SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a weekend shooting and have a suspect in custody. 

Just before 7p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to the Relax Inn in the 3800 Block SW Topeka Blvd. after the Shawnee County Emergency Communication Center received a call for service involving a shooting that had just occurred, according to Police Captain Jerry Monasmith. 

Upon arrival, responding officers located an individual who appeared to be suffering from a gunshot wound.&nbsp; An ambulance transported the victim to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

As a result of the investigation, 25-year-old Michael Raines of Topeka, was identified as suspect. On Sunday, police reported they had taken him into custody. 

Raines is being held on a $150,000 bond on requested charges of Aggravated battery, Aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, Felony obstruction and Criminal use of a weapon

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1667179793465.png" alt="Raines-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Raines-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a weekend shooting and have a suspect in custody. Just before 7p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to the Relax Inn in the 3800 Block SW Topeka Blvd. after the Shawnee County Emergency Communication Center received a call for service involving a shooting that had just occurred, according to Police Captain Jerry Monasmith. Upon arrival, responding officers located an individual who appeared to be suffering from a gunshot wound.&nbsp; An ambulance transported the victim to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.As a result of the investigation, 25-year-old Michael Raines of Topeka, was identified as suspect. On Sunday, police reported they had taken him into custody. Raines is being held on a $150,000 bond on requested charges of Aggravated battery, Aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, Felony obstruction and Criminal use of a weapon

Police arrest suspect in Kansas motel shooting

WASHINGTON (AP) — Members of the Supreme Court's conservative majority are questioning the continued use of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/affirmative-action">affirmative action</a>&nbsp;in higher education in lengthy arguments Monday in which the justices are wrestling with difficult questions of race.

The justices scheduled at least an hour and forty minutes of arguments and were hearing from from six different lawyers in challenges to policies at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-admissions-education-race-and-ethnicity-north-carolina-university-of-north-carolina-0ed19edd9dcb13d194afe0f13aa330df">University of North Carolina</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/appeals-court-clears-harvard-racial-bias-4e3eb42d20ee675887e02bcec57ab412">Harvard</a>. Those policies consider race among many factors in evaluating applications for admission.

Following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">the overturning of the half-century precedent of Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;in June, the cases offer a big new test of whether the court now dominated 6-3 by conservatives will move the law to the right on another of the nation's most contentious cultural issues.

During arguments in the first of two cases, the court sounded split along ideological lines on the issue of affirmative action.

Justice Clarence Thomas, the court's second Black justice who has a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ketanji-brown-jackson-us-supreme-court-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-education-15a37e379866d590da82c0d0224679e3">long record of opposition to affirmative action programs</a>, noted he didn’t go to racially diverse schools. “I’ve heard the word ‘diversity’ quite a few times and I don’t have a clue what it means,” the conservative justice said at one point. At another point he said: “Tell me what the educational benefits are?”

Justice Amy Coney Barrett, another conservative, pointed to one of the court's previous affirmative action cases and said it anticipated an end to the use of affirmative action, saying it was "dangerous, and it has to have an end point.” When, she asked, is that end point?

Liberal justices, meanwhile, defended affirmative action policies. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the court’s newest justice and its first Black female, said race was being used at the University of North Carolina as part of a broad review of applicants.

“They’re looking at the full person with all of these characteristics,” she said.

Justice Elena Kagan called universities the “pipelines to leadership in our society” and suggested that without affirmative action minority enrollment will drop.

“I thought part of what it meant to be an American and to believe in American pluralism is that actually our institutions, you know, are reflective of who we are as a people in all our variety,” she said.

The Supreme Court has twice&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-texas-courts-relationships-race-and-ethnicity-87f9c6ae0150469f9204b5d79c7dc7ad">upheld race-conscious college admissions programs</a>&nbsp;in the past 19 years, including just six years ago.

But that was before the three appointees of former President Donald Trump joined. Jackson was chosen this year by President Joe Biden.

Lower courts upheld the programs at both UNC and Harvard, rejecting claims that the schools discriminated against white and Asian-American applicants.

The cases are brought by conservative activist Edward Blum, who also was behind an earlier affirmative action challenge against the University of Texas as well as the case that led the court in 2013 to end the use of a key provision of the landmark Voting Rights Act.

Blum formed Students for Fair Admissions, which filed the lawsuits against both schools in 2014.

The group argues that the Constitution forbids the use of race in college admissions and calls for overturning earlier Supreme Court decisions that said otherwise.

Colleges and universities can use other, race-neutral ways to assemble a diverse student body, including by focusing on socioeconomic status and eliminating the preference for children of alumni, Students for Fair Admissions argues.

The schools contend that they use race in a limited way, but that eliminating it as a factor altogether would make it much harder to achieve a student body that looks like America.

The Biden administration is urging the court to preserve race-conscious admissions. The Trump administration had taken the opposite position in earlier stages of the cases.

UNC says its freshman class is about 65% white, 22% Asian American, 10% Black and 10% Hispanic. The numbers add to more than 100% because some students report belonging to more than one category, a school spokesman said.

White students are just over 40% of Harvard's freshman class, the school said. The class also is just under 28% Asian American, 14% Black and 12% Latino.

Nine states already prohibit any consideration of race in admissions to public colleges and universities: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Washington.

In 2020, California voters easily rejected a ballot measure to bring back affirmative action.

Public opinion on the topic varies depending on how the question is asked. A Gallup Poll from 2021 found 62% of Americans in favor of affirmative action programs for racial minorities. But in a Pew Research Center survey in March, 74% of Americans, including majorities of Black and Latino respondents, said race and ethnicity should not factor into college admissions.

Jackson and Chief Justice John Roberts received their undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard. Two other justices went to law school there.

But Jackson is sitting out the Harvard case because she was until recently a member of an advisory governing board.

A decision in the affirmative action cases is not expected before late spring.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court wrestled with persistent, difficult questions of race Monday, debating whether to end the use of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/affirmative-action">affirmative action</a>&nbsp;in higher education.

Following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">the overturning of the half-century precedent of Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;in June, the cases offer a big new test of whether the court now dominated by conservatives will move the law to the right on another of the nation's most contentious cultural issues.

Early in the arguments, liberal justices asked questions suggesting support for the schools’ policies. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the court’s newest justice and its first Black female, said race was being used at the University of North Carolina as part of a broad review of applicants.

“There are 40 factors about all sorts of things that the admissions office is looking at. ... They’re looking at the full person with all of these characteristics,” she said.

But that was before the three appointees of President Donald Trump joined. Jackson was chosen this year by President Joe Biden.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The future of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/affirmative-action">affirmative action</a>&nbsp;in higher education is on the table as the Supreme Court wades into the admissions programs at the nation's oldest public and private universities.

The justices are hearing arguments Monday in challenges to policies at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-admissions-education-race-and-ethnicity-north-carolina-university-of-north-carolina-0ed19edd9dcb13d194afe0f13aa330df">University of North Carolina</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/appeals-court-clears-harvard-racial-bias-4e3eb42d20ee675887e02bcec57ab412">Harvard</a>&nbsp;that consider race among many factors in evaluating applications for admission.

Following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">the overturning of the nearly 50-year precedent of Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;in June, the cases offer another test of whether the court now dominated by conservatives will move the law to the right on another of the nation's most contentious cultural issues.

