BARRY COUNTY —A second inmate who escaped from a Southwest Missouri County jail June 3, is in custody, according to the Barry County Sheriff's office.

Matthew Crawford, 29, who made a dramatic change to his appearance while on the run is in custody in Greene County on requested charges of stealing and a hold for Barry&nbsp; County, according to online jail records. He was arrested in Springfield Monday.

On June 8, police in Natrone County, Wyoming captured 37-year-old Christopher Blevins.

Blevins, Crawford and Lance Justin Stephens escaped from jail and were considered armed and dangerous. They were in custody on requested theft, drug and weapons charges.

The inmates are believed to be connected to the theft of&nbsp;a white 2002 GMC Sierra 2500 pickup stolen in Barry County in Southwest Missouri and&nbsp; found in Salina, Kansas.

If you know the whereabouts or see Stephens, call 911 immediately. Do not approach him.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655209724523.png" alt="Crawford-photo Greene County" />
 <figcaption>Crawford-photo Greene County</figcaption>
 </figure>BARRY COUNTY —A second inmate who escaped from a Southwest Missouri County jail June 3, is in custody, according to the Barry County Sheriff's office.Matthew Crawford, 29, who made a dramatic change to his appearance while on the run is in custody in Greene County on requested charges of stealing and a hold for Barry&nbsp; County, according to online jail records. He was arrested in Springfield Monday.On June 8, police in Natrone County, Wyoming captured 37-year-old Christopher Blevins.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654650939081.png" alt="Clockwise from left Lance Stephens,&nbsp;Matthew Crawford and Christopher Blevins.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Clockwise from left Lance Stephens,&nbsp;Matthew Crawford and Christopher Blevins.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Blevins, Crawford and Lance Justin Stephens escaped from jail and were considered armed and dangerous. They were in custody on requested theft, drug and weapons charges.The inmates are believed to be connected to the theft of&nbsp;a white 2002 GMC Sierra 2500 pickup stolen in Barry County in Southwest Missouri and&nbsp; found in Salina, Kansas.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654535279954.jpeg" alt="Stephens photo Barry County&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Stephens photo Barry County&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>If you know the whereabouts or see Stephens, call 911 immediately. Do not approach him.

2nd inmate captured after escape from SW Missouri jail

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that injured a 14-year-old boy.

Just before 1p.m., police responded to reports of a shooting at Harry and Doreen west of Rock Road in Wichita, according to Officer Paul Cruz.

First responders at the scene found the boy with a gunshot wound. EMS transported him to an area hospital in critical condition.&nbsp;

Investigators learned someone shot the boy at a home in the 1900 block of South Shiloh, according to Cruz. A private vehicle transported the boy&nbsp; to the area where someone notified police and EMS.

Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655164570135.png" alt="Police at the scene of the investigation photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police at the scene of the investigation photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that injured a 14-year-old boy.Just before 1p.m., police responded to reports of a shooting at Harry and Doreen west of Rock Road in Wichita, according to Officer Paul Cruz.First responders at the scene found the boy with a gunshot wound. EMS transported him to an area hospital in critical condition.&nbsp;Investigators learned someone shot the boy at a home in the 1900 block of South Shiloh, according to Cruz. A private vehicle transported the boy&nbsp; to the area where someone notified police and EMS.Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

Police: 14-year-old Kan. boy critically injured in shooting

JOHNSON COUNTY —One firefighter is recovering from injuries after a&nbsp; house fire on one of the hottest days of the year.

Just before 8p.m. Monday, crews were dispatched to a fire at a home in the 20500 Block of South Ridgeview Road in Spring Hill, according to Johnson County Kansas Fire District #1.

Crews&nbsp; at the fire station saw smoke&nbsp; from the fire. The first arriving unit found fire and smoke showing from the backside of the home. There was one resident home at the time of the fire and was the individual who reported the blaze.

&nbsp;The cause of the fire is still under investigation.Due to the hot temperatures outside, Johnson County MED-ACT’s Rehab Unit was dispatched to the incident to assist with keeping personnel from becoming fatigued due to the heat.&nbsp; One firefighter was transported to a nearby hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

A total of three adults were displaced due to the fire. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasRedCross/?__cft__[0]=AZXwA7MgtbD09Z3YyYVmYimvilxk-zlZNBKaVBjJ2DdgiwEomS5p8IMS4kEBSzOsAxVSm59xPr-zYn1rJi9tnjSHtt6Q_BkFzXq_6mEBPieNJDv5E7ZJT2Diy2SbsAKWO5ZRLdHzs9LMVZtYlLdAyvApdBrwTyunxEdpR1vs-lHPOubQc0JEEHc3PfTT-6izeCc&amp;__tn__=kK-R">American Red Cross Kansas</a>&nbsp;is assisting the family. There were no other injuries.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655202064038.png" alt="Monday night house fire -photo courtesy Johnson Co. Fire District #1" />
 <figcaption>Monday night house fire -photo courtesy Johnson Co. Fire District #1</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —One firefighter is recovering from injuries after a&nbsp; house fire on one of the hottest days of the year.Just before 8p.m. Monday, crews were dispatched to a fire at a home in the 20500 Block of South Ridgeview Road in Spring Hill, according to Johnson County Kansas Fire District #1.Crews&nbsp; at the fire station saw smoke&nbsp; from the fire. The first arriving unit found fire and smoke showing from the backside of the home. There was one resident home at the time of the fire and was the individual who reported the blaze.&nbsp;The cause of the fire is still under investigation.Due to the hot temperatures outside, Johnson County MED-ACT’s Rehab Unit was dispatched to the incident to assist with keeping personnel from becoming fatigued due to the heat.&nbsp; One firefighter was transported to a nearby hospital for non-life threatening injuries.A total of three adults were displaced due to the fire. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasRedCross/?__cft__[0]=AZXwA7MgtbD09Z3YyYVmYimvilxk-zlZNBKaVBjJ2DdgiwEomS5p8IMS4kEBSzOsAxVSm59xPr-zYn1rJi9tnjSHtt6Q_BkFzXq_6mEBPieNJDv5E7ZJT2Diy2SbsAKWO5ZRLdHzs9LMVZtYlLdAyvApdBrwTyunxEdpR1vs-lHPOubQc0JEEHc3PfTT-6izeCc&amp;__tn__=kK-R">American Red Cross Kansas</a>&nbsp;is assisting the family. There were no other injuries.

Firefighter injured fighting house fire in 100-degree weather

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Two Kansas men died in an accident just after 3:30p.m. Monday in Shawnee County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Ford F150 driven by Thomas Mika, 61, Topeka, was northbound on K4 two miles west of Kansas 24

The pickup left the roadway to the right and the driver over corrected.

The pickup returned to the road, crossed left of center and struck a&nbsp; southbound&nbsp; 2020 Chevy Equinox driven by Gerald Counter, 74, Topeka head-on.&nbsp; After impact, the pickup overturned and the driver was ejected.&nbsp;

Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene and were transported to Frontier Forensics. EMS transported a passenger in the Chevy identified as Daniel&nbsp;Starkweather, 58, to Stormont Vail. Mika was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655169459216.png" alt="Law enforcement blocking traffic near the crash scene -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Law enforcement blocking traffic near the crash scene -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Two Kansas men died in an accident just after 3:30p.m. Monday in Shawnee County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Ford F150 driven by Thomas Mika, 61, Topeka, was northbound on K4 two miles west of Kansas 24The pickup left the roadway to the right and the driver over corrected.The pickup returned to the road, crossed left of center and struck a&nbsp; southbound&nbsp; 2020 Chevy Equinox driven by Gerald Counter, 74, Topeka head-on.&nbsp; After impact, the pickup overturned and the driver was ejected.&nbsp;Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene and were transported to Frontier Forensics. EMS transported a passenger in the Chevy identified as Daniel&nbsp;Starkweather, 58, to Stormont Vail. Mika was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

2 Kansas men dead, another injured after head-on crash

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has ruled against immigrants who are seeking their release from long periods of detention while they fight deportation orders.

In two cases decided Monday, the court said that the immigrants, who fear persecution if sent back to their native countries, have no right under a federal law to a bond hearing at which they could argue for their freedom no matter how long they are held.

The justices also ruled 6-3 to limit the immigrants ability to band together in court, an outcome that Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote “will leave many vulnerable noncitizens unable to protect their rights.”

In recent years, the high court has taken an increasingly limited view of immigrants’ access to the federal court system under immigration measures enacted in the 1990s and 2000s.

“For a while, it seemed like the court was going to push back a bit. In extreme cases, it would interpret a statute to allow for as much judicial review as possible,”said Nicole Hallet, director of the immigrants rights clinic at the University of Chicago law school. “Clearly now, the court is no longer willing to do that.”

The immigrants who sued for a bond hearing are facing being detained for many months, even years, before their cases are resolved.

