The Missouri Attorney General’s Office argued that regulations like informed consent laws should remain because for most women, abortion is ‘against their moral beliefs’

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

Missouri’s trigger law banning nearly all abortions remains in place. But at 12:01 a.m. Friday,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/05/missouri-voters-overturn-states-near-total-abortion-ban/">Amendment 3&nbsp;</a>will go into effect.&nbsp;

The constitutional amendment, which received 51.6% of the nearly 3 million votes cast, prohibits the legislature from regulating abortion prior to the point of fetal viability — generally seen as the point at which a fetus can likely survive outside the womb without extraordinary measures.

Planned Parenthood officials said they have providers and staff prepared to start seeing patients for walk-in medication abortion appointments at three clinics — in Kansas City, St. Louis and Columbia —&nbsp;beginning Friday, followed later by scheduled surgical abortions.&nbsp;

But whether that happens depends on the outcome of a lawsuit that had its first hearing before a Jackson County judge Wednesday morning.&nbsp;

“What we don’t have are the abilities to overcome state restrictions and hurdles that were intended to deny care,” Emily Wales, President and CEO with Planned Parenthood Great Plains, said Wednesday evening.

Less than 24 hours after voters narrowly approved Amendment 3, the ACLU of Missouri, Planned Parenthood Great Plains and Planned Parenthood Great Rivers filed a lawsuit seeking to take down decades worth of overlapping restrictions and bans on abortion on the books in Missouri.&nbsp;

There was no disagreement between Planned Parenthood and the Missouri Attorney General’s office that Amendment 3 makes unconstitutional the trigger law that went into effect in June 2022 when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the right to abortion.&nbsp;

The disagreement instead revolves around more than a dozen “targeted regulation of abortion providers” laws, also known as TRAP laws, that previously made abortions all but inaccessible in Missouri prior to the total ban taking effect.

Planned Parenthood is asking a Jackson County judge to grant a preliminary injunction which would immediately declare the current ban and the TRAP laws&nbsp;unconstitutional.&nbsp;

“Every single day that Missourians cannot access their constitutional rights, they’re being denied critical care,” Wales said.

Solicitor General Josh Divine, who argued Wednesday’s hearing on behalf of the state,&nbsp; characterized the lawsuit as “unusually aggressive,” saying it would be more appropriate for the plaintiffs to challenge each TRAP law individually rather than all together “on a very short fuse.”&nbsp;

He added that preliminary injunctions should only be granted in “drastic, extraordinary circumstances.” The lawsuit at hand, he contended, does not apply because Missourians are still able to access abortion in Illinois to the east and Kansas to the west.

“Nobody’s actually going to be materially affected by what this court does,” Divine added.

A decade ago, more than 5,000 abortions were performed in Missouri, according to data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.&nbsp;

By 2020, two years before the abortion ban went into effect, that number dropped to 167 as a result of the TRAP laws.&nbsp;

Sam Lee, a longtime Missouri anti-abortion activist and lobbyist, said he’s been pleased by the attorney general’s defense of Missouri’s anti-abortion laws.

If the TRAP laws remain in effect, as Lee is hoping, “it may severely affect Planned Parenthood’s ability to do abortions, because they weren’t doing abortions when those laws were in effect some years ago.”

Judge Jerri Zhang, who is overseeing the case, did not immediately rule on the injunction when the hearing concluded late Wednesday evening.&nbsp;

She did, however, deny the state’s request to remove Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker as a defendant and move the case to Cole County. Earlier this year, a Cole County judge&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/09/20/missouri-supreme-court-opinions-amendment-3-abortion/">struck Amendment 3 from the ballot,</a>&nbsp;a decision that was quickly overridden by the Missouri Court of Appeals.

The attorney general’s office said they plan to appeal Zhang’s decisions, arguing that Peters Baker does not appropriately represent all statewide prosecutors because of her previous statements in support of abortion rights.

The Missouri Attorney General’s Office also posed a court challenge to the Planned Parenthood suit.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Petition.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3370878" target="_blank">This latest lawsuit,</a>&nbsp;filed last week in Cole County, questions Planned Parenthood Great Plains’ ability to sue the state, claiming a 2010 settlement agreement prevents them from doing so.&nbsp;

For decades, Missouri legislators have passed laws restricting abortion access and regulating the procedure.&nbsp;

“The voters have now changed all of that,” Eleanor Spottswood, an attorney with Planned Parenthood, argued before the court Wednesday.

Amendment 3 states, in part, that “the right to reproductive freedom shall not be denied, interfered with, delayed, or otherwise restricted unless the government demonstrates that such action is justifiable by a compelling governmental interest achieved by the least restrictive means.”&nbsp;

The litigation challenges numerous current laws, including a mandatory 72-hour waiting period between an initial appointment and the abortion procedure; requirements that abortion clinics must have admitting privileges at a hospital roughly 15 minutes away; and a requirement that the same physician who initially saw the patient also perform the abortion.&nbsp;

The lawsuit is also challenging the current law criminalizing physicians who perform abortions.

Spottswood argued that a failure to immediately strike down the TRAP laws would cause “irreparable harm” to Missourians because “patients and providers have to do twice the work to access abortion.”

Meanwhile, the attorney general’s office argued that striking down such laws would cause more harm.&nbsp;

Divine on multiple occasions cited an<a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2023/020687Orig1s025Lbl.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;FDA label for mifepristone</a>, one of two medications used to induce a medication abortion, that shows that according to two U.S. studies of about 1,00 women, up to 5% of women who took mifepristone ended up in the emergency room. It did not specify if the emergency room visits were necessary.&nbsp;

The same FDA label says that across three studies of more than 14,000 women who took mifepristone, fewer than 0.6% were admitted to the hospital as a result of the medication.

Divine also noted that no individual women seeking abortions were named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit, arguing that’s because women don’t actually want abortions once given more information. He said this is why the state’s requirements that those seeking abortions first be given the state’s&nbsp;<a href="https://health.mo.gov/living/families/womenshealth/pregnancyassistance/pdf/Mo.InformedConsentBooklet-Revisedpgs.12-15August2019jkOGCReviewed.pdf" target="_blank">informed consent booklet&nbsp;</a>should remain.&nbsp;

“It’s against their moral beliefs,” Divine said. “But they’re being pressured, often by an abusive partner, by parents, things of that nature, so what we’re trying to do is we’re trying to create a situation where those women can in fact make the choice that they want to do, and we know most of the time that’s childbirth.”&nbsp;

About&nbsp;<a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/induced-abortion-united-states#:~:text=Approximately%20one%20in%20four%20women,45%2C%20given%202020%20abortion%20rates.&amp;text=According%20to%20data%20from%20the,14%20weeks'%20gestation%20or%20later." target="_blank">one in four women in the United States have an abortion</a>&nbsp;before the age of 45, according to 2020 data. In 2021, around 94% of abortions occurred before 14 weeks gestation. Abortions later than 20 weeks&nbsp; account for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/abortions-later-in-pregnancy-in-a-post-dobbs-era/#:~:text=Abortions%20at%20or%20after%2021,require%20travel%20and%20lost%20wages." target="_blank">fewer than 1% of all abortions in the United States</a>, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Divine, in his final arguments Wednesday, characterized the state’s TRAP laws as incidental, much like speeding laws or road construction that could delay someone getting to an abortion. But he said the TRAP laws don’t fall under the strict scrutiny requirement and therefore don’t require an immediate ruling.

Zhang asked if delaying an abortion through the required 72-hour waiting period would infringe on a patient’s autonomy, especially if the patient was a day or two shy of 10 weeks gestation, when procedures switch from medication to surgical abortions.

Divine responded that the attorney general’s office believes Amendment 3 gives Missourians the right to an abortion, but doesn’t give them the right to a certain abortion procedure.&nbsp;

