TEXAS COUNTY, OK – On March 30, 2024, the Texas County Sheriff’s Office requested the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to investigate the suspicious disappearance of 27-year-old Veronica Butler and 39-year-old Jilian Kelley of Hugoton Kansas, according to a media release from the Bureau.

 Their vehicle was found abandoned near Highway 95 and Road L, south of Elkhart, Kansas, in rural Texas County. OSBI special agents immediately began investigating the vehicle and determined there was evidence to indicate foul play. 

On April 13, 43-year-old Tad Bert Cullum; 54-year-old Tifany Machel Adams; 50-year-old Cole Earl Twombly, and 44-year-old Cora Twombly were arrested in Texas and Cimarron Counties, according to Hunter McKee with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

All four individuals were booked into the Texas County Jail on requested charges that include two counts of First-Degree Murder, two counts of Kidnapping, and one count of Conspiracy to Commit Murder in the First Degree.

The OSBI and local law enforcement are still currently working to locate the two victims. 

Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact the OSBI at tips@osbi.ok.gov or 1-800-522-8017. Our agency would like to thank the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/texascountysheriff?__cft__[0]=AZW3UnIxpH36GuYONjM79vnoR-oyo5ufQLc8XHZABg_GpMGLPEZV5Gfh7QUusxGecGwmgMDkVhRdYnnVPSCBiHn1brMVnJQXPpT9GBDGKZ2rxsUrW2teAM97dm3kGLsyTx9NyWPu4w3KB71ojGy_IdT1f21qAnn0FXL-GxthYpmGpn1LrlfLncwu8_W58TtO6W4&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Texas County Sheriff's Department</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FBI?__cft__[0]=AZW3UnIxpH36GuYONjM79vnoR-oyo5ufQLc8XHZABg_GpMGLPEZV5Gfh7QUusxGecGwmgMDkVhRdYnnVPSCBiHn1brMVnJQXPpT9GBDGKZ2rxsUrW2teAM97dm3kGLsyTx9NyWPu4w3KB71ojGy_IdT1f21qAnn0FXL-GxthYpmGpn1LrlfLncwu8_W58TtO6W4&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Oklahoma.Highway.Patrol?__cft__[0]=AZW3UnIxpH36GuYONjM79vnoR-oyo5ufQLc8XHZABg_GpMGLPEZV5Gfh7QUusxGecGwmgMDkVhRdYnnVPSCBiHn1brMVnJQXPpT9GBDGKZ2rxsUrW2teAM97dm3kGLsyTx9NyWPu4w3KB71ojGy_IdT1f21qAnn0FXL-GxthYpmGpn1LrlfLncwu8_W58TtO6W4&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Oklahoma Highway Patrol</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KBIKansas?__cft__[0]=AZW3UnIxpH36GuYONjM79vnoR-oyo5ufQLc8XHZABg_GpMGLPEZV5Gfh7QUusxGecGwmgMDkVhRdYnnVPSCBiHn1brMVnJQXPpT9GBDGKZ2rxsUrW2teAM97dm3kGLsyTx9NyWPu4w3KB71ojGy_IdT1f21qAnn0FXL-GxthYpmGpn1LrlfLncwu8_W58TtO6W4&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Kansas Bureau of Investigation</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kshighwayPatrol?__cft__[0]=AZW3UnIxpH36GuYONjM79vnoR-oyo5ufQLc8XHZABg_GpMGLPEZV5Gfh7QUusxGecGwmgMDkVhRdYnnVPSCBiHn1brMVnJQXPpT9GBDGKZ2rxsUrW2teAM97dm3kGLsyTx9NyWPu4w3KB71ojGy_IdT1f21qAnn0FXL-GxthYpmGpn1LrlfLncwu8_W58TtO6W4&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Kansas Highway Patrol</a>, and several other local agencies for assisting us with this case.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712053989356.png" alt="Jilian Kelley and Veronica Butler-photo OSBI" />
 <figcaption>Jilian Kelley and Veronica Butler-photo OSBI</figcaption>
 </figure>TEXAS COUNTY, OK – On March 30, 2024, the Texas County Sheriff’s Office requested the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to investigate the suspicious disappearance of 27-year-old Veronica Butler and 39-year-old Jilian Kelley of Hugoton Kansas, according to a media release from the Bureau. Their vehicle was found abandoned near Highway 95 and Road L, south of Elkhart, Kansas, in rural Texas County. OSBI special agents immediately began investigating the vehicle and determined there was evidence to indicate foul play. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713056452999.png" alt="Counterclockwise from top-43-year-old Tad Bert Cullum; 54-year-old Tifany Machel Adams, 50-year-old Cole Earl Twombly, and 44-year-old Cora Twombly -photos Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation" />
 <figcaption>Counterclockwise from top-43-year-old Tad Bert Cullum; 54-year-old Tifany Machel Adams, 50-year-old Cole Earl Twombly, and 44-year-old Cora Twombly -photos Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation</figcaption>
 </figure>On April 13, 43-year-old Tad Bert Cullum; 54-year-old Tifany Machel Adams; 50-year-old Cole Earl Twombly, and 44-year-old Cora Twombly were arrested in Texas and Cimarron Counties, according to Hunter McKee with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.All four individuals were booked into the Texas County Jail on requested charges that include two counts of First-Degree Murder, two counts of Kidnapping, and one count of Conspiracy to Commit Murder in the First Degree.The OSBI and local law enforcement are still currently working to locate the two victims. Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact the OSBI at tips@osbi.ok.gov or 1-800-522-8017. Our agency would like to thank the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/texascountysheriff?__cft__[0]=AZW3UnIxpH36GuYONjM79vnoR-oyo5ufQLc8XHZABg_GpMGLPEZV5Gfh7QUusxGecGwmgMDkVhRdYnnVPSCBiHn1brMVnJQXPpT9GBDGKZ2rxsUrW2teAM97dm3kGLsyTx9NyWPu4w3KB71ojGy_IdT1f21qAnn0FXL-GxthYpmGpn1LrlfLncwu8_W58TtO6W4&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Texas County Sheriff's Department</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FBI?__cft__[0]=AZW3UnIxpH36GuYONjM79vnoR-oyo5ufQLc8XHZABg_GpMGLPEZV5Gfh7QUusxGecGwmgMDkVhRdYnnVPSCBiHn1brMVnJQXPpT9GBDGKZ2rxsUrW2teAM97dm3kGLsyTx9NyWPu4w3KB71ojGy_IdT1f21qAnn0FXL-GxthYpmGpn1LrlfLncwu8_W58TtO6W4&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Oklahoma.Highway.Patrol?__cft__[0]=AZW3UnIxpH36GuYONjM79vnoR-oyo5ufQLc8XHZABg_GpMGLPEZV5Gfh7QUusxGecGwmgMDkVhRdYnnVPSCBiHn1brMVnJQXPpT9GBDGKZ2rxsUrW2teAM97dm3kGLsyTx9NyWPu4w3KB71ojGy_IdT1f21qAnn0FXL-GxthYpmGpn1LrlfLncwu8_W58TtO6W4&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Oklahoma Highway Patrol</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KBIKansas?__cft__[0]=AZW3UnIxpH36GuYONjM79vnoR-oyo5ufQLc8XHZABg_GpMGLPEZV5Gfh7QUusxGecGwmgMDkVhRdYnnVPSCBiHn1brMVnJQXPpT9GBDGKZ2rxsUrW2teAM97dm3kGLsyTx9NyWPu4w3KB71ojGy_IdT1f21qAnn0FXL-GxthYpmGpn1LrlfLncwu8_W58TtO6W4&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Kansas Bureau of Investigation</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kshighwayPatrol?__cft__[0]=AZW3UnIxpH36GuYONjM79vnoR-oyo5ufQLc8XHZABg_GpMGLPEZV5Gfh7QUusxGecGwmgMDkVhRdYnnVPSCBiHn1brMVnJQXPpT9GBDGKZ2rxsUrW2teAM97dm3kGLsyTx9NyWPu4w3KB71ojGy_IdT1f21qAnn0FXL-GxthYpmGpn1LrlfLncwu8_W58TtO6W4&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Kansas Highway Patrol</a>, and several other local agencies for assisting us with this case.&nbsp;

4 face murder charge as search continues for 2 Kansas women 

READING, Pa. (AP) — Conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell, who pursued separate careers, interests and relationships during lives that defied medical expectations, died this month in Pennsylvania, according to <a href="https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/schappell/lori">funeral home officials</a>. They were 62.

The twins, listed by Guinness World Records as the oldest living conjoined twins, died April 7 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, according to obituaries posted by Leibensperger Funeral Homes of Hamburg. The cause of death was not detailed.

“When we were born, the doctors didn’t think we’d make 30, but we proved them wrong,” Lori said in an interview when they turned 50, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. George came out as transgender in 2007.

The twins, born Sept. 18, 1961, in West Reading, Pennsylvania, had distinct brains but were joined at the skull. George, who had spina bifida and was 4 inches shorter, was wheeled around by Lori on an adaptive wheeled stool. Despite each having to go where the other went, it was “very important” to both “to live as independently as possible,” the obituary said.

Both graduated from a public high school and took college classes. George went along for six years as Lori worked in a hospital laundry. Lori — “a trophy-winning bowler,” according to the obituary notice — gave up the job in 1996 so her sibling could launch a country music career.

“Since the age of 24, they have maintained their own residence and have traveled extensively,” the obituary notice said. Over the years, they appeared in many documentaries and talk shows, as well as in an episode of the FX medical drama “Nip/Tuck.”

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Lori was once engaged to be married but that her fiance died in an automobile accident.

“When I went on dates,” Lori said, “George would bring along books to read.”

The twins said in a 1997 documentary that they had different bathing schedules and showered one at a time. George spoke of giving someone you love and respect “the privacy and compromise in situations that you would want them to give you.” Lori said compromise meant "you don’t get everything you want right when you want it.”

Conjoined twins occur once in every 50,000 to 60,000 births when identical twins from a single embryo fail to separate. About 70% are female, and most are stillborn. Only a small percentage are joined at the head, with nearly three-quarters joined at the chest and others at the abdomen or pelvis.

