By&nbsp;MATT VASILOGAMBROS <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>

City leaders in Storm Lake, a rural community of 11,000 in Northwest Iowa, are asking residents not to wash their cars or water their yards and gardens during the hottest part of the day. The city also has cut back on watering public recreational spaces, such as ballfields and golf courses.

These are highly unusual&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/1953797/6320222023_-_Water_Conservation_2023.pdf">steps</a>&nbsp;in a state that is normally flush with water and even prone to flooding. But the rain in Iowa, along with the rest of the Corn Belt states of the Midwest, has been mysteriously absent this spring, plunging the region into drought.

“It’s something new that residents have never had to really deal with before,” said Keri Navratil, the city manager of Storm Lake.

As California and much of the Western United States ease out of drought conditions after a spectacularly wet winter, the Midwest has fallen victim to a dry, hot spell that could have devastating consequences for the world’s food supply.

“America’s Breadbasket” — the vast corn, soy and wheat fields that extend from the Great Plains to Ohio — hasn’t had enough rain to sustain crop growth, which fuels a major part of the region’s economy, including food, animal feed and ethanol production. The region last suffered a substantial drought in 2012, and before that in 1988.

Though experts have not tied this event to climate change directly, scientists&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://climatechange.chicago.gov/climate-impacts/climate-impacts-midwest">have warned</a>&nbsp;that climate change will lead to more summer droughts for the Midwest in the years to come.

An unusually dry spring and summerlike heat have stunted crops, forced water conservation measures and lowered levels in major waterways, which could prevent barges from transporting goods downstream.

Missouri Republican Gov. Mike Parson has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/library/reference/orders/2023/eo5">declared</a>&nbsp;a drought alert to assist counties hurt by these dry conditions. City leaders in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.oak-forest.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=560">Oak Forest, Illinois</a>;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://cms1files.revize.com/wentzvillemo/4069_001%20(1).pdf">Wentzville, Missouri</a>; and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.lincoln.ne.gov/City/Departments/LTU/Utilities/LWS/Conservation">Lincoln, Nebraska</a>, have called on residents to limit their water usage.

The region’s drought conditions are both unusual and concerning, said Dennis Todey, the director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Midwest Climate Hub, which provides scientific analysis to the region’s agricultural and natural resource managers. This is the fourth year in a row of significant drought for much of the Midwest and Great Plains, he said.

“We’re reaching a point where we absolutely need to start getting rainfall over the main core of the Midwest,” he said. “We’re reaching a very concerning time here.”

This dry spell should not be happening, he added, especially with the return of El Niño, a cyclical weather event in which surface water temperatures in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean rise, causing wetter and warmer global weather. The Midwest is not getting that moisture.

Instead, a high-pressure system — which usually means sunny, calm weather — has parked itself above the region, preventing the precipitation needed for healthy crops and fully flowing waterways such as the Mississippi River. The frequent storms that are typical during the spring, fueled by moisture in the Gulf of Mexico, did not happen.

Though “weird,” this weather pattern is not yet being connected to climate change, said Trent Ford, the Illinois state climatologist, who collects and analyzes the state’s climate data.

“It’s just extremely dry,” he said. “That’s why I said it’s weird. It is sort of this random weather pattern that’s established and has just really either persisted or I suppose evolved in a way to keep this part of the country very, very dry.”

Parts of Illinois have received only around 5% of normal rainfall this month, he added. Several places in the state should have 10 more inches of precipitation than they’ve gotten since April. Cities in the Chicago area are having their driest periods since 1936. Major rivers in the state, such as the Illinois and Kankakee, are at record lows for this time of year.

Nearly 60% of the Midwest, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin, is under moderate drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, which is run jointly by the federal government and the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Nearly 93% of the region is abnormally dry, with around 16% of it suffering severe drought.

In the Great Plains states of Kansas and Nebraska, the situation is far worse. A quarter of Nebraska and 38% of Kansas are under extreme drought. More than a tenth of Nebraska and 8% of Kansas are in exceptional drought — the monitor’s most severe stage. The Great Plains has had drought conditions for more than a year, though it has received some rain in recent weeks.

The region’s drought couldn’t come at a worse time from an agricultural point of view, said Brad Rippey, a U.S. Department of Agriculture meteorologist and author of the U.S. Drought Monitor&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/">report</a>. While&nbsp;the arid conditions are&nbsp;concerning, he said, there’s still time for the region to rebound.

“It’s still very young in the year, and if you look at drought intensity it’s not high yet,” he said. “Obviously, if it doesn’t rain over the next few weeks, that’s going to change. We’re really watching how this develops.”

These dry conditions have led to topsoil and subsoil moisture depletion, meaning less water in the ground to support planting and growing crops. Additionally, drier conditions have meant a vast browning of grasses and pasture lands, forcing farmers to buy more feed, instead of relying on grazing.

This is a critical time for farmers, as they approach the reproductive stage of crop development, when corn starts to silk and soybeans begin to blossom.

Mark Licht, an associate professor and cropping systems specialist at Iowa State University, recently walked the fields of a farm in Northeast Iowa that planted its soybeans after the early spring rains. Those soybeans didn’t have the moisture to germinate and emerge, he said, which has become a common problem throughout the state.

The state hasn’t had good rain since early May. What rain the state has gotten has been “spotty and patchy,” not providing enough precipitation to sustain the crops, he said. Soybean and corn plants are shorter than expected, with not enough canopy growth to protect the soil from weeds and sustained sunlight, which are harmful to crop development.

There is still some time for crops to rebound if the rain comes back. But if it doesn’t rain by the time the Iowa corn crop starts pollinating in a few weeks, its corn will have fewer kernels, which will raise prices for cattle owners who might have to look for alternative feed sources.

“We’re in a situation where we essentially need very timely rains to be able to get this crop through,” Licht said. “The majority of Iowa corn and soybean production is all rain-fed, and right now we just don’t have any.”

Recent rains in Kansas and Nebraska have helped the wheat crop in those states, said Justin Gilpin, CEO of Kansas Wheat, a wheat-grower advocacy group. But for other parts of the wheat-growing Great Plains states, it wasn’t enough.

“For a big portion of Kansas,” he added in an email to&nbsp;Stateline, “the drought improvement and rains are a little too late to have helped the wheat crop.”

