

The charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670413683995.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY – The mother and an associate of former fugitive Trevor Sparks of Kansas City, Mo., who was apprehended Friday have been charged in federal court with assisting in his escape from the Cass County Jail on December 12, according to the United State's Attorney.Dawn Branstietter, 54, of Blue Springs, Mo., the mother of Sparks, and Nicholas Parris, 38, of Kansas City, Mo., were charged with aiding or assisting an escape from confinement in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo.Sergio Perez Martinez, 43, of Panorama City, Calif., escaped from the jail with Sparks and remains a fugitive.According to an affidavit filed in support of the&nbsp; federal criminal complaint, Sparks made several telephone calls to his mother from the jail in which they discussed his upcoming escape attempt. He told her to make sure there was gas in the car because “You are probably going to pick me up real soon. Real, real, real soon.” Sparks told her to “just be ready.”Sparks made several calls to Branstietter but she was not answering the phone, so he contacted Steven Lydell Williams, Sr., 64, of Kansas City, Mo.&nbsp; Sparks asked Williams to get in touch with his mother, the affidavit says, but then recruited Williams to pick him up after the escape due to Branstietter not answering her phone for several days. Williams allegedly picked up Sparks at a local Casey’s store on Dec. 5, 2022, after he and Perez-Martinez escaped from the jail.Williams was charged in a separate criminal complaint on Dec. 7, 2022, with aiding or assisting in the escape.On Dec. 9, 2022, Branstietter was interviewed at her residence. Branstietter indicated she would not give up her son and would go to prison so he could be free. Branstietter’s husband was also at the residence and was not cooperative with law enforcement. No other individuals were found at the residence.Investigators searched Branstietter’s Facebook account and found messages between her and Parris, who was the ex-boyfriend of Sparks’s sister. They discussed going to Texas, where Sparks’s sister lives. While there was minimal contact between Branstietter and Parris prior to the escape of Sparks and Perez Martinez, the affidavit says, within days of the escape, communication between these two accounts grew exponentially in frequency. The messages were cryptic, vague, or directed to voice or video communication.At approximately 10:16 a.m. Dec. 30, Sparks was seen leaving the back yard of a Blue Springs residence that Branstietter had been visiting frequently. Sparks got into a vehicle with Branstietter and drove to Parris’s residence, where Sparks, Branstietter, and Parris were arrested by Kansas City police officers.Sparks was convicted on Nov. 7, 2022, by a federal trial jury, of leading a criminal conspiracy linked to two murders and multiple violent assaults, and which distributed at least a kilogram of methamphetamine every day for nearly a year in the Kansas City, Springfield, St. Joseph, and St. Louis, Mo., areas, as well as illegally possessing firearms. He was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of participating in a money-laundering conspiracy, one count of possessing firearms in relation to a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Sparks was awaiting sentencing when he escaped.The charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

Mother of KC-area jail escapee accused of assisting in escape

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday finalized a rule change that broadens availability of abortion pills to many more pharmacies, including large chains and mail-order companies.

The Biden administration partially implemented&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-abortion-health-medication-a6634601a37fb048aecdd9f030e0863a">the change</a>&nbsp;last year, announcing it would no longer enforce a long-standing requirement that women pick up the medicine in person. Tuesday's action formally updates the drug's labeling to allow many more retail pharmacies to dispense the pills, so long as they complete a certification process.

The change could expand access at both brick-and-mortar stores and online pharmacies. Women can get a prescription via telehealth consultation with a health professional, and then receive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-covid-science-health-2d52ebf9efc6ef06f03e788fecd13013">the pills</a>&nbsp;through the mail, where permitted by law.

Still, the rule change’s impact has been blunted by numerous state laws limiting abortion broadly and the pills specifically. Legal experts foresee years of court battles over access to the pills, as abortion-rights proponents bring test cases to challenge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-south-dakota-07c1bcbcb3f6b466100acedb28723069">state restrictions.</a>

For more than 20 years, the FDA labeling had limited dispensing to a subset of specialty offices and clinics, due to safety concerns. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the FDA temporarily suspended the in-person requirement. The agency later said a new scientific review by agency staff supported easing access, concurring with numerous medical societies that had long said the restriction wasn't necessary.

Two drugmakers that make brand-name and generic versions of abortion pills requested the latest FDA label update. Agency rules require a company to file an application before modifying dispensing restrictions on drugs.

Danco Laboratories, which sells branded Mifeprex, said in a statement the change “is critically important to expanding access to medication abortion services and will provide healthcare providers” with another option for prescribing the drug.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists called the update an “important step" forward.

“Although the FDA’s announcement today will not solve access issues for every person seeking abortion care, it will allow more patients who need mifepristone for medication abortion additional options to secure this vital drug,” the group said in a statement.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-science-health-medication-56972af9e9b0fc2fc97e06041f6e96ce">More than half</a>&nbsp;of U.S. abortions are now done with pills rather than surgery, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights.

The FDA in 2000 approved mifepristone to terminate pregnancies of up to 10 weeks, when used with a second drug, misoprostol. Mifepristone is taken first to dilate the cervix and block the hormone progesterone, which is needed to sustain a pregnancy. Misoprostol is taken 24 to 48 hours later, causing the uterus to contract and expel pregnancy tissue.

Bleeding is a common side effect, though serious complications are very rare. The FDA says more than 3.7 million U.S. women have used mifepristone since its approval.

Several FDA-mandated safety requirements remain in effect, including training requirements to certify that prescribers can provide emergency care in the case of excessive bleeding. Pharmacies that dispense the pills also need a certification.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1581004285984.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;The change could expand access at both brick-and-mortar stores and online pharmacies. Credit Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;The change could expand access at both brick-and-mortar stores and online pharmacies. Credit Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday finalized a rule change that broadens availability of abortion pills to many more pharmacies, including large chains and mail-order companies.The Biden administration partially implemented&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-abortion-health-medication-a6634601a37fb048aecdd9f030e0863a">the change</a>&nbsp;last year, announcing it would no longer enforce a long-standing requirement that women pick up the medicine in person. Tuesday's action formally updates the drug's labeling to allow many more retail pharmacies to dispense the pills, so long as they complete a certification process.The change could expand access at both brick-and-mortar stores and online pharmacies. Women can get a prescription via telehealth consultation with a health professional, and then receive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-covid-science-health-2d52ebf9efc6ef06f03e788fecd13013">the pills</a>&nbsp;through the mail, where permitted by law.Still, the rule change’s impact has been blunted by numerous state laws limiting abortion broadly and the pills specifically. Legal experts foresee years of court battles over access to the pills, as abortion-rights proponents bring test cases to challenge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-south-dakota-07c1bcbcb3f6b466100acedb28723069">state restrictions.</a>For more than 20 years, the FDA labeling had limited dispensing to a subset of specialty offices and clinics, due to safety concerns. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the FDA temporarily suspended the in-person requirement. The agency later said a new scientific review by agency staff supported easing access, concurring with numerous medical societies that had long said the restriction wasn't necessary.Two drugmakers that make brand-name and generic versions of abortion pills requested the latest FDA label update. Agency rules require a company to file an application before modifying dispensing restrictions on drugs.Danco Laboratories, which sells branded Mifeprex, said in a statement the change “is critically important to expanding access to medication abortion services and will provide healthcare providers” with another option for prescribing the drug.The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists called the update an “important step" forward.“Although the FDA’s announcement today will not solve access issues for every person seeking abortion care, it will allow more patients who need mifepristone for medication abortion additional options to secure this vital drug,” the group said in a statement.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-science-health-medication-56972af9e9b0fc2fc97e06041f6e96ce">More than half</a>&nbsp;of U.S. abortions are now done with pills rather than surgery, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights.The FDA in 2000 approved mifepristone to terminate pregnancies of up to 10 weeks, when used with a second drug, misoprostol. Mifepristone is taken first to dilate the cervix and block the hormone progesterone, which is needed to sustain a pregnancy. Misoprostol is taken 24 to 48 hours later, causing the uterus to contract and expel pregnancy tissue.Bleeding is a common side effect, though serious complications are very rare. The FDA says more than 3.7 million U.S. women have used mifepristone since its approval.Several FDA-mandated safety requirements remain in effect, including training requirements to certify that prescribers can provide emergency care in the case of excessive bleeding. Pharmacies that dispense the pills also need a certification.___

FDA to allow abortion pills to be sold at retail pharmacies

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans will open the second day of the new Congress much like the first — with leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kevin-mccarthy">Kevin McCarthy</a>&nbsp;trying to become House speaker despite losing in multiple rounds of voting that threw the new GOP majority into chaos.

It was the first time in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-house-of-representatives-kentucky-kevin-mccarthy-e177c4405ef9b8a7b38641a15855764c">100 years</a>&nbsp;that a nominee for House speaker could not take the gavel on the first vote, but McCarthy appeared undeterred. Instead, he vowed to fight to the finish, encouraged, he said, by former President Donald Trump to end the disarray and pull the Republican Party together.

