SEDGWICK COUNTY —A friend has established an online fundraiser to help the family of&nbsp; 19-year-old Zaiylah Bronson from Wichita who was the victim of domestic violence over the weekend.

<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-loving-memory-of-zaiylah-bronson">Click here to</a> help the family

Just after 11a.m. Saturday, 911 dispatch in Sedgwick County received a call from a 911 operator from North Carolina reporting a possible homicide in the Wichita area, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

Based on the information given to the North Carolina 911 operator by a family member of the suspect, Wichita police officers were sent to two different locations, the 3900 block of E 17th Street North in Wichita and the 7600 block of E 21st Street N in Wichita.

Upon arrival at the 21st Street address, officers contacted 22-year-old Alexander Lewis and located Bronson's body of in the trunk of his vehicle. Officers pulled her body out of the trunk and provided life-saving measures until EMS arrived on the scene.

She was later pronounced deceased by EMS. Police arrested Lewis on requested charges of second-degree murder. He is expected to make a first court appearance later this week.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693339382320.png" alt="19-year-old Zaiylah Bronson photo GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>19-year-old Zaiylah Bronson photo GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A friend has established an online fundraiser to help the family of&nbsp; 19-year-old Zaiylah Bronson from Wichita who was the victim of domestic violence over the weekend.<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-loving-memory-of-zaiylah-bronson">Click here to</a> help the familyJust after 11a.m. Saturday, 911 dispatch in Sedgwick County received a call from a 911 operator from North Carolina reporting a possible homicide in the Wichita area, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693080884540.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Based on the information given to the North Carolina 911 operator by a family member of the suspect, Wichita police officers were sent to two different locations, the 3900 block of E 17th Street North in Wichita and the 7600 block of E 21st Street N in Wichita.Upon arrival at the 21st Street address, officers contacted 22-year-old Alexander Lewis and located Bronson's body of in the trunk of his vehicle. Officers pulled her body out of the trunk and provided life-saving measures until EMS arrived on the scene.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693155237617.png" alt="Lewis-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Lewis-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>She was later pronounced deceased by EMS. Police arrested Lewis on requested charges of second-degree murder. He is expected to make a first court appearance later this week.

Help for Kansas family of woman found dead in trunk of car

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Voters rejected school bond issues across Kansas on Tuesday. The Sedgwick County Election Commissioner reported the $73,900,000 school bond issue in USD 262&nbsp; Valley Center did not pass.

The unofficial count reported&nbsp;2,159 voted against the bond and 1,983 district patrons voted in favor of the bond issue.

According to a statement on the Valley Center School district web site, "Those who live in the communities we serve have decided that now is not the time to move forward with additional classroom space and accommodations for every student."

"While the bond did not pass, the needs remain. Because several USD 262 schools are at or over capacity with students and our district continues to grow, classroom space will have to be addressed."

Oberlin USD 294 voters said no to a $29 million bond issue for significant upgrades at the elementary and high school 621-362, according to the county election office.

USD 214 Ulysses voters rejected a $44.75 million project to build a new middle school wing at Ulysses High School, transition it to a 7-12 grade campus. It also included new science labs and weight room; upgrades to all classrooms; and expanded shop areas, kitchen, and music rooms.

The project also addressed ADA and safety concerns and mechanical system upgrades district-wide. The elementary buildings will also see renovations to classrooms, hallways, improved security and student safety.&nbsp; The unofficial vote count&nbsp; 929-241.

Voters in USD 210 Hugoton overwhelmingly voted down&nbsp;a $36 million bond issue&nbsp;for safety improvements and classroom renovations 893-244.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Voters rejected school bond issues across Kansas on Tuesday. The Sedgwick County Election Commissioner reported the $73,900,000 school bond issue in USD 262&nbsp; Valley Center did not pass.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693353976733.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The unofficial count reported&nbsp;2,159 voted against the bond and 1,983 district patrons voted in favor of the bond issue.According to a statement on the Valley Center School district web site, "Those who live in the communities we serve have decided that now is not the time to move forward with additional classroom space and accommodations for every student.""While the bond did not pass, the needs remain. Because several USD 262 schools are at or over capacity with students and our district continues to grow, classroom space will have to be addressed."Oberlin USD 294 voters said no to a $29 million bond issue for significant upgrades at the elementary and high school 621-362, according to the county election office.USD 214 Ulysses voters rejected a $44.75 million project to build a new middle school wing at Ulysses High School, transition it to a 7-12 grade campus. It also included new science labs and weight room; upgrades to all classrooms; and expanded shop areas, kitchen, and music rooms.The project also addressed ADA and safety concerns and mechanical system upgrades district-wide. The elementary buildings will also see renovations to classrooms, hallways, improved security and student safety.&nbsp; The unofficial vote count&nbsp; 929-241.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693390548179.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Voters in USD 210 Hugoton overwhelmingly voted down&nbsp;a $36 million bond issue&nbsp;for safety improvements and classroom renovations 893-244.

Voters reject bond issues in 4 Kansas school districts

LOS ANGELES (AP) — U.S. officials said Tuesday that the FBI and its European partners infiltrated and seized control of a major global malware network used for more than 15 years to commit a gamut of online crimes including crippling ransomware attacks.

They then remotely removed the malicious software agent — known as Qakbot — from thousands of infected computers.

Cybersecurity experts said they were impressed by the deft dismantling of the network but cautioned that any setback to cybercrime would likely be temporary.

“Nearly ever sector of the economy has been victimized by Qakbot,” Martin Estrada, the U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, said Tuesday in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/qakbot-malware-disrupted-international-cyber-takedown">announcing the takedown.</a>&nbsp;He said the criminal network had facilitated about 40 ransomware attacks alone over 18 months that investigators said netted Qakbot administrators about $58 million.

Qakbot's ransomware victims included an Illinois-based engineering firm, financial services organizations in Alabama and Kansas, along with a Maryland defense manufacturer and a Southern California food distribution company, Estrada said.

Officials said $8.6 million in cybercurrency was seized or frozen but no arrests were announced.

Estrada said the investigation is ongoing. He would not say where administrators of the malware, which marshaled infected machines into a botnet of zombie computers, were located. Cybersecurity researchers say they are believed to be in Russia and/or other former Soviet states.

Officials estimated the so-called malware loader, a digital Swiss knife for cybercrooks also known as Pinkslipbot and Qbot, was leveraged to cause hundreds of millions of dollars in damage since first appearing in 2008 as an information-stealing bank trojan. They said millions of people in nearly every country in the world have been affected.

Typically delivered via phishing email infections,&nbsp;<a href="https://attack.mitre.org/versions/v11/software/S0650/">Qakbot gave criminal hackers</a>&nbsp;initial access to violated computers. They could then deploy additional payloads including ransomware, steal sensitive information or gather intelligence on victims to facilitate financial fraud and crimes such as tech support and romance scams.

The Qakbot network was “literally feeding the global cybercrime supply chain,” said Donald Alway, assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles office, calling it “one of the most devastating cybercriminal tools in history.” The&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.checkpoint.com/security/check-point-shares-analysis-of-qakbot-malware-group/">most commonly detected malware</a>&nbsp;in the first half of 2023, Qakbot impacted one in 10 corporate networks and accounted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reliaquest.com/blog/the-3-malware-loaders-behind-80-of-incidents/">for about 30% of attacks globally,</a>&nbsp;a pair of cybersecurity firms found. Such “initial access” tools allow extortionist ransomware gangs to skip the initial step of penetrating computer networks, making them major facilitators for the far-flung, mostly Russian-speaking criminals who have wreaked havoc by stealing data and disrupting schools, hospitals, local governments and businesses worldwide.

Beginning Friday in an operation officials dubbed “Duck Hunt,” the FBI along with Europol and law enforcement and justice partners in France, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Latvia seized more than 50 Qakbot servers and identified more than 700,000 infected computers, more than 200,000 of them in the U.S. — effectively cutting off criminals from their quarry.

The FBI then used the seized Qakbot infrastructure to remotely dispatch updates that deleted the malware from thousands of infected computers. A senior FBI official, briefing reporters on condition he not be further identified, called that number “fluid” and cautioned that other malware may have remained on machines liberated from Qakbot.

It was the FBI's biggest success against cybercrooks since it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-politics-health-crime-us-department-of-justice-ed17a8853d78a9d0185af04cb8bd2fd2">“hacked the hackers”</a>&nbsp;with the January takedown of the prolific Hive ransomware gang.

“It is an impressive takedown. Qakbot was the largest botnet" in number of victims, said Alex Holden, founder of Milwaukee-based Hold Security. But he said it may have been a casualty of its own success in its staggering growth over the past few years. “Large botnets today tend to implode as too many threat actors are mining this data for various types of abuse.”

