By JASON HANCOCK <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>

A legal showdown between a pair of Republican statewide elected officials found its way to the Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday, as the judges heard arguments over whether a behind-the-scenes push to increase the cost of an abortion-rights initiative petition was illegal.&nbsp;

Attorney General Andrew Bailey is defending his unprecedented&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/05/04/missouri-auditor-says-ag-trying-to-falsely-inflate-projected-cost-of-abortion-amendment/">decision to reject a fiscal summary crafted by state Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick</a>&nbsp;that concluded the proposed initiative petition would have no significant impact on state funds.

Bailey wanted the fiscal note to say the proposed amendment would cost the state billions of dollars.&nbsp;

The Missouri ACLU filed a lawsuit, arguing that Bailey lacked legal authority to refuse to certify Fizpatrick’s fiscal estimate and was instead simply trying to derail the initiative petition’s chances of getting on the 2024 ballot.&nbsp;

A Cole County judge last month agreed,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/20/judge-missouri-ag-had-absolute-absence-of-authority-to-question-abortion-initiative-cost/">ordering Bailey to sign off&nbsp;</a>on the auditor’s work.&nbsp;

Bailey appealed, and on Tuesday a packed Jefferson City courtroom heard Assistant Attorney General Jason Lewis argue that the court’s June ruling needlessly restricted Bailey’s authority.&nbsp;

The attorney general is tasked with approving the legal content and form of the fiscal summary of a proposed initiative petition. The Cole County ruling would reduce the attorney general’s role in the initiative petition process to a “word counter,” Lewis argued, leaving the office only reviewing fiscal notes to ensure they are the proper length.&nbsp;

Robert Tillman, deputy general counsel for the auditor’s office, said this was the first time an attorney general has attempted to reject the auditor’s work in the fiscal note process.&nbsp;

The attorney general has only a “perfunctory, ministerial role in the fiscal note process for initiative petitions,” Tillman argued. Bailey believes he can substitute his judgment for the auditor’s, he said, but there is nothing in state law giving him that authority.&nbsp;

To bolster that point, Tillman pointed out that the General Assembly stripped the attorney general’s statutory authority to draft the fiscal note summary for a proposed initiative more than 40 years ago.

The attorney general’s interpretation of state law “requires legal gymnastics,” Tillman said, and leads to “preposterous results.”&nbsp;

Anthony Rothert, attorney for the Missouri ACLU, noted that the auditor reviewed Bailey’s suggested changes, including circling back to state agencies seeking any evidence to back the attorney general’s claims.&nbsp;

“There was no new evidence,” he said.&nbsp;

The attorney general is trying to hold hostage and “potentially kill,” an initiative petition he opposes,” Rothert said.&nbsp;&nbsp;Bailey’s actions, he said, are a “direct threat to direct democracy.”

“For more than a century,” Rothert said, “this court has been a guardian of direct democracy.”

The initiative petition effort began when 11 versions of a proposed constitutional amendment seeking to roll back Missouri’s ban on abortion were filed in early March with the secretary of state’s office.&nbsp;

The proposals would declare that the “government shall not infringe upon a person’s fundamental right to reproductive freedom.” That would include “prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion care, miscarriage care and respectful birthing conditions.”&nbsp;

Penalties for both medical providers and patients seeking reproductive health care would be outlawed.

As part of the initiative petition process, the state auditor is required to create a fiscal note and a fiscal note summary that states “the measure’s estimated cost or savings, if any, to state or local governmental entities.”

After consulting 60 state and local agencies, including the attorney general’s office, Fitzpatrick concluded the state would face “no costs or savings” as a result of the proposed constitutional amendment.

Emails obtained by The Independent show&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/05/04/missouri-auditor-says-ag-trying-to-falsely-inflate-projected-cost-of-abortion-amendment/">Bailey refused to give what has traditionally been considered perfunctory approval of the fiscal note</a>. Instead, he insisted the auditor increase the estimate to say the amendment would cost the state billions of dollars.&nbsp;

Bailey contends that both the Department of Social Services, which oversees the state’s Medicaid program, and the Department of Revenue were incorrect when they told the auditor’s office that there would be no cost to the state if the initiative petition passes.

The attorney general believes — and several opponents of the abortion-rights petition argued in letters to Fitzpatrick — that the proposed amendment could put federal Medicaid money at risk, costing the state at least $12 billion annually. He also contends the fiscal summary should reflect possible loss of tax revenue as “aborting unborn Missourians will have a deleterious impact on the future tax base.”

Fitzpatrick said that while he vehemently opposes the proposed initiative petition, the projected cost estimate being pushed by Bailey is not based in reality. To alter his fiscal summary to include Bailey’s “inaccurate information.” Fitzpatrick wrote to the attorney general, would “violate my duty as State Auditor to produce an accurate fiscal note summary.”

Because of the impasse, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft has not completed his work on the summary, and thus, supporters cannot legally begin collecting signatures to place the issue on the ballot.

The court did not take any action on Tuesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689729912291.png" alt="The Missouri Supreme Court Building in Jefferson City (Jason Hancock/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>The Missouri Supreme Court Building in Jefferson City (Jason Hancock/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>By JASON HANCOCK <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>A legal showdown between a pair of Republican statewide elected officials found its way to the Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday, as the judges heard arguments over whether a behind-the-scenes push to increase the cost of an abortion-rights initiative petition was illegal.&nbsp;Attorney General Andrew Bailey is defending his unprecedented&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/05/04/missouri-auditor-says-ag-trying-to-falsely-inflate-projected-cost-of-abortion-amendment/">decision to reject a fiscal summary crafted by state Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick</a>&nbsp;that concluded the proposed initiative petition would have no significant impact on state funds.Bailey wanted the fiscal note to say the proposed amendment would cost the state billions of dollars.&nbsp;The Missouri ACLU filed a lawsuit, arguing that Bailey lacked legal authority to refuse to certify Fizpatrick’s fiscal estimate and was instead simply trying to derail the initiative petition’s chances of getting on the 2024 ballot.&nbsp;A Cole County judge last month agreed,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/20/judge-missouri-ag-had-absolute-absence-of-authority-to-question-abortion-initiative-cost/">ordering Bailey to sign off&nbsp;</a>on the auditor’s work.&nbsp;Bailey appealed, and on Tuesday a packed Jefferson City courtroom heard Assistant Attorney General Jason Lewis argue that the court’s June ruling needlessly restricted Bailey’s authority.&nbsp;The attorney general is tasked with approving the legal content and form of the fiscal summary of a proposed initiative petition. The Cole County ruling would reduce the attorney general’s role in the initiative petition process to a “word counter,” Lewis argued, leaving the office only reviewing fiscal notes to ensure they are the proper length.&nbsp;Robert Tillman, deputy general counsel for the auditor’s office, said this was the first time an attorney general has attempted to reject the auditor’s work in the fiscal note process.&nbsp;The attorney general has only a “perfunctory, ministerial role in the fiscal note process for initiative petitions,” Tillman argued. Bailey believes he can substitute his judgment for the auditor’s, he said, but there is nothing in state law giving him that authority.&nbsp;To bolster that point, Tillman pointed out that the General Assembly stripped the attorney general’s statutory authority to draft the fiscal note summary for a proposed initiative more than 40 years ago.The attorney general’s interpretation of state law “requires legal gymnastics,” Tillman said, and leads to “preposterous results.”&nbsp;Anthony Rothert, attorney for the Missouri ACLU, noted that the auditor reviewed Bailey’s suggested changes, including circling back to state agencies seeking any evidence to back the attorney general’s claims.&nbsp;“There was no new evidence,” he said.&nbsp;The attorney general is trying to hold hostage and “potentially kill,” an initiative petition he opposes,” Rothert said.&nbsp;&nbsp;Bailey’s actions, he said, are a “direct threat to direct democracy.”“For more than a century,” Rothert said, “this court has been a guardian of direct democracy.”The initiative petition effort began when 11 versions of a proposed constitutional amendment seeking to roll back Missouri’s ban on abortion were filed in early March with the secretary of state’s office.&nbsp;The proposals would declare that the “government shall not infringe upon a person’s fundamental right to reproductive freedom.” That would include “prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion care, miscarriage care and respectful birthing conditions.”&nbsp;Penalties for both medical providers and patients seeking reproductive health care would be outlawed.As part of the initiative petition process, the state auditor is required to create a fiscal note and a fiscal note summary that states “the measure’s estimated cost or savings, if any, to state or local governmental entities.”After consulting 60 state and local agencies, including the attorney general’s office, Fitzpatrick concluded the state would face “no costs or savings” as a result of the proposed constitutional amendment.Emails obtained by The Independent show&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/05/04/missouri-auditor-says-ag-trying-to-falsely-inflate-projected-cost-of-abortion-amendment/">Bailey refused to give what has traditionally been considered perfunctory approval of the fiscal note</a>. Instead, he insisted the auditor increase the estimate to say the amendment would cost the state billions of dollars.&nbsp;Bailey contends that both the Department of Social Services, which oversees the state’s Medicaid program, and the Department of Revenue were incorrect when they told the auditor’s office that there would be no cost to the state if the initiative petition passes.The attorney general believes — and several opponents of the abortion-rights petition argued in letters to Fitzpatrick — that the proposed amendment could put federal Medicaid money at risk, costing the state at least $12 billion annually. He also contends the fiscal summary should reflect possible loss of tax revenue as “aborting unborn Missourians will have a deleterious impact on the future tax base.”Fitzpatrick said that while he vehemently opposes the proposed initiative petition, the projected cost estimate being pushed by Bailey is not based in reality. To alter his fiscal summary to include Bailey’s “inaccurate information.” Fitzpatrick wrote to the attorney general, would “violate my duty as State Auditor to produce an accurate fiscal note summary.”Because of the impasse, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft has not completed his work on the summary, and thus, supporters cannot legally begin collecting signatures to place the issue on the ballot.The court did not take any action on Tuesday.

