WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Two Wichita women who helped organize protests in the city last summer calling for changes in police conduct have been found guilty of misdemeanor charges connected to the demonstrations.

Gabrielle Griffie and Marissa Gonzalez both received probation sentences after their convictions for unlawful assembly in Wichita Municipal Court last week. Gonzalez was also convicted of assault related to one confrontation with a driver. Both women were acquitted of disorderly conduct in the protests last July that at times blocked traffic while protesters marched down streets.

Their trials focused on whether the protesters could occupy the roads to deliver their message, and Judge Bryce Abbott ultimately decided that protesters had no right to impede traffic without a permit for their demonstration.

Defense attorney Dylan Wheeler said the women plan to appeal aspects of Abbott’s rulings.

During the trials, prosecutor Maria Schrock described the women as angry and aggressive when they interacted with lawful drivers on Wichita streets. Wheeler argued that his clients were defending themselves against drivers who went through crowds and called protesters names.

After the trials, Wheeler said he appreciated that the judge closely examined the First Amendment issues related to the charges.

“It would have been deeply disturbing — and moreover, wildly unconstitutional — had the City’s attempts to criminalize my clients’ speech merely for the views they expressed been successful,” Wheeler said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596455816022.png" alt="Griffie photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Griffie photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Two Wichita women who helped organize protests in the city last summer calling for changes in police conduct have been found guilty of misdemeanor charges connected to the demonstrations.Gabrielle Griffie and Marissa Gonzalez both received probation sentences after their convictions for unlawful assembly in Wichita Municipal Court last week. Gonzalez was also convicted of assault related to one confrontation with a driver. Both women were acquitted of disorderly conduct in the protests last July that at times blocked traffic while protesters marched down streets.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618774080718.png" alt="Gonzalez photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Gonzalez photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Their trials focused on whether the protesters could occupy the roads to deliver their message, and Judge Bryce Abbott ultimately decided that protesters had no right to impede traffic without a permit for their demonstration.Defense attorney Dylan Wheeler said the women plan to appeal aspects of Abbott’s rulings.During the trials, prosecutor Maria Schrock described the women as angry and aggressive when they interacted with lawful drivers on Wichita streets. Wheeler argued that his clients were defending themselves against drivers who went through crowds and called protesters names.After the trials, Wheeler said he appreciated that the judge closely examined the First Amendment issues related to the charges.“It would have been deeply disturbing — and moreover, wildly unconstitutional — had the City’s attempts to criminalize my clients’ speech merely for the views they expressed been successful,” Wheeler said.

Two women sentenced for actions in Kan. police protests

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City, Kansas police officer is out of the hospital after being electrocuted by wires that were knocked down when a vehicle doing donuts struck a power pole Saturday night.

Just before 10p.m., the officer was working off-duty security at a nearby restaurant and bar near 30th&nbsp;Street and Southwest Boulevard, according to a media release from the KCPD.

A witness reported that an unknown “street racer” had been doing donuts in the roadway and struck the power pole, causing live electric wires to fall onto the Boulevard. The vehicle fled the scene.

The officer was standing outside the restaurant at the time of the crash. He heard the commotion and walked down the street to see what happened. He saw the wires in the roadway and had just stepped off the curb to stop traffic when another vehicle drove by. The vehicle hit the wires, causing them to fly up and strike the officer. He was flung back in a shower of sparks.

Because of the strike and the way he had been thrown back, the officer initially thought he had been hit by a car. He crawled to the side of Southwest Boulevard and radioed that he’d been hit by a car and asked for help. The vehicle that struck the live wire stopped initially. The driver got out, inspected their car and looked around but apparently did not see the officer down at the curb several yards behind them and drove away.

Officers responding to the scene to assist the electrocuted officer were driving with their lights and sirens on in the left lane, northbound on Southwest Boulevard. They got into a crash when a car in the right lane made a left turn in front of them into a liquor store parking lot. Those officers also were treated and released at an area hospital, as were the occupants of the car that had turned in front of them.&nbsp;

Another officer responding to the scene was almost struck by a different vehicle doing donuts in the street at 31st&nbsp;and Southwest Boulevard.

The electrocuted officer was alert and talking when help arrived, and remained so through his stay at the hospital. He is now recovering at home.

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City, Kansas police officer is out of the hospital after being electrocuted by wires that were knocked down when a vehicle doing donuts struck a power pole Saturday night.Just before 10p.m., the officer was working off-duty security at a nearby restaurant and bar near 30th&nbsp;Street and Southwest Boulevard, according to a media release from the KCPD.A witness reported that an unknown “street racer” had been doing donuts in the roadway and struck the power pole, causing live electric wires to fall onto the Boulevard. The vehicle fled the scene.The officer was standing outside the restaurant at the time of the crash. He heard the commotion and walked down the street to see what happened. He saw the wires in the roadway and had just stepped off the curb to stop traffic when another vehicle drove by. The vehicle hit the wires, causing them to fly up and strike the officer. He was flung back in a shower of sparks.Because of the strike and the way he had been thrown back, the officer initially thought he had been hit by a car. He crawled to the side of Southwest Boulevard and radioed that he’d been hit by a car and asked for help. The vehicle that struck the live wire stopped initially. The driver got out, inspected their car and looked around but apparently did not see the officer down at the curb several yards behind them and drove away.Officers responding to the scene to assist the electrocuted officer were driving with their lights and sirens on in the left lane, northbound on Southwest Boulevard. They got into a crash when a car in the right lane made a left turn in front of them into a liquor store parking lot. Those officers also were treated and released at an area hospital, as were the occupants of the car that had turned in front of them.&nbsp;Another officer responding to the scene was almost struck by a different vehicle doing donuts in the street at 31st&nbsp;and Southwest Boulevard.The electrocuted officer was alert and talking when help arrived, and remained so through his stay at the hospital. He is now recovering at home.

Kan. officer recovering after electrocution by downed power lines

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a series of reported shots fired that have been attributed to a vehicle with a rapidly backfiring exhaust.

On Sunday, police responded to approximately 17 calls of drive-by shooting or shots being fired after responding to a dozen calls April 11 during the same general time period and general area, according to officer Charley Davidson.

In each instance, police did not locate any physical evidence, damage, or injures from shots being fired. The calls caused a lot of fear throughout the community.

Just after 4 a.m. Monday a police officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle on the access road in the 5300 block of East Kellogg in Wichita.

While on the stop, a charcoal-colored mustang traveling eastbound on Kellogg drove by the officer and accelerated, causing the exhaust to rapidly backfire, sounding like gunfire. The officer attempted to catch up to the mustang but was unable to do so because of its extreme speed.

If you have any information on the whereabouts of this vehicle or the identity of the driver, please call 911 or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a series of reported shots fired that have been attributed to a vehicle with a rapidly backfiring exhaust.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=258&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWichitaPolice%2Fvideos%2F2845757062353296%2F&show_text=false&width=560" width="560" height="258" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>On Sunday, police responded to approximately 17 calls of drive-by shooting or shots being fired after responding to a dozen calls April 11 during the same general time period and general area, according to officer Charley Davidson.In each instance, police did not locate any physical evidence, damage, or injures from shots being fired. The calls caused a lot of fear throughout the community.Just after 4 a.m. Monday a police officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle on the access road in the 5300 block of East Kellogg in Wichita.While on the stop, a charcoal-colored mustang traveling eastbound on Kellogg drove by the officer and accelerated, causing the exhaust to rapidly backfire, sounding like gunfire. The officer attempted to catch up to the mustang but was unable to do so because of its extreme speed.If you have any information on the whereabouts of this vehicle or the identity of the driver, please call 911 or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111

🎥  Police work to ID car with exhaust that sounds like gunfire

By BRIAN GRIMMETT <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/climate-change-has-turned-kansas-prairie-junk-food-thats-killing-grasshoppers">Kansas News Service</a>

MANHATTAN — Ellen Welti has a Ph.D. in, essentially, grasshoppers.

