KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The wall of a major dam in southern Ukraine collapsed Tuesday, triggering floods, endangering Europe’s largest nuclear power plant and threatening drinking water supplies as both sides in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">the war</a>&nbsp;scrambled to evacuate residents and blamed each other for the destruction.

Ukraine accused Russian forces of blowing up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kakhovka-dam-ukraine-russia-war-whats-at-stake-a417dafefa79462bef5e4e63c0a94c8c">the Kakhovka dam</a>&nbsp;and hydroelectric power station on the Dnieper River in an area that Moscow controls, while Russian officials blamed Ukrainian bombardment in the contested area. It was not possible to verify the claims.

The potentially far-reaching environmental and social consequences of the disaster quickly became clear as homes, streets and businesses flooded downstream and emergency crews began evacuations; officials raced to check cooling systems at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-climate-and-environment-government-politics-6147e518d263393eedefb90759651b3c">Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant</a>; and authorities expressed concern about supplies of drinking water to the south in Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.

Both Russian and Ukrainian authorities brought in trains and buses for residents. About 22,000 people live in areas at risk of flooding in Russian-controlled areas, while 16,000 live in the most critical zone in Ukrainian-held territory, according to official tallies. Neither side reported any deaths or injuries.

The dam break added a stunning new dimension to Russia’s war in Ukraine, now in its 16th month. Ukrainian forces were widely seen to be moving forward with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-counteroffensive-moscow-kyiv-tactics-337f12cfe0766376afcf32c5b9d75f23">long-anticipated counteroffensive</a>&nbsp;in patches along more than 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) of front line in the east and south.

It was not immediately clear whether either side benefits from the damage to the dam, since both Russian-controlled and Ukrainian-held lands are at risk. The damage could also hinder Ukraine’s counteroffensive in the south and distract its government, while Russia depends on the dam to supply water to Crimea.

Although Kyiv officials claimed Russia blew up the dam to hinder the counteroffensive, observers note that crossing the broad Dnieper would be extremely challenging for the Ukrainian military. Other sectors of the front line are more likely avenues of attack, analysts say.

Even so, Nigel Gould-Davies, a senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said the alleged Russian destruction of the dam “betrays a lack of confidence, a lack of confidence, a profoundly defensive measure, the lack of confidence in Russia’s longer-term prospects” in the war.

Experts have previously said the dam was in disrepair, which could also have led to the breach. David Helms, a retired American scientist who has monitored the reservoir since the start of the war, said in an email that it wasn’t clear if the damage was deliberate or simple neglect from Russian forces occupying the facility.

But Helms also noted a Russian history of attacking dams.

Authorities, experts and residents have expressed concern for months about water flows through — and over — the Kakhovka dam. After heavy rains and snow melt last month, water levels rose beyond normal levels,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-nuclear-dnipro-river-flood-df2aaa99cab8b0e0d7a4b26bd77cad0f">flooding nearby villages</a>. Satellite images showed water washing over damaged sluice gates.

Amid official outrage, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he convened an urgent meeting of the National Security Council. He alleged Russian forces set off a blast inside the dam structure at 2:50 a.m. (2350 GMT Monday) and said about 80 settlements were in danger. Zelenskyy said in October his government had information that Russia had mined the dam and power plant.

But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called it “a deliberate act of sabotage by the Ukrainian side … aimed at cutting water supplies to Crimea.”

Both sides warned of a looming environmental disaster. Ukraine’s Presidential Office said some 150 metric tons of oil escaped from the dam machinery and that another 300 metric tons could still leak out.

Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine’s President’s Office, posted a video showing swans swimming near an administrative building in the flooded streets of Russian-occupied Nova Kakhovka, a city in the Kherson region where some 45,000 people lived before the war. Other footage he posted showed flood waters reaching the second floor of the building.

Ukraine's Interior Ministry urged residents of 10 villages on the Dnieper’s right bank and parts of the city of Kherson downriver to gather essential documents and pets, turn off appliances, and leave, while cautioning against possible disinformation.

The Russian-installed mayor of occupied Nova Kakhovka, Vladimir Leontyev, said it was being evacuated as water poured into the city.

Ukraine’s nuclear operator Energoatom said via Telegram that the damage to the dam “could have negative consequences” for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-climate-and-environment-government-politics-6147e518d263393eedefb90759651b3c">Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant</a>, which is Europe’s biggest, but wrote that for now the situation is “controllable.”

The U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency said there was “no immediate risk to the safety of the plant,” which requires water for its cooling system. It said that IAEA staff on site have been told the dam level is falling by 5 centimeters (2 inches) an hour. At that rate, the supply from the reservoir should last a few days, it said.

The plant also has alternative sources of water, including a large cooling pond than can provide water “for some months,” the statement said.

Ukrainian authorities have previously warned that the dam’s failure could unleash 18 million cubic meters (4.8 billion gallons) of water and flood Kherson and dozens of other areas where thousands of people live.

The World Data Center for Geoinformatics and Sustainable Development, a Ukrainian nongovernmental organization, estimated that nearly 100 villages and towns would be flooded. It also reckoned that the water level would start dropping only after five-seven days.

A total collapse in the dam would wash away much of the broad river's left bank, according to the Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Working Group, an organization of environmental activists and experts documenting the war’s environmental effects.

Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said that “a global ecological disaster is playing out now, online, and thousands of animals and ecosystems will be destroyed in the next few hours.”

Video posted online showed floodwaters inundating a long roadway; another showed a beaver scurrying for high ground from rising waters.

The incident also drew international condemnation, including from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who said the “outrageous act … demonstrates once again the brutality of Russia’s war in Ukraine.”

Ukraine controls five of the six dams along the Dnieper, which runs from its northern border with Belarus down to the Black Sea and is crucial for the country’s drinking water and power supply.

Ukraine’s state hydro power generating company wrote in a statement that “The station cannot be restored.” Ukrhydroenergo also claimed Russia blew up the station from inside the engine room.

Leontyev, the Russian-appointed mayor, said numerous Ukrainian strikes on the Kakhovka hydroelectric plant destroyed its valves, and “water from the Kakhovka reservoir began to uncontrollably flow downstream.” Leontyev added that damage to the station was beyond repair, and it would have to be rebuilt.

Ukraine and Russia have previously&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-moscow-europe-donetsk-10b79dcbd6bf91e7ce258a0225a82a7f">accused each other</a>&nbsp;of targeting the dam with attacks.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686057672800.png" alt="Image made from video provided by Ukraine's Presidential Office&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Image made from video provided by Ukraine's Presidential Office&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The wall of a major dam in southern Ukraine collapsed Tuesday, triggering floods, endangering Europe’s largest nuclear power plant and threatening drinking water supplies as both sides in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">the war</a>&nbsp;scrambled to evacuate residents and blamed each other for the destruction.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RussiaIsATerroristState?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RussiaIsATerroristState</a> and the only way to stop it, is to kick it out of Ukraine. Blowing up the Kakhovska HPP will have devastating consequences,incl drowning in the region, long term water shortage, irreparable damages to thousands of lives of innocent civilians and ecosystem <a href="https://t.co/Cj2lTaoVZd">pic.twitter.com/Cj2lTaoVZd</a>&mdash; MFA of Ukraine 🇺🇦 (@MFA_Ukraine) <a href="https://twitter.com/MFA_Ukraine/status/1665964127477481473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Ukraine accused Russian forces of blowing up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kakhovka-dam-ukraine-russia-war-whats-at-stake-a417dafefa79462bef5e4e63c0a94c8c">the Kakhovka dam</a>&nbsp;and hydroelectric power station on the Dnieper River in an area that Moscow controls, while Russian officials blamed Ukrainian bombardment in the contested area. It was not possible to verify the claims.The potentially far-reaching environmental and social consequences of the disaster quickly became clear as homes, streets and businesses flooded downstream and emergency crews began evacuations; officials raced to check cooling systems at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-climate-and-environment-government-politics-6147e518d263393eedefb90759651b3c">Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant</a>; and authorities expressed concern about supplies of drinking water to the south in Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.Both Russian and Ukrainian authorities brought in trains and buses for residents. About 22,000 people live in areas at risk of flooding in Russian-controlled areas, while 16,000 live in the most critical zone in Ukrainian-held territory, according to official tallies. Neither side reported any deaths or injuries.The dam break added a stunning new dimension to Russia’s war in Ukraine, now in its 16th month. Ukrainian forces were widely seen to be moving forward with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-counteroffensive-moscow-kyiv-tactics-337f12cfe0766376afcf32c5b9d75f23">long-anticipated counteroffensive</a>&nbsp;in patches along more than 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) of front line in the east and south.It was not immediately clear whether either side benefits from the damage to the dam, since both Russian-controlled and Ukrainian-held lands are at risk. The damage could also hinder Ukraine’s counteroffensive in the south and distract its government, while Russia depends on the dam to supply water to Crimea.Although Kyiv officials claimed Russia blew up the dam to hinder the counteroffensive, observers note that crossing the broad Dnieper would be extremely challenging for the Ukrainian military. Other sectors of the front line are more likely avenues of attack, analysts say.Even so, Nigel Gould-Davies, a senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said the alleged Russian destruction of the dam “betrays a lack of confidence, a lack of confidence, a profoundly defensive measure, the lack of confidence in Russia’s longer-term prospects” in the war.Experts have previously said the dam was in disrepair, which could also have led to the breach. David Helms, a retired American scientist who has monitored the reservoir since the start of the war, said in an email that it wasn’t clear if the damage was deliberate or simple neglect from Russian forces occupying the facility.But Helms also noted a Russian history of attacking dams.Authorities, experts and residents have expressed concern for months about water flows through — and over — the Kakhovka dam. After heavy rains and snow melt last month, water levels rose beyond normal levels,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-nuclear-dnipro-river-flood-df2aaa99cab8b0e0d7a4b26bd77cad0f">flooding nearby villages</a>. Satellite images showed water washing over damaged sluice gates.Amid official outrage, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he convened an urgent meeting of the National Security Council. He alleged Russian forces set off a blast inside the dam structure at 2:50 a.m. (2350 GMT Monday) and said about 80 settlements were in danger. Zelenskyy said in October his government had information that Russia had mined the dam and power plant.But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called it “a deliberate act of sabotage by the Ukrainian side … aimed at cutting water supplies to Crimea.”Both sides warned of a looming environmental disaster. Ukraine’s Presidential Office said some 150 metric tons of oil escaped from the dam machinery and that another 300 metric tons could still leak out.Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine’s President’s Office, posted a video showing swans swimming near an administrative building in the flooded streets of Russian-occupied Nova Kakhovka, a city in the Kherson region where some 45,000 people lived before the war. Other footage he posted showed flood waters reaching the second floor of the building.Ukraine's Interior Ministry urged residents of 10 villages on the Dnieper’s right bank and parts of the city of Kherson downriver to gather essential documents and pets, turn off appliances, and leave, while cautioning against possible disinformation.The Russian-installed mayor of occupied Nova Kakhovka, Vladimir Leontyev, said it was being evacuated as water poured into the city.Ukraine’s nuclear operator Energoatom said via Telegram that the damage to the dam “could have negative consequences” for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-climate-and-environment-government-politics-6147e518d263393eedefb90759651b3c">Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant</a>, which is Europe’s biggest, but wrote that for now the situation is “controllable.”The U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency said there was “no immediate risk to the safety of the plant,” which requires water for its cooling system. It said that IAEA staff on site have been told the dam level is falling by 5 centimeters (2 inches) an hour. At that rate, the supply from the reservoir should last a few days, it said.The plant also has alternative sources of water, including a large cooling pond than can provide water “for some months,” the statement said.Ukrainian authorities have previously warned that the dam’s failure could unleash 18 million cubic meters (4.8 billion gallons) of water and flood Kherson and dozens of other areas where thousands of people live.The World Data Center for Geoinformatics and Sustainable Development, a Ukrainian nongovernmental organization, estimated that nearly 100 villages and towns would be flooded. It also reckoned that the water level would start dropping only after five-seven days.A total collapse in the dam would wash away much of the broad river's left bank, according to the Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Working Group, an organization of environmental activists and experts documenting the war’s environmental effects.Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said that “a global ecological disaster is playing out now, online, and thousands of animals and ecosystems will be destroyed in the next few hours.”Video posted online showed floodwaters inundating a long roadway; another showed a beaver scurrying for high ground from rising waters.The incident also drew international condemnation, including from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who said the “outrageous act … demonstrates once again the brutality of Russia’s war in Ukraine.”Ukraine controls five of the six dams along the Dnieper, which runs from its northern border with Belarus down to the Black Sea and is crucial for the country’s drinking water and power supply.Ukraine’s state hydro power generating company wrote in a statement that “The station cannot be restored.” Ukrhydroenergo also claimed Russia blew up the station from inside the engine room.Leontyev, the Russian-appointed mayor, said numerous Ukrainian strikes on the Kakhovka hydroelectric plant destroyed its valves, and “water from the Kakhovka reservoir began to uncontrollably flow downstream.” Leontyev added that damage to the station was beyond repair, and it would have to be rebuilt.Ukraine and Russia have previously&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-moscow-europe-donetsk-10b79dcbd6bf91e7ce258a0225a82a7f">accused each other</a>&nbsp;of targeting the dam with attacks.