He also noted that Amendment 3 doesn’t specifically mention the legalization of mifepristone, alluding to future attempts by the incoming GOP administration to enforce the Comstock Act, an 1873 law that bans mailing obscene material, including for the use of abortion.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733401879071.png" alt=" Solicitor General Josh Divine called Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit seeking to unravel Missouri’s abortion restrictions “unusually aggressive” while speaking to media Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, outside the Jackson County Courthouse (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Solicitor General Josh Divine called Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit seeking to unravel Missouri’s abortion restrictions “unusually aggressive” while speaking to media Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, outside the Jackson County Courthouse (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The Missouri Attorney General’s Office argued that regulations like informed consent laws should remain because for most women, abortion is ‘against their moral beliefs’</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Missouri’s trigger law banning nearly all abortions remains in place. But at 12:01 a.m. Friday,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/05/missouri-voters-overturn-states-near-total-abortion-ban/">Amendment 3&nbsp;</a>will go into effect.&nbsp;The constitutional amendment, which received 51.6% of the nearly 3 million votes cast, prohibits the legislature from regulating abortion prior to the point of fetal viability — generally seen as the point at which a fetus can likely survive outside the womb without extraordinary measures.Planned Parenthood officials said they have providers and staff prepared to start seeing patients for walk-in medication abortion appointments at three clinics — in Kansas City, St. Louis and Columbia —&nbsp;beginning Friday, followed later by scheduled surgical abortions.&nbsp;But whether that happens depends on the outcome of a lawsuit that had its first hearing before a Jackson County judge Wednesday morning.&nbsp;“What we don’t have are the abilities to overcome state restrictions and hurdles that were intended to deny care,” Emily Wales, President and CEO with Planned Parenthood Great Plains, said Wednesday evening.Less than 24 hours after voters narrowly approved Amendment 3, the ACLU of Missouri, Planned Parenthood Great Plains and Planned Parenthood Great Rivers filed a lawsuit seeking to take down decades worth of overlapping restrictions and bans on abortion on the books in Missouri.&nbsp;There was no disagreement between Planned Parenthood and the Missouri Attorney General’s office that Amendment 3 makes unconstitutional the trigger law that went into effect in June 2022 when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the right to abortion.&nbsp;The disagreement instead revolves around more than a dozen “targeted regulation of abortion providers” laws, also known as TRAP laws, that previously made abortions all but inaccessible in Missouri prior to the total ban taking effect.Planned Parenthood is asking a Jackson County judge to grant a preliminary injunction which would immediately declare the current ban and the TRAP laws&nbsp;unconstitutional.&nbsp;“Every single day that Missourians cannot access their constitutional rights, they’re being denied critical care,” Wales said.Solicitor General Josh Divine, who argued Wednesday’s hearing on behalf of the state,&nbsp; characterized the lawsuit as “unusually aggressive,” saying it would be more appropriate for the plaintiffs to challenge each TRAP law individually rather than all together “on a very short fuse.”&nbsp;He added that preliminary injunctions should only be granted in “drastic, extraordinary circumstances.” The lawsuit at hand, he contended, does not apply because Missourians are still able to access abortion in Illinois to the east and Kansas to the west.“Nobody’s actually going to be materially affected by what this court does,” Divine added.A decade ago, more than 5,000 abortions were performed in Missouri, according to data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.&nbsp;By 2020, two years before the abortion ban went into effect, that number dropped to 167 as a result of the TRAP laws.&nbsp;Sam Lee, a longtime Missouri anti-abortion activist and lobbyist, said he’s been pleased by the attorney general’s defense of Missouri’s anti-abortion laws.If the TRAP laws remain in effect, as Lee is hoping, “it may severely affect Planned Parenthood’s ability to do abortions, because they weren’t doing abortions when those laws were in effect some years ago.”Judge Jerri Zhang, who is overseeing the case, did not immediately rule on the injunction when the hearing concluded late Wednesday evening.&nbsp;She did, however, deny the state’s request to remove Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker as a defendant and move the case to Cole County. Earlier this year, a Cole County judge&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/09/20/missouri-supreme-court-opinions-amendment-3-abortion/">struck Amendment 3 from the ballot,</a>&nbsp;a decision that was quickly overridden by the Missouri Court of Appeals.The attorney general’s office said they plan to appeal Zhang’s decisions, arguing that Peters Baker does not appropriately represent all statewide prosecutors because of her previous statements in support of abortion rights.The Missouri Attorney General’s Office also posed a court challenge to the Planned Parenthood suit.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Petition.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3370878" target="_blank">This latest lawsuit,</a>&nbsp;filed last week in Cole County, questions Planned Parenthood Great Plains’ ability to sue the state, claiming a 2010 settlement agreement prevents them from doing so.&nbsp;<h2>Missouri’s TRAP laws</h2>For decades, Missouri legislators have passed laws restricting abortion access and regulating the procedure.&nbsp;“The voters have now changed all of that,” Eleanor Spottswood, an attorney with Planned Parenthood, argued before the court Wednesday.Amendment 3 states, in part, that “the right to reproductive freedom shall not be denied, interfered with, delayed, or otherwise restricted unless the government demonstrates that such action is justifiable by a compelling governmental interest achieved by the least restrictive means.”&nbsp;The litigation challenges numerous current laws, including a mandatory 72-hour waiting period between an initial appointment and the abortion procedure; requirements that abortion clinics must have admitting privileges at a hospital roughly 15 minutes away; and a requirement that the same physician who initially saw the patient also perform the abortion.&nbsp;The lawsuit is also challenging the current law criminalizing physicians who perform abortions.Spottswood argued that a failure to immediately strike down the TRAP laws would cause “irreparable harm” to Missourians because “patients and providers have to do twice the work to access abortion.”Meanwhile, the attorney general’s office argued that striking down such laws would cause more harm.&nbsp;Divine on multiple occasions cited an<a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2023/020687Orig1s025Lbl.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;FDA label for mifepristone</a>, one of two medications used to induce a medication abortion, that shows that according to two U.S. studies of about 1,00 women, up to 5% of women who took mifepristone ended up in the emergency room. It did not specify if the emergency room visits were necessary.&nbsp;The same FDA label says that across three studies of more than 14,000 women who took mifepristone, fewer than 0.6% were admitted to the hospital as a result of the medication.Divine also noted that no individual women seeking abortions were named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit, arguing that’s because women don’t actually want abortions once given more information. He said this is why the state’s requirements that those seeking abortions first be given the state’s&nbsp;<a href="https://health.mo.gov/living/families/womenshealth/pregnancyassistance/pdf/Mo.InformedConsentBooklet-Revisedpgs.12-15August2019jkOGCReviewed.pdf" target="_blank">informed consent booklet&nbsp;</a>should remain.&nbsp;“It’s against their moral beliefs,” Divine said. “But they’re being pressured, often by an abusive partner, by parents, things of that nature, so what we’re trying to do is we’re trying to create a situation where those women can in fact make the choice that they want to do, and we know most of the time that’s childbirth.”&nbsp;About&nbsp;<a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/induced-abortion-united-states#:~:text=Approximately%20one%20in%20four%20women,45%2C%20given%202020%20abortion%20rates.&amp;text=According%20to%20data%20from%20the,14%20weeks'%20gestation%20or%20later." target="_blank">one in four women in the United States have an abortion</a>&nbsp;before the age of 45, according to 2020 data. In 2021, around 94% of abortions occurred before 14 weeks gestation. Abortions later than 20 weeks&nbsp; account for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/abortions-later-in-pregnancy-in-a-post-dobbs-era/#:~:text=Abortions%20at%20or%20after%2021,require%20travel%20and%20lost%20wages." target="_blank">fewer than 1% of all abortions in the United States</a>, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Divine, in his final arguments Wednesday, characterized the state’s TRAP laws as incidental, much like speeding laws or road construction that could delay someone getting to an abortion. But he said the TRAP laws don’t fall under the strict scrutiny requirement and therefore don’t require an immediate ruling.Zhang asked if delaying an abortion through the required 72-hour waiting period would infringe on a patient’s autonomy, especially if the patient was a day or two shy of 10 weeks gestation, when procedures switch from medication to surgical abortions.Divine responded that the attorney general’s office believes Amendment 3 gives Missourians the right to an abortion, but doesn’t give them the right to a certain abortion procedure.&nbsp;He also noted that Amendment 3 doesn’t specifically mention the legalization of mifepristone, alluding to future attempts by the incoming GOP administration to enforce the Comstock Act, an 1873 law that bans mailing obscene material, including for the use of abortion.

Judge could allow Planned Parenthood to begin performing abortions in Missouri Friday

MIAMI COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating the death of a juvenile in rural Miami County, Kansas.

Just before 3p.m. Wednesday, emergency personnel responded to a death investigation in the 22800 block of Lewis Drive, located in rural Miami County, according to a media release from the sheriff's office.

While on scene, additional resources were requested to assist with the investigation. One juvenile was pronounced deceased at the scene, while another juvenile was taken into custody.

The sheriff's office released no additional details.&nbsp; Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733398221816.png" alt="Law enforcement on the scene of the investigation on Wednesday-photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Law enforcement on the scene of the investigation on Wednesday-photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>MIAMI COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating the death of a juvenile in rural Miami County, Kansas.Just before 3p.m. Wednesday, emergency personnel responded to a death investigation in the 22800 block of Lewis Drive, located in rural Miami County, according to a media release from the sheriff's office.While on scene, additional resources were requested to assist with the investigation. One juvenile was pronounced deceased at the scene, while another juvenile was taken into custody.The sheriff's office released no additional details.&nbsp; Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

Juvenile in custody after juvenile found dead in rural Kan.

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating another homicide in Topeka have identified the victim as 49-year-old&nbsp;Lavaughn E. Lewis of Topeka, according to police spokesperson Rosie Nichols.

Just before 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, police responded to a shooting in the 2000 Block of SW 12th Street. Upon arrival, first responders found Lewis with life-threatening injuries.

Medical staff&nbsp;pronounced him deceased on scene. This is the city’s 20th homicide investigation of 2024.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733348510836.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating another homicide in Topeka have identified the victim as 49-year-old&nbsp;Lavaughn E. Lewis of Topeka, according to police spokesperson Rosie Nichols.Just before 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, police responded to a shooting in the 2000 Block of SW 12th Street. Upon arrival, first responders found Lewis with life-threatening injuries.Medical staff&nbsp;pronounced him deceased on scene. This is the city’s 20th homicide investigation of 2024.

