COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Authorities say they believe that human remains first spotted by someone out walking in a state park Thursday afternoon are the body of a Chinese woman who has been missing since October 2019.

The skeletal remains, some clothing, a driver’s license and some credit cards with Mengqi Ji Elledge’s name on them were found in a remote area of Rock Bridge State Park in Boone County. Columbia Mayor Brian Treece and Columbia Police Chief Geoff Jones announced the findings Thursday evening.

Assistant Chief Jeremiah Hunter described the identification of the remains as preliminary. Hunter, Jones and Treece emphasized the importance of this development in beginning to provide closure to Ji’s family. Police officials said DNA and potentially other testing would be done to confirm that the remains are Ji’s.

Jones said authorities had contacted Ji’s family through their attorney.

“As a parent, I can only imagine how important it is to want to have some measure of closure in a tragedy such as this,” Jones said.

Ji’s husband, Joseph Elledge, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a77cf5d7402709f672060620c18c200d">charged in February</a>&nbsp;2020 with first-degree murder in her disappearance. He has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/3464aeebdecdfb6819997198bbb315e1">pleaded not guilty</a>&nbsp;to the murder charge and to related charges of child endangerment and domestic abuse.

The couple has a 2-year-old daughter. Elledge, a University of Missouri student, is jailed without bond. His trial is set for Nov. 1.

Prosecutors have speculated that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/754a42ae3659132b431a838ae833ee3e">Elledge strangled his wife</a>&nbsp;to avoid a costly divorce and stop her from fleeing to China with their daughter.

Elledge told authorities he realized his wife was missing on Oct. 9, 2019, but didn’t report she was gone until the next day— which is when a friend came to the house at the request of Ji’s mother. Authorities say he drove to remote areas, spending around 45 minutes at a secluded access point to the Lamine River after dark, during those 24 hours. Cadaver dogs detected the presence of human remains there, but law enforcement was unable to find a body despite multiple searches.

Hunter said parts of Rock Bridge State Park had been previously searched but not the area where the remains were found, which is about 30 feet from a road.

During a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b8203ea6a4a34200bdbed74653732810">court hearing</a>&nbsp;in November 2019, Boone County Chief Prosecutor Dan Knight described Elledge as a “jealous, controlling, manipulative psychopath.” Knight played four audio recordings of the couple arguing.

In the recordings, the husband says, “I don’t like being with you,” ″I’m eager to end it” and “I will bury the earth under you.” Ji can also be heard arguing with her husband, who raised his voice several times. At one point, he told her, “I know you want me to hit you,” and, “This, it’s not abusive.”

He was also heard saying he wanted a divorce “the sooner the better.”

Defense attorneys argued during the hearing that Ji had exchanged sexually explicit messages with another person.

Elledge’s attorney, Scott Rosenblum, said he had no comment Thursday evening.

A message left with Ji’s family attorney was not returned Thursday.

Ji received a master’s degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering from the University of Missouri in December 2014. She previously attended the East China University of Science and Technology in Shanghai.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/10/1572177968305.png" alt="Ji’s husband, Joseph Elledge, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a77cf5d7402709f672060620c18c200d">charged in February</a>&nbsp;2020 with first-degree murder in her disappearance. Photo Boone Co. Jail" />
 <figcaption>Ji’s husband, Joseph Elledge, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a77cf5d7402709f672060620c18c200d">charged in February</a>&nbsp;2020 with first-degree murder in her disappearance. Photo Boone Co. Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Authorities say they believe that human remains first spotted by someone out walking in a state park Thursday afternoon are the body of a Chinese woman who has been missing since October 2019.The skeletal remains, some clothing, a driver’s license and some credit cards with Mengqi Ji Elledge’s name on them were found in a remote area of Rock Bridge State Park in Boone County. Columbia Mayor Brian Treece and Columbia Police Chief Geoff Jones announced the findings Thursday evening.Assistant Chief Jeremiah Hunter described the identification of the remains as preliminary. Hunter, Jones and Treece emphasized the importance of this development in beginning to provide closure to Ji’s family. Police officials said DNA and potentially other testing would be done to confirm that the remains are Ji’s.Jones said authorities had contacted Ji’s family through their attorney.“As a parent, I can only imagine how important it is to want to have some measure of closure in a tragedy such as this,” Jones said.Ji’s husband, Joseph Elledge, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a77cf5d7402709f672060620c18c200d">charged in February</a>&nbsp;2020 with first-degree murder in her disappearance. He has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/3464aeebdecdfb6819997198bbb315e1">pleaded not guilty</a>&nbsp;to the murder charge and to related charges of child endangerment and domestic abuse.The couple has a 2-year-old daughter. Elledge, a University of Missouri student, is jailed without bond. His trial is set for Nov. 1.Prosecutors have speculated that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/754a42ae3659132b431a838ae833ee3e">Elledge strangled his wife</a>&nbsp;to avoid a costly divorce and stop her from fleeing to China with their daughter.Elledge told authorities he realized his wife was missing on Oct. 9, 2019, but didn’t report she was gone until the next day— which is when a friend came to the house at the request of Ji’s mother. Authorities say he drove to remote areas, spending around 45 minutes at a secluded access point to the Lamine River after dark, during those 24 hours. Cadaver dogs detected the presence of human remains there, but law enforcement was unable to find a body despite multiple searches.Hunter said parts of Rock Bridge State Park had been previously searched but not the area where the remains were found, which is about 30 feet from a road.During a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b8203ea6a4a34200bdbed74653732810">court hearing</a>&nbsp;in November 2019, Boone County Chief Prosecutor Dan Knight described Elledge as a “jealous, controlling, manipulative psychopath.” Knight played four audio recordings of the couple arguing.In the recordings, the husband says, “I don’t like being with you,” ″I’m eager to end it” and “I will bury the earth under you.” Ji can also be heard arguing with her husband, who raised his voice several times. At one point, he told her, “I know you want me to hit you,” and, “This, it’s not abusive.”He was also heard saying he wanted a divorce “the sooner the better.”Defense attorneys argued during the hearing that Ji had exchanged sexually explicit messages with another person.Elledge’s attorney, Scott Rosenblum, said he had no comment Thursday evening.A message left with Ji’s family attorney was not returned Thursday.Ji received a master’s degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering from the University of Missouri in December 2014. She previously attended the East China University of Science and Technology in Shanghai.___

Remains found believed to be woman missing since 2019

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Highway Patrol does not have a document it can make public on last week’s arrest of a legislative leader on suspicion of driving under the influence and attempting to flee law enforcement, a patrol official said Thursday.

The patrol’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-wichita-arrests-topeka-driving-under-the-influence-7380a7e3e4fbe335536f78e0a5bf719d">Capitol Police division arrested</a>&nbsp;state Senate Majority Leader Gene Suellentrop early March 16 on Interstate 70 near downtown Topeka after his SUV was reported traveling east in the highway’s westbound lanes. The Wichita Republican was booked into jail, but a judge released him hours later, saying there was not sufficient evidence to support his arrest.

Suellentrop has not been charged with a crime and has temporarily stepped away from most of the majority leader’s duties.

Luther Ganieany, the patrol’s general counsel,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/topeka-arrests-kansas-wichita-77b7d24b93ac30c51c8192eb4f7eb100">initially said</a>&nbsp;the front page of an offense report with basic information might be available by the end of this week. But he said in an email Thursday that the patrol is not required to file such a report for alleged DUI incidents and didn’t.

Ganieany said other documents are investigation records that don’t have to be released under the Kansas Open Records Act and the patrol is legally barred from releasing criminal history information.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1615906870531.png" alt="Suellentrop photo Shawnee Co. Detention Center" />
 <figcaption>Suellentrop photo Shawnee Co. Detention Center</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Highway Patrol does not have a document it can make public on last week’s arrest of a legislative leader on suspicion of driving under the influence and attempting to flee law enforcement, a patrol official said Thursday.The patrol’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-wichita-arrests-topeka-driving-under-the-influence-7380a7e3e4fbe335536f78e0a5bf719d">Capitol Police division arrested</a>&nbsp;state Senate Majority Leader Gene Suellentrop early March 16 on Interstate 70 near downtown Topeka after his SUV was reported traveling east in the highway’s westbound lanes. The Wichita Republican was booked into jail, but a judge released him hours later, saying there was not sufficient evidence to support his arrest.Suellentrop has not been charged with a crime and has temporarily stepped away from most of the majority leader’s duties.Luther Ganieany, the patrol’s general counsel,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/topeka-arrests-kansas-wichita-77b7d24b93ac30c51c8192eb4f7eb100">initially said</a>&nbsp;the front page of an offense report with basic information might be available by the end of this week. But he said in an email Thursday that the patrol is not required to file such a report for alleged DUI incidents and didn’t.Ganieany said other documents are investigation records that don’t have to be released under the Kansas Open Records Act and the patrol is legally barred from releasing criminal history information.___

KHP has no record to release on Kan. lawmaker's arrest

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. will take steps to more quickly move hundreds of migrant children and teens out of cramped detention facilities along the Southwest border, President Joe Biden said Thursday. He was pushing back against suggestions that his administration’s policies are responsible for the rising number of people seeking to enter the country.