🎥Collapse of major dam in Ukraine triggers emergency

JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal Kansas officer-involved shooting have identified the man who died as 58-year-old David Russell Sweet.

Just before 6 p.m. Saturday, police were conducting a traffic stop in the 200 block of North Water Street, according to a media release.

During the course of the traffic stop, a separate and unrelated vehicle arrived on scene and the driver later identified as Sweet advanced on officers armed with a knife. 

Two Officers discharged their department issued handguns striking Sweet.&nbsp; He received medical attention by responding Officers as well as Johnson County Med-Act. Sweet was pronounced deceased on scene. The Officers were not injured.

Investigators from multiple agencies are leading the investigation of the incident.&nbsp; The Johnson County Crime Lab&nbsp; processed the scene.

As a matter of standard procedure, the involved Officers have been placed on paid administrative leave pending the investigation by the Johnson County Officer Involved Critical Incident Investigation Team (OICIIT).&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685845131430.png" alt="Police on the scene of the fatal officer-involved shooting photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the fatal officer-involved shooting photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal Kansas officer-involved shooting have identified the man who died as 58-year-old David Russell Sweet.Just before 6 p.m. Saturday, police were conducting a traffic stop in the 200 block of North Water Street, according to a media release.During the course of the traffic stop, a separate and unrelated vehicle arrived on scene and the driver later identified as Sweet advanced on officers armed with a knife. Two Officers discharged their department issued handguns striking Sweet.&nbsp; He received medical attention by responding Officers as well as Johnson County Med-Act. Sweet was pronounced deceased on scene. The Officers were not injured.Investigators from multiple agencies are leading the investigation of the incident.&nbsp; The Johnson County Crime Lab&nbsp; processed the scene.As a matter of standard procedure, the involved Officers have been placed on paid administrative leave pending the investigation by the Johnson County Officer Involved Critical Incident Investigation Team (OICIIT).&nbsp;&nbsp;

Police ID 58-year-old man who died in Kan. officer shooting 

RAWLINS COUNTY —The Atwood Police Department is requesting any community members with a doorbell camera to check devices for any activity that may have been captured between 11:00 pm June 4 to 6.am. June 5.

USD 105 Rawlins County Public Schools reported the Junior-Senior High School suffered significant damage from a fire Monday morning, according to a social media post from the district.

"Smoke was discovered when opening for the summer weight program," according to the post attributed to Superintendent Eric Stoddard. "Atwood, local, and area fire departments responded to the fire. It appears the building has sustained significant damage, but the extent is unknown."

Please email any screenshots to travis@atwoodpd.org. If you have seen anything suspicious in this time frame, please call 785-626-3833.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686015953309.png" alt="photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>RAWLINS COUNTY —The Atwood Police Department is requesting any community members with a doorbell camera to check devices for any activity that may have been captured between 11:00 pm June 4 to 6.am. June 5.USD 105 Rawlins County Public Schools reported the Junior-Senior High School suffered significant damage from a fire Monday morning, according to a social media post from the district."Smoke was discovered when opening for the summer weight program," according to the post attributed to Superintendent Eric Stoddard. "Atwood, local, and area fire departments responded to the fire. It appears the building has sustained significant damage, but the extent is unknown."Please email any screenshots to travis@atwoodpd.org. If you have seen anything suspicious in this time frame, please call 785-626-3833.

Police ask for security video after fire at NW Kansas school

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Saudi Arabia will reduce how much oil it sends to the global economy, taking a unilateral step to prop up the sagging price of crude after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/opec-oil-supply-gasoline-prices-saudi-russia-27e7b8785ff6fa3ca5df590d64cedb57">two previous cuts to supply</a>&nbsp;by major producing countries in the OPEC+ alliance failed to push oil higher.

The Saudi cut of 1 million barrels per day, to start in July, comes as the other OPEC+ producers agreed in a meeting in Vienna to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-oil-production-cut-6d34316ce6820c749d2a6cd66a9fffea">extend earlier production cuts</a>&nbsp;through next year.

Calling the reduction a “lollipop,” Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman said at a news conference that “we wanted to ice the cake.” He said the cut could be extended and that the group “will do whatever is necessary to bring stability to this market.”

The new cut would likely push up oil prices in the short term, but the impact after that would depend on whether Saudi Arabia decides to extend it, said Jorge Leon, senior vice president of oil markets research at Rystad Energy.

The move provides “a price floor because the Saudis can play with the voluntary cut as much as they like,” he said.

The slump in oil prices has helped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-5f010ed0b66fb71e8d46040419a70203">U.S. drivers fill their tanks more cheaply</a>&nbsp;and gave consumers worldwide some relief from inflation.

“Gas is not going to become cheaper," Leon said. ”If anything, it will become marginally more expensive.”

That the Saudis felt another cut was necessary underlines the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/imf-world-bank-interest-rates-fiscal-policy-1f3ad9e4bf87b3e95db84ba7c49b959f">uncertain outlook for demand</a>&nbsp;for fuel in the months ahead. There are concerns about economic weakness in the U.S. and Europe, while China’s rebound from COVID-19 restrictions has been less robust than many had hoped.

Saudi Arabia, the dominant producer in the OPEC oil cartel, was one of several members that agreed on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-oil-production-cut-6d34316ce6820c749d2a6cd66a9fffea">surprise cut of 1.6 million barrels per day</a>&nbsp;in April. The kingdom’s share was 500,000. That followed OPEC+ announcing in October that it would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-inflation-health-germany-elections-d873521f8b165774de3902439dd5a6ee">slash 2 million barrels</a>&nbsp;per day,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-business-saudi-arabia-middle-east-ea75287315c4e8a78014a4eccb114abe">angering U.S. President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;by threatening higher gasoline prices a month before the midterm elections.

All told, OPEC+ has now dropped production on paper by 4.6 million barrels a day. But some countries can't produce their quotas, so the actual reduction is around 3.5 million barrels per day, or over 3% of global supply.

The previous cuts gave little lasting boost to oil prices. International benchmark Brent crude climbed as high as $87 per barrel but has given up its post-cut gains and been loitering below $75 per barrel in recent days. U.S. crude has recently dipped below $70.

That has helped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/summer-travel-inflation-airlines-hotels-b1ec8b577b6cae248923236b1c8c120c">U.S. drivers kicking off the summer travel season</a>, with prices at the pump averaging $3.55, down $1.02 from a year ago, according to auto club AAA. Falling energy prices also helped inflation in the 20 European countries that use the euro&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-europe-food-prices-77c0d22dd3ff5aad439a995542a8e6a8">drop to the lowest level</a>&nbsp;since before Russia invaded Ukraine.