Cybersecurity expert Chester Wisniewski at Sophos agreed that while there could be a temporary drop in ransomware attacks, the criminals can be expected to either revive infrastructure elsewhere or move to other botnets.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — U.S. officials said Tuesday that the FBI and its European partners infiltrated and seized control of a major global malware network used for more than 15 years to commit a gamut of online crimes including crippling ransomware attacks.They then remotely removed the malicious software agent — known as Qakbot — from thousands of infected computers.Cybersecurity experts said they were impressed by the deft dismantling of the network but cautioned that any setback to cybercrime would likely be temporary.“Nearly ever sector of the economy has been victimized by Qakbot,” Martin Estrada, the U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, said Tuesday in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/qakbot-malware-disrupted-international-cyber-takedown">announcing the takedown.</a>&nbsp;He said the criminal network had facilitated about 40 ransomware attacks alone over 18 months that investigators said netted Qakbot administrators about $58 million.Qakbot's ransomware victims included an Illinois-based engineering firm, financial services organizations in Alabama and Kansas, along with a Maryland defense manufacturer and a Southern California food distribution company, Estrada said.Officials said $8.6 million in cybercurrency was seized or frozen but no arrests were announced.Estrada said the investigation is ongoing. He would not say where administrators of the malware, which marshaled infected machines into a botnet of zombie computers, were located. Cybersecurity researchers say they are believed to be in Russia and/or other former Soviet states.Officials estimated the so-called malware loader, a digital Swiss knife for cybercrooks also known as Pinkslipbot and Qbot, was leveraged to cause hundreds of millions of dollars in damage since first appearing in 2008 as an information-stealing bank trojan. They said millions of people in nearly every country in the world have been affected.Typically delivered via phishing email infections,&nbsp;<a href="https://attack.mitre.org/versions/v11/software/S0650/">Qakbot gave criminal hackers</a>&nbsp;initial access to violated computers. They could then deploy additional payloads including ransomware, steal sensitive information or gather intelligence on victims to facilitate financial fraud and crimes such as tech support and romance scams.The Qakbot network was “literally feeding the global cybercrime supply chain,” said Donald Alway, assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles office, calling it “one of the most devastating cybercriminal tools in history.” The&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.checkpoint.com/security/check-point-shares-analysis-of-qakbot-malware-group/">most commonly detected malware</a>&nbsp;in the first half of 2023, Qakbot impacted one in 10 corporate networks and accounted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reliaquest.com/blog/the-3-malware-loaders-behind-80-of-incidents/">for about 30% of attacks globally,</a>&nbsp;a pair of cybersecurity firms found. Such “initial access” tools allow extortionist ransomware gangs to skip the initial step of penetrating computer networks, making them major facilitators for the far-flung, mostly Russian-speaking criminals who have wreaked havoc by stealing data and disrupting schools, hospitals, local governments and businesses worldwide.Beginning Friday in an operation officials dubbed “Duck Hunt,” the FBI along with Europol and law enforcement and justice partners in France, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Latvia seized more than 50 Qakbot servers and identified more than 700,000 infected computers, more than 200,000 of them in the U.S. — effectively cutting off criminals from their quarry.The FBI then used the seized Qakbot infrastructure to remotely dispatch updates that deleted the malware from thousands of infected computers. A senior FBI official, briefing reporters on condition he not be further identified, called that number “fluid” and cautioned that other malware may have remained on machines liberated from Qakbot.It was the FBI's biggest success against cybercrooks since it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-politics-health-crime-us-department-of-justice-ed17a8853d78a9d0185af04cb8bd2fd2">“hacked the hackers”</a>&nbsp;with the January takedown of the prolific Hive ransomware gang.“It is an impressive takedown. Qakbot was the largest botnet" in number of victims, said Alex Holden, founder of Milwaukee-based Hold Security. But he said it may have been a casualty of its own success in its staggering growth over the past few years. “Large botnets today tend to implode as too many threat actors are mining this data for various types of abuse.”Cybersecurity expert Chester Wisniewski at Sophos agreed that while there could be a temporary drop in ransomware attacks, the criminals can be expected to either revive infrastructure elsewhere or move to other botnets.

FBI, European partners seize major malware network

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities&nbsp; investigating&nbsp; the August 23, fatal shooting at a Kansas home have identified the victim as 24-year-old Kevin D. Lewis Jr., of Kansas City, Kansas.

Just after 6:30p.m. Wednesday, officers were dispatched to a shooting in the 1900 block of N. 8th Street. Once on scene officers located Lewis inside a residence with an apparent gunshot wound. 

Officers on scene preformed life saving measures and Lewis was transported to an area hospital where he later was pronounced deceased.

This homicide is under investigation by the KCKPD Major Case Unit

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities&nbsp; investigating&nbsp; the August 23, fatal shooting at a Kansas home have identified the victim as 24-year-old Kevin D. Lewis Jr., of Kansas City, Kansas.Just after 6:30p.m. Wednesday, officers were dispatched to a shooting in the 1900 block of N. 8th Street. Once on scene officers located Lewis inside a residence with an apparent gunshot wound. Officers on scene preformed life saving measures and Lewis was transported to an area hospital where he later was pronounced deceased.This homicide is under investigation by the KCKPD Major Case Unit

Homicide: Police ID man who died in shooting at Kan. home

KANSAS&nbsp; CITY —A Kansas City woman has been charged in connection with the death and abandonment of an infant whose body was found in a field in the area of 40th and Pittman in May, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Raeleena S. Barlett, 25, faces a felony charge of Abandonment of a Corpse.

According to court records, on May 13, Kansas City police officer responded to woods nearby a residence regarding a report of a dead body. 

They found a deceased infant in a field, a 19-acre vacant lot near 40th and Pittman Road. Two days later, Bartlett, the deceased infant's mother, had reported to a witness that her child was deceased. But the mother offered no more information regarding the death. 

Bartlett told police that her daughter died May 6, when she said she found the child cold and stiff. She didn't know how the child ended up abandoned in the field.&nbsp;

This case remains under investigation. The Jackson County Medical Examiner has ruled the cause and manner of the child's death to be undetermined. No signs of physical abuse of the child were determined from the investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693347390630.png" alt="Barlett-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Barlett-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS&nbsp; CITY —A Kansas City woman has been charged in connection with the death and abandonment of an infant whose body was found in a field in the area of 40th and Pittman in May, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Raeleena S. Barlett, 25, faces a felony charge of Abandonment of a Corpse.According to court records, on May 13, Kansas City police officer responded to woods nearby a residence regarding a report of a dead body. They found a deceased infant in a field, a 19-acre vacant lot near 40th and Pittman Road. Two days later, Bartlett, the deceased infant's mother, had reported to a witness that her child was deceased. But the mother offered no more information regarding the death. Bartlett told police that her daughter died May 6, when she said she found the child cold and stiff. She didn't know how the child ended up abandoned in the field.&nbsp;This case remains under investigation. The Jackson County Medical Examiner has ruled the cause and manner of the child's death to be undetermined. No signs of physical abuse of the child were determined from the investigation.

Woman charged after infant found dead in Kansas City field

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.

Just after midnight On Monday,&nbsp; a sheriff's deputy conducted a traffic stop on a black 1992 Chevrolet Silverado near NE Jefferson Street and NE Paramore Street for an alleged traffic violation, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

During the investigation, illegal narcotics, open containers of alcohol and a stolen license plate were located.

Ryan W. Brooks, 36, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections. Brooks on requested charges of distribution of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of stolen property, transporting an open container of liquor, driving while license suspended, no vehicle liability insurance, improper display of license plate and improper turn signal.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693239999704.png" alt="Brooks-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Brooks-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.Just after midnight On Monday,&nbsp; a sheriff's deputy conducted a traffic stop on a black 1992 Chevrolet Silverado near NE Jefferson Street and NE Paramore Street for an alleged traffic violation, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.During the investigation, illegal narcotics, open containers of alcohol and a stolen license plate were located.Ryan W. Brooks, 36, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections. Brooks on requested charges of distribution of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of stolen property, transporting an open container of liquor, driving while license suspended, no vehicle liability insurance, improper display of license plate and improper turn signal.

Sheriff: Kansas man was selling methamphetamine

KANSAS CITY– Three leaders and six members of a confederation of street gangs in the Kansas City metropolitan area have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in an ongoing criminal enterprise that involved armed violence, including a murder conspiracy and drive-by shootings, and illegal drug trafficking, according to the United State's Attorney.

