Kelly faces big challenges, but Schmidt vs. Colyer may be very loud

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/04/05/political-wonks-offer-early-analysis-of-off-and-running-kansas-governors-race/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Declarations by 
Attorney General Derek Schmidt and former Gov. Jeff Colyer in March 
about campaigning for governor against Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly 
likely came too early for most voters.

They made their intentions
 known 20 months — ouch — before the general election in 2022. It was 
likely a maneuver to scare off other potential rivals, but their 
presence on the stage also marked beginning of a sustained assault on 
Kelly.

In 2018, she defeated 
Republican Kris Kobach, a staunch supporter of then-President Donald 
Trump. Kelly will leverage power of the office through election day in 
November 2022, but Republican candidates will eagerly point to her 
record as governor, including difficulties presented by the COVID-19 
pandemic and challenges of moving through an economic recovery.

“I’ve already heard some 
complaints that this governor’s race started too soon,” said Bob Beatty,
 a Washburn University political science professor. “In terms of major 
candidates, it’s the earliest campaign in Kansas history.”

Kansas will be the only 
state lost last year by President Joe Biden with a Democratic governor 
up for re-election in 2022. The state was easily carried again last year
 by Trump, who prevailed in Kansas twice by double-digit margins.

Kelly, a former state 
senator from Topeka, long ago made it clear she would seek re-election. 
The Kansas Republican Party has denounced her “abysmal performance” on 
the economy and on COVID-19 testing and vaccination, while the Kansas 
Democratic Party warned electing Schmidt or Colyer would “come with 
disastrous ramifications.”

Beatty
 said it would be interesting to discover how Colyer defined himself 
after serving seven years as lieutenant governor under Gov. Sam 
Brownback followed by about one year as governor. In 2018, Colyer 
offered himself as a Republican in the mold of Ronald Reagan. It nearly 
worked, but he lost the GOP primary to Kobach by a thin margin.

“What kind of identity is he going to put out there?” Beatty said.

Colyer started by naming 
Mary Eisenhower, a granddaughter of President Dwight Eisenhower, to 
serve as his campaign treasurer. Colyer said she was a “great example of
 principled, successful Republican leadership” and said too many jobs 
had been lost during the Kelly administration.

While making an economic appeal to voters, Colyer declared: “It’s time to get Kansas back to work.”

Michael Smith, who teaches
 political science at Emporia State University, said a key issue for 
voters would be Colyer’s affiliation with Brownback, who resigned as 
governor four years ago to become an ambassador of religious freedom 
under Trump.

Colyer, a Johnson County 
surgeon and former state senator, also could get hurt in a GOP primary 
by claims he was unelectable in a statewide race at the top of the 
ticket, he said.

“But will that actually work?” Smith said. “I mean, the Republican base is so fired up right now. They still love Trump. And I don’t know that strategic voting arguments are gonna work very well this time.”

Schmidt has won three 
consecutive statewide campaigns for attorney general. He’s a former 
Senate majority leader and has frequently shared insights with the 
GOP-led Legislature, including issues thrust into the limelight by 
lawmakers interested in damaging Kelly’s profile. He has personally 
battled with the governor on emergency orders that included her 
unsuccessful bid to restrict large gatherings at church services early 
in the pandemic.

In his campaign 
announcement, Schmidt said he would be a “common-sense, conservative 
voice” and vowed to “fight every day for your family and our way of 
life.”

Like Colyer, Schmidt has a record of opposition to Medicaid expansion, limits on gun ownership and abortion.

Schmidt has engaged in a 
series of national legal actions as attorney general, including the 
effort to promote allegations of voter fraud some believe led to Biden’s
 victory over Trump.

“He’s gotten involved in some other lawsuits that probably have no chance,” Smith said. “He will throw red meat to the right.”

Smith said Schmidt had 
sought to toggle between “really hard” Republicans not interested in 
leaving the Trump orbit and other Republicans closer to the middle of 
the political spectrum in Kansas.

Beatty said it would be 
useful for Kelly to be straightforward with voters during the campaign 
about shortcomings at the Kansas Department of Labor, which failed for 
months to adequately deal with the flood of jobless claims. He said she 
could hang her hopes on a strong economic recovery from the pandemic, 
while reminding voters of her commitment to public education, 
transportation and restoration of basic operations of state government.

“The idea is that the economy’s booming. Everyone’s vaccinated. The pandemic is over,” Beatty said. “And, then she comes out and says, ‘It was a rough two years. Thanks for sticking with me.'”

The 2021 Legislature’s 
calculations of taxation, education and emergency management bills 
include basic political math about influencing voters when Kelly stands 
for re-election.

Does it help GOP 
candidates when the Legislature sends Kelly bills offering massive tax 
breaks, shifts of public funding to private schools and an overhaul of 
gubernatorial authority in disasters?

Would it be better for the
 GOP cause if the Legislature responded this session to public support 
for a medical marijuana law so it couldn’t be used as a campaign 
rallying cry by Kelly?

Is there a clear 
Republican advantage to pressing harder on concealed-gun legislation and
 the constitutional amendment on abortion?

If the House and Senate 
were to reverse course and approve Medicaid expansion, would 2022 voters
 reward Kelly or the Legislature?

Beatty said expansion of 
Medicaid eligibility based on the law signed by President Barack Obama 
had long allowed Republicans to object on philosophical and financial 
grounds to broadening subsidized health care. Blocking delivery of 
preventative health care to more than 120,000 Kansans also cut off about
 $5 billion in federal funding that could be used to bolster the state’s
 hospitals and clinics. Now, Congress is offering hundreds of millions 
in bonus money to Medicaid holdout states like Kansas.

However, it appears House 
and Senate leadership again decided to stay on a course that avoided 
risks of Kelly prevailing on Medicaid expansion.

“It’s not an election year …&nbsp;but it’s election season,” Beatty said. “So, this would be a victory for Laura Kelly that could ride her all the way to re-election.”

Smith said another issue 
likely to come up in the campaign centered on problems at the Department
 of Labor in processing unemployment benefits. He said other governors 
and legislators ought to share responsibility for the debacle.

“There were a number of different threads that wove together to create this crisis. One was the absolutely decrepit computers that they had there that I believe dated from the 1970s. If you need a poster child for deferred maintenance, short of a bridge falling down, here you go — years of deferred maintenance,” Smith said.

The Kelly administration 
was saddled with antiquated computer technology that minimally got the 
job down when the jobless rate hovered between 3.1% and 3.3% from 
February 2019 to March 2020. The IT system broke when coronavirus surged
 unemployment to 12.6% in April 2020. It had receded to 3.2% in 
February.

Meanwhile, scammers ripped
 off Kansas for hundreds of millions of dollars in pandemic unemployment
 assistance. Other states suffered comparable losses to fraud.

“The Department of Labor could have handled it better,” Smith said. “They weren’t very transparent. And, so, mistakes were made, as they say. But this did not start during the pandemic. This was decades in the making.”