The House is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-house-of-representatives-us-republican-party-0cbb37878b9244d393553f000c332895">scheduled to convene Wednesday</a>&nbsp;after the stalemate essentially forced all other business to a standstill, waiting on Republicans to elect a speaker.

“Today, is that the day I wanted to have? No,” McCarthy told reporters late Tuesday at the Capitol after a series of closed-door meetings.

McCarthy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-us-republican-party-united-states-house-of-representatives-kevin-mccarthy-8b1d6cdf0d75dfc95b195c301f9ae344">said Trump wants him to stay</a>&nbsp;in the race and told him to bring an end to the House Republican chaos and pull the party together.

The former president “wants to see the Republicans united to be able to accomplish the exact things we said we'd do,” McCarthy said.

Asked if he would drop out, McCarthy said, “It’s not going to happen.”

It was a tumultuous start to the new Congress and pointed to difficulties ahead with Republicans now in control of the House.

Tensions flared among the new House majority as their campaign promises stalled out. Without a speaker, the House cannot fully form — swearing in its members, naming its committee chairmen, engaging in floor proceedings and launching investigations of the Biden administration. Lawmakers’ families had waited around, as what’s normally a festive day descended into chaos, with kids playing in the aisles or squirming in parents’ arms.

But it was not at all clear how the embattled GOP leader could rebound to win over right-flank conservatives who reject his leadership. It typically takes a majority of the House to become speaker, 218 votes — though the threshold can drop if members are absent or merely vote present, an strategy McCarthy appeared to be considering.

McCarthy won no more than 203 votes in three rounds of voting, losing as many as 20 Republicans from his slim 222-seat majority.&nbsp;Three members of the Kansas delegation, Tracy Mann, Ron Estes and Jake LaTurner voted for McCarthy in each round. Kansas Democrat Rep. Sharice Davids voted for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York. Members of the Missouri delegation also voted along party lines for McCarthy and Jeffries.

Not since 1923 has a speaker's election gone to multiple ballots, and the longest and most grueling fight for the gavel started in late 1855 and dragged out for two months, with 133 ballots, during debates over slavery in the run-up to the Civil War.

“Kevin McCarthy is not going to be a speaker,” declared Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., one of the holdouts.

A new generation of conservative Republicans, many aligned with Trump’s Make America Great Again agenda, want to upend business as usual in Washington, and were committed to stopping McCarthy’s rise without concessions to their priorities.

In many ways, the challenge from the far-right was reminiscent of the last time Republicans seized power in the House, when tea party Republicans brought hardball politics and shutdown government after winning control in the 2010 midterm elections.

As the spectacle of voting dragged on, McCarthy's backers implored the holdouts to fall in line for the California Republican.

“We all came here to get things done,” the second-ranking Republican, Rep. Steve Scalise, said in a speech nominating McCarthy for the vote and urging his colleagues to drop their protest.

Railing against Democratic President Joe Biden's agenda, Scalise, himself a possible GOP compromise choice, said, “We can't start fixing those problems until we elect Kevin McCarthy our next speaker.”

But the holdouts forced a third and final round of voting before Republican leaders quickly adjourned Tuesday evening.

"The American people are watching, and it's a good thing," said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who nominated fellow conservative Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio as an alternative for speaker.

Jordan, the McCarthy rival-turned-ally, was twice pushed forward by conservatives, but he does not seem to want the job. The Ohio Republican is line to become Judiciary Committee chairman, and he rose during the floor debate to urge his colleagues to instead vote for McCarthy.

“We have to rally around him, come together,” Jordan said.

In all, a core group of 19 Republicans — and then 20 — voted for someone other than McCarthy. The first ballot sent votes to Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona, Jordan and others, while Jordan alone won the votes on the next two ballots.

The standoff over McCarthy has been building since Republicans appeared on track to win the House majority in the midterm elections in November. While the Senate remains in Democratic hands, barely, House Republicans are eager to confront Biden after two years of the Democrats controlling both houses of Congress. The conservative Freedom Caucus led the opposition to McCarthy, believing he’s neither conservative enough nor tough enough to battle Democrats.

To win support, McCarthy has already agreed to many of the demands of the Freedom Caucus, who have been agitating for rules changes and other concessions that give rank-and=file more influence in the legislative process. He has been here before, having bowed out of the speakers race in 2015 when he failed to win over conservatives.

Late Tuesday, pizza, Chick-fil-A and tacos were carried into various meeting rooms at the Capitol after the failed votes as McCarthy supporters and detractors hunkered down to figure out how to elect a speaker.

"Everything’s on the table," said McCarthy ally Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C. — except, he said, having the leader step aside. “Not at all. That is not on the table.”

Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., the chairman of the Freedom Caucus and a leader of Trump's effort to challenge the 2020 presidential election had said earlier it was up to McCarthy to meet their demands and change the dynamic.

Democrats enthusiastically nominated Jeffries, who is taking over as party leader, as their choice for speaker — a typically symbolic gesture for the minority but one that took on new importance with Republicans at odds with each other.

While Jeffries won the most votes overall, 212, it was not the majority to become speaker.

McCarthy focused on those numbers late Tuesday. If McCarthy could win 213 votes, and then persuade the remaining naysayers to simply vote present, he would be able to lower the threshold required under the rules to have the majority.

It's a strategy former House speakers, including outgoing Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Republican Speaker John Boehner had used when they confronted opposition, winning the gavel with fewer than 218 votes.

Said McCarthy late Tuesday at the Capitol: “You get 213 votes, and the others don’t say another name, that’s how you can win.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Failing to elect party leader Kevin McCarthy as the new speaker of the House, Republicans adjourned in disarray Tuesday night, ending a raucous first day of the new Congress but hoping to somehow regroup on Wednesday from his historic defeat.

The abrupt end to a long, messy Day One showed there is no easy way ahead for McCarthy who promised to fight to the finish to claim the gavel despite opposition from the chamber's most conservative members. Needing 218 votes in the full House, McCarthy got just 203 in two rounds — less even than Democrat Hakeem Jeffries in the GOP-controlled chamber — and fared even worse with 202 in round three.

Three members of the Kansas delegation, Tracy Mann, Ron Estes and Jake LaTurner voted for McCarthy in each round. Kansas Democrat Rep. Sharice Davids voted for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York. Members of the Missouri delegation also voted along party lines for McCarthy and Jeffries.

Tensions rose as night fell on the new House majority, and all other business came to a halt. The House agreed to return at noon Wednesday.

"Kevin McCarthy is not going to be a speaker," declared Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., among the holdouts.

McCarthy had pledged a “battle on the floor” for as long as it took to overcome right-flank fellow Republicans who were refusing to give him their votes. But it was not at all clear how the embattled GOP leader could rebound after becoming the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-house-of-representatives-kentucky-kevin-mccarthy-e177c4405ef9b8a7b38641a15855764c">first House speaker nominee in 100 years to fail</a>&nbsp;to win the gavel with his party in the majority.

Without a speaker, the House cannot fully form — swearing in its members, naming its committee chairmen, engaging in floor proceedings and launching investigations of the Biden administration.

“We all came here to get things done,” said the second-ranking Republican, Rep. Steve Scalise, in a rousing speech urging his colleagues to drop their protest.

It was a chaotic start to the new Congress and pointed to a difficult road ahead with Republicans now in control of the House. Lawmakers' families waited around, as what’s normally a festive day descended into chaos, kids playing in the aisles or squirming in parents' arms. A new generation of conservative Republicans, many aligned with Donald Trump's MAGA agenda, want to upend business as usual in Washington, and were committed to stop McCarthy's rise without concessions to their priorities.

It was the second time conservatives pushed forward a reluctant Jordan, the McCarthy rival-turned-ally, who earlier had risen to urge his colleagues, even those who backed him, to drop vote for McCarthy.

“We have to rally around him, come together” Jordan said.

In all, a core group of 19 Republicans — and then 20 — were voting for Jordan, denying McCarthy the majority he needs.

Smiling through it all, McCarthy appeared intent on simply trying to wear down his colleagues. Earlier, he strode into the chamber, posed for photos, and received a standing ovation from many on his side of the aisle. He was nominated by the third-ranking Republican, Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, who said the Californian from gritty Bakersfield “has what it takes” to lead the House.

But a challenge was quickly raised by Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., a conservative former leader of the Freedom Caucus, who was nominated by a fellow conservative as speaker.

The mood was tense, at least on the Republican side, as lawmakers rose from their seats, in lengthy in-person voting. Democrats were upbeat as they cast their own historic votes for their leader, Rep. Jeffries of New York.

In the first-round tally, McCarthy won 203 votes, with 10 for Biggs and nine for other Republicans. In the second, it was 203 for McCarthy and 19 for Jordan. On the third vote, McCarthy had 202 to Jordan's 20. Democrat Jeffries had the most, 212 votes, but no nominee won a majority.

“The one thing that’s clear is he doesn’t have the votes,” Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., told CNN before joining with those voting McCarthy. “At some point, as a conference, we’re gonna have to figure out who does.”

