MOSCOW (AP) — American basketball star Brittney Griner went on trial Friday, 4 1/2 months after her arrest on charges of possessing cannabis oil while returning to play for a Russian team, in a case that unfolded amid tense relations between Moscow and Washington.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-entertainment-sports-wnba-all-star-game-brittney-griner-365e3b770d10b0e79dacb91922b512cd">Phoenix Mercury center</a>&nbsp;and two-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist was arrested in February at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport after police said she was carrying vape canisters with cannabis oil. She could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of large-scale transportation of drugs.

Griner, 31, was escorted into the courtroom in the Moscow suburb of Khimki while handcuffed and wearing a Jimi Hendrix T-shirt. At a closed-door&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-entertainment-politics-sports-brittney-griner-e855442ad005104a3eed495438ca03ed">preliminary hearing</a>&nbsp;Monday, her detention was extended for another six months, to Dec. 20.

Two witnesses were questioned by the prosecution: an airport customs official, who spoke in open court, and an unidentified witness in a closed session. according to the state news agency RIA-Novosti. The trial was then adjourned, it said, when two other witnesses did not show up, and the next session was set for July 7..

Alexander Boykov, an attorney for Griner, told reporters outside court that “I wouldn’t want to talk on the specifics of the case and on the charges and to comment on our position on it because it’s too early for it.”

Fewer than 1% of defendants in Russian criminal cases are acquitted, and unlike in U.S. courts, acquittals can be overturned.

Her case comes at an extraordinarily low point in Moscow-Washington relations. Griner was arrested less than a week before Russia sent troops into Ukraine, which aggravated already high tensions between the two countries. The U.S. then imposed sweeping sanctions on Moscow, and Russia denounced the U.S. for sending weapons to Ukraine.

Elizabeth Rood, U.S. charge d’affaires in Moscow, was in court and said she spoke with Griner, who “is doing as well as can be expected in these difficult circumstances.”

“The Russian Federation has wrongfully detained Brittney Griner,” Rood said. “The practice of wrongful detention is unacceptable wherever it occurs and is a threat to the safety of everyone traveling, working, and living abroad.”

She said the U.S. government, from its highest levels, "is working hard to bring Brittney and all wrongfully detained U.S. nationals home safely.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday denied politics played a role in Griner's detention and prosecution.

“The facts are that the famous athlete was detained in possession of prohibited medication containing narcotic substances,” Peskov told reporters. “In view of what I've said, it can’t be politically motivated," he added.

Griner’s supporters had kept a low profile in hopes of a quiet resolution until May, when the State Department reclassified her as wrongfully detained and shifted oversight of her case to its special presidential envoy for hostage affairs — effectively the U.S. government’s chief negotiator.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-entertainment-sports-only-on-ap-brittney-griner-eab2338c18eab0fe600507eb6eb68093">Griner’s wife, Cherelle</a>, has urged President Joe Biden to secure her release, calling her “a political pawn.”

“It was good to see her in some of those images, but it’s tough. Every time’s a reminder that their teammate, their friend, is wrongfully imprisoned in another country,” Phoenix Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard said Monday.

The coach hoped that Biden would "take the steps to ensure she comes home.”

Griner’s supporters have encouraged a prisoner swap like the one in April that brought home Marine veteran Trevor Reed in exchange for a Russian pilot convicted of drug trafficking conspiracy.

Russian news media have repeatedly raised speculation that she could be swapped for Russian arms trader Viktor Bout, nicknamed “the Merchant of Death,” who is serving a 25-year sentence on conviction of conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens and providing aid to a terrorist organization.

Russia has agitated for Bout’s release for years. But the wide discrepancy between Griner’s case — which involves alleged possession of vape cartridges containing cannabis oil — and Bout’s global dealings in deadly weapons could make such a swap unpalatable to the U.S.

Others have suggested that she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-sports-paul-whelan-government-and-politics-537c7eb77baee6f0342dbde07c184763">could be traded in tandem with Paul Whelan</a>, a former Marine and security director serving a 16-year sentence on an espionage conviction that the United States has repeatedly described as a setup.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, when asked Sunday on CNN whether a joint swap of Griner and Whelan for Bout was being considered, sidestepped the question.

“As a general proposition ... I have got no higher priority than making sure that Americans who are being illegally detained in one way or another around the world come home,” he said. But he said he could not comment “in any detail on what we’re doing, except to say this is an absolute priority.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646510097872.png" alt="The 31-year-old Griner, one of the most recognizable players in women’s basketball, has won two Olympic gold medals with the U.S., a WNBA championship with the Phoenix Mercury and a national championship at Baylor. She is a seven-time All-Star and three-time Big 12 Player of the year at Baylor-photo courtesy Phoenix Mercury" />
 <figcaption>The 31-year-old Griner, one of the most recognizable players in women’s basketball, has won two Olympic gold medals with the U.S., a WNBA championship with the Phoenix Mercury and a national championship at Baylor. She is a seven-time All-Star and three-time Big 12 Player of the year at Baylor-photo courtesy Phoenix Mercury</figcaption>
 </figure>MOSCOW (AP) — American basketball star Brittney Griner went on trial Friday, 4 1/2 months after her arrest on charges of possessing cannabis oil while returning to play for a Russian team, in a case that unfolded amid tense relations between Moscow and Washington.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-entertainment-sports-wnba-all-star-game-brittney-griner-365e3b770d10b0e79dacb91922b512cd">Phoenix Mercury center</a>&nbsp;and two-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist was arrested in February at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport after police said she was carrying vape canisters with cannabis oil. She could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of large-scale transportation of drugs.Griner, 31, was escorted into the courtroom in the Moscow suburb of Khimki while handcuffed and wearing a Jimi Hendrix T-shirt. At a closed-door&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-entertainment-politics-sports-brittney-griner-e855442ad005104a3eed495438ca03ed">preliminary hearing</a>&nbsp;Monday, her detention was extended for another six months, to Dec. 20.Two witnesses were questioned by the prosecution: an airport customs official, who spoke in open court, and an unidentified witness in a closed session. according to the state news agency RIA-Novosti. The trial was then adjourned, it said, when two other witnesses did not show up, and the next session was set for July 7..Alexander Boykov, an attorney for Griner, told reporters outside court that “I wouldn’t want to talk on the specifics of the case and on the charges and to comment on our position on it because it’s too early for it.”Fewer than 1% of defendants in Russian criminal cases are acquitted, and unlike in U.S. courts, acquittals can be overturned.Her case comes at an extraordinarily low point in Moscow-Washington relations. Griner was arrested less than a week before Russia sent troops into Ukraine, which aggravated already high tensions between the two countries. The U.S. then imposed sweeping sanctions on Moscow, and Russia denounced the U.S. for sending weapons to Ukraine.Elizabeth Rood, U.S. charge d’affaires in Moscow, was in court and said she spoke with Griner, who “is doing as well as can be expected in these difficult circumstances.”“The Russian Federation has wrongfully detained Brittney Griner,” Rood said. “The practice of wrongful detention is unacceptable wherever it occurs and is a threat to the safety of everyone traveling, working, and living abroad.”She said the U.S. government, from its highest levels, "is working hard to bring Brittney and all wrongfully detained U.S. nationals home safely.”Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday denied politics played a role in Griner's detention and prosecution.“The facts are that the famous athlete was detained in possession of prohibited medication containing narcotic substances,” Peskov told reporters. “In view of what I've said, it can’t be politically motivated," he added.Griner’s supporters had kept a low profile in hopes of a quiet resolution until May, when the State Department reclassified her as wrongfully detained and shifted oversight of her case to its special presidential envoy for hostage affairs — effectively the U.S. government’s chief negotiator.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-entertainment-sports-only-on-ap-brittney-griner-eab2338c18eab0fe600507eb6eb68093">Griner’s wife, Cherelle</a>, has urged President Joe Biden to secure her release, calling her “a political pawn.”“It was good to see her in some of those images, but it’s tough. Every time’s a reminder that their teammate, their friend, is wrongfully imprisoned in another country,” Phoenix Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard said Monday.The coach hoped that Biden would "take the steps to ensure she comes home.”Griner’s supporters have encouraged a prisoner swap like the one in April that brought home Marine veteran Trevor Reed in exchange for a Russian pilot convicted of drug trafficking conspiracy.Russian news media have repeatedly raised speculation that she could be swapped for Russian arms trader Viktor Bout, nicknamed “the Merchant of Death,” who is serving a 25-year sentence on conviction of conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens and providing aid to a terrorist organization.Russia has agitated for Bout’s release for years. But the wide discrepancy between Griner’s case — which involves alleged possession of vape cartridges containing cannabis oil — and Bout’s global dealings in deadly weapons could make such a swap unpalatable to the U.S.Others have suggested that she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-sports-paul-whelan-government-and-politics-537c7eb77baee6f0342dbde07c184763">could be traded in tandem with Paul Whelan</a>, a former Marine and security director serving a 16-year sentence on an espionage conviction that the United States has repeatedly described as a setup.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, when asked Sunday on CNN whether a joint swap of Griner and Whelan for Bout was being considered, sidestepped the question.“As a general proposition ... I have got no higher priority than making sure that Americans who are being illegally detained in one way or another around the world come home,” he said. But he said he could not comment “in any detail on what we’re doing, except to say this is an absolute priority.”