Tim Carpenter has reported on Kansas for 35 years. He covered the Capitol for 16 years at the Topeka Capital-Journal and previously worked for the Lawrence Journal-World and United Press International.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617655027877.png" alt="The 2022 Kansas governor's race will feature, from left, Republican Attorney General Derek Schmidt, Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and former GOP Gov. Jeff Colyer. The footprint of the COVID-19 pandemic will likely be a factor in Kelly's re-election campaign. (Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>The 2022 Kansas governor's race will feature, from left, Republican Attorney General Derek Schmidt, Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and former GOP Gov. Jeff Colyer. The footprint of the COVID-19 pandemic will likely be a factor in Kelly's re-election campaign. (Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Kelly faces big challenges, but Schmidt vs. Colyer may be very loud</h2>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/04/05/political-wonks-offer-early-analysis-of-off-and-running-kansas-governors-race/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Declarations by 
Attorney General Derek Schmidt and former Gov. Jeff Colyer in March 
about campaigning for governor against Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly 
likely came too early for most voters.They made their intentions
 known 20 months — ouch — before the general election in 2022. It was 
likely a maneuver to scare off other potential rivals, but their 
presence on the stage also marked beginning of a sustained assault on 
Kelly.In 2018, she defeated 
Republican Kris Kobach, a staunch supporter of then-President Donald 
Trump. Kelly will leverage power of the office through election day in 
November 2022, but Republican candidates will eagerly point to her 
record as governor, including difficulties presented by the COVID-19 
pandemic and challenges of moving through an economic recovery.“I’ve already heard some 
complaints that this governor’s race started too soon,” said Bob Beatty,
 a Washburn University political science professor. “In terms of major 
candidates, it’s the earliest campaign in Kansas history.”Kansas will be the only 
state lost last year by President Joe Biden with a Democratic governor 
up for re-election in 2022. The state was easily carried again last year
 by Trump, who prevailed in Kansas twice by double-digit margins.Kelly, a former state 
senator from Topeka, long ago made it clear she would seek re-election. 
The Kansas Republican Party has denounced her “abysmal performance” on 
the economy and on COVID-19 testing and vaccination, while the Kansas 
Democratic Party warned electing Schmidt or Colyer would “come with 
disastrous ramifications.”<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1022303635&color=%232b7fb4&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/kansas-reflector-podcast" title="Reflector Podcast" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Reflector Podcast</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/kansas-reflector-podcast/2021-04-05-podcast" title="Political scientists evaluate Legislature, governor&#x27;s race" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Political scientists evaluate Legislature, governor&#x27;s race</a></div></div><h2>Defining Colyer</h2>Beatty
 said it would be interesting to discover how Colyer defined himself 
after serving seven years as lieutenant governor under Gov. Sam 
Brownback followed by about one year as governor. In 2018, Colyer 
offered himself as a Republican in the mold of Ronald Reagan. It nearly 
worked, but he lost the GOP primary to Kobach by a thin margin.“What kind of identity is he going to put out there?” Beatty said.Colyer started by naming 
Mary Eisenhower, a granddaughter of President Dwight Eisenhower, to 
serve as his campaign treasurer. Colyer said she was a “great example of
 principled, successful Republican leadership” and said too many jobs 
had been lost during the Kelly administration.While making an economic appeal to voters, Colyer declared: “It’s time to get Kansas back to work.”Michael Smith, who teaches
 political science at Emporia State University, said a key issue for 
voters would be Colyer’s affiliation with Brownback, who resigned as 
governor four years ago to become an ambassador of religious freedom 
under Trump.Colyer, a Johnson County 
surgeon and former state senator, also could get hurt in a GOP primary 
by claims he was unelectable in a statewide race at the top of the 
ticket, he said.“But will that actually work?” Smith said. “I mean, the Republican base is so fired up right now. They still love Trump. And I don’t know that strategic voting arguments are gonna work very well this time.”<h2>Schmidt’s ‘red meat’</h2>Schmidt has won three 
consecutive statewide campaigns for attorney general. He’s a former 
Senate majority leader and has frequently shared insights with the 
GOP-led Legislature, including issues thrust into the limelight by 
lawmakers interested in damaging Kelly’s profile. He has personally 
battled with the governor on emergency orders that included her 
unsuccessful bid to restrict large gatherings at church services early 
in the pandemic.In his campaign 
announcement, Schmidt said he would be a “common-sense, conservative 
voice” and vowed to “fight every day for your family and our way of 
life.”Like Colyer, Schmidt has a record of opposition to Medicaid expansion, limits on gun ownership and abortion.Schmidt has engaged in a 
series of national legal actions as attorney general, including the 
effort to promote allegations of voter fraud some believe led to Biden’s
 victory over Trump.“He’s gotten involved in some other lawsuits that probably have no chance,” Smith said. “He will throw red meat to the right.”Smith said Schmidt had 
sought to toggle between “really hard” Republicans not interested in 
leaving the Trump orbit and other Republicans closer to the middle of 
the political spectrum in Kansas.<h2>Kelly’s challenges</h2>Beatty said it would be 
useful for Kelly to be straightforward with voters during the campaign 
about shortcomings at the Kansas Department of Labor, which failed for 
months to adequately deal with the flood of jobless claims. He said she 
could hang her hopes on a strong economic recovery from the pandemic, 
while reminding voters of her commitment to public education, 
transportation and restoration of basic operations of state government.“The idea is that the economy’s booming. Everyone’s vaccinated. The pandemic is over,” Beatty said. “And, then she comes out and says, ‘It was a rough two years. Thanks for sticking with me.'”The 2021 Legislature’s 
calculations of taxation, education and emergency management bills 
include basic political math about influencing voters when Kelly stands 
for re-election.Does it help GOP 
candidates when the Legislature sends Kelly bills offering massive tax 
breaks, shifts of public funding to private schools and an overhaul of 
gubernatorial authority in disasters?Would it be better for the
 GOP cause if the Legislature responded this session to public support 
for a medical marijuana law so it couldn’t be used as a campaign 
rallying cry by Kelly?Is there a clear 
Republican advantage to pressing harder on concealed-gun legislation and
 the constitutional amendment on abortion?If the House and Senate 
were to reverse course and approve Medicaid expansion, would 2022 voters
 reward Kelly or the Legislature?<h2>On Medicaid, labor</h2>Beatty said expansion of 
Medicaid eligibility based on the law signed by President Barack Obama 
had long allowed Republicans to object on philosophical and financial 
grounds to broadening subsidized health care. Blocking delivery of 
preventative health care to more than 120,000 Kansans also cut off about
 $5 billion in federal funding that could be used to bolster the state’s
 hospitals and clinics. Now, Congress is offering hundreds of millions 
in bonus money to Medicaid holdout states like Kansas.However, it appears House 
and Senate leadership again decided to stay on a course that avoided 
risks of Kelly prevailing on Medicaid expansion.“It’s not an election year …&nbsp;but it’s election season,” Beatty said. “So, this would be a victory for Laura Kelly that could ride her all the way to re-election.”Smith said another issue 
likely to come up in the campaign centered on problems at the Department
 of Labor in processing unemployment benefits. He said other governors 
and legislators ought to share responsibility for the debacle.“There were a number of different threads that wove together to create this crisis. One was the absolutely decrepit computers that they had there that I believe dated from the 1970s. If you need a poster child for deferred maintenance, short of a bridge falling down, here you go — years of deferred maintenance,” Smith said.The Kelly administration 
was saddled with antiquated computer technology that minimally got the 
job down when the jobless rate hovered between 3.1% and 3.3% from 
February 2019 to March 2020. The IT system broke when coronavirus surged
 unemployment to 12.6% in April 2020. It had receded to 3.2% in 
February.Meanwhile, scammers ripped
 off Kansas for hundreds of millions of dollars in pandemic unemployment
 assistance. Other states suffered comparable losses to fraud.“The Department of Labor could have handled it better,” Smith said. “They weren’t very transparent. And, so, mistakes were made, as they say. But this did not start during the pandemic. This was decades in the making.”Tim Carpenter has reported on Kansas for 35 years. He covered the Capitol for 16 years at the Topeka Capital-Journal and previously worked for the Lawrence Journal-World and United Press International.

Political wonks offer early analysis of off-and-running Kan. governor’s race

TOPEKA, KAN. (AP) — A&nbsp;Topeka man was charged in connection to a two-car traffic collision last week that killed an infant and injured three others, prosecutors said Monday.

Troy A. Vsetecka, 51, was charged with involuntary manslaughter, aggravated battery, leaving the scene of an accident, aggravated battery, aggravated endangering a child, among other charges, Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay said in a news release.

Investigators said Vsetecka was speeding and driving the wrong way on a Topeka street on March 30 when he collided with another vehicle at an intersection. Vsetecka attempted to flee the scene on foot but he was chased by officers and taken into custody after he tried to hide in a nearby residence, prosecutors said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617272054628.png" alt="Vsetecka photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Vsetecka photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, KAN. (AP) — A&nbsp;Topeka man was charged in connection to a two-car traffic collision last week that killed an infant and injured three others, prosecutors said Monday.Troy A. Vsetecka, 51, was charged with involuntary manslaughter, aggravated battery, leaving the scene of an accident, aggravated battery, aggravated endangering a child, among other charges, Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay said in a news release.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1617206593208.png" alt="First responders at the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>First responders at the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>Investigators said Vsetecka was speeding and driving the wrong way on a Topeka street on March 30 when he collided with another vehicle at an intersection. Vsetecka attempted to flee the scene on foot but he was chased by officers and taken into custody after he tried to hide in a nearby residence, prosecutors said.

