SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a homicide at a Kansas home have identified the victim as 38-year-old Deaundreya D. Caraway of Topeka.

Just after 10 a.m. Sunday, police responded to a shooting at a home in the&nbsp; 1500 Block of SE Quincy in Topeka, according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks

Police found Caraway suffering from a gun shot. wound who was pronounced deceased at the scene. Detectives responded to the scene. Police have not released the victim's name, reported an arrest or any additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679948290709.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a homicide at a Kansas home have identified the victim as 38-year-old Deaundreya D. Caraway of Topeka.Just after 10 a.m. Sunday, police responded to a shooting at a home in the&nbsp; 1500 Block of SE Quincy in Topeka, according to Police Lt. Donna EubanksPolice found Caraway suffering from a gun shot. wound who was pronounced deceased at the scene. Detectives responded to the scene. Police have not released the victim's name, reported an arrest or any additional details.

Police ID woman in weekend homicide at Kansas home

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a threatening email sent to Manhattan Catholic Schools over the weekend determined it was not legitimate, according to a statement from the Riley County Police Department.

Police were able to trace the email back to an original source in New York, according to the RCPD. "At this time, we have no reason to believe this email was valid or even intended to go to this specific school in the first place."

"Out of an overabundance of caution, extra patrol units will be in the area during school hours."

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a threatening email sent to Manhattan Catholic Schools over the weekend determined it was not legitimate, according to a statement from the Riley County Police Department.Police were able to trace the email back to an original source in New York, according to the RCPD. "At this time, we have no reason to believe this email was valid or even intended to go to this specific school in the first place.""Out of an overabundance of caution, extra patrol units will be in the area during school hours."

Police: Threatening email sent to Kan. school traced to New York

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City-area man has been charged in connection with the double-fatality crash during a police chase, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Melvin T. Brown, 26, faces two counts of Murder 2nd Degree, Resisting Arrest, Leaving the Scene of an Accident Resulting in Death and Tampering with a Motor Vehicle 1st Degree.

According to court records, on March 22, a police officer followed a vehicle that had, upon check, shown to be stolen, according to Independence Police.

The officer attempted to coordinate the deployment of stop sticks to prevent a pursuit. But the vehicle continued, and a pursuit occurred in Independence, with rates of speed touching 90 mph until a crash occurred at Scott Avenue and Winner Road, when the Jeep driven by the defendant struck a motorcycle, killing driver Jake Jackson Monteer and passenger Jessica Marie Fields. 

The defendant's vehicle continued until officers attempted to stop it again. Officers found that the vehicle was indeed stolen, and an officer observed signs of impairment. A blood sample was taken and a preliminary test showed presence of drugs.&nbsp; &nbsp;Brown is being held on a $300,000 bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679924352207.png" alt="Brown-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Brown-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City-area man has been charged in connection with the double-fatality crash during a police chase, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Melvin T. Brown, 26, faces two counts of Murder 2nd Degree, Resisting Arrest, Leaving the Scene of an Accident Resulting in Death and Tampering with a Motor Vehicle 1st Degree.According to court records, on March 22, a police officer followed a vehicle that had, upon check, shown to be stolen, according to Independence Police.The officer attempted to coordinate the deployment of stop sticks to prevent a pursuit. But the vehicle continued, and a pursuit occurred in Independence, with rates of speed touching 90 mph until a crash occurred at Scott Avenue and Winner Road, when the Jeep driven by the defendant struck a motorcycle, killing driver Jake Jackson Monteer and passenger Jessica Marie Fields. The defendant's vehicle continued until officers attempted to stop it again. Officers found that the vehicle was indeed stolen, and an officer observed signs of impairment. A blood sample was taken and a preliminary test showed presence of drugs.&nbsp; &nbsp;Brown is being held on a $300,000 bond.

Murder charge: Fleeing driver hit, killed 2 on a motorcycle near KC

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas’ highest court signaled Monday that it still considers access to abortion a “fundamental” right under the state constitution, as an attorney for the state argued that a decisive statewide vote last year affirming abortion rights “doesn't matter."

The state Supreme Court is considering exactly how far the Republican-controlled Legislature can go in restricting abortion under a 2019 decision protecting abortion rights. The justices heard arguments from attorneys for Kansas and abortion providers in two lawsuits but isn't likely to rule for months.

One lawsuit challenges a 2015 law banning a common second-trimester abortion procedure, and the other challenges a 2011 law that regulates abortion providers more strictly than other health care providers. Legal challenges have blocked both laws from being enforced.

The U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">declared in June 2022</a>&nbsp;that the U.S. Constitution doesn't protect abortion rights and that states can ban abortion, but the Kansas court had ruled in 2019 that access to abortion is protected as a matter of bodily autonomy under the state constitution. That led the Legislature to put&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li_2022/b2021_22/measures/documents/hcr5003_00_0000.pdf">a proposed amendment</a>&nbsp;on last August's ballot asking voters whether to lift that constitutional protection, which would have allowed lawmakers to greatly restrict or ban abortion. Voters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3f479b218a6140719e1694fcfcdb8036">soundly rejected the measure</a>.

But Kansas Solicitor General Tony Powell, representing the state, said last year's vote “doesn't matter” and shouldn't factor into the court's decisions on these two lawsuits because the state constitution ultimately wasn't changed since the ballot measure was defeated. Powell, who served on the state Court of Appeals before joining the Kansas attorney general's office, said abortion issues can't be resolved by “judicial fiat.”

“We need to let the people work it out," through elected lawmakers, he told the Supreme Court.

Five of the six justices present for the arguments expressed skepticism while questioning Powell, who at one point said, “I’m doing the best I can.”

“We had a vote in August,” Justice Dan Biles told him. “That’s the elephant in the room.”

The justices did ask Alice Wang, a Center for Reproductive Rights attorney representing the abortion providers, whether preserving life was a compelling state interest. She said that question was before the state Supreme Court when it ruled in 2019.

“This court declined to recognize any compelling interest," Wang said.

Kansas allows most abortions until the 22nd week of pregnancy, attracting patients from other states with bans, most notably Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. Abortion rights opponents fear that Kansas courts will overturn many of the restrictions imposed over the past 30 years.

The state is asking the state Supreme Court to overturn its 2019 decision, but the two cases also give the court the chance to narrow that ruling's scope by upholding either or both laws.

Many Republicans had expected Kansas voters to approve the proposed state constitutional change in August, and Powell acknowledged that he was “boxed in” by the state's failure to challenge much of the evidence presented by abortion providers to the trial court judge.

Powell repeatedly argued that the justices also ought to consider federal court decisions or even decisions from other states’ courts.

“I think the court should have its blinders off,” he said.

Among Republican-leaning states, Kansas is an outlier in preserving abortion access, in part because the state's abortion opponents preferred making year-by-year incremental changes prior to last year's U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

However, the state still forces patients to wait 24 hours before getting an abortion, requires minors to get parental consent, spells out what patients must be told in writing beforehand and even mandates that the information for patients be printed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/97800820211447b19c84bc6b3cff3051">in 12-point Times New Roman type</a>.

Three members of the court's 6-1 majority retired after the 2019 decision, but their replacements&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/state-courts-kansas-topeka-courts-e1ebe774997c04d3bbb7140af2a17cff">all were appointed by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly,</a>&nbsp;a strong abortion rights supporter. One of the new justices, K.J. Wall, recused himself from the cases, so six justices will decide them. The court did not give a reason for Wall's action.

The 2019 ruling came in the early stages of the lawsuit over the ban on the second-trimester procedure. The justices kept the law on hold but sent the case back to the trial court to examine the ban further. A trial judge said the law could not stand.

The law deals with a certain type of dilation and evacuation, or D&amp;E, procedure. According to state health department statistics, about 500 D&amp;E procedures are done in Kansas each year, accounting for 6% of the state's total abortions. About 90% of the state's abortions occur in the first trimester.

A D&amp;E procedure ban would force providers to use alternative methods that the Center for Reproductive Rights, an abortion rights advocate, has said are riskier for the patient and more expensive. Biles hit on that argument repeatedly during Monday's hearing.

Abortion providers saw the law requiring them to comply with stricter regulations than other types than of doctors as an attempt to regulate them out of business. Before it was set to take effect in July 2011, it appeared briefly that no Kansas provider would be able to comply, though a Kansas City-area Planned Parenthood clinic ultimately did. A trial court judge ruled that the state had no justification for rules applying only to abortion providers, and the state appealed.

Those behind the clinic regulation law argued that it would make clinics safer for women seeking abortions, but several justices were skeptical.