The Saudis need&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-aramco-2022-financial-earnings-oil-energy-c42b0a0b7b5a70db1f2a0ea732434051">sustained high oil revenue</a>&nbsp;to fund ambitious development projects aimed at diversifying the country’s economy.

The International Monetary Fund estimates the kingdom needs $80.90 per barrel to meet its envisioned spending commitments, which include a planned $500 billion futuristic desert city project called Neom.

The U.S. recently replenished its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-opec-business-government-and-politics-climate-environment-59aa11307b222550d48fb42ff0c3bd59">Strategic Petroleum Reserve</a>&nbsp;— after Biden announced the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-business-europe-3e1808077371b88ae043c86584763afd">largest release from the national reserve</a>&nbsp;in American history last year — in an indicator that U.S. officials may be less worried about OPEC cuts than in months past.

While oil producers like Saudi Arabia need revenue to fund their state budgets, they also have to take into account the impact of higher prices on oil-consuming countries.

Oil prices that go too high can fuel inflation, sapping consumer purchasing power and pushing central banks like the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-inflation-recession-powell-50be3ad208848b75df2498aa5da6156b">U.S. Federal Reserve toward further interest rate hikes</a>&nbsp;that can slow economic growth.

The Saudi production cut and any increase to oil prices could add to the profits that are helping Russia pay for its war against Ukraine. Russia has found&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-politics-business-china-middle-east-b6a90423ee7e2245e3eafc713083896f">new oil customers in India, China</a>&nbsp;and Turkey amid Western sanctions designed to limit Moscow’s crucial energy income.

However, higher crude prices risk complicating trade by the world’s No. 3 oil producer if they exceed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-health-covid-prices-european-union-65de1c4934227208bfa68bb7d4c47716">$60-per-barrel price cap</a>&nbsp;imposed by the Group of Seven major democracies.

Russia has found ways to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-moscow-europe-european-union-825506b6a349cce7e5971c0ac550aeaa">evade the price cap</a>&nbsp;through “dark fleet” tankers, which tamper with location data or transfer oil from ship to ship to disguise its origin. But those efforts add costs.

Under the OPEC+ deal, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Moscow will extend its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-65edbc5ba28370c0face621b7db0ce74">voluntary cut of 500,000 barrels a day</a>&nbsp;through next year, according to Russian state news agency Tass.

But Russia might not be following through on its promises. Moscow’s total exports of oil and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/european-union-russia-government-moscow-europe-china-a855facf78132a8805c9ba52dd0fab60">refined products such as diesel fuel</a>&nbsp;rose in April to a post-invasion high of 8.3 million barrels per day, the International Energy Agency said in its April oil market report.

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Saudi Arabia will reduce how much oil it sends to the global economy, taking a unilateral step to prop up the sagging price of crude after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/opec-oil-supply-gasoline-prices-saudi-russia-27e7b8785ff6fa3ca5df590d64cedb57">two previous cuts to supply</a>&nbsp;by major producing countries in the OPEC+ alliance failed to push oil higher.The Saudi cut of 1 million barrels per day, to start in July, comes as the other OPEC+ producers agreed in a meeting in Vienna to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-oil-production-cut-6d34316ce6820c749d2a6cd66a9fffea">extend earlier production cuts</a>&nbsp;through next year.Calling the reduction a “lollipop,” Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman said at a news conference that “we wanted to ice the cake.” He said the cut could be extended and that the group “will do whatever is necessary to bring stability to this market.”The new cut would likely push up oil prices in the short term, but the impact after that would depend on whether Saudi Arabia decides to extend it, said Jorge Leon, senior vice president of oil markets research at Rystad Energy.The move provides “a price floor because the Saudis can play with the voluntary cut as much as they like,” he said.The slump in oil prices has helped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-5f010ed0b66fb71e8d46040419a70203">U.S. drivers fill their tanks more cheaply</a>&nbsp;and gave consumers worldwide some relief from inflation.“Gas is not going to become cheaper," Leon said. ”If anything, it will become marginally more expensive.”That the Saudis felt another cut was necessary underlines the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/imf-world-bank-interest-rates-fiscal-policy-1f3ad9e4bf87b3e95db84ba7c49b959f">uncertain outlook for demand</a>&nbsp;for fuel in the months ahead. There are concerns about economic weakness in the U.S. and Europe, while China’s rebound from COVID-19 restrictions has been less robust than many had hoped.Saudi Arabia, the dominant producer in the OPEC oil cartel, was one of several members that agreed on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-oil-production-cut-6d34316ce6820c749d2a6cd66a9fffea">surprise cut of 1.6 million barrels per day</a>&nbsp;in April. The kingdom’s share was 500,000. That followed OPEC+ announcing in October that it would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-inflation-health-germany-elections-d873521f8b165774de3902439dd5a6ee">slash 2 million barrels</a>&nbsp;per day,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-business-saudi-arabia-middle-east-ea75287315c4e8a78014a4eccb114abe">angering U.S. President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;by threatening higher gasoline prices a month before the midterm elections.All told, OPEC+ has now dropped production on paper by 4.6 million barrels a day. But some countries can't produce their quotas, so the actual reduction is around 3.5 million barrels per day, or over 3% of global supply.The previous cuts gave little lasting boost to oil prices. International benchmark Brent crude climbed as high as $87 per barrel but has given up its post-cut gains and been loitering below $75 per barrel in recent days. U.S. crude has recently dipped below $70.That has helped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/summer-travel-inflation-airlines-hotels-b1ec8b577b6cae248923236b1c8c120c">U.S. drivers kicking off the summer travel season</a>, with prices at the pump averaging $3.55, down $1.02 from a year ago, according to auto club AAA. Falling energy prices also helped inflation in the 20 European countries that use the euro&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-europe-food-prices-77c0d22dd3ff5aad439a995542a8e6a8">drop to the lowest level</a>&nbsp;since before Russia invaded Ukraine.The Saudis need&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-aramco-2022-financial-earnings-oil-energy-c42b0a0b7b5a70db1f2a0ea732434051">sustained high oil revenue</a>&nbsp;to fund ambitious development projects aimed at diversifying the country’s economy.The International Monetary Fund estimates the kingdom needs $80.90 per barrel to meet its envisioned spending commitments, which include a planned $500 billion futuristic desert city project called Neom.The U.S. recently replenished its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-opec-business-government-and-politics-climate-environment-59aa11307b222550d48fb42ff0c3bd59">Strategic Petroleum Reserve</a>&nbsp;— after Biden announced the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-business-europe-3e1808077371b88ae043c86584763afd">largest release from the national reserve</a>&nbsp;in American history last year — in an indicator that U.S. officials may be less worried about OPEC cuts than in months past.While oil producers like Saudi Arabia need revenue to fund their state budgets, they also have to take into account the impact of higher prices on oil-consuming countries.Oil prices that go too high can fuel inflation, sapping consumer purchasing power and pushing central banks like the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-inflation-recession-powell-50be3ad208848b75df2498aa5da6156b">U.S. Federal Reserve toward further interest rate hikes</a>&nbsp;that can slow economic growth.The Saudi production cut and any increase to oil prices could add to the profits that are helping Russia pay for its war against Ukraine. Russia has found&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-politics-business-china-middle-east-b6a90423ee7e2245e3eafc713083896f">new oil customers in India, China</a>&nbsp;and Turkey amid Western sanctions designed to limit Moscow’s crucial energy income.However, higher crude prices risk complicating trade by the world’s No. 3 oil producer if they exceed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-health-covid-prices-european-union-65de1c4934227208bfa68bb7d4c47716">$60-per-barrel price cap</a>&nbsp;imposed by the Group of Seven major democracies.Russia has found ways to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-moscow-europe-european-union-825506b6a349cce7e5971c0ac550aeaa">evade the price cap</a>&nbsp;through “dark fleet” tankers, which tamper with location data or transfer oil from ship to ship to disguise its origin. But those efforts add costs.Under the OPEC+ deal, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Moscow will extend its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-65edbc5ba28370c0face621b7db0ce74">voluntary cut of 500,000 barrels a day</a>&nbsp;through next year, according to Russian state news agency Tass.But Russia might not be following through on its promises. Moscow’s total exports of oil and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/european-union-russia-government-moscow-europe-china-a855facf78132a8805c9ba52dd0fab60">refined products such as diesel fuel</a>&nbsp;rose in April to a post-invasion high of 8.3 million barrels per day, the International Energy Agency said in its April oil market report.

Expect higher gas prices as Saudis slash oil supply

KANSAS CITY (AP)—A man who shot and killed two rural Missouri jailers nearly 23 years ago during a failed bid to help an inmate escape is set to be executed Tuesday evening.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tisius-execution-death-penalty-missouri-e801aa9774bf6f613eacbc80c784d8ea">Michael Tisius</a>, 42, is scheduled to die by injection at the state prison in Bonne Terre&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-execution-michael-tisius-e4a26eebace4f63ac5da75b6e07a6a16">for killing Leon Egley and Jason Acton</a>&nbsp;at the small Randolph County Jail on June 22, 2000.

Tisius' lawyers have urged the U.S. Supreme Court to block the execution, alleging in their appeals that a juror at a sentencing hearing was illiterate, in violation of Missouri law.

The Supreme Court has already turned aside another argument — that Tisius should be spared because he was just 19 at the time of the killings. A 2005 Supreme Court ruling bars executions of those under 18 when their crime occurred, but attorneys for Tisius argued that even at 19 when the killings occurred, Tisius' should have his sentence commuted to life in prison without parole.

Advocates for Tisius also have said he was largely neglected as a child and was homeless by his early teens. In 1999, as an 18-year-old, he was jailed on a misdemeanor charge for pawning a rented stereo system.

In June 2000, Tisius was housed on the misdemeanor charge at the same county Jail in Huntsville with inmate Roy Vance. Tisius was about to be released, and court records show the men discussed a plan in which Tisius, once he was out, would help Vance escape.