Pressed repeatedly on the border issue at his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-1st-news-conference-2804de86cb2bd901c14c109efe024e5d">first news conference since taking office</a>, Biden said his administration was taking steps to address the situation with measures such as setting aside space at a Texas Army base for about 5,000 unaccompanied minors. But mostly he fired back at criticism.

He noted that his administration, as was done under President Donald Trump, is continuing to quickly expel most adults and families under a public health order imposed at the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. The crucial difference is that the government is allowing teens and children, at least temporarily, to stay in the country, straining government resources during the pandemic.

“The only people we’re not going to let be left sitting there on the other side of the Rio Grande by themselves with no help are children,” he said.

The situation along the U.S.-Mexico border has become an early challenge for the administration, drawing more questions than any other subject at the maiden news conference, and diverting attention as the administration addresses the pandemic and the economy.

The number of migrants attempting to cross the border is at the highest level since a spring 2019 surge under Trump, according to the most recently released statistics. The numbers appear to be rising and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas recently warned they are on pace to hit a 20-year peak.

Biden sought to portray it as a seasonal spike and not, as critics have said, a result of moves such as his decisions to halt construction of border wall projects started under Trump or support for broad immigration legislation.

“It happens every year,” he said. “Does anybody suggest that there was a 31% increase under Trump because he was a nice guy and he was doing good things at the border? That’s not the reason they’re coming.”

Trump responded to a sharp increase in border crossings in 2019 by requiring migrants to wait in Mexico while the U.S. evaluated their asylum petitions or to make claims instead in Guatemala, El Salvador or Honduras. Those Trump-era programs were criticized for sending people fleeing violence back into dangerous situations.

Former acting DHS secretary Chad Wolf, now a fellow at the Heritage Foundation, said Thursday that Biden invited the current crisis by ending those programs and other measures. “He took away all of the consequences, at the same time he began to message that it was perfectly acceptable to come,” he said.

Biden, for his part, condemned the Trump-era requirement that migrants await their asylum claims in Mexico as “sitting on the edge of the Rio Grande in a muddy circumstance with not enough to eat.” He also criticized an earlier policy of separating children from their families at the border and argued that it’s conditions in people’s home countries that push them to the U.S. border.

“It’s because of earthquakes, floods. It’s because of lack of food. It’s because of gang violence,” he said. “It’s because of a whole range of things that when I was vice president had the same obligation to deal with unaccompanied children.”

Biden said that his administration is working to help the countries where migrants are coming from with long-term solutions to their issues, citing $700 million in aid going to Central America.

The number of migrants encountered by authorities along the Southwest border has been rising since April, shortly after the Trump administration imposed a public health order authorizing Customs and Border Protection to quickly expel most people. Many of those are repeat crossers, trying again after they have been sent back.

But in recent weeks, the number of unaccompanied minors has dramatically increased, straining the ability of CBP to hold them in their detention facilities until they can be turned over to the Department of Health and Human Services. The department houses them until they can be placed with relatives or sponsors while the government decides whether they have a legal claim for residency, either under asylum or for some other reason.

The government said there were nearly 5,000 children in Border Patrol custody as of Tuesday and an additional 11,551 at Department of Health and Human Services shelters.

Biden said the administration was opening up bed space at Fort Bliss, Texas, and was taking steps to more quickly to establish the identity of relatives in the U.S. so the minors can be moved out of government custody.

More than 100,000 migrants were stopped crossing the border in February, the most recent statistics publicly available. Most were single adults and were quickly turned back. Most families are being turned away as well, though Mexico has been refusing to accept some in shelters during the pandemic. Biden says it is working with the Mexican government to take more of them and to shore up its own border.

Wolf, however, is skeptical that any efforts by the Mexican government will make much of a difference. “The dynamics aren’t going to change unless the policies change,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616693395951.png" alt="The number of migrants attempting to cross the border is at the highest level since a spring 2019 surge under Trump, according to the most recently released statistics.&nbsp; President Biden addressed the issue during his Thursday news conference -photo White House" />
 <figcaption>The number of migrants attempting to cross the border is at the highest level since a spring 2019 surge under Trump, according to the most recently released statistics.&nbsp; President Biden addressed the issue during his Thursday news conference -photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. will take steps to more quickly move hundreds of migrant children and teens out of cramped detention facilities along the Southwest border, President Joe Biden said Thursday. He was pushing back against suggestions that his administration’s policies are responsible for the rising number of people seeking to enter the country.Pressed repeatedly on the border issue at his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-1st-news-conference-2804de86cb2bd901c14c109efe024e5d">first news conference since taking office</a>, Biden said his administration was taking steps to address the situation with measures such as setting aside space at a Texas Army base for about 5,000 unaccompanied minors. But mostly he fired back at criticism.He noted that his administration, as was done under President Donald Trump, is continuing to quickly expel most adults and families under a public health order imposed at the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. The crucial difference is that the government is allowing teens and children, at least temporarily, to stay in the country, straining government resources during the pandemic.“The only people we’re not going to let be left sitting there on the other side of the Rio Grande by themselves with no help are children,” he said.The situation along the U.S.-Mexico border has become an early challenge for the administration, drawing more questions than any other subject at the maiden news conference, and diverting attention as the administration addresses the pandemic and the economy.The number of migrants attempting to cross the border is at the highest level since a spring 2019 surge under Trump, according to the most recently released statistics. The numbers appear to be rising and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas recently warned they are on pace to hit a 20-year peak.Biden sought to portray it as a seasonal spike and not, as critics have said, a result of moves such as his decisions to halt construction of border wall projects started under Trump or support for broad immigration legislation.“It happens every year,” he said. “Does anybody suggest that there was a 31% increase under Trump because he was a nice guy and he was doing good things at the border? That’s not the reason they’re coming.”Trump responded to a sharp increase in border crossings in 2019 by requiring migrants to wait in Mexico while the U.S. evaluated their asylum petitions or to make claims instead in Guatemala, El Salvador or Honduras. Those Trump-era programs were criticized for sending people fleeing violence back into dangerous situations.Former acting DHS secretary Chad Wolf, now a fellow at the Heritage Foundation, said Thursday that Biden invited the current crisis by ending those programs and other measures. “He took away all of the consequences, at the same time he began to message that it was perfectly acceptable to come,” he said.Biden, for his part, condemned the Trump-era requirement that migrants await their asylum claims in Mexico as “sitting on the edge of the Rio Grande in a muddy circumstance with not enough to eat.” He also criticized an earlier policy of separating children from their families at the border and argued that it’s conditions in people’s home countries that push them to the U.S. border.“It’s because of earthquakes, floods. It’s because of lack of food. It’s because of gang violence,” he said. “It’s because of a whole range of things that when I was vice president had the same obligation to deal with unaccompanied children.”Biden said that his administration is working to help the countries where migrants are coming from with long-term solutions to their issues, citing $700 million in aid going to Central America.The number of migrants encountered by authorities along the Southwest border has been rising since April, shortly after the Trump administration imposed a public health order authorizing Customs and Border Protection to quickly expel most people. Many of those are repeat crossers, trying again after they have been sent back.But in recent weeks, the number of unaccompanied minors has dramatically increased, straining the ability of CBP to hold them in their detention facilities until they can be turned over to the Department of Health and Human Services. The department houses them until they can be placed with relatives or sponsors while the government decides whether they have a legal claim for residency, either under asylum or for some other reason.The government said there were nearly 5,000 children in Border Patrol custody as of Tuesday and an additional 11,551 at Department of Health and Human Services shelters.Biden said the administration was opening up bed space at Fort Bliss, Texas, and was taking steps to more quickly to establish the identity of relatives in the U.S. so the minors can be moved out of government custody.More than 100,000 migrants were stopped crossing the border in February, the most recent statistics publicly available. Most were single adults and were quickly turned back. Most families are being turned away as well, though Mexico has been refusing to accept some in shelters during the pandemic. Biden says it is working with the Mexican government to take more of them and to shore up its own border.Wolf, however, is skeptical that any efforts by the Mexican government will make much of a difference. “The dynamics aren’t going to change unless the policies change,” he said.

Biden vows action on migrants as he defends border policy

LEBANON, Mo. (AP) — A southwest Missouri man was charged Thursday with first-degree murder in the death of a man whose body was dismembered and set on fire, officials said.

Shane Patrick Norman, 30, of Eldridge, was arrested Wednesday in Lebanon. He was charged in the death of Nathan Andrew Young, 33, of Webster County.

Young’s body was found in a creek bed on Nov. 6, 2020. His head, hands and feet and been removed and the suspect attempted to burn Young's body, the Laclede County Sheriff's office said.

Young was killed by a gunshot to the head, the sheriff said in a news release.

Norman, who had worked for Young at his welding business, was on probation at the time of the killing.

Online court records don't name an attorney for Norman.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616703975836.png" alt="Norman photo Webster Co." />
 <figcaption>Norman photo Webster Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>LEBANON, Mo. (AP) — A southwest Missouri man was charged Thursday with first-degree murder in the death of a man whose body was dismembered and set on fire, officials said.Shane Patrick Norman, 30, of Eldridge, was arrested Wednesday in Lebanon. He was charged in the death of Nathan Andrew Young, 33, of Webster County.Young’s body was found in a creek bed on Nov. 6, 2020. His head, hands and feet and been removed and the suspect attempted to burn Young's body, the Laclede County Sheriff's office said.Young was killed by a gunshot to the head, the sheriff said in a news release.Norman, who had worked for Young at his welding business, was on probation at the time of the killing.Online court records don't name an attorney for Norman.

