OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man has been found guilty of capital murder in the 2018 killing of his pregnant girlfriend. 

Johnson County prosecutors say a jury convicted 31-year-old Devonte Dominique Wash on Monday for the death of 23-year-old Ashley Harlan, of Olathe, and her unborn child. 

Wash faces life in prison without parole when he's sentenced on June 24. Police said Harlan was found shot to death at her grandfather's home. She was about 20 weeks pregnant with Wash's child when she died. 

Wash called 911 to report that he had found Harlan shot inside the home, but investigators determined through surveillance video near the home and ballistics evidence that Wash was the shooter.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1651601883537.png" alt="Wash-photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Wash-photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man has been found guilty of capital murder in the 2018 killing of his pregnant girlfriend. Johnson County prosecutors say a jury convicted 31-year-old Devonte Dominique Wash on Monday for the death of 23-year-old Ashley Harlan, of Olathe, and her unborn child. Wash faces life in prison without parole when he's sentenced on June 24. Police said Harlan was found shot to death at her grandfather's home. She was about 20 weeks pregnant with Wash's child when she died. Wash called 911 to report that he had found Harlan shot inside the home, but investigators determined through surveillance video near the home and ballistics evidence that Wash was the shooter.

Kan. man guilty in murder of girlfriend, her unborn child

WASHINGTON
 — The Internal Revenue Service today urged business taxpayers to begin 
planning now to take advantage of the enhanced 100% deduction for 
business meals and other tax benefits available to them when they file 
their 2022 federal income tax return.

During <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/small-business-week">National Small Business Week</a>,
 May 1 to 7, the IRS is highlighting tax benefits and resources tied to 
the theme for this year's celebration: "Building a Better America 
through Entrepreneurship." With next year's filing deadline nearly a 
year away, any entrepreneur still has time to identify possible tax 
benefits, take action to qualify for them and then claim them when they 
file in 2023.

For 2021 and 2022 only, businesses can generally deduct the full cost
 of business-related food and beverages purchased from a restaurant. 
Otherwise, the limit is usually 50% of the cost of the meal.

To qualify for the higher limit, the business owner or an employee of
 the business must be present when food or beverages are provided. 
Moreover, the expense cannot be lavish or extravagant. Restaurants 
include businesses that prepare and sell food or beverages to retail 
customers for immediate on-premises or off-premises consumption.

For this purpose, grocery stores, convenience stores and other 
businesses that primarily sell pre-packaged goods not for immediate 
consumption, do not qualify as restaurants. Additionally, an employer 
may not treat certain employer-operated eating facilities as 
restaurants, even if they are operated under contract by a third party.

For more information about this provision, as well as details on the 
special recordkeeping rules that apply to business meals, see IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-463">Publication 463, Travel, Gift, and Car Expenses</a>.

With a growing number of business owners now working from home, many 
may qualify for the home office deduction, also known as the deduction 
for business use of a home.

Usually, a business owner must use a room or other identifiable 
portion of the home exclusively for business on a regular basis. 
Exceptions to the exclusive-use standard apply to home-based daycare 
facilities and to portions of the home used for business storage, where 
the home is the only fixed location for that business.

Those eligible can figure the deduction using either the regular method or the simplified method.

To choose the regular method, fill out and attach <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8829">Form 8829, Expenses for Business Use of Your Home</a>.
 In general, this form divides the expenses of operating the home 
between personal and business use. Direct business expenses are fully 
deductible. On the other hand, the business portion of indirect 
expenses, such as real estate taxes, mortgage interest, rent, casualty 
losses, utilities, insurance, depreciation, maintenance and repairs, is 
figured on this form, based on the percentage of the home used for 
business.

Alternatively, instead of filling out the 44-line Form 8829, business
 owners can choose the simplified method, based on a 6-line worksheet 
found in the instructions to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-schedule-c-form-1040">Schedule C</a>,
 the tax form for sole proprietors. This method has a prescribed rate of
 $5 a square foot for business use of the home. The maximum deduction is
 $1,500, based on business use of at least 300 square feet.

Though homeowners choosing the simplified option cannot depreciate 
the portion of their home used for business, they can still claim 
allowable home mortgage interest, real estate taxes and casualty losses 
as itemized deductions on <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-schedule-a-form-1040">Schedule A</a>.
 These deductions need not be allocated between personal and business 
use, as is required under the regular method. Business expenses 
unrelated to the home, such as advertising, supplies and wages paid to 
employees, are still fully deductible.

Under both the regular and simplified methods, business expenses in 
excess of the gross income limitation are not deductible. For more 
information about this limit along with other details on the home office
 deduction and both methods for figuring it, see <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-587">Publication 587, Business Use of Your Home</a>.

From business start-up expenses to the qualified business income 
deduction to the health-insurance deduction for self-employed 
individuals, there are a variety of other tax benefits that are often 
available to entrepreneurs and other business owners.

For details on these and other tax benefits, see <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-535">Publication 535, Business Expenses</a>. Details on another major expense for most businesses, depreciation of buildings, equipment and other assets, can be found in <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-946">Publication 946, How to Depreciate Property</a>. Yet another worthwhile resource for any small business is the agency's Tax Guide for Small Business, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-334">Publication 334</a>. All these publications are available on IRS.gov.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON
 — The Internal Revenue Service today urged business taxpayers to begin 
planning now to take advantage of the enhanced 100% deduction for 
business meals and other tax benefits available to them when they file 
their 2022 federal income tax return.During <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/small-business-week">National Small Business Week</a>,
 May 1 to 7, the IRS is highlighting tax benefits and resources tied to 
the theme for this year's celebration: "Building a Better America 
through Entrepreneurship." With next year's filing deadline nearly a 
year away, any entrepreneur still has time to identify possible tax 
benefits, take action to qualify for them and then claim them when they 
file in 2023.<h2>Enhanced business meal deduction</h2>For 2021 and 2022 only, businesses can generally deduct the full cost
 of business-related food and beverages purchased from a restaurant. 
Otherwise, the limit is usually 50% of the cost of the meal.To qualify for the higher limit, the business owner or an employee of
 the business must be present when food or beverages are provided. 
Moreover, the expense cannot be lavish or extravagant. Restaurants 
include businesses that prepare and sell food or beverages to retail 
customers for immediate on-premises or off-premises consumption.For this purpose, grocery stores, convenience stores and other 
businesses that primarily sell pre-packaged goods not for immediate 
consumption, do not qualify as restaurants. Additionally, an employer 
may not treat certain employer-operated eating facilities as 
restaurants, even if they are operated under contract by a third party.For more information about this provision, as well as details on the 
special recordkeeping rules that apply to business meals, see IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-463">Publication 463, Travel, Gift, and Car Expenses</a>.<h2>Home office deduction</h2>With a growing number of business owners now working from home, many 
may qualify for the home office deduction, also known as the deduction 
for business use of a home.Usually, a business owner must use a room or other identifiable 
portion of the home exclusively for business on a regular basis. 
Exceptions to the exclusive-use standard apply to home-based daycare 
facilities and to portions of the home used for business storage, where 
the home is the only fixed location for that business.Those eligible can figure the deduction using either the regular method or the simplified method.To choose the regular method, fill out and attach <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8829">Form 8829, Expenses for Business Use of Your Home</a>.
 In general, this form divides the expenses of operating the home 
between personal and business use. Direct business expenses are fully 
deductible. On the other hand, the business portion of indirect 
expenses, such as real estate taxes, mortgage interest, rent, casualty 
losses, utilities, insurance, depreciation, maintenance and repairs, is 
figured on this form, based on the percentage of the home used for 
business.Alternatively, instead of filling out the 44-line Form 8829, business
 owners can choose the simplified method, based on a 6-line worksheet 
found in the instructions to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-schedule-c-form-1040">Schedule C</a>,
 the tax form for sole proprietors. This method has a prescribed rate of
 $5 a square foot for business use of the home. The maximum deduction is
 $1,500, based on business use of at least 300 square feet.Though homeowners choosing the simplified option cannot depreciate 
the portion of their home used for business, they can still claim 
allowable home mortgage interest, real estate taxes and casualty losses 
as itemized deductions on <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-schedule-a-form-1040">Schedule A</a>.
 These deductions need not be allocated between personal and business 
use, as is required under the regular method. Business expenses 
unrelated to the home, such as advertising, supplies and wages paid to 
employees, are still fully deductible.Under both the regular and simplified methods, business expenses in 
excess of the gross income limitation are not deductible. For more 
information about this limit along with other details on the home office
 deduction and both methods for figuring it, see <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-587">Publication 587, Business Use of Your Home</a>.<h2>Other tax benefits</h2>From business start-up expenses to the qualified business income 
deduction to the health-insurance deduction for self-employed 
individuals, there are a variety of other tax benefits that are often 
available to entrepreneurs and other business owners.For details on these and other tax benefits, see <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-535">Publication 535, Business Expenses</a>. Details on another major expense for most businesses, depreciation of buildings, equipment and other assets, can be found in <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-946">Publication 946, How to Depreciate Property</a>. Yet another worthwhile resource for any small business is the agency's Tax Guide for Small Business, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-334">Publication 334</a>. All these publications are available on IRS.gov.

Business meal, home office tax deductions changing for 2022

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal weekend shooting have identified one victim as 34-year-old&nbsp;Michael A. Rehard, according to a media release from KCPD.

&nbsp;Rehard is one of three who died in separated incidents. One shooting happened late Saturday while the second one was reported shortly after 4 a.m. Sunday. In the first shooting, officers found two people who had been fatally wounded in the 1800 block of North 26th Street, according to the release.

A third person who had also been shot was taken to the hospital. On Sunday morning, police found Rehard dead and two wounded individuals in the 200 block of North 6th Street. Police have not reported any arrests.

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal weekend shooting have identified one victim as 34-year-old&nbsp;Michael A. Rehard, according to a media release from KCPD.&nbsp;Rehard is one of three who died in separated incidents. One shooting happened late Saturday while the second one was reported shortly after 4 a.m. Sunday. In the first shooting, officers found two people who had been fatally wounded in the 1800 block of North 26th Street, according to the release.A third person who had also been shot was taken to the hospital. On Sunday morning, police found Rehard dead and two wounded individuals in the 200 block of North 6th Street. Police have not reported any arrests.