Just after midnight on June 22, 2000, Tisius went to the jail accompanied by Vance’s girlfriend, Tracie Bulington. They told Egley and Acton that they were there to deliver cigarettes to Vance. The jailers didn’t know that Tisius had a pistol.

At trial, Bulington testified that she looked up and saw Tisius with the gun drawn, then watched as he shot and killed Acton. When Egley approached, Tisius shot him, too. Both officers were unarmed.

Tisius found keys at the dispatch area and tried to open Vance’s cell, but couldn’t. When Egley grabbed Bulington’s leg, Tisius shot him several more times.

Tisius and Bulington fled but their car broke down later that day in Kansas. They were arrested in Wathena, Kansas, about 130 miles (210 kilometers) west of Huntsville. Tisius confessed to the crimes.

Bulington and Vance are serving life sentences on murder convictions.

Defense attorneys have argued that the killings were not premeditated. Tisius, they said, intended to order the jailers into a holding cell and free Vance and other inmates. Tisius’ defense team issued a video last week in which Vance said he planned the escape attempt and manipulated Tisius into participating.

The execution would be the 12th in the U.S. this year, and the third in Missouri. Only Texas, with four, has executed more people than Missouri this year.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-legal-proceedings-missouri-st-louis-capital-punishment-b45a31029fa42d9eb67b5b4e1f6a6ffe">Amber McLaughlin</a>, 49, who killed a woman and dumped the body near the Mississippi River in St. Louis, was put to death in January. The execution was believed to be the first of a transgender woman in the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-state-government-california-homicide-94fe2fefa47faa618d3826c7f32e6f1d">Raheem Taylor</a>, 58, was executed in February for killing his live-in girlfriend and her three children in 2004 in St. Louis County.

Another Missouri execution is scheduled for Aug. 1.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-execution-august-06f474f368dfd5ff5c4145164b222a3b">Johnny Johnson</a>&nbsp;was convicted of sexually assaulting and killing a 6-year-old girl in St. Louis County in 2002.

KANSAS CITY (AP) —Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Monday declined clemency for a man who faces execution Tuesday evening for killing two jailers in an ill-fated effort to free someone else from a county jail.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-execution-michael-tisius-e4a26eebace4f63ac5da75b6e07a6a16">Michael Tisius</a>, 42, would be the third person in Missouri, and the 12th person nationally, to be executed in 2023. He's accused of killing officers Leon Egley and Jason Acton in June 2000.

“It’s despicable that two dedicated public servants were murdered in a failed attempt to help another criminal evade the law,” Parson, a Republican, said in a statement. "The state of Missouri will carry out Mr. Tisius’s sentences according to the Court’s order and deliver justice.”

Tisius has at least one pending court appeal. His appeals and his clemency request have focused on several issues. Among them: Tisius was just 19 at the time of the killings; he had been neglected as a child; and a juror at his 2010 resentencing may have been illiterate — in violation of Missouri law.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to halt the execution based on Tisius' age when the crime occurred. A federal judge last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/execution-missouri-jailer-death-row-killing-9056cc0ebbfa8e82be8942c56583377b">stayed the execution</a>&nbsp;over the claim that a juror was illiterate, but an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tisius-execution-death-penalty-missouri-e801aa9774bf6f613eacbc80c784d8ea">appeals panel reinstated it</a>. The Supreme Court hasn't yet ruled on that issue.

Elizabeth Unger Carlyle, an attorney for Tisius, said the ups and downs of the appeals are taking a toll on him.

“I think he’s sort of, frankly, on an emotional roller coaster," Carlyle said. "He’s pretty anxious. He doesn’t want to die. I think he’s angry and frightened.”

A 2005 Supreme Court ruling prohibits executions for those who were under 18 at the time of the crime. But Carlyle said “emerging science plus information about Mr. Tisius' own brain dictates that they should now change that rule to apply to Mr. Tisius.”

A court filing from the Missouri attorney general's office noted that both the original trial jury and the jury at resentencing considered Tisius' age and mental health, “yet both juries still decided to impose the death penalty.” The Supreme Court turned aside the appeal without comment.

Advocates for Tisius say he was largely neglected as a child and was homeless by his early teens. In 1999, as an 18-year-old, he was jailed on a misdemeanor charge for pawning a rented stereo system.

In June 2000, Tisius was housed at the small Randolph County Jail in Huntsville with Roy Vance. Tisius was about to be released, and court records show the men discussed a plan in which Tisius would help Vance escape.

Just after midnight on June 22, Tisius went to the jail accompanied by Vance's girlfriend, Tracie Bulington. They told Egley and Acton that they were delivering cigarettes to Vance. The jailers didn't know that Tisius had a pistol.

Tisius found keys at the dispatch area and tried to open Vance's cell, but couldn't. When Egley grabbed Bulington's leg, Tisius shot him several more times.

Tisius and Bulington fled but their car broke down in Kansas. They were arrested in Wathena, Kansas, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) west of Huntsville. Tisius confessed to the crimes.

Bulington and Vance are serving life sentences.

The people executed in Missouri this year included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-legal-proceedings-missouri-st-louis-capital-punishment-b45a31029fa42d9eb67b5b4e1f6a6ffe">Amber McLaughlin,</a>&nbsp;who killed a woman and dumped the body near the Mississippi River in St. Louis. The execution was believed to be the first of a transgender woman in the U.S.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-state-government-california-homicide-94fe2fefa47faa618d3826c7f32e6f1d">Raheem Taylor</a>, 58, was put to death in February for killing his live-in girlfriend and her three children in 2004 in St. Louis County.

Four of the U.S. executions this year have been in Texas, and three in Florida.

KANSAS CITY (AP) —A man on death row is on “an emotional roller coaster” amid efforts to spare his life with just one day before his scheduled execution, his attorney said.

Michael Tisius, 42, is set to die by injection Tuesday evening at the state prison in Bonne Terre for killing two jailers in 2000 in an ill-fated effort to free a man from a county jail. He would be the third Missouri man, and the 12th nationally, put to death in 2023.

A clemency request before Republican Gov. Mike Parsons focuses on several issues. Among them: Tisius was just 19 at the time of the killings; he had been neglected as a child; and a juror at his 2010 resentencing may have been illiterate — in violation of Missouri law. It's unclear when Parson will announce his decision. A message left Monday with his spokeswoman wasn’t immediately returned.