But that was before three appointees of President Donald Trump joined, as well as Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the court's first Black woman.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1667218590416.png" alt="The Supreme Court has twice&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-texas-courts-relationships-race-and-ethnicity-87f9c6ae0150469f9204b5d79c7dc7ad">upheld race-conscious college admissions programs</a>&nbsp;in the past 19 years, including just six years ago." />
 <figcaption>The Supreme Court has twice&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-texas-courts-relationships-race-and-ethnicity-87f9c6ae0150469f9204b5d79c7dc7ad">upheld race-conscious college admissions programs</a>&nbsp;in the past 19 years, including just six years ago.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Members of the Supreme Court's conservative majority are questioning the continued use of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/affirmative-action">affirmative action</a>&nbsp;in higher education in lengthy arguments Monday in which the justices are wrestling with difficult questions of race.The justices scheduled at least an hour and forty minutes of arguments and were hearing from from six different lawyers in challenges to policies at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-admissions-education-race-and-ethnicity-north-carolina-university-of-north-carolina-0ed19edd9dcb13d194afe0f13aa330df">University of North Carolina</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/appeals-court-clears-harvard-racial-bias-4e3eb42d20ee675887e02bcec57ab412">Harvard</a>. Those policies consider race among many factors in evaluating applications for admission.Following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">the overturning of the half-century precedent of Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;in June, the cases offer a big new test of whether the court now dominated 6-3 by conservatives will move the law to the right on another of the nation's most contentious cultural issues.During arguments in the first of two cases, the court sounded split along ideological lines on the issue of affirmative action.Justice Clarence Thomas, the court's second Black justice who has a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ketanji-brown-jackson-us-supreme-court-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-education-15a37e379866d590da82c0d0224679e3">long record of opposition to affirmative action programs</a>, noted he didn’t go to racially diverse schools. “I’ve heard the word ‘diversity’ quite a few times and I don’t have a clue what it means,” the conservative justice said at one point. At another point he said: “Tell me what the educational benefits are?”Justice Amy Coney Barrett, another conservative, pointed to one of the court's previous affirmative action cases and said it anticipated an end to the use of affirmative action, saying it was "dangerous, and it has to have an end point.” When, she asked, is that end point?Liberal justices, meanwhile, defended affirmative action policies. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the court’s newest justice and its first Black female, said race was being used at the University of North Carolina as part of a broad review of applicants.“They’re looking at the full person with all of these characteristics,” she said.Justice Elena Kagan called universities the “pipelines to leadership in our society” and suggested that without affirmative action minority enrollment will drop.“I thought part of what it meant to be an American and to believe in American pluralism is that actually our institutions, you know, are reflective of who we are as a people in all our variety,” she said.The Supreme Court has twice&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-texas-courts-relationships-race-and-ethnicity-87f9c6ae0150469f9204b5d79c7dc7ad">upheld race-conscious college admissions programs</a>&nbsp;in the past 19 years, including just six years ago.But that was before the three appointees of former President Donald Trump joined. Jackson was chosen this year by President Joe Biden.Lower courts upheld the programs at both UNC and Harvard, rejecting claims that the schools discriminated against white and Asian-American applicants.The cases are brought by conservative activist Edward Blum, who also was behind an earlier affirmative action challenge against the University of Texas as well as the case that led the court in 2013 to end the use of a key provision of the landmark Voting Rights Act.Blum formed Students for Fair Admissions, which filed the lawsuits against both schools in 2014.The group argues that the Constitution forbids the use of race in college admissions and calls for overturning earlier Supreme Court decisions that said otherwise.Colleges and universities can use other, race-neutral ways to assemble a diverse student body, including by focusing on socioeconomic status and eliminating the preference for children of alumni, Students for Fair Admissions argues.The schools contend that they use race in a limited way, but that eliminating it as a factor altogether would make it much harder to achieve a student body that looks like America.The Biden administration is urging the court to preserve race-conscious admissions. The Trump administration had taken the opposite position in earlier stages of the cases.UNC says its freshman class is about 65% white, 22% Asian American, 10% Black and 10% Hispanic. The numbers add to more than 100% because some students report belonging to more than one category, a school spokesman said.White students are just over 40% of Harvard's freshman class, the school said. The class also is just under 28% Asian American, 14% Black and 12% Latino.Nine states already prohibit any consideration of race in admissions to public colleges and universities: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Washington.In 2020, California voters easily rejected a ballot measure to bring back affirmative action.Public opinion on the topic varies depending on how the question is asked. A Gallup Poll from 2021 found 62% of Americans in favor of affirmative action programs for racial minorities. But in a Pew Research Center survey in March, 74% of Americans, including majorities of Black and Latino respondents, said race and ethnicity should not factor into college admissions.Jackson and Chief Justice John Roberts received their undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard. Two other justices went to law school there.But Jackson is sitting out the Harvard case because she was until recently a member of an advisory governing board.A decision in the affirmative action cases is not expected before late spring.----------WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court wrestled with persistent, difficult questions of race Monday, debating whether to end the use of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/affirmative-action">affirmative action</a>&nbsp;in higher education.The justices scheduled at least an hour and forty minutes of arguments and were hearing from from six different lawyers in challenges to policies at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-admissions-education-race-and-ethnicity-north-carolina-university-of-north-carolina-0ed19edd9dcb13d194afe0f13aa330df">University of North Carolina</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/appeals-court-clears-harvard-racial-bias-4e3eb42d20ee675887e02bcec57ab412">Harvard</a>. Those policies consider race among many factors in evaluating applications for admission.Following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">the overturning of the half-century precedent of Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;in June, the cases offer a big new test of whether the court now dominated by conservatives will move the law to the right on another of the nation's most contentious cultural issues.Early in the arguments, liberal justices asked questions suggesting support for the schools’ policies. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the court’s newest justice and its first Black female, said race was being used at the University of North Carolina as part of a broad review of applicants.“There are 40 factors about all sorts of things that the admissions office is looking at. ... They’re looking at the full person with all of these characteristics,” she said.Justice Elena Kagan called universities the “pipelines to leadership in our society” and suggested that without affirmative action minority enrollment will drop.“I thought part of what it meant to be an American and to believe in American pluralism is that actually our institutions, you know, are reflective of who we are as a people in all our variety,” she said.The Supreme Court has twice&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-texas-courts-relationships-race-and-ethnicity-87f9c6ae0150469f9204b5d79c7dc7ad">upheld race-conscious college admissions programs</a>&nbsp;in the past 19 years, including just six years ago.But that was before the three appointees of President Donald Trump joined. Jackson was chosen this year by President Joe Biden.Lower courts upheld the programs at both UNC and Harvard, rejecting claims that the schools discriminated against white and Asian-American applicants.The cases are brought by conservative activist Edward Blum, who also was behind an earlier affirmative action challenge against the University of Texas as well as the case that led the court in 2013 to end the use of a key provision of the landmark Voting Rights Act.Blum formed Students for Fair Admissions, which filed the lawsuits against both schools in 2014.The group argues that the Constitution forbids the use of race in college admissions and calls for overturning earlier Supreme Court decisions that said otherwise.Colleges and universities can use other, race-neutral ways to assemble a diverse student body, including by focusing on socioeconomic status and eliminating the preference for children of alumni, Students for Fair Admissions argues.The schools contend that they use race in a limited way, but that eliminating it as a factor altogether would make it much harder to achieve a student body that looks like America.The Biden administration is urging the court to preserve race-conscious admissions. The Trump administration had taken the opposite position in earlier stages of the cases.UNC says its freshman class is about 65% white, 22% Asian American, 10% Black and 10% Hispanic. The numbers add to more than 100% because some students report belonging to more than one category, a school spokesman said.White students are just over 40% of Harvard's freshman class, the school said. The class also is just under 28% Asian American, 14% Black and 12% Latino.Nine states already prohibit any consideration of race in admissions to public colleges and universities: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Washington.In 2020, California voters easily rejected a ballot measure to bring back affirmative action.Public opinion on the topic varies depending on how the question is asked. A Gallup Poll from 2021 found 62% of Americans in favor of affirmative action programs for racial minorities. But in a Pew Research Center survey in March, 74% of Americans, including majorities of Black and Latino respondents, said race and ethnicity should not factor into college admissions.Jackson and Chief Justice John Roberts received their undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard. Two other justices went to law school there.But Jackson is sitting out the Harvard case because she was until recently a member of an advisory governing board.A decision in the affirmative action cases is not expected before late spring.------------WASHINGTON (AP) — The future of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/affirmative-action">affirmative action</a>&nbsp;in higher education is on the table as the Supreme Court wades into the admissions programs at the nation's oldest public and private universities.The justices are hearing arguments Monday in challenges to policies at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-admissions-education-race-and-ethnicity-north-carolina-university-of-north-carolina-0ed19edd9dcb13d194afe0f13aa330df">University of North Carolina</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/appeals-court-clears-harvard-racial-bias-4e3eb42d20ee675887e02bcec57ab412">Harvard</a>&nbsp;that consider race among many factors in evaluating applications for admission.Following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">the overturning of the nearly 50-year precedent of Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;in June, the cases offer another test of whether the court now dominated by conservatives will move the law to the right on another of the nation's most contentious cultural issues.The Supreme Court has twice&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-texas-courts-relationships-race-and-ethnicity-87f9c6ae0150469f9204b5d79c7dc7ad">upheld race-conscious college admissions programs</a>&nbsp;in the past 19 years, including just six years ago.But that was before three appointees of President Donald Trump joined, as well as Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the court's first Black woman.Lower courts upheld the programs at both UNC and Harvard, rejecting claims that the schools discriminated against white and Asian-American applicants.The cases are brought by conservative activist Edward Blum, who also was behind an earlier affirmative action challenge against the University of Texas as well as the case that led the court in 2013 to end the use of a key provision of the landmark Voting Rights Act.Blum formed Students for Fair Admissions, which filed the lawsuits against both schools in 2014.The group argues that the Constitution forbids the use of race in college admissions and calls for overturning earlier Supreme Court decisions that said otherwise.Colleges and universities can use other, race-neutral ways to assemble a diverse student body, including by focusing on socioeconomic status and eliminating the preference for children of alumni, Students for Fair Admissions argues.The schools contend that they use race in a limited way, but that eliminating it as a factor altogether would make it much harder to achieve a student body that looks like America.The Biden administration is urging the court to preserve race-conscious admissions. The Trump administration had taken the opposite position in earlier stages of the cases.UNC says its freshman class is about 65% white, 22% Asian American, 10% Black and 10% Hispanic. The numbers add to more than 100% because some students report belonging to more than one category, a school spokesman said.White students are just over 40% of Harvard's freshman class, the school said. The class also is just under 28% Asian American, 14% Black and 12% Latino.Nine states already prohibit any consideration of race in admissions to public colleges and universities: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Washington.In 2020, California voters easily rejected a ballot measure to bring back affirmative action.Public opinion on the topic varies depending on how the question is asked. A Gallup Poll from 2021 found 62% of Americans in favor of affirmative action programs for racial minorities. But in a Pew Research Center survey in March, 74% of Americans, including majorities of Black and Latino respondents, said race and ethnicity should not factor into college admissions.Jackson and Chief Justice John Roberts received their undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard. Two other justices went to law school there.But Jackson is sitting out the Harvard case because she was until recently a member of an advisory governing board.A decision in the affirmative action cases is not expected before late spring.

