KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A man charged in the 2019 killing of his father, who was a Kansas sheriff’s captain, has been convicted. 

Television station WDAF reports that Zachary Arnold was found guilty last week of involuntary manslaughter in the October 5, 2019, shooting death of 57-year-old Chris Arnold. 

The elder Arnold was a captain with the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office and a 25-year veteran of the department. Authorities have said Zachary Arnold was 22-years-old when he shot his father in the head during an argument at the captain's home in Kansas City, Kansas. He is set to be sentenced on May 23.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649345663009.png" alt="Arnold-photo Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption>Arnold-photo Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A man charged in the 2019 killing of his father, who was a Kansas sheriff’s captain, has been convicted. Television station WDAF reports that Zachary Arnold was found guilty last week of involuntary manslaughter in the October 5, 2019, shooting death of 57-year-old Chris Arnold. The elder Arnold was a captain with the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office and a 25-year veteran of the department. Authorities have said Zachary Arnold was 22-years-old when he shot his father in the head during an argument at the captain's home in Kansas City, Kansas. He is set to be sentenced on May 23.

Son convicted of killing his father, a Kansas sheriff's deputy

BEIRUT (AP) — Artillery hit a base housing U.S. troops in eastern Syria early Thursday injuring four members of the U.S.-led coalition there, the organization said. They are being evaluated for minor injuries and possible traumatic brain injury, according to a media release from the combined joint task force.

The attack — two rounds of indirect fire — was the first to hit the base in Syria’s Deir el-Zour province since January, when eight rounds landed inside its perimeter.

The International Coalition for Operation Inherent Resolve said troops at Green Village in the province that borders Iraq reported receiving two rounds of indirect fire. Two Coalition members were lightly injured in the attack, it added, saying that two were treated and returned to duty Thursday morning.

Green Village, just east of the Euphrates River, is an installation used by some of the several hundred U.S. forces in Syria.

The coalition said the incoming rounds ignited two fires which were quickly extinguished.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said five rockets were fired early Thursday from positions where Iran-backed fighters are based.

Hundreds of U.S. troops are stationed in northeastern Syria, working with the U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces to fight against the Islamic State group.

Thousands of Iran-backed militiamen from around the Middle East are deployed in different parts of Syria, many of them in areas along the border with Iraq.

Iran sent thousands of fighters it backs from around the Middle East to fight alongside President Bashar Assad’s forces during Syria’s 11-year conflict. They helped tip the balance of power in his favor.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649377588949.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BEIRUT (AP) — Artillery hit a base housing U.S. troops in eastern Syria early Thursday injuring four members of the U.S.-led coalition there, the organization said. They are being evaluated for minor injuries and possible traumatic brain injury, according to a media release from the combined joint task force.The attack — two rounds of indirect fire — was the first to hit the base in Syria’s Deir el-Zour province since January, when eight rounds landed inside its perimeter.The International Coalition for Operation Inherent Resolve said troops at Green Village in the province that borders Iraq reported receiving two rounds of indirect fire. Two Coalition members were lightly injured in the attack, it added, saying that two were treated and returned to duty Thursday morning.Green Village, just east of the Euphrates River, is an installation used by some of the several hundred U.S. forces in Syria.The coalition said the incoming rounds ignited two fires which were quickly extinguished.The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said five rockets were fired early Thursday from positions where Iran-backed fighters are based.Hundreds of U.S. troops are stationed in northeastern Syria, working with the U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces to fight against the Islamic State group.Thousands of Iran-backed militiamen from around the Middle East are deployed in different parts of Syria, many of them in areas along the border with Iraq.Iran sent thousands of fighters it backs from around the Middle East to fight alongside President Bashar Assad’s forces during Syria’s 11-year conflict. They helped tip the balance of power in his favor.

Attack in Syria injures U.S. service members

By DAN MARGOLIES <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-04-07/university-of-kansas-professor-charged-under-trump-era-initiative-convicted-of-wire-fraud">Kansas News Service</a>

A federal jury has convicted 
University of Kansas chemistry professor Feng “Franklin” Tao of four 
counts of wire fraud, in a closely watched case involving his ties to a 
Chinese university.

Tao, a tenured professor, was the first 
defendant among about two dozen academics charged under a 
since-disbanded Trump-era program known as the China Initiative.

Thursday's verdict followed a <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-03-22/trial-begins-for-ku-professor-charged-under-china-initiative">two-week-long trial</a> that drew the attention of civil rights activists, who claimed the initiative unfairly targeted Chinese Americans.

The jury acquitted Tao of two additional counts of wire fraud and two counts of making false statements.

Peter
 R. Zeidenberg, one of Tao’s attorneys, said he was disappointed in the 
verdict but noted the judge said there were significant issues with the 
evidence in the case. He said U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson asked 
for briefing on Tao’s motion for a judgment of acquittal, and has yet to
 set a sentencing date.

“We take that as a positive sign and we are looking to getting this verdict overturned,” Zeidenberg said.

“Sometimes,
 unfortunately, juries get things wrong," Zeidenberg added. "There was 
no evidence to support a charge that anyone was defrauded because the 
(grant) agencies themselves said they were happy with the work (Tao) 
performed for them. And they also indicated that had they known he was 
working in China or was setting up a lab there, that would not have 
mattered to them in their grant decision process.”

The counts 
against Tao were based on government allegations that he was employed as
 a Changjiang Distinguished Professor at Fuzhou University through the 
Changjiang Scholars Program and failed to inform the Department of 
Energy and other grant-making agencies and KU.

The Justice 
Department's now-defunct China Initiative aimed to combat China’s 
efforts to steal American technology and trade secrets. But in many 
cases, rather than charge suspects with espionage, the government 
charged them with the more narrow crime of concealing their Chinese ties
 in grant proposals and from their American employers.

An 
investigation last year by the MIT Technology Review found that, instead
 of focusing on economic espionage and national security, “the 
initiative now appears to be an umbrella term for cases with almost any 
connection to China, whether they involve state-sponsored hackers, 
smugglers, or, increasingly, academics accused of failing to disclose 
all ties to China on grant-related forms.”

In January, the Justice
 Department dismissed a similar case against Gang Chen, a professor of 
mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The
 government said it had obtained new information indicating that the 
Chinese affiliations at the center of the case were not of material 
importance to the funding agency, the Department of Energy, according to
 the New York Times.

Late in the day Wednesday, the Tao jury asked
 to see the transcript of testimony given by a key defense witness, 
Vivian Schwartz, a program manager at the Department of Energy who 
supervised Tao’s grants. 

Schwartz had testified that Tao 
performed his work to the department’s satisfaction and it was 
immaterial to her that he was setting up a lab in China, according to 
Zeidenberg.

If U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson were to grant 
Tao’s motion for a judgment of acquittal, it would wipe out the jury’s 
verdict. Such motions, though rarely granted, are based on claims that 
the evidence at trial was insufficient for a finding of guilt beyond a 
reasonable doubt.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649363336421.png" alt="Feng "Franklin" Tao's trial was held in the Robert J. Dole Federal Courthouse in Kansas City, Kansas. Dan Margolies / KCUR " />
 <figcaption>Feng "Franklin" Tao's trial was held in the Robert J. Dole Federal Courthouse in Kansas City, Kansas. Dan Margolies / KCUR </figcaption>
 </figure>By DAN MARGOLIES <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-04-07/university-of-kansas-professor-charged-under-trump-era-initiative-convicted-of-wire-fraud">Kansas News Service</a>A federal jury has convicted 
University of Kansas chemistry professor Feng “Franklin” Tao of four 
counts of wire fraud, in a closely watched case involving his ties to a 
Chinese university.Tao, a tenured professor, was the first 
defendant among about two dozen academics charged under a 
since-disbanded Trump-era program known as the China Initiative.Thursday's verdict followed a <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-03-22/trial-begins-for-ku-professor-charged-under-china-initiative">two-week-long trial</a> that drew the attention of civil rights activists, who claimed the initiative unfairly targeted Chinese Americans.The jury acquitted Tao of two additional counts of wire fraud and two counts of making false statements.Peter
 R. Zeidenberg, one of Tao’s attorneys, said he was disappointed in the 
verdict but noted the judge said there were significant issues with the 
evidence in the case. He said U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson asked 
for briefing on Tao’s motion for a judgment of acquittal, and has yet to
 set a sentencing date.“We take that as a positive sign and we are looking to getting this verdict overturned,” Zeidenberg said.“Sometimes,
 unfortunately, juries get things wrong," Zeidenberg added. "There was 
no evidence to support a charge that anyone was defrauded because the 
(grant) agencies themselves said they were happy with the work (Tao) 
performed for them. And they also indicated that had they known he was 
working in China or was setting up a lab there, that would not have 
mattered to them in their grant decision process.”The counts 
against Tao were based on government allegations that he was employed as
 a Changjiang Distinguished Professor at Fuzhou University through the 
Changjiang Scholars Program and failed to inform the Department of 
Energy and other grant-making agencies and KU.The Justice 
Department's now-defunct China Initiative aimed to combat China’s 
efforts to steal American technology and trade secrets. But in many 
cases, rather than charge suspects with espionage, the government 
charged them with the more narrow crime of concealing their Chinese ties
 in grant proposals and from their American employers.An 
investigation last year by the MIT Technology Review found that, instead
 of focusing on economic espionage and national security, “the 
initiative now appears to be an umbrella term for cases with almost any 
connection to China, whether they involve state-sponsored hackers, 
smugglers, or, increasingly, academics accused of failing to disclose 
all ties to China on grant-related forms.”In January, the Justice
 Department dismissed a similar case against Gang Chen, a professor of 
mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The
 government said it had obtained new information indicating that the 
Chinese affiliations at the center of the case were not of material 
importance to the funding agency, the Department of Energy, according to
 the New York Times.Late in the day Wednesday, the Tao jury asked
 to see the transcript of testimony given by a key defense witness, 
Vivian Schwartz, a program manager at the Department of Energy who 
supervised Tao’s grants. Schwartz had testified that Tao 
performed his work to the department’s satisfaction and it was 
immaterial to her that he was setting up a lab in China, according to 
Zeidenberg.If U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson were to grant 
Tao’s motion for a judgment of acquittal, it would wipe out the jury’s 
verdict. Such motions, though rarely granted, are based on claims that 
the evidence at trial was insufficient for a finding of guilt beyond a 
reasonable doubt.