Separation was deemed risky for the Schappell twins, but Lori Schappell told The Associated Press in a 2002 interview at the twins’ apartment in a high-rise seniors complex that she didn't think such an operation was necessary in any case.

“You don’t mess with what God made, even if it means you enjoy both children for a shorter time,” she said. In the 1997 documentary, George also strongly ruled out the idea of separation, saying, “Why fix what is not broken?”

It isn't immediately clear who will now take the title of oldest living conjoined twins. The oldest ever documented were Ronnie and Donnie Galyon, who died in 2020 at age 68. Eng and Chang Bunker, the 19th century “Siamese Twins” who gained fame as a circus act, lived to be 63.

The Schappell twins' survivors include their father and six siblings. Private services are planned, the funeral home said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713034834727.png" alt="George (Dori) Schappell-Photo courtesy Leibensperger Funeral Home" />
 <figcaption>George (Dori) Schappell-Photo courtesy Leibensperger Funeral Home</figcaption>
 </figure>READING, Pa. (AP) — Conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell, who pursued separate careers, interests and relationships during lives that defied medical expectations, died this month in Pennsylvania, according to <a href="https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/schappell/lori">funeral home officials</a>. They were 62.The twins, listed by Guinness World Records as the oldest living conjoined twins, died April 7 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, according to obituaries posted by Leibensperger Funeral Homes of Hamburg. The cause of death was not detailed.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713034956068.png" alt="FILE - Conjoined 40-year-old twins George, left, and Lori Schappell are seen in their Reading, Pa., home, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2002. Lori and George Schappell, who pursued separate careers, interests and relationships during lives that defied medical expectations, died April 7, 2024, at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. They were 62. (AP Photo/Brad C. Bower, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Conjoined 40-year-old twins George, left, and Lori Schappell are seen in their Reading, Pa., home, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2002. Lori and George Schappell, who pursued separate careers, interests and relationships during lives that defied medical expectations, died April 7, 2024, at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. They were 62. (AP Photo/Brad C. Bower, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>“When we were born, the doctors didn’t think we’d make 30, but we proved them wrong,” Lori said in an interview when they turned 50, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. George came out as transgender in 2007.The twins, born Sept. 18, 1961, in West Reading, Pennsylvania, had distinct brains but were joined at the skull. George, who had spina bifida and was 4 inches shorter, was wheeled around by Lori on an adaptive wheeled stool. Despite each having to go where the other went, it was “very important” to both “to live as independently as possible,” the obituary said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713034808967.png" alt="Lori Schappell-Photo courtesy Leibensperger Funeral Home" />
 <figcaption>Lori Schappell-Photo courtesy Leibensperger Funeral Home</figcaption>
 </figure>Both graduated from a public high school and took college classes. George went along for six years as Lori worked in a hospital laundry. Lori — “a trophy-winning bowler,” according to the obituary notice — gave up the job in 1996 so her sibling could launch a country music career.“Since the age of 24, they have maintained their own residence and have traveled extensively,” the obituary notice said. Over the years, they appeared in many documentaries and talk shows, as well as in an episode of the FX medical drama “Nip/Tuck.”The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Lori was once engaged to be married but that her fiance died in an automobile accident.“When I went on dates,” Lori said, “George would bring along books to read.”The twins said in a 1997 documentary that they had different bathing schedules and showered one at a time. George spoke of giving someone you love and respect “the privacy and compromise in situations that you would want them to give you.” Lori said compromise meant "you don’t get everything you want right when you want it.”Conjoined twins occur once in every 50,000 to 60,000 births when identical twins from a single embryo fail to separate. About 70% are female, and most are stillborn. Only a small percentage are joined at the head, with nearly three-quarters joined at the chest and others at the abdomen or pelvis.Separation was deemed risky for the Schappell twins, but Lori Schappell told The Associated Press in a 2002 interview at the twins’ apartment in a high-rise seniors complex that she didn't think such an operation was necessary in any case.“You don’t mess with what God made, even if it means you enjoy both children for a shorter time,” she said. In the 1997 documentary, George also strongly ruled out the idea of separation, saying, “Why fix what is not broken?”It isn't immediately clear who will now take the title of oldest living conjoined twins. The oldest ever documented were Ronnie and Donnie Galyon, who died in 2020 at age 68. Eng and Chang Bunker, the 19th century “Siamese Twins” who gained fame as a circus act, lived to be 63.The Schappell twins' survivors include their father and six siblings. Private services are planned, the funeral home said.

Oldest living conjoined twins, Lori and George Schappell, die at 62

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly signed legislation updating the state’s worker compensation system Thursday to place into law details of compromises negotiated by labor and business interests that were unanimously endorsed in the House and Senate.

The legislation substantially increased maximum compensation for injured workers or their dependents and added a cost-of-living adjustment to those benefits beginning in July 2027.

Under Senate Bill 430, the parties would exchange medical records in a timely way, limit use of independent medical examinations and could settle cases could be without a formal hearing.

The bill sent to the governor in late March would reduce the Social Security retirement offset for certain disability benefits and extend worker compensation coverage to members of the Kansas National Guard.

“This legislation is a win for our workforce, our businesses and organized labor,” Kelly said. “The reforms in this legislation will create a more just and efficient workers compensation system that increases the benefits for injured workers while creating administrative efficiencies and maintaining stability for businesses.”

Rep. Jason Probst, D-Hutchinson, said the deal followed years of erosion in basic protections for employees under the system relied upon to compensate people for injuries occurring on the job.

“This compromise package signals a shift in how we will treat and assist employees in our state who suffer a tragic workplace injury,” he said.

The Kansas Trial Lawyers Association and the Kansas Chamber took part of year-long conversations with the Kansas AFL-CIO and other interest groups about details of the legislation. Four attorneys aligned with labor interests and four attorneys with business interests took part in negotiations.

“When it comes to crafting good policy when both sides of the issue are so polarized, a lot of collaboration is needed. Thankfully, experienced, level-headed professionals on both sides of this issue were able and willing to work together,” said Rep. Sean Tarwater, a Stilwell Republican who chaired the House commerce committee. “My job was to help navigate the legislative process, and their collaboration made it easy.”

Amber Shultz, secretary of the Kansas Department of Labor, said the bill represented a positive step toward a balance between realities of the business world and workers’ needs.

“We are proud to have come together with attorneys representing business and labor organizations to address the concerns of our stakeholders and contribute to a more fair and equitable system,” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713015977836.png" alt=" Gov. Laura Kelly signed a bill reforming the state’s worker compensation system that was unanimously approved by the 2024 Legislature. Contents of the bill was negotiated by labor and business interests before presented to the House and Senate. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Gov. Laura Kelly signed a bill reforming the state’s worker compensation system that was unanimously approved by the 2024 Legislature. Contents of the bill was negotiated by labor and business interests before presented to the House and Senate. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly signed legislation updating the state’s worker compensation system Thursday to place into law details of compromises negotiated by labor and business interests that were unanimously endorsed in the House and Senate.The legislation substantially increased maximum compensation for injured workers or their dependents and added a cost-of-living adjustment to those benefits beginning in July 2027.Under Senate Bill 430, the parties would exchange medical records in a timely way, limit use of independent medical examinations and could settle cases could be without a formal hearing.The bill sent to the governor in late March would reduce the Social Security retirement offset for certain disability benefits and extend worker compensation coverage to members of the Kansas National Guard.“This legislation is a win for our workforce, our businesses and organized labor,” Kelly said. “The reforms in this legislation will create a more just and efficient workers compensation system that increases the benefits for injured workers while creating administrative efficiencies and maintaining stability for businesses.”Rep. Jason Probst, D-Hutchinson, said the deal followed years of erosion in basic protections for employees under the system relied upon to compensate people for injuries occurring on the job.“This compromise package signals a shift in how we will treat and assist employees in our state who suffer a tragic workplace injury,” he said.The Kansas Trial Lawyers Association and the Kansas Chamber took part of year-long conversations with the Kansas AFL-CIO and other interest groups about details of the legislation. Four attorneys aligned with labor interests and four attorneys with business interests took part in negotiations.“When it comes to crafting good policy when both sides of the issue are so polarized, a lot of collaboration is needed. Thankfully, experienced, level-headed professionals on both sides of this issue were able and willing to work together,” said Rep. Sean Tarwater, a Stilwell Republican who chaired the House commerce committee. “My job was to help navigate the legislative process, and their collaboration made it easy.”Amber Shultz, secretary of the Kansas Department of Labor, said the bill represented a positive step toward a balance between realities of the business world and workers’ needs.“We are proud to have come together with attorneys representing business and labor organizations to address the concerns of our stakeholders and contribute to a more fair and equitable system,” she said.

Kelly signs worker compensation reform bill passed unanimously by lawmakers

JERUSALEM (AP) — Booms and air raid sirens sounded in Jerusalem early Sunday after Iran launched dozens of drones and ballistic missiles toward Israel in an unprecedented revenge mission that pushed the Middle East ever closer to a regionwide war.

The attack marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. Condemnation was swift, with France saying that “Iran has crossed a new threshold with regard to its destabilizing activities and is risking a potential military escalation.” Britain called the attacks “reckless.”

There was no immediate word from authorities on whether any explosions were an incoming attack. Air raid sirens were reported in numerous places, including northern Israel, southern Israel, the northern West Bank and the Dead Sea near the Jordanian border. Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service said it was treating a 10-year-old boy in critical condition in the Bedouin area in the Arad region but provided no details.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/The%20U.S.,%20with%20its%20large%20troop%20presence%20in%20the%20region,">U.S. forces</a>&nbsp;downed some of the Iran-launched drones flying toward Israel, according to a U.S. defense official and two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter. The defense official said the effort to intercept the attack was ongoing.

Israel's military said over 100 drones had been fired. It didn't mention ballistic missiles, which are less easily shot down, but Iran said they were part of the attack.

“We are monitoring the threat,” the Israeli military’s spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, announced in a nationwide television address.

Iran had vowed revenge since an April 1&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-syria-airstrike-iranian-embassy-edca34c52d38c8bc57281e4ebf33b240">airstrike in Syria</a>&nbsp;killed two Iranian generals inside an Iranian consular building. Iran accused Israel of being behind the attack. Israel hasn’t commented on it.