Man arrested in death, dismemberment of former boss

WELLINGTON, Kan. (AP) — A former Sedgwick County Sheriff’s deputy who fled the country after being charged with child sex crimes was ordered held on $1 million bond after his first court appearance on Thursday.

Derick Chandler, 30, of Wellington, was charged in Sumner County after an investigation by Wellington police.

The Sumner County Attorney Larry Marczynski said Chandler fled to Turkey. He was arrested in Budapest, Hungary, and was extradited back to the U.S. on Tuesday, KWCH-TV&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwch.com/2021/03/25/former-sedgwick-county-sheriffs-officer-who-fled-country-amid-child-sex-crimes-charges-appears-in-court/" target="_blank">reported</a>.

Chandler was charged with five counts including sexual exploitation of a child, aggravated indecent liberties with a child and aggravated indecent solicitation of a minor under 14 years old.

His next court date was scheduled for April 1.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A missing Sedgwick County Sheriff’s deputy is believed to be in Turkey.

Sheriff Jeff Easter says Homeland Security was able to confirm that Deputy Derick Chandler flew to Istanbul.&nbsp; Chandler is implicated in an investigation in Wellington of a sex crime involving a 13-year-old.

On Monday, a deputy found Chandler’s gun, badge, identification and armor in the back of his patrol car. He hadn’t been on duty for about a week.

Investigators believe he drove from Wichita to Dallas, flew to Houston and took another flight to Istanbul. Wellington officials have not issued a warrant for Chandler, so he is not currently considered a fugitive.

Easter said termination proceedings will begin, which can take at least a couple of weeks.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616690815971.png" alt="Chandler photo Sumner Co." />
 <figcaption>Chandler photo Sumner Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>WELLINGTON, Kan. (AP) — A former Sedgwick County Sheriff’s deputy who fled the country after being charged with child sex crimes was ordered held on $1 million bond after his first court appearance on Thursday.Derick Chandler, 30, of Wellington, was charged in Sumner County after an investigation by Wellington police.The Sumner County Attorney Larry Marczynski said Chandler fled to Turkey. He was arrested in Budapest, Hungary, and was extradited back to the U.S. on Tuesday, KWCH-TV&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwch.com/2021/03/25/former-sedgwick-county-sheriffs-officer-who-fled-country-amid-child-sex-crimes-charges-appears-in-court/" target="_blank">reported</a>.Chandler was charged with five counts including sexual exploitation of a child, aggravated indecent liberties with a child and aggravated indecent solicitation of a minor under 14 years old.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616519116958.png" alt="Chandler in a photo from the Sedgwick County Sheriff prior to leaving the country." />
 <figcaption>Chandler in a photo from the Sedgwick County Sheriff prior to leaving the country.</figcaption>
 </figure>His next court date was scheduled for April 1.---------WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A missing Sedgwick County Sheriff’s deputy is believed to be in Turkey.Sheriff Jeff Easter says Homeland Security was able to confirm that Deputy Derick Chandler flew to Istanbul.&nbsp; Chandler is implicated in an investigation in Wellington of a sex crime involving a 13-year-old.On Monday, a deputy found Chandler’s gun, badge, identification and armor in the back of his patrol car. He hadn’t been on duty for about a week.Investigators believe he drove from Wichita to Dallas, flew to Houston and took another flight to Istanbul. Wellington officials have not issued a warrant for Chandler, so he is not currently considered a fugitive.Easter said termination proceedings will begin, which can take at least a couple of weeks.

Kan. man arrested in Hungary charged with child sex crimes 

By NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/03/24/kansas-republicans-promote-effort-to-preserve-political-expression-on-social-media/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA
 — A bill backed by Republican legislators to prohibit social media 
censorship raised flags Wednesday of possible litigation and 
unconstitutionality.

Under&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb187/" target="_blank">Senate Bill 187</a>,
 social media platforms would still be able to censor speech that is 
obscene, lewd, excessively violent, harassing or otherwise objectionable
 as described in Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996. 
However, censorship of any harassing or objectionable material that is a
 form of political expression would not be allowed.

Violations
 would be reported to the attorney general, who would then be required 
to investigate and possibly take action to seek relief. The fiscal note 
attached to the bill indicated if a major social media platform’s terms 
of service are not compliant with this act, the number of potential 
complaints could be in the thousands.

The
 bill is a response to frustration among federal and state lawmakers of 
the banning and removal of certain users or posts on websites like 
Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and others. Sen. Mark Steffen, 
R-Hutchinson, characterized these acts as the unjust suppression of 
conservative viewpoints like his own.

“Our
 bill continues to give the entities the right to censor what we do,” 
Steffen said. “It provides remedies through the attorney general. It 
provides a remedy for the individual through statutory damages, and it 
does ultimately level the playing field.”

Steffen
 was joined by a state representative and official with the Kansas 
Republican Party in asking the Senate Federal and State Affairs 
Committee to give the bill a stamp of approval. Opponents said this bill
 would violate the First Amendment and open the door for costly legal 
battles.

Rep.
 Tatum Lee-Hahn, R-Ness City, described the removal of social media 
posts as an attack on the liberties of rural America. Laura Tawater, a 
Kansas Republican Party officer who attended Jan. 6 Capitol riot and <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/01/14/kansas-legislators-weigh-security-risk-as-police-gear-up-for-threat-of-violence/?emci=82ac7f3c-5c57-eb11-a607-00155d43c992&amp;emdi=ea000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001&amp;ceid=%7B%7BContactsEmailID%7D%7D" target="_blank">came under fire for an inflammatory and false post on her Facebook page</a>, also testified in support of the bill.

“RIGGED ELECTION!” Tawater
 wrote on her Facebook page on the morning of the insurrection. 
“Communists hijacked our country and destroyed our election process. 
TAKE IT BACK PATRIOTS. #GeorgiaWasStolen #LiberityOrDeath 
#AmericanRevolution”

Sen.
 Oletha Faust-Goudeau, D-Wichita, questioned how this law in Kansas 
would work within the bigger picture of federal law around social media.
 Steffen said Kansas is but a grain of sand to these platforms, so they 
have been working with other state legislatures to pass this bill across
 the county.

However,
 these efforts are already hitting roadblocks. On Tuesday, a similar 
bill was vetoed when it arrived at the desk of Republican Utah Gov. 
Spencer Cox. Cox too expressed frustration, but like tech advocates who 
testified in Kansas Wednesday, he was unsure this bill would stand up 
against legal challenges.

Steve
 Delbianco, president and CEO of NetChoice, an internet free speech 
advocacy and lobbying group, described himself as a lifelong 
conservative. NetChoice members include companies like Amazon, Google, 
Facebook and Twitter.

Delbianco
 recalled going door-to-door campaigning for Richard Nixon in a time 
when communicating across a broad spectrum of independent and moderate 
individuals through technology like social media was impossible. That is
 why a bill he said would alienate people who identify as moderate was 
so alarming to him.

While
 Delbianco said he too was frustrated by what he felt was unequal 
management of content by social media, but the issue with the measure 
boils down to a violation of First Amendment rights.

“The
 First Amendment prohibits government from compelling people or 
newspapers or social media to carry speech that they don’t want to 
display,” Delbianco said. “So if SB 187 will likely be enjoined and 
overturned on First Amendment grounds, what happens next? All you’ll 
have done is to encourage moderators by confirming that state 
governments cannot violate the First Amendment.”

Instead,
 Delbianco urged those who are frustrated to use other, 
conservative-oriented social media platforms to vent while maintaining a
 “town hall voice” on widely used platforms like Twitter.

Tyler
 Diers, of Midwest TechNet, said the bill also runs contrary to federal 
rules empowering online intermediaries to remove harmful content under 
the same immunity that exists in “real-world, offline contexts.”

Additionally,
 social media companies already understand their responsibility to 
censor material in an unbiased manner, Diers said. However, with 
hundreds of thousands of posts each day, some errors will inevitably 
occur, he said.

