KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man has been charged in the Nov. 21, , fatal shooting of a man in Kansas City, as well as the wounding of a woman, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Wayne A. Hunt, 44, faces Murder 2nd Degree, Assault in the 1st Degree and two counts of Armed Criminal Action charges.

According to court records, Kansas City police officers responded on Nov. 21, 2023 to a reported shooting. They found a female victim suffering from gunshot wounds and a second victim suffering from life threatening injuries. The wounded victim identified the defendant as the shooter.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701464159942.png" alt="Hunt-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Hunt-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man has been charged in the Nov. 21, , fatal shooting of a man in Kansas City, as well as the wounding of a woman, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Wayne A. Hunt, 44, faces Murder 2nd Degree, Assault in the 1st Degree and two counts of Armed Criminal Action charges.According to court records, Kansas City police officers responded on Nov. 21, 2023 to a reported shooting. They found a female victim suffering from gunshot wounds and a second victim suffering from life threatening injuries. The wounded victim identified the defendant as the shooter.&nbsp;

Woman IDs KC man as suspect in deadly shooting

BUTLER COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 8:30a.m. Friday in Butler County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1993 Chevy Blazer driven by David A.&nbsp;Seabolt, 27, Wichita, was eastbound on U.S. 400 just&nbsp; west of SE Flinthills Road.

The SUV cross the center line and struck a westbound 2010 Freightliner semi driven by Rodney L&nbsp;Knoffloch, 49. Augusta, head-on.

Seabolt was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Carlson Funeral Home. EMS transported Knoffloch to&nbsp;Via Christ St. Francis. Seabolt was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701453714320.png" alt="First responders at the crash scene -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders at the crash scene -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>BUTLER COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 8:30a.m. Friday in Butler County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1993 Chevy Blazer driven by David A.&nbsp;Seabolt, 27, Wichita, was eastbound on U.S. 400 just&nbsp; west of SE Flinthills Road.The SUV cross the center line and struck a westbound 2010 Freightliner semi driven by Rodney L&nbsp;Knoffloch, 49. Augusta, head-on.Seabolt was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Carlson Funeral Home. EMS transported Knoffloch to&nbsp;Via Christ St. Francis. Seabolt was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Kansas man dies after head-on SUV, semi crash

WASHINGTON (AP) — Olympic gold medalist swimmer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/klete-keller">Klete Keller</a>, who threw his USA team jacket in a trash can after he stormed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">the U.S. Capitol</a>, was sentenced on Friday to six months of home detention for joining the mob's Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the seat of American democracy.

At 6-foot-6, Keller towered over police officers guarding the Capitol and other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;supporters who breached the building, and he was quickly identified by authorities. He pleaded guilty in 2021 to a felony charge and was one of the first rioters to publicly agree to cooperate with authorities investigating the Capitol attack.

Video captured Keller leading profane chants directed at then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, both Democrats. He also joined a chorus of rioters in singing the national anthem in the middle of the Capitol. He resisted efforts to remove him from the Capitol, ripping an elbow away and shaking off a police officer, prosecutors said.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon sentenced Keller to three years of probation, including six months of home detention, and ordered him to perform 360 hours of community service.

Keller told the judge he knew his actions on Jan. 6 left lawmakers in fear and made it more difficult for police to do their job.

“I have no excuse for why I am in front of you today,” he said. “I understand my actions were criminal and that I am fully responsible for my conduct.”

During the Jan. 6 riot, Keller wore a jacket with an American flag on a sleeve, an Olympic team patch on the front and the letters “U.S.A.” across the back. Prosecutors said he tossed the jacket into a trash can on his way back to a hotel and later smashed his cellphone with a hammer because he knew he was “fleeing a crime scene."

“Klete Derik Keller once wore the American flag as an Olympian. On January 6, 2021, he threw that flag in a trash can,”&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.227417/gov.uscourts.dcd.227417.51.0.pdf">prosecutors wrote in a court filing</a>.

Keller's lawyer said he threw away the jacket out of shame after leaving the Capitol and encountering a young boy and his father on a train. The boy asked Keller about his Olympic career and requested a photo with him, defense attorney Zachary Deubler&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.227417/gov.uscourts.dcd.227417.52.0.pdf">said in a court filing</a>.

Keller felt that “he let this young man down by behaving the way that he did, and the moment that this young man and father find out what he did, their admiration for him would be shattered,” Deubler wrote.

Investigators never recovered the jacket or any cellphone videos or photos that he recorded at the Capitol. Keller&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-joe-biden-donald-trump-klete-keller-2020-tokyo-olympics-a1845b8b2490d3642689fa877b1639d6">surrendered to authorities</a>&nbsp;about a week after returning home to Colorado.

Keller has been cooperating with investigators since he pleaded guilty to obstructing the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress for certifying President Joe Biden's 2020 electoral victory. Prosecutors pointed to Keller's “substantial assistance” as grounds for leniency. Federal sentencing guidelines recommended a term of imprisonment ranging from 15 to 21 months.

Prosecutors said his early guilty plea “undoubtedly reached thousands of others weighing whether to turn themselves in, plead guilty, or even cooperate." They added that his “public acknowledgement that his interference with the peaceful transfer of power was, in fact, a serious crime provided an important counterweight to the false narrative that January 6 was a peaceful, lawful protest.”

Keller experienced personal and financial problems after retiring from professional swimming. After separating from his wife in 2014, Keller lived out of his car for nearly a year while working three jobs to pay for child support and other expenses, according to his attorney.

After the Capitol riot, he lost a job and regular visitation with his children. Last year, he signed the paperwork for his children to be adopted by their stepfather, his attorney said.

“I hope my case serves as a warning to anyone who rationalizes illegal conduct, especially in a moment of political fervor,”&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.227417/gov.uscourts.dcd.227417.52.1.pdf">Keller wrote in a letter to the judge</a>. “The consequences of my behavior will follow me and my family for the rest of our lives.”

On Jan. 6, Keller attended then-President Donald Trump's “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House with a friend before marching with a crowd to the Capitol. He entered the building through an open door on the Upper West Terrace and remained inside for nearly an hour.

Keller came within 50 feet of the Senate chamber, which lawmakers evacuated as the mob swarmed the building. Police officers had to forcibly remove Keller and other rioters from the Capitol through the East Rotunda lobby.

<a href="https://olympics.com/en/athletes/klete-keller">Keller won five medals</a>, including two golds, while competing for the U.S. at three summer Olympics. At the 2000 games in Sydney, Australia, he won an individual bronze medal in the 400-meter freestyle event and a silver medal as the anchor leg of a relay.

At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, Keller swam the anchor leg when the U.S. won gold medals in the 800-meter freestyle relay, He and teammates Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte and Peter Vanderkaay&nbsp;<a href="https://www.southcoasttoday.com/story/sports/2004/08/18/keller-holds-off-thorpe/50322729007/">narrowly held off a rival Australian team.</a>&nbsp;At the 2008 games in Beijing, China, Mr. Keller won another gold medal in a freestyle relay.