Israel and Iran have been on a collision course throughout Israel’s six-month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-gaza-war-oct-7-327bfeb7bfce5cb0de1568bf41a0ff06">war against Hamas militants</a>&nbsp;in the Gaza Strip. The war erupted after Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two militant groups backed by Iran, carried out a devastating cross-border attack on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. An Israeli offensive in Gaza has caused widespread devastation and killed over 33,000 people, according to local health officials.

Almost immediately after the war erupted, Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group in Lebanon, began attacking Israel’s northern border. The two sides have been involved in daily exchanges of fire, while Iranian-backed groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen have launched rockets and missiles toward Israel.

In a statement carried late Saturday by Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency, the country’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard acknowledged launching “dozens of drones and missiles towards the occupied territories and positions of the Zionist regime.”

In a later statement, the Revolutionary Guard issued a direct warning to the U.S.: “The terrorist U.S. government is warned any support or participation in harming Iran’s interests will be followed by decisive and regretting response by Iran’s armed forces."

IRNA also quoted an anonymous official saying ballistic missiles were part of the attack. A ballistic missile moves on an arch trajectory, heading up into space before gravity brings the weapon down at a speed several times faster than the speed of sound.

Israel has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-missile-defense-iron-dome-arrow-bbf6330918da036f2e000360556a81f6">missile defense systems</a>&nbsp;capable of targeting ballistic missiles. However, in a massive attack involving multiple drones and missiles, the likelihood of a strike making it through is higher.

Iran has a vast arsenal of drones and missiles. Online videos shared by Iranian state television purported to show delta-wing-style drones resembling the Iranian Shahed-136s long used by Russia in its war on Ukraine. The slow-flying drones carry bombs. Ukraine has successfully used both surface-to-air missiles and ground fire to target them.

Israel has a multilayered air-defense network that includes systems capable of intercepting a variety of threats including long-range missiles, cruise missiles, drones and short-range rockets.

Hagari, the army spokesman, said Israel was “prepared and ready." But he cautioned that the air defenses are not 100% effective and urged the public to heed safety instructions.

The army ordered residents in the Golan Heights — near the Syrian and Lebanese borders — as well as the southern towns of Nevatim and Dimona and the Red Sea resort of Eilat “to stay near protective spaces until further notice.” Dimona is home to Israel’s main nuclear facility, and Nevatim has a major air base.

The army’s Home Front Command canceled school on Sunday and limited public gatherings to no more than 1,000 people. Israel closed its airspace and canceled all flights.

Earlier Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned: “Whoever harms us, we will harm them.”

In Washington, President Joe Biden cut short a weekend trip to his beach house in Delaware to return to the White House. He was set to convene a principals meeting of the National Security Council on Saturday to discuss the unfolding attack, the White House said.

“The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement.

Gen. Erik Kurilla, the head of the U.S. military’s Central Command, was in Israel over the weekend consulting with Israeli defense officials about the Iranian threat. The Central Command oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East.

Iran’s mission to the United Nations issued a warning to both Israel and the U.S. “Should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran’s response will be considerably more severe,” it wrote online. “It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY!”

For days, Iranian officials including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had threatened to “slap” Israel for its Syria strike.

In Iran’s capital, Tehran, witnesses saw long lines at gas stations early Sunday as people appeared worried about what may come next. Dozens of hard-liners demonstrated in support of the attack at Palestine Square.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported heavy Israeli airstrikes and shelling on multiple locations in south Lebanon following Iran's launch of drones. The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said it launched “dozens” of Katyusha rockets at an Israeli military site in the Golan Heights early Sunday. It was not immediately clear if there was any damage.

Countries in the region began to close their airspace.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden cut short a weekend stay at his Delaware beach house and was returning to the White House on Saturday to meet with his national security team and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-mideast-israel-hamas-syria-iran-a083ddef0db28cde2a6fdd84e0a56367">monitor the situation in the Middle East</a>&nbsp;as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-retaliation-killed-general-b2e8625500409405c9dc88731063fa71">Iran launched an attack against Israel.</a>

Tensions are at their highest since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;began six months ago after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-syria-airstrike-iranian-embassy-edca34c52d38c8bc57281e4ebf33b240">suspected Israeli strike</a>&nbsp;this month on an Iranian consular building in Syria killed 12 people, including two senior Iranian generals in the Revolutionary Guard’s elite Quds Force.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-funeral-revolutionary-guard-e07df55596d48413fb87bf43711c9441">Iran has promised to retaliate</a>&nbsp;against Israel, and U.S. and Israeli officials have been bracing for an attack, raising concerns about the conflict escalating into a wider regional war.

Biden boarded the presidential helicopter from a park near his house in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, to return to Washington Saturday afternoon shortly before Israeli officials confirmed that they had detected drones being launched toward their territory from Iran. He was set to convene a principals meeting of the National Security Council in the White House Situation Room to discuss the events and plan the U.S. response.

National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a Saturday statement that “Iran has begun an airborne attack against Israel.” She added: “The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran.”

The Pentagon reported that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had spoken with his Israeli counterpart “to discuss urgent regional threats ... and made clear that Israel could count on full U.S. support to defend Israel against any attacks by Iran and its regional proxies." National security adviser Jake Sullivan also spoke with his counterpart to reinforce Washington's “ironclad commitment to the security of Israel.”

Biden on Friday said the United States was "devoted” to defending Israel and that “Iran will not succeed.” Asked by reporters what his message was for Iran, the president’s only reply was: “Don’t.”

He ignored a question about what would trigger a direct U.S. military response, and when asked how imminent an Iranian attack on Israel was, Biden said he did not want to get into secure information, “but my expectation is sooner than later.”

The U.S., along with its allies, have sent direct messages to Tehran to warn against further escalating the conflict.

During the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, there have been near-daily exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group along the Israel-Lebanon border. U.S. officials have recorded more than 150 attacks by Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria on U.S. forces at bases in those countries since war started on Oct. 7.

One attack in late January killed three U.S. service members in Jordan. In retaliation, the U.S. launched a massive air assault, hitting more than 85 targets at seven locations in Iraq and Syria.

Meantime, on Saturday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/strait-of-hormuz-vessel-33fcffde2d867380e98c89403776a8ac">commandos from Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard</a>&nbsp;rappelled from a helicopter onto an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz and seized the vessel.

National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said the U.S. strongly condemned the seizure and urged Iran to release the ship and crew immediately.

“We will work with our partners to hold Iran to account for its actions,” she said.

Also Saturday, the Israeli-occupied West Bank also saw some of the worst violence since Hamas' attack on Israel.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Commandos from Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard rappelled from a helicopter onto an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz and seized the vessel Saturday in the latest attack between the two countries.

The seizure followed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-syria-airstrike-iranian-embassy-edca34c52d38c8bc57281e4ebf33b240">a suspected Israeli strike</a>&nbsp;this month on an Iranian consular building in Syria that killed 12 people, including a senior Guard general.

U.S. President Joe Biden cut short a weekend trip to his beach house in Delaware to return to the White House and monitor the situation in the Middle East, where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-gaza-war-oct-7-327bfeb7bfce5cb0de1568bf41a0ff06">Israel's war on Hamas</a>&nbsp;in the Gaza Strip has inflamed decade-old tensions. With Iranian-backed forces like Hezbollah in Lebanon and Yemen's Houthi rebels also involved in the fighting, any new attack threatens to escalate that conflict into a wider regional war.

Iran's state-run IRNA said a special forces unit of the Guard's navy carried out the attack on the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, a container ship associated with London-based Zodiac Maritime.

Zodiac Maritime is part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Group. Zodiac declined to comment and referred questions to MSC. Geneva-based MSC acknowledged the seizure and said 25 crew members were on the ship.

“We are working closely with the relevant authorities to ensure their wellbeing, and safe return of the vessel,” MSC said.

White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said the crew was made up of Indian, Filipino, Pakistani, Russian and Estonian nationals and urged Iran to release them and the vessel.

IRNA said the Guard would take the vessel into Iranian territorial waters.

A Middle East defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, provided video of the attack to The Associated Press in which Iranian commandos are seen rappelling onto a stack of containers on the vessel's deck.

A crew member can be heard saying: “Don’t come out.” He then tells his colleagues to go to the ship’s bridge as more commandos come down. One commando can be seen kneeling above the others to provide them potential cover fire.

The video corresponded with known details of the MSC Aries. The commandos rappelled from what appeared to be a Soviet-era Mil Mi-17 helicopter, which both the Guard and the Iranian-backed Houthis have used before to raid ships.

The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations described the vessel as being “seized by regional authorities” in the Gulf of Oman off the Emirati port city of Fujairah, without elaborating.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz called on nations to list the Guard as a terrorist organization.

Iran “is a criminal regime that supports Hamas’ crimes and is now conducting a pirate operation in violation of international law,” Katz said.

For days, Iranian officials including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have threatened to “slap” Israel for its Syria strike.

The U.S., Israel’s main backer, has stood by the country despite growing concerns over Israel’s war on Gaza killing more than 33,600 Palestinians and wounding over 76,200 more. Israel’s war began after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw some 250 others taken hostage.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III told Israel's defense minister that the nation could count on U.S. support to defend against attacks by Iran, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Saturday.

Iran since 2019 has engaged in a series of ship seizures, and attacks on vessels have been attributed to it amid ongoing tensions with the West over its rapidly advancing nuclear program.

In previous seizures, Iran provided initial explanations about its operations to make it seem like the attacks had nothing to do with wider geopolitical tensions — though later acknowledging as much. In Saturday's attack, however, Iran offered no explanation other than to say the MSC Aries had links to Israel.

Iran has largely avoided directly attacking Israel, despite its targeted killings of nuclear scientists and sabotage campaigns on Iran's atomic sites. Iran has targeted Israeli or Jewish-linked sites through proxy forces.

In Iran on Saturday, officials publicly denied faked text messages sent in the name of civil defense authorities that urged the public to “prepare drinking water and dry food” due to the “emerging emergency situation.

