OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — The most populous county in&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;is requiring its employees to submit to weekly COVID-19 testing if they aren't vaccinated.

“With the sharp increase of the delta variant, we want employees to be safe,” Johnson County Manager Penny Postoak Ferguson said in a statement. “Vaccination is one of the best tools we have to help prevent serious illness or passing the virus on to our colleagues or the people we serve.”

The fast-spreading delta variant has sent cases soaring, leading to outbreaks in day cares, businesses and elsewhere.

Postoak Ferguson said that only 46% of county employees had reported being fully vaccinated as of Wednesday. Countywide, nearly 58% of eligible residents are fully vaccinated. But health officials also have emphasized that lower vaccinations elsewhere in the metro continue to cause concern, as residents regularly commute to and from Johnson County.

Beginning Aug. 23, government employees who are not fully vaccinated must get tested once a week. Employees who work in departments providing direct care to residents are subject to tests up to twice weekly.

Similar requirements already have taken effect in school districts, businesses and cities elsewhere.

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — The most populous county in&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;is requiring its employees to submit to weekly COVID-19 testing if they aren't vaccinated.“With the sharp increase of the delta variant, we want employees to be safe,” Johnson County Manager Penny Postoak Ferguson said in a statement. “Vaccination is one of the best tools we have to help prevent serious illness or passing the virus on to our colleagues or the people we serve.”The fast-spreading delta variant has sent cases soaring, leading to outbreaks in day cares, businesses and elsewhere.Postoak Ferguson said that only 46% of county employees had reported being fully vaccinated as of Wednesday. Countywide, nearly 58% of eligible residents are fully vaccinated. But health officials also have emphasized that lower vaccinations elsewhere in the metro continue to cause concern, as residents regularly commute to and from Johnson County.Beginning Aug. 23, government employees who are not fully vaccinated must get tested once a week. Employees who work in departments providing direct care to residents are subject to tests up to twice weekly.Similar requirements already have taken effect in school districts, businesses and cities elsewhere.

Kan. most populous county: Get vaccinated or take weekly tests

A federal judge has issued a permanent injunction on behalf of religious health care providers who feared the Biden administration would interpret the Affordable Care Act/Obamacare as requiring them to perform abortions or gender-transition treatment against their conscience.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services had argued that it doesn’t require religious providers to offer such procedures and has never brought or threatened any enforcement activity against a religious entity in such a case.

But U.S. District Court Judge Reed O’Connor interpreted HHS regulations as forcing the plaintiffs — a Catholic hospital system in the Midwest and a Christian medical association — to choose between their beliefs and their livelihood, resulting in “irreparable injury.”

The decision underscores a continued dispute between conservative religious health care providers and HHS over an issue that has generated a patchwork of rulings that will likely have to be sorted out by appellate courts.

O’Connor, whose court is in the Northern District of Texas, issued the injunction based on his earlier ruling that found HHS in violation of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which requires deference to religion barring a “compelling government interest.”

The injunction benefits only the plaintiffs — Franciscan Alliance, a Catholic hospital network in Indiana and Illinois, and the Christian Medical &amp; Dental Associations and their 19,000 members nationwide — though O’Connor voided the disputed portions of the law in the earlier ruling.

Another federal judge issued a similar decision in favor of a Catholic health system in North Dakota in January. The Biden administration is appealing it.

The plaintiffs in the Texas court sued in 2016 over Affordable Care Act-related rules issued by HHS that year under the Obama administration. Those rules — applying to most medical providers by virtue of their participating in federally funded programs — barred discrimination based on factors including sex, interpreted as including gender identity, and pregnancy status, such as “termination of pregnancy.”

An HHS analysis at the time said health care institutions that, for example, perform hysterectomies for medical purposes would need to provide them to transgender men, though the rules said separately that federal protections for religious freedom and conscience would supersede any requirements. The analysis also noted that the ACA and other federal laws protected medical providers from having to provide abortions.

O’Connor in 2019 voided the parts of the rules barring discrimination based on gender identity and termination of pregnancy.

The Trump administration strengthened religious exemptions in 2020 and eliminated protections for gender identity — although other federal courts temporarily blocked that change. It was also soon followed by a Supreme Court ruling that interpreted the federal ban on sex discrimination as also prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity.

This May, HHS said it would interpret its rules according to that Supreme Court ruling but would also abide by previous court rulings such as that of O’Connor. The judge, in ordering the permanent injunction this week, said that was a contradiction.

Attorney Luke Goodrich, who represented the plaintiffs on behalf of Becket, a legal organization focused on religious liberty, applauded the decision.

“Everyone is better off when these doctors and hospitals can continue to provide top-notch medical care” without violating their consciences, he said.

But Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, senior attorney and health care strategist at Lambda Legal, which focuses on LGBTQ rights, said “the court and the plaintiffs were fabricating a controversy” when there “has been no threat of enforcement against the plaintiffs.”

He noted there are conflicting federal court decisions on defining sex discrimination in the ACA rules, and “at some point and time there will be a consensus among the courts or the Supreme Court may have to intervene.”

Lindsey Kaley, staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union’s Center for Liberty, said the ruling limits federal enforcement but “does not change the fact that transgender people who have been turned away from health care can continue to pursue litigation.” The ACLU’s Texas branch intervened on behalf of HHS.

“Gender-affirming care is life-saving care, and doctors agree that it is medically necessary for many transgender people,” Kaley said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611181661423.jpg" alt="The decision underscores a continued dispute between conservative religious health care providers and HHS over an issue that has generated a patchwork of rulings that will likely have to be sorted out by appellate courts." />
 <figcaption>The decision underscores a continued dispute between conservative religious health care providers and HHS over an issue that has generated a patchwork of rulings that will likely have to be sorted out by appellate courts.</figcaption>
 </figure>By PETER SMITH, Associated Press A federal judge has issued a permanent injunction on behalf of religious health care providers who feared the Biden administration would interpret the Affordable Care Act/Obamacare as requiring them to perform abortions or gender-transition treatment against their conscience.The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services had argued that it doesn’t require religious providers to offer such procedures and has never brought or threatened any enforcement activity against a religious entity in such a case.But U.S. District Court Judge Reed O’Connor interpreted HHS regulations as forcing the plaintiffs — a Catholic hospital system in the Midwest and a Christian medical association — to choose between their beliefs and their livelihood, resulting in “irreparable injury.”The decision underscores a continued dispute between conservative religious health care providers and HHS over an issue that has generated a patchwork of rulings that will likely have to be sorted out by appellate courts.O’Connor, whose court is in the Northern District of Texas, issued the injunction based on his earlier ruling that found HHS in violation of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which requires deference to religion barring a “compelling government interest.”The injunction benefits only the plaintiffs — Franciscan Alliance, a Catholic hospital network in Indiana and Illinois, and the Christian Medical &amp; Dental Associations and their 19,000 members nationwide — though O’Connor voided the disputed portions of the law in the earlier ruling.Another federal judge issued a similar decision in favor of a Catholic health system in North Dakota in January. The Biden administration is appealing it.The plaintiffs in the Texas court sued in 2016 over Affordable Care Act-related rules issued by HHS that year under the Obama administration. Those rules — applying to most medical providers by virtue of their participating in federally funded programs — barred discrimination based on factors including sex, interpreted as including gender identity, and pregnancy status, such as “termination of pregnancy.”An HHS analysis at the time said health care institutions that, for example, perform hysterectomies for medical purposes would need to provide them to transgender men, though the rules said separately that federal protections for religious freedom and conscience would supersede any requirements. The analysis also noted that the ACA and other federal laws protected medical providers from having to provide abortions.O’Connor in 2019 voided the parts of the rules barring discrimination based on gender identity and termination of pregnancy.ADVERTISEMENTThe Trump administration strengthened religious exemptions in 2020 and eliminated protections for gender identity — although other federal courts temporarily blocked that change. It was also soon followed by a Supreme Court ruling that interpreted the federal ban on sex discrimination as also prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity.This May, HHS said it would interpret its rules according to that Supreme Court ruling but would also abide by previous court rulings such as that of O’Connor. The judge, in ordering the permanent injunction this week, said that was a contradiction.Attorney Luke Goodrich, who represented the plaintiffs on behalf of Becket, a legal organization focused on religious liberty, applauded the decision.“Everyone is better off when these doctors and hospitals can continue to provide top-notch medical care” without violating their consciences, he said.But Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, senior attorney and health care strategist at Lambda Legal, which focuses on LGBTQ rights, said “the court and the plaintiffs were fabricating a controversy” when there “has been no threat of enforcement against the plaintiffs.”He noted there are conflicting federal court decisions on defining sex discrimination in the ACA rules, and “at some point and time there will be a consensus among the courts or the Supreme Court may have to intervene.”Lindsey Kaley, staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union’s Center for Liberty, said the ruling limits federal enforcement but “does not change the fact that transgender people who have been turned away from health care can continue to pursue litigation.” The ACLU’s Texas branch intervened on behalf of HHS.“Gender-affirming care is life-saving care, and doctors agree that it is medically necessary for many transgender people,” Kaley said.___

Religious health providers win injunction on Obamacare rules

DONIPHAN COUNTY—A Kansas man died in an accident just before 3p.m. Saturday in Doniphan County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 750 Brute Force ATV driven by Eli Whitaker, 26, Atchison, and a 2020 Honda Talon UTV driven by Jarret Scholz, 21, Atchison, were traveling southeast on Kansas 7 Highway crossing the Wolf River Bridge three miles east of Highland.

