SHANNON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 4p.m. Wednesday in Shannon County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Toyota Yaris driven by a 64-year-old Salem, Missouri, man&nbsp; was northbound on MO 19 seventeen miles north of Eminence. The car traveled off the road and struck the south side of the Round Spring Bridge. 

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Wilson Mortuary. He was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, according to the MSHP.&nbsp; The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

SHANNON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 4p.m. Wednesday in Shannon County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Toyota Yaris driven by a 64-year-old Salem, Missouri, man&nbsp; was northbound on MO 19 seventeen miles north of Eminence. The car traveled off the road and struck the south side of the Round Spring Bridge. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Wilson Mortuary. He was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, according to the MSHP.&nbsp; The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Missouri man dies after crash into bridge

LYON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for alleged murder and&nbsp; have properly identified the homicide victim as 57-year-old Adolfo Callejo Viniegra, according to Emporia Police Captain Lisa Hayes.

Callejo Viniegra has been living in Emporia under the alias of Raul Rosado Reyes since the early 2000s.

Around 7a.m. on Sunday, the Lyon County Communications Center received a 911 call of an unconscious person at a residence in the 200 block of W 10th Avenue in Emporia, according to Hayes. An ambulance and Emporia Police Officers responded and found Reyes dead inside the residence.

Emporia Investigations Division led the investigation and identified 36-year-old Alexei Perez-Ricardo as a primary suspect. Perez-Ricardo was apprehended a short time later in eastern Emporia, questioned, and ultimately booked into to the Lyon County Detention Center on requested charges of Murder, Simple Assault and a Weapons Violation.&nbsp;

Detectives believe a confrontation between Reyes and Perez-Ricardo took place on Saturday. Following the confrontation, Perez-Ricardo is believed to have left the scene on foot to areas in eastern Emporia. He was later seen with a bicycle.

Emporia Detectives gathered information from eyewitnesses, home surveillance videos, and cell phones.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748365013935.png" alt="Perez-Ricardo photo Lyon Co." />
 <figcaption>Perez-Ricardo photo Lyon Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>LYON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for alleged murder and&nbsp; have properly identified the homicide victim as 57-year-old Adolfo Callejo Viniegra, according to Emporia Police Captain Lisa Hayes.Callejo Viniegra has been living in Emporia under the alias of Raul Rosado Reyes since the early 2000s.Around 7a.m. on Sunday, the Lyon County Communications Center received a 911 call of an unconscious person at a residence in the 200 block of W 10th Avenue in Emporia, according to Hayes. An ambulance and Emporia Police Officers responded and found Reyes dead inside the residence.Emporia Investigations Division led the investigation and identified 36-year-old Alexei Perez-Ricardo as a primary suspect. Perez-Ricardo was apprehended a short time later in eastern Emporia, questioned, and ultimately booked into to the Lyon County Detention Center on requested charges of Murder, Simple Assault and a Weapons Violation.&nbsp;Detectives believe a confrontation between Reyes and Perez-Ricardo took place on Saturday. Following the confrontation, Perez-Ricardo is believed to have left the scene on foot to areas in eastern Emporia. He was later seen with a bicycle.Emporia Detectives gathered information from eyewitnesses, home surveillance videos, and cell phones.&nbsp;

Police:  Kansas homicide victim had been living under an alias for years

TOPEKA, KAN. — A federal grand jury in Topeka returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with defrauding the federal government, by selling crops that he used as collateral for a federal government loan, according to the United State's Attorney.

According to court documents, Steven W. Porubsky, 48, of Topeka is charged with one count of conversion of mortgaged collateral.

Porubsky is accused of intentionally defrauding the Farm Service Agency, which is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), by converting to his own use agricultural products that were mortgaged to the USDA.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investigating the case. 

TOPEKA, KAN. — A federal grand jury in Topeka returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with defrauding the federal government, by selling crops that he used as collateral for a federal government loan, according to the United State's Attorney.According to court documents, Steven W. Porubsky, 48, of Topeka is charged with one count of conversion of mortgaged collateral.Porubsky is accused of intentionally defrauding the Farm Service Agency, which is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), by converting to his own use agricultural products that were mortgaged to the USDA.The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investigating the case.

Kansas farmer accused of defrauding federal government 

Bayer is reportedly considering dropping signature product as litigation costs mount and company fails in effort to obtain legal shelter from lawmakers

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

German chemical giant Bayer received no relief from runaway litigation costs associated with Roundup herbicide Tuesday when the Western District Missouri Court of Appeals upheld a $611 million judgment that its product causes cancer.

The decision, in a case&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=WD87059&amp;inputVO.courtId=SMPDB0001_WAP" target="_blank">involving three plaintiffs</a>&nbsp;who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=22AC-CC00043&amp;inputVO.courtId=SMPDB0004_CT19#header" target="_blank">sued in Cole County</a>, is one of the reasons the company, which acquired Roundup as a product when it merged with Monsanto, in 2018, is considering&nbsp;<a href="https://www.producer.com/news/bayer-says-it-could-halt-roundup-weedkiller-sales-over-legal-risks/" target="_blank">dropping the product entirely</a>. The company faces 67,000 lawsuits claiming the main ingredient, glyphosate, causes non-Hodgkin lymphoma, with many of those cases awaiting trial in St. Louis County, where the company has its Bayer Crop Science headquarters.

The company&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/18/missouri-house-debate-shows-gop-split-over-bill-to-protect-pesticide-makers/">failed to win passage</a>&nbsp;of a bill intended to shield it from litigation in Missouri. The bill narrowly passed the House but lobbying missteps, including a campaign targeting some of the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/25/political-attacks-stiffen-opposition-to-missouri-bill-to-protect-pesticide-makers/">most conservative members</a>&nbsp;of the state Senate, doomed it. The company did win passage of similar legislation&nbsp;<a href="https://northdakotamonitor.com/2025/04/14/bill-protecting-pesticide-availability-prevails-in-north-dakota-senate/" target="_blank">in North Dakota</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJXrKePs5Wk" target="_blank">in Georgia</a>.

In November 2023, a Cole County jury awarded $1.6 billion to three plaintiffs who claimed their cancer was caused by glyphosate exposure while using Roundup. Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green reduced the $500 million punitive damages awarded to each plaintiff, instead reducing each award by varying amounts.

Green did not change the amounts awarded for actual damages, which ranged from $5.6 million to $38 million and totaled $61.1 million.

With post-judgment interest, the total Bayer owes is now in excess of $700 million.

“We’re certainly pleased with the court of appeals decision that vindicates the jury’s verdict and the trial court’s judgment,” said attorney Matthew Clement of Jefferson City, who represented the plaintiffs in the case. “We’re happy that nothing happened in the legislature, this year at least, that will affect future cases and and will continue to litigate our cases like we had been.”

In a statement issued through Bayer spokesman Brian Leake, the company said it would continue to appeal the case.

“We continue to believe that the trial court committed significant errors by allowing inadmissible and prejudicial testimony into the courtroom which poisoned the jury against the company,” the statement read.

Bayer is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to take its appeal of a 2024 Missouri case awarding $1.25 million in damages to John Durnell of St. Louis. The Eastern District Court of Appeals upheld that decision in February and on April 1 the Missouri Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal.

The U.S. Supreme Court has given parties until June 9 to file arguments on whether it should accept the case.

“The overwhelming weight of science as well as the assessments of the EPA and leading health regulators and scientists worldwide that support the safety and non-carcinogenicity of Roundup and we will continue to defend our products in court,” the company stated.

Bayer has paid out at least $10 billion for jury awards and settlements and earlier this year said it had an additional $6 billion set aside. That fund will be depleted quickly if decisions like the one upheld Tuesday are allowed to stand and the company suffers more losses like a&nbsp; $2.1 billion judgment handed down in March&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/georgia-jury-orders-monsanto-parent-to-pay-nearly-2-1-billion-in-roundup-weedkiller-lawsuit#:~:text=NEW%20YORK%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20A,to%20attorneys%20representing%20the%20plaintiff." target="_blank">by a jury in Georgia</a>.&nbsp;

According to a report from Reuters, Roundup produced $2.8 billion in revenue for Bayer in 2024.

The bill protecting glyphosate from litigation passed the Georgia legislature a few weeks after the $2.1 billion award.

Gov. Mike Kehoe, at a news conference after lawmakers adjourned earlier this month, blamed defeat of the Missouri legislation on trial attorneys who have made “tens of millions of dollars” off the lawsuits.

“If, for some reason, that particular product is not produced anymore in the United States, farmers are still going to need that type of product, that type of weed control, and so that, glyphosate I think is what it’s called, will be produced somewhere,” Kehoe said. “And if it is, it won’t be produced in this country, and farmers will not have the same protections and liability recourse back on the companies who make it, if it’s made in China or somewhere overseas.”

Bayer is also being sued by shareholders in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thenewlede.org/2023/05/investors-awarded-class-action-status-in-new-bayer-lawsuit/" target="_blank">class action lawsuit</a>&nbsp;over its decision to spend $68 billion to acquire Monsanto in 2018. The lawsuit alleges Bayer misled investors over the risks of the acquisition and failed to properly perform due diligence before buying Monsanto,

When Bayer acquired Monsanto in June 2018, its stock price was about $30 a share. On Tuesday afternoon, the company’s shares were selling for $7 apiece.

In the appeal of the Cole County decision, Bayer argued that Green made numerous errors in the trial and in rulings on post-trial motions. The company’s lawyers’ main points challenged the admissibility of testimony about a case over EPA evaluations of glyphosate; surprise findings from an expert; the use made of medical billing records; and whether the punitive damages were unconstitutionally duplicative.

At the heart of most glyphosate cases, and the target of legislation, is the label and whether it includes a proper notice that glyphosate may cause cancer.