Police ID one of three victims in weekend Kansas City killings

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A 14-year-old Missouri boy who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-orlando-d03a753b6ac928a86222c0f3b1134619">fell to his death from a 430-foot drop-tower ride</a>&nbsp;in central Florida's tourist district appeared to slip out of his seat at the halfway mark of its plunge to the ground, according to a law enforcement report released Tuesday.

The father of a friend of Tyre Sampson who witnessed the March 24 accident told deputies that the teen appeared to fall out of his seat when plunging passengers on the Free Fall ride passed a yellow reflective tape halfway down the tower. The ride reaches speeds of 75 mph according to an Orange County Sheriff's Office incident report released through a public records request.

When the teen hit the ground, he appeared to be breathing but was unresponsive, Leon Howard told deputies.

Howard's son, also named Leon Howard, was friends with Sampson from a travel football team and was also on the ride at the time of the accident. Sampson, who was 6 feet, 2 inches tall (1.9 meters) and weighed more than 300 pounds (136 kilograms), had traveled to Orlando with his friend's family for vacation.

The younger Leon Howard told deputies that at the top of the ride, which is taller than the Statue of Liberty, he became nervous and closed his eyes until the ride stopped.

The incident report said nobody touched Sampson on the ground until deputies arrived. According to 911 calls released Tuesday, dispatchers asked witnesses who had called in the accident if they could perform CPR on Sampson.

One man told the dispatcher that Sampson was face down, “and he's about 300 pounds." The dispatcher started asking him to have someone help him move Sampson onto his back, but then deputies arrived at the scene.

A section of the incident report was redacted. The Orange County Sheriff's Office didn't immediately return an emailed inquiry about where their investigation stood. Homicide investigators participated in the probe, according to the report.

An initial report by outside engineers hired by the Florida Department of Agriculture said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-orlando-e9470b0e84a8c59e1bdb1fb06314f170">sensors on the ride had been adjusted manually</a>&nbsp;to double the size of the opening for restraints on two seats, resulting in Sampson not being properly secured before he slipped out and fell to his death.

The Department of Agriculture report said there were many other “potential contributions” to the accident and that a full review of the ride’s design and operations was needed.

Last week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lawsuits-florida-orlando-9b95f3f27e54da9b7e527304816562ae">Sampson's parents sued the ride’s owner, manufacturer and landlord</a>, saying they were negligent and failed to provide a safe amusement ride. The lawsuit said the defendants failed to warn Sampson about the risks of someone of his size going on the ride and that they did not provide an appropriate restraint system.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648251123999.png" alt="An initial report by outside engineers hired by the Florida Department of Agriculture said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-orlando-e9470b0e84a8c59e1bdb1fb06314f170">sensors on the ride had been adjusted manually</a>&nbsp;to double the size of the opening for restraints on two seats, resulting in Sampson not being properly secured before he slipped out and fell to his death- photo courtesy WFTV" />
 <figcaption>An initial report by outside engineers hired by the Florida Department of Agriculture said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-orlando-e9470b0e84a8c59e1bdb1fb06314f170">sensors on the ride had been adjusted manually</a>&nbsp;to double the size of the opening for restraints on two seats, resulting in Sampson not being properly secured before he slipped out and fell to his death- photo courtesy WFTV</figcaption>
 </figure>ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A 14-year-old Missouri boy who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-orlando-d03a753b6ac928a86222c0f3b1134619">fell to his death from a 430-foot drop-tower ride</a>&nbsp;in central Florida's tourist district appeared to slip out of his seat at the halfway mark of its plunge to the ground, according to a law enforcement report released Tuesday.The father of a friend of Tyre Sampson who witnessed the March 24 accident told deputies that the teen appeared to fall out of his seat when plunging passengers on the Free Fall ride passed a yellow reflective tape halfway down the tower. The ride reaches speeds of 75 mph according to an Orange County Sheriff's Office incident report released through a public records request.When the teen hit the ground, he appeared to be breathing but was unresponsive, Leon Howard told deputies.Howard's son, also named Leon Howard, was friends with Sampson from a travel football team and was also on the ride at the time of the accident. Sampson, who was 6 feet, 2 inches tall (1.9 meters) and weighed more than 300 pounds (136 kilograms), had traveled to Orlando with his friend's family for vacation.The younger Leon Howard told deputies that at the top of the ride, which is taller than the Statue of Liberty, he became nervous and closed his eyes until the ride stopped.The incident report said nobody touched Sampson on the ground until deputies arrived. According to 911 calls released Tuesday, dispatchers asked witnesses who had called in the accident if they could perform CPR on Sampson.One man told the dispatcher that Sampson was face down, “and he's about 300 pounds." The dispatcher started asking him to have someone help him move Sampson onto his back, but then deputies arrived at the scene.A section of the incident report was redacted. The Orange County Sheriff's Office didn't immediately return an emailed inquiry about where their investigation stood. Homicide investigators participated in the probe, according to the report.An initial report by outside engineers hired by the Florida Department of Agriculture said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-orlando-e9470b0e84a8c59e1bdb1fb06314f170">sensors on the ride had been adjusted manually</a>&nbsp;to double the size of the opening for restraints on two seats, resulting in Sampson not being properly secured before he slipped out and fell to his death.The Department of Agriculture report said there were many other “potential contributions” to the accident and that a full review of the ride’s design and operations was needed.Last week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lawsuits-florida-orlando-9b95f3f27e54da9b7e527304816562ae">Sampson's parents sued the ride’s owner, manufacturer and landlord</a>, saying they were negligent and failed to provide a safe amusement ride. The lawsuit said the defendants failed to warn Sampson about the risks of someone of his size going on the ride and that they did not provide an appropriate restraint system.

Teen appeared to fall out of ride halfway in fatal plunge

WICHITA, KAN – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging two men with various drug trafficking related offenses, according to the United State's Attorney.

Jose Rodriguez-Cardenas, 46, and Felix Rodriguez-Flores, 42, of Wichita, are both charged with one count of heroin conspiracy, one count of fentanyl conspiracy, and one count of possession of heroin with intent to distribute.

Rodriguez-Cardenas is also charged four counts of distribution of a controlled substance, one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and one count of possession of fentanyl with intention to distribute.

Rodriguez-Flores is charged with six counts of distribution of a controlled substance and one count of possession of fentanyl with intention to distribute.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1651527840734.png" alt="Rodriguez-Cardenas-photo Harvey Co. Jail" />
 <figcaption>Rodriguez-Cardenas-photo Harvey Co. Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, KAN – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging two men with various drug trafficking related offenses, according to the United State's Attorney.Jose Rodriguez-Cardenas, 46, and Felix Rodriguez-Flores, 42, of Wichita, are both charged with one count of heroin conspiracy, one count of fentanyl conspiracy, and one count of possession of heroin with intent to distribute.Rodriguez-Cardenas is also charged four counts of distribution of a controlled substance, one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and one count of possession of fentanyl with intention to distribute.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1651528082331.png" alt="Rodriguez-Flores is being held in Butler Co." />
 <figcaption>Rodriguez-Flores is being held in Butler Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Rodriguez-Flores is charged with six counts of distribution of a controlled substance and one count of possession of fentanyl with intention to distribute.

Suspects indicted in Kansas for heroin, fentanyl distribution

KANSAS CITY (AP)—A man who killed a couple during a robbery at their rural home more than a quarter of a century ago was put to death Tuesday, becoming just the fifth person executed in the United States this year.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/executions-sentencing-missouri-8b1099a050b86c4a98c6fd0da5e0e3ed">Carman Deck</a>, 56, died by injection at the state prison in Bonne Terre. He was pronounced dead at 6:10 p.m. His fate was sealed a day earlier when neither the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-executions-missouri-4d6d9cf622713c2f79a8d577ccb13520">U.S. Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;nor Republican Gov. Mike Parson stepped in to halt the execution. Deck’s death sentence was overturned three times before for procedural issues.

Deck mouthed a few inaudible words as the 5 grams of pentobarbital were administered, then puffed out a couple of breaths before all movement stopped, the process lasting just a few seconds.

“My hope is that one day the world will find peace and that we all will learn to be kind and loving to one another,” Deck said in a written final statement. “We all are a part of this journey through life, connected in every way. Please give love, show love, BE LOVE!”

Parson, in a statement, said the couple killed, James and Zelma Long, “were innocent victims of Carman Deck’s heinous violence. Tonight, justice was served.”

Just four other people have been executed in the U.S. in 2022 —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-oklahoma-oklahoma-city-robbery-mcalester-3693d1a245878cc773aa6bdbbad56ab4">Donald Anthony Grant</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/executions-oklahoma-mcalester-24d25f6c178c5b0852ccae3ba03214f1">Gilbert Ray Postelle&nbsp;</a>in Oklahoma,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-health-alabama-executions-b9b6c18d2d0f1833329d09091998b14a">Matthew Reeves</a>&nbsp;in Alabama and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-shootings-texas-executions-houston-74e25cf0325008b48a21619d257c69d0">Carl Wayne Buntio</a>&nbsp;n last month in Texas. Eleven people were executed in the U.S. last year, the fewest since 1988.

Court records show that Deck, of the St. Louis area, was a friend of the grandson of the Longs, who lived in De Soto, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) southwest of St. Louis. He knew the couple, in their late 60s, kept a safe in their home.

In July 1996, Deck and his sister stopped at the home under the guise of asking directions. Deck wasn’t surprised the couple let them in.

“They’re country folks,” Deck told a detective, according to court records. “They always do.”

Once inside, Deck pulled a gun from his waistband. At Deck’s command, Zelma Long opened the safe and removed jewelry, then got $200 from her purse and more money hidden in a canister.

Deck ordered the couple to lie on their stomachs on their bed. Court records said Deck stood there for 10 minutes deciding what to do, then shot James Long twice in the head before doing the same thing to Zelma Long.