Just after midnight on June 22, Tisius went to the jail accompanied by Vance's girlfriend, Tracie Bulington. They told officers Leon Egley and Jason Acton that they were delivering cigarettes to Vance. The jailers didn't know that Tisius had a pistol.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677790581061.png" alt="Tisius photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Tisius photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP)—A man who shot and killed two rural Missouri jailers nearly 23 years ago during a failed bid to help an inmate escape is set to be executed Tuesday evening.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tisius-execution-death-penalty-missouri-e801aa9774bf6f613eacbc80c784d8ea">Michael Tisius</a>, 42, is scheduled to die by injection at the state prison in Bonne Terre&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-execution-michael-tisius-e4a26eebace4f63ac5da75b6e07a6a16">for killing Leon Egley and Jason Acton</a>&nbsp;at the small Randolph County Jail on June 22, 2000.Tisius' lawyers have urged the U.S. Supreme Court to block the execution, alleging in their appeals that a juror at a sentencing hearing was illiterate, in violation of Missouri law.The Supreme Court has already turned aside another argument — that Tisius should be spared because he was just 19 at the time of the killings. A 2005 Supreme Court ruling bars executions of those under 18 when their crime occurred, but attorneys for Tisius argued that even at 19 when the killings occurred, Tisius' should have his sentence commuted to life in prison without parole.Advocates for Tisius also have said he was largely neglected as a child and was homeless by his early teens. In 1999, as an 18-year-old, he was jailed on a misdemeanor charge for pawning a rented stereo system.In June 2000, Tisius was housed on the misdemeanor charge at the same county Jail in Huntsville with inmate Roy Vance. Tisius was about to be released, and court records show the men discussed a plan in which Tisius, once he was out, would help Vance escape.Just after midnight on June 22, 2000, Tisius went to the jail accompanied by Vance’s girlfriend, Tracie Bulington. They told Egley and Acton that they were there to deliver cigarettes to Vance. The jailers didn’t know that Tisius had a pistol.At trial, Bulington testified that she looked up and saw Tisius with the gun drawn, then watched as he shot and killed Acton. When Egley approached, Tisius shot him, too. Both officers were unarmed.Tisius found keys at the dispatch area and tried to open Vance’s cell, but couldn’t. When Egley grabbed Bulington’s leg, Tisius shot him several more times.Tisius and Bulington fled but their car broke down later that day in Kansas. They were arrested in Wathena, Kansas, about 130 miles (210 kilometers) west of Huntsville. Tisius confessed to the crimes.Bulington and Vance are serving life sentences on murder convictions.Defense attorneys have argued that the killings were not premeditated. Tisius, they said, intended to order the jailers into a holding cell and free Vance and other inmates. Tisius’ defense team issued a video last week in which Vance said he planned the escape attempt and manipulated Tisius into participating.The execution would be the 12th in the U.S. this year, and the third in Missouri. Only Texas, with four, has executed more people than Missouri this year.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-legal-proceedings-missouri-st-louis-capital-punishment-b45a31029fa42d9eb67b5b4e1f6a6ffe">Amber McLaughlin</a>, 49, who killed a woman and dumped the body near the Mississippi River in St. Louis, was put to death in January. The execution was believed to be the first of a transgender woman in the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-state-government-california-homicide-94fe2fefa47faa618d3826c7f32e6f1d">Raheem Taylor</a>, 58, was executed in February for killing his live-in girlfriend and her three children in 2004 in St. Louis County.Another Missouri execution is scheduled for Aug. 1.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-execution-august-06f474f368dfd5ff5c4145164b222a3b">Johnny Johnson</a>&nbsp;was convicted of sexually assaulting and killing a 6-year-old girl in St. Louis County in 2002.--------KANSAS CITY (AP) —Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Monday declined clemency for a man who faces execution Tuesday evening for killing two jailers in an ill-fated effort to free someone else from a county jail.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-execution-michael-tisius-e4a26eebace4f63ac5da75b6e07a6a16">Michael Tisius</a>, 42, would be the third person in Missouri, and the 12th person nationally, to be executed in 2023. He's accused of killing officers Leon Egley and Jason Acton in June 2000.“It’s despicable that two dedicated public servants were murdered in a failed attempt to help another criminal evade the law,” Parson, a Republican, said in a statement. "The state of Missouri will carry out Mr. Tisius’s sentences according to the Court’s order and deliver justice.”Tisius has at least one pending court appeal. His appeals and his clemency request have focused on several issues. Among them: Tisius was just 19 at the time of the killings; he had been neglected as a child; and a juror at his 2010 resentencing may have been illiterate — in violation of Missouri law.The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to halt the execution based on Tisius' age when the crime occurred. A federal judge last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/execution-missouri-jailer-death-row-killing-9056cc0ebbfa8e82be8942c56583377b">stayed the execution</a>&nbsp;over the claim that a juror was illiterate, but an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tisius-execution-death-penalty-missouri-e801aa9774bf6f613eacbc80c784d8ea">appeals panel reinstated it</a>. The Supreme Court hasn't yet ruled on that issue.Elizabeth Unger Carlyle, an attorney for Tisius, said the ups and downs of the appeals are taking a toll on him.“I think he’s sort of, frankly, on an emotional roller coaster," Carlyle said. "He’s pretty anxious. He doesn’t want to die. I think he’s angry and frightened.”A 2005 Supreme Court ruling prohibits executions for those who were under 18 at the time of the crime. But Carlyle said “emerging science plus information about Mr. Tisius' own brain dictates that they should now change that rule to apply to Mr. Tisius.”A court filing from the Missouri attorney general's office noted that both the original trial jury and the jury at resentencing considered Tisius' age and mental health, “yet both juries still decided to impose the death penalty.” The Supreme Court turned aside the appeal without comment.Advocates for Tisius say he was largely neglected as a child and was homeless by his early teens. In 1999, as an 18-year-old, he was jailed on a misdemeanor charge for pawning a rented stereo system.In June 2000, Tisius was housed at the small Randolph County Jail in Huntsville with Roy Vance. Tisius was about to be released, and court records show the men discussed a plan in which Tisius would help Vance escape.Just after midnight on June 22, Tisius went to the jail accompanied by Vance's girlfriend, Tracie Bulington. They told Egley and Acton that they were delivering cigarettes to Vance. The jailers didn't know that Tisius had a pistol.At trial, Bulington testified that she looked up and saw Tisius with the gun drawn, then watched as he shot and killed Acton. When Egley approached, Tisius shot him, too. Both officers were unarmed.Tisius found keys at the dispatch area and tried to open Vance's cell, but couldn't. When Egley grabbed Bulington's leg, Tisius shot him several more times.Tisius and Bulington fled but their car broke down in Kansas. They were arrested in Wathena, Kansas, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) west of Huntsville. Tisius confessed to the crimes.Bulington and Vance are serving life sentences.Defense attorneys have argued that the killings were not premeditated. Tisius, they said, intended to order the jailers into a holding cell and free Vance and other inmates. Tisius’ defense team issued a video last week in which Vance said he planned the escape attempt and manipulated Tisius into participating.The people executed in Missouri this year included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-legal-proceedings-missouri-st-louis-capital-punishment-b45a31029fa42d9eb67b5b4e1f6a6ffe">Amber McLaughlin,</a>&nbsp;who killed a woman and dumped the body near the Mississippi River in St. Louis. The execution was believed to be the first of a transgender woman in the U.S.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-state-government-california-homicide-94fe2fefa47faa618d3826c7f32e6f1d">Raheem Taylor</a>, 58, was put to death in February for killing his live-in girlfriend and her three children in 2004 in St. Louis County.Four of the U.S. executions this year have been in Texas, and three in Florida.-------KANSAS CITY (AP) —A man on death row is on “an emotional roller coaster” amid efforts to spare his life with just one day before his scheduled execution, his attorney said.Michael Tisius, 42, is set to die by injection Tuesday evening at the state prison in Bonne Terre for killing two jailers in 2000 in an ill-fated effort to free a man from a county jail. He would be the third Missouri man, and the 12th nationally, put to death in 2023.A clemency request before Republican Gov. Mike Parsons focuses on several issues. Among them: Tisius was just 19 at the time of the killings; he had been neglected as a child; and a juror at his 2010 resentencing may have been illiterate — in violation of Missouri law. It's unclear when Parson will announce his decision. A message left Monday with his spokeswoman wasn’t immediately returned.The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to halt the execution based on Tisius' age when the crime occurred. A federal judge last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/execution-missouri-jailer-death-row-killing-9056cc0ebbfa8e82be8942c56583377b">stayed the execution</a>&nbsp;over the claim that a juror was illiterate, but an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tisius-execution-death-penalty-missouri-e801aa9774bf6f613eacbc80c784d8ea">appeals panel reinstated it</a>. The Supreme Court hasn't yet ruled on that issue.Elizabeth Unger Carlyle, an attorney for Tisius, said the ups and downs of the appeals are taking a toll on him.“I think he’s sort of, frankly, on an emotional roller coaster," Carlyle said. "He’s pretty anxious. He doesn’t want to die. I think he’s angry and frightened.”A 2005 Supreme Court ruling prohibits executions for those who were under 18 at the time of the crime. But Carlyle said “emerging science plus information about Mr. Tisius' own brain dictates that they should now change that rule to apply to Mr. Tisius.”A court filing from the Missouri attorney general's office noted that both the original trial jury and the jury at resentencing considered Tisius' age and mental health, “yet both juries still decided to impose the death penalty.” The Supreme Court turned aside the appeal without comment.Advocates for Tisius say he was largely neglected as a child and was homeless by his early teens. In 1999, as an 18-year-old, he was jailed on a misdemeanor charge for pawning a rented stereo system.In June 2000, Tisius was housed at the small Randolph County Jail in Huntsville with Roy Vance. Tisius was about to be released, and court records show the men discussed a plan in which Tisius would help Vance escape.Just after midnight on June 22, Tisius went to the jail accompanied by Vance's girlfriend, Tracie Bulington. They told officers Leon Egley and Jason Acton that they were delivering cigarettes to Vance. The jailers didn't know that Tisius had a pistol.At trial, Bulington testified that she looked up and saw Tisius with the gun drawn, then watched as he shot and killed Acton. When Egley approached, Tisius shot him, too. Both officers were unarmed.Tisius found keys at the dispatch area and tried to open Vance's cell, but couldn't. When Egley grabbed Bulington's leg, Tisius shot him several more times.Tisius and Bulington fled but their car broke down in Kansas. They were arrested in Wathena, Kansas, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) west of Huntsville. Tisius confessed to the crimes.Bulington and Vance are serving life sentences.Defense attorneys have argued that the killings were not premeditated. Tisius, they said, intended to order the jailers into a holding cell and free Vance and other inmates. Tisius’ defense team issued a video last week in which Vance said he planned the escape attempt and manipulated Tisius into participating.The people executed in Missouri this year included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-legal-proceedings-missouri-st-louis-capital-punishment-b45a31029fa42d9eb67b5b4e1f6a6ffe">Amber McLaughlin,</a>&nbsp;who killed a woman and dumped the body near the Mississippi River in St. Louis. The execution was believed to be the first of a transgender woman in the U.S.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-state-government-california-homicide-94fe2fefa47faa618d3826c7f32e6f1d">Raheem Taylor</a>, 58, was put to death in February for killing his live-in girlfriend and her three children in 2004 in St. Louis County.Four of the U.S. executions this year have been in Texas, and three in Florida.

Man captured in Kansas facing Tues. execution for killing jailers 

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a burglary and have a suspect in custody.

On June 1, the driver of an Amazon delivery van called 911 to report an unknown man jumping into his van and driving off stealing it with all its packages in the 600 block of North Topeka, in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

The auto theft was broadcasted on all police channels.&nbsp; Wichita Police Captain Casey Slaughter was in the area and quickly moved to where the incident took place and was able to locate the stolen van. 

A short pursuit ensued but was quickly terminated as officers discovered the van had a GPS. Officers tracked the van’s GPS and were able to determine that the van was located close to the intersection of Gilbert Street and Belmont Street in Wichita.

Captain Slaughter moved into the area and located a man walking away from the van carrying a large package.&nbsp; Slaughter stopped the individual and identified him as 52-year-old Clifford Parker of Wichita.

 Thanks to the quick actions of Captain Slaughter, Clifford was later identified as the suspect of the van theft by the victim. Clifford was booked on requested charges of felony theft, burglary to auto, possession of methamphetamine, and felony evade and elude.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685966821842.png" alt="Parker-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Parker-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a burglary and have a suspect in custody.On June 1, the driver of an Amazon delivery van called 911 to report an unknown man jumping into his van and driving off stealing it with all its packages in the 600 block of North Topeka, in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.The auto theft was broadcasted on all police channels.&nbsp; Wichita Police Captain Casey Slaughter was in the area and quickly moved to where the incident took place and was able to locate the stolen van. A short pursuit ensued but was quickly terminated as officers discovered the van had a GPS. Officers tracked the van’s GPS and were able to determine that the van was located close to the intersection of Gilbert Street and Belmont Street in Wichita.Captain Slaughter moved into the area and located a man walking away from the van carrying a large package.&nbsp; Slaughter stopped the individual and identified him as 52-year-old Clifford Parker of Wichita. Thanks to the quick actions of Captain Slaughter, Clifford was later identified as the suspect of the van theft by the victim. Clifford was booked on requested charges of felony theft, burglary to auto, possession of methamphetamine, and felony evade and elude.&nbsp;

Police capture Kansas man who stole Amazon delivery van

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said the Kansas City Chiefs are "building a dynasty” as he hosted the team at the White House Monday to mark their Super Bowl victory in February.