“The misconduct complained about in the complaints in the three California cases Monsanto relies on, and in (one plaintiff’s) petition, includes allegations that despite scientific evidence that Roundup was carcinogenic, Monsanto continued to sell Roundup, and that Monsanto failed to warn of the dangerous effects of using Roundup,” Judge Cynthia Martin wrote in the Western District opinion delivered Tuesday.

In a discussion of whether the punitive damage award should have been reduced more, Martin wrote that “Monsanto’s degree of reprehensibility was high.”

Martin noted that the evidence shows that while the EPA has registered Roundup “for sale since 1974, Monsanto has been aware since 1985 that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, has the potential to cause cancer.”

Each of the plaintiffs suffered damages because Monsanto sold a product that was “unreasonably dangerous when used as reasonably anticipated” without altering the labeling to provide a warning.

“Monsanto’s awareness,” Martin wrote, “of studies demonstrating the possibility of a causal relationship between glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, and cancer, particularly NHL, and then its decision to double down on its defense of Roundup in lieu of changing the product’s formulation or adding a warning label regarding the risk posed by Roundup demonstrates, at best, Monsanto’s indifference to or reckless disregard of the health of its customers.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593022262288.png" alt="Post File photo" />
 <figcaption>Post File photo</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Bayer is reportedly considering dropping signature product as litigation costs mount and company fails in effort to obtain legal shelter from lawmakers</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>German chemical giant Bayer received no relief from runaway litigation costs associated with Roundup herbicide Tuesday when the Western District Missouri Court of Appeals upheld a $611 million judgment that its product causes cancer.The decision, in a case&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=WD87059&amp;inputVO.courtId=SMPDB0001_WAP" target="_blank">involving three plaintiffs</a>&nbsp;who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=22AC-CC00043&amp;inputVO.courtId=SMPDB0004_CT19#header" target="_blank">sued in Cole County</a>, is one of the reasons the company, which acquired Roundup as a product when it merged with Monsanto, in 2018, is considering&nbsp;<a href="https://www.producer.com/news/bayer-says-it-could-halt-roundup-weedkiller-sales-over-legal-risks/" target="_blank">dropping the product entirely</a>. The company faces 67,000 lawsuits claiming the main ingredient, glyphosate, causes non-Hodgkin lymphoma, with many of those cases awaiting trial in St. Louis County, where the company has its Bayer Crop Science headquarters.The company&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/18/missouri-house-debate-shows-gop-split-over-bill-to-protect-pesticide-makers/">failed to win passage</a>&nbsp;of a bill intended to shield it from litigation in Missouri. The bill narrowly passed the House but lobbying missteps, including a campaign targeting some of the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/25/political-attacks-stiffen-opposition-to-missouri-bill-to-protect-pesticide-makers/">most conservative members</a>&nbsp;of the state Senate, doomed it. The company did win passage of similar legislation&nbsp;<a href="https://northdakotamonitor.com/2025/04/14/bill-protecting-pesticide-availability-prevails-in-north-dakota-senate/" target="_blank">in North Dakota</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJXrKePs5Wk" target="_blank">in Georgia</a>.In November 2023, a Cole County jury awarded $1.6 billion to three plaintiffs who claimed their cancer was caused by glyphosate exposure while using Roundup. Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green reduced the $500 million punitive damages awarded to each plaintiff, instead reducing each award by varying amounts.Green did not change the amounts awarded for actual damages, which ranged from $5.6 million to $38 million and totaled $61.1 million.With post-judgment interest, the total Bayer owes is now in excess of $700 million.“We’re certainly pleased with the court of appeals decision that vindicates the jury’s verdict and the trial court’s judgment,” said attorney Matthew Clement of Jefferson City, who represented the plaintiffs in the case. “We’re happy that nothing happened in the legislature, this year at least, that will affect future cases and and will continue to litigate our cases like we had been.”In a statement issued through Bayer spokesman Brian Leake, the company said it would continue to appeal the case.“We continue to believe that the trial court committed significant errors by allowing inadmissible and prejudicial testimony into the courtroom which poisoned the jury against the company,” the statement read.Bayer is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to take its appeal of a 2024 Missouri case awarding $1.25 million in damages to John Durnell of St. Louis. The Eastern District Court of Appeals upheld that decision in February and on April 1 the Missouri Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal.The U.S. Supreme Court has given parties until June 9 to file arguments on whether it should accept the case.“The overwhelming weight of science as well as the assessments of the EPA and leading health regulators and scientists worldwide that support the safety and non-carcinogenicity of Roundup and we will continue to defend our products in court,” the company stated.Bayer has paid out at least $10 billion for jury awards and settlements and earlier this year said it had an additional $6 billion set aside. That fund will be depleted quickly if decisions like the one upheld Tuesday are allowed to stand and the company suffers more losses like a&nbsp; $2.1 billion judgment handed down in March&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/georgia-jury-orders-monsanto-parent-to-pay-nearly-2-1-billion-in-roundup-weedkiller-lawsuit#:~:text=NEW%20YORK%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20A,to%20attorneys%20representing%20the%20plaintiff." target="_blank">by a jury in Georgia</a>.&nbsp;According to a report from Reuters, Roundup produced $2.8 billion in revenue for Bayer in 2024.The bill protecting glyphosate from litigation passed the Georgia legislature a few weeks after the $2.1 billion award.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748460279946.png" alt=" State Sen. Brad Hudson of Cape Fair speaks at a news conference Feb. 25 about flyers sent to his constituents attacking his opposition to a bill limiting lawsuits against Bayer over its herbicide Roundup. Joining Hudson, from left, are Sens. Nick Schroer of Defiance, Ben Brown of Washington, Joe Nicola of Independence, Mike Moon of Ash Grove, Rick Brattin of Harrisonville, Adam Schnelting of St. Charles, Jill Carter of Joplin and David Gregory of Chesterfield (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> State Sen. Brad Hudson of Cape Fair speaks at a news conference Feb. 25 about flyers sent to his constituents attacking his opposition to a bill limiting lawsuits against Bayer over its herbicide Roundup. Joining Hudson, from left, are Sens. Nick Schroer of Defiance, Ben Brown of Washington, Joe Nicola of Independence, Mike Moon of Ash Grove, Rick Brattin of Harrisonville, Adam Schnelting of St. Charles, Jill Carter of Joplin and David Gregory of Chesterfield (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>Gov. Mike Kehoe, at a news conference after lawmakers adjourned earlier this month, blamed defeat of the Missouri legislation on trial attorneys who have made “tens of millions of dollars” off the lawsuits.“If, for some reason, that particular product is not produced anymore in the United States, farmers are still going to need that type of product, that type of weed control, and so that, glyphosate I think is what it’s called, will be produced somewhere,” Kehoe said. “And if it is, it won’t be produced in this country, and farmers will not have the same protections and liability recourse back on the companies who make it, if it’s made in China or somewhere overseas.”Bayer is also being sued by shareholders in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thenewlede.org/2023/05/investors-awarded-class-action-status-in-new-bayer-lawsuit/" target="_blank">class action lawsuit</a>&nbsp;over its decision to spend $68 billion to acquire Monsanto in 2018. The lawsuit alleges Bayer misled investors over the risks of the acquisition and failed to properly perform due diligence before buying Monsanto,When Bayer acquired Monsanto in June 2018, its stock price was about $30 a share. On Tuesday afternoon, the company’s shares were selling for $7 apiece.In the appeal of the Cole County decision, Bayer argued that Green made numerous errors in the trial and in rulings on post-trial motions. The company’s lawyers’ main points challenged the admissibility of testimony about a case over EPA evaluations of glyphosate; surprise findings from an expert; the use made of medical billing records; and whether the punitive damages were unconstitutionally duplicative.At the heart of most glyphosate cases, and the target of legislation, is the label and whether it includes a proper notice that glyphosate may cause cancer.“The misconduct complained about in the complaints in the three California cases Monsanto relies on, and in (one plaintiff’s) petition, includes allegations that despite scientific evidence that Roundup was carcinogenic, Monsanto continued to sell Roundup, and that Monsanto failed to warn of the dangerous effects of using Roundup,” Judge Cynthia Martin wrote in the Western District opinion delivered Tuesday.In a discussion of whether the punitive damage award should have been reduced more, Martin wrote that “Monsanto’s degree of reprehensibility was high.”Martin noted that the evidence shows that while the EPA has registered Roundup “for sale since 1974, Monsanto has been aware since 1985 that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, has the potential to cause cancer.”Each of the plaintiffs suffered damages because Monsanto sold a product that was “unreasonably dangerous when used as reasonably anticipated” without altering the labeling to provide a warning.“Monsanto’s awareness,” Martin wrote, “of studies demonstrating the possibility of a causal relationship between glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, and cancer, particularly NHL, and then its decision to double down on its defense of Roundup in lieu of changing the product’s formulation or adding a warning label regarding the risk posed by Roundup demonstrates, at best, Monsanto’s indifference to or reckless disregard of the health of its customers.”

Appeals court upholds $611M judgment in Roundup liability case

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement continue their investigation of a weekend accident that injured five people.

Just after 6 a.m. Saturday, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call regarding a single vehicle accident in the 9400 block of SW Hoch Road, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

First responders discovered a red 2017 Ford pickup truck was traveling northbound when it left the roadway to the east and the driver overcorrected.&nbsp; The pickup rolled and five passengers, four adults and one teenager, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and received medical care at a local hospital.

