&nbsp;BARTON COUNTY —A Kansas man died in an accident just before 3p.m. Tuesday in&nbsp; &nbsp;Barton County.

According to Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir, a Mazda 3, driven by Holly Crum, 26 of Great Bend, was eastbound on Northeast 30 Road, approaching the intersection at US 281. 

The driver&nbsp; attempted to make a left turn to go northbound on US 281 but did not see a southbound&nbsp; 2016 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by 70-year-old Bernard Kruse of Hoisington. 

The Harley-Davidson struck the front left fender of the Mazda. Kruse was ejected from the motorcycle coming to rest in the west ditch. Kruse was not wearing a helmet at the time of the collision.

Kruse was transported to the hospital in Great Bend and and later flown to a Wichita area hospital. He died on Wednesday, according to Bellendir. Crum and a passenger were also transported to the hospital with minor injuries. Both were treated and released. 

The accident is still under investigation. Potential charges are awaiting review by the Barton County Attorney’s Office.&nbsp;Crum did not have a valid Kansas driver’s license at the time of the accident.&nbsp;Other traffic was present at the time of the collision and may have obscured Crum’s view, according to Bellendir.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680726361121.jpeg" alt="Photo Barton Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Barton Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;BARTON COUNTY —A Kansas man died in an accident just before 3p.m. Tuesday in&nbsp; &nbsp;Barton County.According to Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir, a Mazda 3, driven by Holly Crum, 26 of Great Bend, was eastbound on Northeast 30 Road, approaching the intersection at US 281. The driver&nbsp; attempted to make a left turn to go northbound on US 281 but did not see a southbound&nbsp; 2016 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by 70-year-old Bernard Kruse of Hoisington. The Harley-Davidson struck the front left fender of the Mazda. Kruse was ejected from the motorcycle coming to rest in the west ditch. Kruse was not wearing a helmet at the time of the collision.Kruse was transported to the hospital in Great Bend and and later flown to a Wichita area hospital. He died on Wednesday, according to Bellendir. Crum and a passenger were also transported to the hospital with minor injuries. Both were treated and released. The accident is still under investigation. Potential charges are awaiting review by the Barton County Attorney’s Office.&nbsp;Crum did not have a valid Kansas driver’s license at the time of the accident.&nbsp;Other traffic was present at the time of the collision and may have obscured Crum’s view, according to Bellendir.

Sheriff: Driver in fatal Kansas crash did not have valid license

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Multiple police officers and suspects were shot Wednesday in a gunbattle during an undercover fentanyl trafficking investigation in Kansas City, Kansas, authorities said. All were expected to survive.

Police Chief Karl Oakman said three officers were wounded along with three or four targets of the sting.

Undercover investigators had previously bought fentanyl from the suspects and were trying to make another purchase Wednesday, according to Oakman. But it fell through, and a shootout erupted between the heavily armed suspects and the agents.

The three officers who were shot had arrived in marked police cars to help their undercover colleagues, Oakman said.

Police believe all the suspects are in custody.

The chief said police have been investigating a fentanyl influx into the city for months, but the operation that resulted in the shootout began a few days ago.

Dr. Sean Kumer, associate chief medical officer at the University of Kansas Health System, said the officers were brought to the hospital and all of the shooting patients the facility treated were in stable condition with injuries that were not life-threatening. They were able to converse with their doctors.

City police asked their counterparts in neighboring Kansas City, Missouri, to investigate the shootings.

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an officer involved shooting that included three officers wounded, according to a statement from the department.

Just after 5p.m., authorities reported all three officers were reported to have serious, but non-life threatening injuries.

The KCMO Police Department is in charge of the investigation. Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680733406803.png" alt="Scene of the shooting investigation -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Scene of the shooting investigation -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Multiple police officers and suspects were shot Wednesday in a gunbattle during an undercover fentanyl trafficking investigation in Kansas City, Kansas, authorities said. All were expected to survive.Police Chief Karl Oakman said three officers were wounded along with three or four targets of the sting.Undercover investigators had previously bought fentanyl from the suspects and were trying to make another purchase Wednesday, according to Oakman. But it fell through, and a shootout erupted between the heavily armed suspects and the agents.The three officers who were shot had arrived in marked police cars to help their undercover colleagues, Oakman said.Police believe all the suspects are in custody.The chief said police have been investigating a fentanyl influx into the city for months, but the operation that resulted in the shootout began a few days ago.Dr. Sean Kumer, associate chief medical officer at the University of Kansas Health System, said the officers were brought to the hospital and all of the shooting patients the facility treated were in stable condition with injuries that were not life-threatening. They were able to converse with their doctors.City police asked their counterparts in neighboring Kansas City, Missouri, to investigate the shootings.-----------KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an officer involved shooting that included three officers wounded, according to a statement from the department.Just after 5p.m., authorities reported all three officers were reported to have serious, but non-life threatening injuries.The KCMO Police Department is in charge of the investigation. Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

Police officers, drug suspects wounded in Kansas gun battle

SHERIDAN COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged cattle theft in northwest Kansas.

The Sheridan County Sheriff's Department is asking for the publics assistance in a case involving eighty 80 head of cattle missing from South of Hoxie, Kansas. 

The cattle are described as black, mixture of fall steers and heifers. 

Possible reward for information leading to arrest and conviction of a person or persons involved in this theft or missing cattle case.

In December of 2022, law enforcement investigated a similar cattle theft in Baca County, Colorado, 231 miles southwest of Hoxie, according to the Baca County sheriff's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654867219299.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SHERIDAN COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged cattle theft in northwest Kansas.The Sheridan County Sheriff's Department is asking for the publics assistance in a case involving eighty 80 head of cattle missing from South of Hoxie, Kansas. The cattle are described as black, mixture of fall steers and heifers. Possible reward for information leading to arrest and conviction of a person or persons involved in this theft or missing cattle case.In December of 2022, law enforcement investigated a similar cattle theft in Baca County, Colorado, 231 miles southwest of Hoxie, according to the Baca County sheriff's office.

Sheriff: 80 head of cattle missing in northwest Kansas

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is banning transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports from kindergarten through college, the first of several possible new laws restricting the rights of transgender people pushed through by Republican legislators over the wishes of the Democratic governor.

The Legislature on Wednesday overrode Gov. Laura Kelly’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-athletes-ban-kansas-711e121ea0ab00653d61f9dadf9b9c0e">third veto in three years</a>&nbsp;of a bill that applies a ban to school teams and club sports, and came a day after lawmaker passed a broad bathroom bill. Nineteen other states have imposed such bans on transgender athletes,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wyoming-transgender-athletes-ban-e0d957ea5f4b57ab48752b2ecad432ec">most recently Wyoming.</a>

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2238_enrolled.pdf">The Kansas law</a>&nbsp;takes effect July 1 and is among several hundred proposals that Republican lawmakers across the U.S. have pursued this year to push back on LGBTQ rights. Kansas lawmakers who back the ban are also pursuing proposals to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/reynolds-iowa-transgender-ban-bathroom-e1651a8785586274f66819dad28b471e">end gender-affirming care</a>&nbsp;for minors and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/huckabee-sanders-schools-bathroom-transgender-lgbtq-6fc56daa21e1ce7f8189248dcc37588b">keep transgender people</a>&nbsp;from using restrooms in line with their gender identities.

The measure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-bathroom-bill-kansas-cbdc14be5bf1fb6e1a0749cad52e8ebc">approved by lawmakers Tuesday</a>&nbsp;not only would prevent transgender people from using public restrooms, locker rooms and other facilities associated with their gender identities but also bar them from changing their name or gender on their driver’s licenses. It is among the most sweeping proposals of its kind in the nation, and Kelly is expected to veto it.

“It’s a scary time to be raising a trans child in Kansas,” said Cat Poland, a lifelong Kansas resident and mother of three who coordinates a Gay-Straight Alliance at her 13-year-old trans son’s school in a small town about 40 miles (65 kilometers) northwest of Wichita. “We may face the very real threat of having to move, and it’s heartbreaking.

The ban demonstrates the continued clout of religious conservatives nationally, reflected in a statement in&nbsp;<a href="https://kansas.gop/assets/uploads/2022/04/KSGOP-2022-Platform-Adopted-March-12-2022.pdf">the 2022 platform</a>&nbsp;of the Kansas Republican Party: “We believe God created man and woman.” The measures also reflect many Republicans’ beliefs that their constituents don’t like the shift toward acceptance in American culture.

“I wish it was 1960, and, you know, little Johnny’s a boy and Mary’s a girl, and that’s how it is, period,” Republican state Rep. John Eplee, a 70-year-old doctor, said during a committee discussion of a bathroom bill this month. “It’s not that way at all anymore, and it’s getting a little more confusing all the time.”

LGBTQ-rights advocates says its part of a national campaign from rightwing traditionalists&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-kansas-state-government-arkansas-health-8f2edaa40b962e5642e108b83bc14246">to erase</a>&nbsp;transgender, non-binary, gender-queer and gender-fluid people from American society.

Alex Poland, an eighth-grade cross-country runner who hopes to play baseball next year, said he thinks legislators are pursuing “bills against children” who “haven’t done anything to harm anyone” because they don’t know many trans people.

Alex, who went with his mother to lobby for trans rights at the Statehouse last week, said it’s important for trans kids to be allowed to play on teams associated with their gender identities.

“It’s good for their mental health, and usually in my experience, most of the kids don’t care and don’t say anything,” Alex said, adding that it’s mostly adults who “care so much about what the trans kids are doing.”

The first state law on transgender athletes,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/301b65cf83f4e958a196a45f43c912c4">in Idaho in 2020,</a>&nbsp;came after conservatives retrenched from the national backlash over a short-lived 2016 bathroom law in North Carolina. In Kansas, conservatives’ biggest obstacle has been Kelly, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-biden-donald-trump-kansas-topeka-39afdff811fd2f30a212036d5ec6e3fa">narrowly won reelection</a>&nbsp;last year after pitching herself as a political centrist.

