CASS COUNTY —The search for one of two inmates who escaped Dec. 5 from&nbsp;the jail in Cass County, Missouri south of Kansas City continues.

Authorities took 33-year-0ld Trevor Sparks of Kansas City into custody Dec. 30, in the 400 Block of Olive Street, according to the FBI.

The U.S. Marshals Service continues to offer a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads directly to the capture of 43-year-old Sergio Perez- Martinez of Panorama City, Calif.&nbsp; The FBI is also offering $10k for anyone who can provide information leading to his capture.&nbsp;

Perez Mertinez&nbsp; was being held for possession of dangerous drugs. Sparks was jailed on money laundering charges, according to the Cass County sheriff's office.

A third individual, Steven Lydell Williams, Sr., 64, Kansas City, has been charged&nbsp; with aiding or assisting in the escape.

Anyone with any information is urged to contact the Cass County Sheriff’s Office at (816) 380-5200, or call 911.&nbsp; Submit a tip to the Marshals<a href="https://www.usmarshals.gov/tips/index.htm?fbclid=IwAR2np8V0SoqQyr6Znkz_ykiw2FsK7SY3PkQN_uuUCJz41bCD_XDGusIXZJw"> here</a>&nbsp; or contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or online at <a href="https://t.co/49eEgggFOb" target="_blank">http://tips.fbi.gov</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670539649262.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>CASS COUNTY —The search for one of two inmates who escaped Dec. 5 from&nbsp;the jail in Cass County, Missouri south of Kansas City continues.Authorities took 33-year-0ld Trevor Sparks of Kansas City into custody Dec. 30, in the 400 Block of Olive Street, according to the FBI.The U.S. Marshals Service continues to offer a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads directly to the capture of 43-year-old Sergio Perez- Martinez of Panorama City, Calif.&nbsp; The FBI is also offering $10k for anyone who can provide information leading to his capture.&nbsp;Perez Mertinez&nbsp; was being held for possession of dangerous drugs. Sparks was jailed on money laundering charges, according to the Cass County sheriff's office.A third individual, Steven Lydell Williams, Sr., 64, Kansas City, has been charged&nbsp; with aiding or assisting in the escape. Anyone with any information is urged to contact the Cass County Sheriff’s Office at (816) 380-5200, or call 911.&nbsp; Submit a tip to the Marshals<a href="https://www.usmarshals.gov/tips/index.htm?fbclid=IwAR2np8V0SoqQyr6Znkz_ykiw2FsK7SY3PkQN_uuUCJz41bCD_XDGusIXZJw"> here</a>&nbsp; or contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or online at <a href="https://t.co/49eEgggFOb" target="_blank">http://tips.fbi.gov</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Search continues for inmate who escaped KC-area jail in December

WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. military fighter jet shot down an unknown object flying off the remote northern coast of Alaska on Friday on orders from President Joe Biden, White House officials said.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the object was downed because it was flying at about 40,000 feet (13,000 meters) and posed a “reasonable threat” to the safety of civilian flights, not because of any knowledge that it was engaged in surveillance. Asked about the object's downing, Biden on Friday said only that “It was a success.”

Commercial airliners and private jets can fly as high as 45,000 feet (13,700 meters).

Kirby described the object as roughly the size of a small car, much smaller than the massive suspected Chinese spy balloon downed by Air Force fighter jets Saturday off the coast of South Carolina after it transited over sensitive military sites across the continental U.S.

The twin downings in such close succession are extraordinary, and reflect heightened concerns over China's surveillance program and public pressure on Biden to take a tough stand against it. Still, there were few answers about the unknown object downed Friday and the White House drew distinctions between the two episodes. Officials couldn’t say if the latest object contained any surveillance equipment, where it came from or what purpose it had.

The Pentagon on Friday declined to provide a more precise description of the object, only saying that U.S. pilots who flew up to observe it determined it didn’t appear to be manned. Officials said the object was far smaller than last week's balloon, did not appear to be maneuverable and was traveling at a much lower altitude.

Kirby maintained that Biden, based on the advice of the Pentagon, believed it posed enough of a concern to shoot it out of the sky — primarily because of the potential risk to civilian aircraft.

“We’re going to remain vigilant about our airspace," Kirby said. "The president takes his obligations to protect our national security interests as paramount."

The president was briefed on the presence of the object Thursday evening after two fighter jets surveilled it.

Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, told reporters Friday that an F-22 fighter aircraft based at Alaska's Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson shot down the object using an AIM-9X short-range air-to-air missile, the same type used to take down the balloon nearly a week ago.

The object flew over one of the most desolate places on the nation. Few towns dot Alaska’s North Slope, with the two apparently closest communities — Deadhorse and Kaktovik — combining for about 300 people. Unlike the suspected spy balloon, which was downed to live feeds and got U.S. residents looking up to the skies, it's likely few people saw this object given the blistering frigid conditions of northern Alaska this time of the year, meaning there are few people outside for a prolonged period of time.

Ahead of the the shoot-down, the Federal Aviation Administration restricted flights over a roughly 10-square mile (26-square kilometer) area within U.S. airspace off Alaska's Bullen Point, the site of a disused U.S. Air Force radar station on the Beaufort Sea about 130 miles (210 kilometers) from the Canadian border, inside the Arctic Circle.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a tweet Friday that he had been briefed and supported the decision. “Our military and intelligence services will always work together," he said.

The object fell onto frozen waters and officials expected they could recover debris faster than from last week's massive balloon. Ryder said the object was traveling northeast when it was shot down. He said several U.S. military helicopters have gone out to begin the recovery effort.

Later Friday, the Pentagon said: “Recovery is happening in a mix of ice and snow. Units located in Alaska under the direction of U.S. Northern Command, along with the Alaska National Guard, are involved in the response.”

The unknown object was shot down in an area with harsh weather conditions and about six and a half hours of daylight at this time of year. Daytime temperatures Friday were about minus 17 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius).

After the object was detected Thursday, NORAD — North American Aerospace Defense Command —sent F-35s to observe it, a U.S. official said, adding that the military queried U.S. government agencies to make sure it did not belong to any of them, and had confidence it was not a U.S. government or military asset. The official was not authorized to speak publicly about sensitive national security matters and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Because it was much smaller than the suspected Chinese spy balloon, there were fewer safety concerns about downing it over land, so the decision was made to shoot it down when it was possible. That happened over water.

The development came almost a week after the U.S. shot down a suspected&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-china-antony-blinken-51e49202f2a0a50541cde059934c4cfb">Chinese spy balloon off the Carolina</a>&nbsp;coast after it traversed sensitive military sites across North America. China insisted the flyover was an accident involving a civilian craft and threatened repercussions.

Biden issued the order but had wanted the balloon downed even earlier. He was advised that the best time for the operation would be when it was over water. Military officials determined that bringing it down over land from an altitude of 60,000 feet would pose an undue risk to people on the ground.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-south-carolina-china-dfa08f4f47a58a638d4ef1d3a34b2a8b">balloon was part of a large surveillance program</a>&nbsp;that China has been conducting for “several years,” the Pentagon has said. The U.S. has said Chinese balloons have flown over dozens of countries across five continents in recent years, and it learned more about the balloon program after closely monitoring the one shot down near South Carolina.

China responded that it reserved the right to “take further actions” and criticized the U.S. for “an obvious overreaction and a serious violation of international practice.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. military fighter jet shot down an unknown object flying off the northern coast of Alaska on Friday on orders from President Joe Biden, White House officials said.

Kirby described the object as roughly the size of a small car, much smaller than the massive suspected Chinese spy balloon downed by Air Force fight jets Saturday off the coast of South Carolina after it transited over sensitive military sites across the continental U.S.

The Pentagon on Friday declined to provide a more precise description of the object, only saying that U.S. pilots who flew up to observe it determined it didn’t appear to be manned. Officials said the object was far smaller than the previous balloon, did not appear to be maneuverable and was traveling at a much lower altitude.

Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, told reporters Friday that an F-22 fighter aircraft based at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson shot down the object using an AIM-9X short-range air-to-air missile, the same type used to take down the balloon nearly a week ago.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. military fighter jet shot down an unknown object flying off the coast of Alaska on Friday on orders from President Joe Biden, White House officials said.

The object was flying at about 40,000 feet and posed a “reasonable threat” to the safety of civilian flights, said John Kirby, White House National Security Council spokesman. He described the object as roughly the size of a small car and said it was shot down near the U.S.-Canada border.

It was the second time in a week U.S. officials had downed some type of flying object over the U.S. On Saturday fighter jets fired a missile into a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina.

There were few answers about the object, and the White House drew distinctions between the two episodes. Kirby said it wasn't yet known who owned it, and he did not say it was a balloon. Officials also couldn't say if there was any surveillance equipment on it. Kirby didn't know yet where it came from or what its purpose was.

Still, it posed enough of a concern that U.S. officials felt it best to knock it out of the sky.

Kirby said fighter pilots visually examining the object ascertained it was not manned. The president was briefed on the presence of the object Thursday evening after two fighter jets surveilled it.

The object fell into frigid waters and officials expected they could recover debris faster than from last week's massive balloon.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-south-carolina-china-dfa08f4f47a58a638d4ef1d3a34b2a8b">balloon was part of a large surveillance program</a>&nbsp;that China has been conducting for “several years,” the Pentagon has said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon shot down an unknown object flying in U.S. airspace off the coast of Alaska on Friday on orders from President Joe Biden, White House officials said.

The object was flying at about 40,000 feet and posted a “reasonable threat” to the safety of civilian flights, said John Kirby, White House National Security Council spokesman. He described the object as roughly the size of a small car.

It was the second time in a week U.S. officials had downed some type of flying object over the U.S. On Saturday fighter jets shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina.

White House officials drew major differences between the two episodes. Kirby said it wasn't yet known who owned the object, and he did not say that it was a balloon. Officials also couldn't say if there was any surveillance equipment on it. He also didn't know yet where it came from or what its purpose was.

Kirby said fight pilots visually examining the object ascertained that it was not manned.