A tip alerted police to Deck, and he was arrested later that night outside his sister’s apartment building in St. Louis County. The decorative tin canister from the Long home was on the floorboard of his car.

Prosecutors said Deck later gave a full account of the killings in oral, written and audiotaped statements. He was sentenced to death in 1998, but the Missouri Supreme Court tossed the sentence due to errors by Deck’s trial lawyer.

The U.S. Supreme Court threw out his second sentence in 2005, citing the prejudice caused by Deck being shackled in front of the sentencing jury.

He was sentenced to death for a third time in 2008.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/59b0d23c85d04ed7b8374ce433393748">Nine years later</a>, U.S. District Judge Catherine Perry determined that “substantial” evidence arguing against the death penalty in Deck’s first two penalty phases was unavailable for the third because witnesses had died, couldn’t be found or declined to cooperate.

In October 2020, a three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals restored the death penalty, ruling that Deck should have raised his concern first in state court, not federal court. Appeals of that ruling were unsuccessful.

The clemency petition on behalf of Deck cited abuse he suffered as a child, including beatings that left welts and sexual abuse. It said he and his siblings often were left alone without food. Deck's attorney, Elizabeth Unger Carlyle, said in a statement that Deck also was raped while in prison for theft at age 19.

“This experience transformed him from a non-violent thief into the person who committed two terrible murders,” Carlyle said. She called his execution “unjust and immoral.”

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-executions-f32c014193ac2fdc77c15e7c3db4ec6c">number of executions</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. has declined significantly since peaking at 98 in 1998. The drop has coincided with declining support, falling from a high of 80% in 1994 to 54% in 2021 according to Gallup polls. Since the mid-1990s, opposition has risen from under 20% to around 45%.

Use of the death penalty has become concentrated mostly in a few Southern and Plains states. Last year, Texas executed three inmates, Oklahoma executed two, and one each were put to death in Alabama, Mississippi and Missouri. Three federal inmates were executed in January 2021, toward the end of President Donald Trump’s administration.

On Monday, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-executions-tennessee-nashville-e143acccdd34b46b346c0e1fb02fe823">paused executions</a>&nbsp;in his state for the rest of the year to enable a review of lethal injection procedures after a testing oversight forced the state to call off the execution of Oscar Smith an hour before he was to die on April 21.

KANSAS CITY (AP) —A man whose death sentence for killing a Missouri couple while robbing their home was overturned three times was scheduled to be executed on Tuesday.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/executions-sentencing-missouri-8b1099a050b86c4a98c6fd0da5e0e3ed">Carman Deck</a>, 56, would be just the fifth U.S. inmate to be executed this year if his lethal injection goes ahead. His hopes for a reprieve were all but dashed on Monday when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-executions-missouri-4d6d9cf622713c2f79a8d577ccb13520">the U.S. Supreme Court turned aside an appeal</a>&nbsp;and Republican Gov. Mike Parson declined Deck’s clemency request, though he could file new appeals.

Deck, who was from the St. Louis area, was a friend of the grandson of James and Zelma Long and knew they kept a safe in their home De Soto, about 45 miles southwest of St. Louis, according to court records.

In July 1996, Deck and his sister stopped at the home under the guise of asking for directions. Deck told a detective that he wasn’t surprised to be invited inside by the couple, who were in their late 60s.

“They’re country folks,” Deck said, according to court records. “They always do.”

A tip alerted police to Deck and he was arrested later that night outside his sister’s apartment building in St. Louis County. The decorative tin canister from the Long home was in his car.

Prosecutors said Deck later gave a full account of the killings. He was sentenced to death in 1998, but the Missouri Supreme Court tossed the sentence due to errors by Deck’s trial lawyer.

He was condemned to death a second time, but the U.S. Supreme Court threw out the sentence in 2005, citing the prejudice caused by Deck being shackled in front of the jury.

He was sentenced to death for a third time in 2008, but U.S. District Judge Catherine Perry overturned that sentence&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/59b0d23c85d04ed7b8374ce433393748">nine years later</a>&nbsp;after she determined that “substantial” evidence arguing against the death penalty during Deck’s first two penalty phases was unavailable for the third because witnesses had died, couldn’t be found or declined to cooperate.

Deck’s clemency petition said he suffered sexual abuse and beatings as a child, and that he and his siblings were often left alone without food.

But Parson wasn’t swayed, explaining his rationale for rejecting the petition in a news release: “Mr. Deck has received due process, and three separate juries of his peers have recommended sentences of death for the brutal murders he committed.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-executions-f32c014193ac2fdc77c15e7c3db4ec6c">The number of executions</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. has declined significantly since peaking at 98 in 1998. The drop has coincided with a decline in public support for capital punishment that has fallen from a high of 80% in 1994 to 54% in 2021, according to Gallup polls. Since the mid-1990s, opposition to capital punishment has risen from under 20% to about 45%.

Just four people have been executed in 2022 —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-oklahoma-oklahoma-city-robbery-mcalester-3693d1a245878cc773aa6bdbbad56ab4">Donald Anthony Grant</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/executions-oklahoma-mcalester-24d25f6c178c5b0852ccae3ba03214f1">Gilbert Ray Postelle</a>&nbsp;in Oklahoma,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-health-alabama-executions-b9b6c18d2d0f1833329d09091998b14a">Matthew Reeves</a>&nbsp;in Alabama and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-shootings-texas-executions-houston-74e25cf0325008b48a21619d257c69d0">Carl Wayne Buntion</a>&nbsp;last month in Texas. All four were convicted killers who were put to death by injection. Eleven people were executed in the U.S. last year, which was the country’s fewest executions since 1988.

On Monday, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-executions-tennessee-nashville-e143acccdd34b46b346c0e1fb02fe823">paused executions</a>&nbsp;for the rest of the year to enable a review of lethal injection procedures after a testing oversight forced the state to call off the execution of Oscar Smith an hour before he was to die on April 21.

WASHINGTON (AP) —The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to halt the upcoming execution of Missouri inmate Carman Deck, and Republican Gov. Mike Parson said he will not grant clemency.

Deck, 56, is scheduled to die by injection at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the state prison in Bonne Terre for killing a couple while robbing their rural home in July 1996.

"Mr. Deck has received due process, and three separate juries of his peers have recommended sentences of death for the brutal murders he committed,” Parson said in a statement. “The State of Missouri will carry out Mr. Deck’s sentence according to the Court’s order and deliver justice.”

Deck's attorney didn't immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

Only four executions have been carried out in the U.S. so far in 2022, and the 11 last year were the fewest since 1988. Earlier Monday, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-executions-tennessee-nashville-e143acccdd34b46b346c0e1fb02fe823">paused executions</a>&nbsp;for the rest of the year to enable a review of the state's lethal injection procedures. That decision came after a testing oversight forced the state to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-crime-executions-tennessee-c35f2cf35a7791617bd4e24555d13a2c">call off the execution</a>&nbsp;of Oscar Smith an hour before he was to die on April 21.

Deck, of the St. Louis area, admitted that he killed James Long, 69, and his 67-year-old wife, Zelma, while robbing them at their home in the eastern Missouri town of De Soto in July 1996.

Deck's death sentence was thrown out three times due to procedural errors before a federal appeals court panel restored it in 2020.

The clemency petition on behalf of Deck cited abuse he suffered as a child, including sexual abuse and beatings. It also said he and his siblings often were left alone without food.

The number of executions in the U.S. has declined significantly since peaking at 98 in 1998. The drop has coincided with a decline in public support for capital punishment that has fallen from a high of 80% in 1994 to 54% in 2021, according to Gallup polls. Since the mid-1990s, opposition to capital punishment has risen from under 20% to about 45%.

JEFFERSON CITY—On Monday, Governor Mike Parson confirmed that the State of Missouri will carry out the sentence of 56-year-old Carmen Deck on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, as ordered by the Supreme Court of Missouri, according to a statement from Parson's office.

"Mr. Deck has received due process, and three separate juries of his peers have recommended sentences of death for the brutal murders he committed,"&nbsp;Governor Parson&nbsp;said. "The State of Missouri will carry out Mr. Deck's sentence according to the Court's order and&nbsp;deliver justice."

Deck was tried and convicted for the heinous execution-style murders of two innocent elderly victims during a robbery in 1996. Mr. Deck fully admitted to his callous offenses in verbal, written, and recorded statements to law enforcement.

Court records said Deck and his sister went to the Long home under the guise of asking for directions, but with the intent to rob them. Deck pulled a pistol from his waistband and ordered them to lie facedown on their bed. He shot them in the head.

