MITCHELL COUNTY&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is investigating after human skeletal remains were located along the Mitchell and Cloud County line, according to a media release from the agency.

On Monday morning, April 26, just before noon, the KBI was asked by the Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office and the Cloud County Sheriff’s Office to investigate after they located human skeletal remains near Highway 9 and County Road 757, east of Beloit, Kan. KBI agents and the Crime Scene Response Team responded.

The Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office and the Cloud County Sheriff’s Office began searching the area on Monday morning after a resident notified law enforcement at about 10:25 a.m. that they had found a human bone. Authorities made the discovery of the remains soon after.

The KBI is working to determine what caused the person’s death. The remains have not yet been positively identified.

MITCHELL COUNTY&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is investigating after human skeletal remains were located along the Mitchell and Cloud County line, according to a media release from the agency.On Monday morning, April 26, just before noon, the KBI was asked by the Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office and the Cloud County Sheriff’s Office to investigate after they located human skeletal remains near Highway 9 and County Road 757, east of Beloit, Kan. KBI agents and the Crime Scene Response Team responded.The Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office and the Cloud County Sheriff’s Office began searching the area on Monday morning after a resident notified law enforcement at about 10:25 a.m. that they had found a human bone. Authorities made the discovery of the remains soon after.The KBI is working to determine what caused the person’s death. The remains have not yet been positively identified.

KBI: Skeletal remains located in north-central Kansas

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting that left a teen dead and after asking the public for help to ID suspects have arrested&nbsp;18-year-old Easton Palmer of Wichita.

Just before 7p.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to report of a shooting at the&nbsp;Morgan's Landing Apartments complex in the 3800 Block of West 13th Street in Wichita, according to Police Captain Jason Stephens.

When officers arrived, they learned there were five individuals inside the apartment at the time of the incident. One who was fatally shot has been identified as 17-year-old Eric Stokes of Wichita.

EMS transported a second shooting victim identified as a 17-year-old boy to a local hospital. He was treated for minor injuries and released, according to Stephens.

Investigators learned that three unknown, armed suspects arrived at the apartment, forced their way in and fired several shots that killed Stokes.&nbsp; The suspects fled on foot from the apartment complex.&nbsp; It was not a random incident and drugs are believed to have played a part, according to Stephens.

On Tuesday, police released a video of two suspects involved in the homicide.&nbsp; After the release, police received numerous tips from the community, which led to the identification and arrest of Palmer on Tuesday evening at a home in the 11200 block of west Dora in Wichita without incident.

“Time and time again, the community helps solve violent crimes in Wichita,” Chief Gordon Ramsay said.&nbsp; “This is a prime example, and we appreciate the community’s help and continued support.”

&nbsp;Detectives are working on locating two other suspects involved in the crime.

Palmer is being held on requested charges of first-degree murder and aggravated robbery.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting that left a teen dead and are asking the public for help to ID suspects.

If you know the identity of these individuals or know where they are, please call 911, WPD detectives at 316-268-4407, the See Something Say Something hotline at 316-519-2282, or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619547988764.png" alt="Through the investigation, detectives determined the two pictured suspects to be involved in the incident." />
 <figcaption>Through the investigation, detectives determined the two pictured suspects to be involved in the incident.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting that left a teen dead and after asking the public for help to ID suspects have arrested&nbsp;18-year-old Easton Palmer of Wichita.Just before 7p.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to report of a shooting at the&nbsp;Morgan's Landing Apartments complex in the 3800 Block of West 13th Street in Wichita, according to Police Captain Jason Stephens.When officers arrived, they learned there were five individuals inside the apartment at the time of the incident. One who was fatally shot has been identified as 17-year-old Eric Stokes of Wichita.EMS transported a second shooting victim identified as a 17-year-old boy to a local hospital. He was treated for minor injuries and released, according to Stephens.Investigators learned that three unknown, armed suspects arrived at the apartment, forced their way in and fired several shots that killed Stokes.&nbsp; The suspects fled on foot from the apartment complex.&nbsp; It was not a random incident and drugs are believed to have played a part, according to Stephens.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619618101953.png" alt="Palmer photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Palmer photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>On Tuesday, police released a video of two suspects involved in the homicide.&nbsp; After the release, police received numerous tips from the community, which led to the identification and arrest of Palmer on Tuesday evening at a home in the 11200 block of west Dora in Wichita without incident.“Time and time again, the community helps solve violent crimes in Wichita,” Chief Gordon Ramsay said.&nbsp; “This is a prime example, and we appreciate the community’s help and continued support.”&nbsp;Detectives are working on locating two other suspects involved in the crime.Palmer is being held on requested charges of first-degree murder and aggravated robbery.---------SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting that left a teen dead and are asking the public for help to ID suspects.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619547988764.png" alt="Through the investigation, detectives have determined the two pictured suspects to be involved in the incident. " />
 <figcaption>Through the investigation, detectives have determined the two pictured suspects to be involved in the incident. </figcaption>
 </figure>Just before 7p.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to report of a shooting at the&nbsp;Morgan's Landing Apartments complex in the 3800 Block of West 13th Street in Wichita, according to Police Captain Jason Stephens.When officers arrived, they learned there were five individuals inside the apartment at the time of the incident. One who was fatally shot has been identified as 17-year-old Eric Stokes of Wichita.EMS transported a second shooting victim identified as a 17-year-old boy to a local hospital. He was treated for minor injuries and released, according to Stephens.Investigators learned that three unknown, armed suspects arrived at the apartment, forced their way in and fired several shots that killed Stokes.&nbsp; The suspects fled on foot from the apartment complex.&nbsp; It was not a random incident and drugs are believed to have played a part, according to Stephens.If you know the identity of these individuals or know where they are, please call 911, WPD detectives at 316-268-4407, the See Something Say Something hotline at 316-519-2282, or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.---------

Tip led police to arrest suspect in fatal Kansas shooting

Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins, who orbited the moon alone while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made their historic first steps on the lunar surface, died Wednesday. He was 90.

<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/statements-on-passing-of-michael-collins">Click here to read</a> NASA's statement on Collins.

Collins died of cancer, his family said in a statement: “Mike always faced the challenges of life with grace and humility, and faced this, his final challenge, in the same way.”

Collins was part of the three-man Apollo 11 crew that in 1969 effectively ended the space race between the United States and Russia and fulfilled President John F. Kennedy’s challenge to reach the moon by the end of the 1960s.

Though he traveled some 238,000 miles to the moon and came within 69 miles, Collins never set foot on the lunar surface like his crewmates Aldrin and Armstrong, who died in 2012. None of the men flew in space after the Apollo 11 mission.

“It’s human nature to stretch, to go, to see, to understand,” Collins said on the 10th anniversary of the moon landing in 1979. “Exploration is not a choice really — it’s an imperative, and it’s simply a matter of timing as to when the option is exercised.”

“Whether his work was behind the scenes or on full view, his legacy will always be as one of the leaders who took America’s first steps into the cosmos,” acting NASA administrator Steve Jurczyk said in a statement Wednesday.

Collins spent the eight-day mission piloting the command module. While Armstrong and Aldrin descended to the moon’s surface in the lunar lander, Eagle, Collins remained alone in the command module, Columbia.

“I guess you’re about the only person around that doesn’t have TV coverage of the scene,” Mission Control radioed Collins after the landing.

“That’s all right. I don’t mind a bit,” he responded.

Collins was alone for nearly 28 hours before Armstrong and Aldrin finished their tasks on the moon’s surface and lifted off in the lunar lander. Collins was responsible for re-docking the two spacecraft before the men could begin heading back to Earth. Had something gone wrong and Aldrin and Armstrong been stuck on the moon’s surface — a real fear — Collins would have returned to Earth alone.

Though he was frequently asked if he regretted not landing on the moon, that was never an option for Collins, at least not on Apollo 11. Collins’ specialty was as a command module pilot, a job he compared to being the base-camp operator on a mountain climbing expedition. As a result, it meant he wasn’t considered to take part in the July 20, 1969, landing.

“I know that I would be a liar or a fool if I said that I have the best of the three Apollo 11 seats, but I can say with truth and equanimity that I am perfectly satisfied with the one I have,” he wrote in his 1974 autobiography, “Carrying the Fire.” “This venture has been structured for three men, and I consider my third to be as necessary as either of the other two.”

Aldrin, the remaining Apollo 11 astronaut, tweeted a picture Wednesday of the three crewmates laughing, saying: “Dear Mike, Wherever you have been or will be, you will always have the Fire to Carry us deftly to new heights and to the future.”

Collins was born in Rome on Halloween 1930. His parents were Virginia Collins and U.S. Army Maj. Gen. James L. Collins. After graduating from the U.S. Military Academy in 1952, a year behind Aldrin, Collins joined the Air Force, where he became a fighter pilot and test pilot.

John Glenn’s 1962 flight making him the first American to orbit the Earth persuaded Collins to apply to NASA. He was accepted on his second try, in 1963, as part of the third group of astronauts selected. Collins’ first mission was 1966′s Gemini 10, one of the two-man missions made in preparation for flights to the moon.

Along with John Young, Collins practiced maneuvers necessary for a moon landing and performed a spacewalk during the three-day mission. During the spacewalk, he famously lost a camera, which is frequently cited as one of the items of “space junk” orbiting Earth.