The development came almost a week after the U.S. shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the Carolina coast after it traversed sensitive military sites across North America. China insisted the flyover was an accident involving a civilian craft and threatened repercussions.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. military fighter jet shot down an unknown object flying off the remote northern coast of Alaska on Friday on orders from President Joe Biden, White House officials said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">NSC Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby on object shot down today: &quot;We&#39;re calling this an object because that&#39;s the best description we have right now...We do not know who owns it...It was much much smaller than the spy balloon that we took down last Saturday.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/d94UlFmH9n">pic.twitter.com/d94UlFmH9n</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1624137312790810624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the object was downed because it was flying at about 40,000 feet (13,000 meters) and posed a “reasonable threat” to the safety of civilian flights, not because of any knowledge that it was engaged in surveillance. Asked about the object's downing, Biden on Friday said only that “It was a success.”Commercial airliners and private jets can fly as high as 45,000 feet (13,700 meters).Kirby described the object as roughly the size of a small car, much smaller than the massive suspected Chinese spy balloon downed by Air Force fighter jets Saturday off the coast of South Carolina after it transited over sensitive military sites across the continental U.S.The twin downings in such close succession are extraordinary, and reflect heightened concerns over China's surveillance program and public pressure on Biden to take a tough stand against it. Still, there were few answers about the unknown object downed Friday and the White House drew distinctions between the two episodes. Officials couldn’t say if the latest object contained any surveillance equipment, where it came from or what purpose it had.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/PentagonPresSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PentagonPresSec</a> confirms &quot;fighter aircraft...successfully took down a high altitude airborne object off the northern coast of Alaska at 1:45pm...the object was flying at an altitude of 40,000 ft. and posed a reasonable threat to the safety of civilian flight.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/PB6Ndo6jQt">pic.twitter.com/PB6Ndo6jQt</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1624145609442660384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Pentagon on Friday declined to provide a more precise description of the object, only saying that U.S. pilots who flew up to observe it determined it didn’t appear to be manned. Officials said the object was far smaller than last week's balloon, did not appear to be maneuverable and was traveling at a much lower altitude.Kirby maintained that Biden, based on the advice of the Pentagon, believed it posed enough of a concern to shoot it out of the sky — primarily because of the potential risk to civilian aircraft.“We’re going to remain vigilant about our airspace," Kirby said. "The president takes his obligations to protect our national security interests as paramount."The president was briefed on the presence of the object Thursday evening after two fighter jets surveilled it.Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, told reporters Friday that an F-22 fighter aircraft based at Alaska's Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson shot down the object using an AIM-9X short-range air-to-air missile, the same type used to take down the balloon nearly a week ago.The object flew over one of the most desolate places on the nation. Few towns dot Alaska’s North Slope, with the two apparently closest communities — Deadhorse and Kaktovik — combining for about 300 people. Unlike the suspected spy balloon, which was downed to live feeds and got U.S. residents looking up to the skies, it's likely few people saw this object given the blistering frigid conditions of northern Alaska this time of the year, meaning there are few people outside for a prolonged period of time.Ahead of the the shoot-down, the Federal Aviation Administration restricted flights over a roughly 10-square mile (26-square kilometer) area within U.S. airspace off Alaska's Bullen Point, the site of a disused U.S. Air Force radar station on the Beaufort Sea about 130 miles (210 kilometers) from the Canadian border, inside the Arctic Circle.Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a tweet Friday that he had been briefed and supported the decision. “Our military and intelligence services will always work together," he said.The object fell onto frozen waters and officials expected they could recover debris faster than from last week's massive balloon. Ryder said the object was traveling northeast when it was shot down. He said several U.S. military helicopters have gone out to begin the recovery effort.Later Friday, the Pentagon said: “Recovery is happening in a mix of ice and snow. Units located in Alaska under the direction of U.S. Northern Command, along with the Alaska National Guard, are involved in the response.”The unknown object was shot down in an area with harsh weather conditions and about six and a half hours of daylight at this time of year. Daytime temperatures Friday were about minus 17 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius).After the object was detected Thursday, NORAD — North American Aerospace Defense Command —sent F-35s to observe it, a U.S. official said, adding that the military queried U.S. government agencies to make sure it did not belong to any of them, and had confidence it was not a U.S. government or military asset. The official was not authorized to speak publicly about sensitive national security matters and spoke on condition of anonymity.Because it was much smaller than the suspected Chinese spy balloon, there were fewer safety concerns about downing it over land, so the decision was made to shoot it down when it was possible. That happened over water.The development came almost a week after the U.S. shot down a suspected&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-china-antony-blinken-51e49202f2a0a50541cde059934c4cfb">Chinese spy balloon off the Carolina</a>&nbsp;coast after it traversed sensitive military sites across North America. China insisted the flyover was an accident involving a civilian craft and threatened repercussions.Biden issued the order but had wanted the balloon downed even earlier. He was advised that the best time for the operation would be when it was over water. Military officials determined that bringing it down over land from an altitude of 60,000 feet would pose an undue risk to people on the ground.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-south-carolina-china-dfa08f4f47a58a638d4ef1d3a34b2a8b">balloon was part of a large surveillance program</a>&nbsp;that China has been conducting for “several years,” the Pentagon has said. The U.S. has said Chinese balloons have flown over dozens of countries across five continents in recent years, and it learned more about the balloon program after closely monitoring the one shot down near South Carolina.China responded that it reserved the right to “take further actions” and criticized the U.S. for “an obvious overreaction and a serious violation of international practice.”---------WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. military fighter jet shot down an unknown object flying off the northern coast of Alaska on Friday on orders from President Joe Biden, White House officials said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">NSC Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby on object shot down today: &quot;We&#39;re calling this an object because that&#39;s the best description we have right now...We do not know who owns it...It was much much smaller than the spy balloon that we took down last Saturday.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/d94UlFmH9n">pic.twitter.com/d94UlFmH9n</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1624137312790810624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the object was downed because it was flying at about 40,000 feet (13,000 meters) and posed a “reasonable threat” to the safety of civilian flights, not because of any knowledge that it was engaged in surveillance. Asked about the object's downing, Biden on Friday said only that “It was a success.”Kirby described the object as roughly the size of a small car, much smaller than the massive suspected Chinese spy balloon downed by Air Force fight jets Saturday off the coast of South Carolina after it transited over sensitive military sites across the continental U.S.The twin downings in such close succession are extraordinary, and reflect heightened concerns over China's surveillance program and public pressure on Biden to take a tough stand against it. Still, there were few answers about the unknown object downed Friday and the White House drew distinctions between the two episodes. Officials couldn’t say if the latest object contained any surveillance equipment, where it came from or what purpose it had.The Pentagon on Friday declined to provide a more precise description of the object, only saying that U.S. pilots who flew up to observe it determined it didn’t appear to be manned. Officials said the object was far smaller than the previous balloon, did not appear to be maneuverable and was traveling at a much lower altitude.Kirby maintained that Biden, based on the advice of the Pentagon, believed it posed enough of a concern to shoot it out of the sky — primarily because of the potential risk to civilian aircraft.“We’re going to remain vigilant about our airspace," Kirby said. "The president takes his obligations to protect our national security interests as paramount."The president was briefed on the presence of the object Thursday evening after two fighter jets surveilled it.Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, told reporters Friday that an F-22 fighter aircraft based at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson shot down the object using an AIM-9X short-range air-to-air missile, the same type used to take down the balloon nearly a week ago.Ahead of the the shoot-down, the Federal Aviation Administration restricted flights over a roughly 10-square mile (26-square kilometer) area within U.S. airspace off Alaska's Bullen Point, the site of a disused U.S. Air Force radar station on the Beaufort Sea about 130 miles (210 kilometers) from the Canadian border, inside the Arctic Circle.The object fell onto frozen waters and officials expected they could recover debris faster than from last week's massive balloon. Ryder said the object was traveling northeast when it was shot down. He said several U.S. military helicopters have gone out to begin the recovery effort.The unknown object was shot down in an area with harsh weather conditions and about six and a half hours of daylight at this time of year. Daytime temperatures Friday were about minus 17 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius).The development came almost a week after the U.S. shot down a suspected&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-china-antony-blinken-51e49202f2a0a50541cde059934c4cfb">Chinese spy balloon off the Carolina</a>&nbsp;coast after it traversed sensitive military sites across North America. China insisted the flyover was an accident involving a civilian craft and threatened repercussions.Biden issued the order but had wanted the balloon downed even earlier. He was advised that the best time for the operation would be when it was over water. Military officials determined that bringing it down over land from an altitude of 60,000 feet would pose an undue risk to people on the ground.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-south-carolina-china-dfa08f4f47a58a638d4ef1d3a34b2a8b">balloon was part of a large surveillance program</a>&nbsp;that China has been conducting for “several years,” the Pentagon has said. The U.S. has said Chinese balloons have flown over dozens of countries across five continents in recent years, and it learned more about the balloon program after closely monitoring the one shot down near South Carolina.China responded that it reserved the right to “take further actions” and criticized the U.S. for “an obvious overreaction and a serious violation of international practice.”------------WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. military fighter jet shot down an unknown object flying off the coast of Alaska on Friday on orders from President Joe Biden, White House officials said.The object was flying at about 40,000 feet and posed a “reasonable threat” to the safety of civilian flights, said John Kirby, White House National Security Council spokesman. He described the object as roughly the size of a small car and said it was shot down near the U.S.-Canada border.It was the second time in a week U.S. officials had downed some type of flying object over the U.S. On Saturday fighter jets fired a missile into a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina.There were few answers about the object, and the White House drew distinctions between the two episodes. Kirby said it wasn't yet known who owned it, and he did not say it was a balloon. Officials also couldn't say if there was any surveillance equipment on it. Kirby didn't know yet where it came from or what its purpose was.Still, it posed enough of a concern that U.S. officials felt it best to knock it out of the sky.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">So we can shoot down suspicious objects BEFORE they get over our border… Just as I suggested. <a href="https://t.co/eZcVmbMpDa">https://t.co/eZcVmbMpDa</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1624134672862089235?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“We’re going to remain vigilant about our airspace," Kirby said. "The president takes his obligations to protect our national security interests as paramount."Kirby said fighter pilots visually examining the object ascertained it was not manned. The president was briefed on the presence of the object Thursday evening after two fighter jets surveilled it.The object fell into frigid waters and officials expected they could recover debris faster than from last week's massive balloon.The development came almost a week after the U.S. shot down a suspected&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-china-antony-blinken-51e49202f2a0a50541cde059934c4cfb">Chinese spy balloon off the Carolina</a>&nbsp;coast after it traversed sensitive military sites across North America. China insisted the flyover was an accident involving a civilian craft and threatened repercussions.Biden issued the order but had wanted the balloon downed even earlier. He was advised that the best time for the operation would be when it was over water. Military officials determined that bringing it down over land from an altitude of 60,000 feet would pose an undue risk to people on the ground.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-south-carolina-china-dfa08f4f47a58a638d4ef1d3a34b2a8b">balloon was part of a large surveillance program</a>&nbsp;that China has been conducting for “several years,” the Pentagon has said.China responded that it reserved the right to “take further actions” and criticized the U.S. for “an obvious overreaction and a serious violation of international practice.”--------WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon shot down an unknown object flying in U.S. airspace off the coast of Alaska on Friday on orders from President Joe Biden, White House officials said.The object was flying at about 40,000 feet and posted a “reasonable threat” to the safety of civilian flights, said John Kirby, White House National Security Council spokesman. He described the object as roughly the size of a small car.It was the second time in a week U.S. officials had downed some type of flying object over the U.S. On Saturday fighter jets shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina.White House officials drew major differences between the two episodes. Kirby said it wasn't yet known who owned the object, and he did not say that it was a balloon. Officials also couldn't say if there was any surveillance equipment on it. He also didn't know yet where it came from or what its purpose was.Kirby said fight pilots visually examining the object ascertained that it was not manned.The object fell into frigid waters and officials expected they could recover debris faster than from last week's massive balloon.The development came almost a week after the U.S. shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the Carolina coast after it traversed sensitive military sites across North America. China insisted the flyover was an accident involving a civilian craft and threatened repercussions.Biden issued the order but had wanted the balloon downed even earlier. He was advised that the best time for the operation would be when it was over water. Military officials determined that bringing it down over land from an altitude of 60,000 feet would pose an undue risk to people on the ground.China responded that it reserved the right to “take further actions” and criticized the U.S. for “an obvious overreaction and a serious violation of international practice.”

🎥 US fighter jet shoots down UFO; Arctic sea recovery underway

KANSAS CITY – A&nbsp; couple was sentenced in federal court this week for a scheme to smuggle counterfeit Disney DVDs into the United States and sell them on eBay.

Tabitha Nicole Rodgers, 43, and her husband, Clint Travis Rodgers, 49, of Columbia, Missouri were sentenced in separate appearances before U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark. Tabitha Rodgers was sentenced to four years in federal prison without parole. Clint Rodgers was sentenced to one year in federal prison without parole.

The court also ordered Tabitha Rodgers to pay $26,573 in restitution to the government for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits she was not entitled to receive. The court ordered Clint Rodgers to pay a $10,000 fine.

On Oct. 12, 2021, Tabitha Rodgers pleaded guilty to one felony count of criminal copyright infringement for profit. Clint Rodgers pleaded guilty the same day to a misdemeanor count of criminal infringement of a copyright.