Former Big 12 star Griner's trial begins in Russian court

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Thursday that he would support an exception to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-politics-filibusters-f476940e279b6bc2a1bbfd7c5cc24f96">the Senate filibuster</a>&nbsp;to protect access to abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>.

(Click below to watch President Biden's comments)

"If the filibuster gets in the way, it's like voting rights," Biden said during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-biden-china-madrid-fe9c7fe07122413754d087e61a95a202">a press conference in Madrid</a>, where he was attending a NATO summit. The Democratic president said there should be an “exception to the filibuster for this action to deal with the Supreme Court decision.”

As a former senator, Biden has been reluctant to support changes to the filibuster, which allows any member of the 100-member chamber to block action on legislation unless it receives 60 votes. However, earlier this year he endorsed sidestepping the rule&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-joe-biden-georgia-voting-martin-luther-king-jr-dc4544c23622f35fc95d63afe512554d">on the issue of voting rights</a>, and his latest comments make clear that he's willing to do the same for abortion.

Biden's support for changes to the filibuster in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-mitch-mcconnell-kamala-harris-filibusters-b97548b519325666d1a59200f7d79904">the 50-50 Senate</a>&nbsp;may ultimately be immaterial. The Senate Democratic caucus would need to unanimously take such a step, but at least two Democratic senators,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-manchin">Joe Manchin</a>&nbsp;of West Virginia and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kyrsten-sinema">Kyrsten Sinema</a>&nbsp;of Arizona, don't want to.

The president has been under pressure to take as much executive action as possible to protect abortion rights, although&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-biden-us-supreme-court-health-xavier-becerra-7aa6cadb6699054902a6760eb01005b1">his options are limited</a>. Biden said he's meeting Friday with governors to talk about abortion and “I'll have announcements to make then.”

During Thursday's news conference, Biden harshly criticized the Supreme Court's decision on abortion and reiterated his warnings that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-government-and-politics-marriage-a0cee537c6f9f10d29fa71f6e7a4d19d">other constitutional protections could be at risk</a>.

"One thing that has been destabilizing is the outrageous behavior of the Supreme Court of the United States in overruling not only Roe v. Wade but essentially challenging the right to privacy,” he said.

Voting legislation that Democrats and civil rights leaders said was vital to protecting democracy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-voting-rights-bill-collapses-27c888b4f9bf876520913d7036a942b0">collapsed in January</a>&nbsp;when Manchin and Sinema refused to join their own party in changing Senate rules to overcome a Republican filibuster. The outcome was a stinging defeat for Biden and his party, coming at the tumultuous close to his first year in office.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Thursday that he would support an exception to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-politics-filibusters-f476940e279b6bc2a1bbfd7c5cc24f96">the Senate filibuster</a>&nbsp;to protect access to abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>.(Click below to watch President Biden's comments)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F1655573944811308%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=1453" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>"If the filibuster gets in the way, it's like voting rights," Biden said during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-biden-china-madrid-fe9c7fe07122413754d087e61a95a202">a press conference in Madrid</a>, where he was attending a NATO summit. The Democratic president said there should be an “exception to the filibuster for this action to deal with the Supreme Court decision.”As a former senator, Biden has been reluctant to support changes to the filibuster, which allows any member of the 100-member chamber to block action on legislation unless it receives 60 votes. However, earlier this year he endorsed sidestepping the rule&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-joe-biden-georgia-voting-martin-luther-king-jr-dc4544c23622f35fc95d63afe512554d">on the issue of voting rights</a>, and his latest comments make clear that he's willing to do the same for abortion.Biden's support for changes to the filibuster in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-mitch-mcconnell-kamala-harris-filibusters-b97548b519325666d1a59200f7d79904">the 50-50 Senate</a>&nbsp;may ultimately be immaterial. The Senate Democratic caucus would need to unanimously take such a step, but at least two Democratic senators,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-manchin">Joe Manchin</a>&nbsp;of West Virginia and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kyrsten-sinema">Kyrsten Sinema</a>&nbsp;of Arizona, don't want to.The president has been under pressure to take as much executive action as possible to protect abortion rights, although&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-biden-us-supreme-court-health-xavier-becerra-7aa6cadb6699054902a6760eb01005b1">his options are limited</a>. Biden said he's meeting Friday with governors to talk about abortion and “I'll have announcements to make then.”During Thursday's news conference, Biden harshly criticized the Supreme Court's decision on abortion and reiterated his warnings that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-government-and-politics-marriage-a0cee537c6f9f10d29fa71f6e7a4d19d">other constitutional protections could be at risk</a>."One thing that has been destabilizing is the outrageous behavior of the Supreme Court of the United States in overruling not only Roe v. Wade but essentially challenging the right to privacy,” he said.Voting legislation that Democrats and civil rights leaders said was vital to protecting democracy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-voting-rights-bill-collapses-27c888b4f9bf876520913d7036a942b0">collapsed in January</a>&nbsp;when Manchin and Sinema refused to join their own party in changing Senate rules to overcome a Republican filibuster. The outcome was a stinging defeat for Biden and his party, coming at the tumultuous close to his first year in office.___

🎥 Biden supports exception to Senate rules to restore abortion rights

CLOUD COUNTY—A woman died in an accident just before 4p.m. Thursday in Cloud County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2014 Volvo semi pulling a grain trailer and driven by Vickie L. Fenner, 66, Conway, Arkansas, was eastbound on Kansas 28 four miles west of Jamestown negotiating a 90 degree southbound curve. 

The vehicle overturned onto the driver's side and came to rest on its top in the east ditch.

EMS transported Fenner to the Cloud County Hospital where she was pronounced dead. She was properly restrained, according to the KHP.

CLOUD COUNTY—A woman died in an accident just before 4p.m. Thursday in Cloud County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2014 Volvo semi pulling a grain trailer and driven by Vickie L. Fenner, 66, Conway, Arkansas, was eastbound on Kansas 28 four miles west of Jamestown negotiating a 90 degree southbound curve. The vehicle overturned onto the driver's side and came to rest on its top in the east ditch.EMS transported Fenner to the Cloud County Hospital where she was pronounced dead. She was properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Woman dies after semi overturns in ditch on rural Kan. road

DALLAS (AP) — Airlines that have stumbled badly over the last two holidays face their biggest test yet of whether they can handle big crowds when July Fourth travelers mob the nation's airports this weekend.

Problems were popping up well before the weekend, with some disruptions caused by thunderstorms that slowed air traffic.

American Airlines canceled 8% of its flights on Tuesday and Wednesday, and United Airlines scrubbed 4% of its schedule both days, according to FlightAware.

Holiday revelers planning to drive face their own set of challenges, including high gasoline prices. The nationwide average has eased since hitting a record $5.02 in mid-June to&nbsp;<a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/">$4.86 a gallon on Thursday</a>, according to AAA, which expects prices to continue to ease because of rising gasoline inventories.

Americans are driving a bit less. Gas demand last week was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/weekly/gasoline.php">down about 3%</a>&nbsp;from the same week last June, according to government figures. In a Quinnipiac University poll in June, 40% of those surveyed said gas prices have caused them to change their summer vacation plans.

Air travel in the U.S. is almost back to pre-pandemic levels. Since last Saturday, an average of nearly 2.3 million people a day have gone through airport checkpoints — down just 8% from the same days in 2019. If that trend continues through weekend, records will be set for flying in the pandemic era.

Airlines may not have enough planes and flights to carry all of them, especially if there are cancellations due to weather, crew shortages or any other reason.

“Airlines are learning the hard way that there is a severe price for over-optimism,” said Joseph Schwieterman, a transportation expert at DePaul University. “They are on the edge of a cliff this holiday.”

Schwieterman calculates that&nbsp;<a href="https://las.depaul.edu/centers-and-institutes/chaddick-institute-for-metropolitan-development/research-and-publications/Documents/Airport%20Blues%20-%20The%20Potential%20Difficulties%20from%20Disrupted%20Fourth%20of%20July%20Travelsssssss.pdf">airlines have little cushion</a>&nbsp;between the number of travelers expected to fly this weekend and the flights they plan to operate — if all goes well. Any disruptions could cause chaos because planes are booked full — there will be no empty seats on later flights to accommodate stranded travelers.

Airlines have been caught short-staffed as they try to hire thousands of workers, including pilots, to replace those who they encouraged to quit when the pandemic caused air travel to plummet.

Many of them, including Delta, Southwest and JetBlue, have trimmed summer schedules to reduce stress on their operations. They are using larger planes on average to carry more passengers with the same number of pilots. Those steps haven't been enough so far this summer.

Delta Air Lines took the unusual step this week of warning travelers that there could be problems over the holiday weekend.

The Atlanta-based airline said it expects the biggest crowds since 2019, and this will create “some operational challenges.” It is allowing passengers booked on flights between Friday and the Monday holiday to change their schedule at no cost, even if the new flight comes with a higher fare.

“Delta people are working around the clock to rebuild Delta’s operation while making it as resilient as possible to minimize the ripple effect of disruptions,” the airline said.

Delta had by far the most canceled flights of any U.S. airline over the Memorial Day holiday stretch, when U.S. carriers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/memorial-day-2f00cad2c91f06ede7bf541b8bf2c60b">scrubbed nearly 2,800 flights</a>, and again last weekend, when it canceled 7% of its flights, according to FlightAware.