“It
 would be fundamentally unfair to implement such a draconian penalty for
 instances where code misfired, or a simple mistake was made,” Diers 
said. “As written, the scope of the bill will also affect many other 
businesses as well, such as news sites, platforms for hosting reviews 
and comments, business to business services, and educational learning 
platforms.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616693710665.png" alt="A bill brought forth by Sen. Mark Steffen, a Reno County Republican, would prohibit social media terms of service that permit censorship of political speech. Opponents of the bill said the measure would not stand up to constitutional scrutiny. (Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>A bill brought forth by Sen. Mark Steffen, a Reno County Republican, would prohibit social media terms of service that permit censorship of political speech. Opponents of the bill said the measure would not stand up to constitutional scrutiny. (Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/03/24/kansas-republicans-promote-effort-to-preserve-political-expression-on-social-media/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA
 — A bill backed by Republican legislators to prohibit social media 
censorship raised flags Wednesday of possible litigation and 
unconstitutionality.Under&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb187/" target="_blank">Senate Bill 187</a>,
 social media platforms would still be able to censor speech that is 
obscene, lewd, excessively violent, harassing or otherwise objectionable
 as described in Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996. 
However, censorship of any harassing or objectionable material that is a
 form of political expression would not be allowed.Violations
 would be reported to the attorney general, who would then be required 
to investigate and possibly take action to seek relief. The fiscal note 
attached to the bill indicated if a major social media platform’s terms 
of service are not compliant with this act, the number of potential 
complaints could be in the thousands.The
 bill is a response to frustration among federal and state lawmakers of 
the banning and removal of certain users or posts on websites like 
Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and others. Sen. Mark Steffen, 
R-Hutchinson, characterized these acts as the unjust suppression of 
conservative viewpoints like his own.“Our
 bill continues to give the entities the right to censor what we do,” 
Steffen said. “It provides remedies through the attorney general. It 
provides a remedy for the individual through statutory damages, and it 
does ultimately level the playing field.”Steffen
 was joined by a state representative and official with the Kansas 
Republican Party in asking the Senate Federal and State Affairs 
Committee to give the bill a stamp of approval. Opponents said this bill
 would violate the First Amendment and open the door for costly legal 
battles.Rep.
 Tatum Lee-Hahn, R-Ness City, described the removal of social media 
posts as an attack on the liberties of rural America. Laura Tawater, a 
Kansas Republican Party officer who attended Jan. 6 Capitol riot and <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/01/14/kansas-legislators-weigh-security-risk-as-police-gear-up-for-threat-of-violence/?emci=82ac7f3c-5c57-eb11-a607-00155d43c992&amp;emdi=ea000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001&amp;ceid=%7B%7BContactsEmailID%7D%7D" target="_blank">came under fire for an inflammatory and false post on her Facebook page</a>, also testified in support of the bill.“RIGGED ELECTION!” Tawater
 wrote on her Facebook page on the morning of the insurrection. 
“Communists hijacked our country and destroyed our election process. 
TAKE IT BACK PATRIOTS. #GeorgiaWasStolen #LiberityOrDeath 
#AmericanRevolution”Sen.
 Oletha Faust-Goudeau, D-Wichita, questioned how this law in Kansas 
would work within the bigger picture of federal law around social media.
 Steffen said Kansas is but a grain of sand to these platforms, so they 
have been working with other state legislatures to pass this bill across
 the county.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616693775904.png" alt="Steve Delbianco, president and CEO of NetChoice, noted similar efforts are already being shot down, like in Utah. The bill would violate First Amendment rights, he said. (Screen capture of Kansas Legislature YouTube by Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Steve Delbianco, president and CEO of NetChoice, noted similar efforts are already being shot down, like in Utah. The bill would violate First Amendment rights, he said. (Screen capture of Kansas Legislature YouTube by Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>However,
 these efforts are already hitting roadblocks. On Tuesday, a similar 
bill was vetoed when it arrived at the desk of Republican Utah Gov. 
Spencer Cox. Cox too expressed frustration, but like tech advocates who 
testified in Kansas Wednesday, he was unsure this bill would stand up 
against legal challenges.Steve
 Delbianco, president and CEO of NetChoice, an internet free speech 
advocacy and lobbying group, described himself as a lifelong 
conservative. NetChoice members include companies like Amazon, Google, 
Facebook and Twitter.Delbianco
 recalled going door-to-door campaigning for Richard Nixon in a time 
when communicating across a broad spectrum of independent and moderate 
individuals through technology like social media was impossible. That is
 why a bill he said would alienate people who identify as moderate was 
so alarming to him.While
 Delbianco said he too was frustrated by what he felt was unequal 
management of content by social media, but the issue with the measure 
boils down to a violation of First Amendment rights.“The
 First Amendment prohibits government from compelling people or 
newspapers or social media to carry speech that they don’t want to 
display,” Delbianco said. “So if SB 187 will likely be enjoined and 
overturned on First Amendment grounds, what happens next? All you’ll 
have done is to encourage moderators by confirming that state 
governments cannot violate the First Amendment.”Instead,
 Delbianco urged those who are frustrated to use other, 
conservative-oriented social media platforms to vent while maintaining a
 “town hall voice” on widely used platforms like Twitter.Tyler
 Diers, of Midwest TechNet, said the bill also runs contrary to federal 
rules empowering online intermediaries to remove harmful content under 
the same immunity that exists in “real-world, offline contexts.”Additionally,
 social media companies already understand their responsibility to 
censor material in an unbiased manner, Diers said. However, with 
hundreds of thousands of posts each day, some errors will inevitably 
occur, he said.“It
 would be fundamentally unfair to implement such a draconian penalty for
 instances where code misfired, or a simple mistake was made,” Diers 
said. “As written, the scope of the bill will also affect many other 
businesses as well, such as news sites, platforms for hosting reviews 
and comments, business to business services, and educational learning 
platforms.”

Kan. GOP promotes effort to preserve political expression on social media

New Brunswick, New Jersey —Rutgers University shared plans on the school's web site Thursday to take steps to protect "the health of our academic community and to move toward a full return to our pre-pandemic normal as a vibrant institution in Fall 2021."

<a href="https://www.rutgers.edu/president/our-path-forward">The statement</a> from President and University Professor Jonathan Holloway said "the University will be updating its Immunization Requirements for Students to include the COVID-19 vaccine.&nbsp;This health policy update means that, with limited exceptions, all students planning to attend in the Fall 2021 semester must be fully vaccinated.&nbsp;In parallel, we continue to strongly urge all Rutgers faculty and staff to get immunized against COVID-19 at the earliest opportunity."

"The benefits of COVID-19 vaccination include prevention of serious illness, hospitalization, and death from the virus. Broad immunization is critical to help stop the current pandemic and to protect our University community." Benefits specific to the Rutgers community include:

"Most important, a safer Rutgers community supports a safer New Jersey for our families, our friends, and our neighbors across the state."

"The University has also been approved by the State to offer Rutgers clinics for on-campus administration of vaccines to faculty, staff, and students when vaccine supplies become available. However, we have not yet been given vaccine to administer. Thus, the University urges all members of its community currently eligible to receive a vaccine not to wait and to&nbsp;<a href="https://covidvaccine.nj.gov/">register with the State</a>&nbsp;in order to get vaccinated as soon as possible, wherever you can, if you have not done so already."&nbsp;

"Proof of vaccination will be required for all students planning to attend this fall.&nbsp;Any vaccine authorized for use in the U.S. (currently Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson &amp; Johnson) is acceptable.&nbsp; It is understood that some incoming students may be 17 years old, and may be only eligible for the Pfizer vaccine."

"Students planning to attend the fall 2021 semester may request an exemption from the vaccination requirement for medical or religious reasons. Students enrolled in fully online degree programs (typically defined as having no access to on-campus facilities), as well as individuals participating in fully online or off-campus Continuing Education programs, will not need to provide proof of vaccination."

"From the onset of the pandemic, the safety of the broader Rutgers community has been our shared responsibility. This has never been more true. The importance of an effective vaccination program to make our community safer for all cannot be overstated."

New Brunswick, New Jersey —Rutgers University shared plans on the school's web site Thursday to take steps to protect "the health of our academic community and to move toward a full return to our pre-pandemic normal as a vibrant institution in Fall 2021."<a href="https://www.rutgers.edu/president/our-path-forward">The statement</a> from President and University Professor Jonathan Holloway said "the University will be updating its Immunization Requirements for Students to include the COVID-19 vaccine.&nbsp;This health policy update means that, with limited exceptions, all students planning to attend in the Fall 2021 semester must be fully vaccinated.&nbsp;In parallel, we continue to strongly urge all Rutgers faculty and staff to get immunized against COVID-19 at the earliest opportunity.""The benefits of COVID-19 vaccination include prevention of serious illness, hospitalization, and death from the virus. Broad immunization is critical to help stop the current pandemic and to protect our University community." Benefits specific to the Rutgers community include:<ul>
 <li>An expedited return to pre-pandemic normal</li><li>Additional face-to-face course offerings and academic experiences</li><li>Opportunities for a wider range of events and activities offered at our campuses</li><li>Expanded dining and recreation options at Rutgers</li><li>Greater interpersonal collaboration among faculty, students, and researchers</li>
 </ul>"Most important, a safer Rutgers community supports a safer New Jersey for our families, our friends, and our neighbors across the state.""The University has also been approved by the State to offer Rutgers clinics for on-campus administration of vaccines to faculty, staff, and students when vaccine supplies become available. However, we have not yet been given vaccine to administer. Thus, the University urges all members of its community currently eligible to receive a vaccine not to wait and to&nbsp;<a href="https://covidvaccine.nj.gov/">register with the State</a>&nbsp;in order to get vaccinated as soon as possible, wherever you can, if you have not done so already."&nbsp;"Proof of vaccination will be required for all students planning to attend this fall.&nbsp;Any vaccine authorized for use in the U.S. (currently Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson &amp; Johnson) is acceptable.&nbsp; It is understood that some incoming students may be 17 years old, and may be only eligible for the Pfizer vaccine.""Students planning to attend the fall 2021 semester may request an exemption from the vaccination requirement for medical or religious reasons. Students enrolled in fully online degree programs (typically defined as having no access to on-campus facilities), as well as individuals participating in fully online or off-campus Continuing Education programs, will not need to provide proof of vaccination.""From the onset of the pandemic, the safety of the broader Rutgers community has been our shared responsibility. This has never been more true. The importance of an effective vaccination program to make our community safer for all cannot be overstated."