The standoff over McCarthy has been building since Republicans appeared on track to win the House majority in the midterm elections. in November A new generation of Trump-aligned Republicans led the opposition to McCarthy, believing he's neither conservative enough nor tough enough to battle Democrats.

While the Senate remains in Democratic hands, barely, House Republicans are eager to confront Biden after two years of the Democrats controlling both houses of Congress.

After a private GOP morning meeting, a core group of conservatives led by the Freedom Caucus and aligned with Trump were furious, calling the meeting a “beat down” by McCarthy allies and remaining steadfast in their opposition to the GOP leader.

“There’s one person who could have changed all this,” said Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., the chairman of the Freedom Caucus and a leader of Trump's effort to challenge the 2020 presidential election.

The group said McCarthy had refused the group's last-ditch demand for rules changes in a meeting late Monday at the Capitol.

“If you want to drain the swamp you can't put the biggest alligator in control of the exercise,” said Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.

McCarthy’s backers grew angry as well. Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., a leader of a more pragmatic conservative group, said “frustration was rising” with the minority faction opposing McCarthy.

As the day began, outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gaveled closed the last session, moving aside for new House leadership in her Democratic Party, to a standing ovation from colleagues on her side of the aisle.

The chaplain opened with a prayer seeking to bring the 118th Congress to life.

Democrats enthusiastically nominated Jeffries, D-.N.Y., who is taking over as party leader, as their choice for speaker — a typically symbolic gesture for the minority but one that took on new importance with Republicans at odds with each other.

“A Latino is nominating in this chamber a Black man for our leader for the the first time in American history,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, the third-ranking Democrat, in nominating his colleague.

But there was only negative history for the Republicans. as McCarthy fell short, even with an endorsement from former President Trump.

Next steps are uncertain. The second-ranking House Republican, Scalise of Louisiana, could be a next choice, a conservative widely liked by his colleagues and seen by some as a hero after surviving a gunshot wound suffered during a congressional baseball game practice in 2017.

A speaker's contest last went multiple rounds in 1923.

This year's Republican deadlock was in stark contrast to the other side of the Capitol, where Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell will officially become the chamber's longest-serving party leader in history. Democrat Chuck Schumer of New York will remain majority leader.

Despite being in the minority in the Senate, where Democrats hold a slim 51-49 majority, McConnell could prove to be a viable partner as Biden seeks bipartisan victories in the new era of divided government. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-new-year-pitch-bipartisanship-fa34cf2386e48332d1e76cf7a170a1bb">two men are expected to appear together</a>&nbsp;later in the week in the GOP leader's home state of Kentucky to celebrate federal infrastructure investment in a vital bridge that connects Kentucky and Ohio.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1672787266053.png" alt="McCarthy&nbsp;said Trump wants him to stay&nbsp;in the race and told him to bring an end to the House Republican chaos and pull the party together.-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>McCarthy&nbsp;said Trump wants him to stay&nbsp;in the race and told him to bring an end to the House Republican chaos and pull the party together.-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans will open the second day of the new Congress much like the first — with leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kevin-mccarthy">Kevin McCarthy</a>&nbsp;trying to become House speaker despite losing in multiple rounds of voting that threw the new GOP majority into chaos.It was the first time in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-house-of-representatives-kentucky-kevin-mccarthy-e177c4405ef9b8a7b38641a15855764c">100 years</a>&nbsp;that a nominee for House speaker could not take the gavel on the first vote, but McCarthy appeared undeterred. Instead, he vowed to fight to the finish, encouraged, he said, by former President Donald Trump to end the disarray and pull the Republican Party together.The House is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-house-of-representatives-us-republican-party-0cbb37878b9244d393553f000c332895">scheduled to convene Wednesday</a>&nbsp;after the stalemate essentially forced all other business to a standstill, waiting on Republicans to elect a speaker.“Today, is that the day I wanted to have? No,” McCarthy told reporters late Tuesday at the Capitol after a series of closed-door meetings.McCarthy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-us-republican-party-united-states-house-of-representatives-kevin-mccarthy-8b1d6cdf0d75dfc95b195c301f9ae344">said Trump wants him to stay</a>&nbsp;in the race and told him to bring an end to the House Republican chaos and pull the party together.The former president “wants to see the Republicans united to be able to accomplish the exact things we said we'd do,” McCarthy said.Asked if he would drop out, McCarthy said, “It’s not going to happen.”It was a tumultuous start to the new Congress and pointed to difficulties ahead with Republicans now in control of the House.Tensions flared among the new House majority as their campaign promises stalled out. Without a speaker, the House cannot fully form — swearing in its members, naming its committee chairmen, engaging in floor proceedings and launching investigations of the Biden administration. Lawmakers’ families had waited around, as what’s normally a festive day descended into chaos, with kids playing in the aisles or squirming in parents’ arms.But it was not at all clear how the embattled GOP leader could rebound to win over right-flank conservatives who reject his leadership. It typically takes a majority of the House to become speaker, 218 votes — though the threshold can drop if members are absent or merely vote present, an strategy McCarthy appeared to be considering.McCarthy won no more than 203 votes in three rounds of voting, losing as many as 20 Republicans from his slim 222-seat majority.&nbsp;Three members of the Kansas delegation, Tracy Mann, Ron Estes and Jake LaTurner voted for McCarthy in each round. Kansas Democrat Rep. Sharice Davids voted for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York. Members of the Missouri delegation also voted along party lines for McCarthy and Jeffries.Not since 1923 has a speaker's election gone to multiple ballots, and the longest and most grueling fight for the gavel started in late 1855 and dragged out for two months, with 133 ballots, during debates over slavery in the run-up to the Civil War.“Kevin McCarthy is not going to be a speaker,” declared Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., one of the holdouts.A new generation of conservative Republicans, many aligned with Trump’s Make America Great Again agenda, want to upend business as usual in Washington, and were committed to stopping McCarthy’s rise without concessions to their priorities.In many ways, the challenge from the far-right was reminiscent of the last time Republicans seized power in the House, when tea party Republicans brought hardball politics and shutdown government after winning control in the 2010 midterm elections.As the spectacle of voting dragged on, McCarthy's backers implored the holdouts to fall in line for the California Republican.“We all came here to get things done,” the second-ranking Republican, Rep. Steve Scalise, said in a speech nominating McCarthy for the vote and urging his colleagues to drop their protest.Railing against Democratic President Joe Biden's agenda, Scalise, himself a possible GOP compromise choice, said, “We can't start fixing those problems until we elect Kevin McCarthy our next speaker.”But the holdouts forced a third and final round of voting before Republican leaders quickly adjourned Tuesday evening."The American people are watching, and it's a good thing," said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who nominated fellow conservative Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio as an alternative for speaker.Jordan, the McCarthy rival-turned-ally, was twice pushed forward by conservatives, but he does not seem to want the job. The Ohio Republican is line to become Judiciary Committee chairman, and he rose during the floor debate to urge his colleagues to instead vote for McCarthy.“We have to rally around him, come together,” Jordan said.In all, a core group of 19 Republicans — and then 20 — voted for someone other than McCarthy. The first ballot sent votes to Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona, Jordan and others, while Jordan alone won the votes on the next two ballots.The standoff over McCarthy has been building since Republicans appeared on track to win the House majority in the midterm elections in November. While the Senate remains in Democratic hands, barely, House Republicans are eager to confront Biden after two years of the Democrats controlling both houses of Congress. The conservative Freedom Caucus led the opposition to McCarthy, believing he’s neither conservative enough nor tough enough to battle Democrats.To win support, McCarthy has already agreed to many of the demands of the Freedom Caucus, who have been agitating for rules changes and other concessions that give rank-and=file more influence in the legislative process. He has been here before, having bowed out of the speakers race in 2015 when he failed to win over conservatives.Late Tuesday, pizza, Chick-fil-A and tacos were carried into various meeting rooms at the Capitol after the failed votes as McCarthy supporters and detractors hunkered down to figure out how to elect a speaker."Everything’s on the table," said McCarthy ally Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C. — except, he said, having the leader step aside. “Not at all. That is not on the table.”Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., the chairman of the Freedom Caucus and a leader of Trump's effort to challenge the 2020 presidential election had said earlier it was up to McCarthy to meet their demands and change the dynamic.Democrats enthusiastically nominated Jeffries, who is taking over as party leader, as their choice for speaker — a typically symbolic gesture for the minority but one that took on new importance with Republicans at odds with each other.While Jeffries won the most votes overall, 212, it was not the majority to become speaker.McCarthy focused on those numbers late Tuesday. If McCarthy could win 213 votes, and then persuade the remaining naysayers to simply vote present, he would be able to lower the threshold required under the rules to have the majority.It's a strategy former House speakers, including outgoing Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Republican Speaker John Boehner had used when they confronted opposition, winning the gavel with fewer than 218 votes.Said McCarthy late Tuesday at the Capitol: “You get 213 votes, and the others don’t say another name, that’s how you can win.”----------WASHINGTON (AP) — Failing to elect party leader Kevin McCarthy as the new speaker of the House, Republicans adjourned in disarray Tuesday night, ending a raucous first day of the new Congress but hoping to somehow regroup on Wednesday from his historic defeat.The abrupt end to a long, messy Day One showed there is no easy way ahead for McCarthy who promised to fight to the finish to claim the gavel despite opposition from the chamber's most conservative members. Needing 218 votes in the full House, McCarthy got just 203 in two rounds — less even than Democrat Hakeem Jeffries in the GOP-controlled chamber — and fared even worse with 202 in round three.Three members of the Kansas delegation, Tracy Mann, Ron Estes and Jake LaTurner voted for McCarthy in each round. Kansas Democrat Rep. Sharice Davids voted for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York. Members of the Missouri delegation also voted along party lines for McCarthy and Jeffries.Tensions rose as night fell on the new House majority, and all other business came to a halt. The House agreed to return at noon Wednesday."Kevin McCarthy is not going to be a speaker," declared Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., among the holdouts.McCarthy had pledged a “battle on the floor” for as long as it took to overcome right-flank fellow Republicans who were refusing to give him their votes. But it was not at all clear how the embattled GOP leader could rebound after becoming the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-house-of-representatives-kentucky-kevin-mccarthy-e177c4405ef9b8a7b38641a15855764c">first House speaker nominee in 100 years to fail</a>&nbsp;to win the gavel with his party in the majority.Without a speaker, the House cannot fully form — swearing in its members, naming its committee chairmen, engaging in floor proceedings and launching investigations of the Biden administration.“We all came here to get things done,” said the second-ranking Republican, Rep. Steve Scalise, in a rousing speech urging his colleagues to drop their protest.Railing against Democratic President Joe Biden's agenda, Scalise, himself a possible GOP compromise choice, said, “We can't start fixing those problems until we elect Kevin McCarthy our next speaker.”It was a chaotic start to the new Congress and pointed to a difficult road ahead with Republicans now in control of the House. Lawmakers' families waited around, as what’s normally a festive day descended into chaos, kids playing in the aisles or squirming in parents' arms. A new generation of conservative Republicans, many aligned with Donald Trump's MAGA agenda, want to upend business as usual in Washington, and were committed to stop McCarthy's rise without concessions to their priorities."The American people are watching, and it's a good thing," said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who nominated fellow conservative Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio as an alternative for speaker.It was the second time conservatives pushed forward a reluctant Jordan, the McCarthy rival-turned-ally, who earlier had risen to urge his colleagues, even those who backed him, to drop vote for McCarthy.“We have to rally around him, come together” Jordan said.In all, a core group of 19 Republicans — and then 20 — were voting for Jordan, denying McCarthy the majority he needs.Smiling through it all, McCarthy appeared intent on simply trying to wear down his colleagues. Earlier, he strode into the chamber, posed for photos, and received a standing ovation from many on his side of the aisle. He was nominated by the third-ranking Republican, Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, who said the Californian from gritty Bakersfield “has what it takes” to lead the House.But a challenge was quickly raised by Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., a conservative former leader of the Freedom Caucus, who was nominated by a fellow conservative as speaker.The mood was tense, at least on the Republican side, as lawmakers rose from their seats, in lengthy in-person voting. Democrats were upbeat as they cast their own historic votes for their leader, Rep. Jeffries of New York.In the first-round tally, McCarthy won 203 votes, with 10 for Biggs and nine for other Republicans. In the second, it was 203 for McCarthy and 19 for Jordan. On the third vote, McCarthy had 202 to Jordan's 20. Democrat Jeffries had the most, 212 votes, but no nominee won a majority.“The one thing that’s clear is he doesn’t have the votes,” Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., told CNN before joining with those voting McCarthy. “At some point, as a conference, we’re gonna have to figure out who does.”The standoff over McCarthy has been building since Republicans appeared on track to win the House majority in the midterm elections. in November A new generation of Trump-aligned Republicans led the opposition to McCarthy, believing he's neither conservative enough nor tough enough to battle Democrats.While the Senate remains in Democratic hands, barely, House Republicans are eager to confront Biden after two years of the Democrats controlling both houses of Congress.After a private GOP morning meeting, a core group of conservatives led by the Freedom Caucus and aligned with Trump were furious, calling the meeting a “beat down” by McCarthy allies and remaining steadfast in their opposition to the GOP leader.“There’s one person who could have changed all this,” said Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., the chairman of the Freedom Caucus and a leader of Trump's effort to challenge the 2020 presidential election.The group said McCarthy had refused the group's last-ditch demand for rules changes in a meeting late Monday at the Capitol.“If you want to drain the swamp you can't put the biggest alligator in control of the exercise,” said Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.McCarthy’s backers grew angry as well. Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., a leader of a more pragmatic conservative group, said “frustration was rising” with the minority faction opposing McCarthy.As the day began, outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gaveled closed the last session, moving aside for new House leadership in her Democratic Party, to a standing ovation from colleagues on her side of the aisle.The chaplain opened with a prayer seeking to bring the 118th Congress to life.Democrats enthusiastically nominated Jeffries, D-.N.Y., who is taking over as party leader, as their choice for speaker — a typically symbolic gesture for the minority but one that took on new importance with Republicans at odds with each other.“A Latino is nominating in this chamber a Black man for our leader for the the first time in American history,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, the third-ranking Democrat, in nominating his colleague.But there was only negative history for the Republicans. as McCarthy fell short, even with an endorsement from former President Trump.Next steps are uncertain. The second-ranking House Republican, Scalise of Louisiana, could be a next choice, a conservative widely liked by his colleagues and seen by some as a hero after surviving a gunshot wound suffered during a congressional baseball game practice in 2017.A speaker's contest last went multiple rounds in 1923.This year's Republican deadlock was in stark contrast to the other side of the Capitol, where Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell will officially become the chamber's longest-serving party leader in history. Democrat Chuck Schumer of New York will remain majority leader.Despite being in the minority in the Senate, where Democrats hold a slim 51-49 majority, McConnell could prove to be a viable partner as Biden seeks bipartisan victories in the new era of divided government. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-new-year-pitch-bipartisanship-fa34cf2386e48332d1e76cf7a170a1bb">two men are expected to appear together</a>&nbsp;later in the week in the GOP leader's home state of Kentucky to celebrate federal infrastructure investment in a vital bridge that connects Kentucky and Ohio.