 In three different proceedings, separate juries have recommended Mr. Deck’s death sentences. Deck's case has been reviewed in the state trial court, Missouri Supreme Court, federal district court, Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, and United States Supreme Court.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1643738665139.png" alt="Deck photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Deck photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP)—A man who killed a couple during a robbery at their rural home more than a quarter of a century ago was put to death Tuesday, becoming just the fifth person executed in the United States this year.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/executions-sentencing-missouri-8b1099a050b86c4a98c6fd0da5e0e3ed">Carman Deck</a>, 56, died by injection at the state prison in Bonne Terre. He was pronounced dead at 6:10 p.m. His fate was sealed a day earlier when neither the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-executions-missouri-4d6d9cf622713c2f79a8d577ccb13520">U.S. Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;nor Republican Gov. Mike Parson stepped in to halt the execution. Deck’s death sentence was overturned three times before for procedural issues.Deck mouthed a few inaudible words as the 5 grams of pentobarbital were administered, then puffed out a couple of breaths before all movement stopped, the process lasting just a few seconds.“My hope is that one day the world will find peace and that we all will learn to be kind and loving to one another,” Deck said in a written final statement. “We all are a part of this journey through life, connected in every way. Please give love, show love, BE LOVE!”Parson, in a statement, said the couple killed, James and Zelma Long, “were innocent victims of Carman Deck’s heinous violence. Tonight, justice was served.”Just four other people have been executed in the U.S. in 2022 —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-oklahoma-oklahoma-city-robbery-mcalester-3693d1a245878cc773aa6bdbbad56ab4">Donald Anthony Grant</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/executions-oklahoma-mcalester-24d25f6c178c5b0852ccae3ba03214f1">Gilbert Ray Postelle&nbsp;</a>in Oklahoma,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-health-alabama-executions-b9b6c18d2d0f1833329d09091998b14a">Matthew Reeves</a>&nbsp;in Alabama and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-shootings-texas-executions-houston-74e25cf0325008b48a21619d257c69d0">Carl Wayne Buntio</a>&nbsp;n last month in Texas. Eleven people were executed in the U.S. last year, the fewest since 1988.Court records show that Deck, of the St. Louis area, was a friend of the grandson of the Longs, who lived in De Soto, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) southwest of St. Louis. He knew the couple, in their late 60s, kept a safe in their home.In July 1996, Deck and his sister stopped at the home under the guise of asking directions. Deck wasn’t surprised the couple let them in.“They’re country folks,” Deck told a detective, according to court records. “They always do.”Once inside, Deck pulled a gun from his waistband. At Deck’s command, Zelma Long opened the safe and removed jewelry, then got $200 from her purse and more money hidden in a canister.Deck ordered the couple to lie on their stomachs on their bed. Court records said Deck stood there for 10 minutes deciding what to do, then shot James Long twice in the head before doing the same thing to Zelma Long.A tip alerted police to Deck, and he was arrested later that night outside his sister’s apartment building in St. Louis County. The decorative tin canister from the Long home was on the floorboard of his car.Prosecutors said Deck later gave a full account of the killings in oral, written and audiotaped statements. He was sentenced to death in 1998, but the Missouri Supreme Court tossed the sentence due to errors by Deck’s trial lawyer.The U.S. Supreme Court threw out his second sentence in 2005, citing the prejudice caused by Deck being shackled in front of the sentencing jury.He was sentenced to death for a third time in 2008.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/59b0d23c85d04ed7b8374ce433393748">Nine years later</a>, U.S. District Judge Catherine Perry determined that “substantial” evidence arguing against the death penalty in Deck’s first two penalty phases was unavailable for the third because witnesses had died, couldn’t be found or declined to cooperate.In October 2020, a three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals restored the death penalty, ruling that Deck should have raised his concern first in state court, not federal court. Appeals of that ruling were unsuccessful.The clemency petition on behalf of Deck cited abuse he suffered as a child, including beatings that left welts and sexual abuse. It said he and his siblings often were left alone without food. Deck's attorney, Elizabeth Unger Carlyle, said in a statement that Deck also was raped while in prison for theft at age 19.“This experience transformed him from a non-violent thief into the person who committed two terrible murders,” Carlyle said. She called his execution “unjust and immoral.”The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-executions-f32c014193ac2fdc77c15e7c3db4ec6c">number of executions</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. has declined significantly since peaking at 98 in 1998. The drop has coincided with declining support, falling from a high of 80% in 1994 to 54% in 2021 according to Gallup polls. Since the mid-1990s, opposition has risen from under 20% to around 45%.Use of the death penalty has become concentrated mostly in a few Southern and Plains states. Last year, Texas executed three inmates, Oklahoma executed two, and one each were put to death in Alabama, Mississippi and Missouri. Three federal inmates were executed in January 2021, toward the end of President Donald Trump’s administration.On Monday, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-executions-tennessee-nashville-e143acccdd34b46b346c0e1fb02fe823">paused executions</a>&nbsp;in his state for the rest of the year to enable a review of lethal injection procedures after a testing oversight forced the state to call off the execution of Oscar Smith an hour before he was to die on April 21.----------KANSAS CITY (AP) —A man whose death sentence for killing a Missouri couple while robbing their home was overturned three times was scheduled to be executed on Tuesday.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/executions-sentencing-missouri-8b1099a050b86c4a98c6fd0da5e0e3ed">Carman Deck</a>, 56, would be just the fifth U.S. inmate to be executed this year if his lethal injection goes ahead. His hopes for a reprieve were all but dashed on Monday when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-executions-missouri-4d6d9cf622713c2f79a8d577ccb13520">the U.S. Supreme Court turned aside an appeal</a>&nbsp;and Republican Gov. Mike Parson declined Deck’s clemency request, though he could file new appeals.Deck, who was from the St. Louis area, was a friend of the grandson of James and Zelma Long and knew they kept a safe in their home De Soto, about 45 miles southwest of St. Louis, according to court records.In July 1996, Deck and his sister stopped at the home under the guise of asking for directions. Deck told a detective that he wasn’t surprised to be invited inside by the couple, who were in their late 60s.“They’re country folks,” Deck said, according to court records. “They always do.”Once inside, Deck pulled a gun from his waistband. At Deck’s command, Zelma Long opened the safe and removed jewelry, then got $200 from her purse and more money hidden in a canister.Deck ordered the couple to lie on their stomachs on their bed. Court records said Deck stood there for 10 minutes deciding what to do, then shot James Long twice in the head before doing the same thing to Zelma Long.A tip alerted police to Deck and he was arrested later that night outside his sister’s apartment building in St. Louis County. The decorative tin canister from the Long home was in his car.Prosecutors said Deck later gave a full account of the killings. He was sentenced to death in 1998, but the Missouri Supreme Court tossed the sentence due to errors by Deck’s trial lawyer.He was condemned to death a second time, but the U.S. Supreme Court threw out the sentence in 2005, citing the prejudice caused by Deck being shackled in front of the jury.He was sentenced to death for a third time in 2008, but U.S. District Judge Catherine Perry overturned that sentence&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/59b0d23c85d04ed7b8374ce433393748">nine years later</a>&nbsp;after she determined that “substantial” evidence arguing against the death penalty during Deck’s first two penalty phases was unavailable for the third because witnesses had died, couldn’t be found or declined to cooperate.In October 2020, a three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals restored the death penalty, ruling that Deck should have raised his concern first in state court, not federal court. Appeals of that ruling were unsuccessful.Deck’s clemency petition said he suffered sexual abuse and beatings as a child, and that he and his siblings were often left alone without food.But Parson wasn’t swayed, explaining his rationale for rejecting the petition in a news release: “Mr. Deck has received due process, and three separate juries of his peers have recommended sentences of death for the brutal murders he committed.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-executions-f32c014193ac2fdc77c15e7c3db4ec6c">The number of executions</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. has declined significantly since peaking at 98 in 1998. The drop has coincided with a decline in public support for capital punishment that has fallen from a high of 80% in 1994 to 54% in 2021, according to Gallup polls. Since the mid-1990s, opposition to capital punishment has risen from under 20% to about 45%.Just four people have been executed in 2022 —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-oklahoma-oklahoma-city-robbery-mcalester-3693d1a245878cc773aa6bdbbad56ab4">Donald Anthony Grant</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/executions-oklahoma-mcalester-24d25f6c178c5b0852ccae3ba03214f1">Gilbert Ray Postelle</a>&nbsp;in Oklahoma,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-health-alabama-executions-b9b6c18d2d0f1833329d09091998b14a">Matthew Reeves</a>&nbsp;in Alabama and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-shootings-texas-executions-houston-74e25cf0325008b48a21619d257c69d0">Carl Wayne Buntion</a>&nbsp;last month in Texas. All four were convicted killers who were put to death by injection. Eleven people were executed in the U.S. last year, which was the country’s fewest executions since 1988.Use of the death penalty has become concentrated mostly in a few Southern and Plains states. Last year, Texas executed three inmates, Oklahoma executed two, and one each were put to death in Alabama, Mississippi and Missouri. Three federal inmates were executed in January 2021, toward the end of President Donald Trump’s administration.On Monday, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-executions-tennessee-nashville-e143acccdd34b46b346c0e1fb02fe823">paused executions</a>&nbsp;for the rest of the year to enable a review of lethal injection procedures after a testing oversight forced the state to call off the execution of Oscar Smith an hour before he was to die on April 21.---------------WASHINGTON (AP) —The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to halt the upcoming execution of Missouri inmate Carman Deck, and Republican Gov. Mike Parson said he will not grant clemency.Deck, 56, is scheduled to die by injection at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the state prison in Bonne Terre for killing a couple while robbing their rural home in July 1996."Mr. Deck has received due process, and three separate juries of his peers have recommended sentences of death for the brutal murders he committed,” Parson said in a statement. “The State of Missouri will carry out Mr. Deck’s sentence according to the Court’s order and deliver justice.”Deck's attorney didn't immediately respond to a message seeking comment.Only four executions have been carried out in the U.S. so far in 2022, and the 11 last year were the fewest since 1988. Earlier Monday, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-executions-tennessee-nashville-e143acccdd34b46b346c0e1fb02fe823">paused executions</a>&nbsp;for the rest of the year to enable a review of the state's lethal injection procedures. That decision came after a testing oversight forced the state to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-crime-executions-tennessee-c35f2cf35a7791617bd4e24555d13a2c">call off the execution</a>&nbsp;of Oscar Smith an hour before he was to die on April 21.Deck, of the St. Louis area, admitted that he killed James Long, 69, and his 67-year-old wife, Zelma, while robbing them at their home in the eastern Missouri town of De Soto in July 1996.Deck's death sentence was thrown out three times due to procedural errors before a federal appeals court panel restored it in 2020.The clemency petition on behalf of Deck cited abuse he suffered as a child, including sexual abuse and beatings. It also said he and his siblings often were left alone without food.The number of executions in the U.S. has declined significantly since peaking at 98 in 1998. The drop has coincided with a decline in public support for capital punishment that has fallen from a high of 80% in 1994 to 54% in 2021, according to Gallup polls. Since the mid-1990s, opposition to capital punishment has risen from under 20% to about 45%.------------JEFFERSON CITY—On Monday, Governor Mike Parson confirmed that the State of Missouri will carry out the sentence of 56-year-old Carmen Deck on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, as ordered by the Supreme Court of Missouri, according to a statement from Parson's office."Mr. Deck has received due process, and three separate juries of his peers have recommended sentences of death for the brutal murders he committed,"&nbsp;Governor Parson&nbsp;said. "The State of Missouri will carry out Mr. Deck's sentence according to the Court's order and&nbsp;deliver justice."Deck was tried and convicted for the heinous execution-style murders of two innocent elderly victims during a robbery in 1996. Mr. Deck fully admitted to his callous offenses in verbal, written, and recorded statements to law enforcement.Court records said Deck and his sister went to the Long home under the guise of asking for directions, but with the intent to rob them. Deck pulled a pistol from his waistband and ordered them to lie facedown on their bed. He shot them in the head. In three different proceedings, separate juries have recommended Mr. Deck’s death sentences. Deck's case has been reviewed in the state trial court, Missouri Supreme Court, federal district court, Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, and United States Supreme Court.