Fight over abortion-rights initiative petition reaches Mo. Supreme Court

SHAWNEE COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 1p.m. Tuesday in Topeka.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a&nbsp; 2007 Kenworth semi driven by Carl Anthony Miles, 67, Topeka, was exiting the Bettis Asphalt Concrete Supply of Topeka parking lot at 2350 NW Water Works Drive just off Interstate 70 and traveled northbound. 

The semi entered the railroad tracks and an eastbound Union Pacific train struck the semi. The impact caused the semi&nbsp; to spin out, land on the passenger side and became fully engulfed in flames. Heavy smoke and flames were visible throughout the area.

Miles was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to First Call. There were no other injuries.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Topeka Fire crews and Topeka Police coordinated with several law enforcement agencies on scene, as well as Kansas Gas Service due to damage to a gas line.&nbsp;&nbsp;There were no other injuries reported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689761403610.png" alt="Photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 1p.m. Tuesday in Topeka.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a&nbsp; 2007 Kenworth semi driven by Carl Anthony Miles, 67, Topeka, was exiting the Bettis Asphalt Concrete Supply of Topeka parking lot at 2350 NW Water Works Drive just off Interstate 70 and traveled northbound. The semi entered the railroad tracks and an eastbound Union Pacific train struck the semi. The impact caused the semi&nbsp; to spin out, land on the passenger side and became fully engulfed in flames. Heavy smoke and flames were visible throughout the area.Miles was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to First Call. There were no other injuries.&nbsp;&nbsp;Topeka Fire crews and Topeka Police coordinated with several law enforcement agencies on scene, as well as Kansas Gas Service due to damage to a gas line.&nbsp;&nbsp;There were no other injuries reported.

Kansas man dies after train, truck crash and fire

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal shooting in Topeka are attempting to locate 29-year-old Alfred A. Smith.

Just before 5:30p.m. Friday,&nbsp; police were&nbsp;dispatched to a Topeka hospital after a victim identified as 2-month-old Alonzoe K. Smith arrived with an apparent gunshot wound, according to Lt. Ronnie Connell.

The infant had arrived and was being treated for a life threatening injury. and later died.&nbsp; &nbsp; The shooting occurred in the 1000 Block of SW Mulvane Street.

Police reported Alfred Smith was last seen in a turquoise Jeep SUV.

If you have any information regarding where Smith might be, do not attempt to make contact with him, please call 911 immediately.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689544705597.png" alt="Alfred A. Smith-photo Topeka Police" />
 <figcaption>Alfred A. Smith-photo Topeka Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal shooting in Topeka are attempting to locate 29-year-old Alfred A. Smith.Just before 5:30p.m. Friday,&nbsp; police were&nbsp;dispatched to a Topeka hospital after a victim identified as 2-month-old Alonzoe K. Smith arrived with an apparent gunshot wound, according to Lt. Ronnie Connell.The infant had arrived and was being treated for a life threatening injury. and later died.&nbsp; &nbsp; The shooting occurred in the 1000 Block of SW Mulvane Street.Police reported Alfred Smith was last seen in a turquoise Jeep SUV.If you have any information regarding where Smith might be, do not attempt to make contact with him, please call 911 immediately.

Kansas man wanted for death of 2-month old still hiding from police

WASHINGTON —The Defense Department announced an increased presence in the U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility, including an additional Navy destroyer along with fighter jets, according to statement from the agency.

"In response to a number of recent, alarming events in the Strait of Hormuz, the secretary of defense has ordered the deployment of the of the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner, F-35 fighters and F-16 fighters to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility to defend U.S. interests and safeguard freedom of navigation in the region," said Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh during a briefing.&nbsp;

Earlier this month, Singh said, the Iranian navy attempted to illegally seize two merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman.&nbsp;

"One attempt included an Iranian navy ship firing upon the merchant vessel," Singh said. "In light of this continued threat and in coordination with our partners and allies, the department is increasing our presence and ability to monitor the strait and surrounding waters."&nbsp;

According to a news report from U.S. Central Command, on July 5, U.S. forces already in Centcom's area of responsibility participated in preventing two commercial tanker ships from being seized by the Iranian military in international waters near the coast of Oman.&nbsp;

One of those ships, the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker TRF Moss, was approached by an Iranian naval vessel, but that naval vessel departed after the arrival of the U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul.&nbsp;

Later that same day, the Bahamian-flagged oil tanker Richmond Voyager was also approached by an Iranian naval vessel. That Iranian naval vessel got within one mile of the tanker and fired on it using small arms and crew-served weapons. As happened with the TRF Moss, the Iranian vessel departed when the USS McFaul arrived on the scene.&nbsp;

According to Centcom, Iran has attacked or seized about 20 merchant vessels since 2021.&nbsp;

"We call upon Iran to immediately cease these destabilizing actions that threaten the free flow of commerce through this strategic waterway, of which the world depends on for more than 1/5 of the world's oil supply," Singh said.&nbsp;

Singh also said Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark A. Milley will host a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group from the Pentagon on Tuesday.

"They will join ministers of defense and chiefs of defense from nearly 50 nations from around the world to discuss Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine and continue close coordination to provide Ukraine with the security assistance they need to protect their people and defend their country," she said.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689682458596.png" alt="The Navy’s USS Thomas Hudner is under orders from Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III to deploy to U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility. The Thomas Hudner is an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer. Photo By: Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Malachi Lakey" />
 <figcaption>The Navy’s USS Thomas Hudner is under orders from Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III to deploy to U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility. The Thomas Hudner is an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer. Photo By: Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Malachi Lakey</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —The Defense Department announced an increased presence in the U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility, including an additional Navy destroyer along with fighter jets, according to statement from the agency."In response to a number of recent, alarming events in the Strait of Hormuz, the secretary of defense has ordered the deployment of the of the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner, F-35 fighters and F-16 fighters to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility to defend U.S. interests and safeguard freedom of navigation in the region," said Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh during a briefing.&nbsp;Earlier this month, Singh said, the Iranian navy attempted to illegally seize two merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman.&nbsp;"One attempt included an Iranian navy ship firing upon the merchant vessel," Singh said. "In light of this continued threat and in coordination with our partners and allies, the department is increasing our presence and ability to monitor the strait and surrounding waters."&nbsp;According to a news report from U.S. Central Command, on July 5, U.S. forces already in Centcom's area of responsibility participated in preventing two commercial tanker ships from being seized by the Iranian military in international waters near the coast of Oman.&nbsp;One of those ships, the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker TRF Moss, was approached by an Iranian naval vessel, but that naval vessel departed after the arrival of the U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689682519398.png" alt="Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III is ordering an undisclosed number of F-16 aircraft, similar to the one photographed, to deploy to the U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility.&nbsp;Photo By:&nbsp;Osakabe Yasuo, Air Force" />
 <figcaption>Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III is ordering an undisclosed number of F-16 aircraft, similar to the one photographed, to deploy to the U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility.&nbsp;Photo By:&nbsp;Osakabe Yasuo, Air Force</figcaption>
 </figure>Later that same day, the Bahamian-flagged oil tanker Richmond Voyager was also approached by an Iranian naval vessel. That Iranian naval vessel got within one mile of the tanker and fired on it using small arms and crew-served weapons. As happened with the TRF Moss, the Iranian vessel departed when the USS McFaul arrived on the scene.&nbsp;According to Centcom, Iran has attacked or seized about 20 merchant vessels since 2021.&nbsp;"We call upon Iran to immediately cease these destabilizing actions that threaten the free flow of commerce through this strategic waterway, of which the world depends on for more than 1/5 of the world's oil supply," Singh said.&nbsp;Singh also said Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark A. Milley will host a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group from the Pentagon on Tuesday."They will join ministers of defense and chiefs of defense from nearly 50 nations from around the world to discuss Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine and continue close coordination to provide Ukraine with the security assistance they need to protect their people and defend their country," she said.&nbsp;

U.S. moves guided missile destroyer, F16s due to Iran threat

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas woman is going to prison for the death of her infant daughter.

On Friday, 29-year-old Neriah Dilley was sentenced to just over 14-years in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

In February, Dilley entered a guilty plea to one count of second-degree murder and one count of abuse of a child.

In October of 2021, police responded to a home in the 800 block of South Mission in Wichita after report of an infant not breathing, according to Officer Charley Davidson.

Upon arrival, officers located 1-year-old Myonna Townley in critical condition. EMS transported her an area hospital for medical treatment where she succumbed to her injuries. Townley was also found to have trauma on her body, according to Davidson.

