TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly on Monday signed&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHA6Ly93d3cua3NsZWdpc2xhdHVyZS5vcmcvbGkvYjIwMjNfMjQvbWVhc3VyZXMvc2IyNS8iLCJidWxsZXRpbl9pZCI6IjIwMjMwNTE1Ljc2NzY3ODUxIn0.-trRM54ONl4oLUxGs_TWcOmMXMzSIgOBmfn2HZnjFFA/s/1303160919/br/194090427576-l" target="_blank">Senate Bill 25</a>, the Omnibus Budget, which passed with bipartisan support.&nbsp;The budget increases funding for higher education, invests in local infrastructure, expands mental health resources for students, and provides a pay increase for the state workforce.

The governor also line-item vetoed certain aspects of the bill. <a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/KSOG/2023/05/15/file_attachments/2498299/Line-Item%20Veto%20Message%20SB%2025.pdf">Click here to learn more and read her veto message</a>

"I am proud of this bipartisan, fiscally responsible budget that will bolster our state’s workforce, improve roads and expand high-speed internet, and provide essential mental health resources for our students,"&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. "This funding will support my administration’s efforts to continue growing the economy and making every Kansas community an attractive place to live and raise a family."

Increases pay for state employees:&nbsp; These salary increases improve pay rates for state employees who are earning below the market rate for similar jobs in the Kansas private sector. This increased pay will help recruit, retain, and recognize the work of employees who deliver public safety, infrastructure projects, mental health resources, education, and services to businesses and families across the state. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Promotes STEM workforce training opportunities:&nbsp;These investments expand opportunities for students training in emerging technologies, science, engineering, math, science, and technical trades. These programs are instrumental in attracting students to Kansas and preparing them to participate in our expanding economy and workforce.

Supports local infrastructure projects:&nbsp;The Build Kansas Matching Grant Fund will provide a mechanism to provide state matching dollars to Kansas communities for projects approved under the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation (BIL). These funds will enable Kansas communities to move forward with infrastructure projects, including improvements to water, transportation, energy, cybersecurity, and high-speed internet. A portion of these dollars will also be used by the Kansas Infrastructure Hub to provide resources and technical assistance to communities seeking to access BIL funding.

Expands mental health resources for students:&nbsp;$13.5 million will be invested in the Mental Health Intervention Pilot to further expand access to behavioral health services for students. With this funding, the Kelly administration has invested over $46 million in this pilot, resulting in the program reaching 5,000 students and nearly 70 school districts annually.

Invests in services for elderly and disabled Kansans:&nbsp;The budget includes funding for services for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including funding for an early childhood program for children with blindness or visual impairments. It also increases funding for Senior Nutrition (Meals on Wheels) and expands the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly to additional counties.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684065199461.png" alt="Gov. Laura Kelly signed Senate Bill 25, the Ominbus Budget on Monday. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Gov. Laura Kelly signed Senate Bill 25, the Ominbus Budget on Monday. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly on Monday signed&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHA6Ly93d3cua3NsZWdpc2xhdHVyZS5vcmcvbGkvYjIwMjNfMjQvbWVhc3VyZXMvc2IyNS8iLCJidWxsZXRpbl9pZCI6IjIwMjMwNTE1Ljc2NzY3ODUxIn0.-trRM54ONl4oLUxGs_TWcOmMXMzSIgOBmfn2HZnjFFA/s/1303160919/br/194090427576-l" target="_blank">Senate Bill 25</a>, the Omnibus Budget, which passed with bipartisan support.&nbsp;The budget increases funding for higher education, invests in local infrastructure, expands mental health resources for students, and provides a pay increase for the state workforce.The governor also line-item vetoed certain aspects of the bill. <a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/KSOG/2023/05/15/file_attachments/2498299/Line-Item%20Veto%20Message%20SB%2025.pdf">Click here to learn more and read her veto message</a>"I am proud of this bipartisan, fiscally responsible budget that will bolster our state’s workforce, improve roads and expand high-speed internet, and provide essential mental health resources for our students,"&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. "This funding will support my administration’s efforts to continue growing the economy and making every Kansas community an attractive place to live and raise a family."The budget:&nbsp;Increases pay for state employees:&nbsp; These salary increases improve pay rates for state employees who are earning below the market rate for similar jobs in the Kansas private sector. This increased pay will help recruit, retain, and recognize the work of employees who deliver public safety, infrastructure projects, mental health resources, education, and services to businesses and families across the state. &nbsp;&nbsp;Promotes STEM workforce training opportunities:&nbsp;These investments expand opportunities for students training in emerging technologies, science, engineering, math, science, and technical trades. These programs are instrumental in attracting students to Kansas and preparing them to participate in our expanding economy and workforce.Supports local infrastructure projects:&nbsp;The Build Kansas Matching Grant Fund will provide a mechanism to provide state matching dollars to Kansas communities for projects approved under the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation (BIL). These funds will enable Kansas communities to move forward with infrastructure projects, including improvements to water, transportation, energy, cybersecurity, and high-speed internet. A portion of these dollars will also be used by the Kansas Infrastructure Hub to provide resources and technical assistance to communities seeking to access BIL funding.Expands mental health resources for students:&nbsp;$13.5 million will be invested in the Mental Health Intervention Pilot to further expand access to behavioral health services for students. With this funding, the Kelly administration has invested over $46 million in this pilot, resulting in the program reaching 5,000 students and nearly 70 school districts annually.Invests in services for elderly and disabled Kansans:&nbsp;The budget includes funding for services for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including funding for an early childhood program for children with blindness or visual impairments. It also increases funding for Senior Nutrition (Meals on Wheels) and expands the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly to additional counties.

Gov. Kelly signs budget bill; read her line item veto message

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Monday said Russia is looking to buy additional advanced attack drones from Iran for use in its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">war against Ukraine</a>&nbsp;after using up most of the 400 drones it had previously purchased from Tehran.

The Biden administration last year publicized satellite imagery and intelligence findings that it said indicated Iran sold hundreds of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-zelenskyy-uk-sunak-military-aid-fc6809548de37304fb311fc66ee7d0d0">attack drones</a>&nbsp;to Russia. And for months, officials have said the United States believed Iran was considering selling hundreds of ballistic missiles to Russia, but Washington did not have evidence a deal was consummated.

“Iran also continues to provide Russia with one-way attack UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles). Since August, Iran has provided Russia with more than 400 UAVs primarily of the Shahed variety,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.

“Russia has expended most of these UAVs, using them to target Ukrainian critical infrastructure inside Ukraine. By providing Russia with these UAVs, Iran has been directly enabling Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine,” Kirby told reporters.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-business-government-and-politics-5a3e86a903ea5de028308f22f32a00c4">The Shahed drones</a>&nbsp;that Russia has already purchased are packed with explosives and programed to loiter overhead until they nosedive into a target — unmanned versions of World War II kamikaze pilots who would fly their explosives-laden planes into U.S. warships in the Pacific.

Kirby said the Russians are now looking at acquiring even more advanced drones "capable of more lethality”

The latest revelation is part of a persistent drip of intelligence findings from the administration to detail what U.S. officials say is a deepening defense partnership between Russia and Iran. The U.S. allegations are part of a broader effort to declassify and publicize intelligence findings concerning Moscow’s prosecution of its nearly 15-month war in Ukraine in hopes of furthering global isolation of Russia.

The administration says the Kremlin’s reliance on Iran as well as North Korea— countries largely isolated on the international stage for their nuclear programs and human rights records— shows desperation. That's in the face of Ukrainian resistance and the success of the global coalition in disrupting Russian military supply chains and denying replacements for weapons lost on the battlefield. The White House says Russia has turned to North Korea for artillery.

U.S. officials say Iran has also provided Russia with artillery and tank rounds for its invasion of Ukraine.

“This is a full scale defense partnership that is harmful to Ukraine, to the region in the Middle East and to the international community,” said Kirby, who added that Iran has been “Russia’s top military backer” since the start of the Ukraine invasion.

Iran has said it provided drones to Russia prior to the start of the war, but not since. North Korea has denied it has provided Russia artillery.

The White House has said for months that it has seen troubling signs that the military cooperation between Moscow and Tehran could flow both ways.

Iran is seeking to purchase additional military equipment from Russia, including attack helicopters, radars, and YAK-130 combat trainer aircraft, according to the White House. And Iran last month announced that it had finalized a deal to buy Su-35 fighter jets from Russia.

The White House has also previously said Russia and Iran were considering starting a drone assembly line in Russia for the Ukraine conflict.

“In total, Iran is seeking billions of dollars’ worth of military equipment from Russia,” Kirby said.