KU professor charged under Trump-era initiative convicted of wire fraud

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court on Thursday, shattering a historic barrier by securing her place as the first Black female justice and giving President Joe Biden a bipartisan endorsement for his effort to diversify the court.

Jackson, a 51 year-old appeals court judge with nine years experience on the federal bench, was confirmed 53-47, mostly along party lines but with&nbsp;three Republican votes.&nbsp; Kansas Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted against confirmation.

Three Republicans including  Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Mitt Romney of Utah broke party and voted to confirm.

Jackson will take her seat when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/stephen-breyer">Justice Stephen Breyer</a>&nbsp;retires this summer, solidifying the liberal wing of the 6-3 conservative-dominated court. She joined Biden at the White House to watch the vote, embracing as it came in.

During the four days of Senate hearings last month, Jackson spoke of her parents’ struggles through racial segregation and said her “path was clearer” than theirs as a Black American after the enactment of civil rights laws. She attended Harvard University, served as a public defender, worked at a private law firm and was appointed as a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission.

She told senators she would apply the law “without fear or favor,” and pushed back on Republican attempts to portray her as too lenient on criminals she had sentenced.

Jackson will be just the third Black justice, after Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas, and the sixth woman. She will join three other women, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan Amy Coney Barrett – meaning that four of the nine justices will be women for the first time in history.

Her eventual elevation to the court will be a respite for Democrats who fought three bruising battles over former President Donald Trump’s nominees and watched Republicans cement a conservative majority in the final days of Trump’s term with the confirmation of Coney Barrett. While Jackson won’t change the balance, she will secure a legacy on the court for Biden and fulfill his 2020 campaign pledge to nominate the first Black female justice.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said ahead of the vote that Jackson’s confirmation would be a “joyous day -- joyous for the Senate, joyous for the Supreme Court, joyous for America.”

Despite the efforts to tarnish her record, Jackson eventually won&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ketanji-brown-jackson-stephen-breyer-biden-us-supreme-court-election-2020-44978cd5c89b917a59d2f94ca60fedc2">three GOP votes</a>. The final tally was far from the overwhelming bipartisan confirmations for Breyer and other justices in decades past, but it was still a significant bipartisan accomplishment for Biden in the 50-50 split Senate after GOP senators aggressively worked to paint Jackson as too liberal and soft on crime.

Statements from Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitt Romney of Utah all said the same thing — they might not always agree with Jackson, but they found her to be enormously well qualified for the job. Collins and Murkowski both decried increasingly partisan confirmation fights, which only worsened during the battles over Trump’s three picks. Collins said the process was “broken” and Murkowski called it “corrosive” and “more detached from reality by the year.”

Biden, a veteran of a more bipartisan Senate, said from the day of Breyer’s retirement announcement in January that he wanted support from both parties for his history-making nominee, and he invited Republicans to the White House as he made his decision. It was an attempted reset from Trump’s presidency, when Democrats vociferously opposed the three nominees, and from the end of President Barack Obama’s, when Republicans blocked nominee Merrick Garland from getting a vote.

Once sworn in, Jackson will be the second youngest member of the court after Barrett, 50. She will join a court on which no one is yet 75, the first time that has happened in nearly 30 years.

Jackson’s first term will be marked by cases involving race, both in college admissions and voting rights.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ketanji-brown-jackson-college-admissions-stephen-breyer-us-supreme-court-race-and-ethnicity-4aee113eab07c8a9c03c1f313fa66abd">She has pledged to sit out the court’s consideration of Harvard’s admissions program</a>&nbsp;since she is a member of its board of overseers. But the court could split off a second case involving a challenge to the University of North Carolina’s admissions process, which might allow her to weigh in on the issue.

Republicans spent the confirmation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ketanji-brown-jackson-hearing-day-3-highlights-95aea2b41a957788f3dd072fb1e396f2">hearings strongly questioning her sentencing record</a>, including the sentences she handed down in child pornography cases, which they argued were too light.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ketanji-brown-jackson-hearing-day-2-live-updates-219ce62acd87ca205163781f5b6623a0">Jackson declared&nbsp;</a>that “nothing could be further from the truth” and explained her reasoning in detail. Democrats said she was in line with other judges in her decisions.

The GOP questioning in the Judiciary Committee showed the views of many Republicans, though, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who said in a floor speech Wednesday that Jackson “never got tough once in this area.”

Democrats criticized the Republicans’ questioning.

“You could try and create a straw man here, but it does not hold,” said New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker at the committee’s vote earlier this week. The panel deadlocked on the nomination 11-11, but the Senate voted to discharge it from committee and moved ahead with her confirmation.

In an impassioned moment during the hearings last month, Booker, who is Black, told Jackson that he felt emotional watching her testify. He said he saw “my ancestors and yours” in her image.

“But don’t worry, my sister,” Booker said. “Don’t worry. God has got you. And how do I know that? Because you’re here, and I know what it’s taken for you to sit in that seat.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649355640418.png" alt="Some members of the U.S. Senate stood to applaud after the historic vote-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Some members of the U.S. Senate stood to applaud after the historic vote-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court on Thursday, shattering a historic barrier by securing her place as the first Black female justice and giving President Joe Biden a bipartisan endorsement for his effort to diversify the court.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Historic moment for our courts and for our country. Congratulations, Judge Jackson. <a href="https://t.co/eLSfs1QoHB">pic.twitter.com/eLSfs1QoHB</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1512186186898493452?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Jackson, a 51 year-old appeals court judge with nine years experience on the federal bench, was confirmed 53-47, mostly along party lines but with&nbsp;three Republican votes.&nbsp; Kansas Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted against confirmation.Three Republicans including Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Mitt Romney of Utah broke party and voted to confirm.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649357598057.png" alt="Judge Jackson’s confirmation was a historic moment for our nation. We’ve taken another step toward making our highest court reflect the diversity of America. She will be an incredible Justice, and I was honored to share this moment with her.-photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>Judge Jackson’s confirmation was a historic moment for our nation. We’ve taken another step toward making our highest court reflect the diversity of America. She will be an incredible Justice, and I was honored to share this moment with her.-photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>Jackson will take her seat when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/stephen-breyer">Justice Stephen Breyer</a>&nbsp;retires this summer, solidifying the liberal wing of the 6-3 conservative-dominated court. She joined Biden at the White House to watch the vote, embracing as it came in.During the four days of Senate hearings last month, Jackson spoke of her parents’ struggles through racial segregation and said her “path was clearer” than theirs as a Black American after the enactment of civil rights laws. She attended Harvard University, served as a public defender, worked at a private law firm and was appointed as a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission.She told senators she would apply the law “without fear or favor,” and pushed back on Republican attempts to portray her as too lenient on criminals she had sentenced.Jackson will be just the third Black justice, after Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas, and the sixth woman. She will join three other women, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan Amy Coney Barrett – meaning that four of the nine justices will be women for the first time in history.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649355209252.png" alt="Jackson will take her seat when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/stephen-breyer">Justice Stephen Breyer</a>&nbsp;retires this summer-photo courtesy Rep. Val Demmings" />
 <figcaption>Jackson will take her seat when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/stephen-breyer">Justice Stephen Breyer</a>&nbsp;retires this summer-photo courtesy Rep. Val Demmings</figcaption>
 </figure>Her eventual elevation to the court will be a respite for Democrats who fought three bruising battles over former President Donald Trump’s nominees and watched Republicans cement a conservative majority in the final days of Trump’s term with the confirmation of Coney Barrett. While Jackson won’t change the balance, she will secure a legacy on the court for Biden and fulfill his 2020 campaign pledge to nominate the first Black female justice.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said ahead of the vote that Jackson’s confirmation would be a “joyous day -- joyous for the Senate, joyous for the Supreme Court, joyous for America.”Despite the efforts to tarnish her record, Jackson eventually won&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ketanji-brown-jackson-stephen-breyer-biden-us-supreme-court-election-2020-44978cd5c89b917a59d2f94ca60fedc2">three GOP votes</a>. The final tally was far from the overwhelming bipartisan confirmations for Breyer and other justices in decades past, but it was still a significant bipartisan accomplishment for Biden in the 50-50 split Senate after GOP senators aggressively worked to paint Jackson as too liberal and soft on crime.Statements from Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitt Romney of Utah all said the same thing — they might not always agree with Jackson, but they found her to be enormously well qualified for the job. Collins and Murkowski both decried increasingly partisan confirmation fights, which only worsened during the battles over Trump’s three picks. Collins said the process was “broken” and Murkowski called it “corrosive” and “more detached from reality by the year.”Biden, a veteran of a more bipartisan Senate, said from the day of Breyer’s retirement announcement in January that he wanted support from both parties for his history-making nominee, and he invited Republicans to the White House as he made his decision. It was an attempted reset from Trump’s presidency, when Democrats vociferously opposed the three nominees, and from the end of President Barack Obama’s, when Republicans blocked nominee Merrick Garland from getting a vote.Once sworn in, Jackson will be the second youngest member of the court after Barrett, 50. She will join a court on which no one is yet 75, the first time that has happened in nearly 30 years.Jackson’s first term will be marked by cases involving race, both in college admissions and voting rights.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ketanji-brown-jackson-college-admissions-stephen-breyer-us-supreme-court-race-and-ethnicity-4aee113eab07c8a9c03c1f313fa66abd">She has pledged to sit out the court’s consideration of Harvard’s admissions program</a>&nbsp;since she is a member of its board of overseers. But the court could split off a second case involving a challenge to the University of North Carolina’s admissions process, which might allow her to weigh in on the issue.Republicans spent the confirmation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ketanji-brown-jackson-hearing-day-3-highlights-95aea2b41a957788f3dd072fb1e396f2">hearings strongly questioning her sentencing record</a>, including the sentences she handed down in child pornography cases, which they argued were too light.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ketanji-brown-jackson-hearing-day-2-live-updates-219ce62acd87ca205163781f5b6623a0">Jackson declared&nbsp;</a>that “nothing could be further from the truth” and explained her reasoning in detail. Democrats said she was in line with other judges in her decisions.The GOP questioning in the Judiciary Committee showed the views of many Republicans, though, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who said in a floor speech Wednesday that Jackson “never got tough once in this area.”Democrats criticized the Republicans’ questioning.“You could try and create a straw man here, but it does not hold,” said New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker at the committee’s vote earlier this week. The panel deadlocked on the nomination 11-11, but the Senate voted to discharge it from committee and moved ahead with her confirmation.In an impassioned moment during the hearings last month, Booker, who is Black, told Jackson that he felt emotional watching her testify. He said he saw “my ancestors and yours” in her image.“But don’t worry, my sister,” Booker said. “Don’t worry. God has got you. And how do I know that? Because you’re here, and I know what it’s taken for you to sit in that seat.”___