On Jan. 9, 1969, NASA announced that Collins, Armstrong and Aldrin would be on the crew of Apollo 11, the United States’ first moon landing attempt. Of his fellow Apollo 11 astronauts, Collins said they were: “Smart as hell, both of them, competent and experienced, each in his own way.” Still, Collins called the group “amiable strangers” because the trio never developed as intense a bond as other crews.

Of the three, Collins was the acknowledged jokester. Aldrin called him the “easygoing guy who brought levity into things.” In summarizing Kennedy’s famous challenge to go to the moon, for example, Collins later said: “It was beautiful in its simplicity. Do what? Moon. When? End of decade.”

The Apollo 11 crew trained for just six months before launching on July 16, 1969, from Florida’s Cape Canaveral. The mission insignia — an eagle landing on the moon with an olive branch in its talons — was largely Collins’ creation.

Collins said one of the things that struck him most was the way the Earth looked from space — peaceful and serene but also delicate.

“As I look back on Apollo 11, I more and more am attracted to my recollection, not of the moon, but of the Earth. Tiny, little Earth in its little black velvet background,” Collins said while marking the mission’s 50th anniversary in 2019.

In contrast, he said the moon seemed almost hostile. In fact, it was considered so hostile that on their return, Collins, Armstrong and Aldrin all spent several days in a quarantine trailer. They received visitors, including President Richard Nixon, staring through a window.

When the group was finally deemed safe, they went on a world tour, visiting 25 countries in just over five weeks.

Collins often remarked that he was surprised that everywhere they went people didn’t say “Well, you Americans finally did it.” Instead, they said, “Well, we finally did it,” meaning “we” humans.

Early on, Collins said Apollo 11 would be his last mission, though officials at NASA wanted him to continue flying. Collins soon left NASA and joined the State Department as assistant secretary for public affairs. Though he enjoyed the people he later wrote that “long hours in Washington flying a great mahogany desk” didn’t suit him.

After about a year he left and joined the Smithsonian Institution. There, he led a team responsible for planning and opening the&nbsp;<a href="https://airandspace.si.edu/amp-stories/dark-side-of-the-moon/" target="_blank">Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum.</a>&nbsp;The Apollo 11 capsule is in the museum’s collection along with some of Collins’ personal items from that mission — flight checklists, his toothbrush, razor and a tube of Old Spice shaving cream.

He is survived by two daughters and grandchildren.

Along with his autobiography, Collins wrote a book on his experience for younger readers, “Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut’s Story.” In a 1994 preface to the book, Collins urged more spending on space exploration and on an astronaut mission to Mars.

“I am too old to fly to Mars, and I regret that. But I still think I have been very, very lucky,” he wrote. “I was born in the days of biplanes and Buck Rogers, learned to fly in the early jets, and hit my peak when moon rockets came along. That’s hard to beat.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619639725786.png" alt="Astronaut Michael Collins, Apollo 11 command module pilot Credits: NASA" />
 <figcaption>Astronaut Michael Collins, Apollo 11 command module pilot Credits: NASA</figcaption>
 </figure>By JESSICA GRESKO, Associated PressApollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins, who orbited the moon alone while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made their historic first steps on the lunar surface, died Wednesday. He was 90.<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/statements-on-passing-of-michael-collins">Click here to read</a> NASA's statement on Collins.Collins died of cancer, his family said in a statement: “Mike always faced the challenges of life with grace and humility, and faced this, his final challenge, in the same way.”Collins was part of the three-man Apollo 11 crew that in 1969 effectively ended the space race between the United States and Russia and fulfilled President John F. Kennedy’s challenge to reach the moon by the end of the 1960s.Though he traveled some 238,000 miles to the moon and came within 69 miles, Collins never set foot on the lunar surface like his crewmates Aldrin and Armstrong, who died in 2012. None of the men flew in space after the Apollo 11 mission.“It’s human nature to stretch, to go, to see, to understand,” Collins said on the 10th anniversary of the moon landing in 1979. “Exploration is not a choice really — it’s an imperative, and it’s simply a matter of timing as to when the option is exercised.”“Whether his work was behind the scenes or on full view, his legacy will always be as one of the leaders who took America’s first steps into the cosmos,” acting NASA administrator Steve Jurczyk said in a statement Wednesday.Collins spent the eight-day mission piloting the command module. While Armstrong and Aldrin descended to the moon’s surface in the lunar lander, Eagle, Collins remained alone in the command module, Columbia.“I guess you’re about the only person around that doesn’t have TV coverage of the scene,” Mission Control radioed Collins after the landing.“That’s all right. I don’t mind a bit,” he responded.Collins was alone for nearly 28 hours before Armstrong and Aldrin finished their tasks on the moon’s surface and lifted off in the lunar lander. Collins was responsible for re-docking the two spacecraft before the men could begin heading back to Earth. Had something gone wrong and Aldrin and Armstrong been stuck on the moon’s surface — a real fear — Collins would have returned to Earth alone.Though he was frequently asked if he regretted not landing on the moon, that was never an option for Collins, at least not on Apollo 11. Collins’ specialty was as a command module pilot, a job he compared to being the base-camp operator on a mountain climbing expedition. As a result, it meant he wasn’t considered to take part in the July 20, 1969, landing.“I know that I would be a liar or a fool if I said that I have the best of the three Apollo 11 seats, but I can say with truth and equanimity that I am perfectly satisfied with the one I have,” he wrote in his 1974 autobiography, “Carrying the Fire.” “This venture has been structured for three men, and I consider my third to be as necessary as either of the other two.”Aldrin, the remaining Apollo 11 astronaut, tweeted a picture Wednesday of the three crewmates laughing, saying: “Dear Mike, Wherever you have been or will be, you will always have the Fire to Carry us deftly to new heights and to the future.”Collins was born in Rome on Halloween 1930. His parents were Virginia Collins and U.S. Army Maj. Gen. James L. Collins. After graduating from the U.S. Military Academy in 1952, a year behind Aldrin, Collins joined the Air Force, where he became a fighter pilot and test pilot.John Glenn’s 1962 flight making him the first American to orbit the Earth persuaded Collins to apply to NASA. He was accepted on his second try, in 1963, as part of the third group of astronauts selected. Collins’ first mission was 1966′s Gemini 10, one of the two-man missions made in preparation for flights to the moon.Along with John Young, Collins practiced maneuvers necessary for a moon landing and performed a spacewalk during the three-day mission. During the spacewalk, he famously lost a camera, which is frequently cited as one of the items of “space junk” orbiting Earth.On Jan. 9, 1969, NASA announced that Collins, Armstrong and Aldrin would be on the crew of Apollo 11, the United States’ first moon landing attempt. Of his fellow Apollo 11 astronauts, Collins said they were: “Smart as hell, both of them, competent and experienced, each in his own way.” Still, Collins called the group “amiable strangers” because the trio never developed as intense a bond as other crews.Of the three, Collins was the acknowledged jokester. Aldrin called him the “easygoing guy who brought levity into things.” In summarizing Kennedy’s famous challenge to go to the moon, for example, Collins later said: “It was beautiful in its simplicity. Do what? Moon. When? End of decade.”The Apollo 11 crew trained for just six months before launching on July 16, 1969, from Florida’s Cape Canaveral. The mission insignia — an eagle landing on the moon with an olive branch in its talons — was largely Collins’ creation.Collins said one of the things that struck him most was the way the Earth looked from space — peaceful and serene but also delicate.“As I look back on Apollo 11, I more and more am attracted to my recollection, not of the moon, but of the Earth. Tiny, little Earth in its little black velvet background,” Collins said while marking the mission’s 50th anniversary in 2019.In contrast, he said the moon seemed almost hostile. In fact, it was considered so hostile that on their return, Collins, Armstrong and Aldrin all spent several days in a quarantine trailer. They received visitors, including President Richard Nixon, staring through a window.When the group was finally deemed safe, they went on a world tour, visiting 25 countries in just over five weeks.Collins often remarked that he was surprised that everywhere they went people didn’t say “Well, you Americans finally did it.” Instead, they said, “Well, we finally did it,” meaning “we” humans.Early on, Collins said Apollo 11 would be his last mission, though officials at NASA wanted him to continue flying. Collins soon left NASA and joined the State Department as assistant secretary for public affairs. Though he enjoyed the people he later wrote that “long hours in Washington flying a great mahogany desk” didn’t suit him.After about a year he left and joined the Smithsonian Institution. There, he led a team responsible for planning and opening the&nbsp;<a href="https://airandspace.si.edu/amp-stories/dark-side-of-the-moon/" target="_blank">Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum.</a>&nbsp;The Apollo 11 capsule is in the museum’s collection along with some of Collins’ personal items from that mission — flight checklists, his toothbrush, razor and a tube of Old Spice shaving cream.He is survived by two daughters and grandchildren.Along with his autobiography, Collins wrote a book on his experience for younger readers, “Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut’s Story.” In a 1994 preface to the book, Collins urged more spending on space exploration and on an astronaut mission to Mars.“I am too old to fly to Mars, and I regret that. But I still think I have been very, very lucky,” he wrote. “I was born in the days of biplanes and Buck Rogers, learned to fly in the early jets, and hit my peak when moon rockets came along. That’s hard to beat.”