Execution: Convicted killer put to death for 1996 murder of couple

GEARY COUNTY —Three days of searching have not produced any results, but authorities have identified the suspected drowning victim that they have been searching for at Milford Lake, as Jesse Paul Sockness (white man, 41,&nbsp; brown hair, brown eyes) of Lawrence, Kansas. He was last seen swimming to shore in Milford Lake on Saturday

According to Captain David Gilbert of the Sheriff's Department the search continued Tuesday as boats from the Geary County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit, Wildlife and Parks/Milford State Park, and Wild Life and Parks Law Enforcement Division took to the waters.&nbsp; The area where the subject was last seen was thoroughly searched with side scan and live view sonar east across the lake to the area of Milford State park where a makeshift water vessel was located along with the female passenger who had ridden on it with the suspected drowning victim. A couple articles of clothing believed to belong to her and Sockness were located.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Geary County Sheriff/Junction City Fire Department Dive Team deployed into the area where Sockness was last seen and conducted several large area grid searches.&nbsp; All searches to this point have been met with negative results.&nbsp; Moving forward the Sheriff’s Office will continue to search the area throughout the coming days by land and by water multiple times each day/night.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1651611657234.png" alt="photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>GEARY COUNTY —Three days of searching have not produced any results, but authorities have identified the suspected drowning victim that they have been searching for at Milford Lake, as Jesse Paul Sockness (white man, 41,&nbsp; brown hair, brown eyes) of Lawrence, Kansas. He was last seen swimming to shore in Milford Lake on SaturdayAccording to Captain David Gilbert of the Sheriff's Department the search continued Tuesday as boats from the Geary County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit, Wildlife and Parks/Milford State Park, and Wild Life and Parks Law Enforcement Division took to the waters.&nbsp; The area where the subject was last seen was thoroughly searched with side scan and live view sonar east across the lake to the area of Milford State park where a makeshift water vessel was located along with the female passenger who had ridden on it with the suspected drowning victim. A couple articles of clothing believed to belong to her and Sockness were located.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Geary County Sheriff/Junction City Fire Department Dive Team deployed into the area where Sockness was last seen and conducted several large area grid searches.&nbsp; All searches to this point have been met with negative results.&nbsp; Moving forward the Sheriff’s Office will continue to search the area throughout the coming days by land and by water multiple times each day/night.

Sheriff IDs suspected drowning victim at Kansas lake 

By BLAISE MESA and DYLAN LYSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-05-03/roe-v-wade-decision-will-mean-kansas-abortion-rights-hinge-on-a-state-vote-in-august">Kansas News Service</a>

TOPEKA, Kansas — A leaked draft of a U.S. Supreme Court 
opinion shows the justices are preparing to overturn federal abortion 
rights protections, and that raises the stakes for a constitutional 
amendment vote on abortion rights in Kansas this August.

Losing 
federal protections would mean the state constitution would be the only 
protections for abortion rights in Kansas. A Kansas Supreme Court <a href="https://www.kcur.org/2019-04-26/kansas-supreme-court-rules-state-constitution-protects-right-to-abortion" target="_blank">ruling in 2019</a> said there is a right to abortion in the Kansas Constitution.

“Roe was egregiously wrong from the start,” wrote U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, according to a <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/02/supreme-court-abortion-draft-opinion-00029473" target="_blank">POLITICO article</a>
 reporting on the leaked documents. “Its reasoning was exceptionally 
weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences. And far from 
bringing about a national settlement of the abortion issue, Roe and Casey have enflamed debate and deepened division.”

On
 Aug. 2, Kansans will vote on an amendment that would say there is no 
right to abortion in the state constitution. If approved, and if Roe v. 
Wade is overturned, the state’s Republican lawmakers — who currently 
hold a supermajority in the Legislature — are likely to pursue abortion 
bans similar to Oklahoma, Texas and other Republican-led states.

Mackenzie
 Haddix, spokesperson for the Value Them Both Coalition supporting the 
change to eliminate abortion rights from the state constitution, said 
Kansas is already a destination for late-term abortions and its laws are
 “among the most extreme states in the nation.”

“If Kansans want to stop this, they must vote YES on Value Them Both,” she said in a statement.

If the amendment fails, abortion will remain legal in Kansas no matter what the Supreme Court decides.

“We
 have seen a dramatic acceleration of anti-abortion legislation over the
 past year — a culmination of the decades-long maneuvering by the right 
towards this moment,” said the Wichita-based group Trust Woman in a 
statement. “We have seen hundreds of women traveling thousands of miles 
for medical care that should have been available in their own 
communities.”

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/hb2746_00_0000.pdf" target="_blank">One bill banning abortion</a> has already been introduced in the Kansas Legislature, and does not appear to allow exceptions even in cases of rape or incest.

If
 the nation’s high court does overturn the decades-old precedent, the 
country would then be covered with a state-by-state patchwork of 
differing abortion laws. That, in turn, could lead even more women to 
travel from their home states for places where it remains legal, 
including Kansas.

Several states have enacted abortion bans in 
anticipation of the ruling. Arizona and Wyoming approved laws that will 
go into effect only if the Supreme Court reverses the ruling that’s 
protected abortion rights since 1973.

Meanwhile, neighboring 
states have approved significant bans on abortion that have led to 
residents looking for abortion services in Kansas. Oklahoma <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-04-14/more-women-are-expected-to-come-to-kansas-clinics-because-of-oklahomas-abortion-ban" target="_blank">approved a near-total ban</a>
 on abortion earlier this year, and Texas enacted significant abortion 
restrictions in 2021. Kansas saw an increase of women seeking service 
then, <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-12-21/women-across-the-midwest-and-south-are-coming-to-kansas-for-abortions-that-could-end-next-year" target="_blank">making it an unlikely abortion refuge</a>.

Blaise
 Mesa reports on criminal justice and social services for the Kansas 
News Service in Topeka. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/blaise_mesa" target="_blank">@Blaise_Mesa</a> or email him at <a href="mailto:blaise@kcur.org" target="_blank">blaise@kcur.org</a>.&nbsp;Dylan Lysen reports on politics for the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/DylanLysen" target="_blank">@DylanLysen</a> or email him at dlysen@kcur.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1651593742878.png" alt="The Kansas Constitution gives people the right to an abortion, a judge said in 2019. Chris Neal / Shooter Imaging" />
 <figcaption>The Kansas Constitution gives people the right to an abortion, a judge said in 2019. Chris Neal / Shooter Imaging</figcaption>
 </figure>By BLAISE MESA and DYLAN LYSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-05-03/roe-v-wade-decision-will-mean-kansas-abortion-rights-hinge-on-a-state-vote-in-august">Kansas News Service</a>TOPEKA, Kansas — A leaked draft of a U.S. Supreme Court 
opinion shows the justices are preparing to overturn federal abortion 
rights protections, and that raises the stakes for a constitutional 
amendment vote on abortion rights in Kansas this August.Losing 
federal protections would mean the state constitution would be the only 
protections for abortion rights in Kansas. A Kansas Supreme Court <a href="https://www.kcur.org/2019-04-26/kansas-supreme-court-rules-state-constitution-protects-right-to-abortion" target="_blank">ruling in 2019</a> said there is a right to abortion in the Kansas Constitution.“Roe was egregiously wrong from the start,” wrote U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, according to a <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/02/supreme-court-abortion-draft-opinion-00029473" target="_blank">POLITICO article</a>
 reporting on the leaked documents. “Its reasoning was exceptionally 
weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences. And far from 
bringing about a national settlement of the abortion issue, Roe and Casey have enflamed debate and deepened division.”On
 Aug. 2, Kansans will vote on an amendment that would say there is no 
right to abortion in the state constitution. If approved, and if Roe v. 
Wade is overturned, the state’s Republican lawmakers — who currently 
hold a supermajority in the Legislature — are likely to pursue abortion 
bans similar to Oklahoma, Texas and other Republican-led states.Mackenzie
 Haddix, spokesperson for the Value Them Both Coalition supporting the 
change to eliminate abortion rights from the state constitution, said 
Kansas is already a destination for late-term abortions and its laws are
 “among the most extreme states in the nation.”“If Kansans want to stop this, they must vote YES on Value Them Both,” she said in a statement.If the amendment fails, abortion will remain legal in Kansas no matter what the Supreme Court decides.“We
 have seen a dramatic acceleration of anti-abortion legislation over the
 past year — a culmination of the decades-long maneuvering by the right 
towards this moment,” said the Wichita-based group Trust Woman in a 
statement. “We have seen hundreds of women traveling thousands of miles 
for medical care that should have been available in their own 
communities.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1651593865137.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/hb2746_00_0000.pdf" target="_blank">One bill banning abortion</a> has already been introduced in the Kansas Legislature, and does not appear to allow exceptions even in cases of rape or incest.If
 the nation’s high court does overturn the decades-old precedent, the 
country would then be covered with a state-by-state patchwork of 
differing abortion laws. That, in turn, could lead even more women to 
travel from their home states for places where it remains legal, 
including Kansas.Several states have enacted abortion bans in 
anticipation of the ruling. Arizona and Wyoming approved laws that will 
go into effect only if the Supreme Court reverses the ruling that’s 
protected abortion rights since 1973.Meanwhile, neighboring 
states have approved significant bans on abortion that have led to 
residents looking for abortion services in Kansas. Oklahoma <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-04-14/more-women-are-expected-to-come-to-kansas-clinics-because-of-oklahomas-abortion-ban" target="_blank">approved a near-total ban</a>
 on abortion earlier this year, and Texas enacted significant abortion 
restrictions in 2021. Kansas saw an increase of women seeking service 
then, <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-12-21/women-across-the-midwest-and-south-are-coming-to-kansas-for-abortions-that-could-end-next-year" target="_blank">making it an unlikely abortion refuge</a>.Blaise
 Mesa reports on criminal justice and social services for the Kansas 
News Service in Topeka. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/blaise_mesa" target="_blank">@Blaise_Mesa</a> or email him at <a href="mailto:blaise@kcur.org" target="_blank">blaise@kcur.org</a>.&nbsp;Dylan Lysen reports on politics for the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/DylanLysen" target="_blank">@DylanLysen</a> or email him at dlysen@kcur.org.