The new allegations come as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-japan-australia-papua-new-guinea-china-718642fdb7b3b5c14cf6c27dded1933c">Biden is headed to Hiroshima, Japan,</a>&nbsp;later this week for the Group of Seven summit, where the U.S. president is expected to make a call to fellow leaders of some world’s biggest economies to further tighten export controls and sanctions on Moscow.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663760963726.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;The White House has said for months that it has seen troubling signs that the military cooperation between Moscow and Tehran could flow both ways. (Russian Presidential Press Service via AP)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;The White House has said for months that it has seen troubling signs that the military cooperation between Moscow and Tehran could flow both ways. (Russian Presidential Press Service via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Monday said Russia is looking to buy additional advanced attack drones from Iran for use in its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">war against Ukraine</a>&nbsp;after using up most of the 400 drones it had previously purchased from Tehran.The Biden administration last year publicized satellite imagery and intelligence findings that it said indicated Iran sold hundreds of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-zelenskyy-uk-sunak-military-aid-fc6809548de37304fb311fc66ee7d0d0">attack drones</a>&nbsp;to Russia. And for months, officials have said the United States believed Iran was considering selling hundreds of ballistic missiles to Russia, but Washington did not have evidence a deal was consummated.“Iran also continues to provide Russia with one-way attack UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles). Since August, Iran has provided Russia with more than 400 UAVs primarily of the Shahed variety,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.“Russia has expended most of these UAVs, using them to target Ukrainian critical infrastructure inside Ukraine. By providing Russia with these UAVs, Iran has been directly enabling Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine,” Kirby told reporters.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-business-government-and-politics-5a3e86a903ea5de028308f22f32a00c4">The Shahed drones</a>&nbsp;that Russia has already purchased are packed with explosives and programed to loiter overhead until they nosedive into a target — unmanned versions of World War II kamikaze pilots who would fly their explosives-laden planes into U.S. warships in the Pacific.Kirby said the Russians are now looking at acquiring even more advanced drones "capable of more lethality”The latest revelation is part of a persistent drip of intelligence findings from the administration to detail what U.S. officials say is a deepening defense partnership between Russia and Iran. The U.S. allegations are part of a broader effort to declassify and publicize intelligence findings concerning Moscow’s prosecution of its nearly 15-month war in Ukraine in hopes of furthering global isolation of Russia.The administration says the Kremlin’s reliance on Iran as well as North Korea— countries largely isolated on the international stage for their nuclear programs and human rights records— shows desperation. That's in the face of Ukrainian resistance and the success of the global coalition in disrupting Russian military supply chains and denying replacements for weapons lost on the battlefield. The White House says Russia has turned to North Korea for artillery.U.S. officials say Iran has also provided Russia with artillery and tank rounds for its invasion of Ukraine.“This is a full scale defense partnership that is harmful to Ukraine, to the region in the Middle East and to the international community,” said Kirby, who added that Iran has been “Russia’s top military backer” since the start of the Ukraine invasion.Iran has said it provided drones to Russia prior to the start of the war, but not since. North Korea has denied it has provided Russia artillery.The White House has said for months that it has seen troubling signs that the military cooperation between Moscow and Tehran could flow both ways.Iran is seeking to purchase additional military equipment from Russia, including attack helicopters, radars, and YAK-130 combat trainer aircraft, according to the White House. And Iran last month announced that it had finalized a deal to buy Su-35 fighter jets from Russia.The White House has also previously said Russia and Iran were considering starting a drone assembly line in Russia for the Ukraine conflict.“In total, Iran is seeking billions of dollars’ worth of military equipment from Russia,” Kirby said.The new allegations come as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-japan-australia-papua-new-guinea-china-718642fdb7b3b5c14cf6c27dded1933c">Biden is headed to Hiroshima, Japan,</a>&nbsp;later this week for the Group of Seven summit, where the U.S. president is expected to make a call to fellow leaders of some world’s biggest economies to further tighten export controls and sanctions on Moscow.

White House sees more Russia, Iran military cooperation

RUSELL COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a driver who was allegedly impaired and driving far over the speed limit on Mother's Day.

Just after 10a.m. Sunday, Troopers clocked a vehicle traveling on Interstate 70 in Russell County at 110mph, according to a media release.

KHP conducted a traffic stop near Center Township, 193rd Street and determined the driver identified as 41-year-old Carie M. Ketterer-Schaefer of Wentzville, Missouri, was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. She was arrested and booked into the Russell Co. Jail on a requested charges of DUI.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684178276852.png" alt="Ketterer-Schaefer-photo Russell Co." />
 <figcaption>Ketterer-Schaefer-photo Russell Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>RUSELL COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a driver who was allegedly impaired and driving far over the speed limit on Mother's Day.Just after 10a.m. Sunday, Troopers clocked a vehicle traveling on Interstate 70 in Russell County at 110mph, according to a media release.KHP conducted a traffic stop near Center Township, 193rd Street and determined the driver identified as 41-year-old Carie M. Ketterer-Schaefer of Wentzville, Missouri, was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. She was arrested and booked into the Russell Co. Jail on a requested charges of DUI.&nbsp;

KHP: Woman driving 110mph on I-70 jailed for alleged DUI

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a series of thefts and have a suspect in custody.

 On April 17, loss prevention from a local business located in the 2400 block of North Greenwich in Wichita reported theft and vandalism in their parking lot, according to a media release from police.

Loss Prevention stated a U-Haul truck with a trailer pulled into the lot and cut multiple cables that secured their outside merchandise and stole one of their Kayaks. 

On April 20, Officers from the Wichita East Community Policing gathered intelligence and learned that the U-Haul truck was stolen and located at a residence in Andover.

 With the assistance of the Andover Police Department and other Patrol East officers, they located and recovered the Kayak valued at $1,100 and stolen from the 2400 block of North Greenwich, a 2023 Polaris Pro XD 400D Valued at $18,826 and stolen from the 9100 block of West Kellogg and a 2015 Ford Econoline E450 valued at $80,000 and stolen from the 900 block of South Woodlawn for a total Value of 99,926 dollars.

Andover police also recovered property from at least two construction site burglaries and a shoplift from a store in Andover. Andover Police booked&nbsp;53-year-old Kenneth Albert from Andover for multiple theft charges. The property was returned to its rightful owners.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684168072026.png" alt="Albert Butler Co.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Albert Butler Co.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a series of thefts and have a suspect in custody. On April 17, loss prevention from a local business located in the 2400 block of North Greenwich in Wichita reported theft and vandalism in their parking lot, according to a media release from police.Loss Prevention stated a U-Haul truck with a trailer pulled into the lot and cut multiple cables that secured their outside merchandise and stole one of their Kayaks. On April 20, Officers from the Wichita East Community Policing gathered intelligence and learned that the U-Haul truck was stolen and located at a residence in Andover. With the assistance of the Andover Police Department and other Patrol East officers, they located and recovered the Kayak valued at $1,100 and stolen from the 2400 block of North Greenwich, a 2023 Polaris Pro XD 400D Valued at $18,826 and stolen from the 9100 block of West Kellogg and a 2015 Ford Econoline E450 valued at $80,000 and stolen from the 900 block of South Woodlawn for a total Value of 99,926 dollars.Andover police also recovered property from at least two construction site burglaries and a shoplift from a store in Andover. Andover Police booked&nbsp;53-year-old Kenneth Albert from Andover for multiple theft charges. The property was returned to its rightful owners.&nbsp;

Kan. man accused in theft of kayak, UTV and van worth $99,000

WASHINGTON (AP) — A special prosecutor has ended his four-year investigation into possible FBI misconduct in its probe of ties between Russia and Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign with withering criticism of the bureau but a meager court record that fell far short of the former president’s prediction he would uncover the “crime of the century.”

<a href="https://justthenews.com/sites/default/files/2023-05/durhamreport.pdf">CLICK here to read</a> the report

The report Monday from special counsel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/john-durham">John Durham</a>&nbsp;represents the long-awaited culmination of an investigation that Trump and allies had claimed would expose massive wrongdoing by law enforcement and intelligence officials. Instead, Durham's investigation delivered underwhelming results, with prosecutors securing a guilty plea from a little-known FBI employee but losing the only two criminal cases they took to trial.

The roughly 300-page report catalogs what Durham says were a series of missteps by the FBI and Justice Department as investigators undertook a politically explosive probe in the heat of the 2016 election into whether the Trump campaign was colluding with Russia to tip the outcome. It criticized the FBI for opening a full-fledged investigation based on "raw, unanalyzed and uncorroborated intelligence," saying the speed at which it did so was a departure from the norm. And it said investigators repeatedly relied on “confirmation bias,” ignoring or rationalizing away evidence that undercut their premise of a Trump-Russia conspiracy as they pushed the probe forward.

“Again, the FBI’s failure to critically analyze information that ran counter to the narrative of a Trump/Russia collusive relationship exhibited throughout Crossfire Hurricane is extremely troublesome,” the report said. “Crossfire Hurricane” was the FBI code name for its investigation.

The impact of Durham’s report, though harshly critical of the FBI, is likely blunted by Durham’s spotty prosecution record and by the fact that many of the seven-year-old episodes it cites were already examined in depth by the Justice Department’s inspector general. The FBI has also long since announced dozens of corrective actions. Still, Durham’s findings are likely to amplify scrutiny of the FBI at a time when Trump is again seeking the White House as well as offer fresh fodder for congressional Republicans who have launched their own investigation into the purported “weaponization” of the FBI and Justice Department.

The FBI released a letter to Durham outlining changes it has made, including steps to ensure the accuracy of secretive surveillance applications to eavesdrop on suspected terrorists and spies. It also stressed that the report focused on prior leadership.

“Had those reforms been in place in 2016, the missteps identified in the report could have been prevented. This report reinforces the importance of ensuring the FBI continues to do its work with the rigor, objectivity, and professionalism the American people deserve and rightly expect,” the FBI said in a statement.

Durham, the former U.S. Attorney in Connecticut, was appointed in 2019 by Trump’s attorney general, William Barr, soon after special counsel Robert Mueller had completed his investigation into whether the 2016 Trump campaign had colluded with Russia to move the outcome of the election in his favor.