The state's argument for banning the second-trimester procedure was summed up in how they wrote the law. It specifically would prohibit doctors from using forceps or similar instruments on a live fetus to remove it from the womb in pieces. Such instruments are used in some D&amp;E abortions.

Although Powell derided the specific method as “heinous,” Biles told him that there is no evidence in the record that it is worse for the fetus than the alternatives.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679937839460.png" alt="Kansas Solicitor General Tony Powell before the court Monday morning-image from the court's video page" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Solicitor General Tony Powell before the court Monday morning-image from the court's video page</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas’ highest court signaled Monday that it still considers access to abortion a “fundamental” right under the state constitution, as an attorney for the state argued that a decisive statewide vote last year affirming abortion rights “doesn't matter."(Click below to watch Monday's hearing)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5uReZME2rwE?start=518" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>The state Supreme Court is considering exactly how far the Republican-controlled Legislature can go in restricting abortion under a 2019 decision protecting abortion rights. The justices heard arguments from attorneys for Kansas and abortion providers in two lawsuits but isn't likely to rule for months.One lawsuit challenges a 2015 law banning a common second-trimester abortion procedure, and the other challenges a 2011 law that regulates abortion providers more strictly than other health care providers. Legal challenges have blocked both laws from being enforced.The U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">declared in June 2022</a>&nbsp;that the U.S. Constitution doesn't protect abortion rights and that states can ban abortion, but the Kansas court had ruled in 2019 that access to abortion is protected as a matter of bodily autonomy under the state constitution. That led the Legislature to put&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li_2022/b2021_22/measures/documents/hcr5003_00_0000.pdf">a proposed amendment</a>&nbsp;on last August's ballot asking voters whether to lift that constitutional protection, which would have allowed lawmakers to greatly restrict or ban abortion. Voters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3f479b218a6140719e1694fcfcdb8036">soundly rejected the measure</a>.But Kansas Solicitor General Tony Powell, representing the state, said last year's vote “doesn't matter” and shouldn't factor into the court's decisions on these two lawsuits because the state constitution ultimately wasn't changed since the ballot measure was defeated. Powell, who served on the state Court of Appeals before joining the Kansas attorney general's office, said abortion issues can't be resolved by “judicial fiat.”“We need to let the people work it out," through elected lawmakers, he told the Supreme Court.Five of the six justices present for the arguments expressed skepticism while questioning Powell, who at one point said, “I’m doing the best I can.”“We had a vote in August,” Justice Dan Biles told him. “That’s the elephant in the room.”The justices did ask Alice Wang, a Center for Reproductive Rights attorney representing the abortion providers, whether preserving life was a compelling state interest. She said that question was before the state Supreme Court when it ruled in 2019.“This court declined to recognize any compelling interest," Wang said.Kansas allows most abortions until the 22nd week of pregnancy, attracting patients from other states with bans, most notably Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. Abortion rights opponents fear that Kansas courts will overturn many of the restrictions imposed over the past 30 years.The state is asking the state Supreme Court to overturn its 2019 decision, but the two cases also give the court the chance to narrow that ruling's scope by upholding either or both laws.Many Republicans had expected Kansas voters to approve the proposed state constitutional change in August, and Powell acknowledged that he was “boxed in” by the state's failure to challenge much of the evidence presented by abortion providers to the trial court judge.Powell repeatedly argued that the justices also ought to consider federal court decisions or even decisions from other states’ courts.“I think the court should have its blinders off,” he said.Among Republican-leaning states, Kansas is an outlier in preserving abortion access, in part because the state's abortion opponents preferred making year-by-year incremental changes prior to last year's U.S. Supreme Court ruling.However, the state still forces patients to wait 24 hours before getting an abortion, requires minors to get parental consent, spells out what patients must be told in writing beforehand and even mandates that the information for patients be printed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/97800820211447b19c84bc6b3cff3051">in 12-point Times New Roman type</a>.Three members of the court's 6-1 majority retired after the 2019 decision, but their replacements&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/state-courts-kansas-topeka-courts-e1ebe774997c04d3bbb7140af2a17cff">all were appointed by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly,</a>&nbsp;a strong abortion rights supporter. One of the new justices, K.J. Wall, recused himself from the cases, so six justices will decide them. The court did not give a reason for Wall's action.The 2019 ruling came in the early stages of the lawsuit over the ban on the second-trimester procedure. The justices kept the law on hold but sent the case back to the trial court to examine the ban further. A trial judge said the law could not stand.The law deals with a certain type of dilation and evacuation, or D&amp;E, procedure. According to state health department statistics, about 500 D&amp;E procedures are done in Kansas each year, accounting for 6% of the state's total abortions. About 90% of the state's abortions occur in the first trimester.A D&amp;E procedure ban would force providers to use alternative methods that the Center for Reproductive Rights, an abortion rights advocate, has said are riskier for the patient and more expensive. Biles hit on that argument repeatedly during Monday's hearing.Abortion providers saw the law requiring them to comply with stricter regulations than other types than of doctors as an attempt to regulate them out of business. Before it was set to take effect in July 2011, it appeared briefly that no Kansas provider would be able to comply, though a Kansas City-area Planned Parenthood clinic ultimately did. A trial court judge ruled that the state had no justification for rules applying only to abortion providers, and the state appealed.Those behind the clinic regulation law argued that it would make clinics safer for women seeking abortions, but several justices were skeptical.The state's argument for banning the second-trimester procedure was summed up in how they wrote the law. It specifically would prohibit doctors from using forceps or similar instruments on a live fetus to remove it from the womb in pieces. Such instruments are used in some D&amp;E abortions.Although Powell derided the specific method as “heinous,” Biles told him that there is no evidence in the record that it is worse for the fetus than the alternatives.

🎥Kansas high court signals continued abortion rights support

PLATTE COUNTY —A physician in Platte City was sentenced to 27 years in prison for sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl, according to&nbsp;Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd.

Dr. Jonathan Philippe, 43, received the sentence 21 after being found guilty by a jury in February of multiple&nbsp;counts related to his abuse of the girl. Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd said, "This sentence sends the message that, regardless of one's station in life, child sexual abuse will be severely punished in Platte County. No one is above the law--particularly when a child is abused."&nbsp; At trial, prosecutors proved that Philippe began sexually abusing a young girl who was not a patient or family member&nbsp;in early 2020. She disclosed the abuse to another adult, who then reported it to the Platte County Sheriff’s Department. Philippe testified during the trial, and his criminal defense lawyer spent much time asking about his medical practice. At sentencing, he referred to his status as a physician, spoke at length about making hundreds of thousands of dollars every year, and criticized the jury for its verdict. Zahnd said, “Doctors are usually among the most respected people in any community, especially in relatively small cities like Platte City. To this&nbsp;doctor's dismay, the jury saw him for what he was: a dangerous man who&nbsp;preyed on a young child."&nbsp; The jury recommended sentences of 10 years on two counts of statutory sodomy, seven years for attempted enticement and three years for child molestation. With the exception of ordering the&nbsp;enticement and molestation counts to run concurrently, the court ran all of the counts consecutively, as required by Missouri law, resulting in the 27-year sentence. Phillippe must serve 85% of much of his sentence, meaning he will not be eligible for parole until sometime in the 2040s. The case was investigated by the Platte County Sheriff’s Department. The victim was treated at Children’s Mercy Hospital and completed a child forensic interview at Synergy Services. The case was tried by Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Myles Perry and First Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Mark Gibson.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679687694351.png" alt="Philippe-photo Platte Co." />
 <figcaption>Philippe-photo Platte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>PLATTE COUNTY —A physician in Platte City was sentenced to 27 years in prison for sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl, according to&nbsp;Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd.Dr. Jonathan Philippe, 43, received the sentence 21 after being found guilty by a jury in February of multiple&nbsp;counts related to his abuse of the girl. Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd said, "This sentence sends the message that, regardless of one's station in life, child sexual abuse will be severely punished in Platte County. No one is above the law--particularly when a child is abused."&nbsp; At trial, prosecutors proved that Philippe began sexually abusing a young girl who was not a patient or family member&nbsp;in early 2020. She disclosed the abuse to another adult, who then reported it to the Platte County Sheriff’s Department. Philippe testified during the trial, and his criminal defense lawyer spent much time asking about his medical practice. At sentencing, he referred to his status as a physician, spoke at length about making hundreds of thousands of dollars every year, and criticized the jury for its verdict. Zahnd said, “Doctors are usually among the most respected people in any community, especially in relatively small cities like Platte City. To this&nbsp;doctor's dismay, the jury saw him for what he was: a dangerous man who&nbsp;preyed on a young child."&nbsp; The jury recommended sentences of 10 years on two counts of statutory sodomy, seven years for attempted enticement and three years for child molestation. With the exception of ordering the&nbsp;enticement and molestation counts to run concurrently, the court ran all of the counts consecutively, as required by Missouri law, resulting in the 27-year sentence. Phillippe must serve 85% of much of his sentence, meaning he will not be eligible for parole until sometime in the 2040s. The case was investigated by the Platte County Sheriff’s Department. The victim was treated at Children’s Mercy Hospital and completed a child forensic interview at Synergy Services. The case was tried by Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Myles Perry and First Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Mark Gibson.---------

KC-area physician sentenced for sex abuse of 13-year-old

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A female shooter wielding two “assault-style” rifles and a pistol killed three students and three adults at a private Christian school in Nashville on Monday in the latest in a series of mass shootings in a country growing increasingly unnerved by bloodshed in schools.