Kan. GOP Reps support McCarthy as historic speaker fight continues

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities&nbsp; investigating a homicide at a Kansas City home have identified the victim as 45-year-old Marcus R Benson.

Just after 8p.m. Dec. 30, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 6900 block of E. 17th Street, according to Police Captain Leslie Foreman.

 Upon arrival they were directed into a residence were they located Benson who was had been shot and was unresponsive. 

EMS responded and pronounced the victim deceased at the scene. One subject of interest had been detained. Detectives and crime scene personnel&nbsp; responded to the scene and&nbsp; actively canvassed for witnesses and processing the scene for evidence. 

Police released no additional details Tuesday and have not reported an arrest.

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities&nbsp; investigating a homicide at a Kansas City home have identified the victim as 45-year-old Marcus R Benson.Just after 8p.m. Dec. 30, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 6900 block of E. 17th Street, according to Police Captain Leslie Foreman. Upon arrival they were directed into a residence were they located Benson who was had been shot and was unresponsive. EMS responded and pronounced the victim deceased at the scene. One subject of interest had been detained. Detectives and crime scene personnel&nbsp; responded to the scene and&nbsp; actively canvassed for witnesses and processing the scene for evidence. Police released no additional details Tuesday and have not reported an arrest.

Police ID victim in fatal shooting at Kansas City home

TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly announced that total tax collections for December were $1.1 billion -- $140.1 million, or 14.8%, more than the monthly estimate. That is also 21.9%, or $194.6 million, more than December 2021, according to a media release from her office.

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMzAxMDMuNjkxNzI5MjEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2dvdmVybm9yLmthbnNhcy5nb3Yvd3AtY29udGVudC91cGxvYWRzLzIwMjMvMDEvMDZfRGVjZW1iZXJfUmV2ZW51ZV9GWTIwMjNfMDEtMDMtMjAyM19GaW5hbC5wZGYifQ.DoBjGDxy-VotX4UiNpyWtsPahDidutvAjzuXIwFeqog/s/1303160919/br/151624659185-l" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;to view the December 2022 tax receipts spreadsheet.

“Because of my administration’s work to put the state’s finances back on track, we are able to fully fund education, improve roads and bridges, and work to address mental health issues across the state, all while also providing Kansans immediate tax relief,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.

Individual income tax collections were $374.8 million. That is $5.2 million less than the estimate but $19.6 million, or 5.5%, more than the previous December. If it were not for higher-than-normal refunds in December, receipts would have surpassed the estimate by over $5.0 million. Corporate income tax collections were $281.0 million, which is $151.0 million, or 116.2%, more than the estimate.

Retail sales tax collections were $234.0 million for December. That is $14.0 million, or 5.6%, less than the estimate but $9.7 million, or 4.3%, more than December 2021. Compensating use tax collections were $73.3 million and met the $73.0 million estimate for December. Those collections are also $4.1 million, or 5.9%, more than December 2021.