The Mueller investigation resulted in roughly three dozen criminal charges, including convictions of a half-dozen Trump associates, and concluded that Russia intervened on the Trump campaign’s behalf and that the campaign welcomed the help. But Mueller’s team did not find that they actually conspired to sway the election, creating an opening for critics of the probe — including Barr himself — to complain that it had been launched without a proper basis.

The original Russia investigation was opened in July 2016 after the FBI learned from an Australian diplomat that a Trump campaign associate named George Papadopoulos had claimed to know of “dirt” that the Russians had on Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the form of hacked emails.

But revelations over the following months laid bare flaws with the investigation, including errors and omissions in Justice Department applications to eavesdrop on a former Trump campaign aide, Carter Page, as well as the reliance by the FBI on a dossier of uncorroborated or discredited information compiled by an British ex-spy, Christopher Steele.

Durham’s team delved deep into those mistakes, finding that investigators did not corroborate a “single substantive allegation” in the so-called Steele dossier and ignored or rationalized what it asserts was exculpatory information that Trump associates had provided to FBI confidential informants.

Durham’s mandate was to scrutinize government decisions, and identify possible misconduct, in the early days of the Trump-Russia probe. His appointment was cheered by Trump, who in a 2019 interview with Fox News said Durham was “supposed to be the smartest and the best.” He and his supporters hoped it would expose a “deep state” conspiracy within the top echelons of the FBI and other agencies to derail Trump’s presidency and candidacy.

Durham and his team cast a broad net, interviewing top officials at the FBI, Justice Department and CIA. In his first year on the job, he traveled with Barr to Italy to meet with government officials as Trump himself asked the Australian prime minister and other leaders to help with the probe. Weeks before his December 2020 resignation as attorney general, Barr appointed Durham as a Justice Department special counsel to ensure that he would continue his work in a Democratic administration.

The slow pace of the probe irked Trump, who berated Barr before he left office about the whereabouts of a report that would not be released for several more years. By the end of the Trump administration, only one criminal case had been brought, while the abrupt departure of Durham’s top deputy in the final months of Trump’s tenure raised questions about whether the team was in sync.

Despite expectations that Durham might charge senior government officials, his team produced only three prosecutions. A former FBI lawyer pleaded guilty to altering an email the FBI relied on in applying to eavesdrop on an ex-Trump campaign aide. Two other defendants — a lawyer for the Clinton campaign and a Russian-American think tank analyst — were both acquitted on charges of lying to the FBI.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684183870859.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A special prosecutor has ended his four-year investigation into possible FBI misconduct in its probe of ties between Russia and Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign with withering criticism of the bureau but a meager court record that fell far short of the former president’s prediction he would uncover the “crime of the century.”<a href="https://justthenews.com/sites/default/files/2023-05/durhamreport.pdf">CLICK here to read</a> the reportThe report Monday from special counsel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/john-durham">John Durham</a>&nbsp;represents the long-awaited culmination of an investigation that Trump and allies had claimed would expose massive wrongdoing by law enforcement and intelligence officials. Instead, Durham's investigation delivered underwhelming results, with prosecutors securing a guilty plea from a little-known FBI employee but losing the only two criminal cases they took to trial.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We’ve reached out to the Justice Department to have Special Counsel John Durham testify next week.&mdash; Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jim_Jordan/status/1658190084024197133?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The roughly 300-page report catalogs what Durham says were a series of missteps by the FBI and Justice Department as investigators undertook a politically explosive probe in the heat of the 2016 election into whether the Trump campaign was colluding with Russia to tip the outcome. It criticized the FBI for opening a full-fledged investigation based on "raw, unanalyzed and uncorroborated intelligence," saying the speed at which it did so was a departure from the norm. And it said investigators repeatedly relied on “confirmation bias,” ignoring or rationalizing away evidence that undercut their premise of a Trump-Russia conspiracy as they pushed the probe forward.“Again, the FBI’s failure to critically analyze information that ran counter to the narrative of a Trump/Russia collusive relationship exhibited throughout Crossfire Hurricane is extremely troublesome,” the report said. “Crossfire Hurricane” was the FBI code name for its investigation.The impact of Durham’s report, though harshly critical of the FBI, is likely blunted by Durham’s spotty prosecution record and by the fact that many of the seven-year-old episodes it cites were already examined in depth by the Justice Department’s inspector general. The FBI has also long since announced dozens of corrective actions. Still, Durham’s findings are likely to amplify scrutiny of the FBI at a time when Trump is again seeking the White House as well as offer fresh fodder for congressional Republicans who have launched their own investigation into the purported “weaponization” of the FBI and Justice Department.The FBI released a letter to Durham outlining changes it has made, including steps to ensure the accuracy of secretive surveillance applications to eavesdrop on suspected terrorists and spies. It also stressed that the report focused on prior leadership.“Had those reforms been in place in 2016, the missteps identified in the report could have been prevented. This report reinforces the importance of ensuring the FBI continues to do its work with the rigor, objectivity, and professionalism the American people deserve and rightly expect,” the FBI said in a statement.Durham, the former U.S. Attorney in Connecticut, was appointed in 2019 by Trump’s attorney general, William Barr, soon after special counsel Robert Mueller had completed his investigation into whether the 2016 Trump campaign had colluded with Russia to move the outcome of the election in his favor.The Mueller investigation resulted in roughly three dozen criminal charges, including convictions of a half-dozen Trump associates, and concluded that Russia intervened on the Trump campaign’s behalf and that the campaign welcomed the help. But Mueller’s team did not find that they actually conspired to sway the election, creating an opening for critics of the probe — including Barr himself — to complain that it had been launched without a proper basis.The original Russia investigation was opened in July 2016 after the FBI learned from an Australian diplomat that a Trump campaign associate named George Papadopoulos had claimed to know of “dirt” that the Russians had on Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the form of hacked emails.But revelations over the following months laid bare flaws with the investigation, including errors and omissions in Justice Department applications to eavesdrop on a former Trump campaign aide, Carter Page, as well as the reliance by the FBI on a dossier of uncorroborated or discredited information compiled by an British ex-spy, Christopher Steele.Durham’s team delved deep into those mistakes, finding that investigators did not corroborate a “single substantive allegation” in the so-called Steele dossier and ignored or rationalized what it asserts was exculpatory information that Trump associates had provided to FBI confidential informants.Durham’s mandate was to scrutinize government decisions, and identify possible misconduct, in the early days of the Trump-Russia probe. His appointment was cheered by Trump, who in a 2019 interview with Fox News said Durham was “supposed to be the smartest and the best.” He and his supporters hoped it would expose a “deep state” conspiracy within the top echelons of the FBI and other agencies to derail Trump’s presidency and candidacy.Durham and his team cast a broad net, interviewing top officials at the FBI, Justice Department and CIA. In his first year on the job, he traveled with Barr to Italy to meet with government officials as Trump himself asked the Australian prime minister and other leaders to help with the probe. Weeks before his December 2020 resignation as attorney general, Barr appointed Durham as a Justice Department special counsel to ensure that he would continue his work in a Democratic administration.The slow pace of the probe irked Trump, who berated Barr before he left office about the whereabouts of a report that would not be released for several more years. By the end of the Trump administration, only one criminal case had been brought, while the abrupt departure of Durham’s top deputy in the final months of Trump’s tenure raised questions about whether the team was in sync.Despite expectations that Durham might charge senior government officials, his team produced only three prosecutions. A former FBI lawyer pleaded guilty to altering an email the FBI relied on in applying to eavesdrop on an ex-Trump campaign aide. Two other defendants — a lawyer for the Clinton campaign and a Russian-American think tank analyst — were both acquitted on charges of lying to the FBI.

Read the final report on FBI that exonerates Trump in Russia probe

SHAWNEE COUNTY–Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal shooting in Topeka have made another arrest

Just before 3:30 p.m. April 18, police responded to report of a shooting in the 900 block of SW 17th Street in Topeka, according to Lt. Ron Ekis.

Officers located an man later identified as 55-year-old Troy Shepard of Topeka suffering from a life threatening gunshot wound. He was transported by ambulance to a local hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.&nbsp;

On. April 20, police arrested&nbsp;32-year-old Christopher F. Ray of Topeka in connection with the killing. He is being held on a first degree murder charge.

On Friday police arrested 24-year-old Daniel Gallow for Criminal possession of a firearm, possession of stolen property and Misdemeanor Warrant. While he was still in custody, police asked for additional charges of of Murder in the 1st degree and Criminal Possession of a weapon by a felon in connection with Shepard's killing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684174299931.png" alt="Gallow-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Gallow-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY–Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal shooting in Topeka have made another arrestJust before 3:30 p.m. April 18, police responded to report of a shooting in the 900 block of SW 17th Street in Topeka, according to Lt. Ron Ekis.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681864464057.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation in April-photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation in April-photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>Officers located an man later identified as 55-year-old Troy Shepard of Topeka suffering from a life threatening gunshot wound. He was transported by ambulance to a local hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681931386406.png" alt="Ray-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Ray-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>On. April 20, police arrested&nbsp;32-year-old Christopher F. Ray of Topeka in connection with the killing. He is being held on a first degree murder charge.On Friday police arrested 24-year-old Daniel Gallow for Criminal possession of a firearm, possession of stolen property and Misdemeanor Warrant. While he was still in custody, police asked for additional charges of of Murder in the 1st degree and Criminal Possession of a weapon by a felon in connection with Shepard's killing.