This article was initially published by&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>, a part of States Newsroom.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684861752582.png" alt="A severe drought plaguing Kansas spells trouble for the winter wheat harvest. Photo courtesy Kansas Wheat" />
 <figcaption>A severe drought plaguing Kansas spells trouble for the winter wheat harvest. Photo courtesy Kansas Wheat</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;MATT VASILOGAMBROS <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>City leaders in Storm Lake, a rural community of 11,000 in Northwest Iowa, are asking residents not to wash their cars or water their yards and gardens during the hottest part of the day. The city also has cut back on watering public recreational spaces, such as ballfields and golf courses.These are highly unusual&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/1953797/6320222023_-_Water_Conservation_2023.pdf">steps</a>&nbsp;in a state that is normally flush with water and even prone to flooding. But the rain in Iowa, along with the rest of the Corn Belt states of the Midwest, has been mysteriously absent this spring, plunging the region into drought.“It’s something new that residents have never had to really deal with before,” said Keri Navratil, the city manager of Storm Lake.As California and much of the Western United States ease out of drought conditions after a spectacularly wet winter, the Midwest has fallen victim to a dry, hot spell that could have devastating consequences for the world’s food supply.“America’s Breadbasket” — the vast corn, soy and wheat fields that extend from the Great Plains to Ohio — hasn’t had enough rain to sustain crop growth, which fuels a major part of the region’s economy, including food, animal feed and ethanol production. The region last suffered a substantial drought in 2012, and before that in 1988.Though experts have not tied this event to climate change directly, scientists&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://climatechange.chicago.gov/climate-impacts/climate-impacts-midwest">have warned</a>&nbsp;that climate change will lead to more summer droughts for the Midwest in the years to come.An unusually dry spring and summerlike heat have stunted crops, forced water conservation measures and lowered levels in major waterways, which could prevent barges from transporting goods downstream.Missouri Republican Gov. Mike Parson has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/library/reference/orders/2023/eo5">declared</a>&nbsp;a drought alert to assist counties hurt by these dry conditions. City leaders in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.oak-forest.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=560">Oak Forest, Illinois</a>;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://cms1files.revize.com/wentzvillemo/4069_001%20(1).pdf">Wentzville, Missouri</a>; and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.lincoln.ne.gov/City/Departments/LTU/Utilities/LWS/Conservation">Lincoln, Nebraska</a>, have called on residents to limit their water usage.The region’s drought conditions are both unusual and concerning, said Dennis Todey, the director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Midwest Climate Hub, which provides scientific analysis to the region’s agricultural and natural resource managers. This is the fourth year in a row of significant drought for much of the Midwest and Great Plains, he said.“We’re reaching a point where we absolutely need to start getting rainfall over the main core of the Midwest,” he said. “We’re reaching a very concerning time here.”This dry spell should not be happening, he added, especially with the return of El Niño, a cyclical weather event in which surface water temperatures in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean rise, causing wetter and warmer global weather. The Midwest is not getting that moisture.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687806543059.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Instead, a high-pressure system — which usually means sunny, calm weather — has parked itself above the region, preventing the precipitation needed for healthy crops and fully flowing waterways such as the Mississippi River. The frequent storms that are typical during the spring, fueled by moisture in the Gulf of Mexico, did not happen.Though “weird,” this weather pattern is not yet being connected to climate change, said Trent Ford, the Illinois state climatologist, who collects and analyzes the state’s climate data.“It’s just extremely dry,” he said. “That’s why I said it’s weird. It is sort of this random weather pattern that’s established and has just really either persisted or I suppose evolved in a way to keep this part of the country very, very dry.”Parts of Illinois have received only around 5% of normal rainfall this month, he added. Several places in the state should have 10 more inches of precipitation than they’ve gotten since April. Cities in the Chicago area are having their driest periods since 1936. Major rivers in the state, such as the Illinois and Kankakee, are at record lows for this time of year.Nearly 60% of the Midwest, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin, is under moderate drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, which is run jointly by the federal government and the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Nearly 93% of the region is abnormally dry, with around 16% of it suffering severe drought.In the Great Plains states of Kansas and Nebraska, the situation is far worse. A quarter of Nebraska and 38% of Kansas are under extreme drought. More than a tenth of Nebraska and 8% of Kansas are in exceptional drought — the monitor’s most severe stage. The Great Plains has had drought conditions for more than a year, though it has received some rain in recent weeks.The region’s drought couldn’t come at a worse time from an agricultural point of view, said Brad Rippey, a U.S. Department of Agriculture meteorologist and author of the U.S. Drought Monitor&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/">report</a>. While&nbsp;the arid conditions are&nbsp;concerning, he said, there’s still time for the region to rebound.“It’s still very young in the year, and if you look at drought intensity it’s not high yet,” he said. “Obviously, if it doesn’t rain over the next few weeks, that’s going to change. We’re really watching how this develops.”These dry conditions have led to topsoil and subsoil moisture depletion, meaning less water in the ground to support planting and growing crops. Additionally, drier conditions have meant a vast browning of grasses and pasture lands, forcing farmers to buy more feed, instead of relying on grazing.This is a critical time for farmers, as they approach the reproductive stage of crop development, when corn starts to silk and soybeans begin to blossom.Mark Licht, an associate professor and cropping systems specialist at Iowa State University, recently walked the fields of a farm in Northeast Iowa that planted its soybeans after the early spring rains. Those soybeans didn’t have the moisture to germinate and emerge, he said, which has become a common problem throughout the state.The state hasn’t had good rain since early May. What rain the state has gotten has been “spotty and patchy,” not providing enough precipitation to sustain the crops, he said. Soybean and corn plants are shorter than expected, with not enough canopy growth to protect the soil from weeds and sustained sunlight, which are harmful to crop development.There is still some time for crops to rebound if the rain comes back. But if it doesn’t rain by the time the Iowa corn crop starts pollinating in a few weeks, its corn will have fewer kernels, which will raise prices for cattle owners who might have to look for alternative feed sources.“We’re in a situation where we essentially need very timely rains to be able to get this crop through,” Licht said. “The majority of Iowa corn and soybean production is all rain-fed, and right now we just don’t have any.”Recent rains in Kansas and Nebraska have helped the wheat crop in those states, said Justin Gilpin, CEO of Kansas Wheat, a wheat-grower advocacy group. But for other parts of the wheat-growing Great Plains states, it wasn’t enough.“For a big portion of Kansas,” he added in an email to&nbsp;Stateline, “the drought improvement and rains are a little too late to have helped the wheat crop.”This article was initially published by&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>, a part of States Newsroom.

Drought hits the Midwest, threatening crops and the world’s food supply

By JENNIFER SHUTT&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden pledged Friday to hold the line against attempts to restrict reproductive rights and abortion access during a campaign rally with the country’s leading abortion rights organizations.

“The court got Roe right 50 years ago, and I believe Congress should restore the protections of Roe v. Wade once and for all,” said Biden, who is seeking reelection in 2024. “But we need your help.”

The rally was held the day before the one-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to end the nationwide, constitutional right to an abortion that stood for nearly 50 years.

That ruling, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, said “the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives.”

Speaking from the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., Biden said Republicans are likely to advance a nationwide ban on abortion if they gain control of Congress and the White House during the 2024 elections.

“Make no mistake this election is about freedom on the ballot,” Biden said.

Ahead of his speech, NARAL Pro-Choice America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund endorsed Biden’s reelection campaign. EMILY’s List, which supports female politicians who back reproductive rights, endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.

Harris said during the rally that reproductive rights and access to abortion are based on “one of the most important principles upon which our nation was founded.”

“The importance of freedom … to make decisions about one’s own life, one’s own body. The freedom to be free from government interference when it comes to one’s private decisions — decisions that are about heart and home,” Harris said.

Before the campaign event on Friday, Biden signed an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/06/23/fact-sheet-president-biden-issues-executive-order-on-strengthening-access-to-contraception/">executive order</a>&nbsp;aimed at increasing access to and affordability of contraception.

The move calls on several federal agencies to “consider new guidance” for private health insurance companies, which are required to provide contraception at no cost under the 2010 health care law, or the Affordable Care Act.

The executive order calls on the secretary of Health and Human Services to consider new guidance for Medicare and Medicaid that would expand access to contraception.

Biden also called on the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments as well as the Office of Personnel Management “to consider new actions to ensure robust coverage of contraception for Service members, veterans, and Federal employees and ensure that they and their families understand how to access these benefits.”

The executive order doesn’t include a timeline for when the White House would like those federal agencies to issue guidance that could expand access to and affordability of contraception.

Clare Coleman, president and CEO of the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, said in a written statement that the organization is “dismayed that this order does not require tangible steps to protect access and does not include any firm deadlines.”

“For example, it is imperative that the administration explicitly enforce Medicaid’s free choice of provider protection; however, today’s executive order is silent on states’ ignoring federal law,” Coleman said, referring to a section of Medicaid law that allows patients to obtain medical services from any willing and qualified provider. “This blatant violation exacerbates an already dire health care access problem, and it is within the power of this administration to do something about it.”

The NFPRHA, Coleman said, urges “the White House to do all it can to confront the growing threats to contraception.”

Democrats in Congress&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/democrats-congress-renew-push-protect-access-birth-control">have reintroduced a bill that would guarantee access to contraception</a>.

The legislation is designed to protect access to birth control in the event the U.S. Supreme Court were to overturn the cases that extended constitutional privacy rights to those decisions.

That legislation, however, is unlikely to move through the divided Congress.