Astronaut Michael Collins, Apollo 11 pilot, dead at 90

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (AP) — Police in suburban Kansas City were investigating after a person was found dead outside a home early Wednesday morning in Independence.

Officers were called around 1:50 a.m. to the house along South Crescent Avenue for reports of gunfire, police said. Arriving officers found a person dead outside the home. The victim’s name was not immediately released.

Police blocked off the home and part of the street as they investigated. Officer John Syme, a spokesman for the Independence Police Department, said police were awaiting approval of a search warrant to enter the home and see if anyone was inside.

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (AP) — Police in suburban Kansas City were investigating after a person was found dead outside a home early Wednesday morning in Independence.Officers were called around 1:50 a.m. to the house along South Crescent Avenue for reports of gunfire, police said. Arriving officers found a person dead outside the home. The victim’s name was not immediately released.Police blocked off the home and part of the street as they investigated. Officer John Syme, a spokesman for the Independence Police Department, said police were awaiting approval of a search warrant to enter the home and see if anyone was inside.

Police: Person found dead at suburban Kansas City house

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man injured April 23 in a pedestrian accident has died in Sedgwick has died.

On Tuesday evening, Jason Lee Patrick, 48, of Haysville, died from injuries, according to Sedgwick County Sheriff's Deputy Benjamin Blick.

Just before 7 a.m. April 23, deputies responded to a vehicle/pedestrian collision on Spirit AeroSystems campus near Gate 13 at 4400 E MacArthur in Wichita, according Blick.

 During the investigation deputies learned an eastbound GMC truck driven by a 39-year-old man struck Patrick who was walking northbound. The driver of the GMC stopped after the collision and remained at the scene.

EMS transported Patrick to a local hospital with critical injuries. The driver of the GMC was not injured.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619201129342.png" alt="First responders on the scene of the accident on Friday -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene of the accident on Friday -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man injured April 23 in a pedestrian accident has died in Sedgwick has died.On Tuesday evening, Jason Lee Patrick, 48, of Haysville, died from injuries, according to Sedgwick County Sheriff's Deputy Benjamin Blick.Just before 7 a.m. April 23, deputies responded to a vehicle/pedestrian collision on Spirit AeroSystems campus near Gate 13 at 4400 E MacArthur in Wichita, according Blick. During the investigation deputies learned an eastbound GMC truck driven by a 39-year-old man struck Patrick who was walking northbound. The driver of the GMC stopped after the collision and remained at the scene.EMS transported Patrick to a local hospital with critical injuries. The driver of the GMC was not injured.&nbsp;

48-year-old Kan. man injured in pedestrian accident has died

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 645&nbsp; to a total of 308,510, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;

Total coronavirus deaths were reported at 4978, an increase of 8.

<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a> about the COVID-19 vaccine.

<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 645&nbsp; to a total of 308,510, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;Total coronavirus deaths were reported at 4978, an increase of 8.<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a> about the COVID-19 vaccine.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619631211737.png" alt="Wednesday April 28, 2021 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday April 28, 2021 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

SALINE COUNTY —Two calves died in a fire late Tuesday afternoon west of Salina.

Just after 5p.m. Tuesday deputies and firefighters from Rural Fire District No. 3 were sent to the 2500 block of S. Reese Road&nbsp; for the report of a structure fire, according to&nbsp;Saline County Sheriff's Captain Jim Hughes.

When they arrived, they found a 50-foot by 40-foot metal building in flames. The owner, John Fouard, told deputies that he believed a faulty refrigerator may have been the source of the fire.

Two three-month-old calves died in the fire. Additionally, miscellaneous tools and farm equipment were either damaged or destroyed. The building also was destroyed. Total loss was estimated at $24,000, according to Hughes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619622685279.jpeg" alt="Total loss in the fire was estimated at $24,000-photo Saline Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Total loss in the fire was estimated at $24,000-photo Saline Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —Two calves died in a fire late Tuesday afternoon west of Salina.Just after 5p.m. Tuesday deputies and firefighters from Rural Fire District No. 3 were sent to the 2500 block of S. Reese Road&nbsp; for the report of a structure fire, according to&nbsp;Saline County Sheriff's Captain Jim Hughes.When they arrived, they found a 50-foot by 40-foot metal building in flames. The owner, John Fouard, told deputies that he believed a faulty refrigerator may have been the source of the fire.Two three-month-old calves died in the fire. Additionally, miscellaneous tools and farm equipment were either damaged or destroyed. The building also was destroyed. Total loss was estimated at $24,000, according to Hughes.

Sheriff: Calves perish in rural Kansas building fire

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating the fatal April 23 shooting of 42-year-old Nathan Brock and 41-year-old Trisha Benjamin of in their mobile home in Wichita have made an arrest.

On Tuesday, Sedgwick County Sheriff’s detectives arrested and booked 30-year-old Steven L. Fessenden of Wichita for the murder, according to Lt. Benjamin Blick.

Just before 5:30a.m. Saturday, sheriff's deputies were sent to a check shots call at the Englewood mobile home park located at 3201 E MacArthur in Wichita, according to Sheriff's Lt. Benjamin Blick.

While responding, deputies received information that a man and woman were inside the residence with apparent gunshot wounds.

When deputies arrived, they had to force entry to the home. Inside the home, they located Brock and Benjamin deceased, according to Blick.

Fessenden is being <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20042364">held on requested charges</a> of first-degree murder and interference with law enforcement, according online jail records.

The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for charging.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting.

When deputies arrived, they had to force entry to the home. Inside the home, they located a 42-year-old man and 41-year-old woman deceased, according to Blick.

Detectives are collecting evidence and conducting interviews to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Authorities have not released names of the victims.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and have identified the victims as 42-year-old Nathan Brock and 41-year-old Trisha Benjamin.

Detectives are collecting evidence and conducting interviews to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619305057074.png" alt="Police tape near the fatal shooting investigation on Saturday photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police tape near the fatal shooting investigation on Saturday photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating the fatal April 23 shooting of 42-year-old Nathan Brock and 41-year-old Trisha Benjamin of in their mobile home in Wichita have made an arrest.On Tuesday, Sedgwick County Sheriff’s detectives arrested and booked 30-year-old Steven L. Fessenden of Wichita for the murder, according to Lt. Benjamin Blick.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619619611260.png" alt="Fessenden photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Fessenden photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Just before 5:30a.m. Saturday, sheriff's deputies were sent to a check shots call at the Englewood mobile home park located at 3201 E MacArthur in Wichita, according to Sheriff's Lt. Benjamin Blick.While responding, deputies received information that a man and woman were inside the residence with apparent gunshot wounds.When deputies arrived, they had to force entry to the home. Inside the home, they located Brock and Benjamin deceased, according to Blick.Fessenden is being <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20042364">held on requested charges</a> of first-degree murder and interference with law enforcement, according online jail records.The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for charging.---------SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting.Just before 5:30a.m. Saturday, sheriff's deputies were sent to a check shots call at the Englewood mobile home park located at 3201 E MacArthur in Wichita, according to Sheriff's Lt. Benjamin Blick.While responding, deputies received information that a man and woman were inside the residence with apparent gunshot wounds.When deputies arrived, they had to force entry to the home. Inside the home, they located a 42-year-old man and 41-year-old woman deceased, according to Blick.Detectives are collecting evidence and conducting interviews to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Authorities have not released names of the victims.---------------<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619305057074.png" alt="Police tape near the fatal shooting investigation on Saturday photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police tape near the fatal shooting investigation on Saturday photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and have identified the victims as 42-year-old Nathan Brock and 41-year-old Trisha Benjamin.Just before 5:30a.m. Saturday, sheriff's deputies were sent to a check shots call at the Englewood mobile home park located at 3201 E MacArthur in Wichita, according to Sheriff's Lt. Benjamin Blick.While responding, deputies received information that a man and woman were inside the residence with apparent gunshot wounds.When deputies arrived, they had to force entry to the home. Inside the home, they located Brock and Benjamin deceased, according to Blick.Detectives are collecting evidence and conducting interviews to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting.---------SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting.Just before 5:30a.m. Saturday, sheriff's deputies were sent to a check shots call at the Englewood mobile home park located at 3201 E MacArthur in Wichita, according to Sheriff's Lt. Benjamin Blick.While responding, deputies received information that a man and woman were inside the residence with apparent gunshot wounds.When deputies arrived, they had to force entry to the home. Inside the home, they located a 42-year-old man and 41-year-old woman deceased, according to Blick.Detectives are collecting evidence and conducting interviews to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Authorities have not released names of the victims.

Sheriff's deputies capture suspect in murder of Kan. couple

SAN RAMON, Calif. (AP) — Apple is following through on its pledge to crack down on Facebook and other snoopy apps that secretly shadow people on their iPhones in order to target more advertising at users.

The new privacy feature, dubbed “App Tracking Transparency,” rolled out this week as part of an update to the operating system powering the iPhone and iPad. The anti-tracking shield included in iOS 14.5 arrives after a seven-month delay during which Apple and Facebook attacked each other’s business models and motives for decisions that affect billions of people around the world.

“What this feud demonstrates more than anything is that Facebook and Apple have tremendous gatekeeping powers over the market,” said Elizabeth Renieris, founding director of the Technology Ethics Lab at the University of Notre Dame.

But Apple says it is just looking out for the best interests of the more than 1 billion people currently using iPhones.