(Click below to watch the President's comments)

Police said they believe the 28-year-old female shooter was a former student at The Covenant School, a Presbyterian school founded in 2001. Police shot and killed her. Investigators were searching her Nashville-area home.

The attack at The Covenant School — which has about 200 students from preschool through sixth grade, as well as roughly 50 staff members — comes as communities around the nation are reeling from a spate of school violence, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-mass-shootings-texas-police-9f38cce8fb09d3b88de3f41cdad96bd9">massacre at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas</a>, last year; a first grader who shot&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-shoots-teacher-newport-news-ebba31cb2d9064e9475c49f7fe7452df">his teacher in Virginia</a>; and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-east-high-school-shooting-9cbd699b2dd3a31015d4a22ebf30d912">shooting last week in Denver</a>&nbsp;that wounded two administrators.

“I was literally moved to tears to see this and the kids as they were being ushered out of the building,” Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake said at an afternoon news conference.

The identities of the deceased and the suspect have not been released. The shooter's motive was also not immediately clear.

President Joe Biden, speaking at an unrelated event at the White House on Monday, called the shooting a “family’s worst nightmare” and implored Congress again to pass a ban on certain semi-automatic weapons.

“It’s ripping at the soul of this nation, ripping at the very soul of this nation,” Biden said.

The suspect’s identity as a woman surprised experts on mass shootings. Female shooters make up only about 5% to 8% of all mass shooters, said Adam Lankford, a criminal justice professor at the University of Alabama who has closely studied the psychology and behavior of mass shooters.

Researchers believe there are three main explanations for why men commit more shootings than women, according to Jonathan Metzl, a professor of sociology and psychiatry at Vanderbilt University who has studied mass shootings for more than a decade.

Metzl listed those explanations as: Men have more testosterone, are socialized to be engaged in violence and own more guns than women.

“There is some story we don’t know here,” Metzl said of the suspected female shooter in Nashville. “From school shootings historically, very often we think that people have some historical connection or emotional connection to the school. There’s an untold story here.”

Monday's tragedy unfolded over roughly 14 minutes. Police received the initial call about an active shooter at 10:13 a.m.

Officers began clearing the first story of the school when they heard gunshots coming from the second level, police spokesperson Don Aaron said during a news briefing.

Two officers from a five-member team opened fire in response, fatally shooting the suspect at 10:27 a.m., Aaron said. He said there were no police officers present or assigned to the school at the time of the shooting because it is a church-run school.

The Covenant School's victims were pronounced dead at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. One officer had a hand wound from cut glass.

Other students walked to safety Monday, holding hands as they left their school surrounded by police cars, to a nearby church to be reunited with their parents.

Rachel Dibble, who was at the church as families reunited in the nearby church, described the scene as everyone being in “complete shock.”

“People were involuntarily trembling,” said Dibble, whose children attend a different private school in Nashville. “The children … started their morning in their cute little uniforms they probably had some Froot Loops and now their whole lives changed today.”

Dr. Shamendar Talwar, a social psychologist from the United Kingdom who is working on an unrelated mental health project in Nashville, raced to the church as soon as he heard news of the shooting to offer help. He said he was one of several chaplains, psychologists, life coaches and clergy inside supporting the families.

“All you can show is that the human spirit that basically that we are all hear together … and hold their hand more than anything else,” he said.

Jozen Reodica heard the police sirens and fire trucks blaring from outside her office building nearby. As her building was placed under lockdown, she took out her phone and recorded the chaos.

“I thought I would just see this on TV,” she said. “And right now, it’s real.”

The Covenant School was founded as a ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church, according to the school’s website. The school is located in the affluent Green Hills neighborhood just south of downtown Nashville, situated close to the city's top universities and home to the famed Bluebird Café – a beloved spot for musicians and song writers.

Top legislative leaders announced Monday that the GOP-dominant Statehouse would meet briefly later in the evening and delay taking up any legislation.

“In a tragic morning, Nashville joined the dreaded, long list of communities to experience a school shooting,” Mayor John Cooper wrote on Twitter.

Nashville has seen its share of mass violence in recent years, including a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tn-state-wire-nashville-bombings-lifestyle-2d5ebd11211a2dc93ed48c0de46507a3">Christmas Day 2020</a>&nbsp;attack where a recreational vehicle was intentionally detonated in the heart of Music City’s historic downtown, killing the bomber, injuring three others and forcing more than 60 businesses to close.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679948973192.png" alt="President Biden called the shooting a “family’s worst nightmare” and implored Congress again to pass a ban on certain semi-automatic weapons." />
 <figcaption>President Biden called the shooting a “family’s worst nightmare” and implored Congress again to pass a ban on certain semi-automatic weapons.</figcaption>
 </figure>NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A female shooter wielding two “assault-style” rifles and a pistol killed three students and three adults at a private Christian school in Nashville on Monday in the latest in a series of mass shootings in a country growing increasingly unnerved by bloodshed in schools.(Click below to watch the President's comments)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F235714862148090%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=573" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Police said they believe the 28-year-old female shooter was a former student at The Covenant School, a Presbyterian school founded in 2001. Police shot and killed her. Investigators were searching her Nashville-area home.The attack at The Covenant School — which has about 200 students from preschool through sixth grade, as well as roughly 50 staff members — comes as communities around the nation are reeling from a spate of school violence, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-mass-shootings-texas-police-9f38cce8fb09d3b88de3f41cdad96bd9">massacre at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas</a>, last year; a first grader who shot&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-shoots-teacher-newport-news-ebba31cb2d9064e9475c49f7fe7452df">his teacher in Virginia</a>; and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-east-high-school-shooting-9cbd699b2dd3a31015d4a22ebf30d912">shooting last week in Denver</a>&nbsp;that wounded two administrators.“I was literally moved to tears to see this and the kids as they were being ushered out of the building,” Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake said at an afternoon news conference.The identities of the deceased and the suspect have not been released. The shooter's motive was also not immediately clear.President Joe Biden, speaking at an unrelated event at the White House on Monday, called the shooting a “family’s worst nightmare” and implored Congress again to pass a ban on certain semi-automatic weapons.“It’s ripping at the soul of this nation, ripping at the very soul of this nation,” Biden said.The suspect’s identity as a woman surprised experts on mass shootings. Female shooters make up only about 5% to 8% of all mass shooters, said Adam Lankford, a criminal justice professor at the University of Alabama who has closely studied the psychology and behavior of mass shooters.Researchers believe there are three main explanations for why men commit more shootings than women, according to Jonathan Metzl, a professor of sociology and psychiatry at Vanderbilt University who has studied mass shootings for more than a decade.Metzl listed those explanations as: Men have more testosterone, are socialized to be engaged in violence and own more guns than women.“There is some story we don’t know here,” Metzl said of the suspected female shooter in Nashville. “From school shootings historically, very often we think that people have some historical connection or emotional connection to the school. There’s an untold story here.”Monday's tragedy unfolded over roughly 14 minutes. Police received the initial call about an active shooter at 10:13 a.m.Officers began clearing the first story of the school when they heard gunshots coming from the second level, police spokesperson Don Aaron said during a news briefing.Two officers from a five-member team opened fire in response, fatally shooting the suspect at 10:27 a.m., Aaron said. He said there were no police officers present or assigned to the school at the time of the shooting because it is a church-run school.The Covenant School's victims were pronounced dead at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. One officer had a hand wound from cut glass.Other students walked to safety Monday, holding hands as they left their school surrounded by police cars, to a nearby church to be reunited with their parents.Rachel Dibble, who was at the church as families reunited in the nearby church, described the scene as everyone being in “complete shock.”“People were involuntarily trembling,” said Dibble, whose children attend a different private school in Nashville. “The children … started their morning in their cute little uniforms they probably had some Froot Loops and now their whole lives changed today.”Dr. Shamendar Talwar, a social psychologist from the United Kingdom who is working on an unrelated mental health project in Nashville, raced to the church as soon as he heard news of the shooting to offer help. He said he was one of several chaplains, psychologists, life coaches and clergy inside supporting the families.“All you can show is that the human spirit that basically that we are all hear together … and hold their hand more than anything else,” he said.Jozen Reodica heard the police sirens and fire trucks blaring from outside her office building nearby. As her building was placed under lockdown, she took out her phone and recorded the chaos.“I thought I would just see this on TV,” she said. “And right now, it’s real.”The Covenant School was founded as a ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church, according to the school’s website. The school is located in the affluent Green Hills neighborhood just south of downtown Nashville, situated close to the city's top universities and home to the famed Bluebird Café – a beloved spot for musicians and song writers.Top legislative leaders announced Monday that the GOP-dominant Statehouse would meet briefly later in the evening and delay taking up any legislation.“In a tragic morning, Nashville joined the dreaded, long list of communities to experience a school shooting,” Mayor John Cooper wrote on Twitter.Nashville has seen its share of mass violence in recent years, including a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tn-state-wire-nashville-bombings-lifestyle-2d5ebd11211a2dc93ed48c0de46507a3">Christmas Day 2020</a>&nbsp;attack where a recreational vehicle was intentionally detonated in the heart of Music City’s historic downtown, killing the bomber, injuring three others and forcing more than 60 businesses to close.