By JENNIFER SHUTT&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden pledged Friday to hold the line against attempts to restrict reproductive rights and abortion access during a campaign rally with the country’s leading abortion rights organizations.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">It’s time to restore Roe v. Wade once and for all. <a href="https://t.co/clMks641a7">pic.twitter.com/clMks641a7</a>&mdash; Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1672382856989999117?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">When Roe v. Wade was overturned, we committed that we&#39;d never stop fighting for your reproductive rights. That hasn&#39;t changed. Today, I signed a third reproductive health care Executive Order that strengthens access to contraception – an essential part of reproductive care. <a href="https://t.co/66jVxlTzUz">pic.twitter.com/66jVxlTzUz</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1672290015181717509?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“The court got Roe right 50 years ago, and I believe Congress should restore the protections of Roe v. Wade once and for all,” said Biden, who is seeking reelection in 2024. “But we need your help.”The rally was held the day before the one-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to end the nationwide, constitutional right to an abortion that stood for nearly 50 years.That ruling, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, said “the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I commit to the American people that we’re going to keep fighting to safeguard access to health care, including the right to choose which was ripped away by an extreme Supreme Court decision. <a href="https://t.co/YAAoV7zkem">pic.twitter.com/YAAoV7zkem</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1672635701660114945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Speaking from the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., Biden said Republicans are likely to advance a nationwide ban on abortion if they gain control of Congress and the White House during the 2024 elections.“Make no mistake this election is about freedom on the ballot,” Biden said.Ahead of his speech, NARAL Pro-Choice America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund endorsed Biden’s reelection campaign. EMILY’s List, which supports female politicians who back reproductive rights, endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.Harris said during the rally that reproductive rights and access to abortion are based on “one of the most important principles upon which our nation was founded.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The only way to stop those who are committed to taking away women’s rights and freedoms in every state is to elect a Congress that will pass a law restoring Roe v. Wade. Vice President <a href="https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KamalaHarris</a> and I will continue to lead the fight to protect a woman’s right to an abortion. <a href="https://t.co/sHwsWV8dgb">pic.twitter.com/sHwsWV8dgb</a>&mdash; Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1672665939341373444?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“The importance of freedom … to make decisions about one’s own life, one’s own body. The freedom to be free from government interference when it comes to one’s private decisions — decisions that are about heart and home,” Harris said.Executive orderBefore the campaign event on Friday, Biden signed an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/06/23/fact-sheet-president-biden-issues-executive-order-on-strengthening-access-to-contraception/">executive order</a>&nbsp;aimed at increasing access to and affordability of contraception.The move calls on several federal agencies to “consider new guidance” for private health insurance companies, which are required to provide contraception at no cost under the 2010 health care law, or the Affordable Care Act.The executive order calls on the secretary of Health and Human Services to consider new guidance for Medicare and Medicaid that would expand access to contraception.Biden also called on the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments as well as the Office of Personnel Management “to consider new actions to ensure robust coverage of contraception for Service members, veterans, and Federal employees and ensure that they and their families understand how to access these benefits.”The executive order doesn’t include a timeline for when the White House would like those federal agencies to issue guidance that could expand access to and affordability of contraception.Clare Coleman, president and CEO of the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, said in a written statement that the organization is “dismayed that this order does not require tangible steps to protect access and does not include any firm deadlines.”“For example, it is imperative that the administration explicitly enforce Medicaid’s free choice of provider protection; however, today’s executive order is silent on states’ ignoring federal law,” Coleman said, referring to a section of Medicaid law that allows patients to obtain medical services from any willing and qualified provider. “This blatant violation exacerbates an already dire health care access problem, and it is within the power of this administration to do something about it.”The NFPRHA, Coleman said, urges “the White House to do all it can to confront the growing threats to contraception.”Democrats in Congress&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/democrats-congress-renew-push-protect-access-birth-control">have reintroduced a bill that would guarantee access to contraception</a>.The legislation is designed to protect access to birth control in the event the U.S. Supreme Court were to overturn the cases that extended constitutional privacy rights to those decisions.That legislation, however, is unlikely to move through the divided Congress.

Biden at campaign rally warns national abortion ban is next

ELLIS COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a deadly shooting outside a bar in Hays have identified the victim as 63-year-old Larry D. Braun, an Ellis County resident, according to a media release from Hays Police.

At 1:47 a.m. Sunday, police received a report of a shooting in the 1000 block of East Eighth&nbsp;Street, Hays. The caller went on to reported a man had been shot in the neck and was on the ground. 

Emergency responders were dispatched and found Braun and began giving medical care until Ellis County Emergency Services transported Braun to Hays Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased.&nbsp;

Police arrested the alleged shooter, 40-year-old Keith A. Ostrom of of Hays on a requested charge of second-degree murder. Ostrom is currently being held in the Ellis County jail.

ELLIS COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a deadly shooting outside a bar in Hays have identified the victim as 63-year-old Larry D. Braun, an Ellis County resident, according to a media release from Hays Police.At 1:47 a.m. Sunday, police received a report of a shooting in the 1000 block of East Eighth&nbsp;Street, Hays. The caller went on to reported a man had been shot in the neck and was on the ground. Emergency responders were dispatched and found Braun and began giving medical care until Ellis County Emergency Services transported Braun to Hays Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased.&nbsp;Police arrested the alleged shooter, 40-year-old Keith A. Ostrom of of Hays on a requested charge of second-degree murder. Ostrom is currently being held in the Ellis County jail.-----

Police ID victim, alleged shooter after murder in Hays

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities continue their investigation after a woman was found in a parking lot with a gunshot wound.

Just after 6:30a.m. Sunday police responded to a parking lot in the 400 block of North Baltimore Avenue in Derby, according to Deputy Police Chief Brandon Russell. First responders found an unresponsive woman bleeding from a possible gunshot wound.

EMS transported her to a local hospital. Russell reported no new information early Monday.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact Derby Police.

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities continue their investigation after a woman was found in a parking lot with a gunshot wound.Just after 6:30a.m. Sunday police responded to a parking lot in the 400 block of North Baltimore Avenue in Derby, according to Deputy Police Chief Brandon Russell. First responders found an unresponsive woman bleeding from a possible gunshot wound.EMS transported her to a local hospital. Russell reported no new information early Monday.Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact Derby Police.

Police: Kan. woman found in parking lot with gunshot wound 

SEDGWiCK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on theft and drug allegations.

Just before 12:30 a.m. June 22, police were dispatched to the area of 7300 E. Kellogg in reference to a stolen 2002 silver Dodge Ram truck, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

 Officers arrived on the scene and located the truck.&nbsp; A suspect later identified as 31-year-old Cody Cain of Wichita had entered the stolen truck and driven away.&nbsp;

 Officers attempted to stop the vehicle. Cain refused to stop, and a vehicle pursuit ensued. Officers pulled him over in the 5000 block of E. Lincoln and arrested him without incident.

Inside of the stolen truck officers located additional stolen property and drug paraphernalia.

<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=738913">&nbsp;Cain remains in custody </a>on requested charges of Felony Flee and Elude, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Possession of Stolen Property, Felony Traffic Charges and Sedgwick County warrants.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687469418387.png" alt="Cain-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Cain-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWiCK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on theft and drug allegations.Just before 12:30 a.m. June 22, police were dispatched to the area of 7300 E. Kellogg in reference to a stolen 2002 silver Dodge Ram truck, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo. Officers arrived on the scene and located the truck.&nbsp; A suspect later identified as 31-year-old Cody Cain of Wichita had entered the stolen truck and driven away.&nbsp; Officers attempted to stop the vehicle. Cain refused to stop, and a vehicle pursuit ensued. Officers pulled him over in the 5000 block of E. Lincoln and arrested him without incident.Inside of the stolen truck officers located additional stolen property and drug paraphernalia.<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=738913">&nbsp;Cain remains in custody </a>on requested charges of Felony Flee and Elude, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Possession of Stolen Property, Felony Traffic Charges and Sedgwick County warrants.

Police found stolen property, drugs after Kan. chase with stolen pickup

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Transgender people born in Kansas could be prevented from changing their birth certificates to reflect their gender identities if the state’s conservative Republican attorney is successful with a legal move he launched late Friday.

Attorney General Kris Kobach filed a request in federal court asking a judge to end&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/7409799fb2a144bca2fd90cd46b7ea6c">a requirement</a>&nbsp;for Kansas to allow transgender people to change their birth certificates. He is not seeking to undo past changes, only prevent them going forward.

U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree imposed the requirement in 2019 to settle a lawsuit filed by four transgender Kansas residents against three state health department officials. The suit challenged a policy that critics said prevented transgender people from making changes even after transitioning, legally changing their names and obtaining new driver’s licenses and Social Security cards.

Luc Bensimon, a Black transgender activist who was one of the plaintiffs in that lawsuit, said Saturday he was already getting calls and emails from people trying to change their birth certificates who are concerned they won't be able to complete the process.

"We didn't go through that case just to have him try and change it now," Bensimon said. “I thought this was already dealt with but I have the energy to go back and deal with it again if we have to.”