The court ruled in the cases of people from Mexico and El Salvador who persuaded Homeland Security officials that their fears are credible, entitling them to further review.

Their lawyers argued that they should have a hearing before an immigration judge to determine if they should be released. The main factors are whether people would pose a danger or are likely to flee if set free.

Sotomayor wrote the court’s opinion in one case involving Antonio Arteaga-Martinez, who had previously been deported to Mexico. He was taken into custody four years ago, and won release while his case wound through the federal courts. His hearing on whether he can remain in the United States is scheduled for 2023.

But Sotomayor wrote that the provision of immigration law that applies to people like Arteaga-Martinez simply doesn’t require the government to hold a bond hearing.

The court, however, left open the issue of the immigrants’ ability to argue that the Constitution does not permit such indefinite detention without a hearing.

Justice Samuel Alito wrote the court’s opinion holding that federal judges can only rule in the case of the immigrants before them, not a class of similarly situated people.

Sotomayor dissented from that decision, joined by Justices Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan. She wrote that the ability to join together in a class was especially important for people who have no right to a lawyer and “are disproportionately unlikely to be familiar with the U.S. legal system or fluent in the English language.”

The cases are Johnson v. Arteaga-Martinez, 19-896, and Garland v. Aleman Gonzalez, 20-322.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632317716965.png" alt="In recent years, the high court has taken an increasingly limited view of immigrants’ access to the federal court system under immigration measures enacted in the 1990s and 2000s-photo U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales" />
 <figcaption>In recent years, the high court has taken an increasingly limited view of immigrants’ access to the federal court system under immigration measures enacted in the 1990s and 2000s-photo U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has ruled against immigrants who are seeking their release from long periods of detention while they fight deportation orders.In two cases decided Monday, the court said that the immigrants, who fear persecution if sent back to their native countries, have no right under a federal law to a bond hearing at which they could argue for their freedom no matter how long they are held.The justices also ruled 6-3 to limit the immigrants ability to band together in court, an outcome that Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote “will leave many vulnerable noncitizens unable to protect their rights.”In recent years, the high court has taken an increasingly limited view of immigrants’ access to the federal court system under immigration measures enacted in the 1990s and 2000s.“For a while, it seemed like the court was going to push back a bit. In extreme cases, it would interpret a statute to allow for as much judicial review as possible,”said Nicole Hallet, director of the immigrants rights clinic at the University of Chicago law school. “Clearly now, the court is no longer willing to do that.”The immigrants who sued for a bond hearing are facing being detained for many months, even years, before their cases are resolved.The court ruled in the cases of people from Mexico and El Salvador who persuaded Homeland Security officials that their fears are credible, entitling them to further review.Their lawyers argued that they should have a hearing before an immigration judge to determine if they should be released. The main factors are whether people would pose a danger or are likely to flee if set free.Sotomayor wrote the court’s opinion in one case involving Antonio Arteaga-Martinez, who had previously been deported to Mexico. He was taken into custody four years ago, and won release while his case wound through the federal courts. His hearing on whether he can remain in the United States is scheduled for 2023.But Sotomayor wrote that the provision of immigration law that applies to people like Arteaga-Martinez simply doesn’t require the government to hold a bond hearing.The court, however, left open the issue of the immigrants’ ability to argue that the Constitution does not permit such indefinite detention without a hearing.Justice Samuel Alito wrote the court’s opinion holding that federal judges can only rule in the case of the immigrants before them, not a class of similarly situated people.Sotomayor dissented from that decision, joined by Justices Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan. She wrote that the ability to join together in a class was especially important for people who have no right to a lawyer and “are disproportionately unlikely to be familiar with the U.S. legal system or fluent in the English language.”The cases are Johnson v. Arteaga-Martinez, 19-896, and Garland v. Aleman Gonzalez, 20-322.

Justices rule against detained immigrants seeking release

DOUGLAS COUNTY —The suspect arrested in connection with a hit-and-run accident that killed a 10-year-old Kansas girl is now in jail in Kansas.

Jose Alfredo Galiano Meza, 28, Overland Park, arrived via secure transport to the Douglas County Correctional Facility Sunday night, according to Douglas County Sheriff Jay Armbrister.&nbsp;

On June 4, U.S. Marshals and Indiana State Troopers notified the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office that Meza was in custody in Martinsville, Indiana, according to Armbrister.

The Sheriff’s Office had a warrant for Meza’s arrest as the suspected driver that struck a motorcycle May 14 at East 1900 Road and Kansas Highway 10. Brooklyn Brouhard, 10, of Eudora, later died from injuries suffered in the crash. She was a passenger on the motorcycle driven by her grandfather Barry Larson, 54, of Eudora, who was also injured.

Authorities in Indiana located a vehicle with Mesa inside and took him into custody, and the Sheriff’s Office did the work to have him extradited to Kansas to face charges.

After conducting an extensive investigation that included witness interviews, deputies early in the investigation were able to identify Mesa as the driver of the van that struck the motorcycle and left the scene. Mesa had been in Lawrence earlier in the day on May 14 for a painting job and was driving back to the Kansas City area.

Witnesses reported the driver of the white van after the collision proceeded down the ramp leaving its bumper behind and returned to eastbound K-10. Based on vehicle debris at the scene, witness interviews and assistance from area law enforcement agencies, deputies identified the vehicle and seized it on May 16 in the Kansas City area. After identifying Mesa, deputies and fellow law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Marshals Service had attempted to locate Mesa.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654365394422.png" alt="Meza-photo Morgan Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Meza-photo Morgan Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY —The suspect arrested in connection with a hit-and-run accident that killed a 10-year-old Kansas girl is now in jail in Kansas.Jose Alfredo Galiano Meza, 28, Overland Park, arrived via secure transport to the Douglas County Correctional Facility Sunday night, according to Douglas County Sheriff Jay Armbrister.&nbsp;On June 4, U.S. Marshals and Indiana State Troopers notified the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office that Meza was in custody in Martinsville, Indiana, according to Armbrister.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652731134056.png" alt="Image Douglas Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Image Douglas Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>The Sheriff’s Office had a warrant for Meza’s arrest as the suspected driver that struck a motorcycle May 14 at East 1900 Road and Kansas Highway 10. Brooklyn Brouhard, 10, of Eudora, later died from injuries suffered in the crash. She was a passenger on the motorcycle driven by her grandfather Barry Larson, 54, of Eudora, who was also injured.Authorities in Indiana located a vehicle with Mesa inside and took him into custody, and the Sheriff’s Office did the work to have him extradited to Kansas to face charges.After conducting an extensive investigation that included witness interviews, deputies early in the investigation were able to identify Mesa as the driver of the van that struck the motorcycle and left the scene. Mesa had been in Lawrence earlier in the day on May 14 for a painting job and was driving back to the Kansas City area.Witnesses reported the driver of the white van after the collision proceeded down the ramp leaving its bumper behind and returned to eastbound K-10. Based on vehicle debris at the scene, witness interviews and assistance from area law enforcement agencies, deputies identified the vehicle and seized it on May 16 in the Kansas City area. After identifying Mesa, deputies and fellow law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Marshals Service had attempted to locate Mesa.--------

Suspect in hit-and-run that killed girl extradited to Kansas

JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a registered Kansas offender on new charges after a traffic stop.

Just after 2a.m. Sunday, a sheriff's deputy stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation&nbsp;near 126th and U.S. Highway 75, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

After an investigation, the deputy arrested he driver Tamara Jo Christian, 44, of Mayetta, at the scene. 

 Christian was booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, violating the registration offender act, driving while a habitual violator and for an outstanding Jackson County District Court warrant, according to Morse.

She has been a registered offender since 2017 for a felony drug distribution conviction, according to the Kan. Dept of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655127319195.png" alt="Christian has been a registered offender since 2017 for a felony drug distribution conviction, according to the Kan. Dept of Corrections-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Christian has been a registered offender since 2017 for a felony drug distribution conviction, according to the Kan. Dept of Corrections-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a registered Kansas offender on new charges after a traffic stop.Just after 2a.m. Sunday, a sheriff's deputy stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation&nbsp;near 126th and U.S. Highway 75, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.After an investigation, the deputy arrested he driver Tamara Jo Christian, 44, of Mayetta, at the scene. Christian was booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, violating the registration offender act, driving while a habitual violator and for an outstanding Jackson County District Court warrant, according to Morse.She has been a registered offender since 2017 for a felony drug distribution conviction, according to the Kan. Dept of Corrections.

Registered Kansas offender jailed after traffic stop

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating what appears to be an accidental shooting.

Just after 5a.m. Sunday, police received a call for service of a person who arrived at a Topeka hospital who appeared to be suffering from a gunshot wound, according to Lt. Jerry Monasmith.