Approximately 1,200 people have been charged with&nbsp;<a href="https://interactives.ap.org/jan-6-prosecutions/">Capitol riot-related federal crimes</a>. Nearly 900 of them have pleaded guilty or been convicted by a judge or jury after trials. Over 700 of them have been sentenced, with roughly two-thirds receiving prison sentences ranging from three days to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/enrique-tarrio-capitol-riot-seditious-conspiracy-sentencing-da60222b3e1e54902db2bbbb219dc3fb">22 years</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701469216678.png" alt="Keller as shown in an image from a video from the Jan. 6 committee" />
 <figcaption>Keller as shown in an image from a video from the Jan. 6 committee</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Olympic gold medalist swimmer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/klete-keller">Klete Keller</a>, who threw his USA team jacket in a trash can after he stormed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">the U.S. Capitol</a>, was sentenced on Friday to six months of home detention for joining the mob's Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the seat of American democracy.At 6-foot-6, Keller towered over police officers guarding the Capitol and other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;supporters who breached the building, and he was quickly identified by authorities. He pleaded guilty in 2021 to a felony charge and was one of the first rioters to publicly agree to cooperate with authorities investigating the Capitol attack.Video captured Keller leading profane chants directed at then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, both Democrats. He also joined a chorus of rioters in singing the national anthem in the middle of the Capitol. He resisted efforts to remove him from the Capitol, ripping an elbow away and shaking off a police officer, prosecutors said.U.S. District Judge Richard Leon sentenced Keller to three years of probation, including six months of home detention, and ordered him to perform 360 hours of community service.Keller told the judge he knew his actions on Jan. 6 left lawmakers in fear and made it more difficult for police to do their job.“I have no excuse for why I am in front of you today,” he said. “I understand my actions were criminal and that I am fully responsible for my conduct.”During the Jan. 6 riot, Keller wore a jacket with an American flag on a sleeve, an Olympic team patch on the front and the letters “U.S.A.” across the back. Prosecutors said he tossed the jacket into a trash can on his way back to a hotel and later smashed his cellphone with a hammer because he knew he was “fleeing a crime scene."“Klete Derik Keller once wore the American flag as an Olympian. On January 6, 2021, he threw that flag in a trash can,”&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.227417/gov.uscourts.dcd.227417.51.0.pdf">prosecutors wrote in a court filing</a>.Keller's lawyer said he threw away the jacket out of shame after leaving the Capitol and encountering a young boy and his father on a train. The boy asked Keller about his Olympic career and requested a photo with him, defense attorney Zachary Deubler&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.227417/gov.uscourts.dcd.227417.52.0.pdf">said in a court filing</a>.Keller felt that “he let this young man down by behaving the way that he did, and the moment that this young man and father find out what he did, their admiration for him would be shattered,” Deubler wrote.Investigators never recovered the jacket or any cellphone videos or photos that he recorded at the Capitol. Keller&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-joe-biden-donald-trump-klete-keller-2020-tokyo-olympics-a1845b8b2490d3642689fa877b1639d6">surrendered to authorities</a>&nbsp;about a week after returning home to Colorado.Keller has been cooperating with investigators since he pleaded guilty to obstructing the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress for certifying President Joe Biden's 2020 electoral victory. Prosecutors pointed to Keller's “substantial assistance” as grounds for leniency. Federal sentencing guidelines recommended a term of imprisonment ranging from 15 to 21 months.Prosecutors said his early guilty plea “undoubtedly reached thousands of others weighing whether to turn themselves in, plead guilty, or even cooperate." They added that his “public acknowledgement that his interference with the peaceful transfer of power was, in fact, a serious crime provided an important counterweight to the false narrative that January 6 was a peaceful, lawful protest.”Keller experienced personal and financial problems after retiring from professional swimming. After separating from his wife in 2014, Keller lived out of his car for nearly a year while working three jobs to pay for child support and other expenses, according to his attorney.After the Capitol riot, he lost a job and regular visitation with his children. Last year, he signed the paperwork for his children to be adopted by their stepfather, his attorney said.“I hope my case serves as a warning to anyone who rationalizes illegal conduct, especially in a moment of political fervor,”&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.227417/gov.uscourts.dcd.227417.52.1.pdf">Keller wrote in a letter to the judge</a>. “The consequences of my behavior will follow me and my family for the rest of our lives.”On Jan. 6, Keller attended then-President Donald Trump's “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House with a friend before marching with a crowd to the Capitol. He entered the building through an open door on the Upper West Terrace and remained inside for nearly an hour.Keller came within 50 feet of the Senate chamber, which lawmakers evacuated as the mob swarmed the building. Police officers had to forcibly remove Keller and other rioters from the Capitol through the East Rotunda lobby.<a href="https://olympics.com/en/athletes/klete-keller">Keller won five medals</a>, including two golds, while competing for the U.S. at three summer Olympics. At the 2000 games in Sydney, Australia, he won an individual bronze medal in the 400-meter freestyle event and a silver medal as the anchor leg of a relay.At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, Keller swam the anchor leg when the U.S. won gold medals in the 800-meter freestyle relay, He and teammates Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte and Peter Vanderkaay&nbsp;<a href="https://www.southcoasttoday.com/story/sports/2004/08/18/keller-holds-off-thorpe/50322729007/">narrowly held off a rival Australian team.</a>&nbsp;At the 2008 games in Beijing, China, Mr. Keller won another gold medal in a freestyle relay.Approximately 1,200 people have been charged with&nbsp;<a href="https://interactives.ap.org/jan-6-prosecutions/">Capitol riot-related federal crimes</a>. Nearly 900 of them have pleaded guilty or been convicted by a judge or jury after trials. Over 700 of them have been sentenced, with roughly two-thirds receiving prison sentences ranging from three days to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/enrique-tarrio-capitol-riot-seditious-conspiracy-sentencing-da60222b3e1e54902db2bbbb219dc3fb">22 years</a>.

Olympic gold medal swimmer sentenced for Jan. 6 Capitol riot

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted on Friday to expel Republican Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/george-santos.">George Santos</a>&nbsp;of New York after a critical ethics report on his conduct that accused him of converting campaign donations for his own use. He was just the&nbsp;<a href="https://history.house.gov/Institution/Discipline/Expulsion-Censure-Reprimand/">sixth member</a>&nbsp;in the chamber's history to be ousted by colleagues.

The vote to expel was 311-114. Expulsion requires support from two-thirds of the House, a purposefully high bar, but a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ethics-congress-santos-5ebffe514d8779fbc16a77fa1ab5e0df">blistering House Ethics Committee report</a>&nbsp;that accused Santos of breaking federal law proved decisive. All four members of the Kansas delegation voted to expel Santos.

GOP members of the Missouri delegation including Mark Alford, Eric Burlison, Sam Graves, Blaine Luetkemeyer and Ann Wagner voted against the measure. The democrat members of the Missouri delegation Emanuel Cleaver and Cori Bush voted to expel. Just before noon eastern time Friday, Rep. Jason Smith's office could not confirm his vote.

As it became clear that he would be expelled, Santos placed his overcoat over his shoulders, shook hands with conservative members who voted against his expulsion and departed the House chamber.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., soon took the gavel, quieted the chamber and solemnly instructed the House clerk to inform the governor of New York that Santos’ former House seat was now vacant.

Santos had fought the expulsion effort, leading his own defense during House floor debate and in conducting a news conference and interviews.

“I will not stand by quietly,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/george-santos-house-expulsion-vote-ethics-d24b4b727da4f6b9af26e5aa902db992">Santos declared</a>&nbsp;as lawmakers on Thursday evening debated his removal. “The people of the Third District of New York sent me here. If they want me out, you’re going to have to go silence those people and go take the hard vote.”

Of the previous expulsions in the House, three were for disloyalty to the Union during the Civil War. The remaining two occurred after the lawmakers were convicted of crimes in federal court. Santos made his case for remaining in office by appealing directly to lawmakers who worry they are setting a new precedent that could make expulsions more common.

Johnson was among those who voiced concerns about removing Santos, though he has told members to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/santos-expel-house-speaker-johnson-ethics-committee-b84a4f00b92825c671b6a91061442865">vote their conscience</a>. Others in leadership agreed with his reasoning and opposed expulsion. But some Republicans, including Santos' colleagues from New York, said voters would welcome lawmakers being held to a higher standard.

“I’m pretty confident the American people would applaud that. I’m pretty confident that the American people expect that," Republican Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, whose district adjoins Santos', said before the vote.

Santos warned lawmakers they would regret removing a member before they have had their day in court.

“This will haunt them in the future where mere allegations are sufficient to have members removed from office when duly elected by their people in their respective states and districts,” Santos said.

The expulsion was the final congressional chapter in what was a spectacular fall from grace for Santos. The first-term lawmaker initially was celebrated as an up-and-comer after he flipped a district from Democrats last year and helped Republicans win control of the House. But soon after, troubles began.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-business-queens-ae463f9ef3497ce4479f9fe5f2defde1">Reports began to emerge</a>&nbsp;that Santos had lied about having Jewish ancestry, a career at top Wall Street firms and a college degree. His presence in the House quickly became a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/george-santos-lies-congress-new-york-republicans-9e4fd69b75894addb5bd2d4d5e8171ff">distraction</a>&nbsp;and an embarrassment to the party.

In early March, the House Ethics Committee announced it was launching an investigation into Santos. Then in May, the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of New York indicted Santos, accusing him of duping donors, stealing from his campaign and lying to Congress. Prosecutors would later add more charges in an updated 23-count indictment.

The indictment alleges he stole the identities of campaign donors and then used their credit cards to make tens of thousands of dollars in unauthorized charges. Federal prosecutors say Santos, who has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/george-santos-federal-charges-updates-33667a0900271e5002459ab748d8fdc8">pleaded not guilty</a>, wired some of the money to his personal bank account and used the rest to pad his campaign coffers.

Meanwhile, Ethics Committee investigators spent eight months investigating Santos and interviewing witnesses. When their work was complete, the panel said it had amassed “overwhelming evidence” of lawbreaking by Santos that it sent to the Justice Department.

Among other things, the committee said Santos knowingly caused his campaign committee to file false or incomplete reports with the Federal Election Commission, used campaign funds for personal purposes and violated the Ethics in Government Act with his financial disclosure statements.

Arguing against expulsion during debate on Thursday, Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., said that while he respected the committee, he had concerns about how the Santos case was handled. He said he was troubled that a Republican-led committee would submit a report that was so judgmental and publicized.

“The totality of circumstance appears biased," Higgins said. "It stinks of politics and I'll oppose this action in every way.”

While the committee does have a Republican chairman, its membership is evenly divided. Rep. Susan Wild, the top Democrat on the committee, reminded members that the decision approving the investigators' findings was unanimous.