Kan. man charged in traffic crash that killed infant

RICE COUNTY —Crews continued to monitor hot spots on a large wildfire in rural Rice County overnight.

The fire was 50-60 percent contained as of 5 p.m. Monday, according to Rice County Emergency Management Director Greg Klein. The wind was expected to change direction Tuesday.

The fire started from a controlled burn that had been done Saturday on a quarter section of land northeast of Nickerson.

There were no injuries reported, according to dispatch early Tuesday.

RICE COUNTY—Crews continue to battle a large fire in rural Rice County that started Saturday.

The biggest challenge for fire crews in the wind was working to contain the north edge of the fire at approximately Avenue T between 27th and 29th, according Rice County Emergency Management Director Greg Klein.&nbsp; The fire is 50-60 percent contained, but the wind expected to shift Tuesday.&nbsp;

Klein still estimates approximately 1800 acres had burned.&nbsp; Fire crews also did a controlled burn on 360 acres early Monday in anticipation winds they are fighting Monday.

RICE COUNTY—Crews continue to battle a large fire in rural Rice County.

The fire was first reported just after 5:30p.m. on Sunday, according to Rice County Emergency Management Director Greg Klein.&nbsp; The fire started from a controlled burn that had been done Saturday on a quarter section of land northeast of Nickerson.

Approximately 1800 acres have burned as of 6:30a.m. Monday and fire crews also did a controlled burn on 360 acres overnight in anticipation winds in the weather forecast for Monday afternoon, according to Klein.

Roads in the area are open as fire crews continue monitoring a lot of hot spots and a half a mile of fire was still burning.&nbsp; Possibly one outbuilding but no other structures have burned and Klein reported no injuries.

Fire crews from Sterling, Alden Chase, Geneseo, Windom, Little River, Marquette, Hutchinson, Nickerson, So. Hutch and Tanker 95 from the Kansas Forest Service are among those assisting.

McPherson County sheriff's deputies were assisting with traffic control on the county line at Plum and Buckskin Road.

Buckskin or Ave V west towards Sterling was closed temporarily while fire crews worked.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617618963492.png" alt="Fire on Sunday evening in Rice County -photo courtesy Kansas Forest Service" />
 <figcaption>Fire on Sunday evening in Rice County -photo courtesy Kansas Forest Service</figcaption>
 </figure>RICE COUNTY —Crews continued to monitor hot spots on a large wildfire in rural Rice County overnight.The fire was 50-60 percent contained as of 5 p.m. Monday, according to Rice County Emergency Management Director Greg Klein. The wind was expected to change direction Tuesday.Just over 1800 acres have burned.The fire started from a controlled burn that had been done Saturday on a quarter section of land northeast of Nickerson.There were no injuries reported, according to dispatch early Tuesday.-------RICE COUNTY—Crews continue to battle a large fire in rural Rice County that started Saturday.The biggest challenge for fire crews in the wind was working to contain the north edge of the fire at approximately Avenue T between 27th and 29th, according Rice County Emergency Management Director Greg Klein.&nbsp; The fire is 50-60 percent contained, but the wind expected to shift Tuesday.&nbsp;The fire started from a controlled burn that had been done Saturday on a quarter section of land northeast of Nickerson.Klein still estimates approximately 1800 acres had burned.&nbsp; Fire crews also did a controlled burn on 360 acres early Monday in anticipation winds they are fighting Monday.There are no injuries reported.------RICE COUNTY—Crews continue to battle a large fire in rural Rice County.The fire was first reported just after 5:30p.m. on Sunday, according to Rice County Emergency Management Director Greg Klein.&nbsp; The fire started from a controlled burn that had been done Saturday on a quarter section of land northeast of Nickerson.Approximately 1800 acres have burned as of 6:30a.m. Monday and fire crews also did a controlled burn on 360 acres overnight in anticipation winds in the weather forecast for Monday afternoon, according to Klein.Roads in the area are open as fire crews continue monitoring a lot of hot spots and a half a mile of fire was still burning.&nbsp; Possibly one outbuilding but no other structures have burned and Klein reported no injuries.Fire crews from Sterling, Alden Chase, Geneseo, Windom, Little River, Marquette, Hutchinson, Nickerson, So. Hutch and Tanker 95 from the Kansas Forest Service are among those assisting.McPherson County sheriff's deputies were assisting with traffic control on the county line at Plum and Buckskin Road.Buckskin or Ave V west towards Sterling was closed temporarily while fire crews worked.

Update: Crews continue to fight grass fire in Rice County

COWLEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two men on numerous charges after a traffic stop.

Just before 3a.m. March 28, police conducted a&nbsp;traffic stop at involving a vehicle they observed driving down the wrong side of the road in the 900 block of South A Street in Arkansas City, according to&nbsp; Arkansas City Police in a media release issued April 5.

The vehicle’s tag was found to have an expired registration with a current registration sticker on it. Police later determined the sticker and tag were not the same.

The driver&nbsp;Robert Theophilus Lolar, 44, Winfield was found to have a suspended driver’s license and an active warrant for his arrest for failure to appear in Arkansas City Municipal Court. He was taken into custody without incident.

His passenger, Albert Lolar, 64, of Arkansas City, was found to be a suspect in an unrelated case being investigated by the Winfield Police Department. At Winfield’s request, he was placed under arrest on suspicion of battery-domestic violence and criminal damage property and transported to the county jail.

The vehicle was searched, and police found items suspected to be illegal substances and items associated with drug sales in the vehicle, which was later impounded and towed away from the scene

Robert Lolar was booked on suspicion of one felony count each of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and no drug tax stamp, as well as one misdemeanor count each of driving under the influence, driving with a suspended driver’s license (third offense), expired or illegal registration, no proof of insurance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

He also was cited for failure to appear in Arkansas City Municipal Court and transporting an open container of alcohol.

The vehicle was searched, and police found items suspected to be illegal substances and items associated with drug sales in the vehicle, which was later impounded and towed away from the scene.&nbsp; Both men have posted bail and are no longer in custody.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617651616595.png" alt="Robert Lolar" />
 <figcaption>Robert Lolar</figcaption>
 </figure>COWLEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two men on numerous charges after a traffic stop.Just before 3a.m. March 28, police conducted a&nbsp;traffic stop at involving a vehicle they observed driving down the wrong side of the road in the 900 block of South A Street in Arkansas City, according to&nbsp; Arkansas City Police in a media release issued April 5.The vehicle’s tag was found to have an expired registration with a current registration sticker on it. Police later determined the sticker and tag were not the same.The driver&nbsp;Robert Theophilus Lolar, 44, Winfield was found to have a suspended driver’s license and an active warrant for his arrest for failure to appear in Arkansas City Municipal Court. He was taken into custody without incident.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617651661331.png" alt="Albert Lolar" />
 <figcaption>Albert Lolar</figcaption>
 </figure>His passenger, Albert Lolar, 64, of Arkansas City, was found to be a suspect in an unrelated case being investigated by the Winfield Police Department. At Winfield’s request, he was placed under arrest on suspicion of battery-domestic violence and criminal damage property and transported to the county jail.The vehicle was searched, and police found items suspected to be illegal substances and items associated with drug sales in the vehicle, which was later impounded and towed away from the sceneRobert Lolar was booked on suspicion of one felony count each of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and no drug tax stamp, as well as one misdemeanor count each of driving under the influence, driving with a suspended driver’s license (third offense), expired or illegal registration, no proof of insurance and possession of drug paraphernalia.He also was cited for failure to appear in Arkansas City Municipal Court and transporting an open container of alcohol.The vehicle was searched, and police found items suspected to be illegal substances and items associated with drug sales in the vehicle, which was later impounded and towed away from the scene.&nbsp; Both men have posted bail and are no longer in custody.

2 men jailed after found driving down wrong side of Kan. road

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man accused of attempted murder after allegedly driving a vehicle with his mother as a passenger into a lake has been declared mentally incompetent.

A Douglas County District Court judge ruled Wednesday that Jeremy S. Williams, 22, should receive treatment at Larned State Hospital, according to court records.

He was charged with second-degree attempted murder after a caller reported seeing a car drive into Lone Star Lake on Feb. 25, prosecutors said.

The caller helped Williams’ mother out of the car after she appeared unable to remove herself because of a broken leg, Douglas County Sheriff’s officials said. She was taken to the hospital with serious injuries and cold exposure.