Police ID Kansas man who died in shooting 

JOHNSON COUNTY —Firefighters stopped a deck fire from spreading into a home near 154th Terrace and Ridgeview in Olathe, according to a social media report from the Olathe Fire Department.

The fire occurred just before 2:30p.m. Wednesday. No injuries. Investigators say discarded smoking&nbsp;materials caused the fire.&nbsp;

If you smoke:
 Smoke on a surface that won't burn like concrete; put cigarettes out, all the way, in an ashtray or non-combustible bucket with sand and douse the ashes and butts with water to make sure they are completely out

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733359545363.jpeg" alt="Photos Olathe Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photos Olathe Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Firefighters stopped a deck fire from spreading into a home near 154th Terrace and Ridgeview in Olathe, according to a social media report from the Olathe Fire Department.The fire occurred just before 2:30p.m. Wednesday. No injuries. Investigators say discarded smoking&nbsp;materials caused the fire.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733359525944.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>If you smoke:
 Smoke on a surface that won't burn like concrete; put cigarettes out, all the way, in an ashtray or non-combustible bucket with sand and douse the ashes and butts with water to make sure they are completely out

Discarded smoking materials caused deck fire at Kan. home

NEW YORK (AP) — Investigators are searching for clues that could help them identify the masked gunman who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/manhattan-shooting-death-daa1e8c8c05606197a5bd2e0242f1683">stalked and killed</a>&nbsp;the leader of one of the largest U.S. health insurance companies on a Manhattan sidewalk, then disappeared into Central Park.

UnitedHealthcare CEO&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-healthcare-ceo-new-york-shooting-brian-thompson-8a130e64bcab749d1a085f5a34ab8254">Brian Thompson</a>, 50, died in a dawn ambush Wednesday as he walked to the company's annual investor conference at a Hilton in Midtown, blocks from tourist draws like Radio City Music Hall and the Museum of Modern Art.

The killing, and the shooter's movements in the minutes before and afterward, were captured on some of the multitudes of security cameras present in that part of the city.

One video showed him approach Thompson from behind, level his pistol and fire several shots, barely pausing to clear a brief gun jam while the dying health executive tumbled to the pavement.

Other security cameras captured the initial stages of the gunman's escape. He was seen fleeing the block across a pedestrian plaza, then escaping on a bicycle into Central Park, where he vanished.

Police used drones, helicopters and dogs in an intense search, but the killer's whereabouts remained unknown late into the night.

New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said that while investigators had not yet established a motive, the shooting was no random act of violence.

“Many people passed the suspect, but he appeared to wait for his intended target,” Tisch said at a news conference Wednesday.

“From watching the video, it does seem that he’s proficient in the use of firearms as he was able to clear the malfunctions pretty quickly,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said.

Police issued several surveillance images of the man, who wore a hooded jacket and a mask that concealed most of his face and wouldn't have attracted attention on a frigid winter day. Some of the photos were taken at a Starbucks coffee shop shortly before the shooting.

The police department offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

“Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him,” the insurer’s Minnetonka, Minnesota-based parent company, UnitedHealth Group Inc., said in a statement. "We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.”

Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News that he told her “there were some people that had been threatening him.” She didn’t have details but suggested the threats may have involved issues with insurance coverage.

Eric Werner, the police chief in the Minneapolis suburb where Thompson lived, said his department had not received any reports of threats against the executive.

Investigators recovered several 9 mm shell casings from outside the hotel and a cellphone from the alleyway through which the shooter fled. They were also searching Thompson's hotel room, interviewing his UnitedHealthcare colleagues and reviewing his social media, Kenny said.

Police initially said the shooter rode into Central Park on a bicycle from the city’s bike-share program, CitiBike. But a spokesperson for the program’s operator, Lyft, said police officials informed the company Wednesday afternoon that the bike was not from the CitiBike fleet.

Health care giant UnitedHealth Group was holding its annual meeting with investors to update Wall Street on the company's direction and expectations for the coming year. The company ended the conference early in the wake of Thompson's death.

Thompson, a father of two sons, had been with the company since 2004 and served as CEO for more than three years.

UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans in the U.S. and manages health insurance coverage for employers and state and federally funded Medicaid programs.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/GovTimWalz/status/1864326551661154556">posted on the social platform X</a>&nbsp;that the state is “sending our prayers to Brian’s family and the UnitedHealthcare team.”

“This is horrifying news and a terrible loss for the business and health care community in Minnesota,” the Democrat wrote.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733331413907.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Investigators are searching for clues that could help them identify the masked gunman who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/manhattan-shooting-death-daa1e8c8c05606197a5bd2e0242f1683">stalked and killed</a>&nbsp;the leader of one of the largest U.S. health insurance companies on a Manhattan sidewalk, then disappeared into Central Park.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FNYPD%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02gMCRPER4h5ybagucFTvoLqVTVwCL12xbPMZ5PACT719o9pFnAuMhWKFXkiJenkWKl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="703" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>UnitedHealthcare CEO&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-healthcare-ceo-new-york-shooting-brian-thompson-8a130e64bcab749d1a085f5a34ab8254">Brian Thompson</a>, 50, died in a dawn ambush Wednesday as he walked to the company's annual investor conference at a Hilton in Midtown, blocks from tourist draws like Radio City Music Hall and the Museum of Modern Art.The killing, and the shooter's movements in the minutes before and afterward, were captured on some of the multitudes of security cameras present in that part of the city.One video showed him approach Thompson from behind, level his pistol and fire several shots, barely pausing to clear a brief gun jam while the dying health executive tumbled to the pavement.Other security cameras captured the initial stages of the gunman's escape. He was seen fleeing the block across a pedestrian plaza, then escaping on a bicycle into Central Park, where he vanished.Police used drones, helicopters and dogs in an intense search, but the killer's whereabouts remained unknown late into the night.New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said that while investigators had not yet established a motive, the shooting was no random act of violence.“Many people passed the suspect, but he appeared to wait for his intended target,” Tisch said at a news conference Wednesday.“From watching the video, it does seem that he’s proficient in the use of firearms as he was able to clear the malfunctions pretty quickly,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said.Police issued several surveillance images of the man, who wore a hooded jacket and a mask that concealed most of his face and wouldn't have attracted attention on a frigid winter day. Some of the photos were taken at a Starbucks coffee shop shortly before the shooting.The police department offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction.“Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him,” the insurer’s Minnetonka, Minnesota-based parent company, UnitedHealth Group Inc., said in a statement. "We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.”Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News that he told her “there were some people that had been threatening him.” She didn’t have details but suggested the threats may have involved issues with insurance coverage.Eric Werner, the police chief in the Minneapolis suburb where Thompson lived, said his department had not received any reports of threats against the executive.Investigators recovered several 9 mm shell casings from outside the hotel and a cellphone from the alleyway through which the shooter fled. They were also searching Thompson's hotel room, interviewing his UnitedHealthcare colleagues and reviewing his social media, Kenny said.Police initially said the shooter rode into Central Park on a bicycle from the city’s bike-share program, CitiBike. But a spokesperson for the program’s operator, Lyft, said police officials informed the company Wednesday afternoon that the bike was not from the CitiBike fleet.Health care giant UnitedHealth Group was holding its annual meeting with investors to update Wall Street on the company's direction and expectations for the coming year. The company ended the conference early in the wake of Thompson's death.Thompson, a father of two sons, had been with the company since 2004 and served as CEO for more than three years.UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans in the U.S. and manages health insurance coverage for employers and state and federally funded Medicaid programs.Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/GovTimWalz/status/1864326551661154556">posted on the social platform X</a>&nbsp;that the state is “sending our prayers to Brian’s family and the UnitedHealthcare team.”“This is horrifying news and a terrible loss for the business and health care community in Minnesota,” the Democrat wrote.___

Search continues for suspect who gunned down health insurance CEO

KANSAS CITY —A woman has been charged with stealing packages from porches throughout the Kansas City area this past weekend, according to a statement from the Clay County, Missouri Sheriff.

Kayley Worthington, 24, of Excelsior Springs is charged with one count of felony theft and one count of felony possession of a controlled substance. She is being held in the Clay County Detention Center on a $20,000 bond. If she posts bond, one of the conditions of her bond is that she may not be within 100 feet of anyone’s porch other than her own. Additional charges against additional suspects are possible.

After seeing multiple reports on social media of packages being stolen in Liberty, Smithville, and Kansas City, North, over the weekend, Sheriff’s Office investigators began collaborating with police departments in those cities and working to identify the thieves. Their investigation led them to a home in Excelsior Springs early Monday evening, where they located Worthington and took her into custody. Deputies served a search warrant at the house and recovered 51 stolen items, as well as methamphetamine.