The airlines are increasingly trying to blame delays on understaffing at the Federal Aviation Administration, which manages the nation's airspace and hires air traffic controllers.

“This year versus previous years, the biggest issue has been air traffic control,” said Barry Biffle, the CEO of Frontier Airlines. “We've made a lot of steps to avoid the Jacksonville center in our scheduling, and we have reduced some flying to accommodate that.”

The FAA has a major facility in Jacksonville, Florida, that handles many flights up and down the East Coast. After a meeting with airline representatives in May, the FAA promised to increase staffing at the center.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian similarly blamed the FAA during an online meeting with employees Wednesday, trade publication Airline Weekly reported. Delta declined to comment.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg pushed back earlier this week when the head of the trade group Airlines for America blamed the FAA for delays.

“The majority of cancellations and the majority of delays have nothing to do with air traffic control staffing,” Buttigieg told “NBC Nightly News."

Helane Becker, an airline analyst for investment firm Cowen, said there are many reasons for the disruptions including weather, FAA ground stops that last too long, and flight crews hitting their legal limit of working hours in a day. The airlines “seem to fail” when it comes down to daily operations, and the FAA didn't train enough new air traffic controllers — a process that can take up to four years — to offset retirements.

“We expect it to be a long, tiresome summer for everyone,” she said.

The loudest lawmakers mostly seem to blame the airlines for leaving passengers stranded. Some point out that Congress gave the industry $54 billion in pandemic relief.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., urged Buttigieg to require airlines to issue refunds for delays longer than an hour and fine them for delays longer than two hours and for scheduling flights that they can't staff. Sanders accused airlines of stranding passengers while charging “outrageously high prices.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pete-buttigieg-government-and-politics-airlines-transportation-c3ebc7fbe4bcfb6402e67e0d626365a0">Buttigieg has threatened fines</a>&nbsp;if airlines don't fix their operations.

Sens. Edward Markey, D-Mass., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., asked 10 airline CEOs this week to “take immediate action” to reduce travel disruptions. The senators demanded information about how each airline decides which flights to cancel and the number of consumer refunds requested and granted.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1656677937039.png" alt="Delta pilots protesting in Atlanta on Thursday photo courtesy WXYZ-TV" />
 <figcaption>Delta pilots protesting in Atlanta on Thursday photo courtesy WXYZ-TV</figcaption>
 </figure>DALLAS (AP) — Airlines that have stumbled badly over the last two holidays face their biggest test yet of whether they can handle big crowds when July Fourth travelers mob the nation's airports this weekend.Problems were popping up well before the weekend, with some disruptions caused by thunderstorms that slowed air traffic.American Airlines canceled 8% of its flights on Tuesday and Wednesday, and United Airlines scrubbed 4% of its schedule both days, according to FlightAware.Holiday revelers planning to drive face their own set of challenges, including high gasoline prices. The nationwide average has eased since hitting a record $5.02 in mid-June to&nbsp;<a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/">$4.86 a gallon on Thursday</a>, according to AAA, which expects prices to continue to ease because of rising gasoline inventories.Americans are driving a bit less. Gas demand last week was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/weekly/gasoline.php">down about 3%</a>&nbsp;from the same week last June, according to government figures. In a Quinnipiac University poll in June, 40% of those surveyed said gas prices have caused them to change their summer vacation plans.Air travel in the U.S. is almost back to pre-pandemic levels. Since last Saturday, an average of nearly 2.3 million people a day have gone through airport checkpoints — down just 8% from the same days in 2019. If that trend continues through weekend, records will be set for flying in the pandemic era.Airlines may not have enough planes and flights to carry all of them, especially if there are cancellations due to weather, crew shortages or any other reason.“Airlines are learning the hard way that there is a severe price for over-optimism,” said Joseph Schwieterman, a transportation expert at DePaul University. “They are on the edge of a cliff this holiday.”Schwieterman calculates that&nbsp;<a href="https://las.depaul.edu/centers-and-institutes/chaddick-institute-for-metropolitan-development/research-and-publications/Documents/Airport%20Blues%20-%20The%20Potential%20Difficulties%20from%20Disrupted%20Fourth%20of%20July%20Travelsssssss.pdf">airlines have little cushion</a>&nbsp;between the number of travelers expected to fly this weekend and the flights they plan to operate — if all goes well. Any disruptions could cause chaos because planes are booked full — there will be no empty seats on later flights to accommodate stranded travelers.Airlines have been caught short-staffed as they try to hire thousands of workers, including pilots, to replace those who they encouraged to quit when the pandemic caused air travel to plummet.Many of them, including Delta, Southwest and JetBlue, have trimmed summer schedules to reduce stress on their operations. They are using larger planes on average to carry more passengers with the same number of pilots. Those steps haven't been enough so far this summer.Delta Air Lines took the unusual step this week of warning travelers that there could be problems over the holiday weekend.The Atlanta-based airline said it expects the biggest crowds since 2019, and this will create “some operational challenges.” It is allowing passengers booked on flights between Friday and the Monday holiday to change their schedule at no cost, even if the new flight comes with a higher fare.“Delta people are working around the clock to rebuild Delta’s operation while making it as resilient as possible to minimize the ripple effect of disruptions,” the airline said.Delta had by far the most canceled flights of any U.S. airline over the Memorial Day holiday stretch, when U.S. carriers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/memorial-day-2f00cad2c91f06ede7bf541b8bf2c60b">scrubbed nearly 2,800 flights</a>, and again last weekend, when it canceled 7% of its flights, according to FlightAware.The airlines are increasingly trying to blame delays on understaffing at the Federal Aviation Administration, which manages the nation's airspace and hires air traffic controllers.“This year versus previous years, the biggest issue has been air traffic control,” said Barry Biffle, the CEO of Frontier Airlines. “We've made a lot of steps to avoid the Jacksonville center in our scheduling, and we have reduced some flying to accommodate that.”The FAA has a major facility in Jacksonville, Florida, that handles many flights up and down the East Coast. After a meeting with airline representatives in May, the FAA promised to increase staffing at the center.Delta CEO Ed Bastian similarly blamed the FAA during an online meeting with employees Wednesday, trade publication Airline Weekly reported. Delta declined to comment.Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg pushed back earlier this week when the head of the trade group Airlines for America blamed the FAA for delays.“The majority of cancellations and the majority of delays have nothing to do with air traffic control staffing,” Buttigieg told “NBC Nightly News."Helane Becker, an airline analyst for investment firm Cowen, said there are many reasons for the disruptions including weather, FAA ground stops that last too long, and flight crews hitting their legal limit of working hours in a day. The airlines “seem to fail” when it comes down to daily operations, and the FAA didn't train enough new air traffic controllers — a process that can take up to four years — to offset retirements.“We expect it to be a long, tiresome summer for everyone,” she said.The loudest lawmakers mostly seem to blame the airlines for leaving passengers stranded. Some point out that Congress gave the industry $54 billion in pandemic relief.Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., urged Buttigieg to require airlines to issue refunds for delays longer than an hour and fine them for delays longer than two hours and for scheduling flights that they can't staff. Sanders accused airlines of stranding passengers while charging “outrageously high prices.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pete-buttigieg-government-and-politics-airlines-transportation-c3ebc7fbe4bcfb6402e67e0d626365a0">Buttigieg has threatened fines</a>&nbsp;if airlines don't fix their operations.Sens. Edward Markey, D-Mass., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., asked 10 airline CEOs this week to “take immediate action” to reduce travel disruptions. The senators demanded information about how each airline decides which flights to cancel and the number of consumer refunds requested and granted.

Air travel could be a mess over the Fourth of July weekend

BUTLER COUNTY —A Kansas man identified in a Silver Alert has been tracked to eastern Texas.&nbsp;

Joseph Moody Hayes' phone was pinged as recently as a few days ago in the New Boston area of Bowie County Texas, according to a social media report from the Texarkana, Texas Police Department.&nbsp;

Authorities believe the 71-year-old Towanda, Kansas, man was on Highway 8, headed toward Dequeen, Arkansas.  He may still be in the Texarkana area, according to police.

On Tuesday, Butler County Sheriff’s Office requested that the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) issue a statewide Silver Alert for Hayes.

He left his home in Towanda, Kansas on Monday, June 20, en route to Anniston, Alabama to visit family. He never made it. Hayes was driving a 2014 Black Dodge Ram 1500 bearing Kansas tag 576HZW.

Hayes is a 71-year-old white male. He is around 5 foot-8 inches tall, and weighs 175 pounds. He has blue eyes and grey hair.

While traveling, he contacted family and informed them that he got turned around in the Fort Worth, Texas area. They suggested he turn around and head back to Kansas. Joseph Hayes never arrived in Kansas.

On Thursday, June 23, Hayes’s vehicle was spotted via license plate reader in Williamson County, Texas. One of his daughters made contact with him via telephone on Sunday, June 26, and he believed he was in the Dallas, Texas area.