Conservative Republicans in Kansas fell short of the two-thirds majorities in both legislative chambers needed to override Kelly’s vetoes of the transgender athlete bills in 2021 and 2022. But this year, the House&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20230405105243_749284/">voted 84-40</a>&nbsp;to override her veto, exactly what supporters needed. The vote was 28-12 in the Senate, one more than a two-thirds majority.

Last year’s elections were crucial to the result. In the historic western Kansas cowboy town of Dodge City, Jason Goetz, who works for a home construction company&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/thechristianbros">with a Christian cross in its logo</a>, unseated an incumbent in the GOP primary who voted against overriding Kelly’s veto in 2022.

In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/JasonGoetzforKansas/posts/pfbid02kwkyugSowDwnSJqwVQC3h1cyDWmwvAiPPY4JrGdDRceUSz3Jo5aWY4zbHrz2DyC1l">announcing his candidacy</a>&nbsp;in June 2022, Goetz said his mission was “to bring a biblical worldview” to the Kansas House. Six days later,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/JasonGoetzforKansas/posts/pfbid0ncjoJsYqkxiuRDvcyznWBJpabgTwCP2rRp8sD7YnP2ggW6fL6U8bz56vABiFaQFgl">he posted:</a>&nbsp;“PROTECT GIRLS SPORTS!”

“It was a pretty clear-cut issue in the community,” Goetz said last month after the House initially approved the bill, adding that it’s a priority among his constituents.

Also crucial was a Democratic legislator’s decision not to seek reelection last year. Freshman Rep. Marvin Robinson replaced a fellow Kansas City Democrat who vote against overriding Kelly’s veto last year. Robinson initially voted against the bill last month but voted Wednesday to override Kelly’s veto.

Across the U.S., supporters of such bans argue that they keep competition fair. Track and field last month barred transgender athletes from international competition, adopting the same rules that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-swimmers-new-rules-fina-world-governing-body-c17e99d3121fa964336458b57ae266f7">swimming did last year.</a>

Supporters argue that they’re also making sure cisgendered girls and women don’t lose the scholarships and other opportunities that didn’t exist for them decades ago.

“Over the past 50 years, females have finally been able to celebrate our differences and create a division that enabled us to achieve athletic endeavors similar to our male counterparts,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kshof.org/team/caroline-bruce-mcandrew">Caroline Bruce McAndrew,</a>&nbsp;a former Olympic swimmer and member from the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame from Wichita, testified to lawmakers.

LGBTQ-rights advocates acknowledge that arguments about competition resonate outside Republicans’ conservative base because of the longstanding assumption that men and boys are naturally stronger than women and girls.

They’re also frustrated that the debate often focuses on whether transgender athletes have or can win championships.

Hudson Taylor, a three-time All-American collegiate wrestler said youth sports should be about learning discipline and other “healthy habits,” as well as having fun and getting support from friends. He founded and leads the pro-LGBTQ group Athlete Ally.

“There’s been a professionalization of youth sports over the last 40 years,” Taylor said. “So often, the legislators and people who oppose trans-athlete inclusion really go directly to the most elite, top talent, Olympic-hopeful athletes.”

The Kansas measure bans transgender athletes from women’s and girls’ teams starting in kindergarten, even though sports and other extra-curricular activities aren’t overseen by the Kansas State High School Activities Association until the seventh grade.

That’s one reason LGBTQ-rights advocates are skeptical that the true issue is fair competition. Another is the scarcity of transgender female athletes.

The state association said three transgender girls competed in sports in grades 7-12 this year, two of them seniors.

During a recent Zoom news conference, Taylor said transgender athletes in college likely number only between 100 and 500, based on how few children overall keep competing in high school and college. The NCAA says about 219,000 women play collegiate sports.

The international ban from track and field doesn’t actually affect a single transgender female athlete.

Cathryn Oakley, senior counsel for the Human Rights Campaign, said when a state enacts a law against transgender athletes and there’s no backlash, lawmakers feel they have permission to pursue “even more outrageous” proposals.

Cat Poland, the Kansas mother with a trans son, said: “They just keep taking the next, the next step, the next step, until where are trans people supposed to go? Where can they can exist to be safe and live happy and fulfilling lives?”

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators in Kansas were poised Wednesday to override Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of a bill that would ban transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports from kindergarten through college, a day after they pushed a broad bathroom bill to passage.

The state House voted 84-40 to override Kelly's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-athletes-ban-kansas-711e121ea0ab00653d61f9dadf9b9c0e">third veto</a>&nbsp;of a measure on transgender athletes in three years, giving supporters exactly the two-thirds majority they needed. A Senate vote was expected Wednesday afternoon, and the bill initially passed there last month with more than a two-thirds majority.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2238_enrolled.pdf">The measure</a>&nbsp;would take effect July 1 and make Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wyoming-transgender-athletes-ban-e0d957ea5f4b57ab48752b2ecad432ec">the 20th state</a>&nbsp;to enact such a ban for either K-12 schools or colleges or both. It's among several hundred proposals aimed at rolling back LGBTQ rights from Republican lawmakers in statehouses across the U.S.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-bathroom-bill-kansas-cbdc14be5bf1fb6e1a0749cad52e8ebc">The measure approved by lawmakers Tuesday</a>&nbsp;not only would prevent transgender people from using public restrooms, locker rooms and other facilities associated with their gender identities but also bar them from changing their name or gender on their driver's licenses. It is among the most sweeping proposals of its kind in the nation, and Kelly is expected to veto it.

"It’s a scary time to be raising a trans child in Kansas,” said Cat Poland, a lifelong Kansas resident and mother of three, including a 13-year-old trans son, from a small town about 40 miles&nbsp; northwest of Wichita.

The Kansas measure would apply to girl's and women's school and club sports, and supporters pitched it as protecting fair competition and preserving scholarships and other opportunities for cisgendered girls and women that took decades to win.