University will require COVID vaccine proof for all students

FORD COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of a teen in Ford County and have identified two suspects in custody as 19-year-old Tyree Jackson and 31-year-old Lakendria Lewis, according to Police Chief Drew Francis.

On Sunday police responded to the 1200 block of West Elm Street in Dodge City where they located the body later identified as 18-year-old Zacarias Giannino of Dodge City, according to a Francis. He had been dead for several weeks.

Jackson and Lewis are being held in the Ford County Jail on the requested charge of Murder in the 1st degree.

Police have also made two additional arrests in connection with the case including a 17-year-old boy from Dodge City on requested charges of Interference with Law Enforcement and Criminal Desecration and a&nbsp; 16-year-old girl from Dodge City for an active warrant

Charges will be filed with the Ford County Attorney's Office.

At this time, it is believed that Giannino was killed by a single gunshot to the head during the early morning hours of January 28, in VFW Park at 12th Ave and Cedar St. in Dodge City.

Giannino's body was hidden outdoors in a nearby but secluded area, according to Francis. The extremely low temperatures that followed helped to preserve the condition of the remains.&nbsp;

FORD COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of a teen in Ford County and have made an arrest.

On Sunday police responded to the 1200 block of West Elm Street in Dodge City where they located the body later identified as 18-year-old Zacarias Giannino of Dodge City, according to a media release. He had been dead for several weeks.

&nbsp;Police have arrested a 19-year-old man and a 31-year-old both from Dodge City.&nbsp; Both subjects were booked into the Ford County Jail on the charge of Murder in the 1st degree. 

Police have also made two additional arrests in connection with the case including a 17-year-old boy from Dodge City on requested charges of Interference with Law Enforcement and Criminal Desecration and a&nbsp; 16-year-old girl from Dodge City for an active warrant 

 Charges will be filed with the Ford County Attorney's Office.

At this time, it is believed that 18-year-old Zacarias Giannino was killed by a single gunshot to the head during the early morning hours of January 28, in VFW Park at 12th Ave and Cedar St. in Dodge City. 

 Giannino's body was hidden outdoors in a nearby but secluded area.  The extremely low temperatures that followed helped to preserve the condition of the remains.&nbsp;

FORD COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of a teen in Ford County and asking the public for help with information.

Just before 8:30p.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to a residence for a report of an individual knowing about a deceased body, according to a media release from Dodge City. Police.

With the information from this individual, officers responded to the 1200 block of West Elm Street in Dodge City where they located the body later identified as&nbsp;18-year-old Zacarias Giannino of Dodge City.

After processing the scene, the body of the teen was turned over to the Ford County Coroner for further examination. The condition of the body indicated he had been deceased for a few weeks.

On Tuesday an autopsy was performed to determine the cause of death. This is an active and ongoing homicide investigation. DCPD asks that anyone with information about this incident please call the department at 620-225-8126, dispatch at 620-227-4646, or submit a tip through the DCPD Facebook page or tip411 service.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616695133065.png" alt="Jackson photo Ford County" />
 <figcaption>Jackson photo Ford County</figcaption>
 </figure>FORD COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of a teen in Ford County and have identified two suspects in custody as 19-year-old Tyree Jackson and 31-year-old Lakendria Lewis, according to Police Chief Drew Francis.On Sunday police responded to the 1200 block of West Elm Street in Dodge City where they located the body later identified as 18-year-old Zacarias Giannino of Dodge City, according to a Francis. He had been dead for several weeks.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616695080822.png" alt="Lewis photo Ford County" />
 <figcaption>Lewis photo Ford County</figcaption>
 </figure>Jackson and Lewis are being held in the Ford County Jail on the requested charge of Murder in the 1st degree.Police have also made two additional arrests in connection with the case including a 17-year-old boy from Dodge City on requested charges of Interference with Law Enforcement and Criminal Desecration and a&nbsp; 16-year-old girl from Dodge City for an active warrantCharges will be filed with the Ford County Attorney's Office.At this time, it is believed that Giannino was killed by a single gunshot to the head during the early morning hours of January 28, in VFW Park at 12th Ave and Cedar St. in Dodge City.Giannino's body was hidden outdoors in a nearby but secluded area, according to Francis. The extremely low temperatures that followed helped to preserve the condition of the remains.&nbsp;----------FORD COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of a teen in Ford County and have made an arrest.On Sunday police responded to the 1200 block of West Elm Street in Dodge City where they located the body later identified as 18-year-old Zacarias Giannino of Dodge City, according to a media release. He had been dead for several weeks.&nbsp;Police have arrested a 19-year-old man and a 31-year-old both from Dodge City.&nbsp; Both subjects were booked into the Ford County Jail on the charge of Murder in the 1st degree. Police have also made two additional arrests in connection with the case including a 17-year-old boy from Dodge City on requested charges of Interference with Law Enforcement and Criminal Desecration and a&nbsp; 16-year-old girl from Dodge City for an active warrant Charges will be filed with the Ford County Attorney's Office.At this time, it is believed that 18-year-old Zacarias Giannino was killed by a single gunshot to the head during the early morning hours of January 28, in VFW Park at 12th Ave and Cedar St. in Dodge City. Giannino's body was hidden outdoors in a nearby but secluded area. The extremely low temperatures that followed helped to preserve the condition of the remains.&nbsp;----------FORD COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of a teen in Ford County and asking the public for help with information.Just before 8:30p.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to a residence for a report of an individual knowing about a deceased body, according to a media release from Dodge City. Police.With the information from this individual, officers responded to the 1200 block of West Elm Street in Dodge City where they located the body later identified as&nbsp;18-year-old Zacarias Giannino of Dodge City.After processing the scene, the body of the teen was turned over to the Ford County Coroner for further examination. The condition of the body indicated he had been deceased for a few weeks.On Tuesday an autopsy was performed to determine the cause of death. This is an active and ongoing homicide investigation. DCPD asks that anyone with information about this incident please call the department at 620-225-8126, dispatch at 620-227-4646, or submit a tip through the DCPD Facebook page or tip411 service.

Update: SW Kan. murder victim's body hidden since Jan. 28 

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — The suspect in the Colorado supermarket shooting appeared in court for the first time Thursday, and a defense attorney immediately asked that he receive a mental health evaluation before the case against him proceeds.

Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 21, did not speak during the brief hearing except to say “yes” to a question from the judge, who advised him that he is charged with murder in the attack that killed 10 people, including a Boulder police officer. Alissa is also charged with attempted murder for allegedly shooting at another police officer, who was unhurt.

Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said authorities planned to file more charges. He did not elaborate.

Alissa did not enter a plea, which will come later in the judicial process. He has been jailed without bail.

The young man entered court in a wheelchair, presumably because of a gunshot wound to the leg that he suffered in Monday’s shooting. He appeared alert and attentive, moving his knees from side to side, his eyes darting back and forth from his lawyers to the judge. He wore a mask and purple, short-sleeved coveralls.

His attorney, public defender Kathryn Herold, provided no details about his health. At Herold’s request, Alissa’s next hearing will not be scheduled for two to three months to allow the defense to evaluate his mental state and evidence collected by investigators.

“Our position is we cannot do anything until we are able to fully assess Mr. Alissa’s mental illness,” Herold said, adding that the defense cannot begin that assessment until it receives evidence from investigators.

A law enforcement official briefed on the shooting previously said that the suspect’s family told investigators they believed Alissa was suffering some type of mental illness, including delusions.

Relatives have described times when Alissa told them people were following or chasing him, which they said may have contributed to the violence, the official said. The official was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Alissa’s legal team includes public defender Daniel King, who represented Colorado theater gunman James Holmes, as well as Robert Dear, who is accused of killing three people in a 2105 attack on a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs, two cases in which mental illness was a factor.

Jurors rejected Holmes’ insanity defense in the 2012 shooting at an Aurora movie theater that left a dozen dead. But jurors could not unanimously agree to sentence him to death after his lawyers presented evidence of his schizophrenia as a reason to spare his life. Colorado has since abolished the death penalty, and Holmes is in prison for life.

After repeatedly being found incompetent to stand trial in state court, Dear was charged in federal court, where his competency to stand trial has also slowed proceedings.

During the court proceedings, five deputies with black bands of mourning across their badges stood close by. Boulder police tweeted Thursday that they used the handcuffs of the slain officer, Eric Talley, to take the suspect from a hospital to jail earlier this week — and told him so.

“Though this was a small gesture, we hope it is the start of the healing process that so many of us need at this time,” the department said.

Screenshots of what was believed to be Alissa’s Facebook page hint of fears that he was secretly being tracked on his phone and reflect his interest in Islamic teachings, immigration and martial arts. The screenshots and dozens of postings were captured by the online extremist tracking firm SITE Intelligence Group.

In July 2019, Alissa wrote that his phone was being hacked by “racist islamophobic people.” At another point, he wrote that his old high school had likely gotten access to his phone, asking Facebook followers for advice on how to stop it.

Alissa was convicted in 2018 of assaulting a fellow high school student, according to police documents. A former classmate told the AP he was kicked off the wrestling team after yelling he would kill everyone following a loss in a practice match.

After a white supremacist killed 51 people in the 2019 New Zealand mosque massacre, Alissa called the dead “victims of the entire Islamophobia industry that vilified them.” Three months later, he posted a link to a PBS story about how immigrants help the economy, writing, “Why refugees and immigrants are good for America.”