In July 2014, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) received information from the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center indicating that Clint Rodgers had received more than 443 shipments of counterfeit DVDs from companies in Hong Kong known to sell and export counterfeit goods. HSI agents identified two shipments that had been seized prior to delivery to the Rodgers’ home in Columbia. One shipment contained 200 counterfeit “Beauty and the Beast” DVDs and another shipment contained 260 counterfeit “Aladdin” DVDs. On Feb. 4, 2015, Customs and Border Protection agents seized a parcel addressed to Clint Rodgers that contained 200 counterfeit Disney DVDs.

Undercover federal agents purchased several counterfeit Disney DVDs from the Rodgers on eBay in February and March 2015. The Rodgers represented that the DVDs were genuine and authentic Disney products, when in reality, they were aware the products were counterfeit. During the investigation, agents contacted two persons who assisted the Rodgers in selling counterfeit DVDs on eBay. They told agents they were aware of numerous complaints from customers, including complaints that the DVDs didn’t work.

On Aug. 25, 2015, HSI agents executed a search warrant at the Rodgers’ residence. Agents seized an assortment of counterfeit goods, including numerous counterfeit Disney DVDs. Tabitha Rodgers admitted that she conducted the day-to-day operation of the business. She corresponded via email with the counterfeit DVD supplier in Hong Kong and placed orders for the DVDs. She also packaged and sent the DVDs to customers and processed customer complaints when DVDs were inoperable. Clint Rodgers assisted by helping recruit third parties to use their eBay accounts to sell the DVDs for them.

According to court documents, the majority, if not all, of the Rodgers’ income was derived from this criminal activity. They had been notified by Beachbody and Otter Products to cease and desist from selling counterfeit products yet continued to sell counterfeit goods. eBay cancelled a number of the Rodgers’s accounts due to counterfeit merchandise being sold, but they recruited others to sell the products.

Although they derived substantial income from selling counterfeit goods, Tabitha Rodgers sought and obtained SNAP benefits from the government to which she was not entitled. Her fraudulent conduct in obtaining benefits was considered by the court in determining an appropriate sentence and in ordering restitution.

KANSAS CITY – A&nbsp; couple was sentenced in federal court this week for a scheme to smuggle counterfeit Disney DVDs into the United States and sell them on eBay.Tabitha Nicole Rodgers, 43, and her husband, Clint Travis Rodgers, 49, of Columbia, Missouri were sentenced in separate appearances before U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark. Tabitha Rodgers was sentenced to four years in federal prison without parole. Clint Rodgers was sentenced to one year in federal prison without parole.The court also ordered Tabitha Rodgers to pay $26,573 in restitution to the government for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits she was not entitled to receive. The court ordered Clint Rodgers to pay a $10,000 fine.On Oct. 12, 2021, Tabitha Rodgers pleaded guilty to one felony count of criminal copyright infringement for profit. Clint Rodgers pleaded guilty the same day to a misdemeanor count of criminal infringement of a copyright.In July 2014, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) received information from the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center indicating that Clint Rodgers had received more than 443 shipments of counterfeit DVDs from companies in Hong Kong known to sell and export counterfeit goods. HSI agents identified two shipments that had been seized prior to delivery to the Rodgers’ home in Columbia. One shipment contained 200 counterfeit “Beauty and the Beast” DVDs and another shipment contained 260 counterfeit “Aladdin” DVDs. On Feb. 4, 2015, Customs and Border Protection agents seized a parcel addressed to Clint Rodgers that contained 200 counterfeit Disney DVDs.Undercover federal agents purchased several counterfeit Disney DVDs from the Rodgers on eBay in February and March 2015. The Rodgers represented that the DVDs were genuine and authentic Disney products, when in reality, they were aware the products were counterfeit. During the investigation, agents contacted two persons who assisted the Rodgers in selling counterfeit DVDs on eBay. They told agents they were aware of numerous complaints from customers, including complaints that the DVDs didn’t work.On Aug. 25, 2015, HSI agents executed a search warrant at the Rodgers’ residence. Agents seized an assortment of counterfeit goods, including numerous counterfeit Disney DVDs. Tabitha Rodgers admitted that she conducted the day-to-day operation of the business. She corresponded via email with the counterfeit DVD supplier in Hong Kong and placed orders for the DVDs. She also packaged and sent the DVDs to customers and processed customer complaints when DVDs were inoperable. Clint Rodgers assisted by helping recruit third parties to use their eBay accounts to sell the DVDs for them.According to court documents, the majority, if not all, of the Rodgers’ income was derived from this criminal activity. They had been notified by Beachbody and Otter Products to cease and desist from selling counterfeit products yet continued to sell counterfeit goods. eBay cancelled a number of the Rodgers’s accounts due to counterfeit merchandise being sold, but they recruited others to sell the products.Although they derived substantial income from selling counterfeit goods, Tabitha Rodgers sought and obtained SNAP benefits from the government to which she was not entitled. Her fraudulent conduct in obtaining benefits was considered by the court in determining an appropriate sentence and in ordering restitution.

Couple sentenced for selling counterfeit Disney movies online

By BECKY GOFF Little Apple Post

POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY - On Tuesday, February 7, the Pottawatomie County Dispatch received a 911 call around 12:43 pm reporting a structure fire in the 400 block of E. Plum Street, Louisville, Kansas.

Upon arrival crews discovered a mobile home with smoke coming from the inside.

A father and son exited the mobile home with minor injuries prior to emergency crews arriving on scene.

Sheriff's Deputies learned during the incident that a methamphetamine lab was inside the residence.

Deputies searched the residence, after executing a search warrant and the fire was extinguished.

As a result of the search warrant, two men were arrested and transported to the Pottawatomie County Jail.

Odis Leon Parker, 80, Louisville, was arrested on requested charges of Manufacturing a Controlled Substance, Criminal Use of Weapons, Possession of Paraphernalia with Intent to Manufacture a Controlled Substance, Possession of Stimulant, Possession of Marijuana, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. &nbsp;He is currently confined in the Pottawatomie County Jail on a $10,000 bond

Odis Leon Parker Jr., 47, Louisville, was booked on&nbsp; requested charges of Manufacturing a Controlled Substance, Possession of Paraphernalia with Intent to Manufacture a Controlled Substance, Arson; Accidental to Dwelling by Manufacturing a Controlled Substance, and Aggravated Battery. He is currently confined in the Pottawatomie County Jail on a $10,000 bond&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Office was assisted in the investigation by&nbsp;Pottawatomie County Consolidated Fire, Wamego Fire Department Pottawatomie County EMS, Kansas State Fire Marshal, Riley County Police Department, and the                                 Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

By BECKY GOFF Little Apple PostPOTTAWATOMIE COUNTY - On Tuesday, February 7, the Pottawatomie County Dispatch received a 911 call around 12:43 pm reporting a structure fire in the 400 block of E. Plum Street, Louisville, Kansas.<div><iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d1868.0815811676202!2d-96.30928380129698!3d39.25126917128262!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x87be7be99e45ed57%3A0x422edabb2e6d263a!2s400%20Plum%20St%2C%20Louisville%2C%20KS%2066547!5e1!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1676043238188!5m2!1sen!2sus" width="600" height="450" style="border:0;" allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe></div>Upon arrival crews discovered a mobile home with smoke coming from the inside.A father and son exited the mobile home with minor injuries prior to emergency crews arriving on scene.Sheriff's Deputies learned during the incident that a methamphetamine lab was inside the residence.Deputies searched the residence, after executing a search warrant and the fire was extinguished.As a result of the search warrant, two men were arrested and transported to the Pottawatomie County Jail.Odis Leon Parker, 80, Louisville, was arrested on requested charges of Manufacturing a Controlled Substance, Criminal Use of Weapons, Possession of Paraphernalia with Intent to Manufacture a Controlled Substance, Possession of Stimulant, Possession of Marijuana, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. &nbsp;He is currently confined in the Pottawatomie County Jail on a $10,000 bond Odis Leon Parker Jr., 47, Louisville, was booked on&nbsp; requested charges of Manufacturing a Controlled Substance, Possession of Paraphernalia with Intent to Manufacture a Controlled Substance, Arson; Accidental to Dwelling by Manufacturing a Controlled Substance, and Aggravated Battery. He is currently confined in the Pottawatomie County Jail on a $10,000 bond&nbsp;&nbsp;The Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Office was assisted in the investigation by&nbsp;Pottawatomie County Consolidated Fire, Wamego Fire Department Pottawatomie County EMS, Kansas State Fire Marshal, Riley County Police Department, and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

Father, son arrested after alleged meth lab fire at Kan. home

By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2023-02-10/after-keystone-oil-spill-kansas-democrats-want-to-cancel-tax-exemptions-when-pipelines-leak">Kansas News Service</a>

After the Keystone spilled more than half a million gallons of crude 
oil onto native prairie and cropland and into a creek, some Kansas 
lawmakers want oil companies to forfeit their tax exemptions when 
pipelines burst.

Right now, energy companies that lay pipelines in
 Kansas get to skip out on the first 10 years of paying taxes to school 
districts, county governments and other local units of government along 
their routes.

A group of 21 Democratic state lawmakers want to 
tweak Kansas law so that the exemption ends immediately if a pipeline 
carrying substances such as oil or natural gas spills or leaks within 
those 10 years.

“If you want state dollars to do a project, then you have to prove to
 be good stewards of our state’s land,” state Rep. Rui Xu said. “A spill
 like the Keystone spill obviously does not satisfy that.”

He expressed some frustration that the <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2327/" target="_blank">proposed legislation</a>
 wouldn’t apply to the current Keystone situation. The bill can’t 
function retroactively. Additionally, the Keystone pipeline’s decade of 
freedom from property taxes recently ran out.

But companies still 
enjoying that freedom for newer pipelines or planning to capitalize on 
it for future ones would need to keep their pipelines spill-free for the
 full decade.

In the case of a spill or leak within that time 
frame, a company wouldn’t just forfeit the rest of the 10-year exemption
 — it would have to cough up back taxes for all the previous years that 
the pipeline was exempt.

The money would get split up among the schools and other local taxing units along the route.

One
 leg of the Keystone pipeline runs north to south through Kansas, from 
Washington County on the Nebraska border down through Clay, Dickinson, 
Marion and Butler counties to Cowley County on the Oklahoma border.

Another leg cuts diagonally across the northeast corner of the state through Marshall, Nemaha, Brown and Doniphan counties.

The
 effect of the Keystone finally landing on the tax rolls was 
particularly dramatic for Washington County, where the pipeline 
instantly became the biggest source of local tax revenue. The <a href="https://www.backroadsnews.com/" target="_blank">Washington County News</a>
 reported last month that two school districts, the county and other 
local units of government will collect more than $1.9 million from TC 
Energy this year.

The Keystone is TC Energy’s largest oil pipeline
 system. It carries a non-conventional crude oil called diluted bitumen,
 or dilbit, from Alberta to Illinois, Oklahoma and Texas.

That 
dilbit from the Canadian tar sands doesn’t behave like regular crude 
oil, and poses special risks and challenges when it spills.

TC 
Energy said this week that bad welding and other problems contributed to
 the Keystone’s largest spill ever when the pipeline burst Dec. 7 in 
Washington County.

The company is under a federal order to 
continue analyzing what happened and whether other sections of the 
north-south stretch of pipe through Kansas are similarly vulnerable.