A private vehicle transported the victim to the hospital and the injuries proved non-life-threatening at this time, according to Monasmith.

The follow-up investigation by detectives confirmed the shooting was unintentional.&nbsp; Police released no additional information Monday afternoon.

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating what appears to be an accidental shooting.Just after 5a.m. Sunday, police received a call for service of a person who arrived at a Topeka hospital who appeared to be suffering from a gunshot wound, according to Lt. Jerry Monasmith.A private vehicle transported the victim to the hospital and the injuries proved non-life-threatening at this time, according to Monasmith.The follow-up investigation by detectives confirmed the shooting was unintentional.&nbsp; Police released no additional information Monday afternoon.

Police investigate accidental Kansas shooting 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump’s closest campaign advisers, top government officials and even his family were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barr-no-widespread-election-fraud-b1f1488796c9a98c4b1a9061a6c7f49d">dismantling his false claims</a>&nbsp;of 2020 election fraud ahead of Jan. 6, but the defeated president seemed “detached from reality” and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-hearings-day-2-takeaways-5194979c436b3ee567e0dd20c7cc2f2d">clinging to outlandish theories</a>&nbsp;to stay in power, the committee investigating the Capitol attack was told Monday.

With gripping testimony,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/where-to-watch-jan-6-committee-hearings-98a4f76f23a5bab1ab6ed1638fd93294">the panel is laying out in step by step fashion</a>&nbsp;how Trump ignored his own campaign team’s data as one state after another flipped to Joe Biden, and instead latched on to conspiracy theories, court cases and his own declarations of victory rather than having to admit defeat.

Trump’s “big lie” of election fraud escalated and transformed into marching orders that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-riots-presidential-elections-new-mexico-election-2020-fcb3a9ba822a570f360ce03011ee83dc">summoned</a>&nbsp;supporters to Washington and then sent them to the Capitol on Jan. 6 to block Biden’s victory.

“He’s become detached from reality if he really believes this stuff,” said former Attorney General William Barr, who called the voting fraud claims “bull——,” “bogus” and “idiotic,” and resigned in the aftermath. “I didn’t want to be a part of it.”

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-hearings-day-2-takeaways-5194979c436b3ee567e0dd20c7cc2f2d">House 1/6 committee spent the morning hearing delving into Trump’s false claims of election fraud</a>&nbsp;and the countless ways those around him tried to convince the defeated Republican president they were not true, and that he had simply lost the election.

The witnesses Monday, mostly all Republicans and many testifying in pre-recorded videos, described in blunt terms and sometimes exasperated details how Trump refused to take the advice of those closest to him, including his family members. As the people around him splintered into a “team normal” headed by former campaign manager Bill Stepien and others led by Trump confident Rudy Giuliani, the president chose his sides.

On election night, Stepien said, Trump was “growing increasingly unhappy” and refusing to accept the “grim outlook.”

Son-in-law Jared Kushner tried to steer Trump away from attorney Giuliani and his far-flung theories of voter fraud that advisers believed were not true. The president would have none of it.

The back-and-forth intensified in the run-up to Jan. 6. Former Justice Department official Richard Donoghue recalled breaking down one claim after another — from a truckload of ballots in Pennsylvania to a missing suitcase of ballots in Georgia —- and telling Trump “much of the info you’re getting is false.”

Still, Trump pressed on with his false claims even after dozens of court cases collapsed.

The panel also provided new information about how Trump’s fundraising machine collected some $250 million with his campaigns to “Stop the Steal” and others in the aftermath of the November election, mostly from small-dollar donations from Americans. One plea for cash went out 30 minutes before the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.

“Not only was there the big lie, there was the big ripoff,” said Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bennie-thompson">Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss.,</a>&nbsp;opened Monday’s hearing saying Trump “betrayed the trust of the American people” and “tried to remain in office when people had voted him out.”

As the hearings play our for the public, they are also being watched by one of the most important viewers, Attorney General Merrick Garland, who must decide&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-adam-schiff-government-and-politics-presidential-elections-d87892379e7e81c2907edef81a3b2b86">whether his department can and should prosecute Trump</a>. No sitting or former president has ever faced such an indictment.

“I am watching,” Garland said Monday at a press briefing at the Justice Department, even if he may not watch all the hearings live. “And I can assure you the Jan. 6 prosecutors are watching all of the hearings as well.”

Biden was getting updates but not watching “blow by blow,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

Stepien was to be a key in-person witness Monday but abruptly backed out of appearing live because his wife went into labor. Stepien, who is still close to Trump,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-siege-elections-subpoenas-michael-flynn-08e816bf6f04e62fd71638755b392ed4">had been subpoenaed to appear</a>. He is now a top campaign adviser to the Trump-endorsed House candidate, Harriet Hageman, who is challenging committee vice chair&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-capitol-siege-donald-trump-wyoming-presidential-4fd397e5ba68de1924f52c79507eff2f">Rep. Liz Cheney</a>&nbsp;in the Wyoming Republican primary.

The panel marched ahead after a morning scramble and delay, with witness after witness saying Trump latched on to and repeated false claims about the election although those closest told him the theories of stolen ballots or rigged voting machines were simply not true.

Stepien and senior adviser Jason Miller described how the festive mood at the White House on election night turned grim as Fox News announced Trump had lost the state of Arizona to Joe Biden, and aides worked to counsel Trump on what to do next.

But he ignored their advice, choosing to listen instead to Giuliani, who was described as inebriated by several witnesses. Giuliani issued a general denial on Monday, rejecting “all falsehoods” he said were being said about him.

Stepien said, “My belief, my recommendation was to say that votes were still being counted, it’s too early to tell, too early to call the race.”

But Trump “thought I was wrong. He told me so.”

Barr, who had also testified in last week’s blockbuster hearing, said that Trump was “as mad as I’d ever seen him” when the attorney general later explained that the Justice Department would not take sides in the election.

For the past year, the committee has been investigating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-government-and-politics-riots-d690e70ac850d8652b82c0c3e2fba5bf">the most violent attack on the Capitol</a>&nbsp;since the War of 1812, which some believe posed a grave threat to democracy.

Monday’s hearing also featured live witnesses, including Chris Stirewalt, a former Fox News Channel political editor who declared on Election Night that Arizona was being won by Biden. Also appearing was the former U.S. attorney in Atlanta,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-election-2020-f256ba4917d47e9728d216b014edfae9">BJay Pak</a>, who abruptly resigned after Trump pressured Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperge to find enough votes overturn his defeat.

The panel also heard from elections lawyer Benjamin Ginsberg who discussed the norms of election campaign challenges, and former Philadelphia City Commissioner Al Schmidt, the only Republican on the city’s election board, who told the panel that regardless of how “fantastical” some of the claims that Trump and his team were making, the city officials investigated. He discussed facing threats after Trump criticized him in a tweet.

As he mulls another White House run, Trump insists the committee’s investigation is a “witch hunt.” Last week he said Jan. 6 “represented the greatest movement in the history of our country.”

Nine people died in the riot and its aftermath, including a Trump supporter shot and killed by Capitol police. More than 800 people&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-conspiracy-crime-c2e427dc0fa16077d7fb98c06e61149f">have been arrested in the siege</a>, and members of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-proud-boys-donald-trump-congress-government-and-politics-a8baa24af07b20ab792f4ef6f4481fac">two extremist groups</a>&nbsp;have been indicted on rare sedition charges over their roles leading the charge into the Capitol.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House committee investigating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/capitol-siege">the Jan. 6 riot</a>&nbsp;is delving deeper into what it calls “the big lie,” Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-riot-hearing-67ec5f32b1dd050a24c3312570fa6c67">false claims of voter fraud</a>&nbsp;that fueled his relentless effort to overturn the 2020 election and led a mob of his supporters to lay siege to the U.S. Capitol.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-donald-trump-liz-cheney-congress-election-2020-aeae280e0cae536f7c18bb09efea88ce">The 1/6 panel</a>&nbsp;resumes its hearings Monday with live witnesses, that were supposed to included Trump’s campaign manager, Bill Stepien.

Early Monday, Stepien pulled out of the appearance before the&nbsp; committee. The panel says Stepien's appearance was canceled due to a family emergency.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bennie-thompson">Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss.,</a>&nbsp;and vice chair&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-capitol-siege-donald-trump-wyoming-presidential-4fd397e5ba68de1924f52c79507eff2f">Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo.,</a>&nbsp;are set to lead the morning hearing after last week’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-donald-trump-impeachments-government-and-politics-ca37532811b317cf67ec076c5f80f9e6">blockbuster session drew nearly 20 million Americans</a>&nbsp;to see its prime-time findings.

For the past year, the committee has been investigating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-government-and-politics-riots-d690e70ac850d8652b82c0c3e2fba5bf">the most violent attack on the Capitol</a>&nbsp;since the War of 1812 to ensure such an assault never happens again. Its findings come as Trump is considering another run for the White House, and some warn that his effort to over turn Joe Biden’s election victory posed a grave threat to democracy.