And yet she was still mystified about why the number of grasshoppers in a long-protected and <a href="http://lter.konza.ksu.edu/about-konza">much-studied patch of Kansas prairie</a> was dropping. Steadily. For 25 years.

After
 all, the grass that the springy bugs feast on had actually grown more 
robustly as it absorbed mounting levels of carbon dioxide in the 
atmosphere.

So why were the grasshoppers faring increasingly worse?

“We thought that this is a pretty nice habitat for grasshoppers,” she said.

The
 insects dwell on the Konza Long-Term Ecological Research site. Their 
home sat in preserve, shielded from development, from farming, from just
 about everything people do to the planet.

“It doesn’t have a lot
 of the pressures we usually associate with insect decline. Like, 
there’s no pesticide spraying,” Welti said. “The size of the habitat is 
not shrinking. It’s the big natural reserve.”

And yet the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/117/13/7271#xref-corresp-1-1">numbers showed an alarming decline</a> — nearly 2% a year for about a quarter century.

“It’s
 like compound interest,” said Michael Kaspari, a research professor at 
the University of Oklahoma who advised Welti on the paper. “You add that
 up over 25 years and we’re talking about a significant decline in one 
of the most important insects on the prairie.”

Even this 
treasured research site — part of a worldwide network aimed at studying a
 biological baseline — shares the atmosphere with the rest of the Earth.

Welti and her research team found that all those human-boosted levels
 of carbon dioxide in the air changed the grass. Bigger leaves, sure, 
but all that volume diluted the nutrients grasshoppers need to thrive.

Basically, climate change had converted the grasshopper’s staple into insect junk food.

“That
 was a surprise for me,” Welti said. “But thinking more about it and 
knowing about grasshoppers and how sensitive they are to these plant 
nutrients, it makes a lot of sense.”

A normal amount of 
grasshoppers on the prairie can eat as much grass as a herd of cattle. 
Grasshoppers are a huge part of the tallgrass ecosystem. But they’re 
also limited. They really just eat the grass, so when it changes, it can
 have a huge impact.

To figure out just what was going on, Welti 
went back to the Konza research station to take a deeper look. 
Researchers there have tens of thousands of grass samples from the last 
40 years.

“Ecology can happen rather slowly,” said Amanda Kuhl, a
 research assistant charged with collecting and cataloguing the samples.
 “Sometimes it can take decades to notice a trend, or tease things 
apart.”

In one of the storage rooms at the Konza research 
building on the campus of Kansas State University, brown paper bags full
 of grass and dirt samples fill the walls from the floor to the ceiling.
 And those bags are just some of the samples from last year.

“Once
 they get these cleaned up they’ll go back into a drying oven to remove 
all the moisture,” Kuhl said. “I’ll weigh them and that’s how we get our
 biomass numbers.”

The facility also has thousands of small envelopes full of ground-up samples. They can be used to run chemical analysis.

The
 biomass numbers paired with the chemical analysis led Welti to what was
 causing the grasshopper declines: bigger, but less nutritious grass.

“At
 first, it looks like there’s overall more food availability for 
grasshoppers,” she said. “But when we got back the plant chemistry, what
 we could see is that this increase in plant biomass really corresponded
 to decreases in the quality of the biomass.”

It’s something known as nutrient dilution.

“Every
 bite of those grasses is giving less and less back to all the other 
living things that depend on the plants,” Kaspari said.

The 
change is driven by an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the 
atmosphere from burning fossil fuels. Every time the plants take in air 
it contains far more carbon than ever before. They can’t get rid of it 
so they stick it in their tissue. That equals bigger plants.

The problem is that the amount of other nutrients in the soil, such as nitrogen, potassium and sodium, aren’t really changing.

It’s
 like switching out a plate of kale for a plate of iceberg lettuce. The 
plates might have the same amount, but one has a whole lot more of the 
good stuff bodies need.

Kaspari said the fact that the problem is rooted in too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is particularly daunting.

“You
 can remediate habitat destruction,” he said. “You just stop doing it 
and you reforest, or reclaim the grassland. But the answer to nutrient 
dilution is actually reducing the CO2 in the atmosphere.”

Welti said the findings were pretty clear. Where they found large, but less nutritious, grass, they found grasshopper declines.

And
 unlike humans, who can use fertilizer to increase nutrients in our food
 or take a multivitamin to supplement any gaps, grasshoppers are stuck 
with what is there naturally.

Welti said the findings are about 
more than the bugs. Fewer grasshoppers will lead to fewer birds. Fewer 
birds could lead to more rodents.

The decline of one species of grasshopper could strengthen another, potentially leading to swarms that damage crops.

And
 the underlying problem, nutrient dilution due to climate change, will 
impact all animals that rely on eating plants. From grasshoppers and 
leaf beetles up to bison and cattle. And eventually humans.

“Even
 (at the Konza Prairie),” she said, “climate change can strongly affect 
the community and even lead to insect declines — which is pretty 
depressing.”