“As the Ethics Committee's report lays out in thorough detail, Mr. Santos has repeatedly, egregiously and brazenly violated the public's trust,” Wild said. “Mr. Santos is not a victim. He is a perpetrator of a massive fraud on his constituents and the American people.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701465529625.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted on Friday to expel Republican Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/george-santos.">George Santos</a>&nbsp;of New York after a critical ethics report on his conduct that accused him of converting campaign donations for his own use. He was just the&nbsp;<a href="https://history.house.gov/Institution/Discipline/Expulsion-Censure-Reprimand/">sixth member</a>&nbsp;in the chamber's history to be ousted by colleagues.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Sign removed from the office of former Rep. George Santos (R-NY). Note: Video has no audio. <a href="https://t.co/h3GarHm84M">pic.twitter.com/h3GarHm84M</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1730687645603229758?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former Rep. George Santos departs the U.S. Capitol following his expulsion. <a href="https://t.co/XZrvGdtyaU">pic.twitter.com/XZrvGdtyaU</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1730621201511334169?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The vote to expel was 311-114. Expulsion requires support from two-thirds of the House, a purposefully high bar, but a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ethics-congress-santos-5ebffe514d8779fbc16a77fa1ab5e0df">blistering House Ethics Committee report</a>&nbsp;that accused Santos of breaking federal law proved decisive. All four members of the Kansas delegation voted to expel Santos.GOP members of the Missouri delegation including Mark Alford, Eric Burlison, Sam Graves, Blaine Luetkemeyer and Ann Wagner voted against the measure. The democrat members of the Missouri delegation Emanuel Cleaver and Cori Bush voted to expel. Just before noon eastern time Friday, Rep. Jason Smith's office could not confirm his vote.As it became clear that he would be expelled, Santos placed his overcoat over his shoulders, shook hands with conservative members who voted against his expulsion and departed the House chamber.House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., soon took the gavel, quieted the chamber and solemnly instructed the House clerk to inform the governor of New York that Santos’ former House seat was now vacant.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701446532648.png" alt="House Speaker Mike Johnson, who voted against the measure, delivers the news on the final result of the vote-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Mike Johnson, who voted against the measure, delivers the news on the final result of the vote-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Santos had fought the expulsion effort, leading his own defense during House floor debate and in conducting a news conference and interviews.“I will not stand by quietly,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/george-santos-house-expulsion-vote-ethics-d24b4b727da4f6b9af26e5aa902db992">Santos declared</a>&nbsp;as lawmakers on Thursday evening debated his removal. “The people of the Third District of New York sent me here. If they want me out, you’re going to have to go silence those people and go take the hard vote.”Of the previous expulsions in the House, three were for disloyalty to the Union during the Civil War. The remaining two occurred after the lawmakers were convicted of crimes in federal court. Santos made his case for remaining in office by appealing directly to lawmakers who worry they are setting a new precedent that could make expulsions more common.Johnson was among those who voiced concerns about removing Santos, though he has told members to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/santos-expel-house-speaker-johnson-ethics-committee-b84a4f00b92825c671b6a91061442865">vote their conscience</a>. Others in leadership agreed with his reasoning and opposed expulsion. But some Republicans, including Santos' colleagues from New York, said voters would welcome lawmakers being held to a higher standard.“I’m pretty confident the American people would applaud that. I’m pretty confident that the American people expect that," Republican Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, whose district adjoins Santos', said before the vote.Santos warned lawmakers they would regret removing a member before they have had their day in court.“This will haunt them in the future where mere allegations are sufficient to have members removed from office when duly elected by their people in their respective states and districts,” Santos said.The expulsion was the final congressional chapter in what was a spectacular fall from grace for Santos. The first-term lawmaker initially was celebrated as an up-and-comer after he flipped a district from Democrats last year and helped Republicans win control of the House. But soon after, troubles began.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-business-queens-ae463f9ef3497ce4479f9fe5f2defde1">Reports began to emerge</a>&nbsp;that Santos had lied about having Jewish ancestry, a career at top Wall Street firms and a college degree. His presence in the House quickly became a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/george-santos-lies-congress-new-york-republicans-9e4fd69b75894addb5bd2d4d5e8171ff">distraction</a>&nbsp;and an embarrassment to the party.In early March, the House Ethics Committee announced it was launching an investigation into Santos. Then in May, the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of New York indicted Santos, accusing him of duping donors, stealing from his campaign and lying to Congress. Prosecutors would later add more charges in an updated 23-count indictment.The indictment alleges he stole the identities of campaign donors and then used their credit cards to make tens of thousands of dollars in unauthorized charges. Federal prosecutors say Santos, who has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/george-santos-federal-charges-updates-33667a0900271e5002459ab748d8fdc8">pleaded not guilty</a>, wired some of the money to his personal bank account and used the rest to pad his campaign coffers.Meanwhile, Ethics Committee investigators spent eight months investigating Santos and interviewing witnesses. When their work was complete, the panel said it had amassed “overwhelming evidence” of lawbreaking by Santos that it sent to the Justice Department.Among other things, the committee said Santos knowingly caused his campaign committee to file false or incomplete reports with the Federal Election Commission, used campaign funds for personal purposes and violated the Ethics in Government Act with his financial disclosure statements.Arguing against expulsion during debate on Thursday, Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., said that while he respected the committee, he had concerns about how the Santos case was handled. He said he was troubled that a Republican-led committee would submit a report that was so judgmental and publicized.“The totality of circumstance appears biased," Higgins said. "It stinks of politics and I'll oppose this action in every way.”While the committee does have a Republican chairman, its membership is evenly divided. Rep. Susan Wild, the top Democrat on the committee, reminded members that the decision approving the investigators' findings was unanimous.“As the Ethics Committee's report lays out in thorough detail, Mr. Santos has repeatedly, egregiously and brazenly violated the public's trust,” Wild said. “Mr. Santos is not a victim. He is a perpetrator of a massive fraud on his constituents and the American people.”

🎥History: Santos is booted from the House, lost his office 

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating the drive=by killing of a trophy buck in Riley County.

Just after 10:30a.m. November 24, someone shot a buck a few miles south of Zendale in Southern Riley County, according to a social media report from the Kansas Game Wardens.

The buck was shot with a rifle through the hind end and died. A local farmer was feeding&nbsp; cattle, and only a few yards away, out ran the deer. At that same time, a white Chevy truck was driving south down the road and fired one shot from the passenger side of the truck, striking the deer. 

The farmer was walking in the pasture near the cattle and witnessed the shot, first assuming it was towards them, which was only ~100 yds from the roadway, according to game wardens.

The truck then sped off. The farmer provided law enforcement with a partial tag and vehicle description.

If anyone has any information about this incident, please contact Warden Jedlicka at (785) 256-3614 or Lieutenant Gehrt at (785) 256-1199. Hopefully, with the information provided, officers can track down a suspect(s). 

Unfortunately, a first-time youth archery hunter has been hunting this trophy relentlessly and was devastated to see the warrior fall this way. The meat was salvaged and did not go to waste.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701458740248.png" alt="Photo Kansas game wardens" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas game wardens</figcaption>
 </figure>RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating the drive=by killing of a trophy buck in Riley County.Just after 10:30a.m. November 24, someone shot a buck a few miles south of Zendale in Southern Riley County, according to a social media report from the Kansas Game Wardens.The buck was shot with a rifle through the hind end and died. A local farmer was feeding&nbsp; cattle, and only a few yards away, out ran the deer. At that same time, a white Chevy truck was driving south down the road and fired one shot from the passenger side of the truck, striking the deer. The farmer was walking in the pasture near the cattle and witnessed the shot, first assuming it was towards them, which was only ~100 yds from the roadway, according to game wardens.The truck then sped off. The farmer provided law enforcement with a partial tag and vehicle description.If anyone has any information about this incident, please contact Warden Jedlicka at (785) 256-3614 or Lieutenant Gehrt at (785) 256-1199. Hopefully, with the information provided, officers can track down a suspect(s). Unfortunately, a first-time youth archery hunter has been hunting this trophy relentlessly and was devastated to see the warrior fall this way. The meat was salvaged and did not go to waste.&nbsp;

Suspect wanted: Trophy buck shot in Kan. drive-by

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities continue to investigate a 29-year-old murder and are asking the public for help with information.

On the morning of October 29, 1994 while cleaning the ditches and tree row’s in the 5600 block of west 47th&nbsp;Street South, workers with the Kansas Gas and Electric Company came across human remains buried in a shallow grave, according to a media release from the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office.

Following an examination by the Sedgwick County Coroner’s Office and a Forensic Anthropologist the manner of death was determined to be homicide.&nbsp;

Until May of 2023 the identity of the victim has remained unknown to detectives, greatly hampering the investigation.&nbsp; In late 2022 Sgt. Michael Guthrie of the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office submitted and was awarded a grant for DNA testing of the victim by Othram Inc.

In May of 2023 Othram was able to utilize DNA technology to identify a relative of the victim and through further investigation an identification was made.&nbsp; Harold “James” Crawford, date of birth January 11th, 1973 was identified as the unknown victim.&nbsp; James was 21 at the time of his death and lived in an apartment complex on the east side of Wichita.&nbsp;

If you knew James or have any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, you’re asked to contact the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office.&nbsp; You can call the Cold Case Hotline at (316)660-3799, Crime Stoppers at (316)267-2111 or Email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:coldcase@sedgwick.gov">coldcase@sedgwick.gov</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701453422466.png" alt="Harold 'James' Crawford-photo Sedgwick Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Harold 'James' Crawford-photo Sedgwick Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities continue to investigate a 29-year-old murder and are asking the public for help with information.On the morning of October 29, 1994 while cleaning the ditches and tree row’s in the 5600 block of west 47th&nbsp;Street South, workers with the Kansas Gas and Electric Company came across human remains buried in a shallow grave, according to a media release from the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office.Following an examination by the Sedgwick County Coroner’s Office and a Forensic Anthropologist the manner of death was determined to be homicide.&nbsp;Until May of 2023 the identity of the victim has remained unknown to detectives, greatly hampering the investigation.&nbsp; In late 2022 Sgt. Michael Guthrie of the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office submitted and was awarded a grant for DNA testing of the victim by Othram Inc.In May of 2023 Othram was able to utilize DNA technology to identify a relative of the victim and through further investigation an identification was made.&nbsp; Harold “James” Crawford, date of birth January 11th, 1973 was identified as the unknown victim.&nbsp; James was 21 at the time of his death and lived in an apartment complex on the east side of Wichita.&nbsp;If you knew James or have any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, you’re asked to contact the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office.&nbsp; You can call the Cold Case Hotline at (316)660-3799, Crime Stoppers at (316)267-2111 or Email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:coldcase@sedgwick.gov">coldcase@sedgwick.gov</a>.