Police arrested the driver, 35-year-old Aaron C. Botkin, 35, of Auburn and&nbsp; booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Aggravated battery; recklessly cause great bodily harm/disfigurement, Aggravated endangering a child; reckless situation to a child &lt; 18, Driving under influence of alcohol or drugs, Failure to wear seatbelt and&nbsp;Improper driving on laned roadway

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748440881013.png" alt="Botkin photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Botkin photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement continue their investigation of a weekend accident that injured five people.Just after 6 a.m. Saturday, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call regarding a single vehicle accident in the 9400 block of SW Hoch Road, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.First responders discovered a red 2017 Ford pickup truck was traveling northbound when it left the roadway to the east and the driver overcorrected.&nbsp; The pickup rolled and five passengers, four adults and one teenager, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and received medical care at a local hospital.Police arrested the driver, 35-year-old Aaron C. Botkin, 35, of Auburn and&nbsp; booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Aggravated battery; recklessly cause great bodily harm/disfigurement, Aggravated endangering a child; reckless situation to a child &lt; 18, Driving under influence of alcohol or drugs, Failure to wear seatbelt and&nbsp;Improper driving on laned roadway

Kan. man accused of DUI after crash that injured 4 adults, teen

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — President Donald Trump appointed former Kansas Republican Rep. Patrick Penn, who resigned from his House seat earlier this month, as the deputy undersecretary for the department’s food, nutrition and consumer services.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, appointed by Trump in February, announced Penn’s new position&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2025/05/27/secretary-rollins-announces-new-slate-presidential-appointments-usda-food-and-nutrition-service-farm" target="_blank">Tuesday</a>, along with a slate of other state-level leadership designations.

“President Trump is putting Farmers First, and so is the incredible team we are building at the Department of Agriculture,” Rollins said in a press release. “Our latest additions to the USDA family are personally invested in ensuring farmers and rural America prosper.”

Penn resigned from the Wichita-area House seat he held since 2021 on&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/kansas-republican-state-rep-patrick-penn-of-wichita-plans-to-quit-house/">May 14</a>, submitting letters to Republican party and state officials. A special precinct election to select a representative to fill the vacant 85th district seat is set for Wednesday. Penn’s term was set to expire January 2027.

Penn is a former Army signal officer who was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. He was first elected to the Kansas Legislature in 2020, where he was dedicated to pushing Second Amendment legislation, including repeated attempts to pass a firearm education program bill.

The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service administers 16 food assistance programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as food stamps, and emergency food assistance.

Penn voted during the 2025 legislative session in favor of prohibiting SNAP beneficiaries from purchasing candy and soft drinks with their food assistance dollars. Also during the 2025 legislative session, Penn was involved in a handful of disruptive moments. In March, he&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/11/kansas-democrats-liken-bill-to-expand-inspector-generals-authority-to-ag-power-grab/">questioned a Democratic lawmaker’s motives</a>&nbsp;during debate on the House floor. In February, while on the House floor, he&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/13/kansas-republicans-allude-to-shooting-former-democratic-representative-in-exchange-on-house-floor/">alluded to a hypothetical act of violence</a>&nbsp;against a former Hutchinson Democratic representative.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748436728464.jpeg" alt=" Former Kansas Rep. Patrick Penn, seen here during a March 5, 2024, debate in the House, was appointed to a position at the U.S. Department of Agriculture shortly after vacating his House seat. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Former Kansas Rep. Patrick Penn, seen here during a March 5, 2024, debate in the House, was appointed to a position at the U.S. Department of Agriculture shortly after vacating his House seat. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — President Donald Trump appointed former Kansas Republican Rep. Patrick Penn, who resigned from his House seat earlier this month, as the deputy undersecretary for the department’s food, nutrition and consumer services.U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, appointed by Trump in February, announced Penn’s new position&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2025/05/27/secretary-rollins-announces-new-slate-presidential-appointments-usda-food-and-nutrition-service-farm" target="_blank">Tuesday</a>, along with a slate of other state-level leadership designations.“President Trump is putting Farmers First, and so is the incredible team we are building at the Department of Agriculture,” Rollins said in a press release. “Our latest additions to the USDA family are personally invested in ensuring farmers and rural America prosper.”Penn resigned from the Wichita-area House seat he held since 2021 on&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/kansas-republican-state-rep-patrick-penn-of-wichita-plans-to-quit-house/">May 14</a>, submitting letters to Republican party and state officials. A special precinct election to select a representative to fill the vacant 85th district seat is set for Wednesday. Penn’s term was set to expire January 2027.Penn is a former Army signal officer who was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. He was first elected to the Kansas Legislature in 2020, where he was dedicated to pushing Second Amendment legislation, including repeated attempts to pass a firearm education program bill.The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service administers 16 food assistance programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as food stamps, and emergency food assistance.Penn voted during the 2025 legislative session in favor of prohibiting SNAP beneficiaries from purchasing candy and soft drinks with their food assistance dollars. Also during the 2025 legislative session, Penn was involved in a handful of disruptive moments. In March, he&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/11/kansas-democrats-liken-bill-to-expand-inspector-generals-authority-to-ag-power-grab/">questioned a Democratic lawmaker’s motives</a>&nbsp;during debate on the House floor. In February, while on the House floor, he&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/13/kansas-republicans-allude-to-shooting-former-democratic-representative-in-exchange-on-house-floor/">alluded to a hypothetical act of violence</a>&nbsp;against a former Hutchinson Democratic representative.

Trump appoints former Kansas legislator to USDA post

WABAUNSEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating two teen suspect in connection with an alleged burglary.

On Monday night, a Sergeant with the Wabaunsee County Sheriff's Office investigated a suspicious gray 2018 Hyundia Tucson in Eskridge, according to a media release.

The vehicle had reportedly circled a structure on the 200 block of South Cedar without headlights on before parking. Two individuals dressed in black exited the vehicle and entered an abandoned property with bags and later loaded items from the building into the vehicle.\

The Sheriff's Sergeant initiated a traffic stop as the vehicle attempted to depart the area and made contact with the driver, identified as 18-year-old Zane Arthur Burnett, and the passenger, identified as 19-year-old Eli Joseph Hoskins, both from Johnson County Kansas.

 A probable cause search of the vehicle revealed stolen items from the building including Masonic books, antique photos, and other objects in wet, dirt-covered bags. 

Both suspects were taken into custody without incident and transported to Wabaunsee County Jail and are being held on requested charges of burglary.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748362813544.png" alt="Hoskins photo Wabaunsee Co." />
 <figcaption>Hoskins photo Wabaunsee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>WABAUNSEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating two teen suspect in connection with an alleged burglary.On Monday night, a Sergeant with the Wabaunsee County Sheriff's Office investigated a suspicious gray 2018 Hyundia Tucson in Eskridge, according to a media release.The vehicle had reportedly circled a structure on the 200 block of South Cedar without headlights on before parking. Two individuals dressed in black exited the vehicle and entered an abandoned property with bags and later loaded items from the building into the vehicle.\<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748362752431.png" alt="Burnett photo Wabaunsee Co." />
 <figcaption>Burnett photo Wabaunsee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>The Sheriff's Sergeant initiated a traffic stop as the vehicle attempted to depart the area and made contact with the driver, identified as 18-year-old Zane Arthur Burnett, and the passenger, identified as 19-year-old Eli Joseph Hoskins, both from Johnson County Kansas. A probable cause search of the vehicle revealed stolen items from the building including Masonic books, antique photos, and other objects in wet, dirt-covered bags. Both suspects were taken into custody without incident and transported to Wabaunsee County Jail and are being held on requested charges of burglary.

Teens accused in rural Kansas burglary

LYON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating eight suspects on multiple allegations after weeks of investigation in southeast Kansas.

On April 26, police attempted to locate a person with an outstanding warrant at an eastern Emporia residence which led to a narcotics investigation, according to a media release from Emporia Police.

Officers executed a search warrant and discovered narcotics along with apparent fraudulent documents leading to additional investigations. Officers uncovered a ring of individuals involved in the production, supplying and use of false documents including but not limited to, social security cards, identification cards, driver’s licenses, and permanent resident cards. 

One individual under investigation for supplying false documents is alleged to be involved with unlicensed dental offices, uncovered in 2 homes in eastern and western Emporia.

The weeks long investigation by Emporia Patrol Officers yielded 8 arrests, more than 10 search warrants, 2 seized vehicles and approximately $6,000 in seized US currency. The Department of Homeland Security assisted in the investigation.

The following individuals are in custody on requested charges in connection with the investigation.

Francisco German Pichardo-Machardo; Making False Information, Possession of Marijuana, Possession Drug Paraphernalia

Martin Pichardo-Machado; Making False Information, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Identity Fraud

Hugo Antonio Cardona-Argueta; Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Interference with Law Enforcement, Making False Information, Identity Theft

Martha Kenia Lopez-Alvarado; Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Interference with Law Enforcement, Making False Information, Identity Theft

Iris Tatiana Sandoval-Flores; Human Smuggling, Identity Theft, Dealing in False Identification Documents, Unlicensed Practice of Dentistry or Dental Hygiene

Ana Raquel Figueroa; Unlicensed Practice of Dentistry or Dental Hygiene, Unlawful Obtaining a Prescription-Only Drug

Rigoberto J Sandoval Sandoval; Unlicensed Practice of Dentistry or Dental Hygiene, Unlawful Obtaining a Prescription-Only Drug