Steven K. Lee, also known as “Bizzle” and “SB,” 38, Charles V. Williams, also known as “Cheese” and “Chucky D,” 35, Travis L. Cook, also known as “Trav,” 30, Richard B. Johnson, also known as “Scritch” and “Rich,” 24, Deion D. Alford, also known as “Wommy,” 23, Ewon R. Kelley, also known as “Won,” 33, Myreku L. Frazier, also known as “Rekus,” 30, Anthony D. Hunter, also known as “Dee,” 25, and Jacequin Boswell, also known as “Nunu” and “Noodles,” 30, were charged in a six-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Aug. 17, 2023. That indictment was unsealed and made public today upon the arrests and initial court appearances of three of the defendants.

Cook, Lee, Williams, Kelley, and Hunter were all arrested in an operation on Thursday, August 24, 2023. Johnson and Alford are already in custody in connection with other charges. 

The operation involved more than 140 law enforcement officers from multiple local and federal agencies and searches of 16 residences associated with gang members. During the searches and arrests, law enforcement seized approximately 27 firearms, two machineguns, 1,069 rounds of ammunition, cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, marijuana, and bulk cash associated with the gangs. Additional seizures are still in the process of being logged into evidence.

According to the indictment, seven of the defendants—Lee, Johnson, Alford, Kelley, Frazier, Hunter, and Boswell—were members of an organized criminal enterprise, a gang called the Park Side Greasies, which is centered around the intersection of 33rd Street and Park Avenue in Kansas City, Mo. Members of Park Side Greasies allegedly engaged in acts of violence, including murder, conspiracy to murder, armed assault and robbery, and drug trafficking.

According to the indictment, Lee is the leader of Park Side Greasies. Williams leads Click Clack Gang and Cook leads South Benton Gang. Members of the three gangs maintain regular communication and frequently cooperate for the purpose of illegal drug trafficking and violent crimes, creating a confederation of gangs known as South Park Click. The gang alliance was memorialized in a 2013 song entitled “For Da 30’s,” the indictment says, which includes the verse “South Park Click. That’s South Benton, Park, and Click Clack. If somebody got shot, close your mouth – we probably did that. McDonald’s or Wendy’s, we don’t give a (expletive). You won’t move until the paramedics pick you up.”

Leaders, members, and associates of the criminal enterprise promoted a climate of fear in the community through repeated waves of gunfire, assaults, and destruction of property, among other crimes of violence and intimidation, the indictment says. They used and threatened to use physical violence to suppress challenges from rival criminals and others who threatened the enterprise. They enhanced their reputation for violence by killing, attempting to kill, and otherwise violently confronting people who challenged them. They enriched themselves, and funded the operations of the criminal enterprise, with the proceeds of illegal drug trafficking, robbery, and burglary.

The indictment charges all nine of the defendants in one count of participating in a racketeering conspiracy since at least Jan. 1, 2008. They allegedly engaged in a pattern of racketeering activity, including multiple acts and threats of murder, robbery, and drug trafficking as part of the criminal enterprise.

The indictment charges all nine of the defendants in one count of participating in a drug-trafficking conspiracy since at least Jan. 1, 2008. They allegedly conspired to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, PCP, alprazolam, oxycodone, and marijuana.

The indictment charges Lee, Johnson, Alford, Kelley, Hunter, and Boswell in one count of participating in a murder conspiracy since at least Dec. 8, 2017, in aid of the racketeering enterprise. Lee allegedly issued a contract for the murder of a rival gang member. Boswell located and attempted to shoot the victim in the area of 34th Street in Kansas City, Mo., but the victim successfully fled. Hunter shot at the victim on Dec. 30, 2018, reporting to Lee that they had “exchanged metal.” Kelley located the victim on Jan. 1, 2019, but was unable to execute the contract because too many people were around.

On Jan. 28, 2021, Johnson allegedly fired on multiple vehicles, believing them to be occupied by rivals, causing an injury to an uninvolved citizen and damaging property. Johnson is charged with one count of aiding and abetting another person to attempt to murder and to assault another person with a dangerous weapon, a Glock 9mm handgun. Johnson is also charged with one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693087162839.png" alt="Cook-from a November 2022 arrest in Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption>Cook-from a November 2022 arrest in Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY– Three leaders and six members of a confederation of street gangs in the Kansas City metropolitan area have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in an ongoing criminal enterprise that involved armed violence, including a murder conspiracy and drive-by shootings, and illegal drug trafficking, according to the United State's Attorney.Steven K. Lee, also known as “Bizzle” and “SB,” 38, Charles V. Williams, also known as “Cheese” and “Chucky D,” 35, Travis L. Cook, also known as “Trav,” 30, Richard B. Johnson, also known as “Scritch” and “Rich,” 24, Deion D. Alford, also known as “Wommy,” 23, Ewon R. Kelley, also known as “Won,” 33, Myreku L. Frazier, also known as “Rekus,” 30, Anthony D. Hunter, also known as “Dee,” 25, and Jacequin Boswell, also known as “Nunu” and “Noodles,” 30, were charged in a six-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Aug. 17, 2023. That indictment was unsealed and made public today upon the arrests and initial court appearances of three of the defendants.Cook, Lee, Williams, Kelley, and Hunter were all arrested in an operation on Thursday, August 24, 2023. Johnson and Alford are already in custody in connection with other charges. The operation involved more than 140 law enforcement officers from multiple local and federal agencies and searches of 16 residences associated with gang members. During the searches and arrests, law enforcement seized approximately 27 firearms, two machineguns, 1,069 rounds of ammunition, cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, marijuana, and bulk cash associated with the gangs. Additional seizures are still in the process of being logged into evidence.According to the indictment, seven of the defendants—Lee, Johnson, Alford, Kelley, Frazier, Hunter, and Boswell—were members of an organized criminal enterprise, a gang called the Park Side Greasies, which is centered around the intersection of 33rd Street and Park Avenue in Kansas City, Mo. Members of Park Side Greasies allegedly engaged in acts of violence, including murder, conspiracy to murder, armed assault and robbery, and drug trafficking.According to the indictment, Lee is the leader of Park Side Greasies. Williams leads Click Clack Gang and Cook leads South Benton Gang. Members of the three gangs maintain regular communication and frequently cooperate for the purpose of illegal drug trafficking and violent crimes, creating a confederation of gangs known as South Park Click. The gang alliance was memorialized in a 2013 song entitled “For Da 30’s,” the indictment says, which includes the verse “South Park Click. That’s South Benton, Park, and Click Clack. If somebody got shot, close your mouth – we probably did that. McDonald’s or Wendy’s, we don’t give a (expletive). You won’t move until the paramedics pick you up.”Leaders, members, and associates of the criminal enterprise promoted a climate of fear in the community through repeated waves of gunfire, assaults, and destruction of property, among other crimes of violence and intimidation, the indictment says. They used and threatened to use physical violence to suppress challenges from rival criminals and others who threatened the enterprise. They enhanced their reputation for violence by killing, attempting to kill, and otherwise violently confronting people who challenged them. They enriched themselves, and funded the operations of the criminal enterprise, with the proceeds of illegal drug trafficking, robbery, and burglary.The indictment charges all nine of the defendants in one count of participating in a racketeering conspiracy since at least Jan. 1, 2008. They allegedly engaged in a pattern of racketeering activity, including multiple acts and threats of murder, robbery, and drug trafficking as part of the criminal enterprise.The indictment charges all nine of the defendants in one count of participating in a drug-trafficking conspiracy since at least Jan. 1, 2008. They allegedly conspired to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, PCP, alprazolam, oxycodone, and marijuana.The indictment charges Lee, Johnson, Alford, Kelley, Hunter, and Boswell in one count of participating in a murder conspiracy since at least Dec. 8, 2017, in aid of the racketeering enterprise. Lee allegedly issued a contract for the murder of a rival gang member. Boswell located and attempted to shoot the victim in the area of 34th Street in Kansas City, Mo., but the victim successfully fled. Hunter shot at the victim on Dec. 30, 2018, reporting to Lee that they had “exchanged metal.” Kelley located the victim on Jan. 1, 2019, but was unable to execute the contract because too many people were around.On Jan. 28, 2021, Johnson allegedly fired on multiple vehicles, believing them to be occupied by rivals, causing an injury to an uninvolved citizen and damaging property. Johnson is charged with one count of aiding and abetting another person to attempt to murder and to assault another person with a dangerous weapon, a Glock 9mm handgun. Johnson is also charged with one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

KC gang leaders, members accused in racketeering, murder conspiracies

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — The preliminary hearing in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/patrick-mahomes-brother-charges-chiefs-812506d230c0964df8ff7feecf4c359f">felony case for Jackson Mahomes,</a>&nbsp;the brother of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, has been pushed back nearly a month because the judge has COVID-19.

Jackson Mahomes was charged in May with three felony counts of aggravated sexual battery and one misdemeanor count of battery. He is accused of forcibly kissing a woman Feb. 25 in the office of an Overland Park, Kansas, restaurant that she owned at the time.