It wasn't clear whether Kobach's effort would succeed, given a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/courts-supreme-courts-mi-state-wire-neil-gorsuch-ap-top-news-ef3c19a79b65c060fd9e82b9dd87a1d9">U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2020</a>&nbsp;declaring a federal law barring sex discrimination in employment also prevents discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Also in 2020, federal judges in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brad-little-legislation-boise-courts-idaho-2cfdadcce3c5d98b2b624d5dc380a50f">Idaho</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-2e9e639965c3938e11330eeea0ba31c6">Ohio</a>&nbsp;struck down rules against transgender people changing their birth certificates. But this month, federal judges in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-birth-certificate-tennessee-lawsuit-47243ba14ab01fa227e0b60d7591675b">Tennessee</a>&nbsp;and Oklahoma dismissed challenges to two of the nation's few remaining state policies against such changes.

Kobach's move appears to be in keeping with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-bathroom-law-kansas-b3d068afa2bc02bb15314ee04e8e3899">a new, sweeping Kansas law</a>&nbsp;taking effect July 1 that rolls back transgender rights and was enacted by the Republican-controlled Legislature over Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's veto. A memo filed electronically with the request by Kobach shortly before midnight cited the law as a reason to revisit the 2019 settlement.

Kelly's office did not immediately return a message Saturday seeking reaction to Kobach's decision.

The memo argued Crabtree's order makes it “impossible” to follow the new state law and that since the Legislature “has spoken,” the state health department, which handles birth certificates, is now “bound to execute the law as written.”

Kobach already had scheduled a Monday afternoon news conference at the Statehouse to discuss enforcement of the new law.

Crabtree's 2019 order blocked a policy imposed by former Republican Gov. Sam Brownback's administration that was among the toughest against birth certificate changes in the U.S. Kelly is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3ca7678ea8b747e38a495787cf046aee">a strong supporter of LGBTQ+ rights</a>&nbsp;and her administration agreed to settle the lawsuit less than six months after she took office.

That decision came almost a year after Crabtree declared the Kansas policy violated transgender people's constitutional rights to due legal process and equal treatment under the law. His order notes that federal courts in Idaho and Puerto Rico had struck down no-change policies. Kobach's memo called those rulings outdated.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and the LGBTQ+-rights legal group Lambda Legal, representing the four Kansas residents, condemned Kobach's move. Lamda Legal's Omar Gonzalez-Pagan called it “unnecessary and cruel.”

Kansas ACLU Executive Director Micah Kubic added in a statement: “Mr. Kobach should rethink the wisdom — and the sheer indecency — of this attempt to weaponize his office's authority to attack transgender Kansans just trying to live their lives.”

The new Kansas law is designed to prevent transgender people from using restrooms, locker rooms and other single-gender facilities associated with their identities. At least nine other states have such laws, mostly focused on public schools.

Kobach has said he believes the new Kansas law also prevents transgender people from changing their driver's licenses, though the law contains no specific enforcement mechanisms. Lawmakers wrote the bill so it could prevent transgender people from changing their birth certificates, except for the 2019 federal court order, without specifically mentioning either birth certificates or driver's licenses.

For weeks, a project of Kansas Legal Services, a nonprofit law firm, encouraged transgender Kansans to change their driver's licenses before the new law took effect. Kelly's administration, which oversees the licensing of drivers, hasn’t said whether it believes such changes would still be allowed under the new law.

Ellen Bertels, the attorney spearheading the effort, said that while a transgender person could sue after the law takes effect to protect people's right to change their driver's licenses, a lawsuit from a state official against Kelly's administration could seek to prevent such changes.

As for birth certificates, the small number of states not allowing transgender people to change them shrunk through previous federal court challenges like the one in Kansas.

The ACLU of Montana says it plans to challenge a rule imposed there last year barring people from changing the sex listed on their birth certificates.

LGBTQ+ rights advocates say changing birth certificates, driver’s licenses and other records to reflect a transgender person’s gender identity is key to affirming their identities and often greatly improves their mental health.

Policies against changing birth certificates and other documents have practical implications for transgender residents, too. For example, Kansas requires voters to show a photo ID at the polls or when obtaining an absentee ballot.

Critics of the new Kansas law contend it is designed to legally erase transgender people.

It declares that state law recognizes only two genders, male and female, and defines them based on a person's “biological reproductive system" at birth. A woman is someone whose system “is designed to produce ova,” while a male only is someone with a system “designed to fertilize the ova of a female.”

The law then declares “important governmental objectives” of protecting people's health safety and privacy justify having sex-segregated spaces in line with those definitions.

By JOHN HANNA&nbsp;TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Transgender people born in Kansas could be prevented from changing their birth certificates to reflect their gender identities if the state’s conservative Republican attorney is successful with a legal move he launched late Friday.Attorney General Kris Kobach filed a request in federal court asking a judge to end&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/7409799fb2a144bca2fd90cd46b7ea6c">a requirement</a>&nbsp;for Kansas to allow transgender people to change their birth certificates. He is not seeking to undo past changes, only prevent them going forward.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Late last night, Attorney General Kris Kobach asked a federal court to reverse its requirement for the state to issue correct birth certificates to transgender Kansans. He may try—but he cannot erase our fundamental rights under the Constitution.&mdash; ACLU of Kansas (@aclukansas) <a href="https://twitter.com/aclukansas/status/1672618263686021120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree imposed the requirement in 2019 to settle a lawsuit filed by four transgender Kansas residents against three state health department officials. The suit challenged a policy that critics said prevented transgender people from making changes even after transitioning, legally changing their names and obtaining new driver’s licenses and Social Security cards.Luc Bensimon, a Black transgender activist who was one of the plaintiffs in that lawsuit, said Saturday he was already getting calls and emails from people trying to change their birth certificates who are concerned they won't be able to complete the process."We didn't go through that case just to have him try and change it now," Bensimon said. “I thought this was already dealt with but I have the energy to go back and deal with it again if we have to.”It wasn't clear whether Kobach's effort would succeed, given a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/courts-supreme-courts-mi-state-wire-neil-gorsuch-ap-top-news-ef3c19a79b65c060fd9e82b9dd87a1d9">U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2020</a>&nbsp;declaring a federal law barring sex discrimination in employment also prevents discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.Also in 2020, federal judges in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brad-little-legislation-boise-courts-idaho-2cfdadcce3c5d98b2b624d5dc380a50f">Idaho</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-2e9e639965c3938e11330eeea0ba31c6">Ohio</a>&nbsp;struck down rules against transgender people changing their birth certificates. But this month, federal judges in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-birth-certificate-tennessee-lawsuit-47243ba14ab01fa227e0b60d7591675b">Tennessee</a>&nbsp;and Oklahoma dismissed challenges to two of the nation's few remaining state policies against such changes.Kobach's move appears to be in keeping with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-bathroom-law-kansas-b3d068afa2bc02bb15314ee04e8e3899">a new, sweeping Kansas law</a>&nbsp;taking effect July 1 that rolls back transgender rights and was enacted by the Republican-controlled Legislature over Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's veto. A memo filed electronically with the request by Kobach shortly before midnight cited the law as a reason to revisit the 2019 settlement.Kelly's office did not immediately return a message Saturday seeking reaction to Kobach's decision.The memo argued Crabtree's order makes it “impossible” to follow the new state law and that since the Legislature “has spoken,” the state health department, which handles birth certificates, is now “bound to execute the law as written.”Kobach already had scheduled a Monday afternoon news conference at the Statehouse to discuss enforcement of the new law.Crabtree's 2019 order blocked a policy imposed by former Republican Gov. Sam Brownback's administration that was among the toughest against birth certificate changes in the U.S. Kelly is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3ca7678ea8b747e38a495787cf046aee">a strong supporter of LGBTQ+ rights</a>&nbsp;and her administration agreed to settle the lawsuit less than six months after she took office.That decision came almost a year after Crabtree declared the Kansas policy violated transgender people's constitutional rights to due legal process and equal treatment under the law. His order notes that federal courts in Idaho and Puerto Rico had struck down no-change policies. Kobach's memo called those rulings outdated.The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and the LGBTQ+-rights legal group Lambda Legal, representing the four Kansas residents, condemned Kobach's move. Lamda Legal's Omar Gonzalez-Pagan called it “unnecessary and cruel.”Kansas ACLU Executive Director Micah Kubic added in a statement: “Mr. Kobach should rethink the wisdom — and the sheer indecency — of this attempt to weaponize his office's authority to attack transgender Kansans just trying to live their lives.”The new Kansas law is designed to prevent transgender people from using restrooms, locker rooms and other single-gender facilities associated with their identities. At least nine other states have such laws, mostly focused on public schools.Kobach has said he believes the new Kansas law also prevents transgender people from changing their driver's licenses, though the law contains no specific enforcement mechanisms. Lawmakers wrote the bill so it could prevent transgender people from changing their birth certificates, except for the 2019 federal court order, without specifically mentioning either birth certificates or driver's licenses.For weeks, a project of Kansas Legal Services, a nonprofit law firm, encouraged transgender Kansans to change their driver's licenses before the new law took effect. Kelly's administration, which oversees the licensing of drivers, hasn’t said whether it believes such changes would still be allowed under the new law.Ellen Bertels, the attorney spearheading the effort, said that while a transgender person could sue after the law takes effect to protect people's right to change their driver's licenses, a lawsuit from a state official against Kelly's administration could seek to prevent such changes.As for birth certificates, the small number of states not allowing transgender people to change them shrunk through previous federal court challenges like the one in Kansas.The ACLU of Montana says it plans to challenge a rule imposed there last year barring people from changing the sex listed on their birth certificates.LGBTQ+ rights advocates say changing birth certificates, driver’s licenses and other records to reflect a transgender person’s gender identity is key to affirming their identities and often greatly improves their mental health.Policies against changing birth certificates and other documents have practical implications for transgender residents, too. For example, Kansas requires voters to show a photo ID at the polls or when obtaining an absentee ballot.Critics of the new Kansas law contend it is designed to legally erase transgender people.It declares that state law recognizes only two genders, male and female, and defines them based on a person's “biological reproductive system" at birth. A woman is someone whose system “is designed to produce ova,” while a male only is someone with a system “designed to fertilize the ova of a female.”The law then declares “important governmental objectives” of protecting people's health safety and privacy justify having sex-segregated spaces in line with those definitions.