The Gulf of Oman is near the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all globally traded oil passes. Fujairah, on the United Arab Emirates’ eastern coast, is a main port for ships to take on new oil cargo, pick up supplies or trade out crew. Since 2019, the waters off Fujairah have seen&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/5484dc4a51644fa9839546e1cd7bf89f">a series of explosions and hijackings.</a>

Meanwhile, Lufthansa Group on Saturday extended its suspension of flights between Frankfurt and Tehran through Thursday and said its planes would avoid Iranian airspace. The German carrier also said that, until at least Tuesday, flights to and from Amman will be operated as “day flights” so crews won't spend a night in the Jordanian capital.

Dutch airline KLM said it will no longer fly over Iran or Israel, but will continue flights to and from Tel Aviv.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713052204025.png" alt="On Saturday evening President Biden met with his national security team for an update on Iran’s attacks against Israel. "Our commitment to Israel’s security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad," Biden wrote on social media-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>On Saturday evening President Biden met with his national security team for an update on Iran’s attacks against Israel. "Our commitment to Israel’s security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad," Biden wrote on social media-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>JERUSALEM (AP) — Booms and air raid sirens sounded in Jerusalem early Sunday after Iran launched dozens of drones and ballistic missiles toward Israel in an unprecedented revenge mission that pushed the Middle East ever closer to a regionwide war.The attack marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. Condemnation was swift, with France saying that “Iran has crossed a new threshold with regard to its destabilizing activities and is risking a potential military escalation.” Britain called the attacks “reckless.”There was no immediate word from authorities on whether any explosions were an incoming attack. Air raid sirens were reported in numerous places, including northern Israel, southern Israel, the northern West Bank and the Dead Sea near the Jordanian border. Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service said it was treating a 10-year-old boy in critical condition in the Bedouin area in the Arad region but provided no details.<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/The%20U.S.,%20with%20its%20large%20troop%20presence%20in%20the%20region,">U.S. forces</a>&nbsp;downed some of the Iran-launched drones flying toward Israel, according to a U.S. defense official and two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter. The defense official said the effort to intercept the attack was ongoing.Israel's military said over 100 drones had been fired. It didn't mention ballistic missiles, which are less easily shot down, but Iran said they were part of the attack.“We are monitoring the threat,” the Israeli military’s spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, announced in a nationwide television address.Iran had vowed revenge since an April 1&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-syria-airstrike-iranian-embassy-edca34c52d38c8bc57281e4ebf33b240">airstrike in Syria</a>&nbsp;killed two Iranian generals inside an Iranian consular building. Iran accused Israel of being behind the attack. Israel hasn’t commented on it.Israel and Iran have been on a collision course throughout Israel’s six-month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-gaza-war-oct-7-327bfeb7bfce5cb0de1568bf41a0ff06">war against Hamas militants</a>&nbsp;in the Gaza Strip. The war erupted after Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two militant groups backed by Iran, carried out a devastating cross-border attack on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. An Israeli offensive in Gaza has caused widespread devastation and killed over 33,000 people, according to local health officials.Almost immediately after the war erupted, Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group in Lebanon, began attacking Israel’s northern border. The two sides have been involved in daily exchanges of fire, while Iranian-backed groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen have launched rockets and missiles toward Israel.In a statement carried late Saturday by Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency, the country’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard acknowledged launching “dozens of drones and missiles towards the occupied territories and positions of the Zionist regime.”In a later statement, the Revolutionary Guard issued a direct warning to the U.S.: “The terrorist U.S. government is warned any support or participation in harming Iran’s interests will be followed by decisive and regretting response by Iran’s armed forces."IRNA also quoted an anonymous official saying ballistic missiles were part of the attack. A ballistic missile moves on an arch trajectory, heading up into space before gravity brings the weapon down at a speed several times faster than the speed of sound.Israel has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-missile-defense-iron-dome-arrow-bbf6330918da036f2e000360556a81f6">missile defense systems</a>&nbsp;capable of targeting ballistic missiles. However, in a massive attack involving multiple drones and missiles, the likelihood of a strike making it through is higher.Iran has a vast arsenal of drones and missiles. Online videos shared by Iranian state television purported to show delta-wing-style drones resembling the Iranian Shahed-136s long used by Russia in its war on Ukraine. The slow-flying drones carry bombs. Ukraine has successfully used both surface-to-air missiles and ground fire to target them.Israel has a multilayered air-defense network that includes systems capable of intercepting a variety of threats including long-range missiles, cruise missiles, drones and short-range rockets.Hagari, the army spokesman, said Israel was “prepared and ready." But he cautioned that the air defenses are not 100% effective and urged the public to heed safety instructions.The army ordered residents in the Golan Heights — near the Syrian and Lebanese borders — as well as the southern towns of Nevatim and Dimona and the Red Sea resort of Eilat “to stay near protective spaces until further notice.” Dimona is home to Israel’s main nuclear facility, and Nevatim has a major air base.The army’s Home Front Command canceled school on Sunday and limited public gatherings to no more than 1,000 people. Israel closed its airspace and canceled all flights.Earlier Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned: “Whoever harms us, we will harm them.”In Washington, President Joe Biden cut short a weekend trip to his beach house in Delaware to return to the White House. He was set to convene a principals meeting of the National Security Council on Saturday to discuss the unfolding attack, the White House said.“The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement.Gen. Erik Kurilla, the head of the U.S. military’s Central Command, was in Israel over the weekend consulting with Israeli defense officials about the Iranian threat. The Central Command oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East.Iran’s mission to the United Nations issued a warning to both Israel and the U.S. “Should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran’s response will be considerably more severe,” it wrote online. “It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY!”For days, Iranian officials including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had threatened to “slap” Israel for its Syria strike.In Iran’s capital, Tehran, witnesses saw long lines at gas stations early Sunday as people appeared worried about what may come next. Dozens of hard-liners demonstrated in support of the attack at Palestine Square.Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported heavy Israeli airstrikes and shelling on multiple locations in south Lebanon following Iran's launch of drones. The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said it launched “dozens” of Katyusha rockets at an Israeli military site in the Golan Heights early Sunday. It was not immediately clear if there was any damage.Countries in the region began to close their airspace.---------------WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden cut short a weekend stay at his Delaware beach house and was returning to the White House on Saturday to meet with his national security team and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-mideast-israel-hamas-syria-iran-a083ddef0db28cde2a6fdd84e0a56367">monitor the situation in the Middle East</a>&nbsp;as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-retaliation-killed-general-b2e8625500409405c9dc88731063fa71">Iran launched an attack against Israel.</a>Tensions are at their highest since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;began six months ago after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-syria-airstrike-iranian-embassy-edca34c52d38c8bc57281e4ebf33b240">suspected Israeli strike</a>&nbsp;this month on an Iranian consular building in Syria killed 12 people, including two senior Iranian generals in the Revolutionary Guard’s elite Quds Force.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-funeral-revolutionary-guard-e07df55596d48413fb87bf43711c9441">Iran has promised to retaliate</a>&nbsp;against Israel, and U.S. and Israeli officials have been bracing for an attack, raising concerns about the conflict escalating into a wider regional war.Biden boarded the presidential helicopter from a park near his house in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, to return to Washington Saturday afternoon shortly before Israeli officials confirmed that they had detected drones being launched toward their territory from Iran. He was set to convene a principals meeting of the National Security Council in the White House Situation Room to discuss the events and plan the U.S. response.National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a Saturday statement that “Iran has begun an airborne attack against Israel.” She added: “The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685236579953.png" alt="President Joe Biden cut short a weekend trip to his beach house in Delaware to return to the White House and monitor the situation in the Middle East, File photo -courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Joe Biden cut short a weekend trip to his beach house in Delaware to return to the White House and monitor the situation in the Middle East, File photo -courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>The Pentagon reported that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had spoken with his Israeli counterpart “to discuss urgent regional threats ... and made clear that Israel could count on full U.S. support to defend Israel against any attacks by Iran and its regional proxies." National security adviser Jake Sullivan also spoke with his counterpart to reinforce Washington's “ironclad commitment to the security of Israel.”Biden on Friday said the United States was "devoted” to defending Israel and that “Iran will not succeed.” Asked by reporters what his message was for Iran, the president’s only reply was: “Don’t.”He ignored a question about what would trigger a direct U.S. military response, and when asked how imminent an Iranian attack on Israel was, Biden said he did not want to get into secure information, “but my expectation is sooner than later.”The U.S., along with its allies, have sent direct messages to Tehran to warn against further escalating the conflict.During the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, there have been near-daily exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group along the Israel-Lebanon border. U.S. officials have recorded more than 150 attacks by Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria on U.S. forces at bases in those countries since war started on Oct. 7.One attack in late January killed three U.S. service members in Jordan. In retaliation, the U.S. launched a massive air assault, hitting more than 85 targets at seven locations in Iraq and Syria.Meantime, on Saturday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/strait-of-hormuz-vessel-33fcffde2d867380e98c89403776a8ac">commandos from Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard</a>&nbsp;rappelled from a helicopter onto an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz and seized the vessel.National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said the U.S. strongly condemned the seizure and urged Iran to release the ship and crew immediately.“We will work with our partners to hold Iran to account for its actions,” she said.Also Saturday, the Israeli-occupied West Bank also saw some of the worst violence since Hamas' attack on Israel.___DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Commandos from Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard rappelled from a helicopter onto an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz and seized the vessel Saturday in the latest attack between the two countries.The seizure followed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-syria-airstrike-iranian-embassy-edca34c52d38c8bc57281e4ebf33b240">a suspected Israeli strike</a>&nbsp;this month on an Iranian consular building in Syria that killed 12 people, including a senior Guard general.U.S. President Joe Biden cut short a weekend trip to his beach house in Delaware to return to the White House and monitor the situation in the Middle East, where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-gaza-war-oct-7-327bfeb7bfce5cb0de1568bf41a0ff06">Israel's war on Hamas</a>&nbsp;in the Gaza Strip has inflamed decade-old tensions. With Iranian-backed forces like Hezbollah in Lebanon and Yemen's Houthi rebels also involved in the fighting, any new attack threatens to escalate that conflict into a wider regional war.Iran's state-run IRNA said a special forces unit of the Guard's navy carried out the attack on the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, a container ship associated with London-based Zodiac Maritime.Zodiac Maritime is part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Group. Zodiac declined to comment and referred questions to MSC. Geneva-based MSC acknowledged the seizure and said 25 crew members were on the ship.“We are working closely with the relevant authorities to ensure their wellbeing, and safe return of the vessel,” MSC said.White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said the crew was made up of Indian, Filipino, Pakistani, Russian and Estonian nationals and urged Iran to release them and the vessel.IRNA said the Guard would take the vessel into Iranian territorial waters.A Middle East defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, provided video of the attack to The Associated Press in which Iranian commandos are seen rappelling onto a stack of containers on the vessel's deck.A crew member can be heard saying: “Don’t come out.” He then tells his colleagues to go to the ship’s bridge as more commandos come down. One commando can be seen kneeling above the others to provide them potential cover fire.The video corresponded with known details of the MSC Aries. The commandos rappelled from what appeared to be a Soviet-era Mil Mi-17 helicopter, which both the Guard and the Iranian-backed Houthis have used before to raid ships.The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations described the vessel as being “seized by regional authorities” in the Gulf of Oman off the Emirati port city of Fujairah, without elaborating.Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz called on nations to list the Guard as a terrorist organization.Iran “is a criminal regime that supports Hamas’ crimes and is now conducting a pirate operation in violation of international law,” Katz said.For days, Iranian officials including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have threatened to “slap” Israel for its Syria strike.The U.S., Israel’s main backer, has stood by the country despite growing concerns over Israel’s war on Gaza killing more than 33,600 Palestinians and wounding over 76,200 more. Israel’s war began after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw some 250 others taken hostage.U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III told Israel's defense minister that the nation could count on U.S. support to defend against attacks by Iran, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Saturday.Iran since 2019 has engaged in a series of ship seizures, and attacks on vessels have been attributed to it amid ongoing tensions with the West over its rapidly advancing nuclear program.In previous seizures, Iran provided initial explanations about its operations to make it seem like the attacks had nothing to do with wider geopolitical tensions — though later acknowledging as much. In Saturday's attack, however, Iran offered no explanation other than to say the MSC Aries had links to Israel.Iran has largely avoided directly attacking Israel, despite its targeted killings of nuclear scientists and sabotage campaigns on Iran's atomic sites. Iran has targeted Israeli or Jewish-linked sites through proxy forces.In Iran on Saturday, officials publicly denied faked text messages sent in the name of civil defense authorities that urged the public to “prepare drinking water and dry food” due to the “emerging emergency situation.The Gulf of Oman is near the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all globally traded oil passes. Fujairah, on the United Arab Emirates’ eastern coast, is a main port for ships to take on new oil cargo, pick up supplies or trade out crew. Since 2019, the waters off Fujairah have seen&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/5484dc4a51644fa9839546e1cd7bf89f">a series of explosions and hijackings.</a>Meanwhile, Lufthansa Group on Saturday extended its suspension of flights between Frankfurt and Tehran through Thursday and said its planes would avoid Iranian airspace. The German carrier also said that, until at least Tuesday, flights to and from Amman will be operated as “day flights” so crews won't spend a night in the Jordanian capital.Dutch airline KLM said it will no longer fly over Iran or Israel, but will continue flights to and from Tel Aviv.___