“This is a victory not for me, but for all young women,” said Rep. Barb Wasinger, a Republican from western Kansas who has pushed the measure for three years.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680716990613.png" alt="During Wednesday's debate, Rep. Susan Ruiz, Democrat from Shawnee, said, "The bill was not about support for girls in sports but about outright discrimination against trans girls." -image from Kansas legislature YouTube" />
 <figcaption>During Wednesday's debate, Rep. Susan Ruiz, Democrat from Shawnee, said, "The bill was not about support for girls in sports but about outright discrimination against trans girls." -image from Kansas legislature YouTube</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNA&nbsp;TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is banning transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports from kindergarten through college, the first of several possible new laws restricting the rights of transgender people pushed through by Republican legislators over the wishes of the Democratic governor.The Legislature on Wednesday overrode Gov. Laura Kelly’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-athletes-ban-kansas-711e121ea0ab00653d61f9dadf9b9c0e">third veto in three years</a>&nbsp;of a bill that applies a ban to school teams and club sports, and came a day after lawmaker passed a broad bathroom bill. Nineteen other states have imposed such bans on transgender athletes,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wyoming-transgender-athletes-ban-e0d957ea5f4b57ab48752b2ecad432ec">most recently Wyoming.</a><a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2238_enrolled.pdf">The Kansas law</a>&nbsp;takes effect July 1 and is among several hundred proposals that Republican lawmakers across the U.S. have pursued this year to push back on LGBTQ rights. Kansas lawmakers who back the ban are also pursuing proposals to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/reynolds-iowa-transgender-ban-bathroom-e1651a8785586274f66819dad28b471e">end gender-affirming care</a>&nbsp;for minors and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/huckabee-sanders-schools-bathroom-transgender-lgbtq-6fc56daa21e1ce7f8189248dcc37588b">keep transgender people</a>&nbsp;from using restrooms in line with their gender identities.The measure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-bathroom-bill-kansas-cbdc14be5bf1fb6e1a0749cad52e8ebc">approved by lawmakers Tuesday</a>&nbsp;not only would prevent transgender people from using public restrooms, locker rooms and other facilities associated with their gender identities but also bar them from changing their name or gender on their driver’s licenses. It is among the most sweeping proposals of its kind in the nation, and Kelly is expected to veto it.“It’s a scary time to be raising a trans child in Kansas,” said Cat Poland, a lifelong Kansas resident and mother of three who coordinates a Gay-Straight Alliance at her 13-year-old trans son’s school in a small town about 40 miles (65 kilometers) northwest of Wichita. “We may face the very real threat of having to move, and it’s heartbreaking.The ban demonstrates the continued clout of religious conservatives nationally, reflected in a statement in&nbsp;<a href="https://kansas.gop/assets/uploads/2022/04/KSGOP-2022-Platform-Adopted-March-12-2022.pdf">the 2022 platform</a>&nbsp;of the Kansas Republican Party: “We believe God created man and woman.” The measures also reflect many Republicans’ beliefs that their constituents don’t like the shift toward acceptance in American culture.“I wish it was 1960, and, you know, little Johnny’s a boy and Mary’s a girl, and that’s how it is, period,” Republican state Rep. John Eplee, a 70-year-old doctor, said during a committee discussion of a bathroom bill this month. “It’s not that way at all anymore, and it’s getting a little more confusing all the time.”LGBTQ-rights advocates says its part of a national campaign from rightwing traditionalists&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-kansas-state-government-arkansas-health-8f2edaa40b962e5642e108b83bc14246">to erase</a>&nbsp;transgender, non-binary, gender-queer and gender-fluid people from American society.Alex Poland, an eighth-grade cross-country runner who hopes to play baseball next year, said he thinks legislators are pursuing “bills against children” who “haven’t done anything to harm anyone” because they don’t know many trans people.Alex, who went with his mother to lobby for trans rights at the Statehouse last week, said it’s important for trans kids to be allowed to play on teams associated with their gender identities.“It’s good for their mental health, and usually in my experience, most of the kids don’t care and don’t say anything,” Alex said, adding that it’s mostly adults who “care so much about what the trans kids are doing.”The first state law on transgender athletes,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/301b65cf83f4e958a196a45f43c912c4">in Idaho in 2020,</a>&nbsp;came after conservatives retrenched from the national backlash over a short-lived 2016 bathroom law in North Carolina. In Kansas, conservatives’ biggest obstacle has been Kelly, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-biden-donald-trump-kansas-topeka-39afdff811fd2f30a212036d5ec6e3fa">narrowly won reelection</a>&nbsp;last year after pitching herself as a political centrist.Conservative Republicans in Kansas fell short of the two-thirds majorities in both legislative chambers needed to override Kelly’s vetoes of the transgender athlete bills in 2021 and 2022. But this year, the House&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20230405105243_749284/">voted 84-40</a>&nbsp;to override her veto, exactly what supporters needed. The vote was 28-12 in the Senate, one more than a two-thirds majority.Last year’s elections were crucial to the result. In the historic western Kansas cowboy town of Dodge City, Jason Goetz, who works for a home construction company&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/thechristianbros">with a Christian cross in its logo</a>, unseated an incumbent in the GOP primary who voted against overriding Kelly’s veto in 2022.In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/JasonGoetzforKansas/posts/pfbid02kwkyugSowDwnSJqwVQC3h1cyDWmwvAiPPY4JrGdDRceUSz3Jo5aWY4zbHrz2DyC1l">announcing his candidacy</a>&nbsp;in June 2022, Goetz said his mission was “to bring a biblical worldview” to the Kansas House. Six days later,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/JasonGoetzforKansas/posts/pfbid0ncjoJsYqkxiuRDvcyznWBJpabgTwCP2rRp8sD7YnP2ggW6fL6U8bz56vABiFaQFgl">he posted:</a>&nbsp;“PROTECT GIRLS SPORTS!”“It was a pretty clear-cut issue in the community,” Goetz said last month after the House initially approved the bill, adding that it’s a priority among his constituents.Also crucial was a Democratic legislator’s decision not to seek reelection last year. Freshman Rep. Marvin Robinson replaced a fellow Kansas City Democrat who vote against overriding Kelly’s veto last year. Robinson initially voted against the bill last month but voted Wednesday to override Kelly’s veto.Across the U.S., supporters of such bans argue that they keep competition fair. Track and field last month barred transgender athletes from international competition, adopting the same rules that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-swimmers-new-rules-fina-world-governing-body-c17e99d3121fa964336458b57ae266f7">swimming did last year.</a>Supporters argue that they’re also making sure cisgendered girls and women don’t lose the scholarships and other opportunities that didn’t exist for them decades ago.“Over the past 50 years, females have finally been able to celebrate our differences and create a division that enabled us to achieve athletic endeavors similar to our male counterparts,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kshof.org/team/caroline-bruce-mcandrew">Caroline Bruce McAndrew,</a>&nbsp;a former Olympic swimmer and member from the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame from Wichita, testified to lawmakers.LGBTQ-rights advocates acknowledge that arguments about competition resonate outside Republicans’ conservative base because of the longstanding assumption that men and boys are naturally stronger than women and girls.They’re also frustrated that the debate often focuses on whether transgender athletes have or can win championships.Hudson Taylor, a three-time All-American collegiate wrestler said youth sports should be about learning discipline and other “healthy habits,” as well as having fun and getting support from friends. He founded and leads the pro-LGBTQ group Athlete Ally.“There’s been a professionalization of youth sports over the last 40 years,” Taylor said. “So often, the legislators and people who oppose trans-athlete inclusion really go directly to the most elite, top talent, Olympic-hopeful athletes.”The Kansas measure bans transgender athletes from women’s and girls’ teams starting in kindergarten, even though sports and other extra-curricular activities aren’t overseen by the Kansas State High School Activities Association until the seventh grade.That’s one reason LGBTQ-rights advocates are skeptical that the true issue is fair competition. Another is the scarcity of transgender female athletes.The state association said three transgender girls competed in sports in grades 7-12 this year, two of them seniors.During a recent Zoom news conference, Taylor said transgender athletes in college likely number only between 100 and 500, based on how few children overall keep competing in high school and college. The NCAA says about 219,000 women play collegiate sports.The international ban from track and field doesn’t actually affect a single transgender female athlete.Cathryn Oakley, senior counsel for the Human Rights Campaign, said when a state enacts a law against transgender athletes and there’s no backlash, lawmakers feel they have permission to pursue “even more outrageous” proposals.Cat Poland, the Kansas mother with a trans son, said: “They just keep taking the next, the next step, the next step, until where are trans people supposed to go? Where can they can exist to be safe and live happy and fulfilling lives?”-------TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators in Kansas were poised Wednesday to override Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of a bill that would ban transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports from kindergarten through college, a day after they pushed a broad bathroom bill to passage.The state House voted 84-40 to override Kelly's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-athletes-ban-kansas-711e121ea0ab00653d61f9dadf9b9c0e">third veto</a>&nbsp;of a measure on transgender athletes in three years, giving supporters exactly the two-thirds majority they needed. A Senate vote was expected Wednesday afternoon, and the bill initially passed there last month with more than a two-thirds majority.<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2238_enrolled.pdf">The measure</a>&nbsp;would take effect July 1 and make Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wyoming-transgender-athletes-ban-e0d957ea5f4b57ab48752b2ecad432ec">the 20th state</a>&nbsp;to enact such a ban for either K-12 schools or colleges or both. It's among several hundred proposals aimed at rolling back LGBTQ rights from Republican lawmakers in statehouses across the U.S.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-bathroom-bill-kansas-cbdc14be5bf1fb6e1a0749cad52e8ebc">The measure approved by lawmakers Tuesday</a>&nbsp;not only would prevent transgender people from using public restrooms, locker rooms and other facilities associated with their gender identities but also bar them from changing their name or gender on their driver's licenses. It is among the most sweeping proposals of its kind in the nation, and Kelly is expected to veto it."It’s a scary time to be raising a trans child in Kansas,” said Cat Poland, a lifelong Kansas resident and mother of three, including a 13-year-old trans son, from a small town about 40 miles&nbsp; northwest of Wichita.The Kansas measure would apply to girl's and women's school and club sports, and supporters pitched it as protecting fair competition and preserving scholarships and other opportunities for cisgendered girls and women that took decades to win.“This is a victory not for me, but for all young women,” said Rep. Barb Wasinger, a Republican from western Kansas who has pushed the measure for three years.

Veto override: Kan. bans transgender athletes from girls sports

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A former researcher, who was accused of hiding work he did in China while employed at the University of Kansas, has asked a federal judge to reverse a conviction for making a false statement on an employee form.

Feng “Franklin” Tao was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-education-kansas-lawrence-university-of-kansas-cbbbb2cce47f22631a676e4e21a04beb">convicted</a>&nbsp;in April 2022 of three counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement. U.S. District Court Judge Julie Robinson&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-kansas-university-of-276087faef2f22c12ad1e5b91aaa3709">threw out</a>&nbsp;the wire fraud convictions in September, but let the false statement conviction stand.

In a motion filed Monday, Tao's attorneys argued his remaining conviction also should be reversed, or go to trial again.

Tao was accused of not properly filling out an institutional responsibilities form for the University of Kansas, by not disclosing that he was traveling to China to work on setting up a laboratory and recruit staff for Fuzhou University.

Federal prosecutors argued that Tao's activities defrauded the university, as well as the U.S. Department of Energy and National Science Foundation, which had awarded Tao grants for research projects at the school.

In the motion for a reversal, Tao's attorneys said the university did not share the form with the two federal agencies, meaning it did not impact any decisions on research projects. They also argued that Tao's alleged omissions on the form did not violate federal law concerning making false statements.

The motion said the case against Tao was a “breathtaking instance of prosecutorial overreach” that sought to make a human resources issue at the university into a federal crime.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington did not immediately return a request for comment.

The case against Tao was part of the U.S. Justice Department’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-china-asia-pacific-u-s-news-espionage-15bb5a431f8bdcdde54c3988b48607d4">China Initiative</a>, which started in 2018 to thwart what the agency said was the transfer of original ideas and intellectual property from U.S. universities to the Chinese government. The department ended the program amid public criticism and several failed prosecutions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574105486339.png" alt="Feng “Franklin” Tao photo KU" />
 <figcaption>Feng “Franklin” Tao photo KU</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A former researcher, who was accused of hiding work he did in China while employed at the University of Kansas, has asked a federal judge to reverse a conviction for making a false statement on an employee form.Feng “Franklin” Tao was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-education-kansas-lawrence-university-of-kansas-cbbbb2cce47f22631a676e4e21a04beb">convicted</a>&nbsp;in April 2022 of three counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement. U.S. District Court Judge Julie Robinson&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-kansas-university-of-276087faef2f22c12ad1e5b91aaa3709">threw out</a>&nbsp;the wire fraud convictions in September, but let the false statement conviction stand.Tao was sentenced to time served.In a motion filed Monday, Tao's attorneys argued his remaining conviction also should be reversed, or go to trial again.Tao was accused of not properly filling out an institutional responsibilities form for the University of Kansas, by not disclosing that he was traveling to China to work on setting up a laboratory and recruit staff for Fuzhou University.Federal prosecutors argued that Tao's activities defrauded the university, as well as the U.S. Department of Energy and National Science Foundation, which had awarded Tao grants for research projects at the school.In the motion for a reversal, Tao's attorneys said the university did not share the form with the two federal agencies, meaning it did not impact any decisions on research projects. They also argued that Tao's alleged omissions on the form did not violate federal law concerning making false statements.The motion said the case against Tao was a “breathtaking instance of prosecutorial overreach” that sought to make a human resources issue at the university into a federal crime.The U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington did not immediately return a request for comment.The case against Tao was part of the U.S. Justice Department’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-china-asia-pacific-u-s-news-espionage-15bb5a431f8bdcdde54c3988b48607d4">China Initiative</a>, which started in 2018 to thwart what the agency said was the transfer of original ideas and intellectual property from U.S. universities to the Chinese government. The department ended the program amid public criticism and several failed prosecutions.