2nd Kansas suspect accused of role in man's murder

By Paul Hamel <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/02/08/state-approved-use-of-pesticide-coated-seed-corn-for-ethanol-plant-a-decade-ago/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN, Neb. — A Canadian pipeline company says it has completed the recovery of oil spilled into a Kansas creek following a record leak on the Keystone Pipeline.

TC Energy, in a news release Thursday, said it continues to restore the shoreline of Mill Creek as well as adjacent areas affected when the high-pressure, 36-inch pipeline sprang a leak in December, releasing more than 500,000 gallons of crude oil.

It was the largest oil pipeline spill in the U.S. in nine years and the largest leak on the 12-year-old Keystone pipeline.

The pipeline leak was just across the Nebraska border near Washington, Kansas.

The company said it expects to continue its work at the spill site until the third quarter of the year.

TC Energy said it employed “sophisticated recovery and water filtration techniques” to collect the oil.

The work was done under the oversight of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

The company has said that a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/04/21/massive-pipeline-spill-caused-by-crack-created-during-installation-third-party-review-concludes/">flaw in a weld combined</a>&nbsp;with “inadvertent bending stresses” on an elbow fitting during installation in 2011, combined with the high pressures employed to transport the oil, eventually led to the pipeline failure.

Environmental groups have said the Keystone should be shut down because of its design flaws and that it’s only a matter of time before there’s another leak.

This story was produced by&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/">Nebraska Examiner,</a>&nbsp;an affiliate of States Newsroom.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684173274886.png" alt=" Gary Salsman, vice president of field operations for TC Energy, testifies to a joint meeting of two Kansas House committees on March 14, 2023, about a rupture on the Keystone pipeline that spilled almost 13,000 barrels of oil in northern Kansas. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Gary Salsman, vice president of field operations for TC Energy, testifies to a joint meeting of two Kansas House committees on March 14, 2023, about a rupture on the Keystone pipeline that spilled almost 13,000 barrels of oil in northern Kansas. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By Paul Hamel <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/02/08/state-approved-use-of-pesticide-coated-seed-corn-for-ethanol-plant-a-decade-ago/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN, Neb. — A Canadian pipeline company says it has completed the recovery of oil spilled into a Kansas creek following a record leak on the Keystone Pipeline.TC Energy, in a news release Thursday, said it continues to restore the shoreline of Mill Creek as well as adjacent areas affected when the high-pressure, 36-inch pipeline sprang a leak in December, releasing more than 500,000 gallons of crude oil.It was the largest oil pipeline spill in the U.S. in nine years and the largest leak on the 12-year-old Keystone pipeline.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678311772948.png" alt="In March crews cleaned oil that spewed out of the Keystone pipeline in Washington County Kansas. photo EPA" />
 <figcaption>In March crews cleaned oil that spewed out of the Keystone pipeline in Washington County Kansas. photo EPA</figcaption>
 </figure>The pipeline leak was just across the Nebraska border near Washington, Kansas.The company said it expects to continue its work at the spill site until the third quarter of the year.TC Energy said it employed “sophisticated recovery and water filtration techniques” to collect the oil.The work was done under the oversight of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Kansas Department of Health and Environment.The company has said that a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/04/21/massive-pipeline-spill-caused-by-crack-created-during-installation-third-party-review-concludes/">flaw in a weld combined</a>&nbsp;with “inadvertent bending stresses” on an elbow fitting during installation in 2011, combined with the high pressures employed to transport the oil, eventually led to the pipeline failure.Environmental groups have said the Keystone should be shut down because of its design flaws and that it’s only a matter of time before there’s another leak.This story was produced by&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/">Nebraska Examiner,</a>&nbsp;an affiliate of States Newsroom.

Pipeline owner: Recovery of spilled oil into Kansas creek is complete

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Police are investigating the death of a “small baby” whose body was found in a field in eastern Kansas City.

Kansas City police were notified Saturday evening that a dead body was found in the field in open, uninhabited area, police spokesperson Sgt. Jacob Becchina said.

Becchina told Kansas City media Sunday that the medical examiner will determine the baby's age, gender and cause of death. No new information was available on Monday, police said.

The area where the baby was found is near woods frequented by homeless people, neighbors and police said.

The case is currently a death investigation because so little is known about the circumstances.

Becchina urged anyone with information on the baby's death to contact police. He said Kansas City police currently have no reports of missing babies that match this case.

“I know every one of these investigators, they want to know what happened and what led to this, whatever the explanation is," Becchina said. "We pray that somebody didn’t intentionally hurt this baby, that maybe there’s someone out there that panicked; a situation came up and they didn’t know how to deal with it.”

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of a baby.

Just before 8p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a wooded area near the intersection of East 41st and Pitman Road in Kansas City after a caller reported the discovery of a dead body, according to a media release. The caller had been in the woods and helped officers locate the body of a baby that had been dead for some time.

Detectives&nbsp;and crime scene personnel responded to the scene to assist with the investigation.

Authorities have not determined the age or other details including a cause of death.&nbsp;The Medical Examiner will make a final determination of cause and manner of death. Police ask anyone who knows anything to contact the Homicide Unit directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Police are investigating the death of a “small baby” whose body was found in a field in eastern Kansas City.Kansas City police were notified Saturday evening that a dead body was found in the field in open, uninhabited area, police spokesperson Sgt. Jacob Becchina said.Becchina told Kansas City media Sunday that the medical examiner will determine the baby's age, gender and cause of death. No new information was available on Monday, police said.The area where the baby was found is near woods frequented by homeless people, neighbors and police said.The case is currently a death investigation because so little is known about the circumstances.Becchina urged anyone with information on the baby's death to contact police. He said Kansas City police currently have no reports of missing babies that match this case.“I know every one of these investigators, they want to know what happened and what led to this, whatever the explanation is," Becchina said. "We pray that somebody didn’t intentionally hurt this baby, that maybe there’s someone out there that panicked; a situation came up and they didn’t know how to deal with it.”-----------KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of a baby.Just before 8p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a wooded area near the intersection of East 41st and Pitman Road in Kansas City after a caller reported the discovery of a dead body, according to a media release. The caller had been in the woods and helped officers locate the body of a baby that had been dead for some time.Detectives&nbsp;and crime scene personnel responded to the scene to assist with the investigation.Authorities have not determined the age or other details including a cause of death.&nbsp;The Medical Examiner will make a final determination of cause and manner of death. Police ask anyone who knows anything to contact the Homicide Unit directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS.

Update: Body of baby found in woods near Kansas City

RILEY COUNTY&nbsp;—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect who allegedly broke into a Manhattan&nbsp;apartment armed with a shotgun.

Just before 9a.m. Friday, the Riley County Communications Center received a 911 call reporting an active burglary in the 1300 block of Flint Hills Place in Manhattan, according to a media release.

RCPD officers quickly arrived on scene and found 31-year-old Chancellor Copenhaver behind the apartment along with the residents who are known to him.

Copenhaver sustained a minor head injury during a struggle with a 47-year-old man inside the apartment. The investigation revealed Copenhaver had grabbed and forced a 20-year-old woman out of the apartment during the struggle. 

It was also reported that Copenhaver had contacted the woman and went to her residence multiple times against her will after being trespassed. Neither of the victims were treated for injuries.

Copenhaver was taken into custody and transferred to Via Christi by Riley County EMS for treatment of his injury. He was later released and transferred to the Riley County Jail on requested charges of aggravated burglary, aggravated assault, kidnapping, and stalking. He is being held on a total bond of $250,000.

RILEY COUNTY&nbsp;—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect who allegedly broke into a Manhattan&nbsp;apartment armed with a shotgun.Just before 9a.m. Friday, the Riley County Communications Center received a 911 call reporting an active burglary in the 1300 block of Flint Hills Place in Manhattan, according to a media release.RCPD officers quickly arrived on scene and found 31-year-old Chancellor Copenhaver behind the apartment along with the residents who are known to him.Copenhaver sustained a minor head injury during a struggle with a 47-year-old man inside the apartment. The investigation revealed Copenhaver had grabbed and forced a 20-year-old woman out of the apartment during the struggle. It was also reported that Copenhaver had contacted the woman and went to her residence multiple times against her will after being trespassed. Neither of the victims were treated for injuries.Copenhaver was taken into custody and transferred to Via Christi by Riley County EMS for treatment of his injury. He was later released and transferred to the Riley County Jail on requested charges of aggravated burglary, aggravated assault, kidnapping, and stalking. He is being held on a total bond of $250,000.

Kansas man allegedly broke into home armed with shotgun

By ADAM GOLDSTEIN <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/17/state-ag-officials-push-for-on-time-farm-bill-to-fund-slew-of-programs/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON — The deadliest outbreak of bird flu in U.S. history is prompting growing concern in Congress, and Department of Agriculture researchers are awaiting the preliminary results of four trials of vaccines for poultry.

Some lawmakers are warming to the idea of a vaccination campaign, long considered a fringe idea because of the cost and potential consequences. Trade groups warn that vaccinated poultry would not be accepted in many overseas markets, disrupting exports.

While bird flu likely poses little health danger to humans, it’s contributed to spikes in U.S. egg prices and decimated poultry flocks.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://extension.umn.edu/poultry-health/avian-influenza-basics-noncommercial-poultry-flock-owners">Among the domestic poultry affected</a>&nbsp;are chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, ducks and geese — in both big commercial operations and increasingly popular backyard flocks.