Biden cuts weekend trip short as Iran launches attack on Israel

LONDON (AP) — Instagram says it's deploying new tools to protect young people and combat sexual extortion, including a feature that will automatically blur nudity in direct messages.

The social media platform said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://about.instagram.com/blog/announcements/new-tools-to-help-protect-against-sextortion-and-intimate-image-abuse">blog post</a>&nbsp;Thursday that it's testing out the features as part of its campaign to fight sexual scams and other forms of “image abuse,” and to make it tougher for criminals to contact teens.

Sexual extortion, or sextortion, involves persuading a person to send explicit photos online and then threatening to make the images public unless the victim pays money or engages in sexual favors. Recent high-profile cases include&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sexual-extortion-guilty-pleas-michigan-nigerian-brothers-25c1593410c9fa538d39539ca34363c0">two Nigerian brothers</a>&nbsp;who pleaded guilty to sexually extorting teen boys and young men in Michigan, including one who took his own life, and a Virginia sheriff’s deputy who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-fires-california-virginia-riverside-c35722488c9c3dd20b7c04162d8b9425">sexually extorted and kidnapped</a>&nbsp;a 15-year-old girl.

Instagram and other social media companies have faced growing criticism for not doing enough to protect young people. Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Instagram's owner Meta Platforms,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/social-media-meta-platforms-inc-children-x-corp-national-a98bac4cb6634acaaea4cf58ca28d3d2">apologized</a>&nbsp;to the parents of victims of such abuse during a Senate hearing earlier this year.

Meta, which is based in Menlo Park, California, also owns Facebook and WhatsApp but the nudity blur feature won’t be added to messages sent on those platforms.

Instagram said scammers often use direct messages to ask for “intimate images.” To counter this, it will soon start testing out a nudity-protection feature for direct messages that blurs any images with nudity “and encourages people to think twice before sending nude images.”

“The feature is designed not only to protect people from seeing unwanted nudity in their DMs, but also to protect them from scammers who may send nude images to trick people into sending their own images in return,” Instagram said.

The feature will be turned on by default globally for teens under 18. Adult users will get a notification encouraging them to activate it.

Images with nudity will be blurred with a warning, giving users the option to view it. They'll also get an option to block the sender and report the chat.

For people sending direct messages with nudity, they will get a message reminding them to be cautious when sending “sensitive photos." They'll also be informed that they can unsend the photos if they change their mind, but that there's a chance others may have already seen them.

As with many of Meta's tools and policies around child safety, critics saw the move as a positive step, but one that does not go far enough.

“I think the tools announced can protect senders, and that is welcome. But what about recipients?" said Arturo Béjar, former engineering director at the social media giant who is known for his expertise in curbing online harassment. He said 1 in 8 teens receives an unwanted advance on Instagram every seven days, citing internal research he compiled while at Meta that he presented in November&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-media-teens-meta-instagram-arturo-bejar-5f7fb7d55fb9f0da12cf3a57837fa0c5">testimony before Congress</a>. "What tools do they get? What can they do if they get an unwanted nude?”

Béjar said “things won’t meaningfully change” until there is a way for a teen to say they’ve received an unwanted advance, and there is transparency about it.

White House assistant press secretary Robyn Patterson also noted Thursday that President Joe Biden “has been outspoken about his belief that social media companies can do more to combat sexual exploitation online.”

Instagram said it's working on technology to help identify accounts that could be potentially be engaging in sexual extortion scams, “based on a range of signals that could indicate sextortion behavior.”

To stop criminals from connecting with young people, it's also taking measures including not showing the “message” button on a teen’s profile to potential sextortion accounts, even if they already follow each other, and testing new ways to hide teens from these accounts.

In January, the FBI warned of a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/sextortion">“huge increase” in sextortion</a>&nbsp;cases targeting children — including financial sextortion, where someone threatens to release compromising images unless the victim pays. The targeted victims are primarily boys between the ages of 14 to 17, but the FBI said any child can become a victim. In the six-month period from October 2022 to March 2023, the FBI saw a more than 20% increase in reporting of financially motivated sextortion cases involving minor victims compared to the same period in the previous year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712933938998.png" alt="Instagram" />
 <figcaption>Instagram</figcaption>
 </figure>LONDON (AP) — Instagram says it's deploying new tools to protect young people and combat sexual extortion, including a feature that will automatically blur nudity in direct messages.The social media platform said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://about.instagram.com/blog/announcements/new-tools-to-help-protect-against-sextortion-and-intimate-image-abuse">blog post</a>&nbsp;Thursday that it's testing out the features as part of its campaign to fight sexual scams and other forms of “image abuse,” and to make it tougher for criminals to contact teens.Sexual extortion, or sextortion, involves persuading a person to send explicit photos online and then threatening to make the images public unless the victim pays money or engages in sexual favors. Recent high-profile cases include&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sexual-extortion-guilty-pleas-michigan-nigerian-brothers-25c1593410c9fa538d39539ca34363c0">two Nigerian brothers</a>&nbsp;who pleaded guilty to sexually extorting teen boys and young men in Michigan, including one who took his own life, and a Virginia sheriff’s deputy who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-fires-california-virginia-riverside-c35722488c9c3dd20b7c04162d8b9425">sexually extorted and kidnapped</a>&nbsp;a 15-year-old girl.Instagram and other social media companies have faced growing criticism for not doing enough to protect young people. Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Instagram's owner Meta Platforms,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/social-media-meta-platforms-inc-children-x-corp-national-a98bac4cb6634acaaea4cf58ca28d3d2">apologized</a>&nbsp;to the parents of victims of such abuse during a Senate hearing earlier this year.Meta, which is based in Menlo Park, California, also owns Facebook and WhatsApp but the nudity blur feature won’t be added to messages sent on those platforms.Instagram said scammers often use direct messages to ask for “intimate images.” To counter this, it will soon start testing out a nudity-protection feature for direct messages that blurs any images with nudity “and encourages people to think twice before sending nude images.”“The feature is designed not only to protect people from seeing unwanted nudity in their DMs, but also to protect them from scammers who may send nude images to trick people into sending their own images in return,” Instagram said.The feature will be turned on by default globally for teens under 18. Adult users will get a notification encouraging them to activate it.Images with nudity will be blurred with a warning, giving users the option to view it. They'll also get an option to block the sender and report the chat.For people sending direct messages with nudity, they will get a message reminding them to be cautious when sending “sensitive photos." They'll also be informed that they can unsend the photos if they change their mind, but that there's a chance others may have already seen them.As with many of Meta's tools and policies around child safety, critics saw the move as a positive step, but one that does not go far enough.“I think the tools announced can protect senders, and that is welcome. But what about recipients?" said Arturo Béjar, former engineering director at the social media giant who is known for his expertise in curbing online harassment. He said 1 in 8 teens receives an unwanted advance on Instagram every seven days, citing internal research he compiled while at Meta that he presented in November&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-media-teens-meta-instagram-arturo-bejar-5f7fb7d55fb9f0da12cf3a57837fa0c5">testimony before Congress</a>. "What tools do they get? What can they do if they get an unwanted nude?”Béjar said “things won’t meaningfully change” until there is a way for a teen to say they’ve received an unwanted advance, and there is transparency about it.White House assistant press secretary Robyn Patterson also noted Thursday that President Joe Biden “has been outspoken about his belief that social media companies can do more to combat sexual exploitation online.”Instagram said it's working on technology to help identify accounts that could be potentially be engaging in sexual extortion scams, “based on a range of signals that could indicate sextortion behavior.”To stop criminals from connecting with young people, it's also taking measures including not showing the “message” button on a teen’s profile to potential sextortion accounts, even if they already follow each other, and testing new ways to hide teens from these accounts.In January, the FBI warned of a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/sextortion">“huge increase” in sextortion</a>&nbsp;cases targeting children — including financial sextortion, where someone threatens to release compromising images unless the victim pays. The targeted victims are primarily boys between the ages of 14 to 17, but the FBI said any child can become a victim. In the six-month period from October 2022 to March 2023, the FBI saw a more than 20% increase in reporting of financially motivated sextortion cases involving minor victims compared to the same period in the previous year.__

Instagram deploying new tool to protect teens and fight sexual extortion

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating burglaries at four post office locations in Kansas and have offered a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of suspects involved.