Roe v. Wade decision will mean Kan. abortion rights hinge on August vote

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of 49-year-old Kurt Krueger and released the security camera image of a vehicle that may be connected to the death.

Police found Krueger's body in the 7900 block of West Cottontail in Wichita just after 2a.m. Sunday, according to Officer Chad Ditch.

Officers responded to the report of a man down in the roadway and located Krueger unconscious and not breathing. He would be pronounced deceased on the scene.

The investigation revealed that Krueger was walking in the neighborhood where he lives, approximately 20-30 minutes before his body was found.&nbsp; Police have not reported the cause of death.

Investigators are asking the public for&nbsp; information on the vehicle and driver. Any witnesses or anyone with information is asked to contact Det. T.J. Nelson at 316-350-3686 or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1651519978529.png" alt="Photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of 49-year-old Kurt Krueger and released the security camera image of a vehicle that may be connected to the death.Police found Krueger's body in the 7900 block of West Cottontail in Wichita just after 2a.m. Sunday, according to Officer Chad Ditch.Officers responded to the report of a man down in the roadway and located Krueger unconscious and not breathing. He would be pronounced deceased on the scene.The investigation revealed that Krueger was walking in the neighborhood where he lives, approximately 20-30 minutes before his body was found.&nbsp; Police have not reported the cause of death.Investigators are asking the public for&nbsp; information on the vehicle and driver. Any witnesses or anyone with information is asked to contact Det. T.J. Nelson at 316-350-3686 or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

Police: Search continues for vehicle in death of Kansas man

WASHINGTON—Members of the Kansas congressional delegation are responding to the Supreme Court’s leaked draft decision that would overturn the nation’s landmark Roe v. Wade ruling.

Chief Justice John Roberts on Tuesday confirmed the authenticity of the leaked draft opinion suggesting the Supreme Court may be be poised to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide.

Roberts also ordered an investigation into what he called an “egregious breach of trust.”

If the U.S. Supreme Court follows through on overturning the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide, it would immediately split the country into states with abortion access and those that outlaw it.

Some states&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/roe-wade-supreme-court-state-fight-e53b2b46d9606dc9468b8044a0b42ed0">had already been preparing</a>&nbsp;for the potential that the high court could weaken or overturn Roe, but the bombshell leak of the draft opinion appeared to accelerate that drive Tuesday, setting the country on course for an even more jumbled landscape of abortion rights even before the court actually issues its ruling.

Almost immediately after Politico released the draft Monday night, Republicans who had fostered a decades-long push to end abortion rights cheered the prospect while Democrats vowed to fight the possible overturning of a constitutional right that has been in place for nearly a half-century.

WASHINGTON—Members of the Kansas congressional delegation are responding to the Supreme Court’s leaked draft decision that would overturn the nation’s landmark Roe v. Wade ruling.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">As we await the official ruling, I will continue to defend the unborn and give them a voice in the legislative process. The work to protect the unborn must be determined by the democratic process and not unelected judges.&mdash; Senator Jerry Moran (@JerryMoran) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryMoran/status/1521530967395086338?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">If this opinion holds true, it will be a monumental step backwards. And when Kansas votes on a constitutional amendment in August, we will be the first state to decide if we agree that the government has control over women’s health care choices. I’ll tell you this: I don’t.&mdash; Sharice Davids (@sharicedavids) <a href="https://twitter.com/sharicedavids/status/1521499299858821125?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🧵on the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SCOTUS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SCOTUS</a> leak. This is an egregious attack on the institution of the Supreme Court. For someone to leak this document and the press to be complicit in the leak undermines the legitimacy of the Supreme Court. 1/4&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1521515881477648384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">My full statement on the unprecedented leak that revealed the Supreme Court&#39;s intention to overturn Roe v. Wade ⤵️ <a href="https://t.co/APaGT29Y4v">pic.twitter.com/APaGT29Y4v</a>&mdash; Rep. Jake LaTurner (@RepLaTurner) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepLaTurner/status/1521554482571759617?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Chief Justice John Roberts on Tuesday confirmed the authenticity of the leaked draft opinion suggesting the Supreme Court may be be poised to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide.Roberts also ordered an investigation into what he called an “egregious breach of trust.”If the U.S. Supreme Court follows through on overturning the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide, it would immediately split the country into states with abortion access and those that outlaw it.Some states&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/roe-wade-supreme-court-state-fight-e53b2b46d9606dc9468b8044a0b42ed0">had already been preparing</a>&nbsp;for the potential that the high court could weaken or overturn Roe, but the bombshell leak of the draft opinion appeared to accelerate that drive Tuesday, setting the country on course for an even more jumbled landscape of abortion rights even before the court actually issues its ruling.Almost immediately after Politico released the draft Monday night, Republicans who had fostered a decades-long push to end abortion rights cheered the prospect while Democrats vowed to fight the possible overturning of a constitutional right that has been in place for nearly a half-century.

Kan. delegation on Supreme Court abortion opinion leak

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials on Tuesday restated their recommendation that Americans wear masks on planes, trains and buses, despite a court ruling last month that struck down a national mask mandate on public transportation.

Americans age 2 and older&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/s0503-covid-19-travel.html" target="_blank">should wear</a>&nbsp;a well-fitting masks while on public transportation, including in airports and train stations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended, citing the current spread of coronavirus and projections of future COVID-19 trends.

For months, the Transportation Security Administration had been enforcing a requirement that passengers and workers wear masks.

The government had repeatedly extended the mandate, and the latest one had been set to expire May 3. But a federal judge in Florida&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-business-travel-tampa-3408cc825582126fbda5fbedd3a49dd3">struck down</a>&nbsp;the rule on April 18. The same day, the TSA said it would no longer enforce the mandate.

The CDC asked the Justice Department to appeal the decision, which the department did. On Tuesday, CDC officials declined to comment on the status of the appeal. DOJ officials did not immediately respond to a request for information.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640348737573.png" alt="Photo courtesy Wichita Eisenhower National Airport" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Wichita Eisenhower National Airport</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials on Tuesday restated their recommendation that Americans wear masks on planes, trains and buses, despite a court ruling last month that struck down a national mask mandate on public transportation.Americans age 2 and older&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/s0503-covid-19-travel.html" target="_blank">should wear</a>&nbsp;a well-fitting masks while on public transportation, including in airports and train stations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended, citing the current spread of coronavirus and projections of future COVID-19 trends.For months, the Transportation Security Administration had been enforcing a requirement that passengers and workers wear masks.The government had repeatedly extended the mandate, and the latest one had been set to expire May 3. But a federal judge in Florida&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-business-travel-tampa-3408cc825582126fbda5fbedd3a49dd3">struck down</a>&nbsp;the rule on April 18. The same day, the TSA said it would no longer enforce the mandate.The CDC asked the Justice Department to appeal the decision, which the department did. On Tuesday, CDC officials declined to comment on the status of the appeal. DOJ officials did not immediately respond to a request for information.

CDC restates recommendation for masks on planes, trains

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday blasted a “radical” draft Supreme Court opinion that would throw out the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion rights ruling that has stood for a half century and warned that other rights including same-sex marriage and birth control are at risk if the court follows through.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/publicinfo/press/pressreleases/pr_05-03-22" target="_blank">Across the nation, Americans grappled</a>&nbsp;with what might come next.

The court confirmed the authenticity of the leaked draft, which was dated to February, and Chief Justice John&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/publicinfo/press/pressreleases/pr_05-03-22" target="_blank">Roberts said he had ordered an investigation</a>&nbsp;into what he called an “egregious breach of trust.” A court statement emphasized that the draft is not the justices’ final word.

Opinions often change in ways big and small in the drafting process, and a final ruling has not been expected until the end of the court’s term in late June or early July.

A decision to overrule Roe would lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states, spark new efforts in Democratic-leaning states to protect access to abortion, and potentially reshape the contours of this year’s hotly contested midterm elections.

The draft was published by the news outlet Politico late Monday.

Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One, Biden said he hoped the draft wouldn’t be finalized by justices, contending it reflects a “fundamental shift in American jurisprudence” that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/roe-wade-supreme-court-state-fight-e53b2b46d9606dc9468b8044a0b42ed0">threatens “other basic rights” like access to birth control and marriage.</a>

He added: “If this decision holds, it’s really quite a radical decision.” He said the “basic fairness and the stability of our law demand” that the court not overturn Roe.

“If the court does overturn Roe, it will fall on our nation’s elected officials at all levels of government to protect a woman’s right to choose,” Biden said. “And it will fall on voters to elect pro-choice officials this November. At the federal level, we will need more pro-choice Senators and a pro-choice majority in the House to adopt legislation that codifies Roe, which I will work to pass and sign into law.”

Though past efforts have failed, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he intended to hold a vote.

“This is as urgent and real as it gets,” Schumer said on the Senate floor Tuesday. “Every American is going to see on which side every senator stands.”

Whatever the outcome, the Politico report late Monday represented an extremely rare&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stephen-breyer-us-supreme-court-c6a923f6e370672f4a5ccfd3be325786">breach of the court’s secretive deliberation process</a>, and on a case of surpassing importance.

“Roe was egregiously wrong from the start,” the draft opinion states. It was signed by Justice Samuel Alito, a member of the court’s 6-3 conservative majority who was appointed by former President George W. Bush.