Speaking on the South Lawn, Biden praised the team for playing with “the real joy of the game and love for each other and the great city you represent.” He also praised the team for their charitable work off the field, saying, “as these guys know about football, they know about life and how to use their platform to make a difference. ”

Biden joked that first lady Jill Biden, a “rabid” Philadelphia fan, is still not over the dramatic end to the game, which included a controversial holding penalty against the Eagles that set the Chiefs up for their game-winning field goal. The president added, “I have to be careful what I say today,” even thoughhis wife was out of the country.

Biden led the crowd in a moment of silence to mark the death Sunday of Norma Hunt, wife of the late team founder Lamar Hunt, saying he was sending “our condolences to the entire Hunt family.”

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the game's most valuable player, and tight end Travis Kelce presented Biden with a personalized Kansas City Chiefs jersey before posing for a team photo with the president.

Before the ceremony, the team was given a tour of the White House.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said the Kansas City Chiefs are "building a dynasty” as he hosted the team at the White House Monday to mark their Super Bowl victory in February.(Click below to watch the ceremony)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F128853000214485%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=48" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Speaking on the South Lawn, Biden praised the team for playing with “the real joy of the game and love for each other and the great city you represent.” He also praised the team for their charitable work off the field, saying, “as these guys know about football, they know about life and how to use their platform to make a difference. ”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The celebration of the <a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Chiefs</a> Super Bowl victory continues! I&#39;m happy to be in D.C. today to congratulate the team in person — and I was lucky enough to get MVP <a href="https://twitter.com/PatrickMahomes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PatrickMahomes</a> to sign my football with <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>! 🏈 <a href="https://t.co/66pFyiwqks">pic.twitter.com/66pFyiwqks</a>&mdash; Governor Laura Kelly (@GovLauraKelly) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovLauraKelly/status/1665843404159287296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">A HUGE welcome to the SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS, the Kansas City <a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Chiefs</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChiefsKingdom?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChiefsKingdom</a> <a href="https://t.co/6m0uTSZGxu">pic.twitter.com/6m0uTSZGxu</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1665900083550773248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden joked that first lady Jill Biden, a “rabid” Philadelphia fan, is still not over the dramatic end to the game, which included a controversial holding penalty against the Eagles that set the Chiefs up for their game-winning field goal. The president added, “I have to be careful what I say today,” even thoughhis wife was out of the country.Biden led the crowd in a moment of silence to mark the death Sunday of Norma Hunt, wife of the late team founder Lamar Hunt, saying he was sending “our condolences to the entire Hunt family.”Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the game's most valuable player, and tight end Travis Kelce presented Biden with a personalized Kansas City Chiefs jersey before posing for a team photo with the president.Before the ceremony, the team was given a tour of the White House.

🎥 Biden hosts Super Bowl champs at the White House

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Detectives with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department Special Investigations Unit are asking the public for their assistance in an ongoing sexual battery investigation.

Police are searching for anyone who has had contact or communication, either in-person or on-line, with 32-year-old Marvin Ray Floyd, Jr.

 He may have used the on-line screen names “$producedbydjblacktop” or “NKM”. Photo is attached.

On May 4, police arrested Floyd and charged him with aggravated sexual battery in Wyandotte County. He is currently being held on a $150,000 bond.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Special Investigations Unit at 913-573-6050.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685988301801.png" alt="Floyd-photo Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption>Floyd-photo Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Detectives with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department Special Investigations Unit are asking the public for their assistance in an ongoing sexual battery investigation.Police are searching for anyone who has had contact or communication, either in-person or on-line, with 32-year-old Marvin Ray Floyd, Jr. He may have used the on-line screen names “$producedbydjblacktop” or “NKM”. Photo is attached.On May 4, police arrested Floyd and charged him with aggravated sexual battery in Wyandotte County. He is currently being held on a $150,000 bond.Anyone with information is asked to call the Special Investigations Unit at 913-573-6050.

Police want public help with Kan. sexual battery investigation

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A man accused in the brutal murder of his mother made a first court appearance on June 2. 21-year-old Devin Joel of Yuba City, California, is charged with 1st degree murder, aggravated burglary, and attempted aggravated robbery, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;

Just before 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to report of a&nbsp; clubbing in the area of 5700 E. Central in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.

First responders located the victim identified 46-year-old Kacey Joel of Wichita, laying in the back yard of a residence with visible injuries.

Officers immediately rendered aid and she was transported to a local area hospital. She sustained significant trauma to her body and later died from her injuries, according to Gupilan.

Eyewitnesses reported that her son, 21-year-old Devin Joel, was seen running from the scene. Officers quickly were able to locate him after a brief foot pursuit. He made comments that he was going to die by suicide by cop and was yielding a knife when officers confronted him.

 The officers were able to get him to put the knife down and he was taken into custody without incident.&nbsp;Joel remains jailed on a one-million dollar bond. Attorneys are scheduled to discuss the case on June 15, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685534788085.png" alt="Joel-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Joel-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A man accused in the brutal murder of his mother made a first court appearance on June 2. 21-year-old Devin Joel of Yuba City, California, is charged with 1st degree murder, aggravated burglary, and attempted aggravated robbery, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;Just before 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to report of a&nbsp; clubbing in the area of 5700 E. Central in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.First responders located the victim identified 46-year-old Kacey Joel of Wichita, laying in the back yard of a residence with visible injuries.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685527814365.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation Tuesday afternoon-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation Tuesday afternoon-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Officers immediately rendered aid and she was transported to a local area hospital. She sustained significant trauma to her body and later died from her injuries, according to Gupilan.Eyewitnesses reported that her son, 21-year-old Devin Joel, was seen running from the scene. Officers quickly were able to locate him after a brief foot pursuit. He made comments that he was going to die by suicide by cop and was yielding a knife when officers confronted him. The officers were able to get him to put the knife down and he was taken into custody without incident.&nbsp;Joel remains jailed on a one-million dollar bond. Attorneys are scheduled to discuss the case on June 15, according to the district attorney's office.

Man charged with mother's beating death at her Kan. home

TOPEKA—According to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, at 3:22p.m Monday, authorities located&nbsp;the children in Topeka, according to a statement from the agency.

 The children are safe and the the suspect identified as their mother, Dontresha Thomas, is in custody.  The KBI and the Topeka Police Department thanked the public for their response and vigilance.

TOPEKA —The state of Kansas issued an Amber Alert Monday afternoon.

According to the KBI, at 10:34 a.m. Monday. Au'Vae Riley, Da"avien Riley JR, Ty'rell Riley, and Aunila Riley were taken by their mother Dontresha Shabree Thomas. 

The suspect's statements to the father indicate that all of the children are in imminent danger. 

The suspect left from 2105 SE Swygart in Topeka, KS traveling in a unknown direction in a silver 2009 GMC Acadia bearing KS temporary license plate number C953627. Call 911 immediately if you have seen a missing child, suspect, or suspects vehicle. If you have other information on a missing child, call 911 or the Topeka Police Department at 785-368-9200.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685991143406.png" alt="Dontresha Thomas&nbsp; described as 5-foot-1, 110 pounds and was last seen wearing white t-shirt and gray shorts.-photo KBI" />
 <figcaption>Dontresha Thomas&nbsp; described as 5-foot-1, 110 pounds and was last seen wearing white t-shirt and gray shorts.-photo KBI</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA—According to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, at 3:22p.m Monday, authorities located&nbsp;the children in Topeka, according to a statement from the agency. The children are safe and the the suspect identified as their mother, Dontresha Thomas, is in custody. The KBI and the Topeka Police Department thanked the public for their response and vigilance.---------------------TOPEKA —The state of Kansas issued an Amber Alert Monday afternoon.According to the KBI, at 10:34 a.m. Monday. Au'Vae Riley, Da"avien Riley JR, Ty'rell Riley, and Aunila Riley were taken by their mother Dontresha Shabree Thomas. The suspect's statements to the father indicate that all of the children are in imminent danger. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685991210086.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685991167022.png" alt="Actual suspect vehicle is a 2009 GMC Acadia with KS Temporary tag C953627. Tag in picture is not on the vehicle. Note dent in the rear gate below the handle." />
 <figcaption>Actual suspect vehicle is a 2009 GMC Acadia with KS Temporary tag C953627. Tag in picture is not on the vehicle. Note dent in the rear gate below the handle.</figcaption>
 </figure>The suspect left from 2105 SE Swygart in Topeka, KS traveling in a unknown direction in a silver 2009 GMC Acadia bearing KS temporary license plate number C953627. Call 911 immediately if you have seen a missing child, suspect, or suspects vehicle. If you have other information on a missing child, call 911 or the Topeka Police Department at 785-368-9200.

KBI: 4 children in Amber Alert are safe, suspect in custody

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

TOPEKA — Attorney General Kris Kobach confirmed a decision not to file a lawsuit contesting Gov. Laura Kelly’s use of the line-item veto on the 2023 Legislature’s bill appropriating funding to K-12 schools.

Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins and the Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson had responded to Kelly’s targeted deletions from the bill by accusing the governor of violating the Kansas Constitution. The Legislature’s top Republican officials strongly encouraged Kobach to “immediately review this unconstitutional overreach” to determine whether it was necessary to file suit.

Masterson subsequently said he was fairly confident the best course was to not challenge the governor’s line-item veto authority on this bill delivering state aid to Kansas schools.

On Friday, Kobach spokeswoman Danedri Herbert affirmed Kobach had elected “not to take any action” on Senate Bill 113 at this time. She said the attorney general didn’t release a legal explanation for not contesting Kelly’s belief the line-item veto was available to her because the bill was an appropriations measure. Republican lawmakers characterized it as a policy bill not subject to line-item veto.

During a news conference in Olathe earlier on Friday, Kelly said she was aware of Kobach’s intention but declined to disclose that information.