Hayes has suffered a previous stroke, has high blood pressure, and family indicates he has shown signs of dementia.&nbsp;

If you see Joseph Hayes, or have information about his whereabouts, please immediately contact 911, or the Butler County Sheriff’s Office at 316-322-4398.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656447959050.png" alt="Hayes-photo Butler Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Hayes-photo Butler Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>BUTLER COUNTY —A Kansas man identified in a Silver Alert has been tracked to eastern Texas.&nbsp;Joseph Moody Hayes' phone was pinged as recently as a few days ago in the New Boston area of Bowie County Texas, according to a social media report from the Texarkana, Texas Police Department.&nbsp;Authorities believe the 71-year-old Towanda, Kansas, man was on Highway 8, headed toward Dequeen, Arkansas. He may still be in the Texarkana area, according to police.On Tuesday, Butler County Sheriff’s Office requested that the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) issue a statewide Silver Alert for Hayes.He left his home in Towanda, Kansas on Monday, June 20, en route to Anniston, Alabama to visit family. He never made it. Hayes was driving a 2014 Black Dodge Ram 1500 bearing Kansas tag 576HZW.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656447826598.png" alt="Hayes-photo Butler Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Hayes-photo Butler Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Hayes is a 71-year-old white male. He is around 5 foot-8 inches tall, and weighs 175 pounds. He has blue eyes and grey hair.While traveling, he contacted family and informed them that he got turned around in the Fort Worth, Texas area. They suggested he turn around and head back to Kansas. Joseph Hayes never arrived in Kansas.On Thursday, June 23, Hayes’s vehicle was spotted via license plate reader in Williamson County, Texas. One of his daughters made contact with him via telephone on Sunday, June 26, and he believed he was in the Dallas, Texas area.Hayes has suffered a previous stroke, has high blood pressure, and family indicates he has shown signs of dementia.&nbsp;If you see Joseph Hayes, or have information about his whereabouts, please immediately contact 911, or the Butler County Sheriff’s Office at 316-322-4398.

Police: Subject of Kansas Silver Alert tracked to east Texas

MORRIS COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple charges after an early morning traffic stop.

Just before 2a.m. Thursday, deputies stopped a suspicious vehicle near U.S. 77 at mile marker 142, according to a media release.

Deputies found illegal drugs in the vehicle and arrested 56-year-old Thomas Fleeker of Council Grove on requested charges of criminal use of explosives, meth distribution, possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, possession of a firearm by a felon, criminal use of a weapon and related traffic violations.

MORRIS COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple charges after an early morning traffic stop.Just before 2a.m. Thursday, deputies stopped a suspicious vehicle near U.S. 77 at mile marker 142, according to a media release.Deputies found illegal drugs in the vehicle and arrested 56-year-old Thomas Fleeker of Council Grove on requested charges of criminal use of explosives, meth distribution, possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, possession of a firearm by a felon, criminal use of a weapon and related traffic violations.

Kansas man jailed for alleged criminal use of explosives

MCPHERSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a <a href="https://khap2.kdhe.state.ks.us/OIDS/OIDS_ViewFacility.aspx?facilitysearch=pQ6%2fNNqOehPH%2fyl06ro2NaFtvgxEoDQrWI0c72s04Bc5b1cSYNv2vffzR%2bnLzsdQefZnslPgIsI%3d">daycare provider</a> for alleged child endangerment.&nbsp;

Just before 11a.m. Wednesday, police responded to report of young children and a dog found unsupervised in someone’s backyard near a pool, according to Police Captain&nbsp;Mark Brinck.

When officers arrived, they found four children between the ages of 2 and 5-years-old in the area. Officers determined the children had left a daycare in the 700 Block of East Kansas Avenue and walked to this area.

Officers contacted 47-year-old Tracy Barr and another child in the 700 Block of East Kansas Avenue. According to online records Barr is the owner and program<a href="https://khap2.kdhe.state.ks.us/OIDS/OIDS_ViewFacility.aspx?facilitysearch=pQ6%2fNNqOehPH%2fyl06ro2NaFtvgxEoDQrWI0c72s04Bc5b1cSYNv2vffzR%2bnLzsdQefZnslPgIsI%3d"> director for&nbsp;Golden Explorers,</a> 722 East Kansas Avenue, a Licensed Day Care Home in McPherson with a maximum capacity of 10 children.

 Officers took the children into protective custody and later released them to their parents or guardians. 

Officers arrested Barr on requested charges of Aggravated Endangering a Child and Driving Under the Influence, according to the release.

(<a href="https://khap2.kdhe.state.ks.us/OIDS/OIDS_ViewFacilityFindings.aspx?vn=1anlkfdkEy3LXT4y%2f0Pwn8noWE6KKLBIy7x24OeT5mWHQBhXLLQyq4uNKTq%2bjXfF60Lp5RJoijRpqpecC0J8EcTdPtK4NMxV3q4dNYRqH%2b7N4pS67WBHZg%3d%3d">Click here to read the</a> May 2022 KDHE Survey results for Golden Explorers Daycare)

Barr was booked into the McPherson County Jail and her bond was set at $13,750.00.&nbsp; On Thursday afternoon, the Kansas Department of Health has <a href="https://khap2.kdhe.state.ks.us/OIDS/OIDS_ViewFacility.aspx?facilitysearch=pQ6%2fNNqOehPH%2fyl06ro2NaFtvgxEoDQrWI0c72s04Bc5b1cSYNv2vffzR%2bnLzsdQefZnslPgIsI%3d">suspended the license of the Daycare.</a>

The McPherson Police Department has referred this incident to the Kansas Department of Children and Families and the McPherson County Attorney’s Office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656613239408.png" alt="Barr-photo McPherson Co. Jail" />
 <figcaption>Barr-photo McPherson Co. Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>MCPHERSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a <a href="https://khap2.kdhe.state.ks.us/OIDS/OIDS_ViewFacility.aspx?facilitysearch=pQ6%2fNNqOehPH%2fyl06ro2NaFtvgxEoDQrWI0c72s04Bc5b1cSYNv2vffzR%2bnLzsdQefZnslPgIsI%3d">daycare provider</a> for alleged child endangerment.&nbsp;Just before 11a.m. Wednesday, police responded to report of young children and a dog found unsupervised in someone’s backyard near a pool, according to Police Captain&nbsp;Mark Brinck.When officers arrived, they found four children between the ages of 2 and 5-years-old in the area. Officers determined the children had left a daycare in the 700 Block of East Kansas Avenue and walked to this area.Officers contacted 47-year-old Tracy Barr and another child in the 700 Block of East Kansas Avenue. According to online records Barr is the owner and program<a href="https://khap2.kdhe.state.ks.us/OIDS/OIDS_ViewFacility.aspx?facilitysearch=pQ6%2fNNqOehPH%2fyl06ro2NaFtvgxEoDQrWI0c72s04Bc5b1cSYNv2vffzR%2bnLzsdQefZnslPgIsI%3d"> director for&nbsp;Golden Explorers,</a> 722 East Kansas Avenue, a Licensed Day Care Home in McPherson with a maximum capacity of 10 children. Officers took the children into protective custody and later released them to their parents or guardians. Officers arrested Barr on requested charges of Aggravated Endangering a Child and Driving Under the Influence, according to the release.(<a href="https://khap2.kdhe.state.ks.us/OIDS/OIDS_ViewFacilityFindings.aspx?vn=1anlkfdkEy3LXT4y%2f0Pwn8noWE6KKLBIy7x24OeT5mWHQBhXLLQyq4uNKTq%2bjXfF60Lp5RJoijRpqpecC0J8EcTdPtK4NMxV3q4dNYRqH%2b7N4pS67WBHZg%3d%3d">Click here to read the</a> May 2022 KDHE Survey results for Golden Explorers Daycare)Barr was booked into the McPherson County Jail and her bond was set at $13,750.00.&nbsp; On Thursday afternoon, the Kansas Department of Health has <a href="https://khap2.kdhe.state.ks.us/OIDS/OIDS_ViewFacility.aspx?facilitysearch=pQ6%2fNNqOehPH%2fyl06ro2NaFtvgxEoDQrWI0c72s04Bc5b1cSYNv2vffzR%2bnLzsdQefZnslPgIsI%3d">suspended the license of the Daycare.</a>The McPherson Police Department has referred this incident to the Kansas Department of Children and Families and the McPherson County Attorney’s Office.

Police found children from Kan. daycare unsupervised near pool

FINNEY COUNTY —Fake money is making the rounds again in southwest Kansas, according to the Garden City Police Department.

During the month of June, they have taken 16 reports of counterfeit money, and they expect that number to increase with fireworks sales and 4th of July holiday travel approaching. 

In these counterfeit examples above, both bills do not have translucent Federal seals or standardized cuts. They have been hand cut.

The $100 bill's blue security ribbon is also printed on the bill, when it's supposed to be woven into the paper.

Police urged the public to pay attention to the money you are handling and being handed. Marking bills with currency pens and or comparing them to real U.S. currency are some of the best practices to use to detect counterfeit bills. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656555299680.png" alt="In these counterfeit examples above, both bills do not have translucent Federal seals or standardized cuts. They have been hand cut.-photo Garden City Police" />
 <figcaption>In these counterfeit examples above, both bills do not have translucent Federal seals or standardized cuts. They have been hand cut.-photo Garden City Police</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY —Fake money is making the rounds again in southwest Kansas, according to the Garden City Police Department.During the month of June, they have taken 16 reports of counterfeit money, and they expect that number to increase with fireworks sales and 4th of July holiday travel approaching. In these counterfeit examples above, both bills do not have translucent Federal seals or standardized cuts. They have been hand cut.The $100 bill's blue security ribbon is also printed on the bill, when it's supposed to be woven into the paper.Police urged the public to pay attention to the money you are handling and being handed. Marking bills with currency pens and or comparing them to real U.S. currency are some of the best practices to use to detect counterfeit bills.