Battle in Kansas over trans people changing their birth certificates

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities investigating two shootings in Kansas City that left three dead and at least five others injured have a suspect in custody.

Just after 4:30a.m., officers were called to the intersection of 57th Street and Prospect Avenue and found three shooting victims — two men and one woman — dead in a parking lot and in the street, the Kansas City Police Department said in a news release.

Police were told that five other shooting victims with injuries that were not life-threatening arrived at various hospitals by private vehicles or ambulance, the department said. “Preliminary information indicates there was a large gathering of people in a parking lot at the intersection when the victims were shot," the department said.

The investigation indicates the gathering took place outside an auto mechanic shop that is known to host informal after hours gatherings, though there is not a licensed club, bar or restaurant at that location, according to police spokesperson Jake Becchina.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas posted on Twitter, “My condolences to the families of three people killed in a shooting this morning at an apparent after-hours gathering near 57 and Prospect. If the business knew persons would be present, without security, selling alcohol, and thwarting our laws, that business should be closed."

Police also responded to a nearby shooting on Prospect Avenue near 31st Street around 3 a.m. where at least one person suffered life-threatening injuries.

Police released no additional details including the name of victims and a possible motive for the shootings.

-The Associated Press contributed to this report

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687774897928.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation Sunday morning -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation Sunday morning -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities investigating two shootings in Kansas City that left three dead and at least five others injured have a suspect in custody.Just after 4:30a.m., officers were called to the intersection of 57th Street and Prospect Avenue and found three shooting victims — two men and one woman — dead in a parking lot and in the street, the Kansas City Police Department said in a news release.Police were told that five other shooting victims with injuries that were not life-threatening arrived at various hospitals by private vehicles or ambulance, the department said. “Preliminary information indicates there was a large gathering of people in a parking lot at the intersection when the victims were shot," the department said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687710602889.png" alt="Photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>The investigation indicates the gathering took place outside an auto mechanic shop that is known to host informal after hours gatherings, though there is not a licensed club, bar or restaurant at that location, according to police spokesperson Jake Becchina.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">My condolences to the families of three people killed in a shooting this morning at an apparent after-hours gathering near 57 and Prospect. If the business knew persons would be present, without security, selling alcohol, and thwarting our laws, that business should be closed.&mdash; Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) <a href="https://twitter.com/QuintonLucasKC/status/1672959843026575360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas posted on Twitter, “My condolences to the families of three people killed in a shooting this morning at an apparent after-hours gathering near 57 and Prospect. If the business knew persons would be present, without security, selling alcohol, and thwarting our laws, that business should be closed."Police also responded to a nearby shooting on Prospect Avenue near 31st Street around 3 a.m. where at least one person suffered life-threatening injuries.Police released no additional details including the name of victims and a possible motive for the shootings.-The Associated Press contributed to this report---------

Suspect in custody after mass shooting in Kansas City

SEDGWICK COUNTY&nbsp; —The Sedgwick County Sheriff's office asked the public not employed at Spirit Aero systems to avoid the area along Oliver from 31st Street South to 47th Street South and K-15 from 31st Street South to 47th Street South starting Monday due to the current labor dispute.

A strike started on Saturday after approximately 6,000 members of the IAM District 70, Local 839 voted&nbsp; to reject Spirit Aerosystems' best and last offer after 13 years without a fully negotiated agreement, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said in a prepared statement last week.

The tentative deal that was rejected had included up to a compounded 34% average pay bump through general wages increases, cost-of-living adjustments, and a guaranteed annual bonus; a 14.7% increase in retirement benefits; increased paid time off; job security enhancements and made Sunday overtime voluntary.

“Most of our members have concluded that the company’s offer is unacceptable,” the union said in a prepared statement. "IAM District 70 and Local 839 will regroup and begin planning the following steps to bring the company back to the table.”

The IAM is an industrial trade union that representing about 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries.

Operations at the factory was suspended Thursday.&nbsp;

“We are disappointed that our employees represented by the IAM rejected our four-year contract offer and voted to strike. We believe that our fair and competitive offer recognizes the contributions of our employees and ensures we can successfully meet increasing demand for aircraft from our customers,” the Wichita, Kansas, company said in a prepared statement.

Aircraft manufacturers have wrestled with supply issues in recent years and a strike at Spirit Aerosystems at the Wichita plant could add to those headaches.

Spirit builds the fuselage for Boeing's 737 MAX narrowbody jet and substantial sections of aircraft bodies in other of its models. It builds components for Airbus aircraft as well.

-The Associated Press contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687776006485.png" alt="The strike started on Saturday-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>The strike started on Saturday-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY&nbsp; —The Sedgwick County Sheriff's office asked the public not employed at Spirit Aero systems to avoid the area along Oliver from 31st Street South to 47th Street South and K-15 from 31st Street South to 47th Street South starting Monday due to the current labor dispute.A strike started on Saturday after approximately 6,000 members of the IAM District 70, Local 839 voted&nbsp; to reject Spirit Aerosystems' best and last offer after 13 years without a fully negotiated agreement, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said in a prepared statement last week.The tentative deal that was rejected had included up to a compounded 34% average pay bump through general wages increases, cost-of-living adjustments, and a guaranteed annual bonus; a 14.7% increase in retirement benefits; increased paid time off; job security enhancements and made Sunday overtime voluntary.“Most of our members have concluded that the company’s offer is unacceptable,” the union said in a prepared statement. "IAM District 70 and Local 839 will regroup and begin planning the following steps to bring the company back to the table.”The IAM is an industrial trade union that representing about 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries.Operations at the factory was suspended Thursday.&nbsp;“We are disappointed that our employees represented by the IAM rejected our four-year contract offer and voted to strike. We believe that our fair and competitive offer recognizes the contributions of our employees and ensures we can successfully meet increasing demand for aircraft from our customers,” the Wichita, Kansas, company said in a prepared statement.Aircraft manufacturers have wrestled with supply issues in recent years and a strike at Spirit Aerosystems at the Wichita plant could add to those headaches.Spirit builds the fuselage for Boeing's 737 MAX narrowbody jet and substantial sections of aircraft bodies in other of its models. It builds components for Airbus aircraft as well.-The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Sheriff: Avoid the area during machinists strike in Wichita

JACKSON COUNTY, Kan.—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged fake 911 call.

Just before 5:30 p.m. Saturday, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office received a call reporting one person was shot inside a residence and two more people were being held captive in the 100 block of Ohio Street in the City of Holton, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

Holton Police, Kansas Highway Patrol and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the Sheriff’s Special Response Team arrived on scene.&nbsp; Law enforcement shut down traffic from the surrounding streets. Law enforcement made contact with the occupants of the residence and quickly determined everyone was safe.

The call was believed to be a swatting or fake call.&nbsp; Law enforcement agencies in Kansas and surrounding states have recently been receiving swatting calls.&nbsp; The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies are actively investigating the source of the call.