&nbsp;The Honda UTV slowed for traffic. The Brute Force ATV did not slow. The driver swerved to avoid a collision. The Brute Force ATV clipped the rear of the Honda UTV and overturned into the path of a northwest bound 2005 Mercury Sable driven by Donna Caples, 72, St. Joseph. The car struck the ATV.&nbsp;

Whitaker was pronounce dead at the scene and was transported to Harmon-Rohde Funeral Home.

Scholz, a passenger on the Honda, Caples and two passengers in the Mercury were not injured. Whitaker, Scholz&nbsp; and the passenger on the Honda were not wearing helmets, according to the KHP.&nbsp; The driver and occupants of the Mercury were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

DONIPHAN COUNTY—A Kansas man died in an accident just before 3p.m. Saturday in Doniphan County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 750 Brute Force ATV driven by Eli Whitaker, 26, Atchison, and a 2020 Honda Talon UTV driven by Jarret Scholz, 21, Atchison, were traveling southeast on Kansas 7 Highway crossing the Wolf River Bridge three miles east of Highland.&nbsp;The Honda UTV slowed for traffic. The Brute Force ATV did not slow. The driver swerved to avoid a collision. The Brute Force ATV clipped the rear of the Honda UTV and overturned into the path of a northwest bound 2005 Mercury Sable driven by Donna Caples, 72, St. Joseph. The car struck the ATV.&nbsp;Whitaker was pronounce dead at the scene and was transported to Harmon-Rohde Funeral Home.Scholz, a passenger on the Honda, Caples and two passengers in the Mercury were not injured. Whitaker, Scholz&nbsp; and the passenger on the Honda were not wearing helmets, according to the KHP.&nbsp; The driver and occupants of the Mercury were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

Kansas man dies after car strikes ATV

JACKSON COUNTY—A small plane made an emergency landing&nbsp; Saturday on a highway in Jackson County.

Just after 8p.m., the sheriff's office received a report of a 1991 Bonanza V35 landing&nbsp;near 142nd Road and U.S Highway 75, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

The plane was traveling from Topeka to Omaha, lost its engine and was forced to make an emergency landing. 

The aircraft was able to land without incident, nearly striking an overhead power line, according to Morse.

 All four occupants were uninjured, according to Morse. Traffic was reduced to one northbound lane during the incident except for a short time when both lanes were closed so the plane could be removed from the highway.&nbsp; By 9:35p.m., all northbound lanes were back open, according to Morse.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628996436142.png" alt="The aircraft was able to land without incident, nearly striking an overhead power line-photos courtesy Sheriff Tim Morse" />
 <figcaption>The aircraft was able to land without incident, nearly striking an overhead power line-photos courtesy Sheriff Tim Morse</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY—A small plane made an emergency landing&nbsp; Saturday on a highway in Jackson County.Just after 8p.m., the sheriff's office received a report of a 1991 Bonanza V35 landing&nbsp;near 142nd Road and U.S Highway 75, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.The plane was traveling from Topeka to Omaha, lost its engine and was forced to make an emergency landing. The aircraft was able to land without incident, nearly striking an overhead power line, according to Morse.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628996412850.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure> All four occupants were uninjured, according to Morse. Traffic was reduced to one northbound lane during the incident except for a short time when both lanes were closed so the plane could be removed from the highway.&nbsp; By 9:35p.m., all northbound lanes were back open, according to Morse.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Small plane makes emergency landing on Kan. highway

SEDGWICK COUNTY — A Kansas man accused in the drowning death of his 2-year-old son was scheduled arraignment this week, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney.

However, 44-year-old William Kabutu of Wichita applied for a new attorney and that delayed the arraignment again, according to the district attorney's office..

In July of 2020, prosecutors charged 44-year-old William Kabutu of Wichita with first-degree felony murder or in the alternative, 2nd&nbsp;degree felony murder. He is also charged with two counts of aggravated endangering a child. 

Just after 10 p.m., July 8, 2020 police responded to a neighborhood pool in the 1900 block of E. 54th Street South for a drowning call, according to officer Paul Cruz. 

Upon arrival, officers contacted the calling-party, who reported observing a boy floating in the neighborhood pool. Wichita Fire Department (WFD) personnel pulled the child from the pool and attempted life-saving measures. However, the child was pronounced dead at the scene.

Through a thorough investigation of evidence and interviewing multiple individuals, the investigation revealed the boy and his 4-year-old brother were taken to the pool by their father William Kabutu who was intoxicated, according to officer Charley Davidson.

At the pool, Kabutu allowed the kids to by-pass the pool fence. &nbsp;The 2-year-old entered the pool, was not able to stay above the water, and drowned.&nbsp; 

Kabutu was not able to access the pool due to the fence and locked gate.&nbsp; Emergency personnel were called after a passerby arrived and called 911.&nbsp;

His arraignment is scheduled for September 9, according to the district attorney.

Cases can be charged alternatively if there are two or more theories of how the crime was committed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594423107291.png" alt="Kabutu photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Kabutu photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — A Kansas man accused in the drowning death of his 2-year-old son was scheduled arraignment this week, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney.However, 44-year-old William Kabutu of Wichita applied for a new attorney and that delayed the arraignment again, according to the district attorney's office..In July of 2020, prosecutors charged 44-year-old William Kabutu of Wichita with first-degree felony murder or in the alternative, 2nd&nbsp;degree felony murder. He is also charged with two counts of aggravated endangering a child. Just after 10 p.m., July 8, 2020 police responded to a neighborhood pool in the 1900 block of E. 54th Street South for a drowning call, according to officer Paul Cruz. Upon arrival, officers contacted the calling-party, who reported observing a boy floating in the neighborhood pool. Wichita Fire Department (WFD) personnel pulled the child from the pool and attempted life-saving measures. However, the child was pronounced dead at the scene.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594241055278.png" alt="First responders on the scene of the drowning in July of 2020 -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene of the drowning in July of 2020 -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Through a thorough investigation of evidence and interviewing multiple individuals, the investigation revealed the boy and his 4-year-old brother were taken to the pool by their father William Kabutu who was intoxicated, according to officer Charley Davidson.At the pool, Kabutu allowed the kids to by-pass the pool fence. &nbsp;The 2-year-old entered the pool, was not able to stay above the water, and drowned.&nbsp; Kabutu was not able to access the pool due to the fence and locked gate.&nbsp; Emergency personnel were called after a passerby arrived and called 911.&nbsp;His arraignment is scheduled for September 9, according to the district attorney.Cases can be charged alternatively if there are two or more theories of how the crime was committed.--------

Kan. man charged in young son's drowning wants new attorney

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man who fled to Mexico in 2017 after being accused of rape has been convicted in the case. A jury on Thursday found 22-year-old Daniel Arreola guilty of seven felony counts. 

Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay said Arreola forced his way into a woman's apartment in July 2015 and raped her at gunpoint. 

He fled to Mexico in February 2017, four days before his trial was scheduled to begin. He was arrested in Mexico and returned to Kansas in August of 2019 and has remained in custody since. Arreola's sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 15

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628871442106.png" alt="Arreola photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Arreola photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man who fled to Mexico in 2017 after being accused of rape has been convicted in the case. A jury on Thursday found 22-year-old Daniel Arreola guilty of seven felony counts. Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay said Arreola forced his way into a woman's apartment in July 2015 and raped her at gunpoint. He fled to Mexico in February 2017, four days before his trial was scheduled to begin. He was arrested in Mexico and returned to Kansas in August of 2019 and has remained in custody since. Arreola's sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 15

Guilty: Kan. man forced his way into woman's apartment at gunpoint

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — An ex-teacher and former Wichita City Council candidate has been sentenced to three years of probation for having a sexual relationship with a teenage student. 

Rodney Wren also was ordered Friday to undergo mental-health treatment, medication management, substance-abuse treatment and treatment for being a sex offender. 

Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said Wren also will be under a post release supervision for his lifetime and will have to register as a sex offender. He faces a 34 month prison sentence if he violates his probation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1581367494229.png" alt="Rodney Wren photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Rodney Wren photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — An ex-teacher and former Wichita City Council candidate has been sentenced to three years of probation for having a sexual relationship with a teenage student. Rodney Wren also was ordered Friday to undergo mental-health treatment, medication management, substance-abuse treatment and treatment for being a sex offender. Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said Wren also will be under a post release supervision for his lifetime and will have to register as a sex offender. He faces a 34 month prison sentence if he violates his probation.

Former Kan. teacher sentenced to probation for sex with student

WASHINGTON — A defense official says President Joe Biden has authorized an additional 1,000 U.S. troops for deployment to Afghanistan.