The document was labeled a “1st Draft” of the “Opinion of the Court” in a case challenging Mississippi’s ban on abortion after 15 weeks, a case known as Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

The draft opinion in effect states there is no constitutional right to abortion services. It would allow individual states to more heavily regulate or outright ban the procedure.

“We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled,” it states, referencing the 1992 case Planned Parenthood v. Casey that affirmed Roe’s finding of a constitutional right to abortion services but allowed states to place some constraints on the practice. “It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.”

The draft opinion strongly suggests that when the justices met in private shortly after arguments in the case on Dec. 1, at least five — all the conservatives except perhaps Chief Justice John Roberts — voted to overrule Roe and Casey, and Alito was assigned the task of writing the court’s majority opinion.

Votes and opinions in a case aren’t final until a decision is announced or, in a change wrought by the coronavirus pandemic, posted on the court’s website.

Politico said only that it received “a copy of the draft opinion from a person familiar with the court’s proceedings in the Mississippi case along with other details supporting the authenticity of the document.”

The report comes amid a legislative push to restrict abortion in several Republican-led states — Oklahoma being the most recent — even before the court issues its decision. Critics of those measures have said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-laws-raising-children-e620ca2a871bfd9ce5b6d6c76e092c31">low-income and minority women will disproportionately bear the burden</a>&nbsp;of the new restrictions.

The leak jumpstarted the intense political reverberations that the high court’s ultimate decision was expected to have in the midterm election year. Already, politicians on both sides of the aisle were seizing on the report to fundraise and energize their supporters on both sides of the issue.

Democrats contended that several&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-election-2020-amy-coney-barrett-brett-kavanaugh-confirmation-hearings-084bd8c246cce2418f7cc49a1cd31cd5">conservative justices misled senators</a>&nbsp;about their feelings.x

And Maine Republican Susan Collins, who supports abortion rights but was a pivotal GOP vote for the confirmations of Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, said if the draft reflects the final opinion of the court, “it would be completely inconsistent with what Justice Gorsuch and Justice Kavanaugh said in their hearings and in our meetings in my office.”

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, told reporters on Capitol Hill that “my confidence in the court has been rocked,” and said her proposal with Collins to legislate abortion rights should be reinvigorated.

An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-reproductive-rights-bd86cf1c8ddbfd09c5e221c7a9d41e01">AP-NORC poll</a>&nbsp;in December found that Democrats increasingly see protecting abortion rights as a high priority for the government.

Other polling shows relatively few Americans want to see Roe overturned. In 2020, AP VoteCast found that 69% of voters in the presidential election said the Supreme Court should leave the Roe v. Wade decision as is; just 29% said the court should overturn the decision. In general, AP-NORC polling finds a majority of the public favors abortion being legal in most or all cases.

Still, when asked about abortion policy generally, Americans have nuanced attitudes on the issue, and many don’t think that abortion should be possible after the first trimester or that women should be able to obtain a legal abortion for any reason.

Alito, in the draft, said the court can’t predict how the public might react and shouldn’t try. “We cannot allow our decisions to be affected by any extraneous influences such as concern about the public’s reaction to our work,” Alito wrote in the draft opinion, according to Politico.

Police in Washington prepared for the potential of large demonstrations outside the Supreme Court and U.S. Capitol. People on both sides of the issue gathered outside the curt waving signs and chanting on a balmy Monday night following the release of the Politico report, and again on Tuesday.

Outside Washington, Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said people seeking abortions could head to her state. “For anyone who needs access to care, our state will welcome you with open arms. Abortion will always be safe &amp; accessible in New York,” Hochul said in a tweet.

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch said in a statement, “We will let the Supreme Court speak for itself and wait for the Court’s official opinion.” But local officials were praising the draft.

“This puts the decision making back into the hands of the states, which is where it should have always been,” said Mississippi state Rep. Becky Currie.

At Supreme Court arguments in December, all six conservative justices signaled that they would uphold the Mississippi law, and five asked questions that suggested that overruling Roe and Casey was a possibility.

Only Roberts seemed prepared to take the smaller step of upholding the 15-week ban, though that too would be a significant weakening of abortion rights.

Until now, the court has allowed states to regulate but not ban abortion before the point of viability, around 24 weeks.

Twenty-six states are certain or likely to ban abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned, according to the pro-abortion rights think tank the Guttmacher Institute. Of those, 22 states already have total or near-total bans on the books that are currently blocked by Roe, aside from Texas. The Texas law banning it after six weeks has been allowed to go into effect by the Supreme Court due to its unusual civil enforcement structure. Four more states are considered likely to quickly pass bans if Roe is overturned.

Sixteen states and the District of Columbia, meanwhile, have protected access to abortion in state law.

The Supreme Court justices generally spend May and June finishing their writing in cases that have been argued and then issuing the remaining opinions before going on a summer break. On the court’s calendar, the next day opinions might normally be expected is May 16.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1651593955487.png" alt="President Joe Biden said Tuesday that the “basic fairness and the stability of our law demand” that the court not overturn Roe-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Joe Biden said Tuesday that the “basic fairness and the stability of our law demand” that the court not overturn Roe-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday blasted a “radical” draft Supreme Court opinion that would throw out the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion rights ruling that has stood for a half century and warned that other rights including same-sex marriage and birth control are at risk if the court follows through.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/publicinfo/press/pressreleases/pr_05-03-22" target="_blank">Across the nation, Americans grappled</a>&nbsp;with what might come next.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden: &quot;If this decision holds, it&#39;s really quite a radical decision...I think the codification of Roe makes a lot of sense.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/LN9NEB1T1k">pic.twitter.com/LN9NEB1T1k</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1521516325851615232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">My statement on the reported Supreme Court decision draft. <a href="https://t.co/Kt3bP0kzqU">pic.twitter.com/Kt3bP0kzqU</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1521485987133771782?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The court confirmed the authenticity of the leaked draft, which was dated to February, and Chief Justice John&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/publicinfo/press/pressreleases/pr_05-03-22" target="_blank">Roberts said he had ordered an investigation</a>&nbsp;into what he called an “egregious breach of trust.” A court statement emphasized that the draft is not the justices’ final word.Opinions often change in ways big and small in the drafting process, and a final ruling has not been expected until the end of the court’s term in late June or early July.A decision to overrule Roe would lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states, spark new efforts in Democratic-leaning states to protect access to abortion, and potentially reshape the contours of this year’s hotly contested midterm elections.The draft was published by the news outlet Politico late Monday.Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One, Biden said he hoped the draft wouldn’t be finalized by justices, contending it reflects a “fundamental shift in American jurisprudence” that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/roe-wade-supreme-court-state-fight-e53b2b46d9606dc9468b8044a0b42ed0">threatens “other basic rights” like access to birth control and marriage.</a>He added: “If this decision holds, it’s really quite a radical decision.” He said the “basic fairness and the stability of our law demand” that the court not overturn Roe.“If the court does overturn Roe, it will fall on our nation’s elected officials at all levels of government to protect a woman’s right to choose,” Biden said. “And it will fall on voters to elect pro-choice officials this November. At the federal level, we will need more pro-choice Senators and a pro-choice majority in the House to adopt legislation that codifies Roe, which I will work to pass and sign into law.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">This is the time to fight for women and our country with everything we have. My statement on the Supreme Court decision draft on Roe v. Wade. <a href="https://t.co/5tvjOUTmZ2">pic.twitter.com/5tvjOUTmZ2</a>&mdash; Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) <a href="https://twitter.com/VP/status/1521532537083813888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Though past efforts have failed, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he intended to hold a vote.“This is as urgent and real as it gets,” Schumer said on the Senate floor Tuesday. “Every American is going to see on which side every senator stands.”Whatever the outcome, the Politico report late Monday represented an extremely rare&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stephen-breyer-us-supreme-court-c6a923f6e370672f4a5ccfd3be325786">breach of the court’s secretive deliberation process</a>, and on a case of surpassing importance.“Roe was egregiously wrong from the start,” the draft opinion states. It was signed by Justice Samuel Alito, a member of the court’s 6-3 conservative majority who was appointed by former President George W. Bush.The document was labeled a “1st Draft” of the “Opinion of the Court” in a case challenging Mississippi’s ban on abortion after 15 weeks, a case known as Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.The draft opinion in effect states there is no constitutional right to abortion services. It would allow individual states to more heavily regulate or outright ban the procedure.“We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled,” it states, referencing the 1992 case Planned Parenthood v. Casey that affirmed Roe’s finding of a constitutional right to abortion services but allowed states to place some constraints on the practice. “It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.”The draft opinion strongly suggests that when the justices met in private shortly after arguments in the case on Dec. 1, at least five — all the conservatives except perhaps Chief Justice John Roberts — voted to overrule Roe and Casey, and Alito was assigned the task of writing the court’s majority opinion.Votes and opinions in a case aren’t final until a decision is announced or, in a change wrought by the coronavirus pandemic, posted on the court’s website.Politico said only that it received “a copy of the draft opinion from a person familiar with the court’s proceedings in the Mississippi case along with other details supporting the authenticity of the document.”The report comes amid a legislative push to restrict abortion in several Republican-led states — Oklahoma being the most recent — even before the court issues its decision. Critics of those measures have said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-laws-raising-children-e620ca2a871bfd9ce5b6d6c76e092c31">low-income and minority women will disproportionately bear the burden</a>&nbsp;of the new restrictions.The leak jumpstarted the intense political reverberations that the high court’s ultimate decision was expected to have in the midterm election year. Already, politicians on both sides of the aisle were seizing on the report to fundraise and energize their supporters on both sides of the issue.Democrats contended that several&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-election-2020-amy-coney-barrett-brett-kavanaugh-confirmation-hearings-084bd8c246cce2418f7cc49a1cd31cd5">conservative justices misled senators</a>&nbsp;about their feelings.xAnd Maine Republican Susan Collins, who supports abortion rights but was a pivotal GOP vote for the confirmations of Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, said if the draft reflects the final opinion of the court, “it would be completely inconsistent with what Justice Gorsuch and Justice Kavanaugh said in their hearings and in our meetings in my office.”Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, told reporters on Capitol Hill that “my confidence in the court has been rocked,” and said her proposal with Collins to legislate abortion rights should be reinvigorated.An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-reproductive-rights-bd86cf1c8ddbfd09c5e221c7a9d41e01">AP-NORC poll</a>&nbsp;in December found that Democrats increasingly see protecting abortion rights as a high priority for the government.Other polling shows relatively few Americans want to see Roe overturned. In 2020, AP VoteCast found that 69% of voters in the presidential election said the Supreme Court should leave the Roe v. Wade decision as is; just 29% said the court should overturn the decision. In general, AP-NORC polling finds a majority of the public favors abortion being legal in most or all cases.Still, when asked about abortion policy generally, Americans have nuanced attitudes on the issue, and many don’t think that abortion should be possible after the first trimester or that women should be able to obtain a legal abortion for any reason.Alito, in the draft, said the court can’t predict how the public might react and shouldn’t try. “We cannot allow our decisions to be affected by any extraneous influences such as concern about the public’s reaction to our work,” Alito wrote in the draft opinion, according to Politico.Police in Washington prepared for the potential of large demonstrations outside the Supreme Court and U.S. Capitol. People on both sides of the issue gathered outside the curt waving signs and chanting on a balmy Monday night following the release of the Politico report, and again on Tuesday.Outside Washington, Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said people seeking abortions could head to her state. “For anyone who needs access to care, our state will welcome you with open arms. Abortion will always be safe &amp; accessible in New York,” Hochul said in a tweet.Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch said in a statement, “We will let the Supreme Court speak for itself and wait for the Court’s official opinion.” But local officials were praising the draft.“This puts the decision making back into the hands of the states, which is where it should have always been,” said Mississippi state Rep. Becky Currie.At Supreme Court arguments in December, all six conservative justices signaled that they would uphold the Mississippi law, and five asked questions that suggested that overruling Roe and Casey was a possibility.Only Roberts seemed prepared to take the smaller step of upholding the 15-week ban, though that too would be a significant weakening of abortion rights.Until now, the court has allowed states to regulate but not ban abortion before the point of viability, around 24 weeks.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1651593821281.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Twenty-six states are certain or likely to ban abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned, according to the pro-abortion rights think tank the Guttmacher Institute. Of those, 22 states already have total or near-total bans on the books that are currently blocked by Roe, aside from Texas. The Texas law banning it after six weeks has been allowed to go into effect by the Supreme Court due to its unusual civil enforcement structure. Four more states are considered likely to quickly pass bans if Roe is overturned.Sixteen states and the District of Columbia, meanwhile, have protected access to abortion in state law.The Supreme Court justices generally spend May and June finishing their writing in cases that have been argued and then issuing the remaining opinions before going on a summer break. On the court’s calendar, the next day opinions might normally be expected is May 16.