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748093842979.png" alt="Hugo Antonio Cardona-Argueta-photo Lyon County" />
 <figcaption>Hugo Antonio Cardona-Argueta-photo Lyon County</figcaption>
 </figure>LYON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating eight suspects on multiple allegations after weeks of investigation in southeast Kansas.On April 26, police attempted to locate a person with an outstanding warrant at an eastern Emporia residence which led to a narcotics investigation, according to a media release from Emporia Police.Officers executed a search warrant and discovered narcotics along with apparent fraudulent documents leading to additional investigations. Officers uncovered a ring of individuals involved in the production, supplying and use of false documents including but not limited to, social security cards, identification cards, driver’s licenses, and permanent resident cards. One individual under investigation for supplying false documents is alleged to be involved with unlicensed dental offices, uncovered in 2 homes in eastern and western Emporia.The weeks long investigation by Emporia Patrol Officers yielded 8 arrests, more than 10 search warrants, 2 seized vehicles and approximately $6,000 in seized US currency. The Department of Homeland Security assisted in the investigation.The following individuals are in custody on requested charges in connection with the investigation.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748094671764.png" alt="Francisco German Pichardo-Machardo photo Lyon Co." />
 <figcaption>Francisco German Pichardo-Machardo photo Lyon Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Francisco German Pichardo-Machardo; Making False Information, Possession of Marijuana, Possession Drug Paraphernalia<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748094721550.png" alt="Martin Pichardo-Machado photo Lyon Co." />
 <figcaption>Martin Pichardo-Machado photo Lyon Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Martin Pichardo-Machado; Making False Information, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Identity FraudHugo Antonio Cardona-Argueta; Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Interference with Law Enforcement, Making False Information, Identity Theft<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748093547797.png" alt="Alvarado photo Lyon County" />
 <figcaption>Alvarado photo Lyon County</figcaption>
 </figure>Martha Kenia Lopez-Alvarado; Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Interference with Law Enforcement, Making False Information, Identity Theft<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748094451698.png" alt="Iris Tatiana Sandoval-Flores photo Lyon Co." />
 <figcaption>Iris Tatiana Sandoval-Flores photo Lyon Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Iris Tatiana Sandoval-Flores; Human Smuggling, Identity Theft, Dealing in False Identification Documents, Unlicensed Practice of Dentistry or Dental Hygiene<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748094558350.png" alt="Ana Raquel Figueroa" />
 <figcaption>Ana Raquel Figueroa</figcaption>
 </figure>Ana Raquel Figueroa; Unlicensed Practice of Dentistry or Dental Hygiene, Unlawful Obtaining a Prescription-Only DrugRigoberto J Sandoval Sandoval; Unlicensed Practice of Dentistry or Dental Hygiene, Unlawful Obtaining a Prescription-Only Drug

Police: Kan. suspects provided unlicensed dental care, made fake ID cards 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City man pleaded guilty in federal court for his role in a scheme in which the conspirators stole hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise from beauty and liquor stores across six states, according to the United State's Attorney.

Gary Bailey, 24, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays, to one count of conspiring to transport and possess stolen property and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property.

By pleading guilty, Bailey admitted that between March 2023 and January 2024, he participated in burglarizing at least 23 stores across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Bailey and his co-conspirators brought the stolen product back to Kansas City, before either selling it, giving it away to family or friends, or consuming the product themselves. The loss to these 23 victim businesses exceeded $418,000.

On April 22, 2025, co-conspirator Donald Bennett pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to transport and possess stolen property, one count of interstate transportation of stolen property, and one count of money laundering.

As part of the plea agreement, Bailey must pay restitution to the victim businesses; the exact amount to be determined at his sentencing hearing. Under federal statutes, Bailey is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City man pleaded guilty in federal court for his role in a scheme in which the conspirators stole hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise from beauty and liquor stores across six states, according to the United State's Attorney.Gary Bailey, 24, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays, to one count of conspiring to transport and possess stolen property and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property.By pleading guilty, Bailey admitted that between March 2023 and January 2024, he participated in burglarizing at least 23 stores across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Bailey and his co-conspirators brought the stolen product back to Kansas City, before either selling it, giving it away to family or friends, or consuming the product themselves. The loss to these 23 victim businesses exceeded $418,000.On April 22, 2025, co-conspirator Donald Bennett pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to transport and possess stolen property, one count of interstate transportation of stolen property, and one count of money laundering.As part of the plea agreement, Bailey must pay restitution to the victim businesses; the exact amount to be determined at his sentencing hearing. Under federal statutes, Bailey is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

Man admits stealing $400K worth of goods in Missouri, 5 other states

LYON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for alleged murder.

Around 7a.m. on Sunday, the Lyon County Communications Center received a 911 call of an unconscious person at a residence in the 200 block of W 10th Avenue in Emporia, according to Police Captain Lisa Hayes. An ambulance and Emporia Police Officers responded and found 62-year-old Raul Rosado Reyes dead inside the residence.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748365013935.png" alt="Perez-Ricardo " />
 <figcaption>Perez-Ricardo </figcaption>
 </figure>LYON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for alleged murder.Around 7a.m. on Sunday, the Lyon County Communications Center received a 911 call of an unconscious person at a residence in the 200 block of W 10th Avenue in Emporia, according to Police Captain Lisa Hayes. An ambulance and Emporia Police Officers responded and found 62-year-old Raul Rosado Reyes dead inside the residence.Emporia Investigations Division led the investigation and identified 36-year-old Alexei Perez-Ricardo as a primary suspect. Perez-Ricardo was apprehended a short time later in eastern Emporia, questioned, and ultimately booked into to the Lyon County Detention Center on requested charges of Murder, Simple Assault and a Weapons Violation.&nbsp;Detectives believe a confrontation between Reyes and Perez-Ricardo took place on Saturday. Following the confrontation, Perez-Ricardo is believed to have left the scene on foot to areas in eastern Emporia. He was later seen with a bicycle.Emporia Detectives gathered information from eyewitnesses, home surveillance videos, and cell phones.&nbsp;

Suspect accused in beating death of man at Kansas home

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today, the COVID vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women has been removed from <a href="https://twitter.com/CDCgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CDCgov</a> recommended immunization schedule. Bottom line: it’s common sense and it’s good science. We are now one step closer to realizing <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>’s promise to Make America Healthy Again. <a href="https://t.co/Ytch2afCLP">pic.twitter.com/Ytch2afCLP</a>&mdash; Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy/status/1927368440811008138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥COVID vaccine removed from immunization schedule for healthy kids

The General Assembly will return to work Monday with questions about whether partisan feuding in the state Senate can be set aside to address special session agenda

Disaster recovery, sports stadiums and major capital improvement projects will be on the agenda for a special legislative session that will begin June 2, Gov. Mike Kehoe said Tuesday.

At a news conference, Kehoe said he has spoken to legislative leaders in hopes they can act quickly on all three items and set aside&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/14/missouri-republicans-shut-down-senate-debate-to-pass-abortion-ban-repeal-sick-leave-law/">hard feelings from the regular session</a>&nbsp;that ended May 15.

“There are some raw nerves out there and some wounded feelings, and I’m asking them to consider that these initiatives that we will put before them are very time sensitive and very needy, especially when it comes to the disaster relief” funding, Kehoe said.

A litany of other projects across Missouri that were depending on state funding will not be considered, Kehoe said, including at least two hospitals facing potential closure.

Under the Missouri Constitution, lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III++++20(a)&amp;bid=31759&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">have 60 days to complete work</a>&nbsp;on items in a special session and Kehoe said he won’t try to impose an artificial deadline. But the items on his list all need quick action, he said, especially help for people who lost homes and suffered injuries in the May 16 St. Louis tornado.

&nbsp;“I’m also asking them to consider the tragedy that some of these families have faced in these disasters,” Kehoe said.

To help people recovering from tornadoes, flooding and other storms this spring, Kehoe is asking lawmakers to put $25 million into the Missouri Housing Trust Fund and increase the income eligibility threshold for emergency grants. He also wants to enact a tax deduction of up to $5,000 to cover insurance deductibles for people trying to rebuild.

Senate Majority Leader Tony Luetkemeyer, a Parkville Republican, said the items in the call for a special session are all things lawmakers should cooperate on.

Because of the acrimony in the Senate, all legislation for the special session will start in the upper chamber, Kehoe said, with the House debating whatever bills can make it through.

“The governor’s call focuses on providing disaster relief to families devastated by recent storms, funding cancer research at our state’s flagship university, and keeping Missouri’s beloved professional sports teams in our state,” Luetkemeyer said. “I’m hopeful the Senate will rise to the occasion.”

Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck, a Democrat from Affton, could not be reached for comment.

Missouri is still&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/article_55a27fbb-337d-48cd-a7bd-f4e5c96764ae.html#tracking-source=home-top-story" target="_blank">waiting for federal action</a>&nbsp;on a request for disaster assistance through FEMA for the May 16 tornado.

On Friday, President Donald Trump approved Missouri’s request to declare disasters for southeast Missouri counties hit March 14 and again during the first week of April.

The tornado cut a 23-mile-long path, touching down in the affluent suburb of Clayton before ripping through the north side of the city of St. Louis then across the Mississippi River through communities in western Illinois. At least five people were killed, 38 more were injured, and about 5,000 structures were damaged with property losses estimated at more than $1.6 billion.

“I’ve been on the phone, and Adam Gresham in our office and others have been on the phone with the White House constantly on these events,” Kehoe said, explaining his efforts to secure federal aid.

Federal disaster response nationwide has&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/14/repub/dozens-of-members-of-congress-from-both-parties-plead-with-trump-to-unfreeze-fema-grants/">slowed under Trump</a>, causing lawmakers from many states to urge the president to release funding for their states.

“I’m very happy that we got what we got, because you saw some other states not get approved,” Kehoe said.

The plan for the Chiefs and Royals would take tax money already generated from activities at the stadiums — $28.8 million annually as estimated by the Chiefs and $15 million annually by an estimate from the Royals — and commit it to bond payments for 30 years for the new or upgraded facilities.

The economic activity associated with the Chiefs supports 4,500 jobs, Kehoe contends, and a new stadium for the Royals would generate about 8,400 jobs. Missouri should treat the teams like any other major employer, he said.

“This is the same amount of revenue the state stands to lose if either team relocates to any other state,” Kehoe said. “But local support is still critical in this effort, and this plan will require local contributions, so I’m asking legislators to work with us to keep these businesses in the state where they belong, the state of Missouri.”

Both the Chiefs and Royals have publicly expressed interest in moving from Missouri to Kansas after Jackson County voters rejected a proposal last year to extend a 3/8-cent sales tax to help finance a downtown Kansas City baseball stadium and upgrades to Arrowhead.