In addition to Stepien, the committee is also set to hear testimony from Chris Stirewalt, a former Fox News political editor closely involved in election night coverage who stood by the decision to declare Arizona as being won by Biden. He wrote about his experiences later in an op-ed and might be asked about Trump’s actions as Fox New declared states Biden won.

A second group of witnesses testifying Monday will be made up of election officials, investigators and experts who are likely to discuss Trump’s responses to the election, including dozens of failed court challenges, and how his actions diverged from U.S. norms.

Among them is the former U.S. attorney in Atlanta,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-election-2020-f256ba4917d47e9728d216b014edfae9">BJay Pak</a>, who abruptly resigned after Trump pressured Georgia state officials to overturn his presidential defeat. Trump wanted to fire Pak as disloyal, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/byung-pak-resigns-us-attorney-georgia-3532643327838ac9b2bebe658d446f56">Pak stepped down</a>&nbsp;after Trump’s call urging Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” enough votes to overturn Biden’s win in the state became public.

The panel will also hear from former Philadelphia City Commissioner Al Schmidt, the only Republican on the election board and who faced down criticism as the state’s election was called for Biden; and noted Washington attorney and elections lawyer Benjamin Ginsberg.

As he mulls a White House run, Trump is decrying the investigation into his efforts to overturn Biden’s election a “witch hunt.” He said last week that Jan. 6 “represented the greatest movement in the history of our country.”

Nine people died in the riot and its aftermath, including a Trump supporter shot and killed by police. More than 800 people&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-conspiracy-crime-c2e427dc0fa16077d7fb98c06e61149f">have been arrested in the siege</a>, and members of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-proud-boys-donald-trump-congress-government-and-politics-a8baa24af07b20ab792f4ef6f4481fac">two extremist groups</a>&nbsp;have been indicted on rare sedition charges over their roles leading the charge into the Capitol.

In its prime-time hearing, the committee laid out how Trump was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-riot-hearing-67ec5f32b1dd050a24c3312570fa6c67">told over and over again</a>&nbsp;by his trusted aides and officials at the highest levels of government that there was no election fraud on a scale that could have changed the outcome. But Trump pursued his false claims about the election and beckoned supporters to Washington on Jan. 6 to overturn Biden’s victory as Congress was set to certify the Electoral College results.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-donald-trump-liz-cheney-congress-election-2020-aeae280e0cae536f7c18bb09efea88ce">Additional evidence is set to be released in hearings this week</a>&nbsp;focusing on Trump’s decision to ignore the outcome of the election and the court cases that ruled against him.

Monday’s hearing will also turn to the millions of dollars Trump’s team brought in fundraising in the run-up to Jan. 6, according to a committee aide who insisted on anonymity to discuss the details.

The committee has said most of those interviewed in the investigation are coming forward voluntarily, although some have wanted subpoenas to appear in public. It is unclear why Stepien was issued a subpoena. A Trump spokesman, Taylor Budowich, suggested that the committee’s decision to call Stepien was politically motivated.

Lawmakers indicated that perhaps their most important audience member over the course of the hearings may be Attorney General Merrick Garland, who must decide whether his department can and should prosecute Trump. They left no doubt as to their own view whether the evidence is sufficient to proceed.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said on CNN he doesn’t intend to “browbeat” Garland but noted the committee has already laid out in legal pleadings criminal statutes they believe Trump violated.

“I think that he knows, his staff knows, the U.S. attorneys know, what’s at stake here,” Raskin said.