Police in SW Kansas took 16 reports of counterfeit cash in June

SHERMAN COUNTY—A new state record fish is officially in the books. In February, angler Tami Sanderson from Goodland caught a record yellow perch at a farm pond in Sherman County, according to the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.

The yellow perch weighed in at 1.46 pounds and was 13.66 inches long. The previous state record was set in 2000 – the perch, caught in Coffey County, was 1.06 pounds and 14 inches long.<a href="https://ksoutdoors.com/Fishing/State-Record-Fish?fbclid=IwAR12UuhmacpFNVX-CIljjspt-5G5z1rzPpjYbdMKCpf0EzN2sWtvs_eAab0">&nbsp; Click here to</a> learn more about Kansas’ record fish.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656622905325.png" alt="Photos courtesy Kansas Dept. of Wildlife and Parks" />
 <figcaption>Photos courtesy Kansas Dept. of Wildlife and Parks</figcaption>
 </figure>SHERMAN COUNTY—A new state record fish is officially in the books. In February, angler Tami Sanderson from Goodland caught a record yellow perch at a farm pond in Sherman County, according to the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656622950923.png" alt="Photo KDWP&amp;T" />
 <figcaption>Photo KDWP&amp;T</figcaption>
 </figure>The yellow perch weighed in at 1.46 pounds and was 13.66 inches long. The previous state record was set in 2000 – the perch, caught in Coffey County, was 1.06 pounds and 14 inches long.<a href="https://ksoutdoors.com/Fishing/State-Record-Fish?fbclid=IwAR12UuhmacpFNVX-CIljjspt-5G5z1rzPpjYbdMKCpf0EzN2sWtvs_eAab0">&nbsp; Click here to</a> learn more about Kansas’ record fish.

Kansas woman breaks 22-year-old state fishing record 

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/21-954_7l48.pdf" target="_blank">The Supreme Court said</a>&nbsp;Thursday the Biden administration can scrap a Trump-era immigration policy that was at the center of efforts to deter asylum-seekers, forcing some to wait in Mexico. Two conservative justices joined their three liberal colleagues in siding with the White House.

The justices’ decision came in a case involving former President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-us-supreme-court-mexico-united-states-missouri-b0df7cad5c0c5860a01d786cca7c5aa5">“Remain in Mexico”</a>&nbsp;policy, formally know as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dhs.gov/migrant-protection-protocols" target="_blank">Migrant Protection Protocols</a>, which enrolled about 70,000 people after it was launched in 2019.

President Joe Biden suspended the program on his first day in office in January 2021. But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-border-mexico-joe-biden-8aeaa6b2e144bfee1125aa8702815dbe">lower courts</a>&nbsp;ordered it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-joe-biden-mexico-texas-missouri-1eb0b6dd1d0676e33702aec7f07e75ac">reinstated</a>&nbsp;in response to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-mexico-courts-immigration-8d82420a572999b886928244abc0f1b3">lawsuit</a>&nbsp;from Republican-led Texas and Missouri. The current administration has sent far fewer people back to Mexico than did the Trump administration.

The ruling was released on the same day that the court dealt the administration a blow in an important&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-epa-ruling-2e893673819a1b6c6aa272a5e814f0b0">environmental case</a>&nbsp;about the nation’s main anti-air pollution law. That ruling could complicate the administration’s plans to combat climate change.

The heart of the legal fight in the immigration case was about whether U.S. immigration authorities, with far less detention capacity than needed, had to send people to Mexico or whether those authorities had the discretion under federal law to release asylum-seekers into the United States while they awaited their hearings.

After Biden’s suspension of the program,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/21_1029_mpp-termination-memo.pdf" target="_blank">Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas</a>&nbsp;ended it in June 2021. In October, the department produced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/21_1029_mpp-termination-justification-memo.pdf" target="_blank">additional justifications</a>&nbsp;for the policy’s demise, but that was to no avail in the courts.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that an appeals court “erred in holding that the” federal Immigration and Nationality Act “required the Government to continue implementing MPP.” Joining the majority opinion was fellow conservative Brett Kavanaugh, a Trump-appointee, as well as liberal justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.

Kavanaugh also wrote separately and noted that in general, when there is insufficient detention capacity, both releasing asylum-seekers into the United States and sending them back to Mexico “are legally permissible options under the immigration statutes.”

Cornell University law professor Stephen Yale-Loehr, an immigration expert, said the Biden administration does not need to take any further action to end the policy, but that Texas and Missouri can pursue a challenge over whether the administration followed appropriate procedure in ending the program.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement that the decision was “unfortunate.” He argued it would make “the border crisis worse. But it’s not the end. I’ll keep pressing forward and focus on securing the border and keeping our communities safe in the dozen other immigration suits I’m litigating in court.”

Because of lower court decisions MPP resumed in December, but the administration has registered only 7,259 migrants in the program, about 6 of every 10 of them Nicaraguans. The administration has said it would apply the policy to nationalities that are less likely to be subject to pandemic-era asylum limits. Strained diplomatic relations with Nicaragua makes it extremely difficult for the U.S. to expel people back to their homeland under the pandemic rule, known as Title 42 authority.

U.S. authorities stopped migrants 1.2 million times on the Mexico border from December through May, illustrating the limited impact that “Remain in Mexico” has had under Biden.

Democratic-led states and progressive groups were on the administration’s side in the case. Republican-run states and conservative groups sided with Texas and Missouri.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632317716965.png" alt="President Joe Biden suspended the program on his first day in office in January 2021. But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-border-mexico-joe-biden-8aeaa6b2e144bfee1125aa8702815dbe">lower courts</a>&nbsp;ordered it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-joe-biden-mexico-texas-missouri-1eb0b6dd1d0676e33702aec7f07e75ac">reinstated</a>-photo Rep. Tony Gonzales" />
 <figcaption>President Joe Biden suspended the program on his first day in office in January 2021. But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-border-mexico-joe-biden-8aeaa6b2e144bfee1125aa8702815dbe">lower courts</a>&nbsp;ordered it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-joe-biden-mexico-texas-missouri-1eb0b6dd1d0676e33702aec7f07e75ac">reinstated</a>-photo Rep. Tony Gonzales</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/21-954_7l48.pdf" target="_blank">The Supreme Court said</a>&nbsp;Thursday the Biden administration can scrap a Trump-era immigration policy that was at the center of efforts to deter asylum-seekers, forcing some to wait in Mexico. Two conservative justices joined their three liberal colleagues in siding with the White House.The justices’ decision came in a case involving former President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-us-supreme-court-mexico-united-states-missouri-b0df7cad5c0c5860a01d786cca7c5aa5">“Remain in Mexico”</a>&nbsp;policy, formally know as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dhs.gov/migrant-protection-protocols" target="_blank">Migrant Protection Protocols</a>, which enrolled about 70,000 people after it was launched in 2019.President Joe Biden suspended the program on his first day in office in January 2021. But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-border-mexico-joe-biden-8aeaa6b2e144bfee1125aa8702815dbe">lower courts</a>&nbsp;ordered it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-joe-biden-mexico-texas-missouri-1eb0b6dd1d0676e33702aec7f07e75ac">reinstated</a>&nbsp;in response to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-mexico-courts-immigration-8d82420a572999b886928244abc0f1b3">lawsuit</a>&nbsp;from Republican-led Texas and Missouri. The current administration has sent far fewer people back to Mexico than did the Trump administration.The ruling was released on the same day that the court dealt the administration a blow in an important&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-epa-ruling-2e893673819a1b6c6aa272a5e814f0b0">environmental case</a>&nbsp;about the nation’s main anti-air pollution law. That ruling could complicate the administration’s plans to combat climate change.The heart of the legal fight in the immigration case was about whether U.S. immigration authorities, with far less detention capacity than needed, had to send people to Mexico or whether those authorities had the discretion under federal law to release asylum-seekers into the United States while they awaited their hearings.After Biden’s suspension of the program,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/21_1029_mpp-termination-memo.pdf" target="_blank">Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas</a>&nbsp;ended it in June 2021. In October, the department produced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/21_1029_mpp-termination-justification-memo.pdf" target="_blank">additional justifications</a>&nbsp;for the policy’s demise, but that was to no avail in the courts.Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that an appeals court “erred in holding that the” federal Immigration and Nationality Act “required the Government to continue implementing MPP.” Joining the majority opinion was fellow conservative Brett Kavanaugh, a Trump-appointee, as well as liberal justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.Kavanaugh also wrote separately and noted that in general, when there is insufficient detention capacity, both releasing asylum-seekers into the United States and sending them back to Mexico “are legally permissible options under the immigration statutes.”Cornell University law professor Stephen Yale-Loehr, an immigration expert, said the Biden administration does not need to take any further action to end the policy, but that Texas and Missouri can pursue a challenge over whether the administration followed appropriate procedure in ending the program.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement that the decision was “unfortunate.” He argued it would make “the border crisis worse. But it’s not the end. I’ll keep pressing forward and focus on securing the border and keeping our communities safe in the dozen other immigration suits I’m litigating in court.”Because of lower court decisions MPP resumed in December, but the administration has registered only 7,259 migrants in the program, about 6 of every 10 of them Nicaraguans. The administration has said it would apply the policy to nationalities that are less likely to be subject to pandemic-era asylum limits. Strained diplomatic relations with Nicaragua makes it extremely difficult for the U.S. to expel people back to their homeland under the pandemic rule, known as Title 42 authority.U.S. authorities stopped migrants 1.2 million times on the Mexico border from December through May, illustrating the limited impact that “Remain in Mexico” has had under Biden.Democratic-led states and progressive groups were on the administration’s side in the case. Republican-run states and conservative groups sided with Texas and Missouri.The case is Biden v. Texas, 21-954.