Detectives have so far identified nine victims. Clay County residents who had a package stolen Nov. 29 – Dec. 1 and have not yet filed a police report are encouraged to do so.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733275672983.png" alt="Worthington photo Clay County" />
 <figcaption>Worthington photo Clay County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A woman has been charged with stealing packages from porches throughout the Kansas City area this past weekend, according to a statement from the Clay County, Missouri Sheriff.Kayley Worthington, 24, of Excelsior Springs is charged with one count of felony theft and one count of felony possession of a controlled substance. She is being held in the Clay County Detention Center on a $20,000 bond. If she posts bond, one of the conditions of her bond is that she may not be within 100 feet of anyone’s porch other than her own. Additional charges against additional suspects are possible.After seeing multiple reports on social media of packages being stolen in Liberty, Smithville, and Kansas City, North, over the weekend, Sheriff’s Office investigators began collaborating with police departments in those cities and working to identify the thieves. Their investigation led them to a home in Excelsior Springs early Monday evening, where they located Worthington and took her into custody. Deputies served a search warrant at the house and recovered 51 stolen items, as well as methamphetamine.Detectives have so far identified nine victims. Clay County residents who had a package stolen Nov. 29 – Dec. 1 and have not yet filed a police report are encouraged to do so.

Deputies catch Kansas City area porch pirate, recover items

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Abortion-rights advocates on Wednesday asked a judge to overturn Missouri’s near-total ban on the procedure, less than a month after voters backed an abortion-rights&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-missouri-amendment-ballot-election-f114445b087e77d0cc786d3eeb2eb615">constitutional amendment</a>.

Jackson County Circuit Judge Jerri Zhang did not immediately rule after the hearing. Planned Parenthood and other plaintiffs had asked her to issue a temporary order blocking enforcement of Missouri’s numerous abortion laws.

Emily Wales, the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, said abortions could begin Friday in clinics in Kansas City, Columbia and St. Louis if the judge issues the order.

“Every single day that they cannot access abortion rights they are being denied critical care," Wales said of Missouri residents.

Several anti-abortion protesters knelt on the ground as they prayed outside the courthouse during the hearing. They covered their mouths with a red piece of tape that read “life.”

Missouri is one of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ballot-measures-harris-trump-florida-missouri-49c9073cbb6056b66a8a7d0d099795d1">five states where voters approved ballot measures</a>&nbsp;this year to add the right to an abortion to their state constitutions. Nevada voters also approved an amendment, but they’ll need to pass it again in 2026 for it to take effect. Another that bans discrimination on the basis of “pregnancy outcomes” prevailed in New York.

Reproductive rights advocates in Arizona on Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-election-canvass-abortion-0a899d1a78fc8e8b76bf8f75e868e249">sued to undo</a>&nbsp;a 15-week abortion ban that conflicts with that state's new constitutional amendment expanding access up to fetal viability.

The Missouri amendment does not specifically override any state laws. Instead the measure leaves it to advocates to ask courts to knock down bans that they believe would now be unconstitutional.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, an abortion opponent, last week issued&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-missouri-ballot-fed343e84ce8e07c0f5d7bb32fda57e9">an opinion</a>&nbsp;agreeing that most abortions will be legal when the amendment takes effect Thursday.

But Bailey’s office is still fighting for a ban on most abortions after viability, along with a number of regulations that Planned Parenthood argues made it nearly impossible to offer abortions in the state even before abortion was almost completely banned in 2022.

Missouri’s constitutional amendment allows lawmakers to restrict abortion after viability, with exceptions to “protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant person.”

The term “viability” is used by health care providers to describe whether a pregnancy is expected to continue developing normally or whether a fetus might survive outside the uterus. Though there’s no defined time frame, doctors say it is sometime after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-technology-science-health-birmingham-7fc806f3c06aeae94c5d6ed1b06a6461">21st week</a>&nbsp;of pregnancy.

Other abortion laws that Bailey is defending include a 72-hour waiting period before an abortion can be performed; bans on abortions based on race, sex or a possible Down syndrome diagnosis; and a requirement that medical facilities that provide abortions be licensed as ambulatory surgical centers.

Missouri Solicitor General Josh Divine argued in court that the right to reproductive freedom includes the right to childbirth, which he said supports laws such as the state's 72-hour waiting period.

“Those laws are enabling childbirth,” he said. "They are giving time to choose childbirth.”

But Planned Parenthood Federation of America attorney Ella Spottswood during the hearing told the judge that by 2019, the slew of Missouri laws regulating abortion had effectively limited access to a single St. Louis clinic.

“The voters have changed all that,” she said. “The questions should begin and end with the amendment.”

It is unclear when Zhang will rule on the request for a preliminary injunction.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725887984419.png" alt="Photo Anna Spoerre" />
 <figcaption>Photo Anna Spoerre</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Abortion-rights advocates on Wednesday asked a judge to overturn Missouri’s near-total ban on the procedure, less than a month after voters backed an abortion-rights&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-missouri-amendment-ballot-election-f114445b087e77d0cc786d3eeb2eb615">constitutional amendment</a>.Jackson County Circuit Judge Jerri Zhang did not immediately rule after the hearing. Planned Parenthood and other plaintiffs had asked her to issue a temporary order blocking enforcement of Missouri’s numerous abortion laws.Emily Wales, the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, said abortions could begin Friday in clinics in Kansas City, Columbia and St. Louis if the judge issues the order.“Every single day that they cannot access abortion rights they are being denied critical care," Wales said of Missouri residents.Several anti-abortion protesters knelt on the ground as they prayed outside the courthouse during the hearing. They covered their mouths with a red piece of tape that read “life.”Missouri is one of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ballot-measures-harris-trump-florida-missouri-49c9073cbb6056b66a8a7d0d099795d1">five states where voters approved ballot measures</a>&nbsp;this year to add the right to an abortion to their state constitutions. Nevada voters also approved an amendment, but they’ll need to pass it again in 2026 for it to take effect. Another that bans discrimination on the basis of “pregnancy outcomes” prevailed in New York.Reproductive rights advocates in Arizona on Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-election-canvass-abortion-0a899d1a78fc8e8b76bf8f75e868e249">sued to undo</a>&nbsp;a 15-week abortion ban that conflicts with that state's new constitutional amendment expanding access up to fetal viability.The Missouri amendment does not specifically override any state laws. Instead the measure leaves it to advocates to ask courts to knock down bans that they believe would now be unconstitutional.Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, an abortion opponent, last week issued&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-missouri-ballot-fed343e84ce8e07c0f5d7bb32fda57e9">an opinion</a>&nbsp;agreeing that most abortions will be legal when the amendment takes effect Thursday.But Bailey’s office is still fighting for a ban on most abortions after viability, along with a number of regulations that Planned Parenthood argues made it nearly impossible to offer abortions in the state even before abortion was almost completely banned in 2022.Missouri’s constitutional amendment allows lawmakers to restrict abortion after viability, with exceptions to “protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant person.”The term “viability” is used by health care providers to describe whether a pregnancy is expected to continue developing normally or whether a fetus might survive outside the uterus. Though there’s no defined time frame, doctors say it is sometime after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-technology-science-health-birmingham-7fc806f3c06aeae94c5d6ed1b06a6461">21st week</a>&nbsp;of pregnancy.Other abortion laws that Bailey is defending include a 72-hour waiting period before an abortion can be performed; bans on abortions based on race, sex or a possible Down syndrome diagnosis; and a requirement that medical facilities that provide abortions be licensed as ambulatory surgical centers.Missouri Solicitor General Josh Divine argued in court that the right to reproductive freedom includes the right to childbirth, which he said supports laws such as the state's 72-hour waiting period.“Those laws are enabling childbirth,” he said. "They are giving time to choose childbirth.”But Planned Parenthood Federation of America attorney Ella Spottswood during the hearing told the judge that by 2019, the slew of Missouri laws regulating abortion had effectively limited access to a single St. Louis clinic.“The voters have changed all that,” she said. “The questions should begin and end with the amendment.”It is unclear when Zhang will rule on the request for a preliminary injunction.___

Judge considers first lawsuit to overturn Mo. near-total abortion ban

FORD COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a series of reports of criminal damage in southwest Kansas and have made arrests.

On Tuesday, police responded to multiple reports of property damage at various locations around Dodge City, according to a media release. Thanks to information provided by the public, officers identified a black Jeep Wrangler suspected of being involved in the criminal activity. 

Officers were able to locate the vehicle and, through investigation, arrested four juveniles from Dodge City. The boys have been linked to 25 different cases of criminal damage to Christmas decorations and&nbsp; vehicle windows.