“Now is a good time to bring this out, both because of because of the increasing amount of data they have on their devices, and their sensitivity (about the privacy risks) is increasing, too," Erik Neuenschwander, Apple's chief privacy engineer, told The Associated Press in an interview.

Once the software update is installed -- something most iPhone users do -- even existing apps already on the device will be required to ask and receive consent to track online activities. That’s a shift Facebook fiercely resisted, most prominently in a series of full-page newspaper ads blasting Apple.

Until now, Facebook and other apps have been able to automatically conduct their surveillance on iPhones unless users took the time and trouble to go into their settings to prevent it -- a process that few people bother to navigate.

“This is an important step toward consumers getting the transparency and the controls they have clearly been looking for,” said Daniel Barber, CEO of DataGrail, a firm that helps companies manage personal privacy.

In its attacks on Apple's anti-tracking controls, Facebook blasted the move as an abuse of power designed to force more apps to charge for their services instead of relying on ads. Apple takes a 15% to 30% cut on most payments processed through an iPhone app.

Online tracking has long helped Facebook and thousands of other apps accumulate information about their user’s interests and habits so they can show customized ads. Although Facebook executives initially acknowledged Apple’s changes would probably reduce its revenue by billions of dollars annually, the social networking company has framed most of its public criticism as a defense of small businesses that rely on online ads to stay alive.

Apple, in turn, has pilloried Facebook and other apps for prying so deeply into people's lives that it has created a societal crisis.

In a speech given a few weeks after the Jan. 6 attacks on the U.S. Capitol, Apple CEO Tim Cook pointed out how personal information collected through tracking by Facebook and other social media can sometimes push people toward more misinformation and hate speech as part of the efforts to show more ads.

“What are the consequences of not just tolerating but rewarding content that undermines public trust in life-saving vaccinations?” Cook asked. “What are the consequences of seeing thousands of users join extremist groups and then perpetuating an algorithm that recommends more?”

It’s part of Apple’s attempt to use the privacy issue to its competitive advantage, Barber said, a tactic he now expects more major brands to embrace if the new anti-tracking controls prove popular among most consumers.

In a change of tone, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently suggested that Apple’s new privacy controls could actually help his company in the long run. His rationale: The inability to automatically track iPhone users may prod more companies to sell their products directly on Facebook and affiliated services such as Instagram if they can't collect enough personal information to effectively target ads within their own apps.

“It’s possible that we may even be in a stronger position if Apple’s changes encourage more businesses to conduct more commerce on our platforms by making it harder for them to use their data in order to find the customers that would want to use their products outside of our platforms,” Zuckerberg said last month during a discussion held on the audio chat app Clubhouse.

In the same interview, Zuckerberg also asserted most people realize that advertising is a “time-tested model” that enables them to get more services for free or at extremely low prices.

“People get for the most part that if they are going to see ads, they want them to be relevant ads,” Zuckerberg said. He didn’t say whether he believes most iPhone users will consent to tracking in exchange for ads tailored to their interests.

Google also depends on personal information to fuel a digital ad network even bigger than Facebook’s, but it has said it would be able to adjust to the iPhone’s new privacy controls. Unlike Facebook, Google has close business ties with Apple. Google pays Apple an estimated $9 billion to $12 billion annually to be the preferred search engine on iPhone and iPad. That arrangement is currently one element of an antitrust case filed last year by the U.S. Justice Department.

Facebook is also defending itself against a federal antitrust lawsuit seeking to break the company apart. Meanwhile, Apple is being scrutinized by lawmakers and regulators around the world for the commissions it collects on purchases made through iPhone apps and its ability to shake up markets through new rules that are turning it into a de facto regulator.

“Even if Apple’s business model and side in this battle is more rights protective and better for consumer privacy, there is still a question of whether we want a large corporation like Apple effectively ‘legislating’ through the app store,” Renieris said.

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE, AP Technology WriterSAN RAMON, Calif. (AP) — Apple is following through on its pledge to crack down on Facebook and other snoopy apps that secretly shadow people on their iPhones in order to target more advertising at users.The new privacy feature, dubbed “App Tracking Transparency,” rolled out this week as part of an update to the operating system powering the iPhone and iPad. The anti-tracking shield included in iOS 14.5 arrives after a seven-month delay during which Apple and Facebook attacked each other’s business models and motives for decisions that affect billions of people around the world.“What this feud demonstrates more than anything is that Facebook and Apple have tremendous gatekeeping powers over the market,” said Elizabeth Renieris, founding director of the Technology Ethics Lab at the University of Notre Dame.But Apple says it is just looking out for the best interests of the more than 1 billion people currently using iPhones.“Now is a good time to bring this out, both because of because of the increasing amount of data they have on their devices, and their sensitivity (about the privacy risks) is increasing, too," Erik Neuenschwander, Apple's chief privacy engineer, told The Associated Press in an interview.Once the software update is installed -- something most iPhone users do -- even existing apps already on the device will be required to ask and receive consent to track online activities. That’s a shift Facebook fiercely resisted, most prominently in a series of full-page newspaper ads blasting Apple.Until now, Facebook and other apps have been able to automatically conduct their surveillance on iPhones unless users took the time and trouble to go into their settings to prevent it -- a process that few people bother to navigate.“This is an important step toward consumers getting the transparency and the controls they have clearly been looking for,” said Daniel Barber, CEO of DataGrail, a firm that helps companies manage personal privacy.In its attacks on Apple's anti-tracking controls, Facebook blasted the move as an abuse of power designed to force more apps to charge for their services instead of relying on ads. Apple takes a 15% to 30% cut on most payments processed through an iPhone app.Online tracking has long helped Facebook and thousands of other apps accumulate information about their user’s interests and habits so they can show customized ads. Although Facebook executives initially acknowledged Apple’s changes would probably reduce its revenue by billions of dollars annually, the social networking company has framed most of its public criticism as a defense of small businesses that rely on online ads to stay alive.Apple, in turn, has pilloried Facebook and other apps for prying so deeply into people's lives that it has created a societal crisis.In a speech given a few weeks after the Jan. 6 attacks on the U.S. Capitol, Apple CEO Tim Cook pointed out how personal information collected through tracking by Facebook and other social media can sometimes push people toward more misinformation and hate speech as part of the efforts to show more ads.“What are the consequences of not just tolerating but rewarding content that undermines public trust in life-saving vaccinations?” Cook asked. “What are the consequences of seeing thousands of users join extremist groups and then perpetuating an algorithm that recommends more?”It’s part of Apple’s attempt to use the privacy issue to its competitive advantage, Barber said, a tactic he now expects more major brands to embrace if the new anti-tracking controls prove popular among most consumers.In a change of tone, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently suggested that Apple’s new privacy controls could actually help his company in the long run. His rationale: The inability to automatically track iPhone users may prod more companies to sell their products directly on Facebook and affiliated services such as Instagram if they can't collect enough personal information to effectively target ads within their own apps.“It’s possible that we may even be in a stronger position if Apple’s changes encourage more businesses to conduct more commerce on our platforms by making it harder for them to use their data in order to find the customers that would want to use their products outside of our platforms,” Zuckerberg said last month during a discussion held on the audio chat app Clubhouse.In the same interview, Zuckerberg also asserted most people realize that advertising is a “time-tested model” that enables them to get more services for free or at extremely low prices.“People get for the most part that if they are going to see ads, they want them to be relevant ads,” Zuckerberg said. He didn’t say whether he believes most iPhone users will consent to tracking in exchange for ads tailored to their interests.Google also depends on personal information to fuel a digital ad network even bigger than Facebook’s, but it has said it would be able to adjust to the iPhone’s new privacy controls. Unlike Facebook, Google has close business ties with Apple. Google pays Apple an estimated $9 billion to $12 billion annually to be the preferred search engine on iPhone and iPad. That arrangement is currently one element of an antitrust case filed last year by the U.S. Justice Department.Facebook is also defending itself against a federal antitrust lawsuit seeking to break the company apart. Meanwhile, Apple is being scrutinized by lawmakers and regulators around the world for the commissions it collects on purchases made through iPhone apps and its ability to shake up markets through new rules that are turning it into a de facto regulator.“Even if Apple’s business model and side in this battle is more rights protective and better for consumer privacy, there is still a question of whether we want a large corporation like Apple effectively ‘legislating’ through the app store,” Renieris said.

Apple finally releases anti-tracking feature on iPhone

KANSAS CITY (AP) —R&amp;B artist Trey Songz will not face charges in an alleged altercation with police officers at the AFC championship game in Kansas City, prosecutors announced Tuesday.

Mike Mansur, a spokesman for the Jackson County prosecutor’s office, said there is “insufficient evidence” to bring charges and that police were notified of the decision late last week. He declined to comment further.

Songz, whose real name is Tremaine Aldon Neverson, was arrested and jailed overnight in January. Police have said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trey-songz-arrested-1b186432ea5010945456919125ae42fe">he scuffled with officers</a>&nbsp;during his arrest.

Songz’s representative, Sydney Margetson, declined to comment on the charging decision.

Authorities accused Songz of not following coronavirus protocols and other rules at the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills at Arrowhead Stadium.

Police said in a statement that other spectators at the game complained about a man who was not following COVID-19-related protocols and other code of conduct rules, including not being disruptive, intoxicated, or using obscene language.