That raises to roughly 5,000 the number of U.S. troops to ensure what Biden calls an “orderly and safe drawdown” of American and allied personnel. U.S. troops will also help evacuate Afghans who worked with the military during the nearly two-decade war.

The Pentagon said earlier that 3,000 troops are being sent to Kabul to join the nearly 1,000 already there. Biden's statement on Saturday didn’t explain the breakdown of the 5,000 troops he said had been deployed.

But a defense official tells The Associated Press that the president has approved Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s recommendation that the lead battalion of the 82nd Airborne Brigade Combat Team assist in the State Department’s drawdown.

The situation in Afghanistan has worsened in recent days with the Afghan government losing control of many parts of the country.

The statement also says Biden has directed Secretary of State Antony Blinken to support Afghan President Asraf Ghani and engage with regional leaders in the pursuit of a political settlement with the Taliban.

The administration also conveyed to Taliban representatives in Qatar, where the insurgents maintain a political office, that any actions in Afghanistan that harm U.S. personnel will be met by a “swift and strong” military response.

WASHINGTON (AP) —A fresh contingent of Marines arrived in Kabul on Saturday as part of a 3,000-troop force intended to secure an airlift of U.S. Embassy personnel and Afghan allies as Taliban insurgents approach the outskirts of the capital.

The last-minute decision to re-insert thousands of U.S. troops into Afghanistan reflects the dire state of security and calls into question whether President Joe Biden will meet his Aug. 31 deadline for fully withdrawing combat forces.

After an advance group of Marines arrived on Friday, more flowed into the Kabul international airport on Saturday, said Navy Capt. William Urban, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command. Citing operational security, Urban declined to provide specific numbers. The Pentagon said on Friday that the bulk of the 3,000 — comprising two battalions of Marines and one of Army soldiers — are due by the end of the weekend.

Officials have stressed that the newly arriving troops’ mission is limited to assisting the airlift of embassy personnel and Afghan allies, and they expect to complete it by month’s end. But they might have to stay longer if the embassy is threatened by a Taliban takeover of Kabul by then.

On Saturday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-taliban-f600d6faf28e9c2ccb454ad176987b19">the Taliban seized two more provinces and approached the outskirts of Kabul</a>&nbsp;while also launching a multi-pronged assault on a major northern city defended by former warlords, Afghan officials said.

“Clearly from their actions, it appears as if they are trying to get Kabul isolated,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said, referring to the Taliban’s speedy and efficient takedown of major provincial capitals this past week.

Biden had given the Pentagon until Aug. 31 to complete the withdrawal of the 2,500 to 3,000 troops that were in Afghanistan when he announced in April that he was ending U.S. involvement in the war. That number has dropped to just under 1,000, and all but about 650 are scheduled to be gone by the end of the month; the 650 are to remain to help protect the U.S. diplomatic presence, including with aircraft and defensive weapons at the Kabul airport.

But Thursday’s decision to dispatch 3,000 fresh troops to the airport adds a new twist to the U.S. withdrawal. There is no discussion of rejoining the war, but the number of troops needed for security will depend on decisions about keeping the embassy open and the extent of a Taliban threat to the capital in coming days.

Having the Aug. 31 deadline pass with thousands of U.S. troops in the country would be awkward for Biden given his insistence on ending the 20-year U.S. war by that date. Republicans have already criticized the withdrawal as a mistake and ill-planned, though there’s little political appetite by either party to send fresh troops to fight the Taliban.

Kirby declined on Friday to discuss any assessment of whether the Taliban are likely soon to converge on Kabul, but the urgent movement of extra U.S. troops into Afghanistan to assist the embassy drawdown is clear evidence of Washington’s worry that after the rapid fall of major cities this week with relatively little Afghan government resistance, Kabul is endangered.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani delivered a televised speech Saturday, his first public appearance since the recent Taliban gains, and pledged not to give up the “achievements” of the 20 years since the U.S. toppled the Taliban after the 9/11 attacks.

The Biden administration has asserted that Afghan security forces have tangible advantages over the insurgents, including a viable air force and superior numbers. The statement serves to highlight the fact that what the Afghan forces lack is motivation to fight in a circumstance where the Taliban seem to have decisive momentum.

Stephen Biddle, a professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University, said in an interview the announcement that 3,000 U.S. troops were heading to Kabul to help pull out American diplomats and embassy staff likely made Afghan morale even worse.

“The message that sent to Afghans is: ‘The city of Kabul is going to fall so fast that we can’t organize an orderly withdrawal from the embassy,’” Biddle said. This suggests to Afghans that the Americans see little future for the government and that “this place could be toast within hours.”

The Pentagon also is moving an additional 4,500 to 5,000 troops to bases in the Gulf countries of Qatar and Kuwait, including 1,000 to Qatar to speed up visa processing for Afghan translators and others who fear retribution from the Taliban for their past work with Americans, and their family members.

The State Department said the embassy in Kabul will remain partially staffed and functioning, but Thursday’s decision to evacuate a significant number of embassy staff and bring in the thousands of additional U.S. troops is a sign of waning confidence in the Afghan government’s ability to hold off the Taliban surge. The Biden administration has not ruled out a full embassy evacuation or possibly relocating embassy operations to the Kabul airport.

There were a little over 4,000 personnel still at the embassy; the State Department has not said how many are being pulled out in the next two weeks.

The Biden administration warned Taliban officials directly that the U.S. would respond if the Taliban attacked Americans during the stepped-up deployments and evacuations.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The first forces of a Marine battalion arrived in Kabul on Friday to stand guard as the U.S. speeds up evacuation flights for some American diplomats and thousands of Afghans, spurred by a lightning Taliban offensive that increasingly is isolating Afghanistan’s capital.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said “elements” of a battalion were now in Kabul, the vanguard of three Marine and Army battalions that the U.S. was sending to the city by the end of the weekend to help more Americans and their Afghan colleagues get out quickly.

The Taliban, emboldened by the imminent end of the U.S. combat mission in the country, took four more provincial capitals Friday, heightening fears they would move soon on the capital, which is home to millions of Afghans. “Clearly from their actions, it appears as if they are trying to get Kabul isolated,” Kirby noted at a Pentagon briefing.

The Pentagon also was moving an additional 4,500 to 5,000 troops to bases in the Gulf countries of Qatar and Kuwait, including 1,000 to Qatar to speed up visa processing for Afghan translators and others who fear retribution from the Taliban for their past work with Americans, and their family members.

The remainder — 3,500 to 4,000 troops from a combat brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division — were bound for Kuwait. Kirby said the combat troops would be a reserve force on standby “in case we need even more” than the 3,000 going to Kabul.

The temporary buildup of troops for U.S. evacuations highlights the stunning pace of the Taliban takeover of much of the country, less than three weeks before the U.S. is set to officially end nearly 20 years of combat in Afghanistan.

President Joe Biden has remained adamant about ending the U.S. mission on Aug. 31, insisting the American and NATO mission that launched on Oct. 7, 2001, has done what it could to build up a Kabul-based Afghan government and military that could withstand the Taliban when Western troops finally withdrew.

Friday’s latest significant blow was the Taliban capture of the capital of Helmand province, where American, British and other allied NATO forces fought some of the bloodiest battles in the past 20 years. Hundreds of Western troops died there during the course of the war, in fighting that often succeeded in knocking back Taliban fighters locally, only to have the Taliban move back in when a Western unit rotated out.

The State Department said the embassy in Kabul will remain partially staffed and functioning, but Thursday’s decision to evacuate a significant number of embassy staff and bring in the thousands of additional U.S. troops is a sign of waning confidence in the Afghan government’s ability to hold off the Taliban surge. The Biden administration has not ruled out a full embassy evacuation.

The U.S. had already withdrawn most of its troops, but had kept about 650 troops in Afghanistan to support U.S. diplomatic security, including at the airport.

Americans are preparing a military base abroad to receive and house large numbers of those Afghan translators and others as their visa applications are processed. The Biden administration has not identified the base, but earlier was talking with both Kuwait and Qatar about using U.S. bases there for the temporary relocations.

As of Thursday, the U.S. had flown 1,200 Afghans — former American employees and their families whose visas are farthest along in the approval process — to Fort Lee, Virginia.

State Department spokesman Ned Price said the U.S. soon will have evacuation planes flying out daily, for those Afghan translators and others who manage to reach the Kabul airport despite the fighting.

The number of Afghans flown out under the special visa program is going to ”grow very quickly in the coming days,” Price said Thursday.

The viability of the U.S.-trained Afghan army was looking increasingly dim. A new military assessment says Kabul could come under Taliban pressure as soon as September and, if current trends hold, the country could fall to the Taliban within a few months.

Shortly before Price’s announcement of the evacuation of some embassy staff, the embassy urged U.S. citizens to leave immediately — reiterating a warning it first issued Saturday.

The latest drawdown will further limit the ability of the embassy to conduct business, although Price maintained it would still be able to function. Nonessential personal had already been withdrawn from the embassy in April after Biden’s withdrawal announcement that same month, and it was not immediately clear how many staffers would remain on the heavily fortified compound. As of Thursday, there were roughly 4,200 staffers at the embassy, but most of those are Afghan nationals, according to the State Department.