Supreme Court takes up race-conscious college admissions

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a weekend SUV accident and continue to search for the driver.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported that just after 3p.m. Saturday, a 2004 Chevy Tahoe was northbound on the ramp from Northbound Interstate 135 to Eastbound Kellogg.

The SUV traveled off of the roadway, through a guard rail and came to rest on Grove Street under the exit ramp. 

EMS transported a passenger Monica Marie White, 28, Wichita, to Wesley Medical Center for treatment of serious injuries. The driver fled from the scene on foot. White was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.&nbsp;

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a weekend SUV accident and continue to search for the driver.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported that just after 3p.m. Saturday, a 2004 Chevy Tahoe was northbound on the ramp from Northbound Interstate 135 to Eastbound Kellogg.The SUV traveled off of the roadway, through a guard rail and came to rest on Grove Street under the exit ramp. EMS transported a passenger Monica Marie White, 28, Wichita, to Wesley Medical Center for treatment of serious injuries. The driver fled from the scene on foot. White was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.&nbsp;

KHP working to ID driver who fled crash that injured woman

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Crews are operating at the scene of a large pallet fire at Evergreen Recycle, in the 300 block of W 53rd St N. in Park City.

The alarm at approximately 7p.m. originally brought the Sedgwick County Fire District 1 crews to the scene, with Wichita Fire crews responding as arriving units requested additional resources.

Crews were operating aerial streams from ladder apparatus to knock down the flames.

Due to the nature of the large mass of wood products involved and the limited water supply, crews worked through the night to bring this fire under control. 

 Thousands of gallons of water a minute were being applied with minimal effect, according to the Wichita Fire Department. This is due to the deep seat of the fire and heat dissipating the water before it can reach the materials some 20-30 feet deep.

Law enforcement asked the public to avoid this area and allow crews to work.&nbsp;53rd Street is closed until further notice between Arkansas and Broadway, according to Park City Police.&nbsp; Authorities have reported no injuries.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1667212793966.png" alt="Photo Wichita Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photo Wichita Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Crews are operating at the scene of a large pallet fire at Evergreen Recycle, in the 300 block of W 53rd St N. in Park City.The alarm at approximately 7p.m. originally brought the Sedgwick County Fire District 1 crews to the scene, with Wichita Fire crews responding as arriving units requested additional resources.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fwichitafiredepartment%2Fvideos%2F666044901751404%2F&show_text=false&width=267&t=1" width="267" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Crews were operating aerial streams from ladder apparatus to knock down the flames.Due to the nature of the large mass of wood products involved and the limited water supply, crews worked through the night to bring this fire under control. Thousands of gallons of water a minute were being applied with minimal effect, according to the Wichita Fire Department. This is due to the deep seat of the fire and heat dissipating the water before it can reach the materials some 20-30 feet deep.Law enforcement asked the public to avoid this area and allow crews to work.&nbsp;53rd Street is closed until further notice between Arkansas and Broadway, according to Park City Police.&nbsp; Authorities have reported no injuries.&nbsp;

Crews fighting large Kansas recycling company fire 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A dog dug up skeletal remains in the backyard of a Kansas City, Missouri, home Sunday morning.

Kansas City Police spokesman Sgt. Jake Becchina said a new resident of the home called police shortly before 10 a.m. Sunday after his dug uncovered the remains.

Becchina said investigators won't know the age or gender of the victim until the evidence is reviewed. It wasn't immediately clear how long the remains had been in the yard.

The medical examiner will determine the cause of death.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1667211683224.png" alt="Kansas City Police spokesman Sgt. Jake Becchina said a new resident of the home called police shortly before 10 a.m. Sunday after his dug uncovered the remains. Photo courtesy Fox4Kansas City WDAF TV" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Police spokesman Sgt. Jake Becchina said a new resident of the home called police shortly before 10 a.m. Sunday after his dug uncovered the remains. Photo courtesy Fox4Kansas City WDAF TV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A dog dug up skeletal remains in the backyard of a Kansas City, Missouri, home Sunday morning.Kansas City Police spokesman Sgt. Jake Becchina said a new resident of the home called police shortly before 10 a.m. Sunday after his dug uncovered the remains.Becchina said investigators won't know the age or gender of the victim until the evidence is reviewed. It wasn't immediately clear how long the remains had been in the yard.The medical examiner will determine the cause of death.

Dog digs up human remains in backyard of Kansas City home

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia resumed its blockade of Ukrainian ports on Sunday, cutting off urgently needed grain exports to hungry parts of the world in what U.S. President Joe Biden called a “really outrageous” act.

Biden warned that global hunger could increase because of Russia’s suspension of a U.N.-brokered deal to allow safe passage of ships carrying grain from Ukraine, one of the world's breadbaskets.

“It’s really outrageous,” Biden said Saturday in Wilmington, Delaware. “There’s no merit to what they’re doing. The U.N. negotiated that deal and that should be the end of it.”

Biden spoke hours after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-government-and-politics-3b563bd6f79f815c7e9f33505dd25334">Russia announced it would immediately halt participation</a>&nbsp;in the grain deal, alleging that Ukraine staged a drone attack Saturday against Russia’s Black Sea Fleet off the coast of occupied Crimea. Ukraine has denied the attack, saying that Russia mishandled its own weapons.

Ukraine's Infrastructure Ministry reported Sunday that 218 ships involved in grain exports have been blocked — 22 loaded and stuck at ports, 95 loaded and departed from ports, and 101 awaiting inspections.

One of the blocked ships, carrying 40,000 tons of wheat for Ethiopia under a U.N. aid program, could not leave Ukraine on Sunday as a result of Russia’s “blockage of the grain corridor,” Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ukraine’s minister of infrastructure, said on Twitter. The ship, Ikaria Angel, was stuck in the Black Sea port of Chornomorsk.

The Istanbul-based UN center coordinating the ship passages later said the Ikaria Angel was among six vessels that began moving out but hadn't yet entered a humanitarian corridor. The center reported on plans to move and inspect other ships on Monday but it wasn't clear whether Russia would agree.

The grain initiative — an example of rare wartime cooperation between Ukraine and Russia — has allowed more than 9 million tons of grain in 397 ships to safely leave Ukrainian ports since it was signed in July. U.N. chief António Guterres had urged Russia and Ukraine on Friday to renew the deal when it expires Nov. 19. The grain agreement has brought down global food prices about 15% from their peak in March, according to the U.N.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskky expressed outrage at Russia's decision. Referring to the Ikaria Angel, he said in his nightly video address Sunday, “This bulk ship with wheat for the U.N. food program and other vessels with agricultural products are forced to wait, because Russia is blackmailing the world with hunger.”

Two initiatives to revive the grain deal were reported Sunday.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar was in talks with his counterparts to “solve the problem and to continue the grain initiative,” his agency said, adding that no more grain ships would leave Ukraine but those already waiting near Istanbul would be inspected on Sunday or Monday.

At the United Nations in New York, Guterres delayed a trip by a day to engage in talks aimed at ending Russia’s suspension of the grain export deal. Russia also requested a meeting Monday of the U.N. Security Council to discuss the topic.

Analysts say Russia's withdrawal shows that it sees the grain deal as another way to pressure Ukraine.

“By leaving the deal now and putting the blame on Ukraine, it aims to slow Ukrainian attacks around the Black Sea,” said Mario Bikarski, a Economist Intelligence Unit analyst. Russia could be hoping that Ukraine’s Western allies might ask it to focus its forces elsewhere to save the grain deal, he said.

More conflicting details emerged Sunday about the alleged attack on Russia's Black Sea Fleet.

The city council of Mariupol, a Ukrainian port now controlled by Russia, claimed on Telegram that Ukrainian special services had destroyed at least three Russian warships near the city of Sevastopol on the Russian-annexed Crimean Peninsula.

But an adviser to Ukraine’s Interior Ministry claimed that the Russians' “careless handling of explosives” had caused blasts on four Russian warships. Anton Gerashchenko wrote on Telegram that the vessels included a frigate, a landing ship and a ship that carried cruise missiles.