The hearing was initially scheduled for Thursday. Johnson County District Court Judge Thomas Sutherland said during a scheduling conference over Zoom on Monday that he has COVID-19 and couldn't be sure he would be well enough by Thursday. The hearing was postponed until Oct. 24.

At the preliminary hearing, the prosecution is expected to outline its case and the judge will likely hear testimony from witnesses. Jackson Mahomes pleaded not guilty to the charges and is free on $100,000 bond.

The accuser, Aspen Vaughn, has since closed the restaurant. She said her business suffered from the publicity associated with the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684270297047.png" alt="Jackson Mahomes was charged in May with three felony counts of aggravated sexual battery and one misdemeanor count of battery.&nbsp;photo AP" />
 <figcaption>Jackson Mahomes was charged in May with three felony counts of aggravated sexual battery and one misdemeanor count of battery.&nbsp;photo AP</figcaption>
 </figure>OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — The preliminary hearing in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/patrick-mahomes-brother-charges-chiefs-812506d230c0964df8ff7feecf4c359f">felony case for Jackson Mahomes,</a>&nbsp;the brother of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, has been pushed back nearly a month because the judge has COVID-19.Jackson Mahomes was charged in May with three felony counts of aggravated sexual battery and one misdemeanor count of battery. He is accused of forcibly kissing a woman Feb. 25 in the office of an Overland Park, Kansas, restaurant that she owned at the time.The hearing was initially scheduled for Thursday. Johnson County District Court Judge Thomas Sutherland said during a scheduling conference over Zoom on Monday that he has COVID-19 and couldn't be sure he would be well enough by Thursday. The hearing was postponed until Oct. 24.At the preliminary hearing, the prosecution is expected to outline its case and the judge will likely hear testimony from witnesses. Jackson Mahomes pleaded not guilty to the charges and is free on $100,000 bond.The accuser, Aspen Vaughn, has since closed the restaurant. She said her business suffered from the publicity associated with the case.

Why preliminary hearing for Jackson Mahomes was delayed

SALINE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 1:30a.m. Tuesday in Saline County.

According to Salina Police Lieutenant James Feldman, first responders found a 47-year-old motorcycle rider on the ground at the intersection of E. Pacific and N. Front Street in Salina.

&nbsp;Police&nbsp; began life-saving measures. EMS arrived and transported him to Salina Regional Health Center where he was later pronounced deceased.

Investigators are still working to fully determine the circumstances leading up to the accident.&nbsp; Police have not released the man's name.

SALINE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 1:30a.m. Tuesday in Saline County.According to Salina Police Lieutenant James Feldman, first responders found a 47-year-old motorcycle rider on the ground at the intersection of E. Pacific and N. Front Street in Salina.&nbsp;Police&nbsp; began life-saving measures. EMS arrived and transported him to Salina Regional Health Center where he was later pronounced deceased.Investigators are still working to fully determine the circumstances leading up to the accident.&nbsp; Police have not released the man's name.

Police: Kansas man dies in motorcycle accident

Ground has been broken in St. Joseph as the University of
Missouri-Kansas City expands its medical program in the city with a $14.5
million building.

The building will be located on Faraon Street across from the Mosaic
Life Care complex and will expand a program begun by UMKC at Mosaic three years
ago.

State Rep. Brenda Shields of St. Joseph remembered the first meeting
between UMKC and Mosaic officials in April of 2019, praising Mosaic officials
for the reception they gave UMKC’s proposal.

“They took the meeting and they listened to UMKC’s proposal of
creating a school in a rural setting to train rural doctors,” Shields said
during a ceremony held at the site. “Creating the school is important, because
we know that doctors that train in rural settings set up their practice in
rural settings.”

Shields praised the UMKC students who came to Mosaic at the
beginning of the program to begin their academic career.

“Who took a risk in January of 2021 to come here and go to
school, that they bought into our idea that we were creating the premiere
school in the nation to train rural physicians,” Shields said.

The elaborate ground-breaking ceremony under a huge white tent
at Faraon and Riverside attracted a wide variety of officials: &nbsp;political, medical, and academic.

The project took a huge step forward when former U.S. Sen. Roy
Blunt secured $13 million in federal funds. The state of Missouri contributed
$1.5 million. The money will finance construction of a 22,000 square foot building
expected to open in 2025.

The building will have the capacity to train 80 students with
a graduating class of 20 each year, designed specifically to address rural
health care needs.

University of Missouri system president Mun Choi attended the ground-breaking
ceremonies in St. Joseph and got a chance to speak with UMKC students seeking
their degree at Mosaic.

“I had a chance to meet a few of the students. I’m going to
meet all of you before the day is out,” Choi told the large audience in
attendance. “And I asked them the question, ‘Will you serve you serve rural
Missouri?’ And, to a person, they said yes. I’m going to hold you to it.”

The UMKC program is designed specifically to address medical
needs in rural parts of the area.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693333807511.jpeg" alt="UMKC School of Medicine Dean Mary Anne Jackson addressed the crowd during the groundbreaking ceremony/Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>UMKC School of Medicine Dean Mary Anne Jackson addressed the crowd during the groundbreaking ceremony/Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostGround has been broken in St. Joseph as the University of
Missouri-Kansas City expands its medical program in the city with a $14.5
million building.The building will be located on Faraon Street across from the Mosaic
Life Care complex and will expand a program begun by UMKC at Mosaic three years
ago.State Rep. Brenda Shields of St. Joseph remembered the first meeting
between UMKC and Mosaic officials in April of 2019, praising Mosaic officials
for the reception they gave UMKC’s proposal.“They took the meeting and they listened to UMKC’s proposal of
creating a school in a rural setting to train rural doctors,” Shields said
during a ceremony held at the site. “Creating the school is important, because
we know that doctors that train in rural settings set up their practice in
rural settings.”Shields praised the UMKC students who came to Mosaic at the
beginning of the program to begin their academic career.“Who took a risk in January of 2021 to come here and go to
school, that they bought into our idea that we were creating the premiere
school in the nation to train rural physicians,” Shields said.The elaborate ground-breaking ceremony under a huge white tent
at Faraon and Riverside attracted a wide variety of officials: &nbsp;political, medical, and academic.The project took a huge step forward when former U.S. Sen. Roy
Blunt secured $13 million in federal funds. The state of Missouri contributed
$1.5 million. The money will finance construction of a 22,000 square foot building
expected to open in 2025.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693333901598.jpeg" alt="Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>The building will have the capacity to train 80 students with
a graduating class of 20 each year, designed specifically to address rural
health care needs.University of Missouri system president Mun Choi attended the ground-breaking
ceremonies in St. Joseph and got a chance to speak with UMKC students seeking
their degree at Mosaic.“I had a chance to meet a few of the students. I’m going to
meet all of you before the day is out,” Choi told the large audience in
attendance. “And I asked them the question, ‘Will you serve you serve rural
Missouri?’ And, to a person, they said yes. I’m going to hold you to it.”The UMKC program is designed specifically to address medical
needs in rural parts of the area.

UMKC breaks ground in St. Joseph for new medical school

MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan.&nbsp;– U.S. Navy aircraft and Sailors from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla., have relocated to McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, due to Hurricane Idalia.

The Navy’s Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 11 (VP-11) began arriving at McConnell mid-day Tuesday, bringing several P-8A Poseidon aircraft and approximately 40 Sailors.

After observing Hurricane Idalia’s projected path and intensity, the Navy ordered all ships and aircraft of Florida bases in the path of the storm to relocate to provide Continuity of Operations.