Since the current strain of highly-pathogenic avian influenza — H5N1 — began circulating in the country in February 2022, farmers across the country have lost or had to cull&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-2022/2022-hpai-commercial-backyard-flocks">more than 58 million poultry birds.</a>

The USDA estimates it has already spent&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/downloads/animal_diseases/ai/epi-analyses-hpai-poultry-july2022.pdf">more than $670 million</a>&nbsp;in insurance indemnities and sanitation services to combat the ongoing bird flu outbreak.

And with many wild birds starting their spring migration, roughly&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-2022/2022-hpai-commercial-backyard-flocks">140,000 poultry birds</a>&nbsp;were infected with the virus nationwide in April.

While food costs are stabilizing, members of Congress from both parties are asking how the U.S. can do better at controlling bird flu.

“We’ve all seen first-hand how high pathogenic avian flu has devastated domestic poultry populations, where depopulations have had to take place,” said Rep. Jim Costa, a California Democrat, at an April 18 House Agriculture Committee hearing.

“We’ve got to continue to refine and improve our approach to address animal disease, and USDA needs all the tools to guarantee a robust response.”

The USDA is testing two proprietary vaccines developed through its Agricultural Research Service, as well as bird flu vaccines from pharmaceutical companies Merck Animal Health and Zoetis Inc.

But animal health experts note that a bird flu vaccine is not the immediate solution that some believe it to be.

Jenny Lester Moffitt, undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs at the USDA, said at an April 24 press event that it will take a minimum of 18 to 24 months to produce a viable vaccine, which is not guaranteed to be effective against infection.

Yuko Sato, a poultry veterinarian and associate professor at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, said at an April 26 media event that “the vaccine is not a silver bullet” for an end to the outbreak.

“You would have to make sure that if you vaccinate — but still have positive birds — you can stamp out the virus,” Sato said. “Otherwise, we’ll never be looking at eradicating the virus from the United States.”

Here are the answers to some common questions about the ongoing bird flu outbreak and potential vaccines.

What is highly-pathogenic avian influenza?

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/influenza-a-virus-subtypes.htm">Highly-pathogenic avian influenza,</a>&nbsp;commonly known as HPAI, bird flu, or “high-path,” is a deadly respiratory virus that affects wild birds and poultry.

The contagious disease comes from the Influenza A family, and is characterized by the H5 or H7 categories of hemagglutinin — or spike protein — structures on its surface, which it uses to infect cells. The virus is spread via airborne transmission, or exposure to the byproducts of an infected bird, like saliva, mucus or feces.

Poultry and other domesticated birds with the disease will often exhibit a lack of energy, produce soft-shelled or misshapen eggs, and have swollen heads.

The highly-pathogenic version of the disease was first identified in China in 1996, and has mutated several times over the last three decades through swapping genetic material with low-pathogenic avian influenza strains within wild birds.

David Swayne, former director of the Agricultural Research Service’s Southeast Poultry Research Lab in Athens, Georgia, said at an April 26 media briefing that 87% of avian influenza strains are made up of blended genetic material from other strains. He said that this natural mutation process can make a vaccine less effective against the virus year over year.

Wild migratory birds are the primary transmission vector in the current outbreak, accounting for roughly 85% of disease spread,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/pest-disease/defend-flock/webinar-prevention-to-recovery-sept2022-qas.pdf">according to the USDA.</a>&nbsp;These animals, including terns, ducks, and geese, can contract and pass along the disease without obvious physical symptoms.

Yet an HPAI infection spreads quickly among a flock of poultry, with infections leading to mortality at a rate of 90% to 100% in chickens and turkeys, often within 48 hours, according to the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/animal_health/bro-protect-poultry-from-ai.pdf">Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.</a>

When a farmer detects the disease in a commercial flock, the only USDA-recommended option is to kill the remaining birds, dispose of the carcasses, and decontaminate the facility to mitigate spread.

Who is getting infected? Should I be worried?

Despite the threat H5N1 presents to poultry, experts with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that people do not need to brood over getting sick.

The agency reports that&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/inhumans.htm#:~:text=Since%20December%202021%2C%2011%20human,reported%20since%201997%20are%20available.">11 cases of bird flu</a>&nbsp;have been reported among humans since 2021, with only one “mild” case occurring in the United States. And as of 2023, there have been no reported cases of human-to-human transmission of HPAI, according to t<a target="_blank" href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2023-DON453">he World Health Organization.</a>

Swayne said at the media event that only 875 human cases of H5 bird flu have been reported since 1996. About 40% were fatal. He noted these infections have occurred largely among humans handling domesticated poultry, and not from encounters with wild birds.

The USDA has documented&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-2022/2022-hpai-mammals">176 mammals in the United States&nbsp; infected with the disease&nbsp;</a>since 2022, including skunks, foxes, seals, and mountain lions, among other species. Wildlife experts from the U.S. Geological Survey published&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.10.532068v1">a study in April&nbsp;</a>finding much of this disease spillover can be traced back to predation on wild birds.

Still both Swayne and Hill pointed to a recent event in which&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/06/americas/bird-flu-sea-lion-deaths-peru-intl-latam/index.html">3,500 sea lions became infected with the virus in Peru</a>&nbsp;as one worth monitoring for mutations that could affect mammals.

How does the current outbreak compare to past bird flu outbreaks?

The current iteration of the highly-pathogenic avian influenza virus was&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://scdhec.gov/sites/default/files/media/document/10510-DHA-01-20-2022-HPAI_Final.pdf">first detected domestically</a>&nbsp;on January 13, 2022, in a wild bird in Colleton County, South Carolina. The first domesticated animal case of the disease was found on a turkey farm in Dubois County, Indiana on February 8, 2022.

Since then, the disease has spread across 47 states, affecting more than 833 commercial and backyard poultry flocks.

Still, this is not the first outbreak of HPAI that the federal government has responded to. And despite the scope of these numbers, many animal health experts say current USDA efforts represent a significant improvement over earlier outbreaks of the disease.

Sato recalled that a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/emergency_management/downloads/hpai/2015-hpai-final-report.pdf">2015 outbreak of HPAI,</a>&nbsp;previously considered the worst outbreak on record, required the culling of 50.4 million birds on Midwestern poultry operations.

She added that 70% of the cause of new infections from that outbreak was farm-to-farm lateral spread from workers in 21 states, including Arkansas, Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

In contrast to that outbreak, Sato said that now “we’ve done a really good job with biosecurity.” Biosecurity refers to preventive measures producers can take to limit spread of the disease, like disinfecting farm machinery and providing clean clothing and protective equipment to farmworkers.

Sato said that with producers embracing these practices, the lateral spread of avian influenza decreased from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/downloads/animal_diseases/ai/epi-analyses-hpai-poultry-july2022.pdf">70% of reported cases in 2015 to roughly 16% of reported cases in 2023.</a>

Moffitt added that efforts to control the virus are projected to cost the country less than 50% of its 2015 expenditures of $1.6 billion.

However, animal disease experts caution that the U.S. is dealing with a more widely dispersed and distinct disease than that of the 2015 HPAI outbreak.

Nichola Hill, an&nbsp;assistant professor of biology at&nbsp;the University of Massachusetts, said at the April 26 media event that researchers have detected the virus in 150 of the approximately 1,000 wild bird species found in the U.S., and the disease has affected&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-2022/2022-hpai-wild-birds">more than 6,000 wild birds.</a>

Greg Tyler, the president and CEO of USA Poultry and Egg Export Council, said that this version of the disease has also gotten into&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fws.gov/media/migratory-bird-flyways-north-america">all four major migratory flyways&nbsp;</a>for wild birds in the U.S.

Sato said that more backyard flocks of poultry are being affected by the spread of bird flu from migratory populations — a total of 507 small to mid-sized flocks — in contrast to the 21 backyard flocks affected in 2015.

There are also new concerns emerging among experts that this deadly disease could become endemic to North America without significant public-private collaboration to reduce spread, according to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320723001428?via%3Dihub">an April study</a>&nbsp;from researchers at the University of Maryland.

“Federal agencies, state agencies, the agriculture sector and wildlife management — we are all going to have to deal with this together, because we can’t afford not to,” said Jennifer Mullinax, an assistant professor in the University of Maryland Department of Environmental Science and Technology,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://agnr.umd.edu/news/why-bird-flu-different-scientists-say-new-avian-influenza-requires-urgent-coordinated-response">in a release.</a>

While some animal health experts say developing a vaccine for the current bird flu strain could be a valuable tool, trade experts caution that a national vaccination strategy would not come quickly, or without tradeoffs for the nation’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fas.usda.gov/data/commodities/poultry-meat-prods-ex-eggs">$6 billion poultry export industry.</a>

Sato said that a national vaccination strategy for the roughly 10 billion commercial-purpose birds in the United States could be time-intensive, and cost billions of taxpayer dollars.

Tom Super, senior vice president of communications at the National Chicken Council, said that&nbsp;his organization does not support the use of a vaccine for HPAI right now, as&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2023aof-Padilla.pdf">most countries do not accept exports</a>&nbsp;from countries that vaccinate for the virus.

These non-tariff trade barriers are designed to protect other nations’ unvaccinated poultry flocks from immunized birds that still carry the disease.&nbsp;Super added that if the U.S. vaccinates domestic birds, the broiler industry will be cut off from exports, costing billions of dollars to the U.S. economy every year.