Interviews and the examination of evidence led police to arrest Dilley, the girl's mother.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633901481923.png" alt="Dilley-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Dilley-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas woman is going to prison for the death of her infant daughter.On Friday, 29-year-old Neriah Dilley was sentenced to just over 14-years in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.In February, Dilley entered a guilty plea to one count of second-degree murder and one count of abuse of a child.In October of 2021, police responded to a home in the 800 block of South Mission in Wichita after report of an infant not breathing, according to Officer Charley Davidson.Upon arrival, officers located 1-year-old Myonna Townley in critical condition. EMS transported her an area hospital for medical treatment where she succumbed to her injuries. Townley was also found to have trauma on her body, according to Davidson.Interviews and the examination of evidence led police to arrest Dilley, the girl's mother.

Kan. mother sentenced for abuse death of infant daughter

FINNEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating three suspects in connection with&nbsp;an ongoing narcotics investigation in southwest Kansas.

On July 14, the Garden City/Finney County Joint Drug Task Force served a search warrant at 1502 A Street, in Garden City, according to a media release.

Three suspects identified as April Williams, 54, Brock Walker, 38, and Abeer Abdelrazek, 24, refused to exit the residence and surrender to police.&nbsp;Williams is listed as a registered offender for a drug distribution conviction in 2022.

After two hours, the individuals were taken into custody. During a search of the residence, Officers found suspected narcotics, drug paraphernalia, and counterfeit money.

Williams, Walker, and Abdelrazek are being held in the Finney County Jail on requested charges of&nbsp; Interference LEO (F) and active warrants. Williams is also accused of a violation of offender registration act. Additional charges are pending, according to police.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689676905941.png" alt="Williams has been listed as a registered offender since December for a drug distribution conviction-photo KBI offender registry" />
 <figcaption>Williams has been listed as a registered offender since December for a drug distribution conviction-photo KBI offender registry</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating three suspects in connection with&nbsp;an ongoing narcotics investigation in southwest Kansas.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689676725601.png" alt="Abdelrazek-photo Finney Co." />
 <figcaption>Abdelrazek-photo Finney Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>On July 14, the Garden City/Finney County Joint Drug Task Force served a search warrant at 1502 A Street, in Garden City, according to a media release.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689676640867.png" alt="Walker-photo Finney Co." />
 <figcaption>Walker-photo Finney Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Three suspects identified as April Williams, 54, Brock Walker, 38, and Abeer Abdelrazek, 24, refused to exit the residence and surrender to police.&nbsp;Williams is listed as a registered offender for a drug distribution conviction in 2022.After two hours, the individuals were taken into custody. During a search of the residence, Officers found suspected narcotics, drug paraphernalia, and counterfeit money.Williams, Walker, and Abdelrazek are being held in the Finney County Jail on requested charges of&nbsp; Interference LEO (F) and active warrants. Williams is also accused of a violation of offender registration act. Additional charges are pending, according to police.

Registered offender jailed after standoff at SW Kansas home

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — A national civil rights organization focused on LGBTQ issues waded into a federal-court campaign by Attorney General Kris Kobach to unravel a 2019 consent order guaranteeing transgender individuals could change gender markers on their Kansas birth certificates.

Attorneys with the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund responded to Kobach by requesting the U.S. District Court uphold a four-year-old order as it related to revision of birth certificates. The settlement under scrutiny applied to a lawsuit filed by transgender plaintiffs challenging Gov. Sam Brownback’s ban on gender refinements to certificates of birth.

“Permitting transgender Kansans to obtain accurate birth certificates consistent with their&nbsp;gender identity remains the main thrust of the consent judgment,” said Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, a Lambda Legal lawyer on the brief.&nbsp;“Simply put, the zealous desire of some state actors to perpetuate the very discriminatory&nbsp;policies this court has already found to be unconstitutional is not and cannot be a sufficient&nbsp;significant change in circumstances to warrant relief.”

Days before the anti-trans Senate Bill 180 took effect in Kansas, the attorney general urged U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree to set aside key provisions of the June 21, 2019, order accepted by the administration of Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and the four transgender plaintiffs.

The federal decree was based on the court’s perspective that policies forbidding correction of birth certificates violated due process and equal protection clauses of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Kobach argued the new state law required Kansas officials to document on birth certificates and driver’s licenses the biological sex of infants at birth. He said Crabtree’s order should be recalculated&nbsp;because the new statute mandated state officials operate in a way contrary to the federal judgment.

In fact, the Republican attorney general said the new state law made compliance with the federal order “legally impermissible.”

Attorneys with Lambda Legal countered that Kobach mistakenly believed federal court confirmation of unconstitutional practices could be superseded by enactment of a state law declaring those practices to be legal.

The 2019 federal order did state obligations of the consent judgment were binding upon state of Kansas defendants and&nbsp;any successor charged with enforcing laws regarding birth certificates.

“Such language was presciently necessary because, as is the case now, those intent on&nbsp;using the state’s powers to perpetuate discrimination against vulnerable and discrete minorities&nbsp;like transgender people do not give up easily,” the Lambda Legal attorneys said.

Lambda Legal asked in the brief whether Kobach’s theory meant a new&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;statute, law, policy or practice could prohibit issuance within the state of marriage licenses to same-sex couples&nbsp;in violation of U.S. Supreme Court precedent. The same question was framed by Lambda Legal in context of the landmark segregation decision of the U.S. Supreme Court declaring separate-but-equal schools were unconstitutional.

“Is it Attorney General Kobach’s&nbsp;position that the judgment in&nbsp;Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka&nbsp;may be vacated simply because the Kansas Legislature has enacted a law instituting separate&nbsp;educational facilities based on race? The answer is clearly no,” the Lambda Legal lawyers said.

For the state attorney general to prevail, Lambda Legal said, a judge would have to enable unconstitutional intrusion into privacy, autonomy and free speech rights of transgender Kansans. Lambda Legal’s attorneys said Kobach was relying on two non-binding decisions from district courts outside Kansas and a handful of other state court decisions to defeat the consent order, but Lambda Legal contended the picture presented by Kobach was incomplete.

Lambda Legal said Kobach ignored evidence modification of the consent order would materially harm transgender Kansans, reinforce the political persecution of LGBTQ people and run counter to the public interest in shielding constitutional rights.

In October 2018, plaintiffs Nyla Foster, Luc Bensimon, Jessica Hicklin and C.K. as well as the&nbsp;Kansas Statewide Transgender Education Project filed suit contesting the Brownback policy&nbsp;barring transgender people from obtaining birth certificates that reflected their gender identity.

The plaintiffs’ argument was based on U.S. constitutional guarantees to&nbsp;equal protection under the law as well as the right to&nbsp;liberty, privacy and freedom of expression. After prolonged negotiations, the federal judge signed the consent judgment.

Senate Bill 180, enacted over Kelly’s veto, went into effect July 1. In advance of that date, Kobach&nbsp;issued an advisory opinion asserting the new state law required Kansas Department of Health and Environment to register applicants for birth certificates as either female or male at birth.

Kobach claimed the state law required the federal court to rescind the previous order on gender modification of birth certificates.