Kansas lawmakers responded by expanding a tax incentive program in the hopes of convincing one or both teams to relocate. The leases for both teams’ Jackson County stadiums run through the end of the 2030 season.

Kansas expects an answer by the end of June, creating the pressure for a special session.

The limited funding Kehoe proposed for construction spending means several projects he championed during the legislative session — and more than 60 added by lawmakers — won’t be funded.

The only general revenue project remaining in the bill under Kehoe’s plan is $25 million to support construction of a new research reactor at MU. That is half of what he sought originally and was cut to allow spending on disaster aid.

The more than 60 projects added by lawmakers ranged from $60,000 for a county maintenance shed in Dallas County to $20 million for redeveloping an historic business district in Cape Girardeau and $20 million to support a new convention center complex in Jefferson City.

Kehoe said he thinks he can limit the message to lawmakers outlining the special session agenda to just $50 million in general revenue spending and the projects funded from other sources, including the mental hospital and the livestock barn.

The limited funding will dash hopes from many agencies and communities that their project would get a second look. There are at least two hospitals facing potential closure if their funding is not included and a sheltered workshop in Salem that is&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/20/missouri-special-session-may-provide-new-life-for-500-million-budget-bill/">operating at limited capacity</a>&nbsp;following a devastating fire.

Kehoe said he understands the requests but wants to be careful with general revenue spending.

“The state budget years ahead are going to be challenging,” Kehoe said, “and the amount of general revenue that we have is something that I’m taking very seriously as a businessman, and what it’s going to take in future years.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748368415744.png" alt="Arrowhead Stadium and Kauffman Stadium- Google image" />
 <figcaption>Arrowhead Stadium and Kauffman Stadium- Google image</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The General Assembly will return to work Monday with questions about whether partisan feuding in the state Senate can be set aside to address special session agenda</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Disaster recovery, sports stadiums and major capital improvement projects will be on the agenda for a special legislative session that will begin June 2, Gov. Mike Kehoe said Tuesday.At a news conference, Kehoe said he has spoken to legislative leaders in hopes they can act quickly on all three items and set aside&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/14/missouri-republicans-shut-down-senate-debate-to-pass-abortion-ban-repeal-sick-leave-law/">hard feelings from the regular session</a>&nbsp;that ended May 15.“There are some raw nerves out there and some wounded feelings, and I’m asking them to consider that these initiatives that we will put before them are very time sensitive and very needy, especially when it comes to the disaster relief” funding, Kehoe said.A litany of other projects across Missouri that were depending on state funding will not be considered, Kehoe said, including at least two hospitals facing potential closure.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748368635410.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>Under the Missouri Constitution, lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III++++20(a)&amp;bid=31759&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">have 60 days to complete work</a>&nbsp;on items in a special session and Kehoe said he won’t try to impose an artificial deadline. But the items on his list all need quick action, he said, especially help for people who lost homes and suffered injuries in the May 16 St. Louis tornado.&nbsp;“I’m also asking them to consider the tragedy that some of these families have faced in these disasters,” Kehoe said.To help people recovering from tornadoes, flooding and other storms this spring, Kehoe is asking lawmakers to put $25 million into the Missouri Housing Trust Fund and increase the income eligibility threshold for emergency grants. He also wants to enact a tax deduction of up to $5,000 to cover insurance deductibles for people trying to rebuild.Other items on the agenda are:<ul>
 <li>State support for a new Kansas City Royals baseball stadium and major upgrades to Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs. The plan is the same one he&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/13/new-stadium-funding-plan-for-chiefs-royals-clears-missouri-house/">unveiled during the final week</a>&nbsp;of the regular legislative session, where it won a strong vote in the Missouri House before dying in the Senate amid bitterness on other bills.</li><li>Extend the deadline for tax credits related to major amateur sporting events.&nbsp;</li><li>Allocate $25 million of general revenue funding for the University of MIssouri’s research reactor project and $185 million in funding from other sources for capital improvement projects that include a new mental health hospital in Kansas City and new livestock show barn at the Missouri State Fair.</li>
 </ul>Senate Majority Leader Tony Luetkemeyer, a Parkville Republican, said the items in the call for a special session are all things lawmakers should cooperate on.Because of the acrimony in the Senate, all legislation for the special session will start in the upper chamber, Kehoe said, with the House debating whatever bills can make it through.“The governor’s call focuses on providing disaster relief to families devastated by recent storms, funding cancer research at our state’s flagship university, and keeping Missouri’s beloved professional sports teams in our state,” Luetkemeyer said. “I’m hopeful the Senate will rise to the occasion.”Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck, a Democrat from Affton, could not be reached for comment.Missouri is still&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/article_55a27fbb-337d-48cd-a7bd-f4e5c96764ae.html#tracking-source=home-top-story" target="_blank">waiting for federal action</a>&nbsp;on a request for disaster assistance through FEMA for the May 16 tornado.On Friday, President Donald Trump approved Missouri’s request to declare disasters for southeast Missouri counties hit March 14 and again during the first week of April.The tornado cut a 23-mile-long path, touching down in the affluent suburb of Clayton before ripping through the north side of the city of St. Louis then across the Mississippi River through communities in western Illinois. At least five people were killed, 38 more were injured, and about 5,000 structures were damaged with property losses estimated at more than $1.6 billion.“I’ve been on the phone, and Adam Gresham in our office and others have been on the phone with the White House constantly on these events,” Kehoe said, explaining his efforts to secure federal aid.Federal disaster response nationwide has&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/14/repub/dozens-of-members-of-congress-from-both-parties-plead-with-trump-to-unfreeze-fema-grants/">slowed under Trump</a>, causing lawmakers from many states to urge the president to release funding for their states.“I’m very happy that we got what we got, because you saw some other states not get approved,” Kehoe said.<h2>Stadium funding plan</h2>The plan for the Chiefs and Royals would take tax money already generated from activities at the stadiums — $28.8 million annually as estimated by the Chiefs and $15 million annually by an estimate from the Royals — and commit it to bond payments for 30 years for the new or upgraded facilities.The economic activity associated with the Chiefs supports 4,500 jobs, Kehoe contends, and a new stadium for the Royals would generate about 8,400 jobs. Missouri should treat the teams like any other major employer, he said.“This is the same amount of revenue the state stands to lose if either team relocates to any other state,” Kehoe said. “But local support is still critical in this effort, and this plan will require local contributions, so I’m asking legislators to work with us to keep these businesses in the state where they belong, the state of Missouri.”Both the Chiefs and Royals have publicly expressed interest in moving from Missouri to Kansas after Jackson County voters rejected a proposal last year to extend a 3/8-cent sales tax to help finance a downtown Kansas City baseball stadium and upgrades to Arrowhead.Kansas lawmakers responded by expanding a tax incentive program in the hopes of convincing one or both teams to relocate. The leases for both teams’ Jackson County stadiums run through the end of the 2030 season.Kansas expects an answer by the end of June, creating the pressure for a special session.The limited funding Kehoe proposed for construction spending means several projects he championed during the legislative session — and more than 60 added by lawmakers — won’t be funded.The only general revenue project remaining in the bill under Kehoe’s plan is $25 million to support construction of a new research reactor at MU. That is half of what he sought originally and was cut to allow spending on disaster aid.The more than 60 projects added by lawmakers ranged from $60,000 for a county maintenance shed in Dallas County to $20 million for redeveloping an historic business district in Cape Girardeau and $20 million to support a new convention center complex in Jefferson City.Kehoe said he thinks he can limit the message to lawmakers outlining the special session agenda to just $50 million in general revenue spending and the projects funded from other sources, including the mental hospital and the livestock barn.The limited funding will dash hopes from many agencies and communities that their project would get a second look. There are at least two hospitals facing potential closure if their funding is not included and a sheltered workshop in Salem that is&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/20/missouri-special-session-may-provide-new-life-for-500-million-budget-bill/">operating at limited capacity</a>&nbsp;following a devastating fire.Kehoe said he understands the requests but wants to be careful with general revenue spending.“The state budget years ahead are going to be challenging,” Kehoe said, “and the amount of general revenue that we have is something that I’m taking very seriously as a businessman, and what it’s going to take in future years.”

Missouri governor calls special session for Kansas City stadiums, St. Louis disaster funding

TOPEKA —It was a deadly holiday weekend on Kansas highways. Seven people died in four accidents.

&nbsp;The first fatality occurred just before 1p.m. Friday in Sedgwick County. The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2010 Buick LaCrosse driven by Eugene Judson Theodore&nbsp;Stumblingbear, 44,&nbsp; Attica, was eastbound in the westbound lanes of Kansas 42 one quarter mile east of S 279th Street W.

The car struck a westbound 2024 Western Star semi driven by Donald David&nbsp;Piotrowski, 54,Valley Center, head-on.

Stumblingbear was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to&nbsp; Sedgwick County Forensic Science Center. EMS transported&nbsp;Piotrowski to&nbsp;Ascension Via Christi St Francis. The KHP had incomplete seat belt usage details.

Just after 10a.m. Saturday in Coffey County, the Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2009 Toyota Camry driven by Dallas R.&nbsp;Reeves, 20, Janesville, Wisconsin, was southbound on U.S. 75 just north of 8th Road.

The car was&nbsp;passing another vehicle. A northbound 2021 Chevy Silverado driven by Charles L&nbsp;Jarrell, 46, Leroy, Kansas, attempted to avoid a collision, slowed and steered to the northbound shoulder.

The Camry driver also steered to the northbound shoulder and collided with the pickup. After impact, the car spun and came to rest in the northbound lane and shoulder. The pickup came to a rest in the north ditch.