 Charges will be filed with the Ford County Attorney's Office for the crime of Criminal Damage.&nbsp;

FORD COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a series of reports of criminal damage in southwest Kansas and have made arrests.On Tuesday, police responded to multiple reports of property damage at various locations around Dodge City, according to a media release. Thanks to information provided by the public, officers identified a black Jeep Wrangler suspected of being involved in the criminal activity. Officers were able to locate the vehicle and, through investigation, arrested four juveniles from Dodge City. The boys have been linked to 25 different cases of criminal damage to Christmas decorations and&nbsp; vehicle windows. Charges will be filed with the Ford County Attorney's Office for the crime of Criminal Damage.&nbsp;

Police in SW Kan. make arrests for damage to Christmas decorations 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hearing a high-profile culture-war clash, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday seemed likely to uphold Tennessee's ban on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-gender-affirming-supreme-court-tennessee-c302c0e307dc1ab70f01b84bab72eaf0">gender-affirming care for minors</a>.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2024/23-477">Click here to listen to</a> a replay of the oral argument

The justices’ decision, not expected for several months, could affect similar laws enacted by another 25 states and a range of other efforts&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/san-jose-state-volleyball-d00b36355c69f48de712339821682b52">to regulate the lives of transgender people</a>, including which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/gender-in-sports-track-and-field-roller-derby-new-york-gender-2fe769675c174632925e446f15c6294b">sports competitions</a>&nbsp;they can join and which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sarah-mcbride-speaker-johnson-transgender-bathroom-f3943e1b3b2dc9c8d62d2ba6660aaf91">bathrooms they can use</a>.

The case is being weighed by a conservative-dominated court after a presidential election in which Donald Trump and his allies promised to roll back&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-transgender-politics-61cff97a64fac581ffc5f762be4c57d3">protections</a>&nbsp;for transgender people, showcasing the uneasy intersection between law, politics and individual rights.

The Biden administration's top Supreme Court lawyer warned a decision favorable to Tennessee also could be used to justify nationwide restrictions on transgender healthcare for minors.

In arguments that lasted more than two hours, five of the six conservative justices voiced varying degrees of skepticism of arguments made by the administration and Chase Strangio, the ACLU lawyer for Tennessee families challenging the ban.

Chief Justice John Roberts, who voted in the majority in a 2020 case in favor of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-transgender-rights-lgbtq-donald-trump-3bb3ace81ff32b6dec382b486ec6a772">transgender rights</a>, questioned whether judges, rather than lawmakers, should be weighing in on a question of regulating medical procedures, an area usually left to the states.

”The Constitution leaves that question to the people’s representatives, rather than to nine people, none of whom is a doctor,” Roberts said in an exchange with Strangio.

The court’s three liberal justices seemed firmly on the side of the challengers. But it’s not clear that any of the conservatives will go along.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor pushed back against the assertion that the democratic process would be the best way to address objections to the law. She cited a history of laws discriminating against others, noting that transgender people make up less than 1% of the U.S. population, according to studies. There are an estimated 1.3 million adults and 300,000 adolescents aged 13 to 17 who identify as transgender, according the UCLA law school's Williams Institute.

“Blacks were a much larger part of the population and it didn’t protect them. It didn’t protect women for whole centuries,” Sotomayor said in an exchange with Tennessee Solicitor General Matt Rice.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said she saw some troubling parallels between arguments made by Tennessee and those advanced by Virginia and rejected by a unanimous court, in the 1967&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c6df18d20eb141e1b55bd5c3b02bf91d">Loving decision</a>&nbsp;that legalized interracial marriage nationwide.

Quoting from the 57-year-old decision, Jackson noted that Virginia argued then that “the scientific evidence is substantially in doubt and, consequently, the court should defer to the wisdom of the state legislature.”

Justice Neil Gorsuch, who wrote the majority opinion in 2020, said nothing during the arguments.

The arguments produced some riveting moments. Justice Samuel Alito repeatedly pressed Strangio, the first openly transgender lawyer to argue at the nation's highest court, about whether transgender people should be legally designated as a group that’s susceptible to discrimination.

Strangio answered that being transgender does fit that legal definition, though he acknowledged under Alito’s questioning there are a small number of people who de-transition. “So it's not an immutable characteristic, is it?” Alito said.

Strangio did not retreat from his view, though he said the court did not have to decide the issue to resolve the case in his clients' favor.

There were dueling rallies outside the court in the hours before the arguments. Speeches and music filled the air on the sidewalk below the court’s marble steps. Advocates of the ban bore signs like “Champion God’s Design” and “Kids Health Matters,” while the other side proclaimed “Fight like a Mother for Trans Rights” and “Freedom to be Ourselves."

Four years ago, the court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/courts-supreme-courts-mi-state-wire-neil-gorsuch-ap-top-news-5a7b0e41a47a3c571dda69194758e7b1">ruled</a>&nbsp;in favor of Aimee Stephens, who was fired by a Michigan funeral home after she informed its owner that she was a transgender woman. The court held that transgender people, as well as gay and lesbian people, are protected by a landmark federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in the workplace.

The Biden administration and the families and health care providers who challenged the Tennessee law urged the justices to apply the same sort of analysis that the majority, made up of liberal and conservative justices, embraced in the case four years ago when it found that “sex plays an unmistakable role” in employers' decisions to punish transgender people for traits and behavior they otherwise tolerate.

The issue in the Tennessee case is whether the law violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, which requires the government to treat similarly situated people the same.

Tennessee's law bans puberty blockers and hormone treatments for transgender minors, but allows the same drugs to be used for other purposes.

Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, the administration's top Supreme Court lawyer, called the law sex-based line drawing to ban the use of drugs that have been safely prescribed for decades and said the state “decided to completely override the views of the patients, the parents, the doctors.”

She contrasted the Tennessee law with one enacted by West Virginia, which set conditions for the health care for transgender minors, but stopped short of an outright ban.

Rice countered that lawmakers acted to regulate “risky, unproven medical interventions” and, at one point, likened the use of puberty blockers and hormone treatments to lobotomies and eugenics, now thoroughly discredited but once endorsed by large segments of the medical community.

Rice argued that the Tennessee law doesn’t discriminate based on sex, but rather based on the purpose of the treatment. Children can get puberty blockers to treat early onset puberty, but not as a treatment for gender dysphoria.

“Our fundamental point is there is no sex-based line here,” Rice said.

While the challengers invoked the 2020 ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County for support, Tennessee relied on the court's precedent-shattering Dobbs decision in 2022 that ended nationwide protections for abortion and returned the issue to the states.

The two sides battled in their legal filings over the appropriate level of scrutiny the court should apply. It's more than an academic exercise.

The lowest level is known as rational basis review and almost every law looked at that way is ultimately upheld. Indeed, the federal appeals court in Cincinnati that allowed the Tennessee law to be enforced held that lawmakers acted rationally to regulate medical procedures, well within their authority.

The appeals court reversed a trial court that employed a higher level of review, heightened scrutiny, that applies in cases of sex discrimination. Under this more searching examination, the state must identify an important objective and show that the law helps accomplish it.

If the justices opt for heightened scrutiny, they could return the case to the appeals court to apply it. That's the course Prelogar and Strangio pushed for on Wednesday, though there did not seem to be much support for it.

Gender-affirming care for youth is supported by every major medical organization, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychiatric Association.

But Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh all highlighted a point made by Tennessee in its legal briefs claiming that health authorities in Sweden, Finland, Norway and the United Kingdom found that the medical treatments "pose significant risks with unproven benefits.”

If those countries “are pumping the brakes on this kind of treatment," Kavanaugh said, why should the Supreme Court question Tennessee's actions?

None of those countries has adopted a ban similar to the one in Tennessee and individuals can still obtain treatment, Prelogar said.

Kavanaugh, who has coached his daughters’ youth basketball teams, also wondered whether a ruling against Tennessee would give transgender athletes "a constitutional right to participate in girls' sports.”

Prelogar said a narrow decision would not affect the sports issue.