The statement did not identify the man as Songz and did not say exactly which rules the man was breaking.

Police said the man refused to follow orders from private security guards and was asked to leave. When he refused, officers from the Kansas City police and Jackson County sheriff’s office were called and he was told he would be arrested if he didn’t comply. Police said he punched one officer and put him in a headlock.

Capt. David Jackson, a spokesman for the Kansas City Police Department, said Tuesday that the completed case file, including surveillance video, was sent to prosecutors. He added that “the prosecutor makes the decision to charge or not charge a suspect.”

In October, Songz posted on Instagram that he had tested positive for COVID-19. He said he was taking the disease very seriously and urged his fans to do the same.

Songz is a three-time Grammy-nominated singer. He earned his third No. 1 on Billboard’s Top R&amp;B Albums chart with “Back Home” last year. His other two chart-topping albums are “Trigga” and “Tremaine The Album.” He has also appeared in films including “Texas Chainshaw 3D,” “Baggage Claim” and he starred in “Blood Brother” in 2018.

In 2017, Songz was charged with felony assault and assaulting a police officer after he became upset when he was told to end a performance in Detroit. Authorities said microphones and speakers were thrown from the stage.

Songz pleaded guilty in August 2017 to two counts of disturbing the peace and was sentenced to 18 months of probation.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — R&amp;B artist Trey Songz was jailed Sunday night after he scuffled with police officers during his arrest for not following coronavirus protocols and other rules at the AFC championship game in Kansas City, police said Monday.

Songz, 36, whose name is Tremaine Aldon Neverson, was released Monday while an investigation continues, Jackson County Sheriff’s spokesman LeVanden Darks said. No charges have been filed.

Songz’s representative, Sydney Margetson, declined to comment Monday.

In October, Songz&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CF-zMKTh4bA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=embed_video_watch_again" target="_blank">posted</a>&nbsp;on Instagram that he had tested positive for COVID-19. He said he was taking the disease very seriously and urged his fans to do the same.

Kansas City police said in a statement that fans at the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills complained about a man who was not following COVID-19-related protocols and other code of conduct rules for fans, which include not being disruptive, intoxicated, or using obscene language.

The statement did not identify the man as Songz and did not say exactly which rules he was breaking.

Police said the man refused to follow orders from private security guards at Arrowhead Stadium and was asked to leave. When he refused, officers from the Kansas City police and Jackson County sheriff’s office were called and he was told he would be arrested if he didn’t comply, police said.

He punched one officer and put him in a headlock, police said.

TMZ released&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tmz.com/2021/01/24/trey-songz-chiefs-game-fight-police-officer-arrest/" target="_blank">a video</a>&nbsp;Monday that showed Songz was not wearing a mask and struggled with several officers before he was led away in handcuffs.

The video does not show how the confrontation began. Some fans can be heard yelling at officers to leave him alone.

The video shows at least one officer without a mask and others with masks not completely covering their mouth and nose.

Kansas City police told The Associated Press that officers working Chiefs games “comply with all mask mandates.”

“He clearly had his mask on prior to being assaulted and placed in a headlock,” KCPD spokeswoman Donna Drake said in an email.

Law enforcement officials said several agencies work NFL games, making it difficult to know how many other fans might have been ejected or arrested Sunday.

Earlier this month, Songz was set to perform at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houston-sylvester-turner-coronavirus-pandemic-bow-wow-us-news-83d3da44fe3f904924ce955699e5bd92">a concert in Houston</a>&nbsp;but police shut it down after seeing hundreds of people lining up to enter the venue, which was supposed to be operating at 50% capacity.

In 2017, Songz&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c6ea528012e94fd38a9d8ed217744580">was charged</a>&nbsp;with felony assault and assaulting a police officer after he became upset when he was told to end a performance in Detroit. Authorities said microphones and speakers were thrown from the stage during the concert.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611674513397.png" alt="Songz whose real name is Tremaine Aldon Neverson-photo Jackson Co.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Songz whose real name is Tremaine Aldon Neverson-photo Jackson Co.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —R&amp;B artist Trey Songz will not face charges in an alleged altercation with police officers at the AFC championship game in Kansas City, prosecutors announced Tuesday.Mike Mansur, a spokesman for the Jackson County prosecutor’s office, said there is “insufficient evidence” to bring charges and that police were notified of the decision late last week. He declined to comment further.Songz, whose real name is Tremaine Aldon Neverson, was arrested and jailed overnight in January. Police have said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trey-songz-arrested-1b186432ea5010945456919125ae42fe">he scuffled with officers</a>&nbsp;during his arrest.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Surveillance video from the incident, including the three previous times security was called. The suspect punches the officer at about 4:44 in the video. <a href="https://t.co/npZncOfX4V">https://t.co/npZncOfX4V</a>&mdash; kcpolice (@kcpolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/kcpolice/status/1353834743159279617?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Songz’s representative, Sydney Margetson, declined to comment on the charging decision.Authorities accused Songz of not following coronavirus protocols and other rules at the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills at Arrowhead Stadium.Police said in a statement that other spectators at the game complained about a man who was not following COVID-19-related protocols and other code of conduct rules, including not being disruptive, intoxicated, or using obscene language.The statement did not identify the man as Songz and did not say exactly which rules the man was breaking.Police said the man refused to follow orders from private security guards and was asked to leave. When he refused, officers from the Kansas City police and Jackson County sheriff’s office were called and he was told he would be arrested if he didn’t comply. Police said he punched one officer and put him in a headlock.Capt. David Jackson, a spokesman for the Kansas City Police Department, said Tuesday that the completed case file, including surveillance video, was sent to prosecutors. He added that “the prosecutor makes the decision to charge or not charge a suspect.”In October, Songz posted on Instagram that he had tested positive for COVID-19. He said he was taking the disease very seriously and urged his fans to do the same.Songz is a three-time Grammy-nominated singer. He earned his third No. 1 on Billboard’s Top R&amp;B Albums chart with “Back Home” last year. His other two chart-topping albums are “Trigga” and “Tremaine The Album.” He has also appeared in films including “Texas Chainshaw 3D,” “Baggage Claim” and he starred in “Blood Brother” in 2018.In 2017, Songz was charged with felony assault and assaulting a police officer after he became upset when he was told to end a performance in Detroit. Authorities said microphones and speakers were thrown from the stage.Songz pleaded guilty in August 2017 to two counts of disturbing the peace and was sentenced to 18 months of probation.___KANSAS CITY (AP) — R&amp;B artist Trey Songz was jailed Sunday night after he scuffled with police officers during his arrest for not following coronavirus protocols and other rules at the AFC championship game in Kansas City, police said Monday.Songz, 36, whose name is Tremaine Aldon Neverson, was released Monday while an investigation continues, Jackson County Sheriff’s spokesman LeVanden Darks said. No charges have been filed.Songz’s representative, Sydney Margetson, declined to comment Monday.Songz is a three-time Grammy-nominated singer. He earned his third No. 1 on Billboard’s Top R&amp;B Albums chart with “Back Home” last year. His other two chart-topping albums are “Trigga” and “Tremaine The Album.” He has also appeared in films including “Texas Chainshaw 3D,” “Baggage Claim” and he starred in “Blood Brother” in 2018.In October, Songz&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CF-zMKTh4bA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=embed_video_watch_again" target="_blank">posted</a>&nbsp;on Instagram that he had tested positive for COVID-19. He said he was taking the disease very seriously and urged his fans to do the same.Kansas City police said in a statement that fans at the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills complained about a man who was not following COVID-19-related protocols and other code of conduct rules for fans, which include not being disruptive, intoxicated, or using obscene language.The statement did not identify the man as Songz and did not say exactly which rules he was breaking.Police said the man refused to follow orders from private security guards at Arrowhead Stadium and was asked to leave. When he refused, officers from the Kansas City police and Jackson County sheriff’s office were called and he was told he would be arrested if he didn’t comply, police said.He punched one officer and put him in a headlock, police said.TMZ released&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tmz.com/2021/01/24/trey-songz-chiefs-game-fight-police-officer-arrest/" target="_blank">a video</a>&nbsp;Monday that showed Songz was not wearing a mask and struggled with several officers before he was led away in handcuffs.The video does not show how the confrontation began. Some fans can be heard yelling at officers to leave him alone.The video shows at least one officer without a mask and others with masks not completely covering their mouth and nose.Kansas City police told The Associated Press that officers working Chiefs games “comply with all mask mandates.”“He clearly had his mask on prior to being assaulted and placed in a headlock,” KCPD spokeswoman Donna Drake said in an email.Law enforcement officials said several agencies work NFL games, making it difficult to know how many other fans might have been ejected or arrested Sunday.Earlier this month, Songz was set to perform at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houston-sylvester-turner-coronavirus-pandemic-bow-wow-us-news-83d3da44fe3f904924ce955699e5bd92">a concert in Houston</a>&nbsp;but police shut it down after seeing hundreds of people lining up to enter the venue, which was supposed to be operating at 50% capacity.In 2017, Songz&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c6ea528012e94fd38a9d8ed217744580">was charged</a>&nbsp;with felony assault and assaulting a police officer after he became upset when he was told to end a performance in Detroit. Authorities said microphones and speakers were thrown from the stage during the concert.Songz pleaded guilty in August 2017 to two counts of disturbing the peace and was sentenced to 18 months of probation.