Williams’ case will remain pending while he receives treatment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614442117521.png" alt="Williams photo Douglas County" />
 <figcaption>Williams photo Douglas County</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man accused of attempted murder after allegedly driving a vehicle with his mother as a passenger into a lake has been declared mentally incompetent.A Douglas County District Court judge ruled Wednesday that Jeremy S. Williams, 22, should receive treatment at Larned State Hospital, according to court records.He was charged with second-degree attempted murder after a caller reported seeing a car drive into Lone Star Lake on Feb. 25, prosecutors said.The caller helped Williams’ mother out of the car after she appeared unable to remove herself because of a broken leg, Douglas County Sheriff’s officials said. She was taken to the hospital with serious injuries and cold exposure.Williams’ case will remain pending while he receives treatment.

Judge: Kan. man who tried to drive mom to her death incompetent

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man for his actions during a disturbance on Easter Sunday.

Just after 6:30 a.m., police responded to a domestic disturbance with a weapon call at an apartment in the 3000 block of West Douglas in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.

Upon arrival, officers contacted a 21 -year-old woman at the apartment.&nbsp; As officers entered the apartment, they heard a gunshot from a bedroom.&nbsp; Officers began giving verbal instructions to the individuals inside the room.&nbsp; 

&nbsp;Scott Bryant, 21, of Derby exited the room armed with a handgun and complied with instructions given to him.&nbsp; Officers arrested him without further incident and recovered the handgun.

A 19-year-old woman and 20-year-old woman also exited the bedroom.

The investigation revealed the four individuals are all known to each other, and the 19 and 20-year-old women got into an argument with Bryant.&nbsp; He fired the handgun during the disturbance and after the officers arrived.&nbsp; No one was injured in this incident.&nbsp; The gun was reported stolen.

The case will be presented to the City of Wichita prosecutors.

Bryant is being held on requested charges of possession of stolen property and criminal discharge of a firearm, according to Davidson.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617622838213.png" alt="Bryant-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Bryant-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man for his actions during a disturbance on Easter Sunday.Just after 6:30 a.m., police responded to a domestic disturbance with a weapon call at an apartment in the 3000 block of West Douglas in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.Upon arrival, officers contacted a 21 -year-old woman at the apartment.&nbsp; As officers entered the apartment, they heard a gunshot from a bedroom.&nbsp; Officers began giving verbal instructions to the individuals inside the room.&nbsp; &nbsp;Scott Bryant, 21, of Derby exited the room armed with a handgun and complied with instructions given to him.&nbsp; Officers arrested him without further incident and recovered the handgun.A 19-year-old woman and 20-year-old woman also exited the bedroom.The investigation revealed the four individuals are all known to each other, and the 19 and 20-year-old women got into an argument with Bryant.&nbsp; He fired the handgun during the disturbance and after the officers arrived.&nbsp; No one was injured in this incident.&nbsp; The gun was reported stolen.The case will be presented to the City of Wichita prosecutors.Bryant is being held on requested charges of possession of stolen property and criminal discharge of a firearm, according to Davidson.

Kan. man fired stolen handgun during Easter Sunday dispute

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – The death of a Kansas man whose body was found in a creek in La Cygne, Kan., in 2004 was a homicide, according to a new report by a federal forensic examiner.

As part of a continuing federal investigation of Alonzo Brooks’ death, his body was exhumed and transported to Dover Air Force Base for examination by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner. The examiner’s report concludes that the cause of death was homicide.

“We knew that Alonzo Brooks died under very suspicious circumstances,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard. “This new examination by a team of the world’s best forensic pathologists and experts establishes it was no accident. Alonzo Brooks was killed. 

We are doing everything we can, and will spare no resources, to bring those responsible to justice.”

“The FBI’s commitment to justice remains at the forefront of each and every investigation,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Timothy Langan.

“Our reach is broad, and the strength of our investigative tools are exceptional. We remain dedicated to uncovering the truth surrounding the murder of Alonzo Brooks and ensuring those responsible are held accountable for their actions.”

The new autopsy focuses on injuries to parts of Brooks’ body that the examiner concluded are inconsistent with normal patterns of decomposition.

Details of the examination are being withheld for investigative purposes.

In 2019, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas and the FBI reopened the investigation of Brooks’ death, which had been dormant for years. As part of the new investigation, the FBI is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for Brooks’ death.

In the initial investigation, a coroner in Linn County said he was unable to determine a cause of death and witnesses’ interviews failed to produce any arrests. The new investigation is focused on determining whether Brooks, an

African-American who was 23 years old when he died, was the victim of a racially motivated killing. Brooks was last seen alive in April 2004 during a party at a house on the outskirts of La Cygne. He was one of only three African-American men at the party, which 100 or more people attended.

Brooks, who lived in Gardner, Kan., rode to the party with friends. They left before him and he wound up with no ride home.

When Brooks failed to come home the next day, his family and friends contacted the Linn County Sheriff’s Department.

According to reports at the time, the Sheriff’s Department and other law enforcement agencies searched areas around the farmhouse, including parts of nearby Middle Creek, but did not find Alonzo.

After Alonzo had been missing for almost a month, a group of his family and friends organized a search. They began on the road near the 

farmhouse and walked the two branches of Middle Creek. In just under an hour, they found Alonzo’s body, partially on top of a pile of brush and branches in the creek.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591908849400.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, KAN. – The death of a Kansas man whose body was found in a creek in La Cygne, Kan., in 2004 was a homicide, according to a new report by a federal forensic examiner.As part of a continuing federal investigation of Alonzo Brooks’ death, his body was exhumed and transported to Dover Air Force Base for examination by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner. The examiner’s report concludes that the cause of death was homicide.“We knew that Alonzo Brooks died under very suspicious circumstances,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard. “This new examination by a team of the world’s best forensic pathologists and experts establishes it was no accident. Alonzo Brooks was killed. We are doing everything we can, and will spare no resources, to bring those responsible to justice.”“The FBI’s commitment to justice remains at the forefront of each and every investigation,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Timothy Langan.“Our reach is broad, and the strength of our investigative tools are exceptional. We remain dedicated to uncovering the truth surrounding the murder of Alonzo Brooks and ensuring those responsible are held accountable for their actions.”The new autopsy focuses on injuries to parts of Brooks’ body that the examiner concluded are inconsistent with normal patterns of decomposition.Details of the examination are being withheld for investigative purposes.In 2019, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas and the FBI reopened the investigation of Brooks’ death, which had been dormant for years. As part of the new investigation, the FBI is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for Brooks’ death.In the initial investigation, a coroner in Linn County said he was unable to determine a cause of death and witnesses’ interviews failed to produce any arrests. The new investigation is focused on determining whether Brooks, anAfrican-American who was 23 years old when he died, was the victim of a racially motivated killing. Brooks was last seen alive in April 2004 during a party at a house on the outskirts of La Cygne. He was one of only three African-American men at the party, which 100 or more people attended.Brooks, who lived in Gardner, Kan., rode to the party with friends. They left before him and he wound up with no ride home.When Brooks failed to come home the next day, his family and friends contacted the Linn County Sheriff’s Department.According to reports at the time, the Sheriff’s Department and other law enforcement agencies searched areas around the farmhouse, including parts of nearby Middle Creek, but did not find Alonzo.After Alonzo had been missing for almost a month, a group of his family and friends organized a search. They began on the road near the farmhouse and walked the two branches of Middle Creek. In just under an hour, they found Alonzo’s body, partially on top of a pile of brush and branches in the creek.

FBI confirms 2004 death of Kan. man was a homicide

WASHINGTON − As people across the country file their 2020 tax returns, some are claiming the 2020 <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit">Recovery Rebate Credit (RRC)</a>.
 The IRS is mailing letters to some taxpayers who claimed the 2020 
credit and may be getting a different amount than they expected.

It's important to remember that the first and second Economic Impact 
Payments (EIP) were advance payments of the 2020 credit. Most eligible 
people already received the first and second payments and shouldn't or 
don't need to include this information on their 2020 tax return.

People who didn't receive a first or second EIP or received less than
 the full amounts may be eligible for the 2020 RRC. They must file a 
2020 tax return to claim the credit, even if they don't usually file a 
tax return.