Associated Press writers Lindsay Whitehurst, Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Arkansas, Geoff Mulvihill in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and Kimberlee Kruesi in Nashville, Tennessee contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733335063328.png" alt="Photo ACLU" />
 <figcaption>Photo ACLU</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Hearing a high-profile culture-war clash, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday seemed likely to uphold Tennessee's ban on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-gender-affirming-supreme-court-tennessee-c302c0e307dc1ab70f01b84bab72eaf0">gender-affirming care for minors</a>.<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2024/23-477">Click here to listen to</a> a replay of the oral argumentThe justices’ decision, not expected for several months, could affect similar laws enacted by another 25 states and a range of other efforts&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/san-jose-state-volleyball-d00b36355c69f48de712339821682b52">to regulate the lives of transgender people</a>, including which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/gender-in-sports-track-and-field-roller-derby-new-york-gender-2fe769675c174632925e446f15c6294b">sports competitions</a>&nbsp;they can join and which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sarah-mcbride-speaker-johnson-transgender-bathroom-f3943e1b3b2dc9c8d62d2ba6660aaf91">bathrooms they can use</a>.The case is being weighed by a conservative-dominated court after a presidential election in which Donald Trump and his allies promised to roll back&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-transgender-politics-61cff97a64fac581ffc5f762be4c57d3">protections</a>&nbsp;for transgender people, showcasing the uneasy intersection between law, politics and individual rights.The Biden administration's top Supreme Court lawyer warned a decision favorable to Tennessee also could be used to justify nationwide restrictions on transgender healthcare for minors.In arguments that lasted more than two hours, five of the six conservative justices voiced varying degrees of skepticism of arguments made by the administration and Chase Strangio, the ACLU lawyer for Tennessee families challenging the ban.Chief Justice John Roberts, who voted in the majority in a 2020 case in favor of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-transgender-rights-lgbtq-donald-trump-3bb3ace81ff32b6dec382b486ec6a772">transgender rights</a>, questioned whether judges, rather than lawmakers, should be weighing in on a question of regulating medical procedures, an area usually left to the states.”The Constitution leaves that question to the people’s representatives, rather than to nine people, none of whom is a doctor,” Roberts said in an exchange with Strangio.The court’s three liberal justices seemed firmly on the side of the challengers. But it’s not clear that any of the conservatives will go along.Justice Sonia Sotomayor pushed back against the assertion that the democratic process would be the best way to address objections to the law. She cited a history of laws discriminating against others, noting that transgender people make up less than 1% of the U.S. population, according to studies. There are an estimated 1.3 million adults and 300,000 adolescents aged 13 to 17 who identify as transgender, according the UCLA law school's Williams Institute.“Blacks were a much larger part of the population and it didn’t protect them. It didn’t protect women for whole centuries,” Sotomayor said in an exchange with Tennessee Solicitor General Matt Rice.Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said she saw some troubling parallels between arguments made by Tennessee and those advanced by Virginia and rejected by a unanimous court, in the 1967&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c6df18d20eb141e1b55bd5c3b02bf91d">Loving decision</a>&nbsp;that legalized interracial marriage nationwide.Quoting from the 57-year-old decision, Jackson noted that Virginia argued then that “the scientific evidence is substantially in doubt and, consequently, the court should defer to the wisdom of the state legislature.”Justice Neil Gorsuch, who wrote the majority opinion in 2020, said nothing during the arguments.The arguments produced some riveting moments. Justice Samuel Alito repeatedly pressed Strangio, the first openly transgender lawyer to argue at the nation's highest court, about whether transgender people should be legally designated as a group that’s susceptible to discrimination.Strangio answered that being transgender does fit that legal definition, though he acknowledged under Alito’s questioning there are a small number of people who de-transition. “So it's not an immutable characteristic, is it?” Alito said.Strangio did not retreat from his view, though he said the court did not have to decide the issue to resolve the case in his clients' favor.There were dueling rallies outside the court in the hours before the arguments. Speeches and music filled the air on the sidewalk below the court’s marble steps. Advocates of the ban bore signs like “Champion God’s Design” and “Kids Health Matters,” while the other side proclaimed “Fight like a Mother for Trans Rights” and “Freedom to be Ourselves."Four years ago, the court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/courts-supreme-courts-mi-state-wire-neil-gorsuch-ap-top-news-5a7b0e41a47a3c571dda69194758e7b1">ruled</a>&nbsp;in favor of Aimee Stephens, who was fired by a Michigan funeral home after she informed its owner that she was a transgender woman. The court held that transgender people, as well as gay and lesbian people, are protected by a landmark federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in the workplace.The Biden administration and the families and health care providers who challenged the Tennessee law urged the justices to apply the same sort of analysis that the majority, made up of liberal and conservative justices, embraced in the case four years ago when it found that “sex plays an unmistakable role” in employers' decisions to punish transgender people for traits and behavior they otherwise tolerate.The issue in the Tennessee case is whether the law violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, which requires the government to treat similarly situated people the same.Tennessee's law bans puberty blockers and hormone treatments for transgender minors, but allows the same drugs to be used for other purposes.Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, the administration's top Supreme Court lawyer, called the law sex-based line drawing to ban the use of drugs that have been safely prescribed for decades and said the state “decided to completely override the views of the patients, the parents, the doctors.”She contrasted the Tennessee law with one enacted by West Virginia, which set conditions for the health care for transgender minors, but stopped short of an outright ban.Rice countered that lawmakers acted to regulate “risky, unproven medical interventions” and, at one point, likened the use of puberty blockers and hormone treatments to lobotomies and eugenics, now thoroughly discredited but once endorsed by large segments of the medical community.Rice argued that the Tennessee law doesn’t discriminate based on sex, but rather based on the purpose of the treatment. Children can get puberty blockers to treat early onset puberty, but not as a treatment for gender dysphoria.“Our fundamental point is there is no sex-based line here,” Rice said.While the challengers invoked the 2020 ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County for support, Tennessee relied on the court's precedent-shattering Dobbs decision in 2022 that ended nationwide protections for abortion and returned the issue to the states.The two sides battled in their legal filings over the appropriate level of scrutiny the court should apply. It's more than an academic exercise.The lowest level is known as rational basis review and almost every law looked at that way is ultimately upheld. Indeed, the federal appeals court in Cincinnati that allowed the Tennessee law to be enforced held that lawmakers acted rationally to regulate medical procedures, well within their authority.The appeals court reversed a trial court that employed a higher level of review, heightened scrutiny, that applies in cases of sex discrimination. Under this more searching examination, the state must identify an important objective and show that the law helps accomplish it.If the justices opt for heightened scrutiny, they could return the case to the appeals court to apply it. That's the course Prelogar and Strangio pushed for on Wednesday, though there did not seem to be much support for it.Gender-affirming care for youth is supported by every major medical organization, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychiatric Association.But Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh all highlighted a point made by Tennessee in its legal briefs claiming that health authorities in Sweden, Finland, Norway and the United Kingdom found that the medical treatments "pose significant risks with unproven benefits.”If those countries “are pumping the brakes on this kind of treatment," Kavanaugh said, why should the Supreme Court question Tennessee's actions?None of those countries has adopted a ban similar to the one in Tennessee and individuals can still obtain treatment, Prelogar said.Kavanaugh, who has coached his daughters’ youth basketball teams, also wondered whether a ruling against Tennessee would give transgender athletes "a constitutional right to participate in girls' sports.”Prelogar said a narrow decision would not affect the sports issue.___Associated Press writers Lindsay Whitehurst, Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Arkansas, Geoff Mulvihill in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and Kimberlee Kruesi in Nashville, Tennessee contributed to this report.

🎧Supreme Court likely to uphold ban on gender-affirming care for minors

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a drive-by shooting that sent three people to the hospital.

Just after 2a.m. Wednesday, police officers were dispatched to the report of a shooting in the 1600 block of north Grove in Wichita, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford. First responders located three individuals inside a home with injuries.

A 43-year-old woman was transported to an area hospital with critical injuries to her lower body. A 19-year-old man was transported to an area hospital with severe injuries to the lower body. A 17-year-old girl was transported to an area hospital with minor injuries.

Officers and crime scene investigators located a large number of cartridge casings and the residence was struck numerous times. The shooters were believed to be outside the residence at the time of the shooting.

Investigators are diligently reviewing all of the evidence in this case to identify and apprehend the offenders. Late Wednesday,&nbsp; police had not released possible suspect details or reported an arrest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733349384364.png" alt="Photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a drive-by shooting that sent three people to the hospital.Just after 2a.m. Wednesday, police officers were dispatched to the report of a shooting in the 1600 block of north Grove in Wichita, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford. First responders located three individuals inside a home with injuries.A 43-year-old woman was transported to an area hospital with critical injuries to her lower body. A 19-year-old man was transported to an area hospital with severe injuries to the lower body. A 17-year-old girl was transported to an area hospital with minor injuries.Officers and crime scene investigators located a large number of cartridge casings and the residence was struck numerous times. The shooters were believed to be outside the residence at the time of the shooting.Investigators are diligently reviewing all of the evidence in this case to identify and apprehend the offenders. Late Wednesday,&nbsp; police had not released possible suspect details or reported an arrest.

2 adults, teen injured in drive-by shooting at Kansas home

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a>

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Education Department called on every state, school and district on Tuesday to adopt policies on cellphone use in schools.

The department asks schools to have well-thought-out policies on the matter, but does not dictate exactly what those policies should be. An accompanying resource for schools notes the risk social media can pose to students’ mental health.

“In this digital age, every elementary, middle, and high school should have a clear, consistent, and research-informed policy to guide the use of phones and personal devices in school,” U.S Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a written statement.

“The evidence makes clear: there is no one-size-fits-all policy,” Cardona added, noting that “different school communities have different needs, and the nuances of this issue demand that local voices — parents, educators, and students — inform local decisions around the use of personal devices in school.”

The department acknowledged the role cellphones can play in keeping parents connected to their kids, especially in emergency situations, while also highlighting the increasing evidence on the harms social media can have on youth mental health, such as sleep deprivation and depression.

An increasing number of states and school districts have enacted policies either prohibiting or restricting students from using their cellphones in the classrooms.

Across the country, schools and districts continue to grapple with how to deal with kids’ cellphone use, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/29/cell-phone-schools-bans-states" target="_blank">more than half of all states</a>&nbsp;have sought to ban or restrict cellphone use in classrooms.