Reports have surfaced for months of Ukrainian sabotage of Russian warplanes and ammunition depots on Crimea and Zelenskky has vowed repeatedly to recapture the strategic Black Sea peninsula that Russia annexed in 2014.

Russia's Defense Ministry claimed Sunday that one Ukrainian drone that reportedly attacked Sevastopol appeared to emanate from a civilian ship carrying agricultural products from Ukraine. The ministry claimed an inspection of the wreckage showed the drones used Canadian-made navigation and their launch point was the Ukrainian coast near the port of Odesa.

Independent verification of each side's claims was not possible.

Ukraine appears to have targeted the Black Sea Fleet and other Russian military infrastructure on Crimea — far from the front lines but a critical launching pad for attacks against Ukraine — since the spring, although it often doesn't confirm its responsibility.

On the battlefront, Russian missile attacks kept pounding key front-line hot spots in Ukraine. The Russians shelled seven Ukrainian regions over the past 24 hours, killing at least five civilians and wounding nine more, Ukraine’s presidential office said.

In the eastern Donetsk region, where the fighting is ongoing near the cities of Bakhmut and Avdiivka, eight cities and villages were shelled.

In areas that Ukraine has recaptured, residents are still recovering bodies of killed civilians, Donetsk Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said.

“Over the past 24 hours alone, in three de-occupied towns and villages, we found abandoned bodies of Ukrainian civilians,” Kyrylenko said.

Ukraine’s Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskiy said Sunday that Russian forces were mining territories they leave behind twice as densely as during the first months of the war.

Power outages were reported Sunday in the occupied Ukrainian city of Enerhodar, home to the closed Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe's largest. Ukrainian and Russian officials traded blame for the shelling that caused the blackout.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia resumed its blockade of Ukrainian ports on Sunday, cutting off urgently needed grain exports to hungry parts of the world in what U.S. President Joe Biden called a “really outrageous” act.Biden warned that global hunger could increase because of Russia’s suspension of a U.N.-brokered deal to allow safe passage of ships carrying grain from Ukraine, one of the world's breadbaskets.“It’s really outrageous,” Biden said Saturday in Wilmington, Delaware. “There’s no merit to what they’re doing. The U.N. negotiated that deal and that should be the end of it.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Under the <a href="https://twitter.com/WFP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WFP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/UN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UN</a> the IKARIA ANGEL 🚢 loaded w/ 40 K tons of grain was supposed to leave the 🇺🇦 port today. These foodstuffs were intended for Ethiopians 🇪🇹, that are on the verge of famine. But due to the blockage of the “grain corridor” by <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Russia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Russia</a> the export is impossible. <a href="https://t.co/SoS7IborRL">pic.twitter.com/SoS7IborRL</a>&mdash; Oleksandr Kubrakov (@OlKubrakov) <a href="https://twitter.com/OlKubrakov/status/1586666484662767616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden spoke hours after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-government-and-politics-3b563bd6f79f815c7e9f33505dd25334">Russia announced it would immediately halt participation</a>&nbsp;in the grain deal, alleging that Ukraine staged a drone attack Saturday against Russia’s Black Sea Fleet off the coast of occupied Crimea. Ukraine has denied the attack, saying that Russia mishandled its own weapons.Ukraine's Infrastructure Ministry reported Sunday that 218 ships involved in grain exports have been blocked — 22 loaded and stuck at ports, 95 loaded and departed from ports, and 101 awaiting inspections.One of the blocked ships, carrying 40,000 tons of wheat for Ethiopia under a U.N. aid program, could not leave Ukraine on Sunday as a result of Russia’s “blockage of the grain corridor,” Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ukraine’s minister of infrastructure, said on Twitter. The ship, Ikaria Angel, was stuck in the Black Sea port of Chornomorsk.The Istanbul-based UN center coordinating the ship passages later said the Ikaria Angel was among six vessels that began moving out but hadn't yet entered a humanitarian corridor. The center reported on plans to move and inspect other ships on Monday but it wasn't clear whether Russia would agree.The grain initiative — an example of rare wartime cooperation between Ukraine and Russia — has allowed more than 9 million tons of grain in 397 ships to safely leave Ukrainian ports since it was signed in July. U.N. chief António Guterres had urged Russia and Ukraine on Friday to renew the deal when it expires Nov. 19. The grain agreement has brought down global food prices about 15% from their peak in March, according to the U.N.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskky expressed outrage at Russia's decision. Referring to the Ikaria Angel, he said in his nightly video address Sunday, “This bulk ship with wheat for the U.N. food program and other vessels with agricultural products are forced to wait, because Russia is blackmailing the world with hunger.”Two initiatives to revive the grain deal were reported Sunday.Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar was in talks with his counterparts to “solve the problem and to continue the grain initiative,” his agency said, adding that no more grain ships would leave Ukraine but those already waiting near Istanbul would be inspected on Sunday or Monday.At the United Nations in New York, Guterres delayed a trip by a day to engage in talks aimed at ending Russia’s suspension of the grain export deal. Russia also requested a meeting Monday of the U.N. Security Council to discuss the topic.Analysts say Russia's withdrawal shows that it sees the grain deal as another way to pressure Ukraine.“By leaving the deal now and putting the blame on Ukraine, it aims to slow Ukrainian attacks around the Black Sea,” said Mario Bikarski, a Economist Intelligence Unit analyst. Russia could be hoping that Ukraine’s Western allies might ask it to focus its forces elsewhere to save the grain deal, he said.More conflicting details emerged Sunday about the alleged attack on Russia's Black Sea Fleet.The city council of Mariupol, a Ukrainian port now controlled by Russia, claimed on Telegram that Ukrainian special services had destroyed at least three Russian warships near the city of Sevastopol on the Russian-annexed Crimean Peninsula.But an adviser to Ukraine’s Interior Ministry claimed that the Russians' “careless handling of explosives” had caused blasts on four Russian warships. Anton Gerashchenko wrote on Telegram that the vessels included a frigate, a landing ship and a ship that carried cruise missiles.Reports have surfaced for months of Ukrainian sabotage of Russian warplanes and ammunition depots on Crimea and Zelenskky has vowed repeatedly to recapture the strategic Black Sea peninsula that Russia annexed in 2014.Russia's Defense Ministry claimed Sunday that one Ukrainian drone that reportedly attacked Sevastopol appeared to emanate from a civilian ship carrying agricultural products from Ukraine. The ministry claimed an inspection of the wreckage showed the drones used Canadian-made navigation and their launch point was the Ukrainian coast near the port of Odesa.Independent verification of each side's claims was not possible.Ukraine appears to have targeted the Black Sea Fleet and other Russian military infrastructure on Crimea — far from the front lines but a critical launching pad for attacks against Ukraine — since the spring, although it often doesn't confirm its responsibility.On the battlefront, Russian missile attacks kept pounding key front-line hot spots in Ukraine. The Russians shelled seven Ukrainian regions over the past 24 hours, killing at least five civilians and wounding nine more, Ukraine’s presidential office said.In the eastern Donetsk region, where the fighting is ongoing near the cities of Bakhmut and Avdiivka, eight cities and villages were shelled.In areas that Ukraine has recaptured, residents are still recovering bodies of killed civilians, Donetsk Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said.“Over the past 24 hours alone, in three de-occupied towns and villages, we found abandoned bodies of Ukrainian civilians,” Kyrylenko said.Ukraine’s Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskiy said Sunday that Russian forces were mining territories they leave behind twice as densely as during the first months of the war.Power outages were reported Sunday in the occupied Ukrainian city of Enerhodar, home to the closed Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe's largest. Ukrainian and Russian officials traded blame for the shelling that caused the blackout.___

Biden warns of global hunger as Russia resumes grain blockade

TOPEKA — No tickets with all five winning numbers and the Powerball were sold for Saturday's drawing, so Monday's estimated jackpot is $1 billion. This is just the second time in the game's history with at least a billion dollar top prize.&nbsp;

Powerball draws every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Tickets start at just $2, and players can add the Power Play multiplier to their tickets for an extra $1. For more information, see the&nbsp;<a href="https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fkslottery.com%2fgames%2fJackpot%2fpowerball&amp;c=E,1,9AkX_7uYLD5rwb9SkvrAGA6a-hOjuarCJUylzAd3dbDHeWfBF40BOyM1b74Ot9zGaKeBqOmWvHQ0xsi5Hvakv_G41uLKAKVjlBYtpDfRCPvsu7aVgBWrtGlo-Cw,&amp;typo=1" target="_blank">Kansas Lottery website</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Never spend more than you can afford on any lottery product.&nbsp;

The Multi-State Lottery Association encourages all lottery players to be responsible in their amount of play.&nbsp;

For some people gambling can become a problem. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, there are a number of helpful resources listed below.&nbsp;

National Council on Problem Gambling 24 Hour Confidential National Helpline Call:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="tel:1-800-522-4700">1-800-522-4700</a> Chat:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ncpgambling.org/chat">ncpgambling.org/chat</a> Text:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="tel:1-800-522-4700">1-800-522-4700</a>