When the IRS processes a 2020 tax return claiming the credit, the IRS
 determines the eligibility and amount of the taxpayer's credit based on
 the 2020 tax return information and the amounts of any EIP previously 
issued. If a taxpayer is eligible, it will be reduced by the amount of 
any EIPs already issued to them.

If there's a mistake with the credit amount on Line 30 of the 1040 or
 1040-SR, the IRS will calculate the correct amount, make the correction
 and continue processing the return. If a correction is needed, there 
may be a slight delay in processing the return and the IRS will send the
 taxpayer a letter or notice explaining any change.

Taxpayers who receive a notice saying the IRS changed the amount of 
their 2020 credit should read the notice. Then they should review their 
2020 tax return, the requirements and the worksheet in the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1040">Form 1040 and Form 1040-SR instructions.</a>

Here are some common reasons the IRS corrected the credit:

IRS.gov has a special section - <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/2020-recovery-rebate-credit-topic-g-correcting-issues-after-the-2020-tax-return-is-filed">Correcting Recovery Rebate Credit issues after the 2020 tax return is filed</a>
 – that provides additional information to explain what errors may have 
occurred. Taxpayers who disagree with the IRS calculation should review 
their letter as well as the questions and answers for what information 
they should have available when contacting the IRS.

The Internal Revenue Service urges people who have not yet filed 
their 2020 tax return to properly determine their eligibility for the 
2020 before they file their 2020 tax returns. To calculate any credit 
due, start with the amount of any EIPs received. Use the RRC Worksheet 
or tax preparation software. Taxpayers who didn't save or didn't receive
 an IRS letter or notice can securely access their individual tax 
information with an <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/view-your-tax-account">IRS online account</a>.

Anyone with income of $72,000 or less can file their Federal tax return electronically for free through the IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free">Free File</a>&nbsp;program. The fastest way to get a tax refund which will include your 2020 RRC is to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/e-file-options">file electronically</a> and have it <a href="https://www.irs.gov/refunds/get-your-refund-faster-tell-irs-to-direct-deposit-your-refund-to-one-two-or-three-accounts">direct deposited</a>
 into their financial account. Bank accounts, many prepaid debit cards 
and several mobile apps can be used for direct deposit when a routing 
and account number are provided. If using a prepaid debit card, check 
with the financial institution to ensure the card can be used and to 
obtain the routing number and account number, which may be different 
from the card number.

For more information, see <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-information-letters-about-economic-impact-payments-and-the-recovery-rebate-credit">IRS information letters about Economic Impact Payments and the Recovery Rebate Credit</a> or visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit">IRS.gov/rrc</a>&nbsp;and the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit-frequently-asked-questions">frequently asked questions</a> by topic.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON − As people across the country file their 2020 tax returns, some are claiming the 2020 <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit">Recovery Rebate Credit (RRC)</a>.
 The IRS is mailing letters to some taxpayers who claimed the 2020 
credit and may be getting a different amount than they expected.It's important to remember that the first and second Economic Impact 
Payments (EIP) were advance payments of the 2020 credit. Most eligible 
people already received the first and second payments and shouldn't or 
don't need to include this information on their 2020 tax return.People who didn't receive a first or second EIP or received less than
 the full amounts may be eligible for the 2020 RRC. They must file a 
2020 tax return to claim the credit, even if they don't usually file a 
tax return.When the IRS processes a 2020 tax return claiming the credit, the IRS
 determines the eligibility and amount of the taxpayer's credit based on
 the 2020 tax return information and the amounts of any EIP previously 
issued. If a taxpayer is eligible, it will be reduced by the amount of 
any EIPs already issued to them.If there's a mistake with the credit amount on Line 30 of the 1040 or
 1040-SR, the IRS will calculate the correct amount, make the correction
 and continue processing the return. If a correction is needed, there 
may be a slight delay in processing the return and the IRS will send the
 taxpayer a letter or notice explaining any change.Taxpayers who receive a notice saying the IRS changed the amount of 
their 2020 credit should read the notice. Then they should review their 
2020 tax return, the requirements and the worksheet in the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1040">Form 1040 and Form 1040-SR instructions.</a>Here are some common reasons the IRS corrected the credit:<ul>
 <li>The individual was claimed as a dependent on another person's 2020 tax return.</li><li>The individual did not provide a Social Security number valid for employment.</li><li>The qualifying child was age 17 or older on January&nbsp;1, 2020.</li><li>Math errors relating to calculating adjusted gross income and any EIPs already received.</li>
 </ul>IRS.gov has a special section - <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/2020-recovery-rebate-credit-topic-g-correcting-issues-after-the-2020-tax-return-is-filed">Correcting Recovery Rebate Credit issues after the 2020 tax return is filed</a>
 – that provides additional information to explain what errors may have 
occurred. Taxpayers who disagree with the IRS calculation should review 
their letter as well as the questions and answers for what information 
they should have available when contacting the IRS.The Internal Revenue Service urges people who have not yet filed 
their 2020 tax return to properly determine their eligibility for the 
2020 before they file their 2020 tax returns. To calculate any credit 
due, start with the amount of any EIPs received. Use the RRC Worksheet 
or tax preparation software. Taxpayers who didn't save or didn't receive
 an IRS letter or notice can securely access their individual tax 
information with an <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/view-your-tax-account">IRS online account</a>.Anyone with income of $72,000 or less can file their Federal tax return electronically for free through the IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free">Free File</a>&nbsp;program. The fastest way to get a tax refund which will include your 2020 RRC is to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/e-file-options">file electronically</a> and have it <a href="https://www.irs.gov/refunds/get-your-refund-faster-tell-irs-to-direct-deposit-your-refund-to-one-two-or-three-accounts">direct deposited</a>
 into their financial account. Bank accounts, many prepaid debit cards 
and several mobile apps can be used for direct deposit when a routing 
and account number are provided. If using a prepaid debit card, check 
with the financial institution to ensure the card can be used and to 
obtain the routing number and account number, which may be different 
from the card number.For more information, see <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-information-letters-about-economic-impact-payments-and-the-recovery-rebate-credit">IRS information letters about Economic Impact Payments and the Recovery Rebate Credit</a> or visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit">IRS.gov/rrc</a>&nbsp;and the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit-frequently-asked-questions">frequently asked questions</a> by topic.<ul>
 <li><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">Topic A: Claiming the Recovery Rebate Credit if you aren't required to file a tax return</a></li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit-topic-b-eligibility">Topic B: Eligibility</a></li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit-topic-c-claiming-the-credit">Topic C: Claiming the Credit</a></li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/2020-recovery-rebate-credit-topic-d-calculating-the-credit">Topic D: Calculating the Credit</a></li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit-topic-e-receiving-the-credit">Topic E: Receiving the Credit</a></li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/2020-recovery-rebate-credit-topic-f-finding-the-first-and-second-economic-impact-payment-amounts-to-calculate-the-2020-recovery-rebate-credit">Topic F: Finding the First and Second Economic Impact Payment Amounts to Calculate the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit</a></li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/2020-recovery-rebate-credit-topic-g-correcting-issues-after-the-2020-tax-return-is-filed">Topic G: Correcting issues after the 2020 tax return is filed</a></li>
 </ul>

IRS letters explain 2020 Recovery Rebate Credits

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Laura Kelly said Monday that she has no plans to have Kansas issue vaccine passports, which are designed to help inoculated residents travel, shop and dine out more freely.

The Democratic governor also signed into law a largely symbolic&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/sb63_enrolled.pdf" target="_blank">measure</a>&nbsp;approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature to require public schools to offer full-time, in-person classes to all students for the rest of the current semester.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-covid-19-pandemic-kansas-coronavirus-pandemic-a85f3c32c044912b834aac7e0e1356a0">Almost all</a>&nbsp;of the state’s 286 local school districts already have most students attending in-person classes, according to the State Department of Education.

Vaccine passports verifying people’s immunizations status have become a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/travel-new-york-data-privacy-immunizations-coronavirus-pandemic-f1c7623849d5458bcda3aed67f4c3d90">political flashpoint</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. as they’ve come into use&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-can-unvaccinated-return-to-work-dilemma-coronavrius-7e18cdee3a66018c36a6c61d5bc8a4c1">in Israel&nbsp;</a>and under development in Europe. Some Republicans in the U.S. see them as heavy-handed government intrusion.