Court: Biden can end Trump-era remain in Mexico policy

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) — For the second time in three days, a visitor to Yellowstone National Park was gored by a bison, park officials said Thursday.

A 71-year-old woman from West Chester, Pennsylvania and her daughter inadvertently approached the bison Wednesday as they were returning to their vehicle at a Yellowstone Lake trailhead.

The woman's injuries were not life-threatening, park officials said. She was taken by ambulance to the West Park Hospital in Cody, Wyoming.

The incident remains under investigation and park officials did not release more information about the encounter.

On Monday, a 34-year-old Colorado Springs, Colorado, man who had gotten too close to a bison near Giant Geyser&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-colorado-springs-bison-f923906a9db6fb4301a77a78e5117a85">was thrown</a>&nbsp;as he grabbed a child who was running away from the beast. They both got up and ran away.

On May 30, a woman from Grove City, Ohio, got within 10 feet of a bison before it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/animals-bison-d828194de56b7c72d632be0b95bd1dcb">gored and tossed her</a>, causing a puncture wound and other injuries.

Bison are wild and unpredictable and visitors are asked to stay more than 25 yards away from them, park officials said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656533727966.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) — For the second time in three days, a visitor to Yellowstone National Park was gored by a bison, park officials said Thursday.A 71-year-old woman from West Chester, Pennsylvania and her daughter inadvertently approached the bison Wednesday as they were returning to their vehicle at a Yellowstone Lake trailhead.The woman's injuries were not life-threatening, park officials said. She was taken by ambulance to the West Park Hospital in Cody, Wyoming.The incident remains under investigation and park officials did not release more information about the encounter.On Monday, a 34-year-old Colorado Springs, Colorado, man who had gotten too close to a bison near Giant Geyser&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-colorado-springs-bison-f923906a9db6fb4301a77a78e5117a85">was thrown</a>&nbsp;as he grabbed a child who was running away from the beast. They both got up and ran away.On May 30, a woman from Grove City, Ohio, got within 10 feet of a bison before it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/animals-bison-d828194de56b7c72d632be0b95bd1dcb">gored and tossed her</a>, causing a puncture wound and other injuries.Bison are wild and unpredictable and visitors are asked to stay more than 25 yards away from them, park officials said.

2nd visitor in 3 days gored by Yellowstone park bison

SALINE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 6:30a.m. Thursday in Saline County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Chevy Equinox driven by Josiah J. Hein, 21, Lincoln, Nebraska, was southbound on Interstate 135 three miles south of Salina.

The vehicle struck a pedestrian identified as 25-year-old David Pierre Jackson of St. Louis, Missouri, who had run out onto the interstate.

Jackson was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Ryan's Mortuary. Hein and a passenger in the Chevy Kyle W. Gordon, 52, Salina, were properly restrained and not injured, according to the KHP.

SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal pedestrian accident that occurred just after 6:30a.m. Thursday on Southbound Interstate 135 near the Kansas 104 Mentor Road/Smolan Road exit

KHP was notified of a two vehicle non-injury crash with one driver walking south from scene, according to a social media report from Trooper Ben Gardner. Shortly afterwards an additional crash involving a pedestrian was reported resulting in a death.

The single fatality is not a local resident, according to Gardner. Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656596897608.png" alt="First responders on the scene of the investigation Thursday morning-photo courtesy KHP" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene of the investigation Thursday morning-photo courtesy KHP</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 6:30a.m. Thursday in Saline County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Chevy Equinox driven by Josiah J. Hein, 21, Lincoln, Nebraska, was southbound on Interstate 135 three miles south of Salina.The vehicle struck a pedestrian identified as 25-year-old David Pierre Jackson of St. Louis, Missouri, who had run out onto the interstate.Jackson was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Ryan's Mortuary. Hein and a passenger in the Chevy Kyle W. Gordon, 52, Salina, were properly restrained and not injured, according to the KHP.--------SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal pedestrian accident that occurred just after 6:30a.m. Thursday on Southbound Interstate 135 near the Kansas 104 Mentor Road/Smolan Road exitKHP was notified of a two vehicle non-injury crash with one driver walking south from scene, according to a social media report from Trooper Ben Gardner. Shortly afterwards an additional crash involving a pedestrian was reported resulting in a death.The single fatality is not a local resident, according to Gardner. Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

KHP IDs victim in fatal pedestrian accident on I-135

HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The potential for any level of abortion restrictions is on the table if the legislature's power is clarified through a positive vote for the amendment that is on the ballot August 2, according to a constitutional law professor from the University of Kansas.

"If people approve the amendment, the Kansas Constitution would place no limits on the regulation of abortion unless the particular form of the regulation violated some other right," said Richard E. Levy, J.B. Smith Distinguished Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Kansas. "For example, if the law said women of one race could get an abortion, but women of another race could not, that would violate equal protection. But, if we're just looking at the content of abortion regulation generally, there would be no protection under the Kansas constitution."

The Dobbs ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade generally left the abortion regulation question to the states, but even then, there is a standard that will be looked at on the federal level.

"Under the U.S. Constitution, abortion laws would have to pass the rational basis test," Levy said. "They would have to serve a legitimate governmental interest and be reasonably related to that legitimate governmental interest. Sometimes laws can be so arbitrary and irrational, or could be based on impermissible political motives in a way that would make them invalid under the rational basis test. That's very rare, but it can happen."

The rational basis test is generally considered the least stringent test of judicial review. In other words, if the amendment passes, the legislature's actions, whatever they are, would most likely be upheld. Right now, the Kansas Supreme Court's holding in Hodes &amp; Nauser v. Schmidt is controlling and that decision infers a right to abortion in the Kansas Constitution.

"The Hodes case said that Section 1 of the Kansas Constitution's Bill of Rights, which expressly recognizes natural rights that individuals posess, includes a right to bodily integrity and self-determination and that right of bodily integrity and self-determination meant that women had the right to decide whether to carry a child to term or have an abortion."

The concerns of some that leaving the Hodes ruling in place could make Kansas a destination for women traveling to terminate their pregnancy would appear to be founded, if the <a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/article/2021/10/26-states-are-certain-or-likely-ban-abortion-without-roe-heres-which-ones-and-why">Guttmacher Institute's analysis of the issue proves to be correct</a>. According to the Institute, all neighboring states to Kansas except for Colorado would be either certain or likely to ban abortion.

Both Republican candidate and current Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt and current Kansas Governor Laura Kelly chose not to send direct statements to Hutch Post when contacted for this story, but spokespeople for both sides did send statements.

“The choice in the governor's race on this issue is clear. AG Schmidt supports the Value Them Both amendment and the right of Kansans, through their elected representatives, to regulate the abortion industry. Laura Kelly opposes all abortion restrictions at any stage of a pregnancy. She’s opposed painful late-term abortion bans, requirements that parents be notified of a minor child seeking an abortion, and basic health and safety requirements at abortion clinics. Kansas is and will become an even greater destination for abortions on-demand if Laura Kelly and the pro-abortion groups spending millions on her behalf have their way.”

Communications Director for Gov. Kelly, Brianna Johnson:

“Governor Kelly believes a woman’s reproductive health care decisions should be between her and her physician. She will always review the legality and constitutionality of bills as she receives them, but as she’s said many times, she will oppose all regressive legislation that interferes with individual freedoms or threatens the strides we’ve made in recent years making Kansas a constructive place to do business.”