Brian Grimmett reports on the environment, 
energy and natural resources for KMUW in Wichita and the Kansas News 
Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/briangrimmett?lang=en">@briangrimmett</a> or email him at grimmett@kmuw.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618852576892.png" alt="A close-up picture of a grasshopper nymph. USGSBMIL Team" />
 <figcaption>A close-up picture of a grasshopper nymph. USGSBMIL Team</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRIAN GRIMMETT <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/climate-change-has-turned-kansas-prairie-junk-food-thats-killing-grasshoppers">Kansas News Service</a>MANHATTAN — Ellen Welti has a Ph.D. in, essentially, grasshoppers.And yet she was still mystified about why the number of grasshoppers in a long-protected and <a href="http://lter.konza.ksu.edu/about-konza">much-studied patch of Kansas prairie</a> was dropping. Steadily. For 25 years.After
 all, the grass that the springy bugs feast on had actually grown more 
robustly as it absorbed mounting levels of carbon dioxide in the 
atmosphere.So why were the grasshoppers faring increasingly worse?“We thought that this is a pretty nice habitat for grasshoppers,” she said.The
 insects dwell on the Konza Long-Term Ecological Research site. Their 
home sat in preserve, shielded from development, from farming, from just
 about everything people do to the planet.“It doesn’t have a lot
 of the pressures we usually associate with insect decline. Like, 
there’s no pesticide spraying,” Welti said. “The size of the habitat is 
not shrinking. It’s the big natural reserve.”And yet the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/117/13/7271#xref-corresp-1-1">numbers showed an alarming decline</a> — nearly 2% a year for about a quarter century.“It’s
 like compound interest,” said Michael Kaspari, a research professor at 
the University of Oklahoma who advised Welti on the paper. “You add that
 up over 25 years and we’re talking about a significant decline in one 
of the most important insects on the prairie.”Even this 
treasured research site — part of a worldwide network aimed at studying a
 biological baseline — shares the atmosphere with the rest of the Earth.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618852648399.png" alt=" Kansas State University undergrad student Victoria Gaa sorts through grass samples taken at the Konza Prairie. Credit Brian Grimmett / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption> Kansas State University undergrad student Victoria Gaa sorts through grass samples taken at the Konza Prairie. Credit Brian Grimmett / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>Welti and her research team found that all those human-boosted levels
 of carbon dioxide in the air changed the grass. Bigger leaves, sure, 
but all that volume diluted the nutrients grasshoppers need to thrive.Basically, climate change had converted the grasshopper’s staple into insect junk food.“That
 was a surprise for me,” Welti said. “But thinking more about it and 
knowing about grasshoppers and how sensitive they are to these plant 
nutrients, it makes a lot of sense.”A normal amount of 
grasshoppers on the prairie can eat as much grass as a herd of cattle. 
Grasshoppers are a huge part of the tallgrass ecosystem. But they’re 
also limited. They really just eat the grass, so when it changes, it can
 have a huge impact.To figure out just what was going on, Welti 
went back to the Konza research station to take a deeper look. 
Researchers there have tens of thousands of grass samples from the last 
40 years.“Ecology can happen rather slowly,” said Amanda Kuhl, a
 research assistant charged with collecting and cataloguing the samples.
 “Sometimes it can take decades to notice a trend, or tease things 
apart.”In one of the storage rooms at the Konza research 
building on the campus of Kansas State University, brown paper bags full
 of grass and dirt samples fill the walls from the floor to the ceiling.
 And those bags are just some of the samples from last year.“Once
 they get these cleaned up they’ll go back into a drying oven to remove 
all the moisture,” Kuhl said. “I’ll weigh them and that’s how we get our
 biomass numbers.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618852681199.png" alt=" A storage room on the Kansas State University campus full of brown paper bags with grass samples from the Konza Prairie. Credit Brian Grimmett / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption> A storage room on the Kansas State University campus full of brown paper bags with grass samples from the Konza Prairie. Credit Brian Grimmett / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>The facility also has thousands of small envelopes full of ground-up samples. They can be used to run chemical analysis.The
 biomass numbers paired with the chemical analysis led Welti to what was
 causing the grasshopper declines: bigger, but less nutritious grass.“At
 first, it looks like there’s overall more food availability for 
grasshoppers,” she said. “But when we got back the plant chemistry, what
 we could see is that this increase in plant biomass really corresponded
 to decreases in the quality of the biomass.”It’s something known as nutrient dilution.“Every
 bite of those grasses is giving less and less back to all the other 
living things that depend on the plants,” Kaspari said.The 
change is driven by an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the 
atmosphere from burning fossil fuels. Every time the plants take in air 
it contains far more carbon than ever before. They can’t get rid of it 
so they stick it in their tissue. That equals bigger plants.The problem is that the amount of other nutrients in the soil, such as nitrogen, potassium and sodium, aren’t really changing.It’s
 like switching out a plate of kale for a plate of iceberg lettuce. The 
plates might have the same amount, but one has a whole lot more of the 
good stuff bodies need.Kaspari said the fact that the problem is rooted in too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is particularly daunting.“You
 can remediate habitat destruction,” he said. “You just stop doing it 
and you reforest, or reclaim the grassland. But the answer to nutrient 
dilution is actually reducing the CO2 in the atmosphere.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618852711866.png" alt=" Bags full of grasshopper samples taken from the Konza Prairie. Credit Brian Grimmett / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption> Bags full of grasshopper samples taken from the Konza Prairie. Credit Brian Grimmett / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>Welti said the findings were pretty clear. Where they found large, but less nutritious, grass, they found grasshopper declines.And
 unlike humans, who can use fertilizer to increase nutrients in our food
 or take a multivitamin to supplement any gaps, grasshoppers are stuck 
with what is there naturally.Welti said the findings are about 
more than the bugs. Fewer grasshoppers will lead to fewer birds. Fewer 
birds could lead to more rodents.The decline of one species of grasshopper could strengthen another, potentially leading to swarms that damage crops.And
 the underlying problem, nutrient dilution due to climate change, will 
impact all animals that rely on eating plants. From grasshoppers and 
leaf beetles up to bison and cattle. And eventually humans.“Even
 (at the Konza Prairie),” she said, “climate change can strongly affect 
the community and even lead to insect declines — which is pretty 
depressing.”Brian Grimmett reports on the environment, 
energy and natural resources for KMUW in Wichita and the Kansas News 
Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/briangrimmett?lang=en">@briangrimmett</a> or email him at grimmett@kmuw.org.

Climate change has turned Kan. prairie into junk food that's killing grasshoppers 

WICHITA – Governor Laura Kelly on Monday visited health care facilities and professionals as part of the second week of her Back to Work, Back to School tour. 

Governor Kelly toured the children’s hospital at Wesley Medical Center to discuss the importance of Medicaid expansion and encourage Kansans to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

She also held a meet and greet with the Wichita Black Nurses Association (WBNA) to recognize and thank them for the work they’re doing to spread awareness and educate Kansans about the COVID-19 vaccine.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618859672909.png" alt="Governor Laura Kelly; Senator Oletha Faust-Goudeau; Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple; Bill Voloch, President and Chief Executive Officer at Wesley Medical Center; Kolbe Sheridan, COO at Wesley Medical Center; Nicole Castleberry, CFO at Wesley Medical Center." />
 <figcaption>Governor Laura Kelly; Senator Oletha Faust-Goudeau; Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple; Bill Voloch, President and Chief Executive Officer at Wesley Medical Center; Kolbe Sheridan, COO at Wesley Medical Center; Nicole Castleberry, CFO at Wesley Medical Center.</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA – Governor Laura Kelly on Monday visited health care facilities and professionals as part of the second week of her Back to Work, Back to School tour. Governor Kelly toured the children’s hospital at Wesley Medical Center to discuss the importance of Medicaid expansion and encourage Kansans to get a COVID-19 vaccine.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618859555127.png" alt="Governor Laura Kelly; Dr. Ximena Garcia, Special Adviser to the Governor for COVID-19 Vaccination Equity; Kenya Cox, Executive Director of the Kansas African American Affairs Commission; Senator Oletha Faust-Goudeau; Representative Gail Finney; Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple; Pastor Robert Johnson, Senior Pastor at Satin Mark UMC in Wichita; Linda Wright, President of the Wichita Black Nurses Association; Kim Henderson, incoming WBNA President; Margaret Thompson, team leader for WBNA location; Midge Dempsey, nurse and member of the WBNA; Trudy Baker, nurse and member of the WBNA." />
 <figcaption>Governor Laura Kelly; Dr. Ximena Garcia, Special Adviser to the Governor for COVID-19 Vaccination Equity; Kenya Cox, Executive Director of the Kansas African American Affairs Commission; Senator Oletha Faust-Goudeau; Representative Gail Finney; Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple; Pastor Robert Johnson, Senior Pastor at Satin Mark UMC in Wichita; Linda Wright, President of the Wichita Black Nurses Association; Kim Henderson, incoming WBNA President; Margaret Thompson, team leader for WBNA location; Midge Dempsey, nurse and member of the WBNA; Trudy Baker, nurse and member of the WBNA.</figcaption>
 </figure>She also held a meet and greet with the Wichita Black Nurses Association (WBNA) to recognize and thank them for the work they’re doing to spread awareness and educate Kansans about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Governor continues back to work, back to school tour

What is a COVID-19 vaccine passport, and will I need one?

“Vaccine passports,” or vaccine certificates, are documents that show you were vaccinated against COVID-19 or recently tested negative for the virus. They could help you get into places such as stadiums or even countries that are looking to reopen safely.

The certificates are still being developed, and how and whether they’ll be used could vary widely around the world. Experts say they should be free and available on paper, not just on apps, since not everyone has a smartphone.