Former researcher at KU appeals remaining conviction

TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of&nbsp;Health reported 1,006&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">&nbsp;new</a> <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">coronavirus cases</a> in Kansas from March 29, to April 5, for a total of 942,750 cases.&nbsp;&nbsp;The state reported 1,218 cases the previous week.

On Wednesday, <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">the state reported&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;19 additional COVID-19 deaths since the report on March 22, for a total of 10,154 since the state started reporting COVID illness and deaths.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a>&nbsp;about the COVID-19 vaccine.

<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">Click here</a>&nbsp;for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.

Kansas provides fewer updates of its data about COVID-19 now that Gov. Laura Kelly formally declared that the state is moving toward treating COVID-19 as a disease like the flu that spreads regularly and isn't considered a pandemic.&nbsp;The health department plans to update data about cases and vaccinations each Wednesday.

The state continues to support access to free COVID-19 testing, works to ensure that vulnerable populations can get vaccinated, see that providers serve a broad population and give “comprehensive guidance” about the virus. She called the new phase “endemic normalcy.”

The health department updates data about cases and vaccinations each Wednesday.

TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of&nbsp;Health reported 1,006&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">&nbsp;new</a> <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">coronavirus cases</a> in Kansas from March 29, to April 5, for a total of 942,750 cases.&nbsp;&nbsp;The state reported 1,218 cases the previous week.On Wednesday, <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">the state reported&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;19 additional COVID-19 deaths since the report on March 22, for a total of 10,154 since the state started reporting COVID illness and deaths.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a>&nbsp;about the COVID-19 vaccine.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">Click here</a>&nbsp;for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.Kansas provides fewer updates of its data about COVID-19 now that Gov. Laura Kelly formally declared that the state is moving toward treating COVID-19 as a disease like the flu that spreads regularly and isn't considered a pandemic.&nbsp;The health department plans to update data about cases and vaccinations each Wednesday.The state continues to support access to free COVID-19 testing, works to ensure that vulnerable populations can get vaccinated, see that providers serve a broad population and give “comprehensive guidance” about the virus. She called the new phase “endemic normalcy.”The health department updates data about cases and vaccinations each Wednesday.

KDHE: Slight drop in COVID cases, 19 more deaths

This story was first published on April 4, 2023. It was updated on April 5, 2023, to make clear that an abortion-related bill that won final approval in the Kansas Legislature would impose penalties against doctors for failing to provide reasonable care to infants delivered alive during certain types of abortion procedures, not for the abortions themselves.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Doctors accused of not providing enough care to infants delivered alive during certain kinds of abortion procedures in Kansas could face lawsuits and criminal charges under a bill that won final approval Tuesday in the state's Republican-controlled Legislature.

The legislation faces an uncertain fate in a legal and political climate that's made Kansas an outlier on abortion policy among states with GOP-led legislatures. The bill applies not only to “botched” or “unsuccessful” abortions but also when doctors induce labor to deliver a fetus that is expected to die within minutes or even seconds outside the womb, which often occurs because of a severe medical issue.

The Kansas House&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20230404113519_012438/">voted 86-36</a>&nbsp;to approve&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/born-alive-abortion-bill-kansas-legislature-89b7276e071fda4808c96d9d3e8cce4e">a proposed “born-alive infants protection” law</a>&nbsp;similar to a proposed law that Montana voters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-business-montana-a99111675c40301d1940addca098d599">rejected in November.</a>&nbsp;The Senate approved the measure last week and it goes next to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who vetoed such a bill in 2019.

The Senate voted&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20230329125930_969124/">31-9</a>&nbsp;for the bill last week, meaning it passed both chambers with more than the two-thirds majorities necessary to override a potential veto from Kelly.

“We can have differing views on abortion and still agree on the need for this legislation as a humanitarian issue,” the Kansas House's three top Republicans said in a joint statement.

Even if abortion opponents succeed in overriding any veto, the measure could still be challenged in court and not enforced. Lawsuits have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-restrictions-lawsuits-kansas-3eb09cbcdfb18e06aee024e557f9814c">prevented Kansas from enforcing</a>&nbsp;a 2015 ban on a common second-trimester abortion procedure and a 2011 law imposing extra health and safety rules for abortion providers.

Kansas abortion opponents haven’t pushed to ban abortion outright despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">decision in June 2022</a>&nbsp;that the U.S. Constitution allows it. The Kansas Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3f479b218a6140719e1694fcfcdb8036">ruled in 2019</a>&nbsp;that access to abortion is a “fundamental” right under the state constitution, and in August 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">voters decisively rejected</a>&nbsp;a proposed change to strip away protections for abortion rights.

The “born alive” measure is premised on a claim that abortion providers leave newborns to die if they're delivered alive during an abortion procedure. Critics of the bill said the state would be intervening in difficult medical and ethical decisions between doctors and parents. They also said parents could be forced to accept futile and expensive care.

“If the infant is born alive and only has minutes to live, the mother, the father, the family, have the right to ask for palliative care and embrace the infant until it is no longer breathing,” said state Rep. Susan Ruiz, a Kansas City-area Democrat.

The Kansas measure is similar to laws in 18 other states requiring infants delivered alive during labor and delivery abortions to go to a hospital and imposing criminal penalties for doctors who don’t provide the same care "a reasonably diligent and conscientious” provider would with other live births.

In Kansas, failing to provide reasonable care for such a newborn would be a felony, punishable by a year’s probation for a first-time offender. Also, the newborn's parents and the parents or guardians of minors seeking abortions could sue providers.

Like most states, Kansas doesn’t collect data on births during induced abortion procedures, or other abortion procedures. The bill would require annual reports to the state.

Anti-abortion groups argue that there are likely hundreds of infants delivered alive during abortion procedures each year in the U.S. The argument is based on extrapolating data from the handful of states requiring reports of such live births, as well as from data from most Canadian provinces.

“One important aspect of the bill is that it would require that reporting on abortion survivors,” said Kelsey Pritchard, spokesperson for the national anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.

Abortion rights supporters argue that the Kansas measure and laws in other states are designed to paint a misleading picture of abortion care.

In Kansas, no abortions after the 21st week have been reported since at least 2016, and, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, less than 1% of the more than 600,000 abortions a year occur after the 21st week of pregnancy. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says almost no fetuses are viable before the 23rd week of pregnancy.

Critics of the measure also argue that existing laws against homicide are sufficient to deal with what they see as a rare issue. They also argue that passing the measure defies the statewide vote in August affirming abortion rights.

“This bill is absolutely unecessary,” Democratic state Sen. Pat Pettey, of Kansas City, said during a debate last week. “This bill will traumatize mothers who desperately want to be mothers, who already are dealing with the heart-breaking moments of loss imaginable.”

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Doctors accused of not providing enough care to infants born during abortion procedures in Kansas could face lawsuits and criminal charges under a bill that won final passage Tuesday in the state's Republican-controlled Legislature.

The legislation faces an uncertain fate in a legal and political climate that's made Kansas an outlier on abortion policy among states with GOP-led legislatures.

The “born alive” measure is premised on a claim that abortion providers leave newborns to die if they're born during an abortion procedure. Critics of the bill said the state would be intervening in difficult medical and ethical decisions between doctors and parents. They also said parents could be forced to accept futile and expensive care.

The measure applies not only to “botched” or “unsuccessful” abortions but also to cases in which doctors induce labor to deliver a fetus that won’t survive outside the womb. That can occur because of a severe medical issue, with the expectation that the newborn will die within minutes or even seconds.

The Kansas measure is similar to laws in 18 other states requiring infants born during labor and delivery abortions to go to a hospital and imposing criminal penalties for doctors who don’t provide the same care "a reasonably diligent and conscientious” provider would with other live births.

Like most states, Kansas doesn’t collect data on births during induced abortion procedures. The bill would require annual reports to the state.

Anti-abortion groups argue that there are likely hundreds of live births during abortion procedures each year in the U.S. The argument is based on extrapolating data from the handful of states requiring reports of such live births, as well as from data from most Canadian provinces.