🎥Kan. Senators vote no; Jackson confirmed as Supreme Court justice

By JACOB FISCHLER <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/06/u-s-house-panel-grills-oil-executives-at-hearing-on-soaring-gas-prices/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON&nbsp; — Democrats blamed the oil industry, Republicans blamed President Joe 
Biden and oil executives blamed global market forces at a U.S. House 
hearing Wednesday on how to reverse a dramatic increase in gas prices.

Over
 nearly six hours, members of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee
 on Oversight and Investigations and executives from six oil companies 
painted a complex picture of an industry reaping substantial profits, 
but still roiled by the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and federal 
regulations.

Democrats
 and Republicans also differed on possible solutions to high prices. 
Democrats called for moving away from oil and gas and toward renewable 
sources of energy.&nbsp;

“If
 this crisis has shown us anything, it’s why we as a country must work 
to break our addiction to oil as quickly as possible,” subcommittee 
Chairwoman Diana DeGette, D-Colo., said.&nbsp;

“It’s
 reinforced the urgent and existential need to transition to a more 
sustainable energy future. For the sake of our economy, our environment 
and our national security, we must work as quickly as possible to go to 
that clean energy future.”

Republicans
 said the administration should reverse policies that made energy 
production more difficult. The subcommittee’s ranking Republican, Morgan
 Griffith of Virginia, said Biden’s first-week actions to <a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/biden-yanks-keystone-xl-permit-in-first-day-order-citing-climate-change/">cancel the XL Keystone crude oil pipeline</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://lailluminator.com/2021/03/22/four-big-questions-about-the-feds-scrutiny-of-oil-and-gas-leasing-on-public-lands/">ban new oil and gas leases</a> on federal lands discouraged domestic production.

“The
 majority is laying the blame for the problem at the wrong feet,” he 
said. “Rather than deflect blame, President Biden should consider his 
own culpability for higher energy prices thanks to his relentless 
pursuit of policies that discourage domestic energy production.”

Republicans
 also attacked the Biden administration’s claim that Russian President 
Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine — and the subsequent sanctions on 
Russia and disruptions to the global supply of oil — are responsible for
 the rise in gas prices.

“This was happening before Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine,” U.S. Rep. Earl “Buddy” Carter, R-Ga., said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Democrats
 on the panel chastised the companies for providing shareholder 
dividends and stock buybacks instead of reinvesting profits into more 
production or lowering prices.

DeGette
 noted crude oil had returned to the same price it was before Putin 
invaded Ukraine, yet gasoline remained 50 cents per gallon higher than 
it was<a target="_blank" href="https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/PET_PRI_GND_A_EPMR_PTE_DPGAL_W.htm"> in late February</a>.&nbsp;

Meanwhile,
 the six companies represented at the hearing — bp America, Chevron, 
Devon Energy, ExxonMobil, Pioneer and Natural Resources Co. and Shell 
USA — recorded $75 billion in profits in 2021.

“Something doesn’t add up,” DeGette said.

Executives
 for major oil producers said individual gas stations — not the oil 
companies — set retail gas prices. Most gas stations, even those 
carrying a large company’s brand, are independently owned and operated.

“No
 single company sets the price of oil or gasoline,” ExxonMobil CEO 
Darren W. Woods said. “The market establishes the price based on 
available supply and the demand for that supply.”

The full committee’s chairman, Frank Pallone, a New Jersey Democrat, rejected that argument.&nbsp;

“The
 bottom line is you set the wholesale price and that’s the biggest part 
of the real retail price,” he said. “So don’t tell us that you can’t do 
anything about it. You can do something about it. And we expect you to 
do that. Maybe it’s a matter of patriotism.”

Several
 Democrats on the panel raised the prospect of reducing tax subsidies to
 energy companies, though the Ways and Means Committee is the primary 
House panel for tax law changes.&nbsp;

“This
 committee is not going to sit back and allow this system, which forces 
American taxpayers to pay oil companies out of both pockets — first at 
the pump and then again through tax breaks — to continue in its current 
form,” DeGette said.

Chevron Chairman and CEO Michael K. Wirth said his company was providing both shareholder payments and increased production.

“We’re
 investing more capital to grow production,” Wirth said. “We can do that
 and return value to shareholders. They’re not mutually exclusive.”

Production
 was also hurt by industry changes during the economic slowdown caused 
by the coronavirus pandemic. As demand dried up, companies slowed 
production. Returning to pre-pandemic levels is not simple, the 
executives said.

Republicans
 on the panel said Democrats who now blast the industry for not 
producing enough had previously called for ending fossil fuel 
production.

Biden campaigned on climate pledges to move away from fossil fuel.

“President Biden walked in on day one with an agenda to kill American energy,” House Minority Whip Steve Scalise said.&nbsp;

The Louisiana Republican then asked the executives if federal regulations made it harder to produce oil.&nbsp;

Wirth,
 Scott Sheffield of Pioneer and Richard E. Moncrief of Devon all said 
regulations did make their business harder. Gretchen Watkins, Shell 
USA’s president, said that some regulations were necessary but that 
Shell was waiting on outstanding federal permits.&nbsp;&nbsp;

U.S.
 Rep. Donald McEachin of Virginia said Republicans’ attack on the 
Keystone XL pipeline decision was off base because that pipeline 
wouldn’t even be in operation yet if it had been approved. It was also 
primarily planned to transport Canadian oil to overseas markets, doing 
little for the domestic supply, he said.

McEachin
 also asked each executive if a potential suspension of the 18.3 
cents-per-gallon federal gas tax would translate to savings for 
consumers.

The
 executives responded that they would not collect the tax but that the 
price of oil is not predictable, and they could not guarantee an exact 
price drop to match any tax waiver.&nbsp;

“What
 I’m trying to do is disabuse the American public of this myth that if 
we do something like declare a federal tax holiday that the price of 
gasoline will go down,” McEachin said. “We don’t know what’s going to 
happen.”