Reeves was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Jones Funeral Home. EMS transported&nbsp;Jarrell and a 6-ear-old passenger from the pickup to the Coffey County Hospital.&nbsp; All three were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

&nbsp;Four people died in an accident just before 3p.m. Saturday in Dickinson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Hyundai Elantra driven by Dawn Rae&nbsp;Peel, 30, Herington, was&nbsp;eastbound on Kansas 4 four miles west of Kansas 15 Highway.

The car crossed the center line and struck a westbound 2025 Chevy Traverse driven by Adam Gerhart&nbsp;Henely, 23, Salina, head-on.

Peel, and 2 passengers in the car including 71-year-old Peggy Ann Sutton of&nbsp;Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and an 8-year-old boy from Herington were pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Martin Becker Carlson Funeral Home.&nbsp; A passenger in the SUV identified as 57-year-old Denise Renee&nbsp;Henely of Herington also died at the scene and was transported to Martin Becker Carlson Funeral Home.

EMS transported an 8-year-old male passenger from the car and a 14-year-old male passenger from the SUV, both of Herington to Wesley Medical Center.

Henely and and a third passenger in the SUV were not transported for treatment. All eight were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

One person died in an accident just after 2a.m. Sunday in Geary County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2020 Ford Fusion driven by Richard B. Roberts, 20, Sebring, Florida, was northbound on U.S. 77 at Old Milford Road at a high rate of speed. The car entered into the east ditch, struck a tree and caught fire.

Roberts was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Johnson Funeral Home. He was properly restrained, according to the KHP.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748055276795.png" alt="First responders on the scene Friday afternoon -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene Friday afternoon -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —It was a deadly holiday weekend on Kansas highways. Seven people died in four accidents.&nbsp;The first fatality occurred just before 1p.m. Friday in Sedgwick County. The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2010 Buick LaCrosse driven by Eugene Judson Theodore&nbsp;Stumblingbear, 44,&nbsp; Attica, was eastbound in the westbound lanes of Kansas 42 one quarter mile east of S 279th Street W.The car struck a westbound 2024 Western Star semi driven by Donald David&nbsp;Piotrowski, 54,Valley Center, head-on.Stumblingbear was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to&nbsp; Sedgwick County Forensic Science Center. EMS transported&nbsp;Piotrowski to&nbsp;Ascension Via Christi St Francis. The KHP had incomplete seat belt usage details.Just after 10a.m. Saturday in Coffey County, the Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2009 Toyota Camry driven by Dallas R.&nbsp;Reeves, 20, Janesville, Wisconsin, was southbound on U.S. 75 just north of 8th Road.The car was&nbsp;passing another vehicle. A northbound 2021 Chevy Silverado driven by Charles L&nbsp;Jarrell, 46, Leroy, Kansas, attempted to avoid a collision, slowed and steered to the northbound shoulder.The Camry driver also steered to the northbound shoulder and collided with the pickup. After impact, the car spun and came to rest in the northbound lane and shoulder. The pickup came to a rest in the north ditch.Reeves was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Jones Funeral Home. EMS transported&nbsp;Jarrell and a 6-ear-old passenger from the pickup to the Coffey County Hospital.&nbsp; All three were properly restrained, according to the KHP.&nbsp;Four people died in an accident just before 3p.m. Saturday in Dickinson County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Hyundai Elantra driven by Dawn Rae&nbsp;Peel, 30, Herington, was&nbsp;eastbound on Kansas 4 four miles west of Kansas 15 Highway.The car crossed the center line and struck a westbound 2025 Chevy Traverse driven by Adam Gerhart&nbsp;Henely, 23, Salina, head-on.Peel, and 2 passengers in the car including 71-year-old Peggy Ann Sutton of&nbsp;Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and an 8-year-old boy from Herington were pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Martin Becker Carlson Funeral Home.&nbsp; A passenger in the SUV identified as 57-year-old Denise Renee&nbsp;Henely of Herington also died at the scene and was transported to Martin Becker Carlson Funeral Home.EMS transported an 8-year-old male passenger from the car and a 14-year-old male passenger from the SUV, both of Herington to Wesley Medical Center.Henely and and a third passenger in the SUV were not transported for treatment. All eight were properly restrained, according to the KHP.One person died in an accident just after 2a.m. Sunday in Geary County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2020 Ford Fusion driven by Richard B. Roberts, 20, Sebring, Florida, was northbound on U.S. 77 at Old Milford Road at a high rate of speed. The car entered into the east ditch, struck a tree and caught fire.Roberts was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Johnson Funeral Home. He was properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Deadly holiday weekend on Kansas highways

&nbsp;WYANDOTTE COUNTY—Only one person was injured in an accident in heavy rain just before noon Sunday in Wyandotte County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Nissan Quest driven by Lorena&nbsp;Rodriguez-Guarini, 36, Kansas City, Kansas, was southbound on Interstate 635 at State Avenue.&nbsp; The driver lost control on the wet roadway. The van traveled off the road and overturned.

EMS transported a 16-year-old female passenger to Children's Mercy for treatment of a minor injury. Rodriguez-Guarini and three other passengers including a 5-year-old girl, a 7-year-old boy and a 40-year-old man were not injured. All were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748342472422.png" alt="Images from KC Scout camera" />
 <figcaption>Images from KC Scout camera</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;WYANDOTTE COUNTY—Only one person was injured in an accident in heavy rain just before noon Sunday in Wyandotte County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Nissan Quest driven by Lorena&nbsp;Rodriguez-Guarini, 36, Kansas City, Kansas, was southbound on Interstate 635 at State Avenue.&nbsp; The driver lost control on the wet roadway. The van traveled off the road and overturned.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748342455574.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>EMS transported a 16-year-old female passenger to Children's Mercy for treatment of a minor injury. Rodriguez-Guarini and three other passengers including a 5-year-old girl, a 7-year-old boy and a 40-year-old man were not injured. All were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Kansas family avoids tragedy after van crash in heavy rain

CALICO ROCK – On Sunday, at approximately 2:55 p.m., inmate Grant Hardin, ADC #168541, escaped from the North Central Unit. This has been updated since the original reported time of 3:40 p.m. following review of the surveillance footage, according to a media release from the Arkansas Department of Corrections.

Anyone with information about inmate Hardin’s whereabouts should contact local law enforcement immediately.

The Division of Correction and the Division of Community Correction are working with local, state and federal law enforcement to follow leads.

Hardin has been at the North Central Unit since 2017, serving a 30-year sentence for first degree murder, as well as an additional sentence for rape. Hardin was the former police chief for the city of Gateway with a background in law enforcement.

On Monday night, officials reported they continue to utilize a variety of means to track Hardin, as well as investigating the events that led up to his escape

It has been determined that Hardin was wearing a makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement when he escaped the facility. He was not wearing a Department of Corrections uniform, and all DOC-issued equipment has been accounted for.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748309291610.png" alt="It has been determined that Hardin was wearing a makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement when he escaped the facility.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>It has been determined that Hardin was wearing a makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement when he escaped the facility.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>CALICO ROCK – On Sunday, at approximately 2:55 p.m., inmate Grant Hardin, ADC #168541, escaped from the North Central Unit. This has been updated since the original reported time of 3:40 p.m. following review of the surveillance footage, according to a media release from the Arkansas Department of Corrections.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748354598066.png" alt="Hardin escaped through the sally port wearing an ADC type uniform&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Hardin escaped through the sally port wearing an ADC type uniform&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Anyone with information about inmate Hardin’s whereabouts should contact local law enforcement immediately.The Division of Correction and the Division of Community Correction are working with local, state and federal law enforcement to follow leads.Hardin has been at the North Central Unit since 2017, serving a 30-year sentence for first degree murder, as well as an additional sentence for rape. Hardin was the former police chief for the city of Gateway with a background in law enforcement.On Monday night, officials reported they continue to utilize a variety of means to track Hardin, as well as investigating the events that led up to his escapeIt has been determined that Hardin was wearing a makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement when he escaped the facility. He was not wearing a Department of Corrections uniform, and all DOC-issued equipment has been accounted for.

Manhunt continues: Former cop convicted of murder escapes Arkansas prison

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sofia-resnick/">Sofia Resnick</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/charlotte-rene-woods/">Charlotte Rene Woods</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Abortion pills — and questions over their inherent safety — were back in federal court Monday. Unlike a lawsuit rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court last year, plaintiffs this time are not anti-abortion activists arguing medication abortion should be banned, but abortion providers arguing the remaining restrictions should be lifted to match the drug’s 25-year record of safety and efficacy.

The suit seeks to make abortion pills more accessible by removing several existing restrictions on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s mifepristone-misoprostol regimen first approved in 2000. The drug was approved under the FDA’s drug safety program called Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS), provisions of which have been steadily eliminated over time but not fully.

On behalf of independent providers in Virginia, Montana, and Kansas, Center for Reproductive Rights senior counsel Linda Goldstein argued the FDA’s most recent evaluations did not properly assess whether remaining restrictions are still medically necessary. She argued that the biggest risks the FDA has identified with mifepristone — serious bleeding and infection — are not exclusive to the drug but with all pregnancy terminations, including spontaneous miscarriages, which she said affected about 25% of all pregnancies. Beyond abortion, for which the drug has captured attention, mifepristone is also used to treat miscarriages so that they conclude safely to help prevent infection.

“The FDA has acknowledged that staying pregnant is more dangerous than not staying pregnant,” said Goldstein, arguing that at minimum the FDA should be required to explain why drugs that pose similar risks are not subject to the same restrictions.

She noted that of the 20,000 drugs the FDA has approved,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=20%2C000+drugs+the+FDA+has+approved%2C+only+73+have+REMS+provisions&amp;oq=20%2C000+drugs+the+FDA+has+approved%2C+only+73+have+REMS+provisions&amp;gs_lcrp=EgRlZGdlKgYIABBFGDkyBggAEEUYOdIBBzMyNGowajmoAgCwAgE&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8" target="_blank">only 73</a>&nbsp;have REMS provisions, and that mifepristone has proven to be a safe drug over time. About 7.5 million U.S. patients have taken it as of the end of last year, Goldstein said. As of December 2024, the FDA has reported&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/questions-and-answers-mifepristone-medical-termination-pregnancy-through-ten-weeks-gestation#:~:text=As%20of%20December%2031%2C%202024,several%20fatal%20cases%20of%20severe" target="_blank">36 patient deaths</a>&nbsp;associated with mifepristone since it was first approved in 2000.