Apart from a complete evacuation and shuttering of the embassy, Price said other contingency plans were being weighed, including possibly relocating its operations to the airport.

Britain also was sending 600 troops to Afghanistan on a short-term basis to help its nationals leave the country.

Canada was sending special forces to help Canadian staff leave Kabul, a source familiar with the plan told The Associated Press. That official, who was not authorized to talk publicly about the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity, did not say how many special forces would be sent.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Just weeks before the U.S. is scheduled to end its war in Afghanistan, the Biden administration is rushing 3,000 fresh troops to the Kabul airport to help with a partial evacuation of the U.S. Embassy. The move highlights the stunning speed of a Taliban takeover of much of the country, including their capture on Thursday of Kandahar, the second-largest city and the birthplace of the Taliban movement.

The State Department said the embassy will continue functioning, but Thursday’s dramatic decision to bring in thousands of additional U.S. troops is a sign of waning confidence in the Afghan government’s ability to hold off the Taliban surge. The announcement came just hours after the Taliban captured the western city of Herat as well as Ghazni, a strategic provincial capital south of Kabul. The advance, and the partial U.S. Embassy evacuation, increasingly isolate the nation’s capital, home to millions of Afghans.

“This is not abandonment. This is not an evacuation. This is not a wholesale withdrawal,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said. “What this is is a reduction in the size of our civilian footprint.”

Price rejected the idea that Thursday’s moves sent encouraging signals to an already emboldened Taliban, or demoralizing ones to frightened Afghan civilians. “The message we are sending to the people of Afghanistan is one of enduring partnership,” Price insisted.

President Joe Biden, who has remained adamant about ending the 19-year U.S. mission in Afghanistan at the end of this month despite the Taliban sweep, conferred with senior national security officials overnight, then gave the order for the additional temporary troops Thursday morning.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Thursday. The U.S. also warned Taliban officials directly that the U.S. would respond if the Taliban attacked Americans during the temporary U.S. military deployments.

Britain’s ministry of defense said Thursday that it will send around 600 troops to Afghanistan on a short-term basis to help U.K. nationals leave the country. And Canadian special forces will deploy to Afghanistan to help Canadian staff leave Kabul, a source familiar with the plan told The Associated Press. That official, who was not authorized to talk publicly about the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity, did not say how many special forces would be sent.

The Pentagon’s chief spokesman, John Kirby, said that in addition to sending three infantry battalions — two from the Marine Corps and one from the Army — to the airport, the Pentagon will dispatch 3,500 to 4,000 troops from a combat brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division to Kuwait to act as a reserve force. He said they will be on standby “in case we need even more” than the 3,000 going to Kabul.

Also, about 1,000 Army and Air Force troops, including military police and medical personnel, will be sent to Qatar in coming days to support a State Department effort to accelerate its processing of Special Immigrant Visa applications from Afghans who once worked for the U.S. government and feel threated by the Taliban, Kirby said.

The 3,000 troops who are to arrive at the Kabul airport in the next day or two, Kirby said, are to assist with security at the airport and to help process the departure of embassy personnel — not to get involved in the Afghan government’s war with the Taliban. Biden decided in April to end U.S. military involvement in the war, and the withdrawal is scheduled to be complete by Aug. 31.

Kirby said the influx of fresh troops does not mean the U.S. is reentering combat with the Taliban.

“This is a temporary mission with a narrow focus,” he told reporters at the Pentagon.

The viability of the U.S.-trained Afghan army, however, is looking increasingly dim. A new military assessment says Kabul could come under Taliban pressure as soon as September and, if current trends hold, the country could fall to the Taliban within a few months.

Price, the State Department spokesman, said diplomatic work will continue at the Kabul embassy.

“Our first responsibility has always been protecting the safety and the security of our citizens serving in Afghanistan, and around the world,” Price said at a briefing, calling the the speed of the Taliban advance and resulting instability “of grave concern.”

Shortly before Price’s announcement, the embassy in Kabul urged U.S. citizens to leave immediately — reiterating a warning it first issued Saturday.

The latest drawdown will further limit the ability of the embassy to conduct business, although Price maintained it would still be able to function. Nonessential personal had already been withdrawn from the embassy in April after Biden’s withdrawal announcement and it was not immediately clear how many staffers would remain on the heavily fortified compound. As of Thursday, there were roughly 4,200 staffers at the embassy, but most of those are Afghan nationals, according to the State Department.

As the staff reductions take place over the course of the next several weeks, Price said the U.S., led by the special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, would continue to push for a peace agreement between the Taliban and the Afghan government at talks currently taking place in Doha, Qatar.