The crimes all happened while the post office locations were closed.

The first burglary occurred between the hours of 4:30 p.m. on April 4, 2024 and 8:30 a.m. on April 5,&nbsp;at the post office located at 102 N Center St, Parker, Kansas, according to a statement from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

The second burglary occurred at the post office located at 112 4th Avenue, Bucyrus, Kansas between the hours of 11:15 a.m., on April 6, 2024 and 7:45 a.m. on April 8.

The third burglary occurred at the post office located at 416 S Kansas Avenue, Lane, Kansas, between 12:30 p.m. on April 6, 2024 and 7:50 a.m. on April 8.

The fourth burglary occurred at the post office located at 106 E. Main St., Rantoul, Kansas, between 3:00 p.m. April 6, 2024 and 7:50 a.m. on April 8.

If you have any information about the crimes, please contact theU.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455 (say “Law Enforcement”)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712952831519.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating burglaries at four post office locations in Kansas and have offered a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of suspects involved.The crimes all happened while the post office locations were closed.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712953250867.png" alt="Post office located at 112 4th Avenue, Bucyrus, Kansas -Google image" />
 <figcaption>Post office located at 112 4th Avenue, Bucyrus, Kansas -Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>The first burglary occurred between the hours of 4:30 p.m. on April 4, 2024 and 8:30 a.m. on April 5,&nbsp;at the post office located at 102 N Center St, Parker, Kansas, according to a statement from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.The second burglary occurred at the post office located at 112 4th Avenue, Bucyrus, Kansas between the hours of 11:15 a.m., on April 6, 2024 and 7:45 a.m. on April 8.The third burglary occurred at the post office located at 416 S Kansas Avenue, Lane, Kansas, between 12:30 p.m. on April 6, 2024 and 7:50 a.m. on April 8.The fourth burglary occurred at the post office located at 106 E. Main St., Rantoul, Kansas, between 3:00 p.m. April 6, 2024 and 7:50 a.m. on April 8.If you have any information about the crimes, please contact theU.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455 (say “Law Enforcement”)

Reward offered for information in Kan. post office burglaries

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted Friday to reauthorize and reform a key U.S. government surveillance tool following a dramatic showdown on the floor over whether the FBI should be restricted from using the program to search for Americans’ data.&nbsp; Two Missouri lawmakers, second district Congresswoman Ann Wagner and sixth district Congressman Sam Graves voted against requiring a warrant to spy on Americans.

The bill was approved on a bipartisan basis, 273-147, though it will have to clear the Senate to become law. The surveillance program is set to expire April 19 unless Congress acts.

Passage of the bill represented a much-needed victory for Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who has been wrangling with conservative critics of the legislation for months. A group of 19 Republicans revolted to block the bill from coming to the floor earlier in the week, forcing Johnson to make late changes to secure their support.

The legislation approved Friday would extend the surveillance program two years, rather than the five first proposed. Johnson hoped that the shorter timeline would sway&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fisa-donald-trump-surveillance-congress-mike-johnson-623df444267e725ca8e313295052f09e">GOP critics</a>&nbsp;by pushing any future debate on the issue to the presidency of Donald Trump if he were to win back the White House in November.

Still, the legislation teetered precariously Friday morning as lawmakers voted on an amendment — vociferously opposed by Johnson, the White House and sponsors of the legislation — that would prohibit the warrantless surveillance of Americans.

One of his top critics, Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said that Johnson’s vote against the warrant requirement was another strike against him.

“Basically, what’s the difference in Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi and Speaker Johnson and there’s not one," the Georgia lawmaker said.

The amendment failed by the narrowest of margins, in a 212-212 tie.&nbsp; Eighty-six&nbsp; Republicans including Wagner and Graves of Missouri along with Congressmen Jake LaTurner and Ron Estes of Kansas voted against requiring a warrant to 'spy on Americans.'

 Supporters breathed a sigh of relief as the vote was gaveled to a close.

The vote on the amendment cut across party lines, uniting progressives and conservatives who agree on little else, but are skeptical of the government's surveillance powers.

Opponents of the legislation weren't giving up. In a surprise move after the vote was closed on the overall bill, a Republican made a procedural motion preventing the legislation from being sent to the Senate. An additional vote will be needed next week.

The legislation approved Friday would permit the U.S. government to collect, without a warrant, the communications of non-Americans located outside the country to gather foreign intelligence. The reauthorization is currently tied to a series of reforms aimed at satisfying critics who complained of civil liberties violations against Americans.

But far-right opponents have complained that those changes did not go far enough. The vocal detractors are some of Johnson’s harshest critics, members of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, who have railed against the speaker the last several months for reaching across the aisle to carry out the basic functions of the government.

To appease some of those critics, Johnson also plans to bring forward next week a separate proposal that would close a loophole that allows U.S. officials to collect data on Americans from big tech companies without a warrant.

Though the program is technically set to expire next Friday, the Biden administration has said it expects its authority to collect intelligence to remain operational for at least another year, thanks to an opinion earlier this month from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which receives surveillance applications. But officials say that court approval shouldn’t be a substitute for congressional authorization, especially since communications companies could cease cooperation with the government.

First authorized in 2008, the spy tool has been renewed several times since then as U.S. officials see it as crucial in disrupting terror attacks, cyber intrusions and foreign espionage. It has also produced intelligence that the U.S. has relied on for specific operations.

But the administration’s efforts to secure reauthorization of the program have repeatedly encountered fierce, and bipartisan, pushback, with Democrats like Sen. Ron Wyden who have long championed civil liberties aligning with Republican supporters of former President Donald Trump, who in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday stated incorrectly that Section 702 had been used to spy on his presidential campaign.

“Kill FISA,” Trump wrote in all capital letters. “It was illegally used against me, and many others. They spied on my campaign.” A former adviser to his 2016 presidential campaign was targeted for surveillance over potential ties to Russia under a different section of the law.

A specific area of concern for lawmakers is the FBI’s use of the vast intelligence repository to search for information about Americans and others in the U.S. Though the surveillance program only targets non-Americans in other countries, it also collects communications of Americans when they are in contact with those targeted foreigners.

In the past year, U.S. officials have revealed a series of abuses and mistakes by FBI analysts in improperly querying the intelligence repository for information about Americans or others in the U.S., including about a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fisa-foreign-surveillance-fbi-3f7d4cc0ef413cdf20bc0b70548cde84">member of Congress</a>&nbsp;and participants in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-fbi-surveillance-75c466a64e838ab12eaef96f6335f3cd">racial justice protests of 2020</a>&nbsp;and the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Those violations have led to demands for the FBI to have a warrant before conducting database queries on Americans, which FBI director&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/christopher-wray">Chris Wray</a>&nbsp;has warned would effectively gut the program's effectiveness and would also be legally unnecessary given that the information in the database has already been lawfully collected.