Kelly said her legal counsel didn’t interpret Senate Bill 180 to forbid changes to gender markers on birth certificates issued by KDHE or driver’s licenses produced by the Kansas Department of Revenue. A Shawnee County District Court judge issued a temporary order requested by Kobach that halted gender modifications to driver’s licenses pending further review.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689677402002.png" alt=" LGBTQ flags were positioned on Capitol desks of Kansas House members during the 2023 debate on legislation targeting rights of transgender Kansans. Attorney General Kris Kobach, in wake of Senate Bill 180's passage, is challenging a federal court order allowing gender changes to birth certificates. His views clash with civil rights organizations, including Lambda Legal. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> LGBTQ flags were positioned on Capitol desks of Kansas House members during the 2023 debate on legislation targeting rights of transgender Kansans. Attorney General Kris Kobach, in wake of Senate Bill 180's passage, is challenging a federal court order allowing gender changes to birth certificates. His views clash with civil rights organizations, including Lambda Legal. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — A national civil rights organization focused on LGBTQ issues waded into a federal-court campaign by Attorney General Kris Kobach to unravel a 2019 consent order guaranteeing transgender individuals could change gender markers on their Kansas birth certificates.Attorneys with the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund responded to Kobach by requesting the U.S. District Court uphold a four-year-old order as it related to revision of birth certificates. The settlement under scrutiny applied to a lawsuit filed by transgender plaintiffs challenging Gov. Sam Brownback’s ban on gender refinements to certificates of birth.“Permitting transgender Kansans to obtain accurate birth certificates consistent with their&nbsp;gender identity remains the main thrust of the consent judgment,” said Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, a Lambda Legal lawyer on the brief.&nbsp;“Simply put, the zealous desire of some state actors to perpetuate the very discriminatory&nbsp;policies this court has already found to be unconstitutional is not and cannot be a sufficient&nbsp;significant change in circumstances to warrant relief.”Days before the anti-trans Senate Bill 180 took effect in Kansas, the attorney general urged U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree to set aside key provisions of the June 21, 2019, order accepted by the administration of Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and the four transgender plaintiffs.The federal decree was based on the court’s perspective that policies forbidding correction of birth certificates violated due process and equal protection clauses of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.Kobach argued the new state law required Kansas officials to document on birth certificates and driver’s licenses the biological sex of infants at birth. He said Crabtree’s order should be recalculated&nbsp;because the new statute mandated state officials operate in a way contrary to the federal judgment.In fact, the Republican attorney general said the new state law made compliance with the federal order “legally impermissible.”<h2>‘Answer is clearly no’</h2>Attorneys with Lambda Legal countered that Kobach mistakenly believed federal court confirmation of unconstitutional practices could be superseded by enactment of a state law declaring those practices to be legal.The 2019 federal order did state obligations of the consent judgment were binding upon state of Kansas defendants and&nbsp;any successor charged with enforcing laws regarding birth certificates.“Such language was presciently necessary because, as is the case now, those intent on&nbsp;using the state’s powers to perpetuate discrimination against vulnerable and discrete minorities&nbsp;like transgender people do not give up easily,” the Lambda Legal attorneys said.Lambda Legal asked in the brief whether Kobach’s theory meant a new&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;statute, law, policy or practice could prohibit issuance within the state of marriage licenses to same-sex couples&nbsp;in violation of U.S. Supreme Court precedent. The same question was framed by Lambda Legal in context of the landmark segregation decision of the U.S. Supreme Court declaring separate-but-equal schools were unconstitutional.“Is it Attorney General Kobach’s&nbsp;position that the judgment in&nbsp;Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka&nbsp;may be vacated simply because the Kansas Legislature has enacted a law instituting separate&nbsp;educational facilities based on race? The answer is clearly no,” the Lambda Legal lawyers said.For the state attorney general to prevail, Lambda Legal said, a judge would have to enable unconstitutional intrusion into privacy, autonomy and free speech rights of transgender Kansans. Lambda Legal’s attorneys said Kobach was relying on two non-binding decisions from district courts outside Kansas and a handful of other state court decisions to defeat the consent order, but Lambda Legal contended the picture presented by Kobach was incomplete.Lambda Legal said Kobach ignored evidence modification of the consent order would materially harm transgender Kansans, reinforce the political persecution of LGBTQ people and run counter to the public interest in shielding constitutional rights.<h2>Foundation in 2018 suit</h2>In October 2018, plaintiffs Nyla Foster, Luc Bensimon, Jessica Hicklin and C.K. as well as the&nbsp;Kansas Statewide Transgender Education Project filed suit contesting the Brownback policy&nbsp;barring transgender people from obtaining birth certificates that reflected their gender identity.The plaintiffs’ argument was based on U.S. constitutional guarantees to&nbsp;equal protection under the law as well as the right to&nbsp;liberty, privacy and freedom of expression. After prolonged negotiations, the federal judge signed the consent judgment.Senate Bill 180, enacted over Kelly’s veto, went into effect July 1. In advance of that date, Kobach&nbsp;issued an advisory opinion asserting the new state law required Kansas Department of Health and Environment to register applicants for birth certificates as either female or male at birth.Kobach claimed the state law required the federal court to rescind the previous order on gender modification of birth certificates.Kelly said her legal counsel didn’t interpret Senate Bill 180 to forbid changes to gender markers on birth certificates issued by KDHE or driver’s licenses produced by the Kansas Department of Revenue. A Shawnee County District Court judge issued a temporary order requested by Kobach that halted gender modifications to driver’s licenses pending further review.

LGBTQ legal group fights effort to halt changes on Kan. birth certificates

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a stabbing that resulted in an officer-involved shooting.

On Tuesday afternoon, police&nbsp; responded to a  stabbing in the Argentine neighborhood of Wyandotte County, according to a statement from KCK Police.

 During a confrontation with the suspect shots were fired by officers. The suspect was wounded.&nbsp; EMS transported the suspect and female victim to a hospital for treatment of serious injuries. Officers were not injured.

Police later located an additional stabbing victim, that appears to be related to the initial stabbing. The victim was pronounced deceased near the shooting scene.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689713838300.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a stabbing that resulted in an officer-involved shooting.On Tuesday afternoon, police&nbsp; responded to a stabbing in the Argentine neighborhood of Wyandotte County, according to a statement from KCK Police. During a confrontation with the suspect shots were fired by officers. The suspect was wounded.&nbsp; EMS transported the suspect and female victim to a hospital for treatment of serious injuries. Officers were not injured.Police later located an additional stabbing victim, that appears to be related to the initial stabbing. The victim was pronounced deceased near the shooting scene.

Kan. officer shooting: Suspect wounded; stabbing victim dead

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials on Monday approved the first long-acting drug to protect babies and toddlers against a respiratory virus that sends tens of thousands of American children to the hospital each year.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/respiratory-syncytial-virus">RSV</a>&nbsp;is a cold-like nuisance for most healthy people, but it can be life-threatening in the very young and the elderly.

The Food and Drug Administration approved the injection for infants and children up to 2 years old who face increased risk of severe RSV.

“Monday’s approval addresses the great need for products to help reduce the impact of RSV disease on children, families and the health care system” said FDA's Dr. John Farley in a statement.

Last year,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-covid-flu-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-4bb3180fce1ca15bb7bf4244d5c4085e">a surge in RSV cases</a>&nbsp;flooded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-covid-pandemics-072e11e5e3af77aac19fe95773a69610">U.S. hospitals</a>&nbsp;with wheezing children. There are no vaccines for babies yet, though Pfizer and other companies are working on them.

AstraZeneca’s drug, to be sold under the brand name Beyfortus, is a laboratory-made version of an antibody that helps the immune system fight off RSV. Under the FDA approval, babies — including preterm infants — can receive a single injection to protect against their first season of RSV, which typically lasts about five months. Children up to age 2 can receive another dose to protect them during their second season facing the virus.

Beyfortus, which will be marketed in the U.S. by Sanofi, is already approved in Canada,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-europe-european-commission-respiratory-syncytial-virus-government-and-politics-c46168af1b123bc8e26e1f13da7116aa">Europe</a>&nbsp;and the U.K. Sanofi did not immediately announce the U.S. price of the treatment.

FDA officials approved the drug based on three studies showing Beyfortus reduced the risk of RSV infection between 70% and 75% among infants and children 2 and younger.

Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will meet early next month to recommend exactly who should get the drug.

A similar antibody drug won FDA approval more than 20 years ago, but it’s only recommended for high-risk babies and requires monthly injections. Pediatricians say the drug is underutilized and they expect the longer-lasting effect of AstraZeneca's shot to improve uptake.

In the U.S., about 58,000 children younger than 5 are hospitalized for RSV each year and several hundred die.

After decades of setbacks for RSV research, drugmakers have made big strides this year, launching the first vaccines against the virus. In May, the FDA approved two RSV vaccines for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rsv-vaccine-adults-gsk-pfizer-cdc-virus-592dcd5ae36cdbec8c003511f5fd27f0">older adults</a>&nbsp;from GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer. In August, the FDA is expected to make a decision on approving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rsv-vaccine-respiratory-syncytial-virus-pregnant-42330f5b3ce608f9c5b1f4d8ed91594f">Pfizer’s vaccine for pregnant women</a>, with the aim of passing along protection to their newborns.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689685636392.png" alt="AstraZeneca’s drug, to be sold under the brand name Beyfortus, is a laboratory-made version of an antibody that helps the immune system fight off RSV.-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>AstraZeneca’s drug, to be sold under the brand name Beyfortus, is a laboratory-made version of an antibody that helps the immune system fight off RSV.-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials on Monday approved the first long-acting drug to protect babies and toddlers against a respiratory virus that sends tens of thousands of American children to the hospital each year.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/respiratory-syncytial-virus">RSV</a>&nbsp;is a cold-like nuisance for most healthy people, but it can be life-threatening in the very young and the elderly.The Food and Drug Administration approved the injection for infants and children up to 2 years old who face increased risk of severe RSV.“Monday’s approval addresses the great need for products to help reduce the impact of RSV disease on children, families and the health care system” said FDA's Dr. John Farley in a statement.Last year,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-covid-flu-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-4bb3180fce1ca15bb7bf4244d5c4085e">a surge in RSV cases</a>&nbsp;flooded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-covid-pandemics-072e11e5e3af77aac19fe95773a69610">U.S. hospitals</a>&nbsp;with wheezing children. There are no vaccines for babies yet, though Pfizer and other companies are working on them.AstraZeneca’s drug, to be sold under the brand name Beyfortus, is a laboratory-made version of an antibody that helps the immune system fight off RSV. Under the FDA approval, babies — including preterm infants — can receive a single injection to protect against their first season of RSV, which typically lasts about five months. Children up to age 2 can receive another dose to protect them during their second season facing the virus.Beyfortus, which will be marketed in the U.S. by Sanofi, is already approved in Canada,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-europe-european-commission-respiratory-syncytial-virus-government-and-politics-c46168af1b123bc8e26e1f13da7116aa">Europe</a>&nbsp;and the U.K. Sanofi did not immediately announce the U.S. price of the treatment.FDA officials approved the drug based on three studies showing Beyfortus reduced the risk of RSV infection between 70% and 75% among infants and children 2 and younger.Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will meet early next month to recommend exactly who should get the drug.A similar antibody drug won FDA approval more than 20 years ago, but it’s only recommended for high-risk babies and requires monthly injections. Pediatricians say the drug is underutilized and they expect the longer-lasting effect of AstraZeneca's shot to improve uptake.In the U.S., about 58,000 children younger than 5 are hospitalized for RSV each year and several hundred die.After decades of setbacks for RSV research, drugmakers have made big strides this year, launching the first vaccines against the virus. In May, the FDA approved two RSV vaccines for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rsv-vaccine-adults-gsk-pfizer-cdc-virus-592dcd5ae36cdbec8c003511f5fd27f0">older adults</a>&nbsp;from GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer. In August, the FDA is expected to make a decision on approving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rsv-vaccine-respiratory-syncytial-virus-pregnant-42330f5b3ce608f9c5b1f4d8ed91594f">Pfizer’s vaccine for pregnant women</a>, with the aim of passing along protection to their newborns.