In the U.S., federal officials say there are no plans to make them broadly mandatory. In some states, Republican governors have issued orders barring businesses or state agencies from asking people to show proof of vaccination.

Objections revolve mostly around privacy and security — how people’s personal information will be stored — and fairness. Critics say the passports will benefit people and countries with more access to vaccines.

Supporters say they could make reopenings faster and easier. Proof of vaccination or a negative test could be a way for businesses and schools to reassure customers, students and parents that steps are being taken to limit transmission of the virus.

International travel bans by countries could also be eased if people are able to show proof they’re vaccinated. Some countries have long had requirements to prove vaccination against yellow fever.

Still, a challenge is creating certification systems that work across vaccine providers and businesses. More than a dozen initiatives are underway to develop a credential that could be stored on a smartphone or printed on paper, using a QR code.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617326081667.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVID KOENIG, Associated PressWhat is a COVID-19 vaccine passport, and will I need one?“Vaccine passports,” or vaccine certificates, are documents that show you were vaccinated against COVID-19 or recently tested negative for the virus. They could help you get into places such as stadiums or even countries that are looking to reopen safely.The certificates are still being developed, and how and whether they’ll be used could vary widely around the world. Experts say they should be free and available on paper, not just on apps, since not everyone has a smartphone.In the U.S., federal officials say there are no plans to make them broadly mandatory. In some states, Republican governors have issued orders barring businesses or state agencies from asking people to show proof of vaccination.Objections revolve mostly around privacy and security — how people’s personal information will be stored — and fairness. Critics say the passports will benefit people and countries with more access to vaccines.Supporters say they could make reopenings faster and easier. Proof of vaccination or a negative test could be a way for businesses and schools to reassure customers, students and parents that steps are being taken to limit transmission of the virus.International travel bans by countries could also be eased if people are able to show proof they’re vaccinated. Some countries have long had requirements to prove vaccination against yellow fever.Still, a challenge is creating certification systems that work across vaccine providers and businesses. More than a dozen initiatives are underway to develop a credential that could be stored on a smartphone or printed on paper, using a QR code.___

What is a COVID-19 vaccine passport, and will you need one?

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 429 to a total of 306,290, the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;

Total coronavirus deaths were reported at 4955, an increase of 2.

<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 429 to a total of 306,290, the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;Total coronavirus deaths were reported at 4955, an increase of 2.<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/2021/4/1618853437938.png" alt="Monday April 19, 2021 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Monday April 19, 2021 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

SALINE COUNTY —A Fort Riley teen was arrested after a brief pursuit on E. Old Highway 40 in Saline County late Friday&nbsp;

On Friday evening, a deputy sheriff was sent to Interstate 70&nbsp; east of Salina for the report of someone in a red Scion driving erratically near Niles Road, according to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan.

 As the deputy was driving north on N. Niles Road, he passed a southbound red Scion that was drifting out of its lane.

The deputy turned around and followed the Scion, which sped up to 108 mph after it turned west onto E. Old Highway 40, Soldan said. 

The deputy then turned on his vehicle's flashing lights, but the driver later identified as 18-year-old Daniel Scott failed to stop. The vehicle increased its speed to 115 mph while failing to maintain a lane.

The Scion eventually stopped at the intersection of N. Marymount Road and E. Old Highway 40 and Scott got out of the vehicle and surrendered, according to Soldan.&nbsp;

Scott was arrested on requested charges of Flee and elude, Reckless driving, Driving without a valid license, Illegal tag, Speeding and No insurance

According to the sheriff, Scott had just purchased the car and was learning to drive it.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618668401060.jpeg" alt="Scott photo Saline Co." />
 <figcaption>Scott photo Saline Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —A Fort Riley teen was arrested after a brief pursuit on E. Old Highway 40 in Saline County late Friday&nbsp;On Friday evening, a deputy sheriff was sent to Interstate 70&nbsp; east of Salina for the report of someone in a red Scion driving erratically near Niles Road, according to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan. As the deputy was driving north on N. Niles Road, he passed a southbound red Scion that was drifting out of its lane.The deputy turned around and followed the Scion, which sped up to 108 mph after it turned west onto E. Old Highway 40, Soldan said. The deputy then turned on his vehicle's flashing lights, but the driver later identified as 18-year-old Daniel Scott failed to stop. The vehicle increased its speed to 115 mph while failing to maintain a lane.The Scion eventually stopped at the intersection of N. Marymount Road and E. Old Highway 40 and Scott got out of the vehicle and surrendered, according to Soldan.&nbsp;Scott was arrested on requested charges of Flee and elude, Reckless driving, Driving without a valid license, Illegal tag, Speeding and No insuranceAccording to the sheriff, Scott had just purchased the car and was learning to drive it.

Kan. teen in newly purchased car arrested after 115mph chase

TOPEKA —&nbsp;Former Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer officially launched his campaign in the 2022 race for governor on Monday.&nbsp;

He made the announcement during a news conference in Topeka. Kansas Senator Roger Marshall attended the news conference and announced his support for Colyer's bid to win the GOP nomination to run against Democrat Governor Laura Kelly.

In March, GOP Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt announced his campaign for governor.

Colyer was governor for a little less than a year after serving seven years as GOP Gov. Sam Brownback’s lieutenant governor.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/9291de4d840f4bb88dde5fa699d87abc">He rose</a>&nbsp;to the higher office in January 2018, when Brownback resigned to become&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/4626e11a24c1415195cc4774b23961de">U.S. ambassador</a>&nbsp;for international religious freedom under President Donald Trump.

Colyer, a reconstructive plastic surgeon and former state legislator from Overland Park, was the architect of much of Brownback’s health policy. They opposed expanding the state’s Medicaid health coverage for the needy, which Kelly has advocated without success in the Legislature.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618844863824.png" alt="During a news conference Monday, former governor Jeff Colyer said his message is clear, "I won’t back down from the fight ahead. We must take back our freedoms and get our state back on track."" />
 <figcaption>During a news conference Monday, former governor Jeff Colyer said his message is clear, "I won’t back down from the fight ahead. We must take back our freedoms and get our state back on track."</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —&nbsp;Former Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer officially launched his campaign in the 2022 race for governor on Monday.&nbsp;<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FJeffColyerMD%2Fvideos%2F136055878488580%2F&show_text=false&width=560" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>He made the announcement during a news conference in Topeka. Kansas Senator Roger Marshall attended the news conference and announced his support for Colyer's bid to win the GOP nomination to run against Democrat Governor Laura Kelly.In March, GOP Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt announced his campaign for governor.Colyer was governor for a little less than a year after serving seven years as GOP Gov. Sam Brownback’s lieutenant governor.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/9291de4d840f4bb88dde5fa699d87abc">He rose</a>&nbsp;to the higher office in January 2018, when Brownback resigned to become&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/4626e11a24c1415195cc4774b23961de">U.S. ambassador</a>&nbsp;for international religious freedom under President Donald Trump.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618844745215.png" alt="Colyer and Senator Roger Marshall ahead of Monday's news conference- image courtesy Colyer campaign" />
 <figcaption>Colyer and Senator Roger Marshall ahead of Monday's news conference- image courtesy Colyer campaign</figcaption>
 </figure>Colyer, a reconstructive plastic surgeon and former state legislator from Overland Park, was the architect of much of Brownback’s health policy. They opposed expanding the state’s Medicaid health coverage for the needy, which Kelly has advocated without success in the Legislature.