“While it is imperative that we ensure this critical authority of 702 does not lapse, we also must not undercut the effectiveness of this essential tool with a warrant requirement or some similar restriction, paralyzing our ability to tackle fast-moving threats,” Wray said in a speech Tuesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712945565277.png" alt="House Speaker Mike Johnson-file photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Mike Johnson-file photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted Friday to reauthorize and reform a key U.S. government surveillance tool following a dramatic showdown on the floor over whether the FBI should be restricted from using the program to search for Americans’ data.&nbsp; Two Missouri lawmakers, second district Congresswoman Ann Wagner and sixth district Congressman Sam Graves voted against requiring a warrant to spy on Americans.The bill was approved on a bipartisan basis, 273-147, though it will have to clear the Senate to become law. The surveillance program is set to expire April 19 unless Congress acts.Passage of the bill represented a much-needed victory for Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who has been wrangling with conservative critics of the legislation for months. A group of 19 Republicans revolted to block the bill from coming to the floor earlier in the week, forcing Johnson to make late changes to secure their support.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712940108886.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The legislation approved Friday would extend the surveillance program two years, rather than the five first proposed. Johnson hoped that the shorter timeline would sway&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fisa-donald-trump-surveillance-congress-mike-johnson-623df444267e725ca8e313295052f09e">GOP critics</a>&nbsp;by pushing any future debate on the issue to the presidency of Donald Trump if he were to win back the White House in November.Still, the legislation teetered precariously Friday morning as lawmakers voted on an amendment — vociferously opposed by Johnson, the White House and sponsors of the legislation — that would prohibit the warrantless surveillance of Americans.One of his top critics, Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said that Johnson’s vote against the warrant requirement was another strike against him.“Basically, what’s the difference in Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi and Speaker Johnson and there’s not one," the Georgia lawmaker said.The amendment failed by the narrowest of margins, in a 212-212 tie.&nbsp; Eighty-six&nbsp; Republicans including Wagner and Graves of Missouri along with Congressmen Jake LaTurner and Ron Estes of Kansas voted against requiring a warrant to 'spy on Americans.' Supporters breathed a sigh of relief as the vote was gaveled to a close.The vote on the amendment cut across party lines, uniting progressives and conservatives who agree on little else, but are skeptical of the government's surveillance powers.Opponents of the legislation weren't giving up. In a surprise move after the vote was closed on the overall bill, a Republican made a procedural motion preventing the legislation from being sent to the Senate. An additional vote will be needed next week.The legislation approved Friday would permit the U.S. government to collect, without a warrant, the communications of non-Americans located outside the country to gather foreign intelligence. The reauthorization is currently tied to a series of reforms aimed at satisfying critics who complained of civil liberties violations against Americans.But far-right opponents have complained that those changes did not go far enough. The vocal detractors are some of Johnson’s harshest critics, members of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, who have railed against the speaker the last several months for reaching across the aisle to carry out the basic functions of the government.To appease some of those critics, Johnson also plans to bring forward next week a separate proposal that would close a loophole that allows U.S. officials to collect data on Americans from big tech companies without a warrant.Though the program is technically set to expire next Friday, the Biden administration has said it expects its authority to collect intelligence to remain operational for at least another year, thanks to an opinion earlier this month from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which receives surveillance applications. But officials say that court approval shouldn’t be a substitute for congressional authorization, especially since communications companies could cease cooperation with the government.First authorized in 2008, the spy tool has been renewed several times since then as U.S. officials see it as crucial in disrupting terror attacks, cyber intrusions and foreign espionage. It has also produced intelligence that the U.S. has relied on for specific operations.But the administration’s efforts to secure reauthorization of the program have repeatedly encountered fierce, and bipartisan, pushback, with Democrats like Sen. Ron Wyden who have long championed civil liberties aligning with Republican supporters of former President Donald Trump, who in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday stated incorrectly that Section 702 had been used to spy on his presidential campaign.“Kill FISA,” Trump wrote in all capital letters. “It was illegally used against me, and many others. They spied on my campaign.” A former adviser to his 2016 presidential campaign was targeted for surveillance over potential ties to Russia under a different section of the law.A specific area of concern for lawmakers is the FBI’s use of the vast intelligence repository to search for information about Americans and others in the U.S. Though the surveillance program only targets non-Americans in other countries, it also collects communications of Americans when they are in contact with those targeted foreigners.In the past year, U.S. officials have revealed a series of abuses and mistakes by FBI analysts in improperly querying the intelligence repository for information about Americans or others in the U.S., including about a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fisa-foreign-surveillance-fbi-3f7d4cc0ef413cdf20bc0b70548cde84">member of Congress</a>&nbsp;and participants in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-fbi-surveillance-75c466a64e838ab12eaef96f6335f3cd">racial justice protests of 2020</a>&nbsp;and the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.Those violations have led to demands for the FBI to have a warrant before conducting database queries on Americans, which FBI director&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/christopher-wray">Chris Wray</a>&nbsp;has warned would effectively gut the program's effectiveness and would also be legally unnecessary given that the information in the database has already been lawfully collected.“While it is imperative that we ensure this critical authority of 702 does not lapse, we also must not undercut the effectiveness of this essential tool with a warrant requirement or some similar restriction, paralyzing our ability to tackle fast-moving threats,” Wray said in a speech Tuesday.

2 Mo. lawmakers vote against requiring a warrant to spy on Americans

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712857355515.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712857323642.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

American Pickers TV show to film in Kansas

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating the deadly shooting at&nbsp;Reser's Fine Foods, 3167 SE 10th Street in Topeka on Thursday are searching for a suspect.

Police are attempting to locate Eddie Holmes, 65, of Topeka, in reference the shooting death of 39-year-old  Reginald D. Previtte, 39, of Topeka, according to Topeka Police Lt. Edward Stanley.

Just after 4:30 p.m. Thursday, police responded to a reported shooting at the plant, according to Police Lt. Ronnie Connell.

First responders found Previtte suffering from a life-threatening gunshot wound. He was later pronounced deceased by medical personnel.

If you have any information related to where Eddie Holmes may be, please contact TPD at telltpd@topeka.org or submit anonymous tips through Shawnee County Crime Stoppers at 785-234- 0007 or online at www.tp3tips.com/128. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713022632926.png" alt="Holmes-photo Topeka Police" />
 <figcaption>Holmes-photo Topeka Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating the deadly shooting at&nbsp;Reser's Fine Foods, 3167 SE 10th Street in Topeka on Thursday are searching for a suspect.Police are attempting to locate Eddie Holmes, 65, of Topeka, in reference the shooting death of 39-year-old Reginald D. Previtte, 39, of Topeka, according to Topeka Police Lt. Edward Stanley.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712883470826.png" alt="photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 4:30 p.m. Thursday, police responded to a reported shooting at the plant, according to Police Lt. Ronnie Connell.First responders found Previtte suffering from a life-threatening gunshot wound. He was later pronounced deceased by medical personnel.If you have any information related to where Eddie Holmes may be, please contact TPD at telltpd@topeka.org or submit anonymous tips through Shawnee County Crime Stoppers at 785-234- 0007 or online at www.tp3tips.com/128.

Police looking for suspect in fatal shooting at Kan. food plant

LYON COUNTY —A Kansas Highway Patrol K9 helped officers track down a wanted suspect in Lyon County.

Just after 4p.m. Tuesday, police&nbsp;were attempting to arrest 56-year-old Jose Salomon-Ambriz as they attempted to serve an arrest warrant for him while he was parked in his car in the 400 block of Mechanic, according to Police Captain Ray Mattis.

Salomon-Ambriz refused to comply with the officer's orders to exit his car and fled from this scene in his car almost striking two officers with his car. 

A short pursuit followed, but the officers lost sight of Salomon-Ambriz. His car was later located in the alleyway in the 400 block of Rural. Officers with the Emporia Police Department and the Lyon County Sheriff's Office set up a perimeter. The Kansas Highway Patrol came to assist with a K-9 to track Salomon-Ambriz. 

The K-9 followed tracks indicating Salomon-Ambriz entered a residence in the 400 block of Rural. Salomon-Ambriz was called out of the residence and surrendered without further incident. No one was injured in this incident. Salomon-Ambriz was confined

at the Lyon County Jail on requested charges of Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer, Flee and Elude, Interference with a Law Enforcement Officer, and the warrant.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712765304510.png" alt="SALOMON-AMBRIZ-photo Lyon Co." />
 <figcaption>SALOMON-AMBRIZ-photo Lyon Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>LYON COUNTY —A Kansas Highway Patrol K9 helped officers track down a wanted suspect in Lyon County.Just after 4p.m. Tuesday, police&nbsp;were attempting to arrest 56-year-old Jose Salomon-Ambriz as they attempted to serve an arrest warrant for him while he was parked in his car in the 400 block of Mechanic, according to Police Captain Ray Mattis.Salomon-Ambriz refused to comply with the officer's orders to exit his car and fled from this scene in his car almost striking two officers with his car. A short pursuit followed, but the officers lost sight of Salomon-Ambriz. His car was later located in the alleyway in the 400 block of Rural. Officers with the Emporia Police Department and the Lyon County Sheriff's Office set up a perimeter. The Kansas Highway Patrol came to assist with a K-9 to track Salomon-Ambriz. The K-9 followed tracks indicating Salomon-Ambriz entered a residence in the 400 block of Rural. Salomon-Ambriz was called out of the residence and surrendered without further incident. No one was injured in this incident. Salomon-Ambriz was confinedat the Lyon County Jail on requested charges of Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer, Flee and Elude, Interference with a Law Enforcement Officer, and the warrant.&nbsp;

KHP K9 helps track wanted suspect hiding in a house

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a bank robbery in Wichita have identified the suspect and he was arrested in Meade County, Wichita Police Spokesman Andrew Ford reported Thursday morning. According to online jail records the suspect is 67-year-old&nbsp;Craig Lee Henderson.

Just before 11:30a.m. Wednesday, the suspect later identified as Henderson entered the Wells Fargo Bank, 455 South West Street in Wichita, according to Ford. 

The suspect was described as a white male between 50 and 60-years-old with long gray hair and a black and white beard. He announced the robbery to a teller and demanded money.&nbsp;

The teller gave Henderson an undisclosed amount of cash and he fled the business in an unknown direction. Henderson indicated he had a weapon, but one was not displayed. Henderson also was wearing black sunglasses and a blue jean jacket.&nbsp; &nbsp;

The Wichita Police crime lab collected evidence and the FBI is in charge of the investigation.&nbsp; Henderson remains jailed in Meade County.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712928769836.png" alt="Henderson-photo Meade County" />
 <figcaption>Henderson-photo Meade County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a bank robbery in Wichita have identified the suspect and he was arrested in Meade County, Wichita Police Spokesman Andrew Ford reported Thursday morning. According to online jail records the suspect is 67-year-old&nbsp;Craig Lee Henderson.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712837540615.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Just before 11:30a.m. Wednesday, the suspect later identified as Henderson entered the Wells Fargo Bank, 455 South West Street in Wichita, according to Ford. The suspect was described as a white male between 50 and 60-years-old with long gray hair and a black and white beard. He announced the robbery to a teller and demanded money.&nbsp;The teller gave Henderson an undisclosed amount of cash and he fled the business in an unknown direction. Henderson indicated he had a weapon, but one was not displayed. Henderson also was wearing black sunglasses and a blue jean jacket.&nbsp; &nbsp;The Wichita Police crime lab collected evidence and the FBI is in charge of the investigation.&nbsp; Henderson remains jailed in Meade County.

Captured Kansas bank robbery suspect identified

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas' governor on Friday vetoed a proposed ban on gender-affirming care for minors, a measure to require more reporting from abortion providers and what she called a “vague” bill making it a crime to coerce someone into having an abortion.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's actions set up a series of confrontations with the Republican-supermajority Legislature over those issues. The measures appeared to have the two-thirds majorities needed in both chambers to override vetoes, but GOP leaders' success depends on how many lawmakers are absent on a given day, especially in the House.

The two-term governor, who is term-limited, is a strong supporter of abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. Republicans control the Legislature, and they've joined other GOP lawmakers across the U.S. in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/states-define-sex-transgender-dc8c48669aef760c68d2fb7abde10e8c">rolling back transgender rights</a>.

But Kansas has been an outlier on abortion among states with Republican legislatures because the Kansas Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-3f479b218a6140719e1694fcfcdb8036">declared in 2019</a>&nbsp;that the state constitution protects abortion rights, and a statewide vote in August 2022&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">decisively affirmed</a>&nbsp;that position.

“Voters do not want politicians getting between doctors and their patient by interfering in private medical decisions,” Kelly wrote in her veto message on the abortion reporting bill.