The Pannbacker family in Washington County, whose farm was left partly covered in crude oil from the spill, has
 expressed frustration that the federal government allowed TC Energy to 
resume pumping oil through the segment in late December, even as the 
investigation into what went wrong continues.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676042746079.png" alt="The Keystone runs beneath a soybean field on the Pannbacker farm in Washington County. It's visible on snowy days because the warm, underground pipe melts the snow. The diagonal line cutting across the field is the pipeline. Much of the oil released on Dec. 7 spilled onto native prairie that the Pannbackers use for grazing cattle. Some oil splattered into this field. Chris Pannbacker stands on a ridge overlooking the field last month. Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>The Keystone runs beneath a soybean field on the Pannbacker farm in Washington County. It's visible on snowy days because the warm, underground pipe melts the snow. The diagonal line cutting across the field is the pipeline. Much of the oil released on Dec. 7 spilled onto native prairie that the Pannbackers use for grazing cattle. Some oil splattered into this field. Chris Pannbacker stands on a ridge overlooking the field last month. Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2023-02-10/after-keystone-oil-spill-kansas-democrats-want-to-cancel-tax-exemptions-when-pipelines-leak">Kansas News Service</a>After the Keystone spilled more than half a million gallons of crude 
oil onto native prairie and cropland and into a creek, some Kansas 
lawmakers want oil companies to forfeit their tax exemptions when 
pipelines burst.Right now, energy companies that lay pipelines in
 Kansas get to skip out on the first 10 years of paying taxes to school 
districts, county governments and other local units of government along 
their routes.A group of 21 Democratic state lawmakers want to 
tweak Kansas law so that the exemption ends immediately if a pipeline 
carrying substances such as oil or natural gas spills or leaks within 
those 10 years.“If you want state dollars to do a project, then you have to prove to
 be good stewards of our state’s land,” state Rep. Rui Xu said. “A spill
 like the Keystone spill obviously does not satisfy that.”He expressed some frustration that the <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2327/" target="_blank">proposed legislation</a>
 wouldn’t apply to the current Keystone situation. The bill can’t 
function retroactively. Additionally, the Keystone pipeline’s decade of 
freedom from property taxes recently ran out.But companies still 
enjoying that freedom for newer pipelines or planning to capitalize on 
it for future ones would need to keep their pipelines spill-free for the
 full decade.In the case of a spill or leak within that time 
frame, a company wouldn’t just forfeit the rest of the 10-year exemption
 — it would have to cough up back taxes for all the previous years that 
the pipeline was exempt.The money would get split up among the schools and other local taxing units along the route.One
 leg of the Keystone pipeline runs north to south through Kansas, from 
Washington County on the Nebraska border down through Clay, Dickinson, 
Marion and Butler counties to Cowley County on the Oklahoma border.Another leg cuts diagonally across the northeast corner of the state through Marshall, Nemaha, Brown and Doniphan counties.The
 effect of the Keystone finally landing on the tax rolls was 
particularly dramatic for Washington County, where the pipeline 
instantly became the biggest source of local tax revenue. The <a href="https://www.backroadsnews.com/" target="_blank">Washington County News</a>
 reported last month that two school districts, the county and other 
local units of government will collect more than $1.9 million from TC 
Energy this year.The Keystone is TC Energy’s largest oil pipeline
 system. It carries a non-conventional crude oil called diluted bitumen,
 or dilbit, from Alberta to Illinois, Oklahoma and Texas.That 
dilbit from the Canadian tar sands doesn’t behave like regular crude 
oil, and poses special risks and challenges when it spills.TC 
Energy said this week that bad welding and other problems contributed to
 the Keystone’s largest spill ever when the pipeline burst Dec. 7 in 
Washington County.The company is under a federal order to 
continue analyzing what happened and whether other sections of the 
north-south stretch of pipe through Kansas are similarly vulnerable.The Pannbacker family in Washington County, whose farm was left partly covered in crude oil from the spill, has
 expressed frustration that the federal government allowed TC Energy to 
resume pumping oil through the segment in late December, even as the 
investigation into what went wrong continues.

Oil spill: Kansas Dems want to cancel tax breaks when pipelines leak

By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/09/house-democrat-unveils-cannabis-amnesty-bill/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA
 — Supported by dozens of his fellow representatives, House Minority 
Leader Vic Miller introduced a cannabis amnesty bill that would 
essentially decriminalize marijuana statewide.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2363_00_0000.pdf">House Bill 2363</a>,
 sponsored by Miller, a Topeka Democrat, along with 34 other 
representatives, would release anyone convicted for marijuana-related 
offenses from their sentence, and allow the expungement of 
marijuana-related convictions and arrest records from Kansans’ records. 
The bill would go into effect July 1, 2023.&nbsp;

The bill stipulates that anyone 
serving probation, parole, prison or jail sentences, along with other 
marijuana-related sentencing,&nbsp; would be immediately released, with their
 arrest records and marijuana convictions expunged and purged from all 
applicable state and federal systems, according to the bill language.&nbsp;

“It doesn’t legalize it per se, but it eliminates the serving a sentence punishment,” Miller said.&nbsp;

Miller sees the legislation as 
something of a remedy to the Legislature’s lack of action on marijuana 
legalization. While the bill’s fiscal note isn’t up yet, Miller said it 
could significantly reduce prosecution expenses.&nbsp;

“This is sort of a backdoor way of 
relieving people of the penalty,” Miller said. “And in and of itself, it
 would save in my mind, probably tens of millions of dollars related to 
those prosecutions in those incarcerations.”

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/12/15/kansas-medical-marijuana-committee-holds-final-meeting-prepares-for-january-legalization-push/"> have discussed medical marijuana legalization</a>, following months of&nbsp; information-gathering on the structure, taxation and other processes by a special committee.&nbsp;

A common fear is that new legalization bills will suffer the same fate as the<a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.com/li/b2021_22/measures/sb560/"> Senate Bill 560</a>,
 which would have allowed for the cultivation, distribution, processing,
 dispensing, and purchase of marijuana and paraphernalia.&nbsp;

The Kansas House approved medical 
marijuana legalization in 2021, but SB 560 died in committee during the 
previous legislative session, with Senate President Ty Masterson saying 
school funding issues were a higher priority.

“It’s on both sides of us now in 
Missouri and Colorado, Oklahoma,” Miller said. “So I don’t think we 
should, as Kansans, be in a race for last place to do something 
concerning everything. And it won’t be long before we are the last to do
 it. I think the people of Kansas are ready.”&nbsp;

The bill has been placed in the House
 Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee. Committee chairman Rep. 
Stephen Owens, a Hesston Republican, said he needed to review the bill 
before making any comments.&nbsp;

Vice Chair Rep. Eric Smith, a 
Burlington Republican, said he couldn’t comment on the bill specifically
 but felt medical marijuana legislation in general needed to be more 
thought out before he would approve it.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I don’t support the present way in 
which they’re trying to pass marijuana for use in medical situations,” 
Smith said. “I’m not against the use of THC for medical purposes. I 
think there is a medical need for it, but I think it needs to be done by
 those professionals in the medical field, not by the average dispensary
 run by an entrepreneur.”&nbsp;

Missouri legalized recreational 
marijuana in a November vote, with the product potentially available to 
purchase as early as this month. Kansas is one of the three states left 
with no form of marijuana — medical or recreational — legalized. The 
other two states are Idaho and Nebraska.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676045426487.png" alt="Rep. Vic Miller said he believes Kansans are ready to legalize marijuana and that decriminalization would have widespread support. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Vic Miller said he believes Kansans are ready to legalize marijuana and that decriminalization would have widespread support. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/09/house-democrat-unveils-cannabis-amnesty-bill/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA
 — Supported by dozens of his fellow representatives, House Minority 
Leader Vic Miller introduced a cannabis amnesty bill that would 
essentially decriminalize marijuana statewide.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2363_00_0000.pdf">House Bill 2363</a>,
 sponsored by Miller, a Topeka Democrat, along with 34 other 
representatives, would release anyone convicted for marijuana-related 
offenses from their sentence, and allow the expungement of 
marijuana-related convictions and arrest records from Kansans’ records. 
The bill would go into effect July 1, 2023.&nbsp;The bill stipulates that anyone 
serving probation, parole, prison or jail sentences, along with other 
marijuana-related sentencing,&nbsp; would be immediately released, with their
 arrest records and marijuana convictions expunged and purged from all 
applicable state and federal systems, according to the bill language.&nbsp;“It doesn’t legalize it per se, but it eliminates the serving a sentence punishment,” Miller said.&nbsp;Miller sees the legislation as 
something of a remedy to the Legislature’s lack of action on marijuana 
legalization. While the bill’s fiscal note isn’t up yet, Miller said it 
could significantly reduce prosecution expenses.&nbsp;“This is sort of a backdoor way of 
relieving people of the penalty,” Miller said. “And in and of itself, it
 would save in my mind, probably tens of millions of dollars related to 
those prosecutions in those incarcerations.”Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/12/15/kansas-medical-marijuana-committee-holds-final-meeting-prepares-for-january-legalization-push/"> have discussed medical marijuana legalization</a>, following months of&nbsp; information-gathering on the structure, taxation and other processes by a special committee.&nbsp;A common fear is that new legalization bills will suffer the same fate as the<a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.com/li/b2021_22/measures/sb560/"> Senate Bill 560</a>,
 which would have allowed for the cultivation, distribution, processing,
 dispensing, and purchase of marijuana and paraphernalia.&nbsp;The Kansas House approved medical 
marijuana legalization in 2021, but SB 560 died in committee during the 
previous legislative session, with Senate President Ty Masterson saying 
school funding issues were a higher priority.“It’s on both sides of us now in 
Missouri and Colorado, Oklahoma,” Miller said. “So I don’t think we 
should, as Kansans, be in a race for last place to do something 
concerning everything. And it won’t be long before we are the last to do
 it. I think the people of Kansas are ready.”&nbsp;The bill has been placed in the House
 Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee. Committee chairman Rep. 
Stephen Owens, a Hesston Republican, said he needed to review the bill 
before making any comments.&nbsp;Vice Chair Rep. Eric Smith, a 
Burlington Republican, said he couldn’t comment on the bill specifically
 but felt medical marijuana legislation in general needed to be more 
thought out before he would approve it.&nbsp;&nbsp;“I don’t support the present way in 
which they’re trying to pass marijuana for use in medical situations,” 
Smith said. “I’m not against the use of THC for medical purposes. I 
think there is a medical need for it, but I think it needs to be done by
 those professionals in the medical field, not by the average dispensary
 run by an entrepreneur.”&nbsp;Missouri legalized recreational 
marijuana in a November vote, with the product potentially available to 
purchase as early as this month. Kansas is one of the three states left 
with no form of marijuana — medical or recreational — legalized. The 
other two states are Idaho and Nebraska.

Kansas House minority leader unveils cannabis amnesty bill

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary that include&nbsp; guns, ammunition and cash taken from a central Salina home Thursday.

A 50-year-old Salina man told police that he left for work at approximately 6 a.m. Thursday. When he returned to his residence in the 900 block of Merrill Street at approximately 3:30 p.m. Thursday, he found his kitchen window broken and the firearms and ammunition missing, according to Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester.

A clothes dryer had been moved from the backyard to near the residence to help the thief gain access to the window.

The missing items included a Ruger P89 valued at $300, a green Glock valued at $700m, a Ruger 22 valued at $250, Some 22 Remington ammunition valued at $20 and $50 in cash. Damage to the window was estimated at $50.

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostSALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary that include&nbsp; guns, ammunition and cash taken from a central Salina home Thursday.A 50-year-old Salina man told police that he left for work at approximately 6 a.m. Thursday. When he returned to his residence in the 900 block of Merrill Street at approximately 3:30 p.m. Thursday, he found his kitchen window broken and the firearms and ammunition missing, according to Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester.A clothes dryer had been moved from the backyard to near the residence to help the thief gain access to the window.The missing items included a Ruger P89 valued at $300, a green Glock valued at $700m, a Ruger 22 valued at $250, Some 22 Remington ammunition valued at $20 and $50 in cash. Damage to the window was estimated at $50.