Association of Problem Gambling Service Administrators <a href="http://www.apgsa.org/">www.apgsa.org</a>

TOPEKA — No tickets with all five winning numbers and the Powerball were sold for Saturday's drawing, so Monday's estimated jackpot is $1 billion. This is just the second time in the game's history with at least a billion dollar top prize.&nbsp;Powerball draws every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Tickets start at just $2, and players can add the Power Play multiplier to their tickets for an extra $1. For more information, see the&nbsp;<a href="https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fkslottery.com%2fgames%2fJackpot%2fpowerball&amp;c=E,1,9AkX_7uYLD5rwb9SkvrAGA6a-hOjuarCJUylzAd3dbDHeWfBF40BOyM1b74Ot9zGaKeBqOmWvHQ0xsi5Hvakv_G41uLKAKVjlBYtpDfRCPvsu7aVgBWrtGlo-Cw,&amp;typo=1" target="_blank">Kansas Lottery website</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp;Never spend more than you can afford on any lottery product.&nbsp;Please remember, it's just a game.The Multi-State Lottery Association encourages all lottery players to be responsible in their amount of play.&nbsp;For some people gambling can become a problem. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, there are a number of helpful resources listed below.&nbsp;National Council on Problem Gambling 24 Hour Confidential National Helpline Call:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="tel:1-800-522-4700">1-800-522-4700</a> Chat:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ncpgambling.org/chat">ncpgambling.org/chat</a> Text:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="tel:1-800-522-4700">1-800-522-4700</a>Association of Problem Gambling Service Administrators <a href="http://www.apgsa.org/">www.apgsa.org</a>

Monday's Powerball jackpot now $1 billion

DOUGLAS COUNTY— A Kansas man has been sentenced to more than 27 years in prison for the aggravated criminal sodomy of two children, according to the&nbsp;Douglas Co. District Attorney’s office.

Zach J. Lang, 38, of Lawrence, was sentenced to 330 months in the&nbsp;Kansas Department of Corrections. &nbsp;He must also register as a sex offender, and he will be subject to a lifetime of post-release supervision.

The charges have been said to stem from two incidents that happened between June 2018 and June 2021, where Lang was said to have abused two kids younger than 14 who were in his care.

In September, Lang entered a guilty plea to four counts of criminal sodomy involving two children.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666961451661.png" alt="Lang-photo KBI Offender Registry" />
 <figcaption>Lang-photo KBI Offender Registry</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY— A Kansas man has been sentenced to more than 27 years in prison for the aggravated criminal sodomy of two children, according to the&nbsp;Douglas Co. District Attorney’s office.Zach J. Lang, 38, of Lawrence, was sentenced to 330 months in the&nbsp;Kansas Department of Corrections. &nbsp;He must also register as a sex offender, and he will be subject to a lifetime of post-release supervision.The charges have been said to stem from two incidents that happened between June 2018 and June 2021, where Lang was said to have abused two kids younger than 14 who were in his care.In September, Lang entered a guilty plea to four counts of criminal sodomy involving two children.

Kan. man sentenced for sex crimes involving children in his care

WICHITA —A Kansas woman has been sentenced to repay the Kansas Medicaid system more than $15,000 for making false claims for services that were not provided, according to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.

Cynthia Fisher, 59, of Wichita, was sentenced in Sedgwick County District Court on felony charges of making a false claim, statement or representation to the Kansas Medicaid program. 

Sedgwick County District Judge Christopher Magana sentenced Fisher to repay the Kansas Medicaid system $15,064.28, serve 12 months of probation, complete a theft offender class and perform community service. Fisher pleaded guilty the charges on September 13.

The case was investigated by Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Division of Schmidt’s office. Investigators determined that Fisher was a Medicaid beneficiary. Her personal care attendant died in April 2021, but Fisher did not notify the financial management service organization, Independent Living Resource Center in Wichita. 

Instead, Fisher used the deceased personal care attendant’s personal identification number and submitted false claims to the Medicaid as if the attendant was alive and providing care. 

Fisher also had the deceased’s payee card and PIN number and was spending the money that Medicaid was providing. The practice continued until March 2021, when the Independent Living Resource Center was conducting an annual update and learned that the personal care attendant had been deceased for nearly a year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666885180179.png" alt="Fisher-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Fisher-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA —A Kansas woman has been sentenced to repay the Kansas Medicaid system more than $15,000 for making false claims for services that were not provided, according to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.Cynthia Fisher, 59, of Wichita, was sentenced in Sedgwick County District Court on felony charges of making a false claim, statement or representation to the Kansas Medicaid program. Sedgwick County District Judge Christopher Magana sentenced Fisher to repay the Kansas Medicaid system $15,064.28, serve 12 months of probation, complete a theft offender class and perform community service. Fisher pleaded guilty the charges on September 13.The case was investigated by Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Division of Schmidt’s office. Investigators determined that Fisher was a Medicaid beneficiary. Her personal care attendant died in April 2021, but Fisher did not notify the financial management service organization, Independent Living Resource Center in Wichita. Instead, Fisher used the deceased personal care attendant’s personal identification number and submitted false claims to the Medicaid as if the attendant was alive and providing care. Fisher also had the deceased’s payee card and PIN number and was spending the money that Medicaid was providing. The practice continued until March 2021, when the Independent Living Resource Center was conducting an annual update and learned that the personal care attendant had been deceased for nearly a year.

Kan. woman used deceased personal care attendant’s ID number

KANSAS CITY—Detectives with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department are investigating a body discovered in the Kansas River by a kayake, according to a media release from police.

Just after noon Saturday, police were dispatched to the east bank of the Kansas River south of 670 and north of Kansas Avenue.

The body appears to be a white, adult male.&nbsp; Initial observation indicates the body had not been in the water for an extended period of time.

Anyone with information on this case is urged to call the Crime Stoppers TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1667163376584.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Detectives with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department are investigating a body discovered in the Kansas River by a kayake, according to a media release from police.Just after noon Saturday, police were dispatched to the east bank of the Kansas River south of 670 and north of Kansas Avenue.The body appears to be a white, adult male.&nbsp; Initial observation indicates the body had not been in the water for an extended period of time.Anyone with information on this case is urged to call the Crime Stoppers TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).

Police: Kayaker finds body in Kansas River

Justin Aaron, Junction city, heads into the knockout round of "The Voice" on NBC beginning Monday. Aaron said they are three-way knockouts. "So you tune in at 7 p.m. and you will get to see me on the stage and if I get to go the next round." Live playoffs then follow the knockouts.

"I perform Gospel, Contemporary Christian and R &amp; B music. " Aaron began in music with his mother who has been a singer. "So she would always take me with her when she would go to her singing engagements and I would see how everyone was just so mesmerized by her singing and how everyone was just responding to what she was doing. I remember sitting in the front pew one day saying I want to do that one day." Aaron also credits former teacher Mary Louise Stahl with helping cultivate his love of music.

Aaron knows performing on 'The Voice' could put him on a new platform in getting his name out there.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Aaron is currently a paraprofessional at Junction City High School. He is a 2006 graduate of JCHS.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1667108306523.jpeg" alt="Justin Aaron" />
 <figcaption>Justin Aaron</figcaption>
 </figure>By Dewey TerrillJC PostJustin Aaron, Junction city, heads into the knockout round of "The Voice" on NBC beginning Monday. Aaron said they are three-way knockouts. "So you tune in at 7 p.m. and you will get to see me on the stage and if I get to go the next round." Live playoffs then follow the knockouts."I perform Gospel, Contemporary Christian and R &amp; B music. " Aaron began in music with his mother who has been a singer. "So she would always take me with her when she would go to her singing engagements and I would see how everyone was just so mesmerized by her singing and how everyone was just responding to what she was doing. I remember sitting in the front pew one day saying I want to do that one day." Aaron also credits former teacher Mary Louise Stahl with helping cultivate his love of music.Aaron knows performing on 'The Voice' could put him on a new platform in getting his name out there.&nbsp;&nbsp;Aaron is currently a paraprofessional at Junction City High School. He is a 2006 graduate of JCHS.

Kansas man to perform on NBC's "The Voice"

KANSAS CITY— A man who had walked away from a halfway house in Kansas last month was fatally shot by a U.S. Marshal after he pointed a gun at authorities who had tracked him down, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.&nbsp;

Joshua Bailes, 40, was killed Wednesday afternoon at a home in Kansas City. He had a long history of crime with ten convictions that include theft, burglary, forgery, ID theft, making a false writing and criminal possession of a weapon.

Preliminary report indicates U.S. Marshals were looking for Bailes wanted for a federal escapee warrant. They located him near&nbsp;a residence near the 3100 block of Bellefontaine in Kansas City.

A family member confirmed Bailes was living there.

When agents knocked, Bailes opened the door and pointed a gun at them, prompting a marshal to fire one shot, killing him.