The Taliban, who ruled the country from 1996 until U.S. forces invaded after the 9/11 attacks, have taken 12 of Afghanistan’s 34 provincial capitals as part of a weeklong sweep that has given them effective control of about two-thirds of the country.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628552053408.png" alt="President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris held a secure video conference on Saturday with national security officials in response to the worsening situation in Afghanistan." />
 <figcaption>President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris held a secure video conference on Saturday with national security officials in response to the worsening situation in Afghanistan.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON — A defense official says President Joe Biden has authorized an additional 1,000 U.S. troops for deployment to Afghanistan.That raises to roughly 5,000 the number of U.S. troops to ensure what Biden calls an “orderly and safe drawdown” of American and allied personnel. U.S. troops will also help evacuate Afghans who worked with the military during the nearly two-decade war.The Pentagon said earlier that 3,000 troops are being sent to Kabul to join the nearly 1,000 already there. Biden's statement on Saturday didn’t explain the breakdown of the 5,000 troops he said had been deployed.But a defense official tells The Associated Press that the president has approved Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s recommendation that the lead battalion of the 82nd Airborne Brigade Combat Team assist in the State Department’s drawdown.The situation in Afghanistan has worsened in recent days with the Afghan government losing control of many parts of the country.The statement also says Biden has directed Secretary of State Antony Blinken to support Afghan President Asraf Ghani and engage with regional leaders in the pursuit of a political settlement with the Taliban.The administration also conveyed to Taliban representatives in Qatar, where the insurgents maintain a political office, that any actions in Afghanistan that harm U.S. personnel will be met by a “swift and strong” military response.----------WASHINGTON (AP) —A fresh contingent of Marines arrived in Kabul on Saturday as part of a 3,000-troop force intended to secure an airlift of U.S. Embassy personnel and Afghan allies as Taliban insurgents approach the outskirts of the capital.The last-minute decision to re-insert thousands of U.S. troops into Afghanistan reflects the dire state of security and calls into question whether President Joe Biden will meet his Aug. 31 deadline for fully withdrawing combat forces.After an advance group of Marines arrived on Friday, more flowed into the Kabul international airport on Saturday, said Navy Capt. William Urban, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command. Citing operational security, Urban declined to provide specific numbers. The Pentagon said on Friday that the bulk of the 3,000 — comprising two battalions of Marines and one of Army soldiers — are due by the end of the weekend.Officials have stressed that the newly arriving troops’ mission is limited to assisting the airlift of embassy personnel and Afghan allies, and they expect to complete it by month’s end. But they might have to stay longer if the embassy is threatened by a Taliban takeover of Kabul by then.On Saturday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-taliban-f600d6faf28e9c2ccb454ad176987b19">the Taliban seized two more provinces and approached the outskirts of Kabul</a>&nbsp;while also launching a multi-pronged assault on a major northern city defended by former warlords, Afghan officials said.“Clearly from their actions, it appears as if they are trying to get Kabul isolated,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said, referring to the Taliban’s speedy and efficient takedown of major provincial capitals this past week.Biden had given the Pentagon until Aug. 31 to complete the withdrawal of the 2,500 to 3,000 troops that were in Afghanistan when he announced in April that he was ending U.S. involvement in the war. That number has dropped to just under 1,000, and all but about 650 are scheduled to be gone by the end of the month; the 650 are to remain to help protect the U.S. diplomatic presence, including with aircraft and defensive weapons at the Kabul airport.But Thursday’s decision to dispatch 3,000 fresh troops to the airport adds a new twist to the U.S. withdrawal. There is no discussion of rejoining the war, but the number of troops needed for security will depend on decisions about keeping the embassy open and the extent of a Taliban threat to the capital in coming days.Having the Aug. 31 deadline pass with thousands of U.S. troops in the country would be awkward for Biden given his insistence on ending the 20-year U.S. war by that date. Republicans have already criticized the withdrawal as a mistake and ill-planned, though there’s little political appetite by either party to send fresh troops to fight the Taliban.Kirby declined on Friday to discuss any assessment of whether the Taliban are likely soon to converge on Kabul, but the urgent movement of extra U.S. troops into Afghanistan to assist the embassy drawdown is clear evidence of Washington’s worry that after the rapid fall of major cities this week with relatively little Afghan government resistance, Kabul is endangered.Afghan President Ashraf Ghani delivered a televised speech Saturday, his first public appearance since the recent Taliban gains, and pledged not to give up the “achievements” of the 20 years since the U.S. toppled the Taliban after the 9/11 attacks.The Biden administration has asserted that Afghan security forces have tangible advantages over the insurgents, including a viable air force and superior numbers. The statement serves to highlight the fact that what the Afghan forces lack is motivation to fight in a circumstance where the Taliban seem to have decisive momentum.Stephen Biddle, a professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University, said in an interview the announcement that 3,000 U.S. troops were heading to Kabul to help pull out American diplomats and embassy staff likely made Afghan morale even worse.“The message that sent to Afghans is: ‘The city of Kabul is going to fall so fast that we can’t organize an orderly withdrawal from the embassy,’” Biddle said. This suggests to Afghans that the Americans see little future for the government and that “this place could be toast within hours.”The Pentagon also is moving an additional 4,500 to 5,000 troops to bases in the Gulf countries of Qatar and Kuwait, including 1,000 to Qatar to speed up visa processing for Afghan translators and others who fear retribution from the Taliban for their past work with Americans, and their family members.The State Department said the embassy in Kabul will remain partially staffed and functioning, but Thursday’s decision to evacuate a significant number of embassy staff and bring in the thousands of additional U.S. troops is a sign of waning confidence in the Afghan government’s ability to hold off the Taliban surge. The Biden administration has not ruled out a full embassy evacuation or possibly relocating embassy operations to the Kabul airport.There were a little over 4,000 personnel still at the embassy; the State Department has not said how many are being pulled out in the next two weeks.The Biden administration warned Taliban officials directly that the U.S. would respond if the Taliban attacked Americans during the stepped-up deployments and evacuations.------------WASHINGTON (AP) — The first forces of a Marine battalion arrived in Kabul on Friday to stand guard as the U.S. speeds up evacuation flights for some American diplomats and thousands of Afghans, spurred by a lightning Taliban offensive that increasingly is isolating Afghanistan’s capital.Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said “elements” of a battalion were now in Kabul, the vanguard of three Marine and Army battalions that the U.S. was sending to the city by the end of the weekend to help more Americans and their Afghan colleagues get out quickly.The Taliban, emboldened by the imminent end of the U.S. combat mission in the country, took four more provincial capitals Friday, heightening fears they would move soon on the capital, which is home to millions of Afghans. “Clearly from their actions, it appears as if they are trying to get Kabul isolated,” Kirby noted at a Pentagon briefing.The Pentagon also was moving an additional 4,500 to 5,000 troops to bases in the Gulf countries of Qatar and Kuwait, including 1,000 to Qatar to speed up visa processing for Afghan translators and others who fear retribution from the Taliban for their past work with Americans, and their family members.The remainder — 3,500 to 4,000 troops from a combat brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division — were bound for Kuwait. Kirby said the combat troops would be a reserve force on standby “in case we need even more” than the 3,000 going to Kabul.The temporary buildup of troops for U.S. evacuations highlights the stunning pace of the Taliban takeover of much of the country, less than three weeks before the U.S. is set to officially end nearly 20 years of combat in Afghanistan.President Joe Biden has remained adamant about ending the U.S. mission on Aug. 31, insisting the American and NATO mission that launched on Oct. 7, 2001, has done what it could to build up a Kabul-based Afghan government and military that could withstand the Taliban when Western troops finally withdrew.Friday’s latest significant blow was the Taliban capture of the capital of Helmand province, where American, British and other allied NATO forces fought some of the bloodiest battles in the past 20 years. Hundreds of Western troops died there during the course of the war, in fighting that often succeeded in knocking back Taliban fighters locally, only to have the Taliban move back in when a Western unit rotated out.The State Department said the embassy in Kabul will remain partially staffed and functioning, but Thursday’s decision to evacuate a significant number of embassy staff and bring in the thousands of additional U.S. troops is a sign of waning confidence in the Afghan government’s ability to hold off the Taliban surge. The Biden administration has not ruled out a full embassy evacuation.The U.S. had already withdrawn most of its troops, but had kept about 650 troops in Afghanistan to support U.S. diplomatic security, including at the airport.The Biden administration warned Taliban officials directly that the U.S. would respond if the Taliban attacked Americans during the stepped-up deployments and evacuations.Americans are preparing a military base abroad to receive and house large numbers of those Afghan translators and others as their visa applications are processed. The Biden administration has not identified the base, but earlier was talking with both Kuwait and Qatar about using U.S. bases there for the temporary relocations.As of Thursday, the U.S. had flown 1,200 Afghans — former American employees and their families whose visas are farthest along in the approval process — to Fort Lee, Virginia.State Department spokesman Ned Price said the U.S. soon will have evacuation planes flying out daily, for those Afghan translators and others who manage to reach the Kabul airport despite the fighting.The number of Afghans flown out under the special visa program is going to ”grow very quickly in the coming days,” Price said Thursday.The viability of the U.S.-trained Afghan army was looking increasingly dim. A new military assessment says Kabul could come under Taliban pressure as soon as September and, if current trends hold, the country could fall to the Taliban within a few months.Shortly before Price’s announcement of the evacuation of some embassy staff, the embassy urged U.S. citizens to leave immediately — reiterating a warning it first issued Saturday.The latest drawdown will further limit the ability of the embassy to conduct business, although Price maintained it would still be able to function. Nonessential personal had already been withdrawn from the embassy in April after Biden’s withdrawal announcement that same month, and it was not immediately clear how many staffers would remain on the heavily fortified compound. As of Thursday, there were roughly 4,200 staffers at the embassy, but most of those are Afghan nationals, according to the State Department.Apart from a complete evacuation and shuttering of the embassy, Price said other contingency plans were being weighed, including possibly relocating its operations to the airport.Britain also was sending 600 troops to Afghanistan on a short-term basis to help its nationals leave the country.Canada was sending special forces to help Canadian staff leave Kabul, a source familiar with the plan told The Associated Press. That official, who was not authorized to talk publicly about the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity, did not say how many special forces would be sent.__--------WASHINGTON (AP) — Just weeks before the U.S. is scheduled to end its war in Afghanistan, the Biden administration is rushing 3,000 fresh troops to the Kabul airport to help with a partial evacuation of the U.S. Embassy. The move highlights the stunning speed of a Taliban takeover of much of the country, including their capture on Thursday of Kandahar, the second-largest city and the birthplace of the Taliban movement.The State Department said the embassy will continue functioning, but Thursday’s dramatic decision to bring in thousands of additional U.S. troops is a sign of waning confidence in the Afghan government’s ability to hold off the Taliban surge. The announcement came just hours after the Taliban captured the western city of Herat as well as Ghazni, a strategic provincial capital south of Kabul. The advance, and the partial U.S. Embassy evacuation, increasingly isolate the nation’s capital, home to millions of Afghans.“This is not abandonment. This is not an evacuation. This is not a wholesale withdrawal,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said. “What this is is a reduction in the size of our civilian footprint.”Price rejected the idea that Thursday’s moves sent encouraging signals to an already emboldened Taliban, or demoralizing ones to frightened Afghan civilians. “The message we are sending to the people of Afghanistan is one of enduring partnership,” Price insisted.President Joe Biden, who has remained adamant about ending the 19-year U.S. mission in Afghanistan at the end of this month despite the Taliban sweep, conferred with senior national security officials overnight, then gave the order for the additional temporary troops Thursday morning.Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Thursday. The U.S. also warned Taliban officials directly that the U.S. would respond if the Taliban attacked Americans during the temporary U.S. military deployments.Britain’s ministry of defense said Thursday that it will send around 600 troops to Afghanistan on a short-term basis to help U.K. nationals leave the country. And Canadian special forces will deploy to Afghanistan to help Canadian staff leave Kabul, a source familiar with the plan told The Associated Press. That official, who was not authorized to talk publicly about the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity, did not say how many special forces would be sent.The Pentagon’s chief spokesman, John Kirby, said that in addition to sending three infantry battalions — two from the Marine Corps and one from the Army — to the airport, the Pentagon will dispatch 3,500 to 4,000 troops from a combat brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division to Kuwait to act as a reserve force. He said they will be on standby “in case we need even more” than the 3,000 going to Kabul.Also, about 1,000 Army and Air Force troops, including military police and medical personnel, will be sent to Qatar in coming days to support a State Department effort to accelerate its processing of Special Immigrant Visa applications from Afghans who once worked for the U.S. government and feel threated by the Taliban, Kirby said.The 3,000 troops who are to arrive at the Kabul airport in the next day or two, Kirby said, are to assist with security at the airport and to help process the departure of embassy personnel — not to get involved in the Afghan government’s war with the Taliban. Biden decided in April to end U.S. military involvement in the war, and the withdrawal is scheduled to be complete by Aug. 31.The U.S. had already withdrawn most of its troops, but had kept about 650 troops in Afghanistan to support U.S. diplomatic security, including at the airport.Kirby said the influx of fresh troops does not mean the U.S. is reentering combat with the Taliban.“This is a temporary mission with a narrow focus,” he told reporters at the Pentagon.The viability of the U.S.-trained Afghan army, however, is looking increasingly dim. A new military assessment says Kabul could come under Taliban pressure as soon as September and, if current trends hold, the country could fall to the Taliban within a few months.Price, the State Department spokesman, said diplomatic work will continue at the Kabul embassy.“Our first responsibility has always been protecting the safety and the security of our citizens serving in Afghanistan, and around the world,” Price said at a briefing, calling the the speed of the Taliban advance and resulting instability “of grave concern.”Shortly before Price’s announcement, the embassy in Kabul urged U.S. citizens to leave immediately — reiterating a warning it first issued Saturday.The latest drawdown will further limit the ability of the embassy to conduct business, although Price maintained it would still be able to function. Nonessential personal had already been withdrawn from the embassy in April after Biden’s withdrawal announcement and it was not immediately clear how many staffers would remain on the heavily fortified compound. As of Thursday, there were roughly 4,200 staffers at the embassy, but most of those are Afghan nationals, according to the State Department.Apart from a complete evacuation and shuttering of the embassy, Price said other contingency plans were being weighed, including possibly relocating its operations to the airport.As the staff reductions take place over the course of the next several weeks, Price said the U.S., led by the special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, would continue to push for a peace agreement between the Taliban and the Afghan government at talks currently taking place in Doha, Qatar.The Taliban, who ruled the country from 1996 until U.S. forces invaded after the 9/11 attacks, have taken 12 of Afghanistan’s 34 provincial capitals as part of a weeklong sweep that has given them effective control of about two-thirds of the country.