🎥Biden addresses deadly school shooting in Nashville

WASHINGTON –&nbsp; U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, John Cornyn (R-TX), and Joni Ernst (R-IA) are set to introduce a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to overturn President Biden’s student loan cancelation scheme, according to a media release from the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.&nbsp; Kansas Senator Roger Marshall is also a member of the committee.

Biden's forgiveness plan would transfer up to $20,000 in student loan debt per borrower onto taxpayers, costing an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/publication/58494">estimated $400 billion</a>. This comes after the Government Accountability Office (GAO)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/b-334644">confirmed</a>&nbsp;that the student loan policy is classified as a rule and can be overturned under the CRA.

Recently, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the cases&nbsp;Biden v. Nebraska&nbsp;and&nbsp;Department of Education v. Brown&nbsp;on whether the student cancelation program is unconstitutional and violates President Biden’s executive authority. The Supreme Court is expected to issue an opinion on the policy this summer.

“President Biden’s student loan scheme does not ‘forgive’ debt, it just transfers the burden from those who willingly took out loans to those who never went to college, or sacrificed to pay their loans off,”&nbsp;said Dr. Cassidy. “Where is the relief for the man who skipped college but is paying off his work truck, or the woman who paid off her loans and is now struggling to afford her mortgage? This resolution prevents these Americans, whose debts look different from the favored group the Biden administration has selected, from picking up the bill for this irresponsible and unfair policy.”

“The Biden administration’s tuition bailout is bad public policy, and it's unfair to people who've paid their college debt off by working multiple jobs or consciously meeting their obligations,”&nbsp;said Senator Cornyn.&nbsp;“This would block President Biden’s political gambit from driving up inflation, incentivizing universities to raise tuition, and forcing hardworking Texans to pay off the debts of wealthy graduates.”

“President Biden’s unfair attempt to transfer nearly half a trillion dollars in student debt to American taxpayers only helps the wealthy and hurts working families. Why should Iowans who chose to go straight into the workforce or pay for their own education foot the bill? Despite the administration’s attempts at avoiding Congressional oversight, we’re working to protect hardworking Americans and put a stop to the president’s reckless actions,”&nbsp;said Senator Ernst.

Last month, Cassidy&nbsp;<a href="https://www.help.senate.gov/ranking/newsroom/press/ranking-member-cassidy-colleagues-file-amicus-brief-rebuking-bidens-student-loan-forgiveness">joined</a>&nbsp;U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and 41 other senators in filing an amicus brief to the Supreme Court challenging the Biden administration’s student loan cancelation program, which they say circumvents the authority of Congress.

Additionally, Cassidy&nbsp;<a href="https://www.help.senate.gov/ranking/newsroom/press/cassidy-foxx-colleagues-urge-biden-administration-to-revoke-their-reckless-student-loan-scheme">called out</a>&nbsp;President Biden’s reckless&nbsp;<a href="https://www.regulations.gov/document/ED-2023-OPE-0004-0001">income-driven repayment (IDR) rule</a>, which would result in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/2023-01/Few%20College%20Students%20Will%20Repay%20Student%20Loans%20under%20the%20Biden%20Administrations%20Proposal.pdf">majority of bachelor’s degree holders</a>&nbsp;not having to repay their loans and will cost taxpayers an estimated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.help.senate.gov/ranking/newsroom/press/cbo-bidens-backup-student-loan-scheme-will-cost-taxpayers-__">$230 billion</a>. Cassidy also joined U.S. Senator John Thune (R-SD) in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.help.senate.gov/ranking/newsroom/press/ranking-member-cassidy-thune-colleagues-reintroduce-bill-to-end-bidens-student-loan-pause">introducing</a>&nbsp;the Stop Reckless Student Loan Actions Act, which would end President Biden’s current student loan pause that has cost Americans $195 billion.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673377040107.png" alt="White House image" />
 <figcaption>White House image</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON –&nbsp; U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, John Cornyn (R-TX), and Joni Ernst (R-IA) are set to introduce a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to overturn President Biden’s student loan cancelation scheme, according to a media release from the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.&nbsp; Kansas Senator Roger Marshall is also a member of the committee.Biden's forgiveness plan would transfer up to $20,000 in student loan debt per borrower onto taxpayers, costing an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/publication/58494">estimated $400 billion</a>. This comes after the Government Accountability Office (GAO)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/b-334644">confirmed</a>&nbsp;that the student loan policy is classified as a rule and can be overturned under the CRA.Recently, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the cases&nbsp;Biden v. Nebraska&nbsp;and&nbsp;Department of Education v. Brown&nbsp;on whether the student cancelation program is unconstitutional and violates President Biden’s executive authority. The Supreme Court is expected to issue an opinion on the policy this summer.“President Biden’s student loan scheme does not ‘forgive’ debt, it just transfers the burden from those who willingly took out loans to those who never went to college, or sacrificed to pay their loans off,”&nbsp;said Dr. Cassidy. “Where is the relief for the man who skipped college but is paying off his work truck, or the woman who paid off her loans and is now struggling to afford her mortgage? This resolution prevents these Americans, whose debts look different from the favored group the Biden administration has selected, from picking up the bill for this irresponsible and unfair policy.”“The Biden administration’s tuition bailout is bad public policy, and it's unfair to people who've paid their college debt off by working multiple jobs or consciously meeting their obligations,”&nbsp;said Senator Cornyn.&nbsp;“This would block President Biden’s political gambit from driving up inflation, incentivizing universities to raise tuition, and forcing hardworking Texans to pay off the debts of wealthy graduates.”“President Biden’s unfair attempt to transfer nearly half a trillion dollars in student debt to American taxpayers only helps the wealthy and hurts working families. Why should Iowans who chose to go straight into the workforce or pay for their own education foot the bill? Despite the administration’s attempts at avoiding Congressional oversight, we’re working to protect hardworking Americans and put a stop to the president’s reckless actions,”&nbsp;said Senator Ernst.Last month, Cassidy&nbsp;<a href="https://www.help.senate.gov/ranking/newsroom/press/ranking-member-cassidy-colleagues-file-amicus-brief-rebuking-bidens-student-loan-forgiveness">joined</a>&nbsp;U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and 41 other senators in filing an amicus brief to the Supreme Court challenging the Biden administration’s student loan cancelation program, which they say circumvents the authority of Congress.Additionally, Cassidy&nbsp;<a href="https://www.help.senate.gov/ranking/newsroom/press/cassidy-foxx-colleagues-urge-biden-administration-to-revoke-their-reckless-student-loan-scheme">called out</a>&nbsp;President Biden’s reckless&nbsp;<a href="https://www.regulations.gov/document/ED-2023-OPE-0004-0001">income-driven repayment (IDR) rule</a>, which would result in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/2023-01/Few%20College%20Students%20Will%20Repay%20Student%20Loans%20under%20the%20Biden%20Administrations%20Proposal.pdf">majority of bachelor’s degree holders</a>&nbsp;not having to repay their loans and will cost taxpayers an estimated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.help.senate.gov/ranking/newsroom/press/cbo-bidens-backup-student-loan-scheme-will-cost-taxpayers-__">$230 billion</a>. Cassidy also joined U.S. Senator John Thune (R-SD) in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.help.senate.gov/ranking/newsroom/press/ranking-member-cassidy-thune-colleagues-reintroduce-bill-to-end-bidens-student-loan-pause">introducing</a>&nbsp;the Stop Reckless Student Loan Actions Act, which would end President Biden’s current student loan pause that has cost Americans $195 billion.