Guns, ammo and cash taken in Kansas home burglary

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/08/legislation-challenges-kansas-law-allowing-city-zoning-3-miles-into-unincorporated-area-of-county/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Rep. Tim Johnson 
recalled fervor of protests three years ago when Leavenworth County 
residents rebelled against being bombarded by City of Basehor zoning 
regulations applicable to property up to three miles outside city 
limits.

“There were pitchforks, people holding torches and they had one of 
the local roofers with his tar equipment outside,” said the Republican 
House member from Bonner Springs. “Somebody was ripping up pillows for, I
 guess, feathers. I was thinking about getting a match to help light 
those torches.”

It didn’t come to tar-and-feather vigilantism, he said, but 
consternation with Kansas law giving cities zoning and planning 
authority in a three-mile band surrounding cities remained a troubling 
fact of life. While city regulations applied to residents and businesses
 in that county bandwidth, he said, people residing in the 
unincorporated region didn’t have legal right to vote in city council 
and mayoral races or on city taxation or bonding issues.

The House Local Government Committee began examination Wednesday of <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/fisc_note_hb2150_00_0000.pdf">House Bill 2150</a>.
 It would repeal the three-mile law available to city councils and grant
 zoning and planning authority within that territory to county 
commissions. The bill was endorsed by two dozen House Republicans and 
one House Democrat.

Opposition came from representatives of more than a dozen cities, 
including Wichita, Manhattan, Clay Center, Moundridge, Overland Park, 
McLouth, Derby, Lawrence, Topeka, Scott City and Maize.

Spencer Duncan, governmental affairs director of the League of Kansas
 Municipalities, said amendment of state law could undermine municipal 
utility agreements, projects financed through bonding, state or federal 
regulatory practices, metropolitan or regional planning commissions and 
joint city and county infrastructure collaboration.

“A change of this magnitude needs significant study,” Duncan said. 
“The impact of this change would be long-lasting, impact the lives of 
tens of thousands of Kansans and alter a myriad of ways cities and 
counties currently operate.”

Bradley Pendergast, city administrator in Scott City, said he opposed
 the House bill because his growing community in southwest Kansas had an
 interest in making certain areas beyond the current boundary were 
regulated in a way that didn’t compromise infrastructure expansion if 
later annexed into the city. He said the county commission didn’t have a
 planning commission and passage of the bill would leave the area 
outside Scott City without proper oversight.

“The three-mile zone helps the city ensure that the health, safety 
and quality of life of our citizens are taken into consideration when 
projects are proposed,” Pendergast said.

Angel Cushing, of Allen, said she supported the House bill repealing 
the three-mile zone because current state law essentially made county 
government subservent to city government. She said Lyon County officials
 tended to surrender authority to Emporia when deciding regulations on 
zoning and planning.

In 2019, she said, it came to her attention Emporia was contemplating
 a countywide rule that would forbid barbed wire and electric fencing.

“We still have atrocious regulations for the city that are applied to
 the county,” Cushing said. “This is a theft of representation.”

Rep. Eric Smith, a Burlington Republican, was among five House GOP 
members offering testimony in support of doing away with the three-mile 
standard. He said failure to inhibit urban sprawl was detrimental to 
people who chose to live outside cities and the three-mile rule 
contributed to the problem.

“If we’re not willing to stop that — if we’re going to allow the 
urban values and needs to override those of families that have owned 
property for decades, generations even — what are we willing to do?” 
Smith said. “We need to repeal this in the interests of these property 
owners.”

Rep. Ken Corbet, R-Topeka, compared existing state law on city zoning
 of rural areas to a Kansas resident forced to abide by mandates of 
Missouri regulators.

An alternative bill was introduced by Great Bend Republican Rep. Tory
 Marie Blew that would require a city relying on the three-mile 
regulatory scheme to allow people living outside the city in that 
enclosure to vote in municipal elections and run for local public 
office. Under House Bill 2145, Blew would require city council districts
 to be redrawn.

Blew said the issue became personal after building a shed on property
 within a three miles of Great Bend. A city inspector inquired as to why
 she didn’t secure a permit for the structure. She described the permit 
requirement as a “little ridiculous.”

“If you live in this area, you should have a voice,” Blew said. “If 
we are going to have to abide by city ordinances, then we should be able
 to vote on the issues as well.”

Duncan, the lobbyist with the League of Kansas Municipalities, said 
the organization objected to a fundamental change in the voting process.

“It would water down the rights of those who choose to live in a city
 by granting voting authority to those who choose not to live in a city 
and don’t have to follow those laws or pay city taxes,” he said. “The 
primary reason city residents vote on county commissioners is because 
they have taxing authority over city residents. The reverse is not true.
 Taxation without representation is not acceptable, but neither is 
representation without taxation.”

The House committee didn’t take action on either of the city-county zoning reform bills.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675957336751.png" alt="Rep. Emil Bergquist, R-Park City, chaired a meeting of the House Local Government Committee to consider a bill repealing the right of cities to extend zoning regulations up to three miles into unincorporated areas beyond city limits. His committee also heard testimony on a bill allowing county residents within the three-mile radius to vote in city elections. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Emil Bergquist, R-Park City, chaired a meeting of the House Local Government Committee to consider a bill repealing the right of cities to extend zoning regulations up to three miles into unincorporated areas beyond city limits. His committee also heard testimony on a bill allowing county residents within the three-mile radius to vote in city elections. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/08/legislation-challenges-kansas-law-allowing-city-zoning-3-miles-into-unincorporated-area-of-county/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Rep. Tim Johnson 
recalled fervor of protests three years ago when Leavenworth County 
residents rebelled against being bombarded by City of Basehor zoning 
regulations applicable to property up to three miles outside city 
limits.“There were pitchforks, people holding torches and they had one of 
the local roofers with his tar equipment outside,” said the Republican 
House member from Bonner Springs. “Somebody was ripping up pillows for, I
 guess, feathers. I was thinking about getting a match to help light 
those torches.”It didn’t come to tar-and-feather vigilantism, he said, but 
consternation with Kansas law giving cities zoning and planning 
authority in a three-mile band surrounding cities remained a troubling 
fact of life. While city regulations applied to residents and businesses
 in that county bandwidth, he said, people residing in the 
unincorporated region didn’t have legal right to vote in city council 
and mayoral races or on city taxation or bonding issues.The House Local Government Committee began examination Wednesday of <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/fisc_note_hb2150_00_0000.pdf">House Bill 2150</a>.
 It would repeal the three-mile law available to city councils and grant
 zoning and planning authority within that territory to county 
commissions. The bill was endorsed by two dozen House Republicans and 
one House Democrat.Opposition came from representatives of more than a dozen cities, 
including Wichita, Manhattan, Clay Center, Moundridge, Overland Park, 
McLouth, Derby, Lawrence, Topeka, Scott City and Maize.Spencer Duncan, governmental affairs director of the League of Kansas
 Municipalities, said amendment of state law could undermine municipal 
utility agreements, projects financed through bonding, state or federal 
regulatory practices, metropolitan or regional planning commissions and 
joint city and county infrastructure collaboration.“A change of this magnitude needs significant study,” Duncan said. 
“The impact of this change would be long-lasting, impact the lives of 
tens of thousands of Kansans and alter a myriad of ways cities and 
counties currently operate.”Bradley Pendergast, city administrator in Scott City, said he opposed
 the House bill because his growing community in southwest Kansas had an
 interest in making certain areas beyond the current boundary were 
regulated in a way that didn’t compromise infrastructure expansion if 
later annexed into the city. He said the county commission didn’t have a
 planning commission and passage of the bill would leave the area 
outside Scott City without proper oversight.“The three-mile zone helps the city ensure that the health, safety 
and quality of life of our citizens are taken into consideration when 
projects are proposed,” Pendergast said.<h2>Absurd ban on barbed wire?</h2>Angel Cushing, of Allen, said she supported the House bill repealing 
the three-mile zone because current state law essentially made county 
government subservent to city government. She said Lyon County officials
 tended to surrender authority to Emporia when deciding regulations on 
zoning and planning.In 2019, she said, it came to her attention Emporia was contemplating
 a countywide rule that would forbid barbed wire and electric fencing.“We still have atrocious regulations for the city that are applied to
 the county,” Cushing said. “This is a theft of representation.”Rep. Eric Smith, a Burlington Republican, was among five House GOP 
members offering testimony in support of doing away with the three-mile 
standard. He said failure to inhibit urban sprawl was detrimental to 
people who chose to live outside cities and the three-mile rule 
contributed to the problem.“If we’re not willing to stop that — if we’re going to allow the 
urban values and needs to override those of families that have owned 
property for decades, generations even — what are we willing to do?” 
Smith said. “We need to repeal this in the interests of these property 
owners.”Rep. Ken Corbet, R-Topeka, compared existing state law on city zoning
 of rural areas to a Kansas resident forced to abide by mandates of 
Missouri regulators.<h2>A voting rights alternative</h2>An alternative bill was introduced by Great Bend Republican Rep. Tory
 Marie Blew that would require a city relying on the three-mile 
regulatory scheme to allow people living outside the city in that 
enclosure to vote in municipal elections and run for local public 
office. Under House Bill 2145, Blew would require city council districts
 to be redrawn.Blew said the issue became personal after building a shed on property
 within a three miles of Great Bend. A city inspector inquired as to why
 she didn’t secure a permit for the structure. She described the permit 
requirement as a “little ridiculous.”“If you live in this area, you should have a voice,” Blew said. “If 
we are going to have to abide by city ordinances, then we should be able
 to vote on the issues as well.”Duncan, the lobbyist with the League of Kansas Municipalities, said 
the organization objected to a fundamental change in the voting process.“It would water down the rights of those who choose to live in a city
 by granting voting authority to those who choose not to live in a city 
and don’t have to follow those laws or pay city taxes,” he said. “The 
primary reason city residents vote on county commissioners is because 
they have taxing authority over city residents. The reverse is not true.
 Taxation without representation is not acceptable, but neither is 
representation without taxation.”The House committee didn’t take action on either of the city-county zoning reform bills.

Kan. law allowing city zoning in unincorporated areas challenged

JEFFERSON CITY (AP) —The attorney for a man who was executed this week is calling for an investigation, accusing Missouri officials of moving ahead with the lethal injection while federal appeals were pending.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-state-government-california-homicide-94fe2fefa47faa618d3826c7f32e6f1d">Raheem Taylor</a>, 58, was executed Tuesday night for the 2004 deaths of his girlfriend and her three children in suburban St. Louis. Taylor claimed he was out of state when the family was killed. Investigators don't deny he was in California when the bodies were found but a medical examiner determined the victims had died up to three weeks earlier — at a time when Taylor was still in Missouri.

The innocence claim was turned aside repeatedly in the days leading up to the execution. St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell, a Democrat,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-state-government-california-st-louis-crime-f527565eb092ff8f1df97db3f216c37c">declined to ask a judge for a new hearing</a>, stating the “facts are not there to support a credible case of innocence.”

Republican Gov. Mike Parson denied clemency, saying evidence showed that “Taylor committed these atrocities and a jury found him guilty.” The Missouri Supreme Court declined to grant a stay on Monday, and the U.S. Supreme Court did the same about two hours before the execution.

While appeals over Taylor's claims of innocence had been exhausted, Taylors attorneys asked a federal appeals court and the U.S. Supreme Court for a stay because Taylor's spiritual adviser, Anthony Shahid, was not allowed to be in the execution room. A Supreme Court decision last year allows inmates to have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-state-government-missouri-legal-proceedings-religion-dbc253bef85af688a63a42a836e00028">spiritual advisers</a>&nbsp;near them at executions. The appeal also questioned why two lawyers who supported Taylor couldn’t witness the execution.