Instead of a gas tax holiday, he said Congress should provide direct payments to help cover the cost of more expensive gas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649354323713.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By JACOB FISCHLER <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/06/u-s-house-panel-grills-oil-executives-at-hearing-on-soaring-gas-prices/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON&nbsp; — Democrats blamed the oil industry, Republicans blamed President Joe 
Biden and oil executives blamed global market forces at a U.S. House 
hearing Wednesday on how to reverse a dramatic increase in gas prices.Over
 nearly six hours, members of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee
 on Oversight and Investigations and executives from six oil companies 
painted a complex picture of an industry reaping substantial profits, 
but still roiled by the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and federal 
regulations.Democrats
 and Republicans also differed on possible solutions to high prices. 
Democrats called for moving away from oil and gas and toward renewable 
sources of energy.&nbsp;“If
 this crisis has shown us anything, it’s why we as a country must work 
to break our addiction to oil as quickly as possible,” subcommittee 
Chairwoman Diana DeGette, D-Colo., said.&nbsp;“It’s
 reinforced the urgent and existential need to transition to a more 
sustainable energy future. For the sake of our economy, our environment 
and our national security, we must work as quickly as possible to go to 
that clean energy future.”Republicans
 said the administration should reverse policies that made energy 
production more difficult. The subcommittee’s ranking Republican, Morgan
 Griffith of Virginia, said Biden’s first-week actions to <a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/biden-yanks-keystone-xl-permit-in-first-day-order-citing-climate-change/">cancel the XL Keystone crude oil pipeline</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://lailluminator.com/2021/03/22/four-big-questions-about-the-feds-scrutiny-of-oil-and-gas-leasing-on-public-lands/">ban new oil and gas leases</a> on federal lands discouraged domestic production.“The
 majority is laying the blame for the problem at the wrong feet,” he 
said. “Rather than deflect blame, President Biden should consider his 
own culpability for higher energy prices thanks to his relentless 
pursuit of policies that discourage domestic energy production.”Republicans
 also attacked the Biden administration’s claim that Russian President 
Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine — and the subsequent sanctions on 
Russia and disruptions to the global supply of oil — are responsible for
 the rise in gas prices.“This was happening before Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine,” U.S. Rep. Earl “Buddy” Carter, R-Ga., said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Democrats slam big oil</h2>Democrats
 on the panel chastised the companies for providing shareholder 
dividends and stock buybacks instead of reinvesting profits into more 
production or lowering prices.DeGette
 noted crude oil had returned to the same price it was before Putin 
invaded Ukraine, yet gasoline remained 50 cents per gallon higher than 
it was<a target="_blank" href="https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/PET_PRI_GND_A_EPMR_PTE_DPGAL_W.htm"> in late February</a>.&nbsp;Meanwhile,
 the six companies represented at the hearing — bp America, Chevron, 
Devon Energy, ExxonMobil, Pioneer and Natural Resources Co. and Shell 
USA — recorded $75 billion in profits in 2021.“Something doesn’t add up,” DeGette said.Executives
 for major oil producers said individual gas stations — not the oil 
companies — set retail gas prices. Most gas stations, even those 
carrying a large company’s brand, are independently owned and operated.“No
 single company sets the price of oil or gasoline,” ExxonMobil CEO 
Darren W. Woods said. “The market establishes the price based on 
available supply and the demand for that supply.”The full committee’s chairman, Frank Pallone, a New Jersey Democrat, rejected that argument.&nbsp;“The
 bottom line is you set the wholesale price and that’s the biggest part 
of the real retail price,” he said. “So don’t tell us that you can’t do 
anything about it. You can do something about it. And we expect you to 
do that. Maybe it’s a matter of patriotism.”Several
 Democrats on the panel raised the prospect of reducing tax subsidies to
 energy companies, though the Ways and Means Committee is the primary 
House panel for tax law changes.&nbsp;“This
 committee is not going to sit back and allow this system, which forces 
American taxpayers to pay oil companies out of both pockets — first at 
the pump and then again through tax breaks — to continue in its current 
form,” DeGette said.Chevron Chairman and CEO Michael K. Wirth said his company was providing both shareholder payments and increased production.“We’re
 investing more capital to grow production,” Wirth said. “We can do that
 and return value to shareholders. They’re not mutually exclusive.”Production
 was also hurt by industry changes during the economic slowdown caused 
by the coronavirus pandemic. As demand dried up, companies slowed 
production. Returning to pre-pandemic levels is not simple, the 
executives said.<h2>GOP blames climate action</h2>Republicans
 on the panel said Democrats who now blast the industry for not 
producing enough had previously called for ending fossil fuel 
production.Biden campaigned on climate pledges to move away from fossil fuel.“President Biden walked in on day one with an agenda to kill American energy,” House Minority Whip Steve Scalise said.&nbsp;The Louisiana Republican then asked the executives if federal regulations made it harder to produce oil.&nbsp;Wirth,
 Scott Sheffield of Pioneer and Richard E. Moncrief of Devon all said 
regulations did make their business harder. Gretchen Watkins, Shell 
USA’s president, said that some regulations were necessary but that 
Shell was waiting on outstanding federal permits.&nbsp;&nbsp;U.S.
 Rep. Donald McEachin of Virginia said Republicans’ attack on the 
Keystone XL pipeline decision was off base because that pipeline 
wouldn’t even be in operation yet if it had been approved. It was also 
primarily planned to transport Canadian oil to overseas markets, doing 
little for the domestic supply, he said.McEachin
 also asked each executive if a potential suspension of the 18.3 
cents-per-gallon federal gas tax would translate to savings for 
consumers.The
 executives responded that they would not collect the tax but that the 
price of oil is not predictable, and they could not guarantee an exact 
price drop to match any tax waiver.&nbsp;“What
 I’m trying to do is disabuse the American public of this myth that if 
we do something like declare a federal tax holiday that the price of 
gasoline will go down,” McEachin said. “We don’t know what’s going to 
happen.”Instead of a gas tax holiday, he said Congress should provide direct payments to help cover the cost of more expensive gas.

U.S. House panel grills oil executives at hearing on soaring gas prices

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

The death of a Salina man whose body was found in the pond at Indian Rock Park on Feb. 8 has be ruled to be a "probable drowning."

In the evening of Feb 8, police were notified by a person walking the trails at Indian Rock Park, 1300 Gypsum Avenue, that a body appeared to be in the pond at the park. Police responded and found the body of John Palmgren 56, of Salina.

Thursday morning, the Salina Police Department released the following statement concerning Palmgren's death.

"Since the discovery of John Palmgren on February 8, 2022, an autopsy was conducted. Mr. Palmgren’s cause of death is listed as “probable drowning.” The autopsy findings, toxicology report, and information from the case investigation have been reviewed with the Saline County Attorney, Jeff Ebel, and this case is now closed."

Police have released the name of the Salina man whose body was found in the Smoky Hill River on Saturday. Now they seek the public's help.

Following is a statement released Wednesday by the Salina Police Department.

The body located in the Smoky Hill River on April 2, 2022, has been identified as 73-year-old Patrick L. Johnston of Salina, Kansas. His last known address was 2140 E. Crawford, Salina, Kansas. The Salina Police Department’s investigation into Mr. Johnston’s death is ongoing and the police department is seeking information from the public regarding Mr. Johnston’s whereabouts and activities proceeding his death. If you knew Mr. Johnston and had contact with him between March 2 and April 2, 2022, please contact Detective Randy Constantino or Sgt. Kyle Tonniges at (785) 826-7210. Mr. Johnston’s next of kin have been notified.

Johnston was described as being&nbsp;5’11”, 150 pounds, and having a bald head, blue eyes.&nbsp; He&nbsp;was wearing blue jeans, a camouflage jacket with a black zip-up hoodie, and a face mask. Additionally, had on a thigh pouch.

If you have any information concerning this incident, call Crimestoppers at 825-TIPS. You can also make an on—line tip at:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=950#">https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=950#</a>. Tipsters may also contact the Salina Police Department at (785) 826-7210, or Det. Constantino, case 2022-9089.

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostThe death of a Salina man whose body was found in the pond at Indian Rock Park on Feb. 8 has be ruled to be a "probable drowning."In the evening of Feb 8, police were notified by a person walking the trails at Indian Rock Park, 1300 Gypsum Avenue, that a body appeared to be in the pond at the park. Police responded and found the body of John Palmgren 56, of Salina.Thursday morning, the Salina Police Department released the following statement concerning Palmgren's death."Since the discovery of John Palmgren on February 8, 2022, an autopsy was conducted. Mr. Palmgren’s cause of death is listed as “probable drowning.” The autopsy findings, toxicology report, and information from the case investigation have been reviewed with the Saline County Attorney, Jeff Ebel, and this case is now closed."-----------By SALINA POSTPolice have released the name of the Salina man whose body was found in the Smoky Hill River on Saturday. Now they seek the public's help.Following is a statement released Wednesday by the Salina Police Department.The body located in the Smoky Hill River on April 2, 2022, has been identified as 73-year-old Patrick L. Johnston of Salina, Kansas. His last known address was 2140 E. Crawford, Salina, Kansas. The Salina Police Department’s investigation into Mr. Johnston’s death is ongoing and the police department is seeking information from the public regarding Mr. Johnston’s whereabouts and activities proceeding his death. If you knew Mr. Johnston and had contact with him between March 2 and April 2, 2022, please contact Detective Randy Constantino or Sgt. Kyle Tonniges at (785) 826-7210. Mr. Johnston’s next of kin have been notified.Johnston was described as being&nbsp;5’11”, 150 pounds, and having a bald head, blue eyes.&nbsp; He&nbsp;was wearing blue jeans, a camouflage jacket with a black zip-up hoodie, and a face mask. Additionally, had on a thigh pouch.If you have any information concerning this incident, call Crimestoppers at 825-TIPS. You can also make an on—line tip at:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=950#">https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=950#</a>. Tipsters may also contact the Salina Police Department at (785) 826-7210, or Det. Constantino, case 2022-9089.