Kelly said she’s concentrating on making sure people get tested for and vaccinated against COVID-19.

“I have no interest in vaccine passports,” she told reporters. “We will not be issuing those under my authority.”

New COVID-19 cases have declined sharply in Kansas in recent months. State health department data showed an average of just 195 new cases a day for the seven days ending Monday, the lowest rolling seven-day average since late June 2020.

Kansas added only 354 cases since Friday to its pandemic total, making it 303,227. A review of death certificates also prompted the health department to subtract five deaths from the pandemic total since Friday, dropping it to 4,927.

The measure requiring schools to reopen was pushed by Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican. He and other GOP lawmakers said remote classes hurt many children both academically and emotionally. Republicans are still criticizing Kelly for ordering all K-12 buildings closed from mid-March 2020 until the end of that spring’s semester.

But Kelly said Monday that with schools open, “It’s sort of a moot point.”

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Laura Kelly said Monday that she has no plans to have Kansas issue vaccine passports, which are designed to help inoculated residents travel, shop and dine out more freely.The Democratic governor also signed into law a largely symbolic&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/sb63_enrolled.pdf" target="_blank">measure</a>&nbsp;approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature to require public schools to offer full-time, in-person classes to all students for the rest of the current semester.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-covid-19-pandemic-kansas-coronavirus-pandemic-a85f3c32c044912b834aac7e0e1356a0">Almost all</a>&nbsp;of the state’s 286 local school districts already have most students attending in-person classes, according to the State Department of Education.Vaccine passports verifying people’s immunizations status have become a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/travel-new-york-data-privacy-immunizations-coronavirus-pandemic-f1c7623849d5458bcda3aed67f4c3d90">political flashpoint</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. as they’ve come into use&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-can-unvaccinated-return-to-work-dilemma-coronavrius-7e18cdee3a66018c36a6c61d5bc8a4c1">in Israel&nbsp;</a>and under development in Europe. Some Republicans in the U.S. see them as heavy-handed government intrusion.Kelly said she’s concentrating on making sure people get tested for and vaccinated against COVID-19.“I have no interest in vaccine passports,” she told reporters. “We will not be issuing those under my authority.”New COVID-19 cases have declined sharply in Kansas in recent months. State health department data showed an average of just 195 new cases a day for the seven days ending Monday, the lowest rolling seven-day average since late June 2020.Kansas added only 354 cases since Friday to its pandemic total, making it 303,227. A review of death certificates also prompted the health department to subtract five deaths from the pandemic total since Friday, dropping it to 4,927.The measure requiring schools to reopen was pushed by Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican. He and other GOP lawmakers said remote classes hurt many children both academically and emotionally. Republicans are still criticizing Kelly for ordering all K-12 buildings closed from mid-March 2020 until the end of that spring’s semester.But Kelly said Monday that with schools open, “It’s sort of a moot point.”____

Kan. governor: 'No interest' in COVID-19 vaccine passports

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Monday urged the adoption of a minimum global corporate income tax, an effort to offset any disadvantages that might arise from the Biden administration’s proposed increase in the U.S. corporate tax rate.

Citing a “thirty-year race to the bottom” in which countries have slashed corporate tax rates in an effort to attract multinational businesses, Yellen said the Biden administration would work with other advanced economies in the Group of 20 to set a minimum.

“Competitiveness is about more than how U.S.-headquartered companies fare against other companies in global merger and acquisition bids,” Yellen said in a virtual speech to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. “It is about making sure that governments have stable tax systems that raise sufficient revenue to invest in essential public goods.”

The speech was Yellen’s highest-profile so far on international affairs, and came just as the spring meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund began in a virtual format.

“It is important to work with other countries to end the pressures of tax competition and corporate tax base erosion,” Yellen said.

President Joe Biden has proposed hiking the U.S. corporate tax rate to 28% from 21%, partially undoing the Trump administration’s cut from 35% in its 2017 tax legislation. Biden also wants to set a minimum U.S. tax on overseas corporate income, and to make it harder for companies to shift earnings offshore. The increase would help pay for the White House’s ambitious&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-politics-climate-climate-change-c14bb6ce360a43e6239abfe087758e5c">$2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal</a>.

Also on Monday, Biden said he was “not at all” concerned that a higher corporate tax rate would cause some U.S. companies to relocate overseas, though Yellen’s proposed global minimum corporate tax is intended to prevent that from happening.

“There’s no evidence to that ... that’s bizarre,” Biden said in response to a question from reporters.

According to the Tax Foundation, the Trump administration’s corporate tax reduction lowered the U.S. rate from the highest among the 37 advanced economies in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to the 13th highest. Many analysts have argued, however, that few large U.S. multinationals paid the full tax.

“We have 51 or 52 corporations from the Fortune 500 who haven’t paid a single penny a day for 3 years?” Biden said. “Come on.”

Yellen, meanwhile, downplayed the potential for the Biden administration’s domestic agenda, which also includes a $1.9 trillion COVID relief package approved last month, to spur higher inflation. Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, among others, has raised such concerns since the relief bill passed.

“I strongly doubt that it’s going to cause inflationary pressures,” Yellen said, referring to the administration’s infrastructure proposal. “The problem for a very long time has been inflation that’s too low, not inflation that’s too high.”

Yellen also said the United States will step up its efforts at home and overseas to fight climate change, “after sitting on the sidelines for four years.”

Treasury will work to “promote the flow of capital toward climate-aligned investments and away from carbon-intensive investments,” Yellen said. That approach has raised the ire of GOP members of Congress, who say it threatens the ability of the U.S. oil and gas industry to access needed lending.

Yellen also noted that many developing nations are lagging in vaccinating their populations, and have also experienced harsh economic consequences from the pandemic. As many as 150 million people worldwide will fall into extreme poverty this year, Yellen said.

“The result will likely be a deeper and longer-lasting crisis, with mounting problems of indebtedness, more entrenched poverty, and growing inequality,” Yellen said.

The Biden administration supports the creation of $650 billion in new lending capacity at the IMF to address such issues, she said. Many Republicans in Congress oppose the new allotment, arguing that much of the funding would flow to relatively better-off developing countries, such as China.

Yellen acknowledged that the additional credit would be distributed to each IMF member, but argued that “significant resources will go to the poorest countries most in need.” Nations can also donate some of their funds to the hardest-hit countries, which she expects many will do, she added.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617646111834.png" alt="Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Monday urged the adoption of a minimum global corporate income tax, an effort to offset any disadvantages that might arise from the Biden administration’s proposed increase in the U.S. corporate tax rate.Citing a “thirty-year race to the bottom” in which countries have slashed corporate tax rates in an effort to attract multinational businesses, Yellen said the Biden administration would work with other advanced economies in the Group of 20 to set a minimum.“Competitiveness is about more than how U.S.-headquartered companies fare against other companies in global merger and acquisition bids,” Yellen said in a virtual speech to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. “It is about making sure that governments have stable tax systems that raise sufficient revenue to invest in essential public goods.”The speech was Yellen’s highest-profile so far on international affairs, and came just as the spring meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund began in a virtual format.“It is important to work with other countries to end the pressures of tax competition and corporate tax base erosion,” Yellen said.President Joe Biden has proposed hiking the U.S. corporate tax rate to 28% from 21%, partially undoing the Trump administration’s cut from 35% in its 2017 tax legislation. Biden also wants to set a minimum U.S. tax on overseas corporate income, and to make it harder for companies to shift earnings offshore. The increase would help pay for the White House’s ambitious&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-politics-climate-climate-change-c14bb6ce360a43e6239abfe087758e5c">$2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal</a>.Also on Monday, Biden said he was “not at all” concerned that a higher corporate tax rate would cause some U.S. companies to relocate overseas, though Yellen’s proposed global minimum corporate tax is intended to prevent that from happening.“There’s no evidence to that ... that’s bizarre,” Biden said in response to a question from reporters.According to the Tax Foundation, the Trump administration’s corporate tax reduction lowered the U.S. rate from the highest among the 37 advanced economies in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to the 13th highest. Many analysts have argued, however, that few large U.S. multinationals paid the full tax.“We have 51 or 52 corporations from the Fortune 500 who haven’t paid a single penny a day for 3 years?” Biden said. “Come on.”Yellen, meanwhile, downplayed the potential for the Biden administration’s domestic agenda, which also includes a $1.9 trillion COVID relief package approved last month, to spur higher inflation. Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, among others, has raised such concerns since the relief bill passed.“I strongly doubt that it’s going to cause inflationary pressures,” Yellen said, referring to the administration’s infrastructure proposal. “The problem for a very long time has been inflation that’s too low, not inflation that’s too high.”Yellen also said the United States will step up its efforts at home and overseas to fight climate change, “after sitting on the sidelines for four years.”Treasury will work to “promote the flow of capital toward climate-aligned investments and away from carbon-intensive investments,” Yellen said. That approach has raised the ire of GOP members of Congress, who say it threatens the ability of the U.S. oil and gas industry to access needed lending.Yellen also noted that many developing nations are lagging in vaccinating their populations, and have also experienced harsh economic consequences from the pandemic. As many as 150 million people worldwide will fall into extreme poverty this year, Yellen said.“The result will likely be a deeper and longer-lasting crisis, with mounting problems of indebtedness, more entrenched poverty, and growing inequality,” Yellen said.The Biden administration supports the creation of $650 billion in new lending capacity at the IMF to address such issues, she said. Many Republicans in Congress oppose the new allotment, arguing that much of the funding would flow to relatively better-off developing countries, such as China.Yellen acknowledged that the additional credit would be distributed to each IMF member, but argued that “significant resources will go to the poorest countries most in need.” Nations can also donate some of their funds to the hardest-hit countries, which she expects many will do, she added.