Sheriff IDs victim in 29-year-old Kansas unsolved murder

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Although a new forensics nurse program opened this spring in northwest Kansas, access to these exams for rape and incest victims is still difficult to access in rural areas of the state.

Many victims have to drive for hours to find nurses who are trained Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, which can significantly delay treatment and evidence collection.

New legislation went into effect in July 2022 to increase access to SANE exams.

Although hospitals, as defined in state statute, must collect a sexual assault evidence kit if it is requested by the victim, only two hospitals in northwest Kansas — Goodland and Hays — have staff who are trained Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, who are also known as SANEs.

Jessica Albers is a SANE from Hays who works as a statewide clinical consultant for the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence.

"In terms of rape kits and SANE exams, I think there is a huge lack of access,” Albers said.&nbsp;

Victims travel across state to receive services

HaysMed's SANE program cared for 43 victims from Ellis County in 2022 and 35 in 2021. In 2022, the program cared for 106 victims from 23 Kansas counties from as far away as Barber County on the Oklahoma border and Sherman County on the Colorado border and Butler County in southeast Kansas.

“Three or four hours is a long way to drive for a sexual assault exam, especially after you have been sexually assaulted,” Jennifer Hecker, executive director of Options Domestic and Sexual Violence Services said. The advocacy and victims services organization is based in Hays but serves 18 counties in northwest Kansas.&nbsp;

Hays has been the most northwest program for 12 to 13 years until Goodland opened its program this spring and Great Bend opened a program in October. In southwest Kansas, there are SANE programs in Dodge City, Garden City and Liberal. The Western Kansas Child Advocacy Center Medical Mobile Unit based out of Scott City does exams for children through its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wkcac.com/medical-mobile-unit" target="_blank">Medical Mobile Unit</a>.

However, not all programs have 24-7 coverage.

As a SANE, Albers has worked with patients who traveled great distances to receive exams from a certified provider — some traveling hours one way to get an exam.

Albers said she is concerned that some health care facilities may not be aware that providing sexual assault exams is required by the law. Patients also don’t always know where to go. All sexual assault exams exams are free.

The new law has expanded where kits can be collected, including health clinics, health departments and child advocacy clinics.

“We are hopeful that language will open access among those facilities,” Albers said, “and they will be willing to provide the service to victims."

In some rural communities, health departments or clinics may be patients' only health care choice. According to the Kansas Hospital Association, 10 counties in Kansas including Bourbon, Chase, Doniphan, Elk, Gray, Linn, Osage, Wabaunsee, Wallace and Woodson have no hospital. HaysMed's SANE program cared for four victims from Wallace County in 2022.

Few hospitals in the state have SANE programs.

The advantage of a SANE performing the exam is the victim is receiving a more specialized exam, Albers said. They may take forensics photos if that is appropriate and approved by the victim. Alternative light sources can help detect fibers or dried secretions or enhance the visibility of bruises.

The SANE exam is one step in a multi-tier approach to caring for sexual crime victims and gathering evidence to hold perpetrators accountable.

“The police officer’s role is to hold the perpetrator accountable and to just get information. The nurse's job is to collect the evidence and to provide health care," Hecker said. "The advocate’s job is to be a voice for the survivor while they are going through this and to attend to their emotional safety and make sure they know what’s going to happen.

“There are already so many unknowns, and that is one of the most frightening pieces,” Hecker said. “We want to reduce those barriers about what is about to happen. We are trying to tie them back all the control that has been lost.”

SANEs are trained to work with trauma victims and try to help ease fears as they walk victims through the exam process.

“The fear of the unknown of the exam is probably stressful for the victim anyways," Albers said. "Then if you have the complication of not knowing where they can get an exam or having to travel to get to an exam or having to wait for an exam to happen it's an extra hurdle for them to get through."

Albers said if a victim has to wait for an exam she said she hoped at least that victim could be connected with an advocate. Those advocacy services are provided by organizations such as Options.

Hecker said although the law allows medical professionals who are not SANE trained to perform sexual assault exams, she was concerned providers who are not trained&nbsp;may retraumatize victims. Improperly collected evidence might not be able to be used in the prosecutions of perpetrators, she said.

“We as a community and a culture, tell survivors to go and get that exam, so their perpetrator can be held accountable,” Hecker said. “If we are telling people to do that, then we have a responsibility as a community to make sure the safety net is there so the survivors can do that.

“There is a gap between what we tell people what services are available or that they should be able to engage with and what is actually available in their communities. That is also very disheartening.”

“We are really not helping survivors in the best way possible,” she said.

Albers emphasized all parts of a SANE exam are voluntary. A victim can stop the exam at any time and refuse any portion of the exam.

“We work really hard to build a rapport with the patient and make sure we are offering them choices, supporting the choices and decisions they make and how they want to proceed through the exam," she said.

Hecker said victims don't have to go through the exam alone. They can have a family member, friend or advocate with them during the exam. They are allowed to have someone in the room with them holding their hand if they choose.

Advocates will meet with the victim as soon as possible. SANEs, advocates and law enforcement try to work together so the victim doesn't have to tell his or her story over and over.

Although clothing is often taken as evidence, an advocate or SANE will provide fresh clothing for the victim to wear home. Advocates follow up with the victim and can offer a variety of support services as well as meet with family members if the victim requests.

The SANEs are also well connected to the other resources in the communities, including law enforcement and advocacy organizations such as Options in northwest Kansas.

Consenting to a sexual assault exam does not automatically mean the case will be reported. The exam preserves the evidence. The adult victim can choose to make a report with law enforcement at a later date or never.  Unreported kits are sent to the KBI where they are stored for 20 years untested.

According to state law, all&nbsp;reported&nbsp;sexual assault exam kits have to be submitted for testing.

In 2015, a backlog of 2,200 untested kits was discovered in evidence property rooms in Kansas. All of the untested kits were processed, and the law was changed in an attempt to prevent a future backlog, Albers said.&nbsp;

Although physical evidence from a sexual assault exam is not a guarantee of a conviction, Hecker said it helps.

“Rape kits are so important because so many victims of sexual assault are simply not believed,” she said.

She added, “The community has to do better. We have to make sure that the system accepts the report and collects the evidence, and we do something with the evidence, and we take action afterward. Rape is not he said/she said, but we like to think they are.”

The victim can receive treatment to prevent infection or any other injuries at the time of a SANE exam.

Trisha Haskell, forensic program coordinator for HaysMed, said SANE exams are not just about collecting evidence. They allow for expert assessment of all areas of the body.

"Forensic exams help to ensure the health and safety of our patients," she said. "This exam is performed by a specially trained nurse who has expertise in providing patient-centered care that includes history taking, collection of evidence and documentation. This creates an unbiased, objective opportunity to preserve evidence from a patient’s body while facilitating the healing process."

Based on history, patients are offered medication to help prevent sexually transmitted infections and HIV.&nbsp;

Working closely with a physician, the program offers testing, treatment and follow-up care, Haskell said.

Time is also important for the health of the victim, Haskel said.

"As with many medical conditions, timely treatment is always the preferred situation," she said. "Before HaysMed offered the SANE program, people in western Kansas had to travel to eastern Kansas to be treated. 

"Having the program here in Hays has improved access for many patients in the rural areas of the state.  Prompt response times are advantageous no matter what the situation is."

Although access is a barrier, so are myths, Albers said.

“There is the misconception that our exam is really invasive," Albers said, "'and we don’t want to put people through that.’ We work really hard to make sure to not make it traumatic. We don’t want to retraumatize the victim. That’s why it’s so important to build the rapport and comfort level with the patient before we start getting into the exam itself.”

Twenty-five of&nbsp; the victims cared for by HaysMed in 2022 were 17 years old or younger. Albers wanted to reassure parents that SANE exams are not invasive for children.

"They (mothers) think it’s like their pap smear. Before a girl reaches puberty, all we do is external examination. We don’t put anything in the vagina. We don’t pull put swabs from inside the vagina," she said.

SANEs are trained to work with victims of any gender. This includes gender nonconforming or transgender individuals.

Although the majority of SANE exams are performed on women and girls, five to 15 exams per year at HaysMed are performed on men or boys.

“We want everyone to know they are welcome to come for services regardless of their age, gender or identity,” Albers said. “We want to help. We want to help start them on that journey to healing and preserve that evidence so that if it can be used in the criminal justice system it can be preserved and the information is documented by us.”

The training to become SANE is long and costly. Training requires 160 to 180 hours.

You do not have to acquire your certification to practice as a SANE-trained nurse. However, a nurse must accrue 300 hours of SANE practice before he or she can test for SANE certification. As of April, Kansas had only 30 SANE-certified nurses in the state, according to Haskel.

<a href="https://www.pittstate.edu/nursing/sane-program.html">The Pittsburg State University, School of Nursing was awarded a SANE grant in 2018 and again in 2021 through the Health Resources and Services Administration. In July 2021, PSU received $1.5 million for a three-year extension, to recruit, train and retain RNs and APRNs in rural areas of Kansas for SANE training, resources and certification.</a>

"It is a really tough area to work in," Albers said. "You have to be the right kind of person, and it has to be something you want to do."

A hospital or clinic also must have the space and equipment to have a SANE program.&nbsp;

“Administration has to recognize that this is really a community benefit service that is being offered, but it isn’t a department that is going to make money for the facility,” she said.