“What Islam is really about,” he wrote in one Facebook post that referred to a list of teachings from the Koran, including to “be good to others” and “restrain anger.”

In other posts, he urged followers to give to charity, described abortion as “disgusting” and said that he opposed gay marriage.

“There was no indication on his Facebook account that suggested radical views of any kind, whether it be Islamist, anti-Trump, or anything else,” said Rita Katz, executive director of SITE, which analyzed the postings. “He did mention Islam on his Facebook, but never to any extremity.”

Thursday’s court appearance was the first time Alissa appeared in public since his arrest Monday inside the King Soopers supermarket. He was last seen handcuffed and being led out of the supermarket by police. He had removed all clothing except his shorts before being taken into custody.

According to two law enforcement officials, Alissa was born in Syria in 1999, emigrated to the U.S. as a toddler and later became a U.S. citizen. He would need to be a citizen to buy a gun. The officials were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

An AR-15-style gun recovered inside the supermarket was believed to have been used in the attack, said a law enforcement official briefed on the shooting who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Hundreds of mourners gathered Wednesday night at a candlelight vigil to remember the 10 people gunned down at a supermarket in a Colorado college town, while the 21-year-old man suspected of carrying out the rampage prepared for his first court appearance Thursday morning.

Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa has been jailed for investigation of murder since he was arrested inside the King Soopers supermarket in Boulder on Monday and treated at a hospital for a leg wound. He was to hear the pending charges he faces and his rights as a defendant, and he would not be asked for a plea until later in the judicial process.

Alissa was last seen handcuffed and being led out of the supermarket by police. He had removed all clothing except his shorts before being taken into custody. A rifle, a green tactical vest and a handgun were recovered inside the grocery store, according to an arrest affidavit.

While most Colorado court proceedings have been conducted by video during the pandemic, District Judge Thomas Francis Mulvahill ordered Alissa to appear before him in court unless Alissa waives his right to appear in person in writing. The courtroom will be closed to the public.

More than 500 people bundled in winter jackets and wool hats attended a downtown candlelight vigil Wednesday night to mourn the victims and comfort one another. They observed a moment of silence; violins soothed the crowd; a woman sang “Ave Maria” as candle flames flickered in the crisp air. A star-shaped light usually turned on for the holidays glowed on a mountain overlooking the open square.

Michele Weiner-Davis, a Boulder family therapist, offered the community some words of wisdom.

“Whatever you’re feeling, whatever you’re thinking, no matter how uncomfortable, it’s completely natural,” Weiner-Davis said. “Be patient with yourself. Additionally, be just as compassionate with the people in your lives who might also be struggling.”

In addition to Officer Eric Talley, 51, the victims are Denny Stong, 20; Neven Stanisic, 23; Rikki Olds, 25; Tralona Bartkowiak, 49; Suzanne Fountain, 59; Teri Leiker, 51; Kevin Mahoney, 61; Lynn Murray, 62; and Jodi Waters, 65. Leiker, Olds and Stong worked at the supermarket.

Earlier Wednesday, hundreds of people paid their respects during a police procession for Talley as his body was taken to a funeral home in the Denver suburb of Aurora.

Police also announced that people whose cars were left in the supermarket parking lot Monday could retrieve them.

A supermarket employee told the AP she watched as the assailant opened fire and narrowly escaped his notice while joining others in a desperate scramble to get away.

Emily Giffen, 27, was smoking outside the store Monday during a break when she heard multiple loud pops that she knew were not fireworks. She said she saw a man running across an intersection suddenly fall over and another man approach him in a crouch and fire several rounds at close range.

“I don’t know how he didn’t see us,” she said of the suspect, who walked right by her before she ran into the supermarket and out the back.

“I just really am having a hard time understanding why me and my friends deserve to die,” she said, wondering why the gunman chose to target the Boulder store specifically.

According to the arrest affidavit, the suspect bought a Ruger AR-556 pistol — which resembles an AR-15 rifle with a slightly shorter stock — on March 16, six days before the attack. Authorities have not disclosed where the gun was purchased.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616675661874.png" alt="Candlelight vigil on Wednesday night -photo courtesy city of Boulder" />
 <figcaption>Candlelight vigil on Wednesday night -photo courtesy city of Boulder</figcaption>
 </figure>BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — The suspect in the Colorado supermarket shooting appeared in court for the first time Thursday, and a defense attorney immediately asked that he receive a mental health evaluation before the case against him proceeds.Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 21, did not speak during the brief hearing except to say “yes” to a question from the judge, who advised him that he is charged with murder in the attack that killed 10 people, including a Boulder police officer. Alissa is also charged with attempted murder for allegedly shooting at another police officer, who was unhurt.Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said authorities planned to file more charges. He did not elaborate.Alissa did not enter a plea, which will come later in the judicial process. He has been jailed without bail.The young man entered court in a wheelchair, presumably because of a gunshot wound to the leg that he suffered in Monday’s shooting. He appeared alert and attentive, moving his knees from side to side, his eyes darting back and forth from his lawyers to the judge. He wore a mask and purple, short-sleeved coveralls.His attorney, public defender Kathryn Herold, provided no details about his health. At Herold’s request, Alissa’s next hearing will not be scheduled for two to three months to allow the defense to evaluate his mental state and evidence collected by investigators.“Our position is we cannot do anything until we are able to fully assess Mr. Alissa’s mental illness,” Herold said, adding that the defense cannot begin that assessment until it receives evidence from investigators.A law enforcement official briefed on the shooting previously said that the suspect’s family told investigators they believed Alissa was suffering some type of mental illness, including delusions.Relatives have described times when Alissa told them people were following or chasing him, which they said may have contributed to the violence, the official said. The official was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.Alissa’s legal team includes public defender Daniel King, who represented Colorado theater gunman James Holmes, as well as Robert Dear, who is accused of killing three people in a 2105 attack on a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs, two cases in which mental illness was a factor.Jurors rejected Holmes’ insanity defense in the 2012 shooting at an Aurora movie theater that left a dozen dead. But jurors could not unanimously agree to sentence him to death after his lawyers presented evidence of his schizophrenia as a reason to spare his life. Colorado has since abolished the death penalty, and Holmes is in prison for life.After repeatedly being found incompetent to stand trial in state court, Dear was charged in federal court, where his competency to stand trial has also slowed proceedings.During the court proceedings, five deputies with black bands of mourning across their badges stood close by. Boulder police tweeted Thursday that they used the handcuffs of the slain officer, Eric Talley, to take the suspect from a hospital to jail earlier this week — and told him so.“Though this was a small gesture, we hope it is the start of the healing process that so many of us need at this time,” the department said.Screenshots of what was believed to be Alissa’s Facebook page hint of fears that he was secretly being tracked on his phone and reflect his interest in Islamic teachings, immigration and martial arts. The screenshots and dozens of postings were captured by the online extremist tracking firm SITE Intelligence Group.In July 2019, Alissa wrote that his phone was being hacked by “racist islamophobic people.” At another point, he wrote that his old high school had likely gotten access to his phone, asking Facebook followers for advice on how to stop it.Alissa was convicted in 2018 of assaulting a fellow high school student, according to police documents. A former classmate told the AP he was kicked off the wrestling team after yelling he would kill everyone following a loss in a practice match.After a white supremacist killed 51 people in the 2019 New Zealand mosque massacre, Alissa called the dead “victims of the entire Islamophobia industry that vilified them.” Three months later, he posted a link to a PBS story about how immigrants help the economy, writing, “Why refugees and immigrants are good for America.”“What Islam is really about,” he wrote in one Facebook post that referred to a list of teachings from the Koran, including to “be good to others” and “restrain anger.”In other posts, he urged followers to give to charity, described abortion as “disgusting” and said that he opposed gay marriage.“There was no indication on his Facebook account that suggested radical views of any kind, whether it be Islamist, anti-Trump, or anything else,” said Rita Katz, executive director of SITE, which analyzed the postings. “He did mention Islam on his Facebook, but never to any extremity.”Thursday’s court appearance was the first time Alissa appeared in public since his arrest Monday inside the King Soopers supermarket. He was last seen handcuffed and being led out of the supermarket by police. He had removed all clothing except his shorts before being taken into custody.According to two law enforcement officials, Alissa was born in Syria in 1999, emigrated to the U.S. as a toddler and later became a U.S. citizen. He would need to be a citizen to buy a gun. The officials were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.An AR-15-style gun recovered inside the supermarket was believed to have been used in the attack, said a law enforcement official briefed on the shooting who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.-------BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Hundreds of mourners gathered Wednesday night at a candlelight vigil to remember the 10 people gunned down at a supermarket in a Colorado college town, while the 21-year-old man suspected of carrying out the rampage prepared for his first court appearance Thursday morning.Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa has been jailed for investigation of murder since he was arrested inside the King Soopers supermarket in Boulder on Monday and treated at a hospital for a leg wound. He was to hear the pending charges he faces and his rights as a defendant, and he would not be asked for a plea until later in the judicial process.Alissa was last seen handcuffed and being led out of the supermarket by police. He had removed all clothing except his shorts before being taken into custody. A rifle, a green tactical vest and a handgun were recovered inside the grocery store, according to an arrest affidavit.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616547245871.png" alt="Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa photo Boulder Police" />
 <figcaption>Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa photo Boulder Police</figcaption>
 </figure>While most Colorado court proceedings have been conducted by video during the pandemic, District Judge Thomas Francis Mulvahill ordered Alissa to appear before him in court unless Alissa waives his right to appear in person in writing. The courtroom will be closed to the public.More than 500 people bundled in winter jackets and wool hats attended a downtown candlelight vigil Wednesday night to mourn the victims and comfort one another. They observed a moment of silence; violins soothed the crowd; a woman sang “Ave Maria” as candle flames flickered in the crisp air. A star-shaped light usually turned on for the holidays glowed on a mountain overlooking the open square.Michele Weiner-Davis, a Boulder family therapist, offered the community some words of wisdom.“Whatever you’re feeling, whatever you’re thinking, no matter how uncomfortable, it’s completely natural,” Weiner-Davis said. “Be patient with yourself. Additionally, be just as compassionate with the people in your lives who might also be struggling.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616505527834.png" alt="Officer Eric Talley photo Boulder Police" />
 <figcaption>Officer Eric Talley photo Boulder Police</figcaption>
 </figure>In addition to Officer Eric Talley, 51, the victims are Denny Stong, 20; Neven Stanisic, 23; Rikki Olds, 25; Tralona Bartkowiak, 49; Suzanne Fountain, 59; Teri Leiker, 51; Kevin Mahoney, 61; Lynn Murray, 62; and Jodi Waters, 65. Leiker, Olds and Stong worked at the supermarket.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616675706564.png" alt="Candlelight vigil on Wednesday -photo courtesy city of Boulder" />
 <figcaption>Candlelight vigil on Wednesday -photo courtesy city of Boulder</figcaption>
 </figure>Earlier Wednesday, hundreds of people paid their respects during a police procession for Talley as his body was taken to a funeral home in the Denver suburb of Aurora.Police also announced that people whose cars were left in the supermarket parking lot Monday could retrieve them.A supermarket employee told the AP she watched as the assailant opened fire and narrowly escaped his notice while joining others in a desperate scramble to get away.Emily Giffen, 27, was smoking outside the store Monday during a break when she heard multiple loud pops that she knew were not fireworks. She said she saw a man running across an intersection suddenly fall over and another man approach him in a crouch and fire several rounds at close range.“I don’t know how he didn’t see us,” she said of the suspect, who walked right by her before she ran into the supermarket and out the back.“I just really am having a hard time understanding why me and my friends deserve to die,” she said, wondering why the gunman chose to target the Boulder store specifically.According to the arrest affidavit, the suspect bought a Ruger AR-556 pistol — which resembles an AR-15 rifle with a slightly shorter stock — on March 16, six days before the attack. Authorities have not disclosed where the gun was purchased.According to two law enforcement officials, Alissa was born in Syria in 1999, emigrated to the U.S. as a toddler and later became a U.S. citizen. He would need to be a citizen to buy a gun. The officials were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.An AR-15-style gun recovered inside the supermarket was believed to have been used in the attack, said a law enforcement official briefed on the shooting who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.—---