U.S. Treasury Secretary calls for global income tax

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A driver has died in a fiery crash in Kansas City that also injured two police officers and a firefighter who were attempting to rescue the driver, authorities said.

The crash happened Sunday afternoon on Northwest Roanridge Road after a northbound car missed a curve in the road, flew down an embankment and flipped before catching fire, police said in a news release.

The driver was trapped in the burning wreckage. Police said officers, firefighters and bystanders tried unsuccessfully to put out the fire and rescue the driver, who died at the scene. His name was not immediately released.

Two officers and a firefighter were taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries sustained during the rescue attempt.

Two dogs were also in the vehicle at the time of the crash, and both were thrown from the car, police said. A German Shepherd died at the scene, and a Jack Russell was rescued and taken the county’s animal control impound.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617649280347.png" alt="A German Shepherd also died at the scene of the crash -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>A German Shepherd also died at the scene of the crash -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — A driver has died in a fiery crash in Kansas City that also injured two police officers and a firefighter who were attempting to rescue the driver, authorities said.The crash happened Sunday afternoon on Northwest Roanridge Road after a northbound car missed a curve in the road, flew down an embankment and flipped before catching fire, police said in a news release.The driver was trapped in the burning wreckage. Police said officers, firefighters and bystanders tried unsuccessfully to put out the fire and rescue the driver, who died at the scene. His name was not immediately released.Two officers and a firefighter were taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries sustained during the rescue attempt.Two dogs were also in the vehicle at the time of the crash, and both were thrown from the car, police said. A German Shepherd died at the scene, and a Jack Russell was rescued and taken the county’s animal control impound.

Driver and pet dead in KC crash that injured first responders

Some 1800 acres have burned as of 6:30a.m. Monday and fire crews also did a controlled burn on 360 acres overnight in anticipation winds in the weather forecast for Monday afternoon, according to Klein.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617618963492.png" alt="Fire on Sunday evening in Rice County -photo courtesy Kansas Forest Service" />
 <figcaption>Fire on Sunday evening in Rice County -photo courtesy Kansas Forest Service</figcaption>
 </figure>RICE COUNTY—Crews continue to battle a large fire in rural Rice County that started Saturday.The biggest challenge for fire crews in the wind was working to contain the north edge of the fire at approximately Avenue T between 27th and 29th, according Rice County Emergency Management Director Greg Klein.&nbsp; The fire is 50-60 percent contained, but the wind expected to shift Tuesday.&nbsp;The fire started from a controlled burn that had been done Saturday on a quarter section of land northeast of Nickerson.Klein still estimates approximately 1800 acres had burned.&nbsp; Fire crews also did a controlled burn on 360 acres early Monday in anticipation winds they are fighting Monday.There are no injuries reported.------RICE COUNTY—Crews continue to battle a large fire in rural Rice County.The fire was first reported just after 5:30p.m. on Sunday, according to Rice County Emergency Management Director Greg Klein.&nbsp; The fire started from a controlled burn that had been done Saturday on a quarter section of land northeast of Nickerson.Some 1800 acres have burned as of 6:30a.m. Monday and fire crews also did a controlled burn on 360 acres overnight in anticipation winds in the weather forecast for Monday afternoon, according to Klein.Roads in the area are open as fire crews continue monitoring a lot of hot spots and a half a mile of fire was still burning.&nbsp; Possibly one outbuilding but no other structures have burned and Klein reported no injuries.Fire crews from Sterling, Alden Chase, Geneseo, Windom, Little River, Marquette, Hutchinson, Nickerson, So. Hutch and Tanker 95 from the Kansas Forest Service are among those assisting.McPherson County sheriff's deputies were assisting with traffic control on the county line at Plum and Buckskin Road.Buckskin or Ave V west towards Sterling was closed temporarily while fire crews worked.

Update: Crews fighting large grass fire in Rice County

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A spokesperson for Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly says a Republican proposal to require graduating Kansas high school students to have passed a civics test violates the state constitution.

Kelly spokesperson Reeves Oyster stopped short of saying Kelly would veto a bill approved by the state Senate last week to require the test.

But she said in email: “The civics bill is an unconstitutional intrusion on the authority of the State Board of Education.”

The state constitution says the elected state board has “general supervision” of public schools, and the Kansas Supreme Court ruled decades ago that the board exercises its power independently laws enacted by the Legislature. The board sets curriculum standards.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;Legislature passed a Republican-backed bill Wednesday that would require graduating high school students to have passed a civics test with questions such as, “What is one way Americans can serve their country?”

The GOP-controlled Senate voted 24-15 for the bill and sent it to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. The Republican-controlled House narrowly approved it in early March.

The measure would require public and private school students to pass a test or series of tests consisting of 60 randomly selected questions from the U.S. citizenship test. The bill does not set a passing grade, leaving that up to teachers. Students would be able to take the test multiple times until they pass.

Supporters say the test would give students basic knowledge to become engaged citizens. Nineteen states require high school students to take a civics test in order to graduate, according to the Legislature’s research staff.

“By providing this test, we are just ensuring that the principles of our government and the foundations of our Constitution are taught in our schools,” said freshman state Sen. Alicia Straub, an Ellinwood Republican.

Kelly has not said whether she will sign the bill, and fellow Democrats opposed it, questioning whether it would be effective in getting young people engaged.

The U.S. citizenship test includes questions that require applicants to name three branches of government, a document that influenced the U.S. Constitution, and who appoints federal judges.

Straub, who led the move to pass the bill in the Senate, said if students are already being taught about the U.S. Constitution and the federal government, they should be able to easily pass the test.

But the Kansas State Board of Education opposed the bill, saying it encroaches on its authority under the state constitution to set graduation requirements. The measure has also faced criticism from some education groups, including the Kansas National Education Association, which says students are already getting a civics education in government and history classes.

Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, a Lenexa Democrat, said that she has encouraged students to work for campaigns and become poll workers. She pointed to a national program called Civics Unplugged in which high school students are trained to work on civics projects.

“I think there are programs like this that actually will help with the intent of making sure kids know about the civics process, getting them engaged and actually having an experience that will be much more influential than to take a citizenship, the naturalization exam,” Sykes said.

However, Sen. Kellie Warren, a Leawood Republican, said she disagrees with political activism substituting for the knowledge students would have to demonstrate in a civics test.

“We can disagree on politics and culture but if we don’t have a united understanding about where our country came from and its history and how it is structured. We’re going to have difficulties moving forward and getting things done,” Warren said.