Student loan forgiveness program faces new threat 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A woman wielding two “assault-style” rifles and a pistol killed three students and three adults at a private Christian school in Nashville on Monday in the latest in a series of mass shootings in a country growing increasingly unnerved by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nashville-mass-school-shooting-database-columbine-uvalde-1c82749f7236752a2e621f402489b357">bloodshed in schools.</a>

Police said they believe the 28-year-old shooter was a former student at The Covenant School, a Presbyterian school founded in 2001. Police shot and killed her. Investigators were searching her Nashville-area home.

The identities of the deceased and the suspect have not been released. The shooter’s motive was also not immediately clear.

The Covenant School was founded as a ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church. The affluent Green Hills neighborhood just south of downtown Nashville, where the Covenant School is located, is home to the famed Bluebird Café – a beloved spot for musicians and song writers.

There have been seven mass killings at U.S. schools since 2006, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://cssh.northeastern.edu/sccj/mass-killing-database/">database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University</a>. In all of them, the shooters were males who killed four or more people within a 24-hour time frame at K-12 school.

“From school shootings historically, very often we think that people have some historical connection or emotional connection to the school," he said, calling the Nashville shooting “an untold story.”

Two officers from a five-member team opened fire in response, fatally shooting the suspect at 10:27 a.m., Aaron said. One officer had a hand wound from cut glass.

Aaron said there were no police officers present or assigned to the school at the time of the shooting because it is a church-run school.

Rachel Dibble, who was at the church as families found their children, described the scene as everyone being in “complete shock.”

“All you can show is that the human spirit that basically that we are all here together … and hold their hand more than anything else,” he said.

Police said they believe the 28-year-old female shooter was a former student at The Covenant School, a Presbyterian school founded in 2001. She also died after being shot by police.

The violence at the school — which has about 200 students from preschool through sixth grade — comes as communities around the nation are reeling from a spate of school violence, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-mass-shootings-texas-police-9f38cce8fb09d3b88de3f41cdad96bd9">massacre at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas</a>, last year; a first grader who shot&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-shoots-teacher-newport-news-ebba31cb2d9064e9475c49f7fe7452df">his teacher in Virginia</a>; and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-east-high-school-shooting-9cbd699b2dd3a31015d4a22ebf30d912">shooting last week in Denver</a>&nbsp;that wounded two administrators.

Authorities said the suspect was from the Nashville area, but her name has not been released and her motive in the attack has not been determined.

The Covenant School was founded as a ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church in 2001, according to the school’s website. The school is located in the affluent Green Hills neighborhood just south of downtown Nashville, situated close to the city's top universities and home to the famed Bluebird Café – a beloved spot for musicians and song writers.

The grade school has roughly 50 staff members. The school’s website features the motto “Shepherding Hearts, Empowering Minds, Celebrating Childhood.”

Nashville has seen its share of mass violence in recent years.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tn-state-wire-nashville-bombings-lifestyle-2d5ebd11211a2dc93ed48c0de46507a3">On Christmas Day 2020</a>, a recreational vehicle was intentionally detonated in the heart of Music City’s historic downtown, killing the bomber, injuring three others and forcing more than 60 businesses to close.

A man shot and killed four people at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nashville-travis-reinking-6839ec09d4c4a743bc5c31c54b918290">Nashville Waffle House in April 2018.</a>&nbsp;He was sentenced in February 2022 to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-us-news-religion-tennessee-nashville-f56b445a4e54468caff28c1844c55aa4">In September 2017, a masked gunman opened fire</a>&nbsp;at the Burnette Chapel Church of Christ, walking silently down the aisle as he shot unsuspecting congregants. One person was killed and seven others were wounded. The gunman was sentenced in 2019 to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A female shooter wielding two “assault-style” rifles and a pistol killed three students and three adults at a private Christian school in Nashville on Monday in what marks the latest in a series of mass shootings in a country growing increasingly unnerved by bloodshed in schools.

The suspect also died after being shot by police following the violence at The Covenant School, a Presbyterian school for about 200 students from preschool through sixth grade. Police said the shooter was a 28-year-old woman from Nashville, after initially saying she appeared to be in her teens.

Authorities were working to identify her and whether she had a connection to the school.

The killings come as communities around the nation are reeling from a spate of school violence, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-mass-shootings-texas-police-9f38cce8fb09d3b88de3f41cdad96bd9">massacre at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas</a>, last year; a first grader who shot&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-shoots-teacher-newport-news-ebba31cb2d9064e9475c49f7fe7452df">his teacher in Virginia</a>; and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-east-high-school-shooting-9cbd699b2dd3a31015d4a22ebf30d912">shooting last week in Denver</a>&nbsp;that wounded two administrators.

President Joe Biden called on Congress again to pass his assault weapons ban in the wake of the Nashville shooting.

“It’s heartbreaking, a family’s worst nightmare,” he said.

First lady Jill Biden also spoke about the slayings on Monday.

“I am truly without words. And our children deserve better,” she said during a National League of Cities conference in Washington. “We stand – all of us, we stand – with Nashville in prayer.”

The tragedy unfolded over roughly 14 minutes. Police received the initial call about an active shooter at 10:13 a.m.

“In a tragic morning, Nashville joined the dreaded, long list of communities to experience a school shooting,” Mayor John Cooper wrote on Twitter. “My heart goes out to the families of the victims. Our entire city stands with you.”

On WTVF TV, reporter Hannah McDonald said that her mother-in-law works at the front desk at The Covenant School. The woman had stepped outside for a break Monday morning and was coming back when she heard gunshots, McDonald said during a live broadcast. The reporter said she has not been able to speak with her mother-in-law but said her husband had.

Republican Gov. Bill Lee said he was “closely monitoring” the situation, while Democratic state Rep. Bob Freeman, whose district includes The Covenant School, called Monday’s shooting an “unimaginable tragedy.”

“I live around the corner from Covenant and pass by it often. I have friends who attend both church and school there,” Freeman said in a statement. “I have also visited the church in the past. It tears my heart apart to see this.”

The Nashville victims were pronounced dead upon arrival at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. One officer had a hand wound from cut glass.

“In a tragic morning, Nashville joined the dreaded, long list of communities to experience a school shooting,” Nashville Mayor John Cooper tweeted, thanking first responders and medical professionals. “My heart goes out to the families of the victims. Our entire city stands with you.”

The grade school has 33 teachers, the website said. The school’s website features the motto “Shepherding Hearts, Empowering Minds, Celebrating Childhood.”

The shooter entered the school through a side entrance and went to the second story, police spokesperson Don Aaron said during a news briefing.

Democratic state Rep. Bob Freeman, whose district includes The Covenant School, called Monday’s shooting an “unimaginable tragedy.”

Woman kills 3 kids, 3 adults at a Nashville Christian school

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

A badly decomposing body was found hanging from a tree south of Salina early Saturday afternoon.

Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan said this morning that deputies were sent to the 1100 block of W. Farrelly Road just before 1 p.m. Saturday for the report of a body found.

A man who lives in the area and a friend from out of town were on a UTV attempting to locate where beavers had downed trees along Dry Creek when they spotted a shirt hanging back in the trees. They went closer and discovered the body hanging from the tree. Soldan said the body was approximately 100 yards from the road.

The body, believed to be that of a male, had been there for some time based on its decomposition, Soldan said. An identification of the body will not be possible until after an autopsy is performed. Soldan said he hopes to have preliminary autopsy results by the end of the week.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679931709781.jpeg" alt="The body was found approximately 100 yards from the road in the 1100 block of W. Farrelly Road. Map courtesy Saline County" />
 <figcaption>The body was found approximately 100 yards from the road in the 1100 block of W. Farrelly Road. Map courtesy Saline County</figcaption>
 </figure>By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostA badly decomposing body was found hanging from a tree south of Salina early Saturday afternoon.Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan said this morning that deputies were sent to the 1100 block of W. Farrelly Road just before 1 p.m. Saturday for the report of a body found.A man who lives in the area and a friend from out of town were on a UTV attempting to locate where beavers had downed trees along Dry Creek when they spotted a shirt hanging back in the trees. They went closer and discovered the body hanging from the tree. Soldan said the body was approximately 100 yards from the road.The body, believed to be that of a male, had been there for some time based on its decomposition, Soldan said. An identification of the body will not be possible until after an autopsy is performed. Soldan said he hopes to have preliminary autopsy results by the end of the week.