Bailes was a suspect in a shooting and aggravated robbery in Kansas City, Kansas. He walked away from a halfway house in Leavenworth County and a warrant was issued for him on Sept. 18.

No law enforcement officers were injured.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666817648251.png" alt="Police on the scene of the shooting -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the shooting -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY— A man who had walked away from a halfway house in Kansas last month was fatally shot by a U.S. Marshal after he pointed a gun at authorities who had tracked him down, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.&nbsp;Joshua Bailes, 40, was killed Wednesday afternoon at a home in Kansas City. He had a long history of crime with ten convictions that include theft, burglary, forgery, ID theft, making a false writing and criminal possession of a weapon.Preliminary report indicates U.S. Marshals were looking for Bailes wanted for a federal escapee warrant. They located him near&nbsp;a residence near the 3100 block of Bellefontaine in Kansas City.A family member confirmed Bailes was living there.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666867308397.png" alt="Bailes-photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Bailes-photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>When agents knocked, Bailes opened the door and pointed a gun at them, prompting a marshal to fire one shot, killing him.Bailes was a suspect in a shooting and aggravated robbery in Kansas City, Kansas. He walked away from a halfway house in Leavenworth County and a warrant was issued for him on Sept. 18.No law enforcement officers were injured.

Armed Kan. fugitive killed by U.S. Marshal had history of crime

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paul-pelosi-assaulted-156ece77186eb11b97260af3c5122f67">A man</a>&nbsp;broke into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s home in San Francisco and severely beat her 82-year-old husband, Paul Pelosi, with a hammer early Friday while the Democratic lawmaker was in Washington.

Paul Pelosi had surgery to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands, and his doctors expect a full recovery, the speaker’s office said. In a letter to congressional colleagues Saturday night, Nancy Pelosi said her husband's condition “continues to improve.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-donald-trump-san-francisco-47c103cfe696df9faf0e57e1c7dd4f10">David DePape</a>, 42, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, elder abuse and burglary, police said.

“This was not a random act. This was intentional. And it’s wrong,” San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said.

The violence was the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paul-pelosi-attack-elections-democracy-threats-c3ab18af7d3896280c74f1456ee5a93d">latest jolt</a>&nbsp;to an increasingly splintered political system that is riven with extremism.

A look at what is known about the attack and the suspect:

An intruder wielding a hammer smashed his way through a rear door into the Pelosi residence in San Francisco shortly before 2:30 a.m. Friday. The man confronted Paul Pelosi and shouted, “Where is Nancy,” according to a person familiar with the situation who was granted anonymity to discuss it.

Paul Pelosi called 911 himself and when police arrived they found him struggling with the assailant. The man managed to strike Pelosi at least once with the hammer before he was tackled by officers and arrested, police said.

Nancy Pelosi was in Washington at the time of the attack.

He underwent surgery to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands, and his doctors expect a full recovery, the speaker’s office said Friday. Other than Nancy Pelosi's letter to colleagues, there were no updates on his condition Saturday.

Nancy Pelosi arrived in San Francisco late Friday. The couple has been married since 1963.

In her letter, the speaker thanked colleagues for their prayers and warm wishes. “Our children, our grandchildren and I are heartbroken and traumatized by the life-threatening attack on our Pop,” she wrote. “We are grateful for the quick response of law enforcement and emergency services, and for the life-saving medical care he is receiving.”

Scott, the San Francisco police chief, said the attack was not a random act. “This was intentional,” he said.

Police didn't immediately confirm a motive, but three people with knowledge of the investigation told The Associated Press that the assailant targeted Pelosi’s home.

The FBI and Capitol Police are also part of the joint investigation.

DePape was expected to be charged next week with attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse and burglary. After his arrest, he was taken to a hospital, where he remained as of Friday evening.

DePape posted frequently on social media, often making racist and rambling comments that included questioning the results of the 2020 election, defending former President Donald Trump and echoing QAnon conspiracy theories.

A two-decade resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, he was known locally as a pro-nudity activist who had picketed naked at protests against laws requiring people to be clothed in public.

He grew up in Powell River, British Columbia, before following an older girlfriend to California. He has three children with two women. Stepfather Gene DePape said the suspect had lived with him in Canada until he was 14 and had been a quiet boy.

“He was reclusive,” said Gene DePape. “He was never violent.”

HAVE OTHER MEMBERS OF CONGRESS BEEN THREATENED?

It’s been almost two years since the riot at the U.S. Capitol, when Trump supporters broke into the building and hunted for Pelosi and other members of Congress. Since then,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-san-francisco-nancy-pelosi-congress-government-and-politics-b8a3fb8b3e6f491fcfb16e155b877427">threats to lawmakers</a>&nbsp;and their families have increased sharply.

The U.S. Capitol Police investigated almost 10,000 threats to members last year, more than twice the number from four years earlier.

Lawmakers have pressed for better security, especially for their families and their homes outside of Washington. Security officials have promised to pay for upgrades to certain security systems and an increased Capitol Police presence outside Washington. But the vast majority of members are mostly on their own.

The attack on Paul Pelosi happened when Nancy Pelosi was out of town, which meant there was less of a security presence in their home.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666975658521.jpeg" alt="Police investigators work outside the home of Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in San Francisco, Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. Paul Pelosi, was attacked and severely beaten by an assailant with a hammer who broke into their San Francisco home early Friday, according to people familiar with the investigation. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)" />
 <figcaption>Police investigators work outside the home of Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in San Francisco, Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. Paul Pelosi, was attacked and severely beaten by an assailant with a hammer who broke into their San Francisco home early Friday, according to people familiar with the investigation. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)</figcaption>
 </figure>SAN FRANCISCO (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paul-pelosi-assaulted-156ece77186eb11b97260af3c5122f67">A man</a>&nbsp;broke into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s home in San Francisco and severely beat her 82-year-old husband, Paul Pelosi, with a hammer early Friday while the Democratic lawmaker was in Washington.Paul Pelosi had surgery to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands, and his doctors expect a full recovery, the speaker’s office said. In a letter to congressional colleagues Saturday night, Nancy Pelosi said her husband's condition “continues to improve.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-donald-trump-san-francisco-47c103cfe696df9faf0e57e1c7dd4f10">David DePape</a>, 42, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, elder abuse and burglary, police said.“This was not a random act. This was intentional. And it’s wrong,” San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said.The violence was the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paul-pelosi-attack-elections-democracy-threats-c3ab18af7d3896280c74f1456ee5a93d">latest jolt</a>&nbsp;to an increasingly splintered political system that is riven with extremism.A look at what is known about the attack and the suspect:WHAT HAPPENED?An intruder wielding a hammer smashed his way through a rear door into the Pelosi residence in San Francisco shortly before 2:30 a.m. Friday. The man confronted Paul Pelosi and shouted, “Where is Nancy,” according to a person familiar with the situation who was granted anonymity to discuss it.Paul Pelosi called 911 himself and when police arrived they found him struggling with the assailant. The man managed to strike Pelosi at least once with the hammer before he was tackled by officers and arrested, police said.Nancy Pelosi was in Washington at the time of the attack.___HOW’S PAUL PELOSI DOING?He underwent surgery to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands, and his doctors expect a full recovery, the speaker’s office said Friday. Other than Nancy Pelosi's letter to colleagues, there were no updates on his condition Saturday.Nancy Pelosi arrived in San Francisco late Friday. The couple has been married since 1963.In her letter, the speaker thanked colleagues for their prayers and warm wishes. “Our children, our grandchildren and I are heartbroken and traumatized by the life-threatening attack on our Pop,” she wrote. “We are grateful for the quick response of law enforcement and emergency services, and for the life-saving medical care he is receiving.”___WHAT ARE INVESTIGATORS SAYING?Scott, the San Francisco police chief, said the attack was not a random act. “This was intentional,” he said.Police didn't immediately confirm a motive, but three people with knowledge of the investigation told The Associated Press that the assailant targeted Pelosi’s home.The FBI and Capitol Police are also part of the joint investigation.___WHO IS THE SUSPECT?DePape was expected to be charged next week with attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse and burglary. After his arrest, he was taken to a hospital, where he remained as of Friday evening.DePape posted frequently on social media, often making racist and rambling comments that included questioning the results of the 2020 election, defending former President Donald Trump and echoing QAnon conspiracy theories.A two-decade resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, he was known locally as a pro-nudity activist who had picketed naked at protests against laws requiring people to be clothed in public.He grew up in Powell River, British Columbia, before following an older girlfriend to California. He has three children with two women. Stepfather Gene DePape said the suspect had lived with him in Canada until he was 14 and had been a quiet boy.“He was reclusive,” said Gene DePape. “He was never violent.”___HAVE OTHER MEMBERS OF CONGRESS BEEN THREATENED?It’s been almost two years since the riot at the U.S. Capitol, when Trump supporters broke into the building and hunted for Pelosi and other members of Congress. Since then,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-san-francisco-nancy-pelosi-congress-government-and-politics-b8a3fb8b3e6f491fcfb16e155b877427">threats to lawmakers</a>&nbsp;and their families have increased sharply.The U.S. Capitol Police investigated almost 10,000 threats to members last year, more than twice the number from four years earlier.Lawmakers have pressed for better security, especially for their families and their homes outside of Washington. Security officials have promised to pay for upgrades to certain security systems and an increased Capitol Police presence outside Washington. But the vast majority of members are mostly on their own.The attack on Paul Pelosi happened when Nancy Pelosi was out of town, which meant there was less of a security presence in their home.