JACKSON COUNTY, Kan.—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged fake 911 call.Just before 5:30 p.m. Saturday, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office received a call reporting one person was shot inside a residence and two more people were being held captive in the 100 block of Ohio Street in the City of Holton, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.Holton Police, Kansas Highway Patrol and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the Sheriff’s Special Response Team arrived on scene.&nbsp; Law enforcement shut down traffic from the surrounding streets. Law enforcement made contact with the occupants of the residence and quickly determined everyone was safe.The call was believed to be a swatting or fake call.&nbsp; Law enforcement agencies in Kansas and surrounding states have recently been receiving swatting calls.&nbsp; The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies are actively investigating the source of the call.

Deputies, KHP and police respond to fake 911 call at Kansas home

WICHITA (AP) — Thousands of effusive marchers danced to music in Wichita streets Sunday and fellow revelers from Toronto to San Francisco cheered through Pride Month's grand crescendo.

New York's boisterous throng strolled and danced down Fifth Avenue to Greenwich Village, cheering and waving rainbow flags to commemorate the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-ap-top-news-pa-state-wire-new-york-ny-state-wire-5f2159a5120e4833b31683665f9405ca">1969 Stonewall uprising</a>, where a police raid on a gay bar triggered days of protests and launched the modern movement for LGBTQ+ rights.

While some people whooped it up in celebration, many were mindful of the growing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/gender">conservative countermovement</a>, including new laws banning gender-affirming care for transgender children.

“I’m trying not to be very heavily political, but when it does target my community, I get very, very annoyed and very hurt,” said Ve Cinder, a 22-year-old transgender woman who traveled from Pennsylvania to take part in the country's largest Pride event.

“I’m just, like, scared for my future and for my trans siblings. I’m frightened of how this country has looked at human rights, basic human rights,” she said. “It's crazy.”

Parades in New York, Chicago and San Francisco are among events that roughly 400 Pride organizations across the U.S. are holding this year, with many focused specifically on the rights of transgender people.

One of the grand marshals of New York City’s parade is nonbinary activist AC Dumlao, chief of staff for Athlete Ally, a group that advocates on behalf of LGBTQ+ athletes.

“Uplifting the trans community has always been at the core of our events and programming,” said Dan Dimant, a spokesperson for NYC Pride.

San Francisco Pride, another of the largest and best known LGBTQ+ celebrations in the United States, drew tens of thousands of spectators to the city Sunday.

The event, kicked off by the group Dykes on Bikes, featured dozens of colorful floats, some carrying strong messages against the wave of anti-transgender legislation in statehouses across the country.

Organizers told the San Francisco Chronicle that this year's theme emphasized activism. The parade included the nation’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/san-francisco-first-drag-queen-ambassador-c97a296e3895f86b21c0562e6e92656d">first drag laureate, D’Arcy Drollinger.</a>

“When we walk through the world more authentic and more fabulous, we inspire everyone,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/san-francisco-first-drag-queen-ambassador-c97a296e3895f86b21c0562e6e92656d">Drollinger</a>&nbsp;said at a breakfast before the parade.

Along Market Street, House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Adam Schiff of Burbank were spotted riding together.

In Chicago, a brief downpour at the beginning of the parade didn’t deter parade goers, who took shelter under awnings, trees and umbrellas.

“A little rain can’t stop us!” tweeted Brandon Johnson, the city's newly elected mayor.

Chicago's 52nd annual celebration on Sunday featured drag performers Marilyn Doll Traid and Selena Peres, as well as Young Bud Billiken dancers, who received loud praise from the crowd as they represented the celebration of Black roots in Chicago’s South Side.

Thousands of people also flooded the streets Saturday night in Houston to celebrate pride parades and embrace the LGBTQ+ community.

“Houston is one big diverse family. Today is about celebrating people who are themselves, their authentic selves and letting everyone know that this is a city full of love, not division, not hate," said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner.

San Antonio also celebrated its Pride parade Saturday night, with hundreds of people lining downtown streets.

"This year’s theme is ‘Just Say Gay.’ We feel so strongly about the legislation that’s occurring, not only here in Texas, but in other states throughout the United States that are trying to put us back in the closet,” Phillip Barcena, Pride San Antonio president,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2023/06/24/pride-bigger-than-texas-night-parade-celebrates-20th-anniversary-this-saturday/">told KSAT</a>.

Also Saturday, first lady Jill Biden made an appearance at the Pride parade in Nashville, Tennessee, where she told the crowd “loud and clear that you belong, that you are beautiful, that you are loved.”

Many other cities held their marquee events earlier this month, including Boston, which hosted its first parade after a three-year hiatus that began with COVID-19 but extended through 2022 because the organization that used to run it dissolved under criticism that it excluded racial minorities and transgender people.

A key message this year has been for LGBTQ+ communities to unite against dozens, if not hundreds, of legislative bills now under consideration in statehouses across the country.

Lawmakers in 20 states have moved to ban gender-affirming care for children, and at least seven more are considering doing the same, adding increased urgency for the transgender community, its advocates say.

“We are under threat,” Pride event organizers in New York, San Francisco and San Diego said in a statement joined by about 50 other Pride organizations nationwide. “The diverse dangers we are facing as an LGBTQ community and Pride organizers, while differing in nature and intensity, share a common trait: they seek to undermine our love, our identity, our freedom, our safety, and our lives.”

Earlier Sunday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill that would make the state a “safe haven” for transgender youth and forbid law enforcement agencies from providing information that could undermine the ability for a child to get gender-affirming care.

NYC Mayor Adams made a similar move this week, issuing an executive order preventing city resources from being used to cooperate with out-of-state authorities in detaining anyone receiving gender-affirming care in the city.

The Anti-Defamation League and GLAAD, a national LGBTQ+ organization, reported 101 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents in the first three weeks of this month, about twice as many as in the full month of June last year.

Sarah Moore, who analyzes extremism for the two civil rights groups, said many of the incidents coincided with Pride events.

Nevertheless, Roz Gould Keith, who has a transgender son, is heartened by the increased visibility of transgender people at marches and celebrations across the country.

“Ten years ago, when my son asked to go to Motor City Pride, there was nothing for the trans community,” said Keith, founder and executive director of Stand with Trans, a group formed to support and empower young transgender people and their families.