Tyler added that his organization found that if a vaccination campaign happens without adjustments to trade policy, there could be a potential loss of 200,000 farm jobs.

Moffitt said that negotiations between the USDA and foreign partners are still ongoing to maintain international poultry export markets for certain states amid outbreaks in others in the country.

Tyler said that the Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and Foreign Agricultural Service have made significant progress in developing regionalization agreements with foreign governments since 2015.

He noted that the U.S. poultry industry has managed roughly $11.7 billion in exports over the last two years, despite the ongoing challenges of HPAI and bans on poultry exports by certain countries like China.

Super and Tyler both advocated for continued funding for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to provide rapid-response support to farms.

Moffitt urged adhering to biosecurity measures like interstate surveillance and the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/animal_health/cal-defend-the-flock-2023.pdf">Defend the Flock&nbsp;</a>program at the April 18 hearing. Moffitt cited that the number of infections in commercial flocks in March 2023 decreased tenfold compared to March 2022, proof the USDA’s current strategy of rapid tests and reporting is working.

“We know how to respond quickly, so producers can get back to producing food, how important biosecurity is, how to keep markets open,” she said. “We know what to do, and we are ready.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649945707315.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By ADAM GOLDSTEIN <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/17/state-ag-officials-push-for-on-time-farm-bill-to-fund-slew-of-programs/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — The deadliest outbreak of bird flu in U.S. history is prompting growing concern in Congress, and Department of Agriculture researchers are awaiting the preliminary results of four trials of vaccines for poultry.Some lawmakers are warming to the idea of a vaccination campaign, long considered a fringe idea because of the cost and potential consequences. Trade groups warn that vaccinated poultry would not be accepted in many overseas markets, disrupting exports.While bird flu likely poses little health danger to humans, it’s contributed to spikes in U.S. egg prices and decimated poultry flocks.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://extension.umn.edu/poultry-health/avian-influenza-basics-noncommercial-poultry-flock-owners">Among the domestic poultry affected</a>&nbsp;are chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, ducks and geese — in both big commercial operations and increasingly popular backyard flocks.Since the current strain of highly-pathogenic avian influenza — H5N1 — began circulating in the country in February 2022, farmers across the country have lost or had to cull&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-2022/2022-hpai-commercial-backyard-flocks">more than 58 million poultry birds.</a>The USDA estimates it has already spent&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/downloads/animal_diseases/ai/epi-analyses-hpai-poultry-july2022.pdf">more than $670 million</a>&nbsp;in insurance indemnities and sanitation services to combat the ongoing bird flu outbreak.And with many wild birds starting their spring migration, roughly&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-2022/2022-hpai-commercial-backyard-flocks">140,000 poultry birds</a>&nbsp;were infected with the virus nationwide in April.While food costs are stabilizing, members of Congress from both parties are asking how the U.S. can do better at controlling bird flu.“We’ve all seen first-hand how high pathogenic avian flu has devastated domestic poultry populations, where depopulations have had to take place,” said Rep. Jim Costa, a California Democrat, at an April 18 House Agriculture Committee hearing.“We’ve got to continue to refine and improve our approach to address animal disease, and USDA needs all the tools to guarantee a robust response.”The USDA is testing two proprietary vaccines developed through its Agricultural Research Service, as well as bird flu vaccines from pharmaceutical companies Merck Animal Health and Zoetis Inc.But animal health experts note that a bird flu vaccine is not the immediate solution that some believe it to be.Jenny Lester Moffitt, undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs at the USDA, said at an April 24 press event that it will take a minimum of 18 to 24 months to produce a viable vaccine, which is not guaranteed to be effective against infection.Yuko Sato, a poultry veterinarian and associate professor at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, said at an April 26 media event that “the vaccine is not a silver bullet” for an end to the outbreak.“You would have to make sure that if you vaccinate — but still have positive birds — you can stamp out the virus,” Sato said. “Otherwise, we’ll never be looking at eradicating the virus from the United States.”Here are the answers to some common questions about the ongoing bird flu outbreak and potential vaccines.<h2>What is highly-pathogenic avian influenza?</h2><a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/influenza-a-virus-subtypes.htm">Highly-pathogenic avian influenza,</a>&nbsp;commonly known as HPAI, bird flu, or “high-path,” is a deadly respiratory virus that affects wild birds and poultry.The contagious disease comes from the Influenza A family, and is characterized by the H5 or H7 categories of hemagglutinin — or spike protein — structures on its surface, which it uses to infect cells. The virus is spread via airborne transmission, or exposure to the byproducts of an infected bird, like saliva, mucus or feces.Poultry and other domesticated birds with the disease will often exhibit a lack of energy, produce soft-shelled or misshapen eggs, and have swollen heads.The highly-pathogenic version of the disease was first identified in China in 1996, and has mutated several times over the last three decades through swapping genetic material with low-pathogenic avian influenza strains within wild birds.David Swayne, former director of the Agricultural Research Service’s Southeast Poultry Research Lab in Athens, Georgia, said at an April 26 media briefing that 87% of avian influenza strains are made up of blended genetic material from other strains. He said that this natural mutation process can make a vaccine less effective against the virus year over year.Wild migratory birds are the primary transmission vector in the current outbreak, accounting for roughly 85% of disease spread,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/pest-disease/defend-flock/webinar-prevention-to-recovery-sept2022-qas.pdf">according to the USDA.</a>&nbsp;These animals, including terns, ducks, and geese, can contract and pass along the disease without obvious physical symptoms.Yet an HPAI infection spreads quickly among a flock of poultry, with infections leading to mortality at a rate of 90% to 100% in chickens and turkeys, often within 48 hours, according to the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/animal_health/bro-protect-poultry-from-ai.pdf">Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.</a>When a farmer detects the disease in a commercial flock, the only USDA-recommended option is to kill the remaining birds, dispose of the carcasses, and decontaminate the facility to mitigate spread.<h2>Who is getting infected? Should I be worried?</h2>Despite the threat H5N1 presents to poultry, experts with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that people do not need to brood over getting sick.The agency reports that&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/inhumans.htm#:~:text=Since%20December%202021%2C%2011%20human,reported%20since%201997%20are%20available.">11 cases of bird flu</a>&nbsp;have been reported among humans since 2021, with only one “mild” case occurring in the United States. And as of 2023, there have been no reported cases of human-to-human transmission of HPAI, according to t<a target="_blank" href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2023-DON453">he World Health Organization.</a>Swayne said at the media event that only 875 human cases of H5 bird flu have been reported since 1996. About 40% were fatal. He noted these infections have occurred largely among humans handling domesticated poultry, and not from encounters with wild birds.The USDA has documented&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-2022/2022-hpai-mammals">176 mammals in the United States&nbsp; infected with the disease&nbsp;</a>since 2022, including skunks, foxes, seals, and mountain lions, among other species. Wildlife experts from the U.S. Geological Survey published&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.10.532068v1">a study in April&nbsp;</a>finding much of this disease spillover can be traced back to predation on wild birds.Still both Swayne and Hill pointed to a recent event in which&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/06/americas/bird-flu-sea-lion-deaths-peru-intl-latam/index.html">3,500 sea lions became infected with the virus in Peru</a>&nbsp;as one worth monitoring for mutations that could affect mammals.<h2>How does the current outbreak compare to past bird flu outbreaks?</h2>The current iteration of the highly-pathogenic avian influenza virus was&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://scdhec.gov/sites/default/files/media/document/10510-DHA-01-20-2022-HPAI_Final.pdf">first detected domestically</a>&nbsp;on January 13, 2022, in a wild bird in Colleton County, South Carolina. The first domesticated animal case of the disease was found on a turkey farm in Dubois County, Indiana on February 8, 2022.Since then, the disease has spread across 47 states, affecting more than 833 commercial and backyard poultry flocks.Still, this is not the first outbreak of HPAI that the federal government has responded to. And despite the scope of these numbers, many animal health experts say current USDA efforts represent a significant improvement over earlier outbreaks of the disease.Sato recalled that a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/emergency_management/downloads/hpai/2015-hpai-final-report.pdf">2015 outbreak of HPAI,</a>&nbsp;previously considered the worst outbreak on record, required the culling of 50.4 million birds on Midwestern poultry operations.She added that 70% of the cause of new infections from that outbreak was farm-to-farm lateral spread from workers in 21 states, including Arkansas, Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.In contrast to that outbreak, Sato said that now “we’ve done a really good job with biosecurity.” Biosecurity refers to preventive measures producers can take to limit spread of the disease, like disinfecting farm machinery and providing clean clothing and protective equipment to farmworkers.Sato said that with producers embracing these practices, the lateral spread of avian influenza decreased from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/downloads/animal_diseases/ai/epi-analyses-hpai-poultry-july2022.pdf">70% of reported cases in 2015 to roughly 16% of reported cases in 2023.</a>Moffitt added that efforts to control the virus are projected to cost the country less than 50% of its 2015 expenditures of $1.6 billion.However, animal disease experts caution that the U.S. is dealing with a more widely dispersed and distinct disease than that of the 2015 HPAI outbreak.Nichola Hill, an&nbsp;assistant professor of biology at&nbsp;the University of Massachusetts, said at the April 26 media event that researchers have detected the virus in 150 of the approximately 1,000 wild bird species found in the U.S., and the disease has affected&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-2022/2022-hpai-wild-birds">more than 6,000 wild birds.</a>Greg Tyler, the president and CEO of USA Poultry and Egg Export Council, said that this version of the disease has also gotten into&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fws.gov/media/migratory-bird-flyways-north-america">all four major migratory flyways&nbsp;</a>for wild birds in the U.S.Sato said that more backyard flocks of poultry are being affected by the spread of bird flu from migratory populations — a total of 507 small to mid-sized flocks — in contrast to the 21 backyard flocks affected in 2015.There are also new concerns emerging among experts that this deadly disease could become endemic to North America without significant public-private collaboration to reduce spread, according to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320723001428?via%3Dihub">an April study</a>&nbsp;from researchers at the University of Maryland.“Federal agencies, state agencies, the agriculture sector and wildlife management — we are all going to have to deal with this together, because we can’t afford not to,” said Jennifer Mullinax, an assistant professor in the University of Maryland Department of Environmental Science and Technology,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://agnr.umd.edu/news/why-bird-flu-different-scientists-say-new-avian-influenza-requires-urgent-coordinated-response">in a release.</a><h2>What about a vaccine?</h2>While some animal health experts say developing a vaccine for the current bird flu strain could be a valuable tool, trade experts caution that a national vaccination strategy would not come quickly, or without tradeoffs for the nation’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fas.usda.gov/data/commodities/poultry-meat-prods-ex-eggs">$6 billion poultry export industry.</a>Sato said that a national vaccination strategy for the roughly 10 billion commercial-purpose birds in the United States could be time-intensive, and cost billions of taxpayer dollars.Tom Super, senior vice president of communications at the National Chicken Council, said that&nbsp;his organization does not support the use of a vaccine for HPAI right now, as&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2023aof-Padilla.pdf">most countries do not accept exports</a>&nbsp;from countries that vaccinate for the virus.These non-tariff trade barriers are designed to protect other nations’ unvaccinated poultry flocks from immunized birds that still carry the disease.&nbsp;Super added that if the U.S. vaccinates domestic birds, the broiler industry will be cut off from exports, costing billions of dollars to the U.S. economy every year.Tyler added that his organization found that if a vaccination campaign happens without adjustments to trade policy, there could be a potential loss of 200,000 farm jobs.Moffitt said that negotiations between the USDA and foreign partners are still ongoing to maintain international poultry export markets for certain states amid outbreaks in others in the country.Tyler said that the Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and Foreign Agricultural Service have made significant progress in developing regionalization agreements with foreign governments since 2015.He noted that the U.S. poultry industry has managed roughly $11.7 billion in exports over the last two years, despite the ongoing challenges of HPAI and bans on poultry exports by certain countries like China.Super and Tyler both advocated for continued funding for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to provide rapid-response support to farms.Moffitt urged adhering to biosecurity measures like interstate surveillance and the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/animal_health/cal-defend-the-flock-2023.pdf">Defend the Flock&nbsp;</a>program at the April 18 hearing. Moffitt cited that the number of infections in commercial flocks in March 2023 decreased tenfold compared to March 2022, proof the USDA’s current strategy of rapid tests and reporting is working.“We know how to respond quickly, so producers can get back to producing food, how important biosecurity is, how to keep markets open,” she said. “We know what to do, and we are ready.”