🎥 Former Kan. Governor kicks off campaign for 2022 bid

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A boy shot over the weekend at a hotel near a Kansas City theme park has died from his injuries, police said.

The shooting happened around 7 p.m. Saturday inside Hometowne Studios, which sits west of Interstate 435 across from Worlds of Fun, according to a police news release.

The teen was taken to a hospital in critical condition, where he underwent surgery, police said. The teen died of his injuries on Sunday, police said. His name had not been released by Monday morning.

Police said homicide detectives have a person of interest in the case but are still looking for more information on the shooting from the public.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A child was shot and critically hurt Saturday evening in north Kansas City.

Police said officers were called to a hotel near Worlds of Fun shortly before 7 p.m. Saturday. At the Hometowne Studios hotel, they found a boy with a gunshot wound.

The boy was taken to a hospital where he underwent surgery. Police said he remained in critical condition Sunday morning.

Police did not release any details of the shooting, and no arrests were reported immediately Sunday.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A boy shot over the weekend at a hotel near a Kansas City theme park has died from his injuries, police said.The shooting happened around 7 p.m. Saturday inside Hometowne Studios, which sits west of Interstate 435 across from Worlds of Fun, according to a police news release.The teen was taken to a hospital in critical condition, where he underwent surgery, police said. The teen died of his injuries on Sunday, police said. His name had not been released by Monday morning.Police said homicide detectives have a person of interest in the case but are still looking for more information on the shooting from the public.---------KANSAS CITY (AP) — A child was shot and critically hurt Saturday evening in north Kansas City.Police said officers were called to a hotel near Worlds of Fun shortly before 7 p.m. Saturday. At the Hometowne Studios hotel, they found a boy with a gunshot wound.The boy was taken to a hospital where he underwent surgery. Police said he remained in critical condition Sunday morning.Police did not release any details of the shooting, and no arrests were reported immediately Sunday.

Police: Boy shot near Worlds of Fun has died

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s experimental Mars helicopter rose from the dusty red surface into the planet’s thin air on Monday, achieving the first powered flight on another planet.

The triumph was hailed as a Wright Brothers moment. The mini 4-pound copter named Ingenuity, in fact, carried a bit of wing fabric from the 1903 Wright Flyer, which made similar history at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

“Altimeter data confirms that Ingenuity has performed its first flight, the first flight of a powered aircraft on another planet,” said the helicopter’s chief pilot back on Earth, Havard Grip, his voice breaking as his teammates erupted in cheers.

Flight controllers in California confirmed Ingenuity’s brief hop after receiving data via the Perseverance rover, which stood watch more than 200 feet away. Ingenuity hitched a ride to Mars on Perseverance, clinging to the rover’s belly upon their arrival in an ancient river delta in February.

The $85 million helicopter demo was considered high risk, yet high reward.

“Each world gets only one first flight,” project manager MiMi Aung noted earlier this month. Speaking on a NASA webcast early Monday, she called it the “ultimate dream.”

Aung and her team had to wait more than three excruciating hours before learning whether the pre-programmed flight had succeeded 178 million miles away. Adding to their anxiety: A software error prevented the helicopter from lifting off a week earlier and had engineers scrambling to come up with a fix.

Applause, cheers and laughter erupted in the operations center when success was finally declared. More followed when the first black and white photo from Ingenuity appeared on their screens, showing its shadow as it hovered above the surface of Mars. Next came the stunning color images of the helicopter descending back to the surface, taken by Perseverance, “the best host little Ingenuity could ever hope for,” Aung said in thanking everyone.

NASA had been aiming for a 40-second flight, and while details were initially sparse, the craft hit all its targets: spin-up, takeoff, hover, descent and landing.

To accomplish all that, the helicopter’s twin, counter-rotating rotor blades needed to spin at 2,500 revolutions per minute — five times faster than on Earth. With an atmosphere just 1 percent the thickness of Earth’s, engineers had to build a helicopter light enough — with blades spinning fast enough — to generate this otherworldy lift. At the same time, it had to be sturdy enough to withstand the Martian wind and extreme cold.

More than six years in the making, Ingenuity is a barebones 1.6 feet tall, a spindly four-legged chopper. Its fuselage, containing all the batteries, heaters and sensors, is the size of a tissue box. The carbon-fiber, foam-filled rotors are the biggest pieces: Each pair stretches 4 feet&nbsp; tip to tip.

The helicopter is topped with a solar panel for recharging the batteries, crucial for its survival during the minus-130 degree Fahrenheit (minus-90 degree-Celsius) Martian nights.

NASA chose a flat, relatively rock-free patch for Ingenuity’s airfield, measuring 33 feet by 33 feet It turned out to be less than 100 feet from the original landing site in Jezero Crater. The helicopter was released from the rover onto the airfield on April 3. Flight commands were sent Sunday, after controllers sent up a software correction for the rotor blade spin-up.

The little chopper with a giant job attracted attention from around the world, from the moment it launched with Perseverance last July until now. Even Arnold Schwarzenegger joined in the fun, rooting for Ingenuity over the weekend via Twitter. “Get to the chopper!” he shouted, re-enacting a line from his 1987 sci-fi film “Predator.”

Up to five helicopter flights are planned, each one increasingly ambitious. If successful, the demo could lead the way to a fleet of Martian drones in decades to come, providing aerial views, transporting packages and serving as scouts for astronauts. High-altitude helicopters here on Earth could also benefit — imagine choppers easily navigating the Himalayas.

Ingenuity’s team has until the beginning of May to complete the test flights. That’s because the rover needs to get on with its main mission: collecting rock samples that could hold evidence of past Martian life, for return to Earth a decade from now.