As of early November, at least eight states have passed statewide policies that either limit or prohibit cellphone use in the classrooms, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/mental-health/issue-brief/a-look-at-state-efforts-to-ban-cellphones-in-schools-and-implications-for-youth-mental-health/" target="_blank">KFF</a>.

That includes California, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Ohio, South Carolina and Virginia. A Minnesota law forces schools to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mprnews.org/episode/2024/08/29/minnesota-now-new-school-cellphone-policy-landscape-across-minnesota-locked-pouches" target="_blank">adopt a policy on cellphone use</a>&nbsp;by March 2025.

A handful of other states’&nbsp;<a href="https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2024/11/01/oregon-department-of-education-offers-schools-guidance-on-limiting-student-cell-phone-use/" target="_blank">education departments</a>&nbsp;have issued&nbsp;<a href="https://alaskabeacon.com/2024/10/24/alaska-joins-growing-number-of-states-considering-crackdown-on-cellphones-in-schools/" target="_blank">policy recommendations</a>&nbsp;or pilot programs, while lawmakers in several more have introduced statewide legislation regarding cellphone use.

The guidance from the U.S. Education Department coincides with the release of a&nbsp;<a href="https://tech.ed.gov/device-policy-playbook/" target="_blank">resource</a>&nbsp;for education officials and local communities on adopting cellphone use policies.

In the playbook, Cardona points to U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/sg-youth-mental-health-social-media-advisory.pdf" target="_blank">public warning</a>&nbsp;in 2023 on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/prodded-fed-parents-some-congress-try-curb-kids-use-social-media" target="_blank">social media’s effects</a>&nbsp;on youth mental health.

Murthy warns: “More research is needed to fully understand the impact of social media; however, the current body of evidence indicates that while social media may have benefits for some children and adolescents, there are ample indicators that social media can also have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.”&nbsp;

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a>WASHINGTON — The U.S. Education Department called on every state, school and district on Tuesday to adopt policies on cellphone use in schools.The department asks schools to have well-thought-out policies on the matter, but does not dictate exactly what those policies should be. An accompanying resource for schools notes the risk social media can pose to students’ mental health.“In this digital age, every elementary, middle, and high school should have a clear, consistent, and research-informed policy to guide the use of phones and personal devices in school,” U.S Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a written statement.“The evidence makes clear: there is no one-size-fits-all policy,” Cardona added, noting that “different school communities have different needs, and the nuances of this issue demand that local voices — parents, educators, and students — inform local decisions around the use of personal devices in school.”The department acknowledged the role cellphones can play in keeping parents connected to their kids, especially in emergency situations, while also highlighting the increasing evidence on the harms social media can have on youth mental health, such as sleep deprivation and depression.<h2>Increasing state policies</h2>An increasing number of states and school districts have enacted policies either prohibiting or restricting students from using their cellphones in the classrooms.Across the country, schools and districts continue to grapple with how to deal with kids’ cellphone use, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/29/cell-phone-schools-bans-states" target="_blank">more than half of all states</a>&nbsp;have sought to ban or restrict cellphone use in classrooms.As of early November, at least eight states have passed statewide policies that either limit or prohibit cellphone use in the classrooms, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/mental-health/issue-brief/a-look-at-state-efforts-to-ban-cellphones-in-schools-and-implications-for-youth-mental-health/" target="_blank">KFF</a>.That includes California, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Ohio, South Carolina and Virginia. A Minnesota law forces schools to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mprnews.org/episode/2024/08/29/minnesota-now-new-school-cellphone-policy-landscape-across-minnesota-locked-pouches" target="_blank">adopt a policy on cellphone use</a>&nbsp;by March 2025.A handful of other states’&nbsp;<a href="https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2024/11/01/oregon-department-of-education-offers-schools-guidance-on-limiting-student-cell-phone-use/" target="_blank">education departments</a>&nbsp;have issued&nbsp;<a href="https://alaskabeacon.com/2024/10/24/alaska-joins-growing-number-of-states-considering-crackdown-on-cellphones-in-schools/" target="_blank">policy recommendations</a>&nbsp;or pilot programs, while lawmakers in several more have introduced statewide legislation regarding cellphone use.The guidance from the U.S. Education Department coincides with the release of a&nbsp;<a href="https://tech.ed.gov/device-policy-playbook/" target="_blank">resource</a>&nbsp;for education officials and local communities on adopting cellphone use policies.In the playbook, Cardona points to U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/sg-youth-mental-health-social-media-advisory.pdf" target="_blank">public warning</a>&nbsp;in 2023 on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/prodded-fed-parents-some-congress-try-curb-kids-use-social-media" target="_blank">social media’s effects</a>&nbsp;on youth mental health.Murthy warns: “More research is needed to fully understand the impact of social media; however, the current body of evidence indicates that while social media may have benefits for some children and adolescents, there are ample indicators that social media can also have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.”&nbsp;

U.S. Education Department pings states, schools to set policies on cellphone use

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a>&nbsp;- <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson’s ask for unity and civility turned into a warning Monday as he retained his title in an unopposed leadership election at the Kansas Statehouse.&nbsp;

As both parties elected the slate of leadership for the 2025 Legislature, Democrats prepared for a difficult session while Republicans emphasized a united front.&nbsp;

“What I ask is that we would treat each other with civility because that’s what brings the unity,” Masterson said. “So on the flipside of that ask is the warning, right? The warning — the kryptonite to that superpower of unity is the gossip circle, which is kind of the standard operating procedure in bodies of politic, right?”

Masterson’s&nbsp;nomination came from Sen. Rick Kloos, a Topeka Republican who was reelected as majority whip without opposition. Kloos said Masterson’s vision, strategy and hands-on approach made him the right person for the job. This will be Masterson’s second four-year term as Senate president.

Masterson, of Andover, requested his fellow legislators do their best to honor one another “in word and in deed.” Disagreement sells better in the news, he said.

Senate Republicans were fresh from an election that resulted in expanded supermajorities in both chambers. Democrats lost two seats in the November election, reducing their ranks from 11 to nine in the 40-member Senate. Calling themselves “the divine nine,” they retained Dinah Sykes, of Lenexa, as their minority leader.

Sykes said Democrats were prepared to resist Republican attempts to pass damaging policies. She predicted an effort to overhaul the way Kansas Supreme Court members are nominated, with a goal of overturning a 2019 ruling that secured the right to terminate a pregnancy in Kansas. Sykes also said Republicans would try to pass private school vouchers, and that she was concerned the majority party would reduce budgets for state agencies and services in order to support tax cuts that won’t be sustainable.

“I think we all have a more difficult session ahead of us,” Sykes told her caucus, “but we’ve been mighty, and we will continue that.”

Republicans elected to the majority leader seat Sen. Chase Blasi, a former Masterson chief of staff who was appointed to fill a vacancy in 2023. He defeated current Senate Majority Leader&nbsp;Larry Alley, of Winfield. Sen. J.R. Claeys of Salina nominated Blasi, describing him as a “trusted adviser.”&nbsp;

Sen. Tim Shallenburger, a longtime politician and 2002 GOP gubernatorial candidate, defeated&nbsp;Wichita Republican Sen. Renee Erickson for the Senate vice president seat. Erickson is the current assistant majority leader. Shallenburger was speaker of the House in the ’90s, the 36th state treasurer, and chair of the Kansas Republican Party from 2005 to 2007. Sen.&nbsp;Elaine Bowers nominated him on the premise that his institutional knowledge and experience set him apart, she said.

“What stands out to me about Senator Tim is his experience and deep understanding of Kansas history and its issues,” Bowers said.