This year, she said, the event was “jam-packed” with transgender people.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687733405528.png" alt="Pride parade in Wichita&nbsp; marched from from the the Old County Courthouse to Century II- photo courtesy KAKE TV" />
 <figcaption>Pride parade in Wichita&nbsp; marched from from the the Old County Courthouse to Century II- photo courtesy KAKE TV</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA (AP) — Thousands of effusive marchers danced to music in Wichita streets Sunday and fellow revelers from Toronto to San Francisco cheered through Pride Month's grand crescendo.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWichitaPrideInc%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02MgJQoXwppacDjWdW9uzZ79MhMyigiPGTpF92uV5qRJp9Kba4madLimXPLwSabp43l&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="629" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>New York's boisterous throng strolled and danced down Fifth Avenue to Greenwich Village, cheering and waving rainbow flags to commemorate the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-ap-top-news-pa-state-wire-new-york-ny-state-wire-5f2159a5120e4833b31683665f9405ca">1969 Stonewall uprising</a>, where a police raid on a gay bar triggered days of protests and launched the modern movement for LGBTQ+ rights.While some people whooped it up in celebration, many were mindful of the growing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/gender">conservative countermovement</a>, including new laws banning gender-affirming care for transgender children.“I’m trying not to be very heavily political, but when it does target my community, I get very, very annoyed and very hurt,” said Ve Cinder, a 22-year-old transgender woman who traveled from Pennsylvania to take part in the country's largest Pride event.“I’m just, like, scared for my future and for my trans siblings. I’m frightened of how this country has looked at human rights, basic human rights,” she said. “It's crazy.”Parades in New York, Chicago and San Francisco are among events that roughly 400 Pride organizations across the U.S. are holding this year, with many focused specifically on the rights of transgender people.One of the grand marshals of New York City’s parade is nonbinary activist AC Dumlao, chief of staff for Athlete Ally, a group that advocates on behalf of LGBTQ+ athletes.“Uplifting the trans community has always been at the core of our events and programming,” said Dan Dimant, a spokesperson for NYC Pride.San Francisco Pride, another of the largest and best known LGBTQ+ celebrations in the United States, drew tens of thousands of spectators to the city Sunday.The event, kicked off by the group Dykes on Bikes, featured dozens of colorful floats, some carrying strong messages against the wave of anti-transgender legislation in statehouses across the country.Organizers told the San Francisco Chronicle that this year's theme emphasized activism. The parade included the nation’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/san-francisco-first-drag-queen-ambassador-c97a296e3895f86b21c0562e6e92656d">first drag laureate, D’Arcy Drollinger.</a>“When we walk through the world more authentic and more fabulous, we inspire everyone,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/san-francisco-first-drag-queen-ambassador-c97a296e3895f86b21c0562e6e92656d">Drollinger</a>&nbsp;said at a breakfast before the parade.Along Market Street, House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Adam Schiff of Burbank were spotted riding together.In Chicago, a brief downpour at the beginning of the parade didn’t deter parade goers, who took shelter under awnings, trees and umbrellas.“A little rain can’t stop us!” tweeted Brandon Johnson, the city's newly elected mayor.Chicago's 52nd annual celebration on Sunday featured drag performers Marilyn Doll Traid and Selena Peres, as well as Young Bud Billiken dancers, who received loud praise from the crowd as they represented the celebration of Black roots in Chicago’s South Side.Thousands of people also flooded the streets Saturday night in Houston to celebrate pride parades and embrace the LGBTQ+ community.“Houston is one big diverse family. Today is about celebrating people who are themselves, their authentic selves and letting everyone know that this is a city full of love, not division, not hate," said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner.San Antonio also celebrated its Pride parade Saturday night, with hundreds of people lining downtown streets."This year’s theme is ‘Just Say Gay.’ We feel so strongly about the legislation that’s occurring, not only here in Texas, but in other states throughout the United States that are trying to put us back in the closet,” Phillip Barcena, Pride San Antonio president,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2023/06/24/pride-bigger-than-texas-night-parade-celebrates-20th-anniversary-this-saturday/">told KSAT</a>.Also Saturday, first lady Jill Biden made an appearance at the Pride parade in Nashville, Tennessee, where she told the crowd “loud and clear that you belong, that you are beautiful, that you are loved.”Many other cities held their marquee events earlier this month, including Boston, which hosted its first parade after a three-year hiatus that began with COVID-19 but extended through 2022 because the organization that used to run it dissolved under criticism that it excluded racial minorities and transgender people.A key message this year has been for LGBTQ+ communities to unite against dozens, if not hundreds, of legislative bills now under consideration in statehouses across the country.Lawmakers in 20 states have moved to ban gender-affirming care for children, and at least seven more are considering doing the same, adding increased urgency for the transgender community, its advocates say.“We are under threat,” Pride event organizers in New York, San Francisco and San Diego said in a statement joined by about 50 other Pride organizations nationwide. “The diverse dangers we are facing as an LGBTQ community and Pride organizers, while differing in nature and intensity, share a common trait: they seek to undermine our love, our identity, our freedom, our safety, and our lives.”Earlier Sunday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill that would make the state a “safe haven” for transgender youth and forbid law enforcement agencies from providing information that could undermine the ability for a child to get gender-affirming care.NYC Mayor Adams made a similar move this week, issuing an executive order preventing city resources from being used to cooperate with out-of-state authorities in detaining anyone receiving gender-affirming care in the city.The Anti-Defamation League and GLAAD, a national LGBTQ+ organization, reported 101 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents in the first three weeks of this month, about twice as many as in the full month of June last year.Sarah Moore, who analyzes extremism for the two civil rights groups, said many of the incidents coincided with Pride events.Nevertheless, Roz Gould Keith, who has a transgender son, is heartened by the increased visibility of transgender people at marches and celebrations across the country.“Ten years ago, when my son asked to go to Motor City Pride, there was nothing for the trans community,” said Keith, founder and executive director of Stand with Trans, a group formed to support and empower young transgender people and their families.This year, she said, the event was “jam-packed” with transgender people.___

LGBTQ+ Pride on display on Kansas streets and nationwide

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting and crash and have made an arrest.

Just before 2:30p.m. Friday, police in Wichita received a series of 911 calls about a vehicle collision and a shooting in the 7000 Block of East Lincoln in Wichita, according to&nbsp;Officer Aaron Moses.

First responders located a red GMC Yukon that struck a building and a victim later identified as&nbsp;49-year-old Chris Baker of Wichita, inside the SUV with a gunshot wound.. Life-saving measures were attempted, but Baker would be pronounced deceased on the scene.

Investigators at the scene learned from witnesses that someone involved in the crash had fled into one of the nearby buildings, according to Moses. A small group of the Wichita Police SWAT team responded to the scene.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Investigators worked through the evening hours and were able to determine that 24-year-old Damion Hazelton was the shooter. 

Police located and arrested him without incident. The Wichita Police Department is still asking anyone who has information on this case to please call WPD detectives at 316-268-4407, the See Something Say Something hotline at 316-519-2282, or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Hazelton is being held on requested charges of Felony Murder and Discharge into Occupied Vehicle.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687694361794.png" alt="Hazelton-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Hazelton-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting and crash and have made an arrest.Just before 2:30p.m. Friday, police in Wichita received a series of 911 calls about a vehicle collision and a shooting in the 7000 Block of East Lincoln in Wichita, according to&nbsp;Officer Aaron Moses.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687565978422.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>First responders located a red GMC Yukon that struck a building and a victim later identified as&nbsp;49-year-old Chris Baker of Wichita, inside the SUV with a gunshot wound.. Life-saving measures were attempted, but Baker would be pronounced deceased on the scene.Investigators at the scene learned from witnesses that someone involved in the crash had fled into one of the nearby buildings, according to Moses. A small group of the Wichita Police SWAT team responded to the scene.&nbsp;&nbsp;Investigators worked through the evening hours and were able to determine that 24-year-old Damion Hazelton was the shooter. Police located and arrested him without incident. The Wichita Police Department is still asking anyone who has information on this case to please call WPD detectives at 316-268-4407, the See Something Say Something hotline at 316-519-2282, or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.&nbsp;&nbsp;Hazelton is being held on requested charges of Felony Murder and Discharge into Occupied Vehicle.

Arrest: Kan. man found with gunshot wound, after crash into building

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a series of thefts and have made an arrest.

Patrol East Community Police Officers in Wichita were investigating a rash of thefts from Coach in Towne East Square in dating as far back as March of 2022, with a total loss estimated at $24,275. 

The investigation revealed 45-year-old Anthony Talkington as a possible suspect.  Due to this large dollar amount, Patrol East officers, Vice, Larceny Detectives and the K-9 Unit, conducted a 2-day operation investigating this crime trend. 

On June 20,&nbsp; Coach reported Talkington entered the business and took seven various Coach brand purses and wallets. He returned to a residence in the 1400 block of S. Pershing in Wichita where officers observed him with the items taken from the store.

 Officers attempted to apprehend him but he refused to come out of the house. Using two K-9 units, Talkington exited and surrendered peacefully without incident. 

A search warrant was executed at the residence. Community Police officers and Larceny Detectives searched the residence and discovered evidence of the thefts along with drugs and paraphernalia. 

Talkington was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail for five County Warrants (Theft and Possession of Opiates) with a $150,000 bond and a city warrant for domestic violence.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687467979564.png" alt="Talkington-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Talkington-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a series of thefts and have made an arrest.Patrol East Community Police Officers in Wichita were investigating a rash of thefts from Coach in Towne East Square in dating as far back as March of 2022, with a total loss estimated at $24,275. The investigation revealed 45-year-old Anthony Talkington as a possible suspect. Due to this large dollar amount, Patrol East officers, Vice, Larceny Detectives and the K-9 Unit, conducted a 2-day operation investigating this crime trend. On June 20,&nbsp; Coach reported Talkington entered the business and took seven various Coach brand purses and wallets. He returned to a residence in the 1400 block of S. Pershing in Wichita where officers observed him with the items taken from the store. Officers attempted to apprehend him but he refused to come out of the house. Using two K-9 units, Talkington exited and surrendered peacefully without incident. A search warrant was executed at the residence. Community Police officers and Larceny Detectives searched the residence and discovered evidence of the thefts along with drugs and paraphernalia. Talkington was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail for five County Warrants (Theft and Possession of Opiates) with a $150,000 bond and a city warrant for domestic violence.