“Collections for the four major tax types all show growth over December 2021,”&nbsp;said Secretary of Revenue Mark Burghart.&nbsp;“The corporate income tax receipts are much higher than expected due in large part to the influence of the recently enacted SALT Parity Act, which, beginning with tax year 2022, allows owners of pass-through entities, such as S corporations and limited liability companies, to elect to have the pass-through entities pay tax on the income flowing through to the owners.”

TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly announced that total tax collections for December were $1.1 billion -- $140.1 million, or 14.8%, more than the monthly estimate. That is also 21.9%, or $194.6 million, more than December 2021, according to a media release from her office.Click&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMzAxMDMuNjkxNzI5MjEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2dvdmVybm9yLmthbnNhcy5nb3Yvd3AtY29udGVudC91cGxvYWRzLzIwMjMvMDEvMDZfRGVjZW1iZXJfUmV2ZW51ZV9GWTIwMjNfMDEtMDMtMjAyM19GaW5hbC5wZGYifQ.DoBjGDxy-VotX4UiNpyWtsPahDidutvAjzuXIwFeqog/s/1303160919/br/151624659185-l" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;to view the December 2022 tax receipts spreadsheet.“Because of my administration’s work to put the state’s finances back on track, we are able to fully fund education, improve roads and bridges, and work to address mental health issues across the state, all while also providing Kansans immediate tax relief,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.Individual income tax collections were $374.8 million. That is $5.2 million less than the estimate but $19.6 million, or 5.5%, more than the previous December. If it were not for higher-than-normal refunds in December, receipts would have surpassed the estimate by over $5.0 million. Corporate income tax collections were $281.0 million, which is $151.0 million, or 116.2%, more than the estimate.Retail sales tax collections were $234.0 million for December. That is $14.0 million, or 5.6%, less than the estimate but $9.7 million, or 4.3%, more than December 2021. Compensating use tax collections were $73.3 million and met the $73.0 million estimate for December. Those collections are also $4.1 million, or 5.9%, more than December 2021.“Collections for the four major tax types all show growth over December 2021,”&nbsp;said Secretary of Revenue Mark Burghart.&nbsp;“The corporate income tax receipts are much higher than expected due in large part to the influence of the recently enacted SALT Parity Act, which, beginning with tax year 2022, allows owners of pass-through entities, such as S corporations and limited liability companies, to elect to have the pass-through entities pay tax on the income flowing through to the owners.”

Kan. December total tax collections surpass estimate by $140.1M

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —The Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office reported Tuesday the untimely death of Deputy Sonny Johnson.

He died on Sunday while off duty, according to a social media report from the agency. 

The investigation into his death is being handled by the Kansas City Kansas Police Department. "At this time, we ask for our communities’ thoughts and prayers for our loss."

The sheriff's office released no additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1672745764461.png" alt="Sonny Johnson courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Sonny Johnson courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY —The Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office reported Tuesday the untimely death of Deputy Sonny Johnson.He died on Sunday while off duty, according to a social media report from the agency. The investigation into his death is being handled by the Kansas City Kansas Police Department. "At this time, we ask for our communities’ thoughts and prayers for our loss."The sheriff's office released no additional details.

Police investigate death of off-duty Kansas sheriff's deputy

BONNE TERRE, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri inmate was put to death Tuesday for a 2003 killing, becoming what is believed to be the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legal-proceedings-st-louis-missouri-crime-mississippi-river-c2d0f65a1d20393998dc2b0ada2d0aeb">first transgender woman executed in the U.S.</a>

Amber McLaughlin, 49, was convicted of stalking and killing a former girlfriend, then dumping the body near the Mississippi River in St. Louis. McLaughlin’s fate was sealed earlier Tuesday when Republican Gov. Mike Parson declined a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-b88f2b102ac82e8c44190e20631749ab">clemency request</a>.

McLaughlin spoke quietly with a spiritual adviser at her side as the fatal dose of pentobarbital was injected. McLaughlin breathed heavily a couple of times, then shut her eyes. She was pronounced dead a few minutes later.

“I am sorry for what I did,” McLaughlin said in a final, written, statement. “I am a loving and caring person.”

A database on the website for the anti-execution Death Penalty Information Center shows that 1,558 people have been executed since the death penalty was reinstated in the mid-1970s. All but 17 of those put to death were men. The center said there are no known previous cases of an openly transgender inmate being executed. McLaughlin began transitioning about three years ago at the state prison in Potosi.

The clemency petition cited McLaughlin’s traumatic childhood and mental health issues, which the jury never heard during her trial. A foster parent rubbed feces in her face when she was a toddler and her adoptive father used a stun gun on her, according to the petition. It cited severe depression that resulted in multiple suicide attempts, both as a child and as an adult.

The petition also included reports citing a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, a condition that causes anguish and other symptoms as a result of a disparity between a person’s gender identity and their assigned sex at birth. But McLaughlin’s sexual identity was “not the main focus” of the clemency request, her attorney, Larry Komp, said.

In 2003, long before transitioning, McLaughlin was in a relationship with Beverly Guenther. After they stopped dating, McLaughlin would show up at the suburban St. Louis office where the 45-year-old Guenther worked, sometimes hiding inside the building, according to court records. Guenther obtained a restraining order, and police officers occasionally escorted her to her car after work.

Guenther’s neighbors called police the night of Nov. 20, 2003, when she failed to return home. Officers went to the office building, where they found a broken knife handle near her car and a trail of blood. A day later, McLaughlin led police to a location near the Mississippi River in St. Louis, where the body had been dumped. Authorities said she had been raped and stabbed repeatedly with a steak knife.

McLaughlin was convicted of first-degree murder in 2006. A judge sentenced McLaughlin to death after a jury deadlocked on the sentence. Komp said Missouri and Indiana are the only states that allow a judge to sentence someone to death.

A court in 2016 ordered a new sentencing hearing, but a federal appeals court panel reinstated the death penalty in 2021.

“McLaughlin terrorized Ms. Guenther in the final years of her life, but we hope her family and loved ones may finally have some peace,” Parson said in a written statement after the execution.

McLaughlin began transitioning about three years ago, according to Jessica Hicklin, who spent 26 years in prison for a drug-related killing before being released a year ago. Hicklin, now 43,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fd9c93c831454338b0ff185726617d61">sued the Missouri Department of Corrections</a>, challenging a policy that prohibited hormone therapy for inmates who weren’t receiving it before being incarcerated. She won the lawsuit in 2018 and became a mentor to other transgender inmates, including McLaughlin. McLaughlin did not receive hormone treatments, however, Komp said.

Hicklin described McLaughlin as a painfully shy person who came out of her shell after she decided to transition.

“She always had a smile and a dad joke,” Hicklin said. “If you ever talked to her, it was always with the dad jokes.”

The Bureau of Justice Statistics has estimated there are 3,200 transgender inmates in the nation’s prisons and jails. Perhaps the best-known case of a transgender prisoner seeking treatment was that of Chelsea Manning, the former Army intelligence analyst who served seven years in federal prison for leaking government documents to Wikileaks until President Barack Obama commuted the sentence in 2017. The Army agreed to pay for hormone treatments for Manning in 2015.

In 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice wrote in a court filing that state prison officials must treat an inmate’s gender identity condition just as they would treat other medical or mental health conditions, regardless of when the diagnosis occurred.

The only woman ever executed in Missouri was Bonnie B. Heady, put to death on Dec. 18, 1953, for kidnapping and killing a 6-year-old boy. Heady was executed in the gas chamber, side by side with the other kidnapper and killer, Carl Austin Hall.

Nationally, 18 people were executed in 2022, including two in Missouri. Kevin Johnson was put to death in November for the ambush killing of a Kirkwood, Missouri, police officer. Carman Deck was executed in May for killing James and Zelma Long during a robbery at their home in De Soto, Missouri.

Another Missouri inmate, Leonard Taylor, is scheduled to die Feb. 7 for killing his girlfriend and her three young children.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Nearly 1,600 death row inmates have been put to death in the U.S. since 1977, but an execution scheduled for Tuesday in Missouri will be the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legal-proceedings-st-louis-missouri-crime-mississippi-river-c2d0f65a1d20393998dc2b0ada2d0aeb">first of an openly transgender woman</a>.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Tuesday said he would not halt the execution of Amber McLaughlin, 49, who is set to die for stalking a former girlfriend and stabbing her to death nearly 20 years ago. McLaughlin's attorneys have not planned any legal appeals.

A database for the anti-execution Death Penalty Information Center shows 1,558 people have been executed since the death penalty was reinstated in the mid-1970s. All but 17 of them were men, and the center said there are no known previous cases in which an openly transgender inmate was executed.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-b88f2b102ac82e8c44190e20631749ab">clemency petition</a>&nbsp;submitted by her attorneys cited McLaughlin’s traumatic childhood and mental health issues, which the jury never heard about at her trial. A foster parent rubbed feces in her face when she was a toddler, and her adoptive father used a stun gun on her, according to the petition, which also cited severe depression resulting in multiple suicide attempts, both as a child and as an adult.