Until then, Perseverance will keep watch over Ingenuity. Flight engineers affectionately call them Percy and Ginny. “Big sister’s watching,” said Malin Space Science Systems’ Elsa Jensen, the rover’s lead camera operator.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618833026464.png" alt="NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter took this shot while hovering over the Martian surface on April 19, 2021, during the first instance of powered, controlled flight on another planet. It used its navigation camera, which autonomously tracks the ground during flight-image courtesy NASA" />
 <figcaption>NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter took this shot while hovering over the Martian surface on April 19, 2021, during the first instance of powered, controlled flight on another planet. It used its navigation camera, which autonomously tracks the ground during flight-image courtesy NASA</figcaption>
 </figure>CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s experimental Mars helicopter rose from the dusty red surface into the planet’s thin air on Monday, achieving the first powered flight on another planet.The triumph was hailed as a Wright Brothers moment. The mini 4-pound copter named Ingenuity, in fact, carried a bit of wing fabric from the 1903 Wright Flyer, which made similar history at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.“Altimeter data confirms that Ingenuity has performed its first flight, the first flight of a powered aircraft on another planet,” said the helicopter’s chief pilot back on Earth, Havard Grip, his voice breaking as his teammates erupted in cheers.Flight controllers in California confirmed Ingenuity’s brief hop after receiving data via the Perseverance rover, which stood watch more than 200 feet away. Ingenuity hitched a ride to Mars on Perseverance, clinging to the rover’s belly upon their arrival in an ancient river delta in February.The $85 million helicopter demo was considered high risk, yet high reward.“Each world gets only one first flight,” project manager MiMi Aung noted earlier this month. Speaking on a NASA webcast early Monday, she called it the “ultimate dream.”Aung and her team had to wait more than three excruciating hours before learning whether the pre-programmed flight had succeeded 178 million miles away. Adding to their anxiety: A software error prevented the helicopter from lifting off a week earlier and had engineers scrambling to come up with a fix.Applause, cheers and laughter erupted in the operations center when success was finally declared. More followed when the first black and white photo from Ingenuity appeared on their screens, showing its shadow as it hovered above the surface of Mars. Next came the stunning color images of the helicopter descending back to the surface, taken by Perseverance, “the best host little Ingenuity could ever hope for,” Aung said in thanking everyone.NASA had been aiming for a 40-second flight, and while details were initially sparse, the craft hit all its targets: spin-up, takeoff, hover, descent and landing.To accomplish all that, the helicopter’s twin, counter-rotating rotor blades needed to spin at 2,500 revolutions per minute — five times faster than on Earth. With an atmosphere just 1 percent the thickness of Earth’s, engineers had to build a helicopter light enough — with blades spinning fast enough — to generate this otherworldy lift. At the same time, it had to be sturdy enough to withstand the Martian wind and extreme cold.More than six years in the making, Ingenuity is a barebones 1.6 feet tall, a spindly four-legged chopper. Its fuselage, containing all the batteries, heaters and sensors, is the size of a tissue box. The carbon-fiber, foam-filled rotors are the biggest pieces: Each pair stretches 4 feet&nbsp; tip to tip.The helicopter is topped with a solar panel for recharging the batteries, crucial for its survival during the minus-130 degree Fahrenheit (minus-90 degree-Celsius) Martian nights.NASA chose a flat, relatively rock-free patch for Ingenuity’s airfield, measuring 33 feet by 33 feet It turned out to be less than 100 feet from the original landing site in Jezero Crater. The helicopter was released from the rover onto the airfield on April 3. Flight commands were sent Sunday, after controllers sent up a software correction for the rotor blade spin-up.The little chopper with a giant job attracted attention from around the world, from the moment it launched with Perseverance last July until now. Even Arnold Schwarzenegger joined in the fun, rooting for Ingenuity over the weekend via Twitter. “Get to the chopper!” he shouted, re-enacting a line from his 1987 sci-fi film “Predator.”Up to five helicopter flights are planned, each one increasingly ambitious. If successful, the demo could lead the way to a fleet of Martian drones in decades to come, providing aerial views, transporting packages and serving as scouts for astronauts. High-altitude helicopters here on Earth could also benefit — imagine choppers easily navigating the Himalayas.Ingenuity’s team has until the beginning of May to complete the test flights. That’s because the rover needs to get on with its main mission: collecting rock samples that could hold evidence of past Martian life, for return to Earth a decade from now.Until then, Perseverance will keep watch over Ingenuity. Flight engineers affectionately call them Percy and Ginny. “Big sister’s watching,” said Malin Space Science Systems’ Elsa Jensen, the rover’s lead camera operator.

NASA's Mars helicopter takes flight, 1st on another planet

WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing swift blowback from allies and aid groups, the White House said President Joe Biden plans to lift his predecessor’s historically low cap on refugees by next month, after initially moving only to expand the eligibility criteria for resettlements.

In an emergency determination signed by Biden earlier Friday, he stated the admission of up to 15,000 refugees set by former President Donald Trump this year “remains justified by humanitarian concerns and is otherwise in the national interest.” But if the cap is reached before the end of the current budget year and the emergency refugee situation persists, then a presidential determination may be issued to raise the ceiling.

That set off a deluge of criticism from top allies on Capitol Hill such as the second-ranking Senate Democrat, Dick Durbin of Illinois, who called that initial limit “unacceptable.”

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said later that Biden is expected to increase the refugee cap by May 15, though she didn’t say by how much.

Biden has been consulting with his advisers to determine what number of refugees could realistically be admitted to the United States between now and Oct. 1, the end of the fiscal year, Psaki said. “Given the decimated refugee admissions program we inherited,” she said it’s now “unlikely” Biden will be able to boost that number to 62,500, as he had proposed in his plan to Congress two months ago.

But Biden, she said, was urged by advisers to “take immediate action to reverse the Trump policy that banned refugees from many key regions, to enable flights from those regions to begin within days; today’s order did that.”

The new allocations provide more slots for refugees from Africa, the Middle East and Central America and lift Trump’s restrictions on resettlements from Somalia, Syria and Yemen.

Critics from both sides of the political spectrum had accused the president of bowing to political pressure that has been mounting over the record pace of unaccompanied migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Stephen Miller, a key architect of Trump’s immigration policies, tweeted that keeping Trump’s cap “reflects Team Biden’s awareness that the border flood will cause record midterm losses.”

The White House indicated the border situation was partly why Biden had not acted before now, even though migrants at the border do not go through the same vetting process as refugees.

“It is a factor,” said Psaki, noting that the Office of Refugee Resettlement “has personnel working on both issues and so we have to ensure that there is capacity and ability to manage both.”

Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal said he didn’t buy that.

“This cruel policy is no more acceptable now than it was during the Trump Administration,” Blumenthal said. “To be clear: the asylum process at the southern border and the refugee process are completely separate immigration systems. Conflating the two constitutes caving to the politics of fear.”

Since the fiscal year began last Oct. 1, just over 2,000 refugees have been resettled in the U.S.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken notified Congress on Feb. 12 of a plan to raise the ceiling on admissions to 62,500, but no presidential determination followed. The law does not require congressional approval and past presidents have issued such presidential determinations that set the cap on refugee admissions shortly after the notification to Congress.

New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Biden in a letter Friday that his inaction “undermines your declared purpose to reverse your predecessor’s refugee policies.”

Menendez said it also makes it unlikely that the program can hit its target next budget year of 125,000, which Biden has pledged to do.

Refugee resettlement agencies said it was important that admissions go higher even if it’s not possible to meet the target to send a message that America will be a leader again in offering safe haven to the world’s oppressed.

Some 35,000 refugees have been cleared to go to the United States, and 100,000 remain in the pipeline and their lives remain in limbo, said David Miliband, president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee.

“This leadership is sorely needed,” he said.

Under Biden’s new allocation, 7,000 slots are reserved for refugees from Africa, 1,000 from East Asia, 1,500 from Europe and Central Asia, 3,000 from Latin America and the Caribbean and 1,500 from the Near East and South Asia. A reserve of about 1,000 slots can be used as needed.

The State Department, which coordinates flights with resettlement agencies, booked 715 refugees to come to the United States with the anticipation that Biden would have acted by March, but those flights were canceled since the refugees were not eligible under Trump’s rules, according to resettlement agencies.