FDA OKs new drug to protect babies and toddlers from RSV

SEDGWICK COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 7p.m. Monday in Wichita.

A Ford Explorer was southbound in the 4400 Block of North Meridian in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.

The SUV struck a 53-year-old woman who was walking her bicycle on the traffic way.&nbsp; &nbsp;EMS transported the woman to a local hospital where she was pronounced deceases.

The accident is still under investigation and Detectives are still actively working on this case. All parties involved in the incident were interviewed by investigators.&nbsp; Currently, neither speed nor impairment are believed to be contributing factors in the accident, according to Gupilan.

Police released no additional details Tuesday afternoon.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 7p.m. Monday in Wichita.A Ford Explorer was southbound in the 4400 Block of North Meridian in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.The SUV struck a 53-year-old woman who was walking her bicycle on the traffic way.&nbsp; &nbsp;EMS transported the woman to a local hospital where she was pronounced deceases.The accident is still under investigation and Detectives are still actively working on this case. All parties involved in the incident were interviewed by investigators.&nbsp; Currently, neither speed nor impairment are believed to be contributing factors in the accident, according to Gupilan.Police released no additional details Tuesday afternoon.

SUV struck, killed 53-year-old Kan. woman walking bicycle 

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — An American soldier facing military disciplinary actions fled across the heavily armed border from South Korea into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/north-korea">North Korea</a>, U.S. officials said Tuesday, becoming&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-north-korea-border-entry-4456952c66626ea2d5a04578d4e7bb31">the first American detained in the North in nearly five years</a>.

Two U.S. officials said the soldier detained was Private 2nd Class Travis King, who had just been released from a South Korean prison where he'd been held on assault charges and was facing additional military disciplinary actions in the United States.

King, who's in his early 20s, was escorted to the airport to be returned to Fort Bliss, Texas, but instead of getting on the plane he left and joined a tour of the Korean border village of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/panmunjom">Panmunjom</a>, where he ran across the border, the officials said on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter ahead of a public announcement.

Details about King, including his hometown and what additional charges he faced, were not immediately available. It was also unclear how he managed to leave the airport while he was being escorted.

The American-led U.N. Command said he is believed to be in North Korean custody and the command is working with its North Korean counterparts to resolve the incident. North Korea’s state media didn’t immediately report on the border crossing.

Cases of Americans or South Koreans defecting to North Korea are rare, though more than 30,000 North Koreans have fled to South Korea to avoid political oppression and economic difficulties since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.

Panmunjom, located inside the 248-kilometer (154-mile) -long Demilitarized Zone, has been jointly overseen by the U.N. Command and North Korea since its creation at the close of the Korean War. Bloodshed and gunfire have occasionally occurred there, but it has also been a venue for numerous talks and is a popular tourist spot.

Known for its blue huts straddling concrete slabs that form&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-north-korea-border-entry-4456952c66626ea2d5a04578d4e7bb31">the demarcation line</a>, Panmunjom draws visitors from both sides who want to see the Cold War’s last frontier. No civilians live at Panmunjom. In the past, North and South Korean soldiers faced off within meters (yards) of each other.

Tours to the southern side of the village reportedly drew around 100,000 visitors a year before the coronavirus pandemic, when South Korea restricted gatherings to slow the spread of COVID-19. The tours resumed fully last year. During a short-lived period of inter-Korean engagement in 2018, Panmunjom was one of the border sites that underwent mine-clearing operations by North and South Korean army engineers as the Koreas vowed to turn the village into a “peace zone” where tourists from both sides could move around with more freedom.

In November 2017,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/5deb0391ceac48558036db10c9208bef">North Korean soldiers fired 40 rounds</a>&nbsp;as one of their colleagues raced toward the South. The soldier was hit five times before he was found beneath a pile of leaves on the southern side of Panmunjom. He survived and is now in South Korea.

The most famous incident at Panmunjom happened in August 1976, when two American army officers were killed by ax-wielding North Korean soldiers. The U.S. officers had been sent to trim a 40-foot (12-meter) tree that obstructed the view from a checkpoint. The attack prompted Washington to fly nuclear-capable B-52 bombers toward the DMZ to intimidate North Korea.

Panmunjom also is where the armistice that ended the Korean War was signed. That armistice has yet to be replaced with a peace treaty, leaving the Korean Peninsula technically in a state of war. The United States still stations about 28,000 troops in South Korea.

There have been a small number of U.S. soldiers who went to North Korea during the Cold War, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ab3ea3fb4dc84f5e8233afffdec449ab">Charles Jenkins</a>, who deserted his army post in South Korea in 1965 and fled across the DMZ. He appeared in North Korean propaganda films and married a Japanese nursing student who had been abducted from Japan by North Korean agents. He died in Japan in 2017.

But in recent years, some American civilians have been arrested in North Korea after allegedly entering the country from China. They were later convicted of espionage, subversion and other anti-state acts, but were often released after the U.S. sent high-profile missions to secure their freedom.

In May 2018, North Korea released&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/4b7802fb42934d18b31c000f4c99c04e">three American detainees</a>&nbsp;-– Kim Dong Chul, Tony Kim and Kim Hak Song -– who returned to the United States on a plane with then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a short-lived period of warm relations between the longtime adversaries. Later in 2018, North Korea said it expelled American Bruce Byron Lowrance. Since his ouster, there have been no reports of other Americans detained in North Korea before Tuesday’s incident.

The 2018 releases came as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was engaged in nuclear diplomacy with then-President Donald Trump. The high-stakes diplomacy collapsed in 2019 amid wrangling over U.S.-led sanctions on North Korea.

Their freedoms were a striking contrast to the fate of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/otto-warmbier-united-states-new-york-ohio-north-korea-ff3163f4d9916e4f8c9cfb74bbfba381">Otto Warmbier</a>, an American university student who died in 2017 days after he was released by North Korea in a coma after 17 months in captivity. Warmbier and other previous American detainees in North Korea were imprisoned over a variety of alleged crimes, including subversion, anti-state activities and spying.

The United States, South Korea and others have accused North Korea of using foreign detainees to wrest diplomatic concessions. Some foreigners have said after their release that their declarations of guilt were coerced while in North Korean custody.

Tuesday's border crossing happened amid high tensions over North Korea's barrage of missile tests since the start of last year. A U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-us-north-korea-nuclear-0c6a71344452d5b12420c13fd66a5a1f">nuclear-armed submarine visited South Korea</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday for the first time in four decades in deterrence against North Korea.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689700325324.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — An American soldier facing military disciplinary actions fled across the heavily armed border from South Korea into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/north-korea">North Korea</a>, U.S. officials said Tuesday, becoming&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-north-korea-border-entry-4456952c66626ea2d5a04578d4e7bb31">the first American detained in the North in nearly five years</a>.Two U.S. officials said the soldier detained was Private 2nd Class Travis King, who had just been released from a South Korean prison where he'd been held on assault charges and was facing additional military disciplinary actions in the United States.King, who's in his early 20s, was escorted to the airport to be returned to Fort Bliss, Texas, but instead of getting on the plane he left and joined a tour of the Korean border village of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/panmunjom">Panmunjom</a>, where he ran across the border, the officials said on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter ahead of a public announcement.Details about King, including his hometown and what additional charges he faced, were not immediately available. It was also unclear how he managed to leave the airport while he was being escorted.The American-led U.N. Command said he is believed to be in North Korean custody and the command is working with its North Korean counterparts to resolve the incident. North Korea’s state media didn’t immediately report on the border crossing.Cases of Americans or South Koreans defecting to North Korea are rare, though more than 30,000 North Koreans have fled to South Korea to avoid political oppression and economic difficulties since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.Panmunjom, located inside the 248-kilometer (154-mile) -long Demilitarized Zone, has been jointly overseen by the U.N. Command and North Korea since its creation at the close of the Korean War. Bloodshed and gunfire have occasionally occurred there, but it has also been a venue for numerous talks and is a popular tourist spot.Known for its blue huts straddling concrete slabs that form&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-north-korea-border-entry-4456952c66626ea2d5a04578d4e7bb31">the demarcation line</a>, Panmunjom draws visitors from both sides who want to see the Cold War’s last frontier. No civilians live at Panmunjom. In the past, North and South Korean soldiers faced off within meters (yards) of each other.Tours to the southern side of the village reportedly drew around 100,000 visitors a year before the coronavirus pandemic, when South Korea restricted gatherings to slow the spread of COVID-19. The tours resumed fully last year. During a short-lived period of inter-Korean engagement in 2018, Panmunjom was one of the border sites that underwent mine-clearing operations by North and South Korean army engineers as the Koreas vowed to turn the village into a “peace zone” where tourists from both sides could move around with more freedom.In November 2017,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/5deb0391ceac48558036db10c9208bef">North Korean soldiers fired 40 rounds</a>&nbsp;as one of their colleagues raced toward the South. The soldier was hit five times before he was found beneath a pile of leaves on the southern side of Panmunjom. He survived and is now in South Korea.The most famous incident at Panmunjom happened in August 1976, when two American army officers were killed by ax-wielding North Korean soldiers. The U.S. officers had been sent to trim a 40-foot (12-meter) tree that obstructed the view from a checkpoint. The attack prompted Washington to fly nuclear-capable B-52 bombers toward the DMZ to intimidate North Korea.Panmunjom also is where the armistice that ended the Korean War was signed. That armistice has yet to be replaced with a peace treaty, leaving the Korean Peninsula technically in a state of war. The United States still stations about 28,000 troops in South Korea.There have been a small number of U.S. soldiers who went to North Korea during the Cold War, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ab3ea3fb4dc84f5e8233afffdec449ab">Charles Jenkins</a>, who deserted his army post in South Korea in 1965 and fled across the DMZ. He appeared in North Korean propaganda films and married a Japanese nursing student who had been abducted from Japan by North Korean agents. He died in Japan in 2017.But in recent years, some American civilians have been arrested in North Korea after allegedly entering the country from China. They were later convicted of espionage, subversion and other anti-state acts, but were often released after the U.S. sent high-profile missions to secure their freedom.In May 2018, North Korea released&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/4b7802fb42934d18b31c000f4c99c04e">three American detainees</a>&nbsp;-– Kim Dong Chul, Tony Kim and Kim Hak Song -– who returned to the United States on a plane with then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a short-lived period of warm relations between the longtime adversaries. Later in 2018, North Korea said it expelled American Bruce Byron Lowrance. Since his ouster, there have been no reports of other Americans detained in North Korea before Tuesday’s incident.The 2018 releases came as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was engaged in nuclear diplomacy with then-President Donald Trump. The high-stakes diplomacy collapsed in 2019 amid wrangling over U.S.-led sanctions on North Korea.Their freedoms were a striking contrast to the fate of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/otto-warmbier-united-states-new-york-ohio-north-korea-ff3163f4d9916e4f8c9cfb74bbfba381">Otto Warmbier</a>, an American university student who died in 2017 days after he was released by North Korea in a coma after 17 months in captivity. Warmbier and other previous American detainees in North Korea were imprisoned over a variety of alleged crimes, including subversion, anti-state activities and spying.The United States, South Korea and others have accused North Korea of using foreign detainees to wrest diplomatic concessions. Some foreigners have said after their release that their declarations of guilt were coerced while in North Korean custody.Tuesday's border crossing happened amid high tensions over North Korea's barrage of missile tests since the start of last year. A U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-us-north-korea-nuclear-0c6a71344452d5b12420c13fd66a5a1f">nuclear-armed submarine visited South Korea</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday for the first time in four decades in deterrence against North Korea.