Several active-duty Navy and Naval Reserve P-8A flying squadrons are stationed at NAS Jacksonville. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.navair.navy.mil/product/P-8A-Poseidon" target="_blank">P-8A Poseidon</a>&nbsp;is the Navy's maritime patrol aircraft, capable of broad-area, maritime and littoral operations, including long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and search and rescue.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693329318925.png" alt="Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class Dasia Washington, a native of Wilmington, N.C., shovels sand into a bag aboard Naval Air Station Jacksonville in preparation for Hurricane Idalia, Aug. 28.&nbsp; &nbsp;Navy Region Southeast is the largest shore management region within the U.S. Navy, providing shore support for 18 installations across the southeastern United States. (U.S. Navy photo by Jacob Sippel/Released)" />
 <figcaption>Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class Dasia Washington, a native of Wilmington, N.C., shovels sand into a bag aboard Naval Air Station Jacksonville in preparation for Hurricane Idalia, Aug. 28.&nbsp; &nbsp;Navy Region Southeast is the largest shore management region within the U.S. Navy, providing shore support for 18 installations across the southeastern United States. (U.S. Navy photo by Jacob Sippel/Released)</figcaption>
 </figure>MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan.&nbsp;– U.S. Navy aircraft and Sailors from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla., have relocated to McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, due to Hurricane Idalia.The Navy’s Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 11 (VP-11) began arriving at McConnell mid-day Tuesday, bringing several P-8A Poseidon aircraft and approximately 40 Sailors.After observing Hurricane Idalia’s projected path and intensity, the Navy ordered all ships and aircraft of Florida bases in the path of the storm to relocate to provide Continuity of Operations.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🌀⚠️To see details of the Threats and Impacts in your area, visit: <a href="https://t.co/jATH9cKa5v">https://t.co/jATH9cKa5v</a>, go to the &quot;Threats and Impacts&quot; tab and click your location on the map to see a summary of the different threats. (Wind, Storm Surge, Flooding Rain, Tornado) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Idalia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Idalia</a> ⚠️🌀<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FLwx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FLwx</a> <a href="https://t.co/fym3ivn44e">pic.twitter.com/fym3ivn44e</a>&mdash; NWS Tampa Bay (@NWSTampaBay) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSTampaBay/status/1696551220507533772?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Several active-duty Navy and Naval Reserve P-8A flying squadrons are stationed at NAS Jacksonville. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.navair.navy.mil/product/P-8A-Poseidon" target="_blank">P-8A Poseidon</a>&nbsp;is the Navy's maritime patrol aircraft, capable of broad-area, maritime and littoral operations, including long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and search and rescue.

Hurricane Idalia brings Navy to Kansas Air Force base

FRANKLIN COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 9p.m. Monday in Franklin County.

The Franklin County Sheriff reported a Polaris ATV driven by 41-year-old Justin Dyer of Pomona and a Ford F150 pickup collided at the intersection of Monroe and 5th Street in Pomona.

EMS transported Dyer to Advent Health in Ottawa where he died, according to the sheriff.&nbsp; Lifestar airlifted a female passenger to an area hospital.with serious injuries. The driver of the pickup was not injured. The crash remains under investigation.&nbsp;

FRANKLIN COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 9p.m. Monday in Franklin County.The Franklin County Sheriff reported a Polaris ATV driven by 41-year-old Justin Dyer of Pomona and a Ford F150 pickup collided at the intersection of Monroe and 5th Street in Pomona.EMS transported Dyer to Advent Health in Ottawa where he died, according to the sheriff.&nbsp; Lifestar airlifted a female passenger to an area hospital.with serious injuries. The driver of the pickup was not injured. The crash remains under investigation.&nbsp;

Kansas man dies, woman hospitalized after ATV, pickup crash

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is targeting the blood thinner Eliquis, diabetes treatment Jardiance and eight other medications for Medicare's first-ever drug price negotiations as it seeks to lower medical costs for Americans.

The administration on Tuesday released&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23930689-medicare-drug-price-negotiation-list">a list of the 10 drugs</a>&nbsp;for which prices will be negotiated directly with the manufacturer. The move is expected to cut costs for many patients, but it faces litigation from the drugmakers and heavy criticism from Republican lawmakers, and it could be years before consumers notice any savings.

The effort is a centerpiece of President Joe Biden's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-election-2024-president-democrats-trump-9c72115656855da89a41cac3f79aa65b">reelection pitch</a>&nbsp;as the Democrat seeks to show Americans he's deserving of a second term because of the work he's doing to lower costs for them while the country is struggling with inflation. But like the drug negotiations, many of Biden's biggest policy moves take time to roll out, and his challenge is to persuade the public to be patient.

“For many Americans, the cost of one drug is the difference between life and death, dignity and dependence, hope and fear,” Biden said in a statement. “That is why we will continue the fight to lower healthcare costs — and we will not stop until we finish the job.”

Biden plans to deliver a speech on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lifestyle-health-care-costs-medicare-prescription-drugs-2fe3928665506b9a2d9c9c38bfd4f0c9">health care costs</a>&nbsp;from the White House later Tuesday. He’ll be joined by Vice President Kamala Harris.

The drugs on the list announced Tuesday accounted for more than $50 billion in Medicare prescription drug costs between June 1, 2022, and May 31, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS. The diabetes treatments Jardiance from Eli Lilly and Co. and Merck’s Januvia made the list, along with Amgen’s autoimmune disease treatment Enbrel. Other drugs include Entresto from Novartis, which is used to treat heart failure.

Medicare spent about $10 billion in 2020 on Eliquis, according to AARP research. The drug from Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb treats blood clots in the legs and lungs and reduces the risk of stroke in people with an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation.

Senior administration officials said Tuesday that the 10 drugs selected for negotiation are among the most costly to the Medicare program. They said 8.2 million people with Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage take them.

Other drugs on the list include AstraZeneca’s diabetes and heart failure treatment Farxiga and three drugs from Johnson &amp; Johnson: the blood thinner Xarelto, the blood cancer treatment Imbruvica and it’s biggest seller, Stelara, an IV treatment for psoriasis and other inflammatory disorders.

The list also includes several versions of Novo Nordisk’s Fiasp, a fast-acting insulin taken around meals.

The Inflation Reduction Act already caps Medicare patient out-of-pocket costs for insulin at $35 a month. An administration official said Tuesday that upper limit will hold but there could be further changes in those costs.

The announcement is a significant step under the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-climate-health-tax-law-economy-inflation-f112d7c78abaa724d22964317d213deb">Inflation Reduction Act,</a>&nbsp;which was signed by Biden last year. The law requires the federal government for the first time to start negotiating directly with companies about the prices they charge for some of Medicare’s most expensive drugs.

More than 52 million people who either are 65 or older or have certain severe disabilities or illnesses get prescription drug coverage through Medicare’s Part D program, according to CMS.

About 9% of Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older said in 2021 that they did not fill a prescription or skipped a drug dose due to cost, according to research by the Commonwealth Fund, which studies health care issues.

The agency aims to negotiate the lowest maximum fair price for drugs on the list released Tuesday. That could help some patients who have coverage but still face big bills like high deductible payments when they get a prescription.

Currently, pharmacy benefit managers that run Medicare prescription plans negotiate rebates off a drug's price. Those rebates sometimes help reduce premiums customers pay for coverage. But they may not change what a patient spends at the pharmacy counter.

The new drug price negotiations aim "to basically make drugs more affordable while also still allowing for profits to be made,” said Gretchen Jacobson, who researches Medicare issues at Commonwealth.

Drug companies that refuse to be a part of the new negotiation process will be heavily taxed.

The pharmaceutical industry has been gearing up for months to fight these rules. Already, the plan faces several lawsuits, including complaints filed by drugmakers Merck and Bristol-Myers Squibb and a key lobbying group, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, or PhRMA.

PhRMA said in a federal court complaint filed earlier this year that the act forces drugmakers to agree to a “government-dictated price” under the threat of a heavy tax and gives too much price-setting authority to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

PhRMA representatives also have said pharmacy benefit managers can still restrict access to drugs with negotiated prices by moving the drugs to a tier of their formulary — a list of covered drugs — that would require higher out-of-pocket payments. Pharmacy benefit managers also could require patients to try other drugs first or seek approval before a prescription can be covered.

Republican lawmakers also have blasted the Biden administration for its plan, saying companies might pull back on introducing new drugs that could be subjected to future haggling. They’ve also questioned whether the government knows enough to suggest prices for drugs.

CMS will start its negotiations on drugs for which it spends the most money. The drugs also must be ones that don't have generic competitors and are approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

CMS plans to meet this fall with drugmakers that have a drug on its list, and government officials say they also plan to hold patient-focused listening sessions. By February 2024, the government will make its first offer on a maximum fair price and then give drugmakers time to respond.