This story was first published on April 4, 2023. It was updated on April 5, 2023, to make clear that an abortion-related bill that won final approval in the Kansas Legislature would impose penalties against doctors for failing to provide reasonable care to infants delivered alive during certain types of abortion procedures, not for the abortions themselves.&nbsp;By JOHN HANNA&nbsp;TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Doctors accused of not providing enough care to infants delivered alive during certain kinds of abortion procedures in Kansas could face lawsuits and criminal charges under a bill that won final approval Tuesday in the state's Republican-controlled Legislature.The legislation faces an uncertain fate in a legal and political climate that's made Kansas an outlier on abortion policy among states with GOP-led legislatures. The bill applies not only to “botched” or “unsuccessful” abortions but also when doctors induce labor to deliver a fetus that is expected to die within minutes or even seconds outside the womb, which often occurs because of a severe medical issue.The Kansas House&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20230404113519_012438/">voted 86-36</a>&nbsp;to approve&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/born-alive-abortion-bill-kansas-legislature-89b7276e071fda4808c96d9d3e8cce4e">a proposed “born-alive infants protection” law</a>&nbsp;similar to a proposed law that Montana voters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-business-montana-a99111675c40301d1940addca098d599">rejected in November.</a>&nbsp;The Senate approved the measure last week and it goes next to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who vetoed such a bill in 2019.The Senate voted&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20230329125930_969124/">31-9</a>&nbsp;for the bill last week, meaning it passed both chambers with more than the two-thirds majorities necessary to override a potential veto from Kelly.“We can have differing views on abortion and still agree on the need for this legislation as a humanitarian issue,” the Kansas House's three top Republicans said in a joint statement.Even if abortion opponents succeed in overriding any veto, the measure could still be challenged in court and not enforced. Lawsuits have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-restrictions-lawsuits-kansas-3eb09cbcdfb18e06aee024e557f9814c">prevented Kansas from enforcing</a>&nbsp;a 2015 ban on a common second-trimester abortion procedure and a 2011 law imposing extra health and safety rules for abortion providers.Kansas abortion opponents haven’t pushed to ban abortion outright despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">decision in June 2022</a>&nbsp;that the U.S. Constitution allows it. The Kansas Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3f479b218a6140719e1694fcfcdb8036">ruled in 2019</a>&nbsp;that access to abortion is a “fundamental” right under the state constitution, and in August 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">voters decisively rejected</a>&nbsp;a proposed change to strip away protections for abortion rights.The “born alive” measure is premised on a claim that abortion providers leave newborns to die if they're delivered alive during an abortion procedure. Critics of the bill said the state would be intervening in difficult medical and ethical decisions between doctors and parents. They also said parents could be forced to accept futile and expensive care.“If the infant is born alive and only has minutes to live, the mother, the father, the family, have the right to ask for palliative care and embrace the infant until it is no longer breathing,” said state Rep. Susan Ruiz, a Kansas City-area Democrat.The Kansas measure is similar to laws in 18 other states requiring infants delivered alive during labor and delivery abortions to go to a hospital and imposing criminal penalties for doctors who don’t provide the same care "a reasonably diligent and conscientious” provider would with other live births.In Kansas, failing to provide reasonable care for such a newborn would be a felony, punishable by a year’s probation for a first-time offender. Also, the newborn's parents and the parents or guardians of minors seeking abortions could sue providers.Like most states, Kansas doesn’t collect data on births during induced abortion procedures, or other abortion procedures. The bill would require annual reports to the state.Anti-abortion groups argue that there are likely hundreds of infants delivered alive during abortion procedures each year in the U.S. The argument is based on extrapolating data from the handful of states requiring reports of such live births, as well as from data from most Canadian provinces.“One important aspect of the bill is that it would require that reporting on abortion survivors,” said Kelsey Pritchard, spokesperson for the national anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.Abortion rights supporters argue that the Kansas measure and laws in other states are designed to paint a misleading picture of abortion care.In Kansas, no abortions after the 21st week have been reported since at least 2016, and, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, less than 1% of the more than 600,000 abortions a year occur after the 21st week of pregnancy. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says almost no fetuses are viable before the 23rd week of pregnancy.Critics of the measure also argue that existing laws against homicide are sufficient to deal with what they see as a rare issue. They also argue that passing the measure defies the statewide vote in August affirming abortion rights.“This bill is absolutely unecessary,” Democratic state Sen. Pat Pettey, of Kansas City, said during a debate last week. “This bill will traumatize mothers who desperately want to be mothers, who already are dealing with the heart-breaking moments of loss imaginable.”------------TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Doctors accused of not providing enough care to infants born during abortion procedures in Kansas could face lawsuits and criminal charges under a bill that won final passage Tuesday in the state's Republican-controlled Legislature.The legislation faces an uncertain fate in a legal and political climate that's made Kansas an outlier on abortion policy among states with GOP-led legislatures.The Kansas House&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20230404113519_012438/">voted 86-36</a>&nbsp;to approve&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/born-alive-abortion-bill-kansas-legislature-89b7276e071fda4808c96d9d3e8cce4e">a proposed “born-alive infants protection” law</a>&nbsp;similar to a proposed law that Montana voters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-business-montana-a99111675c40301d1940addca098d599">rejected in November.</a>&nbsp;The Senate approved the measure last week and it goes next to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who vetoed such a bill in 2019.The Senate voted&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20230329125930_969124/">31-9</a>&nbsp;for the bill last week, meaning it passed both chambers with more than the two-thirds majorities necessary to override a potential veto from Kelly.“We can have differing views on abortion and still agree on the need for this legislation as a humanitarian issue,” the Kansas House's three top Republicans said in a joint statement.Even if abortion opponents succeed in overriding any veto, the measure could still be challenged in court and not enforced. Lawsuits have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-restrictions-lawsuits-kansas-3eb09cbcdfb18e06aee024e557f9814c">prevented Kansas from enforcing</a>&nbsp;a 2015 ban on a common second-trimester abortion procedure and a 2011 law imposing extra health and safety rules for abortion providers.Kansas abortion opponents haven’t pushed to ban abortion outright despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">decision in June 2022</a>&nbsp;that the U.S. Constitution allows it. The Kansas Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3f479b218a6140719e1694fcfcdb8036">ruled in 2019</a>&nbsp;that access to abortion is a “fundamental” right under the state constitution, and in August 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">voters decisively rejected</a>&nbsp;a proposed change to strip away protections for abortion rights.The “born alive” measure is premised on a claim that abortion providers leave newborns to die if they're born during an abortion procedure. Critics of the bill said the state would be intervening in difficult medical and ethical decisions between doctors and parents. They also said parents could be forced to accept futile and expensive care.“If the infant is born alive and only has minutes to live, the mother, the father, the family, have the right to ask for palliative care and embrace the infant until it is no longer breathing,” said state Rep. Susan Ruiz, a Kansas City-area Democrat.The measure applies not only to “botched” or “unsuccessful” abortions but also to cases in which doctors induce labor to deliver a fetus that won’t survive outside the womb. That can occur because of a severe medical issue, with the expectation that the newborn will die within minutes or even seconds.The Kansas measure is similar to laws in 18 other states requiring infants born during labor and delivery abortions to go to a hospital and imposing criminal penalties for doctors who don’t provide the same care "a reasonably diligent and conscientious” provider would with other live births.In Kansas, failing to provide reasonable care for such a newborn would be a felony, punishable by a year’s probation for a first-time offender. Also, the newborn's parents and the parents or guardians of minors seeking abortions could sue providers.Like most states, Kansas doesn’t collect data on births during induced abortion procedures. The bill would require annual reports to the state.Anti-abortion groups argue that there are likely hundreds of live births during abortion procedures each year in the U.S. The argument is based on extrapolating data from the handful of states requiring reports of such live births, as well as from data from most Canadian provinces.“One important aspect of the bill is that it would require that reporting on abortion survivors,” said Kelsey Pritchard, spokesperson for the national anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.Abortion rights supporters argue that the Kansas measure and laws in other states are designed to paint a misleading picture of abortion care.In Kansas, no abortions after the 21st week have been reported since at least 2016, and, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, less than 1% of the more than 600,000 abortions a year occur after the 21st week of pregnancy. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says almost no fetuses are viable before the 23rd week of pregnancy.Critics of the measure also argue that existing laws against homicide are sufficient to deal with what they see as a rare issue. They also argue that passing the measure defies the statewide vote in August affirming abortion rights.“This bill is absolutely unecessary,” Democratic state Sen. Pat Pettey, of Kansas City, said during a debate last week. “This bill will traumatize mothers who desperately want to be mothers, who already are dealing with the heart-breaking moments of loss imaginable.”

Kansas lawmakers OK bill on live deliveries during abortions

WYANDOTTE COUNTY—One person was injured in a fire in Wyandotte County.

Just before 11a.m. Tuesday, crews were dispatched to the Royal Ridge apartments&nbsp;at 7350 State Avenue, according to the Kansas City Kansas Fire Department.&nbsp;

The fire was quickly upgraded to a 2nd alarm. A woman who lived at the residence jumped from a 3rd story balcony to escape heavy fire. EMS transported her to a local hospital for treatment. Firefighters were able to confine the fire to one apartment.

Authorities have not released details on the cause or the damage estimates.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680701530408.png" alt="Photo KCK Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photo KCK Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY—One person was injured in a fire in Wyandotte County.Just before 11a.m. Tuesday, crews were dispatched to the Royal Ridge apartments&nbsp;at 7350 State Avenue, according to the Kansas City Kansas Fire Department.&nbsp;The fire was quickly upgraded to a 2nd alarm. A woman who lived at the residence jumped from a 3rd story balcony to escape heavy fire. EMS transported her to a local hospital for treatment. Firefighters were able to confine the fire to one apartment.Authorities have not released details on the cause or the damage estimates.

Woman jumped from 3rd floor balcony during Kansas fire

FORD COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities and USD 443 officials are investigating a juvenile in connection with an alleged threat at a Kansas High School.

Just after 7a.m. Wednesday, Ford County Communications received a 911 call from a person reporting they needed help and there was a man at the high school with a gun, according to Dodge City Police.

Officers immediately responded to Dodge City High School, 2021 Ross Blvd in Dodge City.&nbsp; Authorities put the school in a brief lockdown. 

Officers were able to trace the call to an address in Dodge City where they located an 8-year-old boy who admitted to making the call from his mother's phone because he thought it would be funny. 

Police took the boy into  custody and he will be evaluated as a child in need of care. No criminal charges will be filed due to the boy's age, according to police.

FORD COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities and USD 443 officials are investigating a juvenile in connection with an alleged threat at a Kansas High School.Just after 7a.m. Wednesday, Ford County Communications received a 911 call from a person reporting they needed help and there was a man at the high school with a gun, according to Dodge City Police.Officers immediately responded to Dodge City High School, 2021 Ross Blvd in Dodge City.&nbsp; Authorities put the school in a brief lockdown. Officers were able to trace the call to an address in Dodge City where they located an 8-year-old boy who admitted to making the call from his mother's phone because he thought it would be funny. Police took the boy into custody and he will be evaluated as a child in need of care. No criminal charges will be filed due to the boy's age, according to police.