Police: Kan. man whose body was found in pond probably drowned

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has tested positive for COVID-19, a day after appearing unmasked at a White House event with President Joe Biden.

Pelosi received a positive test result for COVID-19 and is currently asymptomatic, her spokesman Drew Hammill said Thursday in a tweet. He said she had tested negative earlier in the week.

“The Speaker is fully vaccinated and boosted, and is thankful for the robust protection the vaccine has provided,” Hammill said.

Pelosi will “quarantine consistent with CDC guidance, and encourages everyone to get vaccinated, boosted and test regularly,” he said.

The 82-year-old Democratic leader’s announcement came ahead of her weekly press appearance on Capitol Hill, which was abruptly called off. The House is set to start a two week spring recess.

Pelosi also postponed a planned congressional delegation trip to Asia she was scheduled to lead.

Washington has experienced a rush of new COVID-19 cases as restrictions have lifted and more events and gatherings are happening across Washington, D.C.

On Wednesday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-merrick-garland-8dbbc1e9d8d86abe272e03782068a97d">Attorney General Merrick Garland and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo</a>&nbsp;announced positive tests. The officials were among more than a dozen attendees of the Saturday night Gridiron Club dinner to test positive for the virus. Pelosi did not attend the dinner, her spokesman said.

Washington D.C. Mayor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-muriel-bowser-4a0565fdd4861928a42fdf71462df19e">Muriel Bowser also announced Thursday that she tested positive</a>&nbsp;for COVID-19 and would “work at home while following isolation protocols.”

Several lawmakers have announced positive test results and are isolating.

The Capitol reopened last week to some public tours for the first time since it was shuttered two years ago with the onset of the pandemic.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649348882665.png" alt="President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during a bill signing ceremony at the White House Wednesday-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during a bill signing ceremony at the White House Wednesday-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has tested positive for COVID-19, a day after appearing unmasked at a White House event with President Joe Biden.Pelosi received a positive test result for COVID-19 and is currently asymptomatic, her spokesman Drew Hammill said Thursday in a tweet. He said she had tested negative earlier in the week.“The Speaker is fully vaccinated and boosted, and is thankful for the robust protection the vaccine has provided,” Hammill said.Pelosi will “quarantine consistent with CDC guidance, and encourages everyone to get vaccinated, boosted and test regularly,” he said.The 82-year-old Democratic leader’s announcement came ahead of her weekly press appearance on Capitol Hill, which was abruptly called off. The House is set to start a two week spring recess.Pelosi also postponed a planned congressional delegation trip to Asia she was scheduled to lead.Washington has experienced a rush of new COVID-19 cases as restrictions have lifted and more events and gatherings are happening across Washington, D.C.On Wednesday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-merrick-garland-8dbbc1e9d8d86abe272e03782068a97d">Attorney General Merrick Garland and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo</a>&nbsp;announced positive tests. The officials were among more than a dozen attendees of the Saturday night Gridiron Club dinner to test positive for the virus. Pelosi did not attend the dinner, her spokesman said.Washington D.C. Mayor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-muriel-bowser-4a0565fdd4861928a42fdf71462df19e">Muriel Bowser also announced Thursday that she tested positive</a>&nbsp;for COVID-19 and would “work at home while following isolation protocols.”Several lawmakers have announced positive test results and are isolating.The Capitol reopened last week to some public tours for the first time since it was shuttered two years ago with the onset of the pandemic.

COVID outbreak in DC; Pelosi tests positive, was with President Biden

LABETTE COUNTY—Authorities working to determine who left a mobile home on a rural Kansas road have identified the owner.

The Labette County Sheriff reported late Wednesday they located the owner. The sheriff also thanked all of their social media friends for help.

The sheriff's office did not report who owned the mobile home or any possible fines.

Someone abandoned the trailer at approximately 5p.m. Tuesday at Nations and Trego Road on the south end of Labette County, according to a social media report from the Sheriff's Office.

Someone also left a tractor nearby. It was pulling the trailer until the tires became damaged and blew out, according to the sheriff's office.

LABETTE COUNTY—Authorities are working to determine who left a mobile home on a rural Kansas road.

&nbsp;Anyone with information on who owns the home is encourage to&nbsp; contact the Labette County Sheriff’s office

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649282631573.png" alt="Photos courtesy Labette Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photos courtesy Labette Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>LABETTE COUNTY—Authorities working to determine who left a mobile home on a rural Kansas road have identified the owner.The Labette County Sheriff reported late Wednesday they located the owner. The sheriff also thanked all of their social media friends for help.The sheriff's office did not report who owned the mobile home or any possible fines.Someone abandoned the trailer at approximately 5p.m. Tuesday at Nations and Trego Road on the south end of Labette County, according to a social media report from the Sheriff's Office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649282917309.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Someone also left a tractor nearby. It was pulling the trailer until the tires became damaged and blew out, according to the sheriff's office.-----------LABETTE COUNTY—Authorities are working to determine who left a mobile home on a rural Kansas road.Someone abandoned the trailer at approximately 5p.m. Tuesday at Nations and Trego Road on the south end of Labette County, according to a social media report from the Sheriff's Office.Someone also left a tractor nearby. It was pulling the trailer until the tires became damaged and blew out, according to the sheriff's office.&nbsp;Anyone with information on who owns the home is encourage to&nbsp; contact the Labette County Sheriff’s office

Update: Mobile home abandoned in middle of Kansas road

BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. (AP) — A woman has died after being pulled from a burning home in suburban Kansas City earlier week, authorities said.

The 70-year-old woman died Wednesday, two days after firefighters were called to a fire at a duplex in Blue Springs and found her in the burning home,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article260183480.html">the Kansas City Star reported</a>. The woman was rushed her to a hospital with critical injuries. Officials have not yet released her name.

The Central Jackson County Fire Protection District says an investigation will determine the cause of the fire.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649338723169.png" alt="The cause of the fire remains under investigation-photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>The cause of the fire remains under investigation-photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. (AP) — A woman has died after being pulled from a burning home in suburban Kansas City earlier week, authorities said.The 70-year-old woman died Wednesday, two days after firefighters were called to a fire at a duplex in Blue Springs and found her in the burning home,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article260183480.html">the Kansas City Star reported</a>. The woman was rushed her to a hospital with critical injuries. Officials have not yet released her name.The Central Jackson County Fire Protection District says an investigation will determine the cause of the fire.

Officials: Woman dies in suburban Kansas City house fire

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has charged a Russian oligarch linked to the Kremlin with violating U.S. government sanctions, and disrupted a cybercrime operation that was launched by a Russian military intelligence agency, officials said Wednesday.

The actions came as the Justice Department said it was accelerating efforts to track down illicit Russian assets and as U.S. prosecutors helped European counterparts gather evidence on potential war crimes committed by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia during its war on Ukraine</a>.

FBI and Justice Department officials announced the moves on the same day that the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-business-european-commission-united-kingdom-acb86730120a1230b9eb95c3ebdded77">separately revealed sanctions&nbsp;</a>against the two adult daughters of Russian President Vladimir Putin and sanctions that blocked two key Russian banks.

“We have our eyes on every yacht and jet. We have our eyes on every piece of art and real estate purchased with dirty money and on every bitcoin wallet filled with proceeds of theft and other crimes,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said, adding that “our goal is to ensure that sanctioned Russian oligarchs and cyber criminals will not find safe haven.”

The indictment against Konstantin Malofeyev, a Russian media baron and founder of Russian Orthodox news channel Tsargrad TV, is the first of an oligarch since Russia’s war with Ukraine began in February. Malofeyev has trumpeted the invasion as a “holy war” and has supported Russia-aligned separatist groups in Ukraine.

He was sanctioned by the Treasury Department in 2014 for financing Russians promoting separatism in Crimea. Though those sanctions barred him from doing business with U.S. citizens, prosecutors say Malofeyev evaded those restrictions by hiring an American television producer to work for him in television networks in Russia and Greece and enlisted his help in trying to acquire a TV network in Bulgaria. It was all part of an effort to spread pro-Russia propaganda throughout Europe, the Justice Department said.

Jack Hanick, a former CNBC and Fox News employee, was arrested last month for his work as a television producer for Malofeyev. That case is pending.

Malofeyev is not in custody and is believed to be in Russia. It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer to speak on his behalf. The two sanctions charges each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

The Justice Department said it is seeking the seizure of a $10 million investment that Malofeyev had illegally transferred to a business associate in Greece.