No president or ex-president has ever been indicted. Garland has not specified whether he would be willing to prosecute, which would be complicated in a political election season in which Trump has openly flirted with the idea of running for president again.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655128386852.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump’s closest campaign advisers, top government officials and even his family were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barr-no-widespread-election-fraud-b1f1488796c9a98c4b1a9061a6c7f49d">dismantling his false claims</a>&nbsp;of 2020 election fraud ahead of Jan. 6, but the defeated president seemed “detached from reality” and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-hearings-day-2-takeaways-5194979c436b3ee567e0dd20c7cc2f2d">clinging to outlandish theories</a>&nbsp;to stay in power, the committee investigating the Capitol attack was told Monday.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pr5QUInmGI8?start=205" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>With gripping testimony,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/where-to-watch-jan-6-committee-hearings-98a4f76f23a5bab1ab6ed1638fd93294">the panel is laying out in step by step fashion</a>&nbsp;how Trump ignored his own campaign team’s data as one state after another flipped to Joe Biden, and instead latched on to conspiracy theories, court cases and his own declarations of victory rather than having to admit defeat.Trump’s “big lie” of election fraud escalated and transformed into marching orders that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-riots-presidential-elections-new-mexico-election-2020-fcb3a9ba822a570f360ce03011ee83dc">summoned</a>&nbsp;supporters to Washington and then sent them to the Capitol on Jan. 6 to block Biden’s victory.“He’s become detached from reality if he really believes this stuff,” said former Attorney General William Barr, who called the voting fraud claims “bull——,” “bogus” and “idiotic,” and resigned in the aftermath. “I didn’t want to be a part of it.”The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-hearings-day-2-takeaways-5194979c436b3ee567e0dd20c7cc2f2d">House 1/6 committee spent the morning hearing delving into Trump’s false claims of election fraud</a>&nbsp;and the countless ways those around him tried to convince the defeated Republican president they were not true, and that he had simply lost the election.The witnesses Monday, mostly all Republicans and many testifying in pre-recorded videos, described in blunt terms and sometimes exasperated details how Trump refused to take the advice of those closest to him, including his family members. As the people around him splintered into a “team normal” headed by former campaign manager Bill Stepien and others led by Trump confident Rudy Giuliani, the president chose his sides.On election night, Stepien said, Trump was “growing increasingly unhappy” and refusing to accept the “grim outlook.”Son-in-law Jared Kushner tried to steer Trump away from attorney Giuliani and his far-flung theories of voter fraud that advisers believed were not true. The president would have none of it.The back-and-forth intensified in the run-up to Jan. 6. Former Justice Department official Richard Donoghue recalled breaking down one claim after another — from a truckload of ballots in Pennsylvania to a missing suitcase of ballots in Georgia —- and telling Trump “much of the info you’re getting is false.”Still, Trump pressed on with his false claims even after dozens of court cases collapsed.The panel also provided new information about how Trump’s fundraising machine collected some $250 million with his campaigns to “Stop the Steal” and others in the aftermath of the November election, mostly from small-dollar donations from Americans. One plea for cash went out 30 minutes before the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.“Not only was there the big lie, there was the big ripoff,” said Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bennie-thompson">Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss.,</a>&nbsp;opened Monday’s hearing saying Trump “betrayed the trust of the American people” and “tried to remain in office when people had voted him out.”As the hearings play our for the public, they are also being watched by one of the most important viewers, Attorney General Merrick Garland, who must decide&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-adam-schiff-government-and-politics-presidential-elections-d87892379e7e81c2907edef81a3b2b86">whether his department can and should prosecute Trump</a>. No sitting or former president has ever faced such an indictment.“I am watching,” Garland said Monday at a press briefing at the Justice Department, even if he may not watch all the hearings live. “And I can assure you the Jan. 6 prosecutors are watching all of the hearings as well.”Biden was getting updates but not watching “blow by blow,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.Stepien was to be a key in-person witness Monday but abruptly backed out of appearing live because his wife went into labor. Stepien, who is still close to Trump,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-siege-elections-subpoenas-michael-flynn-08e816bf6f04e62fd71638755b392ed4">had been subpoenaed to appear</a>. He is now a top campaign adviser to the Trump-endorsed House candidate, Harriet Hageman, who is challenging committee vice chair&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-capitol-siege-donald-trump-wyoming-presidential-4fd397e5ba68de1924f52c79507eff2f">Rep. Liz Cheney</a>&nbsp;in the Wyoming Republican primary.The panel marched ahead after a morning scramble and delay, with witness after witness saying Trump latched on to and repeated false claims about the election although those closest told him the theories of stolen ballots or rigged voting machines were simply not true.Stepien and senior adviser Jason Miller described how the festive mood at the White House on election night turned grim as Fox News announced Trump had lost the state of Arizona to Joe Biden, and aides worked to counsel Trump on what to do next.But he ignored their advice, choosing to listen instead to Giuliani, who was described as inebriated by several witnesses. Giuliani issued a general denial on Monday, rejecting “all falsehoods” he said were being said about him.Stepien said, “My belief, my recommendation was to say that votes were still being counted, it’s too early to tell, too early to call the race.”But Trump “thought I was wrong. He told me so.”Barr, who had also testified in last week’s blockbuster hearing, said that Trump was “as mad as I’d ever seen him” when the attorney general later explained that the Justice Department would not take sides in the election.For the past year, the committee has been investigating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-government-and-politics-riots-d690e70ac850d8652b82c0c3e2fba5bf">the most violent attack on the Capitol</a>&nbsp;since the War of 1812, which some believe posed a grave threat to democracy.Monday’s hearing also featured live witnesses, including Chris Stirewalt, a former Fox News Channel political editor who declared on Election Night that Arizona was being won by Biden. Also appearing was the former U.S. attorney in Atlanta,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-election-2020-f256ba4917d47e9728d216b014edfae9">BJay Pak</a>, who abruptly resigned after Trump pressured Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperge to find enough votes overturn his defeat.The panel also heard from elections lawyer Benjamin Ginsberg who discussed the norms of election campaign challenges, and former Philadelphia City Commissioner Al Schmidt, the only Republican on the city’s election board, who told the panel that regardless of how “fantastical” some of the claims that Trump and his team were making, the city officials investigated. He discussed facing threats after Trump criticized him in a tweet.As he mulls another White House run, Trump insists the committee’s investigation is a “witch hunt.” Last week he said Jan. 6 “represented the greatest movement in the history of our country.”Nine people died in the riot and its aftermath, including a Trump supporter shot and killed by Capitol police. More than 800 people&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-conspiracy-crime-c2e427dc0fa16077d7fb98c06e61149f">have been arrested in the siege</a>, and members of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-proud-boys-donald-trump-congress-government-and-politics-a8baa24af07b20ab792f4ef6f4481fac">two extremist groups</a>&nbsp;have been indicted on rare sedition charges over their roles leading the charge into the Capitol.------WASHINGTON (AP) — The House committee investigating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/capitol-siege">the Jan. 6 riot</a>&nbsp;is delving deeper into what it calls “the big lie,” Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-riot-hearing-67ec5f32b1dd050a24c3312570fa6c67">false claims of voter fraud</a>&nbsp;that fueled his relentless effort to overturn the 2020 election and led a mob of his supporters to lay siege to the U.S. Capitol.Click below to watch at 9a.m. CDT<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pr5QUInmGI8?start=205" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-donald-trump-liz-cheney-congress-election-2020-aeae280e0cae536f7c18bb09efea88ce">The 1/6 panel</a>&nbsp;resumes its hearings Monday with live witnesses, that were supposed to included Trump’s campaign manager, Bill Stepien.Early Monday, Stepien pulled out of the appearance before the&nbsp; committee. The panel says Stepien's appearance was canceled due to a family emergency.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bennie-thompson">Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss.,</a>&nbsp;and vice chair&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-capitol-siege-donald-trump-wyoming-presidential-4fd397e5ba68de1924f52c79507eff2f">Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo.,</a>&nbsp;are set to lead the morning hearing after last week’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-donald-trump-impeachments-government-and-politics-ca37532811b317cf67ec076c5f80f9e6">blockbuster session drew nearly 20 million Americans</a>&nbsp;to see its prime-time findings.For the past year, the committee has been investigating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-government-and-politics-riots-d690e70ac850d8652b82c0c3e2fba5bf">the most violent attack on the Capitol</a>&nbsp;since the War of 1812 to ensure such an assault never happens again. Its findings come as Trump is considering another run for the White House, and some warn that his effort to over turn Joe Biden’s election victory posed a grave threat to democracy.In addition to Stepien, the committee is also set to hear testimony from Chris Stirewalt, a former Fox News political editor closely involved in election night coverage who stood by the decision to declare Arizona as being won by Biden. He wrote about his experiences later in an op-ed and might be asked about Trump’s actions as Fox New declared states Biden won.A second group of witnesses testifying Monday will be made up of election officials, investigators and experts who are likely to discuss Trump’s responses to the election, including dozens of failed court challenges, and how his actions diverged from U.S. norms.Among them is the former U.S. attorney in Atlanta,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-election-2020-f256ba4917d47e9728d216b014edfae9">BJay Pak</a>, who abruptly resigned after Trump pressured Georgia state officials to overturn his presidential defeat. Trump wanted to fire Pak as disloyal, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/byung-pak-resigns-us-attorney-georgia-3532643327838ac9b2bebe658d446f56">Pak stepped down</a>&nbsp;after Trump’s call urging Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” enough votes to overturn Biden’s win in the state became public.The panel will also hear from former Philadelphia City Commissioner Al Schmidt, the only Republican on the election board and who faced down criticism as the state’s election was called for Biden; and noted Washington attorney and elections lawyer Benjamin Ginsberg.As he mulls a White House run, Trump is decrying the investigation into his efforts to overturn Biden’s election a “witch hunt.” He said last week that Jan. 6 “represented the greatest movement in the history of our country.”Nine people died in the riot and its aftermath, including a Trump supporter shot and killed by police. More than 800 people&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-conspiracy-crime-c2e427dc0fa16077d7fb98c06e61149f">have been arrested in the siege</a>, and members of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-proud-boys-donald-trump-congress-government-and-politics-a8baa24af07b20ab792f4ef6f4481fac">two extremist groups</a>&nbsp;have been indicted on rare sedition charges over their roles leading the charge into the Capitol.In its prime-time hearing, the committee laid out how Trump was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-riot-hearing-67ec5f32b1dd050a24c3312570fa6c67">told over and over again</a>&nbsp;by his trusted aides and officials at the highest levels of government that there was no election fraud on a scale that could have changed the outcome. But Trump pursued his false claims about the election and beckoned supporters to Washington on Jan. 6 to overturn Biden’s victory as Congress was set to certify the Electoral College results.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-donald-trump-liz-cheney-congress-election-2020-aeae280e0cae536f7c18bb09efea88ce">Additional evidence is set to be released in hearings this week</a>&nbsp;focusing on Trump’s decision to ignore the outcome of the election and the court cases that ruled against him.Monday’s hearing will also turn to the millions of dollars Trump’s team brought in fundraising in the run-up to Jan. 6, according to a committee aide who insisted on anonymity to discuss the details.The committee has said most of those interviewed in the investigation are coming forward voluntarily, although some have wanted subpoenas to appear in public. It is unclear why Stepien was issued a subpoena. A Trump spokesman, Taylor Budowich, suggested that the committee’s decision to call Stepien was politically motivated.Lawmakers indicated that perhaps their most important audience member over the course of the hearings may be Attorney General Merrick Garland, who must decide whether his department can and should prosecute Trump. They left no doubt as to their own view whether the evidence is sufficient to proceed.Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said on CNN he doesn’t intend to “browbeat” Garland but noted the committee has already laid out in legal pleadings criminal statutes they believe Trump violated.“I think that he knows, his staff knows, the U.S. attorneys know, what’s at stake here,” Raskin said.No president or ex-president has ever been indicted. Garland has not specified whether he would be willing to prosecute, which would be complicated in a political election season in which Trump has openly flirted with the idea of running for president again.___

🎥 Replay: Day 2 of House January 6 panel hearings

CALDWELL COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect in connection with a series
of arsons fires near Polo, Missouri including one fire that was fatal.

On Friday evening, deputies arrested 27-year-old Harold Edwards, Jr. of Kansas City on requested charges of three
counts of arson, three counts of burglary, and three counts property damage in
connection with the three house fires set May 10, in rural Polo, according to Caldwell County Sheriff Mitchell Allen.

Edwards is being held without bond in the Caldwell County
jail.

All three fires occurred within a two-hour period on the same
road. Firefighters found the body of 96-year-old Lorene Fickess in the charred
remains of one of the fires. The other two homes were vacant.

Caldwell County officials say additional charges could be
added.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655147573621.png" alt="Edwards photo Caldwell Co. Detention Center" />
 <figcaption>Edwards photo Caldwell Co. Detention Center</figcaption>
 </figure>CALDWELL COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect in connection with a series
of arsons fires near Polo, Missouri including one fire that was fatal.On Friday evening, deputies arrested 27-year-old Harold Edwards, Jr. of Kansas City on requested charges of three
counts of arson, three counts of burglary, and three counts property damage in
connection with the three house fires set May 10, in rural Polo, according to Caldwell County Sheriff Mitchell Allen.Edwards is being held without bond in the Caldwell County
jail.All three fires occurred within a two-hour period on the same
road. Firefighters found the body of 96-year-old Lorene Fickess in the charred
remains of one of the fires. The other two homes were vacant.Caldwell County officials say additional charges could be
added.

Kansas City man held without bond for fatal arson fire

By CASSIE MILLER <a href="https://www.penncapital-star.com/education/a-look-at-student-loan-debt-in-the-u-s-the-numbers-racket/">Pennsylvania Capital-Star</a>

Student loan debt is now the second-highest consumer debt in the United States, second only to mortgages. 