Most programs require more than one or two SANE-trained staff members, Albers said. Most SANEs hold a full-time job in addition to being on-call for sexual assault exams.&nbsp;

The Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence&nbsp;provides one-day training for medical providers who are not SANE trained.&nbsp;

The agency has offered the class for three years, but it has been hard getting health care providers to sign up to take the class, Albers said.

“I think it is extremely important to have another access point for the northwest part of the state,” Albers said. “That will give one additional access point for care and hopefully [victims will ] not have to drive three hours to Hays, instead drive 30 minutes to Goodland.”

Albers and Haskel both said multiple barriers exist to expanding SANE programs in rural areas, and it's not just a problem in Kansas.

"With most of the United States being rural, it has been identified as a challenge nationwide," Haskel said. "Collaboration and education allow for all rural areas to expand their reach and knowledge to ensure all persons seeking care after experiencing violence receive adequate care.

"Kansas as a whole does a great job of ensuring equal access for sexual assault survivors regardless of their location. It is a state statute that all medical care facilities within the state offer a sexual assault evidence collection kit to any person requesting one."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701278764783.jpg" alt="Photo courtesy of Pixabay." />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy of Pixabay.</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostAlthough a new forensics nurse program opened this spring in northwest Kansas, access to these exams for rape and incest victims is still difficult to access in rural areas of the state.Many victims have to drive for hours to find nurses who are trained Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, which can significantly delay treatment and evidence collection.New legislation went into effect in July 2022 to increase access to SANE exams.Although hospitals, as defined in state statute, must collect a sexual assault evidence kit if it is requested by the victim, only two hospitals in northwest Kansas — Goodland and Hays — have staff who are trained Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, who are also known as SANEs.Jessica Albers is a SANE from Hays who works as a statewide clinical consultant for the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence."In terms of rape kits and SANE exams, I think there is a huge lack of access,” Albers said.&nbsp;<h2>Victims travel across state to receive services</h2>HaysMed's SANE program cared for 43 victims from Ellis County in 2022 and 35 in 2021. In 2022, the program cared for 106 victims from 23 Kansas counties from as far away as Barber County on the Oklahoma border and Sherman County on the Colorado border and Butler County in southeast Kansas.“Three or four hours is a long way to drive for a sexual assault exam, especially after you have been sexually assaulted,” Jennifer Hecker, executive director of Options Domestic and Sexual Violence Services said. The advocacy and victims services organization is based in Hays but serves 18 counties in northwest Kansas.&nbsp;Hays has been the most northwest program for 12 to 13 years until Goodland opened its program this spring and Great Bend opened a program in October. In southwest Kansas, there are SANE programs in Dodge City, Garden City and Liberal. The Western Kansas Child Advocacy Center Medical Mobile Unit based out of Scott City does exams for children through its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wkcac.com/medical-mobile-unit" target="_blank">Medical Mobile Unit</a>.However, not all programs have 24-7 coverage.As a SANE, Albers has worked with patients who traveled great distances to receive exams from a certified provider — some traveling hours one way to get an exam.Albers said she is concerned that some health care facilities may not be aware that providing sexual assault exams is required by the law. Patients also don’t always know where to go. All sexual assault exams exams are free.The new law has expanded where kits can be collected, including health clinics, health departments and child advocacy clinics.“We are hopeful that language will open access among those facilities,” Albers said, “and they will be willing to provide the service to victims."In some rural communities, health departments or clinics may be patients' only health care choice. According to the Kansas Hospital Association, 10 counties in Kansas including Bourbon, Chase, Doniphan, Elk, Gray, Linn, Osage, Wabaunsee, Wallace and Woodson have no hospital. HaysMed's SANE program cared for four victims from Wallace County in 2022.<h2>Everyone has a job</h2>Few hospitals in the state have SANE programs.The advantage of a SANE performing the exam is the victim is receiving a more specialized exam, Albers said. They may take forensics photos if that is appropriate and approved by the victim. Alternative light sources can help detect fibers or dried secretions or enhance the visibility of bruises.The SANE exam is one step in a multi-tier approach to caring for sexual crime victims and gathering evidence to hold perpetrators accountable.“The police officer’s role is to hold the perpetrator accountable and to just get information. The nurse's job is to collect the evidence and to provide health care," Hecker said. "The advocate’s job is to be a voice for the survivor while they are going through this and to attend to their emotional safety and make sure they know what’s going to happen.“There are already so many unknowns, and that is one of the most frightening pieces,” Hecker said. “We want to reduce those barriers about what is about to happen. We are trying to tie them back all the control that has been lost.”SANEs are trained to work with trauma victims and try to help ease fears as they walk victims through the exam process.“The fear of the unknown of the exam is probably stressful for the victim anyways," Albers said. "Then if you have the complication of not knowing where they can get an exam or having to travel to get to an exam or having to wait for an exam to happen it's an extra hurdle for them to get through."Albers said if a victim has to wait for an exam she said she hoped at least that victim could be connected with an advocate. Those advocacy services are provided by organizations such as Options.Hecker said although the law allows medical professionals who are not SANE trained to perform sexual assault exams, she was concerned providers who are not trained&nbsp;may retraumatize victims. Improperly collected evidence might not be able to be used in the prosecutions of perpetrators, she said.“We as a community and a culture, tell survivors to go and get that exam, so their perpetrator can be held accountable,” Hecker said. “If we are telling people to do that, then we have a responsibility as a community to make sure the safety net is there so the survivors can do that.“There is a gap between what we tell people what services are available or that they should be able to engage with and what is actually available in their communities. That is also very disheartening.”“We are really not helping survivors in the best way possible,” she said.<h2>What happens during a SANE exam?</h2>Albers emphasized all parts of a SANE exam are voluntary. A victim can stop the exam at any time and refuse any portion of the exam.“We work really hard to build a rapport with the patient and make sure we are offering them choices, supporting the choices and decisions they make and how they want to proceed through the exam," she said.Hecker said victims don't have to go through the exam alone. They can have a family member, friend or advocate with them during the exam. They are allowed to have someone in the room with them holding their hand if they choose.Advocates will meet with the victim as soon as possible. SANEs, advocates and law enforcement try to work together so the victim doesn't have to tell his or her story over and over.Although clothing is often taken as evidence, an advocate or SANE will provide fresh clothing for the victim to wear home. Advocates follow up with the victim and can offer a variety of support services as well as meet with family members if the victim requests.The SANEs are also well connected to the other resources in the communities, including law enforcement and advocacy organizations such as Options in northwest Kansas.Consenting to a sexual assault exam does not automatically mean the case will be reported. The exam preserves the evidence. The adult victim can choose to make a report with law enforcement at a later date or never. Unreported kits are sent to the KBI where they are stored for 20 years untested.<h2>Testing evidence</h2>According to state law, all&nbsp;reported&nbsp;sexual assault exam kits have to be submitted for testing.In 2015, a backlog of 2,200 untested kits was discovered in evidence property rooms in Kansas. All of the untested kits were processed, and the law was changed in an attempt to prevent a future backlog, Albers said.&nbsp;Although physical evidence from a sexual assault exam is not a guarantee of a conviction, Hecker said it helps.“Rape kits are so important because so many victims of sexual assault are simply not believed,” she said.She added, “The community has to do better. We have to make sure that the system accepts the report and collects the evidence, and we do something with the evidence, and we take action afterward. Rape is not he said/she said, but we like to think they are.”<h2>Sexual assault exams are health care</h2>The victim can receive treatment to prevent infection or any other injuries at the time of a SANE exam.Trisha Haskell, forensic program coordinator for HaysMed, said SANE exams are not just about collecting evidence. They allow for expert assessment of all areas of the body."Forensic exams help to ensure the health and safety of our patients," she said. "This exam is performed by a specially trained nurse who has expertise in providing patient-centered care that includes history taking, collection of evidence and documentation. This creates an unbiased, objective opportunity to preserve evidence from a patient’s body while facilitating the healing process."Based on history, patients are offered medication to help prevent sexually transmitted infections and HIV.&nbsp;Working closely with a physician, the program offers testing, treatment and follow-up care, Haskell said.Time is also important for the health of the victim, Haskel said."As with many medical conditions, timely treatment is always the preferred situation," she said. "Before HaysMed offered the SANE program, people in western Kansas had to travel to eastern Kansas to be treated. "Having the program here in Hays has improved access for many patients in the rural areas of the state. Prompt response times are advantageous no matter what the situation is."<h2>Overcoming misconceptions</h2>Although access is a barrier, so are myths, Albers said.“There is the misconception that our exam is really invasive," Albers said, "'and we don’t want to put people through that.’ We work really hard to make sure to not make it traumatic. We don’t want to retraumatize the victim. That’s why it’s so important to build the rapport and comfort level with the patient before we start getting into the exam itself.”Twenty-five of&nbsp; the victims cared for by HaysMed in 2022 were 17 years old or younger. Albers wanted to reassure parents that SANE exams are not invasive for children."They (mothers) think it’s like their pap smear. Before a girl reaches puberty, all we do is external examination. We don’t put anything in the vagina. We don’t pull put swabs from inside the vagina," she said.SANEs are trained to work with victims of any gender. This includes gender nonconforming or transgender individuals.Although the majority of SANE exams are performed on women and girls, five to 15 exams per year at HaysMed are performed on men or boys.“We want everyone to know they are welcome to come for services regardless of their age, gender or identity,” Albers said. “We want to help. We want to help start them on that journey to healing and preserve that evidence so that if it can be used in the criminal justice system it can be preserved and the information is documented by us.”<h2>Barriers to expanding services</h2>The training to become SANE is long and costly. Training requires 160 to 180 hours.You do not have to acquire your certification to practice as a SANE-trained nurse. However, a nurse must accrue 300 hours of SANE practice before he or she can test for SANE certification. As of April, Kansas had only 30 SANE-certified nurses in the state, according to Haskel.<a href="https://www.pittstate.edu/nursing/sane-program.html">The Pittsburg State University, School of Nursing was awarded a SANE grant in 2018 and again in 2021 through the Health Resources and Services Administration. In July 2021, PSU received $1.5 million for a three-year extension, to recruit, train and retain RNs and APRNs in rural areas of Kansas for SANE training, resources and certification.</a>"It is a really tough area to work in," Albers said. "You have to be the right kind of person, and it has to be something you want to do."A hospital or clinic also must have the space and equipment to have a SANE program.&nbsp;“Administration has to recognize that this is really a community benefit service that is being offered, but it isn’t a department that is going to make money for the facility,” she said.Most programs require more than one or two SANE-trained staff members, Albers said. Most SANEs hold a full-time job in addition to being on-call for sexual assault exams.&nbsp;Turnover is high in the field, she said.The Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence&nbsp;provides one-day training for medical providers who are not SANE trained.&nbsp;The agency has offered the class for three years, but it has been hard getting health care providers to sign up to take the class, Albers said.“I think it is extremely important to have another access point for the northwest part of the state,” Albers said. “That will give one additional access point for care and hopefully [victims will ] not have to drive three hours to Hays, instead drive 30 minutes to Goodland.”<h2>Not just a Kansas problem</h2>Albers and Haskel both said multiple barriers exist to expanding SANE programs in rural areas, and it's not just a problem in Kansas."With most of the United States being rural, it has been identified as a challenge nationwide," Haskel said. "Collaboration and education allow for all rural areas to expand their reach and knowledge to ensure all persons seeking care after experiencing violence receive adequate care."Kansas as a whole does a great job of ensuring equal access for sexual assault survivors regardless of their location. It is a state statute that all medical care facilities within the state offer a sexual assault evidence collection kit to any person requesting one."