Police: Kansas man stole $25K in purses, wallets from store

When I told friends and family I was reporting on the first chicken meat&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cultivated-meat-lab-grown-cell-based-a88ab8e0241712b501aa191cdbf6b39a">grown from animal cells</a>, their first comment was “Eww." Their second comment was: “How does it taste?"

The short answer (you've probably heard this sentence before in other contexts): Tastes like chicken.

The longer answer, which folds in the “Eww” response, is more nuanced. Yes, it's strange to think of eating a totally new kind of meat — chicken that doesn't come from a chicken, meat that will be sold as “cell-cultivated” chicken after the U.S. Agriculture Department on Wednesday gave the green light to two California firms, Upside Foods and Good Meat.

But it's also interesting (and exciting!) to taste test the first offerings of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cultivated-meat-grown-cells-d92a4efa67309eb670d6b13bcca11604">new era in meat production</a>, which aims to eliminate harm to billions of animals slaughtered for food — and to dramatically reduce the environmental effects of grazing, growing feed for those animals and dealing with their animal waste.

I'm a lifelong meat eater. I'm also a victim of the “meat paradox,” a term scientists use to describe the psychological conflict that occurs in people who like to eat meat but don't like to contemplate the animals that died providing it.

As someone who has reported on food-borne illness outbreaks and slaughterhouse safety, I'm keenly aware that the chicken on my dinner plate probably suffered to get there. And that fact makes me uneasy if I dwell on it too much.

So I was open to trying a different kind of meat — and also curious to see if it would taste like the real thing.

I've tried&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/4b739c1d79a14d70acd2df836eb613fd">plant-based options</a>&nbsp;like the Beyond Meat sausage and the Impossible Burger and liked them, even though I didn't think they were perfect substitutes. To be honest, the Beyond Meat sausage tasted good, but a little mealy. And the Impossible Burger was dry, although I may have cooked it too long. In both cases, I enjoyed the taste of the products but was still aware that I wasn’t actually eating pork or beef.

What about the artificiality of it all? It didn't bother me that this new cultivated meat is made from cells that grow to epic proportions in big steel vats, only to be shaped and formed — “extruded” is the somewhat unfortunate verb that came to mind — into familiar cutlets, filets and nuggets that would look right at home on the dinner table.

But as with all food, in the end it would come down to taste. And in this case, to the larger question behind it: Is this new material in fact chicken, or is it an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-boneless-wings-culinary-lie-7bae0f861af227f53318e5ddfcce771f">impostor</a>?

TIME FOR THE ALL-IMPORTANT MOUTH TEST

In January, I traveled to the Upside Foods manufacturing plant in Emeryville, California. There, chef Jess Weaver sauteed a cultivated chicken breast in a white wine butter sauce with tomatoes, capers and green onions.

The aroma was enticing, just like any filet cooked in butter would be. And the taste was light and delicate with a tender texture, just like any chicken breast I’d make at home – if, that is, I were a chef trained at the Culinary Institute of America.

Last week, I visited the Alameda, California, plant where Good Meat is poised to begin production of its chicken products. Chef Zach Tyndall was ready with a smoked chicken salad with mayonnaise, golden raisins and walnuts. He followed it with a chicken “thigh” dish — darker meat served on a bed of potato puree with a mushroom-vegetable demi-glace, golden beets and tiny purple cauliflower florets.

The taste was richer than a chicken breast, more like the dark meat of a thigh. And the texture was both tender and chewy, like a well-cooked chicken thigh should be.

“It needs to be as lifelike as possible for it to catch on,” he said.

While “lifelike” is an interesting word, from my side of the fork I think this will catch on. There are still huge hurdles — how to scale up manufacturing and pare back costs, experts say, and the lingering question of whether chicken without the bird is, in fact, chicken — but if you're basing it on authentic taste, I'll leave you with this:

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687363360861.png" alt="A prepared dish of Good Meat's cultivated chicken is shown at the Eat Just office in Alameda, Calif., Wednesday, June 14, 2023. The Agriculture Department issued final approvals Wednesday, June 21 to California firms Upside Foods and Good Meat to sell the products, known as “lab grown” or “cultivated” meat. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)" />
 <figcaption>A prepared dish of Good Meat's cultivated chicken is shown at the Eat Just office in Alameda, Calif., Wednesday, June 14, 2023. The Agriculture Department issued final approvals Wednesday, June 21 to California firms Upside Foods and Good Meat to sell the products, known as “lab grown” or “cultivated” meat. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)</figcaption>
 </figure>By JONEL ALECCIA, AP Health WriterWhen I told friends and family I was reporting on the first chicken meat&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cultivated-meat-lab-grown-cell-based-a88ab8e0241712b501aa191cdbf6b39a">grown from animal cells</a>, their first comment was “Eww." Their second comment was: “How does it taste?"<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fgoodmeat%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0114d5rGCnk48cEZR848wMs58K9WnD55tTqPXEmghghAiDg2eY758Jwfd7eHqJpidl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="732" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>The short answer (you've probably heard this sentence before in other contexts): Tastes like chicken.The longer answer, which folds in the “Eww” response, is more nuanced. Yes, it's strange to think of eating a totally new kind of meat — chicken that doesn't come from a chicken, meat that will be sold as “cell-cultivated” chicken after the U.S. Agriculture Department on Wednesday gave the green light to two California firms, Upside Foods and Good Meat.But it's also interesting (and exciting!) to taste test the first offerings of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cultivated-meat-grown-cells-d92a4efa67309eb670d6b13bcca11604">new era in meat production</a>, which aims to eliminate harm to billions of animals slaughtered for food — and to dramatically reduce the environmental effects of grazing, growing feed for those animals and dealing with their animal waste.FACING UP TO THE ‘MEAT PARADOX’ I'm a lifelong meat eater. I'm also a victim of the “meat paradox,” a term scientists use to describe the psychological conflict that occurs in people who like to eat meat but don't like to contemplate the animals that died providing it.As someone who has reported on food-borne illness outbreaks and slaughterhouse safety, I'm keenly aware that the chicken on my dinner plate probably suffered to get there. And that fact makes me uneasy if I dwell on it too much.So I was open to trying a different kind of meat — and also curious to see if it would taste like the real thing.I've tried&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/4b739c1d79a14d70acd2df836eb613fd">plant-based options</a>&nbsp;like the Beyond Meat sausage and the Impossible Burger and liked them, even though I didn't think they were perfect substitutes. To be honest, the Beyond Meat sausage tasted good, but a little mealy. And the Impossible Burger was dry, although I may have cooked it too long. In both cases, I enjoyed the taste of the products but was still aware that I wasn’t actually eating pork or beef.What about the artificiality of it all? It didn't bother me that this new cultivated meat is made from cells that grow to epic proportions in big steel vats, only to be shaped and formed — “extruded” is the somewhat unfortunate verb that came to mind — into familiar cutlets, filets and nuggets that would look right at home on the dinner table.But as with all food, in the end it would come down to taste. And in this case, to the larger question behind it: Is this new material in fact chicken, or is it an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-boneless-wings-culinary-lie-7bae0f861af227f53318e5ddfcce771f">impostor</a>?TIME FOR THE ALL-IMPORTANT MOUTH TEST In January, I traveled to the Upside Foods manufacturing plant in Emeryville, California. There, chef Jess Weaver sauteed a cultivated chicken breast in a white wine butter sauce with tomatoes, capers and green onions.The aroma was enticing, just like any filet cooked in butter would be. And the taste was light and delicate with a tender texture, just like any chicken breast I’d make at home – if, that is, I were a chef trained at the Culinary Institute of America.Last week, I visited the Alameda, California, plant where Good Meat is poised to begin production of its chicken products. Chef Zach Tyndall was ready with a smoked chicken salad with mayonnaise, golden raisins and walnuts. He followed it with a chicken “thigh” dish — darker meat served on a bed of potato puree with a mushroom-vegetable demi-glace, golden beets and tiny purple cauliflower florets.The taste was richer than a chicken breast, more like the dark meat of a thigh. And the texture was both tender and chewy, like a well-cooked chicken thigh should be.That, says Tyndall, is the whole point.“It needs to be as lifelike as possible for it to catch on,” he said.While “lifelike” is an interesting word, from my side of the fork I think this will catch on. There are still huge hurdles — how to scale up manufacturing and pare back costs, experts say, and the lingering question of whether chicken without the bird is, in fact, chicken — but if you're basing it on authentic taste, I'll leave you with this:Please pass the “chicken.”