All <a href="https://myvoteinfo.voteks.org/VoterView">properly registered Kansas voters</a> can weigh in on the issue, regardless of party affiliation or the lack of it. The registration deadline for the primary is July 12.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656521824596.jpeg" alt="Richard E. Levy, J.B. Smith Distinguished Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Kansas.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Richard E. Levy, J.B. Smith Distinguished Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Kansas.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The potential for any level of abortion restrictions is on the table if the legislature's power is clarified through a positive vote for the amendment that is on the ballot August 2, according to a constitutional law professor from the University of Kansas.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656082391177.png" alt="Kansas voters will decide whether to remove the last barrier to abortion rights in the state constitution during the Aug. 2 primary election. Dylan Lysen / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Kansas voters will decide whether to remove the last barrier to abortion rights in the state constitution during the Aug. 2 primary election. Dylan Lysen / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>"If people approve the amendment, the Kansas Constitution would place no limits on the regulation of abortion unless the particular form of the regulation violated some other right," said Richard E. Levy, J.B. Smith Distinguished Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Kansas. "For example, if the law said women of one race could get an abortion, but women of another race could not, that would violate equal protection. But, if we're just looking at the content of abortion regulation generally, there would be no protection under the Kansas constitution."The Dobbs ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade generally left the abortion regulation question to the states, but even then, there is a standard that will be looked at on the federal level."Under the U.S. Constitution, abortion laws would have to pass the rational basis test," Levy said. "They would have to serve a legitimate governmental interest and be reasonably related to that legitimate governmental interest. Sometimes laws can be so arbitrary and irrational, or could be based on impermissible political motives in a way that would make them invalid under the rational basis test. That's very rare, but it can happen."The rational basis test is generally considered the least stringent test of judicial review. In other words, if the amendment passes, the legislature's actions, whatever they are, would most likely be upheld. Right now, the Kansas Supreme Court's holding in Hodes &amp; Nauser v. Schmidt is controlling and that decision infers a right to abortion in the Kansas Constitution."The Hodes case said that Section 1 of the Kansas Constitution's Bill of Rights, which expressly recognizes natural rights that individuals posess, includes a right to bodily integrity and self-determination and that right of bodily integrity and self-determination meant that women had the right to decide whether to carry a child to term or have an abortion."The concerns of some that leaving the Hodes ruling in place could make Kansas a destination for women traveling to terminate their pregnancy would appear to be founded, if the <a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/article/2021/10/26-states-are-certain-or-likely-ban-abortion-without-roe-heres-which-ones-and-why">Guttmacher Institute's analysis of the issue proves to be correct</a>. According to the Institute, all neighboring states to Kansas except for Colorado would be either certain or likely to ban abortion.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656187730652.png" alt="Abortion protesters in Kansas City last week -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Abortion protesters in Kansas City last week -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>Both Republican candidate and current Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt and current Kansas Governor Laura Kelly chose not to send direct statements to Hutch Post when contacted for this story, but spokespeople for both sides did send statements.Schmidt campaign manager CJ Grover:“The choice in the governor's race on this issue is clear. AG Schmidt supports the Value Them Both amendment and the right of Kansans, through their elected representatives, to regulate the abortion industry. Laura Kelly opposes all abortion restrictions at any stage of a pregnancy. She’s opposed painful late-term abortion bans, requirements that parents be notified of a minor child seeking an abortion, and basic health and safety requirements at abortion clinics. Kansas is and will become an even greater destination for abortions on-demand if Laura Kelly and the pro-abortion groups spending millions on her behalf have their way.”Communications Director for Gov. Kelly, Brianna Johnson:“Governor Kelly believes a woman’s reproductive health care decisions should be between her and her physician. She will always review the legality and constitutionality of bills as she receives them, but as she’s said many times, she will oppose all regressive legislation that interferes with individual freedoms or threatens the strides we’ve made in recent years making Kansas a constructive place to do business.”All <a href="https://myvoteinfo.voteks.org/VoterView">properly registered Kansas voters</a> can weigh in on the issue, regardless of party affiliation or the lack of it. The registration deadline for the primary is July 12.

KU Prof: 'no limits on abortion regulation' if amendment passes

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ketanji-brown-jackson">Ketanji Brown Jackson</a>&nbsp;has been sworn in to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">the Supreme Court</a>, shattering a glass ceiling as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ketanji-brown-jackson-voting-rights-college-admissions-stephen-breyer-us-supreme-court-75dc3f82758903dc702d86186ff9eedb">the first Black woman</a>&nbsp;on the nation’s highest court.

The 51-year-old Jackson is the court’s 116th justice and she took the place Thursday of the justice she once worked for.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/stephen-breyer">Justice Stephen Breyer’s</a>&nbsp;retirement took effect at noon.

Moments later, joined by her family, Jackson recited the two oaths required of Supreme Court justices, one administered by Breyer and the other by Chief Justice John Roberts.

“With a full heart, I accept the solemn responsibility of supporting and defending the Constitution of the United States and administering justice without fear or favor, so help me God,” Jackson said in a statement issued by the court. “I am truly grateful to be part of the promise of our great Nation. I extend my sincerest thanks to all of my new colleagues for their warm and gracious welcome.”

Roberts welcomed Jackson “to the court and our common calling.” The ceremony was streamed live on the court's website.

Jackson, a federal judge since 2013, is joining three other women, Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett — the first time four women will serve together on the nine-member court.

Biden nominated Jackson in February, a month after Breyer, 83,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stephen-breyer-supreme-court-retirement-2f9c1f5da824e3b1ef25964205131fff">announced he would retire</a>&nbsp;at the end of the court's term, assuming his successor had been confirmed. Breyer's earlier-than-usual announcement and the condition he attached was a recognition of the Democrats' tenuous hold on the Senate in an era of hyper-partisanship, especially surrounding federal judgeships.

The Senate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ketanji-brown-jackson-supreme-court-confirmation-f39263cdbb0c59c8a20a48edf9b6786e">confirmed Jackson's nomination</a>&nbsp;in early April, by a 53-47 mostly party-line vote that included support from three Republicans.

Jackson had been in a sort of judicial limbo since, remaining a judge on the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., but not hearing any cases. Biden elevated her to that court from the district judgeship to which she was appointed by President Barack Obama.

Jackson will be able to begin work immediately, but the court will have just finished the bulk of its work until the fall, apart from emergency appeals that occasionally arise. That will give her time to settle in and familiarize herself with the roughly two dozen cases the court already has agreed to hear starting in October as well as hundreds of appeals that will pile up over the summer.

The court issued final opinions earlier Thursday after a momentous and rancorous term that included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturning Roe v. Wade’s guarantee of the right to an abortion</a>. One of Thursday’s decisions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-epa-ruling-2e893673819a1b6c6aa272a5e814f0b0">limited how the Environmental Protection Agency can use the nation’s main anti-air pollution law</a>&nbsp;to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, a blow to the fight against climate change.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656606967625.png" alt="Jackson will be able to begin work immediately, but the court will have just finished the bulk of its work until the fall-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Jackson will be able to begin work immediately, but the court will have just finished the bulk of its work until the fall-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ketanji-brown-jackson">Ketanji Brown Jackson</a>&nbsp;has been sworn in to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">the Supreme Court</a>, shattering a glass ceiling as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ketanji-brown-jackson-voting-rights-college-admissions-stephen-breyer-us-supreme-court-75dc3f82758903dc702d86186ff9eedb">the first Black woman</a>&nbsp;on the nation’s highest court.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in as the 116th justice of the Supreme Court, making her the first Black woman to sit on the nation&#39;s highest court. <a href="https://t.co/FO1jHg1X7u">pic.twitter.com/FO1jHg1X7u</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1542547743037603840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The 51-year-old Jackson is the court’s 116th justice and she took the place Thursday of the justice she once worked for.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/stephen-breyer">Justice Stephen Breyer’s</a>&nbsp;retirement took effect at noon.Moments later, joined by her family, Jackson recited the two oaths required of Supreme Court justices, one administered by Breyer and the other by Chief Justice John Roberts.“With a full heart, I accept the solemn responsibility of supporting and defending the Constitution of the United States and administering justice without fear or favor, so help me God,” Jackson said in a statement issued by the court. “I am truly grateful to be part of the promise of our great Nation. I extend my sincerest thanks to all of my new colleagues for their warm and gracious welcome.”Roberts welcomed Jackson “to the court and our common calling.” The ceremony was streamed live on the court's website.Jackson, a federal judge since 2013, is joining three other women, Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett — the first time four women will serve together on the nine-member court.Biden nominated Jackson in February, a month after Breyer, 83,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stephen-breyer-supreme-court-retirement-2f9c1f5da824e3b1ef25964205131fff">announced he would retire</a>&nbsp;at the end of the court's term, assuming his successor had been confirmed. Breyer's earlier-than-usual announcement and the condition he attached was a recognition of the Democrats' tenuous hold on the Senate in an era of hyper-partisanship, especially surrounding federal judgeships.The Senate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ketanji-brown-jackson-supreme-court-confirmation-f39263cdbb0c59c8a20a48edf9b6786e">confirmed Jackson's nomination</a>&nbsp;in early April, by a 53-47 mostly party-line vote that included support from three Republicans.Jackson had been in a sort of judicial limbo since, remaining a judge on the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., but not hearing any cases. Biden elevated her to that court from the district judgeship to which she was appointed by President Barack Obama.Jackson will be able to begin work immediately, but the court will have just finished the bulk of its work until the fall, apart from emergency appeals that occasionally arise. That will give her time to settle in and familiarize herself with the roughly two dozen cases the court already has agreed to hear starting in October as well as hundreds of appeals that will pile up over the summer.The court issued final opinions earlier Thursday after a momentous and rancorous term that included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturning Roe v. Wade’s guarantee of the right to an abortion</a>. One of Thursday’s decisions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-epa-ruling-2e893673819a1b6c6aa272a5e814f0b0">limited how the Environmental Protection Agency can use the nation’s main anti-air pollution law</a>&nbsp;to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, a blow to the fight against climate change.

🎥Jackson sworn in; 1st Black woman on Supreme Court

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a blow to the fight against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/climate-change">climate change</a>, the Supreme Court on Thursday limited how the nation’s main anti-air pollution law can be used to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.

By a 6-3 vote, with conservatives in the majority, the court said that the Clean Air Act does not give the Environmental Protection Agency broad&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-joe-biden-us-supreme-court-business-health-5e6f74672e116f977d5f20d7c3e29ddf">authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions</a>&nbsp;from power plants that contribute to global warming.

The court’s ruling could complicate the administration’s plans to combat climate change. Its proposal to regulate power plant emissions is expected by the end of the year. The decision also could have a broader effect on other agencies' regulatory efforts beyond climate change and air pollution.