What is known about the attack on Speaker Pelosi's husband

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The most influential pro-life group in Kansas politics is urging voters in mailers to remove five of the seven justices on a state Supreme Court that declared access to abortion a fundamental right under the state constitution.

The group, Kansans for Life, was a key part of the campaign for a proposed amendment to the state constitution to declare that it doesn’t grant a right to abortion, which would have nullified&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3f479b218a6140719e1694fcfcdb8036">the court's 2019 decision</a>&nbsp;protecting abortion rights. The amendment would have allowed the Republican-controlled Legislature to greatly restrict or ban abortion, but voters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">decisively rejected it</a>&nbsp;in August.

The <a href="https://kflpac.org/announced-endorsements/">group's mailers list </a>its recommendations to oust five justices but keep a sixth on the Nov. 8 ballot for yes-or-no votes on whether they stay on the Supreme Court for another six years. The group criticized the court long before the 2019 abortion ruling and has even opposed some potential appointees.

“There were a number of factors considered, including activist opinions issued by these justices throughout their careers,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bfae76d5b5504b9ea79e2368336c49f5">political giving history,</a>&nbsp;and other information,” Kristina Smith, director of the Kansans For Life political action committee, said in a statement Friday.

In supporting the proposed amendment, the group said on its website that in its 2019 decision, “an activist state Supreme Court radically changed the Kansas Constitution.”

Kansans for Life has for decades been influential within the state Republican Party, and its mailers advising voters of its endorsements are election year staples. Its latest mailers list its choices for federal, state and local races and started going out last week. The statement on the justices is the first public sign of organized opposition to them.

Abortion rights advocates had expected an ouster effort after the proposed amendment failed and have been campaigning to keep all of them for weeks. Since the U.S. Supreme Court decision in June&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">striking down Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;and allowing states to ban abortion,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-2022-midterm-elections-legislature-illinois-5d9a6dd81dedd9355c0287b34ebb6c9f">state Supreme Court races</a>&nbsp;across the nation are more contentious and have become crucial for Democratic groups working to protect abortion rights.

But in Kansas, many advocates of retaining the justices argue that doing so will protect the state courts' independence and impartiality. The leading group in the campaign is Keep Kansas Courts Impartial; its campaign is backed by major legal groups, and it running television ads in the Kansas City, Wichita and Topeka markets.

“The Executive and Legislative branches are political by nature, which makes it critical that our Judicial branch remain impartial and free from political pressure, interest groups, or financial concerns,” Deanell Reece Tacha, a retired federal appeals court judge said in an endorsement statement this week.

Kansas Supreme Court justices are appointed by governors after a lawyer-majority panel screens applications, with no role for the Legislature. Justices ask voters to keep them on the court every six years, and no justice has been ousted from office in a such a vote.

Of the six court members on the ballot, Chief Justice Marla Luckert and Justice Dan Biles were in the 6-1 majority in the decision protecting abortion rights. Luckert was appointed by former Republican Gov. Bill Graves and Biles by former Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. Those two governors have endorsed the pro-retention campaign, along with former Republican Mike Hayden and ex-Democratic Gov. John Carlin.

Three of the six justices on the ballot were appointed by current Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly after the 2019 decision. They are Justices Melissa Standridge, K.J. Wall and Evelyn Wilson.

Kansans for Life is working to keep Justice Caleb Stegall. He was appointed by former Republican Gov. Sam Brownback and was the dissenter in the 2019 abortion ruling. The groups backing the other justices also want to keep Stegall on the court.

The only justice not on the ballot, Eric Rosen, appointed by Sebelius, doesn't face a retention vote until 2026.

Kansans for Life launched an unsuccessful “Reject all but Stegall” campaign in 2016, when five justices were on the ballot. It also had an unsuccessful “Fire Beier” campaign in 2010 against now-retired Justice Carol Beier.

“We've always assumed there would be opposition at some point," said Mike Swenson, spokesman for Keep Kansas Courts Impartial.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666987932555.png" alt="The&nbsp;<a href="https://kflpac.org/announced-endorsements/">group's mailers list&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;on the lower right its recommendations to oust five justices but keep a sixth on the Nov. 8 ballot" />
 <figcaption>The&nbsp;<a href="https://kflpac.org/announced-endorsements/">group's mailers list&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;on the lower right its recommendations to oust five justices but keep a sixth on the Nov. 8 ballot</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The most influential pro-life group in Kansas politics is urging voters in mailers to remove five of the seven justices on a state Supreme Court that declared access to abortion a fundamental right under the state constitution.The group, Kansans for Life, was a key part of the campaign for a proposed amendment to the state constitution to declare that it doesn’t grant a right to abortion, which would have nullified&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3f479b218a6140719e1694fcfcdb8036">the court's 2019 decision</a>&nbsp;protecting abortion rights. The amendment would have allowed the Republican-controlled Legislature to greatly restrict or ban abortion, but voters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">decisively rejected it</a>&nbsp;in August.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666980965215.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The <a href="https://kflpac.org/announced-endorsements/">group's mailers list </a>its recommendations to oust five justices but keep a sixth on the Nov. 8 ballot for yes-or-no votes on whether they stay on the Supreme Court for another six years. The group criticized the court long before the 2019 abortion ruling and has even opposed some potential appointees.“There were a number of factors considered, including activist opinions issued by these justices throughout their careers,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bfae76d5b5504b9ea79e2368336c49f5">political giving history,</a>&nbsp;and other information,” Kristina Smith, director of the Kansans For Life political action committee, said in a statement Friday.In supporting the proposed amendment, the group said on its website that in its 2019 decision, “an activist state Supreme Court radically changed the Kansas Constitution.”Kansans for Life has for decades been influential within the state Republican Party, and its mailers advising voters of its endorsements are election year staples. Its latest mailers list its choices for federal, state and local races and started going out last week. The statement on the justices is the first public sign of organized opposition to them.Abortion rights advocates had expected an ouster effort after the proposed amendment failed and have been campaigning to keep all of them for weeks. Since the U.S. Supreme Court decision in June&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">striking down Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;and allowing states to ban abortion,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-2022-midterm-elections-legislature-illinois-5d9a6dd81dedd9355c0287b34ebb6c9f">state Supreme Court races</a>&nbsp;across the nation are more contentious and have become crucial for Democratic groups working to protect abortion rights.But in Kansas, many advocates of retaining the justices argue that doing so will protect the state courts' independence and impartiality. The leading group in the campaign is Keep Kansas Courts Impartial; its campaign is backed by major legal groups, and it running television ads in the Kansas City, Wichita and Topeka markets.“The Executive and Legislative branches are political by nature, which makes it critical that our Judicial branch remain impartial and free from political pressure, interest groups, or financial concerns,” Deanell Reece Tacha, a retired federal appeals court judge said in an endorsement statement this week.Kansas Supreme Court justices are appointed by governors after a lawyer-majority panel screens applications, with no role for the Legislature. Justices ask voters to keep them on the court every six years, and no justice has been ousted from office in a such a vote.Of the six court members on the ballot, Chief Justice Marla Luckert and Justice Dan Biles were in the 6-1 majority in the decision protecting abortion rights. Luckert was appointed by former Republican Gov. Bill Graves and Biles by former Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. Those two governors have endorsed the pro-retention campaign, along with former Republican Mike Hayden and ex-Democratic Gov. John Carlin.Three of the six justices on the ballot were appointed by current Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly after the 2019 decision. They are Justices Melissa Standridge, K.J. Wall and Evelyn Wilson.Kansans for Life is working to keep Justice Caleb Stegall. He was appointed by former Republican Gov. Sam Brownback and was the dissenter in the 2019 abortion ruling. The groups backing the other justices also want to keep Stegall on the court.The only justice not on the ballot, Eric Rosen, appointed by Sebelius, doesn't face a retention vote until 2026.Kansans for Life launched an unsuccessful “Reject all but Stegall” campaign in 2016, when five justices were on the ballot. It also had an unsuccessful “Fire Beier” campaign in 2010 against now-retired Justice Carol Beier.“We've always assumed there would be opposition at some point," said Mike Swenson, spokesman for Keep Kansas Courts Impartial.

Abortion foes seek ouster of 5 Kansas Supreme Court justices

KANSAS CITY. (AP) — Students in obstetrics-gynecology and family medicine — two of the most popular medical residencies — face tough choices about where to advance their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-science-health-education-medical-schools-d3efaa2ec79ed240ee9ba2a77508a06e">training</a>&nbsp;in a landscape where legal access to abortion varies from state to state.