Why U.S. soldier crossed into North Korea ‘willfully, without authorization

ADAIR COUNTY, Mo. —A Kansas girl died in accident just after 9p.m. Sunday in Adair County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Polaris Ranger driven by a 15-year-old girl from Eureka, Kansas was southbound downhill on Sugar Creek School Trail eight miles southwest of Kirksville.

The teen lost control on the gravel road. The UTV traveled off the left side of the road, overturned and she was ejected. EMS pronounced her dead at the scene and she was transported to <a href="https://travis-noe.com/obits/archive/2023/7/16/kenlee-luella-wallace/">Travis Noe Funeral Home</a> who identified her as Kenlee Wallace.&nbsp; The MSHP released no additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689697030084.png" alt="Photo courtesy Travis-Noe Funeral Home" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Travis-Noe Funeral Home</figcaption>
 </figure>ADAIR COUNTY, Mo. —A Kansas girl died in accident just after 9p.m. Sunday in Adair County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Polaris Ranger driven by a 15-year-old girl from Eureka, Kansas was southbound downhill on Sugar Creek School Trail eight miles southwest of Kirksville.The teen lost control on the gravel road. The UTV traveled off the left side of the road, overturned and she was ejected. EMS pronounced her dead at the scene and she was transported to <a href="https://travis-noe.com/obits/archive/2023/7/16/kenlee-luella-wallace/">Travis Noe Funeral Home</a> who identified her as Kenlee Wallace.&nbsp; The MSHP released no additional details.

15-year-old Kan. girl identified as victim in fatal UTV accident

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;said Tuesday that he has received a letter informing him that he is a target of the Justice Department's investigation into efforts to undo the results of the 2020 presidential election, an indication that he could soon be indicted by federal prosecutors.

Trump made the claim in a post on his Truth Social platform, saying he received the target letter while with his family on Sunday night. Such a letter can precede an indictment and is used to advise individuals that prosecutors have evidence linking them to a crime; Trump received one ahead of being charged last month in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-classified-documents-judge-cannon-b4e51c8a2721cdf15d1b0cfaf02dcdd3">separate investigation into the mishandling of classified documents.</a>

A spokesman for special counsel Jack Smith, whose office is leading the investigation, declined to comment.

Smith's team has cast a broad net in its investigation into attempts by Trump and his allies to block the legitimate transfer of power to Democrat Joe Biden in the days leading up to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol,</a>&nbsp;when Trump loyalists stormed the building in a bid to disrupt the certification of electoral votes in Congress. More than 1,000 people accused of participating in the riot have been charged.

Smith's probe has centered on a broad range of schemes from Trump and allies to keep him in power, including the use of slates of so-called fake electors in battleground states won by Biden and disputed by Trump.

Trump, who is currently the dominant early frontrunner for the Republican nomination, is scheduled to travel to Iowa Tuesday, where he is taping a town hall with Fox News host Sean Hannity.

One purpose of the target letter is to advise a potential defendant that he or she has a right to appear before the grand jury. Trump said in his post that he has been given “a very short 4 days to report to the Grand Jury, which almost always means an Arrest and indictment,” but aides did not immediately respond to questions seeking clarity.

Prosecutors in Georgia are conducting a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-georgia-grand-jury-election-485ca85e57fd80af7455a59174d10d4f">separate investigation into efforts by Trump</a>&nbsp;to reverse his election loss in that state, with the top prosecutor in Fulton County signaling that she expects to announce charging decisions next month.

In his post, Trump wrote that “they have now effectively indicted me three times.... with a probably fourth coming from Atlanta” and added in capital letters, “This witch hunt is all about election interference and a complete and total (political) weaponization of law enforTrump was indicted last month on 37 felony counts accusing him of illegally retaining hundreds of classified documents at his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago. He has pleaded not guilty. A pretrial conference in that case was set for Tuesday in Fort Pierce, Fla.cement!”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686700913232.png" alt="&nbsp;One purpose of the target letter is to advise a potential defendant that he or she has a right to appear before the grand jury. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;One purpose of the target letter is to advise a potential defendant that he or she has a right to appear before the grand jury. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Former&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;said Tuesday that he has received a letter informing him that he is a target of the Justice Department's investigation into efforts to undo the results of the 2020 presidential election, an indication that he could soon be indicted by federal prosecutors.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689691291162.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Trump made the claim in a post on his Truth Social platform, saying he received the target letter while with his family on Sunday night. Such a letter can precede an indictment and is used to advise individuals that prosecutors have evidence linking them to a crime; Trump received one ahead of being charged last month in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-classified-documents-judge-cannon-b4e51c8a2721cdf15d1b0cfaf02dcdd3">separate investigation into the mishandling of classified documents.</a>A spokesman for special counsel Jack Smith, whose office is leading the investigation, declined to comment.Smith's team has cast a broad net in its investigation into attempts by Trump and his allies to block the legitimate transfer of power to Democrat Joe Biden in the days leading up to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol,</a>&nbsp;when Trump loyalists stormed the building in a bid to disrupt the certification of electoral votes in Congress. More than 1,000 people accused of participating in the riot have been charged.Smith's probe has centered on a broad range of schemes from Trump and allies to keep him in power, including the use of slates of so-called fake electors in battleground states won by Biden and disputed by Trump.Trump, who is currently the dominant early frontrunner for the Republican nomination, is scheduled to travel to Iowa Tuesday, where he is taping a town hall with Fox News host Sean Hannity.One purpose of the target letter is to advise a potential defendant that he or she has a right to appear before the grand jury. Trump said in his post that he has been given “a very short 4 days to report to the Grand Jury, which almost always means an Arrest and indictment,” but aides did not immediately respond to questions seeking clarity.Prosecutors in Georgia are conducting a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-georgia-grand-jury-election-485ca85e57fd80af7455a59174d10d4f">separate investigation into efforts by Trump</a>&nbsp;to reverse his election loss in that state, with the top prosecutor in Fulton County signaling that she expects to announce charging decisions next month.In his post, Trump wrote that “they have now effectively indicted me three times.... with a probably fourth coming from Atlanta” and added in capital letters, “This witch hunt is all about election interference and a complete and total (political) weaponization of law enforTrump was indicted last month on 37 felony counts accusing him of illegally retaining hundreds of classified documents at his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago. He has pleaded not guilty. A pretrial conference in that case was set for Tuesday in Fort Pierce, Fla.cement!”

Read Trump's statement on expected indictment for 1/6

BARTON COUNTY —A powerful supercell thunderstorm tracked straight south during the early evening of hours Sunday. It&nbsp; produced extreme wind gusts but no tornado, according to meteorologist Chance Hayes with the National Weather Service in Wichita.&nbsp;

The weather service conducted a damage survey across Barton County on Monday and determined there were only straight line winds of 70 to 80 miles per hour.