Most of the refugees are from Africa and fleeing armed conflict or political persecution. Trump limited most spots to people fleeing religious persecution, Iraqis who have assisted U.S. forces there, and people from Central America’s Northern Triangle.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618396418186.png" alt="Children housed at the U.S. Mexican border this month-photo courtesy&nbsp; Congressman Tracey Mann" />
 <figcaption>Children housed at the U.S. Mexican border this month-photo courtesy&nbsp; Congressman Tracey Mann</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing swift blowback from allies and aid groups, the White House said President Joe Biden plans to lift his predecessor’s historically low cap on refugees by next month, after initially moving only to expand the eligibility criteria for resettlements.In an emergency determination signed by Biden earlier Friday, he stated the admission of up to 15,000 refugees set by former President Donald Trump this year “remains justified by humanitarian concerns and is otherwise in the national interest.” But if the cap is reached before the end of the current budget year and the emergency refugee situation persists, then a presidential determination may be issued to raise the ceiling.That set off a deluge of criticism from top allies on Capitol Hill such as the second-ranking Senate Democrat, Dick Durbin of Illinois, who called that initial limit “unacceptable.”White House press secretary Jen Psaki said later that Biden is expected to increase the refugee cap by May 15, though she didn’t say by how much.Biden has been consulting with his advisers to determine what number of refugees could realistically be admitted to the United States between now and Oct. 1, the end of the fiscal year, Psaki said. “Given the decimated refugee admissions program we inherited,” she said it’s now “unlikely” Biden will be able to boost that number to 62,500, as he had proposed in his plan to Congress two months ago.But Biden, she said, was urged by advisers to “take immediate action to reverse the Trump policy that banned refugees from many key regions, to enable flights from those regions to begin within days; today’s order did that.”The new allocations provide more slots for refugees from Africa, the Middle East and Central America and lift Trump’s restrictions on resettlements from Somalia, Syria and Yemen.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618396445966.png" alt="Immigrant children housed at the U.S. Border-photo Congressman Tracey Mann" />
 <figcaption>Immigrant children housed at the U.S. Border-photo Congressman Tracey Mann</figcaption>
 </figure>Critics from both sides of the political spectrum had accused the president of bowing to political pressure that has been mounting over the record pace of unaccompanied migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Stephen Miller, a key architect of Trump’s immigration policies, tweeted that keeping Trump’s cap “reflects Team Biden’s awareness that the border flood will cause record midterm losses.”The White House indicated the border situation was partly why Biden had not acted before now, even though migrants at the border do not go through the same vetting process as refugees.“It is a factor,” said Psaki, noting that the Office of Refugee Resettlement “has personnel working on both issues and so we have to ensure that there is capacity and ability to manage both.”Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal said he didn’t buy that.“This cruel policy is no more acceptable now than it was during the Trump Administration,” Blumenthal said. “To be clear: the asylum process at the southern border and the refugee process are completely separate immigration systems. Conflating the two constitutes caving to the politics of fear.”Since the fiscal year began last Oct. 1, just over 2,000 refugees have been resettled in the U.S.Secretary of State Antony Blinken notified Congress on Feb. 12 of a plan to raise the ceiling on admissions to 62,500, but no presidential determination followed. The law does not require congressional approval and past presidents have issued such presidential determinations that set the cap on refugee admissions shortly after the notification to Congress.New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Biden in a letter Friday that his inaction “undermines your declared purpose to reverse your predecessor’s refugee policies.”Menendez said it also makes it unlikely that the program can hit its target next budget year of 125,000, which Biden has pledged to do.Refugee resettlement agencies said it was important that admissions go higher even if it’s not possible to meet the target to send a message that America will be a leader again in offering safe haven to the world’s oppressed.Some 35,000 refugees have been cleared to go to the United States, and 100,000 remain in the pipeline and their lives remain in limbo, said David Miliband, president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee.“This leadership is sorely needed,” he said.Under Biden’s new allocation, 7,000 slots are reserved for refugees from Africa, 1,000 from East Asia, 1,500 from Europe and Central Asia, 3,000 from Latin America and the Caribbean and 1,500 from the Near East and South Asia. A reserve of about 1,000 slots can be used as needed.The State Department, which coordinates flights with resettlement agencies, booked 715 refugees to come to the United States with the anticipation that Biden would have acted by March, but those flights were canceled since the refugees were not eligible under Trump’s rules, according to resettlement agencies.Most of the refugees are from Africa and fleeing armed conflict or political persecution. Trump limited most spots to people fleeing religious persecution, Iraqis who have assisted U.S. forces there, and people from Central America’s Northern Triangle._____

President Biden will lift cap on number of refugees

RENO COUNTY —&nbsp;One person was injured in a fire just before 3a.m. Monday in Hutchinson.

Firefighters responded to the fire at a home at 514 North Van Buren where a camper in the driveway of the residence was fully engulfed in flames, according to Fire Chief Steven Beer.

The camper caught the exterior of the house on fire and that fire spread into the home's attic.

The fire was quickly put out, but not before the camper was a total loss. The home suffered moderate damage. Two adults were home.&nbsp; Reno County EMS transported one of them to the hospital because of smoke inhalation, according to Beer.

No firefighters were injured. Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the fire.

RENO COUNTY —&nbsp;One person was injured in a fire just before 3a.m. Monday in Hutchinson.Firefighters responded to the fire at a home at 514 North Van Buren where a camper in the driveway of the residence was fully engulfed in flames, according to Fire Chief Steven Beer.The camper caught the exterior of the house on fire and that fire spread into the home's attic.The fire was quickly put out, but not before the camper was a total loss. The home suffered moderate damage. Two adults were home.&nbsp; Reno County EMS transported one of them to the hospital because of smoke inhalation, according to Beer.No firefighters were injured. Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the fire.

One hospitalized after fire at Kansas home

KANSAS CITY&nbsp; (AP) — One person has died and two others have been hospitalized following a shooting early Monday in Kansas City, police said.

The shooting happened just before 1 a.m. Monday, when officers were called to 67th and Paseo for a shooting, according to a news release from Kansas City police. Officers on the way to the scene were notified that a vehicle carrying three shooting victims had arrived at a Kansas City hospital, and officers also were sent to the hospital.

Police said one of the victims died at the hospital and another has life-threatening injuries. The third victim is expected to recover.

Homicide detectives were sent to canvas the area of the shooting for witnesses, while crime scene investigators processed the area for evidence, police said. No arrests had been reported hours after the shooting.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618838501344.png" alt="Police investigators on the scene of the fatal shooting photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police investigators on the scene of the fatal shooting photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>----------KANSAS CITY&nbsp; (AP) — One person has died and two others have been hospitalized following a shooting early Monday in Kansas City, police said.The shooting happened just before 1 a.m. Monday, when officers were called to 67th and Paseo for a shooting, according to a news release from Kansas City police. Officers on the way to the scene were notified that a vehicle carrying three shooting victims had arrived at a Kansas City hospital, and officers also were sent to the hospital.Police said one of the victims died at the hospital and another has life-threatening injuries. The third victim is expected to recover.Homicide detectives were sent to canvas the area of the shooting for witnesses, while crime scene investigators processed the area for evidence, police said. No arrests had been reported hours after the shooting.

Police: 1 dead, 2 hurt In Kansas City shooting

OSAGE COUNTY, Kan. – Law enforcement authorities conducting an investigation of the online solicitation of a child by an adult have made an arrest.

On April 15, Osage County Sheriff’s Office’s Criminal Investigation Unit (CIU) took a Missouri man into custody who had made plans to meet with someone he believed to be a minor, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.

Deputies transported David E. Fresia, 49, of Lees Summit, MO,&nbsp; to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of aggravated human trafficking, commercial sexual exploitation of a child, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of psilocybin with intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia, and no drug tax stamp.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618575652035.png" alt="Fresia photo Osage County" />
 <figcaption>Fresia photo Osage County</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY, Kan. – Law enforcement authorities conducting an investigation of the online solicitation of a child by an adult have made an arrest.On April 15, Osage County Sheriff’s Office’s Criminal Investigation Unit (CIU) took a Missouri man into custody who had made plans to meet with someone he believed to be a minor, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.Deputies transported David E. Fresia, 49, of Lees Summit, MO,&nbsp; to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of aggravated human trafficking, commercial sexual exploitation of a child, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of psilocybin with intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia, and no drug tax stamp.

Sheriff: Suspect attempted to meet minor for sex

KANSAS CITY(AP) — A second person has been charged in the killing of an Independence, Missouri woman whose body was found in a duffle bag last year north of Kansas City in rural Buchanan County.

Marcus Brooks, who was arrested in February, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of 21-year-old Ariel Starcher. Prosecutors have also charged Taylor Stoughton, 22, with second-degree murder in the case.