Sheriff: Body found hanging in tree south of Salina

WASHINGTON –&nbsp;U.S. Senator Jerry Moran, ranking member of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation and co-chair of the Senate Travel Caucus – joined Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) announced that the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation passed their bipartisan legislation to help prevent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) system outages.

The&nbsp;NOTAM Improvement Act&nbsp;would require the FAA to strengthen the resiliency and cybersecurity of the NOTAM system, which alerts pilots of safety and location hazards on flight routes. This bill follows a recent NOTAM system outage in January that grounded flights nationwide. Companion legislation led by Representative Pete Stauber (R-Minn.) passed the U.S. House of Representatives in January with a strong bipartisan vote of 424-4. “The complete failure of the FAA’s NOTAM system stranded millions of Americans and was a warning of the need to strengthen and modernize our air travel system,”&nbsp;said Sen. Moran.&nbsp;“The FAA has a responsibility to make certain air travel in our country is as safe and efficient as possible. Moving this legislation forward is an important step to help meet the demands of 21st-century travel and prevent a similar failure in the future.” The task force would be composed of representatives from air carriers, airports and airline pilots, aircraft dispatchers and FAA personnel unions, as well as aviation safety and cybersecurity experts. In January,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=2EE3818C-74BA-46CC-9E0D-1B36A4B9E9E8">Sens. Moran and Klobuchar spoke with FAA Acting Administrator Billy Nolen</a>&nbsp;following the NOTAM system failure to discuss his agency’s efforts to identify the factors behind the system outage that grounded all flights nationwide and to prevent similar breakdowns from happening again.

WASHINGTON –&nbsp;U.S. Senator Jerry Moran, ranking member of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation and co-chair of the Senate Travel Caucus – joined Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) announced that the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation passed their bipartisan legislation to help prevent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) system outages. The&nbsp;NOTAM Improvement Act&nbsp;would require the FAA to strengthen the resiliency and cybersecurity of the NOTAM system, which alerts pilots of safety and location hazards on flight routes. This bill follows a recent NOTAM system outage in January that grounded flights nationwide. Companion legislation led by Representative Pete Stauber (R-Minn.) passed the U.S. House of Representatives in January with a strong bipartisan vote of 424-4. “The complete failure of the FAA’s NOTAM system stranded millions of Americans and was a warning of the need to strengthen and modernize our air travel system,”&nbsp;said Sen. Moran.&nbsp;“The FAA has a responsibility to make certain air travel in our country is as safe and efficient as possible. Moving this legislation forward is an important step to help meet the demands of 21st-century travel and prevent a similar failure in the future.” The task force would be composed of representatives from air carriers, airports and airline pilots, aircraft dispatchers and FAA personnel unions, as well as aviation safety and cybersecurity experts. In January,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=2EE3818C-74BA-46CC-9E0D-1B36A4B9E9E8">Sens. Moran and Klobuchar spoke with FAA Acting Administrator Billy Nolen</a>&nbsp;following the NOTAM system failure to discuss his agency’s efforts to identify the factors behind the system outage that grounded all flights nationwide and to prevent similar breakdowns from happening again.

Moran's legislation to prevent FAA system outages advances

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man has been charged in the fatal beating and strangulation of Elizabeth Stivers, who was found deceased in the yard of a Northeast Kansas City area residence on March 14, 2023.

According to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker, 24-year-old Darion Hall faces Murder 2nd Degree, Tampering with a Motor Vehicle 1st Degree and Attempted Stealing.

According to court records, Kansas City Police Department officers were dispatched on March 14, 2023 and found a Stivers in the yard. The Jackson County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the death a homicide and the cause was strangulation. 

The day of the homicide, Hall was observed driving his grandfather's truck, a reported stolen vehicle. It was found abandoned near 7th and Norton, about 2 minutes from the victim's residence.

Video also captured him at a drug store on Independence Avenue in which he was involved in a attempted strong arm robbery. Homicide detectives submitted to the crime lab the suspect's clothing for testing. The lab reported that DNA collected from the hoody that the defendant wore when he was arrested was DNA from the victim.&nbsp;

He is being held on a $150,000 bond.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679747905961.png" alt="Hall-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Hall-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man has been charged in the fatal beating and strangulation of Elizabeth Stivers, who was found deceased in the yard of a Northeast Kansas City area residence on March 14, 2023.According to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker, 24-year-old Darion Hall faces Murder 2nd Degree, Tampering with a Motor Vehicle 1st Degree and Attempted Stealing.According to court records, Kansas City Police Department officers were dispatched on March 14, 2023 and found a Stivers in the yard. The Jackson County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the death a homicide and the cause was strangulation. The day of the homicide, Hall was observed driving his grandfather's truck, a reported stolen vehicle. It was found abandoned near 7th and Norton, about 2 minutes from the victim's residence.Video also captured him at a drug store on Independence Avenue in which he was involved in a attempted strong arm robbery. Homicide detectives submitted to the crime lab the suspect's clothing for testing. The lab reported that DNA collected from the hoody that the defendant wore when he was arrested was DNA from the victim.&nbsp;He is being held on a $150,000 bond.&nbsp;

Man charged in strangulation murder of Kansas City woman

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas' highest court is considering whether the state can restrict how doctors end second-trimester pregnancies or impose extra health and safety rules for abortion providers after a decisive statewide vote last year confirming that the state constitution protects abortion rights.

The state Supreme Court is set to hear arguments Monday from attorneys for the state and abortion providers in two lawsuits. One challenges a 2015 law banning a common second-trimester abortion procedure, and the other challenges a 2011 law that regulates abortion providers more strictly than other health care providers. Legal challenges have blocked both laws from being enforced.

The U.S. Supreme Court declared in June 2022 that the U.S. Constitution doesn't protect abortion rights and that states can ban abortion, but the Kansas court ruled in 2019 that access to abortion is a "fundamental" right under the state constitution. That led the Republican-controlled Legislature to put a proposed amendment on last August's ballot asking voters whether to lift that constitutional protection, which would have allowed lawmakers to greatly restrict or ban abortion. Voters soundly rejected the measure, though.

Kansas allows most abortions up until the 22nd week of pregnancy, attracting patients from other states with bans, most notably Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. Abortion opponents fear that Kansas courts will overturn many of the restrictions imposed over the past 30 years. But they also see the two cases before the state's highest court as an opportunity for its seven justices to reconsider the 2019 decision or at least narrow its scope.

"There's no way to know what they're going to do, but quite frankly, I think there's a reason for them to back off," Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican who opposes abortion rights, said before the hearings.

The court will likely take months to issue rulings.

However, the state still forces patients to wait 24 hours before getting an abortion, requires minors to get parental consent, spells out what patients must be told in writing beforehand and even mandates that the information for patients be printed in 12-point Times New Roman type.

Three members of the court's 6-1 majority retired after the 2019 decision, but their replacements all were appointed by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, a strong abortion rights supporter.

"The court was clear before, and they did a really comprehensive analysis of the state constitution," said Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which operates three of Kansas' six clinics that provide abortions.

She added: "I'd much rather be on the abortion rights side."

The 2019 state Supreme Court ruling came in the early stages of the lawsuit over the ban on the second-trimester procedure. The justices kept the law on hold but sent the case back to the trial court to examine the ban further. A trial judge said the law could not stand.

A D&amp;E procedure ban would force providers to use alternative methods that the Center for Reproductive Rights, an abortion rights advocate, has said are riskier for the patient and more expensive.

"The court needs to be objective and they need to do what they need to do," said state Rep. Stephanie Clayton, a Kansas City-area Democrat. "But obviously, I hope that we have victories for privacy and bodily autonomy and choice in the state."

Those behind the clinic regulation law argued that it would make clinics safer for women seeking abortions.

Their argument for banning the second-trimester procedure was summed up in how they wrote the law. It specifically would prohibit doctors from using forceps or similar instruments on a live fetus to remove it from the womb in pieces. Such instruments are used in some D&amp;E abortions.