The petition also included reports citing a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, a condition causing anguish and other symptoms as a result of a disparity between a person’s gender identity and their assigned sex at birth. But McLaughlin’s sexual identity was “not the main focus” of the clemency request, said her attorney, Larry Komp.

In 2003, long before transitioning, McLaughlin was in a relationship with Beverly Guenther. After they stopped dating, McLaughlin would appear at the suburban St. Louis office where Guenther worked, sometimes hiding inside the building, according to court records. Guenther obtained a restraining order, and police officers occasionally escorted her to her car after work.

Guenther’s neighbors called police on the night of Nov. 20, 2003, when she failed to return home. Officers went to the office building, where they found a broken knife handle near her car and a trail of blood. A day later, McLaughlin led police to a location near the Mississippi River in St. Louis where the body had been dumped.

McLaughlin was convicted of first-degree murder in 2006. A judge sentenced McLaughlin to death after a jury deadlocked on the sentence. Komp said Missouri and Indiana are the only states that allow a judge, rather than a jury, to sentence someone to death.

“McLaughlin’s culpability in Ms. Guenther’s murder has never been in question,” Parson said in a statement released by his office. “McLaughlin’s conviction and sentence remains after multiple, thorough examinations of Missouri law. McLaughlin stalked, raped, and murdered Ms. Guenther. McLaughlin is a violent criminal. Ms. Guenther’s family and loved ones deserve peace. The State of Missouri will carry out McLaughlin’s sentence according to the Court’s order and deliver justice.”

McLaughlin began transitioning about three years ago, according to Jessica Hicklin, a transgender inmate who spent 26 years in prison for a drug-related killing before being released a year ago. Hicklin, 43,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fd9c93c831454338b0ff185726617d61">sued the Missouri Department of Corrections</a>, challenging a policy that prohibited hormone therapy for inmates who weren’t receiving it before being incarcerated. She won the lawsuit in 2018 and became a mentor to other transgender inmates, including McLaughlin. McLaughlin has not had hormone treatments, however, Komp said.

Hicklin described McLaughlin as a painfully shy person who came out of her shell after deciding to transition.

“She always had a smile and a dad joke," Hicklin said. "If you ever talked to her, it was always with the dad jokes.”

The Bureau of Justice Statistics has estimated there are 3,200 transgender inmates in the nation’s prisons and jails.

Perhaps the best-known case of a transgender prisoner seeking hormone therapy was that of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/chelsea-manning">Chelsea Manning</a>, the former Army intelligence analyst who served seven years in federal prison for leaking government documents to Wikileaks until President Barack Obama commuted the sentence in 2017. The Army agreed to pay for hormone treatments for Manning in 2015.

The U.S. Department of Justice wrote in a 2015 court filing that state prison officials must treat an inmate’s gender identity condition just as they would treat other medical or mental health conditions, regardless of when the diagnosis occurred.

The only woman ever executed in Missouri was Bonnie B. Heady, who was put to death on Dec. 18, 1953, for kidnapping and killing a 6-year-old boy. Heady was executed in the gas chamber alongside the other kidnapper and killer, Carl Austin Hall.

Nationally, 18 people were executed in 2022, including two in Missouri.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-news-alert-st-louis-missouri-ae9febd877dcb197fedf0825c635e780">Kevin Johnson</a>&nbsp;was put to death in November for the ambush killing of a Kirkwood, Missouri, police officer.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-executions-st-louis-sentencing-missouri-30fa4991720e49efc6690f4c99244061">Carman Deck</a>&nbsp;was executed in May for killing James and Zelma Long during a robbery at their home in De Soto, Missouri.

Another Missouri inmate, Leonard Taylor, is scheduled to die Feb. 7. He was convicted of killing his girlfriend and her three young children.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671065135902.png" alt="McLaughlin-photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>McLaughlin-photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>BONNE TERRE, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri inmate was put to death Tuesday for a 2003 killing, becoming what is believed to be the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legal-proceedings-st-louis-missouri-crime-mississippi-river-c2d0f65a1d20393998dc2b0ada2d0aeb">first transgender woman executed in the U.S.</a>Amber McLaughlin, 49, was convicted of stalking and killing a former girlfriend, then dumping the body near the Mississippi River in St. Louis. McLaughlin’s fate was sealed earlier Tuesday when Republican Gov. Mike Parson declined a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-b88f2b102ac82e8c44190e20631749ab">clemency request</a>.McLaughlin spoke quietly with a spiritual adviser at her side as the fatal dose of pentobarbital was injected. McLaughlin breathed heavily a couple of times, then shut her eyes. She was pronounced dead a few minutes later.“I am sorry for what I did,” McLaughlin said in a final, written, statement. “I am a loving and caring person.”A database on the website for the anti-execution Death Penalty Information Center shows that 1,558 people have been executed since the death penalty was reinstated in the mid-1970s. All but 17 of those put to death were men. The center said there are no known previous cases of an openly transgender inmate being executed. McLaughlin began transitioning about three years ago at the state prison in Potosi.The clemency petition cited McLaughlin’s traumatic childhood and mental health issues, which the jury never heard during her trial. A foster parent rubbed feces in her face when she was a toddler and her adoptive father used a stun gun on her, according to the petition. It cited severe depression that resulted in multiple suicide attempts, both as a child and as an adult.The petition also included reports citing a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, a condition that causes anguish and other symptoms as a result of a disparity between a person’s gender identity and their assigned sex at birth. But McLaughlin’s sexual identity was “not the main focus” of the clemency request, her attorney, Larry Komp, said.In 2003, long before transitioning, McLaughlin was in a relationship with Beverly Guenther. After they stopped dating, McLaughlin would show up at the suburban St. Louis office where the 45-year-old Guenther worked, sometimes hiding inside the building, according to court records. Guenther obtained a restraining order, and police officers occasionally escorted her to her car after work.Guenther’s neighbors called police the night of Nov. 20, 2003, when she failed to return home. Officers went to the office building, where they found a broken knife handle near her car and a trail of blood. A day later, McLaughlin led police to a location near the Mississippi River in St. Louis, where the body had been dumped. Authorities said she had been raped and stabbed repeatedly with a steak knife.McLaughlin was convicted of first-degree murder in 2006. A judge sentenced McLaughlin to death after a jury deadlocked on the sentence. Komp said Missouri and Indiana are the only states that allow a judge to sentence someone to death.A court in 2016 ordered a new sentencing hearing, but a federal appeals court panel reinstated the death penalty in 2021.“McLaughlin terrorized Ms. Guenther in the final years of her life, but we hope her family and loved ones may finally have some peace,” Parson said in a written statement after the execution.McLaughlin began transitioning about three years ago, according to Jessica Hicklin, who spent 26 years in prison for a drug-related killing before being released a year ago. Hicklin, now 43,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fd9c93c831454338b0ff185726617d61">sued the Missouri Department of Corrections</a>, challenging a policy that prohibited hormone therapy for inmates who weren’t receiving it before being incarcerated. She won the lawsuit in 2018 and became a mentor to other transgender inmates, including McLaughlin. McLaughlin did not receive hormone treatments, however, Komp said.Hicklin described McLaughlin as a painfully shy person who came out of her shell after she decided to transition.“She always had a smile and a dad joke,” Hicklin said. “If you ever talked to her, it was always with the dad jokes.”The Bureau of Justice Statistics has estimated there are 3,200 transgender inmates in the nation’s prisons and jails. Perhaps the best-known case of a transgender prisoner seeking treatment was that of Chelsea Manning, the former Army intelligence analyst who served seven years in federal prison for leaking government documents to Wikileaks until President Barack Obama commuted the sentence in 2017. The Army agreed to pay for hormone treatments for Manning in 2015.In 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice wrote in a court filing that state prison officials must treat an inmate’s gender identity condition just as they would treat other medical or mental health conditions, regardless of when the diagnosis occurred.The only woman ever executed in Missouri was Bonnie B. Heady, put to death on Dec. 18, 1953, for kidnapping and killing a 6-year-old boy. Heady was executed in the gas chamber, side by side with the other kidnapper and killer, Carl Austin Hall.Nationally, 18 people were executed in 2022, including two in Missouri. Kevin Johnson was put to death in November for the ambush killing of a Kirkwood, Missouri, police officer. Carman Deck was executed in May for killing James and Zelma Long during a robbery at their home in De Soto, Missouri.Another Missouri inmate, Leonard Taylor, is scheduled to die Feb. 7 for killing his girlfriend and her three young children.---------ST. LOUIS (AP) — Nearly 1,600 death row inmates have been put to death in the U.S. since 1977, but an execution scheduled for Tuesday in Missouri will be the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legal-proceedings-st-louis-missouri-crime-mississippi-river-c2d0f65a1d20393998dc2b0ada2d0aeb">first of an openly transgender woman</a>.Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Tuesday said he would not halt the execution of Amber McLaughlin, 49, who is set to die for stalking a former girlfriend and stabbing her to death nearly 20 years ago. McLaughlin's attorneys have not planned any legal appeals.A database for the anti-execution Death Penalty Information Center shows 1,558 people have been executed since the death penalty was reinstated in the mid-1970s. All but 17 of them were men, and the center said there are no known previous cases in which an openly transgender inmate was executed.A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-b88f2b102ac82e8c44190e20631749ab">clemency petition</a>&nbsp;submitted by her attorneys cited McLaughlin’s traumatic childhood and mental health issues, which the jury never heard about at her trial. A foster parent rubbed feces in her face when she was a toddler, and her adoptive father used a stun gun on her, according to the petition, which also cited severe depression resulting in multiple suicide attempts, both as a child and as an adult.The petition also included reports citing a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, a condition causing anguish and other symptoms as a result of a disparity between a person’s gender identity and their assigned sex at birth. But McLaughlin’s sexual identity was “not the main focus” of the clemency request, said her attorney, Larry Komp.In 2003, long before transitioning, McLaughlin was in a relationship with Beverly Guenther. After they stopped dating, McLaughlin would appear at the suburban St. Louis office where Guenther worked, sometimes hiding inside the building, according to court records. Guenther obtained a restraining order, and police officers occasionally escorted her to her car after work.Guenther’s neighbors called police on the night of Nov. 20, 2003, when she failed to return home. Officers went to the office building, where they found a broken knife handle near her car and a trail of blood. A day later, McLaughlin led police to a location near the Mississippi River in St. Louis where the body had been dumped.McLaughlin was convicted of first-degree murder in 2006. A judge sentenced McLaughlin to death after a jury deadlocked on the sentence. Komp said Missouri and Indiana are the only states that allow a judge, rather than a jury, to sentence someone to death.A court in 2016 ordered a new sentencing hearing, but a federal appeals court panel reinstated the death penalty in 2021.“McLaughlin’s culpability in Ms. Guenther’s murder has never been in question,” Parson said in a statement released by his office. “McLaughlin’s conviction and sentence remains after multiple, thorough examinations of Missouri law. McLaughlin stalked, raped, and murdered Ms. Guenther. McLaughlin is a violent criminal. Ms. Guenther’s family and loved ones deserve peace. The State of Missouri will carry out McLaughlin’s sentence according to the Court’s order and deliver justice.”McLaughlin began transitioning about three years ago, according to Jessica Hicklin, a transgender inmate who spent 26 years in prison for a drug-related killing before being released a year ago. Hicklin, 43,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fd9c93c831454338b0ff185726617d61">sued the Missouri Department of Corrections</a>, challenging a policy that prohibited hormone therapy for inmates who weren’t receiving it before being incarcerated. She won the lawsuit in 2018 and became a mentor to other transgender inmates, including McLaughlin. McLaughlin has not had hormone treatments, however, Komp said.Hicklin described McLaughlin as a painfully shy person who came out of her shell after deciding to transition.“She always had a smile and a dad joke," Hicklin said. "If you ever talked to her, it was always with the dad jokes.”The Bureau of Justice Statistics has estimated there are 3,200 transgender inmates in the nation’s prisons and jails.Perhaps the best-known case of a transgender prisoner seeking hormone therapy was that of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/chelsea-manning">Chelsea Manning</a>, the former Army intelligence analyst who served seven years in federal prison for leaking government documents to Wikileaks until President Barack Obama commuted the sentence in 2017. The Army agreed to pay for hormone treatments for Manning in 2015.The U.S. Department of Justice wrote in a 2015 court filing that state prison officials must treat an inmate’s gender identity condition just as they would treat other medical or mental health conditions, regardless of when the diagnosis occurred.The only woman ever executed in Missouri was Bonnie B. Heady, who was put to death on Dec. 18, 1953, for kidnapping and killing a 6-year-old boy. Heady was executed in the gas chamber alongside the other kidnapper and killer, Carl Austin Hall.Nationally, 18 people were executed in 2022, including two in Missouri.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-news-alert-st-louis-missouri-ae9febd877dcb197fedf0825c635e780">Kevin Johnson</a>&nbsp;was put to death in November for the ambush killing of a Kirkwood, Missouri, police officer.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-executions-st-louis-sentencing-missouri-30fa4991720e49efc6690f4c99244061">Carman Deck</a>&nbsp;was executed in May for killing James and Zelma Long during a robbery at their home in De Soto, Missouri.Another Missouri inmate, Leonard Taylor, is scheduled to die Feb. 7. He was convicted of killing his girlfriend and her three young children.