According to the most recent data from the Education Data Initiative, a research organization studying the U.S. education system, Americans owe more than $1.7 trillion in student loan debt.

The average federal student loan debt balance is $37,014 as of May 2022, EDI reports, noting that public university attendees borrow an average of $30,030 to attain a bachelor’s degree.

Nationally, 43 percent of college attendees report that they incurred some type of educational debt. Similarly, 65 percent of college students graduate with student debt. 

EDI reports that between 39 percent and 50 percent of student borrowers have loans from both undergraduate and postgraduate education.

Here’s a breakdown of student debt by education attainment level: 

37 … the percentage of graduate students who borrow from federal student loans.

60 … the percentage of undergraduate certificate recipients who owe an average of $16,940 each in federal loans.

42 .. the percentage of associate’s degree recipients who owe an average of $21,890 each in federal loans.

63 … the percentage of bachelor’s degree holders who owe an average of $31,790 in federal loans.

54 … the percentage of master’s degree holders who owe an average of $70,070 in federal loans.

45 … the percentage of doctoral degree recipients who owe an average of $118,360.

71 … the percentage of professional degree holders who owe an average of $199,540.

EDI Breakdown of Federal Loan Debt

    52.8 percent of federal student loan debt is in Stafford loans.

    18.6 percent of federal debt is in subsidized Stafford loans.

    34.2 percent is in unsubsidized Stafford loans.

    35.5 percent of federal student loan debt is in direct consolidated loans.

    6.4 percent of student loan debt is from Parent PLUS loans, borrowed by parents on behalf of their children.

    5 percent of student loan debt is from Grad PLUS loans going to graduate or professional students.

    0.4 percent of student loan debt is from Perkins loans.

By CASSIE MILLER <a href="https://www.penncapital-star.com/education/a-look-at-student-loan-debt-in-the-u-s-the-numbers-racket/">Pennsylvania Capital-Star</a>Student loan debt is now the second-highest consumer debt in the United States, second only to mortgages. According to the most recent data from the Education Data Initiative, a research organization studying the U.S. education system, Americans owe more than $1.7 trillion in student loan debt.The average federal student loan debt balance is $37,014 as of May 2022, EDI reports, noting that public university attendees borrow an average of $30,030 to attain a bachelor’s degree.Nationally, 43 percent of college attendees report that they incurred some type of educational debt. Similarly, 65 percent of college students graduate with student debt. EDI reports that between 39 percent and 50 percent of student borrowers have loans from both undergraduate and postgraduate education.Here’s a breakdown of student debt by education attainment level: 37 … the percentage of graduate students who borrow from federal student loans. 60 … the percentage of undergraduate certificate recipients who owe an average of $16,940 each in federal loans. 42 .. the percentage of associate’s degree recipients who owe an average of $21,890 each in federal loans. 63 … the percentage of bachelor’s degree holders who owe an average of $31,790 in federal loans. 54 … the percentage of master’s degree holders who owe an average of $70,070 in federal loans. 45 … the percentage of doctoral degree recipients who owe an average of $118,360. 71 … the percentage of professional degree holders who owe an average of $199,540.EDI Breakdown of Federal Loan Debt 52.8 percent of federal student loan debt is in Stafford loans. 18.6 percent of federal debt is in subsidized Stafford loans. 34.2 percent is in unsubsidized Stafford loans. 35.5 percent of federal student loan debt is in direct consolidated loans. 6.4 percent of student loan debt is from Parent PLUS loans, borrowed by parents on behalf of their children. 5 percent of student loan debt is from Grad PLUS loans going to graduate or professional students. 0.4 percent of student loan debt is from Perkins loans.

Numbers racket: A look at student loan debt in the U.S. 

KANSAS CITY (AP) —A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/baptist-religion-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-southern-convention-bfdbe64389790630488f854c3dae3fd5">withering report on sexual abuse</a>&nbsp;and cover-up in the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/indiana-warsaw-religion-5d407c1309e3654a5678a3fa369ba159">viral video</a>&nbsp;in which a woman confronts her pastor at an independent Christian church for sexually preying on her when she was a teen.

A TV documentary exposing sex abuse of children in Amish and Mennonite communities.

Survivors of sexual assault in church settings and their advocates have been calling on churches for years to admit the extent of abuse in their midst and to implement reforms. In 2017 that movement acquired the hashtag&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sexual-misconduct-ap-top-news-us-news-north-america-metoo-b768d035ed8443ad97d193a5c36e240c">#ChurchToo</a>, derived from the wider #MeToo movement, which called out sexual predators in many sectors of society.

In recent weeks #ChurchToo has seen an especially intense set of revelations across denominations and ministries, reaching vast audiences in headlines and on screen with a message that activists have long struggled to get across.

“For us it’s just confirmation of what we’ve been saying all these years,” said Jimmy Hinton, an advocate for abuse survivors and a Church of Christ minister in Somerset, Pennsylvania. “There is an absolute epidemic of abuse in the church, in religious spaces.”

Calls for reform will be prominent this week in Anaheim, California, when the Southern Baptist Convention holds its annual meeting following an outside report that concluded its leaders mishandled abuse cases and stonewalled victims.

The May 22 report came out the same day an independent church in Indiana was facing its own reckoning.

Moments after its pastor, John B. Lowe II,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/warsaw-indiana-922d63cd92d092117b5cd5f60f7e73af">confessed</a>&nbsp;to years of “adultery,” longtime member Bobi Gephart took the microphone to tell the rest of the story: She was just 16 when it started, she said.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/maisey.cook.9/videos/325339683012147/" target="_blank">video of the confrontation</a>&nbsp;has drawn nearly 1 million views on Facebook. Lowe subsequently resigned from New Life Christian Church &amp; World Outreach in Warsaw.

In an interview, Gephart said she’s not surprised that so many cases are now coming out. She has received words of encouragement from all over the world, with people sharing their own “heartbreaking” stories of abuse.

“Things are shaking loose,” Gephart said. “I really feel like God is trying to make things right.”

For many churches, she said, “It’s all about covering up, ‘Let’s keep the show going.’ There are hurting people, and that’s not right. I still don’t think a lot of the church gets it.”

Hinton — who turned in his own father, a former minister now imprisoned for aggravated indecent assault — said the viral video demonstrates the potency of survivors telling their own stories.

“Survivors have far more power than they ever think imaginable,” he said on his “Speaking Out on Sex Abuse” podcast.

#ChurchToo revelations have emerged in all kinds of church groups, including liberal denominations that preach gender equality and depict clergy sexual misconduct as an abuse of power. The Episcopal Church aired stories from survivors at its 2018 General Convention, and an archbishop in the Anglican Church of Canada resigned in April amid allegations of sexual misconduct.

But many recent reckonings are occurring in conservative Protestant settings where a “purity culture” has been prominent in recent decades — emphasizing male authority and female modesty and discouraging dating in favor of traditional courtship leading to marriage.

On May 25 reality TV personality Josh Duggar was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-entertainment-arkansas-music-f00cacdbe17801f838ba6234c04a2fc7">sentenced in Arkansas to more than 12 years in prison</a>&nbsp;for receiving child pornography. Duggar was a former lobbyist for a conservative Christian organization and appeared on TLC’s since-canceled “19 Kids and Counting,” featuring a homeschooling family that stressed chastity and traditional courtship. Prosecutors said Duggar had a “deep-seated, pervasive and violent sexual interest in children.”

On May 26 the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2022/05/26/kanakuk-kamps-abuse-unreported-decades-victims-say-missouri-pete-newman/9803409002/" target="_blank">Springfield (Missouri) News-Leader</a>&nbsp;reported on a spate of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/branson-lawsuits-michael-brown-sexual-abuse-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-312fe4d360d5de77412eee9b35f92427">sex abuse cases</a>&nbsp;involving workers at Kanakuk Kamps, a large evangelical camp ministry.

Emily Joy Allison, whose abuse story&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/emilyjoypoetry/status/1065027221654511616?lang=en" target="_blank">launched the #ChurchToo movement</a>, said the sexual ethic preached in many conservative churches — and the shame and silence it breeds — are part of the problem. She argues that in her book, “#ChurchToo: How Purity Culture Upholds Abuse and How to Find Healing.”

Allison told The Associated Press that addressing abuse requires both a change in church policy and theology. But she knows the latter is unlikely in the SBC.

“They need to undergo a transformation so radical they would be unrecognizable at the end. And that will not happen,” Allison said. Reform work focused on “harm reduction” is a more realistic approach, she said.

Some advocates hope the front-burner focus on abuse could lead to lasting reforms — if not in churches, then in the law.

Misty Griffin, an advocate for fellow survivors of sexual assault in Amish communities, recently launched a petition drive seeking a congressional “Child’s Rights Act.” As of early June, it had drawn more than 5,000 signatures.