Police: 8-year-old makes false report of gun at Kan. high school 

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Doctors accused of not providing enough care to infants delivered alive during certain kinds of abortion procedures in Kansas could face lawsuits and criminal charges under a bill that won final approval Tuesday in the state's Republican-controlled Legislature.The legislation faces an uncertain fate in a legal and political climate that's made Kansas an outlier on abortion policy among states with GOP-led legislatures. The bill applies not only to “botched” or “unsuccessful” abortions but also when doctors induce labor to deliver a fetus that is expected to die within minutes or even seconds outside the womb, which often occurs because of a severe medical issue.The Kansas House&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20230404113519_012438/">voted 86-36</a>&nbsp;to approve&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/born-alive-abortion-bill-kansas-legislature-89b7276e071fda4808c96d9d3e8cce4e">a proposed “born-alive infants protection” law</a>&nbsp;similar to a proposed law that Montana voters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-business-montana-a99111675c40301d1940addca098d599">rejected in November.</a>&nbsp;The Senate approved the measure last week and it goes next to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who vetoed such a bill in 2019.The Senate voted&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20230329125930_969124/">31-9</a>&nbsp;for the bill last week, meaning it passed both chambers with more than the two-thirds majorities necessary to override a potential veto from Kelly.“We can have differing views on abortion and still agree on the need for this legislation as a humanitarian issue,” the Kansas House's three top Republicans said in a joint statement.Even if abortion opponents succeed in overriding any veto, the measure could still be challenged in court and not enforced. Lawsuits have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-restrictions-lawsuits-kansas-3eb09cbcdfb18e06aee024e557f9814c">prevented Kansas from enforcing</a>&nbsp;a 2015 ban on a common second-trimester abortion procedure and a 2011 law imposing extra health and safety rules for abortion providers.Kansas abortion opponents haven’t pushed to ban abortion outright despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">decision in June 2022</a>&nbsp;that the U.S. Constitution allows it. The Kansas Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3f479b218a6140719e1694fcfcdb8036">ruled in 2019</a>&nbsp;that access to abortion is a “fundamental” right under the state constitution, and in August 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">voters decisively rejected</a>&nbsp;a proposed change to strip away protections for abortion rights.The “born alive” measure is premised on a claim that abortion providers leave newborns to die if they're delivered alive during an abortion procedure. Critics of the bill said the state would be intervening in difficult medical and ethical decisions between doctors and parents. They also said parents could be forced to accept futile and expensive care.“If the infant is born alive and only has minutes to live, the mother, the father, the family, have the right to ask for palliative care and embrace the infant until it is no longer breathing,” said state Rep. Susan Ruiz, a Kansas City-area Democrat.The Kansas measure is similar to laws in 18 other states requiring infants delivered alive during labor and delivery abortions to go to a hospital and imposing criminal penalties for doctors who don’t provide the same care "a reasonably diligent and conscientious” provider would with other live births.In Kansas, failing to provide reasonable care for such a newborn would be a felony, punishable by a year’s probation for a first-time offender. Also, the newborn's parents and the parents or guardians of minors seeking abortions could sue providers.Like most states, Kansas doesn’t collect data on births during induced abortion procedures, or other abortion procedures. The bill would require annual reports to the state.Anti-abortion groups argue that there are likely hundreds of infants delivered alive during abortion procedures each year in the U.S. The argument is based on extrapolating data from the handful of states requiring reports of such live births, as well as from data from most Canadian provinces.“One important aspect of the bill is that it would require that reporting on abortion survivors,” said Kelsey Pritchard, spokesperson for the national anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.Abortion rights supporters argue that the Kansas measure and laws in other states are designed to paint a misleading picture of abortion care.In Kansas, no abortions after the 21st week have been reported since at least 2016, and, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, less than 1% of the more than 600,000 abortions a year occur after the 21st week of pregnancy. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says almost no fetuses are viable before the 23rd week of pregnancy.Critics of the measure also argue that existing laws against homicide are sufficient to deal with what they see as a rare issue. They also argue that passing the measure defies the statewide vote in August affirming abortion rights.“This bill is absolutely unecessary,” Democratic state Sen. Pat Pettey, of Kansas City, said during a debate last week. “This bill will traumatize mothers who desperately want to be mothers, who already are dealing with the heart-breaking moments of loss imaginable.”

Kansas OKs bill that penalizes doctors for some abortions

JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a theft and asking for help to identify suspects.

Just after 8p.m. March 30, suspects took high-end Legos from a retail store in the 12200 block of Blue Valley Parkway, according to Overland Park Police. 

On Tuesday, police released security camera images of the suspects who were last seen leaving in what was described as a red colored Toyota Camry with an unknown Missouri license plate.

Anyone with information regarding this incident, please contact the lead Detective at 913-344-8729 or the TIPS HOTLINE at 816-474-TIPS.Officer J. Lacy #653Police Public Information Officer

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680658524218.png" alt="Security camera photos Overland Park PD" />
 <figcaption>Security camera photos Overland Park PD</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a theft and asking for help to identify suspects.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680658508200.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 8p.m. March 30, suspects took high-end Legos from a retail store in the 12200 block of Blue Valley Parkway, according to Overland Park Police. On Tuesday, police released security camera images of the suspects who were last seen leaving in what was described as a red colored Toyota Camry with an unknown Missouri license plate.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680658563967.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Anyone with information regarding this incident, please contact the lead Detective at 913-344-8729 or the TIPS HOTLINE at 816-474-TIPS.Officer J. Lacy #653Police Public Information Officer

Police: Suspects took high-end Legos from store in Kansas

PALM BEACH (AP) — Flanked by American flags, former President Donald Trump delivered a campaign-style speech to cheering supporters at Mar-a-Lago Tuesday night.

Trump was defiant, referring, among other things, to his two impeachment trials during his presidency and an ongoing probe into alleged attempts to interfere in that state’s 2020 presidential election. He called the New York indictment the latest in an "onslaught of fraudulent investigations.”

“This fake case was brought only to interfere with the upcoming 2024 election and it should be dropped immediately," Trump said.

He also lashed out at the prosecutor and the judge presiding over the New York case — despite being warned hours earlier by the judge to refrain from rhetoric that could cause civil unrest.

Trump waved goodbye as he made his way out of the ballroom thronged by people recording the moment with their smartphones.

The crowd included supporters like failed Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake and longtime ally Roger Stone.

In a social media post from his plane on his flight home from New York, former President Donald Trump said that Tuesday's court hearing "was shocking to many in that they had no ‘surprises,’ and therefore, no case. Virtually every legal pundit has said that there is no case here. There was nothing done illegally!”

Trump's plane has landed in Florida, and his motorcade headed to his Mar-a-Lago resort where hundreds of supporters, many in red MAGA hats, awaited him in a grand ballroom. Trump was expected to speak there in a campaign-like setting.

One man wore a jacket patterned with star-shaped American flags, and another man wore a red tie with the message “No Crime!” Members of a motorcycle club sported black leather vests that read on the back “Born To Ride for 45 Donald Trump.” Trump was the 45th U.S. president.

Alex Gonzalez, a motorcycle club member, said he supports Trump in his 2024 presidential bid.

“If he did something wrong, like anybody else, he should be held liable for it, but at the same time this is a witch hunt. This is not a real case,” said Gonzalez.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680655057816.png" alt="photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>PALM BEACH (AP) — Flanked by American flags, former President Donald Trump delivered a campaign-style speech to cheering supporters at Mar-a-Lago Tuesday night.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former President Trump: &quot;I never thought anything like this could happen in America...the only crime that I have committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/cgrftoXHH8">pic.twitter.com/cgrftoXHH8</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1643411610701053952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump was defiant, referring, among other things, to his two impeachment trials during his presidency and an ongoing probe into alleged attempts to interfere in that state’s 2020 presidential election. He called the New York indictment the latest in an "onslaught of fraudulent investigations.”“This fake case was brought only to interfere with the upcoming 2024 election and it should be dropped immediately," Trump said.He also lashed out at the prosecutor and the judge presiding over the New York case — despite being warned hours earlier by the judge to refrain from rhetoric that could cause civil unrest.Trump waved goodbye as he made his way out of the ballroom thronged by people recording the moment with their smartphones.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former President Trump: &quot;There is no case....The criminal is the District Attorney because he illegally leaked massive amounts of grand jury information for which he should be prosecuted.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/6RfYpsNyBb">pic.twitter.com/6RfYpsNyBb</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1643418060659859461?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The crowd included supporters like failed Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake and longtime ally Roger Stone.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680658900981.png" alt="Donald Trump boards his plane for the flight back to Florida following his appearance in a New York courtroom -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Donald Trump boards his plane for the flight back to Florida following his appearance in a New York courtroom -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>In a social media post from his plane on his flight home from New York, former President Donald Trump said that Tuesday's court hearing "was shocking to many in that they had no ‘surprises,’ and therefore, no case. Virtually every legal pundit has said that there is no case here. There was nothing done illegally!”Trump's plane has landed in Florida, and his motorcade headed to his Mar-a-Lago resort where hundreds of supporters, many in red MAGA hats, awaited him in a grand ballroom. Trump was expected to speak there in a campaign-like setting.One man wore a jacket patterned with star-shaped American flags, and another man wore a red tie with the message “No Crime!” Members of a motorcycle club sported black leather vests that read on the back “Born To Ride for 45 Donald Trump.” Trump was the 45th U.S. president.Alex Gonzalez, a motorcycle club member, said he supports Trump in his 2024 presidential bid.“If he did something wrong, like anybody else, he should be held liable for it, but at the same time this is a witch hunt. This is not a real case,” said Gonzalez.