Access to sexual assault exams lacking in rural Kan.; HaysMed has one of few trained staffs in state

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The family of a 22-year-old woman who died in an apartment fire in Kansas’ largest city after mistakes by the 911 dispatch center believes the center has “systemic issues," and the local firefighters union is calling for an independent investigation.

Paoly Bedeski's family in Wichita issued a statement Thursday,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansas.com/article282500823.html">The Wichita Eagle reported</a>. It was the family's first since&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansas.com/news/local/article280544379.html">the fatal fire</a>&nbsp;and it came two days after the city firefighters union held a news conference to detail “significant and devastating” errors by the dispatch center in Sedgwick County, where the city is located.

The dispatch center failed to relay the number of Bedeski's third-floor apartment to firefighters and waited 17 minutes to sound a second alarm to bring more crews to the scene. Bedeski called 911 just before 4 a.m. on Oct. 13 to report her apartment was on fire.

County officials said they are still gathering information and expect to have an advisory board review the details next week. But local firefighters union President Ted Bush&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansas.com/news/local/article282420753.html">has said publicly</a>&nbsp;that the dispatch center's mistakes delayed the response to the fire and prevented Bedeski's rescue, and the Sedgwick County Commission said it also supports an independent review.

The family's statement, issued by its lawyer, said, “These failures cost Paoly her life.”

“The Bedeskis are now calling for immediate correction of these systemic issues and accountability for those responsible, emphasizing the need for adequate protection for the county’s residents," the statement said.

Elora Forshee, director of Sedgwick County Emergency Communications, has said Bedeski’s call was not intelligible enough for the dispatcher to understand that she was trapped.

Audio from the call, posted online by The Eagle, showed that much of the first 50 seconds of the call from a terrified-sounding Bedeski was hard to understand. However, she clearly stated the name of her apartment complex and her apartment number after being asked by the dispatcher to repeat herself.

Bedeski's voice is not heard after the first 50 seconds of the four-plus minutes of audio. About 45 seconds after last hearing her voice, the dispatcher says, “Hello? I need you to say your apartment number clearly and distinctly."

He then reports the blaze to firefighters, with the address of the apartment complex but not the apartment number.

As for the delay in sounding a second alarm, Forshee said the issue was “addressed on the spot” with additional training.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701457363060.png" alt="Fire crews working the night of the deadly apartment fire photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Fire crews working the night of the deadly apartment fire photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The family of a 22-year-old woman who died in an apartment fire in Kansas’ largest city after mistakes by the 911 dispatch center believes the center has “systemic issues," and the local firefighters union is calling for an independent investigation.Paoly Bedeski's family in Wichita issued a statement Thursday,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansas.com/article282500823.html">The Wichita Eagle reported</a>. It was the family's first since&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansas.com/news/local/article280544379.html">the fatal fire</a>&nbsp;and it came two days after the city firefighters union held a news conference to detail “significant and devastating” errors by the dispatch center in Sedgwick County, where the city is located.The dispatch center failed to relay the number of Bedeski's third-floor apartment to firefighters and waited 17 minutes to sound a second alarm to bring more crews to the scene. Bedeski called 911 just before 4 a.m. on Oct. 13 to report her apartment was on fire.County officials said they are still gathering information and expect to have an advisory board review the details next week. But local firefighters union President Ted Bush&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansas.com/news/local/article282420753.html">has said publicly</a>&nbsp;that the dispatch center's mistakes delayed the response to the fire and prevented Bedeski's rescue, and the Sedgwick County Commission said it also supports an independent review.The family's statement, issued by its lawyer, said, “These failures cost Paoly her life.”“The Bedeskis are now calling for immediate correction of these systemic issues and accountability for those responsible, emphasizing the need for adequate protection for the county’s residents," the statement said.Elora Forshee, director of Sedgwick County Emergency Communications, has said Bedeski’s call was not intelligible enough for the dispatcher to understand that she was trapped.Audio from the call, posted online by The Eagle, showed that much of the first 50 seconds of the call from a terrified-sounding Bedeski was hard to understand. However, she clearly stated the name of her apartment complex and her apartment number after being asked by the dispatcher to repeat herself.Bedeski's voice is not heard after the first 50 seconds of the four-plus minutes of audio. About 45 seconds after last hearing her voice, the dispatcher says, “Hello? I need you to say your apartment number clearly and distinctly."He then reports the blaze to firefighters, with the address of the apartment complex but not the apartment number.As for the delay in sounding a second alarm, Forshee said the issue was “addressed on the spot” with additional training.

Family blames 911 dispatch mistakes after Kan. woman died in an apartment fire

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting at a Kansas City home and have a suspect in custody.

Just after 3 p.m. Thursday, officers were dispatched to a reported EMS event at a home in the 11700 block of&nbsp;Troost&nbsp;Avenue in Kansas City, according to Police Captain Corey Carlisle.

First responders were directed inside the home and located a man suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.&nbsp; EMS pronounced the victim deceased.

The circumstances leading up to the homicide are unknown.&nbsp; Police have taken a subject of interest into custody.

Homicide detectives and Crime Scene Personnel responded to the scene to recover any evidence and speak to any potential witnesses.&nbsp; This is the 173rd homicide in Kansas City in 2023, according to Sheriff Forte'.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701437890494.png" alt="First responders at the scene Thursday-photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>First responders at the scene Thursday-photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting at a Kansas City home and have a suspect in custody.Just after 3 p.m. Thursday, officers were dispatched to a reported EMS event at a home in the 11700 block of&nbsp;Troost&nbsp;Avenue in Kansas City, according to Police Captain Corey Carlisle.First responders were directed inside the home and located a man suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.&nbsp; EMS pronounced the victim deceased.The circumstances leading up to the homicide are unknown.&nbsp; Police have taken a subject of interest into custody.Homicide detectives and Crime Scene Personnel responded to the scene to recover any evidence and speak to any potential witnesses.&nbsp; This is the 173rd homicide in Kansas City in 2023, according to Sheriff Forte'.