Biden sending more troops to Afghanistan for embassy evacuation

<a href="https://hosted.ap.org/semissourian/article/f6cb3a4f7c2ecdb333a4f0fcfb1025f8/global-sizzling-july-was-hottest-month-record-noaa-says#">By SETH BORENSTEIN</a>, Associated Press

Earth sizzled in July and became the hottest month in 142 years of record keeping, U.S. weather officials announced.

As extreme heat waves struck parts of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-environment-and-nature-heat-waves-af51dd6c0c98d77a31467f0928be98d9">United States</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-travel-europe-environment-and-nature-climate-change-1681a625675bc3d4c56b3aaefb441ee2">Europe</a>, the globe averaged 62.07 degrees (16.73 degrees Celsius) last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.noaa.gov/news/its-official-july-2021-was-earths-hottest-month-on-record">beating out the previous</a>&nbsp;record set in July 2016 and tied again in 2019 and 2020. the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Friday. The margin was just .02 degrees (.01 Celsius),

The last seven Julys, from 2015 to 2021, have been the hottest seven Julys on record, said NOAA climatologist Ahira Sanchez-Lugo. Last month was 1.67 degrees (0.93 degrees Celsius) warmer than the 20th century average for the month.

“In this case first place is the worst place to be,” NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad said in a press release. “This new record adds to the disturbing and disruptive path that climate change has set for the globe."

“This is climate change," said Pennsylvania State University climate scientist Michael Mann. “It is an exclamation mark on a summer of unprecedented heat, drought, wildfires and flooding.”

Earlier this week, a prestigious United Nations science panel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/asia-pacific-latin-america-middle-east-africa-europe-1d89d5183583718ad4ad311fa2ee7d83">warned of worsening climate change&nbsp;</a>caused by the burning of coal, oil and natural gas and other human activity.

Warming on land in western North America and in parts of Europe and Asia really drove the record-setting heat, Sanchez-Lugo said. While the worldwide temperature was barely higher than the record, what shattered it was land temperature over the Northern Hemisphere, she said.

Northern Hemisphere temperatures were a third of a degree (.19 degrees Celsius) higher than the previous record set in July 2012, which for temperature records is “a wide margin,” Sanchez-Lugo said.

July is the hottest month of the year for the globe, so this is also the hottest month on record.

One factor helping the world bake this summer is a natural weather cycle called the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-variability-arctic-oscillation#:~:text=The%20Arctic%20Oscillation%20(AO)%20refers,latitudes%20of%20the%20Northern%20Hemisphere.&amp;text=The%20AO's%20positive%20phase%20is,northern%20Pacific%20and%20Atlantic%20Oceans.">Arctic Oscillation</a>, sort of a cousin to El Nino, which in its positive phase is associated with more warming, the NOAA climatologist said.

Even with a scorching July and a nasty June, this year so far is only the sixth warmest on record. That's mostly because 2021 started cooler than recent years due to a La Nina cooling of the central Pacific that often reduces the global temperature average, Sanchez-Lugo said.

“One month by itself does not say much, but that this was a La Nina year and we still had the warmest temperatures on record ... fits with the pattern of what we have been seeing for most of the last decade now,” said University of Illinois meteorology professor Donald Wuebbles.

While the world set a record in July, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/national/202107">United States only tied for its 13th</a>&nbsp;hottest July on record. Even though California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington had their hottest Julys, slightly cooler than normal months in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, Alabama, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire kept the nation from approaching record heat levels.

The last time the globe had a July cooler than the 20th century average was in 1976, which was also the last year the globe was cooler than that normal.

“So if you’re younger than 45 you haven’t seen a year (or July) where the mean temperature of the planet was cooler than the 20th century average,” said Princeton University climate scientist Gabriel Vecchi.

<a href="https://hosted.ap.org/semissourian/article/f6cb3a4f7c2ecdb333a4f0fcfb1025f8/global-sizzling-july-was-hottest-month-record-noaa-says#">By SETH BORENSTEIN</a>, Associated PressEarth sizzled in July and became the hottest month in 142 years of record keeping, U.S. weather officials announced.As extreme heat waves struck parts of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-environment-and-nature-heat-waves-af51dd6c0c98d77a31467f0928be98d9">United States</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-travel-europe-environment-and-nature-climate-change-1681a625675bc3d4c56b3aaefb441ee2">Europe</a>, the globe averaged 62.07 degrees (16.73 degrees Celsius) last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.noaa.gov/news/its-official-july-2021-was-earths-hottest-month-on-record">beating out the previous</a>&nbsp;record set in July 2016 and tied again in 2019 and 2020. the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Friday. The margin was just .02 degrees (.01 Celsius),The last seven Julys, from 2015 to 2021, have been the hottest seven Julys on record, said NOAA climatologist Ahira Sanchez-Lugo. Last month was 1.67 degrees (0.93 degrees Celsius) warmer than the 20th century average for the month.“In this case first place is the worst place to be,” NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad said in a press release. “This new record adds to the disturbing and disruptive path that climate change has set for the globe."“This is climate change," said Pennsylvania State University climate scientist Michael Mann. “It is an exclamation mark on a summer of unprecedented heat, drought, wildfires and flooding.”Earlier this week, a prestigious United Nations science panel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/asia-pacific-latin-america-middle-east-africa-europe-1d89d5183583718ad4ad311fa2ee7d83">warned of worsening climate change&nbsp;</a>caused by the burning of coal, oil and natural gas and other human activity.Warming on land in western North America and in parts of Europe and Asia really drove the record-setting heat, Sanchez-Lugo said. While the worldwide temperature was barely higher than the record, what shattered it was land temperature over the Northern Hemisphere, she said.Northern Hemisphere temperatures were a third of a degree (.19 degrees Celsius) higher than the previous record set in July 2012, which for temperature records is “a wide margin,” Sanchez-Lugo said.July is the hottest month of the year for the globe, so this is also the hottest month on record.One factor helping the world bake this summer is a natural weather cycle called the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-variability-arctic-oscillation#:~:text=The%20Arctic%20Oscillation%20(AO)%20refers,latitudes%20of%20the%20Northern%20Hemisphere.&amp;text=The%20AO's%20positive%20phase%20is,northern%20Pacific%20and%20Atlantic%20Oceans.">Arctic Oscillation</a>, sort of a cousin to El Nino, which in its positive phase is associated with more warming, the NOAA climatologist said.Even with a scorching July and a nasty June, this year so far is only the sixth warmest on record. That's mostly because 2021 started cooler than recent years due to a La Nina cooling of the central Pacific that often reduces the global temperature average, Sanchez-Lugo said.“One month by itself does not say much, but that this was a La Nina year and we still had the warmest temperatures on record ... fits with the pattern of what we have been seeing for most of the last decade now,” said University of Illinois meteorology professor Donald Wuebbles.While the world set a record in July, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/national/202107">United States only tied for its 13th</a>&nbsp;hottest July on record. Even though California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington had their hottest Julys, slightly cooler than normal months in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, Alabama, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire kept the nation from approaching record heat levels.The last time the globe had a July cooler than the 20th century average was in 1976, which was also the last year the globe was cooler than that normal.“So if you’re younger than 45 you haven’t seen a year (or July) where the mean temperature of the planet was cooler than the 20th century average,” said Princeton University climate scientist Gabriel Vecchi.

Global Sizzling: July was hottest month on record

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Ten years of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/census-2020-kansas-17f2a5e8643e76f33c0a8af22b78c10a">population shifts</a>&nbsp;will boost the clout of the Kansas City and Wichita areas in Kansas politics and fuel a fight over redrawing the district of the only Democrat representing the state in Congress.

The Republican-controlled Legislature must use U.S. Census data released this week to redraw congressional, legislative and State Board of Education districts next year to ensure they are as equal in population as possible. Lawmakers on Friday wrapped up 14 statewide town hall meetings on redistricting held over five days.