🎥No charges against R&B artist over scuffle at AFC title game in KC

WASHINGTON (AP) — Marking his first 100 days in office, President Joe Biden will use his first joint address to Congress to pitch&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-business-government-and-politics-9e352e3dea44997725edb279751abab3">a $1.8 trillion investment</a>&nbsp;in children, families and education that would fundamentally transform the role government plays in American life.

Biden will make his case Wednesday night before a pared-down gathering of mask-wearing legislators due to coronavirus restrictions and in a U.S. Capitol still surrounded by black fencing after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-confirm-joe-biden-78104aea082995bbd7412a6e6cd13818">insurrectionists protesting his election</a>&nbsp;occupied the very dais where he will stand.

In the nationally televised ritual of a president standing before Congress, Biden will lay out a sweeping proposal for universal preschool, two years of free community college, $225 billion for child care and monthly payments of at least $250 to parents. His ideas reflect the frailties that were uncovered last year by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">the pandemic</a>, and he will make the case that economic growth would best come from taxing the rich to help the middle class and the poor.

His speech will also provide an update on progress in combating the COVID-19 crisis he was elected to tame, showcasing hundreds of millions of vaccinations and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/white-house-virus-relief-checks-3eed6a4659f1fb7d36b4ced0eba58f86">relief checks</a>&nbsp;delivered to help offset the devastation wrought by a virus that has&nbsp;<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html" target="_blank">killed more than 573,000 people in the United States</a>. He will also champion his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-technology-coronavirus-pandemic-pittsburgh-jen-psaki-8865ffc8f5ad3142155a5bd3c3a3e6d3">$2.3 trillion infrastructure plan</a>, a staggering figure to be financed solely by higher taxes on corporations.

Seizing an opportunity born of generational calamity, Biden has embraced momentous action over incremental progress, with the goal of making the economy fairer and stronger. But he will be forced to thread the needle between Republicans who cry government overreach and some Democrats who fear he won’t go big enough.

The Democratic president’s strategy is to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-coronavirus-pandemic-impeachments-barack-obama-4c79ff8d59f8ce19f9dae6b550223bf0">sidestep the polarization</a>&nbsp;and make his appeal directly to voters. His prime-time speech will underscore a trio of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-climate-iran-nuclear-immigration-de7b288aa2b4315b5b7fe38559a6e666">central campaign promises</a>: to manage the deadly pandemic, to turn down the tension in Washington and to restore faith in government as an effective force for good.

“He is a big-government Democrat, and he has not been at all reluctant to propose big initiatives in a response to a national crisis,” said Julian Zelizer, a Princeton University presidential historian.

No American politician has more familiarity with the presidential address to Congress than Biden. He spent three decades in the audience as a senator and another eight years seated behind President Barack Obama during the annual address when he was vice president.

For the first time on Wednesday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-vice-president-f86d6be83bf83fe9b823ae7e21f94796">a female vice president</a>, Kamala Harris, will be seated behind the chief executive for the speech.

Biden also knows that most of those seated before him have, like he did, looked at the president and envisioned themselves one day in his place. He has heard the memorable phrases and the long list of promises — often unmet — and seen the partisan reactions intensify as the years have hurried by.

He chose to delay this speech, typically given in the afterglow of a presidential inaugural. In doing so, he gave himself the chance to not simply speak of the pain of the COVID-19 crisis but also to talk about tangible progress in beating it back.

The setting will be unlike for any of his predecessors, with members of Congress spread out and socially distanced and many Republicans citing “scheduling conflicts” to explain their absence. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday that Biden’s presidency “can best be described as the Biden bait and switch.”

“President Biden ran as a moderate, but I’m hard pressed to think of anything at all that he’s done so far that would indicate some degree of moderation,” McConnell said.

Yet the desire for swift action is born from political necessity. Biden understands that the time for passing his agenda could be perilously short given that president’s parties historically lose congressional seats in the midterm elections, less than two years away. The Democrats’ margins are already razor-thin.

Biden will talk to Congress amid the start of a potentially booming recovery, one that could determine whether the U.S. economy can once again fire on all cylinders after a morale-crushing pandemic and a humbling financial crisis with shock waves that linger a dozen years later.

In his first three months in office, Biden signed a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill — passed without a single GOP vote — and has shepherded direct payments of $1,400 per person to more than 160 million households. Hundreds of billions of dollars in aid will soon arrive for state and local governments, enough money that overall U.S. growth this year could eclipse 6% — a level not seen since 1984. Administration officials are betting that it will be enough to bring back all 8.4 million jobs lost to the pandemic by next year.

Biden’s speech Wednesday is about how to sustain those gains once the debt-financed boost fades. Federal Reserve estimates suggest that the economy will slip to more modest 1.8% growth after at least two years of robust gains, potentially leaving the Biden era with some happy memories but few enduring legacies.

New in his Wednesday speech is a “families” plan that could cement his legacy with $1.8 trillion worth of spending over 10 years.

A significant amount of the proposal would ensure that eligible families receive at least $250 monthly per child through 2025, extending the enhanced tax credit that was part of Biden’s COVID-19 aid. There would be $200 billion for free preschool for all 3- and 4-year-olds. Another $225 billion would pay for subsidized child care and invest in child care workers.

A national paid family and medical leave program would be started at a cost of $225 billion. Another $200 billion would go to permanently reduce health insurance premiums for people who receive coverage through the Affordable Care Act.

For $109 billion, people could attend community college tuition-free for two years. There would be $85 billion for Pell Grants to help more people afford higher education. Historically Black and tribal institutions would be eligible to receive $46 billion.

Funding all of this would be a series of tax increases on the wealthy that would raise about $1.5 trillion over a decade.

Biden wants to boost IRS enforcement and require disclosures by financial institutions, specifically targeting the rich. The White House estimates that would bring in $700 billion over 10 years. He would raise the top tax rate on the most affluent families from 37% to 39.6%. People earning in excess of $1 million a year would see their rate on capital gains — the profits from a sale of a stock or home — nearly double from 20% to 39.6%, which would mean the wealthiest Americans could no longer pay at a lower rate than many families who identify as middle class.

The president has drawn a firm red line that no household earning less than $400,000 a year will pay more in taxes, a move that both broadened the definition of the middle class and clearly delineated just how extreme inequality has become.

Economist Owen Zidar, whose research suggested that capital gains tax hikes could raise meaningful revenues, said the programs funded by the proceeds might allow poorer children to become inventors and entrepreneurs, positions that are increasingly reserved for the offspring of wealthy parents.