Sen. Caryn Tyson, of Parker, clinched the assistant majority leader position with 23 votes to eight for Sen. Beverly Gossage, of Eudora. Sen. Mike Thompson, a Shawnee Republican who nominated her, cited her as a champion for collaboration and tax legislation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733338763560.png" alt=" Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, addresses fellow legislators Dec. 2, 2024, during Senate Republican leadership elections after an unopposed win allowing him to retain his seat. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, addresses fellow legislators Dec. 2, 2024, during Senate Republican leadership elections after an unopposed win allowing him to retain his seat. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a>&nbsp;- <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a> TOPEKA — Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson’s ask for unity and civility turned into a warning Monday as he retained his title in an unopposed leadership election at the Kansas Statehouse.&nbsp;As both parties elected the slate of leadership for the 2025 Legislature, Democrats prepared for a difficult session while Republicans emphasized a united front.&nbsp;“What I ask is that we would treat each other with civility because that’s what brings the unity,” Masterson said. “So on the flipside of that ask is the warning, right? The warning — the kryptonite to that superpower of unity is the gossip circle, which is kind of the standard operating procedure in bodies of politic, right?”Masterson’s&nbsp;nomination came from Sen. Rick Kloos, a Topeka Republican who was reelected as majority whip without opposition. Kloos said Masterson’s vision, strategy and hands-on approach made him the right person for the job. This will be Masterson’s second four-year term as Senate president.Masterson, of Andover, requested his fellow legislators do their best to honor one another “in word and in deed.” Disagreement sells better in the news, he said.Senate Republicans were fresh from an election that resulted in expanded supermajorities in both chambers. Democrats lost two seats in the November election, reducing their ranks from 11 to nine in the 40-member Senate. Calling themselves “the divine nine,” they retained Dinah Sykes, of Lenexa, as their minority leader.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733338713113.jpeg" alt=" Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, of Lenexa, talks to reporters Dec. 2, 2024, at the Statehouse in Topeka following a meeting with her caucus. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, of Lenexa, talks to reporters Dec. 2, 2024, at the Statehouse in Topeka following a meeting with her caucus. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Sykes said Democrats were prepared to resist Republican attempts to pass damaging policies. She predicted an effort to overhaul the way Kansas Supreme Court members are nominated, with a goal of overturning a 2019 ruling that secured the right to terminate a pregnancy in Kansas. Sykes also said Republicans would try to pass private school vouchers, and that she was concerned the majority party would reduce budgets for state agencies and services in order to support tax cuts that won’t be sustainable.“I think we all have a more difficult session ahead of us,” Sykes told her caucus, “but we’ve been mighty, and we will continue that.”Republicans elected to the majority leader seat Sen. Chase Blasi, a former Masterson chief of staff who was appointed to fill a vacancy in 2023. He defeated current Senate Majority Leader&nbsp;Larry Alley, of Winfield. Sen. J.R. Claeys of Salina nominated Blasi, describing him as a “trusted adviser.”&nbsp;Sen. Tim Shallenburger, a longtime politician and 2002 GOP gubernatorial candidate, defeated&nbsp;Wichita Republican Sen. Renee Erickson for the Senate vice president seat. Erickson is the current assistant majority leader. Shallenburger was speaker of the House in the ’90s, the 36th state treasurer, and chair of the Kansas Republican Party from 2005 to 2007. Sen.&nbsp;Elaine Bowers nominated him on the premise that his institutional knowledge and experience set him apart, she said.“What stands out to me about Senator Tim is his experience and deep understanding of Kansas history and its issues,” Bowers said.Sen. Caryn Tyson, of Parker, clinched the assistant majority leader position with 23 votes to eight for Sen. Beverly Gossage, of Eudora. Sen. Mike Thompson, a Shawnee Republican who nominated her, cited her as a champion for collaboration and tax legislation.

Kansas Senate president called for civility, while issuing warning, as chamber picked leaders

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Two Kansas officers avoided serious injuries while on the scene of weekend crash during a storm that brought heavy snow to the Kansas City metro.

Just before 8a.m. November 30, KHP Master Trooper Garver and an officer with the Kansas City Kansas Police Department were struck while on southbound Interstate 635 at State Avenue while working a non-injury crash due to slick roads due to the snow storm.



As Master Trooper Garver talked with the officer, he observed a car quickly approaching after losing control on the slick roads.

  Master Trooper Garver warned the KCK Officer to "watch out" as he was running away.  The officer put his emergency vehicle in drive and attempted to pull forward to avoid a collision. 

 Unfortunately, both law enforcement vehicles and a citizen's vehicle were struck. 

 Thankfully, no one was injured in the crash.

The outcome of this crash was mitigated because Master Trooper Garver and the KCK officer remained vigilant of their surroundings.

  As we continue to enter the winter weather months, remember to slow down for the road conditions and move over for all first responders.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Two Kansas officers avoided serious injuries while on the scene of weekend crash during a storm that brought heavy snow to the Kansas City metro.Just before 8a.m. November 30, KHP Master Trooper Garver and an officer with the Kansas City Kansas Police Department were struck while on southbound Interstate 635 at State Avenue while working a non-injury crash due to slick roads due to the snow storm.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">On Saturday, November 30, just before 8:00 am, Master Trooper Garver and an officer with the Kansas City Kansas Police Department - KCKPD were struck while on southbound I-635 at State Avenue working a non-injury crash due to a snow storm in Kansas Highway Patrol - Troop A.… <a href="https://t.co/rQiBmYvZp6">pic.twitter.com/rQiBmYvZp6</a>&mdash; KS Highway Patrol (@kshighwaypatrol) <a href="https://twitter.com/kshighwaypatrol/status/1864306808401142258?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

As Master Trooper Garver talked with the officer, he observed a car quickly approaching after losing control on the slick roads. Master Trooper Garver warned the KCK Officer to "watch out" as he was running away. The officer put his emergency vehicle in drive and attempted to pull forward to avoid a collision. Unfortunately, both law enforcement vehicles and a citizen's vehicle were struck. Thankfully, no one was injured in the crash.

The outcome of this crash was mitigated because Master Trooper Garver and the KCK officer remained vigilant of their surroundings. As we continue to enter the winter weather months, remember to slow down for the road conditions and move over for all first responders.

🎥2 Kan. officers struck while working crash during snow storm

NEW YORK (AP) — UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was killed Wednesday morning in what investigators suspect was a targeted shooting outside a Manhattan hotel where the health insurer was holding an investor conference.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733324311684.png" alt="Brian Thompson courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Brian Thompson courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was killed Wednesday morning in what investigators suspect was a targeted shooting outside a Manhattan hotel where the health insurer was holding an investor conference.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733331413907.png" alt="photo NYPD" />
 <figcaption>photo NYPD</figcaption>
 </figure>The killing was was a “brazen, targeted attack,” Jessica Tisch, the New York City police commissioner said.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FNYPD%2Fvideos%2F1503464993647472%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Thompson, 50, was set to speak at an investor meeting when he was gunned down around 6:45 a.m. outside the New York Hilton Midtown by a shooter who fled on foot and then took an e-bike into Central Park, according to the New York Police Department.Thompson was taken to a hospital but could not be saved. Police were still searching for the shooter as of late morning and no arrests had been made. Though officials said the attack appeared to be targeted, they did not yet have a motive for the shooting.Mayor Eric Adams said police were reviewing evidence from the scene, including video."It seems to be clearly targeted by an individual and we will apprehend that individual,” Adams said.UnitedHealthcare is the insurance arm of the health care giant UnitedHealth Group Inc. The Minnetonka, Minnesota-based company was scheduled to have its annual meeting with investors in New York City to update Wall Street on the company's direction and expectations for the coming year, according to a company media advisory. An announcement was made to attendees Wednesday morning that the conference was ending early.The Hilton is in a bustling part of Manhattan, a short walk from tourist sites such as the Museum of Modern Art and Rockefeller Center, and often dense with tourists and office workers on weekday mornings. The popular Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting is set to take place Wednesday evening.Part of the block where the shooting took place was cordoned off with police tape, with a large contingent of police officers at the scene. Many security cameras are nearby.Thompson had served as CEO for more than three years and had been with the company since 2004.Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/GovTimWalz/status/1864326551661154556">tweeted</a>&nbsp;that the state is “sending our prayers to Brian’s family and the UnitedHealthcare team.”“This is horrifying news and a terrible loss for the business and health care community in Minnesota,” the Democrat wrote.UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans in the U.S. and manages health insurance coverage for employers and state-and federally funded Medicaid programs.___NEW YORK (AP) — UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was killed Wednesday morning in what investigators suspect was a targeted shooting outside a Manhattan hotel where the company was holding an investor conference.A person briefed on the investigation confirmed to The Associated Press that the victim was Thompson, the health insurance company's 50-year-old CEO. Speaking about the shooting, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said it did not appear to be a random attack.Police said the shooter fled after the shooting, which happened around 6:45 a.m. outside a Hilton. The victim was taken to a nearby hospital but could not be saved.Adams said police were reviewing evidence from the scene, including video."This was not what appears to be a just random act of violence. It seems to be clearly targeted by an individual and we will apprehend that individual,” he said.UnitedHealthcare is the insurance arm of the health care giant UnitedHealth Group Inc. The Minnetonka, Minnesota-based company was scheduled to have its annual meeting with investors in New York City to update Wall Street on the company's direction and expectations for the coming year, according to a company media advisory. An announcement was made to attendees Wednesday morning that the conference was ending early.The Hilton is in a bustling part of Manhattan, a short walk from tourist sites such as the Museum of Modern Art and Rockefeller Center, and often dense with tourists and office workers on weekday mornings. The popular Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting is set to take place Wednesday evening.Part of the block where the shooting took place was cordoned off with police tape, with a large contingent of police officers at the scene. Many security cameras are nearby.Thompson had served as CEO for more than three years and had been with the company since 2004.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">This is horrifying news and a terrible loss for the business and health care community in Minnesota. Minnesota is sending our prayers to Brian’s family and the UnitedHealthcare team. <a href="https://t.co/6lAL2lJXzn">https://t.co/6lAL2lJXzn</a>&mdash; Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovTimWalz/status/1864326551661154556?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/GovTimWalz/status/1864326551661154556">tweeted</a>&nbsp;that the state is “sending our prayers to Brian’s family and the UnitedHealthcare team.”“This is horrifying news and a terrible loss for the business and health care community in Minnesota,” the Democrat wrote.UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans in the U.S. and manages health insurance coverage for employers and state-and federally funded Medicaid programs.-----------