"Absolutely, we are we are hoping that the Kansas Supreme Court will realize that it went too far," said Jeanne Gawdun, lobbyist for Kansans for Life, the most influential anti-abortion group at the Kansas Statehouse and a key player within the state GOP.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656080662104.png" alt="Protests outside the Supreme Court in June 0f 2022 -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Protests outside the Supreme Court in June 0f 2022 -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNA AP Political WriterTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas' highest court is considering whether the state can restrict how doctors end second-trimester pregnancies or impose extra health and safety rules for abortion providers after a decisive statewide vote last year confirming that the state constitution protects abortion rights.The state Supreme Court is set to hear arguments Monday from attorneys for the state and abortion providers in two lawsuits. One challenges a 2015 law banning a common second-trimester abortion procedure, and the other challenges a 2011 law that regulates abortion providers more strictly than other health care providers. Legal challenges have blocked both laws from being enforced.The U.S. Supreme Court declared in June 2022 that the U.S. Constitution doesn't protect abortion rights and that states can ban abortion, but the Kansas court ruled in 2019 that access to abortion is a "fundamental" right under the state constitution. That led the Republican-controlled Legislature to put a proposed amendment on last August's ballot asking voters whether to lift that constitutional protection, which would have allowed lawmakers to greatly restrict or ban abortion. Voters soundly rejected the measure, though.Kansas allows most abortions up until the 22nd week of pregnancy, attracting patients from other states with bans, most notably Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. Abortion opponents fear that Kansas courts will overturn many of the restrictions imposed over the past 30 years. But they also see the two cases before the state's highest court as an opportunity for its seven justices to reconsider the 2019 decision or at least narrow its scope."There's no way to know what they're going to do, but quite frankly, I think there's a reason for them to back off," Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican who opposes abortion rights, said before the hearings.The court will likely take months to issue rulings.Among Republican-leaning states, Kansas is an outlier in preserving abortion access, in part because the state's abortion opponents preferred making year-by-year incremental changes prior to last year's U.S. Supreme Court ruling.However, the state still forces patients to wait 24 hours before getting an abortion, requires minors to get parental consent, spells out what patients must be told in writing beforehand and even mandates that the information for patients be printed in 12-point Times New Roman type.Three members of the court's 6-1 majority retired after the 2019 decision, but their replacements all were appointed by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, a strong abortion rights supporter."The court was clear before, and they did a really comprehensive analysis of the state constitution," said Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which operates three of Kansas' six clinics that provide abortions.She added: "I'd much rather be on the abortion rights side."The 2019 state Supreme Court ruling came in the early stages of the lawsuit over the ban on the second-trimester procedure. The justices kept the law on hold but sent the case back to the trial court to examine the ban further. A trial judge said the law could not stand.The law deals with a certain type of dilation and evacuation, or D&amp;E, procedure. According to state health department statistics, about 500 D&amp;E procedures are done in Kansas each year, accounting for 6% of the state's total abortions. About 90% of the state's abortions occur in the first trimester.A D&amp;E procedure ban would force providers to use alternative methods that the Center for Reproductive Rights, an abortion rights advocate, has said are riskier for the patient and more expensive.Abortion providers saw the law requiring them to comply with stricter regulations than other types than of doctors as an attempt to regulate them out of business. Before it was set to take effect in July 2011, it appeared briefly that no Kansas provider would be able to comply, though a Kansas City-area Planned Parenthood clinic ultimately did. A trial court judge ruled that the state had no justification for rules applying only to abortion providers, and the state appealed."The court needs to be objective and they need to do what they need to do," said state Rep. Stephanie Clayton, a Kansas City-area Democrat. "But obviously, I hope that we have victories for privacy and bodily autonomy and choice in the state."Those behind the clinic regulation law argued that it would make clinics safer for women seeking abortions.Their argument for banning the second-trimester procedure was summed up in how they wrote the law. It specifically would prohibit doctors from using forceps or similar instruments on a live fetus to remove it from the womb in pieces. Such instruments are used in some D&amp;E abortions."Absolutely, we are we are hoping that the Kansas Supreme Court will realize that it went too far," said Jeanne Gawdun, lobbyist for Kansans for Life, the most influential anti-abortion group at the Kansas Statehouse and a key player within the state GOP.___

Kansas court to review pair of unenforced abortion laws

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a homicide in Topeka.

Just after 10 a.m. Sunday, police responded to a shooting in the&nbsp; 1500 Block of SE Quincy in Topeka, according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks

Police found one victim suffering from a gun shot wound who was pronounced deceased at the scene. Detectives responded to the scene. Police have not released the victim's name, reported an arrest or any additional details.

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a homicide in Topeka.Just after 10 a.m. Sunday, police responded to a shooting in the&nbsp; 1500 Block of SE Quincy in Topeka, according to Police Lt. Donna EubanksPolice found one victim suffering from a gun shot wound who was pronounced deceased at the scene. Detectives responded to the scene. Police have not released the victim's name, reported an arrest or any additional details.

Police investigating weekend Kansas homicide

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Fighter jets roared off the USS Nimitz as the nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier and its battle group began exercises with South Korean warships on Monday, hours after North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles in an apparent protest of the allies’ expanding drills.

The seventh missile test this month underscored&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-north-korea-south-nuclear-weapons-f409b488bb38ad3cfc37d1f8d29a6857">heightening tensions in the region</a>&nbsp;as both the North’s weapons tests and the U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises have intensified in a cycle of tit-for-tat.

The launches may have been timed for the arrival of the USS Nimitz and its strike group, including a guided missile cruiser and two destroyers, which engaged in air defense exercises and other drills with South Korean warships in waters near Jeju island.

Jang Do Young, a South Korean navy spokesperson, said the drills were aimed at sharpening joint operational capabilities and demonstrating the U.S. commitment to defend its ally with the full range of options, including nuclear, in face of the North’s “escalating nuclear and missile threats.”

The Nimitz strike group was expected to arrive at the South Korean mainland port of Busan on Tuesday.

“The United States has deployable strategic assets at the ready on every day,” said Rear Adm. Christopher Sweeney, commander of Carrier Strike Group Eleven. “We can continue to deploy those assets and we will.”

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the two North Korean missiles were fired from a western inland area south of the North's capital of Pyongyang from around 7:47 a.m. to 8 a.m. and traveled around 370 kilometers (229 miles) before landing at sea. Japan’s military said the missiles, which landed outside Japan's exclusive economic zone, flew on an irregular trajectory and reached a maximum altitude of 50 kilometers (31 miles).

Japan has previously used similar language to describe a North Korean solid-fuel missile apparently modeled after Russia’s Iskander mobile ballistic system, which is designed to be maneuverable in low-altitude flight to better evade South Korean missile defenses. North Korea also has another short-range system with similar characteristics that resembles the U.S. MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said North Korea may dial up its testing activity further with more missile launches or even conducting its first nuclear test since September 2017.

The South Korean and Japanese militaries denounced the latest launches as a serious provocation threatening regional peace and said they were working with the United States to analyze the missiles further. The U.S. Indo Pacific Command said the launches did not pose an immediate threat to the United States or its allies, but still highlighted the “destabilizing impact” of North Korea's illicit nuclear weapons and missiles programs.

North Korea, which has weathered tightened U.N. Security Council sanctions since 2016 over its nuclear developments, didn't immediately comment on the launches.

The United States and South Korea completed their biggest springtime exercises in years last week, which had included both computer simulations and live-fire field exercises. But the allies have continued their field training in a show of force against the North's rising threats.

North Korea had also fired a short-range missile when the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-north-ronald-reagan-government-and-politics-27b1aaea7df51e52d39e0465ea18d4dd">USS Ronald Reagan and its battle group arrived for joint drills with South Korea in September,</a>&nbsp;which was the last time the United States sent an aircraft carrier to waters near the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea has launched more than 20 ballistic and cruise missiles on 11 occasions this year as it tries to force the United States to accept its nuclear status and negotiate a removal of sanctions from a position of strength.

The weapons tested this month included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-kim-jong-un-icbm-nuclear-3e30acae3ddc537add6b33dab96410e5">an intercontinental ballistic missile</a>&nbsp;and a series of short-range missiles intended to overwhelm South Korean defenses as North Korea tries to demonstrate an ability to conduct nuclear strikes on both South Korea and the U.S. mainland.

The North last week carried out what it described as a three-day exercise that simulated nuclear attacks on South Korean targets.

The country's leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-north-korea-south-895fb34033780fdafd5bf925b376a2c6">Kim Jong Un</a>&nbsp;has condemned the U.S.-South Korean joint military drills as invasion rehearsals. The allies say the exercises are defensive in nature.

The tests also included a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-nuclear-simulation-kim-jong-un-f9bc2d9f4fbcb9b5eaba339b441a02ad">purported nuclear-capable underwater drone</a>&nbsp;that the North claimed can set off a huge “radioactive tsunami” and destroy naval vessels and ports. Analysts were skeptical whether such a device was a major new threat and Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement Monday that it considers the North Korean claims likely to be “exaggerated and fabricated.”

North Korea, following some of its ballistic and cruise missile tests this month, also claimed that those weapons were tipped with mock nuclear warheads that detonated 600 to 800 meters (1,960 to 2,600 feet) above their sea targets, communicating them as heights that would maximize damage.