“There are many missing Einsteins and Elon Musks,” Zidar said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Marking his first 100 days in office, President Joe Biden will use his first joint address to Congress to pitch&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-business-government-and-politics-9e352e3dea44997725edb279751abab3">a $1.8 trillion investment</a>&nbsp;in children, families and education that would fundamentally transform the role government plays in American life.Biden will make his case Wednesday night before a pared-down gathering of mask-wearing legislators due to coronavirus restrictions and in a U.S. Capitol still surrounded by black fencing after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-confirm-joe-biden-78104aea082995bbd7412a6e6cd13818">insurrectionists protesting his election</a>&nbsp;occupied the very dais where he will stand.In the nationally televised ritual of a president standing before Congress, Biden will lay out a sweeping proposal for universal preschool, two years of free community college, $225 billion for child care and monthly payments of at least $250 to parents. His ideas reflect the frailties that were uncovered last year by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">the pandemic</a>, and he will make the case that economic growth would best come from taxing the rich to help the middle class and the poor.His speech will also provide an update on progress in combating the COVID-19 crisis he was elected to tame, showcasing hundreds of millions of vaccinations and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/white-house-virus-relief-checks-3eed6a4659f1fb7d36b4ced0eba58f86">relief checks</a>&nbsp;delivered to help offset the devastation wrought by a virus that has&nbsp;<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html" target="_blank">killed more than 573,000 people in the United States</a>. He will also champion his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-technology-coronavirus-pandemic-pittsburgh-jen-psaki-8865ffc8f5ad3142155a5bd3c3a3e6d3">$2.3 trillion infrastructure plan</a>, a staggering figure to be financed solely by higher taxes on corporations.Seizing an opportunity born of generational calamity, Biden has embraced momentous action over incremental progress, with the goal of making the economy fairer and stronger. But he will be forced to thread the needle between Republicans who cry government overreach and some Democrats who fear he won’t go big enough.The Democratic president’s strategy is to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-coronavirus-pandemic-impeachments-barack-obama-4c79ff8d59f8ce19f9dae6b550223bf0">sidestep the polarization</a>&nbsp;and make his appeal directly to voters. His prime-time speech will underscore a trio of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-climate-iran-nuclear-immigration-de7b288aa2b4315b5b7fe38559a6e666">central campaign promises</a>: to manage the deadly pandemic, to turn down the tension in Washington and to restore faith in government as an effective force for good.“He is a big-government Democrat, and he has not been at all reluctant to propose big initiatives in a response to a national crisis,” said Julian Zelizer, a Princeton University presidential historian.No American politician has more familiarity with the presidential address to Congress than Biden. He spent three decades in the audience as a senator and another eight years seated behind President Barack Obama during the annual address when he was vice president.For the first time on Wednesday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-vice-president-f86d6be83bf83fe9b823ae7e21f94796">a female vice president</a>, Kamala Harris, will be seated behind the chief executive for the speech.Biden also knows that most of those seated before him have, like he did, looked at the president and envisioned themselves one day in his place. He has heard the memorable phrases and the long list of promises — often unmet — and seen the partisan reactions intensify as the years have hurried by.He chose to delay this speech, typically given in the afterglow of a presidential inaugural. In doing so, he gave himself the chance to not simply speak of the pain of the COVID-19 crisis but also to talk about tangible progress in beating it back.The setting will be unlike for any of his predecessors, with members of Congress spread out and socially distanced and many Republicans citing “scheduling conflicts” to explain their absence. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday that Biden’s presidency “can best be described as the Biden bait and switch.”“President Biden ran as a moderate, but I’m hard pressed to think of anything at all that he’s done so far that would indicate some degree of moderation,” McConnell said.Yet the desire for swift action is born from political necessity. Biden understands that the time for passing his agenda could be perilously short given that president’s parties historically lose congressional seats in the midterm elections, less than two years away. The Democrats’ margins are already razor-thin.Biden will talk to Congress amid the start of a potentially booming recovery, one that could determine whether the U.S. economy can once again fire on all cylinders after a morale-crushing pandemic and a humbling financial crisis with shock waves that linger a dozen years later.In his first three months in office, Biden signed a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill — passed without a single GOP vote — and has shepherded direct payments of $1,400 per person to more than 160 million households. Hundreds of billions of dollars in aid will soon arrive for state and local governments, enough money that overall U.S. growth this year could eclipse 6% — a level not seen since 1984. Administration officials are betting that it will be enough to bring back all 8.4 million jobs lost to the pandemic by next year.Biden’s speech Wednesday is about how to sustain those gains once the debt-financed boost fades. Federal Reserve estimates suggest that the economy will slip to more modest 1.8% growth after at least two years of robust gains, potentially leaving the Biden era with some happy memories but few enduring legacies.New in his Wednesday speech is a “families” plan that could cement his legacy with $1.8 trillion worth of spending over 10 years.A significant amount of the proposal would ensure that eligible families receive at least $250 monthly per child through 2025, extending the enhanced tax credit that was part of Biden’s COVID-19 aid. There would be $200 billion for free preschool for all 3- and 4-year-olds. Another $225 billion would pay for subsidized child care and invest in child care workers.A national paid family and medical leave program would be started at a cost of $225 billion. Another $200 billion would go to permanently reduce health insurance premiums for people who receive coverage through the Affordable Care Act.For $109 billion, people could attend community college tuition-free for two years. There would be $85 billion for Pell Grants to help more people afford higher education. Historically Black and tribal institutions would be eligible to receive $46 billion.Funding all of this would be a series of tax increases on the wealthy that would raise about $1.5 trillion over a decade.Biden wants to boost IRS enforcement and require disclosures by financial institutions, specifically targeting the rich. The White House estimates that would bring in $700 billion over 10 years. He would raise the top tax rate on the most affluent families from 37% to 39.6%. People earning in excess of $1 million a year would see their rate on capital gains — the profits from a sale of a stock or home — nearly double from 20% to 39.6%, which would mean the wealthiest Americans could no longer pay at a lower rate than many families who identify as middle class.The president has drawn a firm red line that no household earning less than $400,000 a year will pay more in taxes, a move that both broadened the definition of the middle class and clearly delineated just how extreme inequality has become.Economist Owen Zidar, whose research suggested that capital gains tax hikes could raise meaningful revenues, said the programs funded by the proceeds might allow poorer children to become inventors and entrepreneurs, positions that are increasingly reserved for the offspring of wealthy parents.“There are many missing Einsteins and Elon Musks,” Zidar said.___

Biden to propose free preschool, community college in speech to Congress

SALINA—Law enforcement authorities investigating the murder of a woman in Salina continue their search for a suspect identified as as 35-year-old Nelson Gerrod Hull.

He is wanted for the February 23 shooting death of 36-year-old Courtney Ann Hoffman.&nbsp; The Saline County District Court issued an arrest warrant for Hull for murder in the first degree.

Hull is described as a black male, 6-foot-3, 200 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. A tattoo on the right side of his neck is "Mi Familia."

On Monday, police reported the arrest of Clarence Darnyl Brown, 34, of Salina, in connection with the case.&nbsp;Brown is being held on requested charges of Aiding and abetting first degree murder, Criminal solicitation and Interference with law enforcement.

Just after 11:30a.m. on February 23, police responded to the 700 block of North Fourth Street in Salina for a report of the sound of gunfire and someone screaming, according to a media release.

Upon arrival, Salina Police Officers located a woman identified as Hoffman inside a vehicle at 731 N. 4th Street. She had a gunshot wound and was pronounced deceased by Salina Fire Department EMS personnel.

Police say Hull should be considered armed and dangerous. They encourage anyone with information on Hull's current location to contact 911 immediately.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576681996331.jpeg" alt="Hull photo Saline Co." />
 <figcaption>Hull photo Saline Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINA—Law enforcement authorities investigating the murder of a woman in Salina continue their search for a suspect identified as as 35-year-old Nelson Gerrod Hull.He is wanted for the February 23 shooting death of 36-year-old Courtney Ann Hoffman.&nbsp; The Saline County District Court issued an arrest warrant for Hull for murder in the first degree.Hull is described as a black male, 6-foot-3, 200 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. A tattoo on the right side of his neck is "Mi Familia."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614348886825.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation Tuesday in Salina. photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation Tuesday in Salina. photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>On Monday, police reported the arrest of Clarence Darnyl Brown, 34, of Salina, in connection with the case.&nbsp;Brown is being held on requested charges of Aiding and abetting first degree murder, Criminal solicitation and Interference with law enforcement.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1614629894498.png" alt="Clarence Brown -photo Saline County" />
 <figcaption>Clarence Brown -photo Saline County</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 11:30a.m. on February 23, police responded to the 700 block of North Fourth Street in Salina for a report of the sound of gunfire and someone screaming, according to a media release.Upon arrival, Salina Police Officers located a woman identified as Hoffman inside a vehicle at 731 N. 4th Street. She had a gunshot wound and was pronounced deceased by Salina Fire Department EMS personnel.Police say Hull should be considered armed and dangerous. They encourage anyone with information on Hull's current location to contact 911 immediately.

 After 9 weeks, search continues for suspect in murder of Kan. woman

<a href="http://www.kansasappleseed.org">Kansas Appleseed Center for Law and Justice</a>

The USDA has approved the Kansas Department for Children and Families and the Kansas Department of Education’s Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) implementation plan.&nbsp;This program allows Kansas families with children who utilize SNAP or free and reduced-price meals at school, as well as some Kansas kids who utilize child care, to receive benefits on electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards that can be used for groceries, much like SNAP food assistance.&nbsp;

With Kansas’s plan approved, qualifying families will begin to receive food benefits as soon as the next six weeks. The amount families receive will be based on the number of children in their household and how long their school district had remote learning due to COVID-19. P-EBT helps families fill the gaps left when families may not have been able to access school meals due to the pandemic.&nbsp;

“Pandemic-EBT benefits are critical for Kansas families,” Jami Reever, Kansas Appleseed Executive Director, said. “Programs like P-EBT, free meals offered through the Summer Food Service Program and more help families stretch their dollars as far as possible during COVID-19.”&nbsp;

USDA approval is the first step. While the state works to bring the plan online, Kansas families who haven’t done so should apply for the free and reduced lunch program to ensure their eligibility. Families who already participate should also verify their application information is up-to-date.&nbsp;

The first round of Pandemic-EBT was made available last spring for Kansas families whose children were out of school due to COVID-19 closures.&nbsp;

The USDA also announced it will expand Pandemic-EBT into the summer months. This means these same families will receive an additional $375 per child to help buy food this summer.

“Thank you to all the work of DCF, KSDE, school districts and their employees, food banks, volunteers, and all those doing everything in their power to fight hunger in Kansas,” Reever said.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/7/1562944742118.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="http://www.kansasappleseed.org">Kansas Appleseed Center for Law and Justice</a>The USDA has approved the Kansas Department for Children and Families and the Kansas Department of Education’s Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) implementation plan.&nbsp;This program allows Kansas families with children who utilize SNAP or free and reduced-price meals at school, as well as some Kansas kids who utilize child care, to receive benefits on electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards that can be used for groceries, much like SNAP food assistance.&nbsp;With Kansas’s plan approved, qualifying families will begin to receive food benefits as soon as the next six weeks. The amount families receive will be based on the number of children in their household and how long their school district had remote learning due to COVID-19. P-EBT helps families fill the gaps left when families may not have been able to access school meals due to the pandemic.&nbsp;“Pandemic-EBT benefits are critical for Kansas families,” Jami Reever, Kansas Appleseed Executive Director, said. “Programs like P-EBT, free meals offered through the Summer Food Service Program and more help families stretch their dollars as far as possible during COVID-19.”&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619631893320.jpeg" alt="Reever" />
 <figcaption>Reever</figcaption>
 </figure>USDA approval is the first step. While the state works to bring the plan online, Kansas families who haven’t done so should apply for the free and reduced lunch program to ensure their eligibility. Families who already participate should also verify their application information is up-to-date.&nbsp;The first round of Pandemic-EBT was made available last spring for Kansas families whose children were out of school due to COVID-19 closures.&nbsp;The USDA also announced it will expand Pandemic-EBT into the summer months. This means these same families will receive an additional $375 per child to help buy food this summer.“Thank you to all the work of DCF, KSDE, school districts and their employees, food banks, volunteers, and all those doing everything in their power to fight hunger in Kansas,” Reever said.&nbsp;

USDA decision will mean added food assistance for many Kansans

WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department
 of the Treasury, and the Bureau of the Fiscal Service announced they 
are disbursing nearly 2 million payments in the seventh batch of 
Economic Impact Payments from the American Rescue Plan.