Whole Woman’s Health Alliance v. FDA is the first time the U.S. Department of Justice is arguing a position on mifepristone in court since the Trump administration took office. Justice Department attorneys said current regulations are necessary for the most common form of pregnancy termination to be considered safe. When asked by the judge, DOJ attorney Noah Katzen did not confirm or deny whether or not the FDA still considers the drug to be safe and effective overall.

“That is what the FDA determined in the past,” Katzen said during the hearing at the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Charlottesville, where the case was originally filed in 2023.

Katzen, the FDA’s former associate chief counsel until 2021 and currently a trial attorney for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, said the FDA has found that the evidence was “not sufficient” to conclude the REMS are no longer necessary.

U.S. District Judge Robert S. Ballou, appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden, appeared more sympathetic to plaintiffs’ argument that some of the requirements appear arbitrary in that they don’t apply to other drugs with equal or greater risk, including drugs his parents have taken.&nbsp;

Ballou did not rule at the end of Monday’s hearing but said he would as soon as possible.

After the hearing, Whole Woman’s Health Alliance founder and president Amy Hagstrom Miller told States Newsroom she took note of Katzen’s response about whether the FDA considers mifepristone to be safe and effective.

“It was an interesting choice of words,” she said.

This<a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67347356/whole-womans-health-alliance-v-united-states-food-and-drug-administration/https:/www.courtlistener.com/docket/67347356/whole-womans-health-alliance-v-united-states-food-and-drug-administration/" target="_blank">&nbsp;lawsuit</a>&nbsp;is among several federal cases involving mifepristone. Earlier this month, the Trump administration filed a brief in the case Missouri v. FDA, requesting the court<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-administration-asks-dismiss-suit-3-gop-states-trying-limit-abortion-pill" target="_blank">&nbsp;dismiss three states’ lawsuit</a>&nbsp;to restrict mifepristone on procedural grounds, but did not comment on the merits of the case or explicitly defend the FDA’s current medication abortion policy.

While the Missouri v. FDA lawsuit seeks to reinstate regulations loosened between 2016 and 2021, the Whole Woman’s Health v. FDA lawsuit takes aim at restrictions that require: medical professionals who prescribe mifepristone to register with the drug manufacturer; pharmacies to apply for special certification and maintain copious records, and patients to review and sign a counseling form.

On behalf of plaintiffs, which include Whole Woman’s Health Alliance in Virginia and other states, All Families Healthcare and Blue Mountain Clinic in Montana, and Trust Women in Kansas, Goldstein argued that these existing rules are burdensome and make these medications harder to access by limiting the number of providers and pharmacies who can provide and dispense it and impede access to time-sensitive care.

Goldstein noted the “political climate” surrounding mifepristone and pointed to how abortion opponents seek either rescinding of FDA approval for mifepristone or a return to the in-person dispensing requirements. She added how efforts to make abortion medication more&nbsp;<a href="https://virginiamercury.com/2024/06/28/mcclellan-spanberger-work-to-repeal-parts-of-19th-century-law-that-could-ban-abortion-nationally/" target="_blank">difficult to obtain</a>&nbsp;are outlined in Project 2025 — the conservative Heritage Foundation’s playbook.

Before and especially since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, anti-abortion groups have tried to convince courts that abortion pills, in addition to ending the lives of embryos and fetuses, harm pregnant people at rates that warrant being pulled from the market or at the very least heavily restricted.

During his presidential campaign and since taking office, President Donald Trump and his health appointees have messaged strategically on medication abortion, on the one hand promising to retain its access while also open to examining new evidence suggesting it is unsafe.

Just last week, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he would direct the FDA to review abortion pill safety and potentially change its drug label, following the release of an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/hhs-agrees-review-mifepristone-safety-based-anti-abortion-white-papers" target="_blank">anti-abortion white paper</a>&nbsp;commissioned by far-right funders, whose analysis has been widely criticized by reproductive health scientists and is outflanked by hundreds of studies showing a very low rate of serious adverse events.

Hagstrom Miller called the current restrictions “politically motivated” and said overturning them would be especially significant for Virginia, which as the least restrictive state in the South, has seen an uptick in people traveling from elsewhere to receive care.

“They’re not related to the safety of the medication,”&nbsp;Hagstrom Miller&nbsp;said, of the current restrictions. “We just want to ensure that the most popular method for abortion in Virginia and beyond is protected no matter who sits at the White House and who sits in the FDA.”

Virginia is in the process of amending its state constitution to enshrine abortion and other reproductive health care procedures or medications. The&nbsp;<a href="https://virginiamercury.com/2025/02/13/virginia-moves-to-protect-reproductive-and-voting-rights-but-the-fight-is-far-from-over/" target="_blank">constitutional amendment</a>&nbsp;passed the legislature on party-line votes this year and must pass again next year before appearing on ballots for voters statewide. Its continued success or failure hinges on the outcome of the state’s competitive House of Delegates elections — where Democrats hold a slim majority.

While governors don’t have a say in constitutional amendments, the issue is a&nbsp;<a href="https://virginiamercury.com/2025/04/02/virginia-march-for-life-tees-up-constitutional-amendment-ahead-of-this-years-elections/" target="_blank">divergence</a>&nbsp;between gubernatorial candidates Lt. Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://virginiamercury.com/2025/05/08/earle-sears-morally-opposed-to-virginias-reproductive-rights-amendment-note-shows/" target="_blank">Winsome Earle-Sears</a>&nbsp;and Democratic challenger former Congresswoman&nbsp;<a href="https://virginiamercury.com/2024/06/28/mcclellan-spanberger-work-to-repeal-parts-of-19th-century-law-that-could-ban-abortion-nationally/" target="_blank">Abigail Spanberger</a>. This means that should the amendment fail and partisan control of the House shift, whoever is the next governor could advance or block potential future efforts to walk back Virginia’s current abortion access laws.&nbsp;

“It’s really important that we protect that safe access to medication abortion no matter where people live — Virginia is playing a key role in the South right now,”&nbsp;Hagstrom Miller said.