Transgender inmate apologized before execution for murder 

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect in connection with a New Year's Day incident involving a gun.

Just before 2:30 p.m. Sunday, police responded to the 5300 Block of SW 10 Avenue in Topeka in reference to a gunshots disturbance, according to Lt. Edward Stanley. 

Upon arrival officers confirmed that no one was injured by gunshots.

As a result of the investigation, police arrested Brandon Tyler Lawton, 29, of Topeka on requested charges of Aggravated Assault, Shooting into an occupied dwelling, Criminal discharge in city limits, Criminal damage, Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1672658878939.png" alt="Lawton-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Lawton-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect in connection with a New Year's Day incident involving a gun.Just before 2:30 p.m. Sunday, police responded to the 5300 Block of SW 10 Avenue in Topeka in reference to a gunshots disturbance, according to Lt. Edward Stanley. Upon arrival officers confirmed that no one was injured by gunshots.As a result of the investigation, police arrested Brandon Tyler Lawton, 29, of Topeka on requested charges of Aggravated Assault, Shooting into an occupied dwelling, Criminal discharge in city limits, Criminal damage, Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of drug paraphernalia.

Kansas man accused of shooting a gun at a home New Year's Day

SEDGWICK COUNTY — A man accused in a shooting that critically injured a teen girl and a man made a first appearance in court Dec. 30.

Tmori Wright, 24 of Wichita, is charged with 2 counts of attempted 1st degree murder, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;

Just before 6a.m. Dec. 27,&nbsp; police were dispatched to a shooting in the 1100 block of North Harding in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo. Officers located a 23-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl with multiple gunshot wounds. The teen had been shot over a dozen times.

The victims were transported to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries.&nbsp;The two victims underwent surgery and were reported in critical condition.&nbsp;

Following an investigation, police arrested&nbsp; Wright. Attorneys are scheduled to discuss the case with Judge Quentin Pittman on Jan. 9. Wright remains jailed on a $250,000 bond, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672240854365.png" alt="Wright-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Wright-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — A man accused in a shooting that critically injured a teen girl and a man made a first appearance in court Dec. 30.Tmori Wright, 24 of Wichita, is charged with 2 counts of attempted 1st degree murder, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;Just before 6a.m. Dec. 27,&nbsp; police were dispatched to a shooting in the 1100 block of North Harding in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo. Officers located a 23-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl with multiple gunshot wounds. The teen had been shot over a dozen times.The victims were transported to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries.&nbsp;The two victims underwent surgery and were reported in critical condition.&nbsp;Following an investigation, police arrested&nbsp; Wright. Attorneys are scheduled to discuss the case with Judge Quentin Pittman on Jan. 9. Wright remains jailed on a $250,000 bond, according to the district attorney's office.&nbsp;

Kansas man charged after teen girl, man shot over a dozen times

By DYLAN LYSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2023-01-03/kansas-is-becoming-more-divided-democrats-win-suburban-areas-and-the-gop-holds-rural-communities">Kansas News Service</a>

OVERLAND PARK — Republican Ed Roitz lives in central Overland Park, right in the middle of that state’s most populous, suburban county.

He
 ran to represent his affluent Johnson County neighbors in the Kansas 
House this fall, focusing on the tried-and-true conservative policy of 
cutting taxes.

But when he met voters on their doorsteps, he came 
face-to-face with a changing electorate. One voter, for instance, told 
him she likes paying taxes.

“She was convinced,” Roitz said, “that
 the only reason that we have it ‘so good here in Johnson County and 
Overland Park’ is because the taxes are so high.”

Meanwhile in the
 western Kansas town of Hays, Democrat Edward Hammond found himself 
similarly out of step with his neighbors. His campaign in the rural part
 of the state focused on expanding Medicaid and increasing funding for 
special education.

“I went to 7,000-plus doors,” Hammond said. “What I found is they don’t have the foggiest idea of what’s going on in Topeka.”

Both
 the Roitz and Hammond campaigns ran into a starkly divided Kansas. 
While urban and suburban areas turn to Democrats, the state’s rural 
areas remain as Republican as ever.

Democrats made gains in 
Johnson County this fall, giving the party a majority of the county’s 
seats in the Kansas House. But Democrats were unable to put much of a 
dent into the Republican Party’s vice grip on legislative control 
because they made no gains in rural parts of the state.

So even as
 Johnson County sends a voting bloc of Democrats to Topeka, it falls in a
 legislative minority likely to lose more than it wins against 
conservatives from the state’s small towns and countryside.

Overall,
 the make up of the Legislature will effectively remain the same. 
Republicans will continue to dictate policymaking, with Democrats unable
 to stop them. Instead, their hopes will often rely on the veto power of
 Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-11-09/kansas-governor-election-results-2022-laura-kelly-derek-schmidt-election" target="_blank">who won a second term</a> while also outpacing much of the rest of her party at the ballot box.