North Korea already is coming off a record year in weapons testing, launching more than 70 missiles in 2022. It had set into law an escalatory nuclear doctrine that authorizes pre-emptive nuclear strikes in a broad range of scenarios where it may perceive its leadership as under threat.

“It appears North Korea might be practicing, or signaling that it’s practicing, the use of nuclear strikes, both preemptive and retaliatory, in a range of scenarios that are authorized in its nuclear doctrine,” said Duyeon Kim, a senior analyst at the Center for a New American Security.

“The problem is that continued testing helps Pyongyang perfect its technology, strengthen its nuclear weapons capability that threatens South Korea and Japan, increase the likelihood of miscalculation that could lead to inadvertent conflict, and accumulate political leverage ahead of future diplomatic talks with Washington.”

Following the North’s announcement of the drone test on Friday, South Korea’s air force released details of a five-day joint drill with the United States last week that included live-fire demonstrations of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons.

The air force said the exercise was aimed at verifying precision strike capabilities and reaffirming the credibility of Seoul’s “three-axis” strategy against North Korean nuclear threats — preemptively striking sources of attacks, intercepting incoming missiles and neutralizing the North’s leadership and key military facilities.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667483523229.png" alt="A TV screen showing a news program reporting about North Korea's missile launch with file footage is seen at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022.&nbsp; (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)" />
 <figcaption>A TV screen showing a news program reporting about North Korea's missile launch with file footage is seen at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022.&nbsp; (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)</figcaption>
 </figure>SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Fighter jets roared off the USS Nimitz as the nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier and its battle group began exercises with South Korean warships on Monday, hours after North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles in an apparent protest of the allies’ expanding drills.The seventh missile test this month underscored&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-north-korea-south-nuclear-weapons-f409b488bb38ad3cfc37d1f8d29a6857">heightening tensions in the region</a>&nbsp;as both the North’s weapons tests and the U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises have intensified in a cycle of tit-for-tat.The launches may have been timed for the arrival of the USS Nimitz and its strike group, including a guided missile cruiser and two destroyers, which engaged in air defense exercises and other drills with South Korean warships in waters near Jeju island.Jang Do Young, a South Korean navy spokesperson, said the drills were aimed at sharpening joint operational capabilities and demonstrating the U.S. commitment to defend its ally with the full range of options, including nuclear, in face of the North’s “escalating nuclear and missile threats.”The Nimitz strike group was expected to arrive at the South Korean mainland port of Busan on Tuesday.“The United States has deployable strategic assets at the ready on every day,” said Rear Adm. Christopher Sweeney, commander of Carrier Strike Group Eleven. “We can continue to deploy those assets and we will.”South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the two North Korean missiles were fired from a western inland area south of the North's capital of Pyongyang from around 7:47 a.m. to 8 a.m. and traveled around 370 kilometers (229 miles) before landing at sea. Japan’s military said the missiles, which landed outside Japan's exclusive economic zone, flew on an irregular trajectory and reached a maximum altitude of 50 kilometers (31 miles).Japan has previously used similar language to describe a North Korean solid-fuel missile apparently modeled after Russia’s Iskander mobile ballistic system, which is designed to be maneuverable in low-altitude flight to better evade South Korean missile defenses. North Korea also has another short-range system with similar characteristics that resembles the U.S. MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System.Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said North Korea may dial up its testing activity further with more missile launches or even conducting its first nuclear test since September 2017.The South Korean and Japanese militaries denounced the latest launches as a serious provocation threatening regional peace and said they were working with the United States to analyze the missiles further. The U.S. Indo Pacific Command said the launches did not pose an immediate threat to the United States or its allies, but still highlighted the “destabilizing impact” of North Korea's illicit nuclear weapons and missiles programs.North Korea, which has weathered tightened U.N. Security Council sanctions since 2016 over its nuclear developments, didn't immediately comment on the launches.The United States and South Korea completed their biggest springtime exercises in years last week, which had included both computer simulations and live-fire field exercises. But the allies have continued their field training in a show of force against the North's rising threats.North Korea had also fired a short-range missile when the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-north-ronald-reagan-government-and-politics-27b1aaea7df51e52d39e0465ea18d4dd">USS Ronald Reagan and its battle group arrived for joint drills with South Korea in September,</a>&nbsp;which was the last time the United States sent an aircraft carrier to waters near the Korean Peninsula.North Korea has launched more than 20 ballistic and cruise missiles on 11 occasions this year as it tries to force the United States to accept its nuclear status and negotiate a removal of sanctions from a position of strength.The weapons tested this month included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-kim-jong-un-icbm-nuclear-3e30acae3ddc537add6b33dab96410e5">an intercontinental ballistic missile</a>&nbsp;and a series of short-range missiles intended to overwhelm South Korean defenses as North Korea tries to demonstrate an ability to conduct nuclear strikes on both South Korea and the U.S. mainland.The North last week carried out what it described as a three-day exercise that simulated nuclear attacks on South Korean targets.The country's leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-north-korea-south-895fb34033780fdafd5bf925b376a2c6">Kim Jong Un</a>&nbsp;has condemned the U.S.-South Korean joint military drills as invasion rehearsals. The allies say the exercises are defensive in nature.The tests also included a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-nuclear-simulation-kim-jong-un-f9bc2d9f4fbcb9b5eaba339b441a02ad">purported nuclear-capable underwater drone</a>&nbsp;that the North claimed can set off a huge “radioactive tsunami” and destroy naval vessels and ports. Analysts were skeptical whether such a device was a major new threat and Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement Monday that it considers the North Korean claims likely to be “exaggerated and fabricated.”North Korea, following some of its ballistic and cruise missile tests this month, also claimed that those weapons were tipped with mock nuclear warheads that detonated 600 to 800 meters (1,960 to 2,600 feet) above their sea targets, communicating them as heights that would maximize damage.North Korea already is coming off a record year in weapons testing, launching more than 70 missiles in 2022. It had set into law an escalatory nuclear doctrine that authorizes pre-emptive nuclear strikes in a broad range of scenarios where it may perceive its leadership as under threat.“It appears North Korea might be practicing, or signaling that it’s practicing, the use of nuclear strikes, both preemptive and retaliatory, in a range of scenarios that are authorized in its nuclear doctrine,” said Duyeon Kim, a senior analyst at the Center for a New American Security.“The problem is that continued testing helps Pyongyang perfect its technology, strengthen its nuclear weapons capability that threatens South Korea and Japan, increase the likelihood of miscalculation that could lead to inadvertent conflict, and accumulate political leverage ahead of future diplomatic talks with Washington.”Following the North’s announcement of the drone test on Friday, South Korea’s air force released details of a five-day joint drill with the United States last week that included live-fire demonstrations of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons.The air force said the exercise was aimed at verifying precision strike capabilities and reaffirming the credibility of Seoul’s “three-axis” strategy against North Korean nuclear threats — preemptively striking sources of attacks, intercepting incoming missiles and neutralizing the North’s leadership and key military facilities.

North Korea fires 2 more missiles as US sends warship

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement found an abandoned SUV parked on&nbsp;railroad tracks in the 1500 block between N1550 and N1500 roads just east of Lawrence on Sunday morning, according to the Douglas County Sheriff. 

On social media, the sheriff's office reminded the public, "you can't park there." Deputies called a tow service who used a pickup to remove the SUV.

 Deputies later located the suspected driver in Lawrence, who is under investigation for DUI.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679836941285.png" alt="Photo Douglas County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Douglas County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement found an abandoned SUV parked on&nbsp;railroad tracks in the 1500 block between N1550 and N1500 roads just east of Lawrence on Sunday morning, according to the Douglas County Sheriff. On social media, the sheriff's office reminded the public, "you can't park there." Deputies called a tow service who used a pickup to remove the SUV. Deputies later located the suspected driver in Lawrence, who is under investigation for DUI.

Kansas Sheriff: You can't park there

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Clifton Ray Weatherspoon, 30, and Antonio Dawayne Knight, 24, both of Wichita were indicted this week on one count of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute.

Weatherspoon was also indicted on one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deb Barnett and Ola Odeyemi are prosecuting the case. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679522652693.png" alt="Knight-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Knight-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Clifton Ray Weatherspoon, 30, and Antonio Dawayne Knight, 24, both of Wichita were indicted this week on one count of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679522512346.png" alt="Weatherspoon" />
 <figcaption>Weatherspoon</figcaption>
 </figure>Weatherspoon was also indicted on one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deb Barnett and Ola Odeyemi are prosecuting the case.