Following vigil, Colorado shooting suspect faces judge for first time

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Joe Biden's first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-politics-coronavirus-pandemic-2804de86cb2bd901c14c109efe024e5d">news conference</a>&nbsp;since taking office Jan. 20.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?510139-1/president-biden-holds-news-conference">Click here to watch</a> a replay of the press conference.

President Joe Biden says it's his “expectation” that he'll run for re-election in 2024. Biden is 78 and already the oldest president to hold office. He would be 82 at the start of a second term.

Biden was asked at the first news conference of his presidency whether he thought he could face a rematch against Donald Trump. Biden scoffed at the question. “Oh, I don’t even think about it,” Biden said. “I have no idea.”

President Joe Biden says addressing a nuclearized North Korea is his top foreign policy issue.

Biden says at his first news conference as president that North Korea has violated U.N. resolutions by launching ballistic missiles and that the United States and its allies will respond if the North escalates the situation.

Biden says: “I’m also prepared for some form of diplomacy, but it has to be conditioned upon the end result of denuclearization."

He says he agrees with former President Barack Obama’s warning that North Korea was the most pressing foreign policy priority to watch.

Four missiles fired this week were all short-range and don’t pose a direct threat to the U.S. mainland. According to South Korea’s assessment, the first two weapons launched Sunday were believed to be cruise missiles. But Japan says the two fired Thursday were ballistic missiles. They're more provocative weapons that North Korea is banned from testing by U.N. resolutions.

President Joe Biden says he makes “no apology” for undoing some of the hard-line Trump-era immigration policies.

The Biden administration announced on Feb. 2 that it would no longer uphold the Trump administration policy of automatically deporting unaccompanied minors seeking asylum. Two weeks later, the White House announced plans to admit 25,000 asylum-seekers to the United States who'd been forced to remain in Mexico.

Since then, the number of young migrants crossing into the U.S. without adults has risen. Both Customs and Border Protection, and Health and Human Services officials have struggled to house the influx of children. Immigration officials say the number of adult migrants and families trying to enter the U.S. illegally also has surged.

Biden says his administration is working on solutions to manage the number of children coming to the border. Biden officials have largely blamed the problems on what they say were shoddy Trump policies.

President Joe Biden is committing to pulling U.S. troops from Afghanistan. But he's expressing doubts about meeting a May 1 deadline for withdrawal that was set by an agreement signed by Donald Trump.

Biden was asked about America's longest war at his first news conference since taking office. The president said, "We will leave. The question is when we will leave.”

The U.S. invaded Afghanistan in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and has been there ever since.

Last year, the Trump administration signed a peace deal with the Taliban that would remove the last of several thousand American troops by May 1.

At the news conference, Biden repeated recent comments that it would be difficult to meet the deadline.

President Joe Biden says his administration is working on getting beds and other facilities up and running so children held in Border Patrol custody can be transferred.

Biden says in his first news conference that most of the migrants who are coming to the U.S.-Mexico border are being sent back, except for children. He says his administration is working to ease delays so children can be released from government custody to sponsors.

Biden says when parents send their children alone across the border, it's a “desperate act.” The president says he wants to help change the conditions in Central American countries when the migrants are coming from, but he says there's no easy answer.

Biden is pushing back against the idea there's a crush of migrants coming to the border.

President Joe Biden says he’s committed to making progress on overhauling the U.S. immigration system, bolstering gun laws and strengthening voting rights. And he's not ruling out supporting changes to Senate procedures that would help him achieve those goals.

Biden says at the first formal news conference of his term that he believes senators should have to engage in old-fashioned filibusters if they want to try to hold up legislation. That would force senators to have to stand on their feet and talk for hours, as was the case during the civil rights era and is portrayed in Hollywood movies, if they want to object to Biden's agenda.

But Biden says the rule is being abused in a “gigantic way.”

He adds: “If there’s complete lockdown and chaos, as a consequence of the filibuster, then we’re going to have to go beyond what I’m talking about.”

President Joe Biden is pledging to have 200 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines administered by the end of his first 100 days in office. That’s double the goal he set in December and reached earlier this month before his 60th day in office.

Biden announced the new goal Thursday at the start of his first formal news conference since his term began on Jan. 20.

Biden's goal seems ambitious, but it actually amounts to a continuation of the country's existing pace of vaccinations through the end of month. The U.S. is now averaging about 2.5 million doses per day.