Today's announcement brings the total disbursed so far to 
approximately 163 million payments, with a total value of approximately 
$384 billion, since these payments began rolling out to Americans in 
batches <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-begins-delivering-third-round-of-economic-impact-payments-to-americans">as announced</a> on March 12.

The seventh batch of payments began processing on Friday, April 23, 
with an official payment date of April 28, with some people receiving 
direct payments in their accounts earlier as provisional or pending 
deposits. Here is additional information on this batch of payments:

Additional information is available on the first six batches of 
Economic Impact Payments from the American Rescue Plan, which processed 
weekly on <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/two-million-more-economic-impact-payments-disbursed-under-the-american-rescue-plan-total-reaches-approximately-161-million-as-payments-continue">April 16</a>, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-treasury-disburse-2-million-more-economic-impact-payments-under-the-american-rescue-plan-va-beneficiaries-bring-total-to-approximately-159-million-as-payments-continue">April 9</a>, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-treasury-disburse-25-million-more-economic-impact-payments-under-the-american-rescue-plan">April 2</a>, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-treasury-disburse-more-economic-impact-payments-under-the-american-rescue-plan-total-tops-130-million-with-more-to-come">March 26</a>, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-treasury-disburse-another-37-million-economic-impact-payments-from-the-american-rescue-plan">March 19</a> and <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0063">March 12</a>.

The IRS will continue to make Economic Impact Payments on a weekly 
basis. Ongoing payments will be sent to eligible individuals for whom 
the IRS previously did not have information to issue a payment but who 
recently filed a tax return, as well to people who qualify for "plus-up"
 payments.

Special reminder for those who don't normally file a tax return

Although payments are automatic for most people, the IRS continues to
 urge people who don't normally file a tax return and haven't received 
Economic Impact Payments to file a 2020 tax return to get all the 
benefits they're entitled to under the law, including tax credits such 
as the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit">2020 Recovery Rebate Credit</a>,
 the Child Tax Credit, and the Earned Income Tax Credit. Filing a 2020 
tax return will also assist the IRS in determining whether someone is 
eligible for an advance payment of the 2021 Child Tax Credit, which will
 begin to be disbursed this summer.

For example, some federal benefits recipients may need to file a 2020
 tax return – even if they don't usually file – to provide information 
the IRS needs to send payments for a qualifying dependent. Eligible 
individuals in this group should file a 2020 tax return as quickly as 
possible to be considered for an additional payment for their qualifying
 dependents.

People who don't normally file a tax return and don't receive federal
 benefits may qualify for these Economic Impact Payments. This includes 
those experiencing <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/those-experiencing-homelessness-can-get-economic-impact-payments-and-other-tax-benefits-permanent-address-not-required">homelessness</a>,
 the rural poor, and others. Individuals who didn't get a first or 
second round Economic Impact Payment or got less than the full amounts 
may be eligible for the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit">2020 Recovery Rebate Credit</a>, but they'll need to file a 2020 tax return. See the special section on IRS.gov: <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit-topic-a-claiming-the-recovery-rebate-credit-if-you-arent-required-to-file-a-tax-return">Claiming the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit if you aren't required to file a tax return</a>.

Free <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/free-tax-return-preparation-for-qualifying-taxpayers">tax return preparation</a> is available for qualifying people.

The IRS reminds taxpayers that the income levels in this third round 
of Economic Impact Payments have changed. This means that some people 
won't be eligible for the third payment even if they received a first or
 second Economic Impact Payment or claimed a 2020 Recovery Rebate 
Credit. Payments will begin to be reduced for individuals making $75,000
 or above in Adjusted Gross Income ($150,000 for married filing 
jointly). The payments end at $80,000 for individuals ($160,000 for 
married filing jointly); people with Adjusted Gross Incomes above these 
levels are ineligible for a payment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — On Wednesday, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department
 of the Treasury, and the Bureau of the Fiscal Service announced they 
are disbursing nearly 2 million payments in the seventh batch of 
Economic Impact Payments from the American Rescue Plan.Today's announcement brings the total disbursed so far to 
approximately 163 million payments, with a total value of approximately 
$384 billion, since these payments began rolling out to Americans in 
batches <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-begins-delivering-third-round-of-economic-impact-payments-to-americans">as announced</a> on March 12.The seventh batch of payments began processing on Friday, April 23, 
with an official payment date of April 28, with some people receiving 
direct payments in their accounts earlier as provisional or pending 
deposits. Here is additional information on this batch of payments:<ul>
 <li>In total, this batch includes nearly 2 million payments with a value of more than $4.3 billion.</li><li>More than 1.2 million payments, with a value of over $3 billion, 
went to eligible individuals for whom the IRS previously did not have 
information to issue an Economic Impact Payment but who recently filed a
 tax return.&nbsp;</li><li>This batch also includes additional ongoing supplemental payments 
for people who earlier this year received payments based on their 2019 
tax returns but are eligible for a new or larger payment based on their 
recently processed 2020 tax returns. This batch included more than 
730,000 of these "plus-up" payments, with a value of over $1.3 billion.</li><li>Overall, this seventh batch of payments contains about 1.1 million 
direct deposit payments (with a total value of $2.5 billion) and about 
850,000 paper check payments (with a total value of more than $1.8 
billion).</li>
 </ul>Additional information is available on the first six batches of 
Economic Impact Payments from the American Rescue Plan, which processed 
weekly on <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/two-million-more-economic-impact-payments-disbursed-under-the-american-rescue-plan-total-reaches-approximately-161-million-as-payments-continue">April 16</a>, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-treasury-disburse-2-million-more-economic-impact-payments-under-the-american-rescue-plan-va-beneficiaries-bring-total-to-approximately-159-million-as-payments-continue">April 9</a>, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-treasury-disburse-25-million-more-economic-impact-payments-under-the-american-rescue-plan">April 2</a>, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-treasury-disburse-more-economic-impact-payments-under-the-american-rescue-plan-total-tops-130-million-with-more-to-come">March 26</a>, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-treasury-disburse-another-37-million-economic-impact-payments-from-the-american-rescue-plan">March 19</a> and <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0063">March 12</a>.The IRS will continue to make Economic Impact Payments on a weekly 
basis. Ongoing payments will be sent to eligible individuals for whom 
the IRS previously did not have information to issue a payment but who 
recently filed a tax return, as well to people who qualify for "plus-up"
 payments.<h2>Special reminder for those who don't normally file a tax return</h2>Although payments are automatic for most people, the IRS continues to
 urge people who don't normally file a tax return and haven't received 
Economic Impact Payments to file a 2020 tax return to get all the 
benefits they're entitled to under the law, including tax credits such 
as the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit">2020 Recovery Rebate Credit</a>,
 the Child Tax Credit, and the Earned Income Tax Credit. Filing a 2020 
tax return will also assist the IRS in determining whether someone is 
eligible for an advance payment of the 2021 Child Tax Credit, which will
 begin to be disbursed this summer.For example, some federal benefits recipients may need to file a 2020
 tax return – even if they don't usually file – to provide information 
the IRS needs to send payments for a qualifying dependent. Eligible 
individuals in this group should file a 2020 tax return as quickly as 
possible to be considered for an additional payment for their qualifying
 dependents.People who don't normally file a tax return and don't receive federal
 benefits may qualify for these Economic Impact Payments. This includes 
those experiencing <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/those-experiencing-homelessness-can-get-economic-impact-payments-and-other-tax-benefits-permanent-address-not-required">homelessness</a>,
 the rural poor, and others. Individuals who didn't get a first or 
second round Economic Impact Payment or got less than the full amounts 
may be eligible for the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit">2020 Recovery Rebate Credit</a>, but they'll need to file a 2020 tax return. See the special section on IRS.gov: <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit-topic-a-claiming-the-recovery-rebate-credit-if-you-arent-required-to-file-a-tax-return">Claiming the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit if you aren't required to file a tax return</a>.Free <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/free-tax-return-preparation-for-qualifying-taxpayers">tax return preparation</a> is available for qualifying people.The IRS reminds taxpayers that the income levels in this third round 
of Economic Impact Payments have changed. This means that some people 
won't be eligible for the third payment even if they received a first or
 second Economic Impact Payment or claimed a 2020 Recovery Rebate 
Credit. Payments will begin to be reduced for individuals making $75,000
 or above in Adjusted Gross Income ($150,000 for married filing 
jointly). The payments end at $80,000 for individuals ($160,000 for 
married filing jointly); people with Adjusted Gross Incomes above these 
levels are ineligible for a payment.Individuals can check the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment">Get My Payment</a>&nbsp;tool on IRS.gov to see the payment status of these payments. Additional information on <a href="https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/economic-impact-payments">Economic Impact Payments</a> is available on IRS.gov.