Suspect in custody after deadly shooting at KC home

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701446271001.png" alt="George Santos photo CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>George Santos photo CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted on Friday to expel Republican Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/george-santos.">George Santos</a>&nbsp;of New York after a critical ethics report on his conduct that accused him of converting campaign donations for his own use. He was just the&nbsp;<a href="https://history.house.gov/Institution/Discipline/Expulsion-Censure-Reprimand/">sixth member</a>&nbsp;in the chamber's history to be ousted by colleagues.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former Rep. George Santos departs the U.S. Capitol following his expulsion. <a href="https://t.co/XZrvGdtyaU">pic.twitter.com/XZrvGdtyaU</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1730621201511334169?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The vote to expel was 311-114. Expulsion requires support from two-thirds of the House, a purposefully high bar, but a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ethics-congress-santos-5ebffe514d8779fbc16a77fa1ab5e0df">blistering House Ethics Committee report</a>&nbsp;that accused Santos of breaking federal law proved decisive. All four members of the Kansas delegation voted to expel Santos.GOP members of the Missouri delegation including Mark Alford, Eric Burlison, Sam Graves, Blaine Luetkemeyer and Ann Wagner voted against the measure. The democrat members of the Missouri delegation Emanuel Cleaver and Cori Bush voted to expel. Just before noon eastern time Friday, Rep. Jason Smith's office could not confirm his vote.As it became clear that he would be expelled, Santos placed his overcoat over his shoulders, shook hands with conservative members who voted against his expulsion and departed the House chamber.House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., soon took the gavel, quieted the chamber and solemnly instructed the House clerk to inform the governor of New York that Santos’ former House seat was now vacant.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701446532648.png" alt="House Speaker Mike Johnson, who voted against the measure, delivers the news on the final result of the vote-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Mike Johnson, who voted against the measure, delivers the news on the final result of the vote-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Santos had fought the expulsion effort, leading his own defense during House floor debate and in conducting a news conference and interviews.“I will not stand by quietly,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/george-santos-house-expulsion-vote-ethics-d24b4b727da4f6b9af26e5aa902db992">Santos declared</a>&nbsp;as lawmakers on Thursday evening debated his removal. “The people of the Third District of New York sent me here. If they want me out, you’re going to have to go silence those people and go take the hard vote.”Of the previous expulsions in the House, three were for disloyalty to the Union during the Civil War. The remaining two occurred after the lawmakers were convicted of crimes in federal court. Santos made his case for remaining in office by appealing directly to lawmakers who worry they are setting a new precedent that could make expulsions more common.Johnson was among those who voiced concerns about removing Santos, though he has told members to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/santos-expel-house-speaker-johnson-ethics-committee-b84a4f00b92825c671b6a91061442865">vote their conscience</a>. Others in leadership agreed with his reasoning and opposed expulsion. But some Republicans, including Santos' colleagues from New York, said voters would welcome lawmakers being held to a higher standard.“I’m pretty confident the American people would applaud that. I’m pretty confident that the American people expect that," Republican Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, whose district adjoins Santos', said before the vote.Santos warned lawmakers they would regret removing a member before they have had their day in court.“This will haunt them in the future where mere allegations are sufficient to have members removed from office when duly elected by their people in their respective states and districts,” Santos said.The expulsion was the final congressional chapter in what was a spectacular fall from grace for Santos. The first-term lawmaker initially was celebrated as an up-and-comer after he flipped a district from Democrats last year and helped Republicans win control of the House. But soon after, troubles began.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-business-queens-ae463f9ef3497ce4479f9fe5f2defde1">Reports began to emerge</a>&nbsp;that Santos had lied about having Jewish ancestry, a career at top Wall Street firms and a college degree. His presence in the House quickly became a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/george-santos-lies-congress-new-york-republicans-9e4fd69b75894addb5bd2d4d5e8171ff">distraction</a>&nbsp;and an embarrassment to the party.In early March, the House Ethics Committee announced it was launching an investigation into Santos. Then in May, the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of New York indicted Santos, accusing him of duping donors, stealing from his campaign and lying to Congress. Prosecutors would later add more charges in an updated 23-count indictment.The indictment alleges he stole the identities of campaign donors and then used their credit cards to make tens of thousands of dollars in unauthorized charges. Federal prosecutors say Santos, who has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/george-santos-federal-charges-updates-33667a0900271e5002459ab748d8fdc8">pleaded not guilty</a>, wired some of the money to his personal bank account and used the rest to pad his campaign coffers.Meanwhile, Ethics Committee investigators spent eight months investigating Santos and interviewing witnesses. When their work was complete, the panel said it had amassed “overwhelming evidence” of lawbreaking by Santos that it sent to the Justice Department.Among other things, the committee said Santos knowingly caused his campaign committee to file false or incomplete reports with the Federal Election Commission, used campaign funds for personal purposes and violated the Ethics in Government Act with his financial disclosure statements.Arguing against expulsion during debate on Thursday, Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., said that while he respected the committee, he had concerns about how the Santos case was handled. He said he was troubled that a Republican-led committee would submit a report that was so judgmental and publicized.“The totality of circumstance appears biased," Higgins said. "It stinks of politics and I'll oppose this action in every way.”While the committee does have a Republican chairman, its membership is evenly divided. Rep. Susan Wild, the top Democrat on the committee, reminded members that the decision approving the investigators' findings was unanimous.“As the Ethics Committee's report lays out in thorough detail, Mr. Santos has repeatedly, egregiously and brazenly violated the public's trust,” Wild said. “Mr. Santos is not a victim. He is a perpetrator of a massive fraud on his constituents and the American people.”___

History: House expels Santos; Kan. delegation votes with majority 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, an unwavering voice of moderate conservatism and the first woman to serve on the nation’s highest court, has died. She was 93.

The court says she died in Phoenix on Friday, of complications related to advanced dementia and a respiratory illness.

In 2018, she announced that she had been diagnosed with “the beginning stages of dementia, probably Alzheimer’s disease.” Her husband, John O’Connor, died of complications of Alzheimer’s in 2009.

O’Connor’s nomination in 1981 by President Ronald Reagan and subsequent confirmation by the Senate ended 191 years of male exclusivity on the high court. A native of Arizona who grew up on her family’s sprawling ranch, O’Connor wasted little time building a reputation as a hard worker who wielded considerable political clout on the nine-member court.

The granddaughter of a pioneer who traveled west from Vermont and founded the family ranch some three decades before Arizona became a state, O’Connor had a tenacious, independent spirit that came naturally. As a child growing up in the remote outback, she learned early to ride horses, round up cattle and drive trucks and tractors.

“I didn’t do all the things the boys did,” she said in a 1981 Time magazine interview, “but I fixed windmills and repaired fences.”

On the bench, her influence could best be seen, and her legal thinking most closely scrutinized, in the court’s rulings on abortion, perhaps the most contentious and divisive issue the justices faced. O’Connor balked at letting states outlaw most abortions, refusing in 1989 to join four other justices who were ready to reverse the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that said women have a constitutional right to abortion.

Then, in 1992, she helped forge and lead a five-justice majority that reaffirmed the core holding of the 1973 ruling. “Some of us as individuals find abortion offensive to our most basic principles of morality, but that can’t control our decision," O’Connor said in court, reading a summary of the decision in Planned Parenthood v. Casey. “Our obligation is to define the liberty of all, not to mandate our own moral code.”

Thirty years after that decision, a more conservative court did overturn Roe and Casey, and the opinion was written by the man who took her high court seat, Justice Samuel Alito. He joined the court upon O’Connor’s retirement in 2006, chosen by President George W. Bush.

In 2000, O’Connor was part of the 5-4 majority that effectively resolved the disputed 2000 presidential election in favor of Bush, over Democrat Al Gore.

O’Connor was regarded with great fondness by many of her colleagues. When she retired, Justice Clarence Thomas, a consistent conservative, called her “an outstanding colleague, civil in dissent and gracious when in the majority.”

She could, nonetheless, express her views tartly. In one of her final actions as a justice, a dissent to a 5-4 ruling to allow local governments to condemn and seize personal property to allow private developers to build shopping plazas, office buildings and other facilities, she warned the majority had unwisely ceded yet more power to the powerful. “The specter of condemnation hangs over all property,” O’Connor wrote. “Nothing is to prevent the state from replacing ... any home with a shopping mall, or any farm with a factory.”

O’Connor, whom commentators had once called the nation’s most powerful woman, remained the court’s only woman until 1993, when, much to O’Connor’s delight and relief, President Bill Clinton nominated Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The current court includes a record four women.

Check the Post for additional details as they are released.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701444356161.png" alt="FILE - Supreme Court Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor poses for a photo in 1982. O'Connor joined the Supreme Court in 1981 as the nation's first female justice, has died at age 93. (AP Photo, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Supreme Court Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor poses for a photo in 1982. O'Connor joined the Supreme Court in 1981 as the nation's first female justice, has died at age 93. (AP Photo, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, an unwavering voice of moderate conservatism and the first woman to serve on the nation’s highest court, has died. She was 93.The court says she died in Phoenix on Friday, of complications related to advanced dementia and a respiratory illness.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701443142394.png" alt="During the dedication of Sandra Day O'Connor High School in 2003-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>During the dedication of Sandra Day O'Connor High School in 2003-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>In 2018, she announced that she had been diagnosed with “the beginning stages of dementia, probably Alzheimer’s disease.” Her husband, John O’Connor, died of complications of Alzheimer’s in 2009.O’Connor’s nomination in 1981 by President Ronald Reagan and subsequent confirmation by the Senate ended 191 years of male exclusivity on the high court. A native of Arizona who grew up on her family’s sprawling ranch, O’Connor wasted little time building a reputation as a hard worker who wielded considerable political clout on the nine-member court.The granddaughter of a pioneer who traveled west from Vermont and founded the family ranch some three decades before Arizona became a state, O’Connor had a tenacious, independent spirit that came naturally. As a child growing up in the remote outback, she learned early to ride horses, round up cattle and drive trucks and tractors.“I didn’t do all the things the boys did,” she said in a 1981 Time magazine interview, “but I fixed windmills and repaired fences.”On the bench, her influence could best be seen, and her legal thinking most closely scrutinized, in the court’s rulings on abortion, perhaps the most contentious and divisive issue the justices faced. O’Connor balked at letting states outlaw most abortions, refusing in 1989 to join four other justices who were ready to reverse the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that said women have a constitutional right to abortion.Then, in 1992, she helped forge and lead a five-justice majority that reaffirmed the core holding of the 1973 ruling. “Some of us as individuals find abortion offensive to our most basic principles of morality, but that can’t control our decision," O’Connor said in court, reading a summary of the decision in Planned Parenthood v. Casey. “Our obligation is to define the liberty of all, not to mandate our own moral code.”Thirty years after that decision, a more conservative court did overturn Roe and Casey, and the opinion was written by the man who took her high court seat, Justice Samuel Alito. He joined the court upon O’Connor’s retirement in 2006, chosen by President George W. Bush.In 2000, O’Connor was part of the 5-4 majority that effectively resolved the disputed 2000 presidential election in favor of Bush, over Democrat Al Gore.O’Connor was regarded with great fondness by many of her colleagues. When she retired, Justice Clarence Thomas, a consistent conservative, called her “an outstanding colleague, civil in dissent and gracious when in the majority.”She could, nonetheless, express her views tartly. In one of her final actions as a justice, a dissent to a 5-4 ruling to allow local governments to condemn and seize personal property to allow private developers to build shopping plazas, office buildings and other facilities, she warned the majority had unwisely ceded yet more power to the powerful. “The specter of condemnation hangs over all property,” O’Connor wrote. “Nothing is to prevent the state from replacing ... any home with a shopping mall, or any farm with a factory.”O’Connor, whom commentators had once called the nation’s most powerful woman, remained the court’s only woman until 1993, when, much to O’Connor’s delight and relief, President Bill Clinton nominated Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The current court includes a record four women.Check the Post for additional details as they are released.