“It was being appealed at the time they killed him,” Kent Gipson, an attorney for Taylor, said Thursday. “And although there technically wasn't a stay in place, they've never done this before — this has never happened before in almost 100 executions. That's what's disturbing about it.”

Taylor's lawyers urged an internal investigation by the Missouri Department of Corrections and investigations by “other law enforcement agencies.”

Madeline Sieren, spokeswoman for Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, said there was no reason not to move ahead with the execution.

“As there was no stay in place, the Attorney General’s Office fulfilled its legal obligation to notify the Governor’s Office and the Department of Corrections at the appropriate time that there was no legal impediment to carrying out the execution warrant set forth by the Missouri Supreme Court,” Sieren said in a statement on Thursday.

Missouri Department of Corrections spokeswoman Karen Pojmann said Taylor initially declined to have Shahid with him for the execution. He changed his mind over the weekend but by then it was too late to change the witness list because the prison needs time to conduct background checks, Pojmann said. The lawyers also sought approval to be witnesses too late, she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673437071153.png" alt="-<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-state-government-california-homicide-94fe2fefa47faa618d3826c7f32e6f1d">Raheem Taylor</a>, 58, was executed Tuesday night for the 2004 deaths of his girlfriend and her three children-photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>-<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-state-government-california-homicide-94fe2fefa47faa618d3826c7f32e6f1d">Raheem Taylor</a>, 58, was executed Tuesday night for the 2004 deaths of his girlfriend and her three children-photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>JEFFERSON CITY (AP) —The attorney for a man who was executed this week is calling for an investigation, accusing Missouri officials of moving ahead with the lethal injection while federal appeals were pending.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-state-government-california-homicide-94fe2fefa47faa618d3826c7f32e6f1d">Raheem Taylor</a>, 58, was executed Tuesday night for the 2004 deaths of his girlfriend and her three children in suburban St. Louis. Taylor claimed he was out of state when the family was killed. Investigators don't deny he was in California when the bodies were found but a medical examiner determined the victims had died up to three weeks earlier — at a time when Taylor was still in Missouri.The innocence claim was turned aside repeatedly in the days leading up to the execution. St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell, a Democrat,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-state-government-california-st-louis-crime-f527565eb092ff8f1df97db3f216c37c">declined to ask a judge for a new hearing</a>, stating the “facts are not there to support a credible case of innocence.”Republican Gov. Mike Parson denied clemency, saying evidence showed that “Taylor committed these atrocities and a jury found him guilty.” The Missouri Supreme Court declined to grant a stay on Monday, and the U.S. Supreme Court did the same about two hours before the execution.While appeals over Taylor's claims of innocence had been exhausted, Taylors attorneys asked a federal appeals court and the U.S. Supreme Court for a stay because Taylor's spiritual adviser, Anthony Shahid, was not allowed to be in the execution room. A Supreme Court decision last year allows inmates to have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-state-government-missouri-legal-proceedings-religion-dbc253bef85af688a63a42a836e00028">spiritual advisers</a>&nbsp;near them at executions. The appeal also questioned why two lawyers who supported Taylor couldn’t witness the execution.“It was being appealed at the time they killed him,” Kent Gipson, an attorney for Taylor, said Thursday. “And although there technically wasn't a stay in place, they've never done this before — this has never happened before in almost 100 executions. That's what's disturbing about it.”Taylor's lawyers urged an internal investigation by the Missouri Department of Corrections and investigations by “other law enforcement agencies.”Madeline Sieren, spokeswoman for Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, said there was no reason not to move ahead with the execution.“As there was no stay in place, the Attorney General’s Office fulfilled its legal obligation to notify the Governor’s Office and the Department of Corrections at the appropriate time that there was no legal impediment to carrying out the execution warrant set forth by the Missouri Supreme Court,” Sieren said in a statement on Thursday.Missouri Department of Corrections spokeswoman Karen Pojmann said Taylor initially declined to have Shahid with him for the execution. He changed his mind over the weekend but by then it was too late to change the witness list because the prison needs time to conduct background checks, Pojmann said. The lawyers also sought approval to be witnesses too late, she said.

Lawyer: Killer executed despite appeal still pending

PAWNEE COUNTY—Officials in Pawnee County were notified Thursday that John Freeman Colt was sentenced in the Federal District Court of Utah to a 21 month term with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, according to a statement from Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.

In June of 2021, Colt escaped from the Sexual Predator Treatment program on the campus of Larned State Hospital. Following a nationwide manhunt, he was arrested in Wayne County, Utah on September 27, 2021. 

On August 11, 2022, Colt entered a Guilty plea to a single count of Failing to Register under the Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

He is currently charged under Kansas Law with Aggravated Escape from Custody, a severity level 8 non-person felony. Additionally, he is still subject to his civil commitment to the Kansas Sexual Predator Treatment Program. Once he completes his sentence on the federal conviction, arrangements will be made for Colt’s extradition back to Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632850718422.png" alt="Colt after his arrest in Wayne County Utah" />
 <figcaption>Colt after his arrest in Wayne County Utah</figcaption>
 </figure>PAWNEE COUNTY—Officials in Pawnee County were notified Thursday that John Freeman Colt was sentenced in the Federal District Court of Utah to a 21 month term with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, according to a statement from Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1625086515798.png" alt="-Colt during his escape from the Larned State Hospital-photo Pawnee Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>-Colt during his escape from the Larned State Hospital-photo Pawnee Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>In June of 2021, Colt escaped from the Sexual Predator Treatment program on the campus of Larned State Hospital. Following a nationwide manhunt, he was arrested in Wayne County, Utah on September 27, 2021. On August 11, 2022, Colt entered a Guilty plea to a single count of Failing to Register under the Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.He is currently charged under Kansas Law with Aggravated Escape from Custody, a severity level 8 non-person felony. Additionally, he is still subject to his civil commitment to the Kansas Sexual Predator Treatment Program. Once he completes his sentence on the federal conviction, arrangements will be made for Colt’s extradition back to Kansas.

Escapee from Kan. sex offender program sentenced on federal charges

Trump signed law setting benchmark at 21, 41 states now compliant

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/09/kansas-physician-legislator-working-to-light-fire-under-peers-to-raise-tobacco-age-limit-to-21/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Physician John Eplee 
hasn’t accepted hesitancy of Kansas lawmakers to raise the threshold for
 purchase, possession and consumption of cigarettes to 21 years of age 
from the current standard of 18.

Eplee, who also serves as a Republican state representative from 
Atchison, said Thursday he was convinced financial and health arguments 
for the higher age were persuasive enough to keep pushing for adoption 
of <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2269_00_0000.pdf">House Bill 2269</a>.
 He said many of his patients, as well as his parents in their mid-70s, 
succumbed to tobacco-related diseases. If he were king for a day, Eplee 
said he would impose a permanent ban on tobacco for all ages.

Still, Eplee told the House Federal and State Affairs Committee that he recognized some in the Capitol remained <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/02/22/kansas-legislators-consider-raising-minimum-age-for-tobacco-to-21/">unconvinced despite his years of advocacy</a>.

“I have been surprised at the pushback on this bill in past 
sessions,” he said. “We are hung up on taking someone’s rights away over
 … a product that causes long-term addiction, dependency and death. I 
thought one of government’s core values was to protect citizens from 
omnious threats, even if from within ourselves.”

<a target="_blank" href="https://time.com/5754266/trump-tobacco-age-21/">President Donald Trump signed legislation in 2019</a>
 amending the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to set the age to buy 
tobacco products at 21 or older. Incentive for states to accept the 
federal standard — so far, 41 have signed on, including Colorado, 
Nebraska and Oklahoma — was availability of millions of dollars in 
funding for state enforcement and addiction programs. If Kansas declined
 to act on the House bill or something comparable to bring the state 
into compliance, Kansas could lose $1.2 million annually in federal aid.

While the Trump administration’s tobacco reform did preempt state 
law, Kansas would lack jurisdictional authority to enforce federal law 
on tobacco products without action by the Legislature and Gov. Laura 
Kelly. Some Kansas vendors voluntarily accepted the higher age 
restriction, but all businesses wouldn’t be required to conform until 
state law was aligned with the age barrier embraced by Trump.

Kevin Gregg, who lobbies for Fuel True Independent Energy and 
Convenience, said the association of 300 petroleum distribution 
companies and convenience store retailers would support a “clean bill” 
simply raising the minimum age to buy tobacco products to 21.

He said the industry group wouldn’t support amendments attaching 
fines to punish retailers that sold tobacco products to underage 
customers. The industry’s compliance rate of 95% on tobacco sales made 
sanctions unnecessary, he said.

If the bill was implemented as written, the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/committees/ctte_h_fed_st_1/misc_documents/download_testimony/ctte_h_fed_st_1_20230209_13_testimony.html">Kansas Department of Revenue said state tobacco tax revenue</a>
 would fall $7.6 million in the upcoming fiscal year. The projection was
 based on federal reports suggesting Kansas had 17,000 smokers aged 18 
t0 20. That’s less than 5% of all adult smokers in the state.

Sara Prem, president of the Tobacco Free Kansas Coalition, lauded a 
shift in the state’s minimum legal age of tobacco sales to 21, but would
 like the bill to repeal criminal penalties on youth caught purchasing, 
using or possessing tobacco products. She said penalties on youth 
weren’t an effective deterrent.

“Penalties for youth may divert attention from more effective tobacco
 control strategies, like strengthening retailer penalties who illegally
 sell tobacco, e-cigarettes and other nicotine products to youth,” Prem 
said. “It relieves the tobacco industry of responsibility for its 
marketing practices and retailers’ irresponsible sale to minors.”

Kari Rinker, who represents the American Heart Association in Kansas,
 said passage of the House bill without amendments would be a missed 
opportunity to work of the corporate tobacco inustry. She said those 
companies aggressively targeted Kansas kids with e-cigarettes and were 
developing new products containing addictive substances appealing to 
younger consumers.

She said lawmakers ought to consider repealing state sanctions on 
young smokers and updating definitions of tobacco or tobacco-like 
products in the statute book to stay ahead of the product curve.

Physician Dena Hubbard, public policy chair of the Kansas chapter of 
the American Academy of Pediatrics, had another suggestion for the House
 Federal and State Affairs Committee. She urged lawmakers to approve the
 age change, but also incorporate a ban on flavored nicotine products.

“The exponential rise of e-cigarette use by children and adolescents 
is a public health emergency,” she said. “E-cigarettes are now the most 
common tobacco product used by teens. We should not allow any flavoring 
for products as dangerous as tobacco.”

Roy Jensen, a physician and director of the University of Kansas 
Cancer Center in Kansas City, said cancer killed an estimated 5,600 
Kansans annually to rank as the state’s second leading cause of death. 
Tobacco-related disease was associated with 4,400 deaths in Kansas each 
year, he said.

“One way we can dramatically cut Kansans chances of developing cancer
 is to prevent our youth from using tobacco products and becoming 
dependent on them,” Jensen said. “For many years, adolescent smoking 
rates have been declining. However, nearly one in five high school 
seniors still use tobacco.”

He said upward shift in the legal smoking age in Kansas law would 
sqeeze the supply of tobacco purchased by people 18 to 21 and resold to 
those under 18. Raising the minimum tobacco age to 21 could reduce high 
school smoking by 50%, the doctor said.

Tara Mays, vice president of legislative relations with the Kansas 
Hospital Association, said the age change would benefit Kansans age 15 
to 20. She said research indicated 85% of daily smokers began before 21,
 and raising the minimum age from 18 could delay or reduce smoking 
rates.

Eplee said there was irony in the approach of some politicians to regulation of tobacco and marijuana.