The Russell Airport reported a 77 mph wind gust. The strong winds moved into Great Bend, which resulted in widespread wind damage throughout community.&nbsp; There were two pockets of extremely strong winds. Those included&nbsp; an area south to southeast from the court house downtown and another on the west side of the town.

 In addition to the strong winds, the storm produced wind driven hail up to softball size.&nbsp;&nbsp;The weather service expects to do additional storm damage survey work this week in Russell County, according to Hayes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689688267549.png" alt="Storm damage in Great Bend photo courtesy Midwest Energy" />
 <figcaption>Storm damage in Great Bend photo courtesy Midwest Energy</figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY —A powerful supercell thunderstorm tracked straight south during the early evening of hours Sunday. It&nbsp; produced extreme wind gusts but no tornado, according to meteorologist Chance Hayes with the National Weather Service in Wichita.&nbsp;The weather service conducted a damage survey across Barton County on Monday and determined there were only straight line winds of 70 to 80 miles per hour.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689688250119.png" alt="Storm damage in Great Bend photo courtesy Midwest Energy" />
 <figcaption>Storm damage in Great Bend photo courtesy Midwest Energy</figcaption>
 </figure>The Russell Airport reported a 77 mph wind gust. The strong winds moved into Great Bend, which resulted in widespread wind damage throughout community.&nbsp; There were two pockets of extremely strong winds. Those included&nbsp; an area south to southeast from the court house downtown and another on the west side of the town. In addition to the strong winds, the storm produced wind driven hail up to softball size.&nbsp;&nbsp;The weather service expects to do additional storm damage survey work this week in Russell County, according to Hayes.

NWS: Straight line winds, no tornado in Great Bend storm

LONDON (AP) — Russia&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-grain-food-security-ba7f9146b745337a1948a964cb30331c">has suspended a wartime deal</a>&nbsp;designed to move grain from Ukraine to parts of the world where millions are going hungry.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative, brokered by the U.N. and Turkey, has allowed 32.9 million metric tons (36.2 million tons) of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-grain-farmers-food-a9df0827d8009c3fef347378061f9dd7">food to be exported from Ukraine</a>&nbsp;since August, more than half to developing countries, according to the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul.

Kansas junior U.S. Senator Roger Marshall used social media to call for immediate action in response, "Putin ending the Ukraine Grain Deal will cause starvation across the world. It is time we finally get tough on Russia and quit dragging this war out. We must fully implement bank sanctions on Russia."

Some analysts don't foresee a lasting rise in the cost of commodities like wheat because there’s enough grain in the world to go around. But many countries are already&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/food-prices-inflation-ukraine-war-economy-8daa7e3d92666d290d87932dc8f25a94">struggling with high local food prices</a>, which are helping fuel hunger.

Here's a look at the crucial accord and what it means for the world:

Ukraine and Russia&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-middle-east-global-trade-a2c89d94a0f8473b40a1fcde5710bda8">signed separate agreements</a>&nbsp;in July 2022, one that reopened three of Ukraine's Black Sea ports that were blocked for months following Moscow's invasion. The other facilitated the movement of Russian food and fertilizer amid Western sanctions.

Both countries are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-africa-lifestyle-middle-east-1b41faaa7ac0984d0673023b68d39a70">major suppliers of wheat</a>, barley,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-covid-business-health-africa-688a358195a4723fc862cfe3f9e60474">sunflower oil</a>&nbsp;and other affordable food products that Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia rely on. Ukraine is also a huge exporter of corn, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-business-health-europe-c6a2d11380d3cb0c48d4c22703d1954e">Russia of fertilizer</a>&nbsp;— other critical parts of the food chain.

Interrupted shipments from Ukraine, dubbed the “breadbasket of the world,” exacerbated a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-covid-politics-health-middle-east-58bb99da6bf9fc6af5a5a645022bc4d7">global food crisis</a>&nbsp;and sent prices for grain soaring worldwide.

The deal provided assurances that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-grain-shipping-risks-6adc97731965377e2f1db5f91adefa92">ships won't be attacked</a>&nbsp;entering and leaving Ukrainian ports. Vessels were checked by Russian, Ukrainian, U.N. and Turkish officials to ensure they carry only food.

Meant to be extended every four months, the deal was hailed as a beacon of hope and was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-grain-food-security-67e9fd1b5ee8b46fdd9c28955dbcb465">renewed three times</a>&nbsp;— the last two for only two months as Russia insisted its exports were being held up. That's despite Moscow shipping record amounts of wheat.

No new ships have joined the initiative since June 27, and Ukraine blames Moscow. The last vessel left Ukraine on Sunday.

The deal helped bring down global prices of food commodities like&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-inflation-health-business-climate-and-environment-00539505ec5db37de5877137b9febeb8">wheat that hit record highs</a>&nbsp;after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Once the grain deal was struck, the World Food Program got back a top supplier, allowing 725,000 metric tons of humanitarian food aid to leave Ukraine and reach countries on the precipice of famine, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ethiopia-humanitarian-food-aid-theft-us-un-c129b6942663cbfc44c6605fed97928b">Ethiopia</a>, Afghanistan and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-yemen-middle-east-civil-wars-famine-081076dd0f56f3c3cf19e3d5fce71a7b">Yemen</a>.

“It is a pretty unique phenomenon to have two warring parties and two intermediaries agree to establish this sort of corridor to get humanitarian products — which is ostensibly what this is — out to markets that need it most,” said John Stawpert, senior manager of environment and trade for the International Chamber of Shipping, which represents 80% of the world’s commercial fleet.

After Russia exited the deal, wheat prices in Chicago trading rose about 3% on Monday, to $6.81 a bushel, still about half what they were during last year's peaks. Prices fell later in the day.

Russia has said it wants an end to sanctions on the Russian Agricultural Bank and to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-grain-deal-exports-cde16aa076f5285a7ca72dcb822e673b">restrictions on shipping and insurance</a>&nbsp;that Moscow insists have hampered its agricultural exports.

Some companies have been wary of doing business with Russia because of sanctions, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-macky-sall-european-union-9a323f94f1dfc8c9b955a08973248dac">Western allies have made assurances</a>&nbsp;that food and fertilizer are exempt.

“It’s not uncommon in situations like this for countries to use whatever levers they have to try and get sanctions regimes changed," said Simon Evenett, professor of international trade and economic development at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland.

Russia also has complained that a commitment to pipe its ammonia, a key component of fertilizer, to a Ukrainian port to be exported has never started under the deal. That’s true, but the U.N. says the pipeline has been damaged in the fighting.

“Regrettably, the part of the Black Sea agreements related to Russia hasn’t been fulfilled,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-russia-ukraine-food-exports-7027edafa7e5b5ff90740df6e559e98b">proposing to ease transactions</a>&nbsp;through the agricultural bank, a spokesperson said.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement Monday that the last-minute offer was not feasible and couldn’t be implemented.

Russian “claims that its agriculture sector is suffering are countered by the reality" that production and exports are up since before the war, said Caitlin Welsh, director of the Global Food and Water Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Russia exported a record 45.5 million metric tons of wheat in the 2022-2023 trade year, with another all-time high of 47.5 million metric tons expected in 2023-2024, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates.

The International Rescue Committee calls the grain deal a “lifeline for the 79 countries and 349 million people on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/somalia-drought-climate-food-security-ramadan-c04b48a83d6bba88fc05bdb69dbf438f">frontlines of food insecurity</a>."

Losing millions of tons of food from Ukraine at a time when many countries are increasingly reliant on imported food because of conflict and drought, "will result in inaccessibility and unavailability of food but also will increase prices and impact affordability for households,” Shashwat Saraf, the group’s regional emergency director for East Africa, said in an interview Monday.

While global prices for grain may stabilize, countries that depend on imported food, from Lebanon to Egypt, may see their costs rise for a while if they need to find suppliers that are farther away, analysts say.

That will compound costs for countries that also have seen their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-middle-east-africa-business-global-trade-bee68344b1812dd48ca9c0735395b868">currencies weaken</a>&nbsp;and debt levels grow because they pay for food shipments in dollars.

For low-income countries and people, food “will be less affordable," World Food Program chief economist Arif Husain told reporters last week.

Ukraine's economy depends on agriculture, and before the war, 75% of its grain exports went through the Black Sea.

It can send its food by land or river through Europe, but those routes can handle lower amounts compared to sea shipments and their use has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/poland-ukraine-grain-imports-war-eu-hungary-43ebb8cd01ccf679d190e5690b8d4c23">stirred anger in neighboring countries</a>.

Nonetheless, the Ukrainian Grain Association wants to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-war-grain-exports-us-danube-romania-1d506df3c6e30df86f8ed4e6d7e04df0">send more grain through the Danube River</a>&nbsp;to neighboring Romania's Black Sea ports, saying it's possible to double monthly exports along that route to 4 million metric tons.

Ukraine’s wheat shipments have fallen by more than 40% from its pre-war average, with the USDA expecting 10.5 million metric tons exported in the coming year.

Ukraine accused Russia of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-health-russia-government-united-nations-business-b2f6bb9e50b7440ea6c18f66e016e145">slowing down inspections of ships</a>. Combined with no new ships joining the effort, that has led to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-business-02978d1ab61d70939ff1581b1129d18a">drop in exports</a>&nbsp;from a high under the deal of 4.2 million metric tons in October to 2 million in June.

Fallout from the pandemic, conflict, economic crises, drought and other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/climate-and-environment">climate factors</a>&nbsp;affect the ability of people to get enough to eat.