Is a poultry vaccine the answer for worst bird flu outbreak ever?

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two Kansas men on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.

Just before 4a.m. May 11, a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) deputy with the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a white 2000 Ford F-150 pickup truck causing a traffic hazard near NW Gordon Street and NW Van Buren Street, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

Two men were attempting to unload a spray painted black motorcycle from the bed of the pickup truck.

During the investigation, a K9 Unit was utilized and illegal narcotics were located. An illegal sawed off shotgun was also located and the motorcycle was reported stolen out of Shawnee County.

Deputies arrested Scott L. Kemble, 51, of Scranton, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of distribution of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of stolen property, criminal use of a weapon and criminal possession of a weapon.

David L. Newton Jr., 53, of Topeka was arrested and booked on requested charges of distribution of methamphetamine, distribution of marijuana, possession of stolen property, possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia and distributing certain depressants.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684010058977.png" alt="Newton-photo Shawnee Xo." />
 <figcaption>Newton-photo Shawnee Xo.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two Kansas men on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.Just before 4a.m. May 11, a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) deputy with the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a white 2000 Ford F-150 pickup truck causing a traffic hazard near NW Gordon Street and NW Van Buren Street, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.Two men were attempting to unload a spray painted black motorcycle from the bed of the pickup truck.During the investigation, a K9 Unit was utilized and illegal narcotics were located. An illegal sawed off shotgun was also located and the motorcycle was reported stolen out of Shawnee County.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684010038993.png" alt="Kemble photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Kemble photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Deputies arrested Scott L. Kemble, 51, of Scranton, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of distribution of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of stolen property, criminal use of a weapon and criminal possession of a weapon.David L. Newton Jr., 53, of Topeka was arrested and booked on requested charges of distribution of methamphetamine, distribution of marijuana, possession of stolen property, possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia and distributing certain depressants.

Kan. deputies found sawed off shotgun, stolen motorcycle

KANSAS CITY (AP) — With other state lawmakers seated around her in the Ohio House, Democratic state Rep. Tavia Galonski got to her feet and began to loudly chant, "One person, one vote!"

The former Teamster's cry spread quickly through the visitors gallery, then began to rise from the throng of protesters gathered outside in the statehouse rotunda. Struggling to be heard over the din, the Republican speaker ordered spectators cleared from the chamber.

Last week's striking scene came as Ohio joined a growing number of Republican-leaning states that are moving to undermine direct democracy by restricting citizens' ability to bypass lawmakers through ballot initiatives and constitutional amendments.

The Ohio proposal will ask voters during an August special election to boost the threshold for passing constitutional amendments to 60% rather than a simple majority. It also would double the number of counties where signatures must be collected, adding an extra layer of difficulty to qualifying initiatives for the ballot.

The Missouri Legislature failed to approve a similar measure on Friday, but Republicans vowed to bring the issue back in 2024 in an attempt to head off a citizens' attempt to restore abortion rights in the state through a constitutional amendment.

A similar measure will be on North Dakota's ballot next year, while one in the works in Idaho would ask voters to increase signature requirements imposed on petition gatherers. In Wisconsin, which does not allow statewide citizen initiatives, Republicans who control the Legislature have proposed prohibiting local governments from placing advisory questions on ballots. Such referenda are sometimes used to boost voter turnout, though results don't carry the weight of law. Florida Republicans added new hurdles to that state's constitutional amendment process in 2020.

The trend has taken off as Democrats and left-leaning groups frustrated by legislative gerrymandering that locks them out of power in state legislatures are increasingly turning to the initiative process to force public votes on issues that are opposed by Republican lawmakers yet popular among voters. Only about half the states, mostly in the Western U.S., allow some form of citizen ballot initiative.

In Ohio, voters have proposed using the initiative process to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution this November, as well as to increase the minimum wage, to legalize recreational marijuana and to reform a redistricting system that has produced persistently unconstitutional political maps favoring Republicans.

Arkansas Sen. Bryan King, a Republican who has joined the League of Women Voters in a lawsuit challenging his state's latest initiative restriction, said he views efforts to undermine the initiative process as anti-democratic.

A measure approved earlier this year by Arkansas' majority-GOP Legislature and signed by Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders makes it harder to get initiatives on the ballot by raising the number of counties where signatures must be gathered from 15 to 50.

"I think one of the things it does is, no matter what party is in power, when you start trying to make it harder for citizens to challenge what their government does or make changes, then it just makes people not have faith in the process," King said. "So I do think that making it harder is wrong."

In Ohio, former governors and attorneys general of both major parties have lined up against the proposed constitutional amendment that would alter the simple majority threshold for passing citizen-led initiative that has been in place since 1912.

Democratic legislators point to the bipartisan opposition and the maneuvering that allowed the proposal to be on an August ballot as evidence that today's Republicans are extremist in their desire to maintain political power.

Republican state Rep. Brian Stewart, the Ohio plan's sponsor, argued during last week's raucous floor session that a simple majority of voters will get to decide whether to impose the stricter requirements on future ballot initiatives.

"SJR 2 will ask Ohioans, not us, whether Ohio's constitution should require a 60% vote threshold to adopt amendments going forward. It will ask Ohioans, not us, to decide whether all 88 counties should have a voice in determining what amendments make it onto the ballot and to eliminate the cumbersome 'cure' period, which gives initiative petitions effectively a do-over when they fail to meet the requirements for ballot access," he said. "Putting this issue in front of Ohioans, that is democratic."

What Stewart didn't address is how Republicans circumvented a law they had just passed so they could put the proposed amendment on a summertime ballot when voter turnout is typically quite low, rather than putting it before voters in the regular election this November.

Democratic Rep. Casey Weinstein called out Stewart and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican, for previously opposing the very August special elections that they supported for offering the 60% question.

Weinstein read in its entirety LaRose's testimony from December advocating for the provisions of a new law — signed in January — that eliminated most August elections. LaRose argued that making big decisions, including those regarding ballot issues, in chronically low-turnout August elections "isn't the way democracy is supposed to work" and that such elections "aren't good for taxpayers, election officials or the civic health of our state."