Federal authorities also announced that they had taken down a botnet — a network of hijacked computers typically used for malicious activity — that was controlled by the Russian military intelligence agency known as the GRU. The botnet, which in this case involved thousands of infected network hardware devices, was dismantled before it could do harm, said FBI Director Christopher Wray.

Wednesday’s announcements came two days after U.S. officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-oligarch-yacht-seized-e8415972392839f818c5505aa93fc8a5">seized a huge yacht in Spain&nbsp;</a>belonging to a Russian oligarch, Viktor Vekselberg, with close ties to Russian President Putin.

After the war began, the Justice Department set up a task force to enforce sanctions against Russian oligarchs and target ill-gotten proceeds.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said Wednesday that Justice Department prosecutors were also helping international efforts to uncover potential war crimes committed by Russia. U.S. officials have met with European prosecutors to develop a plan for gathering evidence, he said.

“We have seen the dead bodies of civilians, some with bound hands, scattered in the streets. We have seen the mass graves. We have seen the bombed hospital, theater, and residential apartment buildings,” Garland said. “The world sees what is happening in Ukraine. The Justice Department sees what is happening in Ukraine.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has charged a Russian oligarch linked to the Kremlin with violating U.S. government sanctions, and disrupted a cybercrime operation that was launched by a Russian military intelligence agency, officials said Wednesday.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lwJpfC2a3qM?start=8" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>The actions came as the Justice Department said it was accelerating efforts to track down illicit Russian assets and as U.S. prosecutors helped European counterparts gather evidence on potential war crimes committed by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia during its war on Ukraine</a>.FBI and Justice Department officials announced the moves on the same day that the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-business-european-commission-united-kingdom-acb86730120a1230b9eb95c3ebdded77">separately revealed sanctions&nbsp;</a>against the two adult daughters of Russian President Vladimir Putin and sanctions that blocked two key Russian banks.“We have our eyes on every yacht and jet. We have our eyes on every piece of art and real estate purchased with dirty money and on every bitcoin wallet filled with proceeds of theft and other crimes,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said, adding that “our goal is to ensure that sanctioned Russian oligarchs and cyber criminals will not find safe haven.”The indictment against Konstantin Malofeyev, a Russian media baron and founder of Russian Orthodox news channel Tsargrad TV, is the first of an oligarch since Russia’s war with Ukraine began in February. Malofeyev has trumpeted the invasion as a “holy war” and has supported Russia-aligned separatist groups in Ukraine.He was sanctioned by the Treasury Department in 2014 for financing Russians promoting separatism in Crimea. Though those sanctions barred him from doing business with U.S. citizens, prosecutors say Malofeyev evaded those restrictions by hiring an American television producer to work for him in television networks in Russia and Greece and enlisted his help in trying to acquire a TV network in Bulgaria. It was all part of an effort to spread pro-Russia propaganda throughout Europe, the Justice Department said.Jack Hanick, a former CNBC and Fox News employee, was arrested last month for his work as a television producer for Malofeyev. That case is pending.Malofeyev is not in custody and is believed to be in Russia. It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer to speak on his behalf. The two sanctions charges each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.The Justice Department said it is seeking the seizure of a $10 million investment that Malofeyev had illegally transferred to a business associate in Greece.Federal authorities also announced that they had taken down a botnet — a network of hijacked computers typically used for malicious activity — that was controlled by the Russian military intelligence agency known as the GRU. The botnet, which in this case involved thousands of infected network hardware devices, was dismantled before it could do harm, said FBI Director Christopher Wray.Wednesday’s announcements came two days after U.S. officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-oligarch-yacht-seized-e8415972392839f818c5505aa93fc8a5">seized a huge yacht in Spain&nbsp;</a>belonging to a Russian oligarch, Viktor Vekselberg, with close ties to Russian President Putin.After the war began, the Justice Department set up a task force to enforce sanctions against Russian oligarchs and target ill-gotten proceeds.Attorney General Merrick Garland said Wednesday that Justice Department prosecutors were also helping international efforts to uncover potential war crimes committed by Russia. U.S. officials have met with European prosecutors to develop a plan for gathering evidence, he said.“We have seen the dead bodies of civilians, some with bound hands, scattered in the streets. We have seen the mass graves. We have seen the bombed hospital, theater, and residential apartment buildings,” Garland said. “The world sees what is happening in Ukraine. The Justice Department sees what is happening in Ukraine.

🎥US charges Russian oligarch, dismantles cybercrime operation

RILEY COUNTY—A large grass fire in the area near Carlson Road, north of Fancy Creek in northern Riley County burned approximately 1500 acres on Wednesday, according to Riley County Fire District 1.

Two properties were evacuated. Volunteers remained on the scene overnight.

There are no injuries. Officials have not reported what started the fire.

&nbsp;Gusty northwest winds will increase again Thursday as relative humidity decreases, resulting in another afternoon of extreme fire danger, according to the National Weather Service.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649329140209.png" alt="Photo courtesy Riley County Fire District 1" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Riley County Fire District 1</figcaption>
 </figure>RILEY COUNTY—A large grass fire in the area near Carlson Road, north of Fancy Creek in northern Riley County burned approximately 1500 acres on Wednesday, according to Riley County Fire District 1.Two properties were evacuated. Volunteers remained on the scene overnight.There are no injuries. Officials have not reported what started the fire.&nbsp;Gusty northwest winds will increase again Thursday as relative humidity decreases, resulting in another afternoon of extreme fire danger, according to the National Weather Service.

Grass fire consumes hundreds of acres in Riley County

TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly on Wednesday announced&nbsp;$51 million would&nbsp;be distributed to Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) providers&nbsp;beginning in June of this year.&nbsp;The bonuses will benefit&nbsp;approximately 24,000 direct support workers in the state.&nbsp;Each care worker could receive up to a $2,000 bonus, according to a statement from Kelly's office.

“Our direct care workers have worked tirelessly to&nbsp;provide exceptional care to vulnerable Kansans during the pandemic&nbsp;and beyond,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“We&nbsp;recognize the hard work direct care workers do, and we’ll&nbsp;build on this opportunity as an incentive to recruit and retain qualified staff.”&nbsp;

Provider agencies will receive a payment amount based on their number of current direct care workers and immediate supervisors. All funds go directly to direct service workers and their immediate supervisors.&nbsp;Additionally, as&nbsp;an incentive to bring more direct support workers to the field, agencies will receive $1,500 dollars per new staff for a recruitment bonus.&nbsp;

The bonus payments are available through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) signed into law in March 2021 to provide enhanced federal funding for Medicaid HCBS through a one-year 10 percent increase to the state’s Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAPs). FMAPs are the percentage rates used to determine the amount of matching federal funds allocated annually for sate expenditures to social services and state and medical insurance programs.&nbsp;

The distribution of that funding will be administered by KDADS and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). The distribution plan has received federal approval and its goal is to improve access to quality services and increase capacity for Kansans, including those with disabilities and behavioral health challenges, to receive care in their homes and communities and to serve as a catalyst to enhance provider staffing to optimal levels and retain direct supports workers.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649275488149.png" alt="KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly on Wednesday announced&nbsp;$51 million would&nbsp;be distributed to Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) providers&nbsp;beginning in June of this year.&nbsp;The bonuses will benefit&nbsp;approximately 24,000 direct support workers in the state.&nbsp;Each care worker could receive up to a $2,000 bonus, according to a statement from Kelly's office.“Our direct care workers have worked tirelessly to&nbsp;provide exceptional care to vulnerable Kansans during the pandemic&nbsp;and beyond,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“We&nbsp;recognize the hard work direct care workers do, and we’ll&nbsp;build on this opportunity as an incentive to recruit and retain qualified staff.”&nbsp;Provider agencies will receive a payment amount based on their number of current direct care workers and immediate supervisors. All funds go directly to direct service workers and their immediate supervisors.&nbsp;Additionally, as&nbsp;an incentive to bring more direct support workers to the field, agencies will receive $1,500 dollars per new staff for a recruitment bonus.&nbsp;The bonus payments are available through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) signed into law in March 2021 to provide enhanced federal funding for Medicaid HCBS through a one-year 10 percent increase to the state’s Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAPs). FMAPs are the percentage rates used to determine the amount of matching federal funds allocated annually for sate expenditures to social services and state and medical insurance programs.&nbsp;The distribution of that funding will be administered by KDADS and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). The distribution plan has received federal approval and its goal is to improve access to quality services and increase capacity for Kansans, including those with disabilities and behavioral health challenges, to receive care in their homes and communities and to serve as a catalyst to enhance provider staffing to optimal levels and retain direct supports workers.&nbsp;

$51M in COVID-19 bonus headed to Kan. health care workers

BROWN COUNTY —A pilot avoided injured after a small plane accident just before 4:30p.m. Wednesday in Brown County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1967 Piper Arrow Aircraft piloted by James L.&nbsp; Vacracos, 57, Saint John, Indiana, was attempting to land on the runway at Sabetha Municipal Airport.

The front landing gear collapsed causing the airplane to collide off the runway.