It would require that all teachers, including those in religious schools and homeschool settings, be trained about child abuse and neglect and subject to reporting mandates, and would also require age-appropriate instruction on abuse prevention for students. Griffin said such legislation is crucial because in authoritarian religious systems, victims often don’t know help is available or how to get it.

“Without that, nothing’s going to change,” said Griffin, a consulting producer on the documentary “Sins of the Amish.”

The two-episode&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQVglFZ-HZ0" target="_blank">documentary</a>, which premiered on Peacock TV in May, examines endemic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-pennsylvania-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-assault-lancaster-0e97364f986c9b9fffaed44520fc2b1f">abuse in Amish and Mennonite communities</a>, saying it is enabled by a patriarchal authority structure, an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-religion-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-mennonite-3000fa23351b4d28b1e49c439d0063e9">emphasis on forgiving offenders</a>&nbsp;and reluctance to report wrongdoing to law enforcement.

The Southern Baptist Convention, whose doctrine also calls for male leadership in churches and families, has been particularly shaken by the #ChurchToo movement after years of complaints that leadership has failed to care for survivors and hold their abusers accountable.

At its annual meeting, the SBC will consider proposals to create a task force that would oversee a listing of clergy credibly accused of abuse. But survivors criticized that proposal and are calling for a more powerful and independent commission to perform that task and also review allegations of abuse and cover-up. They’re also seeking a “survivor restoration fund” and memorial dedicated to survivors.

Momentum for change grew as survivors such as Jules Woodson, who went public in 2018 with a sexual assault accusation against her former youth pastor, were emboldened to tell their stories.

“I felt like, ‘Thank God there’s a space where we can tell these stories,’” Woodson said.

Such accounts led to the independent investigation, whose 288-page report detailed how the SBC’s Executive Committee prioritized protecting the institution over victims’ well-being and preventing abuse.

The committee has apologized and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-baptist-southern-convention-ade6d177368e6b7bc0981a6097a3bdc6">made public a long-secret list of ministers</a>&nbsp;accused of abuse.

Woodson said seeing her abuser’s name on it felt like a double-edged sword.

“It was in some ways validating that my abuser was on there, but it was also devastating to see that they knew and yet nobody in the SBC spoke up to warn others,” she said.

Woodson added that she is still waiting for meaningful change: “They have offered minimal words acknowledging the problem, but they have offered zero reform and true action which would show genuine repentance or care and concern for survivors or the vulnerable people who have yet to be abused.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655069123674.png" alt="Calls for reform will be prominent this week in Anaheim, California, when the Southern Baptist Convention holds its annual meeting following an outside report that concluded its leaders mishandled abuse cases and stonewalled victims.-google image" />
 <figcaption>Calls for reform will be prominent this week in Anaheim, California, when the Southern Baptist Convention holds its annual meeting following an outside report that concluded its leaders mishandled abuse cases and stonewalled victims.-google image</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/baptist-religion-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-southern-convention-bfdbe64389790630488f854c3dae3fd5">withering report on sexual abuse</a>&nbsp;and cover-up in the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S.A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/indiana-warsaw-religion-5d407c1309e3654a5678a3fa369ba159">viral video</a>&nbsp;in which a woman confronts her pastor at an independent Christian church for sexually preying on her when she was a teen.A TV documentary exposing sex abuse of children in Amish and Mennonite communities.You might call it #ChurchToo 2.0.Survivors of sexual assault in church settings and their advocates have been calling on churches for years to admit the extent of abuse in their midst and to implement reforms. In 2017 that movement acquired the hashtag&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sexual-misconduct-ap-top-news-us-news-north-america-metoo-b768d035ed8443ad97d193a5c36e240c">#ChurchToo</a>, derived from the wider #MeToo movement, which called out sexual predators in many sectors of society.In recent weeks #ChurchToo has seen an especially intense set of revelations across denominations and ministries, reaching vast audiences in headlines and on screen with a message that activists have long struggled to get across.“For us it’s just confirmation of what we’ve been saying all these years,” said Jimmy Hinton, an advocate for abuse survivors and a Church of Christ minister in Somerset, Pennsylvania. “There is an absolute epidemic of abuse in the church, in religious spaces.”Calls for reform will be prominent this week in Anaheim, California, when the Southern Baptist Convention holds its annual meeting following an outside report that concluded its leaders mishandled abuse cases and stonewalled victims.The May 22 report came out the same day an independent church in Indiana was facing its own reckoning.Moments after its pastor, John B. Lowe II,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/warsaw-indiana-922d63cd92d092117b5cd5f60f7e73af">confessed</a>&nbsp;to years of “adultery,” longtime member Bobi Gephart took the microphone to tell the rest of the story: She was just 16 when it started, she said.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/maisey.cook.9/videos/325339683012147/" target="_blank">video of the confrontation</a>&nbsp;has drawn nearly 1 million views on Facebook. Lowe subsequently resigned from New Life Christian Church &amp; World Outreach in Warsaw.In an interview, Gephart said she’s not surprised that so many cases are now coming out. She has received words of encouragement from all over the world, with people sharing their own “heartbreaking” stories of abuse.“Things are shaking loose,” Gephart said. “I really feel like God is trying to make things right.”For many churches, she said, “It’s all about covering up, ‘Let’s keep the show going.’ There are hurting people, and that’s not right. I still don’t think a lot of the church gets it.”Hinton — who turned in his own father, a former minister now imprisoned for aggravated indecent assault — said the viral video demonstrates the potency of survivors telling their own stories.“Survivors have far more power than they ever think imaginable,” he said on his “Speaking Out on Sex Abuse” podcast.#ChurchToo revelations have emerged in all kinds of church groups, including liberal denominations that preach gender equality and depict clergy sexual misconduct as an abuse of power. The Episcopal Church aired stories from survivors at its 2018 General Convention, and an archbishop in the Anglican Church of Canada resigned in April amid allegations of sexual misconduct.But many recent reckonings are occurring in conservative Protestant settings where a “purity culture” has been prominent in recent decades — emphasizing male authority and female modesty and discouraging dating in favor of traditional courtship leading to marriage.On May 25 reality TV personality Josh Duggar was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-entertainment-arkansas-music-f00cacdbe17801f838ba6234c04a2fc7">sentenced in Arkansas to more than 12 years in prison</a>&nbsp;for receiving child pornography. Duggar was a former lobbyist for a conservative Christian organization and appeared on TLC’s since-canceled “19 Kids and Counting,” featuring a homeschooling family that stressed chastity and traditional courtship. Prosecutors said Duggar had a “deep-seated, pervasive and violent sexual interest in children.”On May 26 the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2022/05/26/kanakuk-kamps-abuse-unreported-decades-victims-say-missouri-pete-newman/9803409002/" target="_blank">Springfield (Missouri) News-Leader</a>&nbsp;reported on a spate of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/branson-lawsuits-michael-brown-sexual-abuse-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-312fe4d360d5de77412eee9b35f92427">sex abuse cases</a>&nbsp;involving workers at Kanakuk Kamps, a large evangelical camp ministry.Emily Joy Allison, whose abuse story&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/emilyjoypoetry/status/1065027221654511616?lang=en" target="_blank">launched the #ChurchToo movement</a>, said the sexual ethic preached in many conservative churches — and the shame and silence it breeds — are part of the problem. She argues that in her book, “#ChurchToo: How Purity Culture Upholds Abuse and How to Find Healing.”Allison told The Associated Press that addressing abuse requires both a change in church policy and theology. But she knows the latter is unlikely in the SBC.“They need to undergo a transformation so radical they would be unrecognizable at the end. And that will not happen,” Allison said. Reform work focused on “harm reduction” is a more realistic approach, she said.Some advocates hope the front-burner focus on abuse could lead to lasting reforms — if not in churches, then in the law.Misty Griffin, an advocate for fellow survivors of sexual assault in Amish communities, recently launched a petition drive seeking a congressional “Child’s Rights Act.” As of early June, it had drawn more than 5,000 signatures.It would require that all teachers, including those in religious schools and homeschool settings, be trained about child abuse and neglect and subject to reporting mandates, and would also require age-appropriate instruction on abuse prevention for students. Griffin said such legislation is crucial because in authoritarian religious systems, victims often don’t know help is available or how to get it.“Without that, nothing’s going to change,” said Griffin, a consulting producer on the documentary “Sins of the Amish.”The two-episode&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQVglFZ-HZ0" target="_blank">documentary</a>, which premiered on Peacock TV in May, examines endemic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-pennsylvania-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-assault-lancaster-0e97364f986c9b9fffaed44520fc2b1f">abuse in Amish and Mennonite communities</a>, saying it is enabled by a patriarchal authority structure, an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-religion-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-mennonite-3000fa23351b4d28b1e49c439d0063e9">emphasis on forgiving offenders</a>&nbsp;and reluctance to report wrongdoing to law enforcement.The Southern Baptist Convention, whose doctrine also calls for male leadership in churches and families, has been particularly shaken by the #ChurchToo movement after years of complaints that leadership has failed to care for survivors and hold their abusers accountable.At its annual meeting, the SBC will consider proposals to create a task force that would oversee a listing of clergy credibly accused of abuse. But survivors criticized that proposal and are calling for a more powerful and independent commission to perform that task and also review allegations of abuse and cover-up. They’re also seeking a “survivor restoration fund” and memorial dedicated to survivors.Momentum for change grew as survivors such as Jules Woodson, who went public in 2018 with a sexual assault accusation against her former youth pastor, were emboldened to tell their stories.“I felt like, ‘Thank God there’s a space where we can tell these stories,’” Woodson said.Such accounts led to the independent investigation, whose 288-page report detailed how the SBC’s Executive Committee prioritized protecting the institution over victims’ well-being and preventing abuse.The committee has apologized and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-baptist-southern-convention-ade6d177368e6b7bc0981a6097a3bdc6">made public a long-secret list of ministers</a>&nbsp;accused of abuse.Woodson said seeing her abuser’s name on it felt like a double-edged sword.“It was in some ways validating that my abuser was on there, but it was also devastating to see that they knew and yet nobody in the SBC spoke up to warn others,” she said.Woodson added that she is still waiting for meaningful change: “They have offered minimal words acknowledging the problem, but they have offered zero reform and true action which would show genuine repentance or care and concern for survivors or the vulnerable people who have yet to be abused.”___