The 3rd Congressional District, represented by Democrat Sharice Davids, is now overpopulated compared to the other three. Republicans nationally are looking to regain a U.S. House majority, giving state GOP lawmakers incentive to remain united, set new lines and potentially hurt Davids politically.

Meanwhile, the new census figures suggest Johnson County — the state’s most populous — could gain three Kansas House seats and a Kansas Senate seat, while Sedgwick County, home to the state’s largest city of Wichita, could gain a House seat. Their new seats will come from rural areas.

“Legislators have shaded glasses when they look at this, every one of them,” said Tim Shallenburger, a former Kansas House speaker, state treasurer and Kansas GOP chairman. “They’re protecting their own.”

Republicans go into elections next year looking to maintain legislative supermajorities and unseat Davids, while Democrats want to protect her and pick up legislative seats in growing areas. Lawmakers of both parties want to avoid being in a district with another incumbent.

Davids’ congressional district has almost 58,000 too many residents, about 8% more than the ideal population of roughly 734,500. The other three districts are short, with the biggest gap in the sprawling 1st District of western and central Kansas.

Democrats fear GOP legislators will try to divide the Democratic stronghold of Wyandotte County and move part of it from the 3rd District into an expanded 1st District with overwhelmingly Republican rural areas. Some Republicans floated the idea in 2012.

“I know that you all know that manipulating maps is wrong,” Erin Woods, a Leawood resident, said during a town hall meeting in Johnson County on Thursday. “And I believe that you all know that the entirety of Johnson and Wyandotte counties belong together due to their connection to the KC metro area.”

Kansas House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr., an Olathe Republican, said Friday that lawmakers are “a long ways from drawing maps.”

“Citizen input and the data will be continue to be what drives this process,” Ryckman said in a text to The Associated Press.

Democrats also worry about how legislative districts will be drawn, particularly in urban and suburban areas that Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly carried in her successful 2018 race.

Johnson County is home to six of the state’s 20 largest cities, and all of them grew at least 6% in population over the decade. Gardner, with an increase of 21.8%, and Lenexa, with an increase of 19.8%, were among the state’s 20 fastest-growing cities.

“Urban centers tend to skew a little bit more toward the left, or you know, more accurately, left of center, because it’s Kansas, right?” said Democratic state Rep. Stephanie Clayton, of Overland Park, a member of the House redistricting committee. “Will we have these kind of districts that are kind of long and skinny, that are drawn out toward more rural and more outlying areas?”

But there’s also angst among rural Republicans over their shrinking political power.

Kristol King, vice-chair of the Republican Party in Ness County in western Kansas, said lawmakers from Johnson County and Douglas County, home to Lawrence and the main University of Kansas campus, often vote against proposals she supports. This year, she liked her local House member’s bill to prevent county-run nursing homes from restricting visits, and it didn’t pass.

“The people that are here, our representatives, know what’s going on here. And the people in Johnson County have no clue that we’re even here, usually,” King said.

By JOHN HANNA and ANDY TSUBASA FIELDTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Ten years of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/census-2020-kansas-17f2a5e8643e76f33c0a8af22b78c10a">population shifts</a>&nbsp;will boost the clout of the Kansas City and Wichita areas in Kansas politics and fuel a fight over redrawing the district of the only Democrat representing the state in Congress.The Republican-controlled Legislature must use U.S. Census data released this week to redraw congressional, legislative and State Board of Education districts next year to ensure they are as equal in population as possible. Lawmakers on Friday wrapped up 14 statewide town hall meetings on redistricting held over five days.The 3rd Congressional District, represented by Democrat Sharice Davids, is now overpopulated compared to the other three. Republicans nationally are looking to regain a U.S. House majority, giving state GOP lawmakers incentive to remain united, set new lines and potentially hurt Davids politically.Meanwhile, the new census figures suggest Johnson County — the state’s most populous — could gain three Kansas House seats and a Kansas Senate seat, while Sedgwick County, home to the state’s largest city of Wichita, could gain a House seat. Their new seats will come from rural areas.“Legislators have shaded glasses when they look at this, every one of them,” said Tim Shallenburger, a former Kansas House speaker, state treasurer and Kansas GOP chairman. “They’re protecting their own.”Republicans go into elections next year looking to maintain legislative supermajorities and unseat Davids, while Democrats want to protect her and pick up legislative seats in growing areas. Lawmakers of both parties want to avoid being in a district with another incumbent.Davids’ congressional district has almost 58,000 too many residents, about 8% more than the ideal population of roughly 734,500. The other three districts are short, with the biggest gap in the sprawling 1st District of western and central Kansas.Democrats fear GOP legislators will try to divide the Democratic stronghold of Wyandotte County and move part of it from the 3rd District into an expanded 1st District with overwhelmingly Republican rural areas. Some Republicans floated the idea in 2012.“I know that you all know that manipulating maps is wrong,” Erin Woods, a Leawood resident, said during a town hall meeting in Johnson County on Thursday. “And I believe that you all know that the entirety of Johnson and Wyandotte counties belong together due to their connection to the KC metro area.”Kansas House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr., an Olathe Republican, said Friday that lawmakers are “a long ways from drawing maps.”“Citizen input and the data will be continue to be what drives this process,” Ryckman said in a text to The Associated Press.Democrats also worry about how legislative districts will be drawn, particularly in urban and suburban areas that Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly carried in her successful 2018 race.Johnson County is home to six of the state’s 20 largest cities, and all of them grew at least 6% in population over the decade. Gardner, with an increase of 21.8%, and Lenexa, with an increase of 19.8%, were among the state’s 20 fastest-growing cities.“Urban centers tend to skew a little bit more toward the left, or you know, more accurately, left of center, because it’s Kansas, right?” said Democratic state Rep. Stephanie Clayton, of Overland Park, a member of the House redistricting committee. “Will we have these kind of districts that are kind of long and skinny, that are drawn out toward more rural and more outlying areas?”But there’s also angst among rural Republicans over their shrinking political power.Kristol King, vice-chair of the Republican Party in Ness County in western Kansas, said lawmakers from Johnson County and Douglas County, home to Lawrence and the main University of Kansas campus, often vote against proposals she supports. This year, she liked her local House member’s bill to prevent county-run nursing homes from restricting visits, and it didn’t pass.“The people that are here, our representatives, know what’s going on here. And the people in Johnson County have no clue that we’re even here, usually,” King said.___

Kansas redistricting focus on Democrat congresswoman

KANSAS CITY (AP) —No racial or ethnic group dominates for those under age 18, and white people declined in numbers for the first time on record in the overall U.S. population as the Hispanic and Asian populations boomed this past decade, according to the 2020 census data.

<a href="https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/racial-and-ethnic-diversity-in-the-united-states-2010-and-2020-census.html?linkId=100000060689527">Click here t</a>o see the data

The figures released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau offered the most detailed portrait yet of how the country has changed since 2010 and will also be instrumental in redrawing the nation’s political maps.

The numbers are sure to set off an intense partisan battle over representation at a time of deep national division and fights over voting rights. The numbers could help determine control of the House in the 2022 elections and provide an electoral edge for years to come.

The data also will shape how $1.5 trillion in annual federal spending is distributed.

The data offered a mirror not only into the demographic changes of the past decade, but also a glimpse of the future. To that end, they showed there is now no majority racial or ethnic group for people younger than 18, as the share of non-Hispanic whites in the age group dropped from 53.5% to 47.3% over the decade.

The share of children in the U.S. declined because of falling birth rates, while the share of adults grew, driven by aging baby boomers. Adults over 18 made up more than three-quarters of the population in 2020, or 258.3 million people, an increase of more than 10% from 2010. However, the population of children under age 18 dropped from 74.2 million in 2010 to 73.1 million in 2020.

“If not for Hispanics, Asians, people of two or more races, those are the only groups underage that are growing,” said William Frey, a senior fellow at Brookings’ Metropolitan Policy Program. “A lot of these young minorities are important for our future growth, not only for the child population but for our future labor force.”

The Asian and Hispanic populations burgeoned from 2010 to 2020, respectively increasing by around a third and almost a quarter over the decade. The Asian population reached 24 million people in 2020, and the Hispanic population hit 62.1 million people.

The Hispanic boom accounted for almost half of the overall U.S. population growth, which was the slowest since the Great Depression. By comparison, the non-Hispanic growth rate over the decade was 4.3%. The Hispanic share of the U.S. population grew to 18.7% of the U.S. population, up from 16.3% in 2010.

“The 2020 Census confirmed what we have known for years — the future of the country is Latino,” said Arturo Vargas, CEO of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund.

The share of the white population fell from 63.7% in 2010 to 57.8% in 2020, the lowest on record, driven by falling birthrates among white women compared with Hispanic and Asian women. The number of non-Hispanic white people shrank from 196 million in 2010 to 191 million.

White people continue to be the most prevalent racial or ethnic group, though that changed in California, where Hispanics became the largest racial or ethnic group, growing from 37.6% to 39.4% over the decade, while the share of white people dropped from 40.1% to 34.7%. California, the nation’s most populous state, joined Hawaii, New Mexico and the District of Columbia as a place where non-Hispanic white people are no longer the dominant group.