🎥Biden blasts 'radical' abortion ruling draft, warns other rights at risk

Scully strongly denies accusation dating back 40 years

Father Mike Scully, a longtime fixture of the Hays Catholic Church, has been accused of sexual abuse of a minor.

Provincial Minister Br. Mark Schenk announced the allegation in a newsletter last week.

“I need to make you aware that the Province of Mid-America recently received an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor against Father Michael Scully and Father Jordan Hammel (deceased),” the statement published in the March 20 St. Fidelis Church bulletin said. “In accord with provincial policies, we have notified law enforcement of the allegation and have relieved Father Michael of the public exercise of priestly ministry pending the outcome of an investigation into the matter.”

Scully, who denies the allegations, is a member of the Capuchin Franciscan order, under the Mid-America Province of St. Conrad, which serves Colorado, Kansas and Texas.

Upon being informed of the allegation from the Capuchin Franciscan order, the Archdiocese of Kansas City relieved Scully of his duties pending the outcome of the investigation.

In a statement from the archdiocese published March 25, the church noted the allegation stems from Scully’s work outside of the archdiocese.

Scully will remain on leave until the conclusion of the investigation and is fully cooperating, Schenk said.

He denied the allegation, dating back to the 1970s, in the same newsletter.

“I must also tell you that the acts of which I am accused did not occur, and I strongly deny the allegation I was accused of which allegedly happened over 40 years ago,” Scully said. “An allegation of this nature obviously is hurtful to me, especially since I have loved the ministry of being a priest and pastor.

“Also, most of my priestly life of 57 years has been spent working with, counseling and overseeing young people. I have authored books for young people and have produced radio shows on pop music and movies, and never once in this period has an accusation of this nature been brought forward against me.

“My prayer is with the accusing party and for peace and healing for all affected by this investigation,” he continued.

The SNAP network, a group that works to inform communities about institutional abuse, said in the Salina Diocese he worked at St. Joseph’s parish and headed Thomas More Prep-Marian High School, both in Hays. He most recently was serving in the Lawrence area.

That organization is calling on church officials Kansas City Kansas Archbishop Joseph Naumann,&nbsp;Salina Bishop Gerald L. Vincke, Denver-based Archbishop Samuel Aquila, Thomas More Prep-Marian High School principal Chad Meitner, alumni director Wanda Billinger and Schenk, to “use their considerable resources to aggressively seek out anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered crimes or cover-ups by Fr. Scully or his supervisors or colleagues.”

The church has also called on anyone with information to come forward.

“The Province of Saint Conrad takes all allegations of misconduct by its friars very seriously and works diligently to ascertain the truth and to respond to survivors’ needs with compassion and respect,” Schenk said. “We encourage anyone with knowledge about this case or about any misconduct by any member of the province to contact civil authorities first, and then make a report to our Safe Environment Coordinator.”

Scully’s longtime weekly radio program, "Message at the Top," aired on KJLS, an Eagle Radio-owned station in Hays. Eagle is the parent company of Hays Post.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1651600333244.png" alt="Photo courtesy<a href="http://www.frmikescully.com/about.html"> frmikescully.com</a>" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy<a href="http://www.frmikescully.com/about.html"> frmikescully.com</a></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Scully strongly denies accusation dating back 40 years</h2>By JAMES BELL Hays PostFather Mike Scully, a longtime fixture of the Hays Catholic Church, has been accused of sexual abuse of a minor.Provincial Minister Br. Mark Schenk announced the allegation in a newsletter last week.“I need to make you aware that the Province of Mid-America recently received an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor against Father Michael Scully and Father Jordan Hammel (deceased),” the statement published in the March 20 St. Fidelis Church bulletin said. “In accord with provincial policies, we have notified law enforcement of the allegation and have relieved Father Michael of the public exercise of priestly ministry pending the outcome of an investigation into the matter.”Scully, who denies the allegations, is a member of the Capuchin Franciscan order, under the Mid-America Province of St. Conrad, which serves Colorado, Kansas and Texas.Upon being informed of the allegation from the Capuchin Franciscan order, the Archdiocese of Kansas City relieved Scully of his duties pending the outcome of the investigation.In a statement from the archdiocese published March 25, the church noted the allegation stems from Scully’s work outside of the archdiocese.Scully will remain on leave until the conclusion of the investigation and is fully cooperating, Schenk said.He denied the allegation, dating back to the 1970s, in the same newsletter.“I must also tell you that the acts of which I am accused did not occur, and I strongly deny the allegation I was accused of which allegedly happened over 40 years ago,” Scully said. “An allegation of this nature obviously is hurtful to me, especially since I have loved the ministry of being a priest and pastor.“Also, most of my priestly life of 57 years has been spent working with, counseling and overseeing young people. I have authored books for young people and have produced radio shows on pop music and movies, and never once in this period has an accusation of this nature been brought forward against me.“My prayer is with the accusing party and for peace and healing for all affected by this investigation,” he continued.The SNAP network, a group that works to inform communities about institutional abuse, said in the Salina Diocese he worked at St. Joseph’s parish and headed Thomas More Prep-Marian High School, both in Hays. He most recently was serving in the Lawrence area.That organization is calling on church officials Kansas City Kansas Archbishop Joseph Naumann,&nbsp;Salina Bishop Gerald L. Vincke, Denver-based Archbishop Samuel Aquila, Thomas More Prep-Marian High School principal Chad Meitner, alumni director Wanda Billinger and Schenk, to “use their considerable resources to aggressively seek out anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered crimes or cover-ups by Fr. Scully or his supervisors or colleagues.”The church has also called on anyone with information to come forward.“The Province of Saint Conrad takes all allegations of misconduct by its friars very seriously and works diligently to ascertain the truth and to respond to survivors’ needs with compassion and respect,” Schenk said. “We encourage anyone with knowledge about this case or about any misconduct by any member of the province to contact civil authorities first, and then make a report to our Safe Environment Coordinator.”Scully’s longtime weekly radio program, "Message at the Top," aired on KJLS, an Eagle Radio-owned station in Hays. Eagle is the parent company of Hays Post.

Former priest in Hays on leave after sexual abuse allegations

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after an early morning traffic stop.

Just after 12:30a.m. Monday, a deputy sheriff conducted a traffic stop on a 2005 Chevrolet Suburban near NW Topeka Boulevard and NW Independence Avenue for speeding, according to Shawnee County Deputy Abigail Christian.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1651575259185.png" alt="Stang has previous convictions for robbery, burglary and use of a false name on a drivers license, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections -photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Stang has previous convictions for robbery, burglary and use of a false name on a drivers license, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections -photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after an early morning traffic stop.Just after 12:30a.m. Monday, a deputy sheriff conducted a traffic stop on a 2005 Chevrolet Suburban near NW Topeka Boulevard and NW Independence Avenue for speeding, according to Shawnee County Deputy Abigail Christian. During the investigation, deputies found illegal narcotics and arrested 50-year-old Richard L. Stang of Topeka was arrested and booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections. He is being held on requested charge of possession of methamphetamine, driving under the influence, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to wear a seat belt, driving without a valid driver’s license, operating a vehicle without proper registration and speeding.Stang has previous convictions for robbery, burglary and use of a false name on a drivers license, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.