But
 Kelly won’t be a Democratic fail-safe, because Republicans still hold 
supermajorities in both the House and the Senate. That gives the GOP 
lawmakers the ability to override Kelly’s veto and send state 
constitutional amendments to voters — like the <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-11-14/kansas-voters-narrowly-reject-plan-to-shift-power-from-the-governor-to-the-legislature" target="_blank">recently rejected rules and regulations amendment</a> that would have curtailed the governor’s political power.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1672755835323.png" alt="Johnson County voters are turning to Democratic candidates, while the Republican Party dominates rural parts of Kansas. Carlos Moreno / KCUR 89.3" />
 <figcaption>Johnson County voters are turning to Democratic candidates, while the Republican Party dominates rural parts of Kansas. Carlos Moreno / KCUR 89.3</figcaption>
 </figure>By DYLAN LYSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2023-01-03/kansas-is-becoming-more-divided-democrats-win-suburban-areas-and-the-gop-holds-rural-communities">Kansas News Service</a>OVERLAND PARK — Republican Ed Roitz lives in central Overland Park, right in the middle of that state’s most populous, suburban county.He
 ran to represent his affluent Johnson County neighbors in the Kansas 
House this fall, focusing on the tried-and-true conservative policy of 
cutting taxes.But when he met voters on their doorsteps, he came 
face-to-face with a changing electorate. One voter, for instance, told 
him she likes paying taxes.“She was convinced,” Roitz said, “that
 the only reason that we have it ‘so good here in Johnson County and 
Overland Park’ is because the taxes are so high.”Meanwhile in the
 western Kansas town of Hays, Democrat Edward Hammond found himself 
similarly out of step with his neighbors. His campaign in the rural part
 of the state focused on expanding Medicaid and increasing funding for 
special education.“I went to 7,000-plus doors,” Hammond said. “What I found is they don’t have the foggiest idea of what’s going on in Topeka.”Both
 the Roitz and Hammond campaigns ran into a starkly divided Kansas. 
While urban and suburban areas turn to Democrats, the state’s rural 
areas remain as Republican as ever.Democrats made gains in 
Johnson County this fall, giving the party a majority of the county’s 
seats in the Kansas House. But Democrats were unable to put much of a 
dent into the Republican Party’s vice grip on legislative control 
because they made no gains in rural parts of the state.So even as
 Johnson County sends a voting bloc of Democrats to Topeka, it falls in a
 legislative minority likely to lose more than it wins against 
conservatives from the state’s small towns and countryside.Overall,
 the make up of the Legislature will effectively remain the same. 
Republicans will continue to dictate policymaking, with Democrats unable
 to stop them. Instead, their hopes will often rely on the veto power of
 Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-11-09/kansas-governor-election-results-2022-laura-kelly-derek-schmidt-election" target="_blank">who won a second term</a> while also outpacing much of the rest of her party at the ballot box.But
 Kelly won’t be a Democratic fail-safe, because Republicans still hold 
supermajorities in both the House and the Senate. That gives the GOP 
lawmakers the ability to override Kelly’s veto and send state 
constitutional amendments to voters — like the <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-11-14/kansas-voters-narrowly-reject-plan-to-shift-power-from-the-governor-to-the-legislature" target="_blank">recently rejected rules and regulations amendment</a> that would have curtailed the governor’s political power.The Republican dominance also means some popular policy changes —<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-10-26/kansas-voters-say-they-want-to-expand-medicaid-protect-abortion-and-ban-transgender-athletes" target="_blank"> including expanding Medicaid</a> — will likely be pushed to the wayside. Republicans will instead focus on more conservative issues.<h2>Divided Kansas</h2>Democrats
 flipped three House seats in Johnson County this fall. Of the 27 House 
seats representing the state’s most populated county, Democrats now sit 
in 16 of them. That’s more than a third of the 40 Democrats in the 
Kansas House.State Rep. Stephanie Clayton of Overland Park is a 
one-politician microcosm of changing Johnson County. She was elected as a
 Republican in 2012. But she <a href="https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2018-12-19/more-kansas-legislative-republicans-jump-ship-become-democrats" target="_blank">switched to the Democratic Party</a> in 2018. Democrats have won more seats in the county since.After the election, Clayton celebrated the county’s voters turning to moderates.“We’re
 mostly calm, middle-of-the-road, pro-education people who just want to 
make sure women have a right to choose and that our kids don’t get shot 
at school,” Clayton said.But outside of Johnson County, the 
political makeup looks very different. Democrats lost two seats in 
Wyandotte and Sedgwick counties, for a gain of just one seat overall. 
The party fell short of breaking the Republican Party’s two-thirds 
majority in the House.Democrats are left with a significant 
uphill battle against Republicans, who almost exclusively control the 
vast rural areas of the state. Outside of the five most populated 
counties, Democrats only hold two seats. The remaining 47 seats are 
controlled by Republicans.Nathaniel Birkhead, a political 
scientist at Kansas State University, said rural voters may help 
Republicans keep that advantage for the foreseeable future.“If they’re not going more red,” Birkhead said of rural voters, “then they’re certainly staying very red.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1672755927910.png" alt=" Dylan Lysen / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption> Dylan Lysen / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>The result is rural Republican lawmakers having a stronger voice than
 the urban area Democrats. For example, House Republicans created a 
committee just for rural issues, but did not create an urban 
counterpart. Johnson County’s Democratic lawmakers will also have a 
harder time securing state dollars during budget negotiations that 
Republicans lead.Roitz said he wonders if his district may now lose out.“The effectiveness of being a minority legislator,” he said, “is very questionable.”<h2>Moderation is key</h2>To
 have more of a say, Democrats will have to make a dent in rural areas. 
The party has done well turning the tide for statewide races, like 
reelecting Kelly this fall.Birkhead said Democrats may do better 
in statewide races because they appear more often in the news, while 
local races get little media coverage. That leads to voters sticking 
with their preferred party further down the ballot.“That’s where the partisanship really just rules the day,” Birkhead said.But Kelly is also somewhat of a special case. She’s made more inroads
 in rural areas than the other statewide Democratic candidates. For 
example, <a href="https://www.salinecountyks.gov/media/Election%20Office/election-results/2022%20General.pdf" target="_blank">in Saline County</a>,
 Kelly got 45% of the vote. Almost all of the other Democrats running 
for statewide office received 30% or less of the county’s vote.Kelly may have successfully separated herself from the state’s overall view of Democrats and given voters the idea she is a<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-10-26/kansas-gov-kelly-touts-economy-in-reelection-bid-as-republicans-blame-her-for-inflation" target="_blank"> business-friendly political moderate</a>.
 That image was boosted by the state’s all-time low unemployment rate 
and the fact that she just landed a $4 billion manufacturing plant.Emma
 O’Brien, a spokesperson for the Kansas Democratic Party, said the 
party’s candidates can win rural elections by modeling Kelly.“You know, leave no stone unturned, talk to every single voter, and continue to grow and expand on that,” O’Brien said.<h2>Conservative Legislature</h2>In
 the meantime, Kelly and Democrat lawmakers will continue to face a 
Republican-dominated Legislature mostly unafraid of political opposition
 to their plans.It will be very similar to the last two years. 
During that time, the Legislature pushed several amendments to the state
 constitution — including the <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-08-02/kansas-voters-rejected-an-amendment-that-would-have-stripped-away-abortion-rights" target="_blank">overwhelmingly rejected</a>
 change that would have removed the right to abortion — focused on 
socially conservative changes in schools and ignored calls for expanding
 Medicaid.Michael Smith, a political scientist at Emporia State 
University, said the new make up of the Legislature means Republicans 
will likely continue on that path.“In terms of the big picture,” Smith said, “it’s not that different.”While major policy changes are unlikely, Republicans could still push conservative changes. They may again try to pass <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-04-28/kansas-lawmakers-fall-a-few-votes-short-of-banning-transgender-athletes-from-womens-sports" target="_blank">the ban on transgender girls playing in girls sports</a> — a bill that Kelly vetoed twice.They may also <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-08-24/most-kansas-voters-want-abortion-access-but-their-legislators-may-further-restrict-it-anyway" target="_blank">test just how strong the right to abortion</a>
 is protected by the Kansas Constitution. The rejection of the state 
constitutional amendment rules out a total ban that neighboring states 
have enacted. But lawmakers could try to pass a moderately more 
restrictive ban — like dropping the current 22-week ban to 15 weeks — to
 see if the Kansas Supreme Court would allow it.Additionally, 
lawmakers could again try to change how the court’s justices are 
selected. That proposed constitutional amendment was considered last 
spring, but did not get the two-third majority required to send it to 
voters.But given how voters have mostly rejected the changes to 
the state constitution this year, Smith said it may be a bad idea for 
Republicans to continue trying for amendments that could be seen as a 
power grab.“Kansans just don’t love it when one of the branches goes messing with the separation of powers,” Smith said.