Abortions are typically performed by OB-GYNs or family doctors, and training generally involves observing and assisting in the procedure, often in outpatient clinics. Many doctors and students now worry about nonexistent or subpar training in states where clinics closed or abortion laws were otherwise tightened after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.</a>

In some cases, applicants who want to perform abortions as part of their career are pursuing residencies in states with more liberal reproductive laws and perhaps continuing their careers there, too — potentially setting up less permissive states for a shortage of OB-GYNs, observers said.

“To choose a state where I will be limited or I wouldn’t have full access is essentially shortchanging myself and my future patients on the quality of care that I can provide,” said Deborah Fadoju, a fourth-year Ohio State medical student who said she looked at programs along the East Coast, where many states have laws safeguarding abortion.

As an OB-GYN, Fadoju said, she should be able to “do the full breadth of work.”

On the other hand, students who oppose abortion may find more accommodation at residency programs in states that are largely outlawing the procedure.

Dr. Christina Francis, a board member and CEO-elect of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said her organization has previously received requests from students seeking information on residencies in which they wouldn’t have to so much as make an abortion referral.

“Now we’re seeing residents and medical students who don’t want to participate in abortions saying, ‘We are going to seek out residency positions in places where abortion might be restricted’ because — theoretically and I think this will play out — there should be less pressure placed upon them.”

OB-GYN residency programs must provide training in abortions, according to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, though residents with religious or moral objections may opt out. A Sept. 17 update said programs where abortions are illegal must provide that experience elsewhere. There are no similar requirements for family medicine programs.

Doctors need the “muscle memory” that only hands-on education can give, especially for abortions, said Pamela Merritt, the executive director of Medical Students for Choice, which promotes access to abortion education.

“How many surgical hours do you want a liver specialist to have before they try to do a biopsy?” Merritt said. “We would never be debating how to educate people without physical patient interaction on any other major health care issue.”

A research team led by Atlanta’s Emory University is surveying third- and fourth-year medical students throughout the country and across specialties about their residency application decisions after the ruling that overturned Roe.

The team is still analyzing data, but initial results show many applicants are grappling with where to pursue further training, according to Emory medical students Nell Mermin-Bunnell and Ariana Traub, who also co-founded an advocacy group that supports abortion rights.

“There’s a lot of unknowns, and it’s scary for people applying to residency,” Mermin-Bunnell said. “There’s really just a lot of question marks, and the way that health care is being practiced is changing rapidly.”

Over three-fourths of about 490 respondents said abortion access would likely or very likely influence decisions about their residency location, the researchers said. The survey did not ask respondents directly for their stance on abortion, to avoid introducing bias.

Connor McNamee, a third-year family medicine resident at the University of Toledo, began exploring abortion training outside Ohio last summer. A state law bans most abortions after cardiac activity is detected, but a judge has blocked it while a challenge proceeds.

McNamee is now looking at options in Virginia, where abortions are more widely accessible. He had been open to eventually returning to Ohio, but he now says abortion limits there are “the final nail in the coffin” for him.

“I can’t really be an abortion provider in Ohio, and that’s an important part of my career,” McNamee said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654708891033.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY. (AP) — Students in obstetrics-gynecology and family medicine — two of the most popular medical residencies — face tough choices about where to advance their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-science-health-education-medical-schools-d3efaa2ec79ed240ee9ba2a77508a06e">training</a>&nbsp;in a landscape where legal access to abortion varies from state to state.Abortions are typically performed by OB-GYNs or family doctors, and training generally involves observing and assisting in the procedure, often in outpatient clinics. Many doctors and students now worry about nonexistent or subpar training in states where clinics closed or abortion laws were otherwise tightened after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.</a>In some cases, applicants who want to perform abortions as part of their career are pursuing residencies in states with more liberal reproductive laws and perhaps continuing their careers there, too — potentially setting up less permissive states for a shortage of OB-GYNs, observers said.“To choose a state where I will be limited or I wouldn’t have full access is essentially shortchanging myself and my future patients on the quality of care that I can provide,” said Deborah Fadoju, a fourth-year Ohio State medical student who said she looked at programs along the East Coast, where many states have laws safeguarding abortion.As an OB-GYN, Fadoju said, she should be able to “do the full breadth of work.”On the other hand, students who oppose abortion may find more accommodation at residency programs in states that are largely outlawing the procedure.Dr. Christina Francis, a board member and CEO-elect of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said her organization has previously received requests from students seeking information on residencies in which they wouldn’t have to so much as make an abortion referral.“Now we’re seeing residents and medical students who don’t want to participate in abortions saying, ‘We are going to seek out residency positions in places where abortion might be restricted’ because — theoretically and I think this will play out — there should be less pressure placed upon them.”OB-GYN residency programs must provide training in abortions, according to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, though residents with religious or moral objections may opt out. A Sept. 17 update said programs where abortions are illegal must provide that experience elsewhere. There are no similar requirements for family medicine programs.Doctors need the “muscle memory” that only hands-on education can give, especially for abortions, said Pamela Merritt, the executive director of Medical Students for Choice, which promotes access to abortion education.“How many surgical hours do you want a liver specialist to have before they try to do a biopsy?” Merritt said. “We would never be debating how to educate people without physical patient interaction on any other major health care issue.”A research team led by Atlanta’s Emory University is surveying third- and fourth-year medical students throughout the country and across specialties about their residency application decisions after the ruling that overturned Roe.The team is still analyzing data, but initial results show many applicants are grappling with where to pursue further training, according to Emory medical students Nell Mermin-Bunnell and Ariana Traub, who also co-founded an advocacy group that supports abortion rights.“There’s a lot of unknowns, and it’s scary for people applying to residency,” Mermin-Bunnell said. “There’s really just a lot of question marks, and the way that health care is being practiced is changing rapidly.”Over three-fourths of about 490 respondents said abortion access would likely or very likely influence decisions about their residency location, the researchers said. The survey did not ask respondents directly for their stance on abortion, to avoid introducing bias.Connor McNamee, a third-year family medicine resident at the University of Toledo, began exploring abortion training outside Ohio last summer. A state law bans most abortions after cardiac activity is detected, but a judge has blocked it while a challenge proceeds.McNamee is now looking at options in Virginia, where abortions are more widely accessible. He had been open to eventually returning to Ohio, but he now says abortion limits there are “the final nail in the coffin” for him.“I can’t really be an abortion provider in Ohio, and that’s an important part of my career,” McNamee said.The majority of medical residents end up practicing in the state where they completed their residencies, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aamc.org/data-reports/students-residents/data/report-residents/2021/executive-summary">2021 report</a>&nbsp;from the Association of American Medical Colleges — and some doctors fear fewer trainees will mean fewer OB-GYNs in states with tight restrictions on abortion.In South Carolina, students' fears about access to reproductive health education (for their career) and abortion services (for themselves) have hampered the recruitment of medical residents and fellows, said Dr. Elizabeth Mack, president of the South Carolina chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, who testified in August before lawmakers pursuing tighter abortion restrictions.Francis, of the anti-abortion obstetricians group, said she hopes new restrictions might open the door for students otherwise interested in OB-GYN but opposed to abortion to enter the field.Nearly 44% of 6,007 OB-GYN residents were located in a state deemed certain or likely to ban abortion if the Supreme Court overturned Roe, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35852261/">paper published online in April</a>&nbsp;by the journal Obstetrics &amp; Gynecology.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-2022-midterm-elections-biden-health-congress-f3ffadd1d55625a4af7b87f6b691fbbc">President Joe Biden promised Tuesday</a>&nbsp;to codify abortion rights if Democrats retain enough seats in Congress — but while such federal protections remain elusive, medical education leaders are brainstorming ways for residents in restrictive states to continue abortion training, including allowing travel to more permissive states.Such “travel rotations” have been proposed by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, but the sheer volume of need makes it difficult to bridge the gap, according to the Obstetrics &amp; Gynecology paper.The Ryan Program, based at the University of California, San Francisco, piloted travel rotations for students to train outside of Texas last year, according to its director, Dr. Jody Steinauer.Steinauer suggests that programs collaborate to help fund travel rotations and guide residents through the process of obtaining medical licensing in new states. She also suggests shoring up abortion simulation training to teach basic skills.She fears legal changes will imperil trainings on emergency skills like safely emptying a uterus after a miscarriage or abortion.The surgical procedures for miscarriage and abortion are the same — something Francis said should allow residents to be trained without participating in abortion.Residents could still learn a lot from miscarriage care, Steinauer said, but routine abortion training correlates with greater preparedness in all early pregnancy loss management, including counseling and complications. And, she said, residents need to see enough patients to feel competent — something restrictions make difficult.“Not having integrated, full abortion training leaves people often with deficits in their skills,” Steinauer said. “Programs are really going to have to support their learners, who are able to, to travel to other states to get training.”