Kelly did allow one GOP proposal on a social issue highlighted by Republicans across the U.S. to become law without her signature. Starting July 1, pornography websites&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/internet-pornography-age-verification-states-2ad9939bb95ccc15126419b38067be94">must verify</a>&nbsp;that Kansas visitors are adults. Kansas will follow Texas and a handful of other states despite some concerns about privacy and how broadly the law could be applied.

In rejecting an attempt to have Kansas join at least 24 other states in banning or restricting gender-affirming care for minors, Kelly argued that a ban “tramples parental rights” and targets “a small group.”

“If the Legislature paid this much attention to the other 99.8% of students, we’d have the best schools on earth,” she wrote.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/sb233_enrolled.pdf">Kansas bill</a>&nbsp;against gender-affirming care would bar surgery, hormone treatments and puberty blockers, limiting care for minors to therapy.

“Hopefully this will be the end of that, at least this year, and they don’t decide to waste anyone’s time anymore,” Jenna Bellemere, a transgender University of Kansas student, said after learning of the veto.

The bill also would require that the state revoke the licenses of any doctors violating the ban and bar recipients of state funds for treating children or state employees who work with children from advocating gender-affirming care for them. It would ban the use of state dollars and property on such care, which restricts the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas.

Supporters of the bill argue the ban will protect children from experimental, possibly dangerous and potentially permanent treatments. They have cited the recent decision of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-puberty-blockers-england-uk-5ed81979363470028053423c0a2fa263">the National Health Service in England</a>&nbsp;to no longer routinely cover such treatments. Senate President Ty Masterson, a Wichita-area Republican, said of Kelly, “The radical left controls her veto pen.”

“Laura Kelly will most surely find herself on the wrong side of history with her reckless veto of this common-sense protection for Kansas minors,” said Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican.

But U.S. states' bans go against the recommendations of major American health care groups, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Also, many medical professionals say providing such care makes transgender children less prone to depression or suicidal thoughts.

Last year, Republican legislators overrode Kelly vetoes to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-athletes-genderaffirming-care-kansas-0dcbbe6515e8f72d17e5aed2a04aa1ec">ban transgender girls and women</a>&nbsp;on female K-12 and college sports teams and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-kansas-state-government-arkansas-health-8f2edaa40b962e5642e108b83bc14246">end the state's legal recognition</a>&nbsp;of transgender people's gender identities. Because of the latter law, Kansas no longer allows transgender people&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-birth-certificates-kansas-8424f36613c05d03b7d4eb8f82229ee6">to change the listing for sex</a>&nbsp;on their driver's licenses or birth certificates.

Republican lawmakers also have continued to press for new laws on abortion, despite the August 2022 vote, arguing that voters still support “reasonable” regulations and support for pregnant women and new mothers.

“Once again, Governor ‘Coercion Kelly’ has shown how radical she is when it comes to abortion, lacking basic compassion for women who are pushed or even trafficked into abortions," Danielle Underwood, spokesperson for Kansans for Life, the state's most influential anti-abortion group, said in a statement.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-abortion-coercion-5fad478f4164c22f7f81b72268aa6f68">The anti-coercion bill</a>&nbsp;would punish someone convicted of making a physical or financial threat against a woman or girl to push her to have an abortion with up to a year in prison or a fine of up to $10,000. In her veto message, Kelly noted that it's already a crime to threaten someone else.

Critics said it's written broadly enough that it could apply to a spouse who threatens divorce or a live-in boyfriend who threatens to leave unless their partner gets an abortion.

The reporting bill would require providers to ask their patients why they want to terminate their pregnancies and report the information to the state health department. Kelly and other critics contend it's invasive and unnecessary, but supporters argue that the state needs better data about why women and girls have abortions to help set policy.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684065199461.png" alt="&nbsp;Photo Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Photo Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNATOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas' governor on Friday vetoed a proposed ban on gender-affirming care for minors, a measure to require more reporting from abortion providers and what she called a “vague” bill making it a crime to coerce someone into having an abortion.Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's actions set up a series of confrontations with the Republican-supermajority Legislature over those issues. The measures appeared to have the two-thirds majorities needed in both chambers to override vetoes, but GOP leaders' success depends on how many lawmakers are absent on a given day, especially in the House.The two-term governor, who is term-limited, is a strong supporter of abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. Republicans control the Legislature, and they've joined other GOP lawmakers across the U.S. in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/states-define-sex-transgender-dc8c48669aef760c68d2fb7abde10e8c">rolling back transgender rights</a>.But Kansas has been an outlier on abortion among states with Republican legislatures because the Kansas Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-3f479b218a6140719e1694fcfcdb8036">declared in 2019</a>&nbsp;that the state constitution protects abortion rights, and a statewide vote in August 2022&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">decisively affirmed</a>&nbsp;that position.“Voters do not want politicians getting between doctors and their patient by interfering in private medical decisions,” Kelly wrote in her veto message on the abortion reporting bill.Kelly did allow one GOP proposal on a social issue highlighted by Republicans across the U.S. to become law without her signature. Starting July 1, pornography websites&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/internet-pornography-age-verification-states-2ad9939bb95ccc15126419b38067be94">must verify</a>&nbsp;that Kansas visitors are adults. Kansas will follow Texas and a handful of other states despite some concerns about privacy and how broadly the law could be applied.In rejecting an attempt to have Kansas join at least 24 other states in banning or restricting gender-affirming care for minors, Kelly argued that a ban “tramples parental rights” and targets “a small group.”“If the Legislature paid this much attention to the other 99.8% of students, we’d have the best schools on earth,” she wrote.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/sb233_enrolled.pdf">Kansas bill</a>&nbsp;against gender-affirming care would bar surgery, hormone treatments and puberty blockers, limiting care for minors to therapy.“Hopefully this will be the end of that, at least this year, and they don’t decide to waste anyone’s time anymore,” Jenna Bellemere, a transgender University of Kansas student, said after learning of the veto.The bill also would require that the state revoke the licenses of any doctors violating the ban and bar recipients of state funds for treating children or state employees who work with children from advocating gender-affirming care for them. It would ban the use of state dollars and property on such care, which restricts the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas.Supporters of the bill argue the ban will protect children from experimental, possibly dangerous and potentially permanent treatments. They have cited the recent decision of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-puberty-blockers-england-uk-5ed81979363470028053423c0a2fa263">the National Health Service in England</a>&nbsp;to no longer routinely cover such treatments. Senate President Ty Masterson, a Wichita-area Republican, said of Kelly, “The radical left controls her veto pen.”“Laura Kelly will most surely find herself on the wrong side of history with her reckless veto of this common-sense protection for Kansas minors,” said Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican.But U.S. states' bans go against the recommendations of major American health care groups, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Also, many medical professionals say providing such care makes transgender children less prone to depression or suicidal thoughts.Last year, Republican legislators overrode Kelly vetoes to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-athletes-genderaffirming-care-kansas-0dcbbe6515e8f72d17e5aed2a04aa1ec">ban transgender girls and women</a>&nbsp;on female K-12 and college sports teams and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-kansas-state-government-arkansas-health-8f2edaa40b962e5642e108b83bc14246">end the state's legal recognition</a>&nbsp;of transgender people's gender identities. Because of the latter law, Kansas no longer allows transgender people&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-birth-certificates-kansas-8424f36613c05d03b7d4eb8f82229ee6">to change the listing for sex</a>&nbsp;on their driver's licenses or birth certificates.Republican lawmakers also have continued to press for new laws on abortion, despite the August 2022 vote, arguing that voters still support “reasonable” regulations and support for pregnant women and new mothers.“Once again, Governor ‘Coercion Kelly’ has shown how radical she is when it comes to abortion, lacking basic compassion for women who are pushed or even trafficked into abortions," Danielle Underwood, spokesperson for Kansans for Life, the state's most influential anti-abortion group, said in a statement.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-abortion-coercion-5fad478f4164c22f7f81b72268aa6f68">The anti-coercion bill</a>&nbsp;would punish someone convicted of making a physical or financial threat against a woman or girl to push her to have an abortion with up to a year in prison or a fine of up to $10,000. In her veto message, Kelly noted that it's already a crime to threaten someone else.Critics said it's written broadly enough that it could apply to a spouse who threatens divorce or a live-in boyfriend who threatens to leave unless their partner gets an abortion.The reporting bill would require providers to ask their patients why they want to terminate their pregnancies and report the information to the state health department. Kelly and other critics contend it's invasive and unnecessary, but supporters argue that the state needs better data about why women and girls have abortions to help set policy.“These stigmatizing bills were not crafted to improve the health and well-being of Kansans," said Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which operates three clinics providing abortions in Kansas. “They were merely meant to shame reproductive care.”-----------&nbsp;TOPEKA —Kansas Governor Laura Kelly announced Friday that she vetoed a bill that would require Kansas abortion providers to ask their patients why they want to terminate their pregnancies and then report the answers to the state.&nbsp; In a statement from her office Kelly wrote, “Kansans spoke loud and clear in August 2022. Voters do not want politicians getting between doctors and their patient by interfering in private medical decisions.“House Bill 2749 is invasive and unnecessary. There is no valid medical reason to force a woman to disclose to the legislature if they have been a victim of abuse, rape, or incest prior to obtaining an abortion. There is also no valid reason to force a woman to disclose to the legislature why she is seeking an abortion.“I refuse to sign legislation that goes against the will of the majority of Kansans who spoke loudly on August 2, 2022: Kansans don’t want politicians involved in their private medical decisions."“There are some in the legislature who have forgotten that. I have not. Therefore, under Article 2, Section 14(a) of the Constitution, I hereby veto House Bill 2749.”The bill required providers to ask patients 11 questions about their reasons for terminating a pregnancy, including that they can’t afford another child, raising a child would hinder their education or careers, or a spouse or partner wanted her to have an abortion. A woman would not be required to answer, however.At least eight states require similar reporting, but none of them has had a statewide vote on abortion rights as Kansas did in August 2022. In the first state ballot question on abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">Dobbs decision</a>, voters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">decisively protected abortion rights</a>&nbsp;under the state constitution.Supporters of the bill in the Kansas Legislature appear to have exactly the two-thirds majorities in both chambers they would need to override Kelly's veto.-The Associated Press contributed to this report.