There are 45 countries that need food assistance, the Food and Agriculture Organization said in a July report. High domestic food prices are driving hunger in most of those countries, including Haiti, Ukraine, Venezuela and several in Africa and Asia.

While drought can also be a problem for major grain suppliers, analysts see other countries producing enough grain to counterbalance losses from Ukraine.

Besides Russia's huge exports, Europe and Argentina are increasing wheat shipments, while Brazil saw a banner year for corn.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663760963726.jpeg" alt="Photo (Russian Presidential Press Service via AP)" />
 <figcaption>Photo (Russian Presidential Press Service via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>LONDON (AP) — Russia&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-grain-food-security-ba7f9146b745337a1948a964cb30331c">has suspended a wartime deal</a>&nbsp;designed to move grain from Ukraine to parts of the world where millions are going hungry.The Black Sea Grain Initiative, brokered by the U.N. and Turkey, has allowed 32.9 million metric tons (36.2 million tons) of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-grain-farmers-food-a9df0827d8009c3fef347378061f9dd7">food to be exported from Ukraine</a>&nbsp;since August, more than half to developing countries, according to the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul.Kansas junior U.S. Senator Roger Marshall used social media to call for immediate action in response, "Putin ending the Ukraine Grain Deal will cause starvation across the world. It is time we finally get tough on Russia and quit dragging this war out. We must fully implement bank sanctions on Russia."Some analysts don't foresee a lasting rise in the cost of commodities like wheat because there’s enough grain in the world to go around. But many countries are already&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/food-prices-inflation-ukraine-war-economy-8daa7e3d92666d290d87932dc8f25a94">struggling with high local food prices</a>, which are helping fuel hunger.Here's a look at the crucial accord and what it means for the world:WHAT IS THE GRAIN DEAL? Ukraine and Russia&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-middle-east-global-trade-a2c89d94a0f8473b40a1fcde5710bda8">signed separate agreements</a>&nbsp;in July 2022, one that reopened three of Ukraine's Black Sea ports that were blocked for months following Moscow's invasion. The other facilitated the movement of Russian food and fertilizer amid Western sanctions.Both countries are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-africa-lifestyle-middle-east-1b41faaa7ac0984d0673023b68d39a70">major suppliers of wheat</a>, barley,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-covid-business-health-africa-688a358195a4723fc862cfe3f9e60474">sunflower oil</a>&nbsp;and other affordable food products that Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia rely on. Ukraine is also a huge exporter of corn, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-business-health-europe-c6a2d11380d3cb0c48d4c22703d1954e">Russia of fertilizer</a>&nbsp;— other critical parts of the food chain.Interrupted shipments from Ukraine, dubbed the “breadbasket of the world,” exacerbated a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-covid-politics-health-middle-east-58bb99da6bf9fc6af5a5a645022bc4d7">global food crisis</a>&nbsp;and sent prices for grain soaring worldwide.The deal provided assurances that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-grain-shipping-risks-6adc97731965377e2f1db5f91adefa92">ships won't be attacked</a>&nbsp;entering and leaving Ukrainian ports. Vessels were checked by Russian, Ukrainian, U.N. and Turkish officials to ensure they carry only food.Meant to be extended every four months, the deal was hailed as a beacon of hope and was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-grain-food-security-67e9fd1b5ee8b46fdd9c28955dbcb465">renewed three times</a>&nbsp;— the last two for only two months as Russia insisted its exports were being held up. That's despite Moscow shipping record amounts of wheat.No new ships have joined the initiative since June 27, and Ukraine blames Moscow. The last vessel left Ukraine on Sunday.WHAT HAS IT ACCOMPLISHED? The deal helped bring down global prices of food commodities like&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-inflation-health-business-climate-and-environment-00539505ec5db37de5877137b9febeb8">wheat that hit record highs</a>&nbsp;after Russia invaded Ukraine.Once the grain deal was struck, the World Food Program got back a top supplier, allowing 725,000 metric tons of humanitarian food aid to leave Ukraine and reach countries on the precipice of famine, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ethiopia-humanitarian-food-aid-theft-us-un-c129b6942663cbfc44c6605fed97928b">Ethiopia</a>, Afghanistan and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-yemen-middle-east-civil-wars-famine-081076dd0f56f3c3cf19e3d5fce71a7b">Yemen</a>.“It is a pretty unique phenomenon to have two warring parties and two intermediaries agree to establish this sort of corridor to get humanitarian products — which is ostensibly what this is — out to markets that need it most,” said John Stawpert, senior manager of environment and trade for the International Chamber of Shipping, which represents 80% of the world’s commercial fleet.After Russia exited the deal, wheat prices in Chicago trading rose about 3% on Monday, to $6.81 a bushel, still about half what they were during last year's peaks. Prices fell later in the day.WHY DID RUSSIA END THE DEAL? Russia has said it wants an end to sanctions on the Russian Agricultural Bank and to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-grain-deal-exports-cde16aa076f5285a7ca72dcb822e673b">restrictions on shipping and insurance</a>&nbsp;that Moscow insists have hampered its agricultural exports.Some companies have been wary of doing business with Russia because of sanctions, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-macky-sall-european-union-9a323f94f1dfc8c9b955a08973248dac">Western allies have made assurances</a>&nbsp;that food and fertilizer are exempt.“It’s not uncommon in situations like this for countries to use whatever levers they have to try and get sanctions regimes changed," said Simon Evenett, professor of international trade and economic development at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland.Russia also has complained that a commitment to pipe its ammonia, a key component of fertilizer, to a Ukrainian port to be exported has never started under the deal. That’s true, but the U.N. says the pipeline has been damaged in the fighting.“Regrettably, the part of the Black Sea agreements related to Russia hasn’t been fulfilled,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday.U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-russia-ukraine-food-exports-7027edafa7e5b5ff90740df6e559e98b">proposing to ease transactions</a>&nbsp;through the agricultural bank, a spokesperson said.The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement Monday that the last-minute offer was not feasible and couldn’t be implemented.Russian “claims that its agriculture sector is suffering are countered by the reality" that production and exports are up since before the war, said Caitlin Welsh, director of the Global Food and Water Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.Russia exported a record 45.5 million metric tons of wheat in the 2022-2023 trade year, with another all-time high of 47.5 million metric tons expected in 2023-2024, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates.WHO IS AFFECTED? The International Rescue Committee calls the grain deal a “lifeline for the 79 countries and 349 million people on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/somalia-drought-climate-food-security-ramadan-c04b48a83d6bba88fc05bdb69dbf438f">frontlines of food insecurity</a>."Losing millions of tons of food from Ukraine at a time when many countries are increasingly reliant on imported food because of conflict and drought, "will result in inaccessibility and unavailability of food but also will increase prices and impact affordability for households,” Shashwat Saraf, the group’s regional emergency director for East Africa, said in an interview Monday.While global prices for grain may stabilize, countries that depend on imported food, from Lebanon to Egypt, may see their costs rise for a while if they need to find suppliers that are farther away, analysts say.That will compound costs for countries that also have seen their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-middle-east-africa-business-global-trade-bee68344b1812dd48ca9c0735395b868">currencies weaken</a>&nbsp;and debt levels grow because they pay for food shipments in dollars.For low-income countries and people, food “will be less affordable," World Food Program chief economist Arif Husain told reporters last week.WHAT ABOUT UKRAINE? Ukraine's economy depends on agriculture, and before the war, 75% of its grain exports went through the Black Sea.It can send its food by land or river through Europe, but those routes can handle lower amounts compared to sea shipments and their use has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/poland-ukraine-grain-imports-war-eu-hungary-43ebb8cd01ccf679d190e5690b8d4c23">stirred anger in neighboring countries</a>.Nonetheless, the Ukrainian Grain Association wants to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-war-grain-exports-us-danube-romania-1d506df3c6e30df86f8ed4e6d7e04df0">send more grain through the Danube River</a>&nbsp;to neighboring Romania's Black Sea ports, saying it's possible to double monthly exports along that route to 4 million metric tons.Ukraine’s wheat shipments have fallen by more than 40% from its pre-war average, with the USDA expecting 10.5 million metric tons exported in the coming year.Ukraine accused Russia of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-health-russia-government-united-nations-business-b2f6bb9e50b7440ea6c18f66e016e145">slowing down inspections of ships</a>. Combined with no new ships joining the effort, that has led to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-business-02978d1ab61d70939ff1581b1129d18a">drop in exports</a>&nbsp;from a high under the deal of 4.2 million metric tons in October to 2 million in June.WHAT ELSE AFFECTS FOOD SUPPLY? Fallout from the pandemic, conflict, economic crises, drought and other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/climate-and-environment">climate factors</a>&nbsp;affect the ability of people to get enough to eat.There are 45 countries that need food assistance, the Food and Agriculture Organization said in a July report. High domestic food prices are driving hunger in most of those countries, including Haiti, Ukraine, Venezuela and several in Africa and Asia.While drought can also be a problem for major grain suppliers, analysts see other countries producing enough grain to counterbalance losses from Ukraine.Besides Russia's huge exports, Europe and Argentina are increasing wheat shipments, while Brazil saw a banner year for corn.“These markets adapt and producers adapt — and boy, the wheat and corn markets have adapted very, very quickly,” said Peter Meyer, head of grain analytics at S&amp;P Global Commodity Insights.