Sandra Day O'Connor, first woman on the Supreme Court, has died 

HELENA, Mont. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/montana">Montana</a>'s first-in-the-nation law banning the video-sharing app TikTok in the state was blocked Thursday, one month before it was set to take effect, by a federal judge who called the measure unconstitutional.

The ruling delivered a temporary win for the social media company that has argued Montana's Republican-controlled Legislature went “completely overboard” in trying to regulate the app. A final ruling will come at a later date after the legal challenge moves through the courts.

U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy said the ban “oversteps state power and infringes on the Constitutional right of users and businesses" while singling out the state for its fixation on purported Chinese influence.

“Despite the state’s attempt to defend (the law) as a consumer protection bill, the current record leaves little doubt that Montana’s legislature and Attorney General were more interested in targeting China’s ostensible role in TikTok than with protecting Montana consumers,” Molloy wrote Thursday in granting the preliminary injunction. “This is especially apparent in that the same legislature enacted an entirely separate law that purports to broadly protect consumers’ digital data and privacy.”

Montana lawmakers in May made the state&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-montana-325a33578a2bbfbe53e9c251d528c5fb">the first in the U.S</a>. to pass a complete ban on the app based on the argument that the Chinese government could gain access to user information from TikTok, whose parent company, ByteDance, is based in Beijing.

The ban, which was scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, was first brought before the Montana Legislature a few weeks after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chinese-surveillance-balloon-united-states-montana-47248b0ef2b085620fcd866c105054be">Chinese spy balloon</a>&nbsp;flew over the state.

It would prohibit downloads of TikTok in the state and fine any “entity” — an app store or TikTok — $10,000 per day for each time someone “is offered the ability” to access or download the app. There would not be penalties for users.

TikTok issued a statement saying it was pleased that “the judge rejected this unconstitutional law and hundreds of thousands of Montanans can continue to express themselves, earn a living, and find community on TikTok.”

A spokeswoman for Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, also a Republican, tried to downplay the significance of the ruling in a statement.

“The judge indicated several times that the analysis could change as the case proceeds,” said Emily Cantrell, spokeswoman for Knudsen. “We look forward to presenting the complete legal argument to defend the law that protects Montanans from the Chinese Communist Party obtaining and using their data.”

Western governments have expressed worries that the popular social media platform could put sensitive data in the hands of the Chinese government or be used as a tool to spread misinformation. Chinese law allows the government to order companies to help it gather intelligence.

More than half of U.S. states and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/why-is-tiktok-being-banned-7d2de01d3ac5ab2b8ec2239dc7f2b20d">federal government</a>&nbsp;have banned TikTok on official devices. The company has called the bans “political theatre” and says further restrictions are unnecessary due to the efforts it is taking to protect U.S. data by storing it on Oracle servers.

Attorneys for TikTok and the content creators&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-montana-lawsuit-1c58d56064f6b53992196649249e1dc8">argued on Oct. 12</a>&nbsp;that the state had gone too far in trying to regulate TikTok and is essentially trying to implement its own foreign policy over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-montana-lawsuit-security-fd4a963efb1d13f909a5b80787de9e73">unproven concerns</a>&nbsp;that TikTok might share user data with the Chinese government.

TikTok has said in court filings that Montana could have limited the kinds of data TikTok could collect from its users rather than enacting a complete ban. Meanwhile, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-montana-lawsuit-72be560de89fb87e3c677c8e0cfd9fec">content creators</a>&nbsp;say the ban violates free speech rights and could cause economic harm for their businesses.

Christian Corrigan, the state’s solicitor general, argued Montana’s law was less a statement of foreign policy and instead addresses “serious, widespread concerns about data privacy.”

Molloy noted during the hearing that TikTok users' consent to the company’s data collection policies and that Knudsen — whose office drafted the legislation — could air public service announcements warning people about the data TikTok collects.

The American Civil Liberties Union, its Montana chapter and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital privacy rights advocacy group, have submitted an amicus brief in support of the challenge. Meanwhile, 18 attorneys generals from mostly Republican-led states are backing Montana and asking the judge to let the law be implemented. Even if that happens, cybersecurity experts have said it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-montana-china-data-chinese-government-71143a3a87c9a0b692d927f72b6fec70">could be challenging to enforce</a>.

HELENA, Mont. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/montana">Montana</a>'s first-in-the-nation law banning the video-sharing app TikTok in the state was blocked Thursday, one month before it was set to take effect, by a federal judge who called the measure unconstitutional.The ruling delivered a temporary win for the social media company that has argued Montana's Republican-controlled Legislature went “completely overboard” in trying to regulate the app. A final ruling will come at a later date after the legal challenge moves through the courts.U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy said the ban “oversteps state power and infringes on the Constitutional right of users and businesses" while singling out the state for its fixation on purported Chinese influence.“Despite the state’s attempt to defend (the law) as a consumer protection bill, the current record leaves little doubt that Montana’s legislature and Attorney General were more interested in targeting China’s ostensible role in TikTok than with protecting Montana consumers,” Molloy wrote Thursday in granting the preliminary injunction. “This is especially apparent in that the same legislature enacted an entirely separate law that purports to broadly protect consumers’ digital data and privacy.”Montana lawmakers in May made the state&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-montana-325a33578a2bbfbe53e9c251d528c5fb">the first in the U.S</a>. to pass a complete ban on the app based on the argument that the Chinese government could gain access to user information from TikTok, whose parent company, ByteDance, is based in Beijing.The ban, which was scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, was first brought before the Montana Legislature a few weeks after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chinese-surveillance-balloon-united-states-montana-47248b0ef2b085620fcd866c105054be">Chinese spy balloon</a>&nbsp;flew over the state.It would prohibit downloads of TikTok in the state and fine any “entity” — an app store or TikTok — $10,000 per day for each time someone “is offered the ability” to access or download the app. There would not be penalties for users.TikTok issued a statement saying it was pleased that “the judge rejected this unconstitutional law and hundreds of thousands of Montanans can continue to express themselves, earn a living, and find community on TikTok.”A spokeswoman for Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, also a Republican, tried to downplay the significance of the ruling in a statement.“The judge indicated several times that the analysis could change as the case proceeds,” said Emily Cantrell, spokeswoman for Knudsen. “We look forward to presenting the complete legal argument to defend the law that protects Montanans from the Chinese Communist Party obtaining and using their data.”Western governments have expressed worries that the popular social media platform could put sensitive data in the hands of the Chinese government or be used as a tool to spread misinformation. Chinese law allows the government to order companies to help it gather intelligence.More than half of U.S. states and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/why-is-tiktok-being-banned-7d2de01d3ac5ab2b8ec2239dc7f2b20d">federal government</a>&nbsp;have banned TikTok on official devices. The company has called the bans “political theatre” and says further restrictions are unnecessary due to the efforts it is taking to protect U.S. data by storing it on Oracle servers.Attorneys for TikTok and the content creators&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-montana-lawsuit-1c58d56064f6b53992196649249e1dc8">argued on Oct. 12</a>&nbsp;that the state had gone too far in trying to regulate TikTok and is essentially trying to implement its own foreign policy over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-montana-lawsuit-security-fd4a963efb1d13f909a5b80787de9e73">unproven concerns</a>&nbsp;that TikTok might share user data with the Chinese government.TikTok has said in court filings that Montana could have limited the kinds of data TikTok could collect from its users rather than enacting a complete ban. Meanwhile, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-montana-lawsuit-72be560de89fb87e3c677c8e0cfd9fec">content creators</a>&nbsp;say the ban violates free speech rights and could cause economic harm for their businesses.Christian Corrigan, the state’s solicitor general, argued Montana’s law was less a statement of foreign policy and instead addresses “serious, widespread concerns about data privacy.”Molloy noted during the hearing that TikTok users' consent to the company’s data collection policies and that Knudsen — whose office drafted the legislation — could air public service announcements warning people about the data TikTok collects.The American Civil Liberties Union, its Montana chapter and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital privacy rights advocacy group, have submitted an amicus brief in support of the challenge. Meanwhile, 18 attorneys generals from mostly Republican-led states are backing Montana and asking the judge to let the law be implemented. Even if that happens, cybersecurity experts have said it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-montana-china-data-chinese-government-71143a3a87c9a0b692d927f72b6fec70">could be challenging to enforce</a>.