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sofia-resnick/">Sofia Resnick</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/charlotte-rene-woods/">Charlotte Rene Woods</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Abortion pills — and questions over their inherent safety — were back in federal court Monday. Unlike a lawsuit rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court last year, plaintiffs this time are not anti-abortion activists arguing medication abortion should be banned, but abortion providers arguing the remaining restrictions should be lifted to match the drug’s 25-year record of safety and efficacy.The suit seeks to make abortion pills more accessible by removing several existing restrictions on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s mifepristone-misoprostol regimen first approved in 2000. The drug was approved under the FDA’s drug safety program called Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS), provisions of which have been steadily eliminated over time but not fully.On behalf of independent providers in Virginia, Montana, and Kansas, Center for Reproductive Rights senior counsel Linda Goldstein argued the FDA’s most recent evaluations did not properly assess whether remaining restrictions are still medically necessary. She argued that the biggest risks the FDA has identified with mifepristone — serious bleeding and infection — are not exclusive to the drug but with all pregnancy terminations, including spontaneous miscarriages, which she said affected about 25% of all pregnancies. Beyond abortion, for which the drug has captured attention, mifepristone is also used to treat miscarriages so that they conclude safely to help prevent infection.“The FDA has acknowledged that staying pregnant is more dangerous than not staying pregnant,” said Goldstein, arguing that at minimum the FDA should be required to explain why drugs that pose similar risks are not subject to the same restrictions.She noted that of the 20,000 drugs the FDA has approved,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=20%2C000+drugs+the+FDA+has+approved%2C+only+73+have+REMS+provisions&amp;oq=20%2C000+drugs+the+FDA+has+approved%2C+only+73+have+REMS+provisions&amp;gs_lcrp=EgRlZGdlKgYIABBFGDkyBggAEEUYOdIBBzMyNGowajmoAgCwAgE&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8" target="_blank">only 73</a>&nbsp;have REMS provisions, and that mifepristone has proven to be a safe drug over time. About 7.5 million U.S. patients have taken it as of the end of last year, Goldstein said. As of December 2024, the FDA has reported&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/questions-and-answers-mifepristone-medical-termination-pregnancy-through-ten-weeks-gestation#:~:text=As%20of%20December%2031%2C%202024,several%20fatal%20cases%20of%20severe" target="_blank">36 patient deaths</a>&nbsp;associated with mifepristone since it was first approved in 2000.Whole Woman’s Health Alliance v. FDA is the first time the U.S. Department of Justice is arguing a position on mifepristone in court since the Trump administration took office. Justice Department attorneys said current regulations are necessary for the most common form of pregnancy termination to be considered safe. When asked by the judge, DOJ attorney Noah Katzen did not confirm or deny whether or not the FDA still considers the drug to be safe and effective overall.“That is what the FDA determined in the past,” Katzen said during the hearing at the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Charlottesville, where the case was originally filed in 2023.Katzen, the FDA’s former associate chief counsel until 2021 and currently a trial attorney for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, said the FDA has found that the evidence was “not sufficient” to conclude the REMS are no longer necessary.U.S. District Judge Robert S. Ballou, appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden, appeared more sympathetic to plaintiffs’ argument that some of the requirements appear arbitrary in that they don’t apply to other drugs with equal or greater risk, including drugs his parents have taken.&nbsp;Ballou did not rule at the end of Monday’s hearing but said he would as soon as possible.After the hearing, Whole Woman’s Health Alliance founder and president Amy Hagstrom Miller told States Newsroom she took note of Katzen’s response about whether the FDA considers mifepristone to be safe and effective.“It was an interesting choice of words,” she said.This<a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67347356/whole-womans-health-alliance-v-united-states-food-and-drug-administration/https:/www.courtlistener.com/docket/67347356/whole-womans-health-alliance-v-united-states-food-and-drug-administration/" target="_blank">&nbsp;lawsuit</a>&nbsp;is among several federal cases involving mifepristone. Earlier this month, the Trump administration filed a brief in the case Missouri v. FDA, requesting the court<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-administration-asks-dismiss-suit-3-gop-states-trying-limit-abortion-pill" target="_blank">&nbsp;dismiss three states’ lawsuit</a>&nbsp;to restrict mifepristone on procedural grounds, but did not comment on the merits of the case or explicitly defend the FDA’s current medication abortion policy.While the Missouri v. FDA lawsuit seeks to reinstate regulations loosened between 2016 and 2021, the Whole Woman’s Health v. FDA lawsuit takes aim at restrictions that require: medical professionals who prescribe mifepristone to register with the drug manufacturer; pharmacies to apply for special certification and maintain copious records, and patients to review and sign a counseling form.On behalf of plaintiffs, which include Whole Woman’s Health Alliance in Virginia and other states, All Families Healthcare and Blue Mountain Clinic in Montana, and Trust Women in Kansas, Goldstein argued that these existing rules are burdensome and make these medications harder to access by limiting the number of providers and pharmacies who can provide and dispense it and impede access to time-sensitive care.Goldstein noted the “political climate” surrounding mifepristone and pointed to how abortion opponents seek either rescinding of FDA approval for mifepristone or a return to the in-person dispensing requirements. She added how efforts to make abortion medication more&nbsp;<a href="https://virginiamercury.com/2024/06/28/mcclellan-spanberger-work-to-repeal-parts-of-19th-century-law-that-could-ban-abortion-nationally/" target="_blank">difficult to obtain</a>&nbsp;are outlined in Project 2025 — the conservative Heritage Foundation’s playbook.Before and especially since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, anti-abortion groups have tried to convince courts that abortion pills, in addition to ending the lives of embryos and fetuses, harm pregnant people at rates that warrant being pulled from the market or at the very least heavily restricted.During his presidential campaign and since taking office, President Donald Trump and his health appointees have messaged strategically on medication abortion, on the one hand promising to retain its access while also open to examining new evidence suggesting it is unsafe.Just last week, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he would direct the FDA to review abortion pill safety and potentially change its drug label, following the release of an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/hhs-agrees-review-mifepristone-safety-based-anti-abortion-white-papers" target="_blank">anti-abortion white paper</a>&nbsp;commissioned by far-right funders, whose analysis has been widely criticized by reproductive health scientists and is outflanked by hundreds of studies showing a very low rate of serious adverse events.<h2>Significant for the South&nbsp;</h2>Hagstrom Miller called the current restrictions “politically motivated” and said overturning them would be especially significant for Virginia, which as the least restrictive state in the South, has seen an uptick in people traveling from elsewhere to receive care.“They’re not related to the safety of the medication,”&nbsp;Hagstrom Miller&nbsp;said, of the current restrictions. “We just want to ensure that the most popular method for abortion in Virginia and beyond is protected no matter who sits at the White House and who sits in the FDA.”Virginia is in the process of amending its state constitution to enshrine abortion and other reproductive health care procedures or medications. The&nbsp;<a href="https://virginiamercury.com/2025/02/13/virginia-moves-to-protect-reproductive-and-voting-rights-but-the-fight-is-far-from-over/" target="_blank">constitutional amendment</a>&nbsp;passed the legislature on party-line votes this year and must pass again next year before appearing on ballots for voters statewide. Its continued success or failure hinges on the outcome of the state’s competitive House of Delegates elections — where Democrats hold a slim majority.While governors don’t have a say in constitutional amendments, the issue is a&nbsp;<a href="https://virginiamercury.com/2025/04/02/virginia-march-for-life-tees-up-constitutional-amendment-ahead-of-this-years-elections/" target="_blank">divergence</a>&nbsp;between gubernatorial candidates Lt. Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://virginiamercury.com/2025/05/08/earle-sears-morally-opposed-to-virginias-reproductive-rights-amendment-note-shows/" target="_blank">Winsome Earle-Sears</a>&nbsp;and Democratic challenger former Congresswoman&nbsp;<a href="https://virginiamercury.com/2024/06/28/mcclellan-spanberger-work-to-repeal-parts-of-19th-century-law-that-could-ban-abortion-nationally/" target="_blank">Abigail Spanberger</a>. This means that should the amendment fail and partisan control of the House shift, whoever is the next governor could advance or block potential future efforts to walk back Virginia’s current abortion access laws.&nbsp;“It’s really important that we protect that safe access to medication abortion no matter where people live — Virginia is playing a key role in the South right now,”&nbsp;Hagstrom Miller said.

Abortion providers challenge FDA’s remaining mifepristone restrictions in federal court

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on multiple allegtions after an encounter in a Kansas City suburb.

On Wednesday, police received a notification from a Flock Safety camera system indicating that a stolen vehicle had just passed a camera location in the city of Liberty, according to a media release from Liberty, Missouri Police.

 Officers quickly responded to the area and located the vehicle parked in a nearby hotel parking lot. Upon further investigation, officers determined that the driver had entered a room at the hotel. Officers contacted a man and woman in the room later identified as 30-year-old&nbsp; Brandon Schulenberg and 28-year-old&nbsp;Amanda Guffey both of Independence and a four-year-old child.

In plain view, officers observed a loaded ghost gun, drugs and drug paraphernalia. A search warrant was obtained and executed for the hotel room. Inside, officers recovered 17 grams of methamphetamine, 7.96 grams of fentanyl which is equivalent to approximately 3,980 fatal doses, and 10.85 grams of an unknown powdered substance.

Digital scales and additional drug paraphernalia were also located. As a result of this investigation, the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/claycountyprosecutingattorney?__cft__[0]=AZUsKDqaM6uwjgwnR3xFzN632HjJQILYM54RCxDqTIuT88ddvxKoGjGyk8zzfDC79Iz8HzOnWxzgQiVxthO-2ULERtFkSxQL2vWSdcO35SBwU-3_e2BNwo_6O_Aj2VFqwRMkXu0z4PqPYfVOvyZqut99WW8cNhbpAJQQNyV1v43PMHUyiVDnTwXWb3FDbPfrbTA&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Clay County, Mo. Prosecutor's Office</a> charged Schulenberg with trafficking drugs in the second degree, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree, possession of a controlled substance, and unlawful use of a weapon. A warrant was issued for Schulenburg with a bond set at $100,000.

&nbsp;Guffey was also charged with trafficking drugs in the second degree, endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree, possession of a controlled substance, and unlawful use of a weapon. A warrant was issued for Guffey as well, with bond also set at $100,000. 

"This case is a stark reminder of the ongoing dangers posed by fentanyl and ghost guns in our communities. Fentanyl is an extremely potent synthetic opioid, just a few milligrams can be fatal, which is why the amount recovered in this case represents a significant threat to public safety," police reminded.

"Additionally, ghost guns, untraceable firearms often assembled without serial numbers, present a serious risk to both law enforcement and the public."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747964496664.png" alt="Schulenberg photo Liberty PD" />
 <figcaption>Schulenberg photo Liberty PD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on multiple allegtions after an encounter in a Kansas City suburb.On Wednesday, police received a notification from a Flock Safety camera system indicating that a stolen vehicle had just passed a camera location in the city of Liberty, according to a media release from Liberty, Missouri Police. Officers quickly responded to the area and located the vehicle parked in a nearby hotel parking lot. Upon further investigation, officers determined that the driver had entered a room at the hotel. Officers contacted a man and woman in the room later identified as 30-year-old&nbsp; Brandon Schulenberg and 28-year-old&nbsp;Amanda Guffey both of Independence and a four-year-old child.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747964538134.png" alt="Guffey photo Liberty PD" />
 <figcaption>Guffey photo Liberty PD</figcaption>
 </figure>In plain view, officers observed a loaded ghost gun, drugs and drug paraphernalia. A search warrant was obtained and executed for the hotel room. Inside, officers recovered 17 grams of methamphetamine, 7.96 grams of fentanyl which is equivalent to approximately 3,980 fatal doses, and 10.85 grams of an unknown powdered substance. Digital scales and additional drug paraphernalia were also located. As a result of this investigation, the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/claycountyprosecutingattorney?__cft__[0]=AZUsKDqaM6uwjgwnR3xFzN632HjJQILYM54RCxDqTIuT88ddvxKoGjGyk8zzfDC79Iz8HzOnWxzgQiVxthO-2ULERtFkSxQL2vWSdcO35SBwU-3_e2BNwo_6O_Aj2VFqwRMkXu0z4PqPYfVOvyZqut99WW8cNhbpAJQQNyV1v43PMHUyiVDnTwXWb3FDbPfrbTA&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Clay County, Mo. Prosecutor's Office</a> charged Schulenberg with trafficking drugs in the second degree, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree, possession of a controlled substance, and unlawful use of a weapon. A warrant was issued for Schulenburg with a bond set at $100,000.&nbsp;Guffey was also charged with trafficking drugs in the second degree, endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree, possession of a controlled substance, and unlawful use of a weapon. A warrant was issued for Guffey as well, with bond also set at $100,000. "This case is a stark reminder of the ongoing dangers posed by fentanyl and ghost guns in our communities. Fentanyl is an extremely potent synthetic opioid, just a few milligrams can be fatal, which is why the amount recovered in this case represents a significant threat to public safety," police reminded."Additionally, ghost guns, untraceable firearms often assembled without serial numbers, present a serious risk to both law enforcement and the public."