President Joe Biden aims to cut the nation’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-science-national-oceanic-and-atmospheric-administration-environment-oceans-24753128b5e11aca8d69de4072380798">greenhouse gas emissions</a>&nbsp;in half by the end of the decade and to have an emissions-free power sector by 2035. Power plants account for roughly 30% of carbon dioxide output.

“Capping carbon dioxide emissions at a level that will force a nationwide transition away from the use of coal to generate electricity may be a sensible ‘solution to the crisis of the day,’” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in his opinion for the court.

But Roberts wrote that the Clean Air Act doesn’t give EPA the authority to do so and that Congress must speak clearly on this subject.

"A decision of such magnitude and consequence rests with Congress itself, or an agency acting pursuant to a clear delegation from that representative body,” he wrote.

In a dissent, Justice Elena Kagan wrote that the decision strips the EPA of the power Congress gave it to respond to “the most pressing environmental challenge of our time.”

Kagan said the stakes in the case are high. She said, "The Court appoints itself—instead of Congress or the expert agency—the decisionmaker on climate policy. I cannot think of many things more frightening.”

Richard Revesz, an environmental expert at the New York University School of Law, called the decision “a significant setback for environmental protection and public health safeguards.”

But Revesz said in a statement that the EPA still has authority to address greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector.

The court held that Congress must speak with specificity when it wants to give an agency authority to regulate on an issue of major national significance.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said the decision would have a wider effect. "The consequences of this decision will ripple across the entire federal government, from the regulation of food and drugs to our nation’s health care system, all of which will put American lives at risk,” Schumer said.

Several conservative justices have criticized what they see as the unchecked power of federal agencies.

Those concerns were evident in the court’s orders throwing out two Biden administration policies aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19. Last summer, the court’s 6-3 conservative majority ended a pause on evictions over unpaid rent. In January, the same six justices blocked a requirement that workers at large employers be vaccinated or test regularly and wear a mask on the job.

The justices heard arguments in the case on the same day that a United Nations panel’s report warned that the effects of climate change are about to get much worse, likely making the world sicker, hungrier, poorer and more dangerous in the coming years.

The power plant case has a long and complicated history that begins with the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan. That plan would have required states to reduce emissions from the generation of electricity, mainly by shifting away from coal-fired plants.

But that plan never took effect. Acting in a lawsuit filed by West Virginia and others, the Supreme Court blocked it in 2016 by a 5-4 vote, with conservatives in the majority.

With the plan on hold, the legal fight over it continued. But after President Donald Trump took office, the EPA repealed the Obama-era plan. The agency argued that its authority to reduce carbon emissions was limited and it devised a new plan that sharply reduced the federal government’s role in the issue.

New York, 21 other mainly Democratic states, the District of Columbia and some of the nation’s largest cities sued over the Trump plan. The federal appeals court in Washington ruled against both the repeal and the new plan, and its decision left nothing in effect while the new administration drafted a new policy.

Adding to the unusual nature of the high court’s involvement, the reductions sought in the Obama plan by 2030 already have been achieved through the market-driven closure of hundreds of coal plants.

Power plant operators serving 40 million people called on the court to preserve the companies’ flexibility to reduce emissions while maintaining reliable service. Prominent businesses that include Apple, Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Tesla also backed the administration.

Nineteen mostly Republican-led states and coal companies led the fight at the Supreme Court against broad EPA authority to regulate carbon output.

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a blow to the fight against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/climate-change">climate change</a>, the Supreme Court on Thursday limited how the nation’s main anti-air pollution law can be used to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.By a 6-3 vote, with conservatives in the majority, the court said that the Clean Air Act does not give the Environmental Protection Agency broad&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-joe-biden-us-supreme-court-business-health-5e6f74672e116f977d5f20d7c3e29ddf">authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions</a>&nbsp;from power plants that contribute to global warming.The court’s ruling could complicate the administration’s plans to combat climate change. Its proposal to regulate power plant emissions is expected by the end of the year. The decision also could have a broader effect on other agencies' regulatory efforts beyond climate change and air pollution.President Joe Biden aims to cut the nation’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-science-national-oceanic-and-atmospheric-administration-environment-oceans-24753128b5e11aca8d69de4072380798">greenhouse gas emissions</a>&nbsp;in half by the end of the decade and to have an emissions-free power sector by 2035. Power plants account for roughly 30% of carbon dioxide output.“Capping carbon dioxide emissions at a level that will force a nationwide transition away from the use of coal to generate electricity may be a sensible ‘solution to the crisis of the day,’” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in his opinion for the court.But Roberts wrote that the Clean Air Act doesn’t give EPA the authority to do so and that Congress must speak clearly on this subject."A decision of such magnitude and consequence rests with Congress itself, or an agency acting pursuant to a clear delegation from that representative body,” he wrote.In a dissent, Justice Elena Kagan wrote that the decision strips the EPA of the power Congress gave it to respond to “the most pressing environmental challenge of our time.”Kagan said the stakes in the case are high. She said, "The Court appoints itself—instead of Congress or the expert agency—the decisionmaker on climate policy. I cannot think of many things more frightening.”Richard Revesz, an environmental expert at the New York University School of Law, called the decision “a significant setback for environmental protection and public health safeguards.”But Revesz said in a statement that the EPA still has authority to address greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector.The court held that Congress must speak with specificity when it wants to give an agency authority to regulate on an issue of major national significance.Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said the decision would have a wider effect. "The consequences of this decision will ripple across the entire federal government, from the regulation of food and drugs to our nation’s health care system, all of which will put American lives at risk,” Schumer said.Several conservative justices have criticized what they see as the unchecked power of federal agencies.Those concerns were evident in the court’s orders throwing out two Biden administration policies aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19. Last summer, the court’s 6-3 conservative majority ended a pause on evictions over unpaid rent. In January, the same six justices blocked a requirement that workers at large employers be vaccinated or test regularly and wear a mask on the job.The justices heard arguments in the case on the same day that a United Nations panel’s report warned that the effects of climate change are about to get much worse, likely making the world sicker, hungrier, poorer and more dangerous in the coming years.The power plant case has a long and complicated history that begins with the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan. That plan would have required states to reduce emissions from the generation of electricity, mainly by shifting away from coal-fired plants.But that plan never took effect. Acting in a lawsuit filed by West Virginia and others, the Supreme Court blocked it in 2016 by a 5-4 vote, with conservatives in the majority.With the plan on hold, the legal fight over it continued. But after President Donald Trump took office, the EPA repealed the Obama-era plan. The agency argued that its authority to reduce carbon emissions was limited and it devised a new plan that sharply reduced the federal government’s role in the issue.New York, 21 other mainly Democratic states, the District of Columbia and some of the nation’s largest cities sued over the Trump plan. The federal appeals court in Washington ruled against both the repeal and the new plan, and its decision left nothing in effect while the new administration drafted a new policy.Adding to the unusual nature of the high court’s involvement, the reductions sought in the Obama plan by 2030 already have been achieved through the market-driven closure of hundreds of coal plants.Power plant operators serving 40 million people called on the court to preserve the companies’ flexibility to reduce emissions while maintaining reliable service. Prominent businesses that include Apple, Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Tesla also backed the administration.Nineteen mostly Republican-led states and coal companies led the fight at the Supreme Court against broad EPA authority to regulate carbon output.

Climate Change: Supreme Court limits EPA’s power to regulate carbon emissions

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating burglary and have two suspects in custody.

Just after 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, an alert citizen saw suspicious activity in the area of the 3700 block of NW Lower Silver Lake Road, according to Police Lt. Manuel Munoz. 

The citizen could see two subjects prowling in the area where a Union Pacific train engine was parked and called police.

Officers arrived and observed one individual coming out from the inside of the train engine compartment and he took off running from the scene. Another subject was found nearby and he fled from the scene as well. Officers quickly set up a perimeter and located both individuals nearby where they were taken into custody.

During the investigation, it was discovered that several rail cars and Union Pacific equipment had been broken into and stripped of their copper. Preliminary estimates are damages in excess of $50,000.00.

As a result of the investigation, John T. Good, 47, and, William L. Berardy, 27, both of Topeka were transported to Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges Burglary, Felony Theft, Aggravated Criminal Damage, Felony Obstruction and Trespass on Railroad Property, according to Munoz.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656539573442.png" alt="Berardy-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Berardy-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating burglary and have two suspects in custody.Just after 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, an alert citizen saw suspicious activity in the area of the 3700 block of NW Lower Silver Lake Road, according to Police Lt. Manuel Munoz. The citizen could see two subjects prowling in the area where a Union Pacific train engine was parked and called police.Officers arrived and observed one individual coming out from the inside of the train engine compartment and he took off running from the scene. Another subject was found nearby and he fled from the scene as well. Officers quickly set up a perimeter and located both individuals nearby where they were taken into custody.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656539506594.png" alt="Good-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Good-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>During the investigation, it was discovered that several rail cars and Union Pacific equipment had been broken into and stripped of their copper. Preliminary estimates are damages in excess of $50,000.00.As a result of the investigation, John T. Good, 47, and, William L. Berardy, 27, both of Topeka were transported to Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges Burglary, Felony Theft, Aggravated Criminal Damage, Felony Obstruction and Trespass on Railroad Property, according to Munoz.