“The U.S. population is much more multiracial and much more racially and ethnically diverse than what we have measured in the past,” said Nicholas Jones, a Census Bureau official.

Some demographers cautioned that the white population was not shrinking as much as shifting to multiracial identities. The number of people who identified as belonging to two or more races more than tripled from 9 million people in 2010 to 33.8 million in 2020. They now account for 10% of the U.S. population.

People who identify as a race other than white, Black, Asian, American Indian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander — either alone or in combination with one of those races — jumped to 49.9 million people, surpassing the Black population of 46.9 million people as the nation’s second-largest racial group, according to the Census Bureau.

But demographers said that may have to do with Hispanic uncertainty about how to answer the race question on the census form, as well as changes the Census Bureau made in processing responses and how it asked about race and ethnicity in order to better reflect the nation’s diversity.

The data release offers states the first chance to redraw their political districts in a process that is expected to be particularly brutish since control over Congress and statehouses is at stake.

It also provides the first opportunity to see, on a limited basis, how well the Census Bureau fulfilled its goal of counting every U.S. resident during what many consider the most difficult once-a-decade census in recent memory. Communities of color have been undercounted in past censuses. The agency likely will not know how good a job it did until next year, when it releases a survey showing undercounts and overcounts.

“The data we are releasing today meet our high quality data standards,” acting Census Bureau Director Ron Jarmin said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628852166771.png" alt="The figures released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau offered the most detailed portrait yet of how the country has changed since 2010 -Image U.S. Census Bureau" />
 <figcaption>The figures released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau offered the most detailed portrait yet of how the country has changed since 2010 -Image U.S. Census Bureau</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —No racial or ethnic group dominates for those under age 18, and white people declined in numbers for the first time on record in the overall U.S. population as the Hispanic and Asian populations boomed this past decade, according to the 2020 census data.<a href="https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/racial-and-ethnic-diversity-in-the-united-states-2010-and-2020-census.html?linkId=100000060689527">Click here t</a>o see the dataThe figures released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau offered the most detailed portrait yet of how the country has changed since 2010 and will also be instrumental in redrawing the nation’s political maps.The numbers are sure to set off an intense partisan battle over representation at a time of deep national division and fights over voting rights. The numbers could help determine control of the House in the 2022 elections and provide an electoral edge for years to come.The data also will shape how $1.5 trillion in annual federal spending is distributed.The data offered a mirror not only into the demographic changes of the past decade, but also a glimpse of the future. To that end, they showed there is now no majority racial or ethnic group for people younger than 18, as the share of non-Hispanic whites in the age group dropped from 53.5% to 47.3% over the decade.The share of children in the U.S. declined because of falling birth rates, while the share of adults grew, driven by aging baby boomers. Adults over 18 made up more than three-quarters of the population in 2020, or 258.3 million people, an increase of more than 10% from 2010. However, the population of children under age 18 dropped from 74.2 million in 2010 to 73.1 million in 2020.“If not for Hispanics, Asians, people of two or more races, those are the only groups underage that are growing,” said William Frey, a senior fellow at Brookings’ Metropolitan Policy Program. “A lot of these young minorities are important for our future growth, not only for the child population but for our future labor force.”The Asian and Hispanic populations burgeoned from 2010 to 2020, respectively increasing by around a third and almost a quarter over the decade. The Asian population reached 24 million people in 2020, and the Hispanic population hit 62.1 million people.The Hispanic boom accounted for almost half of the overall U.S. population growth, which was the slowest since the Great Depression. By comparison, the non-Hispanic growth rate over the decade was 4.3%. The Hispanic share of the U.S. population grew to 18.7% of the U.S. population, up from 16.3% in 2010.“The 2020 Census confirmed what we have known for years — the future of the country is Latino,” said Arturo Vargas, CEO of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund.The share of the white population fell from 63.7% in 2010 to 57.8% in 2020, the lowest on record, driven by falling birthrates among white women compared with Hispanic and Asian women. The number of non-Hispanic white people shrank from 196 million in 2010 to 191 million.White people continue to be the most prevalent racial or ethnic group, though that changed in California, where Hispanics became the largest racial or ethnic group, growing from 37.6% to 39.4% over the decade, while the share of white people dropped from 40.1% to 34.7%. California, the nation’s most populous state, joined Hawaii, New Mexico and the District of Columbia as a place where non-Hispanic white people are no longer the dominant group.“The U.S. population is much more multiracial and much more racially and ethnically diverse than what we have measured in the past,” said Nicholas Jones, a Census Bureau official.Some demographers cautioned that the white population was not shrinking as much as shifting to multiracial identities. The number of people who identified as belonging to two or more races more than tripled from 9 million people in 2010 to 33.8 million in 2020. They now account for 10% of the U.S. population.People who identify as a race other than white, Black, Asian, American Indian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander — either alone or in combination with one of those races — jumped to 49.9 million people, surpassing the Black population of 46.9 million people as the nation’s second-largest racial group, according to the Census Bureau.But demographers said that may have to do with Hispanic uncertainty about how to answer the race question on the census form, as well as changes the Census Bureau made in processing responses and how it asked about race and ethnicity in order to better reflect the nation’s diversity.The data release offers states the first chance to redraw their political districts in a process that is expected to be particularly brutish since control over Congress and statehouses is at stake.It also provides the first opportunity to see, on a limited basis, how well the Census Bureau fulfilled its goal of counting every U.S. resident during what many consider the most difficult once-a-decade census in recent memory. Communities of color have been undercounted in past censuses. The agency likely will not know how good a job it did until next year, when it releases a survey showing undercounts and overcounts.“The data we are releasing today meet our high quality data standards,” acting Census Bureau Director Ron Jarmin said.___

Census data: White, rural America shrinking

GEARY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a vehicle theft and need help identifying two suspects. 

Two suspects arrived at Sapp Bros gas station, 1913 Lacy Drive in Junction driving a silver Nissan Maxima or Altima and stole a white GMC truck while the owner was inside.

The stolen truck is a white 2015 GMC Sierra with a waterfowl sticker in the back window. 

 If you have any information about the individuals and or the whereabouts of the truck, please call the junction city police department (785-762-5912) or Geary County Crime Stoppers (785-762-8477) and reference case number 2021-16906.

GEARY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a vehicle theft and need help identifying two suspects. Two suspects arrived at Sapp Bros gas station, 1913 Lacy Drive in Junction driving a silver Nissan Maxima or Altima and stole a white GMC truck while the owner was inside.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FJCPDKS%2Fposts%2F4441856042512799&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="778" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>The stolen truck is a white 2015 GMC Sierra with a waterfowl sticker in the back window. If you have any information about the individuals and or the whereabouts of the truck, please call the junction city police department (785-762-5912) or Geary County Crime Stoppers (785-762-8477) and reference case number 2021-16906.

Police ask for help to ID stolen truck suspects

LENEXA, Kan. (AP) — Two police officers who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ks-state-wire-kansas-nashville-shootings-police-60a1d9c5f6bf391ef717928da8d2abb7">shot and killed a man from Tennessee</a>&nbsp;in May were justified in their actions, Johnson County Attorney Steve Howe said Friday.

Darren Dejuan Chandler, 34, of Nashville, was killed on May 25 at an Extended Stay America hotel in Lenexa.

Lenexa officers went to the hotel after police received several calls about a possible domestic violence situation in one of the rooms. Callers said they could hear screams and a woman yelling in pain.

During a news conference Friday, Howe showed clips from police body cameras from the confrontation.

The clips show that after officers were unable to get into room, they kicked down the door. Gunshots were fired and officers retreated, KSHB-TV&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kshb.com/news/crime/johnson-county-district-attorney-may-shooting-involving-lenexa-police-justified" target="_blank">reported</a>.

Howe said Chandler advanced toward the officers as they retreated and they returned fire, killing him. No officers were injured.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628885876832.png" alt="Police body camera images of the shooting courtesy Johnson County District Attorney" />
 <figcaption>Police body camera images of the shooting courtesy Johnson County District Attorney</figcaption>
 </figure>LENEXA, Kan. (AP) — Two police officers who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ks-state-wire-kansas-nashville-shootings-police-60a1d9c5f6bf391ef717928da8d2abb7">shot and killed a man from Tennessee</a>&nbsp;in May were justified in their actions, Johnson County Attorney Steve Howe said Friday.Darren Dejuan Chandler, 34, of Nashville, was killed on May 25 at an Extended Stay America hotel in Lenexa.Lenexa officers went to the hotel after police received several calls about a possible domestic violence situation in one of the rooms. Callers said they could hear screams and a woman yelling in pain.During a news conference Friday, Howe showed clips from police body cameras from the confrontation.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628885852697.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The clips show that after officers were unable to get into room, they kicked down the door. Gunshots were fired and officers retreated, KSHB-TV&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kshb.com/news/crime/johnson-county-district-attorney-may-shooting-involving-lenexa-police-justified" target="_blank">reported</a>.Howe said Chandler advanced toward the officers as they retreated and they returned fire, killing him. No officers were injured.