Any negotiated prices won't take hold until 2026. More drugs could be added to the program in the coming years.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is targeting the blood thinner Eliquis, diabetes treatment Jardiance and eight other medications for Medicare's first-ever drug price negotiations as it seeks to lower medical costs for Americans.The administration on Tuesday released&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23930689-medicare-drug-price-negotiation-list">a list of the 10 drugs</a>&nbsp;for which prices will be negotiated directly with the manufacturer. The move is expected to cut costs for many patients, but it faces litigation from the drugmakers and heavy criticism from Republican lawmakers, and it could be years before consumers notice any savings.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">No senior should have to overpay for life-saving drugs to pad Big Pharma’s pockets. My Administration is announcing the first 10 Medicare Part D drugs selected for price negotiation. We&#39;re ending the days of deciding between buying your medicine or putting food on the table. <a href="https://t.co/oEMkaXAjWb">pic.twitter.com/oEMkaXAjWb</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1696492901633585429?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The effort is a centerpiece of President Joe Biden's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-election-2024-president-democrats-trump-9c72115656855da89a41cac3f79aa65b">reelection pitch</a>&nbsp;as the Democrat seeks to show Americans he's deserving of a second term because of the work he's doing to lower costs for them while the country is struggling with inflation. But like the drug negotiations, many of Biden's biggest policy moves take time to roll out, and his challenge is to persuade the public to be patient.“For many Americans, the cost of one drug is the difference between life and death, dignity and dependence, hope and fear,” Biden said in a statement. “That is why we will continue the fight to lower healthcare costs — and we will not stop until we finish the job.”Biden plans to deliver a speech on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lifestyle-health-care-costs-medicare-prescription-drugs-2fe3928665506b9a2d9c9c38bfd4f0c9">health care costs</a>&nbsp;from the White House later Tuesday. He’ll be joined by Vice President Kamala Harris.The drugs on the list announced Tuesday accounted for more than $50 billion in Medicare prescription drug costs between June 1, 2022, and May 31, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS. The diabetes treatments Jardiance from Eli Lilly and Co. and Merck’s Januvia made the list, along with Amgen’s autoimmune disease treatment Enbrel. Other drugs include Entresto from Novartis, which is used to treat heart failure.Medicare spent about $10 billion in 2020 on Eliquis, according to AARP research. The drug from Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb treats blood clots in the legs and lungs and reduces the risk of stroke in people with an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation.Senior administration officials said Tuesday that the 10 drugs selected for negotiation are among the most costly to the Medicare program. They said 8.2 million people with Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage take them.Other drugs on the list include AstraZeneca’s diabetes and heart failure treatment Farxiga and three drugs from Johnson &amp; Johnson: the blood thinner Xarelto, the blood cancer treatment Imbruvica and it’s biggest seller, Stelara, an IV treatment for psoriasis and other inflammatory disorders.The list also includes several versions of Novo Nordisk’s Fiasp, a fast-acting insulin taken around meals.The Inflation Reduction Act already caps Medicare patient out-of-pocket costs for insulin at $35 a month. An administration official said Tuesday that upper limit will hold but there could be further changes in those costs.The announcement is a significant step under the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-climate-health-tax-law-economy-inflation-f112d7c78abaa724d22964317d213deb">Inflation Reduction Act,</a>&nbsp;which was signed by Biden last year. The law requires the federal government for the first time to start negotiating directly with companies about the prices they charge for some of Medicare’s most expensive drugs.More than 52 million people who either are 65 or older or have certain severe disabilities or illnesses get prescription drug coverage through Medicare’s Part D program, according to CMS.About 9% of Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older said in 2021 that they did not fill a prescription or skipped a drug dose due to cost, according to research by the Commonwealth Fund, which studies health care issues.The agency aims to negotiate the lowest maximum fair price for drugs on the list released Tuesday. That could help some patients who have coverage but still face big bills like high deductible payments when they get a prescription.Currently, pharmacy benefit managers that run Medicare prescription plans negotiate rebates off a drug's price. Those rebates sometimes help reduce premiums customers pay for coverage. But they may not change what a patient spends at the pharmacy counter.The new drug price negotiations aim "to basically make drugs more affordable while also still allowing for profits to be made,” said Gretchen Jacobson, who researches Medicare issues at Commonwealth.Drug companies that refuse to be a part of the new negotiation process will be heavily taxed.The pharmaceutical industry has been gearing up for months to fight these rules. Already, the plan faces several lawsuits, including complaints filed by drugmakers Merck and Bristol-Myers Squibb and a key lobbying group, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, or PhRMA.PhRMA said in a federal court complaint filed earlier this year that the act forces drugmakers to agree to a “government-dictated price” under the threat of a heavy tax and gives too much price-setting authority to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.PhRMA representatives also have said pharmacy benefit managers can still restrict access to drugs with negotiated prices by moving the drugs to a tier of their formulary — a list of covered drugs — that would require higher out-of-pocket payments. Pharmacy benefit managers also could require patients to try other drugs first or seek approval before a prescription can be covered.Republican lawmakers also have blasted the Biden administration for its plan, saying companies might pull back on introducing new drugs that could be subjected to future haggling. They’ve also questioned whether the government knows enough to suggest prices for drugs.CMS will start its negotiations on drugs for which it spends the most money. The drugs also must be ones that don't have generic competitors and are approved by the Food and Drug Administration.CMS plans to meet this fall with drugmakers that have a drug on its list, and government officials say they also plan to hold patient-focused listening sessions. By February 2024, the government will make its first offer on a maximum fair price and then give drugmakers time to respond.Any negotiated prices won't take hold until 2026. More drugs could be added to the program in the coming years.___

Biden targets 10 Medicare Part D drugs for price negotiation

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities continue to investigate a weekend drive-by shooting&nbsp; in the 400 block U Street in Atchison that sent a teen to the hospital

 Police now know the victim is a 15-year-old from Columbia Missouri, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson. She had originally provided inaccurate information. .

Just after 4p.m. Saturday, the teen was sitting in a vehicle in the 400 block U Street in Atchison.&nbsp; A&nbsp;person drove up next to the vehicle and fired a single shot.

A private vehicle transported the girl to a local hospital. She was later transferred to a Kansas City hospital. She has been released from the hospital, according Wilson.

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities continue to investigate a weekend drive-by shooting&nbsp; in the 400 block U Street in Atchison that sent a teen to the hospital Police now know the victim is a 15-year-old from Columbia Missouri, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson. She had originally provided inaccurate information. .Just after 4p.m. Saturday, the teen was sitting in a vehicle in the 400 block U Street in Atchison.&nbsp; A&nbsp;person drove up next to the vehicle and fired a single shot.A private vehicle transported the girl to a local hospital. She was later transferred to a Kansas City hospital. She has been released from the hospital, according Wilson.

Girl injured in Kansas drive-by shooting released from hospital

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Two new laws restricting the access of transgender youth in Missouri to gender-affirming health care and school sports took effect Monday.

One law bans minors from beginning puberty blockers and hormones and outlaws gender-affirming surgeries for youths. The other law requires student athletes from kindergarten through college to play on sports teams that align with their sex as assigned at birth.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-missouri-republican-govenrnor-sports-d0d3ef01544dc7c22592d8ca2464138b">Republican Gov. Mike Parson signed the bills in June</a>&nbsp;after he and other proponents of the laws&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-legislation-legislature-missouri-sports-2dd6a4c599190a08aa72d12868215547">pressured</a>&nbsp;the GOP-led legislature to act during this year's session. Both laws are set to expire in 2027.

LGBTQ+ advocates who sued to overturn the health care law were dealt a blow last week when a judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-health-minors-missouri-196d873aa5a5b8b05b0af18f0e653a16">allowed the law to take effect</a>&nbsp;as the court challenge plays out.

The health care law prohibits physicians from providing gender-affirming health care to minors, but young people prescribed puberty blockers or hormones before Aug. 28 can continue to receive those treatments. Adults still have access to transgender health care under the law, but Medicaid will not cover it and prisoners’ access to surgeries is limited.

Missouri’s Planned Parenthood clinics had been ramping up available appointments and holding pop-up clinics to start patients on treatments before the law took effect. Physicians who violate the law face having their licenses revoked and being sued by patients.

“All transgender folks in Missouri who are already getting care will now be denied the use of their public insurance to cover that care,” said Dr. Colleen McNicholas, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri.

She said the ban on Medicaid coverage might mean adult patients already receiving treatments will need to switch to providers who accept out-of-pocket payments.

The ACLU of Missouri, Lambda Legal, and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner filed suit last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-gender-affirming-health-care-ban-lawsuit-9696f0c28b63baf8c52a95448811795e">seeking to overturn Missouri's transgender health care law</a>&nbsp;on behalf of doctors, LGBTQ+ organizations, and three families of transgender minors. Arguing that the law is discriminatory, they asked that it be temporarily blocked as the court challenge against it plays out. A St. Louis judge disagreed, and last week ruled that the law can take effect throughout the lawsuit.

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for Sept. 22.

Beginning Monday, student athletes will only be allowed to play on K-12 and college sports teams that align with their sex assigned at birth. That means transgender girls and women will not be allowed on girls' and women's school teams, and transgender boys and men can only compete on girls' and women's teams.

Girls and women can play on boys' and men's teams if there is no corresponding sports program for girls and women.

Compliance is based on students' birth certificates or other government documents, but only records created shortly after birth are acceptable. Modified birth certificates are only allowed in cases of typos and other mistakes.

The state education department is responsible for creating additional rules for enforcement of the law, which isn't facing a challenge.

Schools, including private institutions, face losing all state funding for violating the law. Parents, adult students and former students can sue if they believe a violation of the law led to the loss of an “athletic opportunity” for them.

At least 22 states have enacted laws banning or restricting gender-affirming care for minors, and most of the bans are being challenged in court.