“While Governor Kelly and Attorney General Kobach may not always agree, we appreciate the attorney general’s thoughtful and professional approach to vetting legal issues such as this,” said Brianna Johnson, spokeswoman for Kelly. “Governor Kelly is committed to protecting our rural schools, and her measured exercise of her constitutional line-item veto power over an item of appropriation of money did just that.”

The bill passed the House on a vote of 83-37 and the Senate by 23-16 — four votes shy of indicating a veto override was possible in both chambers. The Legislature adjourned without attempting to override Kelly.

Kelly line-item vetoed a provision that would have undercut state aid to districts with shrinking enrollments and vowed to continue to use that veto authority if the Legislature stuffed “really bad policy” into budget bills.

In this bill, the governor decided against vetoing expansion of Kansas’ private school tax credit to students in families with incomes 250% of the federal poverty level and elevation of the tax credit received by organizations or individuals donating to private school scholarships to 75%. In addition, the bill cleared a path for private school students to take part in public school activities and sports.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675368837218.png" alt="Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, a Republican, said he wouldn't file a lawuit challenging Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's use of the line-item veto. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, a Republican, said he wouldn't file a lawuit challenging Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's use of the line-item veto. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Attorney General Kris Kobach confirmed a decision not to file a lawsuit contesting Gov. Laura Kelly’s use of the line-item veto on the 2023 Legislature’s bill appropriating funding to K-12 schools.Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins and the Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson had responded to Kelly’s targeted deletions from the bill by accusing the governor of violating the Kansas Constitution. The Legislature’s top Republican officials strongly encouraged Kobach to “immediately review this unconstitutional overreach” to determine whether it was necessary to file suit.Masterson subsequently said he was fairly confident the best course was to not challenge the governor’s line-item veto authority on this bill delivering state aid to Kansas schools.On Friday, Kobach spokeswoman Danedri Herbert affirmed Kobach had elected “not to take any action” on Senate Bill 113 at this time. She said the attorney general didn’t release a legal explanation for not contesting Kelly’s belief the line-item veto was available to her because the bill was an appropriations measure. Republican lawmakers characterized it as a policy bill not subject to line-item veto.During a news conference in Olathe earlier on Friday, Kelly said she was aware of Kobach’s intention but declined to disclose that information.“While Governor Kelly and Attorney General Kobach may not always agree, we appreciate the attorney general’s thoughtful and professional approach to vetting legal issues such as this,” said Brianna Johnson, spokeswoman for Kelly. “Governor Kelly is committed to protecting our rural schools, and her measured exercise of her constitutional line-item veto power over an item of appropriation of money did just that.”The bill passed the House on a vote of 83-37 and the Senate by 23-16 — four votes shy of indicating a veto override was possible in both chambers. The Legislature adjourned without attempting to override Kelly.Kelly line-item vetoed a provision that would have undercut state aid to districts with shrinking enrollments and vowed to continue to use that veto authority if the Legislature stuffed “really bad policy” into budget bills.In this bill, the governor decided against vetoing expansion of Kansas’ private school tax credit to students in families with incomes 250% of the federal poverty level and elevation of the tax credit received by organizations or individuals donating to private school scholarships to 75%. In addition, the bill cleared a path for private school students to take part in public school activities and sports.

Kansas AG not planning lawsuit against governor on school bill veto

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats are deeply conflicted about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-work-requirements-snap-medicaid-biden-66270829cfc0009ddb5f59eb12a6ba7a">food aid requirements</a>&nbsp;that President Joe Biden negotiated as part of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-debt-limit-budget-36bd8dbb08192ba7f7507cab16184d93">debt ceiling deal</a>, fearing damage has been done to safety net programs that will be difficult to unravel in the years ahead as Republicans demand further cuts.

Bargaining over toughening work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps, became the focal point for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/president-joe-biden-kevin-mccarthy-debt-limit-aee6d1dd48f53bedadfe1212e231f48f">White House and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy</a>, R-Calif., up until the end. Negotiators from both sides made clear, publicly and privately, that it was the biggest area of disagreement and almost led to the talks breaking down several times.

In the end, Democrats warily accepted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-bill-default-work-requirements-food-stamps-a42064f794b4466903ca06ca140b9013">new requirements</a>&nbsp;for some able-bodied recipients in exchange for food aid. Republicans agreed to drop some work requirements for veterans, homeless people and others.

The result of the tense back-and-forth was a deal that played to both sides, but one that many Democrats agonized over as they weighed whether to vote for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-ceiling-deal-food-aid-student-loans-3c284b01d95f8e193bca8d873386400e">the package</a>&nbsp;this past week. Many struggled to square cutting access to food for marginalized communities with an outcome that allowed the United States to avoid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-default-government-shutdown-explainer-b38474f210e519aeb3f48107ca2657ba">defaulting on its debt.</a>

“In order for this country to not default on its bills, we then turned and made our most vulnerable communities default," said Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo. Years before she came to Congress, Bush lived in a car with her then-husband and two young children after the family had been evicted from their rental home.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/applicant-recipient">federal aid program</a>&nbsp;provides monthly funds — sometimes as little as $6 a day — to allow low-income individuals and families to buy groceries. It is the largest program in the country focused on fighting hunger, with 41 million people using benefits last year alone to purchase food, according to the Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, which administers the program.

By 2025, new requirements will apply to able-bodied adults from age 49 to 54 without dependents — an increase of five years. Those individuals will be required to work or attend training programs for at least 80 hours a month if they want to receive more than three months of SNAP benefits within a three-year period.

Republicans have tried for decades to expand work requirements for these government assistance programs, arguing they result in more people returning to the workforce, despite&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/publication/57702">several studies</a>&nbsp;that have found they have little impact on employment.

“We’re going to return these programs to being a life vest, not a lifestyle. A hand up, not a handout and that has always been the American way,” Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana, the vice chair of the House Republican conference, told reporters.

The White House countered that Republican proposition by getting GOP lawmakers to waive the work requirements for new groups — veterans, individuals who are homeless or facing housing instability and youth aging out of foster care — to balance out the number of people who would now be facing these new restrictions.

The end result could be more people receiving SNAP benefits overall.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2023-05/hr3746_Letter_McCarthy.pdf">An estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office</a>&nbsp;released Tuesday said that the changes in the debt ceiling package would add almost 80,000 people to the rolls of SNAP in an average month.

But the trade-off of seemingly helping some groups while hurting others still left the left flank of the Democratic Party — lawmakers who have supported Biden and helped pass his agenda for the first two years of his term — frustrated by the outcome. That was especially the case as advocates, including the nonpartisan National Alliance to End Homelessness, warned of a disturbing trend across the country of an increase in the number of older adults who are becoming homeless, some for the first time.

“What we should not be playing is oppression Olympics,” Bush said. “Like which one gets to hurt today? Which one gets to get to that finish line to hurt today? That’s not where we should be as a society.”

Bush, a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, voted “no” on the debt limit deal on Wednesday night after she spent days hearing from advocate groups and constituents on the issue.

“I think it’s important that (Biden) understands that it’s good for us to have a strong, no vote because this isn’t a deal that he would have made if we hadn’t been held hostage,” Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington state, chair of the Progressive Caucus, told The Associated Press this past week.

They weren't alone. Several dozen Democrats in the House and a handful in the Senate voted against the compromise, arguing that the bill allowed for Republican hostage-taking and could open the door for future cuts to these government programs in the next several months.

“I did not agree to these SNAP restrictions, and I won’t give Republicans an opening to try and take food from more food insecure Americans in Farm Bill negotiations later this year," Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said in a statement.

The White House and Democrats who ended up supporting the negotiated deal said they believe the issue of work requirements and risk posed by Republicans have been put to bed.

"The most important thing to me is the fact that this closes the door on that debate," said Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, who leads the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee and has been a longtime champion and defender of the SNAP program. “We are not going to bring it up again in the farm bill. This is not something that’s going to be renegotiated. It’s done.”

But advocates warn that could change because the debt limit bill was the most substantial change of the work rules for food aid and other government assistance programs since they were put into place in the 1996 welfare overhaul.

Some of the most conservative Republicans in Congress — part of the right flank whom McCarthy had to pacify to become speaker — have criticized the plan for being “weak” and are itching to go even further to clamp down on these programs.