A Missouri Transportation Department worker found the bag with Starcher’s body inside it on Feb. 18, 2020 alongside a road in Faucett, about 45 miles north of Kansas City. Stoughton told investigators that she and Brooks strangled Starcher on Feb. 5, 2020, at a Kansas City hotel, according to an arrest affidavit.

Brooks is being held without bond. Online court records don't list an attorney who could comment for him.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613958668136.jpeg" alt="Brooks photo Buchanan County" />
 <figcaption>Brooks photo Buchanan County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY(AP) — A second person has been charged in the killing of an Independence, Missouri woman whose body was found in a duffle bag last year north of Kansas City in rural Buchanan County.Marcus Brooks, who was arrested in February, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of 21-year-old Ariel Starcher. Prosecutors have also charged Taylor Stoughton, 22, with second-degree murder in the case.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614374160505.jpeg" alt="Soughton photo Buchanan Co." />
 <figcaption>Soughton photo Buchanan Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>A Missouri Transportation Department worker found the bag with Starcher’s body inside it on Feb. 18, 2020 alongside a road in Faucett, about 45 miles north of Kansas City. Stoughton told investigators that she and Brooks strangled Starcher on Feb. 5, 2020, at a Kansas City hotel, according to an arrest affidavit.Brooks is being held without bond. Online court records don't list an attorney who could comment for him.

2nd person charged in case of body found in duffel bag

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A Missouri chiropractor and his company are facing a federal complaint over their claims that zinc and vitamin D products were more effective than vaccines in treating or preventing COVID-19.

The Federal Trade Commission said Thursday it had filed a complaint seeking to block further sales by Eric Anthony Nepute and his company, Quickwork LLC, which does business as Wellness Warrior.

It is the first action brought by the FTC under a new COVID-19 Consumer Protection Act, which makes it illegal “to engage in a deceptive act or practice that is associated with ‘the treatment, cure, prevention, mitigation, or diagnosis of COVID-19,’” the agency said.

A call to Nepute’s business seeking comment on Friday was not immediately returned.

Nepute continues to make the false claims despite earlier warnings to stop, said the commission. He and his company could face civil penalties, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/coronavirus/creve-coeur-chiropractor-scammed-consumers-with-false-covid-cure-claims-ftc-says/article_d6b3cc12-c8a9-5634-83d2-7b20fb65e046.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1" target="_blank">reported</a>.

The claims made by Nepute and his company exploit fears caused the pandemic and pose a “significant risk to public health and safety,” the commission said.

Nepute promoted his bogus health claims in video monologues on social media that have been viewed millions of times, the FTC said. Other videos by Nepute claim masks can be harmful and coronavirus death statistics have been inflated.

When Facebook shut down his page in February, Nepute created a new page and website and reposted his videos, according to the complaint.

In April 2020, the Missouri State Board of Chiropractic Examiners sued Nepute in St. Louis County Circuit Court, saying he was falsely claiming to be a doctor and was promoting tonic water and zinc as a preventative or cure for COVID-19. The board dismissed the suit two weeks later.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A Missouri chiropractor and his company are facing a federal complaint over their claims that zinc and vitamin D products were more effective than vaccines in treating or preventing COVID-19.The Federal Trade Commission said Thursday it had filed a complaint seeking to block further sales by Eric Anthony Nepute and his company, Quickwork LLC, which does business as Wellness Warrior.It is the first action brought by the FTC under a new COVID-19 Consumer Protection Act, which makes it illegal “to engage in a deceptive act or practice that is associated with ‘the treatment, cure, prevention, mitigation, or diagnosis of COVID-19,’” the agency said.A call to Nepute’s business seeking comment on Friday was not immediately returned.Nepute continues to make the false claims despite earlier warnings to stop, said the commission. He and his company could face civil penalties, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/coronavirus/creve-coeur-chiropractor-scammed-consumers-with-false-covid-cure-claims-ftc-says/article_d6b3cc12-c8a9-5634-83d2-7b20fb65e046.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1" target="_blank">reported</a>.The claims made by Nepute and his company exploit fears caused the pandemic and pose a “significant risk to public health and safety,” the commission said.Nepute promoted his bogus health claims in video monologues on social media that have been viewed millions of times, the FTC said. Other videos by Nepute claim masks can be harmful and coronavirus death statistics have been inflated.When Facebook shut down his page in February, Nepute created a new page and website and reposted his videos, according to the complaint.In April 2020, the Missouri State Board of Chiropractic Examiners sued Nepute in St. Louis County Circuit Court, saying he was falsely claiming to be a doctor and was promoting tonic water and zinc as a preventative or cure for COVID-19. The board dismissed the suit two weeks later.

Chiropractor accused of false COVID-19 cure claims

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs tight end Fred Arbanas, a key member of their first two Super Bowl teams in the 1960s and ’70s who later had a long career in county politics, has died. He was 82.

The Jackson County Democratic Party in Missouri, for which Arbanas was a major player for more than four decades, announced his death in a brief statement Saturday. No cause was given.

Arbanas, a member of the Chiefs’ Hall of Fame, was a six-time all-AFL selection and was picked to the All-Time AFL Team by the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was a member of the Dallas Texans team that won the 1962 AFL title and, after the club moved to Kansas City, helped the rechristened Chiefs reach the Super Bowl in 1967 and 1970.

After his playing career, Arbanas served more than 40 years in the Jackson County Legislature. He was so influential in working with the local parks system that a golf course was renamed in his honor in 1999.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618773521712.png" alt="Fred Arbanas-photo courtesy Jackson Co. Democrats" />
 <figcaption>Fred Arbanas-photo courtesy Jackson Co. Democrats</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs tight end Fred Arbanas, a key member of their first two Super Bowl teams in the 1960s and ’70s who later had a long career in county politics, has died. He was 82.The Jackson County Democratic Party in Missouri, for which Arbanas was a major player for more than four decades, announced his death in a brief statement Saturday. No cause was given.Arbanas, a member of the Chiefs’ Hall of Fame, was a six-time all-AFL selection and was picked to the All-Time AFL Team by the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was a member of the Dallas Texans team that won the 1962 AFL title and, after the club moved to Kansas City, helped the rechristened Chiefs reach the Super Bowl in 1967 and 1970.After his playing career, Arbanas served more than 40 years in the Jackson County Legislature. He was so influential in working with the local parks system that a golf course was renamed in his honor in 1999.

Chiefs great Arbanas, longtime local politician, dies at 82

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The federal agency which oversees Haskell Indian Nations University plans to send a team to the Lawrence campus following a faculty no-confidence vote in its president. 

The Bureau of Indian Education said in a message to university employees that an “impartial administrative review team” would arrive Monday to gather information on student and staff concerns. 

The Faculty Senate unanimously declared earlier this month that it had no confidence in Haskell President Ronald Graham, alleging he has shown disdain for the free speech rights of students and faculty and a disregard for academic freedom. Graham did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1617226828106.png" alt="Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas. Google Maps" />
 <figcaption>Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas. Google Maps</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The federal agency which oversees Haskell Indian Nations University plans to send a team to the Lawrence campus following a faculty no-confidence vote in its president. The Bureau of Indian Education said in a message to university employees that an “impartial administrative review team” would arrive Monday to gather information on student and staff concerns. The Faculty Senate unanimously declared earlier this month that it had no confidence in Haskell President Ronald Graham, alleging he has shown disdain for the free speech rights of students and faculty and a disregard for academic freedom. Graham did not immediately respond to a request for comment.