🎥 Trump defiant in speech following day in New York courtroom

OSAGE COUNTY–Authorities are investigating the cause of a rural Kansas house fire.

Just before 1p.m. Tuesday, the Osage County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting a house on fire at 15092 S. Shawnee Heights Road, just north of Overbrook, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.

First responders found the house fully engulfed in flames. The residents were not home at the time of the fire. Several dogs and puppies did not make it out.

Additional assistance was provided by the American Red Cross and the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office.&nbsp; The sheriff's office has not released the cause of the fire or a damage estimate.

Osage County Fire Districts #4-Overbrook/Michigan Valley and #1-Carbondale, Osage County Sheriff’s Deputies, and Osage County EMS responded to the scene.&nbsp;&nbsp;Additional mutual aid was requested from Osage County Fire District #5-Lyndon/Vassar and Shawnee Heights Fire District.

OSAGE COUNTY–Authorities are investigating the cause of a rural Kansas house fire.Just before 1p.m. Tuesday, the Osage County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting a house on fire at 15092 S. Shawnee Heights Road, just north of Overbrook, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.First responders found the house fully engulfed in flames. The residents were not home at the time of the fire. Several dogs and puppies did not make it out.Additional assistance was provided by the American Red Cross and the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office.&nbsp; The sheriff's office has not released the cause of the fire or a damage estimate.Osage County Fire Districts #4-Overbrook/Michigan Valley and #1-Carbondale, Osage County Sheriff’s Deputies, and Osage County EMS responded to the scene.&nbsp;&nbsp;Additional mutual aid was requested from Osage County Fire District #5-Lyndon/Vassar and Shawnee Heights Fire District.

Sheriff: Pets die in rural Kansas house fire

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a&nbsp; wanted Kansas sex offender who surrendered after a standoff with police.

Just after 1a.m., Monday, police were dispatched to the 900 block of South Topeka in Wichita for an Assault with a weapon call, according to Officer Chad Ditch.

At the scene, police contacted a 28-year-old woman&nbsp;who stated she was battered and assaulted with a weapon by 51-year-old Jesse Camacho.

The investigation revealed that a physical disturbance occurred in the residence between Camacho and the victim. The victim was able to escape the residence and contact Police.

Officers learned that Camacho was absconding from Parole and attempted to contact him. He refused to exit the residence. Contact was made over the phone with Camacho by Police Supervisor who spoke to Camacho for several hours to have Camacho surrender peacefully. 

Camacho would eventually disconnect the call, but prior to hanging up, he informed the supervisor to not have officers come in because he had rigged the residence with explosives.

At this point, the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team was activated as well as the Wichita Police Dept. Crisis Negotiators. The residents around the home were notified of the danger and recommended they evacuate the area.

Several hours later Camacho was taken into custody on requested charges of Aggravated Assault/Domestic Violence, Battery/Domestic Violence and obstruction.&nbsp;&nbsp;Camacho has been registered as a sex offender for a 1997 conviction of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. He also has previous convictions for arson, making a false writing and failure to register as an offender, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections

Police found no explosives during the sweep of the residence.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680624930971.png" alt="Camacho has been registered as a sex offender for a 1997 conviction of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. He also has previous convictions for arson, making a false writing and failure to register as an offender, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections-&nbsp; photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Camacho has been registered as a sex offender for a 1997 conviction of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. He also has previous convictions for arson, making a false writing and failure to register as an offender, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections-&nbsp; photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a&nbsp; wanted Kansas sex offender who surrendered after a standoff with police.Just after 1a.m., Monday, police were dispatched to the 900 block of South Topeka in Wichita for an Assault with a weapon call, according to Officer Chad Ditch.At the scene, police contacted a 28-year-old woman&nbsp;who stated she was battered and assaulted with a weapon by 51-year-old Jesse Camacho.The investigation revealed that a physical disturbance occurred in the residence between Camacho and the victim. The victim was able to escape the residence and contact Police.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680555828191.png" alt="Police on the scene of the standoff Monday -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the standoff Monday -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Officers learned that Camacho was absconding from Parole and attempted to contact him. He refused to exit the residence. Contact was made over the phone with Camacho by Police Supervisor who spoke to Camacho for several hours to have Camacho surrender peacefully. Camacho would eventually disconnect the call, but prior to hanging up, he informed the supervisor to not have officers come in because he had rigged the residence with explosives.At this point, the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team was activated as well as the Wichita Police Dept. Crisis Negotiators. The residents around the home were notified of the danger and recommended they evacuate the area.Several hours later Camacho was taken into custody on requested charges of Aggravated Assault/Domestic Violence, Battery/Domestic Violence and obstruction.&nbsp;&nbsp;Camacho has been registered as a sex offender for a 1997 conviction of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. He also has previous convictions for arson, making a false writing and failure to register as an offender, according to the Kansas Dept. of CorrectionsPolice found no explosives during the sweep of the residence.

Standoff arrest: Kan. sex offender claimed house had explosives

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary and have two suspects in custody

On March 26, 2023, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a home burglary in southwest Shawnee County that had occurred sometime during the previous week while the owner was out of the state, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

Two all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) were reported stolen. During the investigation, detectives discovered information regarding possible suspects.

On March 30, a detective and a deputy arrived at a residence in the 1700 block of SW Green Acres Avenue and arrested Bryan T. Gerety, 34, of Topeka. He was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and conspiracy.

Later that day, the same detective and deputy arrived at a residence in the 3600 block of SE 9th Street and arrested Bren M. Cowles, 36, of Topeka on requested charges with possession of methamphetamine, conspiracy, burglary and theft.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680635171313.png" alt="Gerety-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Gerety-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary and have two suspects in custodyOn March 26, 2023, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a home burglary in southwest Shawnee County that had occurred sometime during the previous week while the owner was out of the state, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.Two all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) were reported stolen. During the investigation, detectives discovered information regarding possible suspects.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680635018929.png" alt="Cowles-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Cowles-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>On March 30, a detective and a deputy arrived at a residence in the 1700 block of SW Green Acres Avenue and arrested Bryan T. Gerety, 34, of Topeka. He was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and conspiracy.Later that day, the same detective and deputy arrived at a residence in the 3600 block of SE 9th Street and arrested Bren M. Cowles, 36, of Topeka on requested charges with possession of methamphetamine, conspiracy, burglary and theft.

Sheriff investigating 2 Kansas men for an alleged rural burglary

NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;conspired to illegally influence the 2016 election through a series of hush money payments designed to stifle claims that could be harmful to his candidacy, prosecutors said Tuesday in unsealing a historic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indictment-full-document-640043319549?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=RelatedStories&amp;utm_campaign=position_02">34-count felony indictment</a>&nbsp;against the former president.

<a href="https://www.manhattanda.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Donald-J.-Trump-SOF.pdf">CLICK here to read </a>the indictment

The payments, said Assistant District Attorney Christopher Conroy, were part of “an unlawful plan to identify and suppress negative information that could have undermined his campaign for president.”

Trump, stone-faced and silent as he entered and exited the Manhattan courtroom, said “not guilty” in a firm voice while facing a judge who warned him to refrain from rhetoric that could inflame or cause civil unrest.

The next court date is December 4, though it is not clear if he will be required to appear.

The broad contours of the case have long been known, but indictment contains new details about a scheme that prosecutors say involved payoffs to two women, including a porn star, who said they had extramarital sexual encounters with him years earlier, as well as to a Trump Tower doorman who claimed to have a story about a child he alleged the former president had out of of wedlock.

The arraignment, though largely procedural in nature, amounts to a remarkable reckoning for Trump after years of investigations into his personal, business and political dealings. The case is unfolding against the backdrop not only of his third campaign for the White House but also against other investigations in Washington and Atlanta that might yet produce even more charges.

Trump, his lips pursed in apparent anger, entered the courtroom shortly before 2:30 p.m. He left court about an hour later, also without commenting. All told, the typically verbose Trump spoke only about 10 words during the entire proceeding.

Before the arraignment, he narrated his feelings in real time, describing the experience as “SURREAL” as he traveled from Trump Tower to lower Manhattan to face a judge.

The day's schedule, with its striking blend of legal and political events, represents the new split-screen reality for Trump as he submits to the dour demands of the American criminal justice system while projecting an aura of defiance and victimhood at celebratory campaign events.

Wearing his signature dark suit and red tie, Trump turned and waved to crowds outside the building before heading inside to be fingerprinted and processed. He arrived at court in an eight-car motorcade from Trump Tower, communicating in real time his anger at the process.

“Heading to Lower Manhattan, the Courthouse," he posted on his Truth Social platform. "Seems so SURREAL — WOW, they are going to ARREST ME. Can’t believe this is happening in America. MAGA!”

Afterward, Trump lawyer Todd Blanche told reporters that it was a “sad day for the country.”

“You don’t expect this to happen to somebody who was president of the United States," he said.

Trump, who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-impeachment-vote-capitol-siege-0a6f2a348a6e43f27d5e1dc486027860">impeached twice</a>&nbsp;by the U.S. House but was never convicted in the U.S. Senate, is the first former president to face criminal charges. The nation's 45th commander in chief was escorted from Trump Tower to the courthouse by the Secret Service.

“He is strong and ready to go,” Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina told The Associated Press. Earlier, Tacopina said in a TV interview that the former president wouldn't plead guilty to lesser charges, even if it might resolve the case. He also said he didn't think the case would make it to a jury.

New York police said they were ready for large protests by Trump supporters, who share the Republican former president’s belief that the New York grand jury indictment and three additional pending investigations are politically motivated and intended to weaken&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-2024-updates-cd5339d48064a149527e8f9a1aa7614e">his bid to retake the White House</a>&nbsp;in 2024. Journalists often outnumbered protesters, though.