&nbsp;Vacracos was not injured. The FAA and NTSB will investigate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649294125842.png" alt="Google map" />
 <figcaption>Google map</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY —A pilot avoided injured after a small plane accident just before 4:30p.m. Wednesday in Brown County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1967 Piper Arrow Aircraft piloted by James L.&nbsp; Vacracos, 57, Saint John, Indiana, was attempting to land on the runway at Sabetha Municipal Airport.The front landing gear collapsed causing the airplane to collide off the runway.&nbsp;Vacracos was not injured. The FAA and NTSB will investigate.

Pilot avoids injury after accident during landing at Kansas airport

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A <a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/21579395/wcrb-report-and-recommendations.pdf">new report</a> has found that Wichita law enforcement officers weren’t adequately punished for joking about police violence and exchanging racist comments and images in a series of text messages.&nbsp;

<a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/21579395/wcrb-report-and-recommendations.pdf">Click here to read the full report</a>

The Wichita Citizen’s Review Board released the 27-page report Tuesday. It details officers sharing an image of a naked African American male sitting on another African American male behind a police vehicle. 

There also are negative references to Mexicans, Muslims and gays, and officers joke about violence and share images of a Confederate flag. The issues were first uncovered by The Wichita Eagle

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649288320205.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A <a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/21579395/wcrb-report-and-recommendations.pdf">new report</a> has found that Wichita law enforcement officers weren’t adequately punished for joking about police violence and exchanging racist comments and images in a series of text messages.&nbsp;<a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/21579395/wcrb-report-and-recommendations.pdf">Click here to read the full report</a>The Wichita Citizen’s Review Board released the 27-page report Tuesday. It details officers sharing an image of a naked African American male sitting on another African American male behind a police vehicle. There also are negative references to Mexicans, Muslims and gays, and officers joke about violence and share images of a Confederate flag. The issues were first uncovered by The Wichita Eagle

Board faults discipline for Kan. officers who joked about violence

KANSAS CITY (AP) — The Missouri Supreme Court has thrown out the convictions of a Kansas City man who has spent 16 years in prison for a slaying that he and others contend he did not commit.

In a two-paragraph order Tuesday setting aside Keith Carnes’ first-degree murder and armed criminal action convictions, the state’s high court also ordered that Keith Carnes be released from prison within 30 days unless prosecutors move to retry him.

Carnes, 51, has been in prison since 2006, when he was convicted of the 2003 shooting death of a rival drug dealer, 24-year-old Larry White, in a Kansas City parking garage.

Carnes' attorneys petitioned the high court in January for his release based in part on witnesses recanting their statements, but also on a Jan. 18 report by a special master who reviewed the case finding that Kansas City police did not give Carnes’ original defense team a report from a confidential informant that might have led to his exoneration.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-kansas-city-missouri-be6a7bb53336344350586e41216166bb">Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt fought the effort</a>, arguing that Carnes' argument that the police report was withheld is “without merit" and that Carnes did not meet the legal requirements of providing new reliable evidence that would prompt jurors not to convict him.

Chris Nuelle, a spokesman for Schmitt's office,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article260136975.html">told the Kansas City Star</a>&nbsp;that the decision to retry Carnes rests with Jackson County prosecutors. The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office said it is reviewing the case.

Schmidt’s efforts to keep a man in prison despite evidence of innocence mirrors his response in a similar case last year. Schmidt, a Republican who is running for the U.S. Senate,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-kansas-missouri-bba67efd61eaa165165e29a7298a1dc3">fought to keep Kevin Strickland in prison</a>&nbsp;after Jackson County prosecutors filed a motion seeking his release, saying that evidence showed Strickland had served more than 40 years in prison for a triple murder he did not commit. Strickland was exonerated and released from prison in November.

In Carnes’ case, two witnesses who identified him as the killer when interviewed by police on the night White was killed recanted their testimony in 2014, saying they had been pressured by police and Jackson County prosecutors to identify Carnes as the killer.

Another witness also said police had intimidated him when they interviewed him about the night of the killing. He said White had an argument with another drug dealer — not Carnes — and warned the other man not to come back to his property shortly before the killing.

But in a twist to the case, one of the witnesses testified last year that her original testimony was correct and said she had recanted because of threats from Carnes’ supporters.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649256599295.png" alt="Carnes-photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Carnes-photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — The Missouri Supreme Court has thrown out the convictions of a Kansas City man who has spent 16 years in prison for a slaying that he and others contend he did not commit.In a two-paragraph order Tuesday setting aside Keith Carnes’ first-degree murder and armed criminal action convictions, the state’s high court also ordered that Keith Carnes be released from prison within 30 days unless prosecutors move to retry him.Carnes, 51, has been in prison since 2006, when he was convicted of the 2003 shooting death of a rival drug dealer, 24-year-old Larry White, in a Kansas City parking garage.Carnes' attorneys petitioned the high court in January for his release based in part on witnesses recanting their statements, but also on a Jan. 18 report by a special master who reviewed the case finding that Kansas City police did not give Carnes’ original defense team a report from a confidential informant that might have led to his exoneration.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-kansas-city-missouri-be6a7bb53336344350586e41216166bb">Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt fought the effort</a>, arguing that Carnes' argument that the police report was withheld is “without merit" and that Carnes did not meet the legal requirements of providing new reliable evidence that would prompt jurors not to convict him.Chris Nuelle, a spokesman for Schmitt's office,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article260136975.html">told the Kansas City Star</a>&nbsp;that the decision to retry Carnes rests with Jackson County prosecutors. The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office said it is reviewing the case.Schmidt’s efforts to keep a man in prison despite evidence of innocence mirrors his response in a similar case last year. Schmidt, a Republican who is running for the U.S. Senate,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-kansas-missouri-bba67efd61eaa165165e29a7298a1dc3">fought to keep Kevin Strickland in prison</a>&nbsp;after Jackson County prosecutors filed a motion seeking his release, saying that evidence showed Strickland had served more than 40 years in prison for a triple murder he did not commit. Strickland was exonerated and released from prison in November.In Carnes’ case, two witnesses who identified him as the killer when interviewed by police on the night White was killed recanted their testimony in 2014, saying they had been pressured by police and Jackson County prosecutors to identify Carnes as the killer.Another witness also said police had intimidated him when they interviewed him about the night of the killing. He said White had an argument with another drug dealer — not Carnes — and warned the other man not to come back to his property shortly before the killing.But in a twist to the case, one of the witnesses testified last year that her original testimony was correct and said she had recanted because of threats from Carnes’ supporters.

Court throws out convictions in 2003 Kansas City killing

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas nonprofit is sending medical supplies to Ukraine after hearing alarming accounts of a hospital in Kyiv low on treatments and basic tools. 

The Kansas City Star reports that Olathe, Kansas-based G<a href="https://globalcareforce.org/">lobal Care Force</a> raised $21,000 to bring resources overseas.

Brenda Poor, a spokeswoman for the organization. said the packages were stuffed into seven large suitcases and checked onto a plane to Warsaw, Poland, alongside the non-profit’s director of operations on Tuesday afternoon. 

The group has multiple plans for transporting the supplies _ which include thousands of doses of antibiotics _ over the border.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649272515273.png" alt="photo courtesy Global Care Force" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy Global Care Force</figcaption>
 </figure>OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas nonprofit is sending medical supplies to Ukraine after hearing alarming accounts of a hospital in Kyiv low on treatments and basic tools. The Kansas City Star reports that Olathe, Kansas-based G<a href="https://globalcareforce.org/">lobal Care Force</a> raised $21,000 to bring resources overseas. Brenda Poor, a spokeswoman for the organization. said the packages were stuffed into seven large suitcases and checked onto a plane to Warsaw, Poland, alongside the non-profit’s director of operations on Tuesday afternoon. The group has multiple plans for transporting the supplies _ which include thousands of doses of antibiotics _ over the border.

Kansas nonprofit sends medical supplies to Ukraine

WASHINGTON (AP) — GlaxoSmithKline’s IV drug for COVID-19 should no longer be used because it is likely ineffective against the omicron subvariant that now <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions">accounts for most U.S. cases, </a>federal health regulators said Tuesday.

The Food and Drug <a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/149534/download">Administration announced</a> that the company’s <a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-updates-sotrovimab-emergency-use-authorization">antibody drug sotrovimab </a>is no longer authorized to treat patients in any U.S. state or territory. The decision was expected, because the FDA had repeatedly restricted the drug’s use in the Northeast and other regions as the BA.2 version of omicron became dominant.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that BA.2 accounts for 72% of the COVID-19 cases sequenced by health authorities. Some experts have warned of a BA.2-driven surge similar to those that have hit European countries, though U.S. case counts have yet to rise.

The drug from Glaxo and codeveloper Vir Biotechnology is the latest antibody medication to be sideline by the mutating coronavirus, which previously rendered drugs from Eli Lilly and Regeneron obsolete. The FDA&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-business-health-f8cbfdb48f6c78aea16930b45af4e024">pulled their authorization</a>&nbsp;in January after concluding they were ineffective against the original version of omicron.

The decision leaves doctors and hospitals with only one antibody still authorized for use against routine COVID-19 cases: a different Eli Lilly drug that regulators say&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-business-health-a091b5b03b939798539a19c6b94346d2">appears effective</a>&nbsp;against BA.2.