In testimony, Mark Gavin Sr., outreach director for the Black Environmental Leaders Association, referred to the U.S. Constitution's counting of enslaved people by calling the Ohio proposal "the new Three-Fifths Compromise."

Gavin was among hundreds of protesters who packed statehouse hearings and overflow rooms, testified and marched in opposition to the Republican proposal, which he said is intended to dilute the power of individual voters.

"I've been a voter in Ohio for 15 years, and it's getting really old to always have to have new rules and regulations on a ballot," he said.

Anti-abortion and pro-gun groups were the primary forces behind the push in favor of the proposed Ohio amendment. Since the Supreme Court's decision last year overturning Roe v. Wade, voters in Michigan, Kentucky and Kansas have protected abortion rights through statewide votes.

David Couch, an attorney who has worked on citizens' initiatives in Arkansas, said Republicans' efforts to thwart direct democracy are uniquely partisan.

"If you look in Arkansas history in the '90s, when the Democrats controlled Arkansas, the conservative right passed same-sex marriage amendments, they passed adoption amendments," he said. "They passed all sorts of reforms, and the Democrats didn't try to change the process."

Democrats in Missouri did try to cripple the initiative process through legislation in 1992. Then-Gov. John Ashcroft, a Republican who went on to serve as U.S. attorney general, vetoed the bill. Ashcroft's son, Jay, is the state's current secretary of state.

"It is through the initiative process that those who have no influence with elective representatives may take their cause directly to the people," the elder Ashcroft said in a veto letter that became part of this year's debate. "The General Assembly should be reluctant, therefore, to enact legislation which places any impediments on the initiative power which are inconsistent with the reservation found in the Constitution."

Missouri's Republican lawmakers are singing a different tune today. Fearing a constitutional amendment to protect abortion rights, they vowed last week to make it a priority in 2024 to adopt a ballot measure that would establish a 57% threshold for passing future amendments.

Not all Republicans in the state think that's a good idea. Former Republican House Speaker Pro Tem Carl Bearden said the proposal would infringe on the rights of Missouri voters while noting that the initiative process is intended to be a check on the power of the Legislature.

"It is not a conservative policy," he said of the Republican plan.

Associated Press writers Ayanna Alexander in Washington, Summer Ballentine in Jefferson City, Mo., Scott Bauer in Madison, Wis., and Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Ark., contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603990248864.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By JULIE CARR SMYTH&nbsp;KANSAS CITY (AP) — With other state lawmakers seated around her in the Ohio House, Democratic state Rep. Tavia Galonski got to her feet and began to loudly chant, "One person, one vote!"The former Teamster's cry spread quickly through the visitors gallery, then began to rise from the throng of protesters gathered outside in the statehouse rotunda. Struggling to be heard over the din, the Republican speaker ordered spectators cleared from the chamber.Last week's striking scene came as Ohio joined a growing number of Republican-leaning states that are moving to undermine direct democracy by restricting citizens' ability to bypass lawmakers through ballot initiatives and constitutional amendments.The Ohio proposal will ask voters during an August special election to boost the threshold for passing constitutional amendments to 60% rather than a simple majority. It also would double the number of counties where signatures must be collected, adding an extra layer of difficulty to qualifying initiatives for the ballot.The Missouri Legislature failed to approve a similar measure on Friday, but Republicans vowed to bring the issue back in 2024 in an attempt to head off a citizens' attempt to restore abortion rights in the state through a constitutional amendment.A similar measure will be on North Dakota's ballot next year, while one in the works in Idaho would ask voters to increase signature requirements imposed on petition gatherers. In Wisconsin, which does not allow statewide citizen initiatives, Republicans who control the Legislature have proposed prohibiting local governments from placing advisory questions on ballots. Such referenda are sometimes used to boost voter turnout, though results don't carry the weight of law. Florida Republicans added new hurdles to that state's constitutional amendment process in 2020.The trend has taken off as Democrats and left-leaning groups frustrated by legislative gerrymandering that locks them out of power in state legislatures are increasingly turning to the initiative process to force public votes on issues that are opposed by Republican lawmakers yet popular among voters. Only about half the states, mostly in the Western U.S., allow some form of citizen ballot initiative.In Ohio, voters have proposed using the initiative process to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution this November, as well as to increase the minimum wage, to legalize recreational marijuana and to reform a redistricting system that has produced persistently unconstitutional political maps favoring Republicans.Arkansas Sen. Bryan King, a Republican who has joined the League of Women Voters in a lawsuit challenging his state's latest initiative restriction, said he views efforts to undermine the initiative process as anti-democratic.A measure approved earlier this year by Arkansas' majority-GOP Legislature and signed by Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders makes it harder to get initiatives on the ballot by raising the number of counties where signatures must be gathered from 15 to 50."I think one of the things it does is, no matter what party is in power, when you start trying to make it harder for citizens to challenge what their government does or make changes, then it just makes people not have faith in the process," King said. "So I do think that making it harder is wrong."In Ohio, former governors and attorneys general of both major parties have lined up against the proposed constitutional amendment that would alter the simple majority threshold for passing citizen-led initiative that has been in place since 1912.Democratic legislators point to the bipartisan opposition and the maneuvering that allowed the proposal to be on an August ballot as evidence that today's Republicans are extremist in their desire to maintain political power.Republican state Rep. Brian Stewart, the Ohio plan's sponsor, argued during last week's raucous floor session that a simple majority of voters will get to decide whether to impose the stricter requirements on future ballot initiatives."SJR 2 will ask Ohioans, not us, whether Ohio's constitution should require a 60% vote threshold to adopt amendments going forward. It will ask Ohioans, not us, to decide whether all 88 counties should have a voice in determining what amendments make it onto the ballot and to eliminate the cumbersome 'cure' period, which gives initiative petitions effectively a do-over when they fail to meet the requirements for ballot access," he said. "Putting this issue in front of Ohioans, that is democratic."What Stewart didn't address is how Republicans circumvented a law they had just passed so they could put the proposed amendment on a summertime ballot when voter turnout is typically quite low, rather than putting it before voters in the regular election this November.Democratic Rep. Casey Weinstein called out Stewart and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican, for previously opposing the very August special elections that they supported for offering the 60% question.Weinstein read in its entirety LaRose's testimony from December advocating for the provisions of a new law — signed in January — that eliminated most August elections. LaRose argued that making big decisions, including those regarding ballot issues, in chronically low-turnout August elections "isn't the way democracy is supposed to work" and that such elections "aren't good for taxpayers, election officials or the civic health of our state."In testimony, Mark Gavin Sr., outreach director for the Black Environmental Leaders Association, referred to the U.S. Constitution's counting of enslaved people by calling the Ohio proposal "the new Three-Fifths Compromise."Gavin was among hundreds of protesters who packed statehouse hearings and overflow rooms, testified and marched in opposition to the Republican proposal, which he said is intended to dilute the power of individual voters."I've been a voter in Ohio for 15 years, and it's getting really old to always have to have new rules and regulations on a ballot," he said.Anti-abortion and pro-gun groups were the primary forces behind the push in favor of the proposed Ohio amendment. Since the Supreme Court's decision last year overturning Roe v. Wade, voters in Michigan, Kentucky and Kansas have protected abortion rights through statewide votes.David Couch, an attorney who has worked on citizens' initiatives in Arkansas, said Republicans' efforts to thwart direct democracy are uniquely partisan."If you look in Arkansas history in the '90s, when the Democrats controlled Arkansas, the conservative right passed same-sex marriage amendments, they passed adoption amendments," he said. "They passed all sorts of reforms, and the Democrats didn't try to change the process."Democrats in Missouri did try to cripple the initiative process through legislation in 1992. Then-Gov. John Ashcroft, a Republican who went on to serve as U.S. attorney general, vetoed the bill. Ashcroft's son, Jay, is the state's current secretary of state."It is through the initiative process that those who have no influence with elective representatives may take their cause directly to the people," the elder Ashcroft said in a veto letter that became part of this year's debate. "The General Assembly should be reluctant, therefore, to enact legislation which places any impediments on the initiative power which are inconsistent with the reservation found in the Constitution."Missouri's Republican lawmakers are singing a different tune today. Fearing a constitutional amendment to protect abortion rights, they vowed last week to make it a priority in 2024 to adopt a ballot measure that would establish a 57% threshold for passing future amendments.Not all Republicans in the state think that's a good idea. Former Republican House Speaker Pro Tem Carl Bearden said the proposal would infringe on the rights of Missouri voters while noting that the initiative process is intended to be a check on the power of the Legislature."It is not a conservative policy," he said of the Republican plan.___Associated Press writers Ayanna Alexander in Washington, Summer Ballentine in Jefferson City, Mo., Scott Bauer in Madison, Wis., and Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Ark., contributed to this report.

GOP state lawmakers try to restrict ballot initiatives, partly to thwart abortion protections

LYON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged inappropriate touching by an adult at a middle school dance in Emporia on Friday,&nbsp;according to Police Captain Lisa Hayes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684147771319.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>LYON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged inappropriate touching by an adult at a middle school dance in Emporia on Friday,&nbsp;according to Police Captain Lisa Hayes.Police have conducted interviews and are reviewing security video from inside the school, according to Hayes.&nbsp; USD 253 Emporia and the alleged suspect have been cooperative with the investigation.Police expect to conduct additional interviews and ask those with 'firsthand' information and directly witnessed the incident to contact them at 620-343-4225.&nbsp;