“I find it so fascinating that we live in a time where we debate the 
appropriateness of allowing young adults to ingest or smoke chemicals 
from a plant (tobacco) that has zero medicinal value and only causes 
loss, destruction and ultimately death,” he said. “And, yet, in the same
 session of this body, we will have debated on the chemicals derived 
from another plant (marijuana) that, at the margins, may have some 
medicinal value for some patients and yet is illegal for everyone. Very 
ironic.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675979429036.png" alt="Physician and state Rep. John Eplee, center, asked the House Federal and State Affairs Committee to support raising the age to purchase, possess or consume tobacco products in Kansas from 18 to 21. The change would comply with federal law. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Physician and state Rep. John Eplee, center, asked the House Federal and State Affairs Committee to support raising the age to purchase, possess or consume tobacco products in Kansas from 18 to 21. The change would comply with federal law. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Trump signed law setting benchmark at 21, 41 states now compliant</h2>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/09/kansas-physician-legislator-working-to-light-fire-under-peers-to-raise-tobacco-age-limit-to-21/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Physician John Eplee 
hasn’t accepted hesitancy of Kansas lawmakers to raise the threshold for
 purchase, possession and consumption of cigarettes to 21 years of age 
from the current standard of 18.Eplee, who also serves as a Republican state representative from 
Atchison, said Thursday he was convinced financial and health arguments 
for the higher age were persuasive enough to keep pushing for adoption 
of <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2269_00_0000.pdf">House Bill 2269</a>.
 He said many of his patients, as well as his parents in their mid-70s, 
succumbed to tobacco-related diseases. If he were king for a day, Eplee 
said he would impose a permanent ban on tobacco for all ages.Still, Eplee told the House Federal and State Affairs Committee that he recognized some in the Capitol remained <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/02/22/kansas-legislators-consider-raising-minimum-age-for-tobacco-to-21/">unconvinced despite his years of advocacy</a>.“I have been surprised at the pushback on this bill in past 
sessions,” he said. “We are hung up on taking someone’s rights away over
 … a product that causes long-term addiction, dependency and death. I 
thought one of government’s core values was to protect citizens from 
omnious threats, even if from within ourselves.”<a target="_blank" href="https://time.com/5754266/trump-tobacco-age-21/">President Donald Trump signed legislation in 2019</a>
 amending the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to set the age to buy 
tobacco products at 21 or older. Incentive for states to accept the 
federal standard — so far, 41 have signed on, including Colorado, 
Nebraska and Oklahoma — was availability of millions of dollars in 
funding for state enforcement and addiction programs. If Kansas declined
 to act on the House bill or something comparable to bring the state 
into compliance, Kansas could lose $1.2 million annually in federal aid.While the Trump administration’s tobacco reform did preempt state 
law, Kansas would lack jurisdictional authority to enforce federal law 
on tobacco products without action by the Legislature and Gov. Laura 
Kelly. Some Kansas vendors voluntarily accepted the higher age 
restriction, but all businesses wouldn’t be required to conform until 
state law was aligned with the age barrier embraced by Trump.Kevin Gregg, who lobbies for Fuel True Independent Energy and 
Convenience, said the association of 300 petroleum distribution 
companies and convenience store retailers would support a “clean bill” 
simply raising the minimum age to buy tobacco products to 21.He said the industry group wouldn’t support amendments attaching 
fines to punish retailers that sold tobacco products to underage 
customers. The industry’s compliance rate of 95% on tobacco sales made 
sanctions unnecessary, he said.If the bill was implemented as written, the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/committees/ctte_h_fed_st_1/misc_documents/download_testimony/ctte_h_fed_st_1_20230209_13_testimony.html">Kansas Department of Revenue said state tobacco tax revenue</a>
 would fall $7.6 million in the upcoming fiscal year. The projection was
 based on federal reports suggesting Kansas had 17,000 smokers aged 18 
t0 20. That’s less than 5% of all adult smokers in the state.<h2>Other reform ideas</h2>Sara Prem, president of the Tobacco Free Kansas Coalition, lauded a 
shift in the state’s minimum legal age of tobacco sales to 21, but would
 like the bill to repeal criminal penalties on youth caught purchasing, 
using or possessing tobacco products. She said penalties on youth 
weren’t an effective deterrent.“Penalties for youth may divert attention from more effective tobacco
 control strategies, like strengthening retailer penalties who illegally
 sell tobacco, e-cigarettes and other nicotine products to youth,” Prem 
said. “It relieves the tobacco industry of responsibility for its 
marketing practices and retailers’ irresponsible sale to minors.”Kari Rinker, who represents the American Heart Association in Kansas,
 said passage of the House bill without amendments would be a missed 
opportunity to work of the corporate tobacco inustry. She said those 
companies aggressively targeted Kansas kids with e-cigarettes and were 
developing new products containing addictive substances appealing to 
younger consumers.She said lawmakers ought to consider repealing state sanctions on 
young smokers and updating definitions of tobacco or tobacco-like 
products in the statute book to stay ahead of the product curve.Physician Dena Hubbard, public policy chair of the Kansas chapter of 
the American Academy of Pediatrics, had another suggestion for the House
 Federal and State Affairs Committee. She urged lawmakers to approve the
 age change, but also incorporate a ban on flavored nicotine products.“The exponential rise of e-cigarette use by children and adolescents 
is a public health emergency,” she said. “E-cigarettes are now the most 
common tobacco product used by teens. We should not allow any flavoring 
for products as dangerous as tobacco.”<h2>‘Very ironic’</h2>Roy Jensen, a physician and director of the University of Kansas 
Cancer Center in Kansas City, said cancer killed an estimated 5,600 
Kansans annually to rank as the state’s second leading cause of death. 
Tobacco-related disease was associated with 4,400 deaths in Kansas each 
year, he said.“One way we can dramatically cut Kansans chances of developing cancer
 is to prevent our youth from using tobacco products and becoming 
dependent on them,” Jensen said. “For many years, adolescent smoking 
rates have been declining. However, nearly one in five high school 
seniors still use tobacco.”He said upward shift in the legal smoking age in Kansas law would 
sqeeze the supply of tobacco purchased by people 18 to 21 and resold to 
those under 18. Raising the minimum tobacco age to 21 could reduce high 
school smoking by 50%, the doctor said.Tara Mays, vice president of legislative relations with the Kansas 
Hospital Association, said the age change would benefit Kansans age 15 
to 20. She said research indicated 85% of daily smokers began before 21,
 and raising the minimum age from 18 could delay or reduce smoking 
rates.Eplee said there was irony in the approach of some politicians to regulation of tobacco and marijuana.“I find it so fascinating that we live in a time where we debate the 
appropriateness of allowing young adults to ingest or smoke chemicals 
from a plant (tobacco) that has zero medicinal value and only causes 
loss, destruction and ultimately death,” he said. “And, yet, in the same
 session of this body, we will have debated on the chemicals derived 
from another plant (marijuana) that, at the margins, may have some 
medicinal value for some patients and yet is illegal for everyone. Very 
ironic.”

Kansas doc, legislator working to raise tobacco age limit to 21

WASHINGTON (AP) — The China balloon&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-china-antony-blinken-51e49202f2a0a50541cde059934c4cfb">shot down by the U.S.</a>&nbsp;was equipped to detect and collect intelligence signals as part of a huge, military-linked aerial surveillance program that targeted more than 40 countries, the Biden administration declared Thursday, citing imagery from American U-2 spy planes.

A fleet of balloons operates under the direction of the People's Liberation Army and is used specifically for spying, outfitted with high-tech equipment designed to gather sensitive information from targets across the globe, the U.S. said. Similar balloons have sailed over five continents, according to the administration.

A statement from a senior State Department official offered the most detail to date linking China’s military to the balloon that was shot down by the U.S. last weekend over the Atlantic Ocean. The public details outlining the program's scope and capabilities were meant to refute China’s persistent denials that the balloon was used for spying, including a claim Thursday that U.S. accusations about the balloon amount to “information warfare."

President Joe Biden defended the U.S. action.

And, asked in an interview with Spanish language Telemundo Noticias whether the balloon episode represented a major security breach, he said no.

“Look, the total amount of intelligence gathering that’s going on by every country around the world is overwhelming,” he said. “Anyway, it’s not a major breach. I mean, look ... it’s a violation of international law. It’s our airspace. And once it comes into our space, we can do what we want with it.”

On Capitol Hill, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-china-beijing-f56da0416e019a2d32217af5334fc4cb">House voted unanimously</a>&nbsp;to condemn China for a “brazen violation” of U.S. sovereignty and efforts to “deceive the international community through false claims about its intelligence collection campaigns.” Republicans have criticized Biden for not acting sooner to down the balloon, but both parties' lawmakers came together on the vote, 419-0.

In Beijing, before the U.S. offered its new information, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning repeated her nation's insistence that the large unmanned balloon was a civilian meteorological airship that had blown off course and that the U.S. had “overreacted” by shooting it down.

“It is irresponsible,” Mao said. The latest accusations, she said, “may be part of the U.S. side’s information warfare against China.”

Underscoring the tensions, China’s defense minister refused to take a phone call from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to discuss the balloon issue on Saturday, the Pentagon said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled a planned weekend trip to Beijing.

The U.S. flatly contradicted China's version of events, saying that imagery of the balloon collected by American U-2 spy planes as it crossed the country showed that it was “capable of conducting signals intelligence collection” with multiple antennas and other equipment designed to upload sensitive information and solar panels to power them.

Jedidiah Royal, the U.S. assistant defense secretary for the Indo-Pacific, told a Senate Appropriations subcommittee that the military has “some very good guesses” about what intelligence China was seeking. More information was expected to be provided in a classified setting.

Senior FBI officials who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the bureau said just a few pieces of the balloon had arrived at the FBI’s Quantico, Virginia, lab for investigation. So far, investigators have parts of the balloon canopy, wiring, and what one official called “a very small amount of electronics.” The official said it was “very early for us to assess what the intent was and how the device was operating.”

According to two U.S. officials, the balloon recovery efforts were temporarily suspended on Thursday due to high seas. They said some balloon debris was intact on the ocean floor and divers had recovered potentially high-value equipment over the past day and a half. Another official said that some of the recovered equipment components had English writing or markings on them but it wasn't clear if they were American parts or from another English speaking country. The official said the more highly technical parts recovered did not have any overt markings.

Much of the debris is concentrated in two separate sections of an area 15 football fields long and 15 fields across, according to the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the collection process.

The State Department official, providing details to reporters by email, also on condition of anonymity, said an analysis of the balloon debris was “inconsistent” with China’s explanation that it was a weather balloon that went off course. The U.S. is reaching out to countries that have also been targeted, the official said.

The U.S. has confidence that the manufacturer of the balloon shot down on Saturday has “a direct relationship with China’s military and is an approved vendor of the” army, the official said, citing an official PLA procurement portal as evidence.