Doctors can also prescribe&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-business-health-medication-f3578e19f2840ce167f081ec9e236c3c">antiviral pills</a>&nbsp;that haven’t been impacted by omicron’s mutations, which mainly affect the virus’ signature spike protein. The pills from Pfizer and Merck mostly have been shipped to pharmacy chains and medical clinics in hopes of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-science-business-health-eebb8cbe3b0e7ae16eafefb5abc85d2d">getting them to patients</a>&nbsp;early enough to work.

The federal government purchased nearly $2 billion worth of Glaxo’s drug, shipping more than 900,000 doses to U.S. states since last fall.

London-based Glaxo said last month it is studying a higher dose of the antibody against BA.2. But the FDA would need to review and authorize the company’s request before giving the OK to resume use in the U.S.

The antibody drugs are laboratory-made versions of virus-blocking proteins found in the human body. Each antibody is formulated to attack a specific invader — such as a virus or bacteria — but the medications need to be reformulated as the coronavirus repeatedly mutates.

The drugs are prescribed for early use in people with a recent COVID-19 infection who face increased risk of severe disease or death, including seniors or people with diabetes, heart disease and other common health problems.

WASHINGTON (AP) — GlaxoSmithKline’s IV drug for COVID-19 should no longer be used because it is likely ineffective against the omicron subvariant that now <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions">accounts for most U.S. cases, </a>federal health regulators said Tuesday.The Food and Drug <a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/149534/download">Administration announced</a> that the company’s <a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-updates-sotrovimab-emergency-use-authorization">antibody drug sotrovimab </a>is no longer authorized to treat patients in any U.S. state or territory. The decision was expected, because the FDA had repeatedly restricted the drug’s use in the Northeast and other regions as the BA.2 version of omicron became dominant.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that BA.2 accounts for 72% of the COVID-19 cases sequenced by health authorities. Some experts have warned of a BA.2-driven surge similar to those that have hit European countries, though U.S. case counts have yet to rise.The drug from Glaxo and codeveloper Vir Biotechnology is the latest antibody medication to be sideline by the mutating coronavirus, which previously rendered drugs from Eli Lilly and Regeneron obsolete. The FDA&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-business-health-f8cbfdb48f6c78aea16930b45af4e024">pulled their authorization</a>&nbsp;in January after concluding they were ineffective against the original version of omicron.The decision leaves doctors and hospitals with only one antibody still authorized for use against routine COVID-19 cases: a different Eli Lilly drug that regulators say&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-business-health-a091b5b03b939798539a19c6b94346d2">appears effective</a>&nbsp;against BA.2.Doctors can also prescribe&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-business-health-medication-f3578e19f2840ce167f081ec9e236c3c">antiviral pills</a>&nbsp;that haven’t been impacted by omicron’s mutations, which mainly affect the virus’ signature spike protein. The pills from Pfizer and Merck mostly have been shipped to pharmacy chains and medical clinics in hopes of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-science-business-health-eebb8cbe3b0e7ae16eafefb5abc85d2d">getting them to patients</a>&nbsp;early enough to work.The federal government purchased nearly $2 billion worth of Glaxo’s drug, shipping more than 900,000 doses to U.S. states since last fall.London-based Glaxo said last month it is studying a higher dose of the antibody against BA.2. But the FDA would need to review and authorize the company’s request before giving the OK to resume use in the U.S.The antibody drugs are laboratory-made versions of virus-blocking proteins found in the human body. Each antibody is formulated to attack a specific invader — such as a virus or bacteria — but the medications need to be reformulated as the coronavirus repeatedly mutates.The drugs are prescribed for early use in people with a recent COVID-19 infection who face increased risk of severe disease or death, including seniors or people with diabetes, heart disease and other common health problems.___

FDA pulls another COVID drug as omicron BA.2  dominates cases

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans blocked a Democratic attempt to begin Senate debate on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-health-congress-nancy-pelosi-f13a5a08f62524b05ed77b98673148f0">a $10 billion COVID-19 compromise,</a>&nbsp;pressing to entangle the bipartisan package with an election-year showdown over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-biden-covid-health-mexico-941e55cb2133fbd52ed76a80a20e3cd6">immigration restrictions&nbsp;</a>that poses a politically uncomfortable fight for Democrats.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649207753056.png" alt="“I think there will have to be” an amendment preserving the immigration restrictions “in order to move the bill” bolstering federal pandemic efforts, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>“I think there will have to be” an amendment preserving the immigration restrictions “in order to move the bill” bolstering federal pandemic efforts, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans blocked a Democratic attempt to begin Senate debate on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-health-congress-nancy-pelosi-f13a5a08f62524b05ed77b98673148f0">a $10 billion COVID-19 compromise,</a>&nbsp;pressing to entangle the bipartisan package with an election-year showdown over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-biden-covid-health-mexico-941e55cb2133fbd52ed76a80a20e3cd6">immigration restrictions&nbsp;</a>that poses a politically uncomfortable fight for Democrats.A day after Democratic and GOP bargainers reached agreement on providing the money for treatments, vaccines and testing, a Democratic move to push the measure past a procedural hurdle failed 52-47 Tuesday. All 50 Republicans opposed the move, leaving Democrats 13 votes short of the 60 they needed to prevail.Hours earlier, Republicans said they’d withhold crucial support for the measure unless Democrats agreed to votes on an amendment preventing President Joe Biden from lifting Trump-era curbs on migrants entering the U.S. With Biden polling poorly on his handling of immigration and Democrats divided on the issue, Republicans see a focus on migrants as a fertile line of attack.“I think there will have to be” an amendment preserving the immigration restrictions “in order to move the bill” bolstering federal pandemic efforts, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters.At least 10 GOP votes will be needed in the 50-50 Senate for the measure to reach the 60 votes it must have for approval. Republicans could withhold that support until Democrats permit a vote on an immigration amendment.Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., want Congress to approve the pandemic bill before lawmakers leave in days for a two-week recess. Tuesday’s vote suggested that could be hard.”This is a potentially devastating vote for every single American who was worried about the possibility of a new variant rearing its nasty head within a few months,” Schumer said after the vote.White House press secretary Jen Psaki said, “Today’s Senate vote is a step backward for our ability to respond to this virus.”The new omicron variant, BA.2, is expected to spark a fresh increase in U.S. COVID-19 cases. Around 980,000 Americans and over 6 million people worldwide have died from the disease.The $10 billion pandemic package is far less than the $22.5 billion Biden initially sought. It also lacks $5 billion Biden wanted to battle the pandemic overseas after the two sides couldn’t agree on budget savings to pay for it, as Republicans demanded.At least half the bill would finance research and production of therapeutics to treat COVID-19. Money would also be used to buy vaccines and tests and to research new variants.The measure is paid for by pulling back unspent pandemic funds provided earlier for protecting aviation manufacturing jobs, closed entertainment venues and other programs.Administration officials have said the government has run out of money to finance COVID-19 testing and treatments for people without insurance, and is running low on money for boosters, free monoclonal antibody treatments and care for people with immune system weaknesses.At the 2020 height of the pandemic, President Donald Trump imposed immigration curbs letting authorities immediately expel asylum seekers and migrants for public health reasons. The ban is set to expire May 23, triggering what by all accounts will be a massive increase in people trying to cross the Mexican border into the U.S.That confronts Democrats with messy choices ahead of fall elections when they’re expected to struggle to retain their hair-breadth House and Senate majorities.Many of the party’s lawmakers and their liberal supporters want the U.S. to open its doors to more immigrants. But moderates and some Democrats confronting tight November reelections worry about lifting the restrictions and alienating centrist voters.Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., who faces a competitive reelection this fall, declined to say whether she would support retaining the Trump-era ban but said more needs to be done.“I need a plan, we need a plan,” she said in a brief interview. “There’s going to be a surge at the border. There should be a plan and I’ve been calling for it all along.”Shortly before Tuesday’s vote, Schumer showed no taste for exposing his party to a divisive immigration vote.“This is a bipartisan agreement that does a whole lot of important good for the American people. Vaccines, testing, therapeutics,” he said. “It should not be held hostage for an extraneous issue.”Jeff Zients, head of White House COVID-19 task force, expressed the same view.“This should not be included on any funding bill,” he said of immigration. “The decision should be made by the CDC. That’s where it has been, and that’s where it belongs.”The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which initiated the move two years ago, said earlier this month that it would lift the ban next month. The restrictions, known as Title 42, have been harder to justify as pandemic restrictions have eased.Trump administration officials cast the curb as a way to keep COVID-19 from spreading further in the U.S. Democrats considered that an excuse for Trump, whose anti-immigrant rhetoric was a hallmark of his presidency, to keep migrants from entering the country.Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., said she supported terminating Trump’s curb and questioned GOP motives for seeking to reinstate it.“I find it very ironic for those who haven’t wanted to have a vaccination mandate, for those who did not want to have masks in the classroom, for them to suddenly be very interested in protecting the public,” she said.But Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said he would support a Senate COVID-19 aid bill if it included the GOP effort to retain the Trump immigration restrictions.“Why wouldn’t I?” he said in a brief interview.