“In this bill, we have temporary work requirements, but we’ve added permanent new exceptions,” said Texas Rep. Keith Self, a member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus that overwhelmingly rejected the bill. “That, ladies and gentlemen, is a sleight of hand.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685825980602.png" alt="With just two days to spare, President Joe Biden on Saturday signed legislation that lifts the nation’s debt ceiling- White House photo" />
 <figcaption>With just two days to spare, President Joe Biden on Saturday signed legislation that lifts the nation’s debt ceiling- White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats are deeply conflicted about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-work-requirements-snap-medicaid-biden-66270829cfc0009ddb5f59eb12a6ba7a">food aid requirements</a>&nbsp;that President Joe Biden negotiated as part of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-debt-limit-budget-36bd8dbb08192ba7f7507cab16184d93">debt ceiling deal</a>, fearing damage has been done to safety net programs that will be difficult to unravel in the years ahead as Republicans demand further cuts.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685800546207.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Bargaining over toughening work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps, became the focal point for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/president-joe-biden-kevin-mccarthy-debt-limit-aee6d1dd48f53bedadfe1212e231f48f">White House and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy</a>, R-Calif., up until the end. Negotiators from both sides made clear, publicly and privately, that it was the biggest area of disagreement and almost led to the talks breaking down several times.In the end, Democrats warily accepted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-bill-default-work-requirements-food-stamps-a42064f794b4466903ca06ca140b9013">new requirements</a>&nbsp;for some able-bodied recipients in exchange for food aid. Republicans agreed to drop some work requirements for veterans, homeless people and others.The result of the tense back-and-forth was a deal that played to both sides, but one that many Democrats agonized over as they weighed whether to vote for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-ceiling-deal-food-aid-student-loans-3c284b01d95f8e193bca8d873386400e">the package</a>&nbsp;this past week. Many struggled to square cutting access to food for marginalized communities with an outcome that allowed the United States to avoid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-default-government-shutdown-explainer-b38474f210e519aeb3f48107ca2657ba">defaulting on its debt.</a>“In order for this country to not default on its bills, we then turned and made our most vulnerable communities default," said Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo. Years before she came to Congress, Bush lived in a car with her then-husband and two young children after the family had been evicted from their rental home.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/applicant-recipient">federal aid program</a>&nbsp;provides monthly funds — sometimes as little as $6 a day — to allow low-income individuals and families to buy groceries. It is the largest program in the country focused on fighting hunger, with 41 million people using benefits last year alone to purchase food, according to the Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, which administers the program.By 2025, new requirements will apply to able-bodied adults from age 49 to 54 without dependents — an increase of five years. Those individuals will be required to work or attend training programs for at least 80 hours a month if they want to receive more than three months of SNAP benefits within a three-year period.Republicans have tried for decades to expand work requirements for these government assistance programs, arguing they result in more people returning to the workforce, despite&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/publication/57702">several studies</a>&nbsp;that have found they have little impact on employment.“We’re going to return these programs to being a life vest, not a lifestyle. A hand up, not a handout and that has always been the American way,” Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana, the vice chair of the House Republican conference, told reporters.The White House countered that Republican proposition by getting GOP lawmakers to waive the work requirements for new groups — veterans, individuals who are homeless or facing housing instability and youth aging out of foster care — to balance out the number of people who would now be facing these new restrictions.The end result could be more people receiving SNAP benefits overall.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2023-05/hr3746_Letter_McCarthy.pdf">An estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office</a>&nbsp;released Tuesday said that the changes in the debt ceiling package would add almost 80,000 people to the rolls of SNAP in an average month.But the trade-off of seemingly helping some groups while hurting others still left the left flank of the Democratic Party — lawmakers who have supported Biden and helped pass his agenda for the first two years of his term — frustrated by the outcome. That was especially the case as advocates, including the nonpartisan National Alliance to End Homelessness, warned of a disturbing trend across the country of an increase in the number of older adults who are becoming homeless, some for the first time.“What we should not be playing is oppression Olympics,” Bush said. “Like which one gets to hurt today? Which one gets to get to that finish line to hurt today? That’s not where we should be as a society.”Bush, a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, voted “no” on the debt limit deal on Wednesday night after she spent days hearing from advocate groups and constituents on the issue.“I think it’s important that (Biden) understands that it’s good for us to have a strong, no vote because this isn’t a deal that he would have made if we hadn’t been held hostage,” Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington state, chair of the Progressive Caucus, told The Associated Press this past week.They weren't alone. Several dozen Democrats in the House and a handful in the Senate voted against the compromise, arguing that the bill allowed for Republican hostage-taking and could open the door for future cuts to these government programs in the next several months.“I did not agree to these SNAP restrictions, and I won’t give Republicans an opening to try and take food from more food insecure Americans in Farm Bill negotiations later this year," Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said in a statement.The White House and Democrats who ended up supporting the negotiated deal said they believe the issue of work requirements and risk posed by Republicans have been put to bed."The most important thing to me is the fact that this closes the door on that debate," said Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, who leads the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee and has been a longtime champion and defender of the SNAP program. “We are not going to bring it up again in the farm bill. This is not something that’s going to be renegotiated. It’s done.”But advocates warn that could change because the debt limit bill was the most substantial change of the work rules for food aid and other government assistance programs since they were put into place in the 1996 welfare overhaul.Some of the most conservative Republicans in Congress — part of the right flank whom McCarthy had to pacify to become speaker — have criticized the plan for being “weak” and are itching to go even further to clamp down on these programs.“In this bill, we have temporary work requirements, but we’ve added permanent new exceptions,” said Texas Rep. Keith Self, a member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus that overwhelmingly rejected the bill. “That, ladies and gentlemen, is a sleight of hand.”

Debt deal: New work requirements for food aid frustrate many

GEARY COUNTY - On June 1st, officers from the Riley County Police Department, Fort Riley, the Junction City Police Department and Geary County Sheriff's Office carried the 'Flame of Hope' torch for Special Olympics Kansas, as part of the 1,600-mile journey across Kansas for the ceremonial 2023 Law Enforcement Torch Run.

Officers from the Riley County Police Department met with Special Olympics athletes at the Ogden Community Center, where they started their leg of the 2023 Torch Run.

The Riley County group ran to the Ogden Gate at Fort Riley, where they met a group of soldiers from Fort Riley, handing off the torch to them to continue the trek.

"So this is actually a little bit more near and dear to my heart. My older brother, he was a Special Olympics athlete and I grew up watching him compete in bowling and track and baseball and get to do all of these amazing things because of Special Olympics. So it has meant a lot to me to be able to then become a law enforcement officer and support Special Olympics through all these fundraisers, these athletes are amazing. They come out and they run with us and it's just a great event." RCPD Corporal and FOP President, Rachel Pate says.

Officers from Fort Riley carried the torch along Huebner Road across Fort Riley exiting post at the Grant Gate where they were met by officers from Junction City Police Department and the Geary County Sheriff's Office.

Law enforcement officers raise awareness and funds for Special Olympics Kansas throughout the year by participating in fundraisers, including the Torch Run, Tip-A-Cop, Polar Plunge and Cover the Cruiser events.

Special Olympics athletes joined the officers in running from Grant Gate to Heritage Park in Junction City to complete the region's section of the annual Torch Run.

Funds raised are used to support Special Olympics athletes have access to participate in sports events throughout the year.

"It's just a wonderful event to help raise awareness for Special Olympics. And I mean, it's just something I just near dear to my heart. I just enjoy doing it. Just get some good running shoes. No, it's a slow pace. You got to kind of be a little prepared for a little slower paced, but truly, we all out here having a good time and enjoying each other's company and just helping raise awareness." JCPD Lieutenant Matt Paquette says.

"This year is the most Special Olympic Athletes with Junction City Pacesetters that we've had out here in several, several years, and that John Haggerty and his group does a great job with the athletes and so we're just happy to participate with them." State Representative Jeff Underhill says.

The Torch Run is the lead up to the annual summer Special Olympics games held in Wichita in June.

By BECKY GOFF JC Post<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685972062120.jpeg" alt="JCPD with Fort Riley meet to exchange the 'Flame of Hope' for Special Olympics Torch Run" />
 <figcaption>JCPD with Fort Riley meet to exchange the 'Flame of Hope' for Special Olympics Torch Run</figcaption>
 </figure>GEARY COUNTY - On June 1st, officers from the Riley County Police Department, Fort Riley, the Junction City Police Department and Geary County Sheriff's Office carried the 'Flame of Hope' torch for Special Olympics Kansas, as part of the 1,600-mile journey across Kansas for the ceremonial 2023 Law Enforcement Torch Run.Officers from the Riley County Police Department met with Special Olympics athletes at the Ogden Community Center, where they started their leg of the 2023 Torch Run.The Riley County group ran to the Ogden Gate at Fort Riley, where they met a group of soldiers from Fort Riley, handing off the torch to them to continue the trek."So this is actually a little bit more near and dear to my heart. My older brother, he was a Special Olympics athlete and I grew up watching him compete in bowling and track and baseball and get to do all of these amazing things because of Special Olympics. So it has meant a lot to me to be able to then become a law enforcement officer and support Special Olympics through all these fundraisers, these athletes are amazing. They come out and they run with us and it's just a great event." RCPD Corporal and FOP President, Rachel Pate says.<div><div style="position:relative;overflow:hidden;padding-bottom:56.25%"><iframe src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/Rav1jt01-60zMcgvZ.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" title="Why Torch Run" style="position:absolute;" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div>Officers from Fort Riley carried the torch along Huebner Road across Fort Riley exiting post at the Grant Gate where they were met by officers from Junction City Police Department and the Geary County Sheriff's Office.Law enforcement officers raise awareness and funds for Special Olympics Kansas throughout the year by participating in fundraisers, including the Torch Run, Tip-A-Cop, Polar Plunge and Cover the Cruiser events.Special Olympics athletes joined the officers in running from Grant Gate to Heritage Park in Junction City to complete the region's section of the annual Torch Run.Funds raised are used to support Special Olympics athletes have access to participate in sports events throughout the year."It's just a wonderful event to help raise awareness for Special Olympics. And I mean, it's just something I just near dear to my heart. I just enjoy doing it. Just get some good running shoes. No, it's a slow pace. You got to kind of be a little prepared for a little slower paced, but truly, we all out here having a good time and enjoying each other's company and just helping raise awareness." JCPD Lieutenant Matt Paquette says."This year is the most Special Olympic Athletes with Junction City Pacesetters that we've had out here in several, several years, and that John Haggerty and his group does a great job with the athletes and so we're just happy to participate with them." State Representative Jeff Underhill says.<div><div style="position:relative;overflow:hidden;padding-bottom:56.25%"><iframe src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/0HrLRlf0-60zMcgvZ.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" title="2023 Torch Run Trek" style="position:absolute;" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div>The Torch Run is the lead up to the annual summer Special Olympics games held in Wichita in June.

🎥 Law Enforcement complete Torch Run to support Special Olympians

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that seriously injured an 18-year-old girl from Wichita.

Just after 1a.m.&nbsp; Sunday, police were dispatched to a shooting call in the 2500 block of South Seneca Street in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

First responders located the 18-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to her right forearm. EMS&nbsp;transported her to a local hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

The investigation revealed that she was involved in a verbal argument with an unknown suspect and during the incident the suspect produced a handgun and shot at the victim.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that seriously injured an 18-year-old girl from Wichita.Just after 1a.m.&nbsp; Sunday, police were dispatched to a shooting call in the 2500 block of South Seneca Street in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.First responders located the 18-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to her right forearm. EMS&nbsp;transported her to a local hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.The investigation revealed that she was involved in a verbal argument with an unknown suspect and during the incident the suspect produced a handgun and shot at the victim.The investigators are still working to fully determine what led up to the shooting. Police released no additional details and have not released any suspect information.