State Department spokesman Ned Price would not identify the other countries the U.S. says have also been targeted. Nor would he reveal how the U.S. knows there have been Chinese incursions over those countries' territory, saying to do so could compromise intelligence sources and methods.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675809745976.jpeg" alt="This image provided by the U.S. Navy shows sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recovering a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, S.C., Feb. 5, 2023. (U.S. Navy via AP)" />
 <figcaption>This image provided by the U.S. Navy shows sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recovering a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, S.C., Feb. 5, 2023. (U.S. Navy via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The China balloon&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-china-antony-blinken-51e49202f2a0a50541cde059934c4cfb">shot down by the U.S.</a>&nbsp;was equipped to detect and collect intelligence signals as part of a huge, military-linked aerial surveillance program that targeted more than 40 countries, the Biden administration declared Thursday, citing imagery from American U-2 spy planes.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Defense Dept. officials defends shoot down of balloon over east coast waters versus the waters or mountains of Alaska. <a href="https://t.co/8slP2r9lsc">pic.twitter.com/8slP2r9lsc</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1623733421938774016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>A fleet of balloons operates under the direction of the People's Liberation Army and is used specifically for spying, outfitted with high-tech equipment designed to gather sensitive information from targets across the globe, the U.S. said. Similar balloons have sailed over five continents, according to the administration.A statement from a senior State Department official offered the most detail to date linking China’s military to the balloon that was shot down by the U.S. last weekend over the Atlantic Ocean. The public details outlining the program's scope and capabilities were meant to refute China’s persistent denials that the balloon was used for spying, including a claim Thursday that U.S. accusations about the balloon amount to “information warfare."President Joe Biden defended the U.S. action.And, asked in an interview with Spanish language Telemundo Noticias whether the balloon episode represented a major security breach, he said no.“Look, the total amount of intelligence gathering that’s going on by every country around the world is overwhelming,” he said. “Anyway, it’s not a major breach. I mean, look ... it’s a violation of international law. It’s our airspace. And once it comes into our space, we can do what we want with it.”On Capitol Hill, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-china-beijing-f56da0416e019a2d32217af5334fc4cb">House voted unanimously</a>&nbsp;to condemn China for a “brazen violation” of U.S. sovereignty and efforts to “deceive the international community through false claims about its intelligence collection campaigns.” Republicans have criticized Biden for not acting sooner to down the balloon, but both parties' lawmakers came together on the vote, 419-0.In Beijing, before the U.S. offered its new information, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning repeated her nation's insistence that the large unmanned balloon was a civilian meteorological airship that had blown off course and that the U.S. had “overreacted” by shooting it down.“It is irresponsible,” Mao said. The latest accusations, she said, “may be part of the U.S. side’s information warfare against China.”Underscoring the tensions, China’s defense minister refused to take a phone call from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to discuss the balloon issue on Saturday, the Pentagon said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled a planned weekend trip to Beijing.The U.S. flatly contradicted China's version of events, saying that imagery of the balloon collected by American U-2 spy planes as it crossed the country showed that it was “capable of conducting signals intelligence collection” with multiple antennas and other equipment designed to upload sensitive information and solar panels to power them.Jedidiah Royal, the U.S. assistant defense secretary for the Indo-Pacific, told a Senate Appropriations subcommittee that the military has “some very good guesses” about what intelligence China was seeking. More information was expected to be provided in a classified setting.Senior FBI officials who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the bureau said just a few pieces of the balloon had arrived at the FBI’s Quantico, Virginia, lab for investigation. So far, investigators have parts of the balloon canopy, wiring, and what one official called “a very small amount of electronics.” The official said it was “very early for us to assess what the intent was and how the device was operating.”According to two U.S. officials, the balloon recovery efforts were temporarily suspended on Thursday due to high seas. They said some balloon debris was intact on the ocean floor and divers had recovered potentially high-value equipment over the past day and a half. Another official said that some of the recovered equipment components had English writing or markings on them but it wasn't clear if they were American parts or from another English speaking country. The official said the more highly technical parts recovered did not have any overt markings.Much of the debris is concentrated in two separate sections of an area 15 football fields long and 15 fields across, according to the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the collection process.The State Department official, providing details to reporters by email, also on condition of anonymity, said an analysis of the balloon debris was “inconsistent” with China’s explanation that it was a weather balloon that went off course. The U.S. is reaching out to countries that have also been targeted, the official said.The U.S. has confidence that the manufacturer of the balloon shot down on Saturday has “a direct relationship with China’s military and is an approved vendor of the” army, the official said, citing an official PLA procurement portal as evidence.State Department spokesman Ned Price would not identify the other countries the U.S. says have also been targeted. Nor would he reveal how the U.S. knows there have been Chinese incursions over those countries' territory, saying to do so could compromise intelligence sources and methods.The release of new information appeared part of a coordinated administration response, with multiple officials appearing before congressional committees to face questions about the balloon.Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said officials had taken “all necessary steps to protect sensitive information” and had been able to study and scrutinize the balloon and its equipment.“We will continue to answer the dangers posed by the PRC with determination and resolve,” Sherman said, referring to the People's Republic of China. "We will make clear to the PRC that violations of our sovereignty and the sovereignty of other countries are unacceptable.”At a separate Senate subcommittee hearing, lawmakers repeatedly pressed administration officials, including Pentagon military leaders, about why the balloon was not shot down over sparsely populated areas of Alaska. And they questioned whether allowing the balloon to transit such a large area set a precedent for future spying efforts by China and others.“It defies belief that there was not a single opportunity to safely shoot this spy balloon prior to the coast of South Carolina,” said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. “By the administration’s logic we would allow the Chinese to fly surveillance balloons over the Pentagon or other sensitive sites and populated areas.”Melissa Dalton, assistant defense secretary of Homeland Defense, and Lt. Gen. Doug Sims, director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the U.S. wanted to avoid any injuries or deaths from the debris field if the balloon was shot down over Alaska.And they added that shooting it down over the frigid, icy waters in that region would have made it more difficult and dangerous to recover the pieces for more analysis.“We thought before we shot,” said Sims.This is not the first time the U.S. government has publicly called out alleged activities of the People’s Liberation Army. In a first-of-its-kind prosecution in 2014, the Obama administration Justice Department indicted five accused PLA hackers of breaking into the computer networks of major American corporations in an effort to steal trade secrets._____WASHINGTON (AP) — The China balloon&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-china-antony-blinken-51e49202f2a0a50541cde059934c4cfb">shot down by the U.S.</a>&nbsp;was equipped to detect and collect intelligence signals as part of a huge, military-linked aerial surveillance program that targeted more than 40 countries, the Biden administration declared Thursday, citing imagery from American U-2 spy planes.A fleet of balloons operates under the direction of the People's Liberation Army and is used specifically for spying, outfitted with high-tech equipment designed to gather sensitive information from targets across the globe, the U.S. said. Similar balloons have sailed over five continents, according to the administration.A statement from a senior State Department official offered the most detail to date linking China’s military to the balloon that was shot down by the U.S. last weekend over the Atlantic Ocean. The public details outlining the program's scope and capabilities were meant to refute China’s persistent denials that the balloon was used for spying, including a claim Thursday that U.S. accusations about the balloon amount to “information warfare."On Capitol Hill, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-china-beijing-f56da0416e019a2d32217af5334fc4cb">House voted unanimously</a>&nbsp;to condemn China for a “brazen violation” of U.S. sovereignty and efforts to “deceive the international community through false claims about its intelligence collection campaigns.” Republicans have criticized President Joe Biden for not acting sooner to down the balloon, but both parties' lawmakers came together on the vote, 419-0.In Beijing, before the U.S. offered its new information, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning repeated her nation's insistence that the large unmanned balloon was a civilian meteorological airship that had blown off course and that the U.S. had “overreacted” by shooting it down.“It is irresponsible,” Mao said. The latest accusations, she said, “may be part of the U.S. side’s information warfare against China.”Underscoring the tensions, China’s defense minister refused to take a phone call from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to discuss the balloon issue on Saturday, the Pentagon said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled a planned weekend trip to Beijing.The U.S. flatly contradicted China's version of events, saying that imagery of the balloon collected by American U-2 spy planes as it crossed the country showed that it was “capable of conducting signals intelligence collection” with multiple antennas and other equipment designed to upload sensitive information and solar panels to power them.Jedidiah Royal, the U.S. assistant defense secretary for the Indo-Pacific, told a Senate Appropriations subcommittee that the military has “some very good guesses” about what intelligence China was seeking. More information was expected to be provided in a classified setting.Senior FBI officials who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the bureau said just a few pieces of the balloon had arrived at the FBI’s Quantico, Virginia, lab for investigation. So far, investigators have parts of the balloon canopy, wiring, and what one official called “a very small amount of electronics.” The official said it was “very early for us to assess what the intent was and how the device was operating.”According to two U.S. officials, the balloon recovery efforts were temporarily suspended on Thursday due to high seas. They said some balloon debris was intact on the ocean floor and divers had recovered potentially high-value equipment over the past day and a half.Much of the debris is concentrated in two separate sections of an area that’s 15 football fields long and 15 football fields across, according to the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the collection process.The State Department official, providing details to reporters by email, also on condition of anonymity, said an analysis of the balloon debris was “inconsistent” with China’s explanation that it was a weather balloon that went off course. The U.S. is reaching out to countries that have also been targeted, the official said, to discuss the scope of the Chinese surveillance program, and is looking into potential action that “supported the balloon’s incursion into U.S. airspace.”The official said the U.S. has confidence that the manufacturer of the balloon shot down on Saturday has “a direct relationship with China’s military and is an approved vendor of the” army. The official cited information from an official PLA procurement portal as evidence for the connection between the company and the military.The release of new information appeared part of a coordinated administration response, with multiple officials appearing before congressional committees to face questions about the balloon.Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said officials had taken “all necessary steps to protect sensitive information” and had been able to study and scrutinize the balloon and its equipment.“We will continue to answer the dangers posed by the PRC with determination and resolve,” Sherman said, referring to the People's Republic of China. "We will make clear to the PRC that violations of our sovereignty and the sovereignty of other countries are unacceptable.”At a separate Senate subcommittee hearing, lawmakers repeatedly pressed administration officials, including Pentagon military leaders, about why the balloon was not shot down over sparsely populated areas of Alaska. And they questioned whether allowing the balloon to transit such a large area set a precedent for future spying efforts by China and others.“It defies belief that there was not a single opportunity to safely shoot this spy balloon prior to the coast of South Carolina,” said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. “By the administration’s logic we would allow the Chinese to fly surveillance balloons over the Pentagon or other sensitive sites and populated areas.”Melissa Dalton, assistant defense secretary of Homeland Defense, and Lt. Gen. Doug Sims, director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the U.S. wanted to avoid any injuries or deaths from the debris field if the balloon was shot down over Alaska.And they added that shooting it down over the frigid, icy waters in that region would have made it more difficult and dangerous to recover the pieces for more analysis.“We thought before we shot,” said Sims.This is not the first time the U.S. government has publicly called out alleged activities of the People’s Liberation Army. In a first-of-its-kind prosecution in 2014, the Obama administration Justice Department indicted five accused PLA hackers of breaking into the computer networks of major American corporations in an effort to steal trade secrets._____WASHINGTON (AP) — China’s military is likely behind a huge aerial spy program that has targeted more than 40 countries on five continents with high-altitude surveillance balloons similar to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-china-antony-blinken-51e49202f2a0a50541cde059934c4cfb">one the U.S. shot down over</a>&nbsp;the Atlantic Ocean coast last weekend, the Biden administration said Thursday.The statement from a senior State Department official offered the most detail to date linking China’s People’s Liberation Army to the balloon that traversed the United States, with the administration asserting that China has developed a vast surveillance program capable of collecting sensitive intelligence.The public details are meant to refute China’s persistent denials that the balloon was used for spying, including a claim Thursday that U.S. accusations about the balloon amount to “information warfare” against Beijing.The U.S. official said imagery of that balloon collected by American U-2 spy planes as it floated across the country showed that it was “capable of conducting signals intelligence collection” with multiple antennas and other equipment designed to upload sensitive information and solar panels to power them.The official said an analysis of the balloon debris is “inconsistent” with China’s explanation that it was a weather balloon that went off course. The U.S. is reaching out to countries that have also been targeted, the official said, to discuss the scope of the Chinese surveillance program.The official provided details to reporters by email on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the matter, which had already forced the cancellation of a planned visit to China earlier this week by Secretary of State Antony Blinken.The official said the U.S. has confidence that the manufacturer of the balloon shot down on Saturday has “a direct relationship with China’s military and is an approved vendor of the” army. The official cited information from an official PLA procurement portal as evidence for the connection between the company and the military.