During its debate Wednesday, the Senate included an amendment from Democrat Sen. David Haley, of Kansas City, Kansas, requiring the State Board of Education to develop curriculum standards for personal financial literacy classes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583163846371.jpeg" alt="State Senator Alicia Straub, who led the move to pass the bill in the Senate, said if students are already being taught about the U.S. Constitution and the federal government, they should be able to easily pass the test." />
 <figcaption>State Senator Alicia Straub, who led the move to pass the bill in the Senate, said if students are already being taught about the U.S. Constitution and the federal government, they should be able to easily pass the test.</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A spokesperson for Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly says a Republican proposal to require graduating Kansas high school students to have passed a civics test violates the state constitution.Kelly spokesperson Reeves Oyster stopped short of saying Kelly would veto a bill approved by the state Senate last week to require the test.But she said in email: “The civics bill is an unconstitutional intrusion on the authority of the State Board of Education.”The state constitution says the elected state board has “general supervision” of public schools, and the Kansas Supreme Court ruled decades ago that the board exercises its power independently laws enacted by the Legislature. The board sets curriculum standards.------TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;Legislature passed a Republican-backed bill Wednesday that would require graduating high school students to have passed a civics test with questions such as, “What is one way Americans can serve their country?”The GOP-controlled Senate voted 24-15 for the bill and sent it to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. The Republican-controlled House narrowly approved it in early March.The measure would require public and private school students to pass a test or series of tests consisting of 60 randomly selected questions from the U.S. citizenship test. The bill does not set a passing grade, leaving that up to teachers. Students would be able to take the test multiple times until they pass.Supporters say the test would give students basic knowledge to become engaged citizens. Nineteen states require high school students to take a civics test in order to graduate, according to the Legislature’s research staff.“By providing this test, we are just ensuring that the principles of our government and the foundations of our Constitution are taught in our schools,” said freshman state Sen. Alicia Straub, an Ellinwood Republican.Kelly has not said whether she will sign the bill, and fellow Democrats opposed it, questioning whether it would be effective in getting young people engaged.The U.S. citizenship test includes questions that require applicants to name three branches of government, a document that influenced the U.S. Constitution, and who appoints federal judges.Straub, who led the move to pass the bill in the Senate, said if students are already being taught about the U.S. Constitution and the federal government, they should be able to easily pass the test.But the Kansas State Board of Education opposed the bill, saying it encroaches on its authority under the state constitution to set graduation requirements. The measure has also faced criticism from some education groups, including the Kansas National Education Association, which says students are already getting a civics education in government and history classes.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616069152124.png" alt="Senator Dinah Sykes" />
 <figcaption>Senator Dinah Sykes</figcaption>
 </figure>Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, a Lenexa Democrat, said that she has encouraged students to work for campaigns and become poll workers. She pointed to a national program called Civics Unplugged in which high school students are trained to work on civics projects.“I think there are programs like this that actually will help with the intent of making sure kids know about the civics process, getting them engaged and actually having an experience that will be much more influential than to take a citizenship, the naturalization exam,” Sykes said.However, Sen. Kellie Warren, a Leawood Republican, said she disagrees with political activism substituting for the knowledge students would have to demonstrate in a civics test.“We can disagree on politics and culture but if we don’t have a united understanding about where our country came from and its history and how it is structured. We’re going to have difficulties moving forward and getting things done,” Warren said.During its debate Wednesday, the Senate included an amendment from Democrat Sen. David Haley, of Kansas City, Kansas, requiring the State Board of Education to develop curriculum standards for personal financial literacy classes.

Bill that mandates civics test might violate Kan. Constitution

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 354 to a total of 303,227, the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;

Coronavirus deaths were reported at 4927— no new deaths since Friday's report.&nbsp;

<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 354 to a total of 303,227, the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 4927— no new deaths since Friday's report.&nbsp;<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/2021/4/1617642274870.png" alt="Monday April 5, 2021 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Monday April 5, 2021 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Capitol Police officer killed last week when a man armed with a knife rammed his car into two officers at a barricade outside the Capitol does not appear to have been stabbed, slashed or shot, a police official told The Associated Press on Monday.

Officer William “Billy” Evans, an 18-year veteran of the force, died Friday after the driver rammed into the barricade near the Capitol. The driver, identified as 25-year-old Noah Green, crashed into the officers and the barrier, then exited the car armed with a knife and lunged at the officers before police fatally shot him, authorities said.

In the chaotic moments after the attack, law enforcement officials initially believed the suspect, who was seen on surveillance video lunging at the officers with a knife, may have stabbed Evans, but that was not the case. Rumors also had swirled around fears that Evans may have been struck by friendly fire when police started shooting at the suspect.

The investigation remains ongoing, but there is no indication that Evans was stabbed, slashed or shot, a U.S. Capitol Police official told the AP. The official could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.

Video of the Friday afternoon attack shows the driver emerging from the crashed car with a knife in his hand and advancing toward the officers, Capitol Police acting Chief Yogananda Pittman said.

Investigators are increasingly focused on Green’s mental health as they work to identify any motive for the attack, a U.S. official briefed on the investigation told the AP. Investigators have learned the suspect had been suffering from delusions, paranoia and suicidal thoughts, according to the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about an ongoing matter and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.

In online posts since removed, Green described being under government thought control and said he was being watched. He described himself as a follower of the Nation of Islam and its longtime leader, Louis Farrakhan, and spoke of going through a difficult time when he leaned on his faith. Some of the messages were captured by the group SITE, which tracks online activity.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617402625752.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A Capitol Police officer killed last week when a man armed with a knife rammed his car into two officers at a barricade outside the Capitol does not appear to have been stabbed, slashed or shot, a police official told The Associated Press on Monday.Officer William “Billy” Evans, an 18-year veteran of the force, died Friday after the driver rammed into the barricade near the Capitol. The driver, identified as 25-year-old Noah Green, crashed into the officers and the barrier, then exited the car armed with a knife and lunged at the officers before police fatally shot him, authorities said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617385738948.png" alt="Capitol police at the scene of the investigation photo courtesy WJLA TV" />
 <figcaption>Capitol police at the scene of the investigation photo courtesy WJLA TV</figcaption>
 </figure>In the chaotic moments after the attack, law enforcement officials initially believed the suspect, who was seen on surveillance video lunging at the officers with a knife, may have stabbed Evans, but that was not the case. Rumors also had swirled around fears that Evans may have been struck by friendly fire when police started shooting at the suspect.The investigation remains ongoing, but there is no indication that Evans was stabbed, slashed or shot, a U.S. Capitol Police official told the AP. The official could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.Video of the Friday afternoon attack shows the driver emerging from the crashed car with a knife in his hand and advancing toward the officers, Capitol Police acting Chief Yogananda Pittman said.Investigators are increasingly focused on Green’s mental health as they work to identify any motive for the attack, a U.S. official briefed on the investigation told the AP. Investigators have learned the suspect had been suffering from delusions, paranoia and suicidal thoughts, according to the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about an ongoing matter and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.In online posts since removed, Green described being under government thought control and said he was being watched. He described himself as a follower of the Nation of Islam and its longtime leader, Louis Farrakhan, and spoke of going through a difficult time when he leaned on his faith. Some of the messages were captured by the group SITE, which tracks online activity.

No indication officer in Capitol attack was stabbed, shot

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal pedestrian accident and have identified the victim as 43-year-old Kandy Fairchild of Wichita, according to Deputy Benjamin Blick.

Just after 10 p.m. Sunday deputies were dispatched to a vehicle injury accident involving a pedestrian near the intersection of Broadway and 119th Street South, according to Blick.

During the investigation, deputies learned a northbound Toyota Camry driven by a 23-year-old woman struck 43-year-old Kandy Fairchild of Wichita who was walking in the northbound lane of Broadway.

Fairchild died at the scene, according to Blick. The driver of the Camry and her adult passenger were not injured.&nbsp; Deputies released no additional details early Monday as the investigation continues.

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal pedestrian accident and have identified the victim as 43-year-old Kandy Fairchild of Wichita, according to Deputy Benjamin Blick.Just after 10 p.m. Sunday deputies were dispatched to a vehicle injury accident involving a pedestrian near the intersection of Broadway and 119th Street South, according to Blick.During the investigation, deputies learned a northbound Toyota Camry driven by a 23-year-old woman struck 43-year-old Kandy Fairchild of Wichita who was walking in the northbound lane of Broadway.Fairchild died at the scene, according to Blick. The driver of the Camry and her adult passenger were not injured.&nbsp; Deputies released no additional details early Monday as the investigation continues.