The most recent state to enact a ban was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-health-care-veto-override-north-carolina-536351cc360a92cdd21f298f6212e6d2">North Carolina</a>, where Republican lawmakers overrode Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of a measure banning medical professionals from providing hormone therapy, puberty-blocking drugs and surgical gender-transition procedures to anyone under 18, with limited exceptions.

North Carolina’s law took effect immediately. But minors who began treatment before Aug. 1 may continue receiving that care if their doctors deem it medically necessary and their parents consent. Opponents of the law have vowed to file a lawsuit challenging it.

A federal judge in June struck down&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/us-news/arkansas-gender-general-news-2a0d032f4e4f3195c180d879239e6521">Arkansas</a>&nbsp;′ first-in-the-nation ban, and the state has appealed that decision. The judge in that case ruled the prohibition violated the constitutional rights of transgender youth and families, as well as those of medical providers. He also rejected proponents’ claims that the treatments were experimental.

People opposed to such treatments for children argue that they are too young to make such decisions about their futures.

Every major medical organization, including the American Medical Association, has opposed the bans on gender-affirming care for minors and supported the medical care for youth when administered appropriately.

The American Academy of Pediatrics earlier this month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-genderaffirming-care-pediatricians-176134f1b6ee1f2c146fef9a40cf351e">reaffirmed</a>&nbsp;its support for the treatments, and voted to conduct an external review of research regarding the care.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692751118304.png" alt="FILE - Glenda Starke wears a transgender flag as a counter protest during a rally in favor of a ban on gender-affirming health care legislation, March 20, 2023, at the Missouri Statehouse in Jefferson City, Mo. Missouri’s Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey and the families of transgender children are in court fighting over whether a new law banning minors from receiving gender-affirming health care will take effect as scheduled on Monday, Aug. 28. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Glenda Starke wears a transgender flag as a counter protest during a rally in favor of a ban on gender-affirming health care legislation, March 20, 2023, at the Missouri Statehouse in Jefferson City, Mo. Missouri’s Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey and the families of transgender children are in court fighting over whether a new law banning minors from receiving gender-affirming health care will take effect as scheduled on Monday, Aug. 28. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Two new laws restricting the access of transgender youth in Missouri to gender-affirming health care and school sports took effect Monday.One law bans minors from beginning puberty blockers and hormones and outlaws gender-affirming surgeries for youths. The other law requires student athletes from kindergarten through college to play on sports teams that align with their sex as assigned at birth.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-missouri-republican-govenrnor-sports-d0d3ef01544dc7c22592d8ca2464138b">Republican Gov. Mike Parson signed the bills in June</a>&nbsp;after he and other proponents of the laws&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-legislation-legislature-missouri-sports-2dd6a4c599190a08aa72d12868215547">pressured</a>&nbsp;the GOP-led legislature to act during this year's session. Both laws are set to expire in 2027.LGBTQ+ advocates who sued to overturn the health care law were dealt a blow last week when a judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-health-minors-missouri-196d873aa5a5b8b05b0af18f0e653a16">allowed the law to take effect</a>&nbsp;as the court challenge plays out.HEALTH CAREThe health care law prohibits physicians from providing gender-affirming health care to minors, but young people prescribed puberty blockers or hormones before Aug. 28 can continue to receive those treatments. Adults still have access to transgender health care under the law, but Medicaid will not cover it and prisoners’ access to surgeries is limited.Missouri’s Planned Parenthood clinics had been ramping up available appointments and holding pop-up clinics to start patients on treatments before the law took effect. Physicians who violate the law face having their licenses revoked and being sued by patients.“All transgender folks in Missouri who are already getting care will now be denied the use of their public insurance to cover that care,” said Dr. Colleen McNicholas, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri.She said the ban on Medicaid coverage might mean adult patients already receiving treatments will need to switch to providers who accept out-of-pocket payments.LAWSUITThe ACLU of Missouri, Lambda Legal, and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner filed suit last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-gender-affirming-health-care-ban-lawsuit-9696f0c28b63baf8c52a95448811795e">seeking to overturn Missouri's transgender health care law</a>&nbsp;on behalf of doctors, LGBTQ+ organizations, and three families of transgender minors. Arguing that the law is discriminatory, they asked that it be temporarily blocked as the court challenge against it plays out. A St. Louis judge disagreed, and last week ruled that the law can take effect throughout the lawsuit.The next hearing in the case is scheduled for Sept. 22.SCHOOL SPORTSBeginning Monday, student athletes will only be allowed to play on K-12 and college sports teams that align with their sex assigned at birth. That means transgender girls and women will not be allowed on girls' and women's school teams, and transgender boys and men can only compete on girls' and women's teams.Girls and women can play on boys' and men's teams if there is no corresponding sports program for girls and women.Compliance is based on students' birth certificates or other government documents, but only records created shortly after birth are acceptable. Modified birth certificates are only allowed in cases of typos and other mistakes.The state education department is responsible for creating additional rules for enforcement of the law, which isn't facing a challenge.Schools, including private institutions, face losing all state funding for violating the law. Parents, adult students and former students can sue if they believe a violation of the law led to the loss of an “athletic opportunity” for them.OTHER STATESAt least 22 states have enacted laws banning or restricting gender-affirming care for minors, and most of the bans are being challenged in court.The most recent state to enact a ban was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-health-care-veto-override-north-carolina-536351cc360a92cdd21f298f6212e6d2">North Carolina</a>, where Republican lawmakers overrode Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of a measure banning medical professionals from providing hormone therapy, puberty-blocking drugs and surgical gender-transition procedures to anyone under 18, with limited exceptions.North Carolina’s law took effect immediately. But minors who began treatment before Aug. 1 may continue receiving that care if their doctors deem it medically necessary and their parents consent. Opponents of the law have vowed to file a lawsuit challenging it.A federal judge in June struck down&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/us-news/arkansas-gender-general-news-2a0d032f4e4f3195c180d879239e6521">Arkansas</a>&nbsp;′ first-in-the-nation ban, and the state has appealed that decision. The judge in that case ruled the prohibition violated the constitutional rights of transgender youth and families, as well as those of medical providers. He also rejected proponents’ claims that the treatments were experimental.People opposed to such treatments for children argue that they are too young to make such decisions about their futures.Every major medical organization, including the American Medical Association, has opposed the bans on gender-affirming care for minors and supported the medical care for youth when administered appropriately.The American Academy of Pediatrics earlier this month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-genderaffirming-care-pediatricians-176134f1b6ee1f2c146fef9a40cf351e">reaffirmed</a>&nbsp;its support for the treatments, and voted to conduct an external review of research regarding the care.

Minors beginning gender-affirming care in Missouri now against the law

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on alleged rape in Kansas City, Kansas.

Just before 5:30 a.m. Sunday, a proactive officer approached 4 people loitering in front of a closed business in Lawrence, according to a social media report from police.

One of them provided a false name, but officers soon discovered who he was — and learned he was wanted on two counts of rape in Kansas and had other warrants.

 The suspect identified according to online booking records as 36-year-old Matthew A. Williams&nbsp; was arrested and transported to jail.  Officers discovered the suspect is a new to town and came Lawrence to hide.

Williams is being held on requested charges of rape in Wyandotte County and Failure to Appear in Douglas and Leavenworth County&nbsp;

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on alleged rape in Kansas City, Kansas.Just before 5:30 a.m. Sunday, a proactive officer approached 4 people loitering in front of a closed business in Lawrence, according to a social media report from police.One of them provided a false name, but officers soon discovered who he was — and learned he was wanted on two counts of rape in Kansas and had other warrants. The suspect identified according to online booking records as 36-year-old Matthew A. Williams&nbsp; was arrested and transported to jail. Officers discovered the suspect is a new to town and came Lawrence to hide.Williams is being held on requested charges of rape in Wyandotte County and Failure to Appear in Douglas and Leavenworth County&nbsp;

Wanted Kansas rape suspect gave police a fake name

DARWIN, AUSTRALIA — Military officials confirm the names of those killed in the U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey crash on Melville Island, north of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, on Sunday morning. They are identified as U.S. Marine Corps Captain Eleanor V. LeBeau, female, 29, MV-22B Osprey pilot for VMM-363 (REIN), Marine Rotational Force – Darwin, originally from Belleville, Illinois.

U.S. Marine Corps Major Tobin J. Lewis, male, 37, the executive officer of VMM-363 (REIN), Marine Rotational Force – Darwin, originally from Jefferson, Colorado.

&nbsp;U.S. Marine Corps Corporal Spencer R. Collart, male, 21, MV-22B Osprey crew chief for VMM-363 (REIN), Marine Rotational Force – Darwin, originally from Arlington, VA

Three Marines remain in Royal Darwin Hospital, with one in critical condition and two in stable condition. 17 others were taken to Royal Darwin Hospital, treated for minor injuries, and released.