Trump, a former reality TV star, has been hyping that narrative to his political advantage, saying he raised more than $8 million in the days since the indictment on claims of a “witch hunt.” His campaign released a fundraising request titled “My last email before arrest” and he has repeatedly assailed Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, egged on supporters to protest and claimed without evidence that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indictment-new-york-judge-merchan-arraignment-032a097661c259709a948ce0e70a872a">the judge presiding over the case</a>&nbsp;“hates me” — something his own lawyer has said is not true.

Trump was scheduled to return to his Palm Beach, Florida, home,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-ap-top-news-politics-993263aaefab49a7988bb4ccb808791d">Mar-a-Lago</a>, on Tuesday evening to give remarks. At least 500 prominent supporters have been invited, with some of the most pro-Trump congressional Republicans expected to attend.

A conviction would not prevent Trump from running for or winning the presidency in 2024.

The investigation is scrutinizing six-figure payments made to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cohen-stormy-daniels-grand-jury-d48153fc2d3fe7a656e8a24ad1acd082">porn actor Stormy Daniels</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-ca-state-wire-lawsuits-d8f22980841e44939399ae7179a4d583">former Playboy model Karen McDougal</a>. Both say they had sexual encounters with the married Trump years before he got into politics. Trump denies having sexual liaisons with either woman and has denied any wrongdoing involving payments.

The arraignment unfolded against the backdrop of heavy security in New York, coming more than two years after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-stormed-us-34417ac51a765e297faf53eb0ad15517">Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol</a>&nbsp;in a failed bid to halt the congressional certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s win.

Trump was defiant ahead of his arraignment. He used his social media network to complain that he was going to court in a heavily Democratic area, declaring, “KANGAROO COURT” and “THIS IS NOT WHAT AMERICA WAS SUPPOSED TO BE!” He and his campaign have repeatedly assailed Bragg and even trained scrutiny on members of Bragg's family.

Despite that, the scenes around Trump Tower and the courthouse where Trump will stand before a judge did not feature major unrest. Police tried to keep apart protesters supporting the former president and those opposing him by confining them to separate sides of a park near the courthouse using metal barricades.

Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of Trump’s staunchest supporters in Congress, staged a brief rally at the park, but the scene was so chaotic that it was hard to hear her over the crush of reporters and protesters.

“We’re the party of peace,” Greene said, thanking those Trump supporters present. “Democrats are communists.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680634153416.png" alt="Former President Donald Trump sits at the defense table with his defense team in a Manhattan court, Tuesday, April 4, 2023, in New York. Trump is set to appear in a New York City courtroom on charges related to falsifying business records in a hush money investigation, the first president ever to be charged with a crime. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)" />
 <figcaption>Former President Donald Trump sits at the defense table with his defense team in a Manhattan court, Tuesday, April 4, 2023, in New York. Trump is set to appear in a New York City courtroom on charges related to falsifying business records in a hush money investigation, the first president ever to be charged with a crime. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;conspired to illegally influence the 2016 election through a series of hush money payments designed to stifle claims that could be harmful to his candidacy, prosecutors said Tuesday in unsealing a historic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indictment-full-document-640043319549?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=RelatedStories&amp;utm_campaign=position_02">34-count felony indictment</a>&nbsp;against the former president.<a href="https://www.manhattanda.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Donald-J.-Trump-SOF.pdf">CLICK here to read </a>the indictmentThe payments, said Assistant District Attorney Christopher Conroy, were part of “an unlawful plan to identify and suppress negative information that could have undermined his campaign for president.”Trump, stone-faced and silent as he entered and exited the Manhattan courtroom, said “not guilty” in a firm voice while facing a judge who warned him to refrain from rhetoric that could inflame or cause civil unrest.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680641882182.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">WATCH: Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg news conference on the arraignment of former President Donald Trump. <a href="https://t.co/DNhXRbLbvU">https://t.co/DNhXRbLbvU</a> <a href="https://t.co/QIxbtqsNcC">pic.twitter.com/QIxbtqsNcC</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1643370653209305092?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The next court date is December 4, though it is not clear if he will be required to appear.The broad contours of the case have long been known, but indictment contains new details about a scheme that prosecutors say involved payoffs to two women, including a porn star, who said they had extramarital sexual encounters with him years earlier, as well as to a Trump Tower doorman who claimed to have a story about a child he alleged the former president had out of of wedlock.The arraignment, though largely procedural in nature, amounts to a remarkable reckoning for Trump after years of investigations into his personal, business and political dealings. The case is unfolding against the backdrop not only of his third campaign for the White House but also against other investigations in Washington and Atlanta that might yet produce even more charges.Trump, his lips pursed in apparent anger, entered the courtroom shortly before 2:30 p.m. He left court about an hour later, also without commenting. All told, the typically verbose Trump spoke only about 10 words during the entire proceeding.Before the arraignment, he narrated his feelings in real time, describing the experience as “SURREAL” as he traveled from Trump Tower to lower Manhattan to face a judge.The day's schedule, with its striking blend of legal and political events, represents the new split-screen reality for Trump as he submits to the dour demands of the American criminal justice system while projecting an aura of defiance and victimhood at celebratory campaign events.Wearing his signature dark suit and red tie, Trump turned and waved to crowds outside the building before heading inside to be fingerprinted and processed. He arrived at court in an eight-car motorcade from Trump Tower, communicating in real time his anger at the process.“Heading to Lower Manhattan, the Courthouse," he posted on his Truth Social platform. "Seems so SURREAL — WOW, they are going to ARREST ME. Can’t believe this is happening in America. MAGA!”Afterward, Trump lawyer Todd Blanche told reporters that it was a “sad day for the country.”“You don’t expect this to happen to somebody who was president of the United States," he said.Trump, who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-impeachment-vote-capitol-siege-0a6f2a348a6e43f27d5e1dc486027860">impeached twice</a>&nbsp;by the U.S. House but was never convicted in the U.S. Senate, is the first former president to face criminal charges. The nation's 45th commander in chief was escorted from Trump Tower to the courthouse by the Secret Service.“He is strong and ready to go,” Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina told The Associated Press. Earlier, Tacopina said in a TV interview that the former president wouldn't plead guilty to lesser charges, even if it might resolve the case. He also said he didn't think the case would make it to a jury.New York police said they were ready for large protests by Trump supporters, who share the Republican former president’s belief that the New York grand jury indictment and three additional pending investigations are politically motivated and intended to weaken&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-2024-updates-cd5339d48064a149527e8f9a1aa7614e">his bid to retake the White House</a>&nbsp;in 2024. Journalists often outnumbered protesters, though.Trump, a former reality TV star, has been hyping that narrative to his political advantage, saying he raised more than $8 million in the days since the indictment on claims of a “witch hunt.” His campaign released a fundraising request titled “My last email before arrest” and he has repeatedly assailed Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, egged on supporters to protest and claimed without evidence that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indictment-new-york-judge-merchan-arraignment-032a097661c259709a948ce0e70a872a">the judge presiding over the case</a>&nbsp;“hates me” — something his own lawyer has said is not true.Trump was scheduled to return to his Palm Beach, Florida, home,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-ap-top-news-politics-993263aaefab49a7988bb4ccb808791d">Mar-a-Lago</a>, on Tuesday evening to give remarks. At least 500 prominent supporters have been invited, with some of the most pro-Trump congressional Republicans expected to attend.A conviction would not prevent Trump from running for or winning the presidency in 2024.The investigation is scrutinizing six-figure payments made to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cohen-stormy-daniels-grand-jury-d48153fc2d3fe7a656e8a24ad1acd082">porn actor Stormy Daniels</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-ca-state-wire-lawsuits-d8f22980841e44939399ae7179a4d583">former Playboy model Karen McDougal</a>. Both say they had sexual encounters with the married Trump years before he got into politics. Trump denies having sexual liaisons with either woman and has denied any wrongdoing involving payments.The arraignment unfolded against the backdrop of heavy security in New York, coming more than two years after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-stormed-us-34417ac51a765e297faf53eb0ad15517">Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol</a>&nbsp;in a failed bid to halt the congressional certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s win.Trump was defiant ahead of his arraignment. He used his social media network to complain that he was going to court in a heavily Democratic area, declaring, “KANGAROO COURT” and “THIS IS NOT WHAT AMERICA WAS SUPPOSED TO BE!” He and his campaign have repeatedly assailed Bragg and even trained scrutiny on members of Bragg's family.Despite that, the scenes around Trump Tower and the courthouse where Trump will stand before a judge did not feature major unrest. Police tried to keep apart protesters supporting the former president and those opposing him by confining them to separate sides of a park near the courthouse using metal barricades.Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of Trump’s staunchest supporters in Congress, staged a brief rally at the park, but the scene was so chaotic that it was hard to hear her over the crush of reporters and protesters.“We’re the party of peace,” Greene said, thanking those Trump supporters present. “Democrats are communists.”Embattled Republican New York Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/george-santos-ethics-republicans-congress-898cc3e7e6af8659f9c6249f187362d4">George Santos</a>&nbsp;also showed up in solidarity with Trump, saying, “I want to support the president."“I think this is unprecedented and it’s a bad day for democracy,” Santos said, suggesting that future prosecutors could target Biden and other presidents with other cases, which “cheapens the judicial system.”New York’s ability to carry out safe and drama-free courthouse proceedings in a case involving a polarizing ex-president could be an important test case as prosecutors in Atlanta and Washington conduct their own investigations of Trump that could also result in charges. Those investigations concern efforts to undo&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-wins-white-house-ap-fd58df73aa677acb74fce2a69adb71f9">the 2020 election results</a>&nbsp;as well as the possible mishandling of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-indiana-donald-trump-laptops-91b5b16807b533b3ff27e9303aef38ae">classified documents</a>&nbsp;at Mar-a-Lago.___