#ChurchToo revelations growing, years after movement began

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The death of a Black teenager at a Kansas juvenile detention center was foreshadowed five years earlier by a state inspection of the facility that noted systemic deficiencies in its handling of children with mental health issues, according to a federal civil rights lawsuit filed Monday.

Cedric Lofton’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cj-lofton-mental-health-crisis-48a306275d2cbe19da6539e0a4eb6563">foster father called authorities</a>&nbsp;in September 2021 seeking help because the 17-year-old was hallucinating and needed to go to a mental health facility. Instead, police&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-kansas-wichita-4a5aacdb2d18f75894034eef86ebd90a">forcibly took him</a>&nbsp;to the Sedgwick County Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center, where he had to be resuscitated after he was held facedown for more than 30 minutes during an altercation. He died two days later.

His brother, Marquan Teetz, acting as representative of Lofton’s estate, sued Sedgwick County, five detention center employees, the City of Wichita, and the unidentified police officers. According to the complaint, he seeks to “illuminate the truth and obtain some measure of justice for Cedric’s death.”

“Cedric would be alive today if Sedgwick County executives and the Wichita police department followed the clear recommendations of the report issued by the Kansas Department of Corrections in March of 2016,” said Andrew M. Stroth, the lead attorney representing the family.

Sedgwick County’s Corrections Director Glenda Martens has described what happened as “tragic” but said that the corrections workers followed policy in restraining the teen. Wichita police have said they’ve been looking into the actions officers took when booking the teen.

No one has been criminally charged in the death. In January, Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said the state’s “stand-your-ground” law&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wichita-kansas-a51f619b8b196987e74b046ac399680c">prevents him from bringing any charges</a>&nbsp;in Lofton’s death because staff members were protecting themselves.

The civil lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages in an amount to be determined by a jury. A news conference was planned for Monday at the Sedgwick County Courthouse to announce the filing. Teetz and community activists were expected to speak at the event.

The lawsuit contends that Lofton’s death was “presaged” by that KDOC inspection. The inspection report, a copy of which The Associated Press reviewed, noted systemic deficiencies at the juvenile facility, including its inability to handle children with mental health issues, its need for training on de-escalation techniques and management of risk.

The scathing inspection also cited the facility’s need for assistance in dealing with a Wichita Police Department “who too often dropped juveniles at JIAC’s door as a form of punishment while refusing any obligation to transport such juveniles for mental health treatment,” according to the court filing.

“Everything that happened in that report lines up precisely with what happened to Cedric,” Stroth said.

The lawsuit alleges that when confronted by questioning during intake at the facility about whether Lofton required medical treatment, Wichita&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-kansas-wichita-4a5aacdb2d18f75894034eef86ebd90a">police intentionally falsified</a>&nbsp;their response on a form and swore that he needed no such treatment. An intake official witnessed the police officer change his response on the form when the officer learned that would trigger an obligation to transport the teen for treatment.

“In other words, the officer prioritized his own convenience at the expense of this child’s welfare,” the lawsuit alleges. “And JIAC officials knowingly permitted it.”

The lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for Kansas accuses each of the five detention center employees of using excessive force, failing to intervene in other officer’s use of deadly force and being deliberately indifferent to Lofton’s serious medical needs.

The lawsuit also alleges excessive force by Sedgwick County, contending its policies, practices and customs allow such force against juveniles. It also accuses the county of failure to train employees on the proper use of force, de-escalation techniques and the management of juveniles with mental health issues.

The complaint further contends Wichita police officers were deliberately indifferent to Lofton’s medical needs and accuses the city of indifference in failing to train officers on dealing with juveniles and others in the throes of a mental health crisis.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642880340757.png" alt="Cedric Lofton as seen in a video released Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Cedric Lofton as seen in a video released Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The death of a Black teenager at a Kansas juvenile detention center was foreshadowed five years earlier by a state inspection of the facility that noted systemic deficiencies in its handling of children with mental health issues, according to a federal civil rights lawsuit filed Monday.Cedric Lofton’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cj-lofton-mental-health-crisis-48a306275d2cbe19da6539e0a4eb6563">foster father called authorities</a>&nbsp;in September 2021 seeking help because the 17-year-old was hallucinating and needed to go to a mental health facility. Instead, police&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-kansas-wichita-4a5aacdb2d18f75894034eef86ebd90a">forcibly took him</a>&nbsp;to the Sedgwick County Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center, where he had to be resuscitated after he was held facedown for more than 30 minutes during an altercation. He died two days later.His brother, Marquan Teetz, acting as representative of Lofton’s estate, sued Sedgwick County, five detention center employees, the City of Wichita, and the unidentified police officers. According to the complaint, he seeks to “illuminate the truth and obtain some measure of justice for Cedric’s death.”“Cedric would be alive today if Sedgwick County executives and the Wichita police department followed the clear recommendations of the report issued by the Kansas Department of Corrections in March of 2016,” said Andrew M. Stroth, the lead attorney representing the family.Sedgwick County’s Corrections Director Glenda Martens has described what happened as “tragic” but said that the corrections workers followed policy in restraining the teen. Wichita police have said they’ve been looking into the actions officers took when booking the teen.No one has been criminally charged in the death. In January, Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said the state’s “stand-your-ground” law&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wichita-kansas-a51f619b8b196987e74b046ac399680c">prevents him from bringing any charges</a>&nbsp;in Lofton’s death because staff members were protecting themselves.The civil lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages in an amount to be determined by a jury. A news conference was planned for Monday at the Sedgwick County Courthouse to announce the filing. Teetz and community activists were expected to speak at the event.The lawsuit contends that Lofton’s death was “presaged” by that KDOC inspection. The inspection report, a copy of which The Associated Press reviewed, noted systemic deficiencies at the juvenile facility, including its inability to handle children with mental health issues, its need for training on de-escalation techniques and management of risk.The scathing inspection also cited the facility’s need for assistance in dealing with a Wichita Police Department “who too often dropped juveniles at JIAC’s door as a form of punishment while refusing any obligation to transport such juveniles for mental health treatment,” according to the court filing.“Everything that happened in that report lines up precisely with what happened to Cedric,” Stroth said.The lawsuit alleges that when confronted by questioning during intake at the facility about whether Lofton required medical treatment, Wichita&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-kansas-wichita-4a5aacdb2d18f75894034eef86ebd90a">police intentionally falsified</a>&nbsp;their response on a form and swore that he needed no such treatment. An intake official witnessed the police officer change his response on the form when the officer learned that would trigger an obligation to transport the teen for treatment.“In other words, the officer prioritized his own convenience at the expense of this child’s welfare,” the lawsuit alleges. “And JIAC officials knowingly permitted it.”The lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for Kansas accuses each of the five detention center employees of using excessive force, failing to intervene in other officer’s use of deadly force and being deliberately indifferent to Lofton’s serious medical needs.The lawsuit also alleges excessive force by Sedgwick County, contending its policies, practices and customs allow such force against juveniles. It also accuses the county of failure to train employees on the proper use of force, de-escalation techniques and the management of juveniles with mental health issues.The complaint further contends Wichita police officers were deliberately indifferent to Lofton’s medical needs and accuses the city of indifference in failing to train officers on dealing with juveniles and others in the throes of a mental health crisis.