Up to 2,500 U.S. Marines have been based in Darwin for six months a year since 2012 as part of the U.S. military pivot to Asia to counter China’s growing influence in the region.

Col. Brendan Sullivan, the commanding officer of the Marine Rotation Force-Darwin, said the Marines’ focus was on supporting the recovery of wreckage and investigating the cause.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of three respected and beloved members of the MRF-D family,” Sullivan said in a statement.

“Our thoughts and prayers remain with the families and with all involved,” Sullivan added.

President Joe Biden has also offered his condolences to their families.

“Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the families of the Marines who lost their lives in this deadly crash,” Biden tweeted, referring to his wife Jill Biden. “We are praying for those who also suffered injuries.”

The Osprey is a hybrid aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter but during flight can tilt its propellers forward and cruise much faster like an airplane.

Before Sunday, there had been five fatal crashes of Marine Ospreys since 2012, causing a total of 16 deaths.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Eight U.S. Marines remained in a hospital in the Australian north coast city of Darwin on Monday after they were injured in a fiery crash of a tiltrotor aircraft that killed three of their colleagues on an island.

All 20 survivors were flown from Melville Island 80 kilometers (50 miles) south to Darwin within hours of the Marine V-22 Osprey crashing at 9:30 a.m. Sunday during a multinational training exercise, Northern Territory Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said.

All were taken to the Royal Darwin Hospital, and 12 had been discharged by Monday, she said.

The first five Marines to arrive at the city’s main hospital were critically injured and one underwent emergency surgery.

Fyles said she would not detail the conditions of eight who remained in the hospital out of respect for them and their families.

“It’s ... a credit to everyone involved that we were able to get 20 patients from an extremely remote location on an island into our tertiary hospital within a matter of hours,” Fyles told reporters.

The Osprey that crashed was one of two that flew from Darwin to Melville on Sunday as part of Exercise Predators Run, which involves the militaries of the United States, Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and East Timor.

All 23 Marines aboard the lost aircraft were temporarily based in Darwin as part of the Marine Corps’ annual troop rotation.

Around 150 U.S. Marines are currently based in Darwin and up to 2,500 rotate through the city every year. They are part of a realignment of U.S. forces in the Asia-Pacific that is broadly meant to face an increasingly assertive China.

The bodies of the three Marines remained at the crash site, where an exclusion zone would be maintained, Northern Territory Police Commissioner Michael Murphy said.

The cause of the crash had yet to be explained and investigators would remain at the site for at least 10 days, Murphy said.

The Osprey, a hybrid aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter but during flight can tilt its propellers forward and cruise much faster like an airplane, crashed into tropical forest and burst into flame.

The latest was in June 2022, when five Marines died in a fiery crash in a remote part of California east of San Diego.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marine-v22-aircraft-crash-investigation-6a449feb2f590f6d35909a2b40e6839a">A crash investigation report</a>&nbsp;last month found that the tragedy was caused by a mechanical failure related to a clutch.

There had been 16 similar clutch problems with the Marine Ospreys in flight since 2012, the report found. But no problems have arisen since February when the Marine Corps began replacing a piece of equipment on the aircraft, the report said.

Emergency responders were surprised the death toll from Sunday's crash was not higher.

“For a chopper that crashes and catches fire, to have 20 Marines that are surviving, I think that’s an incredible outcome,” Murphy said.

Defense Minister Richard Marles was also greateful that the toll was not worse.

“It’s remarkable that in many ways, so many have survived,” Marles told Nine News television. “This remains a very tragic incident and the loss of those lives are keenly felt,” Marles added.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693270537403.png" alt="Capt. Eleanor V. LeBeau courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Capt. Eleanor V. LeBeau courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>DARWIN, AUSTRALIA — Military officials confirm the names of those killed in the U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey crash on Melville Island, north of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, on Sunday morning. They are identified as U.S. Marine Corps Captain Eleanor V. LeBeau, female, 29, MV-22B Osprey pilot for VMM-363 (REIN), Marine Rotational Force – Darwin, originally from Belleville, Illinois.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693270582869.png" alt="Maj. Tobin J. Lewis courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Maj. Tobin J. Lewis courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>U.S. Marine Corps Major Tobin J. Lewis, male, 37, the executive officer of VMM-363 (REIN), Marine Rotational Force – Darwin, originally from Jefferson, Colorado.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693270610503.png" alt="Cpl. Spencer R. Collart courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Cpl. Spencer R. Collart courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;U.S. Marine Corps Corporal Spencer R. Collart, male, 21, MV-22B Osprey crew chief for VMM-363 (REIN), Marine Rotational Force – Darwin, originally from Arlington, VAThree Marines remain in Royal Darwin Hospital, with one in critical condition and two in stable condition. 17 others were taken to Royal Darwin Hospital, treated for minor injuries, and released.Up to 2,500 U.S. Marines have been based in Darwin for six months a year since 2012 as part of the U.S. military pivot to Asia to counter China’s growing influence in the region.Col. Brendan Sullivan, the commanding officer of the Marine Rotation Force-Darwin, said the Marines’ focus was on supporting the recovery of wreckage and investigating the cause.“We are deeply saddened by the loss of three respected and beloved members of the MRF-D family,” Sullivan said in a statement.“Our thoughts and prayers remain with the families and with all involved,” Sullivan added.President Joe Biden has also offered his condolences to their families.“Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the families of the Marines who lost their lives in this deadly crash,” Biden tweeted, referring to his wife Jill Biden. “We are praying for those who also suffered injuries.”The Osprey is a hybrid aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter but during flight can tilt its propellers forward and cruise much faster like an airplane.Before Sunday, there had been five fatal crashes of Marine Ospreys since 2012, causing a total of 16 deaths.The cause of the crash remains under investigation.--------------------CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Eight U.S. Marines remained in a hospital in the Australian north coast city of Darwin on Monday after they were injured in a fiery crash of a tiltrotor aircraft that killed three of their colleagues on an island.All 20 survivors were flown from Melville Island 80 kilometers (50 miles) south to Darwin within hours of the Marine V-22 Osprey crashing at 9:30 a.m. Sunday during a multinational training exercise, Northern Territory Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said.All were taken to the Royal Darwin Hospital, and 12 had been discharged by Monday, she said.The first five Marines to arrive at the city’s main hospital were critically injured and one underwent emergency surgery.Fyles said she would not detail the conditions of eight who remained in the hospital out of respect for them and their families.“It’s ... a credit to everyone involved that we were able to get 20 patients from an extremely remote location on an island into our tertiary hospital within a matter of hours,” Fyles told reporters.The Osprey that crashed was one of two that flew from Darwin to Melville on Sunday as part of Exercise Predators Run, which involves the militaries of the United States, Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and East Timor.All 23 Marines aboard the lost aircraft were temporarily based in Darwin as part of the Marine Corps’ annual troop rotation.Around 150 U.S. Marines are currently based in Darwin and up to 2,500 rotate through the city every year. They are part of a realignment of U.S. forces in the Asia-Pacific that is broadly meant to face an increasingly assertive China.The bodies of the three Marines remained at the crash site, where an exclusion zone would be maintained, Northern Territory Police Commissioner Michael Murphy said.The cause of the crash had yet to be explained and investigators would remain at the site for at least 10 days, Murphy said.The Osprey, a hybrid aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter but during flight can tilt its propellers forward and cruise much faster like an airplane, crashed into tropical forest and burst into flame.Before Sunday, there had been five fatal crashes of Marine Ospreys since 2012, causing a total of 16 deaths.The latest was in June 2022, when five Marines died in a fiery crash in a remote part of California east of San Diego.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marine-v22-aircraft-crash-investigation-6a449feb2f590f6d35909a2b40e6839a">A crash investigation report</a>&nbsp;last month found that the tragedy was caused by a mechanical failure related to a clutch.There had been 16 similar clutch problems with the Marine Ospreys in flight since 2012, the report found. But no problems have arisen since February when the Marine Corps began replacing a piece of equipment on the aircraft, the report said.Emergency responders were surprised the death toll from Sunday's crash was not higher.“For a chopper that crashes and catches fire, to have 20 Marines that are surviving, I think that’s an incredible outcome,” Murphy said.Defense Minister Richard Marles was also greateful that the toll was not worse.“It’s remarkable that in many ways, so many have survived,” Marles told Nine News television. “This remains a very tragic incident and the loss of those lives are keenly felt,” Marles added.U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin paid tribute to dead Marines.“These Marines served our country with courage and pride, and my thoughts and prayers are with their families today, with the other troops who were injured in the crash, and with the entire USMC family,” Austin tweeted.The U.S. Embassy in Australia issued a statement offering condolences to the families and friends of the dead Marines and thanking Australian responders for their help.