A rate even greater than that is possible. Over the next month, two of the bottlenecks to getting Americans vaccinated are set to be lifted. The U.S. supply of vaccines is on track to increase and states are lifting eligibility requirements for people to get the shots.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616693626372.png" alt="President Joe Biden entered the East Room prior to the Thursday afternoon press conference-image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Joe Biden entered the East Room prior to the Thursday afternoon press conference-image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Joe Biden's first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-politics-coronavirus-pandemic-2804de86cb2bd901c14c109efe024e5d">news conference</a>&nbsp;since taking office Jan. 20.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?510139-1/president-biden-holds-news-conference">Click here to watch</a> a replay of the press conference.President Joe Biden says it's his “expectation” that he'll run for re-election in 2024. Biden is 78 and already the oldest president to hold office. He would be 82 at the start of a second term.Biden was asked at the first news conference of his presidency whether he thought he could face a rematch against Donald Trump. Biden scoffed at the question. “Oh, I don’t even think about it,” Biden said. “I have no idea.”-------President Joe Biden says addressing a nuclearized North Korea is his top foreign policy issue.Biden says at his first news conference as president that North Korea has violated U.N. resolutions by launching ballistic missiles and that the United States and its allies will respond if the North escalates the situation.Biden says: “I’m also prepared for some form of diplomacy, but it has to be conditioned upon the end result of denuclearization."He says he agrees with former President Barack Obama’s warning that North Korea was the most pressing foreign policy priority to watch.Four missiles fired this week were all short-range and don’t pose a direct threat to the U.S. mainland. According to South Korea’s assessment, the first two weapons launched Sunday were believed to be cruise missiles. But Japan says the two fired Thursday were ballistic missiles. They're more provocative weapons that North Korea is banned from testing by U.N. resolutions.___President Joe Biden says he makes “no apology” for undoing some of the hard-line Trump-era immigration policies.The Biden administration announced on Feb. 2 that it would no longer uphold the Trump administration policy of automatically deporting unaccompanied minors seeking asylum. Two weeks later, the White House announced plans to admit 25,000 asylum-seekers to the United States who'd been forced to remain in Mexico.Since then, the number of young migrants crossing into the U.S. without adults has risen. Both Customs and Border Protection, and Health and Human Services officials have struggled to house the influx of children. Immigration officials say the number of adult migrants and families trying to enter the U.S. illegally also has surged.Biden says his administration is working on solutions to manage the number of children coming to the border. Biden officials have largely blamed the problems on what they say were shoddy Trump policies.___President Joe Biden is committing to pulling U.S. troops from Afghanistan. But he's expressing doubts about meeting a May 1 deadline for withdrawal that was set by an agreement signed by Donald Trump.Biden was asked about America's longest war at his first news conference since taking office. The president said, "We will leave. The question is when we will leave.”The U.S. invaded Afghanistan in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and has been there ever since.Last year, the Trump administration signed a peace deal with the Taliban that would remove the last of several thousand American troops by May 1.At the news conference, Biden repeated recent comments that it would be difficult to meet the deadline.___President Joe Biden says his administration is working on getting beds and other facilities up and running so children held in Border Patrol custody can be transferred.Biden says in his first news conference that most of the migrants who are coming to the U.S.-Mexico border are being sent back, except for children. He says his administration is working to ease delays so children can be released from government custody to sponsors.Biden says when parents send their children alone across the border, it's a “desperate act.” The president says he wants to help change the conditions in Central American countries when the migrants are coming from, but he says there's no easy answer.Biden is pushing back against the idea there's a crush of migrants coming to the border.___President Joe Biden says he’s committed to making progress on overhauling the U.S. immigration system, bolstering gun laws and strengthening voting rights. And he's not ruling out supporting changes to Senate procedures that would help him achieve those goals.Biden says at the first formal news conference of his term that he believes senators should have to engage in old-fashioned filibusters if they want to try to hold up legislation. That would force senators to have to stand on their feet and talk for hours, as was the case during the civil rights era and is portrayed in Hollywood movies, if they want to object to Biden's agenda.But Biden says the rule is being abused in a “gigantic way.”He adds: “If there’s complete lockdown and chaos, as a consequence of the filibuster, then we’re going to have to go beyond what I’m talking about.”-----President Joe Biden is pledging to have 200 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines administered by the end of his first 100 days in office. That’s double the goal he set in December and reached earlier this month before his 60th day in office.Biden announced the new goal Thursday at the start of his first formal news conference since his term began on Jan. 20.Biden's goal seems ambitious, but it actually amounts to a continuation of the country's existing pace of vaccinations through the end of month. The U.S. is now averaging about 2.5 million doses per day.A rate even greater than that is possible. Over the next month, two of the bottlenecks to getting Americans vaccinated are set to be lifted. The U.S. supply of vaccines is on track to increase and states are lifting eligibility requirements for people to get the shots.___

🎥  Pres. Biden talks '24 re-election, immigration and more

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Police in suburban Kansas City are seeking a driver who plowed into three pedestrians crossing a road in Independence, killing one of them.

The incident happened late Tuesday night when the three were crossing Sterling near Blue Ridge Boulevard, police said. A silver sedan traveling south hit the trio and didn’t stop, investigators said.

One man died at the scene. The medical conditions of the other two were not released, and the names of the victims have not been released.

Police are asking the public for any information that could help them find the driver involved.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Police in suburban Kansas City are seeking a driver who plowed into three pedestrians crossing a road in Independence, killing one of them.The incident happened late Tuesday night when the three were crossing Sterling near Blue Ridge Boulevard, police said. A silver sedan traveling south hit the trio and didn’t stop, investigators said.One man died at the scene. The medical conditions of the other two were not released, and the names of the victims have not been released.Police are asking the public for any information that could help them find the driver involved.

Police seek KC-area driver who hit 3 pedestrians, killing 1

Democratic governor signs bill granting Legislature new oversight power

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/03/25/house-senate-gop-leaders-pledge-to-derail-new-kansas-mask-order-if-re-issued-by-kelly/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas Republican
 leaders of the House and Senate pledged to move swiftly to thwart Gov. 
Laura Kelly’s issuance of a new executive order April 1 directing 
statewide reliance on face coverings during the pandemic.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616690888663.png" alt="Gov. Laura Kelly signed Senate Bill 40 that broadened the Legislature's oversight powers during the COVID-19 pandemic and indicated she would re-issue a dozen executive orders April 1, including guidance on wearing masks. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Gov. Laura Kelly signed Senate Bill 40 that broadened the Legislature's oversight powers during the COVID-19 pandemic and indicated she would re-issue a dozen executive orders April 1, including guidance on wearing masks. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Democratic governor signs bill granting Legislature new oversight power</h2>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/03/25/house-senate-gop-leaders-pledge-to-derail-new-kansas-mask-order-if-re-issued-by-kelly/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas Republican
 leaders of the House and Senate pledged to move swiftly to thwart Gov. 
Laura Kelly’s issuance of a new executive order April 1 directing 
statewide reliance on face coverings during the pandemic.House Speaker Ron Ryckman 
and Senate President Ty Masterson said they would act on new disaster 
oversight authority vested in the Legislature now that Kelly signed into
 law Wednesday <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/03/16/kansas-legislature-passes-rewrite-of-emergency-management-powers/">an overhaul of the Kansas Emergency Management Act</a>.The GOP-dominated Legislature put together <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb40/">Senate Bill 40</a>
 to amend procedures for declaration and extension of disaster 
emergencies, but the statute also extended the current overarching 
COVID-19 declaration until May 28. The new law revoked all current 
executive orders related to the pandemic, but the governor retained the 
right to re-issue orders.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616690951177.jpeg" alt="House Speaker Ron Ryckman, R-Olathe, said the Kansas House would be ready to respond if Gov. Laura Kelly issued a new executive order guiding Kansans to wear masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Ron Ryckman, R-Olathe, said the Kansas House would be ready to respond if Gov. Laura Kelly issued a new executive order guiding Kansans to wear masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>The Democratic governor 
said she intended to re-issue a mask order and renew 11 other orders. 
They would remain in place until end of the coronavirus emergency or 
until rescinded by passage of a concurrent resolution in the House and 
Senate or by action of lawmakers on the Legislative Coordinating 
Council.Kelly could have vetoed 
the bill, but the practical reality was Republicans possess two-thirds 
majorities in the House and Senate and were almost certain to overturn a
 decision to spike the package diminishing her executive authority, 
undercutting health officers and empowering Kansans to challenge 
disaster rules.“This bipartisan 
compromise will extend the state of disaster emergency that allows us to
 provide hospitals with personal protective equipment, support food 
banks and pantries, and otherwise respond to the COVID-19 pandemic,” 
Kelly said. “The bill includes provisions that I do not support and that
 could complicate our emergency response efforts, but I will continue to
 work with legislators and local leaders to keep Kansans safe and 
healthy during this pandemic.”The Kansas Department of 
Health and Environment reported the virus has so far infected 300,900, 
hospitalized 9,600 and contributed to the death of 4,881 Kansas 
residents since March 2020. More than 1 million doses of COVID-19 
vaccine have been administered in Kansas.Ryckman, the House’s top 
official and an Olathe Republican, said Senate Bill 40 delivered 
“much-needed oversight” of Kelly’s executive orders and completed 
reshaping of the KEMA law that initially enabled the governor to close 
schools and businesses, require wearing of masks and institute 
restrictions on mass gatherings. The Legislature previously acted to 
allow county commissions to opt out of Kelly’s health directives.“Governor
 Kelly’s announcement that she intends to issue another unnecessary mask
 mandate shows the importance of this oversight,” Ryckman said. “House 
Republicans stand ready to take action if Governor Kelly moves forward 
with this plan.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616690977367.jpeg" alt="Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, praised Gov. Laura Kelly for signing Senate Bill 40, which overhauled the Kansas Emergency Management Act. He said the governor shouldn’t issue a new executive order directing people to wear a face covering. (Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, praised Gov. Laura Kelly for signing Senate Bill 40, which overhauled the Kansas Emergency Management Act. He said the governor shouldn’t issue a new executive order directing people to wear a face covering. (Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Masterson, the Andover 
Republican and president of the Senate, said the Legislature wouldn’t be
 shy about deploying its new ability to offer a check on the governor.“Should the governor issue
 any more executive orders which imposes an undue burden on the people 
of Kansas, including any unnecessary new mask mandate, rest assured the 
Senate will take immediate action,” he said.Kelly released a statement
 saying that on April 1 she would re-issue an order applicable to all 
counties outlining face-covering protocol for people in public places 
and in outdoor spaces where social distancing couldn’t be maintained.In addition, she planned 
to issue orders allowing notaries and witnesses to act through 
audio-video communications, relieving restrictions on shared work 
programs, amending licensure, certification and registration rules, 
prohibiting certain foreclosures and evictions, and requiring 
coronavirus testing in adult care homes.She also listed an order 
providing relief from unemployment insurance requirements, employer 
payment of income tax withholding for work performed in another state 
and relief from tuberculin testing requirements. The roster included an 
order authorizing additional COVID-19 vaccinators.Kelly said she intended 
not to re-issue orders deferring tax deadlines and payments, mandating 
COVID-19 mitigation procedures in K-12 schools and amending regulation 
of vehicle registration and personal driver licenses.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.&nbsp;